It’s easy to live in a bubble and never look in the mirror from time to time. We choose to turn a blind eye to everything that seems ugly. Sometimes we are guilty of being hypocrites, because we only care about things if we are affected and not because we all could be affected. It’s easy to come up with cute catch phrases, but how many of us actually believe them? There are times when we need to read something that makes us think a little harder. To question what we have been told to believe and think for ourselves.
Check this out. These are all quotes from the famed French Philosopher Voltaire. I found them quite enlightening – pun intended! Tell me which one you need to hear from time to time and which you can relate to the most.
“To find out who rules over you, simply find out who you are not allowed to criticize.”
“The comfort of the rich depends upon an abundant supply of the poor”
“Love truth, but pardon error.”
“I don’t know where I am going, but I am on my way.”
“Every man is guilty of all the good he did not do.”
“Dare to think for yourself.”
“The most important decision you make is to be in a good mood.”
“Faith consists in believing what reason cannot.”
“Appreciation is a wonderful thing. It makes what is excellent in others belong to us as well.”
“If God did not exist, it would be necessary to invent him.”
“Prejudices are what fools use for reason.”
“Don’t think money does everything or you are going to end up doing everything for money.”
“What is history? The lie that everyone agrees on…”
“I love bad dreams. They remind me of the goodness of life.”
― Marty Rubin
If only I could get there things would be so much better
Life sucks because I’m not doing what I want
God when will you listen to me! I’m knocking but you’re not opening the door; I’m asking but you’re not giving!
There must be more to life than this, come on!
Sometimes we are dissatisfied with where we are and disappointed when we can’t get to where we want to be. But there are many who end up getting what they want and regret it. They chase a dream that seems to be the reality for someone else and instead, find themselves in the worst nightmare imaginable. Sometimes we may think about quitting our job and doing something that we love more, but here’s a thought : A nuh ebreeting soak up waata a sponge( Don’t take things at face value when making a decision as not everything is as it appears ). We may thing rightfully so -within reason – that if someone did it already it can be done again. But we also need to recognize that not everything is meant for everyone and that you don’t get the same things in the same way, not like Tom, Dick and Harry.
Things change so quickly nowadays and the way things use to be is not how they are now. A lot of us walk around with blindfolds on, thinking that the things around us are the way we see them. But that next thing that is calling your name, may turn out to be a living nightmare. It may be that people change so suddenly and the promises made, seem to have been imagined only by you; and the places you use to go become danger zones now. The dream I had the other day started with three of us going to Kingston to fix a problem, for whatever reason we decided to stop and it was at that moment that the accident took place. And though it was a terrible event that we witnessed we were never physically injured. Still it became a nightmare of agonized suffering that could have been worse. Our driver was in the path of the vehicle that veered off the road and crashed. just before he could step in the path of it, I had reached out my hand to pull him back. He never saw it coming.
Many of us do not see the danger before, beside or behind us. And so when hit we are not prepared for the impact and especially not for the aftermath. A serious hit like that can take years or a lifetime of recovery. I realize that nothing in life is guaranteed, but whatever we do we must be honest about the realities of life. Be honest enough to recognize uncertainties and move with caution, because behind every dream is a nightmare waiting to happen. The likelihood of an impact will be based on turning to a greater source to help you take the necessary steps, to get to your destination.
Most of the time, we see only what we want to see, or what others tell us to see, instead of really investigate to see what is really there. We embrace illusions only because we are presented with the illusion that they are embraced by the majority. When in truth, they only become popular because they are pounded at us by the media with such an intensity and high level of repetition that its mere force disguises lies and truths. And like obedient schoolchildren, we do not question their validity and swallow everything up like medicine. Why? Because since the earliest days of our youth, we have been conditioned to accept that the direction of the herd, and authority anywhere — is always right.
The quote above really got my attention and so, while it is lengthy I put it here for us to consider why we want to succeed. The question came to me from nowhere it seems. Why do you want to succeed? what is your ulterior motive. What is the intrinsic value of our need to be successful in life.
