Remember Those Less Fortunate - Blankets for the Homeless

“The value of a man resides in what he gives and not in what he is capable of receiving.” - Albert Einstein


As some of you may know, either from reading this blog or from knowing me personally, my family and I were homeless for about three years. In that time we learned a lot about allowing ourselves to accept the kindness of others but more importantly how necessary it is to give of ourselves. 


Even in a state of homelessness we were able to buy a cup of coffee or a sandwich for those less fortunate than us. When we could not afford to buy it for them we shared what we had with them. Today as I was checking my Twitter account I came across this post at Surrender40 asking for a donation so that they can purchase blankets to distribute to the homeless for Christmas. I won't deny that this post made me tear up as I thought of the days of our own homelessness and though we were not on the street some of the places we stayed didn't have blankets to offer us and so we slept as close as we could to one another to keep warm during the winter months.


If you are able I ask that you visit their page here and donate as much as you can. You will feel great about the contribution and will be providing the comfort of warmth for someone less fortunate.


Meditate on This: "I give of myself knowing the Universe will reciprocate it back to me tenfold."


Have a PERFECT day!


Michael Stagg

It's Good to Be Good

With Christmas season in full swing people are bustling about searching for gifts for their loved ones and friends. Although it's the season of giving and miracles sometimes those less fortunate than ourselves get "lost in the hustle" and do not receive the consideration and love that we so easily extend to others.

I was checking out this article on CNN.com entitled The Power of Giving, Not Getting and began to think about all the homeless people, the sick and shut in as well as the elderly that do not have anyone to celebrate the holidays with and it saddens me. Mind you, my philosophy is to give daily, not just on holidays, but I've strengthened my resolve to do more giving to those that cannot do for themselves. I'd like to encourage all of the MIIS readers to do the same. As the article suggests, it will go along way toward your own happiness if you put a smile on someone else's face first.

Meditate on This: I will give, from the heart, to those in need.

Have a PERFECT day!

Michael
MIIS

New Blog: Half the Man I Used to Be!

Hello to all my WONDERFUL readers!

I've decide to chronicle my weight loss journey in a separate blog which you can visit here:

Half the Man by 2010

If any of you out there in My II Sense land are working on developing a healthier you please connect with me there and let's share the health. :)

Meditate on This: "It's effortless for me to eat healthy".

Have a PERFECT day!

Michael
MIIS

Half the Man I Use to Be

That's me in a photo with my friends Sandria and Mu Shemsu-t during Blog-a-Thon '09.

37. 5'10. 377lbs.

I never thought those numbers would scare me but they did. I recently went to the doctor for a check up (after not having gone in for almost two years! Schedule regular doctor's visits people, for real...) and found out that I'm borderline diabetic, have degererative joint disease and worst of all I had gained almost 45lbs!

They say ignorance is bliss; I mean if you don't know you can be happy, right? WRONG! Ignorance is what it is. I fought going back to the doctor because I didn't WANT to hear what I already knew: I'm severely overweight and need to drop the "other person" I'm carrying around in the guise of extra weight.

I felt a lot of things after leaving that doctor's office - scared mostly - but what i was pleased to find is  the feeling of excitement. Why? Because I had a great lifted off of me named denial and I was now ready to kick weight's ass to regain my health.

As fate would have it, I have already been blessed with someone that will be imparting the gift of renewed health to me...my fellow blogger Flossie Alexander of You Can NOW! Coaching! As if on cue she called me right after I got home and I told her the news. "UH, UH! We can't have that!", was her reply and now I'm on the road again to increased health. By this time next year I will be "Half the Man I Used to Be" in the above photo. My goal is to reach 277 by my birthday and be down to 220 by this time next year.

I may document my progress here or on another blog. I hope that my journey wil inspire someone else to take up the challenge to be half the person they used to be. Let it begin!

Meditate on this: I embrace a healthier me today and everyday!

Have a PERFECT day!

Michael

MIIS

The Weakening Effects of Being Judgemental

Greetings Readers,

My family and I recently started going to First Baptist Church of Indiana as a means to spend more time together and to strengthen our spiritual connectedness as well. A bus comes buy Sunday morning and picks up various families in our neighborhood and takes us to church then drops us back off after service.

