There are many things in life that surprise us. They can be very simple like a greeting from an old acquaintance or friend. The can also be very complex like something aligning in a way that you could not have imagined to open new doors of opportunity for us. Then there are those times in life that things just happen & they are of no surprise to us.
These instances can be good & sometimes they can seem bad to us. The common factor that I have found in life with these events is that if you look deep enough, or sometimes even shallow enough, is that they do work out for the best for us in the long run. I see both instances as opportunities for us to stand up straight & declare who we are & who we will be. Whether they seem good or bad, is not so much to focus on as the opportunity they provide us with to confirm who we are on the inside.
We all go through good times & times when we feel weak. These times either energize us & make us feel right or they show us where we may have been wrong & show us what we need to change to get back on track. Personally, I have tried to see the good in both types of situation. I embrace the good & bad, because I know that either way they are helping me grow into who I am on the inside & who I want everyone to see that I am outside.
I guess it may not seem very deep so much as it may seem to be a simple observation of myself. I do feel that many times it can be hard to see the good in times when we feel that what we are going through or is happening to us is bad. I just wanted to write this as encouragement to those who may have a hard time noticing that things that may seem bad can & will work out for good if we can just see & learn the lessons that they were meant to teach us. Whether you are going through something that seems good or bad, I just encourage you to take a step away from the situation & see things from a different perspective. If you act with integrity & courage, ensuring that your actions reflect the person you really are inside, than you will be stronger, wiser, & an overall better person. In those bad times, if you have a hard time seeing the light just remember that you are worthy of good things & things will work in your favor in perfect timing & it is okay to not know what that is. Peace, LOVE, & Happiness to you all!!!
Bless You!
Thomas
This Blog will discuss things that affect the majority of us, sometimes in our daily lives or frequently enough to be relevant. Please comment on what you read...
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Friday, June 19, 2009
Passion
There is a time at the beginning of most serious relationships when we feel an intense passion for one another. A passion that drives us to want to know every curve of our partners body, be around them consistently, & have them reflect the love we show them. This can be very intense & many times these days sexual. We find ourselves rushing to "be" with that person & when we are not we find ourselves thinking about it.
I understand that having a passion for your partner is a wonderful thing, but I also think that the sex part is rushed into due to our curiosity & desire to intimately know them. I think that there is a modern theme of considering sex as intimacy. While sex is intimate, exciting, & a wonderful experience, I also feel that sex is rushed into & real intimacy gets overlooked. In this day in age, divorce has become an institution like marriage. I think that one large contributing factor is this rush to be sexual.
I feel that this rush leads to many people getting into relationships for the wrong reason, namely sexual reasons. After this initial phase of their relationship fades, these people are left wondering why they are in the relationship & becoming unhappy while also growing apart from their partner. This is an interesting subject to me because in all of my relationships since high school I have found myself being the one wanting to wait to take things to a sexual level & I am a guy. Even though I have the same desires as I am sure many others do, I pride myself on having enough self-control to do the right thing & show my body respect.
So, how does this apply to someone who is married? Well, I think that even if our relationships are in different stages of development we can all relate to the fact that they do change. Relationships are not all rainbows & gumdrops. They demand many things including great communication, respect of ourselves & our partner, focus, commitment, understanding, & of course LOVE among many other things. One key is to make sure that when our relationships are developing & changing we ensure that we are growing together & not apart. Do one thing today for your partner, if you have one, that you know will make them happy for no reason & just smile because you made the person you love smile. Peace, Love, & Happiness to you all!!!
Bless You!
Thomas
I understand that having a passion for your partner is a wonderful thing, but I also think that the sex part is rushed into due to our curiosity & desire to intimately know them. I think that there is a modern theme of considering sex as intimacy. While sex is intimate, exciting, & a wonderful experience, I also feel that sex is rushed into & real intimacy gets overlooked. In this day in age, divorce has become an institution like marriage. I think that one large contributing factor is this rush to be sexual.
I feel that this rush leads to many people getting into relationships for the wrong reason, namely sexual reasons. After this initial phase of their relationship fades, these people are left wondering why they are in the relationship & becoming unhappy while also growing apart from their partner. This is an interesting subject to me because in all of my relationships since high school I have found myself being the one wanting to wait to take things to a sexual level & I am a guy. Even though I have the same desires as I am sure many others do, I pride myself on having enough self-control to do the right thing & show my body respect.
