MeandtheBoss

Hometown

2011-02-05T10:51:00.002-05:00

There should always

be a place where your

heart can call home.

"When you finally go back to your old hometown,
you find it wasn't the old home you missed
but your childhood." ~ Sam Ewing

Being a part of something is important.

Even if you were just standing on the outside

looking in you can at least say that you were there.

Pride.

Nostalgia.

You are a mixture of your past experiences, your

life today and your faith in a better tomorrow.

Good people, bad people, good hometown, bad hometown,

you were where you were because a Higher Power said so.

Learn to be the good editor of your past.

Take the lessons of your life and turn them into strengths.

Today, reflect on the knowledge that your Higher Power

has allowed you every chance to learn to do His will.

Pride and nostalgia are feelings that can be used to make your life better today.

Celebrate the past, but do not try to live in the past.

The hometown team is worth your support

but must not be a reason for living.

"A class reunion is a time when men and women travel
great distances to be with people they haven't seen for 20 years -
and discover that every 20 years is too often.” ~ Sam Ewing

Do not hide your true self behind the accomplishment of others.

Learn to identify with the strengths of others, applaud their talents and skills,

but use your own God given personality to do what is required of you.

Today, there is no hiding allowed.

"What is pride?
A rocket that emulates the stars." ~ William Wordsworth

Pray to have the courage and strength to let the real you

help to make the world a better place for all.

Be kind, even to the Yankee fans.

Be loving, Los Angeles may yet produce a

redeeming social value before it slides into the ocean.

Be the person God wants you to be.

Happiness is helping someone help themselves.

Iris and ME (Michael Erb)

Discover The Truth

2010-05-19T09:44:00.002-04:00

"All

truths

are easy

understand

once

they are

discovered;

the point is

to discover them." ~ Galileo Galilei

Just because you changed your attitude yesterday does not

guarantee that you will wake up with the right attitude today.

Be ready and willing to change your attitude as many times

as is necessary every day, every hour or even every moment

of every day.

Discovery is not just the aha moments in our life, the truth

is discovering that what we see, what we hear and what we feel

are just the tip of the iceberg, an opportunity to seek further,

a slim slice of this vast world so wonderful to behold.

To discover the truth usually means we must change our attitude,

alter our our perception or just admit that we know very little.

Happiness is a strong desire to discover the truth.

Happiness is helping someone help themselves.

ME and the Boss

Prayer From the Heart

2010-03-19T09:52:00.003-04:00

"It is

better

in prayer

to have

a heart

without

words

than words

without a heart." ~ Mohandas Gandhi

Change.

You change, I change, we all change and so does the world

of the Great Creator.

Allowing your prayers to change will allow you to change.

You may set aside a time for prayer or better yet

you may learn to pray at any time, anywhere.

Don't know how to pray, find a friend who can show you

where your heart is located.

Learn to pray to say thanks, pray to have God help others,

pray to have God give you the strength and courage to do His will.

Today pray often and pray sincerely and then be ready

to stop, look and listen for an answer to your prayer

because a loving Higher Power answers all prayers

that come from a kind and loving heart.

Happiness is knowing that your prayer s are from the heart.

Happiness is helping someone help themselves.

ME and the Boss

Happy New Year

2010-01-02T10:17:00.000-05:00

Me and the Boss has moved..

Me and the Boss-2010

is now being published daily at the following address.

http://meandtheboss-2010.blogspot.com/

The 365 posts from 2009 will soon be available as a ebook,

and God willing as a "Published hard copy".

AsaDrunkSeesIt@gmail.com ....Michael

Already

2009-07-31T09:43:00.005-04:00

You

already

have

everything

you

are

going

to have,

so you must just learn to do the best with what you have.

"What you can become you are already."

Hebbel Friedrich

You are already the way God wants you to be.

You are the son or daughter of your parents.

Your physical appearance is basically what you inherited.

You are already as smart as you are ever going to be.

If you already have children, they are yours.

People will agree with you only if they already agree with you.

You do not change people's minds.

You can change your mind if you are smart enough to know how.

Drugs and alcohol are not a good way to change your mind.

If you already know the answer,

why did you ask the question?

"He who wishes to secure the good of others

has already secured his own."

Confucius

I you have already been there and done that,

why buy the tee shirt?

Already is in the past and is good only if you learn from it.

Learn what you can change and know what is

already set in stone and cannot be changed.

If you already possess good habits,

repeat them when appropriate.

If you already know which of your habits are bad,

change them.

"If you want a trait, act as if you already have the trait."

William James

By reading this you have already changed,

keep up the good work.

Today, go act the way you want to be and you will have already

done the will of your Higher Power.

Be kind.

Be loving.

There is no need to reach high for the stars.

They are already within you - just reach deep into yourself!

Allow your soul to shine it's brightest and become

the brightest star in God's universe,

the one you were already meant to be.

Happiness is helping someone help themselves.

Iris and ME (Michael Erb)

Relax

2009-07-30T08:04:00.004-04:00

Laugh.

Chuckle.

Humor

is a

whisper

from the

soul,

imploring

mind and body to relax, let go and be at peace again.

Seriously, how serious is it??

Worrying about it will not make it go away.

Frustration is waiting for someone else to do it.

Tension is not letting go of a problem that only God can solve.

Relax, don't do it.

Take a deep breath.

Look at your "to do" list, your gratitude list, move a muscle,

change a thought, do something humorous, communicate

with your spouse, talk to your children, play with the pet,

call anyone or do anything that can help you change

your attitude.

Not relaxed, it is your attitude that prevents it.

Hang out with the stress and tension long enough

and you will become physically ill.

Hypochondria only elicits empathy from other sick people.

"Your power is proportional to your ability to relax."

David Allen

When you relax, you are less likely to be surprised by

the evil negatives lurking just outside of your door.

When you are relaxed, others will seek you out in

times of turmoil.

When you are relaxed, you hear better.

When you are relaxed, simple challenges are resolved

before they can become unsolvable problems.

Worry, frustration, and stress leave you speechless.

Being relaxed allows you to hear the words of your

Higher Power which you can use to communicate good feelings.

Having good feelings solves all problems.

The words of your Higher Power are,

be kind,

be loving,

relax,

and be the person your dog thinks you are.

Today, relax, do not be surprised, know that something will

happen the way God wants it to happen and it may not be

the way you wanted.

Smile and be thankful because the way God wanted it is usually

better than anything that you could have imagined.

Today, relax, hope will become faith which will become trust.

Trust that a relaxed body and mind will be a more productive

and happier soul who can share the will of a Higher Power.

Today, if you can't see it or hear it, forget it.

Today, relax, keep your mind where you are.

Today, relax, enjoy your life.

Happiness is helping someone help themsselves.

Iris and ME (Michael Erb)

Organize

2009-07-29T08:35:00.005-04:00

Organize

so that

you

do not

lose

your

mind.

You cannot change until you become organized.

Out of chaos comes order,

or a desperate need to organize.

Getting organized may or may not be the problem,

but staying organized is always a problem.

If you do not organize your thoughts and actions

nothing will ever get done.

"Be vigilant;

guard your mind against negative thoughts."

Buddha

Write it down.

When you see it in writing good things happen.

You are no longer stressed out about forgetting

what needs to be done.

You can organize your list to make the most

important things get done first.

You can tell when you are being distracted when

you notice that what you are doing is not on you list.

Most importantly, when in writing, the thing that needs

to be done will become more realistic.

Realism is the fact that the only thing you can change

is you and your attitude.

Without a good attitude, things will not get done.

If things need to get done, why not do them with a stress free,

no chaos involved, kind, and loving attitude.

Get up, go to work, dye your hair, organize your closet,

mow the grass, cook a meal, call a friend, see a movie,

watch a sunset, say thank you to your Higher Power,

read, write, go to a meeting, do any of the many things

that you have committed to being your life,

and do them with a happy attitude.

Organize the project.

Nice thinking that cooking a meal is on your list,

but do you have all the ingredients needed to make the meal??

Add going to the market or going to the garden to your list.

Don't have a garden??

Could have, should have, would have done it, if it was on my list.

Will power becomes can power if you write it down.

Have a friend, be a friend and share some of your list with

them so you can better organize you life.

The friend may also help you with organizing your feelings.

"A family is a place

where minds come in contact with one another."

Buddha

Bad habits and addictions do not require a mind.

No mind, no family, no friends, no matter.

Writing down your things to do is your Higher Power

giving you guidance to do the next right thing.

When you write it down you will organize your mind,

and when you mind, you will have family, friends and

things will matter.

Today, build your organization.

Today, get something to write with and something to

write on, and write something.

Today, write down one simple, happy, nice thing that

you must get done, and do it.

When all else fails, just write your gratitude list.

It is wrong to think

that misfortunes come from the east or from the west;

they originate within one's own mind.

Therefore, it is foolish to guard against misfortunes

from the external world

and leave the inner mind uncontrolled.

Buddha

Today, control your inner mind with organization.

Happiness is helping someone help themselves.

Iris and ME (Michael Erb)

Cycle

2009-07-28T08:16:00.003-04:00

In

with

the

NEW,

out

with

the

OLD.

Today will be different than yesterday,

and tomorrow will never come, so CHANGE TODAY.

By maintaining a conscious contact with your Higher Power,

you can maintain a conscious cycle of change.

Learn the cycle of change that is good for you and

make your life easy.

Keep what you need and leave the rest.

Things do not need to be kept unless they can be of regular use.

If it does not fit, it is out of style, or collects dust,

give it to someone who needs it.

Bad attitudes definitely do not need to be kept.

"Without forgiveness life is governed by...

an endless cycle

of resentment and retaliation."

Roberto Assagioli

Forgive yourself, forgive others, but do not bother to

forgive your Higher Power, who already knows

that the problem is you.

Blame never knows the truth.

"Depression is rage spread thin."

George Santayana

Fear and rage come from not knowing the truth.

Do not be afraid of the truth and fix only what is broken.

More importantly, fix only the feelings

which are broken in you.

You may ask others to change.

You may point out that others need to change.

You may beg others to change.

However, know that you cannot change others.

Be a friend, have a friend, one who can help you

keep your cycle on track.

Do not let your cycle become a rut.

Today, look for the side track, or the off track to

explore and investigate.

Volunteer your time to help a non profit organization.

Take a friend to a museum, and see what happens

if you don't change.

Do a movie, go bowling, go fishing, go crazy, but go

somewhere, anywhere, where you can enjoy this world,

enjoy this life.

If you really want to do something,

you'll find a way;

if you don't,

you'll find an excuse.

Cycles do not operate where excuses exist.

In life we should not focus so much on the end of the story,

but on your life cycle in the here and now.

Look for the good in life.

Be positive.

Have a great day!

Because you can.

Happiness is helping someone help themselves.

Iris and ME . (Michael Erb)

Beyond Beautiful

2009-07-27T08:59:00.008-04:00

From

inside

your

head,

your

own

little

world,

to outside of yourself, to outside of this world ,

to outside the universe that is God's vast being,

beyond beautiful cannot describe what exists.

Beauty is the qualities in a person or thing that gives pleasure

to the senses or pleasurably exalts the mind or spirit.

