Hi friends! Let me share this realization I just had last week. I had a dinner in restaurant which is just 2 blocks away from my house. The waiter handed me the menu and I started choosing what I wanted to eat. It took me 30 minutes to choose the food and drinks. After I had ordered, a funny and out-off-this world thought entered my mind and made me stop, think and reflect on it. I realized that I choose almost all the things that  I experience and I have in my life. Everything depends on my decision. I choose what food to eat, the place to visit, the house to live in, the husband to marry, the course to study, the clothes to wear, the TV show to watch, the officemate to hate, the people to love, perfume to wear, the direction to go, the people to be friends with, the boss to follow, and many other things. I get to choose them.

However, there are only a handful things we cannot choose in life, and one of which is our parents. No one in this world chooses his/her parents. Our parents are specially given to us. There should be reasons why you have your mom and you dad as your parents. No matter how unloving and irresponsible they are we cannot replace them. We owe who we are to them. They have sacrificed a lot for us. They love, take care, protect, guide and care for us.
There will come a time that our parents will grow old, weary and helpless. It’s the time for us to give back to them what they have selflessly share with us. We need to love, take care, protect, guide and care for them.  Here are some things we can do for our aged parents as expressions of love and gratitude. Let’s P.A.R.E.N.T. our PARENTS.

Protect them. Guard them from anything that will harm and endanger them. Make it sure that you’re always on guard and vigilant. They are weak and so they are vulnerable to accidents and dangers. You should always be by their side to avoid any untoward incident to happen. Don’t let them be alone.
Affirm them. As they grow old they develop a sense of insecurity and a feeling of worthlessness.  Always say positive things about them. They are very sensitive and they get easily hurt by simple words that we utter.  Let them feel that they are needed, appreciated and loved.
Respect them. As they grow old, they will lose their sensibility. They will act like kids.  We will have difficulty understanding their actuations. Always remember that they are still our parents no matter how irritating they are. They still deserved to be respected.
Encourage them. Tell them not to give up. As they grow old, they acquire sickness, pain and complications in their health. Always help them to be optimistic and see the bright side of life. Motivate them always to continue running their race till the end.
Nurture them. Feed them with love and care. Though their bodies may weaken by time, their spirits may be strengthened by our acts of love and kindness. Let them feel that you love them. Your love will sustain them till the end.
Take care of them. Provide them what they need.  Give them the best that you can give for they have given you the best that they could give. Make it sure that all the things that they need to live and survive are within their reach.

May these simple acts of love and care be our tokens of gratitude to those who once gave up everything and have sacrificed their lives for us to live and survive in this world. May your future children P.A.R.E.N.T. you as well when you turn the last chapters of your life in this world.

There live a couple who are happily married and blessed with one son. Their son, Robert, has been serving the country as a soldier. Robert has been away from his family for almost 5 years because he was part of the battalion which was sent to fight in the war at Middle East. The couple misses their son so much, that they look forward to his homecoming. They are always excited to receive letters and news about their son.
But, on the fifth year of Robert’s being away from home, they haven’t heard any news and received any letters from him for the past 5 months.  One fine day, a telegram arrives. The envelope says that it’s from Robert. Their eyes get bigger, their hearts beat faster, and they hurriedly open the letter. The letter says:

Dear Mom and Dad,
Hi there! How are you? I miss you so much! I’m sorry for not sending you letters for the past months. I’ve been so busy then. I have a good news for you. Finally, I will be home! Next week, I will be there. I’m so excited to see you two. Mom, please prepare my favorite dish when I get there. Dad, please prepare my car as well. I will drive and go to places. I’m so excited to be home again!
By the way, may I ask a favor from you. May I bring my friend with me when I get there. He does not have a place to stay. He was badly  injured in the war. A grenade exploded near him. And so, he lost his left leg and right arm. He does not anymore sight in his left eye. I pity him because no one will take care of him anymore. And so, I invited him to live in our house. Can we take care of him? Can we welcome him and have him as part of our family? I hope that you will consider and understand this.
Thanks! See you soon! Take care always!

Robert

The couple are so surprised with what they read. They are happy because finally they son will be back. But, at the same time, they are worried because they do not know what decision they will make about the favor Robert is asking from them. After 3 days of brainstorming, discussion and consultation, they finally made a decision. They sent a letter to Robert, and the letter reads:

Robert,
Hello son! We received your letter. We are glad to know that you will be home soon. We have cleaned your room and prepared the car and the house for your arrival. We have informed all your friends and our relatives that you will be back.  All of us are excited to see you.
Robert, with regard to the favor you’ve mentioned in your letter, we’re having second thoughts about it. It’s good to help your friend. In fact, we are really sorry for what happened to him. We pity him. But, we are worried about what our neighbors will say about our family if your friend will be part of the family. The entire neighborhood will always be talking about our family.  They might criticize, judge and belittle us. Our reputation and the good name of our family will be affected. And we can’t take it. We are sorry to say that we can’t accept your friend. There might be other people who might take care of him. We hope that you understand.
Robert, always take care there. See you soon.

Dad and Mom

After sending this letter to Robert, they have not heard anything about Robert. Days have passed… weeks have passed…. months have passed… There are no calls, no letters, no updates about Robert…

One cold night, while they are having their dinner and watching their favorite TV show, a news flash appears at the bottom of the screen. The news says “A young soldier shoots himself…” And so, they get nervous and hastily go to the address indicated in the news. When they get there, their jaws drop, hearts pound and eyes cry. They see their son, whom they love so much, lying on the floor filled with blood, without a left leg, right arm and left eye.

