Fight until the war is over. The war isn't over until you win!

this is a story of 2 indian tribes. The first indian tribe had strayed from their ancestral path. they didn't do many of the rituals anymore, and slowly bit by bit left the old ways behind. When the chief was asked why they stopped he answered: "the rain dance doesn't work. We dance, but hardly ever get rain. This tells us our ways are ineffective and erroneous." The second tribe held fast to the old ways. completed rites and rituals and hadn't strayed or abandoned the old ways at all. When asked why the chief answered: "the rain dance. It works every single time we do it." this puzzled the questioner, so he asked if he decided to observe the 2 rain dances to see what was different in each one. The first tribe rolled out the drums, suited up in the ritual clothing and started to dance. after a while nothing happened. so the first tribe packed it up. The chief said, "see i told you. It doesn't work." When the second tribe was up, they suited up and started to dance. They kept dancing and dancing and dancing through the night. They danced until rain clouds rolled in. they danced while the first sprinkles hit the earth, and they danced until the ground had churned into mud. With a cheer the chief said "see, it works EVERY time." the only difference in the 2 dances was how long each one took. the second tribe didn't give up. they danced until they got their rain.

Some people work for what they want, and get it, others do not. This is a simple fact of life. Take the difference of method between these two tribes. Anybody can look at this story and say, 'duh, if you want to dance outside for hours, days, weeks, months, and years, then yeah, its only a matter of time before the rain comes. The dance itself had nothing to do with it.' Trust me, every time i tell this story i hear that argument and, trust me, i've never thought that to be the case. you see, the story here isn't about the dance itself, or even about the rain. The story is merely a metaphor about what people are willing to do to accomplish their goals. The story is a perfect model for people's attitudes toward the world today.

There are people who say its just not worth it, keep your head down, live out your life, and die happy. Then there are those who cannot side by and watch the world pass them. They actively pursue their goals. These are the heros of our world. These are the people who improve the world. These people dance until it rains, and they ALWAYS get their rain.

Is it easy? NOOOO!!! it hardly ever is. Life is hard. there is a reason for that. Ever meet a body builder that never set foot in a gym? Ever meet a public speaker that had never given a speech before?

You will deal with bad bosses, low pay, dishonest people, you'll get ridiculed, you'll be abused, you will have rough days. these are constants. So what will you do? Quit your job whenever it gets hard? move to a new state when your neighbors decide that you don't fit in their group?

What will you do when life gets tough?

When life got tough for me, i held fast to my wife and 2 daughters. When the guard royally screwed me over, i got a job as a waiter, and worked doubles to pay the bills. When i had a stroke at the age of 28 i figured out what i needed to do, and i did it to live longer.

I am not the product, i am the equation. I work to improve my life and the lives of those intertwined with mine. I have walked some very difficult roads in the past, and i'll walk even more difficult roads in the future. we all have challenges. Some of us are dealt a horrible hand, like the 16 year old girl whose parents died of AIDS and drug overdose. She decided she wanted more out of life, she graduated high school in just under 2 years, and attended an ivy league school. This is one of thousands and thousands of stories.

when you dance... will you dance until it rains? Or will you dance until it gets difficult, and go home thirsty?

Black or White. NO GRAY?

My most recent though here stems from the idea that people nowadays are so absolute in their opinions, passions, and political affiliations, that they leave no room for acceptance of another belief.

I use the word acceptance rather than tolerance because the term 'tolerance' has a pretty loose translation. If i don't kill people i'm tolerating them some would say.

Acceptance takes on a whole new meaning. Allow me to illustrate from my own belief. I believe in universal harmony and balance. Yin and yang, push and pull. I believe in human kind Male and female are representations of these 2 halves. As such, the only way to achieve balance compliant with the universal law, men and woman are complimentary halves, and a homosexual relationship is not in compliance with this law of harmony and balance.

