An Amazing Find, A Terrible Loss......

[Yorick]

Charlie... it may sound trite, and be most unwelcome and seemingly shallow advice, but I've found that verbalising who you are become self fulfilling. If you say you are a loser and everything always goes wrong, everytime something wrong does happen it reinforces it. Consequently when things go well, you're sitting there waiting for it to fall apart - which it does.

In losing the chain, you are no better or worse off than you were a few days earlier. You found it. You didn't own, earn or birth it. It fell into your possession for a few hours and then left. Now, you are not burdened by it. It will not weigh you down with sentimentality in years to come. Yet you have the memory. Kee that and be happy.

As for the passport, yes it's a major inconvenience, and I fully feel for you. I've been down to my last $20 in New York more times than I would ever have liked. I to wandered around for a good while without any possessions. Having no possessions was one of the most freeing things that could have happened to me. It taught me detatchment. It taught me how much my possessions had owned me in the past.

When you've got nothing, you've got nothing to lose.

I had my first manager take $10,000 she shouldn't have. I've been ripped off songwriting royalties. I got divorced (we all know what that does to your finances). Yet I feel like the richest man in the world.

You are wealthy Charlie. Your skills, talents, words, tales, experiences and perceptions are of much worth and value to those that enjoy reading them. You have unique stories your life has blessed you with surviving.

I fully believe happiness lies in looking at what you have - now - not what you've lost, don't have or won't have.

You're in one of the most kick arse nations on the planet, with more freedom than your countrymen did when they first arrived 200 years ago.

You'll sort it out, and in years to come you'll have an amazing story of how you were in Australia with $3 to your name.

You're a winner. Say it - believe it - be it.

[ 10-08-2003, 11:58 PM: Message edited by: Yorick ]

[Harkoliar]

yorick ------------ You're a winner. Say it - believe it - be it.

it never hurts charlie to say that . hang in there buddy!

[Dundee Slaytern]

Originally posted by Zuvio: The point is: Moderators are the ones to point out the fact that certain language is inappropriate, not other members.... ~~

I respectfully disagree. It is every member's right to help the moderators enforce the rules, so long as,

1) They are tactful about it.
2) It is a stated rule.

That said, I will not blame Charlie for swearing (although it would have been prefable if he did not in the first place) since it really, really sucks to lose your official documents.

It is within Firestormalpha's right to help enforce the rule, although... it was not a very tactful post, so I can see why Charlie took it badly.

[The Hierophant]

Charlie, I was going to post my thoughts on your fortunes but Yorick posted them all for me (awesome post Yorick! [img]graemlins/thumbsup.gif[/img] ), practically word for word [img]smile.gif[/img]
You're an awesome guy! Meeting you, Epona and Barry was one of the highlights of my trip earlier in the year. Seriously man, there are few people out there with the wealth of character you have, don't squander it in shallow thoughts, it'd just be a damn shame.
Just think of yourself as a person roaming the world, worth no more nor less than any other. Enjoy your world. Feel it, live it, breath it. All of it is your home, all of its people are your companions (whether they are friendly or not). There are no possessions, just objects flowing in and out of your physical reach (as Yorick already said).
Everything you've seen and done is a lesson waiting to be learned. You're on your way, forever.

[dplax]

Originally posted by The Hierophant: Charlie, I was going to post my thoughts on your fortunes but Yorick posted them all for me (awesome post Yorick! [img]graemlins/thumbsup.gif[/img] )

I can only totally agree with that. Hope everything turns out for the better.

[Davros]

If things are getting real dire Charlie and you need an assist you only have to give me a call. Drop me a PM or email and I will give you a number to ring.

Thumbs up to Yorick's post too [img]graemlins/thumbsup.gif[/img]

[cloud ff7 38]

Originally posted by Charlie: Firestormalpha, kindly learn to keep your responses to my posts to a bare minimum. Preferably non-existent.

*clears thorat* BURN BURN OUCH BURN ON FIRESTORMALPHA ah no hard feelings man.

[Firestormalpha]

ha ha funny cloud.

Charlie sorry for offending you with my post. I hope things turn up better for you.

[Yorick]

Originally posted by Charlie: I've had enough now, who was that man Job?

Job. Believed to be the earliest written book in the bible.

Job loses everything in the book. His entire estate, his children (dead) support of his wife, who then dies, his friends, his health. He ends up alone in ashes in gutters scraping his sores with broken pottery. At one point, his bitter wife (before she dies) tells him to curse God and die.

During all this, Job makes the famous quote "Do we accept good from God and not trouble?"

Near the end God speaks to Job, an amazing discourse which revealed many workings of the planet and stars later backed up by scientific discoveries.

After this, Job is blessed with far greater wealth than before. More children and grandchildren, a second marriage and happiness to the end of his days.

It is one of my favorite books in the bible. I started putting a spoken word version to abstract music earlier this year. I find it inspiring and humbling.

I believe one must go through a "pit" like Job's to find happiness. To have a benchmark. I believe we must know bad to know what good is. I love the line "Do we accept good from God and not trouble".

We are born into the world without the ability to move ourselves, feed ourselves, communicate adequately or understand who or what we are. Everything from then on is a bonus, a blessing and a miracle. The bad stuff can be catalystic. Shakes us up. Forces realignment and our exploration of the very limits of who we are and what we are capable of.

I once heard a preacher say "Our greatest successes are often disguised as insurmountable obstacles."

Cheers

Yorick.

[Yorick]

Thanks Dav, Heiro, Dpax & Harks BTW. Cheers guys.