Are You Addicted To Fear?

August 25, 2020 Live Today With FaithLeave a comment

In my opinion, fear is a drug.

A drug that once you get a taste, you want more.

For example, you hear a story that it’s not going to rain for a few months, and there will be water shortages.

That person has dealt you some fear.

If you have strong faith, you will say to yourself, that’s not going to happen, “I have faith all will be ok.” And it is.

But if your faith is weak, however, even though you have only read one story, the fear that it has created in you makes you look for another story. Next thing you know you’re searching on YouTube for ways to prepare for such an event….

And guess what?

You find 100s of videos, each recommending different ways to prepare. “Why is the mainstream media not talking about this?” You ask yourself.

Within a few weeks, you’re an expert on the subject. You have even told friends and family, who thought you were crazy in the beginning, but when it hasn’t rained for a couple of weeks, they get a little worried.

Now they too do some research and see there are hundreds of videos all over the internet talking about the same topic.

Molehill to Mountain

This is a story I just made up, but I’m sure you get the idea. One little bit of fear turned into a lot of fear, but not only that, you started to deal that fear to others.

And they, in turn, went on to deal that fear to more people.

With current events, there are 1000s of different stories like this all over the internet. People in their fearful states have created stories of what THEY think is happening. Whether they are right or wrong is not the point, the point is they are dealing fear.

And when you are getting fear from the mainstream news, fear from your friends and family, fear from social media. It will wear you down over time.

I have no way of knowing what position you are in at this time, but I know that you must keep focusing on the positives in your life. Having the faith that everything will work out for the best. A quote that sums up what I’m trying to say here is from Helen Keller, who said, “I cried because I had no shoes until I met a man who had no feet”.

We have to be thankful for what we have. We have to be faithful, stay informed yes, but don’t get caught up in what some random person or persons is saying on the internet.

The truth is, no one knows what the future holds, except God.

What this crisis has highlighted for me, is just how much we have taken for granted, for far too long. Materialism had all but taken over.

Everyone wanted the latest fashion, cars, smartphones without questioning what maintaining that lifestyle is doing to the planet.

Yes, it is sad what has happened, but is it not sadder that it took an event like this to make people connect with what really matters in life — food family and shelter?

Thanks for reading. 🙂

My book Live Life Without Fear is currently on free promotion on Amazon TODAY! To download simply click on image below.

Turn A Negative Into a Positive

August 18, 2020August 17, 2020 Live Today With FaithLeave a comment

Now is a difficult time for everyone. It doesn’t matter if you own a business, are an employee, unemployed, a student, a child or even in retirement. Current events are affecting us all.

Now more than ever, we need to have faith that everything will work out.

If you are doubtful, I completely understand, but history is a great predictor of future events.

In world war 2, millions of Jews were murdered in Germany by Hitler. We can only imagine the fear the Jewish people in Europe felt at that time. I’m sure they probably felt like there was no hope for the future.

Fast forward to 2020, and the Jewish people are the most powerful people on the planet. They are by far the richest and the most influential in every area of business, finance, music and arts.

So if you are fearful at this time, know that the future will be better, for all of us.

Humanity will learn from this. We will value our freedom so much more; we will appreciate our family and friends more, putting greater value on our health and our jobs.

As you are probably fully aware, walking into supermarkets and crowded spaces now involve wearing a face covering, so I had an idea of turning a negative into a positive. So, working with a graphic designer, I have designed a face covering to send a message of faith to others.

They are made and delivered by a company called Redbubble. All masks are sold at cost. (10% off available when you sign up the Redbubble.)

Click on image for further details.

Thanks.

Finding The Faith To Succeed In A Time of Great Uncertainty

August 14, 2020 Live Today With Faith2 Comments

I firmly believe that we all have been given a divine destiny; a special gift that is unique to us. Happiness and fulfilment come when we use that gift to help others; which results in making this world a better place.

People work so hard to be successful, to maintain their fitness; doing the best they can to keep healthy. Faith is no different; it needs constant work and maintenance.

When you see someone that never seems to get into difficulty or never seems to be stressed, this is not by chance. This person has very little fear in his or her life.

