Friday, I had the wonderful opportunity to speak with Andy Andrews again. I interviewed him a couple years ago when his New York Times Best Seller The Traveler's Gift was also Good Morning America's Book of the Month! Andy is a New York Times Best seller, Comedian, and Inspirational Speaker. His new book 
Click to listen to An Interview with Andy Andrews.
There is alot of controversy surrounding Halloween, especially in the Christain circles. Nevertheless, Halloween is my favorite holiday. Now wait before you gasp with surprize and let me explain. I like Halloween not because of all the candy I used to get, not because of all the scary movies, not even because of the Great Pumpkin! I like it because of the masks and costumes. Yes, the masks and costumes. I like Halloween because it is a holiday that portrays life honestly. It reflects what people do daily: put on a mask and pretend to be something they are not.
Our media has created a culture that that is constantly trying to live up to the images we see on TV and in the movies. There is a level of self-importance that is created within the individual. Our culture is hung up on position and title; status is king. People create an image of themselves to be something that they are not, so the public perception of them will be more favorable than not. Many times people do not realize how deceptive they are by employing such tactics. People play Halloween everyday, October 31st people are honest about it...read more later today
Devastation has been on our minds here in Connecticut. I recently learned of the Flood of '55, one of this country's most devastating natural disasters. Being the 50th Anniversary, it happened the week of August 18, 1955 in the Naugatuck Valley in Connecticut. The Naugatuck Valley is comprised of many little towns and several cities in central Connecticut, most notably Waterbury. It was so bad, buildings were washed off their foundations. Many people lost everything; some lost their lives. The economy was crushed as many industries left because their business was wiped out. Noone was prepared for what happened that week in 1955. It happened so quickly without warning. We expect to have learned from the disaster. Seeing what happened recently, I hope we have.
The devastation Katrina has wrought on Louisiana is gut wrenching. Watching the news coverage of the situation is difficult. I don't have any family or friends that live in the area or have suffered from the displacement but as I continue to watch the images across my tv screen I am saddend.
What has happened in Louisiana is said to be the worst natural disaster in the history of the United States. If it is the worst, then why has it taken so long for our federal government to respond to desperate pleas for aid to the devastated area? Why is President Bush so reluctant to send aid when he had no problem sending aid to other country's natural disasters without even batting an eyelash?
Just who is he supposed to be protecting anyway?
The other day I drove a friend to JFK Airport, in New York. It was last Wednesday, the day we had severe thunderstorms here in Connecticut. The ride down was uneventful. It was a beautiful afternoon actually. My friend wanted to make sure to get there early so as to not miss his pm flight. Traffic can be unexpectedly bad. To avoid any possible delays, we headed out early. We got him at the airport around 3 pm-ish, six hours before his flight! He called me several times from his cell phone, claiming absolute boredom. I had to laugh. If we had chosen to leave any later, he almost definitely would have missed the flight. Good thing we didn't take the chance.
This was my first time to JFK Airport. And for not being certain as to which way to get back, it sure was easier than I thought. Signs for Whitestone Bridge (the way to Long Island that I'm most familiar) appeared almost immediately upon exiting the airport. I had the radio tuned to KROCK (WXRK 92.3 FM) for most of my trip back. But, I did flip on WCBS (880 AM) to hear the traffic and weather.
Listeners were being forewarned of thunderstorms and flash floods. I thought to myself that if I could just stay ahead of the rain, I would have a safe trip. Well the storms caught up to me while on the Hutchinson Express Parkway (Route 15). It was raining so hard, that I had to slow down to 25 mph. Much to my surprize, with such low visibility, people were passing me at nearly 50 mph! Not only that, but there was ankle deep water on the roads, and small mudslides in some areas.
Sadly, I passed two accidents. Although I had expected many more. For the most part, these were fender benders; one vehicle did have its rear window smashed. No emergency vehicles were dispatched to help with the flow of traffic. At least not wherever I was. I just couldn't believe how reckless so many people were driving.
