Week-24, Remain

It’s amazing to know that this class has come to the end and we are self directed from now on.
It was quite emotional during the last webinar, all of the slides that were being put up, all the material that we have covered and learned. The Fab. D, said that our subconscious would recognize the slides, she was right.

For many of my colleagues this was a bitter sweet moment also, very emotional. It reminded me when I went through Go90Grow the first time. When the class ended I found myself with tears running down my face, with the ‘what now!’ question my heart.

Even though I desire to go through the class again because I to need to hear things several times before it sticks, lol.  This time around it’s different for me. I anxiously await the rest of my life with enthusiasm and promise. It’s hard to explain but, I feel good inside.

I am truly thankful to the whole team for all their help placing us on our own ‘hero’s journey’.
To Mark J, dude, you’re the man!!! When I first met you I was drowning in a pool of sorrow and self-pitty, I couldn’t get my head out of the past, I was self-destructing. Now look at me!, anxiously awaiting the future…WoW! what a huge change in direction.
To The Fabulous Davene, thank you for all your words of wisdom and for sharing with us all, private things that were in your heart. You truly are the ying to Marks yang.
To Trish the Dish. Thank you for opening up your heart to us and sharing stories from your life. These stories struck a chord with me, I could relate.
To the rest of the team that I didn’t mention, thank you for helping the leaders make this experience a memorable one.                                                                                                              To my colleagues, thank you for all your words of wisdom and support when writing my blog.

Life does goes on with or without our permission. Be it good or bad, in order to maintain a balance in our life. Just as sure as this day will pass, even this class comes to an end.  ‘This too shall pass’, as stated in Og’s scroll-7.

I chose the song for my blog because, this song reminds us  ‘the time could pass and beauty fade, but all GOD’s love will remain’.  It now dwells in me and hopefully all of you.

The Bible says in Numbers 6: 24-26; “The LORD bless you and keep you; The LORD make his face to shine on you, and be gracious to you; The LORD lift up HIS countenance upon you, and give you peace.'”

Thanks for stopping by.

Week-23 ‘ No Problem!

Hey everybody, happy weekend! Hope you’re enjoying it. I told you guys on my last blog that I would fill you in on what’s been going on…here it goes.

Well this sure has been an amazing week of recognition. To be able to watch things that are out of my control go into full ‘melt down’. Instead of pulling my hair out or having my own ‘thermonuclear breakdown’ as in the past, I just was able to step back and observe. This was ‘not’ my usual reaction. I surprised myself and my whole family, imagine that!

My computer decided it wasn’t going to cooperate any longer. I tried everything I could to keep it running, but It just kept freezing. Mind you, I am not computer wiz, I’m self taught.
I was without my computer for approx. twelve days, it sucked. Thank GOD that it’s working again, and I’m able to log-on and blog.

I hadn’t completely resolved the computer issue when out of the blue, we have a swimming pool in our front yard. It’s pouring out water from the meter that’s located flush on the lawn, down into the gutter flowing down the street. It was pretty bad, even the neighbors were freaked out. No wonder, sink holes created by burst waterlines are no joke.
Even though I have a ‘B’ license, ‘General Contractor’, my expertise is indoors. The thought of digging 4 foot down, and go on a ‘seek and fix’ mission all over the front yard, is not my idea of a fun job, neither is the $3k-$5k ticket price, if I was to sub-out the work.

My neighbors would come by and offer their ‘condolences’, for the huge, problem I was facing. We were without water for two and a half days, it was like camping except, we slept in our own beds. The craziest thing though, I was calm, cool and collected the whole time. It felt like I had done this kind of job before, no problem.

I felt that I was doing the job with an ‘easy knack’. I felt that I was being enlightened from up above, directed even about what kind of compression fitting I would use on the punctured line. I believe that the best gift was when the job was completed, my wife and kids were so proud of me, it really touched me.

Instead of being a major inconvenience, it became another opportunity to be of service to my family and my community.

James 3:17 says – ” But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure, then peace- loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.

My experience is still a shocker, the difference is i’m grinning from ear to ear, so thankful for learning how to think differently, and with purpose. Thank you leaders, thank you GOD!

Thanks for stopping by,

Chao!

Week-22A

Hi everyone it’s been awhile since you last head from me. I would like to apologize for being out of harmony with the group.

