Tag Archives: all people have value

Knowledge Will Change You

BeliefOur minds work overtime sometimes, and we must establish a clear representation of our thoughts, goals, and perspectives on life to find our direction based on the things we truly believe. All knowledge will change you and move your consciousness one way or another and leave you with a final set of core beliefs representing your experiences and how you choose to interact with the world. Looking at my experiences over the last year, I needed to revamp my collection of what I think and look at other people.

So here is the current version of MY Mission Statement. Presented in no particular order, here are a few things I hold as truths in my life.

We Are All Connected

Call it God, the Universe, or whatever your religion dictates, but to me, we are all connected through a divine order. All people have the same abilities for great love and equal power to commit evil, which is just a part of this crazy game called life. We are given individual gifts at birth to make our unique mark on the world if we choose to do so. When you look at all things, events, and people in your life, you can see the thread that connects everything.

This connection runs through the hearts of all people. There is an illusion that our experiences are seperate events; a universal force is running between us all, connecting all of our stories. Remember this the next time judgment of others and separation’s effects enter your life. There but for the good fortune of your circumstances, go you. There is no difference between you and anyone else but choices and details. We are all connected.

Our Beliefs Control Our Lives

Each of us has developed throughout our lives a core belief system. We established most of these beliefs early on in life. These are limiting beliefs that delay or even stop our development completely. Our expectations were built by our parents, grandparents, siblings, teachers, religion, and peers. Most were developed before age ten and have remained with us to this day. Our beliefs have to power to achieve goals or stop us from becoming what we should be.

The great thing is that all beliefs can change at any point in life when we look and find irrefutable evidence that contradicts them. All of the “you can’t,” “no’s,” “you’re not good enough’s,” “You can’t make a living doing that’s,” or any other limiting statement from your youth making you feel like you are not good enough can be eliminated — the processing and acceptance of new information about you and your abilities.

Here is a secret; you are powerful and can do anything you set your mind to accomplish. You have the chance to try anything. Look honestly at the barriers stopping you; most often, you will find insecurities and limits that we place on ourselves because of limiting beliefs we choose to accept. Accept new ideas to guide you.

Your Actions Define YOU

Talk is cheap; what you do is the definition of your character. I have heard the soft and sympathetic words that were worth nothing but have been blessed by the actions of many great people. Saying you are something means nothing, and being that thing means everything.

Each day is a new opportunity to take action toward a goal or a dream that you have. Take a step, mail a letter, make a call, or do whatever small thing you can that will lead you toward your goal. Action is the power source for people’s dreams and will cancel out fear.

Every person that has ever been born has had a dream of some kind, and there are no exceptions. When a person takes action, they can make their dream come true. If that action leads to failure, then at least you know, and a direction more suitable to you may show itself from the effort.

Thinking Positively Leads to Positive Results

Bad stuff happens to everyone at some point in life; how you deal with it is crucial. Life is full of things that we define as good or bad. Positive thinking is not about ignoring the “bad” in life and always looking on the bright side, although those factors result. Positive thinking is bringing the focus of love, understanding, kindness, acceptance, and peace to all you experience—ignoring your counterpart’s hate, judgment, separation, meanness, and conflict.

All experiences have the power to bring the positive or negative inside a person to the surface, and what emotions and thoughts you let dominate your behavior will decide what actions come from you and what feelings are happening inside you. All things are just things until we assign a value to them and determine how we look at them.

All People Have Value

A person’s value is difficult to remember when I am angry or someone has hurt me, but that doesn’t change the fact that I believe this is true. People live differently, make poor decisions, and look differently, but they are all valuable and unique individuals.   All that separates us from the circumstances of another is mere chance. At our core, we are all beings of love, and understanding and are looking for acceptance in the world.

We are all born with a unique gift that can contribute to the world’s good. It is the meaning of life to find out what that gift is and how to use it. Some people lose their way through the experience of life and bury their talents too profoundly to be retrieved, but the reward is still there. With the right nurturing, perhaps it could resurface.

Gratitude is the Gateway to Abundance

How often do you appreciate all the positive things in your life? Moving through life each day is easy; let events and people swirl past you without absolute acknowledgment. Stop for a moment and give thanks for each experience. Even when the lessons are not what you are looking for, they will provide clues as to the direction you should be moving in.

