I have been nearby but in late 2020, my life stopped for all intent and purposes.  Mike suffered a heart attack that nearly took his life.   It threw his body into all kinds of failure.  His body bloated up and he could not walk due to heart failure.  We awaited surgery, of course with Covid in full swing, things were slow and difficult to schedule.  He had to have five bypass grafts and a new mitral heart valve.  It was a dangerous and difficult surgery with no guarantees at all.   Fear was pouring over the whole family.  We decided to let our faith be stronger than our fear.   Long story shortened:   He spent 70 days in ICU, some weeks on a ventilator, battling infections, another surgery and respiratory and kidney failure and dialysis.  He landed in acute long term care for another month.  Then a cardiac rehabilitation  hospital for another month.   When he was able to come home with home health care, a wound vac, and physical and occupational therapy for 6 months, a miracle happened.   He could walk a little and he was speaking clearly and his mind was working again.  His kidneys healed enough to get off dialysis.   He regained some of his physical strength and by January of this year, began to drive again.   What a journey!   I am emotionally and physically drained by the past 2 years.   But I am inspired by his strength and determination to survive and thrive.   I cannot complain....only praise the Creator for all of the answered prayers from family, friends and strangers who followed Mike's journey.  

So now, maybe I will get more writing done and find my happy place again.   

A story is told of a young man who had a series of misfortunes in life.  No matter where he was or what he tried to do bad luck was always on his side.  Nonetheless, he kept going.  Every time he fell, he got back up and gave it yet another shot.  Family and friends advised him to give up and try something new.  “You may excel at something you haven’t tried yet”, they said.  Without giving in to such discouraging circumstances he kept working on becoming the health practitioner he wanted to be.
Whenever disheartening words came from all sides, family, close friends, coworkers, his response was: “I know what I am meant to be” “I know who I am and I will stay true to my purpose.”

The most important thing about knowing your purpose is that it will give you the strength you need to persevere, keep on trying, and get back up each time you fall.  Knowing who you are meant to be and the impact you can have in the world will keep you moving forward despite obstacles or opposition.  Knowing your purpose will give you peace of mind.

Years passed and the young man still hadn’t achieved his goal but still, he kept giving it yet another shot. Just when he was on the brink of giving in to his obstacles and failed efforts, he found yet another reason to go on.  He remembered the first thing that made him realize what his purpose in life was.  He remembered how he had felt the pain of losing his loved ones to illnesses that had no cure.  He remembered failing to raise enough money for their treatment, lacking a profound knowledge of protecting them from contracting illnesses through prevention as well as other healthy practices and he gave his dream another chance.

A few years later, he graduated from his studies and became the health professional he had worked so hard to become.  Looking back at his life, he was grateful for everything he had experienced including the lessons learned along the way but most importantly, he was grateful to himself for remaining true to his purpose.

5 reasons why knowing your purpose is important

• It keeps you focused on what you are meant to accomplish. 
• Knowing your purpose is the best way of retaining your focus and eliminating distractions that you encounter along the way.  You know who you are meant to be and you concentrate on finding better ways of becoming who you are destined to be.
• It gives meaning to your life. 
• There is nothing more depressing and time-wasting than living a meaningless life.  Not knowing where you are meant to be or what important role you are meant to play in the world will have you assuming that anything that comes your way is worth your time and effort. On the other hand, knowing what you are destined to be gives meaning to your life and gives you the guidance you need to go from where you are to where you were meant to be.
• It enables you to manage your time wisely.
• Ever reflected on your day a few minutes before bed only to be disappointed by all the unchecked tasks on your daily schedule?  Many people go through that.  Failing to accomplish your daily tasks springs from failing to manage your time wisely and getting diverted from your main goals.  Knowing what you are meant to accomplish in the long run will help you avoid creating room for time-wasting activities that are in no way linked to your goal and keep you producing at an elite level.
• It gives you a sense of belonging. 
• Life can be lonely when you feel you don’t belong anywhere but discovering your purpose in life will guide you to the right places and help you connect with the right people.  Starting relationships, growing good relationships, and getting rid of bad ones becomes easier and it will make your life a whole lot easier.  You know the kind of people you are supposed to spend most of your time working with or socializing with and you know who can play a certain role in helping you move towards your goal and who can’t.
• It gives you the confidence you need to go forward. 
• Last but not least, knowing your purpose in life is important because it gives you confidence in yourself. It serves as a constant assurance that you have what it takes to fulfill your purpose and that you will become who you are meant to be. It gives you the strength to keep going forward, keep climbing, keep aiming higher, and keep believing in yourself.
• Spend some time contemplating your life's purpose today.

