Enjoy the Journey

He who

stays in

the valley

will never

see over

the hill.

 


Many of life's journeys have milestones that are marked by hill tops.
Be smart and do not to judge your life by one hilltop that you have reached.
Winning the championship game?
The birth of a child or grandchild?
The pinnacle of success?
The age of forty?
Retirement?
Be wise to know that this hill top is just a better
vantage point to see where you might want to go next.

Celebrate the milestone.

Have gratitude that you have reached that milestone and use the knowledge 
and strength that you have gained from climbing the small hills 
to reach for the summit of the tallest mountain on the horizon.

Many say that when you go over the hill you begin to pick
up speed going down the other side.
Today, use that speed as momentum to start up the next hill.
As long as you are moving forward with your head held high,and your eyes 
are fixed on the next milestone you will be able to cross the lowest valley in your life 
in comfort and peace.

Up hill or down hill, never travel alone.
 
When life puts a fork in the road have a friend help you read the road map.
If they have traversed this swamp before your hope is they know the shortest 
route to higher ground.
Higher ground may be just as good as a hill if you are up to your tush in alligators.

If you had asked your friend for advice at the last fork in the road,
maybe you would not have found yourself in the swamp.

Where you think you are going and where your Higher Power
wants or lets you go may be two separate directions.

Pray for guidance.

The stories of the wisest masters tells us that if you want
to find your way out of the desert, follow God.

Whether you are in the valley of despair or on the highest
mountain, today's journey will begin with the first step, life will not allow you to live 
in the past for long.What you have earned from yesterdays travels will pay the road tolls 
for today's journey. If you do not learn and earn from today's journey, tomorrow's 
forecast may be down hill and out of control.

Today, celebrate life, lift your head, focus on the next hill top, move a muscle, 
change a thought, and live your life to it's fullest.

Life is a roller coaster ride.
Today, sit in the first car and fill that car with friends and family,
and when it gets going really fast, throw your arms up in the air, 
and scream as loud as you can from the top of every hill.

Enjoy the ride.

Happiness is helping someone help themselves.

Love is helping someone love themselves.


Michael_e
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.
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What Lies Within Us.

"What lies behind us, 

and what lies before us,

are tiny matters compared to 

what lies within us." 

~ Ralph Waldo Emerson






Honesty, open mindedness and willingness are what makes it work
and if these things lie within us life will be happy, joyous and free.

Honest motives and desires are necessary to assure yourself freedom from guilt and shame

Open mindedness is to accept life on God's terms and to enjoy and have gratitude for all
the blessings a loving Higher Power gives.

Willingness to be of good service to self, others and your Higher Power is the key to happiness.

Happiness is knowing that what lies within you is more than adequate to do the will
of a loving Higher Power.

Happiness is helping someone help themselves.

Michael_e

Contentment

Better,

Best,

More,

Most,

Never,

Never,

Enough.

 

The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence.

What is the compulsion behind human nature that makes

people to never be happy enough.

Contentment is the quiet form of happiness.

You do not work on being happy or content,

you work on recognizing the happiness and contentment in your life.

To be discontented is to believe wrongly that other people are

having more fun and happiness than you are.

Those who work too hard to be happy will miss out on life.

"The world is full of people looking for spectacular happiness
while they snub contentment."    ~ Doug Larson

The only work required to love, be happy and be contented 

is to get your stubborn brain to believe what is in your heart.

Work smarter, not harder, put your brain and your heart on the same page.

Do not try to make life happen, enjoy life happening.

Make your gratitude list, daily.

Be content that your Higher Power has given you all that you need,

not all that you deserve. (Acceptance)

"If you have easy self-contentment,
you might have a very, very cheap source of happiness." ~ Leon Kass

Better milk comes from contented cows.

Happiness is not trying to figure out the why and how,

contentment is enjoying the here and now.

I wanted to write a big, huge, philosophical paragraph about

contentment but God said,

"Just be happy with the quotes and slogans I'm giving you,
and leave the philosophy to the smarter and better writers. "



Therefore:

"My crown is in my heart, not on my head,
Nor decked with diamonds and Indian stones,
Nor to be seen:
My crown is called content:
A crown it is, that seldom kings enjoy."  ~ William Shakespeare

I'm content to believe that Shakespeare is the better writer.