So, how does this apply to someone who is married? Well, I think that even if our relationships are in different stages of development we can all relate to the fact that they do change. Relationships are not all rainbows & gumdrops. They demand many things including great communication, respect of ourselves & our partner, focus, commitment, understanding, & of course LOVE among many other things. One key is to make sure that when our relationships are developing & changing we ensure that we are growing together & not apart. Do one thing today for your partner, if you have one, that you know will make them happy for no reason & just smile because you made the person you love smile. Peace, Love, & Happiness to you all!!!
Bless You!
Thomas
Saturday, June 13, 2009
What is Happiness
What is Happiness? In life we all seek to find the thing that we call Happiness. Like Love it is an action & not something we can just capture in words. We cannot just put it down on paper, or this virtual paper. It is something that we have to practice & it is not just given to us. We have to actively seek it & make it part of our daily action.
The movie "Into the Wild," makes a great statement about happiness. It states that Happiness is nothing if we can't share it. This is so true with about Happiness, Love, & every success we enjoy. All of these things mean nothing if we cannot share them with others. We could have all the money, success, happiness, & love in the world but if there is no one for us to share these with at the end of the day they are at most fleeting things.
We could fill our houses with plaques & trophies to show what we have accomplished, but these things we do & accomplish so that we can reflect the good we have inside. If we alienate ourselves from others in accomplishing these things we will not be any more happy than if we did not. As humans, we all need to share with others. There is nothing wrong with this feeling of wanting to share & sometimes to rely on others. No one of us is perfect alone, because the relationships we are able to attain & maintain reward us in ways far beyond any other earthly thing we can have.
So, what is Happiness? Happiness along with all of the other successes we have in life are representations of who we are & what we have to give. Today is a great day to start to share all of these great things we have inside. Today I pray for you, that you may feel my happiness, that you may share in my knowledge & share all that you have with others. Happiness is one of the greatest infectious things we have been graced with on earth. Please open your heart today & share yours with all those around you & bask in the glory in its reflection on those around you & on yourself. Be the change you wish to see in the world. If I am the first one to say it to you, I Love You! Peace, Love, & Happiness to all of you!!!
Bless You!
Thomas
The movie "Into the Wild," makes a great statement about happiness. It states that Happiness is nothing if we can't share it. This is so true with about Happiness, Love, & every success we enjoy. All of these things mean nothing if we cannot share them with others. We could have all the money, success, happiness, & love in the world but if there is no one for us to share these with at the end of the day they are at most fleeting things.
We could fill our houses with plaques & trophies to show what we have accomplished, but these things we do & accomplish so that we can reflect the good we have inside. If we alienate ourselves from others in accomplishing these things we will not be any more happy than if we did not. As humans, we all need to share with others. There is nothing wrong with this feeling of wanting to share & sometimes to rely on others. No one of us is perfect alone, because the relationships we are able to attain & maintain reward us in ways far beyond any other earthly thing we can have.
So, what is Happiness? Happiness along with all of the other successes we have in life are representations of who we are & what we have to give. Today is a great day to start to share all of these great things we have inside. Today I pray for you, that you may feel my happiness, that you may share in my knowledge & share all that you have with others. Happiness is one of the greatest infectious things we have been graced with on earth. Please open your heart today & share yours with all those around you & bask in the glory in its reflection on those around you & on yourself. Be the change you wish to see in the world. If I am the first one to say it to you, I Love You! Peace, Love, & Happiness to all of you!!!
Bless You!
Thomas
Lovely Meaning
Life is filled with lovely meaning in the many things we do & can experience. I recently learned that my ex-wife had re-married & had done so with the person she cheated on me with. The same person that stood beside me at my wedding to her posing as a best friend. I have yet to meet anyone who thinks that this is right. Everyone has been awe struck with the speed of this happening in under a year from the date when we were officially split.
People were also upset with the fact that the date chosen was the day after my birthday, maybe because they know how strongly I feel about birthdays. I believe that they are the one true holiday in life we should ensure that we fully celebrate. I had to look inside myself to decide how I really felt. I have to say I felt a mix of emotions relative to this all, because I cannot say that I agree with things because I truly LOVED her with all my heart & believe that things could have been handled in a much better way.
I was willing to work on things & make them right, because I am sure that I made the right decision. She asked me on several occasions how I knew that she was the one. I knew because my GOD put it in my heart. When I split from my previous long-term partner that I had been with since high school, I made a pact with GOD that I would give him control to lead the right woman to me. She was led to me & things grew from there. I fell in LOVE with her, her family, & friends. The day she said her heart had gone cold for me & she wasn't sure if she could ever get it back my heart stopped.
