Fighting depression

One of the things I enjoy very much is sitting here early in the morning with a cup of tea and putting my thoughts into words. Sometimes I go for an early jog and ideas pop into my head. Other times, I have no idea what I am going to write about, but I trust the Universe will assist me in finding a key thought to express. This is my diary blog and I write because perhaps one person out there can benefit from reading about my experiences or my counsel.

How many of you out there have had instances when depression or depressive moments came in and took charge of your daily lives? I am writing about this today not because I am depressed, but because a good friend of mine is battling depression as a result of the pressure from his collapsing business. I met with him this past Friday and after having a beer he confided that the pressure is getting to him and seemed overwhelmed by it.

I've been in his shoes before. I've had the entire weight of the world on my shoulders and more. I've gone out for a walk to clear the negative thoughts from my head and felt both knees buckled. What's the solution I ask? Again, it is inside of us and not outside. For many, it is required that we go through these fires to reach the calm waters. There are lessons we must learn because of bad decisions we made at some point and now it's pay-back time. In other instances, it is part of our karma and the heartaches are a cleansing solution that can bring us down from the proverbial high horse - a way to make us see what is really important in life, to put us on the right path, or to grow internally. Or it is simply a fact of life that things are not always going to be perfect and we have to deal with the ups and downs.

I will be blunt in what I am getting ready to say but I believe that a depressive state of mind is a selfish state of mind. Nothing matters more than our problems. We become the center of this universe and this "crisis" is the only thing that is important. Since we become the center of attention, it is normal that we start attracting others with similar views - misery loves company. If we thought the hole was getting deeper, lets go find an industrial size shovel because we are now digging full time. (Quick advise for those of you who are depressed: if you go confide your problems to a friend and afterwards he or she makes you feel worse than when you started, walk away!) Stop digging and take time to think about all the good things that you have in your life. I know it is easier said than done, particularly when one is overwhelmed with all the problems.....stop thinking about yourself and give to others. Go to McDonald's and buy a happy meal and give it to the first dirty, nasty homeless guy you see laying in the middle of the street. Don't say anything to him, just drop it on his lap. Turn around and walk away and I guarantee you will feel better about it and for that one quick second, your depression will not be there.

Create those quick moments in your life and soon the dark clouds will disappear.

Armed with the ignorance of my innocence

I have fallen prey to the belief that kindness and honesty can trump an evil action. I have dropped to my knees often and allowed the whip of a tyrant to lash against my back. Each lash brought with it the hope that justice would prevail. The pain was temporary and the wounds eventually healed, but I finally realized the wickedness of an amoral soul can't be harnessed with kind words or the truth.....

The truth is irrelevant to those who erect monuments to their self-interest and preservation. Can Lady Justice peek underneath her blindfold and see the scales are uneven? How does one fight the approaching storm that threatens to eradicate the harvest of a lifetime? Bow submissively to those strong winds like a palm tree never taking your eyes off the ultimate goal: recover and lick your wounds, regain strength, and at the right moment pierce the heart of the storm with the lightning of the truth.

Ask for more problems in life......it is homework!

Last night I was talking to some friends about the challenges and difficulties we encounter in life. One friend argued that she prays for a solution whenever she faces a hard problem in life but often "God doesn't listen or doesn't want to help her" get out of proverbial "hole." Another friend commented that the periods of happiness in her life are few and far between. What she perceives as happiness, quickly disappears when a new obstacle comes into her world.

My friends are good people but they are misguided. They don't understand the real purpose of life. It is not a country club, a spa, or a beach resort where you can just relax, enjoy a margarita, and go dancing all night without worries. What would you learn about yourself and how much pressure you can handle when the screws are tighten? How would you react to an illness or a tragedy unless you have been tested?

Imagine if a school decides to promote children to the next grade without taking any tests? (this is the norm and not the exception in our public schools today). At some point, those children will have to go out into the real world. They are not prepared for the realities of life. A minor setback can turn into depression or worst - suicide. Each adversity becomes an insurmountable obstacle. An effort is not made to find the solution, but to complain about life's unfairness or to blame others for our miserable existence.

God doesn't give you more than you can handle at any given time. The key is to understand the "homework" assignment and not dwell on the reason(s) as to why it was given at that particular time. With total abnegation and joy, begin working on the solution. There is a bigger picture that perhaps you can't comprehend at this time but will slowly emerge once you understand that He is painting a beautiful landscape and you are His canvas.

Mastering Our Fears

A quick lesson on mastering our fears: Love is a selfless quality. It is objective. Fear on the other hand is a self-centered quality. It is subjective. When we dwell too much on ourselves, thinking about our weaknesses or failings, it tends to create fears within us.

Love puts us to work for something or someone else. We become preoccupied with thoughts about others - friends, family, or total strangers. There is little time to think of SELF!

This is when we are most free from our fears.

I am so happy Ted Kennedy is gone!!!!!

Hold your fire and finish reading my entire blog entry.

Note that I said "gone" and not "dead." I believe that every end (death) is a beginning. Kennedy's body had finally reached the end. The brain cancer he was suffering from had taken a toll on his body and it was time for his "body" to change into the spiritual realm. I can describe it like changing a set of clothes - a material set for a spiritual one.

I was never a Kennedy fan. I vehemently disagreed with him both personally and politically. I am sure most of the people who loved Kennedy, including his family, didn't want to see him depart. This is the most selfish attitude any human being can have. First, who are we to decide when a person is to die? It is the God complex in so many of us who feel abandoned or betrayed by those who die before us.

Imagine if you have a son in prison and one day someone calls to inform you that he is ready to be released from his long and painful imprisonment. You don't want him to be "free" so you ask the warden to keep him "behind bars" another 5 years because you would miss the visits, his letters, or the sound of his voice on the phone. An illness is like being in prison - a prison of the body. His time has come, to leave behind his empty cell, and you decide that because of your own self-interest he can't leave yet because you will feel "sad, terrible, or in pain."

I blame society and religion for our ignorance and fear of death. This earth and life is a temporary home. Our true home is in a state of spiritual conscience. Some call it heaven while others refer to it as astral levels of consciousness. This is were Ted Kennedy is today. He has joined his brothers, parents, family members, and those angels who guided him during his 77 year mission on this earth. Did he fulfill his commitment? Did he pay his debt? Only he knows that now that he is facing the fairest judge in this universe - his own conscience.

Someone once said that "death is the golden key that opens the door to eternity." Kennedy has reached the door and I pray that he can embrace the light and continue his journey.

The wrong beliefs will enslave you

As long as you think that God will punish, test, or govern you with an iron fist, or He is a cruel tyrant, you will always be confused, dazed, perplexed, and in a constant state of conflict. This form of thinking is chaotic and it leads to misery in your life. Man becomes what his thoughts are each and every day.

Christ declared that God is our father and we are his children. As a result, your relationship with Him should be cordial and loving just like a father and son relationship. For the rest of your life, don't consider Him a God of anger and punishment. If you maintain these negative thought patterns, suffering and misery will constantly manifest in your life.

Believe and accept only those things that are good and beautiful about Him. Believe in His kindness and loving guidance. The harmony that He brings into your life despite the dark clouds that gather in the horizon. Believe that abundance is your birthright and you are ready to receive it. He is your loving father who wants your happiness and freedom above all things.

You are here today to express your purpose because the world must enjoy the blessings only you can provide.

Your thoughts are prayers

Every thought or feeling is a prayer. A prayer doesn't have to be ritualistic in nature. It is a very simple conscious contact with your internal divine power or intelligence. In order for the prayer to be effective, you must first believe that God is within you and every desire can be fulfilled as long as it is completely accepted by your subconscious mind. Once the subconscious mind grabs the desire as something real, creative juices begin flowing to manifest it.

