STOP MAKING A LIVING AND START MAKING A LIFE

Is too quick a judgment good?

2005-11-13T08:15:00.000-08:00

On occasion, it is useful and necessary to make judgments about what other people do and say.

Much of the time, though,it can be a waste of your time and energy.

In fact, one of the biggest obstacles to effective listening is the habit of continually and immediately making judgments about what is being said.

When the mind is so preoccupied with judging and criticizing, it has no space left for learning and understanding.

Different people have different approaches to life and different opinions.

In that diversity there is much value.

Yet when you are too quick to pass judgment, you can miss much of that value.

When you become too focused on showing how clever you are or proving your point, you can pass up the opportunity to gain real wisdom.

Certainly it is appropriate and wise that you exercise judgment to prevent others from harming you or taking advantage of you.

Remember, though, to balance that judgment with understanding and acceptance.

Relax your judgment and you will increase your awareness.

The more often you practice acceptance, the more wisdom and understanding you will gain.

Is too quick a judgment on your part a liability to you?

You can imagine it

2005-11-12T19:57:00.000-08:00

Your imagination cannot instantly change things in the physical world around you, yet it can do something even more powerful.

It can change you, your attitude, your energy level, your focusand the way you feel.

If you imagine that you are feeling tired, weary, heavy and drained, you will soon start to feel exactly that way.

If you imagine that you are feeling enthusiastic, energetic, joyful and confident, you will quickly start to truly feel all those positive things.

It would be a mistake to live your whole life only in your imagination.

It would also be a mistake to go through each day without connecting to your imagination at all.

There is no limit to what you can imagine.

When you nurture your imagination, it can help you discover very real and workable ways to move forward in a world filled with challenges and constraints.

Once you imagine something, you make it possible for you.

And your imagination then goes to work, helping you find ways to make it real.

When it seems that circumstances and events have you locked in place, set your imagination free to roam where it will.

Won't you just imagine it, and you will start a positive momentum that can take you far?

Positioning in life

2005-11-11T07:03:00.000-08:00

Many people talk about positioning in life to achieve success. What is positioning?

A heron stands in the blue estuary,
Solitary, white, unmoving for hours.
A fish! Quick avian darting;
The prey is captured.

That's a picture of positioning. It is as easy and natural as the heron standing in the water. The bird moves when it must; it does not move when stillness is appropriate.

The secret of its serenity is a type of vigilance, a contemplative state.

The heron is not in mere dumbness or sleep. It knows a lucid stillness. It stands unmoving in the flow of the water. It gazes unperturbed and is aware.

It is positioning itself. It seizes the opportunity without hesitation or deliberation.

Then it goes back to its quiescence without disturbing itself or its surroundings.

Unless it found the right position in the water's flow and remained patient, it would not have succeeded.

Actions in life can be reduced to two factors; positioning and timing.

If we are not in the right place at the right time, we cannot possibly take advantage of what life has to offer us.

Almost anything is appropriate if an action is in accord with the time and place.

But we must be vigilant and prepared.

Even if the time and the place are right, we can still miss our chance if we do not notice the moment, if we act inadequately, or if we hamper ourselves with doubts and second thoughts.
When life presents an opportunity, we must be ready to seize it without hesitation or inhibition.

Position is useless without awareness. If we have both, we make no mistakes.

How often have you positioned yourself in life?

Pursuit of success

2005-11-10T06:55:00.000-08:00

In your pursuit for success, every day you become more aware of your abilities and recognize that opportunities to stretch your capabilities are limitless.

You desire change, growth, and challenge, and a healthy self-esteem provides the energy.

You learn to have more than goals, and have a vision of what your life will mean to youself and others.

You do not live in the future. Instead you make sure each step taken in the present keeps you on the road toward your life goal.

Most of the time you learn to say these things:

I am motivated and have a mission with realistic and measurable goals.

I accept complete responsibility for everything I think, say, feel, and do.

I look for the window of opportunity in every situation and know that I will learn from every experience if I choose.

I always help others to do their best, and I encourage everyone to contribute something.

I correct my course when I reach an obstacle. This way, when things go wrong, I am still headed in the right direction.

I expect and appreciate change. It does not overwhelm me because I am prepared.

I stand up for my own opinions and values and respect others.

I am able to manage myself. I do not require instruction every step of the way.

I am not afraid of making mistakes or of taking reasonable risks.

I am my own coach. I engage in positive self-talk and rehearsal.

I am a life-long student. I am always ready to learn, and I know growth takes sustained effort.

I know myself well and still expect to find hidden talents, resources, strengths, weaknesses, energy, and interests.

I respect reality both pleasant and painful.

I engage in self-confrontation and do not blame others.

I readily forgive others and myself and correct mistakes when possible.

I am patient, kind, gentle, and compassionate with myself.

I have no need to prove I am better or worse than anybody else.

Do you have such a vision statement that you can recite each day towards achieving success?

A beautiful mind

2005-11-09T08:20:00.000-08:00

Thoughts of anger attract more anger.

Thoughts of goodness attract more goodness.

Thoughts of accomplishment enable you to see that accomplishment in every detail.

And whatever you can see, you can find a way to be.

Thoughts of peace truly make you more peaceful.

And that can lead those around you to carry peaceful thoughts as well.

Thoughts begin on the inside and quickly flow outward.

The thoughts you hold in this moment will soon spread far beyond you.

The thoughts you send forth will eventually find their way back to you, yet by that time they will be much more than just thoughts.

Those thoughts willreturn as circumstances, objects, challenges, opportunities and achievements.

Your thoughts attract more of whatever you think, because life has a dependable way of multiplying and manifesting them.

So choose to always hold the most positive, enriching thoughts, and from those seeds a beautiful garden will grow.

Won't you want to have a beautiful mind?

Seasons in your life

2005-11-08T01:14:00.000-08:00

A good friend e-mailed me this story today.I find it very meaningful and it helped to remind me of the four seasons in life where there are ups and downs and a cycle of change.We must always persist until we succeed as many things change over time.

There was a man who had four sons.

He wanted his sons to learn not to judge things too quickly.

So he sent them each on a quest, in turn, to go and look at a pear tree that was a great distance away.

The first son went in the winter, the second in the spring, the third in summer, and the youngest son in the fall.

When they had all gone and come back, he called them together to describe what they had seen.

The first son said that the tree was ugly, bent, and twisted.

The second son said it was covered with green buds and full of promise.

The third son disagreed; he said it was laden with blossoms that smelled so sweet and looked so beautiful, it was the most graceful thing he had ever seen.

The last son disagreed with all of them; he said it was ripe and drooping with fruit, full of life and fulfillment.

The man then explained to his sons that they were all right, because they had each seen but only one season in the tree's life.

He told them that you cannot judge a tree, or a person, by only one season, and that the essence of who they are and the pleasure, joy, and love that come from that life can only be measured at the end, when all the seasons are up.

If you give up when it is winter, you will miss the promise of your spring, the beauty of your summer, the fulfillment of your fall.

Do not let the pain of one season destroy the joy of all the rest.

Do not judge life by one difficult season. Persevere through the difficult patches and better times are sure to come some time or later.

Which season of life are you in at now?

Expressing your inner values

2005-11-07T15:39:00.000-08:00

Do your outer choices reflect your inner values?

If not, then your life will move from one conflict to another.

Yet when the choices you make do indeed come from the person you are, then you will travel steadily in the direction of your highest visions.

When your actions are in agreement with your purpose, those actions will surely take you where you most want to go.

Why would you ever act in opposition to who you truly are?

Unfortunately, there are plenty of temptations to do so.

It could be that you are worried about what others will think, so you go along with what they expect you to do, even though it hurts somewhere inside.

Or it could be that you crave the false sense of security that material possessions and shallow pleasures seem to offer.

Yet the real you, the beautiful, unique person inside, knows better.

The more you allow your own deeply held values to guide your moment-to-moment thoughts and actions, the more fulfilling and joyful life will become.

There is real and inexhaustible value in the authentic person you are.

Let your life express it in everything you do.

Meanwhile, consider when was the last time you express your inner values?

Building your own life

2005-11-06T21:37:00.000-08:00

Someone sent me this meaningful story via e-mail a few days ago:

An elderly carpenter was ready to retire.

He told his employer, a building contractor, of his plans to leave the house building business and live a more leisurely life with his wife enjoying his extended family.

He would miss the paycheck, but he needed to retire. They could get by.

His employer was sorry to see his good worker go and asked if he could build just one more house as a personal favour.

The carpenter said yes, but it was easy to see that his heart was no longer in his work.

He had lost his enthusiasm and had resorted to shoddy workmanship and used inferior materials.

It was an unfortunate way to end his career.

When the carpenter finished his work and his boss came to inspect the new house, the contractor handed the front-door key to the carpenter.

"This is your house," he said, "my gift to you."

What a shock!

What a shame!

If he had only known he was building his own house, he would have done it all so differently.

Now he had to live in the home he had built none too well.

So it is with us.

We build our lives in a distracted way, reacting rather than acting, willing to put up less than the best.

At important points we do not give the job our best effort.

Then with a shock we look at the situation we have created and find that we are now living in the house we have built for ourselves.

If we had realised, we would have done it differently.

Think of yourself as the carpenter.

Think about your house.

Each day you hammer a nail, place a board, or erect a wall.

Build wisely.

It is the only life you will ever build.

Even if you live it for only one day more, that day deserves to be lived graciously and with dignity.

The plaque on the wall says, "Life is a do-it-yourself project."

Who could say it more clearly?

Your life today is the result of your attitudes and choices in the past.

Your life tomorrow will be the result.

How are you building your life today?

Your dreams are waiting on you.

2005-11-05T00:49:00.000-08:00

So what is your passion exactly?

Are you engulfed with thoughts of being a renowned writer with Pulitzer Prize nominations, with trails of your writings on the minds of people around the world?

Maybe you have the talents of an architect and can visualize skyscrapers that generate from the stencil in your artistic hand.

Possibly you have a testimonial word for the world to hear and zest to be a dynamic motivational speaker.

Could it be that your spirit vibrates with excitement when you witness the joy of a child learning and growing to accept and prosper with education?

No matter what you yearn for, take action by watering the seed that has been planted and take notice of how that craving will bring you victory.

Begin to understand where your true happiness resides, by nestling in your quiet place to have a heartfelt conversation with yourself.

Each day, we are constantly surrounded with distractions that counter the voice of truth that speaks life to our soul.

Sometimes we overlook our happiness and don't realize that it is sitting comfortably in front of us waiting to be seized.

It does not matter what your level of status is or how prestigious you are perceived; your eminent success is knocking at your door.

The first step is to begin believing in who you are and don't be afraid to confront yourself.

Without your own understanding of what you want and where you want to be, your image of self will be lost, and without that - your existence will be determine by someone else's classification or statistic.

It is never too early or too late to develop goals and decipher a plan as to how you will attain it.

You need to recognize that each of you are achievers.

The hopes and dreams you have are accessible. It's there.

However, in order to obtain those things we must do something.

Don't sit idle and watch your aspirations falter and dwindle to a lost reality.

You must take action.

Don't lie dormant and let the world and its dysfunctional ways trample all over you, in an effort to destroy your heart, your mind and your relationships.

Stand on what has been promised to you - that being...the desires of your heart.

So now I pose the same question to you....what will you do to create a change in your life?

A big portion of your job is taking part in transforming and amending your life.

With our short time on this earth, it makes sense to live it to the fullest.

It makes sense to love our family and friends with every ounce of affection we have.

And most importantly, it is worth delving into doing what we absolutely love to do.

And again I ask.....Are you engulfed with thoughts of living your passion?

I bet you are......well, my advice to you is to pick up that book or article, make that phone call, send that email, write that letter, take that class.......do whatever you have to - to initiate the first step.

Your dreams are waiting on YOU.

Don't squander time and talent waiting on a dream.

Don't waste another day, moment or generation sweltering over that of the past.

Have courage to accept that today could be your last.

Do not leave things........Unsaid. Unwritten. Unattained. Unsecured.

Today with your eyes ajar, what will you see?

Will you choose to live fulfilled......or die in regret?

Make a place in your heart

2005-11-04T22:39:00.000-08:00

Give joy a place to dwell in you and it will fill that space.

Set aside time for sincere, simple enjoyment of life, and enjoyment will surely fill that time.

When you make a place for something in your life, you create a powerful, authentic intention.

And whatever you make a place for, will surely soon arrive.

Make room in your schedule for the actions that lead to achievement, and that achievement will be yours.

Make a place in your heart for love, and love will come to fill it.

Devote a portion of your thoughts to learning something new, and the knowledge you seek will fill your mind.

Open yourself to beauty,and beauty will fill your day.

Fulfillment, achievement, peace, love and joy all need a place to happen.

Welcome them into the space you provide.

Give the good things in life a place to live.

And they will find a home in you.

Won't you make a place in your heart for the good things in life?

Things I learned along the way

2005-11-03T00:50:00.000-08:00

A lady named Maureen Ho wrote these life's lessons which she learned along the way.

Things I learned along the way
I've learned that I like my teacher because she cries when we sing "Silent Night". - Age 6

I've learned that you can't hide a piece of broccoli in a glass of milk. - Age 7

I've learned that when I wave to people in the country, they stop what they are doing and wave back. - Age 9

I've learned that just when I get my room the way I like it, Mom makes me clean it up. - Age 13

I've learned that if you want to cheer yourself up, you should try cheering someone else up. - Age 14

I've learned that although it's hard to admit it, I'm secretly glad my parents are strict with me. - Age 15

I've learned that silent company is often more healing than words of advice. - Age 24

I've learned that brushing my child's hair is one of life's great pleasures. - Age 26

I've learned that wherever I go, the worlds worst drivers have followed me there. - Age 29

I've learned that if someone says something unkind about me, I must live so that no one will believe it. - Age 39

I've learned that there are people who love you dearly but just don't know how to show it. - Age 41

I've learned that you can make someone's day by simply sending them a little card. - Age 44

I've learned that the greater a person's sense of guilt, the greater his need to cast blame on others. - Age 46

I've learned that children and grandparents are natural allies. - Age 47

I've learned that singing "Amazing Grace" can lift my spirits for hours. - Age 49

I've learned that motel mattresses are better on the side away from the phone. - Age 50

I've learned that you can tell a lot about a man by the way he handles these three things: a rainy day, lost luggage, and tangled Christmas tree lights. - Age 52

I've learned that keeping a vegetable garden is worth a medicine cabinet full of pills. - Age 52

I've learned that regardless of your relationship with your parents, you miss them terribly after they die. - Age 53

I've learned that making a living is not the same thing as making a life. - Age 58

I've learned that if you want to do something positive for your children, try to improve your marriage. - Age 61

I've learned that life sometimes gives you a second chance. - Age 62

I've learned that you shouldn't go through life with a catchers mitt on both hands. You need to be able to throw something back. - Age 64

I've learned that if you pursue happiness, it will elude you. But if you focus on your family, the needs of others, your work, meeting new people, and doing the very best you can, happiness will find you. - Age 65

I've learned that whenever I decide something with kindness, I usually make the right decision. - Age 66

I've learned that everyone can use a prayer. - Age 72

I've learned that it pays to believe in miracles. And to tell the truth, I've seen several. - Age 73

I've learned that even when I have pains, I don't have to be one. - Age 82

I've learned that every day you should reach out and touch someone. People love that human touch - holding hands, a warm hug, or just a friendly pat on the back. - Age 85

I've learned that I still have a lot to learn. - Age 92

Her life lessons are probably different from most of us but they do have a strange way of making you agreeing with them as you read through them.It reflects so much of your own experiences no matter at which stage of life you are.

What are some of life's lessons that you have learnt in your life?

We are all cracked pots

2005-11-02T16:14:00.000-08:00

This is a story which uplifts my soul and refreshes my spirit:

A water bearer had two large pots, each hung on the ends of a pole which he carried across his neck.

One of the pots had a crack in it, while the other pot was perfect and always delivered a full portion of water.

At the end of the long walk from the stream to the house, the cracked pot arrived only half full.

For a full two years this went on daily, with the bearer delivering only one and a half pots full of water to his house.

Of course, the perfect pot was proud of its accomplishments, perfect for which it was made.

But the poor cracked pot was ashamed of its own imperfection, and miserable that it was able to accomplish only half of what it had been made to do.
After 2 years of what it perceived to be a bitter failure, it spoke to the water bearer one day by the stream. "I am ashamed of myself, and because this crack in my side causes water to leak out all the way back to your house."

The bearer said to the pot, "Did you notice that there were flowers only on your side of the path, but not on the other pot's side? That's because I have always known about your flaw, and I planted flower seeds on your side of the path, and every day while we walk back, you've watered them. For two years I have been able to pick these beautiful flowers to decorate the table. Without you being just the way you are, there would not be this beauty to grace the house."

Moral of the story : Each of us has our own unique flaws. We're all cracked pots in a sense.
But it is the cracks and flaws we each have that make our lives together
so very interesting and rewarding. You have just got to take each person
for what they are, and look for the good in them.

When was the last time that you realsied that you are a cracked pot as well ?

How do you finish each day?

