John Challis 1989 -2008

Courage + Believe = Life!!

John Challis -- the courageous and inspirational teenager we chronicled here on this Blog focused on Strength, Courage, and Inspiration - has passed away after a hard-fought Battle with his Cancer!

Our thoughts and prayers go out to him and his family.

We will NEVER forget his bravery and Spirit during his fight - and the Message he shared with us all ... COURAGE + BELIEVE = LIFE!!

He will always remain an inspiration to us all!!

You can see the video on John here... if you missed it on this site before --- please do not miss it again here!

http://sports.espn.go.com/broadband/video/videopage?videoId=3543534

An old Irish funeral prayer:

Here, freed from pain, secure from misery, lies

A child, the darling of his parents' eyes:

A gentler Lamb ne'er sported on the plain,

A fairer flower will never bloom again:

Few were the days allotted to his breath;

Now let him sleep in peace his night of death.

- Thomas Gray

God Bless and Stay Strong!

Some Powerful Thoughts from Teach U...

STAY STRONG

What's truly important now- at this moment - is to SMILE!

This shows you're content with where you are NOW, and it invites your neighbors into this MOMENT of contentedness.

Spread that smile in the next moment and when you do cross that path, when a smile is missing-look and search out that neighbor's smile that you put there in the moment that had passed.

I am in search of a smile FROM you.

I will do my best to smile FOR you.

It's not easy to be content, it's not easy to battle negatives-

But it is easy to smile!

--- Teach U

Keep up the Good Fight!!

Hey - I know it ain't EASY to constantly battle Negative Thoughts and to identify these "killers" as they occur!

I know by experience that it can be overwhelming to repeatedly pushback on these seemingly invincible powers that aim to render us weak and powerless and slaves to every negative thought that infiltrates our minds!

I know - I understand!! I am with you!!!

However, WE HAVE NO CHOICE!!!! Zero!!! Not one iota of a choice but to keep fighting the good fight to banish and/or destroy these false beliefs, nagging negative nay-sayers that keep us from living our DREAM LIFE!!

Understand this - we -ALL OF US - are in a Battle for our Lives!!! Maybe not life-or-death, but just as SERIOUS!!! It is the battle to decide if we live out our existence here as weaklings, afraid of everything and everyone, and biding our time until the Grim Reaper calls our number.... OR as Strong, Confident, Powerful. Loving, compassionate, JOYOUS and GRATEFUL beings - seeing what we want and going after it with our entire mind, body and SOUL - cloaked in Positive and Strong ENERGY!!!

That is what is at stake here for all of us!!

Which one do you want to experience??

Well - it is not an EASY battle but it is a Battle we all CAN and MUST WIN!!

Have you ever been stuck in your car on a snowbank, or ice patch in the Winter?? Well in order to dislodge your car from that predicament we must apply a force GREATER than the force that is keeping the car trapped! We will rock the car a bit, get some momentum going and the apply massive force to "unstuck" the vehicle!!

Well this is what we need to do in our Battle versus Negativity!!

We MUST apply a force GREATER than that applied in our Negative thoughts in order to dislodge and smash the negative energy!!

You can do this by first IDENTIFYING negative thought compounding as it sneaks into our minds!!

Then HALT it by recognizing this is your ENEMY NUMERO UNO!!

DO NOT LISTEN to it!! DISMISS it as false and harmful!!

Immediately shift your thoughts to your MAITH (Mental Ace in the Hole) we discussed last week!!!

Go on the OFFENSIVE - change the momentum and SMASH those weak, evil, negative thoughts with your MAITHs about hope, dreams, plans and GOALS!

This will make you VICTORIOUS!! And it will make you JOYOUS, Strong and in control!!!!

Try it -- and KEEP BATTLING!! Victory is not far off and it is OURS!!!

Stay Strong!!

Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

True Wealth - Final Part III

Final Thoughts from the "True Wealth" Team...

"9) Be open to wise counselors. Aristotle believed that the first sign of wisdom is when we are able to learn from the experience of others. With that in mind, seek the advice of financial professionals who can steer you onto a path of personal and financial freedom. Seek the advice of fitness experts who can help you live a healthy life. Seek the advice of other teachers, coaches, and professionals whose messages connect and resonate with you. However, always remember that you are yourbest teacher.

No matter what you hear or read, make sure it is congruent with your values, your purpose, and your faith. Please remember, if you go through life taking no risks, you're actually taking a big risk.

Beginning your journey to uncover True Wealth may seem very scary at first. It requires you to be honest with yourself and to look deeply within yourself to uncover your deepest hopes, dreams, and aspirations.

You may discover that you need to make major changes in your life, or, you may discover that you've been on the right path all along and this just gives you confirmation of what you already know.

The risk you take by not beginning your journey to uncover True Wealth is that at the end of your days, you may look back on your life with sadness over what you might have done, might have been, or might have become.

So, step out of your comfort zone and begin your journey to True Wealth right now. "

I told you the story of my Dad and how I am certain he regretted to some degree in his dying days that he did not recognize the love people had for him his whole life - until it was too late!

Do NOT let that happen to you! Seize the Day - TODAY!!!! Be whatever you want to be and DO NOT LET OTHERS thoughts, or interpretations, or judgements, or discouragement KEEP you from attaining your Goals!

Turn away your FEARS - they are nothing in the face of Love, Faith and Hope!!

Stay Strong!

Your Fortune Told...

I am always bemused by the actual content of the the "fortunes" found in Fortune Cookies.



