Friday, December 26, 2014

Older... The storm inside is beginning to dissipate.

The storm inside is beginning to dissipate and leave me.

"Spirit Of A Storm"

"There's a spirit of a storm in my soul
A restlessness that I can't seem to tame
Thunder and lightning follow everywhere I go
There's a spirit of a storm in my soul
...

Oh, maybe it's just the way I am
maybe I won't ever change
...
There's a spirit of a storm in my soul"

Kenny Chesney (Lyrics)

This song use to speak to me so much, and represent what I often felt as a younger man.  I didn't understand it much and often was scorned (even shamed) for verbalizing my connection with this song.  Where this storm comes from and why it rages inside the hearts of men is not something to be ignored.  If the origin of his storm goes ignored, then the storm can cause such destruction and pain to himself and those around him.  This storm can even cause a man to throw EVERYTHING away, and bring even the most accomplished man to his knees (perhaps even to his own death)... The storms will rage inside until understood, accepted, and faced!  

Young boys are filled with such wonder and visions of grandeur.  There is no doubt in their minds and hearts that they WILL be a professional ball player, the astronaut, or The President.  Growing, dreaming, and BELIEVING in the greatness of life.  

The storm begins inside for every young man when something happens that teaches this boy that the world is not as he once believed it was... He is let down and so deeply wounded by this realization and he loses that childlike belief... He becomes less than he dreamed he would one day be.  

He spends his time fighting and slaying the dragons of life...thinking this will make him feel good enough.  The next promotion, then next woman, the next conquest....Searching for that feeling of being good enough, strong enough, and worthy again...  No matter what the accomplishment, he can't ever find that feeling of content satisfaction and peace.  

Some submit to a lives of settling...being "grown up" and forgetting childhood dreams...never dreaming again..."welcome to the real world" people say to him...Giving up on dreams long ago, and being told those are just "silly fantasies".  

Mid life... he realizes that his life is halfway over, and looks around seeing that "this is NOT what I had in mind"... Wanting to prove he's still "got it" and is still young...he takes rash measures and goes out and buys that sports car, perhaps even throws his life and family away for "the younger girl"...always reaching for those feelings of youth.  Clearly he will never find that youthful perception that was once his... "THERE'S A SPIRIT OF A STORM IN MY SOUL"...  It rages and rages on, and he will never know why...

I,...as I've just turned yet another year older...am beginning to feel less of "the storm"...Is this what happens as we men get older?...wiser?...more calm?...  I've been to the circus and I've seen the strings...or the lies and the facade.  Do we finally begin to realize what's real, and what's a lie?  Do we begin to realize that most things are not what society wants us to believe?  I guess I am beginning finally see more for myself what is real (to me) and what is empty.  

I try to go and remember what I once knew as boy...I believed once in the goodness of people.  I believe once that I were worth it.  I forgave easily and loved quickly because that's the way I was made.  "Become as a little child"..."Get in touch with that inner child"... stop looking for happiness from an external source, and realize that I have everything I need inside this heart of mine to be complete and whole...  

I admit that sometimes that feeling of "the storm" comes back and flows heavily through my veins, and sometimes so ferociously way too real!!....but lately...not as much!  

Here's to getting older...hopefully wiser...and so much more calm!

What are your thoughts?  


Tuesday, October 28, 2014

The Creators in each of us...

 "Ask yourself whether the dream of heaven and greatness should be waiting for us in our graves - or whether it should be ours here and now and on this earth."  -  Ayn Rand

Why wait to be creators of worlds in some off and far off distance place in the afterlife...?  I once read the worlds "God lives in you....AS you." (Eat, Pray, Love)  It was an interesting thing to sit and think about.  We are taught as we grew that we are children of the creator.  A significant part of the universe and all things are connected.  So if the creator of all things lives in me, AS me...and I possess direct characteristics of said grand creator, then I should learn to create NOW...and not wait until somewhere beyond the grave.

It IS ours' to create the life we wish to live, to surround ourselves with those that we WANT in our lives, and to chose and execute our plans to live the life we want.  This is the time to live and BE!..  To create and build!..  To "LIVE", and not just "endure"...

In a Stephan R. Covey conference that I attended about a year ago, I heard this quote...:

"Creation happens twice.  Once in your mind, then in the physical sense."

