outlook Archives - Page 8 of 16

March 14, 2020June 10, 2019 by Pete Wiley

Change Happens—Embracing the Evolution of Our Lives

“I wish things could go back to the way they were…”How often have you experienced a life-changing event and wished you could go back to the way it was before? Do you wish that certain things would remain the way they are forever?There are a lot of reasons why people desire stability—they want their families to stay alive and stay healthy, they want to be comfortable financially, they want to be happy—we constantly take steps to give our lives a sense of permanence. We buy a house, save money, buy insurance, and in other ways try to guard the lives to which we’ve become accustomed.

Paradise. Woman finding paradise, right here and now.

February 1, 2020June 2, 2019 by Pete Wiley

Paradise Found—Building Your Own Little Slice of Heaven

The image of an ideal, perfect place where our every desire is met and every need fulfilled has long been part of the human psyche.The idea seems simple. We all have desires—experiences we want, things we would like—that we want to feel happy. But part of what makes those things so special is the journey we take in making them a reality. If we were just given everything we want, it would have little meaning, and our “paradise” would be far from a paradise.

New. Couple sightseeing in a place they've never been.

January 4, 2020May 4, 2019 by Pete Wiley

Something New—How to Keep Growing in the midst of Routine

How open are you to new ideas, new experiences, or new people?Some people are quite happy with their routine and feel like they don’t need anything new in their lives. But we learn and grow only when we face new things that we haven’t before (see Growth). When we go through periods of routine in our daily lives, it can be too easy to stick with our usual experiences or comfort zones. However, even if we feel like we’re happy with our routine, something new can offer us an element of surprise, excitement, or wonder that can enhance our outlook and mood. This might include meeting someone new or being open to different roles, or it might be a drastic departure from what we normally do, whether personally, professionally, or spiritually.It might also be as simple as increasing our awareness of the details of our current routine—an openness to the nuances that make each day special and new.

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Impermanence. Woman with umbrella living in the moment.

August 31, 2019February 9, 2019 by Pete Wiley

In this Moment, Everything is Permanent

Everything we have, everything we know, and everyone we love will someday be gone. We will all be gone someday too.

Permanence is a delusion, and although the idea of permanence can sometimes be comfortable—making us feel secure and stable—it can also make us unprepared for the changes in our lives.

If we feel we can maintain our lives just the way they are in any given moment, we will invariably be frustrated and disappointed.

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Moment. Appreciating the moment with a butterfly.

August 3, 2019March 24, 2019 by Pete Wiley

Don’t Wait—Every Moment is Special

Looking, waiting, and wondering.

Where is the light at the end of the tunnel?

It’s a very common thing to constantly be looking forward to, planning for, or thinking about something coming up.

There often seems to an implicit assumption that the future will be, in some way, better than now. But the truth is that the light at the end of the tunnel is overrated. It always looks better than it is, and it never quite arrives.

The trick is to make the tunnel our own. With the right perspective, the tunnel itself can become the light.

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