Daily Ramblings – Thankful Thursday – There is Always a Way

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Contented, Grateful, Happy, Service, Solutions, Thankful, There is always a way

“Make it a habit to tell people thank you. To express your appreciation, sincerely and without the expectation of anything in return. Truly appreciate those around you, and you’ll soon find many others around you. Truly appreciate life, and you’ll find that you have more of it.”

Ralph Marston

I’m sitting in an easy chair with my laptop, composing this posting. It is humid today, with an expectation of rain later on. While I write, I take the time to think. I think about the peacefulness in my work area. I think about how comfortable my chair is. I think about all the terrific things I have access to on my laptop. Life is good.

When I take time to contemplate the blessings in my life, a feeling of peace washes over me. It is a child-like feeling, knowing all is where it should be, and there is nothing to worry about. During these times I am compelled to give of myself, realizing that the giving of service to life is more important than receiving anything.

My wife and I get together on Skype a few times a week. For those of you who do not know it, I had to retire early to come home and help out my parents. My Dad was diagnosed with dementia a few years back and he has started the downhill slide that anyone with these types of disease experiences. I did not want my wife to miss out on a teaching career she dedicated so much of her life to. Thus, she is in Arizona teaching and I am here helping out my folks. I love her so much.

Anyway, my Dad cannot be left alone anymore and gave up driving in 2016. This situation requires either me or Mom staying here when one of us has errands to run or events to go to. When both of us have to go somewhere, my sister comes down and hangs out with Dad.

Some would look at my situation and feel sad about it. I do not. My wife is doing well, and we stay in touch all the time. I also write her letters each month to keep her updated on things here, and she tells me what’s going on with our stepdaughters and her teaching there. It is tough sometimes because I miss her so much, but the connection between us is strong. We are doing what we have to. I am grateful for her.

Some would look at my life and think it was horrible luck that has struck us. I do not. Life hands us all kinds of things to deal with and we have chosen to deal with it in our own way—a way that allows both of us to do what we have to. We chose to stay together, supporting one another, loving one another. Our situation reminded me of so many veterans of WWII who were separated from their loved ones for many years. The only thing they could do was write letters, some of which, would take months to get to one another because of the unpredictable mail system in the military at the time. They made it. This led me to believe we could do the same, when my situation at home struck. The difference, we can talk and video chat anytime we want. It is an awesome benefit to be able to see one another and talk to one another anytime we wish.

If you are in a situation that you believe is untenable, take some time to think about potential solutions that are available to you. There is always a solution. There is always a way. 

Well, I’ll end this here. I hope each of you is having a terrific Wednesday.

Until next time…

Dave

 

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Daily Ramblings – Wisdom Wednesday – Giving of Yourself

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Giving, Help, Humility, Love, Selflessness, Service, Smile, Wisdom Wednesday

Yesterday was one of those days when everything was just right. It was my Mom’s birthday. She opened her gifts and her cards. We took her out to dinner. My brother, sister, and niece called. I think she enjoyed the calls the most.

I spent time helping my wife study for a teaching credential she needs to pass by December. She works really hard and is putting everything she has into it. I love her.

“Before you can improve your life and find a measure of happiness, you must learn to do one thing every day out of pure love. That means, don’t expect anything in return—neither thanks nor happiness. Pick that occasion carefully. Then, whatever that one act of giving of yourself to someone else is, do it with all your heart.” — Harold Klemp — The Language of Soul.

Giving of yourself does not need to be a grand event. It could be as simple as cleaning up some trash in front of your neighbor’s home. It could be smiling at a young child in front of you at the grocery store line. It could be leaving a bigger tip when you eat out. It could be writing a letter to your folks or siblings. Giving of yourself brings a great warmth inside. It is hard to describe.

Serving someone else, without any expectation is a terrific thing. It is the selflessness of the act that is the most important. You just do something with no expectation. This selfless act will shrink your ego. It will humble you. It will calm you. It will improve your self esteem. It will open your heart.

If you’re down in the dumps, feeling lost, or depressed, try serving someone else. Strike up a conversation with a stranger, you may be the only person they talk with today. Smile at people. It may be the only smile they get today. Help someone. It may be the only time in their life that someone took the time to help them today. You may never know what a difference you made in someone’s life, but you will have made a difference.

I think I’ll end here. I hope all of you have a terrific Wednesday. As always…

Until next time…

Dave

 

Daily Ramblings – Thankful Thursday – Life

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experiences, Foreign Lands, Joy, Jury Duty, Learning, Life, Service, Travels

Thanks to all my new followers this week. I am always thankful for even one new person who follows Daily Ramblings. It is a real treat.

Today I am thankful for my life. I have had so many experiences that have contributed to who I am today. I was thinking about my 20 years in the Army and the opportunity to serve my country in multiple capacities. I was thankful for the places that service allowed me to see. I am grateful for all the people I met, and the friendships made.

I am grateful for the great times I had in Europe, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia. I am grateful for the experience of living in these places and learning more about the people that lived there. I am grateful for these experiences and how they helped me grow as a human being.

