January 26th, 2015
What are you hot for? We’re not talking hot flashes or ambient temperature here. We are talking about what you feel inside. We are talking about, in other words, what are you passionate about?
We all have daily rituals and to do lists. We constantly deal with the mundane and predictable. The question is, what do we think about while doing them? It is what we think about during these tasks that is going to determine our energy level, our happiness quotient, our positivity.
If you are doing a mundane, has to be done, task and thinking about how boring and meaningless it is in the long run and how your life is ebbing away while everyone else is partying like it’s New Year’s Eve every day, you are not going to feel creative or loving or energized. Your immune system and your relationship with everyone including yourself will suffer.
Kick worry and boredom to the curb. Instead, think about puppies and kittens and babies or maybe Gatsby style yachts and global jetsetting or maybe your quilting or golfing or gardening or gospel or music or yoga.
Find what floats your boat, what puts a sparkle in your eye, what you are hot for and hold on to that like an overboard sailor on a life preserver.
This is a world that provides you with an infinite number of things to think about each day and your thoughts can reward you or punish you so choose wisely. Your life is and always will be greatly influenced by the thoughts you repeatedly think. Think about that.
(c)2015 All Rights Reserved, Patrick McBride
www.PatrickInspires.com
Facebook – Sundrops On Life
December 8th, 2014
How strong are you? Well, let’s see. You made it through your birth. That was no small feat. You made it through the first three years of your life. That included some scary moments but you made it. You left the daily security of home and ventured out into the world to school and to interactions with total strangers and you got stronger.
You fell in love and got your heart broken and you kept going. You wanted some things so badly that you thought you would die if you didn’t get them. You didn’t get them and you didn’t die. You got stronger.
You got sick and it changed the way you looked at life. You lost friends and relatives. Some because they left your life and some because they left this life. You cried and thought your world wouldn’t go on but it did. You got stronger.
You learned many things and believed many things and defended many things and then changed your mind. You got betrayed and lied to and you got weak for a bit but then you got even stronger.
You finally understood that loving yourself and being kind to yourself and forgiving yourself were the keys to being happy. It wasn’t really about anyone or anything else and you got a lot stronger.
How strong are you? You are stronger than you were in all of your yesterdays and now you are strong enough to help others find their strength. That’s really strong!
(c)2014 All Rights Reserved, Patrick McBride
www.PatrickInspires.com
Facebook – Sundrops On Life
December 1st, 2014
It suddenly starts raining while you are walking. What do you do? You run out of money before payday. What do you do? You lose a friend you thought you would have forever. What do you do?
The answer to all three questions is the same. You adapt. That’s right, whatever happens in your life whether it is expected or not, you will adapt. Sometimes it is easy and sometimes it is the hardest thing in this world but always, you adapt.
You are not a fragile creature. You are never without options and resources. You can never be broken. You may sometimes feel that circumstances have crushed you but you always come back even stronger. It’s true. Look back at your life, it is an amazing story of resilience and of adapting.
You may fear a coming obstacle but that is only because you have forgotten who you truly are. When you were growing up you feared that there were obstacles out there that would defeat you. Now you have lived and learned and you know that nothing can defeat you. You will always adapt. You will always make the best of every situation. You will always thrive no matter what. You are unbreakable.
(c)2014 All Rights Reserved, Patrick McBride
www.PatrickInspires.com
Facebook – Sundrops On Life
November 24th, 2014
Where are your Thanks? Where are the Thank You’s for all that you have done? Where is the recognition for all your sacrifices? Where are the accolades for all the times you put others needs ahead of your own?
Firstly, let’s be honest. All the times you have sacrificed, gone without, given of yourself, you did it because you didn’t have a choice. Your heart convinced you that it was the right thing to do and you acted upon that. You knew that giving of yourself was the only option and it most cases nobody else could have done it better. You gave because you cared.
Secondly, you are a lover. That is, you hold love as the most important thing in this world and you realize that if you don’t give of yourself, the world becomes a little less loving and that’s not a world you want to create if you can help it.
Thirdly, you’re a good person, a very good person. You feel for the suffering of others. I mean you really, really feel for the suffering of others, people, pets, wild creatures, etc. Oh, you might be the toughest, hardest case around but inside you love, you care, you want to alleviate suffering and increase happiness in others.
