Happy Friday!!

"Carpe diem!

Rejoice while you are alive; enjoy the day; live life to the fullest; make the most of what you have.

It is later than you think."
   - Horace

It is later than we think for sure but never too late to make a change, take on a challenge, or alter our lives!!!

Move forward with faith that you are on the right path and exactly where you are supposed to be!

Relax a bit and enjoy all the gifts we have been granted and help others do the same!

Take control of your life with daily action but understand that the real control is out of our hands!!

All will be ok....Believe it!!

Stay Strong!!!

Resistance is Futile

"Life is a series of natural and spontaneous changes. Don't resist them - that only creates sorrow. Let reality be reality. Let things flow naturally forward in whatever way they like."
   - Lao Tzu

Do not waste too much time trying to fight what our lives throw at us. When we understand that there is indeed a plan and a mission for us all we can accept the hard times, the challenges, the disappointments, and welcome all the blessings that we take for granted each day!!!!

We don't need to understand it. We just need to know that we will get through whatever we are going through as long as we don't quit!!!

Seek what it is you are here to be doing in this short time and it will become apparent very quickly!!!

Persevere...Stay Strong!!!

Thank you EP for the amazing photo...

Loan Offer....

We offer Loan at Low interest rate of 3% if Interested contact us for further
details Email: jglcm@pcsalem.com

Great message.... if we heed it....

Pisces Nov 6 2012
A hurricane is usually thought of as a destructive and dangerous force of nature. Just ask anyone who was affected by the terrifying Hurricane Sandy. But if you are safe and warm and dry, it could actually be a positive experience. Many families got to spend unexpected time together. Many people got to test their stamina and creativity. And if you were to ask Dorothy if she was happy about her hurricane-fueled trip to Oz she would probably tell you she was.

Something that seems bad isn't always bad, Pisces.

Keep that in mind as you face any challenge!!
--
Copyright © DailyHoroscope.

Hello,

We at Major World USA, an American New and Used car export
company selling cars. We export American cars to various countries
in the world. We have extensive stocks of American cars which
satisfy your needs. We guarantee Good condition, Good price,
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Right now we are doing sales at a very cheap price of any choice of
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Land Cruisers, Prado Jeep, Hilux / Land Cruiser pickups of such
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We want you to take an advantage of this opportunity. Kindly
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Note: If you simply wish to be our sales Agent/or a representatives
in your country. If interested, you can contact us by sending a scan
copy of your company registration certificate, copy of your
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house address.

We are looking forward to hearing from you.

Yours Truly,
Tim Potter

MAJOR WORLD
43-40 Northern Blvd
Long Island City, NY 11101
Phone: +1 212-359-1688
Website: www.majorworld.com
E-mail: majorworld.company@aol.com

URGENT PLEASE!

--
Attn: Good-day friend,

Although you might be apprehensive about my email as we have not meet
before, I Am Mr. Ebnerhard Trost a german citizen and a Banker with
the AFG Finance & Private Bank here in the United Kingdom . There is
the sum of ?50,000,000.00 Million in my Bank which there were no next
of kin/beneficiaries stated Concerning these funds before the death
of my client which means no one would ever come forward to claim it. I
have contacted you because I need your sincere and faithful
partnership in the transfer of the ?50,000,000.00 Million into your
personal bank account legally for the benefit of both of us urgently
within this new week with all legal documents prepared by my lawyer.
The sharing will be ?25,000,000.00 Million for you and the other
?25,000,000.00 Million for me. If you are interested and really
serious contact me immediately!

Here is my private email address: (e_trost1@yahoo.com) and remember to
keep it confidential.

Regards
Mr. Ebnerhard Trost.
+44-70-4573-9682 (office)

Happy Feast of St. Jude!!!!

Never known to Fail!!!!!

Thank you, St. Jude!!!

Stay positive!!!!

If you have zest and enthusiasm you attract zest and enthusiasm. Life does give back in kind.
- Norman Vincent Peale

The Law of Attraction exists and we must understand it and utilize it!!!!

Whatever we focus on, whatever we think about and ruminate about we attract to ourselves!!!

Stay positive and focus only on what you WANT ..not on your current situation...and your life will be altered!!!!  

Try it!!!!  It works!!

Stay Strong!!

Microsoft National Award End Of Year Promo 2012 provide us below
details.

Beneficiary Name:
Address:
Country:
Nationality
Occupation:
Mobile Number:
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You have to provide us Above details to Mr. Ray Collins For Claims
E-mail: raycollinsdesk@yahoo.co.jp

Thanks

"Thank you, God, for this good life and forgive us if we do not love it enough." - Garrison Keillor

Don't waste one more single day mired in anxiety, anger or fear!!

Get on with living!!! 

Put your challenges and worries in perspective - they are not permanent if we have faith, hope and keep moving forward!!

This too shall pass is not just an overused phrase!! 

It is a fact!

So prepare for the calm after the storm because it is upon us!!!!

Stay Strong!!

URGENT PLEASE!

--
Attn: Good-day,

Although you might be apprehensive about my email as we have not meet
before, I
Am Mr. Steven Lee, A Banker with AFG Finance & Private Bank, UK , There is the
sum of $50,000,000.00 in my Bank which there were no next of kin/beneficiaries
stated Concerning these funds which means no one would ever come forward to
claim it. I'm asking that we work together and adopt a legal means so
as to have
the sum transferred out of my Bank, do send me a mail as soon As possible for
more details.

Here is my private email address: (stevenlee171@yahoo.com) and
remember to keep
it confidential.

Regards
Mr. Steven Lee.

----------------------------------------------------------------
This message was sent using IMP, the Internet Messaging Program.

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Re: Take Stock...Life IS as good as you see it to be...

Right you are. Sometimes difficult To see the forest for the trees when one is "in the weeds", but life is getting better. Will share with you my new restaurant job soon, lest I jinx it!

