It Is How You Think
You Feel and Act How You Think
Otis Redding Memorial Madison Wisconsin
The Day That Soul Cried
The day that soul cried, a chilly mist hung over Madison, Wisconsin. Fans of Rhythm and Blues anticipated a thrilling visitor that Sunday night. Singer Otis Redding was scheduled for two shows at the Factory. Three days earlier, Otis had finished recording “Dock of the Bay,” a moody song that would later be his only No. 1 hit on the pop charts.
Otis was accompanied by the Bar-Kays, fresh-faced high school graduates from Memphis. Otis (The Big O) had performed the night before in Cleveland. He, the Bar-Kays, his valet and pilot were flying to Madison in his private twin-engine Beechcraft. They were scheduled to perform at 6:30 and 9 p.m. But they never made it. The plane fell three miles short of the runway and crashed at 3:28 p.m. in the near-freezing waters of Lake Monona. The sole survivor, trumpet-player Ben Cauley, was pulled from the water 17 minutes after stunned witnesses along the eastern shore of Squaw Bay telephoned for help.
On November 8, 1987 members of the Otis Redding Memorial Fund, a Madison, Wisconsin nonprofit corporation, culminated their fund-raising drive with the dedication of a memorial to Otis Redding on the shore of Lake Monona. The memorial consists of three semicircle marble benches, custom carved in Portugal with the initials, O.R. incorporated in the legs, Georgia gray granite marker and a bronze plague. The memorial was temporarily moved to storage to make way for the construction of the Frank Lloyd Wright designed Monona Terrace Convention Center. A re-dedication ceremony was held August 15, 1997 on the Roof Garden of the Convention Center, where the memorial is now located.
James R. Yarbrough
President and Founding Member
Otis Redding Memorial Group
Peace
The Gospel Truth
Watch the video and see what I think.
Why Let How You Look Cause You Pain
Your Achilles Heel
(Everyone has one.)
There is no one who doesn’t have that one thing that causes insecurity about his or her appearance. It has as much to do with what you think others think about you as what you think of yourself. It could be your nose, your hair, breast or just about anything that has been deemed not to be how it should be. When you think this way, you will never be at ease and comfortable with yourself, the real you. You cannot be happy, no matter the circumstance or your status in life, until you resolve the issue you have with what you think you see when you look at you. Reflections do not always tell the truth.
The images you see in the magazines, on TV shows and throughout the media are not the prototype of the human. It is mostly an illusion, a fantasy created to sale an image of perfection. The perfect dazzling white teeth, long flowing hair and a curvaceous body with all of the accompanying accouterments. And as one would expect, those who this bothers the most will try to change things about themselves, even things that cannot or should not be changed. They spend loads of time and money on how they look, how they dress and right down to how they walk and talk.
Time and money surely are important, but not as important as your health. And some of the things are putting the people who do them at risk. It is no wonder when you look at how some are criticized and joked about for this one physical feature that is looked upon as a flaw and not the will of nature and how you were born to be. All the while they are using this ridicule as a defense mechanism to fight off their own insecurities.
The jokes and harsh words can be personal and quite nasty. Those who are adept at it can be creative with their techniques, while others show no mercy. The focus is always on those aspects of your person that are easy to attack. It is just superficial; yes, but it hurts nonetheless. Making these critical remarks with hurtful intent has become acceptable—it is “everywhere.” In casual conversations, in movies that we see, in magazines and even in some of the books that we read: There it is. It is no wonder that anxiety, low self-esteem and insecurity are at an all-time high.
You cannot hide, for long, what is inside about how you think about your outside. So, you think you are different, that there is no one who has your perceived shortcoming, your “defect.” In reality there is no one who doesn’t have a defect of birth of some type, some cover it up and others have procedures to change what many times are just normal abnormalities. Nothing that millions of others all over the world don’t have as well. Try telling that to yourself. For if you see you when you listen to these words, it is time to hear it and learn from it. It is not easy, at first, to accept that which you have lived with as you would an unwelcome guest, but this you can and must do. There are some things you cannot change; you have to change how you think about them.
