2007-01-31

Dancing on the Desks


What a way to start the morning! After finishing tutoring in the morning and before the regular day begins, Bella and I take the time to dance. I hold her in my arms and we swirl around the room, then we jump up on the desks and "dance the morning" away.

Bella is so shy though that when the students come in she acts like she barely knows me and allows only a quick peck on the cheek before heading to her classroom. Ah, kids.

One time she snuck out without allowing me to give her this quick hug and kiss. I rushed out into the hallway, got down on my knees, and like Marlon Brando stood in the rain yelling out "Stella!" in "A Streetcar Named Desire", I yelled out "Bella"!

As embarrassed as she was, I did see a smile cross her lips. At the very least my kids will have many stories to tell their kids about Grandpa Stuart :-)

2007-01-29

Live Out Loud! Completely!



Every morning as I come down my stairs I stop to say hello to James Dean. Although now forever silent, he looks at me from my wall and heralds me with his legacy:





Dream as if you'll live forever. Live as if you'll die today.



This does more for me than the cup of coffee I'm on my way to get. To me the power to dream comes from the power to love; to believe in what isn't yet there, and love it into existence. This has got to be the greatest and most satisfying power in the universe, more than money or fame or perceived "success". Love is what makes all dreams possible, so I've changed this slighty to:


Love as if you'll live forever. Live as if you'll die today.



Maybe it's because of this passion I live with. And maybe it's because I've come close to meeting my maker more than once. But I hear these words James and I silently trade back and forth on the darkened stairs of the early morning. As I look at this picture of someone who lived before he died, I promise myself that no matter what, today I WILL "Live Out Loud! Completely!"

Today, I love myself enough to take complete control of how I feel and what I think. Although I look forward to falling in love again someday, I know I complete myself now and am not codependent on anyone else to make me feel good. Knowing this, I look forward to my future and create it by passionately pursuing my greatest dreams with complete confidence.

My family and friends know how much I completely love and appreciate them as I take the time to let them know. My children know how completely special they are as I play with, read to, and say prayers to them at night. During the day I smile at children and strangers, open doors for ladies, help someone in need and do the little things that brighten someone's day. I don't wait till tomorrow to do any of this because I am too busy making money, trying to get ahead or too stressed out.

This day is the only day I am guaranteed to have. Let me live completely out loud, with no regrets for the things I wish I would have done and wish I would have said, especially to those I love.

This day I completely love as if I'll live forever, and completely live as if I'll die today. Chances are, I'll live a long and healthy life, and die smiling having completely used up all my love, laughs, talents, and time...completely.



This is my son living out loud and living completely!.

2007-01-27

First Impressions

Simple thought passing in my head this morning. When I first meet people I see them as good and find them interesting. If they turn out to be not so good, I no longer find them interesting.

2007-01-21

Quick Laugh - Compromise in Marriage

Just saw a commercial for a new TV show that went something like this:

My wife wanted to get a cat.
I didn't want to get a cat.
So we compromised.
We got a cat.

Made me laugh and thought it might make you too, unless of course you're married and this seems to happen quite a lot to you. Then I guess it's not really that funny, and I apologize for putting it up in the first place. I feel for you brother......but it's still funny.

Breathe In ~ Breathe Out

"We rush, we toil, we hurry, we haste
Life nothing more than a god-awful race

Breathe in ~ Breathe out
Peace and Happiness is around

Just hidden behind the the mess, the clutter
the stress and the frown

The world is created
with everyday thoughts

Are we happy with the lives we've made?
Or have we thought what we should naught?

Breathe in ~ Breathe out
It's not too late

Change the way you think
and you change your fate."

- Adam Stuart

Think honest thoughts and create harmony. Think loving thoughts and create laughter. Think of your higher purpose and create Heaven, because we create in our lives that which we think most of.

2007-01-18

Our Perceptions Color Our Opinions



"We don't see things as they are. We see them as we are." --Anais Nin

Do you see the world as good or bad, full of possibility or full of limitations?


"I've learned that people will forget what you said, People will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel."--Maya Angelou

How do you make others feel? How do you treat them and speak to them, especially those you love, and especially when you're angry or stressed?