Where’s your Thanks? It’s in the way someone raises their children because of you. It’s the dog or cat that gets rescued because of your example. It’s the second chance that someone gives because you gave them one. It’s in the child who becomes a parent and suddenly understands the choices you made. It’s the kindness shown to a stranger because they were a stranger to you when you helped.
If you’ve been waiting for a Thank You for all you have done, here it is. THANK YOU for everything. THANK YOU for the kind words, the money, your presence, your touch. THANK YOU for making our world a little brighter, a little funnier, a lot more loving. Thank you for your sacrifices. They made a difference then and they will continue to for a very long time. THANK YOU.
(c)2014 All Rights Reserved, Patrick McBride
www.PatrickInspires.com
Facebook – Sundrops On Life
November 17th, 2014
We all have an Achilles ankle. We all have some Kryptonite that shows up every now and then and takes away our super powers. We all can be hurt. We all can be overwhelmed with sadness, anxiety and pain.
Knowing that everyone is in the same position doesn’t make it one iota easier to handle when we feel bad. If we live long enough we find out that we can’t sidestep every single upset. We are going to get walloped every now and then in this life. What can we do? Just grin and bear it? NO!
There is a force within us, every single one of us, no exceptions, that is powerful beyond belief. Being in touch with this force is the key to life. This is the force that takes over when a crisis happens and we suddenly act faster than we can think. This is the force that holds our tongue or allows it to speak the perfect words. This is the force that whispers through our tears that yes, we can survive. This is the force that brings us to prayer or meditation or chanting when they weren’t options we were considering. This is the force that comforts us when no one is around.
That force is inside of each and every one of us and life’s greatest journey is the one that takes us to that realization. You are more powerful than you can ever imagine. A Ferrari is a powerful car but if we were not aware that it had more than its first gear we would be disappointed. Don’t be disappointed with life or with what life is bringing to you. Shift higher. Shift to more power. Shift to thoughts of of greater possibilities. Shift to a better attitude.
You understood the power of being an adult when you were young. Seize that power now. See the possibilities of a fresh, new beginning. Use the force within you to change your perspective. The force isn’t an addition to you. It is you.
(c)2014 All Rights Reserved, Patrick McBride
www.PatrickInspires.com
Facebook – Sundrops On Life
November 10th, 2014
What is important to you today? You know precisely what is important in your life and you could easily recite a list of those things that are most important to you. Family, God, character, the list is individual and extensive. These are the things that are your foundation, near and dear to your heart. They are essentially who you are.
But what is important to you today? Are your most important items important today? Or is the news, the amount you slept, who did what to who, getting through another week, chores, to do lists, are these what is important today?
Every moment of every day you can focus on your highest thoughts or your lowest. You can focus on your blessings, your gratitude for all that has sustained you through good times and bad or you can focus on the mundane, the transitory.
When you put your head on your pillow tonight, the choices you made this day will become quite clear. You will rest with a mind that is at ease and a smile on your lips or you will let the trivialities that you focused on this day pester you all night.
Let whatever is important to you be important not just in moments of reflection but in every conscious moment. Let those things that define your life be the focus of your life. Live for that which elevates you and you truly live. You will never regret choosing a better thought.
(c)2014 All Rights Reserved, Patrick McBride
www.PatrickInspires.com
Facebook – Sundrops On Life
November 3rd, 2014
Umhmm, enhnnn, grunt. This is not just random gibberish. These are the sounds of the death of a relationship. These are what Oh yes, No thanks, That sounds good, used to sound like before you started taking the other person for granted.
Believing that your relationship requires so little to keep it going, you may come to a time in your relationship when you think that a mere grunt will suffice for communication. Would you even be in this relationship if you communicated the way you do now when the relationship was beginning? Of course not.
We are not just talking about significant others here. We are talking about everyone you interact with in any way. Isn’t a child worthy of a word instead of a grunt? Isn’t a friend worthy of your vocabulary? Isn’t a stranger owed a complete sentence?
We hear all the time about being present, about being loving, about caring. All of these things are born of communication. You know how to communicate. You are blessed with language and understanding. Are you hiding these talents under a bushel basket?
The day will come for each and every one of us when no more words will come from our lips. Between now and then when we have the chance, let us use the beautiful words that we have learned. Let us echo the love we have in our hearts with the words that come out of our mouths. Let the people in our life, especially the ones we love, know that we will take the time to express our answers in a loving and present way without exception. Let your words repeatedly confirm that you will never take them for granted.
