Whenever I start to hang my head in front of failure’s face,
my downward fall is broken by the memory of a race.
A children’s race, young boys, young men; how I remember well,
excitement sure, but also fear, it wasn’t hard to tell.
They all lined up so full of hope, each thought to win that race
or tie for first, or if not that, at least take second place.
Their parents watched from off the side, each cheering for their son,
and each boy hoped to show his folks that he would be the one.
The whistle blew and off they flew, like chariots of fire,
to win, to be the hero there, was each young boy’s desire.
One boy in particular, whose dad was in the crowd,
was running in the lead and thought “My dad will be so proud.”
But as he speeded down the field and crossed a shallow dip,
the little boy who thought he’d win, lost his step and slipped.
Trying hard to catch himself, his arms flew everyplace,
and midst the laughter of the crowd he fell flat on his face.
As he fell, his hope fell too; he couldn’t win it now.
Humiliated, he just wished to disappear somehow.
But as he fell his dad stood up and showed his anxious face,
which to the boy so clearly said, “Get up and win that race!”
He quickly rose, no damage done, behind a bit that’s all,
and ran with all his mind and might to make up for his fall.
So anxious to restore himself, to catch up and to win,
his mind went faster than his legs. He slipped and fell again.
He wished that he had quit before with only one disgrace.
“I’m hopeless as a runner now, I shouldn’t try to race.”
But through the laughing crowd he searched and found his father’s face
with a steady look that said again, “Get up and win that race!”
So he jumped up to try again, ten yards behind the last.
“If I’m to gain those yards,” he thought, “I’ve got to run real fast!”
Exceeding everything he had, he regained eight, then ten...
but trying hard to catch the lead, he slipped and fell again.
Defeat! He lay there silently. A tear dropped from his eye.
“There’s no sense running anymore! Three strikes I’m out! Why try?
I’ve lost, so what’s the use?” he thought. “I’ll live with my disgrace.”
But then he thought about his dad, who soon he’d have to face.
“Get up,” an echo sounded low, “you haven’t lost at all,
for all you have to do to win is rise each time you fall.
Get up!” the echo urged him on, “Get up and take your place!
You were not meant for failure here! Get up and win that race!”
So, up he rose to run once more, refusing to forfeit,
and he resolved that win or lose, at least he wouldn’t quit.
So far behind the others now, the most he’d ever been,
still he gave it all he had and ran like he could win.
Three times he’d fallen stumbling, three times he rose again.
Too far behind to hope to win, he still ran to the end.
They cheered another boy who crossed the line and won first place,
head high and proud and happy -- no falling, no disgrace.
But, when the fallen youngster crossed the line, in last place,
the crowd gave him a greater cheer for finishing the race.
And even though he came in last with head bowed low, unproud,
you would have thought he’d won the race, to listen to the crowd.
And to his dad he sadly said, “I didn’t do so well.”
“To me, you won,” his father said. “You rose each time you fell.”
And now when things seem dark and bleak and difficult to face,
the memory of that little boy helps me in my own race.
For all of life is like that race, with ups and downs and all.
And all you have to do to win is rise each time you fall.
And when depression and despair shout loudly in my face,
another voice within me says, “Get up and win that race!”
The Race
by D. H. Groberg
Friday, September 25, 2009
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Dreams
Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined. ~Henry David Thoreau
Yesterday is history,
tomorrow is a mystery,
and today is a gift;
that's why they call it the present. ~Eleanor Roosevelt
To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment. ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson
Our greatest glory consists not in never falling but in rising every time we fall. ~ Confucius
The will to do, the soul to dare. ~Sir Walter Scott
Yesterday is history,
tomorrow is a mystery,
and today is a gift;
that's why they call it the present. ~Eleanor Roosevelt
To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment. ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson
Our greatest glory consists not in never falling but in rising every time we fall. ~ Confucius
The will to do, the soul to dare. ~Sir Walter Scott
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Never Ever Give Up
This morning I was feeling a little weary from the tasks that lay ahead, namely my senior paper. I usually love to write, but this time...I don't know...I guess I have what is called writers block. The words just don't seem to want to come. Last night I finally gave up and went to bed very discouraged. I spent most of the night laying awake disheartened and trying to figure out what I am going to do...I have less then a week 15 pages to write and a 15 minute video to edit.
This morning when I got up I started watching some of the videos I have favorited because...well, they inspire me. While watching I came across one that I hadn't seen before. In it had this picture. Here a stork is trying to eat a frog and the frog is having none of it. He is going to fight with every breathe that is left in him.
This morning when I got up I started watching some of the videos I have favorited because...well, they inspire me. While watching I came across one that I hadn't seen before. In it had this picture. Here a stork is trying to eat a frog and the frog is having none of it. He is going to fight with every breathe that is left in him.
Friday, May 29, 2009
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
A Leader
If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.
John Quincy Adams (1767-1848)
John Quincy Adams (1767-1848)
My Stroke of Insight
One of the greatest lessons I learned was how to feel the physical component of emotion. Joy was a feeling in my body. Peace was a feeling in my body. I thought it was interesting that I could feel when a new emotion was triggered. I could feel new emotions flood through me and then release me. I had to learn new words to label these "feeling" experiences, and most remarkably, I learned that I had the power to choose whether to hook into a feeling and prolong its presence in my body, or just let it quickly flow right out of me.
I made my decisions based upon how things felt inside. There were certain emotions like anger, frustration, or fear that felt uncomfortable when they surged through my body. So I told my brain that I didn't like that feeling and didn't want to hook into those neural loops. I learned that I could use my left mind, through language, to talk directly to my brain and tell it what I wanted and what I didn't want. Upon this realization, I knew I would never return to the personality I had been before. I suddenly had much more to say about how I felt and for how long, and I was adamantly opposed to reactivating old painful emotional circuits.
Paying attention to what emotions feel like in my body has completely shaped my recovery. I spent eight years watching my mind analyze everything that was going on in my brain. Each day brought new challenges and insights. The more I recovered my old files, the more my old emotional baggage surfaced, and the more I needed to evaluate the usefulness of preserving its underlying neural circuitry.
Emotional healing was a tediously slow process but well worth the effort. As my left brain became stronger, it seemed natural for me to want to "blame" other people or external events for my feelings or circumstances. But realistically, I knew that no one had the power to make me feel anything, except for me and my brain. Nothing external to me had the power to take away my peace of heart and mind. That was completely up to me. I may not be in total control of what happens to my life, but I certainly am in charge of how I choose to perceive my experience.
--Jill Bolte Taylor, from "My Stroke of Insight"
www.ijourney.org
I made my decisions based upon how things felt inside. There were certain emotions like anger, frustration, or fear that felt uncomfortable when they surged through my body. So I told my brain that I didn't like that feeling and didn't want to hook into those neural loops. I learned that I could use my left mind, through language, to talk directly to my brain and tell it what I wanted and what I didn't want. Upon this realization, I knew I would never return to the personality I had been before. I suddenly had much more to say about how I felt and for how long, and I was adamantly opposed to reactivating old painful emotional circuits.
Paying attention to what emotions feel like in my body has completely shaped my recovery. I spent eight years watching my mind analyze everything that was going on in my brain. Each day brought new challenges and insights. The more I recovered my old files, the more my old emotional baggage surfaced, and the more I needed to evaluate the usefulness of preserving its underlying neural circuitry.
Emotional healing was a tediously slow process but well worth the effort. As my left brain became stronger, it seemed natural for me to want to "blame" other people or external events for my feelings or circumstances. But realistically, I knew that no one had the power to make me feel anything, except for me and my brain. Nothing external to me had the power to take away my peace of heart and mind. That was completely up to me. I may not be in total control of what happens to my life, but I certainly am in charge of how I choose to perceive my experience.
--Jill Bolte Taylor, from "My Stroke of Insight"
www.ijourney.org
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Be With the Storms
How to free yourself from the grip of storms? This is the only basic problem in this universe. The first thing is to become aware of it and stop regretting it. Like waves come and go, storms in your life too will subside. No one storm can be there for ever. One storm comes and subsides, another comes and subsides and it goes on. As the storm subsides, you experience that inner cool, soft, delicate aspect of yourself. In that space of calm, all the anxiety, fear, feverishness lose their grip on you and you become yourself again. Love dawns.
