The People You Meet Along The Way

They’re waiting for you.

Whether the road is well worn or it’s the road less traveled you’ll find them. Your perpetuators and your enablers. If that road is the road of your personal growth and evolution, magnetically you will encounter those willing to support you through your process. And if that road is the road of your own inner destruction, the magnet will make sure your inner demons don’t destroy you alone.

My life has been one of many paths, some far more enjoyable than others. There have been mountains of growth and valleys of self-destruction. On those paths I’ve chosen – intentionally and unintentionally – I’d experience more of what I expected to experience, even if I may not have wanted to experience more of it at all.

People included.

Regardless of my intended or unintended destination, there have always been people willing to either keep me stuck or to lift me higher. Like some sort of tribal magnetism. When I’ve been ready to grow the growth tribe would be found. When I was tethered to a mindset of limitation and lack, there were plenty of like-minded individuals available to share my misery with.

Perpetuators and enablers.

I was recently sent an unattributed quote about the impact of the people we surround ourselves with and how that immediate circle will influence and shape who we will become. Paraphrasing, when you hang around with five intelligent people you will become the sixth. Hang around with Continue reading “The People You Meet Along The Way” →

The Clarity Of Impermanence

I hadn’t seen Steve in quite a while. We grew up in the same neighborhood, a bunch of us kids enamored with hockey and The Three Stooges. We all knew him as Zig, a nickname my older brother had endowed upon him. I never asked why. Life eventually took all of us in different directions until the unexpected reunion of us neighborhood kids at Steve’s wake.

Losing a friend hits differently. I’ve lost both of my parents, and as painful as their passings were and at times continue to be, I’ve come to accept the inevitable progression of children eventually burying their parents. But there is no natural expected progression when losing someone your own age.

Seeing Steve for the last time brought back a plethora of happy memories of my childhood. I could see all of us again as we once were.

And now one of us was no longer here.

There was a sense of randomness about his passing. As if it could have been any one of us who was no longer here. It was in that randomness I felt the uncomfortable presence of Continue reading “The Clarity Of Impermanence” →

We Don’t Have To Settle For What We’ve Always Settled For

You can always tell if it’s one of his photos.

My friend Peter Pereira is a photographer. Actually, he is a highly regarded and respected award-winning photojournalist who can tell an entire story within the frame of a single image. Peter’s work appears locally as well as globally in some of the world’s most recognizable media. I’m getting quite good at looking at a photograph and knowing that he was the photographer without needing to read the photo credit.

One of Peter’s greatest gifts is his gift of perspective. While many photographers will shoot at what is right in front of them, Peter will find his own unique vantage point. He positions himself outside of what would be considered the conventional. Above looking down. Below looking up. To the left side. To the right side. He will use components and lines within an image to frame his subject and direct the viewer’s eyes deeper into the photo. By positioning himself in unconventional positions, his work demonstrates the true power of perspective, of being open to seeing things from a different view point.

Perspectives are of great significance. Perspectives are how we choose to see the world, each other, and our own self.

How we choose to see our own self significantly influences everything about our life. Our experiences, our relationships, our expectations, our opportunities.

Everything.

Our sense of self is rarely intentional. It usually just happens as we evolve and grow through life. It will be shaped by our environment and those within it, reinforced and strengthened as experiences and relationships continuously repeat themselves. It’s not something we notice, so it’s not something we tend to question.

But there is great power in questioning who it is you tell yourself you think you are.

We have the ability to see ourself from a different vantage point. To reframe our self image. If we choose to do so. Maybe the Continue reading “We Don’t Have To Settle For What We’ve Always Settled For” →

God Wants You To Drive A Lambroghini

And have a beach house, too.

Actually, God doesn’t really care about what you drive or how you spend your vacations.

He just wants you to embrace the abundance.

Abundance. Some seem to embody it, while others enviously want it, and still others never think they’re supposed to have it.

Abundance isn’t about money and the collection of material things; rather, it’s about living with a “there’s more than enough” mindset. Abundance is a choice, an attitude, an option as to how one decides to see the world. And it’s that choice which forms the Continue reading “God Wants You To Drive A Lambroghini” →

What’s Getting Stuck On You These Days?