I knew that I had to let her go & that if it was GOD's will for her to be in my life she would be back. So, all of this news did not come to my ears without emotion but it also did not come with anger as it did for others. This is one confirmation for me that I did LOVE her, because I still want her to be happy. We once had the discussion about being with another if one of us died at a young age & at first I had said that I would not want her to be with anyone else. After more thought though, I came to the decision that if it made her happy I would be okay with it because I LOVED her & want her to be happy. In essence, I did die to her & I still want her to be happy.
There are all together too many people in the world that are looking to take advantage of one another & I chose to be the difference I want to see. Life is too short for me to harbor anger & allow negative things take the energy I could use to do good & pass along the LOVE I have in my heart. So, I chose to rise above the norm & be happy that she is happy. Is there a situation or relationship you are letting take your energy, your "Ness?" If so, maybe you could begin to entertain the idea of letting go, forgiving, & freeing yourself to achieve all that you can. Peace, LOVE, & Happiness to you all!!!
Bless You!
Thomas
People were also upset with the fact that the date chosen was the day after my birthday, maybe because they know how strongly I feel about birthdays. I believe that they are the one true holiday in life we should ensure that we fully celebrate. I had to look inside myself to decide how I really felt. I have to say I felt a mix of emotions relative to this all, because I cannot say that I agree with things because I truly LOVED her with all my heart & believe that things could have been handled in a much better way.
I was willing to work on things & make them right, because I am sure that I made the right decision. She asked me on several occasions how I knew that she was the one. I knew because my GOD put it in my heart. When I split from my previous long-term partner that I had been with since high school, I made a pact with GOD that I would give him control to lead the right woman to me. She was led to me & things grew from there. I fell in LOVE with her, her family, & friends. The day she said her heart had gone cold for me & she wasn't sure if she could ever get it back my heart stopped.
I knew that I had to let her go & that if it was GOD's will for her to be in my life she would be back. So, all of this news did not come to my ears without emotion but it also did not come with anger as it did for others. This is one confirmation for me that I did LOVE her, because I still want her to be happy. We once had the discussion about being with another if one of us died at a young age & at first I had said that I would not want her to be with anyone else. After more thought though, I came to the decision that if it made her happy I would be okay with it because I LOVED her & want her to be happy. In essence, I did die to her & I still want her to be happy.
There are all together too many people in the world that are looking to take advantage of one another & I chose to be the difference I want to see. Life is too short for me to harbor anger & allow negative things take the energy I could use to do good & pass along the LOVE I have in my heart. So, I chose to rise above the norm & be happy that she is happy. Is there a situation or relationship you are letting take your energy, your "Ness?" If so, maybe you could begin to entertain the idea of letting go, forgiving, & freeing yourself to achieve all that you can. Peace, LOVE, & Happiness to you all!!!
Bless You!
Thomas
This Way & That
We always have the choice & free will to chose to go this way or that way. Many times in life these decisions come like instinct. Many others we stop when we get to the corner or decision & look back at where we have come from & then we look ahead at our options & step toward the direction we feel drawn. I fully believe that this can be a good thing...great thing for us to feel drawn to action in our lives. There is no need to "over think" things all the time, but we do have to accept the fact that we are all human & can make mistakes.
The simple fact is that just because we act is not why we make mistakes. The reasons we make mistakes, when we make mistakes, is when we fail to realize that something other than out best judgment is leading us. This can be for a multitude of reasons, but I feel that one of the major reasons is emotion. We, I am, are emotional people & sometimes it is difficult to detach from our emotions to ensure that we make the best decisions for our lives.
This is one of the greatest lessons I was ever taught when I was young by one of the wisest men I have ever known my grandpa Roy Matthews. I am proud to have known him for many years & happy to be his grandson may he rest in PEACE. This lesson is one that we can all gain from though. When we come to those corners in our lives & are making decisions that will shape our lives, we need to take the time to pause & really analyze our feelings behind our choices. This way we can ensure that we make the best decisions for our lives.
Over the past year, I have been on a journey to regain touch with my goals in life. I took a hard look at where I am & where I want to be. I made a decision that is going to allow me to help thousands of people in my life to come. It was a hard decision that meant leaving my comfort zone & venturing onto unsure ground, cutting my strings if you will, & allowing myself to fly. I do so knowing that if anything does happen along the way I can land back on the firm foundation & rely on the great people I have in my life. Although the time is not quite right yet to fully divulge the decision I have made, I will share it soon. So, I guess I share this much just to provoke you to entertain the question in your head & share some of the wisdom that helped me make my decision. Are you where you want to be? If not, why? What have you learned & how can you use what you have learned to get back on your road. Peace, LOVE, & Happiness to you all!!!
