Love thyself, be yourself and be true to yourself.

We can not be liked or loved by every person we meet, even though each of us are unique in our own way we also share common traits with others. Some people may find a common chord with you and be a part of your journey through life and then there are those no matter how hard you may try they will always see you as an outcast or a joke. that is just how this life is and there is little one can do about that fact, just learn to accept the gift of friendship from those that you find and forgive and dismiss the ones that are not yours to call friend. It may be nice to belong and feel loved by everyone you meet but unfortunately the possibility of such is nothing but a pipe dream.  Also if you try too hard to be liked and to belong you usually wind up pushing away those who could be your friends as well as making a fool of yourself unknowingly before everyone you meet. Best to learn to love and accept yourself for what you are and worry not about the thoughts and opinions of those around you. For if you become a person whom you like and can live with everyday then usually you will find that others will follow in liking you and accepting you for what and who you really are. Be yourself and be true to yourself so that you do not mislead yourself or others. Being human I myself have many faults I wish to hide away from the public eye but they always find a way to rear their ugly little heads for others to see from time to time. So I have learned to accept my shortcomings but not to give up on correcting them. No one person is perfect and the grass on the other side of the fence only seems to be greener than yours. To be really true to yourself you must face both your good and your bad points in your personality. Far as the bad points the first step in overcoming or controlling them is to accept the fact they exist. You can not fix what you do not believe is broken as well as you can not improve what you see as unchangeable as well. For there is no bad trait that can not be either improved or overcame through perseverance and the desire to better ones self. The biggest enemy to self-improvement is ones self-doubt, we all have it just some of us have more than others. We must learn to overcome the fear of failure and the fear of change in order to move forward on the path of self-improvement. In each one of us is the power and strength to become more than we could even dream of becoming. It isn't all positive thinking but to be positive is one of the many keys to self improvement and success. Besides positive thinking one must be willing to act upon the positive thoughts and work towards making them a part of reality. To think positive alone will only bring you small results if not just set you up for a fall in the end. Just thinking about taking your first step does not start the journey, it is taking the first step and the risks that come from moving forward. Belief in something has a lot of power but putting that belief into a physical action has far more power to enact change. The faith of the mustard seed would be useless if it wasn’t for it following through with that faith by acting. Without action there is no chance for reaction, even visualization in its self is an action though limited in its possibilities of reaction without some physical action to support it.

 

Love thyself, be yourself and be true to yourself.

Be positive and act upon faith as well as your positive thinking.

 

Peace to all

Raymond Barbier

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New year, New Way?

With New Years upon us it is once again to make new years resolutions. We all could make those unrealistic promises to ourselves that we know deep in our hearts we will not even try to fulfill or even set goals that we will strive for that are impossible to reach. The sad part of resolutions such as those is that when we fail to complete or uphold them we have the sense of failure which isn't a good thing to start the year off with. Best to either set simple and achievable goals for your new years resolutions or ones that will not bring certain failure. We all want to make a resolution that will either improve our selves or the lives of others so to start the year off with a positive note. Most change is enacted through a series of steps not one giant leap, so remember to make a resolution that can be planed out as a day by day plan. To arrive at any destination one must take the first step and be willing to follow through with every step afterwards till they reach the end. There is no shortcuts to self-improvement or change. The fist step forward usually consists of forgiving yourself of the mistakes of the past as well as the mistakes of others. If you can not leave the past in its own time then you will find it very hard to move forward if even exist in the present. Learn from your past mistakes and don’t live in their shadows for they will block the light that you deserve to live in. Start your new year off with a clean slate for both yourself and others, for each day we wake is another chance to do what is right and live in the light of our creator. For his son died on the cross and through his blood we are washed clean of our past sins so we can live free as well as seek to become more Christ like in our every day life. To feel remorse for your sins is what you do before you pray to be forgiven and not what you do after the sin is washed away. To carry the shame and pain of a past sin is to hold on to the sin itself, if you believe in the mercy of our lord then the sin is no longer yours to carry. So leave your sins of the past in the past and leave the path ahead in the hands of the lord. Forgive, be forgiven and move forward knowing that you do not walk alone in this world. One of the greatest new years resolution one can have is to surrender to the will of the Father and follow the teachings of his only begotten son. Learn to be tolerant of the beliefs of others for they have the right to choose the path they walk in life as well as the religion they practice. Just learn to love all of your brothers and sisters on this great planet earth we have been blessed to live on and cherish its beauty. No matter what resolution you make on this new year I pray that you find peace and prosperity in this new year of 2012. May our politicians wake up to see the mess that our house is in and let them find the wisdom to put aside their differences to do what is best for both our planet and our species.

