It's pay back time. Remember Tristan put my new desk together, but didn't finish because of the damaged piece which I'm still waiting for?
He has a heart of gold. His generosity allows him to always do whatever I ask, even if he doesn't want to do it; that's just how he is. Not that I ever ask him to do things I know he doesn't want to do, but I do give him first option.
By the time he gets into moving furniture or putting it together, and showing off his machismo, he seems to get a satisfaction of completion like it was his idea all along.
When he does something for me, it is unconditional and I still like to do something for him in return, although it is not required. One thing he HATES is being on the phone. If you ever want to see a grown man cry, ask Tristan to make a phone call.
On the rare occasions that he must use the phone for one reason or another, he is so tense that he grits his teeth and makes the same face a child makes when he doesn't want to eat vegetables.
Now he has to go out of town for a couple of weeks and he asked me to make some phone calls to book a flight. I expect to be on the phone for most of the day. It is the least I could do.
I made a few calls already. Sticker shock or what? The prices have gotten crazy. Now they have added more taxes, security and fuel surcharges. When did airline flights become a mortgage? We're not BUYING the airplane. Wow!
At this rate, it is cheaper to hitch a ride on the UPS airplane and get pushed out over your destination. About ten years ago, a friend missed her flight from Morocco and some how managed to get onto a UPS flight. I still don't know how? There she was strapped in next to a huge sack of mail as they both gazed out of the window into the horizon.
Oh well, I better make more phone calls before Tristan gets anxious and starts pacing. I am more than happy to do it for him. Besides, he doesn't know that I ordered other items that will require his mechanical skills when he returns.
The gifts of Spirit comes in all sorts of packages and I got another one yesterday.
It was one of the most beautiful emails sent to me by my friend Alex at Spiritual Struggle.
Alex has taken a break from blogging now to to put his 36 years of astrology experience into his latest book, but he still took time out to send me this email. Thanks Alex.
The title was 'A Blessing For You.' Such an intriguing title that I couldn't resist opening it. Once I opened it, I was overcome by the love of Spirit gently washing against my shores.
Alex had sent me a link to, The May You Be Blessed Movie created by Kate Nowak. It was a blessing free from disguise. In fact, it was so heartfelt that I viewed it several times.
According to Kate's website, this astounding film is designed to be a meditative experience for the viewer. It is Kate's gift to us all and she encourages us to view the movie frequently as a reminder of all the good in our lives. She would also like us to pass it to others so they may also be blessed.
"It has been said that it is better to light a candle than to curse the darkness. Every time you remind yourself that you are, indeed, blessed — even in those times when you do not see or feel the blessings — you are figuratively lighting a candle in your world," Kate says.Kate thought of the One Million Blessings in One Hundred Days Experiment to create the feeling of well-being by millions of people worldwide, simply by blessing everyone in which we come in contact.
"The impact on the world could be nothing short of staggering," Kate concludes.The power of the internet is phenomenal. You are welcome to pass this on and to open your heart for love.
It's nice to wake up with a positive thought-provoking quote. Not only is it a great way to start your day, it's also kicks starts your brain to get cracking, and puts you in the mood for contemplation.
Such is the case today when I received this emailed quote from My Daily Insights. A site full of inspirational quotes. I pass these on whenever possible.
My hope for everyone reading is to give you something you can take home with you, straight into your heart.
"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."
Yesterday I told you about the joys of getting a new desk and the disappointment of finding a piece damaged. Today I can tell you that there was a positive side, a silver lining, if you will.
When I called customer service to order the damaged piece, I got to speak to a fellow named Rudel. I gave him all of the pertinent information he requested and then he asked me why I was so happy?
Working in customer service, he is used to people being belligerent, blaming him for shoddy products and the like. He went on to say that it was hard to find people who had a positive outlook on life. He asked my secret?
I gave God credit and his voice perked up. We spoke about how we couldn't do anything without God. He told me how people he ran into didn't like talking about God. They thought it was a negative thing.
Some folks would make fun of him when he said a blessing before he ate a meal in a restaurant. He felt that he wasn't allowed to love God.
People love in their own way. Some people love God out loud, while others love God in silence. It doesn't mean anyone of them loves God more or less, they have just chosen a way they feel comfortable.
He said that he didn't run into people like me everyday and that I was 'amazing.' Rudel, I wish I could take credit for being amazing, but I can't. I was the vehicle for love.
Through me, God offered the spiritual fuel that Rudel may have needed. Rudel and I spoke for about a half hour. After I hung up the phone, I realized the reason that I got a damaged piece of furniture; to give God the opportunity to be heard.
Frequently, that's all God requires of us; being an ear to someone else.
Listening to them process life.
Giving them understanding.
Giving unconditional love.
I had to get another desk. I had outgrown mine and I needed to expand. I needed to have everything at my fingertips, not walk across the room or to another room to retrieve it. So I headed out.
