You are in charge of giving your life meaning

The way you perceive yourself and your circumstances reveals whether or not you accept the truth.  Is this what you know or choose to accept? Do you focus on parts of situations or do you actively seek to understand as much as you can of the bigger picture that involves other people?

John F. DeMartini explains that our perceptions "often exaggerate or minimize the truth."  We see what we wish to see, hear what we desire to hear, and selectively draw from our senses based on our own hopes, fears and expectations.  We train ourselves to block out what we'd rather forget.  This kind of behavior doesn't enable us to strengthen our self or get to the crux of who we are. How you feel about things and people are based on your perceptions as well. 

How often do you selectively overlook some of your personal qualities? You may say, that's okay, or it doesn't bother you when underneath it all, that little something has a big impact on the choices you make or how you hold yourself back from things you sincerely hope to achieve. You may fear or condemn based on your own ignorance or on what you'd rather not exert effort to understand. This is your choice, but do you even realize you may be doing this?

The more you open your senses to see and experience some level of good in everything, the more you will realize that you are in charge of giving your life meaning.  The choices you make are ways you seek to convince yourself of your abilities, your potential and your visions of future. How you decide you will view everything that happens will determine what you see.

Consider the film "It's a Beautiful Life." The context of the Nazi concentration camp was not itself uplifting, so how could a director achieve a successful comedy? The protagonist chose how he wished to portray what was happening to his son. The father was so effective, the audience chuckles out of sheer disbelief.

You too can decide how you will perceive the world and your place in it. Whether you choose to better yourself and your circumstances is a first step. If you make this choice, you'll figure out how.

“The way you get meaning into your life is to devote yourself to loving others, devote yourself to your community around you, and devote yourself to creating something that gives you purpose and meaning.” -Mitch Albom

Cancer recovery

You know in the heart that every case of cancer is different yet ultimately the same. Each person you know, meet or hear about in this situation invites you to empathize, to share compassion, kindness and love.  Reflect on who benefits from your support/ story.

In speaking with a rotary colleague, I hear he is recovering from malignant melanoma (skin cancer). Luckily, his cancer was caught early and didn't spread (metastasize). His physician did a biopsy and cut out the area of skin which was cancerous. This colleague said he feels good now. He's already out riding his bike again. Retirement doesn't keep him from staying active. He admits he would like to avoid getting cancer again. He thrives on his support network, reminds himself to wear a hat and more sunscreen. He's lucky, humbled by the recent, health setback yet, does not allow fear to control him. As a cheerful athlete, he feels he is now more responsible, and swears by positive thinking.

In contrast, a woman I've known from 13 years is in another remission from breast cancer. Her main goal is to muster the energy and motivation each day to get up and move about her apartment.  She lives alone and has no relatives to help her. She admits her eating habits could be healthier yet, dwells more on what appears lacking than on making changes. She rarely has the physical strength or morale to advance her game. Yet, she takes initiatives to contact a group of cancer survivors/supporters who do home visits and encourage her to attend nearby New York City meetings when she can manage it.  This woman reminds us we are each ultimately alone to deal with our health and emotions. Its up to each one of us to see blessings/ lessons where we are.

Although anyone you encounter with cancer appears on the surface to be simply grappling with physcial health issues, a closer look reveals how they react or respond is based on state of mind.  You may sense someone you know recognizes having cancer as a stepping stone to strengthen relationships, to appreciate life more, to reframe conditions or to challenge and accept himself on a new level.  If a person is highly-resistant or submissive to disease, this effects the evolution of an illness as much as attitude.  Consider how different people you know or have known respond to cancer. Consider how members of your family are responding or have responded to this disease.

