Prayers to everyone in Sandy Hook

I tend to write about the goodness in life. I try to put on paper what I feel and how I try to live my life. I always look at the bright side of situations and how we overcome challenges. This is why I enjoy conveying my thoughts to you; the readers. Today I am having a difficult time writing of the good surrounding me because I feel an emptiness from the horrific actions of just one man. A man that shot his way into an elementary school and murdered innocent people and children. My faith says that anyone who takes the innocence or hurts a child will be condemned for all eternity but, this doesn’t seem to calm my initial feelings of sadness, anger, and confusion. We are all asking why and how this can happen to the most innocent in our society? We want to know what is going on with this world. Some are saying the Mayan apocalypse is on the way while others are saying that evil has visited this small town of Sandy Hook, CT. I don’t believe either of those scenario’s. I think that a mentally ill or sick individual has visited that town and that we need to focus on learning from the horrible situation. We need to hug the ones we love everyday and be thankful for every moment that we have on earth. We need to listen to our family and friends and pay attention to what is going on in their hearts.


We will never be able to prevent chaos and evil but we can fight it with the most powerful weapon known to all mankind; Love. I have never known Love to create such sadness or anger that evil creates. I have never seen Love be jealous or cheap. Love is unconditional and fair. It is something that these innocent children had stolen from them and their families. I am certain that with this very same Love we will see Strength flourish. You see, Love and Strength go hand and hand. We need to be strong and have faith that there is much more good than evil in this world and we need to stand united and always be good to those that surround us. When we do this we will help to prevent these actions from happening again.

My prayers and thoughts go out to everyone who is mourning and may God bless us all.

Meaning of Life?

We can find meaning in our lives even when we are confronted with troubles and hopeless situations that we have no control over. Sometimes it hurts while we are going through these trials because we don’t yet understand why they are happening. Through the suffering we can transform any tragedy into a triumph or achievement because we are forced to challenge and change ourselves. Everything in our lives happens for a reason, and there are no coincidences. We are where we are because we chose to be there, now you can decide where you want to be and start down that path.
The meaning of life varies from person to person, and the meaning changes on a daily basis. It is not so much the meaning of life that matters but the meaning of your life that is important. Knowing that every person is different, has different capabilities, assets, traits, dreams, and careers will help to remind us how unique we truly are. What matters is what we do with where we are in life and how we handle each situation. We must learn from the situations and should not be in search of a generic meaning of life, but instead what we are doing with ours. No two human beings are the same. We have different experiences, different surroundings, and beliefs. We must take our own opportunities and implement them in a way that will help others.


One of the ways I have learned to live a responsible life is by putting others first. Before I do something, I think of ways to do it in a positive way that will be rewarding for others. Helping others first, loving unconditionally, learning to stop judging others is one of the truest ways to live a responsible life, which in turn makes you who you are and why you are here among billions of other loving souls. The true meaning of life is to be discovered in the world, not just from within. The more we love others and give to society we will learn about ourselves. Being selfless in our challenging times will have a beautiful side effect on your life and that side effect is what I call “the meaning of life.”

Change for yourself - NOT for anyone else!

Why do so many people choose to pick on people and criticize every little flaw? If you choose to do so, then don’t be surprised when you receive the same treatment! The critical spirit has a way of boomeranging. “Don’t be so fast to notice the smudge on your friends face while being oblivious of the blemishes on your own”. We need to look for the good in each other and enjoy the differences that make us unique. I have been doing research on human behavior and am finding out that one our biggest flaws is judging or comparing each other. One of the most successful gyms in my area grew tremendously by marketing “judgement free zone” and I am making it one of my goals this year to live that motto! Wouldn’t life be so much happier if we went through our days not worrying about what others think. Wouldn’t it be nice to do things for ourselves because we truly want the change that we are making, not what we think others expect of us. Well, it is easier said than done! 2012 is the year to do just that.


If you are trying to lose thirty pounds because you think others are going to be attracted to you then you might lose that weight but you might not have as much fun losing it because you should be losing it so you will feel better, be healthier, and want it for yourself! It must be for you and not anyone else. I have been changing my diet, eating more fresh fruits and vegetables and am noticing a difference in my mood from these changes and in the long run I will lose weight. I am doing it for myself. This year is about you; if you are happy, healthy, and wise then you will pass that along to your loved ones simply by being you! Enjoy the new year and work on your goals then pass the rewards on to others...

