personalities

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Reflecting on Life


When I look back on my childhood, taking the time to evaluate my life, or maybe I should say the areas that I wrapped my arms around and embraced and those that I didn’t, it brings great joy and in some cases a level of sadness. Turning the clock back to my childhood, growing up on the farm during the 50’s and 60’s with little spare cash, just enough to get by with and sometimes not even that much, I had a good life that taught me more than I ever gave it credit for.

Graduating High School in 1968 while the Viet Nam war was in full swing, seeing many of my friends serving there and returning home not the same person, some in a box, some missing limbs, but mostly changed personalities due to the effects of the war, was a difficult time.

Getting married at age nineteen, building our first house at age twenty, becoming a father at age twenty-one, were huge steps in life for me.

The foundation learned as a youth growing up was never lost, only forgotten for many years. Saddened by so much I had witnessed as a youth and my mid-teenage years in the religious arena, set my life path in motion. Determination set in, a drive to enjoy life, to become financially sound, to take a stand against all that didn’t fit into my version of faith, all began while still in high school.

Working my way up the ranks of my first job, I worked hard. I took on two jobs in those early years trying to earn what I felt was required to be a good provider. Then becoming licensed in the electrical trade and eventually starting our own company my life was very busy. Between work, family and fun, I had my hands full. Then my eyes were opened to the rest of the world when I took a new job in 1986. Being able to travel to many parts of the world, I began to see and feel the effects that war really has. To be close to war, hearing how others dealt with war both old and new, grasping the many religious faiths and beliefs including those that have no belief in God, it kicked in motion my past and the emotions caused me to re-evaluate my understandings of life.

So what does this mean in the grander scheme of things? It shows that from childhood on, our lives and personalities are set in a direction and become altered as we continue to age, grasping new information, learning about others we cross paths with. The real question is; do we allow ourselves the freedom to open our mind and explore what we see and hear? Or do we remain set in our ways determined not to allow change? Do we even recognize that we are closed to anything that may disrupt our desires and beliefs in life?

For me, I spent the time to re-evaluate my past, examine what I had learned and experienced, and to wrap my arms around what I believe this life is all about. I worked hard to eliminate the mental blocks that so often accompanies our attempt to truly understand, disabling any rational outcome. What I found was that I could make a decision for myself, placing my faith in what I had come to understand. While it was influenced by many, it was in the end, my choice, my decision, my beliefs.

So there’s this lingering question

When was the time you slowed down long enough, shoved the distraction aside, threw out the external influences of those that educate with an agenda whether religious or non-religious or educational and dug deep enough that you allowed yourself the freedom to choose where you have placed your faith?

One of the biggest things I learned along this adventure is that it takes faith to believe in life, it takes faith to believe what it is all about. It takes faith to believe in God or to not believe in God. It takes faith to believe in the direction we choose for our lives.

Where is your faith placed?  

 

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To Love or to Feel Love


Do you love what you love, or just the feeling? This question was part of a personality test written by Jonathan-Safran-Foer and posted by my friend David Kanigan. A great question that is worth the time to ponder. Giving this some thought it brought many questions to mind. These are just a few.

Do you love the feeling you get or do you love unconditionally?

Do you love when someone is not there or only when you are with them?

Do you spring into action when something attacks what you love or do you sit and wait for the dust to  settle?

Would you die for what you love or only attempt within reason to help?

Can you show your love or is your love just a hidden feeling you can’t or don’t express?

Can you show your love even when it is not to your benefit at the time?

Can you love and forget the shortcomings of your love or do you let the shortcomings affect your love?

Do you always nurture your love or just when you want that feeling of love?

Would you give up anything and everything for your love or would you sit back and wait until your timing was better for you?

Are you addicted to your love for the right reasons or are you just addicted?

Can you let your love go and still love what just left?

What is true love of someone or something? Love is very precious and should hold a place in our heart that no one can disrupt. Only we can spoil that love. That love does not spoil itself. One can spoil love for the other but it was not love that spoiled it. If we could all choose to love unconditionally then love would flourish! The hurts would disappear. The lives of everyone in this world would be affected in a positive way allowing God’s plan for each of us to be fulfilled. The golden rule comes to mind. “Love your neighbor as yourself”. Do to others as you would want them to do to you as my Grandmother always said. True love would change our lives and those around us. My resolution for the future is to attempt to always love unconditionally. What will be yours?

