I recall a conversation with my daughter when she was 5 talking about how people keep everything locked up and when she grew up she wasn't going to do that when she grew up.  This came to mind when I realized I needed to create a shfit in my life.  I had been in a rut and needed to get out of it.  So I decided last night to see if there was anything I could to do help someone else out. Today I took a  couple of hours and shared my knowledge and time with a few different people.  The purpose of this was to give.  The point my daughter was making when she was little was that she wanted people to feel free to come and go.  To have an open exchange.  I though maybe if I could create an open exchange of positive energy with no expectations maybe it would alter my state of being.  Wow did it do more than even I expected.  If you are stuck consider giving something of yourself.

Do you think the Sun ever says to the Moon, "I can't shine today, I just don't have it in me."  Or maybe the moon says to the sun, "I don't like being dark it scares me so I'm not doing it anymore."  Seems absurd right.  Do you think the ocean says to shore, "I'm not bringing the tide in today, I just don't gave it in me."  Or maybe the river says to fish, "I can't handle you swimming around in me any longer."  Nature keeps moving, second after second, year after year, century after century.  No matter what we do to it.   We put things into space, and polution into the oceans and the rivers and they just keep on.  Then here we are, we get knocked down, and we say, "Why, or I can't take this, or how"  What if we did what nature does and just kept on going.  Never doubting never blaming just going on.  There are those individuals that do just that.  They are the people that have learned. sometimes the fall taught us something we didn't know.  Sometimes the no is because there is a better yes and sometimes we are just going in the wrong direction.  We all complain because nobody gave us a book how to live, but look around we have this entire planet with all these elements of nature that can teach us so much.  We just don't want to take the time to read the instruction manual.  ~ But what do I know...

There is always a lesson to be learned.  There is always the ability to improve a moment, an hour, a day or a situation.  All of these are possible with the right attitude.  The best part of changing your attitude is it is all within your control.  The second best part is typically the change in your attitude has a domino affect on those around you.  Today, I changed a moment, which changed an hour and at the end of a day changed my entire day.  In addition to that, that spark this morning, inspired me to make a post which then changed more lives then I will ever know.  So when it seems there is no possible answer and you are not sure what is next consider this sand see if a change in the moment could be the change of your life.

When the sky is so black that you can't see anything, and everything around you is quiet. There alone with only your own heartbeat and the sound of your own thoughts there is the beginning of understanding.  We find a million ways to distract ourselve in order to not be in these moments.  There is TV 24/7 on 100's of channels, we have access to the world every second.  Yet, the real person we must come to peace with is always there looking back at us in the mirror.  Waiting for the quiet calm night when it can ask to be heard.  Begging for someone to listen, to release them from the cage of what we have put together as a life.  In that complete quiet late at night or when the sun is just peaking over the horizon, if walk barefoot in the grass or stop to listen to the sound of the wind dancing on the leaves of the trees or the crash of the ocean upon the shore you will connect to that inner calling.  That voice that has been whispering from within.  This is not what you are meant to do.  Our lives are not the sum or our puchases or accomplishments. Life is those moments that you are doing that thing that requires no distractions.  That feels completely natural and when you are doing it you are trying to figure out the next thing you have to do on your list.  For each of us it is something different.  However, those that have learned how to live in harmony with that inner calling are the ones that inspire us.  That allow us to get a glimpse of what life is all about.

Tonight was the perfect ending to a great day.  I have an amazing family that has adopted me and my daughter into their family.  Today I made chilli and they came over and I had the pleasure of having a family dinner with all the laughing and joking that comes along with it.  To those of you that have big families you know how much fun it can be.  With my daugher off in college I miss the connection you have to family.  I am however lucky enough to have the Wiermans take me in. 

The desire to do anything in our lives needs to come from within.  We can make changes and do things for others, however, if it isn't something that really matters to us at some point we forget why we started doing it.

There is a sense of peace that comes with understanding.  Situations don't have to change it is an internal knowing that presents a realization of the power we have over our emotions.  Life can be overwhelming when we take risks and put everything we have into something.  However, those that venture to edge and stand with the wind blowing on our face looking straight down gain insight, a knowing there is no going back.  In that moment we gain something that can't be explained or taught. 

We were, in the moments up until now commited to our dream.  We put everything into it, we faced things we said we never would.  We now stand with that behind us, and if we pause long enough there is wisdom to be gained. Not knowledge, not something you learn in a classroom.  Wisdom, of what is important when everything was on the line standing on the edge.  Understanding that nothing is as scarey as when you are going through it and peace that if we can do that and make it out the other side, what is next.  Life is meant to be lived by your own definition, not mine or anyone elses.  If you have a dream and you are willing to follow it all the way to the edge you will gain a wisdom that listens to the stillness of nature and understands how much bigger the world is than even we imagine. 

