WORDS OF WISDOM

The Mind Gut comments remind me of the admonishments of my Great Grandmother, Grandmother, Mother, and a myriad of Great Aunts and Aunts when I had a medical / illness complaint, “Grant, it is all in your head”. I believe that they all believed that many, if not most, illnesses were psychosomatic without understanding the meaning of the word or the true Gut connection. Everything was attributed to what was in our head (mind) or as a result of God.

Our Lives are impacted by Family, Friends, Teachers, Preachers, Colleagues, and the Global Community at large. They have inspired me to be much more than I believed I was capable of doing. They demonstrated that we don’t settle for style, but we succeed with substance. We must maintain our integrity and compassion in this less than compassionate world. All people are important.
Celebrate them. Befriend them. Love them. Robert Kennedy, using a quote from George Bernard Shaw in the “Celebration of Life” stated: ”There are those who look at things the way they are and ask Why? However, others look at things that never were and ask, “Why Not”? Compassion for ourselves and others is essential for the survival of the Community of Man / Woman.

I believe, based on lifelong experiences, that five, twenty-five, fifty or one hundred years from now, it will not matter what our bank account was, the style of the house we lived in, or the make of car we drove. However, I believe the world may be truly more positive and accepting because we, as individuals and communities, positively impacted, celebrated, supported, and contributed to someone else’s Life.

We must be totally involved in living the Life we were given and creating the circumstances we want. Learn from the Past, Cherish the Present, and Look positively to the Future. Remember, Life is a one-way Street. There is no turning back. Play the cards we are dealt. There is a Maxim I learned years ago that has been a guiding light. I do not remember the source; however, I remember the substance:

Risk more than others think is safe!
Care more than others think is wise!
Dream more than others think is practical!
Expect more than others think is possible!

I have also learned that those who bring Sunshine to the lives of others, cannot keep it from themselves. We must be catalysts and builders. We must remember that three of the most important words in the English language are “May I Help”?

We must also remember that what we have done for ourselves alone dies with us. However, what we have done for others will live forever. As Chaucer so aptly stated: “We are all pilgrims journeying to Canterbury individually. Why not walk together and tell each other our stories”? Conversation personified. Live the Life we have imagined. “To thine own self be true” Hamlet, Act I, Scene III.

Yes, and we must all seek Adventure. As I mentioned earlier, Life is not a dress rehearsal. Life is a one-way street. Make certain it is long and overflowing. However, in reality, we do not have to travel very far to find adventure. The beckoning and challenging world begins just outside of our window.

I believe, as many others do, that we all walk around with a greater vision of ourselves and our world. Everyone! The challenge lies in expressing that vision. Courageously putting ourselves out there every day and saying “Yes!” this is who I truly am. This is what I am meant to do. The Mind-Gut in Perfect Harmony!

If we have not found a treasure today, it is because we have not looked!