I was as anxious as the next driver to get home, so I rejected my own idea to pull over at one of the several gas stations along the way. I was beginning to feel fatigued by the strain on my nerves. I consider myself to be a very good driver. I don't mean to sound arrogant about it (although on my radio program I did boast that I own the road! in jest of course...) I started being a more careful driver after my first child was born in 1997. I came to realize that no where is that important to be. I'd rather arrive safely, than not arrive at all. So as I'm holding on to my steering wheel with both hands, the way my teacher instructed some 18 years ago, I was baffled as to why people will compromise their safety and that of others in such horendous driving conditions.
The only answer I have is that people have been led to believe that the vehicle they are driving will protect them from injury. So, caution is thrown to the wind. I also believe people place alot of trust in their insurance companies to pay for whatever damages they incur in an accident. There is obviously no resolution to this matter as people will continue to drive carelessly and recklessly until someone dear and precious to them gets injured in accident that could have been prevented by safer driving.
Can it get any worse? I'm not going to cite examples, or provide links because you already read and hear about it in current events and politics. I had convinced myself that at some point our great Country would come together again and unite, without another 9/11. That now seems almost impossible but there is still some time remaining to make a significant change.
The real war we are up against, sadly, is in our own country: This is a very divided country. United we stand, divided we fall. Unfortunately, being so divided, we are about to fall, collapse and self-destruct. In the media, on tv and radio talk shows, and throughout the internet, on blogs, our division is all over the place. The whole world can see it. They are watching the greatest Country to ever exist, the U.S.A., collapse. It's historical, really. You would be an idiot if you couldn't see how divided we are. The last election proves it!
Millions of people condemn the other side...just because, well, they are on the other side. The desire for unity is gone. There are disagreements for disagreement's sake. There is no conversation about the truth, because everyone has their own version. The truth gets distorted in the debate, depending on which side you are on. Both sides are distortionists. It doesn't matter what Conservatives or Liberals say...each are battling for power, to control the government. It's purely sport now.
However, they are not battling for our best interest. There is no honest battle to stablize the economy, bring gas prices down, create accessable health care for all, or to control inflation. There is no honest battle to stop the drug war, or to give those who are impoverished a respectable life. There is no honest battle for an "ownership" government. The politicians want us to think they are battling in our best interest. But, there is no honest struggle for unity in our Country. There is no fight to find the common ground that unifies us. Have you seen it? No, you haven't because the struggle is to keep us divided. It's an all or nothing system. The politicians, both Republicans and Democrats just want power; the power to be in control, at the risk of division with an illusion of unity. Our political system today has nothing to do with being unified, and everything to do with greed and corporate agendas. It is this battle for power within our own government that will cause our collapse and ultimately destroy us. The people of our Country are supposed to be the goverment, but no longer. United we stand, divided we fall. Don't get me wrong, I'm not talking about any conspiracy theory either. I believe it is more complicated than a secret organization (that isn't so secret anymore) plotting to bring our Country to collapse.
It is our very own political nature that is dividing us. The general public is forced to be divided. "If you don't support us, you must be in support of them." After our elections, we are supposed to come together, and be united. Yet we remain divided, election after election. And the division between us becomes greater and greater. Do I need to remind you again? United we stand, divided we fall. As the song goes, "We're on the eve of destruction."
Our country has a great foundation, it's called the Constitution. But the support beams that hold the walls and roof are coming apart and rotting. We have termites in our house. We need an extinguisher (I mean that in a metaphoric way, not literal, of course). And we need to rebuild the support beams, in good ol' American Steel.
