Why Ask Why?

WARNING: While my topics aren’t usually of the spiritual nature, this one is and if things of the Christian persuasion offend you, please do not read this post.

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Sometimes, we get in God’s way.


This is not to say that we as mere humans can actually get in the way of the All Mighty, but we definitely can get in the way of our own selves.

We block our blessings. We spend more time questioning why we are in a certain circumstance than questioning what we can learn from that moment. We question why the all-powerful, unconditional loving God would put us through our various trials and tribulations. Or we don't question at all and we moan and whine, staying right where we are and doing nothing to make it better.

But check this out: God gave us free will. Free will doesn't explain natural catastrophies, deaths we're not involved with, illnesses and other events out of our control, but free will is responsible for some predicaments that we get ourselves into. You can't blame God for your car being towed away. You didn't pay the bill. You can't blame God for you being locked up for a DWI. God didn't get you drunk and set you behind the wheel of the car.

But also don't blame God for knocking down your house in a hurricane. No, you didn't make a decision to have a powerfully destructive storm come take away everything you own, but blame is not efficient. Blame is never efficient. And neither is God some mean deity in Heaven, torturing us for his own entertainment.

Things happen to us for a reason. How could you not believe that? If you step outside yourself and look on the things that have happened in your life, you will find that all of the experiences in your life has shaped you into the person you are today. Has something unexplainably tragic or frustrating happened to you? Maybe you should move a little closer to God and stop blaming him. Even if you just pray and cry, you're acting on faith that God will take care of you.

Are you not satisfied by the answer to your prayers? (Remember that God answers prayers, but 'no' and 'not yet' are answers as well). Find the lesson in your circumstance, but if you can't, just lean on His everlasting arms. Questioning God and blaming Him isn't going to make things any better.

Dream Big!

Back then, they didn't want me…

I was on the phone with a friend this weekend and we were talking about how lucky we were to be young, resourceful and energetic with college degrees. Not college degrees are the end all and be all of being able to do what you want in life. It just helps out…a lot. And it doesn't matter what you studied either. I know an author who had a bachelor's and master's degrees in electrical engineering. She even worked in the field for seven years. It wasn't a waste of time though. Her time in the field of engineering provided her with the strengths and abilities to completely change careers.

It's a wonderful thing to be able to change your mind. While its easier for someone without major commitments to pack up their things and go on a four month road trip across the country, its not the end of your dream if you're married and/or have children. Your dreams just take a little more planning.

But my point is to dream big. You never know what will happen. One the most influential poems to me is "Our Greatest Fear" by Marianne Williamson. If you're not familiar with poem, it is the poem that was recited in the movie "Coach Carter." I've known about this poem for a couple of years now - I discovered it during my senior year of high school. I would like to thank Miss Azya Maxton for bringing it back to my remembrance. It reads:

It is our light not our darkness that frightens us/ Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate/ Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure…

There's a lot more to that poem and you can read it in its entirety at http://explorersfoundation.org/glyphery/122.html. But it is a very moving piece. Why be afraid of what you can accomplish? Embrace who you are and your wildest dreams. You might just be surprised. Don't let you or anyone else limit you. The challenges that you may face or might be facing right now only make for a better interview on Oprah or Barbara Walters. I'll see you there…

And after all, if a pudgy, poor, not particularly good looking man by the name of Mike Jones can have millions screaming his name, anything is possible. ;)

P.S. It's so great to have an audience who wait with baited breath for my weekly diatribes, but the impatient emails have got to stop. I GOT THIS!!!!!

P.P.S. I'll be 24 years old Saturday, September24!!!!!!!

Just Do It

Other than the "I Wanna be Like Mike" campaign, Nike has never had a more memorable marketing strategy than three simple words: Just Do It.

Not only was it short, sweet and to the point, the slogan applied to many aspects in life. You want to buy a house? Just Do It. Want to lose those twenty pounds? Just Do It. Do you want financial security, a nest egg and something to leave your children? It is possible. All you have to do is set your mind to it.

What good is being young if you just do what someone else tells you to do? Do you remember when you were six or seven and all you ever wanted to do was become a comic book artist like the legendary Stan Lee? So why then are you working in corporate America as a mailroom clerk with an MBA?

Because you haven't reprogrammed your thinking. If you can believe it, you can achieve it. I know I can be what I want to be. These are just two mantras that can help reprogram your mindset. You have to get back to where you were when you were six and you just knew you could fly and you jumped off the roof of your house. Sure, you can't just leap off your roof, but maybe you need to be a pilot. In order to know what you need to be doing to be happy, you need to be really honest with yourself. That might be the hardest part.

After you've decided what you're gonna do, make a plan and research the best way to do whatever it is. If you want to write screenplays, study the moves made by current (and successful) screenwriters. If you want to become a sports agent, or a catalogue model, a middle school history teacher or the owner of your own business, you've got to do your homework. If you're not motivated, go back to the drawing board. Just don't stay in the planning phase.

Fear of your failure or success can be a powerful paralytic. But you only get one life, so why should you have an okay life when you could be higher than the moon because you're doing what makes you happy? Find what it is and just do it.

Missed my Deadline!!!!!!!!!!!!

And that is a dang shame, but hold on. Those of you who won't check your email until you get to work Monday will have something to read bright and early in the morning. Sorry.