Daily Inspiration 6-30-19

"Beautiful are those

whose brokenness gives birth

to transformation and wisdom."

-- John Mark Green

[Classic post from 8-3-17]

Love this quote. It doesn't mean that those beautiful ones are special as in better than any other, it simply points to the flexibility and the willingness to change, to grow, to become, to expand.

I don't imagine that butterflies struggle to become butterflies, which is something so much different than what they were. I think that they simply are that, it is fully accepted, and look what comes of that. We need not struggle either; albeit, we often have done so.

This morning I was looking at some of the daily lessons in A Course in Miracles, and on Day 8, the title of that lesson is this: My Mind Is Preoccupied With Past Thoughts. Then Day 9 is this: I See Nothing As It Is Now.

I've learned a new, broader perspective of just how pervasive the past is in all of us. It rules us more often than not. A good way to see this is to consider it as a historical perspective, and more appropriately, historical agreements. We have accepted training from our parents, peers, school, media, and all that is technically outside of us, and we bring it inside of us in that acceptance of "what is."

To move beyond this historical acceptance, we may need to become broken. That doesn't mean that we need to struggle. Being broken can be such a wonderful thing because in so doing we break through those barriers of historical agreements like a chick breaking out of its egg to see life from a different, and most often enlightened perspective.

Without the brokenness, we remain in the egg so to speak. As we are willing to change, we are invited to break some of those false barriers that we have accepted and expand our world accordingly.

It reminds me of holding on to a tetherball and as it goes round and round, tighter and closer to the pole, and then away again, we are never any further away from that pole than the length of the rope attached to it and the ball we hold on to.


What If We Simply Let Go? 

Spread Some Joy Today--by enjoying your journey wherever it may lead you.

Daily Inspiration 6-29-19

"Infinite patience

yields immediate results."

-- Marianne Williamson

[Classic post from 8-2-17]

This quote really touched me. There are so many words for God, and now I see another: Infinite Patience.

Consider that phrase. Infinite patience is equal to, or the same as Love.

We get so uptight and nervous when things aren't happening when we think they should. We could be said to be fraught with impatience. Whether it isn't happening yet or isn't unfolding as fast as we would like, our impatience for the result is clear.

Just imagine if God was like that. Very scary thought! Fortunately, it is clear to me that God has infinite patience, infinite love, infinite caring, and infinite support. It is we who reject those things for the very short term attempted gain of whatever it is that we think we want or need.

What if we, in our new awareness of this infinite patience, adopted the idea of playing with it, practicing it, allowing it? Better world? More enjoyable life? Easier goals? Peace of mind? Calm, cool and collected?

I've been a staunch advocate of practicing patience and enjoying each and every opportunity to do so. Those opportunities come to me when I find temporary blockages, others expressing infinite impatience, and more. In other words, problems. As I feel the resistance in my mind and body in these situations, I remember that it is one more opportunity to practice my patience. This practice has changed much of my life as Jim Rohn has said, "from frustration to fascination."


Now I Want My Practice To Go Deeper Into Infinite Patience. 

Spread Some Joy Today--in your willingness to practice. It's the sure way to get better at it.

Daily Inspiration 6-28-19

"Dignity does not consist in possessing honors,

but in deserving them."

-- Aristotle

[Classic post from 7-28-17]

This has got to be one of the most delightful and empowering quotes I've ever read. It's magical.

For the last few weeks, I've written many posts on the subject of honoring ourselves, and this quote caps that off nicely. How do you honor yourself? I think the best answer is an awareness that you deserve the honor.

You don't have to do anything. You don't have to not do anything. In fact, it is simply and exquisitely given to all of us by virtue of our existence. And, as we acknowledge this fact, and this privilege, we have the power--all the power needed--to honor ourselves in our reality. As we honor ourselves, we are changed. As we are changed, we cannot help but change all of those that we see as being not us.

There is no need to compete for love or honor or peace. It comes from the most natural place within us without any effort whatsoever. As we become aware of all that is within us--as we honor that, honor our Source, and honor ourselves, we honor all of life. In this awareness, as we see those that seem to be separate from ourselves, we instead see us. We are everywhere at the same time.


This Place IS Love.

Spread Some Joy Today--Happy Friday! Thank God! Everyday. Constantly.

Daily Inspiration 6-27-19

"Compassion

is the keen awareness

of the interdependence

of all things."

-- Thomas Merton

[Classic post from 7-27-17]

This Tuesday, a movie was just released on DVD titled, Absolutely Anything, and I watched it last evening. It continually amazes me the things that I see in movies that are inspiring. And funny.

What's also interesting is that the movie was released in 2015 and according to what I've seen to very poor reviews. People said it wasn't funny. I laughed quite a lot through it and laughed wildly in some parts, and so the only reason I can think of that it wasn't funny to them is that they were taking it seriously. It is not even close to a serious movie; however, it has beautiful and helpful inspirations and observations. In my opinion, of course.

It's a silly story of so-called superior beings who enjoy destroying things. Now, that's not really a new idea, is it? The head leader is played by John Cleese and delightfully so. They determine to destroy Earth after finding a satellite that has exited our solar system depicting the human form in a drawing. But, these destroyers have rules. Hmm. . . it's getting more familiar with life on Earth already. . .

They randomly choose one person and give that person the power to change absolutely anything, hence the name. They want to see what this person does with that ultimate power and depending on how it is used, they will decide to destroy Earth or let it be.

The character played by Simon Pegg is chosen, who is a so-called typical human. Kate Beckinsale plays the woman Simon is drawn to that lives a floor below him. Simon lives with his dog Dennis, who is given a voice by Simon when he recognizes the powers he has been given, and that voice is none other than Robin Williams.

I very much enjoyed this silly flick, and yet here are some things that I culled from its lowly-rated dialog and concepts:

Superior Beings. An interesting concept played out throughout human history, one over the other with all manner of purported distinctions chosen by those seeing themselves as superior. At the same time, those who see themselves as less than get what they see too. There's something for everyone there.

Power. We have far more power than we give ourselves credit for. We have so much fear that we fail to see our power and fail to make good use of it, and more often than not, we are giving that power to others over us for all manner of reasons, yet the power remains; albeit, in the closet.

Communication between humans. We make assumptions about what others may or may not be thinking or feeling about us, who we are or what we do or represent. Assumptions create so many problems that kill communication when if lifted, we would find that we can live in harmony and in joy. As we assume, and as we imagine, we cover real communication in gooey, sticky, sludge. He likes her but never says anything and instead tries all sorts of trickery. Same plan, different people, and circumstances.

