Author Archives: T.S. Wilkins

First, just pause for a minute. Take a deep breath. Now, just relax. Just calm down, imagine a field of flowers if you must, and just enjoy the moment (we’ll come back to this later in the post).

Sometimes we get so caught up in everything that’s going on in life that we stress ourselves out. I find myself doing this too. My mind goes from one thought to the other, in every direction, without pause, and without care. If I allow myself to, I can even create worries in my mind that haven’t even happened…and I can make present worries worse by dwelling on them and making them even bigger.

Let’s face it; life can be stressful all by itself. It does not need our assistance. It comes with its own set of daily issues that we must face. That’s reality for every single person on this massive earth regardless of who that person is. So, before you get yourself trapped in that deep depressing realm of—“Woe is me. My life is so messed up. Everything good is happening for everyone else, and I’m the only one going through this….” stop yourself. You’re not in this world alone. You’re not the only one with problems. Every day, every single person is faced with some sort of problem. Yes, some people’s problems are worse than others…that is true. However, that does not give you an excuse to bury yourself in some hopeless pit of despair. Why? Since when has a hopeless pit of despair solved anyone’s problems? I’m telling you right now, if you bury yourself and isolate yourself in this pit, you’re going to destroy yourself there.

We all worry to a certain extent, but all worry does is cause a problem to grow in your mind. Worry stacks fear on top of disappointment and begins to add doubt, hopelessness, depression, anxiety, and all forms of negativity until it creates this huge mountain of heartache. The more you try to mentally climb that mountain, the more emotionally and physically tired you become. You begin to lose your will power to go on.

Sometimes you just have to let go. Not every battle is meant to be fought. You cannot control every situation. I am reminded of what Reinhold Niebuhr said in “The Serenity Prayer,” “God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference.”* You have to have the Faith, the Courage, and the Determination to do all that you can do in a situation, and after that…you have to know when to just let it go. It doesn’t mean to just give up. Giving up is when you stop short of doing everything you can do in a situation, and you don’t accomplish all of the things that you do have control over. But there are times in life when we stress ourselves out over situations we don’t have any control over. We feel helpless, we don’t know what to do, and we become afraid. “Let it go” means…don’t let that situation have so much power over you to where it controls you mentally, emotionally, and spiritually and affects you negatively in all of these areas. You have to know when to just back away from a situation mentally, emotionally, spiritually, and even physically if you have to—before it gets the best of you.

Always remember that Hope is always present. Even in the darkest of situations where everything just goes completely wrong, and you may feel all alone…you’re not alone, and Hope is still there. Hope will always be there as long as you’re alive, because you will always have a purpose…you just have to believe.

So, pause. Take a deep breath. Now, just relax. Just calm down, imagine a field of flowers if you must, and just enjoy the moment. You’re going to be just fine.

Brief Reference: (*)This quotation is from “The Serenity Prayer” which is a poem written by Reinhold Neibuhr and is only in abbreviated form.

“Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners.”- 1 Corinthians 15:39

While on a job, I found myself in a very negative environment. It was discouraging to hear such negative conversations and to see such negative actions polluting the workplace. What made it even more difficult is when I realized that the longer I stayed there, the more I was becoming a part of the negativity.

And that’s exactly what happens when you are surrounded by negative things. When the communication around you is constantly filled with deception, gossip, bitterness, fakeness, discouragement, and all forms of negativity…you may eventually find yourself becoming a part of this destruction.

You have to remember that you are responsible for your own life. You are responsible for your actions and the positive nature you bring to the environment around you. If you see where the environment is negative to the point where it is affecting you in a negative way and dragging you down with it…it is up to you to make a choice to either stay in that environment or to leave. It’s not always easy to escape, but if you don’t…it will destroy you, because all negativity can do is destroy.

I realized that the negative environment I was in was affecting me in a negative way. I was making choices that I would not otherwise make. I was saying negative things that I would not otherwise say. I was thinking negative thoughts that I would not otherwise think. I was not being the positive person that I should have been, and it was no one’s fault but my own. This is not to say that I was perfect before, because that’s not the case by any means. However, this negative environment was affecting my positive efforts to become a better ‘Me.’

It was time to make a decision. I thought to myself—“Is this who I am? Is this who I want to become?” The answer to both of these questions was no, and I knew that I had to leave this negative environment. If you’re not careful, you will become influenced by the negative environment that surrounds you. You have to keep positive things and people around you in order to be positively productive. In today’s world, negativity is all around us. It’s every where you go and every where you look, but it’s up to you to either become a part of it or to turn away from it.

I hope that you make the choice to turn away from negativity because the world needs people who are bold enough to add to the inspiration the world longs for…not the negativity that destroys it day by day.

