Turn of the Wheel........

He propelled himself as the Voice of his people and set the tone to enhance his image, by causing damage to a defunct structure.World War II was one of the bloodiest wars in history. The unprovoked German attack on Poland in 1939 set the war in motion, and it raged for six years until the Nazis were defeated in 1945. Unfortunately when the time came to take over the reins, his position was usurped by his own, who claimed to have a better vision for the people. It was a brutal six years, with more than 50 million soldiers and civilians killed in the war. A large portion of the death toll was due to the genocide of six million European Jews killed by Hitler’s directives. Death camps and concentration camps contributed one of the deadliest genocides in history. This genocide was carried out in stages, with the extermination camps eventually posed as “the Final Solution to the Jewish Question.”  Anti-semitism was not a new concept when Hitler rose to power—and he preyed on this fear of the other by scapegoating Jews for the economic problems and social unrest Germany was facing after World War I. The historian and scholar Eberhard Jackel wrote about why the Holocaust was so shocking to those who lived through it. Gradually members of the other communities were directed to fall in line or get out.Never before had a state with the authority of its responsible leader decided and announced that a specific group, would be killed as quickly as possible, and then carried through this resolution using every possible means of state power.The best way to take control over people, is to take a little of their freedom at a time. To erode Rights by a Thousand tiny reductions. In this way people will not see their Rights being removed, until it reaches a point when it cannot be reversed. First came the dress code, then the drink code and now the eat code.Vigilantes took to the streets to settle old scores.The tales told remind us that state sanctioned violence on a scale as massive as the Holocaust didn’t happen overnight. It took resources, supporters, and infrastructure. Of course there was nothing in the newspapers about the Nazi bunkers. That was very much a taboo subject, as was everything about the Nazi period. That is what the media fed and the public consumed it. Do you see history repeat itself

AMOR FATI - Learn To Love Your Fate.......

Amor fati is a Latin phrase that may be translated as "love of fate" or "love of one's fate". It is used to describe an attitude in which one sees everything that happens, including suffering and loss as, necessary. Whether one likes them or not, it is accepted with zen like serenity.     

Thomas Edison was at home eating dinner. A man burst into his home, interrupting him. He had bad news. His research facility was on fire. Now how would you imagine Edison to react? Do you imagine Edison panicking or do you hear him screaming out “Why me?” or is he deeply distraught or do you see him in deep agony?

None of these happened. Edison requested his son to go and get his mother. It seems, Edison excitedly told his son, “She’ll never see a fire like this again.” 

Naturally, Edison’s son thought his father had lost his mind, and rightfully so. All of Edison’s experiments, things that could never be replicated, were inside his laboratory, burning to the ground.

“Don’t worry. It’s all right,” Edison said calmly, “All my mistakes and a lot of unnecessary rubbish have just got burnt.” 

In this, Edison revealed the true nature of Amor Fati – choosing to love your fate, no matter what. 

Not only was he “NOT broken-hearted”, he was revitalised. Despite losing over $1 million at the age of 67 in that fire, he persevered and made over $10 million thereafter. WOW! 

I am in love with the concept of Amor Fati. Why? Because, the power that we have in life by accepting our fate is so immense that you feel nothing is impossible for you. You believe that everything has a purpose, and that it is up to you to make this purpose something positive and active. 

Maybe you lost your job.

Maybe someone cheated you of your entire life’s earnings.

Maybe, your trust was broken with impunity.

Maybe, the person you love the most, is facing a life threatening disease.

Maybe, someone ill treated you.

The challenge of your life may be considerable and inescapable.

And yet you’re given the choice to greet it with a smile. And then, act..That’s AMOR FATI. 

The goal of this article is not to make you feel “okay” or even “good” when terrible things happen. It’s to make you feel GREAT irrespective of what happens. If it happened, then it was meant to happen. You are meant to make the best of it.

It is unnatural, I know, to feel calmness when faced with calamities. But see it this way.
It is fuel for you to push harder when you felt lost.
It is fuel for you to work harder when you want to quit.
It is fuel for you to think big when nothing was going right.
It is fuel for you to smile when all you want to do is frown.

Amor Fati, my dearest friends..... 

AND THEN IT IS WINTER....

THIS IS SO RIGHT ON THE MONEY... READ IT SLOWLY... I DON'T KNOW WHO WROTE IT, BUT I AM GUESSING IT WAS A SENIOR CITIZEN. I FIRST STARTED READING IT FAST UNTIL I STOPPED AND STARTED OVER,  READING SLOWER AND THINKING ABOUT EVERY WORD.

THIS POST IS VERY THOUGHT-PROVOKING. MAKES YOU STOP AND THINK.

You know. . . time has a way of moving quickly and catching you unaware of the passing years.

It seems just yesterday that I was young, and embarking on my new life. Yet in a way, it seems like eons ago, and I wonder where all the years went. I know that I lived them all. I have glimpses of how it was back then and of all my hopes and dreams. But, here it is... the winter of my life and it catches me by surprise... How did I get here so fast? Where did the years go and where did my youth go?

I remember well seeing older people through the years and thinking that those older people were years away from me and that winter was so far off that I could not fathom it or imagine fully what it would be like. But, here it is...my friends are retired and getting grey... they move slower and I see an older person now. Some are in better and some in worse shape than me...but, I see the great change... Not like the ones that I remember who were young and vibrant..but, like me, their age is beginning to show and we are now those older folks that we used to see and never thought we'd be.

