 Have you ever felt determined to the point where nothing will stop you from getting what you absolutely have made up your mind to get? As in the picture above, all martial artists start with a white belt and work their way up into mastery depending on how determined you are to go. Where does determination come from? Why are some things much more important for us to accomplish than other things. This can also have a negative twist in that some people are more determined to continue doing things that are harmful to themselves and to others. But why?
The answer lies in what we choose to or maybe not even know we have the power to choose to focus on. The way we focus on something is the way we think about things. Sounds simple because it is. We tend to function each and every day out of the things we value and care about. If you have been taught to care about your life, then it will show in how you choose to make choices that get you a lifestyle that looks like you care, but if you were taught that life isn't worth it and that it's out to get you, well it's going to show up in mighty negative ways! The key word is taught! The very good news is that we can choose how we are going to define the things that we have been through and the way we look at the things that are making us do or not do the things we truly choose to do. Now that is power! Yes- this blog only has power if we choose to accept the message it is trying to convey to you. Accepting something is a choice and the only one that can choose is you! Re-changing the way you look at things takes effort and determination! It takes roughly about 30 or so days to form a new habit, but it can only take a second to change and choose a different thought. That is the power of the mind! Your mind and everyone who chooses to recognize this power is blessed with the capacity to feel like creators of their own life and not be a victim that feels limited and hopeless. We must tap into this wonderful and great power given to us for free as a result of being a spiritual being of this universe. The great thing about today's technological advances is that we have many ways of discovering and learning about our capabilities like no other time before. Again, it is all going to depend on how determined you are and how you will choose to accept responsibility for your own universal power! Stay determined- it's super worth it!!! With Love, Joe
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 The most beautiful things about life are usually the ones that are free and the only cost is the investment that you make in yourself. It's been an honor and delightful pleasure to see my gorgeous wife Enrich her mind with incredible confidence and self worth to the point of wanting to experience and enjoy a simple walk and encouraging others to do the same. She feels incredibly blessed that she has taken control of her choice of how to be the captain of her own mind and soul!You too too can enjoy the vitality, love and rich experiences that you can choose to create by doing a few simple things.
You see, my wife started walking and wanting to improve her life just to combat feeling claustrophobic in our apartment as we transitioned from Texas back to California. It was a tough time, wondering if I would be employed before we fell into deeper financial hardships, wanting to be here for family, and thinking about retirement as well! As soon as we started walking, something incredible happened- she started feeling the fresh air and focusing on the things she was grateful for instead of the tough challenges that lay ahead. I insisted that things were going to be okay and that we must continue to trust our creative force and have faith. Believe in what you want, be open to receive it and then wait with open arms and gratitude. Not too long after, things started falling into place and we started feeling healthier and much more grateful for the opportunity to live in such a way that we felt we created our own reality.  I wanted to ask you all if it's just as hard for you to stay Jedi focused on your goals as it is with mine from time to time? I've often wondered what distracted me the most and it usually left me feeling like a failure not wanting to make any other goals because of fear of not following through with them again and again!
I have broken the pattern of getting super distracted by following some simple strategies, although it was not as easy as it sounds! I had to simply take a simpler approach - or convince my mind, cause that's where the power lies, that I was going to maintain focus and accomplish this goal. What I realized was that I wasn't very specific about what I wanted and what it meant to me to have it. Well, I had to convince my mind that I was in fact very worthy of anything I wanted to accomplish! In order for my mind to accept this new belief, I had to reprogram my mind by listening to daily affirmations about worthiness and being good enough to have and create something good in my life! I listened to affirmations before bed and when I woke up in the morning! I actually still practice this. I love knowing that I am the one creating my reality and that it is not just happening by accident. The real battle is with you and the inner talk that you have with yourself about yourself. Once you learn to accept that you have this amazing power, the power to create magic with your mind, you will continue to feel alive and empowered! Have a Dream Believe in your Dream know that you deserve it speak it write it down accept it with Love, Joe  That is my mom and my dad! A tribute to them from the heart!
