On 4/11/17 Kev writes I type...
I believe that every single human being on the face of this planet has something beautiful inside to offer the rest of the world. We all have special gifts. I feel like most of us spend our lives searching in the wrong places for what we already have inside. It's true that our experiences mold us into who we are, but I also believe that each of us have a special gift or talent that is already stitched into the fabric of who we are. Sometimes we have to pull the layers back until we are able to get close to the prize that's inside , and once we find it we have to hold onto it, nurture it and share it with the rest of the world.
The greatest artists and writers didn't just create their amazing work to sit unnoticed, they offered up pieces of themselves to help benefit the rest of the world. Some gifts involve sacrifice...a doctor who trains his hands and mind to save lives, while a police officer puts his own life on the line to benefit his community. We should all be soldiers fighting for each other instead of always fighting against one another.
Sometimes those experiences that test us the most in our life end up leading to a better understanding of what our gifts have to offer the rest of humanity. As we peel back the layers of our inner being we become closer to who we truly are. The real gift is about being able to find our individuality, and having the courage to share it with the rest of the world.
I've always been a creative person .. I realize that after all I have gone through that my true calling for my gift will be the ability to help create a better world for those around me. I have hope that people will start looking more inside themselves for something special rather than always relying on something on the outside to make them feel complete..When we allow our true hearts to shine through the way we choose to express ourselves, we help create a world with less darkness...we give the gift of hope.
Today's positive affirmation: I will allow the way I choose to live my life to reflect a gift of happiness for the rest of the world to share in..
Tuesday, April 11, 2017
Wednesday, April 5, 2017
Roots
On 3/29/2017 Kev writes, I type..
We must never forget where it is we came from. In the garden of our existence, our roots create the blossom of who we become and sometimes who we strive to be. We must always be vigilant of the negative forces that surround us...if left unchecked, they can warp the perception we have of ourselves and stain the beauty of who we truly are. We should never allow our garden to become infested with unnecessary weeds. We change the world around us by first changing ourselves into the proper examples of that change... We can become the flowers that grow between the cracks in the pavement. By becoming the right examples we create the roots for the world around us to grow from. I see true hope in those who choose to lead by example, and the people who truly grow from their experiences, but never forget where they came from. The way we choose to nourish the roots of who we are will dictate the people we end up becoming....
Today's positive affirmation: I will never forget where I came from, but I will never let my past keep me from a brighter future...
We must never forget where it is we came from. In the garden of our existence, our roots create the blossom of who we become and sometimes who we strive to be. We must always be vigilant of the negative forces that surround us...if left unchecked, they can warp the perception we have of ourselves and stain the beauty of who we truly are. We should never allow our garden to become infested with unnecessary weeds. We change the world around us by first changing ourselves into the proper examples of that change... We can become the flowers that grow between the cracks in the pavement. By becoming the right examples we create the roots for the world around us to grow from. I see true hope in those who choose to lead by example, and the people who truly grow from their experiences, but never forget where they came from. The way we choose to nourish the roots of who we are will dictate the people we end up becoming....
Today's positive affirmation: I will never forget where I came from, but I will never let my past keep me from a brighter future...
Sunday, April 2, 2017
Footprints In Cement
On 3/26/17 Kev writes, I type...
We are always looking for a way to be noticed in the world around us, for that way to leave our mark. Have you ever noticed that when a construction company pours a new concrete sidewalk, how people can't help putting their name , their hand prints or their footprints in the new cement before it hardens up? We long to be noticed by one another in any way that we can.
We can be noticed the best by each other by learning to become the best human beings we can, leaving our mark by being examples worth following. All species long to leave a legacy behind. We reproduce to prolong our existence, and try to leave a world worth living in for the future of our kind. How can we leave a better world for the next generation when most of us seem to be more caught up with our own selfish needs? The best footprints we can leave in the cement are the ones worth walking in..Our legacy should be for each other.
Life should not be about just fulfilling our own desires. Life should be about keeping life alive if that makes any sense to anyone besides me....
The concept of suffering is one we all face together. By working together instead of against each other we build a better chance of defeating that suffering. When we learn form our own personal experiences and then choose to use what we've learned to help the next person going through what we have already experienced, to me that is one of the greatest gifts we can give to one another...
