A New Education

Think about the education that you received growing up.  Consider your formal education from school, and the lessons, habits, and ideas that you got from your parents and family.  Reflect on what you learned from your neighbors, friends, everyone.  Think about what you learned and what it has or is doing for you.

It means something different for everyone.  It's ongoing...What everyone takes from it varies.  We're taught to value education, in a traditional sense.  For example, we've been learning historically that getting a college education is the best way to a great career and financial security.  We've been learning that saving as much as we can is the best way to prepare for retirement.  We're conditioned to take the road most travelled.  Some of us are trained to follow in someone's footsteps...become the future leader of dad's company, be a lawyer like grandfather, or a politician because that's the family business.  Some of us are trained to "just go out and make a decent living, and take care of our families."

Part of the lesson is correct.  We should be trained to be leaders...of ourselves if no one else.  We should be trained to take care of our families.  But why is it that we are trained to go down the traditional, beaten path? It is because we've been trained to believe that it is safer.  The less risk you have to take in life, the better.  We know that the doctor or the teacher is going to be successful and secure...so we continue giving our posterity this one sided education.

Again, there are no quarrels here with teaching our posterity about the good possibilities that lay down road familiar.  But what is really sad is that even though we now see that steering the future leaders down that path is not necessarily safer all the time, we still turn our back on that road less travelled.  Experience is teaching them that going the traditional route is not always a sure bet to having the life you want, whether from a financial or happiness perspective.  So why is the formal education they are receiving not providing them with an alternative?  What does it say for our own education, that we believe it's okay to send them out into the world so inept for what they will really find out?  What will what they have learned actually do for them and us in the future?

Resolving resolutions

The end of a year signifies many things for a lot of people. For some, it can be a celebration of many accomplishments or maybe one huge achievement. Others may be celebrating the good riddance of a troubling and disappointing time. Whatever the reason, people in general are excited to see a new year. I believe that this is the time when visions for a better life are most vivid among people. They think about all the things they will change...and how great life will be after they accomplish the goal. We call them new year resolutions.

  Here's a short list of some of my favorite past resolutions: 

• Lose weight 

• Go back to school  

• Save more money  

• Attend church more 

• Stop smoking 

• Take a vacation 

•  Be more helpful to others. 

 At one time or another, I was able to accomplish each one of these resolutions! I did lose weight (though I might have gained some of it back);and so forth and so on. Realizing each resolution had its own difficulties and their own rewards. The one characteristic that each resolution shared however, was that I couldn't settle into the new year, giving into to the temptations that drove me to have to make the resolutions in the first place. I had to make fundamental changes in order to realize the resolutions. The first change I made was in my mindset.

 The biggest reason that so many new years resolutions never get resolved (ha ha) is because people never really make the fundamental changes that are required to make it happen. For example, people run out and sign up for gym memberships and then figure out how to incorporate actually going to the gym in their schedule...heck, a lot of them won't even incorporate cancelling the membership after they have joined and then never make it...and I am not just putting the blame on other people, I have been guilty of such activity myself.

 But I did change...and you can too! All you have to do is choose to be committed. After all, The Bible tells us in Prov. 13:4 "The desires of the diligent are fully satisfied." Then make the fundamental changes required to make your resolution a reality. Next, try to maintain your emotions while you're making the changes you need to make. Don't look at the situation completely from an emotional standpoint. Emotions (especially when they are high) can make any reality look bleak. Escape the emotion by working at achieving your resolution. Eventually everything else you need will seem to resolve your resolution will just be in your path...there for the taking!

Transcending

We let so many things push us to our limits. The job, family and friends, negative chance interactions, and other stuff- if we let it- will send us on an emotional roller coaster. We've become addicted to watching television shows and listening to music that is extreme in one way or another, thinking that it doesn't affect us. The truth of the matter is that all of it does. Some things even push us beyond our limits. Depending on the situation, that push can be good for us or bad for us. We have to decide that which it is. This pushing, whether good or bad, is a form on transcension. We all are capable of transcending. We all in fact do it. The problem is that most of us do it unconsciously. We allow things to push us beyond our limits in ways that we don't like. More often than not, it's too late by the time we realize it to do something about it. Choosing your paths for transcension is one of the best things that you can do for yourself in this life. In fact, one of the best gifts that you have been blessed to use as a tool in this life is the ability to transcend. We are all capable of rising above our current circumstances to achieve something better. We can all transcend circumstance. We are all capable of giving and receiving the kind of love that is valuable and useful. We can all transcend a state of unloving. We can all escape the uneasiness we sometimes have in our mind and hearts. There is a way to transcend it. We can all stretch ourselves to be better...start now by stretching your mind and your heart beyond the thought that you can't do it. The second that you think, "I can", then you have! The next step, is to do it in every other area of your life--but do it for good. It won't always be easy, but it will always be worth it in the end.