A couple of things have gone on in these past two weeks, which I will explain in my next blog. Now I understand why Mark J. and The Fab. D say to ‘dig in’, it’s real easy to get complacent about our commitment or, life just decides to kick our butt with things that are out of our control.  For now, please bear with me, I’m playing catch up.

For this experience we were asked to turn off all outside influences including  facebook, tv, radio, texting, also talking, complete silence. I’ll tell you what, all the requirements I was able to accomplish, but to have three days of complete quiet without talking, was difficult and I haven’t been able to fulfill yet, I have four teenage kids, two girls, two boys. It seems almost impossible to keep quiet while they’re around, something always comes up. 

 

I have found that in the mornings at 5 am before anybody is up, or when the kids have left and gone to school and my wife is at the gym, I use these  moments to focus towards my inner spiritual being. The moments of complete ‘quiet’ are amazing, I am able to focus, and concentrate on ‘what the person that I intend to become would do next’. I feel recharged and I’ve got my priorities straight. That little voice gets louder and louder, wow!

 The Bible says in Psalms 46:10 – ” Be still and know that I am GOD”…  

Feels great to get back on track, thanks for stopping by and till next time. 

Week-22

We got the bad news that my niece is diabetic and had to be rushed to the hospital after she had collapsed on the floor. The doctor told the family that her pancreas had stopped working and that genetics and her diet had a role in what was happening to her.

Our kids gathered round the coffee table at home to discuss what had happened to their cousin, it was a very surreal moment for all of us. My wife and I always stress the importance of eating healthy and drinking plenty of water, sleep and exercise. Unfortunately, this real example was used to make the point on healthy nutrition. My little girl took it the hardest, she blamed herself for all the times her and her cousin would eat chocolate cake, sodas, lots and lots of candy, whenever we took her for a sleep over visit. She wondered if Angie would die. We assured her that it was not her fault and that her cousin would be fine as long as she watched what she ate. We also spoke to her about the consequences that follow when we make poor choices, and that she should not follow her cousins footsteps.

The doctor has mapped out a diet for my niece and has showed her and her family how to test and inject herself with insulin. Wow! what a smack up side the head of reality. So young to be going through something like this, so sad.

My wife and I told our kids that now is the time that their cousin would really need their support, and that in the near future how many other people would need them as well. This is when our conversation started to morph about their future plans, their goals in life. If their  goals were just an idea like, ‘that would be nice, someday’, or a burning desire, ‘this is what i’m doing period’.

Our oldest son almost 16 yrs. old, has his mind set on California Highway Patrol. Exciting career, lots of action, gets to be the hero, in the case of accidents, saving lives. To be in service to others, not just write speeding tickets. I guess with my law enforcement background, it may have influenced him a bit. Funny thing, my daughter 12 yrs old, is also wanting to look into law enforcement. Her passion is the protection of animal rights. Arresting, going after people that abuse poor defenseless animals. Our youngest 11 yrs. old, he wants to be a U.S. Marine, oooohhhrrraaa! He says that he wants to make the world a safer place, and get rid of the bad guys.

All of these future careers/dreams, even though they sound wonderful, heartfelt, and may I say, worry Mom and I.  ‘All are just a pipe dream if we don’t put our emotions in check, move past the ‘constrictors;’ fear, unworthiness, guilt, and anger’. These emotions can stop any dream or future aspiration dead in its tracks. Everyday you let these emotions stop you from moving forward today, is another day that someone in the future who needs your help will have to either wait for you or be overcome by the problem at that moment.

Last week we were given the key on how to use these negative emotions as power tools by Mark J. and the team. They also taught us that the meaning of life…is to be in service. Why are we here?…to serve our fellow man.

The Bible says in Acts 20:25 “In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of our Lord JESUS, how he himself said, ” It is better to give than receive.'”

Sure feels great to know that what I am learning, I am passing on to my wife and kids. They’re keeping a close eye on me, so I must lead, by example, ‘Give More! Get More!’

GOD bless, thanks for stopping by.

Week-21 Speak Life

Well Happy March Y’all!!!
You enjoying the rain or what! We were bone dry, thank GOD, HE listened to all our prayers. We finally got the rain we so desperately needed. But now, I believe we got way to much water for SoCal. How’s that for never being happy with what ya got, I crack myself up.

