Monday 8 April 2013

Life is like a Game of Poker


So, Mysterious, Mischievous & Wonderful Stranger I was in deep thoughts when I came across a metaphor of life from Pastor RickWarren stating life is like a game of poker.

A poker hand consists of five cards and for those who play the game they know the highs and lows. Life deals us cards, you only find out what those cards are when you get them. For some of you the cards are pretty damn good and for the others they could be awful. Yet the only choice you have is to play this game of life.

So, let’s look at these five cards we are dealt with: 
  1. The card of Biology & Chemistry - You were given a body and you have to live with it. You could have some disabilities such no legs, no arms, no sight or even no sense of hearing yet you have to live with it. And as you grow up and awareness sets in, you make a choice to live a healthy life or an unhealthy life.
  2. The card of Relationships - You were born and certain relationships were already formed for you (parents, siblings, uncle and aunts i.e. relationships). And as you grow up and awareness sets in, you make a choice to have the friends, lovers or enemies you wish and want.
  3. The card of Circumstances - You were born into certain circumstances. You could have been born into a poor family, have minimum access to resources such as education and medical care or even have abusive elders. And as you grow up and awareness sets in, you make a choice to change or create your circumstances or stay within those circumstances.
  4. The card of Awareness - You were born and you had some form of consciousness. With age, education and experience this consciousness or awareness changed. And as you grow up and awareness sets in, you make a choice to do what you believe is right.
  5. The card of Choices - You were born and at each stage of your life you were given or led into certain choices. And as you grow up and awareness sets in, you make a choice to live a loving life or fearful life.
It is said that your beliefs and values play a great part in the choices you make. These beliefs and values you learn from your parents, elders, family, schooling, friends and society. You find it difficult to understand why you made some strange and painful choices; it was as if your thoughts strongly believed that the steps you took were the only actions that would allow you get to your outcomes.

It is amazing how thoughts play a magical role in the creation and development of your life. For some these thoughts are simply a curse. Look at your thoughts and remember “thoughts
become things”.

What thought will you choose next to play the game of life?

The above  points have been inspired and modified Oprah and Pastor Rick Warren: Winning the Hand You're Dealt

Sunday 7 April 2013

Mysterious, Mischievous & Wonderful Stranger


I was woken up at 3 o’clock in the morning by a mysterious, mischievous and wonderful stranger.  Yet at that moment in time I never realized that the stranger would leave such an impression upon me.

I greeted the individual into my home and was unaware of what would happen next.  All I knew was that moment where there was no one but both of us. We drank away as we comfortably spoke to each other.  In this deep conversation we never realised the first ray of sunlight slowly poured through the window.

Many people say miracles do not exist but for me I would define this as a sweet miracle. Here we sat opposite each other and I was taught how truly blessed I was. For this was a part of my inner soul showing me my true self.

I always imagined my inner self would be ugly to the core but now I saw a beauty that I never knew existed within me. This reflection in front of me was beyond my existence and imagination.  For the stranger who sat across me was the true nature of fear and love.

The stranger was well aware of all the glorious possibilities in life that would make it brighter, sweeter and serene. This magnificent development would truly make life celestial and lovable. 

However amongst this was one core dark element which was wrapped up and creeping into every breath of life; that was fear.  There was fear of what if, the fear of being alone, the fear of being lied to, the fear of people saying no when asking for help, the fear of not being loved if one is unable to provide financial support, the fear of no one caring. Self sabotaging doubts were killing the love of life.

Here I was talking to a reflection of mine on how fear was consuming the mind, heart and the soul. These fears were simply excuses as the path of a loving life was considered a fairy tale. The harsh realities of life and circumstances were eating into all the good thoughts like rats.

Words and phrases such as “I don’t know”, “It’s too hard”, “Maybe”, "I'll try" and “I am scared” were rotting away into every dream and aspiration of life.  For it seemed to have a loving and happy life the focus and priority should be on money.

It is this money that will give security, love from loved love ones, a roof on the head, food, medical assistance, luxury, entertainment, respect from others and maybe more.  It is as life is only about acquisition and transaction of money. Even the relationships we have our now measured in terms of money. For everything is now being weighed with money.

The estimated population of the world is over 7 billion. Amongst these billions of people there are many who have broken away from such a pathetic way of thinking. They have used fear as energy to create positive outcomes. They have shifted and transformed from this mentality into a mentality of “I can do it”.  And just like Nike says they have applied the tag line of “Just do it” to themselves.  They have stopped waiting for life to happen or their life to be given to them.

These individuals have shifted the emotion of fear being an unpleasant emotion caused by the belief that someone or something is dangerous, likely to cause pain, or a threat to: 
  • False Evidence Appearing Real
  • Feeling Excited Adventurous Read
  • Forget Everything And Refocus
  • Face Everything And Rise
These individuals still feel fear however they have learned to shift from the conventional thinking of negativity to positivity. As humans you love to have self pity yet this is a ridiculous notion that has no productivity for our inner self. Your thoughts frame your life. It is your thinking that determines your reaction and action to situations and interpretation of events. Yet you easily blame circumstances rather than looking into your thinking patterns.

My mysterious, mischievous and wonderful stranger you have a choice to make. Decide where you want to spend your time, effort & energy.  Would you like to spend it in a loving life or fearful life? What outcome do you want from your life, a loving life or fearful life?

Taking 100% responsibility for your life experience is the shift that you need to develop.  You know that the path your are taking is the wrong one, a path of the victim mentality. It is the easy way out and is a temporary solution to your challenges in life that will leave painful scares on your mind, heart and soul.

You are human made of flesh, blood and pain. So, you will make mistakes on the way but that does not mean that you keep walking the path of your mistakes. Yet you have a mind, heart and soul that are energized by truly loving yourself and learning from these mistakes. You are allowed to change your path out of your own freewill; you have to do it yourself.

This reflection of mine it is time for you to take the step towards being creative about your life. When you truly love your own life then you will make the right choice. Stop numbing your emotions and release the pain. You are truly blessed and you know it. Take these blessings and stop self sabotaging your true essence of loving yourself truly. Remember there will be only be handful few out there that will support you and will request you to amend your ways (and these individuals will be difficult to come across).

Self abuse or getting abused by others physically, mentally or emotionally will lead you in making choices for which you will never forgive yourself. You may not show or talk about regrets, rejections and resentments that you hold within yourself yet they will flow throughout your body like poison ivy and you would consider your existence a bad joke. This sacrifice to fulfill the needs, wants and pleasures of others (and somewhat your own) is consuming your mind, heart, body and soul into a living "hell" and you already feel this. The true nature of the cardinal sins are being committed and have been sugar coated as ways of supporting yours and others life.

Ask yourself the question “what do I truly want for myself?”  This is YOUR LIFE, stop being second-rate and humiliating yourself to yourself. You have the power of freewill to make a choice for the good of yourself and to truly love yourself. Now is the time to let go of the piercing pain in your heart and live your true life.