Life in a Week... A Book About Being Really Happy and Life in a Week... What Is Spirituality are two of my creations that I wanted to share with the world. I feel we all have a story to tell but, more importantly we feel blessed when we can put a smile on someones face! I hope my stories inspire you to do just that with the ones whom are closest to you!


THANK YOU for stopping by my blog and please let me know if your visit here put a smile on your face! My personal email is kellerslifeinaweek@gmail.com

If you like what you read here then go to the right and order a copy of each of the books today!


Have a fun day, Michael Shawn Keller

Friday, October 29, 2010

Daily Living...

We are bombarded by both good and bad energies on a daily basis. We try to stay strong and wear many masks and armor shielding to appear strong and brave in order to feel like a leader, instead of looking as if we are followers. We build walls around ourselves to feel safe and try to keep a distance from the evils that surround us. This may seem like a good idea but, we might not realize that we are also making it difficult for the good to get close too! Why are we so stubborn? Why is it that we accept and maybe even are expected to yell at someone who disagrees with our opinions or even the simple act of someone stepping on your shoe by accident? Why is it considered being weak if we are followers? These are all questions that I ask myself as I write in my daily journal and I try to seek the answers to in everyday life. The one fact that we all must face is that just as we are born we will all die and we will never know for certain when. Our bodies do not live for eternity and we are not invincible. Our bodies are a true work of art and we should love who we are because there is only one of us! We are born tiny little babies, nurtured to childhood, grow into adulthood, and hopefully will grow old. The fact that death is a fact of life poses an even more powerful question, why is it so difficult to discuss sickness and the final stages of life, which is death? I have seen the tallest walls ever built around us suddenly crumble down in the final moments of life with a simple touch of a hand, a hug, and by the simple act of showing love and forgiveness. As we go through life we love to carry extra baggage, hold grudges, and carry around anger in our own hearts which is only imprisoning us behind those thick walls of hate and anger. Forgiveness and Love will knock down those prison walls, so why wait until we are on our deathbeds to get the courage to do so. One of the best ways to enjoy life today is to realize that we are not promised to live until we are ninety or one hundred years old. We are not even promised the rest of today let alone tomorrow! Live today to your fullest, enjoy the changing colors that autumn season brings, smile and laugh, sing and hum, give a squeezing hug and don’t hold back! The most important thing is to never walk away from someone with a hurtful thought, only walk away when you know for sure that you just left that person feeling better than when you first walked up to him or her. Never forget that we all make mistakes and that we are only hurting ourselves when we walk around angry and ticked off at everyone around us!

Saturday, October 9, 2010

SILENCE

In my last posting I wrote about all the noise that is around us, today I am writing about the noise that is inside our heads! We are constantly in a hurry to get somewhere, anywhere, it seems except, where we are! Why is that? Are we worried about missing something or are we feeling like we need to fill an empty spot in our life? Sometimes we are anxious to make a good impression, to have many friends, and to feel esteemed. Yes, these things are natural and are good to an extent but, to seek them too intently is dangerous. Too often we are judged by our failures and weaknesses and not by our efforts and ideals, this is why it is foolish to fix our hearts on the approval of what others think of us. By doing so we are causing ourselves a lot of noise in our own heads! Sometimes it is easier to just avoid the attention and to enjoy the quiet solitude and sometimes it is simply needed in order to stay healthy. I enjoy writing about issues in my life and how I try to become a better friend to everyone who surrounds me but, it has consequences too. I have been told on multiple occasions “Mike, be careful what you are putting on the site because it may hurt your career” or “Mike why would you write that you were a drunkard for many years? Don’t you know that you won’t ever live that down and people will only judge you?” I am grateful for the advice and listen carefully when it is given to me and I agree to some extent. The way I feel is, if you are always honest about what you are doing, where you have been, and where you are, then, you will never have to have that constant chatter in your head worrying about someone thinking suspect of you or not accepting you for whom you are. If they do, it won’t matter because you will be able to lay your head on your pillow at night knowing that you did the best that you could at the present time and will have the self-respect that is key to living a good life. A while back I was talking with an elderly woman who was very ill and she told me that the key to living a peaceful life is actually quite simple! It doesn’t matter how rich, powerful, attractive, or popular you are, just remember the plain truth about yourself and throw away all your foolish pride. So often people consider themselves to be better than their neighbors because of money, some talent they have, or circumstances in their lives but, forgetting that time changes everything! We all will hopefully grow old, lose some hair, maybe a few teeth, and start losing our muscular strengths. That is part of life, what really matters is that we do as much good in our daily lives while never becoming proud of our deeds! If you consider yourself better than others, you are certainly a fool! No matter how angry you may get, never let a hurtful word out of your mouth. If troubles come to you, do not let them disturb you because it will only fill your head with nonsense. Her words taught me to work on my dark thoughts, my dirty words spoken, and to be careful as to what I say while in a heated situation. Her words of wisdom from living ninety one healthy years of a good life made me realize I have A LOT to learn! Today is a good day to slow down our inner noise and to take notice in the goodness that surrounds us and a lot of that noise will diminish on its own!

