What do Vincent van Gogh, my friend Felix, Robin Williams, and so many more have in common?

 What do Vincent van Gogh, my friend Felix, Robin Williams, and so many more have in common?

They broke living in this world, and took their own lives.

How is that possible? What happened?

Of course, I don't know the exact details either. But, I can still remember when my friend Felix lived with me for a short while, and we had many long, deep, intensive talks around the topic of "what's living all about".

At that time, I was already happily toiling in the "corporate hamster wheel", and viewed that as best way to live my life. I heard, what Felix was trying to explain to me, but I didn't understand him. I thought I did, but really, honestly, I didn't get it...

Today I know that Felix was lightyears ahead of us all!

Already in high-school he understood and talked about how we people are taking ourselves and us too seriously. Then I didn't understand him. Today, however, I can recognize that back then he already gave me the first hints and pointers, which eventually lead me to the "Tool of the Universe" world-view.

The world wasn't built for us! We were built for the world!

It isn't my soul who has to develop and grow, while the world can be used up and destroyed in the process. It is this creation that is developing, and I am allowed to participate in the continuation of its development - and if I am getting used up and worn out in the process, well, that's not such a big disaster - as long as something of relevance "moved" a little!

Success is not money, power, fame, status, family, titles and degrees, travels, relationships, nor any of all the other things that are portrayed as worthy, ideal goals!

These "fake goals" are the ones that broke my friend Felix!

If I'm following the traditional world-view, in which I am the work-piece, then success is defined as what happens "to me" and what I am able to "make out of myself".

However, if I'm following this new world-view, in which I am the tool, the instrument, then what happens to me is rather unimportant. What matters is what happens "through" me!

Success is defined as: how often and how well am I able to make the contribution that is needed in this moment and which I could and should make.

A potato-peeler is being taken out of the drawer whenever something needs to be peeled: a potato, a papaya, a cucumber - no matter what it is: there's always some peel that needs to be separated from the fruit or vegetable.

I am convinced, that it's exactly the same with me! In whatever situation I find myself: I am where I am because I hold the biggest potential for the contribution to be made, that is needed in this exact moment and in this exact location. Through me it is possible, that something that is supposed to change, that is in need of improvement, is actually changing or at least more likely to be able to change.

Success is not what I am talking away from a situation, what I am learning from it, whether I am richer, smarter, more comfortable afterwards.

Success is, when I was able - by accident or intentionally, being aware of my role or not - to do exactly "what the universe had hoped I would do when it lead me into this situation".

Yes, I know, that all sounds rather strange and worthy of "yes, but". Hey, if you're happy and contented with your life, and everything is flowing the way you like, I guess, you won't understand any of what I'm trying to point out. Maybe later in your life you get to a point where it may start making sense...

But, if you're in a similar boat as Vincent, Felix, and Robin, when you're close to the end of your strength and wisdom, when nothing fits together anymore, when your life doesn't seem to make any sense anymore: then this 180 degrees opposite world-view might allow you to find answers to your questions, create clarity for your doubts, and provide the strength and energy to continue.

To "continue" - not in the sense of "go on as before"! But, in the sense of "not giving up the ghost", finding new goals, defining new, better priorities, and fulfilling a new, better purpose!

If you feel you're at the end, postpone ending it for a little and contact me. Tell me about your life. And maybe I can help you to see the miracle that you are.

I am convinced, once you understand your true mission in this world, you will start to see the magic that is happening through you on a daily basis. You'll start to recognize how through you this world is becoming a better place, one little step after another little step. You'll see how important you are. You'll find an infinite source of energy and happiness inside of you. And you'll also notice that everything that you need is being brought to you. It simply shows up in your life, often out of the blue, from left-field...

If by then you still feel ending your life is the best solution, you can still do it then. However, before that, give yourself a chance! Give this world a chance!

Was haben Vincent van Gogh, mein Freund Felix, Robin Williams, and so viele andere gemeinsam?