Whether or not a person recovers fully from an illness depends on a variety of factors.  For most people, full recovery is the goal.  For this to happen, a person is invited to reflect on thoughts and behaviours that may have contributed to the evolution of the disease.  This includes; lifestyle choices as well as physical, emotional, psychologcal, environmental and other factors.  What blessings or revelations does having the disease trigger? One thing is crystal clear:  attitude and action are key.  Take this on-board:

• Be kind to yourself & others. Set an example.  What goes around comes around. 
• Take care of your physical body.  Explore healthy eating practices and physical exercise. 
• Be mindful.  Raising awareness boosts energy, strength and inner healing.
• Positive thinking, affirmations, laughter/ humor and creative expression therapy all empower you to deal with whatever life throws your way the best you can.  
• Notice balance and imbalances in your life. Feel the difference and thoughts and behaviours contributing to each.  You decide what matters. What if nothing does?

"If children have the ability to ignore all odds and percentages, then maybe we can all learn from them. When you think about it, what other choice is there but to hope? We have two options, medically and emotionally: give up, or fight like hell." ~Lance Armstrong

Perpetual change

No event, no relationship, no feeling, no joy or sadness, no situation, ever stays the same.  All setbacks are a matter of perception. Even setbacks themselves change. Why? Higher Forces empower us to shape our perception, to evole with our understanding and acceptance of that which does not change. The external world is constantly changing but only as the physical senses see things.

It may be a revelation but you are not the center of the universe.  The essence of being is one of many expanding universes.  Humans are but a small part. The big picture is constantly changing, and we constantly participate in and contribute to the changes inside ourselves and around us.

We have at least two choices; to resist change or participate in and embrace change. Every change can be resisted. Every change can be facilitated by cooperation and good will. How will you choose to act today to further clarify your own sense of success?

"There are two big forces at work, external and internal. We have very little control over external forces such as tornadoes, earthquakes, floods, disasters, illness and pain. What really matters is the internal force. How do I respond to those disasters? Over that I have complete control." -Leo F. Buscalgia

Success as you are

At this moment, you can feel successful before you do anything.  Other people would love to live the life you lead. Yet true success is not about comparison.  Remind yourself that you set examples for others wherever you go and whatever you do.  Even people you don't see or notice are influenced by you. As you grow more conscious that all you do matters, then what? 

Enjoying life and feeling successful are grounded in how you choose to perceive the "here and now."  You can be as content as you decide you'll feel, and you'll become as successful as you wish.  You may have a history full of examples of suffering, tragedy, grief and loss.  You could recount your experiences to others in ways that cause them to cry or, you could choose to develop a story of motivation, perseverence and triumph.  How you choose to interpret and imagine things affects your morale, your attitude and the many ways in which your life unfolds.

What matters is how you feel.  Results may happen as you envison or not yet, you always have a choice to focus on benefits of experience and what lessons you have learned.  You are successful because you are alive and growing.  No matter what your age, you have valuable experience behind you and opportunities in front of you.  Anything that's ever mattered to you, all the people, projects or issues you've cared for, help explain why you're a success. You refine this success even now.

"When we strive to become better than we are, everything around us becomes better too." -Paulo Coelho

Happiness

How does it feel to discover happiness is not earned, but is freely given? Real and lasting happiness is grounded in love. This is something you cannot buy, or put a measurable price on.

In essence, true happiness is not created by your circumstances or perception of love.  It is the source of your creative power. It is something you open yourself to as you open the heart more fully.  A Divine connection awakens and grows.  Sometimes it helps to have guidance to recall that you are whole and healed.  Notice if you tell yourself there is something wrong with you. Notice how you distract focus from joy. Let go of the fault-finding mind.  Alter everything.

As you feel increasingly connected with your soul and why you were born, real happiness emerges.  Recognize that as you ask a question, the answer is simultaneously given.  Your sense of happiness is linked to harnessing your creative power.  Nothing outside of you has potential to affect you as deeply.  Sometimes interacting with others is a stepping stone to finding yourself.

As you see more clearly, you cannot help but smile broadly. The truth about happiness is obvious in the here and now.  Embody joy.  Allow it to fill you; go on, laugh yourself silly.

"There is only one success - to spend your life in your own way." - Christopher Morley