Letting Go

Letting go

does not

mean

that you

do not

care, it means you cannot live life for someone else.

We are powerless over other people and letting go is admitting that powerlessness, 

that the outcome is not in our hands.

We are not God, we cannot judge other people and letting go is to allow another 

to be a human being, to live their own life.

Letting go is not to care for, but to care about.

Letting go is to accept life on God's terms.

"How self-hood begins with a walking away,
and love is proved in the letting go."  ~ Robert Cecil Day-Lewis

We must grieve a lost love, a lost relationship, friends and family who pass away.

In the initial stages of a breakup or when a person passes away we cannot believe 

what is happening, the truth is unseen and the hurt of awareness begins to be felt.

We are in denial, reality is a shock to our whole being, we cannot believe what has 

or is happening.

Anger is the second step in the grieving process, and we question why this would happen to me.

I, me, you, God, or anyone who comes into mind or comes into view can receive the wrath 

of our anger, the blame for for all that we believe to be wrong with this world.

Anger is an argument with no answer.

Is their a solution ?, is there an alternative course of action ?, can we

bargain for a different outcome to this event is the third stage of grieving.

Promises to stop drinking or gambling or abusing, and I'll promise to be a

better person are bargains that only prolong the suffering.

To save a relationship you promise that overnight you

will go from being a bad person to being a good person.

Not likely, since you do not even know what the definition of a good person is.

The greatest loss is the mother who loses her child.

She will plead with God a million times to have Him take

her life and and restore the life of her child, if God would only bargain.

Life does not mean anything anymore and I don'tt care depression 

is the funky fourth stage of grieving.

Depression is a depressing topic that fills too many depressing books and 

the treatment of depression is better left to the depressing shrinks 

who like to prescribe medications to make everything all right.

Poor me, poor me, pour me a drink, self medicating does not relieve the pain of grieving.

There is nothing in this world that is so bad that a drink or a drug will not make worse.

Seriously, depression is a mental illness that can devastate an individual and is becoming 

a larger problem in today's society,demonstrated by the rise in the number of

suicides occurring in the world today, seek professional help as is necessary.

Acceptance is the final stage of grieving, the letting go.

The truth is not to be denied, it is to be accepted, even if it is not the truth you want to believe.

Letting go is to fear less and to love more.

The above five behaviors, usually demonstrated during the grieving process, are not a script 

to be followed, the emotions may come and go, forward and backward,  as we let go and 

get on with our lives.

Feeling the feelings is the most important part of grieving and everyone is different and there is 

no time frame which can be used to determine who has or has not properly grieved a loss.

You are allowed to grieve over and over again if that is the way you feel, 


but save some time for living in today.

"Inner peace can be reached only when we practice forgiveness.
Forgiveness is letting go of the past,
and is therefore the means for correcting our misperceptions." ~ Gerald Jampolsky

Letting go is remembering the past, but living in today.

Perceive today that you and God live and love in the same world.

Happiness is helping someone help themselves.



Michael_e
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The Garden of Gratitude

Gratitude is a feeling

of happiness that grows

within you when you

learn to do the will

of your Higher Power.

Kindness, Love,

Patience and Tolerance

are the seeds of gratitude.



You must also know that you can plant the seeds of your own self destruction

should you give into bad habits and negative feelings.

Examine your seeds before you sow them today.

Not sure which seeds are good, which are bad, pray to your Higher Power for guidance.

Have a friend, find a friend, one who knows happiness and is grateful for being exactly

as their Higher Power wants them to be, the one who knows how to plant a good seed.

God gives us the chance to be a weed or a flower, we make the choice.

You make the choice to plant your seeds in the good soil of

kindness or in the desert sands of despair.

You make your choice to water your seeds with love or allow them to dry up

and wither away.

You make the choice to put your seeds in the sunlight of a

Higher Power and have the patience and tolerance to allow God to do His will.

