This is too insightful not to share. I asked a friend who has crossed 70 & is heading towards 80 what sort of changes he is feeling in himself? He sent me the following:
1 After loving my parents, my siblings, my spouse, my children and my friends, I have now started loving myself.
2 I have realized that I am not “Atlas”. The world does not rest on my shoulders.
3 I have stopped bargaining with vegetable & fruit vendors. A few pennies more is not going to break me, but it might help the poor fellow save for his daughter’s school fees.
4 I leave my waitress a big tip. The extra money might bring a smile to her face. She is toiling much harder for a living than I am.
5 I stopped telling the elderly that they’ve already told that story many times. The story makes them walk down memory lane & relive their past.
6 I have learned not to correct people even when I know they are wrong. The onus of making everyone perfect is not on me. Peace is more precious than perfection.
7 I give compliments freely & generously. Compliments are a mood enhancer not only for the recipient, but also for me. And a small tip for the recipient of a compliment, never, NEVER turn it down, just say “Thank You.”
8 I have learned not to bother about a crease or a spot on my shirt. Personality speaks louder than appearances.
9 I walk away from people who don’t value me. They might not know my worth, but I do.
10 I remain cool when someone plays dirty to outrun me in the rat race. I am not a rat & neither am I in any race.
11 I am learning not to be embarrassed by my emotions. It’s my emotions that make me human.
12 I have learned that it’s better to drop the ego than to break a relationship. My ego will keep me aloof, whereas with relationships, I will never be alone.
13 I have learned to live each day as if it’s the last. After all, it might be the last.
14 I am doing what makes me happy. I am responsible for my happiness, and I owe it to myself. Happiness is a choice. You can be happy at any time, just choose to be!
I decided to share this for all my friends. Why do we have to wait to be 60 or 70 or 80, why can’t we practice this at any stage and age?
SEEK YOUR ‘HIGHEST SELF’ AND REMEMBER THAT BY THE FRUITS WE KNOW OTHERS AND OURSELVES
There is that intriguing quote from Scripture: “By their fruits ye shall know them,” said Jesus (Matthew 7:20). And so it is.
Never mind what is called the “pretense.” Never mind the facade. Never mind the smiles on the surface, the glad-handing, the slap on the back.
You will know a person’s inner self by the fruits that issue forth. It is the “bottom line” of spirituality. For a fruit is there to see and touch and it either nourishes or does the opposite.
What is the effect of people around you? What is the feeling you are left with? How do they affect your emotions — or even your life? How do you affect others? What do you leave them with?
The dictionary defines fruit as an effect, result, or consequence, whether advantageous or disadvantageous. A fruit is what we produce (which is why fruit is in the produce department at the grocery).
There is fruit that is sweet. There’s fruit that’s bitter. There is fruit that grants good health. There is fruit that is poisonous. There is fruit that ripens too quickly (because it has been rushed along). There is fruit with too many seeds (pretension). There is fruit that is hidden (stingy) in thorns. There is fruit that is shed in such abundance that much of it falls and rots and is not valued because it has not been nourished and allowed to mature (in God’s timing). There is fruit with a hard skin and fruit that is soft.
When bad fruit comes from a person, it is often in the form of division, tension, anxiety, confusion, and yes, that hardness. Our spirits resist or even bristle at the proud. Pride is pretense and pretense is the first thing an exorcist must remove (before getting to the demonic). Pride yields the worst fruit because it grows in darkness. We can be deceived by fruit as we saw Eve and Adam deceived in the Garden.
When good fruit comes, it is in the way of peace, joy, and comfort — a sense of well-being. You feel at home with yourself. It is the effect the fruit has that figures into our tally.
What about our children? Are they “fruits”?
They have their own free will and so we can’t be held accountable for everything they do. On the other hand, we are able to judge the Blessed Mother by the “Fruit” of her womb.
The best fruits come from our “highest self” (just like choice fruit is often up there on the top branches). What’s meant by “highest self”?
It is the heart and mind joined in purity of intention. It’s the “you” in wonderful moments when spiritual power seems at a peak around you. It is when you totally elevate above worldliness. It is that time you seemed to have perfect inner sanctity — rising above the quibbles and aggravations of life, not letting anything or anyone bother you. It is that high point you have felt after the most powerful Communion. You transcend. You rise above.
