Take Action...

"Take Action...The antidote to worry is action, Do something! As you begin to focus on doing, you will get results and a new perspective on your situation. No matte how large or small the problem, it's important not to take on the whole thing. Break it down into smaller, more manageable pieces. Don't become anxious, worried or frustrated. See your problems as friends to help you expand your critical thinking capability. Also, remember problems do not come to stay, they come to pass." ~ Aloha, Wally

Don’t Let Bitterness Take Root

Years ago, there was a terrible outbreak of disease in a tiny village in a remote part of Africa. Both children and adults were getting sick with nausea. Several weeks passed, and the sickness became widespread, and people started dying. Word of the disease reached the main city in that area, and experts were dispatched to try to figure out what was causing the problem. They soon discovered the water was contaminated.  The village was getting its water supply from a mountain stream that was fed from a spring, so the experts decided to trek upstream and hopefully find the source of pollution. They traveled for days and finally came to the mouth of the stream. But on the surface they found nothing wrong. Puzzled they decided to send some divers down to search as closely to the spring's opening as possible. 

What they found shocked the experts.  A large mother pig and her baby piglets were wedged right at the opening of the spring. Evidently they had fallen in, drowned and somehow got stuck there. Now all that crystal-clear, pure mountain springwater was being contaminated as it flowed past the decomposing remains of the dead pigs. In no time after the divers were able to remove the dead pigs, the water begin to flow clean and pure again.

In our lives, something similar takes place. We all have negative things happened to us. Maybe last week, last month, or ten to twenty years ago somebody hurt us. Too often instead of lettings it go and giving it to God, we’ve held on to it. We haven't forgiven, and just as those pigs soured that crystal-clear water, our own lives have become contaminated. The Root of bitterness has taken hold.

Worse yet, after a while, we accept it. We make room in our hearts for that bitterness; we learn to live with it. "Well, I am just an angry person. That’s just my personality. I am always like this. I'm always bitter. This is who I am".

No, with all due respect, that’s not who you are. You need to get rid of the poison that is polluting your life.  You were made to be a crystal-clear stream. God created you in His image.  He wants you to be happy, healthy, and whole.  God wants you to enjoy life to the full, not to live with bitterness and resentment, polluted and putrefied yourself and contaminating everyone else with whom you have influenced.

Imagine yourself as a crystal-clear stream.  It doesn’t matter how polluted the stream may be right now, or how muddy or murky the water may look in your life today.  If you’ll begin to forgive the people who have offended you, and release all those hurts and pains, that bitterness will leave and you’ll begin to see that crystal-clear water once again.  You’ll begin to experience the joy, peace, and freedom God intended you to have.

~ Joel Osteen

You are NEVER alone. Love envelopes you on ALL sides. YOU ARE LOVE!

I received this message from a dear friend today…it has such a beautiful message that can speak to each of us, regardless of what we are going through.  I hope that it lifts you as much as it did for me. Peace, Love and Blessings!

"Choose to see the exquisiteness of your life as it is right now. Even if things aren't going as you had planned, even though you haven't found your Soul Mate yet, in spite of the fact that you still need to drop that last 50lbs and even if you feel completely alone, it is ALL PERFECTION.

And remind yourself, you are NEVER alone. Love envelopes you on ALL sides. YOU ARE LOVE. You can connect to your Source anytime you want or need to. There is comfort. There is peace. And there are most assuredly MIRACLES waiting to be summoned into your life.

CELEBRATE where and who you are RIGHT NOW in THIS MOMENT!! I don't know about you but I am ready. I have my paint brush in hand and I'm excited about creating the masterpiece of my life. All of the "lack" that my mind and eyes have been focused on simply created more lack and the fact is that it is simply an illusion. I choose to redirect my energy and mind towards the truth which is that there is nothing that I lack. Everything I want and need surrounds me in this very moment and it's up to ME to manifest it all. The emptiness, loneliness, and frustration that you feel is simply an illusion.

Make the decision to live your ideal life as much as you possibly can RIGHT now in this moment. Sit in peace right where you are and summon the miracles. Appreciate what you have now and where you are and I promise you the doors will open, ideas will come, a way will be made, and MIRACLES WILL RAIN DOWN"!

