I'm stronger than I think I am... we all are.

I had an experience some years ago where a thought came into my mind that nearly took my breath away, but it has stayed with me and strengthened me more times than I can count. I was using a technique in which you find a place to meditate, and ask yourself the question, "If my future self could tell me anything, what would it be?" As I said, the answer was swift and unexpected. For me, it was:

~ You are stronger than you think you are. ~

That got me to thinking over these years since that it is partly due to the learning and living that when you look back, you say, wow... I can't believe I was able to do that. Well, this seems like it has been one of those times lately, when I feel stuck and unable to do much about things I believe are important, at least they are to me.

I have been trying to figure out how to share some of those things with friends and family without spam mailing, and it hit me... duh! Put it on the blog... So, this post isn't so much "personal" as it is informative. Hopefully you will find the links to be informative and unbiased, and then consider for yourself what you think and believe.

First I want to start with 9 Principles. In summary, this is about finding a voice in our nation and realizing others want that too.

Then I want to move to 12 Values. This is a bit big to read, but well worth it.

Even though I have the links above, I still want to list them here, if for no other reason than to see them myself for a lift.

The nine principles are the first step... The nine principles can't stand by their own... but;

~ You are not alone. ~

1. America is good.

2. I believe in God and He is the Center of my Life.

3. I must always try to be a more honest person than I was yesterday.

4. The family is sacred. My spouse and I are the ultimate authority, not the government.

5. If you break the law you pay the penalty. Justice is blind and no one is above it.

6. I have a right to life, liberty and pursuit of happiness, but there is no guarantee of equal results.

7. I work hard for what I have and I will share it with who I want to. Government cannot force me to be charitable.

8. It is not un-American for me to disagree with authority or to share my personal opinion.

9. The government works for me. I do not answer to them, they answer to me.

The Twelve Values

Honesty:

• We must mean what we say and say what we mean. As individuals, never let anyone -- make a vow today. You will never let anyone doubt your word. Mean what you say and say what you mean.

Reverence:

• Means quiet, reflective, be still, listen, ponder.

Hope:

• A belief in the potential. You know who you are. There will be a brighter tomorrow.

Thrift:

• Understand that nothing is disposable, from people to things to the planet to the individual.

Humility:

• If we're humble, we can find the real true us, flaws and all. We're willing to look at the "Us."

Charity:

• Charity is about us as individuals. We care. We want to change our heart. Pure charity is to be god-like. We lose our focus on ourself and worry about others.

Sincerity:

• Be sincere. Live what you believe.

Moderation:

• Benjamin Franklin said I'm not going to eat too much and I'm not going to drink too much. But really it's bigger than that. It's moderating our passions. You do little things. You just stay aware.

Hard work:

• If you have hard work, you are growing, you're independent, you have self-worth. You know your own capabilities. You're honest about yourself on your limitations. You have long-term thinking. When you're working hard, you're working toward something. That gives you hope.

Courage:

• Where does courage come from? It's from living the principles and the values, honesty, hope, humility, belief in God, knowing who you are, knowing what you believe, knowing how it ends, knowing how it began. I know that people will think that I'm crazy and that's fine... [pray] for guidance and courage to do the things that he would want me to do, to say the things that he would want me to say and in the end to have the courage not to falter, to have the courage to know what the truth is because I can face anything, you can face anything if you know who you are and what's important.

Personal responsibility:

• Own up to your own things because that's the only way you'll change things. It's okay if you make mistakes. Everybody makes mistakes. It humbles us, and if we're honest with each other and honest with ourselves, we become stronger.

Friendship:

• We need to expand our circle of friendship. We need to start trusting one another again. We need to start seeing our neighbors again.

It kind of comes down to, if I have something that is important to me, I will post it here for others to access and ponder for themselves. I'll keep it in the right column, and I will make every attempt to avoid clutter. My "space" is meant to feel peaceful, so I'm going to do my best to avoid messing that up.

Much Love & Hugs,