Don't we all?

I was parked in front of the mall wiping off my car. I had just come 
from the car wash and was waiting for my wife to get out of work. 
Coming my way from across the parking lot was what society would 
consider a bum. From the looks of him, he had no car, no home, no clean clothes, and no money. There are times when you feel generous but there are other times 
that you just don't want to be bothered. This was one of those "don't 
want to be bothered times." "I hope he doesn't ask me for any money," I thought. 
He didn't. He came and sat on the curb in front of the bus stop but he didn't look 
like he could have enough money to even ride the bus. After a few minutes he spoke. "That's a very pretty car," he said. He was ragged but he had an air of dignity around him. His scraggly blond beard keep more than his face warm. I said, "thanks," and continued wiping off my car.

He sat there quietly as I worked. The expected plea for money never came. As the silence between us widened something inside said, "ask him if he needs any help." I was sure that he would say "yes" but I held true to the inner voice. "Do you need any help?" I asked. He answered in three simple but profound words that I shall never forget. We often look for wisdom in great men and women. We expect it from those of higher learning and accomplishments. I expected nothing but an outstretched grimy hand. He spoke the three words that shook me. 
"Don't we all?" he said.

I was feeling high and mighty, successful and important, above a bum in the street, until those three words hit me like a twelve gauge shotgun. 

Don't we all? 

I needed help. Maybe not for bus fare or a place to sleep, but I 
needed help. I reached in my wallet and gave him not only enough for bus 
fare, but enough to get a warm meal and shelter for the day. Those three little words still ring true. No matter how much you have, no matter how much you have accomplished, you need help too. No matter how little you have, no matter how loaded you are with problems, even without money or a place to sleep, you can give help. Even if it's just a compliment, you can give that. You never know when you may see someone that appears to have it all. They are waiting on you to give them what they don't have. A different perspective on life, a glimpse at something beautiful, a respite from daily chaos, that only you through a torn world can see. Maybe the man was just a homeless stranger wandering the streets. Maybe he was more than that.

Maybe he was sent by a power that is great and wise, to minister to a soul too comfortable in themselves.Maybe God looked down, called an Angel, dressed him like a bum, then said, "go minister to that man cleaning the car, that man needs help." Don't we all?

 (Author Unknown)

The power of appreciation..

“We tend to forget that happiness doesn't come as a result of getting something we don't have, but rather of recognizing and appreciating what we do have.” - Frederick Keonig

I believe that one secret to a happy life is having the ability to see the beauty in simple things. There are many reasons to be thankful for everyday but the problem is that we tend to focus on the bad side rather than the positive side of things. This is a common thought but still we fail to change our perspective.

I think it is human nature to look for answers why things happen. All things negative come to our minds when we're in a difficulty. But why don’t we try to think of what we'll gain from the situation we're in instead of whining? There is nothing wrong with feeling upset or sad because these are valid emotions, signs of being a human. But let us not allow sadness and pessimism get the best of us. After some time, let’s regain our strength and smile again.

What is incredible about children is that they know how to appreciate things. They find happiness in little things. We should be like them. But the problem is that, as we grow old, we get distracted by so many things that we fail to see a lot of blessings we actually have. We fail to see angels that have helped us, experiences that changed us for the better, ill-feelings towards others that made us realize things, and many more.

If only we could see every single blessing in every moment of our lives, we will feel truly special and loved. That is the power of appreciation. It gives you a better perspective of life allowing you to be happy despite the hardships.

Top 10 Ways to Start Living a More Meaningful Life !!

Today many of us live like goldfish, swimming in the same orbit day in and day out feeling uninspired, tired, bored and sometimes worse. Life is much too precious to waste that way. Every person has a unique purpose in life. I implore you not to waste your days berating yourself for what you don't know and don't do well. Instead, discover your strengths, passions, purpose and build your life on those.

Here are 10 ideas about living a meaningful life, as I understand them. Embracing even a few of these will help you begin the exciting journey of self discovery.