We have men, women, girls, boys and even young children—more so today than ever—who have become entrapped by the marketing of major businesses and a brain-washed society. The very people who should know better are caught up with the rest in the swirl of the marketing monster. We are now looking for the ideal when it is not to be found for it is always moving and changing. And there is no better way to separate you from your money than creating “false” insecurity and a sense of need. Know what is being sold before you buy. Money will not buy self-esteem. You have to earn it by changing how you see yourself.
If all of the people of the world were in one place, you would see much and much of what you would see would be no different than what you have seen; just “everyday people.” Everyone is beautiful at some place to someone whereas using the so called standard of beauty very few would be. Let me put it this way: There is no perfect person, physically, mentally or otherwise and few who meet the marketing criteria for beauty. On one of your typical days out and about, how many “beautiful” people do you see, few if any who have the looks of the gorgeous magazine models and the assortment of celebrities. It is all a make believe world full of illusion, makeup trickery and manipulation. It is not reality; it is not what you think you see.
We all have physical differences from height, weight, ears, eyes and all of the other variations that come with being a living organism, a creation of nature. Even the appearance of the genitals causes much anxiety and personal and social discomfort. And the public buys into it. There are billions spent annually on Labiaplasty, vaginal rejuvenation, penis enlargement and other body modifications by men, women and even teens.
First thing in the morning before your feet even touch the floor you are thinking about one thing that is never far from your mind. You have tried to not think about it and that is why you do. If you cannot change it, you have to change how you think about it. You wish to hide it from the mirror but what’s the use, it will still be there when you look. You do not have to be perfect to be perfect in the things that you do.
Nothing is hard to do, you just do not know how to do it yet.
Appetite: Large/Small or Average
Appetite
“A desire to satisfy a physical or mental need, such as for food, sex, or adventure.”
Appetite for Food
If I had known what was about to overwhelm my life and health, I would have gone the other way. A down-south relative once asked me if I had ever been sick. I thought, and still think, it was a rather odd question to ask. So, I responded as any person who has lived and is old enough to talk: Yes, I have been sick, to which she responded—life-threatening sickness. To which I responded, no. Well, that was before. This is now.
It truly felt life-threatening. I lost my appetite!
Sex
I have always found it so comforting to cozy up to my heart’s delight. But, friends, let me tell you, nothing is cozy or comforting about not wanting to do what you have done your entire life and thoroughly enjoyed to the highest degree. And the symptom—loss of appetite. The cause: unknown. But there are symptoms of the symptom that one should expect when they have lost their appetite to do it. I have suffered, and I am doing so as I type. Until a solution is found, the best that I can do is do my due diligence and adjust as best as I can. I am challenged, but my eyes and mind are wide open. What do you do when you cannot do it? Or? Not much when you can.
Adventure
I want to, but something “in-house,” says no. It is not a sin, for I do not wish to overindulge even with it being one of the greatest pleasures known to the world. But nevertheless, I want and need to do it more—not less. And you would feel the same way if it happened to you.
There is no suitable replacement if you lose your appetite. To see it, to want it, and have the body say no is cruel; it should know better. Well, I will give it what it seems not to want: FOOD.
Dream On 1968, the Year Leadership Was Shot Down
“The Negroes of this country may never be able to rise to power, but they are very well placed indeed to precipitate chaos and ring down the curtain on the American dream.” This quote is from James Baldwin’s book, The Fire Next Time.
Know It Speak It
Dream, it is not what I thought of a “short” four years later in the nation’s Capital. I would be standing in the midst of what seemed like hell on earth. Some were running, stumbling, and falling. Others held on to all they could as they ran in and out of the shops and stores, and more than a few made sure there would be nothing left to burn. Even the bricks were ablaze and crumbling. They were all ages, sizes, and shapes, but the one thing they had in common, they were Black, my people. The area was off-limits to us in the military if not a part of the operation, but I figured out a way around the restriction. I would don my government-issued fatigues (our green non-dress uniform) to blend in. And I never encountered a problem.
Armed soldiers and military personnel were shouting orders, but no one seemed to listen. They took no steps to stop the protesters. Their orders were to stand down. Even as the buildings continued to burn, in places a corridor of flames, they stood by. The heat was intense, only matched by the intensity of the expressions on the faces of the young and old alike, who were carting off as much as they could carry. It was not what you would want to see. I have a dream.