 

(English version to come soon...)

Was haben Vincent van Gogh, mein Freund Felix, Robin Williams, and so viele andere gemeinsam?

Sie sind an dieser Welt zerbrochen, und haben sich selbst das Leben genommen.

Wie ist das möglich?Was ist da abgelaufen?

Ich weiss es natürlich auch nicht genau. Aber, ich kann mich noch daran erinnern, als Felix kurze Zeit bei mir wohnte, und wir viele lange, tiefe, intensive Gespräche darüber hatten, was es ausmacht “zu leben”.

Ich war damals schon tief im “Corporate Hamster Wheel”, und sah das als besten Weg zu leben. Ich hörte was Felix mir erklärte, aber verstanden hatte ich es nicht. Ich glaubte zu verstehen, aber habe eigentlich nichts kapiert, damals.

Heute weiss ich, dass Felix uns allen Lichtjahre voraus war!

Schon im Gymnasium hat er immer davon gesprochen, dass “wir Menschen uns selbst viel zu wichtig nehmen”. Damals verstand ich ihn nicht. Heute sehe ich, dass er mir damals schon die ersten Hinweise und Wegweiser gegeben hat, die mich letztendlich Jahrzehnte später zur “Tool of the Universe” Weltanschauung geführt haben.

Die Welt wurde nicht für uns gemacht! Wir wurden für die Welt gemacht!

Es ist nicht meine Seele die sich entwickeln muss, und die Welt kann dabei aufgerieben und zerstört werden. Es ist diese Schöpfung die sich entwickelt, und ich kann dabei mitarbeiten, und wenn ich dabei aufgerieben werde ist das an sich nicht eine Tragödie - solange durch mich etwas wichtiges “bewegt” wurde!

Erfolg ist nicht Geld, Macht, Berühmtheit, Status, Familie, Titel, Reisen, Beziehungen, und all die anderen Dinge, die uns immer als erstrebenswerte, ideale Ziele vor Augen gesetzt werden!

Diese “fake goals” - falsche Ziele - sind es, die Felix am Leben zerbrechen liessen! 

Wenn man der traditionellen Weltanschauung folgt, dass ich das Werkstück bin, ja, dann ist Erfolg was ich “für mich” oder “aus mir” mache. 

Jedoch, wenn man dieser neuen Weltanschauung folgt, dass ich das Werkzeug bin, dann ist es ziemlich unwichtig was mit mir geschieht. Was zählt ist, was “durch” mich geschieht!

Erfolg ist definiert als: wie oft und wie stark bin ich in der Lage den Beitrag zu leisten, der in diesem Moment durch mich geleistet werden könnte und sollte.

Ein Erdäpfelschäler  wird immer dann aus der Schublade genommen, wenn es darum geht etwas zu schälen: einen Erdapfel, eine Papaya, eine Gurke - egal was, aber immer dann, wenn Schale von Frucht getrennt werden muss.

Wenn ich mich in einer Situation befinde, ist es genau so - davon bin ich überzeugt! Ich bin da, weil ich das größte Potenzial habe, den Beitrag einzubringen, der hier und jetzt gebraucht wird! Durch mich ist es möglich, dass etwas das sich verändern sollte, sich verändert oder zumindest jetzt ein wenig wahrscheinlicher wird sich verändern zu können.

Erfolg ist nicht was ich von einer Situation weg mitnehme, was ich lerne, ob ich danach reicher, schlauer, mehr komfortabel bin. 

Erfolg ist, wenn ich - zufällig oder bewusst, gewollt oder ungewollt - in der Situation das tun konnte, “dass sich das Universum erhofft hatte, dass ich tun würde”.

Ja, ich weiss, das klingt alles sehr fremdartig und “ja aber” würdig. Hey, wenn du glücklich bist mit deinem Leben, und zufrieden, und alles so läuft wie es dir gefällt, dann wirst du das vermutlich überhaupt nicht verstehen. Vielleicht kommt aber später einmal die Zeit wo es anfängt Sinn zu machen...