What we want. Often we are not very specific about what we want. Simon wanted to be inside the bus but he landed in the engine compartment, then he rephrased and ended up on the roof, and finally, he was specific enough to get inside the bus. Silly example, but so true about our own desires. What we say we want is often not what we really want--at least not specifically. And, even then, it all works best when what we are being specific about brings us pleasure, or feels good, and when it is not, we can back off to how we want to feel and let the Universe direct the rest.

Interdependence. We are interdependent. It is said that one drop in the ocean changes the ocean. As we want so much, that is not a problem until what we want damages or negatively affects others. There is always more to be concerned about than simply ourselves, and yet as we are aligned with our inner being, our truth within, we can be self-serving and serving all others at the same time. Broad strokes often are not very considerate on minute details of unrecognized importance. Everything is important in some way because every single thing is part of the whole, and all has an effect and a role to play.

Laughing at ourselves and other things. It is said that laughter is the best medicine. Taking things too seriously is a path devoid of joy and lightheartedness. We need to see the humor in ourselves and our circumstances. We need to be like a child when it comes to laughter. It is so empowering to be able to laugh at ourselves and to enjoy our individual journeys.

These are just a few things that I gleaned from this funny movie. It brought me some lighthearted joy and some wonderful lessons as a bonus.


Great Teachers And Enjoyable Teaching Is Absolutely Everywhere. 

Spread Some Joy Today--by laughing at yourself a bit today, taking light the loads that you try to carry in your seriousness. Let it flow.

Daily Inspiration 6-26-19

"True giving happens not from a 

space of sacrifice, or self-righteousness, 

or an idea of spirituality,

but for the pure pleasure of it--because it is fun.

It can only come from a full, loving space."

-- Shakti Gawain

[Classic post from 7-21-17]

I love this quote. Giving is not usually stated as a way to give ourselves pleasure, but more of a beneficent duty.

Taken from her wonderful book, Creative Visualization, Shakti goes on to describe how we all have an unending supply of love and happiness within us though we are often accustomed to believing that our happiness and love come from others or from outside of us.

But, she says that the opposite is what is true. It is when we connect with and expand our inner knowing of the abundant love and happiness within, we are then able to allow that to flow outward toward others. As we do this, it feels good.

She says that in doing this, we open up space for more love and happiness to fill that which we gave away, constantly replenishing our store. The more we give, the more pleasure we may gain from the giving because loving feels good, happiness feels good, joy feels good, touching others feels good.

She offers this advice to consider as we expand our storehouse and practice our giving: "but remember always that you can't continue to give unless you are equally open to receiving. . . and that "giving" also means giving to yourself. . . "

She adds that "when it comes to outflowing, practice makes perfect. You must consciously practice it in order to get the experience of how good it feels."

We honor ourselves in our willingness to release and share the love within us as we honor those in which we bestow those benefits. And, we honor ourselves by being open to receiving which completes the circle, and as we honor ourselves in this way, we are honoring the other and the gifts that they give us.


Giving And Receiving Need To Be Equally Honored. 

Spread Some Joy Today--by letting your love flow out, while you are allowing the inflow as well.

Daily Inspiration 6-25-19

"In the realm of abundance,

there is no such thing as a fair share.

Heck, there's no such thing as share.

All there is, is all there is.

There is no need for more,

and no such thing as less.

In fact, there is no need."

-- Albert K. Strong

[Classic post from 7-20-17]

I was thinking this morning about how many of us tend to discount abundance, limit abundance, create rules about abundance in our minds. Abundance simply is. . . well, abundant.

Jim Rohn, one of my early mentors when I was in my thirties, says it this way: "Asking is the beginning of receiving. Make sure you don't go to the ocean with a teaspoon. At least take a bucket so the kids won't laugh at you!" Abundance is bigger than that ocean, but for our small eyes, the ocean seems pretty big.

The other day I saw a post on Facebook about how much money Joel Osteen makes and how expensive his home is and all this intimating that he is not a Christian and not a good person, and blah, blah, blah. We have so many ways of putting other people down and money is one of the easiest targets to use.

I used to put people down for that all the time. I would see some young person in a new fancy car and say that they must be a drug dealer. Of course, that may have been true, but that isn't the issue. The issue was my own sense of lack and seeing some abundance in another, my ego needed to justify my position versus theirs. Just as in the case with the Facebook post on Joel.

Here's an important quote from Abraham, Esther Hicks that speaks to this:

"As you set a financial goal, it is not only about the expansion for yourself; it's about the expansion of all of those who are involved in that which you are about. In other words, it creates this nucleus, this machine, that allows so many to begin to thrive along with you. It's much bigger than finances."

People cannot have any manner of abundance and not share it. Hoarding kills it. So, here's a more expansive way to look at this have and have not scenario: Look at that last two sentences in the Abraham quote again. "In other words, it creates this nucleus, this machine, that allows so many to begin to thrive along with you. It's much bigger than finances."

It pays us well to expand our view. Let's take some obvious examples from recent history. Steve Jobs. He was a billionaire, right? How many multi-millionaires did he create along his path? Let's take my earlier example of Joel Osteen. How many has he benefited financially and otherwise in his travels? Millions. Literally millions of people. I am one. I read one of his books. My early mentor, Jim Rohn. Benefited millions and is still benefiting millions long after his death in 2009. I have reaped so much from his teaching.

We could look at people who we judge as bad and find so much good if we chose to look for it. But, it is so easy for us to judge others and we always judge unfairly because we never ever will know all there is to know about them. This is the entire problem with the whole concept of judging others. Jesus had it right about the plank in our own eye focusing on the speck in the eye of the other.

Try this: Next time you see someone who is wealthy, has what we will call abundance, celebrate them. As Abraham said, they cannot be that without taking quite a number of others along with them, if not directly, certainly indirectly. Celebrate their success! Celebrate them going to the ocean with a big bucket even though we are so conservative with our teaspoon.

The whole idea of abundance is abundance. There is no end to it. There is no such thing as a fair share or any kind of share. It is not good or bad. It is not holy or unholy. It is not have and have not. It is abundance. When we are dealing with abundance, there is no such thing as lack, need, or even want. There is only acceptance of it or rejection of it. That is purely our own choice to make.


Accept Your Abundance By Honoring Yourself. Accept The Abundance Of Others By Honoring Them. 

Spread Some Joy Today--by dipping into the abundance the Universe has supplied while celebrating the whole idea of abundance.

Daily Inspiration 6-24-19

"What is a weed? 

A plant whose virtues 

have not yet been discovered." 

