Thanks for reading

February 2nd, 2021

I’m sorry if you came looking for some insightful or thought provoking words from me today. I’ve come to this same page myself tens of thousands of times over the last twenty five or so years, found them to be blank and with the assured help of forces I don’t know how to name, wrote some words that touched me and taught me and I hope at least some of those did the same for you. 

Today, for no special reason, I wanted to thank you. If you sent a few words my way in reply over the years, I thank you. If you never shared a word or a “like” with me, I thank you. 

You see, just knowing you are there, just imagining that my words somehow reached you and made your life a bit better is what keeps the Sundrops coming and for that I thank you.

There have been many days when I wrote, absolutely mesmerized by the words coming forth and hit send and waited for the huge wave of enlightenment that we would all share upon discovering that day’s Sundrops and “crickets”. There were also those days that I thought the words were just okay and my inbox was flooded with announcements that lives were being changed because “this is the best Sundrops ever!”

My dear, wonderful reader I thank you for enjoying Sundrops. I thank you for making me feel guilty if I don’t write. I thank you for drawing forth words that help us all. I thank you for who you are. 

We are connected because I write and you read but most of all we are connected because we love and that’s the best part of both you and I. 

​​​​​​​Love the Light Within. Patrick

Sundrops On Life -Better Thoughts. Better Days.

2021, Patrick McBride 

 www.PatrickInspires.com

Facebook – Sundrops On Life
Twitter-@Patrickinspires

 

Faith in Mississippi

December 31st, 2020

It was the fall of 1969 and freshly discharged from the Marines, I decided to really see this country. I would drive for two months and never go on a highway so I could see two lane America. 

One Sunday morning I was driving through Mississippi and I was hungry but being Sunday morning not much was open. Windows open to the cool fall air, I suddenly smelled something delicious. When I got to the top of the hill I found one of those BBQ stands that you know will be either the best thing you ever ate in your life or a terrible memory of gastric distress. Hunger won out and I pulled in.

An elderly man with an apron that had seen better days assured me that he was open and I took a seat at an old, outdoor wooden picnic table. I was facing down the hill I had just drove up when I spotted a figure walking up the hill. He or she wasn’t there when I drove up or I would have saved them the walk up that long hill.

The owner of the joint came over and asked what I liked and I said everything and he said he would fix me his everything plate.

I looked out over the trees that were a bit past their prime of fall colors but still absolutely beautiful. It felt good to be here, filled with the excitement of the road ahead and having no deadlines. The air itself was alive that morning.

The lonely figure walking up the hill was getting closer and I admired their fitness level. I thought to myself that they must be one of those country people that just vibrates with years of outdoor work.

About that time the man came to my table with a plate of meat that could feed four men and then returned with a big bowl of beans and a big basket of biscuits. Did he think I was expecting several guests? “No” he said. “Just eat what you can and I’ll wrap up the rest for your journey”. I nodded and stuffed my mouth with some of the best tasting food of my life. 

After several mouth watering bites, I looked up and saw that the lone figure coming up the hill was now merely yards away. To my great astonishment it was a elderly black woman wearing a hat with a net thing covering part of her face, a short black jacket, long black dress and sturdy looking black shoes, a shiny black purse and what looked to be a very worn bible under her arm and a ramrod straight posture and she was smiling.

“Good Morning Miss Mabel” the cook said in a loud voice. Surprisingly the woman shouted back with an equally loud voice that belied her age and said “Good Morning Sir!”

As she drew closer but not slowing down, he said “Beautiful Morning!” and she smiled even brighter and said “It’s the very best time of my life. I’ve been back to the doctor this week and he said my cancer is growing more rapidly then he thought and he advised me that I no longer have six months to a year but”, and incredibly she smiled even brighter and continued “he said I only have a month or two until I see my sweet, sweet Jesus! My prayers have been answered and my Jesus wants to see me as much as I want to see him. Yes, indeed, it is a beautiful morning sir! ” And with those words she started down the other side of the hill. 

​​​​​I had stopped chewing and my mouth fell open at her words. I was in shock. I couldn’t move. What had just happened was impossible for me to process.

