Tag: #inspiration

Truest and best…

The sun sets on another day…

Sunset was sublime and I enjoyed the colors of the sky for a moment, then the moment was gone. It still was a good eve, and as darkness fell I smiled.

There is a lot to consider in the world. So much is going on that people seem mired in a never ending muck of what is right and what is wrong. People disagree and it seems as though many disagree for the sake of disagreeing and many more find the half empty glass and pour the contents out never realizing how big the glass was.

It is with that in mind that I suggest that we all take inventory of ourselves and realize that each of us has the ability to be the truest and best in the world. What is true and best about us? In my opinion it is the power and ability of people to see beyond themselves and be compassionate towards others.

I may be wrong, but I strongly feel that everyone has the capability of being more. Everyone makes a choice for how they will be. Whether it be open and positive or cold and cruel depends only on what they are and what they feel. It does not reduce their capability of being positive and involved with others. Somewhere in the midst of it all as our electronic age crashed in upon us we seemed to have forgotten the empathy that we all are built upon.

I am guilty as anyone. I can be positive and pay attention to others but I have the capability of being cold and cruel. I simply choose not to go down that path. I’m not saying I’m perfect, far from it. I am saying that I try hard to make the right choice quite often.

How about you? Do you look for the positive in everything you do? Do you look for the positive in others? When you find it are you patient? Do you understand how others feel? Do you try? All these questions and hundreds more align you with the world. Consider them if you can.

I am not saying that everyone will be positive. I’m not saying that the world is full of tulips and butterflies. I know there are some people that will never try to see a positive light. I know there are some people that will never try to understand others. Still, I only have to choose for me. You only have to choose for you. Make a good choice.

So as the sun sets on another day, I believe that so many people give us the ability to showcase the truest and best in the world. I hope you will consider allowing them to do so and in the process maybe doing so yourself. After all, the world is a better place with you in it. Make good choices, no matter what.

Sleep sweet, love life, and be true…

Magnifico…

The sun sets on another day…

As I watched the sunset there was a light mist in you and instead of the blinding sunlight that I would normally see a golden globe drifted silently across the western sky. It only took a few moments for it to pass beyond the horizon but as it fell and I watched through a forest full of trees I was in trenched in the beauty before me. It’s too bad I was driving couldn’t get a picture.

There are times in the world where I just like to think. I feel like Pooh Bear with my hand against my forehead stating think think in sequence as I Ponder strange things about the universe. Today I was thinking about words and the synonyms for good and bad and all of the things in between.

As someone who likes to write I try not to overuse the same words but I know that often I get stuck in a rut or I repeat words because it’s sometimes difficult to come up with synonyms. As an example how many words can you think of that mean the same as magnificent or terrific? There are a few of course but as you go through them you often find yourself repeating them. If I say that you’re amazing I mean it but amazing is also a word that is overused quite consistently. So where do we come up with new words? Do we make them up in order to create synonyms that we can use effectively or do we just continue to push through and in the process cycle through the known words for the meanings that seem to repeat?

There is of course another possibility. We could just use the same word. Instead of a terrific, magnificent, amazing day it could be just an amazing day. Instead of rotating through the words we could just stick with the ones that reflect our mindset.

There is a very good writer named Clive Cussler that I enjoy. I will say however that he reuses the same words quite a bit and sometimes a little more. This doesn’t make him any less of a storyteller but some people find license to criticize him. By the same token in my first book, Vengeful Son, I found myself using the word massive far too much someone pointed it out to me and I counted them and there weren’t more than 20 but it was enough that they noticed. My fault.

All of this reminded me of an old movie starring Judd Nelson. In the movie The main character calls for a sidebar to discuss the merits of using the word a******. The case was quickly made that there isn’t another word that adequately describes what that word elicits. So we again have to ask ourselves how do I want to approach my descriptors?

For me I think I will do similar to someone who is dear to me and just use the things I like over and over because they make me laugh

So as the sun sets on another day, I hope you had a terrific day. I hope it was magnificent and quite awesome. Mostly I hope you found the positives in every moment and cherished them as they deserve to be, no matter what.

Sleep sweet, love life, and be awesome…

A day to listen

The sun sets on another day…

Sunset was so snowy I could barely see the road, but there was a certain amount of beauty to it, and as the darkness fell and I was lost in a perpetual star field of snowflakes, I smiled because it was good.

I met a lot of people today, and it seemed as the day went on that there was a common theme. I laughed with many, cried with some, and listened to all. It is amazing how much you can learn if you just listen. As I listened the day became a series of conflicting situations revolving around choices and interactions. I was told about different issues we had faced and different people who had left our lives or for bad.

Some of the people I talked to we’re finding their way to positivity and some of them were lost in negativity. All of them just wanted somebody to listen to them for just a moment. In the end many of us just one our stories to be heard. Whether it’s something simple or something far more complex we just want to know that somebody understands who we are.

