Are we free? Do we feel free? Can a citizen of the European Union call himself a free man? I do not think so. We do have certain freedoms, but at the same time we are enslaved, and only God gives us true freedom.
Our Lady as the way to Jesus Christ
La Madonna come via per Gesù Cristo (This post is in English and Italian) I am currently reading the book 'A Treatise on True Devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary'. The author is Saint Louis Marie Grignon de Montfort. This treatise inspires me to dedicate my life completely to Mary, my best Mother. I will … Continue reading Our Lady as the way to Jesus Christ
The 4rd excerpt from my newest book “Happy life”.
"My emotional development is evidenced by: 1) I approach problems as challenges (I find this a better approach providing greater peace of mind) 2) I do not worry about what I have no control over and cannot change 3) I avoid negative emotions, I try to experience only positive emotions 4) I use positive emotions … Continue reading The 4rd excerpt from my newest book “Happy life”.
The 3rd excerpt from my newest book “Happy life”.
Třetí úryvek z mé nejnovější knihy "Šťastný život". "Second area: Finances I have gradually developed the habit of systematic saving and, as a result, my financial situation is getting better and better (my assets are increasing year on year). I can afford to pursue my dreams because I can afford what is important to me. … Continue reading The 3rd excerpt from my newest book “Happy life”.
“A happy life – 10 steps to success”- excerpt nr 2 of my newest book
"Šťastný život - 10 kroků k úspěchu" - úryvek č. 2 z mé nejnovější knihy "I decided to write this book to encourage you to change for the better, to encourage you to take responsibility for your life and become a happy person. For me, personal development is something that happens every day, I know … Continue reading “A happy life – 10 steps to success”- excerpt nr 2 of my newest book
My new book – excerpt nr 1
"Foreword Every human mind is a dormant power until it is awakened by a deep desire and a firm decision to act. Edgar Robert My name is Dariusz Lukasik, at the time of writing this book I am 51 years old, living and working in Poland. I have been writing a blog on personal development … Continue reading My new book – excerpt nr 1
New year, new plans, new dreams… but nothing will happen by itself
It is good to have dreams, the new year is a time for new dreams, new resolutions, new plans, but nothing will do itself. You have to be persistent to make your dreams come true.
What can AI do for bloggers?
What can ChatGPT do for bloggers?
Personal development and silence…
Silence is necessary. It is needed to 'hear' what is in us, what we really want, silence allows us to reflect on what is really important to us. You can sit and abide in silence, it will not be time wasted. In silence you will hear yourself, you will discover your true desires. So it is worth finding time to stand in silence.
Unpredictable heart…
There is good and sometimes evil hidden in our hearts. We are created to give good (in the likeness of the Creator). Sometimes there is so much good in us that we are surprised ourselves, but this can happen by God's grace.
What should we pray for?
"What should we ask of the Lord God so that we do not treat Him like a goldfish who is supposed to fulfil our every wish?"
“The treasure of the moments just passing by must be used sensibly and imaginatively. Because now everything is still possible…” (Witold Gadowski)
Some advice from Witold Gadowski (a Polish writer).
Independent Trader on investing (plus some of my comments)
On saving money and investing (views of Independent Trader)
Make wise choices, because God sees everything.
God sees our deeds; we cannot hide anything from Him. Spiritual development is, in my opinion, the most important thing we should take care of. Other areas of development are also important, but nothing is more important than spirituality and faith in God.
Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen’s thoughts on happiness.
Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen's thoughts on happiness.
It is good to give, it is also good to be able to take….
Robert Kiyosaki writes this in his book "Rich Dad, Poor Dad": "Rich dad gave away a lot of money. He supported the church, charities and foundations." Today is Sunday, a time to relax and celebrate. If you are working today that is your choice. But I return to the theme of giving and receiving. It is good to be able to give, because God gives us everything we need, so we too should share with our other people who need our help.
What are real assets according to Robert Kiyosaki?
Cosa sono i beni reali secondo Robert Kiyosaki? (This post is in English and Italian) I am currently reading Robert Kiyosaki's financial guide, its English title is 'Rich Dad, Poor Dad'. In this book, the author presents his own understanding of the terms 'assets' and 'liabilities'. He himself learned what they mean from his 'rich … Continue reading What are real assets according to Robert Kiyosaki?