Too often we step back in fear, with the attitude that we are not worthy of the new relationship, the new job, the new career.

I would like you to know that you are worthy; you have a light within you that you must allow to shine into the world.

If you feel held back in fear at this present moment, my book Power of Choice – Choose faith, not fear, can help you rekindle your faith. It is currently free on Amazon.

My main aim as a writer is to inspire others to fulfil their full potential, one sentence, one verse, one story, is all that it takes to open the door to the next level of your destiny.

Enjoy the book; may it bring you happiness.

Click on image below to download today.

RJM

How to Reprogram Your Mind to Be Happier, Healthier, And More Successful

July 23, 2020 Live Today With Faith4 Comments

As I look outside my window at 9.00am, the sun is rising into a complete blue sky with sparse clouds at the horizon.

The sun rays make everything look so alive and vibrant.

The sun has a way of brightening up our day.

There are moments in life when we become separated from any worry, stress, or anxiety we might be feeling. Looking out of the window this morning was one of those moments for me. The connection to nature replaced all other thoughts in my mind. And each and every one of us has this capability.

The capability to separate ourselves from any negativity we might be feeling.

There was a time in my life where I was worried and anxious most of the time. About everything. And an exercise that helped me greatly was to set little reminders during the day, to just pause, and connect to the world around me.

Connect to the magnificence of God’s creation.

A good starting point is to set a reminder on your phone once, twice—ten times a day. where you stop what you are doing and connect with the world around you.

And when that timer goes off— you might be worrying about a problem, or be having doubts about the future, or maybe even deep in thought about an old memory. But when that timer or alert goes off if you make it a point to connect with the world around you, connect with the room, connect with nature. Notice the vibrant colours, listen to all the sounds that surround you, in a new way.

Or it could be that you are in the middle of traffic, you become aware of the car in front of you. The car behind you. The pedestrians on the side walk. The many sounds of the engines and horns.

You will realise that you were driving but you were not truly aware of the world around you— you were on autopilot.

And a lot of us go through life like this, we are on autopilot, our emotions— of worry, doubt, fear, guilt, shame— joy, hope, love, and happiness, are all pulling us through life.

So, the first step to reprogramming your mind, is creating moments that you connect with the world around you, so that you’re no longer carried along by the thoughts and emotions that you feel inside.

And the more of these moments that you create the deeper you become connected to the present moment— the only place that God resides. The only place that you can make a connection with the divine. The source of all peace, creativity, ideas, and inspiration.

Now once you start doing this don’t beat yourself up for the moments of worry, doubt, unhappiness, or any lack of trust.

None of us are perfect.

We all have weaknesses, we have all went through dramatic events in our lives, but when we practise becoming detached from them negative feelings and emotions, they will no longer have the same control over us.

We can become more connected to the world around us, a beautiful feeling, that is worth investing time and energy.

A True Awakening

We can go through hours, days, weeks, even years lost within our thoughts—not connected to the world around us, at all.

You may know people in your community, or maybe personally, that are consumed by un-forgiveness, consumed by fear, by guilt, by shame, by regret.

Every time you speak to them, they tell you stories of the past, how someone hurt them, a neighbour, a friend, a colleague, even a family member, and they can’t forget.

They can never forget the hurt, the betrayal, or the pain.

So, they keep replaying the memory in their minds.

And every time they tell you that story, or you tell someone your story of what happened to you. What you are doing is removing yourself from the present moment. You are living in the past, replaying old memories that will only bring up past feelings of — anger, hatred, jealousy, and pain.

Which hurts no one only YOU.

Now, everyone does this. So what can we do?

The only thing that you can do is that you become aware that you are doing it. That is the first step. Awareness.

Becoming aware of the habit of replaying the hurts of the past. And what awareness does is it creates a gap… so rather than you caught up in the thought or emotion, letting it transport you into the past, you notice how the memory has changed your mood. How the memory has made you connect to feelings of worry, connect to feelings of doubt, connect to feelings of anger, of hurt, of regret.

The hurts of the past can almost feel like they are part of you.

Now, if the timer goes off, and you feel resistance— feelings that you don’t want to stop worrying, feelings that you don’t want to stop feelings stressed, anxious, fearful etc., that’s ok, just become aware of the resistance.

