Do we choose to be Blind?

I believe that a lot of us, at some time or another during our lifetime, go through our days as if we were blind to the rest of the world. It's almost as if for whatever reason we were struck blind all of a sudden. I've felt this way at times when I either refused to “see” what was going on around me, or even “see” another's point of view. Sometimes I would slap my forehead and say something like-”Oops, I lost my awareness there for a while”; or, using the expression from the TV commercial for V8 juice, “I could have had a V8!”...that's one of my personal favorites and I've used it for years.

This past weekend I received one of the Netflix movies, Blindness, I had put in my que at the beginning of the summer. I don't know if any of you have seen it, but it looked intriguing and I like the actors in it (especially Julianne Moore, Mark Ruffalo and Danny Glover). It started out interestingly enough with various characters being suddenly struck “blind” seeing a white light, rather than black darkness, and the initial choice of characters to be stricken were curiously selected. Mark Ruffalo played an Opthamologist, for example. I started to look for contrasts and similarities in their personalities and was becoming quite philosophical and even psychological about the strategic selections made by the writers as to whom would become blind. I took it a step further and put myself in Julianna Moore's character, who was the ONLY protagonist in the cast of characters (other than the government people – isn't THAT interesting?) ” amongst the hundreds who were sharing a government controlled prison-like, internment camp hospital environment who could actually “see”. She had chosen to accompany her husband, played by Mark Ruffalo, when he was the first to be transported to the quarantine facility because she wanted to be supportive and to help him.

As the movie progresses, all sense of order breaks loose in the hospital. Moore continues to keep her sight a secret and tries to minimize the chaos to little avail. It is up to her to lead a group safely to the streets without getting shot by the government appointed guards who truly believe that physical contact with these people will inflict them with the blindness as well. On the most part, I think that a psychologist would have a full time practice analyzing the significance of each character's blindness (as well as those not blinded) and I'd almost be curious enough to read the case files or attempt an analysis of my own. But, in truth, I can't tell you how the movie ended-I did not choose to watch the ensuing chaos past the halfway point of the movie.

What does that say about me? Initially I felt it was because it was too depressing and I didn't need to put myself through that. Now, two days later, I'm thinking it was because it struck home on several levels (which was probably the point for making the movie in the first place, DUH!).

All my life I've been helping people – especially the last 3 years during my husband's health issues. All my life I've tried to be the practical “leader” in many situations that required making sense out of chaos. And, more times than I can count, I've tried to put a bandage on things that didn't look or feel right in the hopes that the negative stuff would disappear and “be all better” in a flash. Talk about turning a “blind eye” to life! Well, I've decided, at least for the next few days, I'm going to CHOOSE to keep my eyes open. Open to new ideas, new possibilities, new opportunities, new relationships, new surroundings, …..anything NEW and fresh I am welcoming into my life and making an agreement with myself to “see it” for what it is, on ANY level...as long as I allow myself to SEE!

I believe that BLINDNESS and/or losing even partial sight on physical and/or psychological levels, is all about making choices. We have the FREEDOM to choose how we want to live our lives every single second of every single day. The choices might be smaller or fewer for some than others, but even ONE choice is better than NO choice, and we all at least have one. Pick it! Choose it! Live it! That's my new mantra today.

Thanks you for letting me share my thoughts with you. I hope I have given you something positive to think about and something new to ponder.

From Me 2 You Online,
Laurie Jo

Responsibility - It is all about ME and I am sorry!

Abbie, Ziva and Toni were all hot young chicks when they arrived in my life. I had made a decision to adopt and raise these little girls as it was something I had wanted to do for quite some time now. I realized it would be a challenge, as I was older and it would take more effort than I was used to, but I knew I had done it before so I felt there was no reason I couldn't do it again. After all, Doug and Alayna were here with me and had encouraged me to do this so, I would have help.

They were only a few days old when they arrived at our house and we spent hours thinking about what their names were going to be once we saw them. We decided on their names and then set about thinking about their sleeping quarters, what room they were going to occupy and how we were going to keep them warm and cozy. It was real important to keep them warm as they had been in an incubator and were accustomed to a constant temperature and constant care since they were so little. Once we worked out their sleeping quarters we had to think about what to feed them and how to set up a schedule for their care.