I pray several times a day but not so much to ask for something in particular but to gain strength and faith. How many of you spend hours each week at the gym "polishing" your bodies and yet your subconscious mind stays in the car anxiously awaiting your return? Like any good marathon runner, your subconscious mind must be conditioned to go the long distance, go past the point of total exhaustion, to go over "the wall," and to push the last half mile when your legs are telling you that they can't go any further.

It is the constant inner assurance that the solutions are at your fingertips. The soft voice that whispers "one more step, don't quit now, go around the corner one more time......"

.....and then a "miracle" happens! Your prayer has been answered. Not really, miracles don't exist. What we call a miracle is the result of two or more perfect sources of energy that collide at the right moment. Sources that were created by your thoughts and not some wishful thinking.

Give it a try. Change those thought patterns and "miracles" will begin to emerge.

The only thing you can't have in life is.........

....something for nothing". You must pay the price for every action - good or bad. The key is to have faith in YOU and not blame outside entities, your past, heredity, family, etc, for all the bad turns that your life has taken. It is very easy to blame others or to find excuses as to why you haven't succeeded, happiness has eluded you, or wealth avoids you among other things.

The answer is faith; not the empty rhetoric taught by most religions during their weekly sermons. What happens after you leave the "ceremony?" Faith goes out the window. Time to face the harsh realities of life and get onboard the miserable train for another 6 day trip until the following Sunday when you will see a sliver of hope in front of you......a vicious cycle indeed! It is like being inside an elevator and one starts pressing the up and down buttons at the same time. It is not going anywhere. Your faith works the same way. One day you proclaim that He is in charge of your destiny and you allow Him to take the reigns. The next day you forget about Him and start finding excuses for all of your problems.....up and down again. A divided mind can't move forward!

Imagine if a farmer starts planting seeds early in the morning and by mid day he decides the ground is not fertile enough. He goes back to the field and removes all the seeds. He will be collecting unemployment soon thereafter and the family farm will go up in smoke.

All the answers lie within you. You have the solution(s) to all your problems. All you need to do is quietly ask Him to show you the path, to open the door, to bring the person who will guide you, to plant the idea in your mind.

Afterwards, let it go! Believe in yourself and the action that you have just taken. Close your eyes and imagine the results. The moment you ask for it, invisible forces get to work just for you.......go for it!

Become the sculptor of your own life.

I once read that Michelangelo would stand in front of The David and yell "come out" as he chiseled away for hours at the stone. He could see the end result in his mind. The David was a living thing that was hiding inside the marble stone.

....so here it is my philosophy with this sculpting thing. A rock, stone, pebble, or what seems like a boulder at times is given to us when we are born. The only condition for its acceptance is that we mold it whichever way we want, but mold it we MUST! However, it is alright if we decide not to work on it at all but the consequence of such act is that it will get heavier, bigger, and more cumbersome to carry the rest of our lives.

Challenges that we encounter each and every day are absorbed by this "rock" and as we move forward in life it can get bigger and heavier. We can also add to its volume by the amount of material things we acquire that require more and more attention and effort to maintain.

Shakespeare once said that "brevity is the soul of wit." Why not be brief to the challenges that we bring upon ourselves or the things we MUST acquire to make us HAPPY?

Don't take too many things to heart and don't take yourself too seriously.

Food for thought!

Anna Mary Robertson, best known as Grandma Moses, loved to embroider, but as she aged, she developed arthritis, which made embroidery too painful. Her sister suggested painting instead, so Robertson, seventy-five, took up something new. She began to paint the things she knew , farm and country scenes.

The results were utterly original and surprisingly good for a late-starting amateur. Her earliest works were shown and sold at a nearby drugstore and general store in Hoosick Falls, NY. One fateful day, New York engineer and art collector Louis Caldor happened by and purchased the whole lot on display.

Caldor was so taken with Robertson's art that he went another step and began promoting her works to collectors and galleries. Largely through Caldor's efforts, Robertson's work became famous. Her paintings were hung at the Museum of Modern Art in NY in 1939, and she held her first solo exhibition in New York a year later. She was eighty years young.

Even greater acclaim followed. She had many one-woman shows across Europe and North America. In her nineties, her paintings attracted attention all over the world. Her simple scenes of everyday life - people socializing, harvesting, participating in markets and fairs, and engaging in outdoor activities like ice-skating - still captivate wide audiences.

Her most notable works include The Thanksgiving Turkey (1943), and Over the River to Grandma's House (1944), fitting for the one who was to become known around the world simply as Grandma Moses.

She wrote a lively autobiography at age ninety-two, My Life's History. Grandma Moses lived to 101, no doubt propelled to that milestone by her important work.

From the time arthritis forced her to stop embroidering to when she completed her first artworks, only three years had passed. She said if she hadn't taken up painting, she would have raised chickens. (Her fans are glad she chose the former). The plainspoken original said simply that life is what we make it.

Excerpt from Extraordinary Comebacks by John A. Sarkett, Sourcebooks, Inc 2007

Solitude

It is not only the technological advances that have marked the beginning of this millennium, but relationships are going thru profound transformations with regards to love and romance.

Most people today are searching for a relationship that is compatible with modern times. A relationship where individuality, happiness, mutual respect, and the pleasure of "being together" can co-exist, and not one where there is a dependence on the other person for our well being or misfortunes.

The romantic idea that one person is the remedy for our happiness will slowly disappear in this century.

Romantic love is based on the premise that we are a "portion of some whole section" and need to find the other half to feel complete.

Many times there is a detachment from our own personalities that historically has affected women more than men. They abandon their personality traits to amalgamate the masculine design or desire.

The theory of "opposites attract" is also rooted in the same romantic love concept - the other person has to compliment what I lack. If I am docile, she must be aggressive, and so on and so forth.

In this 21st century, the key word is association and not fusion.

We are changing the love of necessity for one of desire. "I enjoy and desire his company but I don't need it as something indispensable."

More and more people are losing the fear of being alone, particularly with new technologies and changes in our society that requires more individuality.

Man is an animal who is constantly changing the world. As a result, he needs to be in a continuous state of "recycling" to adapt himself to the world he has created.

The era of individuality has arrived. It has nothing to do with being selfish. A selfish person lacks his own energy and feeds himself off the energy of others - financially or morally.

A new form of love has a new significance in that brings together two whole parts and not the union of two parts. The key word is "whole." However, to reach this level one must lead with his individuality.

A person who is not afraid of being alone is more prepared to deliver true affection in any relationship.

Solitude is not negative or shameful. On the contrary, it is worthy of respect.

The best relationships are similar to being alone - any kind of demand becomes secondary and there is mutual growth.

Everyone should experience solitude once in a while in order to establish an internal dialogue and discover their inner strength.

Solitude allows the individual to understand the harmony and inner peace that can only be found within and not from others.

As a result, the person becomes less critical of others and respects their behavior.

The love among two "whole" people is the healthiest type of affection. It provides the pleasure of each others company, respect for the loved one, and a haven for common growth.

Dr. Flavio Gikovate

Cut the tie that bind us

On Friday night, I was talking to a friend about different things including her recent separation and divorce. We were discussing how one can attract positive and negative energies from others thru the thought process. We act as magnets giving and receiving the thoughts from others when we regularly bring them about in conversation, complaints, or fond memories.

For example, we both know a woman (lets call her Maria) whose sister is envious of her every which way. Maria has to maintain a balance between been friendly toward her sister and not trusting her completely. Maria is a very spiritual person and is constantly sending her sister love and forgiveness with her thoughts. At the same time, Maria complaints about her sister and what a mean rotten SOB she is. The good thoughts become useless if one continually speaks about the other person's misdeeds, experiences, actions, or merely the past. Moreover, if our intention is to eradicate this person from our lives and to cut the tie that bind us once and for all, the first step is to cease talking or thinking about that person; thus severing the imaginary string of energy that can link both of us.