May Not Make It There With You
Though there was no doubt—in my mind—that most were there because of their anger and frustration. Dr. Martin Luther King had just been assassinated by the system in the form of James Earl Ray. You could expect no less. Oh, the irony, when all the smoke cleared, and the flames had been doused, the guided as well as the misguided were left living among the ashes. The rage had given in to despair. The Black low-income neighborhoods had been reduced to ruin. I have a dream.
Poor People
Just a few months before his death, as Blacks of America were opening up to the idea of a “dream,” Dr. King and leaders of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) held a meeting to plan and organize a Poor People’s Campaign for the coming spring in Washington, D.C. Organizers intended for the campaign to be a peaceful gathering of poor people from communities across the nation. They would march through the capital and visit various federal agencies in hopes of getting Congress to pass substantial anti-poverty legislation. They planned to stay until some action was taken. I have a dream.
The Poor People’s Campaign did not focus on just poor black people but addressed all poor people. Unfortunately, as history records, before their plans could be realized, Dr. King was cut down by an assassin’s bullet. Although feeling the sorrow of his death, a decision was made to carry on with the campaign. On May 12, 1968, the first wave of demonstrators arrived in Washington. One week later, Resurrection City was built on the Washington Mall. This was a ramshackle settlement of tents and shacks to house the protesters. And as I learned firsthand, to call it housing is being generous, at best. I have a dream.
Closer Look
This time I decide I want to take a close look at the other side of the protest, though still up close, but more personal. I had to focus my mind to take in what my eyes were seeing. Some wandered about with this dazed look as if waking up to a bad dream, while others seemed to seek solace and refuge in their primitive accommodations. It was clear to me that most were taking on the symptoms of defeat. It would not take much—under these conditions—to become demoralized.
People were hungry; there was not much food or at least an orderly way of providing it to those who needed it most, the young and the old. And there was mud all over, and if you did not have boots, and most, if any, did not. You had to secure your shoes someplace and do your moving about in bare feet. It was a mess. The mud seemed knee-deep in places. This was the heart of the “Poor Peoples” encampment. I went as I go to many other places. I was just curious, not much more than that. But what I saw caused me to return. I have a dream.
Dream On
Simply put, it was a hopeless situation, no matter how well intended. The King has died. There was a leadership vacuum; it could not be overcome. The best I could do was pick several out of the multitude to take to the base for a hot meal and a break from the drudgery of living in such inhospitable conditions. And in two short weeks, I would be discharged from the Air Force and out in the “real world” myself. How was I to know, though, that Chicago would be my next destination where destiny would wave its unseen hand again. I did not know if I was creating my own destiny or if it was being laid out for me. Either way, I would be there to see it all. It was not a plan. It just happened.
Chicago
This is Chicago, the time and place that the SCLC would try to resurrect the Poor People Campaign. But, unfortunately, it was not to be. The eyes of the nation were focused on the Democratic National Convention, the “other” event. Fate had dealt its hand, and the cards had been played. It was inescapable; the end of the civil rights era was drawing to a close. There would be a last gasp and a whimper from the Black Power movement to be replaced years later with the rap and hip-hop culture. The sign of greeting is no longer Soul Brother. It has been replaced by my nigger. As it is plain to see, it was a turn by degrees for the worst. If they could only see us now. Time stands still as life moves on. Now here we are. I have a dream.
August 26 to August 29, 1968
I came to Chicago to find a job and see my father for the first time—both things I did. But, even so, my mind would not let me rest. I could not resist the draw of the action on the streets leading up to the 1968 Democratic National Convention. The convention was held during a year that would be remembered as a wake-up call and a warning to our nation. How easy it seems for us to forget.
Headline 2012: The Pentagon Is Offering Free Military Hardware to Every Police Department in the US
Kennedy—King from 68 With Love
It was a social revolution with no blueprint. The Viet Nam war was in full force, and American “politics” had become a dangerous game in my lifetime. First, there was Dr. Martin Luther King on April 4 and the civil unrest that followed. Then, two months after Dr. King’s death on June 5, as if timed by fate, came the murder of Democratic presidential hopeful Senator Robert F. Kennedy. Was all of this some kind of test? Yes, it was, and the grades are still coming in. But, for me, it was as if I had been programmed—I did not think of this then—to be an up-close witness to the contest of what is and what is not. I had to be there, did not know it, and had no choice. I quit my job, not really knowing why. Dream On.