Today, make your world beyond beautiful

by looking outside of the box.

Start by looking inside of your head.

Marvel at the brain , it controls your senses,

it remembers everything, yet it puts no limits

on your imagination. How beautiful.

Today, imagine one thing that is different, nice, pleasant

and try to make this world a beyond beautiful place to be.

Examine your body, made just the way a Higher Power

wants it to be so that you may survive to do the will of a

Spirit of the Universe. How beautiful.

Please note, it did not come with tattoos or extra holes.

Today, take care of the body that has been given you,

God has already made it beyond beautiful.

Examine your surroundings, your home, it may not be

want you want, but it is what you need. How beautiful.

A building, a barn, or a house is not a home until a person or

family lives in it and fills it with love that is beyond beautiful.

Examine the state, the country you live in and know

that you have a choice, love it or leave it. How beautiful.

God's will is love and peace and eventually the worlds countries

will be as one, making this earth a beyond beautiful place to live.

Remember, you must do your part, start today by

spreading the love.

If you cannot say something nice, do not say anything at all.

Examine the people around you. Hang with the beautiful

people, the kind and the loving.

Beyond beautiful is to share the kindliness and love in you

to ease the fear and anger within the mean and ugly people.

The mean and ugly people will eventually become beautiful

when they stop being selfish and self centered.

"Beauty is indeed a good gift of God; but that the good may not think it a great good, God dispenses it even to the wicked."

Saint Augustine

You will be amazed by what one of your smiles can accomplish.

Examine Mother Nature. How beautiful.

There have yet to be enough books, pictures, words,

or music, that can describe the beyond beautiful

that we call nature.

An walk on the beach, in the fields, on the mountain trail,

watching a sunrise or a sunset cannot but inspire you

to think beyond beautiful.

"Dive deep,

O mind,

dive deep in the ocean of God's beauty!

If you descend to the uttermost depths,

there you will find the gem of love."
Bengali Hymn

Think outside the box,

beyond beautiful exist everywhere.

Be beyond kind.

Be beyond loving.

Be beyond being the person God wants you to be.

Happiness is helping someone help themselves.

Iris and ME (Michael Erb)

Guidance

2009-07-26T09:21:00.004-04:00

If it

hurts

your

pride

to ask

for

help,

learn to ask for guidance.

You were ashamed because you did not have enough

will power to break the habit, or stop the addiction.

You felt guilt and remorse because you knew that

what you were doing was wrong.

Thinking about living life differently never changed anything.

When you have a problem, when you are in trouble,

when you think about what to do, you think about you.

You put yourself in harms way and now you think you

are going to do things differently, probably not.

Ask for guidance and have faith and patience.

A Power Greater than you will give you guidance by

showing you through another person, a story in a book,

a movie, a song, a burning bush, the accident, or by

whatever method may be needed to get your attention.

The most important thing to remember is that when

you ask for guidance, be prepared to listen to the answer.

When you have dug yourself a deep hole, guidance

tells you that the first thing you must do is to stop digging.

Guidance is listening to your Higher Power who will show

you where to find the ladder, the rope, the stairs,

the elevator, the escalator or whatever you may need

to get you out of the hole.

"Each and every master,

regardless of the era or the place,

heard the call and attained harmony

with heaven and earth.

There are many paths leading

to the top of Mount Fuji,

but there is only one summit

- love."

Morihei Ueshiba

The first guiding step to change is to believe that you are worthy.

You were placed into this world to bring joy and love to all

whom you will meet.

The Spirit of the Universe deems this to be a very important

task and has given you all the talents and skills you need to

carry on and do the will of your Higher Power.

You cannot carry the message of kindliness and love if

you are an angry and mean person.

Be kind to yourself.

Take a deep breath, take a bath, brush your teeth,

eat a good meal, (not McDonalds), take care of you.

Be kind to another person.

Allow someone to get in line before you, give up

your seat to someone who may be more in need,

say please and thank you.

Guidance will show you that to change you must examine

the people, places and things in your life that may be

obstacles to becoming a better person.

"It is better to know some of the questions

than all of the answers."

~James Thurber

Find someone who has what you want and be willing

to follow their guidance.

It is a God incidence, not a coincidence, that the person

who will show you HOW, has been put into your life.

Honesty, Open-mindedness and Willingness are the guidance

needed to find a better you.

Today, live simply, speak kindly.

Today, care deeply and love generously.

Today, trust in your Creator who guides you.

Happiness is helping someone help themselves.

Iris and ME (Michael Erb)

Emanate

2009-07-25T07:45:00.006-04:00

The

Spirit

of the

Universe

is the

source

of all

power

and it

emanates through you.

You have the choice to do with that source

of power what you may.

Each individuals aura, their glow, their presence is a choice.

The flower emanating its sweet smell is the essence of the

Higher Power who 's will created all.

"What's in a name?

That which we call a rose by any other name

would smell as sweet."

The red flower attracts the hummingbird, yet

most scientist agree that only humans can see colors.

God has given all living things the color, the smell,

the feel (porcupines and cacti) to protect themselves

as well as to provide for their regeneration.

To be above all other living things humans have been

given the additional talent of reasoning.

This talent cannot be used when one is under the

mood altered influence of drugs or alcohol.

This talent cannot be used when rage and red are

the only feelings and perception that the person knows.

The talent of reasoning becomes clearer and stronger

when you chose to do the next right thing,

the will of a Higher Power.

"When valor preys on reason,

it eats the sword it fights with."

Be brave, have faith, but above all, make the reason

for your thoughts and actions to be of service to self,

others and your Higher Power.

Emanate the glow of the power that is within you, not by

words, but by deeds.

You may think that you are godly and righteous but

humility is born of actions, not thoughts and words.

To have a Higher Power remove all your defects of character

is as simple as doing for others and do not be concerned with

thought of yourself.

"Rich gifts wax poor when givers prove unkind."

The most humble person glows the brightest.

There is a story that once there was a picture of Mother Teresa

that showed Her aura surrounding her

as a halo that surrounded her head.

Today, may the emanation of the power in you brighten your halo.

"To be or not to be that is the question.

Whether it is nobler in the mind

to suffer the stings and arrows of outrageous fortune,

or take up arms against a sea of troubles,

and by opposing them,

end them."

Today, face the music, laugh, dance, sing and

oppose your troubles with the help of the

emanation that flows through you.

Today, chose to emanate kindliness.

Today, chose to emanate love.

Today, chose to emanate the glow that your

Higher Power wants you to be.

Happiness is helping someone help themselves.

Iris and ME (Michael Erb)

Today's quotes:

William Shakespeare
1564-1616
British Poet, Playwright, Actor

Could,Should,Would

2009-07-24T09:19:00.007-04:00

"Why do

you seek

treasure

far away,

when it

is nearby,

indeed

within

yourself?"

Marcilio Ficino

Could is your body, the part that needs to move a muscle

so that you may do what needs to be done.

Should is the mind, the part of you that thinks the

wrong thing every time, even when you know and believe

that things must change.

Would is the heart and soul, that part of you that is

the radio, the TV, the satellite transmitter/receiver of

the words of your Higher Power, that when obeyed,

make life a treasure of pleasure and excitement.

Today, be a friend, have a friend, and exercise the

opportunity to be a positive emotional support:

Say, I knew that you could do it.

Say, I knew that you should change for the better.

Say, I knew that you would chose to do the next right thing.

Obey the will of a Higher Power and respect

yourself and others.

"When we treat man as he is,

we make him worse than he is;

when we treat him as if he already

were what he potentially could be,

we make him what he should be."

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Say, you can.

Say, you shall.

Say, you will.

Live in today.

If you could have, should have and would have done

the next right thing, you need not worry about yesterday.

Guilt, shame and remorse over the could haves, should haves

and would haves is a negative place that you

and your friends do not need to visit.

If you could have, should have or would have done

the will of a Higher Power, the lessons learned

will make for a better today.

Tomorrow never comes.

"If a man could have half of his wishes,

he would double his troubles."

Benjamin Franklin

Carry a Touch that never hurts,

the could that your body can.

Carry a Heart that never hates,

the would that your mind shall.

Carry a Smile that never fades,

the should that your soul will.

Remember, the could, should and would is the

treasure within you.

Happiness is helping someone help themselves.

Iris and ME (Michael Erb)

Wonderland

2009-07-23T08:51:00.005-04:00

Alice

returned

from

Wonderland

and,

"...from that

day forward

she lived

happily ever

after.

Except for the dying at the end.

And the heartbreak in between."

Lucius Shepard

Wonderland, Fantasyland, Neverland, Adventureland,

La La land, or Oz, call it what you may,

it is either a figment of one's imagination

or a profit making entertainment center for others.

Alice, I do not think we are in Wonderland any more.

Toto, I do not think we are in Kansas any more.

Elvis and Michael have left the arena.

Reality check.

Do you live in the here and now?

Do you accept responsibility for your words and actions?

Do you exercise good judgment when relating to family,

friends and co-workers?

Do you balance responsible time with relax, rest, or

escape time?

You must do what you must do,

so why not learn to love what you do.

Wonderland is nothing more than the optimist view of reality.

The pessimist tries to hide from reality with

mood altering addictions and habits.

A higher Power can relieve you of your addictions and

help you lose the bad habits, if you ask.

Become the eternal optimist and try to do

the will of a Higher Power.

Be kind, happiness is never having to say you are sorry.

Be loving, the power of a smile is wonderful.

Share the wonder of the Universe with good friends and

loving family.

Being the person God wants you to be is a fantastic adventure.

Visit Kansas.

"Almost every wise saying has an opposite one,

no less wise,

to balance it."

George Santayana

Today, balance fantasy with reality, be wise

and love doing the best that you can do.

Today, Wonderland will be what you make it to be.

Happiness is helping someone help themselves.

Iris and ME.. .. (Michael Erb)

View

2009-07-22T08:16:00.006-04:00

There

are three

sides to

every

incident:

their side,

your side,

and the right side.

The right side is always the will of a Higher Power

trying to teach a lesson in living.

Do not cloud the incident by searching out the details,

the facts, the fault or the blame, look for the lesson.

"Men are disturbed not by things,

but by the view which they take of them."

Epictetus

View God's world as beautiful.

View God's world with kindliness.

View God's world with Love.

Allowing things to disturb you is your choice.

Things that disturb you are not going to change

unless you change your point of view.

The difference between no and yes may be only one letter,

but the change in view that they represent is 180 degrees.

Saying no all the time limits your view of the world,

saying yes all the time can get you into trouble,

find the balance in your life, say yes, say no,

say what is right, to change your point of view.

Your view may be right, but it does not need to be extreme.

There is plenty of room in this world for everyone's point of view.

If your run your world from only your point of view,

you will eventually run into a blank wall.

Family, friends, professionals, the book, the burning bush,

all have a point of view that can help you avoid the wall,

to help you find the doors, see out of the windows and

develop a different and hopefully a better point of view.

It's only the view from where you sit that makes you feel defeat,

life is full of many aisles, so why don't you change your seat?

"Life's splendor forever lies in wait about each one of us

in all its fullness,

but veiled from view,

deep down, invisible, far off.

It is there, though, not hostile, not reluctant, not deaf.

