MERRY CHRISTMAS

SO THIS IS CHRISTMAS AND WHAT HAVE YOU DONE
ANOTHER YEAR OVER, AND A NEW ONE BEGUN
SO MERRY MERY CHRISTMAS TO THE NEAR ONES AND THE DEAR ONES
TO THE OLD AND THE YOUNG
MERRY MERRY CHRISTMAS I HOPE YOU HAVE FUN

MERRY MERRY CHRISTMAS TO THE BLACK AND THE WHITE
TO THE RED ONE AND THE YELLOW ONE
LET'S STOP ALL THE FIGHT
I hope I got all the words right from the classic tune by the late and great John Lennon.But even if I might have changed it a tad it still reflects my personal hopes and aspirations for all of us as a human family.From me to you I wish you all the very best of everything.I would implore you to become the unconditional love and to let your light shine brightly now and always. Please ,right now, do a little something nice for someone and become a part of the solution! Happy holidays to everyone ."HUGS"

BE THE THING YOU WISH TO SEE OR EXPERIENCE

I sure hope all you good folks out there are feeling great and that things are going smoothly for you. Once again its that time of year when we think about family and friends with warm thoughts and try to get together to visit.The Christmas season seems to bring out the best in some people and they go out of their way to be nice to others. Back when I was a much younger man I used to send out Christmas cards to my friends in July.July cause it was the middle of the year and usually the hottest month here in Kentucky.They all thought I had gone over the cliff or maybe smoked a little too much wacky weed. But I quickly assured them it was only to remind them and myself too that we should carry the Spirit of Christmas with us all year round.  Not being a religious man myself made no differnece as to what anyone else believed. I figured that if we could remind ourselves to just be nicer and more friendly all year round it would make for a better world.So the message I was trying to convey then is the same one I try to convey now. And that is for each of us to learn the way of "unconditional love" and to be as nice as we can to everyone we meet, not only during some holiday but all the time. Well, I stopped sending the cards years ago but I still try to act as if every day is a holiday filled with love and goodness.It has been said by people much smarter than myself that if you want to see a change in something, you must first become the change.It took me a long time to understand that but now I clearly see that is right.If you want to see a world of happy people, you then need to first become a happy person yourself.If you want to see a world living in peace you must become a peaceful person.I could go on and on but Im sure you get the pictureThe Dalai Lama once stated the following; "If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion." How very true that is my friends.I will now leave you with best wishes for a safe and happy moment wherever you happen to be.And remember to be the thing you wish to see unfold.And please dont forget to try and do something nice for someone right now!

IT AIN'T MY FAULT

How many times have you heard someone say it wasn't their fault bad things seem to come their way? Or maybe, how often have you yourself used that statement regarding some event in your own life? Probably more than one would care to admit to. I know I have been guilty of that many times in my own life.Granted there are some things that happen to us and it really isn't our fault, or so it seems.But if one would only take a much closer look at their inner most thoughts they may be truly amazed at the times they have subconsciously given birth to the thing they despise.Only an open mind that is able to surpass the human ego will be able to fully comprehend that we are usually the root cause of all our "problems".I know its hard for any one to fully accept responsibility for their ills and to admit that their thinking has sown the seeds of discord in their lives.Thomas Troward once stated:"It is therefore not surprising that the creative power of our thought, thus used in a wrong direction, has produced the limitations of which we complain." I would ask you to think about that quote and see if it rings even a bit true.My hope is that all of you are right now using that creative mind of yours in a way that is not only bringing peace, joy, and comfort into your own experience, but also helping to expunge a bit of the darkness that is so prevalent in our 3d world.I now take leave with hopes of a most wonderful day and week ahead for all of you.And please remember to try and do  a little something good for someone else."HUGS" to all

A LIFE OF SERVICE

For me living a life of service gives meaning to the whole thing.I have read everything I could find on being happy, being free, and living a good life.And don't get me wrong, there are lots of self-help books, tapes, cds etc that can assist one in their search for enlightenment.And even if living a life of service is my "path" I am not saying that is the only path one can choose.But for myself, after all these years of looking a life of service to my fellow human beings is the only thing that works for me.And by living a life of service I dont mean that you must gi ve up anything or suffer in need of anything do live that kind of life.Personally I try to do it by being nice to everyone.By smiling at every "stranger"(is there really a thing as a stranger? I dont think so), by holding a door open, by allowing someone to jump ahead of me in line, to offer a word of encouragement, by calling an old friend, etc. I'm sure you get the picture.It doesn't cost me anything to do those type of things and yes, I do believe that qaulifies as a life of service.Sure, I donate some money to charities even tho I  am far from being a wealthy man(in material things I mean).But even if I did not have a dime I can still be of service. And that to me brings real meaning to my life. Maybe you'd like to try that yourself sometime. I sure hope you will that is if you are not already doing that. In closing I would like to share a couple of quotes. The first one is from Mr. Charles Caleb Colton who stated:"He that thinks himself the happiest man, really is so." And from Rabindranath Tagore comes this bit of marvel:"I slept and dreamt that life was joy. I awoke and saw that life was service. I acted and behold, service was joy."I now take flight and leave all of you wonderful people with thoughts of a perfect love, perfect peace, and perfect joy.And as always if you can right now, take a moment and do a little something nice for someone simple becdause you can and you want to! Bless all your hearts!