I am convinced that almost every person dreams of being rich…
Jsem přesvědčen, že téměř každý člověk sní o tom, že bude bohatý... (This post is in English and Czech) I am convinced that almost every person dreams of being rich, or at least to have enough for the necessities, to not have to cut back on their spending. We dream of a prosperous life, and … Continue reading I am convinced that almost every person dreams of being rich…
“In recent years, sociologists have learned a great deal about happiness.”
"In recent years, sociologists have learned a lot about happiness. Their best source of knowledge in Europe is the Eurobarometer research programme, (…). Once a year, its staff ask a thousand inhabitants from each European country how happy they are. (…) The survey has been running for more than 40 years. (…) Perhaps most interestingly, money alone does not bring joy. (…)"
Money is important. After all, it is with it that we can fulfil our daily needs.
Where does our knowledge of money come from? How do we perceive it and who influences this perception? Usually, our first experiences with money come from childhood. This is when we acquire - often unconsciously - our first beliefs about money. Are there beliefs? A belief is something we believe to be true. Our beliefs can be either supportive or limiting (there is a glossary of terms at the end of this book, among other things, where I have included definitions such as beliefs, limiting beliefs, supportive beliefs, assets, liabilities and others).
What – in my opinion – is important in life?
I will share in this post my opinion on what is really important in life.
What does a sense of happiness depend on?
The feeling of happiness depends on many factors. However, it is us, regardless of our current objectively or subjectively perceived life situation, who can feel happy or unhappy. Mostly it depends on our thoughts about happiness, it depends on ourselves whether we allow ourselves to feel happy.
Some thoughts related to the content of H. D. Thoreau’s book.
"Most people, (…) as a result of sheer ignorance and faulty reasoning, are so preoccupied with contrived cares and excessively heavy duties that they fail to reap the more beautiful fruits of life."
Sense of happiness and God’s guidance
No matter what life situation I find myself in, I feel happy because I believe and know that God is watching over me. He has already protected me from death several times. He blesses me and my wife, He blesses our marriage, I have something to eat and a place to live: these are additional facts that also provide a sense of happiness.
Have a dream and make it happen. Nothing will do itself, the work has to be done.
It is worth having dreams. You can follow the example of those who have achieved success through work and faith. For me, a good example of perseverance and work leading to success are the recent achievements of a football team from Lublin: RKS Motor Lublin.
Feeling happy according to the “happiness no matter what” method (“feeling happy for no reason”)
it is possible to feel happy regardless of other people, regardless of the amount of accumulated goods (things), regardless of other factors on which people make their feeling of happiness dependent, it is simply possible to feel happy ALWAYS, every day.
What do people find happiness in?
People look for happiness in different activities, they look for happiness in having things, they look for happiness in different kinds of experiences, stimulants, etc. We want to feel good and this is natural. In order to 'catch up' with happiness, people create plans whose implementation is supposed to lead them to feel happy.
Our limitations and fears
What limits us? Why don't we feel full happiness? I think one of the main reasons is the fears we experience. If we got rid of the fears, our sense of happiness would be at a higher level.
Will the world be a better place in 30 years (post inspired by Y. Strickler’s book)?
The book of Y. Strickler entitled "This Could be Our Future. A Manifesto for a More Generous World" is a real manifesto for a better world. In the first part, the author describes how a world today wracked by the lust for profit functions. In the second, he gives examples of individuals and companies whose philosophy includes reference to and guidance in their choices of values such as justice or environmental responsibility.
There are values more important than profit maximisation (comment on Yancey Strickler’s book).
Focusing too much on maximising profit, devoting a huge amount of our time to this, can impoverish us as we will never be fully satisfied, whether we have our own business or work for someone on a salary. Money is important, it allows us to pursue our dreams and satisfy our needs. But they are not the most important.
Your destiny is Heaven. Nothing can separate us from Christ’s love for us, not even our sin.
