Lessons On The Consequences Of Lying From The Most Unusul Place

While living and enjoying life on a daily basis, the universe brings lessons in front of us and it is up to us to be aware, to observe and learn.  Today was one of those days.  I was out enjoying the Gaslight theatre tour of Lighthouse Legends plays on a lovely sunny Sunday afternoon in Collingwood, Ontario.  These Lighthouse Legends are stories written and produced by the locals based on stories told about the Nottawasaga Lighthouse. 

The second play on the tour "The Finian Raid" is described as a creative telling of the perceived threat to Collingwood by the Irish-American rebels in 1866.  The audience were spellbound when the senior  housemaid named Irene, a very prejudiced woman, completely lied to the Misses about the new comer junior who had fled Ireland after the potato famine wiped out her husband and children by creating doubt in the mind of the lady of the house, and went on to falsely tying the new comer to the Finians.This caused the Misses to fire a shot at the new help that was thought to be fatal.

Because of the contentious nature of the  epic US election which is only two days away, I couldn't help but nudge my friend as we usually share thoughts on the lies and innuendos that have dominated the election season.  Of course, it did come to light that "Irene", the senior housemaid, had fabricated the whole story, and all ended well.  The raid didn't happen, newcomer became the main household help when "Irene" took off.  Later it was found out that "Irene" had given up on her bigoted ways and married an Irishman.

It is often said that art imitates life and vise-versa, but real life situations rarely turn out that perfectly. When I got back home and checked-in to catch up on the news, I found out that the FBI Director Comey has concluded the "re-opened investigations" into Hillary Clinton's emails and the conclusion reached in July stands.  I thought, is this weird or what! The previous nine days were non-stop Clinton bashing, screaming from the mountain tops, or the rally platforms to be practical, that "indictments were imminent" for Hillary.  Very little about the newly concluded updated emailgate, but the damage by the lies and false propaganda has already been done.

Rarely do the offenders ever go around broadcasting that they were wrong, and try to make right their wrong, yet they cause severe and sometimes irreparable and devastating damage to others.  Almost everyone will, at sometime in their life time become a victim of this, although nothing on the scale of Hillary Clinton's.  I cannot say this too often, do not assume anything, wait until you have all the facts before coming to a conclusion, be slow to jump on other peoples' bandwagons when the reputation, livelihood and perhaps even the lives of people could be at stake.

I will close this post with this from Don Miguel Riuz - The Four Agreements.  "I will be impeccable with my words, I take nothing personally, I make no assumptions and I always do my best."  I go about my life intentional to practice these agreements and leave my guidance and protection to God.

Sleep well all, and to my American fans, vote wisely and be at peace with your decision.

MissSam
Sunday November 6, 2016

 

Let's Talk Values

The miracle of nature

I have been thinking a lot about the current state of affairs when it comes to the belief systems and values of our global citizenry, in particular to the events unfolding in the #UnitedStatesOfAmerica, socially and politically.

From a very young age principles and values mattered to me.  I was raised that way, but I also had an innate sense of right and wrong.  Even as a teenager, I had not only a sense of right and wrong and what is just, but also a deep understanding of the individual right to be.  I am pretty vocal about this and  rarely let an opportunity to  speak up against an unfair or unjust situation slide. When I arrived in Canada, I lived  in the east end of Toronto with my adoptive parents who were staunch members of the Apostolic faith.  I remember riding in the back seat of their car on our way to church at Fisher Street in downtown core, Daddy would say to Mother about the hippies laying about on the pavement, on the grass in front of the buildings on Bloor Street, the area between Sherbourne Street and Avenue Road "look at them Mother, look at them, them, look how they dirty and carrying on, they need God".  It was the free loving seventies then and I never bought into or admired that lifestyle  but I would still squirm and pout because I felt the people were free to live how they wanted to.

What has puzzled me and I find extremely troubling is lack of congruency between what the nations say they stand for, what people hold out to be their spiritual foundation and the actual reality that is practiced in daily life.  As a people, collectively and individually, we need to hold up our actions and beliefs to the light of truth and work diligently to correct our  deficits.  We need to be doing this swiftly because I cannot see any major advancement in the issues of the day unless people start being honest with themselves.  Once we are honest with ourselves, we then need to hold our politicians and elected officials accountable.  How can this be done?  By calling them out when they veer off course, by not supporting them with donations, votes. 

I recently attended the #JMTeam Live Event 2016 in Orlando Florida. At the beginning of the first teaching session given by John, he made this statement "Who doesn't love people?  I love people, we are doing this because we love people and I tell you if anybody here doesn't love people you can leave right now.  We will refund your money and you can leave"*. Man, was that ever powerful! I am so honoured to be mentored by a man with such high standards and who has devoted his life to developing people. John C. Maxwell, rated the #1 leadership guru in the world by Inc. magazine and the man behind the John Maxwell Team, a company devoted to developing leaders in speaking, teaching and coaching world wide.

The more I listen to the various news as being reported on various outlets, "talking heads" and political candidates and their surrogates the more frustrated I become because they talk around the real problem and the real solutions.  I am sure I am not alone, that is why the John Maxwell Team is so successful, in fives have attracted over eleven thousand, that's right 11,000 members world wide.  There are many, many people and organizations doing a great job in developing people, raising their #Leadership #Lid.  There has been a colossal breakdown of principles and values in societies around the world but we can do better, we can change things.  Change start  with self,  at home and filters out to the community and broader society.

