Could this be the key to your purpose??

Hi Everyone!

I just got done reading a really great quote and I wanted to share it with you.

"In order for me to know my purpose, I only need to know two things: What are my gifts? and, Who am I supposed to give them to?" Dr. Glenn Pickering

If finding and knowing your purpose is this simple, is all that is required for a more fulfilling life a simple shift in awareness and thought? Is it this simplicity that is causing a more satisfying life to elude many of us? This quote for me is amazing!! Now I just have to let the concept of what I feel my purpose is to sink in so I can internalize it. With this new awareness, I see myself having a fantastic year in 2010!

May a fantastic new year (in addition to peace!) be yours!

It felt good to give!

I called a friend of mine at work to find out when he would be home so I could stop by and give him something for Christmas. He let me know he would be home at about 3pm and that would be a good time to stop by. He also let me know that he would be getting off work at noon. The idea then came to mind to just go ahead and stop by work ( I took the day off ) and give him the gifts there. We met and chatted for about 20 minutes and had some good conversation. He asked why I brought something for him and I merely replied "Because you are my friend". After that we parted and I then stopped by a restaurant that I frequent from time to time and gave them some oranges that I had picked off of my tree this morning. This is something I have been doing over the last few years. Also, I took some oranges to the Senior Citizens home across the street which I have also been doing for the last few years as well. One of my neighbors was also treated to some holiday cheer when I showed up at the doorstep with baked goods and fruit.

As a result of doing this I feel very satisfied with how my day was spent. It was great getting to bring stuff to share with people. Doing things that bring good to other people will only result in good being brought to you as well.

It is my wish that everyone will have had a pleasant holiday season and will be the recipients of good fortune in the year to come.

PEACE!!

It's nice to work with great people!!

Today at work the unit I supervise got together and had Chinese food for lunch. Also there was cake for dessert. What was great about the whole thing was that everyone was enjoying each others company and it the lunch hour turned out to be a really good time. I was presented with some very nice gifts and saying several heart felt "thank you's", I gave a brief speech about my forecast for what was to happen in the year to follow.

I was really moved by the generosity that was displayed and I sensed that everyone was really enjoying the positive atmosphere at work. This year started out to be quite a difficult one but has ended up being one where many bonds of friendship have been formed. Very nice!

This evening I completed the second exercise of my personal development program with Lifepath Unlimited. I am still focusing on the topics of purpose in one's life as well as learning to determine what I am passionate about. This is kind of exciting thinking about this!

Hey Everyone! The next time you are looking at yourself in the mirror, tell yourself that you are looking at one awesome individual!

Wishing only good things for everyone including.......................PEACE!!

What is your purpose?

I have just finished listening to the first of a series of 8 audio CD's in the "Discovery Series" personal development program that is produced by Lifepath Unlimited. The first CD addresses the topic of finding purpose and passion in one's life. The need for doing what one in passionate about as well as doing what fulfills one's purpose is discussed and ways are suggested to help one find for themselves where there purpose and passion lies. For me this has been a lingering question in my mind because I have looked at many things and have asked myself what it is I am passionate about. I do admit that one aspect of my work where I draw satisfaction from is that I get to help people who are in need. I enjoy assisting people as well as motivating people to look for the good things in life. Perhaps this is my calling and I have not yet realized it. But is there something else out there awaiting discovery that would just cause me to jump out of my skin with joy and wonder?

Also, I have been trying to focus more on being more involved with the life of my children. My son is now a senior in high school and I try to be a source of guidance for him whenever he comes upon any source of difficulty or just wants someone to talk to. He has told me that tomorrow he wishes to spend his day shopping for Christmas presents. I have always been proud of him since he has always been someone who thinks of others. He is not only my son but my friend as well.

I am looking forward to continuing on to the next CD of this development program that I am listening to. My life is at a point where I wish to get out of my comfort zone. My father's recent passing made me decide that I better make the best of my life that remains while on this planet. I want to have adventure, joy and to experience great things. My wonderful family is already a source of great joy. While grateful for the blessings that surround me, I must admit I feel a bit lacking for the extraordinary. But that's okay because I know the extraordinary is already here, in the unseen.

But let me say this.....I am really looking forward to the potential benefits of what my association with LifePath Unlimited has to offer !!!!

If you have not done so already, find your purpose, find your passion and oh yes.....PEACE!!

Things are good!

In spite of having an extremely busy schedule and having to deal with the news of a family member passing away, I am excited about how things are progressing with a potential new business venture. I have been following the steps to get things set up and am reminding myself to stay focused and positive. For me it is such a blessing to have the opportunity to pursue new goals and dreams.

