I hear. . .don't we already do that?  WE DO, without ever noticing, without ever recognizing, how vital that one component is. . .that our very existence, is dependent on that functioning.

While driving, I was listening to an Audio Book on CD, which I do very often and I find great joy in.  A Quick Side Note to share:  I recommend for those who are Multi-Taskers and on paper your life would show that you are extremely busy or have a very hectic schedule, AUDIO BOOKS, are a great way to take in new material, while zooming around town. A great way to energize your soul.  This is a great site to check out for AUDIO BOOKS, they carry a large volume of titles (an Amazon company, I'm not an affiliate, just sharing a great resource).

HBBA Think Tank Thursdays centers on posting and sharing something that Empowers, something that Encourages, a shared Perspective for our Journey.  This community, Helping Build Bridges Across was created and is founded on having a place for people to share the Journey, to share the Experience, people who seek more time, of doing more of what they love to do.

The CD I was listening to, referenced that we actually HOLD OUR BREATH, more often than we realize, it's usually during times of anxiety, and or when pondering something.  Times of mental distractions, we actually are not breathing freely, we are in a state of holding our breath.  

I decided a few days prior to posting this week, to actually schedule, not so much a certain time of day, but to include a daily time to Take a Moment and Just Breathe.  To set aside time and Inhale Deeply and Exhale (of course :)) but slowly, consciously Alert to Breathing.  Being conscious of my lungs taking in breaths of air and releasing them.  

Life is Funny, we spend a lot of time running, of what I like to call "Running to the Next Chapter", what we are working on OR what is working on us.  BUT it always seems that life is living on the next page and because of that so often the page we are living in TODAY gets missed.

I have adopted this "Taking a Moment and Just Breathe" to be added to my daily routine, taking a moment and Just Breathe.

This week I wanted to share what I personally found:

• I have Renewed Gratitude
  
• A "Refresh" on my Perspective
  
• I'm Thankful to even have this time to share it with you
  

Take a moment to JUST BREATHE, to BE ALERT to what you do, BE ALERT to what you have SURROUNDING YOUR LIFE RIGHT NOW.

When is the last time you had a good laugh?  The belly hurting, eye watering type of laugh? How did it make you feel?  In those times for me, it is the greatest feeling of joy.  There is no other focus or concern, just a good feeling of shared silliness, just plain funny, a room filled with laughter.

One of the areas that I most enjoy, is not taking everything so seriously.  Creating an environment for myself, that looks at things through a colored lens.  Seeking ways to de-stress from a situation or from a moment.  

Taking a Pause before I react if something is said or done that hits a nerve.  I purposely Pause and then from there, I decide if it deserves a Reaction or maybe on Purpose I choose to not comment or to become involved.  

Even if the scenario was one that was Personal or Intended to be hurtful, I still have the driver's seat, when I choose how to react.

. . .My Viewpoint is, "IT IS NOT WHAT HAPPENS TO ME, IT IS HOW I CHOOSE TO REACT THAT MATTERS"
That is a powerful state of being.

For me as a Woman of Faith, my Perspective is what can I take from this moment, what can I learn from it.  What asset or strength can be gained from it.  That to me is being in the driver's seat.  What can I Personally do to assist making the situation less stressful for all parties involved AROUND IT.  To decide to take from it and be prepared, along my journey to assist someone else who may find the moment, the situation, familiar.  What words of Wisdom and Strength can I avail myself of, in and during my own situation, my own challenges, that will prepare me to pass along support and encouragement to someone else.  

When you CHOOSE to INTERNALIZE every situation, every thing, every statement, every glance your way or condensing comment spoken to you, when you choose to allow the penetration of hurtful words or actions, then you are signing up for external things to become your guide, to distract your life, your actions, TO SET THE RULES FOR YOUR JOURNEY.  You are helping to build boundaries, to build walls around, what is possible for your journey. YOU HAVE BECOME an accessory to putting your life, your journey in a box and limits are being set by external extremities (actions and words of others).

For the next 7 days, 30 days, for me a lifetime. . to challenge ourselves to live as if. . 

We wear a "silicone" vest, we are all "buttered up" and nothing can stick to us.  That would be a POWERFUL state of being.  That would put the person or situation to stand alone in their own mud, their own emotional venom.

While situations, require actions, require plans, we are in the driver's seat and we will decide but it will be from our INTERNAL state of being and not from external distractions.

This seems to be a good place to mention. . to be careful who you allow to speak into your life.  Consider the source, consider their life, their experience, their environment.  Are they visionary, are they open to creativity, are they non-judgemental? ARE THEY QUALIFIED TO SPEAK INTO YOUR LIFE?

YES, some will speak without permission, but even then you can remember you wear silicone, you hear and release.  You fill those thoughts, that space with positivity, with wisdom, in my life that includes prayer and meditation.  I'm always seeking to hear the voice of my Creator, His Voice, His Wisdom for my journey.

I opened with. . LAUGHTER IS GOOD BECAUSE. . .?
You know what follows. .the question only you can answer:
What can laughter do for your life?

This week to keep it fun and creative, I wanted to share a great article on laughter, which is found at:   LAUGHTER IS THE BEST MEDICINE

Feeling Stuck? Find yourself Complacent? Locked in a Box? Feet stuck in the Mud? Distracted? Stagnated ~ No Movement in any Direction? Frustrated to the point that it is hard to Speak, to Smile, to Laugh?  I could easily go on, but I believe you get the premise of where this post is heading.