When you stop resisting the storms of life and start accepting them with open arms, they will subside on their own. That is the purpose of all spiritual practices, or sadhana, and meditation. When you realise that somebody really cares for you, you feel at rest and all fears and insecurities drop off.
You keep running away from small things -- your feelings, sensations, desires -- and this leads to more feverishness. Realize that like the ocean cannot be there without the waves, storms are inevitable in your life. Every storm touches you somewhere and makes you grow stronger. A storm pulls you out of your likes and dislikes and purifies you. So accept all that comes with both arms open. [...] Even when the storms come, you are still the same ocean, as deep as ever.
This realization is the culmination of knowledge. When this knowledge dawns, you rise above events; you grow out of them. Everybody in the world goes through crises, insecurities, confusions. It's like drowning in the ocean of life. But the person with the life jacket can survive even the worst turmoil. So keep your life jacket of knowledge handy.
[...] Do not be in a hurry to get rid of the storms, be with them. Looking for perfection creates imperfection inside you. If you are peaceful, everything around you becomes peaceful. You are the center of this universe. Wherever you go, you carry your own mind, and wherever you go, you will create your own storms. It may appear to be calm and quiet for sometime but the storm will surface sooner or later. Unless you realize this, nothing will hold. There is no other permanent solution. Don't resist the storms, instead see them as an amazing play of your personality.
--Sri Sri Ravishankar
www.ijourney.org
When you stop resisting the storms of life and start accepting them with open arms, they will subside on their own. That is the purpose of all spiritual practices, or sadhana, and meditation. When you realise that somebody really cares for you, you feel at rest and all fears and insecurities drop off.
You keep running away from small things -- your feelings, sensations, desires -- and this leads to more feverishness. Realize that like the ocean cannot be there without the waves, storms are inevitable in your life. Every storm touches you somewhere and makes you grow stronger. A storm pulls you out of your likes and dislikes and purifies you. So accept all that comes with both arms open. [...] Even when the storms come, you are still the same ocean, as deep as ever.
This realization is the culmination of knowledge. When this knowledge dawns, you rise above events; you grow out of them. Everybody in the world goes through crises, insecurities, confusions. It's like drowning in the ocean of life. But the person with the life jacket can survive even the worst turmoil. So keep your life jacket of knowledge handy.
[...] Do not be in a hurry to get rid of the storms, be with them. Looking for perfection creates imperfection inside you. If you are peaceful, everything around you becomes peaceful. You are the center of this universe. Wherever you go, you carry your own mind, and wherever you go, you will create your own storms. It may appear to be calm and quiet for sometime but the storm will surface sooner or later. Unless you realize this, nothing will hold. There is no other permanent solution. Don't resist the storms, instead see them as an amazing play of your personality.
--Sri Sri Ravishankar
www.ijourney.org
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Saturday, May 9, 2009
An Uncommon Way
Excellence is to do a common thing in an uncommon way. ~ Booker T. Washington (1856-1915)
Excellence is a matter of the stand we are and the stand we take—a stand that allows for performance that surpasses what was previously possible, performance that defies old limits and maps new territory.
Excellence is a matter of the stand we are and the stand we take—a stand that allows for performance that surpasses what was previously possible, performance that defies old limits and maps new territory.
Sunday, April 5, 2009
The Star Thrower
There's a story I would like to share with you. It was inspired by the writing of Loren Eiseley. Loren was a very special person because he combined the best of two cultures. He was a scientist and a poet. From those two perspectives, he wrote insightfully and beautifully about the world and our role in it.
Once upon a time, there was a wise man, much like Eiseley himself, who used to go to the ocean to do his writing. He had the habit of walking along the beach before he began his work. One day he was walking along the shore; as he looked down the beach, he saw a human figure moving like a dancer. He smiled to himself to think of someone who would dance to the day, so he began to walk faster to catch up. As he got closer, he saw that it was a young man and the young man wasn't dancing, but instead, he was reaching down to the shore, picking up something and very gently throwing it into the ocean.
As he got closer he called out, "Good morning! What are you doing?" The young man paused, looked up and replied, "Throwing Starfish into the ocean."
"I guess I should have asked; why are you throwing Starfish into the ocean?"
"The sun is up and the tide is going out and if I don't throw them in they'll die."
"But young man, don't you realize that there are miles and miles of beach and Starfish all along it, you can't possibly make a difference!"
The young man listened politely, then bent down, picked up another Starfish and threw it into the sea, past the breaking waves. "It made a difference for that one."
His response surprised the man, he was upset, he didn't know how to reply, so instead he turned away and walked back to the cottage to begin his writings.
All day long as he wrote, the image of that young man haunted him; he tried to ignore it, but the vision persisted. Finally, late in the afternoon, he realized that he the scientist, he the poet, had missed the essential nature of the young man's actions. Because he realized that what the young man was doing was choosing not to be an observer in the universe and watch it pass by, but was choosing to be an actor in the universe and make a difference. He was embarrassed.
That night he went to bed, troubled. When morning came, he awoke knowing that he had to do something; so he got up, put on his clothes, went to the beach and found the young man; and with him spent the rest of the morning throwing Starfish into the ocean.
You see, what the young man's actions represent is something that is special in each and every one of us. We have all been gifted with the ability to make a difference. And if we can, like the young man, become aware of that gift, we gain through the strength of our vision the power to shape the future.
And that is your challenge, and that is my challenge. We must find our Starfish, and if we throw our stars wisely and well, I have no question that the 21st century is going to be a wonderful place.
Remember:
Vision without action is merely a dream
Action without vision just passes time
Vision with action can change the world
By Joel Parker
There is a video of this story at: http://www.starthrowerstory.com/
I hope you enjoy it as much as I did...We can make a difference one "starfish" at a time...
Once upon a time, there was a wise man, much like Eiseley himself, who used to go to the ocean to do his writing. He had the habit of walking along the beach before he began his work. One day he was walking along the shore; as he looked down the beach, he saw a human figure moving like a dancer. He smiled to himself to think of someone who would dance to the day, so he began to walk faster to catch up. As he got closer, he saw that it was a young man and the young man wasn't dancing, but instead, he was reaching down to the shore, picking up something and very gently throwing it into the ocean.
As he got closer he called out, "Good morning! What are you doing?" The young man paused, looked up and replied, "Throwing Starfish into the ocean."
"I guess I should have asked; why are you throwing Starfish into the ocean?"
"The sun is up and the tide is going out and if I don't throw them in they'll die."
"But young man, don't you realize that there are miles and miles of beach and Starfish all along it, you can't possibly make a difference!"
The young man listened politely, then bent down, picked up another Starfish and threw it into the sea, past the breaking waves. "It made a difference for that one."
His response surprised the man, he was upset, he didn't know how to reply, so instead he turned away and walked back to the cottage to begin his writings.
All day long as he wrote, the image of that young man haunted him; he tried to ignore it, but the vision persisted. Finally, late in the afternoon, he realized that he the scientist, he the poet, had missed the essential nature of the young man's actions. Because he realized that what the young man was doing was choosing not to be an observer in the universe and watch it pass by, but was choosing to be an actor in the universe and make a difference. He was embarrassed.
That night he went to bed, troubled. When morning came, he awoke knowing that he had to do something; so he got up, put on his clothes, went to the beach and found the young man; and with him spent the rest of the morning throwing Starfish into the ocean.
You see, what the young man's actions represent is something that is special in each and every one of us. We have all been gifted with the ability to make a difference. And if we can, like the young man, become aware of that gift, we gain through the strength of our vision the power to shape the future.
And that is your challenge, and that is my challenge. We must find our Starfish, and if we throw our stars wisely and well, I have no question that the 21st century is going to be a wonderful place.
Remember:
Vision without action is merely a dream
Action without vision just passes time
Vision with action can change the world
By Joel Parker
There is a video of this story at: http://www.starthrowerstory.com/
I hope you enjoy it as much as I did...We can make a difference one "starfish" at a time...
