Remember the game show where the contestant must choose door # 1, 2, or 3 and hope the “big prize” is behind that chosen door?

Remember the excitement, the enthusiasm the contestants had for being chosen for the opportunity to get to choose their door?

In life, when you live with enthusiasm, with excitement for each new day, for each new learning, grateful for it all, you are choosing the “big prize.”  You are living in the moment and enjoying it tremendously!  

The doors are in front of you. Awaken with excitement for your day, and choose your door for the day.   Go along your way, loving, excited, grateful.

You will be amazed and thrilled at what is behind your door!

​“Come on down…”

Here’s an idea for you - if you know someone who is ill, or in rehab, or hospital, or even in a nursing home…

Create something for them to look forward to each day.  During Christmastime, an Advent calendar with little drawers and tiny ornaments for a small tree is fun.

You can get a handful of blank cards, or cut some card stock into cards, get a box of card-sized  envelopes, and write a little joke or a fun story or quote on each one. Then number the envelopes with the day of the month, 1,2,3,4, etc. Your someone will love reading the little joke each day and look forward to the next one.

If they are far away, mail or ship them in a box.  

When we have something to look forward to, life is more fun. 

​The love you put into those little things will be a joy for your someone - and a joy for you, too

It has been written many times, that health is our most precious asset. 

Health. 

It allows us to live a full life of interaction with others, to be productive and feel one’s significance, and to focus on the beauty and wonder around us.

Health is something that we may not remember to feel gratitude for, and to take for granted.  UNTIL.  Until we do not have health.

Every morning, upon awakening, say thank you for your health, as well as for the wonderful new day ahead.  

Every day, fit in some you-time to meditate and pray, and to exercise, and to eat nutritious, healthful foods.  Keep that wonderful health. 

Live fully and joyously.  If times are tough, remember that often the toughest times are right before your breakthrough, your success, your joy.  Right before life’s preciousness replaces the ‘tough’.

Keep your health.  Say thank you often for it.  It is your precious asset and health makes it most wonderful to be alive.

Here’s to your health!

How amazing that most of us enjoy sight and hearing each moment of each day.  

Of course we know or know of people who do not have sight or do not have hearing.  Andreas Bocelli, the stupendous tenor, thrills us with his singing, bathing our very souls with his song. 

And Thomas Edison’s incredible, world-changing achievements were apparently not hindered by his lack of hearing (to hear him tell it, may have been even more outstanding, due to better concentration).

Your eyes provide the luxuries of beauty, color, action, safety, enjoyment of your children, ability to do work that would be impossible without sight, and on and on.

Your ears add the luxuries of music, of conversation, of baby babble and so very much more.

Today, let your eyes see all those luxuries.

Let your ears hear them.

And feel gratitude for the amazing comforts and extravagances of seeing and hearing.  

Let your eyes and ears fill your heart with their bounty.

In gratitude for this opportunity for both of us, that we share and communicate with the richness and splendor of our sight and our hearing.

It’s so easy to feel as if what happens and other people “make” us mad, sad, frustrated.  Are you waiting for things to change before you feel your peace, your joy, your wonderful days?

You might wait your whole life.  Because...

Life’s ups and downs, life’s craziness, other people’s craziness, will keep happening.  There is a better way than waiting.

That is to decide to be at peace.  To decide to “do” STOP, or whatever version works for you.  This is something Trey taught us years ago that we all utilize when our peace is missing.

S - STOP
T - Take a few deep breaths.
O - Observe yourself
P - Proceed with joy.

You decide how to see those things, those people, those happenings that try to “steal” your peace.

“You are the light of the world.” ~ the Bible, Matthew 5:14

As I write to you on this New Year’s morning, I am getting beautiful loving messages from around the world, from hearts of love that I love, some of whom have been co-workers, some patients, some parents of patients, some students / seminarians, some dental colleagues, and some friends who share our journeys of life.  

Some, truly, I barely knew; many I knew well.  With each and all, we have shared happy, joyous times, talks, sharing.

As my heart swells and thrills to these messages, to each heart of my heart, I am grateful to be a vessel, through which the love flows, part of the process of shared light of the world.  
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Isn’t it just precious to be a drop in the vast ocean of God, a thread in the fabric of this life of souls having a human experience?

You are indeed, the light of the world. 

If you wait to be sure, to feel ready, you may not be able to do anything remarkable.

If you are afraid to offend anyone, then you may not be able to do anything astonishing.

If you think only invincible types of people can do amazing things, you may not be able to do anything momentous.

If you decide to go for it now, there is a great chance you will do things astonishing, extraordinary, exceptional, tremendous, wonderful.

Start in your likely discomfort by doing tiny steps toward it.  You’re not the same person you were last year. Challenge your beliefs, your certainties.  Question what you’re so sure of.  Like whether or not you CAN do extraordinary things.

Do something that is hard every day. 

Even a little hard.  Just do it. 
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Like wake up really early and read something inspirational.  Start the day with exercise.  Track what you eat.  Really. Eat only nutritious food.

You’ll be surprised what you’re ready for, what you’re made of, what you can do!

Proud of you!!