Let’s make 2012 the best year ever and let me know how you are doing. I love hearing from everyone who visits my blog, joins me on facebook, and reads my books. My email is kellerslifeinaweek@gmail.com

God and Christmas!

Now that Christmas is just around the corner I wanted to take a moment to talk about what I feel is the true meaning of Christmas. It is very simple, yet we all make it complicated and stressful. “Stinginess impoverishes while generosity begets generosity.” That one sentence sums it up and explains how we should be living. Not only during the holidays but every day! Jesus said “Does anyone bring a lamp home and put it under a washtub or beneath the bed? Don’t you put it up on a table or on the mantel?” The point here is let’s share our joy and love for each other. Giving is the way, not getting!


I keep my blog pretty simple because I don’t believe in complicating matters. I don’t preach because I know I am far from perfect and have so much more to learn. I see many so-called prayer warriors who are prayer ignorant. They try selling formulas, programs, and advice on techniques for getting what you want from God. Be careful not to fall for all of that nonsense. Christmas is about Jesus and what he did for us. Christmas is simple because of a loving God who knows each and everyone of us. Christmas is about knowing each of your loved ones and sharing your time and laughter together. Make it a safe, fun, and memorable day by surrounding yourself with others.

Merry Christmas!

Mike Keller

Is America going down the drain? Why is that even a question...

I hear all the time that “America is going down the drain” and it drives me nuts! We are blessed to have so many freedoms and live in a place where we can make our own destinies. Someone told me yesterday that they can’t even afford to go out to dinner. I asked how many credit cards do you have? He replies FIFTEEN and they are all maxed out!

We need to start changing our lives and our country starting at home. Too many of us are buying material objects that seem to be important today but are thrown in a closet tomorrow, huge mortgages that take up most of our paychecks, fancy cars that depreciate the moment we pull off the dealerships lot. If we can’t afford it then don’t buy it! It saddens me to see so many people trying to make ends meet while still spending out of control. Yes, the government is known for this and the economy is in bad shape but, that is not an excuse for us to do so too. You’ve heard the old sayings “two wrongs don’t make a right” or “you’ve bitten off more than you can chew.”

I am not going to get all political here on my blog about being happy. I am just saying that we need to stop expecting to get bailed out for our own mistakes, just because the politicians have lost the golden rule of ‘common sense’ doesn’t mean we should. God didn’t tell us that we are born with the rights to a fancy supper, the best educations, free medical care, or even a job. He said we have to earn what we want and need. “Teach a man to fish and he will always eat.”

Here is what I have been doing to gain control of my financial life which in turn makes my entire life much less stressful and much more rewarding. By changing a few habits we will make our own economies better and worry less about what others are doing.

• Work smart! It’s simple, plan your days and be the best at what you do. 80% of our success is based   on our attitudes not our intelligence (thank God!).

• Smile more! A genuine smile and thoughtful acts toward others will help you earn much more money and get you out of debt! Care about everyone you meet all of the time!

• Don’t carry your credit cards! I have one credit card for travel and emergencies locked in a safe. If I carried it, I know I would have bought that flat screen t.v. on sale today...

• Pay off one debt at a time! Budget your money and pay off the highest interest rate card first. Even if you have to pay the minimums on all the others. Knock one out at a time and you will be debt free many years sooner!

• Make dinner at home more often! You will be healthier and will know what is in it. Let your wallet get fatter not you! Eating out all of the time is unhealthy, even the fancy kitchens add a lot of preservatives and salt. What my friends and I do which is really fun and saves a lot of money is to rotate going to each of our homes for dinner each week/month. It is much more fun than going out, saves us money, and we don’t have to talk over a loud crowd. Try it... you’ll have fun and may even learn to make a mean meatloaf!

• Drive your car for at least five years after it is paid off! Once you got rid of that huge car payment why would you want to start another one a month later? Enjoy that extra savings... if you want a new car scent again go to your local gas station and pick up a “new car scent tree deodorizer” or go get it detailed for a hundred bucks.

