A Spiritual Connection to the Elements

Have you ever had a spiritual connection to the elements? Lightning, thunder, rain, air…the sound, the smell. Ever listened and watched in amazement? It brings such a feeling of peace…of security…of excitement. I had an experience like this once before tonight. I was on a balcony with three friends in Queen Creek. We watched as the lightning drew pictures across the sky and the rain kissed our skin softly. The connection we felt to each other that night was created through the immaculate performance before us. Tonight I felt that same calming essence as I sat on the back porch watching heaven paint its’ masterpiece. There’s something so amazing about it. I felt a peace I have not experienced in so many years; somewhere between 7 or 8, I think. It takes me back…to life before responsibility and before the fear really kicked in. Back to life where hope and dreams still exist and the past didn’t haunt and torment. A quote continues burning in my brain,” The greatest fear is fear itself”, and suddenly it all comes together. Life is just life. There’s nothing fancy about it. All we get is what we put into it. The memories are as we create them. And the love we give and receive is always more than what we should come to expect. I watched the sky go from a dark emptiness to a blanket of white within just a few short minutes. I heard the rain lightly tapping the rooftop then transition to a shower and cease just as quickly. I watched the palm trees sway in the wind and bend under the wrath of the drops falling on them. The air purified and perfected itself. The water poured from the heavens as if to cleanse itself. And me, I was one with all of them. And me, I was complete with all of them. So simple, so lovely, so full of life. And then it ended…no, it began. Isn’t it glorious! Life is a series of events. Some weaken us but only for a moment. The strength we gain is everlasting and eternal. The love, joy and spirit we gain is what keeps us looking for more…craving more…and hope for that is what keeps us alive. Life is just life. Isn’t it beautiful! So simple yet so complex. Always answering but leaving plenty of room for questions. Sometimes feeling like the end but always continuing on and creating new memories…new love…starting over.

My life started a long time ago...this is today. Happiness 101.

I've heard many times over the years that anyone can DECIDE to have a good day or a bad day. While I've believed that to an extent, I have never truly felt a connection to the truth in it or how it worked...until last night. I've always thought if I felt badly about what happened in my day it was bad...or on the other hand, if I felt good about the things that happened to me one day, it was great! The fact of the matter is this...I CAN'T choose all of what I experience from day to day. In fact, the more I try to manipulate my experiences the greater chance it's going to lead to a source of negativity because of my LACK of authority over my circumstances and life. Control in this way is not only overrated...its false and doesn't ACTUALLY EXIST. (This may be shocking coming from me, but I do LOGICALLY understand it) The ultimate paradigm shift came in this way for me: At the end of the day (or during/after a particular circumstance) I can be negative or positive about it. Granted, I naturally feel more of a magnetic pull to be positive if it was a good experience and negative if it was a bad one, but I can CHOOSE to be negative about a good one and positive about a bad one, so in retrospect that IS something I can regulate. This means after a day like yesterday (nothing great happened and I didn't feel anything wonderful) my experience does NOT have to define the greatness of my day. I claimed it to be a good day in spite of what did or did not occur and I stood behind that feeling which then, in turn, made me feel terrific! So in fact, the situations of the day have nothing to do with how wonderful I perceive the day has or has not been. A day full of negative experiences and LOTS of growth opportunities can be a TERRIFIC day! I've been looking for reasons to justify my day being wonderful or dull, when I had the idea behind it totally wrong. If I focus on the external events to bring me joy and happiness I will have some, but I will have many perfectly fabulous days that aren't satisfactory because they simply existed and didn't include any stupendous events. On that same thought, If I'm focusing on external events I will continue to have countless horrible days because the opportunities I'm having aren't high enough for my expectations and ideals...or are actually awful circumstances. In reality, its not necessary to lose the greatness of those days because of a few less than perfect situations.

I can choose for this day to be a terrific day regardless of what happens. This is the best day of my life thus far because I know I am heading in the right direction! My experiences are not all that I want and my life situation does not meet the expectations and outcomes that I hope for, but my day TODAY is the greatest it could ever be. I have complete control over how I feel about this moment and it's A.M.A.Z.I.N.G.