Thursday, October 31, 2013

Strength in Adversity

Last week's video we talked about Changing Your Thoughts...Can Change
Your Life. Today we want to discuss finding your strength when life is
not going according to plan.

Whenever we're faced with bad news, a difficult person, or a
disappointment of some kind, most of us get into certain habits, ways of
reacting to life - particularly adversity - that do not serve us very
well.

However, what we hope you gain from today's video is best described by
this saying, "When there is no struggle, there is no strength."

So sit back, turn up your speakers...enjoy the video and share it with others! 




Wednesday, October 30, 2013

Weekly Devotionals

Weekly Verse
"Be of good courage,
And He shall strengthen your heart,
All you who hope in the LORD."
-Psalm 31:24
Weekly Quote
"We can walk without fear, full of hope and courage and strength to do His will, waiting for the endless good which He is always giving as fast as He can get us able to take it in." -George MacDonald
Weekly Thought
What keeps us from attempting—let alone accomplishing—great things? None other than fear! No wonder the phrase "fear not" is found more than 100 times throughout the Bible. The opposite of fear is courage. But how do you get courage if you're afraid? Unlike the Cowardly Lion, it's not like we can follow the Yellow Brick Road with Dorothy and Toto to see if a wizard will bestow courage on us.

The psalmist tells us that there is something we can do to build our courage: hope in the Lord (Psalm 31:24). There's no other starting point. It's the only thing that enabled David to face Goliath (1 Samuel 17:1-51); Gideon to lead a small rag-tag army against the might Midianites (Judges 6:1-7:25); Joshua to cross the Jordan River and later conquer Jericho (Joshua 3:1-17); Peter to walk on water (Matthew 14:22-29). And it's the only thing that enables you and me to face any giants and challenges that come our way.

Is your hope in God?

Oh Lord, I do put my hope in you this day. Give me the courage and strengthen my heart so I can do something great for You. Amen.

Monday, October 28, 2013

"How you spend your money is how you vote on what exists in the world." – Vicki Robin

P.S. In regards to the above quote from Vicki Robin...

Everything we spend money on is a silent agreement that we support it's existence AND how it came to be. For example, when we purchase blue items we are quietly 'voting' for blue to exist in the world.

Or when we purchase non-organic food, we are quietly 'voting' to have pesticides and GMOs in our food.

When we purchase books from a certain author, we are quietly 'voting' to support that author and all the messages that author seeks to bring to the world.

Then there's things like charitable organizations. When we support Pachamama Alliance, we're voting to protect the rainforests of the Amazon.

Those are a few examples.

It goes on... basically everything we purchase is our way of saying "I want more of this in the world."

That's why I'm voting to bring conscious movies to the mainstream media. :)

 P.S. I also recognize that it's not always just "black and white..."

Sometimes our choices are limited. Perhaps we can't afford to eat organic food, so we must eat conventional. Or maybe we live in an area where organic food isn't even available, so we eat conventional food full of pesticides. Maybe we can't afford to donate money to support Milton's Secret, so we share it on Facebook.

Still, the fundamentals are basically there. Usually we can do -something- to vote with our money or at least our actions that can effect the energy of money. Whether it's just one very small change... perhaps even a $1 donation to a favorite charity or conscious movie production, or to commit to just purchasing a few organic fruits, and so on.

Whatever our hearts are passionate about, we can choose more consciously to support them.

Sunday, October 27, 2013

Make the unseen seen

A while back I was watching a wonderful movie, Narnia: Voyage of the Dawn Treader.

There was a scene where several invisible characters are telling a girl to speak a "spell that makes the unseen... seen."

And it got me to thinking...

What exactly does that mean? In the context of the movie, the answer is simple: It's a spell that makes invisible people become visible.

What I find interesting is how it relates to our daily lives. For example...

How often do our thoughts go unexamined?

Reactions and historical conditioning drive the majority of our lives. That quick snap judgment without knowing the full situation, a moment of anger when we lack the full picture, eating the same meal day after day and driving the same path to work, and replaying the same relationship dynamics with each new partner...

All expecting different results but not really seeing any lasting, meaningful changes.

Those are all examples of unexamined thoughts directing our actions. In a way, you could think of those thoughts as "unseen." The benefits are that we don't have to think as much.