If you summon it by the right word,

by its right name,

it will come."

Franz Kafka

Respect and service for self, others and your Higher Power

will always keep life's splendor within your view.

Today, have your own point of view and use it wisely

to do the will of your Higher Power.

Today, remember that you can change your point

of view at any time that you want to.

Happiness is helping someone help themselves.

Iris and ME (Michael Erb)

False Pride

2009-07-21T07:56:00.004-04:00

Proud

as a

peacock,

uglier

than a

platypus,

but when

we look into the mirror, we see perfection.

So many want to practice one-upmanship.

Been there, done that, have the t-shirt.

Have not been there, have not done that,

found the t-shirt at a rummage sale.

To paraphrase Og Mandino, put a fist into a pail of water,

then remove the fist, the hole remaining in the water will

attest to the correct measure of our importance.

We are important in the eye of our Higher Power.

We are on this earth to do the will of a Higher Power.

The will of a Higher Power is to love the Universe,

exactly as it is, and if possible try to make it a better

place for all souls to dwell in or upon.

However, becoming important in our own eyes is when we

are setting ourselves up for the fall.

Be proud, but do not become arrogant.

Be proud, but do not become overbearing.

Be proud, but do not become vain.

Be proud, but do not become supercilious.

Pride makes us esteem ourselves;

vanity desires the esteem of others.

Be good.

Humbly thank a Higher Power who provides all that

we need and even some of the things we want.

Friends do not have things, they have kindness, love,

compassion, empathy and all the feelings that when shared

support the reasons for living.

You do not have to brag about having been there

when you go there with a friend.

You do not have to brag about having done that

when you did it with a friend.

T-shirts do not last forever and most do not flatter the body.

Have some pride, dress appropriately.

Have some pride, do not hide behind the make up and the tattoos.

Have some pride, learn when not to speak.

Do not be afraid to swallow your pride, it is not fattening.

Balance, too much humility is pride.

Say please and thank you and prepare to move on.

Live in today and be proud to be exactly the way God

wants you to be.

Happiness is helping someone help themselves.

Iris and ME (Michael Erb)

Because

2009-07-20T08:57:00.004-04:00

Do you

know?

Should

you

know??

Why??

Because.

"Why should we think upon things that are lovely?

Because thinking determines life.

It is a common habit to blame life upon the environment.

Environment modifies life but does not govern life.

The soul is stronger than its surroundings."

William James

The Devil did not make you do it.

You did it because you and your body said so.

Good virtues, Bad virtues,

Good values, Bad values,

your choice.

You may be influenced by the people, places and

things in your life, but those things are in your life

because you chose them.

The best thing about life,

you can change your attitude,

your priorities,

your preferences,

your location,

any time you want to.

Want to, are the operative words.

Can't change because it is a bad habit is not realistic.

Can't change because it is an addiction is not realistic.

Want to change, ask your Higher Power for guidance.

Remember, prayer is only asking for direction,

if you want to get there, you must do the walking.

Remember, talking about it rarely gets it done.

"The Difficult is that which can be done immediately;

the Impossible that which takes a little longer."

George Santayana

Things that are impossible are only impossible in your mind

because you want them to be impossible.

Because is not an excuse.

Because is a reason.

If you want to have a good day,

have a good day because you can.

A bad day exists only because you allow it to exist.

"There is no cure for birth and death

save to enjoy the interval."

George Santayana

You will have a friend because you are a friend.

You will receive kindness because you give kindness.

You will be loved because you know how to love unconditionally.

You will have faith because you believe

that with the help of your Higher Power you can change.

Because God put you on this earth,

there is reason to celebrate today.

May you always have Love to Share,

Health to Spare, and Friends that Care

Happiness is helping someone help themselves.

Iris and ME (Michael Erb)

Borrowed

2009-07-19T09:14:00.004-04:00

Borrow

what

you

need

and

leave

the rest.

If you take it that means you keep it,

and you are not likely to share.

If you borrow it, you must return it.

The positive lessons of living life on life's terms

are borrowed from those who have gone before

and they are yours to share with those who want

what you have.

Without sharing or by giving away you cannot learn

the value of life's lessons for yourself.

"Worry is the interest paid by those who borrow trouble."

[George Washington]

Borrowed, taken, or learned the hard way,

life's lessons are of no value to you

if not shared and freely given to others.

Actions, not words, convey the lessons of life.

"That's what an army is -- a mob;

they don't fight with courage that's born in them,

but with courage that's borrowed from their mass,

and from their officers."

[Mark Twain - 1835-1910]

Have the courage to do the next right thing and be

a part of the army that fights for the love

that is your Higher Power.

Do not keep a list of those things you have loaned,

but never forget those from whom you have borrowed.

Always borrow from a pessimist,

he never expects anything back.

Virtues are not like garden tools which you can borrow,

you will eventually have to possess some of your own.

Love, friendship, generosity, kindness, faith, hope, and joy

are virtues you must have as foundations to build a

life that is worth sharing.

Courage, discipline, honesty, willingness, self reliance,

emotional boundaries and self esteem are learned values

that are shared with family and friends.

If you believe that your dysfunctional family

taught you the wrong values, get a new family.

If you have friends who are as crazy as you are, have fun.

It is hard to play on the see-saw if you are all alone.

Put balance in your life,

have friends who know how to share,

one's who will not roll off of the bottom of the see-saw

while you are dangling from the high end.

It can never be bought, borrowed or sold,

a gift to be cherished,

true friendship is a treasure beyond compare.

Today must not borrow from tomorrow.

Be kind, borrowing or loaning are not required.

Be loving, borrowing or loaning are not required.

Be the person god wants you to be,

you are living on His borrowed time.

Happiness is helping someone help themselves.

Iris and ME (Michael Erb)

Ushers, Guides, Leaders and Conductors.

2009-07-18T07:43:00.006-04:00

Welcome,

make

your life

easy,

follow

those

who have

what

you want.

If you can't find your seat or you don't know what

the will of your Higher Power is for you, find an usher

who will show you that kindness is the direction in which

to find happiness.

"Be glad today.
Tomorrow may bring tears.
Be brave today.
The darkest night will pass.
And golden rays will usher in the dawn.

[Sarah Knowles Bolton]

If you cannot find your spiritual pathway, ask a guide

who will show you that love is the direction to locate

joyous and free.

"I take as my guide the hope of a saint:
in crucial things, unity...
in important things, diversity...
in all things, generosity.

[George H. W. Bush]

If you do not fit in, feel different, can't make peace with

others or even with yourself, find a leader who will show

you that patience and tolerance will take you to a place

called serenity.

"There is a magnet in your heart that will attract true friends.
That magnet is unselfishness,
thinking of others first;
when you learn to live for others,
they will live for you."

[Paramahansa Yogananda]

Faith is the belief that you will never get lost.

Believe that your Higher Power is the conductor of the

orchestra and that under His direction peace and harmony

will cover this world.

"We are an arrogant species, full of terrible potential,
but we also have a great capacity for love,
friendship, generosity, kindness, faith, hope, and joy.

[Dean Koontz]

Today, be kind, an usher cannot show anyone to their

seat if he does not know his own theater.

Today, be loving, a guide cannot show others how to follow

the path if he has not blazed the trail before him.

Today, know serenity, be patient and tolerant,

a leader shows how by example, not by words.

When the light has sharply faded,

And you have lost your way,

Let another's love guide you,

It can turn blackest night into day.

Today, have faith,

your Conductor will not let you become lost.

Happiness is helping someone help themselves.

Iris and ME (Michael Erb)

Almost

2009-07-17T08:01:00.005-04:00

Vain

attempt,

valiant

effort,

lame

excuse,

almost

is a

word that

white washes a multitude of possibilities.

Life is not almost.

Acceptance is not almost.

Your Higher Power is not almost.

When you do not have a clue and you are

not sure what happened, almost is a good explanation.

If you think you almost have it, you are not even close.

Almost and close are good only in horseshoes and hand grenades.

If you think you are beaten, you are,
If you think you dare not, you don't.
If you like to win, but think you can't,
It is almost certain you won't.

If you think you'll lose, you're lost,
For out in the world we find,
Success begins with a fellows will--
It's all in the state of mind.

If you think you're outclassed, you are,
You've got to think high to rise,
You've got to be sure of yourself before
You can ever win a prize.

Life's battles don't always go
To the stronger or faster man.
But soon or late the man who wins
Is the man who thinks he can! ~ Walter D. Wintle

Almost is not good enough,

unless you know in your heart that

you did the best you could do.

What shape would the world be in if God almost did it right.

Believe, God did it right when you were placed into this

world to do the will of the Spirit of the Universe.

Today, do not treat yourself almost good enough.

Today, do not treat your family almost good enough.

Today, do not treat your friends almost good enough.

Almost is for the ones who think they have lost.

Today, know that you can win

by doing the will of your Higher Power.

The will of a Higher Power is to:

Be kind,

Be loving,

Be the person God wants you to be.

Laugh often,

Sing loud,

And

Dance when you get the chance!

Happiness is helping someone help themselves.

Iris and ME (Michael Erb)

Today's photo courtesy of Tom J.

Appearances

2009-07-15T08:46:00.005-04:00

Appearances

are most

often

deceiving,

depending

upon how

you look at it.

"While it may be difficult to change the world,

it is always possible to change the way we look at it."

Matthieu Ricard

Honesty is the best policy, try to believe what you see.

Do not deceive yourself by trying to read between the lines.

The external show, the outward aspect, the appearances

are no indication of the heart and soul that lie within.

"Peace comes from within.

Do not seek it without. "

Buddha

Still waters run deep.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

What you see is not always what you get.

"It's not what you look at that matters,

it's what you see."

Henry David Thoreau

You cannot go through life wearing rose colored glasses.

Do not fake it until you make it, give the appearance

of who you truly are.

Appearing to be whom you are not only leads to

more problems when the true you is exposed.

Rage is often a disguise for fear.

The fear is lack of control, a demand for respect.

The anger is an attempt to bully ones self into

controlling a situation or domination of others.

Rage and other displays of anger rarely improve

any situation.

"He who experiences the unity of life

sees his own Self in all beings,

and all beings in his own Self,

and looks on everything with an impartial eye. "

Buddha

You do not want to have your feelings hurt,

so do not hurt the feelings of others.

You do not want to appear the fool,

so do not try to make a fool of someone else.

If you do not recognize the appearance,

friend or foe, ask a friend to help you see.

Four eyes are better than two.

The need to be humble and to rely on a Higher Power

to improve your appearance

and help you see the world is obvious.

The will of your Higher Power is to improve

the appearance of the world.

Improve the appearance of the world by being

kindly and loving.

Happiness is helping someone help themselves.

Iris and ME (Michael Erb)

Success

2009-07-14T09:17:00.003-04:00

When you

and God

are on

the same

page,

success

is a

given

reward.

If God brings you to it,

He will bring you through it.

I takes your preparation and God's opportunity

to make a success.

Success is never a one person show.

A big success is made up of many small victories.

The family that prays together is a success.

Friends who share make any event, any outing, a success.

It takes every cast member to sing in tune to make

the play a success.

It takes every team member executing their assignment

without error to make a champion.

