Hope Is

TODAY'S QUOTE:
"Hope is faith holding out its hand in the dark".... George Iles

This journal deals in hope, handing it out in whatever measure possible is its aim and my desire. Reasons to be hopeless are everywhere, having somewhere to go that does not add to the negatives seems a worthwhile undertaking.

But... my words are not placebos, handed out to the wounded as a way to placate their pain. Everything I say comes from the heart, and has been tested by time, or I would not voice it in a place I consider to be almost sacred.

We mostly find whatever we actively seek; negative thoughts are like magnets and draw more of the same. The same can be said for positives. If I am going to invite something into my life why would I willingly send out invitations to loud mouths with nothing good to bring to my table. I do not know about you, but when I have a meal, I want ease of swallowing and a sweet after taste.

I have complete control over what I place in my own path. Obstacles need to fall from the sky to stop me... and believe me they do... but only for however long it takes me to find a way around, over, or through them.

Hope is like a cab in a downpour. It may be a real difficult to get one, but once you climb inside its warm and dry. I have used hope so often that now it is akin to having a limo driving beside me... there when I need it, but I stroll until I do.

At times I have acted hopeful when I was anything but, and been rewarded with something worth hoping for in the process. That taught me to act until it is fact, and it works like a magic charm. Grasping straws is sometimes all the protection that is available. But I figure having anything to hold on to is better than whipping in the wind with no direction at all. So hope all you can, whenever you can and visit this cab stand when its raining. And as always... think about it... let it ride... then decide!!!

Mastering Your Karma

TODAY'S QUOTE:
"Every minute you perform hundreds of karmic actions, yet you are hardly conscious of any of them. In the stillness of meditation, however, you can listen to your mind, the source of all this activity. You learn to be aware of your actions to a far greater extent than ever before. This self-awareness leads to self-control, enabling you to master your karma rather than be mastered by it.".... Lama Thubten Yeshe, "In Wisdom Energy"

Learning what makes you tick, tick, tick is one of the most rewarding things you could ever do for yourself. Everyone around you benefits if you are happy and it is damn near impossible to be happy when you are fractured. Without knowledge or understanding of yourself how can you be anything less than in a million pieces, all of them trying to please the masses and all of them failing to please anyone?

I have come to firmly believe that too few of us truly have any idea of who we really are. We know our labels... mate... parent... sibling... co-worker, but strip all that away and many would be so clueless to what remains. We know who others want us to be, acting according to the wishes of someone else in an never ending struggle to fit in somehow.

We listen to a multitude of voices, ignoring our own so often that it becomes barely a whisper. We stagger under the weight of costumes that do not fit, we stagnate in roles not meant for our nature then we wonder why we are so confused. Our soul voice gets overpowered by the screams of people who try to drive us to be what we can never become. I stopped listening to those voices long ago. I make plenty of mistakes, but going against my true nature is not among them anymore. And I know myself better than most anyone I know.

Do yourself a huge favor and throw away the script, rip off the costume, get off the stage and find a quiet island and absorb that voice that will never lie to you. Seek quiet places and serene territory (even if only for a few minutes a day) and soon you will discover the role you were meant to play. And as always.... think about it.... let it ride.... then decide!!!!

FOOLED AROUND AND FELL IN LOVE

CLICK ON THE TITLE FOR THE SONG... THE ONLY SONG A MAN EVER DEDICATED TO ME ON THE RADIO AND BEEN DONE MANYYYY TIMES... SPECIAL MAN... SPECIAL SONG... OUR SONG

LOVE IS...

TODAY'S QUOTE:
Love is a friendship that has caught fire...it is a loyalty through good and bad. It settles for less than perfection and makes allowances for human weaknesses... Ann Landers

Love that begins with friendship has a symmetry that really does not exist in relationships that are formed in any other fashion. Desire can be red hot, but if that is the foundation then if it dies the whole structure collapses. Beauty fades, conditions change, trouble visits, and poof its gone like a puff of smoke that even a gentle breeze can master. Friendship first and forever will hold that love solid, no matter what conspires against it.

