Posted on by BWThomas

Happy New Year and may an attitude of gratitude accompany us throughout the year.

Painting by Belynda Wilson Thomas

Gratitude is the fairest blossom which springs from the soul. Henry Ward Beecher

This is my last post for 2022. It is time to reflect on the past and set goals for the future. Last year I chose a word for the year and I chose grateful. It has been a wonderful year with our circle enlarging, our grandson joining our family, our son getting married, and we have continued to live in health amongst peace and plenty.

I added to my list of self-published books, and I look forward to publishing more in 2023. It is time to make goals but many things we want in life we aren’t in control of. Everything has its season and if our goal is something that is not yet in its season then we might feel let down by life.

If we are grateful for what we have, grateful things aren’t worse when things don’t go our way, and grateful for the good in other people’s lives then we may find joy and contentment. The word I am choosing to focus on in 2023 will be gratitude.

What is the difference between grateful and gratitude? Some say gratitude is to joy what grateful is to happiness. Joy is a state of being, a choosing to “be” regardless of circumstances; whereas happiness and being grateful can come and go based on situations and circumstances. If this is the difference then last year by choosing grateful I chose happiness which can be fleeting, and this year by choosing gratitude I choose joy, a state of being.

Gratitude is the single most important ingredient to living a successful and fulfilled life. Jack Canfield

Being grateful is followed by a “thank you” while gratitude is a constant state of being. Gratitude and gratefulness are reflections of each other that create ripples of happiness when embraced. I found this on a website by Official Miss Val.

We must consistently choose the right thinking, right words, and right actions. It is not what we choose to do one time that will make a big difference in our lives. It is consistently making the right choice that pays dividends. If we can embrace the attitude that we will never tire of doing what is right, this will also mean we must forgive ourselves and others when we slip up, which we will because we are human.

We may struggle to be grateful, and think we should be more grateful than we are. We know we have a lot to be grateful for but … Maybe we need to ask for help to cultivate our attitude of gratitude. The Bible in James 4:2 says, “You do not have, because you do not ask.”

Gratitude creates the most wonderful feeling. It can resolve disputes. It can strengthen friendships. And it makes us better men and women. Gordon B. Hinckley

Thankfulness is the beginning of gratitude. Gratitude is the completion of thankfulness. Thankfulness may consist merely of words. Gratitude is shown in acts. Henri Frederic Amiel

Gratitude can transform common days into thanksgivings, turn routine jobs into joy, and change ordinary opportunities into blessings. William Arthur Ward

Thank you for reading this post. I hope you enjoyed it. I hope you will come back and read some more. Have a blessed day filled with gratitude, joy, and love.

To subscribe, comment, and see archives or categories of posts click on the picture and scroll to the end.

Thank you to those who read my books and a special thank you to those who leave a review on Goodreads and Amazon. If you click on the Amazon link and purchase an item I receive a small percentage of the sale through the Amazon affiliate program.

Posted on by BWThomas

Baby’s first Christmas. Enjoying these happy, golden moments.

Painting by Belynda Wilson Thomas

Enjoy the little things in life, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things. Robert Brault

Is it the baby’s first Christmas or is it all the people’s first Christmas with him that makes it special? Babies take up as much space in our lives as we give them. One baby becomes the center of our life, but the ninth baby fits into a family too. We will squeeze a little tighter at the dinner table until we need to create the kid’s table. Being part of a family is making room for one more. It might be a new partner for someone who is single, a new baby, or a friend whose family is far away.

The message and magic of Christmas are opening our hearts, widening our circle, and spreading good cheer.

The day after Christmas is the Feast of St Stephen, named after Stephen the first Christian martyr, appointed by the Apostles and stoned to death by those unwilling to be converted to Christianity.

Boxing Day to some of us is the biggest shopping day of the year when we go out looking for bargains. My husband asked me last night, “Do you want to go shopping tomorrow?” We’ll play it by ear, we have to be out today, but do we really want to bravely find a parking space? The exercise of walking will be good and with no cooking today, it is an easy day of rest and relaxation, whatever shape that takes.

