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Tuesday, September 06, 2005 Expect The Unexpected
Have you ever been cruising along through the day, totally oblivious to everything around you when, suddenly, out of the blue, something happens that completely takes you by surprise? Whether it is a pleasant surprise, or a not-so-pleasant surprise, those sudden occurrences that happen when we least expect them have a way of altering the rest of our day, don't they? For instance, the telephone rings and it is a friend you haven't spoken to in quite some time, but have been planning to call. You sit down and have a wonderful chat, catching up about this and that, and the rest of your day is a little more uplifted because of that conversation. Or, you go to the mailbox, expecting the usual bills and junk mail, only to find a refund check where you accidentally overpaid something many months back. In my daily planner recently was this quote: “Everything has meaning, everything.” ~ Laura Day Whether we understand or completely comprehend the meaning at this moment in time, everything has meaning. So, we shouldn't be so quick to dismiss each and every one of those moments as they pass throughout our day as simply the passage of time – some insignificant flash on the journey to something of greater importance – because each moment holds an importance of its very own, no matter how small it may be in the overall scheme of the grandeur of life. And, as if there was a theme unfolding, in a recent fortune cookie was this message: “To affect the quality of the day is no small achievement.” There is a wonderful book by Debbie Ford, New York Times #1 best-selling author, creator of The Shadow Process, and founder of the Ford Institute for Integrative Coaching, entitled The Secret of the Shadow: The Power of Owning Your Whole Story* that begins with this dramatic opening paragraph: "Imagine that you knew at birth that you were a master, that you were powerful beyond measure, that you possessed enormous gifts, and that all it would take to deliver your gifts to the world was your desire. Imagine that you came into this world with your heart filled with the healing power of love and that your only desire was to bestow that love onto all those around you. Imagine that you had the innate ability to create and have all that you want and all that you need. Is it possible that at some point in your life you knew that there was no one else in the world like you? And that in ever fiber of your being you knew that you not only possessed the light of the world, but that you were the light of the world? Is it possible that at one time you knew who you were at the deepest level and you rejoiced in your gifts? ake a moment now, and see if you can remember that time when you knew the truth of who you really are." And, after that bold opening, each subsequent chapter begins with a "Contemplation" which then expands on the concept set out in the chapter's title, and wraps up with a few "Healing Action Steps" to help you apply the insights you've just discovered to your own life's story. So, if we choose to look at each day, at each moment, as a moment of our own life's story, it becomes something that is exciting, and something that we can claim as truly our own. In another book, this time by Harvey Rich, M.D., entitled In the Moment: Celebrating the Everyday** Dr. Rich outlines five principles which will make it simple for you to create the celebrated life for you and those around you. Those principles, as outlined in Dr. Rich's book, are:
As you can see, if we stop for just a moment, and truly consider the MOMENT, it takes on a new significance that cannot be ignored. So, today ... stop ... take a moment ... reflect ... and truly enjoy that moment in time – because once it is gone, it is gone forever. CREDITS *The Secret of the Shadow: The Power of Owning Your Whole Story, by Debbie Ford, Publisher: Harper SanFrancisco; 1st edition (December 24, 2001), ISBN: 0062517821 **In the Moment: Celebrating the Everyday, by Harvey L. Rich, M.D. and Teresa H. Barker, Publisher: William Morrow; 1st edition (November 5, 2002), ISBN: 0060199687 (both books which I had the privilege of being asked to write reviews of for two on-line book review sites)
Originally published Tuesday August 12, 2003 (bw) 2003 © Copyrighted Materials - All Rights Reserved. Susan Reno-Gilliland A Southern Belle's Life 2005 © Copyrighted Materials - All Rights Reserved. # posted by Kitty : 10:32 AM
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"a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma" --- Miss Kitty, an Irish lass, a true Southern Belle; writer, photographer, artist, interior designer, animal-lover, dreamer, stargazer, cop-groupie, 70's junkie, cbc, slightly obsessive iNFp with stories to tell! ... (fascinated by forensics, human behavior, pushing all the right buttons of men she finds interesting, and seeking utterly-sweet revenge without any repercussions. ) --- "Darlin', don't ever take a Southern woman for granted!" [tm] Feeling the uncontrollable urge to shower me with gifts?!? Check out my Amazon 
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