Have You Lost Your Groove? Unearthing Blessings Every Day

Have you noticed people are grumpier these days? It seems bad mood syndrome is pandemic. As frustrations mounts fuses grow shorter. Times are harder than we are accustomed to and our coping skills are growing weary. If it's not one thing it is another, and the weight of a recession fraught with high unemployment, foreclosures and mounting health care premiums have more than our panties/boxers and briefs in an uncomfortable twist.

Have you lost your groove? How about looking for blessings throughout the day rather than focusing on the struggle of the month. If you're trying to manifest health, happiness and prosperity in your life, a focus on anything else will delay the manifestation of what you desire and deserve.

Start small. Give kindness and accept kindness and know you played a part in the viral expansion of gestures and acts capable of changing the mood of the world. Today I complimented a father on his parenting skills. He seized a teachable moment with his young daughter and spoke of respect and consideration of others. The lesson could have been lost had he waited until they were alone.

Another friend planted an herb garden and plans to share her future bounty with family and friends. Sharing is good. It lifts the mood and fortifies the spirit to engage in acts that build and improve relationships with those we love and those we share the earth with.

Take a step away and breathe. Impulsive actions are often regretted. I was a bit embarrassed by a friend's words today. He told a server at a restaurant he did not like her fellow worker's attitude. Given my first-hand knowledge of his situation, I am fairly certain he is unhappy with his circumstances and that is the part of himself he elected to share. Everyone is going through something and demanding perfection is a sure path to disappointment. Is forgetting a request for fresh ground pepper worth multiplying the grumpiness factor?

The easiest thing to turn around is your attitude. You control it and you own it. Use it to build others up, not belittle them. Find the good and magnify it in others and in yourself.

It makes looking in the mirror a happier experience.

I Am Divine, and So Are You

It is easy to deny your own divineness (not sure that's a word) and ignore the miracle of our existence. The day to day demands of life leave precious little time for looking inward or upward. Our focus often must be on getting through the daily grind of earning a living, feeding our families and preparing for the next big challenge life is sure to place upon our path.

Yesterday, as I was flying in and out of the clouds on a crystal clear California day I marveled at the stunning beauty of the coastline, followed by mountains and hillsides dotted with homes as we traveled from Los Angeles to Monterrey. After disembarking, we took the 17 Mile Drive through towering pines and winding roads on our way to Pebble Beach.

It was a business trip for a friend of mine, and he invited me to fill one of the seats on the private jet. I happily tagged along. I welcomed a day to leave my real estate routine behind and let my mind wander unrestrained and constrained by appointments, deadlines and the other duties and demands of a working woman's day.

As the plane drifted in and out of cumulus clouds I found myself dwelling on the divineness of it all: the meeting of the ocean and the land, the man-made plane darting though the God-made heavens and the joy of being a part of it all.

It was a divine day.

Coaches, Gurus and God

I have friends that pay big money for professional guidance. Some of this pricey guidance is of the professional nature, some is physical training and other is personal development and lifestyle enhancement. Sometimes their trainers are highly educated but most of the time the coach/trainer/guru's experience was garnered from first-hand experience in the trenches.

It is human nature to seek the secret to success, a quick fix diet or a shortcut to true enlightenment. In truth, the secret takes much work to unearth. No doubt it is easier to persevere with a cheerleader on the sideline, or a coach shouting in your ear, but in the end you must get there on your own power, energy and determination.

When I was a little girl and the fresh snow was deep I would try to follow in my big sister's footsteps, but inevitably I would be forced to make my own tracks in the snow. Her stride was longer than mine and it was difficult to match her progress step for step. Besides, sometimes I chose to take on the big drifts and icy patches my way.

Support is wonderful and guidance is good as long as it does not block our personal North Star and lead us astray from the divine course of our life.

Be bold and make fresh tracks in the snow.

What Gets You High?

A week of lows is inspiring me to remember what gets me high. When bad news comes our way we can either wallow in the mud of misery, or we can shake it off, reassess the situation and rise above the disappointments life thrusts upon us.

Without delving into my Pandora's Box of problems suffice it say last week held enough drama to fill a full calendar year. There were medical issues (two grandchildren), relationship breakups (dear friend), discovery of terminal illness (a client), not to mention natural disasters, taxes to do and...well, you get my point.

After entering my front door last night I leaned against it and said to myself, "Girl, put the music on, sit down and put your feet up." The 8.8 earthquake in Chile shifted the world's axis and last week tilted my life balance and challenged my coping skills.

It is amazing what some comfortable yoga pants, a warming fireplace and soothing music can do for a roughed-up soul. Throw in eight hours of sleep and a comforting bowl of oatmeal with berries galore and I'm ready to open my front door and face the challenges of a new day.

Sometimes you must take care of yourself before you can take care of the business of life.