Thought for The Day - Input - Output

Expand 18 x 24 pastels

We falsely believe we are in control of our lives. We think we have the tools to manage our day-to-day tasks. But the truth is we are surrounded by millions of points of reference. Input if you will, that influence and in some cases, command control over our lives.

What you say can influence others. Choose words wisely. But what you feel, especially the charged, heated emotions sits below the surface and given the opportunity - an individual available for dumping - we spew out angry words as if it were our birthright! So, while we choose words wisely when we are calm and thinking "rationally," we relinquish control, usually on an innocent loved one. What follows for many, are apologies and promises to "never do it again" or "do better" next time.

We are influenced, we store in our heart and mind both encouraging and destructive thoughts and emotions. In a polite society, we find it necessary to remain in control, but give us the room and the space and emotions and attitudes run out of control!

So who are we? Are we in control or reckless, harmful creatures of nature? We are both; and when we learn to harness our attitudes, our fears and our love, we become vessels of glory and honor for God.

Thought for The Day - Drip!

That's how it begins,

A drip

Small

Singular

A notion

An idea

An intention

Soon

Another

And Another

And Another

Before you know it

The number and actions that result from that single drop, that single thought, are too numerous to tell! And you are well on your way to a life worth living!

Thought for The Day - Look before

You leap
You dance
You cross the street

Caution, attentiveness, aware, measuring your surroundings. Certainly, you may change your mind when you consider the risk. But isn't it better to be "safe than sorry?"

Life is full of risks and and chances. I couldn't tell you how many times I've watched people walking the street, face in their phone, heading toward a crossing! And the number of drivers I observe looking down at a phone makes driving a riskier venture. People jump into relationships without any thought for their feelings or without knowing who the other person is. And in our society, we always put money before nearly everything else! We will take a job - or try to get in a field - based on the expected income.

As opposed to concentrating on what's going on around you, to be cautious, spend an equal amount of time examining your motives, desires and expectations. What trends do you blindly follow because "everyone else is doing it?" Every person has an "inner compass," a self-identified gauge that will point them in the right direction; ignoring it is what puts most of us in harm's way. Open your eyes and look at your real motives and desires; that's where you will find your path and your peace!

Thought for The Day - Dream Dust

Fine and light, like talcum powder, there's enough for everyone! Funny thing: a little bit is all you need! We are fooled into thinking there's only room at "the top" for a few, but maybe the top isn't where you should be aiming. Maybe you just need to live your life to the fullest, to the furthest point of your imagination!

Take a little of this dust and sprinkle it on the one thing you've always wanted to do or be. Now turn the object around in your hand (your mind) over and over. Pick it up and consider each day, until it is glowing and glossy, like well polished mahogany furniture. Over and over again until your reflection greets you as you approach it each day. At some point, that "one thing" will be realized; the dream becomes reality!

Another great quality about this dust is it can be applied everywhere! Because it isn't your dreams only that need to see the light of day. There are ideas, plans hopes and wishes that you have yet to put into practice. Of course, it may be advisable to place a parameter or two around these goals. Someone else's property or spouse or significant other, should be considered off-limits. And when it comes to relationships, don't limit yourself on the ones that are taken; there is more than enough available people to go around! Just don't give up your hopes of being connected with someone!

Okay, you have a handful of this stuff: go, sprinkle and dream!

Thought for The Day - In an Instant

Like grains of sand, our thoughts and sensations occur, in an instant. We are seeing hearing, feeling, tasting and analyzing. We are thinking, reasoning, doubting, hoping, losing and winning, all in an instant. We evaluate, judge, discern, condemn, self-correct and self-deprecate, in an instant. This amazing mass of energy, housed in this mass of flesh! It's capacity to guide, direct, to love and hate is limitless!

In a moment, we are capable of changing the direction of our lives. While "external stimuli" may guide our steps, so often, the true inspiration is internal, in our hearts and mind. When we are certain our lives will continue in "this way," something tragic or glorious comes along and we have a new reason to live! And that new direction, while it seems to come out of "nowhere," it was always there, inside you. You may not have welcomed the interruption to your mundane life, but in the long run, you will appreciate the shift, because you took hold of the reigns of your life and turned it around! 

The best planning, the best education and intentions...in an instant...

