Probably one of the most difficult things in the world is admitting to yourself (and sometimes others) that you have made a mistake. You goofed! Call it what you want, you may say you slipped, you fell off the wagon, you cheated, you had a bad day, whatever but I have learned two things in my journey. The first thing is not to ever say to myself that I have Failed! No no no, Failure is not an option!
Failure only exists, only when you stop trying! My feeling is as long as God gives me the gift of life, then I will do my utmost to make the best of it. I have to try to do my best (I sound like the Boy or Girl Scouts), for myself because the “carrot” for that effort is a better and longer quality of life. Do I not deserve it? Sure I do and so do you!
We are here for a fixed period of time. We are not meant to suffer in our lives. Certainly, we are not meant to be harmful to ourselves. You and I should take advantage of every moment we have. We all deal with different problems and situations and I know at times they can become overwhelming. Yet as soon as we snap to reality and at the next available moment we can, we need to take the “ball” we have be given and “run” with it. For some of us that “run” might be just a walk or just a way to deal with it.
In my life, my constant issues have been weight related and dealing with the struggles of eating healthy and taking care of myself on a daily basis. My “disease” has taken its toll on me. I have had my “ups and downs” and yes, I do not weigh 198 pounds as I did in September of 1990 but I am still not a failure (even though some may see me as one). I have not failed and why because I have not given up! I have never stopped trying.
I fought to survive for over twenty years. I have slipped, slid, fell, bumped, backslid, and binged myself up and down hundreds and hundreds of pounds but I never failed. There was not a day that I thought that there was not any hope left for me. There was not a day, a moment that I was not willing to try and try again, even it meant to start all over again!
I am eating healthier today than I have in many of my past days. I pray that I will continue to make the right choices and if there may come a moment when I will slip again; I pray that I will have the chance to try again. Hey, life is too good, not to want to make the best of it. Fourteen years ago, I was bedbound and I knew that I wanted to survive; I knew I had to keep fighting. I knew I had things to live for and I knew that there was more ahead.
Look what my life is now. I am a Grandpa! A completely new chance to love a completely new life. To share in the energy of God’s gift of new life! I did not know then that this is what was in store for me now as I do not know now what might be in store for me tomorrow…just let me go the way!
I have said I have learned two things along my journey and one being is not to ever say I have failed as long as I am trying. The other one is simple and an obvious one but it took me a little longer to learn and to accept. That is that I am “Human”. Yep, human, in all its glory and all its meaning.
In being human, I have realized that we are not perfect in the fact that we make mistakes by nature. Once I can accept that about myself then I will not be so darn hard on myself. Boy can we be hard on ourselves. Isn’t it funny we can be patient with the whole world, we can forgive so many people in our lives that have hurt us, time and time again but when it comes to forgiving ourselves ... ??
That has been the hardest lesson to learn in my new life, yet it has been one of the best and it has been one of my most useful tools! Self-forgiveness a better tool, the primary tool before any “Diet”, Food Program”, Exercise Regiment”, “Calorie Calculator” “Pedometer” or any other tool or gimmick one may use.
Learning to forgive you is such an important and necessary step in being a Winner! If we have the gift of forgiveness for others than it is about time to give it to ourselves.
It is “Not easy to pick yourself up, when you have fallen of the righteous path of living a healthy lifestyle. After days, weeks, months of eating the right foods, making the right choices, doing the healthy things then BOOM, a moment comes and you “Goof”. Sometimes those “Goofs” last a long time and do a lot of damage and picking yourself up, brushing yourself off and starting all over again may not be easy but it is “Necessary”!
Why because you are necessary…
Have a great day
Never give up
Love
Mike
Saturday, April 18, 2009
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Take Back That Power…
Do they like me? What will he think? I wonder what is she saying? I hope they agree!
How often have we or do we play these tapes inside our own heads? How many times in our lives do we look for the approval of others before we think we can be happy?
Then when we do not get what we expect, why do we give our self, permission to do some kind of self-destructive behavior. Something to make ourselves feel even worse. In many of our cases, it will lead to some kind of binge or even worse, we fall off the wagon and reverse many hours of hard work.
There are those times that people in our lives not only never give you that “Pat on the Back” but often cut you in half with some harsh words. We are human and no matter what size we are, no matter how much flesh we may have on our bones. We still feel! We still hurt! We are sensitive people with real feelings and we are not protected from pain, either physical or emotional.
The thing is it will be an almost impossible task to change those people and get them to stop hurting us (although we can try). What is more important? What will work a lot more easily is to …
TAKE AWAY THEIR POWER! Take away their power to hurt you. Let us face it is you that have given them such power! You allow them to hurt your feeling, for their opinions to count so very much. Now is the time for you to take ownership back.
