Reflection

https://joyfulpursuitoflife.wordpress.com/2016/11/28/reflection/

Don't Just Keep Swimming, Go For A Swim & Enjoy Doing It

I just freaking love this video! 💦🐢💦 I love turtles so much anyway, to me they are my zodiac symbol. While I don't believe in that I do believe that certain traits are more common at certain times of year, etc. I am a Cancer and I really fit the definition perfectly, while some people are more blended. Either way, to me it's just one way man has attempted to understand the stars' effects on us and how timing in cycles affect outcomes of individual events. Normally a Cancer is a crab, but I feel a turtle is a much better representation  And it works too, it fits all the same properties of the crab that are used for its representation of its people. Turtles are beautiful creatures with intricate and strong shells that are more than just something pretty to look at, it also provides a home and hiding place for the turtle. He can withdrawal whenever he doesn't feel safe. A lot like me. I could go on and on, let's just say I've taken a big liking to turtles now. Something about it in my gut feels right so I go with it. After feeding giant sea turtles you can't get much better, but I just loved watching this little guy go for a swim. I hadn't seen this particular turtle swim like this before and it was cool being right there and getting to watch as he swam right across my view. 

It relaxes me so much to watch them when they glide so effortlessly in the water. They just use smooth, wide, strong arc waves from their front appendages to propel themselves forward. Slowly and steadily the strength of each push combines to move the turtle along quite speedily. 

He made me smile. As you start your day today remind yourself to take it easy. Take a deep breath and slow down a couple times today. Be mindful. Take 15 seconds to pause, breathe deeply and clear your head and focus only on what you are doing right now - that is what mindfulness is. Try it today, use it to help you glide along like this fella. Don't just go through your life, enjoy it. Don't forget about living the life your so busy worrying and stressing away. 

The Joy of Being & Living Free

Today Summertime returned early to Southern California as 80-degree weather and sunshine took over the skies and cast their radiance upon us. We weren't the only ones to notice the surge in energy either, the dogs felt it more than anything. They stay pretty active, but today they got to run free while we stopped in to visit one of our good friends from the neighborhood. Sansa and Dany both love it there, Sansa more so I think because of her playful side. Today she kept running up to our neighbors' chihuahua trying to get her to start a chase around the yard and when she couldn't succeed she would whine and bark until someone came over to play. Her carelessness and happiness struck me more than anything I'd seen in a while. I have always envied dogs, with a good owner all they have to worry about is making it to tomorrow. Their lives are stress-free. Well, not exactly with these two. Both of them, Dany much more so, go manic when left alone too long or when they are away from us for more than a couple hours. It's one of the things I love about them, how close we have become and how safe we can make them feel. Seeing them so happy today made me feel awesome. It was like being reenergized again, recharged. We all need to be more like these dogs in our lives. We need to be more willing to let the shackles that bind us come off; after all, we are the ones who put them there to begin with. Life isn't stressful; it may be difficult but life is life. It is impersonal, the universe allows things to happen at chance and at random. We are the ones who tell ourselves we need to worry about or try and fix things out of our own control. Take a moment and let out a deep breath. If you have a dog take it for a walk and play with him or her, spend time with whatever pet you have. Learn from them; take in their sprit, their energy and their joyful determination. If you don't have a dog then go for a walk in the park or lie in bed and put on your headphones to listen to a rainstorm or bird sounds on your phone, YouTube and Google have an endless supply of resources. Take a moment and relax, breathe and focus on you. Take in the sunshine, it isn't always there to enjoy. Make good use of it. Dogs, our best friends, seem to be able to cast off the shadows and cobwebs of life and bound and leap for joy with no limits. Let's try to be a little more like them and see if our stress doesn't go down even just a bit.