Extreme simplicity.

  Good morning all!  I sit here going over the last couple of weeks that have passed.  I can see, you know, that hindsight thing, that like most people I have all the ingredients to an absolutely fabulous life.  Even more!  I also realize that I have a lot of anchors that hold me down.  Some of it stuff, the nastiest part is of course what exists between our ears.

  I am so blessed with an amazing wife and wonderful kids.  I have been given enough mental faculties to be able to address each day as it arrives. I also have the ability to love and be loved.

  So like so many, why do I let the drama, meaning problems of the mind and of over thinking life, get in the way of living?  We had so many people over and the opportunity to enjoy the presence of others this last week.  How amazing it all was!  I am so grateful for everyone I know and appreciate all that they bring into our lives.

  Yet, I realize that I find myself yearning for something different.  Why?  I have always been facinated by those who could simplify to the extreme and find great joy in just being, in just living without distractions.  I ask myself, am I capable of such extreme simpleness?  Is there balance that can be found where we live the essential and deal with some of the complexity of modern life?

  I believe the answer to be yes.  Yes, I am capable of simplifying to the extreme.  Yes I am capable of finding balance.  I also know that balance would be better as I am not the only one who relies on me to provide for their needs.  I also know that life is not just about myself and so a hermit's life would not fulfill the purpose for which I have chosen to live.

  I do know that I can make changes that will allow greater simplicity and as such, greater joy and presence of being with less distraction.  Like most, the path is actually quite available and yet like most, I have not taken enough courage to make such changes.  So where does one start?  First, I have to admit. You have to commit to it and then just start moving! Every single day, do something that moves you in right direction.

  How do I know this? Well, I have made major changes in my life before with great success and also had those efforts fail.  It works the same way each time. Change the recipe and get different results.  Stick to the recipe and get the proper results.  Now to apply it to a different goal.  It's time folks.  What do yo want out of life? For those of you who want to write, start by committing to writing every single day at least 5 days a week. For those who wish to speak, talk to others that you meet every single day about what you truly believe in.  Ask for opportunities!  Pursue them as if they are the meals you need to feed your family.  Persistence seasons well a hard fought meal.

  Can you really feel what you want? Does it keep you up at night sometimes?  For those among you who want to see your works on major websites and in major retail outlets, what are you doing each day to get there? Those who wish to create greater environment for family, what do you do each day to create the ideal place and atmosphere of love and acceptance? I am by no means perfect.  I have not yet achieved all that I can imagine.  Isn't it grande?  There is still so much more for me to live and do and experience and it is all up to me!  It's up to you.

  What do you truly desire?  What does it take to get there? Does it require a miracle or just a little bit of daily application?  Which has greater power to create lasting change?  The compound effect of daily application or a big shift in fortunes?  I can assure you that the best windfalls come from consistence belief and effort than by chance.

  Go live life!  I wish you the very best in all of it!  I know that there will be skinned knees and broken hearts.  That which does not kill us makes us stronger and how real it becomes as we live through it, day by day.

  Peace, good fortune and great challenges of worthy rewards to you, my friends.  We are not alone, we are in this big adventure called life together.  I cannot wait to sit down with you and enjoy a meal and some conversation about your adventures.

Billy B

Our Christmas Tradition.

  I hope that you and your family has Christmas Traditions that enrich the experience and teach the up and coming generations that you revere Christmas and to find solace and comfort from this special season as they spend it with the ones they love.

   Above is John Berry's version of O' Holy Night.  Colette and I bought his Christmas CD when we were still very young as a family and fell immediately in love with this particular song.  It stirs me and I cannot help buy shed a tear of joy each time I hear it.

   Each Christmas and Christmas Eve morning, I get up and make a big breakfast for everyone. We sit down and spend a long time together, just talking and sharing.  It's the company that truly matters.  The food is the tradition and much care is given to the preparation and presentation but still, it is the details of the gathering, not the reason.

  May the life of Christ shine as an example to you and your family.  May you find great joy this year in the gatherings you have.  May you share love and appreciation for each and every person this Holiday Weekend.
May you shed tears of joy and love.

Peace.  Love.  Grace to you and yours.

