"Honesty Is The Best Image"
Tom Wilson
From MountainWings:
Last Friday I stopped by a convenience store for a Mountain Dewand a Little Debbie zebra cake.The check-out person tried to scan the items, but they wouldn't scan so she manually entered the prices. I noticed that she only charged me 25 cents for the cake when it was 50 cents forthe larger size. For a second I thought, "It's only a quarter; what's the big deal?" But I couldn't do that, so I pointed out that she undercharged me.She looked shocked that I spoke up; I guess because the error was to the store's disadvantage. She smiled and said, "Thank you for being honest." I walked out feeling a little lighter.When I got outside, a man approached me and stopped me. He said that he had had a bad day and felt that the world was full of bad and dishonest people. But he was behind me in line and heard me correct the lady and that because of my actions he knew that there were honest people in this world. He blessed me and walked to his car. Now 25 cents is not much, it will no longer even buy a phone call; but last Friday, 25 cents bought something that was priceless.
A small act of honesty is such a fulfilling emotion. To know you say what is true. It makes life so much easier. Mark Twain said, “Tell the truth that way you will never have to remember what you said.” You never know who is going through what and what stage of life they are at so live by your consciousness that way you can be an inspiration to others…at the same time feel good about yourself. When you wake in the morning you have two choices. You have the power to either lift people up or break people down. You decide and it is in your own power to. Live honorably and honestly and you will be rewarded with a quality of life that is unmatched.
Friday, December 15, 2006
Wednesday, October 25, 2006
Turntable of Life
“Nothing Is A Waste Of Time If You Use The Experience Wisely.”
Rodin (1840-1917)
Well. It has been one year since the day I first began this page of restless thoughts. Time has been flying by. Ticking away at my brain as if I am a prisoner tormented with Chinese water torture. Time. Time has so much impact on your emotions. You either are a master to it or a slave to it. Nothing is a waste of time...if you use the experience wisely. If. I have learned countless lessons in life over the past 4 years of what may seem to most as a wasted relationship. Some look at time as a turntable that is continuously turning steadily. But, one day the music will stop. Queen Elizabeth I who was regarded in her day as the wealthiest person alive said on her deathbed that she would give all of her possessions for one moment of time.
So why do we place the urgent over the important? So often what is important is not urgent therefore always gets shoved to the back of the line or swept under the rug for what is urgent….which generally is not important at all. So you are either a slave to time or a master of it. It has the ability to stress you endlessly if your “To Do List” seems to take more time than your life can handle. The waves of times are going to continue. So it is important to take the time for yourself and reflect on who you are, where you are heading and what lessons you have learned from your past in order to not make those mistakes again.
Rodin (1840-1917)
Well. It has been one year since the day I first began this page of restless thoughts. Time has been flying by. Ticking away at my brain as if I am a prisoner tormented with Chinese water torture. Time. Time has so much impact on your emotions. You either are a master to it or a slave to it. Nothing is a waste of time...if you use the experience wisely. If. I have learned countless lessons in life over the past 4 years of what may seem to most as a wasted relationship. Some look at time as a turntable that is continuously turning steadily. But, one day the music will stop. Queen Elizabeth I who was regarded in her day as the wealthiest person alive said on her deathbed that she would give all of her possessions for one moment of time.
So why do we place the urgent over the important? So often what is important is not urgent therefore always gets shoved to the back of the line or swept under the rug for what is urgent….which generally is not important at all. So you are either a slave to time or a master of it. It has the ability to stress you endlessly if your “To Do List” seems to take more time than your life can handle. The waves of times are going to continue. So it is important to take the time for yourself and reflect on who you are, where you are heading and what lessons you have learned from your past in order to not make those mistakes again.
Snipits from "The End of Time" by D. Horowitz
Over 350 years ago in Paris a great scientist lived named Blaise Pascal. He was a brilliant man but became deathly ill at a young age. Wracked with pain due to his illness he busily began taking notes on scraps of paper. The scraps were cut with scissors and sewn with needles without any order. When he died they found this work and of course nobody knew how it was supposed to be put together. Their order was left in Pascal’s mind. The little notes he had been unable to complete before the end scattered everywhere. When they found these scraps they decided to organize them with numbers and created his final work. They called it Pascal’s Pensees: “The Thoughts of Monsieur Pascal about Religion and Other Matters, Which Were Discovered among His Papers after He Died.” The number 205 captured me and thought it would be perfect for my anniversary blog.
“When I consider the short duration of my life, swallowed up in the eternity before and after, the space which I fill, and even can see, engulfed in the infinite immensity of spaces of which I fill I am ignorant and which know me not, I am frightened and astonished at being here rather than there; for there is no reason why here rather than there, why now rather than then. Who has put me here?”
Time will continue on even when you are gone. There is no getting it back. This prayer will not be answered. The question is, do you believe in God or not…should you or should you not? Pascal was torn between this due to his scientific background and decided to weigh the options and crunch the numbers of either or…He proposed a mathematical solution to this problem or “gamble” in the game of life and death. The players in this gamble must calculate the risks of believing that there is a God and that He will provide us with what we so pitifully desire. They must weigh the risks against the chance that there is no God and that we are alone. Then they must make their choice. Pascal summed it all up in Fragment #233. “A game is being played at the extremity of this infinite distance where heads or tails will turn up. God is, or He is not…What will you wager? Weigh the gain and the loss in wagering that God is…If you gain, you gain all; if you lose, you lose nothing. Wager, then, without hesitation that He is!” This riddle is now infamously known as Pascal’s Wager and the bottom line is this; Since you cannot know, it is better for you to believe than not. So pray all you want, believe in God but know Time will not stop ticking for you so cherish this day and reflect on your past often.
"Regret For Wasted Time Is More Wasted Time.”
-Mason Cooley
Friday, October 20, 2006
Can't Blame White People!
Can't Blame White People
by: Bill Cosby
They're standing on the corner and they can't speak English. I can't even talk the way these people talk: Why you ain't, Where you is, What he drive, Where he stay, Where he work, Who you be... And I blamed the kid until I heard the mother talk. And then I heard the father talk. Everybody knows it's important to speak English... except these knuckleheads. You can't be a doctor with that kind of crap coming out of your mouth. In fact you will never get any kind of job making a decent living. People marched and were hit in the face with rocks to get an education, and now we've got these knuckleheads walking around. The lower economic people are not holding up their end in this deal. These people are not parenting. They are buying things for kids. $500 sneakers for what? And they won't spend $200 for Hooked on Phonics. I am talking about these people who cry... when their son is standing there in an orange suit. Where were you when he was 2? Where were you when he was 12? Where were you when he was 18? And, how come you didn't know that he had a pistol? And where is the father? Or who is his father? People putting their clothes on backward: Isn't that a sign of something gone wrong? People with their hats on backward, pants down around the crack, isn't that a sign of something? Or are you waiting for Jesus to pull his pants up? Isn't it a sign of something when she has her dress all the way up and got all type of needles piercing going through her body? What part of Africa did this come from? We are not Africans. Those people are not Africans; they don't know a thing about Africa. With names like Shaniqua, Taliqua and Mohammed and all of that crap, and all of them are in jail. Brown or black versus the Board of Education is no longer the white person's problem. We have got to take the neighborhood back. People used to be ashamed. Today a woman has eight children with eight different 'husbands' -- or men or whatever you call them now. We have millionaire football players who cannot read. We have million-dollar basketball players who can't write two paragraphs. We as black folks have to do a better job. Someone working at Wal-Mart with seven kids saying... you are hurting us. We have to start holding each other to a higher standard. We cannot blame the white people any longer. It is not for media or anyone of this time anymore to say whether I'm right or wrong. It is time, ladies and gentlemen, to look at the numbers. Fifty percent of our children are dropping out of high school. Sixty percent of the incarcerated males happen to be illiterate. There's a correlation. Tell the media to stop asking me what I think about people who don't believe what I'm saying or feel that I'm too harsh or feel that I'm just running my mouth because I'm old. Seventy percent of the teenagers pregnant happen to be African American girls. Don't ask me to soften my message.
by: Bill Cosby
They're standing on the corner and they can't speak English. I can't even talk the way these people talk: Why you ain't, Where you is, What he drive, Where he stay, Where he work, Who you be... And I blamed the kid until I heard the mother talk. And then I heard the father talk. Everybody knows it's important to speak English... except these knuckleheads. You can't be a doctor with that kind of crap coming out of your mouth. In fact you will never get any kind of job making a decent living. People marched and were hit in the face with rocks to get an education, and now we've got these knuckleheads walking around. The lower economic people are not holding up their end in this deal. These people are not parenting. They are buying things for kids. $500 sneakers for what? And they won't spend $200 for Hooked on Phonics. I am talking about these people who cry... when their son is standing there in an orange suit. Where were you when he was 2? Where were you when he was 12? Where were you when he was 18? And, how come you didn't know that he had a pistol? And where is the father? Or who is his father? People putting their clothes on backward: Isn't that a sign of something gone wrong? People with their hats on backward, pants down around the crack, isn't that a sign of something? Or are you waiting for Jesus to pull his pants up? Isn't it a sign of something when she has her dress all the way up and got all type of needles piercing going through her body? What part of Africa did this come from? We are not Africans. Those people are not Africans; they don't know a thing about Africa. With names like Shaniqua, Taliqua and Mohammed and all of that crap, and all of them are in jail. Brown or black versus the Board of Education is no longer the white person's problem. We have got to take the neighborhood back. People used to be ashamed. Today a woman has eight children with eight different 'husbands' -- or men or whatever you call them now. We have millionaire football players who cannot read. We have million-dollar basketball players who can't write two paragraphs. We as black folks have to do a better job. Someone working at Wal-Mart with seven kids saying... you are hurting us. We have to start holding each other to a higher standard. We cannot blame the white people any longer. It is not for media or anyone of this time anymore to say whether I'm right or wrong. It is time, ladies and gentlemen, to look at the numbers. Fifty percent of our children are dropping out of high school. Sixty percent of the incarcerated males happen to be illiterate. There's a correlation. Tell the media to stop asking me what I think about people who don't believe what I'm saying or feel that I'm too harsh or feel that I'm just running my mouth because I'm old. Seventy percent of the teenagers pregnant happen to be African American girls. Don't ask me to soften my message.
Thursday, October 12, 2006
Hmmmmm, Good Question
If you were going to die soon
and had only one phone call you could make,
who would you call and what would you say?
And why are you waiting?
~Stephen Levine~
and had only one phone call you could make,
who would you call and what would you say?
And why are you waiting?
~Stephen Levine~
Sunday, October 08, 2006
Life is a long lesson in humility.
"The secret of a good life is to have the right loyalties and hold them in the right scale of values."
Norman Thomas (1884 - 1968)
From Mountain Wings-
Big muscles don't come from light loads. They come from carrying a lot of weight. Weight can build you up or bend you over.It depends on how you use it...and how you see it.
Norman Thomas (1884 - 1968)
From Mountain Wings-
Big muscles don't come from light loads. They come from carrying a lot of weight. Weight can build you up or bend you over.It depends on how you use it...and how you see it.
Wednesday, September 06, 2006
Do I Sing Because I am Happy or Am I Happy Because I Sing?
"If there were in the world today any large number of people who desired their own happiness more than they desired the unhappiness of others, we could have paradise in a few years."
Bertrand Russell (1872-1970)
Be careful of how you let people speak to you. Your sub-conscious mind does not have a filter and it will let anything inside. Some people around you are cancerous. Not that they are bad people but they have the tendency to be able to affect your happiness scale which will determine your outlook on life. So, if you are constantly around negative people you will in turn become one too.
I love being happy now! For so long I have been a mellow, unenthusiastic person to be around. My mentality had the ability to push the people I wanted to be around away and drew in the negative people who I disliked being around. It is the simple law of attraction. I changed my views and the way I looked at things and now I am beginning to draw in the people who influence me in positive ways. All I did was read some simple books, listen to some awesome audio tapes, go to an inspiring, uplifting church and pray.
Take some time to watch this clip. It is Amanda Gore's marketing tool but has some great things in it. My personal favorite. "Build A Bridge and Get Over It."
Thursday, August 24, 2006
Gabriel, Time To Move Over To Second Trumpet
"As A Well-Spent Day Brings Happy Sleep, So Life Well Used Brings Happy Death."
Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519)
One of the most influential jazz trumpeters passed away last evening. He was a childhood idol for me whom I got to meet on 2 occasions, Maynard Ferguson. He was commercially famous for the Rocky theme song. "I knew it was going to be a hit," he once said of the Bill Conti composition. "Sylvester Stallone was in the studio when we recorded it," punching a speed bag to the rhythm of the song. "If you listen very close to the original recording, you can hear in the mix the sound of him hitting the small bag" said Ferguson.
He was born in Montreal 78 years ago. He has been performing for packed houses for decades now. Maynard’s face is one of the most recognizable faces to people who know nothing of jazz. His puffy cheeks and scrunched, bright red face. A truly great man who loved playing music with all of his heart. He had the privilege of playing with the greats such as Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Barnett, Jimmy Dorsey, Stan Kenton and many more. A friend/role model of mine that I used to jam with in St.Pete, Rich Willey had the privilege of playing with him for 4 years.
http://maynard.ferguson.net/willey.htm
It is hard to age sometimes and lose those people who you look up to as heroes, idols, icons. Yet you find something in death that makes you realize life is real. You have to go out there and live it like Maynard did every single freakin' day. He was someone who found his calling and pursued it with the force of a locomotive.
Ferguson started his proffesional music career at age 11 with the Canadian Broadcasting Company. He then dropped out of school at 15 to pursue his music career later becoming the leader of his own big band in 1945 at age 17, and went on to record more than 60 albums, receiving numerous honors including 3 Grammy nominations...DownBeats Trumpeter of the year 3 times
In 2005, Ferguson was awarded Canada's highest civilian honor, the Order of Canada.
There will be a memorial concert in St. Louis, MO.
God Rest His Soul
05/04/1928-08/23/2006
Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519)
One of the most influential jazz trumpeters passed away last evening. He was a childhood idol for me whom I got to meet on 2 occasions, Maynard Ferguson. He was commercially famous for the Rocky theme song. "I knew it was going to be a hit," he once said of the Bill Conti composition. "Sylvester Stallone was in the studio when we recorded it," punching a speed bag to the rhythm of the song. "If you listen very close to the original recording, you can hear in the mix the sound of him hitting the small bag" said Ferguson.