As you would expect there are all types of people that attend attend such a large church because they visit a lot of impoverished neighborhoods to pick people up. So this past Sunday was the first time one of our daughters attended...she was NOT pleased!

The entire trip she complained about how "ghetto" the children were (a large portion of the ridership are kids attending without their parents - sad but true - and they do have difficulty with authority figures on the bus). I tried several times to calm her down reminding her that 1. she was unruly just like the kids she was angered by at one point and 2. it's futile to allow the actions of others to cause us suffering.

Long story short, we get home and I pulled her and another of our kids to the side and tell them that they were being just as negative as the kids on the bus - both of them looked at me in disbelief that I had said such a thing. I went on to describe how they were being overly judgmental of people they do not know. I further explained that some - no - most of the people attending First Baptist are right where they need to be receiving spiritual food that will hopefully lead to their enlightenment and salvation.

I wasn't done though. I continued to drill into their minds the fact that everyone is not on the same level spiritually and you can add to that the fact that not everyone has the same parenting skills to teach their kids better manners. I told them that there is a way to constructively get your point across without belittling the so called trouble makers.

Finally, when we are judgmental we are saying that we are better than the person or persons being judged and that's not the way to be. It weakens our our own spirituality when we do so. As the saying goes, when you point the finger at someone you have to remeber there are four pointing back at you.

Meditate on this: I will exert more understanding and compassion for those I do not agree with.

Have a PERFECT day!

Michael
MIIS

What Happened to Our Rhythm Nation?

"...Things are getting worse. We have to make them better. It's time to give a damn. Let's work together..." Lyrics from Janet Jackson's song Rhythm Nation



Link to Video on YouTube.com

In 1989 Janet Jackson released a critically acclaimed follow up to her Control album called Rhythm Nation. It was R&B's version of a protest album so prevalent in rap music of the day. The album addressed such political and social ills as racism, poverty illiteracy and homelessness and, to me, was her best album.

I was listening to Pandora radio the other day and this song played and it got me to thinking about society then and now and how things are getting so out of hand nowadays. What happened to rising up against social ills? has mass media done so great a job that we are too numb (or worse, too EXCITED by) to the mayhem and violence that plague our communities?

What happened to our rhythm nation? Are we so cold now that wed rush to download a video of a child being beaten to death but we can't lend a hand to help him? Is it more important to send pic messages and texts to our friends instead of calling the police?

Where is our rhythm nation people? Where are people that once upon a time would not stand for such foolishness? What happened to the time we wouldn't hesitate to stand up to inequality, racism and hate crimes? What happened to a time when our kids fought but not kill one another over the color clothes they wore, the brand of shoes they had on or which way their hat was turned? Where is OUR rhythm nation people! WHERE?!

I'll bet no one knows and fewer care. We're too busy worrying about our iPhones and BlackBerries. We only care about getting our hair and nails done so we can hit the clubs for some dance floor sex-with-clothes-on action. We're too busy chasing our next high or full pitcher of beer. We NO LONGER CARE!

We no longer care what happens to our kids. As long as they don't bother us while we're watching Family Guy or True Blood or some other nonsense on TV it doesn't matter. In fact, we no longer raise our kids anyway - the TV is their mother, their father is the Internet and their brothers and sisters are all hardwired into a system that preaches have sex, make babies, kill one another senselessly, it's all OK. The worst part of it is we buy right into it with them.

Well I can't take it any more. I WON'T take it anymore and I'm looking for others that won't take it anymore either...Hit me up and let's rebuild our rhythm nation!

Meditate on this: I will no longer stand idly buy and watch our society tear itself apart. I vow to make it better one day at a time beginning with me.

The True Nature of Advice

"Advice is what we ask for when we already know the answer but wish we didn't." - Erica Jong

We've all got problems and that's OK. It's part of being human. And like most humans we sometimes ask others for advice on how to solve those problems and that's fine. Advice isn't a bad thing. The trouble lies in the SOURCE of the advice. Follow me...


Here are a few scenarios where you can eliminate poor advice:


1. Taking relationship/marriage advice from your single/unwed friends - Why would you want advice from someone who has a history of failed relationships. If you want advice on how to keep a relationship going take it from someone who's actually IN a committed relationship longer than 30 seconds. There are a few people I know that are not in a relationship that can provide sound advice but for the most part you want to stick with couples and married folk.


