Life's Paradox

I started dying the day I was born. This is a fact. But I also started living with that first breath. That’s the paradox of human existence. We are living and dying at the same time.

Makes me wonder what the point of life is then. If I’m dying why even try to live? Wouldn’t it be easier to just let the days pass by without caring? Without trying? Without loving?

No.

While I’m breathing I choose to live life to the fullest. Why? Because I’m dying. That’s how the paradox works to propel me towards an extraordinary human existence.

The lesson in all of this? Love life. Cherish it. Thank God for it. And go help others do the same.

I think Steve Jobs shared a similar perspective.

Dear God

God... are you helping me to do this? If You don’t, I’m not sure I will make it. I do believe in myself and what I am capable of. At the same time I am realistic about my limitations. I can endure, but only with Your grace. In return, I don’t have much to offer except my love and belief in You, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. In the past I tried to cut deals with You and make promises I couldn’t keep. This time I’ll just be honest with You and myself. I can never make good on my promises to You except for one - to never stop believing You are there for me. Regardless of what happens, You will never leave or forsake me. I now believe this and it inspires me to push forward.

The lesson? Sometimes a resurrection is needed to live life to the fullest.

The Quest

The quest will not surrender so easily
Its treasure must be fought for
Seek outside and it will never be revealed
Because it lives inside a place forgotten
In the times of reason and thought
It can’t be made sense of
You must endure until it’s time
To hold it in your hands
But it’s only in your heart
That it will truly appear
That is if you’re ready to see it
To know it... to love it
All this time the quest
Was no more than an acceptance
You were created for a reason
And that reason is simply to be you
You are your own treasure
The quest is over
But the journey continues…

The lesson? Life is only as complicated as you believe it to be.

Here's a chill song to help you reflect on this lesson.

Dreams and Prayer

The hardest part of making your dreams come true is the last stretch. Why? This is the part of the journey you will have to run alone.

Just before realizing your dreams friends and family will think you're nuts for shaking established comfort zones. Society will tell you to stick to your 9-5 job and not rock the boat. Well meaning mentors will project their own fears on you. You might even feel as though God has abondonded you. But He hasn’t and never will.

A similar thing also happens when you run long distances. There comes a point where you can no longer feel your legs. Your mind is overwhelmed with exhaustion and it can’t think clearly anymore. Even your ability to see may give out on you.

But this is where you find yourself. This is where you see the power to accomplish the extroadinary is within you. The trick is it can’t be accomplished with a conscious mind. You have to trust the power inside of you to see you through. It’s on the other side of the finish line that you will return to reality and see what you have done. Others, now seeing your accomplishment, will embrace you. But until then, it’s only you and God my friend.

Today’s lesson is to understand great things are only accomplished with great effort and risk. Until you are ready to let go of any and all safety nets, you won’t know what you are really capable of.

Here is a video that resonates with this lesson.

Bending Reality

“Wayseer,” what’s that?
Someone who sees life for what it is
Truths not readily apparent on the surface
Maybe it’s a tortured soul
One that knows it’s away from home
Gifts sometimes seen as a curse
Can’t always explain what they mean
Language a limitation to conception
Ideas only expressed through spirit
So much energy bottled up
It has to find its way out
Alone on a quest few understand
In search of the universe within
It’s hard to live like this at times
So it’s easier to be self-destructive
The world is a duality of reality
The eyes see what the want to see
Purpose… Meaning… A reason
Without these what’s life?
“Wayseers,” an interesting concept
Wonder if there's room for one more

Tonight's lesson? It's cool to be you.

Stripping for Truth

If you let them, false truths will strip you of your dreams and imprison you in your mind. But what if you strip yourself of false truths first?

False truths tell you your dreams are impossible. They tell you don’t deserve your dreams. They tell you life is designed to kick you in the teeth at every occasion. They do this to control you. To keep you from realizing that within you is the power to bend and shape reality.

So what kind of reality to you want to create? How about one aligned with God’s natural plan and design for humanity? I think this is a great place to start.