Friends, what kind of love do you have for your loved ones? There are people who love others BECAUSE they are good, talented, rich, lovable, beautiful, healthy, smart and other good reasons why they love them. Their love is based on these conditions that NEED to be present always in other people. Once these conditions disappear, love subsides. This explains why there are broken relationships and marriages. Many people enter into relationships because there are nice things that they see in their beloved. When these nice things start to deteriorate, love begins to break down. This kind of love does not last.
Genuine love should be unconditional. There should be no strings attached when we love others. We should love others IN SPITE OF their flaws, weaknesses and shortcomings. No problems, no challenges, no negative traits, nothing can stop us from loving others. Only UNCONDITIONAL LOVE lasts. It transcends and conquers all. Are you ready to love unconditionally? If yes, go on! If no, don’t enter into a relationship yet.

I was in our local bookstore some time ago and picked up a boxed set called “The Law of Attraction – The Basics of the Teachings of Abraham”.  I don’t know if anyone has listened to it but I sat down most excited at my purchase only to find that I couldn’t understand a single word of it really.  So into the cupboard it went with disgust.For some reason I came across it again the other day and thought I would listen to CD1.  Esther and Jerry Hicks introduced themselves and explained a little about themselves and how Esther became a channeler of Abraham and his teachings.  Yes it’s very heavy going to be honest but you have to be open to it I suppose.  Abraham, through Esther, talks about how all things both wanted and unwanted are brought into our lives by the law of attraction.  It’s a bit like that saying “what you focus on grows”.  Most of us, if we don’t have enough money to make ends meet, are very focused on this issue and thus perpetuate it in a way.  Abrahams teaching is that you must have the mindset of just the opposite, that you have everything in abundance.  Not so easy to do when you dont and I suppose not enough money is all consuming.  But I do believe worth trying to change your mindset to test the theory.

I have much more to learn from Esther and Jerry Hicks but have found it’s not something you can rush.  I need to listen then absorb, then try to put into practice before moving on to the contents of the next cd.  When I do you will be the first to hear about it.
Mary-Ann Roche.

Law of Attraction Quote:

My Life Story and the Law of Attraction…

Each and every component that makes up your life experience is drawn to you by the powerful Law of Attraction’s response to the thoughts you think and the story you tell about your life. Your money and financial assets; your body’s state of wellness, clarity, flexibility, size, and shape; your work environment, how you are treated, work satisfaction, and rewards—indeed, the very happiness of your life experience in general—is all happening because of the story that you tell.
Excerpted from Money and the Law of Attraction — 3/31/09

Tags: deliberate intent, Law Of Attraction, personal development, positive thinking

There are no doubt countless examples the world over of people overcoming adversity. It happens around the globe on a daily basis. I can only talk of one such example close to home for me. For those of you you have read my blog in the past you will know that I have three adult children. My eldest daughter as a little one was always bursting with life, difficult to keep up with, into absolutely everything and more strong willed than anyone could ever imagine.

Needless to say as she grew up she and I experienced many challenges along the way particularly in her teenage years. She suffered a very private and horrendous tragedy whilst growing up that only became known to me in her early twenties. During this time she developed epilepsy which went on to trouble her for the next four years or so. To the point of not being allowed to drive nor able to work, her confidence was at an all time low. Difficult to watch as this beautiful 6 foot attractive blonde bursting with enthusiasm and confidence became withdrawn and angry. Lots of medications, lots of hospitals, lots of seizures until she was fortunate enough to find an amazing Specialist who recommended surgery. No guarantee of a cure of course but what was the alternative?

A difficult decision for her to make and only one that she could. She did and we went through the harrowing time whilst in surgery and for the coming weeks and months that ensued. She is now almost 12 months post surgery and doing very well. No more seizures and medication being reduced monthly. What more could one ask for.

Now she is stepping cautioulsy back into the world and beginning her life all over again. Some could say she has been given a second chance and I believe that to be true, but firstly she had to find the courage and strength to make the decision to have the surgery in the first place.

I would be interested to hear your stories on people overcoming adversity. Please feel free to email me at: maryann@completepersonaldevelopment.com

Mary-Ann Roche

Tags: courage, inner strength, positive thinking, strength

Hello! How are you? I would like to share with you a very inspiring story of a friend of mine. Last week, I accidentally met a long-lost friend of mine when I went to the grocery store. At first, I did not recognize her. She was the one who called my name and introduced herself. I was surprised by the huge changes in her physical appearance and lifestyle. By the way, two decades ago my friends and I used to joke on her and call her ugly duckling for her appearance and status in life. She belonged to an impoverished family. Her mom was widowed, and so had to support and take care of her 8 children by herself. The death of the father caused financial crisis in the family. They could not take a decent meal a day. And so, my friend and some of her siblings were not given proper nourishment. They were so thin and looked like malnourished people. Her face was covered with pimples, and her skin with boils, scars and rashes. She could not afford to go to dermatologist due to lack of money. She was overage when she graduated in high school because she started schooling late and needed to stop schooling once in a while to assist her mom in taking care of her siblings. When she was a teenager, she was molested and physically abused by her stepfather. She endured this torture for many years because of fear to be separated from her family, and dread of being killed by her stepfather. But, this is not the end of her suffering. She jumped from one relationship to another relationship for her need of security, love and acceptance. These relationships pierced her heart more due to physical, verbal and sexual abuse by men whom she loved and to whom she entrusted herself. The last thing I knew about her was that she got hooked on drugs and alcohol. And after that, I have not heard anymore from her for years.
After almost 20 years, the person she was then is different what she is now. All the suffering and hardships she experienced then did not crush her, but strengthen her. The trials she faced then did not dampen her spirit, but challenge her. The pain she endured then did not discourage her from pursuing her dreams, but fuel her to fight. She did not consider all problems and sorrows as failures and stumbling blocks, but opportunities for her to grow and mature. Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: attitude, happiness, hope, recovery, self help, suffering