Most humans are never fully present in the now because unconsciously they believe that the next moment must be more important than this one. But then you miss your whole life which is never, not now. Eckhart Tolle

We didn’t get to celebrate our nephew’s 50th birthday which was two years late because of the pandemic, this time the weather didn’t cooperate. We ended up doing what we did for his 50th birthday, we had a video call. We promised to get together when the weather will not likely be an issue.

This time between Christmas and New Year is a good time to reflect on the year past, and the year coming. What do we want more of, what do we want less of, and what needs to be different? Is life humming along on an even keel and we hope it will continue? That’s where I am right now, and if I can keep it steady I’ll be doing great.

There is so much to be grateful for, and so much contentment in this stage in life. We are watching our children with their spouses, our little grandson is growing every day, and our heart is full and overflowing with the blessings in our lives. We both still have our mothers we get to spend time with.

Change is always coming, seasons come and go, and we will have joy and sorrow. That is the way of life, but this moment is wonderful. We shouldn’t let the knowledge that hard days are coming, spoil the joy of what is. Can we wring all the joy out of our present day? Deal with each day as it comes and with its gifts and challenges live fully in the moment.

This is the challenge I am giving myself this coming year. To live fully in the moment and enjoy what each day brings.

Instead of bracing yourself for the perils of the unknown embrace the joy that is here in your present moment. Michelle Cruz Rosado

All life is an experiment. The more experiments you make the better. Ralph Waldo Emerson

There is one thing we can do, and the happiest people are those who can do it to the limit of their ability. We can be completely present. We can be all here. We can give all our attention to the opportunity before us. Mark Van Doren

Thank you for reading this post. I hope you enjoyed it. I hope you will come back and read some more. Have a blessed day filled with gratitude, joy, and love.

To subscribe, comment, and see archives or categories of posts click on the picture and scroll to the end.

Thank you to everyone that reads my books, and a special thank you to those that leave a review on Goodreads and Amazon. If you click on the picture and purchase an item I receive a small percentage of the sale through the Amazon affiliate program.

Posted on by BWThomas

The joy of Christmas is in our hearts it isn’t wrapped up under the tree

Painting by Belynda Wilson Thomas

He who has not Christmas in his heart will never find it under a tree. Unknown

It’s almost Christmas, and the hustle and bustle are in full swing. We are picking up last-minute items and making our menu choices. We could have done things earlier – my daughter and I were printing photos last night at Walmart. Every working kiosk was full and the line to pay was long. We didn’t need to wait this long, but we did.

We were late getting everything done so we picked up a roast chicken and salad for dinner. After dinner, my husband put on a Christmas movie and by the time it was over so was the evening. The other night was dinner with the book club, an evening full of laughs, and on Saturday if the weather holds out we’ll finally celebrate our nephew’s 50th birthday in person – two years late.

Our Grandson’s first Christmas he won’t remember but it will be a treasured memory for us. Last night he was big enough to sit in the cart propped up by our purses and he loved it, letting everyone know with his shrieks and giggles. While waiting in line he was playing with the lady behind us. He’d look at her and giggle, look away, and then back again. Babies are such fun to watch and be around. They really do make every day a happy day.

We’ll have the week off between Christmas and New Year for rest and relaxation. I hope to get some writing and painting in, the deadline to publish the next children’s book of February 7th is looming large. It seemed like it was a lot of time when I set the date.

Christmas is most truly Christmas when we celebrate it by giving the light of love to those who need it most. Ruth Carter Stapleton

Living, loving, giving, and laughing is the theme for Christmas. How fortunate we are when family and friends surround us. If we can enjoy the gift of togetherness, reach out and touch someone we love. There are people we used to spend Christmas with that find it too much for them now. They weren’t well enough to attend our son’s wedding and they haven’t met our grandson. We need to make an effort to see them for a short visit.

Phone calls, emails, and texts have replaced Christmas cards for most people. The important thing is we are in contact with those we love and if we aren’t perhaps that is a change we can make in the New Year.

