Staying Positive

My Meaning In Life

/ markmkane / 4 Comments

 

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There are times

when I often wonder

“What is my purpose in life?”

This conundrum,

this perplexing dilemma

hinders my daily progress

“Do I continue as I’ve been?”

“Or do I alter my path?”

With deep contemplation

and extensive introspection

I’ve learned that

I have no real true goal

As long as I let my heart

guide my intentions

and lead my actions,

my journey has meaning

Striving not for

fame, wealth or success,

but achieving self-worth,

being of value,

spreading my love and light

Contributing to the pool

of goodwill and positivity

in this world

is what I was meant to do.

Midlife Reflections #5

/ markmkane / 2 Comments

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Looking back on everything I’ve done in my life, whether it be good or bad, there are definitely things that I would’ve done very differently.  But I guess that’s how we all would feel if given the power of hindsight.  Some would say that what we did was supposed to happen in order for us to learn a lesson or set us on the right path to where we’re going to end up. 

For someone like me who’s a control freak, especially when it comes to my choice of jobs, it’s truly frustrating when you’ve made a bad choice.  After making that critical decision, whether intentionally, hastily or ill-informed, it feels like an eternity trying to get my life back on track.  Everything seems to be in overdrive just to get back to normalcy; but now every turn, every move I make I second guess myself. 

“I shouldn’t have done this!”

“What the hell was I thinking?!”

“What have I gotten myself into?!”

“Am I going to get out of this jam? And when!?”

All these thoughts run a continuous loop in my head and I beat myself up over making that error in judgement.  We’re all human, but I have high expectations of myself and feel like the whole world just came crashing down on me.  I feel trapped with no option in sight.  

We talk to our family and friends about our predicament to get their advice but it turns into a therapy session where we pour our hearts out in hopes of a quick and easy solution.  We’ve all been there…and we’ll all go there again. 

The one thing that keeps me afloat is the prospect of something better on the horizon.  Yeah, I don’t know how long it’ll take to reach that destination but the idea of finding something better keeps that hope alive.  AND I always hold out for hope!  I always err on the side of positivity.  Why?  Because at my lowest point, that’s all I can do.  It’s much better than the alternative; I can’t just give up.  Throwing in the towel and being resigned to the fact that I failed somehow is not an option. 

There is always a way out of every predicament I put myself in.  Strength and faith is all I need to have to know that it’ll all work out in the end.  Nothing’s impossible to overcome, I just have to be willing to take the first step forward…AND I just did.    

When It Feels Scary To Jump…

/ markmkane / 6 Comments

While channel surfing couple years ago, I happened upon a channel that featured a 2014 movie called “A Most Violent Year”.  Although I consider myself a movie buff, I’ve never really heard of this movie until that one fateful day.  I won’t tell you what the plot was because I stumbled upon it and really didn’t watch it till the end.  But I did happen upon a scene where a man by the name of Abel Morales said “When it feels scary to jump, that is exactly when you jump, otherwise you end up staying in the same place your whole life.”

This one line totally resonated with me and I just had to write it down.  I turned off the TV and soaked in those words.  I took it to heart and it quickly became etched within my subconscious.  You could almost say that I had an epiphany of some sorts.

This one quote, this one line from a movie I have never seen told me that in life, you need to take chances regardless of the outcome.  There are times when you’ll succeed and there are times when you’ll fail, but you must learn from it in order to grow into the person that you were meant to be.  Life is too short to play is safe, it needs to be explored with eyes wide open.  Life if full of endless possibilities with the potential to be great.

I took this to heart and felt that I needed to try anything even if it took me out of my comfort zone.  I lived by the code of being open to different things; doing so would broaden my horizons both mentally and physically.  Living by this way of thinking helped me to try different things; just facing the impossible or the uncomfortable with complete abandonment.  Living this way made me realize that to do these things require both strength and faith; the will to pursue what your heart desires with the self-confidence to know that you’ll achieve something positive from it regardless of the results.