Saturday, April 4, 2009
Pulling to Higher Ground
"There are two ways of exerting one's strength: one is pushing down, the other is pulling up." ~ Booker T. Washington
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Don't Give Up...Isn't it good to be alive?
"Negative will come in whenever you try to do good." That is what Braddah Skibs, the founder of Basic Image Inc, said today in a forum I went to. "You have to stay positive no matter what negative is goin down...Don't give up." Braddah Skibs used an analogy of 'the weeds' to explain what he was trying to get across. When you plant a garden you have to take care of it, nurture around the plants, and remove any weeds that may be coming up. AND if you don't do anything the weeds will grow and grow and grow until they eventually run the garden over choking any of the good plants. "You can't let the weeds win!" Stand firmly rooted in the land. Turn the negative to a positive "Don't let the weeds win! Never give up!" We have gotta DO something or we will get run over by the weeds...Isn't it good to be alive?
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
The Phenomenon of Boredom
The labeling of a huge part of human experience as boring is a relatively new phenomenon. The concept of boredom -- a sense of emptiness and a lack of stimulation -- didn't even exist until the nineteenth century. Before that, it was used only in the context of a person who spoke too long or rambled off the topic: "Oh, she's such a bore!" Now it is a state of being that is a fate worse than death.
Psychologists say that the problem we think is "out there" -- in the book, movie, job, relationship -- is actually in us. Boredom, they say, is created by an inability to delay gratification and a low tolerance for frustration, both of which have serious implications for our success in life and in love.
Any time we proclaim something boring, what we really are saying is that we don't have patience for it. Rather than looking at ourselves for the source of the problem -- and therefore the solution -- we look at whatever is provoking the feeling and label that the problem.
A lot of human experience can be considered boring. There are huge stretches of parenting, in relationships, in work, where "nothing" is happening, or at least nothing obvious. We can consider those moments boring and seek to alleviate that boredom with any distraction available. Or we can see such occasions as opportunities to tap into our patience and look more deeply.
Try it yourself. Go on a fast for a week in which you refuse to consider any experience boring. When your mind begins to use that label -- in traffic, say, or on hold -- challenge yourself to find something of interest in what is going on, either in yourself or the world around you. How does that change your experience?
With attention, nothing is boring, even the most routine tasks. If you tune in to how the warm soapy water feels as you wash the pots and pans, how does that change the experience for you? Or weeding the garden, how does it feel to bend and stretch in the sunlight? What *is* the name of that gray bird with the crested head that suddenly appeared? This level of experiencing life isn’t one that we tune in to, but it is one that can bear many riches of wonder at the very fact of being alive in this amazing world.
The Phenomenon of Boredom
--by MJ Ryan
_____________________________
"Any time we proclaim something boring, what we really are saying is that we don't have patience for it. Rather than looking at ourselves for the source of the problem -- and therefore the solution -- we look at whatever is provoking the feeling and label that the problem." These few phrases blew me away. I have a choice...a choice to choose how I will react in what ever situation may come my way. I could be in the deepest darkest of pits and still choose how my heart and mind will feel in that moment...Happiness? Sadness? Anger? Hate? Love? Joy?....It's my choice. Perhaps happiness comes from choosing the fix the things that can be fixed (i.e. my own feelings) and not dwell on the things that cannot be fixed...The solution to all my problems lies within myself and God and it is my choice whether or not to except His help or not..........
Psychologists say that the problem we think is "out there" -- in the book, movie, job, relationship -- is actually in us. Boredom, they say, is created by an inability to delay gratification and a low tolerance for frustration, both of which have serious implications for our success in life and in love.
Any time we proclaim something boring, what we really are saying is that we don't have patience for it. Rather than looking at ourselves for the source of the problem -- and therefore the solution -- we look at whatever is provoking the feeling and label that the problem.
A lot of human experience can be considered boring. There are huge stretches of parenting, in relationships, in work, where "nothing" is happening, or at least nothing obvious. We can consider those moments boring and seek to alleviate that boredom with any distraction available. Or we can see such occasions as opportunities to tap into our patience and look more deeply.
Try it yourself. Go on a fast for a week in which you refuse to consider any experience boring. When your mind begins to use that label -- in traffic, say, or on hold -- challenge yourself to find something of interest in what is going on, either in yourself or the world around you. How does that change your experience?
With attention, nothing is boring, even the most routine tasks. If you tune in to how the warm soapy water feels as you wash the pots and pans, how does that change the experience for you? Or weeding the garden, how does it feel to bend and stretch in the sunlight? What *is* the name of that gray bird with the crested head that suddenly appeared? This level of experiencing life isn’t one that we tune in to, but it is one that can bear many riches of wonder at the very fact of being alive in this amazing world.
The Phenomenon of Boredom
--by MJ Ryan
_____________________________
"Any time we proclaim something boring, what we really are saying is that we don't have patience for it. Rather than looking at ourselves for the source of the problem -- and therefore the solution -- we look at whatever is provoking the feeling and label that the problem." These few phrases blew me away. I have a choice...a choice to choose how I will react in what ever situation may come my way. I could be in the deepest darkest of pits and still choose how my heart and mind will feel in that moment...Happiness? Sadness? Anger? Hate? Love? Joy?....It's my choice. Perhaps happiness comes from choosing the fix the things that can be fixed (i.e. my own feelings) and not dwell on the things that cannot be fixed...The solution to all my problems lies within myself and God and it is my choice whether or not to except His help or not..........
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Ka Po’e o Ka Malamalama
This article was an answer to my prayers....
Ka Po’e o Ka Malamalama
In a world filled with technological advances
we are starved for wisdom
Our quiet knowing is obliterated
by the frantic stress of a modern world.
Perhaps one day soon we will conclude
that faster is not always better,
and more is never enough.
At the dawn of a new millennium,
it would be wise to re-write the script.
Let us consider giving greater value to the sacredness of
our everyday lives,
bathed in stillness long enough to remember when we were
Ka Po’e o ka Malamalama
How different our circumstances would be if we
remembered that as
one race, divinely human,
we were born for a higher destiny.
Like ancient mariners who charted their canoes into
unknown seas,
we are now the voyagers.
As it was with our ancestors, our resources as we know
them on this vessel called Earth are finite,
making our reliance upon one another crucial.
It is time we cast light into the dark places called fear,
a fear which separates us by color, culture, and economies.
Call it what you will prejudice, hatred, anger, judgment,
self-inflicted pain.
it is borne of the same bitter, diseased fruit, which serves no one.
Into this yet unwritten chapter entitled “The 21st Century”
upon pages crisp with promise, we, the authors of its
beginning,
would be wise to compose an enlightened legacy for
those yet to be,
a composition of wisdom and courage, of humility and
forgiveness;
a place where success is not measured by wealth and
power
but by compassionate concern for others,
and where the value of youthfulness gives way to the
wisdom of age.
Like the stars which guided our forefathers into vast new
frontiers,
this literary endowment would serve to illumine
the path for future generations.
Imbued with our love and sealed with aloha, this magnum
opus
would reveal our return to our sacred birthright,
Ka Po’e o ka Malamalama,
The people of the Light
Dr. Elizabeth Kapu’uwailani Lindsey Buyers: President, LLB Productions
Ka Po’e o Ka Malamalama
In a world filled with technological advances
we are starved for wisdom
Our quiet knowing is obliterated
by the frantic stress of a modern world.
Perhaps one day soon we will conclude
that faster is not always better,
and more is never enough.
At the dawn of a new millennium,
it would be wise to re-write the script.
Let us consider giving greater value to the sacredness of
our everyday lives,
bathed in stillness long enough to remember when we were
Ka Po’e o ka Malamalama
How different our circumstances would be if we
remembered that as
one race, divinely human,
we were born for a higher destiny.
Like ancient mariners who charted their canoes into
unknown seas,
we are now the voyagers.
As it was with our ancestors, our resources as we know
them on this vessel called Earth are finite,
making our reliance upon one another crucial.
It is time we cast light into the dark places called fear,
a fear which separates us by color, culture, and economies.
Call it what you will prejudice, hatred, anger, judgment,
self-inflicted pain.
it is borne of the same bitter, diseased fruit, which serves no one.
