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I have been writing about a lot of deep issues lately — spirituality, life, death, introspection, the tragic devastation in Haiti — and vowed that the next post I write would be one of my funny ones (hey, at least I find them funny).
Or maybe a musical interlude that helps take your mind off all of those heavy issues crowding one another on the front pages of the newspapers, Internet, and television news.
I mean, one of the things I have always stressed at livelife365.com is the need to laugh, to enjoy life while working hard and doing all that you can to keep that old triad balanced. Life is often a struggle, filled with heartbreak and sadness. But it is also, more often than not, a beautiful, magical, wonderful experience. Oh, the paradoxes!
But while my funny post never materialized, this did:
WHY SO ANGRY?
I know things seem bad these days, in many ways for many people. To that I say: get in line! Join the club! Deal with it!
Again: WHY SO ANGRY?
Life is life is life. It's going to have its ups and downs, its highs and lows, its good and bad. None of this is any news, or should come as a big surprise. And I understand that lots of what's going on in the world is frustrating and totally out of your control, leading me, again, to ask:
WHY SO ANGRY?
Because, the way I look at it, if you react with ANGER to bad situations, to all those lists of things that bug you, you're going to be ANGRY pretty much all the time. Why would you choose to live your life that way?
I keep hearing the talking heads (no, not these guys) on the tube refer to people and their ANGER, how everyone is ANGRY with that politician so they voted him out; or how this poor guy lost his job and is now very ANGRY; or how this group didn't get what they wanted and they are described as, you guessed it, ANGRY.
WHY SO ANGRY?
I'm not trying to be argumentative (and, of course, this is making you ANGRIER, right?), I'm just saying: you choose to be ANGRY. The issues in this world that are making you upset and mad and ANGRY will be around long after we are all deep in the ground…life, as I say, is life is life. To get ANGRY at it, no matter how upset it can make us, is not the solution. Think about that while you watch this:
WHY SO ANGRY?
Now, where was I? Right:
WHY SO ANGRY?
Take a look at how the dictionary defines ANGER:
1. strong feeling of displeasure and belligerence aroused by a wrong; wrath; ire.
And some synonyms: resentment, exasperation; choler, bile, spleen. FURY, INDIGNATION, RAGE imply deep and strong feelings aroused by injury, injustice, wrong, etc.
Wow, pretty intense, huh? Leading me to interject once again:
WHY SO ANGRY?
Here's how I look at it — I get it, I see the big picture. There is frustration out there: healthcare reform, unemployment, racism, terrorism, bungling politicians, overpaid executives, greedy bankers — I'm not blind or unsympathetic to those issues. But to react to them with ANGER, hatred or anything but trying to seek positive solutions makes you, well, part of the problem.
It's easy to point fingers, say “I told you so,” and embrace the negative movement propagated by too many for reasons that are beyond me. To basically sit and get ANGRY versus taking action and trying to change things...well, to that I say:
WHY NOT DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT?
Getting angry serves no purpose. In fact, it can cause serious health problems — heart attacks, high blood pressure, depression, violence. Getting angry is how narrow-minded, uncreative, do-nothings react to problems. We all have problems. We all have days, weeks, sometimes years, when things go wrong and our lives seem hopeless. We deserve to be down, right?
“We are judged by how we react to adversity more than how we embrace prosperity.”
Nice quote.
Thank you, I just made it up.
It's good to have passion, to care, to be informed; don't ever stop living your life with purpose. But ANGER? No.
Take all that ANGER, please, and try to channel it, put it to constructive, positive use, and, guess what? You may just discover that you will gradually become part of the solution and not the problem. And, better yet:
YOU MAY NO LONGER BE ANGRY.
Think about it.
Smile.
Until next time...
peace,
Mike
Oh, and here's that music I promised:
"Like a Hurricane" by Neil Young (Acoustic Cover)
Or maybe a musical interlude that helps take your mind off all of those heavy issues crowding one another on the front pages of the newspapers, Internet, and television news.I mean, one of the things I have always stressed at livelife365.com is the need to laugh, to enjoy life while working hard and doing all that you can to keep that old triad balanced. Life is often a struggle, filled with heartbreak and sadness. But it is also, more often than not, a beautiful, magical, wonderful experience. Oh, the paradoxes!
But while my funny post never materialized, this did:
WHY SO ANGRY?
I know things seem bad these days, in many ways for many people. To that I say: get in line! Join the club! Deal with it!
Again: WHY SO ANGRY?