It was then that the elderly gentleman turned to me and wiping his hands on his well worn apron and then  pointing to her back as she walked away said ” Son, that right there is faith”. 

​​​​​​​All these years later I still remember every second of that Sunday morning exchange between those two people. Never again would I question if faith was real.

I tell you this story today because this is what I wish for you in this coming new year. I want you to have faith in someone or something that is so strong and invincible that darkness will refuse to knock on your door. I want you to smile in adversity. I want you to walk with purpose. I want you to love your life, all of it, the good, the bad and the ugly. I want you to shine your light on every day and know that loving is the golden key to all you search for in this world. And most of all I want you to Love the Light Within and live every moment with faith. 

Thank you and Happy New Year!

Love and Blessings, Patrick

Sundrops On Life -Better Thoughts. Better Days.

2020, Patrick McBride 

 www.PatrickInspires.com

Facebook – Sundrops On Life
Twitter-@Patrickinspires

 

Bird Cage Liners

October 5th, 2020

Maybe you are upset about how little you have accomplished with all the free time you have had. Maybe you feel like just curling up under the covers and enjoying the comfy solitude but when you do it doesn’t feel comfy. It still feels like there is something you should be doing or creating or at least contemplating. Something seems to be influencing you. What is it?

Your thoughts are all about the Covid and the election and the unfairness of life in general. You observe the hate and the stupidity and the loss and yet condemning the hate and loss and stupidity doesn’t make you feel better. There seems to be something influencing you. What is it?

Close your eyes and with or without any religious influence, imagine an altar in front of you. You can imagine it to be any size, shape or significance. Now stretch your imagination a little further and imagine on that altar there is a picture of the thing, person or object that influences you the most. What is it? It’s the answer.

And the answer is–  the headlines. You and most but not all of the people in this world have a really bad case of headline-itis. Your day is made better or worse by the headlines. Maybe it’s the political headlines or the financial headlines or even the sports headlines. Whatever it is it determines your mood, your outlook and your level of optimism.

We look to the headlines to determine our day, our thought patterns, who we can talk to about it and who we shouldn’t. We have become blind and deaf to the reality around us. The reality is that our lives are untouched and unfazed by most headlines but that doesn’t stop us from wrapping a whole bunch of drama around it and claiming it to be ours. 

The most important headlines are “YOU ARE LOVED” “YOU ARE OKAY” YOU ARE ALIVE AND YOUR POSSIBILITIES ARE UNLIMITED”. You won’t see these headlines in any newspaper but they are a fact. 

Take a break from the news. If it’s really important it will find you. Take a break from the news and double down on your gratitude. Take a break from the news and double down on your inner work. Take a break from the news and double down on who and what you love. 

​​​​​​​Yesterday’s news is today’s birdcage liner. But yesterday’s beauty and wonder and love are still today’s beauty and wonder and love. Be kind to you. Feed yourself that which brings out the best in you. You deserve the best. 

Sundrops On Life -Better Thoughts. Better Days.
2020, Patrick McBride 

 www.PatrickInspires.com

Facebook – Sundrops On Life
Twitter-@Patrickinspires

 

Your Foundation

July 17th, 2020

You are getting tired of living in a world that seems to lose more light every day. You don’t know where to go or what steps to take. All you know is that you want change. You want to build a brighter life. What can you do? 

If you want to build something new, that’s great. If you want to use your imagination to dream what it will be like, that’s great too but if you want to build anything from an outhouse to a skyscraper the first step is mandatory and the first step is you must put in the proper foundation. 

What does your foundation look like now? How’s your health? How’s your exercise and eating habits? How’s your energy levels? What can you do to raise them for the change you want to experience? What do you believe in? How would you rate your Divine connection? Is your anger and criticism under control?

Can you go into stillness anytime you wish? Can you ask questions of life and be still long enough to hear the answers?What is your typical level of joy? How kind are you to you? Are your thoughts of your past a help or a hindrance? Can you let go of who and what no longer brings you joy?

Before cement is laid for any foundation there are blueprints and before there are blueprints there are questions. If you want to change, if you want to build anything the questions need to be asked and answered first.