 

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Memory of the Heart


When confronted with a situation that makes us feel sad or overwhelmed with grief – we many times say our heart aches. When we loose a loved one – we say our heart aches. You may experience that feeling in your chest that grabs your emotions and many time will bring tears to your eyes before you have a chance to put them in check. Have you ever heard anyone say their brain aches when confronted with something emotional? A lot of emotion can cause a headache over time, but not instantaneously.

When we think about memory we generally associate this with our brain. It has the ability to hold our past thoughts and experiences. We can recall them and add them to something new that has happened. We can analyze and rationalize our thoughts.

What Causes our heart to ache?

Several years ago I read a true story about a young girl. It has been a while but I will do my best to tell it as close as possible to how I understood it. She was sick and in desperate need of a heart transplant.  The parents of this young girl were notified one day that their daughter needed to get to the hospital as soon as possible. A young girl had died and her heart was a match for their daughter and it was in transport to the hospital. They rushed her to the hospital, the surgery was performed and she received the heart giving her new life and a bright future. This young girl never had any issues with sleeping prior to the surgery. However, after the new heart was placed in her body she started having dreams and nightmares. She kept them to herself for while but when they keep becoming more real she told her parents about them. The doctors told them that this would pass as she recovered from the surgery. But it didn’t. She would see the face of another young girl. She would see that this girl was terrified of something. The dreams continued and she would see an attacker beating this girl in her dreams and ultimately stabbing her to death. The face of the girl and the attacker were so real along with all the details of the brutal murder including names. Her parents decided to ask about the donor and found that she was a victim in a murder but no other details were made available other than the murder had not been solved. After talking to the doctors they contacted the authorities in charge of the investigation and told them about their daughter’s nightmares. They came and met with their daughter and she told them all the details of the dreams which include descriptions and details including what both the girl and the man looked like and how the murder was committed. These details were impossible for her or her parents to know anything about. The authorities took this information and were able to apprehend the attacker and with the details this young girl was able to give, the authorities were able to make a case and the attacker was sent to prison for life.

So does the heart have memory? Does it have feelings?

It has been proven that there is what they call “cellular memory” around the heart and some other major organs even though we don’t understand it well. In this case the terrifying memory was transfer to this young girl along with her new heart. You can find other examples of this with little research effort. People have had food cravings even though they did not like the food prior to the surgery.

When we say our heart aches it is very possible that this is those deep seeded memories that are not just in our mind but buried deep in our chest around our heart. Is it possible that this is where our soul resides – the core of who we are? In the Christian belief, we say that when we accept Jesus for who he is and ask for his forgiveness he will come into our hearts. He never said into our minds. We hear people say let your heart lead you in the right direction. Do what your heart tells you to do.

Many things we just take for granted. We never stop long enough to give it the thought it deserves. If God gave each of us a place in our body that can be filled with love, gratefulness and even forgiveness, maybe we need to give this some serious thought. Just maybe everything that has been written about God is true. Which ever side of this belief you current sit on, it is important to recognize the possible implications this brings to each of us.

 

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“A Short-Cut to the Future”


I can’t add any words to the message of this post. It states it so well all on its own. Powerful word for thought and needs a place in the Think Tank. Thanks Secret Angel

The Abuse Expose' with Secret Angel

“A short-cut to the future”…
is the path many want to take.
But is it the right path…
or a really big mistake.
And these words came to me…
as I lay down and pray.
So I will share with you…
as my message for today.

So many people want…
their destiny to hurry.
But looking to the future…
all they can see is blurry.
So they begin to search…
amongst the many faces…
always looking for love…
but in all the wrong places.

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What Color is Humanity?


     It is stated that the human race can be traced back to one person. This is found in the journals of science and also found in the first book of the Bible “Genesis” which is one of if not the oldest book on record. So it should make no difference if you believe in evolution or creation – the human race began from one or maybe we better say two humans as we know them – one woman and one man. The bible tells us that God created man on the 6th day of creation and created woman from a rib of man and this is how the human race began. Evolution tells us that man evolved from something other that itself and somehow woman came along at the same time. What evolution cannot explain is why most every living thing requires male and female of the same kind to reproduce when it states that everything began as a single cell of living mater. Both beliefs do agree that the human race began with one male and one female which makes us all decedent’s of those two humans.

