We All Have Core Beliefs;  These Are Some Of Mine   

1.  Despite the darkness of the night, I believe that the sun will shine again.  Despite the depths of our despair and sorrow, that sun will warm our hearts and spirits.  There is nothing I can do to suppress the healing power of sunshine in our lives.

2.  We all can choose to be happy; and we all can choose to be morose.  If we talk ourselves out of sadness and self-pity, the world will seem to be a better place than it might otherwise appear.  I truly believe that we can enjoy life more fully if we look on the bright side.  We cannot change the world outside of of our reach, but our reach is farther than we know.

3.  Each of us have been born with various talents,  intellectual  gifts, individual skills, and a certain capacity for physical prowess.  Those gifts may seem to be primarily physical, or intellectual, or spiritual; but each of them must be indepentently developed though exercise, if they are to become fully operational at their full potential.  Our talents show when we put them on display; but those potential talents stay hidden when we hide ourselves from others.  If we reach beyond our grasp, we may fail to grab the brass ring; but if we don't reach out, we may never know just how far we can leap; or how much taller we are when we stand on our tippy toes.  I truly believe that if we try we may fail; but if we don't try, failure is guaranteed.

4.  The world does not owe me a living.  Nobody owes me a job just because I might be qualified; nobody owes me respect that I have not earned; nobody should exalt or elevate me with symbolic status based on family lineage or honorific titles that have nothing to do with how I relate to others around me.

5.  By all means, it is far more important to respect the living with frequent smiles and acts of caring; than to honor the dead with tears of sorrow.