This is a time of year to reflect on what is going right in our lives and what we would like to change. What would we like more of, and what we would like less of? What goals will we set, disciplines will we practice, and creativity will we bring into our lives? How can the year ahead be better than the year almost behind us?

Do we have a word we can focus on that would sum up the hopes and dreams we have for the coming year? This year my focus word has been ‘grateful’, and what a year it’s been with a baby, a wedding, and getting out to see Mom, family, and friends.

Wishing everyone a very Merry Christmas and a happy, healthy, prosperous New Year.

Christmas is a season not only of rejoicing but of reflection. Unknown

Christmas will always be as long as we stand heart to heart and hand in hand. Dr. Seuss

Christmas is not as much about opening our presents as opening our hearts. Janice Maeditere

Thank you for reading this post. I hope you enjoyed it. I hope you will come back and read some more. Have a blessed day filled with gratitude, joy, and love.

To subscribe, comment, and see archives or categories of posts click on the picture and scroll to the end.

Thank you to everyone that reads my books, and a special thank you to those that leave a review on Goodreads and Amazon. If you click on the Amazon link and purchase an item I receive a small percentage of the sale through the Amazon affiliate program.

Posted on by BWThomas

Managing our expectations is managing our life. Unhappiness comes from unmet expectations.

Painting by Belynda Wilson Thomas

The greatest unhappiness a person can feel in life is unmet expectations. Leo Guhrke

Unmet expectations ruin much of our lives at any time but at Christmas, unmet expectations pile up. Often we expect more from ourselves and others than we or they can possibly deliver. Christmas movies abound with that exact message. We need to accept and love ourselves how we are.

If we want the whole family to get together but some members don’t talk to each other it won’t likely happen, and if they do show up the breach will not likely be healed. There are breaches in families that are hard to explain. The situation that created the breach doesn’t seem big enough. It doesn’t take much to create a breach, but once it is there, the chasm between can get bigger and bigger. Can we be the one who forgives and doesn’t hold a grudge? But, we can’t just let people treat us like that. Holding a grudge doesn’t change the other person it ruins our peace, lives, and relationships with others.

Really, all frustration is birthed out of unmet expectations, and so is nearly every conflict. Matt Chandler

They say, the more we are willing to forgive, the more we are forgiven. The more we put into life the more we get out of it. The magic of Christmas is the magic we put into it. Whether we look at Christmas as religious or secular or somewhere in between there is a lot of work that goes into creating the celebrations we enjoy. Someone had to string the lights on the houses we drive by. Someone baked the cookies; someone planted and harvested the Christmas trees we bring into our homes. Someone planned the events we attend, and practiced the songs, plays, and productions.

We might think we can get Christmas in a box, but the less we put into it, the less we get out of it. Relationships are the same. My husband showed me a TikTok video yesterday. A man is talking about friends who get together regularly for sports events, but then realizes they don’t have deep friendships because they don’t talk about important things. He invites them to get together and share what is going on in their lives and their relationships deepen.

Putting on a happy face and pretending everything is wonderful isn’t a good way to live. Dealing with reality, being grateful for what we have, and that things aren’t worse, but acknowledging what is, is a good way to live. If our heart is breaking why do we pretend it isn’t? Let someone be there for us, and we can be there for them. Isn’t that a real friendship? False positivity is not positive, nor is only looking at the negative, but dealing with what is, even when it is hard is part of life.

Somewhere a couple is dealing with a child in intensive care. Somewhere someone is missing from the family circle. Homes have been burned down; catastrophe has struck in many ways. Pretending life is better than it is, isn’t the answer. Dealing with what is, helping other people, and letting them help us through the ups and downs of life is how we feel genuinely connected. Is there a better time to reach out to someone than at Christmas, to heal a breach, to get together, or to reconnect? By managing our expectations do we manage our life?