Thank you Lady! It wasn't too long ago that a close relative of mine reminded me of how horrible my father was as a parent. She wanted a reaction from me and all I said was, "I forgave him and thanked him for giving me my life". Followed by her saying, "How could you, he did this and that to you, your brothers and yiur!" I wasn't surprised that she would react like that because most people who know my background do also. So I allowed her to vent and showed her that I was focused more about how I moved forward in Love! I had no control over the past and I knew hate would only devour me and leave me in victim hood. I made a promise to my mother - God rest her soul, that I would empower my children to know Love and not the darkness of hate- like I did for many years. It's been a journey! Thanks for letting me share... With Love, Joe  Really-pain is needed to make any gains? Maybe if we see or believe that things should be painful it is only logical that we should see them as such! And on the contrary, if we see things or feel that things are not painful, then maybe we are right in both sentiments. Will things mean more to us if we associate more pain or less pain with them? Will the goal seem more satisfying or will it satisfy us just the same? It all boils down to how you choose to see it! The results you want are just that- results and how you attain them, you can choose pain or not! With Love, Joe  Cheers to keeping an empowered outlook on life!
This is and continues to be our theme for this coming year and the years to come. Knowing that we determine the outcome of our existence is very empowering and it has been an absolute honor to share it with my love, Joanne. She continues to amaze me with her persistent spiritual journey in accepting her own self empowerment and becoming a deliberate creator of her own destiny. Great to see how she is influencing our kids, friends, and family to empower themselves too. Our journey together has been one of a healthy consciousness- not perfect, nor vain, but one that is based on a strong sense of respect for one's own power in order to respond to life rather than to react irrationally or too emotionally. We have chosen to be aware that we are our own choosers of how we feel toward anything and how we can enhance our own feelings for the good of ourselves and our environment. Our health has improved and continues to improve, thus having a great side effect on many of our aspects of our lives as well. The energy we have is inspiring and allows us to be more present for each other and those around us. We spend a lot of quality time together especially during our 4-6 mile daily walks. It gives us a lot of time to discuss our plans, our children, etc. etc. Anyone can attain an empowered mindset! You can start by believing that you too have the ability right between your ears to decide how you are going to use your powerful brain. Are you going to guide it or are you going to let it be programmed by others who don't have your best interests in mind? You have got to realize that you have the ability to do anything your heart desires if you align your thinking with your main focus. You have got to be very specific about what you want and why you want it. When you do this, the magical powers of your mind go to work for you to make it happen. That is the magic! Is it going to be easy? It all depends on you! Yes, it could be easy or it could be a long long journey of a bumpy road less traveled. It is all up to you... and needless to say, that is the beauty of it all, that it's all up to you!!! With Love and a Happy New Year, Joe Mendoza  The incredible positive news is that one can always choose to transform themselves into what they would like to become, to have, and to do. It is said that all you have to do is to start with gratitude and be able to be thankful for everything that you have right now in the present moment. When you do this, the universe apparently has the ability to detect your positive intentions and or energy about what you are focusing on goes to work immediately to make it happen.
It is as simple as being thankful for knowing that you have the ability to read or learn about the power of self transformation even before you decide to take on that journey. The journey is a self guided, self propelled, and self inspired act based on a belief that one has acquired, so being grateful for this belief is especially important. The more you focus on this belief, the mind gets more and more comfortable knowing that you are serious about what you have decided to take on and do. After 30 days, your body gets involved with your mind and then its almost a done deal because your whole system is working together to accomplish whatever it is you are inspired and intended to acquire. The universe and this world is that amazing and it is always working for you! Thanksgiving celebrations have been going on even before I was born and marketers have figured out that this tradition is embedded deeply in the minds of people so all they have to do is connect it to their products, especially 30 or so days before the holiday actually takes place in order to turn positive profits. Well, you too can use this type of power to transform yourself into whatever you want! Connect something super positive as to why and how the decision to transform yourself will give you the rewards that you desire. The magic is that you have it all right between your ears in your mind in your capacity to think and believe. Believe and you shall receive! Happy Thanksgiving to you and Yours! With Love, Joe Mendoza  Are you a born leader? Were you called to lead? Can you learn to become a leader? The answer to all of those questions is highly personal and it all begins with you having the belief and saying yes to yourself!