2005-11-01T20:43:00.000-08:00

"Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could; some blunders and
absurdities have crept in; forget them as soon as you can.
Tomorrow is a new day; you shall begin it serenely and with too high a spirit to be
encumbered with your old nonsense."
~ Ralph Walso Emerson

How do you finish each day in your life?

How do you fill the moments of your life?

2005-10-31T12:05:00.000-08:00

Fill your moments with action, and there will be little time left for worry.

Fill your moments with meaning, and there will be little time left for despair.

Fill your days with discovery, and you will fill your life with valuable knowledge.

Fill your hours with caring, compassion and respect, and you will fill your world with love and friendship.

Fill your thoughts with positive possibilities, and the best things in life will surely be within your reach.

Fill your words with encouragement and enthusiasm, and you will often find people and circumstances lining up in your favor.

Fill your efforts with purpose, persistence, diligence and integrity.

And your life will be filled with valuable achievements.

Fill your heart with a love of truth and goodness.

And your soul will be filled with the treasure of wisdom.

Your life is a most precious gift.

Fill every corner of it with the best that you can.

How do you fill each and every moment of your life?

The big rocks in the jar of our life

2005-10-30T00:05:00.000-07:00

I remember last year someone very close to me shared this story with me:

A high school science teacher wanted to demonstrate a concept to his students.

He takes a large-mouth jar and places several large rocks in it.

He then asks the class, "Is it full?"

Unanimously, the class reply, "Yes!"
The teacher then takes a bucket of gravel and pours it into the jar.

The small rocks settle into the spaces between the big rocks.

He then asks the class, "Is it full?"

This time there are some students holding back, but most reply, "Yes!"

The teacher then produces a large can of sand and proceeds to pour it into the jar.

The sand fills up the spaces between the gravel.

For the third time, the teacher asks, "Is it full?"

Now most of the students are wary of answering, but again, many reply, "Yes!"

Then the teacher brings out a pitcher of water and pours it into the jar.

The water saturates the sand.

At this point the teacher asks the class, "What is the point of this demonstration?"

One bright young student raises his hand and then responds, "No matter how full one's schedule is in life, he can always squeeze in more things!"

"No," replies the teacher, "The point is that unless you first place the big rocks into the jar, you are never going to get them in. The big rocks are the important things in your life -- your family, your friends, your personal growth. If you fill your life with small things -- as demonstrated by the gravel, the sand, and the water -- you will never have the time for the important things."

So, what are the "Big Rocks" in your life?

Spending time with your children, your parents or your spouse?

Taking the seminar or class to get the information and perspective you need to succeed?

Making the time to set goals, plan or evaluate your progress?

How many big ocks have you been able to put into the jar of your life or have you simply accumulated too much sand in it that it now does not have any space for the big rocks?

Creating positive momentum

2005-10-29T06:09:00.000-07:00

Show life how you want it to go.

Start the day by taking intentional,determined steps in a positive direction and your world will follow along.

Set the tone for each day by beginning the day with focused,purposeful effort.

Be the one to establish the day's momentum, and that momentum will move in the direction you desire.

You know how important it is to set a good example for those who look to you forguidance.

Be sure to also set a good example for yourself.

Start each day the way you want to live it.

Get a jump on the distractions and interruptions, and get your positive, productive momentum going early.

The thoughts you hold and the actions you take in the first moments of the day will have a powerful influence on how the rest of the day goes.

Take care to make that influence a positive one.

Start off right by setting a good example for yourself.

Create a positive momentum, and give your world something valuable on which to build.

Do youhave this positive momentum to create this day?

2005-10-28T18:14:00.000-07:00

Darlene, the wife of a US Marine who served the country and returned from Iraq had this story to tell:

A nurse took the tired, anxious serviceman to the bedside.

"Your son is here," she said to the old man.

She had to repeat the words several times before the patient's eyes opened.
Heavily sedated because of the pain of his heart attack, he dimly saw the young man in the Marine Corps uniform standing outside the oxygen tent.

He reached out his hand...

The Marine wrapped his toughened fingers around the old man's limp ones, squeezing a message of love and encouragement.

The nurse brought a chair so that the Marine could sit alongside the bed.

Nights are long in hospitals-but all through the night the young Marine sat there in the poorly lighted ward, holding the old man's hand and offering him words of love and strength.

Occasionally, the nurse suggested that the Marine move away and rest a while.

He refused.

Whenever the nurse came into the ward, the Marine was oblivious of her and of the night noises of the hospital-- the clanking of the oxygen tank, the laughter of the night staff members exchanging greetings, the cries and moans of the other patients.

Now and then she heard him say a few gentle words.

The dying man said nothing, only held tightly to his son's hand all through the night.

Along towards dawn, the old man died.

The Marine released the lifeless hand he had been holding and went to tell the nurse.

While she did what she had to do, he waited.

Finally, she returned.

She started to offer words of sympathy, but the Marine interrupted her.

"That's not necessary... Who was that man?" he asked.

The nurse was startled, "He was your father" she answered.

"No, he wasn't," the Marine replied. "I never saw him before in my life."

"Then why didn't you say something when I took you to him?"

"I knew right away that there had been a mistake, but I also knew he needed his son, and his son just wasn't here. When I realized that he was too sick to tell whether or not I was his son, and I knew how much he needed me. So I stayed."

The next time God gives you an opportunity ... be there. Stay.

You'll be glad you did.

Do you have an opportunity remotely like that before?

Explore.Dream.Discover.

2005-10-27T15:02:00.000-07:00

Twenty years from now
you will be more disappointed
by the things that you didn't do
than by the ones you did do.
So throw off the bowlines.
Sail away from the safe harbour.
Catch the trade winds in your sails.
Explore. Dream. Discover.
--- Mark Twain

Are there things in our life that we have put off for many times and isn't it time for us to nowget it done?

Love doeth much

2005-10-26T02:57:00.000-07:00

Another friend shared this with me:

A man stopped at a flower shop to order some flowers to be wired to his mother who lived two hundred miles away.

As he got out of his car he noticed a young girl sitting on the curb sobbing.

He asked her what was wrong and she replied, "I wanted to buy a red rose for my mother. But I only have seventy-five cents, and a rose costs two dollars."

The man smiled and said, "Come on in with me. I'll buy you a rose."

He bought the little girl her rose and ordered his own mother's flowers.

As they were leaving he offered the girl a ride home.

She said, "Yes, please! You can take me to my mother."

She directed him to a cemetery, where she placed the rose on a freshly dug grave.

The man returned to the flower shop, cancelled the wire order, picked up a bouquet and drove the two hundred miles to his mother's house.

When was the last time that you realise how precious your loved ones are?

A momentary reminder

2005-10-25T08:05:00.000-07:00

Someone told me this story some time ago:

Imagine there is a bank, which credits your account each morning with $86,400, carries over no balance from day to day, allows you to keep no cash balance, and every evening cancels whatever part of the amount you had failed to use during the day.

What would you do?

Draw out every single cent, of course!

Well, everyone has such a bank.

Its name is Time.

Every morning, it credits you with 86,400 seconds.

Every night it writes off, as lost, whatever of this you have failed to invest to good purpose.

It carries over no balance.

It allows no overdraft.

Each day it opens a new account for you.

Each night it burns the records of the day.

If you fail to use the day's deposits, the loss is yours.

There is no going back.

There is no drawing against the "tomorrow."

Do you now remember this bank that has been there all along in your life and won't you put it to good use?

Are there things in your life that endure forever?

2005-10-24T19:40:00.000-07:00

As time goes by, some things in life become faded, feeble and useless.

Yet the things that truly matter just keep getting stronger and more meaningful.

When you invest all your hope and love in the superficial things that will soon fade away, then you make time your enemy.

You become engaged in a battle that you cannot win.

Yet when you cherish life's true, enduring values, your opportunities for joy grow more abundant with each passing moment.

As life goes forward, it cannot help but get better. When you find your fulfillment in truth, in virtue, and in integrity, you set yourself up to gain real value and benefit from every experience.

Though life may not always go as you planned or desired, you will always have something real and meaningful to show for it.

For every situation is a situation in which your integrity can grow stronger.

Every experience is an experience in which a new and valuable truth is revealed.

Life always has so very much to offer.

Treasure those things that forever endure, and your store of treasure will be rich indeed.

Are there things in your life that endure forever?

Bullshit

2005-10-23T23:35:00.000-07:00

A friend of mine e-mailed me this short anecdote:

A turkey was chatting with a bull.

“I would love to be able to get to the top of that tree,” the turkey sighed, “but I haven’t got the energy.”

“Well, why don’t you nibble on some of my droppings?” replied the bull.

“They’re packed with nutrients.”

The turkey pecked at a lump of dung and found that it actually gave him enough strength to reach the first branch of the tree.

The next day, after eating some more dung, he reached the second branch.

Finally, after a fortnight, there he was proudly perched at the top of the tree.

He was promptly spotted by a farmer, who shot the turkey out of the tree.

Moral of the story:Bullshit might get you to the top, but it won’t keep you there.

When was the last time you checked your life about bullshit?

Take care of the small details too

2005-10-22T20:10:00.000-07:00

The small challenges give you the opportunity to build strength.

The big challenges give you the opportunity to make valuable use of that strength.

Small, simple efforts, repeated over and over again, give you the ability to undertake the bigger, more complicated efforts.

Making the most of every moment puts you in a position to achieve the very best with each day.

By paying attention to the details, you will discover and develop ways in which to positively and successfully influence the big picture.

By making sure that the mundane and tedious tasks are taken care of, you open the door to exciting, impressive and spectacular results.

Big achievements are always composed of many, many smaller achievements.

That is what makes real, substantial success available to anyone.

For anyone can begin the process by taking a modest positive step forward.

Take enough of those steps, and you can go anywhere you desire to go.

In every moment, in every situation, there is some small detail you can attend to, some small challenge that you can embrace.

Make a habit of always giving whatever you can, and you will reach the point where you can achieve whatever you wish.

When was the last time that you watched the small details in your life?

See the bright spots

2005-10-21T19:41:00.000-07:00

Look closely, and you will see the bright spots in this day.

Give your attention, your thoughts and your efforts to those bright spots, and they will grow even brighter.

Look closely,and you will see the positive possibilities in this moment, in this situation.

Focus your energy on the good and valuable things you can do now, and the best of those possibilities will become real.

Though many circumstances may not be perfect,there are perfectly good, positive, life-affirming responses available to you.

Respond to life from a perspective of love, and your response will have real, lasting power.

Life is rich and complicated, ever-changing and coming at you from every direction.

You always have the opportunity to make the very most of it all.

You can grab on to those bright spots and nurture them toward magnificent proportions.

In the midst of all the noise and confusion, you can take a glimmer of hope and build it into a dominant force.

Whatever may be going on in your life, there are bright spots that you can find and build upon and utilize to create great value.

Even now those bright spots are there, ready for you to develop into something truly special.

Do you see and recognize the bright spots in your life?

Can you get there?

2005-10-20T07:37:00.000-07:00

With each act, your confidence grows.

Take the first step and you will gain the confidence to take the next step.

The more you do, the more you'll be able to do.

Begin the journey, and you will set in motion a positive momentum that can surely carry you through.

Effort feeds upon itself.

Even though you start small, you can soon go very far.

Though you may not yet have what it takes to finish, you always have what it takes to begin.

And from the most modest initial effort, magnificent results can surely and eventually flow.

Whether the goal seems close at hand or infinitely far away, the way to reach it is the same.

Take the first step, set the momentum of your action in motion, and grow along with it until you are there.

Be willingto take the first step, then follow where each step leads.

And even the most ambitious goal is well within your reach.

Yes, won't you have the faith to believe that you can get there?

Your purposeful moments

2005-10-19T21:23:00.000-07:00

When you have a reason, you can find a way.

When you know why, you can figure out how.

The more compelling the reason,the more magnificent the level of accomplishment it supports.

The more meaningful the reason, the more powerfully it will drive you to new heights.

Seek to know and fully understand why you do what you do.

And the effectiveness of what you dowill improve dramatically.

Live each moment in the purpose of a powerful vision.

And those purposeful moments will bring great value to your world.

With a strong reason, the obstacles cannot stop you.

With a strong reason, the setbacks will be unable to dissuade you.

Get clear about the reason for whatever you set out to do.

And you will indeed get it done.

Can you remember your purposeful moments?

Can you set an example?

2005-10-18T19:18:00.000-07:00

Set a good example.

Show life how you want it to go.

Start the day by taking intentional, determined steps in a positive direction and your world will follow along.

Set the tone for each day by beginning the day with focused, purposeful effort.

Be the one to establish the day's momentum, and that momentum will move in the direction you desire.

You know how important it is to set a good example for those who look to you for guidance.

Be sure to also set a good example for yourself.

Start each day the way you want to live it.

Get a jump on thedistractions and interruptions, and get your positive, productive momentum going early.

The thoughts you hold and the actions you take in the first moments of the day will have a powerful influence on how the rest of the day goes.

Take care to make that influence a positive one.

Start off right by setting a good example for yourself.

Create a positive momentum, and give your world something valuable on which to build.

Can you set an example?

Your assumptions

2005-10-17T00:03:00.000-07:00

There are some assumptions that you have no choice but to make,and they can at times be helpful.

Many assumptions, though, just get in the way.

When you assume that a task will be difficult, you will likely make it even more difficult than it otherwise would have been.

When you assume that something will be easy, that can lead to needless frustration and dismay when unexpected challenges arrive.

Instead of putting your energy into making assumptions, put that energy into being fully aware.

Pull away the mask of your assumptions, and there is much you will suddenly be able to see.

Rather than assuming what you will find around the next bend, make the journey and experience what is really there.

Instead of assuming how someone will be, make the effort to truly get to know that person.

When you assume, realize full well that you are doing it.

And know that you could indeed be wrong. Sometimes you may have to look beyond them and find the value in what is really there.

Are there assumptions you hold that could be holding you back?

Your learning in life

2005-10-16T19:49:00.000-07:00

What is life? This is an age-old question that has no real answers yet many answers, depending on who is asking the question. Some of the answers heard over the years are as follows:

"Life is a game of cards. The cards are shuffled and the hands are dealt. You must play your
cards well" -- Eugene Hare

"Life is a play. It's not its length, but its performance that counts." -- Seneca

"Life is a B-picture script." -- Kirk Douglas

"Life is something like a trumpet. If you don't put anything in, you won't get anything out."
-- W.C. Handy.

"A life is a simple letter in the alphabet. It can be meaningless. Or it can be part of a great
meaning." -- Jewish Seminary

"Life is a daring adventure, or nothing." -- Helen Keller

"Life is an onion. You peel it off one layer at a time, and sometimes you weep." -- Carl Sandburg
"Life is what's happening while you're thinking about something else." -- AA saying

Each day I learn more.

Each day I learn more than I teach.

I learn how much there is to learn.

What have you learned so far in life?

Take action

2005-10-15T14:32:00.000-07:00

Ideas, thoughts, wishes, dreams, and intentions ... they are ALL great; however, without the one key ingredient listed below, everything else is rather pointless.

You must first and foremost:

Take ACTION from a place of inspiration.

Take ACTION from a feeling of intuition.

Take ACTION on the seemingly coincidental events and opportunities that come your way.

Take ACTION - an unusual action - even if you don't know the consequences ahead of time (yes, take a risk).

Take ACTION regardless of how inconsequential it make seem when you do it.

Take ACTION so that the whole world knows you actually have a serious intent to make things happen for yourself.

So are you gonna do it and then feel good about it yourself?

Gratitude to give wings to soar

2005-10-14T00:45:00.000-07:00

A sure way to heal a disagreement is to focus on your sincere appreciation for the relationship.

An effective way to recover from financial setback is to focus on your gratitude for the many forms of abundance in your life.

To get beyond fear, fill your thoughts with thankfulness for the abilities and resources available to you.

To successfully deal with disappointment, immerse your awareness in those things for which you can be truly grateful.

There is real power in gratitude.

It can calm your anxieties and refresh your spirit.

The more thankful you are for your blessings, the more valuable and numerous those blessings will be.

Each moment you spend with a grateful heart is a moment in which your ability to move forward is at its greatest.

The more you practice gratitude and integrate it into your being, the more easily and naturally it comes.

The more gratitude you express, the more reasons you will have to express it.

Gratitude can open your eyes and your heart to the very best that life has to offer.

It will give you wings on which to truly soar.

Are you grateful for the things that you have and are in your life?

Purpose in your life

2005-10-13T16:24:00.000-07:00

With a clear and meaningful purpose will come the motivation and the energy to follow that purpose.

When you are sure of the what and the why, you will find everything necessary to handle the how.

Do you have trouble staying motivated, or keeping yourself focused, or following through on your commitments?

With a compelling purpose, those troubles disappear.

Are you worried and anxious about how you will do what you need to do?

With a deep sense of purpose, those worries and anxieties give way to valuable,positive ideas and effective action.

There is a purpose, there is a why, that can bring every aspect of your life to higher and higher levels of performance and experience.

You have glimpsed that purpose in moments of pure joy, those times when everything in life just seemed to be flowing perfectly.

Dive deep into who you are and connect yourself to a purpose that is uniquely and overwhelmingly you.