My friend confessed that she was guilty of the same attitude with her ex-husband. She would express her resentment to her friends at all times perhaps looking for support and reassurance that the other party was the one at fault. In doing so, whatever energy she intended to use to forget him was ineffective. Her words and thoughts continued to attract him into her life in an indirect manner, but still part of her nonetheless.

So what's the secret? Start by cutting off any thoughts or words about the other person and you will begin to feel the energy dissipate. More importantly, you will regain control of your life and freedom.

Make your own pearls

How do oysters make pearls? Can we use the same concept to face our vicissitudes in life and turn them into pearls?

A foreign substance slips into the oyster between the mantle (organ that produces the shell) and the shell. It becomes sort of an ulcer that begins to irritate the mantle. The oyster's natural reaction is to cover up the irritant to protect itself with layers and layers of a substance called nacre. Eventually, the nacre turns the ulcer into a beautiful pearl.

The oyster doesn't reject the foreign substance that enters her dwelling. It is part of her environment, a danger that comes with her territory, an obstacle that she must face on a daily basis. Rather than complaining to King Neptune about the unfairness of this attack, she goes about her business and begins turning a setback into something wonderful.

We must also welcome the "foreign substance" that attacks our quarters - doubt, fear, anxiety, or lost hope. No matter how painful the experience, cover it with a strong belief that goodness will pervade reality and you will ultimately triumph.

Change is constant

Growth and development in our lives requires at times pain, sacrifice, and discomfort. One of the main reasons why most of us don't enjoy the quality of life we yearn is because we rather be comfortable than uncomfortable. Fighting change at all cost is the key element of our "comfort zone" even when we know subconsciously that is harming us. So why do so many of us rarely ever change? The answer is that we are creatures of habit. We do certain things in a certain way because "we have always done it that way, my family have always done it, it has worked for me, etc."

Lets try a little experiment. Fold your hands in your lap. Notice which thumb you have on top - left or right? Refold your hands so that the other thumb naturally ends up on top. This involves moving every finger in the previously lower hand up a notch. Notice how that feels. Does it feel awkward, uncomfortable, strange, weird, or "wrong?" Notice what your body wants to do. Does it want to go back to the first position, your "normal" position, your habitual condition? Now go back to the original position. How does that feel? Does it feel better, right, or comfortable again? Is it a relief to be back to the original position?

Stan Dale once said that "comfort zones are plush lined coffins. When you stay in your plush lined coffins, you die."

A rejection is really an illusion

You haven't really lost anything by being rejected. How many times we want something in life but are too afraid to ask for it or to take a chance in getting it. Fear is a paralyzing emotion. You ask a girl to dinner and she turns you down. You didn't lose anything since you didn't have anyone to go to dinner with in the first place before you asked her. You didn't have a date before and you don't have one now. Big deal! Nothing happened to you.

You ask your boss for a raise and he throws you out of the office. So what! You didn't have the raise before you walked in his office. You still have a job and he didn't kill you by asking.

What if she would have said YES? What if your boss would have agreed to pay you more? This is a new concept....think about it. You could actually get what you want by asking. What's the best possible outcome you could get by not fearing a rejection? I am sure you can answer that question.

Food for thought!

True Happiness?

Last night I was talking to a friend who had just broken up with her boyfriend. She was sad because she thought he "was the one." The one true love who had finally arrived after so many disappointments to share with her the happiness and life she has always wanted. She discovered in the process that he wasn't perfect, made her feel inferior because of his low self-esteem, and other things that she didn't want to divulge.

We are constantly searching for an impossibility - true happiness. When we "reach it", we discover that we are not fulfilled, want more, if we could just tweak it a bit on the sides to make it perfect, etc, etc.

There is no such thing as "true happiness." Happiness evolves daily in all directions - ups and downs. It is elusive. What is happiness for you at this moment might be viewed as totally opposite to someone else. We are constantly changing and so are our desires. Also, happiness can be found in the most mundane things we do on a daily basis. It doesn't have to be associated with feelings of the heart or sharing intimate moments with someone. I go back to one of my previous blogs when I said that we don't need another person to make us happy because we give him/her too much power over our lives.

What's the secret then? Grow from within and you will find peace. When you reach this point, you will be content with everything that happens in your life; good or bad.

Blinded by his pride

A young man asks his father for a new car. His father tells him that if he graduates from college with a high GPA, he would buy him a new car. After a couple of years, the young man graduates Magna Cum Laude and proudly brings the news to his father. He then receives a bible from his father as a graduation present. He is furious because his father didn't buy him the new car that he had promised. He moved out of the city and lost contact with his family for many years.

One day he received the news that his father passed away. He decided to attend the funeral just to be supportive of his mother. When he arrived at the funeral home, his mother asked if he still had the bible his father gave him as a present. He remembered that he had thrown the bible in the trunk of the car after he stormed out of the house on that fateful day. His mother asked him to get the bible from the car and open it in one of the psalms. As he brought the bible to his mother, he found the check his father wrote him to buy his new car.

Food for thought!

Wealth Inequality (2 of 2)

Speaking from personal experience, I worked with a local government agency for 15 years and discovered that most of my colleagues just wanted to earn a paycheck and "retire." Early in their careers they had reached a point that I described as "cruise control" - do enough to get by and reach 25 years so they could retire, move to the North Carolina mountains, build a log cabin, and die of boredom 2 years later. Very few of them took advantage of the free educational opportunities to pursue a college degree. During my last year with this company, I had a middle management position, company car, excellent health care benefits, and was making about $75,000 a year. Despite these "wonderful" things, I felt trapped, in prison, selling my soul for a paycheck, and the constant threat of being fired for not going along with the political games and personal vendettas.

We were not designed to be prisoners. God created us to pursue our dreams, to use our talents for the betterment of this world, and to take chances in life knowing that when we fall He will be by our side to help us get up again and again.

But I digressed. God (not Obama) has decided to spread the wealth to specific points and people so it can be disseminated in enough quantities according to the needs of everyone. Lets ask this question then: Why has God given wealth to those who are not capable or willing to help others, who are greedy and hoard it even after they die? Here we see His wisdom and kindness in action. He has given us free will and wants us to figure out the difference between right and wrong, and those who practice good will and benevolence toward others is because of their own efforts.

Wealth is a way for us to be tested in a moral sense, but because it is such a powerful tool for the progress of the world, He doesn't want the wealth to stay inactive for long periods of time. Therefore, He is having wealth continually change hands. Everyone should possess a part of it in order to practice how to make use of it. However, it is impossible for everyone to have it at the same time and if we did, nobody would work and world progress would suffer. Whoever doesn't have it today, had it already or will have it in another lifetime.

There are rich and poor people in this world. He is righteous in that everyone should have their piece of the pie when it is their turn. Poverty is for some a test of their patience and resignation. Wealth is for others a test of their kindness and self-denial.

Wealth Inequality (1 of 2)

Why is there inequality of wealth in this world? Obama mentioned during his presidential run that he wanted "to spread the wealth around" among all Americans. It sounded like a very noble ideal (except to Joe The Plumber and the other 49 million who voted against him), but it doesn't work. I am going to approach this argument from a spiritual and not a political standpoint.

What happens when you DO spread the wealth equally to all men? I've always believed that if you put ten men in an island with the same amount of money and opportunities, one will control the money after one year and the other nine will be working for him. Not everyone has the same motivational level to succeed, to take risks, to work hard, or be thrifty. However, lets assume that everyone has an equal share of the pie and there is contentment throughout the world. What would happen to inventions, new companies being created, medical discoveries, the overall well being and progress of the world? The answer is "dead silence!" World progress would come to a complete standstill. There will be no incentive to move forward. Human beings become idle when they feel comfortable and content, thus losing the urge to grow.

