Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Talents


Now you have it,

now you don't,

talents not used

can wither and die.

God said,

if you have the talent,

flaunt it.

"Use what talents you possess; the woods would be very silent
if no birds sang there except those that sang best." ~ Henry Van Dyke

In Biblical times a talent was a unit of weight

used to measure the value of gold and silver.

Today talent usually refers to a special skill, athletic ability,

creative imagination, or artistic aptitude, a persons general

intelligence or mental power , their native abilities.

In the eyes of your Higher Power, the talents given to you

have more value than all the gold or silver on this Earth.

Talent is not a competition, you need to have only enough skills to please yourself,

your Higher Power, and maybe one other person.

Being able to cook and prepare food well is a talent that many people appreciate,

but not every one has to be Emeril.

Being able to design and make clothing that is functional and appealing is a talent,

but not every one has to be Christian Dior.

Being able to design and build a house that is unique and comfortable is a talent,

but not every one has to be Frank Lloyd Wright.

Your talents may never have you singing at the Met, playing ball for the Yankees,

or driving a race car at Daytona, but your talents may allow you to add your voice

to the local choir, play shuffleboard at the retirement community, or just drive safely

on your way to the super market.


"The person born with a talent they are meant to use,
will find their greatest happiness in using it." ~ Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe

The greatest talents one can have are to be an honest, kind, patient and tolerant,

forgiving, loving , the person God wants you to be.

Talents to be developed and enjoyed may include:

a.) learn to communicate better, yes and no are a good start,

b.) do not hide your feelings, please and thank you are a good start,

c.) share what makes you happy, cook, dance, sew, hammer, sing,

d.) do the next right thing, doing the will of your Higher Power is a real talent.

If you cannot participate, hone your talents and skills to be

a spectator, a supporter, the best cheer leader you can be.

"Happiness is a how; not a what.
A talent, not an object." ~ Hermann Hesse

God has blessed you if your talent is to be able to

humbly do one random act of senseless kindness each and every day.

You do not have to set the world on fire, just love being yourself,

and be grateful to your Higher Power for giving you the talents needed to do His will.

Happiness is helping someone help themselves.
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ME and the Boss
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Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Authentic

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Faking it

until you

make it,

may

get you

through

the first

round,

but to win and to get to the championship round, you must be authentic.

Actual, factual, the real deal, the honest Indian, bona fide,

genuine, and guaranteed to be nothing but the original

the perfect replication of the Masters work.

Being true to one's own personality, spirit, or character

is living out the will of your Higher Power, being the authentic you.

"The authentic self is the soul made visible."  ~ Sarah Ban Breathnach

Not like the Jonses', or not like your best friend, or not like the celebrity,

and definitely not like the pretend person you thought you wanted to be,

but the person who is kind, loving and is of service to self, others and to

their Higher Power.

Children play at dress up, play at cowboys and Indians,

doctor and nurse was always my favorite, and teacher/

preacher suited many a fantasy, but most adults learn

to put aside the acting when their pride says that it is "time to be me."

Some people never grow up, some are raised overly

protected by suffocating parents, and some use drugs

and alcohol to avoid reality, and sadly, some kill

themselves because they felt like they never fit in,

they believed wrongly that they did not belong.

If God made you, you will find a fit somewhere,

you do belong, you are worthy.

Some people find themselves without having to search,

those fortunate ones are patient and tolerant because they know that

the search for themselves is a constant and never ending journey,

the journey called life.

As long as you are being authentically you  there is no need to act like

or try to look like someone who you are not.

Tattoos never reveal the true person, they never change.

You must change, all people grow older and hopefully wiser.

You do not try to change just by moving (geographical),

by finding new acquaintances to emulate or by doing things

differently because you couldn't be happy with the old routine.

You accept change because your Higher Power will give you the chance,

you must just decide which choice is the next right thing,

how can you best do His will ,

how can you make this world a better place for all.

The authentic you will make a choice that is best for your soul.

"An authentic life is the most personal form of worship.
Everyday life has become my prayer."               ~ Sarah Ban Breathnach

Be authentic, be kind.

Be authentic, be loving.

Be authentic, be tolerant and patient.

Be authentic, be forgiving.

Be authentic, be the person your Higher Power wants you to be.

Happiness is helping someone help themselves.

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ME and the Boss
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Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Quiet


.
The

quiet

acceptance

of

what

is,

is to know, to understand, and to become enlightened.

It is what it is.

EUREKA, AHA, WOW, I'VE GOT IT, do not need to be shouted every time a light bulb
comes on in your brain, a quiet sigh or a contented nod may be the only signal required to                          acknowledge your acceptance of God's world being exactly as it is supposed to be.

"A thing of beauty is a joy for ever:
Its loveliness increases; it will never pass into nothingness;
but still will keep a bower quiet for us,
and a sleep full of sweet dreams, and health,
and quiet breathing..."                                                  ~John Keats

Life is beautiful.

Mother nature, other people, the arts, the music, the world you live in has many beautiful things                     to behold.

The ugly things in this world are created by sick people.

Stay away from sick people.

How to recognize a sick person; they are not quiet, they talk much, say little and if they ever                        do anything, they usually do the wrong thing at the wrong time.

"It is better to remain quiet
and be thought a fool,
than to open your mouth and prove it."              ~ Abraham Lincoln

Today, be kind, if you cannot say something nice, be quiet.

Today, be loving, if you cannot tell the truth, be quiet.

Today, be patient and tolerant, avoid sick people, and quietly go on your own way.

Today, have a friend who knows that quiet time together is chicken soup for the soul.

"The good and the wise
lead quiet lives."                 ~ Euripides

Today, quietly do the will of your Higher Power.

Happiness is helping someone help themselves.

ME and the Boss
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Thursday, August 11, 2011

The Man Who Glowed

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A metaphor for

the alcoholic life

is the candle

in the God Hole,

that candle that

burns in the area

where the heart

lives and loves.

The alcoholic, through constant drinking, tries to dowse the flame and put out the light.

A symptom of the disease of alcoholism is one where the suffering wants to isolate,

be alone, push away anyone who loves them and kill themselves.

In recovery, the God Hole candle begins to return to it’s former glow.

I met a man at an AA meeting whose candles glow and warmth filled the room.

His greeting for one and all was always the same: “If no one has told you today,

God loves you, and so do I.”

I wanted what he had; the sincerity, the humility, the serenity and the obvious

willingness to put doing the next right thing, the will of his Higher Power,

before concern for himself.

The glow of the candle from his God Hole was so bright and warm that it enhanced

the glow of everyone he came into contact with.

Although my friend is no longer with us here on earth, the light from his candle still

glows so that others may find peace of mind in sobriety.

Today, I may not drink alcohol, but I must still remain vigilant that my attitude

and my actions do not dim the brightness of my God Hole candle.

Today, I want the newcomer to AA to see me as one of the many whose glow

will lead them to sobriety and a new way of living that is happy, joyous and free.

Today, I will never forget those who have gone before me, those who taught

me how to enjoy the glow of the Spirit of the Universe.

“Thousands of candles can be lit from a single candle, 
and the life of the candle will not be shortened. 
Happiness never decreases by being shared.” ~Buddha

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ME and the Boss
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