Jesus thinks you are to die for!

Billy B

Everything in life worth doing is messy

source google images

   They tell me there is a time and place for everything.  Today is the time and the place is now.  When you woke up, did you you find yourself somewhere other than where you were?  Seems like a silly question yet, it does happen.  When I woke up yesterday, I was already at work even though my body hadn't left yet.

   This time of year seems to create the most wonderful opportunities to learn.  Often times it is because of perspective changes, wanted or unwanted.  This has proven to be the busiest Christmas that I can remember.

   Colette (the pretty and charming half of this marriage) and I bought a business earlier this year that she had already been managing for a while.  We did it because the business was not going to stay around if we didn't buy it.  The owner was older and her health was failing.  We believed in the cause of what this business brings to the community and what it does for the members (it's a gym for women).  A place where women can go to get fit and do something for themselves without judgement and pressure to be anyone other than who they are.  It brings great blessings to them and my lovely wife as she fills her role as their friend, coach an listening post.  We knew it would be work.  We did not expect it to be so much emotional work.

   One of my favorite funny quotes is "Everything in life worth doing is messy."  No clue who said it, just that it is definitely true!

   My message today is; When doing something that you know is right, do not seek the reward, seek only to do what is right and the rewards with mete themselves.  Those rewards will be much more to you than the ones you thought you would receive.  What you thought would be there and what you receive will most likely be much different.

   It's like praying.  You go in looking for one thing and most often receive something completely different because of the bigger picture that has not yet come into view.

   Presence is like that as well.  Learning to be present versus being present.  Silly to say, it's like relearning to be a child and once there, we cannot imagine why it took so much effort and focus. ;D

   Today, all I ask is that you take a moment to smile, feel the breeze on your face and notice that you are wherever you are. And for just a moment appreciate the life that is you.

   Do you find that you are most often in your head, somewhere other than where you actually are?  Does it effect your ability to deal with the moment.  You are the most valuable person in your life. Do you give yourself the presence that you deserve?

   Peace, presence and love be yours.  I respect you, you can too!

Billy B

You?

source Sailboatlistings.com

   There are those alone moments that are so critical to our own spirituality.  We need them whether for prayer and reflection or for just creating the quietude required to find our foundations.  Perhaps just to step back from it all and gather some needed perspective.  

   There is also the danger that we may use these quiet times to feed loneliness.  During this time of year, many people due to loss of loved ones, feeling overwhelmed, feelings of inadequacies, loneliness or anything that can attack our perspective as innate parts of the whole, as children of God and members of families and important influences to those around us.  There are those times when anyone of us can lose sight of the sacred nature of our lives.  Remember the purpose of life is a life of purpose.  Moments that we forget these things can be very trying, especially for those who have not yet discovered or realized the true nature of their worth.

   I offer this post as a plea.  A plea for those who we may know that are alone, emotionally or otherwise.  A plea to not forget that it is not about us.  Please do not let any child be alone this Christmas, emotionally or physically, no matter how old they are.  Remember that each one of us is a child, a child of God.  You may find yourself tempted to feel lonely or down,  you will find great joy and company in bringing love and attention to those who need it more than we do.

   When Jesus was invited into the home of Simon the Publican, a sinner came into the his house and washed his feet with ointment and her tears, using only her hair, hands, her tears and lips she washed his feet.  

   "Simon, I have somewhat to say to you."

   He proceeded to lay out before him in just a few words, an image that helped Simon to realize that we can only be thankful for what blessings we realize we have.  When we assume, such as thinking it is an honor just to invite someone into our home, we might over look treating them as an honored guest.  We might forget to make them feel important.

   Let's not forget the ones who are struggling this season.  Those who may be fighting to have enough.  Those who may have plenty in the way of worldly things yet be lacking in spirit or friendship.  Those who might be lacking in company or companionship.  Those who might just be suffocating without enough love.

   I pray that no one will go lonely this Christmas.  I pray that we will be a blessing in disguise to those in need.  I pray for Peace on Earth and Love to all men.

   Who do you know that could use an invite into your home?  Who do you know that needs a hug, some warm company or just a meal and a conversation?  Who do you know that could benefit from sharing their heart and time with another?  You?