That might be the first step for you… realising that the worry, doubt, stress or pain has become part of you. Becoming aware that you have that deep embedded worry, you have that deep embedded anxiety— deep embedded doubt, guilt, un-forgiveness, or regret.

Just become aware of the feelings, saying, “these are the feelings that are blocking me.” These are the feelings that I need to work through, let go off. Before I can spiritually grow into the fullness of who I AM.

And the more that you do this practise, taking time each day to connect with nature, to the present moment, the deeper and deeper this awareness will become… meaning, the deeper, your connection to God.

In time, all the worry, doubt, anxiety, pain will fade away as you realise that all the negative feelings from the past are what is blocking your connection to the present moment…

…the only place that God resides.

The Source of All Peace, Creativity, Ideas, And Inspiration. And as A Result, You Will Become, Happier, Healthier and More Successful.

Thanks for reading. Enjoy your weekend.

Can Faith Really Help?

July 6, 2020 Live Today With Faith2 Comments

Many haven’t got the time to even think about faith, and to be honest; I don’t blame them. This year has been one of the craziest that I can recall.

So where do we go from here?

Do we just hide in our homes and wait for our governments to sort everything out for us? Or do we take it upon ourselves to actively pick up the pieces left by hurricane Corona and start to rebuild?

Maybe its because I’m Irish, but I have a fighting spirit. I’m not used to lying underthings. No matter what happens to me, I get back up and try again.

It’s the only way I know. And it’s impossible to do that if you are in the grips of fear.

You need faith.

So where does that faith come from?

Well, the first step in strengthening your faith is cutting off all sources of fear. Now fear can come in many forms, the main ones, of course, are mainstream news and social media, but I have talked about them already at length.

You might not think that your relative or friend that gives you the latest news each day on the coronavirus is negative, but it is. Over time that negativity will affect you.

Negative news is such a good conversation starter. But all negativity does is hold you back.

If you are looking for the energy and faith to move forward, then the first step is to minimise your time with negative people. Something that I’ve had to do this year. Otherwise, negative thoughts will creep in, thoughts of doubt, and worry, which can quickly lead to fear.

Fear then leads to anxiety.

Anxiety can lead to depression…

and the cycle continues.

To break that negative cycle, we must connect with God daily. That could happen through reading, praying, or by simply having a walk in nature— something that breaks the negative, depressive narrative that seems to be all around us.

Something that reminds us of the fact that we are not in control, the governments are not in control; the coronavirus is not in control.

God is in control.

The only control we have is over ourselves.

We have to be the voice of faith, confidence, positivity that we want to hear. That, in turn, will inspire the people around us to be more positive and optimistic.

And if each of us does that, then the world would become more positive, faithful and optimistic.

The Live Today With Faith Letter—How To look Youthful Even In Your 40s

July 2, 2020July 29, 2020 Live Today With FaithLeave a comment

Dear Reader,

It has been another hectic week.

Just completed another short book. Will be available soon on Amazon.

Now more than ever, I think people need some words of faith, hope and encouragement. The book contains some knowledge that has helped me through the hardest parts of my life- so I know the wisdom can help others through this challenging time

Anyway, let’s get started. First of all, I want to briefly review what I have suggested over the last few weeks.

I have suggested that you do one hour’s worth of road work every morning right after you get up for six days a week.
I have suggested you eat three pieces of fruit every day.
I have suggested you fast one day a week.

Now, let’s go from there. What else should your daily diet consist of? Well, today I would like to share the part of my diet that has allowed me to stay youthful-looking well into my 40s.

I still get asked on occasion for ID; you can imagine the hassle I used to get when I was 18. Yeah, it wasn’t much fun, but now I take it as a compliment.

And don’t worry it not something exotic that you will have to import, or something expensive. It’s something so easily obtained that many will dismiss it.

WATER.

I’m sure you have heard the old wife’s tale, you must drink 8 pints of water a day. Well, I’m not recommending that. What I am suggesting, however, is that you drink more water than you do now.

I’m sure everyone learnt in school that the body is made up of 70-80% water. Knowing that it makes sense that our diet should contain 70-80% water-based foods?