 Everyone need to take responsibility for themselves.  That is how to change society.  The government is not going to do it for you, the pastor is not going to do it for us,  and for grown up, our parents cannot do it for us.  It is personal responsibility and we have to make the changes we need to if we want a better world.  I don't know about you, but I am looking forward to a world where people love and respect each other, where people once again take pride in how they conduct themselves and where civility reigns supreme.

#Love really is the answer.  Let us all strive to #AddValue to everybody we can today because we #Value people.

MissSam
September 23, 2016

*Quote is not word for word but has been stated  as accurately as remembered.
Here is a powerful video from +Oprah:  https://www.facebook.com/goalcast/videos/1057040321039824/?pnref=story

 

Here Is Why Attitude Matters



Fall beauty
 

From a very young age we are told to have a good attitude, or "don't give me that attitude" and watch your attitude.   As we get older we are told that attitude determines altitude and we need a good attitude to get ahead but what exactly is attitude?  We somehow condition ourselves to go along with the phrases and clichés without actually thinking deeply about them don't we?

I typed the word attitude in Google search and it produced 70,800,000 results and this was the second result posted:

www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/attitude

 

Simple Definition of attitude. : the way you think and feel about someone or something. : a feeling or way of thinking that affects a person's behavior. : a way of thinking and behaving that people regard as unfriendly, rude, etc.


So here is the thing, if the way we feel and behave is a result of how we think then it stands to reason that this is the determining factor in the results we get.  If we want to change the results we are getting then the very first thing we need to do is to change our thinking.  Again, as a person of faith, I always go back to the scripture, the good book as it is called, and I quote:

"Proverbs 23:7Amplified
For as he thinks in his heart, so is he [in behavior—one who manipulates].
He says to you, “Eat and drink,”
Yet his heart is not with you [but it is begrudging the cost]." 
How then, do we think we can betray our thoughts?  We simply cannot.  We are more transparent that we dare to imagine as our thinking always comes out in our actions no matter how hard we try or how good we think we are at camouflaging our feelings.  What to do then?  The starting point, and it is never too late, is observing the thoughts.  I recently learned through the teaching of the great leadership guru John C. Maxwell that experience is not the greatest teacher - it is the examined experience, those that we reflect on and learn from - those experiences are our greatest teachers. 

Over the years I have had many revelations and ah ha moments that caused me to change my attitude and have always experienced great results.  It is amazing what can happen when we hold our thoughts up to the light and put them to the truth test.  I remember 11 years ago I was having some coaching sessions and my coach had me listen to a tape by Byron Katie and  she said this:

"Just because you think something doesn't mean it is true, we don't have to believe every thing we think."  That hit me like a meteor, my life was never the same after that.

#Love really is the answer but we cannot truly love until we unload the monkeys off our back.  There is no day like today to make a start!

Have a transformational Thursday,

MissSam
Thursday September 15, 2016




What Does It Mean to Be Created In God's Image?

From the garden

If you were raised in a Christian family you would have heard this over and over again at Sunday School, in sermons, reading the bible but what does this REALLY mean?

Well, the other day, it hit me like a ton of bricks!  Reflecting on the rancour and vitriol being spewed out of people in the age of the Obama Presidency and Hillary Clinton and  Donald Trump candidacy for President of the United States Of America, I have never seen such nastiness in my lifetime.  People have become bold with their bigotry and nastiness - I say bigotry because this is a catch all for the various types of discrimination - since John McCain picked Sarah Palin for VP on his presidential ticked  and the  rise of the "TEA PARTY" in the United States.

If you want to see nastiness, check the comments on some posts on Twitter, Facebook and other social media platforms.  When I come across a good article, be it social or political, I like to browse through the comments.  Dear Lord, the better the article, the more hateful the comments.  It was after such an encounter that I spoke these words out loud, even though I was by myself "the day everybody wake up to the knowledge that we all the same will be something else".

A few days later I am minding my own business when I felt like I was having an "out of body" experience.  All of a sudden, I could see and understand what it means to be created in God's image.  Just imagine for a second, every individual currently alive or who have ever lived is unique in their own way.  How could this be?  Because every last one of us - regardless of size, shape, colour or hue, behaviour, social class or orientation represent God in us.  One day we will ALL GET IT, and what a day of rejoicing that will be!  That day when we know that all the hate and fuss and cruelty and war and pettiness were all a folly!

I now under understand the salute "Namaste" - the divine in me salute the divine in you!

#Love reallyistheanswer!

MissSam
Monday September 12, 2016

There Is Great Peril In Violating The Law Of Intuition

The other day after the Orlando massacre I made myself listen (yes, had to put effort into it) to a speech given by the Republican Presidential Candidate, Donald Trump, I was in a state of bewilderment and disbelief the whole time.  I listened  to the response or remarks by party leaders in the Republican establishment, especial one given by House Speaker Paul Ryan.  I grimaced.  Now, what about Mr. Trump's behaviour, temperament and decorum that these very accomplished and intelligent people cannot seem to grasp?  They are holding on to the belief that, somehow, once this candidate is elected and assumes the office of the President Of The United States Of America everything will magically change. They are compromising their integrity by putting party politics ahead of their values, and the best interest of their country. The words of Dr. Maya Angelou rings true, "when someone shows you who they are believe them the first time".  These leaders, all of them, are violating the Law Of Intuition.

