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Causes of Lack of Life Fulfillment

1. Drifting with circumstances, without definite aim or purpose
2. Meddlesome curiosity in connection with other peoples affairs; Gossip
3. Lack of self discipline, seen most often through excesses in eating, drinking and indifference towards opportunities for self advancement
4. Ill health caused by poor eating, lack of exercise, poor thinking
5. Lack of persistence
6. Desire for "something for nothing" - the unwillingness to put a real effort behind your wants
7. Lack of integrity with yourself
8. Running your life by one or more of the seven basic fears, instead of healthy actions
 9. Intolerance, judgement of others
10. Closed mindedness
11. Dishonesty
12. Lack of loyalty
13. Premature Cognitive Opinions based on need to control or ego
14. Not going extra mile in service
15. Lack of contribution
16. Desire for revenge, or time spent on taking revenge
17. Resentments
18. Refusal to change
19. Lack of belief in an infinite Source
20. Lack of prayer or mediation time
21. Greed for material possessions, especially those belonging to others
22. Need to control others
23. Procrastination
 24. Talking too much
 25. Not taking personal responsibility.
26. Lack of Thankfulness

Simply change these into the opposite and see new positive results in your life.

How do yo value yourself?

How often do you look to other people to tell you how good, creative, pretty or worthy you are?  Everyday countless people base their opinion of themselves on other people's judgments.

Recently Ellen DeGeneres celebrated her birthday. If you watch her show, then you are familiar with how often she encourages her viewers to participate in creative ways. Prior to her birthday, she asked her viewers to make a bust of her. Although I had never done anything like this before, it seemed like it could be fun.

I spent over 30 hours building my creation and when it was complete, I  felt proud of my accomplishment. I made her skin from the pages of her book. Well, it was photocopies of the pages, because I didn't want to tear apart a good book. Her hair, eyes, lashes, cheeks and lips were made from Halo kibble bags and canned food wrappers. Instead of stopping there, I placed her head  atop an actual functioning gravity flow cat food feeder and clothed it in a long-sleeved royal blue t-shirt complete with a hand painted ellen logo on the front. At the end of the sleeves, I created hands, again covered in pages from her book, and I fashioned her wedding ring from, the flip top of a Halo can.  This way, I wanted it to appear that she was offering a meal in her hands. Even my animal companions got involved. My dog, Tigger, "sorted" the supplies for me several times, and Merlin, the cat, tested the size of the box and even gave my completed project an affectionate sniff and rub.

On her show, Ellen also said that if she liked what she received then she would display it on her show. Because Federal Express is good at providing tracking information  I knew my gift was received several days before her birthday show.  Unfortunately, it wasn't displayed with the collection on her show and it isn't included in the gallery on her website. Based on her comment, she must not have liked what I created and sent to her. At this point, many will say that the giving of a gift is sufficient, which it is. Regardless of how she or anyone else may view a custom gift I give, the level of love in it's creation is still very real.

Have you ever had the experience when something that you offered or created, was not accepted or received with the same enthusiasm you had hoped? We all face surprises and disappointments every day. Many spiritual leaders will tell you to expect nothing, yet we all know that deep inside we are hoping for a positive result.

"The deepest desire of every living being is to be loved."

We have all experienced disappointments and times when others didn't see what we saw in our work; however, it's when we define ourselves by those disappointments or the opinions of others that we are losing who we really are.

"You are not who other people judge you to be and your value is not based on other person's acceptance."

When someone doesn't give you the praise you had hoped for, does that make your gesture or action of less value? Does it mean that you are of less value? Absolutely not! Many people place their value on the acceptance and opinion of others. They MUST be accepted in order to feel good about themselves, or the action they took. The truth is that regardless of someone else's opinion, your value is an inside job.

Disappointment is an honest emotion. If we look at the harmony of life, we have several natural emotions.  

Instead of attempting to ignore or kill off an emotion that has been given a bad label; or one that you don't enjoy the feeling, choose to embrace it instead. What can it teach you about yourself? What is it doing for you? What is this emotion doing that is working against you, or preventing you from accomplishing?

