Daily Inspiration 1-17-17

"The purpose of life

is to discover your gift. 

The work of life

is to develop it. 

The meaning of life 

is to give your gift away." 

-- David Viscott 

I like this quote, but I would change one word and delete one word for it to be more true in my mind. It is in the last line. So here's how I would prefer this message in the quote:

The purpose of life is to discover your gift. 

The work of life is to develop it. 

The meaning of life is to share your gift. 

For the majority of my life, I have searched for my gift. It used to be said that everyone has that one special talent, that God-given gift, and that it was in the discovery of that, that we become whole. I think I took that to heart; however, it caused frustration and anxiety because I never seemed to get to that place where I absolutely knew without a doubt what my special talent or gift was.

So, I tried a lot of things. I kept searching, wondering, wanting. And, I have come to realize, and if you know about the Law of Attraction, then as I continued to search and want and wondered, more searching, wanting and wondering was given to me. "I know it's there somewhere" turned into "where the heck is it?," "will I ever find it?," "what is wrong with me?" Well, you can see how that would work out.

Then, only recently via some wise teachers that I stumbled across (a misnomer for sure), I realized that I had it all along. It is me. Or, you could say it this way: It is me, or It is me, or It is me! I am the gift. To discover my inner connection to all that is. This is to discover the gift, and we are all gifted with this the same with our own unique flavors.

My work has been developing it. I have been doing this all along. We cannot help but do it.

The meaning, or rather my meaning of life is to share this gift. I have been sharing this gift all of my life without realizing that this has been the case. I am sharing it right now. I shared it in so many different ways, and yet each of those ways was me. The gift was me. I have been sharing this gift in everything that I have done and continue to do.

The last realization about this is that it is not a destination. That's what I always thought it was. I thought that one day I will discover my God-given gift and I will have arrived. Not so. It is a journey. And, paying attention to that journey in all its glory is the joy of living our gift as we are discovering even more of it, working (or, rather, playing) to develop it, expand it, allow it more fully, and in the sharing with others that which we are through those things that we choose to do, and through our many relationships.


You Are The Gift. Celebration Is In Order. 

Spread Some Joy Today--by stopping the search for it. Joy is already with each of us. All we need to do is recognize it, expand with it, and share it.

Daily Inspiration 1-16-17

"No matter what they say, 

you can never have too much sugar." 

-- Michael, the Archangel, 

from the movie, Michael 

It's been a long time, so I decided to watch the movie, Michael, again. I love this movie for many reasons, and I think my favorite reason is because it inspires me to appreciate life more.

In the movie, Michael has moments where he just stares off into the scenery around him, like when he is sitting on the plow in a field the with dog Sparky. He speaks of how much he loves it here on Earth and how much he will miss it. Somehow, that passion for life, that overwhelming desire to live comes across so well in these scenes. It inspires me toward more appreciation in my life.

I've said it before, and will do so again; I think appreciation is the single most important and valuable activity I have ever or could ever learn. It has taken me out of boredom, complacency, despair, frustration, and even depression. It is that powerful of a living tool. In fact, Abraham, Esther Hicks says it so well in this short sentence:

"Appreciation is the magic formula you've been seeking." 

A while back I found this magic formula. Guess who delivered it to me? It was Abraham, Esther Hicks. And now it is such a part of my life every single day, all throughout the day, that I never even think about using it because I now automatically use it.

I am constantly looking for things to appreciate no matter what they are or where I find them. I find them everywhere I go. I cannot walk ten feet and not see something and mentally appreciate it. I don't even have to move my body. I can just look around the room or out of the window. I would have to say that I am pretty much in a constant state of appreciation.

Appreciation has many levels. I find that some things I appreciate with more passion than others, although that only takes the emotion from joy to excitement. The things, situations, people I find that move me even beyond excitement cause me to go into a more rare field of emotion: Wonder.