-- Ralph Waldo Emerson 

[Classic post from 8-9-17]

And, so it is with everything we look at, including other human beings. Mr. Emerson takes it so far as to say, "Even in the mud and scum of things, something always, always sings."

In our negative judgment of a thing, situation, or person, our judgment is truly on ourselves for our ignorance, whether lack of knowledge or lack of compassion. With sufficient knowledge and/or compassion, we would have no need for judgment.

Ian Maclaren said it well: "Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a great battle." As I consider that statement, and the people that I do know, I know that is often true, and so as we meet people that we don't know very well, it would be most beneficial to consider they may be going through things that have an effect on their demeanor as they move through their lives. Our kindness in consideration of such a possibility, whether it exists in reality or not, will go far in offering a compassionate point of view.


"There Is More In Every Person's Soul Than We Think." -- Ralph Waldo Emerson 

Spread Some Joy Today--in your consideration of others.

Daily Inspiration 6-23-19

"When your heart

and your mind

are aligned,

the choices are easy."

-- Albert K. Strong

[Classic post from 7-18-17]

I had no idea that this theme of honoring ourselves would be so expansive, and yet I delight in all the ways that I see how this is so helpful to consider in my life.

Something has changed in me in the last few weeks or months that has me seeing my life differently, feeling more connected with my inner knowing, and so much more. It would take pages to describe it, but day by day I'm exposing bits of it here in what I will have to say is probably my Daily Inspiration messages to myself, shared with all who care to see them. It is surprisingly helpful in this way for me too. Learning how to express changes in our lives is expansive in itself.

One thing has become clear to me in sharing these posts about honoring ourselves, and that is that we so often don't. We often go along. We accept. We comply. We conform. To truly honor ourselves, we need to feel free to expand, to be our best selves and in so doing, we cannot avoid honoring others.

I was getting my car repaired and picked up an 'O' magazine where Oprah Winfrey was interviewing ten women (March 2017 issue). I read the whole interview and all the diverse comments you might expect from ten individuals. One thing that Oprah said was that she felt that we were more divided in our country than any time she could think of except perhaps the Civil War period. I agree that it might seem that way, but it is truly just a perception that we in turn use to guide our thoughts and our lives.

I made a note the other day: The gap between us and them. This perceived gap is what so often rules our thoughts, decisions, and actions, whether personally, or in the government, or the entire worldview.

Whenever I am on Facebook, which is less than many would think, I try to be a participant. I like posts, often leave positive comments, and very rarely if something strikes me as off base, do I make any comment at all. Yesterday, I made a comment of one short sentence to offer another point of view on a post that obviously had an agenda to put someone down.

I ended up deleting my post because I didn't want to 'swim upstream' with anyone on the subject. We can each hold on to our point of view and they can be completely different views. Great. My point here this morning is the gap we have between us and how we might consider closing that gap.

Right and wrong, good and bad, holy and evil, and all manner of other comparisons are the tools of the judgment that creates and widens the gap between us. We may try to get someone to come over to our point of view, share our thoughts, and often the other is doing the same, thereby widening the gap as we speak.

This is not something that is solved in this way. There are far too many ways to have gaps between us, and often if we were to fill one gap, another is quickly noticed and expanded.

The way and the only way that I can think of that actually works is to learn to honor ourselves, and in so doing, we can only honor the other. We rarely if ever have all the facts about the other. We cannot see through their eyes. We cannot understand so much what their life has been like, and yet we so easily judge them. In movies, we see all the life on one side and all the threatening of our lives on the other. It is an unfair comparison for sure.

However, as we honor ourselves, we can close any gap by honoring the other regardless of the rhetoric. We must honor ourselves first because until we know who we are, there will always be a gap between us. Once we realize who we really are and that we all come from the same exact Source, share many more similarities than not, we can see ourselves in others, we can honor them.

We don't have to agree with them. But, we need to honor them, allow them their own God-given lives to be lived as they choose. This is what closes the gaps between us.

What has changed in me as I began this piece is that I have become so much more aware of my alignment or lack of it with my heart and mind, or my inner knowing to the point that I now see how this has directed my thoughts and my choices. I now choose differently, with more insight, and all that is a result of honoring myself.


Don't Mind The Gap. By Minding The Alignment, The Gap Is Filled With Love. 

Spread Some Joy Today--by trying to see the love that is in another that you disagree with. See them as the same as you with different thoughts. See them as whole and complete. Love them.

Daily Inspiration 6-22-19

"To thine own self, be true."

-- William Shakespeare

[Classic post from 7-12-17]

What does that mean? To me, it means to honor yourself, respect yourself, enjoy yourself. I think that in this way the common Bible phrase to love others as you love yourself comes alive with new meaning.

More on the interview with Dr. John D. Demartini. He said that we are more often than not judging versus honoring. This applies equally to ourselves and to others, which makes that Bible phrase develop even more life. Not to judge others as we judge ourselves because that is a given. We all have that inner voice that isn't always kind and uplifting, but we all need not pay it the homage that it seems to demand. No, not judging but honoring--honor others as we honor ourselves. That is pure love, isn't it? Not only loving others but also loving ourselves. Honoring and loving are within the same vibrational relativity.

This brings me to more notes that I recorded from that interview: comparing versus serving. That's one of those phrases that just leaps off the page for me. Comparing is something we all do every single day many times throughout the day. We're so used to it that we don't even give it any thought.

We compare ourselves to others, as in, she is better than me, prettier than, smarter than me, or he is thinner than me, healthier than me, more successful than me, or they make more money than me, have nicer homes than me. And, of course, we compare our better than points of view to their less than us in what we think is the reality. They are all lies. Every one of them.

We can compare ourselves to death, and I mean that literally too. Where does it ever stop? It cannot. As we continue to compare this with that and that with this, we find more to compare. A very small amount of this comparison game is even worth paying attention to, but most of it is harmful to our health and keeps us small no matter the stature we imagine we have.

This comparison game encourages us to hide within our comfort zone. Why would we want to step out and find out how bad we would be in comparison to the others already out there? It's safer to stay indoors, whether in our buildings or in our own little mental world. Then, when brave enough to get out there, we are bombarding ourselves with information on comparisons of this and that and the other. Whether performance, or design, or creativity, it just doesn't matter as there is an infinite number of things we can compare within ourselves about ourselves, and without ourselves about other people and about our relations with other people.

If we will consider the word serve instead of compare, serving instead of comparing, this can open a whole new perspective for us and how we can actually live up to that Bible verse and William Shakespeare's famous quote.

