Greetings from Inspiration from a Blind, the newsletter for those who want to be spiritually ultra-abled, brought to you monthly by www.ShirleyCheng.com !
What comes before a successful businessman, a successful doctor, or a successful teacher? A successful human being.
In order to be truly successful in life, you need to first establish three essential spiritual principles—your core values, gratitude, and faith—and these gems will help you create a successful you.
Values
What qualities do you hold highest? What traits do you want to have and be associated with? Think of what qualities are important to you, and then hold firm to them. Your values are what you will base your life's decisions on, and they will guide you in the right paths in life. two plus two equals four. If you think that two plus two equals everything and anything, you are bound to encounter problems in your life.
You will make goals around your core values. For example, my value is goodness, so I make goals that will accomplish my value. I will be satisfied with having achieved that value if nothing else.
Nothing in life is ever guaranteed; everything you own—your car, your house, and even your friends and family—can be taken away from you. But nothing can take away your values if you do not let them. No one can destroy your values unless you destroy them yourself.
Gratitude
Before we run into any obstacle, we first need to prepare ourselves for negative or challenging situations. We need a cushion on which we can fall back when we run into life's hardships. Think about the acrobats performing in circuses; while they dazzle their audiences with their skills and agility, they have nets underneath them to catch them in case they ever fall. This is the kind of protection we need to have in life, so we will not get badly bruised once we crash down. This cushion in life should be gratitude. Appreciation is the essential net to cushion us against ordeals, from everyday obstacles to life's traumas.
Start everything with appreciation. Before you do anything new, say anything new, go anywhere new, meet anyone new, first appreciate your current state in every aspect. This acts like a cushion in case what you do brings you to your original state. So if you could be thankful for now, when you return to now, you will be thankful that you have not lost anything and will be grateful for anything you do gain. So it is vital to appreciate your situation at every stage of your life.
Faith
The most important ingredient to success—and this is what really takes me far in life—is the deep, unwavering faith in Jehovah God.
it is the faith in God that has allowed me to move forward, one sure step at a time, as I know He is there guiding me, supporting me, and loving me. Keep your faith in God strong and steady, and your steps will be strong and steady in turn.
Besides the three important principles, my golden rule to be truly successful is: Do your best in everything you do. Many people do a mediocre job and expect to be successful; they depend on luck to get them successful. But in the long term, luck will not bring you far.
In life, no matter what position you are in—a teacher, a doctor, a parent, a child, a grandchild—do your best in being your best. And make the most of what you have. If you only have a spoon and a fork, use the fork to comb your hair and use the spoon to play music. Hey, some people do not even have a spoon and a fork. In my case, I lost my eyesight, but I still have my fingers so I can type; I still can hear, and I am still alive. I use all those wonderful factors to become an award-winning author with fifteen awards and twenty-five books, motivational speaker, published poet, and advocate, and I continue to love the life I live.
Q & A with Shirley
This month's questions were sent to me by Matthew Ferry, who has been conducting experiments in his coaching laboratory for the last 16 years. His more than 8200 clients include many world leaders in businesses from Global Heads at esteemed companies like Goldman Sacks to cutting edge entrepreneurs committed to transforming the planet and creating a greener future for our children. 1-877-777-1970
Question: Are we in charge of our lives or are we just responding to the changes in our environment?
Answer: I know many people have put their lives on autopilot, going wherever life takes them or doing whatever life asks them. Many feel that they simply respond to the changes in their environment. But the facts are 1) we are actually the environment and 2) we are in control of our future.
People tend to view their environment and surroundings as uncontrollable and that they are compelled to follow any changes brought upon by the society. What many do not realize is that we are the surroundings. When we are in control of our lives, we in turn change our environment. If we become shoplifters, our society is viewed as a thieve's nest. On the other hand, if we help our neighbors, our society becomes a model community. So there is no environment that is separate from us—we ourselves are the environment. The environment does not mold us—we mold the environment.
Each and every one of us is an agent of free will. That means Jehovah God has given us each the freedom to make our own decisions. Therefore, our future lies in our own hands. Our decisions today will impact our tomorrow either positively or negatively depending on what we decide.
Some people claim everyone is destined to perform things that have already been programmed into our lives. In that case, what we do, what we say, where we go, or whom we meet, are all designed into our lives and that we have no control over it. It means that criminals could not be held responsible for the crimes they commit nor the righteous could be rightfully rewarded for their good deeds.
