Its a matter of perspective

Wherever you are, what you see is a matter of perspective.  Your attitude shapes how you engage the senses, how open you are to intuition, and how tolerant and understanding you are to everything and everyone in your midst.  What happens if you allow something to bother you? Notice whether it becomes utterly forgettable.  When you decide something is valuable, you focus attention and remember. 

If you experience fear, know this is your chosen focus of attention.  If you experience nightmares, this is focusing your attention where you consciously would prefer not to be.  Notice when your focus is on an experience that is stretching you.  How is this serving you right now? What are you willing to experience in this moment?

"I never saw an ugly thing in my life: for let the form of an object be what it may, - light, shade, and perspective will always make it beautiful." - John Constable 

Celebrate yourself

Ever notice how often you celebrate events and people around you? Conditioning invites you to recognize particular days of a calendar year.  This offers reasons to experience intermittent joy based on the external world.  What about the rest of the time? Why not now and forever?

Notice how often you actually celebrate yourself.  What does this feel like? How do you savour the moment and appreciate life? Know you are always worth celebrating.  You need no reason to appreciate and accept the priceless gift of existence. The holiday season comes and goes but you are here in the now.  Be aware of priceless lessons and opportunities to recognize your blessings.

"Celebrate what you want to see more of." - Tom Peters

What does success feel like?

The external world invites us to adopt different visions of success and fulfillment.  Ever notice what drives or motivates you at different stages and seasons of your life? You might respond by describing a particular object you dream of, an envisioned experience, a set of conditions or outcome. But does success always have to be out of reach? What is the deeper message?

Consider the analogy of a young person who just gets a driver's license.  This person is eager and often has a heavy foot, as if always speeding to get somewhere.  You may encounter drivers who appear impatient, are always looking ahead, but never at you, never here, in this moment.  You may begin to see this as a mirror of yourself.  Why chase after success in the future?

Observe what happens as you notice the slower drivers that are no longer in a rush. What happens to stress, anxiety and intense emotions? What are you willing to notice and outgrow? How do you view slower driving behaviour in light of your sense of success? Does speed matter?

Notice what happens as you accept yourself fully. Any pursuit loses significance.  Notice how it feels to savour every moment, and to be aware of why you view success in different ways. Watch the impact of a simple shift of attention. Thoughts and emotions point to what mind does not want you to see. Recognize what you fear/ cling to, what you run from and who you truly are.

"You have reached the pinnacle of success as soon as you become uninterested in money, compliments, or publicity." -Thomas Wolfe

Generation Z & quality of life

Generation Z describes people who grow up connected to the internet and communication technologies.  They have little or no concept of life before digital media and globalization.  You might wonder if they are techno-dependent.  What would you do without your own gadgets?

On the one hand, using technology is proven to simply your life and to facilitate communication in ways  not even imagined previously. Email, fax, SMS, MP3 players, internet chats, video or satellite mobile phones, and iphones are examples.  You hear people rave about convenience, educational apps and strategies to save time. More cutting edge inventions just keep coming.

On the other hand, what about people sitting across the table engaged in using technology rather than each other? One result is young people communicate more using intermediaries such as friends or parents to work out their conflicts.  Boyfriends and girlfriends break up with an SMS or email rather than face an in-person confrontation.  You may notice how techno connections already replace or redefine human interactions. Not everyone is convinced this is a good thing.  

An interesting development with Generation Z is the growing focus on homeschooling.  Here, the rapid expansion and growing access to technology is nurturing self-directedness.  People are realizing they can help others and themselves at the same time.  Maybe you notice that using technology does not have to make you feel separate and alone. Something echoes all is well. 

Rest assured, no matter how much technology exists in your midst, you can always adapt.  You may notice a budding entrepreneurial spirit inside and realize you learn what you require as you go.   Notice the nature of your environment and how you respond to perceived change. What does the mind tell you about resourcefulness and versatility?What is your quality of life? Everything you notice is a pointer to what you are not yet seeing.  Get ready to feel what matters.

"Be a yardstick of quality. Some people aren't used to an environment where excellence is expected." - Steve Jobs

Which messages stand out?

Anytime you are drawn to an individual, you are inviting yourself to learn certain things and unlearn others from this person about yourself.  Which messages stand out ? Who is your inspirational mentor of the moment?  What are they beckoning you to notice or realize that you had not been aware of before?  Every stage of awareness is revealing timeless, inner wisdom.

"I think kids [and everyone, really] should have a mentor and a role model, but that they shouldn't take one person's opinion to be what we call final assessment or judgment about how life is supposed to be."-  Sean Paul