What great ideas do you have?  What have you started time and time again and then life distracts the plan?  What's written down or doodled on every piece of blank paper?  What image, what plan, is in your mind all the time? What is inside of you that the world is waiting to be introduced to?  What are you Passionate about?  What drives you?

I heard it said and I agree, "I didn't say it would be easy, it will be work, but it is so worth it!"

If this sounds familiar, join the Journey, of "Just Do".  Just do it, just try it, try something, try anything that moves the chess piece to the next space.  Find the lesson in the Revisions, find the lessons in the Eraser and the Start Again and the "been there, tried that" and just move forward.  When you have the mindset to NOT QUIT, the next move could be the door to your destination, to what you dream about, to what you have set goals for, what your Vision is for your life.

. . .is it so easy to work hard for a paycheck?, or for the dreams of someone else? and not put the same effort into our own dreams or vision for our life.  The same effort into pursuing our passion.  WE all have to support our lives, which is a given, it is the "WE DO WHAT WE HAVE TO DO" factor, but what should be included, is working on "DOING MORE OF WHAT WE LOVE TO DO", with the goal having the percentage of time being higher on the side of our passion, on our place of fulfillment.  

The point is that when Employed, even Self-Employed with a business that you are half-hearted about, you are an employee, your time is invested to do a certain amount of something to receive and to maintain the necessities of life.  Life is driving you.

How would life be, if what you are invested into, work hard for, even including the Plan B that has the potential to become Plan A, are invested into it and committed to traveling the distance to arrive to the destination that you see.  A Life committed to Not Quitting or Settling for Just Anything?  Are you willing to do the work? Are you Motivated to reach what lives inside your heart?  Are you swayed by having a Pep Rally of Supporters or Can you Move forward by the drive inside of you?  Questions only You can answer.

Those questions are the. .What makes the difference in reaching our Personal Mountain Tops.  Why waste energy, why waste time, conversation, monetary investment, if you know you don't have it in you.  Find out if the work is worth it, if the answer is "YES", get to it, do it, get started now.  You can't reach the landing, if you are not willing to take the first step.  

It is the Our Mindset, we need to See it (to have Vision), we need to Feed our Heart and Mind on the food that drives us, to inundate with materials that support the process, that keeps us on the journey of what we see in our heart.

Whose Journey are you Traveling?  At the finish line, will the review be satisfying?  It is never too late and it is not determined by age, even if you are at a crossroad where you feel that you aren't at the level you wanted, or didn't pursue what was in your heart, you have a TREASURE Box of Wisdom.  You speak from a life traveled, your experience uniquely your own.  You can offer positivity, wisdom, lessons learned, giving it into the life of someone else. Your words are seeds that can be sown into lives forever, seeds that grow into a harvest of the lives of many others.  Words that can be passed through generations.  That can be very satisfying, very fulfilling, to give wings to someone else to fly.

to Pursue, Ready to Join the Journey of "JUST DO"?

I won't promise you that it will be successful out of the gate, or on your first try, I'll even add that what you start may finish with a different pattern, a revised plan.  I will also share to expect "Challenge", to expect "Resistance", not Maybe, not if, but to Expect those appointments, so when they arrive, it is No Surprise, it is SIMPLY, step over and continue to take another step, to move another Chess Piece.  

There are days that are weighted, days of thought overload of "Why, am I pursuing this or that", but with all that being stated, if you were living in your Vision of what you see for your life, the idea life, the idea experiences for you, WOULD THE PRICE BE WORTH IT TO PAY?

IF YOU WERE LIVING IT AND YOUR SOUL, YOUR SPIRIT WAS FULFILLED, WOULD IT BE WORTH IT?

In the realm of living life fulfilled, it represents to me, living life with purpose.  Living life sharing our gifts and talents that can be an asset to someone else.  Knowing who we are and being willing to give ourselves away, knowing what we offer can offer joy, encouragement, empowerment into the lives of someone else.  A life providing benefits and not liabilities.  A life that becomes A Statement, a road map of what is possible.

Would the work and the effort be worth it?

When you operate with Purpose and your work and effort has shown that it was worth it.  How could that feed into the lives around you? What could it mean to future generations?  Who could you help? Who could you encourage? How could your life, "Make a Difference"? How could you support and build in your Community or Join In a Movement or Cause that drives you?

What is life if we live it half fulfilled, or end on the path of "Woulda, Coulda, Shoulda".  What is the Ultimate Goal, where do you see yourself traveling? If you don't plan, how do you know when you get there? If you don't FAIL, how do you know what to Revise, what to Do Different?  When you don't Pursue, how do you know what to Add, what to Subtract, what to be Alert To?

You may have a Road Map and I applaud You, You may be operating in the Arena of Fulfillment of Your Vision, Your Dream, "NOW" and I Celebrate You.  I hope you Pay it Forward, to help someone else along the way.  To give to others what you've found you needed as you Traveled along the way.

If you are reading this and you don't have a clue,or you are living life with the glass half empty feeling, get in gear, find yourself.  Find what brings your heart, your spirit, your soul the most joy?  It is usually attached to those things you do or have done that brings you the greatest joy, that you could do for endless hours.  Fill up, feed on positive environments, get around those who are moving forward, who are pursuing their passion, read or listen to books that support your Journey, Your Vision.  

I opened with, "What's the Worst that can Happen?" 
What would be your answer to that question related to your own Journey?

Enjoy the Process, Expect the Work and Celebrate the Journey from Now to the Finish Line.