What we are is God's Gift to us; What we become is our Gift to God. - Eleanor Powell

We are Divine, Unconditional Love, Light, Freedom, Happiness, Beauty, Joy, Abundance, Full of LIfe, Full of Unlimited Potential...this is what we are born with, our birth right, God's Gift to us.   Go spend quality time with any new born, infant, baby, or child and you will see this and know this Truth for yourself.  I have so I know personally.

However, as we grow up, gain experiences, learn, developed skills, gain knowledge we start to become more than just potential, we become who we ultimately choose to be.  This person, man, woman, character we grow up to be is our Gift to God because it is what you made of the LIfe force you were giving that you turned into what you have become today.  

Don't worry God doesn't judge, so I've heard, and is happy with whatever you have become no matter what, at least in the end.  Because in the end, it doesn't matter what you have become it only matters that you have lived your life fully and have made something of yourself, of the Gift of Life you were given.  This is perhaps the perspective of God, our Creator.

Now let me give you my perspective, it's a little more judgemental and opinionated.  I believe also that we were given an amazingly, great, awesome, miraculous gift of Life in all its Potential, Love, Light, Blessings to start, so why settle for anything less in our lives.  Why not, BECOME a GREATER, more Loving, Light Filled, Happy, Beautiful, Joyous, Rich, Free, Secure and Full of Life Person with this Unlimited Potential we were initially given to us? Why settle for anything less?  Why not give back what we have received to show God, yourself and everyone else how GREAT your Life can and will BECOME.

I mean, yes, whoever you are and choose to become is fine in the end, but really? It's like if you were given a billion dollar as seed capital to start a business what would you do with it?  Wouldn't you go alot further and become alot more than if you thought you only received say a thousand dollar to start?  Well that's like how you started in life, with at least a billion dollars worth of potential/seed capital to go and live out your LIFE.

Now if this was the case, ask yourself, how have you spent that Life?  But don't be sad if you haven't lived up to your potential.   The great news is you still have that potential there, perhaps buried away deep in your soul.  But it's there nevertheless and is waiting for you to take it out and spend every bit of it in a way to BECOME anything you want and choose to BE.  So don't doubt, hesitate and delay any longer, get out there and become your Ultimate Gift to God today!

In Love, Light, & Luxury,

James Pham
EnlighTea Cafe : )

"People are Lonely because they Build WALLS... instead of B R I D G E S" ~Joseph F. Newton

We all have walls we build for ourselves called our identity, ego, self image, reputation, persona etc...but those walls become prison walls trapping the real YOU inside if you do not build bridges to let yourself out, and more importantly, let others in...

So many of my family and friends live lives of pain, and suffering, tolerating their lives and enduring the pain every day because they spend all their time building up that wall and not sparing anytime or neglecting time to build what is equally if not more important, their bridges.

What builds our bridges is the love we share with those around us, the love we receive, the love in our hearts and in our actions towards others continuously and unconditionally.  It is the love we feel towards our children, family, friends, communities, and the world we live in.  Every time we love someone, we build and strengthen the bridge from our wall to theirs.  The more we build our bridge and send out our love unconditionally, the more those bridges will strengthen, and the more the love will come back.

Connecting deeply with others, being a friend, caring for a child, living and loving your life daily, are all ways we build the bridge that will set us free, free from the walls that keep us inside, trapped, feeling all the unnecessary pain, that by loving and feeling the love, takes away.

So if you're feeling lonely, stop focusing on your Wall, your self, your problems, your pains, your mistakes, and simply put, You.  Focus on building your bridge by loving and accepting yourself, then your children, your family, friends, all the people in your life, your partners, your neighbors, and your world daily, and keep in mind that the greater your wall, the greater your bridge will need to be.

So start today by taking the time to send out some love, even if it's just a word, nice thought, friendly gesture, a positive quote, feedback, or comment, on Facebook, via email, twitter, phone, in person, in every form, in every way, and ideally in everything you say and do.  Because in love as in life, every thing counts, and is never a waste of time.

So let me start by saying I love you my family, my friends, supporters, and readers, not because you are reading my blog, but I love you because you are my bridge, without you my life would be lonely, and would cease to exist.  Thank you deeply with all my heart for being in my life, circle, world, today, tomorrow, and hopefully, always...

In Love, Light, and Luxury,

James Pham
EnlighTea Cafe Publish Post

‎"You are What you Choose Today, NOT What You've Chosen Before!" ~Wayne Dyer

This is a great quote in theory but in reality, so few of us can truly master this.  Why? Because we allow our past to ruin our lives, our futures, our ability to choose today who we can and do become tomorrow.  I've touched on this topic in previous blogs but for me this is the corner stone and foundation to what we believe is the the American Dream.  To BECOME whoever we set out to BE based on our freedom to choose in this country is what sets us apart from probably most of the world.  Although, all individuals have that right whether or not the country/government allows them to or not! : )

We are such creatures of habit relying on our past to dictate our future, and although who you are today is based on who you were before.  Who you are tomorrow is based on who you choose to be today. Does that make sense!? Of course it does, but it's just so much easier for most people to do the same old thing, be the same old person, and choose the same old things as before, when clearly they want and need to change!  Not change themselves into someone they don't want to be, but the change that needs and must take place to truly BE who we choose, want, and need to be for ourselves and the world around us.