When I am in wonder, I don't even know what to say. I am stunned. I am in awe. I am in as pure a delight as one could find I think. So now I bounce through all of these emotions that feel so grand, and all of it because I decided to begin to appreciate instead of criticizing. And look where it has brought me. And, movies like Michael and many others remind me in an entertaining way that I am in love with life and living as I pay attention to what is really important--Sugar! Salt. Flavor. Appreciation. Fun. Joy. Love.


You Can Never Have Too Much Sugar. 

Spread Some Joy Today--by being injoy.

Daily Inspiration 1-15-17

"I think, 

therefore I am." 

-- Rene Descartes 

I was remembering this morning how I have heard some say something to the effect of, it doesn't matter what I think. Sometimes it is expressed using the same words but with different inflections. For example:

It doesn't matter what I think.
It doesn't matter what I think.
It doesn't matter what I think.

And my favorite: It doesn't matter what I think.

But, you know, the real truth is that is does. It has to. That is all there is of you. It matters all. What you think is what you are. What you think is who you are (in form anyway). What you think is what you have. What you think is what you do. What you think is who is around and close to you. What you think is your bank account. What you think is your health. What you think is your love life. What you think is your emotional life. What you think is everything. What you think is your reality, your world. It is your vibration in energy.

Now, if any of these things don't feel right, are in need of change, aren't working as planned, guess where the change will have to take place.

I'll leave you today with this bit of wisdom from Abraham, Esther Hicks:

"What you do is miniscule in comparison with what you choose to think, because your vibration is so much more powerful and so much more important." 


You Think. Therefore There You Are. 

Spread Some Joy Today--by thinking on joy, love, appreciation, empowerment, joy, love, appreciation. . . a little extra is a good thing!

Daily Inspiration 1-14-17

"There is no affirmation

without the one who affirms. 

In this sense, everything to which 

you grant your love is yours." 

-- Ayn Rand 

Before I get started with today's message, I want to add something to yesterday's message about blame and blaming. I ran across this quote today looking at quotes on affirmation, and it is so perfectly matched to some of yesterday's post, I had to share it today and I think it is worth letting it settle in a bit:

"When you blame others, 

you are affirming that you have no power, 

and your existence is only a reaction 

to the power of others." 

-- Bryant McGill. 

I've written about affirmations several times, and I've struggled with them over the years. I thought I knew enough about them, but I did not. I have been given a new perspective via a new book series I've been reading and I am completely renewed in the awesome power of intention and affirmation.

Those two words go together so well because an intention is expressed best as an affirmation. If you've tried to use affirmations like I have, they are all about the future and intending that the future be more to our liking in some way by calling forth more abundance, better health, better situations, and more. But, the real power of affirmations is in the now. That's because this is all there is now. And, an affirmation from the intention of something happening right now is so powerful that I am jumping up and down inside just thinking about it.

It's just fine to imagine what I might want in the future, seeing myself in better financial condition, and more delightful things around me, as well as the health to enjoy them and so on. Nothing wrong with picturing and affirming this. It is wonderful. Yet, we can affirm things in our now that have an immediate effect instead of a future intended result.

I learned a little bit of this and I have written about it in what Abraham, Esther Hicks calls 'segment intending.' Yet even that is future; albeit, a much closer future, as in intending a safe trip from here to there, etc.

I've written about mentally blessing others also, which is an affirmation in the now. This is what has become renewed with delight in me, and it even goes deeper than what we might think of as a blessing.

When I accept that all of us are a product of the Creator, and that each and every one of us is loved unconditionally, and that I can accept that in myself as well, I have the foundation necessary to truly bless others as I move around in my physical life. As a product of the Creator, or God, or whatever words you may like to use, I am therefore a part of that too. As I acknowledge that in myself first, I can now acknowledge that in all others, and all things. And, I can do this more effectively and purposefully through the use of affirmations.

