A friend sent me this link and asked me to really listen to the words. There is a lyric: “Am I doing everything to follow your will or just climbing aimlessly over these hills?” that struck her intensely…

Some people act like they are going to live forever. My father is legendary for quotes that have been imprinted on my thought process. Several of them pertain to ensuring that wise decisions are made by thinking about the consequences of one’s actions and how they will effect the people around them. Lately, I have been reading a lot of news (aka garbage) and the same story rings again and again. “I’m so sorry for my actions. I did not think about the consequences and how it would affect my family. Please accept my apologies.” Of course the apology will be accepted but why, why make the decision in the first place.

My common sense rings true. Every action, every action has a consequence. Even a man in a solitary hut in a remote place is making a difference. The simple fact that he is living there breathes hope that one can survive that lifestyle. Perhaps, when he dies, another will take the opportunity to replace him.  Who can know? But even he is connected to someone, somewhere, somehow. Can I say that no one is truly alone? No, but one can become connected.

Is it so complicated to realize that one person’s selfish actions can ruin the trust and the faith of the people around him. We only live so long and our life is determined by the choices we make on a daily basis. Choices to be great, have a great attitude, be kind, be attentive. Choices to be selfish, manipulative, dishonest, and rude. We make choices about our character, our language, our dress, our interactions and ultimately our motivations for living are shown through these actions on a daily basis. But, at any moment, it can change. Some options may no longer be available and change is forced upon us. Sometimes, we have personal awakenings and change is the language we embrace to attract difference in our lives. When words are coupled with actions, then the picture of truth should come forth. Technically. However, still there is a place for deceit when one can say the “right” things and do the “right” things. But in the safety of the heart, one knows that the lack of honest and the motivation is purely for selfish gain and evil.

So why not live like a person of grace, dignity, wit, and intelligence? Why not live like someone who knows that kindness is always returned to the sender? Why not live knowing that letting someone know that you love them is not an obligation, it’s a privilege and a gift. What’s the use of holding feelings and emotions inside to waste away. What good will that do? Why destroy the essence of one’s morality playing with fire and saying to one’s self “Oh! so glad I didn’t get burned today.” Who are we to think that all of life is in our hands alone? Shall we grasp so tightly that no one around us can share the joy of living with us. For in one moment, it can change.  So many thoughts and deeds can come to the light and we will be measured by the way we’ve chosen to live our life.

At this point, one may pause and say, I think I knew this already. But does it matter? Does it matter that one knows that we are tied to each other and what you do affects me? Does it matter that if you tell me one thing and feel another inside, you are slowly killing the possibility of real truth and pure love flourishing in any relationship? Does it matter that hopes and dreams that one swears by means nothing unless someone else decides to take a personal interest? Why make choices that ruin your legacy and leave behind the asterik? “He was a good guy but do you remember that he …” I plead with anyone who will listen, please don’t give me a reason for that “but.” Make choices that are befitting to the person that you truly are and the person you want to be remembered as in the future. Live in the present, most definitely. But, do not forget that the one day, life will be but a dream. Memories will be the only leftovers. Who wants tainted memories, soiled with poor choices, dishonesty, and misunderstandings? What if you’re not able to say that last apology or explanation or rationale for your behavior? It stands alone.

(via blua) Now, this is a life and death situation… :)

A picture is worth a thousand words.

It was just another day. Nothing special. Waking up. Acknowledging God. Dressing. Taking a bus to work. Working the day in the clinic. Leaving, another good day. Thoughts of “what are my plans for the night?” ran through my head. 5pm. Pain. Sharp,  stabbing w/ no radiation lasting for a few seconds. Fleeting moments which change the flow of the week.

sometimes it’s good to listen to the words that come out of our mouths. they will reveal our inner most feelings about ourselves, people, places, dreams, ideas, etc. “out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks”…matthew 12:34 sometimes my feelings, my dreams, my heart, and my mind are not in agreement. i become torn over simple things, mindless ideas. i narrow the world to a handful of sand instead of looking at the beach. but im so focused on that handful of sand that im missing the crashing of the waves, the beauty of the water, and the joy of the moment. then i realize as the sand escapes through the webs of my fingers that the sand is temporary. there have been so many handfuls of sand. sometimes i’ve grabbed handfuls of sand and created beautiful sandcastles, some more elaborate than others. some sandcastles remain, others have been smashed to pieces by a tumultuous wave. but there was no sadness, because the sand remained.  sometimes i’ve received gifts of sand and i’ve never returned those to the vastness of the beach. sometimes, i get tired of the sand, but no matter where i go, im surrounded.

Choose carefully.

Life is all about choices. We live out the destiny of our choices every single day. We can choose to interpret our current situation based on emotions, rationale, spirituality, worldly influences, attractions, connections, inevitable circumstances, etc. But at the end of the day, we have to live with the choices that we’ve made to get to this point. The choices we make can lead to tremendous joys, sacrifices, friendships, conflict, wisdom, and poverty of thought. Some choices are quite binding…once the door is opened, it will always be a part of your life, your thought process, and your heart. In order to break away from the original choice, you must literally uproot, unbraid, destroy, and obliterate the previous choices that led you to this point. This process can be deadly and fruitful.