real beauty

the real beauty is there hidden deep below the outer beauty.  you see the outer beauty – you love the outer beauty – you move forward with the outer beauty – it dictates all the early moves in life.  but as time goes on, you start to see the real beauty of a person – you start to see just how beautiful they really are – in the things they do, in the things they say – in all the moves they make in life – in all the action they take – you see their real beauty.  this is the beauty that sustains a relationship, a marriage, a partnership.  you don’t even know that you see this real beauty because you are too close – but then one day it hits you.  you are in love with the real beauty of this person.  they are real and they are with you and they are beautiful.  the outer beauty can wane – but the real beauty flourishes and grows – you see it blossoming higher and higher.  when you see this real beauty – you don’t think about outer beauty as much – you don’t look around as much – you only see the real beauty next to you and you want more and more – there is no reason to look for outer beauty.  look at the person next to you and see the real beauty – see the person that has been through all the ups and downs with you – and see how their real beauty has surfaced and pushed you through these things.  when you know this and see this – you will never look away again.

the arnold lesson

there are many reasons why benedict arnold did what he did.  but one of the key reasons was his need for money.  he was tight for money, he had debt piling up, he could barely provide for his family, he was desperate and stressed out.  he didn’t see a way out of his troubles – he only saw everything closing in around him.  he started to think like a desperate man – looking to do anything to get back on his feet fast.  he was not patient.  he was not tolerant.  he was not loyal.  he was not faithful.  he was not trustworthy.  he was not stable.  he was not steady.  he was not logical.  he was not reasonable.  he turned against everything he believed to get out of trouble fast.  and this is the key lesson that arnold provides to the rest of us.  we hear of tragedy, desperation and failure every day.  these are things that have become commonplace in our world.  every minute of every day someone gives up.  they see their world closing in around them, just like arnold did.  they look frantically for a way out fast and they are willing to give up everything they have ever believed to get quickly out of their troubles.  this is the arnold way of thinking.  this is the wrong way of thinking.  right now you could be facing troubles.  right now you could believe that your world is closing around you.  you want to give up or you want to do things that you are not supposed to do – to get out of these troubles.  but you must never give up and you must always stay the course.  you must be patient and you must be tolerant and you must be steady in your actions and you must be loyal to your principles.  you must not throw it all away to find a quick fix.  you will get out of these troubles only if you keep going and never give up.  arnold made the wrong move and his lesson has served as a good reminder of what not do to.  apply the arnold lesson to your life.  things will get better if you only keep going and don’t give up.

thank you notes

i have an idea.  think back across your life and think about all the people you have met – then think specifically about the people that made a difference in your life – that did something for you to make your life better – that did you a favor without expecting anything in return.  you can narrow it down to the big events or milestones in your life.  who helped you reached that milestone?  who helped you do that event?  who were the key people that helped shape who you are today.  now sit down and write each of them a brief thank you note – just thanking them for the exact thing they did to help you.  it doesn’t have to be a long letter – just a quick note.  they will be pleasantly surprised and you will feel good that you let them know that you have not forgotten what they did and you never will.  get those notes and do it now – before it is too late.

loyalty

ah–this is key in life.  you must be loyal to your true friends.  you must go out of your way for your true friends.  you must be there whenever they call.  you must do things that require extra effort.  these are the friends that you will keep for life.  these are the friends that always have your back.  these are the friends that know all your secrets.  these are the friends that will never leave your side.  these are the friends that don’t fight with you anymore.  these are the friends that are your family too.  always be there for them and they will always be there for you.  it is an unwritten code.  you are lucky to have them and they are lucky to have you.  be loyal to these true friends and you will never be alone.  do not judge them and always forgive them.  do not hesitate to support them.  just do it.  guilt should not come into play.  be rid of feeling guilty when doing something for a loyal friend.  because these are your true friends and loyalty is the currency you carry.