Do It Anyways

Words to live by throughout the year and your life.   

Some sources say that the words below were written on the wall inMother Teresa's own room.  In any case, their association with Mother Teresa and the Missionaries of Charity has made them popular worldwide, expressing as they do, the spirit in which they lived their lives. 

They seem to be based on a composition originally by Kent Keith, but much of the second half has been re-written in a more spiritual way.  

Source:  Prayer Foundation

Do It Anyways

People are often unreasonable, irrational, and self-centered.  

Forgive them anyway.

~*~*~*~

            If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives.  

Be kind anyway.

~*~*~*~

            If you are successful, you will win some unfaithful friends 

and some genuine enemies. 

Succeed anyway.

~*~*~*~

           If you are honest and sincere people may deceive you.  

Be honest and sincere anyway.

~*~*~*~

            What you spend years creating, others could destroy overnight.  

Create anyway.

~*~*~*~

            If you find serenity and happiness, some may be jealous.  

Be happy anyway.

~*~*~*~

            The good you do today, will often be forgotten.  

Do good anyway.

~*~*~*~

         Give the best you have, and it will never be enough.  

Give your best anyway.

~*~*~*~

         In the final analysis, it is between you and God.  

           It was never between you and them anyway.

~*~*~*~

-this version is credited to Mother Teresa

The Downside of Inciting Envy

THE Irish singer Bono once described a difference between America and his native land. “In the United States,” he explained, “you look at the guy that lives in the mansion on the hill, and you think, you know, one day, if I work really hard, I could live in that mansion. In Ireland, people look up at the guy in the mansion on the hill and go, one day, I’m going to get that bastard.”

Alexis de Tocqueville phrased it a little differently, but his classic 19th-century text contains the same observation. Visiting from France, he marveled at Americans’ ability to keep envy at bay, and to see others’ successes as portents of good times for all.

Read More

The Sands of Our Lives

"...to their credit, they were children—children who were no doubt told by their parents not to so much as look in the direction of the beach. They were children who had no choice but to keep themselves busy while waiting for their parents to take them by the hand and lead them to their next adventure. They did the best they could with what they had without being tempted by what was around them.

They were children.

But what is my excuse?

On more than one occasion I have found myself entirely wrapped up, fighting and frustrated, stomping around barefoot trying to stake my claim on a tiny, insignificant pile of sand—the sand of relationships, the sand of social status or money, the sand of a career… whatever. I have been deeply consumed in games of King of the Mini Mound that leave me oblivious to the beautiful beaches around me. Beaches with unlimited sand, possibility, and happiness. We’ve all been there. Investing our energy in small things while the big ones lay untouched on the other side of the sidewalk."

Excepts from "Sand"  by Kindra Hall.   

Click HERE to read the full  blog article

Pondering 2013: Part 1

As 2013 quickly comes to an end, I am taking with me all the things I have learned throughout the year.   As in previous years, I learned quite a bit about myself.   Well, maybe not so much learned as finally accepted.

There’s no going back and changing what I did, didn’t do, say or didn’t say.   I can only say I’m sorry for being such a dip-shit and hope that one day the people in my life will forgive me.    Taking the first step, I forgave myself.   And I work each day to stay in the energy of forgiveness.    Which has helped me become stronger.    That strength led to me cutting family ties.  

As I sit here writing this, I’m reminded of a scene from What Dreams May Come.   You know the one, where Robin Williams’ character finds his wife who just committed suicide?   Like that character, I fought my way through heaven in order to be with people who made it painfully obvious they wanted nothing to do with me.   Like the wife, they are emotionally damaged, choosing to live their lives as a victim, creating their own special kind of hell in which to dwell.   Then here I come fighting all of heaven to join them.  Yea, imagine that someone would choose hell over heaven just to be with miserable, selfish, self-centered, thieving, hypocritical assholes!   