Nothing disturbs you. You see everything in the proper context of eternity. Holy, holy, holy. This should be our goal. The difficulty: keeping at this level! You know how it is: You feel an ecstatic moment — you have a little epiphany, are feeling so well after Mass, everything seems to be going just right — and then someone comes along with a word or a look or an action (or an e-mail) or thoughtlessness and vacuums the anointing from you. Anything that takes this joy from you is a fruit from darkness (where grows fungus).
Most of the time, this happens because we let our guard down, react to a negative, and adopt a wrong thought pattern (or “lower self”).
During Communion, eject all inner grit, hand it to Jesus, and ask Him to fill you with His pureness. When there is no dark emotion bubbling to the surface of you soul — when criticality has left you, when you have no hint of anxiety, jealousy, ambition, selfishness, greed, lust, hatred, or resentment — you have reached it and with peace your spirit will let you know that. These are questions that can lead to the evolution of purity and entry into Heaven if while here on earth we tackle them.
If someone is producing bad fruit, remember that not everyone spiritually matures at the same time. We all have our “moment of understanding.” A person who has hurt you may not yet have reached his or her such moment. Always see the other person’s side.
Purity toward one another is in the love we send. What fruit are we yielding? Are we bringing peace to others, are we bringing joy, or are we robbing happiness from others?
Are we creating peace or anxiety?
When we maintain our highest selves, we yield an abundance that gives health to our souls and to the souls of others, which transmits into healing– even physically. At the high point, we transcend the world’s trivialities (no matter how “important” they seem).
Let it go. The wind will blow. It will go away. Release, release, release, and say: let no one be held in purgatory on my account.
Don’t let grace be stolen. Don’t eat the wrong fruit. Don’t let people take your joy. Maintain the high point of your existence — keep it in your firm grasp! At the same time, avoid a tree that is constantly yielding bitter fruit; it robs the good taste from your mouth. View matters from the highest branch, which means constant forgiveness despite endless trials that strengthen our roots and branches and leaves.
The last words of Steve Jobs, billionaire, dead at 56: “I have reached the pinnacle of success in business.” In other people’s eyes my life is a success. However, aside from work, I’ve had little joy. At the end of the day, wealth is just a fact I’ve gotten used to. Right now, lying on my hospital bed, reminiscing all my life, I realize that all the recognition and wealth I took so much pride in, has faded and become meaningless in the face of imminent death. You can hire someone to drive your car or make money for you but you can’t hire someone to stand sick and die for you. Material things lost can be found again. But there is one thing that can never be found when it is lost – “Life”. Whatever stage of life we are currently at, in time we will face the day the curtain closes. Love your family,spouse and friends… Treat them right . Cherish them. As we get older, and wiser, we slowly realize that wearing a $300 or $30 watch – both give the same time… Whether we have a $300 or $30 wallet or purse, the amount inside is the same; Whether we drive a $150,000 car or a $30,000 car, the road and the distance are the same, and we reach the same destination. That we drink a bottle of wine at 1000. $ or $10 hangover is the same; That the house we live in is 300 or 3000 square feet – loneliness is the same. You will realize that your true inner happiness does not come from material things of this world. Whether you’re traveling first class or economy class, if the plane crashes, you go down with it… therefore .. I hope you realize, when you have friends,boyfriends and old friends,brothers and sisters,with whom you discuss,laugh,talk,sing,talk about north-south-east or heaven and earth,…. this is the real happiness!! An indisputable fact of life: Don’t raise your children to be rich. Educate them to be happy. So when they grow up they will know the value of things and not the price.
