We live happily indeed, not hating those who hate us! Among people who hate us we dwell free from hatred! We live happily indeed, free from ailments among the indisposed! Among men who are unwell we dwell free from ailments! We live happily indeed, free from greed among the greedy! Among people who are greedy, let us dwell free from greed! We live happily indeed, though we call nothing our own! We shall be like the bright gods, feeding on happiness! Victory breeds hatred, for the conquered is unhappy. People, who have given up both victory and defeat, are contented and happy. There is no fire like passion; there is no immoral like hatred; there is no pain like this bodily existence; there is no happiness higher than peace. Hunger is the worst of diseases, bodily demands the greatest foul; if one knows this truly, that is Nirvana (not the band, but a state of happiness and peace) the highest happiness. Health is the greatest of gifts, contentedness the best riches; trust is the best of relationships, Nirvana the highest happiness.

 People who have tasted the sweetness of solitude and tranquility becomes free from fear and sin, while one tastes the sweetness of drinking in the law. The sight of the elect is good, to live with them is always happiness; if people do not see fools, one will be truly happy. One who walks in the company of fools suffers a long way; company with fools, as with an enemy, is always painful; company with the wise is happiness, like meeting with kinsfolk (family). Therefore, one ought to follow the wise, the intelligent, the learned, the much-enduring, the dutiful, the elect; one ought to follow such a good and wise man, as the moon follows the path of the stars. Under Heaven, all can see beauty, as gorgeousness only because there is cruelty. All can know good as good only because there is maliciousness. Therefore, having and not having arisen together. Difficult and tranquility complement each other. Long and short contrast each other; high and low rest upon each other; voice and sound harmonize each other; front and back follow one another. Therefore, the sage (spiritual leader) goes about doing nothing, teaching no-talking.

 Then ten thousand things rise and fall without cease, creating, yet not possessing, working, yet not taking credit. Work is done, then forgotten. Therefore, it lasts forever. Your life may have a limit, but knowledge has none. *If you use what is limited to pursue what has no limit, you will be in danger. If you understand this and still strive for knowledge, you will be in danger for certain! If you do good, stay away from fame. If you do malevolent things, stay away from punishments. Follow the middle; goo by what is constant, and you can stay in once peace, keep yourself alive, look after your parent, and live out your years. How do I know that the dead do not wonder why they ever longed for life? People who dream of drinking wine may weep when the morning comes; people who dreams of weeping may in the morning go off to hunt. While one is dreaming, this person does not know it is a dream, and in this dream an individual may even try to interpret a dream. Only after one wakes does the person awakens does this individual know it was a dream. And someday there will be a great awakening when we know that this is all a great dream. However, the ill-advised believe they are awake, busily and brightly assuming they understand things, calling this person a ruler, that one a leader—how unwise! Confucius and you are both dreaming! And when I say you are dreaming, I am dreaming too. Words like these will be labeled the Supreme Swindle.

Human nature is so well disposed towards those who are in interesting situations, that a young person, who either marries or dies, is sure of being kindly spoken of. As parental modeling continues to grow less absolute and young people become more independent, the peer group gains in importance as a source for modeling behavior, in fact, this is so even when meeting peer group standards, which is likely to cause parental disapproval. If a young man or woman’s concept of self, as dictated by one’s peer group, includes wearing shoulder-length hair, one will risk being rejected by one’s parents to do so. The peer group similarly influences clothing style, musical taste, dating, and other behavior. I appeal to you, people, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be perfectly united in mind and thought. We dress to project a certain image and gain a given response from our peers. If you see yourself as a tough, hard individual, who does not give a damn about anything, you will be likely to wear clothes that project that image. If, on the other hand, you want to some on as a well-groomed, capable, but cool type, you will pick your wardrobe to gain that effect. I tell you the truth; unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of Heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles oneself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of Heaven.