I love that!  I makes me be so much more careful and conscious of my thoughts.  Our minds are the drawing boards of life...  What we chose to think and dwell on, grows.  We MUST fill our thoughts with empowering and uplifting things, and allow the positive to rule our minds, and our hearts.  Our emotions are typically the fruits of our very own thoughts.  Thoughts are the roots...emotions are the fruits.  If you're feeling sad and depressed, change your thought process!  The origin of creation (while here on earth) is in our thoughts!

I believe it our choice to wake up every day and chose to contribute and create, and if it's important enough to us,...we WILL find a way.  If not, we WILL most likely find an excuse.
Be prayerful and meditative as you seek guidance to create...so that what is created is in harmony with all that serves us in a positive way!

I always welcome your thoughts...

Sunday, September 21, 2014

Mí Mádre

My Mother... 

 "We should all be in the pursuit of self mastery...It is a lifelong pursuit."  Janice H. Davis

Oh how you have taught me
and caused me to be ME
All the good that I have in my life, has come as a result of thee
From the moment I arrived, you have always been there...
and NO MATTER WHAT...I have never doubted that you care!

Things you taught me, not just by word, but also in deed:

-  Knowledge is to be sought and cherished
-  Ask the right question and listen inside
-  Follow clarity, the lack thereof is and answer in and of itself...Follow clarity
-  God makes no promise to answer an academic question...answers are only given when we are ready for the accountability that comes with it.
-  "There is no "Try", there is only DO, and DO NOT"...Oh how you echoed Master Yoda in this message
-  "CAN'T" is not allowed in this house..."YES YOU CAN!"
-  Write and keep a YOUR record... "For out of the records shall we be judged"
-  READ, and fill your mind with positive food
-  Be careful where you choose to place your energy...For that which receives energy...GROWS
-  Be Still (in so many ways)... "Seek the still waters, for that's where it's the deepest"
-  There's always 3 sides to anything (in a relationship)... Your perspective, the others' perspective, and then there's Gods' perspective... Seek His perfect perspective!
-  To HUG...   :)
-  Manners are NOT, and never will be "old fashion"
-  God is real.  He is to be reverenced and respected...and He loves us with a perfect love.
-  BE where you are
-  Know who you are...(not just what you do...but who you ARE)
-  Existence....Exists! A = A!

The list continues, yet these are some that stand out to me this morning... I love you and I love the example you ARE! 


Wednesday, September 3, 2014

A ride

The day has been long,.. the silence became too loud, and it was time to ride.  I jumped on my Harley, and left... 

The open road, the danger of riding, headed toward the canyon, the hills and vistas, approaching that edge of comfort, and staying there for a while.  Stress disappears...clarity comes into focus...life becomes simple again...all because I took a ride.  

Thank you Harley!  That's why I have you, because of your reminders, your sounds, and what you always seem to teach me!

Tuesday, August 26, 2014

"Someday"...should be TODAY!

As a little boy, I couldn't wait to be older, to then be able to do great things!  Always a thing that "tomorrow" holds and "someday" I'll get there.  I wonder how much we still do that as adults..?.. "Someday I'll make enough money to take that trip."..."Someday I'll go help people and give back."..."Someday I'll reconnect with those that have become estranged."..."Someday I will [this or that...fill in the blank yourself]."...  Always a someday attitude about some off in the distance thing, that somehow never comes closer than the occasional day dream.

"Years know things that days never knew."  -  Gordon C. Peters

Days make up months, and months make up years... On a day to day basis, it is difficult to see the larger picture of where our days are leading us.  However, if you were to take a step back, and look at things over the last 5 - 10 years, we can see of pattern of success and new heights, a path of failures, or (for most) a path of "very much the same"... Something that is interesting to experiment with, is to take an inventory of your daily lives.  Sit down and map out your average day.  The major things that happen on a daily basis for you. 

Ex:  Wake up, rush out the door, face traffic on your way to work, show up on time, do what you're told all day, leave and face traffic and run a few errands on the way home, maybe get a nourishing meal, turn on the tube, turn off your brain, and fall asleep...  All to wake and do it again the next day.  (I have just explained many peoples' lives)  Now HOPEFULLY,.. what you've spent your time doing all day (at work) is your life's passion and what you love!...yet for many it isn't. 

Now on another sheet of paper, write down what you've always wanted to do.  Perhaps go bigger than that and write what your life's mission is.  What is your life's purpose while here on earth...?