I am like one of those people who when watching a thriller movie and sees danger will get excited  yelling, stop, stop, don't go that way!  Only it is a movie and they cannot hear me.  Reminds me of the phenomenon of the bad date.  I have had discussions with many women whose relationship ended badly.  When you dig below the surface, you will soon uncover that the relationship should not have advanced beyond the 1st or 2nd date.  Sooner or later you are going to uncover that there was something unsettling from the get go.  Your spirit picks up on something - that little thing that gives you a blip in the chest, some goose bumps or just a sudden flash of insight that comes across that maybe this situation is not right, but for whatever reason, this is overridden or ignored.

You move forward from dating to courting, there are bigger signs, or even blatant warning signals but you plough forward anyway because the person is nice, they have x, y and z qualities and you really want to "bag" this one.  This kind of remind me of the development with the GOP this election cycle.
The candidate, straight out of the gate, started with gravely insidious remarks, and the people cheered.  As the primary season advanced, the more abnoxious he gets, the louder the cheers, and the more embolden he becomes.  Courting continues, the family (the party establishment) are becoming wary, leery and anxious but nobody has the courage to stand up, take the risk  and say don't go any further with this, it is going to end badly.  So the relationship continues, then comes the engagement.

The Republican National Convention is the big engagement, that's when the candidate gets the proverbial engagement ring.  The "family" will keep talking behind the backs of the "engaged couple", Mr. Trump and the Republican and disenfranchised Democratic electorate who are convinced they got a "great catch" and are made for each other.  Then comes the wedding day, everybody eat, drink and celebrate all the while knowing that something is a miss.

Then comes real life, the wedding is over, all the guests have gone home.  The couple commence life together - oh my goodness, as I am writing this I am remembering an actual situation that happened back in the late 1970's.   Wow, that particular wedding was supposed to have been "divinely ordered".  Then the woman who convinced the husband that God gave her a vision that he was supposed to marry her turned the devil!  That marriage was over in two weeks or less.  It was then that everybody started telling their true feelings, so sad really.

It may not be so easy for the American people, or people around the world for that matter.  We now live in the global village. To be forewarned is to be forearmed - pay keen attention and don't stand by and watch your leaders be complicit and violate the 8th Law Of Leadership as so passionately written by the Author of the 21 Irrefutable Law Of Leadership,
John C. Maxwell.  We all are endowed with the gift of intuition.  Some folks are extra gifted with heightened intuition, prophecy etc. but we all have it.  To ignore, override or deny our intuition is to deny the God in us to our great peril.

Get in touch with that little voice and take charge.  Get your leadership on!

MissSam

Saturday June 18, 2016.

 

Daily Musings of MissSam: The Next Big Thing

Daily Musings of MissSam: The Next Big Thing:       A quote from The Sane Society by Erich Fromm: “That millions of people share the same forms of mental pathology does not ...

The Next Big Thing

 

 

 

A quote from The Sane Society by Erich Fromm:

“That millions of people share the same forms of

mental pathology does not make these people sane.”

 

 

As many of you are aware by now, I am Christian, plus I am a mind & body + behavioural study enthusiast.  I say enthusiast because my interest was born out of curiosity, then circumstance and it would appear that I was gifted with the gift of "connecting the dots".  I have no training in these matters, I read, I listen to "experts"  and seek to understand.

I believe all of humanity mourn for the lives lost in the  recent mass shooting in Orlando Florida.  We grieve for the injured, we grieve for the families who are lost and looking for answers.  Since before 9/11 I started reading the scriptures defining and relating to love and relationships.  I was seeking to heal myself, but I was also seeking to understand for others because I come across so many hurting people. 

I have learned a lot, boy have I ever.  So today as I always do, I scanned my social media accounts to find out what is trending clicked on a few articles about the Orlando shootings.  The response or reaction of the Republican nominee for President did not surprise me, but what has got me thinking is the amount of vitriol  that is being spewed about.  This did not just happen overnight.  The intense anger and bitterness have been simmering for a very long time.  I think the pot has now boiled over.  Once it has boiled over, what has come out cant put it back in the pot, something has to be done.

There are many very gifted preachers, teachers and speakers doing what they were called to do.  Articles, books, television shows are written and produced on the subject of sin, and the devastating effect of what is referred to as the "7 Deadly Sins".  As a matter of fact, if my memory serves me right, The Toronto Star published quite an interesting series with this heading several years ago.  The problem is, hurt people hurt people.  Victims begets victims.  Most people who are suffering are not even aware that they do not have to be that way, it is their normal.  They have accepted their state as their fate.

Now that we know where society is and what is ailing it, how can it be fixed?  Certainly not by the prescription of "The Donald", I don't think so.  The prescription is LOVE.  LOVE according to the new commandment "Love your neighbour as God has loved you".  We are not called to judge but to love. Can you imagine that kind of love?  It's easy to say, but how can we teach people to love?

