YOU FORGOT!

Because you forgot who you are, a creation of God, you live in a constant state of Fear. Believing in something for the sake of it saving you. In Fear, you believe that if you don't, you'll burn in Hell. You believe unless you follow a particular set of rules, guidelines, rituals, etc., you are hell bound. So out of Fear, you practice what you don't even understand but accept by saying "God doesn't need to make sense." Whether or not you completely understand or agree with what you practice, you believe it will "save" you from damnation and so you comply.

Please know God is not a confused or a confusing God. Faith comes from Surrender and Trust in God, not from Fear of burning in Hell. This, my friends is not how God would have you live. You will never meet your (full) potential in  a state of any form of Fear (worry, uncertainty, doubt, etc.) Because you forgot who you are, you judge yourself and others for not following what you believe is the only true way to Heaven. 

You forgot God created Man. Man made religion. Religion creates WAR! You forgot that when your time is come, whether you lived your life as a Pentecostal, Baptiste, Catholic, Methodist, Seven Day Adventist, Jehovah Witness, Muslim, Orthodox/Hasidim Jew, Mormon, etc., doesn't matter. They mean nothing to God because Man created them and gave them meaning - not God.

You forgot your full potential is met when you're able to put down the wall you built up and no longer view others as a threat. When you're able to see God in everyone, despite their disguises, is when you'll know, beyond the shadow of a doubt, "if God is for me whom shall be against me" meaning because God is Love and Peace, there is nothing to be against because there is no conflict and war in God. 

You forgot "Sin" is born of Fear and all action taken in Fear calls for the need of forgiveness. Forgiveness is the need of pardon for what you regret doing and/or saying because you acted in Fear. By totally surrendering to God's will - is when you'll REMEMBER God Is Always In Control  and you'll be free from Fear. PEACE

Relationships

Relationships, (Parent/Child, Teacher/Student, Employer/Employee, Romantic, Friendship, etc.) flourish if/when both puts the other first. One of the essential aspects of a successful relationship is Communication. Communication is to be used to nourish relationships. A relationship that is nourished is healthy as well as strong and can "weather the storm" much better than one that is weak because one or both parties have chosen to neglect it.

Besides Communication, Respect is one of the first character traits necessary for a sound relationship. Without Respect, relationships are certain to not last long. Respect is a sign of wisdom, strength and maturity. They're like muscles, the more they're used, the longer you'll keep your Peace of mind.

Humility is another very crucial part of what it takes to have a healthy relationship. That word doesn't sit well with many because its believed Humility is thinking less of yourself when in fact, it means to think of yourself less! The results of thinking of yourself less are far greater (for all involved) when you're willing to practice Humility more frequently.

Honesty is an absolute requirement for a strong and healthy relationship. By choosing to be Honest, rather than assume what you're afraid the outcome will be, you show the other you value the relationship and their Trust and would not want to further jeopardize either.

If nothing else, remember your relationships reflect your time and effort in them. Think of a plant, it needs to be nurtured with water, sunlight, pruning, your time, your attention, etc., so does relationships.  With Communication, Respect, Humility, Honesty, etc., you're bound to improve your own life by improving your relationships.

When you know better, you do better so get excited because it's all up hill from here!!!

Tomorrow

"I want to live like tomorrow doesn't exist" are lyrics to a song I heard on the radio. In that instant, I had an "Ah Ha!" moment. If you take a second to contemplate the idea, you may come to the same conclusion I did. Tomorrow DOESN'T exist!

In order for something to exist, it has to be! Because Tomorrow hasn't come yet (it's not here NOW), it doesn't exist NOW.

If you can take a brief moment to think about it, you'll realize worry, stressing over and fretting about what may (or may not) happen "Tomorrow" really makes no sense at all. Sure, its wise to prepare and plan for Tomorrow because you're expecting it however Tomorrow is not guaranteed to anyone so worry, stress and fretting over Tomorrow is a complete waste of Time!

