1 Thing You Can Do This Week (To Begin the New Year Right)

 

UNTANGLE

You must be honest with yourself and realize that you’ve taken this whole year to tangle yourself up in relationships, causes, theologies, politics and negativity that has every intention of bumbling its way into the month of January.

We do not engage. We tangle. And the reason we tangle is that we lack the confidence to believe we have the ability to do things with our own talent, and we cautiously collaborate with those who have less ability and we end up achieving only as much as they are able to accomplish.

• We become sentimental when we actually need to be revolutionary.
• We become revolutionary when what is required is wisdom.
• And we try to act wise and often end up with arrogance.

Untangle:

1. Your relationships

Get a piece of paper and write down the names of your friends. Then consider the number of times they were friendly to you as opposed to the number of times you were friendly to them. Don’t offend them but adjust your contact with them based upon this ratio.

If you were friendly five times and they were friendly three, then include them in your life accordingly. Your time is valuable. You don’t want to hurt anyone, but you don’t help anyone by letting them hurt you.

2. Your goals.

Are they realistic? Have you ever achieved them? Has there ever been a hint that progress has been made? Don’t be stubborn. If you made no progress on your goals this year, then the problem is probably your goals, not your progress.

3. Your clothes.

Go in your closet and inventory your wardrobe. If you have garments you haven’t worn for six months which aren’t seasonal, take them down and find homes for them. There are people out there who will rejoice over your rejects.

And finally,

4. Untangle yourself from your failures.

If you have found the root cause of what precipitated your defeats and you’ve made adjustments, then don’t nervously wonder if the same things will happen again. They can’t because you’ve changed the playing field.

Untangle.

Because situations in our lives which are not useful or helpful will eventually wrap around our throats and strangle our life force.

 

The producers of jonathots would humbly request a yearly donation for this inspirational opportunity

 

Iz and Pal (Bedouin Buddies)

In a basket full of oranges, it is often the singular, lonely apple which gains attention.

This is an endearing characteristic of the human race—we are intrigued by difference while simultaneously frightened of the diversity.

So in our day and age, in the midst of clamoring for resolutions, often based on military might, a breath of fresh air comes into the atmosphere of pending war in a region ironically referred to as “The Holy Land.”

Amir and Jubal, two boys who grew up in different camps of a raging, never-ending conflict—one Arab, one Jew—find one another. They rename themselves “Iz” and “Pal” and strike out to change the world around them by creating a love between them. They determine to maintain their friendship amidst the granite-headed thinking of a stubborn society.

“Iz and Pal” chronicles the journey they take, the friends they encounter along the way, the surprising enemies—with a stunning resolution which will keep you riveted to the pages of this odyssey in exploring the value of peace.

Starting next week, I will share sittings from this novella with you, and hope that, in its simple way, it can transcend the pessimism of fruitless negotiations and invite an essential revelation:

After all, no war is ever finished until the children say “No more.”

 

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Cracked 5 … December 29th, 2018

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Worst New Year’s Resolutions

 

A. Switch to wearing your sleeves on your feelings

B. Have entire family join a nudist colony

C. Give away charcoal drawings of Mohammed while visiting Mecca

D. Just for comedy, have penis reduction surgery

E. Increase the body count on your killing spree

 

 

art by smarrttie panntts

The producers of jonathots would humbly request a yearly subscription donation for this inspirational opportunity 

 

Sit Down Comedy … December 28th, 2018

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This is not a present.

This is a box which has been carefully wrapped in gorgeous paper, surrounded with an immaculate bow.

We have no idea what’s inside.

We are led to believe that because it was wrapped so fastidiously that the contents are valuable.

But we don’t know. We can’t even guess. It could be a box of dog poop. It could hold nothing at all–or worse, it could be a juicer.

We have grown accustomed to calling things that are wrapped tightly and made to look attractive…

Well, we call them presents. Or gifts.

They are not. They are actually worthless until we tear them apart and find out what’s inside.

This, pictured below, is a real present:

As you can see, the paper is not impressive. The wrapping job is passable. But inside is value. Obvious value.

It might not even have been the first present you opened on Christmas morning, figuring because it was so bland or ugly, that it came from a long-lost aunt who picked it up at a convenience store on Christmas Eve to cover her butt.

So while you’re opening all the pretty presents bound up with bows, this one sits in the corner–containing the greatest quality.

Our society wraps us up, having no idea of the value of the people we meet.

We judge on appearance.

We evaluate on how concisely people have put their lives together.

We look at the things that surround them to determine their value.

We are often wrong. I will go so far as to say that more often than not we are wrong.

Then…

Every once in a while, we find that plainly wrapped gift, bound with twine. When we break our prejudice and decide to open it, we are astounded at the content.

So, I am no longer participating in the fashion show of human boxes we are required to climb into in order to be acceptable for a society that doesn’t know what the hell it’s doing.

I will do you a favor. I will not hide my soul. I will not disguise my talents. And also, I will not flaunt my humility.

But I will come… unwrapped.

 

The producers of jonathots would humbly request a yearly subscription donation of $10 for this inspirational opportunity

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3 Things … December 27th, 2018

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That Will Make You a Better Parent

1. Have your own vigorous, exciting life, separate from your children.

2. Invite your children to be part of that vigorous life and include them in activities that enhance it.

3. Don’t let them control the household or your life by their attitudes.

The producers of jonathots would humbly request a yearly donation for this inspirational opportunity

Drawing Attention … December 26th, 2018

 Jonathots Daily Blog

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One Last Splash

(tap the picture to see the video)

art by smarrttie panntts

The producers of jonathots would humbly request a yearly subscription donation for this inspirational opportunity

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1 Thing You Can Do This Week To Be a Better Person

BE SANTA

The world is cold.

Bring warm good cheer.

Icy reactions everywhere.

Start the North Pole toy shop.

Elf gratification.

Humbly produce excellence.

Selfishness.

Bring presents

Angry mobs.

Focus on children.

Childishness.

Live childlike.

Despaired.

Make every day Christmas

Lying.

Know who is naughty and nice.

 

The producers of jonathots would humbly request a yearly donation for this inspirational opportunity

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Click the elephant to see what he’s reading!