Why would anyone want to lead anyway? Well, there are so many reasons why, but most of all, I believe that it comes from the need to contribute and make a positive difference in the life of a project or in the lives of people. We are so very proud of our son Justin and his willingness to want to come back to his Poway Titan band crew and serve as their drum-line leader. He planned out the timeline, prepared relentlessly at his craft, and asked leadership questions. He was determined to bring a collaborative leadership and fun style to a divided group from last year. He heard his calling and brought a positive energy t the group. It was such an honor and privilege to watch him grow with his team and to see him take on a huge responsibility! The season is wrapping up, but the memories will live forever and his efforts will continue on to other endeavors he chooses for himself in life. It is always about people and how to listen to everyone's needs and unique personalities. Learn about the magic of influencing people and your life becomes a little bit more fulfilling on this planet. Yes, you too can become, or maybe you already are a leader, but don't realize it yet. It takes vision, discipline, patience, love, understanding, charisma, and decision making to lead and all of these values can be enhanced by you. Yes, you have the power to choose, the power to create this for yourself. Create it and reap the rewards! With Love, Joe Mendoza  Want a new car, a new house, a million dollars, a new relationship, a new dog, a promotion, a spouse, a baby, a garden, loving relationships, or a thriving business?
Isn't it interesting that many so called spiritual gurus often ask you this question which sometimes makes you wonder if this whole mind power thing is true or not? Well, like you, I wondered as well until I actually read many different books on the subject of mind power and manifestation and they all have the common theme of how to manifest anything you want, but say it a bit differently. YES- they all suggest that with the power of the mind anyone can bring to reality what they hold in their thoughts and feelings. The interesting thing about it is that most people are not aware of this majestic power that exists between their ears. They are not aware because they have been systematically brainwashed to believe that they have no power of their own and that they can only exercise so much of their own power before they will be brought back down to earth. Most of us want and have a super need to feel accepted and follow the crowd, do the average thing, and take on average activities because everyone else is doing the same thing. Once one falls into this way of cyclical thinking, it is very difficult to believe that there is more that the mind is capable of and that one can or should strive to fully realize their potential. I've even heard people say, "Well you know, you are a Martinez and we Mexicans are field workers so you will be a field worker too- just accept it and it will be easier to live with if you do." Tragic, but many people do accept it and tend to continue to live a life of limitations and poverty thinking. With the power of your ability to form a thought and sustain that thought, it is said that you can have anything that you focus on because whatever you focus on, whether negative or positive, it is always expanding. Things do take time to manifest, to come to you, but they will! Trust in your power, learn about your power, and ask about your power! It is there for you to create many beautiful things! Try it and marvel in the positive things that you focus on! Start small, think of small things and focus on them and then go big. With Love, Joe Mendoza  Trick or Treat! Why is this Holiday such an intriguing one? Is it because we all have a frightful side to us or maybe even a bit of an evil side to us? We are human after all and when you think about it, we all have the capacity to either act out in an evil way or choose to restrain ourselves from causing self harm or harm to others. But it is to be frightened and to do the scaring, all depends on who you ask. It is the minds mysterious ways that I think makes this Holiday so appealing.
I think it also gives some of us the opportunity to dress up and feel like we can act like that one character for the night or even week depending on all the Halloween parties that you attend. It may make you forget a little bit of the bummer side of life and escape for just a bit. It is liberating in a way to be seen differently and also to play the part of a confident character. Its all good for the self esteem- well, unless you choose a super scary something that you enjoy portraying only. It's also a great way to have amazing family time! To dress up and to partake in the traditions of having fun with the costumes, candy, and tricks. It can definitely bring families closer and allows them to see the creativity in their kids. Parents may discover that their child has a great talent and vice versa. All around, Halloween is a fun and unique holiday! Stay safe and have a ton of fun... With Love, Joe Mendoza  With the divorce rate at 65%, I wonder if couples go into their relationships now a days thinking that the possibility of getting divorced is extremely high and indirectly expect it to maybe happen to them. I believe you too can win at Love!
