The Power of the Human Heart … I Believe
Who could have ever predicted the sea of red & white that Vancouver & Whistler would have become. Although the Olympic brand may be the most powerful marketing machine in the world, it cannot manufacture real, raw emotion like we have experienced at the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Games. The Vancouver 2010 Olympic Organizing Committee did it by having a clear unwavering vision, attending to the details with tenacity, and staying true to their vision in a disciplined manner (even in the face of so many nay-sayers loudly expressing their opinions of the certain demise of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Games). The Vancouver 2010 Organizing Committee believed with every fibre of their being and they set the stage for all Canadians to open their hearts and believe.Regardless of results, the people of Canada came to understand the value of 24.4 seconds, when at the end of the Gold medal men’s hockey game the United States scored to tie the game, and the hopes of a gold medal seemed to evaporate. When faced with only having a minute, remember that is where it starts … be clear on what you want to achieve and unify your focus, mentally, physically, nutritionally and spiritually and move in the direction of your dreams.
Joannie Rochette’s ability to stay focused only days after her mum’s death, demonstrated to the world that finding the courage and strength is possible when we believe. Joannie Rochette said that on her final jump her legs had nothing left, but she managed to do the jump because she could feel her mum lifting her. Defining moments occur for each of us, our defining moments may not be on the grand stage of the Olympics, but they are there, allow yourself to be a part of them.
The full thrust of the human heart is what propels us … listen to your heart and live by it as we have seen demonstrated by all the Olympians in the past 17 days at the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Games. Anything is possible, what is it you want to create in your life in 2010?!
I believe!!!
The Power of the Human Heart … I Believe
Spiritual Growth: the Spiritual Challenge of Modern Times
Hi Ruth
To grow spiritually in a world defined by power, money, and influence is a Herculean task. Modern conveniences such as electronic equipments, gadgets, and tools as well as entertainment through television, magazines, and the web have predisposed us to confine our attention mostly to physical needs and wants. As a result, our concepts of self-worth and self-meaning are muddled. How can we strike a balance between the material and spiritual aspects of our lives?
To grow spiritually is to look inward.
Introspection goes beyond recalling the things that happened in a day, week, or month. You need to look closely and reflect on your thoughts, feelings, beliefs, and motivations. Periodically examining your experiences, the decisions you make, the relationships you have, and the things you engage in provide useful insights on your life goals, on the good traits you must sustain and the bad traits you have to discard. Moreover, it gives you clues on how to act, react, and conduct yourself in the midst of any situation. Like any skill, introspection can be learned; all it takes is the courage and willingness to seek the truths that lie within you. Here are some pointers when you introspect: be objective, be forgiving of yourself, and focus on your areas for improvement.
To grow spiritually is to develop your potentials.
Religion and science have differing views on matters of the human spirit. Religion views people as spiritual beings temporarily living on Earth, while science views the spirit as just one dimension of an individual. Mastery of the self is a recurring theme in both Christian (Western) and Islamic (Eastern) teachings. The needs of the body are recognized but placed under the needs of the spirit. Beliefs, values, morality, rules, experiences, and good works provide the blueprint to ensure the growth of the spiritual being. In Psychology, realizing one’s full potential is to self-actualize. Maslow identified several human needs: physiological, security, belongingness, esteem, cognitive, aesthetic, self-actualization, and self-transcendence. James earlier categorized these needs into three: material, emotional, and spiritual. When you have satisfied the basic physiological and emotional needs, spiritual or existential needs come next. Achieving each need leads to the total development of the individual. Perhaps the difference between these two religions and psychology is the end of self-development: Christianity and Islam see that self-development is a means toward serving God, while psychology view that self-development is an end by itself.
To grow spiritually is to search for meaning.
Religions that believe in the existence of God such as Christianism, Judaism, and Islam suppose that the purpose of the human life is to serve the Creator of all things. Several theories in psychology propose that we ultimately give meaning to our lives. Whether we believe that life’s meaning is pre-determined or self-directed, to grow in spirit is to realize that we do not merely exist. We do not know the meaning of our lives at birth; but we gain knowledge and wisdom from our interactions with people and from our actions and reactions to the situations we are in. As we discover this meaning, there are certain beliefs and values that we reject and affirm. Our lives have purpose. This purpose puts all our physical, emotional, and intellectual potentials into use; sustains us during trying times; and gives us something to look forward to—a goal to achieve, a destination to reach. A person without purpose or meaning is like a drifting ship at sea.
Warm Regards
Mark