 

Its been said "Life is Short", "Live in the Moment", "Live for Today", etc., because that's the absolute truth! What you do have is the Present Moment and that should always be considered a Gift because of  the mere fact that Tomorrow may never come for you or a loved one. Do what you can and do the best at what you can NOW. The rest is not up to you no matter how much sleep you lose over it! Stressing just brings on anxiety which makes your current situation worse NOT better.

 

Once you've managed to get a good understanding on the fact that Tomorrow doesn't exist is when you'll free yourself of what you can't control and get back into Life by making the most of every moment you do have. Not only will you begin to LIVE life again but you'll also start creating wonderful memories for yourself and your loved ones!

 

If you're not convinced, continue waiting for Tomorrow while Life continues to pass you by. Here's the only problem with that, once Life/Time goes by, its gone for good - it will never come back so choose wisely that way you'll have no regrets when your Time has run out. Don't worry about Tomorrow. Believe me, Tomorrow is not worried about you because Tomorrow doesn't exist! PEACE

 

 

  

You Have No Idea!

What does the gift of giving really mean? The general consensus may believe "the gift of giving" means to give because it's the right thing to do. Some may think it means give so you get blessed in return. Others may believe "the gift of giving" means it's what you give that counts hence the reason people say, even before giving their gift,  "It's not much but..."

What needs to be made clear here is, it really is the thought that counts! It's also important to know what outcome to expect depending on what thought is on your mind at the time of giving! If you're giving just to say you gave, please know the purpose of giving was not met. 

The whole purpose of giving is to be a blessing! You are a blessing when your heart is open to the other person - they do not need to be in your presence - if they're on your mind, they're in your heart. 

The blessing meets its full potential when the gift itself is not as important as feeling the need to be a blessing to someone/anyone. 

That, my friends is "the gift of giving" because it means to give expecting NOTHING in return - yes, not even a thank you. Because if/when it's not given to you (in the very least as an acknowledgement), you won't be disappointed because you weren't expecting it to begin with! 

Giving freely - no strings attached, no hesitation, no premonitions is "the gift of giving." It's what jump starts the  blessings from God to you, from you to another and yes so on and so on. Do not concern yourself with anything like "will I have enough to give?" "will I have enough for myself?" Your time is one of the most precious gifts you can give because you can never take it back because you'll never have it back!

Use this Season to bless others rather than give for the sake of giving. Please don't think you're fooling anyone when you're giving just to give - trust me, they know and it's noted. 

Your purpose in Life is to be a blessing - do this and you have no idea how miraculously your Life will change! PEACE

 

Key to Life

About to enter the bridge, on my way to work this morning, in a state of gratitude for the beautiful fall colors and bright sunny sky. I say to myself, "Today I'm going to pay the Toll for the driver behind me!" Right away a voice (in my head) says "ARE YOU CRAZY??? Why would you do that? You can't afford it! Don't be stupid, the Toll is $5 - are you really thinking about paying $10 right now?!?" My answer to Fear was "Because God is in me, I live in a state of abundance and that is precisely why I'm doing this!"

You see, it's because God lives in me that I could do what one might think is "CRAZY!" Giving (expecting nothing in return) is living in a state of abundance. Thinking or saying things like "I can't afford it", "What's in it for me?", "There isn't enough", etc.. is living in a state of scarcity and lack which is the very reason one never has enough! 

Because God is Omni Present (everywhere at all times), Omni Potent (all power over all things at all times and in all ways) and Omniscient (complete unlimited knowledge of all things.), I think those are pretty good reasons to TRUST Him, don't you?!? I, for one, will say it feels CRAZY (like jumping out of a plane!!!) to completely "let go and let God" but that is where FAITH comes in. FAITH is KNOWING your outcome will be better than your current situation - exclusively because of who God is!

Anything else is guaranteed to bring FEAR in the form of worry, doubt, anxiety which presents itself in Stress (depression, cancer, high blood pressure, heart disease, obesity, anorexia, bulimia, alcoholism, drug addiction, etc.) When what feels like the weight of the world on your shoulders seem too much to bear is when suicide is contemplated. What's insane about it all is you hold the key to the prison you've  locked yourself in!

