Truth | Tracks In The Dust

Archive for the tag “Truth”

02 Apr 2015

Who is In Control?

It’s crazy to think that you really have control over that much. We are all trying to “stay” in control though aren’t we? In control of our family, or finances, our jobs, our own personal sanity sometimes.

So we work very hard at it. To be in control. We take it very seriously, It can mean recognition, financial gain, personal satisfaction. We would pay a lot to be in-control of some things in our lives. In other ways we “wish” we were in control…”if only we ran the government, we would show everyone how it is done!” Or “if that was my child he would know what it was to behave”.

Relish the thought that someone would claim we are “out of control”. That would be a claim that would imply we had no discipline, we were ignorant of how things are done. It would put us on some list that says we don’t care, or lack caution or consideration.

But in reality to me I see that there is little we are actually in control of in the bigger picture. We are going to pass from this earth when it is our time, and we can manage to extend it but in the end we are not in control of the outcome. We are going to have things that happen that regardless of what we do in our daily lives are going to happen anyway. We can spend a ton of energy trying to be in control of things and miss the simple fact that life will go on regardless just as God planned it.

So I am giving up that control to Him. To all things there are a purpose under heaven. I know that not everyone reading this may believe, but the reality of it all is the world turns regardless of your beliefs. Take a moment to understand that your purpose here is to live for the day, and that energy and stress for control can consume you. To those who have faith, let God worry about tomorrow.

Posted in Doing Things That Will Change Your Life and tagged Acceptance, Advice, Change, choices, Eternity, Faith, God, Life, Self-Awareness, Sprituality, Truth

23 Mar 2015

Hindsight

It’s pretty much a simple fact: Personal bias can cloud your thinking. Things are complicated and unpredictable, but perhaps more than we wish to admit, we rewrite the past to fit into the script of our lives.

It seems better that way doesn’t it? In our better life viewed in hindsight. We have to be careful though. We should face the future without using our clouded hindsight and make sure we understand what’s in store.

It’s not to say that we shouldn’t apply lessons we have learned. The risk is when we apply the versions of the past that we have come to fashion ourselves. For our own sanity perhaps. Just a way to keep it together.

So as we step forward into tomorrow, I think it is wise that we are clear on how we got to “here” – but be sure we are at the very least honest with ourselves. Our inside reality should be applied.

Kids: Take the time to make good decisions, but base them on what you know to be your own real truth. Don’t use the cloudy script that may help to fit your story. Be sure you can be true to yourself.

Just my advice.

Posted in Learning Lessons Along the Journey Of Life and tagged Advice, Definitions, Doubt, Faith, hindsight, making decisions, Postive Thinking, Reality Check, solutions, Truth

04 Nov 2014

Remaining In Hope

I will admit it, over the past couple of years posting things to this blog I have addressed hope. It comes to us in many ways but in the end it just comes down to one thing. Our ability to not let things get to the point of hopelessness.

For us Christians ( which many of you may not be) there is a simple passage that I was reminded of the other day.

“Yet hope returns when I remember this one thing: The Lord’s unfailing love and mercy still continue, fresh as the morning, as sure as the sunrise. The Lord is all I have, and so in him I put my hope” (Lamentations 3: 21-24).

The focus is on hope. Regardless of the circumstances, It is honestly healthy to face your feelings. Share them with others and with God. So many times in the past I have held them in, tried to manage them on my own. Like a “strong” person I was showing my strength by not letting things get to me when in actuality they were.

So I am hopeful that some way God will see to it that the quality of my life with my wife, my family and friends continues to be the treasure it has been. I want to be sure that they have hope. Regardless of the time left ahead in this life, there will be more after that.

In the meantime there is no reason not to have hope. It would be a very rough road if we let hope slip away. It would be hopeless. But that cannot happen with Him. And it is my hope that it will not happen with my friends and family.

Posted in Doing Things That Will Change Your Life and tagged Acceptance, attitude, Cancer, Change, choices, Dealing with Disease, Doubt, Eternity, Faith, God, Hope, mental-health, Postive Thinking, Sprituality, Truth, Without Hope

06 Jul 2014

2 Comments

Getting Your Answer Now

So we live in these times when we can say ” I want my answer now!”. Believing it may be something different.

Just the other day I found myself arguing with a friend over a beer about world affairs and the economy. Unlike days not that long ago, we didn’t have to go on too long expounding about our views and the actuality of what was happening in the world.

The fun of arguing and having a position on something has been severely changed in this Information age.

The answer was in our hands! Both of us grabbed our “smartphones” and Googgled and Binged our way to what we saw was the answer to the debate on the current events of the day. AH-HA said my opponent, listen to this… as he began rattle off some profound insights… I wrangled my way to a URL that had other things to say about the topic too.

So there we were, both spouting off answers about the shape of the world. Knowledge was at our finger tips, the answers were there and we could settle this once and for all and go on enjoying our beers with a bit more repose.

EXCEPT there was one problem: Access to the information didn’t mean we could claim to be knowledgeable at all. In fact who’s to say that what is posted on those Internet sites our search engines returned was factual in any significant way? I mean they can site sources with keen authority, but are those sources really correct? For some cases aren’t they just other Internet sites? Are they at risk of being colored with their own opinions?

So there we were- we had opined that we had gotten to our answers about the world’s economy and agreed to disagree.

BUT THEN we realized it,,,, that the Internet may have all sorts of biased and distorted information depending on its originator.

SO that is when we sparked up our next heated debate after all it is fun isn’t it?) : “Is everything you read on the Internet” the truth… just because it has an official name or URL that appears to have some authority or has a well-organized website – how can you know?..

My friends suggestion of how to solve that debate: “Let’s take a look on the Google and see “ …. okay – so I got my answer I guess…. 🙂

Posted in Learning Lessons Along the Journey Of Life and tagged answers, choices, Definitions, information, Knowledge, Looking for answers, Online Searching, Philosophy, Reality Check, The Internet, Truth

07 May 2014

Someone is Watching

I opened my email the other day and some Internet company was offering close out electronics: One of them was a “spy watch” on sale for under $60. I mean it records video and audio ( and tells time) and of course it can be used with no one else knowing. Then easily download your recording to your computer.

Aside from sounding like James Bond espionage gadgets- it made me shudder.

It also made me think about how easy it is today for ANY ONE to capture ANY THING on video or audio.

It’s in today’s headlines – private recordings that have lambasted a very sad man due to his prejudice. But it’s in our every day lives also. We cannot be candid any more. Our comments in a desperate situation, our misaligned humor at a time when we are vulnerable. the things we can say that can be pulled from context and made to be something 180 degrees the opposite. It is and will forever be the world we live in going forward.

Like George Orwell’s 1984, big brother may be watching, but so is everyone else.

These days nearly everyone has a video and sound recorder in their pocket. Always be aware that someone could have sound or pics of you at your worse. Now there is no room for error. And once it is captured, it can be posted on the Internet and become a permanent record of the moment, good or bad or otherwise. Leveling permanent damage intentional or not-those are images that will be hard to forget (not like those photos in the shoe box). They can come up again someday randomly.

Candid unguarded commentary? Its a new generation in so many ways. You have to think and ask yourself “just what are you saying?”

Can you be your own social editor for all you say and do to be sure it will be okay?

Well, not me – I am not perfect. I am going to make stupid remarks, going to do something that may look silly, offhanded or careless. Not intentional. perhaps in a fit of anger or frustration. But today there is someone watching- and they may see it as unacceptable. “He who is without sin cast the first stone.” Stones are still flying. And I guess we are all helping in some way.