I can already see the formulation of fierce rebuttal, and some of you may even have my phone number half dialed ready to give me a piece of your minds. Bear with me please. i believe in the laws of harmony and balance. that is my belief. I believe men and women are complimentary halves of this balance. These are my beliefs folks.

They may or may not be eternal law. I don't know. I believe as i do, because this is how i hope to attain the highest level of happiness, and progression in this life. My belief, as is most others i would wager, stems from the desire to be better tomorrow than i am today and to be a better man so my children have a solid foundation to build on. Nowhere in my belief is there anything about hating anybody whose belief is different. I have a deep love for my fellow humans. As i am not the ultimate authority on what is right or wrong, i do my best to live well, and hold to the beliefs i hold dear.

I am not the ultimate authority on all things right and wrong. i accept that my beliefs are limited by my own ignorance, and inability to comprehend many many things. I do the best that i can. Every day i try to learn as much as i can to improve my belief and my situation in life.

Balance and harmony is one belief i hold very dear. Another is love. Love is probably the most important power one can behold, or wield, aside from perhaps creation. When i say love, i mean love, not apathy or pandering. I love my daughters more than my own life. I hold them to a very high standard of learning, obedience, and education. I hold them to this standard to give them the most tools possible to make their own choices, and live their own lives so that one day when they are leaving the nest they will be capable, intelligent, and beautiful human beings.

I disagree with homosexuality. I make no apologies for my belief. I do not harbor any feelings of hatred, or negativity towards anybody because they live a homosexual lifestyle. My negative feelings are reserved for those who live life for the purpose of belittling others to make themselves look better.

My enemy is the person with no respect for anyone. My enemy is the man who mistreats a woman who is willing to love him and be with him. My enemy is the school bully who attacks the defenseless kids. I label these people my enemy, but i should specify. Even these monstrous acts are brought about by some other event that has taught them to behave this way. In most cases their biggest sin is doing nothing to improve their situation, and just continuing the cycle. My enemy then isn't the people themselves, but the feelings, and actions that cause people to behave so horribly. There are plenty of terrible deeds committed by everyone. Acts of hate, and negativity are not restricted to people living a heterosexual lifestyle.

My point here is, just because i disagree with a homosexual lifestyle does NOT mean in any way at all that i dislike gay people. Just because i disagree with Pres. Obama does NOT make me a racist. I truly accept that other people's lives, and beliefs are different than mine. Their beliefs may make no sense to me, they aren't my beliefs. The only answer is to truly listen, and try to understand where this other belief comes from, try to understand the people who hold these beliefs dear, and accept the sometimes terrifying notion that you may be wrong.

Thanks for reading folks!! May you all find what you are looking for!

Yin and Yang, North and South, Positive and Negative.

I have been thinking about this for a long time.
I think there are 2 kinds of people in this world. Each group has been labeled different things throughout time. Positive and negative. Yin and Yang. Push and Pull. You may say, ummm those are the governing bodies of energy in the universe, and you'd be right.

I believe people have limitless potential, and as such can, and do, embody these universal energies.

People are as diverse as they are abundant. I have noticed there are 2 kinds of people. (in general. I am a firm believer that there are exceptions to every rule)

I'm going to use the terms 'positive' and 'negative' in this thought. Please note, positive and negative in this context does NOT equal good and bad. There is a need for both sides to find balance.

Negative people see the world as it applies directly to them. These people will react to every situation in life based on if it will be good or bad to them directly, and the rest of the consideration comes after themselves.

Positive people see a situation as it affects the direct parties first, then apply it to themselves.

So an example of this would be:

"we rented a movie"
Negative reaction: I don't think that looks like a good movie, can't we watch something else?
Positive reaction: If thats what everybody wants to watch, sure, that sounds good, even if it didn't look that great to me. At least i'll enjoy the company i'm in.

"My friend just found out she's allergic to wheat"
Negative reaction: Great, now we'll have to eat at the weirdest spots when she's with us.
Positive Reaction: Well i'm glad she found out before something really bad happened.

