CHAPTER 1
Most of the time we lose; in fact, it's a rarity that we winat all when we review life on a daily basis. Almost allof which we become involved is a challenge. Unfortunately thosechallenges come from all sides, corners, the top and the bottom. We,however, are not equipped to see all that is coming our way fromevery vantage point at the same time and so therefore we often fall indefeat to those challenges.
It's a difficult notion to accept since winning almost always seemsas though it should be ours, but still in the end we are still remindedthat it remains elusive much of the time.
But perhaps winning and losing are simply abstract ideas valuedonly in their purpose for creating our perception of life and not thequality of it.
Maybe the only way to win—the only way anyone wins—isthrough the perceptions of what life is actually to them regardlessof the outcome of the challenges. Perhaps outcomes are merely thedistractions which separate those living a life from those simplyexisting as a part of it.
CHAPTER 2
Any action that must need a lie, in part or as a whole, to becompleted is an action that will have consequences. Whatis not often considered when a lie is born, is when those consequenceswill return.
All lies live until replaced by the truth. But it may take yearsbefore those truths are discovered, long after the person who createdthe lie is gone from our lives. So quite often, the innocent will beaffected by the damage caused from the deception.
Even when a falsehood is created with the best of intentions, itwill still exist, growing in darkness until the truth is revealed. Thetruth is not always a positive word or declaration and certainly noteasy to accept, but it is complete when spoken. There is none to beadded, none to be taken away and nothing left to haunt those whocome after us.
The truth is the end and the beginning, whereas a lie is only thebeginning. As long as it lives, it will spread dark deception until itfinally finds its end in the light of the truth.
CHAPTER 3
It seems we spend a great amount of our lives picking up thepieces of broken dreams, hearts and hopes that sometimesbelong to us and other times belong to those we care about.
It is as though we are all pieces of a puzzle that long to connectwith each other in an effort to be completed or whole. I can think ofno other definition that explains the internal unity we feel towardsothers.
Perhaps it is out of this need that qualities like compassion andkindness toward others are born and hopefully from these we cantruly become a million pieces of the same picture.
Violence has never built a lasting dynasty but theforgiveness of violence built an empire of faith that stillstands. An act of violence is not a solution for the world's problemanymore than vengeance can replace what is taken from its victims.
When we use violence we are not using the best of ourselves butinstead a weaker part that has forgotten peace radiates outward afterhaving originated from within.
CHAPTER 4
When did we stop thinking for ourselves? Whendid we let policy become our master and integritythe slave? There are always exceptions to the rule. The law statesthat one cannot take human life, but then allows the exception ofself-preservation within that law.
Even our grammar rules have exceptions and they do so becausesomeone questioned why the rule had to be one way as opposed toanother way. When we accept anything as it is given or spoken to usthen we become a mindless society governed by policies that may notserve our best interests and those of our children.
Following the rules should never be an absolute. No policy isperfect and will always reflect the flaws of humanity which createdit. Therefore it should always and consistently be questioned andre-evaluated to better serve both the cause for which it was designedand those affected by its initiation.
We must never assume that policy is right or just and alwaysscrutinize every policy which affects us, no matter how small. Wemust do this or we give policy makers the right to determine many, ifnot all, aspects of our lives.
CHAPTER 5
Many times we hear that we need to choose a side, picka team, know where we stand and not stand in themiddle of the road. Perhaps though, it is in the middle of the roadwhere we should all strive to walk the path of life.
Now consider the best vantage point to see both sides of anyissue. Wouldn't the middle be the best location in which to notonly step away and see the ideas more clearly, but also to give usthe view to get a better understanding of the side in which we finddisagreement? Does not standing firm in the middle show thatwe believe in compromise and humanity's ability to find peacefulsolutions? Does it not allow us to approach either side withouthostility and be welcomed as we are not considered an enemy?
By walking the central path between issues does not compromiseour values or moral convictions because those should be with us nomatter where we stand. But it does allow us to know that where westand can always be a place where opposing sides can approach us andbe heard with an open mind and heart. The middle is and has alwaysbeen the place where people meet to become the only side.
CHAPTER 6
Through our practice of such acts like kindness andunderstanding we learn that acts of giving improve us asindividuals. It is apparent of the benefit to others that come from apair of helping hands or from a reassurance of comfort because theyare so often met with a word or a gesture of gratitude.