Into this yet unwritten chapter entitled “The 21st Century”
upon pages crisp with promise, we, the authors of its
beginning,
would be wise to compose an enlightened legacy for
those yet to be,
a composition of wisdom and courage, of humility and
forgiveness;
a place where success is not measured by wealth and
power
but by compassionate concern for others,
and where the value of youthfulness gives way to the
wisdom of age.
Like the stars which guided our forefathers into vast new
frontiers,
this literary endowment would serve to illumine
the path for future generations.
Imbued with our love and sealed with aloha, this magnum
opus
would reveal our return to our sacred birthright,
Ka Po’e o ka Malamalama,
The people of the Light
Dr. Elizabeth Kapu’uwailani Lindsey Buyers: President, LLB Productions
Friday, February 27, 2009
The time to start is now...
I was surfing on Facebook and found this saying posted under a picture...
... Tired of lying in the sunshine staying home to watch the rain
You are young and life is long and there is time to kill today
And then one day you find ten years have got behind you
No one told you when to run, you missed the starting gun...
The time to start acting is now...it is time to step out of our comfort zones and set aside our fears and selfishness to help those around us whether in our homes, communities, or the world. Peace comes from within and then spreads outwards.
... Tired of lying in the sunshine staying home to watch the rain
You are young and life is long and there is time to kill today
And then one day you find ten years have got behind you
No one told you when to run, you missed the starting gun...
The time to start acting is now...it is time to step out of our comfort zones and set aside our fears and selfishness to help those around us whether in our homes, communities, or the world. Peace comes from within and then spreads outwards.
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
My Escape...
I have begun to realize that writing is my way of escaping to figure out this crazy journey called life.
Someone once told me that writing is a magical process; a journey that explores, picks apart, evaluates, discovers, and this list can go on and on but basically it is a magical journey of trying to make sense of what is happening around me and within me.
I used to say that I loved to write because it doesn't talk back, but the other day I was reading through my journal and there are parts that I couldn't believe how silly or dumb I was...In other words rereading what I have written "talked back" to me. It showed me places in my life were I still need to improve; places that I still struggle with; places that I find joy in; places that I love to be.
There is something calming about writing...
Someone once told me that writing is a magical process; a journey that explores, picks apart, evaluates, discovers, and this list can go on and on but basically it is a magical journey of trying to make sense of what is happening around me and within me.
I used to say that I loved to write because it doesn't talk back, but the other day I was reading through my journal and there are parts that I couldn't believe how silly or dumb I was...In other words rereading what I have written "talked back" to me. It showed me places in my life were I still need to improve; places that I still struggle with; places that I find joy in; places that I love to be.
There is something calming about writing...
Friday, February 20, 2009
Reallionaire Affirmations
1.) I was put on Earth to fulfill a specific purpose. I only have to name it to achieve it.
2.) Opportunities are everywhere. I can rise above any circumstance with hard work, integrity, faith, and especially persistence.
3.) I can dream alone, build alone and strive alone, but true success always requires the help and support of others.
4.) When things are at their worst, I am at my strongest.
5.) I am honest with myself about what is working, what is failing, where I am and where I need to go. I have the courage to make decisions based on the facts instead of fighting the tide.
6.) I'm moving forward in a positive way. I'm honest with myself and others, and I'm eager--not willing but eager--to give back to those around me with no thought of my own reward.
7.) I believe in my market, my product and my contacts. I know what I know. I know what I don't know. And I know how to fill in the "in-betweens."
8.) Inside every seed is the potential for an incredible harvest.
9.) Only what's real will last. I will last.
Farrah Gray was a millionaire by the age of 14. He has a book entitled "Reallionaire" where he gives nine steps to becoming rich from the inside out. The above are affirmations he learned, discovered, and made in his journey. He writes, "My story, though unique, is not unlike others who began with nothing more than a dream fueled by sheer determination. Even if you've never walked the streets of a housing project or seen food stamps up close, I believe my story will remind you of the kid in all of us who knows no limits and believes anything--and everything--is possible...."
I checked this book out a couple of weeks ago, but today is the first time I have been able to read it. Today has been a day of reevaluation and rediscovery of the passion that burns within my heart--a passion to make the world a better place one step at a time...This book helped me regain my focus--to regain the fighting spirit--My Dreams Are Possible!
2.) Opportunities are everywhere. I can rise above any circumstance with hard work, integrity, faith, and especially persistence.
3.) I can dream alone, build alone and strive alone, but true success always requires the help and support of others.
4.) When things are at their worst, I am at my strongest.
5.) I am honest with myself about what is working, what is failing, where I am and where I need to go. I have the courage to make decisions based on the facts instead of fighting the tide.
6.) I'm moving forward in a positive way. I'm honest with myself and others, and I'm eager--not willing but eager--to give back to those around me with no thought of my own reward.
7.) I believe in my market, my product and my contacts. I know what I know. I know what I don't know. And I know how to fill in the "in-betweens."
8.) Inside every seed is the potential for an incredible harvest.
9.) Only what's real will last. I will last.
Farrah Gray was a millionaire by the age of 14. He has a book entitled "Reallionaire" where he gives nine steps to becoming rich from the inside out. The above are affirmations he learned, discovered, and made in his journey. He writes, "My story, though unique, is not unlike others who began with nothing more than a dream fueled by sheer determination. Even if you've never walked the streets of a housing project or seen food stamps up close, I believe my story will remind you of the kid in all of us who knows no limits and believes anything--and everything--is possible...."
I checked this book out a couple of weeks ago, but today is the first time I have been able to read it. Today has been a day of reevaluation and rediscovery of the passion that burns within my heart--a passion to make the world a better place one step at a time...This book helped me regain my focus--to regain the fighting spirit--My Dreams Are Possible!
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Man of Humanity
" A man of humanity is one who, in seeking to establish himself, finds a foothold for others and who desiring attainment for himself, helps others to attain." ~ Confucius (551-449 B.C.E.) Chinese Philosopher
Monday, February 16, 2009
Finding Peace
Peace cannot be imposed. It must come from the lives and hearts of men. There is no other way.
Satan whispers "You cannot save the world; your small efforts are meaningless. You haven'ttime to be concerned for others." Let us turn our heads from such falsehoods and make certain our feet are firmly planted in the path of service and our hearts and souls dedicated to follow the example of the Lord. In moments when the light of resolution dims and when the heart grows faint, we can take comfort from His promise, "Be not weary in well doing...out of small things proceedeth that which is great. Behold, the Lord Requireth the heart and a willing mind." D&C 64:33-34 ~ Thomas S. Monson
Satan whispers "You cannot save the world; your small efforts are meaningless. You haven'ttime to be concerned for others." Let us turn our heads from such falsehoods and make certain our feet are firmly planted in the path of service and our hearts and souls dedicated to follow the example of the Lord. In moments when the light of resolution dims and when the heart grows faint, we can take comfort from His promise, "Be not weary in well doing...out of small things proceedeth that which is great. Behold, the Lord Requireth the heart and a willing mind." D&C 64:33-34 ~ Thomas S. Monson
For Every Worry...
For every worry under the sun
There is a remedy, or there is none.
If there is one, hurry and find it.
If there be none, never mind it.
~LeGrand Richards
There is a remedy, or there is none.
If there is one, hurry and find it.
If there be none, never mind it.
~LeGrand Richards
Happiness
"Happiness is not given to us in a package that we can just open up and consume. Nobody is ever happy 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Rather than thinking in terms of a day, we perhaps need to snatch happiness in little pieces, learning to recognize the elements of happiness and then treasuring them while they last." ~ James E. Faust
Sunday, February 15, 2009
Gathering Strength
"I love the man that can smile in trouble, that can gather strength from distress, and grow brave by reflection." ~ Thomas Paine
The Moment of Peace...My Heart Will Go On
Gregorian is a German band, headed by Frank Peterson, performing Gregorian chant-inspired versions of modern pop and rock songs. Because it features both vocal harmony and instrumental accompaniment, the music cannot be considered true Gregorian chant. However, as I listened to them I...well...I fell in love with the sounds of their voices...