Tonight’s lesson is to remember the truth of who and what you are. You are more than the lies the world has fed you. You and all of humanity where created for a purpose. Dreams are blueprints to accomplish this purpose. Keep them alive and never stop believing in their power to sustain your existence.

Here’s a great song that resonates with this lesson.

Run to Live

Tonight’s run was a hard, but necessary, one. The weight of my thoughts was literally weighing me down.

I tell my sister she saved my life by getting me into running and I’m serious. With the birth of my 4th child and all the responsibilities that come along with it, I’m feeling I need to step up my game. In spirit, chasing the extraordinary is challenging but energizing. In the flesh, chasing the extraordinary is hard and it causes stress. This is where running comes in.

When I run I can literally feel my stress levels moving from my feet up to the top of my head. Somewhere in the middle of my run the desire to quit is overwhelming. But I can't quit because soon after I push beyond that point, my stress rushes out of the top of my head and into the air. What’s left is a refreshed and rebalanced me.

With this renewal I’m ready to take on the challenges of life again. And when I feel overwhelmed I go for another run. Assuming I go running every other day, my stress levels stay at the optimal level needed for creativity and productivity.

Tonight’s lesson is to never fear dying while running on a treadmill (or in life).

Will Smith has something interesting to say about this lesson.

Amazing Grace Arianna

Do you believe in miracles? What if I told you I saw one today with my own eyes? What if I told you I watched an angel open her eyes for the first time ever and in them I saw God? Would you believe in miracles then?

Today my daughter Grace Arianna was born and words cannot begin to explain the beauty of it all. I have been waiting for her all my life. I think even before I was born into this world I knew her. As I gazed into her beautiful eyes I saw something wonderful. I saw me through her eyes. In her eyes I am me in my purest form because she knows me no other way. That’s why I believe I saw God in her eyes. Because that’s how God sees me… and you.

You see, life is really not that complicated. We are born into this world pure and free. Over time that pureness and freedom is tainted and challenged. But no matter what we do or what happens to us, God sees us as we were the day we were born. Remembering this truth frees us from the self-imposed prisons we construct in our hearts and minds.

As I look at my beautiful daughter and children I can’t help but wonder if I'm fit to be their parent. But you know what? I think I am. Not because I know anything special or because I am perfect, but instead because I know where they came from and why they are here. They were born into my care so that I might love them as God loves me – without condition. God placed dreams in their hearts that I will help them discover and follow. Not a day will go by that I don’t tell them I love and believe in them. Not a day will go by that I don’t tell them they are a gift to the world and the world is a gift to them.

Through my children I am reborn. Through them I remember who and what I really am - a child of God who has known suffering but in the end awoken to the truth of life.

Grace Arianna, I love you with a love that is inexplicable. Thank you for choosing me to be your daddy. Thank you God for this gift.

Tonight’s lesson? Life is amazing. You are amazing. Let God's grace fill your heart with this truth. You will be amazed at what happens next.

Bring Out the Fire

I stood to face the horizon
The future a big unknown
The past a windblown memory
The journey must continue...

I awoke to a new sun
One that shone a different perspective
Its glow let me see again
The journey must continue...

The struggles, the pain
It consumes my being
Endure, drive forward
The journey must continue...

Days and nights trapped in photos
Moments too many to carry
Embrace it, love it
The journey must continue...

A new horizon
One without a beginning or an end
This is the meaning of life
The journey is eternal...

The lesson? Live the journey. "If you want more... bring out the fire..."

Here is a song to inspire this lesson.

Family Man

Sometimes I wonder what the meaning of my life is. Why was I born into this world? What exactly am I to do with my life? What’s going to happen to me when I die? Am I on the right track? Why I do I wonder so much.

I think it’s because I have always been curious. My dad reminded me of this tonight as he recounted memories I had long since forgotten. Beautiful memories that I am grateful he still holds on to.

The answers to the questions above are simple. So simple they are sometimes difficult to accept. I, you, we are the meaning of life. God made us simply to be us. We are born into this world to realize that truth. When we die our bodies fade into the earth and our spirits reunite with God. Am I on the right track is not the right question. The real question is have I awoken to my journey? The answer is yes when you stop living for the destination and start living in the moment. The reason we wonder is because wondering is one of our greatest God given gifts. Wonder is what’s needed to bring this world in alignment with God’s original intent for it.