Please accept my blessing for a contented day, 

courtesy of your Higher Power.

Happiness is helping someone help themselves.

Love is helping someone love themselves..








A contented Michael_e










,,

Be Optimistic

"Between 
the 
optimist 
and the 
pessimist, 
the difference 
is droll. 
The optimist 
sees the 
doughnut;
the pessimist 
the hole!"

~ Oscar Wilde



What do you see today?

Is you life doom and gloom,

or is your life happy, joyous and free??

Do you regret yesterday and worry about tomorrow,

or do you live in today??

Do you hate and despise,

or do you know kindness and love??

Life is an attitude and when you begin with an attitude of gratitude,

the doughnut becomes a a three tiered wedding cake.

Today, love life, marry into the optimistic attitude,

be the person your loving Higher Power wants you to be,

and know that a good attitude is calorie free.

Happiness is helping someone help themselves.

Love is helping someone love themselves.

Michael_e




..

Wisdom

"God,

Grant me the

Wisdom to

Know the

Difference."




In the

Serenity Prayer

we ask for guidance from a Higher Power to

allow us to understand what we cannot change, and what we can change.

As usual, my Higher Power talks to me through other people

and when I reached out for help by asking a wise man what it is

that we can or cannot change, this was his answer:

'We definitely cannot change God's design of this world.

The World will continue to spin and time will move on.

The tides will move and the rivers flow.

The birds and the bees, the flowers and the trees, will do their thing.

The weather will be the weather.

Those things we cannot change.

Most importantly, we cannot change other people.

The only thing that we can change is ourselves and our attitudes."

We can change ourselves over and over if that is what needs to be done.

Move a muscle, change a thought.

There is no limit to the number of times you can adapt, change, lead, 

follow or get out of the way.

Humility is knowing that this is God's world and we are

responsible for changing our attitudes to accept his will.

Prayer and meditation.

Prayer is asking for the guidance of your Higher Power,

meditation is listening for the answer.

Learn to listen and listen to learn.

On a daily, hourly, by the minute , or as needed basis, ask your Higher Power, 

"what do I need to change about me to make my life of better service to you,

to others, and to myself?"

Your answer will come from a bolt of lightening or more probably from 

another person (or pet) that God will put in your life.

Wise men and women have told many a story about the

smart person who has been arrested, lost their job, their children,

their house, their drivers license and many other things, yet they

insanely continue to repeat old behaviors while expecting different results.

There are no coincidences,

it is only God's way of remaining anonymous.

Smart people learn from their own mistakes,

wise people learn from the mistakes of others.

Be wise, have the wisdom to know the difference.

Family, friend or someone out of the clear blue yonder

will share with you their experience and give you guidance.

Listen to those people.

Today, know that the messages can be positive or negative, 

the kind words of a friend or the police officer issuing you a summons.

It does not matter how the message is delivered, just do not kill the messenger.

It is God's will that you have choices, not answers.

Be wise or smart, or both and think about doing the

will of your Higher Power to the best of your ability.

Have the wisdom to change.

"Humility is the only true wisdom
by which we prepare our minds
for all the possible changes of life."    ~ George Arliss

Humbly ask Him for the strength to change,

and the wisdom to make the best choice.

Happiness is helping someone help themselves.




Michael_e

Far Far Away

My body

is here,

my mind

is there,

and my

soul

is far, far away.

Three seems to be a magical number.

Me, myself and I.

Body, mind and soul.

"The longer I live the more convinced I become
that God governs in the affairs of men.
And have we now forgotten that powerful friend?
Or do we imagine we no longer need His assistance."  ~Benjamin Franklin

It is hard to lose your body. You have physical senses that remind you 

that your physical being is a part of this world.

You can lose your mind. Been there, done that.

Forget your Higher Power and you can lose your soul.

