priceless

February 20th, 2017

Many of us buy a lottery ticket once in a while and daydream about having a great deal of money. For one dollar we get to imagine helping people in more ways than we are capable of doing right now. We get to imagine building and traveling and gifting on an immense scale. For one dollar we are the star and the lead in our own movie.

While dreaming big is a delicious flight of fancy, sometimes we tend to forget the priceless happiness in the smaller things in life. How about thinking about someone you love who has passed and while you are imagining that person, a butterfly comes close and gets your attention – priceless. 

How about the feeling when a small child notices your presence and quickly smiles and with raised arms begs you to pick them up and hug them – priceless. How about that time that you were just absently looking at the night sky and suddenly a shooting star appeared – priceless.

How about the taste of a certain food that only one relative could perfectly create every time – priceless. How about clean sheets, cool pillows, hot showers, clean cool water when you are thirsty, a stunning view after a beautiful climb, a long hug from someone you love, a great night’s sleep, the smell of someone you love, your favorite song, loving on your pet, feeling good without a reason, a great cup of tea, a sweet memory, a laugh that makes you laugh, a soft breeze, the sound of the ocean, the flames of a campfire, your bed after a long day, a smile from a stranger, dancing until you are the music, holding hands, the middle of a great book, a kiss from a child – each one of these and many, many, many, more – priceless.

Yes, it would be a trip to have a large sum of money but let us never forget the small, priceless joys and memories that fill our life. Let us spend more time focusing on what is right, beautiful and priceless in our life. Let us remember to remind each other and to be grateful when we are reminded of the good things in life. They are always, always there.

Sundrops On Life -Better Thoughts. Better Days.

 Patrick McBride 
 www.PatrickInspires.com

 
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A plan

February 13th, 2017

We were out feeding the homeless one day and when you are engaged with that part of our community no two days are ever the same because the actions and reactions vary greatly from one person to the next. Anyway, every now and then something is said that is up there with the sayings of the great philosophers. 

For instance, one day I was handing out small bars of hotel soap that had been donated to us and Moses Green, a regular, took the bar with a giant grin and said “Right now I would rather have this than a bar of gold” and I said “Moses, with a bar of gold you could buy a truck full of soap” and he replied “Patrick, where is a dirty, homeless person going to sell a bar of gold? You have to understand that the way you are dressed is the way you are treated”. Priceless

This particular day we were handing out food and a very disheveled gentleman who had been carrying on a passionate conversation with no one in particular, took the food I was offering and after staring silently at me for a few moments and deeming me worthy of his advice, said “Do you know why I am on the street? Why in fact most of us are out here?” and without waiting for my reply he said ” I didn’t have money or a job or any help and that was like having leaks in my boat but the thing that actually sunk my boat was that I didn’t have a plan. A plan is what keeps you going man, gives you hope. A plan can always be altered and improved but you know what? If you ain’t got a plan you got nothing and nothing can’t be altered or improved. If you don’t want to end up nowhere, you gotta have a plan, man!” He turned around and restarted his passionate conversation with no one in particular and walked away.

I never knew his name or saw him again but I thank that philosopher in baggy clothes quite often. Whenever things don’t work out the way I wanted, instead of fretting and complaining, my first inclination thanks to this gentleman, is to ask myself “Okay, this didn’t work out the way I wanted so how do I alter my plan or come up with a new plan?”. 

Whenever I feel adrift or unproductive, instead of analyzing every thought and action and finding fault or laying blame (all the while accomplishing absolutely nothing), I get right to work on my overall plan and alter it if I can or if I can’t, I come up with a new plan as quickly as possible and then with map in hand I can move forward again. Like I heard on East Lancaster, “If you don’t want to end up nowhere, you gotta have a plan, man!”

Sundrops On Life -Better Thoughts. Better Days.

 Patrick McBride 
 www.PatrickInspires.com

 
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Relationships

February 6th, 2017

Is this relationship worth it? All throughout our life we are in relationships. We have relationships with people, companies, governments, etc. Today, let’s talk about our people relationships. 

Whether we are in a work, friend or significant other relationship with another person there are constantly millions of dynamics at work. Sometimes they work seamlessly and sometimes they don’t. When they do, it’s a little slice of heaven. When they don’t, the upsets can be catastrophic to your well being on every level. 

If you are going to walk away every time a relationship upsets you, you are going to have an infinite number of very, very short relationships and you will never know the joy of a deep, give and take relationship. However, if you are going to put up with upsets let’s have some rules.

Rule#1- Physical violence or even the threat of physical violence is instant termination, no warning necessary.

Rule#2- Bullying, verbal abuse, outright or in the guise of “I was only joking”, instant termination after one and only one warning.

Rule#3- Being drunk or high is never an excusable reason for treating you badly. Instant termination after one warning unless rule #1 is breached than no warning is due.

Rule#4- You don’t have permission to be a jerk because they are a jerk.

Rule#5- You may be real, real close but you are not them and they are not you.

Rule#6- People change. That includes you.

Rule#7- Sometimes it is nothing in particular. It is just time to move on.

Rule#8- NEVER count on changing someone else! You will never get a cat to bark and trying only frustrates you and pisses off the cat.

Rule#9- When it is really LOVE, you won’t have to talk yourself into it.

 Don’t expect or, heaven’s forbid, demand perfection in a relationship and remember that all relationships should be beneficial to both people. One-sided relationships are awful. If it’s good, enjoy every moment. Who knows, it could last a lifetime. If it’s bad, don’t wait too long to jump overboard. It is never a good idea to go down with the ship.

Review your relations every now and then to make sure that you haven’t gotten too comfortable with less than you deserve. Reviewing also helps to know if you are getting lazy and taking the other person for granted. Ask yourself often “Am I loving and present to my full potential?” and “Is our relationship as good as it can be?” and “How can I be better at this?”.

Relationships are everything you can imagine and so much more. Be realistic about your role and what you want in the other person. Be as loving, caring and supportive as you can be all the time and never, ever, ever expect the cat to bark.  

    

Sundrops On Life -Better Thoughts. Better Days.

 Patrick McBride 
 www.PatrickInspires.com

 
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