I want to re-iterate. I am not trying to insult anybody here. Ultimately everything we do is in response to how something will affect us. The difference is that a positive person will put another persons consideration above their own. Notice i said consideration, not need.

I strive to be a positive person. I understand other people are free to live the way they choose, and even if i wanted to, i can't force anybody to feel the way i think they should, nor would i want to change their feelings even if i could. Humans are SUPPOSED to be different. Our diversity makes us beautiful, capable, and limitless.

I hope you are having a great day! I hope that if somebody else has a bad day that we can get around ourselves to help that person have a better day! Picture a world where people are honest, caring, and positive. thats where i want to be, and rather than forcing that on others, i'll live the way i think is best, and let everybody else do the same! :D

"Impossible is just a big word thrown around by small men who find it easier to live in the world they've been given than to explore the power they have to change it. Impossible is not a fact. It's an opinion. Impossible is not a declaration. It's a dare. Impossible is potential. Impossible is temporary. Impossible is nothing."
— Muhammad Ali

I wanted to start out with this saying because i believe it to my core. Muhammad Ali is a very wise man who lived these words as vigorously as he spoke them.

I have been living my deepest fear and nightmare for the last 3 to 5 years now. That fear is, not having the financial foundation to provide for my family. We've survived, but just barely, and there has been so much stress. All I could do was/is live positively, and find the good in everyday. I had to make myself see the light in the darkest cave.

I am happy to say that i have awoken from this nightmare. I was given a job that will give me back my freedom and ability to provide for my family. This opportunity helps me not only financially, but emotionally, as it gives me freedom to correct other small issues. Issues that by themselves are small, and usually not worth worrying about, but with how many there are, they have been very taxing.

Today i know that eternal truth is applied to everything. You must live positively, and you will see light. You will see light in the darkest cave. You will evolve, and transcend. My journey continues, as it will forever. This portion of my journey, i feel, is reward for enduring the trials we've faced.

To any of you struggling, i know how it feels. Its rough, it hurts, and it can seem hopeless. It WILL improve. Eventually you will receive balance if you are living positively to obtain balance. Remember the story of Job. (i don't care your personal beliefs in this instance, i reference this story because it fits) Job went through enormous trials. His friends and what remained of his family told him to curse god and die. Job pushed through, and endured what i would consider to be horrible things to endure. and in the end he came out happier than ever. I don't think i suffered quite as badly as Job did, but i do feel like we've come out on top, and happier than ever!!!

trials and faith

for the last 3 years my family and i have suffered any and every problem that could ever happen. My chain of command asks me to believe in them. They ask me why i haven't used them... ummmmmmmmmmm... i need to make something very clear... EVERY SINGLE PROBLEM we have faced has been met by my chain of command with either "i am unable" or "i am unwilling to help." Now i ask you, if your boss said they could not help you every time you had a problem, how long would you go to them when you had a problem? i would wager not long. I've been dealing with this BS for 3 years now. I'm DONE!!!

unfortunately this situation has called to my attention many things about life and eternity. Everything i have, and everything i am has been tested in this last 3 years. Every ounce of faith i have that there is a higher power has been attacked by my supervision's lack of ability to help me when i need it.

recently i asked people for help in a job interview. I can't describe how i happy i would be if i got the job. I didn't get it. Over 100 people helped me, in prayers, fasting, positive thoughts, and so on. despite over 100 people, i STILL did not get the job. how am i to believe in a higher power when so many people are pulling for my success? simple. the higher power does not exist because i give it permission to. the gods exist just as we do. They exist with specific purpose, they have things that they are in charge of. Laws they are meant to enforce. In many ways we have more freedom than they do. Yet we are inferior, because we do not understand as they do. All i can do is fight on, and thats what i'll do. As long as there is breath in this body, i'll fight on.

hell, i like fighting... ;)

