Can Everyone Be Wealthy?

Once again I see a promotion that is talking about money and how everyone can have it all!  The way the promo goes, everyone can be wealthy.  Everyone can have all the money they need, want or desire.  Okay, basically that's what they are saying, but maybe not in their own words.

Yet, can everyone be wealthy?

In a perfect world, everyone can be wealthy I suppose, but we don't live in a perfect world.  We are not only facing serious situations across this planet, but greed often reigns or compassion and being human.  In fact, most people are so blinded by who they are and what lies inside of them, that they would have to travel light years to discover wealth or anything good in their life.  I'm not saying it is impossible, but I am saying that we don't live in a perfect world.

Take for example that 1 million dollars is a lot of money to 90% of the population.  Maybe my percentage of the population is off a little, but to the vast majority it is a boat load of cash.  I'm sure that if you asked yourself or someone close to you if they had a million dollars, would that make them feel wealthy, the answer most likely would be yes in some form or another.

Child Abuse Is Not A Sexual Relationship

Today I read a story and I'm not sure if it is the poor writing and reporting, or this statement is actually what was said.  There are still some very archaic conclusions about child abuse.  We have made much progress in this area, but once again, I want to state that child abuse is not a sexual relationship.

In the article, Dad Beats Man Accused Of Molesting His Son, the following statement is what concerns me.

According to the report, the alleged abuse was happening for about three years. Frolander admitted the sexual relationship and said "I'm guilty," according to the report.

I'm not sure if the reporter failed to do their job fully or if this is from an actual statement made by the accused molester or if the reporter just doesn't understand the full implications of what they wrote.  Regardless, this type of attitude hurts those that have been abused.  It may seem insignificant, but it is not.

Child abuse is not about a sexual relationship.  There is no sexual relationship with child abuse.  Especially for a little boy that was 9 years old when it started, to say it is a sexual relationship shows much ignorance.

One More Moment With My Mom

This week I was once again face to face with a part of life that is something most, if not all, wish to avoid.  We treat it as that long lost forgotten part that we'd just like to leave hiding in the closet.  I'm referring to life and death that we all face.

Sure, when we were young, we didn't give much thought to our death.  We were born and we had our entire life before us.  However, the older I get and I hate the thought of getting old, I realize that my life is essentially half over.  It raises many questions from have I done enough and am I doing all that I need to do. It reminds me to ask myself the question of what really matters.

So much of what we do in a day and so much of what evokes our strongest reactions isn't necessarily what matters.  In our final moments, many of these things will be long forgotten and hardly a blip on our radar.

Its been said time and time again to take each moment and cherish it and honor it because at any time, it could be our last.  As I witnessed a funeral today, I was once again reminded of that fact.  Some of us may know that our moments are numbered and were quickly running out of them, but many don't have a clue when their will be no more balance in our life bank.

Sucker Punches Of Life

Some days are easier than others.  Some days are not. 

Some days I can fly into the sky and others, I crawl into my cave.

Its just a matter of where I'm at and how many times I get sucker punched in life.  Its things that I can't talk about in public, but yet in private they are endless.

I so wish that I could wave the magic wand, think the happy thoughts, and act as if everything is okay in life.  I so wish that it was just that easy, but I know firsthand, sometimes it is a struggle.

Maybe this doesn't mean much to most and maybe it appears all negative, but I just need to write these words.  I need to know that I'm still alive and functioning amidst the sucker punches of life.

I know I will get through these moments just like all the other, but I also realize that in this one particular moment, it feels like all is doomed.  I know that is not the case, but sometimes to convince myself of these truths, I become the hysterical laughing person.

Not Enough Judgement?

If we stop to consider our world, are we really a part of moving it forward, or are we part of the problem?  Is there not enough judgement in the world that we don't need to add to it ourselves?  These are many questions that I wish we would all ask ourselves each day.

Each and every day I open Facebook, Twitter, or my email, I'm inundated with thoughts, sayings, pictures and written beliefs that portray so much hatred.  From the religious to the spiritual new age, from the political folks to the feel good ones, there is just far too much judgement.  Whether it is through perfectly cloaked words or just outright disdain for everyone who does not believe the way they do, it hurts the entire civilization of our planet.

If you find yourself reading this and thinking, I don't judge anyone - its all the other people that do it, please let me say one thing to you directly - STOP IT!  You just judged someone else.  That's part of the problem.  Judging others makes you no better than what those are doing that you hate so much.  Its often so sneaky and sly that we don't even notice it and we surely think we don't harbor it.