Is that so? If that is so, this idea of a predestined fate makes a liar out of Jehovah! Worse yet, it makes Him an unjust, evil God who punishes people for their wrongdoing when He Himself have programmed it into their lives. Therefore, this is definitely not the case.
So the bottom line to this question is: Fate does not control us—we control our own fate. We are responsible for our own lives, and we should be in charge of our destiny.
Question: Is the law of attraction real or is it an illusion?
Answer: Simply put, I believe that we reap what we sow. If we sow good thoughts and actions, we will reap good results. If we bring positivity to others, we will receive positivity in our lives: we will be happy with ourselves for our good actions (near future), we will see people mirroring or appreciating our positivity (future), and we will be rewarded when God's Kingdom comes (in the end of this current system of things). On the other hand, if we commit a petty crime, what we would receive is a jail term and a ruined reputation, and above all, it would grieve our Heavenly Father.
Other than that, I feel Law of Attraction is stretching it. Let me briefly define Law of Attraction before I'll tell you why I feel that way. Law of Attraction, from what I've gathered, simply means that anything that happens to you in life, good or bad, is a result of the energy you send out, good or bad. Does that mean that my mother somehow attracted juvenile rheumatoid arthritis for me when I was merely an infant? Does that mean I have asked for blindness at age seventeen? We cannot answer "why" using Law of Attraction. Some things in life we cannot control, so we cannot use this "law" to explain why some things happen the way they do or blame ourselves for every negative event in our lives. To say that we have the power to bring every goodness or badness into our lives just by our thoughts, feelings, and actions, put us at too high a level, as though we are creators of the universe like God.
So if the Law of Attraction can simply be defined as "we reap what we sow" excluding events we cannot control, then it is real. If it extends more than this, then it is an illusion. In other words, this law holds true only for events we can control, not events we cannot control.
Yes, I have heard of miracle stories about people who achieve fantastic physical or medical feats using this law, but know that any miracles must be credited to God and His permissive will, not any laws. Any credit to any other person or thing besides God is what I call an illusion from the truth. I am able to overcome my multiple physical disabilities and blindness. Is it because of my own strength or the strength God has given me? I am able to do so not because I have the strength from myself, but because Jehovah gave me this strength. I do not rely on myself—I rely on God. To say I am capable on my own is only a lie. I owe credits where credits are rightfully owed.
Shirley's Corner
Guess what! If you guess that I've received another award, you are half correct! I have received TWO awards. First, my book, Waking Spirit: Prose & Poems the Spirit Sings, has been named 2009 Silver Recipient of the prestigious Mom's Choice Awards® in Inspirational/Motivational, which is this book's eighth honor!
The awards are given to the best family-friendly products, media, and services that help people grow ethically and spiritually and that are inspirational and uplifting.
And second, I have earned Honorable Mention for my essay entry in Be the Star You Are! national essay contest—it is my fourth honor in this contest for the fourth year in a row! Stay tuned for the next issue of my newsletter to read my winning entry.
I am redoing my website, and I need feedback! Being a webmaster with no sight (but plenty of vision), feedback from my site visitors is mighty important. So please lend a helping eye and take a look at my site: www.shirleycheng.com
What's your overall impression? What changes would you like me to make? Is my site easy to read and navigate?
Granted, it is not the prettiest site out there, and I do not mean it to be, either. I simply need it to be attractive enough and easy to get around. I'd greatly appreciate any comments you may have, so send them my way! Thank you.
This is all, folks, for this month's issue. Until next time, remember that our Heavenly Father has given us the right ingredients, and that, like chefs, we need to know how to use them to create a masterpiece. I utilize all the ingredients God has given me to make the most of my life. Faith, gratitude, passion are all God-given...it is up to us to use them with love and care. What work of art will you create in your life next using His magical ingredients?
Take care!
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Award-Winning Author with fifteen Awards
5-Time Parent to Parent Adding Wisdom Award Winner
Mom's Choice Awards Recipient
Miracle survivor, inspiring author and contributing author of 25 books by age 25, poet, motivational speaker, self-empowerment expert, advocate, and a co-author in the bestselling Wake Up...Live the Life You Love book series
Board member of World Positive Thinkers Club
http://www.shirleycheng.com Having a bad day? Then meet Shirley Cheng, A.K.A. the modern day Helen Keller, to inspire, empower, and motivate you to go for the gold medal in life!
"Although I'm blind, I can see far and wide; even though I'm disabled, I can climb high mountains. Let the ropes of hope haul you high!"
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