The bottom line is we are blessed to be surrounded by so many opportunities and to live in a great country that was built on ‘free will’ and ‘freedoms to learn and grow.’ We are slowly slipping into competitions about who has more instead of concerning ourselves with becoming rich from within. Riches of love, peace, charity, kindness, and laughter are much more important than any paper money or gold. So why drown ourselves in the battle over materials which will only stay here when we are long gone. Slow down, moderate everything in life, and start enjoying the company of each other; not some fancy gadget that is putting you in debt.

The furthest thing from freedom is debt so the sooner you get out of debt the sooner you will enjoy more freedoms...

Author of the "Life in a Week" book series
http://www.lifeinaweek.com/

Don't fear death

In the morning consider for a moment the fact that you may not live to see the sunset. When the sunset comes don’t be to confident that you will see the next morning. These thoughts should not make you feel gloomy or sad, but practical. We should live our lives as if it were our last day on earth. Most of us will die suddenly and unprepared. We think that we still have plenty of time and end up wasting valuable time. Death, with all of its uncertainties, is a fact. We need to face facts and see what could be done to better our lives and our surroundings now. Thinking about death will not cause death to happen sooner, nor will it help to escape it! The key is to live in such a way that no matter when death comes, it will find us in sanctifying grace.

Patience will help us in difficult times. It will help us to think more clearly. Humility will help us admit our weaknesses and therefore be less irritable or resentful in our difficult times. Sometimes we need to live through a storm to grow stronger. Life will have hardships and suffering but if you are brave and have faith in God you will find peace in your life and in the next. Many of us pursue an imaginary happiness with money or keeping busy. When we get what we want, we suddenly see that it doesn’t bring us the joy that we had expected. So we slowly begin to search for that happiness again and again. Don’t blame the place you are in or the people around you if you don’t have peace in your soul. Begin today to make a continual effort to strengthen the self love that is needed. Look for opportunities to practice patience, don’t fear suffering or inconvenience, virtues are never gained in easy times. We learn the most in difficult times. Life can be the happiest and most rewarding in these times, if we let it.

SOO FUNNY! I laughed for 20 minutes...

Bullies or Hate? Love is the answer!

When I was a kid we would have kids teasing each other about our hair, our teeth, or maybe even a smelly belly (fat) but, in these days of the internet and computers we are faced with many more issues. As we advance in technology and instant news we would hope that we would also become or “grow” smarter? Not the case in many aspects of our lives, in fact we may be going in the opposite direction. It is sad, today alone I read about a fourteen year old boy who committed suicide just fifty miles from my home because he was physically assaulted in the hallways of school every day for “acting gay”, a twelve year old girl who was severely beaten because she is Mexican, and a teacher who was fired because he yelled at a kid in his class to “pipe down or go to the principle!”

I think that the one thing we are lacking as a general population is “common sense and respect.” I respected my teachers because I was taught to respect my elders, I knew that I needed to listen to them or I would have to answer to my parents when I got home! I believe we need to start discussing these issues with our kids, co-workers, friends, and family. We need to set aside political correctness, stereotypes, and prejudgements of others. We need to lead by our examples and to embrace our differences in this great world of ours. Teach others by our examples, not just boring words that are forgotten...

We are blessed to live in a time of such changes and we need to learn from each other. We will fail if we don’t start paying attention to the world around us, but we will grow if we Love and nurture the good in each other. Talk to your family and friends about these issues and express yourself as only you can and we will make a difference today. Don’t try to change the world, just your world! Changes happen from within, then it spreads to others...

Slow down, Be nice, and open your fists!

How nice are you to people? How do you respond to a co-worker who speaks harshly? How do you respond to a rude receptionist? How about a friend who ignores you when you ask a question? These are good questions that remind me that everywhere we go people are hurting, in a rush, and might be discouraged. They may have made mistakes in life or are simply having a bad day. They don’t need anyone to criticize or judge them; they need someone who will take a moment to listen to their story and are probably looking for a friend who cares, but is in such a rare mood or in a rush that they are zoned into that moment. We can turn any situation around; it is all up to the way we look at the situations and how we react! Once we start letting God judge everyone and we start to work on our own flaws it will be much easier to see the good in others.