Tonight’s lesson is to remember and embrace that which makes life beautiful for you. For me it’s my family. There is nothing I would rather be than a family man right now.

This song and movie remind me of this.

Written in the Stars

I think I finally understood something tonight. Life’s struggles are needed to prepare us for the afterlife. Through life’s struggles our mind, body, spirit, and emotions are strengthened and refined. The more theses parts of our being are strengthened and refined, the closer we come to knowing God’s purpose for us. I believe our ultimate purpose is to love and be loved by God. And we are to share this love with others to include the non-human world.

This thought came to me after a long run on my treadmill. I had pushed myself to a point where I thought I had no more to give. Then something inside of me said, “Keep at it and incline the track as high as it will go.” That’s were my exhaustion turned to pain. It’s also where I discovered struggle is needed if you are to grow. In my case I want to run farther and farther. I want to run to my life and never stop.

Tonight’s lesson was inspired by my dad who reminded me that no matter what life throws at you, you always have the choice to choose your response and attitude. Keep a positive spirit and one day your name will be written in the stars. I love you dad for inspiring me with this truth.

Here’s a song to inspire this lesson. “Ohhh, written in the stars… I'm on my way...”

Power from Within

I run to be free. Free from the thoughts that hold me down. Free from the emotions that blur my vision. Free from the rage that will consume me if I don’t first burn it out.

I run to lose my mind. To forget who and what I am. To forget where I am or where I came from. To finally remember I am me. Just me. No more. No less.

I run because of love. Love for my wife and children. They deserve the best of me. A balanced and peaceful man is what they get when I run.

I run because God created me to do it. When I run, stillness overtakes me. In those moments I intensly feel His presence. God is always there, but when I run I lose myself in the moment with Him.

Running, or anything that seriously gets you out of your comfort zone, is good for you. It brings you into balance by aligning you mind, body, spirit and emotions. This is tonight’s lesson.

Here are some videos that resonate with this lesson. I love this song and running on the beach.

More than Choices

“You are more than the choices you have made.”

It’s great to hear this because lately I’ve been making some bad choices. Things not worth mentioning but that God knows nonetheless.

Why am I self destructive? Why do I let my thoughts and feelings overwhelm me? Why do I find it hard to trust God? Why can’t I just chill out?

Because I am human. I have to keep reminding myself of this. If I was perfect I don’t think I would need God. It’s my imperfections that keep me from becoming full of myself. It’s my imperfections that remind me of God’s grace and love. My kids can never do anything that would keep me from loving them. I think the same applies to our relationship with God.

God’s love inspires me to be a better human being. It also helps me turn from darkness to light. When my life seems like a series of bad choices, I just need to pause and remember this. This is today's lesson.

Here’s a song that resonates with this lesson.

Understanding Life

“Who are you when no one is looking?” That’s the thought I had today.

I wish I could say I’m a saint, but that would be a lie. I’m just a guy trying to understand life and do the best I can is probably a more accurate answer. And on occasion I fail and struggle to forgive myself and move on. Thank God I’m getting better at that.

Life is a strange thing. I wonder a lot about the purpose of it all and honestly it’s hard to answer the “why” questions without reflecting on my relationship with God. Why was I born? Why am I alive? Why am I thinking these things? Without a master plan and creator it all seems a bit senseless.

Through my kids I have seen three human beings materialize out of ether and now those three human beings call me dad. It’s wonderful and a little crazy at the same time. I understand the science behind a human life, but how do you explain my kid’s consciousness? The only thing that makes sense to me is that God breathed consciousness into them.

But why where they born onto this planet and reality? Why do I feel compelled to tell them that there is much more to life than what you perceive with your senses? I think it’s because the God that created them created me too and as a parent His spirit and flows through me to them – and vice versa. Interesting huh?