Wenn es dir aber so wie Felix, Vincent und Robin geht, wenn du dich dem Ende deiner Kraft näherst, wenn alles zusammen nicht mehr zusammenpasst, wenn dein Leben keinen Sinn mehr ergibt: Dann glaube ich könnte dir die 180 Grad umgedrehte Weltanschauung Antworten auf deine Fragen, Klarheit für deine Zweifel, und Stärke und Energie weiterzumachen liefern.

Weiterzumachen - nicht im Sinne des “so wie bisher”! Sondern, im Sinne von “nicht den Geist aufgeben”, und neue, bessere Ziele finden, neue, bessere Prioritäten setzen, und neuen, besseren Zweck erfüllen!

Wenn du dich am Ende siehst, verschiebe das Ende ein wenig und kontaktiere mich. Erzähle mir von deinem Leben, und vielleicht kann ich dir helfen das Wunder, das du bist, zu erkennen. 

Ich bin davon überzeugt, wenn du deine wahre Aufgabe auf dieser Welt verstehst, wirst du tag täglich sehen, wie durch dich kleine Wunder geschehen, die diese Welt langsam aber stetig verbessern! Du wirst sehen wie wichtig du bist. Du wirst eine unendliche Energie-Quelle in dir entdecken. Und du wirst auch immer wieder bemerken, dass alles das du brauchst an dich herangetragen wird!

Wenn du dann immer noch glaubst, dein Leben zu beenden ist die beste Lösung, dann kannst du es ja dann immer noch beenden. Aber, davor, gib dir eine Chance! Gib dieser Welt eine Chance!

Jasmine

"Jazzmyn" says the nametag of the cashier at the Bagel place. Jazzmyn - a variation of Jasmine, I guess...

Several years ago I lived in a fire red house with a lush, green hedge around the yard. At some time every spring, I'd notice a vine grow among the hedge. And for years I would cut that vine off, try to uproot it, get rid of it. And every year it came back, tried to grow.

One year I went on a longer consulting gig. When I came back a few weeks later, the vine had started to bloom. Fine, delicate, white blossoms dotted the green hedge, like stars in the night sky! As I exited the car, I was engulfed in sweet, gentle fragrance...

Years later, I learned that this vine most likely was Jasmine.


Oh, if I could be more like my Jasmine: to continue to be nice, even when somebody cuts me back again and again; to be ready to bloom, even when I am misunderstood and not appreciated!

What else am I realizing through this memory? That I am ignorant - no matter how much I seem to know! That if I would focus less on what I think is right, less on what "I" want, but instead allow the magic to happen that is unfolding with, through and around me, my life would be much more enjoyable and amazing...


I hear you say: "Yes, but..." That's ok. These are the realizations and lessons I take away from this story. You can choose to learn from it what makes sense to you... Gone are the days of doctrine. Here is the time of sharing information, individual enlightenment and free will...


Well, there is the aire of kindness about Jazzmyn - kindness, which radiates out and touches the lives of all around - just like the fragrance of my Jasmine. The gentle and caring vibe of Jazzmyn might put a smile on people's faces around her - just like the flowers of my Jasmine might have touched the hearts of people passing by. I hope, that she will not loose her positive ways, even when she's subjected to ignorance and misunderstanding. Just like my Jasmine did not give up and eventually was able to bless the world with its fragrance and beauty...

Super Hero

Imagine your favorite Super Hero really exists. Then imagine further, that everybody in the world has the same special super-natural powers as your Super Hero. Now, suddenly, these special powers are not so special anymore, are they?

What happened? Your Super Hero still can fly, bend steel, stop trains, use x-ray vision. Still, it's now normal, usual, nothing special anymore! So your Super Hero is not so special anymore, even though he/she continues to fly, to bend steel, stop trains and use x-ray vision.



I think with us humans it is the same situation: we have super natural powers, but since everybody has them, we don't see them as such anymore. We take them for granted. We don't even see them as powers anymore. Some of us even see their special powers as nuisance!

