Thank you God for a country that is founded on the principles of freedom. Thank you for the ability to freely express my gratitude and joy for my life and my family. Thank you for the great blessing to express my love of God and the ability to share it with others, all while allowing others that same freedom and expression.
Happy Thanksgiving! Enjoy your turkey.
Thursday, November 28, 2013
Monday, November 25, 2013
Attitude of Gratitude
I am grateful for a son who is able to be patient even when his parents are not. And instead of calling them on their crap, he is able to make a better choice. In doing so he teaches us.
Thank you God for humbling me and giving me a son who loves me even when I am being less than lovable.
Thank you God for humbling me and giving me a son who loves me even when I am being less than lovable.
Sunday, November 24, 2013
Saturday, November 23, 2013
The Butterfly Effect
I just a read another great book by Andy Andrews, author of "The Noticer". It's called "The Butterfly Effect". I think it's one of the shortest books I have read as an adult and yet it is one of the most profound. It is beautiful in it's simplicity in showing you the powerful effect that your life has on not only your sphere of influence but the world and the generations to follow.
We are all of us beautiful and magnificent. None of us are like another and we cannot be replaced. Our lives, who we are, and what we are here to do is unique to each of us. We are here to do great things and make manifest the glory of God as Marianne Williamson says in her poem.
This is a quote from "The Butterfly Effect", "Every single thing you do matters. You have been created as one of a kind. You have been created in order to make a difference. You have within you the power to change the world. "
If you have ever wondered what kind of impact your life has in the world, I highly recommend this book. It will give you a perspective that will change your life. There are no small roles or minor parts in life. Every one of us is important and necessary to the success of all.
We are all of us beautiful and magnificent. None of us are like another and we cannot be replaced. Our lives, who we are, and what we are here to do is unique to each of us. We are here to do great things and make manifest the glory of God as Marianne Williamson says in her poem.
This is a quote from "The Butterfly Effect", "Every single thing you do matters. You have been created as one of a kind. You have been created in order to make a difference. You have within you the power to change the world. "
If you have ever wondered what kind of impact your life has in the world, I highly recommend this book. It will give you a perspective that will change your life. There are no small roles or minor parts in life. Every one of us is important and necessary to the success of all.
Monday, November 18, 2013
Attitude of Gratitude
I am grateful for celebrations! It is fun to celebrate life in any way that I can. Celebrating life can help increase our appreciation of it.
Sunday, November 17, 2013
Thursday, November 14, 2013
Cost Versus Reward
I recently watched '10 things I asked the Dahlia Lama'. In it the Dahlia Lama discussed the cost and reward of our actions. That we should use our intelligence to exercise self-discipline.
I have heard this concept before and felt I understood it. However, this past week it came to mind just before I listened to the Dahlia Lama speak on it in this documentary. I realize that there is a difference between knowing something and doing it.
The more I learn and grow, the more I come to understand that it doesn't really matter how much I know if I never use it. The only good comes from actually doing the thing that you know is right to do at any given moment. This is the substance of our lives and the rest is just filler; like the many empty calories we consume when we eat treats. Treats are fun and serve a purpose but you cannot sustain a quality life on treats alone.
There is great value to be had in this principle if we will choose to see it. That before acting on the impulses we have, if we give consideration to the cost and reward of the thing we are about to choose we may choose differently than our initial impulse would lead us to. Often there is no satisfaction but only gratification from the choices made by our impulses. It is our impulses that often leave us reacting to every situation we find ourselves in.
When we are constantly reacting we are often left feeling as though we have no choices in the experiences of our lives. We can feel as a leaf in the wind, at the will of an outside force that we cannot control. Is it any wonder that under these circumstances we often feel worried, stressed, miserable, unhappy, and depressed?
But suppose we were to pause even for just a breath to consider the cost or reward of our actions. We then put ourselves in the driver seat of our lives and are no longer left reacting. It is here that we find our ability to choose and it is in the power of choice that we find our confidence, happiness, courage, and strength. Even when we must choose between two things we do not want, how much more satisfied are we with ourselves when we are the ones who choose rather than having the choice made for us by someone else?
