The body is local, consciousness is non local

The body is local, consciousness is non local. The mathematical possibility of consciousness dying with the death of the body is zero.

Three Passions I have Lived For by Bertrand Russell

Three passions, simple but overwhelmingly strong, have governed my life: the longing for love, the search for knowledge, and unbearable pity for the suffering of mankind. These passions, like great winds, have blown me hither and thither, in a wayward course over a deep ocean of anguish, reaching to the very verge of despair.
I have sought love, first, because it brings ecstasy—ecstasy so great that I would often have sacrificed all the rest of my life for a few hours for this joy. I have sought it, next, because it relieves loneliness—that terrible loneliness in which one shivering consciousness looks over the rim of the world into the cold unfathomable lifeless abyss. I have sought it, finally, because in the union of love I have seen, in a mystic miniature, the prefiguring vision of the heaven that saints and poets have imagined. This is what I sought, and though it might seem too good for human life, this is what—at last—I have found.
With equal passion I have sought knowledge. I have wished to understand the hearts of men. I have wished to know why the stars shine…A little of this, but not much, I have achieved.
Love and knowledge, so far as they were possible, led upward toward the heavens. But always pity brought me back to earth. Echoes of cries of pain reverberate in my heart. Children in famine, victims tortured by oppressors, helpless old people a hated burden to their sons, and the whole world of loneliness, poverty, and pain make a mockery of what human life should be. I long to alleviate the evil, but I cannot, and I too suffer.
This has been my life. I have found it worth living, and would gladly live it again if the chance were offered me.

Mother Teresa's Prayer

People are often unreasonable, illogical and self-centered;

....Forgive them anyway

If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives;

....Be Kind anyway

If you are successful, you will win some false friends and some true enemies;

....Succeed anyway
If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you;

....Be honest and frank anyway

What you spend years building, someone could destroy overnight;

....Build anyway

If you find serenity and happiness, they may be jealous;

....Be happy anyway

The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow;

.....Do good anyway

Give the world the best you have; and it may never be enough;

....Give the world the best you've got anyway

You see, in the final analysis, it is between you and God;

....It was never between you and them anyway.
(Mother Teresa's Prayer)

Feeling the Hate In Jerusalem on Eve of Obama's Cairo Address

Bob Marley War Lyrics:

Bob Marley War Lyrics:

What life has taught me

I would like to share with

Those who want to learn...

Until the philosophy which hold one race

Superior and another inferior

Is finally and permanently discredited and abandoned

Everywhere is war, me say war

That until there are no longer first class

And second class citizens of any nation

Until the colour of a man's skin

Is of no more significance than

the colour of his eyes

Me say war

That until the basic human rights are equally

Guaranteed to all, without regard to race

Dis a war

That until that day

The dream of lasting peace, world citizenship

Rule of international morality

Will remain in but a fleeting illusion

To be persued, but never attained

Now everywhere is war, war.....

Yale Lecture: Arguments for the Immortality of the Soul

Earthlings

EARTHLINGS is a feature length documentary about humanity's absolute dependence on animals (for pets, food, clothing, entertainment, and scientific research) but also illustrates our complete disrespect for these so-called "non-human providers." The film is narrated by Academy Award nominee Joaquin Phoenix (GLADIATOR) and features music by the critically acclaimed platinum artist Moby.

Part 1: (watching) http://youtube.com/watch?v=GhxKnys7Ryw
Part 2: http://youtube.com/watch?v=7sRiH_Owq9U
Part 3: http://youtube.com/watch?v=N8U9dw-9U4E

Love Never Fails

Kirk Franklin - Imagine Me By: David Sides

David Sides has been playing the piano ever since he was the age of 10, and loves using this gift God has blessed him with to entertain others. He plays all of his songs by ear!

The Wonder of God's Creation!!!

David Gallo shows jaw-dropping footage of amazing sea creatures, including a color-shifting cuttlefish, a perfectly camouflaged octopus, and a Times Square's worth of neon light displays from fish who live in the blackest depths of the ocean.