Drinking water is just one source of water; another is vegetables. What I suggest is that you take vegetables with every meal.

As well as keeping you youthful, getting into the habit of drinking water and eating more water-based foods will also keep you from feeling tired because it keeps your blood sugar level at a more or less constant level.

This is not new information I know… but very often it’s the basics that people overlook.

Most people drink a lot of coffee, tea or soft drinks, thinking they get enough water there, but truth be told the water in them drinks, contain caffeine and other chemicals that dehydrate the body.

Meaning they take water to break down.

To anyone that is reading this, that suffers from headaches try this, for seven days drink two pints of water daily. I guarantee you will get relief.

Water is my secret weapon. It keeps me healthy and lean and full of energy. Add more to your diet, and you will not only see the difference you will feel the difference.

That’s it pretty much for today. Hope everyone is safe at this time.

In a world that seems entirely out of control, all we can do is take control of ourselves—inspiring those around us.

Bye for now,
RJM

The Live Today With Faith letter — Life lessons

June 13, 2020July 2, 2020 Live Today With FaithLeave a comment

Dear Reader,

This blog post is going to be the first in a long series of posts in which I will attempt to communicate to you a lot of the important things I have learned in the last 40+ years.

I am going to try to teach you what I have learned about spirituality, getting and staying healthy, how to get along with people, and, in general, how to have a good life without getting yourself all screwed up.

Well, anyway, this all leads me to the first and most important thing I want to write about, which is improving and maintaining your health and physical fitness.

I’ll have a lot more to say about this subject later, but today I just want to “warm-up” a little bit and tell you a few good ideas that you can start using every day.

The first thing I want to talk about is “road work”.

Road work is walking, jogging and running. And, in my opinion, you should do about one hour of road work every day of the week except Sunday.

I believe the best time to do your road work is right after you get out of bed.

In fact, in my opinion, the best groove to get into is getting out of bed, (early) wash your face, brush your teeth, use the bathroom, etc., and then, eat a piece of fruit (I think a banana is the best) and then hit the street!

That’s it.

Just get out that front door and start moving. Walk, run, jog. Keep moving for about a half-hour and then turn around and come back. You know, I do believe this is the very best way in the world to start the day.

It cleans you out, it settles you down, and it gives you a beautiful glow that will stay with you throughout the day. It will also make you more clearheaded and improve the quality of your thinking.

The benefits are enormous and, believe me if you start doing this right away (like the day after you read this post!) it won’t be long at all till you become positively addicted to your early morning workout.

By the way, this addiction is not just psychological. It is a real honest-to-God drug addiction.

But don’t let that scare you.

This is what’s known as a positive addiction. A positive addiction is simply being addicted to something (like exercise) that improves the quality of your life. A negative addiction, on the other hand, is being addicted to something (like cigarettes) that lowers the quality of your life.

What happens when you do road work is that, after about forty minutes, your brain begins to secrete what some people refer to as “survival chemicals”.

The names of these chemicals, as far as I know, are beta-endorphins and norepinephrine.

Some people say these chemicals are 200 times more potent than morphine and without any frame for reference, all I can say is, nothing comes close to the mental clarity I have after some road work.

All negative thoughts are gone. Solutions to problems come rushing into my mind. I’m relaxed, calm and happy. If I seem to be going on and on about this, it is because it is so important, and it is something you can do right away!

And, actually, of everything I have learned about in my entire life, this stuff about doing road work the first thing in the morning is very close to being the most important thing of all, when it comes to mental and physical health.

So, I hope you get started on this morning road work program as soon as you read this post. If you challenge yourself to keep it up for 30 days I guaranteed that you will be happier and healthier than you have been in years.

I also hope it becomes a habit for the rest of your life.

I wish you Good Luck!

RJM

You Don’t Have To Attend Every Argument You’re Invited To

June 1, 2020 Live Today With FaithLeave a comment

You have 7 seconds after a thought to make a decision, and in my opinion, it all depends on the type of person. Some people don’t think— they react.

The more spiritual you become, the more that you will notice the gap, now that’s not to say you will not still react to something that you don’t agree with, but if at that moment you feel the need to reply as you know the person is wrong or have their facts wrong.