Let's just take our mind: we can understand so much of our world, the laws of physics and chemistry, the weather patterns, or how our body works. We invented computers, built the space-shuttle, and found cures for many diseases.

Or, think about our body: if we scratch the skin, it heals all by itself. If we eat something spoiled, our body takes care of it - either we throw up, get diarrhea, or our liver and kidney filter the toxins out of our blood. We have the best time in our lives making love, and as a result a new human starts growing! I mean, how awesome is that! If that is not Super Powers, I don't know what would be!

We are just used to our powers, and since everybody has them, we don't recognize them as such anymore. And we invent Vampires, X-Men, Ghost Whisperers and more...



There is another interesting aspect: most of us are not using our powers for the same purpose as most of our Super Heros. Think about it: Superman, Batman, Spiderman, Kick-Ass, Hulk, and so on - they all use their powers for the good of their city, society, humanity, even the world. We? We use it solely to promote our own personal vanity and comfort! We don't give a flying fig about the person next to us, not to talk about the next generation, or the people in a different country, and we definitely are not looking out for creation.

You think we care about this world? Give me a break! Listen to the news: when talking about a war or unrest, all we hear about are human casualties. Not a single word about the impact "our" mess has on animals or plants. In a natural disaster, again hardly a word about the fish, the birds, the trees - no everything is about humans.

We don't care that nuclear power-plants are polluting the environment for the next 100 million years (plus minus a few billion more) - we want to be able to use our remote to turn on and off the TV! The energy needed to power solely the remotely turned off entertainment appliances and chargers in the USA is larger than the output of the largest nuclear power-plant, larger than the largest water power-plant (the infamous Hoover dam). There are millions of other examples, where we - each one of us - is contributing to the slow demise of this world.

It doesn't make sense to ask for the elimination of electricity, or cars, to stop using machines and so on. Of course not! However, it would make a lot of sense to think about what we are doing, and what the long-term impact of it is - not just on humanity, but on creation as a whole.



But, let me get back to my original point - Super-Heros...

So, we have special powers and we use them mostly with our own benefit in mind. That's pretty sad.

But, the really, really sad part is, that many of our super powers are being used way to little. How much do we use our brain? Spiritually we are still repeating the same stuff that was said 100s of years ago. Mostly, we're vegetating on auto-pilot. Go to work, come home and watch TV, go to sleep. In between, we get drunk or high to quiescent our feeling hopeless, useless and frustrated. We believe and repeat unreflected whatever we're being told in church, by TV Gossip (often dressed up as news), even by coworkers around the water-cooler, or by spam email. Man, it's depressing! Why did we get such a great brain, if we're not using it? Why did we get such a great body, if we're just abusing it? Why did we get such an inquisitive and capable mind, if we're shutting it down, closing it up, and loosing it?



Final thought: back to imagining things: Imagine there is something like "your maker", and you'll meet her/him/it. What would you answer if you were asked "How did you use your special powers? What did you get done with them?"

Corporate Greed (part 1)

Emron, sub-prime mortgages, and so on: corporate greed is on everybody's mind these days . and stays there, as we get one instance after another as reminders of the problem.

However, what is a corporation really? Nothing, but a piece of paper filed with some registrar somewhere!

What provides life to such an artificial entity are the people who contribute to it. The character attributes of these people become the character attributes of the corporation. Every person who interacts with a corporation, impacts it, in any small or big way.

1. Employees

First, of course, there are the employees. Everybody who works for a corporation . from the CEO to the housekeeper, from the full-time employee to the contractor . all of them are expending time, effort, ideas, energy that helps that corporation get closer to its goal . whatever that goal is.

Do you know what your employers business purpose is? What is its attitude, its approach to achieve its goals? Is that purpose, and are these goals and approaches in congruence with your believes and values?