As we allow ourselves to serve there is no need to compare. What does it really matter what percentage of something one does versus another? Even someone who contributes one-tenth of one percent if serving is doing all that needs to be done. We serve ourselves and we serve others in allowing our uniqueness, our true self to be exposed. We serve with our message, our knowledge, skill set, expertise, touch, emotion, caring, comfort, our presence. There are infinite ways that we can serve.


Honor Your Life In The Service Of Love. 

Spread Some Joy Today--by feeling your way around today. Follow your bliss!

Daily Inspiration 6-21-19

"You are never given a wish

without also being given

the power to make it come true.

You may have to work for it, however."

-- Richard Bach

[Classic post from 7-15-17]

Continuing again on the subject of honoring ourselves. Yesterday, I wrote about how doing what we love for a living is not really work at all, and it is one of the great ways in which we honor and love ourselves.

Several posts back, I referred to John D. Demartini's book, The Values Factor, and had a link to answer 13 questions to help us find what our highest values are. In so doing, we can then have a great deal of insight into what we do and how that works out for us. As we are aligned with our highest values--you could say, our uniqueness here--we thrive in all ways, and as we discount them, follow other criteria, we often may not thrive.

In his book, Dr. Demartini mentions a woman in one of his weekend seminars that demonstrate a lot of what I wrote about yesterday. The story he shared was about a woman who was on the heavy side and stated that her highest value was dancing and that she couldn't figure out how to make a living doing that, especially with her physical shape where most professional dancers are thin. She said that she loved dancing so much and that she was particularly skilled at flamenco dancing.

He asked what her second highest value was. She said it was traveling, which is also one of Dr. Demartini's top four values for his life. He suggested that she combine her two highest values by going to a dance training center and giving notice of a special travel event that combines dance instruction in another country learning international dances in the country they were made popular, and have a wonderful adventure at the same time. She got excited and created a teaching trip to Spain and had several people sign up and go to Spain and learn flamenco and other dances of that country. She was now making a living doing what she most loved to do and fulfilling her highest values at the same time.

In the business I created out of thin air back in January of 2008, I am doing what I love and fulfilling my highest values as well. My highest value is learning, and the second highest is teaching. Though I own an Internet marketing company, in truth, I am paid to learn, and I am paid to teach. What's interesting about that to me is that I had never thought of it that way until recently.

As we are open to learning what our highest values are, we honor ourselves. As we align what we do in our lives to our highest values, we honor ourselves. As we are aligned with our highest values, we serve others and honor them. We serve them not so much in doing good deeds, or even doing things for them, but simply by being our truest selves.

We are all made (as is everything else) of energy. As we can feel that we are aligning with our truest selves within, everything we do, including nothing at all has a different effect on ourselves and all the other people (energy) and things (energy). We can sense this alignment in each other and feel the peace of it, and the joy of it. At the same time, we can all sense when it is out of alignment in us and in someone within our space.

I'll leave today's post on this subject with this quote that spells out the work involved in being in alignment, assuming that work, as stated in the quote at the top, is really something we need call work. I think it is more a matter of a willingness to risk choosing a more fulfilling life.


"And The Day Came When The Risk To Remain Tight In A Bug Was More Painful Than The Risk It Took To Blossom." -- Anaïs Nin 

Spread Some Joy Today--in considering another quote by Anaïs Nin: "We don't see things as they are, we see them as we are."

Daily Inspiration 6-20-19

"You don't understand anything until

you learn it more than one way."

-- Marvin Minsky

[Classic post from 7-5-17]

Learning leads to understanding and I have found understanding is achieved much better and faster by learning things in multiple ways. When I really want to understand something, I immerse myself in it and find ways to teach it to aid in my own understanding. As I understand it, I can teach it well.

I'll never forget going to a new high school in Upland, CA for just a few months. We had moved to Northern California from Southern California and after a few years, my parents decided the grass was greener in the Southland, so we moved back. It didn't last long, but I learned a lot from the experience.

The school in Sonoma, CA the history class was stodgy and rather boring, but typical of many schools I had attended with outlines on the blackboard, huge textbook, memorizing dates, etc. When I went to the school in Upland (south of LA near Ontario), that history class was the most exciting and interesting history class I had ever attended.

It wasn't the teacher, but the curriculum. In this case, they had an 8.5"x11" paper workbook with about a page to two pages of text on a subject, then there were many questions after each section. The questions asked about the subject from many different angles and really helped to understand it, make sense of it and engage with it. It was very interesting, well written and the questions made all the difference.

How terrible it was to go back to Sonoma and that old history class. It felt like the dark ages versus the 20th century. What's also interesting is that the kids in the Upland class were complaining about the class and I was rejoicing! Little did they know how good they had it.

There are many things that I've learned that I can repeat and even take a test on, but there are few that I have a deep understanding of. Whatever those are, came from the desire to know it, the learning from different angles and the grander teaching of it.


Learning Should Be Fun!

Spread Some Joy Today--When you get up and become awake, take a few moments and set some intentions for the day. Intend to have safe and efficient travel, excellent communications with all people, to enjoy the world around you while you work, and more. You won't believe what a difference it will make in your days.

Daily Inspiration 6-19-19

"We have no idea

what tomorrow will bring,

but today

is overflowing

with potential."

-- Allan Lokos

[Classic post from 7-14-17]

Continuing with the theme of honoring ourselves, Mark Anthony is quoted as saying, "if you do what you love, you will never work a day in your life."

It's very common to do something that we don't like doing with the excuse that we need the money, or that this is the only job available right now, with a long and detailed list of rationalizations as to why we do the work we do though we dislike doing it except for the paycheck.

Today is overflowing with potential and opportunities. It always is. Just because our eyes and ears are closed, it doesn't mean that there isn't a big world all around us.

Then people will say that they don't have the college degree, or they don't have the experience and/or skills required, and with each click of the reasons why it cannot be done or would not work, we claim and reaffirm the place we stand in.

Some might say that these people are too lazy to go find something different that would be more to their liking, but I don't think that is it. I think it is that they are just stuck in their current thought patterns and don't know how to get out, while at the same time, having been so comfortable in their place regardless of whether it is painful to them or not.

They just can't see all the opportunities because they have locked them out. Not because they're not wanting an opportunity, but because they are in a habitual pattern of thought and activity like having the repeat button on the music deck listening to the same song over and over again.

There's an old saying that "you can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink." Well, this is pretty much true with all of us I think. It may not be that it needs to be our idea, but we certainly need to be open to it at some point, and that opening is where the change in thinking opens our eyes and ears to new possibilities. The thought is what comes first, then we can decide, and then we can act. Perception. Decision. Action.