So we’ve moved into scroll VI, Og says ‘ Today, I will master my emotions. I don’t know about you guys but, I’m finding that all these scrolls go hand in hand with each other. What I mean is that we read in scroll V, ‘ I will live this day as if it is my last’. What on earth could give you more emotion than knowing it’s your last day to live! That’s powerful! Now, in scroll VI, Og says we will be in control of these emotions. To me, this is Amazing!

Even though I am glad we are moving forward with new material, I must say, that I will truly miss scroll V. I believe I grew this month, the words cut all the way down to my soul, I feel in love with scroll V, because of the way it made me view my life, and made me realize what truly is important, what I cannot live without. ‘Thank you Og’, this scroll changed me. Not only me, but also others that I’ve spoken to, have really been hit hard.

It’s amazing how life is so precious and fragile. Yesterday, my friends wife, a young mother with two little boys and a little girl, was making a left hand turn, she had a green light, Unfortunately, a driver going the opposite way, ‘gunned it’ way to late, the light was red. My friends wife didn’t even see the oncoming car when it hit the passenger door at 50 mph. Both drivers are in the I.C.U., Broken legs, broken ribs, punctured lung and badly bruised. Thank GOD, she’s alive!

Sometimes occurrences that are this intense we may not understand, even blame GOD. When in all reality, we all live in a world that is in ‘chaos’ and at times feels that it’s spiraling out of control. We all make decisions, good or bad… there are always consequences. It’s hard to get a grasp on things sometimes, when life seems to be at it’s darkest.

Psalms 23:4 says, “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for YOU are with me; YOUR rod and YOUR staff, they comfort me.”

We all have a choice with how we can see things. Kind of like Mj’s homework that he gave us on how we can use the ‘constrictors’, as tools, instead of crushing us….. guilt, fear, unworthiness, anger or hurt feelings.

In short, life can be whatever you want it to be, regardless of what is happening to you right now. It’s all in how you look at it. Take it from me, I’ve had my life completely destroyed in the past. Either I lay down and die….or, choose to live.

I my friends, chose ‘life’, and I choose to ‘speak life’ every day. GOD bless, thank you for stopping by. And please be safe out there.

Week- 20

Hey everybody, back again.
I’m honored to share with you this small piece of my life. Actually, this is my take on last weeks webinar that was not only awesome!, it sure spoke to my heart, my very soul…it was powerful. Just imagine, how much time do you have left here on planet earth, what kind of mark will you leave behind? It reminded me of Og scroll V where he says, ‘I consider all who greeted yesterday’s sunrise who are no longer with the living today. I am indeed a fortunate man and today’s hours are but a bonus, undeserved. Why have I been allowed to live this extra day when others far better than I, have departed? Is it that they have accomplished their purpose while mine is yet to be achieved? Is this another opportunity for me to become the man I know I can be? Is there a purpose in nature? Is this my day to excel?

See, Ol’ Mark talked about adding a new card into our pile, actually 10 copies of the same card. On the card there was a time line. When we were born, today’s date and finally, the year of our death. We were also asked to add how many of our favorite season of the year do we have left to live. At the bottom of the card we were to write ‘ when will I start’.

This opened up a flood of emotions for me. It took me back to when I was a little boy. You see my grandmother Esther, was the glue that held this very volatile, Hispanic family together. Once she passed away, the family split up. For the most part, till this day, nobody really seems to care about anyone else. It’s very sad when a large family splits up like that.

I truly miss her with all my heart, she practically raised me when I was a little boy. My mother worked the day shift at Edwards hospital, in Naperville, Illinois during the mid 60’s. My grandma was mom for the most part. She taught me about GOD, prayer, love, forgiveness, compassion and being the best ‘me’, I could be. I still remember her advise on living my life to the fullest, no regrets, she was right!

This woman who is my second mother, profoundly marked me, in a positive way for the rest of my life. She took this little boy and instilled in him all the wisdom and goodness that she had inside. And who better than her grandson, since none of her children listened or cared.
This song that I chose, is not only emotional, but the message it carries is what my grandma tried to teach me. It says, ‘it’s not what you take when you leave this world behind…..it’s what you leave behind you when your gone’. I guess grandma, was a mix between the teacher & the preacher.