Nothing can separate us from Christ's love for us, not even our sin. JESUS instituted the sacrament of penance - when we commit what is not good and decent in GOD's eyes, we always have a chance to be reconciled with GOD - precisely through sacramental confession.
An excerpt from my fourth book “Happiness – reflections of a 51-year-old”.
In my opinion, it is possible to be a happy person, to experience happiness to a high degree and at the same time to expect and expect even more happiness than you are experiencing. This is exactly how it is in my life. It hasn't always been like this, but more than fifty years of life are doing their job.
“A new company has to offer something much better at the start than what the market leaders offered when they started…” (post inspired by Yancey Strickler’s book)
"A new company has to offer something much better at the start than what the market leaders were offering when they started, and it has to be as good - if not better - than what they are offering now. And just as cheap. The expectation bar for creating a successful business is being set higher and higher."
Emotional intelligence and a better world.
I was inspired to write this post by the first dozen or so pages of the book ‘This Could Be Our Future: A Manifesto for a More Generous World’ by Yancey Strickler (I am reading it in Polish). The title alone encourages you to read. In the part I have already read, the author writes that the world is motivated by profits, GDP and a general profit orientation (i.e. material goods).
Some thoughts on generosity
In my opinion, this is a good and useful quality. We have everything from God, if we are doing well, earning well, accumulating assets, then we can and should be generous to other people. Some say that the good given to people comes back to us. If you are generous then remain so, because God in His generosity bestows His gifts and graces on you.
About the worst way to make money
Some people say that the worst way to earn money is the so-called exchange of working time for money (cash). For example, if you work in an office or school, you are paid a certain salary per month.
Take matters into your own hands, be proactive.
What your current life looks like depends mainly on you. External factors can be (and often are) beyond your control, but you should take responsibility for your life, for what it looks like.
My mission statement.
"My mission is to share knowledge and life experiences related to personal development with my readers by writing posts with useful content that can change the lives of my readers."
Sense of happiness and God’s guidance
Sense of happiness and God's guidance
What limits us? Why don’t we feel full happiness?
"I think one of the main reasons is the fears we experience. If we got rid of the fears, our sense of happiness would be at a higher level. In my case, I have been eliminating fears from my life year after year, there are a few fears left in my life.
Happiness – reflections of a 50-year-old
My dear readers: I have started writing my fourth book entitled 'Happiness - reflections of a 50-year-old' . I will share some excerpts of it in this post.
“The flow” and its benefits.
In his book 'Emotional Intelligence', Daniel Goleman describes a state called 'flow'. It is a state in which we are fully focused on an action, on a task, and even sometimes have no sense of time passing. Nel suo libro "Intelligenza emotiva", Daniel Goleman descrive uno stato chiamato "flusso". Si tratta di uno stato in … Continue reading “The flow” and its benefits.
A few sentences from ‘Emotional Intelligence’ (Daniel Goleman) and my commentary on them.
Who among us would not want to be among those characterised by emotional self-control? Emotions are necessary, they are there to serve us, but - attention - we must not allow them to work against us. And this is why it is so important to REACT in an appropriate manner to the emotions that arise within us. They can be positive or negative.
“A change of perspective allows us to separate the culprit from his fault” (on forgiveness, inspired by Jim McManus CSsR)
Man is by nature sinful, prone to sin. The evil we do will always remain evil. However, the sinner should not be condemned because he can repent.
What is the real meaning of success?
Each of us can define our own success. In order to do so, one can ask oneself the question: How will I know that I have achieved (am achieving) success? For me, success is living a peaceful life, getting rid of stressors, having a good, rewarding job, setting financial goals and achieving them, having healthy relationships with my wife and other people, developing interests (e.g. personal development, Slavic languages).
On a Positive Attitude Towards Oneself (a post inspired by the thought of Jim McManus CSsR)
What happens to you in life is mainly up to you, you can (if you want to) be "the manager" of your life, you can shape it, you can start (or continue) to think in a positive, creative way. You have one life, use it well, think well of yourself, you have the right to do so and it is even your duty.
On good and bad thoughts
SsR: "It is also important to remember two important things: we reject bad thoughts, not ourselves, and: we are not identical with our thoughts - neither good nor bad".