An example might be to say, "I am acknowledging the divine presence of the person in front of me (or beside me, or over there)," or I can add, "I seek harmony in our intentions," or, "I acknowledge that I am loved unconditionally by my Source and I acknowledge that same love in all others around me." Each of these and a thousand others are a way of affirming in the present and when I do this, magic seems to happen. I'm not necessarily looking for a result, but I am getting one. First, I am affirming myself and my own Source which is the Source of all things. Second, I am affirming all others human, animal, and things as coming from the same Source and that Source is within them, whether they are awake to it or not. This often creates an instant love connection, and harmony in the moment.

But, heck, enough theory. Try it yourself. First, acknowledge that you are a creation of the Creator, God, All-That-Is, and that this Source loves all of It's creations unconditionally. Next, affirm that. Next, accept that all others have the exact same pedigree, and last, affirm that in them and your connection to them in unconditional love. When you accept that you are loved unconditionally, it is easy to see beyond whatever facade a person may be showing to see the real truth that we are all loved together as well as apart.


Affirmation Turns A Thought Into Action. 

Spread Some Joy Today--by actually spreading that joy liberally in your acceptance of your divine love.

Daily Inspiration 1-13-17

"The search for a scapegoat 

is the easiest of all hunting expeditions."

-- Dwight D. Eisenhower 

If you talked to me 25 years ago compared to today, you would see something along the lines of the difference between Dr. Jeckyll and Mr. Hyde. Of course, I would be Mr. Hyde today.

The transition has been gradual, and in the last few years, the transition is nearing completion. And, personally, I shout Hallelujah! with the utmost joy at this place, that in years past I didn't even realize could be occupied.

Now, it's not perfect yet. Completion or arrival doesn't mean perfection. It means that there is a certain maturity that has come where I have delighted in the cause of inner renewal, inner peace, and joy. I have finally understood blame and my previous need for it and where those thoughts come from. I am as free as a man can be in still having an ego.

This realization came to me a couple days ago. I was watching a documentary on Netflix called Fed-Up. It is what they call the obesity epidemic in this country. In every movie, whether documentary or fiction, there needs to be a protagonist and an antagonist. In this case, the protagonist is several who have the answers, and the antagonist is the food industry and members of government on their payroll. The protagonist is speaking on behalf of the so-called unknowing, unsophisticated victims, who are portrayed as powerless in the face of this ubiquitous foe.

It is easy to become upset by this and all portrayals like this. It's the old David and Goliath story with David not yet on the scene. If we are willing to blame, it is easy to blame wherever we may wander, whatever we may see or hear. But personal responsibility in choice? Well, it's in there but, "it's hard. It's so hard."

As I finished watching this movie, I realized that I wasn't going for it. I wasn't taking the bait. This movie, of course, has an agenda, and it is to move me to blame and away from personal responsibility. That's a very familiar place to me. I used to blame my stupid boss in the car business, the taxes, the government, the weather, the fill in the blank. It didn't matter. I blamed liberally. There was plenty to go around.

Then, one day, I wanted to change that. I wanted to stop blaming others. I think I had always wanted to but it was 'hard.' It was acceptable to blame. The Daily News is full of blame on almost every single page. Back then I watched the TV news at least twice each night and it was full of blame, the sitcoms were full of blame. Heck, blame was everywhere I looked. But, I began to ask myself about my own personal responsibility. If I'm not responsible as in blaming others or circumstances or things, then I am just like a pinball in a pinball machine bouncing off this thing and that racking up points for my ego so that I could be blameless.

Is all those accusations in the movie true? Probably, but that isn't the point. The point became so clear to me, and that point is that regardless of the circumstances, we have personal choice in how we will think about anything. Viktor Frankl is quoted as saying, "Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms-to choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one's own way."

What is required to give up blame is to allow others to make their own choices without any insistence that they satisfy me. You might say this is the definition of unconditional love. I say, absolutely. If we are loving people unconditionally, whatever they will do has no affect on me other than what I allow. This allowed me to see in the movie that people were getting what they were asking for, though they may do this unconsciously. They wanted fast and so fast food came into being. They wanted to not have to cook and so TV dinners came into being. The food industry is responding to what people want. If people didn't want it or didn't want to buy it, the food industry would have to do something different. They are only doing what they can to improve their lives by staying in business and growing, providing jobs and income for millions of people.

