1 Corinthians 13...It's Not Just For Weddings

Most of us have probably been to a wedding where 1 Corinthians 13:4-8(NIV) has been presented in some shape or form. Here it is, to help refresh your memory:
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.
This scripture is usually used to help describe the kind of love that should be shared between a couple during marriage. I will take it one step further and say that it should be used in all of our relationships. Now, I, by no means am a bible scholar, but I think that it gives us a great foundation for the kind of love that we should have in our lives for others.

I would like to take a different look at this scripture and apply it to another love that is many times overlooked or even missing in our lives. That love would be, the love that we should have for ourselves.
Love is patient.
     Are you patient with yourself?
Love is kind.
     Are you kind to yourself?
Love does not envy.
     Do you envy your past?
Love does not boast.
     Do you brag yourself up to make yourself feel better about your shortcoming?
Love is not proud.
     Are you a humble person?
Love does not dishonor others?
    Do you talk down to yourself?
Love is not self-seeking.
     Are you putting others' needs before you own?
Love is not easily angered.
     Do you get angry with yourself?
Love keeps no record of wrongs.
     Have you forgiven you?
Love does not delight in evil.
     Do you find joy in getting revenge when other have done you wrong?
Love rejoices with the truth.
     Are you being truthful with you?
Love always protects, trusts, hopes, and perseveres.
     Do you protect and trust you? Do you have hope? Do you persevere or give up when things get tough?

We have to learn how to love ourselves before we can ever really truly be loved by others. Sure others will love us, but loving ourselves opens us up to a more abundant life of love. When we limit our self love, we limit how much love we feel and think that we are worthy of receiving. Loving yourself is not a selfish act, but an act of sacrifice. When you love yourself, not only do you become a stronger person, you become a better parent, spouse, employee, leader, etc. When we work on ourselves we become a more complete person, the person that we were designed to be, and that is the meaning of life.

Learning to love myself was not always easy. It took time. I had to invest in me. This has been the absolute best investment that I have ever made, and it's dividends have paid off immensely. Not only has it improved my financial situation, but more importantly,the relationships in my life.

Dream Big...Pursue Big...Live Big!

Are You Fighting For or Against?

I recently saw a commercial for World of Warcraft and in it contains this thought: "Asking why we fight is like asking why leaves fall from the tree. It is in our nature." This insight got me to thinking about why we fight in our lives. We are all fighters, it's just a matter of what we are fighting for. Those who say that they are "Lovers and not fighters" are only fooling themselves. We fight to be right, to be heard, to be loved, and to be accepted.

We get so stressed out when we are fighting for things to not happen in our lives. To many times we are fighting against the wrong things. We fight against poverty, against other peoples' opinions of us, or maybe against failure. The problem is that none of these things really matter. These battles raise our stress levels, take time away from loved ones, and take precious years off our lives. Plain and simple, these are not the battles that we should be spending our time on.

We expend all of this energy against stuff in our lives when we could be working towards the things that should really matter in our life.Working towards loving ourselves, accepting ourselves, and creating the life that we believe is successful. What people think of you, if others love and accept us or not, or if we are being heard or not doesn't matter. It's about how we perceive ourselves. When we concentrate on ourselves and those closest to us(kids, parents,close, time tested friends, etc.) and the rest of your life will start falling into place. We have to spend our time and effort taking care of ourselves. Improving our own personal space and creating a better life.

We quickly make decision to not fail and yet we procrastinate the decision to succeed. Take some time today and reflect about what really matter in your life. Stop spending time on unnecessary fights and start fighting for the things that matter the most.

Dream Big...Pursue Big...Live Big

True Strength

True strength is not about physical qualities but about our ability to not give up when the battle seems to be over. Two of the strongest women I have ever known have been my Mom and my wife. Their feats of strength are not measured by how much they can lift but by their persistance to not give up when life has seemed to have dragged them to their deepest and darkest places. I have always looked up to these to woman and have admired what they have been able to accomplish. They both have fought through depression and have become stronger because of it. My Mom survived losing both her son and husband in less than two years. My wife has fought through losing almost all of her material things and was on the verge of becoming homeless. The ability to not give up can't be measured by some scientific equation but by shere determination. You have to find that reason to tie a knot when you reach the end of your rope. For both of these women, it was their kids that kept them hanging on and the to courage to fight back. Find that reason in your life, find your determination, and find your inner fighter. We are stronger than we believe we are. The struggles we have had up to this point have only been there to prepare us for our current struggles. Don't run and try to hide from your struggles. I understand that we need a stratgey when facing challenges but no action is not acceptable. I have been repeatedly accused of over analyzing things but I formulate a plan and then take action. Fear keeps us frozen and unable to act. Courage is the ability to act inspite of fear. Courage comes from fighting back when things seem bleek. Have courage because you ARE strong. Fight back because you deserve a better life. Fight back because your family deserves a better you. Live and enjoy your life. Dream Big...Pursue Big...Live Big

The Abandonded Dreams

This past week I had the opportunity to see my favorite band, Royal Bliss, for the eighth time. These guys always put on an amazing show and leave everything on stage. Once they have finished their set, they always take time to mingle with their fans. I also had the opportunity to meet and hear The Young Gunz Band open for Royal Bliss. The guitarist is 12 years old and the bassist is just 14 years old and these kids can play. Now, I am no expect on talent but they sounded amazing to me. These kids are chasing their dreams and doing what they love.

I am sure that these boys have their struggles. Booking gigs, band practices, teenage drama, school, and I'm sure that there are many more that I have missed. Despite what ever obstacles have presented themselves to these young men, they have stuck to their "gunz" and have made their passion a reality. They have even produced their first single, got it on the local radio station, and are taking half of the proceeds from the sale the single and putting towards producing their first CD.

What ever happened to the dreams that we had as kids? Why did we abandon them? We used to sit and talk for hours on end about what we would be when we grew up, where we would live, what we would do for vacation, and what material possessions that we would have. Life hands us, maybe, a less than desirable career and we settle for it. We change our plans for our dream home for what we can afford for now and once again settle for it. When we stop dreaming, I believe, it is because we are settling. When we settle, we are lowering our standards to meet where we are in life. I understand that life hands us a mortgage, car payments, health issues, 40+ hours work weeks, but none of that matters if you really want your dreams to become your life.

Don't allow your struggles and setbacks to determine what your life will look like. Be bigger than them, believe that you deserve your best, and begin to pursue those abandoned dreams. Don't fear the unknown and make your intention be known about how you feel about those dreams of days gone by. Needles to say, I was inspired by The Young Gunz to keep pursuing my dreams and passions. 

Dream Big...Pursue Big...Live Big