“(…) Everyone Is Valuable and Worthy of Respect Regardless of…”(Jim McManus CSsR)
"And everyone is valuable and worthy of respect regardless of the wealth of their bank account, their grades in exams, their life record in sprinting, the opinions of those around them. Why is this so difficult for us to accept?"
“From a spiritual perspective, successes and failures are irrelevant to our intrinsic value, …” (Jim McManus CSsR)
"From a spiritual perspective, successes and failures are irrelevant to our intrinsic worth, as is the attitude of others towards us. We are all valuable in God's eyes! Intrinsic value does not flow from what we do or what we have, but from the fact that we exist - from our predisposition to God, not from our position in the world."
A goal discovered or invented?
I was inspired to write this post by sentences from Paweł Milcarek's article "Ta dzisiejsza młodzież" (from the Polish magazine Wychowujmy, no. 6/2022, page 15). Here are a few sentences from that article: "(…) where does the goal come from?
The first excerpt from my new book entitled ‘On The Repair of Republic of Poland’
The excerpt from my newest book "On Repair of Republic od Poland"
How to write a bestseller step by step?(According to AI)
I don't know how many people in the world want to write their book, but I think there are many of us. I have already written seven. They are not long, but full of valuable material. This is my opinion of them and that of some readers. All my books can be purchased on the RIDERO.EU website.
When Parental Anxiety Impacts Kids: Recognizing Signs and Taking Action (by Elliott Wilder)
As the unseen force, parental anxiety can seep into the crevices of family life, influencing not only your own peace of mind but the emotional and psychological well-being of your child. This article illuminates the often-overlooked ways in which your anxiety can shape your child’s world, offering a roadmap to recognizing these influences and equipping … Continue reading When Parental Anxiety Impacts Kids: Recognizing Signs and Taking Action (by Elliott Wilder)
Dare to Believe … in God: What is Required to Receive Holy Communion?
‘Whoever wishes to receive Holy Communion should be fully incorporated into the Church and be in a state of grace, that is, without consciousness of mortal sin. If one is aware that he or she has committed a grave sin, he or she should enter the sacrament of reconciliation before receiving Holy Communion.'
Dare to believe in God: Keep Calm and Ora et Labora
I will devote today's entire post to reflections related to ‘Keep Calm and Ora et Labora.’ (Keep Calm and Pray and Work).
Dare to believe… in God: Preaching the Gospel today
I will start this post with a quote from the book by Salvatore Martinez entitled ‘Żyj w wolności ducha’ (this is the Polish title, it means: 'Live in the Freedom of the Spirit'). The author writes: ‘The proclamation of Jesus Christ - the only Lord and Saviour of the world - seems more complicated today … Continue reading Dare to believe… in God: Preaching the Gospel today
Dare to believe… in God. Part 2: What can be done to revitalise parish life?
Whatever the involvement of priests and laity in parishes looks like, it can always be better. Parishioners can really start to live in parish community. Surely you know at least a few examples of parishes where spiritual life is flourishing. If not then it might be worth walking around your area and finding such examples. … Continue reading Dare to believe… in God. Part 2: What can be done to revitalise parish life?
Dare to believe … in God: Part 1 – Catholic Celebration
In Paolo Curtaza's book "Siedem sakramentów" (The Seven Sacraments) there is a following passage: ‘Celebrated faith changes lives every day. This is the experience of the Lord's disciples and this is the experience the Church transmits to us. The disciple who believes but does not celebrate, and with his life contradicts the evangelical precepts, reduces … Continue reading Dare to believe … in God: Part 1 – Catholic Celebration
Ideas for parish renewal by Father James Mallon of Canada.
‘The model of parish renewal that Fr Mallon proposes focuses on three elements. The first is openness to the power of the Holy Spirit. (…) The second pillar is evangelisation - reaching out to those who are not in the Church today. (…) The third element is leadership.’ (translated from Polish, ‘Gość Niedzielny’ No. 43/2024). … Continue reading Ideas for parish renewal by Father James Mallon of Canada.
DARE TO LIVE 