Without the perception, nothing else can happen--even when we are led to water. Of course, it has to be our idea! It has to be our thoughts and our thinking. It is always our decision to make, else it could never work out regardless of the amount of action taken.

Abraham, Esther Hicks has often said that "words do not teach. Experience is what teaches." Yet, words can influence if someone is ready to read or hear them. That is the best they can do.

Doing what we love to do is not only a delightful way to live, but is also, and perhaps even more importantly, a way of honoring ourselves.


Loving Ourselves Is Also To Love What We Do. 

Spread Some Joy Today--by finding new opportunities to experience joy.

Daily Inspiration 6-18-19

"Honor your own life."

-- Dr. John D. Demartini

[Classic post from 7-11-17]

I am moved to a magnificent change. I wrote yesterday about the culmination of the tipping point and how easy it was to go over the edge much like a roller coaster reaching the peak and from there has created its own momentum to move without any effort at a high rate of speed on its course. Then, this morning, I knew what I had to write about for days to come.

It fascinates me how I will go through learning and nothing much seems to happen, and then suddenly I am moved. I used to call those plateau's of learning, where I climb and climb and climb some more reaching a plateau from which to enjoy a new and unique view. Here I am not resting so much as I am reviewing the insights that have gathered in sufficient quantity that it takes me some time to sift them, feel them, roll them around in my increased awareness before renewing my energy for climbing again.

On Friday, I mentioned an interview with John Demartini and as I took notes, I see so much more than I thought I was learning. The quote at the top is one of the notes I wrote, and as I looked at it yesterday and today, I was inspired to share some of his thoughts mixed with my own.

I'll start this morning with a question: Do you honor yourself? Do you really honor yourself? Here's another and more descriptive way of looking at this question: As you see your life, do you see the glass full and overflowing, or do you see it as half full?

Half full is often stated as positive and at the same exact level of the water in the glass can be seen as half empty. It's insightful to me to have the level be the same and we may see the exact so-called opposite view. Perception is all. Perception is uniquely individual. Perception is chosen; albeit, it cannot help but have been influenced in a variety of ways that lead toward that individual perspective.

It's easy to honor someone else. We all do it. If you're into sports, it is someone or many who are, as they say, superstars in that field. If you're into music, it is the favorite artists, and so on. We may honor certain politicians, or business leaders, or self-help guru's, religious or spiritual leaders. It is most often someone with a degree of attention in such a way as we can see their prowess, and experience their uniqueness.

And, uniqueness is a really good word to use here. It doesn't mean better than, worse than, or more than, or less than. That is a comparison. To me, it means honoring yourself. To me it means coming out, letting our innate skills and talents to be exposed. But, to avoid comparison, it is not to be better than, worse than, more or less than, but to be the most perfect uniqueness that is you.

It also means that we are not alone in our uniqueness, but all are unique. Do all share their uniqueness? No. But, they can. They are even encouraged to do so. Sometimes an inspired moment will open the gate and let some of that uniqueness out, and as that is allowed to open more, we can become as unique as we were divinely created to be.

It is not up to anyone else. It is only up to us. Much more in the coming days on this wonderful subject.


Honoring Your God-Ordained Life. 

Spread Some Joy Today--by breathing deeply many times throughout your day. Breath is life. Breath is freedom. Breath is perspective.

Daily Inspiration 6-17-19

"There is a tide in the affairs of men,

when taken at the flood,

leads on to fortune."

-- William Shakespeare

[Classic post from 7-10-17]

On Sunday, I wrote about perceptions, decisions, and actions based on a quote I gleaned from John D. Demartini. Since Sunday, I have used all of that, culminating in a decision that I've considered many times and let go again, yet in this instance, not only changed the perception, made a decision, and have taken action, but these often will take a lot of thought, and in this case was the easiest decision I've made in a long time.

As I was thinking about how this life-changing event came about, I noticed that there were numerous influences and that these influences came together in what I might call a perfect storm bringing the issue to a pinpoint where the decision was automatic. It required no more thought. Zero effort. The perception was changed. The decision was a foregone conclusion, and action was without the slightest effort or concern. In fact, it came together in such a way that it became an instant commitment with no thought of looking back, feeling loss, being concerned about the future, or anything else. It is done.

Do you know what I'm talking about? The subject of my change is not important, but you may have had similar times in your life where it wasn't one thing, but several things or influences that caused that perfect storm within you where a major change became a no-brainer. I mean that literally too, as there wasn't anything to analyze or consider. It was just done. Simple. It's on. There's no turning back.

I was trying to remember the last time this happened in my life. I couldn't think of anything quite so perfect. I've had epiphanies, sure, but though the decision was easy, there was also a certain amount of apprehension of the future, or in leaving things behind. Getting into the business I'm in now and making that decision was quick in late December 2007, but I had all kinds of apprehensions about the unknowable future, and especially since I had so little familiarity with the game.

Epiphanies are great. I love it when they come, yet things like this perfect storm are simply magnificent.


This Weekend Gave New Meaning To The Phrase, Taken By Storm!

Spread Some Joy Today--in your eagerness to share your special attributes with all that you come into contact with today.

Daily Inspiration 6-16-19

"There are three things

that we all have control of.

Our perceptions, decisions,

and our actions."

-- Dr. John D. Demartini

[Classic post from 7-7-17]

I heard this quote during an interview with John Demartini a couple of weeks ago and made note of it. It is so accurate.

We are the only ones who have control of our perceptions. It doesn't matter if we think we are creating our environment or if we think others are creating it without our permission. In any event, and in all events, it is we who are perceiving that. Our perception is how we see everything, what we think about it, and it is all true. We have the choice of how we will perceive everything. Some are obviously tainted with prior experience, but it need not be. It is our choice no matter how we perceive.

We are the decision makers even though we may say another made decisions for us, or overtly influenced us, or as we make a choice that is in our own best interests. In all cases, we make the decisions, and that includes not making decisions. For choosing to avoid making a decision is, in fact, a decision.

We are empowered exclusively to act in our world. Our actions are filtered by our experience, knowledge, skills, and perceptions, and yet no matter they are filtered or not, they are solely in our control to take. Take action or not take action. Of course, that comes from the decision or lack of decision, our perceptions of all of that and more, but it is we who act.

I was thinking this morning about this quote and how many times I have chosen not to make a decision and chosen as a result to not act, and yet these were all my choices. How I perceive things change with my knowledge and experience, my willingness to let life flow rather than struggle within it. It is quite malleable. I am always open or try to be that, to see things from a different perspective. As that perspective changes, I cannot help but change my decisions and actions because perspective is the controlling force in my life.