....to be continued.

Patience

I came home last night very late totally exhausted. I wanted to make a blog entry but was mentally drained and the blog would have been total rubbish. I had been up since 3 am, spend most of the morning and early afternoon in the hot South Florida sun, and finished the day organizing the material for the flea market on Saturday. It was a day filled with frustration and disappointment coupled with the fact that I twisted my ankle trying to carry a large dresser to the truck.......I am getting too old for this .......!

I could have allowed the "negative" events that unfolded during the day to bring me down, to say "it is not worth it anymore," and to continue feeding the eternal worries that can't never escape us. Instead, I chose to quietly revolt against the pessimism. I chose to quell the tumults. How? By being PATIENCE and THANKFUL!

The emotional or spiritual pain is a gift from God. Let me repeat this again. IT IS A GIFT FROM GOD. How can you say that JC? Are you being a masochist? No, I am not a masochist. I certainly don't enjoy painful or difficult moments, but I've learned to accept them with patience because I see them as the key to a divine future. I used to want things NOW, enjoy the moment, don't think about the future, who cares about tomorrow, I want it NOW, THIS MOMENT, AHORA, IT IS MINE! What a selfish attitude! To think that all the bad things that happened today were directed at me because I AM THE CENTER OF THE UNIVERSE. I AM THE ONLY ONE WITH PROBLEMS. As a matter of fact, my problems are bigger than the rest of the world.....selfish indeed!

Life is hard. It's comprised of thousand of insignificant acts that are constantly bothering us like pricks from small pins. However, it is necessary to understand the DUTIES that have been assigned to us by the Creator which include moments that are less than perfect. It also important to see beyond the pain and enjoy the joy we have today or the blessings we receive each and every day but we dismiss them with our eternal selfish attitude. I hope you can see that your blessings outnumber whatever difficulties you are encountering today.

The bundle that you carry gets lighter when you raise your head instead of looking down.

Sincerity in praying

A prayer is only valid by the thoughts that links it to the heart. A few days ago I wrote about colors and how looking into someone's heart reflects his real essence and not the outfit he is wearing or the matching colors. A simple prayer is the same thing.

For many, a prayer is an incomprehensible language, a group of words put together that sometimes don't touch the heart and soul. In order for it to be effective, every word must be understood because they will awaken an idea in our minds. Some people pray like robots memorizing the words as if they were doing a mathematical formula, granting virtue to the number of times it is repeated during the day. Others, pray because they think it's their duty or a family custom.

Our creator can read the deepest parts in our hearts to discover our sincerity and genuine thoughts. He doesn't like "symbolism over substance."

The effectiveness of a prayer

There are some who deny the effect that a simple prayer can have in our lives. They argue that God already knows our needs, so it is superfluous to bring them forth. They add that our needs can be over ruled by universal laws and His decrees. No doubt, certain laws or principles are unchangeable and He will not repeal them just to satisfy our desires. This doesn't mean that we must continue our existence with a fatalistic approach to everything we encounter. In doing so, we become passive instruments without free will or initiative. Each time we come across a problem, we bow our heads totally submissive and make no effort to avoid or overcome them.

We have been given the gifts of discernment and intelligence to be used and not to put them as part of a resume or to be boastful. He also wants us to become active participants in our own lives, sometimes making huge mistakes, but trying nonetheless. Some of these decisions can prevent fatal things from happening or change the course of our lives without disrupting the universal laws mentioned prior.

It is illogical to think the known maxim: "Ask and it shall be given to you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you (Matt 7:7)," is enough to receive anything we want out of life or accuse the Providence of denying it when it is not realized at the precise moment for It knows what's best for us. It is the same thing I do with my daughters when I refuse to give them every caprice because I know it is not in their best interest to do so. We tend to only see a few inches in front of our noses and concentrate on the present. What happens if the challenge or the suffering we must now endure is the missing element for a happy future? God will permit the "suffering" to take place just like a surgeon allows the patient to suffer prior to surgery in order to be healed.

When you pray, He will grant you valor, patience, and submission to His will. He will also give you the means in order for you to conquer the challenge by sowing new ideas in your head or meeting someone that can help you find the solution. He will help those who help themselves; not those who idly sit and wait for a miracle to happen.

Lets use an example. A man is lost in the middle of the Sahara desert. He is dying of thirst. Knowing the end could be very near, he collapses on the hot sand and prays for help, waiting for an angel to come to his aid with a glass of water. Suddenly, a thought crosses his mind that suggest to get up and to follow the path on the right hand side. He gathers his strength and resumes his march. He climbs a hill and discovers a small oasis at a distance. He has regained his confidence. If he has faith, he would say, "Thank you Lord, for the thought that inspired me to continue and the strength you have given me." If he has no faith, he'd comment, "Boy, I had a great thought. I was lucky to take the path on the right. Nothing can stop me because I am the greatest."

How come the "angel" wasn't clear on his message to take the path on the right? Instead, He "planted" the thought in his mind. How come the "angel" didn't present himself to him, took him by the hand, and led him straight to the oasis? He would have no doubt then about His existence and the effectiveness of his prayer. He wants us to help ourselves FIRST and to use our capacity to reason, think, and act. Furthermore, uncertainty is a test of our faith and submission to His will. This man was in the same situation as an infant who falls and waits for an adult to pass by to pick him up. When nobody comes, he makes an effort and gets up himself.

True possessions

We don't own anything; only those things that we take with us when we depart the material world. We certainly acquire possessions that we get to enjoy during our stay but we eventually must leave them behind. Their use is an advantage or privilege given and not a true possession. What are the true possessions then? Nothing for the body and everything for soul: intelligence, knowledge, virtues, and morals to name a few. These are the ones we take with us and nobody has the power or the right to take them away.

Whenever we travel, we take the essential things for the trip - toiletries, an extra set of clothes, etc. We don't take our furniture, the $120 dollar coffee maker, plasma TV, every piece of jewelry, etc. The same concept applies when we depart this life. We need to start making provisions for those things that will be useful in the future and not in our current stay.

A traveler arrives at a guesthouse and he is given a beautiful and comfortable suite if he has the ability to pay for it. If not, he receives a less comfortable one. If he has no money to pay for the room, he is either kicked out or told to stay in the lobby and sleep on the couch. The same thing applies when we get to the "other side." Our "position in the guesthouse" is subordinate to what we possess but it is not paid with money or gold. No one is going to ask: How much money did you have? Did you graduate from college? How successful were you in your business or line of work? However, you will be asked: "What virtues are you bringing?" The amount of money you possessed is not important. The sum of your virtues and the quality of your heart is the ticket to a five start hotel. If you lack them, get ready my friend because you will be sleeping underneath I-95 for a long time.

Simplify your life

Following along the same lines of my previous post, sometimes we start accumulating things getting to the point where there is no more space in the house, the attic, or the garage. We then have to go out and rent a storage unit to keep all the things we don't really need but we "must have." Imagine paying a monthly fee to put stuff that we don't need or use.

Every week, I go to the local flea market to sell the items I've acquired during storage auctions. I see the same customers every week buying something because it is "cute or neat." The husband asks the wife (or viceversa)- "Where are you going to put this honey? We have enough crap already." He/She replies - "I really don't need it but it's only a dollar, I got to have it." Out they go carrying another trinket to a packed dwelling.

My mother is the best example of what I call a "crap collector." She helps me clean out the storage units after I buy them and invariably takes something trivial to her house every time. I've told her that the day she dies, I am going to have the biggest garage sale in the city........she is not amused, not because I am going to sell it but because somehow she can't take them with her.

