can i forgive and still love again?

If you don’t mind, I’d like you to carry out an assignment.           Go to five successful, aged married couples and ask what there secrete is, or was. You might wanna right down things. Back in your closet, analyze them all, carefully, over and over again. You will see that these people had even greater problems. But what makes the difference? Simple, “where people saw pain, disappointment, and betrayal, they saw opportunity”.            Love is a moving car, it breaks down, there has been, and will only be one mechanic, “FORGIVENESS”. Now, do you say because your car broke down somewhere along the road, you will abandon it? No, it cost you so much to afford it. So is love. I hear them say “love don’t cost a thing”. Wake up! People don’t wanna hear the truth; they want what makes them feel better. Are you man enough to face true facts and reality, or do you prefer to live in false illusions and fantasies, believing only what makes you feel better? Think! It cost you so much to be in love, the splendid times, moments when you are wrapped around yourselves, and you witness the union of minds, and bodies touching bodies, soft tender kisses and looks that drives hot liquid fire burning through your veins, and you cant think of anything else. You smile stupidly at your phone when she rings. Think about it, all the sacrifices, all the things you gave away, just for love. Something that cost you so much to afford, will you just abandon it because it has faulty engine?           Anger is instinctive, anger is inevitable. But you must learn how to control it, absorb it, change it, and use it. Unforgiveness is a handles sword; it will always leave a mark on the bearer.           You can be happy with her; the past has got absolutely nothing to do with the future, if we don’t carry it in today’s train. For me, I see an opportunity, a moment of love lost, and love found, realization and forgiveness, commitment and trust earned. A moment when you can fully understand yourselves and become those who walk across hell untouched by fear and doubt. A moment to rebuild, create legacy, and become an example to thousands of youths in the nearest future. Let’s make the world a better place, it is possible to forgive and still love again.               What you see above is the part that keeps us together, but at the same time, love is not selfish. While you are doing the entire forgiving and winning back thing, make sure it’s what she really wants, make sure she still loves and wanna be with you, make sure she’s worth the price, the pain, the fight, make sure you can have a life together. I have learnt a very long time ago, never to hold anything too tight or too strongly, you’ll break them, or they’ll give you a scar when they finally leave.           Take her outing, to a park of someplace she loves to be. Make it romantic, very romantic. Explain to her, how much you love her, how much she means to you, etc. let her know you are not perfect, but can always adjust to make her happy. Then ask her, if she really wanna be with you, if she feels the same way. Avoid getting into an argument. If she doesn’t want you, you have to let her go. Its better, it will hurt even more, if you try to force her into loving you. No body can force love.           Finally, there’s one thing you must know. “The only security the world has got to offer is when you know that you are capable of dealing with what so ever comes your way”.           I wish you luck!!!

Life is a gift

A clever man sees the world as the survival of the fittest, but a wise man knows there are no fittest who are mortals.

I have learnt a very long time ago not to hold anything too tightly, you will either break them or they will leave you with a scar when they finally escape your grip. Anything that you lost was never yours, if it’s yours, it will come back to you, but first, you have to move on. The best way to gain all that you have lost is by moving on and ahead. If you grieve so much for the past, you will never see new opportunities, new joy, new life, new course; you will live on the schedules of yesterday. Know this, we can’t protect anything in this world, not even our lives, neither can we save people or anything that is of this world. The best we can do is to make good use of what ever is given to us for the time that it has been given to us. Nothing is a do or die affair, because even we, were brought and born into this world without our consent, meaning that the world is not our property.

Life is a gift and every single person was created with a single purpose. For the fact that you are still alive means that the one who brought you without your consent is keeping you, still, for a purpose. Understand that you don’t have the power to keep or save anything. God is the only one who can take, and he is the only one who can keep. I say this from personal experience. When I look back in retrospect, about my life, I realize how powerless we are in ensuring security in anything that exists in this world. Every thing happens according to the will of the one who has brought you and me even without our consent. We must serve our purpose and let go of anything that has gone. I will now tell you a bit of my story and why I stopped bothering over earthly security.

1997, in a village farm, I was attacked by a huge, dangerous snake. That I survived that attack wasn’t by my making. That might look very funny to you but look at this next one.