That brings me to the next big thing.  This will not be robots, or missions to some as yet to be discovered planet.  The next big thing will be workers in the field, to use a bible expression, facilitating healing humans of the severe disease of bitterness, anger and hate, one person at a time. Once healing start to take place the heart will be open to love, real love.  As more people become healed there will be planetary consciousness, just like the use of the telephone.

Do you feel the call?  Are you up to the task?  If you feel you are called and you are ready, get busy.  If you are not ready, get the ball rolling, there is lots to do.  God will intervene, through humans of course. 

A lot more to come on this post but for the time being I felt compelled to put this out there.  As the 70's fad goes, "all we need it love" and at no time in my lifetime this is more evident than now.

Love, Love, Love

MissSam

Monday June 13, 2016

Hurt People Hurt People!

Hurt people hurt people. Another way of saying this is victims beget victims.  But it goes deeper than that, because hurt people hurt themselves, some intentionally and others unintentionally but the effects are devastating on so many levels.  In that sense, no of us is "innocent".

Think of the loss of peace, diminished relationships, fighting, misery and I haven't event got started yet. Is this the "monkey on your back" that is stealing your time and energy and stopping you from living the life you desire? Just how much toll does constant fighting, divisiveness and defensiveness take on an individual?  It is immeasurable.  When we stop long enough to really think about it, is this not the devil at work?  How else does the devil work but to divide and conquer?  Remember the scripture said the battle is not against flesh and blood, but ......... so is this a spiritual wickedness?  If unforgiveness is such a very strong negative force that it causes your body to turn on itself then it must be, what do you think?

 

Hear is the real irony in the matter - sometimes we are so wrapped up in ourselves and the toxicity of turmoil, bitterness, resentment and unforgiveness that we cannot even see how much we are hurting ourselves.  If there is just a little opening for the light of Jesus Christ to shine in though, there is hope.
An individual has got to be at a point in life though where they have a deep desire to be happy and healthy and free mentally and emotionally.  An individual just have to reach a point in life where they've had enough and want real change.

That was me back in 1995.  Life was such a struggle and so burdensome then, and I didn't want to feel like that anymore.  I just didn't want to live that way.  I remember attending church one Sunday and our Minister at the time, Pastor Jeff Sensenstein brought the message.  He talked about the same topic.  for the first time in my life I heard unforgiveness presented this way, although I put the statement in quotation it is not word for word, this was a long time ago, okay.  "When you hold a grudge, you are hurting yourself.  Imagine the other party going about their business, living their life and they are free, and you are in pain". 

I sat there and squirmed in my seat - and could not wait for the service to be over.  I didn't have any particular plan but to go home, ponder what I had heard, spend sometime with myself and just forgiving myself for causing me so much harm.  That was an eye opener for me, and I never looked back. Over the last 21 years I have been on a spiritual journey, reading, learning, understanding, applying and growing.

Here is what I have observed about this subject - you cannot expect an individual who has not been healed to have compassion.  Remember we see the world through our own lenses, if our spiritual lenses are  covered or cloudy with hurt we cannot  see another person's pain.  As healing start to take place we start to see a little, then more, and more until our understanding deepens and we can truly be compassionate.

Another thing, while we are forgiving, we must forgive ourselves because we are usually harder on our own self than anybody else.  Forgive yourself, forgive others.  Don't forget that "confession is good for the soul" so where the spirit direct you, approach you, acknowledge that you hurt/offend and ask for forgiveness.  Sometimes, if it is not going to help neither you nor the other party and has the potential of making matters worse, discuss/confess to a trusted confidant and let sleeping dogs lie.
For instance, if someone is sick, especially if they are dealing with life and death, don't bring up petty stuff to disturb the person's mind, it's not worth it.  Just make peace with them and your self and be free.

Lastly, remember it is a process.  You chip away little by little, you will get there.  There are plenty of books available to help.  I follow the ones that follow medical science and line up with the teachings of Jesus Christ.  I always find great articles so check my Facebook page often. Here is a link:  http://www1.cbn.com/cbnnews/healthscience/2015/June/The-Deadly-Consequences-of-Unforgiveness

Be courageous and go for it, for what is the alternative - a lifetime of misery?

Cheers,

MissSam
Tuesday June 7, 2016

The Seed Is In You!



      Lovely Peony Undergrowth


If you examine the pictures in this post you will notice that there are two plants flowering.  The shorter one is a Peony.  The taller plant was there when I moved in and I just love the large bright bloom.  Last year I thought the plant would die as part of it dried up and I only got about 3 blooms whereas in previous years it would be loaded with blooms.

A few days ago I was watering the garden and noticed that the flower looked different.  A closer look revealed the Peony plant grown up at the root of the other (I don't know the name of that flower, saw it for the first time when I bought house 6 years ago).  I have been on my hands and knees weeding, watering, planting, arranging, admiring but never say anything resembling a Peony growing there before.  I have a Peony bush in the garden, on the other side but it's different.  A different colour and the blooms are full.