What's your story? Is it empowering you?

"We are defined by the stories we tell ourselves. Everyone of us has a story, we are all storytellers.

Does your story empowering you to maximize what God has given you, or is your story causing you to fall short?

How many have a limiting story in one area of your life, like you’re brilliant in one area and in another area you’re not doing so good, and you got a story. A story, a reason, an excuse. It might be legitimate by the way. Story doesn’t mean it’s not true. It just means continuing to focus on it will not empower you.

Steve Jobs, what’s his history, what’s his story? His story was he was born out of wedlock, he was given up as a child, but he was told by a neighbor girl that he was given up. He’s sitting on the grass, crying his eyes out because he knows he was given up. He was discarded. His parents saw him crying, they were good soul-full people. They didn’t have alot of resources, they had the ultimate resource - Love. They said “you were not discarded, we chose you.” That changed his life. His story became : “I’m chosen,- that’s a much better story. Now, by the way - which one is true? Whichever one you pick, is the one you’re gonna believe and the one you’re gonna live.

Biography is the furthest thing from destiny, your decisions are."

Notes from Tony Robbins on Oprah Life Class.

Which story are you telling yourself (and others) - Does your story empowering you to maximize what God has given you, or is your story causing you to fall short?

Are you paying attention?

In Washington, DC, at a Metro Station, on a cold January morning in 2007, this man with a violin played six Bach pieces for about 45 minutes. During that time, approximately 2,000 people went through the station, most of them on their way to work. After about 3 minutes, a middle-aged man noticed that there was a musician playing. He slowed his pace and stopped for a few seconds, and then he hurried on to meet his schedule.

About 4 minutes later: The violinist received his first dollar. A woman threw money in the hat and, without stopping, continued to walk.

At 6 minutes: A young man leaned against the wall to listen to him, then looked at his watch and started to walk again.

At 10 minutes: A 3-year old boy stopped, but his mother tugged him along hurriedly. The kid stopped to look at the violinist again, but the mother pushed hard and the child continued to walk, turning his head the whole time. This action was repeated by several other children, but every parent - without exception - forced their children to move on quickly.

At 45 minutes: The musician played continuously. Only 6 people stopped and listened for a short while. About 20 gave money but continued to walk at their normal pace. The man collected a total of $32.

After 1 hour: He finished playing and silence took over. No one noticed and no one applauded. There was no recognition at all.

No one knew this, but the violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the greatest musicians in the world. He played one of the most intricate pieces ever written, with a violin worth $3.5 million dollars. Two days before, Joshua Bell sold-out a theater in Boston where the seats averaged $100 each to sit and listen to him play the same music.

This is a true story. Joshua Bell, playing incognito in the D.C. Metro Station, was organized by the Washington Post as part of a social experiment about perception, taste and people's priorities.

This experiment raised several questions:

*In a common-place environment, at an inconvenient hour, do we perceive beauty?

*If so, do we stop to appreciate it?

*Do we recognize talent in an unexpected context?

One possible conclusion reached from this experiment could be this:

If we do not have a moment to stop and listen to one of the best musicians in the world, playing some of the finest music ever written, with one of the most beautiful instruments ever made, how many other things are we missing as we rush through life?

Enjoy life NOW .. it has an expiration date.

Pastor's Ass

The pastor entered his donkey in a race and it won.

The pastor was so pleased with the donkey that he entered in another race and it won again.

The local paper read:

PASTOR'S ASS OUT FRONT.

The Bishop was so upset with this kind of publicity that he ordered the pastor not to enter the donkey in any more races.

The next day the local paper headline read:

BISHOP SCRATCHES THE PASTOR'S ASS.

This was too much for the Bishop, so he ordered the pastor to get rid of the donkey.

The pastor decided to give it to a nun in a nearby convent.

The local paper, hearing of the news, Posted the following headline:

NUN HAS THE BEST ASS IN TOWN.

The Bishop fainted. He informed the nun that she would have to get rid of the donkey so she sold it to a farmer for $10.