We defeat suffering by learning from it and by becoming the best human beings through the process. Sometimes it's hard to get our of our own way before our hearts harden and turn to stone..Each day is like stepping in fresh cement...will your footprints be worth walking in? They can be if we try each day to represent something positive through acceptance and kindness.
Today's Positive Affirmation: I will leave footprints worth following, and make a life worth living for others.
We are always looking for a way to be noticed in the world around us, for that way to leave our mark. Have you ever noticed that when a construction company pours a new concrete sidewalk, how people can't help putting their name , their hand prints or their footprints in the new cement before it hardens up? We long to be noticed by one another in any way that we can.
We can be noticed the best by each other by learning to become the best human beings we can, leaving our mark by being examples worth following. All species long to leave a legacy behind. We reproduce to prolong our existence, and try to leave a world worth living in for the future of our kind. How can we leave a better world for the next generation when most of us seem to be more caught up with our own selfish needs? The best footprints we can leave in the cement are the ones worth walking in..Our legacy should be for each other.
Life should not be about just fulfilling our own desires. Life should be about keeping life alive if that makes any sense to anyone besides me....
The concept of suffering is one we all face together. By working together instead of against each other we build a better chance of defeating that suffering. When we learn form our own personal experiences and then choose to use what we've learned to help the next person going through what we have already experienced, to me that is one of the greatest gifts we can give to one another...
We defeat suffering by learning from it and by becoming the best human beings through the process. Sometimes it's hard to get our of our own way before our hearts harden and turn to stone..Each day is like stepping in fresh cement...will your footprints be worth walking in? They can be if we try each day to represent something positive through acceptance and kindness.
Today's Positive Affirmation: I will leave footprints worth following, and make a life worth living for others.
The Chase
On 3/23/17 Kev writes, I type...
The roadways to our success lie in the palm of our hands. We have the power to create the life we want for ourselves...our dreams are only imagined ideas until we begin to take action...Our actions and the way we choose to live our lives on a daily basis are the outward expression of how we feel inside. The way we conduct ourselves in society usually represents how we feel about ourselves..I know this to be true from personal experience...
I used to believe that my drug use was my only real problem...I thought that if I just stopped using everything else would be perfect, but what I did not realize was that my drug use was just a symptom of the real problem..Me. Every single time I allowed myself to use drugs was a demonstration of how I truly felt about who I was....I did not know myself anymore... I was never able to find happiness within myself, and I used toxic relationships and drugs as a way to fill the void I had created inside. It was not until I became incarcerated for the second time in five years that I came to realize a different truth.
That truth was that I needed to accept myself and learn to live my life one moment at a time.. If I allowed myself to be stuck in the past or get too caught up in the future...I would never truly learn to live. We chase tomorrow , but forget that the tomorrow we chase is only possible if we take care of today. Human nature is about learning to live for each other by first learning to live with ourselves...
Today's positive affirmation: I will live in each moment with acceptance and the determination to succeed.
The roadways to our success lie in the palm of our hands. We have the power to create the life we want for ourselves...our dreams are only imagined ideas until we begin to take action...Our actions and the way we choose to live our lives on a daily basis are the outward expression of how we feel inside. The way we conduct ourselves in society usually represents how we feel about ourselves..I know this to be true from personal experience...
I used to believe that my drug use was my only real problem...I thought that if I just stopped using everything else would be perfect, but what I did not realize was that my drug use was just a symptom of the real problem..Me. Every single time I allowed myself to use drugs was a demonstration of how I truly felt about who I was....I did not know myself anymore... I was never able to find happiness within myself, and I used toxic relationships and drugs as a way to fill the void I had created inside. It was not until I became incarcerated for the second time in five years that I came to realize a different truth.
That truth was that I needed to accept myself and learn to live my life one moment at a time.. If I allowed myself to be stuck in the past or get too caught up in the future...I would never truly learn to live. We chase tomorrow , but forget that the tomorrow we chase is only possible if we take care of today. Human nature is about learning to live for each other by first learning to live with ourselves...
Today's positive affirmation: I will live in each moment with acceptance and the determination to succeed.
Saturday, April 1, 2017
The Ledge
On 3/19/17 Kev writes, I type....