1999, in the city of Abuja, I was stricken by osteoporosis leading to a major fracture on my leg which kept me on a hospital bed for over a year without setting foot on ground. Sadly, less than two months after I was discharged I lost the one person I thought I could never live my life without, the one person that has stayed and cried besides me for over a year while I moved from death to life on a hospital bed, the one person that spoke hope into my ears. I lost my mom. I felt the world busting over my head, crumbling over my shoulders, and breaking under my feet. Hope was dying and as if that wasn’t enough my dad lost his job, and so, life went from bad to worst in a family of six (6). How did I survive? It wasn’t by my making.

Ones, I escaped a hazardous petrol fire. It wasn’t by my making.

2011, I survived two terrible automobile crash, came out alive and unharmed. How did I survive? It wasn’t by my making.

So tell me, was my life a matter of luck? No, it wasn’t luck, the purpose that I serve demanded this procedures and that my life should remain and be untouched. Don’t get it twisted, I am not immortal, one day I will leave, maybe in my old days or even sooner. But right now, what I must do is to serve my purpose; also, you must discover your purpose and serve it. Now I can tell you to move on because even I have moved on.

It is purpose that defines us, keeps us, binds us, separates us, and molds us. It is purpose that makes the world go round. The world is purpose.

So then, if you are out there bothering over money, property, loved ones, or even life. I highly recommend that you embrace freedom and concentrate on the purpose for your existence. Leave every other thing for the one who has the power to take and give, leave it all for the one who has brought even you into existence without your consent. Leave it to God. Believe it or not, it is God who creates purpose, substance, life and even death. And if you really do not believe in God, here is a saying “live as if there is God, if there is God, then you will gain eternity, if there is no God, then, you lose nothing”.

Do not forget that your decisions in life are very vital to the success of your purpose and that of the world at large. God made you in his own image not because it was fun creating you, but because he wants you to govern his affairs here on earth; he wants you to be an ambassador, doing his will and only his will.

I’d like to share with you what triggered this write-up. 30minuits ago, before I started on this article, I lost something very valuable to me. I mistakenly deleted a folder containing a number of pages for a book I am working on, I didn’t have a backup. But I have moved on because I know that the same mind that wrote them can do more and even better, though, the mistake of not having a backup have been thoroughly noted. But the lost pages cannot and would never stop me from completing the book; neither will it stop the book from being what it was meant to be.

Finally, I would say this again, “I have learnt a very long time ago never to hold anything too tightly, you will either break them of they would leave you with a scar when they finally escape your grip”.

I hope this article affect your life in positive ways. Amen.

reflection of the real you

           “The only real failure in life is the failure to try” (anonymous)

            It’s time to look into the mirror and see the reflection of the real you. See beyond your skin color, gender, height, and facial construction.

            Every great vision in life starts with a vision, a vision that grows into reality. It’s all a state of mind; it all begins from the mind.

            It’s time to break loose, stop being what society says you are and start being what you want to be, who you were born to be, your purpose for existence. Nothing can stop you, only you. You have to chose, remain a sheep, or break loose from the crowd and become a lion.

            It’s time to have a change of mentality, time to let go of public opinion, a time of self realization. You are wonderfully made, take the mask off your face and prove your worth. Don’t be afraid to move, don’t be afraid to flap your wings, even if you fail, don’t be afraid to try again. Try, until you can soar high across the sky. You are an eagle, not a chicken.

“If you don’t know where you are going in this life, people will lead you to where they are going”. (A.C Gab)

I heard of a story talking about a farmer who went to the woods and picked up an eagles egg, he came home to his poultry and kept the egg to be hatched among other eggs of his chickens. The young eagle lived and grew with all the other chickens and always he would come around and check on it. He noticed apparently the difference between this young eagle and all the other chickens, the way they grew, ate, played, and did everything; the eagle was much more powerful.

            One day, while he was there, he heard a loud noise from above, in the sky, it was the mother eagle, and she had spotted her young one.

And the mother eagle began to fly round and round crying out to her son and he heard the voice, looked up above the sky and saw where he belonged, ought to be, and so he began to scream, he was restless and began to run round too. He began to flap his wings and all the chickens ran to hide themselves, they were so frightened that none dared to come out. As the mother eagle continued to go round, calling out, her young son grew angry and impatient; he began flapping his wings even harder, and all of a sudden, he found himself above ground level. All of a sudden, strength, great strength came to his wings, he tried for the first time and failed, he tried again, and again, and again, and again, and all of a sudden, he went to the sky and never came back again.