 I don't think they grow from seeds like that so my only plausible explanation is that it was there all along, in the ground.  The season came for it to pop out of the ground and it did, to my delight.
This Peony plant is not the first I have seen growing out of the ground since I move here though.  I have seen other flowers, including the odd Cana Lilly appearing out of the ground after taking care of the garden for three years and four years but those I noticed from they shoot out of the ground.  This is extra delightful as I didn't see it coming so to speak!

Now, are we any different from the seeds that stay in the ground and grow forth in their season?  Many of us spend years chasing what is not meant to be ours when the seed for our calling is still in the ground of the spirit so to speak.  Sometimes it's because we lack the faith, or we doubt the gentle nudging of the spirit because we don't believe we are worthy or capable.  If you are finding that you are not feeling fulfilled, if you are finding that this little voice is still telling you "this is what you need to do" listen up, pay attention as your seed is wanting to burst forth.  Remember, God has already equipped you for what you are supposed to do, so don't worry about it.  The opportunities for training, the talented people who are supposed to be on your team are there and they will show up at the right time.

It's been said that a book that is supposed to be written by you cannot be written by someone else, so if you don't write it, it will never be written!  I remember my first exposure to the world of Life Insurance.  It was my second full time job.  I was living in Canada and resigned the first job as a file clerk with the Ontario Government August of 1974 to return to Jamaica to marry my sweatheart.  First things first, our parents said find jobs before you get married.  I applied for a job at a life insurance company, Jamaica Mutual Life, as a policy typist.  I remember seeing a female agent visiting the Head Office where I worked and as she strutted around, just the way only Jamaican women know how, I thought to myself, that is what I want to do!

The seed was planted.  It stayed in the ground.  I returned to Canada a year and a half later - Jamaica had become a very unstable place economically and politically.  Stepped off the plane Sunday night, called a company Monday to respond to an add for a Policyholder Service Clerk position, interviewed Wednesday and started working Friday.  That was in 1977!  In early1986 my company, a subsidiary of the Lincoln Life, an American company, was purchased by a Canadian company and the opportunity came for me to become an agent and I said to myself, this is as good a time as any.
Those years working in the head office of the Jamaica Mutual Life, then their branch office in downtown Kingston and as a customer service clerk and branch administrator for Dominion Life Insurance Company of Canada prepared me to be a knowledgeable, compassionate and effective advisor.  So while the financial services industry has one of the highest turnover rate for sales people, higher still for women, I celebrated 30 years as a licensed life insurance agent this March!

 

 

 There was another seed planted in my spirit after I started in the life insurance business.  I am now on what I have branded "Miss Sam from Braehead, Act III".  I am working at it, more to come.

Keep watering that ground, the shoots will come out one day, and it will happen on a day you were not expecting it!

Cheers,
MissSam

Saturday June 4, 2016

 

A Life Conflicted

Wasp nest!

Of two opinions? Divided within yourself?  According to the teaching in the bible if you are thus you are unstable in, not some, but  in all your ways!

James 1:8King James Version (KJV)
⁸ A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.

For the past nine years I have been watching "conservative" politics in the Unites States of America, dumbfounded, befuddled, bemused and frankly confused.  The say speak of "conservative values" with an air of arrogance, as if to say, they are better than non-conservatives.  Before Barak Obama decided to run for President I really didn't get too involved with American politics.  Sure I would know who the major contenders are, but apart from hearing pertinent news broadcasts and reading an article here and there I didn't follow too keenly.  President Obama changed all that.

  When I heard that the GOP was the  Conservative Party, the political party that prides itself in "Christian values" I really expected the majority of this electorate group and the leaders to be upstanding citizens of impeccable character.  It didn't take very long for me to realize how off-base, or more like how off the hinge this political party really was!  Actions speak louder than words, they say, and there is no finer example than the GOP for they say the care about people, they have Christian values and have the "Evangelical" vote locked up and yet everything they do is in direct contradiction to what they preach.

The 2016 election cycle has taken this conflictedness to a whole new level.  Of course, as they say like attract like, the GOP has managed to lock-down this segment of the American society.  As I watch and listen to the Candidates, especially the presumptive nominee, Donald Trump, pundits and surrogates I just cant stop shaking my head, but I have to stop before it falls off.  We should not be too shocked though, because this is a demonstration of the collective consciousness of the people.  They are revealing their true selves before the whole world - saying, this is who we are and this is what we believe.  No more, no less, so don't be samfied.

I truly believe that America is at a crossroad and the outcome of this election will be a clear indication of which direction the country will be taken.  It is a clear choice between light and darkness.

Wake up American, the world is watching!

MissSam
Thursday June 2, 2016

 

THE PSYCHOLOGY OF THE TAX REFUND

Another tax filing season just bite the dust - well almost.  Self employed individuals still have till June 15th to file to avoid late filing penalty.  Mind you, there are many delinquent tax filers out there, so if you are reading this, and you are one of them, get your act together and get your tax filing up to date.  This is especially important if you are expecting a refund and or have children and is or could be entitled to the Child Tax Benefit, GST/HST rebate or the provincial tax benefits.  If you are near retirement age it is also very important to get your tax filing up to date as the Canada Pension Plan benefits are based on contributions and you reconcile your contributions when you file your income tax return.