Today is a good day to open our fists and reach for the good in others. Our personal beliefs have much more impact on our lives than anyone else’s...

Are you traveling down the wrong road?

A man was traveling for work heading toward his destination. On his way to that place he realized he was heading in the wrong direction, he was on the wrong road! But, strange to say he didn’t worry about it and kept on going believing that even though he was on the wrong road, he would end up at his destination! He didn’t worry about turning back or getting back on the right road. The poor fellow must be crazy! Lots of us are that way in regards to our thinking, we keep making the same mistakes, doing the things that hurt us the most... maybe we are the crazy ones?

We know that we might not be on the right track and that we should lead a different life, pursue a different course if we wish to reach our destinations, and still we keep right on going in the wrong direction! We are searching for worldly riches and goals, being successful in business, and attaining happiness, yet we forget that happiness is actually one of the simplest forms of Love. You don’t need success to Love; just the ability to trust and have the strength to never give up on believing in others and yourself. A true leader is one who trusts in others and doesn't look to gain fame or fortune; just the trust of others. Every day offers us many chances to change the live's of our loved ones and if we take those chances we will be changing our lives and paths as-well! Now go make someone smile and have fun!! 

In Dead Eyes

In Dead Eyes

You live for a while

Most don't know what there is after death.

We all have every answer we need inside

Sometimes you see it

If you are lucky you will be it

before it's death.

If you have seen life through dead eyes

you will know that if you do everything you have to

then dead eyes aren't so bad...

Just know you have to show love, smiles and be true to everyone now

because Dead Eyes dont make appointments to see you.... 

Be yourself...Be Real

...Trust me on this!     

I wrote this when I was thirteen years old because I was depressed but, now I realize that I was looking for some answers... I realize now that even at that young age that I was trying to answer some of lifes biggest mysteries. This little poem reminds me that we will never have all the answers but we will have the questions! Keep asking them... Life is about learning, Loving, and being True to who we are, worry about tonight and let tomorrow be out of site because the futue is ...what we make of it.

  

Pray for the dead

A few years back my aunt passed away at a young age. A couple of years later I was talking with another aunt who, told me about a dream she had that her sister, my aunt appeared in her dream asking why she had not prayed for her. As she was telling me about her dream all I could think of was my dad telling me as I grew up to always remember to pray for the lost souls when praying. So, yes I believe that, we should pray for the dead. I don’t even mean just the dead that we may have known in life or even in this century, it doesn’t even matter if they were good natured or bad. I am not talking about religion or whether the dead were religious, spiritual, or nonbelievers.

Prayer can be defined as many things, some believe you must be in a house of worship to truly pray, I do not. I was raised as a Roman Catholic and have many pieces of my spiritual life invested in my faith. I do not attend church as often as I would like but, I love the connection that I feel when I am there. I believe that church is a wonderful asset for both believers and nonbelievers alike. They are places of worship, love, beauty, and a sense of community. This book is not a book about religion, but, these are my thoughts about finding ourselves and how I try to live a spiritual, loving, and happy life. I feel strongly that our walk with God, is a daily effort and that we should all strive to do better with those who, surround us.

Prayer in my opinion is sending positive messages to God, regarding the universe, or anything that we truly believe in on behalf of our loved ones, others in need, and to those who, have passed on before us. Prayer is passing on positive and meaningful thoughts with sincere conviction. We all have prayed without even knowing it, even atheists! A good example; is a guy who passes by a sick person or a homeless person and feels a sincere deep sorrow or pity for them. The thoughts going through this person’s mind may be “my God, how sad, I hope they are okay.” Through those simple thoughts a positive message was extended for that person, therefore, there was a prayer being sent out for the betterment of someone else’s life. We all have different belief systems and we live in a very diverse world, especially today!

