Just A Closer Walk With Thee!-Song
Thursday, May 31, 2012
Anchored in Me!- Jesus
By Jesus, speaking in prophecy
Download Audio (9.18MB)
Regardless of the world’s economic state and financial upheaval, My promises to you are just as true as ever, and as good as money in the bank.
You take care of My business, and I’ll take care of you. It’s as simple as that. “Seek ye first the Kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things will be added unto you.”1
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I have given you many promises of supply, and they all hold true today, just as much as they ever have. The future isn’t clear, and you don’t know where I will lead you, or through what ways and means I will supply for you. Regardless, My promises are as good as gold.
So many entrepreneurs make investments and take risks when starting business ventures without a guarantee that they will be successful. But I give you the guarantee that as you do your best to obey and follow Me, I will provide for you, prosper you, make you successful, and care for you.
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I made the world. I made you. I know your past. I know your future. There is nothing you will encounter in life that I haven’t foreseen or that I’m incapable of handling. Life may seem random at times, but it’s not. Every factor in your life is under My control, and you won’t encounter anything you are incapable of overcoming with My help. I’m not only in control of eternity, but I’m in control of your future.
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I don’t ask for perfection before I will intervene for good in your life. You don’t have to be perfect. Our relationship is that of a weak and error-prone child, and his strong, capable father. Whatever you bring to Me in faith, saying, “Jesus, I can’t take care of this myself, and I really need Your help,” I will handle for you. I can’t resist the faith-filled cry of your childlike heart. You are weak and imperfect, confused and often wrong—which makes My perfection and strength so much more necessary. I know you have nowhere else to lean, so you lean on Me, and I will save you.
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There is never a right time to stop believing in Me and My promises. There is nothing—no hardship, no problem, no adjustment trials, no personal battles, no questions—that should cause you to give up your faith that I will work out everything. Everything is going to be all right. Trust Me through all the bumps in the road that you experience. Keep your eyes focused on the road ahead, and know that I have gone before you to prepare the way, and to show you exactly how to get to your destination.
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If you’re tempted to think that I won’t take care of you, remember that I even cause the sun to shine on evil people and send the rain on the unjust.2 Think then of what I can do for you who have given of your lives in faithful service to Me, you who love Me and others and are doing your best to follow Me wherever I lead.
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I want to lift the weight of uncertainty from your shoulders, and ask that you hold on to your faith and trust in My promises. I want you to hold on to the knowledge that no matter how dark or impossible something seems, I have never failed My children, and I am in control. These are things that will never change. No matter what the test or difficulty or impossibility that you or others are facing, I am there, and I give you My song of victory, My promises of sufficient grace, My unfailing power to overcome all obstacles. I will enable you to go forward with My peace of mind and assurance that I do all things well.
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Even if everything and everyone seems to pass you by, when the world fails, when there is nothing left for you to hang on to, you still have Me, and I am all that you need. Even if those you care for and are concerned about were to lose everything that the eye can see, they will always have Me, and I am everything. There is no permanent loss for My children, because I am everything.
I am the healer and the restorer of broken hearts, broken hopes, broken dreams, and broken lives. I never leave My children abandoned or destitute. I am there to supply every need. Yes, the answers and supply sometimes come through unexpected avenues, or by a different route or longer timetable than hoped or prayed for, but I always answer. I do not leave My children in want.
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No matter what happens or what seems to go wrong or to fail, no matter who it seems has failed, I will never fail, and I am always there. I will not leave My children behind, but I will carry them and tend to them, as a loving and patient Father. There are answers and miracles and promises and supply available in great abundance, for I love to bestow good things on My faithful children.
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The trials and tests are difficult now; sometimes you wonder how you will make it through or if you can handle anything more. You feel like you’re going through the flood, the fire, and the trial all at once, but I am with you, and you will overcome and stand triumphant in spirit.
Even now, you stand tall because you are holding My hand. You feel small and weak, but I am raising you up, I am carrying you, and you will make it through.
