Character

“You can easily judge the character of a man by how he treats those who can do nothing for him” ~Goethe. It doesn’t really matter who you know. It doesn’t really matter who you date. It doesn’t really matter who you work for. The only thing that really matters is who you help. I don’t judge people’s character based on who they rub elbows with… I base it on who they really are. And the only reason that I ever judge anyone is to put myself in the best possible position to be helpful to them. “Judge not by appearance, but judge righteous judgement” ~Jesus. The goal for today: help others the right way, for the right reason & build character! Have a great day everybody!

Is It?

“It’s ok to not be ok.” I’m working on a book that I’m going to call “101 sayings ‘NOT’ to live by”… & this one made the list. The only time it’s ok to not be ok is when we are honestly & genuinely seeking help to fix whatever is “not ok” in our lives. It’s not ok to admit that I’m not ok… & not do anything about it. Venting should never be considered anything more than a prelude to fixing our problems… it is not, in & of itself, the solution. How about we try this on for size… “It is blasphemy to accept anything less than harmony & happiness” ~Emmet Fox. The goal for today: it’s ok to not be ok only if we’re putting a concerted effort into spotting, admitting & correcting the problem! Have a great day everybody!

Respect Vs. Self-Respect

I have a lot of respect for people who admit when they don’t know something, rather than making up pretend answers; and I gain self-respect… when I do the same. I have a lot of respect for people that put a concerted effort into finding the real Truth, before they run around telling it like it is; and I gain self-respect… when I do the same. I have a lot of respect for people who spot, admit & correct their own mistakes, rather than pointing out everyone else’s to hide their own; and I gain self-respect… when I do the same. I shouldn’t hold you up to a higher standard than I do myself. The goal for today: have enough self-respect to not be a hypocrite! Have a great day everybody!

Inside = Permanent

I didn’t find God in church… I found Him in my own heart. I didn’t find true beauty in Paris… beauty is in the eye of the beholder & if I can’t see it everywhere, I’m just not looking hard enough. I didn’t find Love in a woman… Love is something I get from God & give to others. I didn’t find security in a high paying job… real security comes from faith based courage. Now, I’m not saying don’t go to church, don’t go to Paris, don’t fall in Love, or take a better job… I’m just saying that the permanent versions of these wonderful things can only come from within. The goal for today: don’t settle for outside, temporary satisfaction; tap into the Pure & permanent source of all good… & feel it forever! Have a great day everybody!

Foxhole…

One of the biggest mistakes I made throughout my life was that I would only seek the Truth, help, or a solution after something went wrong. The saying “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” comes to mind; but now I think more along the lines of “preventive maintenance might keep it from breaking to begin with.” Prayer is a great example! I didn’t care for God much, until the shit hit the fan & then I would beg & whine to God to help me. Then once the problem was resolved, I would go right back to ignoring God because I didn’t need Him anymore. The goal for today: don’t sit around waiting for problems to happen… be proactive & prevent some problems, preferably through helping others! Have a great day everybody!

God is…

These 7 things come from God & God alone:

Life… which means happiness. I might be walking, talking, blinking & breathing, but if I’m not happy… I’m not truly alive.

Love… which is giving happiness. Real Love always makes the giver feel better than the recipient.

Spirit… the attitude with which we give Love. If Love feels good we will never stop giving it.

Soul… the depth with which we give Love. Superficial, surface level giving doesn’t feel the same as giving from the Soul.

Truth… a higher level of honesty. If the Love we give is True, the ONLY possible end result is happiness.

Intelligence… which is giving Love properly. There is a very fine line between helping & enabling & we must use our head & our heart in order to stay on the right side of it.

Principle… which is the Law. If giving Love makes us feel anything other than happy, that’s the Law telling us it isn’t really Love.

The goal for today: get Love from God, give it to others… & be happy! Have a great day everybody!

A Sounding Board

A large part of helping others is to be a sounding board for people to bounce their ideas off of to find out if they sound sane. I was having a conversation with someone last night where they brought up a problem and as always… I suggested helping others as part of the solution. They said… “I know, every time I help someone it does feel good, but I need a break from that sometimes.” Like a good sounding board, I said… “Wait… what? Did you just say sometimes you need a break from feeling good? That doesn’t make any sense.” Most of the things that we humans say don’t make sense. The goal for today: help people spot, admit and correct their insanity! Have a great day everybody!

An Interesting Coversation

Friend A: I want to understand recovery the way you do.

Friend B: Why?

Friend A: So I can find peace.

Friend B: Do you know why I do it?

Friend A: Why?

Friend B: So I can help you find peace.

If our motives don’t eventually evolve from helping ourselves, into helping others… then we never know the real Truth and our peace will only be temporary. But once our motive is truly to make the world a better place, our own success, in regards to peace, is guaranteed! The goal for today: give rather than get! Have a great day everybody!

Help Change The World

When someone comes to me with a problem I already know that the problem is that they are selfish, resentful, dishonest and afraid… and I know that because that is the only problem that exists on planet earth; but I need to find out what they think the problem is in order to offer truly effective help. I have to take the problem from what you think it is, to what it really is, and I almost have to do it without your knowledge, because if I just come out of the gate saying “you’re afraid”… your response will most likely be… “no I’m not.” The goal for today: know the Truth… learn how to listen… and change the world! Have a great day everybody!

All We Need

“All we need is Love” ~The Beatles. This is quite possibly the most important piece of information that any human being can ever come in contact with… but what does it really mean? I had to give my conception of Love a complete overhauling. I was scared I wasn’t going to get enough… I was confused about where it came from and whose job it was to give it to me… I was at times hoarding it to myself for fear of running out… I didn’t understand why it didn’t always feel the way I thought it was supposed to… and if I’m being completely honest, I was being very selfish in regards to Love most of the time. The goal for today: all we need is to let God fill our hearts with Love, give all of that Love out freely to others… and feel the full effect of the Power of God as He replenishes our supply & makes us feel Loved! Have a great day everybody!