I Take off the MASK!

There are as many dreams as there are people, and that is why there are also as many paths.  One cannot therefore say to another, “Hey, follow me, this is the way to your dreams.” For even if the dream be somewhat similar, the people following that dream will always be different.

Hence one person may prefer to take the rough path first, while the other prefers the smoother path.  One person may prefer to travel the seas first and then later on build one’s courage to climb the mountain.  Another person who has no fear of heights may prefer to climb the mountain first and then later on build the courage to cross the seas.

We also differ in our endurance.  Others may get tired easily and need to find some rest now and then while others don’t get tired as much and therefore move farther ahead in one’s path.

Some people may prefer to take it slow and savor each scenery along the way.  Others don’t care as much and prefer to reach their destination faster.

In the end, what matters is how we are able to reach our own paths and how we are able to respect the path of others who are also trying to find their way.

There may be points in time when our paths would cross, when we can cheer each other on.  During such times, let’s not hesitate to lend each other a helping hand if we could.

But as for those times when we must walk our paths alone or choose one that is different from the ones our companions are taking, let us not lose heart.  Let us not think that our friends don’t care for our journey anymore.  Who knows? One day our paths may cross again, and when they do, we’d have more stories to tell and more strength to share for the meaningful journey that lies ahead.

“There are many paths to a dream, but only one is yours.” – Joyce, itakeoffthemask.com

By: Jon Morrow

Sometimes, you don’t get to choose the tribes that you belong to. They choose you, and there’s nothing you can do about it.

I’m a member of one of those tribes. It’s called the Tribe of the Disabled.

Some of us were born into the tribe. Others were brought into it by an accident or mistake. But regardless of how we arrived, no one wants to be a member.

Some people take it hard. They feel like they’ve been kidnapped from another tribe, the Tribe of Normal People. They feel like everything they were and everything they knew was taken away.

Eventually though, most of us realize that the Tribe of Normal People doesn’t actually exist. There’s no bond between the nondisabled.

There are no leaders among them. There are no rules. It doesn’t exist.

But the Tribe of the Disabled does exist. It’s a common link between all of us, and we know it, even without saying anything.

We have rules, like, “Don’t stare” or “Be encouraging.” It’s strange, but we also tend to stay away from each other, as if being around one another could remind us that we are a member of the tribe. We prefer to forget.

Still, we have common leaders, people that inspire us. Christopher Reeve was one of those leaders. He inspired us with his audacity, his activism, and his compassion. We were so sad when he left us, but that’s the way this tribe is. Our leaders don’t last long.

It’s an unusual tribe, I know. For the longest time, I didn’t want to be a part of it. I believed that accepting my membership would weaken me, like I would be accepting my own death. So many of us die, after all. It’s the most common way out of the tribe.

But you know what? I was wrong.

This tribe isn’t about death. It’s about courage.

It takes courage to look at yourself and accept your imperfections. It takes courage to love yourself anyway. It takes courage to go beyond merely trying to survive your life and start trying to actually enjoy it.

How could you complain about being in a tribe like that? It’s wonderful.

Would I still like to be cured of my disease? Would I trade a healthy body for my membership in the Tribe? Sure I would.

But do I regret being a part of it? No way!

When you learn to accept yourself, you also learn to accept the tribes you belong to. They don’t have to be rich or clever or even desirable. The fact is, it’s your tribe.

And sometimes, that’s all that matters.

(Taken from THE TRIBES CASEBOOK)

There was once an old woman who died when she was 87 years old.  She didn’t have any children.  She never even got married.  As for possessions, she had 3 clothes and one pair of sandals.  A peer described her as small and shy.  She looked as ordinary as everybody else except that you’d probably recognize her if you read some books and watched documentaries about her life.  For all her simplicity, Mother Teresa has helped thousands of people in 45 years over 100 countries around the world giving aid to the sick, the poor, the orphaned, the homeless and the dying.

Did she live a meaningful life?  Was she successful in achieving the standards people usually attribute to a happy life?

Let’s look at another life:

Here is a man who was born in an obscure village, the child of a peasant woman. He grew up in another village. He worked in a carpenter shop until He was thirty. Then for three years He was an itinerant preacher.

He never owned a home. He never wrote a book. He never held an office. He never had a family. He never went to college. He never put His foot inside a big city. He never traveled two hundred miles from the place He was born. He never did one of the things that usually accompany greatness. He had no credentials but Himself…

While still a young man, the tide of popular opinion turned against him. His friends ran away. One of them denied Him. He was turned over to His enemies. He went through the mockery of a trial. He was nailed upon a cross between two thieves. While He was dying His executioners gambled for the only piece of property He had on earth – His coat. When He was dead, He was laid in a borrowed grave through the pity of a friend.

Twenty long centuries have come and gone, and today He is a centerpiece of the human race and leader of the column of progress.

I am far within the mark when I say that all the armies that ever marched, all the navies that were ever built; all the parliaments that ever sat and all the kings that ever reigned, put together, have not affected the life of man upon this earth as powerfully as has that one solitary life. (Adapted from a sermon by Dr James Allan Francis)

The man being referred to is Jesus, the one whom Christians believe is the Son of God.  Not everyone may believe Him, many even criticize Him, but His impact upon millions of lives for centuries cannot be denied.

Did he live a meaningful life?

A meaningful life is not the same as a comfortable life.  It isn’t even the same as having a peaceful and quiet life.

While many of us may feel worthless, many more people await for the help we could offer them.  We may not have much money, but we could have much time.  Even if we don’t have much time, we have our thoughts, our words and our many other gifts.  Even those already suffering in sickness and can’t get out of their bed has the capacity to pray for those who are suffering more than they are.  We don’t even have to help thousands of people.  We could help only one person and it would make the very difference between a life well lived and a life that is devoted to none.

Lastly, the meaning of our lives does not depend upon the opinion of other people.  It does not depend on what others deem important or valuable, but on what we consider as important from deep within our soul.  What is so important to you that you could forego everything else just to pursue it?  What would a meaningful life look, sound and feel like to you?

Are you bored with life? Then throw yourself into some work you believe in with all your heart, live for it, die for it, and you will find happiness that you had thought could never be yours. – Dale Carnegie

“What you are doing I cannot do, what I’m doing you cannot do, but together we are doing something beautiful for God, and this is the greatness of God’s love for us. To give us the opportunity to become holy through the works of love that we do because holiness is not the luxury of the few.” -Mother Teresa