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Your future is bright and glorious, and I ask you to keep holding on. In fact, I am trusting you to keep holding on to Me. What that means is holding on to your faith in My promises and supreme ability to come through for you no matter what, to always be there for you, regardless of what seems to fall or fade away.
Even if you were to come to the end of this current part of the race, and feel as though you have nothing left, you will still not have experienced loss as those who have no hope do, because you still have Me. You will always have Me. It’s the bottom-line truth that so many great saints of old, faithful men and women of God, strong and unsung Christian heroes, learned throughout life, that no matter what came their way or was given or taken away, even if it was sometimes the most precious things of their life, I was enough. They had Me, so it was well with their soul.
I am not saying that you will suffer the type of extreme loss that some of those dear souls did, but you can still glean the full value and power of the principle of “Jesus is enough” through this time of change and uncertainty. You can come to the same realizations and receive supernatural strength; you can experience the same peace and fullness of spirit they did at those times when they came to the end of themselves, to the end of all they knew and loved and held dear, and had only Me to cling to, and yet had everything.
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I am with you at every moment. I will make good on My promises to give you sufficient grace, rest of spirit, and the peace of God that passes all understanding. No matter what is going on around you, you can be at peace when you are anchored deeply in Me. Deep down, underneath the waves and tossing and turning, the waters are still and peaceful. Like the song says, “Still waters run deep.” As you go deeply into Me, you will find that stillness of spirit, the calm, the quiet, the rest, the trust, the faith, the understanding, and the strength that you need.
Originally published February 2010. Excerpted and republished May 2012.
Read by Maria Fontaine. copyright@thefamilyinternational
1 Matthew 6:33.
2 Matthew 5:45.
Wednesday, May 30, 2012
Moods, Emotions, and Feelings!
Moods, Emotions, and Feelings, Oh My!
Why, What, and Whom You Listen to Matters
Authored by Tomoko Matsuoka
May 29, 2012
Do you ever pause to wonder why you’re in a certain mood? Do you suppose that your emotions and moods just happen? Or could it be that you, yourself, instigate whatever you are feeling? And have you ever wished that you had better control of your moods and emotions?
Recently, I read about a study that was conducted in 1996, called Automaticity of SocialBehavior,which broadened my understanding of how our thoughts influence our behavior. Here’s an excerpt from an article on what happened:
John Bargh, Mark Chen, and Lara Burrows [New York University] had [psychology students] complete a scrambled-sentence task, rearranging the order of words to form sentences. For some of the participants, the task was based on words such as aggressive, rude, annoying, and intrude. For others, the task was based upon words such as honor, considerate, polite, and sensitive. The goal of these two lists was to prime the participants to think about politeness or rudeness as a result of constructing sentences from these words (this is a very common technique in social psychology, and it works amazingly well).
After the participants completed the scrambled-sentence task, they went to another laboratory to participate in what was purportedly a second task. When they arrived at the second laboratory, they found the experimenter apparently in the midst of trying to explain the task to an uncomprehending participant who was just not getting it (this supposed participant was in fact not a real participant but a confederate working for the experimenter). How long do you think it took the real participants to interrupt the conversation and ask what they should do next?
The amount of waiting depended on what type of words had been involved in the scrambled-sentence task. Those who had worked with the set of polite words patiently waited for about 9.3 minutes before they interrupted, whereas those who had worked with the set of rude words waited only about 5.5 minutes before interrupting.1
[And that’s the end of the excerpt.]
Did you catch how simply thinking about words related to rudeness actually caused those students to behave in an influenced way? Continuing in the same vein, the researchers wanted to see what effect words that evoked both the positive and negative aspects of old age would have on participants. Here is what happened, taken from a report of their findings:
We constructed two versions of the scrambled sentence task: one elderly prime version, which contained words related to the elderly stereotype, and another, neutral version. For the elderly prime version, the critical stimuli were worried, old, lonely, grey, careful, sentimental, wise, stubborn, courteous, bingo, withdraw, forgetful, retired, wrinkle, rigid, traditional, conservative, knits, dependent, ancient, helpless, gullible, cautious, and alone. These prime words were obtained from previous research that examined the components of the elderly stereotype. In the neutral version, the elderly prime words were replaced with the words unrelated to the elderly stereotype (e.g.,thirsty,clean,private).