Have you ever wondered, "Why is life so difficult"? Maybe I should ask, "When was the last time you wondered, Why is life so difficult?". Every day, every hour and possibly every minute someone, somewhere struggles with a temptation. Some are small temptations, so small they seem insignificant, easily overlooked and forgotten; like using the Lord's name in vain, or to ogle the swim suit model with a lustful eye. Others have larger temptations they deal with...Lying for personal gain, gluttony, alcoholism, hate, lust, adultery, homosexuality, the list seems endless. We all have our own temptations to contend with based on the choices we make and what we choose to think, privately, in the realm of our conscience. If you know a little about the Bible, you might remember the Apostle Paul described it as "The thorn in his side". We never learn what it was for Paul, only that he had an internal struggle. We all have one.
There is no one who enters this world without certain challenges and difficulties to overcome. These are not "thorns" or temptations which come about because of our choices and thoughts, but these are difficulties we do not necessarily have the luxury of choosing. For some it starts at birth. For others the struggle comes along when least expected. Some have physical challenges, others mental. Still, others have financial struggles and some have difficulty with their Faith in God, or Spiritual struggles. This life is not meant to be easy. We like to think that at some point, life becomes easy. Maybe after we retire, or after a certain amount of wealth is accumulated or maybe after a certain social status is acquired. But it will never be easy. There will always be a difficulty to deal with; the loss of a loved one, disease, and illness or poverty or maybe simply for today it was that guy that cut you off this morning on your way to work. There will perpetually be a struggle, a challenge to overcome, a weakness to win power over, and once it is overcome, will release the true hidden power within our very existence.
Every time we overcome a challenge, when we pass one of the tests of life, we can count on a new lesson to soon be presented and a new test administered for our Spiritual growth. If we do not learn the lesson, it is taught to us over and over until we finally "get it". Many people do not understand, or refuse to believe that we are Spiritual Beings having a Human Experience; Not Humans having a Spiritual Experience. God doesn't make it easy to overcome, but he also doesn't make it impossible.
We have "Free Will". We get to choose how we react to the circumstances played out in our lives. Do we choose to get angry and deny God the opportunity to work through us, or do we accept the circumstances thankfully that our situation isn't worse. Do we control our every thought and stay focused on our goal, or do we allow trite activities and negative emotions to drive our existence further from our Creator? What happens in our minds has more to with our success than any schooling, than any social position, or any amount of money can buy.
Begin today to remove the thorn from your side by controlling what you allow yourself to think. Stay focused on God, allow him to heal your wounds, and give you the strength to pull out the thorn. Overcome your life challenges by praying to God often throughout the day. If you keep your mind on God, you will soon learn that the mountains of problems in your mind, are truly molehills. I read somewhere once that you become what you think about the most. Our minds have the power to create our preferred existence. God said "Ask and you shall receive, seek and you shall find, knock and it will be opened." But don't take my word for it. Try it for yourself.
Have we as a society sunk to a new low? We carelessly toss life aside, with no regard for God's purpose. This situation, with Terri Schiavo, is not one to be observed lightly. If you visit the website dedicated to protecting her life, TerrisFight.org, you will learn that she is not in a complete vegetative state, and that she can be rehabilitated to swallow food on her own. You will learn that she responds to stimuli; she laughs, she cries. Yet her husband is anxious to be rid of her.
I know, anxious is relative; it's only been since February 1993 that Michael Schiavo has wanted her to die. All this time he has been fighting for her death, not her right to life. His arguement is that this is not the quality of life she would want. But it is his quality of life that he doesn't want her to know about if she were to recover. He has a girlfriend, he became engaged to this woman in 1997. And he has children with his fiance. If Terri were to recover, he would have to hone up to the fact that he was not faithful. That can be quite the burden he is carrying around. He probably doesn't want to acknowledge the fact that she is likely aware of it already!
Instead of allowing a dissolution of marriage for Terri (divorse is not possible), and allowing her parents to become her legal guardian, Michael Schiavo has chosen to play "God" and let her die. It is clear that he does not have Terri's best interest in mind, and if you cannot see that, if the court's cannot see that, then Michael Schiavo must be an excellent poker player.