 

May God bless Mankind and guide us in this new year.

Raymond Barbier

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We Should Be Thankful Everyday

It is Thanksgiving Day here in the U.S. a day we all gather to be thankful for the blessings in our lives. There is a debate as of where and when the original celebration of Thanksgiving was and below is a Wikipedia Excerpt and link to original article for you to explore.

 

 

 

(WIKIPEDIA.ORG EXCERPT)

 In the United States, the modern Thanksgiving holiday tradition traces its origins to a 1621 celebration at Plymouth in present-day Massachusetts. There is also evidence for an earlier celebration on the continent by Spanish explorers in Texas at San Elizario in 1598, as well as thanksgiving feasts in the Virginia Colony.^[7] The initial thanksgiving observance at Virginia in 1619 was prompted by the colonists' leaders on the anniversary of the settlement.^[8] The 1621 Plymouth feast and thanksgiving was prompted by a good harvest. In later years, the tradition was continued by civil leaders such as Governor Bradford who planned a thanksgiving celebration and fast in 1623.^[9][10][11] While initially, the Plymouth colony did not have enough food to feed half of the 102 colonists, the Wampanoag Native Americans helped the Pilgrims by providing seeds and teaching them to fish. The practice of holding an annual harvest festival like this did not become a regular affair in New England until the late 1660s.^[12]

Read the complete Wiki Article at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thanksgiving#In_the_United_States

(END OF WIKIPEDIA.ORG EXCERPT)

Regardless of which of the Thanksgiving celebrations were the first one, the whole idea is to be thankful for not only the food you harvest but also that you have been blessed with family,friends a good community and hopefully good health. So much we can be thankful for that we seem to take for granted in our every day life. Thanksgiving is a time for us to try and remember those things and be thankful for them as well as for being alive yet another wonderful day. It good we have one day a year to reflect and to be thankful, but we should be thankful for each and every day we have. We should cherish the gift of the present and be thankful we have had a past as well as happy we may have tomorrow to enjoy. I pray everyone has a good thanksgiving and do not forget we should be thankful everyday that we wake from our slumber.

Happy Thanksgiving to all
Raymond Barbier

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love

1 Corinthians 8 – 13

 

8 Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10 but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. 11 When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. 12 For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face.

Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

The Family unit is the foundation to ones entire life

  Slow down and enjoy the little moments that make life so wonderful, for life is too short to waste it rushing around blind to the beauty of this world. Stop putting your job and or career before your family, friends and your own life. Yes we all must work, but working is not the sole purpose or meaning to our existence. Having fun with friends and family as well as some alone time are all  important parts to our short life that we live. We started working so we can pay the bills and to provide a decent lifestyle for ourselves and our family, but if that work consumes all of our time it leaves both ourselves and our families lacking in quality time together. It seems it is rare for a family to sit down and eat at the kitchen table anymore, daddy is at work, mommy is juggling being a mother and a working woman as the children run to their electronic escapes from the world.

The family unit is slowly dissolving or morphing into something with little closeness and that is very dysfunctional. Luckily there are still some families that function quite well, but they are becoming far and few between in this modern world. The family unit is where children learn their life skills and develop their emotional blueprints to their adult selves. For one of the most important things in life is the family unit and we need to start focusing on its development.  Though it may be hard to balance time between work, family, friends and yourself but it is a crucial element in the development of children to have a good home life. It will take an effort from every person within the family to maintain a functional family, every one will have to sacrifice something in order to make time to be together. For those sacrifices they will gain family closeness and well as love and respect between the family members.

The Family unit is the foundation to ones entire life, for a strong foundation can create a sturdy infrastructure.

May Love, Faith, Hope and wisdom guide your every footstep.
Raymond Barbier

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Share your love and kindle hope in others and most of all keep the faith.

