The Nahmias Cipher Report archived articles from 2009 - 2020.
As Mark Twain said, “You can't depend on your judgment when your imagination is out of focus.”
Often, if we take the time to be introspective, we will see that our perspective is colored by the experiences of our life which we project onto others and the world.
Ayanna Nahmias, Editor-in-ChiefLast Modified: 03:46 AM EDT, 15 February 2012
Nick Vujicic, Oman, Photo by Vigor Enterprises
WASHINGTON, DC - Today, it is a cold but relatively mild day. After months of financial difficulties I have finally started working but it seems as if it has been a little late. But, things never happen early or late but always right on time. However, when one is in the midst of a crisis such as I and many other Americans are currently facing, we pull in and embrace fear. It is a hard place to be, to trust in God when one is on the verge of loosing one's home.
When I originally wrote this post I was in a different frame of mind in terms of how I interacted with the universe. I believed at that time that things happened to me versus my envisioning and creating the experiences that subsequently happen to me. The idea of active creation does not negate God, in whom I am an ardent believer; however, we must do our part in order for Him to do His.
That is why Nick Vujicic story is so important and why it was selected to be featured on our site. It is a basic human tendency to teach ourselves and our children to speak about those things that we don't want, to vent and talk about what ails us, and to view ourselves as a victim while others prosper. We have moved beyond the 'Me Gen' to simply "Ego Driven." We make no pretense at caring about others feelings or needs unless they can further our goals and objectives or assuage a present pain or discomfort.
Vujicic story stops most people in mid-thought because of his physical condition, but then it is his words, his life in action that is what truly captivates and reflects back to us our utter lack of respect for the sanctity of human life and gratefulness for all that we have not been called to struggle with.
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I have so much to be grateful for - in an economy where more than 8% of American are unemployed, I have finally secured a job. I have a wonderfully supportive mother and sister. My son is healthy, extremely intelligent and beautiful. I have good friends and after years of struggle I like who I am.
So why was I complaining? Because that is what we do. We complain. It is like a computer virus, one can go on vacation to disconnect from the daily grind and totally recover through the antibiotics of peace, tranquility and centering; but upon return, once we plug back in we are easily susceptible to reinfection.
Our office mates complain, our friends and family complain, the people on the elevator complain, the people commuting on the train complain, the news delivers a stream of complaints and bad news ad nausea; and because human beings are social creatures, it is easier to conform and so unconsciously we comply.
Only through a shock to the system can we return to consciousness. Vujicic is a man who is living life fully on his terms, but not just for his benefit but for the inspiration and improvement of the lives of so many other people. Instead of wishing for conditions other than what he has, he embraces what he has been given and leverages his gifts and abilities to their fullest potential.
His story is phenomenally inspirational and the impact of his life is transformational in a way that other stories of survival though impressive tend fade with time. I am a big fan of the Discovery Channel series "I Shouldn't Be Alive" and the Biography series "I Survived" because both feature individuals who survive horrible situations and tragedies through sheer will and determination. It is a feeling that I am intimately acquainted with because I am a survivor.
However, to overcome a challenge over a brief span of time, though laudable and miraculous, it does not equate to sustained accomplishment. Vujicic would appear to have so much less than many of us and yet he has and continues to achieve everything he sets his mind to do, while helping others achieve similar freedom.
Vujicic is a living proof that “everyone has his own specific vocation or mission in life; everyone must carry out a concrete assignment that demands fulfillment. Therein he cannot be replaced, nor can his life be repeated, thus, everyone's task is unique as his specific opportunity.” ~ Viktor Frankl
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My mother often speaks to me about my attitude because she is a firm believer in faith. Thoughts create reality and what we constantly think about we become or it occurs. She often chides me about "meeting trouble halfway" and counsels me against this because "it usually dies somewhere in between;" meaning that the solution to far out problems almost always manifest before trouble arrives at ones' door.
I appreciate the mirror that Nick Vujicic's life, presented to me. My reflection in his life has challenged me to continue to be the best, to think the best, and to interact with people and the universe by giving my best. I hope this post inspires you, to attempt "to get up each morning with the resolve to be happy... and to set your own conditions to the events of each day. To do this is to condition circumstances instead of being conditioned by them.” ~ Ralph Waldo Trine.
Today we have bigger houses and smaller families
More conveniences, but less time.
We have more degrees, but less common sense,
More knowledge, but less judgment,
We have more experts, and more problems, more medicine, but less wellness.
We spend too recklessly, laugh too little,
Drive too fast, get angry far too quickly,
Stay up late, get up too tired,
Read too little, watch T.V. too often,
And pray too seldom.
We have multiplied our possessions, but have reduced our values,
We talk too much, love too little, and lie too often.
We have learned how to make a living, but not a life.
We have added years to life,
Not life to years.
We have taller buildings, but shorter tempers.
Wider freeways, but narrow viewpoints.
We spend more, but have less; we buy more, and enjoy less.
We’ve been all the way to the moon and back,
But have trouble crossing the street to meet the new neighbor.
We’ve conquered outer space, but not inner space,
We have split the atom, but not our prejudice.
We write more, but learn less.
Plan more, but accomplish less.
We’ve learned to rush, but not to want,
We have higher incomes, but lower morals.
We build more computers to hold more information,
To produce more copies, but communicate less,
We are long on quantity, but short on quality.
These are the times of fast food, and slow digestion,
Tall men, and short character,
Steep profits and shallow relationships,
More leisure and less fun.
More kinds of food, but less nutrition,
Two incomes, but more divorce,
Fancier houses, but more broken homes.
That’s why I propose, that as of today,
You do not keep anything for a special occasion,
Because everyday that you live is a special occasion.
Search for knowledge, read more,
Sit on the porch and admire the view,
Without paying attention to your needs.
Spend more time with your family and friends,
Eat your favorite foods and,
Visit the places you love.
Enjoyment is life as a chain of moments,
Not long drawn out survival,
Remove from your vocabulary phrases like,
” One of these days” and “Someday.”
Let’s tell our families and friends how much we love them.
Do not delay anything that adds laughter and joy to your life.
Everyday, every hour, and every minute is special.
And you do it knowing that it could be your last…
Just think… one of these days you may not be here to do any of the above!
Author: Dr. Bob Moorehead, Pastor
The Report seeks to challenge readers to move beyond the accepted standard fare purveyed by most media, often demonizing and convicting an entire society and citizenry. Rather, The Report asks readers to recognize themselves in the “other” and assign blame to the miscreants who truly are the culprits of many of the atrocities that negatively impact us all.
