We must help any way we can

In this time of terrible crisis for all our brothers and sisters in Haiti, the first thing that should come to mind is, how do we help?

We've got to help, because this could easily be us. Anything we can give them will help ease their pain and get them back on their feet. The Haitian people are tired, scared, frustrated, hungry and who can blame them? They've lost everything. I'd probably be doing the same thing if I was them, fighting for survival with everything that was left in me.

We've got to help our Caribbean brothers and sisters, we have to help them. It's our duty to our fellow man and woman.

May God be with them in their hour of need.

Here's to a new year, a new decade

So here's 2010. It came quickly, before we all knew it 2009 was over and out.

We all make new year resolutions, most of us don't keep them, most of us can't even remember what we resolved to do.

I've decided on just one resolution this year, to be more honest with myself, even if it means facing the painful truth sometimes. Even if it means telling someone off, even if it means making myself uncomfortable while I try to find peace and truth in my own life, in some little way.

Being totally honest also means taking ownership for what's working, and what's not and getting rid of any unnecessary waste and stress in my life. There's things that we all do that aren't good for us, but we do it because we claim to not know any better, or worse yet we're scared to get rid of it (whatever it may be).

So this year, I'm gonna try my best to be more honest with myself and try to live at peace with myself, honestly speaking.

Consume less and share more

We live in a materialistic world....we're a people that unfortunately have to consume a number of goods & services in order to survive and exist, we're consumers....

Now why is it from since our childhood days, we've been brainwashed into thinking that buying more toys, or at least convincing our parents to buy more toys for us, will make us happier and the most popular kid on the block?

Why is everything about consumption of goods?

Why this chronic need to buy more, always more. It's a hunger that is never satisfied. Some people can control it, others let it control themselves. Some people hoard what they have and deprive others from having it. Why? because there's not enough to go around, at least not enough so that few people can stay filthy rich.

What's 'it'? - goods and services, material wealth, a decent standard of living?

So we consume. We feed the machine. We're brainwashed to consume by companies, the media, ad agencies, the government.

Advertisements fill our brain with one thing - BUY! Because when we buy, the economy turns.

Now why are advertisements aimed at one thing: Making us consume more? Why can't we have more ads that teach us to conserve, use wisely, repair if broken, do not upgrade, use to last drop and spend only if necessary.

Why can't we be taught to give more to charity, preserve our earth, use less of our limited resources, turn off unused lights, power bars, cell phones. Why can't we car pool? why can't we all install gas converters in our cars so we can use cooking oil instead of diesel? Why can't we all eat less meat.

Why can't our respective governments sign a deal that would save our planet, why was Copenhagen a shame, why was it such a betrayal of the people of this world? Because of greed. Because the simple fact is: it would take more to fix the problem than it would to just have everyone keep on consuming; as the rulers of this world would have us consume, to fatten their pockets.

And shame, shame, shame on the rulers and governments who attended that meeting, shame on them for failing to pass anything of value that would save our planet, because if the environment was a bank, it would've been save a long time ago (to borrow a slogan said at that summit).

Why can't we just consume less and share more with our brothers and sisters around us.

Our world is dying and those killing it have names and addresses....

We can all do our part, seeing as our elected leaders have failed us....consume less and save our dying world.

What can get accomplished on any given day

It's amazing what can accomplished in a day, any given day. We can either do something really productive or waste the entire day.

Nothing is wrong per se with lazing around once in a while, but when that is the norm, well then, thats just wrong. Life is meant to be lived on the frontlines, not sitting on the fence watching events go by. If we do that, then we're just a spectator, giving unnecessary comments on opinions on things that may not concern us.

I'm no expect on how to live but a day well spent is a great day, one that may never be repeated so better make the best of it while the day is young.

There's no better time to do anything, than right now.

Carpe Diem!

Giving the benefit of the doubt

I've come to realize that I give people way too much benefit of the doubt, and in most cases nowadays, you give anyone an inch and they take almost five football fields in length.

Time to stop giving the wrong people chances and give my own self a chance, time to start giving me the benefit of the doubt, and forgiving myself a lil more.

If we all forgave ourselves and tried to do things better after we sorted ourselves out; I think this world would be a much more honest, loving and caring place. Because we would be honest with ourselves and compassionate to one another as a result of this honesty.

Being honest doesn't mean being harsh or unnecessarily cruel, but acknowledging everything, both good and bad and sorting things out for the better. At least, that's my definition of honesty. From being honest with ourselves,we gain more understanding and insight into our lives and thus, the lives of those around us. From understanding we derive compassion.

Compassion and understanding are two things we could never have enough of in this life.

Time to listen to less opinions and more gut feelings. Time to be honest and compassionate.

Time to live less and doubt more I think.

Grateful

In everything in life, I have to remember to be always grateful. It's easy to forget what I have and how lucky and blessed I am. I have to remind myself that whenever things look bad, it could always be worse. It could always be so much worse.

So many things I have no control over, and the hardest thing to do is to be humble and grateful even when situations are not pleasant.

So the trick is, when things are bad, be patient, pray and be humble. When things get better, be grateful and thank God. Because nothing is owed to me in this life, and everything is a gift that I am grateful for receiving.

Thank you God.

Right and wrong and knowing the difference

There's something I don't get. Why are so many people in this world, in this little country of ours, hell-bent on doing the wrong thing. Maybe 'hell' is the key word.

Whether it be giving someone a 'bad-drive', cussing someone, assaulting, breaking and entering, theft, kidnapping, and all the other heinous crimes that exist in society today; there's one thing I don't get.

The perpetrators of all these acts don't seem to know what they're doing is wrong. Or, even if they did know that it was terribly wrong, they don't care that it affects everyone negatively.

Regardless of the act, the blatant lawlessness and wickedness of these acts take a great deal of planning and preparation. So you mean to say, so many people plan to do criminal acts? Can't they stop for a minute and see what they're doing is wrong on so many levels. Shame on them, shame, shame on their parents for not doing a good job of raising their children - now criminals.

I just can't conceive how someone can plot to do evil, or how someone can think that living a lawless lifestyle is a good thing. All who think like this obviously don't have a conscious and certainly don't believe in a hell, or an afterlife and judgement day.

I don't mean to be sounding over-religious here, but surely we don't think that this life is all there is? Surely not.

It could be as simple as throwing litter out your car window, it could be stepping (out of turn) in front of a line at a fast food counter, harassing women as they pass-by, the creating and selling of pornography, whatever it is, it's ALL wrong.

All of it. We're creating an absolute lawless country. And we are to blame. Shame on us all.

I just have one question to all the criminals: Would it hurt you to plan to do good for someone, a stranger possible and maybe even your family and by extension, this country of yours? Something good that would result in more positive happenings and perhaps a change for the better in all our mindsets? I'm just in shock that people, rather than thinking of doing good, think to do wrong. Why? Is it that you get a kick out of it? Is it that you see nothing wrong with it?

If so, then God have mercy on your soul.