A Soulful Journey

“There are no guarantees. From the viewpoint of fear, some are strong enough. From the viewpoint of love, none are necessary.” ~ Emmanuel In the memorable story of the Wizard of Oz, the Cowardly Lion with his friends approached the Wizard to obtain what they most needed. While Wizard was a sham, what he brought about from the Straw Man, Tin Man, and Cowardly Lion was genius. The Wizard said to the Lion, “You have plenty of courage, I am sure. All you need is confidence in yourself. There is no living thing that is not afraid when it faces a rue danger. True courage is in facing danger when you are afraid, and that kind of courage you have in plenty.” The Lion could not accept the Wizard’s words. He did not believe he had such power in him. The Wizard then took another approach. Placing before the Cowardly Lion a vial of green liquid, Oz commanded the beast to drink it. “What is it?” queried the lion. “Well, if it were inside you it would be courage. You know, of course, t...

It is remarkable how often we stifle opportunities because of fear. We do not want to "step out line" for fear of ridicule. Isn't this silly? Yet, it is true. Two Russian Jews were sentenced to death by the Czar. As they stood before the firing squad waiting their execution they were offered blindfolds. The first Jew bravely turned down the blindfold. The second Jew turned to the first and implored him, “Please, take the blindfold. Don’t make trouble.” ~ Alan M. Dershowitz

Inertia often gets the better of us. Inertia is a powerful force. We sit and return to what is most familiar rather than venture out to new territory and embark on new adventures. The only thing that gets us to move out of our comfort zone is when we are afflicted. Yet, every now and again we are thrown a life preserver that gets us to move up from our chair and in the direction of growth and change. Comedian Mel Brooks was being interviewed by Carl Reiner in the 2,000 year-old man routine. Reiner asked, “What was the means of transportation back then?” Brooks’ answer, “Mostly fear.”

A little girl lost her front teeth and spoke with a lisp. One day her grandmother was reading the Bible to her, from an old translation. The grandmother read such words as “sayeth” and “doth” and “hath” and so on. After a while the little girl said, “So God must be missing His front teeth too!” From the smallest things comes the greatest comfort.

What can be said of comfort? It is found in the most unlikely places. It is not in the shopping bag that we have brought back from the mall, or in the shiny car in the garage. It is not in the sudden splurge to excess. Comfort is found in the ordinary. From My Porch You are a forest, street trees I know, For in these winds that through you blow You are a forest deep and deep. It is not that I am putting my senses to sleep, It’s just that I need a forest so.” ~ Sada Applebaum

After a while the cell phone loses its luster and we peer at the ads for the latest additional gizmo that will entertain us. By the time we have exhausted the newest model with the features that made it seem wondrous at first, they have now become necessary, almost vital to our lives. How did we ever live without them? The same is true for all the inventions that make their way into our lives. From televisions to radios to GPS’ to texting and on, what was once a comfort grew to be a necessity. Every now and again it is good to do a reality check by asking ‘Who is the master and who is the servant?’ “Comfort is a stealthy thing that enters the house as a guest, and then becomes a host, and then a master.” ~ Lebanese poet, Khalil Gibrain

[Alfred] Hitchcock became a notorious purloiner of eggs from the priest’s hen house, on the forbidden side of the presbytery garden… He loved to steal eggs and throw them on the windows of the Jesuit residence. When an angry priest ran out, demanding to know who had dirtied the glass, Cocky affected an innocent look, glanced at the sky, shrugged, and said, ‘I don’t know, Father. It looks like birds have been flying overhead’.” From The Life of Alfred Hitchcock. Advice to parents : it is not easy to put up with the pranks of children. They tease. They test. They tug at our consciousness all the time. Yet, it is all a testing ground for what may come in the future. Direct them. Teach them. Educate them but remember: a genius is in the making.

"[Alfred] Hitchcock became a notorious purloiner of eggs from the priest’s hen house, on the forbidden side of the presbytery garden… He loved to steal eggs and throw them on the windows of the Jesuit residence. When an angry priest ran out, demanding to know who had dirtied the glass, Cocky affected an innocent look, glanced at the sky, shrugged, and said, ‘I don’t know, Father. It looks like birds have been flying overhead’.” From The Life of Alfred Hitchcock . Advice to parents : it is not easy to put up with the pranks of children. They tease. They test. They tug at our consciousness all the time. Yet, it is all a testing ground for what may come in the future. Direct them. Teach them. Educate them but remember: a genius is in the making.