Do you live your kind of life, or one you think you should live. We are, each one us, on this earth for a very short period of time. What have, or will you, make of this life? Where will you live and what will you live for? No doubt, life can be a zany ride. Ultimately, it is not what happens to you, but how you choose to respond to what’s happening. You can choose to live your kind of life.

The list of people associated with the word beauty or beautiful is long and distinguished. As human beings we tend to be enamored with physical beauty. The popular media floods us with endless images of men and women who fit the sociocultural essence of beauty. Every year, People Magazine even dedicates an entire issue to the “50 Most Beautiful People in the World.” Sensationalism of beauty simply intensifies stress rather than deepens satisfaction with self.

Only one who devotes himself to a cause with his whole strength and soul can be a true master. For this reason mastery demands all of a person. ~ Albert Einstein Mastering Your Life, Unveiled What does mastering your life really mean? It means visualizing the life you want, mapping it out, and taking intentional steps to create it. I often ask people: what are your interests? What do want out of your career? Where would you like to retire? What brings you joy? Most people respond, “I really don’t know.” More often than not they are struggling emotionally, mentally, and spiritually. The prevailing desire is for inner calm, peace and focus.

I wonder how many times people give up just before a breakthrough - when they are on the very brink of success. ~ Joyce Meyer Are you waiting for your bliss breakthrough or are you willing your bliss breakthrough (What Does Living a Blissful Life Mean?)? Have you ever looked back and thought, “I was on the brink of my breakthrough, why did I give up?” For many of us, we never know how close we are to our bliss breakthrough because we don’t see the light at the end of the tunnel shining on the path to our dream. But, if you did see the light, are you ready to make significant change in your life?

What barriers keep you from experiencing bliss? Are you holding on to sadness, disappointment, or hopelessness rather than focusing on an outlook of bliss? Do you feel like no matter what you do all roads lead to melancholy? Many of us can think of a long and distinguished list of barriers to our bliss.

Nothing is permanently perfect. But there are perfect moments and the will to choose what will bring about more perfect moments.~Mary Balogh Bliss Only Takes a Moment Have you ever stopped to think what you can possibly accomplish in a split moment? Have you ever looked back at a moment and thought, “Geez I was feeling really happy in that moment”? It only takes a moment to create a profound, persistent satisfaction and a sense of well-being. It only takes a moment to create a positive feeling of immense fulfillment and joy that springs from within and without. While it is not something you can just pick up at the local Walmart or order online, you can choose in a split moment to create bliss.

What greater thing is there for two human souls, than to feel that they are joined for life--to strengthen each other in all labor, to rest on each other in all sorrow, to minister to each other in all pain, to be one with each other in silent unspeakable memories at the moment of the last parting? ~ George Eliot, Adam Bede Happiest Places On the backdrop of the beautiful Caribbean ocean, I want to share a reflection on relationships. The popularized tagline of Disneyland is "The Happiest Place On Earth." For many Disneyland may very well be, but, consider something much deeper like the space between you and another, especially close relationships. Eric Weiner, the author of the book The Geography of Bliss: One Grump’s Search for the Happiest Places in the World, observed, “the happiest places on earth are not internal ones. They are not geographical ones. It’s the places between us and the closer they are the more at ease we are the happier they tend to be.”

In the garden of friendship is where we cultivate love. Choose your friends wisely and the love that grows will be a blessing. ~Unknown Choosing Friends: Friends Affect Your Life What affect have your friends had on your life? Does your attitude improve when you are with them? Do they reinforce your goals? Are you inspired by the lives they lead?

It seems the older we get, the tighter our inner circle becomes. When life has you down, some of those you thought had your back run, others . . . sometimes strangers surprise you and fill that empty space up. Oh, but life has a great balancing act and when that axle turns and you are right side up again . . . you will definitely not be looking for any long, lost "friends" because your inner circle is battle-tested to win! ~ Sanjo Jendayi Forging a Healthy Inner-self Are your energy levels high? Do you attend to your physical fitness? Do you feel self-assured? Are you confident? Forging a healthy inner-self does not happen overnight. It is a life-long journey of discovery. Because life can be a zany ride, it has a tendency to leave you vulnerable to negativity and self-doubt. And, if you allow it, it begins to erode your mental and physical strength, inner power of trust, reliability and confidence in your ability to accomplish things in your daily life. Believing in and feeling good about yourself is paramount to forming a healthy inner-self.

We only live once, but once is enough if we do it right. Live your life with class, dignity, and style so that an exclamation, rather than a question mark signifies it!~ Gary Ryan Blair