Howdy Pilgrim

Feeling burned out and don't know how to get out of your funk?

Try this - the next time you go on a journey, consider it a pilgrimage. It can be a journey to the store down the street, a holiday trip to the in-laws, or your next vacation.

A pilgrim is typically defined as someone who journeys in foreign lands. What is a more foreign land than your in-laws home?

In order to be a pilgrim, the next time you are out, take the opportunity to keep your mind open to experiencing something - anything - new. It doesn't have to be something huge. Just the fact that you make it a goal to be open to a new experience will change your attitude to be more positive.

How often do we not even see doors that may be open all around us because we were singular in our purpose or had a negative attitude.

Literally, stop and smell the roses.
Donate a dollar to a cause you believe in.
Hold the door open for a fellow human being.
Be open to receiving something positive from the universe.

Let the driver of that other car cut in front of you. If you get upset, he owns you. If you let it slide, you remain in control. Why would you let someone own you over such a petty item. You are better than that. And besides, courtesy is contagious. Spread some courtesy and feel good about yourself for doing so.

Being positive and sending out positive vibes will attract more positives into your life.

Pick one thing to be happy for in your life each morning when you get up and it will start your day on the right note.

Defining your passions?

I assume your first questions is "Why the question mark?", when you were probably hoping I was an expert that could help you define your passions. Well, I can think of two reasons. First I am not an expert and second, I am trying to define my passions right along with everyone else.

Your next question might be "If this guy isn't an expert, why am I still reading this blog?" Hang with me a little longer, and perhaps we'll learn something about ourselves and our passions together. That is what bloggong is about anyway right? Virtual learning right alongside virtual togetherness.

A quote from What Should I Do With My Life by Po Bronson helped me start to explore my passions - "It's okay not to have an answer, but it's not okay to stop looking for one." One of the passions I discovered was the desire to help and encourage others to achieve a higher level of thought and understanding. What can I say? I set lofty goals for myself.

Sometimes in our world today there seems to be a great deal of ignorance. Religious fundamentalists being brainwashed to perform unspeakable acts against fellow human beings, racial prejudice preventing productive dialog among diverse groups, locking oneself in a room and watching nothing but Spongebob Squarepants. I mean Spongebob is pretty hilarious, but he isn't making anyone a rocket scientist. Ignorance unto itself is acceptable, but the lack of interest in educating oneself to overcome that ignorance is not.

If we truly want to explore our passions, we need to take an unselfish path during our journey to reach the ultimate destination. We need to listen to what others have to say about our proposed passions and after taking what they say to heart, we need to respect one another enough to conduct a serious dialog/debate as to our similarities and our differences so that hopefully both parties can walk away enriched and enlightened in some way.

If you are like me, your journey to finding your passions may be fraught with challenges, pitfalls and setbacks. However, if you consider it a pilgrimage, it can also be overflowing with gifts, revelations, and enlightenment.

Life is a journey, my friends, and I hope to meet you along the way. To have the opportunity to hear about your passions and become further enlightened would be my great joy.