2. Taking financial advice from someone who isn't financially stable - I've done this before myself so don't beat yourself about it. But think about it: you are looking into stocks and want to make an informed decision on your investment. What makes more sense? Asking your friend that has successfully invested in stocks for the past five years or Auntie Re Re who's idea of investing is visiting the local corner store to purchase new lottery tickets?


My point is there is good advice and not so good advice. What makes the advice meaningful and useful is its source. There's a saying that states opinions are like #%$holes; everybody has one. You have to learn when to accept advice and when to ignore "the good opinion of others". Just as the CEO of a successful multimillion dollar company has his or her own team of trusted consultants you have to cultivate your own squad of top advisers. Most importantly you must learn to trust the highest qualified adviser of all - your inner consultant - because no one knows you better than you know yourself - NO ONE!


Meditate on This: I trust the wisdom of my inner self to always guide me in the right direction.


Have a PERFECT day!


Michael
MIIS

7 Amazingly Simple Ways to Evoke Change in Your Life

Our daily lives are chucked full of “To Dos”. A typical day can go something like this: Wake up, get the kids off to school, dress for work, don’t forget the expense report you’ve been working on, jump in the care to beat traffic, realize you left that expense report on the coffee table, go back for it, get stuck in traffic, late for work, get chewed out by your manager, work on a few accounts, lunch, more accounts, more yelling from the manager, leave work, pick up the kids, make it home, find the energy to cook dinner, skip it – order out, put the kids to bed, spend 20 minutes of “quality time” with your significant other (if you’re lucky) take a relaxing bath (again, the luck thing), go to bed, wake up, do it ALLL over again.
Sound familiar? I’ll bet it does. The unfortunate thing is we are so used to doing it that we don’t know or haven’t thought about how to UNDO it. Below I share with you seven REALLY simple ways to evoke change in your life and truly begin to LIVE it! Enjoy!

1.    Realize there’s a need for change – then ACT on it! – We tell ourselves everyday that there must be a better way to do things. We hold in depth conversations with family and friends (and ourselves) about doing more with our lives, living on purpose and getting unstuck. The problem is not that we don’t know we can achieve more. The problem is we don’t ACT on our feelings and insights. We just sort of hope things will begin to change on their own…well they WON’T! Once you make the realization that you want to truly start living your life then you have to put a plan into motion. You have to starting DOING!
 
2.    Begin living in the NOW! – Stop worrying about what happened in the past, it’s behind you. Reflect upon it if you must but stop LIVING there. Stop worrying about the future; it hasn’t been written yet. Sure you can make plans for the future but maintain flexibility with them. The only constant in the universe is change. If you’re plans for the future aren’t fluid they are doomed from the start. Beyond all that, the most precious place you can live in is the Now. It is the Now where you plan. It is in the Now that you achieve. There is no other time than Now!
 
3.    Release your need to control EVERYTHING! – There is no way you can control every aspect of your life. No matter how much we plan things out there’s always a chance that something can alter those preparations. What you must learn to do is adapt to change. Release your need to control things and watch how your day is transformed! You will have more energy for other things – worthwhile things – and your relationships with others will take a turn for the better.
 
4.    Focus your energy and GO FOR IT! – Center your attention on your goals and invest all your energy into their development, maintenance and completion. Keep reminders all around your home, job, wherever you can find space to keep you focused. This doesn’t mean you neglect one area of your life to improve another. You must find a balance between all your goals, your personal/professional life, etc.
 
5.    Demand and track improvements! – Once you get things going you’ll want to be sure you continue making progress. To do this you can keep a journal of everything you’re doing daily, weekly, monthly or whatever works for you. Be mindful of things that don’t appear to be working in your life and make the required changes to get back on track. If you don’t see any improvement then you may need to scrap your current plan and draft a new one. Remember: DEMAND excellence and settle for nothing less!
 
6.    Get EVERYONE involved! – Discuss what you’re doing with family and friends and invite them to embark on their own quest for improvement!
 
7.    Rest, rejuvenate and do it all over again tomorrow! – Like anything the more you do something the better you get at it. The more you practice the steps above the better you will be able to affect change in your life. Make sure you take time to rejuvenate yourself by meditating or some other means to rest your mind and body. Then, get up in the morning refreshed and ready to do it all over again!

Meditate on This: "I vow to take back my life one day at a time."


