Tag: war

HOW TO BEGIN HEALING THE PLANET

It sure is a crazy world out there today! We have many countries at war with each other. Even inside the same country, political parties seek to divide us so that we are easier to conquer. It can all seem pretty helpless at times. I even heard a coworker remark, “I have to turn on the news to hear who I am supposed to hate today.” The line was said in a half serious tone, but the point is valid. Some people are really being lead to hate others they have never, and may never even meet. We are told that people of certain belief systems are bad. People from a certain country, or even a certain side of town.

All of these opinions are as ridiculous as they are incorrect. Whether we dislike someone or not should be based on their actions and not on what we are told we should believe. Often countries at war are disagreements between leaders and not the people suffering the violence. In fact, if we take political leaders out of the equation, there would be far less division and war. Why is that? Given the chance, I believe we can find common ground with our fellow brothers and sisters that share our planet with us. We may disagree, but seldom, without outside motivation, do you want to kill your neighbor.

A great way to begin to heal this planet, and all of the craziness in it, is to heal ourselves. Begin by being honest about the hurt and pain we are still healing from personally. Give yourself the time and resources needed for that healing. Let it be reflected in the way we treat others. Do not fall for all of the propaganda. Get to know your neighbor and make your own decisions. Find healthy ways to disagree. Learn about other cultures that are different from your own. Expand your world both physically by traveling and mentally by exposing yourself to more knowledge. Travel and information are the enemies of hate. The more we heal ourselves, and our world, the more we heal the world at large.

THINK OF THOSE WE LOST AND THOSE WHO ARE HURTING

In the United States, we celebrate Memorial Day. It is a day to honor those who died in service to their country. It is heartbreaking to see the amount of war and conflict in the world today. The sick irony is that those who wage war seldom, if ever, have fought personally in conflict. They are men in suits using brothers, sons, daughters and sisters to risk their lives to advance their conflict. When we lose a soldier in a war, it is far more than just a loss of life. It is a loss for friends, family and community. It is a loss of a soul and a heart for the world. There are even leaders who do not respect this ultimate sacrifice. Referring to those who died as ‘losers’. Though they have never been brave enough to face combat themselves.

In addition to all of the loss we experience during war, it does not stop there. In this country, according to recent statistics, we lose more than 17 veterans a day to suicide. The pain and hurt that they experience during war comes home with them. We need to invest more in the physical and mental well-being of our veterans than we are currently doing, This is another cost of war that many of us do not consider.

Knowing all of the pain and loss that war causes, we should do our best to eliminate leaders that perpetuate war and conflict. The loss is too great to allow our leaders to push us into conflicts that are often politically or financially motivated. As we honor those we have lost, we should be inspired to push our leaders to use diplomacy and peace. The best way we can honor our brave fallen soldiers is to make sure their sacrifice motivates us to push that much harder for peace.

BE CAREFUL NOT TO DO THIS!

In a world that seems with hate and division, this can seem like a very difficult thing to do. The media does our best to convince us the ‘other side’ is evil, or at the very least, less than we are. Our leaders are often examples of the worst of us instead of those we should inspire to become.

When you disagree with someone, there can be the temptation to dehumanize them. It makes it easier to justify our anger and hate. We must caution against doing this. Throughout history, this has what has lead to not only war, but genocide.

Everyone has had different life experiences that have resulted in different beliefs. We must stop to think if we have lived their life, would we believe as they do? Constructive dialog, as well as workable solutions, can only exist when we resist the temptation to dehumanize the other side.

THIS AMERICAN ALSO WANTS TO CONQUER GREENLAND!

With all of the wars of conquest happening around the globe and the foolish words and actions taken by the government in this country you may fear I am adding to that. On the contrary. I would like to point out there is more than just one way to conquer a land, or a people. In the world of this blog, we are viewed in over 200 countries. Some, I must confess, to not even have known about prior to them viewing this site. One country that has yet to join our community of motivated people pursuing an amazing life is the country of Greenland. I do understand that it has less people than the city I live in, but I would love to reach and offer some positivity to them.

Have you ever thought about conquering in such a fashion? It can be conquering someone’s hateful heart with love. It can be conquering your own lack of self-discipline to accomplish your goals. It can be helping a friend conquer their self-doubt to love themselves more completely. In this case, I would like to add the wonderful country of Greenland to our self-improvement family. Reaching a whole new country and its culture would be wonderful. We can all learn so much from each other.

One of the best things we can do in this world is to conquer the division and hate that is being put forth. Love your neighbor even if that neighbor is different or holds a different opinion than you. Conquer your own inclination to judge someone just because they are different. These are conquests the world should be pursuing!

REMEMBER THE FALLEN

Today, in the United States, we celebrate Memorial Day. It is a day to honor all of those who have lost their lives serving their country. In a world that seems to be having new conflicts daily, we must keep this thought in mind.