It takes management and employee to work toward

a common goal if the company is to be a success.

"If everyone is moving forward together,

then success takes care of itself."

Henry Ford

You are not a good family member, friend, team member,

servant of God, if you attitude is not ready when the time

comes for you to do your part.

It takes many good days and bad days to make a successful life.

"Most great people have attained their greatest success

just one step beyond their greatest failure."

Napoleon Hill

A failure is not a loss, unless you quit.

A failure is just a lesson in how not to do it the next time.

A failure to one person may be a success to another.

Yesterdays success is no guarantee of a successful today.

Tomorrow never comes.

Success is wanting to win.

Success is wanting to make the world a better place

for all to live in.

You may ask others to evaluate your effort,

but always remember,

your definition of success is what makes you happy.

Do not rely on others to give you praise for every successful

accomplishment you may think you have achieved.

Only Mothers have been given that chore.

Be content to know that you enjoyed having a successful day.

Be content that you and your Higher Power were on the same page.

Let contentment and serenity be your sign of success.

Happiness is helping someone help themselves.

Iris and ME (Michael Erb)

Brilliance

2009-07-13T08:40:00.006-04:00

Shine with

your own

light,

or reflect

the brilliance

of those

around you.

Every soul

has a

purpose,

that is to do the will of their Higher Power.

"Among the attributes of God,
although they are equal,
mercy shines with even more brilliance than justice."
Miguel de Cervantes Saavadra

"The Ingenious Hidalgo Don Quixote of La Mancha," may

have tilted with windmills, but his creator has shone with

brilliance for four hundred years.

For most people, a flash of brilliance, not four hundred years

and a legacy as the inventor of the modern novel, may be the

will of a Higher Power.

No one can be sure what God has in mind for us,

so the purpose for being is to be the best we can be

at all times.

If you are prepared, have the right positive attitude,

the best emotional strength, when God's will needs

to be fulfilled, you should be ready to shine or reflect

the brilliance He has prepared for you to offer.

What we do for ourselves will be forgotten tomorrow,

what we do for others will live forever.

Being kind, being loving, and having mercy, which is

the will of your Higher Power, will make for a happy you,

and a world that will be a better place.

The brilliance of your accomplishments does not have to be

agreed upon by others, it is between you and your

Higher Power to decide if you did the next right thing.

Have faith, God has given everyone a talent to do their

part in making the world a better place.

"Do not overrate what you have received,
nor envy others.
He who envies others
does not obtain peace of mind. "
Buddha

Enjoy life, do not waste your time in judging others.

Great people discuss ideas, average people talk about

events and small people gossip about others.

Remember that silence is sometimes the brightest answer.

Be ready today to do the will of your Higher Power.

Over prepared to do God's will is better that having

regrets and remorse tomorrow, knowing you could

have done better today.

Remember, those with high expectations

often fall the greatest distance.

The ones who shine the brightest are the ones who try

the hardest to be better and are then content to have an

almost perfect job.

Only God is perfect.

The biggest troublemaker you'll probably ever have to deal with,

is the one who watches you from the mirror every morning.

Be ready, the smallest kindness, the most selfless service that you

do today may be the most brilliant thing you will do in your life.

Laugh, love, be merry, be happy, be content, know that today you

tried to be the most brilliant star in God's heaven.

Happiness is helping someone help themselves.

Iris and ME (Michael Erb)

The Game

2009-07-12T08:46:00.002-04:00

Hide

and

Seek,

find my

emotions,

is a

game

that some adults refuse to stop playing.

Fear, you may learn too much about me if I let

my emotions show.

Fear, you my use my emotional weaknesses to hurt

me if I tell you too much about myself.

Fear, you may not like me if you know too much about

my emotional persona.

So we'll play the game of you tell me one thing about you

and I'll tell you one thing about me.

So we'll play the game that I'll say that I agree with you,

even when I don't.

So we'll play the game of I'll tell you, only if you promise

not to tell anyone else.

So eventually the fear, distrust and the lies are found out

and the Game is Over.

No more friendship, no more relationship, no more marriage.

Grow up, stop playing games.

The rules of the game say that first you must know yourself.

There can be no two sets of rules, one for you and one for others.

Emotions and motives may only be positive:

no fear, hate, distrust, jealousy, envy, spite or other feelings

which may harm you or others are allowed in the game.

Other important rules include:

No lying, No cheating, and No stealing.

(Unless it is second base during the family picnic softball game.)

Lawyer language should not be needed to outline or detail

the rules of engagement.

No disclaimers allowed.

Faith, hope, courage, kindness, and love are feelings the God

has given man to make this world a better place to live.

Misuse of these emotions violates the rules of God's game.

Be honest,

obeying the rules of common decency is everyone's responsibility.

Be open minded,

accept God's world as it is, not as you think it should be.

Be willing,

change is a part of growing, some rules are made to be broken.

Have faith that those who do the will of a Higher Power are

all winners in the game of life.

Happiness is helping someone help themselves.

Iris and ME (Michael Erb)

Burden

2009-07-11T08:38:00.002-04:00

Good

and

Bad

are a

burden

when you

must,

it is only when you "want to" that Good becomes a joy.

Honesty and truthfulness lift the burden of guilt

and shame from the soul.

Resentments are born when you are jealous of your and

others relationships.

The burden is yours because others are God's children

and they have a will of their own.

Resentments are born when you are envious of possessions.

The burden is on you because things are things and you need

to get your own things.

Resentments are born when you get angry at others

because they do not do as you say.

The burden is yours when you want to control God's world.

Resentments are born when you believe you must stop

having fun and give up the bad habits.

The burden is yours when your attitude is selfish.

Resentments are born when you must be nice to someone

you hate.

The burden is yours when you allow your heart to hate.

Worry is a burden that is your own bad habit.

Honesty and truthfulness are required to seek out

ones motives.

Discovering the wrongful motives of a resentment gives

rise to guilt and shame.

Pray and ask your self and your Higher Power for

forgiveness for the selfish, self centered motives

that wronged yourself and others.

Do not pray for things for God said,

"what you have is all you need."

Make amends to those whom you have harmed.

Physical harm is bad, emotional harm can be even more terrible.

The person you hated could care less.

Accept God's world as being God's and the burden will be lifted.

Do not apply for the job of holding up the weight of the world,

God has already given Atlas the job.

Apply for the burden less job of doing the will of your Higher Power.

The will of the Spirit of the Universe is to be happy, kind, loving

and to be of service by spreading the joy of doing the next right thing.

When you carry an unneeded or unwanted burden your

hands are not free to give to others.

If others do not want to be happy, that is their burden.

Be kind.

Be loving.

Be the person God wants you to be.

Happiness is helping someone help themselves.

Iris and ME (Michael Erb)

Flash and Dash

2009-07-10T08:33:00.007-04:00

One day

your life

will flash

before

your eyes.

Make sure

its worth

watching.

"The unlived
life is not
worth examining.'
Tom Morris

You may wish to savor and enjoy the nuances of life,

to slowly partake of life's best moments,

but beware,

in retrospect they were there and gone in a flash.

You made a mad dash to grow up, only to find out that

childhood is the best time of ones life.

You made a mad dash to find a soul mate to grow old with,

only to learn that the joy was in the exploring.

Chose a soul mate who enjoys exploring life.

If you have a fear that if you do not do it right away,

in a flash, in a dash, there will not be anything left for you,

have faith, in God's time, all good things appear.

"It is the flash which appears,
the thunder will follow."
Voltaire

The flash and the dash are all for show,

it is the spark and the glow that keep us on the go.

Flashy looks good but can it talk?

The dash is impressive, but the race goes to the

consistent and the persistent.

A spark of kindness starts a fire of love.

The glow of friendship keeps the soul happy.

A flash usually ends with a sizzle and a fizzle.

The dash ends up with everyone gasping for air.

The spark and the glow patiently wait to highlight

the next show.

"Genius unrefined resembles a flash of lightning,
but wisdom is like the sun."
Franz Grillparzer

Today, be wise, chose your pace wisely.

Today, leave the flash to the pretentious.

Enjoy today, do not dash past a good moment.

The only person you need to impress is yourself.

God loves you.

Seek serenity.

Serenity is learning to change what you can and

being willing to accept that which you cannot change.

Ask your Higher Power to give you the

directions to serenity.

Do not waste today trying to catch a flash in the pan.

Do not waste today in a dash from here to there and

forget to watch what life has to offer along the way.

Be kind, catch the spark.

Be loving, fan the glowing ember.

Be the person God wants you to be.

Happiness is helping someone help themselves.

Iris and ME (Michael Erb)

Repair

2009-07-08T08:01:00.004-04:00

There is

no

body,

mind,

or soul

that

does not

go through life without the need for repair.

Emotional repairs are needed on a daily basis.

Upon awakening it is important to brush your teeth,

and place your attitude in a positive light to anticipate

the travails of the day.

Wash your face and say please to your Higher Power

to have Him/Her/It, grant you the direction and the

courage to do the next right thing.

Have your repair kit in hand, just in case the day does

not go as you wish.

Patience and tolerance are the necessary band aid to put

the attitude back in place after that fool pulled in front of you.

Kindness is a good tissue to wipe the tears from the face

of a hurt friend.

Love is the iodine needed to cleanse the hurt you

feel for your children, family and friends who cannot

understand that they need to do just as you say.

You know how easy it is to put the iodine on the

wound of someone else, the sting is theirs to feel.

Have your favorite prayer or mantra ready as your aspirin

to calm the nerves when others insult you or disrespect you.

Faith is the Plaster of Paris needed to hold your body, mind

and soul together to do the will of your Higher Power.

Do not be needy, the hypochondriac, always looking for others

to make your imagined emotional aches and pains go away.

If you want to be the doctor or the nurse, the preacher or

the teacher, make sure your body, mind and spirit are

examined and found to be healthy before you tend to the

needs of others.

Let go and let God, do not continue to pick at wounds from

past emotional injuries.

Do not worry about the scars of past injuries, everybody

has some scars.

Your best friends are those who tell you their war stories,

how they acquired their scars, so that you do not have to

endure the same pains that they had to go through.

Listen and heed the stories of friends and family.

God went to great pains to put that person in your life,

so instead of always having to tend to your own hurts,

you will have the time and the repair kit needed to do

the will of your Higher Power.

If your repair kit or the repair kit of family or friends do

not have the necessary ingredients to cure your ills, seek

professional help.

Check your repair kit on a regular basis and make sure

it is full of the necessary items:

Kindliness,

Patience and tolerance,

Love,

Faith,

and a Positive Attitude Wrench.

Make sure you own the wrench that fits all sizes of nuts.

Happiness is helping someone help themselves.

Iris and ME (Michael Erb)

Hypocrisy

2009-07-07T08:31:00.004-04:00

To give the

false

appearance

that one

has a

virtue or

practices

a religion

or works

a program

of spiritual living.

A hypocrite talks the talk but does not walk the walk.

The smarter the hypocrite the more deceiving he is

of himself and others.

"Evil is much too clever to be so obvious.

Satan experiences the most success in secret."

Dr. J.C. Matthews

Be overly cautious of the hypocrite because they

usually sneak around behind your back

to do their evil deeds.