Have a PERFECT day!

Michael
MIIS



Image Copyright for "The Dance of Life, the Dance of Death": JD Challenger as located on First People.us

3 Ways to Change Your World View

“You can learn a lot from people who view the world differently than you do.” – Anthony J. D’Angelo
 

I had a sort of epiphany the other day that came to me from my netbook and Mac computers. I was looking at my page on Twitter using my netbook but soon grew tired of viewing that 8.9 in. screen. I switched to my Mac’s 22 in. screen and the change was ENORMOUS! I could see all sort of content I couldn’t before – well, at least not without scrolling around on the screen.

It was then that I thought about how we look at the world, more specifically, our viewpoint of the world from a “netbook perspective”.   Sometimes we get caught up in how WE see things we forget that other vantage points exist. I’ve come up with three ways we can all improve our worldview; here we go!

1.     Know that your view isn’t the only one – Unless you’ve lived a sheltered life secluded from all of humanity since birth you know that your view of  “what is” is not the only one. Even if you did grow up in those circumstances it doesn’t negate the view of every other being on the planet.

2.     Realize that another person’s view is as important as our own – Does your belief that the color blue is the most beautiful color in the world make it so? Of course not. Just because someone feels, say red, is the most beautiful color should not upset you. You are entitled to your view just as they are entitled to theirs.

3.     Be more accepting of the views of others – This is easier said than done sometimes. Your belief in the almighty awesomeness of the color blue is strong and deep rooted; why would you want to accept that another view exists? Simple. It keeps you open to different possibilities of All The Ways Things Are! The more open you are to other views the more likely you are to understand that it takes ALL views to make the world go round. Who knows, you may eventually decide that red IS a more awesome color than blue – or maybe you both will decide that green is! Be open to the possibilities!

Meditate on this: I challenge myself to be more accepting of the views of others.

Have a PERFECT day!

Michael

MIIS

Make It Happen!

"There's no scarcity of opportunity to make a living at what you love. There is only a scarcity of resolve to make it happen." - Wayne Dyer

This post is for those of us that know our purpose and ignore it. It's for those of us that, deep down inside, have put our true purpose on hold for the sake of meeting the status quo… It's time to do your thing!

For many years I have either denied what I've felt to be my purpose or placed false barriers up, telling myself it can't or shouldn't be done. Fortunately, the strength of your purpose is so profound that, regardless of what we do, it will eventually make its way to the surface. Why? Because it knows it needs to exist. It YEARNS to exist in a way that only our highest selves will be able to relate to.

You will know when you're ready to pursue your purpose. It's like lightning striking you at your very core. Somewhere in your innermost being simply clicks and you know that, "Yes, this is what I'm here to do!".

As Dr. Dyer mentions above, we can all earn a living doing what we love if only we possess the resolve to pursue our purpose with unbridled passion. We must claim our purpose and let no one deter us from it! This blog, the steps I'm taking to pursue my desire to help others through the profession of Coaching and everything in between are my way of affirming I and my purpose are one and I will NOT allow anyone to keep me from it. Will you be courageous enough to do the same? Of course you will! I have faith in you!

Have a PERFECT day!

Michael

MIIS

You Have to Give to Get – And in That Order!

"When you pour your pockets into the pockets of others you just wind up richer in the morning that you were the night before." – Agnes Lampion from the Dean Koontz Novel From the Corner of His Eye

There was something that hit a chord within me when I read those words the other day. Like I was being given the answer to a question I've been asking myself lately – Am I on the right path?

In the novel Agnes gave of herself diligently day in and day out to those in need and through the loss of a husband and several friends throughout the book she received so much more than what was sacrificed.

We too must give of ourselves diligently if we are to reap the benefits. Help those that cannot help themselves, offer a kind word to someone who needs it or simple move through the tasks of your day with a smile on your face and see how the Universe thanks you for your effort.

Meditate on This: I freely give of myself knowing that by doing so I will receive Divine blessings for my work.

Have a PERFECT day!

Michael

MIIS

Faithfulness to Weather the Storm

"Keep your dreams alive. Understand to achieve anything requires faith and belief in yourself, vision, hard work, determination, and dedication. Remember all things are possible for those who believe." - Gail Devers

I was doing some research on athletes to use in a future Wellness Wednesday post when I was re-familiarized with the story of Gail Devers. What a phenomenal woman! Despite the odds, regardless of what family and friends undoubtedly saw as the end of her blossoming career, Gail flat out refused to succumb to her diagnosis of Grave's Disease. Instead she held firmly to her faith and in just 17 months, despite doctors' saying her feet should be amputated, Gail attended the Olympics in Athens AND won her first gold medal!