With the Holidays season upon us it is once again time to think about friends and family as well as the less fortunate people of the world. We should not only be thankful for our own blessings, we should be bringing blessings and joy to others. The gift of love goes a long way as well as the gift of charity, to be in service to our fellow humans goes even further. Holidays also seem to remind us of the those we lost and the dreams that never came into fruition. To reflect on those things is perfectly normal but to wallow in the loss and or grief is not. We should celebrate the things we have received and rejoice in the time we had with those we have lost. Remember the love they brought into your life and the change they made in both you and your life. Dreams that never become reality are but seeds for new dreams that could come true.

 

During this holiday season try to share your love and kindle hope in others and most of all keep the faith.

 

Love, Understanding, Charity, Faith and Compassion be the main theme in your daily life.

 

Happy Holidays
Raymond Barbier

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Choices, Consequences, free will and Indecision.

In this life we can either be a force for good or a force for evil. Most of us walk a thin line between the two, but eventually one side or the other we shall fall to. It is better to choose your path and stick with it than to waver between two, this is an easy way to become lost as well as confused. Though we all have to go through the middle of the road syndrome in order to make a choice of which path to follow, but to stay in the middle of a road for too long one may be ran over. Even in the bible there is a reference to  this idea .

“Revelation 3:15-16: ‘I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth. “

Of course being lukewarm in this verse is referring to being a part-time Christian or one does not love god and worship him full heartedly. The bible teaches this and the fact one can only serve one master as well as a house divided upon itself shall fall. One should be one minded and walk one path as well as choose which side he will be a force for. Doubt, Fear, Indecisiveness are the enemies of us all, for they only confuse and distract one from truly living life and serving the forces they choose. For I am a firm believer in free will and believe the spiritual / religious path one walks is solely a personal decision and they have the right to believe in the way they desire. But with free will comes both a price to pay and the responsibility of who and what may have been influenced or effected by the choices made.  So always think and ponder on both  the choices before you and the consequences that surely will follow. Choose your path wisely and walk in faith, if you choose wisely then in the end you can pass away thinking or speaking the verse “2 Timothy 4:7 - I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. “ .

Until that day comes I pray that we all can walk in faith.

Matthew 7:7 - “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.

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Ally Kerr–Calling Out To you

Fear, The Enemy of Success and of Happiness.

  Paranoia, self-doubt and low self-esteem are some the most difficult thought processes to correct. They play a significant role in ones chances to achieve success and in living a happy life. It seems for the most part the roadblocks to happiness stem from one troublesome root. That root cause appears to be fear, fear of failure, rejection and the fear of not being able to be in control. Fear seems to control so much of our decision-making that it controls a part if not all of our life. Though fear has its place in one's life it is not supposed to control our life. Fear is a lot like a wild dog, once it is in the chicken coop it will keep killing the chickens until it gets tamed. Just like the wild dog, fear is something we all need to learn how to tame. Because if we allow fear to run wild it will kill our hopes and dreams before they have a chance to materialize as possible realities.

The fears we all have to face seem to be deep-rooted and they had their beginnings far in our youthful past. The worst of them usually come from our childhood and teen years. The only way I know to face such fears is to discover the time and place of origin. If we can discover the original source then we can find a way to overcome the fears hold on us.

“You gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You are able to say to yourself, ‘I have lived through this horror. I can take the next thing that comes along.’ You must do the thing you think you cannot do.”
- Eleanor Roosevelt

  In a nut shell the only way to conquer or tame your fears is to discover their root and face them head on. Once you do overcome your fears then you are on the path to becoming your true self and will be able to live to your full potential.

