This book is a gift to you. A journey of the heart. As we embark on our journeys, events, milestones, and adventures shape us and transform us daily. Every now and then fear holds us back and we need a little nudge to move on, to discover what is waiting just a little further down the path. It often starts as something subtle, a small change you decide to make or something that occurs to you in your day to day moments. This book is about those everyday moments, about savoring the here and now. It is in those moments where we can find the courage to make changes. This book will make you smile, it will make you laugh, and hopefully it will make you think about a change you've been meaning to make and help you go for it. Space has been provided for self reflection as you enjoy your own distinct journey. "The book is one where the reader takes a full inventory of his/her existence. The authors want the reader to live in the present and savor the many blessings in life" - Ray Quillin, English professor Saint Leo University

The Present

Reflection JournalBy Shannon Pearson Susan Pease

AuthorHouse

Copyright © 2010 Shannon Pearson and Susan Pease
All right reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-4520-7861-8

Chapter One

Life's Simple Pleasures

Your Journey

Look inside yourself. What do you see?

_____________________________ _____________________________ _____________________________ _____________________________

Reflect Inward

"What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters, compared to what lies within us."

–Ralph Waldo Emerson

Your Journey

When was the last time you gave yourself permission to be genuine and silly? _____________________________ _____________________________ _____________________________ _____________________________

Be Genuíne

Some of us are born with a gift of unapologetic silliness, this amazing ability to simply be ourselves when the whole world wants us to fit into a mold. These unique creatures don't care if others see them as slightly off or just plain weird. They enjoy life to the fullest, notice the little details, and lighten the mood as soon as they walk into a room. What a rare and wonderful experience to be in the presence of one of these people. It is a reminder that each of us is perfect in our own imperfect way. Perhaps if we each had the courage today to fully be ourselves and to be just a bit sillier, the world would feel less scary and a lot more genuine.

Your Journey

What can you share today? _____________________________ _____________________________ _____________________________ _____________________________

Share Yourself

Sharing. What a sweet and simple gesture. At any given moment on any given day we can share ... with our friends, our family, our pets, the lady in the grocery store, the man on the city bus, anyone, anytime. We forget sometimes because we are so wrapped up in our thought processes and our busy schedules to notice others around us. The beauty of sharing is that it is something we don't have to do, it is not on the schedule, we don't have to pencil it in, and it doesn't require a huge amount of creativity or thought. Sharing is something we can do simply by seeing with our hearts instead of our minds and it only requires a small piece of us. Sharing is a tiny package with a huge present tucked inside. You never know how far your act of kindness will go.

Your Journey

What makes you really happy? _____________________________ _____________________________ _____________________________ _____________________________

Choose Happiness

"Most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be."

-Abraham Lincoln

Your Journey

What is your favorite kind of cheap fun? _____________________________ _____________________________ _____________________________ _____________________________

Have Fun

It doesn't get any easier than this. Talk about cheap fun! Whether you are 5, 50 or 101, you have to admit blowing bubbles is just plain fun. What else can you do for a dollar that is so enjoyable? Can you even think about blowing bubbles and not instantly smile? Here are your bubble challenges for today. Can you stack multiple bubbles on your wand? Can you blow a huge bubble slowly or lots of tiny ones quickly? Can you use the wind to blow bubbles as you spin around? Can you catch a bubble without popping it? Can you see the amazing colors refracted in each perfect sphere? Can you take a moment for bubbles today?

Your Journey

What do you hear? _____________________________ _____________________________ _____________________________ _____________________________

Open Yourself

Just STOP talking ... and listen.

Your Journey

Who would you like to walk with today? _____________________________ _____________________________ _____________________________ _____________________________

Enjoy the Day

Perhaps on another day we'll leave the safety of the shore and sail away to visit distant lands.

Perhaps on another day we'll each look for our own shore to explore.

For today, however, we'll just walk together and enjoy.

Your Journey

What adds depth to your life? _____________________________ _____________________________ _____________________________ _____________________________

Celebrate Life

On this particular day we were celebrating my father's Christmas birthday a little early. Since it was December my six-year-old was reminded that Christmas is also the season for celebrating another special birthday. As Pappy finished blowing out his candles she piped up without a single hesitation, "Wow, Pappy, if Jesus hadn't died he'd be almost as old as you are." After we recovered from laughing until we cried all we could think was ... ... out of the mouths of babes.

"It is not the length of life, but the depth of life."

-Ralph Waldo Emerson

Your Journey

Who comes to mind when you look at this picture? _____________________________ _____________________________ _____________________________ _____________________________

Develop Character

What makes life so interesting are the characters we meet along the way!

Your Journey

If you could get lost in this moment, what would you do? _____________________________ _____________________________ _____________________________ _____________________________

Live Fully

Love this moment, and it will spread out infinitely.

Your Journey

When was the last time you shared a smile? _____________________________ _____________________________ _____________________________ _____________________________

Smile More

Smiles. What more of a gift could you ask for? No matter who they come from - children, teens, or adults - they all warm the heart. Be the gift giver and pass along a smile today.

Your Journey

Go for a walk today. What did you notice? _____________________________ _____________________________ _____________________________ _____________________________

Be Aware

I saw a blue jay today. At first that may not seem like anything significant; it didn't to me either. However, as I walked I thought, wow, I saw a blue jay today. The wow part was that I noticed the blue jay before it flew away, that I saw its brilliant blue feathers against the backdrop of a dull winter woods. I had noticed this stunning creature though I was lost in the snowdrifts of my own mind. Seeing the blue jay was a bright spot on my normal walk-the-dog route. It made me catch my breath for a moment, followed by a smile. On any given day, that is a valuable experience.

Your Journey

What did your hot shower reveal to you? _____________________________ _____________________________ _____________________________ _____________________________

Just Relax

It's the sound of pure joy. Close your eyes. Can you hear it? The rhythmic sounds of the water droplets as they fall against the shower walls. You step in and the hot, rising steam envelopes you in a protective blanket, sheilding you from all that comes with life –if only for a few fleeting minutes. The hot water sloughs off the burdens of your...