THIS IS RIGHT ON THE NOSE. …….READ IT SLOWLY… I DON’T KNOW WHO WROTE IT, BUT I AM GUESSING IT WAS A SENIOR!!! I FIRST STARTED READING THIS AND WAS READING FAST UNTIL I REACHED THE THIRD SENTENCE. I STOPPED AND STARTED OVER READING SLOWER AND THINKING ABOUT EVERY WORD. THIS IS VERY THOUGHT-PROVOKING. MAKES YOU STOP AND THINK.AND THEN IT IS WINTER You know. . . time has a way of moving quickly and catching you unaware of the passing years.It seems just yesterday that I was young, just married and embarking on my new life with my mate. Yet in a way, it seems like eons ago, and I wonder where all the years went. I know that I lived them all. I have glimpses of how it was back then and of all my hopes and dreams. But, here it is… the winter of my life and it catches me by surprise…How did I get here so fast? Where did the years go and where did my youth go?I remember well seeing older people through the years and thinking that those older people were years away from me and that winter was so far off that I could not fathom it or imagine fully what it would be like. But, here it is…my friends are retired and getting grey…they move slower and I see an older person now. Some are in better and some worse shape than me…but, I see the great change….Not like the ones that I remember who were young and vibrant…but, like me, their age is beginning to show and we are now those older folks that we used to see and never thought we’d be.Each day now, I find that just getting a shower is a real target for the day! And taking a nap is not a treat anymore… it’s mandatory! Cause if I don’t on my own free will… I just fall asleep where I sit!And so…now I enter into this new season of my life unprepared for all the aches and pains and the loss of strength and ability to go and do things that I wish I had done but never did!But, at least I know, that though the winter has come, and I’m not sure how long it will last…this I know, that when it’s over on this earth…it’s NOT over. A new adventure will begin!Yes, I have regrets. There are things I wish I hadn’t done…things I should have done, but indeed, there are many things I’m happy to have done. It’s all in a lifetime.So, if you’re not in your winter yet…let me remind you, that it will be here faster than you think. So, whatever you would like to accomplish in your life please do it quickly! Don’t put things off too long!Life goes by quickly. So, do what you can today, as you can never be sure whether this is your winter or not! You have no promise that you will see all the seasons of your life…so, live for today and say all the things that you want your loved ones to remember…and hope that they appreciate and love you for all the things that you have done for them in all the years past!”Life” is a gift to you. The way you live your life is your gift to those who come after. Make it a fantastic one.LIVE IT WELL! ENJOY TODAY! DO SOMETHING FUN! BE HAPPY! HAVE A GREAT DAY! REMEMBER:….”It is health that is real wealth and not pieces of gold and silver.”LIVE HAPPY IN THIS YEAR AND EVERY YEAR!LASTLY, CONSIDER THE FOLLOWING:TODAY IS THE OLDEST YOU’VE EVER BEEN, YET THE YOUNGEST YOU’LL EVER BE SO – ENJOY THIS DAY WHILE IT LASTS.~Your kids are becoming you…….~Going out is good.. Coming home is better!~You forget names…. But it’s OK because other people forgot they even knew you!!!~You realize you’re never going to be really good at anything~The things you used to care to do, you no longer care to do, but you really do care that you don’t care to do them anymore.~You sleep better on a lounge chair with the TV blaring than in bed. It’s called “pre-sleep”.~You miss the days when everything worked with just an “ON” and “OFF” switch..~You tend to use more 4 letter words … “what?”…”when?”… “what?” . ???~Now that you can afford expensive jewelry, it’s not safe to wear it anywhere.~You notice everything they sell in stores is “sleeveless”?!!!~What used to be freckles are now liver spots.~Everybody whispers.~You have 3 sizes of clothes in your closet…. 2 of which you will never wear.~But Old is good in some things: Old Songs, Old movies, and best of all, OLD FRIENDS!!Stay well, “OLD FRIEND!” Send this on to other “Old Friends!” and let them laugh in AGREEMENT!!!
It’s Not What You Gather, But What You Scatter That Tells What Kind Of Life You Have Lived.
Years ago, I wrote this rant to a group of high school students I mentor. Today, she finds herself out of a job on Capitol Hill due to the changed administration. She said she kept the note tucked away. Today, she shared how my message is helping her get through this transition. You never know how words can affect people. Make sure to keep it positive. I’m sharing this message. Hope it helps for those down and unemployed.
Hi Doc – It’s been a rough transition for a number of us, but I am reminded of something you had told us years ago. I knew I had it jotted down somewhere, dug through my old notes today to find it and wanted to share it again. You had said, “When it comes to feeling tired or ‘burned out,’ just think of the Manong cutting asparagus in the hot Stockton sun or the Auntie caring for three small children in Navy housing on a hot and humid Norfolk, summer day.. How does your discomfort really compare to the menial tasks our Uncles and Aunties underwent daily to open the doors of opportunity for us 2nd generation-ers, doors that remain eternally shut to them. We all should feel privileged and honored to do the work that we do. I do. Once we recognize the only enemy we truly have is within ourselves, only then can we begin to conquer it by doing [community] work that defines and redefines who we are and what we can be.” (Dated 2005) // So thank YOU for sharing these words with us back then and for YOUR commitment to young folks like me, allowing us to go forth. Your words have inspired me in tough times and as of late, have been helpful in focusing in on the important work that remains ahead. Thanks, Doc! (I hope you knew that I was listening)
Meet Tallulah! She came to us a week ago through Unchain America. Tallulah is a 14 week old Jack Russell mix, she currently weighs 11lbs. This girl is high energy, she will need a family that has plenty of time to exercise with her and work on training. Tallulah loves other dogs and does well with kids who understand puppies jump and sometimes play rough. Her disposition is very sweet, very loving, and very smart! If you a looking for an adventure-seeking puppy to hike, run and hang out with check out Tallulah!