The next day the headlines read:

NUN SELLS ASS FOR $10.

This was too much for the Bishop, so he ordered the nun to buy back the donkey and lead it to the high plains where it could run free.

The next day the headlines read:

NUN ANNOUNCES HER ASS IS WILD AND FREE.

Alas The Bishop was buried the next day.

MORAL OF THE STORY???

Being concerned about public opinion can bring you much grief and misery and even shorten your life.

So, be yourself and enjoy life.

Stop worrying about everyone else's ass and you'll live longer.


:)

Who Matters

Its Darkest Before Dawn

its darkest before dawn
so remember
when you are driven
to the depths of despair
when life seems
lacklustre,
colourless
hopless, and
beyond repair,
theres going to be a new morn.

bright

promising
lit with the warm rays of hope,
another tomorrow,

that brings with it
fresh endeavour,
determination
and a means to cope,
you can draw on inner strength
stretch your courage to a new length
He's given you hard times....but remember
its darkest before dawn,
so persevere,
always revere,
his master strokes,
his weilding of the baton,
no more sorrow,
a gradual elation,
a peace within
a knowing,
theres going to be,
a grand showing,
and you will be left speechless,
and you will wonder,
what tore my faith asunder?
and you will repent
and you will surrender,
to Him, your protector,
your guide,
He will make those feelings subside,
and reaffirm your faith,
in the fact,
that its darkest before dawn...
so hold tight.....
dont falter,
watch him alter
the path of life
which seems meaningless today
will be lit up aong a new way
hold fast and pray,
for remember...
its darkest before dawn.
seek and you will find,
he is so forgiving and so kind,
dont be swayed by
lifes ups and downs
change into smiles
all those sighs and frowns,
because remember
its darkest before dawn.

~ Arti Chopra
More poems by Arti Chopra

You Are Awesome, Unique and Amazing

Like everyone else, every year I receive several of the same Holiday messages and blessings. Many of these are Powerpoint presentations, videos or poems created by someone else and forwarded over and again.

Some of these messages are wonderful and incite feelings of love and compassion, which to me, is the gift of this season.

One message that floats around during every holiday tells you to compare yourself to others. Such as: If you have (certain things in your life), that someone else doesn’t have …. you should be grateful (that you are not them, have more then them, are doing better off than them, etc).

This message troubles me and as explanation I offer the following:

An excerpt from my recent book on Gratitude:

Dr. Robert A. Emmons, A UC Davis psychologist, conducted a 10 week research in the psychology of gratitude. In one of his studies the participants were asked to list what they were grateful for compared to what they weren’t happy about in their lives. In another study they were asked to list what they were grateful for where thought they were better off than others.

The results showed that those who expressed gratitude without comparing themselves as “better than” were significantly happier than those making comparisons between themselves and others.

From another study at USC on self esteem:

A dangerous silent damage to your feelings of self worth is created and intensified when you compare yourself to being better off or more successful, or more of anything than someone else. By practicing the habit of comparison when you are feeling happy with yourself or your life, you are establishing the foundation for feelings of lack of self worth when you don’t measure up to any comparison in the future. The inherent problem with this habit is that then takes considerably more effort to repair your feeling of lack which can contribute to difficulty in regaining levels of success in chosen areas of your life. A person who can see their unique qualities, success and strengths without the need to compare themselves to anyone other than themselves are found to be emotionally stronger when facing difficult decisions and occurrences.

I wish you all the Happiest of Holidays because YOU are awesome, unique and amazing.

This year, if you see yourself in the mirror wearing a brand new outfit - remember a time when you didn't or couldn't afford one - and be grateful to yourself that you now can give this or accept this for yourself.

This year, as you look into the eyes of a loved one, remember a time when you felt unloved, and be grateful to yourself that you opened your heart to love.

This year, when you take a deep breath of fresh air, remember a time when you felt ill or suffered a disease in your body - and be grateful to yourself for your opportunity to take a deep breath today.

