You are the only one who can change it.


007Sometimes life can throw you a curve ball or serve you lemons. Usually it came from something you’ve done in your past, the fact all actions have equal and if not opposite reactions plays a part in life as well as in physics. Though there are external forces that play a part in it but usually they just nudge your life’s direction more than control it. its your reactions to situations and the initial actions you have chosen that shapes your life’s course. You are the captain of your destiny as well as the master of your own fate. Unless an act of god or force of nature intervenes you will wind up exactly were you have led yourself through your choices along the path of life. The good news is that it isn’t  too late to change course, you just have to make the right choices and put action behind your good intentions to see a change in both the course of your life and your current fate / destiny.

even the smallest of changes in your daily routine can influence the final outcome of your current life;s path. The hardest part isn’t making the choice but to actually make the changes in your self and in your life routine to change the direction you currently are heading. Simply said but not simply executed, the choice to change is always a hard to accomplish but well worth the effort kind of thing to do. No other person can make your life what you want it to be, you are the only one who can make the choices and changes necessary to make your life better.

“If your life is not all you want it to be, just remember you are the only one who can change it”. ~ Raymond Barbier

You don’t have to agree with each other


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living life with a self-imposed moral code within our thoughts and  actions. To live by what you perceive as right and wrong along with finding compassion for both yourself and others. Principles taught  by philosophers, religions and visionaries through out mankind’s existence. Why does it seem such great ideals seem to be lost or ignored by those who are either in power or that have the greatest capacity to change the world we live in? Why is it such things as honor and compassion seem to be things of occasional use than the daily practice of all human beings? Why does it seem that religion has started more wars than it has saved lives or helped the needy? Most religion teaches us to have compassion and to help out our fellow humans as well as to do what is right and what to avoid as far as the wrong. but yet too many wars have been fought over Holy landmarks and over which is the one true religion. So sad that mankind can take the scripture of any religion and find in it a reason to kill other humans. Anger, greed and intolerance are not what most religions teach yet this is what some of the followers seem to think it is about. All of mankind are brothers and sisters and we all live on the same small planet called earth. I can not see why we can not just get along and work together for a better world instead of fighting over religion, natural resources and for the sake of national pride.

Personally I could care less what religion another human being choses for that is their god given right to do so. Nor do I worry over Holy landmarks or icons for the whole world is a creation of god so therefore all of it is Holy in its creation and existence. I do understand though why others may find significance in holy places and that in itself isn’t a problem. It is when certain holy landmarks are claimed by multiple religions it tends to cause problems. I never could see why that each religion couldn’t just share the holy places. Respect each other and the beliefs that they choose and in turn they should respect you and yours the same. But this is not an ideal world and religious leaders are not perfect in any means so they will always will have their problems till the end of time. Though that isn’t necessarily the only choice they have but it is the only one they seem to want to choose.

The good news is that as individuals we have not only the right but the ability to choose a more peaceful and more tolerant way of coexisting with others in this world. We don’t have to fall to anger,greed, intolerance or prejudice. We can choose to love one another regardless of flaws, faults or our differences. The choice is ours and no one can make the choice for us. No government, religious leader or military force can change the minds of others. They can only force you to hide your true beliefs as well as pretend to believe as they do. For war and conflict they are not the right way to change the world, it is done through compassionate actions and through wisdom being taught. Though change sometimes takes a long time to come it always will but usually through the minds and hearts of the people more so than through the sword.

To be clear there are times the sword may be the only choice but it should always be the last choice in a do or die situation. All other avenues should be exhausted before such a terrible thing as war or conflict should be considered. I myself would never seek out any type of negative action such as war or to kill another human being, I find taking the lives of others into my hands as such is to play as if I am god and that is definitely not an option for me. I am a mere human being and I try to do what I see as good for both myself and all other living creatures on this planet. Having my own faults I don’t always succeed in making the right choices but I put my best effort in trying to avoid hurting others when I make choices. Sometimes it is unavoidable and I usually suffer from a conscience that will not allow me to forget.

Live by the moral code of your choosing and avoid causing suffering of any kind while you walk the path of life. If you must be judgmental try to judge kindly for you are judged by the way you judge others. Learn to forgive both yourself and others for the shortcomings we all seem to bear. Treat others with kindness for it is the right thing to do and it also may be returned to you when you are in need. Be slow to anger and quick to cool down, for anger is the path to destruction. And always remember you don’t have to agree with each other, you just have to respect each others right to believe as they wish.

