There comes a time in our lives, where you must ask yourself whether you are an instrument in positivity or do you just believe in others making a difference while you just pass by! I have been as a child sexually abused, dabbed into the drug scene and even got into physical altercations growing up. The one thing I always had in my heart was (LOVE). Although the challenges of being the most rebellious child my parents had. I still believed that somewhere inside of me felt the deepness of guilt for ever having anger towards anyone or even hitting someone. The true fact is, I have been born into this world with a huge assignment, which is to spread sincere love across the globe. I had never believed in a thousand years would I ever be an author nor an Inspirational Speaker, this I owe thanks to my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I also owe multitudes of thanks to my wife, Crystal Falo who has supported me with my venture of showing all my people that "sincere love" truly exists. Today's society believes in the striving for self-greatness, money and power. But I say, the biggest achievement anyone could have, is the ability to spread sincere love across the world for in these times of our world right now! There is absolutely no help needed in categories of hatred, greed, murder or any type of negativity that we as humans fight constantly on a daily basis. We all co-exist in this world together for such a greater picture of success. The fact remains, you and I are put here to be the better of it all. Being able to show compassion and empathy are the sole keys of success in striving to spreading sincere love. There are many of us who, believe in what they believe in, but there is absolutely nothing wrong with us being individuals, as long as we are able to compromise and allow everyone to have their opinions. There are just way too many people pointing fingers on whom to blame but should actually be the instrument of making that positive affect happen, whereas they do something positive and actually putting it into effect. Many of times it is clearly the mind which has the power to strive in viewing things on a positive aspect! I believe in the sincerity of individuals and that there are many of us who are able to succeed in having the ripple effect of sincere love spread across the globe. We must be able to respect an individual for their differences, there is no need to be frustrated because someone else's view is different from yours. You must allow yourself the ability to have your mind go to a higher place of thinking and strive for making a difference to a degree of satisfying your soul! Majority of the time people follow the lead of others, but they have no idea of the uniqueness that they were actually created for in this world. Being able to show, share and allow sincere love to shine in your life has a major ripple effect. Knowing that we are all taught from home first. There is nothing more essential than loving a child with integrity of showing them that there are great gifts in living by sharing love across the globe. Nothing is more satisfying to anyone's spirit than the true acceptance of knowing that everyone's life truly matters. So, begin at home and teach all our children, that although we must be successful in this world to be able to live comfortably, by all means you can still be a great instrument in everyone's lives for the greater picture. Many famous artists may depict a painting of such beauty, but it is in our power to make the change and have a pallet with an artist brush to paint our world to be a wonderful world to live in. In hindsight, it very well be, "mind over matter" what you do not mind, simply do not matter. The best advice I will leave you with, is to be the best quality of an individual you can possibly be!
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Taste Around the World
I often imagine putting tasty food onto my pallet! I visit in my mind places of such sort, China! Where they take such pride in their cooking! How it is that they make something of plain taste, such as rice and utilize the wok to spin this into a dish of great flavoring of spices. First adding simple ingredients like soy sauce, a bit of red pepper, scrabbled eggs, green onions and oil maybe even butter. To take these ingredients to a wok, cooking with the pleasure of bringing these items to collate with one another to bring out the most elegant taste. The amount of pride in cooking fried rice begins with a simple story to tell and by the end with a meal well prepared in a wok with food put together, brings such a delight when finally placed on your pallet for the taste is not of simplicity at all. The bare creation of making a dish to be eventually tasted all around the world is by far essential. Now the next place which my mind visits is a well-known place in New York known for their pizza. Where they take the dough to knead and toss it up in the air to get the precise size so that the sauce which covers the dough which blankets the pizza as it sits raw.
