Wake Up Call - Page 2 of 28 - Insights & Musings to Stir Your Soul

Prayers for the Sick, the Lonely and the Sleepless

September 5, 2018 By Tom Rapsas

I just spent the better part of a day with an ailing family member in a local community hospital. While the people who worked there were nice enough, the environment was cold and antiseptic. Little natural light or greenery, a few pieces of drab artwork here and there, the beep-beep-beep of machines filling the air; there was virtually nothing present that might lift the spirit or soothe the soul. I say virtually nothing because just off an elevator, in a… Read more

The Magic of Thinking Big

August 29, 2018 By Tom Rapsas

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The headline above is borrowed from a book by the same name, The Magic of Thinking Big by David J. Schwartz. Though it sold 3 million copies, you’ve probably never heard of it and for good reason. It was published way back in 1959. The Magic of Thinking Big was part of a wave of self-help books, like Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill and The Power of Positive Thinking by Norman Vincent Peale, that claimed to have found the key… Read more

The Dalai Lama and the incredible power of a smile

August 22, 2018 By Tom Rapsas

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It’s a chicken and egg situation. Does the warmth emanating from the Dalai Lama’s heart cause him to spontaneously break into a smile? Or does the smile come first, spreading happiness throughout his body and filling his heart with joy? The purpose of our lives is to be happy. ~The Dalai Lama The 14thand current Dalai Lama is one of the most revered people in the world. Spiritual leader, head of the Free Tibet movement, best-selling author—it’s hard to think… Read more

Is the President exempt from the Golden Rule?

August 16, 2018 By Tom Rapsas

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This is not a story about politics. It is not about tax cuts or immigration or whether the current administration’s policies may be helping or hurting you in some way. It’s about character and simple human decency. If you’re like me, you were brought up believing in the Golden Rule. I know it comes from the Bible (Matthew 7:12), but its meaning and value to our society go far beyond any religious connotations. It goes like this: “Do unto others… Read more

Why let others chart your course in life? Do it yourself

August 8, 2018 By Tom Rapsas

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In The Benevolent Universe, The Story of Your Unique Genius by Dana Drake, the author puts forward a unique and powerful theory: Any problems we have, any issues or big life questions we may face, can all be solved by ourselves. In her words, “we are designed to know everything we wish to know,” including our purpose in life. It’s Drake’s belief we’ve been given all the life tools we need by a Universe that “is not only kind, it is… Read more

6 Jesus Quotes that will Offend Some—and Wake Up Others

August 1, 2018 By Tom Rapsas

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Many people from traditional Christian backgrounds may find this shocking and offensive… that is understandable…for other people, it will feel like a palmful of cold water on your face when you wake up in the morning. This is how Stephen Mitchell begins his book Jesus,What He Really Said and Didand you might be wondering—what did Mitchell do to offend some and wake up others? Well, he dared to reinterpret the story of Jesus as told in the Bible, retranslating passages… Read more

Are the answers you’re seeking already within you?

July 23, 2018 By Tom Rapsas

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What if what you’ve been chasing all these years has been in you all along, waiting for the chance to be loved into existence? ~Andrea Balt I recently heard the Care of the Soul author Thomas Moore being interviewed by Oprah where he revealed he no longer was “seeking.” After a lifetime of intensive spiritual study, including authoring over a dozen books on the soul, Moore said he had discovered all that he needed to know. No more seeking, just finding…. Read more

6 Easy Ways to Reignite Your Spiritual Flame

July 16, 2018 By Tom Rapsas

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Do you consider yourself “spiritual, but not religious?” If you’re like most Wake Up Call readers, you just answered yes. And if that’s the case, you may have a problem. You see, those of us who have left the world of organized religion (or were never a part of it in the first place), still have a deep-seeded yearning. We want to/need to satiate the spiritual side of ourselves and if we don’t, we start feeling unsettled and discontented, as… Read more

The simple breathing exercise that works like meditation

July 9, 2018 By Tom Rapsas

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I once read a story that asked a singer/performer, Bonnie Raitt I think, “What was the best piece of advice you ever received?” Her response consisted of a single word: “Breathe” The songstress had been given this tip from her father who had pointed out that when we’re stressed or feeling a little bit tense, we tend to shorten our breath. And at those moments, there’s nothing better we can do to steady ourselves than take a big, deep gulp… Read more

It’s time to take Mark Twain back from the atheists

July 5, 2018 By Tom Rapsas

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When this story first ran almost 4 years ago, it became a bit controversial–let’s just say the atheists weren’t happy. On this most American of holiday weeks, I thought it was high time to run it again. Mark Twain, famed humorist and writer of the classics The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, is perhaps the most celebrated American author of all time. He is also a favorite of atheists and atheist Web sites, who claim… Read more