Amazing. Fantastic. Spectacular. And I have only been awake for 30 minutes. It is a wonderful life when we choose it to be.

I have noticed there are two primary approaches to life. I am sure there are many more but let’s categorize them into two labels for now. I love it when life is simple…smile. The approaches are: the calm and the calamity.

Calm is the one we all appear or say we aspire to. It is, to use a Buddhist term – enlightened. Enlightened is the state wherein we realize that life itself is the gift and already we are surrounded by beauty and serenity. It is everywhere we look, everywhere we walk. We see wisdom in everyone with whom we talk. We have already arrived. There is nothing missing and we have only to enjoy and appreciate it. Life is easy because in fact the work is done and our life complete.

Calamity is the state of flux. Nothing seems quite right. There is a destination but even it can seem murky. It is often a life of challenges. Many things require thought and input. There are a dozen or more crossroads. The results appear on the horizon but we never seem to get there or achieve them. When we have success it is overshadowed by the smallest imperfections contained within it. Life is difficult because in fact there is much work to be done in order to get our life under control. Complete is not really an option.

It is possible to live in either state and at some juncture in our lives most of us have experienced both but we do have a default orientation. The good news is that we can choose our default and it is as easy as opening up control panel on your computer (okay, perhaps it is easier, but I digress). The secret is or our old fried Captain Choice (the real super hero of humanity).

So, it is all up to each of us. We can choose a life of labour (calamity) or a life of leisure (calm). We exercise our choice by choosing our thoughts and words wisely. If you concentrate on what is the next thing to do you will end up with a long task list in life. If you concentrate on enjoying what already exists you will end up with lots more to enjoy. It is up to us. It is our choice.

Today, I choose to relish the calm in my life. Even in moments which appear busy I am able to find the calm and appreciate the gift. Today and each day moving forward I say thanks to the universe for providing such excellent a full and complete life. I am here. I am near to my inner truth and all is calm in my life. And so it is.