Color Your Life Happy

The Internet is loaded with wonderful articles, stories and tips for improving your life. I’ve gathered a few links to give you a shortcut to the inspiration from other authors and bloggers.

Times Change–A Short Story on Looking to the Future 
Cameron explores how we look at music and other things differently in retrospect.

20 Questions You Need to Ask Your Surgeon Before You or Your Loved Ones Have Surgery 
Millions of Americans have surgery every year and most of it is elective. You will not only want to read this, but also pass it to your friends and loved ones.

Stop Using the Rewind Button and Visualize What You Want
When you start making changes in your life whether for good or bad, your subconscious will kick into survival mode. Find out what to do.

Who Wants to be Rich?
What do you think is at the top of the list of what most people want?

Ghandi’s Top 10 Fundamentals for Changing the World
Guess what you have to change first in order to change the world

14 Reasons to Become More Conscious
Going beyond spiritual issues, these tips are about enhancing your daily life.

4 Reasons You Should Meditate and How to Get Started
Once you grasp how meditation positively affects your life, you won’t have trouble getting started.

How Your Income Grows as Your Personal Development Grows
Discover how income and personal development are related.

 Why Your Loved Ones Want You to Fail
You’ll be surprised at some of these reasons.

Six Steps to Become Assertive and Nice
Yes, you can do both at once.

Jonathan Field’s Best of the Web Roundup
For more inspiration and entertainment, check out the 20+ links Jonathan has rounded up

I spent Easter week visiting a friend who moved to El Salvador over seven years ago. He fell in love with the country and the people, and often invited us to visit him.

This year I finally made the trip.

During the hours I spent on his patio or in the hammock looking out at the ocean just beyond the pool, I had time to take in the beautiful palm trees as I listened to the Spanish music pouring out of his boom box.

It was a setting most of us visualize as Paradise.

Before you invest any time being envious, however, be aware that Paradise has a down side.

I discovered that I love looking out at the ocean waves, but not walking in the sand. Once you walk in the sand it seems you never get it out of whatever shoes you were wearing. The sand in the daytime was just too hot for my footsies.

It seems that insects love Paradise as well.  The El Salvadorean mosquito enjoyed a tasty feast on this newcomer, in spite of the repellent I lathered on. Then there were those little brown ants. What were they doing in the kitchen?

I enjoyed early mornings best just after a shower. For a few minutes I would feel refreshed and clean. But soon I would be dripping wet, sweat pouring down my face and keeping my hair moist. It’s tough looking sexy while mopping sweat off your face.

The best part of my trip were the people.  I felt safe everywhere we went, and was able to shop, have dinner and visit with new friends easily, in spite of my tentative Spanish.  My host introduced us to a number of his Salvadorean friends and we got to participate in their Good Friday activities.

Beachfront living is common in El Salvador for all income levels. Many restaurants and bars line the beach. As El Salvador courts foreign visitors, new hotels and restaurants are sprouting up.

Thankfully I had read A New Earth just before leaving for El Salvador so I was able to be in the Now most of the time.

I encourage you to visit Paradise wherever you find it. But just know that closeup its beauty is being enjoyed by the rest of nature and you must content yourself with accepting that.  You can’t have one without the other.

I just finished reading Tolle’s book,  A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life’s Purpose, and have been looking for ways to stay in the Present. Rather than dwell on the past or look to the future, Tolle reveals that it’s only by staying in the Now, in the Present, that we can experience joy, consciousness and our life purpose.

When I watched Usher’s remake of Gene Kelly’s classic “Singing the Rain,” I didn’t know at first why it resonated so with me. Now I do. 

It gave me great joy to see a young performer exhibit the tremendous talent to capture the essence of the original performance but in his own soulful way.

It also gave me tremendous pride to see Usher’s talent span so many genres.

But most of all, I realized that singing in the rain keeps you in the present. Try it next time it rains. In the meantime, take a walk in the sunshine.