Once they started growing up, we had to think about getting them their own room as they were getting too big for all of them to stay together in one small area, so Dough and I set about building them their own quarters. Once it was done, they moved in, and all the time I am thinking I have provided a wonderful place for them and they are loved and protected.

I came home today and decided to go see how they are doing only to find all three of them dead. It was a horrible discovery! Their heads were gone - their bodies open and desecrated. How could this possibly have happened? What could possibly have done this horrible thing? I may never know and it really doesn't matter because the deed has already been done and knowing what or who caused this will not change the fact that they are dead.

All I know is that we ARE responsible for everything that happens to us in our lives. I know that I did not protect them as well as I thought I had and because of that, my chickens are dead. It is something I will have to live with and so will the rest of my family.

Thank you for letting me share my grief with you.

From Me 2 You Online,
Laurie Brand

Life is ALL about choices - including healthcare!

I just watched the President on TV trying to explain the changes he would like to see concerning healthcare. Immediately following his address to congress, there was a commercial about a woman from Canada who found out she had breast cancer and was not able to see a doctor for 6 months so she came to the U.S. for treatment. Did she pay for her care while in the U.S. or did we pay for her care while she was here? Did she purchase health care while in the U.S? There was also another commercial stating that the U.S. has the best health care in the world and the woman talking about receiving the best care in the world receives the best care in the world because she HAS insurance! What about all of us who do not have health care, have been denied insurance or can not afford health care? How is the current system working for us?

I would at least like to commend the President for trying to make our world a little better. It is more than I can say for the last President who brought us into debt beyond anything we ever imagined possible and did not have the slightest concern for any of us who did not have any form of health care. If we were able to take all the money we have spent on the war in Iraq and Afganistan, it would be more than enough to fund health care for every American for the next 17 years. How great would that be?

Thank you for sharing your time with me.
From Me 2 You Online
Laurie Brand

Life's Interruptions

Have you ever tried to carry on a conversation with someone who likes to hear themselves talk more than they like to listen? I am sure you have. We all know someone who will invariably interrupt you at the beginning or in the middle of a sentence (never at the end of the sentence because that would mean they didn't interrupt) to tell you what they think or know, what you should think, what you should know, what to do, what not to do, how they feel, how you should feel, what they did in that situation, what you should do in that situation....on and on and on.....

I have a friend like that. Just for fun the other day, I decided to count the number of sentences I was able to complete in an hour. I started a total of 32 sentences and completed 4 of them without interruption. Hmmmm........... What does that tell me? There are several ways to look at this bad habit - and I do believe it is a very bad and inconsiderate habit that we all need to be aware of as it can say the following to our friends.

First - When you interrupt someone, you are basically telling them that you are more important - your opinion is more important - your thoughts are more important and any information you can impart is far more important than whatever they have to say to you.

Second - When you interrupt someone, you are confirming that their information, opinion, thoughts or feelings are more than likely incorrect according to your way of thinking. So now, not only are you telling them how unimportant they are, you are also telling them their thoughts, words and/or deeds are incorrect as well.

Wow - Now who wouldn't want a friend like that? The world really does revolve around them - just ask them....they will be happy to tell you!

Now, of course, there is another way to look at this. It is so easy to take this personally, but is it really about you? Are you really unimportant? Are you really incorrect? I don't think so! I think it is more about them than you. Why? I believe the person who is doing the interrupting has a need to feel superior and the only way they can actually do that is by trying to make you feel inferior. Their thoughts or information is not more important or more correct - they just have a need to try and make their thoughts more important or more correct. It really has nothing to do with you - it is all about them - their insecurities and their needs.

There are only two reasons we do anything in our life - to gain pleasure or to avoid pain. When you interrupt someone in the middle of a sentence it is only for one of those reasons. You may want to ask yourself which of these reasons are the most common for you? You may also want to ask yourself why this bad habit has become a part of your life? And last, but certainly not least, ask yourself 'If the shoe were on the other foot and your friend was always interrupting what you were trying to say, would you want to continue to be friends'? Hmmmmm..........food for thought.

Thanks for letting me share my time and thoughts with you. Writing is so sweet - I can't be interrupted!

Thanks for sharing your time with me. Let me know your thoughts. I promise not to interrupt!!!