Real love does not depend on anything except itself to exist. Money cannot buy it, bad health cannot destroy it, sex cannot guarantee it, outsiders cannot steal it, and eternity is not long enough to make it forgettable. Real love does not rely on rings and things. Real love does not live in a fancy house... it lives soul-deep and is satisfied with the simple things. Sharing space is enough when it is real, and when it is not... then nothing is ever enough to make it more than what it is.

The notion of love is very different from the reality. We all dream of happily ever after, but that is truly something we can only give to ourselves. It does not depend upon who you love, but it does depend upon loving who you are. Real love demands total trust and trustworthiness. Real love expects total loyalty and gives it in equal measure. And only loving when it is effortless to do so is nothing to brag about.

I have spoken here before about my personal talismans and how I use them for my own ease and instant comfort. Today I will describe part of one briefly, because it has everything to do with real love. My brother gave me a book I hold every day... The Prayer of Jabez... inside the book is a pledge I say every morning. And it goes as follows...

"My love and commitment of and to Warren doesn't depend upon anything outside of himself. Not on fortune, health, sex, friends, family... not on what he gives me, or what he takes away. Not on rings... or rites... or vows before God said and taken. Blessing or curse I'll love him till I die."

That means I'll love him when he's lovable and when he's not. Most times total blessing, sometimes a bit of curse... but always unshakable... and it began with friendship... and continues resting in that same sweet space, no matter what else happens.

Start with friendship... then add to it... so that no matter what is subtracted the friendship remains... that to me is real love. Think about it... let it ride... then decide!!!

My Harvest

TODAY'S QUOTE:
My mind is a garden. My thoughts are the seeds. My harvest will be either flower or weeds.-Mel Weldon

Tending our notions is a vital link to how we function throughout each day. When taking a long hike, the shoes we choose are the most important deciding factor between failure or success. They govern our speed and comfort. They dictate whether we stride or limp. Even with the right shoes, if we do not keep them pebble free then blisters will be our reward.

Point is... we choose the shoes, and if we are not mindful... we also choose the pebble. If we do not strive to make the right choices, we might as well go barefooted, or better yet just stay at home. The ideal would be to always choose what is sensible to our comfort and success, but none of us get it right every time.

The garden premise of this quote is priceless in its clarity and simplicity. What we plant, dictates what we harvest. How well we tend the garden dictates how rich our yield. And how we prepare the soil for planting dictates the ease or difficulty which the plants have on their first push toward sunlight. Success or failure depends upon the commitment of the farmer to do what is necessary at each stage.

If you are hungry, planting vegetables makes perfect sense. If you seek to fill your garden with beauty, flowers will fill your needs. I cannot think of any benefit that can be received from the planting, tending, and harvest of weeds. Think about it... let it ride... then decide!!!

Someday

Angry Guests

TODAY'S QUOTE:
"Can you accept the moments of anger and fear as guests, be willing to receive them with kindness without feeling obliged to serve them a five-course meal?"... Christina Feldman

Human nature dictates that at some point during our lifetime we will all experience rage and terror of one measure or another. None of us is immune. Even the calmest will taste panic, and the coolest will reach their boiling point, but what happen next is uncertain. All of us will react in some fashion, many will control their emotions while others will be controlled by them.

The choice is ours to make, although we like to pretend that actions of any kind are justified by any injustices done to us during the journey. Bull-shit will surely occur, fanning the pile only increases the aroma. We often have little or no control over things around us, but if we do not control ourselves it matters very little what else we imagine is under our command.

Emotions are internal, we have access to them before they are broadcast to anyone else. Allowing them to spew everywhere is a very unattractive form of nudity. Gaze in a mirror the next time you come unhinged if you doubt that hard fact. Raw unedited emotions inspire instant high-drama, sparks from you can light fires in others, and so on... and so on... and so on. Why choose to be the spark that causes an inferno?

Pump the breaks! Slow the skid!! Get a grip!!! Whatever you nurture just naturally grows, so starve the predators or they will happily eat you alive. Allow yourself to feel... then drive on. Think about it.... let it ride.... then decide!!!