My Free Will Is Always My Own God-Given Responsibility. 

Spread Some Joy Today--by enjoying your power to create.

Daily Inspiration 6-15-19

"Age is something that doesn't matter unless you are cheese."

-- Billie Burke

"And the day came when the risk it took

to remain tight inside the bud

was more painful than the risk it took to blossom."

-- Anais Nin

[Classic post from 7-6-17]

Age is just one of those excuses that we think is perfectly acceptable as a legitimate excuse accepted widely as valid and understandable. There are so many references to age as a factor.

It used to be stated that a woman was over the hill when she turned 30, no more the young chicken and now the old bird. Hogwash. For men, it was the big 40--or heaven forbid the big 50. Most courts say 14 is the 'age of reason,' whatever that means, and other decisions can only be made when one is at least 18 or 21 or 25. Then, there's the retirement thing: 62 for the early escapers, 65 for the masses, and 70 for those laggers that want the big bucks from Social Security. It's all made up anyway.

Age is a state of mind. You get to choose your state of mind.

As excuses go, that someday may come where 'the risk it took to remain tight inside the bud, was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.' That day is celebrated throughout the heavens as a new birth!

We are what we decide to allow ourselves to be, do and have.


I Choose To Blossom Over And Over Again.

Spread Some Joy Today--Release yourself from any chains that hold you where you are. Blossom! The joy that you receive will be so great that the excess joy will just fall off and land on everyone you come in contact with.

Daily Inspiration 6-14-19

"Though the truth may be spoken

and written in many ways throughout time, 

it remains true."

-- Albert K. Strong

[Classic post from 7-4-17]

Here are three points in over 5,000 years of time that say the same thing with different words and yet are repeating the same truth:

"As above, so below.

As within, so without."

-- The Emerald Tablet,

circa 3000 BC

"Therefore I say unto you,

What things soever ye desire,

when ye pray,

believe that ye receive them,

and ye shall have them."

-- Mark 11:24

The Bible, KJV

"It doesn't matter

what anybody else is doing

with their vibration,

it only matters what you are doing.

You cannot desire something--

and notice that it isn't coming--

without offering two contradictory vibrations

that won't let it come."

Abraham, Esther Hicks

1/15/05 

Ask Ye Believing And It Is Already Done! 

Pay No Attention To That Man Behind The Curtain! 

You've Always Had The Power Within Yourself! 

Spread Some Joy Today--by having fun with your bad self! Injoy!

Daily Inspiration 6-13-19

"Learning never exhausts the mind."

-- Leonardo da Vinci

[Classic post from 7-2-17]

We are all learners. Many of us may not admit it, but it is virtually impossible to be alive and not be learning.

It also may not be a priority or a high value within, yet it is like a switch that is always on regardless of the desire or intent.

To me, learning is one of my highest values. It always has been, and always will be. I cannot shake it and yet would never have that desire.

Dr. John Demartini teaches values and how we relate to them, how they lead us when we may not even be aware, how we can improve communications by realizing our own highest values and those of the other or others and arranging our communication to be of benefit to them by attaching it to their values, while keeping our own in mind.

For example, one question is: How do you fill your personal space? So, anyone with eyes would look around my personal space and see that I am surrounded by reminders of my highest value of learning. There are books everywhere, audiobooks fill my computer and iPhone, and much more.

Of course, my mind never gets tired of learning. I am always on, just like that switch; however, I choose what I will learn. There are so many things that are like giant walls I cannot seem to climb in trying to learn things that I think I 'should' learn, but have almost no desire for. We are all that way as well. Where one cannot get enough of one subject, many others go completely unnoticed.

This reminds me of being in school trying to get certain things to seep into my brain and it seemed as if I was incapable of learning them. This is where schooling can be problematic for the student. Some excel, some fail, lots of in between. So it is in our places of employment. Some excel, some fail, lots of in between. Can't learn? Not even. Won't learn. Not the right assessment. Not within their values? Absolutely.

Dr. Demartini has this to say about how when we have something we 'should' learn or do and we struggle with it because we don't want to learn it or do it. All we need do is tie it to one or more of our highest values and then we eagerly take part because we can see how in doing or learning these things, we are really living in and supporting our highest values.

I highly recommend downloading the value determination pdf from Dr. Demartini's website. I predict you may, as I did, find it helpful to understand our own motives and actions and thought patterns and help us to thereby understand the others in our lives.

Learning never exhausts the mind as Leonardo said, and that is especially true when that learning is linked to our highest values. In fact, I find it the opposite of exhausting. I find it exhilarating!


Everyone's Learning Switch Is Always On--Regardless Of What We May Think. 

Spread Some Joy Today--by giving more respect to others in increased understanding. We all want the same thing: To love and to be loved.

Daily Inspiration 6-12-19

"A Yale University management professor 

in response to student Fred Smith's paper 

proposing a reliable overnight delivery service: 

The concept is interesting and well-formed,

but in order to earn better than a 'C', 

the idea must be feasible."

-- Frederick W. Smith

[Classic post from 6-29-17]

It's really easy to laugh at this quote now because everyone knows about FedEx. In 1971, Fred Smith began Federal Express and in 1973 began overnight service on April 17th. That first night only 18 packages were carried, and the rest is history as they say. Ten years later in 1983, they passed one billion dollars in sales revenue. That was over 29 years ago. Last year it was almost 40 billion.

The best way I've ever heard of thinking of a billion dollars is that if you had a billion dollars and you spent $10,000 per day, every day, seven days a week, it would take you 274 years to spend it all assuming it was gaining zero interest the entire time! To spend it all in a lifetime, you would have to spend around $50,000 a day. At that rate, it would still take you 54 years to spend it.

J. K. Rowling wrote a book called Harry Potter and was turned down by the first 12 publishers that it was sent to by a literary agent. A year later, one publisher took it and the rest is history as they say. J. K. Rowling went from a single mother on social security at the poverty level to now a billionaire.

How many people do you think can recognize a billion-dollar enterprise in its seed form? 

Do you know anyone who might have a billion dollar idea? How about you? How about a million dollar idea?

Have you ever saw an invention, product or service and then said that you had that idea some years ago?

There are seeds in all of us to excel in certain areas when we allow them to be; when we decide to do it; when we are willing to risk. You might even be the next billionaire in the seed.


"Throw Your Dreams Into Space Like A Kite, And You Do Not Know What It Will Bring Back, A New Life, A New Friend, A New Love, A New Country." -- Anais Nin

Spread Some Joy Today--"Things won are done, joy's soul lies in the doing." -- William Shakespeare

Daily Inspiration 6-11-19

"Luke: What's in there?