When I look back over my life, I have a deep gratitude for everything that has happened. Each event added to who I am today. I would change nothing. Every single thing that I have gone through—be it good or bad—was necessary. My life has been one grand adventure that continues to bring new experiences every day.

This week, I had my first opportunity to experience jury duty. I have been selected before, but never actually picked to come into the courthouse. It was an interesting experience. The people I met were nice and the experience overall was great. I spent two days there because the previous day was interrupted quite a bit by a previous jury’s deliberations and the judge had to bring us back to finalize jury selection. It was nice hanging out with the people there and getting to know a few of them.

Well, that’s it for now, folks. Have a great week!

Until next time…

Dave

Daily Ramblings – Memorial Day – Thank God You Lived

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Always Remembered, Good life, Grateful, Memorial Day, Reverance, Sacrifice, Service, Thankful

Image by Jackie Williamson from Pixabay 

“It is foolish and wrong to mourn the men who died. Rather, we should thank God that such men lived.” – George S. Patton

Today is Memorial Day. It is a day that honors those who have fallen to preserve and defend our way of life in the United States. Many confuse Memorial Day with Veteran’s day. Memorial day is for the fallen. Veteran’s Day is about those who have fallen or served during conflict.

Like the quote above states, I do not mourn the loss of men and women who have paid the ultimate sacrifice for God and country. I celebrate them. I honor their memory. I am grateful for all the men and women who served because they volunteered. Yeah, some were drafted, some had no choice, but they came nonetheless. They served. They left their families; they left their children, wives and husbands, sisters and brothers. They left their lives, their pets, and their friends. They did it all out of a sense of duty.

Today’s posting will be short because there is really nothing else to say, other than “Thank you” for the service you provided–a service that many do not want to provide.

Until next time…

Dave

Daily Ramblings – Spiritual Saturday

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Achievement, Goal Setting, Harold Klemp, improvement, plus factor, Service

“One of the principles, or laws, of Divine Spirit is that there is always one more step. There is always one more heaven.” —Harold Klemp The Language of Soul

I believe in this quote. I think the universe would be boring if there was a place where no more improvement was possible. Think about that for a moment. I remember watching an episode of the Twilight Zone when I was a kid. This gangster was killed and went to “heaven”. As time passed, he started to become bored. Everything he did was perfect, he won at the gambling tables in heaven, he had all the good-looking girls, he had whatever he wanted. It finally dawned on him to ask the question: “This isn’t heaven is it?” and a man in a white suit, playing the part of the Devil, laughed insanely. The episode ended at that point. I think a heaven that existed, without any possibility of improving ourselves beyond what we achieve during our life, would be like this episode.

Improvement is gratifying. Improvement is motivating. Improvement shows us how we’ve grown through our own efforts. Without improvement, we stagnate. I don’t ever want to be in that position. I hope you don’t either.

Choose what you want to be good at. Set a goal. Set a date. Measure your progress. At some point, you’ll arrive. Then set another one.

Goals carry us forward and drive us to achieve things we didn’t think we could. This improvement also allows us to better support ourselves, help others, and build a skill. Achieving our goals is both challenging and rewarding. It is a self-perpetuating process, once you see even the smallest success. Whether you are in the gym, in your office, or at home, there is always one more thing we can improve for the better.

I hope all of you are having a terrific Saturday!

Until next time…

Dave

Daily Ramblings – Wisdom Wednesday

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Altruism, Asking the Question, Helping Others, Service

“By asking, you have reached out and taken the initiative—a first step that will lead you to the next answer.”—Harold Klemp The Language of Soul

Are you stuck? Are you facing a challenge or difficulty that you just don’t know how to solve?

Take a few moments, close your eyes, and be quiet for a moment. Take a few deep breaths and focus on your breathing. Once you have settled down a bit, ask the question you have. Take a few more deep breaths and focus on your breathing. If the answer comes, write it down. If not, let go of your question and go about your day. Use this exercise a few times over the next week or so, paying attention to any intuitive thoughts that come through. Write them down.

The answers to your questions are out there. In conjunction with the above exercise, pay attention to the things you hear and the things you see. No idea is a bad one, always write them down.

Once you have collected a few items on your list begin to go through each one to see if it will help you solve your problem. Put a star next to or highlight the ideas you have received that may contribute to solving your problem.

It is important that you write down each idea that comes to you. Some of the ideas you will receive may not make any sense initially but give it time. Once you receive your answer, take your time to put together a plan, using the answer as a way of developing your plan. Once your plan is in place—execute.

This may seem like witchcraft or some weird metaphysical trick, but it works. We are all connected. Someone in the universe has had the same problem you have. Reach out for answers they will come. Just remember the importance of each idea. Do not discount any of them, regardless of how ridiculous they may appear at first.

I believe we are all here in this reality to learn. We are here to learn about ourselves and become self-sufficient beings. It is important to become self-sufficient so you can be able to better serve others. Service is the key to all we are about. Serving others is about making another person’s life just a little easier, but don’t infringe. Help people when they ask, serve people by doing the little things. This service will pay HUGE dividends. Altruism is not self-sacrificing, it is self-building.

Happy hump day!

Until next time…

Dave