Things change, keep up your faith!
I remember that weekend two years ago. Family and friends had flown in from across the country to watch our class walk across that stage. But like everyone else in my graduating class, I had watched the economy turn from bad to worse my senior year. We graduates had degrees, but very limited prospects. Numerous applications had not panned out and I knew that the next day, when my lease ended, I would no longer have a place to call home.
The weeks ahead weren’t easy. I gathered up everything I couldn’t carry and put it into storage. Then, because I knew my small university town couldn’t offer me any opportunities, I packed up my car and drove to Southern California to find work. But what I thought would take a week dragged into two, and then four, and 100 job applications later, I found myself in the exact same spot as I was before. And the due date to begin paying back my student loans was creeping ever closer.
You know that feeling when you wake up and you are just consumed with dread? Dread about something you can’t control – that sense of impending failure that lingers over you as you hope that everything that happened to you thus far was just a bad dream? That feeling became a constant in my life.
Days felt like weeks, weeks like months, and those many months felt like an unending eternity of destitution. And the most frustrating part was no matter how much I tried, I just couldn’t seem to make any progress.
So what did I do to maintain my sanity? I wrote. Something about putting words on a page made everything seem a little clearer – a little brighter. Something about writing gave me hope. And if you want something badly enough… sometimes a little hope is all you need!
I channeled my frustration into a children’s book. Beyond the River was the story of an unlikely hero featuring a little fish who simply refused to give up on his dream.
And then one day, without any sort of writing degree or contacts in the writing world – just a lot of hard work and perseverance – I was offered a publishing contract for my first book! After that, things slowly began to fall into place. I was offered a second book deal. Then, a few months later, I got an interview with The Walt Disney Company and was hired shortly after.
The moral of this story is… don’t give up. Even if things look bleak now, don’t give up. Two years ago I was huddled in my car drinking cold soup right out of the can. Things change.
If you work hard, give it time, and don’t give up, things will always get better. Oftentimes our dreams lie in wait just a little further upstream… all we need is the courage to push beyond the river.
Alex W. Miller
Alex’s first book is available through Amazon
Link to book on Amazon: Beyond the River
Publication Date: February 28, 2011
Alex’s first book is available through Amazon
Link to book on Amazon: Beyond the River
Publication Date: February 28, 2011
Put Mind at Easy
While they were traveling, they happened to pass by a lake. They stopped to rest there and Buddha asked one of his disciples to get him some water from the lake.
A disciple walked up to the lake. When he reached it, he noticed some people were washing clothes in the water and, right at that moment, a bullock cart started crossing through the lake.
As a result, the water became very muddy. The disciple thought, ““How can I give this muddy water to Buddha to drink!””
So he came back and told Buddha, “”The water in the lake is very muddy. I don’’t think it is suitable to drink.””
After a while, Buddha again asked the same disciple to go back to the lake and get him some water.
The disciple obediently went back to the lake. This time he found that the mud had settled down and the water was clean so he collected some in a pot and brought it to Buddha.
Buddha looked at the water then looked up at the disciple and said, ““See what you did to make the water clean. You let it be and the mud settled down on its own. It is also the same with your mind. When it is disturbed, just let it be. Give it a little time and it will settle down on its own.”
Author Unknown
Making Assumptions
But, as he neared home, he was startled by a vehicle that came careening around a sharp curve and narrowly missed his squad car. As the car passed within a few inches of him, the other driver shouted “Pig!”
The police officer was suddenly energized. He slammed on brakes, all set to turn his squad car around and head off in hot pursuit. But as he rounded the curve, … he ran head-on into a large pig that was standing in the middle of the road!
It’s a lesson we learn early in life if we’re lucky: don’t assume! No matter how confident we are in our understanding of the issue. No matter how certain of another’s reasoning or motives. No matter how obvious the point may be to us. Effective communication is far more complicated and difficult than we think. With barriers like cultural differences, personal “filters,” different definitions, etc., it’s amazing that any of us ever understand one another. But these aren’t the most difficult obstacles. The biggest reason we aren’t able to hear what another is saying to us is simply… “fear!”
Oh, we may camouflage it behind anger, self-importance or any number of other false fronts, but at the root is fear. Fear of being “found out,” or of being disappointed, or of not getting what we want. It’s a powerful if crippling motivator. And most of us can summon up plenty of reasons why we shouldn’t take another at face value. Honest communication requires trust, and taking a risk. And we’ve been burned too many times. So we settle for safety, make the natural assumption, and run head-on into our own version of that pig as we journey down life’s highway!
There is a better way. A way that recognizes our similarities. That sees others as a source of community and healing. That looks past our own frustration and previous disappointments to explore the possibility that even a “stranger” may have something positive to say. The Apostle Paul described it in Corinthians, chapter 13. It’s the “higher way” of love. I almost hesitate to use that term these days because of the way our culture misuses it. But when you read Paul’s description, try substituting “maturity.” It’s a perfect fit. The risks are higher for this way of living, but so are the rewards.
Another (anonymous) writer cautions:
“To laugh is to risk appearing the fool. To weep is to risk appearing sentimental. To reach out for another is to risk involvement. To expose feelings is to risk exposing your true self. To place your ideas, your dreams before a crowd is to risk their loss. To love is to risk not being loved in return. To live is to risk dying. To hope is to risk despair. To try is to risk failure. But risks must be taken, because the greatest hazard in life is to risk nothing. The person who risks nothing, does nothing, has nothing and is nothing. They may avoid suffering and sorrow but they cannot learn, feel, change, grow, love, live. Chained by their certitudes they are a slave, they have forfeited their freedom. Only a person who risks is free.”
