This morning I was sipping my coffee and I realized I had not read or written in my journals lately. I have a few and many I have stored over time. Some I began in the 1990’s. Yes, I still have them! Every now and then I like to go back and read them again. I take a look at my aspirations, desires, and prayers. This morning was a bit different when I did my meditation though. Coffee is a good meditation partner by the way! I wondered if there was something I could have done completely differently and what that might have been.
As I sat there, I closed my eyes and pictured segments of my life that are long past now. I don’t often go backward unless there is something I need to learn and figured my questioning must have come up for a reason. There are certainly mistakes I made over the years I would love to be able to go back and correct but if I did that I would not have learned some of the lessons I have. Then there were those defining moments when life shifted so dramatically and it took all the bravery and energy I had just to get through the situations in front of me. I brought myself to the current time because it is the only part of life I can radically change. Is there something I could do differently right now?
I thought long and hard, especially in the face of yet another move to the state I was born in. I want to make sure my actions, ideas, and things I aspire to align well with the future I would like to unfold for me. I pictured the things I have yet to accomplish and wondered if there are things I should change to get there, or if my vision suits my purpose in life?
There is no doubt, with this life gifted to us, there is a responsibility as well. Have you ever wondered if had you done things differently would you have had a better outcome than what you have now? By better outcome, I mean if you would be closer to your purpose. Would you be happier, more adjusted, and in a better position than right in this moment? I have no doubt our moments accumulate into a life that unfolds before us because we produce in life where our thoughts and feelings take us.
I would like to ask you the question I have pondered this morning. If you could change something in your life, a defining moment, would you change it for a better outcome? How about changing life now? Are you willing to do what it takes to have the life you have always dreamt of? Are you seeking a life of meaning and contribution to this world? Are you staying on the positive side of life even in the light of negativity in our society? Do you know you can change a part of this world and society just by how you interact in it? What is your demeanor when you go out in public and do you shout out negativity in the face of adversity?
Learning from the past and seeking what you might have done differently can be valuable. It can show you where your growth has been and if some changes in temperament, ideology, and actions can make your life, and others’ lives better. We live in a very different society right now that is for sure! We need all of the positivity we can get! Yes, take a look at some of the brutal truths in life right now, but after you do, address your own internal temperature. Are you a giving person? Do you want to be fair on the playground and share yourself with others instead of pushing them down? Do you truly desire the best for others or is it a show just to look good? The questions are not hard and you have all of the answers. No one else needs to know any of them but they will notice changes you make for the better! Do society a favor today, let us all notice the good changes in your life or even the way you are that will bring hope and strength into the lives of others. Where is your contribution and are you satisfied with it all?
Loving you from here,
Dr. Rev. Jenine Marie Howry
Life Lessons by Jenine Marie 