I mean wouldn't it be great to watch a documentary on how these fortunes are created? Who is actually writing them? Are they linked to the "Horoscope" people at all? Come on - I NEED to know!! I think I might write to Discovery Channel and ask them to get on this!!!



Who is with me??? Ok - just me!!



Well my kids wanted Chinese food last night (while watching Oympics from Beijing - coincidence??) and we complied with their request.



After the last eggroll and Sweet and Sour chicken was consumed, our attention turned to the all-knowing and prophetic Fortune Cookies!!



Well - I have to tell you that normally I do not pay attention to the cookie philosophy - but last night's cookie was a vastly different cookie!



The message I found in my cookie was as follows:



"Everything has Beauty but not everyone sees it"



I pondered this message for a bit and it absolutely rang true to me regarding our perceptions of ourselves and our perceived value!!



Just because you do not see YOUR "beauty" or perhaps you have difficulty identifying the "beauty" and "value" in your life - does not mean the beauty is not there!!



Trust me - EVERY one of us has a purpose on the brief journey on earth - EVERY one of us has a value and value to add - to make other's lives more palatable, enjoyable, worth-while!!!



Every one of us has a "Beauty" and despite our inability at times to recognize it or to see it - IT IS THERE!!



Celebrate it - share it - SEE it!!! Like EVERYTHING that matters, it takes FAITH to get there!!!



Life for everyone is BETTER because you are here!!!



It may take some searching to see it - but never doubt the existence of your purpose and BEAUTY!!!



Stay Strong!!!



Go USA!!

Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Thought of the Day

I happened to be Channel Surfing late the other night and came across a woman who was presenting to a group of individuals. I was moved by her emotion, her apparent determination and the sense of urgency in her voice.

She spoke for a long while, but after an email exchange with a friend over his current situation this morning, I was reminded of a compelling concept she had discussed that rang true to me in his situation!

I am paraphrasing here but her message was as follows:

"So many times I encounter people struggling with issues in their lives - career, relationship, family, financial, health related, etc. Some of these people are in the throes of despair and seem angry about their current predicament. They say to me that "God - the Universe - whomever they believe to be a Higher Presence - has abandoned them and they are angry about it. They ask WHY is God not helping me out of my dilemma, situation, circumstance?? How can God let me wallow here in this state?"

She paused a long while and delivered this answer to what she posed:

"Some people see things negatively because they’ve experienced unhappy circumstances all their lives and can't imagine anything getting any better. Then there are those who see everything as bad and negative simply because that’s the way they feel on the inside. Whatever the cause, a negative outlook leaves a person miserable and unable to make any progress toward the “promised land.”

She continued...

"I was one of those people for many years of my life. I was on my way to the Promised Land (heaven), but I wasn’t enjoying the trip. My mind was in the desert, and I was dying in the wilderness. My wilderness mentalities, or wrong ways of thinking, were keeping me from dealing with those areas of life that God wanted to touch and redeem."

" I was stuck...going around and around the same mountain; but thank God for His mercy. He helped me identify and change those wrong mindsets."

" Today, my mind is renewed. I have a new way of thinking, and I've been rescued from the desert. "

"What God did for me, He can certainly do for you. Ask Him to show you your wilderness mentalities and help you make the necessary changes. He can deliver your mind from the desert and help you enjoy the journey to the promised land! "

The point is that the "Promised Land" you are seeking is right there for you - but if you do not have the proper mindset - the proper attitude - the correct approach of Faith and Belief - You will not experience it!

You have to change your mindset - start believing that the "Promised Land" (Happiness, Joy, Peace) in your own lives is right around the corner - and YOU WILL REACH IT!!!

However - One cannot occur with the other!

It is "Surrender" when you blame your current circumstances on your past experiences - and do not set your mind on the right path to what is rightly yours to claim!

Have Faith and Believe --- but YOU have to do it yourself!

Stay Strong

True Wealth - Part II

Where you see despair, bring hope; where you see darkness, bring light; where you see sadness, bring joy.

--- St. Francis

More Principles of True Wealth from our friends at True Wealth...

Enjoy!

4) Be accountable through your goals. One of the ways that we can ensure that we are contributing at our highest level is to set goals and be accountable to them.

Goals challenge us.

They stretch us to think bigger and try harder than wewould without them. They help us measure our progress through life. When set for the right reasons, goals motivate us to take action when we're tired, to dream big when we're feeling small, and to persevere when we're facing obstacles.

5) Cherish your relationships. Nothing in life is more enriching than having close, genuine relationships with those you love. Relationships are not easy. They require attention, commitment, and a sincere desire to be close to another human being.

Miss out on true heartfelt relationships, and you will miss out on life itself.

6) Value your health. Leading health expert John Robbins, author of the book, Healthy at 100, says that in the last 100 years, we've added about 30 years to the average life expectancy of people in the industrializedworld. He says people are living longer today, but all too often, they are dying longer too. For some people, we've increased the human life span but not necessarily the human health span. Improve your health and you will dramatically improve your life.

7) Wisely use your financial resources. Financial success should be a by-product of doing everything else in our lives the right way.

Money is not the goal; it's the result of doing the right things, at the right time, on purpose.

Live well but not greedily. When you are financially successful, become a conduit to do even greater things for your place of worship, your community, and society.

8) Find ways to be compassionate with the world. There will always be people less fortunate than you.

The greatest gift you can give is to help another person in need, so when you see pain and suffering, alleviate it.

As St. Francis said, where you see despair, bring hope; where you see darkness, bring light; where you see sadness, bring joy.

Great insight -- more on this topic on Monday!

Stay Strong!