In both troubled times and calm times, you are evolving and growing. Every experience is adding to your wisdom and to your ability to help someone else get out of the quicksand you escaped. And therein lies the key to it all. You need to get better, be better, think and act better so that you may help others. Maybe they are friends and family. Maybe they are complete strangers but one this is for sure – you can help. 

Take care of you first. Ask and answer these questions and a dozen more. Make the changes that you know you have needed to make and then look around and see who can benefit from your newfound strength and awareness. The world, yes the whole world, becomes brighter when you do. 

Sundrops On Life -Better Thoughts. Better Days.
2020, Patrick McBride 

 www.PatrickInspires.com

Facebook – Sundrops On Life
Twitter-@Patrickinspires

 

FOAS

January 17th, 2020

FOAS is one of the main reasons that we stress out. Every bit of news, music, history, etc., etc., etc., whispers to us that we need to know all about them.

Fear Of Appearing Stupid starts early in life –  “You didn’t know that? Even your baby brother knows that!!”.

And it never stops. 

​​​​​​​Elementary School -“You don’t know where Egypt is on a map?”
Middle School – “You never heard of the Bjbvle Band?”
High School – “You didn’t know about Mr. Jenn?”
College- “You never did XYZ or ZYX?”

The rest of your life… Just like school.

No one wants to be humiliated and no one handles humiliation well and so we try, unsuccessfully, to know a little bit about many things until we are so burdened with so many bits of information that we stress that some of it may be (horrors!) outdated. 

OR

We just stop being around certain people like the people who we think know more than we do or the people who we think that they think we are stupid or the people who quiz us just to find our weakness and pretty soon…most people.

We say we are introverted. We say we are lonely. In reality we are just scared and afraid of FOAS. 

So, what do we do? Hang around less intelligent people so we can appear smart by comparison? Hang around with people who are so impaired with alcohol or drugs that judgements fade quickly with shortened attention spans?

Maybe we get really passionate about one thing and hang around with like minds and collectively criticize all who are not us? 

OR…

We get strong. We get humble. ( One of my teachers always said no one can humiliate a humble person). We see the insecurity in the know-it-alls and let it be. 

We pursue and learn only those things that enhance our life and dreams. We learn the power of ignoring certain people. We learn to laugh at those who would laugh at us. We hold ourselves in high esteem for who we have become. We stay learners but we selectively learn. 

We learn to control our insecurities (we all have them) and we welcome constructive criticism. We embrace this life. We constantly adjust the way we think. We know that FOAS has everything to do with our ego and nothing to do with our self worth. And we smile.

Sundrops On Life -Better Thoughts. Better Days.
(c)2020 All Rights Reserved, Patrick McBride 

 www.PatrickInspires.com

Facebook – Sundrops On Life

 

Wake up

January 6th, 2020

Some time in your past you set an alarm for the year 2020. It went off a couple of days ago and you hit the snooze button a few times.

Finally you opened your eyes and looked around and said “Are you kidding me?”. And you tried to go back to sleep but you couldn’t.

Something inside of you knew you had set that alarm for a very good reason and you just had to wake up even though you very badly wanted to whisper “Just five more years” and go back to sleep.

Up until now you had been dreaming about the good life. A life that was free of suffering, loss and anxiety. Everyone you came into contact with had come to their senses and agreed with you on everything.

But now you are sitting on the edge of the bed, looking around and it appears to be absolutely nothing like your dreams.

You are feeling more than a bit grouchy. You have been plucked out of eden and placed in some kind of a bad movie. 

But have you?

Yes, the alarm went off and like all alarms it signaled that it was time to stop sleeping and get to work. What you see when you look around now is not a bad movie but work that needs to be done.

“But there’s no security here. I could be gone at any time” you say.

Correct! And that’s why time is of the essence. 

” But, but where do I start?” you ask.

Right where you are.

“On the edge of the bed?”

Exactly! Get your head and your heart in alignment before you take a step. Wisdom and compassion are a powerful combination.

“But I don’t want to. I want to go back to sleep”.

Not possible. You are waking up and everything, including you, is going forward not backward.

“But what am I supposed to do? No one told me anything.”