For example, let's say before you had kids, you were a young, carefree, always about me personality, who never liked children, in fact didn't even know why people had them...and I'm not talking about myself, although I do know someone close to me who was that way... : )  Then you had kids, well, sorry, but that type of person is not going to work with kids, and you know it. So everyday when you wake up and the kids are still in your life, you have to make that conscious choice every day to be a better, happier, more fun, loving, caring, selfless, and not just about you, personality you've chosen over and over again in the past.  Otherwise, you suffer, your kids suffer, your family, friends, and everyone and everything around you does as well... ; )

You're life as you know it will not work with your new life today.  Oh yes, you can cling on to your dear old life, but let me tell you, the sooner you let go and let God, oops I mean, you change your life based on your new choice, the better everyone will be and of course, the result will be a happier, more free, and everything you wanted, need to, and will be YOU.  Remember choosing who you are today, doesn't mean choosing someone that you don't want to be, but it's choosing to BE a better, more improved, happier, hopefully more loving, caring, supportive, fun, rich, free, secure, and everything else you decide to choose to be today for you tomorrow!!! That's all.

In Love, Light, & Luxury,

James Pham
EnlighTea Cafe : )

Happiness is a conscious choice, not an automatic response. ~ Mildred Barthel

So are you happy? But the real question is do you truly desire, want and more importantly, choose to be happy? Most people don't.  They think that if they automatically respond to others in a happy way they are happy; and although a little bit of happiness does come from this, long term long lasting happiness always comes from making a conscious choice every single day or at least, constantly and consistently in our lives...this is the only security to being and having a truly happy life.

The other way always depends and changes like the tide upon current circumstances, other people, places and things, always outside of ourselves, out of our control. Consciously choosing to be happy puts all the control, power, and creation back into our own hands and allows us to BE it always through the ups and downs, good times and bad times, till death do you part. Sounds like marriage right? Well, exactly, marriage is the same way, a conscious choice and commitment to being together ideally to the end as well. So what's the point, I guess the point is stop relying on others for your happiness, and start relying on yourself to get it, have it, choose it for you, today, tomorrow, always, then watch and see how much more greater your life turns out to be!

I'm recommitting and consciously choosing to BE HAPPY right now for me. How about you, what do you choose? If you're serious, leave me a comment of your personal declaration to consciously choose to be happy today!  Oh, and BTW, our choice to be personally happy will not only benefit you, but everyone else in your life as well. But don't worry about everybody else right now, worry about you and make it your conscious choice to be happy today!

In Love, Light, and Luxury,

James Pham : )

‎"You cannot undo what you did in the past, but who said you cannot start building a new future?" ~ Unknown

Seriously, this has to be one of the most powerful thought and idea I've heard in so long, if only we can all live by it.  We as individuals, community, nation would be so much better off if we stop regretting, living in, and worried about what happened in the past, that we lose sight and precious time in actually creating, working and building a new future for ourselves and those we love in our lives.  Yes it's important to take time to reflect and learn from our past experiences whether good or bad, but to allow it to stop or be afraid of living our lives, going after our dreams and building a new future is just no good.

No matter where we are, what we did in the past, and the consequences that follows because of our past actions, it doesn't matter.  We can start today, right now to begin choosing, thinking, being and building the person, the family, business, life we want to fully realize and have in the future, today!!  It's never too late to work right now on ourselves and our future, if we are alive, can breathe and have a will, then we can always take that next step no matter what our current circumstances, reality, or where we want to be.  That's our gift, the gift of Life, the gift of Creation, the gift from God to us forever to choose and have.

But what about people who's done really bad things or experience alot of bad things, like huge failures, losses, sins, crimes, etc... you might ask?  Well, nothing, they have the same choices like us...to choose each day today what to do to create and build the life they choose.  What if they are in prison serving their time or stuck in a property they can't sell due to the bad real estate market? How can they start building a new future, right? 

Well, yeah, they had it tough in the past and probably in the present, but we're talking about the future, and the future is created by those who do whatever it takes today, whether it be changing their attitudes, mindset, thought, word, and deeds to be in alignment with who they wish to be and where they want to go in the future.  This is their choice as well as ours.  Doesn't mean they are going to be free from their past karma/consequences, i.e. free from jail or their responsibilities as the property owner.  But they are free to work on their minds, consciousness, reality within themselves until they eventually manifest that reality on the outside eventually with patience and perserverance (see my previous blog for details on this)!

