Weaving Your Life

"We sleep, but the loom of life never stops, and the pattern which was weaving when the sun went down is weaving when it comes up in the morning." ~ Henry Ward Beecher

Was there a time in your life when a person or group of people did you wrong? The kind of wrong which sends all of your belief in others shattering into shambles.

Life itself all of a sudden seemed to matter very little anymore.

I recently read again the tale of Silas Marner, considered a classic tale and written by George Eliot many a half moon ago. Silas was a young talented man with the promise of a soon to be new bride. He had talents within a trade and talents in care of his fellow man.

Silas had everything figured out and life was perfect.

It happened one such day that a close and dear friend turned out to be none too close or dear. Silas was set up for failure in the eyes of his community, friends, and worse his soon to be bride. His trust in others had been betrayed and it fell on him as a ton of bricks upon the ground. With the loss of friends, community and his love, all that was left to do was leave and embark on a life of solitude.

It is a story with many similarities that erode parts of our lives.

There can be mistrust, betrayal, loss of love, and loss of faith when we encounter pain each can cause. It can force us into a mere existence of just getting by. It sends our life into a spiral of meager existence within the shadows, while the sun shines brightly elsewhere.

Different forces can be quite cruel if we let them win the battle. The battle I speak of is your own life. Life can be wondrous and amazing but it can also be depressing and dark. Either can happen based on what we allow to enter.

The doorway to your life is controlled by you and not external forces.

It may take time to overcome the hurt in your life. It is not an easy process, but the reward of a great life awaits you if you let the goodness in and push out the pain.

Silas came to trust and love once again. Your life is also worth living in the bright sunshine as opposed to the cold shadows. Find a path to overcome the pain. Allow your life to be full of greatness once again.

Spin your yarn into a wonderful quilt of memories which last a lifetime.

Stay inspired my friends.

No Matter the Rain

"Faith consists in believing when it is beyond the power of reason to believe. It is not enough that a thing be possible for it to be believed." - Voltaire

You are driving down the road on a late summer afternoon.

The days have been filled with hot and humid conditions.

This day you hope that those gathering clouds create a cool rain to break the heat.

A sharp jagged lightening bolt and loud thunder shuddering the peaceful day.

A few droplets of rain and then it happens, a seemingly impenetrable wall of rain.

You drive into it, car wipers swooshing like mad.

And you drive on knowing and having faith the road continues out in front of you. You maintain belief in the road being there and your ability to maneuver through even a heavy down pour of rain.

Our journey in life is like this at times.

We encounter a wall of rain that obscures the view of our path ahead. But we keep moving forward, trusting your instincts; trusting your knowledge that you can get through to the other side.

With trust and faith in your ability, nothing is impossible.

I didn't say easy, but all things are possible with a firm faith in self. So keep moving forward, keep looking through the rain which gets in the way. The rain will end, the clouds will part and a blue sky will appear.

Just keep moving, step by step, faith upon faith.

Stay inspired my friends!

Now Go Do It

“I have been impressed with the urgency of doing. Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Being willing is not enough; we must do.” - Leonardo da Vinci

We can sit around all day, all week or all month planning a vision. The problem is that nothing will change until you act upon it.

We complain about our condition in life and why nothing changes. The problem is that nothing will change until you act upon it.

We can want for change by dreaming of something new in our life. The problem is that nothing will change until you act upon it.

The two key words in the above statements are YOU and ACT.

It takes you to act if change is going to take place. Movement towards anything will cause the change to occur. Only by believing in our vision, acting upon that vision, will we realize the success of that vision.

You know what to do; now go do it and see your life change.

Stay inspired my friends.

Stick To It

“The best way out is always through.” ― Robert Frost

Today is about sticking to your belief and vision. The longer you stay on your journey, the more you will learn and begin to see the fruit of that experience. Persistence can be a difficult trait to endure. Many people want a better life but so many of those same people are not willing to 'pay the cost' to achieve it.

This cost is staying with the dream, making the changes and understanding that achievement can take a long time to occur. You make change and you measure success in both small and large steps.

But you keep your eye on the goal. You remain confident in your vision. You 'stick to' the journey.

Stay inspired my friends!