I love office supply stores, especially Staples. I am always greeted with a friendly smile and a 'Hello.' There is so much to see in this candy store atmosphere; from assorted papers, phones, printers, pens, computers, office furniture and various office supplies.
I could stay in Staples all day and dream. I could contemplate redesigning my home office. I could choose anything from their huge selection of modular desks and chairs with lumbar support to their file cabinets and halogen lamps that give me all the light I need so I don't have to be in the dark.
I could really amuse myself in their computer section. I could use all the computers simultaneously; have music on one, streaming video on another, web pages on another one and of course all of my favorite blogs, including yours on other ones.
I could even order some things from my favorite online shops and have them delivered by the time I get home.
Another reason that I like Staples is because it is like God?
They both give good customer service and they will help you find whatever you need while never leaving your side.
In fact, sometimes I call Staples, 'The Church of Staples.'
Every time I think perfection exists, something like this happens.Read more...
Through it all, God's perfection permeates and that's what's really important; that it permeates our being.
When I first learned how to drive, the instructor took me down Sunset Boulevard in Pacific Palisades. For those of you who don't know Sunset, it is one of the most famous and heavily traveled streets in Los Angeles.
Sunset stretches over 20 miles from east Hollywood, through Beverly Hills, all the way to the Pacific ocean. Tracking its path, it paints a diverse mural of the L.A. landscape, conspicuously depicting the haves and the have-nots.
Sunset can also be treacherous. Some parts of it wind like a spiral and your slalom skills have to be up to par to compete with the other drivers or you may cross the divider to your death.
As a teen driver, it was always hilarious to put my foot on the accelerator and drive as close to the mountainous edge or the middle divider as possible. It was worth it just to see the white-knuckle reaction of the instructor as she grabbed the wheel with her eyes bugged out like she was being electrocuted.
One day after my lesson, we stopped and found ourselves at The Self-Realization Fellowship Lake & Shrine; a hidden bucolic paradise nestled behind tall hedges on Sunset Blvd.
It was hard to believe that behind the noise of traffic, ringing cell phones, blaring radios, thumping subwoofers, hustle and bustle was this little city secret.
This unique spot was created in 1950 by eastern Yogi Paramahansa Yogananda and it is literally something out of this world. An indescribable peace comes over you as you enter the pearly gates.
A stunning place that is part park, part sanctuary, part paradise, and part God mixed into one. An inner sanctum for all, where all faiths are welcome. Even if you have no faith, you are still welcome.
Although you don't have to bring a dish to this free spiritual potluck, you leave with a satisfying smile and you can have a positive religious experience.
Its enchanting landscaping is like being inside a postcard. Complete with a rotund lake with swans, natural hillsides, rushing waterfalls, fountains, colorful flower beds, inspirational statues, lacy fern grottos, lily ponds, and even an old world Dutch windmill.
It wasn't until years later that I found out this was once a film studio and is situated on ten acres. It is also one of the few places you can visit the ashes of Mahatma Gandhi.
I never forgot that day. It always reminds me of God's hidden paradise; a feeling of complete surrender, peace and joy. The good thing is that I can visit anytime and from anywhere in the world simply by closing my eyes and remembering the sights and sounds of the actual place.
So can you if you use your imagination. That's the part of your consciousness that filters out negativity and soothes your spirit.
You don't have to go outside of yourself to go inside of yourself. Finding God is like learning how to drive. It may take you a while to navigate the twists and turns, but once you master it, you master your fate. Then you can drive anywhere.Read more...
Psst! Hey? Yes you. Hello. How are you?
I'm Alexys' computer. She is still out fishin' or something? She left me home alone. I heard her on the phone saying something about taking a break?
She left quite early. I didn't see a fishing pole. Come to think of it, I think she's having tea with the Queen of England in honor of the Queen's 80th birthday. Wish I could have gone. Although tea would make my keys brown.
Sometimes when she leaves me, I get lonely. I stare out of the window, hoping she will come home. I like when she massages my keys tenderly. I tingle all over. I glow. I feel good. I feel loved. I like that feeling. I don't ever want it to end.
Sometimes she massages and re-massages me for hours at a time, formulating thoughts in her head. I know you're expecting something else? All I can say is that you are blessed, so is Alexys for having marvelous visitors like you.
Shhhh! I think I hear her coming in the door? I have to disconnect. Remember, not a word. Let's keep this confab between us. She doesn't have to know?
Thanks for letting me get this off of my keys. I feel better now.May your blessings be of love and light.
Okay, you caught me red handed.
I was preparing for today's post and I got delayed on one of my favorite sites. I was researching one thing and another thing caught my eye. Not to worry, I'm okay.
It dawned on me that I could let you all in on this site. I don't have to be the only one having fun.
Playtime is as important as work. It's okay to take a respite from the norm, that's what the phrase, 'Gone Fishin'' means.