No one should have such power over you, as to where a remark or lack of one, would turn your whole life upside down!
Change has to happen. As many of us know, taking off the weight often is not as difficult as keeping it off. Keeping it off is a whole project, which involves many changes…external and internal. Someone hurting us does not help our metamorphosis.
You are who you are and people who care bout you, who love you, who count just need to accept you the way you are. Now if there are things about your personality, your character, your being that you want to change…then you will add that to the list of inventory changes about you …and work on them.
In the meantime, you are here in this world first to make you the person that you like.
In order for you to change you have “to first be who you is and not who you isn’t because if you is who you isn’t you just isn’t who you is.”
I always say we can always change the packaging (our outside) but we have to like the ingredients first. We really do not need many unsolicited outside opinions. We usually have enough about ourselves.
The changes we need to make require a lot of positive energy around us and we need to be in as positive a mood as possible.
Do not give the power to others to drag you down!
Take Back That Power
You Are Worth It!
Have a wonderful day and never forget how very special you are…
Love
Mike
How often have we or do we play these tapes inside our own heads? How many times in our lives do we look for the approval of others before we think we can be happy?
Then when we do not get what we expect, why do we give our self, permission to do some kind of self-destructive behavior. Something to make ourselves feel even worse. In many of our cases, it will lead to some kind of binge or even worse, we fall off the wagon and reverse many hours of hard work.
There are those times that people in our lives not only never give you that “Pat on the Back” but often cut you in half with some harsh words. We are human and no matter what size we are, no matter how much flesh we may have on our bones. We still feel! We still hurt! We are sensitive people with real feelings and we are not protected from pain, either physical or emotional.
The thing is it will be an almost impossible task to change those people and get them to stop hurting us (although we can try). What is more important? What will work a lot more easily is to …
TAKE AWAY THEIR POWER! Take away their power to hurt you. Let us face it is you that have given them such power! You allow them to hurt your feeling, for their opinions to count so very much. Now is the time for you to take ownership back.
No one should have such power over you, as to where a remark or lack of one, would turn your whole life upside down!
Change has to happen. As many of us know, taking off the weight often is not as difficult as keeping it off. Keeping it off is a whole project, which involves many changes…external and internal. Someone hurting us does not help our metamorphosis.
You are who you are and people who care bout you, who love you, who count just need to accept you the way you are. Now if there are things about your personality, your character, your being that you want to change…then you will add that to the list of inventory changes about you …and work on them.
In the meantime, you are here in this world first to make you the person that you like.
In order for you to change you have “to first be who you is and not who you isn’t because if you is who you isn’t you just isn’t who you is.”
I always say we can always change the packaging (our outside) but we have to like the ingredients first. We really do not need many unsolicited outside opinions. We usually have enough about ourselves.
The changes we need to make require a lot of positive energy around us and we need to be in as positive a mood as possible.
Do not give the power to others to drag you down!
Take Back That Power
You Are Worth It!
Have a wonderful day and never forget how very special you are…
Love
Mike
Friday, February 27, 2009
Birthday
I personally know people who probably stopped reading this blog right after they read the title of this positing. There are people who actually hate birthdays, but do they? Is it that they hate birthdays or just what they represent, and what they fear?
What is it that a birthday actually represents? A birthday represents a celebration of the anniversary of a miracle of somebody’s life. A continuation of this life.
Whether an easy year free of problems and pain, or one that was filled with trials and tribulations. The point is that it was a success, we are here to talk about it and we get a chance to keep going on.
I personally love birthdays and I hope that I and the people that I love have as many birthdays as possible.
Tomorrow (February 28th ) is a very special (Birthday) for me. In 1953 on this day, a star shined down from the heavens over a little town called Brooklyn, New York and born to a kind couple was this beautiful little girl. A little girl, one with the warmest and kindest heart in the world. A little girl who grew into a woman who knows how to love purely.
A lifetime friend, a partner and a wife, one who has been dedicated through the good and the rough times. One who defines the terms “in good times and in bad”.
Happy Birthday to my wife, Madelaine.
I dedicate this positing to my wife Madelaine on the anniversary of her birth. I would not be the man I am without her, my soul mate.
Madelaine is the salt to my pepper, the left to my right, the up to my down, the in to my out. She makes life so much enjoyable.
One of the things I love best about her is when I get annoyed at something she has done (believe me we know each other for over 43 years so we can annoy each other at times), I am ready to be angry with her. Then I hear her voice, she looks at me in a certain way and she melts me. I forget what I am angry about, she makes me laugh and then we go on.
Each night I go to bed thinking I could not possibly love this woman any more than I do this day and then I wake up the next morning and I love more than I loved her yesterday …. I look forward to tomorrow.