If you are interested in adoption; DO NOT CALL, please complete an online application on 4 Paws Animal Rescue’s website at www.4pawz.org. We verify the care of past/current pets. Our goal is to have the very best home for all our dogs and cats, and therefore, we reserve the right to approve or deny an application based on what we determine is in the pet’s best interest.
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This Pet is no longer available. Below you can find other pets in 4 Paws Animal Rescue, Inc
Melvin Maxwell shares pointers on how to live in your senior years. I always found and seek this type of advice…advice based on personal experiences. What a great legacy of thought to keep alive.
The perfect role model who understands the many influences that make up one’s truth. The value of personal stories is the foundation one stands on. Right on Oprah!!!
While I prefer to write in-depth essays, with a bit of storytelling to set the mood and at least one visual framework, I do have to agree that sometimes a few dozen (or more) quick tips are more than enough to give one the push they need to punch the damn keys.
Or, better yet, offer them the final push they need to understand at an emotional level some important aspect.
That’s why today I’m sharing with you a list of 99 quick tips that will surely help you become at least more productive creative entrepreneurs.
On Writing
1. The stories you write will never be “done.” Publishing them means abandoning them. Let go and publish your stories.
2. Eliminate 20% of the words you wrote to make your draft 100% better.
3. The most valuable thing you can learn from successful writers isn’t how they write, it’s how often they write.
4. Great writing is 99% rewriting.
5. Writing that resonates with an audience isn’t about what’s in the writer’s head — it’s translating into words what’s in the reader’s heart.
6. There’s no such thing as an “aspiring” writer — if you write, you’re a writer and if you don’t, you’re not.
7. You don’t need ideas to write, you need to write to find ideas.
8. First drafts feel bad, but rewriting a bad first draft into something you’re proud is one of the best feelings ever.
9. Reading doesn’t make you a better writer, but not reading at all means you can’t call yourself a writer.
10. It’s not about having something to say — it’s about having the guts to say it.
11. “Wow, that’s great grammar,” said nobody ever.
12. Writer’s block is just creative bankruptcy. You pour out what you put in. Feed your brain.
13. The only guarantee in writing is the first 100 things you write will suck. After that, they won’t be so bad.
14. “I can’t write” is a lie.
15. 75% of writing isn’t writing — it’s thinking, editing, and publishing.
16. Your writing is only as good as your ideas.
17. To impress people with your writing, stop trying to impress people with your writing.
18. The opening scene often determines the fate of a piece of writing. No one talks about the brilliant fourth paragraph if the first three paragraphs are boring.
19. Don’t connect all the dots for the reader — let them have some fun.
20. The good news is you can write anything you want. That’s also the bad news.
21. Stop thinking in terms of good or bad. A piece of writing is for them or not. Some will love it, some will hate it.
22. If you’re writing for yourself you shouldn’t expect to attract an audience.
23. Authenticity is just as important as creativity.
24. The attention your writing gets is often the outcome of the curiosity your story’s premise triggers.
25. Write like no one’s listening and everyone needs to.
26. Your writing is a reflection of your environment — change the environment and you change the writing.
27. Writing should comfort the disturbed and disturb the comfortable.
28. Writing has a rhythm to it. Great writing flows like music.
29. When in doubt, rummage through the most hidden drawers of your soul for what hurts the most.
30. To define means to place in a cage. Think in terms of verbs, not nouns.
31. If the blank page scares you, start with someone else’s words until you find your own.
32. Readers don’t resonate with what is original. They resonate with what’s familiar yet appears to be strange. Like experiencing a deja vu.
33. The creative brain is all about collective intelligence. Learn to deploy the frameworks of those who punched the keys before you.
