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!!

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.

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

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

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.

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)