The Beat Goes On
My 21st birthday marked the beginning, and what followed is best described as police brutality and all-out “war” on the protestors. It was people control, a step to the future that could not be taken back. There were no hot burning flames of the protests in Washington. The soldiers in Washington had been ordered to stand at ease. Instead, it appeared that Chicago’s Mayor Daley had issued orders to “attack and destroy.” And they were followed to the letter. Even bystanders were not safe from the swinging batons if they could not run fast enough.
And On
There were indiscriminate beatings. It mattered not male or female, young or old; they were routinely clubbed bloody. It was as close as you could get to gender equality. No one was exempt. One scene that was hard to put out of my mind was that of a young female protestor—with blood streaming down her ashen face—being dragged by her long blond hair; she was in shock. At this point, she had gone limp. The “fight” had been beaten out of her. The only sign of life was a grimace and a moan when her head was allowed to hit the pavement. The cop only let go when he realized the cameras were trained on him. Up to then, it was “caveman.” I have a dream.
It was not the Chicago that I had come to love. Soon I would be on my way home to Arkansas. I had seen enough. I now had the space to distance myself from the images in my head. Dream On.
Lie: Why Is The Question
To Tell the Truth
The more room you have to lie, the less room there is, to tell the truth.
It is said that most will tell a lie at some given time. It may seem that way to those who lie. However, it is not true and should not be taken as a given. You will think to your highest thoughts or stoop to your lowest. These are the things you must decide. If you feel you have to lie, that is what you will do. When you don’t want to say what is true, do not say a thing; though, you will be telling a lie to yourself. That is the only lie that we all might tell.
A truth does not come from a lie, and a lie does not come from a truth. A lie is baggage that is with you until you tell the truth. It is with us no matter where we go or whom we are with at the time. You must get rid of it; until you do, you will not be the true you. You know, the person you were created to be, the real you. The person you talk with when you are the only one present. A lie lives on until the truth is told. There is no win over the truth. Though the truth may be challenged, it has no equal. When you become friends with a lie, you will always have your enemy nearby.
You cannot tell a lie is not a lie if you do not know the truth. The truth is the only thing that you can tell that you know will not change. There is not a thing that lasts that can be built without it. Once it is told, the truth will not change what a lie has done, but it will set the record straight. Living the truth will make lies fade. With time, they will lose their strength.
Run But You Cannot Hide
The truth will not undo a lie. It is the same with our past. We must acknowledge our history. If it is terrible, leave it in the books to be browsed by others. Living in the past will not change the present. The past will always be the past; it will not be changed. And the present will always be now. So will the future when we get there. The greatest truth that we can tell is to ourselves. If we live the truth, there will be no need to lie to anyone. It is a great challenge to hold on to success when our thoughts are based on lies. What we think and how we act will be the same.
The core of the truth is elastic in the sense that it can be stretched, though only so far. If it is extended beyond its limit, it will be a lie.
The truth is always known. That is, even if it’s just you who knows it. Why not tell it? It should be told for all that it is worth, and one thing is for sure, a price cannot be put on the truth, for its value is beyond measure. We must be willing to hear the truth and have the courage to tell it. And if you want to help your “Self,” never run from it. No matter how long or far you run, it is a race that cannot be won. Nor should one want to. Not all has to be told, but whatever you tell, let it be the truth. It relieves the load and puts the mind at ease. A lie has no comfort zone. It is always running and trying to hide, all along laying the groundwork for disaster.
It is Not Enough to Say I Am Sorry
You should know what you do to others and yourself when you do not tell the truth. It is not a mistake—it is wrong. Why can a lie not be a mistake? A lie is an intended act that will cause harm. A mistake can cause harm as well. But it is not done on purpose. There is something wrong with how we live our life when we think we must lie. It is offered up for different reasons, though it does not change the fact that it is still a lie.
A lie is dangerous and a hazard to your health.
I have always tried to tell the truth. Life is better for me when I do. A couple of times, I told the truth, and no one believed me. It took a while for me to understand why. You cannot tell the truth to one who lives a lie. They will not know it when they see it because their mind will not let them believe. If I lie to you, I cannot believe your truth. When we live a lie, we are separated from what is real. The trouble with a lie is that it will not let you see the truth. That is until you do. What is it when you tell a lie but think it is the truth? It means you should know the company you keep starting with yourself. And say not a word until you understand what is and what is not.