Seek to know and live a purpose so positive, powerful and compelling that you cannot let go of it.

Already you have seen bits and pieces of that purpose at times, even if somewhat dimly.

Just imagine what you could do if you were to include that powerful purpose in every moment.

Imagine it, and then let yourself make it so.

Your highest and best purpose is ready to be lived.

Do you have such a purpose?

A quality effort

2005-10-12T16:55:00.000-07:00

If you are spending your time doing it, then it is important enough to do it right.

A quality life is built through quality effort.

Put yourself fully in to every effort, whatever that effort may be.

Even the seemingly trivial chores can set the stage for greatness when you put your love, attention and commitment into them.

Put yourself fully into every moment, whatever you may be doing.

For each moment comes with its own unique opportunities.

Success depends just as much on the quality of your efforts as it does on the quantity and nature of those efforts.

When you consistently put quality and commitment into what you do, then whatever you do will create real, lasting value.

Every moment, then, is a chance to move forward.

Every effort, no matter how mundane or tedious it may first appear, can be a crucial step on the path to greatness.

Put your best into every effort.

And then do you know that all those efforts, the big ones and the small ones, will lift your life ever higher?

Go find your gold

2005-10-11T13:25:00.000-07:00

I find this story pretty meaningful.It was e-mailed to me recently by a friend:

It was a long walk but someone had to do it.

And today it was Carl’s turn to carry the water from the river, through the fields and across the valley, back to the camp.

He set out early before sunrise so that he could do his work before the heat of the day became too much.

Very soon he was standing by the side of the river. He knelt down and cupped the flowing water into his hands.
It felt great. So refreshing, cool and alive as it flowed through his outstretched hands.

He drank some of the revitalizing waters before filling the two large urns with this clear, fresh water.

Holding one urn to his chest with each hand, Carl started the long walk back to the distant camp.

Even though the sun was now rising he could still not even make out the outline of the tents.

They were there somewhere on the other side of these fields, and across the wooded valley.

He walked on, taking care to stay clear of the high grass that tried to brush against him as he made his way along the path through the field.

He also took care to keep his balance as he walked along the dirt track otherwise he would spill water all along his route.

Carl walked quickly and before long, even before he noticed, he was on the outskirts of the camp.

The sun was a golden orange as he stopped to rest.

He put the urns down on the ground and at that moment ,Baba the old wise man of the village, walked out to greet him.

Baba had a smile on his old face as he looked down at the dew drenched trousers worn by Carl.

He giggled as he waved his walking stick in the air and explained to the confused Carl why he was laughing so hard.

Here is what he said:
“When you focus on what you want to avoid those little monsters grow even bigger, and faster than you expect. Instead put your attention only on what you want and where you want to go.

Today as you walked through the field you wanted to avoid getting wet and hot.

Nor did you want to lose any water from those two full urns.

But you got soaked by the wet grass and you slipped from time to time on the damp track and lost a little water each time.

And all the worry made you sweat.

If instead you had paid attention to what you wanted - to be cool and dry as you carried the urns you might have noticed the other pathway through the field.

The one in the shadow of the forest.

You can walk along that trail of perfectly level golden stones at anytime of the day without being bothered by the heat of the sun.

One step and one golden stone at a time would have brought you home very dry indeed with two urns full to the brim.”

And so it is for us all.

Know what you want and you just might get it,otherwise you are doomed to get what you worry about - that one which you do not want.

The best communicators and the most persuasive presenters know exactly what they want to say and how they want to impact their audience.

If they want you to laugh they tell a good joke, if they want you to listen up they might speak more softly or even pause and use silence to capture your attention.

And if they want to feel relaxed and confident for a big event they prepare diligently in advance of the big day.

Be highly specific about your intentions and you will find the steps to take you where you want to go.

Your steps to success are out there - won't you just go and find your gold?

Face life instead of fearing life

2005-10-10T17:30:00.000-07:00

Fear is often much more destructive than that which is feared.

Anxiety can often be far more harmful than those things about which you are anxious.

Avoiding effort can be more difficult and time-consuming than the effort itself.

Worrying about a negative situation is usually more prolonged and painful than experiencing the situation itself.

Life is best when you face it directly.

Your efforts are far more effective when they don't have to push through layers of denial, avoidance and anxiety.

When something must be said, stand up and say it.

When something needs to be done, get busy and do it.

It can be tempting to put tasks off until later, or to think that problems will just go away, or to hope that some magical occurrence will fulfill your desires.

Yet the truth is that the real fulfillment in life comes from putting all of yourself into the living of it.

So go ahead and face that fear, make that effort, move forward into new territory and fully live the grand possibilities with which you're blessed.

Boldly face life, and you will find it to be better than you ever imagined.

Won't you just try to do that?

It is in the small details

2005-10-09T08:26:00.000-07:00

The small challenges give you the opportunity to build strength.

The big challenges give you the opportunity to make valuable use of that strength.

Small, simple efforts, repeated over and over again, give you the ability to undertake the bigger, more complicated efforts.

Making the most of every moment puts you in a position to achieve the very best with each day.

By paying attention to the details, you will discover and develop ways in which to positively and successfully influence the big picture.

By making sure that the mundane and tedious tasks are taken care of, you open the door to exciting, impressive and spectacular results.

Big achievements are always composed of many, many smaller achievements.

That is what makes real, substantial success available to anyone.

For anyone can begin the process by taking a modest positive step forward.

Take enough of those steps, and you can go anywhere you desire to go.

In every moment,in every situation, there is some small detail you can attend to,some small challenge that you can embrace.

Make a habit of always giving whatever you can, and you'll reach the point where you can achieve whatever you wish.

Have you taken care of the small details in your life?

Have you washed and cleaned your windows lately?

2005-10-08T00:17:00.000-07:00

Someone shared this story with me recently:

A businessman was highly critical of his competitors' storefront windows.

"Why, they are the dirtiest windows in town," he claimed.

Fellow business people grew tired of the man's continual criticism and nitpicking comments about the windows.

One day over coffee, the businessman carried the subject just too far.

Before leaving, a fellow store owner suggested the man get his own windows washed.

He followed the advice, and the next day at coffee, he exclaimed, "I can't believe it. As soon as I washed my windows, my competitor must have cleaned his too. You should see them shine."
Confucius once declared, "Don't complain about the snow on your neighbor's roof when your own doorstep is unclean."

Have you washed and cleaned your windows lately?

What will you do?

2005-10-07T09:02:00.000-07:00

When you can't see how you will get it all done, the thing to do is to do what you can.

Even when it's difficult to imagine getting the job finished, the thing to do is to take the first step.

Creating something of value takes time and effort,the thing to do is to make that effort.

Getting beyond the difficult challenges will require persistence and diligence ,the thing to do is to keep going.

When you're not sure where to start, the thing to do is to find some action that will move you forward.

Even if you start slowly, it is much better than falling further behind.

When you don't know how you'll continue, the thing to do is to focus on the next effort.

The more diligently you work on it, the more good and valuable options you'll
see opening up to you.

Whatever may come your way, the thing to do is to make the most of all that you have to work with.

And every moment will move you closer to where you have chosen to go.

Do you now know what is thing to do to get on with your life?

Make today your best day

2005-10-06T08:18:00.000-07:00

Today is now here. And with it has come the opportunity for you to move in the direction you choose.

If you have been knocked off your feet, today is the day to get back up and get going again.

If you have made choices that led to disappointing results, today is the day you can change your direction.

If you have been holding a treasured dream in your heart, you can begin today to make that dream happen.

If something has been holding you back, today is your chance to start moving beyond it.

All that you've done and all that you are, has now arrived at today.

In this day there are opportunities that have been building for a lifetime.

You've learned what works and what does not, experienced pain, joy, sadness and fulfillment.

Today you know, better than ever before, just which way to go.

So breathe deeply, feel the fresh air of real meaning and true purpose as it fills your spirit.

Won't you make today the best day yet?

Your own beautiful world

2005-10-05T17:47:00.000-07:00

You live in a beautiful world. The more you appreciate and enjoy that beauty, the more beautiful it becomes.

Beauty is impossible to define and, at the same time, impossible to ignore.

You know what it is without having to learn.

Beauty is much more than mere physical appearance.

In fact, magnificent beauty can often be found in what appears to be plain and ordinary, when you explore it deeply enough.

Beauty can awe, inspire and astonish.

Beauty can energize your spirit in ways that nothing else can.

One of the nicest things you can do for yourself is to give yourself the time and space to simply take in the beauty that is around you.

Beauty asks nothing more than to be treasured, and when you let yourself experience it, beauty has much to give.

There is beauty stretching out in all directions.

Dive deeply into it, and it will make you more.

Won't you simply take time to enjoy your each day of your life, and take time to reflect in the beauty of your life and the country in which you live?

Making a difference

2005-10-04T10:28:00.000-07:00

You'll rarely be able to make things perfect.

Yet you can always make things better.

You'll never be able to improve the past.

Yet you can always improve right now.

Get in the habit of adding value to each moment.

And those moments you enhance will soon add value to all that is around you.

Get in the habit of being a positive influence on the people you encounter.

And bit by bit, your world will become a more beautiful, loving place.

The difference you make will make a difference for you and all that surrounds you.

The love you give adds over and over again to the love with which your life is filled.

Use your time, your energy, your resources and creativity to produce a real and positive
difference in life.

It is the best investment you can make.

Can you make that difference?

Apparent failure to great success

2005-10-03T08:15:00.000-07:00

The 3M Company encourages creativity from its employees. The company allows its researchers to spend 15 percent of their time on any project that interests them.

This attitude has brought fantastic benefits not only to the employees but to the 3M Company itself. Many times, a spark of an idea turned into a successful product has boosted 3M's profits tremendously.

Some years ago, a scientist in 3M's commercial office took advantage of this 15 percent creative time.

This scientist, Art Fry, came up with an idea for one of 3M's best-selling products.

It seems that Art Fry dealt with a small irritation every Sunday as he sang in the church choir.

After marking his pages in the hymnal with small bits of paper, the small pieces would invariably fall out all over the floor.

Suddenly, an idea struck Fry.

He remembered an adhesive developed by a colleague that everyone thought was a failure because it did not stick very well.

"I coated the adhesive on a paper sample," Fry recalls, "and I found that it was not only a good bookmark, but it was great for writing notes. It will stay in place as long as you want it to, and then you can remove it without damage."

Yes, Art Fry hit the jackpot.

The resulting product was called Post-it! and has become one of 3M's most successful office products.

Doesn't it amaze you that sometimes a apparent failure may end up as a great success?

Your self-confidence

2005-10-02T18:10:00.000-07:00

For those of us who suffer from a lack of self-confidence and self-esteem, here's something to think about and maybe internalise:

I am resourceful and I have the ability to do whatever it takes to succeed, and to support all those whom I love.

I enjoy life's challenges, and I learn from everything that happens in my life.

I live each day with passion and power.

I feel strong and powerful, happy, and excited.

I have tremendous confidence in my talents and my abilities.

I meet every situation knowing I am its master.

I have deep respect for myself and for everyone I meet each day.

I am committed to perform at the best of my ability in all that I do.

I forgive myself and others easily.

I am aware of the priceless value of my life and the life of everyone I meet.

My confidence is unshakable because I live with integrity.

I am always at peace because I trust and follow my internal guidance.

Would this help you to gain some measure of self-confidence if you read it out aloud each time before you begin your day?

You did

2005-10-01T00:19:00.000-07:00

There have been situations in your life that you thought you would never get through.

And yet, you did.

There have been challenges you faced that you thought you would never overcome.

And yet, you did.

There have been losses you've suffered that you thought you would never be able to get beyond.

And yet, you did.

For you are here today, stronger, wiser, more experienced and more knowledgeable as a result of it all.

Though the road has had its rough spots, you've successfully made your way along it.

There will certainly be more rough spots ahead, and there may even be some particularly difficult ones right now.

So it pays, every now and then, to look back and remember that even though you thought you wouldn't get through, you did.

And perhaps, if you think about it, you'll see that there's really never any reason to doubt yourself.

For when life challenged you to make your way through, you did.

And now, even more importantly, you will.

Won't you just remember all the moments in your life when you did?

Look within yourself

2005-09-30T16:08:00.000-07:00

In the beginning, all things are hopeful.

We prepare ourselves to start anew. We are full of hopes.

Though we may be intent on the magnificent journey ahead, all things are contained in the first moment: our optimism, our faith, our resolution, our innocence.

In order to start, we must make a decision.

The decision is a commitment to daily self-cultivation.

We must make a strong connection to our inner selves.

Outside matters are superfluous.

Alone and naked, we negotiate all of life's travails.

Therefore, we alone must make something of ourselves, transforming ourselves into the instruments for experiencing the deepest spiritual essence of life.

Once we make our decision, all things will come to us.

Do you sometimes look within yourself to see what is really there?

One moment each time

2005-09-29T23:01:00.000-07:00

There is nothing about the reality of this moment that can overwhelm you. If you feel overwhelmed, it is because you have, in this moment, given life to your disappointments of the past, or to your anxieties about the future.

Just imagine how effective you could be right now, in this moment, if you could free yourself from those burdens. And know that, in fact, you can.

What has come before, as overwhelming as it may seem, is over.

It exists only in your memory.

And what about the things that might or might not happen at some point in the future?

They have no power in this moment other than the power you choose to give them. Instead of fighting battles that are already over, use this moment to make the best of what is.

Rather than struggling against some imagined future, use your energy to create real, lasting value from what is here and now.

Live one moment at a time, with fullness, richness, strength and purpose.

And nothing will have the power to really overwhelm you.

Won't you live and cherish one moment each time in your life?

The good you have

2005-09-28T12:43:00.000-07:00

Do you fully realize how good you have it?

Or do you take all the good and valuable things for granted, focusing only on the troubles and disappointments?

Sure,you have problems, and of course there are challenges and difficulties.

The best way to move forward through those difficulties is by staying connected to the real,enduring goodness in your life.

Stop for a moment and think of five things in your life for which you can be truly thankful.

Then consider what you could do to build and nurture those things, to make them more influential in your thoughts and your actions.

It is easy for the pressing problems of the moment to overwhelm your thinking.

So it is really up to you to provide a powerful, positive alternative.

When you have something to be thankful for, you have something real and valuable to go on.

You have a solid foundation from which to build.

And no matter where you maybe or what may have happened, you do indeed have many things for which you can be truly thankful.

The more completely you stay connected to them, the more surely life will move in the direction you desire.

How often have you thought of and give thanks for the good you have in your life?

Your self-esteem

2005-09-27T00:54:00.000-07:00

A Declaration of Self Esteem

I am me.

I am unique. There's not another human being in the whole world like me -- I have my very own fingerprints and I have my very own thoughts. I was not stamped out of a mold like a Coca-Cola top to be the duplicate of another.

I own all of me -- my body, and I can do with it what I choose; my mind, and all of its thoughts and ideas; my feelings, whether joyful or painful.

I own my ideals, my dreams, my hopes, my fantasies, my fears.

I reserve the right to think and feel differently from others and will grant to others their right to thoughts and feelings not identical with my own.

I own all my triumphs and successes.

I own also all my failures and mistakes.

I am the cause of what I do and am responsible for my own behavior.

I will permit myself to be imperfect. When I make mistakes or fail, I will know that I am not the failure -- I am still O.K. -- and I will discard some parts of me that were unfitting and will try new ways.

I will laugh freely and loudly at myself -- a healthy self-affirmation.

I will have fun living inside my skin.

I will remember that the door to everybody's life needs this sign:
Honor Thyself
I have value and worth.
I am me, and I am O.K.

Do you have such a personal declaration of your own self-esteem?

Do we see things with the eyes of a child?

2005-09-26T19:12:00.000-07:00

One of my favourite poets is William Wordsworth.This is what he wrote:

From Ode: Intimations of Immortality from Recollections of Early Childhood

ODE

INTIMATIONS OF IMMORTALITY FROM RECOLLECTIONS OF EARLY CHILDHOOD

This was composed during my residence at Town-end, Grasmere. Two years at least passed between the writing of the four first stanzas and the remaining part. To the attentive and competent reader the whole sufficiently explains itself; but there may be no harm in adverting here to particular feelings or 'experiences' of my own mind on which the structure of the poem partly rests. Nothing was more difficult for me in childhood than to admit the notion of death as a state applicable to my own being. I have said elsewhere--

"A simple child,
That lightly draws its breath,
And feels its life in every limb,
What should it know of death!"--

But it was not so much from feelings of animal vivacity that 'my' difficulty came as from a sense of the indomitableness of the Spirit within me. I used to brood over the stories of Enoch and Elijah, and almost to persuade myself that, whatever might become of others, I should be translated, in something of the same way, to heaven. With a feeling congenial to this, I was often unable to think of external things as having external existence, and I communed with all that I saw as something not apart from, but inherent in, my own immaterial nature. Many times while going to school have I grasped at a wall or tree to recall myself from this abyss of idealism to the reality. At that time I was afraid of such processes. In later periods of life I have deplored, as we have all reason to do, a subjugation of an opposite character, and have rejoiced over the remembrances, as is expressed in the lines--

"Obstinate questionings
Of sense and outward things,
Fallings from us, vanishings;" etc.