Okay, enough, I think you get the point and hopefully believe that ‎"You cannot undo what you did in the past, but who said you cannot start building a new future", right? ; )

In Love, Light, & Luxury,

James Pham : )

Patience and perseverance have a magical effect before which difficulties disappear and obstacles vanish. ~ John Quincy Adams

This might be a tough one for some of us to swallow or believe.  Since most people believe if they want something, success, rewards, dreams, and fulfillment they don't have to wait or can't have it without going through so much difficulties, challenges, and pain to get it!

 Yes, on one level we do need to experience and BE present to whatever it is we want to have and there are what appears, mostly by others, to be tons of challenges, difficulties and obstacles that you may have to go through in order to get it, achieve it...However, there is another way of looking at it, another way of being, knowing...that is also truth and the secret to your long term, lifetime success in everything you do and choose to be.

It's called the way of patience and perseverance that when truly embraced does and will conquer and smooth all the rough spots and obstacles that everyone else who does not have that skill will fail, be discouraged, and will give up before seeing their results, fruit, and the full realization of their goals, dreams, plans and vision!!  This is intense right, but think about it, how many people just give up on their dreams before it was a success?  According to the latest or at least most common study, 9 out of 10 businesses fail within 3 years, and why, for whatever good reasons, and they are all good reasons, they gave up, threw in the towel and called it quits.  Bottom-line, they didn't have the patience and perseverance to stay in the game and chose to allow all the difficulties, challenges, obstacles to stop them from being the success they could  of, would of, should of been whether consciously or not!

 Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying it's easy running a business, going after your dreams,  while paying the bills, supporting a family etc...It's really tough, especially if you only focus on the short term or what's in front of you and not the long term, BIG picture, Lifetime journey/Plan.  Not the day by day to barely getting by plan, I'm taking about the BIG Plan, the ones that dreams are made of and the ones that no matter what happens to you in life, like if you die, you would be okay with it because at least you died going after your dreams, goals, plans and can feel completely at peace knowing that you did whatever you could to go after it based on who YOU truly ARE and CHOOSE TO BE!  Wow, that was a mouth full, right?

It's getting kinda late for me, I had 4 cups of premium high grade Dragon Well loose leaf green tea, the good and strong stuff, so hopefully I'm still making sense...Anyways, try to follow me again here. : )  So most people fail because they give up, get tired, fed up, or can't handle it any longer.  Basically, their attitude is one of despair, hopelessness, sadness, depression, etc...let's just call it all really BAD feelings shall we.

So the people who do succeed, well chances are they are the opposite, positive, feel good, focused, hopeful, faithful, believe, and not at the point ever where they give up unless it's for God, Universe truly leading them of course(but we'll get to that at another blog topic ; )  The people who fail and give up, don't believe they have anyone else they can lean on or can rely on that can help them get them through it all, and ultimately get into feeling so bad and hopeless about their situation that they have no other option but to quit, give up, and maybe start something new.  This maybe a good thing for them and maybe what they need to do, but not for the person that wants to succeed and see their seeds sown, their goals, dreams, plans and vision that have been planted for probably a long time, mature, rip, and bear fruit!

Okay, so what does it take again?  Patience and preserving which is being in a state of peace, calm, hopefulness, faith; having an attitude of gratitude,  and thus, the magical effect before which difficulties disappear and obstacles vanishes, is because you choose to keep you attitude in check, maintain that positive, hopeful, faithful outlook always, and be in that good feeling place that no matter what happens you remain there and are unaffected by the waves that are sure to come crashing, washing all other non believers and unrealized, and unfulfilled people away.

Thank you all for reading and entertaining my thoughts on this quote...

In Love, Light, & Luxury,

James Pham : )

Quit being sad. Hear blessings dropping their blossoms around you. ~Rumi :)

I LOVE this quote cause it really helps remind me that we are all surrounded by blessings, good deeds, opportunities and abundance being planted all around us waiting to blossom, unfold, discovered and recognized by you!

Many times I get sad thinking about all the problems either I have or more importantly all the problems my family, friends, businesses and world have around me.  It's natural and very compassionate thing to do, but if I get caught up in it and let it effect my mood, attitude and way of being then I'm screwed.  Another words, getting sad over the problems doesn't really make me happy, feeling good or be all the things I want or have to be for myself and others.  

It's okay to sympathize and feel compassionate for others and what's happening around us, but it's better to look around, see, hear and experience all the goodness in our lives, our children, family, friends, health, home, work, businesses. Even better to experience the everyday things in our lives, like sunsets, long walks, smiles, laughter, joy, facebooking ;-), the little things that add up to be great things....You know what I mean, count your blessings, look around, and you will see what I'm talking about.

It's easy to get caught up in our problems, issues, frustrations, seriousness, making a living, making a life, and losing our perspective.  But take time everyday to give thanks and look around you right now at your life and make a choice to see and hear all the good, gifts, and blessings dropping their blossoms around you, and watch how your life goes from sad to happiness, problems to opportunities, mundane to  amazing, fortunate and down right GREAT in no time at all!!

Thank you my family, friends and supporters for listening and thank you so much for being a part of my everyday blessings as well...

In Love, Light, & Luxury,

James Pham : )