They, the hypocrites, have no redeeming virtues.

They do not have the courage to confront the truth.

They have morals that are below decent standards.

A hypocrite can justify his talk by by arguing that

a small lie, sexual innuendos, grandiosity, intellectual

superiority are just words that do not hurt others,

so why should they be judged by their words.

The hypocrite usually preys upon those who cannot

defend themselves.

They live the lies they tell and do not understand why

they must suffer distrust from others and live their

lives in loneliness.

Do not ignore the hypocrite.

"Clean your finger before you point at my spots."

Benjamin Franklin

Those who live in glass houses should not throw stones.

"And why do you look at the speck

that is in your brother's eye,

but do not notice

the log that is in your own eye?"

The Bible: Matthew 7:3

Do not be the pot who is calling the kettle black.

When your side of the street is clean you may then yell

at the messy neighbor.

Have friends, be a friend.

Be kind.

Be loving.

Be the person God wants you to be.

Pray.

Meditate.

Do not allow evil deeds to ruin your family ,

your friendships or your community.

Your higher Power and a few friends will tell you what

should be done about the hypocrite.

When you, your friends and God have decided that

the hypocrite has committed hypocrisy,

it is time to call out the beast.

There is strength in numbers, take your army with you.

You may not win the battle or make a dent in the

argument, but plant the seed you must.

Do not kill the messenger, learn from the lesson.

From the hypocrite the message is:

"do not do as I say nor do as I do."

Today, do not let the evil acts or the evil person, to rent

space in your mind.

Today, be prepared, and when God gives you the opportunity

to do His will, have the courage to do what must be done.

Today, be happy that you can live in the here and now

with a clean conscious.

Happiness is helping someone help themselves.

Iris and ME (Michael Erb)

Doomed to Repeat

2009-07-06T08:25:00.006-04:00

Unless

there

is a

spiritual

change

you

will be

doomed to repeat the past.

Change does not mean having enough will power to

alter a habit.

Change does not mean to change careers.

Change does not mean to become involved

in a new relationship.

Change does not mean to move from here to there.

Change does not mean plastic surgery, a tattoo,

or a new wardrobe.

Most bad behaviors and unwanted addictions are a

combination of physical dependency, mental habits

and spiritual demoralization.

Detoxification, putting the plug in the jug, will improve

the physical health, but does little to improve the

attitude or the character of the affected.

Hypnosis, geographical moves, career changes, divorce

or whatever one believes to be the cause of their bad habit,

cannot guarantee that the habit will be broken if only the

external cause is removed.

The internal cause of the bad habit or the addiction is the

spiritual change that must be affected if you expect to

remove the impending doom of repetition.

If God has appointed you as the resident genius for this

generation and you already know everything,

why even bother to consider changing.

If you have a resentment towards others because they

do not give you the respect you think you deserve,

talk ugly about them, point out their character defects,

but do not even think about looking at yourself.

Doomed to repeat heartbreak.

Doomed to repeat loneliness.

Doomed to repeat the behaviors that lead to jails,

institutions and death.

Spiritual change is so simple.

There is a God, and it is not you.

Be honest about your motives.

Be open minded so that you may learn the difference.

Be willing to change.

Say please in the morning.

Say thank you at night.

Between morning and night,

do the will of your Higher Power.

Have faith, your Higher Power will put people into

your life to give you the understanding to change.

No matter how small; one jealous thought per month,

or how large; lying, cheating, and stealing every day

to survive, everyone needs to change.

There are millions of people who have made incredible

changes in turning their lives around because they

now believe in a Power Greater Than Themselves.

By asking their Higher Power to remove the physical addiction

they have been changed.

By asking their Higher Power to remove the mental obsession

they have been changed.

By asking their Higher Power they have been give a moral life.

By changing,

they are no longer doomed to repeat the ills of the past.

The best students of life never argue with the lessons,

they take what they need and store the rest for

future reference.

Those who do not learn from the lessons of life are

doomed to repeat the past.

Learn to debate, not argue.

A good debate looks for more answers to life's problems,

an argument looks to blame the loser for life's problems.

Learn to change by using the will of your Higher Power

as your guide along your spiritual path to a good life.

Be kind.

Laugh.

Love.

Happiness is helping someone help themselves.

Iris and ME (Michael Erb)

Alternative

2009-07-05T07:14:00.004-04:00

The 500

most

popular

words

in the

English

language

have as an

average

28 definitions.

Alternatives are choices, the two most common being

alternative music and alternative therapy.

Alternatives are the unusual, outside the social norm.

Folk music can be understood, however, God bless the soul

who hears music coming from the noise called hip-hop, punk,

or hard rock.

Alternative therapies are a choice that everyone should examine.

"Want a pill little boy???"

Judy,Marilyn, Elvis, Michael and a host of other musicians and

entertainers should have explored some alternative therapies

before their music careers were cut short.

"Better living through chemistry," was the DuPont slogan

meant to improve the things in our lives,

not the body and soul of our lives.

As much as some would love to differ, no one is perfect.

Whether it is congenital from birth, a disease, accident or just

from old age, the body and the mind often suffer from pain

and weakness that is not normal.

Addiction is a disease that can be treated but cannot be cured.

By definition any disease is prone to relapse, but it is not

necessary to relapse, if treatment is maintained.

Not only is no one perfect, no two people are exactly alike.

Because no two sick people are exactly alike, no one treatment

is going to work for everyone.

Even the majority of treated persons who have recovered

from a disease, upon close examination, have had differences

in their treatment.

The big fat guy and the skinny little lady do not take the same

dosages of medication or treatment.

A good treatment is holistic, treating the mind and the body.

Current science is not quite ready to validate faith healing.

"It is even harder for the average ape to believe
that he has descended from man."

H. L. Mencken

Healing is a personal thing.

Seek the advice of professionals who believe in alternatives.

Have family and friends who support you.

Listen to the suggestions and communicate that which works

and makes you feel good and that which appears to make

matters worse.

Don't quit until the miracle happens.

Do not wait until you are really sick to begin treatment.

Be proactive, do your best to keep yourself healthy.

Choice is to change or not to change.

Stay sick or get better.

You get better by changing sick old habits and old sick behaviors

to healthy habits and kind behaviors.

The alternative form of a treatment will not work if the

patient does not change.

No form of treatment will work if the patient

is not willing to change.

To heal the sick mind, surround it with happiness.

People, places and things that produce stress should

be avoided at all cost.

Know where you are safe and invite a friend or twenty

to join in with sharing the happiness.

Love has healed many.

Seek alternatives when necessary.

Seek alternatives when not necessary.

Knowing that you are willing to change and that you

know how to change are antidotes to any bad day.

Conscious contact with your Higher Power is an alternative

therapy that is guaranteed to heal the sickest soul.

Seek your Higher Power and have faith.

The science of healing is always looking for alternative ways,

help improve sciences chance of success by being willing.

Choice and change, physician, heal thyself.

Happiness is helping someone help themselves.

Iris and ME (Michael Erb)

Independence

2009-07-04T08:37:00.003-04:00

Be

yourself,

everybody

else

has been

taken.

Be the

person

God

wants you to be.

Love your parents, but do not depend upon them.

Love your children, but do not depend upon them.

Be a friend, have a friend, but do not rely on your friends

to do what you need to do.

Independence is self discipline and being responsible.

'Do what you should do,

when you should do it,

whether you feel like it or not.'

Thomas Huxley

Speak for yourself, dress for yourself, but always

respect others and the laws of society.

Be independent of mood altering substances and people.

Bad taste and under the influence is not being independent.

Using your God given talents to do the will of a

Higher Power, to make the world a better place

for everyone, is being independent.

You can be a good team member and still maintain

your independence.

Family, friends or workplace, make them proud to have you

as a team member because you are an independent thinker

who makes everyone and everything around you better.

"Trust in yourself and in doing so,

you trust in the very wisdom that created you.

In proportion, as you simplify your life

the laws of the universe will appear less complex,

and solitude will not be solitude,

nor will poverty be poverty,

nor weakness be weakness.

Whether it is labeled transcendental idealism,

pragmatic existentialism, rational individualism,

or some other construct of human seeking,

there remains a strong romantic appeal to a simpler life,

free of the shackles of society."

Lolly Daskal

Enjoy today.

Enjoy being happy because it is your choice.

Your attitude is the key to a happy independence.

Enjoy those who want to share with you.

Share kindliness,

Share love,

Share that you are the person God wants you to be,

and you will know happy, joyous, free and independent.

Happiness is helping someone help themselves.

Iris and ME (Michael Erb)

Yet To Be

2009-07-03T08:08:00.004-04:00

What

you

believe

is

your

yet

to be.

If

your

thoughts

are

positive, good things will happen.

If you forget to think, the worst is yet to come.

Happy, joyous and free are the yets awaiting the person

who is doing the will of their Higher Power.

Are you happy yet?

Are you joyous yet??

Are you free yet??

Jails, institutions and death are the yets awaiting those

who are selfish and self centered, the egomaniacs who's only

thought is me, me, me.

Have you been to jail yet??

Have you visited the loony bin yet??

Your next drink may be your last.

For the person who cares, the yet to be is the destiny

of the spiritual path.

Yet to be determined is the destiny of the soul who does not

seek out their spiritual conscious.

"Fashion your life as a garland of beautiful deeds."

Buddha

Your yet to be will have wondrous consequences if

your spiritual path is paved with good deeds.

Do not think, do.

Do not worry about what is yet to be, do it.

Learn from the good consequences of your past and do

something that will make this world a better place.

Learn from the bad consequences of your past that the

next yet could be your Waterloo.

Do not give a moment of thought to what others are

saying about you if you know in your heart that you are

trying to be the best that you can be.

"Neither fire nor wind, birth nor death

can erase our good deeds."

Buddha

Today - determine what your yets will be by

having positive thoughts and doing positive things.

Today - concentrate on your good deeds.

Today - be happy, joyous and free and leave

what is yet to be up to God.

Happiness is helping someone help themselves.

Iris and ME. .(Michael Erb)

Symptoms

2009-07-02T08:52:00.006-04:00

Something

that

indicates

the existence

of something

else is a

symptom.

You must always be changing because today is a different day.

You must always be looking for the symptoms of change in

yourself, others and God's world.

Physical, mental or spiritual your growth and your aging are

changes which are usually very subtle.

The aha moment, the spiritual awakening, the reality of life

light bulb illuminating are the times when you notice that a

big change has occurred and you just realized it.

It is only in retrospect that you realize that you never

noticed the subtle symptoms of change.

"Our emotional symptoms
are precious sources
of life and individuality."
St. Thomas More

You must learn to look for symptoms.

Be diligent, get a second opinion, remember, one symptom

could be caused by many different things.

Remember, one disease may have many different symptoms.

Good, bad or indifferent, things, people and you will change.

Become proactive, try to change things for the better.

Be kinder, more loving and be the person God wants you to be.

Be a friend, have a friend.

When it comes to symptoms, friends and family are the best

at seeing the changes in us.

"The primary symptom of a controller is denial,
that is I can't see its symptoms in myself."
Keith Miller

Look for the symptoms of change in family and friends and

learn from them.