To the Inner Critic and our egos, life seems "easier" this way. That isn't necessarily true. It's just more "comfortable" to the unseen aspects of our subconscious minds.

As the scene progresses in the movie, the girl chants the spell that "Makes the Unseen Seen."

Immediately, all the seemingly savage invisible beasts reveal themselves as small, insecure, and fearful one-legged creatures. The warriors that those previously invisible creatures were attacking suddenly start making fun of the creatures... realizing how ridiculous it is that these warriors were afraid of creatures with so little power in the world.

That's exactly what happens when we take time to live consciously and examine our thoughts.

It's what happens when we stop taking the "shoulda, woulda, coulda" and the doubts, criticisms, and insecurities so seriously. We realize how ridiculous it is that we were scared of the "unseen" thoughts that used to dictate our actions, and consequently, our lives.

Since life isn't a movie, fortunately it doesn't require a spell to start working in our lives. :)

All it takes is a genuine desire to see, a map and a guide to support you in walking the paths on that map, and just a little bit (not a lot) of action.

Chris Cade

Saturday, October 26, 2013

Chain of Kindness

Sometimes a good deed might seem to go unnoticed, but rarely do our good deeds come back to us from the person we give them to. It’s always from our heart that they return. This fun video represents what happens when we do something kind, but it also demonstrates what happens when we plant a seed – no matter how small – good or bad; it blossoms. Make random acts of kindness a natural instinct in your life and you’ll find yourself on the receiving end when you least expect it!

Friday, October 25, 2013

Friends

A friend is someone who knows the song in your heart and can sing it back to you when you have forgotten the words."

Celebrate your treasured friendships today! Take a moment to enjoy the movie, Friends: The family we choose for ourselves

Thursday, October 24, 2013

Life Begins when you do

Nearly everyone postpones one grand thing or a collection of mighty hopes and dreams.

Between the quote marks of our lives are phrases like these: “When things slow down…when I finish my degree…when I get certified…as I acquire a deeper knowledge base…when I have kids…when the kids are grown…when I get well…when I marry…when I divorce…when I retire…when I get that promotion, that raise, that job, that house, that whatever the fill-in-the blank is for your specific postponing of life…”

Your Life Begins When You Do.

You may think you are postponing the longing of your soul until life aligns itself with your vision, until elements conspire to be more favorable...but as it happens, life just lolls along at the same remarkable consistent and disinterested cadence. Life is impartial. YOUR personal, subjective life (dreams, satisfactions, contentment, achievements, vision, fullness, passion, aspirations) begins when you begin.

From my teens into adulthood, I said, "I want to be an artist." One day I changed the sentence to, "I am an artist." My view changed. Life began. I looked behind me and saw that I had been accidentally living as an artist. I had been laying down a path that was only now visible to eyes that had begun to see. Beginning my life as an artist made my heart's longing and the small, tentative labors of my hands-visible and tangible. I began by opening the door and simply believing that I could live my dream. I began living that dream by seeing that I could.

Your purpose, that thing that among the many to-dos of your days, is what you must do. Embrace the truth of your purpose each minute of your precious life...for how very true it is that life begins when you do.

An Excerpt from Life Begins When You Do
by Mary Anne Radmacher

Wednesday, October 23, 2013

Rekindle your inner light

"Sometimes our light goes out but is blown again into flame by an encounter with another human being. Each of us owes the deepest thanks to those who have rekindled this inner light."
-Albert Schweitzer

We've all had times in our lives when we desperately needed a "shot of inspiration" to move forward. If that's ever been you, then I hope this short movie is exactly what you need!

Click on link below to watch.

http://play.simpletruths.com/movie/may-you-be-blessed/?cm_mmc=ExactTarget-_-MO-_-10.14.13-_-MYBBmovie&utm_source=exact-target&utm_medium=mail&utm_content=MO-_-10.14.13-_-MYBBmovie&utm_campaign=ecommerce&j=275773&e=frpfranco@yahoo.com&l=3516_HTML&u=12867227&mid=7001668&jb=304

Tuesday, October 22, 2013

Special Kind of courage

The primary test of courage is in the little things. Single great occasions do not make heroes or cowards; they simply unveil them to the eyes of others.

The most obvious proof that an individual is experiencing learned helplessness is the repeated use of the words "I can't." To state the obvious, "can't" is a four letter word. It is one of those four letter words that you would be wise to avoid at all cost. 




