Painful doses of life, a necessary prescription!

It's been three months since my last weekly blog interestingly titled "Growing through Pain and Suffering."

If you believe in the power of attraction, don't write a blog about something you don't want to attract in you life!

Over the last three months, I have had my eyes opened, my heart broken, lost good friends, my trust jeopardized and my soul questioned!

Not an easy journey and not one I want to have very often.

I am still in one piece however a little older, wiser and I'm afraid not all the way through it.

Lately I have been saying "you don't know what you don't know."

Well today I know a bit more, however not close to knowing enough.

I have to say I plan on waiting for my return on investment.  You know the cliche' everything happens for a reason.

I am digging deep to discover why new wrinkles need ironing however not judging the process or the roots of the wrinkles.

I enjoy writing this blog and felt a bit empty not corresponding to those that follow the stuff I think about.

It's time for next steps and I look forward to new challenges and growth.

It is my hope that all of you recognize the necessary prescriptions in your life and you don't overdose!

NobleOne

Growing through Pain and Suffering

On a daily basis my goal is to be happy and to make others happy around me.  Not a bad goal, however there are times when “happy” seems a bit far away!

Life simply serves you up all kinds of realities that you have to deal with based on your resources at hand.  You are directly responsible for some and others have nothing to do with you. 

A book I am reading right now by Timothy Keller, Walking with God through Pain and Suffering uses the analogy that pain and suffering is like walking through a fiery furnace and being molded by the experience or consumed by the flames. 

Consider this…have you ever met someone truly interesting or fascinating that has not endured some sort of unique pain and suffering?

I guess the wisdom here it to “know” it’s coming and decide not to judge it when it does.  Grow through it.

When dealing with opportunities in your life!  Live in the moment, experience the new reality and see how time treats it. 

Look back at your life and remember the trials you have faced and understand that today’s actions and deeds will be the fabric of your memories tomorrow.

At the end of it all, do your best to be the “example” and not the lesson to learn!

NobleOne

Seeking inspiration from a bowling ball!

Yesterday I visited the new DAV Thrift store on General Booth Blvd and found this bowling ball for $4.98.  You might ask, Al, why a bowling ball?

Three years ago Pete Hansen and I watched the movie Fat Sick and Nearly Dead and decided to juice for two months in order to lose weight.

One of the visuals I took away from the movie, a man measured his weight loss by bowling balls.  For every 10 lbs he placed another bowling ball on the rack.  

It stuck with me!

I know I am probably the only one that used additional food to get through “snowmageddon.”  So very soon I plan to lose my winter bowling ball!

How ‘bout you?

NobleOne

The Promise of the Dragonfly!

Winter is simply a tough season when you own a farm.  When temperatures drop below freezing the opportunity to get water to everybody and everything becomes the challenge of each day!

When the weather eventually turns warmer, the bugs return and the worse ones start out the season first. 

I remember when we moved out to the county 15 years ago and being attacked by the dreaded “may fly” in my driveway.  I researched everything from putting blue tape on buckets to mosquito zone. 

…and eventually the dragonflies emerged.  Such wonderful creatures with no agenda but to look cool fly awesome and consume bad bugs! 

The dragonfly is the beginning of balance of life on the farm.  I can truly appreciate the sun, warm water, boat rides to Blue Pete’s and sup’n on Back Bay since I endured the opposite during the winter months.

I consider this one more lesson to learn about life.  It simply is not cake and ice cream all the time.  

In order to enjoy the peaks of life you have to have spent some time in the valleys.   How can you enjoy true happiness unless you have experienced sincere sadness?

I feel allowing this balance to occur in your life without judgment leads to life’s true wisdom!

Grow during your pain and suffering and celebrate when the sun begins to shine again!

NobleOne

You don't know what you don't know!

How can you move forward when you don’t know what you don’t know?  You can’t pursue the goal if you are not aware that it even exists!

Some folks have no idea what they are capable of because they have no idea that it could be available to them.

It’s funny how one day or action by another can open a door that you are not aware even existed.

It doesn't necessarily have to change the world, however it can start a new direction that gains momentum and eventually becomes something completely different.

The exercise is to "remain open to everything and attached to nothing" so says my friend Wayne Dyer.

I find it refreshing to learn something new and immediately place it in my life and live just a little different because of it!

So today keep both eyes open, your heart full and intentionally don’t predict how your day will emerge! 

NobleOne

It amazes me what people can do for people!

I heard a holocaust survivor make this statement about the folks that held him hostage and later changed his soul. 

At 14 no child should endure what he did and today he talks to anyone and everyone about preventing this type of atrocity to ever be repeated.

He traveled back to Germany and was embraced and encouraged to live out his life with this mission.

He made the statement in the radio interview “It is amazing what people can do for people.”  Truly a powerful statement when you consider his life, it struck me to the core.

One person can truly change a life of another, a tremendous responsibility and perhaps a burden.  A powerful notion to be sure!

If you examine your life you will recognize the ripples that turned to waves and the waves that turned to ripples.  You cannot judge the moment with the ability of hind sight!

Every day you have the opportunity to respond to someone’s life.  Be authentic and consider how your actions will play out over time!

We all possess the opportunity to make a difference in other’s lives.  Wisdom offers the insight not to judge.  History will do that for us!

When the story is finally told hopefully you will be the good part!

NobleOne

Dying, everyone is doing it!

Over the holidays I lost a few friends and attended their funerals. 

…and like everything else in my life I asked the questions?  Could we be doing this better?

I have yet to meet the person that figured out how to live forever.  So consider this…if you were born…you are gonna die!

Why not think about how you want to go out.  Do you want all your friends and family to meet at the local church (that you may or may not have attended) or a funeral home and have someone talk about you, talk about your salvation along with everyone else’s in the room.

Why do we mourn others deaths?  

What are your wishes?  

Do you wish for people to be sad at your funeral?  

Is it the role of your funeral to introduce everyone to religion? 

It appears to me that a great deal of folks don’t want to deal with the planning of their own funeral.  

So are you planning to leave that responsibility to someone else?  Really? 

Most seem to go with the boiler plate ceremony where your name is placed in the program and you or your family pick out a few hymns and one of your kids or friends tells sad stories.  We are all then asked to consider our own salvation and pray to whatever or whoever’s religion is represented at the funeral.

Consider this, if it rains on the day of your funeral, 60% of the people won’t show. 

People that are compelled to attend a funeral are most likely linked significantly to the person that has recently passed away.

I think a funeral should be as unique as the person that passed away.  It ought to be an expression of that person’s life or what they lived for. 

Why give up the last opportunity to go out with a bang or with some class!  Why not plan something different and memorable now.  Give your survivors a real memory and an imprint of your life.  Celebrate a life well lived! 

I would ask that you at least consider the road less traveled and don’t be a “me too” and do what other's think you should.   This world needs a little shaking up and changing the way funerals/celebrations are conducted could be just what’s needed!

What say you? 

NobleOne