The Potential Power of the Purified Mind by Michael Goodspeed and Michael Armstrong

Most spiritual aspirants have some familiarity with the concept of acceptance. The word permeates much of the spiritual literature as a corollary to the themes of "surrender" and "forgiveness." The popular prayer/adage "I must accept what I cannot change and change what I cannot accept" seems a noble and reasonable policy in this tumultuous and/or indifferent Universe. Bad things happen to good people and we accept it because, we tell ourselves, it's all part of God's great plan, it's "for our own good," and in any event, we don't have any other choice.
Acceptance is surely a valid mental exercise insofar as it helps one experience life in a manner that is more lighthearted and friendly. We can't change other people, we can't undo the past, and we can't predict every trial and travail looming over the horizon. But what if man's tacit "acceptance" of his general helplessness and victim hood in a dangerous, troubled world is itself a major barrier to doing something about it?
From the day we are born, we are taught to accept the unacceptable as a matter of course. We all learn quickly that illness, disease, injuries, pain, trauma, aging, loss, and finally death are a fair price to pay for the privilege of "living." And neither scientific, nor most religious or spiritual literature ever contradicts these expectations. Mainstream biology and medicine tell us that we are mechanistic organisms born by chance and destined to die in a hostile, disconnected universe.
And both institutional religions and most spiritual philosophies treat "spirituality" as a mere anesthetic to the unavoidable human outcomes of suffering and death. If you view suffering and dying as a problem, you are supposed to be comforted by the promise of an afterlife in which one will be free from the endless heartaches and sorrows endemic to an earthly existence. Indeed, many religious and "spiritual" thought systems glorify suffering as a purifying force and/or badge of honor that will only increase the rewards one reaps in the eternal hereafter.
So where can one turn if one is unable or unwilling to "accept" these seemingly immutable premises that define and limit the human condition? Improbable as it may seem, it can be said that NONE of the institutions, either secular or religious, that exist mainly to relieve human suffering have ever proposed how man may be uplifted from his damaged, limited state to one of true empowerment. Although the word empower is used casually in political discourse, most often to describe the government's dispensation of "civil rights" to certain individuals, to be truly empowered means literally to have absolute authority over one's own destiny. It is commonly accepted that such a thing is not plausible, possible, nor even desirable for mere human beings. In fact, both religious and governmental authorities relentlessly command us to acquiesce personal authority in favor of submission to some "higher power," be it earthly or "divine," for our own best interests. And since our helplessness seems confirmed in every facet of human experience, this call to submit goes largely unchallenged.
In a highly religious world, those who aren't satisfied with their personal reality or the reality of the world frequently turn to God for an answer. People pray for everything from personal health to the safety of loved ones to financial prosperity to world peace. But in a world dominated by warfare, poverty, disease, and every conceivable form of injustice, it seems that these "prayers" are rarely if ever answered. The only logical conclusion one can come to is either A) prayers are never answered because no creator nor agency exists to hear them; or B) the practice of prayer by most human beings is misguided, because they are working with incorrect concepts of "God."
So far—in the history of the world—the world’s religions have neither been able to inspire their god to do anything substantive about the “human condition”, nor have they done much of any significance themselves -- except to offer “coping” mechanisms! The “positive” coping mechanisms offered in the English speaking western world consist of 4 or 5 things: Temporary mystical experience, quasi-fellowship, quasi-miracles, prayer and meditation, some time oriented structure to their lives, and finally promises and hope. One is reminded of the popular axiom, “Hope makes a good breakfast but a lousy dinner”.
Down through the ages into our time, religions have also promulgated every unflattering and insulting concept of god in the spectrum of the highest human value system. Right along side of being merciful, loving and gracious, God has been portrayed as inconsistent, mean, petty, vengeful, violent, vicious, unforgiving, dominating, demanding, unreasonable, alien (“who can know they ways” and “thy ways are past understanding), and cruel (he will be burning humans for ever and ever in some literal fiery hell). Books have been written to show that this is even an unwarranted interpretation of New Testament passages. The God of religion has in fact come to represent everything that could be characterized as anti-God. So pervasive are these imageries of God that, throughout much of the world, the phrase "Holy Warrior" goes unrecognized as an oxymoron. Countless millions of devotees have been willing to burn themselves and others at the stake in concordance with what they view as directives from God. Due to this overt and seemingly endless lunacy, more human beings today than ever before are skeptical of religion. ("Religion has made atheists of many honest men" – David R. Hawkins).
