For more than twenty-five years, Coach John's life has evolved around helping people, young and old, in finding their ways through life. He designed modules and trained speakers. He travelled extensively giving talks, seminars, retreats and personal life coaching. This blog speaks his mind, a product of his love for life.

Barber Almighty

No, I don't argue with atheists anymore; it's pointless. But if an honest question is thrown about the existence of God and why there's so much pain and suffering in this world, I don't give a theo-philosophical answer either, instead, I tell this story:

A man went to a barber shop to have his hair and his beard cut as always. He started to have a good conversation with the barber who attended him. They talked about so many things and various subjects. Suddenly, they touched the subject of God. The barber said: "Look man, I don't believe that God exists as you say."
"Why do you say that?" asked the client.
"Well, it's so easy, you just have to go out in the street to realize that God does not exist. Oh, tell me, if God existed, would there be so many sick people? Would there be abandoned children? If God existed, there would be no suffering nor pain. I can't think of loving a God who permits all of these things."
The client stopped for a moment thinking, but he didn't want to respond as to cause an argument. The barber finished his job and the client went out of the shop. Just after he left the barber shop he saw a man in the street with a long hair and beard (it seems that it had been a long time since he had his cut and he looked so untidy). 
Then the client again entered the barber shop and he said to the barber, "You know what? Barbers do not exist." "How can you say they don't exist?" asked the barber. "Well I am here and I am a barber." "No!" the client exclaimed. "They don't exist because if they did there would be no people with long hair and a beard like that man who walks in the street."
"Ah, barbers do exist, what happens is that people do not come to me." "Exactly!"- affirmed the client.
"That's the point. God does exist, what happens is people don't go to Him and do not look for Him. That's why there's so much pain and suffering in the world."
Life in 3-D: 3rd Dimension- Barber Almighty (This page)



credits: photo- freemanssportingclub.com/ story- anonymous

Remember James Kim



The Altruist
How I wish the world could give more attention to the story of James Kim. Until now I could not get over it: I'm still grieving. I first knew of James Kim when he was still at Tech.tv. In 2004, he joined CNET and he became its senior editor.

In 2006, he and his family got lost in Bear Camp Road, a remote area of southwestern Oregon. Due to heavy snow they got stuck and could not go on: no community, no village, no house, no signal for a voice call. He left Kati, his wife, and his two daughters to look for help and promised to comeback.


...He never came back. After 4 days, his body was found 16.2 miles (26 km) from the car to that point. According to the rescuers, one needs a superhuman strength to reach that long in the midst of heavy snow and treacherous terrains.
"A tearful Undersheriff Brian Anderson announced the discovery of the body, his voice breaking at one point. "He was very motivated," Anderson said. "We were having trouble in there. He traveled a long distance."


I know this is a sad story. But deep within, I know that every good parent would do the same for their loved ones. He or she may die in the process, but it would be a meaningful death. This is man in his fullness. To live and die for others. . .



Kati and her daughter after the rescue


Life in 3-D: 1st Dimension - The Ego
Life in 3-D: 2nd Dimension - Remember James Kim (This Page)
Life in 3-D: Barber Almighty 

credits: story and photos: cbsnews and wikipedia

The Ego

I always tell my audience: 'everyday, go in front of the mirror, take a deep breath, and tell that person in front of you: "I love you..." They asked "why?" I answered, "because nobody will." The usual outright response I got from this is laughter. They thought it was one of my antics again. I told them it's not.


It's not narcissism either. Narcissism is rooted  in the lack of self-love. The narcissistic person is not actually convinced that he/she is lovable. That's why he/she is obsessed in directing all the attentions towards him/her to fill that vacuum within. Narcissistic people have insatiable appetite for attention.

A well loved person is sufficient, and therefore does not need to beg for attention. As the famous song goes..."learning to love yourself is the greatest love of all..."


Life in 3-D
Life in 3-D: 1st Dimension - The Ego (This page)
Life in 3-D: Second Dimension - Remember James Kim 
Life in 3-D: 3rd Dimension - Barber Almighty 

Life in 3-D


Toy Story 3 will be out this June in computer-animated 3-D film  and IMAX 3-D.  Wow, I can't wait. But honestly speaking, this 3-D thing freaked me out. Hollywood has several ways of defining and processing 3-D, or 3 dimensional films. But I got to admit that this 3-D thing is fantastic.