I have found myself in a rather chaotic knot of time that just seems too tangled to unravel. It’s not impossible to get out of, of course—but it does come with unwanted stress. Perhaps it’s just the pressure of having too much on my plate at one time, but needless to say…I am beginning to understand more and more about life.

Oftentimes pressure teaches us the importance of being able to think our way through things. I’m not by any means saying that stress is a good thing—I’m just saying that we can learn many things in the midst of difficult situations. I am learning patience and endurance on a whole new level. I am finding out how important it is to be able to focus on my goals. There are so many distractions and sometimes I do feel like just throwing in the towel and forgetting about it all. However, what will that solve? Every day, after a rather lengthy prayer and pep-talk, I try to focus on all that I want to accomplish in life. As I am distracted by people and situations who are not necessarily my cheerleaders in life, I must always understand that I am still in the game.

I try to fill my mind with positive things. That means I have to be able to filter out the negativity. Sure, I’m aware that it’s there and sometimes I feel quite disappointed. But the thing is, negativity’s goal is to destroy everything in its path, and if I allow it to…it will destroy my dreams, my goals, my positive efforts, my life…ME. That can’t happen.

So as I walk out my door…somewhat like walking out onto a field to play a sport, I keep the main objectives in my heart, in my mind, and in my soul—to give it all I’ve got, to keep moving forward, to appreciate every positive moment, to live with faith and courage, to know that as long as I am living…as long as I’m still in the game…I’ve got a purpose to fulfill.

As long as you’re alive, as long as you’re still in the game…no matter what situation you’re in, no matter who you are…there is still hope. You still have a purpose to fulfill, and it may be stressful. It may be hard. It may be tiresome, but you cannot sit yourself on the sidelines of life and do nothing. There is more to life than what you could ever imagine. It may seem like you’re in an impossible situation full of stress, heartache, and many distractions. Don’t ever let negativity convince you that you have nothing else to offer. Your positive inspiration will always be needed! You’re still in the game!

Okay, so it has been very quiet here in Eighth Row Blog! Don’t think for a minute that I’ve forgotten about this inspirational space on the web! Right now, there are so many things in the works that even Eighth Row Blog has to get ready for some changes. Despite this lengthy silence, the inspiration will continue on!

I hope everything is going well with all of you and that you continue to do positive and inspirational things. Life is too short to be held back by negativity. There is too much that needs to be accomplished, too many great memories to create, too much life that needs to be lived and enjoyed. Although life has its ups and downs, we have to learn how to walk by faith and be courageous and strong-minded people dedicated to doing positive things. We need to appreciate every joy in life and learn from every struggle, because despite how hard life may be…we still have to live it, and life is worth living! Go forward and accomplish positive things!!

There are times when I sit down, and I never know what I am going to write about. I don’t always know what to say, so I truly rely on the strong feeling that comes to me on the inside. There are times when it is simply difficult to move forward in life. Sometimes it just feels like we’re stuck right where we are and there is no way at all to escape our problems, our grief, our strife, and our various forms of stress. It is during these depressing times when we feel like giving up the most.

Have you ever felt like everything you do just turns out wrong or that it’s just not enough? Have you ever felt that you’ve been in a situation so long, you’ll never get out? How about this…have you ever been disappointed because things just haven’t turned out the way you thought they would? Is the road to accomplishing your goals too long and too slow? Are you tired?

These are normal thoughts and feelings most of us have felt. Life can be difficult, and the strong feeling that I have right now is that someone feels like there is no hope for the situation they’re in. Perhaps you’ve tried, and you’ve tired, and you’ve tried to move forward, but nothing seems to be working. Perhaps you’re depressed or discouraged.

Understand this right now…a better day IS coming. Don’t you dare give up! No matter how long, tough, and tiresome the journey is…YOU will experience a better day IF you keep moving forward.

I remember sitting in a chair crying and wishing that my darkest days would pass. I wanted to give up. It took many days and hours of prayer, perseverance, faith, and hard-work to keep moving forward until I started to see the light of a better day. Don’t surrender to your struggles, but rather learn from them and know that they’re only temporary. Despite how hard and depressing times are…there is always a way to see the light in the midst of darkness. Always! Keep doing positive things, and you will see that it all does matter in the end!

These past few months have really proven to me how one of the most sacred factors in life is disappearing more and more each day. I’m talking about respect. I don’t know how you may have been raised, but it was a rule in my upbringing to show respect for other people. It is something that sticks with me to this day. It is not to say that I am perfect, but it’s to say that I try very hard to value the existence of the people I encounter as I would hope they would do the same for me. It all goes back to the golden rule of, “Do unto others as you would have others do unto you.”

