A Message To My Sons

June 5, 2018October 28, 20252 Comments

TaiGreenwayTN

I hope you never seek validation from others in any aspect of your life

I hope you are confident in your desires and remain true to your personal passions

I hope you cling to wonder and curiosity

I hope you recognize your power to manifest an intentional and tranquil life

I hope you are capable of being happy for others

I hope you understand that gratification is fleeting, as is every emotion and moment

I hope you find peace in simplicity

I hope you transform this world, but do not become lost in the trend

I hope you stand in the rain and still enjoy getting wet

I hope you gain insight from those you encounter and embody lifelong learning

I hope you cry when you are sad

I hope you cry when you are joyous

I hope you speak with eloquence and love

I hope you gaze at the moon in admiration

I hope you accept the journey of LIFE with ease and calm

I hope you choose tolerance

I hope you travel to seek, not travel to tourist

I hope you help people without expectations or applause

I hope you demonstrate patience

I hope when you experience deep sadness you have the courage to redirect your life

I hope you appreciate the value of time and never allow money to consume you

I hope you can sleep without melatonin, and survive a day without caffeine

I hope you rest when you are tired

I hope you strive when you are capable

I hope you smile when you think of me

My wish for you…I am hopeful

Good. Vibe. Tribe.

December 10, 2015December 10, 2015Leave a comment

The Traveler Is You

August 27, 2015August 27, 2015Leave a comment

We think sometimes that the deepest secrets of life can only be uncovered in a monastery – can only be found at the end of a long and difficult journey to a land somewhere near the roof of the world. We don’t even dare hope that we will be one of the lucky ones who finds the true master to teach us a true path to follow. It seems too impossible. We think sometimes that the greatest adventure, the most meaningful quest can only be found by someone not bound by an ordinary life. That we must be free of family and job, with our backpack ready, and a ticket to some exotic destination promising possibilities….

But the truth is that seekers come in all shapes and sizes, living all kinds of lives. The truth is there is a power in each of us, a power that goes largely untapped and unrecognized, hidden even from our own selves. The truth is that we don’t have to go anywhere, there are no tickets to buy, no bags to pack.

But you do have to be ready to travel. The truth is that the quest exists, the journey is real.

The traveler is you.

– Brahma Kumaris, Mt Abu.

An Uncharted Path

November 10, 2013November 21, 2013Leave a comment

THE CHARGED LIFE, the truly lived life, is not a routine existence in some quaint, picturesque village of safety and certainty. No, the life worth living is out there, in the wooded wilds of the unknown, on the craggy battlefields that test our wits and wills in the daily fights with our own demons.

It is found during the long onward slog through the storms and strife, when we hear only the whispers and taunts of foes and opponents stronger than we, on the ground where we are knocked sprawling and forced to face our own weaknesses, and on the mountaintops that we reach only because we pitted our every ounce of virtue, strength, character, and courage to keep climbing no matter the slings and arrows flung at our backs or the barriers thrown up before us.

It is only in the herculean quest for something more that life fills us with wisdom and meaning, but only after we have paid with our sweat and, at times, our tears.

It is in the marching on when we are tired and weak and fearful, and in the camaraderie of those fellow warriors we have striven with—our brothers and sisters and family and friends who cheered us on and toiled with us despite the messiness and apparent madness of it all.

It is out there on the path less traveled, an uncharted path chosen by each of us alone, an often meandering, overgrown path that leads only to another unpaved road or open field of opportunity, where we must strike out once more with the same hope for victory and transcendence.

It is out there when we have the guts to stand naked before the world as who we truly are, when we peer into the souls of those around us and finally see in them the image of the divine, that we plunge ourselves bravely and unconditionally into love that has no bottom or boundary.

It is out there, outside the confines of our comforts and the pleasures of our accumulations, beyond our architecture of the routine, that we slip the bonds of our limiting beliefs, soar magnificently above our own shortcomings, and express our highest selves.

It is out there, in a world rich with choice and challenge and fear and freedom, that your greatest gifts and adventures await you. Listen. It is out there that destiny calls. Be bold and ready yourself. It is time to charge once again.

From the book THE CHARGE by Brendon Burchard

World Humanitarian Day

August 19, 2013August 19, 2013Leave a comment

Today, August 19, is World Humanitarian Day!