Madelaine has been by my side through my worse times but through all our years, we have had fun! Even through the darkest and heaviest (no pun) of times, we have tried to laugh as much as possible, find the humor in many situations and she has been a main force behind my strength.
She is also the greatest teacher I have had in my life. She is probably the smartest woman (person), I know. Her wisdom is superior. She has taught me to be who I am and not who I am not. She has taught me that she is not in this world to live up to my expectations, nor am I in this world to live up to hers, among many other great, wonderful and powerful things.
She has helped me to realize my relationship with God. She has taught me the true meaning of family. She teaches through example.
Madelaine is a giant among us and sets an example to me and many of us, on just how to live. If she has any weaknesses, it is not knowing how to say “NO”.
Not an evil bone in her body, no hardness in her heart but she would not want everyone to know that. So shhhh, do not tell anyone she is a softy.
I am the luckiest man to have lived and to have been matched with Madelaine.
Birthdays? I love birthdays, especially February 28th.
Happy Birthday my Boot, I love you privately, publicly, timelessly, now and forever.
Thank you my friends for allowing me to use this space to pay tribute to a very special soul.
We all need to appreciate life around us…
our loved ones, and our own.
Birthdays are not to be scared of but rather to be appreciating of…life itself!
Have a great day, have a great life!
Love
Mike
What is it that a birthday actually represents? A birthday represents a celebration of the anniversary of a miracle of somebody’s life. A continuation of this life.
Whether an easy year free of problems and pain, or one that was filled with trials and tribulations. The point is that it was a success, we are here to talk about it and we get a chance to keep going on.
I personally love birthdays and I hope that I and the people that I love have as many birthdays as possible.
Tomorrow (February 28th ) is a very special (Birthday) for me. In 1953 on this day, a star shined down from the heavens over a little town called Brooklyn, New York and born to a kind couple was this beautiful little girl. A little girl, one with the warmest and kindest heart in the world. A little girl who grew into a woman who knows how to love purely.
A lifetime friend, a partner and a wife, one who has been dedicated through the good and the rough times. One who defines the terms “in good times and in bad”.
Happy Birthday to my wife, Madelaine.
I dedicate this positing to my wife Madelaine on the anniversary of her birth. I would not be the man I am without her, my soul mate.
Madelaine is the salt to my pepper, the left to my right, the up to my down, the in to my out. She makes life so much enjoyable.
One of the things I love best about her is when I get annoyed at something she has done (believe me we know each other for over 43 years so we can annoy each other at times), I am ready to be angry with her. Then I hear her voice, she looks at me in a certain way and she melts me. I forget what I am angry about, she makes me laugh and then we go on.
Each night I go to bed thinking I could not possibly love this woman any more than I do this day and then I wake up the next morning and I love more than I loved her yesterday …. I look forward to tomorrow.
Madelaine has been by my side through my worse times but through all our years, we have had fun! Even through the darkest and heaviest (no pun) of times, we have tried to laugh as much as possible, find the humor in many situations and she has been a main force behind my strength.
She is also the greatest teacher I have had in my life. She is probably the smartest woman (person), I know. Her wisdom is superior. She has taught me to be who I am and not who I am not. She has taught me that she is not in this world to live up to my expectations, nor am I in this world to live up to hers, among many other great, wonderful and powerful things.
She has helped me to realize my relationship with God. She has taught me the true meaning of family. She teaches through example.
Madelaine is a giant among us and sets an example to me and many of us, on just how to live. If she has any weaknesses, it is not knowing how to say “NO”.
Not an evil bone in her body, no hardness in her heart but she would not want everyone to know that. So shhhh, do not tell anyone she is a softy.
I am the luckiest man to have lived and to have been matched with Madelaine.
Birthdays? I love birthdays, especially February 28th.
Happy Birthday my Boot, I love you privately, publicly, timelessly, now and forever.
Thank you my friends for allowing me to use this space to pay tribute to a very special soul.
We all need to appreciate life around us…
our loved ones, and our own.
Birthdays are not to be scared of but rather to be appreciating of…life itself!
Have a great day, have a great life!
Love
Mike
Friday, February 13, 2009
Love
Wars have been fought, people have died, all over this simple but complicated “four” letter word … LOVE! Throughout time, people have proclaimed their love for their gods, for God, for their countries, for their fellow man, for nature and for each other. Love has become a very deep involved word and often a misused one. Love is said to come on all levels and all forms. There is the love you have for a parent, which is not the same as the love you have for a spouse. Nor is the love of a spouse the same as a love for a child. Then we love our children differently than we love our grandchildren. We have love for our close friends, which is nothing like we have for our neighbor next door, and the love for our neighbor next door is not quite the same as the love we have for our neighbors across the ocean.
