Angels

Joy comes when one recognizes the angels that come into our lives. 

An angel came indirectly into my life tonight when my parents were stranded. My parents were in the parking lot of one of those warehouse stores that sell items in bulk. Their car engine was being stubborn and would not start; furthermore, they also had a flat tire. An angel came to help them. The angel came in the form of an adult male who took over exchanging the flat tire for the spare one. This task proved to be a bit  daunting for my aging father (who in his heart and in his mind is still 23 years old) as the tires were quite heavy. 

The angel also allowed my parents to use his mobile phone to call me; unfortunately I was unreachable. My parents decided to proceed with their shopping. Then another unseen angel (or more) came down and blessed the car engine as it miraculously started when they were ready to leave the store. Another angel allowed my mother to use her mobile phone to let me know that they no longer needed my assistance.  Three or more angels blessed our family tonight. We are JOYFUL.

Upon reflection, I not only see the joy in this experience; but, I also see a lesson. How can we be the angel in the lives of other people? Sometimes is can be something as easy as allowing someone you do not know to use your phone; or, it can be something as big as helping another change a tire. It can be helping a mother struggling with babies and packages with her items. It can be holding the door open for another.

One of my favorite angelic deeds I have heard about is paying it forward such as paying the toll for yourself and the car behind you or paying the bill of the person behind you at a fast food restaurant drive-through. Imagine the joy it would bring to another when we can do actions like that for others. What other pay-it-forward deeds can you imagine and do? 

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Let Go!

 

Let go of your fear! Let go of your inhibitions!

Let go of your anger! Let go of your resentment!

Let go of your anxiety! Let go of your regret!

Let go of your worries!  Let go of your woe!

Let go of your sorrow!  Then breathe in deeply.

ONLY then will there be room for joy! 

Puppies

Puppies have a way of bringing out joy in my heart! Not only are they adorable, but their whole carefree lifestyle delights me. I love the way they explore new things and territories. We can learn so much simply by watching a puppy. They eat when they are hungry, drink when they are thirsty, sleep when they are sleepy and they are always curious and willing to learn new things. They live for the moment. What could you learn from a puppy?

Laughter

LAUGHTER is all about the unexpected. It is anything that tickles your heart and soul. For example, tonight my sister and her husband decided to spend their evening at Barnes and Noble. While they where browsing the children’s books my sister had to bend down to tie her shoe. This is after she expressed to her husband how heavy and unattractive she felt…well Elmo didn’t think so as Elmo was checking out my sister’s rear end. My brother-in-law captured the image.

An unexpected, spontaneous and funny moment caused a roar of laughter. What moments in  your life can you laugh about? Laughter is good for the soul. 

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Simplicity

Joy often comes when I am able to simplify my life, which for me is letting go of some obligations and removing clutter from my calendar and my studio. It is so refreshing being in a state of simplicity. The quality of keeping things simple and uncomplicated liberates me and my creativity and makes me happy. I am free to think more clearly because simplicity allows me to focus on what is truly important, which are all those things that are in my heart such as interpersonal relationships, connections, kindness, love and joy. Do you see how joy and simplicity are connected? How can you simplify your life?

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Enthusiasm

Enthusiasm is one of my favorite words as it expresses joy in action; it is having a keen interest, excitement, fervor or zeal in a cause or subject. It is cheerful and exciting because it expresses a higher level of energy. It is being passionate with joy for those items in our life that we consider important. Enthusiasm is a word that has its origins in the Greek language for “inspired by God.”

Enthusiasm is tossed into a group of such delicious words  such as: ardor, avidity, conviction, craze, dash, devotion, eagerness, earnestness, ecstasy, élan, emotion, energy, exhilaration, fanaticism, feeling, fervor,  fire, flame, flare, frenzy, fury, gaiety, glow, gusto, heat, hilarity, hobby, impetuosity, intensity, interest, joy, keenness, life, mania, mirth, nerve, oomph, orgasm, passion, pep, rapture, relish, snap, spirit, transport, vehemence, verve, vim, vivacity, warmth, zeal, zealousness, and zest

Norman Vincent Peale stated, “If you have zest and enthusiasm you attract zest and enthusiasm. Life does give back in kind.” 

I agree wholeheartedly with Norman Vincent Peale. I have yet to find people who are not affected by my enthusiasm. Case in point, a week ago today, I was returning from a bittersweet trip to Rhode Island and I was standing among many tired co-travelers as we waited at the gate for our carry-on luggage that was too large for the overhead compartments. No one was smiling except me. Taking notice of all the glum and weariness, I made a point to become enthusiastic about getting my luggage, having made a safe trip to our destination and being minutes away from a warm bed.  I soon had most of us equally enthusiastic, too. It was great to see others smile with me. I think there was only one older woman in her twilight years who hung onto her scowl. Given a little more time, I believe I would have gotten a hint of a smile from her, too. 

This leads me to a quote by Charles Schwab, “A man can succeed at almost anything for which he has unlimited enthusiasm.”  And, Vince Lombardi said, “If you aren’t fired with enthusiasm, you will be fired with enthusiasm.” (He cracks me up!)  Ralph Waldo Emerson stated, “Enthusiasm is the mother of effort, and without it nothing great was ever achieved.”  