But how can a couple prevent the possible or impossible inevitable? Or is it something that is preventable or is it already written in our destinies to divorce and meet up with someone else that is truly our soul-mate? I would love to think that a relationship based on the notion of pure Love, will most definitely survive! Even if it is a new relationship that began from the outcome of a divorce in the first place. It just has to because, with Love, all things are possible. Love gives you the courage, understanding, fortitude, intuition, ability to listen, and the ability to be totally present for yourself and for your life partner. Anyone can master or become familiar with these are critical areas in their lives. I am truly convinced that amazing things come from a place of love, but remember that there must exist a very healthy love of self first before we can even share it with anyone else. Love has to be something that is understood by you and your partner and what that means to both of you. Remember that we are all unique in our definition of what Love means based on who taught us what that emotion truly means. When courting the person that you think is the one, we usually don't get to see all the underneath stuff that has been stored away due to painful experiences and or traumatic events in the family, school, and or community. Many of these issues and experiences can surface after we feel secure in our marital union, but don't think that your partner will always be ready to understand and or willing to take the journey with you to resolution. Love can do that for you, if you have been committed in true total unconditional Love of the person you met and said you would be there for not matter what! Love can move mountains and restore your faith in you in order for you to live in peaceful mental tranquility. Issues of trust, abandonment, not worthiness, unloved, and or physical trauma can all be overcome if the relationship is sustained with the strong hold of Love. Survival also suggests that there are going to be small or big challenges in your journey together. We are after all, evolving humans learning to co-exist harmoniously in this vast world of distractions. No, I am not suggesting that all distractions are negative, it's how we manage and pro-actively decide how we choose to be distracted or not distracted that will make all the difference in the world. Distractions can be many things. It can be how you notice that he or she smiles or doesn't smile like you thought she or he did. It could be the demands from work, your family, your friends, social media, or you just feeling unbalanced due to an illness, financial, or religious stress. A few things to consider that makes our relationship flourish. 1. Always show gratitude- for any little thing that they do, their smile, their health, their food, and etc. 2. Listen and be present for them- put away your phone, turn off the TV, ipad, etc and truly listen. It shows sincere interest, concern, and love. 3. Stay unconditional- in other words, don't compliment her so that she will do something in return, just do it because it comes from your heart with sincerity and love. 4. Don't try to be right all the time- the relationship will strain if most of your conversations turn into power struggles. It's better to allow each point of view and then allow things to resolve themselves out accordingly. 5. Practice sincere honesty- with the little and big things of course, but there are spiritual things that you should be honest about also; for example, don't just do or undertake any job, project, or money endeavor because you think your partner wants you to, instead, be honest and tell your spouse that its not what you want to do. Or if you think there is a situation you can handle and you know you really can't, just be honest about it. It will save you a lot of heart ache in the long run. I wish you the best on your super special journey of Love with one another. Please feel free to contact me and my wife and I would be more than open to share some of our thoughts with any challenges you may be facing. After all, it is you who ultimate decides what your fate will be. With Love, Joseph Mendoza  Our lives are a mystery, and it seems like its more of a mystery when you find out something new about yourself that you thought you would never experience.
I pride myself in being a spiritual seeker, and there are times or have been times when I felt stuck or felt like I could no longer grow anymore as an awakened person. Wrong! We are constantly evolving, peeling back a layer of ourselves to discover the beauty within ourselves. Yes beauty because along with an incredible capacity to do right, we have a huge capacity to cause harm. The only thing is, sometimes we don't know when we are doing it and why we are doing it. Sometimes something so strong has to come your way to challenge your inner knowing, your way of seeing the world. I truly welcome those moments now because at almost 50, I am open to just about anything that can help me live to the great human capacity and potential that was gifted to us by the great Divine! I want to have these moments help awaken me spiritually so that I can share them with others so that they too can try and live in an awakened state and not in a closed minded, closed hearted and too attached to everything. Being dependent on certain things, people, and technology can destroy your sense of now, your sense of allowing others to really know the real you. It may even block your prosperity and abundance and keep you from the beautiful life that you and your loved ones deserve. I am so grateful for moments that challenge that part of my being, the part that reminds me that I was made from the same particles that make up the Universe, just as you were as well! With Love, Joseph Mendoza  Have you ever out of the blue been hit with light bulb moments? When you feel that everything just make sense all of a sudden and there is amazing clarity as to why you are supposed to do things in a certain way, see things a certain way, or be present in your spirituality for deeper life meaning!