From Me 2 You Online
Laurie Brand

Cause and Effect

I am sure you have heard the old saying by Isaac Newton, "For every action there is an opposite and equal reaction". That is known as Newtons Third Law of Motion. I have always associated that with a physical action but it has recently come to my attention that it doesn't only mean 'physical'. In the spiritual realm, I believe it is called the "Law of Karma". I am beginning to see and understand that this Law of Karma also applies to thoughts and emotions, not just physical forces. What we think and feel also has vibrational energy that is just as real and forceful as any physical action we could choose to take. We have actually known this for years, but how many of us have truly paid attention to it? In the Bible we are told "As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he". "Whatever a person sows, that shall they also reap". So, if you are hateful, angry, unforgiving or judgemental....what should you expect to be returned to you? If you are loving, caring, forgiving and accepting...what should you expect to be returned to you?

I have to say I am really tired of all of us thinking that our way is the only 'Right' way because someone else has taught us to be unforgiving and judgemental and we have not been taught to think for ourselves! We try to brainwash our children, spouses, family and friends to think just like us. Actually, it is what I am trying to do to you now...because I believe my way of being accepting, forgiving, loving and non-judgemental is better than the way the world is currently headed. As a human race, we have spent more time fighting, being at war and trying to force our beliefs down the throats of all those who do not think just like us. Who decided what is right and wrong? I really don't think that job was left to 'man'. 'Man' has screwed it up for thousands of years and all of us are beginning to reap what we have sown. Not only have we killed, maimed and harmed other human beings, we are killing, maiming and harming our earth. Our earth is beginning to rebel and 'She' will have the final word. 'She' is effectively starting to cleanse the harm we have caused through numerous avenues such as floods, volcanos, hurricanes, droughts and disease.

The Karma we are experiencing is going to grow exponentially over the next few years as we now have much to pay for. Many of us are beginning to see the need to reverse our actions in order to reverse the effects we are now experiencing. We need to consider taking a much closer look at how we are treating our fellow human beings and our earth in order to start the process of reversing our current paths. Remember, you get back what you give out....and what we have given out has not been very beneficial, so please start thinking of making "Do No Harm" your philosophy for your fellow human beings, the earth and yourself.

Thank you for sharing your time with me.

From Me 2 You Online
Laurie Brand

Proud to be a Whale

Recently, in a large French city, a poster featuring a young, thin, tan woman appeared in the window of a gym:

"THIS SUMMER DO YOU WANT TO BE A MERMAID OR A WHALE?"

A middle aged woman, whose physical characteristics did not match those of the woman on the poster, responded publicly to the question posed by the gym.

To Whom It May Concern:

Whales are always surrounded by friends (dolphins, sea lions, curious humans). They have an active sex life, they get pregnant and have adorable baby whales. They have a wonderful time with dolphins stuffing themselves with shrimp. They play and swim in the seas, seeing wonderful places like Patagonia, the Barren Sea and the coral reefs of Polynesia . Whales are wonderful singers and have even recorded CDs. They are incredible creatures and virtually have no predators other than humans. They are loved, protected and admired by almost everyone in the world.

Mermaids don’t exist. If they did exist, they would be lining up outside the offices of Argentinean psychoanalysts due to identity crisis. Fish or human? They don’t have a sex life because they kill men who get close to them not to mention, how could they have sex? Therefore they do not have kids either. Not to mention who wants to get close to a girl who smells like a fish store?

The choice is perfectly clear to me; I want to be a whale.

P.S. We are in an age when media puts into our heads the idea that only skinny people are beautiful, but I prefer to enjoy an ice cream with my kids, a good dinner with a man who makes me shiver and a coffee with my friends. With time we gain weight because we accumulate so much information and wisdom in our heads that when there is no more room it distributes out to the rest of our bodies. So we aren’t heavy, we are enormously cultured, educated and happy. Beginning today, when I look at my butt in the mirror I will think:

“Good gosh, look how smart I am.”

It's all about self respect

Food for Thought

There is a policy at work, “No facial rings or clips shall be worn during working hours.” I have a young co-worker who defies this rule as often as she can. When our supervisor leaves for the day, the jewelry goes back on her cheek.