I go to the grocery store and I see all those processed foods. I don't blame them. I accept them. I rarely choose them for myself, but I don't insist that they not be there. In fact, I love the plethora of choices available to me. I learned this from Abraham, Esther Hicks back when they used to use a kitchen and a pie as an example. They would say that I go to my kitchen where I have every conceivable ingredient, and I decide I want a pie, and so I make my pie adding whatever I choose that I want to put in it. Then another says that there is Tabasco sauce in the kitchen and I don't want any of that to get in my pie, and Abraham says, just don't put it in your pie. And the other says, but I want it out of the kitchen because it might get into my pie. Abraham says it can't get into your pie unless you put it in your pie. And, well, you can see how this goes and how it relates to blaming others, wanting that which we don't like to be off the planet, and so much more. It is the stuff of war.

I could go on and yet I will end with the celebration I began with. I have come to a point in my life where I shout Hallelujah! at the top of my lungs for having completed this long journey of releasing the need for blame. My ego still wants to, but I no longer allow my ego to rule. I am in charge. My ego is an adviser, but not in charge. I love being in this place where I can still see all the blame going on and not feel any need to join with it.


This Is Genuine And Delightful Progress! 

Spread Some Joy Today--as you learn how to release your joy along your own path.

Daily Inspiration 1-12-17

"When confronted with a situation 

that appears fragmented or impossible, 

step back, close your eyes, 

go to the inner place 

where problems cannot enter, 

and abide in the consciousness of well-being. 

When you are committed 

to inner peace above all else, 

all else will take care of itself." 

-- Alan Cohen 

As we worry about things and focus on solving problems, all we do is make them worse. We cause them to grow as a result of the attention that we give problems, or unwanted situations. Solutions require a different mindset, a willingness to see things in a new way. And, I think the best way to make this shift is to step into your own inner peace.

You could think of it like going into a dark room and sitting in a comfortable chair and releasing all thought for a few minutes. As you release thought, all the problems of your life and of the world evaporate. This place is well-being, and it is peace.

You could say very accurately that peace is the absence of conflict. Sometimes conflict is beneficial because it helps us to expand and grow to become more, and so does peace. Going into our inner peace at any time is beneficial, and I think especially when we are focused on problems and situations that are upsetting us in one way or another.

It is very hard to solve problems in the face of them. It requires a change in thinking to get to the place where we can focus on solutions. Taking a break from the problem is a way of clearing its focus and influence allowing us to make the transition with more ease and calm.

It need not take very long. A few minutes can be perfect. If at home, go to another room and close the door. If at work, go to the bathroom or an empty office, or take a walk outside and stop at a bench or find a place to rest for a few minutes. The main thing is to get our physical body away for just a few minutes and our mind will follow. From there, we can relax and let go, breathe deeply, and in a very short time, regain our composure, and more important, gain a better perspective.

Going into our inner peace every day for even just a few minutes will also help us to maintain a better perspective of all of the aspects of living we encounter and move through each day. It is a perfect way to begin and/or end every day.


Wishing You Peace And Well-Being. 

Spread Some Joy Today--as you allow your inner connection to peace.

Daily Inspiration 1-11-17

"You have been criticizing

yourself for years, 

and it hasn't worked. 

Try approving of yourself 

and see what happens!" 

-- Louise Hay 

What a delightful idea!


You Are The Salt Of The Earth! 

Spread Some Joy Today--by taking joy in you!

Daily Inspiration 1-10-17

"Enjoy the unfolding." 

-- Abraham, Esther Hicks 

It's one thing to go away and come back and see a child has grown so much, and another to watch the unfolding day by day by day.

It's one thing to relax and enjoy the ride, and another to keep score by constantly wondering where we are now and lamenting about why we aren't there yet.