Yet many choose not to abandon their inner call to spirit, seeking instead a spiritual thought system that is more benevolent and constructive to life. In the United States, countless bestsellers have been written on spirituality, with authors such as Eckhart Tolle, Marianne Williams, and Deepak Chopra, et al. preaching a message of forgiveness, "acceptance," and unconditional love. Whereas much religion instructs the faithful to bow to an angry God, most proponents of what might be called "the new age" teach that the Universe is friendly—if friendliness is consonant with being born into an insane, troubled, dangerous world under a sentence of death--, and that happiness is achieved by simply existing in the present moment and “surrendering” to what is. In this thought system, the problems of the world and one's life are illusory – they exist only in our minds due to limited and/or false perception. Undeniably, this approach seems to be a brighter, better alternative to the darker and grimmer aspects of religion and religious concepts of god, and may be helpful to those who seek greater equanimity and inner peace. But the questions must be asked: Have these new approaches gone far enough? Are they correct (consonant with reality) enough? Can they succeed at truly resolving the human condition, and provide every human being with what they really want and need?
From our perspective, the teachings of Jesus, when correctly interpreted and free from the selective coloring of religious dogmatists, provide a clear instructive path to a state of empowerment, i.e. a condition where human beings can change current “reality" for the benefit of all. Even physical death can be transcended for truly empowered individuals – on this point Jesus was particularly explicit. For those who seek a concept of God that is both benevolently healing, consistently loving and sane, any other point of view can only be described at best as inadequate, at worst as destructive.
But in our purportedly "Christian" nation, the fundamental tenets of Jesus' teachings are barely discussed and almost never believed, even by the most devoutly Christian "faithful." In fact, one can argue that institutional Christian doctrine “reads right around the best parts” and has over centuries come to preach the precise OPPOSITE of Jesus' intended message to humanity. In the Gospel of John, we are told that "God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life." But within traditional Christian denominations, physical death is not viewed as something that lowly human beings can entirely bypass because there is always a hiatus. The "everlasting life" promised by Jesus--the destiny of righteous "souls" that have been judged favorably by God—is only delivered after death.
The Father for whom Jesus spoke, however, bore no resemblance to the capricious, schizophrenic entity of the Old Testament and other sacred writings. Jesus could not have been more clear that the Father was not in the business of dispensing judgement and wrath upon his own creation, nor was it God's will for human beings to suffer and die: "…as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son also gives life to whom he will….For neither does the Father judge any man, but he has given all judgment unto the Son…Truly, truly, I say unto you, He that hears my message, and believes him that sent me, has eternal life, and comes not into judgment, but has passed out of death into life…."
A large part of healing may have to start with spiritual sanity, conceptual clarity and correctness. It might be stated that Jesus' primary intention was to change man's concept of God as being both separate from, and superior to, His creation. To the disciple Phillip when challenged to “show us the father”, Jesus replied—no doubt with frustration--, “If you have understood me, you have understood the father.” In the Gnostic Gospel of Thomas, Jesus states, "The Kingship of Heaven is within you and without you, and any man who knows himself shall find it." This instruction and others by Jesus seem quite explicit – Heaven is not a "place" that man's "soul" travels to after death, nor is it a realm to which only a few are granted entrance after a favorable judgment. The Kingship of Heaven can be accessed IMMINENTLY, and all anyone need do to find it is "know himself."
The teachings of Jesus also seem congruent with the revolutionary idea of a "holographic universe." A hologram is a single entity that is made of many individual units, and within each unit is the essence of the whole. In this analogy, where Jesus states that he can accomplish nothing in the absence of the Father, we might interpret this to mean that God Himself represents the totality of unfallen human consciousness. When Jesus performed miracles, he insisted it was not him doing it, but the Father, yet Jesus told his disciples, "Greater things than these will you do." The message is clearly that God is NOT separate from human beings – in a state of perfect unity and fellowship, all the power in the universe is available to man, and in this condition of empowerment, nothing that the mind can imagine is impossible.
