Conscious Treasures!

 While driving back home last night I was blessed to see the most beautiful sunset! The sky was lit up with orange, pink, purple, and the sun looked like a neon piece of sea glass!! It absolutely took my breath away! I pulled over and tried to take a picture with my phone but they never turn out as good as you actually see it! 

My heart was happy I felt God's presence and it inspired me to soak in the beauty of the scene and start counting all my blessings. I believe that not everyday is always going to be happy go lucky but there is always something to be thankful for everyday. I looked at the sky in awe and thanked God for creating such a gorgeous scene. I have always been a sunset person. The sunrise is very gorgeous but I am usually a night owl and find I appreciate sunsets more. I have made a conscious effort to run in the evenings toward the sunset because it truly fills my cup.

Do you find that in those moments when you feel wonderful and really alive it is those same times when you are being appreciative and giving thanks? In my previous post I talked about listening to your heart and doing what you love, simply being thankful for your passion can make a difference in your mindset! Do you find that the more you express your gratefulness to something the more greatness you notice? I encourage you to try it not just today, do it EVERYDAY! Find something to be thankful for, find some blessings to focus on, no matter what may be going on in your life, I know we ALL have something we can recognize as a gift. When you become conscious of them, you will feel so alive and so happy! I encourage you to notice the great outdoors. Notice the colorful bird, flowers, the sunset, the moon. I love to take what I call "freeze frame moments" mentally when I see my kids playing together and smiling, it makes me so happy. It can be a moment when my son is talking with his Dad about football and I see their passion. It can be when my daughter comes up and snuggles her head to my shoulder. It can be smiling and hanging with friends, it can be a song on the radio. A simple breeze that cools you off when your hot. I just challenge you to notice these special gifts and notice when you pay attention more are offered! I hope you will feel happier and more alive! 

 

I love this quote from Thornton Wilder. I have always believed and seen it many times in my life that God wont bless you with more if you don't appreciate what you already have. When you really make it a purpose to find treasures in your everyday, you will notice you receive more and more of them! What is something you can be thankful for right now?

Heart Over Mind

Does your heart and mind think alike? Mine sure does NOT! Have you heard the saying, "follow your heart, but listen to your head?" Why does it seem our hearts never really gel with our head? I have even heard people say, "I don't know if I should listen to my heart or my head." I think it's easy to say go with your heart. However, that is always easier said than done. Our minds seem to always over think things. Our hearts feel and I believe God is there always connecting us to those feelings. Have you ever heard that whisper, felt that gut feeling? Some call it intuition, I personally call it God's Voice! Have you ever listened to it and been so glad you did? Have you ever not listened to it and been so regretful? I find myself lately acting from my heart. It's almost an out of body experience, if you will. I am leaning more on my heart than anything else and I am loving the results. My creativity is exploding, I believe I am more open and less worried about the outcome. I am finding that by just taking a leap of faith and following my heart rather than trying to rationalize every decision it's suiting my life well. I have been purposefully working on letting go, and letting God for over a year now. It can be taken with humor but the older I get the less I listen to my mind. Honestly, that is not always the case but it certainly is lately. I have had a deeper connection with my heart and I am choosing to follow it. It's less logic and more passion. Where in your life have you analyzed and tried to figure it all out, only to find out it all happens the way God wants it to anyway. Sometimes we "think" we want it to go a certain way but Gods plan is different. How often do we feel like we should do one thing, but we don't think it's right? Please don't get me wrong, I am not implying that if you "feel" you don't want to ever go to work again, maybe you should listen and take the risk of being fired. However, is there an underlying reason why we may not always "feel" up to a certain thing? I am discussing a deeper connection with God's voice, not a random emotion. Do you believe you are doing what God put you here to do? Is there something your very passionate about in your heart but your mind has told you it is not possible. I am finding when I am doing what I believe God wants me to do, which is living with a passion, and searching for my purpose that I never run out of energy for it. I don't ever not "feel" like singing, writing, running, showing my children love and affection, inspiring others, giving people compliments, and sending positive energy out to the universe! I believe that my purpose is becoming more and more obvious than ever before when I allow God to speak to my heart. I am more thankful, more restful at night, I have an inner peace that is priceless!