(c)2014 All Rights Reserved, Patrick McBride
www.PatrickInspires.com
Facebook – Sundrops On Life
October 27th, 2014
What if tomorrow started the absolute best time of your life? Not Annie’s “The sun will come out tomorrow” tomorrow but the actual day after this one. The one that starts tonight at midnight.
I know, we’ve all been told to live in the present and I’m not rebelling against that. In fact I’m all for it. I want you to be in this moment preparing for the beginning of the rest of your life starting tomorrow.
What could you do tomorrow that would change your life for the better? Would you start meditating, exercising, dancing, scuba diving, knitting or any one of an infinite number of activities? Would you be happy and positive regardless of what’s going on?
Would you wake up preplanned to love yourself, to see yourself in a better light, to start anew? Would you give yourself another chance tomorrow? Would you put on your warrior, monk, philanthropist, student, teacher or lover mask and wear it until it becomes you?
Let’s face it. You and I have already judged today and found it wanting in certain areas. We know we could do better. Tomorrow, the greatest opportunity so far will present itself. The opportunity to be a better you, a more grateful you.
Tomorrow will be a lot like today or it will be a golden, multicolored, symphonic start to the rest of your life. Can you wake up tomorrow without complaints, without regrets, without frustration or agitation? Can you wake up starting to be the person you always wanted to be? The answer is a gigantic YES I CAN!
Everything that comes into being has a start. A better you can’t happen without a start. Tomorrow is your chance to wake up and start. If not tomorrow, when? Go for it!
(c)2014 All Rights Reserved, Patrick McBride
www.PatrickInspires.com
Facebook – Sundrops On Life
October 20th, 2014
You are going to get sick!
Yes, and you are going to get depressed and worried and upset. You are going to have your heart broken and you are going to cry and feel like you are at the end of your rope.
Some people think that if you meditate enough and exercise enough and eat enough of the right foods and read the right books you will somehow be immune from all of the above. That is self deception.
All of life is not a day at the beach. If it were you would only learn to handle a day at the beach and nothing more. Life is messy and hurtful at times for everyone, no exceptions. Meditating and exercising and eating and reading right does not make you immune from life’s travails but it makes the time between travails absolutely wonderful. Like a boxer resting between rounds, taking care of yourself between times of adversity is the best way to enjoy life.
When the inevitable troubles come, you want to be at your best, fully rested, brimming with health and clarity, top of your game. That way you are an asset to yourself and all those you wish to help. If you are sick, upset or down, do everything possible to bring yourself back to or as close to optimum as you can. Make you the priority. Make you the priority. (Written twice for emphasis!)
If all is well in most areas of your health and clarity, first, thank God for such a blessing and secondly, use all of your resources to take your health and clarity to the highest level possible. Remember, every phase of everyone’s life has peaks and valleys. That’s life. Celebrate the good times. Power through the not so good times.
(c)2014 All Rights Reserved, Patrick McBride
www.PatrickInspires.com
Facebook – Sundrops On Life
October 13th, 2014
Two words that automatically initiate action are “It’s time”. When you tell yourself it’s time to eat, you get something to eat. When you tell yourself it’s time to sleep, you get ready for bed. “It’s time” always lights the fuse that leads to immediate action.
None of us know how much time we have left on this earth so with that in mind, it’s time to make the changes you have been putting off. We all have those things in our life that we know we need to change but it always seems that it’s just never the right time. So when is the right time?
Today is the youngest you will be for the rest of your life. Now is the time to take that next step. It’s time to stop putting up with certain things. It’s time to live better, be happier, feel stronger. It’s time to walk the scary part of your path. It’s time to put yourself first. It’s time to be proud of all that you have overcome. It’s time to demand better. It’s time.
If the boat you are on isn’t going where you want it to or isn’t moving at all, it’s time to rock the boat. It’s time to stop walking on eggshells. It’s time to stomp on them. It’s time to be more. It’s time to merge compassion and strength. It’s time to take a chance. It’s time to look in a different direction. It’s time to be respected. It’s time to throw down the gauntlet in the face of your fears and demand that the fears step aside.
Now is a beautiful time. It is the only time when changes can be made. The past is written in cement and hardened. The future may or may not come to pass. Right now you stand in the epicenter of possibilities. Take a step now even if it is a small one and never look back. Go for it. It’s time.
(c)2014 All Rights Reserved, Patrick McBride
www.PatrickInspires.com
Facebook – Sundrops On Life