He was born in Montreal 78 years ago. He has been performing for packed houses for decades now. Maynard’s face is one of the most recognizable faces to people who know nothing of jazz. His puffy cheeks and scrunched, bright red face. A truly great man who loved playing music with all of his heart. He had the privilege of playing with the greats such as Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Barnett, Jimmy Dorsey, Stan Kenton and many more. A friend/role model of mine that I used to jam with in St.Pete, Rich Willey had the privilege of playing with him for 4 years.
http://maynard.ferguson.net/willey.htm
It is hard to age sometimes and lose those people who you look up to as heroes, idols, icons. Yet you find something in death that makes you realize life is real. You have to go out there and live it like Maynard did every single freakin' day. He was someone who found his calling and pursued it with the force of a locomotive.
Ferguson started his proffesional music career at age 11 with the Canadian Broadcasting Company. He then dropped out of school at 15 to pursue his music career later becoming the leader of his own big band in 1945 at age 17, and went on to record more than 60 albums, receiving numerous honors including 3 Grammy nominations...DownBeats Trumpeter of the year 3 times
In 2005, Ferguson was awarded Canada's highest civilian honor, the Order of Canada.
There will be a memorial concert in St. Louis, MO.
God Rest His Soul
05/04/1928-08/23/2006
Saturday, August 05, 2006
Please Sir, Can I Have Some More?
"He Who Desires Is Always Poor"
-Cicero(106BC-43BC)
"Let Your Desires Be Ruled By Reason"
-Cicero(106BC-43BC)
From Mountain Wings-
If we could shrink the earth's population to a village of precisely 100 people with all the existing human ratios remaining the same, the world would look something like the following: There would be:
57 Asians
21 Europeans
14 from the Western hemisphere, both north and south
8 Africans--
52 would be female48 would be male-
70 would be non-white30 would be white-
70 would be non-Christian
30 would be Christian-
89 would be heterosexual
11 would be homosexual-
6 people would possess 59% of the entire world's wealth.
All 6 would be from the United States.
80 would live in substandard housing
70 would be unable to read50 would suffer from malnutrition
1 would be near death; 1 would be near birth
1 (yes, only 1) would have a college education1 would own a computer. You own a computer or at the very least have consistent access to one. You are among the world's wealthiest 1%
With all of the bills and the stress, life doesn't feel that way does it? Maybe that's just because you don't know how blessed you are.
Wake Up!
Now please don’t misconstrue this for what it is not. The problem with dreams is the reality that you’ll never get what you dream for without a reason.
There is a story of an incredible golfer Tom Watson. The final morning while at the U.S. Open he was approached by one of his admiring fans. He had shot an awful game this tournament and was extremely frustrated with himself because of it. When the spectator approached Tom the guy said, “I would do anything to be able to hit a golf ball like you.” Well Tom turned to him and just lashed out by saying “You would, would you? Would you wake up every morning at the crack of dawn and hit 500 golf balls until your hands bleed, then go hit 18 holes then return to range to hit 500 more? Everyday for 10 years?”
Of course we all would like to do nothing and become skilled and talented and wealthy. The reality is without hard dedication, determination, discipline, and a reason to, whatever desire you have for more will never happen. That is why Cicero says “He who desires is ALWAYS poor” I included the story from mountain wings to show you that you are very fortunate already just by being born in the great country as it is. If you want more than what you are already blessed with then you have to get out there and do it. Figure out what deep down burning desire motivates you to change something about this world.
-Cicero(106BC-43BC)
"Let Your Desires Be Ruled By Reason"
-Cicero(106BC-43BC)
From Mountain Wings-
If we could shrink the earth's population to a village of precisely 100 people with all the existing human ratios remaining the same, the world would look something like the following: There would be:
57 Asians
21 Europeans
14 from the Western hemisphere, both north and south
8 Africans--
52 would be female48 would be male-
70 would be non-white30 would be white-
70 would be non-Christian
30 would be Christian-
89 would be heterosexual
11 would be homosexual-
6 people would possess 59% of the entire world's wealth.
All 6 would be from the United States.
80 would live in substandard housing
70 would be unable to read50 would suffer from malnutrition
1 would be near death; 1 would be near birth
1 (yes, only 1) would have a college education1 would own a computer. You own a computer or at the very least have consistent access to one. You are among the world's wealthiest 1%
With all of the bills and the stress, life doesn't feel that way does it? Maybe that's just because you don't know how blessed you are.
Wake Up!
Now please don’t misconstrue this for what it is not. The problem with dreams is the reality that you’ll never get what you dream for without a reason.
There is a story of an incredible golfer Tom Watson. The final morning while at the U.S. Open he was approached by one of his admiring fans. He had shot an awful game this tournament and was extremely frustrated with himself because of it. When the spectator approached Tom the guy said, “I would do anything to be able to hit a golf ball like you.” Well Tom turned to him and just lashed out by saying “You would, would you? Would you wake up every morning at the crack of dawn and hit 500 golf balls until your hands bleed, then go hit 18 holes then return to range to hit 500 more? Everyday for 10 years?”
Of course we all would like to do nothing and become skilled and talented and wealthy. The reality is without hard dedication, determination, discipline, and a reason to, whatever desire you have for more will never happen. That is why Cicero says “He who desires is ALWAYS poor” I included the story from mountain wings to show you that you are very fortunate already just by being born in the great country as it is. If you want more than what you are already blessed with then you have to get out there and do it. Figure out what deep down burning desire motivates you to change something about this world.
Friday, July 28, 2006
Only I Can Change My Life, No One Can Do It For Me
“I'm not sure I want popular opinion on my side -- I've noticed those with the most opinions often have the fewest facts.”
-Bethania McKenstry
A man observed a sign in the window of a restaurant that read "Unique Breakfast" so he walked in and sat down. The waitress brought him his coffee and asked him what he wanted. "What's your Unique Breakfast?" he asked inquisitively. "Baked tongue of chicken!" she proudly replied. "Baked tongue of chicken? Baked tongue of chicken!? Do you have any idea how disgusting that is? I would never even consider eating anything that came out of a chicken's mouth!" he fumed. Undaunted, the waitress asked, "What would you like then?"
"Just bring me some scrambled eggs," the man replied.
If the world is ever going to change, it relies on those who don’t do as everyone does. I like the way George Bernard Shaw put it. “The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man.”
So why did I include the chicken story? It was because people have ideas all the time that get shot down. Everyday there are new ideas sprouting up and some dream stealers as we call it tries to shoot down your vision. These are generally the people you are really close to and in most cases your family. It is understandable because they want to see you safe and not get yourself into trouble, but, what that does is makes you never step outside of your shell and really see what the hell you have to offer. After a while you stop believing in yourself and never do anything much of worth discussing further than a boring 3 minute conversation about your job…maybe it turns into a 10 minute bitching fest about how you hate your boss and this bitch who works in the next cubby. Well, I am looking forward to reading Shut Up, Stop Whining, and Get a Life by Larry Winget. That title just grabs me. People today have more to complain about than ever before. But it is your decision to do something about it. So, not that I don’t care, cause I care more than anybody you probably know, but if you are not willing to do anything about it…then you get one chance to lean on my shoulder. Then the next time we talk about it, we are going to decide to make a change and do it. The problem is this. It is called the 80/20 factor. Now I am not making this stuff up…so bare with me. There are two types of people. People that live by letting the problem be 80 percent of their discussions and 20 percent solution, or 80 percent of the solution and 20 percent of the problems. I promise you once you stop letting yourself get focused on the problems and start thinking of the solution things become a lot easier. Period.
-Bethania McKenstry
A man observed a sign in the window of a restaurant that read "Unique Breakfast" so he walked in and sat down. The waitress brought him his coffee and asked him what he wanted. "What's your Unique Breakfast?" he asked inquisitively. "Baked tongue of chicken!" she proudly replied. "Baked tongue of chicken? Baked tongue of chicken!? Do you have any idea how disgusting that is? I would never even consider eating anything that came out of a chicken's mouth!" he fumed. Undaunted, the waitress asked, "What would you like then?"
"Just bring me some scrambled eggs," the man replied.
If the world is ever going to change, it relies on those who don’t do as everyone does. I like the way George Bernard Shaw put it. “The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man.”
So why did I include the chicken story? It was because people have ideas all the time that get shot down. Everyday there are new ideas sprouting up and some dream stealers as we call it tries to shoot down your vision. These are generally the people you are really close to and in most cases your family. It is understandable because they want to see you safe and not get yourself into trouble, but, what that does is makes you never step outside of your shell and really see what the hell you have to offer. After a while you stop believing in yourself and never do anything much of worth discussing further than a boring 3 minute conversation about your job…maybe it turns into a 10 minute bitching fest about how you hate your boss and this bitch who works in the next cubby. Well, I am looking forward to reading Shut Up, Stop Whining, and Get a Life by Larry Winget. That title just grabs me. People today have more to complain about than ever before. But it is your decision to do something about it. So, not that I don’t care, cause I care more than anybody you probably know, but if you are not willing to do anything about it…then you get one chance to lean on my shoulder. Then the next time we talk about it, we are going to decide to make a change and do it. The problem is this. It is called the 80/20 factor. Now I am not making this stuff up…so bare with me. There are two types of people. People that live by letting the problem be 80 percent of their discussions and 20 percent solution, or 80 percent of the solution and 20 percent of the problems. I promise you once you stop letting yourself get focused on the problems and start thinking of the solution things become a lot easier. Period.
Saturday, July 22, 2006
Some Things Have To Be Believed To Be Seen
"They Can Conquer Who Believe They Can"
Virgil (70BC-19BC)
Don't be fooled by me. Don't be fooled by the face I wear. I wear a mask. I wear a thousand masks. Masks that I'm afraid to take off; and none of them is me.
Pretending is an art that is second nature to me, but don't be fooled. I give the impression that I am secure, that all is sunny and unruffled. Within me as well as without; that confidence is my name and coolness is my game. That the water is calm and I am in command; and that I need no one. But don't believe me, please. My surface may seem smooth, but my surface is a mask., my ever-varying and ever-concealing mask.
Beneath lies no smugness, no complacence. Beneath dwells the real me in confusion and aloneness. But I hide that. I don't want anybody to know it. I panic at the thought of my weakness being exposed.
That is why I frantically create a mask to hide behind-a nonchalant, sophisticated facade-to help me pretend, to shield me from the glance that knows. But such a glance is precisely my salvation, my only salvation, and I know it. That is, if it's followed by acceptance, if it's followed by love.
It is the only thing that can liberate me from myself, from my own self-built prison wall, from the barriers I so painstakingly erect. It's the only thing that will assure me of what I can't assure myself-that I AM really something.
Who am I, you may wonder. I am someone you know very well. I am every man you meet. I am every woman you encounter. I am every child as well. I am right in front of you. Please...love me!
-Seeds of Greatness, Dennis Waitley
Virgil (70BC-19BC)
Don't be fooled by me. Don't be fooled by the face I wear. I wear a mask. I wear a thousand masks. Masks that I'm afraid to take off; and none of them is me.
Pretending is an art that is second nature to me, but don't be fooled. I give the impression that I am secure, that all is sunny and unruffled. Within me as well as without; that confidence is my name and coolness is my game. That the water is calm and I am in command; and that I need no one. But don't believe me, please. My surface may seem smooth, but my surface is a mask., my ever-varying and ever-concealing mask.
Beneath lies no smugness, no complacence. Beneath dwells the real me in confusion and aloneness. But I hide that. I don't want anybody to know it. I panic at the thought of my weakness being exposed.
That is why I frantically create a mask to hide behind-a nonchalant, sophisticated facade-to help me pretend, to shield me from the glance that knows. But such a glance is precisely my salvation, my only salvation, and I know it. That is, if it's followed by acceptance, if it's followed by love.
It is the only thing that can liberate me from myself, from my own self-built prison wall, from the barriers I so painstakingly erect. It's the only thing that will assure me of what I can't assure myself-that I AM really something.
Who am I, you may wonder. I am someone you know very well. I am every man you meet. I am every woman you encounter. I am every child as well. I am right in front of you. Please...love me!
-Seeds of Greatness, Dennis Waitley
Friday, July 14, 2006
My Bike and Me
"Why do strong arms fatigue themselves with frivolous dumbbells? To dig a vineyard is worthier exercise for men."
Marcus Valerius Martialis(40AD-103AD)
Well, I purchased my first mountain bike finally! I am having a blast riding aroung the trails and stuff in San Antonio. I never thought it could be so much fun. So about 3 or 4 times a week my roomie/life partner and I go riding. It is incredible exercise. Phew it can be tough going up those hiills and down huge trails avoiding all of the trees/boulders in the way. One false move will put you in checkmate. The scenery is incredible not to mention all of the wildlife we are seeing along the way. It is an incredible experience as well as the benefits of exerciing. I don't know if I'll ever run again! We are planning several camping trips out in Texas to just have a blast. I haven't had such a blast since I ate my first ice cream cone. I have some pics from our adventures...enjoy
My first mountain bike. The Giant.
How could anyone want to shoot these adorable animals?
Ouch!
Marcus Valerius Martialis(40AD-103AD)
Well, I purchased my first mountain bike finally! I am having a blast riding aroung the trails and stuff in San Antonio. I never thought it could be so much fun. So about 3 or 4 times a week my roomie/life partner and I go riding. It is incredible exercise. Phew it can be tough going up those hiills and down huge trails avoiding all of the trees/boulders in the way. One false move will put you in checkmate. The scenery is incredible not to mention all of the wildlife we are seeing along the way. It is an incredible experience as well as the benefits of exerciing. I don't know if I'll ever run again! We are planning several camping trips out in Texas to just have a blast. I haven't had such a blast since I ate my first ice cream cone. I have some pics from our adventures...enjoy
My first mountain bike. The Giant.
How could anyone want to shoot these adorable animals?
Ouch!
Mind Your Mind
“Eccentricity is not, as dull people would have us believe, a form of madness. It is often a kind of innocent pride, and the man of genius and the aristocrat are frequently regarded as eccentrics because genius and aristocrat are entirely unafraid of and uninfluenced by the opinions and vagaries of the crowd.”
Edith Sitwell (1887 – 1964)
“I am still determined to be cheerful and happy, in whatever situation I may be; for I have also learned from experience that the greater part of our happiness or misery depends upon our dispositions, and not upon our circumstances.”
