That’s my new word, “Fantastic.”
It’s Arnold’s favourite word and that’s a good reason by itself. If ever a man was achievement orientated, he’s the one.*
Also, it’s positive and happy. Most importantly, it’s true. Even on your bad days you are fantastic and have enormous love and goodness within you, waiting to burst out.
Sometimes, I’ve discovered, feeling enthusiastic about yourself can be as much about eliminating bad habits and negative behaviours as being positive. Now, when you replace them with new good habits and thoughts, this is where the fun that begins.
The fun that says, “I’m working, and I feel great about it.” Or, “I’m not working, and I worked when I worked and now I can enjoy and relax with pleasure and pride.”
How does this relate to tomorrow, which is Easter? In no way I can imagine! It was on my mind, so I thought I’d share.
Well, maybe in a way. Easter is the day Christians celebrate when Christ rose from the dead after being punished for sins — sins that, in His case and unlike you and me, were not even His.
We can also arise from sin (bad habits and behaviours — thoughts are a tougher one, but doable in large measure!) if we will decide to do so, then immediately set about learning how. And once we learn how, conditioning — training — the new habit(s) so they becomes natural for us.
Not entirely an Easter story, however, Jesus taught people to live well in this world so it is my earnest opinion… and that’s all it is, my opinion… that He would want that for us.
As He said:
Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and you shall find; knock, and it shall be opened to you. For whoever asks, receives; and he who seeks, finds…
He was speaking on an entirely different level than what I am qualified or able to speak. I acknowledge that.
Still, in many areas of life, isn’t it the truth? And — with a veritable certainty — isn’t the opposite true too?
Happy Easter. May you love God and/or goodness in your own way. While you’re doing that, consider the feelings of accomplishment, peace, and love you’ll receive when you choose to get rid of some of the less than fantastic ways of living you’ve been engaging in and replace them with even small, yet practical, new habits, thoughts, and behaviours out of which you’ll enjoy long-term benefits.
And moments of unexpected pure joy.
* Now I don’t agree with every item of his politics or his past personal behaviour, so understand me clearly. I’m referring to the dedication it takes to become an athlete, training even while being a member of a tank crew in the Austrian army. Then going to a new country and becoming the very best in the world, popularizing your sport, and lighting the way for people to follow you. Writing a book on your sport, “The Encyclopedia of Bodybuilding,” that’s relevant and in print today over 30-years later. Also, supporting yourself by your business ventures, making tens of millions of dollars in real estate, and giving people advice and encouragement, helping them do the same. Breaking into Hollywood and dominating box office revenues when you don’t even speak the language well. Mastering that language, cleaning up your personal life, marrying, having 4 children (not necessarily in that order), and becoming Governor of the largest state in the most powerful country in the world, a state with a population almost twice the size of Canada and three times that of Australia.
Filed under: God, Success
Click thumbnail to read.I’ve been corresponding with Ron Michalski, the Pastor of Glad Tidings Pentecostal Church here in Victoria, Canada on the nature of God.
He was kind enough to send me a copy of the first book he read (aside from parts of the Bible, I assume) on the subject of Christianity and the Scriptures.
I smiled when I saw the title. I’ve heard of it before, of course, as one of the most famous books written on the subject of Christianity. I thought about buying a copy and reading it, but I never have. The author was for many years an atheist before he became, “…perhaps the most dejected and reluctant convert in all England.”
It’s written by C.S. Lewis, author of The Lion, the Witch and The Wardrobe and the other famous books in the Narnia series. As a child, like many people, I was a huge fan and must have read each book in the series at least half a dozen times.
Since the author brought so much joy and imagination into my childhood, I’ll read his more adult and serious book out of respect for him.
I began it last night (2:30 AM) and I don’t know when I will finish. I have many things to do now, chief of which is find work.
Filed under: God
… and that was a much different, non-Christian church.
Today I went, on my own, to Glad Tidings Pentecostal church (I have no “denomination”) in Victoria, BC. I wanted to go to the first possible service so I chose the 9 a.m.
I chose a Pentecostal church because I had had a good experience going to Summit Christian Church with my girlfriend, Jacqui, as her guest when I was in Australia. Besides, I thought they would be more likely to use the Today’s New International Version (TNIV) Bible, which is the only one I had: A gift from Jacqui over two years ago in September 2005, that I had paid scant attention to except as a talisman, kissing it on occasion when thinking about God or, more frequently, Jacqui’s sweetness.
Before attending this sermon I had watched this video explaining the work that went into the this new translation of the Bible. After watching the video, particularly the last 16 seconds, which won’t make sense to anyone aside from Jacqui at this point, I felt more comfortable with using it. I the installed a TNIV “Word of God search…” box on this site and found how I could read the Bible online – great because then I wouldn’t get the pages dirty while I ate my breakfast.