1)We are all here for a purpose. Your being here makes a difference. Your purpose may be obscure to you and a challenge to discover. Start now. There are many resources, coaches and books to help you with this endeavor.

2)The secret to fulfillment is self knowledge. Start the exciting journey of discovery.

3)The second part of the secret to fulfillment is to apply your self knowledge to what you do and how you live. The more you know, the more you can actively pursue your true purpose.

4)Don't waste time lamenting what you don't do well. Concentrate on your strengths. Those reflect who you are. Leave the other things to people who do them well


5)Build on your strengths. Do more of them and give yourself recognition for doing the things you do well.

6)Pay attention to the small details that you enjoy in your everyday life. Do more of them.

7)Pay attention to the small details you don't enjoy. Find ways (such as delegation) to eliminate as many of them as possible.

Keep a journal and put particular emphasis on the things about yourself and events in your life for which you are grateful.

9)Make an effort to release the negative aspects of your past. Try not be imprisoned by your past. Do not define yourself by your past.

10)Jumpstart your self-esteem by giving back to the community. Volunteer in a meaningful way that suits who you are and your interests.

Enjoy the journey. You will get to know and like yourself in a whole new way. Work with a friend, hire a coach, and use the resources out there, to help you with objectivity. Have someone point out the good things about you that you have a tendency to overlook. As soon as you stop doing what you hate and start doing what you love, you may find your life more meaningful and fulfilling.

Our Time!

The paradox of our time in history is that we have taller buildings but shorter tempers, wider Freeways ,but narrower viewpoints. We spend more, but have less, we buy more, but enjoy less. We have bigger houses and 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 added years to life not life to years. We've been all the way to the moon and back, but have trouble crossing the street to meet a new neighbour. We conquered outer space but not inner space. We've done larger things, but not better things.

We've cleaned up the air, but polluted the soul. We've conquered the atom, but not our prejudice. We write more, but learn less. We plan more, but accomplish less. We've learned to rush, but not to wait. We build more computers to hold more information, to produce more copies than ever, but we communicate less and less.

These 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 days of quick trips, disposable diapers, throwaway morality, one night stands, overweight bodies, and pills that do everything from cheer, to quiet, to kill. It is 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 a time when you can choose either to share this insight, or to 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 breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.
By Georges Carlin

The Rose Within

A certain man planted a rose and watered it faithfully and before it blossomed, he examined it.
He saw the bud that would soon blossom, but noticed thorns upon the stem and he thought, "How can any beautiful flower come from a plant burdened with so many sharp thorns? Saddened by this thought, he neglected to water the rose, and just before it was ready to bloom... it died.
So it is with many people. Within every soul there is a rose. The God-like qualities planted in us at birth, grow amid the thorns of our faults. Many of us look at ourselves and see only the thorns, the defects.
We despair, thinking that nothing good can possibly come from us. We neglect to water the good within us, and eventually it dies. We never realize our potential.
Some people do not see the rose within themselves; someone else must show it to them. One of the greatest gifts a person can possess is to be able to reach past the thorns of another, and find the rose within them.
This is one of the characteristic of love... to look at a person, know their true faults and accepting that person into your life... all the while recognizing the nobility in their soul. Help others to realize they can overcome their faults. If we show them the "rose" within themselves, they will conquer their thorns. Only then will they blossom many times over.

What We Want In Life

The American businessman was at the pier of a small coastal Mexican village when a small boat with just one fisherman docked. Inside the small boat were several large yellow fin tuna. 

The American complimented the Mexican on the quality of his fish and asked how long it took to catch them. The Mexican replied only a little while. The American then asked why didn't he stay out longer and catch more fish. 

The Mexican said he had enough to support his family's immediate needs. 

The American then asked, "but what do you do with the rest of your time?" 

The Mexican fisherman said, "I sleep late, fish a little, play with my children, take siesta with my wife, stroll into the village each evening where I sip wine and play guitar with my amigos, I have a full and busy life, senor." 