Often, these brave men and women go to war to serve their country knowing what possible sacrifice might await. Those who do not make it home often leave behind a loving family. This family may often have to endure not only the pain of loss, but often financial worries in top of that. If there is one thing we can do to honor the fallen, is to make sure those they left behind are taken care of.

This memorial day, pause for a moment and thank all of those who sacrificed so you don’t have to. War sadly continues, and so do those who not come home. Let us all work together for peace to honor those who did not live to see it.

OUR NEW MISSION 🫶

If you live in the United States, you are no doubt suffering from election and political burnout. In my mailbox, I received so many political ads I lost count. Most of them were filled with warnings of doom and gloom. The world ending if we voted for the wrong candidate. I wish I was being dramatic, but I am not. Couple this with radio ads, television, YouTube ads and the list goes on. Fear and hate were spread by both parties in abundance. I get it. Fear motivates people to take action. Now that the election is over, it is time for us to move on.

Even if you do not live in the USA, there is plenty of negative in the world. There is the wars in the middle east. There is the war in the Ukraine. Plenty of hate and negativity to go around. I am part Armenian. Lots of problems in that corner of the world. In short, there is grave shortage of love in the world. At least that is what we are told. If you spend your days with your eyes glued to the news, even the best of us can walk away disillusioned. What is the cure? Go out and talk to your neighbors. Not about recent political events. Not about war and what country is to blame. Talk about your favorite recipes. Talk about the dreams for your kids if you have any. Talk about your dreams and aspirations. Here is what you will find – your neighbors are not that different from you.

I am sure the people of Russia and the Ukraine wish the war was over. Families are being torn apart, economies are suffering. The only thing worse than global conflict, is to allow it to become generational conflict. Do not let the hatred of the few corrupt the love of the many. Find the beauty in those who are different from you. Yes, it can be hard. Yes, some may not deserve it. The truth is that we will never find peace if we continue to hang on to hate. It is a virus given to us by those we seek to divide us. Love can unite us and keep us moving forward. I am reminded of two quotes by great men. The first is by Martin Luther King Jr. “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.” Eventually, someone has to have the compassion and bravery to forgive. We need to use love to drive out hate. That is the only way in which it will work.

The second quote is by Buddha. He said, “Holding on to anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else; you are the one who gets burned.” Our anger only succeeds in destroying us. Even if we can inflict some damage on the party we are angry at, it does not come without a cost to us. If we fill ourselves with love, again not always an easy task, it will only serve to help us. The first step to filling ourselves with love, is to practice forgiveness. Not only to others, but to ourselves.

It is apparent that in many areas, anger is spreading faster than ever. Instead of focusing our energy on ‘stopping the anger’, let us focus on spreading the love and joy. Let us begin by learning how to forgive those who hurt us, including ourselves. If hate can spread this fast, let us show one another how fast love can spread.

AN IMPORTANT MESSAGE FOR EVERYONE! ⚠️

This is an important message for today’s world. We need to shift from placing blame, to creating solutions. They only way to do this is by working together. It can be simple to say, but I know it is not easy to do. Hurt, years of oppression, violence, and division have been going on since the dawn of man. How can we hope to reverse this trend?

If you listen to what you hear from politicians, world leaders and the media, it is as soon as we Conquer the opposition. That is a lie. The solution lies in forming mutual respect with the opposition. This requires both sides to admit the wrong they have done and pledge to work together to create a solution to prevent those wrongs from occurring in the future.

What does this have to do with you and I? Plenty. We cannot wait for world leaders and those running out country to remove their thinking apparatus from their sitting apparatus. That may never happen. We have to start with us. Work on eliminating our prejudices. At the very least, stop speaking hate and division and start thinking of solutions. Vote for those who do the same instead of those running on a ticket based on fear, blame and revenge. Most importantly, raise children who respect others and want to make a difference in the world.

It is not to late to save the world and the people who live in it. The change has to start with someone. Why not let it start with us and why not start now?

YOU MIGHT NOT SEE IT TOMORROW 👀🙈

This may sound like a fatalistic post for uplifting Wednesdays, but it really is not. In fact, I debated titling this post “Everything is special” but decided on the one I did because it has a sense of urgency. Last week, we discussed how quickly things change and how the not so distant past can seem like a lifetime ago. Isn’t that true to some extent in your own life? I know it is in mine. Places you used to go are no longer there. Businesses you used to frequent have ceased operations. People sadly pass on. Animals become extinct.

Again, this is a little depressing, but it also provides us a sense of urgency. My friend Curtis gave me a great reminder about the power of being present. All too often we busy ourselves reliving memories and fail to pay attention to the ones we should be creating. Then, without a warning it seems, they too become memories. Consider this – each second of time is unique and will never occur again. The beautiful sunrise you are witnessing? Yes, the sun will rise again tomorrow, but it will look different than what you are seeing right now. That bouquet of flowers you received will be different than any you will get in the future.

