Roger’s posterous |
A blog, an eclectic collection of things, an experiment. |
We are so obsessed with doing that we have no time and no imagination left for being. As a result, men are valued not for what they are but for what they do or what they have - for their usefulness.
Thomas Merton
Your subconscious is the storehouse of memory, and within your subconscious are recorded all your experiences since childhood.
Dr. Joseph Murphy
Please allow me to introduce myself. Most of you have never met me, but I'm sure you've heard my name bantered about. I'm Bette, the half of Og that remained on this planet.
During the many conversations between Dave and myself, we've discussed the challenges that so many of us are encountering during this difficult time. I have a friend that is losing her home and will be moving into an apartment on Thanksgiving weekend. I'm sure that was never a part of her life's dream. Others of you are afraid of losing your jobs and medical benefits, if you are one of the fortunate that is still covered by your employer. Some of you own your own business and are watching your efforts and dreams slowly fade away as you give serious consideration to closing your doors and letting your beloved employees go. This is the kind of stress that can put nearly unbearable pressure on you, your family and your friends during this Holiday Season.
Let me share a bit of Og with you. I was there the night Og wrote the Ten Scrolls. I brought coffee and snacks to him while he was in his studio pounding out these inspiring words on his IBM Selectric typewriter. One thing you have to understand about Og's writing is that he never did it for the monetary reward. Og was born to write! This had been instilled in him from birth by his loving Irish mother. It just took him many years to achieve that prediction because he was too busy "making money" and messing up his life and relationships through the abuse of alcohol. Og would be the first to tell you that he messed up big time! He never tried to hide his failure from the public but he was definitely not proud of it. It was just a fact of his life that he felt you needed to know to better understand his work and where it was coming from -- his heart!
The fame of Og Mandino came because he was able to write from his heart and touch the soul of others. He struggled with every word that was put on paper because each and every word he wrote had to be meaningful in helping others to overcome the failures and unhappiness in their lives. He truly believed that we all have the right to succeed, be happy, be loved and love.
Og made the decision to turn his life around and become what his mother had always dreamed for her first child. Before this could happen he had to part company with his crutch, alcohol. It was not easy and it was painful to watch, but he did succeed and took his pride of accomplishment with him to his grave. He didn't accomplish anything that all of you can't do with determination, guidance and love. When Og wrote these words -- "I will greet this day with love in my heart" -- he was telling you the way he faced each and every day of his life. His love for his God, his family, his fans, and his career was the force that kept the man going. He had truly experienced the phrase "Today I begin a new life." How blessed I am to have been a part of that new life.
It is in the same spirit, that of love, I come to you today. This is an extremely difficult time in our history and I truly believe that we need Og's words more than ever to get us over our personal hurdles. It is my wish for this Holiday Season to be a time of change -- change in our personal lives and relationships, change to improve our careers and to bring peace to our hearts. Change to truly allow us to live with love in our hearts!
In one of my discussions with Dave, I asked what he felt we could do to help all of you achieve this change and peacefulness that you so deserve. Also, something that you might wish to share with family and friends that are so meaningful to you. It had to be real, like Og. Something all of you could afford and something you felt would be of value to you and yours. Once again, Dave rose to the occasion and came up with the solution. My sincerest hope is that you will benefit greatly from this special holiday gift package and will want to share it with others.
On that note, I wish you all the happiest, merriest, most peaceful Holiday Season of your life. My wish is that someday we will meet and be able to talk, one-on-one. Until that day ----
Hugs and prayers,
Bette Mandino
P.S. Please forward this to a friend or family member if you believe they will also benefit from this special offer to you.
I'm a complex individual. Too much to list here, really.