I think that we need to simplify our lives. The more we have the less freedom we possess. We become slaves to maintaining those things that we have acquired.....and we can't take any of them with us.

In order to get, you must first give!

I've always believed that in order to get something in life, one must first give to create a vacuum that can then be filled with whatever you want. I want to share with you a story I read on a book called "The Best of Bits and Pieces."

Years ago, near a seldom-used trail in the Amargosa Desert in California, there stood a rundown hut. Nearby was a well, the only source of water for miles around. Attached to the pump was a tin baking powder can with a message inside, written in pencil on a sheet of brown wrapping paper.

This was the message.....

This pump is all right as of June 1932. I put a new sucker washer into it and it ought to last five years. But the washer dries out and the pump has got to be primed. Under the white rock I buried a bottle of water, out of the sun and cork end up. There's enough water in it to prime this pump but not if you drink some first. Pour in about 1/4 and let her soak to wet the leather. Then pour in the rest medium fast and pump like hell. You'll get water. The well never has ran dry. Have faith.
When you get watered up, fill the bottle and put it back like you found it for the next feller.
SIGNED: Desert Pete
P.S. Don't go drinking the water first! Prime the pump with it and you'll get all you can hold. And next time you pray, remember that God is like the pump. He has to be primed. I've given my last dime away a dozen times to prime the pump of my prayers, and I've fed my last beans to a stranger while saying Amen. It never failed yet to get me an answer. You got to get your heart fixed to give before you can be given to.

Humility

Webster defines humility as "a disposition to be humble, a lack of false pride, modesty, humbleness." I'd like to talk about humility today from a different context - to be patient with the suffering or challenges we encounter in our lives. It is a short term event and it too shall pass!

This claim is based on my belief that we are eternal souls and will return again to this world. You don't have to agree with this statement, but it is the basis for my assertion. Because I've been here before and will continue to progress in this spiritual journey, the incidents that occur in this life are temporary; lessons for a better future. I can be miserable and condemn each one; thus living a life filled with blame, anger, and frustration. On the other hand, I can accept them with humility (patience) and understand that it could be karma from a previous life or a lesson because I stranded from the right path.

In this context, the failures we encounter are temporary, a miniscule event in many past lives and potentially future ones. For example, I've been married twice in my current life. Some would argue that my relationships have been failures that ended up in divorce. The possibility exist that I can be alone the rest of my life and not find my "soul mate, my better half." What if in a previous life, I met my wife when I was 15 and stayed with her until I was 95 years old, had 40 children, 87 grandchildren, and 156 great-grandchildren......would you consider that I was very lucky indeed? Why can't I have the same "dharma" in the future? If my life were a 24 hour clock, JC today represents one minute in this 24 hour clock, and I think that I am being very generous because it could be one second, or half a second. How many more seconds or minutes I have or have lived where happiness was complete (if there is such a thing), where I was successful and enjoyed riches beyond my wildest dreams, or where I lived a peaceful existence surrounded by loved ones and died quietly?

The problem I see in too many people is that they believe this minute or second is the only one they have so they try to jam everything they can into this very short cycle. Life becomes a race to acquire as much as they can, to find "true happiness" (a topic for a future blog) because without it life has no meaning, or hurdle over everyone in their path to get to the finish line first. As a result, they force mistakes, blinded by their ambition, and ultimately forget the true purpose of this life.

The meaning of colors - an expert analysis.

This blog entry will provide you with an expert analysis and breakdown as to the significance of colors in your life, what each one represents with regards to personality, clothing, mood, etc, etc......not in your wildest dreams my friend!

The only thing I know about colors is that they all look different and they change based on how the light affects them. Also, if you happened to be color blind, you are having some problems deciphering them......dahhhhh! Some will attest that black means evil or darkness while others assure me that white is purity, cleanliness, or softness. Red is strong while light blues represent warmth. A lady named Martha Stewart has made millions convincing us to use pastels to make our lives more fulfilling.....and we believed her.

I don't care what colors you wear or how many gallons you waste painting your room a specific color. The followers of Feng Shui will disagree with this assertion. The only color that really matters to me is THE COLOR OF YOUR HEART! There are some folks who are experts when it comes to the proper color combination, but look in their hearts....what color do you see? You can have someone wear a beautiful white and blue combination and pretend he is a swan swimming in the middle of a pond, but his heart is cold and dark as a cave.

Symbolism over substance! I want to see your heart!

Let the water flow......and it will find its course

People come into our lives for a specific reason and sometimes for a short period of time. Trying to force or change what is already pre-destined is counter productive. It goes against God's design which has been perfectly programmed for us. However, in our infinite wisdom, we change the plans because we think we can make it better, or don't like the results, or the approach, who knows? Some of us question the Creator all the time as to how He does his job.....imagine that!

Water flows down the river and encounters a rock. It doesn't start arguing with it as to who had the right of way, whether or not it had a permit from the city to enter the river, or gets angry and starts pounding the rock into submission. The water continues its path and goes around it.....just flows. Why can't we be the same?

For instance, you had a relationship or created a friendship that in your view didn't "work out." He/She came into your life for a short while and suddenly disappeared. How do you know that it was not designed that way? How do you know that the person came to touch a part of you that was dormant and needed to be awaken. Or, the person taught you a valuable lesson about yourself and life? Instead of questioning how it felt, ask "what did I learn?"

Charity begins at home

Speaking from personal experience, one of the hardest things to do is to forgive and at the same time offer a charitable gesture to those who not only have deliberately hurt us but continue to do so. It is human nature to be reciprocal and vengeful. Trust me when I tell you that I've bitten my tongue many times when dealing with them, but still move forward in doing the right thing. (Note: The charitable action I am referring to is not giving money to a church, donating your time to a worthy cause, but offering assistance or support to someone who needs it at that particular time).

I've spoken about being charitable and unselfish in this blog before in that some folks do it to boast how caring they can be or they want others to be subservient to their actions. That's not the kind of charity that I am referring to. Charity and unselfishness comes from the heart. It is doing the right thing when nobody is watching. No fanfare! Just do it! - like the Nike commercial. Even when the recipient spits on your face, you attitude must not change. I know some would argue that it is difficult to turn the other cheek, but lets think for a second about the mutual benefit that your actions will have:

Your spirituality will grow exponentially. You will learn that very few things "can get to you" and very few people (if any) can control how you react or feel about certain things. You are now on the path to enlightenment. Your ego will interject and offer an opinion that (1) you must retaliate, (2) get even, (3) screw him, or worst (4) kill him. I hate to point this out but your ego is your own worst enemy. Keep listening to him/her and you will end up worst than when you started. The only way to grow is by taking the right path that leads to compassion, love, charity, and understanding, and putting your ego in the bottom drawer for ever!

How is the other person benefiting? Everything we do in life has a price; whether we pay it in this lifetime or the next. Lets say that whatever you did for this person is ignored and discarded during his entire life. At some point, he will have to "face the music" and your song will be at the top of the charts. What if he realizes that his actions caused pain, anguish, and discomfort to you and others? What if he changes in a way that now he can be on the path to enlightenment just like you did? Was your sacrifice worth it? Your ego will come out of the drawer and yell "you are an idiot for acting like this.....blah, blah, blah."

Are you?

You will never go over the cliff!

Trust me! No matter how close you get to the edge of the cliff, you will never go over unless you decide it is time to test the Law of Gravity or "your new set of wings" or simply give up! The latter is never an option no matter how hard things get. If the thought ever crosses your mind, please get in touch with me ASAP and together we'll find a solution.