The world around us, and the world we play in has become so focused on instant results, or magic formulas, that we often lose the enjoyment of the journey toward that which we want next. The journey can be delicious. I think that when we enjoy the deliciousness of that unfolding adventure, while knowing where we're heading with confidence, that this is where the joy really is in the reaching of the goal.

We can get so focused on the destination, and not appreciating the value of the path that gets us there.

Try this next time you have a goal: Pay attention to the unfolding and rather than keeping score, enjoy the change at whatever speed it comes about. Have confidence in the eventual arrival at the goal, while finding joy in the steps along the way.

After you get to your destination, your best memories will not be of arriving, but the travel along the way.


Arriving Is The Smallest Part Of The Story. 

Spread Some Joy Today--by being in joy, injoying your day, injoying your particular journey, injoying your life.

Daily Inspiration 1-9-17

"Clouds may block 

 our view of the sun, 

but they cannot remove it."

-- Alan Cohen 

I got my pilot's license in July of 1969, and most of my flying was done within a couple years of that date. When I saw the quote above, it reminded me of flying then, as well as flying now in commercial jets with other pilots flying the plane. It also excited my thoughts and memories of other ways in which we trust what we do not necessarily see, including, trusting in God, or in our own inner knowing.

Once you get a pilot's license, you can get other 'ratings,' such as an instrument rating, which certifies via an FAA testing that you were trained sufficiently to navigate using the airplane's instruments in non-visual circumstances, like flying in clouds and such. All airline pilot's have to be instrument rated, of course, and I'm sure we've all been on an airplane where you're going though clouds and you can't see anything outside the window. We're trusting the pilot knows how to navigate without being able to see.

When learning to fly, they teach and test you on a little bit of instrument-only flying, so that you learn to trust that the instruments are true to what they are supposed to do. Sure, there is skill involved, but it is trust that matters more in learning to use the instruments. From a physical point of view, it is easier than you might imagine without our being able to see the horizon or landmarks, to become disoriented. But, by being able to use the instruments to 'see,' and trusting in their guidance, all is well.

We trust all the time, but we aren't paying attention to it. As we drive down any two lane road in the country at 60 mph, we are trusting that the oncoming cars have drivers who are awake and paying attention, staying in their lane. We wouldn't be able to drive if we didn't trust in this, even though we all know that every once in a while they don't stay in their lane.

There's a lot of things that we trust in with our eyes. Even in night driving, we see headlights indicating others and their positions. But, trusting things that we cannot see, that is where we may have had issues, and where our confidence can be tested.

Trusting in God, or our inner being, our inner knowing, of the Universe to back us up is a huge issue for many. We cannot see, it is all invisible to us. We have to believe, and as we believe, we are trusting.

I believe that we are all seasoned pilots, but that sometimes it is easy to forget that we know how to fly via our instruments. We prefer different and more real evidence. And, just like any pilot, we have to practice to get better at our skill, and more confident in our trust.


Trust More. Worry Less. 

Spread Some Joy Today--by trusting your connection to all of life.

Daily Inspiration 1-8-17

"In the middle of difficulty 

lies opportunity." 

-- Albert Einstein 

Yesterday, I created a post about value and how we have influence on others and how we provide value, and even how in what seems to be a negative way, we can provide value, but that it just takes a little longer to see it that way. This caused the thinking that creates this post.

This last recession, which according to Wikipedia began in December 2007 and ended in June 2009, caused lots of change in the world. It was one of the more severe recessions if we are comparing them one to another, likened only to the Great Depression which began in 1929. Yet, I disagree with the dates, and that it was something negative. It depended on what industry you were involved in as to the dates, and it depended entirely on your personal interpretation as to whether it was bad or not.

Some people were completely unaffected by it, generally speaking, others lost homes, jobs, and others gained from it. This was true in the 1929-1933 period as much as the late 2000's.

In my life, it caused substantial change, and yet it created significant opportunity. We have a tendency to focus on what is going on in front of us so it would be very easy to list all the negative factors. And with a bit of time to gain perspective, the list continues to grow on the positive side, even overtaking the negative, causing it to become a valuable event.

