I am Human

                                      I am Human?

         I can with stand, I can oppose, I can hold out, I can stand firm! I am not easily seduced, charmed, or enticed by all things!!! Ultimately, my life has been based upon decisions!

“A peacefulness follows any decision, even the wrong one.” - Rita Mae Brown

Oh how true this has been in my life. Nothing has ever been more frustrating, for me, than to be indecisive! The worry and anxiety brought on due to indecision was a cloud that hung over my very existence.

“The inability to make a decision has often been passed off as patience.” - Author unknown.

         From the time of my early childhood, decisions have influenced me. Decisions have guided me in all things. Basic to every decision I was faced with concepts of temptation and resistance. When ever I was tempted, those temptations fell into the following categories:

The Seven Deadly Sins known to man as pride, envy, gluttony, lust, anger, greed, and sloth. - Dante

They were ever present! No matter what situations I was confronted with, they ultimately fell within one of the preceding. Fortunately for me and other mortals, I could perpetually depend upon the  opposing concept of The Seven Heavenly Virtues. These include the following:

         Faith (or trust) – belief, trust, loyalty, fidelity, and conviction
         Justice – impartiality, fairness, equity, rightness, and dispassion 
Prudence – wisdom, vigilance, carefulness, thoughtfulness, and devotion

Hope -desire, belief, reliance, and expectation

Temperance (which means avoiding excess in all things, rather than the more recent meaning of abstinence from liquor) -moderation, restraint, self-mastery, frugality, and sobriety

Fortitude – strength, courage, endurance, and resoluteness

         Charity -generosity, benevolence, helpfulness, and mercy

Ah, but by the grace of the Almighty, there has always been checks and balances. This has been an absolute throughout my conscious existence. For this, I have oft thanked our Creator, for his guidance and understanding during my humble life!
         Only he has the ability to keep track of all those situations that have arisen and confronted me over the years. As I look back, I have tried, daily, to improve upon my resistance to temptation. I have slipped from time to time, I am only human and mortal. However, as I grow older, my decision-making has progressed very positively. Call it what you will, I believe in a higher power, and I truly believe that has guided me to be more consistent with ALL my life decisions. A Hall of Fame coach put it so honestly,

"If winning isn't everything, why do they keep score?" Vince Lombardi

But, I also have come to the realization that I should never take my life too seriously. I think a famous silent screen actor helped me to be more temperate.

"In the end, everything is a gag." Charlie Chaplin

This, also helps me to stay within my own abilities and to realize I'm only as important as the next human on this earth! The following quotations help me to keep my perspective channeled:

“Life is the sum of all your choices.” - Albert Camus

“The hardest thing to learn in life is which bridge to cross and which to burn.” -David Russell

“Using the power of decision gives you the capacity to get past any excuse to change any aspect and every part of your life in an instant.” - Anthony Robbins

“Good decisions come from experience, and experience comes from bad decisions.” - Author Unknown

“Everything is something you decide to do, and there is nothing you have to do.” - Denis Waitley

         All this having been said, I try to live each day to its fullest and to enjoy every moment I am alive. The alternative is less desirable!

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