The Biggest Little Step

We may never know what awaits us until we loosen our grip on the past, bid it a fond and faithful farewell and in the exchange we embrace enchanting days of endless possibilities. I believe it's never too late to start over.  In truth, life is at it's best when we have the courage to begin again, explore new horizons, embark on uncharted territories and embrace the excitement of a new day

Paul Steven Schmees / Copyright June 2008

A Walk In The Woods

I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not when I came to die, discover that I had not lived

- Henry David Thoreau

The call of the wild reaches the ears of travelers as diverse as human fingerprints. A walk in the woods is a prescription for harmony amongst all the cluttered pieces of ourselves. We earthen folk need to recalibrate from time to time. Funny how we love all our technical gadgetry and the sophisticated pleasures they bring but when we need peace of mind and clarity, we head for the woods, leaving our devices behind.

In the woods nature embraces us like a weary prodigal, finally making his way home. Rustling in the trees and the fragrance of the pines bring sweet reflections of how our lives might be. The forest is pristine, untouched by the aching scars of civilization. It is a sacred place of solitude, quietly awaiting its guests. It is an altar for desperate prayers and a quiet voice that speaks with clarity and wisdom. We can listen to our life here, exploring the complexities and perhaps wondering how we have traveled so far and yet feel so unsatisfied.

The woods are a pathway to an inner sanctum. The journey is uncomplicated and refreshingly light. We exchange our heavy burdens of vocational commitments, financial demands, personal disappointments and a multitude of general pressures for a simple backpack and the bare necessities.

Our deepest fears are not that we will get lost in the woods, but lost in life.

A Walk In The Woods/ Paul Steven Schmees

Excerpt Copyright 2006

In Search Of Ribbons

Words have extraordinary power.

Life and death are wrapped within the syllables.

The impact is incalculable.

There is simply no way to be fully human alone.

Our words are the chisels the sculpture human hearts.

Understanding, acceptance, kindness and compliment are the artistic tools that create masterpieces.

Human beings blossom under the fertile soils of thoughtful words.

When you say I look nice I feel attractive

When you say what I did was amazing, I feel inspired

When you say you are proud of me I feel rewarded.

When you say thank you I feel appreciated.

When you say please I feel needed.

When you say I love you I feel loved.

When you ask for my advice, I feel intelligent.

When you say I can do anything, I feel powerful.

When you acknowledge me publicly, I feel proud.

When you remember my name, I feel important.

When you praise me I feel confident.

When you defend me I feel secure.

When you hug me I feel safe.

When you accept me I feel validated.

When you smile at me I feel happy.

When you laugh with me I feel funny.

When you compliment me, I feel recognized.

When you say I forgive you, I feel forgiven

When you say I’m sorry, I feel no need to justify myself.

When you say you value my opinion, I feel wise.

Excerpt

In Search of Ribbons

Paul Steven Schmees / Copyright May 16, 2006