That said, it never cease to amaze me how individuals respond to news of their refunds versus having a balance owing.  Folks make plans for a refund and don't do the necessary planning to increase the likelihood of getting a refund, or having a larger refund.

One thing I know for sure about our income tax system is that it is a level playing field for those who play by the rules.  There is no special treatment, everyone with the same income and circumstance pay the same amount of tax/get the same benefits.  What set households apart, especially once the individual income hit the $50,000 per year mark, is planning.  For a young family - husband, wife and one more children it is even more important and beneficial to take the time to do some tax planning and strategizing.  If you have a couple with each spouse making $50 - $60k per year, all of a sudden, looking at the T4's together now you have a $120,000 per year income household! This slaps you squarely in the middle class bracket even though you might be struggling to keep up with the bills after all the deductions from your gross pay and the cost of going to work. No tax planning could mean no Child Tax Benefit, or significantly reduced benefits.  This couple would think because they have children, make under $100,000 individually, have mortgage, that they would be automatically entitled to tax refund - WRONG!

This is where I switch hats and become a "grief counsellor".  At this point, when the plans have been made about what's going to happen with the refund, only to find out there is no refund, or worse, there is a balance owing - a debt, that can be severely disappointing and even traumatic if the hopes were high.  I probably spend more time explaining why there is a balance owing, how the income tax system works and suggesting solutions for the future in addition to consoling the client than it actually took to complete the return.  I was chatting with a colleague the other day and he told me a couple came in to do their taxes, he imputed their data and when he told them they would be owing CRA, the lady paid him for his time, took their papers and left!  That's how dramatic it can be.  If they are honest folks and get good advice, they would get the same answer - paying twice to get their taxes done. 

 

Retired folks with multiple sources of income have the same challenges, even more so than when working.  Planning doesn't stop just because you are no longer going to the job.  Actually, many healthy seniors continue working well into their 70's, many not because they have to, but because they like to keep active and want to continue earning.  Nothing wrong with that, I applause them, because it is good for the mind, body & pocket book, and our economy.  But do plan for the tax man at the end of the year.

I am a tax preparation professional through my sole proprietorship TaxSmart Income Tax Services in addition to being and Investment Funds and Insurance Advisor through Desjardins Financial Security Independent Network and Desjardins Financial Security Investments Inc.  Please feel free to direct message me with your questions.

Now is as good a time as any to start planning for 2016 tax filing, if you haven't started yet - only eight months to go before the year ends!

Plan smart,

MissSam

Wednesday May 4, 2016

WORDS DO MATTER - A LOT!

THE GLORY OF SPRING

Remember saying this as a kid, heck even as an adult "sticks and stones can break my bones but words can't hurt me"?  This is a BIG LIE! The world is full of hurt people because of words! 
People nursing wounds caused by negative words that were spoken to them and drilled down into their spirits until their psyche became infected.  Words that then attach themselves and follow you around to school, work, social settings, relationships and the wounds get deeper and deeper until they get crippling in some cases.

By contrast, the saying "if you don't have anything good or nice to say don't say anything at all" turns out to be a nugget of real wisdom that does not get the respect and attention it deserves, especially in the age of the internet where people feel they can say anything because they hide behind the impersonal medium of the internet.

I got the idea for this blog post several weeks ago after my "Collingwood Crew" and I had a post broadcast discussion of the World Changers International teaching topic "The secret to becoming fully persuaded" given by +Creflo Dollar.  The light bulbs were lit up that day, oh joy.

In his teaching session we were encouraged to SPEAK THE PROMISE. Because words are so powerful, rather than repeat them silently to ourselves, verbalizing the promises, intentions and affirmations give action (energy) to them.

-     "I AM DEVELOPED IN THE WORD (OF GOD)"
-     "I ACTIVATE WHAT I LEARN"
-      I AM BLESSED, AND I AM A BLESSING TO OTHERS
-      BY GRACE I MOVE THROUGH LIFE WITH EASE.

I stopped using words like "hanging in there", "I'm surviving", "life is a struggle" quite a while now.  I now say, "I'm 100%", "I'm doing well", I'm alright".  I do observe other people and learn from them.  A colleague, who was on his second career as an Advisor, when I asked how he's doing used to always say "Beverley, if it got any better it would hurt, life's good".  I loved when he came to the office because at the time I was dealing with quite a lot of challenges and just the way he spoke lifted my spirit so much.

In the future I will share my Life Plan and affirmations that guided me through what I now refer to as "the valley of the shadow of death".

Get the word out:
Matthew 12:34, "Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks."

Load up on the promise - God released faith in words.
Psalm 119:89, "For ever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven."

Here are some other scripture references studied:  Romans 4:16-21; Mark 11:22; Ephisians 5:1

Creflo Dollar ended the session with this prophetic word given to Charles Kapp "Tell my people I am not void of power but they are void of speech."

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, I confess that I am not always thoughtful of my words and I ask your forgiveness for all those whom I have hurt and hindered with my words, intentional or unintentionally.  Likewise, I forgive those who have hurt me with negative words be it intentional or not.  I receive the healing to my emotions, spirit and body that you have made available through the cross.  I also pray for the same healing for all who will receive it.