Once you're able to know God for who he is (by surrendering to His will) is when you've used the Key to Life which brings you Peace and releases you from your own prison! Being the guard AND prisoner of your own mind is called INSANITY. Choose instead to change your way of thinking by allowing God's will to be your will. You'll see your life change for the better because God works no other way.

"And we know that in ALL things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." We've all been called - will you answer by TRUSTING God? Or will you continue doing what clearly hasn't been working but keep praying for an answer? The choice is yours. Remember, the answer (Key to Life) is complete FAITH in God. His Power is ALWAYS in you. FAITH is using His Power to bless others expecting nothing in return. Do this and your life will never be the same! PEACE

It's IN You!

I was awakened this morning somewhere between 3 and 4am by what felt like a strong voice yet there was no sound but an apparent total body sensation. All can I do to describe the physical state is to ask you to imagine an enormous elephant sitting on my entire body (not just my chest), except it felt light as a feather! People, this is no Hokus Pokus, I know that was the voice of God telling me "ITS IN YOU - MY POWER IS IN YOU - ALWAYS WAS, ALWAYS WILL BE". My eyes opened immediately after as if I were never asleep. I began to think, "if I have the Power of God in me, Fear of anything and everything must leave me!" I know this because God fears nothing!

Knowing I have the Power of God in me changes everything!!! I don't have to pray to a god outside of me because God is IN me. Knowing this changes how I see myself in the world, among my peers, within my family, among strangers, etc.

No more victim! The Peace of God in me opened my eyes to what's important in this world. Knowing this confirms "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me", "With God, ALL things are possible" HELLO PEOPLE - DO YOU GET ME?!?!? 

If the power of God is in me, the power of God is in you too! The power of God is also in your neighbors, co-workers, classmates, family members, friends, "enemies", strangers. Because you know God is in you (you just forgot) you will be able to look past the arrogance, disappointment, resentment, anger of others and see God in them! This will change your view on everything! What was upsetting, frustrating, depressing, fearful, hurtful, etc. will be INSTANTLY released because God does NOT hold grudges. 

The Peace of God has a calming effect beyond anything you've ever experienced. There is nothing like it! The only way to maintain the power of God which is the Peace of God is to "Be still and know that I am God." When you're able to look at every/anything and know (in the grand scheme of things)it doesn't matter, is when you'll see what really does matter - Kindness, Respect, Honesty, Trust, Forgiveness , Understanding, Patience, Love - the power of God, it's IN you, USE IT! PEACE

EGO

Everyone Gets One but you're not obligated to keep yours. On the contrary if you don't separate yourself from EGO, you are likely to have conflict in many, if not all, of your relationships. You see, EGO is a wrong-minded attempt to perceive yourself as you wish to be, rather than as you are.

The most insecure have the loudest EGO. The voice in their head (EGO) has him/her believing the world is out to get it so it has to attack first. EGO is always first to attack. One that is secure in who he/she is knows there is never reason for attack. When you're secure in yourself, you have Peace and where there is Peace there is no need for EGO. As a matter of fact, EGO can not stay in the presence of Peace for too long because it needs to maintain conflict to exist.

Its because of EGO that we are unable to apologize for being the aggressor - isn't that something?!?
You could be dead wrong about something you've said or done to someone but EGO will have you believing your behavior was warranted. EGO will have you looking like a complete fool without you even knowing it - not that you would care because EGO does not care or think about anything or anyone. All EGO needs is for you to feel threatened so it can take over and make an issue where there was none.

Please do not confuse Peace for weakness. Peace is strength and doesn't need to shout it out to be recognized. EGO, on the other hand is weakness in disguise which is the reason for its constant need to be on display. Its an over extension of perceiving yourself as you wish to be, rather than as you are. Spend some  quiet time with yourself and you'll come to see God didn't make a mistake when he created you. When you're able to sit comfortably in the skin God gave you is when EGO will no longer exist because its no longer needed.