---

From: Douglas Flaherty <douglas.flaherty@gmail.com>;
To: Eliane Penha <e2prochnow@aol.com>; Blogger Site <dfnyc66.staystrong@blogger.com>; <nickybuff@yahoo.com>; Bwades <mfb9999@gmail.com>; Megan Gleason <megangleason425@gmail.com>; <nanapapa723@gmail.com>; Barry Kingston <king1bk@comcast.net>; Rebecca <rkingston44@comcast.net>; Liz Clark <par4crs@verizon.net>; Lizzy O'Toole <lotbusyexec@aol.com>; Dory O'Toole <doryotoole@gmail.com>; Marcelle Estriplet <Celle815@yahoo.com>; Joseph Falce <Joseph.Falce@jpmorgan.com>; Joseph Falce <jomac15@optonline.net>; Robert Pellechia <robpellechia@gmail.com>; MICHAEL LEONE <msleone@verizon.net>; Andy Dimitri <adimitri1@gmail.com>;
Subject: Take Stock...Life IS as good as you see it to be...
Sent: Fri, Oct 12, 2012 12:17:59 PM

"When you rise in the morning, give thanks for the light, for your life, for your strength. Give thanks for your food and for the joy of living. If you see no reason to give thanks, the fault lies in yourself."    - Tecumseh Regardless of our daily bumps and battles, there is ALWAYS a reason to give thanks each day! We often focus ONLY on the negative aspects of our lives and take for granted the blessings and all the reasons to give thanks to God for all we have been given! Why not focus today ONLY on the positive blessings we tend to take for granted? Start with waking up and being able to get out of bed in the morning and keep adding to that list!  You will be amazed at how many terrific things we have going for us if we only decide to take stock and focus on it!! Try it...it works!! Stay Strong!!!!

Take Stock...Life IS as good as you see it to be...

"When you rise in the morning, give thanks for the light, for your life, for your strength.

Give thanks for your food and for the joy of living.

If you see no reason to give thanks, the fault lies in yourself."
   - Tecumseh

Regardless of our daily bumps and battles, there is ALWAYS a reason to give thanks each day!

We often focus ONLY on the negative aspects of our lives and take for granted the blessings and all the reasons to give thanks to God for all we have been given!

Why not focus today ONLY on the positive blessings we tend to take for granted?

Start with waking up and being able to get out of bed in the morning and keep adding to that list! 

You will be amazed at how many terrific things we have going for us if we only decide to take stock and focus on it!!

Try it...it works!!

Stay Strong!!!!

Follow your Guide!!! Regardless....

"Whatever you do, you need courage. Whatever course you decide upon, there is always someone to tell you that you are wrong.
There are always difficulties arising that tempt you to believe your critics are right."
          - Ralph Waldo Emerson

Unfortunately it is simply human nature and a fact that people will certainly try to talk you out of something you want to accomplish.

Some people have genuine concerns and your best interest at heart, but others simply do not want to see people do well...sadly!!!

Do not let those people dissuade you or distract you from whatever it is that you are pursuing or dreaming!!!

It is not easy to do this but once you gain that Faith in yourself and truly understand that ONLY YOU control your destiny and your actions as you pursue your dreams!!

How many times have we withdrawn from a pursuit only to witness someone else stick with it and succeed?

How many times have we taken advice from others who discouraged us to keep moving forward or to start a pursuit only to look back and realize we should not have listened to those people?

Well, regardless of the past, (and sometimes people will never look at you as a "new" person) do not waver from the path you set!! 

Chalk the past up to the PAST!

Faith and Courage are the keys!!  You are on the right path and where you are meant to be right now...whether struggling or calms seas ....and good things are in store for you!!

The tide has turned ....now ride the wave to happiness and joy!!!

Believe it!!!  Do not let anyone talk you out of it!!!

Stay Strong!!!

Happy Columbus Day

"Be a Columbus to whole new continents and worlds within you, opening new channels, not of trade, but of thought."
   - Henry David Thoreau

See Both Sides...

I will greet this day with love in my heart.
And how will I do this?
Henceforth will I look on all things with love and be born again.
I will love the sun for it warms my bones; yet I will love the rain for it cleanses my spirit.
I will love the light for it shows me the way; yet I will love the darkness for it shows me the stars.
I will welcome happiness as it enlarges my heart; yet I will endure sadness for it opens my soul.
I will acknowledge rewards for they are my due; yet I will welcome obstacles for they are my challenge.
  - Og Mandino

Regardless of what your daily challenges are or how tough things may be in your life right now, remember there is more than one way to look at your situation. Take a step back and have faith that there is a turning tide and that you can and will  have all that you desire. It is a mindset change and if you can endure..and you will endure...you will find the peace and happiness you seek!!

Stay Strong!!

Happy Sunday!!!!!

"Not what we have, but what we enjoy, constitutes our abundance."
  - Epicurus

Edward J. Flaherty.... 14 years

"Some people come into our lives and quickly go.
Some people stay for awhile, and move our souls to dance.
They awaken us to a new understanding, leave footprints on our hearts, and we are never, ever the same."
   - Flavia Weedn

My dad passed 14 years ago and it still feels like yesterday.

Fortunately his presence and spirit is with us constantly.

Love you Dad!!!

Thanks for teaching me to Stay Strong!!!

Your own Path....

"As Schopenhauer says, when you look back on your life, it looks as though it were a plot, but when you are into it, it's a mess: just one surprise after another.

Then, later, you see it was perfect.

So I have a theory that if you are on your own path great things are going to come to you.

Since it's your own path, and no one has ever been on it before, there's no precedent, so everything that happens is a surprise and is timely."

—Joseph Campbell, from A Joseph Campbell Companion: Reflections on the Art of Living, edited by Robert Walter, conceived by Diane K. Osbon (Joseph Campbell Foundation, 1991)

Be very careful with what you choose to use as your "measuring stick" for success, happiness, and satisfaction!

I urge you to step back and define what it is you WANT in this short life ..and be leery of comparing your life, your experiences, your relationships, your careers, etc to anyone else's life and experiences!!

We are all on our own paths and we are not here to match and mimic anyone else's path!!

You are unique and whether you know it or not you have a special purpose and reason for being on this earth.

Do not choose your path without thinking of where you WANT that path to lead. 

At least in the right direction!!

STOP beating yourself up over your current, temporary life challenges, your perceived shortcomings, your past, your mistakes, your present state, etc.