Expressing Faith

"Faith has to do with things that are not seen and hope with things that are not at hand." -Thomas Aquinas

There we were in west central Portugal, visiting one of the sites at which a Marian apparition had occurred. This place, recognized by the Catholic Church, was built after three children reported seeing several times the Virgin Mary (reference your Bible) in a field called Cova da Iria. The place I refer to is called the Shrine of Our Lady of Fatima.

The town of Fatima is located about 90 miles north of Lisbon, Portugal. A small village of no other real historical significance is host to this wonderful religious shrine visited by millions each year. The complex is quite large and very inspirational to visit.

What was intriguing about our own visit was the way in which people displayed their spiritual faith. I learned that people will pilgrimage to this place when they have dire needs in their life. Situations such as disease, or problems regarding birth and some even regarding academic tests coming up. As they make their way, they do so to make promises to the Virgin Mary or God.

The making of the promise normally includes walking by foot hundreds of miles by foot. But many will also cross the sanctuary grounds to the sanctuary, and across its marble floors upon their knees. Yes, walking upon their knees, across the pebble-laced dirt paths, ashpalt courtyard, stone steps and floors. You can see the pain upon their face, in some cases the bleeding knees, all for the sake of their faith.

It had me wondering about the sanity of these people. What could possibly be going through their minds to believe in such a way? I than began to wonder how other people expressed their faith and how I myself express my own faith. Displays of faith are truly in the eyes of the beholder one could suppose. In the Bible it is written (Matthew 5:16) in which Jesus said "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven."

To take that literally tells me that there are many different ways in which to show that faith. Various practices, that I won't go into detail here are;

• Jewish Kaparot
• Exorcism
• Shamanism
• Mormon Baptism of the Dead
• Islamic Niqab
• Jehovah’s Witnesses Refusal of Blood Transfusions

To those that express these customs or beliefs, the act of faith is quite normal. Is it any more strange that Catholics believe the communion sacrament (eating of the body of Christ and drinking of His blood, represented by small bread wafers and grape juice) is any less odd than the speaking of tongues in many Charismatic churches? Every religion has developed their own methods and means of expressing faith and belief in God.

Again, as written in Matthew 5:16, "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven." So whether we are singing loudly in praise, laying on of hands, reciting scriptural passages over and over, or even walking on our knees; the way in which we practice our faith is a personal one. It is our learned way, right or wrong to the rest of the world, in which we connect with God.

We could certainly take this discussion off into some very deep theological paths. We could certainly discuss what we believe is non-scriptural or harmful. What I am really interested in discussing is that we are different in how we express our beliefs. In the finality of our own lives, our death becomes very personal with our God. The way in which we expressed our faith and belief in God will be accounted for at that time.

So express faith in your most honest and learned way possible. My hope is that by doing so we can each connect with God in such a way that makes life in the natural a deep and rewarding experience.

Your Vision

VISION by Despair.com

I really like the sardonic humor of the good folks at Despair.com. They have a fun way of looking at motivation from a totally unexpected view. Whenever I think I'm getting a bit too full of myself, I turn to these folks.

The idea of having a vision for your future is just that, a vision. If you want to have success but combine that vision with all of the things you believe will go wrong...they probably will. I sometimes think of it as getting what you ask for.

If I want to be a speaker in front of hundreds of people, but keep telling myself I can't do it. It is likely that it will never happen for me.

If I want to have a great wife and family, but keep telling myself that no woman would ever want me. It is likely I will never meet a woman that does.

The way we speak into our own lives has a huge impact on what we can accomplish. Does it mean that if I ask for ten million dollars in my life, will I get it? Maybe yes, maybe no; but it will put you on a path to towards it.

I think of the story the actor/comedian Jim Carrey tells says quite a bit about the power of believing in oneself. Jim appeared on the Actors Studio with James Lipton and was asked about writing a 10 million dollar check to himself:

JL- When you were struggling personally and professionally, did you write yourself a check?

JC- Yeah, I made myself my check which was just basically you know, 10 million dollars to Jim Carrey for acting services rendered, dated Thanksgiving 1995, and that was uh, 1990. I gave myself five years to be one of the most successful working actors, to be given the best material, and the best scripts- things that people would never expect in a million years that I could do.

JL- What did you do with the check finally?

JC- I put the check in my fathers pocket in his casket because it was his dream too and he followed me the whole time and it was kind of a completion of all that. He saw The Mask, he saw what was happening to me, and I felt like it was ya know, it was his as well- so I’d give it to him.