At this point you won't have the need to be right but instead the need to be happy. And so will your relationships begin to heal and grow. PEACE

REVENGE

Revenge - The act of vengeance. Harming someone in retaliation for something harmful that person did.

If a solution is what you want, Revenge  is the last place to look for it. Whenever one resorts to Revenge its because the injury or offense caused by another is seen as a personal attack which then blocks your ability to think or see clearly (rationally.) Action(s) taken when your mind is obscured is not your decision at all. 

At this point, your mind is hijacked by Fear disguised as Anger, Hurt, Confusion, etc. Any action taken in this state robs you of Joy and now holds you just as "guilty" as the offender. Pardon/Mercy on the other hand keeps you in a state of Peace. Peace can only be experienced in the Present moment. It's only in the Present moment that Pardon is available and can be offered  to another. This is the only true solution because it releases both you and the "offender" from further pain and suffering.

Pardon sees the offense as a cry for help rather than an attack and keeps you from engaging in inappropriate behavior (retaliation.) Pardon doesn't keep tabs or hold grudges. On the contrary, Pardon erases the offense as if it never occurred. Pardon maintains Peace within you and reestablishes Peace in the offender. In that instant the Past is released, the Present is restored and the Future is no longer projected because of past errors.

"Eye for an Eye, Tooth for a Tooth" does not bring Peace - it is the definition of Revenge. Revenge  causes pain, sorrow, regret, shame, resentment, hostility, animosity and hatred. Seek Revenge and expect stress, depression, sickness and a miserable death! PEACE

CHOICE

When made aware of the power of CHOICE, is when you'll see real change in relationships which in essence changes your perspective on Life. CHOICE is made in the mind and only there.

The Power of CHOICE can destroy and the Power of CHOICE can heal. Only when you're able to recognize Fear as nothing but your own creation, will you then be set free because Fear has no power. Fear is nothing until it's created in the mind by negative thoughts of projection (what has not yet happened.) This is done by seeing patterns in the Past and believing the Future will be the same. Fear then takes over and controls the mind holding you hostage! All the while the Present moment is lost because you've given Fear your Power to choose for you.

Every decision made by Fear brings regret because there is no logic in Fear. Until this is fully understood, Life will continue to be lived  by taking one step forward and two steps back, keeping you stagnant and frustrated because it has yet to be realized the answer (CHOICE) is always within you. Before making a choice, first ask "Do I want Peace or Drama?" If your answer is Peace, your decision is made by you, if not, the decision is made FOR you because you are no longer in control. "I couldn't help myself" and/or "It wasn't my fault" is how you're left feeling (regret.)

You will remain Fear's captive as long as you continue to blame others when in fact you're the only who is responsible for your actions. Who willingly chooses to destroy what they cherish? It's only in the right mind that CHOICE is made to bring Peace, Love, Understanding and Forgiveness - that is the Power of God (which can move mountains.)

When you've given your power away (it can never be taken from you) is when you're rendered weak/powerless and what follows is nothing but shame and regret because you ought to know better than to EVER give your power away! When you know better, you do better otherwise the lesson hasn't been learned and it WILL present itself in another form until it has been learned and thus no longer needed as a lesson.

If there is one thing to know, it's this - your sole purpose in life is to live in Peace on Earth however you'll never find it by living in Fear so take back your God given power (CHOICE) NOW to heal and not harm and watch the miracles begin to unfold right before your very eyes. If you think TIME is what it's going to take to get you back on the right track, please know, you're actually wasting TIME because TIME is not guaranteed to anyone and TIME is precisely what Fear needs to keep you in the state of powerlessness. The CHOICE is yours - what's it going to be? Peace or (more) Drama???

