Positive Qualities – Affectionate & Steady

Causes and effects are a result of thought. Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, Robert M. Pirsig (1928-) Philosopher

There are lots of different and appropriate ways to be Affectionate with almost everyone. A respectful attitude while truely listening to another is a good start. A smile almost always works. Genuine complements are usually appreciated. Over the long haul being Steady and sincere gives others the idea that you are someone who can be trusted.

Peace,
Jim

          STEADY

Definition: firm, constant, or resolute in mind, purpose, pursuit, or principle; controlled and stable

Compatible Quality: dependable

          AFFECTIONATE

Definitions: (1) having great love or friendliness; fondness; (2) proceeding from or indicating love; benevolent; (3) tender feeling; warm regard

Synonyms: ardent, devoted, earnest, kind

Symbols: 1) a hug; 2) a kiss

Consider the Source




Positive Qualities – Open-minded & Seemly

We can have more than we’ve got because we can become more than we are. — Jim Rohn (1930-) Author

One may behave in a Seemly manner, as the definition indicates “with reference to conventional standards of conduct,” and yet the standard could need updating. The apostles were shocked that Jesus would speak with Nalda, a woman, a Samaritan, and a person of seemingly questionable character. Yet he knew her soul was sincerely longing for salvation. We cannot see as clearly as the Master, but we can be Open-minded enough to know we all have souls – even it they be small, they can be growing.

Peace,
Jim

            OPEN‑MINDED

Definitions: (1) receptive to new ideas; (3) free from bigotry or prejudice; (3) willing to communicate or debate a point impartially

Compatible Qualities: decisive, focused

Too Far: filterless

Note: If a person accepts anything and everything presented to them without question or concern for contradiction, they would be a perfect tool for manipulation.

Saying: Minds are like parachutes; they only function when open.

            SEEMLY

Definitions: (1) suitable, fitting, or becoming <especially with reference to conventional standards of conduct or good taste>; decent; decorous; (2) having a pleasing or proper appearance; fair; handsome

Synonyms: appropriate, congruous

Consider the Source




Positive Qualities – Fine & Cozy

We are what we pretend to be. — Kurt Vonnegut (1922-2007) Author

We all have some Fine qualities. As we refine them, they Cozy up to each other coalescing in a family of values we show to ourselves and to the rest of the world.

Peace,
Jim

        COZY

Definitions: (1) enjoying or affording warmth and ease; snug; (2) marked by the intimacy of the family or a close group

          FINE

Definitions: (1) of superior or the best quality; of high or highest grade; excellent; (2) characterized by refinement or elegance; polished; (3) sophisticated in appearance; smart; (4) good‑looking; handsome; (5) delicate in texture or workmanship; performed with extreme care and accuracy; (6) showing subtle ability or nicety; discriminating; (7) physically trained or hardened close to the limit of efficiency; healthy; highly skilled or accomplished

Synonyms: attractive, beautiful, choice, dainty, rare, showy

Consider the Source




Positive Qualities – Extraordinary & Humble

Who wills, can.
Who tries, does.
Who loves, lives.

Dragon Flight, Anne McCaffrey (1926-2011) Author

This is a good example of how qualities work together for the greatest good. A person who thinks themselves extra Extraordinary will hold themselves above others. But add a good measure of Humility and they will see themselves from a higher perspective.

Pax,
Jim

          EXTRAORDINARY

Definition: going beyond what is usual, regular, or customary

Derivation: It is interesting that this word is made by combining two words that by themselves would not be considered anything out of the ordinary: extra and ordinary. Put them together, add a personality, and you do get someone truly special.

            HUMBLE

Definitions: (1) modest or meek in temperament; free from pride or vanity; (2) respectful

Synonyms: unassuming, unobtrusive, unpretentious

Familial Quality: humor

Quotes:
Lay first the foundation of humility. — Saint Augustine of Hippo (354-430) Roman Theologian

The sage has no interest of his own, but takes the interests of the people as his own. He is kind to the kind; he is also kind to the unkind: for Virtue is kind. He is faithful to the faithful; he is also faithful to the unfaithful: for Virtue is faithful. — Lao-tse (6th Century bc) Chinese Theologian

Prayer:
We humbly ask God (as we understand the concept) to remove our shortcomings. — Number seven of the Alcoholics Anonymous twelve‑step program.

Observation: One of the opposites of humility is conceit. And, of course, adding humility to your character traits will greatly reduce negative arrogance. But how to acquire humility. A sure fire way to gain humility is to see yourself in relation to a greater reality. This could be God or nature or even physics. But it has to be someone or something you respect and cannot help but be very impressed with. Once a person sees themselves in a larger context they will have the ability (and maybe the will) to see themselves as they truly are.