However, the true gift of giving is not what can be seen but theidea that it fuses us with those we help. That act of generosity createsan experience that evolves into trust, friendships or even love.
It is through this giving that we find the best of ourselves andthrough our receiving that others, who give, reveal the best of themselves.
We should never be afraid to discover who we are onthe inside because it is in the core of our being fromwhich we've grown to our present selves. When we look inside ofourselves, we review a journey of creation that continues flourishingwith every breath we take.
We grow into individuals with an identity that has never beenbefore and will never be again. It is as though we are exclusive worksof art with a beauty that belongs to those brave enough to seek outtheir deepest origins.
CHAPTER 7
Life moves so quickly that is often difficult to know whowe are, let alone where are we going. The world withits demands and responsibilities work from behind, pushing us intotomorrow before we've even had a chance to complete today.
This constant motion makes our days seem the same the majorityof the time. But they are truly never the same even though ourperceptions lead us to this belief.
Each day is different because we are different each and everyday. We are not the same people we were yesterday. What seeminsignificant choices, comments and tasks can be monumentally lifechanging to those others in our lives. The same is true for us throughthe words and actions of others.
The right words, an honest action or gesture of kindness canchange us, those around us and even the entire world. Those actionsare what make for a new you every single day.
CHAPTER 8
At times being ourselves can be the most difficult task in ourlives. Because of prejudice, fear, lack of self confidence or adesire for acceptance, we often conceal what is on the inside creating apersona that is safer or one we believe others will find more intriguingthan our true identities.
We seek those qualities that we do not possess or simply have notyet developed in hopes of gaining acceptance from others. What weaccomplish though is not real acceptance because we have not firstaccepted ourselves.
As a result, we have only succeeded in mimicking those qualitieswe see in others and disguising those characteristics that make usdifferent from every other person in the world.
It is only through the discovery and then acceptance of ourselvesthat the world is given the opportunity to meet someone new,someone who is truly a unique individual.
It is not just the end of a journey that should be celebratedbut also the beginning. When we begin a quest, we aretaking a risk, opening ourselves up to discovery and leaving behindthe fear that keeps our lives stagnant and our hearts still.
The last step and every step before it should be reminders thatwe are triumphant for having taken that first step and believing withevery print left behind that the future is open to us for as far as we arewilling to travel.
CHAPTER 9
Little things change in our lives every day, subtle differencesthat we don't acknowledge and possibly don't even notice.As those days become years, we begin to see how those alterationshave taken place.
We then have a tendency to focus on the negatives of that change,which we often feel has left us behind fostering a new change thatwill determine who we will become. This seemingly insignificant newchange can grow to overshadow the positives that time gives us becauseit becomes a primary focus instead of a simple by-product of living.
The passage of time gives us wisdom, experience and theknowledge to understand that change is just the opportunity todiscover a new part of ourselves that has simply been waiting for theright time to come forth.
We are an extension of everything we do and thoseactions are a reflection of who we are in that momentand who we will become for the rest of our lives.
If we represent those who prey on the weak or innocent throughour words and actions then we too are guilty of harboring darkness inour hearts. There will always be those who serve themselves first andthey do so by their own accord but their ideas of greed and hatredonly become ours by choice.
By serving them, we not only lose pride and self-respect but welose the part of ourselves that makes us invaluable—our identity.
CHAPTER 10
Life moves so quickly that it is often difficult to know whowe are, let alone where we are going. The world, withits demands and responsibilities, works from behind pushing us intotomorrow before we've even had a chance to complete today.
This constant motion makes our days seem the same the majorityof the time but they are truly never the same even though areperceptions lead us to this belief. Each day is different because we aredifferent. We are not the same people we were yesterday.
What seems as insignificant choices, comments and tasks can bemonumentally life changing to those in our lives. The same is truefor us through the words and actions of others. The right words, anhonest action or a gesture of kindness can change us, those around usand even the entire world and it's those choices that make for a newday every day.
CHAPTER 11
There seems to be little understanding as to the meaning oflife and creation. And what is believed to be understoodby some is never agreed upon by all.
Yet we all seek knowledge, wisdom and insight as to why we arehere and our purpose in life. We make choices and then worry aboutthe outcome of those choices, believing them to be drawing us closerto our purpose and hoping not further away.