By Barbara Falo5 years ago in Feast
I Never Chose the Easy Path; I Always Chose Hardship
From the earliest memories I can recall, life presented me with two roads. One was smooth, inviting, and well-trodden—a path that promised comfort, approval, and ease. The other was rough, rocky, and uncertain—a path of struggle, obstacles, and lessons that demanded effort, patience, and resilience. I never chose the smooth road. I never took shortcuts. Not because I was fearless, but because something deep inside refused to let me live a life that wasn’t earned. The easy path whispered promises of fleeting satisfaction, fleeting success, and fleeting recognition. It was tempting. Many around me chose it, and I often wondered if I was foolish for ignoring it. But I learned early that true growth is rarely convenient. The easiest choice often leads to emptiness, to regret, to a quiet knowing that you could have been more than you allowed yourself to be. Hardship became my teacher long before success ever noticed me. The lessons it offered were harsh, uncompromising, and often lonely. There were days when choosing the hard path felt like choosing isolation. While others were celebrated for small accomplishments, supported by friends and family, I walked in silence, with doubt as my companion. Progress was invisible to the world. Failures were frequent and relentless. Many nights, I returned home tired, my heart heavy, my mind questioning why I even bothered. Yet even in that silence, I was being shaped. I was learning the value of persistence, of dedication, and of refusing to give up on myself. The hard path forced honesty. It refused to allow excuses. It stripped away illusions and pretenses. I was left face-to-face with my limits, my fears, and my own humanity. On this path, I discovered strengths I never knew I had: patience I had never cultivated, resilience I had doubted, and self-respect that grew every time I stood up instead of walking away. These were not lessons that could be taught in comfort. They were only learned in struggle, in challenge, and in the quiet persistence of refusing to quit when no one was watching. I remember one time vividly. I had a goal that seemed impossible—one that required me to sacrifice comfort, leisure, and social approval. The easy path was right there: a way to avoid the challenge, to be “okay,” to follow what others had done before me. Many advised me to take it. “It’s safer,” they said. “It’s simpler,” they said. But I could feel, deep inside, that taking the easy way would leave me empty. I chose the hard path. The journey was grueling. Every step felt like pushing against gravity. But with each challenge, I gained more than I ever would have on the easy road. I gained endurance, confidence, and an understanding that real achievement is never handed—it is earned. Strength, I realized, isn’t loud. It doesn’t announce itself. It grows quietly, in the moments no one sees—the early mornings, the long nights, the repeated failures, the times you push forward when giving up would be understandable. Resilience is not simply surviving; it is deliberately choosing to continue, to stand again, to pursue the path that tests you the most. It is knowing that walking away is easier but will never lead to the person you are capable of becoming. I have walked many hard roads in life. Each one was different, yet the lessons were the same: comfort cannot teach endurance, shortcuts cannot teach discipline, and fleeting success cannot teach respect. Every struggle, no matter how small, adds to your character. Every failure is a mirror that shows you who you really are. And every choice to face hardship instead of fleeing builds a foundation that lasts long after temporary victories fade. There were times when I felt truly alone. People around me often misunderstood my choices. Friends, family, colleagues—they all questioned why I refused the easy way, why I worked harder, why I pushed myself beyond what seemed necessary. They didn’t see the growth happening quietly inside me. They didn’t see the small victories, the lessons learned, the resilience being forged. But eventually, the results spoke for themselves—not in a loud announcement, but in the quiet confidence and self-respect that I had built from the inside out. Life, I have learned, rewards those who endure hardship. Not always immediately. Not always visibly. But it rewards those who persist, who face struggle head-on, and who refuse to settle for anything less than becoming their fullest selves. Success that comes without effort is temporary; strength and self-respect are eternal. Hardship tests us, but it also teaches us. It shows us the depth of our own courage, the strength of our will, and the power of refusing to surrender. The lessons of the hard path are subtle, often invisible, and always lasting. I learned that failing is not shameful; failing is a necessary step toward mastery. I learned that enduring pain, even when no one notices, builds a type of strength that comfort never can. I learned that the more difficult the path, the deeper the reward—not measured in wealth or fame, but in character, wisdom, and self-respect. Every choice to embrace struggle instead of avoiding it shaped me. Every sacrifice, every extra hour, every moment of doubt faced instead of ignored, added to the foundation of the person I am today. My life was not easy. It was messy, unpredictable, and often overwhelming. But it was authentic. It was mine. And through hardship, I became resilient. I became someone who can face challenges without fear because I have faced them before. I became someone who respects themselves because I have honored my own effort. I became someone capable of growth because I refused to choose comfort over character. I often reflect on the people around me who chose the easy path. Many of them achieved quick victories, immediate recognition, and temporary peace. But over time, I noticed something important: the victories were shallow, the peace fleeting, and the growth minimal. They lacked the depth of resilience, the quiet power of self-respect, and the profound satisfaction that comes from knowing you endured, you learned, and you became someone stronger. Choosing hardship is not glamorous. It is not celebrated in real-time. It is often lonely, exhausting, and demanding. But it is transformative. It shapes your mind, your heart, and your spirit in ways comfort never can. It teaches discipline, patience, humility, and courage. It makes failure meaningful, effort valuable, and success earned. The hard path is where true people are made—people who understand that life’s challenges are not punishments, but opportunities. Opportunities to become better, stronger, wiser, and more capable. I never chose the easy path. I always chose the harder road, the one that tested me, the one that demanded effort, and the one that required me to face myself honestly. I walked through fear, doubt, exhaustion, and setbacks. I fell, and I got up. I failed, and I tried again. I cried, I questioned, I endured. And through it all, I became someone I could respect, someone who knew the value of persistence, someone who understood that hardship is not the enemy—it is the greatest teacher. Today, I measure success differently. I do not measure it by comfort, convenience, or ease. I measure it by growth, resilience, and the depth of self-respect I have cultivated. I measure it by how I faced challenges I could not ignore, how I embraced struggles that seemed unbearable, and how I refused to take shortcuts at the cost of my own becoming. I never chose the easy path. I chose the one that made me resilient. I chose the one that taught me self-respect. I chose the one that allowed me to become the person I am today. And if I had the choice again, I would choose the hard path every single time. Because the road of struggle is not only a journey—it is the making of a human being.writing...
By Ihtisham Ulhaq2 days ago in Motivation
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