Well that’s enough of this fools thoughts for today.
Peace and wisdom guide your hearts.
Raymond Barbier

The physical life as a classroom for the soul


Rembrandt's Philosopher in Meditation (detail). I always had the question of why am I here and what is the purpose of my life? Many years I pondered on that question, sought out the question through self-examination and discovery. Always coming up short and lacking the definite answer. Now in my mid 40’s I think it finally hit me, I am here to be the best me I can be, to live my life to the fullest for both myself and god. The meaning of life is life itself, the purpose of life is to be the best person you can be.

For I see the physical life as a classroom for the soul, a place for us to learn to be compassionate and to learn to overcome the great obstacle of the Ego. The ego is the part of oneself that is selfish and seeks out its own gratification. It is the presence of the flesh and thus it wishes to satisfy the flesh’s lusts and desires. The true self is the living spirit god gave us, it’s the part that feels compassion, love and is always  selfless in its actions and in its intentions. It longs for peace, happiness and for harmony in life. Life is the battlefield between these two parts of our consciousness and the purpose of life is to learn from the battle and from the mistakes and or correct choices we make.

 

Well enough about that, Blessings to you all

Raymond Barbier

” I am more than the sum of all my experiences” ~ Raymond Barbier

The Voice that calls out


009I hear a voice, a voice calling out from the concrete wilderness. A voice warning us of our possible demise, warning that if we don’t wake up we may not have a chance to do so later.  A solitary voice trying to get the message through that we are heading down the wrong path. That the path we follow will most certainly lead us to a very hostile future. A future in which our home mother earth will not be able to support life or the needs of the human race.

I hear the voice calling out to us as I watch us all sleep through the beginning of a future nightmare. It cries out about how the few are leading the many into a dark and dismal future. How greed and lust for power has corrupted the ideals of the people of earth, So few people seem to have so much control over what is and will be. We seem to let those few choose the destiny for all of us without any care or protest. The few that rule and run this world rape the land for wealth and allow children to starve as well as the old to live in poverty. They worry over their own positions and their own agendas but not about the welfare of those they rule over. The very few among them that do care either are ignored or eventually give in to the corruption.

The Voice that calls out from the concrete wilderness call to all of us, those few that rule to change their ways and to the rest of us that seem to be sleeping while our world becomes more violent and unbalanced before us. Hopefully the few will find wisdom and we all wake up to see the truth that is before us. Human beings as a species can achieve some amazing things when we join together as a whole. And I believe it will take a world-wide effort to make the changes needed to save our wonderful blue planet called earth.

Many days were wasted


HPIM0109 The older I get the more I realize how much time I wasted in my lifetime. Wasting time on worry, anger, fear and self-doubt. I spent way too many hours worrying about what other people think about me or if I was accepted or not. Many days were wasted fearing things that either were unlikely to happen or were out of my control. I spent too much time and energy on being angry at how my life isn’t what I planned or being angry at someone over something trivial. Though anger in me is usually short-lived it still is a waste of time far as I am concerned.

So much time I wasted on useless things that could have been used to enjoy life and to enjoy the people who I am around. To live for the day or seize the moment is the philosophy I try to follow. Though there is times I still get hung up on the past or have a little fear of what may come it usually has a very short half-life. I am trying to focus on the positive as well as embracing the blessings that are before me. The past is said and done and the future can wait for tomorrow.

Enjoy those who are in your life as you embrace the blessing that you have been granted. Forget about the curses that may plague you for they will pass. Don’t allow yourself to make life any more complicated than necessary. Happiness is as much of a choice as being unhappy and life is what you make of it.

 

Well enough Random Thoughts for now.
Raymond Barbier

Walk the path you choose and beat your drum the way you like


HPIM0611  The life you live is yours to lead and is fully your own responsibility, you can ether take control and live your life the way you choose or allow others to make the choices for you. If you choose to make your own choices or not you still are responsible for the choices made and are liable for any negative results that come from the choices. Responsibility for your actions be they actions of your choice or actions created by the situation around you is fully yours.

It is better to be responsible for the choices you have made than to pay for the choices made for you by someone else. Plus you would probably make far better choices for your own self knowing that there are consequences that come along with the actions and decisions you make. I read somewhere that there are two type of people, there are those that follow and those that are born to lead. I think that is a load of hogwash, every person has it within them to be a leader and to be a follower is to rely on the judgment of others and that usually never ends well for the follower.