Sunday, October 20, 2013

Sensational... 1000 hands dance

DANCE OF 1000 HANDS...
Read the paragraph below FIRST before you watch the video (& turn-on speakers) 


There is an awesome dance, called the Thousand-Hand Guanyin, which is making the rounds across the net. Considering the tight coordination required, their accomplishment is nothing short of amazing, even if they were not all deaf.

Yes, you read correctly. All 21 of the dancers are complete deaf-mutes. Relying only on signals from trainers at the four corners of the stage, these extraordinary dancers deliver a visual spectacle that is at once intricate and stirring. Its first major international debut was in Athens at the closing ceremonies for the 2004 Paralympics.

But it had long been in the repertoire of the Chinese Disabled People's Performing Art Troupe and had traveled to more than 40 countries.  Its lead dancer is 29 year old Tai Lihua, who has a BA from the Hubei Fine Arts Institute. The video was recorded in Beijing during the Spring Festival this year. 

Friday, October 18, 2013

God Whispers

God is around us - just open your Eyes.
 
 
 
                                               God Whispers - This is so lovely!
 
 

Wednesday, October 16, 2013

Finish Strong

We all face adversity in our life. And so many times, it's how we react to it that will determine our destiny. Finish Strong...it's more than a statement, it's an attitude. When you combine the word "finish" with "strong," you create a powerful platform for action. 

Tuesday, October 15, 2013

Good to the core

They will...

Shape our thoughts...

Which will shape our character...

And in the end, they will...
Determine our destiny.

What are they?

Watch this thought-provoking, 3 minute movie to find out. \ 


Monday, October 14, 2013

Chain of Kindness

Sometimes a good deed might seem to go unnoticed, but rarely do our good deeds come back to us from the person we give them to. It's always from our heart that they return. This fun video represents what happens when we do something kind, but it also demonstrates what happens when we plant a seed - no matter how small - good or bad; it blossoms. Make random acts of kindness a natural instinct in your life and you'll find yourself on the receiving end when you least expect it!

That's what this short movie is all about. So sit back, turn up your speakers and enjoy:) 


Sunday, October 13, 2013

Secret of the world class

If you're totally satisfied with your life, don't bother to watch this 3-minute movie.

However, if your goal is to maximize your potential in life...it could be the best 3 minutes you've ever spent! Enjoy.

Saturday, October 12, 2013

This will grab your heart and never let go

We all have "Races" we run and sometimes stumble along the way. Watch this moving story of a boy and his will to keep running his race even after he falls. Watch it and watch it again everytime you need that reminder to get up and finish your race. Check it out... 



Friday, October 11, 2013

Life's clock waits for no one




You must make the most of every moment you have.

"Time is free, but it's priceless. You can't own it, but you can use it. You can't keep it, but you can spend it. Once you've lost it you can never get it back."

~ Harvey MacKay

To purposefully bring into your life the things you truly want you MUST take advantage of every moment you have. Below is a very clever video that puts this all into perspective...sit back enjoy and share it with others. 
 

Thursday, October 10, 2013

The Strangest secret

For all of us, there are moments that have been...life-changing.

One of mine was the first time I heard The Strangest Secret in 1964.

It was then, and still is, the most powerful and thought-provoking message I've ever heard, and in many ways it changed my life.

Watch our 3-minute movie based on this personal development classic by Earl Nightingale. It could unlock the door to happiness and...change your life.

Wednesday, October 9, 2013

The secret to living is Giving

One of my favorite things to do is waking up early on Sunday morning, getting the Sunday paper, making a hot cup of coffee, and kicking back to read about what's going on in the world. It's my quiet time...my time to reflect and relax.

One Sunday morning about halfway through my little ritual, I spotted a headline that caught my attention, "Graduating Student Credits His 'Angel'"...and I began to read.

A young man who was graduating from college told the story about how Oral Lee Brown was his "Real Life Angel." In 1987, Brown, a real estate agent in Northern California, saw a young girl in her neighborhood begging for money.

When she went to the school the girl had claimed to attend, Brown couldn't find her, but that day she made a decision that would change the lives of many other children forever. She adopted an entire first-grade class in one of Oakland's lowest performing schools, and she pledged that she personally would pay for anyone who wanted to attend college.