James 1:14 says ‘yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes.

Till next week y’all, thanks for stopping by.

Para ti con todo mi amor. Algun dia nos veremos otra vez… te amo, abuelita.

Week-19 I Got a good feeling.

Y’all miss me, or what!
By the way this song outlines the way I feel, which is Amazing!
It’s been an amazing week for all of us, I bet. I truly enjoyed the last webinar we had together where ‘our guides’, Mark J., The Fabulous D., Trish the dish and the team showed us the inspirational Ted video, teaching us about living happier by just changing the things we focus on. We’ve all been doing the five little steps necessary to live happier, for several weeks now. Many of us, me included, are starting to show and experience a life of happiness, don’t understand it but very grateful.
Taking the focus off the everyday News, that’s always bad, and separating our selves from any negative or non-positive people, places or things, really has a dramatic change on how we view our lives.
I really dig living my life being grateful for everything. I feel as if now with the five exercises, writing out three gratitude’s daily, reliving one special moment, random acts of kindness, the sit, and exercise. This has totally changed me! OMG!!! Who would have thunk it, be happy now, with what you already have, amazing!
Mark also had us reading the obituaries, a bit morbid at first thought, but then this completely supports Og in scroll V, where he says; ‘ I will beat upon my heart with gratitude as I consider all who greeted yesterday’s sunrise who are no longer with the living today. I am indeed a fortunate man and today’s hours are but a bonus, undeserved. Why have I been allowed to live this extra day when others, far better than I , have departed?’ For me this is a complete ‘Buuuyyaaa!!!! moment.
I must also thank Trish, from the bottom of my heart, for sharing not only part of her amazing heartfelt life, which truly is fantastic, but also for revealing the phrase that rubs the ‘genie’ lamp. ‘What would the person that I intend to become do next?!?! Ladies and Gentlemen, for me that was ‘game over!
I now use this on everything that I do. I even use it with my kids, my whole life. Just an amazing tool that was handed to us, simply amazing. You know what, I believe that all these weeks of training have been to reach this moment, this breakthrough.
1Thessalonians 5:18 says ‘ In everything give thanks, for this is the will of GOD in Christ Jesus concerning you’.
Thank you all for stopping by once again an showing the love, awesome!
Happy Valentines Day, enjoy the life your living today….Y’all!!!

Week-18

 

 

How’s everybody doing…Are you ready for Superbowl!?!?! I am fortunate…I like both teams that are playing, i’m just glad they’re both there. For me it’s a celebration either way.

Today I was listening to a preacher telling the story of a little boy who’s parents spent a whole lot of money on piano lessons for him.  It turns out that after many years of lessons and countless hours of instruction and even though he tried, all the boy could come up with, was his rendition of ‘Chop-Sticks’.

This frustrated his parents, especially the boys mom. She would often yell at the boy because she was so mad at his lack of progress. Until one day she said to herself  ‘Aha!.. I got it! A ‘master concert pianist’ was going to be in town for a couple of days. She would take the boys to see just how marvelous the piano, in the hands of a ‘skilled master’ would sound.

The evening of the concert, the family arrived early to get the best seating possible.  Both mother and son were excited. Mom thought this was the moment the boy needed to ignite the passion, that her son seemed to lack.

The little boy asked his mom why the piano was on stage, in the middle of the room and not against the wall like his.  Why did it have a tail and was so big.  Why was it open, kind of like a car hood.  The boys mother explained that the piano was a a beautiful Steinway, concert piano, and that only the greatest pianist played on them. The boy was in an anxious anticipation over the melody that he would hear.

Just then the boy asked his parents if he could get closer to the stage, while the crowd was still arriving, and filling the seats up. The boys mom said okay, as long  as he kept in sight, and not to climb on the stage, only look, no touch. The boy agreed, and was off.

As soon as the boy got to the stage, the piano drew him in like a magnet. The more he looked the closer he got.  With out asking, and without anybody noticing, the boy sat on the piano bench seat, and started to play his beloved ‘Chop-Sticks’.