A lie is dangerous and a hazard to your health. You are not safe when it is present. Someone there may know the truth.
LIARS TO THE LEFT OF ME
What is it when you say yes but you feel no? Is it a lie to say you care all the time, knowing you do not? Does it hurt, more or less, to learn the truth. A lie’s sole purpose is to mislead. It can, and often does, create a world of make-believe. This is a place where no one is living the truth, the teller or the told. One should know the truth, though once a lie is told, how can you know? You can start to believe it, which is another lie. From the clothes we wear to the products that we buy, much of it is a lie. And a lie will always do damage. It is difficult to know where you are going or have been. Should you stay or should you go?
Who are you when you shed your garments and your “face?” It is you. I will not be true in what I do if you are not true in what you do to me. If I think I love you, and you have not told the truth, then my love is a lie. And that is if I know it or not. A lie will not support the truth. It is a lie when we will not allow ourselves to see this.
Lie or Mistake
It is the greatest lie of all when the way we act is a lie. But, it is not a mistake.
A mistake is not made by the conscious part of the mind. Its roots are in the base of our thoughts. It is not made on purpose. There is no motive. When and where we make our mistakes is about how we feel. When we feel good about ourselves, mistakes are few. If we take care with what we say and do, there will be no need to say I am sorry. I made a mistake.
They cause many of the bad things that happen in our lives.
Both lies and mistakes are acts of thought and are harmful to those who are touched by them. A mistake is no less harmful than a lie. Just as with a lie, it can be the cause of damage. It must be made right, or it will. Once touched by either, you will be harmed in some way. They cause many of the bad things that happen in our lives. Even so, they can be followed by what is right.
Mistake or Lie
You do not try to make a mistake. If you did, it would not be a mistake. It would be a thing you did beyond just a thought. When you think your thoughts, it is not a mistake when something goes wrong. It is how you think that is the problem. A mistake is caused by a thought that you are unaware you have. It is not a conscious thought. This sets off an action. What you have then is the mistake. It is not one—though—until it is known. At least one person must know that it exists. If not, it can be made again. You do not make a mistake that you know of more than once. If you do, it is not a mistake. It is done on purpose, whether you say so or not.
We do have thoughts that we are not conscious of, and they distract us from the task at hand. They cause you not to pay attention. If it is not important to you, it is not a thing you should do. The mind will not engage as it should. This will not let you do it right. You have to focus, but nothing will help if you are not ready.
Focus
What you do now is what you should focus on. You can think about many things, but you can only focus on one at a time. Trying to do more could cause a mistake. To think it is a special skill to do more than one thing at a time is misleading, at best. It takes no special skill to multitask. You do not need any special know-how to do more than one task at a time. The effort is shared, which takes away from the whole of each. Just as you can see more than one thing, you can only focus on one at a time. That is unless they are the same kind. If not, you will be drawn to the difference.
You can do more than one thing at a time but will not think more than one thought at a time. Try it. Sit two or more things together and focus. Your mind will shift from one to the other.
What Are You Looking At
Duration Another Time That Count
Duration
How Long Will It Last
The Duration (how long) is as important as what you are doing over a period of time. More, less, or just about the same. In all aspects of our lives, duration is in play. Here are examples of some of those moments.
- Exercise—Need More
- Sex—Last Not Long Enough/Too Long
- Medicine—Every 4 Hours
- Work—What Time Is It
- Play—Time Is Over
- Visits—Sure Glad That’s Over With
- Travel—Gotta Be Back by Sunday
- Got To Go—Will Call
- I Am Sorry—Too Excited
Duration of Time
There are two kinds of time in my way of thinking. It is the time given to each of us—our own time—and universal time/space. It was created, and it does not change. Duration only applies to our own time. What I am saying maybe more clear if it is thought of in terms of the world, at least as we now know it to be. There are seven (?) world time zones. The United States uses nine (9) standard zones. Therefore, the question is, what time is the right time when? With every area of the world having its own time zones, how can you know what time it is. Neither of them is correct when next to the other.
