The Stairway to Heaven is not for sale

“In the blink of an eye wealth disappears, for it will sprout wings and fly away like an eagle. ”- Proverbs
 

I believed that an abundance of possessions would make me happy. My entourage followed me around faithfully as long as the money and parties flowed. I took security in my future by how much I could stash. During these anxious moments, I felt pressured. Pursued by the need to get more, to be more, to gather and gather until my storehouse was overflowing. The more I gained, the more I obsessed over security to protect my belongings and hold on to my little corner of the world.  I started packing guns and rigging traps. Sorry man I was, now that I had all this: money, women, “friends”, pretty things and wild times, I felt burdened with the care of a shaking empire. The weight bore heavy on me, knowing that if I skipped a beat I’d lose it all. Responsibilities put their chains on me and whipped me into submission.

The pressure slowly drove me down. Finally, in an economic suicide, I began to let all these things fall through my fingers; every moment of letting go felt like razors drawn across my soul. Left with nothing, but a hurting body, tortured by abuse and late nights; I found myself there, broke, lonely, hurting, and questioning. My prayers turned from, “protect my stuff lord”, to “thank you for this beautiful day and health”. Slowly as I turned from my selfish pursuits and let my “stuff” go, I rebuilt my life. Things are returning again, however, I hold them loosely. I’m more than my belongings and my friends. This time I’m going to be successful, without the burden of having to be a success. Let go, look for those things which are above what you can see, you’ll then have riches without sorrow.

“The blessing of the Lord makes one rich and He adds no sorrow to it.” – Proverbs 

Also published in Life As A Human Magazine

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video by Wes King taken from youtube: (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fS5843K79NQ)

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Reluctantly Crouched At the Starting Line

The following article was written by a good friend and fellow blogger, Joey Flowers. Enjoy.

Honestly, there were SO many emotions running through me when my situation started. And at times those emotions do resurface. It happens to all of us. One of those emotions was fear. Fear of what was going to happen. Fear of the uncertain future. Fear that I wasn’t going to make it. But with time, I began to be less fearful, and more optimistic. Sure, there still is uncertainty, but sometimes we just have to play it by ear, and take it as it comes. We can’t let fear, or reluctance take over. We need to take the first step in order to advance.

When you think about it, I guess it’s our “survival” instinct that kicks in when we become scared and uncertain. We hesitate, and eventually stall. We need to learn that even when things are not in our favor, or it looks difficult and the odds are stacked against us, we need to get ready, and race to where we want to be.

“Audacity augments courage; hesitation, fear”. – Publilius Syrus

Published in The Ballad Of Joey Flowers