In the words of Henry Ford: Enthusiasm is the yeast that makes your hopes shine to the stars. Enthusiasm is the sparkle in your eyes, the swing in your gait. The grip of your hand, the irresistible surge of will and energy to execute your ideas. In my words, enthusiasm is the twinkle in my toes and the wiggle in my nose; it is the swing in my hips and the smile upon my lips! Enthusiasm is the thumping of my heart to the beat of my ideas that drums out a rhythm of inspiration for all to see. 

Oliver Wendell Holmes wonderfully sums it up, “It’s FAITH IN something and  ENTHUSIASM FOR something that makes LIFE WORTH LIVING.” Are you embracing your ENTHUSIASM FOR something? 

Awareness

Awareness is an understanding and a comprehension of what is around you and in your heart and soul. Wikipedia suggests that awareness is the state or ability to perceive, to feel, or to be conscious of events, objects or sensory patterns. In biological psychology, awareness is defined as a human’s or an animal’s perception and cognitive reaction to a condition or event.

You feel and/or perceive the information in your environment, internal and/or external. Like I am aware that I am typing these words and phrases and you are aware that you are reading this statement. I am aware that I am cold and need to throw on another layer of clothes. I am aware that I am tired (in a good way) and hungry.

We have a sense of who we are and of our environment. Sometimes it can be a full understanding or comprehension of how every experience in our lives illuminates who we are and where we need to go. It is clarity. It is a peace of mind. It is blissful. Awareness is the first step towards change and development. Once we know who and what we are through awareness; then, decisions can be made about what action to take next. Awareness can sometimes be frightening. Honor that fear and embrace the next step. Allow your newly acquired awareness of who you are and where you are in your life lead your heart.

Possibilities

Our possibilities become limitless when we use our imaginations and get creative. I love exploring within my mind as I ponder within my being and sit in peace with only instrumental music or natural sounds playing in the background. Come to think of it, I can be pulled into Angi’s world anywhere I am when an object, smell or sound grabs my attention. It could be anything. Usually it will be an item that is colorful and bright like balloons or rainbows; or, it is fragrant like fresh-baked bread or honeysuckle after a light summer rain shower; or it is a joyous sound like the laughter of children or melodious like a birdsong or symphonic excerpt. These triggers will have my mind, heart and soul acting together in synchronicity sending my entire being into a land of imagination and wonder where I can investigate and consider possibilities. It is a wondrous time being able to explore possibilities as they are truly infinite when I open up my heart, mind and soul.

What is impossible really is not; because if you can think it then it must be possible. It was once believed that flying was impossible. Look at all our innovations now that would seem quite wondrous, fantastic and impossible to our ancestors. Shall I even attempt thr inexhaustible list them: electricity, radio, television, telecommunication, cars, motorcycles, bicycles, the pencil, the pen, telephones, cellular telephones, movies, photography, printing presses, computers, international networking, airplanes, helicopters, hot air balloons, synthetic fabrics, heart transplants, conventional and microwave ovens, coffee makers, fiber optics, elevators, escalators, skyscrapers, Velcro, zippers, spacecraft, satellites, air conditioning, heat pumps, x-ray machines, printers, scanners, intercom systems, DNA testing, cloning and so on and so on.

It was not all that long ago when cloning and landing men on the moon was considered science fiction, NOT fact. The possibilities are only limited by a closed mind. If we can think it, we can do it. Can we defy gravity? Yes, via magnetism and with rockets. Can we travel the speed of light or even thought. I am certain someone is working on it. We are already sending messages almost as fast as a thought using computers and telephones. It seems instantaneous. At any rate, possibilities are fun to think about. I believe all things are possible. The possibilities are endless when we use our imagination. What are you open to imagine? 

Memories

What are memories? Memories are all the big and small events in our life that touched our lives.  They are most often very significant moments of joy or pain. They are snapshot images that flash before our mind’s eye triggering all the emotions that surrounded it.

I wish only to trigger those joyful memories,  but sometimes a painful memory might surface. I honor that painful memory because it makes me who I am today. I now have the opportunity to heal and use that memory to create better memories…joyful and delightful ones. 

Hope

What is hope? Hope is holding onto a belief of a positive future. It is having faith and trusting everything will be alright. An anticipation of a positive outcome or event can also define hope. Everything will turn out for the best. Hope is to wish for something with the expectation of its fulfillment. Can hope lead to disappointment? Maybe, but I would rather be hopeful than despondent or in a state of despair. There is more joy in hope. 

On hope, the wisdom of the following express what I, too, believe.

Albert Einstein stated: “Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow. The important thing is not to stop questioning.”

Martin Luther King, Jr. said: “We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope.”

Thomas Jefferson expressed: “My theory has always been, that if we are to dream, the flatteries of hope are as cheap, and pleasanter, than the gloom of despair.

My question to you, is what are your hopes? Never stop hoping.