Circumstantial Constraint

Today's Quote:
If we examine every stage of our lives, we find that from our first breath to our last we are under the constraint of circumstances. And yet we still possess the greatest of all freedoms, the power of developing our innermost selves in harmony with the moral order of the Universe, and so winning peace at heart whatever obstacles we meet.
-Johann Wolfgang von Goethe


I was asked by my sister-in-law to keep my posts squeaky clean, so that when she wished to show one to her pastor, she could do so without shame. With respect for her wishes, I will not open this post the way I normally would by saying "s... happens", but will say instead... STUFF OCCURS. Some good, some bad, and some totally indifferent to our expectations. We are all at times held hostage by circumstances over which we have little or no control.


At birth we inherit the environment our parents inhabit. If we are lucky they have a good grasp on reality, if not it becomes an instant struggle to survive and grow wise in spite of what surrounds us. School follows and learning is easy or hard, according to our ability and affability. If fitting in is an issue, formal education can be pure torture. With age comes the wisdom that being a bit different is often a blessing, but until that dawning of knowledge it can be a bumpy ride.


Then it is time for adult pastimes like work, and love, and parenthood. The opportunities for stuff to occur just grows and grows. And stuff occurs! And occurs!! And keeps occurring!!! The quicker we can learn not to become hostage to occurrences the better, but for some of us it can take a huge portion of our lifetime to get a clue. *Raises hand here, admitting I used to be a most dedicated hostage.

Constraints are devices that retard movement, which guarantees no forward motion is possible. Circumstance is a set of facts that surround a situation. When I get surrounded the last thing I need is retarded movement. The fact is that when I get trapped by situations, I've been known to make some really retarded movements without the aid of any devices. But only when I forget to make good use of my power of reasoning.

It is more than possible to rise above whatever it is, yet so many people never develop their ability to fly. Whatever it is that is holding you stationary, is not at fault... the blame lies in the fact that you allow it to grip the space you should own free and clear. Once you believe in your right to ownership, protecting it becomes your responsibility, and it is a most sacred trust. Sometimes reclaiming it becomes necessary, and thank God there is no limit to the times this can be done.

A calm mind, a quiet soul, and a peaceful heart are just rewards for the battles we fight to find our true self. Really knowing ourselves and why we
sometime do stupid things is the first step to ceasing the stupidity. And even more important than knowing who you are is being certain of who you will become if you keep journeying down the path that leads to your deepest being. As you travel, look around, I'll be along the road somewhere... maybe we can walk for a time together. Think about it... let it ride... then decide!!!

Real Life

TODAY'S QUOTE:
"Live out of your imagination, not your history." -- Stephen R. Covey

Living your life, wearing a costume tailor made in the past, guarantees a repeat of old tired actions and the same weary results. It is one thing to be a historian and quite another to endlessly reenact your own personal history blow-by-blow and mistake-by-mishap. Knowing what occurred and learning its unique lessons is an honorable undertaking. Knowing what occurred then redoing it, because that is what you have always done is a fools downfall.

Imagine a better mode of dress and a brighter destination, then stitch and map out the landmarks you hope to see along the way. For endless possibilities face the future, where the only boundaries are ones you construct yourself. The past is for learning from then leaving behind, taking with you the places and people who made the journey sweet. Visiting in memory is heaven, taking up permanent residence is hell. Seems a no-brainer to me.

I won't try to answer for anyone else, but I'd rather visit heaven briefly from time-to-time than spend even a single minute in hell... living there is totally out of the question. A lifetime is made up of seasons, why drag winter into spring? Every moment holds the promise for rebirth, unless you focus too hard on what is long gone. It is much better to be a never was, who always tried than a once was, who stopped living at the point of impact. A has been ceases to grow, and it's the constant blooming that make people so miraculous.

Look where you are going, not where you have been. Dress as close to current trends as possible, using accessories to reflect what is deep inside. Imagine who you want to be in the years to come, and begin mirroring that image. Believe in your right to a happy future and the past will hold little enough fascination. Face real life and build a real life! Reality truly is whatever we make of what we are given, both the good and the bad. Learn from the bad, embrace the good, and journey on my friend! Think about it... let it ride... then decide!!!