Do not concern yourself with how the message is delivered,

but if a friend or a family member has a monkey on their back,

let them know what symptoms you have noticed.

Look for the symptoms of change in your relationships.

If people do not grow together, they will grow apart.

If you see a symptom that reflects good change, exploit it.

If you see a symptom of a bad habit, change it.

Even if you do not like what you see, examine yourself,

ask a friend to help, and see what the symptoms are

pointing toward.

Live longer, live happier, share the joy.

Physically, do not drink, do not smoke, and watch the weight.

Emotionally, stop the hysteria and lose the depression.

Chaos is not a symptom of change.

Spiritually, seek the serenity and the peace of doing the will

of your Higher Power.

Today, do not wait for life to hit you over the head with

a frying pan, when a daily review of the symptoms, the changes,

in your life could have show you the spiritual and emotional path

you were on.

Smiles and hugs are the symptoms of a happy soul.

Honesty, open mindedness and willingness to change are the

symptoms of a spiritual soul.

Happiness is helping someone help themselves.

Iris and ME (Michael Erb)

Average

2009-07-01T08:49:00.005-04:00

Good days,

bad days,

average

days,

it is

your

attitude

that makes

the difference.

The good days are a blessing, even though there

are some people who can mess up the best dreams.

The bad days happen,

a little rain must fall into everyone's life.

Trying to make the average days exciting

or even memorable is the real talent of a positive

thinking person.

"What a distressing contrast there is

between the radiant intelligence of the child

and the feeble mentality of the average adult."

Sigmund Freud

Teachers of children usually have exciting lives because

the enthusiasm of the children influences the teacher.

Become a teacher, every day.

Teach yourself a new word every day.

Teach yourself to expand your gratitude list.

Teach yourself to become enthusiastic about average things.

Enthusiastic: (Greek) En - inside, theos - God, the word means

the God within you, to show your God given joy for living.

Teach others, children from one to ninety-two, how

to live a better than average, enthusiastic, memorable,

and blessed daily life.

You are the average of what you expect from life.

Learn and teach that your Higher Power will meet your needs.

Things are nice, but without a better than average attitude,

today will be just another average day.

Perspective is how you look at life,

not how you assume others see your life.

Show others your enthusiasm and others will not have

to assume that you know how to be better than average.

You do not have to judge your average by those around you.

Lift your friends and family above the average.

If your friends and family are too heavy to lift,

find some new friends and send the family a post card,

or e-mail them a picture, and let them see how you enjoy

living a life that is above average.

The joy of living is in giving the effort to try to be

better than average.

If you succeed and exceed your goals, the success is the bonus

that makes the day even more memorable.

Today, try to be more kind.

Today, try to be more loving.

Today, laugh louder and sing louder than average.

Today, try to do more of the will of your Higher Power.

The will of a Higher Power is to make this world a better

than average place to live.

Today, do not aspire to have an average day.

Good, bad or average, it is your perspective and your attitude

that will be judged at the end of the day.

Today, change your attitude to be better than average.

Today, inspire to have today be the best that it can be.

Happiness is helping someone help themselves.

Iris and ME (Michael Erb)

Charity

2009-06-29T08:49:00.003-04:00

Charity

begins

at home

with a

benevolent

word,

kindness,

and love,

for yourself,

and your family.

"You yourself,
as much as anybody in the entire universe,
deserve your love and affection."
Buddha

Charity does not begin at home because you are selfish,

it begins at home because that is where kindliness and love

are taught and learned.

Those who have learned to be charitable at home are more

able to give of themselves to do the will of a Higher Power.

The will of God is to be kind, loving, and to make this

world a better place for all to live in.

Charity is not alms for the poor.

You cannot buy your way into Heaven.

Charity is a positive attitude that allows you to give the

best of yourself to help the needy.

Needy isn't always just a lack of money and resources,

the physical need, it can also be an emotional need

or a spiritual need.

Charity is to feed the body and the soul and to help

those in need keep their dignity, improve their self esteem,

and allow them to give back to the world the love and

kindness which has been freely given to them.

Charity is your time and your compassion for others,

and if you have a few alms to donate,

do so in a charitable fashion.

Charity is a hand up, not a hand out.

Teach this triple truth to all:
A generous heart, kind speech,
and a life of service and compassion
are the things which renew humanity. "
Buddha

The will of a Higher Power is to renew humanity.

Chose a charitable group that wants your support and

one that offers to meet the physical, emotional and spiritual

needs of those they are trying to help.

All charitable groups must have a statement of purpose.

Read the groups mission statement and see that it agrees

with the will of your Higher Power.

Learn the history of the organization you wish to support

and know that their actions support the intentions of their

mission statement.

Today's charities number in the thousands and they run the

gambit from mega corporations with high overhead,

well paid executives and slick ad campaigns all the way down to

the local church which manages to provide services on a

shoe string budget operated by volunteers.

Chose the charity that fits your ego and meets your needs.

Support your local Boy and Girl Scout organizations, they teach

charity in it's purist form.

Learn to be charitable every day.

Every day, donate a compliment, a smile, a kind word or

five minutes of your time to get out of yourself

and be of service to God's world.

Have faith, your Higher Power will help you meet or exceed

your needs.

Today, be charitable, share your faith, your hope,

your dreams for a better world.

Happiness is helping someone help themselves.

Iris and ME (Michael Erb)

Spirit of the Universe

2009-06-28T09:02:00.004-04:00

Higher

Power,

God

of your

Understanding,

Spirit

of the

Universe,

or whatever name you decide upon, it is best to know

that there is something in this world that is bigger than

all of us and it controls our destiny.

There is a God and it is not you.

You know in your heart, you feel it inside you and

your Mother is never wrong when it comes to that

intuition which is a Higher Power working in our lives.

Faith is the belief that an unseen, indescribable and unprovable

Power, a Power greater than you, controls current events.

The person who argues that there is no God will live and die

just like every other body on this planet.

Those who argue that there is no God were put on this Earth

to strengthen the faith of those who believe.

There are no coincidences, only God incidents.

Love and legacy are the compelling forces, the existence

of the Spirit of the Universe, which is carried within your soul.

The body given to you is a temporary loaner,

given to you by a Higher Power,

required to carry your soul as it completes its duties

in this world.

"What we are is God's gift to us.
What we become is our gift to God".
-Eleanor Powell

Those duties of your soul, to carry the love and the legacy,

are the will of the Spirit of the Universe.

The task of those souls in this world today are to take

care of the immediate will of the Higher Power,

not to concern ourselves with the ultimate legacy

of this Universe.

Live in today.

The immediate legacy is to be kind, be loving and

make this world a better place for all to live in.

Take care of the body and soul that you have been given.

Have a family to carry on your legacy,

If it is the will of the Spirit of the Universe that you

should not pass on your physical gene, know that your soul

was placed on this earth to help other souls of this

and future generations.

Passing on the legacy of love is the purpose of every soul,

the reason to exist, as you understand it.

As your spirituality grows and your conscious contact with

your Higher Power improves, your understanding of

yourself will become clearer.

Spirituality is learning to identify yourself.

You are not a parent, a spouse, a job, a relationship,

a career, you are a person, a soul whom your Higher Power

has given the opportunity to do His will.

Love is service.

All the souls now, in the past, and forever more will be

of service to each other to help the love and the legacy

of all souls to grow and continue on.

Some souls are teachers, some preachers, some are farmers,

some are presidents, and some are scum, but regardless

of the label or the title, every one of those souls will leave a legacy.

Love is not finding someone to live with;

it's finding someone you don't want to live without.

It is the will of a Higher Power that love and legacy takes

two soul mates to produce the required results.

Love your soul mate and do the will of Mother Nature.

Be of service, help those who have a broken soul mate picker.

"What we do for ourselves dies with us.
What we do for others and the world
remains and is immortal."
Albert Pine

Today, be the person your Higher Power wants you to be.

Laugh often,

Sing loud,

And

Dance when you get the chance!

Show others that your life and your legacy

are happiness and love.

Happiness is helping someone help themselves.

Iris and ME (Michael Erb)

Loneliness

2009-06-27T08:36:00.005-04:00

Fear

is

the

mother

of

loneliness.

Loneliness

is

a bad attitude, an unwanted feeling.

You fear because you feel that you do not fit in.

You fear because you think you are not good enough.

You fear because you think you are less than.

You fear because you think your life has no value.

When you put all your fears together you become

overwhelmed with loneliness.

Loneliness is an attitude that you can change any time you want to.

Think positive.

Know that your Higher Power made you exactly the way you are

so that you may do His will.

When you get out of yourself and try to help others you

will make the feeling of loneliness go away.

It is not all about you.

Be kind, considerate and loving and you will never be alone.

The solitary soul is thinking only of itself.

The bleakness of life is the vision of a soul that cannot

see beyond it's own nose.

The desolation of loneliness is the attitude of an unhappy soul.

Change your attitude.

You do not need to be happy,

do God's will and try to make someone else happy.

Use a little reverse psychology on yourself.

When God created Eve he declared that no man

should ever be lonely.

Nowhere in any spiritual doctrines or texts does it

suggest that a man or a women took the other as a hostage.

Soul mates are the compliments to our assumed

deficiencies of attitudes.

A good soul mate will help you stay out of yourself,

will help you keep your attitude up and

will not allow you to be alone.

If you have a spouse, share well.

If you do not have a spouse, a good friend will do.

Your family are the friends that God gave you.

Friends are the family that we choose for ourselves.

Better yet, have a spouse, a family and a few good friends.

Try to make all of them happy and your attitude will

never have the opportunity to be lonely.

There are stories of people who are not lonely

because they enjoy going to work.

The happiest soul I know is retired and spends time alone

in his rose garden, convening with nature, doing the will

of His Higher Power by making His/his garden a beautiful

place for all to see and smell.

Know that when you lose a soul mate that you may be

lonely for a time, but have faith, God will put someone in

your life who will need you as much as you need them.

Faith does not know fear.

Life isn't fair, but it's still good.

While sharing good with a friend

you will have no time to be lonely.

Sing loud, laugh often

and love those who have yet to learn faith.

Happiness is helping someone help themselves.

Iris and ME (Michael Erb)

Opinion

2009-06-26T08:38:00.005-04:00

Your

opinion

works

for

you,

all

others

need

their

own opinion.

Is it ketchup or catsup??

Is it goodness or kindness??

Is it the truth or is it a lie??

An opinion should matter only when it matters to you.

"My psychiatrist told me I was crazy
and I said I want a second opinion.
He said okay,
you're ugly too."
Rodney Dangerfield

Know that someone will usually have a different opinion.

You can't keep people from having a bad opinion of you,

but you can keep them from being right about it.

You are getting along on the road to wisdom when you

begin to realize that your opinion is just an opinion.

Human nature says that you must have an opinion,

however, if you are an intelligent human you know

to keep your opinion to yourself.

When ask for your opinion, know that probably

no one will be listening.

Those who are listening to your opinion just can't

wait to express their argument against it.

Those who are in agreement of opinion are friends.

True friends agree to disagree on opinions.

Those who agree with everything you say need to get a life.