Inspiration
It will never cease to amaze me how powerful quotes, poems, music, etc. can be...Quotes and poems are just words, but there are times that a passion--a connection with humanity--is made and my soul is touched. It is in those moments that the spirit of fighting--of not giving up--gains a new strength. Then, there is music. Music for me has always had a way of speaking that words could never express. The melodious sounds have penetrated past the mental barriers I have erected or past the blinders I have put on and when that music sinks deep within my soul, I am able to see things in a new light--through different eyes.
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Champions
"Champions aren't made in gyms. Champions are made from something they have deep inside them--a desire, a dream, a vision. They have to have the skill, and the will. But the will must be stronger than the skill." ~ Muhammad Ali
Sunday, February 8, 2009
The Metaphor of "Dance"
To dance.
Now I have to say that I can't dance one step, but there have been many times in my life that I have used the phrase "to dance" in a metaphorical way. Dancing first of all requires getting up--it requires one to start moving. Much like life nothing can get done if one stays in bed or hesitates to start acting. Sitting it out is easy--but getting up to dance takes stepping out of ones comfort zone--of letting go of ones fears, to lay aside our selfishness, and reach out to those around us even knowing there is a risk of getting hurt. Next, dancing has a range of motions and angles--each expressing a rhythm of life. The journey in life is not always clearly charted. There are times there are some rocky roads and tidal waves, but learning how to see a range of possibilities--of not limiting oneself to one road or one way of doing things--knowing that the sky is the limit when it comes to dreams--if only one will get up and move to dance...
Now I have to say that I can't dance one step, but there have been many times in my life that I have used the phrase "to dance" in a metaphorical way. Dancing first of all requires getting up--it requires one to start moving. Much like life nothing can get done if one stays in bed or hesitates to start acting. Sitting it out is easy--but getting up to dance takes stepping out of ones comfort zone--of letting go of ones fears, to lay aside our selfishness, and reach out to those around us even knowing there is a risk of getting hurt. Next, dancing has a range of motions and angles--each expressing a rhythm of life. The journey in life is not always clearly charted. There are times there are some rocky roads and tidal waves, but learning how to see a range of possibilities--of not limiting oneself to one road or one way of doing things--knowing that the sky is the limit when it comes to dreams--if only one will get up and move to dance...
Sunday, February 1, 2009
A Search for Common Ground
There are a lot of people in the world trying to do good in their own small ways. THERE IS HOPE! I am finding more and more how powerful music is, especially and well done music video...As I listen--even if I do not understand the language--I am drawn to the passion, the emotions that the singer and instrumentalists are trying to convey. It is like my soul connects to theirs for a brief moment and I am able to see past our differences and connect with their humanity--to see the world through their eyes.
Search for Common Ground works to transform the way the world deals with conflict - away from adversarial approaches and towards collaborative problem solving. We work with local partners to find culturally appropriate means to strengthen societies' capacity to deal with conflicts constructively: to understand the differences and act on the commonalities. David Broza and Said Murad (two well-known Israeli and Palestinian musicians) wrote the song; it was performed by David Broza and Wisam Murad.
WEBSITE: http://www.sfcg.org/
Search for Common Ground works to transform the way the world deals with conflict - away from adversarial approaches and towards collaborative problem solving. We work with local partners to find culturally appropriate means to strengthen societies' capacity to deal with conflicts constructively: to understand the differences and act on the commonalities. David Broza and Said Murad (two well-known Israeli and Palestinian musicians) wrote the song; it was performed by David Broza and Wisam Murad.
WEBSITE: http://www.sfcg.org/
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Beauty from Pain
I found these three songs really intriguing. I have been through a ton in my life and as I look back I have come to realize that there really are times when it seems that the crying in my heart will never stop, but it does....and i have learned that beauty does come from that pain. In the end it will all work out...all you have to do is believe=] all you have to do is have hope and love with all your heart...As the rain comes pouring down Stand UP and dance the song of life--not letting a day pass by...
These songs comes from a band I just found called "superchic[k]" They are an American Contemporary Christian band and their music incorporates various styles such as punk, rock, rap, and R&B.
These songs comes from a band I just found called "superchic[k]" They are an American Contemporary Christian band and their music incorporates various styles such as punk, rock, rap, and R&B.
Friday, January 30, 2009
In Our Hands...
John A. Widtsoe said: “The only way to build a peaceful community is to build men and women who are lovers and makers of peace. Each individual...holds in his own hands the peace of the world. That makes me responsible for the peace of the world, and makes you individually responsible for the peace of the world. The responsibility cannot be shifted to someone else. It cannot be placed upon the shoulders of Congress or Parliament, or any other organization of men with governing authority.”
A Song For Peace
At times when the heart is crying perhaps the things to do is listen to "A song for peace." To listen to the voices around the world expressing their hopes, dream, fears, pain, and joy. To realize that the crying is not done alone, but together and it is not time to sit down, but to stand up and sing--sing for peace, love, and hope.
What questions have I not asked? It is so easy to go with the flow and stick inside my comfort zone--not seeking to stretch and grow--to learn new things--to experiences new ways--to see different world views.
I too have a dream...a dream that if followed perhaps knows the way...
WE ARE IN THIS TOGETHER! We are not a one man island, but are placed on this earth to learn to live together...if not, to die together. Going hand in hand takes courage to stretch out our own and place it in another's; Going hand in hand takes love to open ones heart to new understandings. We...are in this together
Perhaps faith, hope and charity are often paired together because peace within and without cannot be complete without one or the other...One must have faith in their self--that they have the potential to succeed and take action to make the world a better place--having faith in humanity, in our brothers and sisters. One must have hope, for "the moment you lose hope you’re not a thinking person, open to change. You have nothing to strive for. End of story" (Movie: Promises). One must have charity for "without charity man is nothing" unable to love he stands alone...not together with his fellowmen.
What questions have I not asked? It is so easy to go with the flow and stick inside my comfort zone--not seeking to stretch and grow--to learn new things--to experiences new ways--to see different world views.
I too have a dream...a dream that if followed perhaps knows the way...
WE ARE IN THIS TOGETHER! We are not a one man island, but are placed on this earth to learn to live together...if not, to die together. Going hand in hand takes courage to stretch out our own and place it in another's; Going hand in hand takes love to open ones heart to new understandings. We...are in this together
Perhaps faith, hope and charity are often paired together because peace within and without cannot be complete without one or the other...One must have faith in their self--that they have the potential to succeed and take action to make the world a better place--having faith in humanity, in our brothers and sisters. One must have hope, for "the moment you lose hope you’re not a thinking person, open to change. You have nothing to strive for. End of story" (Movie: Promises). One must have charity for "without charity man is nothing" unable to love he stands alone...not together with his fellowmen.
Monday, January 26, 2009
Recognizing the Real Fear
I came across this article from iJourney and absolutely loved--and hated if possible--this piece. It instantly reminded me of Martin Luther King Jr. words, "Fear knocked at the door. Faith answered. There was no one there."
................................
In the sphere of human relations, faith is an indispensable quality of any significant friendship or love. “Having faith” in another person means to be certain of the reliability and unchangeability of his fundamental attitudes, of the core of his personality, of his love. By this I do not mean that a person may not change his opinions, but that his basic motivations remain the same; that, for instance, his respect for life and human dignity is part of himself, not subject to change. […]
To have faith requires courage, the ability to take a risk, the readiness even to accept pain and disappointment. Whoever insists on safety and security as primary conditions of life cannot have faith; whoever shuts himself off in a system of defense, where distance and possession are his means of security, makes himself a prisoner. To be loved, and to love, need courage, the courage to judge certain values as of ultimate concern – and to take the jump and to stake everything on these values. […]
Is there anything to be practiced about faith and courage? Indeed, faith can be practiced at every moment. It takes faith to bring up a child; it takes faith to fall asleep; it takes faith to begin any work. […]
The practice of faith and courage begins with the small details of daily life. The first step is to notice where and when one loses faith, to look through the rationalizations which are used to cover up this loss of faith, to recognize where one acts in a cowardly way, and again how one rationalizes it. To recognize how every betrayal of faith weakens one, and how increased weakness leads to new betrayal, and so on, in a vicious circle. Then one will also recognize that while one is consciously afraid of not being loved, the real, though usually unconscious fear is that of loving. To love means to commit oneself without guarantee, to give oneself completely. Love is an act of faith, and whoever is of little faith is also of little love.
