Release and Renew

This morning I tried to log on to the network at work, and was unable to connect to the Internet. My computer hadn't severed the connection from my personal network from yesterday. I knew what I had to do in order to restore the connection. It's a process all the tech heads are familiar with - "release and renew". It's where you tell the computer to let go of the old Internet connection and re-establish a new connection.
It got me to thinking, there are probably many areas in my life that could use a "release and renew" process. We humans tend to hold on to things for longer than they are useful, and it's impossible for us to receive anything better when we are attached to what's already here. The scary part is the part between the "release" and the "renewal" - this is the step that usually feels like falling or stepping into the dark. It's not usually an instantaneous renewal or replacement. There's usually a period of uncertainty and doubt that demands we continue to step out in faith with no guarantee of what the "renewed" connection is going to look like. But inevitably, if we've done the work and truly released what we were holding onto, the new connection always gives us what we need and serves us in a better, purer way.

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! =-]