     We are all one race called humans regardless of what we look like. It makes no difference if we are red, black, brown, yellow, white, or any other color – we are essentially all brothers and sisters , aunts or uncles or cousin’s of the original two. We are all related one way or another. We attempt to group different ethnic races by regions of the world. However, if we all came from that first couple, we are still all related. We may have different religious beliefs but we are still related. We may have different skin color, but we are still related. We may come from different countries, but we are still all related. We may be highly educated or have no education, but we are still related. No matter how we attempt to split up the world population into different groups, we are still all related. We all started out equal. One man and one woman.

     One might argue that this all started millions of years ago and that the different human races each evolved separately. However, if this would have happened then it still had to take place approximately 4500 years ago or the population of the earth would be so large we would not have much standing space between us. Using the average population growth equasion that is statistically agreed too and we start 4500 years back, we find that we would reach our current global population of today. For evolution to have evolved each race independently, it would take millions of years. However, we just statistically proved that if we started more than 4500 years ago that the global population would be a lot larger than it is today. So evolution has not had enough time for each race to have evolved on its own if in fact each race originated from something different than the original two humans.

     Science has proved that each of us have the same everything in our bodies except that our skin and our outward appearance may look a little different. We are still all part of the human race! Reproduction happens between a male and female of the same kind. The human race is a kind. A person of any color can reproduce with someone of another color. What they reproduce is a child, a brother or a sister, an aunt or an uncle or a cousin. They do not reproduce a new kind, just another precious child. When we peal that onion of life down to the core, we find that we are all brothers and sisters. We should love one another even if we don’t always like each other all the time. We should treat our brothers and sisters as we would like them to treat us. Evolution would have us believe we should let the fittest survive which is at the core of their philosophy; allowing the evolving process to continue transforming what we are into whatever nature requires as it changes. What will we become next? God said he created us with a purpose, that we were special and we should love Him for everything he created and gave us and to love one another.

     So lets ask ourselves, why do some people view those of a different color or a different country or a different education level, or any way we would like to split humanity into different segments as someone different or anything less than themselves when we all started out from the original man and woman? I have a sister that does medical transcribing, a sister that is a nurse, a brother that drives truck, a sister that is a master of phycology, and a sister that is a certified public accountant. We are not all the same, but we are brothers and sisters. We each look different, live in different places, believe a little differently, make mistakes, upset each other at times, get into arguments, and even stay away from each other for long lengths of time, but we are still brothers and sisters.

So what color do you think humanity is? I think humanity is whatever color you are looking at!

     I believe each person on earth is needed. I believe that each person on earth should love and be loved. I believe that if we followed this rule that the world would be at peace with itself. I believe that we each have a gift of some kind and that if we were all allowed to use it with a mix of love attached the sky is the limit to how great and peaceful this world would be.

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The View of an Eagle


Lifting my eyes towards the sky
Imagining I am an Eagle that can fly
With wings spread wide and head held high
Feeling that uplift can bring tears to one’s eye

The view below was sitting so still
It felt so good it must be God’s will
When looking around the clouds I could see
All puffed up big but soft as can be

As the updraft of air starts to dwindle
Down, down, down I continued
With life’s past thoughts quickly emerging
Both worlds start converging

I start to wonder just what I had seen
Soring so high where the air is so clean
Where it was easy to see and to feel so free
God’s wonderful world came in focus for me

Again I looked down with a new open mind
Treating my past as one of a kind
The updraft was back and rekindled my though
On my wide spread wings it had caught

Higher and higher I began to climb
Above the scant clouds in a very short time
The view from above I could see the earth
I really began to feel my true worth

Life took on a new meaning
A little like spring cleaning
Everything seemed so clean and so free
I just couldn’t believe it, it just couldn’t be

But God opened my eyes so I could see
All is not lost if you just believe in Me
Open your heart and let Me in
And I promise I will forgive all of your sins

I opened the door into my heart
And then my life began a new start
With God by my side I wondered no more
My life had changed right down to the core

As the Eagle flies high
With his eyes he can see
Gods wonderful gift
It’s so great to be free

By: Wm. Forbes

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In Control, Out of Control, Being Controlled


The thing about control is that it has to start in our mind. When you dig really deep we find that the brain and the workings of the mind can become complicated to understand. However, I believe some of the key basic functions we can comprehend without a Doctorates degree which enables us to better understand how we control things in our lives.

Generally we must first comprehend a situation exist and then the result of our action or reaction kicks in gear. The key is that we have to comprehend and not just react.