That doesn’t mean we should be naive. It does mean we should be careful what we assume. Check it out. Give others the benefit of the doubt. And if someone shouts something unexpected at us, at least entertain the possibility that perhaps it may be more than a personal insult. Who knows, that approach could change our life.
By CAPT J. David Atwater, CHC, USN
The Alphabet Of Happiness
| The Alphabet: | |
|---|---|
| A – ACCEPT | Accept others for who they are and for the choices they’ve made even if you have difficulty understanding their beliefs, motives, or actions. |
| B – BREAK AWAY | Break away from everything that stands in the way of what you hope to accomplish with your life. |
| C – CREATE | Create a family of friends whom you can share your hopes, dreams, sorrows, and happiness with. |
| D – DECIDE | Decide that you’ll be successful and happy come what may, and good things will find you. The roadblocks are only minor obstacles along the way. |
| E – EXPLORE | Explore and experiment. The world has much to offer, and you have much to give. And every time you try something new, you’ll learn more about yourself. |
| F – FORGIVE | Forgive and forget. Grudges only weigh you down and inspire unhappiness and grief. Soar above it, and remember that everyone makes mistakes. |
| G – GROW | Leave the childhood monsters behind. They can no longer hurt you or stand in your way. |
| H – HOPE | Hope for the best and never forget that anything is possible as long as you remain dedicated to the task. |
| I – IGNORE | Ignore the negative voice inside your head. Focus instead on your goals and remember your accomplishments. Your past success is only a small inkling of what the future holds. |
| J – JOURNEY | Journey to new worlds, new possibilities, by remaining open-minded. Try to learn something new every day, an you’ll grow. |
| K – KNOW | Know that no matter how bad things seem, they’ll always get better. The warmth of spring always follows the harshest winter. |
| L – LOVE | Let love fill your heart instead of hate. When hate is in your heart, there’s room for nothing else, but when love is in your heart, there’s room for endless happiness. |
| M – MANAGE | Manage your time and your expenses wisely, and you’ll suffer less stress and worry. Then you’ll be able to focus on the important things in life. |
| N – NOTICE | Never ignore the poor, infirm, helpless, weak, or suffering. Offer your assistance when possible, and always your kindness and understanding. |
| O – OPEN | Open your eyes and take in all the beauty around you. Even during the worst of times, there’s still much to be thankful for. |
| P – PLAY | Never forget to have fun along the way. Success means nothing without happiness. |
| Q – QUESTION | Ask many questions, because you’re here to learn. |
| R – RELAX | Refuse to let worry and stress rule your life, and remember that things always have a way of working out in the end. |
| S – SHARE | Share your talent, skills, knowledge, and time with others. Everything that you invest in others will return to you many times over. |
| T – TRY | Even when your dreams seem impossible to reach, try anyway. You’ll be amazed by what you can accomplish. |
| U – USE | Use your gifts to your best ability. Talent that’s wasted has no value. Talent that’s used bill bring unexpected rewards. |
| V – VALUE | Value the friends and family members who’ve supported and encouraged you, and be there for them as well. |
| W – WORK | Work hard every day to be the best person you can be, but never feel guilty if you fall short of your goals. Every sunrise offers a second chance. |
| X – X-RAY | Look deep inside the hearts of those around you and you’ll see the goodness and beauty within. |
| Y – YIELD | Yield to commitment. If you stay on track and remain dedicated, you’ll find success at the end of the road. |
| Z – ZOOM | Zoom to a happy place when bad memories or sorrow rears its ugly head. Let nothing interfere with your goals. Instead, focus on your abilities, your dreams, and a brighter tomorrow. |
Author Unknown
Tips for a beautiful life!
- Take a 10-30 minute walk every day and while you walk, smile.
- Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day.
- When you wake up in the morning complete the following statement, “My purpose is to … today.”
- Live with the 3 E’s: Energy, Enthusiasm, Empathy, and the 3 F’s: Faith, Family, Friends.
- Spend more time with people over the age of 70 and under the age of 6.
- Dream more while you are awake.
- Try to make at least three people smile each day.
- Realize
that life is a school and you are here to learn, pass all your tests.
Problems are simply part of the curriculum that appear and fade away
like algebra class but the lessons you learn will last a lifetime.
- Smile and laugh more. It will keep the energy vampires away.
- Life isn’t fair, but it’s still good.
- Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.
- Don’t take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
- You don’t have to win every argument. Agree to disagreements.
- Make peace with your past, so it won’t mess up the present.
- Don’t compare your life with others’. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
- Burn the candles, use the nice sheets. Don’t save it for a special occasion. Today is special.
- No one is in charge of your happiness except you.
- Forgive everyone for everything.
- What other people think of you is none of your business.
- Time heals almost everything. Give time, time.
- However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
- Your job won’t take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will stay in touch.
- Get rid of anything that isn’t useful, beautiful, or joyful.
- The best is yet to come… Believe.
- No matter how you feel, get up, dress up, and show up.
- Do the right thing!
- Call your family often.
- Each night before you go to bed complete the following statements: “I am thankful for…” – “Today I accomplished…”
- Remember that you are too blessed to be stressed.
- Enjoy the ride. Remember that this is not Disney World and you certainly don’t want a fast pass. Make the most of it and enjoy the ride.
Author Unknown
Story submitted by John C.
Story submitted by John C.
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