Awareness

TODAY'S QUOTE:
"Let us not look back in anger, nor forward in fear, but around us in awareness." -- Leland Val Vandewall

The emotions we carry with us and why are very fascinating if we can gain enough distance from them to take a good long look, and possess enough determination for a face and conquer campaign. Viewing negative emotions sensibly is a good place to start. Let's take anger and fear... each negative in their own right, but it's how we handle them and the actions they inspire that can be disastrous.


They work in the same way that adrenaline warns us of danger and prods us into action. Once the risk is over we return to a normal state; our body controls the chemical levels and all is well. The emotions that are controlled by our mind don't have an automatic shut off point. We either control or fail to manage the measurements of emotion, so success or failure is ultimately our victory or our downfall.

Getting angry is natural, some things in life demand different measures of rage, but a prolonged state can induce a sort of voluntary insanity. When you become what you feel, with a soul depth, there isn't any way to channel that energy toward a positive end. A hose that's whipping all around, without a hand to guide it, will never put out the fire. And rage needs a guiding hand in the same fashion, or you risk being consumed by its endless heat.

Fear is also a natural emotion, it can keep us safe... but it also can keep us frozen. When we fear too much, or too often it quickly becomes the master of the ship. Fright isn't pleasant, and it's not meant to be our guide, except in times of serious danger. Letting it drive will save you a lot on traveling expenses, because it will keep you stationary. The cost of that kind of safety is more than anyone should be willing to pay... going bankrupt for a one way ticket to nowhere is a fools bargain.

Natural emotions taken to unnatural limits always end up in locations you wouldn't willingly visit. But if you don't control them then you condone their mode of travel and their destination, and that isn't necessary. Get hold of your motherboard, be aware always of what's being downloaded there, react with forethought, once the need for it is ended uninstall and move on. We are capable of being the master, so why be satisfied with acting the slave? Think about it... let it ride... then decide!!!

Total Wellness

TODAY'S QUOTE:
"The concept of total wellness recognizes that our every thought, word, and behavior affects our greater health and well-being."... Greg Anderson

They say you are what you eat... and they are certainly right about that. What we feed ourselves deeply affects all aspects of our being. The brain hungers in a like fashion to the stomach, and we are as apt to fill it with rubbish as we are to gorge on junk food. The result can be just as deadly, and the mental agony we put ourselves through doesn't fade between feasts.

We ingest fried thoughts, say over heated words, preform destructive actions then repeat the process over and over. We ignore our plates, and eat whatever is served. An overload of negatives sets everything spinning out of control, and we do nothing to pull the plug before we get sucked into a mighty depression. All it takes is one step in the wrong direction, and falling off the cliff is guaranteed.

The trick to staying safe is to be the true master of what you feed your brain, and a strict guardian over what you allow others to include in your diet. I used to practice what I'm preaching, but fell off the wagon, and suffered for it. Pain is an unpleasant way of reawakening, but I cannot worry about that, because I'm too busy cleaning house. Clearing the mind of debris is very empowering, and using switches to access our tools is a comforting way of seeing our progress. Finding your own switches and tools is an adventure that will teach you a lot about yourself you didn't really know.

I have several different triggers that I use... all of them are Native American in form and spirit. They would have always worked, but I just stopped using them... got too busy with work and worry to do what was best for me. Misplaced my faith in myself, and depended upon someone else in the wrong fashion. Other's can never do for you what you have to do for yourself. I knew this also, but I lost that knowledge somewhere along the way. All I had to do to rediscover all lost and misplaced items was to return to my triggers, and my true vibrations were still there.

The only truly safe spot is the three feet square area you inhabit. Thoughts will enter your mind that don't belong there, there is no shame in that... the shame comes from allowing them to take root, and pollute all they touch. If one comes and isn't ejected then others soon follow. A wandering mind is liable to go anywhere, and one powered by negatives will take you on a roller-coaster ride you never bargained for.

For peace of mind and silence of the soul, find your talismans, switches, and triggers. Make daily use of them, and they will serve you faithfully. Guard the entry to your mind as well as the exit of your mouth. Let nothing in that will harm you, and nothing out that will harm others. Master your 3 feet of space, examine all you ingest, and live a calmer reality. Think about it... let it ride... then decide!!!

