Count your blessings

It is easy to compile a list of grievances. How many of us take the time to count our blessings? There is so much for which we should be grateful.

Life and health are things we take for granted. Yet, the loss of such can be quite sudden. If you are blessed with both, consider yourself fortunate.

To have a job means you can support yourself and others. Who can survive without family and friends? Yet, none of these are guaranteed.

No one has been gifted with a perfect life. Each of us has struggles and trials that we must face. Still, how many are left to fend for themselves?

Natural talents abound, and everyone can do something. Do you waste that which is cherished? Use what you have while you are able to do so.

People miss the good by focusing on the bad. How much truly escapes our notice? If you neglect what is provided, do not expect to be given more.

Path of inspiration

There are things we do that get pushed aside. For whatever reason, our energy fades and we move on. Yet, they have a way of coming around again.

Sometimes, we are not in the right frame of mind. Creative interests follow the path of inspiration. Be assured that what you want to do will be done.

Buried notions are like seeds: something can grow from them. Go the way your heart leads. Do not be surprised when what was lost springs forth.

That which keeps coming back is a part of you. It has a voice which maybe only you can hear. This song can remind us of our forgotten pleasure.

It is important to focus on the here and now. When we let them, the pieces tend to fall into place. Control will only stifle what happens naturally.

Understanding is not required to make progress. We may not know the ending, but the direction is clear. As we go along, more will be revealed.

Time and place

This is the only time and place we can expect to have. Life is full of so much uncertainty. Any opportunities we lose may never be recovered.

Waiting to do something is tantamount to doing nothing. We were not moved to action before. The same excuses are likely to keep preventing us.

It takes discipline to continue moving forward. We must surmount all obstacles to our progress. If we stop, the current will just push us downstream.

Instead of asking why, we should ask why not? Things get done when we are determined to do them. The second guess rarely leads to achievement.

Ideal circumstances are not likely to materialize. Expect everything to go wrong, and react accordingly. Then, you will not be disappointed.

Time will not wait for you to get your act together. Do not look for your place: it is right here. Those who waste what they have face a lifetime of regret.

Exhaust yourself

Many people seem to be weary of life. Is existence so hard, or do so many tire too easily? As the years pass, it is up to us to make them count.

Death is not a good thing, yet there are those who run towards it. They indulge in self-destructive behavior. And thus, are their days shortened.

Those who survive will be worn and torn. Yet, this is the place where we prove ourselves. Through all of the ups and downs, we can stand tall.

Instead of dying for something, we should try living. It does not have the same dramatic effect. Still, we get a lot more done while above ground.

When you are feeling down, it is time to get up. Accomplishment overcomes discouragement. If you have anything to show you should not be sorry.

Do not be weary... exhaust yourself. It feels good to know you have given your all. When your time comes to die, may it be that you have lived.

Being human

Humanity is wasted on most people. Caring should come naturally to those who are able to feel. Yet, often something so simple is woefully lacking.

We have an endless capacity for good. Evil is manifested in all the missing pieces. It is the hole right through the place where the heart should be.

What we envision can be made real. This has been done so often that it goes without saying. The only question is how will we utilize this capability?

Humans can make the environment suit their purposes. We are able to make the desert bloom. Are there are any frontiers that are beyond our reach?

With all the things we can be, so many fall short. They dig a hole and bury their gifts inside. One can only hope that something will take root there.

Live up to the potential which has been placed in your hands. Do not concern yourself with what others do. It is hard enough just being human.

Necessary risks

In our lives, there will be risks we need to take. Those who play it safe will not win the game. Having something to lose is the best motivation to succeed.

Those who are reckless tend to wreck everything. We should be aware of the consequences for failure. Then, we will know what must be avoided.

Losing a single battle does not usually mean the war is over. It is important to learn how to fail forward. A loss can be turned into an advantage.

Achieving our dreams requires more than mere heart. Good decisions will also be necessary. Otherwise, we end up with just the highest of hopes.

Much suffering could come along the way. Do not let the fear of pain act as a deterrent. Taking a stand is much better than to fall on one's sword.

Understand the risk before you take it. If moving will not help you advance, you should stay in place. Look for an opportunity, and then you seize it.

Before the Dawn

A poem about being able to go on.

Before the Dawn

Dark the night and the shadows deep,

as we lay down and fall to sleep.

Our goal is but to greet the sun,

before our final song is sung.

This is our life for good or ill,

a world of strife that saps our will.

The hardest things with which we struggle:

daily pain and constant trouble.

What do we hope to one day see?

Is there an end to misery?

With all we do and all we say,

will it be cruelly snatched away?

Our hearts can take only so much,

before we feel death’s icy touch.

Solace is sought, not to be found.

Wishes are brought into the ground.

Yet, what we fear is nothing new.

Shedding our tears we make it through.

Telling ourselves once more to rise,

off the shelf and into the skies.

All of our loss is turned aside.

Despair is tossed, dismay denied.

That which conspired to cause us grief,

now has expired, beyond belief.

For when the smoke does flee away,

we have awoke to see the day.

Standing upright, we take some steps;

into the light, up from the depths.

Holding our precious memories,

feeling the blessed cooling breeze.

What we will find, while going on:

the darkest time before the dawn.