Sometimes a shopkeeper would put this sign on his door, meaning he took a temporary break.
It was a song sung by Louis Armstrong and Bing Crosby in the 40s and 50s. It signified a way of getting away from the humdrum, routine of life and doing something interesting?
See, we did learn something today and we had fun doing it. Now enjoy the rest of your day and get out of here. Go on? Get?
I'm sorry that was so rude. You are welcome to stay as long as you like. When you're done, just let yourself out and don't forget to turn the lights out.
No, never turn the lights out. That's how people can find you. Be the lighthouse for people.
A lighthouse is an aid for navigation and pilotage at sea that sends out light from a system of lamps and lenses or, in older times, from a fire. Lighthouses are used to mark dangerous coastlines, hazardous shoals away from the coast, and safe entries to harbors. There are still many people out there looking for light, you could aid God in helping them find it, you could be their safe harbor.
With a little tweaking, we could even change the sing to 'God Fishin.'
There, we have learned two things today. Aren't you glad you stopped by? I am. Learning can be so entertaining.
As people we all have certain rights that protect our civil liberties, but what we may not realize is that we also have spiritual rights?
As we evolve, we gain access to certain areas that were once restricted. Areas in which we have gained new knowledge to delve further into our being.
For instance, when we are at a certain stage in life, we may be a little wet behind the ears. We don't know that if we put our hands on fire, it will burn us? We don't know that if we don't wear shoes, we may step on glass that will cut us.
We learn through guidance handed down from our parents and the experience stays with us.
How much easier would life be if we were informed of our rights instead of guessing and not knowing when we violate them?
Following are what I consider some of our spiritual rights.
Since winning the bet, Tristan has been a little self-assured these days. He thinks that he proved he has patience and that I should be more like him -- a swift multitasker.
He says, I concentrate on one thing too much and too long. In my defense, I like giving whatever task I am doing my undivided attention, whereas he spreads himself wafer thin by doing everything at once.
Tristan thinks multitasking is an art. "Why an art," I ask? He says, "Not everyone can do it." Suddenly another voice comes out of my mouth responding with, "Oh yeah, wanna bet?"
What? I couldn't believe I said that? Where did that come from? I can't afford to lose another bet. He would never let me live it down. And the same internal voice said, "Shut up, let me handle this?
Tristan looked at me with a cocksure smirk. "Excuse me," he says pretending to clean his ears. Not wanting to back down, I go for it, "You heard!"
"Ha, surely you can't be serious after the last..." "Stop all the small talk and put your money where your mouth is Tristan. Twenty bucks says I can multitask too, better than you?
Still shaking his head, trying not to choke from laughing in short sporadic spurts, he manages to utter, "It looks like someone has to be taught another lesson."
I exclaim, "This time if I win, you have to do one thing at a time and appreciate life as it comes, not try to live it in one day -- and meditate for at least ten minutes without saying, "Nothing's happening!"
"That's the whole point. Nothing happens in meditation. It just IS. And for it to work, you have to be STILL and QUIET. I don't care about the money, it's a lifestyle change," I explain.
And if I win?, he states? " "If you win, then I will multitask at least once a week," I answer.
"What about the twenty bucks?", he remarks?" "You know I can turn that twenty into two hundred in two weeks tops," he adds.
"IF you win, which I doubt, then you'll get it. You won't win again", I state with a playful arrogance.
I didn't bother to look back at him. I didn't want to see the horror on his face. Just then, he blurted out. "We will see?"
This time I know God is on my side. God is always on my side. Right? God? Oh God, you have to let me win this one. Please?
Then I hear that voice again, "Didn't I tell you, I have it under control?"
I used to have to write about celebrities for a magazine.
With the exception of Melissa Etheridge who was actually quite cool, most celebrities were self-centered, vacuous beings with nothing substantial to say.
It was my job to put words in their empty mouths so they wouldn't sound idiotic. Their publicists stood by to make sure of it. Sometimes they would tell me what NOT to write.
Blogging is not about the celebrity per se, it is about being a part of a self-taught university where no one tells us what to write or what not to write.
As the writer, editor and publisher, we decide. That decision determines our audience. Who needs celebrity blogs when we can blog about real life? A celebrity is no more important than us, although they would beg to differ.
Just because someone has a song on the radio, a film or T.V. show does not make them special or give them a free pass to ride roughshod over us.Blogs are for the people. They are for you. They are about you. It's about life and death. Living before we die, not dying before we have a chance live.
Blogging exhibits the tender mercies of real people, with unpredictable lives, unscripted drama and unforeseen trauma, searching for answers to life's quagmires and struggling to fit the puzzle pieces together.
Bloggers are the unsung heroes, the eyes, ears, nose and throats, of the underground. The pulsating heartbeat, the beatniks of a new generation. The sounding board of a scream. Many screams.