The evidentiary support for these seemingly "unusual" or "extraordinary" concepts exists for anyone with the inclination and discernment to see. The feats of the psychic mind have been anecdotally demonstrated for centuries, and in recent decades, experimentally. Even a cursory examination of the evidence reveals beyond a reasonable doubt that we live in a collective consciousness, damaged and fragmented but still undeniably active. In everyday life, human beings have regular psychic experiences ranging from the profound to the seemingly mundane. Since death is the most psychically traumatizing of all experiences, it's not surprising that many of the most intense psychic intuitions explicitly forewarn of one's own expiration. In fact, many people have been able to accurately predict the precise moment of their deaths, often years in advance.
One of the more jarring demonstrations of this phenomenon was given by NBA star Pistol Pete Maravich who said in a 1974 interview, "I don't want to play 10 years in the NBA and die of a heart attack at age 40." Maravich played pro ball for exactly 10 years and died of a heart attack at age 40 in 1988. In the article "When Death is Prophesied," over a dozen historical accounts were presented of similar fulfilled prophecies among everyday people. (Full story: http://www.rense.com/general58/death.htm)
And the psychic abilities of animals have been demonstrated perhaps even more forcefully than those of humans. No narrow, materialistic view of reality can explain the countless reports of lost animals that traversed hundreds or even thousands of miles to return home to their families, guided only by intuition. Consider this 1971 report of a cat whose 1,600 mile journey finally led her -- bruised paws and all -- to her owners' doorstep:
News Journal, Sunday July 25, 1971, Mansfield, OhioFrom The Family WeeklyThe Love Cats Feel For People...The Journeys Their Love InspiresBy Felica AmesWhat built-in cat radar led Clementine through endless miles of unknown country to the one house and one family in the world she was looking for?How long would it take to walk from Dunkirk, N. Y., to Denver, Col.? A cat named Clementine could tell you. It took her four paw-bruising months to make that 1,600-mile trek. But then, Clementine didn't know the way.When Mr. and Mrs. Robert Lundmark moved from Dunkirk to Denver, they left their pet black cat with neighbors because Clementine was in the family way. Once the litter was weaned, however, Clementine abandoned her brood and hit the road. Four months later an exhausted female cat appeared on the Lundmark's doorstep. There was no doubt it was Clementine, for this amazing animal was unique in another way. She had seven toes on each front paw, two white spots on her stomach and a scar on her left shoulder.
Full story may be read here
Innumerable such accounts are also supported by the research of Dr. Rupert Sheldrake, who has demonstrated the psychic connections between humans and their pets in his book, "Dogs That Know When Their Owners are Coming Home and Other Unexplained Powers of Animals" (see http://www.sheldrake.org).
Many people may accept the existence of psychic phenomena, but the full implications of these abilities have seemingly yet to register. Not only is consciousness not locally limited to the brain, not only is it capable of instantaneous communication with every other mind, it is capable of affecting physical reality in ways we can barely imagine. Consider the research of quantum physicist John Hagelin, Ph.D., who co-authored a study in Washington D.C., which showed a direct correlation between a group's practice of transcendental meditation, and a reduction of crime in their area. (For an overview of this study, see www.istpp.org/crime_prevention).
We must also consider the tangible physical affects that our minds have on our own bodies – such affects are far from merely "theoretical" or "anecdotal." For instance, it is well-documented that hypnotic suggestion alone can lead directly to the formation of visible burn-blisters on human flesh. (See Handbook of Hypnotic Suggestions and Metaphors,
That a human being can mentally burn his own flesh should surprise no one. According to at least one controlled study in the 1960's, the human body produces "electromagnetic radiation phenomena" when consciousness is "in a state of intensed [sic] psychosensory excitation." (See More US Government Psychic Warfare)
At a more profound level, cellular biologist Dr. Bruce Lipton argues in his book "The Biology of Belief" that "our beliefs, true or false, positive or negative, affect genetic activity and actually alter our genetic code." Rather than viewing man as a helpless victim of his inherited genetic structure, Lipton has demonstrated that "genes do not in fact control our behavior, instead, genes are turned on and off by influences outside the cell." At a public presentation in Phoenix, AZ, Dr. Lipton and author Gregg Braden presented a "rare video" of "a baseball-sized tumor" visible on a sonogram shrinking and disappearing as practitioners of a form of Qigong chanted a simple phrase.
