OUR LIVES ARE OUR MESSAGE TO THE WORLD

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"My life is my message". 

 Mahatma Gandhi

Short. Concise. Powerful.

So how are we living our lives. Do we stop to wonder? Because in those lines of Mahatma Gandhi it's telling us that our lives hold the power to teach... to influence... to shape the world... Maybe we think that's only the turf of the wealthy, of the positioned privilege, or of brilliant minds to wield this power. Maybe....  maybe not.

Perhaps the difference lies in that they nudge themselves to speak out their minds. Their lives are recorded with events of pushing themselves hard over a cause...... or stepping in where fools fear to tread..... or crossing boundaries..... or making fools of themselves over an unpopular yet worthy subject. It could spell success or on the other hand failure, but either way they have made their point and impact on a world standing by. That's power; that's influence.

We can, too. Maybe not in the same grand or grander manner or scale but certainly we can achieve that same stand of power for positive change. If we at best try to live our lives in the highest standard we can make of it in all the areas of our mundane lives...... we will be creating fertile ground on which positivity can build on.

Yes, we can do this in our small or which others may call ordinary lives step by step, one day at a time, and through incremental changes in our thoughts, words, and deeds. Incremental meaning small steady consistent improvements or making small and consistent progress toward a desired goal.   As we live our lives day by day in that mold and mode we become more and more entrenched in the act of becoming good-of doing good. By walking our talk we send out the message of power, of a can-do-it attitude, of being one with the Divine purpose of our lives ----  that of being our highest potential for good. Because truly our highest good is God's intent for our lives.

Think that we have only one chance to do it. We may never get another one. Only a cat has nine lives, or maybe not.

Making this life work will enable us to say alongside Mahatma Gandhi that .... "My life is my message".

Have a great day, friends. Live your power! God bless you and your loved ones.

A FLOWER JUST WAITING TO BLOOM

 

 

  “All wonders you seek are within yourself.”  

 –  Sir Thomas Browne

'You are a flower just waiting to bloom.' --- Those are my mother's words told to me dozens of summers ago when I was sitting by the window one day looking out and wondering what I was going to be when I grew up.

This is what I strongly encourage all mothers or parents to say to their children. These little angels running around the house doing a lot of mischief, spilling spaghetti on the floor, throwing tantrums at the slightest provocation, and every little thing to test your patience is one day going to be a ----------  lawyer, famous painter, president of the country, philanthropist, writer, doctor, engineer, cardinal ----- or a parent, son, daughter, sister, brother, aunt, uncle, grandma or grandpa living ordinary lives extraordinarily and outstanding in the eyes of God ----- or a future Mandela, Einstein, Newton, Kennedy, Mother Teresa, Pope John Paul II, and others more. And it starts in the home!

These perceived tiny brats and little devils, as most adults exasperatedly would consider them to be, have the seed of potential already placed in there by an All-Knowing God.

And what is our role as parents? We are tasked to nurture that special seed and provide it with a loving and nurturing environment to help it grow to its highest potential and purpose. We are tasked to keep them on track with their destiny. We are tasked to help them be ready for it. Because one day they will be called to their future as designed by God. One day they will bring greater glory to God. One day they will help create a better world for everyone. One day they will make great inventions or discover new treatments for diseases or build environment-friendly communities. One day they will make you proud.

Believe that our children are flowers just waiting to bloom. All wonders we seek are there in their precious little hearts and souls. That, dear friends, is truly by God's design. Believe!

May God bless you and your families.

(Thank you, Mr. Quote Man, for the wonderful quote.)

WORK FOR A GOOD REPORT CARD IN LIFE

Improve the self. And anything that does not give or contribute to that goal should take a back seat in your day. Tough one I would agree because many times it's the convenient old self that kicks hard to get its way ... the way it has always been used to. That is why LEARNING has always been a struggle to many of us. It is easy to learn something the first time but to RELEARN stuff again and again can be quite boring, annoying to a few. Yet God himself sends us lessons, often the same lessons, to learn repeatedly... and the reason is that we didn't really get it the first time. Until we do.. God will keep sending you the lesson until he is satisfied that you understand what he is trying to teach or tell you.

Another thing which we don't quite warm up to in any way is to UNLEARN those things which do not contribute to our good in the bigger picture of our lives. Well, that kind of good which God has in mind. Because you see, our perception of good is OUR perception of what we think is best for us. That is where our comfort zones lie.

I too have my comfort zones. Sleeping late and waking up late is one of them particularly that I have the luxury of time which retirement now affords me. Not anymore. Early morning walks are first on the agenda of my day. I walk almost everyday according to what my age allows. Just round the neighborhood but it works wonders to my mind, heart, body, and soul. And with this what could be a minor one to others but a huge benefit for me the day becomes one of great and greater wonder and good potential. No, it does not vanish all the evil or ills of the world or in your own tiny corner of it... but it becomes what God promised it would be if we walk in his light.

Let's aim to be good students in life; work for good grades in our report card; strive to put a smile on our Teacher's loving face who's definitely watching from above.

Have a blessed Monday... with tons more in the week ahead.
God bless you.

PLANT THE SEED -- GOD WILL GROW IT

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This was in a friend's email ------ 'The true meaning of life is to plant trees, under whose shade you do not expect to sit.'  --- Nelson Henderson

Nobody will argue that, I know. Because it's true. It is rooted in our daily lives in huge or small measure. One mother said that she raised her children but she won't get to enjoy them because they have gone off to live their own separate lives. A hardworking father amassed great wealth but soon departed and left his children fighting over the fortunes he left behind. And many other stories similar to that occur in our families, our neighbors, our friends... in the bigger world outside.

There is only so much we can do .. and can see only as far as our eyes allow .. with our minds understanding only what it can understand. This simply states that we are simply to plant seeds of life and leave its growing in the hands of an All Knowing Supreme Being who apparently has a much better plan for it than we.

Remember HIS own story.... he preached the good news far and wide, healed, converted and forgave sinners, and blessed people with every good thing he thought they needed. He even went to the cross in exchange for our freedom. But, didn't stay long enough to see the work of his hands. And yet look how much it changed the world thousands of years after.

In the same manner that we now benefit from the good planted by others before us... let us in our time plant the seeds of good which will surely benefit those coming after us. We don't even have to be there. So is it and so will it be in the succeeding generations down the line because that, I believe, is by God's design.

And this is the true meaning of life we are asked to see.. understand.. and live.

Keep doing good. Nobody may be counting but Somebody up there is watching. Of that I am definitely sure.

Blessings to you all.