Go to places where you find happy people, where the judge and the jury are there to

laugh with you, to help you nurture your soul, not to look down upon

you with scorn, to punish you for having become the bad weed.

"One looks back with appreciation to the brilliant teachers,
but with gratitude to those who touched our human feelings.
The curriculum is so much necessary raw material,
but warmth is the vital element for the growing plant
and for the soul of the child." ~ Carl Jung

Check out your garden today and make your gratitude list,

Beautiful flowers of kindness all around the perimeter.

Baskets full of vegetables of love, waiting to feed your soul.

A few fruit trees of patience and tolerance that will bear

the fruits of a loving family and friends.

A savory patch of herbs and spices to make life more enjoyable.

Today, know that all is well with your garden when you have more than

enough to share with someone who is having troubles with their garden.

Today, know that you cannot pull out the weeds from the garden of family,

friends or the needy.

Today, know that you cannot tend the garden of others,

just show them what makes your garden grow.

Today, sow well, tend well, and the gardens reward for you will be a feast tomorrow.

Gratitude is the heart's memory.

Happiness is having the seeds of gratitude growing in your heart.

Happiness is helping someone help themselves.

Michael_e
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Friendship

 
"Remember,  

we all  stumble,  

every one  of us.  

That's why  

it's a  comfort  

to go hand in hand." 

~ Emily Kimbrough 


Gratitude for friends is a happy way to start your day. 
Who taught you your A B C 's? 
Who played with you on the playground? 
Who carried your books for you when you hurt your arm? 
Who did you hang out with after school? 
Remember your teammates? 
The people in the band were cool friends.
 
School's out,
Memories past, 
Don't ever doubt,
Our friendship will last. 

Some people come into our lives and quickly go. 
Others stay awhile, make footprints on our hearts  and we are never, ever the same. 

Friendships come and go,  people move on, move up, move out.  C'est la vie. 
If you have never had a friend it is  because you did not want one, 

"A friend is a present you give to yourself."  ~ Robert Louis Stevenson  

Friendship is not a serious commitment that will  choke you
and cause you to lose yourself, that is called marriage,
unless you were lucky enough to have married your best friend. 

This day I will marry my friend,  the one I laugh with, 
live for, dream with, love.  Two lives, two hearts joined together in friendship  
united forever in love. 

"A mere friend will agree with you, but a real friend will argue." Russian Proverb  

Real friends agree to disagree.

A good friend will encourage you and help you grow. 
A good friend will be beside you in times of woe.  . 
Listen when it is your turn. 
This is why pets make such great friends, 
they only listen and they always agree with you. 

"There is no friendship, no love, like that of the parent for the child." 
~ Henry Ward Beecher  

Faith, your Higher Power will never allow you to be friendless. 

You may meet that person only once, 
but a shared kindness will make you friends forever. 
Just be a friend until the next time we meet, 
and if we never meet again,  thanks for being there then. 


Happines is helping someone help themselves.

Michael_e
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As the World Turns

"Age 
is getting 
to know 
all the ways 
the world turns, 
so that if you 
cannot turn 
the world 
the way you want, 
you can at least, 
get out of the way 
so you won't get 
run over"

~ Miriam Makeba


Age is not a number, it is a stage in your life when you become willing
to accept the consequences of your actions.

If you or a friend or a family member have an addictive behavior
that is destroying a life you must learn the way a drunk thinks
so that you can change the way you look at your or their world.

The best clue to understanding the addictive thinking  is that the best thinking
of the drunk and addict is the thinking that is being so destructive to your or their life
and the lives of all of those involved with them.

The drunk and addict is selfish, self-centered, they are Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde,
they are the victim, they attempt to push away anyone who loves them
and they try to kill themselves, because it is the nature of the disease.

Today, make the decision, try to turn the world the way you want to
and if that does not work, be smart enough to get out of the way.

If it is others who you may think have a problem, we can carry the message,
we can suggest to others how we see the world turning, but, if they refuse
to put on the sober glasses we cannot be responsible for what they see.