If not, why are you using the little time that makes up your life to support something you don't believe in? For the money? So money is more important than your other values? But, isn't that greed, too? Aren't you also part of the corporate greed?

When your grandchild or great-grandchild asks you with big adoring eyes, would you be happy and proud to tell her/him you came to this world to support xyz (whatever your employer works towards)?

You say: I can't go on!

You are at a point, where you feel so drained and tired and frustrated and helpless, you don't know how to continue. Oh what a terrible situation to be in!
I've been there, too. And I know, when you are in that situation, it is difficult to find hope. However, if you can, please believe me, life can turn around again, and you can be happy again!
Not always, but sometimes, our decisions are the reasons for the circumstances we find ourselves in. If this is the case, the only way we can ever get out of our misery, is to start changing what we are doing and believing. Once we change our approach, our priorities, things have to change.
All too often, we think what we are doing is the “right thing”. That we have “no choice”. If this is what you are thinking, it is an indication that you are not open minded! There is always a choice! There is no such thing as “the right thing” or “the wrong thing”. Every decision we make has consequences. Every option causes different outcomes. If you don't like where you are right now, the first step I would recommend is to identify the options that are available to you.
You could apply the principle of brainstorming: just throw up anything that comes to mind – even if it is totally unrealistic, or far-fetched. We often do not allow ourselves to look at other options, because we discard them before really thinking about them. Our priorities, our wants, our belief-system causes us to discard valid options, without really looking at them.
For example: if you live in the US and you are not locked up and able to walk, there is always an option to just get up, leave the house, get on a plain, or a freight train, and go somewhere else. You may not allow yourself to see this as a valid option, but it is.
Another example: you can always quit your job. Maybe it is difficult to get a new one, maybe you'd have to move, maybe you couldn't pay your mortgage. But you can quit your job!
Naturally, some of the options would require us to think about other areas in our life: if I am suffering in my job, and I feel I can't quit, it is not that I am disallowed to quit the job; it is, that I don't want to change certain other things in my life, where the status quo requires me to stay in my job. Once I see quitting my job as a valid option, I can make the next step, and examine what changes I would have to make in other aspect of my life. Now I am a step further. Can choose to sell my big house and get a less expensive home. I can switch my car to a scooter and reduce my transportation costs dramatically. I can move to a less expensive area. Suddenly I see many options!
So, when you say, you can't go on, I can only recommend to look at all the options you have – and there are many. Maybe, you are focusing on the wrong things, and the Universe is trying to block the path you're trying to walk, so you look around and walk a path that will lead you to happiness and fulfillment.

The Universe needs you to help improve the situations in this world. You have a mission, and the Universe supports you in this mission. If you can find your mission, and align yourself with it, every cross gets easier to carry, every situation gets easier to bare.

You say: Nobody loves me! I'm all alone!

There are dozens of online dating sites, each with millions of profiles – each profile of a person who is looking for someone who'd love them; most of them feeling unloved and alone. Wherever I go, I meet people who are lonely, and trying to make a connection.
Often, when somebody asks me for help with making sense of what is going on in their life, this topic comes up, and that view-point is expressed: “nobody loves me! I am all alone in this world!”

I suggest to look at the situation a little closer, and with an open mind. I have never met anybody in my whole life, who did not have anybody in their life who would love them. Also, it is virtually impossible for anybody to say nobody loves them, because I know I love them – even though I do not know them. And I know there are many more people in this world who love this creation and everything in it.
So it is not that “nobody loves you”. We need to define that better.