Miracles

Miracles are thought to be an occurrence of the inconceivable when in fact miracles take place naturally as expressions of Love. When faced with a critical situation one declared Hero/Shero says "I did what came naturally." What comes naturally is Love however "Life" is what obscures Love from connecting with another. Choose God/Love as your guide and miracles will happen instantaneously! Considering Love is open and welcome to all, the only thing needed is your willingness to volunteer.

Once you've witnessed a miracle you're reminded of the only thing in life that matters - Love. Be sure to not try and consciously control miracles - they are but an expression of Love and Love can not be controlled. You ought to remove negative energy by shedding all thoughts and feelings of past hurt and disappointment for example as they cloud your vision from what comes naturally simply because you haven't let go of what did not go your way.

Miracles occur the instant you recognize your only purpose in Life is to reconnect with each person you come in contact with by erasing any/all preconceived notions which come from fear as well as past judgments which also come from fear. How will you ever reach that point in your life? By remembering we are all one and the same. Any behavior that contradicts this fact is a cry for help and requires an answer from you. Just know how ever you choose to respond reflects what you bring on yourself.

Here's a tip for you - no matter the question and/or form of behavior, when Love is the answer, Peace of mind is the state of being - anything else will continue to bring tragedy.

WAR

What is war but a conflict in thought and/or believe taken to the extreme to where lives are the price taken (not given) as payment for ones justification.

Sure, I'll give you an example! Let's take a look at the Tutsis and Hutus who once lived together peacefully in Central Africa. Because one tribe thought they were superior over the other, approximately 800,000 people's lives were taken. How about the Holocaust? Because the Nazi believed Germans were superior to Jews (as well as Gypsies, Slavic people - Russians, Poles, etc., Communists, Socialists, Jehovah Witnesses, Homosexuals, millions were persecuted and murdered.

This all began from a thought in the mind. War is the end result of not seeing ones behavior as a cry for help but rather as a personal attack. Herein lies the error that must be corrected. If man does not put an end to war by recognizing fear disguised as anger, jealousy, arrogance, ignorance, hatred, revenge, etc.., war will put an end to man and for what? Nothing! What was gained from the Genocide killings in Africa or the murders of 6 million Jews in the Holocaust? Anything? No, because no one gains a thing in WAR.

The purpose of war is to destroy any sign of peace it comes in contact with yet somehow it's believed that peace is acquired through war. Please know war can not stand in the sight of peace. Test it out for yourself - you'll see it when you believe it. Until then, let time continue to teach you what you've forgotten. PEACE

Meaning

Meaning gives value. The more meaning something or someone has the more it's worth. The greater it's worth when accumulated the greater it's loss when gone. During the financial crisis there were several reports of suicides. Those who lost an enormous amount of money in the stock market saw no reason to continue living after that loss. The shock, devastation, worry and fear were too much for them to handle. They're what drove them to plummet to their death by jumping from a window, overdosing on pain medication and/or drugs, hanging or shooting themself.

There have also been reports of crimes of passion where one would kill the other then him/herself because the pain of losing that person was inconceivable. Having to deal with the loss would be too great, too dark, too heavy, too scary. This is so because we give meaning to everything and everyone in our lives. For example, a calculator has more meaning to an Accountant than an Entertainer. A calculator is how an Accountant gets their work done. A spouse has more meaning to one than a stranger.  A life is built together with a spouse.

Be mindful now and more conscious of how much meaning you give, for the greater the meaning the greater the loss. You've always had the power to control the meaning of things/people in your life, so choose wisely now and decide today how much meaning you'll give when someone says/does something you don't like. Give it a lot of meaning and they'll ruin your day. Give it little to no meaning and you'll either create a state of peace for yourself or you'll continue on in your state of  peace.

If peace of mind means a lot to you, please know all you have to do is give less meaning to others than peace and you'll always have more peace.

FEAR

This is the very thing that holds one back in life. Its sole purpose is to take over and destroy. If you're not sure of who you are, fear will continue to run your life. It dictates when and where you come and go. It tells you who not to trust, love, forgive, understand, respect.