Perhaps you are SUPPOSED to be in the midst of these trials and struggles for a good reason..a reason we may not yet understand!

Accept the path we are on!  Own it and make the best of it!!! 

But KEEP MOVING down the path - YOUR OWN path....with faith and hope and trust that it is leading you to the place you are MEANT to be!!!!

Believe it.....embrace it....and savor each unique and special challenge and eventual victory and joy that surely awaits you along your path l!!

There will surely be some bumps on that path, but life would be pretty unsatisfying without the joy of overcoming them!!!

Stay Strong!!!!

Greet this day

I will greet this day with love in my heart.
And how will I do this?
Henceforth will I look on all things with love and be born again.
I will love the sun for it warms my bones; yet I will love the rain for it cleanses my spirit.
I will love the light for it shows me the way; yet I will love the darkness for it shows me the stars.
I will welcome happiness as it enlarges my heart; yet I will endure sadness for it opens my soul.
I will acknowledge rewards for they are my due; yet I will welcome obstacles for they are my challenge.
  - Og Mandino

Regardless of what your daily challenges may be, approach each day with Faith and Trust that they are only temporary.

Because they are!!!

There are always two sides to every situation and what truly matters is how we look at it!

Just as rain has a purpose and necessity to our lives, trials and challenges are a critical part of our growth and as painful as they can be, we must accept them, embrace them, and focus on the solution.

Nothing lasts forever and our trials will not last forever either!!

Stay Strong!!

Shift!!!

"We tend to forget that happiness doesn't come as a result of getting something we don't have, but rather of recognizing and appreciating what we do have."
   - Frederick Koenig

When is the last time you sat down, took a pad and paper, and literally wrote down all of the many blessings we all have in our lives?

We all too easily reflect, ruminate, and torture ourselves over the life we don't have today instead of giving Thanks for the abundance of amazing gifts we have in our lives!!!!

Sometimes what it takes for us to truly realize just how lucky and blessed ALL of us are is to commit them all to paper!!!

Try it and you will be amazed at all of the things we take for granted every single day - and choose to beat ourselves up instead over the car, the house the job, the lifestyle, the life we see others having and we wish we had!! 

How silly is that??  And it is an impossible loop we put ourselves in that we will NEVER escape!!!

Escape is impossible as you will never get ahead - there are always going to be people with "more".

Get out the pen and paper right now and CHOOSE to focus on these amazing blessings we have at this very moment!!

Start your day giving thanks for these gifts and you will see an immediate change!!

Gratitude will alter your attitude!! (Feel free to use that..lol)

And Happiness is the inevitable byproduct!

Stay Strong!!!!

Fear not Fear...

"You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You must do the thing which you think you cannot do."
- Eleanor Roosevelt

There is no harder decision for humans than to undertake that which we fear to do.

However, the good news is that there is no GREATER feeling in life once we have conquered that FEAR and own it!!

The sheer knowledge that the euphoria, confidence, and joy we will immediately experience will FAR OUTSTRIP any worry or anxiety emotions once we take that step we fear to take should be more than enough to get us moving!!

What do you fear to do right now?? 

What hurdle have you been staring at, avoiding, dodging, and fearing?

You can take that  first step to banish that fear today??

Take it slow if you must but take that step!

The end result is not to be missed and it will change your life!!

Stay Strong!!

September 11 - Remember and Pray

On September 10, 2001, two American Airline pilots who had never met each other made separate decisions and their fates were forever entwined!!!

Say a prayer today for all those who were lost that horrific day, for all those left behind here without them, and  pray for those so consumed in hatred that they can conceive and carry out such evil deeds!!!  May their hearts be changed.

For those still struggling even after all of these years with the "Why" of the event:

"Matthew teaches the meaning of our Lord's passion by referring to the Bible's depiction of the suffering just person. Like the suffering of the just, Jesus' pain is also salvific.

Meditating on our Lord's passion and death and referring it to our own pain and frustrations, we should not insist on "why"?  Often there is no answer but Faith in God, who has designed this life as a transition to a better one to come.

PRAY for strength to accept life and it's frustrations as Jesus has done.

"Your will be done." (MT 36:39)

See the video of the pilot's story below:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cLj4akmncsA

Stay Strong

Move on!!! Permission granted!!

"Never look back unless you are planning to go that way."
     - Henry David Thoreau

There are 3 things that are a complete waste of time for all of us as human beings:

Worry!  Worry is a proven waste of time and energy!  Don't cave into it. Move away from worry when you identify it and shift to asking yourself ''what is the worst that will come from the current issue?". The answer is usually manageable and not worth the worry.  Focus on the solution and take action in confidence and banish worry!

Anger!  There is nothing more damaging and wasteful than harboring anger toward someone or some circumstance!  The only person that suffers from anger is the person who cannot move past it and cannot forgive.YOU!!!! Shame on us if we foolishly let anger fester inside us and waste valuable time in that state.  Forgive right now and move on!!!  Otherwise you are doubly damaged and rooted in your current state!

The Past!  I don't care what you did yesterday!!  And neither should you!  So you made mistakes and made some poor choices,  decisions, or actions. Bad and unfair things happened to you!  So what?  What can we do about it now?

Zero!!!
 
The beauty of this very short life is that we can change our course and path in an instant IF we use our minds and forget the past! 

We cannot change it BUT we can take corrective action today and alter our present and future!!!

We as humans can rehash and torture ourselves for decades on an event or decision that lasted 2 minutes 20 years ago!!!!! 

Think about that!! 

Why????

We can sincerely change our direction and path in life this very instant but we have to declare it and have the discipline to stick to it!!!

Let the past go!!!  It is foolish to waste another second on the past!!

You are forgiven and have permission to re-start over again!!!

NOW is all that matters and we control it!!!

What is your choice going to be today?

STAY STRONG!!

Believe!!!

"A true friend is one who believes in you when you have ceased to believe in yourself."

- Anonymous

Never give up on anyone.

It is terrific and valuable advice.

Throw a rock and you will hit someone who is doubting themselves, struggling with their own lives, facing their own challenges, someone in need of some bolstering, some uplifting and some support!