It was a bit traumatic for me in the beginning and during a period, but this event caused me to make decisions that created benefit for me in unexpected ways and created many advantages to others as a direct result of its effect on me.

Without getting into exact details, the influence of the recession caused me to give up things, and to begin new things, and to change old self-defeating habits. It might be seen by some that these things were forced on me by the situation, and yet, I see it as if I attracted it because, in my 20/20 hindsight, know that I wanted these changes and that this case of the recession was merely a bit of encouragement.

In fact, and without exaggeration, I am so much happier now. I look upon this period of travel as one of the best things that ever happened in my life. I feel like I am free now, whereas before was bound only thinking I was free.

I think maturity is only learning to go with the flow of life, seeing beyond what it seems to be displaying, and realizing that no matter what, it is all good.


But, That's Just Me. You Have The Right To Decide Otherwise. 

Spread Some Joy Today--by realizing that it is always within you all the time and that you are always in charge of letting it out or keeping it under wraps.

Daily Inspiration 1-7-17

"The value of a man 

should be seen in what he gives 

and not in what he is able to receive." 

-- Albert Einstein 

Some one paid me a high compliment yesterday stating that I didn't realize the power of my influence and value to many. Often we may not see the value we provide, or recognize the effects on others, even at great distances, and even with people, we have never met. Yet we do. We all affect one another and even those way outside of our localized realm. It has been said that a butterfly flapping its wings in Boliva, has an effect in Nebraska.

This caused me to consider value and how we might think that we provide value, as in the idea of success, via our financial prowess, or how we created a start-up company that caused several to become million or billionaires. We might think that we are not providing value if we are not receiving personal rewards that we think recognize that or those values. And, though this may be true for some, it is a mistake to believe that this is a formula of our worth in providing value. Some painters died in poverty and were not well known for their efforts whose paintings now sell for millions of dollars. They provided value then without remuneration, and provide value maybe even hundreds of years later a plenty.

I believe that we all came here on purpose and with specific intentions with all manner of possibilities in how that would come to pass. Some call that the infinite field of potentiality. It gives us the flexibility to fulfill our intentions through almost unlimited avenues of personal choice.

If I asked you, why did you come here? What were your intentions?, you may or may not be able to answer that from your memory of your intentions, but I think you couldn't help but answer it in how you live your life--especially in how you give in your life. Another good question would be to ask ourselves, what value do I provide in this world? We might even sit down and celebrate the many things we do, influences we provide and attitudes that we display that demonstrate our value.

I don't just mean so-called positive value. There are all manner of things that are often called negative, and even evil to some that also provide value. Have you ever done something in your past that many would consider bad, or being a bad influence, only to find out years later how positive that negative act became via the influence? No, it isn't about good or bad, it is only about influence and value. What value do I provide? What value have I provided? What kind of an influence am I? These questions can open the way to fulfillment and receive the confirmation of that provision quickly.

In my alignment with my inner Source, I cannot help but provide the best influence and value via that alignment. As I am not, I am still providing value, but it may take years to understand how. After all, it is our inner Source that is our guide when we seek that guidance by aligning with it. I think it is in our giving with our intention of providing value to others that is always in alignment within.


Celebrate Your Value On All The Levels That This Takes Place. 

Spread Some Joy Today--by feeling the joy that comes from your giving and your alignment within.

Daily Inspiration 1-6-17

"If you would convince a man that he does wrong, do right.

Men will believe what they see."

-- Henry David Thoreau

[Classic post from 5-31-10]

I remember when I was a child, my mother being upset and yelling, "don't do as I do, do as I say!" Of course there were instances to back that up, such as telling me not to smoke cigarettes as they both had cigarettes burning in the ashtray. I didn't listen to them, but followed their example. This, of course, was true for many things that I ended up doing that I "shouldn't."

Then, later in life as a manager, I would sometimes find myself saying one thing and doing another. It is a serious challenge to lead by example, but it is the thing that leads the best.