To that dream-like vividness and splendour which invest objects of sight in childhood, every one, I believe, if he would look back, could bear testimony, and I need not dwell upon it here: but having in the poem regarded it as presumptive evidence of a prior state of existence, I think it right to protest against a conclusion, which has given pain to some good and pious persons, that I meant to inculcate such a belief. It is far too shadowy a notion to be recommended to faith, as more than an element in our instincts of immortality. But let us bear in mind that, though the idea is not advanced in revelation, there is nothing there to contradict it, and the fall of Man presents an analogy in its favour. Accordingly, a pre-existent state has entered into the popular creeds of many nations; and, among all persons acquainted with classic literature, is known as an ingredient in Platonic philosophy. Archimedes said that he could move the world if he had a point whereon to rest his machine. Who has not felt the same aspirations as regards the world of his own mind? Having to wield some of its elements when I was impelled to write this poem on the "Immortality of the Soul," I took hold of the notion of pre- existence as having sufficient foundation in humanity for authorising me to make for my purpose the best use of it I could as a poet.

"The Child is Father of the Man;
And I could wish my days to be
Bound each to each by natural piety."
See "My Heart Leaps up When I Behold."

I

THERE was a time when meadow, grove, and stream,
The earth, and every common sight,
To me did seem
Apparelled in celestial light,
The glory and the freshness of a dream.
It is not now as it hath been of yore;--
Turn wheresoe'er I may,
By night or day,
The things which I have seen I now can see no more.

II

The Rainbow comes and goes,
And lovely is the Rose,
The Moon doth with delight
Look round her when the heavens are bare,
Waters on a starry night
Are beautiful and fair;
The sunshine is a glorious birth;
But yet I know, where'er I go,
That there hath past away a glory from the earth.

III

Now, while the birds thus sing a joyous song,
And while the young lambs bound
As to the tabor's sound,
To me alone there came a thought of grief:
A timely utterance gave that thought relief,
And I again am strong:
The cataracts blow their trumpets from the steep;
No more shall grief of mine the season wrong;
I hear the Echoes through the mountains throng,
The Winds come to me from the fields of sleep,
And all the earth is gay;
Land and sea
Give themselves up to jollity,
And with the heart of May
Doth every Beast keep holiday;--
Thou Child of Joy,
Shout round me, let me hear thy shouts, thou happy
Shepherd-boy!

IV

Ye blessed Creatures, I have heard the call
Ye to each other make; I see
The heavens laugh with you in your jubilee;
My heart is at your festival,
My head hath its coronal,
The fulness of your bliss, I feel--I feel it all.
Oh evil day! if I were sullen
While Earth herself is adorning,
This sweet May-morning,
And the Children are culling
On every side,
In a thousand valleys far and wide,
Fresh flowers; while the sun shines warm,
And the Babe leaps up on his Mother's arm:--
I hear, I hear, with joy I hear!
--But there's a Tree, of many, one,
A single Field which I have looked upon,
Both of them speak of something that is gone:
The Pansy at my feet
Doth the same tale repeat:
Whither is fled the visionary gleam?
Where is it now, the glory and the dream?

V

Our birth is but a sleep and a forgetting:
The Soul that rises with us, our life's Star,
Hath had elsewhere its setting,
And cometh from afar:
Not in entire forgetfulness,
And not in utter nakedness,
But trailing clouds of glory do we come
From God, who is our home:
Heaven lies about us in our infancy!
Shades of the prison-house begin to close
Upon the growing Boy,
But He beholds the light, and whence it flows,
He sees it in his joy;
The Youth, who daily farther from the east
Must travel, still is Nature's Priest,
And by the vision splendid
Is on his way attended;
At length the Man perceives it die away,
And fade into the light of common day.

VI

Earth fills her lap with pleasures of her own;
Yearnings she hath in her own natural kind,
And, even with something of a Mother's mind,
And no unworthy aim,
The homely Nurse doth all she can
To make her Foster-child, her Inmate Man,
Forget the glories he hath known,
And that imperial palace whence he came.

VII

Behold the Child among his new-born blisses,
A six years' Darling of a pigmy size!
See, where 'mid work of his own hand he lies,
Fretted by sallies of his mother's kisses,
With light upon him from his father's eyes!
See, at his feet, some little plan or chart,
Some fragment from his dream of human life,
Shaped by himself with newly-learned art;
A wedding or a festival,
A mourning or a funeral;
And this hath now his heart,
And unto this he frames his song:
Then will he fit his tongue
To dialogues of business, love, or strife;
But it will not be long
Ere this be thrown aside,
And with new joy and pride
The little Actor cons another part;
Filling from time to time his "humorous stage"
With all the Persons, down to palsied Age,
That Life brings with her in her equipage;
As if his whole vocation
Were endless imitation.

VIII

Thou, whose exterior semblance doth belie
Thy Soul's immensity;
Thou best Philosopher, who yet dost keep
Thy heritage, thou Eye among the blind,
That, deaf and silent, read'st the eternal deep,
Haunted for ever by the eternal mind,--
Mighty Prophet! Seer blest!
On whom those truths do rest,
Which we are toiling all our lives to find,
In darkness lost, the darkness of the grave;
Thou, over whom thy Immortality
Broods like the Day, a Master o'er a Slave,
A Presence which is not to be put by;
Thou little Child, yet glorious in the might
Of heaven-born freedom on thy being's height,
Why with such earnest pains dost thou provoke
The years to bring the inevitable yoke,
Thus blindly with thy blessedness at strife?
Full soon thy Soul shall have her earthly freight,
And custom lie upon thee with a weight
Heavy as frost, and deep almost as life!

IX

O joy! that in our embers
Is something that doth live,
That nature yet remembers
What was so fugitive!
The thought of our past years in me doth breed
Perpetual benediction: not indeed
For that which is most worthy to be blest--
Delight and liberty, the simple creed
Of Childhood, whether busy or at rest,
With new-fledged hope still fluttering in his breast:--
Not for these I raise
The song of thanks and praise;
But for those obstinate questionings
Of sense and outward things,
Fallings from us, vanishings;
Blank misgivings of a Creature
Moving about in worlds not realised,
High instincts before which our mortal Nature
Did tremble like a guilty Thing surprised:
But for those first affections,
Those shadowy recollections,
Which, be they what they may,
Are yet the fountain light of all our day,
Are yet a master light of all our seeing;
Uphold us, cherish, and have power to make
Our noisy years seem moments in the being
Of the eternal Silence: truths that wake,
To perish never;
Which neither listlessness, nor mad endeavour,
Nor Man nor Boy,
Nor all that is at enmity with joy,
Can utterly abolish or destroy!
Hence in a season of calm weather
Though inland far we be,
Our Souls have sight of that immortal sea
Which brought us hither,
Can in a moment travel thither,
And see the Children sport upon the shore,
And hear the mighty waters rolling evermore.

X

Then sing, ye Birds, sing, sing a joyous song!
And let the young Lambs bound
As to the tabor's sound!
We in thought will join your throng,
Ye that pipe and ye that play,
Ye that through your hearts to-day
Feel the gladness of the May!
What though the radiance which was once so bright
Be now for ever taken from my sight,
Though nothing can bring back the hour
Of splendour in the grass, of glory in the flower;
We will grieve not, rather find
Strength in what remains behind;
In the primal sympathy
Which having been must ever be;
In the soothing thoughts that spring
Out of human suffering;
In the faith that looks through death,
In years that bring the philosophic mind.

XI

And O, ye Fountains, Meadows, Hills, and Groves,
Forebode not any severing of our loves!
Yet in my heart of hearts I feel your might;
I only have relinquished one delight
To live beneath your more habitual sway.
I love the Brooks which down their channels fret,
Even more than when I tripped lightly as they;
The innocent brightness of a new-born Day
Is lovely yet;
The Clouds that gather round the setting sun
Do take a sober colouring from an eye
That hath kept watch o'er man's mortality;
Another race hath been, and other palms are won.
Thanks to the human heart by which we live,
Thanks to its tenderness, its joys, and fears,
To me the meanest flower that blows can give
Thoughts that do often lie too deep for tears.

Wordsworth was born and lived most of his life in the rural northwest of England known as the Lake District. Like many other Romantic writers, he saw in Nature an emblem of god or the divine and his poetry often celebrates the beauty and spiritual values of the natural world. He revolutionized English poetry with the publication of Lyrical Ballads (1798), co-authored with his friend Samuel Taylor Coleridge who contributed "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner" for the volume. In this book Wordsworth sought to break the pattern of artificial situations of eighteenth-century poetry, which had been written for the upper classes, and to write in simple, straightforward language for the common man. Other English Romantic poets would follow Wordsworth's lead in taking apparently insignificant moments and, by observation and contemplation, raising them to illuminations of experience. Wordsworth defined poetry as the "spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings," intense "emotion recollected in tranquillity." In the sonnet "The World Is Too Much with Us" the poet contrasts Nature with the world of materialism and "making it." Because we are insensitive to the richness of Nature, we may be forfeiting our souls. To us there is nothing wonderful or mysterious about the natural world, but ancients who were pagans created a colorful mythology out of their awe of Nature.

This is a great poem.

If you have ever thought that the best part of your life is behind you (and everyone thinks that from time to time), this poem speaks your heart.

It talks about how we see things as a child that we don't see as an adult.

Wordsworth once said that as a child he did not really believe that his body would ever die, that he would be taken up to heaven in a chariot as Elijah the prophet was. As he grew older, he knew that this childish belief was just that, but that kind of childlike innocence is presented in this poem.

Children see things differently that adults do. An adult sees a backyard. A child sees a jungle where interesting creatures and adventures await.

To a child a day is such a long time. To an adult a day speeds quickly by.

The speaker has seen things as a child that he no longer sees. They are still there, but he cannot appreciate their glory any longer.

The last stanza in the above poem is an extended metaphor comparing the journey of the soul to the daily journey of the sun. The speaker refers to our birth as a sleep after our heavenly beginnings but before our journey on earth begins.

What do you think is wrong with this modern world?

Do we see things with the eyes of a child?

Live your way into the answer

2005-09-25T06:12:00.000-07:00

Have patience with everything unresolved in your heart and try to love the questions themselves as if they were locked rooms or books written in a very foreign language.

Don’t search for the answers, which could not be given to you now, because you would not be able to live them.

And the point is to live everything. Live the questions now.

Perhaps then, some day in the future,you will gradually, without even noticing it, live your way into the answer. - RAINER MARIA RILKE

Don't you want to live the questions now and in the process find the answers?

You can, if you will

2005-09-24T17:58:00.000-07:00

The unexpected will happen today, and you can adapt.

Complications will arise, and you can work through them.

Opportunities will appear, and you can make the most of them.

Challenges will threaten to hold you back, and you can find your way beyond them.

Some of your efforts will bring desired results, and you can build on that success.

Other efforts will not work out, and you can learn from what went wrong.

There will be setbacks, and you can let them make you more determined.

There will be victories, and you can put what you've gained into the next effort.

Life will be filled with ups and downs, chances to move forward and times when you fall and must pick yourself back up.

When you give your best to each moment, regardless of what that moment may bring, there is no limit to what can be achieved.

And you can. If you will. Won't you?

It wasn't your baby

2005-09-23T07:25:00.000-07:00

A friend of mine shared this story with me recently:

There were two warring tribes in the Andes, one that lived in the lowlands and the other high in the mountains. The mountain people invaded the lowlanders one day, and as part of their plundering of the people, they kidnapped a baby of one of the lowlander families and took the infant with them back up into the mountains.

The lowlanders didn't know how to climb the mountain. They didn't know any of the trails that the mountain people used, and they didn't know where to find the mountain people or how to track them in the steep terrain.

Even so, they sent out their best party of fighting men to climb the mountain and bring the baby home.

The men tried first one method of climbing and then another. They tried one trail and then another.

After several days of effort, however, they had climbed only several hundred feet.

Feeling hopeless and helpless, the lowlander men decided that the cause was lost, and they prepared to return to their village below.

As they were packing their gear for the descent, they saw the baby's mother walking toward them. They realized that she was coming down the mountain that they hadn't figured out how to climb.

And then they saw that she had the baby strapped to her back. How could that be?

One man greeted her and said, "We couldn't climb this mountain. How did you do this when we, the strongest and most able men in the village, couldn't do it?"

She shrugged her shoulders and said, "It wasn't your baby."

How many times have we reacted like that when it wasn't our baby?

Add value

2005-09-22T08:51:00.000-07:00

Delight in beauty, and you make it more beautiful.

Cherish life, and you make it more meaningful.

Be thankful for the good things, and you make them even better.

Make use of your strengths, and they become even stronger.

Share your joy, and it becomes far more joyful.

Give your love, and there's more of it to have.

Be happy with the little victories, and they soon merge together into big accomplishments.

Appreciate every moment,and they will bring you great treasure.

Focus your thoughts and your feelings on the goodness that's there in your present situation.

Then consider what you can do to make that goodness grow.

Every day, every hour, every action, word, and thought is an opportunity to add value to life.

The more of those opportunities you seize and fulfill, the better life will surely become.

Do you add value to the things you say or do?

Some of Life's instructions

2005-09-21T00:34:00.000-07:00

Over the years, I have learned lots of lessons from life and living itself.Yes, life is difficult but we can still live each day to the fullest so as to really live each day of our life.These are some of the things that I have learned and try to practise:

Take into account that great love and great achievements involve great risk.

When you lose, don't lose the lesson.

Follow the three Rs:
1. Respect for self
2. Respect for others and
3. Responsibility for all your actions.

Remember that not getting what you want is sometimes a wonderful stroke of luck.

Learn the rules so you know how to break them properly.

Don't let a little dispute injure a great friendship.

When you realize you've made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it.

Spend some time alone every day.

Open your arms to change, but don't let go of your values.

Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer.

A loving atmosphere in your home is the foundation for your life.

In disagreements with loved ones, deal only with the current situation. Don't bring up the past.

Share your knowledge. It's a way to achieve immortality.

Be gentle with the earth. As much as possible do not destroy the habitat for animals in the environment and upset the natural ecological cycle.

Once a year, go someplace you've never been before.

Remember that the best relationship is one in which your love for each other exceeds your need for each other.

Judge your success by what you had to give up in order to get it.

Approach love and cooking with reckless abandon.

Do you have such instructions for your own life?

Respond with your heart

2005-09-20T15:46:00.000-07:00

Your ego is ever anxious to react to whatever comes your way.

Yet there is always a much more powerful and effective course of action.

Instead of responding with your ego, respond to life with your heart.

Instead of allowing your actions to be driven by petty, superficial concerns, let those actions come from the center of your being.

Supporting the demands of your ego can quickly use up all your energy, time and resources.

In contrast, listening to and living out the yearnings of your true self will bring your life an ever-increasing abundance.

Ego will entice you with the promise of pleasure but will always end up robbing you of real joy.

Ego gives you only a hollow image that can all too easily be shattered into nothing.

The more you tune out the noisy ranting of your ego,the more you'll touch the deep and awesome value of your true self.

The more completely you leave your ego behind, the more power your efforts will have.

And live true to the unique, authentic and valuable person you are.

How often do you respond with your heart?

Self esteem revisited

2005-09-19T08:00:00.000-07:00

Remember as a child, having a crush on the neighborhood boy or girl who wouldn’t give you the time of day, nonetheless think you were pretty or handsome.

Remember when you and your best friend got into that first real argument, and stopped talking for a while – you later felt lonely because nobody knew your desires and kept your secrets like your best friend; what about when you longed to be part of that school activity and were shunned because on the surface, you didn’t seem as qualified as the others.

Moments like these, even in our childhood, can have devastating effects on our self esteem.

Do you recall how you recovered from feeling isolated, unattractive and discouraged?

In most cases, you would have probably resulted to taking 1 of 3 actions.

1. You look for ways to change yourself or the situation to become a better, stronger person,
and keep from feeling discouraged.

2. You change your perspective, and accept things as they are, but re-focus to find a positive
aspect, even if it’s not what you truly desire.

3. You do nothing and never confront the depressive cycle that attacks your self-esteem.

As adults, what makes our way of dealing with emotions vastly different from the way we did in our youth?

My guess is, not much!

Many of us throughout our lives have dealt with seclusion.

Some won’t admit it, but low self esteem happens to many people and can be evident in different ways; some more obvious than others.

Much of what you were told or conditioned to believe, you’ve grown to adopt over the years, and because of this, it’s an even bigger challenge to overcome this barrier.

The lack of self esteem that resides in your belly has been getting fed for way too long.

You may now have come to expect suffering and loneliness, and are consumed by pessimistic behaviors.

Most people in this state feel they are not worthy of complete contentment because as a child, it wasn’t reinforced that you were beautiful or handsome.

Maybe you weren’t taught how to communicate and didn’t witness anything but strife in your home, so you couldn’t exhaust any examples of what it meant to be a good friend, good spouse or even good parent.

You may not have had your talents praised, or been encouraged to explore them.

Now, in this stage of your life, your esteem is no longer prolonged by another person’s contribution – but that of your own.

You now have choices.

You now have the power of change.

