CHRISTMAS 2021: Is a life worth fighting for?

Is your life worth fighting for?

Does your life take big swings — conceptually, stylistically, and narratively?

Does your response to failure determines the height of your success?  

Now watch the video above................

Are you mired in a conflict? All conflict is a symptom of our failure as a thinking animal.  We need to be reminded every so often that the more we sweat in peacetime, the less we bleed in war.  

Sometimes we need coaching for life's ruts. The best coaches show us how to examine ourselves and our choices. When youre afraid to act, they tell you, "so don't be you. Adapt.  If you can’t do it, be someone else who can do it. Be anyone you can think of to do it, but get it done. Go to your edge, be afraid, and the words here will push you off your edge......and then instead of falling you will fly.

I want to share with you a CHRISTMAS STORY born in last debt cycle. 

Do you know who Chiune Sugihara is and what he did around Christmas of 1940?

He changed many lives because of how he controlled his ability to think.

Life works in mysterious ways. It goes around and makes you experience that of which you fear most. That is the exact law of life.  Chiune Sugihara is a prime example of this.

The scales will return to balance, placing you into that exact situation you once looked down upon, in order to test your resilience and ethics. How you react will depend on you, and only you have the power to shift it to your advantage. Sadly, I have seen many people when faced with the exact daunting experience, react either in the exact same way if not worse.

It’s when you attach to a thought, dwell on a thought, constantly worry about a thought, and fear a thought that you begin to believe a thought. And when you believe something, you take actions based on those beliefs, and that’s when you manifest it.

Be careful of your fears.  What we fear most manifests itself in our lives faster an it might change you in ways you do not like.  The "viruses" we face in life forces the epigenetic software in us to adapt. We evolve into something new because of it. We work around it or through it. No matter what it adapts. It becomes something new. The next version, the inevitable upgrade.  

Mr. Sugihara lived during a time where Jews were being shipped off to their death in December of 1940.  That was the virus he faced in his day.  

He happened to be in a position to critically think, to provide a solution for a seemingly helpless problem.  And once he did, he took action on the behalf of others.   He felt something for them that, that they could no longer feel.....He loved his fellow man.

Lithuanian Jews made up one third of Lithuania's urban population and half of the residents of every town back then.

Following the German invasion of Poland on September 1, 1939 hundreds of thousands of Jews and other Polish citizens fled eastward ahead of the advancing German army; many refugees found at least temporary safety in Lithuania. Options for escape were limited and required diplomatic visas to cross international borders. One route was through Asia using a combination of permits issued by foreign envoys responding to the refugee crisis: a bogus visa for entrance to the Dutch Caribbean island of Curaçao and a visa for transit through Japan.

One such diplomat was Japanese Imperial Consul Chiune Sugihara, the first Japanese diplomat ever posted in Lithuania. In the absence of clear instructions from his government in Tokyo, Sugihara began to stop fear by thinking differently.

Sugihara began to grant 10-day visas to Japan to hundreds of refugees who held Curaçao destination visas. After issuing some 1800 visas, Sugihara finally received a response to his cables alerting the Foreign Ministry in Tokyo of the situation in Lithuania. The Foreign Ministry reported that individuals with visas headed for the United States and Canada had arrived in Japan without money or final destination visas. In his response, Sugihara admitted to issuing visas to people who had not completed all arrangements for destination visas explaining that Japan was the only transit country available for going in the direction of the United States, and his visas were needed to leave the Soviet Union.

By the time the Soviets ordered all diplomatic consulates closed on September 1, 1940, Mr. Sugihara had figured out how to help mankind.  His deeds are listed on his Wikipedia page for all to see.

In 1985, 45 years after the Soviet invasion of Lithuania, Mr. Sugihara was asked his reasons for helping Jews. Sugihara explained that the refugees were human beings, and that they simply needed help.

CHRISTMAS THOUGHTS MATTER DEEPLY

Every thought we have is like an electromagnetic bar code we see at a grocery store.  Those bar codes encrypt its energy, information, and vibration. That fearful thought that you have negative energy and causes physical and mental stress in the body. It thrives on your attention. The more you spend time processing and dwelling on the thought, the more you feed it and the faster it expands and manifests into your life. You unintentionally attract it into your life by focusing on it and feeding it from your time and mental energy.

If you fear something, take a step back, rebalance yourself and look at it from another perspective.  For Sugihara in 1940 it was the fate of the Jews.  Today, it maybe the fate of the world's freedom from politicians dealing fear over COVID.

This incredibly brave man and his wife who stood alone against the Nazis and their own government risking not only their lives but also their children's to save over 6,000 jews. When asked why he would defy his own governments orders he simply answered, "My obedience to God and doing the right thing no matter the cost over ruled their orders."

Chiune Sugihara, a Japanese diplomat began to use gratitude during the Christmas season of December 1940.  We should remember gratitude destroys fear.

The forgotten history of Chiune Sugihara, the Oskar Schindler of Japan who is credited with secretly saving over 6,000 Jews from the Nazis.