Crazy.  I know!  But now, now I've finally accepted the fact that I don't belong there with any of them.  Yea, I knew it all along.  But it just took me a good long while, an ocean of tears and several good swift kicks in the ass to finally just MOVE ON!   And too, to acknowledge and, yes accept, that  Hell is a place I no longer wish to be.      

So I say a final farewell to all those who rather live in misery and be a victim!  Who would rather wallow in the depths of despair in Hell than enjoy the splendors of Heaven.

For 2014, I came up with a Mission Statement.  It will be my guide throughout the year.  Granted, I’ll probably add to it as time goes by.  But for now, here is what it looks like: 

My purpose is to express my willingness to learn, willingness to change and willingness to be the change I wish to see in the world by being committed to ongoing lessons provided through various sources, making decisions and immediately acting upon them and surrounding myself with people of the same mind set.

How I love the whole idea of 2014!!!   Which is why I got started early! 

Happy New Year Everybody!

Forgiveness: Part 3 ~ The By-Products of Forgiveness

 There are many  by products of practicing forgiveness.  Here in part 3 of my on going blog series entitled Forgiveness, we will take a look at a few of them.

Good Health and Genuine Happiness
It has been proven that people who practice forgiveness on a regular basis are healthier and happier.

When you live in the state of forgiveness, your body is more relaxed.  Your heart rate and blood pressure stay on a normal healthy level.  This in turn creates a better flow of oxygen to the brain. A better flow of oxygen leads to clearer thinking and the wherewithal  to remaining calm and centered even during stressful situations.

People who practice forgiveness are not blind to the events taking place in the world.  They are not ignorant of the negativity that exists here on the earthly plane.  On the contrary! 

 People who practice genuine forgiveness are very much aware of everything happening to them and all around them.    But instead of living as a prisoner to all the negativity, they consciously make a choice to take (and keep) control of themselves.   Because they  know first hand the damaging results of holding on to any pain, they consciously exert the effort to maintain the energies of forgiveness.  In particularly, the forgiveness of self.  

Clarity and Expanded Conscious Awareness
As you sift through all the pain, releasing it through unconditional love & forgiveness, you begin to see more clearly.    The act of forgiveness literally lifts the veil allowing you to see  everyone involved did the best they knew how at that given time.    Even in the most harsh situations, we now can see how we may have done better -- but were not in a position to do so at that time.   But now we know we did the best we could.  The best we knew how at that given time.  We now see that everyone was doing the best they knew how.

We now can see how we have benefited from all those experiences.  How it has created the person we are today.  How it has led us back to our true selves!

Through the act of forgiving our Self -- we can now take all the wonderful things we learned with us … leaving behind only those things that no longer serves us.   We can now walk upright, shoulders back and chin up.  We now know who and what we are.   

This knowing brings us to the next by product of the forgiveness of self  . . . 

Courage 

Forgiving one’s self -- genuinely and unconditionally -- brings a type of courage  that no one can take away.

Forgiveness of Self breaches the energies of  our self-imposed prison -- freeing us --opening up our eyes to all the lies we‘ve been told and had continued telling ourselves throughout our lives.  

Like a rubber band stretched too far -- we snap back into full awareness.  It is then we become conscious of -- and fully connected to --  who and what we are.  We feel the fuel of  righteous indignation bubbling up, reaching a boiling point … and that's when it  happens.   That's when We suddenly stand up and say with conviction … shouting it to the heavens ... our independence!   It is in that moment ... We take back our power!  We take back what  what is rightfully ours -- OUR SELF! 
We now ... finally and fully ... comprehend that Everything we experience comes from within.  That the choice to live in freedom or to live in a self-imposed prison was always our choice to make.   We finally get it!  

Feels good … doesn’t it?

So what are you waiting on?  Your Self is waiting for You!

“I can only show you the door … but only you can open it!” ~ Morpheus to Neo, The Matrix

(Excerpts from The ZEN of Duct Tape: An Empress Is Born!)

Embrace All that you are!
For YOU … are ALL that there Is!