I find, what people really mean, when they claim nobody loves them, is that they are not in a loving, romantic relationship. Sometimes, in severe cases, a person may be at war with everybody in their live – but most of the time the person is loved by many people. Our problem is, that we do not allow ourselves to see this love. We often take things for granted. When have you last watched a sunset? You see? A sunset is one of the most beautiful things in the world. However, every day there is a sunset, and we don't notice them anymore. We are so used to them, we don't derive any happiness or joy from it.
Often, we treat the love of the people in our lives the same way! We are used to them, so we don't value their love anymore.
Sometimes, we are so focused on our own point of view, on our own benefit and gain. We make the lives of the people in our lives miserable and difficult. And then we wonder why we don't feel the love.
Somebody once told me: do you prefer to be happy or to be right? I ask you: do you prefer to be loved or to be right?
Yes, I know, we do have people who love us. But, as long as I am not in a loving, romantic relationship, there is something missing in my life. And the longer it is missing, the stronger that feeling of need gets.
My experience is, that every need is taken care of. Really! Every need. If there is something that I need, and I don't have it, it is usually because I am not allowing myself to have this need fulfilled for me.
In terms of relationship, intimacy, and companionship I find, that the Universe is sending people into my life constantly, who are eager to fulfill this need for me. And I would be very much able to fulfill some need of theirs. However, often, that person is not exactly what I want. And then I deny shut them out, push them away. You notice the differentiation between “I need” and “I want”? I need to have somebody in my life who is helping me make the next step. I want somebody that meets my criteria. Typical such criteria are: age, gender, physical appearance, my or their marital status, income, eduction, class, status, religious belief or affiliation, willingness to marry or to make kids, and much more.
I want Sleeping Beauty to marry me and live happily ever after with me. Well, that doesn't work. It never works that way!
Several years ago, I used to examine every woman that came into my life in terms of whether I would be happy to be with her for the rest of my life. This approach caused me to try to identify all her faults. Of course, I never found anybody that passed my inspection! Oh, nobody loved me! I was all alone in this world!
One day it dawned on me, that my approach is not effective. Pretty much at the same time I came to belief that the Universe sends people into my life to help me along, and that at the same time I am in theirs to help them. With that insight, I turned around my approach: Instead of asking whether this person can be what I want, I started to ask why this person came into my life.
Suddenly, I didn't look for their faults anymore, but for their strengths, for the beauty in them. I scrapped the idea of having to find somebody to live with happily ever after. I admitted to myself, that this not going to happen. So my choice now was to stay alone for the rest of my life, or to allow myself to connect with the people that happen to show up.
This idea, together with my new approach of rather looking for what I can contribute, than what I can get out of it, I suddenly experienced a lot of love in my life!
I no longer feel that nobody loves me. I am being told often and by many persons that I am loved, that he or she is happy to have me in their life.

So, when you say you feel that nobody loves you, I can only recommend to you to enjoy all the sunsets and all the persons the Universe provides for you, and to focus on how you can contribute to the Universe and people in your life. I am sure, soon you'll feel the love all around you! And when you are ready, your life-partner will show up on your doorstep – with ready I mean, that you are able to recognize that person's potential to fill that role, and that you yourself are able to be the supportive and loving life partner for that person.

The Universe sends people into your life to fulfill your needs and to help you get ahead in your life. No matter what you do, there is always help around you to learn the lessons you need to learn, to become aware of the questions that will help you realize insights, and to provide the love and support you need! The Universe loves you – you are part of it!

You say: I can't do it!

We all have a soul, who is our connection to the source of love, wisdom and knowledge. We know the answers to our questions. Our soul tells us. Sometimes we just don't want to hear it. It doesn't tell us what we want, so we don't ant to hear it. But, whether we hear it or not, the situation stays the same. When it rains, no matter how much you do not want it to be, it rains. Whatever my soul tells me, that's what would be the best for me to do.
And, whatever the soul tells me to do, I am able to do. It may not be easy. It may be different from what I usually would do, from what I used to think was the right thing to do. I may need to stretch, to learn a new skill, increase my knowledge, and spend lots of time and effort on it – but I am able to do it.
Just to mention it – it doesn't matter what anybody tells you, you ought to do. They do not know. They can not hear your soul. They d not know all the details. They do not have your experience, your knowledge, your understanding. It doesn't matter what anybody tells you to do. You know what you need to do. Your soul is telling you. And you can do it. The Universe depends on you to do it. That's why your soul came to this world. That's why it chose your body. So that this can be done. The universe gave you the talents you need, exposed you to the knowledge you need, taught you through life's experiences what you need. You can do it! Once you decide to work towards it, you'll see how the Universe is supporting you, and slowly you'll see that you are able to do it – no matter how difficult it looked at first.
And once you have done it, you'll feel so excited, and fulfilled, and strong, and powerful, and happy – a happiness that comes from deep within you. A happiness that can not be bought, or given by another person. A happiness that we all can experience, when we listen to our soul, and follow it's advice.
You can do it! Just do it!