   Peace, Love, Companionship and goodwill to you and yours.

Billy B

       

Goodwill.

Source Sailboatlistings.com

  Every now and then all of us would love a break. After the last 2 weeks, I would love one!  Business at my day job has been VERY busy and it is demanding a large portion of my waking hours.  I apologize for not being able to post more often.

  Lessons learned during my hours spent at work over the last couple of weeks.

1.  Be grateful for what blessings you have.  I have met several people that have had an awful lot less than we do and in-spite of  their circumstances where quite happy to just have their health and well being.  One person had everything in their car that they could say they owned.  Having lost their home in the last 3 months and now they had car problems and almost no money to work with, they still had a positive demeaner and outlook!  Luckily, I was able to help arrange some help with a business that did the work for free and convinced the parts providers to donate the parts required so that she could get back on the road. (Big warm smile.)  That makes me feel very lucky for the home and many blessings we have.

2.  Never under estimate the ability of "the drama" to try and mess with you and to bring you into it's realm.  One of the many things that I have learned repeatedly over the years in the auto industry, cars really don't matter and the drama accomplishes nothing of value.  They are all just cars no matter what size, color, brand or price the are.  The only thing that one car versus another may say about you is that you care about what you think it says about you.

3.  No matter how busy you are or how wrapped up you are in the demands of the moment, there is always time to be nice and share a smile with people you meet.  If you feel that you are to busy to offer a smile or a kind word, then you are caught up in thought and not what really matters.

4   Being grateful is it own reward.  There is great peace and comfort that comes from taking a minute to appreciate life itself and the many blessings that are poured out upon us that we, in and of ourselves have never merited.  Although we may not deserve them or done anything to justify being as blessed as we are, the good Lord blesses us anyways.  Why he sees fit to bless me the way he does,  when I know that have not yet learned or done nearly what I imagine he wshould expect,  he still keeps blessing me.  When it is all said and done, I hope that he will accept me as his own.

5.  Love is something that can be found in any moment, any situation and any place.  No exceptions, you only need look inside and you will know that you are not left alone or unloved.  Even more important, if you feel that there needs to be more love in your life, give love and it will come back to you in spades!  Odd how the best way to increase the amount of love in your life is to give it away freely.  Love is attracted to those who share it without reservation!

  Do we really even see or perceive all the blessings we have?  When was that last time you took a survey of the things that are truly the most significant influences in your life?  Did they come freely to you or did you have to go and find them?  Isn't love grande?

  My wish is that each one of you will feel the Christmas Spirit this Holiday.  That it will influence you to warm the hearts of those around you and to appreciate the many, many blessings that are yours.  Share the love.

  This year, there are more people than ever that need some comfort, some assistance, some love.  Please don't keep it all to yourself.  Many of the greatest gems of living life can only be enjoyed by giving freely all that you have.

  Thank you, Dear Lord for everything.   Peace on Earth.  Goodwill towards all men.  That no child feel alone this Christmas Season.

Billy B

Happy Christmas and Merry New Year! ;D

 
Cold hints things to come
Peppermint fudge and good eats
Shared with those you love

   This time of year seems to really press us.  The time when we should enjoy things the most and spend time with the ones you care most for.  Enjoying time together, favorite foods and traditions.  Saying thanks in your own way to those around you so that they might enjoy the time as well.  To send "I'm thinking of you." to others who have moved far away or letting those who cannot be near know that you love them.

   It's also the time of year when we get tested on things like patience, and time management.  We all get so caught up in preparing for or dealing with and just plain trying to make it to the gatherings themselves.  It can be so easy to over look that the customers are your lifeblood and that family is the why-for.

   This Holiday season, don't forget the real message, brotherly love, thanks giving for the birth of our Lord and Savior.  Celebrating the perfect life he lived as and example for us.  We have to deal with others who have lost sight of the purpose of the season, it does not give us leave to do the same.

   Have you shared some good will today?  Do you have plans to do something of good intent for others and not just party planning?  Are there those less fortunate than us that could use a smile, a helping hand or even a hand out?