Watching The Avatar, though, made me scared; is this the beginning of the end of human actors? That's just creepy.


3-D is indeed changing the world. It changes how the films are made, and it changes the way we watch them.  It may be much complicated, but it's rewarding.  Hollywood is spending billions of dollars in 3-D technology. That 's not hard to understand; they believe that films should be more realistic: Life is three dimensional.

Parallel
Real life is 3-D too. Don't you think?


Hover your mouse over the image
The reason why life is often complicated is that we tend to be single dimensional only.
Once we see life's true form in 3-D, complications dissolve and we begin to enjoy life in its fullness.

Life in 3-D (This page)
Life in 3-D: 1st Dimension - The Ego
Life in 3-D: 2nd Dimension - Remember James Kim
Life in 3-D: Barber Almighty




How to Change the World...


Help Wanted


The world needs men and women. . .
    ...who cannot be bought;
    ...whose word is their bond;
    ...who put character above wealth;
    ...who possess opinions and a strong will;
    ...who are larger than their vocations;
    ...who do not hesitate to take risks;
    ...who will not lose their individuality in a crowd;
    ...who will be as honest in small affairs as in greater;
    ...who will make no compromise with wrong;
    ...whose ambitions are not confined to their own selfish desires;
    ...who will not say they do it "because everybody else does it;"
    ...who are true to their friends through good and bad,
             in adversity as well as in prosperity;
    ...who do not believe that shrewdness, cunning,
              and hardheadedness are the best qualities
              for winning success;
    ...who are not ashamed or afraid to stand for the truth
              when it is unpopular;
    ...who can say "no" with emphasis, although all the rest
              of the world says "yes."
    ...whose ambitions are not confined to their selfish desires...

Text source: Framed Inspiration
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The Last Indian




When the leader of our tribe said that we should go, we must go. It  was a game. The rules: first, we go into the house in the jungle where a couple lived with their more or less 20 dogs. Second, we'll provoke the dogs. Third, those who will run first will be considered losers.

The twelve of us went, each had either a staff or a wooden club. Our sub-tribe, four of us, promised to each other that we would stand our ground and win that game.  I was only 12 years old then, but I together with my playmates felt we were grown-ups ready for an adventure of a lifetime. How I wish we had a digital camera then.

The Battle Begins
We did not need to tease the dogs anymore, they started barking even at 50 meters distance. The louder and stronger the barks, the more we charged with our staffs, wooden clubs and battle cries. Perhaps because we're confident the dogs were confined in a fence. We felt like Indians attacking the enemies. We heard the incoherent shouts of the old man, but we ignored him. The gate opened and I saw more or less 12 angry dogs counter charging as well. They crowded the gate's small opening. Then suddenly I realized I was alone.

The Chase
With primordial fear and shock, I turned around as well to run. I ran and ran and ran. Our battle cries turned into baby cries. I heard some of them calling for their mothers. The jungle was treacherous and the paths were narrow. 20 meters ahead, I saw an upside down boat being repaired. I thought, I would jump over it and then I should be safe. I ran as fast as I can to gain momentum, but at 5 meters, I was shocked to realize that it was too high for me to jump over. It was a dead end.

The Last Indian
I had no choice. I turned around, renewed my battle cry and swang my club. No, I missed the dogs. I hit nothing! But the dogs went into a full stop as I swang my club left and right. The game suddenly changed.They ran away. Now it's my turn: I chased them back. Nyeaaaahhhhooo!Wow, I felt like William Wallace in Braveheart.

We all went home, each with his own story. Nobody recognized me as a hero or a savior, but I felt like one.

I realize: each of us has his/her battle in life. The world may not care about our pains and struggles, but all the same we need to endure, survive, and win...


photo credit: source

O u r D e e p e s t F e a r: By Marianne Williamson

Photo By notsogoodphotography
O u r   D e e p e s t   F e a r
By Marianne Williamson
 

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.
Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.
It is our light, not our darkness

That most frightens us.

We ask ourselves

Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?

Actually, who are you not to be?

You are a child of God.

 

Your playing small

Does not serve the world.

There's nothing enlightened about shrinking

So that other people won't feel insecure around you.

 

We are all meant to shine,

As children do.

We were born to make manifest

The glory of God that is within us.