Thought for The Day - The Power of Thought

It is happening now; this very moment, even as you read this, multiple emotions, calculations, memories and plans are simultaneously running through your head. I've heard it said we use our brain - if at all - for little things, but my point would be: It's getting used. It is never idle.

The plans and intentions of our thoughts, of where we want to be - whether it is content with "now" or some other place - can determine your footsteps. But I think many would be surprised to trace their thoughts back to a feeling, an emotion or a dream. There are those lingering impressions that happened a while back that shape our present and future and help determine what makes us happy.

Where ever you are at the moment, what ever is going on in your life, it is not the end. Whether you are content or the opposite, consider what you want your life to be. It all begins with a thought, a notion and where goes is up to you.

Thought for The Day - Hasty

"Desire without knowledge is not good - how much more will hasty feet miss the way!" Proverbs 19:2 NIV

We are perpetually in a rush! There are few who are exceptions to this phrase. We are on the go, chasing after stuff and people. Our four year old car is no longer adequate, we MUST get another. Our clothes are last year's style; there are new clothes to be had. And electronics? At an average price of $200, we are prone to tossing out phones, televisions and computers every two years! We want what we want, except we aren't really sure why.

To the destruction of ourselves and those around us, we rush, lead by needs and desires that really won't satisfied. So what do we do? How do we put "knowledge" to use rather than being lead around by our desire? Consider professional athletes, dancers, and accomplished actors. Their success isn't made in minutes or hours, it is the result of years of hard work and discipline. It is practicing while others are asleep, it's waiting patiently for opportunities, all the while pressing for an open door to display their talents. The same goes for any person, celebrity or not, who desires something worthwhile and long lasting. Dedication, hard work and a clear vision of what can be achieved. That's how we build rich and vital lives.

Thought for The Day - Tip of The Iceberg

Well they are almost gone; apparently the temperatures of the world have gotten to a point that the icebergs floating in climates that were cool to cold, have melted away. But the idea that a mound, or mountain of water, frozen for hundreds of years, floating around like a mobile mountain fascinated us! And the saying "it's just the tip of the iceberg" was apparently true. Though they were taller than most ships, what floated beneath the surface was far deeper and larger! Impressive, awesome and potentially deadly. Here's a thought: perhaps the world's water supply is "improved" with the melting of the glaciers. Maybe the minerals and elements stored there are released into the water and sea creatures have a fighting chance against man's greed. Just a thought.

"Tip of the Iceberg"... What lies beneath the surface is far more than meets the eye! You and I my friend! When you consider what lies beneath your surface, what comes to mind? What emotion, reasoning or attitude comes to mind? Do you imagine yourself as damaged, worthless, happy, joyous, introspective (which can be "good" or "bad") or outgoing? I recall years ago, a young lady declared in Sunday school class I taught: "I don't trust nobody!" She said it with such conviction and emotion, that immediately I felt there was far more to those four words. My fellow teacher said, "You have to trust someone; you can't live in this world without trusting people." Both were right in that moment, but here's my point: that young lady, in that moment, pulled up painful memories where an expectation wasn't met, a desire left unfulfilled by someone who should be in a position to meet. Isn't that our lives at any given time?

What is unseen defines what is seen. I quoted the song a few weeks ago and it bears repeating:

"Row, row, row your boat,
Gently down the stream,
Merrily, merrily, merrily,
Life is but a dream..."

My friend, we put a great deal of emphasis into what is visible and perhaps we should. But understand, what is seen springs from a world we don't perceive. Our thoughts, the very fabric of the universe is made of far more elements than our science world has yet to discover! Truthfully, it's not in the realm of science to define everything; some things have to be perceived through belief and faith. And no matter your relationship to the community of faith, one would be hard put to refute the many examples of "some thing coming out of nothing."

Be, my friend. Be.

Thought for The Day - It's Not The Shoes

There was a series of Nike commercials during the late 80's early 90's, where Michael Jordan is repeatedly asked by Mars, a character from the movie "She's Gotta Have It," and played by Spike Lee. Mars repeatedly asks Michael if his ability to play basketball so well is attributed to his shoes, or his jersey or anything other than Michael's own prowess and discipline. And so it is with most of us; we want to believe the "power" and capability has been magically transferred or originates from our food, shoes or our body. We also blame the same for our feelings of pain: "all this preprocessed food is killing us," yet we never stop eating it or if we do, we're back to it "every now and then."

