The Strongest Warriors

TODAY'S QUOTE:
The strongest of all warriors are these two--Time and Patience.
Leo Tolstoy, 1828-1910, Russian Novelist and Philosopher

I have patience in abundance, necessity being the mother of invention I had to produce a ton of it to arm myself with, through the dark barren days. It is excellent armor, but should never be a substitute for self respect, which is a persons real saving grace. Use patience for your own peace of mind, but do not allow others to take advantage forever upon the good graces it inspires. Many will try, but in the end all prove themselves worthy or not of receiving its rewards.
Time is a different consideration, altogether. There is no way I can even begin to estimate its volume, but if I use it wisely the amount matters hardly at all. When a traveler knows their destination it is much easier to estimate the validity of any detour. Inside each of us rests a tool that acts akin to a fuzz-buster, beeping loudly, warning us to slow down, or turn around. I have ventured down many a road, which promised ease and only added difficulty; u-turns accomplish much in the way of repair. And time tends to any left over resentment, if patience is applied swiftly to soothe the bruises caused by a bumpy road.

THINK ABOUT IT

LET IT GROW

THEN DECIDE

CLICK ON TITLE TO REACH WATCHDOG LINK

PROTECT YOUR CHILDREN FROM SEX OFFENDERS

A Spectators Life

TODAY'S QUOTE:
Life is not a spectator sport. . . . If you're going to spend your whole life in the grandstand just watching what goes on, in my opinion you're wasting your life.
Jackie Robinson

Life is meant to be savored, like a fancy meal, but all too often we eat whatever we are served without realizing we hold the only menu that matters. The first forty years I chocked down some nasty things, but nowadays I am pickier about what I swallow. And I give every dish a fair taste, before deciding.
I spend vast amounts of time sitting between two desks that are just inches apart. Some people would and do view that as not being involved in things. But I know differently. What I do here is my lifes work. Their opinion changes nothing on my menu. How could it when I have proof that what I do here has changed the quality of many lives. And it promises to keep on doing so as long as I do not fold under the pressure, which I would never do.
Each desk holds a different computer, this one reaches out into the world, the other reaches inside myself. I am not walled off from anyone who reaches me through this one, or anyone who visits this room. And when I venture out I am never ignored as not worthy of attention. For now I am somewhat stationary, due to commitments of motherhood, but that will change in time. Until I can fly free, I will fly where I am able, soaring higher on every new adventure I take.
I will happen to life as often as possible, not satisfied to simply wait for it to happen to me. And for the ones who think that I waste my time, not really doing much they should look again. In every way that matters this is my office. In every way that matters this is a meal worthy of savoring.
Let the ones who do not understand try to write a novel. Even a badly written one takes commitment and determination beyond the norm. And I have three of them and the images of many more filed away in a safe spot deep inside of me. Let the ones who are clueless sit and write about a new subject daily. Let the ones who have never journeyed soul deep try to direct their energy to the good of all they touch.
Do not be satisfied to be a spectator, but if you do sit and take in what goes on around you, look past the obvious. See deep, feel deep, live deep, and you will be involved wherever you are.

THINK ABOUT IT

LET IT GROW

THEN DECIDE

Click on the post title and visit this website. It's called family watch dog for the us, and it really works. I will be putting it up every day for awhile, but I would suggest that you save it to favorites if you have children. This is scary but good to know. Pass it on to anyone with kids. Let your friends and family know about this website, it's pretty scary!
Okay, here's the deal... go to this link and near the bottom left, it has a "Click Here" button... click on it and enter your address... it will show a "house", that's yours... all the little colored boxes are Sex Offenders... click on them and you get a name, address & picture of the person along with his crime... pretty amazing and scary... it shows you where they live in proximity to your home and the local schools.

