Your best life begins each morning.

I absolutely love all things inspirational: reading inspiring books, quotes, etc., but more importantly, I love inspiring others. We have all experienced that feeling: when you read an article, quote or song lyric and it pulls a string inside of your heart and rings a bell inside of your head. You get what the author is saying; you know exactly what he or she is feeling. I think the reason why those words mean so much to us is because we find comfort knowing that we are not alone. There are others out there in the world that feel the same messed up thing you feel in that moment, and suddenly it's not that messed up...you are not alone in your feeling. A distinct connection is made, even if you don't know the person, because they too have felt the pain, agony, confusion that you have as well. It's not always negative; you can celebrate in the beauty of the good feelings such as joy, gratitude, hope and love. For me, everything sounds so much better coming from someone else. I can believe and think certain things, but when it comes from the lips of another, it somehow means more because again I am not the only one with that thought or mentality. Another example, advice: I can give the best advice but do I always take my own? I try to...the older I become, the more I realize I do live my life the way I feel inside my heart, and that's all that really matters in life. Living what you feel and what you believe, because after all, it is YOUR life.

Before I went on my pilgrimage I made one final stop at Target to get last minute things. I ended up stumbling upon these two small books that have quickly become a staple in my work bag. I knew during those two weeks I would be able to do a lot of reflecting and soul-searching. I also knew I needed some inspiration. One of the books I got is written by Joel Osteen, Your Best Life Begins Each Morning. It is nice purse-sized book of daily devotions to start every day of the year. It starts with January 1 and goes all the way through December 31. It's been really nice to have, especially while on my Pilgrimage, doing the whole technology cleanse. I was able to focus 100% on my reflection. I would read the daily passage and reflect how it pertained to my life. It was a great way to view my life from a clear perspective and really concentrate on my thoughts, feelings and exactly what I want. Not having access to Facebook, email, and texting really allowed me to concentrate to the moment at hand. I wasn't worried about what other people were doing or trying to come up with my next status update. I was able to fully absorb the moment....focus on the people I was surrounded by and the thoughts and feelings beating out of my heart.

One of my dear friends has been going through a pretty shitty couple of years. I was talking to her and I knew she not only needed cheering up, but she needed some hope. I started to think about how reading some of these passages really help me look at situations differently and sometimes that's all we need in life. Many times we have to FORCE ourselves to look at the situation on hand differently to be able to move forward in life. It’s not easy, but as I said before, sometimes when you read it coming from someone else, it makes more sense and can be seen more clearly. Below are some of the daily devotions I have read during the month of July which I found inspiring and I know everyone can use a refresher. Also, it’s nice because they are short, sweet and to the point (unlike me). If you happen to actually read this, really take the time to think about these things. Let them resonate within your heart....we only are given one life; why not make it the best life possible.

Good things in Store

You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.

Psalm 16:11

Friend, God is bigger than your past, your disappointments, and your problems. You may have made a lot of mistakes, but God can turn those things around. People may have hurt you and done you wrong, but if you’ll leave it up to God, He’ll pay you back. He’ll make your wrongs right. Start focusing on your possibilities. Let hope fill your heart.

No matter what you’ve been through, God is saying there are great days ahead for you. Say “I am not going to be a prisoner of my past. I've had enough. I am going to stop focusing on my disappointments. I’m moving on with my life, knowing that God has good things in store.” If you’ll develop that kind of attitude, God will give you a new beginning.

Start Each Day Fresh

“In your anger do not sin”: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry.

Ephesians 4:26

Scripture instructs us to put on a fresh new attitude every morning. Don’t let little things build up. Don’t harbor unforgiveness and resentment. Don’t allow bad attitudes to develop, even those that may seem insignificant to you, because over time that bitter attitude will build and end up causing you major problems. You’ve got to do your best to keep your own heart free and clean, or eventually anger and bitterness will show up and affect your relationships.

Each morning, forgive the people who have hurt you. Each morning, let go of your disappointments and setbacks. Each morning, receive God’s mercy and forgiveness for the mistakes you have made, and forgive others for the hurt they have inflected on you. Today focus on your possibilities; focus on what you can change rather than what you cannot change. 

Number Your Days

So teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.

Psalm 90:12

Our time here on this earth is so short. What a shame it would be to allow something that happened in the past to ruin one more day. If you get stuck in a traffic jam, which you can’t undo, know that God is still in control. If somebody offends you, your attitude should be: I’m not going to let it sour the rest of my day. No, I’m traveling light; I’m not going to carry any extra burdens.

I've made up my mind to do my best to enjoy every single day. I may make mistakes; things may not always go my way. I may be disappointed at times, but I’ve made the decision that I am not going to allow what does or doesn’t happen to me to steal my joy and keep me from God’s abundant life.

Evict that Victim Mentality

Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.

Isaiah 60:1

Too many people nowadays are living with a victim mentality. They are so focused on what they’ve been through, complaining about how unfair it was, they don’t realize they are dragging the pains of the past into the present. It’s almost as though they get up each day and fill a big wheelbarrow with junk from the past and bring it into the new day.

Let go of that stuff! Your past does not have to poison your future. If you hold onto the hurts and pains of the past, they will poison you wherever you go and keep you from experiencing good, healthy relationships. You may think that other people are the problem, but examine your own heart. Quit mourning over something that’s over and done. God says that your need to lay it aside and rid of whatever entangles you. Just because you've been through some hurt and pain, or perhaps one or more of your dreams have been shattered, that doesn't mean God doesn’t have another plan. God still has a bright future in store for you.

 Live in the Light

For you were once in darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth).