"Reality is merely an illusion, albeit a persistent one." -- Albert Einstein

See Anais Nin's quote above.

"Better keep yourself clean and bright; you are the window through which you must see the world." -- George Bernard Shaw

Ahhh. Explanation for why Nin's quote is so true. Have a great view of yourself. Have a great view of the world. Have a great day.


"Laughter is the sun that drives winter from the human face." -- Victor Hugo (1802-1885)



Honesty creates Harmony
Love creates Laughter
Highest Purpose creates Heaven

2007-01-16

The Lion King

On Sunday I was treated to a very special evening at the Bob Carr Performing Arts Centre.

The Lion King was finishing its Broadway show here in Orlando.
But before it did I heard that one line Mufasa tells his son Simba: "You are more than what you have become".
Aren't most of us?
Let's all become what we really are; let's all become the dreams living inside of us, our highest selves.

Honesty creates Harmony

Love creates Laughter

Highest Purpose creates Heaven

2007-01-14

"My Name is Jack" has it's first sale!

It's here! It's here! Finally, "My Name is Jack" has become available for on-line purchase and already has had it's first sale. Last night, January 13, 2007, my good friend and neighbor, T.J., went online and bought the first book.

It's available through Lulu in both paperback and ebook. Log on to wwww.lulu.com and search for the book by its title or by my name. Or, click the link on the left of this page and it will go directly to my storefront.

I've been dreaming about this for years. But that's all it's been, a dream. It's taken working on it from 5:00-7:00 every morning for the past month, but the dream is now my reality. And when I woke up this morning another book had been purchased. I feel as if I'm a brand new person living a brand new life. The flow of abundance in all areas is just beginning, and it all began with having brand new thoughts.

I've learned to focus only on what I want to have in my life. Thoughts of negative circumstances and people that used to come in and out of my brain have been eliminated and replaced with thoughts of positive circumstances and people. It's that simple!

Surround yourself with good people and good thoughts. In as little as one month, your life can change for the better! DREAMS DO COME TRUE!!!!!


DREAM BIG!
DO BIG!
BE BIG!

2007-01-12

The Artist in You

"The artist in you
and the artist in me

The artist in all of us
only a few still see

When we are young
and covered in love

We completely believe
we are gifts from above

Children believe, make and create
return to your inner child,

Bring back the dreams,
the hopes and happiness.....

Once again FEEL
and BE GREAT!"

~ Adam Stuart


This is my young friend Sofia who drew these pictures for me and inspired this poem.

2007-01-09

Well Done! Congratulations


Ouch! You Gators beat the buckeyes out of my Ohio State. Congratulations. It wasn't the Heisman jinx or the loss of Teddy Ginn. It was you being a much better team than we were last night, a MUCH BETTER team. I still love my Buckeyes and believe in them (I am so loyal once I fall in love :-) but, you more than deserve the national championship. You stomped us. You are the National Champions.



Congratulations to my good friend Pam, and all you other other Gator fans out there. It's very important we surround ourselves with good, positive people. Pam is one of those special people who makes your life better by having her as a friend.

2007-01-06

Forgiveness

I saw this today and felt compelled to share. It's so easy to get upset about things much less offensive than what happened in this story. One week ago I had to face a truth about someone I had thought of very highly for many years. One month ago something much less worse happened that caused me to absolutely lose it. Since that time I have been daily working on my emotional strength and sense of self-worth. Had I not done this religiously over the past 30 days, I hate to think how I might have handled a reality that made me sick to my stomach.

This time though, after only a few days from last Saturday's bombshell, I was strong enough to forgive them, and then release them from my life. Forgiving someone does not mean allowing the hurtful behavior to continue. As Louise Hay says in her book/cd "You Can Heal Your Life", setting healthy boundaries is one of the most loving things you can do for both parties, and true forgiveness really has nothing to do with the other person. It is simply releasing yourself from holding onto the pain.

In being able to do this, I have experienced a greater sense of peace, of self-confidence, and of happiness than I have maybe in 10 years. I've also never been more productive, getting ready to publish my books online and begin writing for the University of Central Florida.