Today, ask your Higher Power to show you which way the world is turning
and ask for the strength and courage to do the next right thing.

Change.

Today, go with the flow, accept God's world for being exactly as He wants it to be,
knowing that we cannot stop the world and jumping off will not make anything
in God's world better,  so,  when all else fails, share the   LOVE,
it confuses your enemies and it makes you feel good.

Happiness is knowing which way the world is turning.

Love is God's grace to allow us to enjoy this world.

Michael_e
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Forgiveness

To

err

is

human,

to

forgive

divine.


 
Forgiveness appears to be a scale that can never be balanced.

Everyone wants me to forgive them, but nobody wants to forgive me.

Who is keeping score, who is trying to balance the scale??

"People can be more forgiving than you can imagine.
But you have to forgive yourself.
Let go of what's bitter and move on."  ~ Bill Cosby

Let your Higher Power be your score keeper, the one to balance your scales.

Ask God to forgive us for our evil thoughts and evil temper.

Do not be blind, that only applies to the Scales of  Justice.

If you have a friend who is very needy in the amount of forgiveness they require 

because they constantly offend you and others, it may be time to find another friend.

If the person who offends you is family, get even.

Oops, forgive me, do not do as I say, but do try harder,

One learns to forgive by having family discussions regarding doing what is right.

Respect boundaries.

Respect opinions.

Self respect.

"Children begin by loving their parents,
as they grow older they judge them,
sometimes they forgive them"    ~ Oscar Wilde


Today, do not forget that you do not want to repeat the sins of yesterday,

so that you will not have to seek forgiveness tomorrow.

To seek forgiveness remember that sorry does not cut it.

"Resentment is one burden that is
incompatible with your success.
Always be the first to forgive;
and forgive yourself first always."  ~ Dan Zadra

Live and let live.

Ask your Higher power for guidance.

Seek out friends who love, no forgiveness is required.

Love your family to the point where all is forgiven.

Happiness is helping someone help themselves.

Love is helping someone love themselves. 


Michael_e
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Foul Mouth, Foul Mind

It is a Blessing from God 

that man has been given the ability

to communicate thoughts and ideas 

by using vocal sounds,

these sounds, 

represented by letters, 

become words.

Since these words are American, 

(English?)  all references will regard

the American language.

The Oxford English (from England) Dictionary contains
over 250,000 entries, and many are recognized as uniquely American.

These American words are usually referred to as slang.

The dictionary does not count foreign language words in common use in America;
we sauté our food (French), we study martial arts, Judo and Karate (Japanese).
The dictionary does not count medical and scientific terms.

There are ten times as many more words in use today
than when Shakespeare was living.

With so many options available, why do people swear?

By swearing we do not mean taking an oath,
as in President Obama was sworn in and took the oath of office twice.

Foul language, swearing, taking the name of a Higher Power in vain,

 are not necessary when you have tens of thousands of words available
to convey your message.

Shock value??

Ignorance??

Lazy and stupid??

Speak up.

The mind can become saturated with bad habits and using foul language is a bad habit.

You are known by the friends you keep and the level of language they speak.

Think.

Change.

If you do not use foul language, fine, improve your standing among your friends
and learn a new word every day.

Better yet, use a few well selected words more often;

Please and Thank You, May I help you? I Love you, are good for starters,

"Conversation would be vastly improved
by the constant use of four simple words:
I do not know."                      ~     Andre Maurois

Attempt to make it through today by not using any of the
seven words you cannot say on television. (George Carlin)

Try to talk to friends without using any four lettered slang.

Do not huff and puff, speak softly, but carry a big stick. (Roosevelt paraphrased)

No screaming and yelling allowed. (Children, Spouse or Family)

Ask your Higher Power to help you select the best words for the right occasion.

"No matter what people tell you,
words and ideas can change the world."                     ~ Robin Williams

May the words you use today change the world for the better.

Happiness is helping someone help themselves.

Michael_e

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Experience

Experience 

is what you get 

when you 

didn't get 

what you wanted.