- By Erich Fromm, From "The Art of Loving"
................................
In the sphere of human relations, faith is an indispensable quality of any significant friendship or love. “Having faith” in another person means to be certain of the reliability and unchangeability of his fundamental attitudes, of the core of his personality, of his love. By this I do not mean that a person may not change his opinions, but that his basic motivations remain the same; that, for instance, his respect for life and human dignity is part of himself, not subject to change. […]
To have faith requires courage, the ability to take a risk, the readiness even to accept pain and disappointment. Whoever insists on safety and security as primary conditions of life cannot have faith; whoever shuts himself off in a system of defense, where distance and possession are his means of security, makes himself a prisoner. To be loved, and to love, need courage, the courage to judge certain values as of ultimate concern – and to take the jump and to stake everything on these values. […]
Is there anything to be practiced about faith and courage? Indeed, faith can be practiced at every moment. It takes faith to bring up a child; it takes faith to fall asleep; it takes faith to begin any work. […]
The practice of faith and courage begins with the small details of daily life. The first step is to notice where and when one loses faith, to look through the rationalizations which are used to cover up this loss of faith, to recognize where one acts in a cowardly way, and again how one rationalizes it. To recognize how every betrayal of faith weakens one, and how increased weakness leads to new betrayal, and so on, in a vicious circle. Then one will also recognize that while one is consciously afraid of not being loved, the real, though usually unconscious fear is that of loving. To love means to commit oneself without guarantee, to give oneself completely. Love is an act of faith, and whoever is of little faith is also of little love.
- By Erich Fromm, From "The Art of Loving"
When the Goin' Gets Tough...
Feelin a little discouraged has been a reoccuring theme over the past few days. Every now and again I like to read inspirational quotes and poetry to give me a lift and motivation, or just to realise that someone else has been there before...
"Success is usually earned by persevering and not becoming discouraged when we encounter challenges. Paul Harvey, the famous news analyst and author, once said: 'Someday I hope to enjoy enough of what the world calls success so that someone will ask me, "What's the secret of it?" I shall say simply this: "I get up when I fall down" ' (quoted in Marvin J. Ashton, Conference Report, Oct. 1981, 126)."
"If I were asked to give what I consider the single most useful bit of advice for all humanity, it would be this: Expect trouble as an inevitable part of life, and when it comes, hold your head high. Look it squarely in the eye, and say, "I will be bigger than you. You cannot defeat me." ~ Ann Landers
"It's not whether you get knocked down. It's whether you get up again." ~ Vince Lombardi
"Most of the important things in the world have been accomplished by people who have kept on trying when there seemed to be no help at all." ~ Dale Carnegie
"I know God will not give me anything I can't handle. I just wish that He didn't trust me so much." ~ Mother Teresa
"The true measure of a man is not how he behaves in moments of comfort and convenience but how he stands at times of controversy and challenges." ~ Martin Luther King Jr.
May peace and love be with you...
"Success is usually earned by persevering and not becoming discouraged when we encounter challenges. Paul Harvey, the famous news analyst and author, once said: 'Someday I hope to enjoy enough of what the world calls success so that someone will ask me, "What's the secret of it?" I shall say simply this: "I get up when I fall down" ' (quoted in Marvin J. Ashton, Conference Report, Oct. 1981, 126)."
"If I were asked to give what I consider the single most useful bit of advice for all humanity, it would be this: Expect trouble as an inevitable part of life, and when it comes, hold your head high. Look it squarely in the eye, and say, "I will be bigger than you. You cannot defeat me." ~ Ann Landers
"It's not whether you get knocked down. It's whether you get up again." ~ Vince Lombardi
"Most of the important things in the world have been accomplished by people who have kept on trying when there seemed to be no help at all." ~ Dale Carnegie
"I know God will not give me anything I can't handle. I just wish that He didn't trust me so much." ~ Mother Teresa
"The true measure of a man is not how he behaves in moments of comfort and convenience but how he stands at times of controversy and challenges." ~ Martin Luther King Jr.
May peace and love be with you...
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Wanna Dance?
Last semester I was introduced to this video, "Where the Hell is Matt?" and it touched my soul. I love it. Every time I watch it I am reminded of the connection we can have with each other...Everytime I watch it I see a new face--a new personality--a human being enjoying a moment to dance....
When I saw this video I started to do a little research on the maker and meaning of the lyrics....which only made me love it even more...
The lyrics to "Praan" were taken from a poem by a Nobel Prize winning Indian author named Rabindranath Tagore. While the poem was written in Bengali (or Bangla), I [Matt] chose it based on its English translation, which I [Matt] later learned to be more of an interpretation that captures the spirit of the original without matching it word-for-word.
The English version of the poem is called "Stream of Life." Here it is:
_____
The same stream of life
that runs through my veins night and day
runs through the world
and dances in rhythmic measures.
It is the same life
that shoots in joy through the dust of the earth
in numberless blades of grass
and breaks into tumultuous waves of leaves and flowers.
It is the same life
that is rocked in the ocean-cradle
of birth and of death,
in ebb and in flow.
I feel my limbs are made glorious
by the touch of this world of life.
And my pride is from the life-throb of ages
dancing in my blood this moment.
_____
To fit the song, we had to chop things up a bit; turning one verse into a repeating chorus and omitting other sections. Here are the lyrics as they ended up in the song, translated in a more direct way from the original Bengali:
_____
I will not easily forget
The life that stirs in my soul
Hidden amidst Death
That infinite Life
I hear you in the thunder
A simple tune
A tune to which I will arise (3x)
And in that storm of happiness
As your music plays in your mind
The whole wide world
Dances to your rhythm
I hear you in the thunder
A simple tune
A tune to which I will arise (3x)
WEBSITE: http://www.wherethehellismatt.com/?fbid=Mh1pAjz8DI1
When I saw this video I started to do a little research on the maker and meaning of the lyrics....which only made me love it even more...
The lyrics to "Praan" were taken from a poem by a Nobel Prize winning Indian author named Rabindranath Tagore. While the poem was written in Bengali (or Bangla), I [Matt] chose it based on its English translation, which I [Matt] later learned to be more of an interpretation that captures the spirit of the original without matching it word-for-word.
The English version of the poem is called "Stream of Life." Here it is:
_____
The same stream of life
that runs through my veins night and day
runs through the world
and dances in rhythmic measures.
It is the same life
that shoots in joy through the dust of the earth
in numberless blades of grass
and breaks into tumultuous waves of leaves and flowers.
It is the same life
that is rocked in the ocean-cradle
of birth and of death,
in ebb and in flow.
I feel my limbs are made glorious
by the touch of this world of life.
And my pride is from the life-throb of ages
dancing in my blood this moment.
_____
To fit the song, we had to chop things up a bit; turning one verse into a repeating chorus and omitting other sections. Here are the lyrics as they ended up in the song, translated in a more direct way from the original Bengali:
_____
I will not easily forget
The life that stirs in my soul
Hidden amidst Death
That infinite Life
I hear you in the thunder
A simple tune
A tune to which I will arise (3x)
And in that storm of happiness
As your music plays in your mind
The whole wide world
Dances to your rhythm
I hear you in the thunder
A simple tune
A tune to which I will arise (3x)
WEBSITE: http://www.wherethehellismatt.com/?fbid=Mh1pAjz8DI1
Friday, January 23, 2009
Playing for Change
I just happened upon this group by accident, but fell in love with the concept and music at once....
Here is "One Love"
Then there is this wonderful song, "Stand By Me"
PLAYING FOR CHANGE is a multimedia movement created to inspire, connect, and bring peace to the world through music. It is a group of artists and inspired people who have come together to connect the world...The above videos speak for themselves...
WEBSITE: http://www.playingforchange.com/
Here is "One Love"
Then there is this wonderful song, "Stand By Me"
PLAYING FOR CHANGE is a multimedia movement created to inspire, connect, and bring peace to the world through music. It is a group of artists and inspired people who have come together to connect the world...The above videos speak for themselves...