Many persons never stop to ask themselves these questions. We want that promotion, we want the recognition, we want that degree, we want and want and need that thing that will say to others that we are achievers and overachievers. But we never stop to question the authenticity of the wantings. So, if we want a certain type of success, is it because it is a part of our plan or did we see the awards and recognitions being collected by someone and decide that that is what we should be aiming for. Like a careless driver who makes u-turn in a no u-turn area, do we spin around, likely endangering the lives of others, to chase someone else’s dream?
And there are some who want success because they feel future successes will wipe out past failures. So it is not that we necessarily believe in the things we want, but we believe they will vindicate a guilty conscience and make it easier for us to look in the mirror. However, what we may need to do before we move on to embracing the success we desire is to appreciate the role that those failures had in our impending success. Instead of being afraid to fail we should embrace failure as a means to success. If you do not fall how will you get up? We should always know and believe that even in the midst of our success failure is waiting in the wings to enter stage right once more.
Another thought provoking response to this question is this:
when we talk and think success, is it achievement or accomplishment based? If it is to achieve then the goal post for your success will always be measured by an external entity and you may spend your whole life, spent trying to reach an unachievable goal set you. You may find yourself about to achieve that thing you spent so much time on, when suddenly you are told you have to do one more little thing and then that becomes another, eventually with no end in sight. First you need to know that if you do not have the talent to sing well you can’t be a successful singer ( unless you have the money and or right connections, then who knows!). But know your strengths, your weaknesses, what you will be willing to fight to get simply because it matters to youand maybe no on else. Then you can say, I have accomplished what I need to accomplish and will reap the right rewards. Accomplishing comes before achieving.
There is nothing wrong with success but we need to check ourselves when we fervently chase it. Do we do so because it really matters to us or is it, just because?
Have you ever felt as if you just could not go a another step? When this happens sometimes we need to remind ourselves to keep going. Here are some quotations you can use this week to help you set the pace and keep you ahead of your doubts:
Let’s face it, life is tough! We are either entering, enduring or exiting a battle!
Don’t be afraid of losing people. Be afraid of losing yourself by trying to please everyone around you.
Live Life Happy
Patience is when you are suppose to be mad but you choose to understand
Via The Minds Journal
I never judge people on their first appearance, because sometimes people who seem sweet can be the biggest snakes and the people who look arrogant ad rude can be the nicest people ever when you actually get to know them
Unknown
Train your mind to stay calm in every situation
Unknown
When life gives you a hundred reasons to cry, show life that you have a thousand reasons to smile.
Unknown
We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope
Martin Luther King Junior
If you haven’t confidence in self, you are twice defeated in the race of life
Marcus Garvey
As I walked out the door toward the gate that would lead to my freedom, I knew if I didn’t leave my bitterness and hatred behind, I’d still be in prison
We’re our own worst enemy. You doubt yourself more than anybody else ever will. If you can get past that, you can be successful
It is now June and we have said adios to May. We are halfway through the year and in that time we have experienced a lot. Have you accomplished all you set to accomplish within that time or are you like many, still waiting to begin? If you fall in the former and have done what you have to do, congratulations; continue on this path. It’s good to stop and congratulate yourself when you stick to your goals, especially as life throws a lot of curb balls our way. You have recognised your power and have tapped into the source of it. For those who are struggling, it’s not too late to tap into your source and realise all that you want to accomplish by the end of the year. But we must ask ourselves a very important question. Have we become our worst enemies?
How we become our enemy
If you continue to make excuses as to why you cannot do what you have to do in order to get ahead, then you have become your worst enemy. Also, if you still compare yourself to others and find your are lacking in every way imaginable, then sadly you are your worst enemy. This idea leads into the act of being critical, not of others, but of yourself. Have you said yes to things that you really wanted to say no to because you knew it was not for you? Then reconsider doing this, as you will continue to waste time on things that take you further away from your purpose. It maybe painful but sometimes it’s more productive to cut off the unnecessary trimmings that look pretty but hold no value.