Unmet expectations are tough when it’s your wife or your husband, but it’s really tough when it’s God. And yet, it can be a time of growth and a time of faith, a time of understanding who God is. Mike Lucado

Unmet expectations, feelings of betrayal, clouded understanding, seeds of resentment, germinating organically, under societal pressures. Trust takes a back seat, bias ascends the throne, prejudice pervades and a little more colour is vacuumed out of life. Amit Jotwani

Evaluation eliminates frustration. We should also evaluate unrealistic expectations. Unrealistic expectations become unmet expectations. And unmet expectations are like kindling wood – it only takes but a spark of frustration to set them ablaze and burn those involved. Lysa Terkeurst

Thank you for reading this post. I hope you enjoyed it. I hope you will come back and read some more. Have a blessed day filled with gratitude, joy, and love.

To subscribe, comment, and see archives of posts click on the picture and scroll to the end.

Thank you to those that read my books. A special thank you to those that leave a review on Goodreads and Amazon. If you click on the Amazon link and purchase an item I receive a small percentage of the purchase through the Amazon affiliate program.

Posted on by BWThomas

Cheerful givers and grateful receivers make the world go around

Painting by Belynda Wilson Thomas

When we give cheerfully and accept gratefully, everyone is blessed. Maya Angelou

Alone we can do so little, together we can do so much. I don’t know who said this but it seems like something any of us might say at times during our lives. Tonight is the Toastmasters Christmas celebration we are each supposed to bring food or drinks. No one needs to provide everything – just one little contribution and we will have more than we can eat and drink.

Most of life is like this. No one does everything but all the contributions create something. We are expecting a big storm and if the weather is bad we will meet on zoom, it won’t be as nice as meeting in person but we will still laugh, joke, and spend time together.

If we want to get more out of life we need to give more. It seems to me the happiest people are the givers, and the more they give, the more they get out of life. I’m watching the building of Toy Mountain on the news. Some of the contributors are driving in from afar to make their contribution of toys and money to make someone’s Christmas better. It is a real joy I see on their faces. They are happy to contribute, and happy they are in a position to contribute.

We must give more in order to get more. It is the generous giving of ourselves that produces the generous harvest. Orison Marden

One of my goals is to become more generous. On Tuesday, the Horticultural Society had its Christmas party. I know a few people, but I haven’t been attending regularly, and a lot of the people I don’t know, so I hang back – standing on the periphery – but I could be involved and then I would know everyone. I tell myself I don’t have time, but is this true? I thought I would be there early enough to be one of the greeters but I was one of the last to arrive. We can do just a little less than our best like I did by arriving what ended up to be late to be a greeter, or we can do a little more than we think we can by making more of a contribution, and enjoying it more. It’s our choice and the more we give the more we get.

If we are going to stay in touch with friends we need to make the effort. It is easy to not bother to pick up the phone and say hi, to invite people out to dinner, or to host a get-together, but it also isn’t that hard to do, and the rewards we reap by having a network of friends are priceless.

Life rewards the doers, and there is always something to do if we are willing. There are things to do in our families, our communities, our country, and our world. It is up to us what choices we will make, but those choices build our lives. We may look at someone else’s choices and wonder how they are so lucky, but is it really luck? Often there is a lot of unseen work, dedication, and discipline that goes into the lives of those we envy.

In life, we will be both givers and receivers, and we can’t have one without the other. If we accept gratefully and give cheerfully we can be grateful for the contributions we can make to others and that they can make to us.

I have found that among its other benefits, giving liberates the soul of the giver. Maya Angelou

Only by giving are you able to receive more than you already have. Jim Rohn

Love beautifies the giver and elevates the receiver. Sivananda

Thank you for reading this post. I hope you enjoyed it. I hope you will come back and read some more. Have a blessed day filled with gratitude, joy, and love.

To subscribe, comment, and see archives or categories of posts click on the picture and scroll to the end.

Thank you to everyone that reads my books. A special thank you to those that leave a review on Amazon and Goodreads. If you click on the Amazon link and purchase an item I receive a small percentage of the sale through the Amazon affiliate program.

Posted on by BWThomas

The magic of Christmas is created by those toiling behind the scenes.