Martha Washington (1732 - 1802)
“A strong positive mental attitude will create more miracles than any wonder drug.”
Patricia Neal
“Human beings, by changing the inner attitudes of their minds, can change the outer aspects of their lives.”
William James (1842 - 1910)
“The greatest discovery of my generation is that a human being can alter his life by altering his attitudes of mind.”
William James (1842 - 1910)
Attitude determines altitude. It is vital to your success and happiness in life. A positive outlook will always bring a better ending. It may not be the desired ending but it will definitely be a better one. And if all else fails know this quote...
There was once a woman who woke up one morning, looked in the mirror and noticed she had only three hairs on her head. "Well," she said, "I think I'll braid my hair today," so she did and she had a wonderful day. The next day she woke up, looked in the mirror and saw she had only two hairs on her head. "HMM," she said, "I think I'll part my hair down the middle today," and she did and she had a grand day. The next morning she woke up, looked in the mirror and saw she had only one hair left on her head. "Well," she said, "Today I'm going to wear my hair in a ponytail." So she did and it was a fun, fun day. The next day she woke up, looked in the mirror and noticed that there wasn't a single hair on her head. "YEAH!" she exclaimed, "I don't have to fix my hair today!"
Remember you may not be able to control what someone says or does or some of the situations that life throws at you, but you can sure control the way you react.
Edith Sitwell (1887 – 1964)
“I am still determined to be cheerful and happy, in whatever situation I may be; for I have also learned from experience that the greater part of our happiness or misery depends upon our dispositions, and not upon our circumstances.”
Martha Washington (1732 - 1802)
“A strong positive mental attitude will create more miracles than any wonder drug.”
Patricia Neal
“Human beings, by changing the inner attitudes of their minds, can change the outer aspects of their lives.”
William James (1842 - 1910)
“The greatest discovery of my generation is that a human being can alter his life by altering his attitudes of mind.”
William James (1842 - 1910)
Attitude determines altitude. It is vital to your success and happiness in life. A positive outlook will always bring a better ending. It may not be the desired ending but it will definitely be a better one. And if all else fails know this quote...
"A Positive attitude may not solve all of your problems but it will annoy enough people to make it worth the effort."
Herm Albright((1876-1944)
There was once a woman who woke up one morning, looked in the mirror and noticed she had only three hairs on her head. "Well," she said, "I think I'll braid my hair today," so she did and she had a wonderful day. The next day she woke up, looked in the mirror and saw she had only two hairs on her head. "HMM," she said, "I think I'll part my hair down the middle today," and she did and she had a grand day. The next morning she woke up, looked in the mirror and saw she had only one hair left on her head. "Well," she said, "Today I'm going to wear my hair in a ponytail." So she did and it was a fun, fun day. The next day she woke up, looked in the mirror and noticed that there wasn't a single hair on her head. "YEAH!" she exclaimed, "I don't have to fix my hair today!"
Remember you may not be able to control what someone says or does or some of the situations that life throws at you, but you can sure control the way you react.
Thursday, July 13, 2006
The Unexamined Life Is Not Worth Living
"The First Step To Getting What You Want Out Of Life Is: Decide What You Want."
-Ben Stein
So many people these days get stuck in the struggle for less. They sell themselves far shorter than they are worth. I don’t know were it happens, well I sorta have a couple ideas but that is a blog to itself altogether…but somewhere along the way they decided to be more realistic and lost their aspirations and beliefs that they can do ANYTHING. A friend of mine gave me a good visualization once. He said that as a young boy he would hang pictures of super expensive cars on his walls like every boy does...such as Lamborghini's, Ferrari's etc. But once he reached 15 he realized that those cars were far too unreachable by his means so down they came and up went the Civics souped up with ghini doors. So is it reality that settles in or is it the belief that we can not get what we truly desire because of the belief in ourselves? Someone owns those cars...why not me? What makes them different? What makes them better? It is only in your mind, they believe in their worth and value themselves so much that they become succesfully driven people. Most people lose their dreams and become broken and settled. My Pastor at Eagles Nest, Rick Godwin did a sermon called “Quitters, Campers, and Climbers”. Quitters are people who quit and never see things through. Campers are the majority of people who make it to a nice plot in life and decide that they could do better but remain camped out for the remainder of their lives. Climbers are people who stop to camp and rejuvenate, replenish, and then continue the pursuit for more. I have learned these following things in my climb that might be of some value to you.
-Simplify our lives. Stop collecting. Start celebrating, for no apparent reason.
-Gather memories instead of memorabilia.
-Do some genealogy about your family ancestry. What were they like? What soul-deep legacy, if any, did they pass on to us? What did we learn and love most about our grandparents and parents?
-What will we gladly give up to improve the quality of our lives?
-Dream as if we had forever. Live as if this was the last day to live.
-Think globally, act locally.
-Don’t just treat everyone the way we want to be treated. Treat everyone the way they should be treated to believe they can reach their full potential, based upon their own beliefs and heritage.
-Never judge a person by their belongings. They may be healthier, wealthier, wiser and happier than us, and probably is.
-It’s not nice to fool with Mother Nature.
-Love what you have, even if you don’t have all that you’d love.
-We are All different, on a life path heading the same way.
Since we are all different we have developed our own beliefs and values but we are all moving forward to death and we are all going to get their eventually. So lets make this life a great blessing and be joyful for the time we have.
Saturday, July 08, 2006
Get Bitter or Get Better
"Accept The Pains, Cherish The Joys, Resolves The Regrets; Then Can Come The Best Of Benedictions 'If I Had My Life To Live Over, I'd Do It All The Same"
Joan McIntosh
Sometimes God works in ways that hurt. Success is based on being able to look at those hard situations and know there is a purpose for them. In order to be successful you have to accept His fate and will and act on it. So you can either get bitter or get better.
Success is determined by growing. You can be the most talented person in the world but never grow to use your God given abilities. We can make bad decisions and mistakes along our journey. In fact, it is pertinent. I wish we didn’t but we are fallible human beings. A lot of people fail in life because of 2 reasons. They succumb to it through discouragement and the inability to pick their selves up after something tragic in their life throws a curve ball or they don’t have the ability to commit. Some of the most talented individuals never make it to the top because they cannot stay committed to hanging in their during the seemingly monotonous daily routines. That is what makes you a champion. Too often they look for the shortcut, or the easy way. Champion is a word that can be used in any situation for success. I was not a champion in Angie and my relationship because I was not able to stay for the arguments that were necessary to get us through all of our stuff. Therefore it fell apart. I always looked for what was easiest for me, not for us because all I say was the things that caused me harm and my way of dealing with it caused her harm. It all comes down to this. “In life, you get what you pay for.” This means that you have got to put in the effort, the hours, or even the years that are required to master a certain skill that make up the mindset of a champion. These special skills need to be branded into your subconscious so they will become habit-knit patterns of behavior like driving your car or brushing your teeth.
The most successful champions in every arena in life don’t press, push, or struggle their way to the top, conscious of every move and mistake. On the contrary, they function in the zone: a quiet place where there is no past or future, only the present moment. They have internalized the skills through hours of coaching and practice to set them free for victory.
Winners don’t force themselves to win. They allow themselves the freedom to win by depending on their reflex actions of the body, spirit and mind that they have learned over a period of time. If it takes an astronaut, gifted musician, or Olympian many years of daily training why do we expect to be able to do it by eating a magic pill or with immediate gratification?
The problem that most people have in becoming a winner in life is that they spend most of their time practicing their mistakes and errors, rather than practicing the correct moves and reinforces success. For example, every time high handicap golfers go out on the driving range to hit a few buckets of balls, what happens? Much of the session is spent reinforcing an incorrect swing.
What we all need are role models and mentors to talk us through and demonstrate the winning techniques and swings in our lives. In addition to accepting the fact that winning and losing are learned habits, I believe there are three fundamental habits of a champion.
A long-term vision of success, A short-term view of failure, Laser focus on near-term goals
A Long-Term Vision Of Success
Success is a lifelong process, not a status. To help you reach your goals, break them down into sub-goals and priorities.
A Short-Term View Of Failure
Failure is delay, not defeat. So when you fail, get more information and insight then try again.
Laser Focus On Near-Term GoalsIt has been discovered that the main reason individuals fail to reach their goals is that they never really set them in the first place. Have you set a date for moving down a size in those jeans…or securing your financial future…Think of your own dreams and goals as previews of coming attractions in your life, you are the producer, scriptwriter, and star performer in an exciting documentary. Remember, focus always precedes success.
Joan McIntosh
Sometimes God works in ways that hurt. Success is based on being able to look at those hard situations and know there is a purpose for them. In order to be successful you have to accept His fate and will and act on it. So you can either get bitter or get better.
Success is determined by growing. You can be the most talented person in the world but never grow to use your God given abilities. We can make bad decisions and mistakes along our journey. In fact, it is pertinent. I wish we didn’t but we are fallible human beings. A lot of people fail in life because of 2 reasons. They succumb to it through discouragement and the inability to pick their selves up after something tragic in their life throws a curve ball or they don’t have the ability to commit. Some of the most talented individuals never make it to the top because they cannot stay committed to hanging in their during the seemingly monotonous daily routines. That is what makes you a champion. Too often they look for the shortcut, or the easy way. Champion is a word that can be used in any situation for success. I was not a champion in Angie and my relationship because I was not able to stay for the arguments that were necessary to get us through all of our stuff. Therefore it fell apart. I always looked for what was easiest for me, not for us because all I say was the things that caused me harm and my way of dealing with it caused her harm. It all comes down to this. “In life, you get what you pay for.” This means that you have got to put in the effort, the hours, or even the years that are required to master a certain skill that make up the mindset of a champion. These special skills need to be branded into your subconscious so they will become habit-knit patterns of behavior like driving your car or brushing your teeth.
The most successful champions in every arena in life don’t press, push, or struggle their way to the top, conscious of every move and mistake. On the contrary, they function in the zone: a quiet place where there is no past or future, only the present moment. They have internalized the skills through hours of coaching and practice to set them free for victory.
Winners don’t force themselves to win. They allow themselves the freedom to win by depending on their reflex actions of the body, spirit and mind that they have learned over a period of time. If it takes an astronaut, gifted musician, or Olympian many years of daily training why do we expect to be able to do it by eating a magic pill or with immediate gratification?
The problem that most people have in becoming a winner in life is that they spend most of their time practicing their mistakes and errors, rather than practicing the correct moves and reinforces success. For example, every time high handicap golfers go out on the driving range to hit a few buckets of balls, what happens? Much of the session is spent reinforcing an incorrect swing.
What we all need are role models and mentors to talk us through and demonstrate the winning techniques and swings in our lives. In addition to accepting the fact that winning and losing are learned habits, I believe there are three fundamental habits of a champion.
A long-term vision of success, A short-term view of failure, Laser focus on near-term goals
A Long-Term Vision Of Success
Success is a lifelong process, not a status. To help you reach your goals, break them down into sub-goals and priorities.
A Short-Term View Of Failure
Failure is delay, not defeat. So when you fail, get more information and insight then try again.
Laser Focus On Near-Term GoalsIt has been discovered that the main reason individuals fail to reach their goals is that they never really set them in the first place. Have you set a date for moving down a size in those jeans…or securing your financial future…Think of your own dreams and goals as previews of coming attractions in your life, you are the producer, scriptwriter, and star performer in an exciting documentary. Remember, focus always precedes success.
Wednesday, June 21, 2006
Science Is Organized Knowledge. Wisdom Is Organized Life.
"We Don’t Receive Wisdom; We Must Discover It For Ourselves After A Journey That No One Can Take For Us Or Spare Us."
Marcel Proust (1871-1922)
A philosopher, in the original sense of the word is a lover of wisdom. It is an alarming reflection that in the west, wisdom is no longer a concept or category in common use. People are admired for being skillful, or rich, or famous (or in the case of athletes all three). No one is admired for being wise, or even described as being wise. The reason for that I suspect is that wisdom was to be found, it was among the old that it would be found. These days it is unfashionable to be old, and if the old are capable of being wise, who cares?
I am reading 2 incredible books by some of the wisest men who I believe ever lived on Earth, The Analects of Confucius and Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu. In their books, wisdom gets mixed emotions.
In the Tao for example:
Banish wisdom, discard knowledge, and the people will be benefited a hundredfold.
(T19)
And The Analects:
The good man rests content with Goodness; he that is merely wise pursues Goodness in the belief that it pays to do so.
(A4.2)
They can be a little more enthusiastic than this don’t you think:
True wisdom is different from much learning; much learning means little wisdom.
(T81)
What is true wisdom, and did Confucius and Lao Tzu themselves posses it? I would argue that they did. If we call people wise, we generally mean two things.
That they know which things in life are important.
That they know (or have a good idea) how best to go about achieving those great things.
The questions Confucius and Lao Tzu constantly come back to are very simple. How can people be good? How can they be happy or in another book I am reading by Ben Stein How to Ruin Your Life suggests how to avoid making themselves unhappy? And for rulers, how can they best maintain order and keep their people contented?
If we ever get tired pursuing youth, celebrity, and beauty, we could do worse than listen to the answers in both of these books. That is all I am simply suggesting.
Marcel Proust (1871-1922)
A philosopher, in the original sense of the word is a lover of wisdom. It is an alarming reflection that in the west, wisdom is no longer a concept or category in common use. People are admired for being skillful, or rich, or famous (or in the case of athletes all three). No one is admired for being wise, or even described as being wise. The reason for that I suspect is that wisdom was to be found, it was among the old that it would be found. These days it is unfashionable to be old, and if the old are capable of being wise, who cares?
I am reading 2 incredible books by some of the wisest men who I believe ever lived on Earth, The Analects of Confucius and Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu. In their books, wisdom gets mixed emotions.
In the Tao for example:
Banish wisdom, discard knowledge, and the people will be benefited a hundredfold.
(T19)
And The Analects:
The good man rests content with Goodness; he that is merely wise pursues Goodness in the belief that it pays to do so.
(A4.2)
They can be a little more enthusiastic than this don’t you think:
True wisdom is different from much learning; much learning means little wisdom.
(T81)
What is true wisdom, and did Confucius and Lao Tzu themselves posses it? I would argue that they did. If we call people wise, we generally mean two things.
That they know which things in life are important.
That they know (or have a good idea) how best to go about achieving those great things.