No one has to tell you. Your spirit has all the directions. All you have to do is trust. 

“But I want to be in charge of my life!” 

You absolutely are. Just follow your spirit and not your ego. 

“How do I know the difference?”

Your ego puts you first and your spirit puts your work first.

“What’s my work?” 

To love.

“Like Valentine’s Day?”

No. Like every day. 
Your work is to Love yourself by taking care of yourself.
Your work is to create a loving environment in your home and everywhere you are.
Your work is to be a positive, uplifting example. 
Your work is to stop judging without criticizing others who judge.
Your work is to seek to understand.
Your work is to always choose the better thoughts.

” OMG! That’s a ton of work!”

Yes it is. Now get your butt out of bed and start. 
I’ll make the coffee. 

Sundrops On Life -Better Thoughts. Better Days.
(c)2020 All Rights Reserved, Patrick McBride 

 www.PatrickInspires.com

Facebook – Sundrops On Life

 

Thanksgiving

November 28th, 2019

You will hear it and read it all day today. In fact, you probably have heard it and read it for a day or two already. It starts out as a small reminder and then today it builds to a crescendo. Be Thankful!  

While not everything in our life is changeable, there is so very much that is. Only some of us can change where they live or work but every one of us can change the way we react.

For more people than you can imagine, Thanksgiving is an anxiety producing event. There are people who will judge them, people who will make fun of them, people who will laud their own accomplishments over them. They will be put under a microscope and judged critically. 

My wonderful Nanny Peg, my grandmother and greatest guru, would always remind me  to “Consider the source” every time I was knocked aback by some comment. She would also remind me time after time that ” This too shall pass” and whether I carried it with me or let it go was totally up to me and no one else. 

I am very grateful today and I know that I will probably witness judgement today but I promise myself that I won’t be adding to it. I will look at each person today as if seeing them for the first time. I will not expect the same behavior from them but if they should act in the same way, I will be grateful that I have the ability to let it go.

Today will be a day of gratitude for me and I will choose to keep it bright and loving. Everything else will pass and I will take with me only the memories that brought joy to my heart.

Happy Thanksgiving to all. Stand tall not small. You got this. 

Sundrops On Life -Better Thoughts. Better Days.
(c)2019 All Rights Reserved, Patrick McBride 

 www.PatrickInspires.com

Facebook – Sundrops On Life

 

Tomorrow you blaze

November 11th, 2019

You made a mistake and they laughed at you. You tried to be cool and it backfired on you. You thought of a really clever reply to a cruel taunt but it was two hours after it happened.

You bragged about being someone you are not and they found out the truth. You said “I love you” and didn’t hear it back.

These and a hundred more like it forced you to go on the defensive. You built walls around you. You took no chances so you made few mistakes. Years past and you stayed in the trenches with your head down. They can’t laugh at you if they never see you. 

Then the very worst happened. You hid your light. 

You always knew you had it. You knew that one day when you were safe, secure and in the right company you would let your light shine. 

​​​​​​​But that day never came and that bright light of yours got tucked away and rarely thought of again.

Thankfully that was your past but it sure as hell isn’t your future because your time has come. Today, right now, you have the ability to change your life and to change the way you see your world.

You have been deeply but not irrevocably controlled by your past. You are still allowing the voices of the past, your parents, teachers and bullies, to determine how you live your life each and every day. Today you say “No More!”. Today you begin to shine.

​​​​​​​When you give yourself permission to shine it doesn’t look like an atomic flash. No, it starts out as a smile only you can see. Then it becomes a little less dark inside and then your light starts seeping into the dusty catacombs of your past and it lights up a row of old tape recordings that have been playing in a loop for years. 

There’s one that plays “you are not good enough” over and over again. Another plays “you don’t look good enough” and yet another plays “no love for you” . There are dozens. All perpetually playing. 

With your light shining you can now see that there is a dusty, never used, off switch on each one. Imagine walking by each one and flipping that switch until they go silent and there is only your light and your voice. That can be today.

Your light is dazzling. Your light is your love. They are one and the same. Use your imagination. Turn off the voices that no longer matter. Use your imagination. Imagine a better life for you. Use your imagination because absolutely everything in your life starts there. 