This journalistic underground is steadily going mainstream. Some of us have even found our way onto the front page of major newspapers and inside magazines.
We are being heard. We are gaining credence. Our voice is getting stronger. It's getting louder.
There is an entity called God by some, unidentified by others. Theists and atheists can agree, there is something bigger than all of us; whatever we choose to name it, whenever we choose to call it?It is a force that guides, a hand that leads, an eye that sees.
Our belief systems may be wired a little differently, but we are all connected by one source -- our Soul.
You see this is my life. It always will be. There’s nothing else. Just us. And the camera and those wonderful people out there in the dark. Alright Mr. DeMille, I’m ready for my close-up.
We sit at the keyboard sometimes for hours staring into a blank screen.
Pounding the pavement of our mind, we search the shadowy underground for stories that may inform, entice, inspire, provoke, enlighten or entertain?
Suddenly an inkling. A indisputable thought. We feel tingly inside. Our fingers start tapping a crazy syncopated rhythm. It gets faster. Then slow. Then it almost stops. The tempo picks up again.
Banging like a thousand kettle drums with every beat of our heart. We're dancing as fast as we can without toppling over. Trying to keep up with the succession of words in our head.
Aghast, our eyes witness a canvas filled with words. All kinds of words. We wonder where they all came from? We don't seem to remember them passing through our mind's eye.
Welcome to the world of blogging. The newest internet sport that is growing by leaps and bounds. Blogging is a sport like no other and those who dare to blog (blogletes) are in a world of their own -- sort of.
What is a blog? A newspaper is a blog on newsprint. A magazine is a blog on glossy. A book is a blog bound together. A conversation is a blog. An experience is a blog. A blog IS an experience.
The blogosphere is full of all sorts of stories about all sorts of subjects, but rarely are they about the bloggers themselves. Those slaves of the keyboards that toil day and night, wrestling brain waves like a champ and when an idea comes up trying to get it down before it gets away.
This one is for us. We see that there is a purpose to all of this and by all of this, I mean life. We are true seekers. Truth seekers. At every given moment we're walking the plank into the unknown. As we venture forward, closer to our truth, the plank gets shorter.
We are not afraid to fall. We are not afraid to dream. We are not afraid to live. We are not afraid to dive.
Renaissance artist, Michelangelo took days and sometimes months to find the right stone. He camped out in rock quarries to see the stone being hoisted and broken into pieces.
As he sifted through the rubble, leaving no stone unturned, he was adamant that the right stone would speak to him.
This would go on for months. He would spend the night out in the open near the quarry so he would not miss the next shipment.
When he saw a stone he liked, he would put his ear to the stone and listen? If he heard the stone speak back, he would choose that stone.
Some called him eccentric, but he went on to become one of the greatest artists and architects of all time.
Even today his colossal masterpieces, such as Hercules, David, Julius II's Tomb and St. Peter's Basilica are known around the world to hundreds of generations.
Michelangelo was very attuned to his path. He often spoke to God and through God's guidance he was led to magnificent heights.
We all have the ability to listen to God. Instead of life beating us into the ground, we can turn it around and beat life. Use the battles as stepping stones to victories.
If you can learn one thing each day that will make your life richer, learn that thing. If your path is leading you astray, change course.
Small steps become bigger steps which become giant steps. Sooner than you realize, what were once small steps have become the goal and you find yourself expanding your goals and stepping further into who you are. Eventually your stepping stones become a masterpiece.
It's time for spring cleaning again. Along with getting rid of items I no longer use, I also clean the house from top to bottom.
One item in particular that always gets special treatment is my keyboard. You may find it hard to believe that my most prized possession is my keyboard.
It is similar to God. It is always there when I need it, giving unconditional love and support, taking a beating when I have to pontificate, conjugate or stimulate a reader with scintillating prose.
It lets me shout through the soothing sound of its keys that pound like scattered raindrops. One a week, I show my appreciation for my loyal finger mate with a deep tissue massage.
Lately, every time I massage my keyboard, it always has something to say? As I was dusting in between the keys, it constantly shouted the following:
"Ha ha ha. That tickles. Oh no, not there. Please, don't. Oh. oh. Yeah. Oh that's it. Ha ha ha. No, please stop. Stop tickling me. No. Ha ha ha. O,K, not my I. You're making my side hurt. Easy. Oh stop it. Pleeeeease. I can't take anymore. Yeah, that feels good. Aaaahhhh. No, not my I." Same time next week?
To all the keyboards out there, remember that cleanliness is next to godliness.
Since when did opinion become synonymous with bullying?
I recently participated in a focus group for skin care products. The purpose of a focus group is to offer your opinion so a company can market their product.
There was one woman in the group who didn't like anything, no matter what it was she found a reason not to like it.