The questions Confucius and Lao Tzu constantly come back to are very simple. How can people be good? How can they be happy or in another book I am reading by Ben Stein How to Ruin Your Life suggests how to avoid making themselves unhappy? And for rulers, how can they best maintain order and keep their people contented?
If we ever get tired pursuing youth, celebrity, and beauty, we could do worse than listen to the answers in both of these books. That is all I am simply suggesting.
Tuesday, June 06, 2006
Charity Sees The Need, Not The Cause
One of the serious obstacles to the improvement of our race is indiscriminate charity.
Andrew Carnegie (1835-1919)
Too many have dispensed with generosity in order to practice charity.
Albert Camus (1913-1960)
I am re-reading an incredible book right now called The Prayer of Jabez. It is a powerful book that I read over a year ago. The book speaks of asking for abundance in this abundant world. Not to be selfish but to be charitable. How much can you give if you have nothing to really give? In the book it says, and I quote,
“Take our feelings. Do we really understand how far the American Dream is from God’s dream for us? We are steeped in a culture that worships freedom, independence, personal rights, and the pursuit of pleasure. We respect people who sacrifice to get what they want. But to be a living sacrifice? To be crucified to self?” Well thank God we no longer need to sacrifice goats anymore because of the sacrifice on the cross that was made. ( I don't think I need to go into this any further right? Cool...) Jesus took care of that for us but we need to sacrifice ourselves and our lives to those who are less fortunate. Now, again, you can sacrifice everything you have and live like Mother Theresa, which probably is not your desired life, but you have to ask for an abundance in your life and ask for God's will so you can give that much more to others. Be a blessing. This is an abundant world, but let us also take our hearts into mind when it comes to charity. It is awesome to be generous but that is not charity. Jack London said “A bone to the dog is not charity. Charity is the bone shared with the dog, when you are just as hungry with the dog.” It has to be from the heart and be a sacrifice so it comes with its full value. We can still have an abundance of things and make a huge difference. If you don’t believe those commercials that say feed a child for just a dollar a day, well you better believe you can feed a child for a year for only $365 bucks in Africa. If you don’t believe it, take a look at these photos and hopefully you will find it in your heart to see the rest of the world that is not as fortunate as our wonderful, abundant country.
Enjoy.
Andrew Carnegie (1835-1919)
Too many have dispensed with generosity in order to practice charity.
Albert Camus (1913-1960)
I am re-reading an incredible book right now called The Prayer of Jabez. It is a powerful book that I read over a year ago. The book speaks of asking for abundance in this abundant world. Not to be selfish but to be charitable. How much can you give if you have nothing to really give? In the book it says, and I quote,
“Take our feelings. Do we really understand how far the American Dream is from God’s dream for us? We are steeped in a culture that worships freedom, independence, personal rights, and the pursuit of pleasure. We respect people who sacrifice to get what they want. But to be a living sacrifice? To be crucified to self?” Well thank God we no longer need to sacrifice goats anymore because of the sacrifice on the cross that was made. ( I don't think I need to go into this any further right? Cool...) Jesus took care of that for us but we need to sacrifice ourselves and our lives to those who are less fortunate. Now, again, you can sacrifice everything you have and live like Mother Theresa, which probably is not your desired life, but you have to ask for an abundance in your life and ask for God's will so you can give that much more to others. Be a blessing. This is an abundant world, but let us also take our hearts into mind when it comes to charity. It is awesome to be generous but that is not charity. Jack London said “A bone to the dog is not charity. Charity is the bone shared with the dog, when you are just as hungry with the dog.” It has to be from the heart and be a sacrifice so it comes with its full value. We can still have an abundance of things and make a huge difference. If you don’t believe those commercials that say feed a child for just a dollar a day, well you better believe you can feed a child for a year for only $365 bucks in Africa. If you don’t believe it, take a look at these photos and hopefully you will find it in your heart to see the rest of the world that is not as fortunate as our wonderful, abundant country.
Enjoy.
Monday, May 01, 2006
Actions Speak Louder Than Words, But, Words Make You View The World Differently
"All Human Actions Have One Or More Of These Seven Causes: Chance, Nature, Compulsion, Habit, Reason, Passion, And Desire."
-Aristotle (384 BC-322 BC)
-A Story From Mountain Wings-
It was a dark morning in downtown Atlanta.
My father was a businessman, he had a store downtown, a wig and cosmetics store. He would take his sons downtown before school around 5:30 am and we would pass out flyers to women hurrying to work.
I stood on a particular corner. I learned a lot about crowd psychology from those early cold downtown mornings. If there was a crowd of people coming across the crosswalk as the light changed, it was vital that you got the first person in the crowd to take one of your flyers.
If the first person took one, the rest would likely take one.
If the first person refused, the rest would likely refuse.
One morning a particularly rude lady brushed me aside with a rather mean look. That wasn't unusual and it is not her that I remember. The rest of the crowd following her across the street also refused my proffered circulars.
It was just a circular, and you get used to rejection when passing out circulars in the pre-dawn hours of a major city.
I don't remember the rude lady in front of the crowd.
I remember the last lady.
She was an older lady, perhaps mid-sixties to early seventies.
Her race was different from mine.
Her hair was white with age and her frame frail from the years.
She wore a black dress.
Did those things matter?
No, I just remember them.
She didn't need a wig and looked as if she never had or would wear one. That I could plainly see.
Knowing the demeanor of the rest of the crowd, I made no real attempt to give her a circular, after all, she was the one person in the crowd that couldn't use what I was selling.
She stopped and extended her aged hand for one of my circulars.
I gladly gave her one and with that transfer, it lifted the rejection of countless others before her.
She spoke three words . . .
"Jesus loves you"
and walked away.
There are times in our life that constantly ring in our head because somebody made a difference. Something that if you retold the person would probably not relate to it. They have a similar story they remember and will forever but won't totally grasp the entire emotional experience you are. I have countless memories of moments that ring. Good and Bad. Our memory is selective. Some have better recall of conversations and what not but those moments that move you either good or bad are unforgettable.
For Example...
Last year I had a test on my left wrist to see the ligament tears. The clerk put on a little band around my wrist. She must have noticed I was nervous because as she put on my bracelet, she touched me with both hands....and rubbed my arm calming me down big time.
She said something. But, I don't remember what she said.
I do remember the touch though. It has stayed with me for some time now. Anyone who really knows me knows that I pass out for most medical procedures due to a disorder I have called Vasovagal Syncope. Basically because I am a pussy.
It is amazing how such a simple thing can be remembered for so long. Think back on an act of kindness that you remember from long ago. I just wrote a blog on inspiration. Those are the moments of inspiration whether you chose to let your mind absorb them as such. I guarantee they happen daily. I guarantee it.
-Aristotle (384 BC-322 BC)
-A Story From Mountain Wings-
It was a dark morning in downtown Atlanta.
My father was a businessman, he had a store downtown, a wig and cosmetics store. He would take his sons downtown before school around 5:30 am and we would pass out flyers to women hurrying to work.
I stood on a particular corner. I learned a lot about crowd psychology from those early cold downtown mornings. If there was a crowd of people coming across the crosswalk as the light changed, it was vital that you got the first person in the crowd to take one of your flyers.
If the first person took one, the rest would likely take one.
If the first person refused, the rest would likely refuse.
One morning a particularly rude lady brushed me aside with a rather mean look. That wasn't unusual and it is not her that I remember. The rest of the crowd following her across the street also refused my proffered circulars.
It was just a circular, and you get used to rejection when passing out circulars in the pre-dawn hours of a major city.
I don't remember the rude lady in front of the crowd.
I remember the last lady.
She was an older lady, perhaps mid-sixties to early seventies.
Her race was different from mine.
Her hair was white with age and her frame frail from the years.
She wore a black dress.
Did those things matter?
No, I just remember them.
She didn't need a wig and looked as if she never had or would wear one. That I could plainly see.
Knowing the demeanor of the rest of the crowd, I made no real attempt to give her a circular, after all, she was the one person in the crowd that couldn't use what I was selling.
She stopped and extended her aged hand for one of my circulars.
I gladly gave her one and with that transfer, it lifted the rejection of countless others before her.
She spoke three words . . .
"Jesus loves you"
and walked away.
There are times in our life that constantly ring in our head because somebody made a difference. Something that if you retold the person would probably not relate to it. They have a similar story they remember and will forever but won't totally grasp the entire emotional experience you are. I have countless memories of moments that ring. Good and Bad. Our memory is selective. Some have better recall of conversations and what not but those moments that move you either good or bad are unforgettable.
For Example...
Last year I had a test on my left wrist to see the ligament tears. The clerk put on a little band around my wrist. She must have noticed I was nervous because as she put on my bracelet, she touched me with both hands....and rubbed my arm calming me down big time.
She said something. But, I don't remember what she said.
I do remember the touch though. It has stayed with me for some time now. Anyone who really knows me knows that I pass out for most medical procedures due to a disorder I have called Vasovagal Syncope. Basically because I am a pussy.
It is amazing how such a simple thing can be remembered for so long. Think back on an act of kindness that you remember from long ago. I just wrote a blog on inspiration. Those are the moments of inspiration whether you chose to let your mind absorb them as such. I guarantee they happen daily. I guarantee it.
You Can't Wait for Inspiration. You Have To Go After It With A Club
"Had it not been for you, I should have remained what I was when we first met, a prejudiced, narrow-minded being, with contracted sympathies and false knowledge, wasting my life on obsolete trifles, and utterly insensible to the privilege of living in this wondrous age of change and progress."
-Benjamin Disraeli
"Here is the secret of inspiration: Tell yourself that thousands and tens of thousands of people, not very intelligent and certainly no more intelligent than the rest of us, have mastered problems as difficult as those that now baffle you."
-William Feather
Each weekday when I drive to work, I notice an overweight woman jogging. She is often so very red that I find myself worrying about her, but I am also deeply moved when I see her because it is clear that she has a fair amount of weight to lose.
2 weeks ago, while driving to a very early morning class, I observed the woman out jogging in the rain.
I felt compelled to pull over and share with her that I see her each morning and I am so impressed by her discipline. I gave her my heartfelt praise at her diligence and determination and told her that she should be SO very proud of herself!
She could barely respond, but upon catching her breath, she told me that at the very moment I had stopped to speak with her she was feeling so tired. The hill that she had just run up was especially difficult for her and she was feeling quite discouraged and overwhelmed and was questioning whether she was actually making any progress toward her goal.
I told her that I was certain that she was indeed not only making progress, but I also knew that she had all she needed to achieve her goal. She thanked me, and, as I pulled away, I glanced in my rear view mirror and saw her broadly smiling as she jogged away.
It was in that moment that I was reminded that we are, all of us, faced with hills in our lives that so often seem more than we can climb. We grow weary, and it is in those times that an encouraging word can mean so very much and help us find the strength to keep going.
In that moment I also knew that while she thought it was she receiving much needed encouragement, the truth is that each time I have seen her running, no matter the challenge that is in my thoughts for that day, I find inspiration in her spirit and believe that I can manage whatever hills are ahead.
-Benjamin Disraeli
"Here is the secret of inspiration: Tell yourself that thousands and tens of thousands of people, not very intelligent and certainly no more intelligent than the rest of us, have mastered problems as difficult as those that now baffle you."
-William Feather
Each weekday when I drive to work, I notice an overweight woman jogging. She is often so very red that I find myself worrying about her, but I am also deeply moved when I see her because it is clear that she has a fair amount of weight to lose.
2 weeks ago, while driving to a very early morning class, I observed the woman out jogging in the rain.
I felt compelled to pull over and share with her that I see her each morning and I am so impressed by her discipline. I gave her my heartfelt praise at her diligence and determination and told her that she should be SO very proud of herself!
She could barely respond, but upon catching her breath, she told me that at the very moment I had stopped to speak with her she was feeling so tired. The hill that she had just run up was especially difficult for her and she was feeling quite discouraged and overwhelmed and was questioning whether she was actually making any progress toward her goal.
I told her that I was certain that she was indeed not only making progress, but I also knew that she had all she needed to achieve her goal. She thanked me, and, as I pulled away, I glanced in my rear view mirror and saw her broadly smiling as she jogged away.
It was in that moment that I was reminded that we are, all of us, faced with hills in our lives that so often seem more than we can climb. We grow weary, and it is in those times that an encouraging word can mean so very much and help us find the strength to keep going.
In that moment I also knew that while she thought it was she receiving much needed encouragement, the truth is that each time I have seen her running, no matter the challenge that is in my thoughts for that day, I find inspiration in her spirit and believe that I can manage whatever hills are ahead.
Monday, April 24, 2006
Afraid To Succeed?
"The Chief Progress To The Human Race Is The Human Race."
-Don Marquis (1878-1937)
"You can never rise above the image that you have of yourself in your own mind."
- C. Elijah Bronner
How many times do we assume something won't or doesn't work, someone won't or can't love, that we never have been and aren't appreciated, when in truth it does, they can, and we are?
The next time you feel like being bitter, resentful and angry --- even if the circumstances justify these emotions --- consider the inspiring words of a man who, after 27 years of imprisonment by his government, had every right to be bitter, resentful and angry:
"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate, Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. We ask ourselves, 'Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous?'
Actually, who are you NOT to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small doesn't serve the world. There is nothing enlightening about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us.
It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others."
These are words of Nelson Mandela, who gave this inaugural speech in 1994, after being elected President of South Africa.
He became the leader of the government that had for so long sought to take away his voice.
This man had every right to be bitter, resentful and angry at the world.
How dare he inspire us to greatness? Shouldn't he have instead approved our sloth?
After all, is anyone really appreciated for what he does, regardless of the extent of the sacrifice?
Nelson Mandela confirms that you are expected to be great.
Nothing less.
You can even be more than great if you decide to ignore the non-existent limitations that everyone else can see.
What kind of glasses are they wearing?
I know I'm gorgeous, brilliant and talented.Simply put, I am fabulous.
What about you?
By C. Elijah Bronner
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Why is it? Why do so many people lose their beliefs and passion through the daily routines and grudges of life? Is it really that they don’t believe they can do it or are they afraid to see if they can, or even afraid of what may happen if their dreams actually come true?
Believe it or not, people actually have a fear of success. It is more common than arachnophobia. It just isn’t talked about as much. It is more poisonous than any spider you will come into contact with though. It will slowly drip into your veins until every drop of life is taken leaving you with nothing but “I didn’t live up to my potential” on your death bed.
