A Beautiful Gift

I've had a number of online/offline discussions the last few days with friends about inner peace and happiness. I think so many of us find ourselves challenged to find inner peace because we are led to believe it comes from somewhere outside ourselves.

The reality is that inner peace is a gift only we can give ourselves and it comes from a conscious choice. Inner peace is about knowing that no matter what life throws at you, you have the strength to work through it and come out stronger and more resilient on the other end.

Inner peace is also about making a conscious choice to take care of yourself first. What I am talking about is putting the oxygen mask on ourselves first (like they tell you on a plane) before we try to help those around us.

The gift of inner peace is yours for the taking. The gift of inner peace belongs to each and every one of us...it's a gift with no price. A beautiful gift with never ending value.

I think today is a perfect day to reflect on the Gift Of Inner Peace with some beautiful quotes from a book by the same name.

Life is about striking a balance -- between action and stillness, giving and taking.

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The fountain of content must spring up in the mind, and he who hath so little knowledge of human nature as to seek happiness by changing anything but his own disposition, will waste his life in fruitless efforts and multiply the grief he proposes to remove.

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Every spirit builds itself a house; and beyond its house a world; and beyond its world, a heaven. Know then that the world exists for you.

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You can outdistance that which is running after you, but not what is running inside you.

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When there is no enemy within, the enemy outside cannot hurt you.

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When you were born, you cried and the world rejoiced. Live your life so that when you die, the world cries and you rejoice.

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This above all: to thine own self be true,

And it must follow, as the night the day,

Thou canst not then be false to any man.

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The chief good is the suspension of judgment, which tranquility of the mind follows like its shadow.

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Tension is who you think you should be.

Relaxation is who you are.

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He who is of a calm and happy nature will hardly feel the presure of age, but to him who is of an opposite disposition youth and age are equally a burden.

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Quiet minds cannot be perplexed or frightened but go on in fortune or misfortune at their own pace, like a clock during a thunderstorm.

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Yesterday I loved, today I suffer, tomorrow I shall die. Nonetheless I still think with pleasure, today and tomorrow, of yesterday.

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To meditate is to listen with a receptive heart.

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Meditate

Live purely.

Be quiet.

Do your work with mastery.

Like the moon, come out from behind the clouds!

Shine.

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Don't keep searching for the truth, just let go of your opinions.

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When the perfect man employs his mind, it is a mirror.

It conducts nothing and anticipates nothing; it responds to what is before it, but does not retain it.

Thus he is able to deal successfully with all things, and injures none.

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...take life seriously...SMILE

Sometimes life is good. Sometimes it's great. Once in while the only thing that makes it great is the optimism you have. I feel very optomistic right now, and that's great. I read a little thing today, "Don't take life seriously, it's not permanent". Sorta sums it up.

and I am smiling.....

love me later ... tj

Meeting Joseph Gannascoli - Joey G.

I got to know a man recently who is on a hit - huge hit HBO show. I was apprehensive to meet him. My preconceived notion of a star, on a major series was not a great one. My employer was more than thrilled to meet and greet. My son, jealous of the idea that I would meet this man (my son being a HUGE FAN of him) and that he would have to be satisfied sitting home and listening to my telephoned updates and anecdotals. What I didn't expect is that somewhere during the weekend I became a fan. Not of Vito Spatafore from the Sopranos. I became a fan of Joe Gannascoli. I found him to be insightful, generous, gregarious, and with a cleverly amusing wit (I hate to admit this, but his tongue in cheek sense of humor tickled my funny-bone, my type of humor). He thinks of others first. That is what surprised me the most.

In my own world I know of a fellow because of his money, has become an egotistical maniac willing to step on anyone to get what he wants, regardless of the emotional toll it takes on those around him. This is what I thought I would find in Joe. It was so the polar opposite.

During my time with Joe, he shared what he had heard on the local news-show that very morning. A young man resigned to a wheelchair with a crippling disease failed to raise enough money to make his senior trip with his High School classmates. The following day his classmates were having another charity event to add to the goal - this young man needed another $1000 to make the trip. This time at an Applebee's Restaurant some 40 miles away. Joe searched the internet for the local station, finally finding it he called to find out who was coordinating the event. After a couple hours of back and forth he got a hold of the woman and told her he would come by, sign some photos and donate the money raised. Her job was to get the word out, get media there, get people there. Instead of throwing money at the situation which I'm certain he could have most easily done, he wanted to be a part of this young man's quest, and so he was. The media did their part, people came, Joe signed 8x10 glossies, donating his time, energy and good will so that one young man, who he never met before had a shot at a trip of a lifetime. The event raised over $1700.00 for the young man. He gets to go on his class trip. Because of Joe? Maybe, maybe not, but that is the moment I became a fan of Joe Gannascoli. He has a disposition to kindness and compassion.

Joe taught me a new language over the days that we worked together. I think it's New Jersey Italian, or perhaps it's Vito talking - one phrase that I dig the most ... "Shut the fuckup! Don't make me trow a beat'n atchya!"

Thanks for making me a fan Joe.

and I am smiling .....

love me later~tj

Entry for March 06, 2007

My little buckaroo! Life don't get no better. That is unless there is another one of these. Oh My! There will be! In about 7 months he'll have a sister (hopefully) or a brother! Yeah! Momma's happy, and YaYa is ecstatic!

and I am smiling....

love me later ~ tj

Happy Birthday Booger!

Happy Birthday Brody Lee!

You're ONE year old!

and I am smiling ....

love me later ...tj

 

Entry for February 16, 2007

Another year passed ... another birthday how do you do? Hairs a few inches longer, waist is a few millimeters smaller (sigh). Laugh lines are beginning to look more like wrinkles and time just flies by. How do I remember this year in my life? I like this song. I'll remember it like this ... with friends.

Seasons Of Love

Five hundred twenty five thousand six hundred minutes,
Five hundred twenty five thousand moments so dear.
Five hundred twenty five thousand six hundred minutes,
How do you measure, measure a year?

In daylight, sunsets, in midnights, in cups of coffee.

In inches, in miles in laughter, in strife.

Five hundred twenty five thousand six hundred minutes,
How do you measure a year in the life?

How about Love?

Five hundred twenty five thousand six hundred minutes,
Five hundred twenty five thousand journeys to plan.
Five hundred twenty five thousand six hundred minutes,
How do you measure the life of a woman or a man?

In truth that she learned or in times that he cried?
In the bridges she burned or the way that he died?

Its time now to sing out though the story never ends ...
Lets celebrate and remember a year in the life of friends.

and I am smiling ...

love me later~tj

Apologies

So trite. I have heard my fill of hackneyed, threadbare, tired ‘I’m sorrys’. I swear to say that if I have to listen to another one from another man in my life I will throw in the towel. I’m sorry... without merit, good-for-nothing, no account, light, worthless... all forms of sorry. Sorry for what? For stepping on my heart, my emotions, lying to me, doing me wrong, being envious, greedy, uncompassionate? For being stupid, hurtful, forgetful, unkind? For being embarrassing, disrespectful, selfish? For creating a situation that has but one outcome? I’m sorry. Superficial, careless, effortless words. Those two words offend my moral senses. I’m nauseated with the flippant way those two words are tossed around.

later...tj