As those of us who liked certain products elucidated our reasons, this woman would tell us why we shouldn't like it. She was so overbearing that it was like she was the only one there. This went on for almost the entire time until the facilitator finally told her to let others speak.
The woman was upset because she didn't get to continue to badger us into her way of thinking. This kind of insecurity that another person projects onto you can be draining. It is like a leech that attaches itself to you and bleeds you dry.
One way to deal with this is to imagine yourself shielded in white light. It provides a force field that protects you from being bullied by this consciousness. When the person knows that they can't have an effect on you, they will stop. The energy will reverse itself and turn back on them.
Having an opinion can sometimes prove difficult, especially when someone wants to shut us down. It is like being tied to a Catherine Wheel.
It shouldn't be torturous to process life in your own way and form an opinion from it. An opinion is the splendor of discourse. It shows an awaken spirit, a mind that is not dormant. It can also sharpen your verbal and observational skills.
These are all fine attributes for your spiritual resume. An opinion is a difference.
YOUR opinion can make ALL the difference.
What happened to the red cars? Where are the blue ones? The yellow ones? It seems like every car I see is either silver, black, gray or white. Where is the color?
Aren't we living in a colorful world? Have we all become color blind? Why is everything black and white like some Fellini film?
There used to be a time when I saw every color car on the street, but now they all merge into one and follow a single path like migrating penguins.
I even stopped by a new car dealership and I still didn't see any red cars? I asked the salesman what happened to them and he said that the manufacturer only sent the colors he had on the lot; silver, black and gray.
I guess the manufacturer wants us all to be alike. We all have to eat the same foods, wear the same clothes, like the same films and drive the same color cars.
The spectrum has many colors that never get to come out and play. Colors express our individuality, but they both have disappeared. Why would everyone want to be the same?
The Emperor is not wearing any clothes. If he were I can assure you that they would be red, blue, yellow, green, orange and purple.
Attention car manufacturers! Red is the new gray. It is also the new silver. And the new black.
In the beginning God created color. We dream in color, we live in color, why can't we drive in color?
Demand your red car today. Demand it before it's too late and we all drown in a sea of black and white. Be bold. Be adventuresome. Be brave. Be red!
Have you ever been to a funeral where the eulogy was so heartfelt that it brought a tear to your eye?
Eulogies are some of the most beautifully written sonnets ever with a zing that spans the emotional gamut. It's almost a shame that the ones they are written about don't even get to hear it -- I mean technically.
I think eulogies should be for the living. What's wrong with eulogizing your loved ones while they are here? A eulogy can be a letter of thanks, appreciation, love; anything to show how much the person means to you. Don't wait until they become the dearly departed.
As you may know from yesterday's post, I ventured to write my obituary and I was shocked to find that it was too late. (Read why if you don't know?)
There's nothing worse than being caught dead with the wrong eulogy. It's your life in review. Your curtain call. Your encore. But how can you be assured that you will get a good eulogy? Do you leave it in the hands of those you leave behind or do one yourself, highlighting your greatest moments?
I can't have just any eulogy, it has to be done Hollywood style. After all, I am a famous blogger among other things, with pending book deals, and entourages; including a masseur on standby at all times for finger cramps, former pro wrestler bodyguards to shield me from the swarm of paparazzi at my door, someone to spritz me with water when it gets too hot, and various other hangers-on in all capacities.
I'm an event waiting to happen. Planning a eulogy is like planning a wedding. There is so much to do. How many mourners will I need? 10? 20? 30,000? I will need a venue that is big enough. Maybe the Staples Center?
I have to find the perfect person to eulogize me with the right voice to add inflection in the appropriate places. Since Sir John Gielgud is no longer among the living, maybe Peter O'Toole is available? I like how their rich voices lend a Shakespearean melody to anything they say. They take Hamlet's advice to the actors literally.
"Speak the speech, I pray you, as I pronounced it to you, trippingly on the tongue; but if you mouth it, as many of our players do, I had as lief the town-crier spoke my lines. Nor do not saw the air too much with your hand, thus; but use all gently, for in the very torrent, tempest, and, as I may say whirlwind of your passion, you must acquire and beget a temperance that may give it smoothness."
Yes, I have a lot of work ahead of me. I have actors to cast, script rehearsals, a crew to hire, and I'll probably have to feed them too. For some weird reason, cast and crew won't work without being fed. I have to order a cake, flowers, confetti, ice sculptors and white doves. All sorts of contracts have to be negotiated, syndication deals finalized, film rights secured, and franchising. I could franchise my eulogy services.
I can't forget the music. I'll just get Christina Aguilera. She could make singing the phone book sound good. Then there is Amy Lee from Evanesence who could really bring the house down with My Immortal.
And what about my epitaph? What will it say? As a writer, it could be, 'End of story.' As a screenwriter it could be, 'Fade out.' If I were an actor, I could have, 'Aaaand scene!'