 

It's not just in some of us;

It's in everyone.

 

And as we let our own light shine,

We unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.

As we're liberated from our own fear,

Our presence automatically liberates others.


Happy Feet

Today, cyberphobia is a term nobody cares anymore. But before email burnt the slow and inefficient post office, the word cyberphobia has almost made it into the search cloud. In explaining this, one author cited an incidence wherein a post office employee literally vomited on the keyboard in front of the computer when his boss insisted that he should learn the technology.


Fear and Change
A lot of people fear change. Some seek change. People are afraid of change because of the risk inherent in it. I usually heard people say: "what if...", "I am already comfortable here, why move?", "That won't gonna work..."Those who seek change know and understand these fears and inhibitions, but they charge through anyway.

Dell
When I was at Dell before, my fellow resolution experts resisted a new policy: we needed to sell. Some reasoned out that they did not sign for it. Some said, they're not sales agents. So, they went around ranting and propagating their bitterness. On the other hand, some who understood the situation, simply followed the guidance and started offering our customers after resolving their issues.

After two weeks, those who embraced the new change, received their commission over and above their usual salary. They were happy and wanted to sell more. Those who resisted change, on the other hand, were still bitter and stressed out. Stressed OUT, simply because they had to follow the new policy EVENTUALLY.

Sharks are one of the most dangerous creatures in the world. One of the reasons for this, according to science, is that they are less evolved creatures. Dinosaurs went extinct precisely because they could not adapt to the sudden change in the environment a long time ago.

Reader's Digest, the post office, monarchy, pagers: all of these suffered from irrelevancy. The reason is that some could not simply evolve, some refused to change, some are late adapters; so late that they could not cope with the competition anymore.

Change is as normal as breathing. Resistance is futile, tiresome and unproductive. The best response to change is adaptation.

Happy Feet
What do we do when our feet wont fit into our shoes anymore? We change the shoes, not the feet...



photo: source

A Lesson From Sandra Bullock


Here's why you should stop listening to what other people tell you who you are.

First, remember Sandra Bullock. Last April she was 'awarded
The Worst Actress Award at Razzies. The next day, the 2010 Oscars gave her the Best Actress award. People around us have several unique ways of confusing us. They give us names and label us according to their perception. They prophesy our future and put us in a box they designed. And the worst part is... we believe them. You don't have to believe them.


My high school teacher compared my brain with the size of my rival's little finger. I was running for a school councilor then. It almost killed my self esteem right there and then. But I chose to continue with my campaign and advocacy. After the election, I got 82% votes of the total school population, pinning me at the #1 spot, surpassing even the number of votes our mayor got. Thanks God, I did not listen to that 'well respected' teacher.

Second, stop listening to yourself! That maybe crazy. But our self image has been imposed by the people around us. Most of what we think about who we are, came from the judgment of other people. 'You can't do it', 'what have you done?!', 'you're not bright enough', 'you're not Michael Jordan', 'you should be like your brother', 'your sister did better,+=3@*&^./'\ :( etc. Those words became a part of us, they became us. Press the stop button and create your own music. Start painting the real you.

The Truth

Third: you are you. The truth is you don't have to please other people to be accepted. Every human being is unique, good and a beauty in 'itself'. "If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain or bitter, for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself..." (Max Ehrmann) My college professor once said, 'we're all idiot-savant.' We may be idiot in some things, and genius in other things.

As e. e. cummings said: "To be nobody-but-yourself -- in a world which is doing its best, night and day, to make you everybody else -- means to fight the hardest battle which any human being can fight; and never stop fighting..." Be yourself.

Everyday is a Father's Day

     This story has been in my China phone in text format, sad to say the phone lasted only for two weeks: it died a sudden death. But every time I come across with chocolates, a well made box; or when my daughter would mess up my things, I remember this story. Wow, it simply soothes me. It is as if I was doused with cold, refreshing water. I searched for the author, but several sources said it's 'anonymous'.

The story goes that some time ago, a man punished his 3-year-old daughter for wasting a roll of gold wrapping paper. Money was tight and he became infuriated when the child tried to decorate a box to put under the Christmas tree.

Nevertheless, the little girl brought the gift to her father the next morning and said, "This is for you, Daddy." He was embarrassed by his earlier overreaction, but his anger flared again when he found the box was empty.