Case in point. This weekend I reached another milestone. I say another milestone because for the past twelve months they seem to be arriving more often. The proverbial "s.....t" hit the fan again and went all over the place. I will spare you the details but suffice to say that I feel like Donald Trump a few years back when he walked by a homeless man in the street and commented that the homeless man had more money than him because Trump was in the hole 100 million dollars. I am not in the hole that much but any local homeless man is currently in a better financial position that I am.

There is a huge difference. I will come out of this hole because I've done it once and I can do it again and again. The poor homeless man chooses his situation. I choose to succeed no matter what obstacles come my way. The other difference is that I place my faith in His hands when I get close to the edge of the cliff. However, I never stop trying even when my heels have reached the edge and I am leaning forward ready to drop. I fight until the end. This is what He wants to see......never give up! Some people ask for a miracle but stay home watching American Idol until it knocks on their door. Those people will be waiting for it for a long time.

I went to sleep that night with total confidence that I would find a solution the following morning. In His true fashion, things started developing the next day and the solutions appeared. I smiled, looked at Him, and whispered "thanks."

I am ready for the next lesson Father......bring it on!

Let go off the handlebars!!!!

Sometimes everything seems to be going well in our lives. Our careers are ascending, a stable marriage, the kids are well adjusted, and there is progress every year both personally and financially. We live a "safe" life; not too many risks or chances.

Suddenly, here comes that infamous "curve ball" out of nowhere. An illness, a job loss, death in the family, financial ruin, or your partner walks out on you and tells you that after all these years he no longer loves you. Your entire world is now upside down. You have just landed in the middle of a category 5 hurricane with very little warning. Alone with two kids you are rowing against the current and both rows just shattered. Water is rushing in and the bucket just went overboard.

"I can't make it to shore. I can't handle this. I am going to drown. Why me? It is not FAIR. What did I do to deserve this?" Sounds familiar? If you are reading this and you had any of these experiences you can probably attest to the loneliness and despair you felt in the middle of that vast ocean. What thoughts crossed your mind? How did you cope with it?

And yet, you didn't drown. You decided to grab whatever was available and began rowing toward shore. You prayed for a miracle and the ocean became calm enough to allow you to see the lighthouse at a distance. A target to shoot for. A gleam of hope. A ray of light at the end of a dark tunnel.

All you had to do was to "let go off the handlebars" and trust that He would guide you to safety. The lesson was priceless. You learned that you didn't need your partner to succeed; that you could handle everything by yourself. The illness didn't destroy you but made you strong. The job loss was a blessing in disguise because it allowed you to pursue your creative side and open a business or pursue a dream, and the financial ruin gave you a fresh start without the constraints of the material world.

Is it hard to let go off the handlebars? Not really....just the first time, then you begin to trust Him.

Afterlife

This past weekend, I was having a cup of coffee at a local Starbucks and reading "Many Lives, Many Masters" by Dr. Brian Weiss. There was a young couple sitting next to me and the lady inquired as to what I was reading. This led to a conversation about the after-life, reincarnation, and the fear of dying. The lady, who is Jewish, had read the book but wasn't too convinced in its main premise - we are eternal souls, protected and guided by "masters" and guardian angels, and reincarnation in the flesh is a way to purge our mistakes and elevate our soul. She admitted having flashbacks about certain experiences that she had never lived, or so she thought. She also knew some friends who had psychic abilities of "seeing or feeling things," but didn't want to understand them.

I really wanted to be left alone reading my book and enjoying my morning coffee. I didn't want to engage her in religious arguments, particularly the after-life. It is a topic that many avoid because of their fear of dying. So many people go to extremes to avoid death: desperately acquiring material possessions that in essence can't take with them, obsessions with their bodies and beauty (plastic surgery), constantly trying to beat Father Time, etc. They worried so much about death that forget how to live.

She kept giving me her views about everything from the environment to Obama. She believed that our birth was sort of like an accident and everything that happened to us was "luck." I asked her how then we pay our debts. For instance, if I decided to kill her at that point (the thought crossed my mind because she would not allow me to finish the coffee and book), how would I pay that debt......she had no answer.

I then asked her if she believed that God created and loved us equally. She agreed with this premise so I posed the following argument. She and I were given a chance to live in this great nation with all the technological advances, opportunities, and comfort never experienced by many throughout the world. We were sitting there on a Saturday morning enjoying a cup coffee, texting our friends, or reading the internet in a small portable device.....what a country! At the same time, somewhere in the middle of the Amazon jungle, there was this poor Indian wearing just a loin cloth, barefoot, illiterate, had no clue about the internet or who won the last American Idol (neither do I because I refuse to follow pop culture), chasing a wild pig with a bow and arrow so he could kill it and take it back to his family so they could have breakfast, lunch, and dinner the same day because they couldn't keep the leftovers in the fridge.

Was God playing favorites in allowing me to be born and live in the United States while at the same time "punishing" Mr. Bow and Arrow with a very short life of hardship and danger? Why was I born with both arms and legs while others don't have any? Why do some babies die at birth and aren't given a chance to enjoy life and at some point a wonderful latte at Starbucks?

Does God play favorites with some and punish others?

Stay tuned and in the next blog I will explain what I believe.

I have to go now with my "bow and arrow" and earn a living. I hope I am chasing a slow pig so I don't have to run that much.

Keep Pushing

Yesterday I walked into a gas station to pump gas in my car and there was a man in front of me clearly upset. He started cursing and yelling to himself when he realized "again" that he hadn't match any of the winning lottery numbers. I told him jokingly not to give up and to keep playing. As we walked outside, he told me that he had been playing the same numbers for the last 18 years and had not won yet........maybe he is not ready to win yet I thought! When the student is ready, the teacher will appear.

I started thinking about this man. I don't know anything about his life from our very short meeting. All I know is that he wants to win the lottery and has been trying for quite a few years, but he thinks he has failed every time the numbers don't roll his way. Has he failed? He lives in the greatest country in the face of the earth. He probably has a job, a good family, has enough discretionary income to spend it every week buying lottery tickets, has a car......lucky man! I think he won the lottery of life just by being a U.S. citizen and having an opportunity to succeed here....if he wants to.

This leads me to the following story: A man was living inside a cave when suddenly he was awaken by a bright light. God spoke to him and gave him an assignment. He was to push a huge rock that was in front of the cave with all of his might. During the day, the man pushed and pushed the rock but it didn't move one inch. Tired and frustated, he would return each night to the cave feeling that he had failed. Days turned into months and months into years. He continued his attempt without success. Negative thoughts entered his mind. "He had failed. It was a trick. It was impossible to move the rock. He would do the minimum effort and relax the rest of the day."

Before deciding to quit, he prayed to God one last time asking for guidance. He told Him that he had labored as hard as he could for years but the rock hadn't move one centimeter. He had FAILED! God replied, "My dear friend. I gave you this assignment and you accepted. I also told you that your job was to PUSH the rock with all your strength. I never expected for you to MOVE the rock. Look at yourself right now. Your arms are chiseled. Your back is strong and tanned. Your hands are stronger than ever from the constant pressure and your legs are solid. Despite the adversity you have endured, you have grown and your abilities are greater now than when you started. It is true that you haven't moved the rock one inch, but your mission was to push and to have faith in me. Now my friend, I'LL MOVE THE ROCK!

How often we try to use our intellect to decipher His will in our lives? In reality, He is only asking us to have FAITH that we can move the mountain because at the end he will push it out of the way for us.

When everything seems to go wrong......PUSH!
When you are totally exhausted with work......PUSH!
When you have no money to pay your bills.....PUSH!
When you feel that you have been abandoned by everyone....PUSH!