You say: I can't figure things out!

Among the many people that have come to me to help them make sense of their life, or their relationship, many felt they just can't figure things out.
Most of them where stuck, not because they lacked the intellectual capacity, or the necessary information. No, most of the time it was something totally different.
500 hundred years ago, people in Europe believed the earth is flat. Some of the educated people, however, started to observe things that just didn't make sense. They just couldn't figure it out. And then, one day, it became clear: The earth is not flat! It has to be round!
Most of the people, who come to me, and feel they just can't figure things out, are in the same position. They are following an outdated, inaccurate belief-system. And what they observe in their life, just doesn't mesh with what they belief should be.
Once that person allows herself to let go of certain ideas, and starts looking at her life and the world around it with an open mind,suddenly the answers come very quickly. It all starts to fall in place, and make sense.
If you are in the position, that things just don't make sense anymore, that you just can figure things out, I have good news for you: You are close to figuring them out!
Why? Because you are on this site. You are reading this article. It shows, that you are searching, that you are opening your mind to other possibilities, to new ideas. And once you do that, once you ask a question without predefining the answer, but allowing yourself to hear whatever your soul tells you, at that time you'll start understanding.
I hope that the information on this site is helpful for you to start figuring things out. Please drop me a line, and help me understand with what you are struggling – I am happy to try to provide more ideas and thoughts to help you. Bet even if you can't find your answers here, as long as you keep looking for them with an open mind, you will find them!
You can figure things out! Allow yourself the freedom to see what is, to conclude what it points towards, and to accept what you find...

You say: I'm not smart enough!

I noticed that anytime I ask a young child if it is smart, it says yes, smiles all over the face, and proceeds to tell me all the things it already knows how to do.
Then we send it to school.
And after a short time, it comes back home and says with a sad voice: 'I am not smart enough!'
I think we are all not just smart enough, but we all have our talents, our strengths and we collect life's experiences as we go along. You are definitely smart enough. You may not have the talents to become a rocket engineer, or a lawyer, a nurse, or a mason. But you are more than smart enough to fulfill your mission here in this world!
If you've poked around this site a little, you'll find a lot of ideas and seeds for thought about what life is all about, why we are the way we are, and what our mission is here in this world.
Since I understand, that we all come here on a mission, and that the Universe provides us with exactly the talents that we need to fulfill this mission, I can see it in every person.
Unfortunately, in school, by our friends or siblings, maybe even by our parents, we have been told we are not good enough, not smart enough, not pretty enough, not tall enough or whatever. The reality is, however, no matter how we are, we are capable of so much greatness, of making so much of a difference. Rosa Parks was not a rocket science, however, she started what has led to the US realizing the stupidity of color segregation.
I think what is much more important for us to fulfill our task here is to realize that we have a mission, to search for what this mission is, and to arrange our priorities accordingly to not spend our time on preoccupations and distractions.
Please, if you can, rent the movie Robots. Yes, the animated children's movie Robots. Watch it and listen carefully! It's message is clear and simple: Find a need and fill it! If you are not talented in any particular subject, maybe you are not supposed to be an expert in that. I think, if you try to find out what your talents are, and try to make use of it to help the Universe make this world a better place, you'll soon see how smart, powerful, and capable you are!
Find a need and fill it! Don't know where to start? Look around you. What is not good in the world around you? You can't change the government – but you can be careful who you vote for. You can't fix the situation in Ghaza – but you can impact the situation in your family, at your job.
If you see something that is in need of improvement in this world, you can think about what you could contribute to make it better. The closer it is to your own self, the bigger the impact you can have. You can't change a rebel soldier in Sudan, if you are living in South Carolina. You can't improve race-relations in the US if you are living in Germany. You may not even be able to get rid of corruption in your town's government. But you can definitely change yourself. And you are smart enough to do it, too. All that is needed is to look at what impact you have on other people. Do they enjoy being in your presence or not. What is making your company more of a pleasure to the people around you? This is something that you can try to do more of. What about you tends to make people want to avoid you? You can try to improve on that.
The more people like to have you around, the more of an influence you can be on them. Not by judging them, and telling them what to do, but by being an example, by being helpful, loving, supportive, understanding, and non-judgmental!
You are smart enough to be a great tool for the Universe, to accomplish the changes that are needed, and support the positive work the Universe is trying to affect through you.