Wednesday, October 6, 2010

LIFES BATTLES

I have been doing a lot of thinking lately, watching some horrific stories that are on the news, and listening to stories about situations that surround us on a daily basis. I came to a realization that there is a continual struggle within us and around us! Is it a struggle between good and evil, a battle between Heaven and the dirty devil? Are we faced with these struggles so that we are introduced to the negativity in order to become so accustomed that we feel better about ourselves designed by our enemy? If that were the case then aren’t we actually joining the enemy with our foolish pride, blind selfishness, and ignorance! Maybe, just maybe, we are becoming stronger by being engaged in these horrible battles. I am learning that we need to look inside of ourselves to recognize the clever camouflage of the enemy that spews out all of the noise in order for us to be distracted by nonsense. Don’t get distracted, instead, hold that firm and constant Love for good, pass it along to everyone that you meet, and our strengths will only grow! Don’t let the distractions overcome us through our weaknesses or by worldly people with self-seeking motives. By keeping our motives in check with the right and good intentions and having self respect for ourselves, our eyes will focus on the victory of that dirty devil. For many years I sought the approval and praise from others. Up until a couple of years ago I had many goals that were money based. Don’t get me wrong, I work very hard and enjoy the fruits of my labor but, I don’t base my life on those riches because I finally realized that the good things in life are from having a good conscience; the praises from others fall short of that! I would much rather see a friend being honored for their efforts, while I go unnoticed and feel their joy. We must remember that we don’t fail in anything because things turn out differently from what we may desire. We shouldn’t judge things by our disappointments or dislikes. We must keep discouragements out of our hearts, no matter how hopeless things may appear and always accept the results knowing you did your best today! I over-drank alcohol for a long time and was discouraged about the years lost and the experiences I missed. But, then I realized that I overestimated the passed successes or comforts of life. My life today is much more content and rewarding because of the life experiences of yesterday. I believe that we must learn from our mistakes but, more importantly we must help each other to know that the battle between good and evil is being won and that there is much more good than bad in our lives!

Saturday, October 2, 2010

SUICIDE

Every day we make choices in our life. Choices big or small, important or unimportant, we are faced with these choices every minute of our waking hours. When we choose one thing, we are usually giving up something else. We are usually quite good at making these daily choices because we learn from our past mistakes and hopefully are surrounded by people who love us unconditionally. We know that we all make mistakes and are not by any means perfect! Today will bring us a number of occasions to help each other or to hurt one another. It will be our choice to make. A simple word can help a person to gain the strength needed to get out of a difficult situation where hope is lost or can be the frightening discouragement that will be a deciding factor of suicide due to shame, fear, and lack of hope. Fear wears many faces in life. If we fear work, we are lazy, if we fear future disgrace it is shamefacedness, if we fear present disgrace it is shame. We have these emotions of fear because we may feel that we are unable to cope with our lives, we feel paralyzed or powerless to the outcome of the situations, and that fear may prevent us from acting for our own good. Where there is fear there will also be anger and we need to remember that anger is a mixed passion. Anger will always seek vengeance for some damage that has been done, it implies a comparison between the damages done and the vengeance sought. When a person feels these emotions and is living through a difficult situation where he or she feels hopeless and ashamed the split second decision might be to just end it all and leave it behind; suicide. Our fast paced days and nights cause so much stress and feelings of being overwhelmed by competition, peer pressures, being accepted, and achieving both our own goals and goals that are put on us by society and our loved ones. If I were to fail to live up to these goals, pressures, and everyday competitions I might have self doubts about whom I am or what I was doing, but if I were antagonized, bullied, or made fun of, it could push me over that edge to the thoughts of “who cares” or “screw it, they are just going to make fun of me!” There are times in everyone’s lives where we are challenged and feel weak, no matter how strong we may be! I know that in my own life I have had many difficult choices to make but I am blessed to surrounded by loving and caring people who love me for whom I am and not what I achieve. We need to try to be there for everyone in our lives, we need to visit more often, and to take the time to ask how they are doing, but, more importantly is to actually listen to the answers! We need to stop judging one another and leave that up to God! Every day there are hundreds of suicides, suicides that could have been avoided if someone took the time to look into that kids eye or hold that senior citizens hand, or given a simple hug! Why is it that we find it so hard to show love but, so easy to laugh when we see someone hit their funny bone or slip on the wet grass or a banana peel? I just read a scary statistic that one in four of every gay or lesbian teenager has thought about suicide at least a dozen times! One in eight elderly persons in an assisted living home has thought or even asked for help in assisting in their own suicides! There are many difficulties in our lives, many chances for failure, and many evils that may work against our own greater good. The key is to help one another to achieve, to feel loved, and to be accepted. We must stop the hatred and the bullying that create a feeling of despair. If you see someone who looks sad or lonely take a moment to cheer them up, even if you walk away thinking that you didn’t help; trust me. You did! Learn to accept each others differences and love that we are so unique because, this is what makes’ it such a great world to live in. When someone feels so depressed that they forget what a great world it is, show them with Love and a few kind words. Always know that your efforts can and will help if you let it! If you suspect someone is suicidal take the time to talk to him or her, seek out the proper help needed, and show that you truly care. If you are feeling depressed or suicidal take that first step to get help, know that you are unique and that no one else is exactly like you, and that you are loved! Suicide is never the answer, what may seem unbearable today will pass, even though it may not seem so today! There will be many challenges and obstacles in life but you are so much stronger than they are, you are worth every minute of effort and you are filled with the beauty and strength of God and always remember that you are here for a reason. It is not important to know what that reason is as none of us actually know the answer to that, but what is important is that you know that we are all connected through love and together we can become stronger and happier! Together we can get through the tough times and start to enjoy the good times again. Take a deep breath, close your eyes, and picture the best time of your life. Try to feel and smell the air that was there at that time, listen to what is surrounding you. Now open your eyes and take a second look at what is surrounding you and give it a chance, notice the smells, the air, and the sounds. Just know that there is much more good than bad and you really are a great person who has so much love to offer!

Cartoons with a positive message! I do this when I am bored (wierd)

About scams...