Unfortunately, I have recently encountered people who seemingly have no regard for how other people feel. There is an “I am better than you” mentality polluting their minds, and I am unable to relate to these kinds of rather pathetic personalities.

In my opinion, regardless of who you are, what position you hold in society, what you have, and what you don’t have—you’re still a human being, and you have no right to treat anyone like some piece of trash on the side of life. I have witnessed this these past few months, and I am not the kind of person that can just stay silent in the midst of wrongness. I know that we do not live in a perfect world, and it is only wishful thinking to believe that everyone is going to change into really nice and great people. That won’t happen, but it doesn’t stop me from wondering what makes people place themselves on such high and mighty thrones, when really…they’re treading upon the same ground as everyone else?

When you place yourself on a high and mighty throne, you have to remember that in this position, you are more capable of falling…and when you fall, you will land harder than everyone else. You should never climb a mountain just to look down on everyone else. You climb the mountain of life so that you will be better able to help others up that mountain.

One of the main problems with our world is a selfish spirit that only thinks of itself and looks down on everyone else. This selfish spirit refuses to respect others and only aides in the destruction of the world. It’s sad to become a part of this destruction. We all should strive every single day to help each other, to encourage each other, and to inspire each other to become the very best we can be.

What do you think?

The following was sent to me in an email, so please keep in mind that this is NOT something I wrote but something that was sent to me.

“Subject: Obituary printed in the London Times…..absolutely BRILLIANT!

Today we mourn the passing of a beloved old friend,Common Sense, who has been with us for many years.
No one knows for sure how old he was, since his birth records were long ago lost in bureaucratic red tape.
He will be remembered as having cultivated such valuable lessons as:

- Knowing when to come in out of the rain;
- Why the early bird gets the worm;
- Life isn’t always fair;
- and maybe it was my fault.

Common Sense lived by simple, sound financial policies (don’t spend more than you can earn) and reliable strategies (adults, not children, are in charge).

His health began to deteriorate rapidly when well-intentioned but overbearing regulations were set in place.
Reports of a 6-year-old boy charged with sexual harassment for kissing a classmate; teens suspended from school for using mouthwash after lunch; and a teacher fired for reprimanding an unruly student, only worsened his condition.

Common Sense lost ground when parents attacked teachers for doing the job that they themselves had failed to do in disciplining their unruly children.

It declined even further when schools were required to get parental consent to administer sun lotion or an aspirin to a student; but could not inform parents when a student became pregnant and wanted to have an abortion.

Common Sense lost the will to live as the churches became businesses; and criminals received better treatment than their victims.

Common Sense took a beating when you couldn’t defend yourself from a burglar in your own home and the burglar could sue you for assault.

Common Sense finally gave up the will to live, after a woman failed to realize that a steaming cup of coffee was hot. She spilled a little in her lap, and was promptly awarded a huge settlement.

Common Sense was preceded in death, by his parents, Truth and Trust, by his wife, Discretion, by his daughter, Responsibility, and by his son, Reason.

He is survived by his 4 stepbrothers;
I Know My Rights, I Want It Now, Someone Else Is To Blame, I’m A Victim

Not many attended his funeral because so few realized he was gone.”

So what do you think about this? Don’t be afraid to be honest, and don’t worry…I’ll offer my opinion along the way also.

I was invited by a non-profit organization to participate in a program at a church. In the beginning, I didn’t know anything about this church. I pictured it to be like all of the others I’ve attended—rather large, somewhat crowded, but rather friendly at the same time. I rode with someone there, and as we approached large churches—I was for sure that we had reached our destination. However, we simply passed by those large churches and continued our journey down a somewhat mysterious path.

It didn’t make any difference though. I had a wonderful ride down a long road listening to the driver of the car speak encouraging words. However, what made this trip interesting was the sudden turn down an unknown road that led to a very small church sitting silently on the side of a narrow street. This, of course, was not what I had pictured it to be. Surprisingly, it was better, and this is why:

This very small church sat peacefully in a place where it could easily go unnoticed. There was nothing about it that suggested a “LOOK AT ME!!!” type of environment. It was a humble, very simple, little church that was able to capture my heart from the second I saw it.

As we proceeded to enter the church, we were greeted with a kindness that is very rare in our world. They greeted us with not only outstretched hands for a handshake, but outstretched arms for a hug. They had never seen us before, but they welcomed us like they had known us for years. It was as if we were their family, and they were welcoming us home. They had prepared a lot of food for us and sat with us to eat. During the program, they were there to listen to our life stories, to laugh with us, to cry with us, to pray with us, and to share their own life experiences with us. They did this without casting judgment. They welcomed us with a sincere love for us.

