“Certainly she no longer thinks of the future, because every day the future proves itself to be a duplicate of the present. So instead she roots through the past.”  ~ David Gillman  "City of Women: A Novel"

How often are we disappoint in the “future” because it is not turning out the way he had envisioned?  We plan out this marvelous future and every day that that plan does not come true we get disappoint and we soon begin to stop looking or thinking of the future and instead think “what’s the use?”  Once we begin to think that and think that the perfect future we want isn’t going to happen, then we start looking at the past and wishing things were like that again.  But things are in the past are there for a reason.

We want everything to happen exactly as we plan it.  How we want it when we want it.  We want everything to happen now rather than wait for it to happen in its own time.   Because of that we think that things are not going happen, we think things are going to remain the way they are now.  We see every day as the same as yesterday.  We don’t see the future we are expecting slowly shaping and forming, so then we look at the past.  We see things in the past that we want and say we miss even though during that time we most likely wished it would pass.  What good does reliving the past and living in it as opposed to looking for the future, striving for the future we want?  All living in the past do is make us miss the present and future.  We miss out on so many things and sometimes...it makes us depressed.

We tend to see a future for ourselves and want it now, this instant, but many times we don’t want to do the hard work, just do the bare minimum.  So then it takes longer and we get even more frustrated and then give up.  I know there were times I did that, gave up and looked at the past and wished things were that easy again, even though during that time there were struggles to overcome.  In order to get the future we want, we need to struggle.  We need to fight tooth and nail for what we want instead of expecting to simple happen because we want it too.  We also need to accept that sometimes life has alternate plans.  Simply because things aren’t happening the way we want, we shouldn’t root ourselves into the past.  No good can come out of that.

“No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.”
― Eleanor Roosevelt, This is My Story

Too often throughout life there are people who try to make us feel inferior to them. It starting earlier and earlier in childhood and extends far into adulthood. There is no rhyme or reason behind this, it's just the way some people in this world react to others they deem too different. But that just seems to take so much of their own time to worry about making others feel less than worthy.

Eleanor stated it beautifully in saying no one can make you feel inferior unless you let them, unless you give them the power to do so. Sometimes it is difficult to not give power to someone's words or actions, many times they hurt and do in fact make us feel inferior. But the key is to address the feelings off the bat and not dwell on them. The more we dwell on the things said or done, the more we begin to feel that maybe this person was correct after all.

We tend to think what others think of us is correct when what matters is how we view ourselves. If we continue to allow others the power to make us feel less than worthy, less than them, then we will begin to think that and believe it. We will begin to pull back thinking we aren't capable of things. We need to let comments and actions roll off our backs. I know easier said than done, but it is something we should be trying to do.

Easter may not have the same meaning to everyone. It is a day of rebirth and new beginnings in one way or another. Spring is here finally and life is beginning anew. Enjoy this beauty all around.

I like friends who have independent minds because they tend to make you see problems from all angles." ~ Nelson Mandela

We all have difference of opinions about different situations, events, and causes. Sometimes we use those differences to dislike someone and argue with them. While a good spirited debate is fun from time to time, getting to the point to where you hate the other person and refuse to listen to their views causes a problem. Speaking with people with a difference of opinion gives us the ability to see the same thing from a different point whether we agree or not.

A lot of the time having a different perspective on a situation can change your viewpoints. How often after a debate have we thought "huh, never thought of it like that"? A difference of opinion, different insight gives us a new way to look at things, a new way to even think about something. A lot of the time we are so stuck in our thoughts that we don't want to consider an alternative possibility.

Having different outlooks and thoughts help us grow in our own opinions and understandings of the world around us. It allows us to think and discuss independently rather than depending on the views of others like a newscaster or reporter. How boring would life be if we all thought and viewed the world the same way?

“Remember that wherever your heart is, there you will find your treasure.” ― Paulo Coelho, The Alchemist

Too often we are hunting and searching for a treasure of one sort or another; generally happiness, love or peace. Sometimes we don't listen to or follow our hearts for fear of failing or that something is better than what our hearts want. We put a lot of stock into reasoning and logic, but don't pay attention of desires and emotions. We tell other people "just follow your heart" but then we don't follow that same advice. Why is that?

If we took the time to listen to our hearts more and follow our hearts desires, don't you think we would be happier, feel loved and at peace more? How many people simply say their jobs are not what they wanted to do? They didn't follow their passions, but went into a field that was prosperous or was chosen for them? Are those people happy? Some of them yes, others no. If I had followed my heart in career choices I would be happier. If we follow our hearts and know where our hearts would rather be all the treasures of life that we seek and desire would be there.

We need to put a little more stock and value into the matters of the heart, into following one's heart and seeing where it leads. There is a lot that can be said about following your heart. Its such an important part of our bodies and life, shouldn't we listen to it more often?

I do a lot with Paulo Coelho quotes, but that is because a lot of what he says and writes are so inspirational and astounding that it does change how you view things. If you haven't read one of his books, I highly suggest at least The Alchemist where today's quote comes from.

P.S If I followed my heart, think would I find Blackbeard's treasure? Or a lost Shakespearean play?

"The only way to make sense out of change is to plunge into it, move with it, and join the dance." - Alan Watts

We will not always be able to understand change going on around us, whether it is small or large. It doesn't always make sense why things change the way they do, and we are unable to understand and get a hold of these changes. Some changes happen gradually while others hit us like a ton of bricks. Like Mr. Watts said the only way we can make sense of the change is to accept it for what it is and jump head first into it.

We need be able to "join the dance" as Watts stated rather than fight against it. When we fight and struggle with the change life tries to make, we always tend to fall on our butts and are unable to understand. Many times when we fight the changes, we end up getting hurt and are unable to adapt and then lose out on something pretty awesome. We will get left behind and feel even more lost in this journey through life than we would if we accepted the changed and added it to our path.

Having changes in life adds to the quality of it. It keeps us on our toes and ensures that we don't get "too comfortable" in the way things are going. Sometimes we need a little change in things to help us appreciate what we had, as well as what we still have in our lives. We often forget that and plunging into change and making sense out of it helps us appreciate life all the more.

What changes don't make sense to you, and how can you join the dance to make sense of them? Hasn't changes in our life made things better in the end?

"We are all one - the web of life." - Jonathan Lockwood Huie

Too often life we forget that we are more a like with each other than we assume. We look at what is different among one another rather than what we have in common. Are our differences really that big of a deal or are we making them bigger than they really are? Are we using differences as excuses to judge and stereotype one another? We ignore all the ways that we are similar but why? Why is the color of one's skin, sexual preference, religious beliefs something that determines who they are as person? Why are those things that determine whether we like them as people? Why are we so quick to judge based on something either they have no control over or something they decide is best for them? Isn't that the point of having free will.

We need to begin to realize that while we all have differences we have similarities as well. We are connected in more ways than we like to think. Once we realize that we won't hate each other so much. We will be able to accept one another easier and better than we are now. Because we know we will be judged we tend to not be ourselves. We are too worried about what others will think of us that we can't be ourselves. To me that just seems so sad.