It's hit me pretty hard throughout my life and I embrace those moments as they come. The universe has a way of reminding us just how majestic we all are and that we can always tap into our greatness at any given moment of our glorious life. The awesome thing to witness is when it happens to a loved one! You will know the second they have aligned with their greatness because they have a certain glow as if a light is coming from their soul through their eyes! When they start to speak, there is a level of peace and knowing in the tone of their voice. They have a genuine smile and they seem to be authentic in every word that they state! This is the beauty of awareness! The life force available to everyone. Everything just seems clear and honest. You forgive and have a sense of gratitude! I'm fortunate to have witnessed it again today! With Love, Joseph Mendoza  I cannot lie, I do enjoy the benefits of having been a Veteran, but I always think about those who didn't even see their 19th, 21st, or 50th birthday for having to deal with the pain of PTSD or in direct line of military conflict. There are way too many of these types of stories and I bet that it affects many survivors who along with them, survived some terrible scenarios only to come home and endure the reality of their fellow military brother taking their own life.
I am so happy that Colin Kaepernick of the San Francisco 49ers decided to do what he did so that the conversations continue on this topic and other topics that need to be addressed before anymore senseless dying continues. At first, when I saw that he didn't stand, I was a bit taken aback- maybe because of his religion, I thought. I felt no dis-respect either way because as a Veteran, I felt that we are fighting to have the freedom of expression in this country. If there are inequities in this world, and we all know that there are, we need to come to the table and figure out a way in which we can all become empowered, to feel respected and to have true American unity for long term survival. No one is better than anyone, even if one is making 11 million a year throwing a football or in the front lines hoping to stop ISIS. We are all Americans, choosing how to exercise our freedoms without causing harm to anyone. What is alarming though, is that 22 military men, afflicted with the shrapnel of the war, or the war experience are committing suicide. This is not something that they would choose if they would have never been exposed to such horrific events, but we are told that that is exactly what we signed up for. What do we expect? These are the negative side affects like chemo therapy tearing at some poor soul from the inside out. It would be my honor to try and help these service men and women that feel that there is no other alternative to quiet the noise, the noise of perpetual war in the mind and reduce the senseless suicide rate. We know that its there, we have to make them feel that its okay to feel it, and we have to be there for a hug or two when they need it. If you have anyone you know suffering with this noise, this affliction, please share this blog with them. We can all help! We can all help! We will help! With Love, Joe Mendoza  After a lot of reflection, research, and meditation, I came to the conclusion that power of self is given to self through the gift of Gratitude. But Gratitude must be a daily habit. It is no wonder that people have constructed beautiful gratitude journals and made them available to those who are learning to be grateful. This poem is dedicated to to all of you who continue on your journey forward to find things that empower you. With Love, Joe Mendoza  Either one, you have to accept that both are an option! A choice. But in order to get to that radical awareness of having the power to choose, there are several spiritual laws that you must embrace and learn to make them a part of your being. The great thing is - is that they are simple, yet powerful!
Yes, I read Deepak Chopra's book- The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success and I was completely intrigued and fascinated how he broke down these life facts for us in this simple to read book. If you haven't ever thought like this, it's going to take you several times to read and have your mind grasp it. But that's it, he teaches you that you have the ability to choose to re-read this book or not. No one is ever forcing you to do anything you don't want to do. You have the ability to harness and focus your intention by giving it direct attention, thus making it virtually impossible for the universe not to give you what you focus on. The crazy thing again we are already doing it whether we know it or not. I love it when I read a book that is self-empowering and then I can share the message in it! The beautiful part of the message is that although we can want for the future, there is no future except in our minds, but because it is there in our minds, the most important is to know that we are present in the now. The now, today is when you can set your intention for the future and it will come to pass because it is the law! Fun read, I hope you get a chance to read it! I'm feeling an inspiration to write another poem on this topic of choosing and creating through the power of intention- that is my intention for the present, so that in the future, you can read it and be entertained or inspired. My other intention is to finish writing my personal memoirs and take you along on a journey of self-discovery and into loves arms. With Love, Joe Mendoza  Michael Jackson was one of the most empowered people whom I looked up to because he seemed to have tapped into his MaxPower in the music industry. He was at the top of his game and I often wondered how he could stay so focused. I soon realized that he was 100 plus committed to his industry and to his fans.
