Trail of Hope

Here’s a letter of Wm. Penn to Delaware Indians
and these are exactly my feelings:
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           William Penn’s Letter to the Pennsylvania Indians 
                          London, October 18, 1681    

  ***         My Friends——
 
     There is one great God and Power that hath made the world and all things therein, to whom you and I and all People owe their being and well being, and to whom you and I must one Day give an account, for all that we do in this world:  this great God hath commanded to love and help and do good to one another and not to do harme and mischeif one unto one an other . . . .
 
     I have great love and regard towards you, and I desire to win and gain your Love and friendship by a kind, just and peaceable life.       ***

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——–  in the Spirit of Love, Peace, Amity
                  from the Trail of Hope.   –  August 12, 2011
                  Peter Prusinowski.    ———-

SPIRITUAL WARRIOR

Life offers us the opportunity to become a Spiritual Warrior. 
A warrior is one who bravely goes into those dark areas within 
themselves to ferret out the Truth of their being. 
It takes great courage, stamina and endurance to 
become a Spiritual Warrior.
 
The path is narrow, the terrain rough and rocky. 
You will walk alone: through the dark caves, 
up those steep climbs and through the dense thick forest. 
You will meet your dark side. The faces of fear, deceit, and 
sadness all await your arrival.
 
No one can take this journey but you. 
There comes a time, in each of our lives, 
when we are given the choice to follow this path. 
Should we decide to embark on this journey, 
we can never turn back…. Our lives are changed forever 
On this journey, there are many different places we can 
choose to slip into and hide. But the path goes on. 
The Spiritual Warrior stays the course, wounded at times, 
exhausted and out of energy. Many times, the Warrior will 
struggle back to their feet to take only a few steps before 
falling again.
 
Rested, they forge on, 
continuing the treacherous path. 
The journey continues. The Spiritual Warrior 
stays the course. Weakened, but never broken. 
One day, the battle, loneliness and desperate fights are over. 
The sun breaks through the clouds; the birds begin to sing 
their sweet melodies. There is a change in the energy. 
A deep change within the self.
 
The warrior has fought the courageous fight. 
The battle of the dark night of the soul is won. 
New energy now fills the Warrior. 
A new path is now laid before them. 
A gentler path filled with the inner-knowing 
of one who has personal empowerment.
 
With their personal battle won, they are filled with joy. 
A new awareness that they are one with the Spirit beams 
as they go forth to show others the way. 
They are not permitted to walk the path for others. 
They can only love, guide and be a living example 
of the Truth of their being. 

                                                                - Unknown Native American

Purpose of Life

​At the end of our lives there are only two things that will matter: the actions we took while alive and the difference that we made in the world. During our lifetime we are obsessed and fascinated without thoughts, dreams, and aspirations. Sometimes we even spend our whole life dreaming without acting upon these powerful ambitions. For in the end, the only thing that will matter is the dreams where were accomplished, not the dreams which were thought about.

​During life, we are offended and we offend other people. We want to prove we are right and that others are wrong. We sometimes hurt others and we have most certainly been hurt as well. Many of us keep pretending that our existence is a never ending game. Especially when we are younger, we don’t consider the fact that life will come to an end. We believe we have ample time and ample chances to become the person we hope to be.

​We make goals,  we plan to do great things, we dream of extraordinary and even imaginary things and we live and breathe the thought that one day, some day we’ll do these things. But for most of us, that day will never come. We spend our lives planning to perfect ourselves and our existence yet we do not take time to put the plans into action. We tend to be content with plans and goals, knowing we will always have something to strive towards, even if we never take the first steps to do so.

​The secret of life is to have a task, something you devote your entire life to. If you are passionate about this task, than most of the time it will benefit humankind. You will change a heart, spread a message, inspire a soul or create a destiny. We can own our lives instead of pretending that our lives belong to fate. The only way to take ownership over our very beings is to combine motivation, willpower and aspiration to become what we were meant to be and live life hard and fully.

​When that day comes and we leave this world, we will be at peace knowing that we lived everyday as if it were our last and we kindled every passionate fire that life has to offer.

