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