If I listened to my mind I would not write because, I don't have time for that, I have a million other things I should be doing! When I listen to my heart and just write I have a peace and a response from others that helps me know that I did the right thing. If I listened to my head I would not be playing piano and writing music, because I am a 36 year old from a very small town and there is no way I will ever get the world to listen to my music, and maybe they would not connect with it anyway. I have chosen to follow my heart and the music flows from me and although no one has heard it yet, my spirit is so happy and at peace when I am done. If I listened to my head I would not be running because I am not a distance runner, I don't have the time, I am not built like a distance runner. I chose to listen to my heart and I do it anyway and it's one of the most fulfilling things I do for my mental and physical health! If I listened to my head I would use my higher education and get a better paying job and title. I would not take the time to do what I love because I have to be busy with responsibilities that do not include those passions. I listened to my heart and I have found a way to provide income for my family, and have the schedule that works best for our lives, none of it calls for a college degree! I do not overlook any of my responsibilities. I just make time for the desires God has placed in my heart and in turn, He has blessed me with enough time to fit it all in! My life and passion is different than anyone else. Each person has their own but I really believe you will only find it in your heart!

I encourage you to follow your bliss, your passion, listen to God's voice. You have a purpose! Some may argue that its not practical, it's selfish, it's not logical. You may even believe there is no way in this world you could get paid to do what you love, or be able to pursue your passion and handle all your responsibilities. To that I would encourage you to quiet your mind, trust God's voice, and do what makes your heart happy! If it's good, your heart will let you know. If it does not settle well with your soul, then that should tell you more than your mind ever will!

Don't Stop This Train!

Last night I received a text from one of my best friends. She was at the emergency room with her Mom. Her Mom was having some health complications and was worried she would not get the care she needed, due to her specific insurance policies. I began to pray for her Mom and my friend. It's never easy watching your parents grow older. My friend lost her Dad several years ago. I can only imagine one never truly gets over that. You become forced to deal with the reality of loss. I can only assume it does not make it any easier though time comes and goes. I understand sometimes illness and disease happens at any age and that each passing day is a true blessing. It's just that I have been thinking a lot lately about how fast time keeps moving. It always happens to me around this time of year because my first born is about to have another birthday. This one she will reach double digits, a decade! It has me in deep thought and emotion about how fast this train really goes. 

Naturally, I have been listening to a certain John Mayer song a lot lately. Anyone who even remotely knows me knows that he is my inspiration, musically. So it is no surprise I was listening to him. However, lately I can not get enough of his song, Stop This Train. Like many of his other songs, it gets me thinking about life and the real emotions and circumstances we face. I connected so much with his verse, "so scared of getting older, I am only good at being young. So I play the numbers game to find a way to say life has just begun." I always talk about how I am never getting old and I will always be sassy and vibrant. I play the numbers game in my head often, telling myself, I am in a wonderful position to start my life's passion and dream! I am only 36% done and with 64% of my life ahead there HAS to be plenty of time to accomplish my life's passion! I am determined to make it to 100! I have always had a dream in my heart to have the world connect with my voice and the songs I write. John Mayer has accomplished what I hope to. His words & thought process are very much familiar to my own. With that being said and my friends situation being heavy on my heart, I listened to this song over and over today. It brought up so much emotion, raw and real emotion as I listened and reflected on everything happening in my life and friends life now. 

I took my kids to lunch and to purchase some sports equipment they needed. We went to lunch at their favorite buffet style restaurant. When we approached the door there were several senior citizens, all of which I would say were no younger than 70. They were waiting by the door and I would estimate about 20 of them in all. They waved us by and I assumed they were waiting for more friends. When the waiter was taking our drink orders he began to tell them it was 1:00 and at 1:00 you could receive the Senior discount! It was adorable how they all began heading for the register as they spoke loudly to each other explaining it was time. :)  I love elderly people and have respect for anyone who has been on this train for 60 plus years! I can imagine you have a wisdom and a tolerance that I will not see for some time to come at their ages. I watched them slowly get around and fill their plates with fried chicken, pasta, and desserts. I watched husbands pull out chairs for their wives, take them by the elbows and walk them to the plates. I watched the wives tell their husbands to use the hand sanitizer before eating. All of them looking out for each other with each others best interest in mind. I watched some pray before a meal which touched my heart. I watched some without spouses but they were still surrounded by their friends. I watched them struggle to get up from their chairs to fetch a second plate. I watched them shake and move very slowly as if they were using every ounce of energy to lift their forks to mouth. I also watched them smile and talk to one another with warm eyes and joyful voices over coffee. It got me thinking that someday that will be me! Hopefully, I will be able to be so blessed! I was inspired that they still enjoyed fried food, desserts, conversation, friendship, & life! Not that they shouldn't. It just seems sometimes the older we get the more limitations are usually put on us. It typically involves giving up the things that we enjoy most. I watch my parents try to avoid foods, activity and pleasures they once enjoyed all because they are aging. I was inspired that even though it was not as easy to get out or around they were out doing it. They were not trying to stop the train, they were enjoying the ride!

