Essential Connections

A person's quality of life really boils down to relationships. Not only relationships with other people, which are key, but relationships with other things such as our own minds, bodies, emotions, and spirits; relationships with God, nature, food, and money. How do we ensure we have good relationships with these elements in our lives? Each of these relationships needs to be maintained through intentional connections on a regular (daily) basis. There are fundamental practices in which we can engage to ensure healthy connections in our lives. Over the next few entries, I'm going to take some time to expound on some of the most important of these connections in my mind. I promise it won't take months to get through the series! =-]

Today Is An Ending

Today is an ending of sorts. The experiences you had today are in large part a result of what you habitually focus on and cultivate. As you stand in the garden of your life, what do you see? Are there towering trees that provide shade and fruit and beautiful flowers? Or have weeds taken over? The trees and flowers are the intentional practices and the positive, life-giving aspects of life that you focus on. The weeds are the things that crop up when we're not paying attention. If you're like most people, you probably have both elements. Like tending a garden, it takes regular, repeated effort to remove the weeds and water the trees. As the Chinese proverb states, the best time to plant a tree was twenty years ago, and the second best time is now. What tree can you plant today that will provide you shade and protection in twenty years?