Or consider the experience of Michael Crichton while at Harvard U. After a year spent in the coronary wing of the Harvard Medical Center, he began asking the patients why they had their heart attack. Expecting the answer to be along the lines of too much smoking, drinking or bad diet, he was shocked that virtually all of the answers were couched in personal avoidance terms -- one man suggested that he had a heart attack because his wife resented his promotion at work. Another husband said that his wife was going to leave him. These answers indicate that their minds or mindsets had triggered the attacks. In fact, Crichton himself concluded, "We cause our diseases. We are directly responsible for any illness that happens to us."
The smattering of anecdotes listed above is only a bare bone glimpse of the burgeoning and increasingly mainstream fields of psychic, mind/body, and mind over matter research. And of course, not everyone is happy with this development. Self-styled "skeptics" of the so-called paranormal and/or religious/spiritual beliefs insist that it is DANGEROUS for human beings to entertain abilities and phenomena that official science does not yet recognize as real. They can point to endless charlatans and/or self-deceived individuals – psychic mediums, spoon-benders, dowsers, etc. – who make paranormal claims unsupported by facts as proof that the public must be disabused of belief in the “supernatural” for their own good. And "skeptics" can point to "Christian scientists" and other religious devotees who endanger their own lives and the lives of their children by relying on "prayer" (or their interpretation of prayer) as an antidote to sickness and disease. But any person with a genuinely skeptical approach must also consider the dangers of NOT exploring the mind frontier, and all its awesome untapped potentials. Consider the following warning from Colonel Dolan M. McKelvy in the 1988 USAF-funded scientific study, "Psychic Warfare: Exploring the Mind Frontier." In no uncertain terms does the author espouse the need for human beings to recognize the REALITY of the psychic mind’s powers and all its potential uses, both helpful and destructive:
"Man's greatest potential remains a prisoner of man. Vast untapped mental capabilities create an entirely new battlefield dimension which, if ignored, pose a threat to self and country more serious than nuclear weapons. This threat starts from within. Our fears and cynical attitudes towards psychic capabilities make us our own worst enemies…. Exploring the mind frontier is essential and the key to successful exploration is a greater psychic awareness. The mind is rich in unfathomed resources ripe for exploration, a limitless source of treasures for advancing all mankind, and a serious threat to those who ignore its potential. We must overcome our psychic inhibitions, stop denying the existence of paranormal events, and start trying instead to understand the nature of these phenomena….Report
When Jesus implored mankind toward unity and lovingness, he was speaking not only for unity among all human beings, but an INTERNAL unity for each individual. "The Kingship of Heaven is within you and without you, and any man who knows himself shall find it." For centuries, religious dogmatists have persuaded man that he is separate from and inferior to the Father, intrinsically flawed, judged as guilty and sentenced to die. The "enlightenment" of science -- the purported best alternative to murderous dogma -- has failed at resolving man's ultimate helplessness. In order to reach our true psychic, spiritual, human potential, we must have the courage to challenge our own belief systems, to abandon those beliefs that debase man's worth, and to embrace only those that support "the sustenance and enhancement of life." The real "good news" conveyed by Jesus is that we need NOT accept all the tragedies, heartaches, and deprivations that have defined human experience, that we are entitled to receive what every human being wants, the "'IFISEEUS' package of Imminent Fulfillment, Immortality, Safety, Equality, Empowerment, Unity, and Society." Bertrand Russell said, "Man is a credulous animal, and must believe something; in the absence of good grounds for belief, he will be satisfied with bad ones." According to Jesus, to be satisfied with bad beliefs is to condemn oneself – and all of mankind -- to an existence typified by suffering and ending in death. But Jesus also stated that a way out exists, that "My yoke is pleasant and my burden light." Very few of us have acquired the correct beliefs--if we had the world we live in would be transformed forever. But we can all begin to believe that the truth is friendly and, when properly understood, will never betray us or leave us wanting for anything. Was this the choice Jesus offered mankind during his time on Earth? Roughly 2,000 years later, does all the Universe still wait for us to finally choose correctly?
For more complete background on the statements of Jesus concerning life see Life Verses
Michael Goodspeed is a freelance journalist who lives in Portland, Oregon. His e-book "Is the Universe Electric?' is available from Mikamar Publishing (http://www.mikamar.biz/thunderbolts-product.htm)

