Article by Make The Days Contributors Derrick Torrens and Kevin L. DeWitt
One of the positive things about the today’s economy is that it seems to be bringing more people together. Just one small example is the increase in potluck dinners with friends and family so everyone enjoys a wonderful meal while saving money. Smiles seem a little more genuine. When people offer you something there may truly be no strings attached. While many are hurting and we are far from through this recession, we hear story after story of people helping … perhaps bringing out the best during tough times.
This is also a good a time for reflection.
We are Each Better Today Than Yesterday
Unfortunately, with the state of the national economy – and many of our personal economies - many of us tend to hop into our personal time machine to relive the events of this year and year’s past. Often times the unenlightened (I am a card carrying member) focus too easily on yesterday’s pain and disappointment. Our perceived failures, opportunities squandered, goals not met become prevalent thoughts. There should never be a sense of shame when we look back over our lives, but for many of us there is. Outwardly we may put on our “game face,” but we wonder why we aren’t happy and invariably look to our past for a reason … rather than looking to ourselves, right now. Read More »
Article by Make The Days Count Contributor Jennifer Snelling
“The trick to changing my eating habits has been to always give myself a choice.”
We’ve all heard it and maybe even experienced it – “The grass is always greener on the other side.” Also – “We always want what we can’t have.”
Especially in these times when we feel like we need to watch every penny, we find ourselves wanting things but not necessarily needing them. This has always been true of food, where we may have a craving for potato chips but convince ourselves to eat a salad – against our own desires – in order to curb the craving in a healthy way. Read More »
Article by Make The Days Contributor Marie Monroe
“In our Night Sea we forge ourselves and change our worlds forever. In the mornings of our lives we laugh and remember…”
I have a Cuban friend who came to the U.S. when he was 15. From the 2nd generation of his family to live in severe poverty, he says that one night he stood on the beach in his home country thinking that, at 15, he was a man ready to make his own way in the world and to help his family. He talks only rarely about his actual journey to the United States, but says more about his home country, his thoughts and feelings that night on the beach, and how much he misses his family.
One day, at lunch, we sat with 4 other friends around a rectangular table just big enough for the 6 of us. During our conversation about movies and music, he became quiet - unusual for this gregarious, happy man. After a moment he said “the boat I came in was smaller than this table.” Read More »
Article by Make The Days Count Contributor Stefanie Johnson
There are magical places that exist within each one of us, inside our minds, hearts, and souls. By visiting these places, we can tap into the infinite and bring peace and abundance into our lives.
Each journey is unique, as we are unique. So you may want to have a notebook and pen nearby to record your experience afterward. You may choose to have another person read the meditation to you so you may experience it more fully.
Find a comfortable place, close your eyes, open your mind, and prepare yourself to travel within.
This week, let’s explore The Sunlit Beach. On the shores of the Sunlit Beach, you can relax, let your troubles melt away, and escape the gray winter doldrums on the golden sands and crystalline blue tides. Read More »
Article by Make The Days Count Contributor Judy Mosley
Itʼs one of my favorite places. Itʼs one of those body stores where everything smells delicious. And because this one is more earth conscious, it is also pricier. Though I love most of what they sell, I have to really think about what I purchase before I lay down any payment. But in the past few months, I had spent enough to earn myself a free gift and I went to the store to claim my prize. However soon into my experience, I could tell that the sales associate wanted me to bring home more than just my free gift.
Many of us find ourselves in situations where it is difficult to say no. Maybe you’ve been asked to start a ministry with your church. The pressure to fit in with friends or co-workers is causing you to put your finances in a precarious position. Maybe it’s another project at work or it could be a “once-in-a-lifetime” opportunity that may not come again. Or it could be giving that relationship one more try, even though things did not work out the last time.
The trouble is that many of us aren’t even sure if it’s okay to say no. Read More »