Through this healing I will be strengthened to effect change in my being and all those who I come in contact with.I give thanks for this blessing and for all who preach and teach your word.
Amen

Have a word watching Wednesday.

MissSam

Wednesday May 4, 2016

FRAMED!

Frames as a masterpiece
 or a bad image?
 

It was Friday April 15th and I was driving up the 400 in Toronto, toward Highway 7 to attend the quarterly meeting of the region of the company where  I am an associate. I am in my 27th year with the organization.  One of the speakers on the agenda was Randy Taylor, a former radio host who is now an acclaimed speaker and coach.  I have been getting Randy's daily motivational emails for probably 4 years now, and I was musing to myself how consistent he is as I do not remember him ever missing one day!  I read the day's email before leaving home as I wanted to be sure I knew what he talked about just in case I had a personal conversation with him.

Randy's message for the day was titled "Lessons from a slobbering dog" and relayed a bit about the theory of Pavlov's dogs. You know the saying that you cannot teach old dogs new tricks?  This is now proven to be a lie, both with Pavlov's theory and the science of neuroplasticity.  We can unlearn habits that have been hardwired in our brain by replacing the bad or undesirable habits with the new desired ones.  The thing is though, it doesn't happen overnight - unless by divine intervention.  The saying "practice makes perfect" is perfectly true though, both for good habits and bad ones.

 This caused me to go back to a very impactful message of +Joel Osteen on the topic of "labels" and a series of blog posts I did subsequently.  We know how harmful labels are but society just love them.  We are black, white, minorities, immigrants, democrats, conservatives, right wing, left wing.  We are right leaning, left leaning, and the list goes on and on and on.  You cannot watch a news broadcast  and not hearing one label after another about the subjects of the news.  The same thing happens in the homes.  One woman I got acquainted with several years ago described her young adult son as "a lump on my couch", ouch!  You want someone to hire this young man, believe in him and give him an opportunity to become a breadwinner and all you see him as is "a lump on your couch"?

What people don't understand is that when the labels stick, people become "framed".  Once framed, it becomes a task of significant magnitude to extricate oneself, in the eyes of that person - and everyone else they've convinced to stick that person in the same frame!  It happens in homes, schools, work places and even in churches.  Yes, churches are not label free zones, and you can become "framed" there too.  Even years after beginning the life altering journey of accepting Christ as your Saviour, doing a "360" with your life, some of the people who knew you at a unfortunate juncture of your life will hold you in that frame and will not let you out!  This is what you would call "framed for life"!

This  is one of the most difficult obstacles that stand in the way of people, especially the young, and those who have had to face serious personal challenges like bad decisions that lead to character damage and hardship.  It takes strong determination to move forward and pursue dreams in spite of being labeled or held in a particular image or "frame".  It can be very frustrating - both to overcome, and also to watch.

What labels and frames do is reinforce negative past experience, feed the "little voice in your head" that beats up on you.  Randy Taylor's talk on Friday April 15th reinforces the message I have imparted in some of my previous blog posts, especially the ones on Labels, "As A Man Thinketh", and so forth.

I am here to tell you that I am not immune, I have come up against labels at different points in my life,and been "framed" in unexpected ways by the most unsuspecting folks. I can tell you it takes belief in yourself despite what anyone else thinks, faith, courage, determination and patience to overcome, break through and break out but when you do the victory is very sweet.  Sometimes you just have to tell yourself that you don't care if you die trying but you are never going to give up because you will not give the devil a.k.a. negativity (and thus all the naysayers) the victory.

Randy's message reinforced the impact of thought on our daily and but especially on our most cherished dreams and desires.  Do not let what other people think about you personally and or your dreams, in other words, how they have "framed" you stop you in your tracks.  Keep seeking, learning, and growing.  Believe you can, have faith that you will, and take the actions that are required to move you into the direction you want to go.  The rest is up to God, which takes you back to belief!

Have a super Sunday and a great week ahead.

MissSam
aapril 17, 2016.

 

As A Man Thinketh In His Heart So Is He ......So What?

Proverbs 23:7King James Version (KJV)
⁷ For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he: Eat and drink, saith he to thee; but his heart is not with thee.




The miracle of the running stream.



“As he thinks, so he is; as he continues to think, so he remains.”
― James Allen, As a Man Thinketh

“A strong man cannot help a weaker unless the weaker is willing to be helped, and even then the weak man must become strong of himself; he must, by his own efforts, develop the strength which he admires in another. None but himself can alter his condition.”
― James Allen, As a Man Thinketh    


There is more and more information available on neuroscience (brain science) and the mind body connection.  I have been a believer as I discovered the connection between psychology and the scriptures since I was in my early 20's.  Over the last 15 years my interest grew and I read as much of the information that comes my way as possible. I read James Allen's book back in 1986 or 1987, still have it.

There is also an explosion of self-help material mostly on being beautiful, thin and rich!  The amazing thing about an overwhelming majority of the material being put out there is that they are based of self-effort and self-centeredness, which is selfishness.  Even the material being put out by Christians or spiritually minded people the context and or process is still focused on self-effort, which is from the out-side in not from the inside-out, deep within the reservoir of consciousness.  End result, they sell a lot of books, magazines etc. and the majority of people end up with disappointment and frustration.

