Tag Archives: joy in life

In the Afternoon of My Life

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Maybe it is the Late Afternoon of my life. Soon I will be entering the Eighth decade of my life. Quite frankly, I never thought I’d be around this long. It never occurred to me to consider this aging process and what my role as an elder is all about. For me, on the inside, I still consider myself to be young. At least younger than that stranger looking back at me in the mirror.

My friend, in his 50’s, Rodger, told me that “we are in the “afternoon” of our lives,” it caused me to pause and consider these words. Then, as if to correct himself he added, “Or, perhaps, we are are in the “late afternoon” of our lives…” to better include my current level of ancientness. And Yes, this did add entertainment to my consideration of this dilemma. Ok, when do you hit “evening” or late night TV of your life?

Question: Do I want to be old? NO! Do I want to act my age? NO! Do I want to even consider decrepitude? NO, NO, NO! Do I accept myself and the process of aging? With a struggle, Yes and, not really…

AND, what’s my role in this drama? I am a father. I am a grandfather. I am a brother, a lover, a friend, a mensch, a clown, a writer, a teacher, and a healer. And, I am so much more. None of these labels are adequate to define my role. I am a human living in privilege living in North America who occasionally struggles with cultural expectation of who I am and where I am “supposed” to be at this later stage of this life… (Societal expectations based on what culture suggests has never been my strong suit. I have always felt like I am “outsider” looking in and, with pride, in my oppositional opinions and actions…)

Do I care about the future? Well, yes, but differently than I expected. My youthful optimism is reduced, mostly due to waning energy levels. I have always been impatient with life, and still am… From my current perspective, I appreciate the miracles and blessings of life much differently, and with more reverence, than I did in earlier decades. Most of the time I view people, and our shared encounters, looking for the beauties and the good things rather than in negative judgement of an insecure younger me looking to pretend that I am better than… Translation: now, I look more often for a beauty or acknowledge a skill rather than looking to find a weakness or flaw in the people I interact with.

So what does it mean to be in the “late afternoon” of my current incarnation. The days seem to be getting a bit shorter. My energy is drawing inward. I am not cut off from my world but my view is less unbridled than in earlier times. Taking on larger, time and energy, consuming projects seems to be lowered in priority for me. I may not get to learning those new languages or learning to play new musical instruments, which I have put off for many decades. I may even shelve going to medical school which was a very high priority for me when I was 15 years old. Though, I will make time to view more Sunsets and perhaps to taste some good wines.

My life has been filled with Guidance and protection. There are still important challenges and missions for me. There are times when I feel like I am “winding down” and there are times when I rationalize that I am actually using my energies more efficiently. Either way, I proceed through this life with Wonderment and Beginner’s Mind when I choose to be most present. My request to you, as you have read this far, is find Joy and laughter every day of your life. Add the perspective that your life, all life, is a Miracle and you are blessed when you can share your experience with other pilgrims you meet along your way.

If circumstance appears and asks you if YOU want to return for another lifetime in a human form, you may say “No, I do not want to return.” For life is “hard” and full of drama and you may consider that “you” deserve a “rest.” I have considered this option and heard other people’s answers. The Dalai Lama when asked this question responded by saying that he “hopes” he can return and continue to be of service. He is highly evolved and perhaps he is “done” with human incarnations. If you do NOT want to return for more lives and experiences of service, then, almost certainly you WILL have to return for the challenges of additional incarnations… Worry not, for all incarnations are simultaneous and there is no linear time in the higher dimensions (from where we have come.) Just keep breathing and being present. Allow your meditations to offer you guidance…

AND, every day consider your purpose in your current incarnation. Looking deep into this circumstance, I feel certain that you will “know” that you are here to serve! Share your stories and the wisdom you have gained, or are struggling to gain. The people you bump into are both your students and your teachers. We all share life experience to support each other in developing our consciousness. and, we are all in this (life) together…

Dance like no one is watching! Live like this will be your very last day… No regrets, you are perfect and so accept those flaws and imperfections which make you unique…

You are a Miracle! Thank you for being you.

Thanks for your time and consideration. Your insights and experiences are unique and a blessing, so please share these…

If you are READY and looking for a supportive community where you can share your story, your wisdom, and grow spiritually in a non-religious environment, consider Masters of the Journey.
You are a Blessing! You are a Master! Your wisdom from your life experience can have great value to other pilgrims on the path toward awakening and enlightenment.

The Masters of the Journey has events which are updated on our Facebook page which is found at: www.facebook.com/mastersofthejourney Please comment on this blog and share, if appropriate. More of our blogs are based on spiritual consciousness and can be found at www.dstress.com/blog

There Are Times In Your Life

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There are times in your life when you need to pay attention! There are times in your life when you can easily find happiness and joy. And, there are times in your life when you have to look very deeply to find the “Joy” when you can easily judge this life event as challenging and even painful.