Each day now, I find that just getting a shower is a real target for the day! And taking a nap is not a treat anymore... it's mandatory!

Cause if I don't on my own free will... I just fall asleep where I sit!

And so...now I enter into this new season of my life unprepared for all the aches and pains and the loss of strength and ability to go and do things that I wish I had done but never did!

But, at least I know, that though the winter has come, and I'm not sure how long it will last... this I know, that when it's over on this earth...it's NOT over. A new adventure will begin!

Yes, I have regrets. There are things I wish I hadn't done...things I should have done, but indeed, there are many things I'm happy to have done. It's all in a lifetime.

So, if you're not in your winter yet...let me remind you, that it will be here faster than you think. So, whatever you would like to accomplish in your life please do it timely! Don't put things off too long!

Life goes by quickly. So, do what you can today, as you can never be sure whether this is your winter or not! You have no promise that you will see all the seasons of your life...so, live for today and say all the things that you want your loved ones to remember...and hope that they appreciate and love you for all the things that you have done for them in all the years past!

Life is a gift to you. The way you live your life is your gift to those who come after.Make it a fantastic one.

LIVE IT WELL! ENJOY TODAY! DO SOMETHING FUN! BE HAPPY! HAVE A GREAT DAY!

REMEMBER:....

"It is health that is real wealth and not pieces of gold and silver.

LASTLY, CONSIDER THE FOLLOWING:

TODAY IS THE OLDEST YOU'VE EVER BEEN, YET THE YOUNGEST YOU'LL EVER BE, SO - ENJOY THIS DAY WHILE IT LASTS.

Your kids are becoming you......    

Going out is good. Coming home is better!

You forget names... But it's OK because other people forgot they even knew you!!!

You realize you're never going to be really good at anything.... especially golf.

The things you used to care to do, you no longer care to do, but you really do care that you don't care to do them anymore.

You sleep better on a lounge chair with the TV blaring than in bed.

It's called "pre-sleep".

You miss the days when everything worked with just an "ON" and "OFF" switch..

You tend to use more 4 letter words ... "what?"..."when?"... "what?"  "where?"

Now that you can afford expensive jewelry - it's not safe to wear it anywhere.

You notice everything they sell in stores is "sleeveless!?"

What used to be freckles are now liver spots.

Everybody whispers.

You have 3 sizes of clothes in your closet.... 2 of which you will never wear.

But Old is good in some things: Old Songs, Old movies, and best of all, OLD FRIENDS!!

Stay well, "OLD FRIEND!" Send this on to other "Old Friends!" and let them laugh in AGREEMENT!

It's Not What You Gather, But What You Scatter That Tells What Kind of winter yours is or is going to be. Enjoy life before winter or enjoy the winter. Wherever u may be, my friend let's continue to wish each other the very best of luck!

Wonderings.........

A Rose by another Name

She said, “Hi handsome. My name is Rose. I’m eighty-seven years old. Can I give you a hug?”

I laughed and enthusiastically responded, “Of course you may!” and she gave me a giant squeeze.   

“Why are you in college at such a young, innocent age?” I asked.

She jokingly replied, “I’m here to meet a rich husband, get married, and have a couple of kids…”

“No seriously,” I asked. I was curious what may have motivated her to be taking on this challenge at her age.

“I always dreamed of having a college education and now I’m getting one!” she told me.

After class we walked to the student union building and shared a chocolate milkshake.We became instant friends. Every day for the next three months, we would leave class together and talk non-stop. I was always mesmerized listening to this “time machine” as she shared her wisdom and experience with me.

Over the course of the year, Rose became a campus icon and she easily made friends wherever she went. She loved to dress up and she revelled in the attention bestowed upon her from the other students. She was living it up.

At the end of the semester we invited Rose to speak at our football banquet. I’ll never forget what she taught us. She was introduced and stepped up to the podium. As she began to deliver her prepared speech, she dropped her three by five cards on the floor. Frustrated and a little embarrassed she leaned into the microphone and simply said, “I’m sorry I’m so jittery. I gave up beer for Lent and this whiskey is killing me! I’ll never get my speech back in order so let me just tell you what I know.”

As we laughed she cleared her throat and began, “We do not stop playing because we are old; we grow old because we stop playing. 

There are only four secrets to staying young, being happy, and achieving success. 

You have to laugh and find humor every day.

You’ve got to have a dream. When you lose your dreams, you die. 

We have so many people walking around who are dead and don’t even know it!

There is a huge difference between growing older and growing up. If you are nineteen years old and lie in bed for one full year and don’t do one productive thing, you will turn twenty years old.

If I am eighty-seven years old and stay in bed for a year and never do anything I will turn eighty-eight.

Anybody can grow older. That doesn’t take any talent or ability. The idea is to grow up by always finding opportunity in change. 

Have no regrets. The elderly usually don’t have regrets for what they did, but rather for things they did not do. The only people who fear death are those with regrets.”

She concluded her speech by courageously singing “The Rose.” She challenged each of us to study the lyrics and live them out in our daily lives.

At the year’s end Rose finished the college degree she had begun all those years ago.

One week after graduation Rose died peacefully in her sleep. Over two thousand college students attended her funeral in tribute to the wonderful woman who taught by example that it’s never too late to be all you can possibly be .

REMEMBER, GROWING OLDER IS MANDATORY. GROWING UP IS

OPTIONAL.

We make a Living by what we get, We make a Life by what we give

The Empty Pickle Jar.....