Living Life Abundantly

My grandmother always says “we didn’t come here to stay forever” and “everybody wants to see Jesus, but nobody wants to die to see Him.”

I went to buy “The Kings of Comedy” yesterday, when I got home I learned that Isaac Hayes was found dead in his home and the cause of death was unknown. The words of my grandmother again come to mind…she says “people are really crossing over…”

Two greats gone in two days!!!

Our next breathe is neither promised or guaranteed. As the world mourns the loss of Isaac Hayes and Bernie Mac, we are all reminded of our own mortality.

None of us came to stay forever, but some of us will never be forgotten.

Isaac Hayes was a “Bad Mutha” that touched us with his extraordinary music. Bernie Mac tickled our funny bone and used humor to entertain, educate, and empower. These men did not come to stay forever, but they certainly leave behind lasting legacies for generations to come.

Living Life Abundantly = Living A Life Worth Remembering

As the world mourns the loss of Bernie Mac and Isaac Hayes, may we also take inventory of our own lives and consider the legacy that we will one day leave behind…

A Psalm of Life
by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Tell me not, in mournful numbers,
Life is but an empty dream! ?
For the soul is dead that slumbers,
And things are not what they seem.

Life is real! Life is earnest!
And the grave is not its goal;
Dust thou art, to dust returnest,
Was not spoken of the soul.

Not enjoyment, and not sorrow,
Is our destined end or way;
But to act, that each to-morrow
Find us farther than to-day.

Art is long, and Time is fleeting,
And our hearts, though stout and brave,
Still, like muffled drums, are beating
Funeral marches to the grave.

In the world’s broad field of battle,
In the bivouac of Life,
Be not like dumb, driven cattle!
Be a hero in the strife!

Trust no Future, howe’er pleasant!
Let the dead Past bury its dead!
Act,–act in the living Present!
Heart within, and God o’erhead!

Lives of great men all remind us
We can make our lives sublime,
And, departing, leave behind us
Footprints on the sands of time;

Footprints, that perhaps another,
Sailing o’er life’s solemn main,
A forlorn and shipwrecked brother,
Seeing, shall take heart again.

Let us, then, be up and doing,
With a heart for any fate;
Still achieving, still pursuing,
Learn to labor and to wait.

None of us are guaranteed our next breath. We should all be living each day as if it were our last. This does not mean to live life recklessly but rather purposefully. Living Life Abundantly is a state of mind. You will always be filled and fulfilled when you truly appreciate and acknowledge your blessings. An attitude of gratitude is a stepping-stone towards success. Your thoughts, your words, and your actions are building blocks to creating the life that you want.

My friend Joyce emailed me this wonderful video reminder of Dr. Randy Pausch “The Last Lecture” Enjoy

Life is your Most Valuable Gift and it is the gift that keeps on giving. What you do with your life is up to you. Life is what you make it. You have everything you need to create life, destroy life, improve life, and touch the lives of others. The choice is yours. For every cause there is an effect.? Every life represents a mission, a purpose, a cause…What will be the effect of your LIFE?

Create and live the life you’ve always dreamed of living today!

My grandmother always says:

“Use Your Head For More Than Just A Hat Rack!”

When I was a child I thought that everything she said was funny, now as an adult I understand the wisdom of her words. I make an effort every day to use my head for more than just a hat rack. For years, I was trapped in the confines of my own mind…It feels good to be free and living life abundantly!

Excuses are for losers. Time out for pointing the finger and shifting blame when things go wrong. We were born with everything we need in life. Seriously. We have the power to think, imagine, and create our own destiny.

Our minds are responsible for so much more than we give them credit for.

“As a man thinketh, so is he.”

“I think, therefore I am.”

“You are today where your thoughts have brought you; you will be tomorrow where your thoughts take you.“

“Compared to what we ought to be, we are only half awake. We are making use of only a small part of our mental and physical resources.“

Your mind…

Your thoughts…

Your brain…

Your thinking…

Plays a vital role in how you live and experience life. If your current life circumstances are less than favorable, it’s imperative that you understand your own thoughts created whatever mess you are sifting through. You must change your thinking in order to change your life circumstances.

Step One: Retrain Your Brain Read the full story

The one thing in life that we can never get back or get more of is time.

Time is a precious and priceless gift that we often take for granted.  There are 24 hours in a day…most people spend 8 at work, 2 commuting to work, 1 getting ready for work, and 7 sleeping…what we do with the rest of the time is usually whatever we can squeeze in…

We live in a day and age where it seems that there is never enough time…

TIME OUT!

It’s time to make time.  Make time for yourself, make time for your kids, make time for your significant other, make time for your parents, make time for your loved ones, make time for your friends.  You make time for everything else…you owe it to yourself to make time for LIFE…don’t let life pass you by leaving you wondering where the time went…

“An unshared life is not living.  He who shares does not lessen, but greatens, his life” —Stephen S. Wise

Each year I become even more mindful of the fact that people really do come into our lives for a reason, season, or lifetime.