Painting by Belynda Wilson Thomas

Individual commitment to a group effort – that is what makes a team work, a company work, a society work, a civilization work. Vince Lombardi

Being part of a group can widen our horizons, we meet people we would meet no other way, and we feel connected to others. On Saturday I was part of a Christmas market hosted by The Mississauga Arts Council. It was a fun event, meeting other creators, talking to the people stopping at our table, selling a few books, and giving out candy canes to the kids.

It is very inspiring but also humbling when meeting people who have accomplished so much in their lives. Sometimes it makes us wonder about the choices we’ve made, the path we’ve chosen, and our contribution to society. Comparisons are odious and one of the things we have to do in life is to be comfortable with ourselves, come to terms with the choices we’ve made, and go forward and build our life inspired to be more than we are.

I shared a table with two very accomplished people from the Mississauga Writers Group. Deep Ganguly is a world-renowned traditional Bamboo Flautist, and in his own words, “As a musician, I am happy I write a bit.” Jeanette Chau is a professional engineer, an author of My Mom is an Engineer books, a Dragon boat racer, a member of the 7th Toronto Regiment RCA, and a former president of the Mississauga Arts Council. It was fun to spend the day with such wonderful, warm, encouraging, and entertaining people.

There was an array of goods for sale, handcrafted items of all kinds, wooden pens, jewelry, soaps, knitting, art, books, floral arrangements, I’m sure I’ve missed some, and a tarot card reader. Choirs entertained us and it would be easy to spend more than we made on the beautiful items for sale.

If we don’t continue to widen our circle it can become smaller and smaller. There are all kinds of groups we can join and each group may feed our soul in a different way. Being part of a group might not be for everyone but they enrich my life in ways I can’t see how could be enriched any other way.

We build our communities by participating, and we each have something to contribute. One of the best things we can do with our lives is to use our gifts to make a difference. We need everyone’s gifts to build a great society, and every contribution is important.

Only those who have learned the power of sincere and selfless contribution experience life’s deepest joy: true fulfillment. Tony Robbins

Events don’t just happen it is hard work that makes them happen. Everywhere we go where we see wonderful Christmas displays, wonderful music programs, and charity events there is a lot of work behind the scenes. Christmas is magical because of all the hard work put into it to make it magical.

Christmas is the most fun when our children are young, but now my husband and I have a grandson, and the magic of Christmas is becoming important again. Here’s to everyone that is making Christmas, Christmas, to all the toil that goes on behind the scenes. For all the commercial aspects of Christmas, there is still something that brings out the best in us, we become friendlier, and we do wish glad tidings to all.

The more we give to life, the more it gives back to us.

Greatness is not found in possessions, power, position, or prestige. It is discovered in goodness, humility, service, and character. William Arthur Ward

You’re happiest while you’re making the greatest contribution. Robert F. Kennedy

You have brilliance in you, your contribution is valuable, and the art you create is precious. Only you can do, and you must. Seth Godin

Thank you for reading this post. I hope you enjoyed it. I hope you will come back and read some more. Have a blessed day filled with gratitude, joy, and love.

To subscribe, comment, see archives or categories of posts click on the picture and scroll to the end.

Thank you to everyone that reads my books, and a special thank you to everyone that leaves a review on Goodreads and Amazon. If you click on the Amazon link and purchase an item I receive a small percentage of the sale through the Amazon Affiliate program.

Posted on by BWThomas

Taking the high road leads to a life of less regret.

Painting by Belynda Wilson Thomas

Conflict cannot survive when only one person participates. Unknown

In life do we take the high road, the middle road, or the low road? John C. Maxwell in his book, “Winning With People,” gives a definition of each of these roads.

The low road – where we treat others worse than they treat us.  The middle road – where we treat others the same as they treat us.  The high road – where we treat others better than they treat us.        

The low road will damage our relationships – perhaps beyond repair, even if we someday want to repair them. The middle road might not drive people away from us but it won’t heal a breach if we need to be the one that tries to heal it. The high road helps to foster positive relationships, not making the relationship worse may help to bring people together, and it is difficult to fight with those who refuse to fight. By trying to see the best in others we may even help them to see the best in themselves.