 

Just some random thoughts on fear

Raymond Barbier

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Verum Peto–Lost Voyage

Royalty free music for professional licensing

Verum Peto–New Path

Royalty free music for professional licensing

Verum Peto–Lifetimes

Royalty free music for professional licensing

The great school we call life - Part of The Lesson Plan

In life we must face the fact we will make mistakes and sometimes choose unwisely. This is all a part of the lesson plan in the great school we call life. The sad part is sometimes we are doomed to repeat a mistake or poor choice many times until we finally get the message or learn the lesson we needed too. I believe up to our last breath and thought we are learning something new. It's all apart of our spiritual evolution or education. Question is do we come back to live here again in this world until we learn all the lessons that can be taught here? Or do we simply move on to another place, dimension or even heaven or a hell. Those questions are really the kind that you can not answer for you will not ever know until its time to move on from this life. Personally I hope there is a heaven and a very forgiving god waiting on the other side. What I was brought up to believe is the Christian faith and I still hold on to that belief as I try to keep an open mind to other religions and philosophies. Each philosophy and religion carries with it some form of lessons both in morality and discipline. For the most part they seem to teach humility and selflessness along with compassion and self dignity, They try and inspire us to strive towards a more civilized and compassionate world, a world were greed and lust are no longer as well as a world where no one wants nor needs due to the lack of selfishness. Unfortunately too many of us overlook the lessons in both the philosophies and religions. This leaves us in a world where the select few who have the power and the money are in control as the masses who barely make a living or are starving to struggle just to survive.

So far we have come in the short time we have inhabited this world but we still are so far away from our true potential spiritually and as a species in whole. We have had the stone age, bronze age, iron age, steel age, industrial age and now the technological or information age. We still need to reach our spiritual age before we become our own executioner. For we have technologies that could destroy all life on our planet and yet we are still children spiritually and this leaves us in harm's way. Without spiritual growth and wisdom we are likely to cause our own extinction before we ever reach our full potential as a species.

Just my two cents worth,

Raymond Barbier

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Matthew Cudzilo R.I.P. 7/22/1942–09/24/2011

Times like these I remember the importance of each person that I have met as well as those I currently interact with. Times like these I remember to cherish each second of the day and both the good and bad the day may bring. Facing the fact we all are mortal and are only here for a very short moment in time makes one realize that a lot of things are not as important as one thinks and the things we take for granted are the most important of things to be thankful for.I learned a lot in life from Matt Cudzilo, I saw him more as a friend than a step father and a good Husband to my mother. He could be a tough adversary and then turn around and be your greatest advocate. He had a soul  of a warrior and a heart that was big as the moon. May his soul rest in peace and those he left behind learn to celebrate his life more so than mourn his death. I will always remember the fact how fortunate I was to have him as a part of my life.

Life is but a twinkle in the eye of time, so live each day to the fullest.
Raymond Barbier

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Each day you wake up is but a gift and each night you lay down is a blessing.

  Each day you wake up is but a gift and each night you lay down is a blessing. Every person you meet can either become your friend or your enemy, so treat strangers with kindness. For you do not know what greatness may be within that stranger you greet or ignore. For every one of us are full of greatness in one way or another. We all have been blessed with our own unique gifts and talents. We should not let them go to waste, we should use them for  the enrichment  of both our life and the lives of others.

The trick is to find those god given talents or gifts, sometimes they are hidden well and other times they can be right under your nose. Usually they will be something you naturally enjoy and excel at but sometimes they are like a fixer upper and need a bit of tweaking before they become complete and fully developed. One of the biggest obstacles is modern day life, it can keep you so stressed and distracted that you unable to focus on what is important.This can keep one from seeing the goodness in life and the world along with keeping you so busy that you have no time to do anything beyond just surviving. Another obstacle is worry, worry does nothing but rob you of your present in order to steal away your tomorrow. Worry tends to fill your mind and take it over leaving no time for you to live or enjoy the moment your living in. You can become so overwhelmed by worry and your fears that they become the only thing you can even think of and focus on.

We need to learn to avoid worrying and how to put aside fear so we can have time to enjoy the blessings we have and the gift of life we have been given. Find happiness in the small things and in your family and/or friends. Respect yourself as well as others and seize the moment for it is only a temporary point in the time stream we live in. Each day you are alive is a gift and should be cherished as such. For there is never a guarantee that tomorrow will come.

 

Time waits for no one and no one can escape time.

Raymond Barbier.