Stop and Think
Stop doing the same things that give you the same result- if you want something new, you won’t get ahead by going in circles. You may also need to hear the bitter truth, that not everyone in your circle mean you well; trust the voice within when you realise this and intentionally cut them off. Stop believing that we all have to march in a band. Instead take your drum and your drum stick and march to the beat of your own drum- you will feel a lot better when you appreciate what you have produced instead of what others have produced for you.It’s okay to trust in yourself because you have the same abilities as the people you put your trust in. After all we all have a unique rhythm. Now, I will pause here and say that I am not suggesting that it’s better to be alone. But it is important to know that there isn’t only one way to get things done. Instead, explore new opportunities and avenues.
Assumptions
Finally, stop making assumptions. Today I heard a fantastic tale of intrigue and suspense on the basis of an unknown woman’s sudden appearance; worse yet she was not dressed to be apart of the scene. As a result, the group I was a part of had judged her as having criminal intent. That tale was a lot more juicy than what was the reality. She was told by someone who ‘belonged’, to come to collect a package. Further, after meeting her we had no choice but to put to rest the wildly delicious tale and embrace the truth. So, stop making assumptions about people and situations when we do not have the full picture. We often get fact and fiction confused; the person who seems to mean us well may not and the one who does not, actually want the best for us. Don’t rely solely on our assumptions about anything or anyone. Most importantly do not assume that because you are not where you want to be, you will never get there. You may get there sooner than you think. It all depends on you.
Sometimes childhood memories escape from its box and you can’t help but long for a time when things were simpler, and you found pleasure in the simplest of things. In a land some time ago there was a princess. She attended Vacation Bible School at a church near her home and was given corned beef sandwiches and ice-cold lemonade, a lime green crown and a yellow kite that could be inflated like a balloon. She loved that crown. She however loved her yellow kite more and wanted to take that kite everywhere. That summer she and her sister travelled to the magical kingdom called the Sunshine City to spend their summer vacation with the King, the Queen and the Prince. Of course, the kite had to make the trip too!
When she got there, she longed to go to the beach where the winds were strong so that she could hoist her yellow kite and bask in the sun… she didn’t care much for the water. They got to the beach and the king showed her how to fly the kite… when it was her turn the wind proved to be too mighty for her and fought with her for the yellow kite… it won. She watched as it took her yellow kite with it and she started to cry. The King immediately jumped in the car and followed the yellow kite until the wind let it go. She didn’t know how far he went to get it but she was grateful that he did. When they got home, she deflated her yellow kite and put it away in a draw so as never to lose it again. She kept it until she outgrew it. On that day she saw the King as her hero, the person who saved something she loved.
The princess grew older and went to live in the kingdom and over the years that perception changed, just as she outgrew the yellow kite. She outgrew the idea that she should be dependent on someone else to be her hero. She watched as the person she saw as her hero metamorphosed into a villain. He reduced himself to someone she would never want her son, brother, husband to emulate. Someone who she once saw as strong and heroic was reduced to someone who she thought she now needed a hero to defeat. She then asked herself the question… What made him a villain? He must have had a reason for becoming the “bad” person he is now? She realized that he was enabled, made to feel entitled, made to feel that he was to be “served” and taken care of and the rules of the Kingdom made by him had to be followed. “Thou shalt not eat this” “Thou shalt not do this” “Thou shalt not do that” “My Prince shall not do this”. Some may say that should not have skewed her perception. But it did because she was made to feel as if she was the “servant”. As if that was her sole purpose. She then realized that she also looked to other people in the kingdom to be her hero. She hoped the Queen would have stood up for, but she didn’t. She supported her King and helped to enforce the rules of the kingdom though some of those rules bothered her.