When a person is committed, they are all in and nothing is going to stop them from attaining their goals. They take everything they have and put all of it to work on that one thing that they love. I know a few more people like Michael who were 100 percent committed, but isn't it true that we know far too many more people that are not committed to living to their full potential? I still wrestle with that notion, but I know that if I want to realize my goals and be one of the better, if not the best writer of positive information, I have got to be 100 percent committed. If I want to be the very best husband, father, brother, etc. I have to make that same commitment. Imagine if most of us took an attitude of changing our 50 percent commitment to something positive and gave it 100 percent- wow, the results would be amazing. In some companies, they are 100 percent committed to their employees and go the extra mile in order to have them commit 100 percent to them. What a concept. What we know is that commitment works and it works when you have a definite plan to make it work. It takes setting attainable goals, accountability, vision, re-vision, and a whole bunch of guts! That is why only about 2 percent of people stick with their New Years resolutions and some people don't make them because they can't commit to anything. With all my commitment to you and with Love, Joe Mendoza  This poem is a tribute to all of the parents out there who are truly and authentically trying their best to guide their children the best possible way that you can. All children are unique, but we love them all the same!
I was inspired to share this poem with you by my friend Tina's story today when she paid tribute and wished her son, Greg, a very happy birthday because of the shear love that poured out of her while she told us how he changed her life for the better at her tender age of only 15 years of age. Greg is a very thoughtful young man today and it amazes me how time really does fly and how it grants us these unique experiences with our babies. Being a parent for me, was such a pretty scary yet exciting chapter in my life. I knew that I wasn't a perfect father, but I had no doubt that I wasn't going to make serious mistakes just because. I have given of myself unconditionally to my children as many of you have and the rewards are amazing! Especially when they are confident enough to pursue their dreams and to discover their authentic self without the weight of fear in them. But let me assure you that I did not do this alone. My amazing wife, Joanne, was there for me every step of the way. It was great team work and it made it just that much rewarding. Will there be challenges along the way? Of course there will be! You know darn sure that you're not going to get off that easy from the parenting duties. You're gonna have some payback for what you did or did not do for your parents. Its the order of life. But rest easy, you can learn to respond many different positive ways to situations if you just take the time to google it, go on youtube, or ask a counselor like me for some advice. You have the power to seek resources for anything you feel you are struggling with. Remember, if you don't make the investment in your kids, no one else will and if they do, it probably won't be something that yo will be too happy with. Love your kiddos, treasure them - but don't do everything for them. Allow them to spread their own wings, expand their own minds, and find their passion and love as to why they came into this beautiful and abundant Universe. With Love, Joe Mendoza  Do you have those friends who feel more like family? These are the type of friends that regardless of how much time has passed between the two or 10 of you, there is a seamless transition to where you are today. In other words, there is no need for an explanation and you know and can feel confident that they are not going to hold your feet to the fire for one.
These are the type of friends that would go to the end of the world with you and for you. I am very blessed to have those type of friends. I am sure that many of you do have a special bond with that special someone from your childhood, or even college, and maybe its your spouse. These type of friendships are priceless and worth their weight in infinity. It's almost as if God predicted that as humans, we would make special connections with some people as a form to never ever feel alone. If you have these type of friendships please do share your story and tell us how much that person(s) mean to you and why. With Love, Joe Mendoza Have you ever had to put on a fake face in front o people? I know that there is a major percent of people that would readily admit that they have had to pretend to be someone they are not.
This poem is a tribute to that time in my life in where I felt like I had to wear a clown face in order to divert attention away from the real life events that were happening in my life and at home. It served its purpose in my eyes, but it was exhausting to keep up the facade. I think that is why I enjoyed playing football so much because I could be a bruiser, a bad-ass behind the mask and the uniform. There is no reason as to why anyone should be forced to wear a mask, but life throws these interesting circumstances at us that has us scramble for safety. I scrambled and came up with trying to be silly and funny all the time so that no one got to know the real me. I pretended that everything was okay, but the reality was that I was dying inside. It was a saving grace to have someone every now and then tell me that I was worth it and that everything was going to be okay because it is what helped me eventually put down the mask. Wow, what a relief it was! I felt that I could breathe. Have you ever felt this way? It's an amazing feeling! If you still feel that you have to wear that mask, I am reassuring you that you are already enough and that you are part of what makes the sun bright and the oceans blue! Keep reading and or watching positive materials that can help you shed the shame! It's very worth it! With Love, Joe Mendoza Children don't just want to quit, they quit only when they feel that their reason for going on, their fire, has been taken from them. Everyone has a breaking point, give a child incredible obstacles without any support and they will show you why they've given up. Give them love and support, and they won't ever give up regardless of their circumstances. It is a mind-shift, a soul-shift!