It Just Seems Wrong...

Apr. 4 - Palestinian fishermen catch and kill a giant sea turtle, thought to be a Leatherback, an endangered species.

"The rare giant sea turtle caught on a beach near Gaza City was slaughtered and eaten by Palestinian fishermen who said its blood was an aphrodisiac, among other therapeutic qualities. A cameraman said the fishermen collected the giant turtle's blood and gave it to children suffering from trauma and adults with back problems."--Reuters



I am not a big animals rights activist...BUT, something about this video made me feel ashamed of the occasional (or arguably frequent) inhumanity of humanity...

The following quote seems appropriate:
"Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not sure about the the universe"-Albert Einstein

Mid-life Suicide and Declining Spirituality

"Without emotion, man would be nothing but a biological computer. Love, joy, sorrow, fear, apprehension, anger ,satisfaction, and discontent provide the meaning of human existence" -Arnold M. Ludwig

The human condition provides us with the opportunity to experience a wide range of emotions and experiences.

However, how do people respond when the most unpleasant emotions and experiences overwhelm us?

Unfortunately, each year more than 32,000 people die by suicide each year in the United States. This is the equivalent of 89 suicides per day; one suicide every 16 minutes!

Nearly 80 percent of suicides are committed by men, although women attempt suicide more often than men.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) say suicide rates among middle aged people in the United States have increased significantly in a recent five-year period.

The CDC's analysis showed that suicide rates among people age 45 to 54 increased almost 20 percent during the period studied (1999 to 2004). In that same period, other age groups experienced smaller increases or even declines.

Why the increase in Mid-life Suicides?
In my humble opinion, the increase is due to a number of factors including loneliness, stress, hopelessness, financial difficulties, declining health, and most importantly a lack of TRUE spirituality (which is not necessarily based on any specific religion)!

Are you at current or future risk for considering or attempting suicide? Not sure?

Perhaps you need to first deeply consider what kind of life YOU are living? Spiritual? Religious? Meaningless?

Characteristics of those living a spiritual life:
Daily meditation and prayer
Decreasing fear of death
Find pleasure in the simplest things and moments in life
Always attempting to have an attitude of gratitude
Continuous evaluation and re-evaluation of one's life and purpose
View every situation as an opportunity to learn a “life lesson”
Not dependent on continuous, external validation of their self-worth
Constant pursuit of one or more of their passions in life

Characteristics of those living a meaningless life (many times leading to depression and/or suicide):
No TRUE “belief system” in place (maybe a follower of a religion, but have no true conviction)
Constant focus on materialism (Defining one’s value, worth or success by what they have or have obtained)
Strong desire to impress others with either material, educational, or career accomplishments
Living to work versus working to live
Live for various addictions (food, sex, attention, drugs, etc.)
No belief that there is a life beyond this one (Let's be honest, if there is no life beyond this one, your life would be truly "meaningless" in every sense of the word...In that mindset, the ONLY value your life has is the value you give it...nothing more...nothing less)
Need constant validation by others (People's opinions change as often as the wind blows...If you validate yourself by people's ever-changing opinions and impressions, you will eventually find yourself to be an emotional wreck)

Notice that I do not equate living a spiritual life the same as living a religious life. One could be religious and not be spiritual. One could also be spiritual, but not necessarily religious.

