And Its Alright, In Fact, Its A Gas

"I was drowned, I was washed up and left for dead. I fell down to my feet and I saw they bled. I frowned at the crumbs of a crust of bread. Yeah, yeah, yeah I was crowned with a spike right thru my head. But its all right now, in fact, its a gas! But its all right, Im jumpin jack flash, Its a gas! gas! gas!" - Rolling Stones "Jumpin Jack Flash"

From the good to the very bad, the lore of how this song came about only adds to the greatness of it. But how does one take a song like "Jumpin Jack Flash" and spin it into something about attitude?

Well hang on folks, first listen to the song and then we'll talk.



As I have always understood it, when the song was released in 1968, Mick Jagger's comment was "...it was the most basic thing we ever did." But much later in another interview he said "...it’s a metaphor for getting out of all the acid things."

Being older and having listened to this song hundreds of times, I never interpreted it with the demonic or drug use labels others have given it.

This song for me has always been about overcoming circumstances.

We each get dealt a life that many times we didn't ask for. Sure, our behaviors can place us in situations that create lousy circumstances. Those circumstances build up inside like a bad chili on a warm day. You feel rotten, it brings you down and destroys anything positive you may have.

How we choose to react to those circumstances dictates whether we remain firmly defeated or pull out of them. You need to begin the process of creating an ARC (ACCEPT, REMOVE and CHANGE) to something better in life.

An arc is shaped like a curve or arch, which in certain terms means getting over something. Think arc of a bridge you build to a better life.

ACCEPT - Accept and acknowledge circumstance; understand the circumstance and accept it.
REMOVE - Remove any idea from your mind that circumstance is permanent or unchangeable.
CHANGE - Change negative things in life; movement creates change which changes circumstance.

Keep remembering, "I was drowned, I was washed up and left for dead", but I was determined to do more with my life.

And "...its all right now, in fact, its a gas!"

Stay inspired my friends!

Help Wanted

"Chance is always powerful. Let your hook always be cast; in the pool where you least expect it, there will be a fish." - Ovid

We can become very discouraged when our run of luck seems to have gone dry one too many times. We become self-defeating in our attempt to rise above circumstance. When we reach that point, taking a chance never enters our mind.

Yet in this excerpt from CHANGED LIVES, we find one man who was down to nothing.

Chance was all he had left, yet it was more than chance.

It was a willingness to walk through a door and talk to a man named Milt.

~~~~~~

I was looking for a job anywhere with no luck, moving from bit work to hand outs for helping on daily labor, when I walked by a clothing store with a help wanted sign in the window. There I was, fully confident that the outcome of me going in and applying would be the typical 'thanks but no thanks'.

I turned to walk away when a gentleman smoking a cigarette in a little cigarette holder asked if I was looking at the help wanted sign. I replied that I was but knew I probably couldn't get that kind of job. That's when the gentleman who was Milt Harm, manager of the store introduced himself and invited me in to "just talk".

~~~~~~

Opportunity comes in ways you least expect.

But in order to allow opportunity to present itself, you have to keep moving; to keep taking chances in life. I know those who would sit on their couch and believe or expect opportunity comes knocking on their front door. Sadly you will never be found.

It takes getting out there, taking risk, taking chance.

Opportunity will cross our path once we walk out the front door and expose ourselves to life.

Keep moving, keep trying and maybe Milt will invite you in to just talk.

Stay inspired my friends!

Can I Have a Penny

“And that is how change happens. One gesture. One person. One moment at a time.” ― Libba Bray

There are many who might believe there was no humor during Greek times.

Mortal: What is a million years like to you?
Zeus: Like one second.

Mortal: What is a million dollars like to you?
Zeus: Like one penny.

Mortal: Can I have a penny?
Zeus: Just a second...

Nothing in life will necessarily come easy, nor will it come quickly. The idea is to keep moving forward. Change will occur and all you have to do is take the steps that walk you through the open door.

An open door has "Changed Lives" for many others.

Change yours and experience a great life.

Stay inspired my friends.

Life of a Virus Part Two

Rhinovirus (common cold) particle

“I had no shoes and complained until I met a man who had no feet.” ― Proverb

Where did we leave off yesterday?

Ah yes, Life of a Virus Part One; negative thoughts and ideas can permeate into and through you to others.

As a short review, a viral life cycle varies in its precise details depending upon the species of virus. But all virus share a general pattern:

- Attachment to a host cell.
- Release of viral genes and possibly enzymes into the host cell.
- Replication of viral components using host-cell machinery.
- Assembly of viral components into complete viral particles.
- Release of viral particles to infect new host cells.

In other words, "invade, destroy and duplicate."

There are vaccines which can be given to prevent infections, but once a virus has made its way in, antivirals have to be used to treat those who have already been infected by the virus.

Similar to a virus, negative thoughts and ideas can invade your mind, body and thought process. These thoughts begin to have a bad effect upon your life, drawing you into thinking you can never achieve or accomplish anything. The thoughts or negative thinking will pull you into areas of self-doubt, isolation and failure. All of a sudden you find yourself alone and in a deep dark hole of bewilderment.

An antiviral to negative seeds of thought are positive seeds of thought.

Small bits of encouragement, small bits of uplifting ideas, small bits of just believing in one self. Over time, good things begin to push out the bad ones. The virus of negative thoughts become replaced with the positive ones. Positive thoughts invading, destroying negativity and duplicating themselves.

Just where does all of this come from? It can from within at the point you decide to make change in your life. When you finally decide to get out from underneath the heavy darkness of negative thoughts. It also comes from other people providing encouragement. It comes from those that lift instead of pushing you down. The type of people who will provide you with a more positive atmosphere. This means you might need to evaluate what kind of people you surround yourself with.

Hang with negative people, your life will be surrounded by a negative atmosphere.

Hang with positive, successful, uplifting people, the atmosphere will bring light into your life.

Fight the negative virus which seeks to invade your life. Use the antiviral resources you have to make life better for yourself. Once the cold is gone, you know how much better you will feel. The same goes with removing the negativity in your life; you will feel much better.

Stay inspired my friends!