If someone gives us grace at times in our lives to not think we are the worst of our actions, and we give grace to others, trying to help when we can, and not judging people as irredeemable, doesn’t that make it better for everyone? We won’t be perfect at this, we will probably get drawn into arguments we wish we’d been strong enough to stay out of. We will make mistakes and missteps and so will other people.

We may wish people would be different than they are, but the only people we can change are ourselves. If we don’t like that people take advantage of us, we will have to learn not to be taken advantage of.

I know some people take exception to the phrase, “Hate the sin but love the sinner.” I think it is useful because we can and I think should separate people’s behavior from them as a person. I said to my husband yesterday, “We all agree murder is wrong, but if someone in our family commits murder, we wouldn’t be okay with what they’ve done, but we would also realize they are not only that act, however, it came about.”  

How people treat you is their karma. How you react is yours. Wayne Dyer

It seems to me that the people who take the low road become bitter, the people who take the middle road are comfortable with themselves, and the people who take the high road are at peace. This is a choice we make and we may make different choices in different situations. Our life may be a series of choices, some of them taking the low road, the middle, and the high road. I think when we look back over our lives we will be proud of ourselves every time we took the high road, and wince every time we have to acknowledge we took the low road.  

Weak people revenge. Strong people forgive. Intelligent people ignore. Albert Einstien

Disciplining yourself to do what you know is right and important, although difficult, is the high road to pride, self-esteem, and personal satisfaction. Margaret Thatcher

My best life advice: Take the high road. No matter how much stress, or strain, or consternation you are facing, take the high road. You will never regret it. Tim Gunn         

Thank you for reading this post. I hope you enjoyed it. I hope you will come back and read some more. Have a blessed day filled with gratitude, joy, and love.

To subscribe, comment, and see archives or categories of posts click on the picture and scroll to the end.

Thank you to everyone that reads my books. A special thank you to those that leave a review on Goodreads and Amazon. If you click on the Amazon link and purchase an item I receive a small percentage from the sale through the Amazon affiliate program.

Posted on by BWThomas

Setting goals and making steady progress toward them is success.

Painting by Belynda Wilson Thomas

Success is steady progress toward one’s personal goals. Jim Rohn

Why do we have such a hard time asking for what we want? Do we want too many things or too few? How often do we think I’d do anything if I could… but often we’ve had many years to accomplish it if we wanted to? Maybe we wish we learned to play the piano. In my den, I have a piano and a guitar beside it, and I can’t play either of them. When we hear someone play we think, I wish I could do that, but if it never becomes more than a wish, without time and effort it won’t become reality.

Developing our talents and abilities will take time and effort, but the time will pass anyway. In ten years what can we accomplish if we start now? How many books could we read, how many instruments could we learn to play, how many speeches could we give, how many miles could we walk, how many hills could we climb, and how many people could we help? We can’t do everything but we can do something, and what is that something we would like to do?

If we read 26 pages of Shakespeare every week we could read the complete works of Shakespeare in a year or any other great work. We can plant seeds of wisdom in our minds if we read the great works.

We can probably do whatever we want to do if we put time and effort into it. Do we need to be the best pianist to play the piano, the best orator to give a speech, the best athlete to be fit and healthy, or the best chef to cook healthy meals? Of course, the answer is no to all of it. We don’t need to be the best we need to do what we can with what we have and see where it takes us. Continual progress toward a goal can take us places we can only imagine until it becomes a reality.

The secret to making progress is to get started. Mark Twain

When we compete with others we might be disappointed when we don’t win, but if the competition was with ourselves to do the best we’ve ever done, and we elevated our performance, we are still moving forward even if we don’t win the prize. When we don’t win the prize we can look at our performance and see how we could improve it for the next time. Success leaves clues, we can look at how other people achieve success, and if we do what they do we too will achieve success. Success is progress toward our goals. We may never reach the pinnacle of success, but if we do we’ll have to set another goal.

