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Life's Purpose and Value of a Life

Sam Berns with his parents in March 2009, when he was 12 years old by Michael Corthell ''Every human being, for the greater good or the greater ill, contributes something to the world and is important. Not only do our lives have purpose and meaning, but our lives are also inseparably connected. —  with the most important link being the connection to the Universe, our God, and our creator.'' Foreward This article is about life. It focuses on the challenges that we face in life and emphasizes the need to navigate them with resilience and perseverance, despite the cards we are dealt. It also highlights the inherent value of life itself and the potential for redemption, as exemplified by the inspiring words of individuals like Anne Frank and Sam Berns . At the end of this article, you will find a Ted Talk by Sam, who is one of my personal heroes, whose message has inspired me to cultivate kindness, patience, and personal growth in the face of life's challen

Saving One Life: The Meaning and Significance of the Judeo-Christian Idea

"Saving a life is never an insignificant act, for when we do so, we are not just saving one life, we are preserving the entire world as it exists for that person and all the lives they will impact ." Michael Corthell The idea that saving one life is like saving the entire world is a powerful and meaningful concept that is deeply rooted in both the Judeo-Christian Bible and the Torah. This idea speaks to the immense value of every human life and highlights the importance of taking action to help others in need. In the Judeo-Christian Bible, the idea that saving one life is like saving the entire world can be found in the story of Cain and Abel. After Cain kills his brother Abel, God confronts him and asks where his brother is. Cain responds by asking, "Am I my brother's keeper?" This rhetorical question implies that we are all responsible for the well-being of our fellow human beings and that we have a duty to protect and care for them. This theme is further emph

Finding Joy and Having a Wonderful Life

In 'It's a Wonderful Life'  An angel is sent from Heaven to help a desperately frustrated businessman by showing him what life would have been like if he had never existed.  We are all on Earth for a reason  Think of your past and give yourself credit for the good you have done, the people you have influenced and the joy you have brought. This Christmas season, whenever you hear a bell ring, think of something good you have done for others.  by Michael Corthell "No one is useless in this world who lightens the burdens of another." — Charles Dickens "Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness" may be the most famous phrase in the history of the United States. It is a God-given right protected by the Constitution. We are guaranteed the right to chase that happiness. How happy and joyful we become is entirely up to us. So, how do we pursue that happiness, that joyfulness? Let's take a look. Being sad, being disappointed, or facing severe challeng

The Miracle of Life and The Artistry of the Universe

by Michael Corthell Today's article is fairly brief. When you get to the end be sure to watch the video presentation, because you will see the miracle I talk about. 'Let there be light, and there was light, love and life.' When writing about God (the creator/the first cause/the prime mover/the one, the source or The ONE) I often say that God is love or love is the essence of what He is, and that 'love is all there is'. I say this because the true effect and purpose of all creation is love, life, the love for it and just to live it. The foolish believe in luck. The wise believe in cause and effect. Many people refer to God as the 'first cause'  (and only cause) . For every 'cause' there is indeed, not only one effect, but many. What you see and experience all around you—throughout all the Universe are those 'effects'. For most people are only two ways to live life. Living it as though nothing is a miracle, or living and expe

Hacks - Tips - Lessons: How to Improve Your Life and the Lives of Others

by Michael Corthell What if you could go back and tell your 12-year-old self about the secrets to a happy and fulfilling life? What if you had heard, understood, and accepted the most important life lessons when you were still a teenager?  I've collected most of them here. 1. Have Faith  2. Be grateful for everything, despite your suffering. 3. Always remember that what you don't know is much more important than what you know now. 4. Don't stay in a career that you hate. 5. Always behave so that it's easy to tell the truth about how you acted. 6. Always believe that the person you are with might know something you need to know. 7. Be mindful. That means Pay ATTENTION. 8. When you choose, be the one who does things, instead of the one who watches things. 9. Grab what is meaningful in life and hold on to it. 10. Be honest, tell the truth. 11. Seek to always improve things, make things better everywhere you go. 12. Guard who you share bad news with.

The Miracle of Life and The Artistry of the ONE

by Michael Corthell 'Let there be light, and there was light, love, and life.' When writing about God (the creator/the first cause/the prime mover or simply The ONE) I often say that creation is love or love is the essence of what the ONE is, and that 'love is all there is'. I say this because the true effect and purpose of all creation is love, life, and the love for it. In fact, all life is the ONE's manifestation of itself. ''A Brief Awakening' ' ''In the vastness of the out-rushing cosmos, you are but tiny—a warm and pulsing spark.  Against all odds, your birth a brief awakening from silent eons spent sleeping in the dark.  When you feel your heart swell with wild wonder at the dazzling diamond chandeliers of night,  know your body was built from ancient stardust and the universe now sees through your eyes.  So let the breath of sweet gratitude fill you, as the light of each new day begins.  For this moment itself is a miracle,

Forget About the Fear of Death

by Michael Corthell I've saved the 'best' for last, in this series on phobias and how to overcome them. How to conquer the fear of death or Thanatophobia. The fear of death can suck the life right out of you. The American Psychological Association says that officially there are 100 phobias, but there are actually more than 500 of them in existence them according to medical literature. Thanatophobia, the fear of kicking the bucket(rightly fear of the dying process) is one of them.  ''The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.'' —Mark Twain The fear of death is one of the major fears we all have. It can be so intense, that in many cases it becomes debilitating — it ruins the person's ability to enjoy life. It is the second greatest fear just behind poverty. It is my contention is that the two fears are basically one and the same because in our minds we equate lack of money with de

Let There Be Light and Life

''Creation starts at the simplest level. Stars are made of the simplest stuff: hydrogen atoms. Under gravitational pressure, they fuse to become helium atoms, the next simplest form of matter. That is when the 'magic' begins: E= MC2: there is light, the energy of creation. After that, the star spins, and planets are formed. Creation . This process has been repeated trillions of times in the Universe with the ultimate result being the creation of Life.''  - Michael Corthell 

[Miracles]...it is all science you know...