 We even model our speech patterns as an extension of how we want people to see us. Such factors as the size of the words we use, the amount of slang, and profanity in our speech, say a lot about the image we are trying to project. Be careful not to do your acts of righteousness before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in Heaven. As a child becomes an adult, his or her self-concept becomes more complex. He or she begins to recognize that there is a part of one that is distinct and different aspects of one and begins to compare one with others. In the process, oneself concept becomes divided into sub-selves. Your personal self is that part of you that gives you a sense of uniqueness as a person distinct from all others. It is the part of you that exclaims to another human being, “You will never know how I felt…,” the part that really wonders if anyone else experiences life the way you do. It is the part of you that is aware of your sensations, thoughts, and emotions. It is often called the self-image. Take, my brethren, the prophets, who have spoken in the name of the Lord, for an example of suffering affliction, and of patience.

 The personal self usually has both positive and negative aspects. Everyone needs to feel he or she is unique, unusual person without whom the World would not be complete. However, equally, an individual needs to feel that he or she is like others—not so different as to be an outcast. If an individual thinks he or she is too different, that person may develop a sense of alienation or loneliness. One may not be as different as one thinks he or she is. However, if an individual is alienated from others, that person probably has no way of finding that out! If you can get close to another person you trust and share your inner picture of yourself, that is a good way to stop feeling lonely. Suppose I say to myself, “What a weirdo I am! Nobody else feels this way!” Then one day, I find another person who has had exactly the same feelings. I breathe a sigh of relief: “I am not as strange as I thought, or at least there are two of us!” The paradox is that the lonelier I am, the less likely I am to have such as experience. There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all people. 

Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, to another the message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, to another miraculous power, to another distinguished between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and still another interpretation of tongues. All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he gives them to each one, just as he determines. As children, we gradually and sometimes painfully go through the process of learning proper social rituals for interacting with other people. Your social self is a product of your awareness of how to present yourself to other people. A child soon learns that some behavior is more socially acceptable and more effective at meeting one’s needs through others. For example, one learns rapidly the magic of saying please when one wants a piece of cake and thank you when one gets it.  So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. Do not cause anyone to stumble, whether Jews, Greeks or the church of God—even as I try to please everybody in every way. For I am not seeking my own good, but the good of many, so that they may be saved, follow the example of Christ. The social self is the image we present publicly to other people, hoping they will see us as polite, well-bred, thoughtful—and blessed.

One problem is that, in order to project this image, we may sometimes feel compelled to do or say things we do not really feel. This can turn into a sort of game that actually keeps us from communicating with people. Do not let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and purity. Do not neglect your gift. Some people feel that polite or socially acceptable behavior is false, phony, plastic. And indeed, a gap may exist between how an individual feels and how he has to present himself socially. Theoretically, we may realize that everyone has the right to express his real feelings. However, in practice, we probably all feel many things that we are afraid to express because of the possible consequences. One of the major differences between humans and other animals is man’s ability to think about one’s feelings and inhibit one’s own behavior. If you are going through a time of discouragement, there is a time of great personal growth ahead.

Being a real estate agent could be more dangerous than creating an online dating profile, with your address, phone number, photo, and times you will be at home, online because people know you have assets, a car, credit cards and cash, and they could just be coming to the open house to rob you.

As a real estate agent, you market yourself, post your pictures for the public to see and talk about your education, and this could attract stalkers, which is extremely dangerous considering 60 percent of agents are female. In the past decade, about 20 real estate agents that we know of have been killed in the United States of America.

Real estate agents put themselves in danger everyday by meeting new clients, letting these strangers know person details about them, allowing strangers in their car, and holding open houses, but these agents have no formal security training, so they are opening themselves up to strangers.

Entering foreclosed, vacant and small homes may attract unexpected house guest such as homeless or looters. It is recommended that if you are meeting a new client, for the very first time to meet them in the office. Also, tell people where you are going and always inspect their exterior of the property first and be ready for anything.