NOTE: “The power of the oppressor is in the ignorance of the oppressed”. (A.P Gbenga Igbafen)

BEEN HOT TEMPERED

Been hot tempered is a state of mind; it has one cure “stop admitting to it”. Say this to yourself when ever the rage comes boiling down your nerves, say it inside yourself, say the words, “I am not hot tempered”. Allow the words to sink and generate some kind of relief from the inside. Let this therapy take effect in your whole body, experience the healing that comes from a positive mindset, one that comes from a strong will. Now you are free.

Note: “it’s amazing to know how healing comes when we stop admitting to certain conditions” (E. Zion Ike)

NOW YOU ARE FREE

“don’t poison your future with the pain of the past” (Mike Mordock)

Take a fresh bath tonight, spend some time in the tube, let your heart melt like water; wash away the hatred, pain, and anger. As you wipe, take a moment, look back and see them flush away, draining through the flexible connector; feel them disappear, turn around and smile, its over, now you are free.

Welcome to the world of love, laughter, and kindness. Welcome to the world of freedom.

Let this therapy be a light to you. Amen.

Note: “the tragedy of life is what dies inside of a man while he still lives” (Albert Einstein)

What are you lacking?

"Money cannot fill an empty soul."

-- Julia Cameron & Mark Bryan

Where in your life are you experiencing lack?

Are you experiencing a lack of self esteem? Of humour? Of energy? Of love? Of money and abundance?

Whatever you believe you are missing, it is there to be claimed. The first step starts with shifting your perspective. See the glass as half full rather than half empty. Focus on accepting what you DO have, and more will be attracted to you.

"Both abundance and lack exist simultaneously in our lives, as parallel realities. It is always our conscious choice which secret garden we will tend... when we choose not to focus on what is missing from our lives but are grateful for the abundance that’s present -- love, health, family, friends, work, the joys of nature and personal pursuits that bring us pleasure -- the wasteland of illusion falls away and we experience Heaven on earth."

-- Sarah Ban Breathnach

Unlocking the golden key of accomplishment

Most people miss opportunity because they always expect it to come fully ripped and ready for consumption.

The truth is, most times opportunity don’t come full in its whole figure. It throws a finger, if you grab it, the wrist will appear, if you grab it, the hand will be revealed, and if you persevere, you just might end up unlocking a golden key.

Note: “small opportunities are often the beginning of great enterprises” (Demosthenes)

What blocks connection?

"People are lonely because they build walls instead of bridges."-- Joseph F. Newton

We experience soul when we really connect with life -- when we stop and consciously experience what is happening.

We lose soul with:

- resistance - to anyone or anything
- superficiality - we avoid depth of experience
- control - we try to control the relationship
- selfishness - we remain self-centered.

Each of these attitudes fosters separation rather than connection. Once again, soul lives in relating.

Take time to become aware of, and perhaps journal on how you relate to other people and things in your life.

"We have to decide for ourselves what’s nourishing to our souls, and do those things over others."

-- Thomas Moore

Take time to be still

"Work is not always required ... there is such a thing as sacred idleness, the cultivation of which is now fearfully neglected."

-- George MacDonald

When was the last time you did absolutely nothing?

Our world is so addicted to productivity that we feel guilty if we’re not doing something. But taking time daily to be still and inactive opens us to the spacious present. It nurtures and restores balance. Give yourself a regular gift of inactivity.

"Rest is not idleness, and to lie sometimes on the grass on a summer day listening to the murmur of water, or watching the clouds float across the sky, is hardly a waste of time."

-- Sir J. Lubbock

Need a spending plan?

"Paying off your debts and saving money is less stressful than spending the rest of your life with your back against a financial wall."

-- Ron Hiebert

How are you choosing to spend your money?

Do you have a spending plan? A spending plan feels quite different from a budget. With budgets, we can feel victimized. They can heighten our poverty consciousness.

With a spending plan, you look at how much you earn and then decide how you WANT to spend the money. With a spending plan, you claim your power to decide, to manage, to make your finances work. You can choose to spend your money differently so your life works more smoothly.

"True financial freedom is not only having money, but having power over that money as well."

