The Chords of Your Life

Gibson Les Paul Standard Plus

It has been 2 weeks since I have entered a post. I thought January was typically a slow month but that has not been the case this year. I started off blogging October 2011 and was faithfully posting up until a few weeks ago. I feel like life is cramping me with all kinds of activities, although not bad things, but you can only do so much in a day.

I recently used my Christmas money to purchase a Gibson Les Paul Standard Plus. That was quite an investment for me but I am serious about furthering my guitar techniques. I have always loved music and the rhythm that guitar strings make, touches the core of my soul. But this post is not about music or guitars, it is about following our passions and being in control of them.

We all have different needs in our lives and the activities we follow meet those desires for us. These needs can change from one year to the next or from month to month. For me, those changes depend on how I control that activity. When the activity starts controlling me then I burn myself out. I am searching for a balance in my life. I want to incorporate new activities such as more time with my music but I also don’t want to forsake things such as this blog. Right now I do not see how I can post daily or even a certain amount each week. I don’t want to commit to a certain amount and then fail either. I will be posting as thoughts arise and let that be based on a day by day basis. Just know that if I do not post a blog for the day that I am working on other projects as well.

Socialization is very important to me and I like having time to spend with my family and friends on a daily basis. Sometimes that ranges from going out shopping with my Mom to raiding or running heroics with my guild family.

My relationship with God is also very important to me and I am trying to follow a plan with a friend that involves reading through the Bible in a year.

And you guessed it, I will be working on my music. I am following a program on a new PS3 game that should improve my skills greatly.

My encouragement for you today is, to find your balance, follow your dreams and desires, but don’t let them control you. You control them!
And if I could add a corny guitar play on words…. Don’t fret, control the chords of your life.

“This life is yours. Take the power to choose what you want to do and do it well. Take the power to love what you want in life and love it honestly. Take the power to walk in the forest and be a part of nature. Take the power to control your own life. No one else can do it for you. Take the power to make your life happy.”
Susan Polis Schutz

KISS

The KISS principle is: Keep it simple, Stupid! Several of my teaching courses in college stressed the KISS principle in regards to teaching methods for children, but it really is a wonderful basis for all of life.

I think simple is always a good thing. Whether you are trying to communicate a huge mathematical problem or directions to the nearest gas station… Keep it simple! Thoughts are retained longer when they are simple to remember.

I have been trying to apply “Simple” to this holiday season. If you are entertaining guest, why is there a need to go overboard and have a 6 course meal, every candle in the house burning, and stress yourself to the smallest of details?
Life should be fun and we should enjoy the process. When things or people become complicated, then worry and trouble are sure to ensue.

So no matter if you are planning a party, forming a new friendship, or explaining to your child about the dangers of playing in traffic, Keep it Simple!

“A vocabulary of truth and simplicity will be of service throughout your life”
Winston Churchill

“The simplest things are often the truest.”
Richard Bach

“Beauty of style and harmony and grace and good rhythm depend on simplicity.”
Plato

“The ability to simplify means to eliminate the unnecessary so that the necessary may speak.”
Hans Hofmann

“Making the simple complicated is commonplace; making the complicated simple, awesomely simple, that’s creativity.”
Charles Mingus

On being Second

After the American TV personality Ed McMahon died in 2009, one
newspaper headline read, “When it came to being the No. 2 man, he was
No. 1.” Best known for his 30-year tenure as Johnny Carson’s
late-night sidekick, McMahon excelled at helping Carson succeed in the
spotlight. While most entertainers strive for top billing, McMahon was
content with a supporting role. — Our Daily Bread

How do you fair when placed in a supporting role position? Do you
feel not as important? Or, do you take your position with enthusiasm
and contentment, to do all in your power, to be supportive? Putting
others ahead of ourselves can be a very hard thing to do but it is the
right and honorable thing to do. If you have to fight and struggle to
be on top, is it really worth it? I am not talking about not doing
your best, we should always strive to be the best we can be, but if we
place in the bronze or below we should be happy for the silver and
gold, rejoice for them and with them.

If the King of the earth, God’s son, can humbly die on the cross for
all the sins of the world, then the least I can do is put my fellow
man ahead of me.

Humility is not thinking less of yourself, it’s thinking of yourself less.
Rick Warren

A hero is somebody who is selfless, who is generous in spirit, who
just tries to give back as much as possible and help people. A hero to
me is someone who saves people and who really deeply cares.
Debi Mazar

It’s hard to get people to overcome the thought that they have to take
care of themselves first. It’s hard to get players to give in to the
group and become selfless as opposed to selfish.
Isaiah Thomas

What charge is your ion?

What mood do you set for others when you walk in a room? Do you enter grumbling and complaining and generating negative energy? (OR) Do you greet others with a smile and cheerful words of positive energy? Maybe neither, maybe you feel neutral until you pick up the vibe of the group.

It is possible for us to set moods and we probably do so more than we realize. Are you cheerful when callers reach you on the phone or do you make them realize that they just interrupted your day?
When you are out, especially this time of year, in the crowds of shopping, are you returning other’s impatience with more aggravation? Do you take the time to smile at the sales clerk, which has probably just served a bunch of grumpy customers ahead of you?

It’s so hard to muster positive energy when others are dishing negative ions your way, but we can control how we return that energy back to them or others.
You know how good it feels when others exhibit their positive ions and you in turn feel the charge. Never let those positive sparks die out, keep passing them on.

I challenge you today to be a positive mood setter. Let those positive ions fill up your day and life. Be contagiously positive, and let your energy flow!

