True Destiny; If Life is a Journey, Why go it alone?

Like a lot of other people I got caught up in the Oscar hype the other day. I was really rooting for "The King's Speech" and was quite happy with the results. What I was amazed with was the hype given to all the fashion and glitz. Now don't get me wrong, I like the finer things in life, but I think there are some people who take it to an unhealthy level and that is something that needs to be looked at. We all have needs and wants in this life. We need a home to live in, food to eat, and for the most part a vehicle to get us from point A to point B. We need clothes on our back and most of us need a job to help pay the bills. It could be college tuition, rent, mortgage, you name it, it generally takes money. Shy of getting money the old fashion way, inherit it, you need to have a job to earn money to spend. What I have noticed as of late is that so many people are fixated on obtaining so much stuff that it takes away from the knowing that life isn't measured on how much you have, but rather how you perceive what you have. What ever happened to being content where you are at? Now Let me stop here and say this: contentment is knowing that you are heading in the right direction, doing the right things, and knowing that no matter what happens you are good enough just being you. I think many people have forgotten about being content, and that does nothing more than keep them in a perpetual state of disenchantment. Why can't I have more? Why doesn't this happen or that happen? Why am I still lacking in this department or that department? The list can go on and on and on. Don't get me wrong, I think there is a time in all our lives where we need to ask questions about what we are doing, why we are doing it, and if we should be doing it. I also believe there are times in our life when we need to take a step back, look at our surroundings, and decided if this is where we need to be. Life is a process that will continue until we take our last breath and there is nothing that you or I can do to change that.

Contentment is knowing that no matter what you are faced with, no matter what you are currently going through, no matter what lies ahead of you, that you will be able to handle any situation and that through grace and dignity, you will come out spelling like a rose. We all look at other people and truth be told wish we had what they had. It might be a bigger home, nicer car, or that Caribbean vacation that you have always dreamt about. It's human nature to look at others and often try to put yourself in their shoes. Trouble is when you put yourself in their shoes you are no longer walking in your own. We all have things in our lives that we can be thankful for. We just sometimes forget about the simple and always want to make it complicated. My daughter loves me for me. It wouldn't matter if I had a zillion dollars, or was sleeping in a cardboard box. I know I will always have her love and she will always have mine. We have friends who we love and they love us. Maybe it's time to take a look at what we do have and not what we don't. Contentment is knowing that no matter what is thrown at you, you have the ability to handle any situation and in the end things will work out the way they are supposed to.

Now just in case you think I don't contend with issues, let me assure you that I have days when I am anything but content. But, I realize that my current situation is temporal at best, and come tomorrow morning things will be different. Different is some good ways, and unfortunately different in a bad way also. I guess I just have to look at each situation that comes across my path and take the actions required to get on with life. Am I content to take things one day at a time? For the most part yes, but I also look toward the future and have hope that things will be as I dream. I have had my share of set-backs and calamities in my life. I think we all deal with them from time to time. I have also known good times, and believe you me I would rather deal with the good times any day. Contentment is knowing that when the day is complete, you have done all you could do, and now at the end of the day it is time to rest and look toward tomorrow. I have said this before, but it bares repeating. I can't change what happened yesterday, and I really have no idea what is going to happen tomorrow, so I might as well live for today.

One final thought: when your thoughts of tomorrow are laced with fear, dread, and uncertainty, it is time to take a deep breath, relax a little, and understand that things happen for a reason. We can't always explain it, we often don't want to experience it, but in the end it is always a learning experience. We may get bruised and banged up from time to time, but our ability to get back up when knocked down is what separates us from those who refuse to get back up and just want to quit. I have wanted to quit so many times in the past, but deep deep inside of me I knew that the best was still in me and I was going to bring it out someway somehow. Your dreams that rest inside of you are the things that should motivate you to get up each morning and know that things will work out, things will settle down, and things will be as they should be. I gave a speech one time and in it I said "It is now time to ask yourself..." Well it's time to ask yourself the "What" question. What if this happens? What if I do this? What's Next? If you have the ability to ask the question then you also have the ability to answer them, and answer them you must. It's not time to bury your head in the sand. It's time to move forward realizing that the things we deal with each day are learning opportunities and as such we get the chance to grow some more. Contentment is knowing that you have all you need to become the person you were designed to be and that my friends is a great great thing. Think about that......