There are moments in our lives that truly define us. Life is about having the right leverage at the right time. Most of our lives are spent trying to gain that leverage in preparation for that one moment. Some people spend their entire lives without truly living because they become so consumed by that moment that they have planned for inside their minds.
We love feeling that we have control of everything when in fact we are not in control of really much to begin with. We can plan and work for something , but when it doesn't go our way we fall apart. Our inner ego is such a powerful force. It can be our driving force to accomplish miraculous things or it can be the thing that destroys us from the inside out...
Life is unpredictable and the only thing we truly have control of is our reaction to it. When we try to control life itself, it tends to pull us apart. We allow our perceptions of ourselves to take on a life of their own.We end up losing the true identity of who we are with who we think we should be according to the rest of the world around us...Left to it's own devices our own self is capable of running wild . We can all end up standing on the ledge of existence face to face with ourselves holding onto our inner ego . It will attempt to pull us off , but if we find the strength to let go and stand our ground we will be able to see new horizons. Not allowing ourselves to be controlled by what's inside will bring about new purpose in our lives .,,
The fear of the unknown can be a very scary thing. We can face life by living within each moment. If you are facing fear, anxiety and worry within your life....Push it off that ledge..Live in each moment. That's the terms we sign with life...
Today's positive affirmation: I will attempt to live life on life's terms each day and in every moment.
There are moments in our lives that truly define us. Life is about having the right leverage at the right time. Most of our lives are spent trying to gain that leverage in preparation for that one moment. Some people spend their entire lives without truly living because they become so consumed by that moment that they have planned for inside their minds.
We love feeling that we have control of everything when in fact we are not in control of really much to begin with. We can plan and work for something , but when it doesn't go our way we fall apart. Our inner ego is such a powerful force. It can be our driving force to accomplish miraculous things or it can be the thing that destroys us from the inside out...
Life is unpredictable and the only thing we truly have control of is our reaction to it. When we try to control life itself, it tends to pull us apart. We allow our perceptions of ourselves to take on a life of their own.We end up losing the true identity of who we are with who we think we should be according to the rest of the world around us...Left to it's own devices our own self is capable of running wild . We can all end up standing on the ledge of existence face to face with ourselves holding onto our inner ego . It will attempt to pull us off , but if we find the strength to let go and stand our ground we will be able to see new horizons. Not allowing ourselves to be controlled by what's inside will bring about new purpose in our lives .,,
The fear of the unknown can be a very scary thing. We can face life by living within each moment. If you are facing fear, anxiety and worry within your life....Push it off that ledge..Live in each moment. That's the terms we sign with life...
Today's positive affirmation: I will attempt to live life on life's terms each day and in every moment.
The Journey Is Happiness
On 3/16/17 Kev writes, I type....
Most of us spend our entire lives trying to find happiness. We see happiness as some type of destination, or a fixed point in time where all of our fears, anxieties, and problems dissipate. I've come to find out that it's not the destination but the journey getting there that makes me truly happy.
I've made plenty of mistakes, but I believe that this particular journey has allowed me to truly find myself as a man. I don't think I have ever been able to know myself like I do right now in my life. My journey has been about learning to accept myself.
There can be so much unnecessary space filled inside our minds by things we don't need..sometimes we just have to take out the trash. By clearing the wreckage inside myself I've gathered the strength to build a better me.
Our journey should never be about finding something to make us happy , our journey should be about happiness itself. What should truly make us happy is being ourselves. I feel the world around us is always trying to mold us into what it wants us to be and who it thinks we should be. I think it's more interesting when we can learn to follow what's inside of us, rather than what around us. The journey to happiness is happiness itself.
We can find more smiles in our mirror by learning to accept who we are. Make your journey worthwhile every day by just being you. We must realize after all that we only have this day. Tomorrow is never guaranteed and nothing stays the same.
Find your happiness in each moment, minute and second. Let your heart guide you to your smile and you will always be truly and utterly happy.
Today's positive affirmation: I will let my heart let me guide me to my smile.
Most of us spend our entire lives trying to find happiness. We see happiness as some type of destination, or a fixed point in time where all of our fears, anxieties, and problems dissipate. I've come to find out that it's not the destination but the journey getting there that makes me truly happy.
