Removing Envy

"Envy comes from people's ignorance of, or lack of belief in, their own gifts." ~Jean Vanier

The city of Toronto casts a look very similar to the one portrayed in the movie Blade Runner. The movie in which Harrison Ford plays a crusted 'detective/bounty hunter' tasked with eliminating some rogue 'replicants'. In that futuristic city, flight from the city isn't out to the suburbs but upwards.

The higher up you get in this type of world, the cleaner the air, and the better view. The street or ground level is for the poor and disadvantaged people upon which criminals prey. The way to gain a better life is to lift yourself up out of the gutter of the city, up into the high places away from the street clutter.

The only problem is that escaping upwards or even out to the suburbs is temporary. Many times the flight is only a means to mask what is happening inside of us. Even the wealthy and sophisticated people have issues. Expensive homes, fancy cars, and the club membership are distractions hiding what's holding them back from having a truly great life.

You may wonder what isn't great about having all of those nice things? Because many times the rich have the same problems as you or myself; it's just that their problems cost more. And are you really prepared to take on the problem of envy in your life?

On this we all have a commonality; envy of something or someone else. While our lives and the paths we have taken may look worlds apart, envy can swing both ways. When we have very little it is easy to want what someone else has. But maybe there is a price to pay for having it.

My mother used to say, "sure they have a lot of nice things, but would you want their credit card bills?". She should know since she worked in credit collection and retail management for a large part of her life. The well-heeled can envy the simple life in which the need to keep up with the folks next door are gone. Yes, all of us have the same struggles in life. It is in choosing how we battle those struggles that determines the life we achieve.

Money, bills, job, health, relationships, fear, and most anything else you can imagine. Life doesn't know if you are living at the street level, high up in a building or way out in the suburbs. Life affects all of us and the only way to deal with it is to deal with it inside first.

Change your attitude first by not worrying or envying those around you. Change it by looking inside to what is important to you in life. Accept what you have, both the good and the bad.

You can then begin the process of changing the bad things in your life. It may require giving up some of the good, but the goal is to better your life. By removing the bad, by changing attitudes, by appreciating what you have and not what someone else has; only then will you grow and start achieving a better life.

The journey starts with you, so drop the envy from your life. It can only drag you down and keep you there.

Seize Your Fear

"A lot of people are afraid of heights. Not me, I'm afraid of widths." ~Stephen Wright

Each of us are different in what concerns or bothers us. There are those that share some of those concerns and others that tend to be out on the edge. But any of those things we are afraid of can be overcome. Even being afraid of widths!

Some overcome these obstacles quickly and others take years to overtake them. Myself, I have signed up for swimming lessons. Yes, at this age I am working to overcome my fear of water. To be more precise, my fear of drowning.

I have reached the point where I have decided that this fear will not be my undoing. You can reach the same point for your fear. All it takes is deciding within yourself to not let the fear rule your day.

My own fear has deprived me of experiences with my sons while they were growing up. My fear has deprived me of adventure with friends. My fear has had it's day and now it's over. I am reclaiming my life from that fear.

You do not deserve to let fear rule your life. Overcome your fear and let your life blossom into it's greatest potential. Carpe diem or better yet, carpe vereor, "seize the fear."

Kennedy Center Honors Johnny Carson

Well, born and raised in Nebraska like Mr. Carson...you just can't take the Nebraskan out of me. Go Big Red!



Enjoy the weekend everyone.

Accidental Chocolate Bar

Percy Spencer

"Accidents, try to change them - it's impossible. The accidental reveals man." ~J. B. Priestley

There was a man many years ago that worked for Raytheon as an engineer. The year was 1945 and this former WWI Navy veteran by the name of Percy Spencer was already known for his knowledge of electronics.

One day Percy was 'playing' with a microwave-emitting magnetron which was a device used in radars. All of a sudden he started feeling something odd in his pants pockets. It was a sizzling sensation which turned out to be chocolate bar that was starting to melt.

Through his reasoning, Percy supposed that is was microwave radiation of the magnetron to blame. This led Percy down the path of discovery which eventually ended up with the invention of the microwave oven. That very same appliance all of us take for granted and probably couldn't imagine a world without. All because of an accidental encounter with a melted chocolate bar.

So many times each of us have an accidental encounter with opportunity. It might be an accidental encounter with another person that turns out to be the connection to a new job. Or maybe attending a gathering of people and accidentally encountering your future wife or husband. A hundred other accidental encounters in life that present opportunity for something great to happen in your life.

But two things have to happen when it comes to accidental encounters. Two things that are necessary for accidents to turn into opportunity.

The first is that you have to participate in life. In order for accidents to happen, you have to be out amongst others, among other things happening, and risking yourself to the fact that these accidents will happen. Sitting alone in your home, not attending that gathering, not taking a rafting trip; each of these may protect you from accidents. But each of them will keep you from experiencing life's opportunities.

And secondly, when the accident happens you need to acknowledge it and do something with it. There is an old saying that "when opportunity knocks, you have to get up and answer the door." When an accident occurs, there is an opportunity to change your life. You have to recognize it and answer the call. You have to open that door and take hold of it.

In the end, accidental events are really just opportunity for greatness to occur in your life. It may not seem like it at the time. Percy could have fussed and complained about ruining a pair of pants, failing to recognize the true significance. When accidents happen, look upon the event as an opportunity to turn it into something great. Take your life to a higher level accidentally and then realize it was not an accident at all. Rather it was an opportunity answered.