Known as The Empress of the Known & Unknown Universes™ and The Diva of Duct Tape, Julia has made it her personal mission to put Reality back into Spirituality™. Julia sets out to assist people in expanding their conscious awareness through her rather unique and personal take on the human experience. 

In the style comparable to Erma Bombeck, Julia utilizes her own brand of humor and down to earth demeanor to get her messages across in an all so delightful way.  

PLEASE NOTE:  All artwork, unless otherwise specified, are the property of the individual artists themselves. The author of these blogs claims no ownership of the original artwork, but only of the sig tags created using said artwork. Each sig tag shown on these blogs include the appropriate copyright information of the Artists and the unique licensure for use.

Reproduction and copying of said work without proper authority is strictly prohibited

Consider This . . .

The person who hurt you either 

• Isn’t aware they have hurt you;
• Doesn’t care they hurt you;
• Has forgotten about the incident and moved on;
• Sleeps very well at night
• Has no issues with indigestion, headaches, back pain or any other kind of pain
• Is convinced you are in desperate need of getting a life,  getting laid or both
• Has steady relationships and a job
• Has no addictions or disorders
• Can hold a steady personal relationship/keep a job

You on the other hand …

• Can remember every detail of the incident and every syllable uttered;
• Have developed various types of ailments, joint pains, suffer from headaches, backaches,  a wide variety of  physical, mental and/or emotional health issues;
• Are angry, resentful and mistrustful;
• Either can’t sleep or sleeps way too much
• Now has an eating disorder
• Suffering from memory loss --huge chunks of your life is missing
• Has some sort of addiction (alcohol, drugs, sex, spending, gambling, food)
• Can’t hold down a job/Can’t keep a steady personal relationship
• Difficulty in focusing on anything outside the pain and suffering
• Suffers from Low self-esteem and self-worth

While these may not apply to every individual reading this -- I am willing to wager most of it does ring some bells!

So considering all the above -- seeing it in black and white -- do you still believe you are really making “they” -- “them” -- “that person” suffer by holding on to your pain?  You think/believe that you are exacting revenge by living your life in misery?

They -- who/whom ever “they” are -- are not suffering from what happened.  They’re free!  You on the other hand--  are in a prison of your own making! YOU are the one suffering -- not them!   You are the one punishing you!

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

• Forgiveness is not the condoning of the actions that initiated the pain and suffering you experienced. 
• Forgiveness is not forgetting anything that transpired -- but reaching a state of mind where you can see those actions from an objective view point without any adverse reactions.

• Forgiveness is the refusal to carry the pain and suffering those actions initiated. 
• Forgiveness is the release of the pain and suffering you have carried throughout your human experience.

It is painfully obvious that the majority of people do not know the difference between forgetting and releasing.    No doubt this is perhaps one of the main reasons people are so skittish when it comes to forgiving.

Forgive and Forget?

Many have been taught that in order to reach a true state of forgiveness -- one must totally forget everything that happened to them.  This is a gross misconception that has been passed down by those who didn’t know any better.

To  “forgive and forget” means  to -- release that pain from your being!  Release yourself and be free!  Forget all about holding on to all that suffering -- holding all that pain!   

It does NOT mean forget the incident  itself!  Again, the forgetting portion of "Forgive & Forget is  --  forget all that clinging -- forget all that grasping -- forget  all that holding on -- to that which no longer serves you!   Forget that which no longer serves you and remember only what you have learned from the event(s).  Release the pain and be Free!

This is the true meaning behind the phrase “forgive and forget.”

*~*~*~*~*~*

Interesting thing about human experiencers -- they hold on to their pain and suffering as though it were a matter of life and death.  They justify clinging to their pain and suffering by relieving the incidents that transpired.  Caught up in their fears -- they can’t see what they have learned from any of the situations.    They can’t see past those incidents.  They refuse to let them go for whatever reason.  During the course of their human journey, they will go as far as reinventing the situation over and over again in their day to day life.