There is also a lot of drama in her life, boys come and go and she can’t figure out why the relationships don’t last. The next time I noticed the ornament back on her face, I used this as an example to explain her unhappy love life. I stated, “You are being disrespectful to your employer by defying a company policy, therefore, you are also being disrespectful to yourself. The boys take advantage of you because they sense this of you.”

I gave her something to think about as she looked at me with no answer.

Life is a wonderful classroom. I am grateful to have the opportunity to share some of my knowledge with others. I hope it brought the message home for my co-worker.

Thanks for sharing your time with me.

To share your thoughts with me, go to my website at: http://www.fromme2youonline.com and give me your thoughts.

From Me 2 You Online,
Cristina

I Believe….We Should EMBRACE Emotions, and NOT Fret the FUNKY

How many times have you wandered through your day(s) feeling “strange” , “out of sorts” , “can’t put-your-finger-on-it funky”? You watch the hours go by slowly, just counting the minutes until you can leave work or stop a dreaded task you are involved in, so you can “call it a day” and hop in the sack-pulling the covers over your head, hiding from the outside world until you can wake up to a new day refreshed and raring to go? Has this ever happened to you? If you think it hasn’t, you are fooling yourself and think you are successfully pulling the wool over the eyes of the rest of us. I truly believe that EVERY SINGLE ONE OF US has experienced this “BLUE FUNK” at least once in a lifetime…it’s a natural human condition, after all, to feel other than 100% fantastic at least sometimes- RIGHT?
OK, here’s what I think. The issues we have the most Fear (and sometimes Joy) about are those things that need the quickest and longest attention. We are reticent about addressing them because we feel it will take too much time away from other things/people/jobs/responsibilities (god forbid we should feel that we deserve to take time for ourselves to think ABOUT ourselves) and addressing them may even put us in a “blue funk” and we never want to “go there” if we can help it. I wonder what would happen if each of us designated a part of one day each month or, better yet, each week to do just that….to take a close look at one or more of the following:
(1) What/who pushes your buttons? (2) What takes your breath away? (3) What gives you palpitations in your chest? (4) What brings on tears? (5) What brings on anxiety? (6) What makes you smile? (7) What makes you cry? (8) What makes you laugh? (9) If you could be ANYBODY else, Who would you be? (10) If you could DO anything else than what you are currently doing, What would you DO?
I venture to bet that by addressing ANY of the questions above, you will either love yourself and/or other(s) more or less; question yourself and/or other(s) more or less; look at life/job/responsibilities/moral dilemma(a), etc. more or less seriously; learn to laugh at yourself/others more or less; spend more or less on therapy and just plain look at life a whole lot differently. HOW COULD YOU NOT? It’s all LIFE and it’s ALL GOOD-or BAD…but at least, if you are fogging a mirror every day, it’s more than likely better than the alternative.
Embrace your emotions, Friends! And DON’T FRET the FUNKY!

Thanks for letting me share my time and thoughts with you . I invite you to check back with us soon to hear other words of wisdom on this site, www.fromme2youonline.com

You are appreciated!
Laurie Jo

Stand By Me

I heard a song "Stand By Me" that was recorded by some people who are promoting changing the world through music. They have gone around the world and have recorded and intertwined all the music from the people all singing this song. It is awesome and made me think about the lyrics - Stand By Me. I truly believe that if we were all to do just that one thing the world would be perfect.

Please, if you get a chance, go to http://www.playingforchange.com and listen to the music. It will make your heart sing and allow your soul to soar! It makes me grateful for all that I have and for all the blessings I have been give and more importantly I am grateful and blessed by all the people willing to "Stand By Me"! Thank You! I appreciate each and every one of you!

Please visit our website From Me 2 You Online and "Stand By Me".

I wish you peace, prosperity and passion!
From Me 2 You Online
Laurie

I Believe - Acceptance is the Key

I Believe order to attain ones true heart's desire, we must be able to accept our lives and situations as they are. If you believe you are already engaged in something capable of making you truly happy seek no further because you are doing exactly what you are wanting to do.

But if you need help identifying your true heart's desire then you might want to consider choosing Love as your dominant emotion. Allow the Love of Life to soothe your soul and flow into the grail of your heart to open the Flower of Life within.

