Worthy?

July 25th, 2011

Are you worthy?
There is an antiquated equation locked away in our mind that is uniquely our own. Through trial and error and observation of ourselves and others we have come up with our very own way of judging worthiness. For instance, if we laid around on our butt for a week and did nothing but eat bon bons and watch sitcoms, we wouldn’t expect to reap huge rewards for that. On the other hand, when we put in twenty hour days of work and deprive ourselves of anything remotely like fun, we expect that we will be rewarded. But what happens when we put in the time and the effort and no reward is forthcoming? What happens when the person who does little or nothing is rewarded and we are not? We scream that life is unfair but is it?

By the time that we are sixteen years old, through a system of rewards and punishments, we have formulated our definition of worthiness and for most people it remains unchanged for the rest of their lives. The big secret is that the equation is useless. You and I can open the door wide to receiving so much more but first we must understand that any and all receiving comes from a positive place. No, this isn’t a think positive and your bills disappear message! This is a stop being negative and expecting positive results message! For example, the person that sacrifices their health, happiness and well being for their spouse and children expects a reward. It doesn’t happen because they can’t invest in a negative and get a positive. The person who sacrifices some pleasures but NOT their health, happiness and well being is rewarded all along the way because they love themselves. They take a loving, positive approach to their life.

A positive approach to life starts with love. It can start no where else. Ask yourself “Am I in love with my life right now?” It is this answer that opens or closes the door to everything you want. The lilies in the field and the birds on the wing are adorned and cared for because they are in love with life. All that has ever been required of us is that we be grateful for and in love with our life. Upon that a GREAT life is given. You are worthy not because of any equation but because you love your life, period.

(C) 2011 All Rights Reserved, Patrick McBride
www.PatrickInspires.com

 

Greatness

July 18th, 2011

Do you know how great you are?

For most people that question brings an immediate negative response. For most people it smacks of pride and egotism to even consider that they are great, in fact to consider themselves with any superlative whatsoever. Most believe that the few people who do think of themselves like that are blowhards and narcissists and egomaniacs and pretty soon “they’ll be taken down off their high horse”. Most people watch gleefully as the mighty are taken down, cementing with example after example the notion that those on high are due for punishment. Obviously, it’s the truth… or is it?

Everything that you want to have and everything that you want to be and everything that you want to be able to do for others comes through the doorway of your belief about yourself. If you believe that you are great then greatness can come through you. If you believe that you are average or less you can expect average or less results. It doesn’t matter how much you really want something, if you think little of yourself you can only produce little.

The garden hose can’t take credit for the water that comes through it but it can take credit for the amount of water and where the water goes. Everyone of us is a garden hose. When we think of ourselves as small, we can only produce small effects but when we think of ourselves as large and strong and great, we can produce mightily.

When you were small, EVERYONE drilled into you the notion that you shouldn’t think greatly of yourself. Oh, aspire to great things but don’t think too highly of yourself. You fit in much better if you believed that and if you fit in much better than those in charge never had to deal with any upstart questions or behaviors. It was control pure and simple and it worked. That was a long time ago and it wasn’t true then and it certainly isn’t true now. You are great. That doesn’t mean that you are better than others. It means you are great and you have the ability, yes, the duty, to let greatness flow through you. Do you know how great you are? I pray that you do and that you let it flow!

(C) 2011 All Rights Reserved, Patrick McBride
www.PatrickInspires.com

 

Alone or Lonely

July 11th, 2011

The cure for being alone, should that bother us, is to walk out our door and go to where the people are or to invite others over to our place. Voila! No more alone. The cure for lonely is not that easy. We have to first understand that we are living with certain myths. How we got them or why we believe in them is not the least bit important. Obliterating them is.The biggest myth is that we are somehow incomplete if we don’t have a jolly, adventurous group of friends or a significant other. This life, your life and mine, is about living and learning individually. Yes, we are all connected on a soul level but if you stub your toe, you are the only one that yells and curses. It is because physically, we are separate beings. We each have our own agenda and a to do list for this life.

We need to revel and celebrate our physical independence and at the same time we have to revere and celebrate our spiritual interdependence. If you don’t want to be alone, change it. That is simple but if you don’t wish to feel lonely than you must first dispel the notion that you are incomplete. You and I and everyone else are the best of friends and lovers on the main level of existence and we are all in the wardrobe room trying on different costumes. We will act like this at school, we’ll change to this at work, we’ll put this on when we want to get crazy and we’ll act like this when we want to experience lonely. We are students and actors and we are continually learning but we are never incomplete.

Lonely is powerless. Don’t play that part. Let your eternal, powerful inner self create your future and not your past. You have great power within you. Allow it to blossom. A true actor doesn’t give up or resign to a bad role. A good actor starts imagining a better role and starts practicing. Pick the role you want to play. Start practicing. Have fun. It’s showtime!

(C) 2011 All Rights Reserved, Patrick McBride
www.PatrickInspires.com

 

July 4th

July 4th, 2011

July 4th is about freedom and it is also about gratitude. When we can walk into a supermarket and purchase any of the choices, that’s freedom. When we can travel anywhere we want, anytime we want, that’s freedom. When people of different colors and beliefs can exchange a public kiss, that’s freedom. When we can watch our children go off to college instead of being hauled away for involuntary armed service, that’s freedom. When we can walk into a Fifth Avenue boutique as easily as we walk into a neighborhood bodega, that’s freedom.

July 4th is about looking around at all the freedoms you have and being grateful. It’s about looking into your mind at all your dreams and knowing that every single one of them is possible because of where you live. Yes, our service men and women protect our freedoms but so do the courts and the ballot boxes and the teachers and the police and the elected officials but the most important figure in this country’s freedom is you. Yes, you are more important than anyone out there. You see, without your desire for freedom, there’s nothing to fight for. Without your desire for a richer, fuller life for you and your family and friends, there’s nothing to protect. Without your wanting America to be better, there’s no reason to struggle to find a better way.

For 364 days you can argue about what is right or wrong with this country but today, this one day, July 4th, regard only what is right with her. Like a one day fast, take a break from the ordinary. Take the time to see only the good, see only the richness, see only the possibilities, see only the joy, see the fertility that surrounds you. When you do that, gratitude naturally springs forth. We do have something to protect and celebrate and thank God there are others who are willing to do that with AND for us. Celebrate a grateful 4th! It might just positively affect your other 364 days.

(c)2011 All Rights Reserved, Patrick McBride
www.PatrickInspires.com