Every once in a while, I just watch the birds and read.  Today they were at my window bird feeders and they brought me so much joy.  The squirrel proof feeder was driving my little squirrel nuts (that a good thing).  And the bird bath that has thawed completely was a busy place for some of my feathered friends as well.  I sat back and found myself daydreaming while they played.  Once I came to, I went to wash my mug which had contained my coffee.  Written on the mug was this poem.  It fit right in with how was a feeling about this lovely spring day.  So, I decided to share it with you.

FOLLOW YOUR DREAM
A dream is a daring adventure
A journey to carry you far-
For when you can hold a dream in your heart,
You surely can reach any star!
A dream is a beautiful vision
That looks beyond what you can see,
Then lifts you and guides you
And grows strong inside you
To help you be all you can be.
A dream is your door to tomorrow,
A secret reflection of you,
A threshold that leads to a wonderful future
Where nothing’s too good to be true.

“Be as a bird perched on a frail branch that she feels bending beneath her, still she sings away all the same, knowing she has wings.”  Victor Hugo

Getting out on the skinny branches can be a bit scary.  Just knowing that we DO have wings, and if we take the leap we will have the wind beneath them, makes us more willing to get on those branches from time to time.  Go ahead!  You will learn so much about yourself.  You will gain faith in yourself.  And, every time you do it, it gets easier.

You cannot prevent the birds of sorrow from flying over your head, but you can prevent them from building nests in your hair.
Chinese Proverb

Some of the simplest of the Chinese proverbs never cease to amaze me with their profound wisdom.  When I read this one, I couldn’t help but think of the numerous times the birds of sorrow find their way into my life.  Do you let them build nests in your hair?  There was a time when I did - oh, not all of them.  Just a chosen few that played havoc with my mood, my productivity, my relationships, my job - yep, every aspect of my life. 

Are letting the birds of sorrow spread dark clouds on your day - your life?  Wanna know what my anticdote is?  Just simple gratitude.  If find everything I can to be grateful for.  I name them, and thank God for them.  Then I play music - happy music. 

Try it - it works when you focus on the good and the positive - it truly works!!

Everyone has times when they feel tired and overwhelmed by the pressures of life. But notice, this scripture gives us a clear remedy: Hope in the Lord. It’s easy to put your hope in other things; maybe you had hope in a relationship, hope in a job, hope in the stock market. It’s time to redirect your hope to the One who will never let you down; the One who never changes, the Rock of Ages.When you’re tempted to give up on your dreams, when you’re tempted to just settle where you are, listen to that still, small voice of hope on the inside that says, “No way. This is not who I am. I was created to live in victory. I was created to overcome this sickness. I was created to rise above these problems.” Put your hope and trust in the Lord because He is faithful! As you do, He will renew your strength. He’ll cause you to soar on wings like the eagle, and you’ll be empowered to move forward confidently into the victory He has for you!

Is your glass half empty or half full?   So, the economy has hit a speed bump,  the holidays are upon us, and there are lots of pessimists out there.  These are the “glass is half-empty” people who are telling you what an awful season it’s going to be, it’s going to get worse before it gets better, the retailers are really going to suffer, etc., etc., etc.  Oh, woe - what is wrong with this picture?  We can all hang our heads and fall into their traps, or we can choose to enjoy this enchanting time of year.

If you aren’t going to shop as much, you will have a bit more time on your hands.  I don’t know about you, but there have been years when the hustle and bustle of the season has left me feeling robbed of some of the most important things in life.  At this delightful time of year, aren’t the best things in life really free?   There’s time to spend with family and loved ones, go caroling, and be very particular about every light and ornament on the tree.  There’s that trip to Longwood Gardens, or somewhere fun that we have been meaning to go for years.  Have you yearned to go hiking through the woods to find the perfect tree, with all the kids in tow?  Just do it.  Stringing cranberries and popcorn might be fun too, and then hang your string on the bushes outside and be charmed by the birds that will come and get it.  Choice is a wonderful thing. 

Let’s replace our “woe is me” attitude with gratitude!  In this economy, it’s easy to get lost in the blues.  It helps to remember what is going right in your life.  Try keeping a gratitude journal.  Switch the focus from the negative to the positive, and make a list of all that is positive and good in your life.  Be thankful, for every thing on that list.  People who focus on the positive are just flat out happier people.  They have more joy, and more energy.  There is definitely something powerful in a regular gratitude check. 

Each of us can make our own choice - half empty?  or half full?  Conjure up a smile, burst into laughter and make each day a day to remember and be thankful for.

“But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.”  Isaiah 40:31

Sharing poems, especially ones that are moving beyond words and written by very good friends is a passion.  Having not been blessed with the talents to write this way, I always find them particularly moving,  I hope you like it as much as I do:

Give Me Wings

Give me wings
So I can fly,
For freedom, for independence.
Give me wings
So I can be
All that I am,
All that I can be.
Give me wings
So I might fail,
Learn …
Succeed.
Give me wings
To be myself,
Give me wings.
~©Terry Gorley~

This is an oldie, but a goody.  Who knows who wrote it.  Yes, things are a bit tough right now.  How low can we go economically before the bottom falls out?  Adopt an attitude of gratitude and just keep flying high.  Remember, this is just a temporary place and we are all on our way to bigger and better places and things.

Often the goal is nearer than
It seems to a faint and faltering man;
Often the struggler has given up
When he might have captured the victor’s cup,
And he learned too late, when the night slipped down,
How close he was to the golden crown.

Success is failure turned inside out -
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt,
And you never can tell how close you are -
It may be near when it seems afar;
So stick to the fight when you’re hardest hit -
It’s when things seem worst that you mustn’t quit.

Author Unknown

“He who has imagination without learning, has wings and no feet.”  Joseph Joubert

Imagination:  Webster defines it as, “the act or power of forming a mental image of something not present to the senses or never before wholly perceived in reality; creative ability and the creation of the mind”.

Did you ever let your imagination go a little wild - let the creative juices flow?  I think we all have.  It’s when we have the vision and don’t follow through that we crash and burn.  The wings spread wide, we take off, and then at the first sign of turbulence come tumbling down.

We have a couple of choices after the crash.  I choose to pick myself off, brush myself off and spread those wings again, taking with me the lessons learned from the previous failures.  The alternative, well, I won’t even go there right now, as I am imagining a wonderful weekend of pumpkin carving, a long walk in the woods with my binoculars in hand so I can see my feathered friends, a soccer game, Church and a fun birthday party!

I wish you all a wonderful weekend as well - spread those wings!!

“To Believe in Yourself and to follow Your Dreams, to have Goals in Life and a Drive to succeed, and to surround Yourself with the Things and the People That Make You Happy - This Is Success!”  Author Unknown

“If you can imagine it, you can create it.  If you can dream it, you can become it”  William Arthur Ward