It is the beginning of a month long, first of its kind project – to TURN WORDS INTO AID.

Sponsor a word and turn your VOICE into funds that will help millions of people worldwide affected by disasters.

“On this day in 2003, 22 aid workers were killed in a bombing at the UN headquarters in Baghdad. It’s a day to commemorate all people who have lost their lives in humanitarian service and to celebrate the spirit of people helping people that motivates this work. This year the World Humanitarian Day project is a month-long campaign of events around the world to raise much-needed funds to continue the effort to help others.”

Please visit http://worldhumanitarianday.org to learn more.

BE A VOICE FOR THOSE WITH NO VOICE. TAKE ACTION.

Join The Fight: Spread Awareness : Human Trafficking

August 10, 2013August 11, 20132 Comments

Human trafficking is a form of modern day slavery. It affects every country around the world, regardless of socio-economic status, history, or political structure. Human traffickers have created an international market for the trade in human beings based on high profits and demand for commercial sex and cheap labor. Trafficking affects 161 countries worldwide.

An estimated 20.9 million men, women and children are trafficked for commercial sex or forced labor around the world today.

Utilizing the power and influence of music, film, and celebrity –> MTV EXIT is a cutting edge and innovative media campaign that aims to raise awareness and increase prevention of human trafficking and exploitation.

http://mtvexit.org/jointhefight/#lightbox/1/

We need YOUR help to encourage greater awareness, stimulate a global conversation, and inspire change.

Human trafficking has become the second most profitable crime in the world creating a $32 billion industry: more than Nike, Google and Starbucks combined.

Victims do not agree to be trafficked – they are tricked – lured by false promises – or forced. Many are kept as slaves; starved, punished and beaten into submission.

The trafficker takes away the basic human rights of the victim: the Freedom to move, to Choose, to Control his/her body and mind, and to Control his/her future.

Trafficking in CHILDREN

Trafficking of children is the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harboring, or receipt of children for the purpose of exploitation.

The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children states that there are 100,000-300,000 American born children likely to be victims of human trafficking each year.

The International Labor Organization estimates worldwide that there are 246 million exploited children aged between 5 and 17 involved in debt bondage, forced recruitment for armed conflict, prostitution, pornography, the illegal drug trade, the illegal arms trade, and other illicit activities around the world

Join MTV EXIT on GOOGLE+ , Twitter & Facebook

google.com/+MTVEXIT

BE A VOICE FOR THOSE WITH NO VOICE. Abolish Slavery. Take Action .

Other Great Sources to help Spread Awareness and Join the fight against Human Trafficking

http://www.polarisproject.org/human-trafficking/international-trafficking

National Human Trafficking Resource Center

Call 1-888-373-7888 or text BeFree (233733). The National Human Trafficking Resource Center (NHTRC) is a national, toll-free hotline, available to answer calls and texts from anywhere in the country, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, every day of the year.

(The NHTRC is a program of Polaris Project, a non-profit, non-governmental organization working exclusively on the issue of human trafficking. They are not a government entity, law enforcement or an immigration authority.)

http://www.endhumantrafficking.org/

http://dontsellbodies.org/

http://www.notforsalecampaign.org/

http://www.castla.org/homepage

http://www.unicefusa.org/work/protection/child-trafficking/

http://www.worldvision.org/our-work/child-protection?campaign=11935146&gclid=CNSLj-3x87gCFa9eQgodWBwALw

Be Like The Moon

July 22, 2013August 11, 2013Leave a comment

“The moon will never lie to anyone. Be like the moon. No one hates the moon or wants to kill it. The moon does not take antidepressants and never gets sent to prison. The moon never shot a guy in the face and ran away. The moon has been around a long time and has never tried to rip anyone off. The moon does not care who you want to touch or what color you are. The moon treats everyone the same. The moon never tries to get in on the guest list or use your name to impress others. Be like the moon. When others insult or belittle in an attempt to elevate themselves, the moon sits passively and watches, never lowering itself to anything that weak. The moon is beautiful and bright. It needs no makeup to look beautiful. The moon never shoves clouds out of its way so it can be seen. The moon needs not fame or money to be powerful. The moon never asks you to go to war to defend it. Be like the moon.”

— Henry Rollins (Solipsist)