FINDING JOY IN THE "PROBLEMS" OF TODAY

Have you experienced any "problems" today? If so did you just "feel" your way through it or did you try to learn something from it? I think if all of us would take the time to reflect on the problems of living in todays world, we could arrive at the point when we would actually welcome the "problems, changes" in our world with open arms.Because that is the only way we are gonna learn to be at peace with everything that happens.Within each problem lies not only a solution but also therein lies a joy that we have yet to discover. And after facing each obstacle and learning the lesson from it we will be not only a happier person but a far better one also.The following quote is from Christian Larson who states:"It is the difficult things that we meet that enable us to bring into action the greater power that is within us; difficulties therefore, are the most valued of opportunities, and if taken advantage of as such, will always be met with joy." And also from the Science of Mind comes this tidbit:Nature demands the change in order that we may advance. When the change comes, we should welcome it with a smile on the lips and a song in the heart. My hope for all of you is that the problems you encounter will be small ones and that the lessons learned from them will bring you much joy.

LIVING YOUR BELIEFS

Im sure that like most of us you too have a set of personal beliefs that you live by.Or at least try to.It has to be that way or we all would be living a very chaotic life!So whether we consciously make our thoughts turn into our "way" of living, or unconsciously allow our thoughts to rule, I think we should take note of what we are living by and with.I think many of us would be surprised to find out that we aren't really as attuned to our inner selves as we would like to be. It's way much easier to just react to things as they happen than it is to try and control our thoughts on a daily basis. At least it seems that way to me.And often times the things we live by are not truly our own but merely reflections of what we have been taught and shown by others who claim to know the "way" to living a fulfilled life.I personally believe that each of us must take control of our every thought and make sure we are not just reacting to others.Take a really close look at the events in your life right now and then see if these events are just random or if they are a consequence of your own inner thoughts and beliefs.Believe me, its really harder than one realizes to take an HONEST look at their belief system than one would suppose.Part of the reason for this is that no one actually likes to admit that they are responsibile for whatever it is that befalls them. I once read somewhere this quote:The hardest path I have discovered is the path that leads me back to myself. I love that quote and believe it to be true. In closing I would like to share a couple of quotes with you. The first one is from Florence Scovel Shinn who stated:"Man(people) manifests, on any plane, the sum total of his subconscious beliefs." And the other one is from the Science of Mind magazine as follows:The Law of Mind obeys the orders that are given It whether we are conscious or unconscious that such orders are being given. I sincerely hope you will think about this and then decide to take a closer look at your "beingness" and then decide to really gain control once more of that precious mind you now possess! And as always while you have a free moment why not do a little something nice for someone. Right now, right here. I bless all of you and send thoughts of pure love, peace, and kindness to you and yours.

FORGIVENESS

A verse from the Travelin' Wilbury's hit single titled "The End of The Line" goes like this.
"Well, its alright even if you're old and gray-and its alright, you  still got something to say- and its alright remember to live and let live- and its alright the best you can do is forgive"
I agree!Forgiveness is just so precious if we only realize the power it holds for us.There is no way any of us can go through this entire life without being abused,cheated,or treated in any other negative way by someone else. Believe me, that is inevitable! But the key to having been a victim at some point will enable us to learn the power of forgiveness.Most of the "little" hurts we endure from the actions of others are fairly easy to forgive while the "larger" hurts and injustices, seem to take longer to forgive. And Im sure there are those who have yet to truly forgiven all of their enemies.I know from experience that we can at any time be blindsided by someone we love and trust, or by a complete stranger.Maybe an ex lover? Or maybe the person who sold you a "lemon" of a car etc etc.Again, from my personal experience I know its very possible to think you have forgiven while in reality you have only buried the injustice deep down into the subconscious mind where it doesn't bother you(at least on a conscious basis). And believe me, if that particular hurt or injustice hasnt been totally forgiven it will at some point in your life raise its ugly head and you will again be faced with dealing with it.When I talk about forgiveness, Im not saying that one should forget the injustice or to allow the perpertrator to do it to you again. In my own circumstances when I feel I have been mistreated by someone I try my best to forgive but I keep close to my conscious mind the facts so that I can better protect myself from further hurt.The biggest thing about forgiveness as I see it, is that if we carry around inside of us any old hurts or grudges we are then only hurting ourselves. As an example say someone you trusted to do the "right" thing by you instead chose to take your trust and use it against you to get something they wanted from you.Now, after the fact, you feel angry and rightfully upset.But due to circumstances there is no way to "avenge' the wrong so you instead just allow that "hurt" to become a part of your every waking moment. You want the one who has offended you to have to pay for their actions somehow.And yet, you see that person going on about their lives all smiles and seeming doing really well in life in general.And as you see this happening the anger and resentment you feel for this person continues to eat at you so much you are never fully happy. After some time the pain you feel has subsided but that is because you have buried it once again in the subconscious mind.But believe me, any unforgiveness you are withholding is slowly eating away at your inner peace day by day.The offender has gone on with their life and probably completely forgotten the way they hurt you so they are not suffering in any way. So if that is the case, then you tell me, who is winning? The one who caused the hurt? or the one who has been abused? I think you can see what I mean.As long as we carry a grudge against another soul, we are not hurting them, we are only hurting ourselves by not living with our "inner peace" intact. I also know that forgiveness can be very hard to do. Some folks can hurt us to our very core, and again from personal experience I know how hard true forgiveness can be. But it is an absolute must that we forgive if we are to truly live a life of peace. The author Norman Cousins once stated:"Life is an adventure in forgiveness." My hope for all of you is that you have totally forgiven all for whatever acts they have done, in the best way you know how. For if you have done that, then you should be able to live  your life with  a lot greater inner peace of mind than say those who refuse to forgive.Take care my friends and try to truly enjoy this one eternal moment you now find yourself immersed in. And if at all possible take a moment to appreciate all the beauty around you and within you and try and do a little something nice for someone right now, right here. My wish for all of you is the very best of everything now and always.