Download this free music album: The Lost Voyage - Jamendo

 

Download this free music album: The Lost Voyage - Jamendo

Start looking at the world not only through our own eyes

Living in a society where there is no value to anything, where we want everything and want it yesterday. Sensations both old and new are the fuel and the faster we can get them the more we want them. Addicted to our senses and a slave to our need for stimuli we race forward without taking the time to truly enjoy the world around us. We leave friendships and loves behind us in search of the perfect life, we fall to the deception that is such a thing as a perfect life or a perfect relationship. Too much too fast and we are approaching either an overload or the tragic end to our fast past world. So quick to judge others but slow to see the imperfections in our own lives. We live our lives so quickly and so unaware of the happiness we could obtain as well as the beauty all around us.

Even the children are loosing their innocence way too early, imagination is becoming an extinct quality as well as the ability to see the world in its true majestic form. We allow politics, religions and philosophies to divide our world and keep us from reaching our true potential as a species. It is not our differences that makes us unstable or weak, it is our inability to use those differences as the strength they really are. Our ability to change, adapt and to exchange ideas makes us a very unique and wondrous species. Our lack of tolerance and our inability to truly see each other in a compassionate light leaves us in constant turmoil. We need to start looking at the world not only through our own eyes but through the eyes of others, we must start being more selfless in the way we think and live. Individuality is a good thing but not seeing the whole picture due to only perceiving things though our own eyes  is a path to eventual destruction. We must realize that our personal perception of the world around us is not the only true perception. Reality is the sum of every living creature’s perception of the physical universe.

We need to slow down and smell the flowers, behold the beauty of nature and enjoy the company we are blessed to keep. For if we keep on forging into the future like a speeding bullet we will eventually burn out. Stand as many but as one, seek out the truth of all things and live each day as it may be our last. Loving ourselves and all that is around us, fearing nothing but our own deception. Do right upon others and forgive those who are not wise enough to see the error in their ways. We also should remember to forgive our own short comings for we are all but human. But being human is a grand thing for we are children of the great creator. God gave us life and that in itself makes us special and unique. Each of us were given gifts and abilities, each different from the other but the same in their purpose. We mustn't waste those gifts not take them for granted. We should use them for the good of mankind and share them with all life.

Very random thoughts that I feel needed to be shared. Right or Wrong they are here for you to read.
Raymond Barbier

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Only god knows and only time can tell.

Where do we go from here? The world is suffering from earthquakes and extreme weather while there is civil unrest happening across the globe. Governments being toppled by both protests and warfare. The people want change from east to west and they starting to act upon their desires. Luckily here in the U.S. we can do it through political channels and also we can create change by utilizing all the media avenues available. The internet gives the people a power to express their concerns and to assemble as a political force like never before. So with all the sever weather, earthquakes and civil unrest in the world, where are we heading?

Seems we are at some kind of crossroads and which way we go depends on the choices the people in power make. With the fact oil is becoming less attractive as a fuel/energy source we desperately need to invest in alternative fuels and energy sources. Solar is the cleanest choice for energy though the current solar cells are still only capture a fraction of the sunlight's energy. Still a viable energy source but the technology needs to be improved so we can capture higher percentages of the energy coming from the sun. Wind power works well but only when there is sufficient wind speed. Hydropower is the best out of the lot due to rivers are continuously flowing allowing for a constant energy source. This leads to the fact that batteries used to store energy also need to be improved so solar and wind power both can be good alternative energy sources.

The fact all three of the before mentioned power sources are renewable energy sources unlike oil, natural gas or coal they are the best bets for our future energy sources. We still face the problem of transportation and their use of combustible carbon based fuels. Besides the growing cost due to higher demand and that eventually the oil deposits will run dry, the toxic fumes the exhaust of such vehicles is harmful to both earth and the life that lives on it. The only alternatives at this time to petroleum-based fuels are Electric powered vehicles  or using natural gas, hydrogen or a synthetic fuel. Though I have heard of a compressed air powered vehicle being built-in the U.K.

If we survive the present problems in this world we just might figure a more efficient and less toxic or wasteful way to power our homes and  a better way to propel our vehicles. Maybe the civil unrest will bring  more of a positive change than a negative one. Only god knows and only time can tell.

Just a collection of random thoughts.
Raymond Barbier

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Just some random thoughts on a Sunday afternoon.