Growing up I found praying repetitive and exhausting, I admit it took me a really long time to remember the prayers being taught in Sunday school. I now love to pray at night before I go to sleep, even if it is just a brief prayer. Most nights my prayers consist of a lot of thanking God, for the good in my life and asking for me to live with the Light of Love. When it comes to praying for the dead however, one thing is for sure they have lost the earthly ability to pray for themselves. “The Purgatorian Manual” says “one who, is infinitely holy, not yet worthy to take possession of my dwelling - a place in heaven, is the greatest sorrow of the suffering soul.” If we no longer have the ability to pray for ourselves after death, what was the “Purgatorian Manual” saying? We need to be sincere in our prayers and not just repeating words that, have no meaning to you, this would defeat the purpose of praying which, is to send positive energies into the universe and heaven. I truly believe, that our beliefs have a lot to do with where we are and where we are going. It doesn’t matter if you pray to God, Ala, or another higher power, or whatever name you have for your belief, what matters is that, you have a belief in something which, will make your life truly meaningful.

We are made of Energy so enjoy TODAY!

The energy you exude is the energy you will attract. The vibes we put out from our thoughts and aura are what we are going to attract to us, if we are putting happy and positive vibes out there, we will attract those same kinds of vibes from the people around us. This is really important to remember as we go along through our days. If we put out insecure or negative vibes we will attract the same from those people around us, and we will end up having a lousy day. I actually get bad headaches when I am around negative situations and tense people. That negativity is what causes my tension headaches. If I walk away from the situation, the headache goes away within minutes! I always say happiness is contagious, so why not embrace everyone around who you love.

I am looking for your personal stories for book #3...

Hello everyone,
I am compiling stories for my next book about everyday issues, situations, problems, and how we were able to overcome these challenging times in life. The book will be geared toward teens and adults. I am not focusing on any particular forum, so send anything that you feel is important for others to read. The whole reason why I started writing was to be able to help people that I would have never been able to reach otherwise and from the emails I recieve I am sincerely happy that I have put my words out there; and so can you!
I am looking for (but not limited to by any means) stories about addictions (drugs, food, alcohol, sex, cutting, etc.), bullying, depression, suicide, peer pressure, and so on. I will be adding these stories to the book along with my input and/or research  to each of the situations and focus on the positives. Let me know if you would like your name added as a contributor in print as a Thank You for your input and stories since I will not be paying for your stories. My email is kellerslifeinaweek@gmail.com, please put "story for book #3" in the title so I know it is not spam! Thank You in advance and I look forward to hearing from you.   

Laugh at yourself...

What is really funny about life is that we forget how to live sometimes. We get caught up in the everyday drama, the mistakes, the rumors, and the stresses that we create for ourselves. We forget to laugh at the obvious laughable situations; I dropped my coffee as I was getting into the car this morning, it splashed up and hit me in the face. At first I was in shock then I laughed because I knew I should have made two trips instead of carrying a coffee by my teeth! Laughing at ourselves and situations we get ourselves into will have a positive effect on our daily lives, health, and our surroundings. Laughter causes our endorphins to be released instantly, which makes for a fun day!

Try to look at every situation that you may get yourself into in a way that a film maker would look at a situation who is making a comidy. Look at Sienfeld, that is exactly what Larry David did in every scene and show! Enjoy the uneasy moments of your day, the traffic, the rude co-worker, the radio that shuts off in the car when you go over a bump (Happy Days loved the broken juke box)! Laughing at these oddities and enjoying the beautiful day will be an instant anxiety reliever that will make for a funnier life! So get out there and laugh...      

Recognize faults and let go (excerpt from my 2nd book)

Have you ever gone into a beautiful church with beautiful antique artifacts, pristine walls, and perfect paintings and then you sat in a pew only to notice a crack in the stained glass window? You realize you keep looking at the crack and wonder why that ugly crack hasn’t been fixed; the church has plenty of money to fix it. All of the magnificent beauty of this church is suddenly reduced to almost an insult to you and your time. I use this analogy to make the point that we do the same with people; have you ever seen a friend after five or ten years and the first thought in your mind is “wow, they have gotten old and obese.” Our thoughts naturally go toward the negative. this is taught to us even as children, and it is a habit most of us have because of repetition of these thoughts. After a few moments of talking with your old friend, you realize the person had three grown children now working in fields such as nursing, social work, and teaching. It is exciting to know this person has brought up three children who all chose careers that now help society to be a better place.