 I watched my kids enjoy their ice cream and cotton candy with smiles and I felt overcome with joy and appreciation that we are in the shape and health we are in. We are still young and I do not take that for granted even though at times I get caught up in how fast time flies. I can still get up and down without aches and my kids are still at an age where we can enjoy so much together. They are growing so fast and I often say I wish I could freeze time. Although, there is a bittersweet reality that comes along with the train ride. The moments experienced while being young are just as priceless as the moments reaching milestones and building memories with each passing year. We can't stop the train but we can appreciate the ride and choose not to miss a thing!!

Honestly, I find myself often thinking about the fact that I am already 36 and how did I get here so fast?? I have done so much but there is so much more I want to do. I am not exactly close to where I thought I would be......yet! I also have abundant blessings that I choose to appreciate. I think about how my parents are getting older and my friends parents are getting older. I think about how some of my friends have already lost parents and family due to age. It is something we can't avoid. I believe I spend more time thinking of this topic than I did in years past. All in all there are times when I want to stop it and go back and start again. There are times I would not want to stop it for anything. However, when I really contemplate I come to the conclusion that it is happening, and I have to come to terms with it. It's OK to spend time thinking about it and it does not mean I don't appreciate the here and now. If anything, reflecting on how fast it goes causes a deeper appreciation for life in the present. The train we are on keeps moving, like it or not. Some days it moves in wonderful directions and others you just want to stop the ride and put it in reverse. Some days we find it easy to swallow that we are the age we are, other days it is down right depressing! It's life and our emotions are how we see and feel it at the time.

I am choosing to enjoy the ride! Age, time and the speed of this train is going faster and faster for me, it's a fact. However, I am pretty sure that those beautiful senior citizens I watched today would trade tracks with me if they could. I am choosing to be thankful for the ride I am on and to not for one second change the speed it's moving in!

I have attached a link to a beautiful video someone made using John Mayer's classic, Stop This Train! ~Enjoy

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6YRl54zq_2M#

Blog ~check it off the list!

While on vacation at the beach I noticed a book on the table of our beach house by Anita Shreve titled, Sea Glass. I was thrilled by my find because she is one of my favorite authors and I had not yet read this book. I read the intriguing story and became fascinated by sea glass. I never knew it existed, I never knew to look for it. I felt blessed to have found the book and the new discovery. I researched sea glass and found it to be so fascinating. More fascinating is the opportunity to find it. When you think of the massive sea and the odds of finding glass that has been reformed into the smoothest and beautiful of surfaces after being shattered, broken and dangerously sharp it does not take long to realize it would be a blessing to find!

I am a firm believer that everything happens for a reason and although it was several years ago that I came to find the book, I believe it led me to this point and blog. I have wanted to start a blog for some time but could never decide what to blog about as I have several interest and a couple passions! I am most passionate about music, spiritual & personal growth, & life in general. I am interested in writing, travel, running, and so much more! I did not want a blog devoted to a specific subject and I wanted to be able to write about anything. Neon Sea Glass was my blog title because I am not limited to what I write about. I love rare things, being original, and neon colors! I have had a journal since I was a child and love to write and reflect. I worried that I would fail at a blog, what if I use the wrong punctuation, I know I use run on sentences, because I write like I would speak, and I talk and talk!! :)  use or spell a word wrong, make someone mad, get rude comments? etc, etc. I have finally decided to do what I feel led by God to do in ALL aspects of my life and not worry about what others think. I believe that the fear of regret is worse than ANY failure or criticism! I realize that through a blog I am posting my thoughts and beliefs out to whomever comes across or chooses to read it. To me it's a leap of faith I am ready to take. I hope you enjoy this blog and find it to be a place to come for heavier and deeper meditation, and even humor! One of the greatest blessings we each have been given is LIFE! I think sea glass is so much like our lives, in so many different ways! Through this blog I hope to inspire and I hope to connect with many others who feel that life is a blessing. Although at times our lives can get broken, shattered, and can leave us with dangerous edges, just like sea glasses first form. I believe that if we ride the waves, as hard and rough as they can get, strive to look for the beauty in every circumstance, we can become like neon sea glass! To grasp it is a rare and beautiful find!