Why have we complicated such a simple beautiful thing, like love? Boy, as human beings we can certainly “take simple and make it complicated”.
Anyone have an animal or a newborn baby? Watch how innocent and pure their love is for you. I had a physical therapist once who use to say all the time “Love is Love”!
When you think of it, how true is that statement? Love is just that …love! If we kept it simple, pure and true then love at its simplest form would be the same all around. How we express our love, how we practice our love to our spouses, parents, children, friends, families and acquaintances is different and should be different …of course it is. Yet the foundation is the same. A bonding, a respect, closeness, a oneness a feeling that cannot really be put in to human terms because it is a feeling beyond full human comprehension.
If we think of love like an onion (nice analogy) and peel it away layer by layer in the center of our love for all things, for all people must be the simplest of all loves.
Yet on the other hand, it is the kind of love, which gives most the biggest problem of all. What is that you might ask?
That kind of love is “Self-Love”!
Self-Love is at the core of true love. How do we begin to love, if we cannot love ourselves? Oh, I can hear the roar out there and read the emails already …relax. I hear you and I have been where many of you think you are.
There was a time when I knew I loved my wife and adored my son but I would swear there was no self-love for me. I would have argued that I could love others without loving myself …but I was wrong!
I was wrong, not in the fact that I loved my wife and son of course I loved them, I was wrong in the fact of loving myself. I did love myself, I always loved myself and not in a narcissistic way but in way that love counts. The caring, the important way.
The problem was it was so long since I felt hope, so long since I really did anything good for myself, so long since I showed myself any love that I actually forgot that I did love myself.
The fact is we all love ourselves, we may forget that at times, sometimes for very long period. So long of periods that we think it is the truth …we do not love our selves but we do!
What one needs to do is something to spark that Self-Love. Something that really counts.
It is okay to love yourself; it is not selfish to have “Self-Love”. A little more “Self-Love” might help you to be happier, healthier and live better.
Allowing me to love me has been a positive thing. It has given me the strength to not give up, wanting to live, to want to be a part of the lives of those I love. Allowing me to love myself just intensifies and secures the love I have for all in my life.
“Love is Love” and let it begin with you.
Have a happy and loving day
Love
Mike
Why have we complicated such a simple beautiful thing, like love? Boy, as human beings we can certainly “take simple and make it complicated”.
Anyone have an animal or a newborn baby? Watch how innocent and pure their love is for you. I had a physical therapist once who use to say all the time “Love is Love”!
When you think of it, how true is that statement? Love is just that …love! If we kept it simple, pure and true then love at its simplest form would be the same all around. How we express our love, how we practice our love to our spouses, parents, children, friends, families and acquaintances is different and should be different …of course it is. Yet the foundation is the same. A bonding, a respect, closeness, a oneness a feeling that cannot really be put in to human terms because it is a feeling beyond full human comprehension.
If we think of love like an onion (nice analogy) and peel it away layer by layer in the center of our love for all things, for all people must be the simplest of all loves.
Yet on the other hand, it is the kind of love, which gives most the biggest problem of all. What is that you might ask?
That kind of love is “Self-Love”!
Self-Love is at the core of true love. How do we begin to love, if we cannot love ourselves? Oh, I can hear the roar out there and read the emails already …relax. I hear you and I have been where many of you think you are.
There was a time when I knew I loved my wife and adored my son but I would swear there was no self-love for me. I would have argued that I could love others without loving myself …but I was wrong!
I was wrong, not in the fact that I loved my wife and son of course I loved them, I was wrong in the fact of loving myself. I did love myself, I always loved myself and not in a narcissistic way but in way that love counts. The caring, the important way.
The problem was it was so long since I felt hope, so long since I really did anything good for myself, so long since I showed myself any love that I actually forgot that I did love myself.
The fact is we all love ourselves, we may forget that at times, sometimes for very long period. So long of periods that we think it is the truth …we do not love our selves but we do!
What one needs to do is something to spark that Self-Love. Something that really counts.
It is okay to love yourself; it is not selfish to have “Self-Love”. A little more “Self-Love” might help you to be happier, healthier and live better.
Allowing me to love me has been a positive thing. It has given me the strength to not give up, wanting to live, to want to be a part of the lives of those I love. Allowing me to love myself just intensifies and secures the love I have for all in my life.
“Love is Love” and let it begin with you.
Have a happy and loving day
Love
Mike
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Inauguration Day
I am sitting here having lunch with the new President of the United States of America. The only thing is he is at the capital in the Capitol having his lunch eating seafood and some kind of duck and I am in my living room having a fat free cheese wrap with plain sundried tomatoes and honey mustard.
