Lakestyle Positives

September 2021

Recently I had the privilege of attending a celebration of two families coming together. The event focused on a young couple committing themselves to one another, a beautiful event in a historical venue. So many people dressed beautifully was apparent, however what became overwhelming obvious was the support this large family had for one another. Genuine care and excitement for the well being of all family members and friends was authentic. The atmosphere oozing from this family was a soothing reminder that when support is a rule of conduct, when the essence of why we get up in the morning is to be sure everyone is ok, especially family, a natural phenomenon occurs, confidence of spirit and togetherness overwhelms. The combination of these two human elements creates a solid springboard for life. Launching forward a path of self assurance and confidence, a confidence that can only be maintained by unbridled support. When the purity of wanting what is best for your family/friend, miracles of success permeates. The success of spirit fuels the success of accomplishment. This family is a credit to society, they are a community of teachers, coaches, musicians, athletes, business owners, healthcare and service professionals. Individually, the pride and support they receive fuels them to become the leaders within their chosen profession/avenue of life. Each and everyone is a difference maker, truly an inspiration. When they come together, the joy of togetherness is rendered. I came away with an understanding of the power of support, how it builds confidence, how it provides happiness, how contagious it is, and most importantly how it can become a lifestyle. To support, it takes little energy, like most things in life, it’s just a decision to do so. Decide to support today, doesn’t matter who or the circumstance, what does matter is the momentum of confidence you will create.

AUGUST 2021

Camaraderie is a powerful energy, business, sports achievements, the fulfillment of dreams have been accomplished because of it. When you’re in it, the feeling of togetherness is unparalleled, it’s life changing, so much so it’ll restore your self worth. Camaraderie pulls the best of what you are, out of you. Pride of accomplishment is allocated evenly, there is no room for jealousy, or resentment when camaraderie is in the house. Camaraderie will narrow our lense of purpose, there is no goal that is unattainable. Camaraderie is only capable of creating good memories, for there is no more poignant moment of achievement when all are responsible, when all cross the finish line at the exactly same moment. What is special about camaraderie is that captures participants at the exact right moment, it’ll provide a correct recipe of emotional lift needed to overcome. Camaraderie takes hold in a manner that is customize to the uniqueness of each persons participating. Camaraderie will swell up when success is meant to be, so when you feel it, when it takes hold, embrace it, let yourself be taken away by it, this will be a time when special moments become a reality.

JULY 2021

What would a home be without the presence of a woman, a mother, who’s touching hand was the first to provide a safe space. The one who nourishes and assures you that you can do anything. The one who creates a home, a place where seeds of optimism are planted, a place of incubation for dreams. Most often she’s the one laying down the foundation of sentimental memories. She will initiate an experience of camaraderie, knowing that togetherness can overcome any early hurdle of life. A young woman of growing experience bringing enthusiasm, curiosity , and good will to any setting graced by their presence. What would a workplace be without the presence of a woman. An example of balance, gracefully meeting the challenge of private and work related loads. An approachable personality, a smiling face , a presence of melody that calms the periphery. A person spilling vibrant colors along and within all those open to it. A individual who brings a new intelligence, a compliment to an established way of thinking. What would the country be without the presence of a woman, their duty of leadership providing a measured balance of common sense, compassion, and decency. She brings an optimum of spirit and can do. She brings a new level of multitasking, addressing all issues with a deliberate touch of grace. Success is not the end goal, it's a byproduct of treating those within her periphery with courtesy, respect, and encouragement. She inspires collusion, pooling everyone around her to achieve. She is the bedrock of family, a visionary, a vital cog, an enhancer, a national treasure.

JUNE 2021

Success is determined by how you handle interruptive blinks. We yearn to maintain a life of harmony with no distractions, no interruptions, but that would lead to a life that is unseasoned. Interruption blinks are moments you are forced to deal with. Somebody cutting you in line, a disrespectful comment towards you in front of others, a rumor started about you from a colleague. There will be a plethora of interruption blinks in your life. You have a decision to make at that very instant, you can apply negative or positive energy to that circumstance. A habit of applying negative energy only leads to victim hood, the "why always me" syndrome. However, by consistently applying positive energy, it’ll disarm the deliverer. This action provides pause, gives time to assess and to ultimately apply the correct remedy. It’s an opportunity to learn, to understand another point of view, to embrace a person or circumstance needing encouragement. This application of good will, will rise you up, it’ll rise others up. Be the energy of good will, be the standard of good manners. Who knows, you may actually come to embrace interruptive blinks as a game of opportunity. An opportunity to improve yourself, an opportunity to be the example, an opportunity to set a standard. Interruptive blinks become life lessons, and a series of life lessons builds wisdom, a foundation life tool that prepares you for the unforeseen of tomorrow.