In evaluating my own relationships its very clear who my reasons, seasons, and lifetimes are and vice versa. As we approach Thanksgiving and like everyone else I suppose… I am deeply introspecting, reflecting, and meditating on everything and everyone that I am thankful for. God is Good! I’m very thankful to have crossed paths with such remarkable people throughout my life and I look forward to crossing paths with many more.

A Reason, a Season, or a Lifetime

People come into your life for a reason, a season, or
a lifetime. When you figure out which one it is, you
will know what to do for each person.

When someone is in your life for a REASON . . . It is
usually to meet a need you have expressed. They have
come to assist you through a difficulty, to provide you
with guidance and support, to aid you physically,
emotionally, or spiritually. They may seem like a
godsend, and they are! They are there for the reason
you need them to be.

Then, without any wrong doing on your part, or at an
inconvenient time, this person will say or do something
to bring the relationship to an end.

Sometimes they die.
Sometimes they walk away.
Sometimes they act up and force you to take a stand.

What we must realize is that our need has been met, our
desire fulfilled, their work is done. The prayer you
sent up has been answered. And now it is time to move on.

When people come into your life for a SEASON . . .
Because your turn has come to share, grow, or learn.
They bring you an experience of peace, or make you laugh.
They may teach you something you have never done.
They usually give you an unbelievable amount
of joy. Believe it! It is real! But, only for a season.

LIFETIME relationships teach you lifetime lessons; things
you must build upon in order to have a solid emotional
foundation. Your job is to accept the lesson, love the
person, and put what you have learned to use in all
other relationships and areas of your life. It is said
that love is blind but friendship is clairvoyant.

Author Unknown

This is one of my favorite email forwards that makes its rounds a couple times of year. My friend Shonda sent it to me this morning enjoy
LET IT GO by T. D. Jakes

There are people who can walk away from you.
And hear me when I tell you this!
When people can walk away from you: let them walk.

I don’t want you to try to talk another person into staying with you,
Loving you, calling you, caring about you, coming to see you,
Staying attached to you.
I mean hang up the phone.

When people can walk away from you let them walk.
Your destiny is never tied to anybody that left.

People leave you because Read the full story

Should African Americans Get Reparations for Slavery?

When the topic of reparations comes up people get very heated and opinionated… oftentimes without even knowing the facts or history behind reparations. Read the full story

My friend Hollie sent this to me this morning and with her permission I’m sharing it.

MORE DAMN TOY RECALLS……

OK, me, Hollie….is requesting that we all stop purchasing lead filled toys made in China.

We all know that there are issues between the United States and China (and every other country in the world, thanks to Bush). Clearly they are trying to kills us, by what? Killing our children first and foremost. This will prevent us from having a great military force to fight against them later….you know after we lose half the damn military to the billion dollar a month “War on Terror” in Iraq.

They will try to kill us by any means necessary…poisoning our dogs and cats…they know damn well Americans care more about animals than people (just look at the whole Michael Vick issue).

Please be real with your children and explain why they cannot have their favorite batman toy or their favorite doll. All of the toy companies are manufacturing in China. Reid and I have for months stop purchasing toys made in China. Reid is eight years old, if he can do it so can you. Feel free to call Reid and let him explain it to your child…it may come across better from another kid.

Seriously, please stop purchasing lead filled toys from China. If we stop buying, start complaining Mattel and the other manufacturers will have to make a change. It is not just about the toys, but the life long damage to our children from lead exposure. Read the full story

Everyone is familiar with the saying “it is better to give than receive,” but few understand the meaning behind this powerful principle.

Why is it better to give than it is to receive? The more you give, the more you receive. Success and living life abundantly are rewards granted to unconditional givers.

An unconditional giver is someone who gives from the heart because they want to, not because they have to, or because they feel obligated to do so.

When people think of giving they often think money. You do not have to give money to be an unconditional giver.

When you give of your time, energy, resources, knowledge, skills, and/or talents, with no strings attached, you instantaneously set the Law of Giving and Receiving in motion. You become a magnet, attracting success and abundance.

The universal Law of Giving and Receiving is both spiritual and scientific.

The Spiritual basis of The Law of Giving and Receiving:
Whatever you sow (meaning whatever you plant, disseminate, scatter, disperse, or put out), you will also reap (meaning you will also receive, gain, harvest, accumulate, or get back). —Galatians 6:7

The Scientific basis of The Law of Giving and Receiving:
For every action (meaning for everything you do, every act, effort, or transaction), there will always be an equal or even opposite reaction (meaning there will be consequences and/or repercussions). —Isaac Newton’s Law of Motion.