Yet you cannot watch the beauty of the smooth change of power and the majesty of this historical event, without appreciating a philosophy that I have been living by for many years. This is that “All things are possible ….and that as long as there is life there is hope!
Now I do not use nor do I wish to use this blog page as a political platform and I try not to express my personal preferences but today I am an American and a proud one …as always. As a human being, I am so hopeful for both you and me personally. We all have our battles, our inner battles, often we have some victories, and sometimes we do not do as well.
Yet “All things are possible ….you just have to believe, not give up hope, never give up and never stop fighting! This inner faith has to give you an inner fire that is always burning. Sometimes the flame may be a little lower than other times, this is normal but the “flame of life” never goes out as long as we have life itself.
We have to fan our own “inner flames”. When all is said and done, it is I; it is you that has to fight ….today. We have to do the one thing positive for our self today. It may be making a healthier lunch choice, doing something physical, making a doctors appointment, healing a relationship, anything that in the end will help your life work better.
By the way if you do not think that one healthier choice for lunch does not make a difference let me tell you, those lunches add up and combined with a good breakfast, balanced dinner and the right kind of physical activity…it matters! Those pounds will come off and if done it the right way and the lifestyle changes are made for the better can only hope and pray and fight each day to stay healthy and continue to move forward in our life and dreams!
Today we witnessed a man who has followed his dream and the dreams of millions both present and past. On a greater scale we have seen that “All things are possible”, and in our own personal lives we must always remember that hope lives and we as individuals are powerful, we can change. Change is in the air and let it begin within ourselves.
Good luck my friends, brothers, and sisters in battle, the light of hope shines upon us all.
Good luck to our new President, good luck to all of us as citizens of the United States, members of the human race, and with our personal daily lives.
Good health, good attitude and do not give up hope because “All Things Are Possible …if you believe!
Love
Mike
Yet you cannot watch the beauty of the smooth change of power and the majesty of this historical event, without appreciating a philosophy that I have been living by for many years. This is that “All things are possible ….and that as long as there is life there is hope!
Now I do not use nor do I wish to use this blog page as a political platform and I try not to express my personal preferences but today I am an American and a proud one …as always. As a human being, I am so hopeful for both you and me personally. We all have our battles, our inner battles, often we have some victories, and sometimes we do not do as well.
Yet “All things are possible ….you just have to believe, not give up hope, never give up and never stop fighting! This inner faith has to give you an inner fire that is always burning. Sometimes the flame may be a little lower than other times, this is normal but the “flame of life” never goes out as long as we have life itself.
We have to fan our own “inner flames”. When all is said and done, it is I; it is you that has to fight ….today. We have to do the one thing positive for our self today. It may be making a healthier lunch choice, doing something physical, making a doctors appointment, healing a relationship, anything that in the end will help your life work better.
By the way if you do not think that one healthier choice for lunch does not make a difference let me tell you, those lunches add up and combined with a good breakfast, balanced dinner and the right kind of physical activity…it matters! Those pounds will come off and if done it the right way and the lifestyle changes are made for the better can only hope and pray and fight each day to stay healthy and continue to move forward in our life and dreams!
Today we witnessed a man who has followed his dream and the dreams of millions both present and past. On a greater scale we have seen that “All things are possible”, and in our own personal lives we must always remember that hope lives and we as individuals are powerful, we can change. Change is in the air and let it begin within ourselves.
Good luck my friends, brothers, and sisters in battle, the light of hope shines upon us all.
Good luck to our new President, good luck to all of us as citizens of the United States, members of the human race, and with our personal daily lives.
Good health, good attitude and do not give up hope because “All Things Are Possible …if you believe!
Love
Mike
Saturday, January 3, 2009
Resolution
One of the definitions when looked up in the dictionary of “Resolution” is -- “the mental state or quality of being resolved or resolute; firmness of purpose. I personally like the part that states “firmness of purpose”.
Come the New Year, how many of us in the past, have made a resolution (usually to go on a diet), and within days, realize we have not stuck to that “New Resolution”. Then we just feel guilty about it and it does not make us feel good about ourselves, and here we go into a vicious circle once again.
It is a New Year and New Beginning a New Chance to take advantage of a situation. What situation, you may ask? The situation that you, have an opportunity, to participate in the “game of life”! Your game of life! This is a wonderful gift for both you and me.
I for one will not be making “Traditional Resolutions” this year (I have not for the past few years). I will re-visit and reinforce my “Firmness of Purpose”. I will encourage in myself the things that have been working and I will look at the things in my life (as I do on a regular basis) those things that need to be adjusted. I do not wait until New Years to change my life. As I proceed through the adventure of living, I will adjust along the way, as I need to.
