Category: Lunar Letter (English)

We let a stone fall in a pond and the waves flow outward from the center.  In a similar way, each word we say and each action we take leaves waves which go farther than we can possibly imagine.

It is common to believe what we do day in and day out has no real significance.  Yet each of the things we do can indeed have a great impact on the lives of others…

I want to tell you the story of a young adult who met a man whom he thought had some interesting ideas.   He told his mother of the experience and she called the man.  They agreed for the man to talk to the teachers in her school.  As a result of this meeting, one of the teachers chose to share some of this man’s ideas with her 5^th grade class.

After the experience in the classroom, they invited the man to speak with the kids.  The man was so fascinated with the children, their energy and the event that he decided to radically modify the way he works and dedicate his life to inspiring youngsters to find and share the special gift which we each have inside and yet, unfortunately many never find.

The young adult in this story is Luis Grimaldi and the “man” in the story is me, Rob McBride.  The ideas which were shared with the kids are from my first book A SPECIAL GIFT.  As a direct result this chain of events, I have decided to stop charging a “speaking fee” and instead charge “books” for my events.  I am focused on getting into the schools and to the kids because I believe if we are to create a better tomorrow, we must work with our children today.

I tell you this story because we all have similar stories to tell.  A conversation in passing, a smile when we need it most or even a word at just the right time can change our world forever.  We should be careful what we say and with what we do because we never know the final result.  The only thing we can do is to initiate the process and give it the best we can by having conversations which inspire smiles which remain, and words which give relief.

Nobody is too small or too big as to not be affected by the small actions of others.  We can change the world of someone at any given moment and thus little by little change the entire world, conversation by conversation, smile by smile and word by word.  I suggest you watch this video a friend from England made which is appropriately called, “We Can Change the World.”

http://youtu.be/UCisekIuCN8

How many people have you positively influenced in your life?

Who is better today because you lent them a helping hand or uttered words of hope?

It’s not the great things which are done once, which tend to make the most difference in our lives, rather the little things done constantly.

Thank you Luis for the small action which you took almost three years ago which has positively changed my life.

∞ Rob McBride ∞
LL III 23

Our ego is a little devil we all have inside which keeps us from achieving much more.  It’s the voice which sabotages us when we least expect it and which keeps the doors of opportunity closed temporarily or indefinitely.  While the angel of love leads us to let go of our ego and help others, the little devil which is our ego grinds us down into the ground.

The angel of love encourages us to give much more of ourselves knowing that being useful is the best way to receive our just reward.  The little devil which is our ego provokes us to put our interests above those of others keeping us stuck in the mud of poverty and scarcity instead of freeing ourselves into a universe of abundance and prosperity.

The angel of love cheers us on to work justly and honestly knowing that everything in life is like a boomerang and, what goes around, comes around.  The little devil which is our ego does only what suits us in the moment without thinking of the cost and the consequences our actions will have on others.

From the time we are small, we are taught to read, to write, to add and subtract.  We are told this knowledge will make us “better people” and, to some extent it does.  A person who can read opens a world of opportunity.  A person who writes has the power to leave a path based on his or her own experience.  A person who can add and subtract can make sure others don’t take advantage of his ignorance.

As we acquire basic knowledge, our little devil, which is our ego, begins to grow.  We can mistakenly think we have all the answers of life.  We can imagine we have the tools which make us “better” or more “apt” than others.  In reality, knowledge as such only permits us to see the world from another perspective.

We all come into this world with an opportunity and a challenge.  Our opportunity is to create a world full of color or our own little world of terror.  Our challenge is to maintain the little devil which is our ego in check as we let our angel of love flower and grow each day gaining power.

Our ego is like the ballast in the bottom of a boat.  A certain amount of counterweight is necessary to give stability to the vessel and assure it can navigate the oceans of uncertainty and doubt.  Nevertheless, too much weight will make the boat heavy with burden, unable to manage the changing times which lurk on the horizon.