The faith that Gail speaks of is not something that can easily shaken. It's as strong as steel yet as flexible as a reed in the wind. It's more powerful than any comic book super hero and as soothing as a mother's touch. With faith we can weather any storm because we know that beyond the thunder claps, lightning and torrential rain we will, eventually, come through the storm. If you find yourself being swept away by the challenges of daily life remember that you possess the Divine spark of creation within you and know that "this too shall pass".

Meditate on This:
I hold fast to my faithfulness and know I can weather ANY storm life sends my way!

Have a PERFECT day!

Michael

MIIS

Image: Sporting Heroes.net

Please Say Thank You

"Saying thank you is more than good manners. It is good spirituality." - Alfred Painter

On the way to class today I overheard a disturbing conversation that went something like this: Girl 1 – "Girl, I'm tired of being broke. All I do is work and I ain't got [bleep] to show for it. Girl 2 – "Me too, girl. I don't ever seem to have money for anything but bills. When am I going to be able to do what I want to do?"

Both young ladies got off at the next stop still affirming all the things they lack in their lives. This got me to thinking about how I feel about my current situation and how grateful I am that things aren't worse than they are.

You see people; we need to begin seeing our lives as complete the way they are in the moment. Do I have challenges in my life right now? Yes. Do those challenges make me any less grateful for the things I have now and will continue to receive? Unequivocally, NO! Why you ask? Because I have so many things to be grateful for that I hardly think about the things that appear to be lacking in my life.

You get what you give. Point blank, plain and simple. If you live your life from a place of gratitude then you will begin seeing that you have SO much to be thankful for. Also, the more grateful you become the more reasons for being grateful you will find! How cool is that! So the next time you find yourself feeling down about the things that are missing (they really AREN'T missing though) simply begin to think about all you do have and know that more is on the way.

For this week I ask that you Meditate on This: The more grateful I am the more reasons I find to be grateful every day.

Have a PERFECT day!

Michael

MIIS

Resistance is Futile

"The mind commands the body and it obeys. The mind orders itself and meets resistance." - Saint Augustine

One of my favorite programs growing up was Star Trek: The Next Generation. The series main nemesis, a cyborg species called the Borg, travelled the universe "assimilating" other cultures, species and technology…they did not do so by asking. When opposed they would calmly offer the phrase "Resistance is Futile".

In the context of personal development and spiritual growth that phrase is very much true although in a different way. We sometimes, unintentionally in most instances, try to stunt our own personal growth. We begin to neglect the things that nurture our mind and body. We forget about what's best for us.

Fortunately for us, our spirits know what's best for us. We may get off track for a while but our spirits always guide us back to where we need to be. In fact the only thing we get for our trying to resist is the promise of the same lesson again and again until we "get it", accept it and then learn from it.

Have you ever watched a movie where the main character refuses to accept his purpose (protect a child, speak out against injustice, etc.) and is continuously caught in a loop until they FINALLY decide "OK, I'll do this"? That's what happens when we refuse to follow our life's purpose and no matter what you do the only way to break free of the cycle is to accept what life is trying to show you and move on.

So again, from this perspective, Resistance IS futile. We must stop pretending we can get away from what our lives are meant to be and embrace the greatness that'd planned for EACH of us.

What do you think about resistance? How do you overcome your need to resist your calling? Comment below to let us know.

In the meantime, Meditate on This: I let go of everything I don't want or need for my highest good. Or I let go of my need to resist positive change in my life.

Worth the Wait

"Let's wait awhile before it's too late

Let's wait awhile, our love will be great

Let's wait awhile before we go too far"

Chorus to Let's Wait Awhile by Janet Jackson

A few days ago, I'm sitting on my bed catching up on some reading, my youngest daughter Khadijah knocks on the door. She comes in and says she has a question for me; the brief but powerful exchange went like this:

"Daddy, can I ask you a personal question?" "Sure", I say.

"When did you lose your virginity?" My astonished response was, "You wouldn't believe me if I told you."