MAY 2021

Perspective is a an important variable in life, it will frame an outlook of thought. It will set the mode for how you approach a circumstance. If your predisposition is weighted down with challenge, every responsibility of life becomes an uphill struggle . Left unchecked, this unsatisfying trajectory can morph into an unhealthy disposition. However, there is a key that will open an escape hatch from this state of mind. This key resides deep within you, within everyone. The path to finding it requires a path down memory lane, looking back at an experience and understanding consequence. This look back unfolds a broader view of life’s playing field, visualizing varying outcomes. Elevating your belief that a slight shift of mind can unfold to an outcome of preference, is nothing more than a decision. Reducing your life to the few elements that are most sacred enhances your focus of what matters, not just for today, but for tomorrow and beyond. The key to perspective is to visualize the evolution of your thoughts. Understanding what the opinion seeds of today will look like when they bloom. Understanding outcome will enable you to put things in proper order. The exciting aspect of perspective is that you own it, you have control of it. It’s up to you, all you need to do is to chose a narrative that works. Another aspect of perspective is that you can take someone else’s point of view, an exercise of maturity, understanding that the world does not orbit around one avenue of thought, yours! This exercise is a crucial step towards developing respect for one another. Free your imagination, be open to what could be. The perspective of today may unleash a dream of tomorrow. Embracing the right perspective may unleash an enthusiasm that may result to the best version of what you were intended to be.

APRIL 2021

The toughest job in the world is to care. It requires patience and paying attention to the detail. To give up of oneself in place of another. The job of caring often goes unnoticed, there is no ceremony, no fan fare. The true caregivers reward is personal, quiet. A reflective smile of knowing that they helped someone is their reward. It’s the unmerited caregiver that holds our society together, they separate the goodness from the chaos. No matter the circumstance, they report to duty, by no mandate other than the compassion they have to give. They live among us, invisible, many taken for granted. They possess the ability to push through the resistance of society, to look beyond the negative. They transcend to where goodness resides. The inner strength and resolve of the caregiver is boundless, they often are doing what others won’t. When the task at hand is intolerable, it’s at this time when they arrive. The action of a caregiver instills peace for those at the receiving end of their grace. Every neighborhood seems to have a caregiver, the one person who is always available, no matter the circumstance. They are the backbone of order and harmony. They come young and old, they possess the golden heart of compassion. They are different, unfazed, and committed to something other than themselves. The rule of service inebriates their being. They represent the silver lining, the best of humanity. Salute and cherish the caregiver in your life.

MARCH 2021

The sunrise of spring is a glorious moment. Rays of orange hue laced with yellow lining illuminate the sleeping landscape, a visual whisper that a new day is about to unfold. Moisture in the air weighs itself upon all that is green. The horizon, still drowsy from the cover of night’s blanket is slowly revealed by the encroachment of the morning light. The warmth of light creeps along the horizon, encroaching upon the sleeping blooms within the folds of nature’s arrangement. As the angle of the sun's warmth becomes more direct, the miracle of color is revealed. Shades of rainbow rise up from the ground, intensity of color awakens fragrance, a miracle designed to attract attention to its origin. As light and color intensify, echoes of nature travel and come upon the dormant, serving as a gentle vibe to awaken. The discreet of nature’s society start their routine, navigating through the protection of camouflage. Some burrow through soil, others branch through the network of trees, while the majestic survey from above. All movement is a symphony going about their way unknowingly contributing to the grace of life awakening. A breeze may come along, stirring the mix of sound and fragrance, targeting the admirer of nature’s portrait of wonder. Familiar smells that are therapeutic bring pleasure to the senses that descend deep to your inner self, touchingly a sacred space where unblemished joy resides, a place where memories are felt. The trinity of yesteryear, now, and the anticipation of tomorrow brings a warm to your face. This trifecta of circumstance creates a moment of stillness that transcends you beyond the familiar. With every breath you take, you feel the wholeness of you. The early Sun of a Spring awakening, this mornings rise, is the energy charge needed to begin the outdoor season. Respect nature and reach out to those in need of a Spring awakening.