In the quiet that comes after a storm and everything become still, there is a peace.  That same lesson from nature is apart of us and there are many of us that spend our lives and never experience it.  Up until the last 30 days, I thought I knew my limits.  Now I realize we only go so far and then we retreat.  There are those that change the world, that are willing to go as far as it takes.  Those are the people that inspires us to dream, to believe, to follow our heart.  Everything I have risked can be regained.  But nothing I have gained could have ever been purchased.

Sleep well.. <3 Cheryl

Sometimes we look for a solution or an answer so hare we miss the obvious.  When sometimes we need to wait.  To have faith, to know that the action we have taken will bring results.  We are doers and are use to making things happen.  It is difficult when things aren't happening to understand that maybe the aren't meant to happen now.  It is good to listen to other people that have a different view point because often we are so in the middle of somthing that we can't see clearly.  However, the reality is only we know our intention and our internal guide.  When we allow ourselve to step back, to stop search to take a day and wait.  To allow the universe to unfold then just maybe something new will be revealed. 

The question that stops us from taking risks is, what if I fail?  The other question that stops us from taking risks is what if my failure affects other people.  When we decide to take a risk and when we have taken it as far as it can possibly go there is a courage that comes from within.  This instinct that says, I risked everything, gave everything, did everything what could I possible have to loose?  When we push ourselves this far we are not the person we were when we are in our comfort zone.  There is no retreat, no undoing, you stand there facing everything, completely aware that you had a dream and your pursued it.  Then the doubt starts and we ask, is this my doing, my bad karma for putting others at risk with me?  The answer, yesterday is yesterday.  The energy, passion, drive and deisre you bring into this moment is what counts.  We are the sum of our past, however our past doesn't have to define our future. Someone asked me if it was worth it, risking everything?  I said: " I got time, time with my daughter that has now passed and she is off in college, I got clarity that life is more than the deals we close and the bonuses we make, I got understanding that sometimes, if we touch even one person and change even one life then we will never know.  Was it worth it, yes it was, because the person I am today may have a tight jaw from stress, and may have not been on one of my amazing cruise vacations, but I am a person that understand our purpose is more than the title on our business card and the awards we earn. 

One of the greatest gifts of spending a day alone is listening to your own voice.  Not the sound we project in conversation.  That inner voice that is all too often clouded with our habitual thoughts of chores to do, worries about our past or concern over the future.  We seldom disconnect long enough from any one distract to actually notice it let alone hear it.  My heart opened up today.  It felt the pride of a mother with a daughter in college and cried bittersweet tears over the time that seemed to pass so quickly.  I went through moments of anger and disappointment over choices that have had some long term effects.  I faced doubt that was quickly knocked down by my past and knowing that God has always been there taking care of me when I let him.  My voice screamed, cried and laughed.  If released all the negative so it was open again to hear the rhythm of my heart.  The beat of my hope and the knowledge that each of us has a song we are meant to sing.  I am not sure of what that next song is for me.  However, I know I get lost for hours being inspired and sharing that inspiration.  I find hope when it should be lost and I feel that somehow the world could be better if more people knew how much power they have in just thier thoughts. 

"Be prepared." -- Boy Scout Motto

Wayne Dyer, Rhonda Byrne, Deepak Chopra all teach that we never focus or discuss what isn't right.  We don't let doubt in.  So tonight I borrowed a blessing on peace as my post.  Thank you for understanding. 

The air has a slight chill to it this evening and it has been one of those misty kind of days as I hear the leaves rustle  in the breeze with that scent of nature there to remind me that the seasons are changing.  There has been a lot of change recently, and with it time, time to sit in the quiet and consider everything.  I sometimes wonder what my purpose is what is it I am meant to do.  Then I pause and realize I know what I love to do. To observe and share my observations.  To read the observations of others and further understand the value of living.  The point of it all the connections we make the love we share the willingness to give and receive.  Life to me is this amazing puzzle with so many pieces that can fit together all dependent on direction we decide to take in our lives. 

I am watching a movie about United Flight 93 and it makes the horror what happened so real again. Now I understand even more why the phase, “Never forget” will forever be tied to this day.  I am sure we can all remember exactly where we were and what we were doing when we first heard with disbelief what was happening. We won’t ever forget the heroes and selfless people who did everything in their power to make some kind of difference. Most of us will never have the opportunity to be a hero of this magnitude nor will it be known around the world but we all can be a hero in our own little corner of the world.

The best thing about the future is that it comes one day at a time. – Abraham Lincoln

“The biggest mistake that you can make is to believe that you are working for somebody else. Job security is gone. The driving force of a career must come from the individual. Remember: Jobs are owned by the company, you own your career!” – Earl Nightingale

In every job I know there are days when you wonder what you are working for. I am fortunate to be doing something where I can see the difference it is making for the people I’m doing the work for on a regular basis. The evidence isn’t always immediate and not everyone takes the time to give the feedback, but hearing it every once in a while it is enough.