Of course, accepting inferiority is not a deliberate action, because we all love ourselves, right?

Or is that really the case?

Sometimes we can love our jobs, our friends, and our spouses more than we love ourselves.

We learn to tuck the hurt away and define our lives by other things.

A person with low self esteem who wants so desperately and anxiously to be loved, does so, for a couple of reasons – one, because its human nature, and two, they simply haven’t found the means to love themselves.

They haven’t been able to accept their faults and gain knowledge from mistakes, which unequivocally keeps them bound.

Managing and dealing with esteem begins with an active contribution from you.

Begin by removing blame and finding forgiveness.

You ARE beautiful and/or handsome.

The Lord made you exquisite.

The most beautiful aspect of a person is conjured of what emanates from their heart.

You ARE talented.

The things that you enjoy the most have been bestowed on you as a gift to be shared with others.

And most important of all, you ARE worthy!

You are worthy of respect and love.

Love isn’t prejudice or contingent upon the person requesting it.

The Lord put you on this earth to do great things, even if it’s for the benefit of another being.

But first, you have to love yourself.

Look at your image and relish on the distinctness of your eyes, your arms, your fingers, and your toes, in essence – everything that makes you, YOU.

Then look to your heart, minister to it through empowering thoughts.

Look at the world with new eyes that spew love and compassion, you’re likely to receive in return, what you give out.

Though self esteem stems from the past, it certainly doesn’t mean you have to keep living in it.

Embrace your exceptional self.

There’s only one like you.

Won't you start to practise loving yourself daily?

What do you want?

2005-09-18T00:03:00.000-07:00

Why is it that some people successfully achieve their goals while others don’t?

Why is it that sometimes we get what we want and other times we don’t?

Since Tony Robbins, motivational guru after motivational guru has told us the same story:

1. Consciously decide what you want.
2. Write down your goals.
3. Take (massive) action in the direction of your goals.
4. Notice whether or not it’s working and change yourapproach accordingly.

But there’s something missing from that picture!

Here’s the problem:

Nearly everybody in the field of self-help assumes the conscious mind is in control of everything that happens in our lives.

Not so.

The conscious mind is only the tip of the iceberg.

It believes it’s always right.

It likes to think it’s in control, but it isn’t.

It’s like visiting your friend who, let’s say, happens to be a great financial advisor. He might give the very best financial advice.

But would you make the same person responsible for planning your relationships,your kids’ education, and your career?

Of course not!

But that’s exactly what we do when assume that our conscious mind is in charge of every part of our lives.

This helps to explain the mystery that’s haunted self-help since the beginning.

Why is it that ‘goal setting’ often does not work?

Have you ever had the experience of setting a goal, or thinking you wanted something and no matter how hard you tried, you never actualized it?

I know I have.

But maybe it wasn’t the setback it appeared to be.

I know if I’d ‘achieved’ half the goals I set, I’dprobably be in a total mess right now!

And that leads me to the secret no one else talks about .....

There’s often a big difference between what we think we want and what would deeply fulfill us.

If your goal is not right for you at the deepest levels, then something inside you will not allow it to happen.

Maybe you’ll find yourself losing interest in your goal.

Maybe you’ll start suffering from ‘procrastination.’

Maybe it will feel like you’re banging your head against a brick wall.

So do you really know what you want?

Your choices

2005-09-17T13:14:00.000-07:00

You can worry, and your constant focus on the negative possibilities will help to make them real.

Or you can take action, and your worries will quickly fade away as you get busy creating a positive reality.

You can complain about life's unfairness, and your negative attitude will prevent you from seeing the best opportunities.

Or you can take action, and the valuable opportunities open to you will grow more numerous and more accessible with each moment.

You can wait for things to be perfect before moving forward, and you'll end up letting life pass you by.

Or you can go ahead and take action, transforming what you already have, as imperfect as it may be, into even greater abundance.

You can take comfort in never making a mistake by never venturing out, but then you'll never make any progress either.

Or you can take action, and even though there will be some mistakes along the way, they'll be outweighed by the many worthwhile achievements.

You can remain bitter and angry over what has already happened,and by so doing you'll extend your misfortune even longer.

Or you can take action, and move yourself to a more positive, more fulfilling place.

You can choose to do nothing, but you're not going to like the results.

Or you can choose to take action, and to create a life that's filled with purpose, meaning and real fulfillment.

Do you make the necessary choices?

Some words of truth

2005-09-16T19:03:00.000-07:00

These are some of words of truth that I have learnt over the years:

To the world you might be one person, but to one person you might be the world.

Going to church does not make you a Christian anymore than going to McDonalds makes you a hamburger.

Real friends are those who, when you feel you've made a fool of yourself, don't feel you've done a permanent job.

A coincidence is when God performs a miracle, and decides to remain anonymous.

Sometimes the majority only means that all the fools are on the same side.

I don't have to attend every argument I'm invited to.

Lead your life so you won't be ashamed to sell the family parrot to the town gossip.

People gather bundles of sticks to build bridges they never cross.

Life is 10% of what happens to you, and 90% of how you respond to it.

Did it ever occur to you that nothing occurs to God?

Life is like an onion, you peel off one layer at a time and sometimes you weep.

Learn from the mistakes of others. You can't live long enough to make them all yourself.

There are two things I've learned: There is a God. And, I'm not Him.

Following the path of least resistance is what makes rivers and men crooked.

Your worst days are never so bad that you are beyond the reach of God's grace and your best days are never so good that you are beyond the need of God's grace.

When it comes time to die...make sure all you got to do is die.

Don't be afraid to learn. Knowledge is weightless, a treasure you can always carry easily.

How many of these are meaningful to your own personal experience?

Fond imaginations

2005-09-15T11:54:00.000-07:00

Take a moment to fondly imagine the best that life can be.

Create, within your powerful and influential imagination, a dream that you will find difficult to deny.

If you could have things exactly the way you wanted, exactly how would that be?

If you could spend your time in precisely the way you wanted, precisely how would that be?

Don't be overly concerned about how you could possibly get there, or even whether what you fondly imagine is realistic.

Just let yourself fondly imagine the best that life can be.

You come up against difficult, challenging circumstances, fondly recall that most cherished dream.

It won't change the situation, yet it will change you.

You can get through anything if you have something to look forward to on the other side.

Fondly imagine the best that life can be, and it will positively influence your thoughts, your feelings, your energy level, and your actions.

Over time, in ways you cannot anticipate,it will have an influence, no matter how outrageous or unrealistic your fond imaginings might be.

Over time, the essential substance of what you fondly imagine cannot help but come true.

Can you just fondly imagine?

Feel free to be happy

2005-09-14T00:23:00.000-07:00

One of the greatest causes of unhappiness is letting other people tell you what will make you happy.

For true happiness is not something you must chase in a particularway.

Happiness is yours when you choose it.

Yes, it reallyis as simple as that.

When you let go of the notion that this thing or that thing will make you happy, something truly amazing happens.

You are suddenly free to be happy without any conditions.

The good things you associate with happiness arenot things that will cause you to be happy.

Quite to the contrary, they are things that will come about once you allow yourself to be happy.

Putting conditions on your happiness keeps happiness at a distance away from you.

Drop the conditions,and happiness is free to flow into your life.

Stop trying to figure out what it means to be happy or what will cause you tobe happy.

Simply choose to be happy, and you'll know exactly what it means.

Can you simply feel free to be happy?

Do you want to wait for the brick?

2005-09-13T00:05:00.000-07:00

A young and successful executive was traveling down a neighborhood street, going a bit too fast in his new Jaguar.

He was watching for kids darting out from between parked cars and slowed down when he thought he saw something.

As his car passed, no children appeared.

Instead, a brick smashed into the Jag's side door!

He slammed on the brakes and drove the Jag back to the spot where the brick had been thrown.

The angry driver then jumped out of the car, grabbed the nearest kid and pushed him up against a parked car, shouting, "What was that all about and who are you?Just what the heck are you doing? That's a new car and that brick you threw is going to cost a lot of money.Why did you do it?"

The young boy was apologetic. "Please mister ... please, I'm sorry... I didn't know what else to do," he pleaded.

"I threw the brick because no one else would stop..."

With tears dripping down his face and off his chin, the youth pointed to a spot just around a parked car.

"It's my brother," he said.

"He rolled off the curb and fell out of his wheelchair and I can't lift him up."

Now sobbing, the boy asked the stunned executive, "Would you please help me get him back into his wheelchair? He's hurt and he's too heavy for me."

Moved beyond words, the driver tried to swallow the rapidly swelling lump in his throat.

He hurriedly lifted the handicapped boy back into the wheelchair, then took out his fancy handkerchief and dabbed at the fresh scrapes and cuts.

A quick look told him everything was going to be okay.

"Thank you and may God bless you," the grateful child told the stranger.

Too shook up for words, the man simply watched the little boy push his wheelchair-bound brother down the sidewalk toward their home.

It was a long, slow walk back to the Jaguar.

The damage was very noticeable, but the driver never bothered to repair the dented side door.

He kept the dent there to remind him of this message: Don't go through life so fast that someone has to throw a brick at you to get your attention!

God whispers in our souls and speaks to our hearts.

Sometimes when we don't have time to listen, He has to throw a brick at us.

It's our choice: Listen to the whisper ... or do you want to wait for the brick?

Everything is energy

2005-09-12T20:32:00.000-07:00

Understand, and completely get your mind around the FACT, that you are your own reality-making producer of LIFE (your own life) whether you like it or not.

Whether you want to claim this self-responsible, all-controlling, power or not.

The Great Principle: Everything is energy.

Even your thoughts and feelings.

What you FOCUS on - with a feeling of harmony and elation - you bring about.

This is the basis for everything that has happened, is happening, and will happen in your life.

Do you believe it and accept it?

Two Thousand One, Nine Eleven

2005-09-11T10:29:00.000-07:00

Millions of Americans will today commemorate the fourth anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks.

British police officers will form an honour guard for victims’ families at a service near New York’s World Trade Center site to remember the 67 Britons who perished.

US president George Bush drew parallels between the suicide hijackings and the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina, praising the resolve of the American people.

He said that, once again, four years later, the US was confronting another disaster but that, once again, it would recover and rebuild.

“The despair and tragedy of (September 11, 2001) were overcome by displays of selflessness, courage and compassion,” he said in a radio address to the nation.

“In the days and weeks that followed, America answered history’s call to bring justice to our enemies and to ensure the survival and success of liberty, and that mission continues today.”

The British victims will be represented by 67 British officers at Old Slip Park in downtown Manhattan.

A cappella choir Oxford Alternatives will play a musical tribute.

Also performing at the concert will be Welsh soprano Rachel Schutz.

Bells will toll at the main ceremony at Ground Zero, which begins just before 8.46am local time (1.46pm Irish time) – when the first tower was hit.

During the day the siblings of those killed will read through victims’ names.

The sombre ceremony will pause four times – marking when each plane hit the towers and when each tower fell.

While the names are read, family members will be able to descend the ramp to the lowest level of the site, where they will lay flowers.

At sunset, the Tribute in Light – twin skyward aimed spotlights – will return for one night, rising from ground zero into the night in memory of those lost.

A small church that became the focus of support for rescue workers will be inaugurated into the Coventry Community of the Cross of Nails.

St Paul’s Chapel, which is opposite Ground Zero, will become the latest member of the world-famous peace and reconciliation organisation, borne out of the devastating Luftwaffe bombings in November 1940.

Dr Oliver Schuegraf, the community’s co-ordinator, and the Suffragan Bishop of Warwick, the Right Reverend John Stroyan, will make the presentation and deliver addresses at a special service in Manhattan.

“This is in recognition of the amazing support work the church offered to rescue workers at the site over the days and weeks following the destruction of the Twin Towers and the ongoing ministry they now provide in reconciliation work between Christians, Jews and Muslims,” he said.

A march and country music concert will also be held at the Pentagon where nearly 200 people lost their lives.

Defence secretary Donald Rumsfeld said it would remind people of “the sacrifices of this generation and of each previous generation”.

New York mayor Michael Bloomberg said siblings would take the lead in the main ceremony to “acknowledge the special bonds” they shared with their brothers and sisters.

For those who want to see the full list of victims and other aspects of the memorial, please check this link: http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2001/memorial/

If one were to be in the United States of America on 11 September, 2005, then one would witness the intensity of a nation's pain.

Though 4 years have passed, many people here are in America are still struggling with their emotions, and a profound sense of loss.

These feelings are not confined to bereaved families, or those who lost close friends, relatives,neighbours and colleagues.

It is a communal sense of loss that pervades almost every aspect of daily life.

Some people have talked of a loss of innocence.

The terrorist attacks on 11 September, 2001 made them realise how vulnerable they were to those who despise the American way of life.

It was not a comfortable thought for a nation whose people grew up believing they were safe within their own borders. Americans have much to reflect on, not least the direction their country should now take.

Some speak of vengeance, but others talk about a need for a better understanding about their place in the world.

Whatever the analysis, however, it is the human loss that still pulls at the emotions and the heart.

Nowhere is this more true than in New York, a city that lost 2,801 of its citizens in a single, dreadful day.

At one level, New York has staged a remarkable recovery over the past few years.

Life here has resumed its usual, noisy bustle.

This is city full of energy and vitality. Love it or loathe it, it is a place with a unique spirit.

"New York is back" is the simple message the city wants to send out to the world.

But for many of its people, determined to get on with their lives, emotions are still pretty raw.

There are thousands of stories of loss and sacrifice.

Almost everyone has been touched by this tragedy.

In many cases, it was pure chance whether someone lived or died. It has made it even harder for bereaved families to accept what happened.

Some New York firefighters feel uneasy about being described as heroes, but others, remembering their 343 fallen colleagues, accept the label without embarrassment.

"I saw my men going into the towers," one fire chief said. "As far as I am concerned, everyone was a hero that day."

This is a man who escaped after being buried by one of the falling towers. Many firefighters count themselves lucky to be alive, and have had to deal with the guilt of having survived when so many friends died.

The memorial ceremony at Ground Zero is appropriate for te releasing of emotions and comfort.

Perhaps it helps to talk to someone who shared a common loss, even to a stranger.

But the openness of many New Yorkers in discussing their feelings suggests a powerful sense of community, following the tragedy.

It really does feel like a city that has been brought closer together by shared grief.

It is impossible not to be affected by what you hear. You can understand why some people here feel emotionally drained.

They need to move on now, although they know they will never be able to forget what has happened.

It has become a cliché to say that 11 September has changed the United States. But like most clichés, there is more than an element of truth about it.

For many Americans, the day of the attacks was a defining moment, and their lives will never be the same again.

This poem below which was written by an unknown author shortly after the tragedy helps to describe some of the emotions and hopes felt. I felt something and I lit a special candle in remembrance of those who perished in the tragedy and uttered a prayer for those who were left behind by those gone before.

TWO THOUSAND ONE, NINE ELEVEN
-Author unknown

Two thousand one, nine eleven
Three thousand plus arrive in heaven.
As they pass through the gate,
Thousands more appear in wait.

A bearded man with stovepipe hat
Steps forward saying, "Lets sit, lets chat."
They settle down in seats of clouds,
A man named Martin shouts out proud,"I have a dream!" and once he did
The Newcomer said, "Your dream still lives."

Groups of soldiers in blue and gray
Others in khaki, and green then say
"We're from Bull Run, Yorktown, the Maine"
The Newcomer said, "You died not in vain."

From a man on sticks one could hear
"The only thing we have to fear."
The Newcomer said, "We know the rest,
trust us sir, we've passed that test."
"Courage doesn't hide in caves
You can't bury freedom, in a grave,"

The Newcomers had heard this voice before
A distinct Yankees twang from Hyannisport shores.
A silence fell within the mist
Somehow the Newcomer knew that this
Meant time had come for her to say
What was in the hearts of the five thousand plus that day.

"Back on Earth, we wrote reports,
Watched our children play in sports
Worked our gardens, sang our songs
Went to church and clipped coupons
We smiled, we laughed, we cried, we fought
Unlike you, great we're not"

The tall man in the stovepipe hat
Stood and said, "Don't talk like that!
Look at your country, look and see
You died for freedom, just like me"

Then, before them all appeared a scene
Of rubbled streets and twisted beams
Death, destruction, smoke and dust
And people working just 'cause they must
Hauling ash, lifting stones,
Knee deep in hell, but not alone
"Look! Blackman, Whiteman, Brownman, Yellowman
Side by side helping their fellow man!"
So said Martin, as he watched the scene
"Even from nightmares, can be born a dream."

Down below three firemen raised
The colors high into ashen haze
The soldiers above had seen it before
On Iwo Jima back in '44

The man on sticks studied everything closely
Then shared his perceptions on what he saw mostly
"I see pain, I see 20 tears,
I see sorrow - but I don't see fear."

"You left behind husbands and wives
Daughters and sons and so many lives
are suffering now because of this wrong
But look very closely. You're not really gone.
All of those people, even those who've never met you
All of their lives, they'll never forget you
Don't you see what has happened?
Don't you see what you've done?
You've brought them together as one.”

With that the man in the stovepipe hat said
"Take my hand," and from there he led
three thousand plus heroes, Newcomers to heaven
On this day, two thousand one, nine eleven.