Generosity

One of the most beautiful things that we can do on a daily basis is to be generous. To give for the sake of giving. I've written before about giving or being generous for a specific reason - to satisfy our own ego, to make us feel important. This is not the kind of generosity that I am referring to. Generosity is based on a true feeling of love no matter who the recipient is or how it is received. It doesn't have to be money or material things. It can be a gesture, a word of encouragement, a pat in the back, helping someone stranded on the side of the road, or something like the following story:

During the Ming dinasty, there was a Chinese emperor who was the proud owner of an exquisite and unique twelve piece china set never seen before. He valued this china set so much that he had assigned its daily care to one of his most trusted servants. One day, the servant was cleaning the set when suddenly one of the plates slipped from his hands and shattered into dozens of pieces. When the emperor discovered this accident, he immediately summoned the servant to his quarters. The emperor was furious while the servant begged for forgiveness. No amount of begging would prevent the emperor from sentencing this poor servant to death. He had destroyed the emperor's most precious possession and needed to pay with his own life.

The news of this incident spread like wild fire throughout the empire. How could someone be sentenced to die for breaking a single plate? In a remote village, an old and wise man decided to pay the emperor a visit. He arrived in the city and requested an audience with the emperor. The old man stood in front of the emperor and confidently assured him that he could "fix" the broken plate. He told the emperor, "by the time I am done, all twelve plates will look the same." The emperor looked at this fragile old man and was incredulous, but decided to give him the opportunity. The old man requested that the entire china set be placed on the dining room table that was covered with the finest white silk table cloth. One of the servants brought the pieces of the broken plate which were also placed on the table. The emperor and his court anxiously waited for the results. It was inconceivable that he could put together dozens of broken pieces and bring the plate to its original form. The old man calmly walked to the table and grabbed one corner of the table cloth. He pulled it and all the plates crashed to the marble floor. He turned toward the emperor and said with a smile, "now all the plates look the same."

The emperor was livid. He wanted to strangle the old man with his own hands. The old man fell to his knees ready to accept his faith. The emperor told him, "One of my servants broke one plate and I sentenced him to death. Now you must also die." The old man replied, "When I heard about your decision, I decided to come here and take this action. I've lived a long and good life and I couldn't leave this world knowing that 11 other people could have died for breaking the remaining plates. I am ready to go so others don't have to pay such a price."

The emperor reflected on these words from the old and wise man and realized that he had been blinded by his ego, impulse, and his material attachment to twelve simple plates. He ordered the immediate release of his servant and thanked the old man for teaching him a lesson.

Many of us will probably never take our generosity to this level.......but I wonder why not?

A Mixture of Imagination and Hardwork

I don't know if this a true story but the message is golden.

A man applies for employment as a janitor with Microsoft. At the end of the interview, he is told that the position is his and they'd need an email address to notify him of the starting date. He is embarrassed and tells them that he has no internet or email address.

"No email?" - asked the personnel director. "You virtually don't exist and if you don't exist, you can't work here."

The man departs saddened by this decision. He is so desperate that he buys 10 lbs of strawberries with his last $50 dollars and starts selling them door to door. In two hours, he recovers his initial investment and has an additional $200 in his pocket. Since it is still early, he goes out and does the same thing three more times.

He discovers the strawberry business to be very profitable. He wakes up very early each day and sells four times the initial amount of strawberries.

After a few months, he buys a bicycle to do his deliveries. Shortly thereafter, he upgrades to a minivan, and eventually acquires a large truck to keep up with the demand.

Five years later, he is the owner of one of the biggest door to door food companies in the country.

One day he starts thinking about his retirement. He inquires about different retirement and life insurance programs. He decides on one proposal and the agent asks him for an email address to send them the policy contents.

"Sorry but no email," said the man.

"Incredible," the agent replied. "You created this empire in five years without an email or internet. Imagined what you would have done if you'd have had email and internet."

"Cleaning toilets at Microsoft," answered the man.

Lesson #1 - You can live without the internet.
Lesson #2 - You can become a millionaire without a computer and working hard.
Lesson #3 - You are reading this blog on the internet so you are closer to becoming a janitor than a millionaire.

Despite that setback, have a nice day my friend!

Sad Story

N:

"Of the 28 years that I shared with you, I am taking only the best part. I depart with a clean conscience that I gave everything I had to make and keep a home that was envied by many. I am saddened that our home has ended now that we are in the twilight of our lives. Thank you for the children you gave me. They were the fruit of the love that once united us. I am returning your last name, as cleaned as when you gave it to me. I certainly knew how to honor and respect it. I wish that you will soon find the happiness that you deserve and long to. I am praying for it."

Cordially, L.

I found this personal note in a storage unit that I bought during an auction last month. There were four units owned by the same person or in this case "the same family." It contained their personal stuff to include family pictures, papers, and most of their business clothing inventory. When I come across storage units like this one that folks lost due to non-payment, I often wonder what caused someone to lose their precious possessions in most cases - a personal tragedy, divorce, death, or financial ruin? In some, the reasons are clearly obvious. With others, I am left to wonder what triggered the event and never to find out.

I dare not question who was to blame. It is a sad story no matter who was at fault.

What do you do after 28 years? Do you pick up the pieces and start again? What options do you have? Live in a state of constant pity, guilt, doubt, or anger?

Food for thought.

"We are all involved in this journey called life"

This is from an email I received today from a friend. Enjoy it!



A mouse looked through the crack in the wall to see the farmer and his wife open a package.

"What food might this contain?" The mouse wondered.
He was devastated to discover it was a mousetrap.

Retreating to the farmyard,
the mouse proclaimed this warning :
"There is a mousetrap in the house!
There is a mousetrap in the house!"

The chicken clucked and scratched,
raised her head and said, "Mr. Mouse,
I can tell this is a grave concern to you,
but it is of no consequence to me.
I cannot be bothered by it."
The mouse turned to the pig and told him,
"There is a mousetrap in the house!
There is a mousetrap in the house!"

The pig sympathized, but said,
"I am so very sorry, Mr. Mouse,
but there is nothing I can do about it.

The mouse turned to the cow and said,
"There is a mousetrap in the house!
There is a mousetrap in the house!"

The cow said, 'Wow, Mr. Mouse. I'm sorry for you,
but it's no skin off my nose."

So, the mouse returned to the house,
head down and dejected,
to face the farmer's mousetrap
. . .. Alone. . ..

That very night
a sound was heard throughout the house
-- the sound of a mousetrap catching its prey.

The farmer's wife rushed to see what was caught.
In the darkness, she did not see it.
It was a venomous snake
whose tail was caught in the trap.

The snake bit the farmer's wife.

The farmer rushed her to the hospital.

When she returned home she still had a fever.
Everyone knows you treat a fever
with fresh chicken soup.
So the farmer took his hatchet to the farmyard
for the soup's main ingredient: the chicken

But his wife's sickness continued.
Friends and neighbors
came to sit with her
around the clock.
To feed them,
the farmer butchered the pig.

But, alas,
the farmer's wife did not get well...
She died.

So many people came for her funeral
that the farmer had the cow slaughtered
to provide enough meat for all of them.

And the mouse looked upon it all
from his crack in the wall
with great sadness.

So, the next time you hear
someone is facing a problem
and you think it doesn't concern you,
remember ---

When one of us is threatened,
we are all at risk.
We are all involved in this journey called life.
We must keep an eye out for one another
and make an extra effort
to encourage one another.

Soooooo........

LET FRIENDS KNOW
HOW IMPORTANT THEY ARE.

- REMEMBER -

EACH OF US IS A VITAL THREAD
IN ANOTHER PERSON'S TAPESTRY.
OUR LIVES ARE WOVEN TOGETHER
FOR A REASON.

One of the best things to hold onto
in this world is a FRIEND.

Don't water the thorns!

