This Is America Cover Art

Avoiding Hubris

Thinking you can avoid hubris
is in itself a form of hubris

Pride that is harmful
not the OK kind of pride

It is OK to be proud of achievement
as long as you keep your proper perspective

But achievement and position and skill
and winning and even luck
almost always go to the head

which is HUBRIS

and which leads to other bad consequences
like thinking you are invulnerable

so it is good to bleed once in a while
so you remember that you are mortal

Mister Bix

Introducing Mister Bix

he has been around for a while and now he is stepping up to the plate

Songwriter
Singer
Composer
Piano player
Arranger

His new song is about to be released
It will be available online at CDBaby, Itunes and many other online music distributors.

"THIS IS AMERICA"

Written and sung by Mister Bix (Joe Oliva)
Produced by Terry Wollman
Drums, Herman Matthews
Bass, JV Collier

"This Is America"

A patriotic song with a twist about a husband and wife
enjoying themselves at the beach, the mall, and at their home.

When you hear it you just can't help but smile!

Maura Leon "Meet every challenge with gratitude"

"Do you know who you really are?"
Last year I had the privilege of attending a going away party for Kebmo at his home in West Los Angeles. I talked with a lot of beautiful people that day.
I met Maura Leon and Keith Leon. She made interesting claims about intuition and life coaching.
I asked her what to do about all the people I know suffering illness. She said to meet every challenge with gratitude. It is all teaching from the cosmos.
That was some of the best advice I have ever gotten!

Meet every challenge with gratitude.
It is all teaching from the cosmos.

So on reflection I think that maybe acceptance is not enough. Acceptance does not go far enough. Whatever happens I can go beyond just acceptance and go all the way to gratitude.

I am absolutely grateful for absolutely everything.

I absolutely accept absolutely everything

why shouldn't I?

can I fight the cosmos?

would anything be here without God's permission?

If I don't accept then am I not refusing God?
refusing God's creation?

God is the only power
there is no other power

God's creation
I accept it all

right now
and eternally

Why Do We Have Enemies?

Does everyone have enemies?

Why us?
Why now?

This is the unasked question.
On the news I hardly hear anyone asking why anyone would want to attack us.
It is assumed the enemy is crazy or evil or both. I don't believe it!
They are men and women just like us. With dreams, with family, with needs and wants.

Are there countries that do not have enemies?

Does being a country automatically create enemies?

Is it possible to live a normal life without creating enemies?

There is always the GOLDEN RULE
treat others the way you would like to be treated

so if you are nice and patient and loving are you going to have a lot of enemies?

I am afraid to state my conclusion. Because the impatient ambitious selfish ones
may take offense.

My conclusion is that we are creating enemies with our behavior. We need to work on our behavior. People don't hate us because we are smart or rich or good looking.
They hate us because we a rude and selfish and cruel and unjust.

We can fix these things.
We can stop fighting and attacking.
We can make peace by becoming good guys. Really good guys.
Not the kind of good guys we have been.
Really good guys.
Really kind
Really patient
Really fair.

I am going to start working on this yesterday!

FREEDOM

My freedom

does not

depend

upon

anyone else's

bondage

we can all be free together