One of the interesting things that I reflect on in life is how seemingly tragic world events change the way things are done. I recall what travel was like before September 11 of 2001. Recently, we all saw the effects Covid had on the way we socialize and do business. Life can change in an instant. Change is actually the only thing we can count on. That is why each moment is so precious. War has broken out in many places in the world and the lives of millions were upended in a heartbeat. The reverberations of that situation can be felt across the globe. Very few us could have predicted that was going to happen.

It doesn’t even have to be on a global scale. Think of all the people in your life. Above is a picture of my lovely lady and I. It was taken at my work’s holiday party. It was also a retirement party for one of my coworkers. That means it will be the last time he will be there as my coworker. Who knows if my work will have another holiday party or if this was the last one I will attend? A few years back during my open-heart surgery, it was almost the last time I spent with my lovely Margie. That story is shared in great detail in my book, The Beat Goes On, available on Amazon.

Challenges provide us great opportunity to see everything for the miracle it is. Recently, I shared the story about how my car was having trouble and my mother was giving me a ride to work. Although this proved to be far more stressful than we first thought, who knows when I will be able to share the ride and great conversation with my mother at 430am. Looking back, we had fun on my way to work. Who knows if those moments will ever happen again. I would much rather have a working vehicle, but the ride with my mom was a good memory.

Everything, and everyone, in life is fleeting. It may not seem like it, but as we discussed earlier, it can all change in an instant. Health is precious. Love is precious. So many things we can fail to appreciate until they are gone. Take a second an be present and grateful for everything in your life. Everything is a miracle. Everything is precious.

WEEKEND ADVICE FROM A PLANT 🪴

For my younger readers, this here is Robert Plant. He sang for a rock band you may have heard of – Led Zeppelin. I am not sure if he really said the quote above or not. It doesn’t really matter. It is great advice we should put into action this weekend. Monday through Friday we are so inundated with news of the world. This can come from coworkers, family, friends and is even sent directly to our phones. There is war between Russia and the Ukraine. There is one now in the middle east. There are politicians fighting to outdo each other in looking asinine. It is never quite clear who is winning. I suppose it changes depending on the day. Do you know what being up to date on all of this information gets us? Not much. We can carry on a conversation in the office. It also seems to foster a feeling of hopelessness for the human race and a feeling of disgrace for humanity. Sounds fun, right? Not hardly.

This weekend, turn off the news and turn up the music. Do you know what you will lose by not being up to date on the world’s conflicts and the fools often put in charge of them? You will lose stress and a disturbance to your inner peace. Instead, do what Bob Marley advocates, and let the music take the pain away. In my first two books, A Happy Life for Busy People and Living the Dream, I advocate creating a ‘happy playlist’. Songs that lift your spirit and fill you with good vibes. It is my firm belief we should expose ourselves to positive influences at least 51% of the time. Far more than that if you would like an amazing life. Since you are reading a website titled “Secret2anamazinglife” I would surmise this to be the case.

The more we balance out the negative influences we are exposed to with positive ones of our choosing, the more inner peace we will experience. In today’s crazy world, being able to exist in peace is nothing short of a super power. Turn off the news and put on some Led Zeppelin, Bob Marley or music of your choosing. Let the music carry you away to somewhere happy. I know I will be as I celebrate my lovely lady’s birthday. How about you?

IT IS YOUR WAR TO WIN 🤺

In life, it can be easy to confuse battles with wars. What exactly does this mean? Our goals are like a war to win. In the journey to achieve them, we must fight several battles. My goal of reaches and serving as many souls with my writing is one that has its ups and downs. My first book, A Happy Life for Busy People, was a great success. It has sold roughly 5000 copies and is owned by rockstars, movie stars and billionaires. Some have even sent me personal letters to thank me. My most recent book, The Beat Goes On, has not done nearly as well as I had hoped. Does that make me a failure as a writer? No, it just means that battle did not turn out as I had planned.

Just like in war, we can learn even more from our loses than from our successes. Many people think viewing their goals as a war to win seems a bit over the top. That viewing life as some sort of life or death struggle may be a bit too dramatic. I am here to tell you that life is a constant struggle for territory, as Les Brown likes to say. If you do not stay committed to living a positive rewarding life, those negative thoughts will start creeping in. If you do not stay dedicated to your health and fitness, those calories will start showing themselves in unflattering ways.

Even in these examples, there are wins and loses. You may lose your temper and snap at someone who does not deserve it. You may give in and have one of those doughnuts in the breakroom…or two. This does not mean you are a failure, or have lost the war. No, it simply means that you have lost a battle. Use that to motivate you. Use it to learn from. The more battles you win, the sooner you will win the war.