We all know we only have one life to live. Now you may believe in reincarnation but we do not know it to be true. We DO know that there is only one life. We also have heard to make it the best you can I don’t know how many times. So what are you waiting for? Why are you not going out and trying to be what you want and live the way you want and see the things you want? I aint talkin’ ‘bout working hard in a cubby or in construction unless that is your dream job. I don’t know about you but I have never heard I child say “I want to be a bricklayer when I grow up.”
Do you think you are not good enough? Not deserving and less worthy than say Bill Gates? Ok, not everyone can come up with the next best things that will change the world forever…but how much money do you need to see the world and do the things you deserve? Me…it will only cost me roughly $100k/ year to afford the lifestyle I desire. That is really achievable. So don’t sell yourself short. Go out and make the small baby step differences that will grow over time and change your life forever. Don’t be afraid to succeed. You are worthy and deserving. God made you to be a success.
“Do things today that most won’t, so that tomorrow you have a life that most don’t.” Don’t wait till you are lying on your death bed feeling guilty and worthless and think your life was wasted. I promise you that it will hurt your family to think you feel like you were a waste just as much as it hurts you. If not for you, do it for something or someone bigger than you.
A good friend of mine said this and it has rung constantly in my ears for 3 years now.
“It is a blessing to be a blessing.”
Go be a blessing.
-Don Marquis (1878-1937)
"You can never rise above the image that you have of yourself in your own mind."
- C. Elijah Bronner
How many times do we assume something won't or doesn't work, someone won't or can't love, that we never have been and aren't appreciated, when in truth it does, they can, and we are?
The next time you feel like being bitter, resentful and angry --- even if the circumstances justify these emotions --- consider the inspiring words of a man who, after 27 years of imprisonment by his government, had every right to be bitter, resentful and angry:
"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate, Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. We ask ourselves, 'Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous?'
Actually, who are you NOT to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small doesn't serve the world. There is nothing enlightening about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us.
It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others."
These are words of Nelson Mandela, who gave this inaugural speech in 1994, after being elected President of South Africa.
He became the leader of the government that had for so long sought to take away his voice.
This man had every right to be bitter, resentful and angry at the world.
How dare he inspire us to greatness? Shouldn't he have instead approved our sloth?
After all, is anyone really appreciated for what he does, regardless of the extent of the sacrifice?
Nelson Mandela confirms that you are expected to be great.
Nothing less.
You can even be more than great if you decide to ignore the non-existent limitations that everyone else can see.
What kind of glasses are they wearing?
I know I'm gorgeous, brilliant and talented.Simply put, I am fabulous.
What about you?
By C. Elijah Bronner
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Why is it? Why do so many people lose their beliefs and passion through the daily routines and grudges of life? Is it really that they don’t believe they can do it or are they afraid to see if they can, or even afraid of what may happen if their dreams actually come true?
Believe it or not, people actually have a fear of success. It is more common than arachnophobia. It just isn’t talked about as much. It is more poisonous than any spider you will come into contact with though. It will slowly drip into your veins until every drop of life is taken leaving you with nothing but “I didn’t live up to my potential” on your death bed.
We all know we only have one life to live. Now you may believe in reincarnation but we do not know it to be true. We DO know that there is only one life. We also have heard to make it the best you can I don’t know how many times. So what are you waiting for? Why are you not going out and trying to be what you want and live the way you want and see the things you want? I aint talkin’ ‘bout working hard in a cubby or in construction unless that is your dream job. I don’t know about you but I have never heard I child say “I want to be a bricklayer when I grow up.”
Do you think you are not good enough? Not deserving and less worthy than say Bill Gates? Ok, not everyone can come up with the next best things that will change the world forever…but how much money do you need to see the world and do the things you deserve? Me…it will only cost me roughly $100k/ year to afford the lifestyle I desire. That is really achievable. So don’t sell yourself short. Go out and make the small baby step differences that will grow over time and change your life forever. Don’t be afraid to succeed. You are worthy and deserving. God made you to be a success.
“Do things today that most won’t, so that tomorrow you have a life that most don’t.” Don’t wait till you are lying on your death bed feeling guilty and worthless and think your life was wasted. I promise you that it will hurt your family to think you feel like you were a waste just as much as it hurts you. If not for you, do it for something or someone bigger than you.
A good friend of mine said this and it has rung constantly in my ears for 3 years now.
“It is a blessing to be a blessing.”
Go be a blessing.
Monday, April 17, 2006
Lost In Translation
"We Have Too Many High Sounding Words, And Too Few Actions That Correspond With Them."
- Abilgail Adams (1744-1818)
To sum up MY opinions: Translate my Translation ~A MountainWings Original~
1. The "authorized" KJV was never really authorized. Read on to learn how the King's mistress helped the Bible.
2. The NIV is a more accurate translation from the original.
3. I can read and understand the modern translations better.
4. I've never known anyone to falter due to the translation.
5. The problem with Bibles is not the translation; it's that people are neither reading nor following them.
Read on for the rationale and explanations:
The battle over translations is not new and is very mild now compared to what it has been historically. When the Bible was only in Latin, you were burned at the stake if you were caught with ANY translation other than the Latin which only the priests could read. William Tyndale who translated the first English Bible was killed for translating it. The church called it heresy. Eighty percent of the KJV came from the Tyndale Bible.I would like to present some history and MY opinion on translations.
This is just MY opinion and some history. It is neither to dissuade nor encourage you to read the KJV but to simply explain my rationale why I choose to often use other versions.
First, ALL of the English versions of the Bible are translations.NONE are the original word. With any translation, there is some loss of meaning and nuance. To my knowledge there is no way to avoid this unless the original writer is fluent in several languages and writes his own material in each language. That is the only way to truly accurately capture exactly what the speaker meant and even then some languages are more adept at expressing certain points than others.
The Bible says, "God is Love" but there are several Greek words for Love. Translating from the Greek "agape" to the English "love" loses something in specificity of meaning.
I am sure there are some modern English words for which there are no exact Greek, Aramaic or Hebrew equivalents.
The translation loss rule even applies in science. To change energy from one form to another is never 100% efficient.Something is always lost in the translation. To change coal into electricity is not efficient. To change electricity into light loses a great deal of the energy as heat. To change fossil fuels into energy that moves your car loses a major portion of the energy just due to translation or changing from one form to another.
Not only do you lose with the translation of fuel to motion, you even lose with the translation of motion to motion. The turning of your car engine never transfers 100% of the energy to your wheels. There are frictional losses in the transmission.
Even in engineering and science, translation from one form to another is rarely 100% efficient.
So it is with language, especially complicated spiritual things.
The Old Testament was written in Hebrew and Aramaic. The New Testament was in Koine Greek. Jesus and the disciples are believed to have spoken mainly Aramaic with Koine Greek as a second language.
There is a fascinating history and timeline of the Bible that you should read. It explains how the battle over translations is nothing new. It explains how the first "authorized" Bible by the King was because of the King's mistress. It's fascinating reading. http://www.mountainwings.com/past/bibh.htm
The actual Authorized King James Version was never officially sanctioned by the English monarchy or the clerical hierarchy of the Church of England. It was never officially "authorized."Have you ever wondered why the Catholic Church doesn't use the KJV? Read the story:
http://www.mountainwings.com/past/bibh.htm
The actual original "Authorized" KJV has 14 more books (commonly called the Apocrypha) than the KJV we use today.
I will admit that the King James Version is without a doubt far more poetic than any other version. It flows with a grace and style that is unmatched. The problem with the KJV is that the meaning is often unclear.
My preference is the New International Version (NIV). The NIV was translated from the original languages. When I am preparing sermons, I often check the KJV and the NIV against the original Greek and Hebrew to see which is more accurate to the original.
From my experience, it's the NIV. As a matter of fact, I have only found one instance in actual use where the King James Version was more accurate. That's Matthew 6:22-23.
"The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light." KJV
"The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light." NIV
The original text does actually say "eye" instead of "eyes" but that isn't going to send anyone careening off to a life of sin.
This is the only instance that "I've" found using the Bible where the KJV is more accurate to the original text than the NIV. As a matter of fact, that single eye isn't too easy to understand anyway and opens up a level of discussion that's rather complicated.
There are two or three valid instances where the KJV is more accurate to the original meaning but there are many more instances where the NIV is more accurate especially considering modern language understanding.
Check it yourself but be sure to check against a Greek/Hebrew dictionary and what the original Greek/Hebrew text actually said.Often we base it on what WE THINK it said, meant, or should say.It only counts what was actually said from the original texts.Check the text first.
Have you ever listened to Hip Hop rap or Acid Rock music?
If you have and you are not of that generation, you have a hard time understanding the words. To those who listen to rap and acid rock regularly, the words are as clear as a bell. Language of the times is best understood by those of those times.
Often I must read other translations to figure out exactly what the Bible is saying because the KJV leaves some doubt as to the actual meaning simply because of the language.
The other big factor is this.
I have yet to find a single solitary soul who has erred in life due to the translation. Nary a one. I'm not saying that there aren't any whose lives have descended to a life of wanton recklessness because a word was mistranslated in a modern Bible.There could very well be, it's just that I've never met or heard of them.
Everyone whom I know who is backslidden or frontslidden for that matter (what do you call people who've never been straight to start with?) isn't even reading the Bible (any translation).
I often use other translations simply because people can understand them better (including me), and words without understanding are simply not as good as words with understanding.
The modern translations are much easier to read. I don't have to spend mental energy trying to figure out what the language means.
Paul said it when talking about speaking in tongues but not being able to clearly understand:
(1 Cor 14:6-9 KJV) Now, brethren, if I come unto you speaking with tongues, what shall I profit you, except I shall speak to you either by revelation, or by knowledge, or by prophesying, or by doctrine? And even things without life giving sound, whether pipe or harp, except they give a distinction in the sounds, how shall it be known what is piped or harped? For if the trumpet give an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself to the battle?So likewise ye, except ye utter by the tongue words easy to be understood, how shall it be known what is spoken? for ye shall speak into the air.
At any rate, go and read the history of the Bible. If you read the Bible, you should know its proper history. All of it.
Bible History
http://www.mountainwings.com/past/bibh.htm
If you do an internet search on "KJV vs NIV controversy" you will find plenty of websites devoted to the argument, most in favor of the KJV.
Again in MY opinion, below is one of the most balanced websites that deals with the controversy from a point of historical truth.It explains WHY there are differences between the two versions.
http://www.foundationsforfreedom.net/Topics/Bible/Conspiracy.html
~A MountainWings Original~
Last week I got into a discussion after watching a CNN special on Jesus in preparation for Easter. We discussed in very little detail the Apocrypha and the historical book Josephus. I received this email this morning and though wow, once again mountain wing's sends me an email about something I need at the right time. Now I know where I can find more information on this topic and have a credibile source and not some idiot who wrote a bunch of crap during his spare time while smoking joints on his state college.
http://members.aol.com/FLJOSEPHUS/home.htm
Flavius Josephus's book is a historical reference of the times around AD 70. It is not a religious book but historically discusses in detailed accounts of Jesus amongst many other things of that time including the downfall of Jerusalem. So for you non-believers out there, I suggest reading this book if you need proof there was ever a person who lived in those times named Jesus who was performing miracles. Now this does not prove Jesus was the Son of Man and the Son of God, but it does account for his living.
- Abilgail Adams (1744-1818)
To sum up MY opinions: Translate my Translation ~A MountainWings Original~
1. The "authorized" KJV was never really authorized. Read on to learn how the King's mistress helped the Bible.
2. The NIV is a more accurate translation from the original.
3. I can read and understand the modern translations better.
4. I've never known anyone to falter due to the translation.
5. The problem with Bibles is not the translation; it's that people are neither reading nor following them.
Read on for the rationale and explanations:
The battle over translations is not new and is very mild now compared to what it has been historically. When the Bible was only in Latin, you were burned at the stake if you were caught with ANY translation other than the Latin which only the priests could read. William Tyndale who translated the first English Bible was killed for translating it. The church called it heresy. Eighty percent of the KJV came from the Tyndale Bible.I would like to present some history and MY opinion on translations.
This is just MY opinion and some history. It is neither to dissuade nor encourage you to read the KJV but to simply explain my rationale why I choose to often use other versions.
First, ALL of the English versions of the Bible are translations.NONE are the original word. With any translation, there is some loss of meaning and nuance. To my knowledge there is no way to avoid this unless the original writer is fluent in several languages and writes his own material in each language. That is the only way to truly accurately capture exactly what the speaker meant and even then some languages are more adept at expressing certain points than others.
The Bible says, "God is Love" but there are several Greek words for Love. Translating from the Greek "agape" to the English "love" loses something in specificity of meaning.
I am sure there are some modern English words for which there are no exact Greek, Aramaic or Hebrew equivalents.
The translation loss rule even applies in science. To change energy from one form to another is never 100% efficient.Something is always lost in the translation. To change coal into electricity is not efficient. To change electricity into light loses a great deal of the energy as heat. To change fossil fuels into energy that moves your car loses a major portion of the energy just due to translation or changing from one form to another.
Not only do you lose with the translation of fuel to motion, you even lose with the translation of motion to motion. The turning of your car engine never transfers 100% of the energy to your wheels. There are frictional losses in the transmission.
Even in engineering and science, translation from one form to another is rarely 100% efficient.
So it is with language, especially complicated spiritual things.
The Old Testament was written in Hebrew and Aramaic. The New Testament was in Koine Greek. Jesus and the disciples are believed to have spoken mainly Aramaic with Koine Greek as a second language.
There is a fascinating history and timeline of the Bible that you should read. It explains how the battle over translations is nothing new. It explains how the first "authorized" Bible by the King was because of the King's mistress. It's fascinating reading. http://www.mountainwings.com/past/bibh.htm
The actual Authorized King James Version was never officially sanctioned by the English monarchy or the clerical hierarchy of the Church of England. It was never officially "authorized."Have you ever wondered why the Catholic Church doesn't use the KJV? Read the story:
http://www.mountainwings.com/past/bibh.htm
The actual original "Authorized" KJV has 14 more books (commonly called the Apocrypha) than the KJV we use today.
I will admit that the King James Version is without a doubt far more poetic than any other version. It flows with a grace and style that is unmatched. The problem with the KJV is that the meaning is often unclear.
My preference is the New International Version (NIV). The NIV was translated from the original languages. When I am preparing sermons, I often check the KJV and the NIV against the original Greek and Hebrew to see which is more accurate to the original.