Today’s Life
 
​Today’s life is hectic, fast paced and at times, even impersonal. When the cashier at the coffee shop asks how you are doing, your typical response is “good and you?” Does the cashier care about how you feel? Do you care about how the cashier is feeling? We pitter patter about like cordial robots, doing day to day things to support ourselves and our families, rarely stopping to do something out of the ordinary.
​The priorities of life get pushed aside by worldly demands. These priorities are ones such as dreaming, learning, and growing. The simple joy of wonderment seems out of reach each day. We often are overwhelmed with the many roles we play throughout the day. We’re mothers and fathers, bosses and line staff, friends and siblings, neighbors and community leaders. We’re so busy with the daily grind that we lose eight of the purpose of life.
​People who know what they really want in this life are clear and focused with activities which are relevant to them. Writers will write, photographers take pictures, missionaries travel to far and distant countries to help the less fortunate.  This clear and focused attitude will open the doors to abundant choices and opportunities.  The clarity empowers the ability to believe in what is being done and what actions are being taken. Each journey is a series of small steps and tasks and with successful completion of each, more paths will become evident and open up to more unraveled roads.
​When it comes down to it, all we want it today’s life is to love, be loved and be secure. If we take the time to step outside of our busy lives and examine the society surrounding us, we might make new discoveries about our world and even ourselves. The key is to take time out for yourself, allow yourself to be in awe of something greater than yourself whether it be human potential, nature, art, music, or humanity.

Our beliefs are essentially feelings of certainty we have about events or circumstances in our daily life. They are powerful and determine and control all of our choices and actions. 

Beliefs are shaped by facts, ideas, morals and even our personal experiences that we come to accept as absolute truths. Impressionable factors such as our parents, the media, and education will also shape our core beliefs.

Our beliefs are formed throughout time. Typically as we grow older we become less willing to adjust our beliefs.  These are the truths that have been molded through experience and it becomes hard to see things in a different, unfamiliar light.

We can enhance our beliefs by trying to do and see things differently. We can try to change or improve aspects of our lives.  We must spend our lives altering our beliefs through new knowledge and experience. Only then will we have the ability to willingly let go of old and false beliefs. Like a flower that wilts and dies, only to produce seeds and new life, our beliefs should reincarnate and adjust to our continual changing perspective as we age.

People believe certain things. It comes from a personality which was formed in the early years of life. Any critical or negative judgments are not necessarily a reality within the personality, but rather a mirage formed by repeated thoughts. 

Sometimes negative beliefs are formed out of fear. These beliefs cause us to hesitate and not live life to the fullest. As a result, people can become crippled by their beliefs and live a limited life.  Hesitation leads to limiting ourselves from seeking curiosity and desiring exploration.  In the words of photographer, Ansel Adams, “No man has the right to dictate what other men should perceive, create or produce, but all should be encouraged to reveal themselves, their perceptions and emotions and to build confidence in the creative spirit.”

All people have different beliefs and what is realistic for one might be totally opposite for another person. Whenever we begin to question our beliefs we find we no longer feel absolutely certain about then. What a person believes, what he thinks, is possible or impossible is the very thing that determines what he can or cannot do.

Motivation is an emotion that allows you to have the ability to get yourself to take action regardless of whether you feel like it or not. One of the main reasons people fail to achieve their goals is because of inaction. It is easy to say or think about what you are going to do but actually doing what you say you will do takes commitment. It is not that people have a hard time taking action once. Anyone can motivate themselves to get to the gym to workout one time. It is being able to consistently take action that is a challenge for most people.

I find I have to keep motivating myself to keep pushing to the limit. As I walk along, my thoughts tend to meander back to Joplin. When I arrived there was a group of kids, both young and older, from Oklahoma. A few days after their group departed Joplin, a few of the kids returned with a friend to continue volunteering for 2 more weeks. That was very inspiring to me, that young kids could be so motivated to make a difference.

There was a lady in Joplin who had diabetes. She was an older woman, and I witnessed a moment where her blood sugar was so high she needed insulin immediately.  Despite her condition and her age, this woman stayed in Joplin to help out any way she could. She tended to make pancakes for our breakfast each day so we could have the strength to carry out the labor ahead. This was her special way of contributing to the reconstruction efforts.

These are the people that, when I am alone on my walk on those very hot days, inspire me to push forward and continue along the Trail.  Throughout history, people have used inspirational stories to teach, encourage, and motivate in hopes that the listener will use it as a stepping stone and as an example to live a better life. Some stories will make you think, others will make you cry. Hopefully at least one story will give you that motivation to go and follow your dreams.

The important thing to remember when you want to do something is to do it. Nothing is more of a waste than to be inspired and motivated and not take any action. Your life will only change as a result of taking a focused action. An inspirational story is nothing if it doesn’t cause you to do something or at least believe in yourself.

