Monday, October 19, 2009

You were born to be YOU!

Some people were born to sit by a river. Some get struck by lightning. Some have an ear for music. Some are artists. Some swim. Some know buttons. Some know Shakespeare.
Some are mothers. And some people dance.
~The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

When was the last time you really stopped to appreciate the miracle of YOU? Has it been a while? Sometimes we get so busy and caught up in the ‘day to day’ stuff that we forget to slow down and recognize the beauty and individuality of ourselves and the people around us.

I’m not like you. You’re not like me. Well, at first glance, some would say we are the same. We all have hair, hands, feet, eyes and a heart that beats to keep us living from moment to moment.
But really when it comes right down to it, you and I are unique in our own special ways.

Each of us has gifts and talents that were given specifically to us. I may be compelled to write. You may have a passion to dance. My neighbor may dream of growing the perfect garden. The man across the street may hope to one day climb Mt. Everest. The important thing is to slow down and recognize the little things that make us who we are.

Today, take a moment and appreciate the gift of being YOU.
There is no one else just like you!

And if you happen to bump into someone else whom is not like you ...
slow down and appreciate what it is that makes them who they are.

Monday, October 12, 2009

Slow down and enjoy the 'puddle' moments!

Have you been busy lately? Maybe you’ve been beyond busy – (in case you are wondering) the beyond busy times are the times you don’t have time to slow down and even talk about how busy you are. I believe there are sometimes in our lives that are like that. There are the beyond busy days. And on those days or weeks or sometimes months we find ourselves thinking thoughts like this – Why did I say yes to so many things? How did I get this busy? I never dreamed it possible to have this kind of schedule. And the thoughts go on.

I found myself in one of those beyond busy day thought moments (I was driving) and just before I reached home I saw a beautiful sight that caused me to slow down (almost to a stop).
There on the corner just before my house was an adorable bird splashing and playing in a puddle. I started to laugh and couldn’t believe how much fun the bird was having in that puddle. It was if that creature had just found bird heaven and couldn’t get enough of it.

Thanks to that little moment, I was reminded of the need and importance of finding the ‘puddles’ in our everyday lives that can add so much fun, renewal and energy to our days. The puddles are all around us – we just need to slow down to recognize and enjoy them!
As soon as I reached home, I grabbed a piece of paper and wrote: Slow down and enjoy the ‘puddle’ moments!

Don’t you love the little things around us (like a bird splashing in a puddle) that help remind us to enjoy life and all it has to offer? They are real – just like the busy days and it feels good to know that we can choose to slow down and splash, laugh, dance and even write ourselves a reminder note if we want.

Cheers to the little moments that matter and puddles along the way…