“Life engenders life. Energy creates energy. It is by spending oneself that one becomes rich.”
Sarah Bernhardt

“Love the moment, and the energy of that moment will spread beyond all boundaries.”
Corita Kent

“Energy is the power that drives every human being. It is not lost by exertion but maintained by it, for it is a faculty of the psyche.”
Germaine Greer

“The meeting of two personalities is like the contact of two chemical substances; if there is any reaction, both are transformed.”
Carl Gustav Jung

(Image source: http://blogcil.com/2011/how-to-reduce-stress-and-turn-it-into-positive-energy.html)

Dependability

You can always depend on Lucy to pull the ball out from Charlie!

Who are the first people that pop into your mind when you think of dependable people in your life? Who is that person or persons that you know will always be there for you?
Who is it, that when you ask for a favor, you know they will come through for you?

Don’t you just love those people? You can rest in the fact that they will always do their best to not let you down.
Yes, we never know what the next hour in a day will bring to us, and we can’t always do everything we set out to do. Sometimes life prevents us from being there exactly on time, or to make every service or meeting.
But you know, if that person is not there, then they have a very good reason. That’s the kind of people I am talking about!

Are you one of those people? Is there anyone that would claim you as a dependable person for them?

I am so blessed with dependable people in my life, I can think of several, and I count myself so fortunate to have them.

Two thoughts for you today… makes sure those people that you can count on, know how much you appreciate them, and evaluate how dependable you are to others.

“The greatest ability is dependability.”
Bob Jones

“Sometimes being dependable is all one can depend upon.”
Wes Fessler

In Quietness

“In quietness and in confidence shall be your strength” (Isaiah 30:15)

Sometimes you just need to steal away a few moments for yourself and regain your center balance. It has been my goal since I started this blog, October 7 of this year, to post everyday. I have missed a few days here and there but I have come to realize that it may not be in my personal best interest to do that, even as much as I may want to. I think for me personally it works out better to take the weekends off and also Wednesday is my busiest day of week.

I am not limiting my posts to only 4 days a week, but I would like you to know that the frequency will not be every day. I love writing these blog posts and it has been so enjoyable for me to do this. You all give me back so much positive feedback and I love it!
I am still going to be here, and I am still going to be posting every day that I can, and loving every minute of it!

It is important to set aside time in the day, or in the week, just for you. That rest and recuperation time for you may be napping, meditation, praying, listening to music in the dark, or simply looking at the clouds in the sky.
Whatever the strength source for you is, find it, and fill up your tank as often, and as much, as you can. You will feel the power in your quietness and confidence!

I have often lamented that we cannot close our ears with as much ease as we can our eyes.
Richard Steele

Nowadays most men lead lives of noisy desperation.
James Thurber

Meditation is the life of the soul: Action, the soul of meditation. and honor the reward of action.
Francis Quarles

Meditation is the soul’s perspective glass.
Owen Feltham

No great work has ever been produced except after a long interval of still and musing meditation.
Walter Bagehot

(Image source: http://pete.com/view/take-a-rest)

Hungry Wolf

Stealing moments and thoughts,
Pushing self defeating phrases into my head.
Whispering into my ears,
Lies of hypocrisy.

My worst enemy,
With me, every step,
Always at my side.
Tugging my heart,
“You are worthless”.

Every cruel, evil and unimaginable word,
Webster’s is at his disposal,
Spewing forth
Constantly,
Word after thought after word.

Stop! I blurt with all the force I can muster.
Leave, hungry wolf!
I will not listen or believe these lies!
God loves me, I love me, and we are strong enough to cast you out.

This is a dark write, but I hope it is encouraging. We do not have to settle with our demons, we can defeat them!

If you do not conquer self, you will be conquered by self.
Napoleon Hill

Know thy self, know thy enemy. A thousand battles, a thousand victories.
Sun Tzu

Much of your pain is the bitter potion by which the physician within you heals your sick self.
Khalil Gibran

There is only one corner of the universe you can be certain of improving, and that’s your own self.
Aldous Huxley

Egg Head!

Life has found all manner of complications to conveniently cook up for me lately.
This has in turn scrambled my brains, to say the least.

I have been trying to focus on that which is positive and good, but many hard boiled situations seem to keep rising to the surface.

I love those sunny side up days, and I find myself longing for them, when I’m being basted.
But so much value can actually be gained from the poaching of life.

Here are some lessons that I have sautéed in over the past few days…

Don’t take anything or anyone for granted.

If love hurts you, then love harder.

People are more important than any thing.

May you have many more over-easy days than you have over-hard!

“When something is missing in your life, it usually turns out to be someone.”
Robert Brault

Speculation

Do you see what I see, Chappa?
Princess has pranced over to sniff out
the new neighbor,
and bark her way up the tree.

I sensed that, Woofles.
She should not be putting her nose
where it does not belong.
I am not going there with my paws.

Ruffles? I bet you my 24 carrot
gold charm, she ends up in the
dog house when she gets home.
There will be no wagging her tail
out of this mess.

Chappa! Woofles! Let’s go
pooches! you two look like you are
watching a drama! Silly doggies.

“It is intellectually dishonest to look backwards with all the facts and judge the decisions that were made with almost none of the facts, or the facts that existed hidden in the normal cloud of endless speculation of what might happen.”
Norm Coleman

(Image source: http://www.etsy.com/listing/81762402/six-5×7-blank-folded-cards-and-envelopes?ref=sc_1)

Never, Ever, Going Back.

Moving forward
Sometimes stopped.
Never, ever, going
Back.

Through rocks,
Over mountains,
Across dry plains.
Going.

The same route,
Different journey.
Forever? No, not
Ever.

With the past behind,
The future ahead.
Never turn around.
Never.

“No man is rich enough to buy back his past.”
Oscar Wilde

(Image source: http://www.etsy.com/listing/86741799/railroad-16×20?ref=cat2_gallery_38)