We had a beautiful snow-topped mountain scene to wake up to in Santa Barbara this morning! That doesn’t often happen here, so it was quite a sight to behold! Unfortunately, it didn’t last very long. Before noon, it was just a beautiful memory — along with a great photo!
We are left with two choices. We can focus on the positive, which is the fact that it happened, or we can focus on the negative, which is that it was too fleeting — here for such a short time and then gone. Which focus would you choose?
Life is like that! We have good things and bad things happen to us. They happen to all of us. None of us are exempt from the bad things. At least I don’t know anyone who has led a totally charmed life!
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What we all focus on becomes our reality. Our family has had a very hard year, with loved ones having serious illnesses, accidents, and injuries. Recently, we lost two family members — one from old age and illness, one through a terrible accident.
We could focus on the various hardships, and have difficulty getting out of bed in the morning. Or, we can focus on the blessings along the way, and be comforted by them.
I’ll write a bit more about our personal story a little later. Right now, though, I just want to “focus” on the power we all have to shift our awareness. This change, in what we give our attention to, can change our very experience of life!
![gifts or mom](http://www.livingbetter50.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Gifts-for-Mom.jpg")
Do you need to make a shift? Are you making your life more difficult than it has to be? Could it be that you are missing the blessings, even in the midst of sorrows? Please give it some thought! I would love to think that this post might give those who read it some comfort.
Until next time,
Linda
* Photo Credit goes to my husband, Jerry Menesez
![dating for women over 50](http://www.livingbetter50.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/LivingBetter50_33KDates_1_horiz.jpg")
Originally posted on Counseling in Santa Barbara.
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4 thoughts on “A Beautiful Morning in Santa Barbara!”
Some of the best mornings I have ever had were experienced in Santa Barbara. I was lucky enough to witness a sunrise and it was so beautiful, right over the mountains! I am sorry about the great tragedies you’ve recently experienced, it is never any fun to experience those kinds of things but they are inevitable, for just about everyone. There are ways in which to just pick yourself up and keep going. Santa Barbara has a spark of natural beauty and essence that in just a sunset or sunrise it can make you realize how beautiful the world truly is! This at least has happened to me and I hope one day you can share in this very same experience. I was just in Santa Barbara and it was such a rewarding experience watching my daughter graduate from UCSB. So proud! I just have to say my family and I stayed at this great place right near by; the South Coast Inn (www.goleta-hotel.com). Elegance at its finest!
Dear Francesca,
Thank you for taking the time to respond so beautifully to my article. I’m glad that you have had the opportunity to experience the beauty that Santa Barbara has to offer all who come here. I appreciate your condolences on the sorrows that our family has gone through. We are a very strong family, and we are all dealing with our losses and our concerns for loved ones, with strength and resilience. Grief takes time to process through, but there are many things to bring us comfort.
Being able to focus on the blessings of each day, wherever one happens to be, is very helpful in easing any of life’s sorrows. Every day has blessings! Sometimes we may need to increase our awareness to be able to appreciate them, though.
It sounds like you are very proud of your daughter, and the important milestone she has achieved in graduating from UCSB! It’s a wonderful achievement to celebrate!
Thank you again for your kind comment, and I’ll look forward to hearing from you again in the future.
Linda
Everyone always dreads getting older but you hit a point when you know after all the hard work you put in your 20s,30s, and 40s will pay off in your 50s! Everything you always wanted to do you now can and the you can’t pay for that wisdom! One of my worst fears was ending up like my mom, what seemed to me as bored and very comfortable at 50 and you know what?! I envy her! Not saying that I can’t wait to be older but to live comfortably and know whats what will be a bit more settling. Santa Barbara is just the place to enjoy yourself, and the one place I love enjoy everything that it has to offer. The Sandman Inn (www.thesandmaninn.com) is the place to do it if you want to save some money and enjoy yourself while doing it.
Dear Sonya,
Thank you for commenting on my post! I agree, Santa Barbara is a wonderful place to be, whether you happen to be here visiting, or whether you call it home. As you say, we gain a lot of wisdom with our aging process. There isn’t a particular age that brings crystal clarity, but rather looking at life and our experiences with a new understanding based on the insights gained along the way.
Linda