A reason to love trees

As I look out my window this morning, there's a beautiful site. The leaves from a huge oak tree fall silently to the ground...These leaves, gorgeous in their reddish hues...tired and lifeless cover the grass, giving evidence that the fall season is upon us. The tree itself looks eerily different too. She's slimmed down quite a bit since it started to shed its leaves. There are no squirrels or chipmunks jumping about on her branches. She kind of looks as if she's taken a beating. But she's also still and firm. Where everything else around her is swaying too and fro, she's immovable. She's survived the loss of her leaves, and is now fighting for new life to be birthed from her branches. I've always felt like a tree. I've lost some, most, and even all of the leaves from my branches in past winters. But I've always recovered and new life has always sprang from my branches when the clouds lifted. There is one difference now than what was present before. That difference is now that I realize it happening, I can watch it materialize and be in awe of the power that makes it so.

Something new...

If you asked most people in the world if they liked to get new things, they would say, "Of course!" If you asked them, if they would like to try something new, then the percentage of yay-sayers would decrease to about half. If you asked them if they would like to work at something new, then the percentage of those who would say yes, lessens even more. Often, I've wondered why some people jump at the chance to try something new, and why others inherently hate the idea and cringe at the thought of it. After doing a little research, I found out what instinctively, I think I already knew: 1. Some people don't want to fail at something or look silly. 2. Some people can't always accurately calculate the risk in something. 3. Some people are comfortable with routine, they prefer what's normal. 4. Some people lack the knowledge and motivation to change, even if they want to. Many other things also come into play, such as cultural beliefs, influences from those we respect and admire, and most importantly our own perception of our abilities. We can overcome all of the challenges to change that were just mentioned. There is one simple answer to all of the aforementioned issues. The answer is to make a decision! Decide, that you're going to overcome your challenges, and then do it! In the world around us, there are scores of people out there who just took this advice. Doing so will force personal growth, will beat down fear, and will make the smell of success just that much sweeter! Become a yay-sayer today! Say yes to something positive and something new!

Show her that you love her

When a woman has been in an intimate relationship for some time, she wants to be sure that it's going somewhere special. No matter her age, a woman wants to be reassured that she is spending her time, giving the best of herself to someone who deserves it. She is always looking for reassurance that the man she's with loves her unconditionally. She wants to know that he will be there to support her. Help her when she needs it. Console her when she is hurting and to spend time with her strengthening their relationship. So how do women make themselves sure that a man loves her? She will judge him by his words and his actions. For all you men out there who want to know how a woman deems you to be a good enough specimen to share the best of themselves with, here's what you should be paying attention to with regards to your words and actions, because you can bet your bottom dollar that your special woman has tuned into these same things about you: 1. Be a man of your word. Do exactly what you say you will do. 2. Be open and honest about your feelings always! 3. Never say you love a woman, unless you intend to show it! 4. Be encouraging for her. 5. Put her first when she really needs you. 6. Be on time. 7. Don't overstate your knowledge or ability in any area. 8. Admit your mistakes. 9. Apologize properly when you make a mistake. 10.Be HONEST- At all times! 11. Don't just hear, LISTEN! 12. Be willing to compromise. These things don't require any money. They just require a little thoughtfulness. If you're a man who does not possess these qualities, then you have work to do! Work on putting some of these things into your half of the relationship. Because if you don't, you could lose a love that you didn't even know you were taking for granted, until it is too late!

Is this a sign from God?

Today, Sherry and a good friend was involved in an argument. The two people have a long history and recently their relationship has been very volatile. The person that Sherry was arguing with was making physical threats towards her and she felt that it was her duty to get to where this person was to start a physical altercation. Another friend of Sherry's tried very hard to get her to let go of the anger she had as a result of the argument. This friend, who also knew the person that Sherry was arguing with, reminded her of all of the things that this threatening person was capable of. Also, normally, Sherry is very resourceful. She never has any problems getting what she needs. Today, she felt that she needed to start this altercation. It didn't happen though because she couldn't get where she needed to go in order to make it possible. After listening for several minutes of Sherry's rants about not being able to make it, the friend who was with her asked her, "Do you think that your not being able to get to the fight destination, is a sign from God?" This question, stopped Sherry dead in her tracks! After thinking about it for some time, she calmed down and said, "Maybe it is." Sometimes God gives us signs that something is NOT good for us. Sherry would have been putting herself in a possible world of danger, if she had made it to her fight destination. She was concerned about people thinking that she was a door mat, if she didn't stand up for herself. She said that she was tired of being friends with the person that she was arguing with. If we let our emotions control us, then we would probably find Sherry's reasons to be the aggressor in a fight to be great ones for doing so. However, sometimes the best course of action to end a relationship we don't want anymore is to be silent. We should just end communication with a person and move on. Sometimes God will help us out, by keeping us from accomplishing something that will hurt us in the long run. Do you believe this is what happened with Sherry? It sure does make sense!