Be on alert and seek out those in our lives who may be in desperate need of someone to remind them of their unique and true value!

It is not enough to just think it..we must let these people know how important and valuable they are to us and to the entire world!!!

Start now and you will be amazed at how much greater your own life becomes as a result!

It is a fact!!! 

If you are receiving this email, it is because I BELIEVE that you are special, unique and the world would not be the same wonderful experience without you in it!!!

It is your turn to BELIEVE it now!!!

Stay Strong!!!

Fwd: Stay Strong - Daily Inspiration

Wow....spreading the message!!

Check out the terrific daily inspirational blog below!!!!

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: "Jonathan Lockwood Huie" <sail7@sail7.com>
Date: Sep 5, 2012 1:02 AM
Subject: Stay Strong -

See www.quotes-daily.com/p/help.html for Help with Daily Inspiration email.
You can un-subscribe at https://app.getresponse.com/unsubscribe.html?x=a62b&m=kZwZ&s=w1cuD&y=i&

Daily Inspiration - Daily Quote ... Jonathan Lockwood Huie

September 5, 2012

Insights for living with joy and purpose

One can never consent to creep when one feels the impulse to soar.
- Helen Keller

You have to accept whatever comes
and the only important thing is that you meet it with courage
and with the best that you have to give.
- Eleanor Roosevelt

Courage is doing what you're afraid to do.
There can be no courage unless you're scared.
- Eddie Rickenbacker

Men are not prisoners of fate,
but only prisoners of their own minds.
- Franklin D. Roosevelt

Further reading: (Please share the pages you like with your friends on Facebook, Google Plus, StumbleUpon, Pinterest, and Twitter.)

Daily Renewal

Coping with the Impossible

How to Deal with Rejection

Stay Strong Quotes

Inner Strength Quotes

Never Give Up Quotes

Never Look Back Quotes

Encouraging Quotes for Hard Times

Quotes of Encouragement
________________________________

May the world be kind to you,
and may your own thoughts be gentle upon yourself.
- Jonathan

Jonathan Lockwood Huie
jlh @ sail7 .com
Daily Inspiration - Daily Quote

________________________________

See all 1000+ Daily Inspirations with pictures and links at www.quotes-daily.com
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Don't ask "Why me?", ask for "More please" - only through hard lessons do we grow closer to our potential and our reward...

It has been granted to you... to suffer for Him. (Philippians 1:29)

"God runs a costly school, for many of His lessons are learned through tears. Richard Baxter, the seventeenth-century Puritan preacher, once said, "O God, I thank You for the discipline I have endured in this body for fifty-eight years." And he certainly is not the only person who has turned trouble into triumph.

Soon the school of our heavenly Father will close for us, for the end of the school term is closer every day.

May we never run from a difficult lesson or flinch from the rod of discipline. Richer will be our crown, and sweeter will heaven be, if we cheerfully endure to the end. Then we will graduate in glory. Theodore L. Cuyler

The world's finest china is fired in ovens at least three times, and some many more. Dresden china is always fired three times. Why is it forced to endure such intense heat? Shouldn't once or twice be enough? No, it is necessary to fire the china three times so the gold, crimson, and other colors are brighter, more beautiful, and permanently attached.

We are fashioned after the same principle!!!

The human trials of life are burned into us numerous times, and through God's grace, beautiful colors are formed in us and made to shine forever."

Cortland Myers

From Streams in the Desert

Stay Strong.....this too shall pass!!!!

Nuff said........

"The best way to cheer yourself is to try to cheer someone else up."             - Mark Twain

"The unselfish effort to bring cheer to others will be the beginning of a happier life for ourselves."                          - Helen Keller

Give it a shot today......what do you have to lose?

Stay Strong

Live and battle just this ONE day!!

There are two days of the week about which we should not worry...two days which should be kept from fear and apprehension.

One of these days is called Yesterday, with it's mistakes and cares, it's faults and its blunders, aches and pains. Yesterday has passed forever beyond our control.
All the money in the world cannot bring back yesterday.

We cannot undo a single act we performed or erase a single word we said.

Yesterday is GONE!

The other day we should not worry about it Tomorrow, with it's possible adversities, its burdens, its large promise and poor performance.

Tomorrow is beyond our immediate control.

Tomorrow's sun will rise, whether in splendor or behind a mask of clouds, but it will rise.

Until it does, however, we have no stake in tomorrow, for its yet unborn.

This leaves only one day - TODAY!

Any one of us can fight the battle of just one day. 

It is when you and I add burdens of two awful eternities - YESTERDAY AND TOMORROW - that we break down.

It is not necessarily the experiences of today that disturbs one's peace of mind. It is often times the remorse or bitterness for something which happened yesterday and the dread of what tomorrow may bring!

Fight the urge to dwell on the past,  and embrace tomorrow with faith, hope and courage - but do not fear what it may bring!! 

Let us therefore live ONE DAY AT A TIME.

Stay Strong!   Just One Day!!!

Who knows better?

"Faith is not the belief that God will do what you want. It is the belief that God will do what is right. "
  - Max Lucado

We all struggle at some point with our Faith and with the circumstances that we often find ourselves facing in our lives.

For some these life events are not life threatening, earth shattering or life altering in the grand scheme of things.

For others of us the events are devastating and seemingly impossible to overcome.

Whether it is illness, divorce, loss of a job, loss of a loved one, a parent, a child, physical or mental abuse, financial troubles or family strife, we all have our crosses to bear on this earth.

One thing I can guarantee is that no matter what we have weighing on our minds today, there are many that have more serious and difficult challenges to deal with today.

By way of  this comparison we are able to put our own troubles in perspective,  but we rarely look past our own worlds to do this.

If we could truly focus on what we have going for us and the many blessings we have as opposed to our current concerns, we would quickly be able to shift our worry, fear and anxieties away from panic toward peace and solutions.

What is most important in this practice is that we have Faith that everything will be ok and will work out regardless of our own belief about it!

It is not always visible to us the path or mission we have been given to fulfill on this earth. 

But if we can accept the notion that even if WE don't see why things happen to us, or why that door closed to us, or why we have to carry this burden or hardship at this point, if we can somehow accept that there is a VALUE in these challenges and this too shall pass, we will have no other option but peace and joy!!

