During this holiday season, I hope you have the opportunity to take some quiet time. In this world where we are constantly plugged in and connected, most people never give themselves the gift of peace and tranquility. I have started doing yoga recently and the practice has shown me what a wonderful “gift” peace and quiet can be. Being “calm” where your mind is completely relaxed allows you to recharge and be more productive. Most people just go and go and never let themselves recharge. They never even notice that they have forgotten how to relax. As a result, they are going through the motions and not living well. Many people have problems sleeping and that is often due to the fact that they have not learned how to relax. They are not giving themselves the “gift” of relaxation.
There are lots of ways to hit “pause” in this busy world. Taking a walk during lunch, visiting with a friend or reading a book are all good ways to help calm your soul. Obviously, I am on the computer now but it is therapeutic for me to write and I really enjoying blogging, photography and just engaging the creative part of my soul.
I told my husband that the most ironic thing to me as a career counselor is that people start off trying to figure out what they want to do in life…What should I major in? What am I good at? How do I want to spend my time? Then it appears that they come full circle contemplating the same issue. How is it that after years of living and having a successful career people can go full circle and end up wondering what to do…again? As a career counselor, I love helping others process where they are and where they want to be. It’s a fascinating process to delve into a person’s inner thoughts and desires to help them sort it all out.
One thing I have realized is that we are all continuously on our own journey. It takes a lot of twists and turns along the way but the journey continues…until it ends. My father just recently passed away very quickly. He was a hearty soul who had a huge zest for life! He went out in the fashion that he would have preferred. But it was quick! It shocked not only my friends and family but his fellow peers at the retirement community where he served as the president of their board. It was no surprise for us to watch him become so involved in his new community as he always rose to leadership positions due to his effervescent personality and drive! But suddenly, he was gone…Many of his peers attended his “celebration of life” ceremony. The ceremony, as we had discussed in advance many times, was one of celebration, not mourning. His peers were in tears and were so shocked that somebody who lived so large was suddenly gone!
If my father’s death has taught me anything, it has shown me to respect how fleeting life can be…How quickly it can turn on a dime. What is going along just fine one day can change in a heartbeat. A “heartbeat” it was as his active 88 year old body could no longer sustain itself with a weak heart. You see, he had a quadruple bypass over 10 years ago and had a pacemaker….Some may say that should have been a “hint” that he was weak…Not really. He was anything but weak as those who knew him could attest to. He walked for miles and worked out in the gym on a daily basis…He literally could walk circles around most young people and did so with me just a few weeks prior to his death. But it just takes a moment…a heartbeat of time for life to end.
My father was always my greatest teacher! In fact, he encouraged everyone he met. He was such a positive, enthusiastic, energetic and happy person. He just handled life! He lived life on his own terms and was fearless. As a former ball turret gunner in WWII, he learned to live each day to the extreme! He woke up, ate a healthy breakfast, exercised and enjoyed the company of others he cared about each day! He never missed an opportunity to motivate others and let them know how much he cared about them! The administrator at the retirement community simply said to me, “I have never witnessed anyone who could so deeply touch so many hearts on a daily basis - he brought so much happiness into other peoples lives”…What a wonderful example of how to live…and now how to die.
As I continue my work of guiding others, I am paying tribute to my father. I encourage others to live their dreams…not to waste their time. Not to jump with reckless abandon but to contemplate, process, reflect and find their place in life. So, if it appears that other people have it all figured out take refuge in the fact that we are all on our own life journey…
Need help on your journey? I am committed to helping others fulfill their goals and find peace. I want you to live an inspired and fulfilled life! Won’t you start today?
There are lots of ways to hit “pause” in this busy world. Taking a walk during lunch, visiting with a friend or reading a book are all good ways to help calm your soul. Obviously, I am on the computer now but it is therapeutic for me to write and I really enjoying blogging, photography and just engaging the creative part of my soul.
I told my husband that the most ironic thing to me as a career counselor is that people start off trying to figure out what they want to do in life…What should I major in? What am I good at? How do I want to spend my time? Then it appears that they come full circle contemplating the same issue. How is it that after years of living and having a successful career people can go full circle and end up wondering what to do…again? As a career counselor, I love helping others process where they are and where they want to be. It’s a fascinating process to delve into a person’s inner thoughts and desires to help them sort it all out.
One thing I have realized is that we are all continuously on our own journey. It takes a lot of twists and turns along the way but the journey continues…until it ends. My father just recently passed away very quickly. He was a hearty soul who had a huge zest for life! He went out in the fashion that he would have preferred. But it was quick! It shocked not only my friends and family but his fellow peers at the retirement community where he served as the president of their board. It was no surprise for us to watch him become so involved in his new community as he always rose to leadership positions due to his effervescent personality and drive! But suddenly, he was gone…Many of his peers attended his “celebration of life” ceremony. The ceremony, as we had discussed in advance many times, was one of celebration, not mourning. His peers were in tears and were so shocked that somebody who lived so large was suddenly gone!
If my father’s death has taught me anything, it has shown me to respect how fleeting life can be…How quickly it can turn on a dime. What is going along just fine one day can change in a heartbeat. A “heartbeat” it was as his active 88 year old body could no longer sustain itself with a weak heart. You see, he had a quadruple bypass over 10 years ago and had a pacemaker….Some may say that should have been a “hint” that he was weak…Not really. He was anything but weak as those who knew him could attest to. He walked for miles and worked out in the gym on a daily basis…He literally could walk circles around most young people and did so with me just a few weeks prior to his death. But it just takes a moment…a heartbeat of time for life to end.
My father was always my greatest teacher! In fact, he encouraged everyone he met. He was such a positive, enthusiastic, energetic and happy person. He just handled life! He lived life on his own terms and was fearless. As a former ball turret gunner in WWII, he learned to live each day to the extreme! He woke up, ate a healthy breakfast, exercised and enjoyed the company of others he cared about each day! He never missed an opportunity to motivate others and let them know how much he cared about them! The administrator at the retirement community simply said to me, “I have never witnessed anyone who could so deeply touch so many hearts on a daily basis - he brought so much happiness into other peoples lives”…What a wonderful example of how to live…and now how to die.
As I continue my work of guiding others, I am paying tribute to my father. I encourage others to live their dreams…not to waste their time. Not to jump with reckless abandon but to contemplate, process, reflect and find their place in life. So, if it appears that other people have it all figured out take refuge in the fact that we are all on our own life journey…
Need help on your journey? I am committed to helping others fulfill their goals and find peace. I want you to live an inspired and fulfilled life! Won’t you start today?