Are we at choice?

What if we aren’t fully at choice in the way that are life unfolds?

As I was thinking about writing here I wanted to write about the voices in my head that try to create my reality. For those that know me I have been challenged in a lot of areas of my life recently. It really makes me reflect upon that voice in my head vs. that part of me that fully trusts that everything will be ok. The latter seems to be the one that keeps me going. Yet in the day to day the creative thoughts that develop are very strong and persistent.

Don’t get me wrong we are always presented with choices that we can make that will lead us in a direction and impact our journey. I am certainly not talking about blind trust. But what if the destination is already predetermined and there is nothing we can do to change that. That is where trust seems to come in. This comes up for me in relation to working at Starbucks again. There are parts of me that are resisting this as part of my reality yet I seem to know that it could not go any other way.

I love the example that Abraham Hicks shares in comparing life to travelling in a river. We are always meant to go with the flow and are not meant to try and swim upstream. The river will take us where we are going in the end. Yes, we may take trips into side channels and there may be challenges but we are not meant to resist the current. I like the idea of rolling over on my back and enjoying the ride.

In regards to my creative mind, it is the part of me that would like me to swim upstream. This relates back to Eckhart Tolle and “The Power of Now” and “A New Earth”. I have found his writing very interesting and compelling. Another perspective that I love is Jill Bolte Taylor who had a stroke and shares her scientific learning about the subject. Google her name and watch the video on Ted.com. Fascinating perspective.

In the end I am not 100% sure what to believe fully, but it is fun to play with the thoughts and explore.

When in doubt float….and enjoy the scenery.

 

Mother’s Day

Today is Mothers Day and it is a great day to recognize the influence that our parents and others have on our lives. Moulding and shaping who we are to become. Personally I think it is important to also recognize whatever form this takes for you. Perhaps you have someone in your life who has been a mentor or a role model. The role of Mother can take many different forms depending on your individual circumstance. Today is a great day to reach out to whomever that person is for you.

As a parent you are always thinking of your children’s well being and you hope that you have done what you can to influence their lives in a positive way. Personally I realize that all you can do is your best. I remember someone sharing a story with me that involved a challenge in regards to parenting. The wisdom that was shared was so wonderful. “Your job is simply to love your children, if that is all you can do, it is enough”

So to my Mother I say “Thank You” for always loving & being there for me.

It’s Just Dirt

Yesterday was my first day back at Starbucks and I have to say that I am really happy to be back. Just like riding a bike or putting on an old sweater.

Last week I needed to fill the gap with a labouring job at a jobsite that was creating topsoil for the highway project. This was extremely challenging for me both physically and mentally. There was a moment early in the week where I almost threw in the towel. I pushed through though and felt a real sense of accomplishment for having done so and I now appreciate what it is like to work hard.

I was working directly with one other person on the job site and there was a day last week when everything that could have gone wrong did. I have to say that the fellow I was working with was a great guy and I enjoyed getting to know him. That said, on the day everything was going sideways he got pretty angry. He strung together every swear word you could imagine. I quietly let him vent and did not contribute or comment. About an hour later he apologized to me and he wanted to let me know that his anger was not directed at me. I found the whole thing quite amusing. I looked at him and said ” You know what, at the end of the day it’s just dirt”. He paused for a couple of seconds in which I think I got his attention then continued on his rant. I had him for a second….

The fact is that often we take things a little to seriously. It’s important to stop and put things into perspective.