34. Writing is a journey of self-discovery, both for you and who reads you.
On Productivity
35. Finishing one book is more important than starting 100.
36. Work expands to fill the time you give it.
37. Perfection is productivity’s nemesis.
38. If you’re not doing it, it’s not a priority.
39. The most valuable to-do list is a done list.
40. It’s easier to do something every day than once in a while.
41. The secret to productivity? Do it when you don’t feel like it.
42. You can only be productive if you’re clear on the result you hope to produce.
43. Productivity requires opposite skills: The ability to pay attention and ignore.
44. The more you do what you want, the more productive you’ll become.
45. The goal isn’t to do everything . Learn to delegate the tasks that don’t inspire you.
46. No one can make you do anything but yourself.
47. Every moment is an opportunity to quit. Or not.
48. The best productivity system is to do the work.
49. Busy is not the same as productive.
50. As the saying goes, “You can do anything — you just can’t do everything.”
51. You don’t have to reinvent the wheel — you can learn from the person who did.
52. The most important relationship in your life is the one you have with time.
53. The most effective productivity hack: Say no.
54. You’ll never run out of things to do (if you’re lucky).
55. You don’t manage your time, you spend it. Invest wisely.
On Marketing
56. Marketing is storytelling and the most interesting stories are true.
57. The best marketing strategy is to write a great book.
58. You can buy exposure, but you can’t buy attention.
59. To learn how to capture an audience’s attention, notice how someone captures yours.
60. The more your marketing sounds like marketing, the worse it will perform.
61. The most valuable marketing can’t be bought — it can only be earned.
62. You don’t need a big budget, you need a big story.
63. Great content and great marketing are the same thing.
64. You can’t have marketing hits without marketing misses.
65. Discounts are the white flags of marketing.
66. You can’t market to people you don’t understand.
67. Word of mouth marketing always happens — it’s just not always the words you want.
68. It’s easier to write the book readers want to read than to make people want to read your book.
69. There’s no marketing without repetition.
70. Email marketing represents the best and worst of what marketing can be.
71. Marketing’s more effective as a conversation than a lecture.
72. Marketing is connection.
On Building a Platform
73. Don’t confuse a newsletter with email marketing — one’s designed to provide value to an audience and the other to extract value from an audience.
74. You don’t need as many followers as you think to accomplish your goals.
75. Most writers fail because they’re trying to sell more than they’re trying to add value
76. If someone’s not opening your emails, they’re not in your audience — remove them from your list.
77. The more you know about your target audience, the better you’re able to serve them.
78. Don’t get bogged down trying to figure out your tech stack — it’s the least important element of a platform.
79. Email subscribers are more valuable than social media followers because when you share something with them it reaches more than 10% of them.
80. A blog creates an opportunity for the people who care what you have to say to reveal themselves.
81. Writing a blog about more than just updates on your books teaches you a lot of skills and enables you to connect with people who normally wouldn’t stick around.
82. Blogging is a two-way medium. Use it that way.
83. Just click publish.
On Social Media
84. When you post an image, don’t use the caption to tell your audience what it is— use it to explain why it should matter to THEM.
85. Make the most of all three opportunities you have to attract engagement in every post: The image/video, the caption, and the comments.
86. Don’t “Like” posts you don’t actually like just to be nice because doing so will train the social platform algorithms to show you more posts you won’t like.
87. Social media itself isn’t a goal — it’s a tool you use to accomplish your actual goals.
88. Break successful big pieces of content like blog posts and podcasts into multiple smaller pieces of content and expand small pieces of content like tweets that do well into bigger pieces of content.
89. Any time someone asks you a question, turn your answer into a social media post — they’re not the only one who had that question and your answer will provide value to your audience.
90. Most social media strategies fail because they chase attention instead of earning it by speaking to people’s needs, thoughts, fears, hopes, and experiences.
91. You have two audiences: People who know you and those who don’t.
92. Never follow someone on social media solely because they followed you, are related to you, work with you, or out of guilt.
93. You don’t have to be on every platform — do you really feel like any one platform doesn’t have enough people using it for you to build an audience and accomplish your goals?
94. True social media success is built not by being fake but by being more honest, authentic, vulnerable, and real than most people are willing to be.
95. Do the opposite of what celebrities do on social media: Use it to connect instead of promote, post about your audience more than yourself, reply as much as you post.
96. The best social media marketers and content creators are the ones who experiment the most.
97. Create content that will change the lives of the people who consume it.
98. Promise (and deliver) your audience a lot of value in a limited amount of time: You’re reading this in part because I’ve boiled the advice down to a collection of quick tips you know won’t take you long to get through.
99. Either find a way or make one.
Ultimately, success as a creative entrepreneur comes down to your willingness to either find a way or make one.
Adapt, overcome, and improvise.
Do what you can with what you have until you become so good they just can’t ignore you.
datruthchronicles 
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