I will build on my strengths and acknowledge, accept and improve on my imperfections. My purpose as I go along my life’s path is to take advantage, absorb and enjoy the things in life that are meant to be. Then what we need to fix …we fix!
Therefore, for this New Year, for 2009, I affirm to reaffirm my, purpose and that is to, Go through my life and live it to the best of my ability. I know what I know. I am willing to learn and if need be make adjustments. I acknowledge what has been working for me in the past and what has not worked for me. Is there room for improvement? In case I have any doubt, I can always ask my wife or son, they always seem to have a list of things for me.
Seriously, living is the greatest experience I know, everything else is second best.
Some poor desperate soul wrote on my comments section of the blog, the other day, something to the effect that she basically did not care if she lived on. My heart wept for her. I knew her pain, her desperation, possibly her anger, fear, and tiredness. All I did know is that I was frustrated. Frustrated, that I could not take her in my arms, give her a big hug and tell her to “Hang on there, within time it will be better, much better”! I personally know what it feels like when you think that there are no answers but believe me, “Oh God, believe me, that is so wrong! There are answers, there is hope, there is light at the end of the tunnel. There is life beyond today. Unbelievably much of our solutions comes from within….it does! Life is a gift and not one for us to take lightly. My prayers are with my sweet “blog friend” and I hope that she and any of us who may feel the way she does at some point in our life, just search out help …wherever it may come from. There is no shame in taking care of you. Good luck to her!
Now for 2009, my purpose, my “Firm Purpose” is to continue to take care of myself. No specific resolutions for me. Nothing written down on paper or in my mind that might say, “By March 1st I want to lose 18 pounds”. Then March 1st comes and I lost only 16.5 pounds and then I am a failure. No way! I am not playing that game.
My “Firm Purpose” is in 2009, is to do things that make me feel better, physically, mentally and spiritually. That is what is good for me. Feel better about me! Be happier, content, and peaceful.
I want to take this opportunity to thank all my friends for visiting our blog page and hope you continue to visit on a regular basis. Maybe if you have not in the past, you might even contribute a comment, we would love to hear from you.
I also want to not miss the chance to wish all of you, your friends and loved ones a most joyous and healthy New Year. I hope that 2009 is a year that is filled with peace, joy and happiness to you.
A “Great Purpose” for all in 2009
Love Mike
Tow the line in 09
Come the New Year, how many of us in the past, have made a resolution (usually to go on a diet), and within days, realize we have not stuck to that “New Resolution”. Then we just feel guilty about it and it does not make us feel good about ourselves, and here we go into a vicious circle once again.
It is a New Year and New Beginning a New Chance to take advantage of a situation. What situation, you may ask? The situation that you, have an opportunity, to participate in the “game of life”! Your game of life! This is a wonderful gift for both you and me.
I for one will not be making “Traditional Resolutions” this year (I have not for the past few years). I will re-visit and reinforce my “Firmness of Purpose”. I will encourage in myself the things that have been working and I will look at the things in my life (as I do on a regular basis) those things that need to be adjusted. I do not wait until New Years to change my life. As I proceed through the adventure of living, I will adjust along the way, as I need to.
I will build on my strengths and acknowledge, accept and improve on my imperfections. My purpose as I go along my life’s path is to take advantage, absorb and enjoy the things in life that are meant to be. Then what we need to fix …we fix!
Therefore, for this New Year, for 2009, I affirm to reaffirm my, purpose and that is to, Go through my life and live it to the best of my ability. I know what I know. I am willing to learn and if need be make adjustments. I acknowledge what has been working for me in the past and what has not worked for me. Is there room for improvement? In case I have any doubt, I can always ask my wife or son, they always seem to have a list of things for me.
Seriously, living is the greatest experience I know, everything else is second best.
Some poor desperate soul wrote on my comments section of the blog, the other day, something to the effect that she basically did not care if she lived on. My heart wept for her. I knew her pain, her desperation, possibly her anger, fear, and tiredness. All I did know is that I was frustrated. Frustrated, that I could not take her in my arms, give her a big hug and tell her to “Hang on there, within time it will be better, much better”! I personally know what it feels like when you think that there are no answers but believe me, “Oh God, believe me, that is so wrong! There are answers, there is hope, there is light at the end of the tunnel. There is life beyond today. Unbelievably much of our solutions comes from within….it does! Life is a gift and not one for us to take lightly. My prayers are with my sweet “blog friend” and I hope that she and any of us who may feel the way she does at some point in our life, just search out help …wherever it may come from. There is no shame in taking care of you. Good luck to her!