A Horrible Warning

TODAY'S QUOTE:
If you can't be a good example then you'll just have to be a horrible warning.
Catherine Aird

Some days I am the former, some I am the latter, and on others I am a combination of the two. But for the sake of enlightenment, today, I will willingly be a horrible warning. In my younger years I believed so many things that were so very far from truthful. And I believed with my whole heart and soul, passionately enough that I ended up sacrificing 20 years for them.
I believed:
if someone loved me they would be kind by nature.
if I could just do, or be, or reach perfection I would earn love.
if I was worthy enough, needed enough, pliable enough I would make them happy enough to give me what I needed so badly, which was just a fraction of what I was willing to give them in payment.
These untruths were what my life was built around. I hammered and nailed treasures upon sandy ground of lies and deceit, so certain that in the end I would have a mansion worth its weight in gold.
I gave, he took. I stood tall, he leaned upon me. I touched with gentle hands, he either touched not at all or with hands that left trails of red and blue. I used gentle words, he drowned them out with fury I never deserved. I smiled, he glared. I laughed, he choked it quiet. He expanded, I shrunk. All in the name of love. What a crock that turned out to be.
Love is not such an animal. Love would never cost such a price. But women everywhere still want to believe so badly that they give all for the sake of something that seems like love at the time. They hand over years, and children, and dreams, and all they own to someone who should not be in charge of anything living.
I was bankrupt emotionally until I closed that account and invested in myself. He tried to stop my withdrawal, but by then it was life or death and I knew it. I was lucky he came on board, although we never knew perfection. I was fortunate that I learned lessons that will save me from making the same mistakes again.
I love differently now, still giving as gently, willing to give as much I get, but I always save enough to fall back on, so self-destruction is not possible if things go wrong. I know that disagreements are natural and avoid panic easily when I need to stand up for my precious space. I realize that anyone who really truly loves me will not demand my very breath to satisfy their needs. I understand loving is about giving, not grasping greedily. I came to grips with the fact that love is not always enough if it takes all you have and still demands more.
It is a hard and fast rule that if I would never think to ask what is being asked of me then the cost is a bit inflated. Love at any cost is no bargain, except for the one on the receiving end. The price I paid almost took all I had to give to anyone. But not quite. And years of repair have gone into the person I am today. How much further would I have traveled if I had not had an anvil of one sided love dragging me down? Who knows, but I do know I will never strap myself to a sinker again.

THINK ABOUT IT

LET IT GROW

THEN DECIDE

What We See

TODAY'S QUOTE:
What we see depends mainly on what we look for.
John Lubbock

This is more true than most of us realize. Look for the good in things and it will become visible almost instantly, concentrate on the bad and that will quickly rise to the surface. Expect the best of yourself and others then most likely that will be what you get, but expect the worst at your own risk. Sometimes our own will encourages negatives to happen or exacerbates the effect they have upon us. Using our will power to empower ourselves seems a much saner use of such a gift.
Dread something in an active way, without arming yourself with confidence, and it becomes dreadful by default to agree perfectly with whatever expectations we have. Let panic and fear hold you stationary inside the boundaries of senseless worry and your worst fears will materialize.
Allow imagined wrongs to crowd your mind or direct your speech, and fantasy becomes reality. Accuse someone of an act often enough and they will commit it eventually. Beetlejuice is not the only demon that will appear if you repeat its name over and over.
Aim for success, but dwell on failure and it will build a dwelling where you can settle. Walk out on faith. Stride with confidence. Believe yourself competent. Look for beauty. Strive for success. See something ahead worth having then have at it.

THINK ABOUT IT

LET IT GROW

THEN DECIDE

One Last Try

TODAY'S QUOTE:
The only time you mustn't fail is the last time you try.
Charles F. Kettering

I know someone who hates the word try; either do or do not do, but simply trying seems too easy an excuse if you become eager for a back door escape, in his estimation. I can agree with his philosophy, in part, because I think it is a term that suffers much from overuse.
I quickly noticed just how often I uttered it myself and have cut down severely in my own vocabulary. I still try my best, which fluctuates from moment to moment. But I am not in any rush to announce a simple attempt at anything. I call it practicing now, going further each time until I soar, like a bird learning to fly.
I gather strength from the fact that when I care enough, the transition from trying to doing is much easier than imagined, at first glance. I have learned that when I come armed with what is needed for success the journey is empowering. And usually the answers, about things to be mastered before going off half cocked toward certain failure, are whispered to me by that quiet voice that echoes from deep inside. Next time before you simply try, inform yourself, draw a map, take some notes, do some planning and then do the task. And watch for me as you soar.