Bless You!
Thomas
The simple fact is that just because we act is not why we make mistakes. The reasons we make mistakes, when we make mistakes, is when we fail to realize that something other than out best judgment is leading us. This can be for a multitude of reasons, but I feel that one of the major reasons is emotion. We, I am, are emotional people & sometimes it is difficult to detach from our emotions to ensure that we make the best decisions for our lives.
This is one of the greatest lessons I was ever taught when I was young by one of the wisest men I have ever known my grandpa Roy Matthews. I am proud to have known him for many years & happy to be his grandson may he rest in PEACE. This lesson is one that we can all gain from though. When we come to those corners in our lives & are making decisions that will shape our lives, we need to take the time to pause & really analyze our feelings behind our choices. This way we can ensure that we make the best decisions for our lives.
Over the past year, I have been on a journey to regain touch with my goals in life. I took a hard look at where I am & where I want to be. I made a decision that is going to allow me to help thousands of people in my life to come. It was a hard decision that meant leaving my comfort zone & venturing onto unsure ground, cutting my strings if you will, & allowing myself to fly. I do so knowing that if anything does happen along the way I can land back on the firm foundation & rely on the great people I have in my life. Although the time is not quite right yet to fully divulge the decision I have made, I will share it soon. So, I guess I share this much just to provoke you to entertain the question in your head & share some of the wisdom that helped me make my decision. Are you where you want to be? If not, why? What have you learned & how can you use what you have learned to get back on your road. Peace, LOVE, & Happiness to you all!!!
Bless You!
Thomas
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Minds Eye
As I close my eyes, I can visualize myself sitting with my head down bent over my knees with one hand on my head & the other reaching out. I cannot see what I am reaching out for, but I can feel it. I am reaching out for comfort & relaxation, as the guitar solo plays melodically in the background, I feel the peace I reach for as it enters through my outstretched fingertip up through my arm.
It crosses my chest like a gentle hand relaxing my muscles as it passes. It continues on down my other arm that is supporting my head on my knee. Then it runs through my hair like the hand of a lover down the back of my neck & circles on my back while comfort radiates out through the rest of my body. Slowly I begin to come back to life, as I allow this comfort & relaxation radiate while I let whatever past worries & frustrations pass from my mind, body, & soul.
I feel ready to embrace the future that I have begun to make for myself & share the happiness & love I have in my heart. I know that the path will not always be smooth & I may stumble sometimes, but I also know that I will get back up & learn from my mistakes. As the days pass & I learn more about myself & the many other people that have touched my life, I begin to have a deeper understanding of what it means to really love while I see many other people searching for this meaning in someone else. What I have found though, is that you have to find that Love inside of yourself just like the relaxation I described above, before you can ever begin to share it with anyone else. So, today I challenge you to share this same love you have found inside with someone close to you. Have a wonderful & blessed afternoon! Peace, Love, & Happiness to you all!!!
Bless You!
Thomas
It crosses my chest like a gentle hand relaxing my muscles as it passes. It continues on down my other arm that is supporting my head on my knee. Then it runs through my hair like the hand of a lover down the back of my neck & circles on my back while comfort radiates out through the rest of my body. Slowly I begin to come back to life, as I allow this comfort & relaxation radiate while I let whatever past worries & frustrations pass from my mind, body, & soul.
I feel ready to embrace the future that I have begun to make for myself & share the happiness & love I have in my heart. I know that the path will not always be smooth & I may stumble sometimes, but I also know that I will get back up & learn from my mistakes. As the days pass & I learn more about myself & the many other people that have touched my life, I begin to have a deeper understanding of what it means to really love while I see many other people searching for this meaning in someone else. What I have found though, is that you have to find that Love inside of yourself just like the relaxation I described above, before you can ever begin to share it with anyone else. So, today I challenge you to share this same love you have found inside with someone close to you. Have a wonderful & blessed afternoon! Peace, Love, & Happiness to you all!!!
Bless You!
Thomas
Friday, June 5, 2009
Sharing
Today I found the answer to many things I have questioned & the answer was sharing. Intriguing? These questions centered around the human desire to be with others. This includes things like having a wife/husband, family, even friends. I like all of those ideas, but I have many times wondered why. As I was walking today, the pieces came together. Like a puzzle on a table in the dining room that was always so close to being finished, but just a few connections kept it from being complete.
