Hope, beliefs, attitude, brotherhood, sisterhood, community, support and just plain getting along sound so comforting to me. For my own mental health, I need to be present, appreciate what has been given to me—my family, my friends, the people that support me and my beliefs. If you remember reading this from me in the past, you are probably right that gratitude and appreciation sound like my mantra. For my attitude to be where I want it to be, I must live in every moment, be present and cherish my life, never take it for granted. Most of all, I need to remember that love trumps almost everything. Concentrating on myself is the only way to change what I can control. Plus keeping love and acting from love first just feels right.  

What we all choose to think about and to focus on shapes us. I think we need to think and focus on love, peace and understanding. It is so easy to lose that focus, to drift off into the stress of keeping up with processing every day. I know from experience that carving out a space to calm down and pay attention and adjust myself is worth every minute spent. In my estimation, this is a little act of love. So how do I get my thinking and doing in sync every day?  

One way is to draw on my honesty. Each night I need to review me and my day. I must discipline my time and review my character, behavior, attitude, interactions and my attitude. I know right from wrong, good behavior vs kind, empathic behavior. In order to become the person I wish to be—calm, at peace, accepting, tolerant, more loving—I need to adjust and pay attention to me, not you.  

Today, life as we know it feels fragile and that shines a light on just how important appreciating life and living is. It calls on us to pay attention to paying attention. It is a bit crazy to write this, but surprisingly, over the last year or so, small, subtle changes have slipped into being. I find that staying in the moment is not as hard as it used to be. I do not know why that is so, but I find it has come to be. I know from experience just how hard it is be the person I want to be, but putting in the work and working toward this goal of being more loving and lovable is worth the effort.  

Ever since I was a kid, I have heard that “love is the answer”. I believe they (whoever they are) were and are right. I do not think there is any way leading with love can be wrong.

With peace, love and laughter,

Joe Dunne

Publisher