Over the years the Queen grew weary and realized that her King was lacking, and it frustrated her. She cursed, spat insults and lashed out with her fiery tongue. She also took out her anger on the prince and princess of the kingdom and that bothered them. The princess felt overwhelmed and felt as if she was not loved and that she was the least favourite of all the other princesses and princes. The princess knew that she was not perfect, but she also knew she didn’t deserve to be treated as such. Her heroes failed her. As such she decided that there was none better to save her than herself. She had to be her own hero.
All this reminiscing brought to mind another simple truth that is so important to remember, and it is this — no matter what you are going through, sometimes you have to be your own hero. And you know what? There is nothing wrong with that ideal if that is what it takes to keep you going forward.
“Everything happens for a reason. Wait on God and trust in Him. He wants the best for us. He wants to take us from glory to glory, and from victory to victory.”
― Germany Kent
So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God
Corinthians 10:31
What’s Important is the Journey
I went to the beach recently with my colleague, and as per usually some very peculiar thoughts came to mind. So we were going to Gloria’s Restaurant. The story of the restaurant, located in Port Royal, is very inspiring. Starting with its founder, Gloria Harris who started not with a building, a kitchen a roadside cart or even selling seafood, it has flourished into a beloved eatery for seafood lovers. What is inspiring in not so much the success but the transformation that this business has witnessed; from selling egg sandwiches to the local fishermen to woking on her craft as a chef selling at the airport and roadside to acquiring a building and another five years later in the act of realising her purpose and being a successful business woman. I am sure that there must have been challenges that were conquered by faith. As I looked at the rough sea, I thought about my own rough times – and naturally my fear of such waters because I cannot swim. I felt so blessed in that moment when I remember those rough times though and those who had been in that rocky boat with me…
God Has Got This…
I was coming from a place of darkness, real darkness. when the thought of leaving my house was so terrifying that I had panic attacks. When the thought of being genuinely happy filled me with great cynicism and anger. I was coming from a place where death seemed an attractive companion; because life was just too much and not enough; but God intervened. Do you know that the word Gloria derived from the latin word glōria(glory), and glory describes the manifestation of God’s presence. While initially it seemed for the second time in our attempt to take a trip as a department, we would be going nowhere, God intervened. When it seemed as if our experience was about to be dampened, God intervened. And what could have been a “flop”, became a resounding success of renewal of mind body and spirit.
I know for many persons it is really hard to come back from a dark place where it felt like live was passing you by. When your everyday mantra becomes, “I hate my life”. As I sat in the bus in the bus on the way to Gloria’s, I was grateful for Shelly’s “are you okay?” I was grateful I could say “yes” and truly mean it at that moment. Then I was grateful for one of the best friends I have ever had, Shalene, who stood, sat and shared one bed with me during one of the most frightening periods of my life, when death seemed much easier to attain than being happy. For Mrs. Grandison, who was my counsellor when I felt it was all hopeless and for being a mother when all that was required was for her to be my supervisor. I was really grateful for Antoinette, who accepted all of me and affectionately refers to me as a “likkle terrorist”. And as I sat at the table with everyone and listened to the conversations swirling around me, I was happy that by just being themselves, they each made me feel happy to be alive in that moment. God had surrounded me with people to remind me that in any situation already was way ahead of me and all of us.
More Than Food…
By the end of the meal we were full to bursting [some more than others], and while some had imbibed, we were good enough to go on the beach to walk off both food and liquor. However, a routine stroll on the beach ended up being an exhilarating moment of simply, laughing, jumping [some higher than others], posing, fellowship and discovering. We took off our shoes sunk our feet in the sand and just allowed ourselves to be in that moment. When we turned back to the bus to leave, a little bit of peace had been collected and a little bit more of our fears tossed into the waters, forgotten forever. It was one of the best outing I had been on.not because the food and setting were great, which they were! It was one of the best outing because of the company and because of the reminder that life really is worth living. The visit to Gloria’s had manifested God’s hope that His people “…shall rejoice in all the good that the Lord your God has given to you” (Deuteronomy 26:11)
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