When fear is the decision maker it leaves consequences that you're left to deal with or avoid. Either way you choose,  regret, shame and  hurt is what will be waiting for you. Please do not confuse danger with fear. Danger keeps you from pain and suffering. It's a warning to not come near. Fear blind folds you and steers you right into harms way.

Fear chases you the minute you panic! Considering fear is created in the mind, "Be still and know that I am God" means exactly that. Taking into account you're not in control and God is ALWAYS in control, there is never a reason to fear.

Fear is feeling anxious about an experience you do not want - has not yet occurred.
Trusting in God instead will guarantee you the best outcome because God is good all the time and all the time God is good! Test fear by trusting God and see for yourself what you already know.

Here's a tip! Ask Fear"How do I conquer you?" Fear's reply is always "Just don't listen to me!"

NOTHING!

Ever wonder why is it in life-threatening situations are the veils of class, ethnicity, gender, age, etc., blown away with the wind? On that sunny brisk Tuesday morning - September 11th 2001 - those at the World Trade Center were suddenly stripped of those veils!

For a moment in time race, religion, political party, level of education, sexual preference, age, etc., did not matter - because they mean nothing! They meant nothing then and mean nothing today. We (human beings) give them meaning. Those veils were created by fear of what is "different" from what we know and are comfortable with. None of it matters when you're staring at death square in the face because it doesn't matter and means nothing when your mortality is being questioned. And it means nothing now.

When thoughts come in the form of anger, judgment, intolerance, revenge, jealousy, anxiety, nervousness, worry, etc., if  recognized for anything other than NOTHING, pain and suffering will certainly be your price. Yet we pay that price and are dragged around like a rag doll all throughout this thing called life. This will continue as long as those veils are given meaning. Who in this world wants to pay that price for NOTHING??? Peace

After You

Here is a challenge for you! This challenge is not for the weak or whiny so if you're up for it - if you're a BOSS or just want some goodness to start coming into your life, try this out for one day (only) at first. Assess if/how it improved your mood and challenge yourself (after day one) to try it again on day 2. Ready for it??? Here it is!

Try for one full day to use the "After You" approach with everyone you come in contact with. How? By holding the door open for the person behind you but taking it to the next step and saying "After You" or doing the hand gesture (swing your hand under from right to left - signaling they go first), holding the elevator door open, allowing the driver in the next lane to pass you, offering someone behind you with less groceries to go before you in the check out line at the supermarket, etc.

For those that have done this in the past, that's wonderful! Lets all take on the "After You" challenge and do it for the entire day (tomorrow - Thursday, November 6th.) Do it expecting nothing in return. Do it expecting to not receive even a thank you. The challenge is for you, no one else. Do not get discouraged or frustrated when you're not acknowledged for your act of kindness. The acknowledgment is not important, its the act that matters.

Join me in this challenge for one day and ask yourself at the end of the day "How was that?" Imagine what this world would be like if everyone on this planet took on this challenge for one day? This can be the beginning of something AMAZING!!!

Difficult Times

Do you ever feel like life has you pinned against a wall? Ever feel like you don't know how you're going to make it through the day? What do you do - retreat, panic, shut down, lash out? How do you cope? Drinking, Eating, Not Eating, Smoking, Self medicating, etc.? Have any of these ever solved your problems? "No." You say, "but they give comfort for the time being."

Because everything is temporary, do remind yourself "This too shall pass." This reminder will ensure the pain won't last always. As much as we think we are or want to be, peace and understanding comes from knowing and accepting we are not in control. It may not make sense to you now (and may never will) but when you're able to make peace with whatever you're faced with, is when you've released it.

Because the opposite of control is release/surrender, there is really nothing more than the unknown that you're afraid of, otherwise you would value the time you have now albeit difficult for a moment. Many are forced to this point when faced with their own mortality. Ever notice how peaceful they become? Does it make sense to block your own peace and happiness from what you don't know is coming? It's either hell or heaven so choose wisely now then carry on with your life.