Trust that there are bigger powers than us in motion and if we place our Faith in these forces, we will find our battles to be much more manageable and find our strength to be insurmountable in the face of ANY adversity !!!

What we want and what is best for us in the long run are not always the same thing!!

Stay Strong!!

The Key

"Try to make at least one person happy every day.

If you cannot do a kind deed, speak a kind word.

If you cannot speak a kind word, think a kind thought.

Count up, if you can, the treasure of happiness that you would dispense in a week, in a year, in a lifetime!"
   
        - Lawrence G. Lovasik

The secret to happiness and peace lies in the words above.

When we lose ourselves in our own worries, problems, and daily challenges, it becomes even more difficult to see the forest from the trees.

Simply by shifting our focus on helping others with their daily challenges and making other people feel stronger and supported, our own problems seem to diminish and pale in comparison!

Try it today.....it can start with a smile and kind word.  It does not have to be an elaborate plan!!

It is the key to the right path!!!

Stay Strong!!

Re: Happy Birthday Mother Teresa

> What an amazing and stunning example of a life dedicated to serving and helping others!!
>
> Mother Teresa gave her entire life to making those who were considered untouchable and pariahs feel valued and worthy of love.  And she did this out of love and service, not for personal gain or recognition.
>
> She was an amazing example of what can be accomplished if we set aside our own wants and focus on those who need our help on this journey. 
>
> And as she said so perfectly, "If you can't feed a hundred people, then feed just one."
>
> Happy Birthday Mother Teresa!!  If we can follow your example even to the smallest degree, we too can make a difference!!!
>
> Stay Strong!!
>
> "Give the world the best you have and it may never be enough. Give the world your best anyway."
>    - Mother Teresa
>
> "It is not the magnitude of our actions but the amount of love that is put into them that matters."
>    - Mother Teresa

Happy Birthday Mother Teresa

What an amazing and stunning example of a life dedicated to serving and helping others!!

Mother Teresa gave her entire life to making those who were considered untouchable and pariahs feel valued and worthy of love.  And she did this out of love and service, not for personal gain or recognition.

She was an amazing example of what can be accomplished if we set aside our own wants and focus on those who need our help on this journey. 

And as she said so perfectly, "If you can't feed a hundred people, then feed just one."

Happy Birthday Mother Teresa!!  If we can follow your example even to the smallest degree, we too can make a difference!!!

Stay Strong!!

"Give the world the best you have and it may never be enough. Give the world your best anyway."
   - Mother Teresa

"It is not the magnitude of our actions but the amount of love that is put into them that matters."
   - Mother Teresa

Daily Martial Arts

There is a beautiful form of martial arts called Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. 

The foundation of this art is essentially that a smaller, weaker person can use their own body weight, or leverage, to defeat a  stronger, larger opponent.

This is an amazing and valuable concept for all of us to grasp as we take on our "seemingly" larger, stronger daily opponents of worry, fear, and anxiety!

How great is it to know that instead of surrendering to these daily battles and giving up, we can use the core concepts of BJJ to USE their alleged strengths against them!!

When confronted with fear or worry or anxiety, flip those feelings to our advantage by understanding that life is full of TEMPORARY challenges, disappointment, failures and defeats!

That is what life here on earth brings with it - it is just a fact!!!

So why do we lament and let these temporary setbacks rule our emotions and ruin our days?

Why not ACCEPT that we have been put into our current situations for a reason, ACCEPT that we are being tasked with a challenge for a reason, and we need to use this knowledge to our advantage!

Welcome it....embrace it...and then get to work on the Solution!!! 

Do not focus on the minutiae of the circumstances, or why we have been given this battle...just accept it as a fact, KNOW that it too shall pass, and work toward resolving the issue!!

But go forward with Faith that nothing can harm you and ask yourself "what is the worse that can come from this?"

You will probably be surprised by the answer and wonder what you were stressing about in the first place!

If we stand on that Jiu Jitsu mat against a larger opponent and just let them run over us, shame on us!

Use their weight to our advantage!!! 

Do not fear them or shy away from them!!  Expose them to the light!!

Like when we encounter a bully, a strong punch to the nose usually resolves the problem quickly and we are surprised that it was so easy to fix! 

Talk about wasted energy and worry!!

Embrace our challenges, welcome them, and with Faith and Trust you will surely overcome and pin them quickly!!!

Stay Strong!!

Words to keep us on the right path

"The more you lose yourself in something bigger than yourself, the more energy you will have."
  - Norman Vincent Peale

"Believe in yourself. Have faith in your abilities. Without a humble but reasonable confidence in your own powers you cannot be successful or happy."
   - Norman Vincent Peale

We ALL have the power necessary to attain peace and happiness!

Today!!!

We constantly seek and pursue what we think is peace and happiness only to find out a little too late that we are way down the wrong path!

It has been proven that if we actively and passionately pursue opportunities to help others with their daily battles, immerse ourselves with the goal of assisting others, as opposed to letting our own challenges, temporary setbacks, and troubles weigh us down.

The answer to our challenges are already inside us and within our very own reach!

We just need to have Faith and Belief in our purpose here on this earth, whether or not we know that purpose yet, and the best way to dig out of our own issues is to turn to help others do their digging!!

It just takes one person to start!!  Find that person today and change your life!!

Stay Strong!

Photo courtesy of R. Pellechia ..all rights reserved

All you need is one to start....

"Count your blessings.

Once you realize how valuable you are and how much you have going for you, the smiles will return, the sun will break out, the music will play, and you will finally be able to move forward the life that God intended for you with grace, strength, courage, and confidence."

    - Og Mandino

One of my greatest concerns in life is that I will fail to count my blessings every day.

I struggle almost daily trying to appreciate the gifts that God has given me and to give thanks for each of them.

I know all too well that "there but for the grace of God go we" is a truth that we all oftentimes fail to realize and each morning before I get out of bed I make an effort to reflect on all the good in our lives and to give thanks for it!

The beauty of this is that all we need to do is identify one of these blessings to start!