Today you shine a little. Tomorrow you blaze.
 

Sundrops On Life -Better Thoughts. Better Days.
(c)2019 All Rights Reserved, Patrick McBride 

 www.PatrickInspires.com

Facebook – Sundrops On Life

 

Precious day

October 17th, 2019

We whip the steed that moves our life forward. “On to the weekend!”, “On to the holidays!”, “On to warmer/cooler weather!”, “On to our cherished vacation!” Faster and faster we beg him to go. 

We cover our ears to the faceless pleas to slow down. We steal the blinders from our racing steed and put them on our head to save us from the distractions of the mundane days passing by. We are headed to more joy and happiness.

And then quite suddenly the trusty steed disappears and all comes to a halt and even another small step is not granted. We still see the cherished prizes in the distance but they are not as close nor as vivid as they once seemed.

When the realization of what has happened comes upon us, we look backward and wish with all of our might that we could trade this day for any of those we raced mindlessly through.

Know that each and every one of our days is precious and filled with possibilities. Each one is important and not mundane. If they seem to be it is our error that we did not walk slowly into them with open eyes, open hearts and open arms. Each of our days is made up of moments and the most important one is always the present one. 

Only in this moment can the words be said, the letters written, the hand held and the kiss given and received. Only right now can we be assured of not dismissing this day as being irrelevant. It is done by being mindful of its existence.

The future will have wonders and joy and miracles. There will be laughter and comfy beds and delicious foods. There will be  surprises and there will be many things to thrill each of your senses over and over again. There will be love.

Have goals, desires and wants for your future days but never forget today. Today, right now whether you believe it or not, you have it all. Gratitude is just a realization of that truth. Enjoy.

Sundrops On Life -Better Thoughts. Better Days.
(c)2019 All Rights Reserved, Patrick McBride 

 www.PatrickInspires.com

Facebook – Sundrops On Life

 

Step Five

September 30th, 2019

Step Five – 

Depending upon where you are in life, Step Five may be the most important. If you get this one right, most of the other steps are benefited too.

Step Five is LOVE.
 
Love has all kinds of interpretations and all kinds of problems and baggage attached to it. It is a huge subject that has filled libraries with books, galleries with art and battlefields with bodies.

There are as many interpretations of love as there are people. However, there is one kind of love that is common to most and it is the most important to understand. It is the love of self.

You can have the best home life, the best education and the best looks but if you don’t love yourself what good is it? Everybody can think you are the greatest and they all want to be you but if you don’t love yourself none of this matters.

Loving yourself is THE most important action you can take.
​​​​​​​How do you love yourself? Do you just wrap your arms around yourself and give it a great big hug? Do you go out and buy yourself some exotic trip or shiny object that makes you feel good for a short while? Do you blow kisses to the mirror?

None of the above. There is one and only one way to love yourself. You love yourself by choosing what thoughts you consistently dwell upon.

No one can stop random thoughts, good or bad, from entering their mind but everyone has the choice to either continue dwelling on thoughts that feel bad or to change the channel and think a different thought.

Ask yourself from time to time “how am I feeling?”. If you are feeling fine, carry on. If you are not feeling fine, take a look at what you have been thinking about. Have you been building yourself up? Have you been putting a positive spin on your plans for the future? That’s love. Or have you been criticizing yourself for something in your past for the umpteenth time or maybe harshly judging the way you look? That’s not love.

How do you know if you are loving yourself or just being selfish? That’s easy. If you find yourself without empathy for other people you are being selfish.

Loving yourself or not loving yourself determines most of the relationships you have. If you don’t love yourself you are going to try very hard to love someone else in the hopes that they will give you back the love you couldn’t give to yourself. It’s a gamble with worse odds than a casino.

Loving yourself means making choices that benefit you and do not harm you. Loving yourself means resting when you need to rest. Loving yourself means constantly being your own cheerleader. Loving yourself means severing any contact with toxic people. 

Remember, no one on this planet should be allowed to belittle you. Not even you. 

Sundrops On Life -Better Thoughts. Better Days.