What are you feeling this day on September 11?

The Fire Fighter's Son

2005-09-10T00:18:00.000-07:00

The Fire Fighter's Son

It was late one Tuesday evening,
Before the mother could sit down,
To tell her child about
The terror that hit downtown.

She looked into the eyes of her son
Dear God, she loved him so,
She felt her heart begin to break
And the hurt began to show.

She gathered all her strength and courage,
as her story she began to tell.
My Baby don't cry, but I'm afraid daddy
Might be under a building that fell.

The boy looked back at his mother,
His eyes made not one blink.
And the mother's tears began to fall.
What would her son think?

You see, his daddy is a firefighter,
His hero from the day of his birth.
He loved his dad more than anything else
That could ever inherit this earth.

The mother's head began to drop,
Her forehead resting on her palm.
She thought her son would be upset.
Instead, he was very calm.

The boy leaned over towards his mom,
And put his hand upon her head.
In her ear he began to whisper,
And this is what he said:
"Mommy please don't cry,I knew daddy wasn't coming home.
I talked to him just a while ago,
But it wasn't on the phone.
He told me that he loved me,
And he promised we'd meet again.
He told of his new home,
And the job he was to begin.
'God is building an army,
And there were many angels needed.'
That, is where daddy and the others went.
They weren't all defeated.”
It was then, the mother lifted her head.
The tears streamed down her face.
And she could feel her husband's presence,
As it filled her heart with grace.
It was then she knew her son was right.

He was in God's great army now.
She also knew her son was safe,
That he'd be kept from harm somehow.
So, evildoers of the world beware.

An army is on the way.
Bolstered by new angels,
Who left the towers that day..
Their Commander has NEVER been beaten.
His power has NEVER been matched,
And if evil thinks He was Almighty before......
Well, the surface has just been scratched!

--A poem by Beverley Stuive – in memory of 9-11

As we approach another anniversary of September 11, I read this poem and my heart cried inside.

There is so much grief, so much sacrifice and so much strength in it.

I closed my eyes and uttered a prayer for God to bless and comfort all those impacted by Sepetember 11, 2001.

Won't you do likewise?

A little improvement

2005-09-09T16:12:00.000-07:00

Achievement comes when you improve on a situation.

Greatness comes when you improve on the improvements.

What a shame it would be to achieve something truly valuable and then stop there.

One of the best things about achievement is that it serves as the starting point for even more achievement.

When you invest your money it earns interest, and then the interest earns interest, and then that interest earns interest, and so on.

When you invest your time and effort in achievement, it can undergo compound growth in the same way.

Just a slight improvement each day, repeated day after day, can lead to spectacular results.

While everyone else is competing with each other to hit it big, put your focus on hitting it small, day after day after day.

Always challenge yourself to make a little improvement,and then improve on that a little bit more, and more, and more. Keep on going, and you will surely go far.

Is there something you can do today just a little bit better than yesterday?

Ten Rules for the Good Life

2005-09-08T15:02:00.000-07:00

Ten Rules for the Good Life

Never put off till tomorrow what you can do today.

Never trouble another for what you can do yourself.

Never spend your money before you have it.

Never buy what you do not want because it is cheap; it will never be dear to you.

Pride costs us more than hunger, thirst, and cold.

Never repent of having eaten too little.

Nothing is troublesome that we do willingly.

Don't let the evils which have never happened cost you pain.

Always take things by their smooth handle.

When angry, count to ten before you speak; if very angry, count to one hundred.

(This is a list of "Thomas Jefferson's ten rules for the good life".)

How many of these rules do you observe in your life?

Complain,complain, complain!

2005-09-07T02:09:00.000-07:00

It takes a disciplined spirit to endure the monastery on Mount Serat in Spain.

One of the fundamental requirements of this religious order is that the young men must maintain silence. Opportunities to speak are scheduled once every two years, at which time they are allowed to speak only two words.

One young initiate in this religious order, who had completed his first two years of training, was invited by his superior to make his first two-word presentation.

"Food terrible," he said.

Two years later the invitation was once again extended.

The young man used this forum to exclaim, "Bed lumpy."

Arriving at his superior's office two years later he proclaimed, "I quit."

The superior looked at this young monk and said, "You know, it doesn't surprise me a bit. All you've done since you arrived is complain, complain, complain."

Exaggerated?

Maybe.

What if you were asked to share two words that describe your Life?

Would your focus be the lumps, bumps, and unfairness, or are you committed to dwell on those things that are good, right, and lovely?

Today matters

2005-09-06T11:24:00.000-07:00

Live today like it matters. Because it does.

There are people you'll never even know who will be influenced by what you do today.

So give this day your attention, your love, your very best.

There are ways that you cannot now imagine in which your own life will be influenced by the way you live this day.

So live it with integrity, enthusiasm and an eye for the positive possibilities.

The world in which you live will be affected by the way you make use of this day.

So fill your moments with thankfulness, imagination and joy.

Today matters, and right now you have the chance to make it matter in a most positive and fulfilling way.

Today is the day when your life is lived, and many things in your life will be determined by what you do with today.

If you take this whole day for granted, it will leave you with nothing but regret.

Yet it does not have to be that way.

Live today like it matters, for now is when you truly can.

Won't you make your life today a life that counts?

Prometheus amid hurricane and earthquake

2005-09-05T19:32:00.000-07:00

The weekend's fundraiser is officially over with well over USD$1 million in donations logged --- but don't let that stop you from continuing to give.

The amount of donations pledged as at 5th.September, 2005 is USD$ 1,165,764 in contributions
from a total of 1,808 blogs participating.

Please also check out the new Web Relief Project Directory which lists web-based relief projects currently under way.

There is also a touching article written by Bonnie McElveen-Hunter who is Chairman of the American Red Cross :

"We are about to celebrate Labor Day, a special holiday when all Americans honor the countless workers who have built this great country and those who still labor to sustain it.

In this celebration, we tend to focus on wage-earners, as well we should.

But this Labor Day in particular, I would ask all Americans to remember and recognize those laborers who are motivated only by compassion and paid only with our gratitude—our nation’s volunteers.
As we begin the almost unimaginable task of helping, healing and rebuilding lives in the deadly wake of Hurricane Katrina, we should remember that—as with all catastrophes that scar our land—volunteers will lead the way.

The American Red Cross is launching the largest response it has ever mobilized in response to a single natural disaster in its nearly 125 year history. This massive effort will mobilize thousands of trained disaster relief workers, who will provide safe shelter, warm meals and comforting shoulders to lean on.

But the most remarkable thing about this “Army of Hope” is that most of them are working without any compensation. In fact, volunteers make up 96% of the entire Red Cross workforce and are the driving force behind most of the great relief organizations responding to Katrina.

An undertaking of this magnitude could never be tackled by an entirely paid workforce.

The cost would be astronomical, the hours too brutal and the emotional toll too great.

And yet, miraculously, it can be done by compassionate volunteers, working for rewards of the heart rather than rewards for the purse. Without the scores of Red Cross volunteers and those who staff humanitarian organizations across the country, this massive recovery mission would be impossible.

America has always been a place of humanitarian action and compassion — a place where people look out for each other and are always willing to take care of their neighbors in need, whether they are across the street, around the corner or around the globe.

It’s what Alexis de Tocqueville, a Frenchman who studied American society in the 1830s, called “the habits of the democratic heart”—the drive that compels Americans to work together to overcome challenges and continually improve communities, the spontaneous generosity we demonstrate again and again in crises.

Putting our compassion into action is deeply rooted in the American character. The American Red Cross is the embodiment of that truly American character.

As a nation, our hearts go out to those whose lives have been shattered by Hurricane Katrina.

We cannot imagine the suffering and grief left in Katrina’s wake, but we can pull together as a nation to help begin the healing and the rebuilding.

During this Labor Day weekend, I urge you to remember, honor, and above all, support that often overlooked workforce—the volunteers who represent the caring hearts and helping hands of America.

They may work for free, but the impact of the American volunteer’s heart is truly priceless. "

The full impact of Katrina is still being assessed and the costs, economic and social, will be tremendous. One of the most important question to ask ourselves is this: How could we perform better to lessen the harsh consequences of this tragedy?

PROMETHEUS AMID HURRICANE AND EARTHQUAKE
(from "Prometheus Bound")
by: Aeschylus

ARTH is rocking in space!
And the thunders crash up with a roar upon roar,
And the eddying lightnings flash fire in my face,
And the whirlwinds are whirling the dust round and round--
And the blasts of the winds universal leap free
And blow each other upon each, with a passion of sound,
And æther goes mingling in storm with the sea!
Such a curse on my head, in a manifest dread,
From the hand of your Zeus has been hurtled along!
O my mother's fair glory! O Æther, enringing
All eyes with the sweet common light of thy bringing,
Dost see how I suffer this wrong?

Too Much Rain

2005-09-04T00:23:00.000-07:00

As stated in my earlier post, I am participating in the Hurricane Katrina: Blog for Relief Weekend from Thursday, September 1 to Monday, September 5. This is an entire weekend of blogging by thousands of bloggers on an international basis all focused on raising awareness of and funds for relief efforts to aid those affected by Hurricane Katrina.

To date, this effort has raised USD$712,308 in contributions so far with 1,654 blogs participating for over 220 recommended charities.

For more details, check out this site: http://www.truthlaidbear.com/index.php

If you are making a contribution after reading my blog , then please do log your contribution by going to this site : http://www.truthlaidbear.com/addcontribution.php

I read of this doctor’s story in the eye of the storm that was published in BBC news on 2nd September 2005.

Hurricane aftermath: A doctor's story

The doctor is Greg Henderson who is a pathologist from New Orleans.

After Hurricane Katrina struck he stayed in the city and has set up a makeshift hospital at the Ritz Carlton Hotel, along with fellow doctors who were attending a medical conference.
From there he sent updates to his friends on the desperate situation in the flooded city.

One of those friends, S Syer, from Dallas, sent Mr. Henderson's latest update to the BBC News website:

“Personally, my family and I are fine.

My wife and two young girls are now safe in Jackson, Mississippi, and I am now a temporary resident of the Ritz Carlton Hotel in New Orleans.

In addition, this hotel is in a very old building on Canal Street which sustained little damage.
Many of the other hotels sustained significant loss of windows and we expect that many of the guests may be evacuated here.

Overnight on Monday the water arrived. Now Canal Street, true to its origins, is indeed a canal.
The first floors of all downtown buildings are underwater.

I have heard that Charity Hospital and Tulane Hospital are limited in their ability to care for patients because of flooding.

Ochsner is the only hospital that remains fully functional.

However, I spoke with them and they too are on generators and losing food and water fast.
The city has no clean water, no sewage system, no electricity, and no real communications.
Bodies are still being recovered, found floating in the floods.

We are worried about a cholera epidemic. Even the police are without effective communications.
A group of armed police are here at the hotel trying to exert some local law enforcement.

This is tough because looting is rampant. Most of it is not malicious looting.

These are poor and desperate people with no housing, no medical care, no food and no water trying to take care of themselves and their families.

Unfortunately, some people are armed and dangerous. We hear gunshots frequently.

Most of Canal Street is occupied by armed looters who have a low threshold for discharging their weapons.

We are still waiting for a significant National Guard presence.

The health care situation here has dramatically worsened overnight. Many people in the hotel are elderly or small children.

Many others have unusual diseases.

We have set up a makeshift hospital in the French Quarter Bar in the hotel.

There is a team of about seven doctors and pharmacists. We anticipate that this will be the major medical facility in the central business district and French Quarter.

Our biggest adventure today was raiding the Walgreens on Canal Street under police escort.
The pharmacy was dark and full of water. We basically scooped entire drug sets into garbage bags and removed them.

We are anticipating dealing with multiple medical problems and acute injuries.

Infection and perhaps even cholera are anticipated major problems.

The biggest question to all of us is: Where is the National Guard?

We hear jet fighters and helicopters overhead, but there is no real armed presence, and hence the rampant looting.

There is no Red Cross and no Salvation Army.

We are under martial law, so a return to our homes is impossible.

I don't know how long it will be and this is my greatest fear.

The greatest pain is to think about the loss, and how long the rebuilding will take.

That, and the horror of so many dead people.”

This is a story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/world/americas/4208772.stm

There is also a special update and information provided by Kaye Trammell from the University of Florida about displaced academic faculty and staff who are seeking employment. There are many campuses around the state which are housing tens of thousands of refugees.

Subject: For displaced faculty and staff seeking employment
COLLEGE INFORMATION (The Advocate, 2 September 2005)

Officials also want college faculty and staff to know their jobs are secure. Faculty and staff seeking employment opportunities are asked to register with the Board of Regents' Web site, http://www.regents.state.la.us

Some 72,000 college students have been displaced in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, and education officials are trying to keep them in other Louisiana universities reopening Tuesday.

Campuses that will be closed even after next week include University of New Orleans, Delgado Community College, Nunez Community College, LSU Health Sciences Center, Xavier University, Dillard University, New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, Tulane University, Loyola University, Southern University-New Orleans, Our Lady of Holy Cross, and four Louisiana
Technical College campuses.

College students have an option to enter into another school in Louisiana at no extra cost until their original school reopens, or they can begin online courses at no additional cost starting the first week in October. Call toll free (866) 415-2269 for details.

New fall registration at all campuses starts Tuesday for displaced students, and all credits will be transferable to any Louisiana college or university. Campuses around the country also are offering registration for visiting students. Students and faculty should call (225) 922-1633 for details or visit http://www.lctcs.net

Baton Rouge Community College will open special registration Sunday and Monday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Students will not lose financial assistance, including TOPS. Call (866) 415-2269 or the Office of Student Financial Aid, (800) 253-5626, Ext. 1012.

Officials also want college faculty and staff to know their jobs are secure. Faculty and staff seeking employment opportunities are asked to register with the Board of Regents' Web site, http://www.regents.state.la.us

Campuses around the state are housing tens of thousands of refugees.

The following colleges outside Louisiana have announced policies welcoming students affected by Hurricane Katrina. However, students should check the universities' individual Web sites.
• University of Texas at Arlington
• University of Texas at San Antonio
• University of Kansas
• St. Mary's in San Antonio
• University of Virginia
• Virginia Community College System
• All of Tennessee's public universities
• All of Arkansas' public universities
• Arizona State University
• Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville
• University of South Florida
• University of Georgia
• University of Tulsa in Oklahoma
• Syracuse University in New York
• University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
• Johnson & Wales
• Texas A& M http://www.tamu.edu/tamunews/Hurricane/index.html
• Washington College

Special offers:
• Randolph-Macon College in Virginia is offering free tuition and board for 2005 to all affected students.
• The University of Arkansas is offering free tuition to native students and in-state tuition to all others affected by the hurricane.
• Florida Gulf Coast University is waiving late registration and out-of-state tuition fees.
• University of Wisconsin-Madison is welcoming back Wisconsin natives and working on options for out-of-state students.
• Displaced students can attend any Illinois community college for free.
• Rice University will welcome Houston-area undergraduates who were enrolled at Tulane University.
• University of Idaho is accepting affected students and has 10 one-year tuition, fee and room scholarships.
• The Alabama College System will pay one semester of tuition and fees for students in affected two-year and technical colleges.
• The Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities is helping Loyola University New Orleans students find temporary academic homes.
• Oklahoma City University is offering free tuition to any hurricane-affected student.
• Hollins University has announced that it is welcoming applications from women enrolled at colleges or universities that are unable to open due to the impact of Hurricane Katrina. These students will be able to attend Hollins tuition-free for one semester and will be obligated to pay only room and board during that time. Students and parents are encouraged to contact the Hollins University Admissions Office at 540-362-6401 or 1-800-456-9595 for more information.

Those interested to know more can check out Kaye’s web site at
http://hurricaneupdate.blogspot.com/

Kaye Trammell received her PhD from the University of Florida & currently teaches visual communication as an assistant professor in mass communication at Louisiana State University.

In the midst of this tragedy, I remember a song called “Too Much Rain” by Paul McCartney. The lyrics are set out below:

Too Much Rain - by Paul McCartney

Laugh, when your eyes are burning
Smile, when your heart is filled with pain

Sigh, as you brush away your sorrow
Make a vow, that's it's not going to happen again

It's not right, in one life
Too much rain

You, know the wheels keep turning
Why, do the tears run down your face

We, use to hide away our feelings
But for now, tell yourself it won't happen again

It's not right, in one life
Too much rain

It's too much for anyone, Too hard for anyone
Who wants a happy and peaceful life
You've gotta learn to laugh

[Guitar solo]

Smile, when your spinning round and round
Sigh, as you think about tomorrow
Make a vow, that your gonna be happy again

It's all right, in your life
No more rain

It's too much for anyone, Too hard for anyone
Who wants a happy and peaceful life

I also recall this poem below:

PROMETHEUS AMID HURRICANE AND EARTHQUAKE
(from "Prometheus Bound") by: Aeschylus

EARTH is rocking in space!
And the thunders crash up with a roar upon roar,
And the eddying lightnings flash fire in my face,
And the whirlwinds are whirling the dust round and round--
And the blasts of the winds universal leap free
And blow each other upon each, with a passion of sound,
And æther goes mingling in storm with the sea!
Such a curse on my head, in a manifest dread,
From the hand of your Zeus has been hurtled along!
O my mother's fair glory! O Æther, enringing
All eyes with the sweet common light of thy bringing,
Dost see how I suffer this wrong?