Because of the outstanding love they showed, that little church felt like the biggest church I had ever been in before. Love has the ability to expand further than any of us can ever imagine. Love is powerful, but it has to be chosen. You have to choose to show love to others, and when you do…you will find that love has the ability to make the most powerful, most positive, most life changing impact in our world.

You also have to choose to accept love. Sometimes it’s not easy to trust others, but love does exist—and it can and will change your life. You may feel like you’re just a simple person that people just don’t notice that much. This little church was just a simple church on the outside, but on the inside it was gloriously filled with love which made it stand out. What are you like on the inside?

Love goes a long way. It’s not to say that it’s always easy to show love and that people will always accept the love we offer. That would only happen in a perfect world, and we don’t live in a perfect world…BUT, this little church…surrounded by bigger churches, placed in a world that may not always accept its love and its views, rather silent and meek, somewhat easy to pass by if you’re not really looking…dared to show love to people they didn’t even know. Despite all of the odds that may stand against them, they opened their doors with a welcoming spirit of love. They took a chance.

I will always remember this little church, because the love that they shared is now embedded in my mind, my heart, and my soul.

No matter what the size of the church is, it’s what happens on the inside of that church that matters the most. It’s the same with us as human beings. Who are we on the inside? There will come a time when that question must be answered.

(A special thank you to God’s Little Haven, Inc. and The Village Church for your kindness and love. And to Lyn (the driver of the car and the founder of God’s Little Haven, Inc.): Thank you for your encouraging words and your inspiration. It means more than you know!)

This post is about an issue that I have experienced personally on my journey to accomplishing my goals, and it’s something I continue to see others experience every single day.

I have always been a big fan of dreaming your biggest dream, going for it, and making it come true. Oftentimes, our biggest mistakes are not made in setting our goals but in crossing the bridge to get there. As with any destination, you can’t just snap your fingers and be there. There is a whole journey involved, and sometimes it’s that journey that people fear the most.

When you set your goals, you have to be prepared to cross a bridge in order to get there. I remember a conversation I had with a struggling writer. Now, writers usually have to have another way to support themselves until their writing succeeds. That is life. In this conversation he told me that he was against getting a job at a local store because it did not fit his creativity. He said that if he could not be a writer, he didn’t want to be anything at all.

First let me say this: I have been here before, and that’s why I am able to say that if you’re not careful with this type of mentality…you will actually end up hurting yourself more than helping yourself. Working in a different area does not mean you’ll be in that area forever. Most of the time, all that it means is that you’re going to have to support yourself while accomplishing your goals. In other words, it’s like crossing a bridge to get from point A to point B. If you’re afraid of the hard work of crossing the bridge, you’re setting yourself up for more hardship than what is necessary.

Using writing as a quick example: Just because you get a job somewhere else does not mean you’ll never be a writer. It does not mean you’re not creative. The truth is, you’ll need a way to support yourself, your responsibilities, and even your writing until you can reach the success of your goals. It doesn’t mean to give up on your goals. It means…support them.

Accomplishing goals is hard work period! You may have to work in a different area before you can work in your talent. You may have to start off small before you can get to that BIG dream of yours. Some people have to go back to school. The point is, you have to start somewhere…and you’ll have to cross some sort of bridge to get to where you’re going. Bridges are difficult to cross, and they’re absolutely frustrating and uncomfortable. However, they are necessary in preparing you for what’s on the other side. If you fear your bridge or if you’re too prideful to cross your bridge, you will find yourself experiencing further delay.

Dream your biggest dream for your life. Hold on to it! Never lose hope…but be prepared to cross other important bridges in your life that will help your dream to come true. You don’t know who you’ll meet along the way that will help you. You don’t know all the important lessons you’ll learn in the most unlikely places from the most unlikely people if you don’t cross the bridge to your destination. Your dream will remain a dream if you don’t dare to wake up and put effort towards accomplishing your goals. Remember, bridges are temporary. They’re only meant to help you get from point A to point B, but you’ll never get to point B by turning your back on the bridge that leads to it.

I don’t know what your bridge is, but I certainly wish you the best!

Good question!

Passion’s Chariot, LLC is a brand new venture that is designed for the specific purpose of spreading inspiration. It is of course in its beginning stages, but it is something that has a high potential for growth over the next few years. It is a concept that has been years in the making and is very much dedicated to being a light of hope in the midst of darkness. It is an inspirational effort for our community, our nation, and our world. As we grow, we hope to learn many lessons, and we hope to be able to use our knowledge, our creativity, and our desire to make a difference to have a positive impact in our world.

To learn more about Passion’s Chariot, LLC you may visit: http://www.passions-chariot.com and if you’d like to, be sure to follow Passion’s Chariot on Twitter and Facebook. The links are at the bottom of the website.

Thank you,

T.S. Wilkins