Social Anxiety Is Real

This morning on my twitter feed, I saw a post from Fank Fine.   He is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor in Orlando, New York and Winter Park.  His tweet caught my attention because it is something I have had to deal with.  Social Anxiety affects a lot of people and I am one of those.

And truthfully the fear of doing something is most always greater than the actual doing of it. Do you know anyone with Social Anxiety? - @frankfine

At one time, I could barely walk into any store for 5 minutes because of Social Anxiety.  It didn't matter if the store was crowded or not.  By the time I reached the door, I would be having difficulty breathing, my body temperature would elevate, and my fear level of others went through the roof.  By the time I got inside, all of these things were doing their damnedest to completely control very biological function in my body.

Social Anxiety is real!  People aren't making this up.  People aren't just striving for attention.  It happens and it happens to a lot of people.  Sometimes it isn't as severe as what I've gone through, but often times it is.  Sometimes it is more minor, but if you experience it, I'm just preaching to the choir.

Dear Pets, I'm Sorry I Failed

I saw that my older brother's dog died and while seeing a pet die makes me sad, I find myself remembering just how much he would torture animals. I still remember when I was in Kindergarten and seeing him grind that frog with his bicycle tire into oblivion.  I wanted to cry but I knew if I did, I would be next.  I had to cry in silence.

Most of my pets tried to stay clear of him and my dad for good reason. They were safer that way. Its just hard for me to picture my brother having a pet and being sad that it died.

Has he changed... Can a zebra get rid of their stripes?

In my family, an animal was no different than a child. They existed for the sole purpose of control and manipulation through whatever means existed. In the case of an animal though, torturing them to extinction was not something that the authorities would ever be alerted to.  I'm not sure the authorities would have listened anyway in those days.

Yes, they were loved at times, but it was a love based upon convenience by the monsters.  I always begged my animals to hide from the monsters and sometimes they would listen, but at other times they would emerge looking for food.

It wasn't just my older brother that did this.  My dad was part of this blood sport as well.

To all those that didn't make it - I'm so sorry.

1. To the numerous kittens that your only crime was you were born and had to be sentenced to death by drowning in a gunny sack in the river or crushed in the cellar door.  I'm so sorry I couldn't rescue you.  I wasn't even allowed to cry as the monster tried to explain it was an accident.
2. To my Bunny Rabbit that I won memorizing many bible verses all week long in vacation bible school who mysteriously died that first night home after I went to sleep.  I'm so sorry, I should have never let you out of my site.
3. To one of my sheep that loved letting me know who was boss around the female sheep, I'm sorry I was in college and couldn't stop him from taking a 2x4 to your head because he got mad at you.
4. To all the pigs and cows and other animals that he transported where he would get a thrill out of jamming the hotshot up their butt to make them move.  I'm sorry I didn't take that thing to him and run it until the batteries ran dead.
5. To my favorite dog, Princess who was always just trying to get our attention and made him so mad that at times that he would hit her with whatever he could lay his hand on.  Her yelps still haunt me, but the thing that haunts me most is knowing that she still had the buckshot in her legs from the time he shot her.  Both the vet and I cried the day Princess died, but I'm so sorry I didn't take the gun and put buckshot in him.
6. To the cats that my family would get upset with if we were ever allowed to have them inside for a brief few moments. I'm sorry that my family thought it was appropriate to open the door and toss you up in the air as they flung you outside. 
7. To the little dog that my younger brother loved so much, the only crime Duchess committed was that my father considered it to be a mutt.  He hated the dog.  It wasn't until years later that my brother told me he was forced to shoot his pet and bury it when he was only in high school.  Words cannot describe my shock and horror when I heard this. 
8. To the squirrels that would be shot in the woods because my father thought it was a fun sport, I would try to wander in the woods acting as if everything was fine.  I loved the sounds of the woods. Deep inside, I was so lost in the horror of a sport that killed an innocent animal.  

To all the other animals...  I'm so sorry.  I can't remember all of  you.  I know I always kept wanting more animals but I'm sorry I brought you home into this mess.  You would have been safer if I would have never loved you in the first place.  I wasn't strong enough to protect myself and I didn't stand a chance against the monsters that did these things.  You gave up your life for me and saved me from many more beatings than I got.  I will never forget that as long as I live.