I’m not sure how this last paragraph ties in with my original thought, but I like it nonetheless. Tonight’s lesson is that it is ok to let your imagination take over when reflecting on wondrous mysteries. It makes you feel alive.

Here’s a song that resonates with this lesson.

Tomorrow is Today

Today is my birthday and the 2nd anniversary of my sister’s stroke. Ironically, the day I was born and the day she almost slipped away are the same.

What are the chances of this happening I ask myself? Impossible I think. That’s why I know there is something more at work here.

In between birth and death there is life. Maybe that is what God is trying to tell us through all of this. Celebrate life while you’re alive. Let go of all the nonsense that keeps you down. As long as you’re breathing you have the power to manifest the life you dream of. It might take time but it’s possible.

And when tragedy does strike, let God show you how to be reborn through it. That's what my sister did with Thoughts of a Butterfly. That is tonight’s lesson.

Here’s a song to remind us that that butterflies fly when the sun comes out.

Love without Condition

“Why do I love God,” I asked myself today?

Because He loves me just as I am. Because in His eyes I am perfect.

With all the mistakes I’ve made in my life, with all the evil I have committed, with all the times I’ve hurt others, God continues to let me know that He still loves me.

And sometimes He does so in ways I would never have expected.

How?

Through you. Through random acts of love. Through people I don’t even know but that I see God’s compassion and love flowing through. I see and feel God’s presence when I choose to look with my heart. I see and feel God’s love when I stop judging, but instead love as He loves – without condition. That’s tonight’s lesson. Love as God loves so that you too may know His love.

Here’s a song that resonates with this lesson.

Aligning Stars

“He’s amazing.” That’s the thought I had yesterday as I watched my son walk into his school.

Lately I’ve been thinking a lot about my purpose in life at this moment in time. I’ve been so consumed trying to “make things happen” and “keeping up” that I sometimes miss what’s right in front of me.

I believe in chasing dreams and doing the extraordinary. I love pushing myself to realize deeper truths about life. I love sharing my passion for life with others. But none of this compares to my purpose right now – to guide my children into discovering and living their own purpose.

With a 4th baby on the way in a few weeks I’m struggling to align stars. But do I really have the power to align stars? I don’t know. But I know God does. Maybe I need to let Him do His thing. Maybe all I need to do to live my purpose right now is love and trust. This makes sense to me.

Today’s lesson is to remember the power love has to align our life around the purpose God placed in our hearts when He created us.

Here’s a song to inspire this lesson.

Blowing Up

This past weekend was not one of my most graceful. In short, I lost it. Why? Too much internal stress bottled up and exploded like a soda bottle that has been violently shaken.

So what did all this drama teach me? That I am human. That I have my physical and emotional limitations. That I need to start running actively again and burn out the stress hormones that are causing my nerve endings to rattle.

The crazy thing is I started off the weekend listening to an inspirational song and I felt I was on the verge of a breakthrough. A blowup is more of what I got. But such is life.

Tonight’s lesson is to remember to be patient with yourself. It’s ok to be human. It’s ok to hurt. It’s ok to lose it on occasion if you have to. After all we are spiritual beings living a human experience. This fallen world can take its toll on the spirit. That’s why God invented tears. The trick is to pick yourself up again and trust God’s plan for your life.

Here’s the song I was inspired by. “I’m coming home…”

Relationships Matter

“Get at it.” That’s the thought I had tonight as I recapped my weekend in NY.

This past weekend I had the good fortune of spending time with people I love. We ate bagels at Murray’s, visited St. Patrick’s church, went to the top of the Empire State Building, ate some wonderful cuisine, laughed, drank wine, laughed, exchanged dreams, challenged dreams, went to an insane bowling club, walked through Times Square, popped in the M&M store, took a break at Applebee's, and finally ate official NY pizza (I loved that stuff since I was a kid).

I was actually in NY in pursuit of my dreams (more on this later), but in the end the greatest lesson I was reminded of was the only thing that really matters in life are relationships.

“Get at it,” would seem to imply doing something or making things happen. Yes, I think that’s important. But not as important as nurturing and developing relationships with people I love. Life has become hectic lately. Dreams are on the verge of coming true. Mortgages are due. But you know what? Life means nothing without people to share it with. That’s tonight’s lesson. "Get at" spending time with people is what I'm taking away from all of this.

