Wednesday, February 13, 2008

My thoughts today create my world

ABove my desk I have a picture frame my daughters gave me for Christmas two years ago. It's comprised of four separate frames stacked together to create a 'scene'. In two of the frames, the girls each placed a separate photo of me with them as infants. In the other two frames, they each wrote a verse for me about our relationship. It is one of the very best gifts they have ever given me.

Beside that frame, there is another picture of both of them performing a dance routine they choreographed for a dance competition about three years ago. Every time I look at that photo of them linked together, not just by blood and the sisterly love that binds them, but also by an unbreakable friendship, I smile. What amazing young women.

After visiting my mother at the hospital last night, Alexis and I went to a play. It was a 'date'. A final chance for just the two of us to spend time together before she heads off next week for her three and a half month journey around the world.

Long ago, I dreamt of having a relationship with my mother where we did things together because we enjoyed each other's company, shared a common ground, a bond beyond the constriction of our mother daughter relationship where I was the difficult child and she was the misunderstood mother. Long ago, I realized I would never have that with my mother. Not because she didn't want it, or I didn't want it, but rather, because neither of us were committed to Be. Do. Have. Neither of us were willing to give up our separate positions in order to find a common ground.

I am blessed.

I may not have had the relationship of my dreams with my mother, but I have created the relationship I've always dreamt of with my daughters.

I am blessed.

These two amazing young women are symbols of all that is possible, and all that can happen when love is given free rein without fear of never being enough. Our relationship is a testament to the power of forgiveness to heal wounds, bridge discord and create harmony in the lives of everyone it touches.

Our relationship is also a testament to the power of our thoughts to create what we want in our world.

I was not committed to doing what it took to have the relationship I wanted with my mother. No matter how much I told myself I wanted 'more', my thinking always focused on the lesser aspects of our relationship. There was always the fear that the past woudl be the present dooming the possibilities of a different future to the scaffold of the cross of regret.

With my daughters, there was no past relationship upon which to doom the future. I knew with each of their births that our relationship would be a reflection of my committment to Be. Do. Have. To have a great relationship I had to BE committed to DO what it took to HAVE the relationship I wanted. My mind had to conceive of that relationship so that I could take the necessary steps to create it.

I didn't have to have a great relationship with my mother to create one with my daughters. What I needed was the thinking that stated -- This is what I want. And with that thought held firmly in my mind, I had to set out to create what I wanted, not what I didn't want.

The mind is a powerful and creative tool. My reality today is an outcome of my thinking yesterday. My reality tomorrow will be an outcome of my thinking today. My actions, my words, my deeds are all inspired by my thinking.

It's up to me to fill my mind with thoughts that create value in my life so that I can take actions that reflect the value I put into my world.

Emma Curtis Hopkins said, "The world in which we live is an exact record of our thoughts."

It's up to me to record my life with thoughts that celebrate my world.

The question is: Are you celebrating the wonder and joy of you today? Are you thinking about YOU in the light of joyfully living your one precious and wild life?

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