When you were young, you would look at certain events and embrace the expectation of impending happiness. You might look forward to your birthday or to Christmas or to Summer vacation expecting the fun and the happiness of what would come. Perhaps there was a graduation or a certain trip which would trigger expectations of happiness. Perhaps, a “knowing” that a certain gift was coming and your joyful anticipation left you excited and full of happiness. Certainly, there have been major transitions on your calendar which created assumptions of joyful happiness like: family gatherings, weddings, births of your children, and anniversaries of your treasured relationships.

Happiness is different than Joy! Happiness is an emotional response. What triggers happiness is often superficial compared to what might trigger Joy. Joy is the deepest level of celebration in the soul.

There is always a flip side. Not to be viewed or assumed to be dark or negative but major events that challenge you. These events challenge you to find the “Joy,” though maybe bittersweet, in the transition you find yourself. Highly conscious people will search for, and find, the “Joy” in even the most difficult life situation. Consideration of the Joy in the unfortunate times is more than a simple art form, it is critical in learning from the arduous life experiences we survive.

Yes, there is a flip side to most every life experience. Lonely Birthday’s or Birthday’s celebrated late in life can be bittersweet. Reflecting back on the more innocent early times can be a reflection of what constantly changes in our lives. Christmas or holiday times when missing a loved one can be filled with pressured expectations of the happiness which may be more difficult to achieve. As we age, Summer vacations may be more a test for us as we control our anxiety and work to control some of the negative expectations which may haunt us. Even weddings and anniversaries can cause us to pause and reflect on what has changed in our innocence and the way we view our past youthful naivety.

However, even the most difficult life experiences can be viewed with the discovery of “Joy.” Even in the vacuum created by the loss of relationships or even the death of a life partner or friend, you can find the life message that grows out of these challenges and celebrate this difficult lesson for the “Joy” that can come. The appreciation of life and the memories of past experiences are given perspective which can become “teaching moments” and so wisdom to share. Your purpose in coming to this life is to learn and to grow and to serve other souls you meet along the way. If you have survived a challenging time, even of great loss of relationship, there is a message to share. AND, you are here, in this life, to share your wisdom born out the drama you have survived. Find the “Joy” in every moment, even the seemingly “darker” moments and you walk the path of consciousness and “Enlightenment.”

An example from my life… After marriage of nearly 28 years, my life partner transitioned after living with her terminal Ovarian cancer diagnosis for 8+ years. Difficult times for us, our families, our children, and our friends. I would NOT wish this experience on anyone. I would not trade this experience, in retrospect, for some other possible fantasy ending. My wife and I became so much closer. Our love was tested and not only survived, but grew. My lessons as the “survivor” have changed my life and my appreciation of living, and dying. The wisdoms I was forced to learn have been shared with many people AND these acts of service have created a burning light which leads the way for many other souls who have been touched by our story. This is the JOY which is born from life’s challenges. This is the Joy you must seek from the difficult experiences you are surviving.

These challenges are the times in Your life that are there to teach you. By expanding your consciousness and learning, you can find your Joy in sharing your hard earned wisdom…

Do not get me wrong, every moment, yes, every moment is Joyful! You have to sometimes work a bit harder to find the meaning and the Joy in the lesson you are learning. Finding the Joy in the more difficult dramas is the act of Enlightened Living. It is time to “Wake UP!”

May the Blessings of Insights in Consciousness blossom most freely for you and find ways of manifesting in your sweet lives! (A message from Guidance.)

Thanks for your time and consideration. Your insights and experiences are unique and a blessing, so please share these…

If you are READY and looking for a supportive community where you can share your story, your wisdom, and grow spiritually in a non-religious environment, consider Masters of the Journey.
You are a Blessing! You are a Master! Your wisdom from your life experience can have great value to other pilgrims on the path toward awakening and enlightenment.

The Masters of the Journey has events which are updated on our Facebook page which is found at: www.facebook.com/mastersofthejourney Please comment on this blog and share, if appropriate. More of our blogs are based on spiritual consciousness and can be found at www.dstress.com/blog

Basking in Love & Joy

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What if you could attract Unconditional Love and Joy into your Life!? How would it feel to be basking in the Love and Joy of the Divine Spirit, burning within you more brightly every moment? Guidance and my friends Curt and Mary have led me to read “Ask and It Is Given: Learning to Manifest Your Desires” from Esther and Jerry Hicks and their Guides, “The Teachings of Abraham.” The thought that is germinating within my consciousness relates to Abraham’s guiding principle of the Law of Attraction which says that if your consciousness dwells on a thought, with strong emotion, this vision can manifest more easily for you. (Clue: think about what you desire NOT what you would avoid!)