Other miscellaneous ones could be:
I am an avid fan of reading biographies. Not only do they detail a person's life with all of the bells and whistles, but they also color a period of time and a slice of life that I may have never known.
One way to read biographies is to read obituaries. First I check to find my name. No. Nothing. I am relieved at this part. Obituaries can be a little more factual because the fear of retaliation is gone. The person is no longer here to complain or sue.
Obituaries are the final summation of one's footprint on earth. As I read, I always hear Louis Armstrong singing, What A Wonderful World. A song that seems to underscore the beauty of an uncomplicated life; what I believe God wants for all of us.
In my head, I do a slow dance with my consciousness while Louis serenades,
How do you want to be remembered?
Do you want to be remembered as someone who touched the lives of everyone you met and not as someone who ruined the lives of everyone they met?
Are you someone who never took chances? Someone who worked hard all of your life with nothing to show for it? Someone who has searched for love in all the wrong places and came up empty each time?
We don't really think of how we want to be remembered except maybe in the egotistical sense. Some of us may say, "I want to be the best at throwing a ball through a hoop? I want to run the fastest, jump the highest, throw the farthest."
I can't help but to think that man is worthy of a lot more than twirling a ball in the air. It doesn't seem like enough. How about becoming an epic poem and making one of the stanzas about balls? How about not putting all of your balls in one basket and diversifying your abilities?
I know some sports fanatics who think sports are the closest thing to God, but are they more important than philanthropy? Is it more vital than a neurosurgeon performing a difficult procedure that the general public knows nothing about just because he doesn't have the same endorsement deal as an athlete?
Is there a venue or arena for people who have the ability to change a life? For people who can reach inside someone and pull out their unique specialty? For people who can jump-start ambition? Give hope to someone who is hopeless? Give mouth-to-mouth to someone whose spirit feels deflated?
I think it all comes down to love. That is the real skill. Our real purpose. And God is a master at love. It is unconditional. It is tough love that is indestructible. It is gentle love that is nurturing. It is God's love that carries us and doesn't let us down.
Did you know that you are very wealthy? We come into this world with a hefty inheritance of God's love. The legacy of that love is not passed down to us to keep. We must spend it.
Some of us don't even know it is there. Others never spend it. The seasoned investors invest here and there and reap the benefits of a life filled with love. As your inheritance is spent, you gain more. As you gain more, you spend more, but you HAVE to spend it. Nothing ventured, nothing gained.
However you want to be remembered depends on what you do now? If you want to be remembered for something great, do something greater than you ever imagined.
Don't limit yourself to small thinking. Think big. Think far. Think wide. Think high. Think deep. Think out of the box. Think out of the universe. Think everlasting.
Leave your own legacy. You have the power to leave the kind of impression that you want by being aware of everything you think, say and do.
Follow this rule of thumb. Is it kind? Necessary? True? If not, don't think it, don't say it and don't do it.
When someone continually displays erratic behavior, I usually avoid them. I don't become a part of the drama.
Keeping this in mind, I blocked Pits persistent emails and told her to stop sending the properties because I wasn't interested.
I didn't see or hear from her for a while until I saw her at the mailbox one day. I politely said, "Hello," and she went for the jugular. Her invective was surprising, if not misdirected.
She spouted off about how I wasted HER time and I should have told her I wasn't interested in buying at this time. I said, "I told you several times, but you didn't listen." All the while, she was still talking over me.
I had two words for her: Anger management. That sounds too fancy for what it entails. I quickly replaced those two words with two more words, but not the words you may be thinking. The new two words: Stay away!
Before I was tempted to add, "Talk to the hand" in perfect Jerry Springer talk show parlance, I stopped myself. Just then, her cell phone rang. My cue to leave.
Come to think of it, she has a 'magic' carpet on her stairs and she is losing deal after deal, so it obviously doesn't work.
People will often try to turn situations around and blame you for their behavior. They push their views on you. They don't hear you. That is not acceptable.
You have a right to make your own decision. You have to stand up for yourself. If you don't want to confront them, declare yourself a vehicle for Spirit and write them a letter.
Declaring yourself will assure that you are coming from your highest place. You can also ignore the entire situation, but it will only manifest again with someone else.
The sooner you pass the test, the sooner you advance to another course. You can also declare yourself a vehicle when someone rages at you.
Anger needs to anchor itself. If you don't give it anywhere to go, it will stop itself. It needs you to prosper. You don't need it. Step back and ignore it. It will soon burn itself out.
Now when I see the angry neighbor, I just bless her in silence, not to save her from her karma, but to get out of its way so it won't clash with mine.
Although karma is a neutral energy, now and again its neutrality can be tainted if one is careless in one's decisions.
Maybe one day she will learn how to love and to never look back in anger. Her heart's got to be empty at this rate. Anger has eaten her soul if it hasn't rotted away.
