Don't Fence Me In..

When I was little, I wanted to be a lawyer. My grandfather called them ambulance chasers. (I was in high school before I understood that phrase) My cousin and I often talked of our large law firm, tall glass building in Orlando, and of course, all our money! In high school, law school was not on my career path. Although never out of the question, my life had taken on new ambitions.

On one hand, I have a set of desires. There are certain things that I want to do with my time, my talents and my life. I have a plan that I work to manifest.

On the other hand, I recognize that I don’t always get what I want (and things still always seem to work out for the best). In the tug-of-war of life, the universe* always wins. The universe has a plan that will manifest, regardless of my efforts.

So, the ultimate questions become: “Why should I spend my energy trying to fulfill my desires? If the universe has an unavoidable plan for me, then shouldn’t I just stop trying and stop planning?”

The answer is, “No”. We shouldn’t stop trying and we shouldn’t stop planning. We should continue to spend our energy trying to manifest our desires.

But why?

As we become more and more conscious and awake, our desires fall into alignment with the “desires” of the universe. What we want, the universe wants.

And thus, we should always work towards the manifestation of our dreams.

So dream, create and enjoy.



* It is rare for me to make reference to "the universe." This is an effort on my part to reference a belief in God through a means of a holelistic approach. God, in representation of the Trinity, is in absolutely every aspect of our lives; physical, biological, chemical, social, economic, mental, linguistic, etc....

Credo

I believe in Baseball. No matter what the scandal, baseball remains a rather stable sport. Truly the American Pastime, baseball is a game rich in culture, history, and statistics. Often times in my travels I will find myself tuning the radio to a game. Professional, minor, college, local….they are all exciting. Of the two commentators my favorite is always the ‘color’ guy. One call in particular that still gives me chills came at the end of the ’93 series, “Touch 'em all Joe, you'll never hit a bigger home run in your life.” – Tom Cheek.


I believe that no matter how close a friend is, they must hurt you in order to love you. In turn, it is important to forgive, for it is only a matter of time until you hurt them. Of the very few that I count as my closest, I have been hurt by all of them. Our friendships fell to the lowest point possible. But our rise back to the top becomes easier and easier every time. Healed wounds serve as silent reminders. But when being forgiven by others does not feel like enough…remember to also forgive yourself.


I believe that we are responsible for what we do no matter how we feel. I have always said that nothing happens by mistake. No regrets. However, my no-regrets mentality does not void my conscious of responsibility. Some in-the-moment actions that I executed have caused pain, heartache, helplessness, failure, disappointment, frustration, and sorrow. Despite those…love overpowered.


I believe in human rights. Promote fairness, foster success, ensure progress.


I believe that money is a lousy way to keep score. Someone told me last weekend, “You always seemed to have money. None of us knew how you got it…” In all honesty, I was blessed. But all good things must come to an end, right? Right now I am paying for an education. I’ve been told it will pay for itself later. But in a day when the dollar is falling, Fortune 500 companies are failing, and the markets are fluctuating…I think we need to reevaluate our measure of success.



I believe that just because someone doesn’t love you the way you want them to love you does not reflects any lack of affection. Love is a twisted beast of an emotion. As a person who seems to unwillingly hand over their entire heart, I have learned that passion is not required to experience the greatest feeling in one’s life. I hope that I never figure out the complexities of the human heart.


I believe that no matter how tragically your heart is broken, the world will not stop for your grief. However, never discredit your own feelings. Go ahead: grieve. But the moment that you expect even your closest friend to reciprocate the only thing you will feel is disappointment.


I believe that you shouldn’t be too eager to uncover a secret. It could change your life.


I believe that two people can look at the same object and see two completely different things. Perspective and interpretation are uniquely human. Never follow the crowd.


I believe that one’s life can be changed in a matter of minutes. For the better or the not-so-better, change is always happening to all of us. Now, I’m not saying that my life has been changed by an episode of Walker Texas Ranger, but I am encouraging that change can be initiated from the slightest of sources.

But most importantly…

Credo in unum Deum, Patrem omnipotentem,
factorem coeli et terrae,
visibilium omnium, et invisibilium.
Et in umum Dominum Jesum Christum,
Filium Dei unigenitum.

New Life Theme: Courage.

This past weekend I traveled to Emory, Virginia to be present for the graduation ceremony at my alma mater. Since my graduation I have traveled back at least once a year. To be perfectly honest, I will use any excuse to go back. Emory’s location nestled in the mountains of Southwest Virginia provided an overwhelming amount of amazing outdoor activity.

But last weekend my trip was fast and deliberate. I had very little time to indulge in the hiking, biking, and spelunking to which I had become accustomed. Actually, none of my plans really worked out too well. It rained for a majority of my trip.

My non-weather dependent plans also failed to produce anything near the expected outcome. BUT, I was able to see Star Trek with an amazing group of friends. (Long way for a movie, I know.)

The graduation ceremony (located indoors due to rain) served me well. It may have been graduation for the students walking across the stage, but for me it was a much needed pep rally. So, despite a series of unfortunate events (that all worked out for the better in the end) I enjoyed my trip greatly. I am already looking forward to my next trip. Homecoming? The 50^th anniversary of my fraternity? Like I said….any excuse will do.

Wordless Wednesday: Ecstasy

A New Rule.

Today, I ate my dessert before my dinner. Dessert is the best part of the meal. So why save it until the end when you’re already full? Nothing is promised; tomorrow isn’t guaranteed. When it comes to dessert, I think we got it all wrong.

Recession Proof Reading

I love to read! This is no secret. I read so much that I have a hard time keeping myself stocked with books. I have a very random method to selecting a book from a book store. I most definitely judge a book by its cover. :) I have never been disappointed yet.

But in this time of increasing frugal interest, I have needed to cut back on my book budget. I tried going to book sales at local libraries, but it just didn't do the trick for me.

I discovered a website that sets up trades between book owners. Straight-up, absolutely free trades. I love it. I'm trading books like there is no tomorrow . . .

www.swaptree.com

I'm a fan.