   Our brother, Jesus gave us his whole life and energies so that we could find peace in our Father's Kingdom.  Take time to remember that it is not about us, it's about others.  Someone once said "The principle of self aggrandizement is a true principle.  It works only by lifting up another."

   I am so thankful for my family, presence and health.  For the example and sacrifice of our Savior.  For you and everyone who visits my little blog.  I am thankful for all good souls who do their best every day.  May all of your enjoy a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.  Peace to you and yours, Goodwill towards all the souls of men.   May peace one day reign.  May we all be loved and give love in return.

Billy B

A simple thought.

   Today is the best opportunity you have.  Yesterday is gone never to return.  Tomorrow is not yet here and when it does show it will wear the garb of Today.  Today is the best opportunity you have.  Make the most of it!

;D

PS:  Glad to have you along for the ride!

Passion and purpose.

    Sometime all it takes is good nights rest to help one realize that it is all just perception and that the new day is a complete new opportunity.  The picture above was the drive in today.  What a beautiful morning!

    I have made the recommendation for a book called Everyone's a Coach by Blanchard and Shula.  They make 5 points to follow for effective team building.  I like to think that a family is a team too!

1. Conviction Driven

2. Overlearning

3. Audible ready

4. Consistency

5. Honesty Based

    I do not need to go into all of them even though I do believe that they all apply and are relevant to the family and life in general.  I feel very strongly about #1.

    What is your goal and purpose in life?  Do you have a purpose and are your goals defined?  A lot of this may sound like rhetoric or something that a thousand people have spoken and written about yet, in your life, have you taken the time to decide what your greatest motivating factor is?  

    Do you have something that you are passionate about, have conviction as the utter importance of it?  So much so that you would pursue it, share it and work at it even when the odds, time availability and money all seem to be against it?

    Is there something in your life that is so intertwined with how you see the world that you can not not live life without paying attention to it?  For me, it's the need to create love, balance and presence opportunities for others and hopefully someday, for humanity.  I also have a deep passionate belief in the role of family and would fight many battles for it's protection, encouragement and developing  these family relationships.

   Is your life conviction driven or driven by the winds of drama and everyday nothingness.  That may sound harsh yet, I know from experience that the majority of what we spend our time, efforts and energies on simply do not matter in the grand scheme of things.  The big picture is often eluded and avoided simply because we do not see the unimportance of our daily pre-occupations.

   Do you agree or do you disagree?

   My point here is very simple.  Life is best lived passionately.  The best lives are lives of purpose that is pursued passionately.  Whether that is the purpose of family, art, human value, entertainment, writing, communication, gardening or whatever.  As long as it creates value without ignoring the consequences, how can it be wrong?

   What can I do to help you in living your life with purpose and passion?  If I can, let me know.

   To each and everyone.  I hope you find your passion if you do not know it already and more importantly, I find a way to pursue it with your whole heart!

Love, peace, passion and purpose to you.

Billy B

   

Disquiet

   I wanted to say "Thank you!" to everyone who visits my blog regularly.  The blog has become important to me for several reasons.  The interaction, meaning all of your comments and what I learn from them.  Also, the opportunity to get out what has been biting at me for so long.  The need to communicate the message within and to share with others that greater life that is to be lived when we are truly awake to it.

   I apologize to those of you who have seen that I have not been able to get on as often and enter my thoughts.  Life can take a lot of time when things start to happen.  A lot has been happening lately.  I will continue to blog and pour my thoughts and epiphanies into the blog.  I will do my best to get 4-5 entries in each week.

   I have a lot on my plate and must prioritize and this little online journal and running conversation is important.  I have also been feeling some disquiet within lately as I figure out how to set the priorities straight amongst the demands of my time lately.  I hope to be able to come out of this with renewed vision and direction.  This winter will be demanding is some ways and whenever there is new demands and challenges, there are new blessings and lessons to be be gained.  I would suggest that life is in transition for me.  In a very good way.  It is my genuine wish that it will lead to some greater opportunities to pursue my life purpose.

"It is my intentions and purpose to create real enduring value for others and humanity."

   Thank you again for you time and your consideration of my thoughts and insights.  Thank you for your comments and wisdom, I appreciate it much more than you know.  I hope that you will continue to do so and that more people with take this journey along with us.