Can you find other areas of your life where you were once without something important in your life, and now your life has changed where this is now present? Be grateful to yourself.

Compare yourself only to yourself and be grateful.

Wishing you PEACE as this year ends; HOPE as the new year begins and LOVE of family and friends.

Make Every Day Count

Written by an 83-year-old woman to her friend:

I'm reading more and dusting less. I'm sitting in the yard and admiring the view without fussing about the weeds in the garden.

I'm spending more time with my family and friends and less time working. Whenever possible, life should be a pattern of experiences to savor, not to endure. I'm trying to recognize these moments now and cherish them.

I'm not "saving" anything; we use our good china and crystal for every special event such as losing a pound, getting the sink unstopped, or the first Amaryllis blossom. I wear my good blazer to the market.

My theory is if I look prosperous, I can shell out $28.49 for one small bag of groceries. I'm not saving my good perfume for special parties, but wearing it for clerks in the hardware store and tellers at the bank.

"Someday" and "one of these days" are losing their grip on my vocabulary. If it's worth seeing or hearing or doing, I want to see and hear and do it now.

I'm not sure what others would've done had they known that they wouldn't be here for the tomorrow that we all take for granted. I think they would have called family members and a few close friends. They might have called a few former friends to apologize and mend fences for past squabbles. I like to think they would have gone out for a Chinese dinner, or for whatever their favorite food was. I'm guessing; I'll never know.

It's those little things left undone that would make me angry if I knew my hours were limited. Angry because I hadn't written certain letters that I intended to write one of these days. Angry and sorry that I didn't tell my husband and parents often enough how much I truly love them. I'm trying very hard not to put off, hold back, or save anything that would add laughter and luster to our lives.

And every morning when I open my eyes, tell myself that it is special.

Every day, every minute, every breath truly is a gift.

Everyone is a genius.....

You are significant

We ourselves feel that what we are doing is just a drop in the ocean. But the ocean would be less because of that missing drop.
~ Mother Teresa

Keeping in touch

Sometimes, we wonder why friends keep forwarding stuff to us and many times without writing a word.

A person explained it this way:

When you are very busy, but still want to keep in touch, guess what you do?
You forward emails.

When you have nothing to say, but still want to keep contact, you forward jokes.

When you have something to say, but don't know what, you forward stuff.

A 'forward' is intended to let you know that you are still remembered, you are still important, you are still cared for.

So, next time if you get a 'forward', don't think that you've been sent just another forwarded joke, but that you've been thought of today and your friend on the other end of your computer wanted to send you a smile.

Hmmmmm........

Is this true for you?

How did you SEE your world today?

Some people woke this morning seeing their world as a list of tasks to be done

Some people viewed their world as what they were planning to do today and the next few days

Some people experienced their world in the results of the choices and actions they were making today (and some of the choices and actions from previous days)

Some people felt the weight of their world from their worries, regrets and grudges

Some people saw their world through the news they read and watched, and felt a day of anger, frustration and lost hope

Some people saw their world as the same as always

Some people saw their world as ever evolving

Some people saw their world through their vision for their future, and chose actions in line with that vision.

Some people saw their world as full of opportunities and doors opening for them

Everyone sees their world through their own internal and physical eyes. How did you SEE your world today?

"It is what it is" - or is it?

This is one of those phrases that is becoming part of some people's everyday vernacular.

Do you use it?

Do you dislike it?

What does it mean to you?

And how is it working for you?

Please share, we all learn from each other.

Repaying Gratitude

One can never pay in gratitude;
one can only pay "in kind" somewhere else in life.”
~ Anne Morrow ~

Shortly after reading this quote it was made clearer in my life by two separate incidents, and two different friends.

I needed some assistance in solving an important problem. I had run out of ideas, and it was more than I could handle by myself. I asked several people for assistance, with different replies and reasons why they could not help. At the 11th hour, I was blessed when someone I least expected stepped out of her own comfort zone to help me. It wasn’t a simple solution either. We met several obstacles, and she never gave up. She was committed to help until the problem was solved. I am deeply grateful to my friend for making my day end better than it started and I consciously look for ways I can repay this kindness to her. However, because I was feeling so much Gratitude for her kindness and friendship, a situation a few days later allowed me to pay it forward.

