Here is the neat thing about life – we get a lot of ‘second chances’! We have so many opportunities to ‘Do-Over’ and make the pictures look just exactly as we want to remember.

Now, that is not to say it is easy to refocus; nevertheless, it is possible! I love the way I can just hit the ‘delete’ button if the picture I take is blurry or didn’t capture exactly what I hoped. I don’t know if you remember the good-ole-days when you had to shoot an entire roll of film and then take it to the camera shop, wait a week for it to be developed and then look at what you thought you captured! I remember! And I was so excited when Polaroid came out with the instant developing camera. I thought we had just the best way to take photos. Silly me! Now, I have a ‘smart phone’ that I can instantly see and keep, share or delete.

And, life is a lot like that! When I am paying attention (focused) to what is right before me, I can see if I am doing what is important. More so, I know if I am being who I said I would be! That is really essential to me. When I am living as I intend, that means I am making a difference to those around me. Isn’t it just the best when you know that just by being present to what is meaningful and central in your life, you are making a difference! My intentions are: To be a Masterful Coach, To be a Loving Family Member, To be a Contribution to my Community, To be Spiritually Developing. Who is it that YOU intend to be?

What does it mean to really look (capture) at where I am and see who I am being? For me, it is taking time to pause and breathe and see from the 10,000 ft level. That is, to see not only the trees in the forest, but also the forest itself. What are the feeders that extend elsewhere from me? Where else – or who else – might be impacted as I live my life? Are the words I am using or actions I am taking having the impression and leaving the picture I desire? Will the image I leave behind reflect the high-quality evidence of someone who lived a life of wonder and joy? Check my Life’s Intentions – – is this evidence that I am the best I can be at this moment in time?

In life, we cannot just delete that fuzzy and out of focus picture. Don’t you wish sometimes we could just wave a magic wand and the bad or not so perfect things would just vanish? I know I do! What we can do is really look at those moments – those negatives – and learn from them. That is to shift and develop new or better ways to be. Yes, this takes a bit of thought, energy and self-reflection! And it is time very well invested in who you are willing to be. You know, if you never made a mistake, you would never learn and grow! Remember that each time you fall and then get up is the same as when you fail and then succeed. What if you embrace the negatives as an opening to a new and brighter affirmative? What would that be like!

The best part of life…every moment is a chance to take another shot – to do over! And you never know what is going to be in front of you in that next moment. All we need to do is to be willing to get out of our own way, because most often I have found that I am my own worst critic of the picture I took. I frequently want another chance to do better, to become more clear, to improve on the impression. And, lucky for me (and for you), life presents this opening for us each moment of each day. How great is that!

So, take your best shot – – and know that not only is tomorrow another day, but with every breath you take, you get another chance to ‘do-over’ and instantly see and keep, share or delete.

Are you a ‘list maker’?

I have always been very consistent in making lists of things I need to do. And often, I carry many things over to the next day and so on, until they are no longer things I ‘need’ to do or it’s too late!

One thing I noticed as I was reviewing several of my old To-Do Lists is just what this quote is saying: What really matters in life is rarely on my daily “to-do” list.

I listed things such as: pick up cleaning; get cat food; weed the front yard; call the heating and air guy; pay bills; write an article for the web; schedule pedicure…

How about you? Are you listing tasks that need to be done so life remains in order? Is that really what is important and is completing those activities really going to take to you live the level of life you will love?

I am ready to make a change in my ‘to-do’ list. As of today (no time like now to start a new habit!) for every task I note on my list, I am adding a source of pleasure! For example after my task of ‘get cat food’, I’m adding ‘5-minute dream vacation’; after schedule pedicure my list includes ‘listen to favorite song on Pandora’. I don’t know – what do you think? I am actually pretty excited about the possibilities of what a great day I can experience when my ‘to-do’ list includes things that are just silly and fun and very out of the ordinary!

I am curious about how I will feel at the end of the day when I have checked off so many enjoyable tasks and realize that today – I completed activities that REALLY matter in my life. You know what I mean? Things like taking a moment to delight in the space around me, relaxing and recharging doing something that refreshes me, playing as a child – if even for a moment! I am actually feeling a bit giddy right now, just thinking about adding (and doing) these ‘important’ details!

I know we each have just 24 hours in each day and I also know that some days it seems we are robbed of several hours and apparently accomplish little of what we intend. What will it be like when, at the end of our days on this good earth, when all we have checked off our list is pick up cat food, call the heating and air guy, pay bills…

I don’t want that to be what really mattered to me……..do you?