One last thing about this: be easy on yourself. I keep trying to do my best to lead by example and celebrate the successes. Enjoying the journey is far more important.

What I Do Speaks Louder Than What I Say.

Spread Some Joy Today--If your goal is always joy, leading by example is easy.

Daily Inspiration 1-5-17

"Travel is a bigger challenge 

when we're chained to a post."

-- Albert K. Strong 

Ever seen an animal chained to a post? Whatever the length of the chain or rope is the limit of the travel in any direction. Of course, that's the whole idea in this situation. We want to limit the movement of the animal for one reason or another, often for the safety and security of the animal and people nearby. But, it's kind of sad to see it when the animal wants to roam, as watching a bird in a cage, which I think is one of the silliest things you could ever do to a bird.

In some ways, we are all chained to a post. We may travel a bit farther, but it is still dramatically limiting. And, I think that we also do it to preserve our own safety and security, which is the solidity of the post, as we play around with the length of the chain which is our beliefs, our view of the world and ourselves in it, our habits, and our awareness.

This limitation--the length of the chain--is always self-inflicted, and the solution of either lengthening the chain or removing it entirely is always within our immediate power. We may not believe that which is one of our self-inflicted limitations, but that only hides the truth, and yet the truth is there for us to uncover as we will.

Can I excel at this job? Can I get a great job without a college education? Can I become a millionaire? Can I work out of my home instead of going to a job location? Can I travel the world for my career having a life of adventure? Can I own my own business? Of course! These and several million other ideas are entirely possible. One way to know that is to ask if anyone is actually doing this now? If they are, it is entirely possible for us as well. In fact, even if they weren't, we could be the first. There's nothing like being a pioneer.

Our chain is mental and physical. It is created in our mind and expressed physically in our lives. This causes us to think that the limitation is real and that it comes from the outside. It's the town I live in, the economy at the moment, my lack of educational documents, the crutches I walk with, the wheelchair I live in, the job I have, not having experience, and more. Yet, it is none of that in reality. Those things are only physical expressions of our mental state. They are our self-imposed limitations which cause us to feel as if we truly are chained to a post.

Our escape from this is easy and hard. It is easy because we are the answer and we are right here. It is hard because we have to change. No matter how upset we are where we are in our limitations, there is a certain comfort in the known, and we can, as animals often do, give up trying to break through the limitation and accept it as it seems to be, becoming complacent within it. Escape is the unknown and our fear of the unknown can also help us stay within our known and accepted realm. But, there is a whole new world right on the other side of our current view.

Step one is having a desire to change. Step two is making the decision to change. Step three is to see the change as we want it to be. Step four is to do our best where we are until the coast is clear. The horizon will come into view. Patience is helpful. When the horizon is in view, move toward it.

Just knowing that this chain that we feel is of our own creation, is a triumph worthy of celebration. We are unlimited beings. We have all potential and possibility before us, along with bolt cutters at hand to free us from the post.


We Only Think The Post Is Solid Because We Stopped Trying To Pull It Out Of The Ground. 

Spread Some Joy Today--by letting go of your self-imposed limitations on your available joy.

Daily Inspiration 1-4-17

"Live your epitaph." 

-- Zoe Weil 

I think that one of the most interesting ideas on choosing a life to live is to write an epitaph first rather than last, or at any time during the journey.

An epitaph must be short because it would normally need to fit on a gravestone. I think it should be real rather than some of those obsequious phrases you see on half the graves in the cemetery. Ideally, it could sum up a life well lived, or otherwise lived.

As I was considering this idea, I wondered what I would like my epitaph to say. So, I wrote it out as I would like it today.

"Terry was a lover--and unconditional lover. He walked his talk and was true unto himself as much as being a human could do. He injoyed his life by following his heart and being perfectly imperfect."

Simple. True. No flowery rhetoric. Just the way I am living now, and just the way I would like to be remembered. How would you like to be remembered? How would you write your own epitaph right now?


Living The Life You Want To Live. 

Spread Some Joy Today--by finding fault with absolutely nothing. Ever.