Responsibility

seems like every day i see something somewhere that strips humans of the need to be responsible for themselves. I understand that there is no way to be a master of all trades, and that sometimes having somebody to help is required. What i do not understand is when people will call in an expert in a field, and leave the responsibility entirely in this experts hands.

a perfect example of this is modern medicine. Again i say, i understand the need to have somebody who may know more than you, especially when your health/life is on the line. Also i'd like to say modern medicine has its place and is useful in some situations; however, no matter how useful a medical professional is we must understand 2 things. First every doctor, or hospital, or any other medical practitioner is a salesperson selling a product. They have to feed their families like anybody else. They must meet the cost associated with running their business or they will help nobody. As this is the case there is a conflict of interest when you rest all the responsibility on them. doctors will, and do, perform tests, and prescribe medications that are not necessary. They do things solely because it will get them a little bit of extra cash. Now you may be saying "what a twisted cynical view" maybe, but a neurologist yelled at me when i refused further testing after he had already diagnosed the problem. I am not a guinea pig, nor a cash cow, and i will not be treated as such.

In my life i am responsible for the road i walk, and the consequences thereof. I make choices for myself, and for good or bad, i accept the consequences. If my children understand this when they are adults, i will be a success as a father. There is nothing in your life that is beyond your control. What we as humans need to remember is that we are still bound by time, so the solution to our problems may not come when we want them to. As we learn, are patient, and accept the consequences of our own actions, instead of trying to pawn them off on other people, places and things, we become happy.

people who are not responsible for their lives have very little control, and consequently very little happiness either. Humans have limitless potential, but somewhere along the way we've been fed this line of bull shit that we are worthless, 1 of a trillion points of insignificant light. So why should you try to do anything to change who/what you are?

I judge people by one very simple measure. When somebody tries to change their life for the better, how are they received? Good, positive people want to help and nurture these peoples decision to be better. They will help them any way they can, and they will praise somebody for trying to make a better life for themselves. Good people weep at failure, and cheer for success.

On the other side negative people will taunt, and tease people who attempt to better themselves. They constantly batter these people and tell them things like "you'll be back" or "you can't change who you are" They seek to make everybody miserable like unto themselves. Negative people mock and scorn success. They cheer failure claiming it wasn't worth it anyway.

If every person took responsibility for themselves, and sought to better themselves and those around them, 100% of this worlds problems would vanish overnight.

Valentines Day a love/hate affair

I have started this blog on Valentine's day. This is mostly a gift to my dearest love who has been hounding me to start a blog for a while now.

My first thought that i'd logged is this: Everybody hates Valentine's day.

This is particularly disturbing to me. Now don't get me wrong, the logic of showing your appreciation for your loved ones one day out of the year is just plain stupid. Also, as with any other holiday, you have the folks in marketing bastardising the day any way they can to make a buck. (hey we all gotta eat right?)

What disturbs me though, is how folks want to focus on the negative aspects in this situation. Valentine's Day is a day to celebrate love. How can that ever be a thing to detest? I believe love is the most powerful force there is. With love there is no boundary to how high one can fly, without it, no boundary on how far they can fall.

In recent years Valentine's Day has become more about how much money can you spend to show your significant other a great time than on celebrating the love you share with them. I understand how Valentine's day is difficult for many people. I myself have had some very significant things happen on this day that makes it a difficult day to celebrate, but there is never a bad reason to celebrate love. I have a fantastic marriage, and 2 wonderful daughters. They are all my valentines this year, and i will show them my love everyday of every year; however, today i'm going to spend all day thinking of things i can do for them.

Today i celebrate love. I celebrate all it has done for me. I celebrate all love has done for the world, and all it can and will do for the world. I say again, there is never a bad reason to celebrate love. If you have somebody close to you tell them you love them. Show them you care. Love affects us all, no matter where we are in life. It continues to be the most positive force. It will always be that positive influence that helps you have a great day.

Love is something that should be celebrated, cherished, and held very dear and sacred. I will celebrate Valentines Day, and i will love it!