"Arguments are extremely vulgar,
for everyone in good society
holds exactly the same opinion."
Oscar Wilde

The world needs those who enjoy contrary opinions,

just to keep the pot stirred.

Can you imagine how bland the soup would be if it

had only one ingredient??

Can you imagine how boring life would be if

everyone were of the same opinion??

Your opinion is usually only good for today.

However, a good stew is always better the second day,

especially when more fresh opinions are added.

When the same argument is about the same opinions,

those which are never changed or compromised,

the stew, on the second day, becomes a boring hash.

You must always be willing to change the recipe,

When it is the will of your Higher Power to allow

your life become an omelet, even when your goal

was to be hard boiled, change your opinion.

Do not disagree with an other persons opinion

just for the sake of disagreeing.

Do not kill the messenger, learn from the lesson.

Have a friend, have an opinion, and let everyone have a laugh.

Today, be kind or good, whichever is your opinion.

Today, love or honor, whichever is your opinion.

Today, know that the will of your Higher Power is yours

and it is not an opinion.

Be the person God wants you to be.

Ketchup or catsup, do not put it on your hot dog.

Happiness is helping someone help themselves.

Iris and ME (Michael Erb)

Expectations

2009-06-25T06:47:00.003-04:00

Expectations

are just

resentments

waiting

to be

born.

The only

realistic

expectations which you may harbor are those goals

which you set for yourself.

Expecting others to have the same motivation and

standards that you have set for yourself is a

pathway leading toward disappointment.

Trying to live your life to meet the expectations of others

is a super highway leading to disappointment.

Lower your expectations

and you lower your chances of being disappointed.

Do not be disappointed, adjust your expectations

and try harder the next time.

"If you paint in your mind a picture

of bright and happy expectations,

you put yourself into a condition

conducive to your goal."

Norman Vincent Peale

Keep it simple, do it yourself.

Need help, rely on your Higher Power to give you direction.

Keep it simple, do the will of your Higher Power.

Expect a little more from yourself.

The extra challenge will allow you to make the world

a better place for everyone and everything.

Expect to be the person God wants you to be.

Expect that there will be consequences for your actions.

Your mistakes of yesterday, your errors in judgment and

the consequences you paid are the source for a positive

lesson for today.

Share your lessons with others so that they do not have

to make the same mistakes.

Learn to listen closely to those people God has put into your life,

those who will teach you the lessons they have learned from

expectations, mistakes and consequences.

"The expectations of life depend upon diligence;

the mechanic that would perfect his work

must first sharpen his tools."

Confucius

Expect to become a better person.

The only expectation whose consequence is guaranteed

is the expectation that things will change.

Make your life easier, go with the flow.

Have friends who know how to change this world to make

it a better place for all.

Have friends who are kind.

Have friends who are loving.

Have friends who have a Higher Power.

The consequences of having good friends, friends who are good,

is that you can Expect a happy, joyous and free life.

Happiness is helping someone help themselves.

Iris and ME (Michael Erb)

Trust

2009-06-24T08:45:00.003-04:00

Trust is

placing

a

confidence

in

another.

Trust

in God, all others pay in cash.

To trust means you can rely on the character, ability, strength,

or truth of someone to not place you in harm's way.

Trust yourself, God already trust that you will do His will.

People of genius are admired,

those of wealth are envied,

those who have power are feared;

but only men and women of character are trusted.

Be the character God wants you to be.

"It is impossible to go through life without trust:

that is to be imprisoned in the worst cell of all,

oneself.

Graham Greene

Trust your own God given instincts first.

Trust which must be earned is too often taken for granted.

Fear is the antitheses of trust.

Fear is a lack of knowledge, faith and trust.

Friends and family who can be trusted will teach you what

faith can do to build trust.

Trust is a brick house built on a solid foundation, not

a house of cards standing on a fold away table.

Time is required to be aware of the Grace of God.

Trust that God will give you the time, if you give the effort.

Having trust is living in the Grace of God

"Love is the seed of all hope.

It is the enticement to trust,

to risk, to try, to go on."

Gloria Gaither

Be kind today and trust that the kindness will be returned.

Love today and trust that God already loves you.

Trust in yourself that you can do the will of your Higher Power.

Have trust today and give credit where credit is due.

Happiness is helping someone help themselves.

Iris and ME (Michael Erb)

Arrogance

2009-06-23T08:13:00.006-04:00

Honesty

separates

self esteem

from

arrogance.

To display

an

overbearing

sense of superiority is true sign of arrogance.

You must earn the respect of others,

you do not demand respect from them.

Be self confident, not presumptuous.

Do not make assumptions, be willing to say,

" I do not know."

Most importantly, say that you would be willing to learn.

Arrogance is a lot of smoke being generated by ego maniacs

who are trying to hide an inferiority complex.

Your Higher Power did not place you or any other soul

into this world to be a slave to an other's false ego.

Arrogance is a dishonest act.

"Early in life I had to choose between honest arrogance
and hypocritical humility.
I chose the former and have seen no reason to change."
Frank Lloyd Wright

I you've got it, flaunt it.

Take pride in being the best person that you can be.

It takes knowledge, understanding, and a whole list

of other good virtues for a person to become a leader.

Arrogance is not a good virtue.

Not everyone is a leader, but everyone is a teacher.

Those who are not arrogant are willing to learn

from everyone, both the young and the old,

the smart and the dumb, the leader and the follower.

The will of your Higher Power is given to you by

those people and things that are put into your life.

"The insufferable arrogance of human beings to think
that Nature was made solely for their benefit,
as if it was conceivable that the sun had been set afire
merely to ripen men's apples and head their cabbages."
Cyrano de Bergerac

Every soul has God like qualities, only the arrogant believe

that they are the only ones to have been so blessed.

Today, for the benefit of others,

wear you God given talents as a badge of honor.

Today. earn your respect by honestly being yourself.

Today, do not presume or assume.

Today, be a friend so you can have a friend.

Live simply, love generously, care deeply, speak kindly

and trust in our Creator who loves us.

Happiness is helping someone help themselves.

Iris and ME (Michael Erb)

Wondering and Wandering

2009-06-22T08:39:00.007-04:00

Do not

wonder

too far,

you

might

just

become

lost.

The mind is a terrible thing to lose.

"Where was I going?
I puzzled and wondered about it
til I actually enjoyed
the puzzlement and wondering."
Carl Sandburg

According to Merriam, a wonder can be curiosity,

doubt or surprise.

Only God has no need to wonder.

Wondering is waiting for God's intuitive inspiration.

The curious part of wondering is the source of inspiration,

the doubting part is the bane to completing life's purpose.

Do you ever wonder what you should be wondering about??

When do wandering and wondering become the same??

One of the many dilemmas of life is how to keep wondering

in the realm of inspiration while trying to keep your focus

on the important things in life.

If you spend too much time wondering

nothing will ever be accomplished.

When does wondering become confusion??

"Men go abroad to wonder
at the heights of mountains,
at the huge waves of the sea,
at the long courses of the rivers,
at the vast compass of the ocean,
at the circular motions of the stars,
and they pass by themselves
without wondering."
Saint Augustine

Wondering about what motivates others is a waste of

brain energy.

If you believe that you already know everything

there is no need to wonder.

"On life's journey
faith is nourishment,
virtuous deeds are a shelter,
wisdom is the light by day and
right mindfulness is the protection by night.
If a man lives a pure life,
nothing can destroy him. "
Buddha

Take a moment today to wonder if you are

doing the will of your Higher Power.

Do not wonder if being kind and loving are the

the right thing to do.

Today, wonder, so that you may be inspired.

Today, wonder, because the surprise lets you know

that you do not know everything.

Today, wonder, the doubt may give you

a second chance to do better.

"Oh, I wonder, wonder, who,

who wrote the book of love."

Today, have a wonderful day.

Happiness is helping someone help themselves.

Iris and ME (Michael Erb)

"Monotones,"considered a "one-hit wonder,"
as their only hit song was
"(Who Wrote) The Book of Love",
which peaked at #5 on the Billboard Top 100 in 1958.

Parent

2009-06-21T08:25:00.003-04:00

The trouble

with parents

is that

by the time

they are

experienced,

they are

unemployed.

We are the

people

our parents warned us about.

"The incomparable stupidity of life
teaches us to love our parents;
divine philosophy
teaches us to forgive them."
Baron Brede de Montesquieu

Having a child does not make one a parent

any more than owning a guitar makes you a musician.

God's world is evolving faster and faster and

as each generation produces more knowledge the

parents of that generation are always one step behind.

The telephone of 100 years ago was connected by

wires to that part of the world could be reached and

was such a newfangled invention that the Amish still

do not allow the wires to be hooked up to their home.

Today's generation is texting messages around the world

faster than they can get up the courage to ask their parents

about the facts of life.

Stuck between the generation that invented Mother's Day

and Father's Day and a generation that may clone its next

progeny is a difficult place for the current generation to

be stuck in.

Teach love, the will of a Higher Power.

The will of a Higher Power has transcended every generation

since the beginning of time as we know it.

A baby understands love and the warmth of a parents caress

before they ever know their first word.

Be kind, every generation has reaped the benefits of kindliness.

Be loving, understand that race, creed and national origin will

be issues for a generation of the near future to resolve.

If they know kindness and love the issues will be easier to resolve.

Fear is a lack of knowledge.

Share the technology, the education, the love and become a

parent to the world.

"The wise man must remember
that while he is a descendant of the past,
he is a parent of the future."
Herbert Spencer

Tyranny exist because those in control teach fear and hate.

Genocide is practiced because the children fear that they will be

starved or be tortured by those they have been taught to hate.

Our differences should be in how we can resolve to overcome

a problem, not in how we see each other.

Three heads can solve a problem better than one, even if the heads

are black, white and yellow.

"The pressures of being a parent are equal to any pressure on earth.
To be a conscious parent,
and really look to that little being's mental and physical health,
is a responsibility which most of us, including me,
avoid most of the time because it's too hard."
John Lennon

Hard is as hard as you make it.

Sometimes it is hard to love the ignorant and the rebellious, but

children need to be shown that love and learning will make fear

go away.

Have family and friends who know how to love and share their

strength and your hope with the next generation.

Parent or child, there is no need to wait for one day a year to

celebrate the relationship of love for one another.

Live simply,

love generously,

care deeply,

speak kindly

and trust in our Creator who loves us.

Happiness is helping someone help themselves.

Iris and ME (Michael Erb)

Surprise

2009-06-20T08:17:00.003-04:00

Unexpected

or just

cannot

remember.

Old age,

priorities,

was never too smart to begin with,

and/or all of the above could be reasons to forget.

You are inspired, you have an idea and then you forget.

The more you forget, the bigger the surprise.

"The only thing that should surprise us is
that there are still some things that can surprise us."
Francois De La Rochefoucauld

The fact that you forgot may or may not come as a surprise.

Surprises expand your horizons.

Surprises give you a chance to remember something else.

If you are the definition of insanity and you continue to do

the same thing over and over while expecting different results

there will be no surprises in you life.

Live by the Golden Rule and guarantee yourself only

pleasant surprises.

"One of the greatest discoveries a man makes,
one of his great surprises,
is to find he can do
what he was afraid he couldn't do."
Henry Ford

With the help of a Higher Power all things are possible.

