John
Age 68
“Whatever I carry in me has come from somewhere else. This is key.” These were the first words that John expressed thoughtfully and sincerely. He gives honor to his mother who, at the age of 89, very simply said at her end of days, ‘John, be gentle, be kind.’ “Amazingly simple, yet not always easy. If I pray for anything, I pray that my heart be open. You can feel when your heart is closing. So, keeping your heart open and not letting it close is part of a daily practice. Certainly if you have an open heart, I feel you are a conduit for God’s love. But if we close our hearts we’ve blocked and prevented God’s love from passing through us.”
John’s father died very young. Being beyond his fathers years, John reflects humbly, “To be honest with you, one thing in life…the older I am the more grateful I have become. Life is a gift and it’s all good. Everything is a gift, even the things that don’t look like gifts are gifts. It’s all good. Your perception of something becomes your reality. It’s all about your frame of mind. Its a choice. All it takes to create your own good is to have a thought, a desire, and an action to do this in your own life. We’re not limited, but our thoughts limit us. One of the amazing things is if you can embrace the fact that everything is working together purposefully. Take direction from whatever presents itself to you naturally. Everything that comes into your life is important. Attend to it, pay attention to it, and it will teach you something. I believe that.”
“When a child is born he is perfect. As he gets older he develops pimples and all those things, but you know what? He still is as perfect as the day he was born, still the creation, God’s image. No matter whether you’re wrinkled or whatever, keep the child in you alive.”
Relevant Quotes
Sayings that get your mind moving...
A merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance.
A happy person is not a person in a certain set of circumstances, but rather a person with a certain set of attitudes.
The journey of life starts with a choice. A choice to do what is right or to do what the world does. To do what is beyond the ordinary. To do what no one else does. To go beyond the material aspect of life. To dig deeper into what life is all about. To take action when the opportunity arises. To live the way that G-d created you to live.
To look for hidden opportunities: The difference between opportunity and obstacle is often just our point of view. Always keep an open mind, even in the darkest situations. A change in our vantage point can reveal rich possibilities.
What we have before us are some breathtaking opportunities disguised as insoluble problems.
Be within but stay above.
As the waters reflect the heavenlies, may my image reflect yours.
Bend with the breeze. Yield to the wind.
Make the dark into day.