Participants were informed that the purpose of the study was to investigate language proficiency and that they were to complete a scrambled-sentence task. Each participant was instructed to write down a grammatically correct sentence using only four of the five words given.
After the participant completed the task and notified the experimenter, the experimenter told the participant that the elevator was down the hall and thanked him or her for participating.
Using a hidden stopwatch, a confederate of the experimenter, who was sitting in a chair apparently waiting to talk to the professor in a nearby office, recorded the amount of time in seconds that the participant spent walking a length of the corridor starting from the doorway of the experimental room and ending at a broad strip of silver carpet tape on the floor 9.75 m away.
Participants in the elderly priming condition … had a slower walking speed compared to participants in the neutral priming condition as predicted. [Neutral priming would be where the participants are given words with no “old age” related priming.]2
What do you think this study suggests? And what meaning does it have when relating it to our everyday lives?
Looking at these experiments, and thinking about some of my own emotional triggers, I’m coming to understand just how much words and images can affect how I feel and, as a result, even how I behave. As the study above showed, if you read material that highlights rude and aggressive people, or words that put you in a frame of mind that you’re old, or even if you’re simply reading words that have that tone, and if you are unaware of how such words are affecting you, such words can prime your mind into reflecting the mood or the underlying thoughts that you have just read.
However, there’s good that can be concluded from this, too. Back to the study: one group of participants was told exactly what the experiment was about, and therefore they knew to be aware of the effect that certain words could have on their minds. These participants did not display any of the tendencies that those unaware of the impact the words they were reading were having on them showed.
The apostle Paul had a good understanding of what modern research is now discovering about the way thoughts impact us. “Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.”3 He seemed to know that if we were thinking about good things, this would directly affect our behavior. Really, the safest place for your mind to be is fixed on godly things. Consider this verse in Isaiah: “You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.”4
Words and the way that they can affect our moods surrounds us continually. This is happening even when we are unaware of the connection between our behavior and our input. In the space of one day you might do a number of the following: listen to a podcast; do schoolwork; watch a YouTube clip; read Facebook status updates; get IMs from a friend; chat with your parents, sibs, and friends; read a novel; watch a TV series; read up on your current favorite pop person, and the list can go on and on.
This is not to say that we should be paranoid about input and external influences. Speaking from personal experience, that becomes unproductive in the long run. As humans, we are social beings: we need people, and we are happiest when we have some level of connection to others. Even introverted people are happier with close family and friends in their lives than without. It’s not realistic to try to build a safe and high tower for yourself or pretend that you are impervious to the influence of words. We areallinfluenced, and fortunately, quite often in happy and positive ways. Even this podcast is influencing you, hopefully in an informative and wholesome way.
Now, what can you do with the information from studies like this? Say for instance, you’re feeling negative. Read a favorite devotional or something else from God’s Word that has been tried and proven for you. Feeling lethargic? Read something peppy, funny, or that will motivate you. Feeling discouraged? Ask for encouragement from a friend.
And try to become aware of how you got into that mood in the first place. What were you watching? What were you listening to? What was the tone of your last conversation? Tried and proven tip from me: if you don’t want to feel depressed, take a break from reading news about environmental pollution, political corruption, or whatever puts you in a bad mood.—At least until you know you’re able to channel those feelings in a healthy way. Instead, read material that will make you happy and feel good about yourself and others.
Watch yourself. Be aware of when you’re heading into a slump, and try to catch yourself before you throw yourself headlong into the abyss of gloom or the center of a pity party. Or if you aren’t able to catch yourself before—be aware in hindsight, and avoid such things that make you feel negative in the future.
Right now, make a list of all the things that you love or that are sure to put a smile on your face. Watch how your mood and your feelings change as you do so. Lastly, share with us in the comments those things that are making you smile right now. Spread the joy!