Life is life is life. It's going to have its ups and downs, its highs and lows, its good and bad. None of this is any news, or should come as a big surprise. And I understand that lots of what's going on in the world is frustrating and totally out of your control, leading me, again, to ask:
WHY SO ANGRY?
Because, the way I look at it, if you react with ANGER to bad situations, to all those lists of things that bug you, you're going to be ANGRY pretty much all the time. Why would you choose to live your life that way?I keep hearing the talking heads (no, not these guys) on the tube refer to people and their ANGER, how everyone is ANGRY with that politician so they voted him out; or how this poor guy lost his job and is now very ANGRY; or how this group didn't get what they wanted and they are described as, you guessed it, ANGRY.
WHY SO ANGRY?
I'm not trying to be argumentative (and, of course, this is making you ANGRIER, right?), I'm just saying: you choose to be ANGRY. The issues in this world that are making you upset and mad and ANGRY will be around long after we are all deep in the ground…life, as I say, is life is life. To get ANGRY at it, no matter how upset it can make us, is not the solution. Think about that while you watch this:
WHY SO ANGRY?
Now, where was I? Right:
WHY SO ANGRY?
Take a look at how the dictionary defines ANGER:
1. strong feeling of displeasure and belligerence aroused by a wrong; wrath; ire.
And some synonyms: resentment, exasperation; choler, bile, spleen. FURY, INDIGNATION, RAGE imply deep and strong feelings aroused by injury, injustice, wrong, etc.
Wow, pretty intense, huh? Leading me to interject once again:
WHY SO ANGRY?
Here's how I look at it — I get it, I see the big picture. There is frustration out there: healthcare reform, unemployment, racism, terrorism, bungling politicians, overpaid executives, greedy bankers — I'm not blind or unsympathetic to those issues. But to react to them with ANGER, hatred or anything but trying to seek positive solutions makes you, well, part of the problem.
It's easy to point fingers, say “I told you so,” and embrace the negative movement propagated by too many for reasons that are beyond me. To basically sit and get ANGRY versus taking action and trying to change things...well, to that I say:
WHY NOT DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT?
Getting angry serves no purpose. In fact, it can cause serious health problems — heart attacks, high blood pressure, depression, violence. Getting angry is how narrow-minded, uncreative, do-nothings react to problems. We all have problems. We all have days, weeks, sometimes years, when things go wrong and our lives seem hopeless. We deserve to be down, right?
“We are judged by how we react to adversity more than how we embrace prosperity.”
Nice quote.
Thank you, I just made it up.
It's good to have passion, to care, to be informed; don't ever stop living your life with purpose. But ANGER? No.
Take all that ANGER, please, and try to channel it, put it to constructive, positive use, and, guess what? You may just discover that you will gradually become part of the solution and not the problem. And, better yet:
YOU MAY NO LONGER BE ANGRY.
Think about it.
Smile.
Until next time...
peace,
Mike
Oh, and here's that music I promised:
"Like a Hurricane" by Neil Young (Acoustic Cover)
You can read my complete blog.
I sit in semi-darkness, the haunting wail of the relentless wind serenading me, periodically interrupted by the steady rat-a-tat-tat of raindrops pouring down from the heavens and belting my skylight.
The lights had been flickering, winking on and off, and then vanished completely, taken away on the angry wind, along with the rest of my electrical power, dissipating like the last hapless breaths of a terminal patient.
The house is without power, eerily quiet sans the constant thrum of the
refrigerator, the whir of a fan, the comforting purr of the heater rumbling into life. A severe winter storm, packed with copious amounts of cold rain and wind gusts approaching seventy miles per hour, has left my little corner of the world trapped inside its own little emergency. A mere inconvenience, really, when compared with what is happening in other areas of the world:
* War in Afghanistan
* Terrorism and unrest in Iraq
* Poverty, starvation and genocide in many African nations
* And, most recently, the massive earthquake that devastated Haiti
Most of us are very lucky, we will survive the odd blackout with maybe only a handful of angst: some spoiled food from a warming fridge; a sniffle or two from sleeping without heat; a missed day's wage; a few hours without television or video games.
But to call losing your power for a few hours, or days, an emergency, a catastrophe, or anything more than a mere inconvenience, when placed next to the hardship those sad souls in Haiti went through, are going through, and will continue to go through is, is tantamount to comparing a mosquito bite to open heart surgery; there is no comparison.
By candlelight, I write this, with the hope that eventually the power will be restored and I can transfer my handwritten words onto my computer, and then post them to my blog (which, if you are reading this, I have). Yes, the power will eventually return, as will normal life as we know it. But what about those Haitians? Or those countless suffering human beings who live in those other war torn and impoverished nations? When will their lives return to "normal"? And, more to the point, what can we do to help them?