When we are in control we feel confident. When we are out of control we feel stressed. When we are being controlled we are upset. The thing about control is that we ultimately control all of it. Even the quick reaction our body makes if a snake suddenly appears while we stroll along some path. We quickly stop. In this case it is a reaction and not a comprehension based on logical thinking. However, we programed the reaction over time by what we put in our brains reaction center and in reality it started out as a logical thought way before you took the walk. Some things are simple. A snake bit can kill you so stop. While we need these quick reaction responses programed in our brain to keep us safe, they can stop us from seeing the rest of the picture. The question we should ponder is; what have I or someone else programed into my mind that causes me to react and not allow the full process of gathering information which allows a conscious thought out decision. How often do we only look at one point of view because we have programed our mind this way; we are comfortable with our position on a subject so avoid any chance of possible change in that position.

In today’s world we continue seeing example after example where someone else is assumed responsible and self responsibility is secondary. Allowing someone else to control, manage, manipulate, and influence our lives is many time unseen by each of us. Our daily life takes on a direction of those around us. We do things in a manner that does not disrupt the local boat. We become so tightly locked into our local world we stop really thinking for ourselves.

If we really evaluate our lives, we see the many influences that make us who we are. In some cases we may feel that this is good, but sometimes we also can look back and see that it was not really what we would like. It was not with an outcome that we were pleased with. While we would like to go back and change the outcome, it is impossible.

One of the old sayings that my Grandmother would say was; “All things work together for good”. I know she got this from the bible, but she used it when ever something just did not work out so great, or when something bad happened. So when we encounter these bumps in our road, do you look back and get up tight or do you let it go and move forward? Do you try to fix it or do you trust that down the road you will understand the good that came form it. That things will turn around and good will come from something that didn’t work out like you imagined.

This is one of life’s biggest challenges!

If we could just learn to love one another, I do believe everything would work out for the good. When life drums up something that upsets our apple cart, can we learn from it and move on without letting it totally disrupt our lives? Can we learn to evaluate the event, possibly search our inner thoughts, maybe do some research, and then move forward with a positive attitude?

We control our actions and re-actions. Only when we allow others to totally influence us do we loose this control. When others with an agenda are in control, we become someone they want us to be. God gave each of us a brain and a mind to think with. He gave us the compassion to give love, to accept love and to create a loving environment for ourselves and those around us to enjoy. It is with the faith we have in God, that we were created with a purpose and that we did not just happen that gives us such great hope. That we are somebody and not just something that evolved!

No matter what you believe, go and search those thoughts, look in all directions, really evaluate what you have decided to believe in. One thing I have determined is that when you peal the onion of life back to the core, you were either created by God or you evolved. Where have you placed your faith?

As always your comments are welcomed. Enjoy this great and wonderful day!

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The Power of WORDS!


The meaning of the words we write, speak, think and act out is who we really are. It is who we have become. If one does not like whom they have become, only that one can change it. The hidden motives of the words we speak and think are the foundation of our personalities. How we are seen by those around us is something we should all be aware of if we are not. The words we choose to use, how we state them which ultimately allows them to be heard and understood for what we meant, makes the difference of how we are perceived, liked, loved and even despised. Choosing our words and think how we would want to be thought of should be important. Being positive, living and showing love and compassion can be a key to a wonderful life.

Saying I love you and not I hate you.

Saying let me help and not do it yourself.

Saying what do you need and not let them figure it out for themselves.

Saying thank you and not just walking away.

Saying thank you and not just continuing on with what you are doing.

Saying let me do that and not just walk on by.

Saying please and not just reaching and taking.

Saying this is how I understand this and not I am going to teach you a lesson.

Saying let me help you with that and not you will find out on your own.

Saying I am sorry and not making an excuse.

Saying I am sorry and not expect the same in return.

Saying I am sorry and proving it.

Saying I am sorry with love and not contempt.

Saying I am sorry for doing that and then doing it again.

Saying thank you for even the smallest of things and meaning it.

What is most important is showing and living the word LOVE “unconditionally” with no words spoken!