Footnotes:
1 Predictably Irrational,Dan Ariely. (HarperCollins, 2008).
2 Automaticity of Social Behavior: Direct Effects of Trait Construct and Stereotype Activation on Action, John A. Bargh, Mark Chen, and Lara Burrows,excerpts.
3 Philippians 4:8 (ESV).
4 Isaiah 26:3 (ESV).
Copyright © 2012 by The Family International
Irena Sendler- uma cristã verdadeira!
Uma história de amor ...de coragem, de fé.
Nem sempre o prêmio é atribuÃdo a quem mais o merece...
Uma senhora de 98 anos chamada Irena Sendler faleceu há pouco tempo.
Durante a 2ª Guerra Mundial, Irena conseguiu uma autorização para trabalhar no Gueto de Varsóvia, como especialista de canalizações. Mas os seus planos iam mais além... Sabia quais eram os planos dos nazistas relativamente aos judeus (sendo cristã e alemã!).
Irena trazia crianças escondidas no fundo da sua caixa de ferramentas e levava um saco de sarapilheira na parte de trás da sua caminhoneta (para crianças de maior tamanho). Também levava na parte de trás da caminhoneta um cão a quem ensinara a ladrar aos soldados nazis quando entrava e saia do Gueto. Claro que os soldados não queriam nada com o cão e o ladrar deste encobriria qualquer ruÃdo que os meninos pudessem fazer.
Enquanto conseguiu manter este trabalho, conseguiu retirar e salvar cerca de 2500 crianças.
Por fim os nazistas apanharam-na. Souberam dessas atividades e em 20 de Outubro de 1943 Irena Sendler foi presa pela Gestapo e levada para a infame prisão de Pawiak, onde foi brutalmente torturada. Num colchão de palha encontrou uma pequena estampa de Jesus Misericordioso com a inscrição: “Jesus, em Vós confio”, e conservou-a consigo até 1979, quando a ofereceu ao Papa João Paulo II.
Ela, a única que sabia os nomes e moradas das famÃlias que albergavam crianças judias, suportou a tortura e negou-se a trair seus colaboradores ou as crianças ocultas. Quebraram-lhe os ossos dos pés e das pernas, mas não conseguiram quebrar a sua determinação. Já recuperada, foi no entantocondenada à morte. Enquanto esperava pela execução, um soldado alemão levou-a para um "interrogatório adicional". Ao sair, gritou-lhe em polaco: "Corra!".
Esperando ser baleada pelas costas, Irena contudo correu por uma porta lateral e fugiu, escondendo-se nos becos cobertos de neve até ter certeza que não fora seguida. No dia seguinte, já abrigada entre amigos, Irena encontrou o seu nome na lista de polacos executados que os alemães publicavam nos jornais. Os membros da organização Żegota ("Resgate") tinham conseguido deter a execução de Irena subornando os alemães, e Irena continuou a trabalhar com uma identidade falsa.
Irena mantinha um registo com o nome de todas as crianças que conseguiu retirar do Gueto, que guardava num frasco de vidro enterrado debaixo de uma árvore no seu jardim.
Depois de terminada a guerra tentou localizar os pais que tivessem sobrevivido e reunir a famÃlia. A maioria tinha sido levada para as câmaras de gás. Para aqueles que tinham perdido os pais ajudou a encontrar casas de acolhimento ou pais adotivos.
Em 2006 foi proposta para receber o Prêmio Nobel da Paz... mas não foi selecionada. Quem o recebeu foi Al Gore por sua campanha sobre o Aquecimento Global. (sem comentários)
Não permitamos que alguma vez esta Senhora seja esquecida!!
Estou transportando o meu grão de areia, reenviando esta mensagem. Espero que faça o mesmo.
Passaram já mais de 60 anos, desde que terminou a 2ª Guerra Mundial na Europa. Este e-mail está sendo reenviado como uma cadeia comemorativa, em memória dos 6 milhões de judeus, 20 milhões de russos, 10 milhões de cristãos (inclusive 1.900 sacerdotes católicos ) 500 mil ciganos, centenas de milhares de socialistas, comunistas e democratas e milhares de deficientes fÃsicos e mentais que foram assassinados, massacrados, violados, mortos à fome e humilhados, com os povos do mundo muitas vezes olhando para o outro lado.
