In life there is always a way, for every difficulty there is always a solution. The only variable is how clear, focused and determined we are. How committed are we to invest the energy needed to find it and tread the path. Naysayers only reveal their own limitation of vision, whose counterpart is the doubt … Continue reading Clarity
Category: Prose
He irritates me so much!
Food for thought: He irritates me so much! : How do feelings work? Feelings = thoughts + instincts. Thoughts assign definite meanings to instincts through the experience of feeling. Thus, behind every feeling is a causative thought. No man can generate thoughts for another person, because that would require entering their soul and using their … Continue reading He irritates me so much!
A thought just struck me
Food for thought: “A thought just struck me”. To strike is to impact from without. A thought “striking” us means it entered our mind from somewhere, and only thereafter was recognized. But before it “struck” us, it must have existed somewhere. Before rain strikes us, it exists in clouds and travels through the air. When … Continue reading A thought just struck me
Bitter or better?
No one is bitter who receives a gift. Likewise, we become bitter only when we cannot find the gift in a situation, and thus experience only pain and hardship. In bitterness, we often feel something better (sweet) was denied or taken from us. My first step: try and find the valuable lesson necessary for my … Continue reading Bitter or better?
Food for Thought: Temptations of the prodigal son (with audio)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rwIvEyXLkSA For a long time, the prodigal son was eating the husks that the swine refused. Persecuted by want that the husks never seemed to satisfy, he suddenly remembered his Father’s House. A fervent yearning arose within to journey there, and thus humbly petition his Father for forgiveness of his transgressions, so he might … Continue reading Food for Thought: Temptations of the prodigal son (with audio)
About leadership
In all the talk of leadership, we overemphasize the big things. And yet, it is only from the small that the great arises. When we are drying our hands in the restroom, do we also pick the paper towels near the trash left by others? When we pass a sullied stall, do we take the … Continue reading About leadership
Why do we have to remove our hats during prayer?
One day, an experience in school prompted my son to ask me the following I had never really considered: "why do we have to remove our hats when we pray?" In other words, why is it respectful to remove our hats during prayer? I thought about this for a moment then responded: "What is the … Continue reading Why do we have to remove our hats during prayer?
As Light shines
Only when light illumines an object can we see its true colors. In the darkness, no matter how earnestly we examine, it is impossible to properly identify the hue of an object. Similarly, the human spirit cannot see itself by seeking itself, but only through seeking the Light that shines from above and allowing It … Continue reading As Light shines
Transcending blame
If you seek blame, you will reap pain, disappointment, and anger. But if you seek lessons, you will reap understanding, acceptance, and contentment. Blame is a vicious trap, for it binds the person in a mentality of: "if you did not do A B and C, then I would not have been exposed to experience … Continue reading Transcending blame
Entering the movie
If you enter a theatre in the middle of a movie, and try to ascribe innocence or guilt based on this isolated scene, you will almost always go wrong. For without knowledge of the beginning of the movie and the development of the plot, your assessment would be grievously flawed...no matter how sincere your intentions. … Continue reading Entering the movie
Foundation for Ascent 