 

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A World of Love, Support, Victory and Defeat


We are fast approaching upon the halfway point of 2014. The 14th of February has faded behind us. Birthdays, anniversaries and other special days have come and gone. There are still those special day of the year in front of us.  During these times we are reminded that we have those who love us. We have friends that care for us, those that are there when we need them. The Winter Olympics in Russia are now a memory along with everything that goes with them. From the thrill of victory to the agony of defeat. Remembering the love and support that each athlete is given by fellow countrymen and those of foreign nations. The forgoing of country differences for the love of competition,  comrodery and mutual respect for the skills each have developed. The love and compassion felt by those who do not reach the glory they worked so hard to achieve. The passion each of them have in making a decision to strive for excellence putting in another four years of physical and mental strain again not being guaranteed success. The enjoyment each of us feel while watching and cheering our favorites in competition. We should all salute those who strive for excellence, those who embrace the world as an equal human race, those who believe we are all created equal, those who see no difference in the color of skin or country origins, and embrace life and all it has to offer. Those that open their mind to the possibilities and do not just accept idle words of impossible, can’t be done, it’s not worth the effort as they listen around the water fountain. Those who have the courage to speak up trying to make a difference in our world expressing their point of view while listening to those of others, all in an effort to make a difference. I struggle to comprehend why so many of us have closed our minds to the possibilities that life presents to each of us. While some have had a hard life and some not so bad, we each have a chance, even if it starts out as such a small chance to grab this life we live and enjoy everything we can get from it. The joy of a husband and wife as they take that first step of marriage,  the birth of their first child, then that first step, the first year of school, the graduation and the joy and feelings that come as they move forward with life leaving the home they have known as theirs just to start a new life that they now will lead. The joys are endless if we look around. Why our world thrives on negativity is really a reflection on those of us who listen. Our news media most generally tell the negative side only because it sells. Right or wrong we are continuously bombarded with negativity. We tune in because we can’t believe what we are hearing or maybe we are just curious or maybe it somehow affects our personal lives. In any case, it fuels the fire of negative press. We have those who have the abilities to open their mind to a world of discovery and a desire to know true fact and the difference of a theory presented as real from those that truly are. When we each reach this point in our life, and I pray each of will before we die, we begin to understand our life on this earth, why we are here and how this all started. I have stated many times that it takes faith to believe in evolution as the reason for everything and that it take faith to believe in God as the creator. It is important! It is a wonderful time we live in. Go out and explore! Find your answer!

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Driving Out Complacency


Now I know no one wants to acknowledge they have become complacent in anything. I for one can struggle with this. Everyday produces situations that if they go unrecognized we can be taking another step toward complacency involving one thing or another. As humans we can become so ingrained in our thoughts and beliefs that we miss things going on around us. We start believing we have the answer before we know the question. We don’t stop long enough to realize that there is generally always two sides to a story if not more. We jump to conclusions without acknowledging what is right in front of us. We allow our education system to educate us and we never slow down long enough to educate ourselves. We hear what we are told but never question its validity.

Complacency could be something simple such as our eating habits or possibly exercise or lack thereof. Maybe it is in our lack of desire to learn new things, explore what others find interesting, listening to other explanations and not just live in our own world. Or our desire to dig deeper into what we believe and put our faith in enabling ourselves to reinforce our convictions or alter them. Ridding ourselves of complacency does not mean doing what everyone else does. It just means being aware of why someone does something and why they believe one way or the other. It is being open to discussing both view-point and not just having a one-sided conversation or walking away from it completely.

Acknowledging complacency is critical to our physical and mental health. It can be the pill the doctor ordered. The simple task of admitting to ourselves that it exist gives each of us a tool which will allow our lives to flourish in so many ways. Stagnation in our thinking, our health, our conversation, our faith, our work, and almost every area of our lives can be exterminated.

Join me on my journey to continue stomping out complacency from my life by doing the same in yours. Make a personal pledge to always be open-minded enough to explore different avenues as they present themselves. To be open to other opinions and to discuss them sharing your beliefs and understandings. Have a want to grow your knowledge, and a wish to life healthy. I truly believe that if we would live healthier our spirit would be healthier. If we expand our knowledge our conversations become healthy allowing two-sided discussions and not just someone accepting what someone tells them. We are born with a body and a mind and we need to feed both of them with good food.

If you have an area of complacency in your life please share it here with a comment or with a friend. We all have some level of complacency we need to deal with. One of the biggest for me was believing everything I was taught in school. Then I was supposed to believe everything I was taught in church. Each contradicted the other. It was only after I decided to challenge myself on these topics that I started ridding myself of confusion and my life became stable. In this case I concluded that one belief or the other had to be correct. Either we were created or we evolved. This is truly a live and death altering question. I can tell you that I believe we were created and for really good reasons. I have tried to explain this in the book “Deceptive Influences” if you are interested in the rest of my story.

Now as we continue this day moving to the next I wish you good travels down the road of eliminating complacency from life.