THINK ABOUT IT

LET IT GROW

THEN DECIDE

A Silent Answer

TODAY'S QUOTE:
Silence is sometimes an answer.
Estonian Proverb

Silence answers many things, sometimes more powerfully than a ton of words ever could. If you doubt that think back a bit to a certain look aimed your way from either parent when you acted out as a child. No words were necessary to adjust a runaway attitude. Being muted by a look is unnerving to say the least.
Sometimes silence is an agreement, sometimes it is exactly the opposite. And it does not take a rocket scientist to figure out the difference. Reading body language is a must for correctly defining a silent answer. Paying attention should be easy without the distraction of idle words, making a silent answer one of the loudest ever heard.

THINK ABOUT IT

LET IT GROW

THEN DECIDE

I got this as an email, forwarded it to some and put it here as is my habit.

We can now add to the list of victims the retired 77 yr. old TCU professor from Ft Worth whose body was found last week in Oklahoma--and the 11 yr. old in Sarasota, FL. Because of these recent abductions in daylight hours, refresh yourself of these things to do in an emergency situation...This is for you, and for you to share with your wife, your children, everyone you know. After reading these 9 crucial tips, forward them to someone you care about. It never hurts to be careful in this crazy world we live in.
1. Tip from Tae Kwon Do: The elbow is the strongest point on your body. If you are close enough to use it, do!
2. Learned this from a tourist guide in New Orleans. If a robber asks for your wallet and/or purse, DO NOT HAND IT TO HIM. Toss it away from you....chances are that he is more interested in your wallet and/or purse than you, and he will go for the wallet/purse. RUN LIKE MAD IN THE OTHER DIRECTION!
3. If you are ever thrown into the trunk of a car, kick out the back tail lights and stick your arm out the hole and start waving like crazy. The driver won't see you, but everybody else will. This has saved lives.
4. Women have a tendency to get into their cars after shopping, eating, working, etc., and just sit (doing their checkbook, or making a list, etc. DON'T DO THIS!) The predator will be watching you, and this is the perfect opportunity for him to get in on the passenger side, put a gun to your head, and tell you where to go. AS SOON AS YOU GET INTO YOUR CAR, LOCK THE DOORS AND LEAVE.
5. A few notes about getting into your car in a parking lot, or parking garage:
A.) Be aware: look around you, look into your car, at the passenger side floor, and in the back seat.
B.) If you are parked next to a big van, enter your car from the passenger door. Most serial killers attack their victims by pulling them into their vans while the women are attempting to get into their cars.
C.) Look at the car parked on the driver's side of your vehicle, and the passenger side. If a male is sitting alone in the seat nearest your car, you may want to walk back into the mall, or work, and get a guard/policeman to walk you back out. IT IS ALWAYS BETTER TO BE SAFE THAN SORRY. (And better paranoid than dead.)
6. ALWAYS take the elevator instead of the stairs. (Stairwells are horrible places to be alone and the perfect crime spot. This is especially true at NIGHT!)
7. If the predator has a gun and you are not under his control, ALWAYS RUN! The predator will only hit you (a running target) 4 in 100 times; And even then, it most likely WILL NOT be a vital organ. RUN, Preferably in a zig -zag pattern!
8. As women, we are always trying to be sympathetic: STOP. It may get you raped, or killed. Ted Bundy, the serial killer, was a good-looking, well educated man, who ALWAYS played on the sympathies of unsuspecting women. He walked with a cane, or a limp, and often asked "for help" into his vehicle or with his vehicle, which is when he abducted his next victim.
9. Another Safety Point: Someone just told me that her friend heard a crying baby on her porch the night before last, and she called the police because it was late and she thought it was weird. The police told her "Whatever you do, DO NOT OPEN THE DOOR." The lady then said that it sounded like the baby had crawled near a window, and she was worried that it would crawl to the street and get run over. The policeman said, "We already have a unit on the way, whatever you do, DO NOT OPEN THE DOOR." He told her that they think a serial killer has a baby's cry recorded and uses it to coax women out of their homes thinking that someone dropped off a baby. He said they have not verified it, but have had several calls by women saying that they hear baby's cries outside their doors when they're home alone at night. Please pass this on and DO NOT open the door for a crying baby ----This e-mail should probably be taken seriously because the Crying Baby theory was mentioned on America's Most Wanted this past Saturday when they profiled the serial killer in Louisiana. I'd like you to forward this to all the women you know. It may save a life. A candle is not dimmed by lighting another candle. I was going to send this to the ladies only, but guys, if you love your mothers, wives, sisters, daughters, etc., you may want to pass it onto them, as well. Send this to any woman you know that may need to be reminded that the world we live in has a lot of crazies in it and it's better to be safe than sorry.