Being grateful and putting yourself in that mindset each day creates an energy of acceptance around you, and that energy attracts more into your life. What you focus on multiplies; if you are grateful for what you have, you will have more things to be thankful for having in your life. Take time and reflect a bit each day on the blessings in your life. Breathing in and out and having an experience is a blessing many lose daily.

Forgiveness is Necessary to Move Forward

To forgive someone for something they did that harmed you is very difficult. It can’t just be lip service of saying you forgive; it has to be inside your heart. The only one who can give forgiveness is you, and the sooner you give it, the sooner you can move on. Letting go of pain, sadness, anger, or any other negative emotion is key to enjoying life.   I read somewhere that you know forgiveness occurs when you think of that person, and there is no subtle searing inside your heart. It can take a conscious effort, but with forgiveness comes freedom and strength.

Embrace Love, Avoid Fear

All people carry this inside of them, and the one you pay attention to will determine how much you enjoy this ride we call life. Focus on the love-based emotions like kindness, understanding, generosity, acceptance, patience, and love while avoiding the fear-based feelings and thoughts of anger, hate, separation, jealousy, stereotyping, and judgment. It can be harder to do than it sounds, but the effort is well worth it.

Remember that fear will be a continual battle for you throughout your life. It will attack you both outwardly with dangers real and imagined. It will also subtly invade your life through indirect methods, invading your thoughts and being powered by your emotions. All things will work out if you let them. Some powers exist which are far wiser than you. Learn to trust them.

Our beliefs are essential to the type of life that we live. If you do not work to control them, they will direct you. We all have to live with the results.

Believe It

Creating a shortlist of beliefs on which I think my life is hopefully based is a difficult task but one I am continually polishing and evaluating as life teaches me the lessons I need to learn.  People come into your life, situations change, we learn, we lose, we grow, and the lessons are what we are left with and the beliefs are the constants that strain out of the mess that is left of our lives after all experiences happen. So this product is ever-evolving, and I am editing it as I see fit, but I stick with what I say at this moment.  At least for today, until they have been proven false tomorrow, and then I will adjust.

All People are Connected

Call it God, the Universe, or whatever your religion dictates, but we are all connected through a divine order to me.  All people are fundamentally the same and contain the same abilities for great good and equal power to commit great evil.  That is just a part of this crazy game called life. Just as everyone is the same, each person is a unique creation as well. There has never been another person exactly like you, and there will never be another one again. There is something extraordinary about that.  We are all bound together in the experience of life and the story evolving out of it.

All of us have a connection on the soul level.  The human ego has been developed to make us feel like we are all alone and isolated. But the truth is that it is just an illusion and breaking that can change your life.  When people look to their similarities, and away from what separates them, anything is possible.  We are all connected, and that should be the hope of your life. When you look at someone else, don’t judge anyone too harshly.  You are only a few circumstances away from being the same.

Your Actions Define Who YOU Are

Talk is cheap. What you do is the definition of your character.  I have heard the soft and sympathetic words that were worth absolutely nothing but have been blessed by the actions of many great people.  Saying you are something means nothing. Being that thing means everything.  Each day all people are faced with a large number of choices, be positive or negative. Loving or fearful. Kind or judgmental. Etc. It is these choices that lead to action and define us to the world. Make your choices carefully.

How do you want to be seen in the world?  Think about that when you make a thousand decisions making up your day.  I have heard people speak about the virtues of kindness globally and then treat people in their day-to-day life in a very mean and judgmental fashion.  What type of person are they? Kind or mean? Words say kind things, but actions are callous and cold to human understanding. Your actions are mean, selfish, and insensitive, then that is what you are.  The good news is anyone can change at any moment and become a better version of themselves. Let your actions be a ringing endorsement of your character, not a condemnation.

Thinking Positively Leads to Positive Results

Bad stuff happens to everyone at some point in life. How you deal with it is essential to the quality of your life and those around you.  Life is full of things that you define subjectively as good or bad. Our attitude about these events is what will determine our lives.  Look at the good in all situations.  You may not be able to see it at first but ask yourself, “How can this make me better?” or “What is this situation trying to teach me?”  The truth is no situation is positive or negative. There is a little of both in everything.  It is up to you to find it.  How well you make these choices defined how happy you are in life.

Defining things as positives allows you to enjoy life more, be healthier, and support those you love. At the same time, negative thinking is defeatist and will supply you with the exact opposite. As I mentioned above, you choose every day to be positive or negative in this world.  Positive thinking will lead to positive results in your life. How much positivism do you prefer?