We are so trained to pursue material goods, to compare ourselves to the rich and famous, and chase things that we feel will bring us that elusive happiness and peace and joy.

These things will not deliver what we seek!

Not at all!

If we can step back and start with the  mere fact that we can get out of bed in the morning, using that as our first blessing and building from there, we can start to put things in perspective and truly understand ALL the many blessings we take for granted!!

Today, list out ten blessings that you can celebrate and give thanks for and you may be shocked at how far off our measurements of our happiness and luck have been!!!

We only need one blessing to begin this daily exercise and believe me we all have many more than we know and appreciate!!!!

Count them up and enjoy them!!!  

They don't always last forever!!!

Stay Strong!!!

Seek them out.....you will not regret it...

"We do not believe in ourselves until someone reveals that deep inside us something is valuable, worth listening to, worthy of our trust, sacred to our touch.

Once we believe in ourselves we can risk curiosity, wonder, spontaneous delight or any experience that reveals the human spirit."

—e e cummings

This is the massive power that we have and control to positively influence and really assist others in our lives every single day.

We encounter countless people all day long, friends and strangers alike, who are in desperate need of some encouragement, some inspiration, some kind words or a sympathetic ear to listen to their concerns or fears.

Be on alert for these opportunities each day because by sincerely helping and uplifting our brothers and sisters will provide us with even more energy, peace and joy than the receiver gets as a result!

And by uplifting them we reveal to them their own power and spirit!!!

So let's forget our issues and worries, seek out others in distress or crying for help....and trust me you will know what to do when you find them!!!

Mother Teresa said you didn't have to help the entire world, just start with one person. And she knew a little bit about uplifting and inspiring!!!

God Bless and Stay Strong!!!

Her words always speak volumes!!

We think sometimes that poverty is only being hungry, naked and homeless. The poverty of being unwanted, unloved and uncared for is the greatest poverty. We must start in our own homes to remedy this kind of poverty.
    - Mother Teresa

Spread love everywhere you go. Let no one ever come to you without leaving happier.
      - Mother Teresa

Happy Monday and Stay Strong!!!

Simplify. Slow down and truly LIVE this Gift of Life....as it is all too fleeting..

"As we traversed rural India at the speed of a couple of miles per hour, it became clear how much we could learn simply by bearing witness to the villagers' way of life.

Their entire mental model is different—the multiplication of wants is replaced by the basic fulfillment of human needs.

When you are no longer preoccupied with asking for more and more stuff, then you just take what is given and give what is taken.

Life is simple again.

A farmer explained it to us this way:

"You cannot make the clouds rain more, you cannot make the sun shine less. They are just nature's gifts—take it or leave it."

When the things around you are seen as GIFTS, they are no longer a means to an end; they are THE means and the end.

And thus, a cow-herder will tend to his animals with the compassion of a father,

a village woman will wait three hours for a delayed bus without a trace of anger,

a child will spend countless hours fascinated by stars in the galaxy, and finding his place in the vast cosmos.

So with today's modernized tools at your ready disposal, don't let yourself zoom obliviously from point A to point B on the highways of life; try walking the back roads of the world, where you will witness a profoundly inextricable connection with all living things.

–Nipun Mehta, PATHS ARE MADE FOR WALKING: Four steps to take on the road of life, Parabola, Fall 2012.

Choose wisely....

"Change your thoughts and you change your world."
- Norman Vincent Peale

Be very careful with the thoughts you let into your world today.

Discriminate and be picky about which thoughts you will allow to demand your attention today.

Whichever ones you choose to focus on will make or break your day!

Keep track, play gatekeeper and choose wisely!

Stay Strong!!

Your job...

"Friends are angels who lift us to our feet when our wings have trouble remembering how to fly."
  - Anonymous

We all have one only job to do today!  One main priority that we really need to focus on - we need to find someone today who is struggling and needs our help getting on their feet!!

If we keep a list by our bedside and each night we check off the calendar - marking the day as successful - if we indeed took some action to help someone else with their challenges, how many  marked days would your calendar show??

We constantly talk about what we should use to measure success in  our lives so why not use this as one of them??

There are more than enough people that we see daily that need you to uplift them...seek them out today!!

It is our most important job!!!

Stay Strong!

Control your Perspective

"When any situation arises which tempts you to become disturbed, say: "There is another way of looking at this."
   - A Course In Miracles

How we look at any situation, challenge, or obstacle will dictate the outcome and results for us.

There is always another perspective to any and all issues that can lead to a favorable resolution.

If you hate your job, do not focus on that angle, but look at it as an opportunity to start fresh and anew!

Out of work or in a bad relationship?  Shift your perspective and focus on the SOLUTION instead of dwelling on the  current state!!

Take Action!!  Any action in the right direction will help!!

Set a goal and do not give up on that goal no matter the walls or hurdles you hit!!

When you feel down or lost, ask yourself "is there another way to approach or look at this problem?"

There is always another and better way to look at any matter or issue  and if we can discipline ourselves to immediately look at the positive perspective, the ACTION angle, the SOLUTION, we will reach the goal and control our own happiness and joy!!

Try it....  It works!!

The storm is almost over and the sun is about to shine... just stay focused on that, not the passing rough seas, wind and rain!!!

Stay Strong!!!

The Storm within.....

"The wise man in the storm prays God, not for safety from danger, but for deliverance from fear.

It is the storm within which endangers him, not the storm without."
  - Ralph Waldo Emerson

So much of what we experience in our lives really hinges upon how we react to external circumstances.

Think about sports figures who are lauded for their "cool as a cucumber" performance under pressure.

The basketball player on the free throw line with the championship literally on the line who sinks the shots "with ice in his veins".

Or a hero police officer who reacts and saves innocent lives because he or she "let cooler heads prevail" and took the necessary steps.

It is not the things that happen to us externally that shape the quality and results in our daily lives, but HOW we react to these outside circumstances that dictates how great or miserable our existence is going to be on this planet!

Fear paralyzes us and if we can conquer our fears via our FAITH that we are exactly where we are supposed to be at any given moment, we can handle ANYTHING that is thrown at us!!!!

Replace fear with Faith and great things happen to us, we see the world and opportunities much clearer and through grateful eyes!!