Difficult times come and go. How long they stay is totally up to you!

DEATH

Why is it so difficult for us to accept it? What's so puzzling is the fact that we know death is a part of life. We also know the date and time of when death comes is never known in advance. With just those two facts - everyone dies and doesn't know when - why is it so difficult to accept? Could it be because we haven't yet grasped the concept that we're really a spiritual being having a human experience on earth? Let me break that down a bit so we stay on the same page.

Because the average life span for those living in the United States is between 77.5 to 80 years, anyone older than that  is usually considered to be "lucky - knock on wood." It's also said those living outside the United States, in smaller 'underdeveloped" countries, live much longer (over 100 years), healthy, happy lives. Ever asked yourself why? Could it be because they eat real food? What is "real" food? Simply put, food that is naturally harvested from the ground and picked from trees/vines. When left to do what it's created to do  (without the interference of pesticides) it may bring down one of the highest causes of death - Cancer. We'll get further into the food industry in my next post - stay tuned!

In the mean time, let's not forget the other determining factors that has us saying things like "he/she was so young, so vibrate, so beautiful" - I love that one, as if one should get a free pass or more consideration from death because of beauty! Anyway, I digress. The other factors that seem to ring death's doorbell is the abuse of drugs and alcohol, disease, violence, and yes, suicide. What ever happened to dying from natural causes? Whether you believe it or not, stress is directly connected to each of the factors I just mentioned. Until we find a more productive way to deal with stress (feel free to continue to read anyone of my posts as your preferred method) please know you're ringing death's doorbell.

Let me take you back to the idea of accepting death (because its going to happen with or without your acceptance.) Gaining knowledge or a better perspective of what death is may seem less scary and/or difficult to understand. Because death is inevitable (unavoidable) wouldn't you want to know how to best prepare for what is certain to come? What most don't know is setting up a will, trust, power of attorney, etc. is to prepare those that will survive you for after you're already dead (yes, I said it!) What is more important however is how to prepare YOURSELF while you're alive NOW.

Dissecting time! I hope you're enjoying the play on words as much as I am! Hey, the content doesn't have to be dark and  gloomy because the topic seems to be - lighten up people, I have some great news for you! Get ready because here we go!!!

Lets look into this idea of being a spiritual being having a human experience rather than a human being having a spiritual experience. Because you're alive, its been established that you're going to die,  you just don't know when. This confirms there is no time to waste! Ever wonder what "youth is wasted on the young" really mean? It means the older you get, the closer you get to your average natural life expectancy. Its at the stage where you begin to notice aches and pains more, you make more visits to the doctor, you begin to think about your retirement, etc., your mortality becomes more of a reality.

You see, when you're fresh out of college or newly married, death is not on your radar because you're thinking of new beginnings (and as you should be.) My whole point is to remind you that while living (human experience) here on earth make it worthwhile by focusing less on what you can't control (Ebola epidemic, etc.) and choose rather to use the time you have (NOW.) There is no other time so do what it is you love because NOW is really all one ever has.

If nothing else, should you be one of the "lucky" ones to make it past 80yrs old and you're living with Alzheimer's disease or better yet, on death's bed, wouldn't want to look back on your life and be able to say "I have no regrets, I lived a FANTASTIC life"? Then make it your reality by dropping your past, dead weight  - (ha!) and get back into living today. For all the other "unlucky" ones, because tomorrow is not guaranteed, you don't have to be unlucky and dumb too! Life is what you make it so be smart and make it GOOD!

Here are some (corny) tips which have been said to increase life expectancy: LOVE, FORGIVE, TRUST - here's the snag, these can only be done NOW! For those still not convinced, continue to hang out with Stress and you'll meet DEATH sooner than expected!

Thanksgiving

As you begin to prepare for either your favorite (or least favorite) holiday, let's together see it as an opportunity to come together in peace and harmony. Besides the turkey and all the trimmings which only lasts a couple of days (if that) why not use that occasion to achieve what you never thought possible? You can begin by realizing every minute of every day is another moment in time given you to undo whatever you've convinced yourself is true about your brother/sister (aunt, uncle, cousin, niece, neighbor - need I continue?)

