Forward to Happiness

There's an old saying that many know... God helps those that help themselves.  When I was growing up, many thought it was a bible verse. But, it's actually from country founder Benjamin Franklin in his way to wealth booklet.  The point was that you should be working towards your own success and not just sitting around waiting for someone to save you.  Others can help you, and if that's offered be grateful, but ultimately your life is your responsibility and if you don't believe in yourself or your future enough to work for it, why should God believe in you to do it? It also reminds me of another old story.  There came a flood to a city, and as the waters rose, a pastor said, "God will save me."  Shortly, a man knocked on his door to save him, and he said, "God will save me."  Later, a boat came by his house and called to him, but he said, "God will save me."  Finally, as he was on top of his roof, a helicopter came and called to him, and he...

When my last marriage ended, I wanted to put it behind me, and combined with my voluntarily giving custody of my child to my first ex in Florida, I thought what better way. But, the problem is what I didn't recognize was that it was am act of surrendering my foundation to someone that rejected me...two people, actually... as I was also giving up custody to my first ex that had never stopped and would continue to attack me to make herself look better by comparison to my child. But. I gave up more to my 2nd ex. I grew up in Oklahoma. That was my home and where my family resides. Tulsa had been my home for 5.5 years before I met my ex. I found the house to rent in which she now resides and mowed the grass and more there when we were together. When it ended, despite all this and the fact that she chose to give up and even refused my 4 requests for counseling to save the marriage...she refused to be the one to move away. When I had to go in s pandemic to Florida, I left boxes o...

I've spent a lot of my life following or living in illusions. I'll admit some of the time in years BEING an illusion even if I thought it was true, tried to make it true, or wanted it to be true, often to impress or get someone else. I don't do it much anymore. I try not to, though I have seen a few times that I have a little, before I caught and corrected it. So, I don't judge others for it, as much as I want to learn from it in myself and others, though sometimes I wish everything had been clear to save me from bad choices made.     Sometimes, the illusions were people pretending to be something they are not, such as empathetic.. I've had multiple examples of that over the years that as soon as we were over evaporated or turned into attacks on my character in a period of my struggle. Sometimes, it is a place. My choice to come to Florida and Florida, itself, would be an example of this. If you had a different experience of Florida, that's great. But, I can onl...

Different religions call it different names, but it's found in all of them.. the idea that ultimately the deficit between what struggles you face and what rewards you are given are balanced. There's an old Russian story of a woman thar faced judgment on her life and didn't look good for her. But, then they took into account the struggles she faced in life, and she was cleared. But, it's not always end of days that we see it but in this life, too. Taylor Swift sings that Karma is her boyfriend. Well, the sports player boyfriend isn't named Katma, but you get the point. Her life definitely is more rewarded than the decades she clawed her way up. In my case, it would be girlfriend, and like her I'd say that the idea gives me comfort to know my deficit will be reconciled, even as the idea of Karma must scare those that misused me. Indeed, without my intervention or even will, I can look at those individuals lives and see that they faced the penalty in their l...