After listening to a series of teachings by +Creflo Dollar on self-centeredness and how this type of personality behaviour destroys relationships I later came across a piece written by +Deepak Chopra on brain health which I found quite interesting. That evening after as I retreated to bed and replayed my take-away from the series plus Deepak's research I had an epiphany:  Thought health equals brain health; brain health equals body health. As we think so are we - mentally, emotionally, spiritually psychologically and physically!  And, by the way, financially as well!

Just stop and meditate on this for a minute.  This is ground breaking information for the population at large but in particular for the Christian.  As the saying goes "belief kills and belief cures".  This is no longer just a proverb, or old wives tale.  Scripture backed up by scientific research - what more could we ask for?  All we need to do on an individual level is to "drill down" this message so that it is activated in our life then start observing the thoughts. 

I became conscious of observing my thought several years ago and I have gotten better and better at snipping unwanted, unwelcomed thoughts.  I also get to see what is at my core in the subconscious part of my mind.  This is how I can address "my ugliness" and become a better version of myself.  When I "clean house" I allow the spirit of Jesus Crist to work in me to full my purpose for which I came.

If you embark on this journey it will uplift, heal and transform you.  But not only you but all the people around you and this is remarkable.  This saying is true, if you want to change the world, change yourself!

Have a wondrous Wednesday,

MissSam
Wednesday April 6, 2016




 

NEGATIVE MOTIVATION - THE ROAD TO HELL IS PAVED WITH GOOD INTENTIONS

The fire:  Heat, light but it can burn you death!



Yes, I'm back, it's been a while but I am back!


I have been thinking about this one all weekend. Sometimes we become aware of something, then there is no need to remember so it gets filed and then an incident or occurrence will cause you to pause -  suddenly it's back on the forefront.  Also had a discussion with some lovely & wise ladies at a dinner event on Sunday about negative versus positive motivation. The back drop of this is to remember that unless a person make conscious effort to learn and change, they will parent the way they were parented.  Most adults just parent how they were parented and continue the cycle of "iniquity".  I just recently learned that this word iniquity means a pattern of sin or negative/destructive behaviour that is passed down from one generation to the next. When I was growing up I was made to associate this word with bad stuff like witchcraft.  Also, no one can give what they do not have!
 
Many of us boomers grew up with negative motivation, that is, parents and or authority figures used negative to inspire, or instill discipline.  While this method of child rearing work in many instances, it left a lot of wounds and emotional challenges for the individual to overcome later in life.  There is usually a lot of resentment and bitterness associated with this type of upbringing.  You can sometimes detect this type by people who are driven and have no other reason but to prove to everybody that they can achieve.  This is hard work, and there is no satisfaction in it because the reason for doing is not from a pure place.  Grace is absent and it is all "self-effort".  I can share one particular incident which had me very resentful of a teacher in primary school for a very long time.  We were learning about flowers and plants and were told to bring in a potted plant to class on this particular day.  Some students were very good and brought delightful exotic potted plants from home.  I was not that keen on the assignment, so on the morning of the assignment I stopped by the road side and rooted up some wild foliage, put it in a tin can with dirt and took it to class.  Even though I completed the assignment I got beaten along with the children who did not bring anything.  The said teacher was expecting a child and so a group of us grade sixers decided go to the school to water the plants to visit teacher and her new baby during the summer break.   Low and behold when we arrived at her home ALL the NICE plants were on her verandah!  We had gone to the school first and thought the plants were stolen. I was fit to be tied at that point because I just saw this whole assignment as a way for the teacher to get nice plants and I didn't forgive her for that beating for a very long time.

On the other end of the spectrum, some children become so beaten down and wounded that they never overcome and end up becoming a self fulfilling prophecy where parents or other naysayers are quick to yell "I knew you were good for nothing and would never come out to anything".  This is something that is painful for me to listen to or watch. 

There are many elements at work in the forming of a personality, much of which humanity cannot even begin to fathom.  Why two children from the same mother and father will grow up in the same household and one become an astrophysicist and the other ended up in jail?  I saw this on one of +Soledad O'Brien's Black In America episode.  Because each child is "wired" differently and each child responds differently to the same event or situation.  Of course, most parents don't know that and apply the same method to parent both children with two very different outcomes.

At the end of the day, a parent is limited by their own life experience and level of consciousness.  If the now adult child is mature enough, they will acknowledge this, forgive their parents and move forward with life, knowing that their own children will benefit from having more knowledgeable and wiser parents.  If not, they will be stuck, and a stuck person cannot reach their full potential.  A favourite saying of my mother when we were growing up is "when men on earth have done their best, angels in heaven cannot do more".  This really did not mean much to me until I became an adult and have to deal with the reality and responsibilities of adulthood.

It's never too late to do the right thing though, so as one of the ladies said she raised her children with love and an iron fist and they all turned out very well, however she's now a foster mom to a child of this generation and realized, unlike many parents, that she has to adjust her methods to take into consideration the current social climate and the child's early history.  This is a progressive woman if you asked me - but she's "awake"!

Have a delightful Wednesday.

MissSam
February 3, 2016