A stone is not just a stone (turn it over)

Have you ever seen a stone that has just been sitting in a place for some time, undisturbed? Did you ever decide that one day you will turn the stone over and discover what lies beneath it? What did you find? I know as a child I would turn over many stones, logs, etc, that seemed to be implanted in to the soil. What I discovered was amazing. Upon lifting the stone from the earth, I noticed that there was a whole other world beneath it. I saw different species of bugs scattering in search of protection from the sun and moreso, myself or any other potential predator. I saw the roots of grass criss-crossing the surface like Los Angeles' freeways. I noticed a sustained moisture, and a seemingly rich in nutrients soil that emcompassed the "little world," all while wondering how the weight of the stone didn't crush it. It was its own little ecosystem, rich with sustenance, and abundant with life.

If you ever had this experience, remember how interesting it was to know that there was something more to the stone than just an object in a stagnant state. There was vibrance. In life, we leave many stones unturned. Life is filled with many opportunities, that if recognized and taken advantage of can potentially leave us in a vibrant, flourishing state.

More importantly, we must recognize the abundance in our own lives. We must realize that under the stone we are filled with excellence, greatness, and fruitfulness. We can also see that same potential in others as well. Beneath the surface there are gems. In darkness there is light. We have the right environmental necessities inside to fulfill greatness if we nourish them and allow them to work symbiotically.

In others, a stone is more than a stone. In ourselves, a stone is more than a stone. Though dormant, a stone is filled with life.

God Bless

Don't Leave it in Someone Else's Hands

I was watching the Manny Pacquiao versus Timothy Bradley fight last night and was pretty surprised by the outcome of the fight. It seemed that throughout the fight Pacquiao was in complete control yet when the decision was rendered it came to favor Bradley. This may go down as one of the most controversial decisions in boxing history and the consequences of such a decision could not only have damaged any chance of a possible blockbuster match between Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather but could have also left a irreparable scar on a sport already riddled by accusations of corruption.

Though the decision is arguable, Pacquiao had several opportunities where he could have taken the fight into his own hands and ended it. He had Bradley hurt and on the verge being knocked down (and possibly knocked out) on a few occassions but was unable to capitalize on the opportunities. Instead, the fight ended up being left in the hands of the judges who happened to see a totally different fight.

I bring this fight up to say that in life it is imperative to begin to start taking matters in our own hands in terms of certain outcomes we want to achieve. Too many times do we choose to leave the well-being of our lives, and our successes, in the hands of other people to determine. When we hand over our lives to other people, we sometimes lose the authority to direct the lives that we want to lead. We miss out on opportunities because we are waiting on someone else to propell us to the next level, and sometimes when that doesn't happen we are left disappointed.

Going back to a previous blog entry, I will reiterate that our circumstances may have some effect on our position in life but ultimately it is the choices we make that have the final say. If Pacquiao would've knocked him out the judges wouldn't have mattered. When we take life into our own hands sometimes it doesn't matter what the other person's actions are and our dependency level on them diminishes.

It is time to take over our money problems, our career setbacks, our relationship worries, our spiritual deficiencies, etc. It is time to say, "Hey, I am not leaving this one to the judge's scorecard."

God Bless