Symbol: shoes

Consider the Source




Positive Qualities – Enterprising & Favored

You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose. — Dr. Theodor Seuss Geisel (1904-1991) Author

Some qualities are primarily active (Enterprising) and others are passive (Favored) but one can admire a favorite because the apple of their eye is creative, inventive, takes the initiative, and follows through on their imaginative ideas.

Pax,
Jim

          ENTERPRISING

Definitions: (1) showing an independent, energetic spirit and a readiness to experiment or commit; (2) willing to attempt large or untried schemes; (3) full of energy and inventive initiative

How to Live This Quality Today: Write down your good ideas and let them incubate.

Color: red

          FAVORED

Definitions: (1) treated with or looked upon with friendliness or approval; (2) enjoying special advantages; privileged

Familial Quality: fascinating

Consider the Source




Positive Qualities – Thoughtful & Penitent

We become what we do.Dune, Frank Patrick Herbert (1920-1986) Author

One piece of general advice these days is to take yourself out of the equation. A healthy sense of self is necessary, and yet it is not an excuse to be selfish. A good way to create a balance is to think of the rights and feeling of others. How can I be Thoughtful? How can I be positively Penitent? What is the proper action to take with the offence I have given?

Pax,
Jim

            THOUGHTFUL

Definitions: (1) showing respect for others; considerate; courteous; (2) aware of the views and sensibilities of others; heedful; mindful; attentive; (3) characterized by or manifesting careful deliberation; contemplative; cognitive; (4) occupied with or given to religious reflection; meditative; (5) possessing the power of reasoning and conceiving ideas; imaginative

Balancing Qualities: creative, curious, flexible, open, persistent

Quotes:
The soul is dyed with the color of its thoughts. — Marcus Aurelius Antoninus Augustus (121-180) Roman Emperor and Philosopher

Govern your thoughts as if your future depends on them, because it does.
— Debra Saint Claire (1952 – ) Master Herbalist

 Reflection: Others deserve your special attention because they are valuable. If you realize their worth, you will wish to be good to them – thoughtful, considerate, and courteous.

Comments:
• Positive thoughts expand. Negative thoughts contract.

• In order to be thoughtful you have to know (or gamble on knowing) what the other person desires, needs, or wants. There are subtle signs, but one way that is pretty definite: Ask.

            PENITENT

Definition: having regret of offense or sin and willingness to atone; contrite

Comment: If you did something you know was wrong, you will eventually see it for what it was, and want to reverse the injury. To feel a need to take positive action is a first step. Yet you may not be able to remove the harm done to a specific person. What you can do is change who you are. Then you will act differently to all.

Consider the Source




Positive Qualities – Vibrant & Blissful

Should a person perform a meritorious action, he should do it again and again; he should find pleasure therein: blissful is the accumulation of merit. — Buddhism, Dharmmapada 18

It is a tall order to ask someone to spontaneously manufacture Vibrant Blissfulness. We do not go around in a state of energetic vitality all of the time (unless you are a child). But we can mellow the manic side of these qualities (by harmonizing them with the tranquil qualities) and find their mental and physical energy to be enervating.

Pax,
Jim

            VIBRANT

Definition: characterized by energetic activity; vital; vigorous

            BLISSFUL

Definitions: (1) experiencing complete happiness or joy; (2) the cause of delight or elation

Synonyms: blessed, ecstatic, rapturous

Quotes:
Note: The following four quotes are from Joseph Campbell (1904-1987) Interview with Bill Moyers

If one has the guts, you might say, to follow the risk, life opens, opens, opens up all around the line.

The way in which the “richness” of the quest builds up, builds up, and continues to build up – it’s terrific.

I feel if one follows his bliss, the thing which really gets you deep in the gut, and that you feel is your life, doors will open up – they do! If you are on your way, even if no one has done it before, it will open up.

If you follow your bliss, you will have your bliss, whether you have money or not. If you follow money, you may lose that money, and then you won’t even have that. The secure way is really the insecure way.

Comment: Part of being in your bliss is being in balance. When you enhance a quality, it floods into the space where negative qualities had lurked. Bliss and fear cannot live in the same place.

Consider the Source




Positive Qualities – Endearing & Cordial

The secret of life is enjoying the passage of time. — James Vernon Taylor (1948-) Composer

A sweet little baby is Endearing. Each of us comes into this world with a set of values gifted to us simply by the generosity of grace. As we grow, it is our responsibility to expand these elemental qualities into more sophisticated and personal flowers and gems of goodness. Our second word this week is Cordial. In both definitions is the word affection(ate). Therefore cordiality is an outgrowth of being endearing.