The American scoffed, "I am a Harvard MBA and could help you. You should spend more time fishing and with the proceeds buy a bigger boat with the proceeds from the bigger boat you could buy several boats, eventually you would have a fleet of fishing boats. Instead of selling your catch to a middleman you would sell directly to the processor, eventually opening your own cannery. You would control the product, processing and distribution. You would need to leave this small coastal fishing village and move to Mexico City, then LA and eventually NYC where you will run your expanding enterprise." 

The Mexican fisherman asked, "But senor, how long will this all take?" To which the American replied, 15-20 years. 

"But what then, senor?" 

The American laughed and said "that's the best part. When the time is right you would announce an IPO and sell your company stock to the public and become very rich, you would make millions." 

"Millions, senor then what?" 

The American said, "Then you would retire. Move to a small coastal fishing village where you would sleep late, fish a little, play with your kids, take siesta with your wife, stroll to the village in the evenings where you could sip wine and play your guitar."


Moral of the Story:
Too often we run around chasing things we don't know what our aim in life is. Satisfaction can be found in the simplest form of life.

Triple Filter Test for Truth

In ancient Greece, Socrates was reputed to hold knowledge in high esteem. One day an acquaintance met the great philosopher and said, “Do you know what I just heard about your friend?”

“Hold on a minute,” Socrates replied. “Before telling me anything I’d like you to pass a little test. It’s called the Triple Filter Test.”

“Triple filter?”

“That’s right,” Socrates continued. “Before you talk to me about my friend, it might be a good idea to take a moment and filter what you’re going to say. That’s why I call it the triple filter test. The first filter is Truth. Have you made absolutely sure that what you are about to tell me is true?”

“No,” the man said, “Actually I just heard about it and...”

“All right,” said Socrates. “So you don’t really know if it’s true or not. Now let’s try the second filter, the filter of Goodness. Is what you are about to tell me about my friend something good?”

“No, on the contrary...”

“So,” Socrates continued, “You want to tell me something bad about him, but you’re not certain it’s true. You may still pass the test though, because there’s one filter left: the filter of Usefulness. Is what you want to tell me about my friend going to be useful to me?”

“No, not really...”

“Well,” concluded Socrates, “If what you want to tell me is neither true nor good nor even useful, why tell it to me at all?”

Tapping Your Superconscious Mind

By: Brian Tracy

You have available to you, right now, a power like a supercomputer that can enable you to solve any problem, overcome any obstacle and achieve any goal you can set for yourself.

This power has been used throughout history to take people from rags to riches, from poverty and obscurity to success and fame, from unhappiness and frustration to joy and self-fulfillment. And it can do the same for you.

This power has been called many things by many people in many places. It is the fundamental principle of most religions, philosophies and metaphysical teachings. It underlies much of psychology and is the cornerstone of all success and achievement. In its simplest terms, it is called the “subconscious mind,” although this is a misunderstanding because the true subconscious mind is merely a memory bank of senses and impressions that reacts automatically based on your previous experiences.

It has also been called the “universal subconscious mind” and the “collective unconscious.” The great Austrian psychoanalyst, Carl Jung, referred to this as the “superconscious mind.” He felt that the collective wisdom and knowledge of all the ages was contained in this superconscious mind and was available to everyone.

Ralph Waldo Emerson referred to it as the “oversoul” and wrote that, “We live in the lap of an immense intelligence that, when we are in its presence, we realize that it is far beyond our human mind.” Emerson, the great American transcendentalist, felt that all power and possibility for the average person came from using this mind on a regular basis.

Napoleon Hill, perhaps the greatest researcher on success of the 20th century, called this power the “infinite intelligence.” After spending more than 20 years interviewing 500 of the most successful men and women alive in America at that time, he concluded that, without exception, their ability to tap into this higher form of infinite intelligence was the primary reason for their great success in life.

Whatever you choose to call it, this power is as available to you at this very minute as it ever has been to anyone, anywhere. I refer to it as the “superconscious mind,” the mind that is above and outside all other minds or intelligences.

