A New Day

A New Day--

Today is a new day.  It is waiting for you.  It is waiting for me. What we decide to do with it is our choice.  It began the moment we opened our eyes and welcomed it into our space.  It will stay with us through our waking hours.  And when the day ends, we will have completed another part of our earth journey.

Actually, many of the activities of our day may not be of our choosing.  Making a living may consume large chunks of our time.  We are well aware of the difference between making a living and making a life.  However, the making a living part of our day holds extreme importance.

Perhaps the thing to contemplate is what we are like when we are making that living.  Are we grateful for the opportunity to grow and learn?  Do we see all the chances to enhance life for others while making that living?  Are we sharing what we know with no thought of return?  Are we actually doing our best or doing enough to receive that check?  Somewhere in the midst of those questions we all find ourselves.  Certainly there were days when I reported for work with less than a good attitude.  What I did find out about myself was that once I was on the job, my attitude and thoughts shifted.  The things that had bothered me prior to arriving at my job were now replaced with the knowledge that I was responsible for guiding others.  In other words, I forgot about myself.

Could that be the key to a day worth living?  Is it possible it is that simple?

Don't know about you, but sometimes I want to hang on to bad feelings.  Yep, I know that sounds so petty and silly.  Ever happen to you?  Something happens, someone says something, something goes wrong and the day is on a downhill slide.  No matter that it began rather nicely.  Let that one thing occur, and it is all over.  Once a little bad feeling slips into the day, it colors everything it touches.  Instead of being truly grateful, a grudge finds its way to the shoulder and rests there all day.  It loves the scenery.  It has the ability to control all thoughts and emotions.  How lovely to ride on the shoulder and see the world and others through eyes of anger, hurt, defeat.  You name the feeling.  There are many.  As long as we allow it to stay close to our head, it will continue to feed us with reminders of how we were hurt.  How someone else took away our joy.

So the day moves from morning to afternoon to evening with that little bad feeling hanging on for dear life.  Why let it go?  We can enjoy the knowledge that we were treated badly.  It feels good to feel so bad.  If we let it go, what will happen?   Do we love being stubborn?  By refusing to let go of that which is holding us down, are we kept from moving forward?  How long before others tire of this behavior?

My happiest times are those when my thoughts and actions are focused outside myself.  Sure, there are times when I have to relearn to let go of negative thoughts and move forward.  But, as I practice thinking of others first, the thoughts about myself naturally take a back seat.  I no longer am the entire focus of my day.  Isn't that such a lovely way to live?  I am grateful for every moment when that becomes my reality.

And now we are at the beginning of another day.  Another part of our life journey.  May we live this day as if it is the last one we will have.  As a gift we can give away over and over and over.  As a way of making life easier for those who need comfort.  When we live our day like this, it is the best day of our life.