Here’s an ‘80s tune that reminds me of spending time in NY as I grew up.

Behind the Scenes

“The real magic happens behind the scenes.” That’s the thought I had today.

My wife used to be a professional ballerina and over a 12-year period I watched her on and off stage and got to learn what it takes to put on a professional ballet performance. When I used to sit in the audience the dancers looked so poised and fluid on stage. On occasion I would go behind the scenes and there I’d see exhausted and sweaty dancers doing the best they could to catch their breath. But without fail, they would glide back onto the stage and perform with grace and beauty again and again and again. After the show they would glow that warm glow that accompanies a job well done. This always amazed me.

Behind the scenes of every great performance or success is a tireless pursuit to make it happen. The spotlight moment is but a brief instant compared to the work needed to get there. If the spotlight is all you aspire to have, you’ll never do the work needed to get there. Life is not that easy. That is what I learned from my beautiful ballerina wife. It’s also the lesson I share with you tonight.

Here's a behind the scenes video at the Washington Ballet. It features my friend Jonathan Jordan who plays Peter Pan. Jonathan is one of the most disciplined people I know that lives the lesson above.

Everyday Magic

“Get out of the way and let the magic happen.” That’s the thought I had to today as I wondered what is to become of my life.

So what exactly does this mean. What is “magic”? Does it involve a rabbit, a hat, and a magic wand? No. I don’t think so in this case. The magic I’m thinking of here are those wonderful moments in life when the stars align in your favor despite you. It’s those moments you sit back and smile at God’s goodness in your life.

I’m a firm believer in taking action to manifest your dreams, but sometimes stepping aside and letting God do His thing is the best thing to do. I like to call this “everyday magic”. This is tonight's lesson.

Here’s a ‘80s song that resonates with this lesson.

Step Up and Jump In!

I once heard a story that went something like this.

A man lived by a river called Life. Everyday he would go down to the river, dip his cup into it, and take a drink. Day after day and year after year he did this.

Then one day he had an epiphany. Instead of taking a drink from the river called Life, he jumped into it. In that moment he realized Life offers more than a daily drink. If you want to, you can jump into it with all your being.

This story resonates with my life right now. I think I have one foot in the river called Life. But something keeps me from throwing myself in completely. What's holding me back I wonder? I need to run and figure this out.

Tonight’s lesson is to never fear what might become of you if you throw yourself into the river called Life. I think some call this living in the “flow” or the "moment". It's where I dream of being.

Here’s a song and video that inspires me to “step up” and jump into the flow.

What are Dreams?

“You can do anything in your dreams,” said my 6-year-old as he prepared to go to sleep tonight. I pray he never forgets this.

Dreams. What exactly are they? Are they things you hope to acquire? Things you hope to do? Things you want to be? Are they a “thing” at all? Do you just get one big dream? Can you have many dreams?

I think dreams are all of this and more.

To me dreams are something that have no time or place. No beginning and no end. They have existed since the beginning and will be here through the end. Dreams are placed inside of us when we are born to remind us of something greater within ourselves. They are hard to put into words, but easy to spot when they materialize. And even when they come true they keep on growing. Sometimes our dreams become the catalyst for others to realize their dreams.

Dreams are worth chasing. Their worth giving your life for. In the end you might discover that to dream is to be close to God. I think that’s what my son was talking about tonight. It’s a lesson I share with you.

Here is one of the greatest dreamers of our time.

Move On

The day starts bright,
And soon turns to dark.
How did I end up here again?
A place I detest,
But am still drawn to.
Attachment, it’s a curse.
The desire to escape reality.
But why?
Reality is all I have.
It’s where the moment lives.
Is it fear? Is it worry?
Fear and worry about what might be?
Who I might be?
I’ll let go again now.
Empty me of me.
It’s the only way out.
It’s the only way to be me – for real.

The lesson? Be understanding with yourself and move on.

Here's a '90 song to inspire this lesson.