Our ego is like a layer of skin which can hide incredible beauty we have inside showing only an evil side which lacks substance and integrity.  Taking away this layer of skin is painful and similar to the radical transformation of a unremarkable caterpillar into beautiful butterfly.  In order to be great, in every sense of the word, we must first cross the chasm of temptation which emanates from this little devil we have inside and let the little angel of love take control to ultimately rise like a phoenix from the ashes of despair to find our very own way of inner peace and repair.

∞ Rob McBride ∞
LL III 22

The other day I was talking to one of my daughters about her future and what she wanted to do with her life.  I told her I would help her “To the limit of my possibility.”  As I began thinking about the concepts of “Limits” and “Possibilities,” I realized we are the only ones who ultimately put a limit on our possibility.

What is the limit of your possibility?

Where could you go and what could you achieve if you were to test the limit of your possibility?

As human beings we tend to look for comfort over discomfort; ease rather than difficulty.  Nevertheless, a life full of comfort and ease can also be a life which lacks emotion and ecstasy.

Think for a moment of your own experience and what you have achieved.  If you have attained any level of scholastic achievement or anything else significant in your life, did it come without obstacles and with ease or perhaps as the result of sacrifice and compromise?

To achieve the majority of things in life which are worthwhile, we must test our limits and be willing to reach beyond our grasp.  For example, if we want to meet that special someone who makes our heart race and causes us to lose composure, which would be the best option?

a)     Wait for them to come and talk to us?

b)     Take the initiative, get up and go to them?

c)      Watch while someone else gets up and goes to talk to them?

Those who attain what they want in life are not those who sit around waiting for something to happen, rather those who get up and take action to achieve what they most desire.  When along with action, we continually test our limits, we can go farther than we ever imagined possible.

History is made by those who decide to test the limit of possibility.  Christopher Columbus went in search of a new route to India going west from Europe despite others saying the world was flat.  John F. Kennedy set a goal of putting a man on the moon despite many who said he was “crazy.”  Like them, there are countless others who with their own unique brand of “crazy” decided to take their rudder of life and direct their destiny.  They are also those who have achieved what others never dreamed possible.

What could you achieve if you had no limit on your possibility?

What keeps you from testing the limit of your possibility?

Might it be fears, uncertainties and doubts?

Limits are self-imposed.  When a baby is born, nobody tells it, “You will never achieve much in life because you were born white, black, yellow, tall, short…” or for that matter any other characteristic.  We are born into a world where not even the sky is the limit; we are born into a world where there truly is a “world of possibility.”

What are you waiting for?

Tomorrow will come with or without us.  We are the only ones who put a limit on what we can dream and achieve.  Let’s go forth daily with confidence in our ability to achieve what we believe while continually testing our capacity to go beyond the limit of possibility.

∞ Rob McBride ∞
LL III 21

Unsung heroes are everywhere…

They are those who rise each morning before the sun to tend to their children

They are those who day after day flow into the streets selling their goods

They are those who are responsible for teaching our children

They are those who are always there and seldom seen

We tend to think about life as a journey to get someplace “better” than where we are right now.  Marketing and advertising bombard us with the idea that having a new watch, a better car and a house in the right neighborhood is the answer to all our woes.  While these things are nice and make life more pleasant, as the poets and philosophers have told us for thousands of years…

“It’s not the destination, rather the journey which is most important.”

Being a hero doesn’t imply obtaining great riches or other material things; it isn’t acquired with a brass key at the end of the highway.  Being a hero can be as simple as rising to greet the dawn of each new day with a smile and a positive way which allows us to see the good in each situation and put forth our very best disposition.

Unsung heroes are those single mothers who play the role of mother, father, teacher and friend to their children.  They are those who rise early to prepare their children’s lunch boxes while giving so many hugs and kisses to get their little ones out of bed and off to school.  They are those who make miracles with the little money they too often earn.  They are those who pay the electricity, the phone, the school and the books for their children in what seems to be a never-ending battle.