A Happy Choice

TODAY'S QUOTE:
Happiness is a conscious choice, not an automatic response.
-Mildred Barthel


To be or not to be ...happy... that is the question! The answer ought to be the automatic response of yes, but that isn't always the case. Life is overflowing with ought to be's, and this one makes the top ten list without really trying. The only thing worse than being unhappy, is being unhappy voluntarily... choosing to suffer just makes no sense at all.

Yes, feeling pain is mandatory, sorrow is a requirement, grief is the price we pay for loving, heartache is the cost of living, but they are not meant to be embraced daily or wallowed in at will. They have their seasons, dark and frigid like winter, but mixed in are unseasonable days filled with sunbeams and warmth, before the final coming of spring.

The gift of life itself is worthy of a generous heaping measure of gaiety. The ability to love is a priceless reason for joy. Small miracles surround us, inspiring delight... larger ones leave us awe-struck. Even the ordinary, when viewed by happy eyes, takes on a depth that is almost magical. Developing happy eyes is quite easy when everything is put into it's proper perspective and the child inside has permission to play.

Sometimes all it takes is the realization that as human beings we have the right to pursue happiness. We also have the duty. Unhappiness is contagious... most of us never suffer alone, so if we refuse to be happy we doom the same fate upon those closest to us. If fate demands that we infect others with something... then joy, or comfort, or peace are more civilized choices by far for a mass epidemic.

The quickest way to find happiness is to give it to someone else. If done with an open heart, the waves of their joy will quickly overwhelm any gloom it encounters. When I think of it in this fashion it is an almost effortless exercise. To be, or not to be... happy... that is the question. And my answer is yes, if not for my sake then I embrace it for the innocent bystanders that are doomed to share my fate. My fate is happiness, whenever possible, and the wise weathering of winter, so as to not infect my fellowman. This is my choice, my right, and my salvation. Think about it... let it ride... then decide!!!

How Simple

TODAY'S QUOTE:
"How simple it is to see that all the worry in the world cannot control the future. How simple it is to see that we can only be happy now. And that there will never be a time when it is not now."... Gerald Jampolsky

What a wonderful quote to find when I so badly needed a sane reminder of this simple truth. Worry is a mind-numbing: negative: doesn't change a damn thing: wasteful emotion that means me nothing but harm. It disturbs my relationship with gravity, demanding I struggle to move from place to place, insisting that i struggle to get a deep breath, using all of its weight to separate me from peace and happiness. In case you didn't know, worry cannot take even one single step on its own; it demands to be carried shoulder high, and once picked up it's as hard put down as an angry octopus.

It constricts our space, stature, emotions, but the real damage is always done inside our brain. It rearranges perfectly sane mind-sets. It tramples out every positive notion it comes across. It inhabits a throne and the echo of its screams remind us non-stop of trouble that for the most part we have no power to alter. Sometimes we fret for loved ones living in situations we have absolutely no control over... sometimes we agonize over a misstep we took that cannot be un-taken... sometimes we hunger for things lost which aren't within our power to retrieve. Whatever the worry is, it begins as a small nagging whisper, but the more we listen the higher the intensity and volume.

Worry is mental cancer, which if left untreated will steal your very quality of life. Once it gets a firm hold then it invites its gang to move in as well. Doubt, jealousy, bitterness, and hopelessness soon follow worry inside. The boys quickly evict faith, hope, confidence, and peace. What is left is total gridlock of mind and heart. With no control over these delinquents they don't waste any time trashing the place. Any positive thought is instantly slashed to bits. Sleep evades capture... and by this point if you don't begin to get a grip your body will protest with a stress related issue.

What we don't deal with has a bad habit of dealing with us. Deciding to be happy is the first step once you give the situation to God, trusting that he is capable of sorting it out without your interference. Your worried mind will protest, by speeding up the what ifs and should haves to a fever pitch. Just refer it all to God. "Look, I'm just the janitor here, got some cleaning to do. Don't question me, if you need anything call upstairs."

