Winning in the Long Jump

His legs were short. He walked with a limp. He wasn’t too smart—not smart enough to know that the long jump was a sport for guys different than him. Yet he pursued.

She was overweight. Her feet weren’t so flexible. Her shoulders a little slumped over. Yet, her desire to be a ballet dancer outweighed all of the above. She pursued her dream.

He was told at 15 that he would never become anything. He spent all of his time at the computer playing games and becoming a wizard at them. At 17 he began to develop computer games that made him a millionaire. He pursued his passion.

So many times in my life I put aside what I hungered for in my heart to live a life that took less courage and tenacity. I wonder if I continued in my pursuit of acting, singing, writing, and recording, if I would have made something great of myself. But I never stretched beyond myself to feel the pain of struggle or knew what ignoring rejection meant.

I suppose that rejection of what it took came from a deep-seated knowing that I had struggled enough as a child. I never wanted to go hungry again. I had been rejected by my own mother, when she left my father, and I didn’t see her again for the next six years. I suppose that following a path like theater and writing and recording, where rejection is paramount, was just a little too much for me to fathom after a time.

So, the two things that bring greatness to the surface, deep passion great enough to overcome rejection and the consistent pursuit despite the times when there is no money to live were not in the cards for me. So, does that mean…

(To Read the rest of this Blog, please click on this link. I appreciate you helping me out with this new format. The objective is to get people to the actual blog site and hopefully get you signed up for blog emails, trackbacks, comments, and truly get you involved in life change. Of course, you don’t have to do that to just read the blog. But my hope is some of you will step forward and begin to take part. www.blog2grow4spirit.com )

Karma-Logically Speaking

The dictionary defines Karma as:

(in Hinduism and Buddhism) the sum of a person's actions in this and previous states of existence, viewed as deciding their fate in future existences.

The informal definition is: destiny or fate, following as effect from cause.

I find myself thinking almost daily, I wouldn’t want to bring that fate (or karma) on myself, so I really shouldn’t do a certain act.

For instance: I wouldn’t want to have someone talk behind my back, so I try not to speak poorly behind someone’s back.

Contrary: I WOULD  want someone to support my business, so I do my best to support my friend’s businesses.

This is karma in our day-to-day lives.

But I think that the original belief of karma was that if you killed someone in this lifetime, then in another lifetime, you would probably have to suffer that same fate. But, clearly you would have to believe in reincarnation to care about that sort of thing. So, we westernized the concept and kind of made it similar to what Jesus said: “What you sow, you reap!”

Either way, the concept is a great way to live you life. If you truly believe this kind of spirituality, your life does change for the better—if not with the negatives negating themselves, but more with the positive exponentially rewarding your life with more good.

I watched my life completely transform financially when I began to give without restraint, as if my resources were a well that would never run dry. I might add that I also listen very closely to what I’m supposed to give to in my heart. Most times it isn’t what you’d think. I don’t usually give to the beggar on the corner or tithe (give 10%) to church. I give a gift to church, but not usually 10%. Sorry, tithe teachers. I’ve done that, and it just doesn’t let me flow with the spirit!

My giving is usually to someone who appears in my life with a specific need that only I can fulfill. Or a financial calling that I get that I don’t expect, and it’s usually close to home—like a close friend or relative needing help.  

There was a time in my life when I had no real understanding of how to give. I gave from guilt. Everyone who needed something was a reason to give. And, yes, I have to admit that even church giving felt like guilt. I actually stopped giving to church until the guilt went away. I didn’t want to give one single cent out of guilt…

(To Read the rest of this Blog, please click on this link. I appreciate you helping me out with this new format. The objective is to get people to the actual blog site and hopefully get you signed up for blog emails, trackbacks, comments, and truly get you involved in life change. Of course, you don’t have to do that to just read the blog. But my hope is some of you will step forward and begin to take part. www.blog2grow4spirit.com )