Unsung heroes are those fathers who go to work daily where far too frequently they are disrespected , underestimated and used as pawns in a game where the noble court takes the spoils of their hard earned labor.  They are those who do their best to give dignity to their work where there is often little dignity.

Unsung heroes are those bosses who shine brightly among the rest.  They are those who show sincere interest in those who work with them and for them.  They are those who constantly seek solutions to life’s daily challenges instead of getting stuck in the problems.  They are those who receive their greatest compensation when they see one of their subordinates not only reach their same position but also at times surpass them.

Unsung heroes are the owners and directors of small and large companies everywhere which generate jobs and economic activity for so many people.  They are those who are directly responsible for feeding so many mouths and paying so many bills with the money they disburse every two weeks.

Unsung heroes are those parents who work their whole lives in order to create a better life for their children.  They are those who frequently renounce their own desires and necessities for the good of those they love.

Unsung heroes are those children who in time, become parents to their own parents.  They are those who understand that their parents, regardless of their situation, gave forth their best effort to give them a better life and ultimately, that what goes around, comes around.

There are millions of unsung heroes who get up every day with the sun, who work all day and face what seems to be a never ending series of challenges which seem to appear from nowhere and who fight on valiantly day after day.

We are all unsung heroes in our own special way…

∞ Rob McBride ∞
LL III 20

Where are we going?

Where did we come from?

At times it seems like these questions have no head or tail.

What awaits after our current reality becomes another?

Could it be Heaven, Nirvana or perhaps some other new exciting kind of life?

While I certainly hope this is the case, let’s see what we can do right now to assure eternal bliss on Earth.

In his excellent book, IT’S NOT A MATTER OF LUCK, IT’S A MATTER OF ATTITUDE, Carlos Saúl Rodríguez explains a concept from Phenomenological Existence about different ways of living.  Some people are “Present,” participating actively in life and directing their own destiny.  Others are “Absent,” blending into the landscape and giving in to the circumstances of life which happen to arise.

To further the example, we can distinguish two different points in time, the present and the future.

Those who are “Present” in our lives, continue to be “Present” in the future even when they are physically “Absent”.  Think about it for a moment.  Those who have been present and part of our lives while they are alive, continue to be in our mind even when they are no longer around.  They are those who have marked a difference in our lives whether it be our parents, grandparents, relatives, teachers, neighbors, colleagues or friends.

On the other hand there are those who are “Absent” in the “Present”, and when they become physically “Absent”, they remain “Absent” from our minds.  They are those who don’t speak up, who are afraid to act, who don’t participate and who view life from behind a window never venturing out into the big bright lights of life.  They are those who we know are alive because they are breathing though they show no other signs of life.

Could it be we continue to live on in the minds of others even when we are gone?

While being “Present” doesn’t necessarily mean we have to positively impact each and every person we meet, we can seek to positively influence those whom we love and care about.

Might this be what it means to go to Heaven, to reach Nirvana or perhaps be the reincarnation which so many different religions advocate in different ways?  Maybe this is the true meaning of “Infinity”, for what we give in life comes back in a never ending cycle which is indeed eternity.

To leave a legacy which is worthy and welcome we need only be “Present” in the lives of those we love and care about.  A mother is present when she so carefully watches over each of her children’s steps.  A father is present when day in and day out he goes out into the world to provide his family with prosperity and plenitude to the best of his ability.  An employee is present when he searches for opportunities to help his colleagues without expecting anything in return.  A friend is present when he or she stays by our side in silence knowing sometimes there are no words which can possibly express how we feel inside.

Perhaps the greatest hunger worldwide is not for a lack of food, rather for a lack of affection and attention.  To assure we are ever “Present” in the minds of others, we need only be “Present” in their most relevant moments and in this way we can guarantee eternal bliss.