Now for 2009, my purpose, my “Firm Purpose” is to continue to take care of myself. No specific resolutions for me. Nothing written down on paper or in my mind that might say, “By March 1st I want to lose 18 pounds”. Then March 1st comes and I lost only 16.5 pounds and then I am a failure. No way! I am not playing that game.
My “Firm Purpose” is in 2009, is to do things that make me feel better, physically, mentally and spiritually. That is what is good for me. Feel better about me! Be happier, content, and peaceful.
I want to take this opportunity to thank all my friends for visiting our blog page and hope you continue to visit on a regular basis. Maybe if you have not in the past, you might even contribute a comment, we would love to hear from you.
I also want to not miss the chance to wish all of you, your friends and loved ones a most joyous and healthy New Year. I hope that 2009 is a year that is filled with peace, joy and happiness to you.
A “Great Purpose” for all in 2009
Love Mike
Tow the line in 09
Friday, December 19, 2008
The Perfect Gift
I truly appreciate the reason for this season and it never leaves my heart or mind.
Yet to so many of us “gift giving and receiving” has become such a big part of these holidays. What is the perfect gift? Think about it!
Well if I ask my three-year-old, grandson it could be anything from “Transformers”, to Batman, Pirates or the last thing he has seen on Television or in the aisles of the toy stores. Why not, he is three and if Christmas is not about children and babies and new and young lives, then what is it about? As a grandpa there is no immediate better gift I can receive than seeing your grandchild or child happy. So for kids, give them things and they are thrilled.
Then if you ask almost any person who has battled with and who has suffered from obesity they will tell you that, “The perfect gift would be to be thin and look like (this movie star or personality). I want to have a beautiful body forever and not have to worry about gaining weight”. Now now you know that this is a true wish’s of so many. We look for that perfect image rather than a lifestyle. This is often why many of us fall short of our dreams.
Some of us want things! Real material like things. As we get older, the list of the kind of things we want may change. For example; First it is toys, such as dolls, G.I. Joe’s, Tinker Toys, Slinky. Then we get a little older and we want games. Games such as, “Mystery Date”, “Monopoly”, “Stratego”, Chess and the list goes on. We become teenagers and maybe we might add to our list of the “Perfect Gifts”; the “Girl on the next block”; or the “Boy next door”. When we get older the list gets more serious. We want Cars, houses, diamonds, trips all kinds of Things, Things Things!!
One of the “things” on my Christmas list is this “Teeth Whitening” system. My wife wraps it up for me and on Christmas, I open it in front of my family and I make a big fuss over it. I then realize everyone around me is laughing, why you may ask? The reason is that this is the same exact gift she gave me last year, and the year before that, and the year before that and so on, for the past ten years. I keep asking for this same gift, I get it, never use it, she puts it aside until next year and I forget about it and she “re-gifts” it to me over and over again.
Things! You want them, sometimes you get them, you might even use them, sometimes you do not use them. They may wear down, you may get bored with it, it might break or become out dated. They are just things. The point is, as we get older, how many “things” do we need?
Rarely by Christmas, do I really need anything, that I have not gotten by then. Now, do not get me wrong. I love to give gifts! I love to give gifts, to people I love. To my grandchild, oh to see his face, to see his joy and hear his excitement is priceless.
I love to give to those who may be in need this year (to charities). I enjoy giving to my family, my son and daughter in law, my wife, my friends.
This is how I get my gifts, by bringing a smile to someone’s face...but I do have a “Perfect Gift” list.
The perfect gift(s) for me this year? I will tell you.
First (I know it sounds corny) is ‘World Peace’. Call me selfish but I want to see the people of the world to be able to live together and in harmony. I want people to be able to travel and to be able to go shopping, without worrying, about being blown up. I want to see countries live as neighbors, as they should.
Then my next perfect gift would be health! The gift of health to my wife, to my daughter in law, my son, my grandson and whoever ever may come into my immediate family in the near future.
I want good health for my mother in law, and the rest of my family and friends. Right now, I want a little extra special gift of health to a very dear special friend of ours, who needs it and I believe will get it.
Another perfect gift for me of course would be for me this year to be able to continue in personal growth and once again newfound freedom. My ability to go out in public. To be able to accompany my wife occasionally and to participate in life and basically be a player once again rather than a spectator. I want to be able to continue to face my demons head on (food and other demons) and often, very often come out victorious.
My last gift on my “Perfect Gift List” this year would be serenity! A continued growth of serenity in my overall being. Serenity around me and in the lives of people that matter so much to me. Serenity in the Universe, in my Universe. Serenity is followed by a certain special happiness and happiness is very nice. .
So there it is! That is my personal, “Gift List” my so called, “Wish List”. So if you see these gifts “on line” or on special at Wal-Mart or Target, just drop me a note.