Take a moment to think… will me replying help the situation? If the person is sensitive or doesn’t take feedback very well, no matter how you correct them, it will not go down well.

Many people in my life can not take being corrected, so what I have learnt to do is go along with them.

Now I’m not perfect, I still reply when I know it’s the wrong thing to do, but the more that you can bite your tongue, and keep your thoughts to yourself the happier you will be.

If someone is continually annoying you the best approach you can take is wait until the right moment to give them constructive feedback, there is a better chance of a good response, and your feedback listened too.

How to Stop Worrying Clear Your Head from Anxious Thoughts and Get Through This Difficult Time

April 30, 2020April 30, 2020 Live Today With FaithLeave a comment

lockdown

Not too long ago, we all had busy lives, unable to find the time to do anything. So busy chasing happiness.

If you enjoyed your job, you might have been looking for a promotion, if not, probably looking for another position or something better.

Social media can make our friends look like they’re having more fun and more success than we are. It’s so easy to look at others to see how our life compares—making us feel that we should have a similar level of success.

It’s so easy with disappointments and setbacks to become upset, annoyed or even depressed.

Then you can start to play the blame game, “if only I had more time if only I had no pressure at work if only I had the energy, “why am I so tired all the time.”

You turn to God for help, but nothing happens. So, you pray for the remainder of the month. Still nothing

Soon you become angry, as you want a quick fix.

Quick fix

Your anger turns to frustration. You begin to wonder whether God is listening at all. You start to wonder whether to continue to pray or not.

Your patience is tested, so you give up.

Why do you think your prayers are not answered?

Could it be partly that you only pray in times of crisis?

Could it be that you don’t realize that God likes to work at a much slower pace than our 24/7 world?

Could it be that you have allowed the distraction of life to pull you away from what really matters?

Living stressed or worried is not what life is about. It may be unknown to you, but God has already given you many daily blessings?

There are hundreds of miracles you receive every day, but you can easily take them for granted. The main ones would be our health unless we are sick. We can take for granted all the food, services, and information that is available to us until it’s not available.

You may not feel rich, but when you have a loving family, good friends and your basic needs met what else do you need?

gratitude 2

A Short Story

A blind boy sat on the steps of a building with a hat by his feet. He held up a sign which read, “I am blind, please help.”
There were only a few coins in the hat – spare change from folks as they hurried past.

A man was walking by. He took a few coins from his pocket and dropped them into the hat. He then took the sign, turned it around, and wrote some words.

Then he put the sign back in the boy’s hand so that everyone who walked by would see the new words.

Soon the hat began to fill up. A lot more people were giving money to the blind boy.

That afternoon, the man who had changed the sign returned to see how things were.

The boy recognized his footsteps and asked, “Were you the one who changed my sign this morning? What did you write?”

The man said, “I only wrote the truth. I said what you said but differently.” I wrote, “Today is a beautiful day, but I cannot see it.”

Both signs spoke the truth. But the first sign said the boy was blind, while the second sign conveyed to everyone walking by how grateful they should be to see.

There are so many special moments happening in our life to celebrate each day.

grateful

How many time have you counted your blessings?

A few years ago, I did a 30-day gratitude challenge. The challenge was to write down ten things you were thankful for each day. I thought I would run out of things to write after a week but what the exercise did was open up my mind to all the people, services and resources that I take for granted.

Gratitude is a powerful virtue.

The Roman philosopher Cicero once declared: “Gratitude is not only the greatest of the virtues but the parent of all others.”

I wish yourself, family, and friends health and happiness during this difficult time.

thank you

If I Believe, Why Do I Still Have Doubts?

April 16, 2020March 12, 2021 Live Today With Faith5 Comments

At the moment, the world is in a panic because of an invisible enemy. But there is an even bigger threat that I see.

It’s the infection of doubt.

And if you haven’t caught it, you probably will.

Where ever you go you can see it on peoples faces; they look at you like a rabbit in headlights.

Doubt is not just a Christian experience.

It is a human experience.

So, the issue isn’t whether or not we’re going to catch the infection.

The issue is what do you do once you’ve got it.

How do you prevent this infection from ravaging your faith?