A Word

TODAY'S QUOTE:
A word is not a crystal, transparent and unchanging; it is the skin of a living thought and may vary greatly in color and content according to the circumstances and the time in which it is used.
Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. (1841-1935)

Careful choosing of words is important when misunderstandings seem likely, since some people have selective hearing. Giving them as little as possible to manipulate is a smart move in any debate. If there is any chance of having your own words thrown back in your face, it just makes good sense to avoid arming other people with anything heavy that might be utilized against you later. And it is usually better to keep it as simple as possible for clarity sake. Let's face it folks, all is not fair in love, war, or word use.
Have you ever noticed how the computer puts language to a special kind of test whenever many locations speak together in one place. Many words and praises used by people in one country mean something quite different in another. Confusion can be mostly avoided by suspending all urges to assume and gently question any statement that makes you go hmmmmmmmmmm.
Timing is also essential to good communication; if everyone is speaking nobody is really listening. And a single word, of a positive nature, well placed in a timely manner can defuse even the most volatile situation. Shoving a negative one in is like lighting a firecracker with a blow torch. Use your words wisely, but also time them so the do the most to heal or help.
Thoughts voiced without forethought are often thoughtless enough to leave open wounds that take years to heal, if they ever do. Think before you speak and you will have to do much less apologizing later on. But if necessary please remember that eating crow is always easier when it is still warm.

THINK ABOUT IT

LET IT GROW

THEN DECIDE

Cheap Pleasures

TODAY'S QUOTE:
That man is the richest whose pleasures are cheapest.
Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862)

This quote fits me, which is a good thing in my eyes. I feel blessed to have earned this quality by having so little to choose from in the way of enjoyment. I could have looked only at the things I could not do and ached with bitterness at my misfortune. But instead I held what I could get close enough to block out anything negative that would steal my joy. Simple things thrill me.
Everything has a magical flavor when you think about it. Life itself is a miracle. Sunshine can caress a soul. Music can make it fly. A kiss can soothe any ache. A friend is a glorious treasure. Irony is cheap entertainment. Laughter is the best medicine. Time heals all wounds, if you let it. Silence is golden. Kindness is worth the effort, even when its makes you struggle.
Love makes the world go round. Loving who you are makes it rotate faster, without that bothersome wobble. The sky is only the limit if that is all the higher you can dream. No matter who you are today, you can be whoever you choose tomorrow. A smile is a gift of joy passed to someone else which when returned brightens even the darkest place. Being rich in small pleasures is pure delight, everything else is simply gravy. And who wants to eat a full meal on only the gravy?

THINK ABOUT IT

LET IT GROW

THEN DECIDE

Hoarding Riches

TODAY'S QUOTE:
Many persons think that by hoarding money they are gaining safety for themselves. If money is your hope for independence you will never have it. The only real security that a man can have in this world is a reserve of knowledge, experience, and ability. Without these qualities, money is practically useless.
Henry Ford (1863-1947)