Yoda: Only what you take with you."

-- Yoda wisdom from

Star Wars

[Classic post from 6-23-17]

What do we take with us? Our point of view. Our point of attraction. Our accumulated knowledge. And, if we haven't let them go yet--our fears.

What is the most telling in this short exchange between Luke and Yoda is the control and power that Yoda states Luke has. Yoda says that a lot to Luke in many ways and the entire challenge in all Luke's learning is in accepting the reality that he has that power and always has had it.

Abraham, Esther Hicks makes more real:

"Since you have control over what thoughts you offer, what could be more just than the powerful Law of Attraction responding equally to everyone who offers a vibration? Once you gain control over the thoughts you think, your sense of injustice will subside and will be replaced with the exuberance for life and the zest to create that you were born with. Let everything in the Universe be an example to you of the way the Laws of the Universe work."

We go into that cave every day as we leave our house, and as with Luke, what is out there is what we bring with us. We are the sole interpreter of our own reality.


Our Point Of View IS Our Point Of Attraction. 

Spread Some Joy Today--by experiencing your boundless joy. It's on the other side of resistance.

Daily Inspiration 6-10-19

"Tension is who you think you should be.

Relaxation is who you are."

-- Chinese proverb

[Classic post from 6-25-17]

That speaks volumes very succinctly, don't you think?


Relax In Your Peace Today. 

Spread Some Joy Today--by letting go of all that tension that comes from looking at problems. There are no problems with joy.

Daily Inspiration 6-9-19

"Do not judge lest you be judged.

For in the way you judge, you will be judged;

and by your standard of measure,

it will be measured to you."

-- Matthew 7:1-2, 

The Bible, NAS

[Classic post from 6-28-17]

In the past number of posts, I've been thinking and writing about things that I've learned over time, along with those that I have had to practice on to get good at and thereby make the message my own.

I love really great quotes where ever I find them and after reading the Bible a couple of times completely myself, I have found a number of golden nuggets that continue to serve me and also act as reminders to my own frailties. Matthew 7 about judgment is one of them, and it is probably one of the most quoted Bible quotes in existence. However, what is not quoted very often is verses 3 through 5 that come after and it adds immensely to the fullness of verses 1 and 2. So, here is the whole of it verses 1 through 5:

"Do not judge lest you be judged. For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you. And why do you look at the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' and behold, the log is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye."

As I look back on all that I have learned from the Bible, I know that this is easily one of the most important verse selections in my life. It is one that I remind myself of so much more even today than at any other time. I have realized just how powerfully magnificent it is and also how real and true it is and how it helps me to be a far better person than I might ever become.

To me, the lesson is not judgment but is about loving one another, which is the single most important lesson in the Bible for me (John 13:34). When I realize how silly it is for me to judge someone else (and this requires practice on my part), it allows and encourages me to see them as like me and to love them the way they are. It is true enough that what goes around, comes around. You never know how treating someone poorly or without respect will come back to you.

A long time ago, I was in a transition struggling with what exactly to do. I went to work for a small used car lot as a temporary idea, and I knew the manager--or at least I knew of him and his name, but little else. He treated me very poorly and I left. They tried to stiff me on minimum wage pay and it just was sad. Fast forward ten years give or take and I am the general sales manager at a dealership, and guess who comes in looking for a job? I don't think he even made the connection.

Judgment is the easiest thing in the world. It is also the easiest thing in the world to be wrong about. We are all deeper than we seem. We are all made of the same exact materials. We all come from the same source. We are far more connected than not. All the more reason for looking at ourselves with a critical eye before we look at others. Better yet--looking at ourselves with a loving eye, and then with that same loving eye toward others.


Who Am I To Judge? Even Moses Didn't Want The Job. . .


Spread Some Joy Today--The more we see each other as ourselves, the more love and joy we find. It is true.

Daily Inspiration 6-8-19

"You learn from error,

but not from blaming the self."

-- Paul Selig,

The Book of Truth

[Classic post from 6-22-17]

Since beginning these Daily Inspirations, I have focused on sharing what I've been learning, new insights realized, and often how it has changed me or my thinking, and more often than not, my heart. Onward.

The quote I gleaned above shook me with its power of clarity. He added after this part that if we burn our finger on a hot pan, we most likely learn to not do that again, but we don't chastise ourselves for the rest of our lives in regret by blaming ourselves for our error. We move on. We learn.

Yet, how often do we hold on to something from long ago and carry regrets with us far into the future for things that have no meaning now?

Just before the quote above, there is another enlightenment to glean:

"Every time you claim yourself as inferior to another, you are lying. Every time you condemn yourself for what you have done or could do, or believe what you think is wrong about you, you are lying."

Putting this into more clarity, he continues, "Anything that was done or expressed by you at any time was simply how you knew yourself and the expression of you as an active being in consort with your needs--or perhaps your fears, yes--at the time. But they were just what they were, things done. They were not who you are."

How do we heal the past? We have to reframe it--see it differently. We need to let go of the rope were tugging on keeping that regret alive and active. We need to see that this was just what was then based on all manner of things in and around our lives, but it is not who we are. It may have been who we were at that moment, but we are in a constant state of flux in our lives, and we are constantly learning as we go.

Sure, we repeat mistakes sometimes. So what? We get stinking thinking sometimes. So what? We often may sting others when all we really want to do is caress. So what? It is what it is. It was what it was. There is only one time that we can do anything about anything and that is at this moment.

And we start by telling the truth about ourselves. We are not inferior to anyone. Nor is anyone else inferior to us. We are all divine creatures from the same Source Energy on different paths here spinning and toiling as we choose on an experiential adventure. We are. We simply are.


Celebrate Your Divine Spirit. Celebrate Your Human Adventure. Love All As You Love Yourself. 

Spread Some Joy Today--As Paul's dead mother came to him in a dream said to him in his despair: Let it be, Let it be, Let it be, Let it be, Speaking Words of Wisdom, Let it be. (Thanks, Paul McCartney!)

Daily Inspiration 6-7-19

"We might consider more often

celebrating the obvious."

-- Albert K. Strong

[Classic post from 6-21-17]

It's so easy to ignore the obvious, the common, the familiar, when there is so much to celebrate and to do this often helps keep more of our blessings in view, recognized, and appreciated.

Today, I am celebrating clean drinking water. It comes to my house. I just paid the bill for the month of its use to the city and it is what I have to call a stupid bargain. A pittance. It is almost insignificant in the scheme of monthly expenses, and yet it is something I cannot live without. Literally.

