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!!!

Happy Independence Day!!!

"All the great things are simple, and many can be expressed in a single word:

Freedom, Justice, Honor, Duty, Mercy, Hope."
  
   - Winston Churchill

Freedom is one inalienable right that we in this still great but struggling country take for granted every day.

Pause today and give thanks to those brave and determined souls who brought this right to us, and died to gain it for a nation.

And say a prayer at some point today for those brave and courageous souls who today still put their very lives on the line for all of us to preserve that right as we barbeque and enjoy our loved ones under the very blanket of freedom that they provide to us.

Let us remember these special and selfless men and wowen - past and present - as the fireworks illuminate the sky and we celebrate that indefinable spirit of life, liberty and freedom today!!

God save and preserve our wonderful country!!!

Stay Strong - Stay Free!!!

Offering

"I offer you peace.
I offer you love.
I offer you friendship.
I see your beauty.
I hear your need.
I feel your feelings.
My wisdom flows from the Highest Source.
I salute that Source in you.
Let us work together for unity and love.
    - Mohandas (Mahatma) Gandhi

Blessings

"Joy is what happens to us when we allow ourselves to recognize how good things really are."

- Anonymous

Do not take a single moment of this life for granted.

The good and the bad, the challenges and the joys, the struggles and the victories, the defeats and the triumphs!

They all add up and blend into what we call the story of our lives...

Do not rush to the ending just yet!!!

Savor each chapter, even the painful ones, because those too shall pass!!!!

And having overcome the hurdles and obstacles in our way, we will emerge stronger, more grateful and understanding, and confident that we can handle ANYTHING life throws in our way!!

Embrace the challenges and have FAITH that all will be ok when the house lights come on!!!

Because it all will....!!!!!

Stay Strong!!!