The things invested in mind and heart cannot be touched by wealth or the lack of it. I have little in one regard, and much in another. I would not trade one for the other. To possess both must be wonderful, yet if I can only have one I will gladly take the one I already possess.
Money is not my God. And hoarding it is not my habit, but I am really no fair judge since I have never had much. I do like the special security of having all the bills paid, each month; at present that is all the safety I can afford. But in knowledge, experience, and ability I have a bit more to bring to the table.
My independence comes at a cost that money cannot pay. I was stunted and shrunk by the life I once had, freeing myself from its baggage is an never ending struggle that makes my life now worth living. I tug and pull at the ties that bind old fears to a mind weary of trembling. I know before long I will be entering a time of vast change, I can feel myself gathering energy to spring forward. All recent lessons have been about the future, complete with tests at the end of each chapter finished.
A period of growth, like no other before, is upon me. I am a much different person than I was six weeks ago, with no end in sight. The life changing process, going on inside of me, is more priceless to me than all the money in the world. But it is often quite unnerving.
I had forgotten how overpowering it feels to fear the fact that things may never change more than I fear the change itself. I have felt it before, but never with such intensity. This time it is all the more so because I am well aware that time is limited. The pressure of a deadline makes it weigh heavier upon me, which has only prodded me into action with a vengeance.
In the last few weeks I have learned several important things. Now I know that standing in place, even for a short time, builds ruts. Now I realize the safety inside a four cornered room inspires fear of what lies outside its gentle walls. I was forced by reality to admit that a tower princess must fight her own demons to unlock the door of her pretty prison. I not only unlocked the damn thing, but unhinged it too and burnt it for safety sake. I have personal proof that a soul will scream as loud as necessary to get a person in gear when it is given a voice. And last, but certainly not least, doing something you are certain you cannot do makes anything seem possible.

THINK ABOUT IT

LET IT GROW

THEN DECIDE

A Common Mistake

TODAY'S QUOTE:
It is one of the commonest of mistakes to consider that the limit of our power of perception is also the limit of all there is to perceive.
Charles Webster Leadbeater (1854-1934)

The world is multi layered, with things easily seen, covering others that must be dug up to be examined. Everything around us has roots leading to something deeper. What is seen is just the tiniest tip of an ever growing iceberg. But way too many of us wear blinders that keep out true perception. I was once among that group, but each minute that passes brings me ever nearer to true understanding of things I sense all around. It may seem easier to be short sighted, yet it is only an illusion that will steal all your possibilities.
At the moment I am doing some much needed house cleaning of a mind over crowded with fears placed there by hands not my own. It is high time to grow beyond the boundaries of the past in this regard. I have many lessons to learn that cannot be encompassed by a brain filled with senseless fears, rooted in past events. As long as I allow them to hold me tight, I will be frozen in this place. And that is not my way. No matter how painful the growing pains become I am determined to suffer them as bravely as possible.
I stumble on, making strides, making mistakes, making misteps that beg instantly to be retraced. I cry out with a silent scream that only one set of ears has had the perfect pitch to understand. I cherish the validation and strive to overcome the things that hold me back. No matter what occurs I will never be the same from the experience of being so thoroughly understood.
My perception has been adjusted to a fever pitch. But I still have a lifetime of study and practice ahead of me. As each veil of the past is torn away and tossed aside, my sight will broaden to include a deeper level of understanding. And I welcome each new insight. I am almost finished with hindsight; foresight has become my new master. And true perception is my creed. The sky is not the limit; there are no limits to the space I inhabit now, unless I place them there.
I am sure that many misteps will come along the journey. But knowing them when I see them will only make me turn around more quickly. Retracing steps is no shame when your destination is the right track that you stepped off of by mistake. The only mistakes to regret are the ones you did nothing to rectify. And I hope to possess none of that sort.

THINK ABOUT IT

LET IT GROW

THEN DECIDE

The Mad Ones

TODAY'S QUOTE:
The only people for me are the mad ones, the ones who are mad to live, mad to talk, mad to be saved, desirous of everything at the same time, the ones who never yawn or say a commonplace thing, but burn, burn, burn like fabulous yellow Roman candles exploding like spiders across the stars and in the middle you see the blue centerlight pop and everybody goes "Awww!"
Jack Kerouac (1922-1969)