  Why is it so many people over seas dislikes western culture and the governmental powers of the western world? Well far as our culture, to a morality based religious culture the western culture would appear to be quite decadent and low in moral standards. Besides the cultural differences there is the past colonization of the middle east by the British and French. Even though all the colonies were dissolved and abandoned the resentment is still there. Then the long dislike between Islam and both Christians and Jewish faiths doesn’t make things any easier between the western and middle eastern powers. Sometimes I believe the west in general seems to interfere too much with the middle east and that keeps mistrust and hatred brewing.  A lot of the tension in the middle east is spawned from the constant debate of the Holy places in Israel. The fact that civilized people can not come to a fair way of sharing the Holy sites. The holy sites do not belong to one religion, they belong to all of God’s children be they Muslim, Jewish or even Christian.

After all we are all followers of the same god regardless the fact that the prophets we choose may be different or we may believe the messiah has already came once or not. Religion put aside there is the presence of military forces in middle eastern countries, even if they are invited by the governments or not they are seen as invaders by some in that region. Places like Iraq and Afghanistan may require our presence for a short while longer but the sooner we pull out and let the active governments stand on their own the better. The fear of a terrorist supporting government taking over or infiltrating the new governments in Iraq or Afghanistan is a waste of time. Regardless of how long you train and support the current governments the fact remains there will always be the risk they will turn terroristic or unfriendly after we leave. Our military presence isn't going to make any difference on that fact. Plus with a about a decade of military and financial support, both Iraq and Afghanistan should be able to stand on their own by now.

Diplomacy should be the first priority for both the west and the middle eastern powers, both sides need to put their past differences aside for the good of our world. Trust can be earned on both sides if they are both willing to work at it and maybe sacrifice a few things along the way. Peace is always a possibility if both sides are truly willing to work for it. Just think how much money both sides would save and be able to apply to helping the people who are in need. All the money spent by governments and terrorist organizations to wage war could be used to build houses, schools and feed the hungry or heal the sick.

Just some random thoughts on a Sunday afternoon.

Raymond Barbier

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To be stuck in such a vicious cycle

I have noticed a lot of people who go through life stuck in a vicious cycle of buying , using and wanting something more. It seems nobody can be satisfied with what they have, they want the newest and best of everything there is. Even when the newest isn't necessarily better than what they already have. It doesn’t seem to stay just in the materialistic end of the spectrum, it is in every part of the modern psyche. From your house to your soul mate, nothing is ever good enough or there is greener grass on the other side of the fence. To be stuck in such a vicious cycle consumes your finances, energy and your happiness. The temporary gratification from the new wears off quickly leaving you wanting more. It seems modern society is addicted to consumerism and needs to reevaluate its priorities as well as its habits.

We need to revisit the ways of our grandparents and great grandparents, they lived their life in simplicity and only bought mostly only what they needed. They would buy a few luxuries but they knew happiness came from the people around them not trinkets or toys they can buy. There is nothing wrong with buying a few things you want but you should not be consumed with having every new version that comes out. Seems this generation and the generation growing up are stuck with the mentality that everything is disposable and replaceable. Shame is that this is not just limited to possessions, it also includes people in their lives. If a lover isn’t perfect just dump them and get a new one, if grandma is becoming a burden dump her into a rest home. If a friend becomes boring or disagrees with you toss them aside like a used tissue. This kind of mentality is corroding the core of society and eventually there will be nothing sacred or valuable in our world.

Family, friends and community should be the first priority for each one of us, keeping up with the Joneses or having the biggest and newest shouldn’t be a concern. For what makes lasting happiness is in the social groups we form and not in the trinkets we gather along the way. Since life is but a temporary state for all of us, we should live life in peace and loving one another instead of satisfying our selfish wants. I look at it in this way, I am not the only person or living creature on this planet. Thus I am not the center of the universe or even this planet. I share this world with so many and should enjoy the fact I have some great company here on earth. I will not always agree with them all, but I will always accept them as fellow travelers of this path called life.

Wrong or right, This is my 2 cents worth.

Raymond Barbier

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You can not force a change on a society that is not ready

  Should we be in Afghanistan or Iraq? Afghanistan I believe was a necessary step in both retaliation for 9/11 and to reduce the abilities of the terrorist. Iraq on the other hand I believe was an Unnecessary war, the removal of the Iraqi government and military might left a vacuum of power in the region giving Iran a stronger position in the region. Regardless of what war was justified or not, it is time to bring our troops home and allow both countries stand on their own. Our military forces in the middle east is unwelcome by most if not all Arab nations, even the ones that say they welcome them. We must learn to have a foreign policy in the middle east that is less threatening.