You Say: I can't go on

Imagine you're trying to visit a friend, who lives in another city. You're driving around the city trying to find the place where he lives. And after a while of driving, you end up in a dead-end street. You can't go on anymore. Obviously, sitting in the car, and revving the engine would turn the dead-end street into a through street. All that would do is burn fuel for nothing, and after a while your tank would be empty. You would have no more energy to drive anywhere.
What would you do in that situation. Well, of course, you would just turn around, and try a different street.
In life it is often similar. We reach a point where we feel we can't go on anymore. However, what we mean is not that! What we really mean is, we can't go on like this. If I say I can't go on, it leaves me with no alternative. If I say, I can't go on like this, the way out is obvious: don't continue “like this” but do something different, change something.
In our analogy, if you're out of gas from driving around so much. What would you do? I would park the car, walk to the next gas-station and buy myself some gas. I would also buy a map. I'd try to find out where I am, and where I have to go on the map. I might even ask the gas-station attendant for help.
The gas-station attendant would not drive you where you need to go – it is her/his task to attend the gas-station so people can fill up on energy. You would have to drive yourself, of course.
In life it is similar. And I think you are doing just that right now: you came to this site to find energy to continue on, and to find a map that would help you find out where you are and where you want to go. I am your gas-station attendant, and I am happy to help you by providing information. You can ask questions, I'll explain what I know about this city. I can help you identify where you are, and how you can get to where you want to go. But you have to do it yourself. You have to go back to your car, turn it around, and start driving in another direction. You can decide yourself if you want to follow the advice I gave you, or try something different. What's important is that you stop revving your engine trying to turn a dead-end street into a through-way – this doesn't get you anywhere except to the point where your car is dead, and you have to walk.
Oh, by the way, remember, that you need not stay with your car. You can get out and start walking. You can hop on a bus, or the sub-way. There are many modes of transportation that get you to where you are heading.
In your life it is the same. There are always options. If you don't see any, it is usually because you are not allowing yourself to see them. You are focusing on the end of the road in front of you, and don't want it to be true. But the Universe wants you to go somewhere else. Allow yourself to look around, to see all the options that exist, and embrace the change...

You Say... (What inspired the following postings)

I often receive forwarded emails from my friends. Many times they are of religious content. Just today I received one that has a chart in it, entitle God Has A Positive Answer.
I find, that the chart is well intentioned, however, it does not make me feel any better. The content is typical for our religious approach to spirituality – it is, for my life, rather removed from reality. However, if I look at the content of the messages in a different perspective, it suddenly is very applicable to my life.
I thought, I take this opportunity as inspiration to try to ponder the different topics in the chart, looking at them in a different light; rather non-traditional and unconventional but closer to my real life.
I hope these ideas will trigger some thoughts in you and help you find the answers that are true and real in your life.
The chart consists of three columns: You say, God says, Verse. I don't list the chart here, as I find it does not provide much relief. Instead, I just take the “You say...” column and write what I would tell you, if you had said this to me...