This would be a great story even if Oral Lee was independently wealthy; however, it is a much greater story considering she was a former cotton picker from Mississippi, making $45,000 a year and raising two children of her own.

Brown lived up to her pledge. Since 1987, she's personally saved $10,000 a year while raising donations for her "adopted first-grade kids." And because of her tremendous act of unselfish love, children who could have been "swallowed by the streets" are now graduating from college to pursue their dreams.

We all seek our purpose in life. Most of us wonder how we can make a positive difference during our brief time on this earth. But Oral Lee Brown discovered the simple secret...GIVING. Arthur Ashe said it best,
"From what we get, we can make a living. What we give, however, makes a life."

Tuesday, October 8, 2013

Eat that Frog! by Brian Tracy

There's an old saying that says... "If the first thing you do when you wake up in the morning is eat a live frog, then nothing worse can happen for the rest of the day!"

Do what needs to be done, when it needs to be done, whether you want to or not


Monday, October 7, 2013

Thief rewarded, victim punished, Why?

In the 1930's, a rather unusual court case came to pass...

A woman was being charged with stealing a loaf of bread. She seemed to have good cause. She was poor and taking care of her daughter and two grandchildren after their father had abandoned them.

Unfortunately, the shop-keeper refused to drop charges. He felt that because it was a bad neighborhood, if one person stole and got away with it, then it would encourage more to do so. He feared for his safety and his business, and he wanted to teach all the other people in the neighborhood a lesson.
  
And he certainly did do that, though not in the way he had envisnioned...

See, the Mayor of New York, Fiorello LaGuardia, was known for occasionally stepping in as a magistrate of the court. He would preside over certain cases of special interest. He was well-loved by many and known for being a firm yet fair mayor.
  
In this instance, Mayor LaGuardia stepped to the front of the courtroom, placed his famous hat down, and prepared his ruling:

"The shop-keeper is correct that you have broken the law and that you must be punished. You will spend 10 days in jail or pay a fine of ten dollars."
Back then, $10 was a hefty sum of money. The woman knew she was going to jail, and the shop-keeper was quite happy with this outcome.

But nobody could have imagined what would happen next...
  
Something interesting was brewing inside Mayor LaGuardia's head. And as he spoke the woman's sentence out loud, he slowly pulled from his pocket a $10 bill. He placed it into his famous hat and stated that her fine was now paid.

The look of shock on the shop-keepers face was priceless!

How could the mayor betray his people like that? The businesses who paid the taxes of the city and helped keep it running?  Meanwhile a poor, law-breaking, thieving woman was being let off scott-free without any punishment whatsoever?

Nobody understood that, until Mayor LaGuardia issued his second sentence for the afternoon:
"In addition to the $10 fine this woman has now paid, I fine everybody else in this courtroom fifty cents."
The room gasped in shock as he continued...
"For living in a town where a grandmother must steal bread just so that her daughter and grandchildren would not starve to death. Bailiff, please collect the fines right now..."
"And give them to the defendent."

P.S. Although this story is believed to be true, it has remained unverified even by Snopes. Fact or fiction? I don't know.

Friday, October 4, 2013

Even Eagles need a push

We've all seen it, or felt it, at some point in our life; how just one moment of encouragement can change a life forever. It can be the greatest gift you'll ever give...or receive.

So, sit back, crank up your speakers and watch this as many times as you need and forward it to those you care about and believe would benefit from its message as well. 


Thursday, October 3, 2013

100/0 Principle

Would you like to know a powerful little secret about building relationships?

It may just surprise you...just watch this movie. Enjoy!

Wednesday, October 2, 2013

Thank God for Moms

What would the world look like without mothers? It's a crazy thought to even imagine....

This touching video helps us to realize just how special our moms are to us. 


Tuesday, October 1, 2013

The one flaw in a women

Women are a beautiful and integral part of our lives. They are strong, courageous, caring, sensual, loving and hold a special place in our hearts. Yet even though they impress us with who they are, there is still one flaw that all women have.

Today, I invite you to gift yourself and the women in your life a few moments to feel inspired and uplifted. I'm very proud to present an inspirational short movie called "The One Flaw in Women". It has been produced as a tribute to women around the world and is brought to you with the hope that it might brighten your day and do the same for the important women in your life.