I understand the position western countries take when it come to human rights and the fear of unstable nations achieving nuclear armament but our interference in the region is not going to stop the enviable only postpone it. So instead of trying to control the nuclear threat we should be concentrating on both the defense against the threat and the reduction of nuclear stockpiles globally. I have never understood the reason why any nation would want to possess such horrifying weapons of mass destruction. The thought anyone would want to kill that many innocent civilians . No religion, Nation or principle should be worth the death of so many.

We should learn to respect the right of each nation to rule their land as they wish, as seen the people in those countries eventually enact the changes necessary in the end. Of course change usually is painful and costly in the end, but the change is a necessary part of any society's development. And you can not force a change on a society that is not ready, it’s a process that must happen on its own. The United States has a long way to go far as learning the above lessons and in creating a better relationship with middle eastern countries. Our reputation in the middle east is not a positive one and obviously we need to change our policies in order to improve that reputation.

I know I am no military strategist or foreign policy expert but I do know that our foreign policies are not working and usually using military force is not the best idea, because wars cost us in casualties and in money.

Just some thoughts this modern layman had. Right or wrong They are here to share.

Raymond Barbier

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To them I ask to remember the children.

  Extreme weather from one season to the next, tornadoes and hurricanes hitting us left and right. Earthquakes all across the globe, and record heat waves across America are signs that something is up with our world. Call it global warming, climate change or just solar flares, but face the fact that there is something going on that defiantly needs our attention. Governments and scientists need to stop living in denial of the fact that our world’s ecosystem is going to change and possibly not for the good . Call me an alarmist or a paranoid middle-aged man if you wish, but I rather look at the evidence before me than to live in denial of possibilities that are before us all. As the old saying goes, better safe than sorry and I believe that more than ever a change in how we humans impact this world we live in should be changed.

Relying on carbon based fuels that are not plentiful enough to sustain the needs of a growing world population. Toxic gases and chemicals that are being pumped into the atmosphere are destroying the ozone layer as well as contaminating the soil and drinking water.What kind of world are we leaving for our children and the children of the future? The shortage of oil, drinking water and food are setting the stage for a possible world war three. As a species we have proven that we can achieve miraculous feats when we work together on a common goal. We are quickly approaching a crossroad where we will have to choose to either continue down the road of denial and blindness or a path of awakening and global co-operation. Will greed and lust of power be the way of man or will the path be one of goodwill and  global unity. The global unity I am referring to is not one world government, it is the achievement of a collective effort between all nations to better our world and the tolerance if not acceptance of each others differences.

I believe we require the different nations as well as the different religions or philosophies to keep mankind diverse as well as strong. Diversity is what allowed mankind to survive and thrive up to this point. Without our diversity we would have been a drone like society that probably would not have survived this long. The crossroads are growing closer and soon we must set our priorities and face the costs of our choices. The children of today are the ones that will be the ones to face the results of our choices both good and bad. So I leave it in the hands of those who can make the choices and to them I ask to remember the children when they do.

Just my 2 cents worth, Right or wrong it is here for you to see
Raymond Barbier

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Are you using a rake or an axe?

There once was a man who had a tree that constantly dropped leaves on his lawn. Every day he would rake up all the leaves and debris in his yard. He really hated that tree, it ruined his perfect lawn each fall. For years he raked the leaves tirelessly every day during autumn. This was so until one day his neighbor saw him raking leaves while cursing the tree. The neighbor asked him why are you using a rake when you could simply use an axe to cut that tree down?

Are you using a rake when it comes to your life problems? Are you just cleaning up the symptoms and results of a bigger problem or are you using an axe to cut down the source of your problems? You can either use the rake and react to the problem or use the axe and act on the cause of the problem.

