"What we Manifest Lies Before Us"

This quote comes from a great book called, “The Art of Racing in the Rain,” by Garth Stein.
In it, the author describes how a race car driver is forced to live in the present moment. There is no time for memory or remembering, or for thinking of what lies in the distant future, because the next challenge is already upon you and it DEMANDS your intense present moment concentration and focus. In thinking too far ahead in anticipation, or in remembering/“thinking back” you are wasting precious PRESENT MOMENT time DEMANDING your attention which could jeopardize your “race.”
If you made a mistake, it was already over with, there is no time to ponder it, worry about it, wallow in self-pity – you have got to move on and keep striving to always do better – push the limits.
It was neat as the author used these analogies to parallel life. When we catch ourselves daydreaming, thinking of some past event, worrying about the future, we are exhausting our current life, the only thing we have, which is in fact, the present moment.
What if we lived with the intense present moment concentration and awareness in our lives? What would that look like while you were in fact listening to somebody – taking everything in – their expression, tone of voice, body language. What would that look like behind the wheel of your vehicle – radio up, talking on the cell phone, one hand on the wheel, all while reading the next billboard? What would happen to the quality of your relationships with your kids/ family/ spouse? Challenge yourself to experience it!

SMART INVESTING

Wal-Mart just got listed as the #1 Fortune 500 Company with the largest amount of “sales” nationwide. Congratulations, you probably helped them achieve that! Exxon-Mobile was #2. Congratulations, chances are if you drive a vehicle, you helped them achieve that on your way to Wal-Mart! The sales and profit figures were MASSIVELY HUGE! We are talking about thousands of BILLIONS of $$$$.
So, what am I getting at here???
The great thing about a “recession” is it allows us to stop and re-evaluate our expenditures. It’s wonderful to see that kind of money being spent by Americans and that tells me – we don’t necessarily have money problems, we may just ever-so-slightly have VALUE issues (we won’t call it a problem). All of us can find money to buy what we Value. Even in this economy. Arguably we could say there are necessities at Wal-Mart (most have grocery stores in them), and yes we need gas for our cars, however, imagine a small fraction of those thousands of billions of dollars going toward a productive, fruitful life, full of health.
We can invest in our health. We really all can afford the best organic food. We really can all afford gym memberships and personal trainers, or yoga classes, or meditation classes. We can afford the best health we can possibly imagine. And it doesn’t come from drug or insurance companies. All it takes is an ever-so-slight shift of Values and shift of the budget from things that may detract from your families’ health, to things that will ENHANCE your families’ health. Enjoy the process of the challenge!

"IMPACT"

“You never know how far reaching something you may say or do today will affect the lives of millions tomorrow.”
-BJ Palmer (developer of chiropractic)
On mornings when I take my daughter to school, I usually attend the Morning Prayer, and pledge of allegiance. The principal also greets the entire student body daily and shares a passage. She mentioned a story that made me realize the power of the above quote: (in her paraphrased words :)…
“…one early morning last year, I arrived at school to find a camper in the parking lot. I knocked on the door and a nice gentleman answered. He stated he got extremely tired driving and pulled off I-70 on his way to California to find a place to sleep. He found the school parking lot. I invited him for a tour of the school and he was so impressed with our campus, he also decided to stay for church. I gave him a school calendar and he went on his way. I received a phone call from him this morning. He said he would like a new calendar for the next school year and he wanted to let me know that not a day goes by that he doesn’t pray for our school.”
It is so easy to assume and judge isn’t it? What would you think of seeing a camper parked at your child’s school? I know my initial reaction wouldn’t have been to invite them into the school for a tour! – I would invite them to the nearest entrance to the highway! But it is stories like this that help me realize that we live in a world full of nice people. It is oftentimes our incorrect perception that leads to us fearing what isn’t even real.

ONE SIMPLE CHALLENGE

HERE IT IS…!
READY?

LISTEN TO THE LYRICS OF THE MUSIC YOU LISTEN TO.

THEN REALIZE THIS: YOU ARE THAT AND BECOME THAT WHICH YOU SATURATE YOUR ENVIRONMENT WITH.
(Song lyrics are just one small example)
It’s your choice….