In the course of human existence, many people are tested. Only a few soar as eagles and achieve greatness by simple acts of kindness, thoughtfulness and humanity. This is the story of a man and his wife who, when confronted with evil, obeyed the kindness of their hearts and conscience in defiance of the orders of an indifferent government. These people were Chiune and Yukiko Sugihara who, at the beginning of World War II, by an ultimate act of altruism and self-sacrifice, risked their careers, their livelihood and their future to save the lives of more than 6,000 Jews. This selfless act resulted in the second largest number of Jews rescued from the Nazis.

There are many today risking the same for their fellow man.  My Christmas wish is for many of you to begin to do the same.

Following the German invasion of Poland on September 1, 1939 hundreds of thousands of Jews and other Polish citizens fled eastward ahead of the advancing German army; many refugees found at least temporary safety in Lithuania. Options for escape were limited and required diplomatic visas to cross international borders. One route was through Asia using a combination of permits issued by foreign envoys responding to the refugee crisis: a bogus visa for entrance to the Dutch Caribbean island of Curaçao and a visa for transit through Japan.

Chiune Sugihara did not comply with tyranny.  He reasoned, in the absence of clear instructions from his government in Tokyo, he could grant visa's to those who needed them.   Sugihara granted 10-day visas to Japan to hundreds of refugees who held Curaçao destination visas. After issuing some 1800 visas, Sugihara finally received a response to his cables alerting the Foreign Ministry in Tokyo of the situation in Lithuania. The Foreign Ministry reported that individuals with visas headed for the United States and Canada had arrived in Japan without money or final destination visas. In his response, Sugihara admitted to issuing visas to people who had not completed all arrangements for destination visas explaining that Japan was the only transit country available for going in the direction of the United States, and his visas were needed to leave the Soviet Union.  In a word, he became unmanageable to help those in need.

As the Nazi regime began tightening its chokehold on Europe, Japanese Consul-General Chiune Sugihara and his wife Yukiko watched with increasing concern as Lithuanian Jews were persecuted, driven out of their businesses, and forced away to “labor camps.” This sounds very similar to what is going on now in Australia, Austria, and Germany in 2021.

On January 5th in New York the virus is spreading to the US.  

Finally, Sugihara decided enough was enough, and set out to bring the Jews of Europe onto Japanese soil and out of Hitler’s reach. The Japanese government, however, didn’t approve of the idea, and shut down Chiune’s request to issue visas for the fleeing Jews. In response — and in true Oskar Schindler fashion — Sugihara essentially told them to shove it, and began to write the visas by hand.  He would not comply with orders he knew were wrong.

He and his wife ended up writing what some estimate to be around 6,000 visas for Lithuanian Jews, an incredible feat that’s even more unbelievable when you compare it to Oskar Schindler’s record of 1,200 saved through his work program. The last foreign officials to remain in Kuanas, Lithuania, save for a Dutch consul, Sugihara and his wife worked round the clock, issuing close to 300 visas a day and distributing them to the refugees who gathered outside of the Japanese consulate gates.

When Sugihara was finally ordered to leave, he continued to write visas and throw them from the train as he departed, and left his official visa stamp with one of the refugees so they could continue his work in his absence. It is estimated that he saved nearly all of the people who received visas, and after arriving in Japan, the Jewish refugees called themselves the Sugihara Survivors in honor of his bravery.

So why hasn’t his story been broadcasted like Schindler’s? Unfortunately, Japan was still operating under the samurai code of honor during this time, and to defy a superior was considered unforgivable. So rather than award their comrade for his contributions to the war, he was removed from his government position and forced to live in dishonor until his death in 1986.

Because of his efforts, Yad Vashem awarded him the title of “Righteous Among the Nations” in 1984.

Numerous shrines, statues, and parks in Japan and Israel were recently created to honor Sugihara and his family.

Gratitude makes us a Giant Killer.  We should never comply with any tyranny.  Sugihara represents this lesson for us this holiday season.  We should honor these incredible heroes making sure their stories of valor and integrity are never forgotten.  Sometimes the greatest test we face as a species is we handle those who so boldly mishandled us.

MY 2021 HOLIDAY WISH FOR YOU:  

Fear: False Evidence Appearing Real. Fears are indoctrinated into us in school and by society, and can, if we wish, be educated out of us with ideas. Fear is only as deep as the mind allows.

Daring people act. Daring is a mindset and an attitude of action. Daring is the weapon used to defeat FEAR. Daring people go that bit further, they do the unexpected, they achieve the impossible and they live the improbable. If you want history to remember be daring today.  

If you want to walk on water, you have to get out of the boat. Getting out of the boat brings change, sometimes crisis accompanies change, but the rewards overshadow it. Rewards in life are in direct proportion to the level of service we provide and the difficulty in providing that service. Today begin to jump out of your situation, and grow your wings on the way down......Become daring.

