Life’s Journey – Page 35 – Inspiration for the Mind, Body & Soul

What is Hope

Hope Is The Thing With Feathers

Poem by Emily Dickinson

‘Hope’ is the thing with feathers—
That perches in the soul—
And sings the tune without the words—
And never stops—at all—

And sweetest—in the Gale—is heard—
And sore must be the storm—
That could abash the little Bird
That kept so many warm—

I’ve heard it in the chillest land—
And on the strangest Sea—
Yet, never, in Extremity,
It asked a crumb—of Me.

You should begin each week with renewed hope for what has yet to come. When you open your heart and fill it with hope and infinite possibilities, you invite positivity into your life. And when you surround yourself with uplifting messages and positive people, you pave the way for good things to come your way. So, instead of dreading the Monday ahead, choose to embrace the hidden treasures of tomorrow that have yet to be discovered.

Hold on to Your Friends

“I think if I’ve learned anything about friendship, it’s to hang in, stay connected, fight for them, and let them fight for you. Don’t walk away, don’t be distracted, don’t be too busy or tired, don’t take them for granted. Friends are part of the glue that holds life and faith together. Powerful stuff.”

― Jon Katz

To find a true friend in this world is such a rare and beautiful thing. We so often label acquaintances and people who come in and out of our lives for a season as “friends.” But, those aren’t true friends. Don’t get me wrong, acquaintances are great to have and provide joy in your life in varying capacities. However, a true friend is someone who is there to celebrate your highs, to support you when you’re struggling and to hold you when the dam breaks. A true friend doesn’t ask for anything in return. A true friend is there, without any hesitation, to stand on the front lines ready to go into battle for or with you. A true friend is simply there-no questions asked. If you are fortunate enough to experience such a friendship in your life, you better be willing to fight for it and never take it for granted.

Some Thoughts on Life

What is Life?

Poem by LeKeisha Suggs

What is the purpose of life?
This is a question that many of us ponder.
Is it a journey filled with strife?
Or, a journey full of wonder?

At times, you wish life were like a video game
where you could hit start over.
Other times, you wish you could fast forward
through heartache and pain.
And replay moments of joy when the floodgates open
and you must take cover.
Sometimes, you press play letting life take you
where it will for you stand but to gain.

Then one day you will come to understand
that life waits for no one.
You can sit here fooling yourself
that you have control over the hand you’re dealt.
But you will soon learn, the control you have
over the cards themselves is none.
You must accept that life is not a puzzle to be solved,
rather it is a journey to be felt.

Here’s another original work I created to express my thoughts on life and the journey each of us undertakes. I hope you enjoy and invite you to comment and share your thoughts!!

A Life Full of Laughter

Laughter

Poem by Bonnie Ruth Shaulis

Laughter is a pleasant sound, it spreads joy all around
Whether you’re young or old, laughter can be like
Magic to our souls, whenever we’re feeling sad
Laughter can sustain us so that things don’t seem
Quite so bad, if we give into laughter, it can be like
A cure for something that seems impossible to endure
So any time your spirits need a lift fill yourself
With laughter and you will find, a much happier
Person with a peaceful frame of mind

Laughter is an essential part of life. A simple laugh brings joy and warmth to your soul. So, each day you should strive to live a life full of love and laughter. Life will wear you down if you let it, so when things get tough choose to find things to laugh about instead of wallowing in your circumstances. For one day you will see, the true measure of life is built from these small moments of joy.

The Joy of Life

Improvement

Poem by Edgar Albert Guest

The joy of life is living it, or so it seems to me;
In finding shackles on your wrists, then struggling till you’re free;
In seeing wrongs and righting them, in dreaming splendid dreams,
Then toiling till the vision is as real as moving streams.
The happiest mortal on the earth is he who ends his day
By leaving better than he found to bloom along the way.
Were all things perfect here there would be naught for man to do;
If what is old were good enough we’d never need the new.
The only happy time of rest is that which follows strife
And sees some contribution made unto the joy of life.
And he who has oppression felt and conquered it is he
Who really knows the happiness and peace of being free.
The miseries of earth are here and with them all must cope.
Who seeks for joy, through hedges thick of care and pain must grope.
Through disappointment man must go to value pleasure’s thrill;
To really know the joy of health a man must first be ill.
The wrongs are here for man to right, and happiness is had
By striving to supplant with good the evil and the bad.
The joy of life is living it and doing things of worth,
In making bright and fruitful all the barren spots of earth.
In facing odds and mastering them and rising from defeat,
And making true what once was false, and what was bitter, sweet.
For only he knows perfect joy whose little bit of soil
Is richer ground than what it was when he began to toil.