Give. Of yourself. Of your heart. Of your soul. And, especially, of your wallet. One dollar or one thousand, give whatever you can afford…and then give a little bit more. Give to the people of the island nation of Haiti, yes, but give to any human being who will go hungry one day (including many right here in America) or who is suffering.
And when you've given as much money as you can, then give something else: give your positive energy, your prayers, your goodwill, your love, and if you are able to, your time. I am a firm believer that giving from your heart and soul is as valuable as giving from your wallet. But give both.
GIVE TO HAITI: YOUR HEART, YOUR SOUL, YOUR MONEY
This post was inspired by a tragic front page event, but the need to help others less fortunate than most of us is always there.
One of the things that constantly amazes me about people is how, more often than not, they rise above expectations, especially in the worst of times. It happened when the towers went down on that horrible September day in 2001, and it is happening now in the aftermath of that 7.0 earthquake in Haiti. People rise to the occasion, go above and beyond, often enduring difficult sacrifices, to help those who cannot help themselves. But these amazing acts of decency are topped by the countless acts of courage and patience and perseverance exhibited by those struck by the very same tragic events others go out of their way to help combat.
The following is a list of foundations where you can contribute to help the poor souls of Haiti and other devastated areas around the world:
Oxfam
World Vision
Red Cross
Unicef
Hope For Haiti
Remember: Give, of your heart, your soul, and your wallet. And then give some more.
Until next time…
peace,
Mike
The lights had been flickering, winking on and off, and then vanished completely, taken away on the angry wind, along with the rest of my electrical power, dissipating like the last hapless breaths of a terminal patient.
The house is without power, eerily quiet sans the constant thrum of the
refrigerator, the whir of a fan, the comforting purr of the heater rumbling into life. A severe winter storm, packed with copious amounts of cold rain and wind gusts approaching seventy miles per hour, has left my little corner of the world trapped inside its own little emergency. A mere inconvenience, really, when compared with what is happening in other areas of the world:* War in Afghanistan
* Terrorism and unrest in Iraq
* Poverty, starvation and genocide in many African nations
* And, most recently, the massive earthquake that devastated Haiti
Most of us are very lucky, we will survive the odd blackout with maybe only a handful of angst: some spoiled food from a warming fridge; a sniffle or two from sleeping without heat; a missed day's wage; a few hours without television or video games.
But to call losing your power for a few hours, or days, an emergency, a catastrophe, or anything more than a mere inconvenience, when placed next to the hardship those sad souls in Haiti went through, are going through, and will continue to go through is, is tantamount to comparing a mosquito bite to open heart surgery; there is no comparison.
By candlelight, I write this, with the hope that eventually the power will be restored and I can transfer my handwritten words onto my computer, and then post them to my blog (which, if you are reading this, I have). Yes, the power will eventually return, as will normal life as we know it. But what about those Haitians? Or those countless suffering human beings who live in those other war torn and impoverished nations? When will their lives return to "normal"? And, more to the point, what can we do to help them?
Give. Of yourself. Of your heart. Of your soul. And, especially, of your wallet. One dollar or one thousand, give whatever you can afford…and then give a little bit more. Give to the people of the island nation of Haiti, yes, but give to any human being who will go hungry one day (including many right here in America) or who is suffering.
And when you've given as much money as you can, then give something else: give your positive energy, your prayers, your goodwill, your love, and if you are able to, your time. I am a firm believer that giving from your heart and soul is as valuable as giving from your wallet. But give both.
GIVE TO HAITI: YOUR HEART, YOUR SOUL, YOUR MONEY
This post was inspired by a tragic front page event, but the need to help others less fortunate than most of us is always there.
One of the things that constantly amazes me about people is how, more often than not, they rise above expectations, especially in the worst of times. It happened when the towers went down on that horrible September day in 2001, and it is happening now in the aftermath of that 7.0 earthquake in Haiti. People rise to the occasion, go above and beyond, often enduring difficult sacrifices, to help those who cannot help themselves. But these amazing acts of decency are topped by the countless acts of courage and patience and perseverance exhibited by those struck by the very same tragic events others go out of their way to help combat.
The following is a list of foundations where you can contribute to help the poor souls of Haiti and other devastated areas around the world:
Oxfam
World Vision
Red Cross
Unicef
Hope For Haiti
Remember: Give, of your heart, your soul, and your wallet. And then give some more.
Until next time…
peace,
Mike
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January 29