Experience is 

the best Teacher.

 

Experience is what you get when you pay attention to life.

You can wait for it to happen, or you can make it happen.

Blessed are those who go through life enjoying all the small experiences.

Blessed are those who have survived earth shattering experiences and still take the time 

to enjoy the simple pleasures of life.

Unfortunate there are those who miss out on the experience of life because 
they fail to show up.

Drugs, alcohol, relationships, work, food, gambling or any obsessive compulsive behavior 

can alter the mind and cause one to miss the experience of living life.

How many negative experiences can a soul endure before one realizes that they have failed?

"It's my experience that you really can't lose
when you try the truth."  ~ Sharon Stone

Be truthful to yourself.

Is the experience I am planning going to be beneficial to myself and others.

If you can not stop the negative behaviors, and you are no longer able to determine the truth, 

get help.

Temptation usually comes in through a door that has been deliberately left open.

Planning to change for the better and learning to accept God's will 

 are the best ways to ensure a great positive experience.

Physically, mentally and spiritually you must prepare to accept life as a total experience.

"In order to experience everyday spirituality,
we need to remember that we are spiritual beings
spending some time in a human body."   ~ Barbara De Angelis

Enjoy life today, don't just go through the motions.

If you think that you are missing the point ask a friend for their interpretation of the experience.

Make sure the friend knows what the truth is.

The drunks at the corner bar who condone your negative behaviors are not your friends.

Do not live your life from high light reel to high light reel, 

take time to enjoy the whole movie.

Laugh, cry, love and enjoy, and when the experience is over,

let go and let God.

Be wise enough to repeat the pleasurable experiences, but
do not wear them out , or fail to look for something new.

The best experiences are happy times shared with others.

Today. make sure your body, mind and soul are ready to experience life to it's fullest.

Happiness is helping someone help themselves.

Love is helping someone love themselves.

Michael_e
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Destiny

"Let us

follow our

destiny,

ebb and flow.

Whatever

may happen,

we master

fortune by

accepting it."  ~ Virgil 


What you see is what you get, then again, believe only half of what you see 
and none of what you hear.

In this world there are many optical illusions and people say only what they 
want you to hear, "False Advertising."

To some philosophers destiny is an excuse for poor planning.

The will of a Higher Power appears to guide the destiny of religious philosophers.

It appears that everyone is right.

If you have a good attitude and plan well, prospects
for a destiny filled with happiness will be yours.

The destiny of mean, selfish, self centered, egotistical,
nasty people is to be doomed to a life of misery.

What you do is what you get.

As much as we want to control our own destiny it
always seems that a Higher Power has some say.


"Man's ultimate destiny is to become one with the Divine Power 
which governs and sustains the creation and its creatures."
~ Alfred Montapert

Today, believe that your destiny is yours to guide, not control.

Today, make choices that you believe can best serve the will
of your Higher Power.

Having your God right behind you, at all times, makes every
decision and action so much easier and more rewarding.

There is no harm in being a little selfish.

Your Higher Power wants you to enjoy life and be happy,
just but be sure to spread some of that good cheer.

"No love, no friendship
Can cross the path of our destiny
Without leaving some mark on it forever." ~ Francois Mauriac

Today, plan to leave a good mark on everyone you meet.

Today, have a philosophy of gratitude.

The closer you are to doing the will of a benevolent Higher Power
the more you can believe of what you see and what you hear.

"And the high destiny of the individual is to serve
rather than to rule,
or to impose himself in any other way."   ~ Albert Einstein

Whether you are the head of the house or the head of a nation,
to serve is to be honored, to rule is to be despised.

There are people who believe they must rule the lives of others,
today, do not be one of those sickies.

Do not be an unwilling subject or a demonic controller,
today, be a person who cares.

Anticipate and accept good fortune as your destiny.

Pray for those that need it.

Happiness is helping someone help themselves.

Love is helping someone love themselves.

Michael_e


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