On the other hand there are far too many people that don’t listen to others and I really wish everyone would take the time to listen and enjoy the world around them every day. To everyone who I talked to, thanks for telling me your story. And for those that I didn’t talk to perhaps next time. I hope you all find a way to find peace. It’s out there.

So as the sun sets on another day, I hope you find your peace each day. In the process I hope you listen and are heard and  in the process I hope you see far more and far further than yesterday. Find your path, no matter what.

Sleep sweet, love life, and keep living…

Good memories..

The Sun sets on another day

There was a moment when Sunset looked spectacular and I tried to snap a few pictures and we’ll see what they look like. In the end as the darkness fell across the land it was still a wonderful day.

I remember a lot. I remember when I was four years old, and my family would get together, and my aunt would come and play with me as though I were a child. Wait for a second I was a child. It’s funny how perspectives play games with your memories. In my mind, I know I was only four years old, but at the time, I felt like I understood the world. I enjoyed the fact that people were there and even more the interactions I experienced.

There is a lot of fun in the world if you take the time to find it. Whether you are young or old doesn’t matter, and instead, it is how you store those memories in your mind. For me, my younger years will always be a lot of fun, and even though I thought I was mature, I looked at the world through innocent eyes and saw people as always good.

As for my aunt I will always remember her fantastic voice and the fun times we had together playing in a small trailer. It was all a matter of perspective and my perspective was good.

So as the sun sets on another day, consider your moments well and make them seriously good. Remember that no matter where you go, there you are, and believe in yourself along the way. After all you are pretty awesome, no matter what.

Sleep sweet, love life, and enjoy your night..

Don’t bring me down…

The sun sets on another day…

I expected a fun sunset and instead got last minute clouds. It is interesting how a few miles on the coast can make such a big difference, but that’s ok, I loved the sunset time anyway.

Somewhere in my mind I was listening to Electric Light Orchestra. There is a song they have call Don’t Bring Me Down that is very prophetic often. In our world there are many people who will try to bring you down. Instead of letting them drag you down to their level I suggest a different ploy. Don’t let them bring you down.

We are faced with so many conflicting ideas and crazy thoughts that we often believe it. On the other side there are people who continually find themselves exciting new ways of ensuring their own demise. Often those people reach out to others and try to drag them down to their level. On one hand I wish that those people would take a moment and realize what they were doing, on another hand I wish there was something that could be done to lift them up, and on yet another hand I hope that we never get lost in the mire and muck that these people create.

Today I hope that no one tries to drag you down to their level. Instead I hope people see you as the wonderful person you are and try to lift you up. Today I hope that no one tries to take away the positives you bring to the world and instead I hope that they find a way to point out your positives. Today I hope that you find a way to believe in yourself and stop looking for the negatives in the world and instead find the positives. After all life is too short to focus on the bad.

So as the sun sets on another day, it is a good day, you are a wonderful person, and I just might be ok as well. Let’s take a higher road and find a way to be the best we can be every day, no matter what.

Sleep sweet, love with passion, and enjoy a little silence…

Pi?

The sun sets on another day…

Sunset beamed down as I went in search of the immortal Pi day delicacy, Pie. I found myself enjoying the drive and my steadfast companion, Pepper, enjoyed it as well.

I hope you found something to be excited about today. There are numerous items that come to mind. A little story first. In the mid 70s my Grandfather came home to us (I spent summers with my grandparents) with a special type of excitement. He was a math professor at a college and his department had gotten a new thing, a computer. He carried a stack of green and white folded paper in front of him and had a huge smile on his face. What was the paper? It was Pi, calculated as far as the first bin of paper would allow. He and I then poured gleefully over the printout starting with the familiar 3.1415926 and laughed looking for any repeat or mistake. That fascination brought my grandfather joy. It was terrific. (If you like PI, check this site!)

I find myself now, around 50 years later, finding joy in that memory, and in everything I can find that elicits passion, creates satisfaction, or finds a way to anywhere. It is there we often have to consider, our happiness and joy. It is not given to us, we have to choose to embrace it. I can only suggest that you do, in fact, embrace it.

As I ate my Pie thinking of Pi I thought about my grandfather and the joy he took in so much. It is with him in mind that I think about life and living and pushing for happiness every day. It doesn’t take much, sometimes it is just a word, a smell, a sound, maybe a stack of green paper, but there is a doorway into happiness for you if you just look.

So as the sun sets on another day, I had banana cream pie. I wanted cherry, but ooops, sold out. Maybe next time I will bake my own cherry pie, and enjoy the flavor. Still, the pie I have is good, and it game me a great moment. Be happy with your moments, and make the world yours, no matter what.

Sleep sweet, love life, and find your pie.. (pi?)

Open Mics and Minds..

The sun sets on another day

Sunset was beautiful for just a moment. I saw the sun through the clouds and then it faded away and was gone. I’m thankful for the beauty that was almost there.