With Love, Joe Mendoza  As a young and very vulnerable child, I too heard that money was the root of all evil and it was directly quoted from the bible. The one very important thing that I missed from the scripture, was that it didn't mean that all money was the root of all evil, but instead, Man's love of money was the root of all evil.
So no wonder it was okay for the church to ask for money at every service. I too was super confused for a bit after the offering baskets went around twice and sometimes three times. I often wondered what the money was used for since the church always looked the same and no new programs were ever started. I didn't know that the money provided for food, maintenance, and other necessities a priest needed in order to keep the church going. So if the Love of money is the root of all evil, what exactly does that mean? It's strange to see Love associated with anything that can be the root of something evil let alone, all evil. Breaking it down a little further, I believe that it meant that a person who obsessed over money at the cost of neglecting family, friends, and community often caused the evil associated with the money. The word Love was used to explain that one that serves something other than God or self, can get lost and appear to be evil, to be selfish, to be greedy based on that person's actions. On the flip-side, a person that balances his or her abundance and understands the law of tithing and blessings will always be seen as someone who is a philanthropist a giver of blessings. He is not serving money, but instead, having money serve him. A person that was brought up to believe that money is the root of all evil or anything negative associated with it, will always have a difficult time with money. But there is good news! Because you are ultimately in command of all your thinking about anything, you can work to re-train your subconscious mind to allow money in abundance into your life. It will take as long as you want it to take, but you will have to do the spiritual work, the mind work in order to tell your sub-conscious mind that its okay to be rich and no need to apologize for it. With Love, Joe Mendoza  Is it? I bet it would go better with a couple of cookies and a glass of your favorite beverage. Really, is Love all we need as humans to have a better existence here on planet Earth? Or does it depend on whether or not we've ever truly learned what Love is or how it was defined for us while we were little tykes trying to make sense of it all? Recently, I was counseling with a close acquaintance of mine because she felt that she had done or said some things to sabotage her relationship with someone she really liked. She was very distraught because she shared with me that she had experienced one too many relationships gone bad and that she wanted to make a change with this guy so she finally let him in emotionally and physically. Yes, she broke down some painful walls and allowed herself to feel, to bond with this special person in her life, but all along, she was telling herself that she did not deserve him and that sooner or later, he was going to leave her. As the law of attraction states, as one thinks and feels, one manifests those results. Sure enough, several weeks into the relationship, they hit a bump in the road that caused them to question their trust and respect for one another. It was a major bump, but out of respect for her privacy, I will just state that it would be very difficult for a non-trusting couple to get over and to move on, especially when one person is dealing with deep seated self doubt and unworthiness. Well,everything came to a head, they had a heated emotional discussion and she said some things that made the break up even easier for him to decide. Self sabotage because she couldn't stand to know whether he truly would leave her after he found out that she was still working through some emotional and psychological baggage. She was more content in making sure she took the lead and then feel terribly guilty about it and commence to beat herself up emotionally even more. Thus, making the cycle of broken relationships much stronger. I was honored that she called me to speak to her about it. It was very tough to understand her because she couldn't stop crying over the decision she had made. She rattled on about feeling guilty and what she had said and etc. until I finally got her to admit why she really did what she did to him. We got to the core of the issue. She said that she was afraid that she was not worthy of being loved and that he would eventually leave her because every important person in her life had left her. I told her I was very proud of her for having the courage to admit and say what her biggest fear was. If you've ever felt this way, isn't it gut wrenching? I know I went through similar emotions and boy was it ever difficult to discuss this with anyone. But how can you want to Love someone when this person had never truly known the true meaning of Love? Do you think that the work must start with her, to realize Love through spiritual or religious forces prior to getting into any relationship because if she doesn't have any love for self, how can she give it or share it with someone else? It's unfortunate that some of us humans have to take the back roads approach to discovering what love is and what it feels like before we can take the long journey with someone? But its totally okay to do so, as long as you know that Love is something that is much bigger than yourself and that Love is worthiness, kind, forgiving, special, and all of the other great feelings associated with it, it doesn't matter how you acquire it- as long as you do! You were brought forth into this amazing reality out of it's love for existence and it's miraculous might. The same thing that makes up this Beautiful Earth, is the same thing that you and I are made of. And if Love is one of the awesome ingredients that created all of this, then Love is you! You find Love in finding your greatness and knowing that you have a connection with the power of life itself. It's the super infinite fuel for the soul...and the soulmate for everyone is out there to be discovered and connected to at the perfect time! Believe it- you truly are Love... With Love, Joe Mendoza  I ran into thousands of people literally this past weekend at the San Diego Comic Con and many of them were on their cell phones. And I am also guilty of that as well, but I was taking live video on FB so that I could share it with those that cannot make it to the Show due to tickets selling out quickly.