The time that can change is invented by man. It is never the same and is not correct. Time and duration, what do they say to you?
You should not make your decisions based on time. Time will not accomplish a thing on its own. So decide what you want to do, then make time to do it. This should be the order of how you decide. No matter how much time you have, if you do not know what you will do with it, you will not know how much you need. Duration: I will try it. What matters is how you are going to fill the space. For example, If you bake a cake for the required time but use the wrong ingredients, you will not get the cake you want. What you would have, then, is a cake you cannot eat and time you no longer have. This time was your time.
Nature’s Time
Let us take a look at nature’s time. In a room, there are things; they come and go. Some are added some are removed. It makes no difference what time these things are moved or changed; the space does not. Time is space. And there is a time for all things. Time and duration, what do they say to you?
If we had power over the nature of time, what would we do with it? Where would we put it? Would we add a little here: take a little there? For sure, it would be the final step to the end. Wars would be fought over it, and some would lie, cheat and steal to get more of it. Those with the least power would have little time and little else of such value to note. Duration: How long does it last?
Pretender You Are
We Are
Why do we do it? We pretend we love God but treat his creation with disrespect and harm. We build relationships and then tear them down with our hurting words and how we act. I say I love you when at the same time I am bedding another. You tell your children right when you are doing wrong. You get all dressed up to go to church and sit there in all of your finery. With arms outstretched, you shout out your love for God when you are thinking about and lusting for the Reverend. (Insert preacher, teacher, or priest.) Or maybe this Sunday, it is the Deacon or some other man in the congregation. You do not go hunting at church; is this how it is meant to be? And why are you standing so tall, brothers, is there something you need to see, or are you just flashing. Not to worry, they see you. You are the greatest pretender.
Pretending
Yes, we are the greatest pretenders, and that is why life is a lie for so many of us; you know who you are. You cannot live a lie and expect life to be true to you and then pray for what you have pushed away. A lie will never win over the truth. And the worst lie that you can tell is to yourself. I do not have to live with your lie. You do. And a lie lives on until the truth is told.
God created us with all we need to do the right thing; it is up to us. He gave us free will for a reason. We have a choice to do right or to do wrong; what do you choose? When I say I love you while I have lust in my heart for another, this is wrong. When I say that you are my friend and I have a knife at your back, this is wrong. And no wrong can ever be made right. You can only do right after you have done wrong. That is the best that you can do. The hurt that you have done will still be there, always. You are the greatest pretender.
Of course, you will do better when you know better. It is for you to learn how to be better if better is what you want to be. Yes, you are the greatest pretender, and know who you are. You may fool yourself for a while but will not fool God. Your mind is telling you what to do when you should be telling your mind. You are the master of you, not your mind. It is how you think. And how you think is how you feel, and how you feel is how you will act.
Live for Today Everyday
I Am Number One
Put no one before God means simply not putting anyone or thing before you. God created us with a drive to survive for a reason. This he did for all living things. Once you put someone or something before you, you have lost what God gave you. Your chances of survival are then not as great as they were. We were created not to look up or down on anyone. We need not be tended to like small children. If you do need such attention, you are then going against God’s will. Our drive to survive is God’s way of telling us to go forth and multiply. I have built life and given it to you—now do what you must.
God created life so that we may live. All that lives, lives because of him. Each one of us will become part of the rest of us. As the light goes out for us in this life, it shines on in the life of another. The energy created by God never dies; it is passed on. What God created will live on after we are gone. Once a thing is, all things that come from it are based on that thing. That which came first will always be first. It is the base for what is next. With all things, there is a connection. What we do with our life, in some way, will have an effect on other lives. The first to be touched will touch someone else.
So Are You
Each of our lives, once set in motion, will live on. If you exist at all, it will be. This is so even if we are not born yet. So go forth with the knowledge and understanding that it is not wrong when you put yourself first. It is right, the way God would have it. If you do not take care of yourself, you cannot care for anyone else. It is nature; it is the law of survival. Look to your world. When you see or have seen someone you know who puts others before them, they are the ones who suffer. There is no exception because you have gone against the will of God and the nature of being. I say this because he said it to me. If you are told differently, you are told wrong. We are the creation of God.
If I think of you before I think of me, I have the wrong thought.