We are all challenged with people and events that cause us pain. After reading this story, ask yourself how justified you feel holding onto yours. Thinking about the anger, pain, blame, etc caused by our own unforgiveness only creates more of it in our lives. Wouldn't you rather forgive and forget, and be happy instead? If you don't think you can do it, read this story and be inspired.

"The story is so haunting it's almost hard to believe. Amy Biehl, an idealistic California college student, wins a Fulbright Scholarship to travel to South Africa to assist the anti-apartheid movement; she goes there, and is murdered by a black mob during a riot. After years of grief, her parents Linda and Peter quit their trendy upper-middle-class California jobs and move to South Africa to try to complete the work their daughter started.

Eventually Amy's parents meet two of their daughter's killers, who are now full of remorse. The two young men, who have been pardoned, try to atone for their crime by doing public service for a foundation the Biehls established in Amy's name. Amy's parents forgive the two killers and they become friends, so much so that the young men address Amy's mother as "mom."

Hard to fathom? Few among us could be so forgiving, despite what religions teach. Amy Biehl must have been an exceptional person to inspire her parents to transform their lives in her memory. Her parents must be exceptional as well, to be capable of such acts. But exceptional though they are, their experience is an unusually dramatic example of a rule that applies to everyone: that forgiveness is good not just for the person who is forgiven, but also for the person who forgives.

Traditionally, we think of forgiveness as a blessing extended to the transgressor, easing his or her conscience; the person who does the forgiving is seen as engaged in a gallant self-sacrifice. In this traditional view, the forgiven person benefits while the forgiver gains nothing. But what if forgiveness is just as important for the person who forgives as for the person forgiven? What if it's in your self-interest to forgive, because you will be better off?

Consider that once the murder happened, Amy Biehl was gone: nothing could bring her back. Her parents might have allowed their lives to be burned up in hatred for the people who committed the crime and for the place where it happened. Instead, they forgave. The sorrow of their loss will never go away. But otherwise, forgiving Amy's killers left the Biehls better off.

Today, rather than having their lives subsumed in bitterness, Amy's parents are leading important, constructive lives as part of the great South African reconciliation effort. They keep Amy's spirit alive as a living memory, and they feel hope rather than anger. Strictly from the standpoint of their own self-interest, the Biehls are better off than if they had refused to forgive.

A one-of-a-kind situation? Hardly. Increasingly, psychological research has begun to show that being a forgiving person is essential to happiness. Even when someone wrongs you, feeling anger or hatred only causes your life to descend into misery and resentment: You are the one who suffers, not the person you're angry at. Forgiving, on the other hand, can lift the burden. When Buddha and Jesus and other great spiritual figures taught us to forgive those who sin against us, they weren't just pronouncing holy philosophy. Rather, they were giving practical down-to-earth life advice."

2007-01-04

OHIO STATE FOOTBALL RULEZ!



I believed in my Buckeyes versus Michigan. I believe in my Buckeyes against Florida. New artwork for my new cast.

From the Guy's Side of Things - Monkey Perspective

Alright, Christmas is over. It's time to get back to reality. I can't remember who sent this to me but I appreciate it just the same. It helps me balance my deeply soulful side with my need to laugh and be ridiculous (see "Foo Fighters" in the December 17th archive). As motivated as I am to overcome any and all obstacles, one of my favorite contradictory sayings is:

If at first you don't succeed, QUIT! No sense being a fool about it.


The same thing with being chivalrous and treating my love with respect. I would never tell her to put the toilet seat down herself, put sports before her needs (real needs now, not manipulative ones just to see if she can control me :-) or say half the things on this list (except asking for directions - I am a stubborn fool about thinking "it's just to the left up here somewhere.")

But it is good to relax and have fun. You women say "I am woman, hear me roar!" We men like to beat our chests every once in awhile, behaving and acting like the monkeys we are.

We always hear the rules from the female perspective. At last a guy has taken the time to write it down from our side. These are the rules!
Please note.....these are all numbered "1" on purpose because they’re all equally important.

1. Men are not mind readers.

1. Learn to work the toilet seat. You're a big girl. If it's up, put it
down. You don't hear us complaining about you leaving it down.

