my Present(s)

It was a matter of hours before the weather cooled and the days got shorter. 

As the red and white tents peak out around town the firs are gone and in their place lay boxes of fireworks on wooden tables... And again awaits another ocassion. 

The slight drop in temperature makes my legs goosebump and causes my nose to tickle if I breathe in too deeply. It's just so... chilling.

***

We all experience changes throughout the span of our lives but if examined closely, you can read the daily's. It ultimately involves taking a read of yourself, which in itself is expansive, like Sunday's paper. Approaching the last seventy-two hours of the year, I would like to take note of certain points I came across while squinting:

- Believe in yourself as well as in others.  Be sure to realize your virtues and keep at a distance your vices. You can achieve and therefore motivate others around you. Make as much peace as possible within yourself  and your relationships. Most importantly, STAY POSITIVE.

- Listen to your mind-body connection. If you haven't found it, search for it! Breathe. Pranayama.

-  Stay grateful and true. Write down the small daily happenings that have made your day or for which you are thankful. Create awareness, ground yourself and be faithful to your roots.

- Exercise. To gain physical strength is a mental and soulful gift, more so if done throughout yoga. (It has become incredibly therapeutic to me.)

They have all been imprinted into my conscious daily life and like little flowers, they will take time to flourish from within their seedlings, however patiently I may have to wait. It is quite all right because I also learned this year to love intensely yet discretely. I dare not get ahead of myself.

Which leads to the above all, divine intervention that I had this year: You must live in the present day.

We should all put some time aside and read ourselves, first thing in the morning. Stand firm with what you believe and become aware of those around you. Put in some time to that crossword puzzle you've been working on from last week's paper or look through the careers section for another job. Be content with where you are and don't worry about last months tragedies or how the stock market can potentially crash in the future. Live here and now! There's a world out there that's moving on. Are you being left behind?

December 29, 2011: What were you thinking? Who were you loving? How madly did you dream? Why didn't you go with your instincts? When will you start to change your habits? Where were you?

Set yourself up for 2012. Are you making the headlines?