Pray You Will No Longer Need to Pray
This I Pray
A belief in a force greater than ourselves will not save us from hurt, pain, or loss. It will not meet our basic needs for food, clothing, and shelter. You and I can only do that. Prayer is to help us through. It is a bridge over troubled waters not to be worn out by too frequent use. Though, when you give thanks by praying, it cannot be given often enough, no matter how much you pray.
Prayer for many is because they have not learned how to find the answer on their own. I prayed many times before I came to know this. Prayer is just a step on the path, and to get to where our life is taking us, we must take action. We have to move toward where we want to go. You will not hear the answer when you wait. Prayer will lose its power over time when you do not use your own. And that is your power to think. Prayer is there only when you have done all that you know to do. It will not replace what we must do for ourselves. And the strength you receive from it will not be enough. It has to be matched with your own. Nothing in life will work if you do not do it right.
To
When we pray, we are searching for the answer. Prayer is not what you seek. It is a means to an end, not the end itself. It is just a tool we have been given. A very good one at that when used as it should. It will be heard only when it needs to be. Not because we think it should. It has to be charged with the strength of will to work. Help needs help to help. There is nothing we should have more faith in than ourselves. It is a thing that cannot happen, though, at times, we act as if it could. If you think this, you are not alone in this thought. Many believe they must place more trust in someone other than themselves, but we are not made to be that way.
God Almighty
Our Creator, God, gave us all that a person should need. Prayer is just a call for help when you don’t know what to do. It will not give you what you must provide yourself.
The next move is yours to make. If you pray for just one thing, pray that you will no longer need to pray for an answer. And that you will live your life in a way where you only need to give thanks for your blessings. God created us to have the answer; we are self-contained. We have all that we need to live, procreate and grow. We were designed that way so there would be no need for intervention. That is unless we start to destroy the creation. Then we will see the true power of God. Then, when we reach the point where God has had enough, we will know.
Peace Be With You
Energy Needed to Think
Thinking Requires Energy
Glucose is the form of sugar that travels in our bloodstream to fuel the mitochondrial furnaces responsible for our brainpower. Glucose is the only fuel normally used by brain cells. Because neurons cannot store glucose, they depend on the bloodstream to deliver a constant supply of this precious fuel.
This blood sugar is obtained from carbohydrates: the starches and sugars we eat in grains, legumes, fruits, and vegetables. (The only animal foods containing a significant amount of carbohydrates are dairy products.) Too much sugar or refined carbohydrates at one time, however, can deprive our brain of glucose, depleting its energy supply and compromising our brain’s power to concentrate, remember, and learn. This is because mental activity requires a lot of energy.
Our brain uses energy to think and to tell the body what to do. It uses more energy than any other organ of the body. The more you think, the more energy you use. Do not be a lazy thinker. You must eat the right food to think to your highest level. The brain will let you know when you are not being good to it. Not only will you not feel good, you will not act so great either. This need for energy, at times, will cause your mind to tell you things you do not need to hear, such as, I want some more even when you have had enough. And this is not just with food; other pleasures can cause this as well.
Brain Pleasure
The brain is the real pleasure organ. And it tells us when we are hurting and in pain, which we will do almost anything to stop. But find it difficult to say no to what feels good. We were designed that way for a reason. Without pleasure, there would be no us. We would not do as much as we do to make more of ourselves. But, as we know, too much of a good thing is not good. This is when pain shows up in its role to tell us that something is wrong.
It reminds me of a song from back in the day that goes like this: Do it, Do it, Do it to you are satisfied, whatever it is, go ahead and Do it. Back then, it took a lot of work to know when you had enough. More always seemed just about right. But, it is not—should not— be so hard today; we know much more now than what we knew then. We know more, yes, but the mind will wander and wonder and needs to always be kept in check.
Jung Founder of Analytical Psychology
The Self by Carl Gustav Jung
To be self-aware is to know who you are. The Self is our core, the essence of you. It is where we go to be ourselves. A place we would never leave on our own. Our power and strength come from there. If your mind and the ways of life have kept you away, it is a choice to go back. It takes work to do. That is unless it is what you want. And you must want to above all else.