A Prayer For All Those Affected By Hurricane Katrina

2005-09-03T05:58:00.000-07:00

Katrina's wrath continues to wreak havoc for all the displaced people of the region.

The stories and images have been gut wrenching to watch.

The devastation of Katrina is beyond any of our comprehension.

May God Bless those lives that have been affected and let those of us that are able to give,give generously to those in need.

Hurricane KATRINA a natural disaster we cannot overlook.

Most of us don't know first hand what it is like to have no electricity, no drinking water and no food.

Most of us don't know what it is like to see our homes severely damaged by the storm surge of a powerful hurricane.

There are thousands of families out there now in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama who are hit by this tragedy.

This is without question the greatest natural disaster anyone has ever witnessed in America.

Please join me and thousands of other Americans and foreigners out there and contribute generously to any of the organizations below.

Please take the time and find it in your heart to DONATE NOW.

Here is a list of phone numbers set up solely for cash donations and/or volunteers.

Donate cash to:

American Red Cross 1-800-HELP NOW (435-7669) English,1-800-257-7575 Spanish;

Operation Blessing 1-800-436-6348

America’s Second Harvest 1-800-344-8070

Donate Cash to and Volunteer with:

Adventist Community Services 1-800-381-7171

Catholic Charities, USA 703 549-1390

Christian Disaster Response 941-956-5183 or 941-551-9554

Christian Reformed World Relief Committee 1-800-848-5818

Church World Service 1-800-297-1516

Convoy of Hope 417-823-8998

Lutheran Disaster Response 800-638-3522

Mennonite Disaster Service 717-859-2210

Nazarene Disaster Response 888-256-5886

Presbyterian Disaster Assistance 800-872-3283

Salvation Army 1-800-SAL-ARMY (725-2769)

Southern Baptist Convention -- Disaster Relief 1-800-462-8657, ext. 6440

United Methodist Committee on Relief 1-800-554-8583

Again how You Can Help?

Give:
Your generous gift to UMCOR Advance #982523, Hurricanes 2005 Global, will help those affected by Hurricane Katrina. You can give online at www.methodistrelief.org, at your church, over the phone at 1-800-554-8583, or by mailing a check directly to: UMCOR, PO Box 9068, New York, NY 10087-9068. Checks should be written to UMCOR with the Advance number and name written on the memo line of your check. If you would prefer that your funds to go to recovery in a specific region, please note that on your donation.

Send:
Flood Buckets filled with cleaning supplies that people use to clean their homes after floods and hurricanes. For assembly and shipping instructions, call UMCOR Sager Brown at 1-800-814-8765 or visit the UMCOR website at umcor.org. You may also give a financial donation to to UMCOR's Material Resource Ministry, Advance #901440 to purchase cleaning supplies that the Depot staff and volunteers will use to assemble flood buckets.

Go:
Volunteers will be needed to help in Hurricane Katrina recovery. To find out how you can help with hurricane cleanup, write Mission Volunteers at voluntrs@gbgm-umc.org for contact information for your United Methodist Volunteers in Mission jurisdictional and conference coordinators. They will provide details on creating and training a team as well as scheduling details. For information on what disaster sites are currently scheduling volunteers, call the Volunteer Hotline at 800-918-3100.

Disaster officials also recommend the following Web sites (some sites may respond slowly due to increased traffic):

Donate & Volunteer
• Network for Good
• American Red Cross -- (800) HELP-NOW
• Feed the Children -- (800) 525-7575
• Salvation Army -- (800) SAL-ARMY
• Florida Hurricane Relief Fund
• America's Second Harvest -- (800) 771-2303
• Catholic Charities USA -- (800) 919-9338
• B'nai B'rith International -- (888) 388-4224
• United Jewish Communities
• Union for Reform Judaism
• Church World Service -- (800) 297-1516 ext 222
• MercyCorps -- (888) 256-1900
• Noah’s Wish -- (530) 622-9313
• North Shore Animal League -- (877) 4savepet
• Operation Blessing -- (800) 730-2537
• Episcopal Relief and Development -- (800) 334-7626
• Habitat for Humanity -- (800) HABITAT
• The United Way -- (800) 272-4630
• Humane Society of America -- (888) 259-5431
• ASPCA -- (866) 275-3923
• Lutheran Disaster Response -- (800) 638-3522
• Mennonite Disaster Service -- (800) 348-7468
• Water Missions International -- (843) 769-7395
• United Methodist Committee on Relief -- (800) 554-8583
• The Baton Rouge Area Foundation -- (877) 387-6126
• Society of St. Vincent de Paul
• Samaritan’s Purse -- (800) 665-2843
• Christian Reformed World Relief Committee -- (800) 55-CRWRC
• Food for the Hungry -- (877) 780-4261 ext 2506
• Northwest Medical Teams -- (800) 959-4325
• World Relief -- (800) 535-5433
• Adventist Development Relief Agency -- (800) 424-2372
• Southern Baptist Convention -- (888) 571-5895
• Save the Children -- (800) 728-3843
• International Medical Corps -- (800) 481-4462
• American Friends Service Committee -- (888) 588-2378
• AmeriCares -- (800) 486-4357
• International Aid -- (800) 251-2502
• International Medical Corps -- (800) 481-4462
• International Orthodox Christian Charities -- (877) 803 4622
• International Relief and Development, Inc. -- (703) 248-0161
• International Relief Teams -- (619) 284-7979
• International Rescue Committee -- (877) 733-8433
• Life for Relief and Development -- (800) 827-3543
• MAP International -- (866) 627-4483
• Mercy (M-USA) -- (800) 55-MERCY
• Operation USA -- (800) 678-7255
• Oxfam America -- (800) 77OXFAM
• Relief International -- (800) 573-3332
• World Concern -- (800) 755-5022 ext. 0
• Moveon.org: Hurricane housing

Get Help
• Department of Homeland Security
• FEMA
• American Red Cross -- (800) HELP-NOW
• Alabama Emergency Management Agency
• Louisiana Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness
• Official Web site of Louisiana
• Mississippi Homeland Security
• Florida Division of Emergency Management

Locate the Missing
• Hurricane Katrina Official Government Website
• National Next of Kin Registry
• Homeport: Hurricane Katrina Disaster Recovery Assistance
• Hurricane Katrina Connection message board
• Alabama Hospital Association
• ICRC’s Family News Network

Find Local Information
• Louisiana: NOLA.com
• Alabama: WPMI.com
• Mississippi: WLOX ABC 13
• Alabama: AL.com
• Florida: PensecolaNewsJournal.com
• Mississippi: Sun Herald
• Mississippi: The Clarion-Ledger
• NOLA.com Blog
• NOLA.com Missing Persons Forum
• 2theadvocate.com Blog
• Hurricane Katrina Connection message board
• Alabama Power
• Mississippi: Mississippi Power
• Florida: Florida Power and Light
• Florida: Florida Public Utilities
• Louisiana/Mississippi: Entergy
• NOAA: Aerial images of Katrina damage

*Disclaimer: Please check with your tax advisor or the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) for more information regarding the tax deductibility of your donation.

The listing of or omission of an institution or organization on this Web site does not refer to programmatic capability nor does it confer any official status, approval, or endorsement of the institution or organization itself. This listing does not purport to be a listing of all organizations that are providing relief in the affected area. Additionally, there may be organizations providing relief in the affected area that are not accepting donations at this time. It is not the purpose of this Web site to make, or enable to be made, any representation to the public concerning the organizations listed. This listing is for informational purposes only. Any contributions you choose to make from links on this Web site are at your sole discretion.

I am also participating in the Hurricane Katrina: Blog for Relief Weekend from Thursday September 1 to Monday, September 5. This is an entire weekend of blogging by thousands of bloggers on an international basis all focused on raising awareness of and funds for relief efforts to aid those affected by Hurricane Katrina.

To date, this effort has raised USD$702,175 in contributions so far with 1,648 blogs participating for over 220 recommended charities.

For more details, check out this site: http://www.truthlaidbear.com/index.php

If you are making a contribution after reading my blog , then please do log your contribution by going to this site : http://www.truthlaidbear.com/addcontribution.php

Besides direct contribution I would also encourage you to pray.

Prayers are obviously needed for the victims of the hurricane and their families. For those whose lives have been totally uprooted and to especially pray for those first responders who are acting to save lives in what are very tough conditions.

Even looking at the picture on TV it is hard to realize the devastation, even harder to put yourself in the place of those affected by the hurricane.

Please take a moment to stop and give thanks for the good in your own life especially
when you find yourself wanting to get in a hurry or complain about lifes daily challenges.

Sadly, many people are suffering so deeply and they can do nothing to change their current circumstance. Continued prayers for comfort, supplies and protection are greatly needed.

Here is a prayer I found on the Internet by Renée Miller:

A Prayer for the Victims of Hurricane Katrina

O God, we remember when the disciples of Jesus were terrified after a long night on a turbulent sea. When they cried to you for help, you stilled the sea and brought them to safety.

We ask now that you comfort and still the hearts of those suffering from the effects of Hurricane Katrina.

We pray for those who have been displaced and who now must return to homes destroyed or damaged by the storm.

We pray for those whose lives were lost and for those who now must grieve the loss of a loved one.

We pray for those who are attempting to offer help and relief to victims.

While we wonder why such devastation can occur, where lives and property can seem held so capriciously in the hand of what is uncontrollable, we know, O God, that you count every hair on our head and that our names are written on the palm of your hand.

Let your loving grace wash over those who must now face damaged lives, homes, and possessions.

Hold them close to yourself until they are sure of the security of your loving embrace.

Calm their hearts and still their souls, O Lord.

We ask this for the sake of your love and in Jesus's name.

AMEN.

A Poison Tree

2005-09-02T00:37:00.000-07:00

A POISON TREE
By William Blake

I was angry with my friend:
I told my wrath, my wrath did end.
I was angry with my foe:
I told it not, my wrath did grow.
And I watered it in fears
Night and morning with my tears,
And I sunned it with smiles
And with soft deceitful wiles.
And it grew both day and night,
Till it bore an apple bright,
And my foe beheld it shine,
And he knew that it was mine, -
And into my garden stole
When the night had veiled the pole;
In the morning, glad,I see
My foe outstretched beneath the tree.

This poem is a great illustration of the effects of anger in our lives.

When we are angry with someone that we love, we usually will find a way to talk about the problem and work things out.

When we are angry with someone that we don't like much, we won't care if the relationship is ruined forever--in our minds the relationship is worthless anyway.

Consequently we will stay angry with that person and allow our anger to fester inside of ourselves.

Eventually our anger will get the better of us and our foe will suffer his just consequences.

But who really suffers?

If it were just our enemies that would be bad enough, but usually we punish ourselves with our own anger.

Anger is a double-edged sword.

It hurts the one who wields it as much as it hurts the one who is slashed by it.

The poet says that anger is a poison.

Do you have this poison in your heart?

Go ahead and get it done

2005-09-01T02:30:00.000-07:00

Don't worry that there's not enough time.

Just get started and go from there.

Don't worry that it won't be perfect.

Just get going and give it your very best.

Don't be concerned about what others may think.

Just go ahead and do what you know is best, what you know is right for you.

Don't be discouraged when you encounter obstacles.

Just work your way diligently through each one.

Don't give up when the first attempt does not work out.

Just learn from your mistakes and get going again.

There will always be plenty of excuses for not taking action, yet to achieve you must choose to
look beyond those excuses.

Won't you just go ahead and get it done?

Life is free

2005-08-31T10:25:00.000-07:00

Words are words, they are not life.

Words are used to draw lines and describe concepts.

Life is not a concept, nor is it divided or explained by words. Words cause nonsense.

Life is lived, not described.

Words separate things: There is life/death, difficult/easy, long/short, high/low ... and all points in between.

Music comes from varying tones. No sane person can determine the law of life, the way of life in between these points.

No one knows the way, or what will or should happen next.

How can a leader be important and show the way when they are limited.

Never be important.

Good government comes from many people who live by their hearts and not some important person's rule and direction based on their limited knowledge.

The Universe can take care of itself. It does not need important people.

People go crazy arguing about the Universe, though it has taken care of itself very long.

Life is free -- the more you breathe, the more breath is left to breathe.

The Universe is deathless.

A human is like this also. They take care of themselves.

There is an inherent undertone and current of health and integrity which takes care of a person.

Are you living Life itself?

Almost there...

2005-08-30T04:46:00.000-07:00

Even when it seems that you're not making progress, you most likely are.

The biggest breakthroughs often come after a long period of being stuck.

If you're making a focused,determined effort, then you are making positive progress, even if you can't see it yet.

Keep going, for the breakthrough will come.

It is impossible to create value without receiving value in return.

Keep working to create value, and the value you seek will come to you in time.

Your next bit of effort may be what finally makes everything start falling into place.

You may already be so close to the goal that you can almost touch it.

Keep going, for your efforts will pay off.

Keep on acting with purpose, with focus and commitment.

The path to the top of the mountain of accomplishment will grow steeper as you near the summit.

When the going gets difficult, keep going, for it means you're almost there.

Are you almost there?

The Way to Happiness

2005-08-29T15:43:00.000-07:00

Keep your heart free from hate

Keep your mind free from worry

Live simply

Expect little

Give much

Fill your life with love

Scatter sunshine

Forget self

Think of others

Do as you would be done

Is this the way to happiness?

A grand opportunity

2005-08-28T10:58:00.000-07:00

If you make even a small positive difference today, then you'll end the day ahead of where you started.

If you take even a small step toward the fulfillment of your dreams, then you will have moved today in a positive direction.

The moments will quickly pass, whether you make use of them or not.

Choose to fully and lovingly use the time you have, and the passing of time will lift you higher.

You don't have to solve all the world's problems in a single day.

Yet you can spend the day moving in a positive, productive, creative direction.

If you choose to grow a little big stronger today, then tomorrow you'll be in a position to expand on that growth.

If you choose to make positive progress every time you have the chance, you'll eventually arrive at exactly where you intend to go.

This day, this moment, is a grand opportunity.

For you can use it to make a difference.

What is the best that you can imagine?

If so, then can today be the day that you can truly move yourself towards it?

Life is a theater

2005-08-27T07:47:00.000-07:00

LIFE IS A THEATER.

Invite your audience carefully.

Not everyone is healthy enough to have a front row seat in our lives.

There are some people in your life that need to be loved from a distance. It is amazing what you can accomplish when you let go of, or at least minimize your time with, draining, negative, incompatible,not-going-anywhere relationships or friendships.

Observe the relationships around you. Pay attention.

Which ones LIFT and which ones lean?

Which ones ENCOURAGE and which ones discourage?

Which ones are on a path of growth UPHILL and which ones are going downhill?

When you leave certain people do you feel BETTER or feel worse?

Which ones always have drama or don't really understand, know orappreciate you?

The more you seek quality, respect, growth, peace of mind, love and truth in the front row and who should be moved to the balcony of your life.

As Shakespeare puts it best in his play “As You Like It” (Act II, SceneVII) :~

"All the world’s a stage,
And all the men and women merely players:
They have their exits and their entrances;
And one man in his time plays many parts,
His acts being seven ages."

Remember that the people we hang around with will have an impact on both our lives and our income.

And so we must be careful to choose the people we hang out with, as well as the information with which we feed our minds.

We should not share our dreams with negative people, nor feed our dreams with negative thoughts.

It's your choice and your life.

It's up to you who and what you want to let in.

Maybe the question to ask is : "If I cannot change the people around me, then can I change the people that I am around with?'

Slowing down

2005-08-26T06:55:00.000-07:00

Sometimes the way to move ahead faster is to slow down.

Sometimes the way to get more done is to stop trying so hard.

When you're relentlessly pushing yourself, then the pushing becomes your focus and you can lose sight of your true objective.

When you're constantly busy being constantly busy, it can be easy to forget what you seek to accomplish.

Hurrying through a task can burn you out and create mistakes that you'll have to spend more time fixing.

Keep in mind that sprinting is not a workable strategy for winning a marathon.

Slowing down to a sustainable pace can actually make the results come faster.

Remember that your goal is not simply to be busy,but to accomplish something of value with your efforts.

Take a deep breath, calm your mind, and focus your thoughts on where you're going.

There is much power in moving thoughtfully and deliberately. Time and steady persistence will achieve much more than frantic, hurried turmoil.

Go fast enough to get it done, yet slow enough to get it right.

Won't you just slow down and focus on getting it right instead of fast?

Intentions and Goals

2005-08-25T00:35:00.000-07:00

The big difference between intentions and goals are this: Intentions are just like what the word says, they’re something that you intend for, it could be a given situation, it could be an intention for a moment, it could be an intention for a relationship, or an intention for your life as a whole.

The difference between intentions and goals:goals are something that are tangible, specific and have a deadline and a date on them. It could be that I have an intention…I’ll give you a tangible example…I’ll give you a weight-loss example, for example, "I intend to lose weight" is a statement of an intention. "I intend to lose 5kg of my weight" is a staement of a goal. So you see, that's the difference between intentions and goals.