The superconscious mind is the source of all examples of pure creativity. It is the superconscious mind that is functioning at the creation of anything that is completely new in the universe. The superconscious mind was tapped into and used by all the great inventors, writers, artists and composers of history on a regular basis, right up to the present day. Every great work of art or creativity is infused with superconscious energy.

Thomas Edison used his superconscious mind regularly to come up with hundreds of brand new ideas and inventions, more than 1,000 of which completely transformed America at the beginning of the 20th century. More recently, William Gates came up with an idea for a basic operating system for the early computers, which he called “MS-DOS.” It was so unique and revolutionary that he and Paul Allen were actually writing the program on the airplane as they flew to their meeting with their first customer. Today, Bill Gates is the world’s richest man, and it all came from a superconscious flash of insight. Bach, Beethoven and Brahms tapped into the superconscious mind regularly to write some of the finest music ever heard. Mozart was so finely tuned into his superconscious mind that he could both see and hear the music in his head and was then able to write down some of the most beautiful music of the ages, note perfect, the very first time he put pen to paper.

Whenever you see, read, listen to, or experience a great achievement of any kind that touches something deep inside you, you are witness to a superconscious creation.

Your superconscious mind can access every piece of information stored in your conscious and subconscious minds. It can also access data and ideas outside your own experience, because it actually lies outside your human mind. This is why it is called a form of universal or infinite intelligence.

You will often get ideas that come to you from far beyond you. It is not unusual for two people separated by thousands of miles of distance to come up with the same idea at the same time. When you are well-attuned to another person, such as your spouse or mate, you will often have thoughts identical to him or her at the same time during the day, and you will only find out that you had reached the same conclusion when you compare notes hours later. This is an example of your superconscious mind at work.

Sometimes when you are with other positive, goal-oriented people, your combined superconscious minds will form a higher mind that you can all tap into. This is why, when you are involved in a conversation or listening to a lecture, ideas and inspirations will often leap into your mind that have no direct connection to what is being discussed. But those ideas and inspirations may be exactly what you need at that moment to move you forward on your journey. Your superconscious mind is capable of goal-oriented motivation. When you are working determinedly toward a goal of your own choosing, your superconscious mind will generate a continuous flow of ideas and energy to help you move onward. In fact, your superconscious mind is a form of “free energy.” This free energy becomes available to you when you become excited or inspired about achieving something that is really important to you. You seem to be able to continue hour after hour without fatigue. Sometimes you even forget to eat, and you need far less sleep than you would normally. After you have achieved your goal, you may collapse in exhaustion, but while you are moving toward it, you seem to be flowing with continuous energy and enthusiasm. Your superconscious mind automatically and continually solves every problem on the way to your goal, as long as your goal is clear. Your superconscious mind will also give you the lessons and experiences that you need to succeed, in the form of setbacks, problems, frustrations and temporary failures.

Your superconscious mind will also bring you the exact answer you require to solve your problem or achieve your goal, exactly when you are ready for it. When your superconscious mind gives you a hunch or an inspiration, remember, this is time-dated material. You must act on it immediately.

I’ve had many experiences of wrestling with a problem that I have been unable to resolve until the last minute. Then, right when I need it, the answer becomes perfectly clear. This will happen to you as well when you use the power of your superconscious mind.

The critical factor in using your superconscious mind is your attitude. Your superconscious mind functions best with an attitude of calm, confident expectations. When you adopt an attitude of faith and acceptance, when you confidently accept and believe that everything that is happening to you is moving you progressively toward the achievement of your goal, your superconscious mind seems to come alive, like all the lights have been turned on in a room. This is why successful people seem to have tremendous clarity concerning what they want, along with tremendous calmness and confidence regarding their ability to achieve it. This combination of attitudes will throw the power switch on your superconscious abilities.