From my experience, it's the NIV. As a matter of fact, I have only found one instance in actual use where the King James Version was more accurate. That's Matthew 6:22-23.
"The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light." KJV
"The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light." NIV
The original text does actually say "eye" instead of "eyes" but that isn't going to send anyone careening off to a life of sin.
This is the only instance that "I've" found using the Bible where the KJV is more accurate to the original text than the NIV. As a matter of fact, that single eye isn't too easy to understand anyway and opens up a level of discussion that's rather complicated.
There are two or three valid instances where the KJV is more accurate to the original meaning but there are many more instances where the NIV is more accurate especially considering modern language understanding.
Check it yourself but be sure to check against a Greek/Hebrew dictionary and what the original Greek/Hebrew text actually said.Often we base it on what WE THINK it said, meant, or should say.It only counts what was actually said from the original texts.Check the text first.
Have you ever listened to Hip Hop rap or Acid Rock music?
If you have and you are not of that generation, you have a hard time understanding the words. To those who listen to rap and acid rock regularly, the words are as clear as a bell. Language of the times is best understood by those of those times.
Often I must read other translations to figure out exactly what the Bible is saying because the KJV leaves some doubt as to the actual meaning simply because of the language.
The other big factor is this.
I have yet to find a single solitary soul who has erred in life due to the translation. Nary a one. I'm not saying that there aren't any whose lives have descended to a life of wanton recklessness because a word was mistranslated in a modern Bible.There could very well be, it's just that I've never met or heard of them.
Everyone whom I know who is backslidden or frontslidden for that matter (what do you call people who've never been straight to start with?) isn't even reading the Bible (any translation).
I often use other translations simply because people can understand them better (including me), and words without understanding are simply not as good as words with understanding.
The modern translations are much easier to read. I don't have to spend mental energy trying to figure out what the language means.
Paul said it when talking about speaking in tongues but not being able to clearly understand:
(1 Cor 14:6-9 KJV) Now, brethren, if I come unto you speaking with tongues, what shall I profit you, except I shall speak to you either by revelation, or by knowledge, or by prophesying, or by doctrine? And even things without life giving sound, whether pipe or harp, except they give a distinction in the sounds, how shall it be known what is piped or harped? For if the trumpet give an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself to the battle?So likewise ye, except ye utter by the tongue words easy to be understood, how shall it be known what is spoken? for ye shall speak into the air.
At any rate, go and read the history of the Bible. If you read the Bible, you should know its proper history. All of it.
Bible History
http://www.mountainwings.com/past/bibh.htm
If you do an internet search on "KJV vs NIV controversy" you will find plenty of websites devoted to the argument, most in favor of the KJV.
Again in MY opinion, below is one of the most balanced websites that deals with the controversy from a point of historical truth.It explains WHY there are differences between the two versions.
http://www.foundationsforfreedom.net/Topics/Bible/Conspiracy.html
~A MountainWings Original~
Last week I got into a discussion after watching a CNN special on Jesus in preparation for Easter. We discussed in very little detail the Apocrypha and the historical book Josephus. I received this email this morning and though wow, once again mountain wing's sends me an email about something I need at the right time. Now I know where I can find more information on this topic and have a credibile source and not some idiot who wrote a bunch of crap during his spare time while smoking joints on his state college.
http://members.aol.com/FLJOSEPHUS/home.htm
Flavius Josephus's book is a historical reference of the times around AD 70. It is not a religious book but historically discusses in detailed accounts of Jesus amongst many other things of that time including the downfall of Jerusalem. So for you non-believers out there, I suggest reading this book if you need proof there was ever a person who lived in those times named Jesus who was performing miracles. Now this does not prove Jesus was the Son of Man and the Son of God, but it does account for his living.
Friday, April 14, 2006
Integrity In The Common Worker
"Life Grants Nothing To Us Mortals Without Hard Work."
-Horace(65 BC-8BC)
This past week I have thought hard about what my father taught me as a child. It is something I have always believed in but rarely put forth the full effort towards in the "working moment". He always said "Ian, take pride in your work. Enough pride that you would put your name on it. No matter if it is taking out the trash or whatever. It is a true reflection of you."
Have you ever noticed that Donald Trump puts his name on everything? That is because he is known for quality and what he stands for and with his name stamps his approval. Trump Towers is a billion dollar building...there are other Towers with his name on it throughout the world. Trump stands for something. Let your name stand for something.
Here is a story I find amusing.
Paid By The Hour
When my husband and I arrived at an automobile dealership to pick up our car, we were told the keys had been locked in it.We went to the service department and found a mechanic working feverishly to unlock the driver’s side door. As I watched from the passenger side, I instinctively tried the door handle and discovered that it was unlocked."Hey," I announced to the technician, "its open!"To which he replied, "I know - I already got that side."
How many people do you know that work like that? Trying to get one over on you or not doing what is right or their best? When you work diligently and with integrity, you find value in yourself. You find pride in what you do. You find more effort and others recognize and chose to follow in your steps. Now some devils in people make some negative or look down at you like you are just kissing ass, but that is the devil trying to pull you down. Ignore it...but if you succumb to your laziness you are beginning a terrible cycle of depression and worthlessness that is not easily fixed. I have fallen victim to that since I have been in Warner Robins. I feel like I have not accomplished anything nearly close to my potential. In part my fault, in part my leaderships fault. By I chose to succumb to it.
Take pride in your work cause it is a true reflection of your principles and who you are no matter the position you chose to work. Military or not, you volunteered and made the choice to do everything in your life...well, if you live in the U.S. of course. If you hate your job or the people you work with then do something about it. It is your life they are affecting. If you don't then you are weak and have accepted less than you are worth. So do the best you can and believe in yourself because you are stronger than you can possibly fathom. You just have to find it in yourself to be that way and surround yourself with people who want you to succeed!!!
-Horace(65 BC-8BC)
This past week I have thought hard about what my father taught me as a child. It is something I have always believed in but rarely put forth the full effort towards in the "working moment". He always said "Ian, take pride in your work. Enough pride that you would put your name on it. No matter if it is taking out the trash or whatever. It is a true reflection of you."
Have you ever noticed that Donald Trump puts his name on everything? That is because he is known for quality and what he stands for and with his name stamps his approval. Trump Towers is a billion dollar building...there are other Towers with his name on it throughout the world. Trump stands for something. Let your name stand for something.
Here is a story I find amusing.
Paid By The Hour
When my husband and I arrived at an automobile dealership to pick up our car, we were told the keys had been locked in it.We went to the service department and found a mechanic working feverishly to unlock the driver’s side door. As I watched from the passenger side, I instinctively tried the door handle and discovered that it was unlocked."Hey," I announced to the technician, "its open!"To which he replied, "I know - I already got that side."
How many people do you know that work like that? Trying to get one over on you or not doing what is right or their best? When you work diligently and with integrity, you find value in yourself. You find pride in what you do. You find more effort and others recognize and chose to follow in your steps. Now some devils in people make some negative or look down at you like you are just kissing ass, but that is the devil trying to pull you down. Ignore it...but if you succumb to your laziness you are beginning a terrible cycle of depression and worthlessness that is not easily fixed. I have fallen victim to that since I have been in Warner Robins. I feel like I have not accomplished anything nearly close to my potential. In part my fault, in part my leaderships fault. By I chose to succumb to it.
Take pride in your work cause it is a true reflection of your principles and who you are no matter the position you chose to work. Military or not, you volunteered and made the choice to do everything in your life...well, if you live in the U.S. of course. If you hate your job or the people you work with then do something about it. It is your life they are affecting. If you don't then you are weak and have accepted less than you are worth. So do the best you can and believe in yourself because you are stronger than you can possibly fathom. You just have to find it in yourself to be that way and surround yourself with people who want you to succeed!!!
Do more than exist...live.
Do more than touch...feel.
Do more than look...observe.
Do more than read...absorb.
Do more than hear...listen.
Do more than think...ponder.
Do more than talk...say something.
Thursday, April 13, 2006
Almost Deleted
"It is easier to forgive an enemy than to forgive a friend."
-William Blake (1757-1827)
A Story From Mountain Wings
Not too long ago my husband and one of his best friends had a tiff. After telling me what had happened, my husband told me to delete his friend's name from the cell phone speed dial. I hesitated and told him he was just angry and not to act too quickly. He insisted he would attempt to do it himself if I didn't, so I did. I told him, "It's easy to delete his name from the phone, but be careful about deleting him from your life. Friends are blessings from God and even though sometimes they disappoint us, we should realize they are just human." From nowhere (I know now it was the Holy Spirit) I said, "What if God deleted our names from the Book of Life every time we let Him down? I wouldn't have a chance because I know I fail to live up to His expectations everyday." Nothing else was said but I thought about it for a very long time. We so often let anger cause us to banish people from our lives for the most trivial reasons, only to regret it, sometimes after it's too late. Thankfully my husband and his friend worked things out and their friendship survived. What I learned most from the experience was how grateful I am that I serve a loving God who doesn't delete me just because I let Him down.
I seem to have a problem with forgiving friends. I need to work on it because I know I have let my friends down before. I have never flat out deceived someone behind their back though with the exception of girlfriends. It happens to me a lot though. I do not know why they do it to me. It just happens. I am a sensitive man and maybe people read that and think "I should not tell him the truth because I do not want to hurt his feelings." Well, let me make that decision. Let me have the opportunity to decide and discuss what is going on. But if you deceive me and I find out then that hurts more than anything. If you have a reason to hide something, which generally means your conscious is telling you that you are doing something you should not be doing. So back to the subject...if my friends have hurt me generally I will write it off as a loss and move them out of my life and press on. That only makes it worse though. Because now I am left without the friend I enjoyed having. So I need to find a way to get over myself and realize people make mistakes, sometimes unforgettable, but never unforgivable. I should not try and erase them from my book of life. To the friends out there (who never read this by the way) I am sorry I have pushed you out. I am sorry I have taken myself out of your life when you may have needed me. I am sorry you felt the need to decieve me. I am sorry that we may have missed some great times in this crappy city. But know you mean a lot to me and I am grateful for the things I have shared with you all.
I receive mountain wings inspiration emails daily and sometimes, well most times they hit the nail on the head the day I need to read it. So the last few day I have received emails about this friendship subject...hear is the last one I received that sums it all up.
Now a days it just don’t seem cool but tell me what am I supposed to do?
And then a wise man once gave me a clue, he said sometimes the only way out,
...is the way through.
~from the movie, “Love Don’t Cost A Thing”~
-William Blake (1757-1827)
A Story From Mountain Wings
Not too long ago my husband and one of his best friends had a tiff. After telling me what had happened, my husband told me to delete his friend's name from the cell phone speed dial. I hesitated and told him he was just angry and not to act too quickly. He insisted he would attempt to do it himself if I didn't, so I did. I told him, "It's easy to delete his name from the phone, but be careful about deleting him from your life. Friends are blessings from God and even though sometimes they disappoint us, we should realize they are just human." From nowhere (I know now it was the Holy Spirit) I said, "What if God deleted our names from the Book of Life every time we let Him down? I wouldn't have a chance because I know I fail to live up to His expectations everyday." Nothing else was said but I thought about it for a very long time. We so often let anger cause us to banish people from our lives for the most trivial reasons, only to regret it, sometimes after it's too late. Thankfully my husband and his friend worked things out and their friendship survived. What I learned most from the experience was how grateful I am that I serve a loving God who doesn't delete me just because I let Him down.
I seem to have a problem with forgiving friends. I need to work on it because I know I have let my friends down before. I have never flat out deceived someone behind their back though with the exception of girlfriends. It happens to me a lot though. I do not know why they do it to me. It just happens. I am a sensitive man and maybe people read that and think "I should not tell him the truth because I do not want to hurt his feelings." Well, let me make that decision. Let me have the opportunity to decide and discuss what is going on. But if you deceive me and I find out then that hurts more than anything. If you have a reason to hide something, which generally means your conscious is telling you that you are doing something you should not be doing. So back to the subject...if my friends have hurt me generally I will write it off as a loss and move them out of my life and press on. That only makes it worse though. Because now I am left without the friend I enjoyed having. So I need to find a way to get over myself and realize people make mistakes, sometimes unforgettable, but never unforgivable. I should not try and erase them from my book of life. To the friends out there (who never read this by the way) I am sorry I have pushed you out. I am sorry I have taken myself out of your life when you may have needed me. I am sorry you felt the need to decieve me. I am sorry that we may have missed some great times in this crappy city. But know you mean a lot to me and I am grateful for the things I have shared with you all.
I receive mountain wings inspiration emails daily and sometimes, well most times they hit the nail on the head the day I need to read it. So the last few day I have received emails about this friendship subject...hear is the last one I received that sums it all up.
Now a days it just don’t seem cool but tell me what am I supposed to do?
And then a wise man once gave me a clue, he said sometimes the only way out,
...is the way through.
~from the movie, “Love Don’t Cost A Thing”~
Tuesday, April 04, 2006
My Route to Live
"Always Bear In Mind That Your Own Resolution To Succeed Is More Important Than Any One Thing."
Abraham Lincon (1809-1865)
My Favorite Proverb...trusty number four.
Hear, O children, a father's instruction, be attentive, that you may gain understanding!
Yes, excellent advice I give you; my teaching do not forsake.
When I was my father's child, frail, yet the darling of my mother,
He taught me, and said to me: "Let your heart hold fast my words: keep my commands, that you may live!
"Get wisdom, get understanding! Do not forget or turn aside from the words I utter.
Forsake her not, and she will preserve you; love her, and she will safeguard you;
The beginning of wisdom is: get wisdom; at the cost of all you have, get understanding.
Extol her, and she will exalt you; she will bring you honors if you embrace her;
She will put on your head a graceful diadem; a glorious crown will she bestow on you."
Hear, my son, and receive my words, and the years of your life shall be many.
On the way of wisdom I direct you, I lead you on straightforward paths.
When you walk, your step will not be impeded, and should you run, you will not stumble.
Hold fast to instruction, never let her go; keep her, for she is your life.
The path of the wicked enter not, walk not on the way of evil men;
Shun it, cross it not, turn aside from it, and pass on.
For they cannot rest unless they have done evil; to have made no one stumble steals away their sleep.
For they eat the bread of wickedness and drink the wine of violence.
The way of the wicked is like darkness; they know not on what they stumble.
But the path of the just is like shining light, that grows in brilliance till perfect day.