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Fruits of Solitude

Being Creative
 
​Creativity is our very own spice of life. We are all creative and are born with a creative drive. It is our choice whether to explore that creativity and discover where it might lead or to allow it to remain dormant inside our minds. If we chose the first, we find that we can create our own plans and life will in turn respond. Thus, to become involved with life, at its very essence, you soon find that your life becomes the subject matter of the creative process.
​In the words of photography master Wynn Bullock, “The urge to create, the urge to photograph, comes in part from a deep desire to live with more integrity, to live in peace with the world and possibly to help others to do the same.” Each one of us has the ability to do particular tasks, usually quite well. We have gifts, talents, and we immerse ourselves in activities we love to do. It is our job, as humankind to recognize these simple hobbies and allow them to grow into something more.
​These hobbies transform into passions and allow us the power to create, unite and express the unthinkable. We can create anything, anytime, anywhere, by giving into our creative passions and bringing beauty into existence which was not present to the world before our doing.
​When we are not creating, we are not doing. We are not actively participating in life and passion. Creating isn’t about construction of the masterpiece it is the art of the painting and the genuine opportunity to participate in its creation, and take ownership over development. Whether to succeed or fail, ultimately is of little importance than to undertake the never ending journey of the creative process.

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Fruits of Solitude
Persona
 
​There are two types of persona found within the world. The first is comprised of people who need to make a positive difference because they value contribution and derive satisfaction from meaningful work. The second is made up of people who feel validated by tangible benefits, for example, winning should be rewarded.
​While these two types exist, it is a myth that each one of us has a fixed, self limiting personality. Personality, as a concept, is merely an illusion for it can be changed at will.
​It is a tragedy that most people will live trapped inside their own personalities throughout their entire lives without ever knowing what is truly there. They become victims of their own limits, placed upon themselves by ignorance of life outside their personalized definition. Each day is unclear as the fire within their soul grows dimmer. People become victims, believing all power lies outside of them.
​There are others who take full responsibility for their life and tap into the power of the human spirit. They are not bounded by a bleak definition of self imposed standards. We all have the ability to chose our thoughts and embody an optimistic or pessimistic perspective.
​It is important to understand that our future is not determined by our personality. We are the driver who determines who we are and who we will become. It is never too late to act upon this understanding for we are either living our dreams or living someone else’s.

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There is a Road

           There is a road in the hearts of all of us, hidden and seldom traveled, which leads to an unknown, secret place.                                                        -  Luther Standing Bear, Oglala Sioux Chief
 
                  Behold, my brothers, the spring has come; the earth has received the embraces of the sun and we shall soon see the results of that love! Every seed has awakened and so has all animal life. It is through this mysterious power that we too have our being and we therefore yield to our neighbors, even our animal neighbors, the same right as ourselves, to inhabit this land.   –   Tatanka Yotanka (Sitting Bull), Hunkpapa Lakota Sioux
 
                           -Treat the earth well: it was not given to you by your parents, it was loaned to you by your children. We do not inherit the Earth from our Ancestors, we borrow it from our Children.                                                                            - Ancient Indian proverb
 
                                              Peace and happiness are available in every moment. Peace is every step. We shall walk hand in hand. There are no political solutions to spiritual problems.
 Remember: If the Creator put it there, it is in the right place. The soul would have no rainbow if the eyes had no tears.

                             -It is no longer good enough to cry peace, we must act peace, live peace and live in peace.
                                                         – Shenandoah
                  -Don’t be afraid to cry. It will free your mind of sorrowful thoughts. – Hopi
 
       -Don’t judge any man until you have walked two moons in his moccasins”   –  Indian Proverb

The  most beautiful things in the universe are the starry heavens above us and the feeling of duty within us.”
                                                                  Indian Proverb
 
…….. everything on the earth has a purpose, every disease an herb to cure it, and every person a mission. This is the Indian theory of existence.                                                                                      Mourning Dove (Salish) 

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Fruits of Solitude
Vision

A vision can revolutionize, build, and at times, even motivate. However, sometimes we may feel very secure in our comfort zone. We close ourselves off to new ideas and stubbornly bask in the familiar glow of monotony. Our reality could use some spice but we believe it is just fine the way it is. It becomes easy to stay in a familiar zone while waiting to receive a vision. This waiting is futile. You do not have to wait until you receive a vision. A vision can be created at any time and can be changed if you so desire, but never live a day longer without a vision of your own.

A wise person once said, “We see what we want to see, unless we make a conscious effort to see what is really there.” This is true, in fact, at times the blueprint to our own vision is laid before us and we don’t even recognize it. It is always our personal choice as to how we want to see the world. If we chose to see setbacks than we’ll become enslaved by setbacks. If we choose to see opportunities, than our opportunities will multiply.

We must remember that only true and authentic visions will provide us the power to change behaviors and pave our path to success. We must not only create these visions, but believe they will grow and prosper as well. We have to discover the beauty of our creativity, personal strengths and talents to build a vision powerful enough to impact the things we believe. We must believe with our whole heart and soul and mind. Only then can we combine our desires and our vision to create a new reality.

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