While I am biased toward the sanctity of life, let's examine this as objectively as possible. Terri Schiavo does not lay in a permanent vegetative state. She responds cognitively and voluntarily to stimuli, and tries to communicate verbally. She is not on life support. She does not have a ventilator or breathing apparatus. She does, however, have tubes that help her to swallow food and liquids. One may argue that this is a form of life support, but she has been denied, by her husband, therapy that would allow her the ability to swallow without the tubes. Does this sound like someone who should be left to die? Mike Schiavo may try to argue that Terri does not want to live with a feeding tube. But he has denied her the therapy that would allow her to to live without it!
Terri has so much to live for! She is not an elderly person, who has lived a full life, but now has many complications and is living in pain. Did you know the way she would be left to die is by starvation and dehydration? That is cruel and unusual punishment! I doubt that is the way Terri would want to die. She is still young, and you never know when a miracle might happen. I firmly believe that if enough people truely pray for Terri, that she will be healed.
If you look at what Michael Schiavo's interest in this is, you will come to realize that Terri's life is not worth giving up! Michael has found himself a new girlfriend. But like any self respecting guy, doesn't want a divorce on his record. He would rather become a widower. He has children with his fiance of 8 years. How would he explain his actions to a woman he once loved that he no longer loves her, because she was incapacitated? I'm sure Terri would be understanding if he admitted that he had relations with another woman, after all he's only human and many American's didn't have a problem with our President doing it. But to want to allow the woman he married to die because of a sickness, so he can marry another is deplorable.
There is also financial gain for Michael in this. The award given to Terri from her malpractice suit has not been utilized for what it was awarded for. By 1993 almost half had been used to help pay for Michael Schiavo's legal fees, appoved by Judge George Greer! There is a blatant misuse of Judicial power here!
We need to rally around Terri Schiavo, and others like her. It is unfortunate some people are quick to cast away life, especially when they have something to gain by it. Let's not forget Michael Schiavo was ready to let Terri die in 1993! That's only 3 years after her accident and soon after the award of the malpractice suit. And he has been fighting for his "right" to let her die. Well Michael, what about her right to live?
It's 2005. Another opportunity to freshen up on one's resolutions. I made a resolution, when I was 16, to NEVER make another resolution. I am proud to say that I have stuck by my 18 year old resolution! So how do I set new standards for myself for the new year? How do I "resolve" to, be fit, read more, earn more, spend more time with my family? Simple. I set goals. That's not to say I am am good at sticking with them. But I do try.
I actually only started truely making goals for myself last year. Every year up to that point, I just said, "This year will be better". But all my life, I have been told that "writing down your goals is an important step in making them reality". At first, I couldn't comprehend why writing them down would have any bearing on whether I accomplished them.
As I have researched and studied "Goal Setting", I have come to understand that visualization of your goals, seeing them come true in your mind's eye, plays a significant role in the realization. And writing the goals down, is an integral step in the visualization. You see, when you write down your goals, it makes a deeper impression in your mind. You will remember what you wrote down, far better and longer than remembering a fleeting thought. Just as writing a phone number down helps you to memorize it better, writing your goals down where you can read them daily also helps you to achieve them. You become what you think you are. And what you write down, for your future, is what you want to be, and thus what your mind starts to believe you are. But along with your goals, you must have a plan on how to achieve them. You can't just write down that you want to be a millionaire. You mind will comprehend what you want, but will not know which path to take to get you there. You may end up spending alot of time on the scenic route. Which is fine, if you have the time and are not in much of a hurry.
So you need a plan. And you need to follow the plan as closely as possible, and make adjustments as necessary. It's highly unlikely that you will achieve that kind of goal overnight. But if you are prepared to invest 5 to 10 years to your long term future, and follow the plan that you set for yourself, you might just be surprized at how efficiently you reach your goals.
Listen to my radio show online at www.charlieprofit.com or log on to see if we broadcast on a station near you!