In Masters of the Journey we share stories from epiphanies, experiences and challenges which we have learned from. As we listen to the “Story Teller,” we can resonate with the lesson and the emotions which go along with this learning. As a small, or large, group we can combine our attentions to attract the best part of these insights and more powerfully attract these messages from the Divine Spirit. We can celebrate the learning and new awareness as we share these consciousness expanding experiences.

An example might include, the Joy and excitement of watching a child being born into this world. What a blessing! We might share the epiphany from a deeply moving meditation where “Oneness” and connection to all living things is experienced! Or, we might find the sharing of a story where a Near Death Experience celebrates where Unconditional Love from the Divine is deeply felt and experienced. Know the Joy! These examples bring a special feeling to you even as you read them…??? Of course, in a group sharing, the moment in time combines many souls resonating in this enlightenment and can make the sharing a more powerful experience which can embed itself deeply into your consciousness. This is the value and benefit of sharing “positive” stories in a group. Humans have done this for thousands of years around the Tribe’s campfire or the dinner table.

We can be more conscious and look to celebrate the epiphanies which we have or which are shared by our group’s members. Not with envy, but with sincere celebration, as we resonate in the deep feelings attached to these learnings. We are all Masters and can teach from our life’s experiences. We can Bask in Joy and Love with the story tellers as we witness their wonderment. It feels good to be connected with a support group who offer positive messages and share moments of consciousness. The stories of awakenings serve as a model, or create a new doorway, for the “witness” to uncover new ways to achieve their lessons on a path toward “Enlightenment.”

What is “Enlightenment?” This may seem to take different forms or have foundations in different life experiences. For me, Enlightenment is a “Knowing” that we are all connected to the Divine Spirit and each other. We “remember” the joy of unconditional love and support, and the pure acceptance that goes along with it. We feel the freedom from the limitations of the ego and the physical body with its entrapment in a 3 dimensional, “Time” limited, existence. We know our connection with a Universal Wisdom. We remember that we are much greater than the physical incarnation we have chosen to learn our current lessons. (Though we should not deny the great importance and opportunity to live in the life we have chosen… Even with its challenges. It is amazing, a miracle!) But, once you have a conscious epiphany regarding what Enlightenment is, “on the other side of the Veil,” you will never be able to go back and to live as a naive, unaware person. This “instant” will change you 24/7 for your ongoing existence.

YOU are a Blessing! Whether you know it or not, YOU are a MASTER! Live in Joy and Love. Find your bliss!

If you would like to share your story and be supported, consider a community like, Masters of the Journey. Where ever possible bask in the telling of stories of “awakening.” Resonate with the most positive feelings and remembrances of enlightenment!

The Masters of the Journey has events which are updated on our Facebook page which is found at: www.facebook.com/mastersofthejourney Please comment on this blog and share, if appropriate. More of our blogs are based on spiritual consciousness and can be found at www.dstress.com/blog

Growing the Garden: a Reason to Live

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Do you have a good reason to live? Is there something motivating you that may help to live longer should you find yourself with a terminal illness? I have seen mothers with young children use their love of their children to fight off near-death experiences. When asked why they chose to come back from their near-death incident, they have answered they could not leave yet, knowing that their young children would be left to grow without them. This experience has surfaced when severe accidents and terminal illness were involved. Some people are ready to pass into the next consciousness and “let go” more easily. Some people fear death or for other reasons stubbornly hold on to living. I had a male client in his late thirties who had anger as a motivation to keep living years beyond his prognosis. His wife and younger children suffered the torment of living with this angry, frustrated husband/father. When he finally did let go, there was some relief felt by caregivers and family. In this particular case, his death-defying behaviors were actually viewed as a torture for his family. Sad, but true.

Then there are people like my late wife, Barbara. She lived beyond her prognosis. She appreciated and celebrated every day that she lived with her cancer. One of her positive motivators was her passion for growing plants in her garden. Like the Winchester Mystery House, she continued to add more garden and more plants every chance she got. She rejoiced with every blossom that developed. She celebrated every vegetable that matured. She had weeding projects and building projects that never seemed to end. When she cut her blossoming flowers and brought them inside to decorate our home, I felt her joy and saw her beaming smile. She took all of our visitors on a tour of her gardens to celebrate her creations and the sensation of life that these plants symbolized. Their appreciation bolstered her energy. This energy kept her stronger for her treatments and helped her to maintain an exercise regimen. She kept her focus on living and did not discuss her condition. She did not want to be known as a cancer patient or someone struggling with a terminal illness. She did not want sympathy but wanted to bask in joy, health, happiness and the Light. She planned future dates of positive events with family and friends. She looked to the blessings in the future and not to the gathering clouds.

If this is relevant to you or to someone you know, I encourage you to help them bask in the Light of life’s celebrations. Enjoy the happiness and joys in each new day. Focus on what is working and keep moving forward.

Thank you for your attention and your time. With my love and my challenge, please keep moving closer to the light of unconditional love and higher consciousness… Find joy!