An intention is that I want to be healthy, be vital, alive, have lots of energy and things like that. That’s an intention that you would have.

My intention is to be in great health and have lots of energy and vitality.

A specific goal around that could be that I want to lose ten pounds by November 1, March 1, or whatever date that it happens to be.

So that’s a specific goal that goes along with that intention.

And so intentions are things that you create that sort of set the tone for how you want a situation or many situations to be or any part of your life.

And we have to uncover the unconscious intentions because usually our goals are conscious.

You know, we consciously say…’Okay, I’m going to sell this house and buy such-and-such.’

But our intentions, we have to look underneath and…okay, I may have a conscious intention to attract a perfect partner to me.

But my self-talk says, ‘Oh, but there’s nobody in this town’ and “’I’m too old to attract anybody’ and ‘I’m too fat’ or ‘I’m too…’ whatever. So what I tell myself is really what’s going on. So you see there’s a battle going on usually.

And other times there’s conflicting intentions that get in the way of us manifesting what we want.

Okay? I’ll give you an example with relationships.

We could have the intention to attract our soul-mate to us, our perfect partner, whatever name you would want to give that, and at the same time if your intention is also to make sure that you don’t get hurt, how is that intention going to work?

Because you’ve got two conflicting intentions at the same time and one is actually going to prevent the other from happening.

Because if you’re fearful and concerned of the potential harm that getting hurt is going to do to you, then this attracting your perfect partner or your soul-mate, you’re going to block that from happening.

We all have fears, we all have doubts and concerns and things that come up, but I’m not suggesting that those things aren’t normal or healthy, but I am suggesting that if your intention…it’s, which intention is strongest is what gets manifested … and which you want to move towards.

And in regards to manifesting: you have to look at your life to see what you’ve been thinking, what your intention is. And that’s kind of a hard thing for people to realize, but that is true.

At least we found that it’s true in our lives; it’s that you have to uncover what’s unconscious, what you’re telling yourself, how you’re blocking yourself.

What is your intemtion?

What is your goal?

Does the whole world stink?

2005-08-24T23:54:00.000-07:00

Wise men and philosophers throughout the ages have disagreed on many things, but many are in unanimous agreement on one point: "We become what we think about."

Ralph Waldo Emerson said, "A man is what he thinks about all day long."

The Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius put it this way: "A man's life is what his thoughts make of it."

In the Bible we find: "As a man thinks in his heart, so is he."

One Sunday afternoon, a cranky grandfather was visiting his family.

As he lay down to take a nap, his grandson decided to have a little fun by putting Limburger cheese on Grandfather's mustache.

Soon, grandpa awoke with a snort and charged out of the bedroom saying, "This room stinks."

Through the house he went, finding every room smelling the same. Desperately he made his way outside only to find that "the whole world stinks!"

So it is when we fill our minds with negativism.

Everything we experience and everybody we encounter will carry the scent we hold in our mind.

Do we find that the whole world stinks?

A positive force

2005-08-23T21:34:00.000-07:00

Today, you can be a positive force in a negative world.

Today, you have the opportunity to truly make a difference.

When you come across greed, incompetence, disrespect, despair, or injustice, don't simply get angry or frustrated. Instead, get busy.

Get busy thinking of what specific steps you can take to make it better.

Then get busy committing yourself and taking those steps.

You can't do anything to prevent what has alreadyhappened.

Yet you can do much, in your own way, to make your corner of the world a more peaceful, loving, creative, intelligent and caring place.

When you're tempted to curse the negativity that'sall around you, stop and remember that your cursingwill do little good.

Rather than focusing on what's wrong, step forward and do something that's overwhelmingly right. Improve your corner of the world, and that corner will grow more positively influential.

Keep on being a positive force, and little by little, you can create a great and wonderful transformation.

Won't you be a positive force today?

A creed to live by

2005-08-22T07:50:00.000-07:00

Don't undermine your worth by comparing yourself with others. It is because we are different that each of us is special.

Don't set your goals by what other people deem important. Only you know what is best for you.

Don't take for granted the things closest to your heart. Cling to them as you would your life, for without them life is meaningless.

Don't let your life slip through your fingers by living in the past or for the future. By living your life one day at a time, you live all the days of your life.

Don't give up when you still have something to give. Nothing is really over until the moment you stop trying.

Don't be afraid to admit that you are less than perfect. It is this fragile thread that binds us to each other.

Don't be afraid to encounter risks. It is by taking chances that we learn how to be brave.

Don't shut love out of your life by saying it's impossible to find. The quickest way to receive love is to give love. The fastest way to lose love is to hold it too tightly; and the best way to keep love is to give it wings.

Don't dismiss your dreams. To be without dreams is to be without hope; to be without hope is to be without purpose.

Don't run through life so fast that you forget not only where you've been, but also where you're going. Life is not a race, but a journey to be savored each step of the way.

Do you have such a creed to live by?

Peace within

2005-08-21T16:44:00.000-07:00

When troubles come toward you, let peace come from you.

When the world is filled with anger, frustration and confusion, that is when a peaceful heart can be the most valuable.

The more peaceful you are, the more effective you become.

When your heart is filled with peace, your energy is more positively and purposefully focused.

The longer you remain peaceful, the stronger you become.

Peace on the inside thus leads to real, meaningful success on the outside.

You can choose to carry peace within you, no matter what may be happening around you.

Let the calm, deep power of peace energize your spirit and it will surely make a difference.

With peace at your very core, your thoughts are clear and your actions filled with purpose.

Whatever the challenges of the moment may be, you have what it takes to move successfully through them.

Peace is something you can always choose to carry confidently inside you.

The more you do, the more moments you'll fill with purpose and meaning.

Do you have peace within?

Who do you ask?

2005-08-20T00:40:00.000-07:00

It's good to ask a lot of questions, but who do you ask?

You may know a lot of people who talk to themselves.

But how many do you know who ASK themselves?

The distinction between listening and asking marks the first, and perhaps most important, difference between spontaneous intuition and conscious communication with your intuitive self.

In both cases,the information is available to you through your inner voice, but in the latter, you are taking the initiative to look for the answers as you need them.

You've always had the answers, you just may not have asked the right questions- or perhaps you didn't even know you could ask!

Do you know who to ask your questions?

Winner or loser?

2005-08-19T10:36:00.000-07:00

Winners versus Losers

The Winner is always a part of the answer;

The Loser is always a part of the problem.

The Winner always has a program;

The Loser always has an excuse.

The Winner says, "Let me do it for you;"

The Loser says, "That's not my job."

The Winner sees an answer for every problem;

The Loser sees a problem in every answer.

The Winner says, "It may be difficult but it's possible;"

The Loser says, "It may be possible but it's too difficult."

Are you winner or a loser?

Running out of energy?

2005-08-18T16:32:00.000-07:00

Did you ever feel like you had just run out of energy?

If you want to keep your generators going, look towards spiritual development. You may even think you are pursuing that, but in reality most people's energy goes into personal survival and the accumulation of luxuries.

On the spiritual level there is so much that could be done for the positive upliftment of your life.

'Self-cultivation' is the most important aspect of self awareness through fulfillment of moral obligations. Prepare yourself to achieve, achievement of the self is the best.

Do you ever feel like you had just run outof energy?

We will grieve not

2005-08-17T08:45:00.000-07:00

What though the radiance
Which was once so bright
Be now for ever taken from my sight,
Though nothing can bring back the hour
Of splendour in the grass,
Of glory in the flower,
We will grieve not, rather find
Strength in what remains behind;
In the primal sympathy
Which having been must ever be,
In the soothing thoughts that spring
Out of human sympathy;
In the faith that looks through death,
In years that bring back the philosophic mind.
*** William Wordsworth

What do you think of when you recall what happened on September 11?

Our thoughts

2005-08-16T10:42:00.000-07:00

What a waste.

It could be the leftovers you had for lunch or dinner,but what about thoughts?

Have you ever thought about how alert you are when in a deep thought.

First, always include your heart, mind and soul; keeping them together without any seperation.

Second, always be alert when you fall into thought and your peaceful mind is disturbed.

As soon as you wake up from the flow of thoughts, use that point of awakening to unite with the beginning point of the thoughts.

When a point starts moving, it produces time and space.

If it stops moving, then it does not produce experience or time in the common sense.

It is not necessary to have the feeling of concrete gravity, but it is important to make the beginning of two thoughts immediately hit each other to stop further wasteful thinking.

Third is to remove the clouds without removing the bright moon.

Fourth is to cut away all extremes and remain in the center.

Do you waste your thoughts?

Another door opens

2005-08-15T15:36:00.000-07:00

When your path is blocked, it's likely that you've just encountered a grand opportunity.

When what you were planning doesn't go as you planned, it can put you on your way to something even better than you first imagined.

Sure, it's nice when everythingin your day and in your world goes smoothly and according to plan. Yet when the difficult,unexpected challenges arise, then you truly have a chance to shine.

When one door is suddenly slammed shut on you, it forces you to seek out and open another door.

Behind that other door there could very well be a whole, big, wonderful world filled with astounding richness.

If things are going along nicely, you probably will not want to venture very far from what is familiar and comfortable.

Yet when you suddenly run up against a brick wall,it can compel you to a higher level of performance.When a challenge suddenly looms, you'll find yourself calling upon skills and capabilities you may have never used before. And once you've used those new skills they do not go away, but in fact become even stronger and more accessible to you.

Challenges are life's way of showing you that you can be stronger, more capable, more creative, more highly focused than you ever would have thought.

When life does not go as you had wanted, that's your golden opportunity to make it even better.

Do you see that sometimes when a door closes, another one opens?

Kindness

2005-08-14T19:56:00.000-07:00

"Let kindness freely flow from you, and it will surely change your world. "
~ Alfa

Kindness is one of the most powerful tools available to you.

Kindness can positively transform your world in a way that nothing else can.

When your heart is filled with kindness, your thoughts and actions are drivenby a positive, creative force.

Instead of being needlessly distracted by anger, envy or despair, your eyes are more fully open to the many valuable possibilities.

Act with kindness towards others.

You'll create an atmosphere of understanding and cooperation in which amazing things can be accomplished.

Be kind to yourself. You'll make it possible to clearly focus your considerable creative energy on achieving the highest and best of your dreams.

Choose to act with kindness, and you free yourself from the heavy burden ofnegativity.

Persist in your kindness, and you rise to higher and higher levels of true, meaningful accomplishment.

Did you do a little act of kindness today?

Look at the bright side

2005-08-13T01:50:00.000-07:00

"Choose instead to live on the bright side, and enjoy how great life can be."
~ Alfa

Look on the bright side. It won't cost you anything, and yet it will benefit you greatly.

Let your first word be a genuine smile.

It will encourage othersto listen to the rest of what you say.

When things go wrong, spend more time looking forward than backwards.

For that is how you will find a successful way out. When others criticize you, be truly thankful and appreciative.

For you've just learned a valuable lesson.

When conditions change unexpectedly, respond with renewed energy and enthusiasm.

For a whole new set of valuable opportunities has just been created. Y

Yes, you can live in the dark shadows of gloom and dismay, but why would you ever choose that for yourself?

Experience life

2005-08-12T13:40:00.000-07:00

You put a lot of energy and effort into living. So on a regular basis, take time to fully experience your life and the world in which you live.

Spend some time that has no purpose other than to take in all the richness of which you're a part.

Let go, for a while, of the need to analyze,to criticize, to judge and react.

Allow your thoughts to be still.

Feel the wonder, the goodness, the beauty of simply being, and knowing that you are.

Experience life, not in order to gain any advantage or to impress someone.

Experience life because the depth of its richness has no limit.

The more fully you experience and appreciate life, the more you'll find yourself needing less and having more.

Experience life, and you'll clearly see how truly rich you already are.

Life is a gift so precious that it has no equal.

Experience life, and give that gift to yourself and others.

Do you really experience life?

What shall you do with it?

2005-08-11T14:34:00.000-07:00

When the day is gray and gloomy, smile.

And you have just made the world a brighter place.

When faced with choosing between what is easiest and what is best, choose what is best.

And you have just raised the power of your focus to a new, more effective level.

When your efforts bring disappointing results, learn from what went wrong, then give it another shot.

And you have just set yourself up to come back even stronger.

When others criticize and oppose what you have done, thank them for their helpful feedback.

And you have just seen your efforts from a valuable new perspective.

When nothing seems to be going yourway, recommit yourself to positive, productive thoughts and actions.

And you have just taken control of your own destiny.

What matters most is not what life sends you.

What truly matters is what you do with it all.

So what shall you do with it?

Your attitude

2005-08-10T20:12:00.000-07:00

Your attitude is not something you are stuck with forever.

You can change it whenever you wish.

Your attitude does not define you.

It does, however, represent you to the rest of the world.

Your attitude does not determine who you are.

It does, however, determine what you can accomplish.

Your attitude is not the inevitable result of events that happen to you or circumstances that surround you.

It is, instead, based on the way you choose to respond to the events and circumstances in your life.

You can choose an attitude that will open your eyes to the valuable possibilities.

You can choose an attitudethat will attract success and accomplishment to you like a magnet.

No matter what has happened in the past or where you are now, you are free to choose whatever attitude you wish.

So choose, in every moment, a positive,empowering attitude.

For that will always serve you best.

Do you need to change your attitude?

An illusion?

2005-08-09T15:16:00.000-07:00

"Illusions commend themselves to us because they save us pain and allow us to enjoy pleasure instead. We must therefore accept it without complaint when they sometimes collide with a bit of reality against which they are dashed to pieces."
~Sigmund Freud

Sometimes when one look at a trading session in the market and we see some positive news that turn the market around and the market becomes active and moves in acertain direction.

Sometimes, it simply does not react to the news when it should have shown great strength.

This is another good reason for you to stick to the system,otherwise you can go completely nuts!!

We should learn to take the good days with the bad days and not change our course.

If that happens you will start seeing things.

Who knows, maybe it's all an illusion?

Is this you?

2005-08-08T20:42:00.000-07:00

If you've seen the new movie "Hitch" there's a scene where a young man shows up all decked out in a new suit and shiny shoes.

He says "But this isn't me".

The fact is, what he was doing before wasn't working, but habit still insisted that he do it "his" way.

If what you were doing up until now wasn't working, maybe you should try something different.
That's what learning is all about.

So when should you start changing things?

I believe you have to go through two stages before you get the point where you can adjust things.

First off, you have to learn what you don't know.

Would you buy a brand new car then take it home and start "tweaking" the engine if you didn't have a clue about cars?

Hopefully not.

You'd probably want to get a detailed manual and learn what you were doing BEFORE you started taking things apart.

This seems like a pretty obvious example, but the same thing applies with any work you do.

You can't realistically expect to read a book then arbitrarily start making a few changes here and there, expecting it to work for you. You might get lucky and have it... but that's just dumb luck.

So what should you do?

Spend time learning the system of your work and what is really required. If youare reading a book about the nature of your work, then maybe try to get into the mind of the author.

After studying the material at least 2 or 3 times, I start going through it with the mindset of "Why does the writer do this?", "Why doesn't the writer do it that way?", "What would happen if I changed this?".

When you can reasonably guess WHY the author did something, you'll have reached stage 2...
Understanding.

When you reach understanding, you'll be free to begin adjusting things, BECAUSE you can see the cause and effect relationship behind what you have in front of you.

Have you ever read a book, then come back to read it again a year later. Have you ever found it to be a totally different book?

For me, many times the material is even more powerful, because my level of understanding has increased.

While on the first read, I was just accepting what I was reading, a year later I can more accurately compare the writing with my own experience and understanding.

When you understand the reason behind what's being done, you are in a better position to make adjustments.

The key is to:
Learn
Understand
Adjust

So now is this really you?

Shine a positive light

2005-08-07T15:29:00.000-07:00

Shine a positive light on the people around you.

And they'll live up to the best of your expectations.

Shine a positive light on the circumstances in which you find yourself.

And you'll discover opportunities to create real, lasting value.

Shine a positive light on the disappointments that can hurt so much.

And you'll learn how to successfully move forward.

Shine a positive light on the things you cannot control. And you'll find plenty of ways to achieve whatever you intend.

Shine a positive light on the moments of each day. And you'll see real treasure in every direction.

Shine a positive light on life. And the life you experience will be filled with true richness.

Do you want to shine a positive light now?

The power of persistence

2005-08-06T23:22:00.000-07:00

One small effort, by itself, will not have much of an impact.

Yet when that same effort is repeated again and again,the results can be truly magnificent.

Persistence has power.

With persistence,soft drops of water can wear away the hardest stone.

With persistence, a tiny seed can grow into an enormous tree.

With persistence, what seems to be impossible can in fact be achieved.

With persistence, the setbacks and obstacles are overcome, one by one.

With persistence,you will get where you intend to go.

Persistence does not require a massive effort or special resources or exotic skills.

To benefit from the power of persistence, all you must do is keep on going.

Persistence is really quite simple, and available to anyone who decides to use it.

Choose to put the power of persistence on your side, and you'll bring the very best of your dreams to life.

How persistent are you?