All People Have Value

This is difficult to remember sometimes when I am angry or someone has hurt me, but that doesn’t change the fact that I believe this is true.  People live differently, make poor decisions, and look differently, but inside they all have value.   All that separates any of us from the circumstances of another is mere chance.  At our core, we are all beings of love. Therefore, understand and giving love is the most important thing.

Every person is a teacher and a learner. You can learn something from everyone. A valuable lesson can come from a simple conversation or just in observation of someone living their life. I don’t look in judgment but in understanding and appreciation of what their experience brings. For example, Victor Frankel was a Holocaust survivor who didn’t let the worst experience of his life dim his hope for humanity. I take that lesson and apply it to my life all the time. If he could remain positive, what excuse do I have to feel bad?  We can learn those lessons from all sorts of people every day.

Action Is Mandatory for Success

Every person that has ever been born has had a dream of some kind. There are no exceptions.  When a person takes action, they can make their dream come true.  Even if that action doesn’t work out, then you have gained valuable information that you can use to try again. Many people carry a lot of fear around inside them, of many different things.  Action kills fear because it removes all doubt. Either something is going to work, or it isn’t. There is no need to worry or fret because you have all the information right in front of you. Taking action is the reality check and a powerful ally to all people. Take action and see what you can accomplish in your life today.

Start your business, ask for the date, apply for the job, say what you mean. All of your actions will lead to repercussions for which you will be responsible, but that is a great way to live life. Embrace all of the ripples of your existence and never apologize for them. If you are honest and trustworthy and explain why you did what you did to those who matter, you have nothing to be ashamed of or worried about.  Let your action do the talking, and it will create a life of consequence.

Forgiveness is Necessary

To forgive someone for something they did that harmed you is very difficult. It can’t just be lip service of saying that they are forgiven. It has to be inside your heart.  The only one who can give forgiveness is you, and the sooner you give it, the sooner you can move on.  Letting go of pain, sadness, anger, or any other negative emotion is key to enjoying life.   I read somewhere that you know that someone is forgiven when you think of them, and there is no subtle searing inside your heart.

It can take a conscious effort, but with forgiveness comes freedom, strength, and love. Choices that are made from love are generally good choices. To hold on to anger or pain is to give power to someone else over your life, and clearly, they don’t deserve to be a part of your life if they hurt you or treated you with disregard. Forgive them and learn never to treat anyone inadequately again.  Let your ripples be of kindness and joy.  Forgive everyone, including yourself, and move forward with the best intentions to be the best version of yourself possible.

Embrace Love, Avoid Fear

All people carry this inside of them, and the one you pay attention to will determine how much you enjoy this ride we call life.  Focus on the love-based emotions like kindness, understanding, generosity, acceptance, patience, and love while avoiding the fear-based feelings and thoughts of anger, hate, separation, jealousy, stereotyping, and judgment. It can be harder to do than it sounds, but the effort is well worth it. Love is a powerful way to think that will allow you to become the best version of yourself spiritually, physically, and mentally. Love leads to kindness and personal growth. Fear is the opposite of love, and it will lead to isolation and a negative life experience. Not many people are happy with their fear-based thoughts, and living through love makes it impossible not to be satisfied.

There it is, some simple things to help you think about ways to move better through your day and your life.  The song below is one of my all-time favorites; it reminds me of how life changes and moves. We do move like water, and you never know when life will end, and all we have is this moment.  Love much and believe in yourself ultimately!! Be the most extraordinary person you can be, and make sure your beliefs allow you to shine fully.

Lessons Learned at Camp Caribou Part 2

Tom Fischer, Toby Macgrath, Dave Penley, and Myself, the baseball staff 1992.

Seeing all the Camp Caribou 50 years of camping has made me contemplate my brief four years as a counselor there many years ago.  It is such a unique place and working there was full of lessons and personal growth.  I have carried these lessons along to all areas of my life and I am grateful for the experience and hope those lessons are being taught to others still today. I was just one of the thousands of employees the Lerman’s have had over the years but to me, the feeling of family and belonging at that place was individual and lasting. Here are a few more of the lessons I learned on that peninsula in Winslow, Maine. (Read Part 1 Here)

The Value of Personal Time

As much as I respect Bill Lerman, as a counselor, I thought that it was good to see him at meals and camp activities but never any other time. Bill was a business owner, and he would ride around the camp on a three-wheeler, checking up on this or that, so you could always hear the three-wheeler coming and stop doing anything you shouldn’t be doing.  I learned early to work hard and well when you are on duty,

John Hall, Mick Scarles, Brian Albers, Rich Redwine, Myself, Dave Penley and Lynn Hall in front our favorite camp nurse.

but to find places that nobody could find you when you had free time. Because if you had free time, and Bill found you, he could find something for you to do.