Agora, mais do que nunca, com o recrudescimento do racismo, da discriminação e os massacres de milhões de civis em conflitos e guerras sem fim em todos os continentes, é imperativo assegurar que o Mundo nunca esqueça. Gente como Irena Sendler, que salvou milhares de vidas praticamente sozinha, é extremamente necessária.
A intenção deste e-mail é chegar a 40 milhões de pessoas em todo o mundo.
Una-se a nós. Seja mais um elo desta cadeia comemorativa e ajude a distribuÃ-la por todo o mundo. Por favor, envie este e-mail à s pessoas que conhece e peça-lhes que não interrompam esta cadeia.. "A razão pela qual resgatei as crianças tem origem no meu lar, na minha infância. Fui educada na crença de que uma pessoa necessitada deve ser ajudada com o coração, sem importar a sua religião ou nacionalidade."- Irena Sendler
10 Questions That Create Success!
10 Questions That Create Success
Posted: 25 Jan 2012 04:18 AM PST
By Geoffrey James, Inc., Jan 23, 2012
Think that success means making lots of money? Think again.
Pictures of dead presidents have never made anybody happy. And how can you be successful if you’re not happy? And buying things with that all money isn’t much better. A new car, for instance, might tickle your fancy for a day or two–-but pride of ownership is temporary.
Real success comes from the quality of your relationships and the emotions that you experience each day. That’s where these 10 questions come in.
Ask them at the end of each day and I guarantee that you’ll become more successful. Here they are:
1. Have I made certain that those I love feel loved?
2. Have I done something today that improved the world?
3. Have I conditioned my body to be more strong flexible and resilient?
4. Have I reviewed and honed my plans for the future?
5. Have I acted in private with the same integrity I exhibit in public?
6. Have I avoided unkind words and deeds?
7. Have I accomplished something worthwhile?
8. Have I helped someone less fortunate?
9. Have I collected some wonderful memories?
10. Have I felt grateful for the incredible gift of being alive?
Here’s the thing. The questions you ask yourself on a daily basis determine your focus, and your focus determines your results.
These questions force you to focus on what’s really important. Take heed of them and rest of your life—especially your work—will quickly fall into place.
Dr. Lee Spetner- Not By Chance!
Dr. Werner Gitt-
"There is no known law of nature, no known process, and no known sequence of events which can cause information to originate by itself in matter."
"When its progress along the chain of transmission events is traced backward, every piece of information leads to a mental source, the mind of the sender."
From his book: In The Beginning Was Information
However, even confronted with these facts, hardcore evolutionists will seek out a saving device. In this case, I have heard Richard Dawkins say that mankind was "seeded from aliens." So, therefore, the information must have come from them. There are none so blind as those who refuse to see! Or as the Bible puts it, "They are willingly ignorant!" 2 Peter 3:5 and in 2Thessalonians 2:10-11 says "...Because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie."
"When its progress along the chain of transmission events is traced backward, every piece of information leads to a mental source, the mind of the sender."
From his book: In The Beginning Was Information
However, even confronted with these facts, hardcore evolutionists will seek out a saving device. In this case, I have heard Richard Dawkins say that mankind was "seeded from aliens." So, therefore, the information must have come from them. There are none so blind as those who refuse to see! Or as the Bible puts it, "They are willingly ignorant!" 2 Peter 3:5 and in 2Thessalonians 2:10-11 says "...Because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie."
73-Year Old Woman Scales Mt Everest!
73-year-old woman scaling Everest proves you can age well
By Janice Lloyd, USA TODAY, May 27, 2012
Swimmer Dara Torres, 45, is still sprinting in the pool; she aims to qualify for her sixth Olympics.
Pitcher Jamie Moyer of the Colorado Rockies, 49, is still dominating batters; he recently became the oldest pitcher to win a game in the majors.