Ephesians 5: 8-9

We all want to be free from our past and to do so you must understand this basic principle: the past is the past. You cannot undo anything that has happened to you. You can’t relive one moment in the past. But you can do something about right now. Your attitude should be, I refuse to down on negative things that have happened to me. I’m not going to think about all that I’ve lost. I’m not going to focus on what could have been or should have been. This is a new day and I’m going to start moving forward, know that God has a bright future in store for me.

If you do that, God will give you a new beginning. 

What a wonderful gift, to feel so intensely.

So last night as I laid in bed, tossing and turning, unable to fall asleep….I had an epiphany. I like to write.

Whoa, there I said it. It may not be a surprise to some people, but for me, I didn’t realize it until now. During my time at Ignatius while working on articles or news releases, I used to whine about how much I hated writing and what a pain in the ass it was. I thought and truly believed I was a horrific writer. I admit it…I’m not that great. Yes, spell-check is my saving grace and when it comes to following correct journalistic style, I don’t. I am the queen of double negatives and all the other party-fouls of writing, yet there is this drive inside of me that I just can’t help sometimes. Maybe my brain just got used to writing but there is something about sitting in front of the computer screen with a blank word document or turning to an untouched, fresh sheet of paper in a journal that calls me to fill it with my thoughts, revelations and theories about life or whatever is going on in that moment. Maybe I wasn’t writing about the right things before. Or perhaps it isn’t until something is taken away from you or absent from your life that you realize how much it really meant to you. And still does.

Someone who truly opened my eyes to the wonderful world of writing is none other than Cleveland’s finest, Regina Brett. Throughout the years, I have read countless articles by her in the Plain Dealer, however last summer while in the bookstore at work, something caught my eye. Sitting on the counter for sale was her book, God Never Blinks: 50 Lessons for Life’s Little Detours. I ended up getting it for myself and it probably is the best purchase I ever made from that bookstore. Last summer, my thoughts were all over the place. Especially when it came to the future and especially with my then-current situation at work. As much as I loved my job and working there, sometimes you just know deep down when it isn’t working out anymore. Change is needed, things and people aren't what or who you thought they were, you begin to feel your time slowly running out, no matter how much you just want to stop it from happening. That feeling scared the shit out of me, causing me to feel lost, anxious, defeated and alone. As I read Regina's book, her words just clicked within my heart and I began to look at life on a much deeper level. I really believe reading that book was the first step of the transformation into this person I am today. It was then I realized life was so much more than what I want or what I think should happen. I discovered a voice inside of me that was dying to get out and I needed to trust it. 

The way in which Regina views life is incredible, but most importantly, it is honest. Her life has been far from perfect but she has used the trials and tribulations to learn how to live. She sees life for what it truly is…a gift. There are fifty chapters, each including a lesson she has learned throughout life. I stumbled across the book this morning and I began to look through the chapter list. I found myself discovering how certain lessons/chapters pertain to my life today, in this moment, that I may have skipped over or not really paid enough attention while reading the book last summer. As I decided to re-read the book I thought, how can I not write about this treasure of wisdom. Regina and I have many similarities when it comes our views on life and even more special, Ignatian Spirituality.  She references St. Ignatius numerous times throughout the book and uses him as a guide to understanding certain lessons of life. I want to share some of these lessons and I will first start off with my favorite lesson of Regina’s...crying. Tears are a major aspect of who I am….ever since I was a little girl I spoke with my eyes using tears as my words. I have been criticized for this and often felt embarrassed and ashamed. It was not until a year ago I read this chapter I realized I actually have an advantage in life and my tears are a gift. The follow excerpt is from Chapter 7 of God Never Blinks: 50 Lessons for Life’s Little Detours.


....Most of us were taught that tears are a sign of weakness. If you get upset at work, you go into the bathroom and cry. You hide in a stall and muffle the sobs with gobs of toilet tissue. Read any business article about how women can get ahead in the corporate world and they all warn: no tears. Don't ever let them see you cry. 


If you cry out in the open, people try to stop you. It makes them uncomfortable. It's socially unacceptable. To cry openly shows lack of control, loss of power. In a culture that values strength, even tearing up is unacceptable. 


All my life, I tried to become stronger by crying less. But whenever I held the sadness in, my face grew red, my cheeks hurt and the tears escaped no matter how hard I tried to squeeze them back.


Then one day a counselor told me that those tears were an asset. Carol said they were part of me, just like my blue eyes and brown hair. "What a wonderful gift, to feel so intensely." she said. 


The best advice I ever got on crying was to do it with someone. Carol told me that crying alone isn't as powerful as crying with another person. Cry alone and you'll keep crying those same tears over and over. Cry with someone and those tears have the power to heal you once and for all.


When I was getting my master's degree in in religious studies, I read a book about a saint who nearly lost his vision because he cried so much and so often. Saint Ignatius, who founded the Jesuits, considered his tears to be a great gift from God. He mentions tears 175 times in the first part of his spiritual diary and speak of tears in every single entry in the second half. They weren't a few drops here and there, but great torrents so intense they left him speechless. Those tears brought him great gifts--humility, intimacy with God, greater devotion, peace and strength. He considered tears to be a mystical grace. 


Too bad so many men and women refuse to cry and boast about not doing it. I remember someone telling me after seeing the movie Schindler's List that he almost cried. Almost? Why did he hold back? Why does anyone? I couldn't even if I wanted to. I let the tears flow and make sure all my mascara is waterproof. 


One of my favorite verses in the Christian Bible is the shortest one of all: "Jesus wept." He showed his humility. He shed his messy unmanly tears. He didn't do it in private. He did it in front of his friends and followers. In front of a crowd.


We need to stop hiding our tears and actually share them. It takes a strong person to cry. It takes a stronger person to let others see those tears. We need to be tough enough to be tender, no matter who is watching.

HurricaneHudec's photostream

HurricaneHudec's photostream on Flickr.

First set of my pilgrimage photos.