Lately, I have talked to too many religious folks who have shared with me their fears surrounding their religions (mainly Christianity) and life after death. Many of them stated that they “hope” that there really is a heaven. Many “hope” their sins are forgiven. Many “hope’ that their living is not in vain. Many of them go through the routines of their religions with NO TRUE conviction or faith, just a sense of obligation or fear of a possible hell.

To me, with true spirituality, there is a sense of “knowing” versus simply “hoping.”

As you contemplate your existence, ask yourself the following questions:
· What (or who) are you living for? Money? Children? Spouse? Career? Nothing? God?

· How do you define yourself outside of your job title, educational degrees, money, family name, reputation, gender, and ethnicity?

· If you died today, are you satisfied with the life that you have lived?

· Are you living a spiritual life or a simply a religious life?

· What do you REALLY believe in?


Advice to Remember:
· Your job is NOT your life! Never define yourself by your job or your job title. (If you do, what happens to your personal worth once you no longer have your job due to retirement, health, or staff changes!)

· You are NOT what you OWN! Define your existence and worth outside of ALL current or future material possessions!

· Discover you passions and pursue them relentlessly.

In the words of Albert Einstein:

"There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle."

I choose the latter way of living my life... What about you? Please share and post a comment!

The Only Thing We Really Have In This Life

As I have gotten older, I have realized that the only thing we really have in this life is hope because...
...Money comes and goes
...Job titles come and go
...Beauty fades
...Friendships come and go
...Diseases eventually weaken even the healthiest of us all
...Loved ones are born and loved ones die
...Everything changes, eventually, if not constantly

I hope that...
...there is truly life after death
...people will one day recognize that value and worth of even the least among us
...we are not merely "cosmic accidents" or "smart monkeys"
...there is a point to this thing we call life

The Only Way to Live

"Life is too short to wake up in the morning with regrets, so love the people who treat you right, forget about the ones who don't, and believe that everything happens for a reason.

If you get a chance, take it.

If it changes your life, let it.

Nobody said life would be easy, they just promised it would be worth it." ----Harvey Mackay

No Middle Ground

Either there is a god and everything matters or there is no god and absolutely nothing matters. There is no middle ground regarding this issue. No gray area. Either there is a god. Or, there is not.

If I had to give a quick rationale for the existence of God, it would be as follows:

God Talk

Logically speaking, for every “effect,” there is a “cause.”

The “cause” is always greater than the “effect” because without the “cause,” there would be no “effect.”

So, the “effect” owes its “existence” to the “cause.”

“Effect” is dependent on “cause.”

At some point in “time” there had to have been a “non-dependent effect” that needed no “cause” based on the fact that the “universe” exists and at one point, did not.

“Something” “caused” the universe to “exist.”

Thus, the entire universe is a “dependent effect.”

The “non-dependent effect” that “caused” the universe is what we call “god.”

Attitude of Gratitude

"Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos into order, confusion into clarity.... It turns problems into gifts, failures into success, the unexpected into perfect timing, and mistakes into important events. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today and creates a vision for tomorrow" - Melodie Beattie

I spent the day listening to others...Most of what most people said centered around complaining...

Complaining that...
...they were not appreciated enough
...they were not respected enough
...they were not paid enough
...they were not skinny enough
...they were not valued enough
...there were not enough hours in a day

Enough! Enough already!

How different would people's lives be if they focused on what they are grateful for versus what they are lacking?

People complain because their egos insists that no matter what they have, they deserve more.

You can't have ego and gratitude at the same time!

No matter what we believe, we cheat ourselves out of a better life if we don't at least try to appreciate all the good things around us.

Many of us spend so much time complaining about what we don't have until we lose sight of what we do have...



Today, I consciously choose to have an attitude of gratitude.

Affirmations

In the past, I have never been one to make affirmations. I used to think that it was silly and pointless to say things that were just not necessarily true.

Then, as a result of a few books I was reading at the time, I begin to seriously think about the thoughts that I was already thinking (basically affirming) on a daily basis. As I begin to just consciously "listen" to the thoughts that went across my mind on a daily basis, I was honestly shocked.