Because of your superconscious powers, anything that you can hold in your mind on a continuing basis, you can have. Emerson wrote, “A man becomes what he thinks about, most of the time.” Earl Nightingale wrote, “You become what you think about.” In the Bible it says that, “Whatsoever a man soweth, that also shall he reap.” And this law of sowing and reaping refers to mental states; to your thoughts. Of course, there is a potential danger in the use of your superconscious mind. It is like fire¾a wonderful servant, but a terrible master. If you use it improperly, and think negative, fearful thoughts, your superconscious mind will accept your thoughts as a command and go to work to materialize them into your reality. What is the difference between successful people and unsuccessful people? It is as simple as this: Successful people think and talk about what they want, and unsuccessful people talk about what they don’t want.

So here is a 10-step plan for plugging into your superconscious power to get what you truly want in life. Make this plan a regular habit, and you will be astonished at the results.

1. Decide exactly what you want. This is usually the biggest problem that people have. They don’t know what they want and then they’re surprised when they don’t get it.

2. Write your goal clearly in every detail. A goal that is not written down is merely a wish. When you write it down, you signal to your superconscious mind that you really want to accomplish this particular objective.

3. Write your goal in simple, present tense words on a three-by-five index card and carry it with you to read and re-read throughout the day whenever you get a chance.

4. Make a list of everything you can think of that you can do that will move you toward your goal. Making a list intensifies your desire and deepens your belief that the attainment of the goal is possible for you.

5. Organize the list by priority. What is more important and what is less important?

6. Resolve to take action every day on one of the items on your list. Do something every day that moves you toward your goal so that you can maintain your momentum.

7. Visualize your goal repeatedly. See it in your mind’s eye as though it were already a reality. The more clear and vivid your mental picture of your goal, the faster it will come into your life.

8. Get the feeling of pleasure and enjoyment that you would have if your goal were realized at this very moment. Create the emotion of happiness, satisfaction, and pleasure that you would have if you really achieved your goal.

9. Confidently behave as if your superconscious mind were bringing your goal into reality. Accept that you are moving toward your goal and it is moving toward you.

10. Release your goal completely to your superconscious mind. When you turn your goal over to the power of the universe and just get out of the way, you will always know the right actions to take at the right time.

Starting today, try this power of yours, your superconscious mind, on one goal or idea, and practice it continually until you succeed in achieving that goal. By doing so, you will move from the “positive thinking” of the hopeful person to the “positive knowing” of the totally successful person.