I always dreamed of a world where the animals would rise up against the humans and take them down.  It never happened of course, but I still dream about it to this day. 

I did try to make up for it when I was managing some farms.  One owner started to kick an animal that was down and with fire in my eyes, I looked at him and said, "if you kick that animal one more time, you will never walk again."  Oh no, no longer did I allow anyone to abuse animals in front of me.

It makes me angry when I see people not respecting nature the way these creatures are intended to live.  Its fine to observe them, but most of the time mother nature knows best and it isn't up to us to interfere with their daily lives.  These animals know far better what they need then any human ever will.  Most of all though, don't you dare abuse an animal with my knowledge of it.  Most likely the authorities will not be needed.  I'm a peaceful person until you mess with animals.

It isn't cute to me when I see humans parade their kill around town as if it is an honor.  This isn't respect for the life of those that can't defend themselves.  I don't wish to see it.  I find it horrible and unforgiving.

They say that most people who abuse and mistreat animals or pets have had abusive experiences in life or have unresolved anger issues.  Regardless of what you have been through, there is no excuse for this type of behavior.  If you have issues, work on them.  Don't take them out on innocent loving animals!

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Blog Post And Images (c) 7/8/14 by Don Shetterly

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Health Care Follies

I have to admit.  I have not had health insurance since 2003 or sometime around that point.  In fact, I've not had to go to the doctor in so many years, I'm not sure why I would start going now.  I know many people do and many people believe in this, but I'm one of the strange ones when it comes to health care.

Maybe its helped that I've done a trmendous amount of healing work on myself and I just see things differently.  I see what is possible, rather than sumcumbing to what is the norm.  I've had experiences in my life that made me doubt so much of what is pushed in modern day health care.  In all reality, I'm probably one of those that health insurance companies want on their rolls, because I cost very little.

It wasn't always like this for me.  At one time in my life, I suffered from ulcers, migraine headaches, allergies, pains of all types and of course the mother of all health care issues, conversion disorder.  Not long ago I had pulse rate that hovered around 100, high cholesterol that no medication could help and my life struggled with depression, anxiety, and a rash that covered my entire body.

Through all of this, I learned that the power to heal myself did not come from doctors, or pills or new age practices.  I learned that the power was within myself.  It took awhile to see this and it took even longer to begin learning how to fully tap what was already within me.  Now, I'm not saying I am 100% perfect and can heal any ailment within my body, but I will put myself up against any medical or new age procedure any day of the year.  I continue to play with this in my own body as I learn how this actually works.  It isn't exactly easy to repeat in other people.

Truth or Fiction in Cosmos

I love the new show "Cosmos" with Neil Tyson Degrasse.  I still remember hanging out with him waiting for the launch of the Grail Moon Mission early in the morning a few years ago.  He was funny, intelligent, and articulate.  He was personable and tended to be a big picture type of person, rather than a small minded thinker.

While I didn't believe everything he was stating and talking about, I will say one thing that was undeniable about him.  He made you think.  He made you question what you thought and why you thought it to be true.  He made you uncomfortable hanging on to your thoughts if you really couldn't prove why you hung on to those thoughts.  He stretched your mind.

I will always be grateful for the time I spent getting a lesson on the stars and all things universe.  I can understand that the show Cosmos is making people uncomfortable, but if we all have to believe the same thing, we have just reduced life down to nothing more than a one celled protozoa. 

One Person Can Make A Difference

Our lives touch many.  Through our lives we touch far more than we often know.  Yet, it is too easy to walk around in a vacuum thinking that we impact very few, let alone the world.  I've always believed that one person can make a difference and history proves this to be true.

Whether it is through our words, our attitude or our actions, we impact one another.  It may be for better or worse, but we definitely impact those around us.  By touch everyone around us, we touch the entire world for we are connected to each other on this earth.

Take for instance if you get up in the morning and are in a bad mood.  You grumpily say good morning to your significant other or children.  They in turn pick up on what you say and what is not spoken which they then pass along to everyone they meet.  While the full effect may become diluted with each person it is passed on to, the initial grumpy greeting still carries the energy with it.  As it continues, some people are able to wash it away and others magnify it, thereby continuing the grumpy energy along to many more than you could possibly know.

Faith Based Interventions For Conversion Disorders

I just read a synopsis for a book you can purchase online.  It was about using faith based interventions for conversion disorder.  Now, while I fully respect that faith and the practice of religion can help a person in many situations, what these people are suggesting in this summary is anything but helpful.