So and so did this or that-- said this or that.  They hurt me.  They should be made to pay for this, that or the other thing.   I’m a victim!  I’m in pain!  I can’t let go because they hurt me!

I can’t let go because they hurt me! 

I have to remember what they did so they will pay for it!  So they will see my suffering and they will be sorry!  

I’m sick!  I have this or that pain!  I have this or that disease.  All  because because they hurt me!  I’m making them pay with my physical, emotional and mental pain!  I can’t let go yet -- it doesn’t matter if I can’t sleep or sleep too much.  It doesn’t matter if I eat too much or can’t eat or keep anything down!  I have to do this because they hurt me!

They are going to pay for my suffering!  I won’t let it go until they pay for hurting me!  Even if it cost me my happiness -- and my life-- they are going to pay -- because they hurt me!

While a bit dramatic -- the above statements are more true than many of you reading this realize or even admit.

“I can’t! (or “I won’t)  Because they hurt me!”   Each and every time I bring up forgiveness -- 9 times out of 10 -- I will get this particular reply.  Sadly, I hear it a lot!    Sadder still -- each of these people who refuse to forgive suffer from a number of physical, emotional and mental maladies.   To add insult to injury -- the majority of them can’t keep a steady personal relationship.   And while many of them will admit they are holding grudges (i.e. their pain and suffering) -- they refuse to forgive!

For those of you who can’t and/or won’t forgive -- because “they” hurt you  … I urge you once again to Consider This ...

The person who hurt you either 

• Isn’t aware they have hurt you;
• Doesn’t care they hurt you;
• Has forgotten about the incident and moved on;
• Sleeps very well at night
• Has no issues with indigestion, headaches, back pain or any other kind of pain
• Is convinced you are in desperate need of getting a life or getting laid or both
• Has steady relationships and a job
• Has no addictions or disorders
• Can hold a steady personal relationship/keep a job

You on the other hand …

• Can remember every detail of the incident and every syllable uttered;
• Have developed various types of ailments, joint pains, suffer from headaches, backaches,  a wide variety of  physical, mental and/or emotional health issues;
• Are angry, resentful and mistrustful;
• Either can’t sleep or sleeps way too much
• Now has an eating disorder
• Suffering from memory loss --huge chunks of your life is missing
• Has some sort of addiction (alcohol, drugs, sex, spending, gambling, food)
• Can’t hold down a job/Can’t keep a steady personal relationship
• Difficulty in focusing on anything outside the pain and suffering
• Suffers from Low self-esteem and self-worth

Aren’t you tired?  Don’t you think it’s time you paroled yourself from this living hell?

*~*~*~*~*

Release yourself.  Not by forgetting what happened to you -- but  by refusing to carry that pain and suffering inflicted on you.  Release yourself by remembering the lessons these incidents brought to you.  Take that and start living your life in freedom!

It is said … the best revenge is Living Well!     Nothing pisses that "other person" off more -- than seeing you living happy and well!  And seeing how most of us are attempting to make that "other person" pay for the pain and suffering they inflicted -- well why not try something different?  Why not try living well -- and stop living in Hell!?

As long as you insist on the “I can’t let go because they hurt me!” mindset -- you will never be free!  You will continue to be their victim -- their slave-- their prisoner!

Your choice!  After all -- it is your life … or is it? 

I will leave you with the question posed to me by my spirit companion Antari …

“What is more important to you?  Your pain and suffering or your peace and joy?”

Namaste!

About Julia K. Cole

Known as The Empress of the Known & Unknown Universes™ and The Duct Tape Diva,  Julia has made it her personal mission to put Reality back into Spirituality.   Julia sets out to assist people in expanding their conscious awareness through her rather unique and personal take on the human experience.  In the style  of Erma Bombeck, Julia utilizes her own brand of humor and down to earth demeanor to get her messages across in an all so delightful way.


 

Visit Julia on Face Book!