Ever since then, I’ve been bestowed with nothing but great outcomes.  I dared to take a chance and came out a winner so to speak; I count my blessings everyday for doing so.  So if you are faced with doing something that takes you out of your comfort zone, go all in and bet on yourself.  The first step will be scary, terrifying even…but the end results will be much more rewarding.  Take that leap and dare to be great!

Our Dreams

/ markmkane / 19 Comments

Our dreams,

define us,

brings out our passion,

unites us mind, body and soul,

shapes our character

Our dreams,

make us work above and beyond,

pushing us to the brink,

testing our resolve,

our faith

Our dreams,

create doubts,

questions our path,

instills a sense a failure,

gives a dose of reality

of something that might never be

But to not make an attempt

means eternal regret,

what ifs,

what could’ve been,

loss of purpose in life

So we remain vigilant

and stay the course,

knowing that possibilities

are within reach

If our hearts are true,

and our will is strong,

fearless,

it is then,

and only then

will we be able to reach

Our dreams.

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An Eternal Optimist

/ markmkane / 15 Comments

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In the face of

insurmountable odds

and naysayers doubting

your ability

You have to have

faith,

passion,

know yourself

inside and out

Develop a keen foresight

and inner confidence

Have the drive

to fight and persevere

Knowing it will be enough

to overcome everything

Once you can do that,

a spark of hope

springs from an endless well

that leaves you with a sense of

unbridled enthusiasm

A beacon at the end of the tunnel

that will never dissipate

When you can truly feel this way

accept it as canon,

that’s when you know you’re

an eternal optimist.

An Eternal Optimistic Kid In A Pessimistic World

/ markmkane / 3 Comments

Call it wishful thinking, call me a dreamer, or call it what you will but I am a certifiable optimist.  Let me rephrase that, “I am an eternal optimist in a somewhat pessimistic world!”

In light of all the insurmountable odds stacked against me in whatever I’m undertaking, I always see an opportunity for the best thing to happen and hope for it to come to fruition.

That may sound like arrogance or being a bit too confident but I feel that it’s much better to be that way than to think negatively of the circumstance.  Thinking of all the things that could go wrong tends to impede our progress and changes our mindset from a “can do” to a “can’t.”

I’d rather come from a place where I believe that it can happen or possibly could happen.  Having a semblance of hope drives us to do our best.  Just knowing that we have a chance to attain our dreams, get that job, be accepted into that prestigious college, whatever…makes us all the more enthusiastic.

There’s a bounce to our step, a gleam in our smile, a twinkle in our eyes that exude positivity.  In our current time, we need to have a strong belief that some good will come from our hard work and efforts.

Granted not all things happen like we wish it to, in my case it’s a majority of the time, but it serves as a reminder that it’s better to try and fail than to do nothing. AA2

What drives me to be eternally optimistic is my internal fountain of hope; that gives me the sheer strength to endure.  Just knowing that I won’t fail all the time is ammunition for me.  If I just don’t give up and go that extra mile, maybe just maybe I’ll achieve my goal.

I try to have a kid’s outlook on life where everything’s attainable.  Children are not jaded, children have no limits, children see a straight line to their goals.  Unbridled optimism guides their path without regard for the chiming in of the adult’s skepticism.

We should all just make an attempt to stick with something and see through it till the end…who knows, it might be productive or we could’ve been on the cusp of attaining it.  Regardless, our mindset will change and we’ll see the possibilities in our next endeavor.

Being optimistic is not everyone’s cup of tea, most of the people I know are more logical; they know when it’s time to call it quits and move on.  I could do that but it just wouldn’t be me.  So I’ll continue to be in this club of one and be that eternal optimist in a pessimistic world.