We can all feel happiness, pain, fear, excitement but what are these things if it is only us that feels them? The good things seem to pass more quickly than the bad. We all, at some point in life, want to & seek to share these things with others. To Share is the driving factor of our feelings of desire for friends, family, spouses. Sharing confirms, enhances, & most importantly reflects & passes along these feelings to others. In return, sharing gives us an intrinsic reward from the confirmation of our feelings, or the opposite a realization that our feelings may have been misled.
I have heard the saying many times before that people like to, "bring you to their level." Today, I have remembered the reason why & it is because of our desire to share our emotion. In a world that is moving faster & faster every day, we have this very natural desire to share our emotion. Sometimes sharing is to bring others to our level & other times it is to attempt to heal ourselves & in essence bring ourselves back to our own level. I have the desire to share to express my experiences & thoughts so that others who may come across the same tests as I have can see how one person handled them & worked through them. I know that I cannot make the correct decision 100% of the time, but I also know that with time & experience I can develop & grow to limit my own margin of error as much as possible.
I am convinced that sharing is one of the reasons for our natural & internal desires to surround ourselves with the people we do. What is life, love, or happiness if we don't have others to share them with? Momentary. The reflection of these things is what we look for from sharing & we become unhappy when our feelings are not. Today, I challenge you to find one happy thing & share it with another person & see how affects them. Peace, LOVE, & Happiness to you all!!!
Bless You!
Thomas
We can all feel happiness, pain, fear, excitement but what are these things if it is only us that feels them? The good things seem to pass more quickly than the bad. We all, at some point in life, want to & seek to share these things with others. To Share is the driving factor of our feelings of desire for friends, family, spouses. Sharing confirms, enhances, & most importantly reflects & passes along these feelings to others. In return, sharing gives us an intrinsic reward from the confirmation of our feelings, or the opposite a realization that our feelings may have been misled.
I have heard the saying many times before that people like to, "bring you to their level." Today, I have remembered the reason why & it is because of our desire to share our emotion. In a world that is moving faster & faster every day, we have this very natural desire to share our emotion. Sometimes sharing is to bring others to our level & other times it is to attempt to heal ourselves & in essence bring ourselves back to our own level. I have the desire to share to express my experiences & thoughts so that others who may come across the same tests as I have can see how one person handled them & worked through them. I know that I cannot make the correct decision 100% of the time, but I also know that with time & experience I can develop & grow to limit my own margin of error as much as possible.
I am convinced that sharing is one of the reasons for our natural & internal desires to surround ourselves with the people we do. What is life, love, or happiness if we don't have others to share them with? Momentary. The reflection of these things is what we look for from sharing & we become unhappy when our feelings are not. Today, I challenge you to find one happy thing & share it with another person & see how affects them. Peace, LOVE, & Happiness to you all!!!
Bless You!
Thomas
Thursday, June 4, 2009
Shades of Love
I am a strong believer in LOVE. Without it we have no meaning, but with it life becomes a beautiful song that fills any space we need it to. It shows us the rhythm of life & vitalizes our mind, body, & soul. Love can make or break us. It defines us...
How we chose to feel, give, or take LOVE defines our character. I chose to try my hardest to LOVE everyone, not because I feel I have to, because in my life I have seen dividends beyond my imagination. There are many different shades of this LOVE that I give, because different people have different needs. I have different needs & wants & this helps me ensure that I don't forget about myself when I am giving LOVE. Losing people I LOVE has taught me how to continue to LOVE without a physical relationship because it is not a word LOVE is an action.
LOVE is a consistent & fluid action that envelopes our hearts like loving hands. When we feel loss of it, we can feel it chip our armor that protects us from the world & gives us the drive to do everything we can for the person we give it to. This is why I appreciate the ability to continue LOVE even when I am not able to see or even talk with people I LOVE. This shade of LOVE is one of my favorite colors. Peace, LOVE, & Happiness to all of you!!!
Bless You!
Thomas
How we chose to feel, give, or take LOVE defines our character. I chose to try my hardest to LOVE everyone, not because I feel I have to, because in my life I have seen dividends beyond my imagination. There are many different shades of this LOVE that I give, because different people have different needs. I have different needs & wants & this helps me ensure that I don't forget about myself when I am giving LOVE. Losing people I LOVE has taught me how to continue to LOVE without a physical relationship because it is not a word LOVE is an action.
LOVE is a consistent & fluid action that envelopes our hearts like loving hands. When we feel loss of it, we can feel it chip our armor that protects us from the world & gives us the drive to do everything we can for the person we give it to. This is why I appreciate the ability to continue LOVE even when I am not able to see or even talk with people I LOVE. This shade of LOVE is one of my favorite colors. Peace, LOVE, & Happiness to all of you!!!
Bless You!
Thomas