Elk Grove, California is a prestigious city, located in Sacramento County. It is a beautiful suburb, with many employed families, several schools, churches, and parks, and a sense of community. On 8 January 2015, a man handcuffed a female real estate agent, as she was showing him a home, in this premiere community. It seems that the agent made an appointment with the suspect, and during the interaction, the suspect produced a handgun, threatened the real estate agent, then handcuffed her, before letting her go.

According to the police, no crime like this has ever happened in that suburb of Elk Grove before. However, in Little Rock, Arkansas, Beverly Carter was kidnapped while showing a home. Tragically, her body was founded in a shallow grave four days later. A husband and his wife was arrested, accused of kidnapping her for random and then murder.  Other real estate agents have shared their stories about being hit over the head, as blood pooled on the floor, and some have been sexually assaulted.   There are no devils, but those which are begotten upon selfishness and reared by cunning.

As I was in a morning meeting, I witnessed two of the boys talking and the subject matter of their conversation really caught my attention. Ryan and Dale walked into my office and sat down. Ryan asks Dale, “Where is your father?” “My father is on vacation, Ryan.” “But Dale, he has been going a long time and I do not feel like he is coming back, I’m going to ask your mother.” So Ryan leaves the office, and goes next door. The walls are so thin, we could hear them talking. Ryan asked Dale’s mother, “Where is Dale’s dad?” Dale’s mother replied, “He is in heaven.” All the sentiments of Worldly grandeur vanish at that unavoidable moment which decides the destiny of men.  Bereavement (the loss of a friend or relative to death) can make a person feel vulnerable or worthless. It typically changes one’s views of the World and the future. Understandably, when you lose someone you love, there is a lot to work through emotionally. After I heard the conversation, I took it upon myself to interview Dale and his mother, Shannon.  The interview follows. It was a warm, joyful, day. Dale was at a birthday party, when his mother Shannon got a phone call that her husband was deadly ill and, in the hospital, and had days to live. This floored Shannon because she and her husband had not been separated that long, and they were best friends.

So she quickly grabbed Dale, they left the party and went to the hospital. When they got there, Shannon’s husband, Dale senior, was in a hospital bed, could barely speak and his female “caretaker” was there, looking extremely upset. Something was wrong, the vibe in the room was off. The doctor then comes in and lets them know that Dale’s father had maybe three days to live and that if they wanted to take him home, they could, so he could die in peace, and not in a cold government institution. Shannon was already in a new relationship, and she knew Dale wanted to take his father back to their house, but both of them also know this would make Shannon’s new man friend uncomfortable because it was a house they bought together. So they caretaker knew this and had Dale shipped off to her house.  Dale Jr. was upset and confused and worried about his father and his future, “Why did no one tell me my dad was dying, I could have spent more time with him and made sure everything was taken care of, but like a jerk, I was studying for finals?!” So Dale’s father went to the caretaker’s house, her name was Sue. Sue had Dale Sr’s hospital bed placed in the family room, and no one, but her friends and family and Dale was there. Dale’s father slipped him a note and said make sure you ask them about my CD (certificate of deposit), and let his son know that he would still financially support him with the benefits from a life insurance policy.

A few hours went by and Dale’s father could not talk and was having problems breathing. Sue’s husband came down stairs and yelled at Dale, “He (your father) is scaring the kids. And, I am your new daddy and sue is your new mother and you are not getting any money.” Then Dale turned his back, and his father started grasping for air and then suddenly died. Sue’s cousin came into the room and said, “Look, someone pulled the breathing tube out, tell them you know.” Dale went over to Sue and asked her what happened, Sue balled up her fist and got hostile and said, “My husband has money!” Then the corner came, and Dale cried as they put his father in a body bag and wheeled him out of the house. Sue’s brother replied, “Something wrong with that boy, why he cryin’ for no reason?” Little did Dale and Shannon know; their universe would be irrevocably changed. The Death or her husband and his father was like tsunami rushing in and ripping their lives apart. Dale’s father had survived the Vietnam war, agent orange and Hodgkin’s  Disease (which he was told would kill him 3-5 years after the war, and that he would never be able to have kids). Dale’s father was cut open from his throat, down his chest and to his sternum to remove the cancer, and it was successful, but he always had limitations because of the damage done to his body, but Dale Sr. never let his kids know that and kept working to support them.

