A Matter of Inspiration..a letter to a friend

A flower that continues to bloom in the face of adversity is the most beautiful of all.

Adversity, pain & heartbreak are all seeds for the improvement of ourselves,

 or those we mentor.

I remember as a 13 year old boy meeting you for the first time.

You were a pretty intimidating guy, the kinda guy I wanted to become 

after being repeatedly bullied on the school bus.

Children must be taught how to think not what to think....you did that.

The mind of a child is not a vessel to be filled but a fire to be kindled.

You were not so much a teacher to me but an awakener.

We live our lives between the act of awakening and the act of surrender.

Each morning we awaken to the light, an invitation to a new day in the world of time.

Each night we surrender to the darkness to play in the world of dreams,

 where time is no more.

Often the profound effect we have on others goes unnoticed by us.

As parents we want to be heros to our children.
As warriors we want to leave the mark of our will, our signature,

on the hearts and minds of our students, and all who's lives we touch.

You have done that in me Thank You, It is an honor to call you a mentor and a friend.

Your Dirty 'Ass'

Don't allow the Demons of your past

  unpack their baggage at the door of your future

This is the story of an old donkey and a farmer.

One day the farmers old donkey fell into his well.

Despite repeated attempts the farmer couldn't get the old donkey out of the well.

The well was running dry, and the donkey was old,

 so he decided to fill in the well with the old donkey in it.

The surrounding townspeople came to help but still couldn't lift out the donkey and finally were resigned to helping the farmer to fill in the well with the donkey in it.

The farmer would shovel dirt in the well and the donkey would shake off the dirt

 and then step up onto it until he rose up and actually stepped out of the well.... !

You dont develop courage by being happy

in your relationships everyday.

You develop it by overcoming adversity

 by surviving difficult times

and challenging adversity every day. 

-Epicurus-

O.K. so there might be one more lesson we can learn from this 'ass' .

The donkey bit the farmer in the ass and he got an infection and died.

The first lesson is obvious shake off the dirt and rise 

the second lesson ?

If you try to 'cover your ass' it'll bite you in the but in the end.

purple mountain majesties

For purple mountains majesty

above the fruited plain !
America! America! God shed His grace on thee,

And crown thy good with brotherhood

From sea to shining sea!

Develop an attitude of gratitude

and give thanks everything that happens to you,know that every step forward is a step toward achieving something bigger and better than your current situation.

-brian tracey-

It's important that you use adversity as an “energy force”

 to dig deep down into your spirit to do things more effectively !
If you understand how adversity works you realize..
when adversity occurs it's time to challenge your mind
to reach higher heights !

Negative body image, Crippling debt,

 losing a job, at love or in the ring  .....

Every adverse situation you face creates an opportunity 

if you believe it to be so !

Remember in your heart and mind,

adversity makes you stronger....not weaker !!

Regular training, reading, exploring our amazing country

 all help me keep my eye on the prize.

Reminds me of something my dad used to say,

"Times are tough all over."

I guess this was supposed to remind me,

 to have an attitude of gratitude

 and that the grass wasn't greener....

I guess it could be worse, 

I once knew someone who would say,

 "this to shall pass"

Well I sure hope not !!!

Happiness is the spiritual experience of living every minute with love,

 grace and gratitude. 

We must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to just utter words,

but to live by them.