Tuesday, December 6, 2011

Actions, Not Words...

Behavior is an interesting thing. It is like a living image of our sub-conscious mind without a filter. It is not always pretty. As any person, I tend to have made many mistakes in my life; but even more important than those mistakes: the behavior afterwards. Was I nasty, short or plain rude? Sometimes I was all 3 and worse. Short of allowing myself to become a complete asshole - yes - I have been using awareness to stop acting out and behaving like a spoiled 5 year old. You see, my behavior not only affects me; it affects all the people closest to me in my life. It's unfair to lash out at somebody because I am not properly handling my emotions or worse - letting the emotions handle me. That's a real no-no & goes against everything I have learned. Imagine how I feel after each time I still allowed it to happen. Yes, it was not good. Slowly now, I am doing my best to regain the reigns and keep both feet firmly on the ground again. Breathing, writing things down, blogging, talking & even taking a quiet sort-of time out, to regain my composure. All these things will help release the tension and give way to clearer thinking. Still, I am learning and each day I learn a little bit more about my own behavior; because I am the one who is responsible for it. So, it is my job to act accordingly and without acting like a spoiled child, or worse. That's where I'm at today.

Thursday, November 17, 2011

Learning Life Lessons

Even though I have been lucky enough to see and learn many things; I am still far from educated when it comes to life lessons. Relationships have never been my strong suit; because of choices I have made in my past, I ended up in a few painful ones. Still, I tried to take whatever lesson that I could. There were many things I was not aware of and is wasn't making mistakes at all, just learning to be aware so they don't happen again. I find myself once again learning and this time my goal is to not only keep improving my awareness; but to use it every day. There have been in the last 6-7 months so many things to learn from. Now that I live with somebody & her daughter; biggest challenge was not living alone and in "David world", as it was put to me. Still, I am learning to be mindful of others and also watch my own behavior. It's not very fair to bring unnecessary drama into a house that is a happy place. Here is where the awareness will be key. To recognize and stop the drama. Stop the tension and the repercussions from happening. Nobody ever said it would be easy; so I take each day and try to live it the right way. Love is a wonderful thing; as are kindness and compassion. However, nobody should have to sit and take being mistreated; and by the same right - nobody should have the right to mistreat anybody. That being said, things should be on an even keel and again, nobody said it would be easy. But I'm learning life lessons, every day I learn something new.

Monday, October 24, 2011

Fighting the Good Fight

Even though we seek peace; I have learned that life has a lot of fighting in it. There are many kinds of fighting: fighting with somebody - this is perhaps the most common kind. Fighting for what we believe in - this is the most noble. Then, I broke the next 2 types down (which are similar): we have people in our lives who will fight beside us; unflinchingly. This is very noble and shows the very fiber true friends are made of. The next is my favorite: a person who will fight FOR you: not only will they be by our sides; they will support, defend and treat us as they would themselves. They will not allow us to wallow or act in fear, but they also won't fight our battles for us. No, they will stick with us & not allow any harm - or at least what they can deflect. To have a person like this in our life is the greatest gift of all and this person is irreplaceable. To that note - we should not only be able to do the same for them, but also cherish this person, for they hold us in such high esteem and treat us like a treasure. It's a beautiful thing to behold.

Monday, October 10, 2011

Not Missing Out On A Beautiful Day...

Today was a day that beckoned me... Beckoned me to slow down, enjoy what is around me & if I was able - play hooky!! We are having the most amazing and gorgeous stretch of weather. Today, is a gem: 80's, low humidity & sunshine! Oddly enough, Columbus Day is a holiday when I have to work. That means I would get to enjoy limited exposure to this day, but still better than none at all. I am grateful to take in what I can & return to my desk; where I am sharing with all who read my blog. It reminds to slow down and savor the moments in life. Awesome!

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

“A new year is a blossom with petals curled tightly, concealing the beauty within.” Shana Tova! ~ beautifully stated by Paulo Coelho

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

Learning Each Day

I like to learn. It's much better than thinking one knows everything & it's helpful versus not. Each day, there will no doubt be some kind of challenge; this is a fact. By learning, I can overcome more challenges each day. To me, that's huge!!

Wednesday, September 7, 2011

Understanding

Communication is vital to friends and lovers alike. Sometimes, that communication needs to slow down and be gentle. The facts need to be clearly laid out; then spoken about in a gentle and non-confrontational way. This is how we reach understanding. If we are too aggressive, the point gets lost and typically leads to an argument or worse. I have learned to slow down, identify what the problem is, resolve it and let it go. After these actions, it brings understanding and thereby patching the hole. Kindness is also part of understanding and further helps things get smoothed out.

Tuesday, September 6, 2011

Facing Fears...

I am a person who likes to think that they have little or no fear. Well, I got news for you: even though I make a valiant effort, things will still cause me to freeze, feel fear or react in an inappropriate way. Dealing with certain people; despite all of the work I've done on myself, still proves to be a challenge. Not just to stand up for myself, but to be assertive and not aggressive. Sure, they have been talking about this kind behavior for years, but I'm still learning. Although a clever way of looking at fear is: False Evidence Appearing Real; I must push though it and get to where I'm doing the right thing.
The hard part - again - is action. Instead of saying to myself what I need to/or will do; I must simply just do it. Maybe a mantra needs to be created, but I kid you not - this is crucial to me. It's so easy for me to "yes" someone & make it non-confrontational. The converse of that is to stand up for myself, not back down & show that in a no-aggressive way. It is a process and every day I am learning.