There are so many good ideas, so much creativity, and endless possibilities inside of each person.  The trick is unlocking the muse which will inspire you to explore these amazing dimensions of you.   One definition of muse is "something or someone that inspires you".    

Can you identify your muse?  Is it music?  Is it poetry or prose?  Is it a sunset, a sunrise....the outdoors....flowers, all of nature?  Is it a person, an author, a fictitious creature?  Is it something spiritual?  Is it ethereal?

Invite your muse into your everyday life.  Give it a voice.  Listen to it and begin to "create" your special gift to the world.  It may be a garden, a song, a book, a poem, a business, a hobby......the possibilities are unlimited.

One enjoyable activity to get you started is to create a "playlist" of songs or music that make you feel happy and alive.  Music has a way of "unlocking" us.  It causes us to feel deeply, to move our body, to think and to remember.  Use it to explore.....and to lift you up.

Look for opportunities to create.....whether it be in the studio, at your desk, on the computer, in the kitchen or outdoors.  There is no right way or wrong way to do this.  You will succeed.

Creating and honoring your inner muse.....will lead you to a joyful life!  It will bolster your confidence and open channels for even more creativity and joy!  Find time for yourself.....it is very important to do so.

Have fun!!!

Growing up, my parents frequently reminded my sisters and I that words have great power.  Not only the words we say to others but to ourselves.  Even the words we read or see in front of us daily have power in our lives.  The implications of this power is quite awesome.  Use words for good or for bad...they are equally powerful.  Use your self-talk to fortify your confidence, motivate you and to keep your thoughts positive.   Print positive words and affirmations on paper to uplift you.  I have on this website some free printables that are both beautiful and uplifting.  Download them and print them...frame them and display them.  You can start with this one!  The others may be found on the Resources page.
SMILE, SPARKLE, SHINE

Living a happy, resilient and optimistic life is wonderful, and is also good for your health.  Being happy actually protects you from the stresses of life.  Stress is linked to the top causes of death such as heart disease, cancer and stroke.

Growing up, my Dad used to tell my sisters and I,  "The only thing in life that stays the same is change, so get used to it."  My mom had a gentler way of saying it, "This too shall pass."
Making peace with the mindset of those two phrases from my parents has gone a long way in helping me find peace of mind and joy through the years.  Especially when everything seemed to be going the wrong direction.

You can make a conscious decision to look at the bright side of things and decide to be happy.
Abraham Lincoln observed that most people for most of the time can choose how happy or stressed, how relaxed or troubled, how bright or dull their outlook to be.  The choice is simple , choose to be happy.

There are several ways by which you can do this:
 
Have an attitude of gratitude.  When we approach life with a grateful heart, it is difficult to focus on all that is wrong in our world.  We have so much for which to be thankful.

Expressing gratitude is another happiness generator for you and for the person who hears the "Thank You."  Thank the taxi driver for bringing you home safely, thank the cook for a wonderful dinner and thank the person who cleans your windows.  Showing gratitude is a wonderful way to connect to others.  

News is stressful.  Get less of it.  Some people just can't start their day without their daily dose of news.  Think about it, 99% of the news we hear or read is bad news.  Starting the day with bad news does not seem to be a sensible thing to do.  Read something positive first thing in the day or listen to uplifting messages or music.

Nurture your spirit every day.  Feed your soul.  It needs nourishment just as your body does.
 
Manage your time.  Time is invaluable and too important to waste.  Time management involves scheduling, setting goals, planning, creating lists of things to do and prioritizing.  These are the core basics of time management that should be understood to develop an efficient life.

Laugh and laugh heartily everyday.  Heard a good joke? Tell your friends or family about it.  Share funny stories.  Laughter is healing.

Express your feelings, affections, friendship and passion to people around you.  They will appreciate it and most likely reciprocate.  Try not to keep pent up anger of frustrations to yourself as this is bad for your health.  Instead, find ways of expressing them in a way that will not cause more harm to you or others.
 
Working with passion brings tremendous personal satisfaction.  It gives a feeling of purpose and success.  Accomplishments are necessary for all of us, they give us a sense of value.
Work on things that you feel worthy of your time.
 
Learning is a joyful exercise.  Try and learn something new everyday.   Learning makes us broaden our horizons.  This may provide even greater opportunities for us and at the least, makes us more interesting.

Jog, walk and do other activities that your body was made to enjoy.  Feel alive.
 
Avoid exposure to negative elements like loud noises, toxins and hazardous places.

These are just a few simple things you can do everyday to be happy.

Always remember the quote from Abraham Lincoln, "Most people are about as happy as they make up their minds to be."

So, with that said, mindfully choose to be happy.