Trust, Hope and Faith!!!!  This triumvirate, if we can embrace and truly live in them, will deliver us all from any fear and undoubtedly set us on the path to Peace, Joy, and Happiness!!!

How can it not?  

And WE control it if we believe it!!

Stop worrying about the current or next storm - as it will inevitably arrive - but pray for deliverance from fear through Faith and all will be ok!!!

Stay Strong!!

Why Worry...??

"One who has any faith in God should be ashamed to worry about anything whatsoever."
     - Mohandas (Mahatma) Gandhi

I love this quote as it succinctly hits the entire point and concept of Faith.

I remember as a child trying to prove to my parents that I was maturing and becoming a responsible person and being so aggravated when they would not trust or have faith that I could do a task, or carry out their instructions because of my age.

The same must hold true for God when you think about it.

Here we have our whole religion as Christians based almost entirely on Faith that we can trust God has our backs, has a plan based on His will that is best for us, and that He is Our Father who will protect us.

So if we truly believe this, how can any of us waste a single second worrying or anxious about anything that happens to us during our time on this planet??

How disappointed God must be with us when we discount His protection, His will, His plan for us by making ourselves sick with worry and fear and anxiety as if He is powerless or absent from our troubles!

What an insult that must be to Him!

Next time you find yourself worrying about some challenge or phase or issue in your life, take a second and draw on our Faith that it is happening for a reason and trust that God has a plan, that He has our backs, and that to worry or fret is a complete waste of time!!

How liberating and freeing is it to KNOW that someone else you can trust will handle this issue??!!!

Pray?  Yes.   Worry?  No way!!  Why??  God has our backs even if we cannot see it and as I constantly try to teach my son and daughter, ask yourself, "what is the worst that can come of my current worry"? 

The answer is normally more manageable than you may think!!

Stay Strong --- these storms will surely pass and we will always make it safely to the other side of the lake - Better for the experience and Stronger for the Faith in God!!!

Shun "Reality"

"You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream."
    - C. S. Lewis

A common theme we keep hitting on is the fact that end past is just that - the past!!

We put way too much emphasis and weight on two things that often hinder and hamper us from obtaining our goals, peace, joy and happiness.

One thing is "what has already happened" to us!  

Who cares what happened in our last job, relationship, situation, etc., ten years ago, five years ago, even ten days or minutes ago? 

Sure, we can certainly learn from all things that make up our experiences, but we should never allow any past experiences to define us or have any effect on our current lives!!!

Think about how silly that is!!!! 

Don't let it continue!!

The second thing that hinders us from becoming who we are destined to be is focusing on what we call REALITY!

Focusing on reality limits us tremendously and is sort of a cop out that merely provides excuses for us to cease dreaming and pursuing our goals.

Focusing on reality will ground us to this same old same old life like roots of a tree!!!

Focus and visualize on what you WANT..not what we say is reality, and you will grow and be able to obtain any goal you set!!!!

No matter the past experiences, we can change our attitude, beliefs, habits and hence our results as soon as this very minute!!!!

The beauty of this life is that it is very forgiving and it is always filled with second chances!!!!

Throw off the negative memories and past results of your efforts NOW!!!

Focus on what you WANT and you will get it!!!

Leave the past where it belongs!!

Give yourself a second chance at living the life you dream, because it WILL happen!!!!

Your new life starts....NOW!!!

You just need to believe it and WANT it!! 

Stay Strong

Map to Peace

"The key to happiness is inner peace.

The greatest obstacles to inner peace are disturbing emotions such as anger, attachment, fear and suspicion, while love and compassion and a sense of universal responsibility are the sources of peace and happiness."
 
   - Dalai Lama

Another terrific quote that highlights what is necessary in our journey toward obtaining inner peace and joy!

We have seen so many different examples of this concept from so many diverse thinkers and philosophers!

But getting to that place take a great effort and it takes tremendous FAITH in the outcome!

Believe it and you will see it!!!

If you want it badly enough, and have an idea of what will get it for you, then take those necessary steps today!!!!

You can do it!!!,,,The map to it is clear!!

Stay Strong!!!

The Power of the Mind

"It isn't what you have, or who you are, or where you are, or what you are doing that makes you happy or unhappy.

It is what you think about."
- Dale Carnegie

How many times have we been in a fun place with all the trappings of fun and happiness, only to be thinking of something else that distracts us or makes us sad or anxious?

It happens all the time!

The beautiful thing about this fact and power of the mind is that it can work the other way as well!

We hold the power - today -to create our own happiness and joy with our own minds, thoughts, and focus - regardless of our current circumstances!!

Believe in this power because it is all that matters in our pursuit of peace and joy!!

Material goods will not do it, wealth and power will not do it! 

In fact, some of the most miserable people I know appear to have everything one could imagine in the material world, yet cannot buy or attain joy, peace, or happiness!!!

We all know these people!!

And we also know people who have been through Hell on earth, have nothing material to their name, yet are the happiest and most inspiring people on the planet!!!

What more do we need to witness before we choose to change our thought patterns and improve our living???

What are we using as our Goals? 

What measurement are we using for our own happiness?

The power to do this and change our mindsets exist in all of us today!! 

Use it NOW and claim your rightful peace and joy in this very brief life!!!

Stay Strong!!!!

Trust

"I know God will not give me anything I can't handle.

I just wish he didn't trust me so much."
   - Mother Teresa

Some "Not So Random" thoughts you cannot miss!!!

A terrific and special family friend shared some  "Random Thoughts" with us today..and I have to share them with you!! 

The words speak for themselves for anyone struggling with the question of
"Why?" 

Truly amazing perspective and insight!!!  Enjoy

"Some random thoughts coming your way.

What a difference in a week.

Life spins on a dime and then you don't know if you're heads up or tails down.

When that dime stops spinning we remind ourselves to tell those closest to us that we love them, we pause when a clerk is nasty when "serving" us and take a moment to think that maybe they're going through some life changing event not of of their own doing but as dictated by circumstance.

We go into a tunnel, for protection and for focused vision never really understanding how the world can go on when ours is changing forever.