No person is perfect, we all have flaws and when we point out other people’s flaws, we are just distracting ourselves from our own. I have found jealousy will always turn into hate and low self-esteem which, often causes us to notice flaws and we tend to gossip about others in order to boost our own feelings. When you are around someone who is gossiping, it is always best to remain silent and not even nod your head in agreement, because this will only encourage this type of behavior.

A wise man once told me there is good and bad in everyone and just always try to illuminate the good. This may not be easy at times and it may take practice but it is a habit worth reaching for. Most experts agree, it takes two weeks of daily activity to form a habit, good or bad. A good exercise would be to pick the person closest to you and write down on a sheet of paper, all the things annoying you about this person. On a second sheet of paper, write all of the positive things about the person. The second part of this exercise will be much harder but really dig down deep and free-write without even thinking. Remember sitting in the church and constantly looking at that crack in the stained glass window and dwelling on the broken piece. So often, we polarize the broken parts of people and ignore or simply don’t even take the time to notice the good attributes. Remember, we are not perfect but, we should work to improve our faults; a good way to do this is to let those imperfections of our loved ones and ourselves go! Once you have completed the exercise, draw a big box around the page about the annoyances of the other person and then crinkle it up into a ball and throw it away forever! Hang onto the second part of the exercise and read it once a day for two weeks; you will see a difference in the relationship becoming healthier and a change in the way you look at everything about that person.

Happy Mom's Day!!

http://www.xtranormal.com/watch/11993993/mothers-day-movie

WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?

Some people value education for itself. They see in it a persons greatest achievement. They are mistaken. Knowledge is of no value unless it makes me a better person. It should broaden my view of life, bring me a deeper understanding of people and things. If education makes me judge others or I become self-centered and proud, then it is bad for me. True education should help me to live a good life by helping others. A common working man who tries to help others is a far better man than a learned man who learns the lines of scriptures; living the words is the key to true happiness!

I was talking to a really successful man the other day who told me that “ religion is for the weak who need something to look forward too.” I was amazed because I have such a firm belief and faith in God, I not only believe in God but I have conversations with him! His words not only sent shivers down my back, they made me realize that even the most successful of people might be seeking what seems to be good but, might be focused on earthly goods alone. We are on this earth for a while, some are here for ninety years, some for thirty years, and some for five minutes. We will never know when our time is up, but we are certain that our bodies will die. I firmly believe that our decisions today will guide us to where we end up tomorrow and this is why we need to keep our eyes on the bigger picture; our souls and our beliefs.

This Easter week I have learned a very valuable lesson on my daily living. I learned that I have been focusing to many of my efforts toward success, when I didn’t even have the true meaning of success in mind. I asked myself “what is success?” I now know that success is not having the fancy car, the bank account, or the big office but, it is having true friends and family whom know that I am there for them any time they need me! Success is about relationships, respect, and trust. We don’t need to agree on everything, know everything, or even want the same things but, we do need to believe in something; my greatest achievement is my belief in God and my knowledge that I will never be perfect...

It is so nice outside...take a walk!

I like the old saying "spring is in the air!" The birds are chirping, the bugs are crawling, the grass and plants are changing colors and most of importantly; we are in better moods! Shake that "old man winters blues" off and take a walk, go to the petting zoo, play a game of hoops, or go for a ride with the windows down! A good dose of fresh air will make our days much better. Happy Spring everyone, Mike Keller    

Relationships are tricky!

<>Relationships are always tricky. Good relationships don't happen by accident and must be consciously built, you will always have to take into consideration the person at the other end of the relationship. To start with, some people are not going to interpret your personality as you see it. You are going to have to be sensitive enough to determine who these people are, and then you must build a good relationship with them on an individual basis. It is not easy to change a cool relationship to a warm one, yet you cannot afford to allow it to remain in an unhealthy state. You should take some extra effort to build it into a stronger relationship. To build a stronger relationship, remember that she (or he) sees you differently than anyone else or how you might even see yourself! A really good friend of mine told me that "it isn't all about you" and that is so true when building life long relationships... (Change 'me' to 'we')