But perhaps we put too much emphasis on our purpose instead ofthe faith needed to make choices which lead us to a purposeful life.Purpose does not belong to us, but to our Creator who has alreadymade the choices necessary for us to fulfill the purpose He has given us.
However, it's not His purpose which gives our lives meaning;for that, we ourselves must choose to live a life of purpose andconsequence. Perhaps choosing to have faith and believing thatunderstanding will eventually come, leads us to that end with theinsight to make choices which provide a life that is never meaninglessand always purposeful.
CHAPTER 12
Every word we utter, every action we perform leavesimprints upon this world.
People respond to the things we do and say even when we are notaware they are doing so.
We need to understand that we learn integrity from those whopractice it and find self pride by emulating it. Our moral practicesare messages that others take with them on their travels down life'sroad.
Even when our journey has ended others continue to live in themoral or duplicitous residue left behind by the manner in which welived.
When we comprehend the idea that each generation teaches thenext by both its singular and collective actions, then that knowledgeshould lead us to the realization that what we do tells others who we areas well as who they can be.
Through this divine construction we all become teachers ofmorality to humanity who are truly never alone when we are alive andnever forgotten after we have gone.
CHAPTER 13
The first part of understanding is acceptance. There canbe no enlightenment through denial. What we allowourselves to feel and experience are the seeds that become the trees ofknowledge and wisdom.
There is growth in the darkness of despair just as there is in thelight of prosperity. We shield ourselves from fears and tragedies inhopes of escaping the sorrows that befall humanity. We close our eyesand withdraw from others to find sanctuary within ourselves, tryingto avoid the bleak times upon us.
This causes us to lose sight of our potential to expand ourunderstanding of life. What we refuse to see and acknowledge alwaysbecomes our fear and our boundaries. When we choose not to know,we gain vision into the possibilities of becoming so much more thanfear in the dark.
CHAPTER 14
So often it seems the root of humanity stems from whatwe want instead of what others need. The desire to tendto our own comforts can build walls separating us from those whoneed us the most. It is not always a conscious act of neglect but moreof an unwilling blindness that keeps us from the most importantissues and people in our lives.
It is a simple gesture to give, one that requires only the choicesto see and then to act. This simplicity has an awesome effect onboth the giver and the receiver because it brings about a positiveexchange, which sparks an internal change that never ceases toevolve.
After truly experiencing the power of giving, we no longer seeourselves as individuals with personal desires but rather part of a largefamily whose needs lead us to the understanding that we are only ascomfortable and secure as those willing to give to us.
CHAPTER 15
Life leaves scars, regrets and sorrows that grow andintegrate into our daily experiences. Because of this, theyeventually become more than feelings, developing into an intricatepart of who we are. As they grow, they begin to mislead us causing usto believe their hold on us is stronger than our gift of choice.
If we simply resist the deception and remember that who weare and where we are going is our choice, then we can choose foreveryday to be a new beginning. What has brought us contempt andpersonal unhappiness in the past can be erased from us by the merechoice to be free of them.
What we hold on to, holds on to us be it positive or negative andif we choose to keep the negative then it chooses to keep us in thatdarkness, which is always present right before the dawn, but only seenwhen we let go and step toward the light.
CHAPTER 16
We live in a yield sign world where everyone and everythingslows down but nothing seems to ever come to a completestop. Life rushes by because we experience the world around us movingat ever increasing speeds and if we are to keep up then we must flow withthe rhythm of this world's chaotic momentum.
However, we need to understand that the world only spins asquickly as each of us allow. We need to realize that it should not pushus but instead be pushed by us as individuals in control of our ownlives. When our actions are done hurriedly and in haste then the veryessence of those acts get lost in our attempt to keep moving forward.The beauty of life is not in the expeditious manner in which we live itbut in the leisurely way we experience it.
What we believe in has dominion over our destinations inlife. This is not to say that it owns us, but that it is merelya dominant part of our being that works to benefit what we feel we trulywant and need. Essentially, it acts as a guide leading us to the outcomes ofthose desires.
When that which we believe is negative or of a dark nature then ouroutcomes will reflect those beliefs. If we believe the worst in others orbelieve that we prosper through their failures, then those failures becomeour misfortunes simply because their origins are a part of us.
Through the belief that others should and will prosper, wesucceed in our own endeavors learning that good will toward othersis good will toward ourselves and that hope for the success of othersleads to the greatest positive destinations life has to offer.
