“I will not Die but Live”…
It is Easter again. This is the most important days for us Christians. In fact, it is more important than Christmas because if Christ did not suffer, die and rise again, then there would have been no salvation. For us Christians, death is not the graduation but a commencement. Just the thought that death is not a closure but an opening is a tremendous source of hope.
They that Lend a Hand…
Aside from death, the other certainty in life is the various twists and turns of fate we all are subject to before taking that final breath. The twists in my life were not an exception. Like many of us, lately life has been very challenging for me and during this time you will certainly know who your true friend is. The people that you’ve help or lent money to, you’re so called friends – they’ve all disappeared. Eric Clapton was right in one of his song “Nobody knows you when you’re down and out”. But in the midst of it, I had a visit from my friend Ian Manly last week who made this profound comment to me; “Ed, if we are going to fight for $5,000.00 I will give you the $5,000.00 just to save our friendship”…. I was blown away and was really touched by that statement.
Astonished and Amazed…
Was walking around Brisbane with a friend one day and saw this shop called “Broken Hearted Cafe”. Astonished and amazed and thinking about James Taylor’s old song. I jokingly made a comment saying; maybe I should open one next door called ‘I Fix Broken Hearts Cafe’ specializing in comforting, repairing and restoring of people’s hearts that has been broken.
Once in Your Life…
“Life tells you nothing, it shows you everything.” – Richard Bach. Only once in your life (some may think differently), I truly believe, you find someone who can completely turn your world around.
Needing Others…
“The person who risks nothing, does nothing, has nothing, is nothing, and becomes nothing. He may avoid suffering and sorrow, but he simply cannot learn and feel and change and grow and love and live.” – Leo F. Buscaglia
Right & Wrong
“There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so” – Shakespeare in Hamlet. What makes something right as opposed to something wrong? What makes one action the right or good thing to do while another action is the wrong or bad thing to do? Is there an over-all standard set of ethical guide lines that all human beings naturally carry? Or does it depend on the culture, society, and family that you are born into. Where do people’s ethics and morals come from? Why is it that so many people can and do, act outside of those ethics on such a common basis?
Persistent Determination
“Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful people with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan ‘press on’ has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race.”
In the Desert…
A lot of people are going through a financial “desert” these days due to the global recession. One thing sure, the desert is not the place for desserts. The desert is about survival, endurance and stamina. The best and the worst in us come out in the desert, and we also come out either better or worse from any desert experience. The desert makes us realize what is really important and what is really basic in life.
…There’s a Reason
Sometimes people come into your life and you know right away that they were meant to be there, to serve some sort of purpose, teach you a lesson, or to help you figure out who you are or who you want to become. You never know who these people may be. Possibly your roommate or neighbour, long lost friend, lover, or even a complete stranger. But when you lock eyes with them, you know at that very moment they will affect your life in some profound way.
Oh well…so what?
I’ve never made a fortune, and it’s probably too late now. But I don’t worry about that much, I’m happy anyhow. Haven’t got a lot of riches, and sometimes things are tough. But I’ve got someone who loved me, and that makes me rich enough.
Focus on ‘GOOD’ – not on ‘BAD’…
Most people tend to judge a person on how bad they are – on the negative aspects of their character and not on the positive. We don’t focus on their “clean”, we focus on their “dirt”. A newspaper publisher which only prints good news does not stay in business long.
Feeling Discontent…
“Perhaps our eyes need to be washed by our tears once in a while, so that we can see life with a clearer view again.” – Alex Tan. We all have those times in our lives when we cannot seem to find a way to feel better about things. We may be feeling down because we can’t have what we want in a job, relationship, or some other area of our life. And no matter what we do it seems we just feel sad and discontent.
Too Much Air!
Mark 9: 30-37 “If anyone wishes to be the first, he shall be the last of all, and the servant of all.” In other words, flatten your tires of pride. Our inability or unwillingness to flatten our tires of pride is the one single cause why we live miserable lives. Is there any relationship that burdens you right now? The key is humility. YES, JUST FLATTEN YOUR TIRES OF PRIDE!
Courage to Stay on Course
Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass…it’s about learning to dance in the rain! – Vivian Greene. Anytime you decide on the pursuit of an important goal, you’ll be faced with a series of challenges. Peaks, valleys and plateaus are par for the course. But the thing that separates the people who make it from the ones that don’t is the courage to stay on course.
Is it all worth it?
COMMITMENT is not a light switch that goes from “off” to “on.” When building a relationship with someone, the level of commitment gradually increases. Commitment in a relationship is complicated in that it takes two people, and it requires an alignment of FACT (events, actions) and ATTITUDE (thoughts, beliefs) for both of them.