He yelled at her, "Don't you know that when you give someone a present, there's supposed to be something inside it?"

The little girl looked up at him with tears in her eyes and said,"Oh, Daddy, it is not empty. I blew kisses into the box. All for you, Daddy."

The father was crushed. He put his arms around his little girl, and he begged for her forgiveness.

It is told that the man kept that gold box by his bed for years and whenever he was discouraged, he would take out an imaginary kiss and remember the love of the child who had put it there.

     This story reminds me that everyday is a Daughter's Day; everyday is a Father's Day...

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She Wants a Puppy

     The first ever full length story I heard outside our home was about a dog. It was the time when my mother brought me into an adult encounter workshop. Kids were not allowed then, but i remember I listened to the story from the kitchen where the sound system was clear.

     It was a story of a dog, the baby and the hunter. One day, a man with his dog went hunting for food. He was must be a single father; he brought with him his baby. For days already, they did not have a catch. So, the hunter decided
to leave the baby with the dog. It was almost sundown already when he came back with a catch. He was so excited, as he was so hungry to prepare a fire. When he arrived, he was shocked to find out that there was blood all over the place. He looked for his dog and the child. A shocking thought entered his mind: "could it be?" Suddenly, his dog came out with blood all over its face. Confirming his fear that indeed the dog could have eaten his child, he took out his shotgun, aimed for the dog and then with closed eyes pulled the trigger. The dog died in an instant. It's sound echoed through the forest. A deafening silence followed. And then he heard something... a cry of a child. He rushed to its source and found out the child up on a big rock near the river, safe and sound. Down below were two wolves defeated and dead...

     I am sorry about the ending. But, as you can guess, that story was a traumatic one for me. I never forget it. I remember the face of the man who told the story, the ambiance, and some of the faces of the participants of that encounter group. And how old was I then? 5-6 years old. I never thought of the moral lesson of the story; it's just that every time I remember it, I felt sad and asking. I just simply want to hug a dog or a puppy.

     Here is another well loved story of Mari and her three puppies. Thanks to the uploader:












When my four year old daughter saw this, she started looking for her imaginary puppy. I promise her that she'll get a real one...

Here is the ending of the story about Mari and her three puppies


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Soul Spa: 40 Ways To Do It


1.  Smile first.
2.  It's all right to be imperfect.
3.  Get up every time you fall down.
4.  Cry.
5.  Don't enter Heaven alone.
6.  Embrace.
7.  Wake up early.
8.  It's ok to be angry.
9.  Stand in front of the mirror everyday and say: I Love You...
10.  Don't wait for them to add you as friend, add them first.
11.  Visit your hometown at least once in every 10 years.
12.  Forgive. Hatred poisons the one who harbors it.
13.  Fulfill your promise.
14.  Be strong in front of your children.
15.  Let the children laugh.
16.  Keep things that remind you of the good old days.
17.  Always look for a solution.
18.  Adopt a puppy.
19.  Always look good wherever you go.
20.  Reconcile.
21.  Create a positive habit.
22.  Donate.
23.  Reward yourself.
24.  Pay your debts.
25.  Sing a song everyday.
26.  Make a list of your achievements.
27.  Inspire others.
28.  Adjust first.
29.  Feel beautiful.
30.  Avoid negative people.
31.  Be proud of your small victories as well.
32.  Hold a baby.
33.  Celebrate your birthday.
34.  Be careful with your words, the walls have ears.
35.  Ride a roller coaster.
36.  Don't be afraid to say 'no'.
37.  Bring presents.
38.  Watch a sunset.
39.  Plant a tree.
40.  Pray.

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 photo: hover your mouse for credit.

Let's Hunt For Dinosaurs

     One night, my daughter did not want to go to sleep. She said she was afraid of dinosaurs. I asked her if she saw one, she said, 'yes', in her dreams.  I told her, "all right, dear. Let's sleep together. Let's dream of that dinosaur together then I will chase it for you..." She smiled and flashed her eyes, then we slept together. Well, of course I did not dream of any dinosaur that night. When she woke up, she did not talk about dinosaurs anymore. I was glad.

     The truth is we all have our our own dinosaurs. They came in different sizes and colors.  Dinosaurs are our fears. Our dinosaurs could come from an ancient past, from our childhood, from our previous experiences. They chase us, and hunt us. 