I often feel electric, popping and crackling with such joy at the mere fact that I am me. I hunger for more, while basking in what is my reality each day. I read for understanding and connect for clarity, always eager to know the why of things, never satisfied with the surface of anything I touch.
Some might call me mad, I have been known to say so from time to time myself. But if this is madness I mind not much at all to suffer from it. I see sane ones who complain constantly about boredom, which is a condition I have never had the displeasure of feeling. A seeker never tires of searching. A wise one realizes just how little they know and is ever hungry to learn. And one who was half alive for so long is ever reaching to catch up, which leaves no time for boredom.
Be a bit mad from time to time. Let life empower you with a joy that comes from the miracle of being a member of the human race. Hunger to know. Thirst for understanding of self and your special location in the cosmos. Get as much out of your time here as possible. Leave regret behind and learn all you can from even the worst of experiences. Live, for real, or die trying. To me that is the only path available.

THINK ABOUT IT

LET IT GROW

THEN DECIDE

Every Day

TODAY'S QUOTE:
Every day is a little life: every waking and rising a little birth, every fresh morning a little youth, every going to rest and sleep a little death.
Arthur Schopenhauer (1788-1860)

Every morning is a rebirth to me, daily chances for improving whatever was accomplished the day before are a gift of every new dawning. If I was born feeling that way life stole the notion soon enough to be beyond the reach of my memory. For the first forty years, time was mostly something I struggled through. But nowadays each one is precious and my awareness of their promise is complete.
I lived without knowing how lifeless I really was. Awakening has given me hyper consciousness of the moment. I try to own as many as possible; not knowing how many I possess only makes them that much more precious. I like to imagine that the amount of moments is not as important as how long you can stretch them.
Quantity simply has to figure less in the long run than quality, or none of us has a fair shake at happiness. Stretch all your moments. Wring them dry of every drop of joy. Own them proudly, even the simple ones that seem ordinary at first glance. Every tick of the clock is a journey forward through life. And forward is such a wondrous direction to be headed.

THINK ABOUT IT

LET IT GROW

THEN DECIDE

Your Castle

TODAY'S QUOTE:
Surely it is sublime to think that the brain is a castle, and that within its curious bastions and winding halls the soul, in spite of all worlds and all beings, is the supreme sovereign of itself.
Robert Green Ingersoll (1833-1899)"Individuality", 1873

In every way that matters our brain is our castle; what sort of castle it resembles is up to us, we hold the power to make it a place of bright light or of dark shadow. It can be open for tours or a perfect place to hide, with walls so thick nothing can penetrate. I have lived in various castles, during my lifetime, and I am still struggling to be completely free of the walls of the last one.
I have called myself a tower princess for two years, but the time of resting safe and secure behind old walls is quickly drawing to a close. The feeling of being smothered has been replaced by a breathlessness that makes my soul sing. Only I hold myself here now, and realizing that has set me free. Where I end up is anyone's guess, but wherever it is I know it will be a lifetime away from this place that knew so much darkness and shadow.
Walls erected in defense are no longer necessary. Locks forged from fear lay shattered at my feet. The drawbridge is down, guards dismissed, old armor discarded, old habits tossed away, new horizons examined, and a new castle ready for occupation in a universe I will create as I go.

THINK ABOUT IT

LET IT GROW

THEN DECIDE

The Content Fountain

TODAY'S QUOTE:
The fountain of content must spring up in the mind, and he who has so little knowledge of human nature as to seek happiness by changing anything but his own disposition will waste his life in fruitless efforts and multiply the grief he proposed to remove.
Samuel Johnson (1709-1784)

Truth just oozes from this quote. Contentment flows from a spring, buried deep inside each of us. Some springs get overgrown with weeds, while we are still children. Some are covered by debris later in life. But no matter how clogged or hidden, it exists and is just waiting for discovery.
Looking for it in someone else or in perfect external conditions will leave you still searching, no matter who you love or what lofty station you inhabit. Finding the spring cannot be achieved by looking outward, because the path to it travels inward.
Once it is tapped the possibilities for satisfaction are limitless. When you free yourself from the burden of seeking elsewhere what rests inside then nothing can upend you for long. And contentment will belong to you, no matter what else you own.

THINK ABOUT IT

LET IT GROW

THEN DECIDE