WHAT IS DOUBT?

Many people think that doubt is the opposite of faith. But it’s not. That’s a common misconception. The opposite of faith is unbelief. And there’s a big difference between unbelief and doubt.

Unbelief is a willful refusal to believe. It’s a deliberate decision to deny God. It’s making either a conscious or subconscious decision not to have faith.

But that’s not what doubt is.

Doubt is to be indecisive.

It’s to be caught between two lines of thought.

You want to believe that you won’t get coronavirus, but a little question rattles around your head, “but what if I do?”

Doubt will erode your faith. And very soon all your actions will be based on fear

A great biblical example of how doubt can affect you is in the story of John the Baptist.

He’s the man who pointed at Jesus and said, “Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” This is the man who baptized Jesus, and he saw the heavens open up and heard the voice of God say, “This is My Son, in whom I’m well pleased.”

He had incredible faith. But what happened?

He gets arrested.

He gets thrown into jail.

There he comes down with the infection of doubt.

Now he’s not so sure.

Now he’s uncertain.

“Is Jesus really who He claims to be? Or should we be looking for someone else?”

Which is very like most people today.

4-5 months ago, they had a strong faith, but now that faith has been shaken. Church’s are closed. Without guidance, a lot of believers are lost.

To resolve his doubt, John sent two of his friends to go check Jesus out and ask Him point blank the question,

“Are you the Messiah? Are You the one we’ve been waiting for to rescue the world? Or should we look elsewhere?”

So, his two friends go.

They track Jesus down, and they ask Jesus that question.

“And Jesus answered and said to them, ‘Go back and report to John what you have seen and heard. The blind receive sight. The lame walk. The lepers are cleansed. The deaf hear. The dead are raised up. And the poor have the gospel preached to them’.” (Luke 7:22)

In other words, Jesus is saying, “Go back and tell John about the evidence you have seen with your own eyes that authenticate My claim to being the one and only Son of God and that will renew his confidence and will bolster back up his faith.”

That’s what we must do also. Go back and look at all the times that God helped you in the past.

Them times when He made a way where there was no way. .

It’s human nature to have doubts but when we do we can’t let them doubts into our spirit. We must direct our attention to God and ask for him to strengthen our faith.

To help direct us through the storms in our lives.

Open up to God.

‘Lord these are the doubts I have.’

‘These are the questions I have.’

‘This is what I wrestle with, this is the area that I am struggling with at this time.’

In return He will reach out to you helping you come to a resolution and bolster your faith just as He bolstered the faith of John the Baptist.”

Some People Have A Faith That Is Built on Feelings

They prayed for something in the past and received it. Maybe it was a job, a loving relationship, or financial security. Resulting in them feeling good.

They thank God and are happy.

Everything goes well for them for many years.

They praise God for all they have achieved.

Then this global pandemic hits, and they go from living a life of luxury to being in debt in 3-4 months. They are distraught, but their first thought is not to turn to God in prayer. Asking him for help again. No, their first thoughts are of panic, feelings of anger. They want to find someone to blame.

Of course, some people will say— but look at all I lost. I had a beautiful house, three cars, two-holiday homes. Now I’m on the verge of losing it all?

Honestly, I don’t know the answer; I can only speak for myself.

When life is going well for me, I can get complacent, I overstretch. I go for that new loan when I know I’m already living beyond my means. Materialism has a way of taking our attention off God. It can become more important to impress our neighbours than God. Who gave us all that we have in the first place.

Going forward

There is nothing wrong with having feelings of doubt or fear at this time, but you mustn’t give them thoughts a foothold. You must learn from any mistakes that you have made.

Everywhere you go now people are wearing masks and gloves for protection from a deadly enemy. Can I advise you to also have a guard up for an infection even more deadly, the infection of doubt? Some people have it bad; the only problem is you don’t need to be near them to catch it.

That friend that calls you every day telling you how the current outbreak is getting worse and worse.

They have it bad.

You must make them aware that you don’t need any more fear in your life. If they don’t respect your choice, I advise that you limit your time with them. Too many negative conversations and soon you will be thinking like them, doubting that God will protect and provide for you.

We need to feed our faith, not our fear.

Pray every day.