The Prayer I Will Never Forget

What I am about to share now is a prayer by my favorite author, Paulo Coelho. I do not like using people's work in my blog but I truly believe that this I have to share as it might change people's lives as much as it has changed mine. This touches my heart and it is the prayer I will never forget, ironically enough it is called "The prayer that I forgot" by Paulo. Here it is:

Lord, protect our doubts, because Doubt is a way of praying. It is Doubt that makes us grow because it forces us to look fearlessly at the many answers that exist to one question. And in order for this to be possible…

Lord, protect our decisions, because making Decisions is a way of praying. Give us the courage, after our doubts, to be able to choose between one road and another. May our YES always be a YES and our NO always be a NO. Once we have chosen our road, may we never look back nor allow our soul to be eaten away by remorse. And in order for this to be possible…

Lord, protect our actions, because Action is a way of praying. May our daily bread be the result of the very best that we carry within us. May we, through work and Action, share a little of the love we receive. And in order for this to be possible…

Lord, protect our dreams, because to Dream is a way of praying. Make sure that, regardless of our age or our circumstances, we are capable of keeping alight in our heart the sacred flame of hope and perseverance. And in order for this to be possible…

Lord, give us enthusiasm, because Enthusiasm is a way of praying. It is what binds us to the Heavens and to Earth, to grown-ups and to children, it is what tells us that our desires are important and deserve our best efforts. It is Enthusiasm that reaffirms to us that everything is possible, as long as we are totally committed to what we are doing. And in order for this to be possible…

Lord, protect us, because Life is the only way we have of making manifest Your miracle. May the earth continue to transform seeds into wheat, may we continue to transmute wheat into bread. And this is only possible if we have Love; therefore, do not leave us in solitude. Always give us Your company, and the company of men and women who have doubts, who act and dream and feel enthusiasm, and who live each day as if it were totally dedicated to Your glory.

Amen

Pursuit of Happy-ness

Many think of HAPPY-NESS as a feeling and because we do,it turns out to be a temporary state. Only when we think of HAPPY-NESS as a destination do we see the bigger picture. And those who have seen it wil tell you that HAPPY-NESS can be a permanent state. Children enjoy all kinds of weather, they are always HAPPY with what goes on around them. If we are all GOD's children,then the logic here is quite simple - GOD wants us all to be HAPPY, permanently. He has scatterd us through-out this world, not to have us suffer, but to get used to the kind of HAPPY-NESS that we are one day,going to enjoy in Paradise. Because there are greater things that await us there than HAPPY-NESS. So what makes us unique as humans? The different paths we take to reach HAPPY-NESS. All roads lead to Rome but some are more treacherous than others, shorter with big obstacles, longer with valuable lessons. Some just lead to a dead-end. You need to choose your own way and make your own mistakes, that's what mkes life so complicated. But along each way, HAPPY-NESS comes in many forms. Yes, you passed matric, your mum bought a new car, your father got a promotion and you were told you were beautiful. All this lasts for a short time...

But it's all necessary. It is GOD's way of making sure you don't give up on your quest for eternal HAPPY-NESS. Paulo Coelho would call this Beginner's luck: "When you are playing cards for the first time,you are almost sure to win. There is a force that wants you to realise your destiny. It whets your appetite with a taste of success". The paths I want to discuss in great detail are: Religion, Love and Inner peace. But this is merely an introduction, and I shall deal with those later. For now,let us explore THE SECRET OF HAPPY-NESS.