Appreciation

Appreciation

On a typical day I communicate with many people—friends, family and those that share their stories with Ruth and me through Trust Your Journey. The individuals that inspire us by sharing their journey all seem to have one common denominator: in their darkest moment they found a purpose and meaning in their life. It wasn’t the only meaningful event in their lives, but it was the one that stood out like no other experience. I, for one, am grateful not only for the one big thing (breast cancer) but also for the many smaller things that life has shared with me.

I firmly believe that our greatest challenges present us with our greatest opportunities. We need to constantly recognize those opportunities and know that our lives will be enriched when we follow our hearts. I recently came across a quote that resonated deeply with me because it seems to summarize my core belief about challenges and opportunities.

“We can only appreciate the miracle of a sunrise if we have waited in darkness.”~Unknown

Catching Up

Catching Up

I recently attended a dinner with many dear friends back home. Sometimes there’s so much “catching up” to do in a limited amount of time that the conversations tend to be overwhelming. You focus on giving everyone your undivided attention so as not to miss out on anything special that might be happening at that moment in their lives. I love “catching up” especially since I don’t get to see my dearest friends very often anymore because several thousand miles now separate us. It’s a special time that I cherish when I go ”home.”

Time spent with friends is precious, and as we reach certain milestones on our journey, we can never be certain that this meeting might not be our last chance to catch up with those very special people. Paying attention and listening intently to what our friends have to say is not only a gift to them but also to ourselves because, by choosing to be in the moment, we somehow get insights into what our own journey is all about.

“Listening is a magnetic and strange thing, a creative force. The friends who listen to us are the ones we move toward. When we are listened to, it creates us, makes us unfold and expand.”—Karl A. Menninger