Life is a choice and living is all about making choices. When you choose in life you exercise self-control and give yourself the ability to have satisfaction, where true joy and contentment come from. When you react to life you are at the whim of outside forces that you cannot control, waiting for moments of gratification so that you can feel spurts of happiness in between the monotony of suffering that tends to be normal in your day to day life.
With the power of choice you are the creator in your life, when you react you become the victim. The victim that is always left reacting to someone else's choices. The power is in understanding the difference between choosing and reacting. Reacting or an impulse is an unconscious choice. Choosing is making a choice consciously. Consciously making your choice is when you have power. Unconsciously making your choice either by reacting or by impulse will tend to leave you feeling dissatisfied.
I know there is a lot to think about. And as I have been sick this week I am amazed I was able to be this coherent. I thank God for His inspiration for I know it is Him I have to thank for my ability to write this well. I hope you will give this some consideration. And maybe find the self-discipline to consider the cost and reward before you act. Remember your life is not the only one to benefit, but every person you interact with will receive the blessings of your choice.
I have heard this concept before and felt I understood it. However, this past week it came to mind just before I listened to the Dahlia Lama speak on it in this documentary. I realize that there is a difference between knowing something and doing it.
The more I learn and grow, the more I come to understand that it doesn't really matter how much I know if I never use it. The only good comes from actually doing the thing that you know is right to do at any given moment. This is the substance of our lives and the rest is just filler; like the many empty calories we consume when we eat treats. Treats are fun and serve a purpose but you cannot sustain a quality life on treats alone.
There is great value to be had in this principle if we will choose to see it. That before acting on the impulses we have, if we give consideration to the cost and reward of the thing we are about to choose we may choose differently than our initial impulse would lead us to. Often there is no satisfaction but only gratification from the choices made by our impulses. It is our impulses that often leave us reacting to every situation we find ourselves in.
When we are constantly reacting we are often left feeling as though we have no choices in the experiences of our lives. We can feel as a leaf in the wind, at the will of an outside force that we cannot control. Is it any wonder that under these circumstances we often feel worried, stressed, miserable, unhappy, and depressed?
But suppose we were to pause even for just a breath to consider the cost or reward of our actions. We then put ourselves in the driver seat of our lives and are no longer left reacting. It is here that we find our ability to choose and it is in the power of choice that we find our confidence, happiness, courage, and strength. Even when we must choose between two things we do not want, how much more satisfied are we with ourselves when we are the ones who choose rather than having the choice made for us by someone else?
Life is a choice and living is all about making choices. When you choose in life you exercise self-control and give yourself the ability to have satisfaction, where true joy and contentment come from. When you react to life you are at the whim of outside forces that you cannot control, waiting for moments of gratification so that you can feel spurts of happiness in between the monotony of suffering that tends to be normal in your day to day life.
With the power of choice you are the creator in your life, when you react you become the victim. The victim that is always left reacting to someone else's choices. The power is in understanding the difference between choosing and reacting. Reacting or an impulse is an unconscious choice. Choosing is making a choice consciously. Consciously making your choice is when you have power. Unconsciously making your choice either by reacting or by impulse will tend to leave you feeling dissatisfied.
I know there is a lot to think about. And as I have been sick this week I am amazed I was able to be this coherent. I thank God for His inspiration for I know it is Him I have to thank for my ability to write this well. I hope you will give this some consideration. And maybe find the self-discipline to consider the cost and reward before you act. Remember your life is not the only one to benefit, but every person you interact with will receive the blessings of your choice.
Monday, November 11, 2013
Attitude of Gratitude
I am grateful for children who are so excited to see me that they burst through the door, even in my private moments. I know how a cat feels when it's trying to use the litter box while you look at it.
Awkward! But these are the moments that America's Funniest Home Videos pays thousands of dollars for, right.
Awkward! But these are the moments that America's Funniest Home Videos pays thousands of dollars for, right.
Sunday, November 10, 2013
Monday, November 4, 2013
Sunday, November 3, 2013
Quotes to live by
"Don't dwell on the things that are wrong; be thankful for the things that are right." ~ Yen Ho Moody
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