If you are always trying to force your thoughts, your beliefs and your influence on others, you are trying to roll a boulder uphill. Not only do others not want to be told what to do, what to think and how to feel, they will eventually rebel against everything you are trying to make them accept.

The only way for someone to be happy and loving is to accept themselves and others exactly for who and what they are. By trying to change yourself or someone else to fit your idea of perfection, you are telling them they are not good enough for you as they are - they need to be different.

Acceptance of others and acceptance of yourself is the road to unconditional love and happiness.

Let's all practice today.

Thank you for sharing your time with Me.
From Me 2 You Online
Laurie Brand

Our Greatest Fear...

I talked to one of my best friends this morning and she was saying she has always been embarrassed when someone talks about her abilities, her gifts and/or how special she is. She has fought this for most of her life and while talking to her about it, I realized that the same thing has been true for me. While talking to her about it, I remembered a quote from Marianne Williamson, found it online, sent it to her and I have enclosed it here for all of you to read and also take to heart. We are all special and we are all meant to shine! Please read and know you are GREAT!


“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”

This was given to us by Marianne Williamson and my wish for myself and all of humanity is that we take this to heart and manifest our greatness in everything we think and do.

Thank you for sharing your time with me. You are appreciated!

From Me 2 You Online
Laurie

Words to live by from The Peaceful Warrior

Be Happy ALL the time, without a reason in the world

Emotions change- But, beneath it all, is the simple perfection of our lives unfolding

Sometimes you have to lose your mind before you come to your senses

Be conscious about your choice, and responsible for your actions

Life’s biggest picture and promise is FULFILLMENT, HAPPINESS & PEACE

To create a talent for Living, we must gather information from inside ourselves

Self-realization is to discover joy and peace in one’s self

Find out where your joy comes from and tap it every day


Thank you for letting me share these thoughts with you. For more information and 'sharing of thoughts' please visit my website at: www.fromme2youonline.com

In all things and in all life - Do No Harm.
From Me 2 You Online
Laurie Jo

Our Wagons and the Treasures They Hold!

We all know how the media (including the news at times) seems to think that the only way people should look is to be tall, thin and beautiful. Heaven forbid that a person, especially women, be five pounds over what the media's idea of the perfect body is. We also all know this is not reality. The only people who look like runway models are runway models and people who have health problems.

Small children often put their treasures or favorite things in a wagon and pull it with them wherever they go. (Yes, I am going to pull all this together.) I believe that our bodies are our wagons. Our bodies/wagons carry our spirit or higher self - our treasure. All of our wagons look differently. Some are different colors, some are different sizes, some may even have bigger tires. Some may look a little worn. With the help of a tattoo, some might even say "Radio Flyer". We can even change the size of our wagons if we so choose. Our Higher Self, though, is magnificently beautiful, radiant, and glowing. No make-up artist could ever compete with that kind of beauty. No air brush artist could ever come close to "fixing" a photo of your higher self (if indeed there could be such a photo).

One day as I was working in a gift-shop, a small group of people walked past the double doors. I noticed one lady who was extremely obese. For a micro-second I wanted to judge her and her size. Then I told myself that was only her wagon and she had chosen that wagon for this life at this particular time. All of a sudden, I saw her spirit, her perfect glowing spirit come out of her body, float to the doorway, smile and wave to me and float back into her wagon. I was dumbfounded. I had never seen anything like that happen before. But I knew that I had seen it. What a beautiful being she is!!! and to think that I might have missed it if I had judged the woman.

It's too bad we can't see that we are all these magnificent, beautiful, radiant beings. Don't look at the wagon, look for the beautiful treasures inside.

I am so grateful I had the chance to see that.

I am also grateful for you and the fact you are reading this now.