Not so long ago, we had to go to the well, or a stream, or other place and bring water home. Who knew if it were clean or not, so boiling it was required. Not in my lifetime, no, but not so long ago. In fact, today, there are millions of people on the planet who do not have clean drinking water in quantity and it is certainly not delivered to their home. They might walk miles to get it in buckets bringing it home by physical labor.

I go to my faucet, lift it up or turn the handle and out comes clean drinking water. I turn on the shower and I wash in clean water. I water the plants and bushes around my house. I use it for cooking. It is always there. And, it costs almost nothing in comparison to other things in my life that have far less value.


Celebrate The Obvious! Celebrate Your Blessings.

Spread Some Joy Today--by realizing how blessed you truly are.

Daily Inspiration 6-6-19

"You cannot prevent the birds of sorrow 

from flying over your head,

but you can prevent them 

from building nests in your hair."

-- Chinese Proverb

[Classic post from 6-20-17]

I absolutely love this proverb and it is so full of wisdom. Though things happen all around you, this does not mean that they must have any effect on you. You get to choose what you think and how you feel about it. Gather troubles and make them your own, or let them float on by as a twig floats down the river. There it is and there is goes. See ya! Ba-bye now!

If you've had nests in your hair--and you know who you are--take heart! Encourage those birds to move to a new home and shake that hair out, or maybe even get a good haircut, perm or color. Change it up. You're on the loose and looking for good times today and planning for joy tomorrow! It is amazing what can be done in such a short time. Who knew it could be that easy?


Birds Of A Feather. You Get To Choose The Feather.

Spread Some Joy Today--Maybe Send A Thank You Card To Someone Today. The Friends You'll Make . . .

Daily Inspiration 6-5-19

"What is outrageous

is not what you ask for.

What is outrageous

is what you settle for."

You can always tell

what you believe you deserve

by what you are getting."

-- Alan Cohen

[Classic post from 6-19-17]

These two quotes can seem to be a bit harsh, but they are so accurate in our lives whether we accept them or not.

I was thinking about abundance and had this question: What are the limits to abundance? Is there only so much and then it is gone? Is it only for some like the lucky, those with the right upbringing and education? It seems that a few people have what we might call abundance and the rest have such limited abundance. How much abundance is there?

As I pondered those questions, it hit me that abundance cannot have any limits or it would not be abundance. It is not abundance that is limited, it is our thinking. It is our point of view of the world around us and within us. Abundance can be ours. It is limitless. And that's the key for us--we have to jettison our self-imposed limits.

I shared this quote from Thomas Troward last week and it is certainly worthy of repeating every hour of our lives. Beginning with the idea that we limit ourselves, he said, "All of this exists in, and is produced by, our belief; and when we come to examine the grounds of this belief we shall find that it rests upon an entire misapprehension of the nature of our own power."

And he adds the best part of his entire treatise on the subject of abundance that he calls, The Spirit of Opulence: "If we clearly realize that the creative power in ourselves is unlimited, then there is no reason for limiting the extent to which we may enjoy what we can create by means of it."

"Where we are drawing from the infinite we need never be afraid of taking more than our share." After all, it wouldn't be infinite if there were finite shares, would it? Using the word share regardless of the size of that share is a limit, isn't it? Bill Gates has a big share, and yet there are no limits to the size of his share because there are no limits in abundance and he hasn't really but taken a few grains of sand from all the sand in all the Universe.

"That is not where the danger lies. The danger is in not sufficiently realizing our own richness, and in looking upon the externalized products of our creative power as being the true riches instead of the creative power of spirit itself."

We look around. We see others driving big fancy expensive cars and trucks. We see multi-million dollar homes and all manner of luxurious amenities abound on TV and the media. And, we often may see that and compare ourselves at whatever levels we may compare, and yet none of this is abundance. And abundance is not money. Though money is abundant, it is spirit is the real abundance. We each have that same spirit within us regardless of the external indications that we pay so much more attention to.

In our human suit and using our human brain and human skills, we all set limits on abundance. We all accept a certain amount as good enough. This is fine. We all define abundance and on what level we will play. Yet our spirit has none of those limitations.

My only suggestions from my thoughts and those of Thomas Troward this morning is that we realize that there are no limits to abundance and that there is no such thing as a fair share or any kind of share when we refer to abundance. Abundance is limit-less. And, the other thing is that it might be fun to occasionally examine what we are getting and realize that there is more should the desire be there to expand our conceptions and presumptions.


Limited Abundance? Only In Our Minds! 

Spread Some Joy Today--because there are no limits to the amount of joy you can have and share with others. Joy is and love is abundance.

Daily Inspiration 6-4-19

"It is not the answer that enlightens

but the question."

-- Eugene Ionesco

[Classic post from 6-18-17]

It's interesting where my mind has taken me this morning. I made a few rare comments on Facebook and that caused more thoughts to cruise through my mind. Memories were exposed and not all were pleasant.

As I was floating through some childhood memories, I remembered a popular phrase, 'spare the rod, spoil the child.' What a bunch of crap that is! I remembered being whipped with a belt and hit with a 3/4" hardwood paddle, that later had holes drilled out so it would leave round marks. I received several doses of each for just being a kid. The rod wasn't spared, but in my humble opinion, that had nothing to do with me being spoiled for the future. Respect for authority may have been an objective, but fear of authority was the end result.

It's not the answer that enlightens, it's the question. Some good questions in those instances might have been, what is my objective in doing this? Am I wanting to show love or fear? Will this achieve my objective? How would I feel, respond, react, learn from this if it were me being punished? Will any good come from this? And, of course, the edict that sparing the rod spoils the child can justify this action as I allow my belief in such logic to prevail.

Those memories caused me to see that I now have developed compassion for all that went on then. They were doing what they knew to do and I knew nothing better than to accept that. Then, I remembered all that I have learned since then and how I no longer give permission to others to cause me to believe anything. I have learned to ask questions, to challenge beliefs, including, and especially my own from wherever they became attached to my thinking.

This brought me back to the center like a quick little journey around the block, reminding me that I get to ask the questions. I am in charge of all in my mind. I am reminded of some great questions: What would I rather be thinking right now? What will I choose now? How do I want to feel now? How do I see my life now? Where do I see my life taking me now?

Since now is all there really is that I have control over, all my choices are now. I can respond in so many ways to these questions. And, there is one that stands out above all the rest. It is this:


I Choose Love. 

Spread Some Joy Today--by choosing as you wish, and by asking yourself some great questions that bring you back to the moment.