No matter how many mistakes you make or how slow your progress, you are still way ahead of everyone who isn’t trying. Tony Robbins

Without continual growth and progress, such words as improvement, achievement, and success have no meaning. Benjamin Franklin

It’s appropriate and praiseworthy to associate with people whose lives would be improved if they saw your life improve. Jordan Peterson

Thank you for reading this post. I hope you enjoyed it. I hope you will come back and read some more. Have a blessed day filled with gratitude, joy, and love.

To subscribe, comment, and see archives or categories of posts click on the picture and scroll to the end.

Thank you to everyone that reads my books. A special thank you to those that leave a review on Goodreads and Amazon. If you click on the Amazon link and purchase an item I receive a small percentage of the sale through the Amazon affiliate program.

Posted on by BWThomas

The wheel of fortune forever turns, can we make the most of the turn we get?

Painting by Belynda Wilson Thomas

The wheel of fortune turns round incessantly, and who can say to himself, I shall to-day be uppermost. Confucius

The wheel of fortune is the ultimate symbol of chance and luck. We may hope for fortune’s spin and think anything is better than this. In my lifetime the spins have been mostly good. How must it have looked to the generations that lived through the first world war, followed by the Spanish flu, then the crash of 1929, the great depression, and then world war ll? This is what my grandmother lived through and then she got cancer and died in 1953 at age 53, and she was motherless at an early age because her mother died in childbirth. I wish I had the chance to know her.

Is getting through tough times just putting one foot in front of the other? What makes some people thrive and others give up during tough times? I was listening to a talk the other day and I’m not sure who said, “Many of our greatest companies have been developed during hard times.” Robert Schuller said, “Tough times don’t last, but tough people do.”

Jim Rohn tells us, “Don’t ask for things to be easier, ask to be better.” Can we create a mindset that helps us deal with the hard parts of life? Does faith in something bigger than us help? If we can trust in the process of life, believe that better is coming, spring is following winter, and sunshine is following the rain can we continue moving forward? Do we become hopeless when we think it will never get better, is this when we give up?

The wheel is come full circle. William Shakespeare

Our society offers people lifelines, but they don’t always take them, and maybe we don’t have enough of them but aren’t some of the greatest stories of people who overcame great adversity? We never want it to be our story, but if it is, we need to do what we have to do to overcome the situation and come out on the other side. Stories of people overcoming challenges help us know we can overcome them too.

We want life to be easy for our children, but easy lives create weak people, and no one wants their children to be weak. Hard times create strong people, strong people create good times, good times create weak people and round and round we go.

It wasn’t long ago we were hearing people lament that the population was growing too fast, now we have people lamenting the population will decline too much. Is there not a happy medium? Are we always on the alert for doom and gloom, but is this better than not being ready to meet the challenges that might be coming? Isn’t it better to be equipped to face a challenge that doesn’t arise than not being equipped for those that do?

Winter is a metaphor for the dark and hard times of our life. Being prepared for winter is being prepared for those times. There are hard winters, easy winters, early winters, and late winters. If we are snug and warm, well-fed, and safe, winter isn’t a huge problem.

When spring comes we need to plant our seeds. If we don’t plant in the spring, and harvest in the fall, we will have to beg during the winter. It’s a hard truth, but if we work with the cycles of life, life will be easier for us, than if we are out of sync with the cycles. There are big cycles and little cycles in our lives.  Sometimes people we think are out of sync move in a different cycle than us. We need to manage the cycles in our life, and let others manage the cycles in theirs.

Winter is coming and so is spring. Are we prepared for both?

The wheel of fortune… tells us that we all only want victory. We all want to triumph. But we all have to learn to endure what comes. We have to learn to treat misfortune and great fortune with indifference. That is wisdom. Philippa Gregory

His success may be great, but be it ever so great the wheel of fortune may turn again and bring him down into the dust. Gautama Buddha

Withersoever the wheel of fortune turns, virtue stands firm upon her feet. Benvenuto Cellini

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