-- Suze Orman

Think for yourself

"I think the reward for conformity is that everyone likes you except yourself."

-- Rita Mae Brown

Where do you need to think for yourself?

When we begin to cultivate awareness of our thoughts and emotions, we begin to see just how much we live according to other people’s and society’s beliefs and actions. Don’t get upset by this. Just get in touch with how you really think and feel inside and begin to express your authenticity.

"Once in a while it really hits people that they don’t have to experience the world in the way they have been told to."

-- Alan Keightley

Being alone

"I wish Pooh were here. It’s so much more friendly with two."

-- Piglet (A.A. Milne)

Are you willing to be alone?

Ingrid Bacci says, "If you are afraid of being alone, you are dependent on others for your sense of self, and if you are dependent on others, you block your receptivity to inner guidance. Being willing to be alone involves being willing to be different, to have commitments and values that don’t blend with any crowd."

"Man’s loneliness is but his fear of life."

-- Eugene O'Neill

"I celebrate myself, and sing myself."

-- Walt Whitman

How do you define success?

"He who has achieved success has worked well, laughed often and loved much."

-- Elbert Hubbard

"Too often, people focus only on results. But getting results without learning something or without having fun are incomplete. So is having fun without getting the results, or having fun without learning something new to help and empower you in the future. Accomplishment is all three: the result, personal growth and having fun."

-- Peter L. Hirsch

"There are many aspects to success; material wealth is only one component. ...But success also includes good health, energy and enthusiasm for life, fulfilling relationships, creative freedom, emotional and psychological stability, a sense of well-being, and peace of mind."

-- Deepak Chopra

"You don’t have to stay up nights to succeed; you have to stay awake days."

-- Source Unknown

Open your hands

"More than any other part of the body, our hands reveal our inner state."

-- Omraam Mikhaël Aïvanhov

Today, be aware of how you hold your hands when you’re not actively doing something with them.

With the stress of our daily lives, many of us find our hands typically clenched in fists. This is proof of the tension we hold in our bodies. And ponder this: how can we receive the abundance of life if our hands are not open to receive it?

When you become aware that your hands are closed tight, stretch your fingers and spread them wide in the shape of a starfish. Deep breathing will also help you relax into the moment.

"What is always speaking silently is the body."

-- Norman Brown

Internet challenges

"The central event of the twentieth century is the overthrow of matter. ...The powers of the mind are everywhere ascendant over the brute force of things."

-- George Gilder

Those of us who use the Internet are challenged with spam, viruses and worms. What meaning can we find in these culprits?

It helps to remember that the cause of everything lies in the spiritual realm. And so we might reflect:

- On spam: What unsolicited junk do we allow to enter our minds and distract us from what’s important?
- On viruses: What malicious thoughts and behaviors sabotage our dreams and sap our vitality?
- On worms: How do we allow fear to worm its way into our lives and subvert our highest intentions?

Mass consciousness is a reflection of all of our individual consciousnesses. The inner world creates the outer world. When we clean up our own systems, the external systems will follow suit.

"If each of us sweeps in front of our own steps, the whole world would be clean."

-- Goethe

The push & pull of relationships

"It's surprising how many persons go through life without ever recognizing that their feelings toward other people are largely determined by their feelings toward themselves, and if you're not comfortable within yourself, you can't be comfortable with others."

-- Sydney J. Harris

Relationships are such a challenge because life pulls us in opposite directions at the same time.

Our personality feels the need to be unique and special and so our focus lies on how we are different from others. Differences hold the potential to create conflict.

At the same time, our souls live through connection with others. We are challenged to rise above our personal preferences to discover how we and the other are the same.

Our overall need lies in balancing these two tendencies.

"The purpose of relationships is not happiness, but transformation."

-- Andrew Schneider

Loneliness

Loneliness may seem like your birthright. Relax; focus on the positive sides of life. There is a silent voice that needs your attention. See it, exploit it, absorb it, change it, and use it.

People are different

"...conflict is the primary engine of creativity and innovation. People don't learn by staring into a mirror; people learn by encountering difference."

-- Ronald Heifetz

In his book, ‘Men, Women and Relationships,’ John Gray says, "People are different. Recognizing this fundamental truth is essential for creating positive and loving relationships. In practice, however, ... we demand that the people in our lives feel, think, and behave as we would. And when they react differently we make them wrong or invalidate them; we try to fix them when they really need understanding and nurturing; we try to improve them when instead they need acceptance, appreciation and trust."