Reasons People Resist Giving:
People often decide not to give because they think Read the full story

Thoughts for Life:

Faith is the ability to not panic.

If you worry, you didn’t pray. If you prayed, don’t worry.

As a child of God, prayer is kinda like calling home every day.

Blessed are the flexible, for they shall not be bent out of shape.

When we get tangled up in our problems, be still. God wants us to be still
so He can untangle the knot.

Do the math. Count your blessings.

God wants spiritual fruit, not religious nuts.

Dear God: I have a problem. It’s me.

Silence is often misinterpreted, but never misquoted.

Laugh every day – it’s like inner jogging.

The most important things in your home are the people.

Growing old is inevitable, growing up is optional. (Preach it!)

There is no key to happiness. The door is always open. Come on in.

A grudge is a heavy thing to carry.

He who dies with the most toys is still dead.

We do not remember days but moments. Life moves too fast so enjoy your
precious moments.

Nothing is real to you until you experience it; otherwise it’s just hearsay.

It’s all right to sit on your pity pot every now and again. Just be sure to
flush when you are done.

Surviving and living your life successfully requires courage. The goals and
dreams you’re seeking require courage and risk-taking. Learn from the turtle,
it only makes progress when it sticks out its neck.

Be more concerned with your character than your reputation. Your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are.

No matter the storm, when you are with God, there’s always a rainbow
waiting.

Leave gentle fingerprints on the soul of another for the angels to read. I don’t want to get to the end of my life and find that I lived just the length of it. I want to have lived the width of it as well.
—Author Unknown

The victory is not what shapes us, but adversity. ~ Bishop David G. Evans

There is a spirit and a need and a man at the beginning of every great human advance. Every one of these must be right at that particular moment in history, or nothing happens. ~ Coretta Scott King

Life is 10% of what happens to you. The other 90% is how you react to it.
~ Charles Swindoll

Marenda says: another great email forward

Everyone has a purpose. The question is, are we living up to our purpose and do we even know what our purpose is? There is so much more to life than going to work, making money, paying bills, having 2.5 kids, a house with a white picket fence, and a dog named Spot.

Our purpose has little to do with material possessions, financial gain, and luxurious lifestyles. When we focus on those things and make those things our purpose we create an imbalance that impedes our ability to achieve living life abundantly.

“You are not here merely to make a living. You are here in order to
enable the world to live more amply, with greater vision, with a finer
spirit of hope and achievement. You are here to enrich the world, and you
impoverish yourself if you forget the errand.” —Woodrow Wilson

Purpose= The reason something exists.

While we each live separate lives, we cannot escape our dependence on one another, nor can we ignore our connection.

We all serve a purpose to each other.

Think about the people in your life and how they all serve a purpose in your life. Think about how you serve a purpose in their lives…..Do you see how our lives serve a purpose much greater than our own lives? Our lives affect the lives of others daily!

How Do We Serve a Purpose in Each Others Lives?
It’s often the little things that matter most in life. You serve a purpose to someone just by being you. You serve a purpose to someone every time you:

Comfort
Console
Encourage
Counsel
Have Empathy
Show Mercy
Have Compassion
Give
Help
Intercede
Share
Teach
Lead
Love

I believe that our greatest area of opportunity and the biggest way to serve a purpose in the lives of others is by way of LOVE. Love is the higher purpose that drives other purposes. Everyone needs, seeks, wants, and deserves Love. Imagine how different the world would be if we all really truly loved each other.

What if your purpose is simply to LOVE?

Love suffers long and is kind; Love does not envy; Love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails.
—1 Corinthians 13:4-8

Love is not something you do,
Love is a way of being.
And more than that.
It is simply being,
Being with another person, however they may be.
Holding no judgments, having no agendas,
No desire to control,
No need to prove your love,
No intrusion upon their soul. Nothing but a total acceptance of their being, Born of your acceptance of yours.

Unconditional love is not unconditional approval of another’ s
actions, irrespective of their effects upon others. It is
unconditional love of the being behind the action. It does not
depend upon how a person thinks, feels, or behaves. It does not
pause to assess whether or not another is worthy of affection. It
recognizes that beneath all our various appearances and activities
we all want to feel loved. In this we are all united.

Unconditional love recognizes that we are all to some extent, caught
in the belief that our inner satisfaction is determined by what goes
on around us. We all feel the need for security, control,
recognition, approval, and stimulus to varying degrees, we all feel
threatened from time to time by things that seem to stand in the way
of our fulfillment; and we can all make mistakes—author unknown

LIVING: active or thriving; vigorous; strong
Are you LIVING your life to the fullest or are you going through the motions? Are you living a purpose driven life or are you searching for your purpose as you pursue happiness? Living involves active participation in life. Living means growing and thriving not just day-to-day surviving. Begin Living today.