With the excitement and wonder that only a child could muster she exclaims, "Yes I will!" Tell me!"

"Twenty", I say calmly to which she replied "Uh Uhn! – MOM!"

She runs out of the room to grab my wife to use against me as a human polygraph machine. She asks the question again; I give the same answer. My wife confirms the answer because 1. We've discussed such matters and 2. I can't seem to lie to her with a straight face. LOL

Khadijah then asks, "How come you waited so long?" "Why didn't I wait longer is the real question", I replied.

There are two things troubling about this scenario:

1. My child thought I would be dishonest with her about the loss of my virginity.
   
2. Today's generation is more concerned about losing their virginity quickly than waiting for marriage – or at least for a committed relationship.
   

After this little exchange I called everyone into the living room for a family discussion. We talked about their feelings on sex and when they thought it was okay to "give it away" and why they felt that way. Then we, the parents, talked about why it's important to wait. Then we discussed the pitfalls that you could face if you don't wait and of course, proper protection.

Have we had this discussion before? Yes. What was different about this time? We shared our experiences as parents with our kids. We let them know that if we could get a "do over" we would gladly accept it. We told them there is nothing glamorous about having sex too soon. We told them we wished we'd have waited longer before having sex. However, the most important difference was that they actually LISTENED this time.

This week's Meditate on this goes out to all the young adults and teens of the world and is actually the finally line in Janet's song: "I promise, I'll be worth the wait". Be worth the wait people.

Have a PERFECT day!

Michael

My II Sense

Meditate on This: I Am Homeless…Not Helpless

"We think sometimes that poverty is only being hungry, naked and homeless. The poverty of being unwanted, unloved and uncared for is the greatest poverty. We must start in our own homes to remedy this kind of poverty." - Mother Teresa of Calcutta

I was reading the Chicago Tribune and came across this article about several homeless teens that, against the odds and life's circumstances, not only completed high school (some with honors!) but are also preparing for their 1^st year in college!

I was touched on several levels. One, being a former homeless person myself, I know how difficult it is to focus on anything constructive let alone something so thought intensive as school. It's no small task finding courage to get out of bed (if you even have one), get dressed and deal with the trials and tribulations of daily work life; I'd imagine it's just as bad – or worse – for a high school student.

Second, how did the parents feel? Though the parents were portrayed as unsupportive we must remember that everyone deals with difficulty and challenging situations according to the level of emotional/spiritual intelligence they have in that moment. Am I condoning what they did? No. However, imagine what the outcome would have been if these same parents had access to parenting counseling or simply had been given positive examples of how to handle their child's "mistakes". Would things have been different?

Finally, I think about the reasons why each of them had to go through such hardships. I think about what they must have thought while tackling the challenges of being a homeless student and undoubtedly the subject of daily ridicule. How many times did they come close to giving up? I think about my own struggles during my three years of homelessness and those of my wife (she was homeless when we met).

I truly believe that those experiences sculpted us into better people. They exposed us to who our real friends were and taught us valuable lessons in compassion, humility and self worth. I'd bet my last dollar these students would admit the same.

So…to Nasia, Priscilla and Jeffery, I want to congratulate you on a job VERY well done and continued success to you as you persist in your efforts to rise above. You are all GREAT inspirations for our youth and adults alike.

Meditate on This: I will continue to press forward with the faith that my goals will be achieved in Divine time.

Have a PERFECT day!

Michael

My II Sense

(Tribune photo by Heather Charles / July 24, 2009)

Meditate on This: Common Courtesy

"If a man be gracious and courteous to strangers, it shows he is a citizen of the world, and that his heart is no island cut off from other lands, but a continent that joins to them." - Francis Bacon, Sr.

Question: How many times in a day are you courteous to others? Do you give up your seat for an elderly person on the bus or just sit there and pretend you don't see them looking for a seat? Do you respond to a homeless person that speaks to you or just treat them as though they were less than human?

Not long ago, it seems that being courteous was a common occurrence in daily life. Today, that's not so much the way things are. Whatever happened to help your fellow man? Perhaps it's due the media an exceedingly good job at striking fear into our hearts. So much so that we've become apprehensive about helping anyone lest we become a victim in spite of our own innate generosity and kindness.