I had two events today that I enjoyed. The first was the imaginative storm group. Each week two wonderful people take their time with a group of writers and create magic. Prompts are based either on pictures or other unique items and in today’s case it was a electronic image of a medical item. The approach is fairly simple and everyone rights. You’re writing can be whatever your imagination dictates and the nice part is that no matter what you write you are accepted and more. It is an eclectic group of people with open minds and it is good.

I also went to an open mic today at a gallery in Grand Rapids. I do this to share some of my writing and get a feel for my reading. Normally it is an amazing time and tonight was no different. I said my piece and smiled for a minute and as I did I felt good about the world. There is no better way to share than to share with people with open minds and hearts.

If you read what I write I have said it hundreds of times. Whether you agree or disagree with someone your mind should be open to their point of view. Something has taken them on a journey as it took you on a journey to learn something for yourself. Be open-minded and as you are realize that everyday is an opportunity to see more and be more. The first step to growth is realizing that you cannot always be right, the second step is opening your mind to possibilities.

So as the sun sets on another day take a deep breath and find a path to being you. I hope that you adapt and change daily and find a way to grow without boundaries or bias and instead make each day a learning experience, no matter what.

Sleep sweet, love life, and keep living..

Echoes…

The sun sets on another day…

A shaft of light played through the skyline as sunset came upon us. It was a pretty evening and as the crisp air grasped the night I felt good about it all.

I saw a concert tonight that made me think of the past. I work very hard not to dwell in the past and definitely not to consider it as a negative ever. In this particular case I was thinking about music and all of the music that I’ve listened to over the course of my life.

I have a friend who could probably tell you just about any artist and piece of music up until very recent times. They are very talented and have also written and produced several songs that the world deserves to hear. I am not that good. I rarely remember lyrics and often don’t remember the songwriter or group involved. Still I am usually lost in the melody and the emotion of it all. It is that emotion that often echoes in my soul.

I remember the song that was playing when I fell in love, just about every time. I remember the feelings in my heart when patriotic songs play. I remember the deep feelings from songs like Taps and driving excessively over the speed limit to songs like Barracuda.

I am sure that you have feelings that are similar because music can inspire and make us all feel more than we normally would have. It is an amazing gift that we have given to ourselves.

So as the sun sets on another day take a moment and enjoy the echoes in your mind. Think about the music that made you who you are today and in the process feel deeply each and every day with passion and power and a little melody, no matter what.

Sleep sweet, love life, and listen to the echoes…

Eyes open…

The sun sets on another day…

Sunset would have been super if those dern clouds had not eaten it again. Still, I smiled as the sun set because it was a good day filled with happy thoughts. Often that is enough, sometimes it is more!

My poem for today, just because.

I walk with eyes wide open and see the world before
I find a path and make it last and never know for sure
The things that lay before me, without recipe or care
I need to watch the world around me and always be aware

The people who do good, sometimes find their way to bad
the things that they have done can make many people sad
The evil men declare are often doing good
and showing all a better path and the good for which they stood

The world is just a treatise, on worry, rhyme, and more
we have to take our moments back and realize what’s for sure
the sure is just a word now, and we know that it is true
that sure cannot be a surety for anyone but you

The world is always changing and the world is never the same
The world finds a way, while people look to blame
and when the world finds itself within your widened view
I hope that you can find the time to find out what is true

With your eyes open wide.

So as the sun sets on another day, I hope your day was good. I hope your walked into the day with open eyes. I hope you found all the things you want each day, and made the world yours, no matter what.

Sleep sweet, love life, and look closely…

Forests and trees…

The sun sets on another day…

Sunset was full of sparkly shimmers as I methodically cut down trees in my forest and removed the dead wood one trunk at a time. It is a big job, but I stopped and enjoyed the light show, and smiled at the moments.

As I sat trimming down fallen trees I thought about the old saying “It is hard to see the forest for the trees”. I was working on one at a time so I could see the trees and the forest, but how many times do we get mired in either the big picture, and forget the single tree or vice versa.

It can be daunting when you consider all that is life, but think about it. When you consider any issue, are you taking into account the larger issue? How about the single person?

We see this a lot right now. People make up situations about good or bad (mostly bad) and in the process of trying to resolve it they forget about either the larger or smaller part of the problem. Imagine a world where a single person can be discarded easily, or a group of people. Imagine a world where the decision is made from the sake of one person or a few.

This can be tough. We can make a rule that applies to a single idea or person, but it may cause issue to dozens, or hundreds or more. By the same token, we can make a issue of a majority and wipe out the smaller for no other reason than it was smaller.

Consider well your thoughts and actions because they may affect a forest, or they may cause issue to a tree, but perhaps it would be better if we all let sleeping dogs lie, and find out a good path with a few more minutes.

So as the sun sets on another day, yes, this was a strange post, but the picture was good as I slowly weed out my forest of dead trees. Remember, removing dead trees can promote growth. Be the person that makes a difference in life, and pay attention to both the forest and the trees. In the end, enjoy them both, no matter what.

Sleep sweet, love life, and use an axe…