SWEET MOTHER OF MINE

Dear Mom, 

Thank you for bringing me into this world. You alway said that I was your special gift, but you were mine. I didn't realize until I had children of my own, the endless time and energy that you devoted to me, from the sleepless nights, runny noses and dirty diapers, to the teenage years and far beyond.   You made the difference in all our lives and when I was preparing to make a nest of my own, it was your influence that I wanted to emulate.  The peace, love and joy that you had so beautifully displayed in our home, is now a part of all our lives and will live on the hearts of your posterity.  

In my younger years, much of my time was spent chasing rainbows, but if I knew then what I know now, I would have spent that precious time making more memories with you. Thank you for helping me get up each time I fell and for tending my wounds until the scars faded. I know now, how difficult it is to stand back and let the ones you love learn from their mistakes, and in the quiet moments of life, I reflect upon your tender wisdom. When I was young and immature, I thought you were always nipping at my heals.  Today, I would give anything to be a step or two behind yours. 

I want to thank you for being brave enough to stand up for what was right; it was your example of moral integrity that kept me on the straight and narrow. Thank you for saying, “NO” far more times than you ever said yes; it saved me from the failures in life that creates the greatest pain.  

I learned discipline and self respect from your examples of ~ discipline and self respect!  Thank you for chastising me with tough love and although I didn't appreciate it at the time, it clearly defines who I am today.  To you, I owe it all, for without you there would be less of me!

I don't know where all the years have gone!  One day, I just turned around and you had quietly slipped away.  The hand of fate sealed the last chapter of our lives together.  It's ironic, with great tears of joy you had welcomed me into this life and with tears of sorrow, I watched you leave.  

There's a place in my heart that is reserved for you and it overflows with the abundance of love and respect.  I miss you.  By, Linda Sumner Urza, One fine day.

ATTITUDE: IT'S A BEAUTIFUL THING

Attitude is the determining factor for personal happiness. "As a man thinketh so is he."  The very thoughts and perceptions in the conscious and subconscious mind determine joy. To change the degree of happiness, one must change their thoughts and perceptions to an elevated level of responsible thinking. 

 However, its impossible to see anything in a positive light if someone views them self as a negative force. One cannot serve two masters. The negative perception must be replaced with a healthy image and backed by positive reinforcement. When people inwardly labeled themselves as "a negative person," they must redefine their perception immediately! Healthy goals would be to continually and perpetually move toward divine worth and personal growth. One of the most important ingredients in this formula is to love oneself and to constantly strive to perceive ones image as a positive entity.  When this is mastered, it becomes very easy and natural to love others. 

People who spend their time with those of low moral integrity and character, soon come to realize that its just a matter of time before they display the same type of behavior. (Hurting people, usually hurt people.) If there is no relief from the negative environment, then its easy to become affixed to a dysfunctional behavior (especially children, who are typically vulnerable to inadequate parenting).  

The caliber of an individual can be measured by the amount of opposition it takes to discourage them. A dysfunctional mind is easily recognized through its shortcomings: it blames other, makes excuses, loses control, is critical, holds grudges, lashes out and displays the characteristics much like that of an adolescent. Remember that attitude is an inward feeling often expressed by an outward behavior. One cannot change these habits until first recognizing the harmful characteristics and shifting away from destructive behavior. The first step to healthier relationships is recognizing that the behavioral patterns are dysfunctional. 

We are made up of belief systems and many of them are dysfunctional, inaccurate and irresponsible. "The cup is either half full or half empty." Nonsense!  The cup is constantly overflowing with opportunities for success and we are the beneficiaries of this abundance. "Life has beaten me down."  Ridiculous!  There is only one thing that has the power to beat you down, and that's you. "Money brings happiness." Hogwash!  Take a closer look at some of the richest people in the world, they are miserable and their personal lives are a mess. "I can't help it, I was born this way." Poppycock! You were born with endless possibilities for greatness and no one in the history of time will ever have the ability to become you.

Bruce Lipton is a brilliant cellular biologist who specializes in genetics.  He discovered exactly how the body creates normal and pathological information, and telegraphs it to the cells.  His conclusions determined that environment, thoughts and perceptions are the only factors that creates healthy and diseased cells, and produces levels of happiness. In his studies, he took the exact same group of cells, placed them separately in two contrasting environments and found that they produced completely opposite results (even though they were identical cells). His conclusion: DNA does not determine who you are, rather thoughts and perceptions are the soul governing power and matrix that forms the characteristics of an individual. The spirit fluid within our thoughts and perceptions telegraphs to every cell in the body what is being perceived, and our entire being manifests the results.

So stop waiting for something to happen and take responsibility for happenings. Let everyday unfold into a masterpiece and spend your time creating joy in everything you do! Abandon the mistaken beliefs that money and things create happiness.  My son Brian has a saying above the fireplace in their home: "The greatest things in life are not things at all." Happiness is a place in the soul where peace and harmony intersect, its contagious and the most sought after characteristic in the world.