I ate fresh baked fish while reading for the first time, which seemed right. Onward…
While a very large building with two levels of seats, there were no more than 150 people in attendance, mostly older. At first I noticed one young woman, then a young man who looked like he had come in off of the streets (which is good) who left halfway through, then I noticed another young man, and finally a young woman arrived and sat near me late. I learned later this is the second morning service they had to open up because the other one is more full. The 10:30 service apparently has more young people, children, and families.
Jacqui’s church had a much better Gospel singing crew including, sometimes, her. Glad Tiding’s vocal lead was pretty much the pastor, Ron Michalski, yet GT had a more impressive classical instrumentation section.
I listened and participated in the service in a way I hadn’t before, although I had always been respectful in the past. I could feel it. I wasn’t thinking about other things with my eyes closed; I was thinking about the service, the music, and Jesus.
It’s true that when I thought most was a mystery to me… except for the love and goodness I felt. It was the same as when you watch a small child at play or when you see an couple so old they can hardly walk shuffling ahead of you slowly on a path… holding hands like they have probably being doing for 60 years.
It helped that Pastor Ron gave a well presented intellectually engaging Sermon that kept my attention throughout. I love Jacqui’s pastors, Ray and Marie, for many reasons including welcoming me into their home. Their home itself is a peaceful loving place with a lot of activity. They are good people and produced and raised fantastic offspring. Their sermon styles were different though and I enjoyed the methodology and planned delivery of Ron Michalski, who I later learned was born in my city of birth, Winnipeg.
After the sermon where the pastor invited new people to meet him, I approached the pastor, talked with him, and was invited back, of course. I also in an attempt to be helpful pointed out an error in the church program guide where it said to turn our clocks back one hour to standard time on April 4th next week (my province had changed the law on time changes and there was much confusion)… and said it was tonight. He insisted it was really the 4th and later that day I found out he was right.
Filed under: God
I have no explanation for this and maybe there isn’t any.
Today I started applying for outside sales positions via email. I contacted a placement agency and the lady wrote back to, among other things, ask me to send my resumé to her in Microsoft .doc format — not Adobe .pdf and plain webpage (HTML) as I conveniently have it on my site.
Now, yes, .pdf is the business document sharing standard because anyone can download the free Adobe Reader and Microsoft .doc isn’t because it requires software worth hundreds of dollars per machine.
And that’s assuming everyone loves Microsoft, which, scandalously they don’t.
Anyway, I’ve got to meet the needs of my client so I helpfully use my free, beloved, and awesome OpenOffice.org software (did I mention it’s FREE?!) to create a copy in Microsoft .doc. Yet I know from experience it won’t necessarily format perfectly on her machine so I attach a .pdf explaining this one will print correctly.
So then I go for a walk. A longish walk by Beacon Hill Park along the ocean on the rocks and it’s a beautiful day. I head away from the ocean into the forest.
I decide to follow some of the paths because there’s no way I can get lost.
Yet I did.
Going back and forth along little paths that seem to lead nowhere I can’t find my way out. At first, it’s fun and no big deal, my main concern being mosquitoes. Then it’s surprising I can’t find my way out, then a bit more… and there it is.
A copy of Microsoft Office 97. In the woods.
What the heck?
It had a price sticker of $99.95 on the the case so someone must have bought it used. I assume it belonged to someone, but I have no way of knowing who. Anyone missing a copy of Office? Lemme know. I got it.
I didn’t make much of it at first except to consider it strange.
Yet the more I thought about it, the more I wondered, “Gee. Am I meant to get a profitable sales position from someone who uses Microsoft Word and here’s the tool to create it?”
I have no idea, but I reformatted my resumé and fired this email off to the placement agency:
Subject: Sales Pro Resume, New Version
Hi ________,
I was just out for a walk by the ocean and then through the forest where I found a copy of Microsoft Office.
That has got to be a sign.
Especially since earlier today you said:
“…please,forward your resume to us using Word doc. Format.”
And I said:
“It was created using OpenOffice.org so may not format exactly.”
So I redid my resume from scratch in Word (sans cover letter) and everything should format nicely. I’m qualified for a sales or similar position, particularly one that involves self-motivation, organization, and consultatively finding solutions to business problems.
Let me know if there’s some way I can help.
Best regards,
Christoph
- - -
http://ChristophDollis.com - the place to come for more appointments, more people in the door, and more sales!(sm)
Two days ago I was at my mom’s talking about how some of the deep and impactful experiences she had in her life were NOT psychic phenomena and there’s a rational explanation for everything. I explained my idea that the brain remembers times when we are right about a hunch and forgets or minimizes times we’re wrong.
But gee. I owe her an apology or maybe someone can explain to me the coincidence of being lost in the woods where I find Arthur’s sword Microsoft Office on the one day in the last three and a half years where someone insisted on getting a Microsoft Word Document.
[Cross posted at ChristophDollis.com]
Filed under: Business, God, Strange
… or at least a profound sign from our Lord.
It’s personal and hard to explain and related to a date, today’s date…
Filed under: God
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