10,000 Miles

The eye can only see what the mind is prepared to comprehend.

#13: Be Impeccable With Your Word

Speak with integrity. Say only what you mean. Avoid using the word to speak against yourself or to gossip about others. Use the power of your word in the direction of truth and love.

#12: Why People Don't Heal and How They Can

#11: Something to Think About

The paradox of our time in history is that we have taller buildings, but shorter tempers; wider freeways, but narrower viewpoints; we spend more, but have less; we buy more, but enjoy it less.

We have bigger houses and smaller families; more conveniences, but less time; we have more degrees, but less sense; more knowledge, but less judgment; more experts, but more problems; more medicine, but less wellness.

We drink too much, smoke too much, spend too recklessly, laugh too little, drive too fast, get too angry too quickly, stay up too late, get up too tired, read too seldom, watch TV too much, and pray too seldom.

We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values. We talk too much, love too seldom, and hate too often. We've learned how to make a living, but not a life; We've added years to life, not life to years.

We've been all the way to the moon and back, but have trouble crossing the street to meet the new neighbor. We've conquered outer space, but not inner space; We've done larger things, but not better things; We've cleaned up the air, but polluted the soul; we've split the atom, but not our prejudice; we write more, but learn less; we plan more, but accomplish less. We've learned to rush, but not to wait; We have higher incomes, but lower morals; We have more food, but less appeasement; We build more computers to hold more information to produce more copies than ever, but have less communication; We've become long on quantity, but short on quality.

These are the times of fast foods and slow digestion; tall men, and short character; steep profits, and shallow relationships. These are the times of world peace, but domestic warfare; more leisure, but less fun; more kinds of food, but less nutrition.

These are days of two incomes, but more divorce; of fancier houses, but broken homes. These are days of quick trips, disposable diapers, throw away morality, one-night stands, overweight bodies, and pills that do everything from cheer to quiet, to kill.

It is a time when there is much in the show window and nothing in the stockroom; a time when technology can bring this letter to you, and a time when you can choose either to make a difference, or just turn the page....

#10: Who Am I?

For a long time I really struggled with knowing who I was. I got to a point where I forgot who I was. It was a long journey to find myself. Then I started working with a group that was all about changing your mindset. So I dived in and learned all I could. I was like a sponge, soaking up all this information. Then came the fun part. Applying it to me and my life. Applying it to my way of thinking. I realized that I couldn't be who I wanted to be if I didn't recognize the things I was. How can you be something if you don't know what you want to be? How can you attain a goal if you don't have one yet? And so I decided to make a list of who I thought I was. For a while it was a blank page, I put a lot into seriously thinking about this. And in the beginning my mindset was, "What do I need to change in my life to make me a better person? To make me wonderful? To make me somebody to be loved?"

What I learned, however, is that I was already those things. The negative, the things I hated at the time, was like a coat that I just simply needed to take off. The positive was already there. Granted it still took a lot of work to take away things I didn't like, but it gave me a new outlook. It gave me hope. How easy is it to just take something off. Imagine carrying weights on your arm. Is it simpler to just remove some instead of adding more on?

Here is my list of the things I believe I am. Try writing one yourself. It will be an eye opener for you. It will give you quite a bit of encouragement to continue facing each day with courage. And it really doesn't matter who else sees what you are. All that really matters is how YOU see who you are.

• I am love. I have to be love because I love people.
• I am fun. I love to be with people and I have a good sense of humor.
• I am strong. I have been able to master many trials and challenges in my life.
• I am life. I am here, breathing, heart beating. I can share my life and I can give life to people.
• I am good. I have the gift and power to be like Christ.
• I am my goals. My goals created the person I want and need to be.
• I am my feelings of positive self-worth. I am who I have created.
• I am a piece of artwork. my life is a canvas. I have had the opportunity to paint over anything I do not want to stay. It is still there, but nobody knows it unless I tell them. It's like a little boy painted in a tree in a picture. And then an artist painting leaves over the tree. Nobody can see him, but he's still there.
• I am beautiful. I can use my beauty to create beautiful things.
• I am brave. I can face things that aren't always fun to face, but I can do it anyway.
• I am light. I can make the way brighter for myself and for other people who are searching for their light. I can light their candle, and still keep my light too. They will be able to share it with others.

I wrote this list in 2008. Two years later, I have learned much more about myself. If I were to write a new list, I would imagine it would be pages longer. I am glad I know who I am.

#9: A Guide to Happiness

1. Take the time to work, it's the pride to success.

2. Take time to think, it's the source of power.

3. Take time to play, it's the secret of perpetual youth.

4. Take time to read, it's the foundation of wisdom.

5. Take time to be friendly, it's the road to happiness.

6. Take time to love and be loved, it's the privilege of the Gods.

7. Take time to share, life is too short to be selfish.

8. Take time to laugh, laughter is the music of the soul.