Check this out! Earlier today I was reading an article about the island of Ikaria. It is located in the Aegean sea and the article made reference to the high percentage of the local population that lives beyond the age of 90 years. This was attributed in part to the diet, exercise and relatively stress free lifestyle that the local population enjoys. I got a kick out of where it was mentioned that people do not wear wristwatches!! In addition, I studied the portion of the article that made reference to diet and saw several things that I plan to incorporate into my daily routine. So good health is possible for all! Good health is mine!!

This Thursday I will be going to my hometown to attend the memorial service for my Dad who passed away last week after a long illness. Although sad about his passing I am grateful for the time we had together and I wish him well. I will endeavor to show more gratitude for all the things in life that I am blessed with and plan to live life to it's fullest.

Be grateful! Be healthy and oh yes!!................................PEACE!

Thank Goodness for family!!!

Late last week I received the sad news from my brother that my father had passed away after prolonged illness. He had been in the local hospital for the last three weeks and requiring the use of a ventilator so that he could breathe. In addition, for the last 4-5 years he had been on dialysis due to his kidneys no longer functioning properly. My wife and I along with our two children paid him a visit at the end of October. This turned out to be the last time I saw my father alive.

In the days following his passing I had difficulty grasping the thought of my Dad no longer being with us. But later I felt relief in knowing that his suffering was at an end and that he was at last free from the confines of his earthly existence. Having spent the majority of his working life out in the deserts of the Imperial Valley in search of archaeological artifacts, being confined to a hospital bed on life support equipment could not be considered a life at all.

Being able to have my own family to guide me through this time has been such a blessing. It means so much to me knowing that I have children who will go on to live their own lives and who will be there when it is my time to depart is such a comfort. In addition, being able to share life with the woman of my dreams and to grow old with gives my life meaning and purpose. Thank you my family for being there. It is because of them that my life is truly wonderful and blessed. I could not do it without them.

So as I progress in this new stage of my life, I will endeavor to appreciate each day a little bit more, love my family a whole lot more and to be totally grateful for all the good things that life has to offer. It is my wish for you that you are able to do the same.

PEACE!!

That's my blog!

The smile pockets a rattling controversy. This is a comment I had to enter for payperpost.com. I will follow up as I learn more about this!

Is the glass half full??

Today it was announced on the news that snow is expected to fall in Sacramento. Since moving here from Hawaii 11 years ago, I have only seen this happen once and it was hardly snow. So I must admit that I am curious what things will look like when I wake up tomorrow morning. We always joke about how dangerous it is to drive the first day a rain falls so I can only wonder what people must be thinking about for tomorrow. On one hand I could think of the potential difficulties in getting to work ( this city is so NOT equipped for snow) or I could think how nice it would make things look for since it is the Christmas season. Either way, there is nothing I can do, whatever happens, happens.

I remember sometime back after the fire engines from our nearby station went roaring by for the umpteenth time someone saying " Oh good, another person is getting help." and realizing that things depend upon how we look at them. The person whom I heard saying this was one who tried to see the good in everything and from then on I decided I would endeavor to do the same. Granted, I have not always been successful but I do get better as I progress in age.

In one of the books I have read recently it was mentioned by the author that when being presented with a difficult situation; one should ask "How does this serve me?" and "What do I stand to learn from this?". Reading this, I decided that I would need to adopt a similar philosophy when presented with trying circumstances in my life. I truly believe that it has helped.

Thank you for reading this and.............................PEACE!

Always nice to see friends!

Each year on the first Saturday of December, I attend a gathering consisting of former co-workers who meet with the purpose of enjoying one another's company and to reflect the events of the current year. This will make the fourth year we have gotten together and today's meeting was very enjoyable. It is nice to be part of a group that stays in touch even though the majority of us have gone on to other job assignments since the time that we first got to know one another. Since we are all state employees, we had much to discuss concerning the current economic situation in California and shared each other's visions for what will come in 2010. On a more personal level, we shared news of what was going on with each others families and shared pictures of our children showing how much they had grown up over the past year. News was also shared of several people we know who are expecting children in the year to come so we conveyed our happiness as well wishes for them.

It's nice in this day and age to be able to still keep in touch with people over the years even though you may not see them for long periods of time. This group started working together in one location and over the course of time got to know one another and became good friends. After awhile, people began to get transfers to other departments and offices but still kept in touch. With the availability of email, we keep current on what each other is doing and perhaps that is a major component of keeping the bond going. Thanks to my friend Niza who proposed the idea of this annual get-together, the people in our group have something wonderful to look forward to at the end of the year. Happy Holidays everyone and..........................
PEACE!!

I got to help a friend today!!