∞ Rob McBride ∞
LL III 19

Our dominant thoughts create our recurring reality.  More than 50 years ago in his excellent audio program “The Strangest Secret,” Earl Nightingale proclaimed…

In any circumstance, we can be part of the solution or part of the problem.  Those who are part of the solution tend to be those who are sought and respected while those who are part of the problem tend to be those who are abandoned and disregarded.

To be part of the solution instead of part of the problem:

• Give alternatives instead of saying, “There is no option!”
• Say what we are going to do and do it rather than staying on the sidelines.
• Cultivate an environment of love and respect rather than one of hate and lies.
• Combine two things that don’t work into one that does instead of pitching both.
• Say, “Let me see what I can do,” rather than, “Sorry, that’s not my department.”
• Offer alternatives and support instead of just saying that everything will be alright.
• Define objectives and create a plan to achieve them rather than to let life take us as it may.
• Greet a rainy day and say, “Let’s dance in the rain,” rather than, “The rain has ruined our day.”
• Listen and to do our best to understand others rather than imagine we know what they want to say.
• Understand that while politics influences our environment, it does not determine our happiness.
• Finish what we start instead of initiating so many different things without ever finishing any of them.
• Develop an incentive plan to award our best employees rather than watch them quit and go to the competition.
• Take the rudder of life during a storm instead of allowing our ship to be tossed and turned in the turbulence.
• Create a clear, concise path with the tools we have on hand rather than throwing in the towel and praying that what we lack will magically appear.

Think of what you do for a living, of your relationship with your friends and your loved ones.  Are you being part of the problem or part of the solution?

It’s not enough to be “nice,” we must give solutions!  When we give a little bit more than others and we offer solutions to life’s daily challenges, we achieve more than the rest.  Those who are part of the solution instead of part of the problem are those who determine their direction and direct their destiny.  Rather than being part of the problem creating obstacles which inhibit progress, we can be part of the solution and build bridges to success.

∞ Rob McBride ∞
LL III 17

How many lives have ended before they ever started?

How many dreams have been abandoned for a lack of implementation?

While there are many reasons why we don’t achieve our dreams, one of the most common and most deadly is a lack of action. One person who takes positive action towards a plan only partially developed is worth more than a 100 people who never put into action the most well developed project. Those who act in the theater of life are those who achieve the greatest rewards…

They are those who talk to the people they find interesting
They are those who have the best relations with their loved ones
They are those who can buy the best cars and live in the nicest places
They are those who give their opinion and listen to others to achieve results

We all have an incredible ability to dream and want any number of things…

We want a new refrigerator
We want for our boss to respect us
We yearn to develop better relationships
We dream about having a healthy, happy family

Those who achieve what they want are those who come down to earth after having flown on a wondrous journey of dreaming, to develop and implement a concrete plan to obtain what they most desire.

The game of life is the same for all. While the place and circumstance where we play the game are different for everyone, the rules remain the same. We have the same air to breathe, the same sky to see and the same 24 hours a day to live.

Why do some achieve so much while others achieve so little?

In a phrase, it tends to be because some implement their intention while others get stuck in the “intent” and do nothing. It isn’t enough to imagine and attempt to attract what we most want; we must take creative action to move toward what we most desire.

Let’s look at an example:

Two boys both like the same girl at school. Both would like to go out with her to get to know her better. Each imagines all the possibilities and how nice it would be to just be close to her. One of the boys asks the girl’s best friend what she likes; the other simply admires from the distance. One buys a flower and gives it to the girl; the other watches as the girl accepts the flower. One celebrates his ability to get a date with the girl; the other curses his bad luck.

It isn’t luck or circumstances which make the biggest differences in life. Those who achieve more create their own luck and mold themselves to circumstance. Life doesn’t play favorites and the possibilities life has to offer are available to all. When we direct our intention and implement a plan of action we get satisfaction.

∞ Rob McBride ∞
LL III 16