Some days I wear my dog to work.

With the bone-chilling cold of a New England winter upon us, I often rely on my fleece jacket to keep me warm. Fleece is great, but due to static electricity it’s also quite magnetic. Especially when it comes to dog fur. Just walking close to my dog and his hair seems to jump right on me.

We all have something in common with fleece. Things stick to us, too. How and where we spend our time greatly influences what actually gets stuck. Spend too much time in any negative environment and you will see that negativity start sticking to you. Fortunately, it Continue reading “What’s Getting Stuck On You These Days?” →

Anger and Aggravation Are My New Best Friends

There is something quite beautiful about feeling the need to punch a hole in the wall. Or in returning the favor when another driver flips me off on the way to work.

Anger and aggravation are wonderful blessings. Because they are two emotions which tell me how well I am handling the world when the world isn’t living up to my expectations of it. If my best response in the moment is the desire to put my fist through a 1/2-inch of drywall, I am no longer in control of my emotions. My emotions are in control of me.

The world can provide us with unlimited opportunities to become angry and aggravated. If we let it. But negative and hostile reactions tell me I need to stop and analyze why I Continue reading “Anger and Aggravation Are My New Best Friends” →

Bonsai Thinking

I admit my ignorance when it comes to understanding the “art” of the bonsai tree. In fact, I’m not sure I ever saw much artistry in it. What’s the big deal about trimming little trees with a pair of little scissors anyway?

Once again, I was probably missing the point.

And I was.

Last week I unexpectedly found myself reading a magazine article about bonsai trees. As I read and looked at the photos, I challenged myself to open my mind and look beyond my preconceived notions to see if I could gain a better understanding of these cute little trees. I had always dismissed them as nothing more than, well, cute little trees. As I Continue reading “Bonsai Thinking” →

Expecting Green To Be Blue

Funny how most of the important parts of our lives don’t come with any instructions. But buy a $10 toaster and inside the box you’ll find an owner’s manual with detailed instructions on how to turn soft room temperature bread into warm crusty bread. Usually this information is translated into several different languages, ensuring that a language barrier will never prevent any one from enjoying the simple pleasures of toast.

As much as I enjoy toast and the science and technology behind it, I’d like to think that a troubleshooting guide to life’s deeper questions would be far more valuable than figuring out how to get my bread to toast a little lighter.

Life, and all the questions that come along with it, is just one of those things you have to figure out on your own.

Perhaps life is just far too complicated to have all its mysteries resolved by following a few simple steps. And since no two of us are Continue reading “Expecting Green To Be Blue” →

Your Elbows Have A Lot To Teach You About Peace And Happiness

I have found your peace and happiness. It’s located where you’ve probably never considered looking.

It’s found between your shoulders and your wrists.

That’s right. Your elbows.

Think for just a moment about your elbows. Your elbows play a rather important role in your ability to do many things in your life. For example, elbows make it possible for you to feed yourself. Just for fun, the next time you’re eating something, place your fork in your hand and extend your arm straight. Now try placing the fork into your mouth.

See what I mean?

Without elbows, your functionality and independence are greatly compromised. Spend a few minutes going through your day without Continue reading “Your Elbows Have A Lot To Teach You About Peace And Happiness” →

There Are Beavers In Your Head And They Are Holding You Back

We all have beavers in our heads.

Beavers are second only to humans in their ability to reshape their physical environment. They are perhaps best known for their prolific dam building, obstructing the natural flow of rivers and streams to create protective water depths to shield themselves from predators.

The beavers in our head? They kind of work the same way. They work building psychologically restrictive dams, obstructing life’s natural flow of abundance and unlimited possibilities, all under the guise of protecting us from our own perceived predators.

The beavers in our heads are nothing more than those negative thoughts which perpetuate the lies about ourselves we somehow believe to be Continue reading “There Are Beavers In Your Head And They Are Holding You Back” →

Peter Mis LivingHalfFull.com

Lessons From A Life Unfolding

Tag: opportunity