From Me 2 You Online,
Thank you.
Bonnie

The TRUTH Only Hurts for a Little While

I am sharing an experience I had twenty years ago in Florida during a time when businesses were starting up, struggling, and failing in an effort to become the next “new big thing”, and everybody involved were either jumping ship or floundering to survive. I had several educational degrees and many careers under my belt and had just taken a breather from 5 years of global traveling as a non-profit organization volunteer “getting my feet wet” in what was then called the New Age Movement. Years of following various mystic leaders, movers and shakers while trying to find my “nitch” had left me exhausted,, confused, and knowing that it was time I took life seriously and put some money in my pocket. If I was going to look to the future with any degree of certainty I had to buckle down and look for a REAL job!
One of the truths I had learned over the years was that I was a “people” person who needed to have excitement around me and a purpose to get up each morning. I interviewed for jobs and rejected many offers to work in the milieu of corporate craziness, not wanting to compromise my hard-gained personal principals of doing things well on my own terms. I had even worked for short periods of time with a few trade associations and what turned out to be “fly-by-night” ventures which had buckled under to economic pressure to stay afloat, no matter what the cost to employee relationships.
As serendipity would have it, I was hopelessly lost in rush hour on I-4 coming back from a job interview and I pulled into a hotel to ask directions that would take me out of a traffic nightmare so I could get back to where I was living 32 miles away. It was here that I met a young woman , who I will call Nancy, who owned a Guest Services business, managing tour and attraction centers in several hotels near Disneyworld, Orlando. Little did I know that two of her pearls of wisdom would stay with me to this day, and come to the forefront of my brain when I needed it most in the future.
Within the first 10 minutes of our connection, not only had Nancy given me an alternate driving route to get me home, but she had also related to me as if we had known each other all our lives and then offered me the job of running the Guest Services desk at that particular hotel. Finally, after all my interviews and frustrations about finding the perfect job fit for me, I was faced with the idea of having “fun” in my life again! Greeting and meeting people who’s intent was to have a great vacation with lots of excitement and adventure was my job and sole purpose, and I was elated, ready to meet all the challenges it entailed.
Every day for four months I visited Disneyworld and surrounding attractions to buy tickets to sell; I set up tour packages and discovered a new self-induced sense of humor, finding unique ways to attract tourists to my booth, enticing them to take advantage of special offers I would combine for their amusement. I met wonderful people from all over the world and delighted in sharing information about cities and countries we had in common through my years of global travel. I worked twelve hour days for weeks on end without a day off, setting new sales goals for myself and meeting sales challenges Nancy handed me as a way to earn financial bonuses when the tourist season was waning. It was tough and it was exhausting, but she was the best, most fair, caring, thoughtful boss I had ever had and that made all the hard work worthwhile.
When September came and sales commissions were starting to take a drastic dip due to drop in tourism, I knew I had to start thinking about finding a different job that would give me a steady flow in income so I could pay my rent and bills. I agonized about telling Nancy I would have to leave and my nights of fit-full sleep were becoming commonplace. She was the most intuitive person I had ever worked for and it didn’t take long for her to surmise that the tension I was exuding had something to do with her and the job.
Nancy walked into the hotel one day and handed me a beautiful large flowering plant. She told me that she had never had an employee like me who had so totally made the job “my own” and had taken each challenge with a smile and great attitude, even when the days were tough and I was hanging by a thread with exhaustion. Then, she took my hand and said, “I know you have something on your mind, and I just want to say one thing….’the Truth only hurts for a little while, and you are not responsible for other peoples’ disappointment in you by personal decisions you choose to make for your life’”
I looked at her and burst into tears. How could this young woman be so wise and so tuned in to what I was wrestling with? When I got control of myself, I told her that I needed to leave and find another job and that I hated to leave her in the lurch after all she had done for me-both as my employer, and my friend. I was really feeling guilty about it and I was feeling that I was letting her down. She told me that she knew I had to make the choice for me and assured me that I had more than contributed to the success of her business and she was very grateful for everything I had done for HER.
As a “sendoff” , she gave me a two-day trip to the Bahamas and wished me well.
To this day, I think of those pearls of wisdom and find them useful when I worry about other people’s reactions to my honesty when telling somebody how I feel or what I think, especially if those thoughts involve them directly. Sometimes I even preface my words by saying, “A wise woman once said to me, ’the TRUTH only hurts for a little while’.” Or, if I notice that something I have done or said makes a person uncomfortable or defensive, I say “I am not responsible for the way you are reacting or if you are disappointed in my decision about what’s right for ME.”
I know it is important for us to live our lives to be the best of our abilities and to be the most honest person we can be in this lifetime- to ourselves and those we care about. And it isn’t always easy. But knowing that we can make the conscious choice to be TRUE to ourselves, points us in the same direction to be TRUE to others in our efforts to live a life full of abundance and gratitude.