Just a silly thought I had, right or wrong it is mine to share

Raymond Barbier

The life you live is yours to live as you choose

There is two ways one can go through life, one is going through life reacting to everything and everyone. The other is to walk through life as an activist,this means basically  being the cause of events in your life not being the effect. You can either ride the waves made by others or make your own. The problem with riding others waves is you have no idea where you will wind up most of the time along with the fact your life will be at someone else's mercy. Riding your own wave you at least know where you aimed to go and the results will be yours alone. A good example of riding other people's waves is when you are around someone who is persistently grumpy you tend to reflect the same attitude over time. You could have chosen to be happy or blissful instead, you choose how you feel at any given time. Even in times that are bad you can choose not to let the circumstances to control your emotions.

Though sometimes one must allow the circumstance to control their emotions at least for a short period. Circumstances such as the death of a love one is one of those times. You must grieve in order to have closure and so you can move on. But this should be as short of time you can manage for grieving too long can become depression. For the most part though you are in charge of how and what you feel. This only so once you realize you can choose to act instead of react to the world around you. There are two schools of thought on life, one is the school of destiny and the other is the school of Karma. The first school Destiny is the ideal that all things are predetermined and that there is no freewill or choice in what happens or what your final destination will be. The school is Karma, the idea that each thought and or action you take is what determines the outcome of your life.

Karma is the school of thought that supports the idea of freewill and self-directed paths of life. This is the school of thought I tend to believe in since I do not believe that we are totally predestined nor that we are without freewill. I will set aside the fact maybe some things may be predestined to a point but still we can choose how, when and why that predestined event happens. But far as our final destination is life, that is solely our choice as well as how we live that life. Being an open-minded Christian by faith I can see the idea of karma to a degree playing out in our scriptures. Freewill is the gift god gave us and we are responsible for both the good and bad we bring into the world. The wage of sin is death and the wage of goodness/righteous living  is life.

The life you live is yours to live as you choose, no one person can deny you the right to be happy in life. Others can only influence you if you give them the power to do so. Do not allow others to kill your happiness nor allow them to push on you there negativity. You only live this life once so make it the happiest and most peaceful one you can.

Just Some Thoughts That Came to me, Right or Wrong they are mine to share.
Raymond Barbier

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Our world may be a mess and in dire need of changes

I am but a dreamer, Dreaming of a better world and of more of a compassionate humanity.Though I may dream of better things I live in this nightmare we call modern society. A society were money is more important than the ecology and in some cases our own families. A society where drug companies rather treat a symptom than cure the disease so they can have record high profits. A world were the oil is slowly running out but no one is really trying to get off of the carbon based fuel addiction. Too much money to be made in the oil industry to make alternative fuels and / or energy a high priority.

A society where scientists can not seem to make up their minds on anything. Sometimes it makes you wonder how several research teams can come up with such conflicting results. I do not know if the scientists are on the take or just try for the results that will get them more grant money or what. I really hope it is just incomplete data or something not so sinister. Then here in the U.S. we have a congress that reminds me of grade school kids arguing over a ball in the school playground. Sticking to ones convictions may be a virtue but the well-being of our country and the citizens that elected them should be first priority.

In this country alone the big business has had a 40% profit increase but yet they had no growth new employment. So much money flowing in you would think they would hire on more employees and or offer better benefits. Don’t get me wrong I am all for them making profits, that is what they are in business to do. I just think if they made the money here in the U.S. they should reinvest it here by hiring on American workers and paying their fair share of taxes. The present tax code leaves way too many loopholes for the big businesses to use in avoiding paying their full share of taxes.

So much is changing in the world, yet too many of us just sit by and say or do nothing about it. We just watch it change and let those in power make all the choices for us. Our governmental system is one of the best in the world if we exercise all of our rights and get our voices heard by congress. But they can not hear our voices if we choose not to speak. It is the American people who made this one of the greatest nations in the world and we can do it once again if we choose to act. We have seen in the news how citizens can make a change, though they had to go to extremes that are not necessary in a democratic republic as ours.

Our world may be a mess and in dire need of changes that luckily we can make if we decide to do so. The nations of the world need to pull together and make the changes necessary to make a better world for our children. The children are our future, that is if we leave them a future they can survive in. The choice has always been ours to make, Lets hope we make the right one for both ourselves and our children.

God Bless Our Children and may he lead us to the right choices to be made.
Peace
Raymond Barbier

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