     Meet Anne, a single mother. During the course of our conversation, she revealed why Darryl has no father.  She did not hide the fact that she was the number two.  In fact, she would brag about it. Later on I knew that she came from a broken family. Her mother and father were married, but he chose to live with another woman.  The irony was that they ended up 'as if' they were the second family.  Her mother may have been so weak, emotionally, to assert their right. From then on, because of her fear that the same thing may happen to her, she chose the other side and became a mistress instead.

     Fear is crippling.  Like dinosaurs, they eat us up alive together with our dreams and loved ones. But fear in not itself evil.  Even Jesus got afraid in the Agony in the Garden.  Biologically speaking, it is  even positive. The Creator has placed fear in each creature to protect it from extinction. But because of our frail human nature, fear has become inordinate, uncontrollable, destructive. 

     Last year, when a man reached for his knife to stab me, I felt fear. There's nothing like it, cold and treacherous. The people whom I thought would help me stayed away and left us to wrestle. Trembling with fear and an inner desire to survive, I fought. I let go of my bag and jacket and took one step back to deliver my dragon stump. But he sensed it. He backed off and looked at me eyeball to eyeball. He saw I was determined to fight back. Filled with frustration, he jumped out  and ran. ---Courage is not the absence of fear, it is taking action in spite of fear...

     Fear could be real or imaginative. Every person has it. The question is, will you let it cripple you?  Will you let it steal your dreams?  Will you allow it to prevent you from loving more?  --- What are your dinosaurs...?
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"Short, Sweet and Frequently Resonant"

     After clicking on the 'like button' of one of the posts of my former students, my browser notifier did not stop giving me updates.  I went back to the post and re-read it including the comments. They are meaty and delightful. I went back to my research and found out that it seems that I am the only one who is not aware of it. The entire social-sphere is almost saturated with it. Publishers Weekly Review has this to say: "God Never Blinks" and called the 50 Life Lessons "short, sweet and frequently resonant." .  I was contemplating of blogging them piece by piece, but doing so will suck the sweetness out of it. I decided, there is no better way to share it but to share it as it is, in its entirety...


50 Lessons Life Taught Me
By Regina Brett

1. Life isn’t fair, but it’s still good.
2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.
3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.
4. Don’t take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
5. Pay off your credit cards every month.
6. You don’t have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.
7. Cry with someone. It’s more healing than crying alone.
8. It’s OK to get angry with God. He can take it.
9. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.
10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.
11. Make peace with your past so it won’t screw up the present.
12. It’s OK to let your children see you cry.
13. Don’t compare your life to others’. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn’t be in it.
15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don’t worry; God never blinks.
16. Life is too short for long pity parties. Get busy living, or get busy dying.
17. You can get through anything if you stay put in today.
18. A writer writes. If you want to be a writer, write.
19. It’s never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else.
20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don’t take no for an answer.
21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don’t save it for a special occasion. Today is special.
22. Overprepare, then go with the flow.
23. Be eccentric now. Don’t wait for old age to wear purple.
24. The most important sex organ is the brain.
25. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.
26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words: “In five years, will this matter?”
27. Always choose life.
28. Forgive everyone everything.
29. What other people think of you is none of your business.
30. Time heals almost everything. Give time time.
31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
32. Your job won’t take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch.
33. Believe in miracles.
34. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn’t do.
35. Whatever doesn’t kill you really does make you stronger.
36. Growing old beats the alternative – dying young.
37. Your children get only one childhood. Make it memorable.
38. Read the Psalms. They cover every human emotion.
39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.
40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else’s, we’d grab ours back.
41. Don’t audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.
42. Get rid of anything that isn’t useful, beautiful or joyful.
43. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.
44. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
45. The best is yet to come.
46. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
47. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.
48. If you don’t ask, you don’t get.
49. Yield.
50. Life isn’t tied with a bow, but it’s still a gift
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 Regina Brett: http://www.reginabrett.com/index.php; 
image credits: FlickrCC:  www.flickr.com/photos/mrhayata/ 

The Titans Among Us

     It's during the reign of Betamax in the 80's that I first watched 'The Clash of The Titans'. For some who were not born yet during that time, Betamax was not a Greek god nor a food supplement. Betamax was the reigning videocassette tape format before VHS took over in later years. Today, we have DVD and Blue-ray.
   