We even tend to use our little devices as conversation starters and or conversation pieces. Like who's the coolest youtuber, what's the latest game, have you seen the latest Trump video, and how many Pokemon have you caught lately? So in a way, we are still talking, but instead of talking about our favorite book, TV or movie show, we are talking about the information we receive wireless through a tiny screen. Are the conversations richer because of this? And are we starting to talk the same way we have gotten used to texting in short abbreviated sentences? Are you allowing cell phones at the dinner table? If so, why or why not? Do you feel that its encroaching on their right to express themselves or their right to spend their time as they choose? And if you do not allow cell phones at the dinner table, do you feel that it is disconnecting one another from each other? Or do you find it dis-respectful for someone not to be giving their full attention to a sacred family time? Or is your family time sacred, or highly meaningful to you? I prefer that no one use their cell phone at the dinner table out of respect to our family time. Yes, its special to me when we eat even if its in silence or laughing about an experience we shared or we created. It is very rewarding and fulfilling to see everyone talking to each other and not lost in cyber fantasy. It is clear that our kids approve of the rule because they keep us honest about it as well. They appreciate their mom and dad time. Are you saying much while you're talking? Or does it really matter? I believe that our Pokemon Go generation will have their heads buried in their phones for years to come, but its going to be up to us to set the tone, to set the priority and to keep each other talking because real talking is genuine connection to each other. With Love, Joe Mendoza
Its the 75th anniversary of Wonder Woman and the San Diego Comic Con is honoring this beautiful and powerful Icon with honor and pride. I am so proud to be a Wonder Woman fan! I have loved Linda Carter and how she represented the character in the tv series for many years.
As I think of Wonder Women in my life, I am in awe of how heroic they truly are whether in person or in spirit. In spirit, because my mother, Maria Luisa, passed away when I was five years old and she remained my Wonder Woman in my mind and in spirit. Although I only had one vague memory of her, it is what I held on to in order for me to stay on the right path. She represented hope, trust, faith, and life in my life through the spirit of love and memory. She gave me the strength and courage to pursue the goals that I wouldn't otherwise have pursued. She saved me from myself when at the edge of my last breath and made me realize that life was going to be always get better no matter what. What woman in your life represents the Wonder Woman Icon? Maybe not so much in a super hero fantasy, but the actual female person that gives you hope and strength to carry on in real life. My Wonder Woman in real life currently, is my wife Jo. She is an amazing friend, partner and psychiatrist wrapped in one. She's talented, funny, loving, understanding, caring, encouraging, and is the magnet of our family. People just love to be around and confide in her. She is clearly my real life Wonder Woman. Her mother, my mother in law Norma, wouldn't be too far behind though. Talk about being the Matriarch of the family. She rules softly and with a cute smile, but she demands respect. Great cook, no holds barred type of organizer. She comes through when times get rough. She is an amazing hero. I am blessed to know that my two beautiful daughters have received examples of great women in their lives an will continue to meet and set the high standard of being a real life Wonder Woman. I also want to acknowledge all of the Wonder Women that are making an amazing contribution to society in the professional arena, service arena, and everywhere else! You are amazing and I love you! Wit Love, Joe Mendoza |
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