One morning after my meditation, another friend popped into my mind. We had recently emailed each other a few times about getting together soon and catching up. The urge to contact her immediately was very strong, so instead of emailing her, I called. She answered the phone with, “I sure needed to hear your voice right now.” Her car had broken down the day before at a location almost 100 miles away from home. She had spent the entire morning making efforts to find a way to get her car towed to its mechanic. The possibilities she could come up with, were costly, so she was concerned about how she would pay for getting her car moved on top of the mechanics charges to fix the car. She had even placed a call to her ex-husband, who took the opportunity to criticize her, which only added to her feelings of helplessness and frustration. She had just finished crying when her phone rang and my name appeared on the caller ID. She told me her dilemma, and my first response was to offer her the use of my Auto Club Card. As I had extended the mile towing service included on my membership, her car could be towed for free. All she had to do was call my Auto Club Card and set up the appointment to meet them at her car and have it towed to her mechanic. When we met for lunch so I could give her my Auto Club Card, I told her about what happened the day before, and I thanked her for the opportunity to pay it forward.

Sometimes we find ourselves in need of assistance and at other times in the place where we can give it. Sometimes paying it forward can be done anonymously.

Think about a time in your life when you needed assistance or support through a difficult time or event.

Take a few minutes to write a list of a few of those.

Then look at each one again, and see if you can find the connections where you were given the opportunity to pay it forward.

And then write how it made you feel, both receiving and giving.

Excerpt from The "G: Spot, the ecstasy of Gratitude
ISBN #978-0981523859
All rights reserved, Self Investment Publishing

Book Information.

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What Makes A Dad

God took the strength of a mountain,
The majesty of a tree,
The warmth of a summer sun,
The calm of a quiet sea,
The generous soul of nature,
The comforting arm of night,
The wisdom of the ages,
The power of the eagle's flight,
The joy of a morning in spring,
The faith of a mustard seed,
The patience of eternity,
The depth of a family need,
Then God combined these qualities,
When there was nothing more to add,
He knew His masterpiece was complete,
And so, He called it ... "DAD!"

...Author Unverified

Happy Fathers Day

Learning Success - your personal style

Are you aware that we all have a different learning style. Some children and adults learn certain things faster and different. Some of us like visuals, like text and images; and others respond to hearing it over and again. some of us learn better when learning feels like play and others like to hunker down and stay focused for long periods of time. You could be someone who learns best when you're left alone to your owns schedule alone and others respond better when they are in organized teams.

Attempting to force everyone to learn the exact same way can actually be harmful to our learning process and maybe our self esteem.

Most of us have childhood memories of school. Some can recall great teachers who inspired them to learn and grow. Other adults can remember times as a child in school, when they just "couldn't get it", or worse, when they were punished for learning too easy.

I was one of the "learning too easily" kids who looked forward to school. For a few years anyway. I was constantly reading and wanting to know the answers. And then I would be excited when I knew I had learned it and I wanted to share my knowledge and assistance with anyone who would listen. Unfortunately I do have memories of elementary school where I felt like Hermoine in Harry Potter. I would get excited and raise my hand, but then be told to put it down and wait for the other kids to learn. It seemed they were getting the attention for not learning and I was being punished. My excitement for learning waned. Fortunately in middle school, someone noticed my quick learning and place me in advanced learning classes where I could again be challenged and stimulated to learn.

Today, we are more aware of the differences in our personalities, motivations and learning styles. How we are taught as children can effect us into adulthood.

For years I have advocated for self investment rather than self-improvement. When we focus on improving ourselves, we are condemning ourselves for where we are, instead of seeing that our behaviors are separate from who we are. We are doing the best we can with what we know, and what we have to work with - at that time. With different tools, training, experiences and mentors we may learn now ways of thinking and behaving. We may then make different choices that will then provide us with different results. Our thinking is changing, our actions are changing, and therefore our results must change.