Gratitude List

This is a list of things I am grateful for - in no specific order:

myself
health
family
friends
girlfriend
children
family
sense of humor
humility
music
sunshine
the beach
the ocean
laughter
being alive
experience
learning
love
happiness
kindness
understanding
willingness
desire
passion
humility
nature
the sky (day & night)
the stars
dreams
life
each day + today
dogs, cats; animals
architecture
fashion
knowledge
actions
forgiveness
the small things
kissing
hands
feet
eyes
ears
nose
heart
sharing
unexpected things
everyone in my life...

<3 DK

Thursday, September 1, 2011

Communication Breakdown: part of being in a relationship is listening, not just hearing. Then it works better. Makes a huge difference.

Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Keep The Wheels Moving

I have found that when getting to a certain point, I feel the urge to let up. Even stop and look at where I stood then, versus where I stand now. That's when it seemingly harder to get moving again; it's not getting going so much as it's returning my focus to moving forward. Now, I have learned that no matter what, do not stop or slow down too much. This does not mean rushing from one goal to another, but to be present enough to know more must be done in order to achieve the current goal.
The same thing can be said when meeting opposition; failure and everything they encompass. It reminds me that no matter what - keep moving forward; keep pushing and never, ever give up. The Japanese say: "fall down seven times, get up eight" and just shows good cause to keep on fighting, pushing, doing. Our life is shaped by the actions and ultimately the results of those actions; that is why it is so important to do our very best.

Sometimes...

Sometimes, the choices we make don't end up being the best ones. Even if they seem that way, but as time goes on, the good reveals the bad. And if that can't be corrected, it becomes a bad choice. Now, if it's a mistake; best thing to do is try and learn from it. Then move on, re-think and make a new plan. I do my best to make better choices, but life is a learning experience and I am always learning.

Thursday, August 25, 2011

Unlocking Your Dreams...

The other day, I came up with a short line & went like this: "unlock your dream closet and let your dreams fill the air". That made me think about writing more on dreams and unlocking them.
Even though I believe in action; it's not only the hardest thing for me, but the most important 1st step towards achieving our dreams. That, along with a plan, will be essential to making things happen.
Having said this; I am working everyday to do more, take more actions that will help me unlock all of my dreams. I love the fact that we will never run out of dreams, they are there and continue to be. Each time we are able to achieve one, there is a new one just waiting for us to take that big, 1st step. Life is short and I am making a valiant attempt living it to it's fullest!
DK (ツ)

Wednesday, August 24, 2011

We should never forget, happiness is contagious—spread it whenever and wherever you can.

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Sunshine

I love the sunshine and the way it feels on my face. That feeling can take any trouble away; at least for those moments. It reminds me that no matter what, the sun stills shines, it will set at day's end and rise again tomorrow.

Monday, August 22, 2011

Changes: One thing that will be a constant; that is changes. Daily, things do not remain the same. Changes are not about hard or easy, but necessary. DK

Today

Today is a new day. It matters not what we did yesterday. We are not defined by our yesterdays; yet we can learn from each day lived. It seems that every day has a lesson, whether it be good or bad. Our goal is to take what these lessons what we can and leave the rest to remain in the past. Move on, let go and breathe in the fresh air.

Friday, March 4, 2011

Time For Action Is Now

If I have been guilty of one thing: it's not doing. There have been several instances in the last few years where I could have taken actions to help myself, but I did not. Instead of being harder on myself, I choose to first admit this & to do my best to take the actions required in life. Nobody's perfect, but actions truly speak volumes far as I'm concerned. Actions truly define much about us & it's very important to do what is necessary in life. Worst part of all this is that my lack of action not only affects me, but affects other who I love & care about. That's not fair, not malicious either, but it doesn't change the facts.

Monday, February 28, 2011

Just Be...

Mondays can be a little trying for many people. Myself included. Today started out a little slow; the rain was an uninvited guest. However, I was able to pull myself out of the funk and embrace the insanity of a new day. Changes all around me, but my changes are separate from what others are going through. I recently moved into my girlfriend's home in NJ. It's the 1st time I've lived w/ somebody in close to 3 years; since my last divorce.
This change is by more the most exciting one in a long time and I am very much looking forward to having a very happy life together! It is a truly happy home, but most importantly: it is a HOME, not just a house & that's huge!! Now, it's back to work for me...

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Transition...

I have been away from my blog for far too long. Having been reminded of this by my super-awesome girlfriend; what's the first thing I do? A new post, of course!! I own that action of not being an active blogger lately. Yes, I said girlfriend, who also is my best friend!!
Oh so much has happened in the last months, it may take more than just 1 post. Be that as it may, I am happy to report that life is good. Now, I did not say EASY, but there are so many wonderful things to talk about.
For now, I will say: "stay tuned", more to follow very soon.
Peace.