My son, to my words be attentive, to my sayings incline your ear;
Let them not slip out of your sight, keep them within your heart;
For they are life to those who find them, to man's whole being they are health.
With closest custody, guard your heart, for in it are the sources of life.
Put away from your dishonest talk, deceitful speech put far from you.
Let your eyes look straight ahead and your glance be directly forward.
Survey the path for your feet, and let all your ways be sure.
Turn neither to right nor to left, keep your foot far from evil.
A Little Story From Mountain Wings...
I once asked my Aunt, Dora Jane, who raised me as if she were my mother where we stood on the spectrum between rich and poor.
I said, "I know we live well and have money, but we don't have millions of dollars. What does that make us?"
She responded by saying, "I beg your pardon! We are rich, we have always been rich and we will always be rich!"
I responded, "But Auntie, we don't have money like the Getty's?"
She interrupted me and said as she pointed to her heart, and then to her head, "Rich is in here and up here.
You will always be rich in heart and mind.If you have a lot of money that makes you wealthy.If you have no money, that makes you broke.
You see, richness is a state of mind; not how much money you have.It does not matter how much you have that counts in life.It's what you do with what you have that counts. And so long as you remember that you will always be rich."
~Jake Ehrlich III~
...my little footnote, so you can be wealthy and do nothing and be selfish, or you can be wealthy and do incredible things for a lot of people around the world. Also, you can be poor and bitter and broke and do nothing. To state the facts, more hate related crimes happen to those in poverty. Just a thought...You decide.
Abraham Lincon (1809-1865)
My Favorite Proverb...trusty number four.
Hear, O children, a father's instruction, be attentive, that you may gain understanding!
Yes, excellent advice I give you; my teaching do not forsake.
When I was my father's child, frail, yet the darling of my mother,
He taught me, and said to me: "Let your heart hold fast my words: keep my commands, that you may live!
"Get wisdom, get understanding! Do not forget or turn aside from the words I utter.
Forsake her not, and she will preserve you; love her, and she will safeguard you;
The beginning of wisdom is: get wisdom; at the cost of all you have, get understanding.
Extol her, and she will exalt you; she will bring you honors if you embrace her;
She will put on your head a graceful diadem; a glorious crown will she bestow on you."
Hear, my son, and receive my words, and the years of your life shall be many.
On the way of wisdom I direct you, I lead you on straightforward paths.
When you walk, your step will not be impeded, and should you run, you will not stumble.
Hold fast to instruction, never let her go; keep her, for she is your life.
The path of the wicked enter not, walk not on the way of evil men;
Shun it, cross it not, turn aside from it, and pass on.
For they cannot rest unless they have done evil; to have made no one stumble steals away their sleep.
For they eat the bread of wickedness and drink the wine of violence.
The way of the wicked is like darkness; they know not on what they stumble.
But the path of the just is like shining light, that grows in brilliance till perfect day.
My son, to my words be attentive, to my sayings incline your ear;
Let them not slip out of your sight, keep them within your heart;
For they are life to those who find them, to man's whole being they are health.
With closest custody, guard your heart, for in it are the sources of life.
Put away from your dishonest talk, deceitful speech put far from you.
Let your eyes look straight ahead and your glance be directly forward.
Survey the path for your feet, and let all your ways be sure.
Turn neither to right nor to left, keep your foot far from evil.
A Little Story From Mountain Wings...
I once asked my Aunt, Dora Jane, who raised me as if she were my mother where we stood on the spectrum between rich and poor.
I said, "I know we live well and have money, but we don't have millions of dollars. What does that make us?"
She responded by saying, "I beg your pardon! We are rich, we have always been rich and we will always be rich!"
I responded, "But Auntie, we don't have money like the Getty's?"
She interrupted me and said as she pointed to her heart, and then to her head, "Rich is in here and up here.
You will always be rich in heart and mind.If you have a lot of money that makes you wealthy.If you have no money, that makes you broke.
You see, richness is a state of mind; not how much money you have.It does not matter how much you have that counts in life.It's what you do with what you have that counts. And so long as you remember that you will always be rich."
~Jake Ehrlich III~
...my little footnote, so you can be wealthy and do nothing and be selfish, or you can be wealthy and do incredible things for a lot of people around the world. Also, you can be poor and bitter and broke and do nothing. To state the facts, more hate related crimes happen to those in poverty. Just a thought...You decide.
Friday, March 31, 2006
A Day of my Life in 5 Years
I dream a dream like never before. Dreams are reflections of our sub-conscious mind and on occasion our conscious mind. Some believe you can program yourself to dream a specific dream if you tell yourself what you want to dream about right before you go to sleep. So as I sleep I dream of heaven. I dream of a world where people around me are achieving great things. So I sleep well now. Deep, peaceful sleep.
I wake up around 8 or so. Not because my alarm clock wakes me but because I am excited about my morning swim and the event taking place tonight. I have finally moved into my new home on Austrian’s Thomson Lake about 3 months ago. My backyard is filled with beautiful mountainous scenes and a glass water lake. Here is a picture of my house.
The white one there in front before we installed the deck.
I have sliding wood blinds that open on command. I can set them to a clock if I chose to or I can use the remote to open them. I uncover myself from my soft down comforter and reach for the remote. The soft sheets on my back slide off when I reach. I open the blinds just enough to let in the sun and see the shimmering lake. What a view.
I stand up from my bed without even a desire to yawn after my fulfilling nights rest. I do a simple morning stretch and walk towards my doors which are sensor operated glass doors just like the ones in hospitals, only quicker. The bedroom is not my favorite color of paint so I am hiring someone next month to come in and do the work.
See the sliding wood blinds? The glass is open behind the blinds on the track so they are hidden.
A view from the outside
I immediately get a rush of fresh air that you only get in the nature. I take off full speed running towards my lake filled backyard and dive head first off of the dock’s edge into the freshest water I have ever swam in. What a rush as the brisk, cold water immediately wakes me up.
After my swim I dry off by lying in my lounge chair on the deck for about 20 minutes just appreciating the nature around me. Off in the distance I see a huge hawk diving for trout. I see an otter building a damn near the mouth of the river. I also see many different colored butterflies flying around. What an incredibly gorgeous day. You just know there is a God some days.
I walk back in the house after drying off and walk upstairs to my office which is also my library. Oh you have to check out this staircase. What an incredible piece of art. It is hard to believe someone in the world has such ability and focus on detail.
I walk through the doors to my own personal office. It smells like a brand new car. I spent a lot of time thinking about what I would like to have in my office. I also have a view of the outdoors and my fresh herb and veggie garden through the 8 foot window right behind my computer. My computer encases a 32 inch flat screen monitor. A little excessive but it definitely makes a statement. I like my office; it is a place where I can actually enjoy planning, dreaming and thinking.
Big Screen huh?
I also have a mind blowing library around the corner of the office. It has a bookshelf full of inspiring works and biographies of some of the most influential people and greatest thinkers in our world’s history. Just looking at it is breathtaking. There is a chase lounge in there to relax and read without any distractions.
I sit down at my computer to look at what the papers printed about the upcoming concert tonight at my jazz club in Paris. It is going to be awesome! A tribute to Michael Brecker as well as a fund raiser for the research and development for the disease he has called myelodysplastic syndrome. The event has been getting raved about for at least a month. The incredible lineup of artist coming to pay their respects in person to one of the most influential saxophonist and musicians in our lifetime is unbelievable. Joshua Redman on Tenor Sax, Herbie Hancock on Piano, Kenny Garret on Alto Sax, Wynton Marsalis on Trumpet, Pat Metheny on Guitar, Stanley Clark on Bass, Brian Blade on Tubs, Eddie Bert on Trombone and Al Jarreau singing some smooth melodies. It is going to be an awesome performance for an awesome purpose.
It has been my project for 2 years now. I have been putting together this beautiful club called “The Orchid”. It is something I have dreamed of since I was a child. A place where people could actually sit and appreciate music without the distractions of clanking plates and chattering mouths of business people or drunken friends catching up with each others busy lives. Yes, there is a section where you can sit and catch up or handle your business in the VIP/Cigar section. But, “The Orchid” is certainly not a place for socializing. We do have a restaurant with great food. The thing is though that after 9:30, roughly 15 minutes after the band takes the stage, all tables will be cleared. That way they are free from noise; except for the drinks of course. My club, “The Orchid”
VIP/Cigar Area with Private Bar.
View from the stage.
Well it is going to be a thrilling night so I better start calling everyone to make sure everything is in line. There is a lot of preparation that goes into these events. No need to get into all the details except that I must be sure that our special guests are well taken care of.
I have a train to catch soon so she can make her stylist appointment and be prepared by 7pm for some PA events.
It does not take me long to get ready but I start anyway. I get so excited sometimes that I think if I just get ready early it will come faster. I walk to my custom bathroom and get the water running. It is a bit cold outside so I throw a couple logs in my fireplace that is located in the BATHROOM! It also goes to our bedroom as well. I know, who needs a fireplace in their bathroom? It extremely enhances the serenity on those champagne and bubble bath nights though. So, I think we will keep it.
See the fireplace?
I finish my shower and when I get out I begin to make myself a light with fresh squeezed orange juice from the Jack Lalane juicer. I eat my breakfast quickly because I have to run down and pick up my clothes from the dry cleaners.
My bedroom, I know I showed you one already but I have 4. I doubt I will be getting many guests to fly all the way to Austria so I use 2 for myself. The other is spectacular too. This one is upstairs though. Practically the whole floor is a master suite. That is the room that connects to the fireplace bathroom. I just sleep downstairs because I love running to the lake in the morning. I can’t do that upstairs unless I am suicidal and want to hit my head on the lake floor. I have 2 fifty galloon fish tanks in the wall that look like paintings. They come in and out on a sliding platform so we can feed them. The water filters itself through the plumbing system so it is really low maintenance. It is just a joy to have in there. I also have two walk in closets that encase so much stuff! I knew I had a lot of clothes and stuff but gosh. Anyways here is the bedroom and the closet.
You can kind of see the fish tanks in the wall.
The closet
I throw on my jump suit and head to the 5 car garage where you find several special vehicles. A brand new Lamborghini Diablo, it came in canary yellow but was too intense of a color for me so I painted it camaro orange. I am trading it for a new Lamborghini Gallardo which is to come out in about a year and a half. This car is like the bat mobile. I am one of the first on the list and am super excited about this engineering achievement. I also have an outdated 2009 Ferrari F430 which is still incredible with the NOS and stuff. I am just not a Ferrari guy anymore. Not to forget what I will be taking tonight to the train station; the 2010 Maybach which ran me a cool $378,000. Ouch.
The brand new, freshly painted Lamborghini Diablo.
The canary yellow before I painted it camaro orange.
The 2012 Lamborghini Gallardo.
The Ferrari F430 and interior.
I hop into my favorite racer, the Lamborghini, which rides so smooth and snug to the ground, 100% total control. I go riding on the roads not too crazy but at enough speed to get a thrill. Whipping around corners and feeling that indescribable raw power. There isn’t anything like the roads of Europe. These cars are made for these roads. I race in and out of turns with speeds in excess of 100 MPH. Sounds crazy I know but the vehicle is made for these conditions like a cheetah on the African Plains.
I pick up the dry cleaning. Figure out a way to set them in the small car without wrinkling them while the lady stands there watching and appreciating the car. I can feel her giggling at the cars impracticality. She is right, but so what. She aint never driven one so little does she know. Maybe I will take her out for 5 minutes some day.
I finally get them in there snug and of course race my way back home in the same fashion. Angie knows I have been racing again because of how long it took for me to get back so she gives me that “Ian, you know better” look. I just smile and put the dry cleaning up on the rack and start to pack a small suitcase for the weekend trip.
I am now packed and finally ready. I walk down to the garage where myr driver has the Maybach prepped and ready for. You see; I don’t usually use a driver. It is just that you do not leave 400 thousand dollar car sitting in a train station parking lot. Oh, I didn’t show you a picture of this beauty. It deserves two large pictures all to its own.
All Ready To Go, Thee Maybach.
The Maybach’s Interior, Champagne anyone?
I arrived at the small train station where I hop on to this innovative train. It is designed to go speeds up to 360 miles per hour. They do not run it that fast the whole way but it is very intense. The engineering on it is far more advanced the rest of the World . I have the good seats. It is a train ride through the Swedish Alps for about 3 hours or so to Paris. I sat next to some very nice people who have taken this ride several times too. I guess they knew were to book the good seats as well. They were all from the USA so we exchanged business cards and talked a little bit about Usana and some other things I do. It is crazy how easy this business is. I am very fortunate to have this freedom at such a young age. Anyways, here are some pictures of the train ride and from the kick ass view from the train looking out as well as the nice people I got to meet.
The Bullet Train
The Bullet's Interior, pretty neat huh?
I arrived in Paris a lot quicker than I thought it would take. I invited the folks to the event free of charge and said au revoir. I walked from the train where my RV bus was waiting. Check out this beast. It has it all. I actually took it to the Normandy shores about 4 months ago.
My Bus on the Normandy Shores
I head towards the club for the final prep and I start getting ready as well. I have to make sure everything is going as planned. I look over the menu, taste the soup and sample the lobster as well as the filet and asparagus. Wow!I brought in this new chef straight from The Paris Culinary Institute. Genius, that’s all I have to say. Anyways, that is something I wish I had a talent for. Cooking. I burn water but I am learning slowly.
Everything looks to be going smoothly so far but you can never think everything is going to be perfect. It is just the name of the game. I have some incredibly intuitive, observant thinkers always around me assisting and suggesting new ideas to me. I would have a hard time alone. I trust that they know how to handle it though.
I head over to the radio booth where they are setting up for the live broadcast. They didn’t have any problems at all and where able to get things running and tested without any glitches. We are recording this too. I have Verve Records here who is going to put out the album. That is a whole other topic that will take its own slide show so we will again spare the details.
They graciously thank me for what we are doing and how important it is to keep the art alive. I was grateful and said, “Thank you. We all play a huge roll in it as a whole. No part is larger than the other.”
Now that it looks like everything is going as planned, I decided to relax and have a small drink. Southern Comfort and Sprite of course, little bit of ice. Smooth just as I like it.
I go in the back and start to clean up and get an awesome suprise! My family said they would not be able to make it but they lied. My brother is there too. He flew in with his wife Shinyoung from Korea. It was all setup behind my back. What an awesome surprise!