When you're able to understand your joy and misery come from within you and not an external factor is the minute your life will begin to change for the better. Did you know Thanksgiving Day is known to have a spike in visits to the emergency room? Besides real emergencies (accidents using sharp knives, burns, etc.) fatigue, stress, alcohol, domestic violence, etc., are also the reason for the spikes. It's no coincidence this happens. Whenever you set yourself up for the worst (whether consciously or not) you should also prepare yourself for when the worst comes. You then shouldn't be hurt, embarrassed, frustrated, angry or resentful, etc., because those feelings come when you're NOT prepared for what you want. Who in their right mind would choose the worst of anything?

Please do not confuse "preparing for a rainy day" with "getting ready for the drama." Those are two entirely different things. One keeps you on the right track as you carry on with your day while the other throws you completely off track leaving you in a state of confusion. How could you be left confused when it's drama you're expecting? By inviting it in but forgetting all of what drama brings along with it! Drama never comes and goes quickly AND quietly. It may come quickly but the damage is like that of a tornado! It may also come quietly (like a thief in the night) but stay with you for long periods of time in forms of resentment, unforgiveness, disappointment over what you say you wanted but what was given you instead.

You suffer because you forgot that accepting drama as your guest will never leave you anything but pain as its souvenir. Here is the good news of which you also forgot. You are also both the giver and receiver of peace. You'll get it the minute you see every snide remark, every side glance, every unanswered question, every impolite gesture, etc., as the perfect opportunity to see them for what they are - a cry for help!

Only when you're able to see them as such and not a personal attack on you is when peace is allowed to replace drama - get this, its souvenir is healing, comfort, understanding, respect, joy, kindness, patience, trust, forgiveness, etc. Who in their right mind wouldn't choose peace over drama? The answer is its only in your right mind that peace is invited anywhere. It's only in the state of peace that you'll see all there is to be thankful for. So as you tear into the turkey (or roasted vegetables for my fellow vegetarians) please remember it takes but a moment to check your guest list and make sure  your guests are invited to take part and share in all there is to be thankful for.

Because peace on earth is definitely something to be thankful for don't you think?

True Beauty

On my way to work, on what is considered a "gloomy" day because of the rain, grey sky and cold hard wind and yet I'm in complete awe of the beauty all around me. I can now understand why artists choose nature as their inspiration.

Allow me to set up the scenery for you. Imagine all the different shades of yellow from lemon to mustard then to beautiful browns and reds, purple too! Those were trees standing at attention in all different shapes and sizes. Ever really stopped to think how is it that the earth knows what to do and when to do it? Sure it's called nature - and nature is created by God. The seasons all have a purpose which include bringing us back to our quiet place. For those who've been to The Grand Canyon, Niagara Falls, Central Park, Rockland Lake, Botanical Gardens, the beach, anyplace where there is nothing but nature has a peaceful quieting effect that is not by coincidence!

We must get back to a state of remembering we are one and the same - one race - the human race. We are spiritual beings having a human experience. You'll understand this the next time someone acts "human" towards you. You but need to remind yourself it's a test. You'll pass the test by maintaining your peace which in essence will bring to awareness the need for attack is never justified and so is never needed. This may seem impossible but nothing is impossible with God. This is the core teaching of all the books and studies of faith and religion yet the lifestyle is in complete contradiction to it.

Please know just because your life situation seems to be going down an unhealthy path and/or you've been there for quite some time, it doesn't have to continue that way. It stops the minute you choose to focus your energy on helping or encouraging someone else who's worse off than you. By helping others is really how you'll help yourself which will bring back love, respect, trust, and peace to families, neighborhoods, cities, states, countries, nations, continents - the earth.

Until then find some time today to enjoy nature, true beauty. It's good for the mind, spirit and soul. PEACE