I like sharing introductions to people who assist us in investing in ourselves.

This week, I met wonderful woman who saw the need to assist our children and us as adults in our learning so we can create the results we desire, whether learning the answers in school or achieving our goals. I'd like to introduce you to Mariaemma Pelullo-Willis. She developed a powerful solution to our learning profiles and started Learning Success Institute. She offers tools for students that help them learn through their personal learning style, plus tools for teachers and parents. And for those of us who are now adults and need the re-learning she offers workshops and consultations.

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AUTHOR:
As a Solutions Consultant, Sumner Davenport works in harmony with her clients to assist them in discovering solutions, not just answers to achieve their goals.

She reminds people that Your "Self " is not what has happened to you and not who other people judge your "Self " to be, and your "Self " worth is not based on other persons' acceptance.

As a best selling author, Sumner is sought after as a speaker and is quoted often. One of her quotes was voted to be included in the Top 10 Healthy Thoughts of 2007. Her greatest passion is seeing people live the life of their dreams while assisting others to do the same.

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The world is demanding an apology for the NON-Rapture?

Today I heard that the world is demanding an apology from Rev.Camping who erroneously predicted the Rapture for May21st.


I currently live in this world and I'm not interested in any apology. And I'm curious why the "world" wants one?


His followers may need an explanation and/or an apology. And he may have some 'splainin to do, for the man who spent his life savings on publicity. However, the news stations seem to enjoy filling the airwaves with stories as they reported them several times a day, which drew an audience for their advertisers. Comedians had new content, and several companies made money from billboards to promotional items, including the After-the-Rapture t-shirts.

For some people I talked with, this was a wake up call of sorts. If they knew for sure the day they were going to leave the planet, would it change how they are living today? Are they living each day to its fullest and with integrity? Does that reminder need an apology?


Namaste'

Rapture is in each day.

Here we are today after the declaration, by one very dedicated man, that yesterday was going to be the"Rapture", the last day on earth. I awoke to birds singing, a cool overcast day with a peek of sun rays through the clouds and fresh air.


This event is both sad and admirable.

It is admirable that a person can have such commitment to their faith, that even in the face of ridicule and taunting, that they will stay. This small group of people made headlines not only for the prediction, but also for their commitment to their beliefs.  Many people poked fun and others claimed he was embarrassing a larger group of people.

Whether it's religion, politics, opinions, choices or ways of living, countless people recant their alleged commitments in the first whiff of nonacceptance. Others deflect, become defensive and argumentative when faced with opposition of any kind.

The sad part is not that the predication didn't come true, it's about how people quit living. It was reported that some people ran up huge credit card debt with expensive gifts and vacations for themselves. Others gave up on their dreams. Some quit college and families quit their jobs to sit home and read scripture or pass out fliers. They survived off of their credit and meager savings, perfectly planned, so they wouldn't have anything left on earth when the day arrived.

Although dictionary.com defines Rapture as: " the carrying of a person to another place or sphere of existence" and this is a term used by many Christians regarding the second-coming of their Savior; it is also defined as: "ecstatic joy or delight; joyful ecstasy".

Many people have ceased living their lives everyday. Some of those who were waiting for yesterday, stopped their dreams or contributions to society. Each day, others are going through the motions of living, waiting for some future unforetold date. And countless people who have no belief in this thought at all, also fail to live in the moments of each day. The potential for rapture within each day is lost in the worry, guilt, judgment and plans only for the "sometime in the future", whether that's the spiritual rapture, marriage, weight loss, the perfect job...etc.... For some, the afterlife is where Heaven is, and that is all they can think about and live for, and they cease to live out the heavenly moments and rapturous potential in every day.

Some people were ready for the end of this life because they wanted out; and others were ready because they had lived each day to the fullest and believe they had completed their purpose.

Which one are you? Are you committed to your beliefs in yourself and your worthiness to have all the goodness that each day has to offer.  And if that daily rapture potential isn't readily apparent, you can make find it or make it?


Namaste'