Emotions Archives - Page 2 of 22

August 17, 2024July 1, 2024 by Pete Wiley

Every Moment is a Transition

Change is a good thing. But, sheesh, enough already.

Last year, I retired from a job I held for 36 years and am devoting myself to Blocks of Life full-time. I’m still in the midst of that transition, but I’m barely making the top five in terms of the transitions around me. My wife is retiring next week, my mother is turning 90 (also next week), and my son recently began his first full-time job. Needless to say, parties abound, and I’m just trying to keep up. Transitions are the specific manifestations of an evolving life. Although they can cause anxiety and are not always thought of in a completely positive light, they should always be celebrated.

August 3, 2024June 18, 2024 by Pete Wiley

The Simple Pleasures of a Rainstorm

One of my great joys in life is the anticipation of an approaching storm. I love everything about it—the dramatic change in light and atmosphere, the violence of it, the excitement. It’s almost like watching a great movie, except it’s more impactful because it’s real. During a summer storm, it can go from terribly hot, humid, and still to windy and much cooler in just a few moments. It’s a feast for the senses, as you may notice it’s coming in various ways. Of course, storms can be damaging, but they can also be renewing—wiping clean the conditions and the mood of the day.

July 6, 2024May 6, 2024 by Pete Wiley

People are Different—Embrace It

God, they’re irritating!

Everyone has people in their lives who get under their skin. It might be what they say or how they say it. It might be a behavior or habit they have. But nobody goes through life without someone who just irritates the hell out of them. But what can you do? Well, you do have choices. You can engage on their level or take the bait. You can be passive-aggressive regarding their behavior. You can also cut them out of your lives. But at the end of the day, people will be who they are, so you need to decide if you still want them in your life, and if so, you have to accept who they are.

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June 22, 2024April 25, 2024 by Pete Wiley

Nothing is Permanent—Except, of Course…

Each of us has elements in our lives that are so precious to us that it’s hard to come to terms with their loss. You might not want to envision life without them—it’s unthinkable. But at the same time, nothing in our lives is permanent. These two competing ideas can be hard to reconcile. What is important to you may be a child, a relationship, or security as a family. There are some things that you don’t want to ever see threatened or come to an end. But as we each have to face death, we also have to face the fact that nothing at all is going to last forever.

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June 3, 2024June 4, 2024 by Pete Wiley

Poetry (and Music!) in Motion

Today, I am excited to announce the release of my first book of poetry, Many Paths: An Exploration of Hope, Healing, and Personal Growth.

Describing a meaningful and fulfilling life in words is challenging. Although relating the elements of our lives is useful and allows for a practical and detailed understanding, to delve deeper into the emotional aspects of our triumphs and challenges, our passions and pursuits, we need a more creative and nuanced medium. Poetry and music express these ideas in ways that a description could not—in ways that resonate with the reader emotionally and genuinely. I have explored my emotional journey with music and poetry for as long as I can remember, and nothing can compare to these mediums in terms of expressing emotions. Starting about five years ago, I started to write poetry and music based on the ideas in these blog posts and it was the answer I needed to make these ideas whole.

I have taken one of the poems from the book and put it to music in I Look to the Leaves. Although all of my songs contain lyrics, this is the first that began as a poem and became a song.

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