If you are not helping people to heal, you are part of the problem.  Unfortunately, it doesn't stop people from preying on those that are down to their last ounce of strength, attempting to convince them that they just don't know how to handle stress as the means for their own survival.  Nothing like adding a little more guilt on someone because they don't buy into your faith based strategy for a mind numbing life.

Conversion disorder has nothing to do with a person praying or not praying, practicing a religious faith or not.   Conversion disorder is much more than that, but when I read what I did, it was very clear and evident that these individuals had no clue what they were saying.  Yes, they quoted some research study they did, but just because you claim to do research doesn't mean you do good quality research.

Love In Spite Of Hate

Like many others, I read the news of a particular member of our society passing away.  It is hard for me to be loving of this person, when I've felt the hate that he bestowed upon others.  He dressed his hate inside his religion and his church.  He and his members put on the pious robes of self pride as they sat in judgement of others.

If you can't guess by now who I'm talking about, it is the Westboro Baptist Church leader, Fred Phelps.  No, I don't know the guy personally, but I did see the hatred that he spewed across the airwaves of the world.  I saw his signs that he held.  I saw many people hurt and wounded by his words.

I can't sit here and judge his place in this world, but I know that what these people spewed from the pulpit of their tax free church enterprise was way over the line.  If they profess to follow the bible, I think they miss the entire sections of living their life like Jesus did.  Jesus preached love, not hate.  Jesus commanded that we love one another, not that we rip apart, destroy, and put down one another.

Yet, Westboro Baptist Church stands for anything but love.  Fred Phelps taught these people and from the sounds of some of the children, he taught it in abusive ways.  He might have professed to be the spokesperson for God and Jesus, but I would say if you observe his actions, he did not teach that which he proclaimed.

Creation Is Life

Taking things a little easy today and just watched the movie "Jobs" about Steven Jobs of Apple. I enjoyed it even if it is most likely a little embellished. I just love some of these people who think way outside the box and create the box that we all take for granted in our day. I love "creation" people and those that truly understand what it means to change the world. The remainder if noise that bores me to no end.

Creation is the essence of all things in life and the spark that makes it fun and exciting.  It is the moments where we become more than we can be, while being all that we are.

I still remember watching a movie many years ago on Paradigms and it moved me in ways that most films don't.   I have never forgotten that movie because it really showed me that each and every day we live in a paradigm that we have created or that has been created for us.  The challenge is to see the paradigm and rise above it into something new we create.

May we never stop at where we are and if we are at a point where we have stopped in our life, may we allow ourselves to be pushed off the cliff, so we can be given wings and taught to fly.

Getting Rid Of Roadblocks In Life

One of the things that I have learned is that it isn't always easy to move past things in life.  Getting rid of roadblocks in life can be quite a challenge.  Of course, I'm not telling you anything you probably don't already know, but hopefully I'll share some things that have worked for me.

The roadblocks that stand in front of us in life are there to help us.  Really, I know - it probably doesn't feel that way, but its true.  The more we face, the more we see things differently in life and understand things that the average person does not.  Yet, I fully understand the frustration in dealing with all of this and wondering how to move past it.

When dealing with blocks in life, it is important to allow yourself to be there with them in peace.  As hard as it may be for you to be at one with them, the more you allow them to overpower you, the more power they hold over you.  The more power they hold over you, the more they rob you of precious strength to make the changes you need to in life.  Hence, allow yourself to be there with them in peace.

The blocks in life are going to come up at various points.  You can guarantee that they will show up.  It is up to each person individually as to what they do with theses things.  The part that will hold us down is the part where we give our power over to these moments.

Giving Up On People

I saw a quote that just about makes my blood boil because it makes it just that much harder for a person to heal on their own personal journey.  In the quote, words were stated that its ok to give up on people because they don't care about their own healing or give the appearance that they don't.  Maybe you could make some type of an argument that this is the case, but like most feel good thoughts on the internet these days, this quote is more hurtful than helpful.

A healer's job is not to sit there and pass judgment on a person as to when they should care, when they should be ready to heal or move ahead.  It may feel good and give you credibility, but it really misses the point of healing.

A healer's job is to be there with someone out of pure and unconditional love.  While you  may think you know what is best for someone, most likely you do not know what is going on in the neural synapses of their mind and body.  You may claim that you do, but the only person that knows that is the individual walking their own path.