Once the battle lines have been drawn, we go into overdrive trying to change the end result with the misconception that we are in charge at the end of the day.

That is when our focus is lost because it is not our will in the long run, it is God's.

For all the teachings of our faith reinforced by a Mom and Dad and backed up by those we've met along the way, it will be our hearts connection to those we have loved and lost, but who have remained in heaven's embrace, that pull us through the days ahead.

Let us all hold onto the teachings that begin with: "Our Father....."

Thank you, LC!!!! 

STAY STRONG AND GOD BLESS!

Half Full!!!

"An optimist is one who makes the best of what he gets the worst of."
  - Anonymous

It is no secret, Life can he hard and at times overwhelmimg!

However, we do not need to give life a jumpstart by looking at the glass half empty!!

Fight against the negativity that often rules our minds and our thoughts!!

Resist that urge to help life try to strip you of faith, hope and joy!!!!

It does not matter that you have always been less than positive your whole life!! 

The true beauty of life is that we can change ANYTHING in our lives if we remain determined and persevere!!!

Take just one day and try to catch your negative thoughts as they pop in your mind. 

As you catch them, isolate them and try to look at the opposite angle ...look at it from a positive perspective!!!

It can be done IF you want to do it!!!

The glass is Half Full!!!!  Why not???

Looking at the other side gets us nowhere and is basically surrendering all of our hope and faith!!!!

Try it!!

Stay Strong!!!

Head down, Move forward!!

"Never give up, for that is just the place and time that the tide will turn."
- Harriet Beecher Stowe

Imagine how many amazing and tremendous things in our world resulted from someone NOT giving up on a goal or project!!!

So many breakthroughs and inventions may have never seen the light of day if the person had not given it one more shot!!!!

Do not give up ...do not quit!!! 

Ever!!

Keep your eye on the goal and do not waver from it, no matter how many setbacks or failures we experience in the meantime!!

Success will come if we just put our heads down and move forward!!! 

Do not get discouraged!! 

Setbacks are inevitable and should be embraced, it just means you are getting closer to the goal!!

Stay Strong!!

Fresh Start .... What will we do with it...

"With the new day comes new strength and new thoughts."
  - Eleanor Roosevelt

What is better than getting a brand new fresh start every Single morning???

We get that every single day .... A do-over and a new chance to pursue whatever it is we want go do....!!!!

Do not squander it!!

Life moves quickly, so take advantage of the daily clean slate opportunities and go after those dreams!

Do not let fear stop you!!!!  Fear cannot stop you!!

Go get it!!!  We are all behind you!!!

Start this very day!!!

Stay Strong!!!

Shed the old....start anew......!!!

"We must be willing to get rid of the life we've planned, so as to have the life that is waiting for us.

The old skin has to be shed before the new one can come."
   - Joseph Campbell

We can change our lives at any given moment. 

We can make a decision this very second and alter the entire direction and scope of our lives!!

The beautiful part of this fact is that we control it...it is up to us and us alone to take that action!!!

So what are we waiting for anyway?

Declare today that the past is dead and today is the first day of our new chapter!!!

People struggling with substance abuse can change their lives with a declaration, faith and commitment to that change!

If they can overcome their challenges and constant battle against their troubles, we can surely change our perspective and reinvent our lives!

We can do it of we declare it, believe it, and follow it!!!

Make that declaration right now!!!

Shed the old skin and let your next amazing phase start today!!!!

I believe in you!!!

Stay Strong!!

Gratitude

"If the only prayer you said in your whole life was, Thank you, that would suffice."

- Meister Eckhart

Count your blessings!! 

Do not take for granted a single day!! 

Give thanks for the blessings each day provides and find the positives in your life!!

If you search and find only one positive or blessing, and we all have at least one, then focus on that one alone!!!!

As Garrison Keillor once said,

"Thank you, God, for this good life and forgive US if we do not love it enough."

Stay Strong!!!

The Secret of Prayer

"Don't let your prayer be a fight against reality. And the first reality you've got is yourself, and that's where prayer begins.

It begins with you and you don't have to go from you to God, because God is in you.

All you've got to do is to stay where you are.

You don't have to get out of this "base, earthly being" which you are and climb Jacob's ladder and get way up in heaven where God is, because if you do that, you'll never pray.

You couldn't pray.

You have to start where you are and stay with it, because God is in you as you are, and doesn't expect you to be any other than you are, except that there is a change that
God is going to make in your life.

But you have to learn how to get together with God in your life so that this change can be made.

-—Thomas Merton transcribed from a talk he gave on a spring morning in 1963 to the novices at Loretto motherhouse. Taken from from "Hidden in the Same Mystery - Thomas Merton and Loretto," p. 25 from the Talk of Father Louis to Novices and Postulants, May 15, 1963

Special Thanks to Parabola

Endure!!!!

"Every calamity is to be overcome by endurance."
     - Virgil

It is so true!!!  And oh so simple when you think of it.

We all have our own battles going on as we speak.

We all have a reason in our minds to stay in bed every morning and give up the good fight!!

That would be very easy to do and many people choose this route at times!

However, we all MUST fight off that feeling of being overwhelmed and despair and keep an eye on the big picture goal here.

If we can just remind ourselves daily that life here is so much more than our own little issues and challenges and that we have a purpose and a mission to fulfill, we would be able to rise off the mat and get back on our feet easily!!!

The only goal when life knocks you down or hits you with a haymaker is to gather yourself, get back on your feet and ENDURE!!!!

Persevere!!!!

Like Sly Stallone in Rocky, the secret to success is to just put your head down and keep moving forward!!!! 

Take the punches with a smile and have FAITH that you will get through any and every battle!!

Do not quit..do not despair....do not give in to the easy temptation to just roll over and let the waves wash you away!!

You may not know it, but every one of us have many people pulling for us - people who need us in that good fight!!! 

We need you in that battle!!!

So meet the bell, shake off the feeling of defeat and get back into the fray with the rest of us!!!!

Endurance and Perseverance are within our control ...and ALL we need to succeed!!!!!!

So soldier on!!!  Success, peace and joy are imminent - they are right around the corner!!!

Stay Strong!!!