We each bring different gifts to this world. We each have different work to do. Our lives are enriched when we can celebrate these differences rather than resent, resist and reject them. As we get more secure in who we are, we get more compassionate toward others.

"Homogeneity makes for healthy milk but anemic friendships. We need relationships that cross culturally imposed lines to enlarge our hearts and expand our vistas."

-- Dan Schmidt

Trust in abundance

"Once, when we were discussing a world peace project with my teacher, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, somebody asked him, ‘Where is all the money going to come from?’ And he replied without hesitation, ‘From wherever it is at the moment.’"

-- Deepak Chopra

How can you open to greater trust that you’ll always have what you need?

Fear, doubt, anxiety and disbelief all serve to repel abundance from us. Faith, love and gratitude for the gifts of our lives keep energy and abundance flowing. The more we trust in our well being, the more it will be realized.

"Manifestation is an act of trust. It is the soul pouring itself out into its world, like a fisherman casting a net to gather in the fish he seeks; with each cast properly made, we will bring what we need to us, but first we must hurl ourselves into the depths without knowing just what lies beneath us."

-- David Spangler

‘Fear is an illusion’ ‘Pain is an illusion’

Now that the storm is over, We sat for a while steering out the window blinds, The reminisce; It is purpose that defines us, Instinct, Fear, And anger; It hurts, That part of me is still alive; The young eyed cherubim’s, Whispering silently to the pulse of my heartbeat, “YOU WILL HEAL TONIGHT” OH! I can tell the world is on me, They are mocking, They are talking, I can tell the voices on me; A cloudless night, A red sky, Dark with icing blades, I can feel them raining on me, Tearing me into pieces, I can feel the scars are swollen; The sky is bleeding, And the snow is red; Life can’t do me worse than it has already done, I am dead, Dead to fear, Dead to pain, I am dead; And the fever comes, The vibe is on, I spit on the faces of my troubles, Is that the best you got?  I ask again; I am implacable, I told myself again; Nothing, And I mean nothing here can move me, Make me run, Or even break me, Because now I know the truth, “FEAR IS AN ILLUSION” “PAIN IS AN ILLUSION”.

How can I serve today?

"God has no other hands than ours."

-- Dorothee Solle

"One act of beneficence, one act of real usefulness, is worth all the abstract sentiment in the world."

-- Ann Radcliffe

"Past the seeker as he prayed came the crippled and the beggar and the beaten. And seeing them... he cried, ‘Great God, how is it that a loving creator can see such things and yet do nothing about them?’... God said, ‘I did do something. I made you.’"

-- Sufi Teaching

"To learn to get along without, to realize that what the world is going to demand of us may be a good deal more important than what we are entitled to demand of it -- this is a hard lesson."

-- Bruce Catton

Hi. Some Home Truth From George Carlin, Fairly Long But Definitely Worth Reading.

The paradox of our time in history is that we have taller buildings but shorter tempers, wider freeways, but narrower view points. We spend more, but have less, we buy more, but enjoy less. We have bigger houses smaller families, more conveniences, but less time. We have more degrees but less sense, more knowledge, but less judgment, more experts, yet more problems, more medicine, but less wellness. We drink too much, smoke too much, spend too recklessly, laugh too little, drive too fast, get too angry, stay up too late, get up too tired, read too little, watch TV too much, and pray too seldom. We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values. We talk too much, love too seldom, and hate too often. We’ve learned how to make a living, but not a life. We’ve been all the way to the moon and back, but have trouble crossing the street to meet a new neighbor. We conquered outer space but not inner space. We have done larger things, but not better things. We have cleaned up the air, but polluted the soul. We have conquered the atom, but not our prejudice. We write more, but learn less. We plan more, but accomplish less. We have learned to rush, not to wait. We build more computers to hold more information, to produce more copies than ever, but we communicate less and less. This are the times of fast foods and slow digestion, big men and small character, steep profits and shallow relationships. These are the days of two incomes but more divorce, fancier houses, but broken homes. These are the days of quick trips, disposable diapers, throwaway morality, one night stands, overweight bodies, and pills that do every thing from cheer, to quiet, to kill; it’s a time when there is much in the showroom window and nothing in the stockroom. A time when technology can bring this letter to you and you can choose either to share this insight or just hit delete. Remember; spend some time with your loved ones, because they are not going to be around forever. Remember, say a kind word to someone who looks up to you in awe, because that little person soon will grow up and leave your side. Remember, to give a warm hug to the one next to you, because that is the only treasure you can give with your heart and it doesn’t cost a cent. Remember, to say, “I love you” to your partner and your loved ones, but most of all, mean it. A kiss and an embrace will mend hurt when it comes from deep inside of you. Remember to hold hands and cherish the moment for someday that person will not be there again. Give time to love. Give time to speak, and give time to share the precious thoughts in your mind. AND ALWAYS REMEMBER: Life is not measured by the number of breath we take, but by the moments that takes our breath away. If you don’t send this to at least 8 people… Who cares? George Carlin