     The Clash of the Titans (1981) was a huge success. That was the movie which born out in me an insatiable hunger for Greek mythology. The book Bulfinch' Mythology was one of the first books I read in full in my early days. The characters of the gods were just too human and thus, entertaining. Well, according to my Hermeneutic class, characters were drawn out from real people. The writers observed these personalities and then infused them into his characters. Thus, the famous Narcissus, for example, the source of our psychology term narcissistic or narcissism was a characteristic of real people.  Then it was given life in the person of Narcissus, and then today we call a person narcissistic when he/she manifests "a pervasive pattern of grandiosity, need for admiration, and a lack of empathy: an extreme self-centered.General psychology calls this 'complex' or personality complex. Jung uses 'archetypes.'

     So, with all of these, the question is: 'so what? Are these characters still relevant today? Aren't Titans dead already? My answer is, yes, they are very much relevant today and...no, they aren't dead: THEY ARE ALIVE.  Really? Well, let me explain this. First, I want you to stop thinking about those monsters yet, or the Kraken or of the Gorgons, or of Medusa. Second, let me invite you to go back to what I said a while ago about characters.  All right? Again, let me repeat this " characters were drawn out from real people. The writers observed these personalities and then infused them in his characters." So, where are the sources of these characters? The answer is: from us people. Titans are our powers and weaknesses personified. Titans are alive and well in each one of us and everyday clashing.

Here are some famous personalities:
(note: a single person may have several of these)

Zeus - A manipulative but powerful manager, a domineering brother, and a certified philanderer
Hera - An ever jealous wife (girlfriend) who knows her husband or boyfriend has several women but chose to spy and punish those women instead.
The Three Witches - They share a single eye, meaning they are those people who don't have their own decisions. They conclude, make accusations and decide based on fads, hearsay or majority. They view the world from a single point of view: their view.
Danaë - an unhappy woman who sees marriage as an escape from misery (at home).
Hades - a person who has his/her own world. He or she sticks to what he/she knows, hates the crowd but is possessive of his or her friends.  She/he is always hungry and makes excuses for her/his appetite.
Hermes - a person gifted with a good memory and has a great communication skills, but may cause divisions among his/her friends because of his/her sharp and lashing tongue.
Aphrodite -
a generous person who loves to carry her weight in every human affair, but does things so to be noticed and praised by others.
Ares - a person who lives in tension and quarrel but would always emerge a winner because he/she successfully blames everything to others or on circumstances.
Perseus
- a seeming unfortunate person, but chose to re-claim his dignity by proving his worth. A self made man.
What kind of Titans are you?

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How Does It Feel to Be an Egg?

     When Facebook was still in hatching in the mind of those Harvard heroes, we used to share things via emails. And what I hated most aside http://www.flickr.com/photos/85388692@N00/126874965from spams from unknown spammers were chain letters. As you may have experienced, most of these chain letters have either threats or a promise of miracles. That is a case of 'under duress'. Most people would continue the cycle for fear of being maligned by karma, or for a loss of a promised luck after three days, or for fear they wont get that long-prayed-for groom. Susmaryosep!  I never passed one on. But! and another 'but', there were chain letters which I remember I modified, took out the threatening clauses and sent them to my loved ones. One of them was the "Special Bank Account" which I posted here in my previous blog. No string attached, no threats, just a pure blessing and feeling good it was.

     God is a God of love, of freedom and miracles. He does not use threats to make people follow His commandments of love. "Say 'yes', if you mean YES, say 'no', if you mean NO. (James 5:12)  Jesus' promise is a promise He has proven possible already, that is the Resurrection, a new life for everyone. An egg during Easter is precisely a symbolic reminder for us of that promise.  Jesus wants us to get out of that shell, no, not on the judgment day. Today, now, every time we feel suffocated by the pressures and the albumen of indifference. The message is simple: Jesus wants us to force our way out from whatever shell that prevents us from forgiving others, from reaching out, from the hesitation to pronounce our allegiance to Him in public.

     Yesterday, my wife received another viral email about eggs. No, it was not in a form of a chain letter. I remember receiving this several years ago when I was at Dell. I forwarded it. It is a set of pictures actually about eggs, but are kind of cute and alive (?) :) I believe this is the best time share them. Happy Easter!

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