No one day is like another, each tomorrow has its special miracle, its magic moment in which old universes are destroyed and new starts created. Paulo Coelho.

Living at the speed we do today, it’s all too easy to miss the magic moments in life.

The pace is frenetic, the stress and strain unrelenting. As you navigate life’s twists and turns, life can easily catch up to you if you are not careful. We’re so focused on the big stuff that we can often overlook the seemingly little things and significant moments that can make such a difference to our lives and those around us who really matter.

We’re all so busy… just trying to keep up, “staying alive”, as the expression goes. The days turn into weeks, weeks into months and before you know it, in what seems the blink of an eye, years have slipped away.

Sound familiar?

So, how can you reduce the stress in your life and make time to take the “ordinary” out of your day and make it more meaningful?

For starters, here are five suggestions:

1. Adopt an attitude of gratitude. Notice and give thanks for what you have rather than bemoan what you haven’t.
2. Share joy, not negativity.
3. Consume wisely. Pause before buying and ask yourself, “Do I really need this or would simply like it?”
4. Pay attention to the effects of the media you consume. It will eat up hours of your day if you let it.
5. Choose your friends with care. If you strive to be spiritually strong, supportive and positive, seek those characteristics in others and help them develop those traits by living them yourself.

HINT: If you are a slave to your todo list, resolve today, right now! to get a handle on it and take back your life. Make a mental note to yourself or better still, write a post-it note and stick it on the fridge door.

In big, bold black letters write, THERE ARE NO ORDINARY DAYS.

Of course, there are demands on your time and obligations that must be met but there is only so much of you to go around. Give yourself a break. You’re the only one who will.

Each time, when you begin the next new list or add another task to your current one, pause and ask yourself, “Are  these tasks moving me towards or away from the life I want to be living?”

If the answer is no, strike them off immediately.You’d be surprised at how quickly you can adapt to a shorter list and how much better you’ll feel.

Life is too precious and time is too short to fritter away even one day.

Give it a try. You’ve nothing to lose… and hours per week to gain.

“Those who dwell, as scientists or laymen, among the beauties and mysteries of the earth, are never alone or weary of life.” Rachel Carson

Parks in a large urban city are special places. They are an oasis of calm; a place of tranquility, a spot where you can connect with nature in the middle of the concrete canyons and ribbons of unending vehicles.

Parks attract people of all ages and from all walks of life but regardless of who they are, they all have one thing in common. They value quietude. Watch them… lovers slowly strolling, arm in arm, along the paths; elders sitting on benches, soaking up the life-giving warmth of the sun; young parents proudly pushing stollers. Then there are others, singlely or in pairs, heads buried in a book or in their digital devices. Everyone enveloped in quietude.

Occasionally someone glides by on a bike. Even the animals get into the act: dogs, free of their leashes, unsuccessfully chase squirrels. Birds flutter around, pecking for food in the grass.

Connecting with nature, in any of its forms, is important to your health and well being. It helps to release stress, sooth your spirits and sharpen your senses.

Plugging into nature affords you the opportunity to set aside your busyness, if even for only for a short while… to catch your breath and recharge your batteries.

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Stay interesting. Stay interested. Stay strong. 

I hope to see you back here soon. As always, thank you for reading me.