Yesterday I was talking with one of my good friends about risk... My dictionary tells me that to risk is "to expose oneself to the chance of loss." I suppose that is true. Another piece of literature I was once given (author unknown) suggests that: To laugh is to risk appearing the fool. To weep is to risk appearing sentimental. To reach out for another is to risk involvement. To expose feelings is to risk exposing your true self. To place your ideas, your dreams, before a crowd is to risk their loss. To love is to risk not being loved in return. To live is to risk dying. To hope is to risk despair. To try is to risk failure. You may avoid suffering and sorrow if you don't risk, but you simply cannot learn, feel, change, grow, love, live. The greatest hazard in life is to risk nothing. The person who risks nothing, does nothing and has nothing. Only a person who risks is free. What causes individuals to shy away from taking a risk, even if it is a low risk and will give them something they really want? Well, certainly high on most people's list would be fear of loss, failure and perceived humiliation if the loss were to occur. Why would we automatically think that we would fail at something? Why wouldn't we first try and see, and then if we did fail, learn from that experience and move on? What causes us to have these thoughts of inferiority? Well, I believe it dates back to our little life. And, since risk-taking, to my knowledge, is not a subject that is taught in school, it would lead me to believe that a person's fear of taking risks might stem back from before they can even remember. When you were a child taking your very first steps, it wasn't uncommon to hear one of your parents or guardians say, "Be careful, you might fall." Or, "Don't do that, you'll ...." Though some of this is rhetoric and you don't really pay much attention to it, for some, it begins the pattern of playing it safe. Think of how much better equipped we would be to face life's challenges and succeed, if we had repetitively heard, "Take a chance and don't worry about falling, because you're going to fall...probably quite often. Falling is an important part of learning." Many of the greatest lessons you'll receive in life are going to come from falling ... from your failures. Failing will never make you a failure unless you quit. Unfortunately, very few people heard that when they were small. The vast majority of our population have been mentally programmed to play it safe. In my seminars I have often said that a little baby is a natural born risk taker. The baby never considers the consequences of falling when it is learning to walk. Falling is acknowledged as a natural consequence to learning to walk. I guess you could call it a calculated gamble; it's a prerequisite to mastering a myriad of motor skills required to get you on your feet and moving. It's a natural progression in movement. Why then, wouldn't we stop to consider that any movement into unchartered territory should be viewed with the same consideration? What happens to us? Why is it that we do not see the process of reaching our goals as having steps similar to the ones the baby must take in order to learn to walk? There will be some stumbling and falling in the learning process, but success can only be reached when we are prepared to take those steps, all of them, even the ones where we may fall down. The real win is the confidence and experience we acquire which translates into new opportunities for growth, enjoyment and expansion in all areas of our life. When I was a youngster in school, I participated in track and field. Pole-vaulting was my specialty; it was the one event I seemed to excel at. I clearly remember knocking that bar flying more often than I cleared it. I also remember I was not very enthusiastic when that happened. Knocking the bar off left me with a feeling that because I had failed, I was a failure. I had failed and as I remember, no one advised me of anything different. In retrospect, it would have been an excellent opportunity for one of my teachers to help me understand one of life's greatest lessons. But, it never happened and it would be many years before I learned the truth, the hard way. While we're still on the topic of children, I'll throw up another caution flag. There's a four letter word that most parents use around their children so frequently, that the children pick it up and before too long it is buried in the treasury of their subconscious mind. That four letter word is CAN'T. This word has done more damage than a lot of other frowned-upon four letter words put together. I know of some forward-thinking parents who have literally banned that word from their children's vocabulary! Can't is a word that paralyzes any constructive progress. It switches your mind into a negative frequency. It is a four letter word that will open your mind to a never ending flow of logical, practical reasons which will enable you to justify why you are not able to do something you sincerely want to accomplish. The only alternative to that four-letter word is its polar opposite - I CAN. I can is far more important than IQ. You don't necessarily have to be very smart to win ... but you must be willing. Reaching the goal is not success; success is moving toward the goal. When I was knocking down the cross bar, I was attempting to reach the goal. I was stretching, giving it everything I had. That could hardly be considered failing. Every time I tried to clear the bar, I was risking being ridiculed by the other kids. I risked having them laugh at me when I missed ... and they did laugh. However, every time I ran down the field and lowered the pole into the box, attempting to vault myself over the bar, I was challenging myself. Taking risks is essential when you want to reach a goal and the purpose of goals is growth. When you challenge yourself, you bring more of yourself to the surface. If you knock the bar flying today, at least you will know you are challenging yourself; you're a success! If you dream of living your life in a really big way, you must accept risk-taking as a very real part of the apprenticeship you must serve. Make a decision right now to change. Decide this very moment there will be no more playing it safe ... no more "saving it for a rainy day" type thinking in your life. When people get caught up in the habit of saving for a rainy day, that is generally what they get ... a rainy day. I clearly remember the first time I heard Earl Nightingale. Earl was telling a story about a farmer who was out walking in a field. He looked down and saw a tiny pumpkin growing on a vine. Nearby, he spotted a small glass jar. The farmer reached down and placed the tiny pumpkin inside the small jar. The pumpkin continued to grow until it filled the inside of the jar. Beyond which it could not grow. There are a number of people like that tiny pumpkin. They limit themselves and refuse to take a risk. They never truly test the strength of their abilities. You will never get to second base if you keep one foot on first. Too many people go through their entire lives playing their cards close to their chest. They never step out and bet on the surest thing in the world ... themselves. If you hope to accumulate great wealth or achieve high goals, history records that the first few steps have a high degree of risk. You must turn your back on safety and security. To make it big, you must take big risks. You will very likely have to put yourself in a highly vulnerable position. It is also worth remembering you cannot almost take a risk. Eleanor Roosevelt said, "You gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face." Follow her advice and liberate yourself from the crippling emotional state of fear and enter into a world of freedom.

