Sunday Sunshine: Live in This Moment.

We hang onto them as if they were among our most prized possessions. We keep a firm grip on them so we can draw upon them throughout our waking—and especially our nighttime—hours. They are our worries, fears and regrets.

When we give them our attention and energy, our fears and worries become bigger, darker and more foreboding and our regrets feel more disappointing, especially in those middle-of-the-night hours when all seems darker, bigger and scarier.

Turn those worries, fears and regrets around and scoot them out the door. Let them float away with the wind. Fill those empty spaces instead with gratitude. Focus on the blessings of this moment, and your worries and fears won’t find room to come back.

Today, this week: Live in this moment. Focus on Now.

Fresh Thoughts for Your Monday: Appreciate the Gift

You have just been given a most marvelous present. It’s wrapped in tissue paper and gently placed in a beautifully wrapped box, tied with a bow.

What is that gift? It’s a new day!

Don’t allow the shadows of yesterday to affect the possibilities of today. Focus on what you can do with this precious gift, this beautifully wrapped present.

Today, this week: Make the very most of the day!

LIV42DY

My friend Mike and I pulled up to church at the same time one Sunday this summer.  As he got out of his car, I noticed his license plate, LIV42DY, and I commented on it.  He said that it had been his late wife Barb's license plate and he wanted to keep it.  We both noted how such a message was so much like Barb, who embraced life with joy, engagement and gentleness, and how important that message is for us all to remember every single day.  So, for the remainder of that day and for days to come, I thought often about Barb's great advice to live fully today, to be present to all that each moment has to offer.  Thank you, Barb.  I miss you.