The Three P’s

/ markmkane / 3 Comments

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We all have tons of dreams

some big, some average, some small

Achieving them in our lifetime

is the common theme for us all

The map to our success

is following these three views

Learning them by heart

will help us avoid any miscues

 Patience, Persistence & Perseverance

also known as “The Three P’s”

Commit them to one’s memory

is a MUST I do decree

Biding our time without complaint

having “Patience” is the key

The journey’s just beginning

in bringing our dreams to reality

 “Persistence” will outlast talent

staying the course, when all else fails

We must get up after every fall

towards our dream we will prevail

 In spite of all the difficulties

and the strong urge not to quit

“Perseverance” dictates our true passion

we’ll get there…bit by bit

 So pursue your dreams to the ends of the earth

learn “The Three P’s” & follow through

You’ll reach your goals and then much more

of this I promise you.

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A Lesson From A Bird

/ markmkane / 2 Comments

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Wake up with a smile

it’ll brighten your day, 

the more bigger the smile

the happier you’ll stay

This little phrase

is something I would normally tell

but early one morning

a new thought rang a bell

I woke up one day

with the early morning light

and saw a little bird singing –

it was a most beautiful sight

This bird outside my window

was most happy and carefree,

it whistled and it chirped

as loud as can be

This little bird

gave a new meaning to my life –

“Let happiness rule your day

not your worries, not your strife”

As I continued to watch,

the bird left without a trace

leaving me with a memory

and a message in its place

So I ventured into the day

with a smile and good cheer

reassuring myself

that the bird of happiness is near

I did my best throughout the day

to spread happiness around,

this new trait of the little bird

in me now is found.

A Spark Of Hope

/ markmkane / Leave a comment

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Ever have one of those days when things just don’t seem to go your way or situations pop up that test your limits?  We’re all faced with that time and time again; believe me, I’ve had my share ten times over and then some.  There are other that have it even worse. 

 What I’m most curious about is how others cope with their personal struggles.  How do they keep positive in light of all the bad things that are happening to them?  What gives them the drive to face their dilemma head on and never give up?

 When problems arise in my life, my “doom and gloom meter” starts to rise and my mind starts to go into overdrive about all the things I could’ve done to avoid this mess.  My outlook starts to look depressingly hopeless and my daily routines are all out of whack.

 I start to do normal things on auto-pilot all the while racking my brain on how to solve my problems or obstacles so that I can get back on track and live normally again. 

 When this happens, I start to get into a funk and feel like “Why does this always happen to me and when will it all end!  Can’t I just get a break?!”  Just when I see there is no solution to my turbulent mess, “a spark of hope” appears out of nowhere.

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 For me, that can come in the form of my dog greeting me at Mach speed with unconditional love and adoration.  A big bear hug from my wife. It can even come from watching my kids simply do their homework or observing family members go about their daily routine.  It’s amazing how something so small and mundane can make a difference.

 Just the mere sight of them snaps me out of my much misaligned chaotic demeanor.  It’s weird but seeing something like that, just soaking in those positive things gives me hope. Remembering all the good times and feeling so blessed to have a family like mine helps a lot; knowing that I overcame previous predicaments helps in the process.  Maybe subconsciously I know that I have their undying love and support in my corner and I know I’m not facing my predicaments alone.  

 Can’t really explain it; I get a renewed sense of energy and endless possibilities about my life explode in my head…AND it’s all good.  It feels as if nothing in the world can stop me from accomplishing anything and everything! 

It’s funny how something so simple can become a beacon of unbridled optimism.  Life doesn’t appear so bleak and I’m enthusiastically anticipating what’s in store for me in an hour, a day, a week or months from now.  I begin to envision a more desirable and successful future for myself which might or might not happen.  Who cares?!

 My “spark of hope” is all that matters in driving my life forward.  As long as I have that grain of reverie then everything is fine.

 I can’t fathom how this process works but I’m just truly grateful that this “spark of hope” can do wonders for me.  I just pray that this sparkle continues to light all of the dark and hard times that I’ll encounter in my life.

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