‘Fear is an illusion’ ‘Pain is an illusion’   Now that the storm is over, We sat for a while steering out the window blinds, The reminisce; It is purpose that defines us, Instinct, Fear, And anger; It hurts, That part of me is still alive; The young eyed cherubim’s, Whispering silently to the pulse of my heartbeat, “YOU WILL HEAL TONIGHT” OH! I can tell the world is on me, They are mocking, They are talking, I can tell the voices on me; A cloudless night, A red sky, Dark with icing blades, I can feel them raining on me, Tearing me into pieces, I can feel the scars are swollen; The sky is bleeding, And the snow is red; Life can’t do me worse than it has already done, I am dead, Dead to fear, Dead to pain, I am dead; And the fever comes, The vibe is on, I spit on the faces of my troubles, Is that the best you got?  I ask again; I am implacable, I told myself again; Nothing, And I mean nothing here can move me, Make me run, Or even break me, Because now I know the truth, “FEAR IS AN ILLUSION” “PAIN IS AN ILLUSION”.

Review and recommit

"Few people have any next, they live from hand to mouth without a plan, and are always at the end of their line."

-- Ralph Waldo Emerson

Just think: When we are driving, we know where we want to go and we plot out our route. When we plan and prepare a meal, we follow a recipe and monitor the food as it cooks.

How much attention do we give to planning the direction of our lives?

Taking the time to review our quality of life gives us a chance to re-evaluate what we are doing and where we want to go. It lets us fine-tune our direction, to ensure we are on track for what we most want.

Stop and think about your last 6 months. What did you learn? What would you like to do differently? Where do you want to recommit?

"Organizing is what you do before you do something, so that when you do it, it is not all mixed up."

-- A. A. Milne

"Always have a plan, and believe in it. Nothing happens by accident."

-- Chuck Knox