Selfish, self centered, egotistical, self gratifying, mean, nasty, arrogant, 

crude, rude and obnoxious are the attitudes that drive our souls and 

our Higher Power,  far far away.

When our bodies, minds and souls are in the same universe
and on the same plane, we can be a whole person.

We cannot do the will of our Higher Power nor be of service to ourselves 

or mankind if we are not giving an effort that involves our entire being.

"My heart is just not in it" is to acknowledging that something is not quite right.

Our talents are our bodies, minds and soul working in harmony seeking
to do God's will to create peace and love in this world.

Today, keep it together,  so that your best talents will shine through.

Today, use your talents to make this world a better place for all.

Say what you mean and do what you say.

Live life in today.

Have faith and hope that a Higher Power will guide you to do the next right thing.

"Faith has to do with things that are not seen,
and hope with things that are not in hand."   ~ Saint Thomas Aquinas

Lend a hand today and give hope to another.

You may think your body is not perfect and you may think that your 

mind is not perfect, however, in the eye of your Higher Power, 

the body and mind He gave you are perfectly capable of doing His will.

Most importantly, in the eye of your Higher Power, your soul is perfect.

Pray to keep it together, body, mind and soul.

"If the only prayer you ever say in your entire
life is thank you, it will be enough."    ~ Meister Eckhart

Happiness is helping someone help themselves.









Michael_e

Look and See

Look here...

Look there...

Do you see

what I see???


Do you see
the physical world
as reality,
or do you see
the world
as you would
like it to be???

Most importantly, how do you look at others???

Do you see the physical and make a snap judgment
as to whether you may or may not  like them???
Remember, beauty is but skin deep.

Do you take the time to listen to their heart so you can
decide if you want them to be a friend or a foe???
Love your enemies, after all you are the one who made them.

Do you look to see if they have a soul, a spiritual side,
that would help you decide who that person may be???
Learn to look and listen with the guidance of a Higher Power,
the One who knows everyone's soul.

Under the influence of an addictive personality one becomes
very selfish, self-centered, egotistical, a victim, and/or an
individual who cannot look and see another person as a person.
Other people become objects of instant gratification or a tool
to be manipulated to serve the "Great I".

Normal people take one look at a sick person and see that they
would or could never have a healthy relationship with them,
therefore, the sick are doomed to seek out the sick and the Devil
is paid his due in the divorce court, if they were stupid enough to
get married in the first place.

In recovery, humility, a common trait in normal people, is the most
elusive of spiritual concepts for the affected addict/alcoholic to understand.
In early recovery the drunk is virtually blind, they may think
they are looking but it is obvious that they cannot see.

Keep coming back.

As the simple program of recovery is practiced, the wreckage of the
past is disclosed and discarded,  the character defects are given to
a Higher Power, a spiritual tool kit is put together to help one see
the pathway to happy, joyous and free.
Even the long timer still needs the spiritual tool kit to have their vision
checked from time to time, just to make sure that their old stinking thinking
has not returned.

Today, have your vision checked, know your motives for looking,
and make sure that what you see is the will of your loving Higher Power.

Happiness is seeing this beautiful world as God intended it to be.

Michael_e

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.
.
..

Hope

Just when the caterpillar thought 

life was over, 

it became a butterfly.

Hope is knowing that 

 as long as we are alive, 

there is still a chance.

 

Wishes are not as good as Hope.

You may hope to see a falling star so that you can make a wish.

The falling star exists because God made it that way.

The wish is yours and it may or may not be what is God's will for you.

You always hope for the best, but plan for the worst.

"To love means loving the unlovable.
To forgive means pardoning the unpardonable.
Faith means believing the unbelievable.
Hope means hoping when everything seems hopeless ."

~Gilbert K. Chesterton

When you believe, your Higher Power will exceed your

hopes, desires, wishes and dreams by giving you

more in your life than you could ever expect.

When you believe, you will have Peace of mind and a Faith

that this life will be good and the next life will be better.

The good you did yesterday, the good you do today, and the good

that you may do tomorrow, will be the bricks in the wall of Faith 

that will protect you from evil and better prepare you for doing 

the will of a Higher Power.