I bought a pair of shoes nearly a year ago, specifically designed to be lighter and provide cushioning for my feet. I bought them for the daily commute to work and to feel comfortable as I walked around the office; business dress shoes can be restricting, though stylish. The shoes are comfortable and can feel like I've got room to grow, but there are times when it seems my feet are "rolling around" in the shoes and I'm uncomfortable wearing them. What I decided is "it's not the shoes." It isn't the corporate setting where the shoes are worn; there are people there and in similar offices who want to be there and for various reasons. It's not the uneven pavement or slant of one of the streets that make me uncomfortable; it's my own thoughts and feelings.

Now, as I mentioned in the posting "Pesky Little Things," the sense of discomfort can be a good thing; it could be your psyche's way of telling you to keep reaching for "better things." We want better, we want our time here in this world to mean something and when that isn't happening, rather than settle for 'less,' it is our tendency to express angst with our situation. But by all means, when the "pesky," miserable life you live is getting to you, go find the world you long for, but keep in mind: "it's not the shoes..."

Thought for The Day - Pesky Little Things

The Beginning of... 18 x 24 pastels

Those annoying little noises, habits and distractions. "I wish they would stop making that noise!" "Somebody needs to do something about ______!" We all have those things and people in our lives and in those moments of frustration, we wish those things would go away! But maybe, perhaps, it could be the problem isn't the noise, the habit or the person; maybe it's you who is the problem. OR the solution!

We are often the the author of our trouble; we know this already in the sense that we have bad habits, crazy thoughts and the like. But switch gears for a second; maybe what we are so accustomed to expressing is our frustration and we should switch to is the voicing our desires! Believe me, your desire isn't for "them" to "stop making that noise," it's for your own thoughts to be clearer and for there to exist in your life a sense of peace and harmony. Truthfully, we are so out of touch with what we want, our lives filled with things we don't, we lose sight of real desires.

The real? That sense of self exists beneath all the fears, reminders of loss and the latest "breaking news." Spend some time and not just today, getting to the core of who you are and the genuine desires within.

Thought for The Day - Treasure

It is there; beneath the surface, somewhere, out of range of sight and beyond reach. It is there.

Time and difficulty have hidden it; as children we could see it clearly. And maybe before we could say much more than 'mam' or 'daddy' we understood it perfectly. Funny thing about living in this world: some seem to have a natural drive to stay in pursuit and utilize that treasure; others, well we go to factories, offices and retail stores, hoping if we work with others, 'it' will somehow pop-up. We think, if we are dutiful, obedient and follow the pattern of the minions, we will be rewarded for our good efforts.

For me, its creativity and desire to see the world in a brighter light. It's a desire to see lives rich and beautiful. It's a hope that we can live side-by-side with one another and our every effort to one another builds the whole of humanity. But I sit in an office; I'm that second group of people, hoping somehow it will "pop-up."

Internally, I am in pursuit, but externally, I am a faceless cog in the wheel of the corporate machine.

Thought for The Day - Larger than Life

Or "larger than the life we live." We really are larger than our experiences; the ones we've had, the ones we wished for and those that shrank our world. By the latter, I mean hurts that made us retreat from aspirations that brightened our waking moments. Everyone has dreams; we all have had those moments or times when we said "I would love to ________." And we might sit for a minute or two, imagining our lives as ______. But what prevented you? It's usually a series of events not just one big one. It is definitely a condition of this world to have one's vision challenged and if anything to suffer from blindness.

But again, our possibility is greater than 8-5 job, pre-fabricated homes and artificial healthcare. As a mater of fact, a continuous practice of reaching, trying and some if not all of the Divinely Inspired dreams can be ours!

You know, I have tried a few times to succeed. I have failed just as I sensed I was breaking through to the life I wanted. I have watched with envy the success others have achieved. I have followed many schemes and plans, chasing after a life of influence. There are many times, I want to give up and head for an early grave. Yeah it gets that bad for me. But that DREAM will not die! When I try to quiet, it appears as an ache or complaint about something as trivial as the bad "office coffee." But I've learned this much about me, that when I feel miserable and abandoned, it's time to dream and plan again. Doubt is a cloud that always hovers in the distance or over head; but I can't give up.