Change is a blessing that I am learning to enjoy...

“The key to change... is to let go of fear. ~ Rosanne Cash

 Change is a blessing that I am learning to enjoy each and every day.  I thank my creator for the gift of change. Without change, I would never grow, learn new things, accomplish my goals and dreams, cultivate healthy relationships or look forward to anything different at all.  Even though I struggle with change sometimes, I am learning to enjoy its possibilities.  Change is a blessing that comes with the power of choice. I can choose to leave things the way they are, or change them to something better.  Each day brings its share of changes and I choose to welcome them all and enjoy the opportunities that come my way.

I love who I am...

(photo credit: favim.com)

Regardless of my imperfections or my past, I can accomplish wonderful things. Everywhere I go, my light shines bright. I love to encourage, edify and support those around me. I take pleasure in using the gifts and talents from my Creator. Every intricate part of me was uniquely hand crafted ~ I love who I am.  Regardless of my circumstances I can find happiness, contentment and pleasure in every area of my life. 

"We can always choose to perceive things differently. You can focus on what’s wrong in your life or you can focus on what’s right." ~ Marianne Williamson

Be Mindful of Your Health...

 “You’re never fully dressed without a smile.” ~ Martin Charnin

I pride myself on taking pretty good care of me. I swim regularly, I’m careful what I eat and I take my vitamins daily. I maintain a strong support network. I stay intellectually engaged and connected to my community by not shutting myself away.

Each day I wake up happy to be alive.

This philosophy didn’t happen overnight. I have always been a naturally optimistic person. That’s probably the influence of my Aunt Della who helped raise me.  She was a strong believer in pushing away the negativity and focusing on what you can do in life.

One of the things I can do is to be mindful of my health, both above and below my neck. I try to pay attention to how I treat others as well as how others treat me. I’m not perfect, but I try to be kind while still being responsible. If I let someone take advantage of me, that doesn’t make me feel good about myself. I can’t take the best care of my business or my loved ones if I don’t feel good, both inside and out.

So I air my feelings, rather than keeping them bottled up inside. But I do so in a way that is positive and non-judgmental. I make room for the possibility that someone else might have a better idea.

I take time every day to relax. Relaxation improves the mind, helps the body heal, and is so much healthier than stress and tension.

I read to children.

And, finally, I never forget to laugh, especially at myself. After all, laughter really is the best medicine, don’t you think?

What do you do to keep yourself healthy?

Written by Wally Amos

Grow Through Life Experiences

“When you are going through hell, do not stop to take pictures”. I firmly believe the thing we must do is learn to GROW through our life experiences. Extract the lessons and insert them into our future experiences. We are still a work in progress. “When you pray, move your feet” Leave the pity party behind and get on with your life. BE POSITIVE REGARDLESS!! ~ Wally Amos

(photo credit: favim.com)

Three Letter Words

(photo credit: favim.com)

There is one three letter word that I refuse to use.  That word is “try.”  If I had my way, it would be removed from the English language.

When we use the word “try,” even in our heads, we’re giving ourselves unconscious permission to fail.  Leaving the door open for failure means we don’t have to take responsibility for that failure.  After all, we tried, right?  Wasn’t that enough?  Beyond childhood we no longer get bonus points for “trying.”
So stop trying and start doing.  Stop saying, “I will try,” and start saying, “I will do.”  But the job doesn’t stop there, because once you have set your mind to do a thing you have to take responsibility for it.  Once you have done this, you will be surprised at how easy it is to accomplish something that you thought was impossible.

Now, that doesn’t mean that you will never fail.  Failure is something that comes with the territory.  But don’t give yourself permission to fail before you even start.  Give yourself permission to succeed, and you will succeed.  Maybe not the first time.  Maybe not even the second time.  But each crisis you get through makes you stronger.  With each mistake, you learn something that will prevent you from making that mistake again.  The secret is to not give up.  Just keep moving forward.  Keep “doing” and one day you will discover that what once seemed impossible has now been accomplished.

All day long, every day, we are presented with choices. We can HELP life happen or we can HOPE life will happen.  It’s up to you.  To HELP is to be proactive.

Are you a can-do person?  Have you ever surprised yourself by doing something you didn’t think you could do? 

Written by Wally Amos