Once you begin to pay less attention to worry, it returns the favor. There seems to be little benefit for its long drawn out dramatic speeches when nobody is listening. As you get stronger it gets weaker. Its buddies get bored and wander away, leaving space for your trusted friends to move back in. Misery loves company so worry has no option except to follow the negative crowd on its journey to the next unwary victim.

Dare to be as happy as possible in spite of anything you face, or before long you'll be doomed to be unhappy over almost everything. Keep control of your emotions, or they will control you. If it's too big to carry then hand it to God and tidy up the mess it made to whatever degree you can. Since now is all you have for certain, make certain you honor it by not tossing it to the dogs. If they're hungry let them feast elsewhere. Think about it... let it ride... then decide!!!

Broad Family

TODAY'S QUOTE:
"We define our family, our 'ohana, very broadly. It may have begun with our parents and brothers and sisters, but it now includes hundreds of people who give us the support necessary for our creative endeavors."... Robert Cazimero

The role friends play in our lives is sacred in my estimation, due partly to the fact that they are hand picked and soul close in a way that most family member never get a chance to experience. Sometimes if a person is especially blessed they can combine the two, but for most of us friends hold a very honored position. Both are honorable positions, but one is thrust upon us, while the other is chosen according to our needs and temperament.

Family is at its base a hereditary issue; we have who we have because of the choices made by our ancestors. Who your father proposes to becomes your mother, who you mother accepts becomes your father. Who your uncle marries becomes your aunt and etc, etc, etc. Friends do not enter our lives by default, they are picked because they add something positive to the equation.

Some we adopt right into our family... other's seem to be ours alone. When we need unconditional love at its finest, it's most often a special kind of friend that we seek for the comfort without the need to hide any flaw or fact that may cause issues within a family. I can say truthfully that there are three women who know all there is to know about me and love me without reservation... and none of them are related to me in any fashion. But they are certainly family all the same. To cut down on the chance of kidnapping and blackmail, I will not release their names here. They know who they are and what they mean to me... that is enough.

What we start out with in life is just a base for building upon. Who we people our family with and why is an agenda totally personal with each of us. I love my family, both the ones forced upon me and the ones I hand picked. Some wander in and out of my life and like magic the conversations usually pretty much begin right where they left off when we last parted. They stand the test of both time and distance, these forever-friends of mine. Now seems a good time to say thank you for the many blessings I have received over the years from family and friends and the delight of soul I experience at every gentle touch from each of you. Think about it... let it ride... then decide!!!

Travel Light

TODAY'S QUOTE:
"If you wish to travel far and fast, travel light. Take off all your envies, jealousies, unforgiven, selfishness and fear."... Glenn Clark

This is vital advice, unless you enjoy constant baggage handling duties. When luggage never gets unpacked and traveling continues, running out of space can be a big problem with no easy fix. Demanding that others shoulder some of the load is sure to backfire. If someone had nothing to do with the purchase they should not be asked to share the cost.

Moving forward while walking backward guarantees a journey that only visits where you have already been. The faces may be different, but the destinations will be all too familiar. The same detours... the same barren wastelands... the only thing that will be of much difference is the weight of the luggage. You cannot preform the same actions over and over, and expect different outcomes. There is truly no possibly of getting anywhere new while wandering in the same tight circle.

The past is over, whatever issues you developed there do not automatically belong in your future... but if you do not deal with it in the present then carrying it along is your only option. Resolving the damage at the time of impact automatically lessens the load. Self exorcism at the moment you first encounter a demon not only gives strength and wisdom, but insures against complete possession of mind by negative thoughts that multiply like rabbits, and quickly take up all available space.

A person who pulls a dark cloud along will never reach a truly sunny path. They see it up ahead... they struggle to gain ground... but if they cannot loosen their hold on what is overhead then true sunlight will always evade them. The only solution is to examine what you hold, and what holds you. If you grasp it then letting go is a battle more easily won. If it grasps you, full out war is mandatory, but final victory is more than possible. Whether battle or war it is freedom you are struggling for, and there is no more of a sacred cause to fight for than the reclaiming of self. Think about it... let it ride... then YOU decide!!!