I myself for many years allowed others to lead me and make decisions for me only to find myself usually unhappy and paying the cost for living in that way. The problem is I can not even have anger towards those I allowed to control my life for it was my own decision to allow them to do so. So I am stuck with the consequences  from the things that I was lead into and feeling guilt for the damage done. I have recently started taking my own life into my hands and facing the wind on my own. Fully responsible for my choices and proud to fail as well as succeed as an individual. I follow my own path and dance to the beat of my own drum for now on.

Do I always make the right choice? no. But at least when I do make a mistake it is my own and it came from my own choice not a reflection of someone else’s  choice for me or from a perception of what I think others want me to be or do.Where I will end up in the end and if I am happy or not is now in my hands and not one person can or will choose that for me again.

Be a leader of your own life, and cast off the chains of societies ideal of what you are supposed to be. Choose to be the best of who you are regardless of what others try to say you should do or be. Walk the path you choose and beat your drum the way you like. For it is your life to live not anyone else’s.

 

Well that’s my thoughts on this subject anyway.

May peace be your comforter and love be your guide

Raymond Barbier

Wake up, open our eyes and Listen


alarm clock, bought from IKEA
Image via Wikipedia

The alarm clock has been going off for years yet we sleep through it.

The warning signs are everywhere one can look yet we seem to be blind.

The truth is in our own hearts and still we remain ignorant of its existence.

Too many distractions to pull our attention away from what is truly important.

Too many times we choose to overlook the obvious only to embrace the obscure.

Dreaming in a wakeful state is the way a lot of us tend to live.

Sleep walking humans in a world full of deception and misdirection.

Time to wake up, open our eyes and listen to our heart.

Sometimes, I know and Live in


017-2Sometimes I look too long at the prize I seem to become blind to the blessings already here.
Sometimes I fear what I can not control so much I lose perspective and lose my way.
Sometimes I live too much in the past and wind up neglecting things in the present that I hold dear.
Sometimes I let my mind wander in dreams so much I dream away most of the day.

I know that the blessings I have are worth cherishing and I try to be thankful for them all.
I know most things that I fear are nothing but a negative view created by my own mind.
I know we can learn from the past but we should live in the present and answer its call.
I know dreams are good and help one work out ideas but there is reality one must find.

Live in the moment and for the day but always keep your eyes on what the future may bring.
Live in caution but with no fear of what could be and make the best of what life brings your way.
Live in the here and now while remembering  memories that makes your heart want to sing.
Live in reality while holding on to the dreams that help you get through each and every day.

Enough Rambling for now
Peace

Ray Barbier

Choose your own path to follow


Norman Rockwell Mosaic  "The Golden Rule&...
Image by United Nations Photo via Flickr

You have only one life to live in this time and in this space.
What you say and do is what counts in the life we face.
Trials of our heart and tests of our will we must face along the path we chose.
We must be true to ourselves and reap our rewards as well as pay our dues.
We are responsible for our own lives and those lives we have influenced along the way.
Life as short as it is we must make the most of each moment and always seize the day.
Follow the golden rule and treat others with kindness and respect the rights of others.
Regardless of ones race, religion and nationality we all are spiritual sisters and brothers.
Cast off your fear and embrace the truth that is within your heart as well as your mind.
Open your eyes to the world that is around you and you might be surprised what you may find.
Awaken from the deep sleep your mind and heart is in to live life to the fullest everyday.
Be who you truly are and walk a path of understanding and embrace the truth in every way.
Choose your own path to follow and be the person you want to be.
Know thyself and be true to your feelings and let your mind be free.

ok, enough babbling for now
Peace, Raymond Barbier

Within the words and in the spaces between.


Dice players. Roman fresco from the Osteria de...
Image via Wikipedia

The bombardment of my mind by the useless chatter in the world leaves me quite frazzled and exhausted yet I still stand strong. The lack of respect from my peers and the self incrimination created by the paranoia brought on by the lack of friendship rattles me not as I forge on through this short life I live. The misconceived opinions that others have of me sometimes makes me laugh. They all judge each other without looking in the mirror first. Guess this is how they escape the reality of being imperfect and lost. We all are unique and we all seek acceptance in one form or another. We all seek approval from those around us as well as their praise. But life is not that nice and usually we get no praise but much criticism. Reality is not a rose garden but it sure has many thorns to prick us as we wander through it.

Through chaos one can find order and in the randomness of life one can find peace of mind. In these random thoughts i write one may find some wisdom within the words and in the spaces between.