So anyway, back to the death of Dale’s father. Sue would not let Dale’s son have any part of the funeral, and she even put pictures of her family in the obituary, but not Dale or his biological children. Not only that, but Sue took all the money, did not give his kids any, and added on to her house. To make matters worse, Sue even called the auto insurance company and reported that Dale was using his dead father’s policy, so the insurance company contacted him and let him know that he needed to get his own policy; no big deal. However, the father was handling the boy’s financial business, he was just supposed to go to college and get a good job. You see, because of his father’s service in the war, and the cancer, Dale was born with a birth defect, and after the doctor’s operated on him, they damaged his nerves, so the father knew his son would need a desk job, which paid well, so he could work and take care of himself, without depending on anyone. However, after his father passed, at the young age of 56, Dale’s life fell apart. He had to drop out of school and his medical conditions, because of mistakes made by some doctor’s got even worse. To top matter off, Dale has been slandered and harassed by several reporters, who have spread vicious lies about him, so even if he could find a job, which he could do, it is likely that he would not be hired because of the reputation he has.

So now Dale is stuck living somewhere would people physically attack him and make fun of him because he has a medical condition, which limits his physical activity. To make matter worse, they keep threatening to cut off his financial support, leaving him homeless, and no one is doing anything to stop these beasts from attacking the young man. The community is well aware what is going on, but authority figures pretend to have no clue as to what is happening. So this young man is stuck praying that his life gets better, he recovers and that he does not end up homeless. Dale has no one to turn to for anything and is doing the best he can. The reporters, who slandered the young man, their employers know, but will not to anything to resolve the matter, they just keep letting their employees act crazy and pretend not to know what is happening. Dale’s neighbors all talk about him and make life hard on him. Dale has not told anyone, but the community members are aware what happened to him, who did it and how he is treated, and they are all tired of it. People are very protective and supportive of Dale, but clearly, he needs to be compensated for the things these reporters and others did to him to make his medical condition worse. The devil used to say that it was better to reign in Hell, than to be a valet de chamber in Heaven. For this young man, life is a lot like being stuck in an abusive relationship with nowhere to go and no one to turn to for help. All he can do is pray and hope that God will save him before he ends up on the streets or dead.

There is no human institution, however wise and salutary in its natural effects, which the depravity of man cannot pervert to the most pernicious purposes.  Everyone is just happy that Dale has a supportive and loving mother, after what he has been through, he is lucky to be alive, and if not for her, Dale probably would not be with us today. Dale recalls his father being like, “Superman. He was always strong, loving, kind, caring and hard working. He was gentle, but intense. Always looked for the benefits in life and loved his children more than anything in the World, especially considering they were never supposed to be born and he was not supposed to live long enough to even meet them, let alone raise them. So be thankful for your parents and for your job. Some people are unemployable. He has some physical limitations that got worse.  It is rare, but people sometimes burn others, ruin their reputation so no one will want to deal with them or help them. However, remember, to deny a man the preferment which he merits, and to give it to another man who doth not, is a manifest act of injustice, and is consequently inconsistent with both honor and honesty. So here is the back story on the young man all these reporters are teasing, and it is even more complex than I can let you know. However, these reporters see nothing wrong with teasing a private citizen and airing and distorting his business. It is like the reporters are mentally disabled and lack common sense, and for some reason, their corporations keep acting like they are clueless. Maybe there will be a happy ending, maybe Dale’s father is truly on vacation and will come back to save his son?