Reaching Our True Height

TODAY'S QUOTE:
"The real tragedy is the tragedy of the man who never in his life braces himself for his one supreme effort, who never stretches to his full capacity, never stands up to his full stature."... Arnold Bennett

Some people appear larger than life-size, while others seem much smaller than their actual height. Altitude has more to do with attitude than true mass, but too few use that almost magical aptitude to reach their full stature. Height is purely an accident of birth... growth stops eventually. Genes have everything to do with the length of your jeans, but the way you walk in them is totally up to the wearer.

Attitude development does not follow any set natural growth patterns. And I am more grateful for that than I can ever hope to convey. The possibilities are infinite, yet if no effort is made, complaining about thin skin is pointless. If a house is too small... add space or move, because wandering around without enough emotional shelter is dangerous. When I find myself out of balance I know the true fault belongs to me alone. Being blindsided by situations that you did nothing to create is part of life, and the depth of pain felt should be a strong indicator that adjustments ought to be undertaken asap.

Since the patterns used can be hand picked, choosing wisely, and leaving plenty of room for growth is the best place to start. We cannot always direct situations, but we are certainly able to command with authority the actions we take. We can, and if true happiness is what we want then taking command is mandatory. If left to chance then chances are the outcome will be nothing to inspire admiration or pride. Choose your battles... never be content to simply be a prisoner of runaway emotions.

I speak from experience... I know that knee-jerk reactions are almost always destructive, causing added unnecessary trauma for everyone involved. And when the fault is mine I never let myself off easily, I accept the lesson, so repair is possible, and repeating is less likely to occur. Sometimes, being forced to face our fears is the only way we can change... it is a very unpleasant sensation, but if mastered it is a sure way to find real peace of mind, and silence of the soul.

When faced with facts that cannot be altered, changing our attitude toward them is the only way of rising above them. Safety from situational meltdowns never comes from anywhere outside of ourselves. Face it, adjust accordingly, then move on... wiser... stronger... and taller. Repeat as often as necessary to reach your true stature. Think about it... let it ride... then YOU decide!!!

Real Misfortune

TODAY'S QUOTE:
"It is the Law that any difficulties that can come to you at any time, no matter what they are, must be exactly what you need most at the moment, to enable you to take the next step forward by overcoming them. The only real misfortune, the only real tragedy, comes when we suffer without learning the lesson."... Emmet Fox

I haven't written for a very long time, but like an addict... the craving never goes away. It gets forcefully suppressed, frantically ignored, or indulged with solemn gratitude for a relationship with words that is a comfort and a delight to possess. Unlike an addict, I experience guilt and shame only when I don't give into temptation, and most often confusion quickly follows.

The speed of my thoughts accelerate beyond my ability to control them, heading in every possible direction they tangle and tighten until I'm trapped somewhere I never meant to go. The fact that the entire trip is unnecessary only compounds the problem. I learned this long ago... so what causes me to suppress or ignore the only thing that will keep me in complete control of my destination? Hell if I know! Temporary insanity maybe? Now all I can do is unwad my brain and remap this journey.

Thinking creates the possibility, writing drafts the contract, and action seals the outcome. If I omit any step of this process then chaos is the best I can hope for, and my just reward. If I have the tools and the knowledge to use them, leaving the shed locked guarantees failure. This post is therapy, this blog is inspirational, and this quote is my creed.

Difficulties come to us all. Sometimes solo, other times they bring a friend, There are even times when trouble arrives at measured distances to insure that we are not yet upright before the next wave knocks us back down. No matter how it arrives or how long it stays, it truly sucks to be careworn. There are really only two options... embrace the agony, or search for the lesson. Instead of focusing on the meaning behind the pain, lately I allowed the pain to mean everything. And the truth is that pain means very little if we are content to wallow in it... it's a powerful teacher, but we have to be willing to learn.

I've had more than my fair share, but I'm not complaining. I don't want pity... mercy would be nice, yet I'll be more than satisfied with whatever measure of enlightenment I can wrestle from the battle. Hard lessons bite, and the best cure is scar tissue that strengthen my weakest points. And maybe this time I won't misplace the knowledge. The knowing is the door ... putting it into action is the key, and unlocking it is within our power if we wish. But it takes more than wishing to succeed. Think about it... let it ride... then YOU decide!!!