"Developing a magnificent attitude is wonderful and incredibly rewarding." This is a true statement! It is wonderful, it feels wonderful, it produces results, it creates light and energy, spreads joy and happiness, provides opportunity, delights in peace and harmony, promotes greatness, validates truth, believes in equality, edifies love, serves mankind, is praiseworthy, progresses forward... and the fruits of its labors are infinite. "There is no greater joy in the world than happiness!" 


It takes practice to develop a magnificent attitude, but first one must eliminate "stinking thinking!" Be conscious and recognize the difference between positive and negative thoughts when they start to develop.  There is a big difference between a person who has a problem and one who is a problem.  Learn to recognize the signs and if you are drifting into the negative zone, stop it immediately. Don't make excuses for yourself and own up to your behavior. Be responsible for your thoughts and perceptions by only allowing the positive ones to develop. 

Remember when you were little and your parents told you to "behave yourself!"  If everyone followed those two little words of council, the world would change in the twinkling of an eye.

One man with an extraordinary attitude was U.S. Marine Chesty Puller.  When he found himself surrounded by eight enemy divisions during the Korean War, his response was, "All right, they're on our left, they're on our right, they're in front of us and they're behind us.  They can't get away from us now!"

It takes integrity and self worth to recognize negative tendencies and it's the first step to healing.  Work to cultivate positive thinking and a paradigm shift will begin to occur (perceptions of the world and inner self will gradually change). Its always wise to remember that life is filled with obstacles, they are inevitable, but attitude makes all the difference in how you deal with those obstacles.  Attitude determines happiness, it makes good people great and great people seem immortal.  Attitude is not just a beautiful way, it's the only way. By, Linda Sumner Urza, One fine day.

TAKING FLIGHT

            
            Don't ever give up!

There are too many people who fall short of their goals when the trials in life get tough. The real measure of a soul comes from the strength that is created within the darkest hours.

Stay committed and ride the storm, pick up the pieces to rebuild a stronger foundation... because there will be another storm.   

Conflict, trials and tribulation can be unbearable at times and it may appear easier to throw in the towel, but that is not the answer.  "I believe things happen in this life to show us who we are, what we need to learn and who we are to become." Quitters are never winners and winners never quit; especially at the expense of others. 

Our creator has given us a lifetime to prove the worth of our soul, our integrity and the strength of our commitment. We need to use this time wisely and when the going gets tough, stick with the integrity of commitment! Many times we find ourselves at the crossroads and perhaps it seems easier to give up, than to bare the burden. I am grateful that the Savior didn't fall short of His commitments or take a detour.  We'd be SOL (sure out of luck) and its wonderful to coexist with dependable people who follow through on their words, actions and deeds.

Life is full of quitters.  They alway like to run the race, but they never cross the finish line. There are many who fall short of their goals because the terrain changes or they have personal weakness which allow them to drift into the wrong lane.  I have found that nothing in this life worth having comes easy. The definition of easy is: achieved without effort and in life, that is nothing to be proud of! 

Trials assist us in building character, they give us wisdom and allow us to develop the courage and strength to progress. There is a long list of the "great ones," throughout the history of this world, who's lives were built upon opposition: Jesus the Christ, Apostle Paul, Moses, Gandhi, Nelson Mandela, Mother Teresa, the Dalai Lama are naming just a few.  They each gave individual sacrifices and some beyond that of comprehension, but all remained true to their commitments. 

This is my rendition of an old english tale and a poignant reminder of the importance of struggle and commitment. A little boy found a cocoon that was spun around the end of a branch.  He took it home, placed it in a jar and waited with anticipation to see the beginning of new life.  As each day passed, the little cocoon remain still; with no signs of movement. 

Within the dark walls of this cocoon, this tiny phenomena of nature, clearly understood the purpose of its creation.  No longer would it drag it's belly upon the dirt, rather it would fly into the great unknown, and fulfill the purpose for which it was created. Instinctively, it began fighting for this wonderful existence. In a relentless desire to break free from the surrounding darkness; its wings repeatedly battled with the inside of the cocoon.  Each flutter was a significant attempt to break away the spun fibers.  The very opposition that was holding the butterfly back, would give it the strength needed to fly for the rest of its life!

The young boy watched with deep concerns as the cocoon vibrated back and forth.  He feared that the butterfly would die trying to free itself from bondage, so he opened a hole at the bottom of the cocoon.  Without struggle, the butterfly slid out of the opening, but it didn't fly away as creation had intended. As a matter of fact, it couldn't fly at all and it struggled for its own existence. This beautiful butterfly would never become the full measure of its creation, because the opportunity to build strength for a solid existence had been eliminated. 

The strength needed for flight would have eventually come through the many efforts of trying, again and again to overcome the opposing forces.  The butterfly would have eventually broken the chains of darkness and set itself free! The untimely death of this beautiful creature resulted from a life made easy!  I am convinced, without the trials of life, there is no successful way to determine the worth or abilities of a single soul. 

There are many people who give up just short of their goals and perhaps not even realizing what's at stake, until it's too late.  There are parents who give up on their children and children who are left behind by the ravages of inadequate parenting. 

Once one decides that giving up is not an option, they never have to make that decision again and success is always forthcoming.  Much like the little butterfly, through an inherent desire to overcome the odds, flight is inevitable! By, Linda Sumner Urza, One fine day.