...and finally compare the two against each other... Compare what your daily life looks like, to your overall life's goal(s)... Is there ANY part of your average day that contributes toward your life's goal(s)?!?  Do you take ANY time whatsoever to better yourself as a person?  Is there ANY part of your day where you try to expand your mind? or fill your day full of positive thoughts, words, or actions?  Where is your day to day life leading you?... Higher ground?... Mediocrity?... Are your best days ahead of you, or behind you...? 

Interesting to step back and take an inventory of our daily lives.  This is YOUR LIFE, and this is YOUR TIME!  What are you doing with it?!?  Hopefully we can all learn something from taking a look at ourselves, look in the mirror, and if we don't like what we see...  Do Not blame anyone else, but take full responsibility for your life, and change.  DO better!  BE better!  Employ better habits, and hold yourself accountable. 

I believe we are to experience joy, and learn to LOVE our lives!  Our lives are OURS' to create!  Is life happening to you?  or are you happening to it?  Are you being pushed around and go with whatever whim that comes along?  or do you produce and create that which YOU want? 

As always, I'd love to hear your thoughts and comments below!
-  Matthew Reese

Tuesday, July 29, 2014

Point of no return?

I believe that people change, and are almost even a new person every 4-5 years.  Life's experiences and people that come in and out of our lives, have an impact on us,.. and we evolve and change as we go.  Is there a point, where things have shifted so much, that things will never be the same between two people? 
I truly invite your comments!

Tuesday, March 4, 2014

LOVE them into the shift you wish to see!

'Just because somebody doesn't love you the way you want them to, doesn't mean they don't love you with all that they have"... 

That was a quote I heard a few months ago, and it has stuck with me.  It's interesting as we hear things that we need to hear, they resonate because of where we are in our lives at the time.  I was going through some things and was reminded that we all love in our own ways, with our own flare and flavor.  Due to so many things in our past...experiences, how those who raised us showed (or didn't show) us love, movies that we watch, songs that we listen to, and relationships that we've had.  How can all of those completely different backgrounds and paths we've all walked, produce the same perception of what Love is, and what Love is not?  It's impossible!!  ...and then there' Hollywood's version of what love is and is not.  Doesn't it change depending on what movie we are watching?

You see all these quotes that come though social media posted by those around us... "To love someone fully, is to 100% accept them, imperfections and all!"...we hear that, nod our heads and agree, and some even "LIKE" the comment, but then return to our own relationships with a bag of complaints,  and have a problem with the way someone loves (or doesn't) us.

If a person is complaining and fighting me all day about what I'm not doing or not being.., and I rarely (if ever) hear what is wonderful about me, or thanked for that which I am...  NOBODY wants to be around that!  Consequently, I (personally) tend to not want to give at all, and I (personally) tend to withdraw and therefore give less and less;.. or I tend to give resentfully, because that which is being given, isn't received in the space of gratitude, and "never enough". 

When do couples cross that destructive point where they go from..."thank you for _____"! to "why haven't, or didn't, you _____"?  That point that a couple crosses where it's no longer ok to love a certain way, but it turns into "...you are not meeting my needs, so love me the way I want to be loved."  The destructive bridge that I'm referencing is when the light of gratitude goes away, and the world of expectation enters... "Thank you for calling"...  to "Why haven't you called"?

Remember... "That which receives energy grows!"

Once you focus on what it is NOT, instead of what it IS... THAT is the beginning of the end!

Of course there's nothing wrong with wanting to better your relationship, and discuss what improvements could be made...but it MUST be done in the right way.  Try beginning those discussions with gratitude.  Thankful hearts for what the other IS, and then discuss what improvements could be made.  This requires a level head and a conscious effort to not react, but to graciously discuss ways to take your relationship to new heights.  Knowing that I (personally) am loved for that which I AM, makes me want to be and give so much more!

If you love someone...don't try to change them!!..  Love and accept them for who they are, what they want, and the way they love you.  Be grateful!  They should show you the same in return! ... yet if you want to see change in your relationship (there is a difference between trying to change someone and trying to change your relationship with them) ...  LOVE them into the shift you wish to see!  DON'T try to fight them into that shift... You will only be met with resistance. 

We all love in different ways...and just because it's different than they way you do things, doesn't mean it's wrong, it means it's just different...and THAT"S OK!

I invite your thoughts...

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