What is a good life? What is the measure of a life well lived? These are questions that we all ask as we navigate our way through life. And for me, I like to reframe the question to the following: “When my time is up and I pass on from this life, what do I want to be remembered for and what kind of person do I want to be remembered as? And the answer is simple; I want to be remembered for having left this world a better place than when I came into it. I want to leave a positive footprint. I also want to be remembered as a person who shared love in a world full of hate. This is my legacy in the making. . .what will yours be?

Life

Poem by Tom Le Guilcher

Life is like the waves it has its ups and downs
Life is like a roller coaster it has its twists and turns
Life is like a sport it just depends on what we play
Life is like a game of poker it just depends on what we are dealt

Life can be given life can be taken
Life can be a curse life can be a blessing
Life can be a pain life can be in sain

Life has its ways life has its days
Life has its love life has its hate
Life has its gentler touch but it has its harder punch

Life brings you to your knees when you feel in need
Life brings you a lot of things  but in the end it depends on what we do

Life isn’t perfect. Life has its highs and incredible lows. So, the true measure of your happiness and what you get out of your life depends on how you choose to approach it. You can choose to have a doom and gloom attitude and walk around with a chip on your shoulder because life has dealt you a bad hand. Or, you can choose to approach life with a can do attitude and search for the silver lining in every situation. Remember, life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react to it.

Moving Forward

Changing Everything

Jane Hirshfield

I was walking again
in the woods,
a yellow light
was sifting all I saw.

Willfully,
with a cold heart,
I took a stick,
lifted it to the opposite side
of the path.

There, I said to myself,
that’s done now.
Brushing one hand against the other,
to clean them
of the tiny fragments of bark.

Throughout life, you will find yourself looking over your shoulder at the path you’ve already traveled. But, what good does this really do? You’re not going that way. So, make the decision to look back one final time and say that’s done now. Then turn around and face forward in the direction you have yet to go in. Choose instead to look forward onto the uncharted waters you have yet to explore. . .because it is what lies ahead of you that truly matters.

Heartprints

By Anonymous

Whatever our hands touch –
We leave fingerprints!
On walls, on furniture
On doorknobs, dishes, books.
There’s no escape.
As we touch we leave our identity.

Wherever I go today
Help me leave heartprints!
Heartprints of compassion
Of understanding and love.

Heartprints of kindness
And genuine concern.
May my heart touch a lonely neighbor
Or a runaway daughter
Or an anxious mother
Or perhaps an aged grandfather.

Send me out today
To leave heartprints.
And if someone should say,
“I felt your touch,”
May they also sense the love
that is deep within my heart.

As I’ve said time and time again, life isn’t about what you get, rather it’s about what you give. And, what gives true meaning to a life is to give and spread as much love in this world as you can. Every time you encounter a new person – whether it be the person standing in front of you at Starbucks or sitting next to you on an airplane – it is an opportunity to leave a heartprint. Strive to create within yourself, the type of person that when you leave the room, others are better off for having been around you. When you create a life full of love, you attract blessings and positive energy.

The Journey

By Mary Oliver

One day you finally knew
what you had to do, and began,
though the voices around you
kept shouting
their bad advice–
though the whole house
began to tremble
and you felt the old tug
at your ankles.
“Mend my life!”
each voice cried.
But you didn’t stop.
You knew what you had to do,
though the wind pried
with its stiff fingers
at the very foundations,
though their melancholy
was terrible.
It was already late
enough, and a wild night,
and the road full of fallen
branches and stones.
But little by little,
as you left their voices behind,
the stars began to burn
through the sheets of clouds,
and there was a new voice
which you slowly
recognized as your own,
that kept you company
as you strode deeper and deeper
into the world,
determined to do
the only thing you could do–
determined to save
the only life you could save.

This is a beautiful poem about forging your own path and finding your own voice. Because often in life, we let other people’s voices overshadow our own. It seems that there is always someone – whether it be family, friends, coworkers, stranger in line at Starbucks, etc. – who has an opinion on how you should live your life. In the broad sense, there is nothing wrong with someone giving advice or their opinion on a matter (as long as it isn’t unsolicited. . .ahem. . .), but at the end of the day, it’s Your Life. And, the most important voice is your own. So, don’t let the world silence you. Learn to be a lion and don’t be afraid to Roar!

Be Grateful for Each Day

Each day be thankful for all you have and appreciate the opportunity to live this day.

~ Kate Summers

I believe it is important to take a moment every day and think about at least three things you are grateful for. It can be as simple as saying –

I’m grateful for waking up with my health.
I’m grateful for the loving friends and family that provide their unwavering support without asking for anything in return.
I’m grateful for having reliable transportation to get me to and from work.

The whole point of this exercise is to remind yourself that it is a blessing to wake up each morning and live another day. Nothing in this life is promised. . .tomorrow is not a given. So, even though life isn’t perfect, you have a lot to be appreciative of and you should always strive to focus on the good that surrounds you rather than the bad. Whether you experience the true measure of life depends upon the lens you are viewing it from. The choice is, and always has been, yours. . .