  “Miracles surround us at every turn, if we but sharpen our perceptions to them.” ― Willa Cather When you live your life knowing that everything is a miracle, every moment then becomes something to savor and be in awe of. You are then filled with appreciation and gratitude knowing that you are indeed blessed.

[Life]...live it and learn it

  “Attitude is a choice. Happiness is a choice. Optimism is a choice. Kindness is a choice. Giving is a choice. Respect is a choice. Whatever choice you make makes you.” ― Roy T. Bennett, The Light in the Heart 1. 2. 3. Faith, Gratitude, and Forgiveness  “Courage is the most important of all the virtues because, without courage, you can't practice any other virtue consistently.” ― Maya Angelou

[Live] every moment...

“To fear death, gentlemen, is no other than to think oneself wise when one is not, to think one knows what one does not know. No one knows whether death may not be the greatest of all blessings for a man, yet men fear it as if they knew that it is the greatest of evils.” ― Socrates Is death the opposite of birth or just a step before, that we have forgotten? Death, be not proud (Holy Sonnet 10) John Donne - 1571-1631 Death, be not proud, though some have called thee Mighty and dreadful, for thou are not so; For those whom thou think'st thou dost overthrow Die not, poor Death, nor yet canst thou kill me. From rest and sleep, which but thy pictures be, Much pleasure; then from thee much more must flow, And soonest our best men with thee do go, Rest of their bones, and soul's delivery. Thou'art slave to fate, chance, kings, and desperate men, And dost with poison, war, and sickness dwell, And poppy'or charms can make us sleep as well And better than thy stroke; why swell&

[Life] Sing, sing your song...

Walking on the Earth, realize that one miracle is walking on another miracle.

[Life] Save one today...save the world entire

This is how evil started among us. It started with the belief that the 'ends justify the means'. And once we started down that path, there was no turning back. Our history shows this clearly in black and white. What if you can save a 100 lives, by letting 10 sentient beings die? Or 500? Or a MILLION to save a BILLION? Where do you stop? (we domesticated animals so we could survive by eating them, we killed to live and now at the end of that path it's killing us by killing our home planet).  It has to stop now.

High Spirits

“We are not human beings having a spiritual experience. We are spiritual beings having a human experience.” ― Pierre Teilhard de Chardin The soul is like an uninhabited world until the Spirit enters it ― the Holy Land is the Universe. “Religion is for people who're afraid of going to hell. Spirituality is for those who've already been there.” ― Vine Deloria Jr.

Using Common Sense to Remodel Your Life

Some people want God, the Universe, to come to their rescue, and give them a new life, a new job, or some new and improved situation, but they don’t want anything in their lives disturbed. That's crazy, right?  For instance, if I wanted to remodel my home and told my contractor that I didn’t want him to touch anything, he would have told me that I didn’t really don't want to remodel. If I wanted new paint, a new floor, or new cabinets, none of that would be possible if the old stuff wasn’t changed out first.  Many times we need to be stripped, broken and removed from what we have come to rely on in order for us to be rebuilt with greater spiritual strength, focus and stamina.  It never feels good when security and other things are being taken from us, but if we can trust the process, we will experience greater good on the other side of the process. We need to trust God, and give Him permission to tear things down so that He can make things new(and improved).  It can be painful,

Accepting Compassion

“Love and compassion are necessities, not luxuries.  Without them humanity cannot survive.” ― Dalai Lama Compassion can be painful but it doesn't have to be. Many of us hurt because when we feel connected to everything, we also feel responsible for everything. And we cannot turn away from injustice. Our destinies is bound up with the destinies of others. We must either learn to embrace the Universe as One(holy) or be burdened by it. Each of us needs to grow strong enough to love the All, but also be 'empty' enough to withstand its worst horrors. “If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other.” ― Mother Teresa

Pathways

“The Simple Path” Silence is Prayer Prayer is Faith Faith is Love Love is Service The Fruit of Service is Peace ― Mother Teresa When the journey you're on lights up your soul, there's no standing still. Your feet touch the ground, but not for long. ''Do not follow where the path may lead.  Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.''   ― Ralph Waldo Emerson

The Greater Fear

Mindless fear is greater than mindful fear. “You can't possibly be afraid of death, really, you can only be afraid of life.” ― Carl R. Rogers Looking at graveyards is good. I think about all those lives that are recorded in eternity. It gives me perspective, I think about what's important in life. Thinking about all those lives and eternity is where I get most of my inspiration for wisdom and life. So, it would be wise to remember that everyone dies a day at a time. I think there's some equality in that truth. “Though we are terrorized by death, it's not different from birth, it just happens” ― Bangambiki Habyarimana

It's All a Miracle

“Miracles surround us at every turn, if we but sharpen our perceptions to them.” ― Willa Cather I have to stop right here and inject some realism into the miracle discussion I'm presenting this morning. Let's consider this: When we read in the news that someone was saved from certain death by a strange set of circumstances, most will say, ''It was a miracle he wasn't killed.'' But, if someone is killed by some weird chain of events ― say oil was carelessly spilled, the safety device was turned off or broken ― that must also be a miracle. Just because it's a negative event doesn't mean it's not a miracle too. “There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.” ― Albert Einstein