Thank you for letting me share these thoughts and this time with you. Please visit our website, www.fromme2youonline.com to read more “pearls of wisdom” from our family of readers and healers.

Gratefully Yours,
Laurie Jo

I Believe - GM Food - Does it Harm Us?

The following is an unedited excerpt from a recent article posted by American Association for Health Freedom.

Genetically-Modified Food is Dangerous

World renowned biologist Pushpa M. Bhargava, after reviewing more than 600 scientific journals, has stated that genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are a major contributor to the sharply deteriorating health of Americans, and the American Academy of Environmental Medicine (AAEM) has called for a moratorium on GM foods, along with long-term independent studies and labeling. They cite several animal studies that point to serious health problems associated with GM food, including immune system dysfunction, infertility, adverse changes in major organs, insulin regulation, and escalation of the aging process.

Many doctors are warning their patients against consuming genetically modified food, and some are prescribing GM-free diets. We are all at risk from GM foods, but babies, children, and pregnant women are even more susceptible to damage from consuming these products.

Warnings Ignored and Denied

This may sound like brand new news, but actually scientists at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) had warned about all these problems in the early 1990s. According to recently released documents, the scientific consensus at the agency at that time was that GM foods were inherently dangerous, and might create hard-to-detect allergies, poisons, gene transfer to gut bacteria, new diseases, and nutritional problems. It was suggested that long-term rigorous tests be instigated before approval of GM food production.

However, the White House had ordered the agency to promote biotechnology and the FDA responded by recruiting Michael Taylor, The Monsanto Company's former attorney, to head up the formation of GMO policy. That policy, which is in effect today, denies knowledge of scientists' concerns and declares that no safety studies on GMOs are required. It is up to Monsanto and the other biotech companies to determine if their foods are safe. Mr. Taylor later became Monsanto's vice president. Monsanto, described by Wikipedia as a multinational agricultural biotechnology corporation, has a long history of disregard for public health and safety and the environment of the planet.

GMOs May Remain Inside of Us

The most dangerous problem from eating GM foods is that long after we stop eating GMOs, we may still have harmful GM proteins produced continuously inside us. For example, eating a corn chip made with GM corn has the possibility of transforming our intestinal bacteria into living pesticide factories, maybe for the rest of our lives. The gene inserted into GM soy transfers into the DNA of bacteria living inside our intestines and continues to function. The U.S. medical community is concerned about the huge increase of gastrointestinal problems over the last decade. The answer might be found in examining whether GM foods are colonizing the gut flora of our population.

GM foods may be contributing to the rise of autism, obesity, diabetes, asthma, cancer, heart disease, allergies, reproductive problems, and any other common health problem now plaguing Americans, but we may never know. What we do know is that large numbers of animals are dying after eating GM grains, and that these animals (which include cows, horses, sheep, buffalo, and chickens) had a wide variety of symptoms. It follows that susceptible people may react to GM food with multiple symptoms or maladies. And also, what we do know is that proper testing has not been conducted.

Famed Canadian geneticist David Suzuki states, "The experiments simply haven't been done and we now have become the guinea pigs." He adds, "Anyone that says, 'Oh, we know that this is perfectly safe,' I say is either unbelievably stupid or deliberately lying."

What You Can Do

Here are some guidelines that you can implement right now. Stay away from anything with soy or corn derivatives, cottonseed and canola oil, and sugar from GM sugar beets-unless it says organic or "non-GMO." There is a pocket Non-GMO Shopping Guide co-produced by the Institute for Responsible Technology and the Center for Food Safety, which is available as a download, as well as in natural food stores and in many doctors' offices.

Consumers sometimes don't realize the power they have over the food industry. If enough consumers boycott GM foods, there's a good chance they will disappear from the marketplace, because that's what happened in Europe. Anti-GMO countries include Germany, Austria, Luxembourg, Greece, France, and Hungary.