The more good that you do, the stronger and higher your wall of faith will be.

"The Phoenix hope,
can wing her way through the desert skies,
and still defying fortune's spite;
revive from ashes and rise."      ~ Miguel Cervantes

Today, hope for the best, give what you can,

a smile, a kind word, hold the door, visit a friend

and know that it is as good for you as it is for others.

Can you see the wall of faith being built??

As you believe, so shall you receive.

Happiness is helping someone help themselves.

ME and the Boss

..

Limitations

Defend your limitations 

and you own them!

If you say you can't, 

you won't.

Physical, mental and spiritual, 

limitations are the bane 

of individual growth.

Would man have run the mile in under four minutes

if  Roger Bannister had put limits on physical ability??

Galileo, Ben Franklin, Darwin, Einstein, and hundreds of

more thinkers, scientists, writers, statesmen, inventors,

never put limits on their mental abilities to solve problems.

Your concept of your Higher Power is the only limit to your spirituality.

"  If you can't believe in God,
chances are your God is too small."  ~  James Phillips

There is a small paradox in knowing your limitations:

without knowing what your limitations are,

how are you going to exceed them?

It is very important to remember that the limits that

you may or should push are yours, not others.

The only true limitation anyone has is time,

today, resolve to use your time wisely.

Today, do not be stupid and expect that you must stop

when you have reached your limitations.

Average is the person who lives within their limitations.

My Higher Power did not make any average people,

He made beautiful exceptions.

You too can be a miracle.

Today, enjoy life, challenge your limitations:

be kinder, love deeper, show greater patience and tolerance,

be the unlimited person your Higher Power expects you to be.

Today, be beautiful, shine, do what you know you can,

and surprise all those who think you can't.

Happiness is helping someone help themselves.

.


Michael_e





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.
..

Happy, Joyous and Free

If you find yourself


in a hole,


the first thing to do


is stop digging.


We make our own misery.




Of all the things that happen in our lives, 

of all the choices we must make, 

all are never guaranteed to be just nice and pleasant and
 
some of those not so nice things are God's will and we must learn to accept.

However, many unpleasant situations are of our own making

and when the great "I" gets in the way of life by being

selfish and self centered, ugly things happen.

"My life has no purpose, no direction, no aim,
no meaning, and yet I'm happy.
I can't figure it out. What am I doing right?"    ~ Charles M. Schulz

To do right is to live life as God gives it to you.

Today, do that thing  that will make you, your Higher Power and

those around you  "Happy".

If you go looking for the mud puddle, you will be sure to find it.

"Happiness is not a destination.
It is a method of life"    ~ Burton Hills

Laugh at yourself and with others (not at others).

Love, unconditionally.

Be healthy, do something nice for your body today.

Body, mind and spirit, when well balanced, will allow

a person to be happy, joyous and free.

Free from worry and misery.

"To serve is beautiful, but only if it is done with joy
and a whole heart and a free mind."    ~ Pearl S. Buck

Happiness is helping someone help themselves.



Michael _e

At God"s Pace

I think. 

I worry. 

I try to justify 

my actions. 

I tie myself up 

into little knots 

fretting about 

my time 

management.

Then I remember that things happen exactly as God plans them 

and I am always amazed how well things usually work out.

The outcomes are usually much better than anything I could have wished for.

Time gone is time past. 

Rather than wasting more time on the should've, could've, or would've, 

it is obviously more productive to deal with the here and now.

I am learning that planning is not an exact science.

I am learning to look at my priority list, and as long as I am engaged 

in doing something on that list I should be satisfied.

If my wife interjects a project that is not on my list, 

it then becomes time to negotiate or renegotiate, 

or just to be smart enough to do what she wants.

I must also take time to stop and smell the roses. 

I must also thank my Higher Power that I do have the chance to make a list,

not just the to do list but also the Gratitude list.

Gratitude should not just be an afterthought to a wonderful day, it should be

the beginning, middle and end of all of our thoughts and deeds.

Wishing for you the time of your life in 2011.

Happiness is good timing.

Michael_e

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