There's An Artist In All Of Us

by: Marguerette Gilmore
Reprinted from Reader's Digest, July 1983

       One afternoon when my husband and I were living in a little town, a friend looked out from our kitchen window and remarked, "Not much to see from here, is there?"
       The area is mostly plains, but I was surprised by her remark: I loved the view from that window. I tried to look at it with my friend's eyes – a straight-line horizon, a water tower, dozen cottonwood trees, a few houses and an expanse of wheat field covered with stubble. That was all. And yet, from the moment I first saw it, that scene had held grandeur and endless inspiration for me.
       With the bright afternoon sun shining, the wheat field was a  sea of silver ripples: cotton-candy clouds floated in an immensity of blue, and mosaics of yellows and nut-browns ringed the cottonwoods. By evening the scene would shift into sundown colors, the houses would send rays of warmth from lighted windows and the water tower, splendid at any time, would be more magnificent, holding a red light to guide the passing planes.
         I thought of all I had viewed from that window, the visual magic that had enhanced my life. Early spring would drape the  cottonwoods in wispy chartreuse, enabling July mornings to sift through bright summer-green leaves. The fields would melt into oceans of emerald and wait out the months for molten gold, all the time providing lush nesting places for meadowlarks, brown thrashers and turtledoves. The lemon-yellow moons of spring would swing from pearly-plated evening skies, and then at harvest time rich, orange ones would lurk low on the horizon.  Every day and night I would find myself fascinated by the subtle changes across the vista, like pages turning slowly toward the fall and on into winter's silent scenes of white.
          I had reaped endless inspiration from one simple  landscape, and yet my friend found it uninteresting. After she left, I thought about this difference in viewpoints. I wondered just how true is the statement, "You take the beauty to the roses."
          I know I am far from being alone in my appreciation of the  natural elegance and charm of this earth, but I wonder how many people find beauty in the usual, normal scenes, the so-called drab, monotonous ones. It is easy to appreciate the scenes that are too wonderful to ignore. But how many people feel their daily surroundings are dull and that only at vacation time or at other rare times, can they enjoy true beauty?
          It is essential, I feel, to find beauty in the ordinary settings in which we live. Great painters know this. Henri Matisse once told a friend, "I grow artichokes. Every morning I go into the garden and watch these plants. I see the play of light and shade on the leaves and I discover new combinations of color and fantastic patterns. They inspire me. Then, I go back into my studio and paint."
          The appreciation of symmetry and grace, of color combinations and aesthetic qualities in ordinary scenes, comes as a built-in feature – not only for a few chosen ones like the painters, the writers, the musicmakers and dreamers. It is a part of everyone and can be awakened so that each person, no matter how humble the surroundings, can have an abundance of it in his or her life.
           If you want more of this radiance in your life, start looking at  everything with new eyes. Think beauty, expect beauty, take beauty wherever you go. As the French writer Joseph Joubert said, "You won't find poetry (or any other form of art) unless you bring some with you." Every landscape has something to offer, even on a cloudy day in the dreariest month of the year.
           When you are tired or lonely or bored – or in a mood to experience something truly uplifting, look out the window or take a walk. Hunting the beautiful is like truly collecting paintings or  jewels of great worth, except that the intangible treasures cost you nothing – but giving of self and can never be taken from you.
            When you get started on this hunt you will make many unusual finds – an old fence draped with ivy, a slice of sunshine on a shadowy field, a sturdy banyan stretched on a purple sky. Or maybe just a path lined with pebbles becomes a wonder of shapes and designs that will intrigue the imagination. Courtless simple scenes become many-faceted diamonds spread along  your way to enrich the mind and soul.
            As you become more observing, more appreciative, new and unexpected vistas will open up. Your world will never again  seem drab. You will have discovered your own artistic self, and life will become more rewarding when you really see and appreciate the loveliness around you. When you no longer label any scene as ordinary, when you can describe a gray day a gray scene in terms of beauty, you are an artist in your own right.
            You may never write or paint or compose a song on paper  but in your heart and mind and life you will create a change that will equal nothing less than a masterpiece.

Reflections...

Battled with the thoughts of what’s will be like in the future, I started thinking back yesteryears of my profession. I started counting the opportunities which I was supposed to grab, but lost. I realized to my chagrin that at this stage of my life, something fell behind my back. I was caught flat-footed by the nimble change of events sometimes beyond my expectations. 

“What in the world you are doing Angelito.” Seems the idea of blaming myself is almost dominating my system for a moment. (I’m still in my mind anyway).

Past is past, I can’t bring it back no matter what. I don’t want to call it late, probably it’s not. Sometimes, facing other opportunities beyond your chosen career, actually have a bearing in person’s personality. Even if you didn’t level-up in position, at least you progress mentally and emotionally. 

I am not calling it as disappointment, nor vexation to my spirit. Life is sometimes like that. Things will not come as always in conformity with yours. I already learned the lesson, “something you miss in the past, sometimes your dream in the future.” 

I f ever I will seize every opportunity along the way, how sad I would be if the road I chose became the road not taken by others. I'd better walk this way.

As we seek new opportunity, keep in mind that “the sun does not usually reappear on the horizon where last seen.” 

Life after death...

Life is so short for all of us

So why waste our precious time

Sharing and giving, one noble deed

For people who mind life after death.

A kind of life without end

Awaits everyone without exemption

But life with endless happiness

Requires a lot of sacrifices

Our time is but a small moment

Compared to heavenly beings

Worthwhile activities count the most

We write it in our books.

When the final judgment came

The book of life will be open

The great man will judge us all

We cannot lie after all.

We prove our worthiness before

That’s why we’re here in this world

So let’s cling to the rod

To be exalted is the best reward.