WEBSITE: http://www.playingforchange.com/
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
A Day for Change
"Now as we face the fact of this new, emerging world, we must face the responsibilities that come along with it. A new age brings with it new challenges...This world is a world of geographical togetherness. This means that no individual or nation can live alone. We must all learn to live together, or we will be forced to die together." ~Martin Luther King Jr.
In light of the new President of the United States, perhaps it is a day to reflect on the potential for change--a change for the better. To look into our own lives, homes, and communities to see the cracks that need repaired and mended. It is a time to unite and "learn to live together." to take responsibibility for the choices we make--good or bad.
Below is the 44th President, Barrack Obama's, presidential acceptance speech. Eloquently written and delivered Barrack Obama has stirred in my heart the need to change--for the better--to make the world a better place...A world were together we face the challenges place before us and learn to live together.
"Yes WE can. Yes WE did. Yes WE will...welcome to the future." ~Mason Isom
In light of the new President of the United States, perhaps it is a day to reflect on the potential for change--a change for the better. To look into our own lives, homes, and communities to see the cracks that need repaired and mended. It is a time to unite and "learn to live together." to take responsibibility for the choices we make--good or bad.
Below is the 44th President, Barrack Obama's, presidential acceptance speech. Eloquently written and delivered Barrack Obama has stirred in my heart the need to change--for the better--to make the world a better place...A world were together we face the challenges place before us and learn to live together.
"Yes WE can. Yes WE did. Yes WE will...welcome to the future." ~Mason Isom
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Franklin Tri-Quation
This equation was given in my Business Management class. I am not sure what I think of it...and I have been thinking on it for a week now (sad uhh...I can't seem to figure out my thoughts.) Anyway, people and businesses pay up to $700 dollars to get this information and it is the most sought after time management help given by the Franklin Company...so maybe I don't understand it completely...Here goes...
Self-Esteem = Productivity = Event Control
One needs to take control of the events in their life (it is not taking control of ones self-esteem or productivity, but events)--to become proactive instead of reactive. To do this one must 1.) PLAN 2.) PRIORITIZE 3.) STRETCH your COMFORT ZONE
The ONLY way out of a comfort zone is a GOAL...One has to have a reason to leave--something that has higher value then the current comfort zone. Comfort zones are the destroyers of most plans
So, How do you make a plan?
* Write down all the things you would like to do if life where perfect..."the unconditional list"
*Now break items down into A (Due today, absolutely needs done), B (ought to do), C (Wish list) --> Then break the A, B, C 's into 1, 2, 3, 4 's
* This focuses the energy..."The magnifying glass"
* When finished with an item put a check mark. Why? it releases endorphines knowing you've done something that you were going to do...in other words, by taking control of the events in ones life your self-esteem and productivity will increase keeping the equation equal and progressing to becoming better.
* Life has many interruptions, but if one has a plan one will treat these interruptions with a much different persona then without one.
There are 1, 020 minutes in a day (60 * 17) that we can be doing something...If we have a plan then those minutes will not go to waste and the items we have listed down as A, B, and C will get done increasing our self-esteem and productivity....
There is also a Franklin Pyramid that I will add later when I understand it better then these notes above....
Any thoughts that come to mind after reading this gibberish called my class notes...:)
Self-Esteem = Productivity = Event Control
One needs to take control of the events in their life (it is not taking control of ones self-esteem or productivity, but events)--to become proactive instead of reactive. To do this one must 1.) PLAN 2.) PRIORITIZE 3.) STRETCH your COMFORT ZONE
The ONLY way out of a comfort zone is a GOAL...One has to have a reason to leave--something that has higher value then the current comfort zone. Comfort zones are the destroyers of most plans
So, How do you make a plan?
* Write down all the things you would like to do if life where perfect..."the unconditional list"
*Now break items down into A (Due today, absolutely needs done), B (ought to do), C (Wish list) --> Then break the A, B, C 's into 1, 2, 3, 4 's
* This focuses the energy..."The magnifying glass"
* When finished with an item put a check mark. Why? it releases endorphines knowing you've done something that you were going to do...in other words, by taking control of the events in ones life your self-esteem and productivity will increase keeping the equation equal and progressing to becoming better.
* Life has many interruptions, but if one has a plan one will treat these interruptions with a much different persona then without one.
There are 1, 020 minutes in a day (60 * 17) that we can be doing something...If we have a plan then those minutes will not go to waste and the items we have listed down as A, B, and C will get done increasing our self-esteem and productivity....
There is also a Franklin Pyramid that I will add later when I understand it better then these notes above....
Any thoughts that come to mind after reading this gibberish called my class notes...:)
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Five Ways to Succeed
These five steps were found in my syllabus for my mediation class. The professor listed them as ways to succeed in the class, but perhaps they are applicable to my life as well...
1.) Commune with God. Give self quiet time every day to meditate, ponder, and pray. Listen to the spirit and let it teach and guide you.
2.) Read and learn with passion. Seek for new ideas. Wrestle with them.
3.) Rediscover yourself. You cannot know what to think if you do not know who you are. Learn to think for yourself. Don't be afraid to challenge old ideas and ideas of those around you.
4.) Learn to live with uncertainty. there are no easy answers to the problems that plague our lives and the world. At times contradictory ideas will be present. Immerse yourself in different viewpoints. Try to sit with contradictory truths.
5.) Step out of your comfort zone. We must be the change we wish to see in the world. Change can be scary. Don't be afraid.
1.) Commune with God. Give self quiet time every day to meditate, ponder, and pray. Listen to the spirit and let it teach and guide you.
2.) Read and learn with passion. Seek for new ideas. Wrestle with them.
3.) Rediscover yourself. You cannot know what to think if you do not know who you are. Learn to think for yourself. Don't be afraid to challenge old ideas and ideas of those around you.
4.) Learn to live with uncertainty. there are no easy answers to the problems that plague our lives and the world. At times contradictory ideas will be present. Immerse yourself in different viewpoints. Try to sit with contradictory truths.
5.) Step out of your comfort zone. We must be the change we wish to see in the world. Change can be scary. Don't be afraid.
Saturday, January 10, 2009
On the Mindless Menace of Violence
I was reviewing some of my favorite quotes and came across this speech given by Senator Robert "Bobby" F. Kennedy at the City Club of Cleveland in Cleveland, Ohio on April 5, 1968. Perhaps this speech is still applicable...
This is a time of shame and sorrow. It is not a day for politics. I have saved this one opportunity, my only event of today, to speak briefly to you about the mindless menace of violence in America which again stains our land and every one of our lives.
It is not the concern of any one race. The victims of the violence are black and white, rich and poor, young and old, famous and unknown. They are, most important of all, human beings whom other human beings loved and needed. No one - no matter where he lives or what he does - can be certain who will suffer from some senseless act of bloodshed. And yet it goes on and on and on in this country of ours.
Why? What has violence ever accomplished? What has it ever created? No martyr's cause has ever been stilled by an assassin's bullet.
No wrongs have ever been righted by riots and civil disorders. A sniper is only a coward, not a hero; and an uncontrolled, uncontrollable mob is only the voice of madness, not the voice of reason.
Whenever any American's life is taken by another American unnecessarily - whether it is done in the name of the law or in the defiance of the law, by one man or a gang, in cold blood or in passion, in an attack of violence or in response to violence - whenever we tear at the fabric of the life which another man has painfully and clumsily woven for himself and his children, the whole nation is degraded.
"Among free men," said Abraham Lincoln, "there can be no successful appeal from the ballot to the bullet; and those who take such appeal are sure to lose their cause and pay the costs."
Yet we seemingly tolerate a rising level of violence that ignores our common humanity and our claims to civilization alike. We calmly accept newspaper reports of civilian slaughter in far-off lands. We glorify killing on movie and television screens and call it entertainment. We make it easy for men of all shades of sanity to acquire whatever weapons and ammunition they desire.
Too often we honor swagger and bluster and wielders of force; too often we excuse those who are willing to build their own lives on the shattered dreams of others. Some Americans who preach non-violence abroad fail to practice it here at home. Some who accuse others of inciting riots have by their own conduct invited them.
Some look for scapegoats, others look for conspiracies, but this much is clear: violence breeds violence, repression brings retaliation, and only a cleansing of our whole society can remove this sickness from our soul.