Kind regards,
Tami Wahl,
Legislative Director
American Association for Health Freedom
office@healthfreedom.net

Am I loved - I am not on your path

The article written yesterday made me think about how much time we spend disagreeing with one another. I am not just talking about individuals, but families, groups, communities, cities, states, countries, religions, politics, races, creeds, colors, and of course, the sexes. I heard a statistic the other day that made me realize how much effort we are putting into disagreements and/or negative energy. The statistic said that given the entire span of mans life on this planet (as far back as we have recorded history), we have spent 83% of our entire history in, or at, war. That means that only 17% of Mother Earths history has been peaceful. Here is a quick list of all the major wars and conflicts since 1479 BC. This list doesn't even include the 'minor' wars or conflicts.

Here is the challenge - 'What is the longest period of time where we have not been at war"? When you discover the answer I am sure you will be just as amazed as I am - and also so very sad for the human race.

Major Wars and Conflicts

War [Sort by: Date Name] Date(s)
Egyptian Invasion of Asia 1479 BC

Persia Empire Wars 546 - 539 BC

Persian-Greek Wars 499 - 401 BC

Peloponnesian Wars 460 - 404 BC

Greek City-States Wars 395 - 362 BC

Alexander & Macedonian Conquests 338 - 322 BC

Hellenistic Monarchies, Wars of the 318 - 170 BC

Punic War, First 264 - 241 BC

Punic War, Second 219 - 202 BC

Invasion of the Hsiung-nu 203 - 200 BC

Third Macedonian War 168 BC

Punic War, Third 149 - 146 BC

Gallic Wars 58 - 52 BC

First Triumvirate, Wars of the 53 - 45 BC

Second Triumvirate, Wars of the 43 - 31 BC

Roman Empire Wars 27 BC - 476 ad



Byzantine Empire Wars 395 - 1453

Muslim Conquests 624 - 982

Charlemagne, Conquests of 773 - 796

German States, Wars of the 891 - 1789

Norman Conquest of England 1066

Crusades 1096 - 1254

English-French Wars 1194 - 1337

Mongol Wars 1214 - 1402

English Scottish Wars 1314

Hundred Years War 1337 - 1453

Venetian-Turkish Wars 1416 - 1573

Wars of the Roses 1455 - 1487

Spanish-Moslem Wars 1481 - 1492

Spanish Conquest of Mexico 1519 - 1521

Mogul-Afghan War 1526

Spanish Conquest of Peru 1531 - 1533

English Spanish Wars 1588

Thirty Years' War 1618 - 1648

English Civil Wars 1642 - 1651

Spanish-French Wars 1648 - 1659

Jacobite Rebellions 1689 - 1745

Great Northern War 1700 - 1721

Spanish Succession, War of the 1701 - 1714

French and Indian War 1754 - 1763

Seven Years' War 1756 - 1763

American Revolution 1775 - 1783

French Revolutionary Wars 1792 - 1802

Napoleonic Wars 1803 - 1814

Indian Wars in United States 1811 - 1887

War of 1812 1812 - 1815

Peruvian War of Independence 1824

Texan War of Independence 1836

Afghan-British War, First 1839 - 1842

Mexican War 1846 - 1847

American Civil War 1861 - 1865

Seven Weeks' War 1866

Franco-Prussian War 1870 - 1871

Afghan-British War, Second 1878 - 1880

Zulu-British War 1879

Sudan, War for the 1881 - 1899

Spanish-American War 1898

Boer War, Second 1899 - 1902

Russo-Japanese War 1904 - 1905

World War I 1914 - 1918

Afghan-British War, Third 1919

Turkish War of Independence 1919 - 1923

World War II 1939 - 1945

French Indochina War 1946 - 1954

Arab-Israeli War 1948 - 1949

Korean War 1950 - 1953

Hungarian Uprising 1956

Vietnam War 1965 - 1975

Six-Day War 1967

October War 1973

Iran-Iraq War 1980 - 1988

Persian Gulf War 1991

Terrorism, War on 2001 - present day

This information was provided by e.history.com. For some real eye opening information, visit their site.

So, all of this information is being provided for one reason - who is to say which path in life is correct? Is there such a thing as 'One Right Path'? And if there is just 'One Right Path', whose path should we be following? When will we realize that Everyone is on the correct path for them and we need to accept them for what and who they are?

'I Believe' if each of us were to live our life according to "In all things and in all life - Do No Harm" our history would reflect an entirely different scenario.

Thank you for sharing your time with Me. You are appreciated!

From Me 2 You Online,
Laurie