Jim was able to write that check and would have been able to cash it. But if he hadn't believed in himself, he never would have come close. The check would have been worthless.

The only way you will ever get to that place is believing in yourself. Know that you can be that person, achieve that thing or reach that place in life by believing in your vision.

Believe In Your Self

"People become really quite remarkable when they start thinking that they can do things. When they believe in themselves they have the first secret of success." -Norman Vincent Peale

Take advantage of the good will and good feelings of the holiday season. Let those feelings build your own confidence to strengthen in your heart that you can do great things. Let the overwhelming thoughts embolden you as the new year approaches. You can do great things, it all starts with believing in your self.

Have Faith

"When you get to the end of all the light you know, and it's time to step into the darkness of the unknown, faith is knowing that one of two things shall happen: either you will be given something solid to stand on, or you will be taught how to fly." - Edward Teller



You must have faith in yourself and in your beliefs that all will work out. If not, you will never begin your first step down any path. Start your journey now and learn to believe and trust. Step out into the unknown and achieve.

-the artist is Kevin A. Williams

Inspiration Offers

Inspiration comes in many forms and it comes at different times. I am no different than many of you in this respect. Dr. Wayne Dyer calls it being "in-spirit." There are many that would scoff in the belief in the 'spirit of ones self.' For me it is a driving force in who and what I am. Spirit of ones life comes in many different forms and variations.

In what ever form it comes, the spirit of ones life should be a driving factor in all you do. On average, we are only here in the physical for a mere 75 to 80 years. That is not a whole lot of time in the greater perspective and I have belief in something beyond our physical understandings of life. That certainly there is more to our existence then a biological one.

If I am wrong in believing that, then I have lost nothing. I lived a happy and content life or to say it another way, "he who dies with the most toys still dies." All of what I am saying here is not to debate religious beliefs of life and death. Nor is it to argue the philosophical beliefs you may have regarding the same.

What the intent is to offer my thoughts on what works for me. What gives me inspiration to live a happy and content life. To make this life a little better for those that I come in contact with. To impact them so that life can be greater for all around. Sounds simplistic and utopian, which is not the intent because I do understand the realities of life.

Just be inspired to do something good, to experience inspiration in all of its different wonders. Your life will be better, those around you will be better and success and achievement can follow. Remain 'in-spirit' as often as you can, learn from what it offers your life.

All Of Us Have Dreams

"Get a dream for your life, regardless of your age or position." - Jill Sweetman

This week I have been working in India and this being my first time here, it is a pleasure getting to know the people and culture. As I have seen throughout my travels is at one level, people around the world are the same. Each of us sleeps, get up in the morning, get the kids ready for school, struggle with traffic on the way to work and deal with work stresses through out the day.

We also have to commute home, get dinner ready, reconnect with our family or maybe attend a function (soccer practice, school play, religious event) and then come home, prepare for bed and try to get to sleep. All in an effort to repeat it again the next day. As my parents said to me years ago, "people all around the world, regardless of ethnicity, class or location put their pants on one leg at a time." A lesson simply to show how much alike all of us are.

In travelling back and forth between the hotel and office, a regular driver picks me up and returns me to the hotel each day. Not that I am above driving, traffic here in India is certainly different then what I am used to. If I were to drive, I would be more of an impediment to others on the road. So for an hour each way, each day, I have the opportunity to talk with my driver.

His name is Mitra and has been a pleasure to be with. A young man with a child and a wife due to give birth at any time to twins. Life has the same concerns for him as any would have any place in the world. Things concerning the health of his wife and as yet unborn children, how will I pay the medical bills, will I get enough work, on and on and on. The stress of driving in this type of traffic and the potential for an accident. Anything you can think of is a potential conceren for another person any place on this planet (with obvious exceptions).

Mitra though is such an upbeat person about all that is of concern. He understands and appreciates all that he has. His attitude is so positive that he opens himself to opportunity that will present itself. Faith and belief in what is good and in his own ability says alot about him. He also has a dream that sustains him. He believes in that dream and I for one believe he can achieve it.

Establish a vision, a dream for your own life. Believe in that dream, act upon it and you will eventually realize your dream. All around the world, people have dreams...each of us can attain them at some level. Continue to believe in yourself.