Daily Reading - Allen James' Daily Guide to Success series - "The Journey: A Calendar Book"

May 3rd Calendar Books by Allen James' reading, "Drive out to the middle of a meadow and just 'BE'"

We've heard it many times before; "You need to slow down", "Why don't you take time to breathe?".

Our lives require us to rush, if we don't get just everything on our lists completed or don't make just a little more money, we're not a success. But the time comes in all our lives when we run out of steam. Taking no time to enjoy life and living just for the sake of success and money will not procure "personal" success.

Several years ago some friends introduced me to "the pipeline" in Madison County Missouri close to where I was living at the time. "The pipeline" was a swath cut through the countryside which could only be arrived at by going off road. At the time I drove a SUV. There were ample opportunities for my friends and I to "off road" and enjoy the leisure of the country.

The "pipeline" was always my favorite due to its open space and hilly terrain. But what I appreciated most about this swath of beauty in the middle of nowhere lay about mid-way down the 15 mile fairway. As you top a small hill and head down its other side you quickly find yourself surrounded by nothing but fields, and in the middle of this meadow is a large oak tree, alone but present among field and sky.

Many times I would venture out to this field I secretly named, "High Meadow" due to its perfect location atop a small rising. Driving out to High Meadow, parking my vehicle and walking out to a space where nothing but field of goldenrod and open blue sky existed and laying back in the tall grasses brings a freedom and serenity we usually only experience in a dream state. Many plans were mapped out here, and many more afternoons of a solitude necessary for re-energizing the soul. "Be still and know that I am God" (Psalms 46:10).

If you don't already have a place such as "High Meadow", seek one out. Then, make yourself visit it, regularly. Make it a habit, and once it becomes a habit your life will change, for the better. You will find restored energy, a more positive attitude, more relaxed; and most important, more in tune with the Universe.

Natalie Ekberg, contributing author for ezinearticles.com recommends the following:

1.) Schedule your "tranquil time" into your calendar, just like any other appointment and treat it the same way: don't be late, don't cancel, do it properly.
2.) Be sure to refuse other people's requests or take on more responsibilities while having your quiet time.
3.) If you feel that many different thoughts are gathering in your mind and it is becoming overwhelming, write them down on a piece of paper and continue to enjoy your alone time. You might be surprised, what fantastic ideas might come your way while you are in this state!
4.) Make sure to exhale and inhale properly and deeply.
5.) Treat this as any other new activity you are learning. Give it time and be patient. The results will be worth every minute (Ekberg, 2009).

Drive out to the middle of a meadow and just "be".

Keep looking up. : ) AJ