There is constant struggle to achieve happiness, to be fulfilled, to find success, or to acquire the perfect balance in our lives. Our mental attitude dictates that we must concentrate on the row of "white roses" that are laid in front of our feet and water them constantly. They represent everything that we desire in life. By that I mean, a positive attitude, the right outlook, an optimist approach to many challenges, etc. Words are cheap!

We grab the hose and get ready to water those white roses but are unable to step over an imaginary row of thorns closer to us. These thorns represent our misgivings about life, insecurities, doubts, and fears to name a few (I am sure you can add to this list). The water never reaches the roses. We spend that precious resource on each of the thorns while hoping that one day we can reach the rose patch.

The day that you decide to stop watering the thorns no matter how painful the experience, you will discover the white roses extend beyond your wildest dreams.

It is a simple choice. Time for you to decide.

Today

Some would claim that we become invisible after 40. That our role in this "comedy of life" diminishes and we become nonexistent in a world where youth and vigor triumph.

I don't know if I have become invisible....probably! However, never before have I been more conscious about my existence, the role that I am now playing, and enjoy each moment like I do right now.

Today, I recognize that I am capable of loving without reservations, to give without asking for anything in return, and I don't have to do anything that does NOT feel right.

Today, I equally cherish both my faults and good traits. I allow myself the luxury of being imperfect, a failure at times, and not respond to expectations placed by society. Today, I do inappropriate things and feel good about it.

I can do all this things because I am surrounded by a few who respect and love me for who I am........imperfect but always true.

Today, I look in the mirror and no longer search for who I was. I smile to the person that I am today and the changes that will arrive in the future.

I no longer chase dreams. I've learned to be patient and to allow those dreams to arrive at the appropriate time......maturity has a price.

I can't hold on to these waves even though when I am inside of them I wish they would never depart. Today, I submerge in them and as they leave, I bid farewell.

Today, I recognize that NOBODY is responsible for my happiness......only me!!!!!

Today, I know the wind extends its arms around me as I walk down the street and it is up to me to feel it.

Today, I know that life is so beautiful because I have departed from it many times.

Today, I live this life the way it is.....low tides and sunsets......let it run, don't ask for anything, only what you have gained and deserve.

Today, I have realized that I am not invisible! I am still a protagonist in this play!

Living in the light

Seeking the truth takes us into many paths. You can never live in the light unless you have been thru the darkness. Life is about making a choice. The knowledge you seek comes from your ability to make the right choice. Everyone who has inhabited this world thru the ages has learned via their bad choices and decisions. Whatever you have done can not be worse than what others have done in the past.

When all seems to be going well.......pray for him!

"He is doing very well. Everything seems to be perfect in his life. I envy his lifestyle and all that he possesses. How can someone be so fortunate? Isn't he so lucky? He has the perfect family, a great job, a beautiful home. I wish that I could have what he.............don't!"

Pray for him instead! Pray for him right now! Pray for him with all of your heart! When all seems to be going well, the rug is pulled from under him suddenly and he is going to need your prayers to guide him thru the turbulence. He is going to need your prayers so he doesn't quit. He is going to need your prayers to learn his true purpose.

Take a step back and find the lesson......

Impulse can be our own worst enemy. It can lead us into the abyss guided by ego and pride. Why not reach the edge of the precipice and rather than taking the step; allow them both to go first? Everything that occurs in our lives is not by accident. Some might say that our free will is the creator of each event. I believe our free will guide us into the path (whichever may be), but we can choose from at least two of them. The path is pre-determined.

This morning I had this vision: there is this black woman wearing a dark blue skirt, white blouse, and sandals. She is sitting on a wooden chair with a pot filled with corn between her legs. This is her daily ritual. She is singing and stirring the corn with some sort of wooden spoon. She doesn't have a worry in the world. Chickens gather all around her for the next meal. She grabs a handful of corn and throws it at them. Some will eat while others will play with the corn and discard it. Some will come back for seconds while others will not appreciate the effort. Some will be forever grateful and others will see her as just another "meal ticket." No matter their responses, she goes about her daily routine without worrying about the results. It is not up to her to decide what the "chickens" will do with the "gift" that she has been given at that particular moment. It is her job to feed them, to teach them to be grateful, and to swallow her pride when they reject her corn.

Our daily lives can be seen in this context. Are we throwing corn at others for the sole purpose of feeding our own ego? Or do we really want to feed others despite the results? What happens when we are rejected, offended, or abandoned? Take a step back and rather than lashing out with a vengeance; find the lesson. Take a step back and rather than accusing that person of not appreciating your "kindness," find the lesson. Kindness is giving and expecting NOTHING in return. Take a step back and put yourself in their shoes; and you would have learned another lesson, an important tool in your arsenal, and another handful of corn to feed others.

Doors will open no matter what!

All doors are closing. I dig myself out of one hole to fall into a deeper hole. I am swimming against the current. There is a strong wind and I put my head down just to take one more step. One by one I lay each brick on this wall when suddenly the entire project comes crashing down. Good news are hard to come by.......so I thought!

I had a late lunch yesterday and as I was walking to my car I came across a man sitting on the curb. It was around 3 pm and this guy was so drunk he couldn't even light his cigarrete. He looked at me as if to say "I am done. I give up." He had given up in life a long time ago. I told him jokingly that he was alive and to be grateful. He replied, "You are lucky because you seem to have everything in life." If he only knew?, but...........yes indeed! I am lucky because I DO have everything in life. I haven't lost the zest for life. There is still a bounce on my step. I can accomplish anything. A setback is one more twist on those starting blocks that will thrust me forward stronger than ever.

He wasn't asking me for money. He wanted something else. A word of encouragement is what I gave him. I shook his hand and said a silent prayer. "May the obsession that consumes you today brother dissipates and you can regain your quest, whatever it may be."

Just turn the doorknob and the door you thought was closed will open when you least expect it. It doesn't have to be your door. It works just as well. The doorknob is called faith and purpose.

Point of View

Our faith in the future and all that entails becomes unbreakable when we change the point of view with regards to this life. If we think that our spiritual life has no limits, what we experienced before or are going thru right now are nothing more than a short passage, a brief stay in a very ungrateful country. The pain associated with this temporary stay is short term and it must be followed by happiness. As a result, we view each new challenge or obstacle with a sort of indifference, calmness, and tranquility.

Unfortunately, most people direct their thoughts to what is going on right now. The future is measured by our short term happiness and acquisition of material things. It is like a child who can't see beyond his toys and would do anything to acquire more and hold on to the ones he already possess. Whenever there is some kind of loss (material or emotional), sadness, frustation, a feeling of injustice, or a shattering of the faith takes control of our lives. In most instances, it is our ego and vanity who have suffered and we allow them to take complete control of our lives.

On the other hand, if our view expands beyond this life, the importance placed in the material things can be as insignificant as one ant colony in the middle of the Sahara or one star among millions. Everything is viewed with relative importance and the suffering is easily handled because our destiny is assured.

Security

I define security as the absence of risk, change, triumph, and life. For many years, I held a very secured government job with a steady paycheck, solid benefits, and guaranteed retirement after 25 years of service. However, the security was a mirage because my career was being held hostage by my immediate boss. If I acted, criticized, or behaved in a manner that went against the agency's goals and objectives, my career came to a screeching halt. Taking risks meant playing Russian roulette with my career and future. Triumph always came at the expense of compromising my principles. "Congrats JC on your new position even though you probably back stabbed someone to get there or 'brown nosed' your way to the top." Even in instances when the triumph was well deserved, the stigma always remained. This security took away my life in exchange for a paycheck. My dreams were cut short and replaced with a retirement token. The seed of my potential didn't emerge because I chose instead to water the seed of my fear.

What a wasted opportunity to reach for the stars!