Of course, security came down the isles to retrieve the boy and get him off stage. The kids mom was horrified, and could not believe that her son was capable of doing such a disrespectful thing.  Just then, a tall, well groomed man in a tuxedo, with tails,  came out from behind the curtains and held up his hands, to stop security from rushing the stage. The man then approached the bench and asked the boy if he could sit and play with him. At first the boy was startled, it was the ‘master pianist’. The man said to the boy ‘please don’t stop playing. The boy agreed, and the ‘maestro’ joined in.

The ‘maestro’ played an amazing composition of music that had the entire place enthralled, even the boy, while he was playing ‘Chop-Sticks’, he could not believe that he was sharing the piano, as he had done so many times before with his teacher, but this time it was with one of the greatest pianist of our times.

When the two of them were done, they got a standing ovation from the crowd that was there, even the ones that were coming into the theater as they head the music playing. The ‘maestro’ thanked the young boy for having the ‘courage’ to keep on playing and not stopping. Then he asked the boy to please take a bow with him, and thank the audience for their appreciation. The tears of amazement and gratitude, flowed down the mothers face.

In this story, while the boy was on stage playing his song oblivious to anything or body. And that to some seemed so insignificant, the ‘maestro’ joined in and turned that, nursery rhyme rhythm into an amazing piece of music that completely floored everyone in the concert hall.

Through MKMMA we are challenged to expand our way of thinking, to allow the Omnipotent, Omniscient, Omnipresent (GOD), to come along side us and plays a melody of ‘life’ with us that completely changes our way of living, but only if we have the faith and courage to let him.

Proverbs 23:7, says

‘As a man thinketh, so is he’.

Thank you all for stopping by, happy ‘Superbowl’ everybody!!

Go Sea hawks!!!!   Go Broncos!!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Week 17- ‘I’m Back!!!

Hi everybody,

as the title states, I’m back!  For the past 4 days I’ve had the ‘flu’, which is such a terrible thing to have. I sure hate it when the kids brings home colds/bugs they caught at school, then I get hammered, It sucks! No energy, no desire to do anything, just sleep and softly sing ‘death come to me’….what a waste of time! Like Mark said on his video for week 17, we might find ourselves drifting. I drifted a whole bunch this week.  

Today,  I can proudly say that this is my second day out of the house and it feels great! Getting back on track, both MKMMA, and life in general.

You know, it’s amazing and of course a blessing to see my new word for the week, ‘decision’. I see this word everywhere, and especially in the way I have started to attack many of the ‘to do’s, that haven’t gotten onto the ‘service card’ just yet. Some of these things, I have been procrastinating about for several months. It feels that now there is more of an effortless aspect to getting ‘goals’ taken care of.

In all things that we do, perseverance is a must, focus and concentration or else its like the story of the magnifying glass that is constantly moved, therefore not providing no concentration…no burn.

I find very amazing how fast the weeks are going by, now that I have purpose in my life once again. Makes me feel like yelling out…SLOW DOWN!!! It’s going by too fast.

 We must take advantage of this blessing now, and build on it. Especially now that we are seeing things everyday happen to us and our partners.

Thanks for stopping by once again, Chao!

Week-16 Kindness

We are on the lookout for kindness.

Hi everybody Happy Weekend to Y’all.

Ol’ Mark had us looking for kindness in all forms this week, which was pretty cool.

I’m really enjoying these exercises that we’re doing, also the ‘flashing’ of the cards, what a marvelous idea on how to drive our desires deep into our mind , and hopefully, our heart too.

It’s kind of like buying a brand new red car, then all the sudden seeing that car on the street ‘everywhere!  It’s something that takes a bit of getting use to at first, but then then you start seeing the kindness everywhere. You see it from your kids, your wife, neighbors, friends and even in your animals if you observe with a purpose.

This opens up a totally new dimension to our lives that we may not have been used to before. The late Great, Earl Nightingale put it best by saying ‘other peoples reactions to us is a direct reflection of ourselves. It’s how others perceive us’. If we would like a change to happen in others towards us, we are the ones that should make the change first, not them!

This totally makes all the scene in the world to me. When you are nice with other people for a change, other folks seem to be more open, kind, smile at you, they tend to gravitate towards us, people trust us more. No magic, smoke and mirrors trick, just human nature.

The Bible says in, Ephesians 4: 32  ‘Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as GOD in Christ forgave you’.

Till next week, Cheers!