Not bad, right? Now add more than 20 years.
Japanese mountaineer Tamae Watanabe, 73, is still climbing; she set a world record May 19 by becoming the oldest woman to scale Mount Everest, the tallest mountain in the world. She broke her own record set when she was 62.
Exercise experts say we should expect to hear more examples like these—exceptionally healthy adults who are transforming our image of aging.
“My guess is that as more people ‘age up’ who have been active their whole lives and are really committed, we will see more interesting things from people in the 60 to 80 age range,” says Michael Joyner, a Mayo Clinic anesthesiologist and a specialist in exercise science in Rochester, Minn.
And maybe, he adds, they will inspire a nation where many lifestyles are defined by being sedentary or sitting in front of a computer.
Few of us will ever come close to their level of success at any age, but what stops so many of us from staying fit and staying in our games as we grow older? Exercise physiologist Barbara Bushman says 24% of adults over age 65 are totally inactive, and fewer than 40% meet the baseline recommendations for exercise.
“The short answer is that most of society is not pushing themselves hard enough, but there is a subgroup that clearly is,” Joyner says.
“What I find interesting about so much of this is that there is a fitness and physical activity/inactivity crisis in the developed world. However, at the same time there is this emerging subgroup or subculture of fit or super fit middle-aged and older people who are redefining things.”
When Janet Evans, 40, started her comeback last summer after taking 15 years off from Olympic-level swimming, Joyner said, “This is the whole new normal emerging.”
Watanabe is still climbing in the foothills of the Himalayas and hasn’t commented on her accomplishments, but Ang Tshering, the sherpa who coached her, shared some insights with the Daily Telegraph.
She lives at the foot of Mount Fuji, Japan’s tallest mountain, he said. She led a team of four on the assault on the northern face of Everest, setting out from their last high-altitude camp (27,225 feet) late at night on May 18 and climbed all night. They reached the 29,035-foot summit the next morning.
“She’s a very strong climber and has always been very active,” Tshering said. “She has always loved the mountains and has been climbing in the Japanese Alps and around the world for many years.”
And Watanabe wants to break the Everest record again in her 80s, he said.
“In all of this, motivation and resilience are the key,” Joyner says.
But in a society where obesity is an epidemic, what kind of extra motivation do we need?
“Regular physical activity can favorably influence a broad range of body systems and thus may be a lifestyle factor that discriminates between those who experience successful aging and those who do not,” says Bushman, a professor in the department of kinesiology at Missouri State University.
Some scientists go so far as to say exercise actually slows aging. A 1990 study comparing masters athletes and sedentary people shows that people who continue to engage in regular vigorous exercise show one-half the rate of decline in maximal aerobic capacity as the sedentary subjects. Recent research even shows aerobic activity is important for healthy cognitive functions. Regular exercise eases the stiffness and pain of arthritis.
Most of us begin to notice physical decline in our mid-30s, but it doesn’t have to be all or nothing, says Bushman. Far from it. Evans, who follows the latest research on training methods, says she has to take better care of herself, including getting more sleep, shedding a few pounds and giving herself more time to recover between workouts compared with when she was younger.
While Evans hasn’t suffered any career-threatening injuries, Torres and Moyer haven’t been as lucky. Moyer missed the 2011 season after having ligament replacement surgery, and Torres has had multiple surgeries, including an innovative procedure after the 2008 Olympics on her left knee to regenerate cartilage. Prior to that she couldn’t walk without a limp and the muscles in her leg were atrophying.
“There have been isolated examples of exceptional athletic feats by people in their 40s and 50s for many years,” says Joyner, who notes that a 38-year-old woman became the oldest woman to win the Olympic marathon in 2008.
When Bushman heard about Watanabe, she laughed and said, “Now that is successful aging.”
And Watanabe is not alone out there on the icy slopes. At the same time she was making her record climb on Mount Everest, a 72-year-old woman was also on the mountain, waiting to make her climb and hoping to become the oldest woman to reach the summit. Watanabe just beat her to it.