Dylan walks over and we chat for a little bit. I see him looking Wynton’s Monet Trumpet which costs roughly $40k and is made out of 24k gold. Wynton is standing right there. I know Dylan remembers playing that horn when he was in the 5th grade. I ask if he wants to meet him again…hell, maybe Wynton remembers. I am sure it happened to Wynton a lot but you never know. So I walk him over and introduce him. I leave them talking and get back to my parents. I feel good in my black on black Versace suit with the black tie highlighted with white edging on the border.
The event goes off without a hitch. The performers were great. In perfect unison, complete synergy. The solos where flowing like words off Walt Whitman’s tongue. It was better than perfect. The audience was inspired and the place was just going crazy. Solo after solo. It seemed like magic was happening. Michael was tearing with joy and appreciation because all of these people were here for him in support of his hard struggles with the cancer. I could not have planned it any better. What a night.
After the crowd leaves and the band is tearing down, I sit in the corner of the room just awestruck of what we did in such a short period of time. I love this life. I get up from the table and slowly look around at the people cleaning up.
Here are some pictures from the event.
Joshua Redman on Tenor sax
Stanley Clark laying it down
Wynton on his $40k Monet
Kenny Garrett on Alto Sax
Brian Blade Whallin' on the Tubs
Al Jarreau Skattin'
Herbie Hancock mashing some ivory
Eddie Bert playing something fierce
Pat Metheny on his F Body Ibanez
I browse through the club picking up some bottles and throw them away. I can’t believe what has transpired with a little bit of hard work and surrounding myself with people who shared the same vision. It all came together just like I dreamed of for so many years. What a wonderful world. What a wonderful God.
We leave the event while they are tearing down still and take my family on a tour of the bus. They are amazed that all this stuff can fit in here. The bus expands out from the side so it gives it a lot of extra room. We drive through Paris around the Eiffel Tower and look at it for a little bit. We get out to let them take some quick pictures. We are going do a tour tomorrow but the nighttime is the best time to see the tower.
The Tower at night.
I make it back to my suite with my family and got them some rooms too, I am exhausted. The suite is very nicely accommodating. We have a small snack section full of fruits to hold us over until the morning. The bed is body forming and you sink right in with the right amount of support. I am going to sleep very well tonight. Tomorrow we will take a tour of Paris and then be on our way back to Austria to start planning my next event and fund raiser. ‘Til then,
The Hilton in Paris, Ha, Paris Hilton
I wake up around 8 or so. Not because my alarm clock wakes me but because I am excited about my morning swim and the event taking place tonight. I have finally moved into my new home on Austrian’s Thomson Lake about 3 months ago. My backyard is filled with beautiful mountainous scenes and a glass water lake. Here is a picture of my house.
The white one there in front before we installed the deck.
I have sliding wood blinds that open on command. I can set them to a clock if I chose to or I can use the remote to open them. I uncover myself from my soft down comforter and reach for the remote. The soft sheets on my back slide off when I reach. I open the blinds just enough to let in the sun and see the shimmering lake. What a view.
I stand up from my bed without even a desire to yawn after my fulfilling nights rest. I do a simple morning stretch and walk towards my doors which are sensor operated glass doors just like the ones in hospitals, only quicker. The bedroom is not my favorite color of paint so I am hiring someone next month to come in and do the work.
See the sliding wood blinds? The glass is open behind the blinds on the track so they are hidden.
A view from the outside
I immediately get a rush of fresh air that you only get in the nature. I take off full speed running towards my lake filled backyard and dive head first off of the dock’s edge into the freshest water I have ever swam in. What a rush as the brisk, cold water immediately wakes me up.
After my swim I dry off by lying in my lounge chair on the deck for about 20 minutes just appreciating the nature around me. Off in the distance I see a huge hawk diving for trout. I see an otter building a damn near the mouth of the river. I also see many different colored butterflies flying around. What an incredibly gorgeous day. You just know there is a God some days.
I walk back in the house after drying off and walk upstairs to my office which is also my library. Oh you have to check out this staircase. What an incredible piece of art. It is hard to believe someone in the world has such ability and focus on detail.
I walk through the doors to my own personal office. It smells like a brand new car. I spent a lot of time thinking about what I would like to have in my office. I also have a view of the outdoors and my fresh herb and veggie garden through the 8 foot window right behind my computer. My computer encases a 32 inch flat screen monitor. A little excessive but it definitely makes a statement. I like my office; it is a place where I can actually enjoy planning, dreaming and thinking.
Big Screen huh?
I also have a mind blowing library around the corner of the office. It has a bookshelf full of inspiring works and biographies of some of the most influential people and greatest thinkers in our world’s history. Just looking at it is breathtaking. There is a chase lounge in there to relax and read without any distractions.
I sit down at my computer to look at what the papers printed about the upcoming concert tonight at my jazz club in Paris. It is going to be awesome! A tribute to Michael Brecker as well as a fund raiser for the research and development for the disease he has called myelodysplastic syndrome. The event has been getting raved about for at least a month. The incredible lineup of artist coming to pay their respects in person to one of the most influential saxophonist and musicians in our lifetime is unbelievable. Joshua Redman on Tenor Sax, Herbie Hancock on Piano, Kenny Garret on Alto Sax, Wynton Marsalis on Trumpet, Pat Metheny on Guitar, Stanley Clark on Bass, Brian Blade on Tubs, Eddie Bert on Trombone and Al Jarreau singing some smooth melodies. It is going to be an awesome performance for an awesome purpose.
It has been my project for 2 years now. I have been putting together this beautiful club called “The Orchid”. It is something I have dreamed of since I was a child. A place where people could actually sit and appreciate music without the distractions of clanking plates and chattering mouths of business people or drunken friends catching up with each others busy lives. Yes, there is a section where you can sit and catch up or handle your business in the VIP/Cigar section. But, “The Orchid” is certainly not a place for socializing. We do have a restaurant with great food. The thing is though that after 9:30, roughly 15 minutes after the band takes the stage, all tables will be cleared. That way they are free from noise; except for the drinks of course. My club, “The Orchid”
VIP/Cigar Area with Private Bar.
View from the stage.
Well it is going to be a thrilling night so I better start calling everyone to make sure everything is in line. There is a lot of preparation that goes into these events. No need to get into all the details except that I must be sure that our special guests are well taken care of.
I have a train to catch soon so she can make her stylist appointment and be prepared by 7pm for some PA events.
It does not take me long to get ready but I start anyway. I get so excited sometimes that I think if I just get ready early it will come faster. I walk to my custom bathroom and get the water running. It is a bit cold outside so I throw a couple logs in my fireplace that is located in the BATHROOM! It also goes to our bedroom as well. I know, who needs a fireplace in their bathroom? It extremely enhances the serenity on those champagne and bubble bath nights though. So, I think we will keep it.
See the fireplace?
I finish my shower and when I get out I begin to make myself a light with fresh squeezed orange juice from the Jack Lalane juicer. I eat my breakfast quickly because I have to run down and pick up my clothes from the dry cleaners.
My bedroom, I know I showed you one already but I have 4. I doubt I will be getting many guests to fly all the way to Austria so I use 2 for myself. The other is spectacular too. This one is upstairs though. Practically the whole floor is a master suite. That is the room that connects to the fireplace bathroom. I just sleep downstairs because I love running to the lake in the morning. I can’t do that upstairs unless I am suicidal and want to hit my head on the lake floor. I have 2 fifty galloon fish tanks in the wall that look like paintings. They come in and out on a sliding platform so we can feed them. The water filters itself through the plumbing system so it is really low maintenance. It is just a joy to have in there. I also have two walk in closets that encase so much stuff! I knew I had a lot of clothes and stuff but gosh. Anyways here is the bedroom and the closet.
You can kind of see the fish tanks in the wall.
The closet
I throw on my jump suit and head to the 5 car garage where you find several special vehicles. A brand new Lamborghini Diablo, it came in canary yellow but was too intense of a color for me so I painted it camaro orange. I am trading it for a new Lamborghini Gallardo which is to come out in about a year and a half. This car is like the bat mobile. I am one of the first on the list and am super excited about this engineering achievement. I also have an outdated 2009 Ferrari F430 which is still incredible with the NOS and stuff. I am just not a Ferrari guy anymore. Not to forget what I will be taking tonight to the train station; the 2010 Maybach which ran me a cool $378,000. Ouch.
The brand new, freshly painted Lamborghini Diablo.
The canary yellow before I painted it camaro orange.
The 2012 Lamborghini Gallardo.
The Ferrari F430 and interior.
I hop into my favorite racer, the Lamborghini, which rides so smooth and snug to the ground, 100% total control. I go riding on the roads not too crazy but at enough speed to get a thrill. Whipping around corners and feeling that indescribable raw power. There isn’t anything like the roads of Europe. These cars are made for these roads. I race in and out of turns with speeds in excess of 100 MPH. Sounds crazy I know but the vehicle is made for these conditions like a cheetah on the African Plains.
I pick up the dry cleaning. Figure out a way to set them in the small car without wrinkling them while the lady stands there watching and appreciating the car. I can feel her giggling at the cars impracticality. She is right, but so what. She aint never driven one so little does she know. Maybe I will take her out for 5 minutes some day.
I finally get them in there snug and of course race my way back home in the same fashion. Angie knows I have been racing again because of how long it took for me to get back so she gives me that “Ian, you know better” look. I just smile and put the dry cleaning up on the rack and start to pack a small suitcase for the weekend trip.
I am now packed and finally ready. I walk down to the garage where myr driver has the Maybach prepped and ready for. You see; I don’t usually use a driver. It is just that you do not leave 400 thousand dollar car sitting in a train station parking lot. Oh, I didn’t show you a picture of this beauty. It deserves two large pictures all to its own.
All Ready To Go, Thee Maybach.
The Maybach’s Interior, Champagne anyone?
I arrived at the small train station where I hop on to this innovative train. It is designed to go speeds up to 360 miles per hour. They do not run it that fast the whole way but it is very intense. The engineering on it is far more advanced the rest of the World . I have the good seats. It is a train ride through the Swedish Alps for about 3 hours or so to Paris. I sat next to some very nice people who have taken this ride several times too. I guess they knew were to book the good seats as well. They were all from the USA so we exchanged business cards and talked a little bit about Usana and some other things I do. It is crazy how easy this business is. I am very fortunate to have this freedom at such a young age. Anyways, here are some pictures of the train ride and from the kick ass view from the train looking out as well as the nice people I got to meet.
The Bullet Train
The Bullet's Interior, pretty neat huh?
I arrived in Paris a lot quicker than I thought it would take. I invited the folks to the event free of charge and said au revoir. I walked from the train where my RV bus was waiting. Check out this beast. It has it all. I actually took it to the Normandy shores about 4 months ago.
My Bus on the Normandy Shores
I head towards the club for the final prep and I start getting ready as well. I have to make sure everything is going as planned. I look over the menu, taste the soup and sample the lobster as well as the filet and asparagus. Wow!I brought in this new chef straight from The Paris Culinary Institute. Genius, that’s all I have to say. Anyways, that is something I wish I had a talent for. Cooking. I burn water but I am learning slowly.
Everything looks to be going smoothly so far but you can never think everything is going to be perfect. It is just the name of the game. I have some incredibly intuitive, observant thinkers always around me assisting and suggesting new ideas to me. I would have a hard time alone. I trust that they know how to handle it though.
I head over to the radio booth where they are setting up for the live broadcast. They didn’t have any problems at all and where able to get things running and tested without any glitches. We are recording this too. I have Verve Records here who is going to put out the album. That is a whole other topic that will take its own slide show so we will again spare the details.
They graciously thank me for what we are doing and how important it is to keep the art alive. I was grateful and said, “Thank you. We all play a huge roll in it as a whole. No part is larger than the other.”
Now that it looks like everything is going as planned, I decided to relax and have a small drink. Southern Comfort and Sprite of course, little bit of ice. Smooth just as I like it.
I go in the back and start to clean up and get an awesome suprise! My family said they would not be able to make it but they lied. My brother is there too. He flew in with his wife Shinyoung from Korea. It was all setup behind my back. What an awesome surprise!
Dylan walks over and we chat for a little bit. I see him looking Wynton’s Monet Trumpet which costs roughly $40k and is made out of 24k gold. Wynton is standing right there. I know Dylan remembers playing that horn when he was in the 5th grade. I ask if he wants to meet him again…hell, maybe Wynton remembers. I am sure it happened to Wynton a lot but you never know. So I walk him over and introduce him. I leave them talking and get back to my parents. I feel good in my black on black Versace suit with the black tie highlighted with white edging on the border.
The event goes off without a hitch. The performers were great. In perfect unison, complete synergy. The solos where flowing like words off Walt Whitman’s tongue. It was better than perfect. The audience was inspired and the place was just going crazy. Solo after solo. It seemed like magic was happening. Michael was tearing with joy and appreciation because all of these people were here for him in support of his hard struggles with the cancer. I could not have planned it any better. What a night.
After the crowd leaves and the band is tearing down, I sit in the corner of the room just awestruck of what we did in such a short period of time. I love this life. I get up from the table and slowly look around at the people cleaning up.
Here are some pictures from the event.
Joshua Redman on Tenor sax
Stanley Clark laying it down
Wynton on his $40k Monet
Kenny Garrett on Alto Sax
Brian Blade Whallin' on the Tubs
Al Jarreau Skattin'
Herbie Hancock mashing some ivory
Eddie Bert playing something fierce
Pat Metheny on his F Body Ibanez
I browse through the club picking up some bottles and throw them away. I can’t believe what has transpired with a little bit of hard work and surrounding myself with people who shared the same vision. It all came together just like I dreamed of for so many years. What a wonderful world. What a wonderful God.
We leave the event while they are tearing down still and take my family on a tour of the bus. They are amazed that all this stuff can fit in here. The bus expands out from the side so it gives it a lot of extra room. We drive through Paris around the Eiffel Tower and look at it for a little bit. We get out to let them take some quick pictures. We are going do a tour tomorrow but the nighttime is the best time to see the tower.
The Tower at night.
I make it back to my suite with my family and got them some rooms too, I am exhausted. The suite is very nicely accommodating. We have a small snack section full of fruits to hold us over until the morning. The bed is body forming and you sink right in with the right amount of support. I am going to sleep very well tonight. Tomorrow we will take a tour of Paris and then be on our way back to Austria to start planning my next event and fund raiser. ‘Til then,
The Hilton in Paris, Ha, Paris Hilton
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)