We can’t build a perfect world because the only thing truly holding us back is our human nature and our flaws, and if we work to improve ourselves instead, that just might be a better use of our time.

In the video above, when Rami Malek talks about people who won't let you push them away, who are relentless about being there for you, who love you.  I'm writing this because I care about you this holiday.

Does your mind instantly go to a handful of people in your life?  

If so, call them right now.  Drop everything you are doing right now, and act.

Tell them how you feel about them and how important they are to you.  

You never lose the game of life, you just run out of time...........to act.

Winter Solstice special:  I’m discussing “COVID REVEALED THE MOVIE” I was in with @ShellyLegit and BitcoinRx. Tomorrow, Dec 21 at 9:00 AM CST in @clubhouse. Join us! Live Q&A to follow. https://www.clubhouse.com/event/xo82pe6M

Background Information on this Christmas hero

• Fogelman, Eva. Conscience and Courage: The Rescuers of the Jews During the Holocaust. New York: Anchor Books, 1994 (D 810 .R4 F64 1994) [Find in a library near you] Relates stories about Sugihara and his efforts to save Jews in the context of other rescue efforts during the Holocaust. Examines the motivation of Sugihara and other rescuers, including personal, psychological, and historical factors. Discusses the impact of Sugihara’s rescue efforts on his post-war life.
• Ganor, Solly. Light One Candle: A Survivor’s Tale from Lithuania to Jerusalem. New York: Kodansha International, 1995. (DS 135 .L52 K384 1995) [Find in a library near you] Describes the atmosphere in the Kaunas Jewish community during the Russian and German occupations and the conditions surrounding Sugihara’s rescue efforts. Relates the author’s meeting with Sugihara in Kaunas as an eleven-year old boy and the friendly relationship that developed between them. Provides a brief and personal glimpse of Sugihara.
• Goodman, David G., and Masanori Miyazawa. Jews in the Japanese Mind: The History and Uses of a Cultural Stereotype. New York: Free Press, 1995. (DS 146 .J3 G66 1995) [Find in a library near you] Sugihara’s rescue efforts are described as a contrast to the stereotyped treatment of Jews in Japanese culture and government policy during World War II. Recounts the way Sugihara has been memorialized in Japan, particularly in the context of Japanese-Jewish relations.
• Klein, Dennis B., editor, and United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. Hidden History of the Kovno Ghetto. Boston: Little, Brown, 1997. (Oversize DS 135 .L52 K384 1997) [Find in a library near you] Includes an overview of Sugihara’s role in issuing visas to assist Jews fleeing Nazi-occupied Europe. Places this story in the context of other rescue attempts in the ghetto. Based on the exhibition of the same name held at the United States Holocaust Museum.
• Kranzler, David. Japanese, Nazis & Jews: The Jewish Refugee Community of Shanghai, 1938-1945. New York: Yeshiva University Press, 1976. (DS 135 .C5 K7 1976) [Find in a library near you] Relates the basic story of Sugihara’s rescue efforts. Provides greater details on those he saved, especially the Mir Yeshiva students, and describes their experiences coming from Lithuania to Shanghai.
• Levine, Hillel. In Search of Sugihara: The Elusive Japanese Diplomat who Risked his Life to Rescue 10,000 Jews From the Holocaust. New York: Free Press, 1996. (D 804.66 .S84 L48 1996) [Find in a library near you] Traces Sugihara’s development as a linguist and diplomat, and explores the motives for his rescue efforts. Uses archival research, interviews with those who knew Sugihara, and a survey of significant events in early twentieth-century Japanese history. Provides a detailed history of the Holocaust in Kaunas, Sugihara’s rescue efforts, and his post-war life.
• Ross, James R. Escape to Shanghai: A Jewish Community in China. New York: Free Press, 1994. (DS 135 .C5 R67 1994) [Find in a library near you] Focuses on the Shanghai Jewish community and Japanese policies in Shanghai and Europe during World War II. Describes Sugihara’s rescue efforts in context of the community.
• Tobias, Sigmund. Strange Haven: A Jewish Childhood in Wartime Shanghai. Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 1999. (DS 135 .C5 T63 1999) [Find in a library near you] Personal account of a German Jewish boy who fled with his parents to Shanghai during the war. Includes several pages dealing with Sugihara and many more recounting the author’s experiences in Shanghai and his adoption by the Mir Yeshiva, which was saved by Sugihara. Includes many references to the conditions in Kaunas, Sugihara’s efforts there, and those he saved.
• Tokayer, Marvin, and Mary Swartz. The Fugu Plan: The Untold Story of the Japanese and the Jews During World War II. New York: Weatherhill, 1996. (DS 135 .C5 T64 1996) [Find in a library near you] Interweaves the story of Sugihara’s activities in Lithuania with the efforts of other Japanese military and governmental officials to create a “safe haven” for Jewish refugees in Asia during the Holocaust. An earlier edition of this work was published as Desperate Voyagers (New York: Dell Publishing, 1979).