Pax,
Jim

           ENDEARING

Definitions: (1) binded by ties of affection and love; cherished or beloved; (2) manifesting tender emotion; admiration

           CORDIAL

Definitions: (1) proceeding from the heart; warm; affectionate; genial; (2) reviving of spirits; cheering; giving strength; invigorating

Synonym: gracious

Saying: A bras ouverts (French): “with open arms”

Consider the Source




Positive Qualities – Sapient & Metaphysical

The ancient question is still awaiting an answer: What features in our brain account for our humanity, our musical creativity, infinitely varied artifacts, subtlety of humor, sophisticated projection (in chess, politics, and business), our poetry, ecstasy, fervor, contorted morality, and elaborate rationalization? — Theodore H. Bullock (1915-2005) Neurobiologist

Sapient and Metaphysical are not words we use everyday, but hopefully the meanings and ideals behind them are part of our ongoing move from a simply material realm over to a more spiritual and soul minded existence.

Pax,
Jim

            SAPIENT

Definition: possessing a capacity for great wisdom or sound judgment; discerning; knowing; sagacious

            METAPHYSICAL

Definitions: (1) pertaining to the nature of being; one’s essential reality; (2) based on abstract and subtle reasoning; (3) relating to the transcendent or to a reality beyond what is perceptible to the purely physical senses; supernatural

Comment: Metaphysics is one bridge between the material and the spiritual. Other bridges are humor and music.

Consider the Source




Food Fraud – 101

On the issue of pink slime, it’s not as if the food industry saw the light, they just felt the heat! The main supplier of ammoniated pink slime, Beef Products, Inc., has been spiraling down. But now there’s a good chance you are eating some of the other unappetizing ingredients that simply don’t belong in our food. Trusting the food industry to help you make healthy choices can be a big mistake. Here are some more of the ways by which food suppliers continue to lose credibility.

Azodicarbonamide in Bread

This “dough conditioner” is the same chemical used to make yoga mats, shoe soles, and other rubbery objects. Azodicarbonamide is banned in Europe and Australia and its use carries a prison sentence in Singapore. When azodicarbonamide is baked in bread, it produces the carcinogen urethane. While Subway announced it is “in the process of removing azodicarbonamide as part of our bread improvement efforts,” the dough conditioner is also used in food at McDonald’s, Burger King, Starbucks, Arby’s, Wendy’s, Jack in the Box and Chick-fil-A. It is also in grocery store and restaurant breads, CNN says.

Plastic Microbeads in Fish

Plastic microbeads are used in toothpaste, liquid hand soaps, skin exfoliators, other personal care products, and industrial cleaners. Last year the microbeads were found in water samples in three of the Great Lakes. The beads work their way up the marine food chain where they “absorb and retain chemical contaminants,” says the Chicago Tribune.

Brominated Vegetable Oil in Beverages

The oil, from corn or soy, is bonded with the element bromine which is used in couches and carpets as a flame retardant. Bromide is an endocrine disruptor and part of the halide family which includes fluorine, chlorine and iodine. It competes for the same receptors in the body as iodine and can cause iodine deficiency among other things.

High Fructose Corn Syrup and Artificial Sweeteners in ,  ,  ,   Pretty Much Everything

High fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is cheaper for soft drink and bread makers to use and store than “real sugar” It has been linked to liver damage, diabetes, heart problems, obesity and even mercury consumption. Yet, aspartame, saccharin and acesulfame potassium, three leading artificial sweeteners, have all been linked to cancer.

A 2011 study by the University of Miami’s Miller School of Medicine found that people who drank one diet soda every day had a 61 percent higher chance of having a heart attack or stroke. Questions also persist about artificial sweeteners’ links to Alzheimer’s disease, autism, chronic fatigue syndrome, lupus, multiple sclerosis and Parkinson’s disease.

Transglutaminase Also Known as “Meat Glue”

Meat glue is transglutaminase, an adhesive powder originally obtained from animal blood, but lately more likely to come from fermented bacteria which is cheaper. Meat glue lets chefs cobble together disparate and low-quality scraps of meat, put it in the refrigerator overnight and produce “filet mignon.”

Up to 35 percent of food products contain meat glue, including tofu, milk, yogurt and even cereal according to industry accounts. Animal versions of meat glue in which the coagulation animal protein thrombin is combined with fibrin have affected blood clotting time in humans because bovine thrombin can cross-react with human factors.

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Food providers that have engaged in food fraud, or have been slipping such poisonous ingredients into your food, are not worthy of your trust or patronage, ever!

Consider the Source

 Consider the First Source!

abstract-rainbow

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word choreographed an assembly of amino acids into an exquisite array of specific proteins. Then God said, “I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food.” In so doing God demonstrated a penchant for genomic writing, preceeded by an amazing series of prebiotic events, in a highly orchestrated presentation of evolutionary overcontrol.

More about God’s Handiwork!