For there is another kind of violence, slower but just as deadly destructive as the shot or the bomb in the night. This is the violence of institutions; indifference and inaction and slow decay. This is the violence that afflicts the poor, that poisons relations between men because their skin has different colors. This is the slow destruction of a child by hunger, and schools without books and homes without heat in the winter.
This is the breaking of a man's spirit by denying him the chance to stand as a father and as a man among other men. And this too afflicts us all.
I have not come here to propose a set of specific remedies nor is there a single set. For a broad and adequate outline we know what must be done. When you teach a man to hate and fear his brother, when you teach that he is a lesser man because of his color or his beliefs or the policies he pursues, when you teach that those who differ from you threaten your freedom or your job or your family, then you also learn to confront others not as fellow citizens but as enemies, to be met not with cooperation but with conquest; to be subjugated and mastered.
We learn, at the last, to look at our brothers as aliens, men with whom we share a city, but not a community; men bound to us in common dwelling, but not in common effort. We learn to share only a common fear, only a common desire to retreat from each other, only a common impulse to meet disagreement with force. For all this, there are no final answers.
Yet we know what we must do. It is to achieve true justice among our fellow citizens. The question is not what programs we should seek to enact. The question is whether we can find in our own midst and in our own hearts that leadership of humane purpose that will recognize the terrible truths of our existence.
We must admit the vanity of our false distinctions among men and learn to find our own advancement in the search for the advancement of others. We must admit in ourselves that our own children's future cannot be built on the misfortunes of others. We must recognize that this short life can neither be ennobled or enriched by hatred or revenge.
Our lives on this planet are too short and the work to be done too great to let this spirit flourish any longer in our land. Of course we cannot vanquish it with a program, nor with a resolution.
But we can perhaps remember, if only for a time, that those who live with us are our brothers, that they share with us the same short moment of life; that they seek, as do we, nothing but the chance to live out their lives in purpose and in happiness, winning what satisfaction and fulfillment they can.
Surely, this bond of common faith, this bond of common goal, can begin to teach us something. Surely, we can learn, at least, to look at those around us as fellow men, and surely we can begin to work a little harder to bind up the wounds among us and to become in our own hearts brothers and countrymen once again.
There is also a great youtube video of this speech that I love to watch and be reminded once again of the powerful words of Martin Luther King Jr. "Somebody must have sense enough and morality enough to cut off the chain of hate and the chain of evil in the universe. And you do that by love." A love for our brothers and sisters everywhere.
We cannot be silent any longer...it is time to speak up.
This is a time of shame and sorrow. It is not a day for politics. I have saved this one opportunity, my only event of today, to speak briefly to you about the mindless menace of violence in America which again stains our land and every one of our lives.
It is not the concern of any one race. The victims of the violence are black and white, rich and poor, young and old, famous and unknown. They are, most important of all, human beings whom other human beings loved and needed. No one - no matter where he lives or what he does - can be certain who will suffer from some senseless act of bloodshed. And yet it goes on and on and on in this country of ours.
Why? What has violence ever accomplished? What has it ever created? No martyr's cause has ever been stilled by an assassin's bullet.
No wrongs have ever been righted by riots and civil disorders. A sniper is only a coward, not a hero; and an uncontrolled, uncontrollable mob is only the voice of madness, not the voice of reason.
Whenever any American's life is taken by another American unnecessarily - whether it is done in the name of the law or in the defiance of the law, by one man or a gang, in cold blood or in passion, in an attack of violence or in response to violence - whenever we tear at the fabric of the life which another man has painfully and clumsily woven for himself and his children, the whole nation is degraded.
"Among free men," said Abraham Lincoln, "there can be no successful appeal from the ballot to the bullet; and those who take such appeal are sure to lose their cause and pay the costs."
Yet we seemingly tolerate a rising level of violence that ignores our common humanity and our claims to civilization alike. We calmly accept newspaper reports of civilian slaughter in far-off lands. We glorify killing on movie and television screens and call it entertainment. We make it easy for men of all shades of sanity to acquire whatever weapons and ammunition they desire.
Too often we honor swagger and bluster and wielders of force; too often we excuse those who are willing to build their own lives on the shattered dreams of others. Some Americans who preach non-violence abroad fail to practice it here at home. Some who accuse others of inciting riots have by their own conduct invited them.
Some look for scapegoats, others look for conspiracies, but this much is clear: violence breeds violence, repression brings retaliation, and only a cleansing of our whole society can remove this sickness from our soul.
For there is another kind of violence, slower but just as deadly destructive as the shot or the bomb in the night. This is the violence of institutions; indifference and inaction and slow decay. This is the violence that afflicts the poor, that poisons relations between men because their skin has different colors. This is the slow destruction of a child by hunger, and schools without books and homes without heat in the winter.
This is the breaking of a man's spirit by denying him the chance to stand as a father and as a man among other men. And this too afflicts us all.
I have not come here to propose a set of specific remedies nor is there a single set. For a broad and adequate outline we know what must be done. When you teach a man to hate and fear his brother, when you teach that he is a lesser man because of his color or his beliefs or the policies he pursues, when you teach that those who differ from you threaten your freedom or your job or your family, then you also learn to confront others not as fellow citizens but as enemies, to be met not with cooperation but with conquest; to be subjugated and mastered.
We learn, at the last, to look at our brothers as aliens, men with whom we share a city, but not a community; men bound to us in common dwelling, but not in common effort. We learn to share only a common fear, only a common desire to retreat from each other, only a common impulse to meet disagreement with force. For all this, there are no final answers.
Yet we know what we must do. It is to achieve true justice among our fellow citizens. The question is not what programs we should seek to enact. The question is whether we can find in our own midst and in our own hearts that leadership of humane purpose that will recognize the terrible truths of our existence.
We must admit the vanity of our false distinctions among men and learn to find our own advancement in the search for the advancement of others. We must admit in ourselves that our own children's future cannot be built on the misfortunes of others. We must recognize that this short life can neither be ennobled or enriched by hatred or revenge.
Our lives on this planet are too short and the work to be done too great to let this spirit flourish any longer in our land. Of course we cannot vanquish it with a program, nor with a resolution.
But we can perhaps remember, if only for a time, that those who live with us are our brothers, that they share with us the same short moment of life; that they seek, as do we, nothing but the chance to live out their lives in purpose and in happiness, winning what satisfaction and fulfillment they can.
Surely, this bond of common faith, this bond of common goal, can begin to teach us something. Surely, we can learn, at least, to look at those around us as fellow men, and surely we can begin to work a little harder to bind up the wounds among us and to become in our own hearts brothers and countrymen once again.
There is also a great youtube video of this speech that I love to watch and be reminded once again of the powerful words of Martin Luther King Jr. "Somebody must have sense enough and morality enough to cut off the chain of hate and the chain of evil in the universe. And you do that by love." A love for our brothers and sisters everywhere.
We cannot be silent any longer...it is time to speak up.
Friday, January 9, 2009
The Formula 4 Success
This formula for success was given by a professor at BYU Hawaii...I found it very interesting and have thought a lot about it...
From J. Paul Getty
1.) Get up early--No later than 6:30 am. Why? This is a habit of excellence.
2.) Work Hard--Why? This is a prerequisite for success.
3.) Find your oil--find your talent/skill, something you are good at.
From David B Haight
4.) Get an education--get all the training you can get.
5.) Make your mark in life--make a difference in the world.
6.) Get prepared to serve
The real magic in this formula is what you are doing it for...you are doing it to serve our brothers and sisters--all the people around us. Instead of focusing on the success that might be coming our way we focus on the needs of others and work hard at making a difference in the world.
From J. Paul Getty
1.) Get up early--No later than 6:30 am. Why? This is a habit of excellence.
2.) Work Hard--Why? This is a prerequisite for success.
3.) Find your oil--find your talent/skill, something you are good at.
From David B Haight
4.) Get an education--get all the training you can get.
5.) Make your mark in life--make a difference in the world.
6.) Get prepared to serve
The real magic in this formula is what you are doing it for...you are doing it to serve our brothers and sisters--all the people around us. Instead of focusing on the success that might be coming our way we focus on the needs of others and work hard at making a difference in the world.
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