How you react to the surprise is the most important thing.

You must remember that like all lessons in life, a surprise

has a positive side as well as it's negative viewpoint.

Think positive.

You may make any surprise into a pleasant surprise if

you have the right attitude.

How important is it anyhow??

If it is important to a friend, try not to forget.

If it was important enough a friend will be glad to remind you.

"There is no surprise more magical
than the surprise of being loved;
it is God's finger on man's shoulder."
Charles Langbridge Morgan

Be kind, try to surprise everyone.

Be loving, pass on the reason your Higher Power

put your soul into this world.

Be the person that God wants you to be and surprise yourself.

Pray for the pleasant surprise that you will remember

that inspiration that you forgot.

Happiness is helping someon help themselves.

Iris and ME (Michael Erb)

A Place To Start

2009-06-19T08:29:00.003-04:00

One does

not have

to hit a

bottom

to start the

journey

back up.

A bottom

is just

a floor with a trap door in it.

It does not matter how many times you fall down,

it just matters that you stood up after the last fall.

Today is the time and the place to start to change.

The place to start is not your physical location,

it is your emotional condition.

It does not matter where your body is if you mind

is not attached to reality.

To learn to live life on life's terms, to handle the

emotional roller coaster of daily existence,

you must have a place to start.

Up is just a metaphor for feeling good.

Change is going in any direction you need to go

so that you can improve your emotional well being.

Peace of mind and serenity are the ultimate destination.

A good place to start is where your feet first hit the

floor in the morning.

Pray to a Higher Power to allow you to seek His will.

As you leave your home to face the outside world is

a good place to start you attitude adjustment.

Pray to your Higher Power to give you the patience

and tolerance to deal with the person who deserves

to be pummeled into submission.

Most mornings are often over before you get a chance

to check your altitude, so noontime is a good place to start.

Thank your Higher Power for getting you through the morning

and ask that the directions to peace of mind and serenity

do not get lost in the afternoon shuffle.

Just because the day is more than half over does not mean that

this is not a good place to start.

Time to check in with family and friends to make sure your

emotional barometer has no storms forecast and that your

direction is still focused on peace of mind and serenity.

A quiet evening with family and friends, involved in a hobby,

being entertained, improving your mind, sharing an intimate

moment over an ice cream sundae, is a good place to start.

Your Higher Power has more patience with you than you will

ever have for yourself and besides, He already knows what

you are thinking.

A good place to start a check up from the neck up is any

second during the day when your peace or mind and serenity

are being disturbed.

If you have a good place to start to change in preparation

for a new day, you will soon know peace of mind and serenity.

When you know peace of mind and serenity you will feel

Spirituality fit.

Spirituality, peace of mind and serenity are not a given

just because you awoke this morning.

You must daily seek a place to start your emotional involvement

with God's world and do your best to follow the spiritual principals

of Honesty, Open-mindedness and Willingness.

HOW it works.

Have faith, your Higher Power will give you a place to start.

When you get there is your choice.

Every minute starts an hour and every minute is a

new opportunity.

Each time the clock ticks you have a chance to start over,

to say, do, think, or feel something in such a way that you

and the world are better for it.

Anytime, anywhere is a place to start.

Today, remember that tomorrow never comes.

Happiness is helping someone help themselves.

Iris and ME (Michael Erb)

Speciasl Occasion

2009-06-18T08:53:00.006-04:00

Never save

something

for a

special occasion.

Every day

in your life

is a

special occasion.

Today is the day to live life to it's fullest

for tomorrow may never come.

Do not save anything unless it is left over from the last party.

Keep some aside for a rainy day.

Keep some aside for the needs of the ones you love.

Keeping aside for needs is not the same as saving

for a special occasion.

Use what God has given you and enjoy today.

"Each day offers us the gift of being a special occasion
if we can simply learn that as well as giving,
it is blessed to receive with grace and a grateful heart."
Sarah Ban Breathnach

If God has given you, or you think that you have earned,

more than enough, share with a friend.

If you have too much ego, you should also share that

excess with someone, one who doesn't care.

Show the world how good you think you are by sharing

the things that matter.

What matters is;

showing kindliness,

showing love,

showing others that you are trying to be the person

God wants you to be.

You must learn to understand that life should be

a source of experience to be lived up to,

not survived through.

Wear the new clothes, before they no longer fit.

Use the good china, their next appearance

should not be at your wake.

Make every day a special day to play with your toys.

You can't take it to heaven with you.

The words 'Someday...' and ' One Day...'

should fade away from your vocabulary.

"Grace is available for each of us every day -
- our spiritual daily bread -
-but we've got to remember to ask for it
with a grateful heart
and not worry about whether
there will be enough for tomorrow."
Sarah Ban Breathnach

Live for today, for tomorrow is promised to no-one.

Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift.

Have faith, it seems to have worked for mankind

for the past few millennium.

Laugh often,

Sing loud,

And Dance when you get the chance,

for after all,

today is a Special Occasion.

Happiness is helping someone help themselves.

Iris and ME (Michael Erb)

The Greatest Gift

2009-06-17T08:49:00.006-04:00

The

greatest

gift

is the

smallest

attitude.

Understand

that there

is a

difference between your wants and your needs.

"You see things; and you say, 'Why?'
But I dream things that never were;
and I say, 'Why not?'" ~ George Bernard Shaw

Dream that you are the difference and that you can

make the world a better place for everyone to live in.

When your dreams are put into action you will receive

the gifts of a rewarding life.

The smallest attitudes include:

smile and be kind,

laugh and show that you care,

think nice thoughts and do good things.

Small attitudes lead to small actions and when you

do the will of your Higher Power, the greatest gifts

will be your reward.

“In this life we cannot do great things.
We can only do small things with great love” ~
Mother Teresa ~

Think small, think simple, think of others, think nice

thoughts, do good things and know that promises of

great rewards will be yours.

The gifts include:

peace of mind, contentment, happiness, joyfulness, freedom,

realization of self worth, serenity, losing the fear of others,

you will gain interest in others, maturity, and learning to

understand that your Higher Power is doing for you

what you could not do for yourself.

Please note that there is not one Bentley, mansion or yacht

on the gift list.

Accept life as life.

Accept other people as other people.

Accept God's will that some may die so that others may

live better.

Accept the past and know that it is the barometer of

your attitude and, if properly read, the past will show

you the adjustments in your attitude that may be

needed to live a happy today.

Remember that insanity is expecting different results,

even as you continue doing the same things over and over.

Have the right attitude and everything will be all right.

Change is a process not an event.

Today, remember to seek good direction through prayer

and meditation or know that the bad habits of yesterday

may appear, occur, or happen again.

A bad argument is a lazy persons way of trying to avoid

changing an attitude or behavior.

Bad arguments always begin with the word, BUT.

But is beside the point.

Today, the point is to receive the greatest gift

by having the smallest attitude.

Today, the point is knowing that the greatest gift

is the smallest attitude.

Today, understand that the smallest attitude is humility.

Happiness is helping someone help themselves.

Iris and ME (Michael Erb)

Foul Mouth, Foul Mind

2009-02-09T08:40:00.003-05:00

It is a

Blessing

from God

that man

has been

given the

ability

to communicate thoughts and ideas by using vocal sounds.

Those sounds, represented by letters, become words.

Since these words are American, (English?) all references

will regard the American language.

The Oxford English (from England) Dictionary contains

over 250,000 entries, and many are recognized as uniquely

American.

These words are usually referred to as slang.

The dictionary does not count foreign language

words in common use in America.

We saute our food (French).

We study martial arts, Judo and Karate (Japanese).

The dictionary does not count medical and scientific terms.

There are ten times as many more words in use today

than when Shakespeare was living.

With so many options available, why do people swear.

By swearing we do not mean taking an oath,

as in President Obama was sworn in and took

the oath of office twice.

Foul language, swearing, taking the name of a

Higher Power in vain, are not necessary when you

have tens of thousands of words available

to convey your message.

Shock value??

Ignorance??

Lazy and stupid??

Speak up.

The mind can become saturated with bad habits and

using foul language is a bad habit.

You are know by the friends you keep and the level

of language they speak.

"Watch your thoughts;
they become words.
Watch your words;
they become actions.
Watch your actions;
they become habits.
Watch your habits;
they become character.
Watch your character;
it becomes your destiny."
Frank Outlaw

Think.

Change.

If you do not use foul language, fine,

improve your standing among your friends

and learn a new word every day.

Better yet, use a few well selected words more often.

Please and Thank You.

I Love you.

May I help you.

"Conversation would be vastly improved
by the constant use of four simple words:
I do not know."
Andre Maurois

Attempt to make it through today by not using any of the

seven words you cannot say on television. (George Carlin)

Try to talk to friends without using any four lettered slang.

Do not huff and puff, speak softly,

but carry a big stick. (Roosevelt paraphrased)

No screaming and yelling allowed. (Children,Spouse or Family)

Ask your Higher Power to help you select the best words

for the right occasion.

"No matter what people tell you,
words and ideas can change the world."
Robin Williams

May the words you use today change the world for the better.

Happiness is helping someone help themselves.

Iris and ME (Michael Erb)

Over the Hill

2009-01-31T09:28:00.004-05:00

He who

stays in

the valley

will never

see over

the hill.

Many of

life's journeys have milestones that are marked by hill tops.

Be smart and do not to judge your life by one hilltop

that you have reached.

Winning the championship game?

The birth of a child or grandchild?

The pinnacle of success?

The age of forty?

Retirement?

Be wise to know that this hill top is just a better

vantage point to see where you might want to go next.

Celebrate the milestone.

Have gratitude that you have reached that milestone.

Use the knowledge and strength you have gained from

climbing the small hills to reach for the summit of the

tallest mountain on the horizon.

Many say that when you go over the hill you begin to pick

up speed going down the other side.

Use that speed as momentum to start up the next hill.

As long as you are moving forward with your head held high,

and your eyes are fixed on the next milestone

you will be able to cross the lowest valley in your life

in peace and comfort.

Up hill or down hill, never travel alone.

When life puts a fork in the road have a someone

help you read the map.

If they have traversed this swamp before your hope is they

know the shortest route to higher ground.

Higher ground may be just as good as a hill if you are

up to your tush in alligators.

If you had ask your friend for advice at the last fork in the road,

maybe you would not have found yourself in the swamp.

Where you think you are going and where your Higher Power

wants or lets you go may be two separate directions.

Pray for guidance.

The stories of the wisest masters tells us that if you want

to find your way out of the desert, follow God.

Whether you are in the valley of despair or on the highest

mountain, today's journey will begin with the first step.

Life will not allow you to live in the past for long.

What you have earned from yesterdays travels will

pay the road tolls for today's journey.

If you do not learn and earn from today's journey,

tomorrow's forecast may be down hill and out of control.

Celebrate, lift your head, focus on the next hill top

move a muscle, change a thought, and live your life

to it's fullest.

Life is a roller coaster ride.

Sit in the first car.

Fill the car with friends and family.

Throw your arms up in the air,

and scream as loud as you can

from the top of every hill.

Enjoy the ride.

Happiness is helping someone help themselves.

Iris and ME (Michael Erb)