Perhaps she should really study Feng Shui and learn how to bring harmony into her chaos. The other day Pit was locked out of her car during a heavy rain storm. No one helped her.
Poor thing looks lonely out there shivering. Oh well, my favorite show is about to come on, 'Love Thy Neighbor.'
Next time you want to be a good neighbor, keep your mouth shut.
When a pit bull tears into its victim, it tears away flesh, muscle, ligaments, bones, etc. It's jaws lock in place and severely and/or fatally wounds it's prey; most of the time, a human.
The same is true for my angry neighbor who lives two doors away in the town home complex where I reside. This angry neighbor is also known as, 'Pit,' because of the intrinsic similarities of the pit bull.
Like the pit bull, 'Pit', also relentlessly tears into her victims. First let me explain her character. She' s a 40-something, never-been-married realtor who has a cell phone head piece in her ear 24/7, in which she's usually barking something or other.
Everyone from here to kingdom come can hear her conversation about how she wants to get the deal at any cost. She doesn't have any friends, her relationships with her parents are on shaky ground and she is always angry.
She doesn't smile or speak to anyone other than who is on the deafening end of her phone calls. When I first moved here, I tried to befriend her.
I wanted to get to know my neighbor. I would throw out a friendly greeting and she would ignore it. I would smile at her and she would turn her head away. All this without even knowing me.
I thought, maybe this person was xenophobic? Anyway, time went on and I saw her in the garage with an Open House sign. I made small talk and she seemed to warm up slowly.
I mentioned that I may be looking to buy property down the line and something must have gone off in her head. I was speaking her language. The green language. Green, meaning money.
Her eyes lit up. Her pupils were replaced with dollar signs. Immediately she fired an arsenal of questions pertaining to property.
This property has a home owners association that requires monthly dues from everyone for building maintenance, including but not limited to gardening, painting, plumbing, roofing and insurance. We communicate via email for such business matters.
Over the next several weeks, Pit sent several emails with properties for sale. I didn't ask her to do it, she took it upon herself to do it. I saw her in the garage and told her that she didn't have to send the properties because I wasn't looking to buy right now.
She said, "It's no problem, you never know when something you like will come up.?" I said, "Really, you don't have to send them." She said, "Oh Alexys, it's my pleasure."
Then she added that I should buy a special carpet from China town that would give my place good Feng Shui. I have stairs just inside my front door and according to Pit, if I didn't get the carpet, money would fly out the door.
I knew about Feng Shui and this was the first time I had heard that? Feng Shui is the ancient Chinese art of positioning objects in buildings and other places based on the belief in positive and negative effects of yin and yang and the flow of chi; the vital energy inherent in all things.
The goal of Feng Shui is to achieve harmony, comfort, and balance, first in one's environment and then in one's life.
I told Pit that if it is meant to be, it shall be. No magic carpet is going to bring me something that I wasn't meant to have. This went on for several more months until it all came to a crashing head.
It was like the worse Monopoly card, "DO NOT PASS GO. DO NOT COLLECT $200."
(to be continued)
I was about to do something I never do.
I couldn't take it anymore, I grabbed my stuff and I jumped into a new line opening. Tristan stayed put. The lady holding the line finally decided to use cash instead of trying any more credit cards.
I had already checked out before Tristan got to the front of the line. I met up with him again as he finally checked out. The cashier was very apologetic saying that she appreciated him waiting. She gave him a courtesy coupon worth $9.00. What? He turned to me with a gloating smile.
How did that happen? I wondered if she was in on the bet? Not only did he win the bet, he also received a bonus. How come when I wait patiently behind other people, I don't get any bonuses? Typical. It was a conspiracy. He must have gone in before me and tipped her off.
No. Wait? He was with me. Oh, I don't know. It's not fair. I tell you, it's not fair. I guess this time dinner is on me. Patience wins again.
This time Tristan taught me a valuable lesson, even if you think it's a sure thing, it ain't so, it just ain't so. Even though a person is a spiritualist doesn't mean they are always right.
Maybe Tristan is turning over a new leaf. I know? I'll pick a restaurant with a long wait, but then again he's already proven that he can withstand the test of time.
Let it go Alexys. Let it go.
I'm not a gambler, but on those rare occasions when opportunity arises, I indulge in this popular activity. If you're like me, you only bet when you're sure you're going to win. If not, then you take way more chances than me.
Tristan and I were at Target the other day when opportunity knocked. Keep in mind that Tristan is the impatient one and I always gently tell him so.
We were in line waiting to check out, when I saw the twitch of disapproval in his eye. He was faced with the dreadful task of waiting. God forbid he should wait more than a minute for anything.
When he is annoyed, he starts chewing his gum faster, watching his watch, and tapping his foot as if magically that will make the line move faster, all the while spying a faster line.
Knowing I had him right where I wanted him, I bet him dinner that he could not wait in a line without jumping to another one, his favorite pastime.