I developed many different places which were relaxing, quiet, and good places for rejuvenation.  I remember sitting in one of them, out of sight and hearing the three-wheeler pass by just behind me and smiling because I knew I wasn’t going to be spotted. The lesson here is that everyone needs time to themselves in order to be able to give what they have to others. I always have carried that forward and enjoy my time by myself when I need it.  There is nothing wrong with this and it makes you a better leader, worker, producer and person.  When I have been in positions of authority I recognize and respect that in others and I owe that lesson all to Camp Caribou.

Mindset Matters

I learned early that how you think matters in the way you experience camp. And that can be translated into all other areas of your life.  At camp, you are entering into a new environment and it brings with it some challenging choices.  If you focus

Me Pitching BP. My favorite pastime

on yourself, your day is going to be difficult. If you focus on what you can do for others, your day will be easy.  You have to be there anyway, so look for ways to make the experience fun and most of that comes with mindset. I worked with people with good and poor mindsets.  I know the ones with a positive mindset, lifted me up and made things better.  Those who complain all the time about everything are to be avoided because they will bring you down.

Thinking positively and performing your job with joy is easier and more enjoyable than being negative.  When you complain all the time and look for the things you don’t enjoy, you tend not to enjoy anything. Life is too short not to enjoy anything. Camp Caribou was my first real lesson in this and I have been able to carry that lesson through a lot of difficult times to find ways to enjoy life today. Your mindset matters my friends. Is it a good day? Or a bad day? Only you can decide.

All People Have Value

No matter where you come from in the world, the color of your skin, the religion that you practice, or the language you speak, underneath it all we are all the same. We are just people that are looking for a way to have our needs met and to feel a part of things.  I was fortunate to be exposed to people from all over the globe at Camp Caribou. Every year people go to Winslow, Maine arriving as individuals and if they make it through the summer they leave as part of something bigger than themselves.  I saw all people make contributions to the whole experience. Some were bigger than others, but all kept the life at camp moving and healthy.

One of the lessons all camping brings to people is that all people have value. The kitchen staff is just as important as the program director and in some ways more important.  I know that my ability to appreciate others and to always remember to thank someone for even the smallest kindness comes from Camp Caribou. It is good to be appreciated and also great to appreciate others.  We are presented with an opportunity to practice this each and every day. All people have an intrinsic value that they bring to life. Appreciate all of those you come in contact with. We are all doing the best we can.  Thank you Camp Caribou for that lesson.

Magic is There

The final lesson I will be talking about today is about the energy and joy that people bring to a place like Camp Caribou. It is a rare thing that a place is almost magical in the joy and excitement it brings to people.  There were any number of evening activities, bunk nights, Sunday afternoon activities, or intercamp games I participated in and all had a value to someone.  Each contributed an excitement to someone and made many people smile and be happy.  This happiness transcends the physical location of Caribou and is carried around with all the people who ever experienced it.  Like all great things, they only exist for a short season, then it is over and left in your memory.  At the end of the summer, one by one the people return to their homes and take that happiness with them.  Being at the camp as people continually left, it was like watching a giant fall asleep.  The magic of the place slowly drifted away with every boat being pulled from the water and every ball being put away.

Just like life, the time of a summer is finite, measurable and short. But that is what gives it value and makes it special.  The motto of Camp Caribou used to be “unforgettable summers” and I think that was true.  I have never forgotten the value that I took from the place and its people. I am sure there are many others who felt the same way as well. The good thing to remember is that even as the giant falls asleep every fall and stays that way throughout the winter, it will awaken again when the weather warms up and the people return, one by one in the spring and summer.  The magic of the place never disappears, it shows its value by coming back to life to teach its lessons to more people. As long as there are places like Camp Caribou, the world will be a better place.

Apparently, I could write all day about this place that has had such an influence on me and my outlook on life. I know that the Lerman family all helps run things and the next generation is taking over, I am sure that the camp is in good hands for years to come.  There are good people all over the world who have been affected in a positive way and I hope that continues for campers and staff for many years to come. I was very fortunate to have had the experience and hope all others are as grateful for the time there as I am.  (Read Part 1 Here)