Even in our own homes it seems that common courtesy has been replaced by animosity, cynicism and rudeness. When did it become second nature to belittle one another? When did we decide as a society that it was better to ridicule our family members to make ourselves look good?

We have to rethink this people! We need to get back to basics and strip ourselves of this burning need to be unkind and distrustful. We need to open our hearts and minds to the possibility that ALL people possess the innate quality of goodness. If you can't be courteous for someone else's sake then by all means, be selfish! Do it because it'll make YOU feel better while leaving the other person feeling appreciated and motivated to do the same for others. Meditate on This: I choose to be courteous to all beings, great and small, in honor of my Divine nature.

Have a PERFECT day!

Michael

My II Sense

Introducing the My II Sense Bloggers

As I mentioned in a previous post – or two – there are some changes taking place within the MIIS world. The most important of which is the addition of two new blog contributors:

Yanni Brown: If you asked Yanni, "What's love got to do with it?", without hesitation she'd answer, "Everything!" As CEO and Founder of Kiss & Make Up w/ Intimate Evenings, this 41-year-old relationship coach and romance aficionado has made the celebration of love her business. For over a decade the Chi-city born and raised Piscean (this explains her penchant for all things love related) has specialized in helping couples fall in love over and over again. Now she'll be gracing the MIIS readers with her vast relationship and romance knowledge to those interested in personal growth and obtaining a better understanding of healthier relationships.

Chelsea Kmiec: Chelsea is an 11 year fitness industry veteran. During this time she has served as a leader, educator, and manager at various health clubs in Chicago and Florida. Her company, ChelseaFitPro.com, has helped clients reach their fitness goals by making her sessions results driven, safe and of course fun! Whether you are a seasoned athlete or first time exerciser Chelsea will keep you focused and motivated to succeed. She'll be giving you the best in fitness and nutrition information to keep you and your loved ones fine tuned on Wellness Wednesdays!

Beginning August 3^rd Chelsea, Yanni and I will begin providing new content weekly. Here's some of what you can expect:

• Ask My II Sense – Q & A Post. Readers write in with specific questions (Identity will remain anonymous unless otherwise requested) to be reviewed and addressed by our blog staff. Readers are also encouraged to chime in if they feel they can offer a solution. Send your questions to Ask@MyIISense.com with the topic of your question in the Subject line.
  
• Meditate on This Mondays – Insightful commentary on a specific quote designed to stimulate your inner knowing and get your mind in the right place to take on the work week ahead!
  
• Wellness Wednesdays – Tips on ways to keep ourselves and our relationships healthy on all levels.
  
• Friday Features – Featuring individuals/businesses making a difference in their communities.
  
• Suggestions from YOU, our readers!
  

We want to hear from you! Let us know your interests and we'll be sure to blog about them. Thanks for the continued support!

Have a PERFECT day!

Michael

My II Sense

Are You Happy?

"Most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be." - Abraham Lincoln

Greetings Readers!

It's been busy the past few days and I'm finally going to be able to do something I've been planning for months – go to the movies!

It's amazing how something so simple can add a little joy to one's day. That's why, regardless of circumstances, it's imperative to do something at least once a week that at least ENCOURAGES happiness. It will keep you healthy if you do. J

What makes you happy? What do you do to put a smile on your face each week? More importantly, what do you do to make others happy? Oh! Thanks to Shelly and Danielle for inspiring today's post.

Have a PERFECT day!

Michael

My II Sense

Connecting with the Most Wonderful Person in the World – YOU!

OK, OK…so TECHNICALLY it's Tuesday but I wanted to still get this first "Meditate on This" post in this week.

This weeks' quote is from the Buddha and states, "You, yourself, as much as anybody in the entire Universe, deserve your love and attention".

Indeed, in our daily lives we focus so much on making others happy we often neglect our Selves. Now that doesn't mean that you wake up in the morning, flip everyone the bird and shout to the roof tops "Screw you! It's about ME now!" On the contrary, you put yourself first so that you may attend to that can use your help.

Think about it for a second. How effective can a mother be to her child if she is sick? She must nurse herself back to health enough to be able to take care of her little one's needs. Similarly, how much more effective would we be if we took time each day to nurture our inner selves before attempting to engage the world at large?

I encourage each of you to take time each day in whatever way you see fit to truly get in touch with your Self and THEN tackle your day to day activities. Let me know how it goes!

My II Sense