How we think, feel, and act comes after we are born. It is not born with us. It is not the Self. These are things that make up our personality. It is the way we show the world whom we think we are. In other words, what we think of ourselves. Though only sometimes true. It is how we act and may change as we change how we think. The Self will not change. It is you—the you that was created for you. Your Self is your own, given to each one of us. None is the same. Life evolves, but the Self does not change, it does not shrink, it does not grow. It can be smothered. Then, of course, you will not be able to express yourself.
The way we think is what smothers the Self. It will not let the real one surface. The self is there for all of us to be. It is not about how one behaves. That has more to do with our personality.
Personality
Personality, unlike the Self, is a group of character traits that help to define who we are. This grouping is the most affected by the seeds of doubt. Doubt is the root cause of disordered thinking—our thoughts, feelings, and how we act change, but we do not. Of course, if there is no conflict, which would be with the Self. One of the ways that the things we believe in are shown is through our character. It is how others view us. It is also part of us that tells what we think about ourselves. At times this will vary. However, it will only be the real you when it matches your Self.
We are born with a map of who we are. It makes up the person that is you. The person you were meant to be. It is the core of the human being and does not change. As with all things, our physical side changes with time. Our genes, of course, determine how we will look. We have no say in this. It is part of our creation. However, we do have a say in the life we create, as we do with whom we create our offspring. And this would be the other parent, the co-creator of this new life.
Disordered Thinking
Some will say that a person has changed, that they do not act the same. They may have changed how they act, though they are not different. Not a thing has changed about who they are. They are still who they have always been. What has changed is how the person thinks, feels, and acts. The core of their being, the soul, has not changed. You cannot sell it, and you do not lose it. It is the real you. You cannot be who you are not and will tire out trying. Yet, many do try. Your disordered thinking is what keeps you from being real. It keeps your Self from shining through. This creates an image that is not who you are. I am the one who I have been looking for. Not the one you thought you knew.
Self—It is Who You Are and Forever Be
The Self Is The Core And Soul Of You
To be self-aware is to know who you are. The Self is our core, the essence of you. It is where we go to be ourselves. A place we would never leave on our own. Our power and strength come from there. If your mind and the ways of life have kept you away, it is a choice to go back. It takes work to do. That is unless it is what you want. And you must want to above all else. You must listen to learn and learn to listen.
How we think, feel, and act comes after we are born. It is not born with us. It is not the Self. These are things that make up our personality. It is the way we show the world whom we think we are. In other words, what we think of ourselves. Though only sometimes true. It is how we act and may change as we change how we think. The Self will not change. It is you—the you that was created for you. Your Self is your own, given to each one of us. None is the same.
Life evolves, but the Self does not change, it does not shrink, it does not grow. It can be smothered. Then, of course, you will not be able to express yourself. The way we think is what smothers the Self. It will not let the real one surface. The self is there for all of us to be. It is not about how one behaves. That has more to do with our personality.
Self or Personality
Personality, unlike the Self, is a group of character traits that help to define who we are. This grouping is the most affected by the seeds of doubt. Doubt is the root cause of disordered thinking—our thoughts, feelings,, and how we act change, but we do not. Of course, if there is no conflict, which would be with the Self. One of the ways that the things we believe in are shown is through our character. It is how others view us. It is also part of us that tells what we think about ourselves—it will vary at times. However, it will only be the real you when it matches your Self.
We are born with a map of who we are. It makes up the person that is you. The person we were meant to be. It is the core of the human being and does not change. As with all things, our physical side changes with time. Our genes, of course, determine how we will look. We have no say in this. It is part of our creation. However, we do have a say in the life we create, as does whom we create our offspring with. And this would be the other parent, the co-creator of this new life.
We See You
Some will say that a person has changed, that they do not act the same. They may have changed how they act, though they are not different. Not a thing has changed about who they are. They are still who they have always been. What has changed is how the person thinks, feels, and acts. The core of their being, the soul, has not changed. You cannot sell it, and you do not lose it. It is the real you. You cannot be who you are not and will tire out trying. Yet, many do try. Your disordered thinking is what keeps you from being real. It keeps your Self from shining through. This creates an image that is not who you are. I am the one who I have been looking for. Not the one you know.
THE MESSENGER
James R. Yarbrough
Thought
Snapshot In Time
I SEE YOU
Community
THE BEAT GOES ON
BLACK
MAGIC
WOMAN
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