A lady works for me recently returned from Utah with her family after burying their son who passed away at the age of 31. It has been an exceptionally difficult time for the family since the father is currently in the process of recovering from injuries sustained during an auto accident. Now that she was made the sole breadwinner, family finances had the potential of becoming a major concern since the husband was basically self employed and therefore not eligible for state disability benefits.

A donation drive to collect money and food was started at our workplace beginning with the announcement of the news that her son had recently died in addition to her husband not being able to work. I found out that she was receiving assistance from her church as well as relatives but still I wanted to find out if her coworkers would be willing to pitch in.

A call was made to find out if there was anything we could contribute and she (Sharon)told us that it would be nice if we could bring some food to the home on the day prior to the memorial service for her son. So after the donations were collected I went with a friend to go shopping at a local grocery store. The sight of the two of us ambling about the grocery store I am sure was amusing to say the least. After agreeing on our purchases we then set out to make the delivery.

We met the family at their home and we told them that we had a few things to drop off. The family was immediately overwhelmed by the amount of things that we brought. I was sorry that we had not brought more. We met the husband who is currently confined to a hospital bed situated in the living room. In addition to the food that we brought we also left off some plants and the cash that was left over from the money that went towards the purchase of groceries.

As we were getting ready to say our goodbyes, I could see that Sharon was getting choked up from the generosity that was displayed by her coworkers that she had barely known for four months. As I returned to work I basked in the good feelings that come from knowing you have helped someone who is having a truly difficult time in their life. It felt really nice.

Wow!! Oh yes...................PEACE !!

It was a good day....

Thanksgiving this year was pretty nice. It was nice to be able to sleep in and start the day gradually. Late in the morning my wife left to go pick up our daughter who was flying in from Washington D.C. at the airport. I was glad to know that for at least a few days she would be able to relax, take it easy and enjoy some home cooked meals. It was really nice seeing her again even though we met in San Diego last month. As per family tradition, we spent part of the day following the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade and about 2 pm we got ready to go up my Mother in law and meet with family relatives for Thanksgiving Dinner. I enjoyed getting to visit with my Sister in law and her family and the meal served that evening was superb. After that, we spent about an hour visiting and then headed back home for the rest of the evening.

I am glad we did not have to travel long distances this year. We often spend too much time trying to get this or that done but not enough time to enjoy ourselves or visit with others. It's a special time when we can. Tomorrow my daughter goes back to Washington D.C. where she will return to her job and the hectic pace that comes with living in the nation's capitol. I will miss her but will keep in touch via email and phone calls.

Meanwhile my thoughts and prayers go to the men and women who are currently serving in our armed forces. Having served myself I remember what it was like being far from family during the holidays so the time I do get to spend with loved ones is all the more precious.

I wish peace and prosperity for all and more so I wish that they wish it for themselves as well.

PEACE!

What do you want???

If someone came up to you and asked "What do you want?", would you be able to answer? Sometimes I find myself asking the question and I have to stop and give it some deep thought. Knowing what we don't want is easy ( e.g. no one us wish to be afflicted with a crippling disease)but sometimes thinking about what we really want can be a challenge.

When we do come to a decision regarding what we want, the next dilemna that sometimes poses itself is "can we have it?" or "will we ever be able to have it?". If we say to ourselves that we want something but will never be able to have it, we might as well stop right there. Why bother if you have already told yourself you can't have it?

After seeing the DVD "The Secret" and reading Napoleon Hill's "Think and Grow Rich", it is my belief that we should tell ourselves that it's okay to want things and to feel that we are worthy of receiving them. Don't worry about how things will work out to allow you to to come into the possession or the experience, just have faith that they will. The classic case in my life came after moving to Sacramento upon separation from the military. After fumbling from one temp job through the other, I was able to obtain employment with a Boeing subsidiary and then move on to my current employment. Having a positive outlook and attitude while events were taking place did not hurt.

Peace!!

Persistence pays off!!

Wow!

After almost a week of trying to get my website verified on Google ( I used Yahoo! Sitebuilder), I finally got it to work! That was a semi-ordeal. I finally figured out how to edit the HTML files by using the File Manager feature on the Web Hosting Control Panel of Yahoo's Small Business section of their website.

But the important thing to show is that with patience and diligent effort, just about any problem that presents itself can be solved. Sometimes it just takes some pig-headed bulldog determination to get the job done.

Keep the faith and don't give up! PEACE!

Too much going on, too little time to do it!

Hey!

Right now I am embarked on a quest to get out of my current situation of having a job with lots of hours ( yes, I am grateful to have work!) and trying to get my own thing going where I am making more money but having more time to myself.

With only a finite amount of time left after the workday, learning how to make the most of one's time is of paramount importance.

I need to make a list and do it daily!

But that's alright, recognizing the need to solve a problem brings about a path to achieve a solution.