“Although not everyone has interest or ability to achieve a feat like climbing Everest, people of all ages can take steps today to develop a complete exercise program,” says Bushman, co-author of the American College of Sports Medicine’s Complete Guide to Fitness and Health.
“No one is too old, or too young, to invest in their future health.”
Quotations on Democracy
Quotations on Democracy- A.F.Tytler-Wikipedia
In his Lectures, Tytler displayed a cynical view of democracy in general and representative democracies such as republics in particular. He believed that "a pure democracy is a chimera," and that "All government is essentially of the nature of a monarchy." In discussing the Athenian democracy, after noting that a great number of the population were actually enslaved, he went on to say, "Nor were the superior classes in the actual enjoyment of a rational liberty and independence. They were perpetually divided into factions, which servilely ranked themselves under the banners of the contending demagogues; and these maintained their influence over their partisans by the most shameful corruption and bribery, of which the means were supplied alone by the plunder of the public money."[4]
Speaking about the measure of freedom enjoyed by the people in a republic or democracy, Tytler wrote, "The people flatter themselves that they have the sovereign power. These are, in fact, words without meaning. It is true they elected governors; but how are these elections brought about? In every instance of election by the mass of a people--through the influence of those governors themselves, and by means the most opposite to a free and disinterested choice, by the basest corruption and bribery. But those governors once selected, where is the boasted freedom of the people? They must submit to their rule and control, with the same abandonment of their natural liberty, the freedom of their will, and the command of their actions, as if they were under the rule of a monarch."[5]
Tytler dismisses the more optimistic vision of democracy by commentators such as Montesquieu as "nothing better than an Utopian theory, a splendid chimera, descriptive of a state of society that never did, and never could exist; a republic not of men, but of angels," for "While man is being instigated by the love of power--a passion visible in an infant, and common to us even with the inferior animals--he will seek personal superiority in preference to every matter of a general concern; or at best, he will employ himself in advancing the public good, as the means of individualdistinction and elevation: he will promote the interest of the state from the selfish but most useful passion of making himself considerable in that establishment which he labors to aggrandize. Such is the true picture of man as a political agent."[6]
That said however, Tytler does admit that there are individual exceptions to the rule, and that he is ready to allow "that this form of government is the best adapted to produce, though not the most frequent, yet the most striking, examples of virtue in individuals," paradoxically because a "democratic government opposes more impediments to disinterested patriotism than any other form. To surmount these, a pitch of virtue is necessary which, in other situations, where the obstacles are less great and numerous, is not called in to exertion. The nature of a republican government gives to every member of the state an equal right to cherish views of ambition, and to aspire to the highest offices of the commonwealth; it gives to every individual of the same title with his fellows to aspire at the government of the whole."[7]
Tytler believed that democratic forms of government such as those of Greece and Rome have a natural evolution from initial virtue toward eventual corruption and decline. In Greece, for example, Tytler argues that "the patriotic spirit and love of ingenious freedom ... became gradually corrupted as the nation advanced in power and splendor." Tytler goes on to generalize: "Patriotism always exists in the greatest degree in rude nations, and in an early period of society. Like all other affections and passions, it operates with the greatest force where it meets with the greatest difficulties ... but in a state of ease and safety, as if wanting its appropriate nourishment, it languishes and decays." ... "It is a law of nature to which no experience has ever furnished an exception, that the rising grander and opulence of a nation must be balanced by the decline of its heroic virtues."[8]
Alexander Fraser Tytler- Famous Quotation
AUTHOR: Alexander Fraser Tytler (1747–1813)
QUOTATION: A democracy cannot exist as a permanent form of government. It can only exist until the voters discover that they can vote themselves largesse from the public treasury. From that moment on, the majority always votes for the candidates promising the most benefits from the public treasury with the result that a democracy always collapses over loose fiscal policy, always followed by a dictatorship. The average age of the world’s greatest civilizations has been 200 years.
ATTRIBUTION: Attributed to ALEXANDER FRASER TYTLER, LORD WOODHOUSELEE. Unverified.
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