Gifts are nice to give and receive and it is fun to share in the joy of giving and receiving. Yet in my opinion, the best gifts are not physical things you can buy in a store.
The best gifts …you get from special places.
You now know what my four perfect gifts are. What about you?
What are your perfect gifts? Share your thoughts with us …
To all my dear special friends who visit this blog page
Please have a joyful, peaceful, fun filled, happy and healthy holiday and New Year
Love to you and your loved ones
Mike
Yet to so many of us “gift giving and receiving” has become such a big part of these holidays. What is the perfect gift? Think about it!
Well if I ask my three-year-old, grandson it could be anything from “Transformers”, to Batman, Pirates or the last thing he has seen on Television or in the aisles of the toy stores. Why not, he is three and if Christmas is not about children and babies and new and young lives, then what is it about? As a grandpa there is no immediate better gift I can receive than seeing your grandchild or child happy. So for kids, give them things and they are thrilled.
Then if you ask almost any person who has battled with and who has suffered from obesity they will tell you that, “The perfect gift would be to be thin and look like (this movie star or personality). I want to have a beautiful body forever and not have to worry about gaining weight”. Now now you know that this is a true wish’s of so many. We look for that perfect image rather than a lifestyle. This is often why many of us fall short of our dreams.
Some of us want things! Real material like things. As we get older, the list of the kind of things we want may change. For example; First it is toys, such as dolls, G.I. Joe’s, Tinker Toys, Slinky. Then we get a little older and we want games. Games such as, “Mystery Date”, “Monopoly”, “Stratego”, Chess and the list goes on. We become teenagers and maybe we might add to our list of the “Perfect Gifts”; the “Girl on the next block”; or the “Boy next door”. When we get older the list gets more serious. We want Cars, houses, diamonds, trips all kinds of Things, Things Things!!
One of the “things” on my Christmas list is this “Teeth Whitening” system. My wife wraps it up for me and on Christmas, I open it in front of my family and I make a big fuss over it. I then realize everyone around me is laughing, why you may ask? The reason is that this is the same exact gift she gave me last year, and the year before that, and the year before that and so on, for the past ten years. I keep asking for this same gift, I get it, never use it, she puts it aside until next year and I forget about it and she “re-gifts” it to me over and over again.
Things! You want them, sometimes you get them, you might even use them, sometimes you do not use them. They may wear down, you may get bored with it, it might break or become out dated. They are just things. The point is, as we get older, how many “things” do we need?
Rarely by Christmas, do I really need anything, that I have not gotten by then. Now, do not get me wrong. I love to give gifts! I love to give gifts, to people I love. To my grandchild, oh to see his face, to see his joy and hear his excitement is priceless.
I love to give to those who may be in need this year (to charities). I enjoy giving to my family, my son and daughter in law, my wife, my friends.
This is how I get my gifts, by bringing a smile to someone’s face...but I do have a “Perfect Gift” list.
The perfect gift(s) for me this year? I will tell you.
First (I know it sounds corny) is ‘World Peace’. Call me selfish but I want to see the people of the world to be able to live together and in harmony. I want people to be able to travel and to be able to go shopping, without worrying, about being blown up. I want to see countries live as neighbors, as they should.
Then my next perfect gift would be health! The gift of health to my wife, to my daughter in law, my son, my grandson and whoever ever may come into my immediate family in the near future.
I want good health for my mother in law, and the rest of my family and friends. Right now, I want a little extra special gift of health to a very dear special friend of ours, who needs it and I believe will get it.
Another perfect gift for me of course would be for me this year to be able to continue in personal growth and once again newfound freedom. My ability to go out in public. To be able to accompany my wife occasionally and to participate in life and basically be a player once again rather than a spectator. I want to be able to continue to face my demons head on (food and other demons) and often, very often come out victorious.
My last gift on my “Perfect Gift List” this year would be serenity! A continued growth of serenity in my overall being. Serenity around me and in the lives of people that matter so much to me. Serenity in the Universe, in my Universe. Serenity is followed by a certain special happiness and happiness is very nice. .
So there it is! That is my personal, “Gift List” my so called, “Wish List”. So if you see these gifts “on line” or on special at Wal-Mart or Target, just drop me a note.
Gifts are nice to give and receive and it is fun to share in the joy of giving and receiving. Yet in my opinion, the best gifts are not physical things you can buy in a store.
The best gifts …you get from special places.
You now know what my four perfect gifts are. What about you?
What are your perfect gifts? Share your thoughts with us …
To all my dear special friends who visit this blog page
Please have a joyful, peaceful, fun filled, happy and healthy holiday and New Year
Love to you and your loved ones
Mike
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