   I wish each and everyone of you a fabulous day and a great quality of life that can only come from being right where the action is, in the present moment. ;D

   Peace and good fortune, love and enduring presence to all of you.

Billy B

A dusting of snow

A light snow morning

Dusting dawn

Glorious they meet

   A beautiful light dusting of snow was there to greet me this morning as I let the puppies out for the first time today.  A rare chance to be home right after sun up.  Get to spend some time with my wife today (I do so enjoy the time we get together!)

   I wonder, do we really appreciate the time we get with our loved ones.  There are moments that I would give almost anything to be able create such times over and over again. Perhaps this is why I desire to build my little sailboat so much, it's the thought that having a great little sailboat that will hold the family (and for those times when needed, just me) so that we can pile in and just be together out on the water.  A picnic basket, something to drink and just drift around finding out where the wind wants to go.  The quiet motion of the waves and movement created by wind and surface.  No loud motor to interupt the moment or interlude with nasty smells.

   I would give nearly all the world just to do something that truly matters, helping me to live a purposeful life creating real enduring value for others and humanity while still providing for my family and to provide time with my family for just such things.  A campfire and the smell of smoke on your cloths first thing in the morning. The crisp air and noises of nature as you wake.  Food that might be a little burnt on the outside and a little raw on the inside but, just the way we like it because we share it together.

Small talk of no direction

Laughter floats around

Spending time with family

   I hope that eaxch of us gets to show appreciation to the ones we love and enjoy a moment or two with them not caring about the drama we call everyday life.  In the end, a wise man (Eckart Tolle) said "The world is here to frustrate us, to make us want to move beyond the drama."

   I agree with him, only when we grow tired of the drama that is "normal" can we return to what it is like to be a small child, simple and joyful.  Living each moment as if it is the only thing we have.

   What little activities work best for you to connect with the ones you love?  What makes those moments different for you even if the activity is unimportant?  Does it matter if the moments are planned or spontaneous?

   Peace, love and good times spent in the presence of loved ones for you and yours.

Billy B



Consistency issues.

   It has been suggested that there is a dramatic difference between action and productivity.  I would agree. I would also suggest that the difference is in the details.  Which details though?

   There is a particular book I would recommend to all who would be a leader or motivator. "Everyone's a Coach" by Blanchard and Shula is an exceptional and easy read.  It outlines some very basic principles for doing well with others and should you wish to take it further, principles for leadership and motivation.  One of the principles they discuss is consistency.

   The need to be able to communicate with someone, be it friend, companion or subordinate and know that they already know what to expect from you.  Meaning that when disciplining or being challenged, your character is not in doubt.  They know what you stand for and that you stand by it.

   Let's use an example, we tell our kids to not leave shoes in the front room, we keep on them for one week and not the next three weeks, then we jump all over them about it the next week, would they feel fairly treated?  Have you ever had a boss that seemed to pull decisions out of a hat on subjects that you frequently encountered?  Did you respect their decisions when they behave like this?  Did you respect them and feel willing to go the extra mile for them?  What if you had to approach your boss because protocol dictated that you reported to him and you knew what the answer was going to be versus not knowing how he would react?  Which would be the more productive environment?

   This may seem like something about work, it's not.  The same principles apply to our daily relationships as well.  Are you consistently the same person before all men?  That question is a tuffy.  Because of society's norms, it is considered normal to be different people to different people.  Do we have to be?

   I'm keeping it short today.  I challenge you to look at yourself and the way you interact with others, can you say you are consistent in your behavior?  I'm not here to point fingers, I know that this is something that I need to work on, to be the same before all men means becoming as Christ said, not being a respecter of persons.  IE; all men deserve the same respect and not one over another no matter what their station in life.  Not playing favorites or judging.  Wow, hard I know.

   Here is my challenge, instead of looking at others and noticing the inconsistencies or judgments in them, see if you can catch them in yourself and prevent them from making it to the surface.  Perhaps you will find that someone you know is in need of your acceptance more than you ever imagined.

   Peace, freedom of heart and a great day to you and yours!

Billy B