I was thinking things like:
I never have enough money. (And guess what? I never did have enough money)
The job market is tight and I will never make over $30,000 a year. (And guess what? I never did make over $30,000 a year).
People are mean and selfish. This is a cruel violent world. (And guess what? It seemed like I was always coming across mean, selfish, violent people).
If it's not one bad thing, it's another. (And guess what? My life was filled with one bad situation after another.)

Then, I begin to slowly change the way that I was thinking. I am still in that process. And I must admit that it is a constant journey for me because you know, shit happens sometimes...

However, I can honestly say that there have been many significant changes in my life that only happened after I begin to affirm and BELIEVE that I am worthy and ABLE to receive good things in my life. I began to believe that, in the end, things will work out fine.

My person belief system has been centered around the following belief: Despite the struggles I may go through, I expect things to eventually turn out better that I could have ever imagined. The results of my efforts and hopes will always be above and beyond my highest expectations.

I can't explain it. All I know is that positive affirmations have definitely helped me. At the moment, I make more money than I EVER thought I could at the age that I am. I live in a new home that is worth 4 times as much as my first home! I have been blessed with a few true friends that are kind and patient.

“I believe that I am living in a state of abundance and all that I need will come to me” - Devon

Affirmations (defined according to the American Heritage Dictionary)
1. The act of affirming or the state of being affirmed; assertion.
2. Something declared to be true; a positive statement or judgment.

Affirmations are not bound to any particular religion or religious philosophy.
Affirmations are simply making positive statements about your life…. And I suggest that you do them deliberately…What gives them power is the emotions you put behind them.

Examples:
I believe that I am living in a state of abundance and all that I need will come to me!
I do the work I love and I work with people I like.
I enjoy my life. I am a healthy, active person who loves myself!
My income is constantly increasing.

A clip from "The Secret" on affirmations:


Affirmations are just like planting seeds in the ground. You may not see it right away. It may not be true right now. But, it is something that you want to be true.

You plant the thought, just like you plant seeds—and you don’t dig it up after a couple of days and wonder why it didn’t grow into fruition. You plant the seed and wait, knowing that there is a universal law in place. I believe that you get back what you put out in the universe.

You will eventually find yourself consciously and subconsciously taking actions to support your affirmations.

Remember that we live our lives based on what we believe our lives should be like. Our beliefs have been shaped by our culture, family, religion, friends, etc.

If your life is not what you want to be, claim a better way of life. Make an affirmation about how you want you life to be! Say it, think it, believe it, and watch your life change!

Your Thoughts Create Your Reality

I am a strong believer in the idea that our thoughts create our reality. Even quoting the bible, "As a man thinketh, so he is" (Proverbs 23:7).

I remember reading and hearing the following saying througout my childhood:

Be careful of your thoughts, for your thoughts become your words.
Be careful of your words, for your words become your actions.
Be careful of your actions, for your actions become your habits.
Be careful of your habits, for your habits become your character.
Be careful of your character, for your character becomes your destiny!

Last night, I watched an inspirational movie by Louise L. Hay. It really demonstrates the idea of how changing your thoughts can CHANGE YOUR LIFE! Below, I would like to share a short clip/preview of the movie:


Here's a link to her website about this movie: http://www.youcanhealyourlifemovie.com/

Final thought: Be careful of your thoughts!

Deepak Chopra "The Wonder of You"

Take a minute and 12 seconds to watch this short video clip:

Wow...It's information like this which reminds me that our very existence is nothing short of a miracle.

I don't know how we were created. But, I do know that our existence is no accident.

Here's a summary of a few thoughts that just came to mind: The purpose of our red blood cells is to carry oxygen. The purpose of our skin is to protect our internal organs. The purpose of our eyelashes are to protect our eyes from small debris. I could go and on with this list.

But the point is this: If even our minuscule eyelashes have a purpose, then why wouldn't we? Despite the naysayers, we are not cosmic accidents without purpose. We are here on Earth for a purpose. So, what is our purpose? Well, I'll tackle that on another post on another day! :)