1. Sports it's like the full moon or the changing of the tides. Let
it be.

1. Shopping is NOT a sport. And no, we are never going to think that way.

1. Crying is blackmail.

1. Ask for what you want. Let us be clear on this one:
Subtle hints do not work!
Strong hints do not work!
Obvious hints do not work!
Just say it!

1. Yes and no are perfectly acceptable answers to almost every question.

1. Come to us with a problem only if you want help solving it. That's what
we do. Sympathy is what girlfriends are for.

1. A headache that lasts for 17 months is a problem. See a Doctor.

1. Anything that we said 6 months ago is inadmissible in an argument. In
fact, all comments become null and void after 7 days.

1. If you won't dress like Victoria's Secret girls, don't expect us to act
like soap opera guys.

1. If something we said can be interpreted two ways and one of them makes
you sad or angry, then we meant the other one.

1. You can either ask us to do something or tell us how you want it done, not
both. If you already know best how to do it, just do it yourself.

1. Whenever possible, please say whatever you have to say during
commercials.

1. Christopher Columbus did NOT read directions and neither do we.

1. All men see in only 16 colors, like Windows default settings. Peach,
for example, is a fruit, not a color. Pumpkin is also a fruit. We have no
idea what mauve is.

1. If it itches, it will be scratched. We do that.

1. If we ask what is wrong and you say "nothing" we will act like nothing is
wrong. We know you are lying, but it is just not worth the hassle. Besides,
we know you will bring it up again later.

1. If you ask a question you don't want an answer to, expect an answer you
didn't want to hear.

1. When we have to go somewhere, absolutely anything you wear is
fine........really.

1. Don't ask us what we're thinking about unless you are prepared to
discuss such topics as Football, Food, or.....

1. You do have enough clothes.

1. You do have too many shoes.

1. I am in shape. Round IS a shape!

Thank you for reading this.

Yes, I know I have to sleep on the couch tonight, but did you know men really don't mind that? It's like camping for us with a TV.

Email this link (click the little envelope below) to as many men as you know to give them a laugh. Email this to every woman you know to let them know guys have rules too; it will give them an even bigger laugh.

2007-01-01

Happy New Year

The first things I saw on this first day of the new year were the beautiful faces of my children, still sleeping from getting back so late from a terrific New Year's Eve party. The second thing I saw was this, and I wanted to share it with you.


Creating a Fork in the Road

New Year, New Start

To many, the coming of a new year represents an opportunity to begin again. It is a time to step off of dead-end paths in order to create a fork in the road, disassociating from the old, and aligning with fresh possibilities. Harnessing the power of this transformative energy is a matter of truly believing that resolutions can conquer past patterns.

If we believe we are capable of changing our lives, we are more apt to believe that we are capable of leaving our mistakes behind. Our dedication, which might otherwise falter, is buoyed by hope. Thus, the beginning of the new year is traditionally a popular time to tackle difficult tasks such as quitting smoking, losing weight, or fulfilling worldly ambitions. But the transition from year to year can also be an opportune occasion to pursue emotional, spiritual, and intellectual growth because we no longer feel burdened by regret and disappointment.

Whatever your reality, it is within your power to create the fork that allows you to walk a more conscious, grounded path. Viewing the start of the coming year as a time of rebirth allows you to focus on what you want to accomplish in the coming weeks, months, and years. Because you are a new person—in other words, a clean slate—you are free to immerse yourself in new experiences with impunity.

If you feel a need to reconnect with your spirituality, consider taking up yoga, meditation, or another discipline that challenges both your mental and physical selves. Fill your newly-cleansed mind with stimulating knowledge, poignant wisdom, and useful skills. Clearing your home or workspace of clutter can improve the flow of energy in your life, giving you the momentum you need to stay true to your resolutions. And beginning a fresh journal can be a wonderful way to celebrate these developing aspects of your life.

In the ancient Babylonian, Chinese, and Celtic traditions, the period marking the transition from the old year to the new was viewed as a struggle between chaos and order, in which order always prevailed. Your belief that you, too, can banish chaos and integrate your dreams, desires, and goals more fully into your life will give you the determination and fortitude to change your life for the better.