After looking at me as if I had knocked him for a loop, he took the bait, ahem, I mean he took the bet.
In a split second I saw something in him change. Something clicked. Maybe it was a click just to prove I was wrong. He swallowed his gum, looked straight ahead and dug in. The line wasn't moving.
A woman being checked out had trouble with her credit card. She was maxed. She tried another one. Same thing. Maxed out. She tried yet another one. Ditto. This went on for about 15 minutes and Tristan was in another world.
Had he really listened all those times when I told him he was impatient. I didn't know men really listened to women. I was getting fidgety, not because of what he may do, but because I didn't want to lose, at least not like this.
I hold the record for patience and no one was going to take my title away, not even Tristan who I adore. I was really surprised he waited without jumping into another line, but determined to prove to me that he wasn't impatient, he stood firm. Between you and me, I think he was secretly gritting his teeth to assuage his tension.
Like the finale of High Noon, when Gary Cooper's character is outnumbered, but surprisingly takes all the villains out with his six-shooter. This wasn't happening.
(to be continued)
There is a lot of sadness in the world.
I see it often when I look into the eyes of someone and nothing is looking back at me. I hear it in the broken voices that speak the truth of their lives in mutated tones.
I see the emotional scars that never heal. I see the spoke missing from the wheel. I hear the noise that a flat tire makes when it rides on its rim.
Something is broken. I can't put my finger on it. The black soot that gathers at your heels echoing a consequence that only you know. Something hangs in the balance, choking the life out of you. What is it?
I see the paint chipping off the walls, the plaster falling from the ceiling. The fallen leaves. The winter of discontent. The darkness that your soul bears when you sing the blues.
There are many reasons for sadness; loss, aging, unfulfilled dreams, lack of love, lack of hope, lack of purpose, lifestyles, health issues and dying without living.
What would I like to do to turn your sadness around? Everything. What CAN I do to turn your sadness around? Nothing. What can YOU do to turn your sadness around? REACH OUT.Open your arms to God, if not God, someone who you praise. Someone who has the power to help you.
I can't fix your pain. I can't break your silence. I wish I could. I can tell you that everything is going to be alright because I know it will. I can walk you through the pain. I can be your rock.
I can help you to see the sunrise. I want you to see it. Its magnificence that signifies a new day. Its spectacular colors beckoning to look into your eyes, into your soul. You can see it if you just open your eyes.
The world doesn't have to be a sad place. One of the hardest tasks you'll ever accomplish is life. Some of us don't start. Some of us don't finish. Some of us are pulled out early. Some of us go to the end, the very end and cross the finish line with a smile.
Yes, we can be sidelined. Yes, we can have our hearts ripped to pieces by someone who promised to love us. You can't make 'em love you.
Yes, we can fall off the path to a decent life, gambling what we have for something we think we want. Life is full of choices. If you made a bad one, make a good one. Forget the bad one. Remember the good one.
We have many experiences, sadness is just one aspect. If you dwell on it too much, you will miss other opportunities to be content. And you don't want to do that do you?
You don't have to be melancholy baby. Look for your epiphany, your spiritual awakening, your religious experience, a pick-me-up for your breakdown. God is your catalyst.
Yes, there is disease, destruction and death and we can't change that, but we can change the way we look at them. Our outlook and vision is adjusted accordingly to God's 20/20 vision; a vision that may blind us and scorch our pupils, but it is the only vision whether we see it or not.It may cause tears, but a tear doesn't last forever. A tear evaporates into a life. A tear makes a life strong.
Most people have trouble being alone, but it's really not a bad thing. In fact, being alone can be quiet good.
It's a time when you can listen to yourself and address your fear of being alone.
Why are we afraid of being alone? Do we feel that it is a slight on our character? That we are not good enough to be with somebody?
I think the reason we fear what many call an awful state is because we don't want to face ourselves. We may feel that we are inadequate? A failure? Or any of the negative emotions associated with being alone.Although we may feel alone, God is always there holding us.
Being alone is resting in the arms of God. Which is not to say that if you weren't alone God would forsake you. Enjoy your time alone.
It is then that you can really see your brilliance. When I am alone, I write. Sometimes I write to hear myself think. Sometimes I write to quiet my thinking. Most of the time, it's what I am thinking that silences me. And the whole process forges a deeper comprehension of my true spirit.
"One night a man had a dream that he was walking along the beach with the God. Across the sky flashed scenes from his life. He noticed two sets of footprints in the sand. When the last scene of his life in its lowest period flashed before him, he noticed that many times there was only one set of footprints. He said, "God, you said that once I decided to follow you you'd walk with me all the way. But I have noticed there is only one set of footprints. Why did you abandon me when I needed you the most?" God gently replied, "My precious child, I love you and would never leave you. During your times of trial and suffering, when you see only one set of footprints, it was then that I carried you."
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