I've made plenty of mistakes, but I believe that this particular journey has allowed me to truly find myself as a man. I don't think I have ever been able to know myself like I do right now in my life. My journey has been about learning to accept myself.
There can be so much unnecessary space filled inside our minds by things we don't need..sometimes we just have to take out the trash. By clearing the wreckage inside myself I've gathered the strength to build a better me.
Our journey should never be about finding something to make us happy , our journey should be about happiness itself. What should truly make us happy is being ourselves. I feel the world around us is always trying to mold us into what it wants us to be and who it thinks we should be. I think it's more interesting when we can learn to follow what's inside of us, rather than what around us. The journey to happiness is happiness itself.
We can find more smiles in our mirror by learning to accept who we are. Make your journey worthwhile every day by just being you. We must realize after all that we only have this day. Tomorrow is never guaranteed and nothing stays the same.
Find your happiness in each moment, minute and second. Let your heart guide you to your smile and you will always be truly and utterly happy.
Today's positive affirmation: I will let my heart let me guide me to my smile.
Thursday, March 23, 2017
The Keys Inside Our Heart
On 3/10/17 Kev writes, I type...
One decision is capable of changing the world. When we make negative decisions in our lives, we degrade the value of our existence and is so doing degrade the value of the world around us. Life is a massive lake and the residual effect of our actions and decisions become the ripples that change the current. Our decisions are stones cast in that lake. When we make the right decision we are like the stone that skips across the water. When we continue to make negative decisions, we are the stone that sinks and we continue to fill that lake until there is no more water left.
Recently I was helping inmates in a recovery based class called "Breaking The Cycle". I was using a diagram that a councilor had used to teach me about the cost of negative actions. I gave the men in the class a scenario where they are about to commit a crime. I attempted to make them understand they have two choices..."Do I or Don't I..
I then asked what the cost is for them to choose to make the right decision and then asked them what the opposite effect would be if they chose to cross that negative threshold. Most of us have never been able to realize just how much our compulsive actions can negatively effect the world around us. Sometimes our blind pride can lead us straight into the depths of hell.
I have realized that I had to replace my negative thinking in order to make the right decisions. The Roman philosopher Lucretius once said " Fear is the root of all evil." I now understand that the cost of not changing was greater than choosing to try. Change is our greatest fear. We must be willing to replace the darkness with light.
It's hard to believe in miracles...you have to make them. If you want change you have to fight for it, not against it.
Each of us have so much to offer the world. Don't let your voice be the sinking stone! We all have keys inside our hearts, although they may be buried and covered in the debris of our bad decisions. It's time to chisel off that rust . Find those keys , and unlock the doors to a better life!
Today's positive affirmation: The fear of changing is more destructive than change itself..
One decision is capable of changing the world. When we make negative decisions in our lives, we degrade the value of our existence and is so doing degrade the value of the world around us. Life is a massive lake and the residual effect of our actions and decisions become the ripples that change the current. Our decisions are stones cast in that lake. When we make the right decision we are like the stone that skips across the water. When we continue to make negative decisions, we are the stone that sinks and we continue to fill that lake until there is no more water left.
Recently I was helping inmates in a recovery based class called "Breaking The Cycle". I was using a diagram that a councilor had used to teach me about the cost of negative actions. I gave the men in the class a scenario where they are about to commit a crime. I attempted to make them understand they have two choices..."Do I or Don't I..
I then asked what the cost is for them to choose to make the right decision and then asked them what the opposite effect would be if they chose to cross that negative threshold. Most of us have never been able to realize just how much our compulsive actions can negatively effect the world around us. Sometimes our blind pride can lead us straight into the depths of hell.
I have realized that I had to replace my negative thinking in order to make the right decisions. The Roman philosopher Lucretius once said " Fear is the root of all evil." I now understand that the cost of not changing was greater than choosing to try. Change is our greatest fear. We must be willing to replace the darkness with light.
It's hard to believe in miracles...you have to make them. If you want change you have to fight for it, not against it.
Each of us have so much to offer the world. Don't let your voice be the sinking stone! We all have keys inside our hearts, although they may be buried and covered in the debris of our bad decisions. It's time to chisel off that rust . Find those keys , and unlock the doors to a better life!
Today's positive affirmation: The fear of changing is more destructive than change itself..
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