FEBRUARY 2021

Sometimes a hero lives among us. They are tough to spot because a true hero presents themselves as a commoner. They persevere independently, they don’t need encouragement from others, their independence flows from an abundance of inner drive. A hero will overcome the difficulties that we take for granted. Their calling is to remind us how wonderful and precious life is. A hero will shoulder life’s weight of perspective. Their extraordinary accomplishment is not only what they showcase, it’s also the emotional rainbow that they draw out from us. A hero is not afraid of what a new day brings, they are ready for the challenge, to make strides against all odds. A hero will show you how to struggle well, to highlight the best version of humanity. They set the standard of how others should behave, to overcome, to set the example, to serve as a tutorial of how to succeed. A hero will accept their circumstances and make the best of what is given. Once the light of a hero is unleashed, the brightness of their spirit will overwhelm any darkness that may lay ahead. And it is through their light, is the the beauty of life revealed. Take time to get to know people around you, reach out, you may discover a story that showcases what it takes to be an admirable human being.

Tomorrow is a day that is taken for granted. Its taken for granted because it happens all the time. We don’t even have to try, and it’s here, tomorrow, a new start. Tomorrow is a day that we can use to put off today, we’re all guilty of it. If we don’t like the responsibility of today, well, we’ll just push it off till tomorrow. However you can make something more of  tomorrow, you can make it count, it can be more than a routine. You can fulfill a promise, to yourself, or someone else. You can fix something tomorrow that happened today, the opportunity to change something that needed improvement. The excitement of today is because of the possibilities of tomorrow, a new beginning, and the exciting part, is that we all get one. Tomorrow you can renew yourself or maybe someone else, to make someone smile, maybe help change the life of someone around you. Tomorrow gives us something to look forward to, perhaps the cozy routine of coffee in the morning, letting others know it is time to wake up. Tomorrow could be a day of rest, a pause in your week to recharge. Tomorrow might fulfill a wish for something better, that makes the events of today tolerable. Tomorrow could be a do over, we do whatever we do today, tomorrow gives us the opportunity to do it better. Tomorrow allows you to move past yesterday, tomorrow can dull the pain of today. Tomorrow gives you the opportunity to make a difference, to decide. So long as there is a tomorrow, there’s hope for today. Tomorrow allows you to take control , its today’s fuel for optimism. Tomorrow is inspirational, we strive, we plan, we achieve, we celebrate, we dream. Tomorrow is a destiny for all those who breathe life today. Whatever gifts you possess in this life, know that tomorrow is the greatest.

On occasion life can give you a glimpse of what the human heart is capable of feeling. We are meant to build ourselves up and learn lessons and persevere through difficulties, life lessons they say, gaining perspective perhaps. Sure we become seasoned, we are better prepared for the next hurdle. But these are life cycles that only prepare us for life cycles. Always contained within the norm of what feels right, it’s what we’re accustomed to, what society has taught us. If we dare, we take a look outside of our customary life cycle, we break our routine. We dare to be inspired, a dare that does not come with an instruction manual.  We throw caution to the wind and let the moment bring us to an unknown experience. It’s the unplanned moment of life that brings us the highest level experience, an unfamiliar plain of fulfillment. These moments are not meant to last, they are meant to remind us that we are more than our routine of life. A familiar life cycle provides safety, which leads to content,  and perhaps happiness. A preordained shift outside of this cycle may lead to self discovery, which leads to fulfillment, which brings you to the highest level of what you were meant/capable to feel. You can live beyond your circumstances, a place where life circumstances no longer has influence. Wonderful that we have the gift of choice to determine our emotional well being. The key to open this plain of existence is held within your decision. Be bold, be good to yourself, decide to throw caution to the wind.

There always seems to be a good Samaritan in every neighborhood. A person who flys under the radar screen. A person who is dependable, knowledgeable, and who cares about the people around him. You may see him in a small coffee shop getting together with some of the locals to catch up on community chatter. He may be a volunteer who will assist with any function to maintain and improve ecological standards for his community. This person is the consummate volunteer, any community needs, and is blessed to have a personality of this magnitude amongst its midst. Although this person is kept busy with his charitable chores, he compliments his giving by providing aspiring experiences. This person happens to be an experienced pilot owning a seaplane. He routinely invites residents to experience a majestic flight to view their homestead from above. The experience of taking flight from a water runway and a slow ascend to the sky erases any conscious of obligation. Every moment above viewing a picturesque landscape is a newfound experience. Mind you, this experience for the charitable pilot is routine. The motivation for him solely is the joy of seeing others receiving a first time wonder of serenity from an unfamiliar vantage point. This person routinely invites unsuspecting community members up for this experience. He is an ambassador of goodness, witnessing the joy of others serves as a priority above his own. It’s good to meet and know people like this. He serves as a role model for making people smile.