Ken Ferrara
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Back to Good is the combined result of life experience
coupled with the wisdom imparted by those people who consistently embody the
best attributes of the human spirit. I have assembled knowledge and lessons
learned from personal struggles, hardships, and times of joy, as well as from
examples of countless people who have shown the true goodness we are capable of,
into something tangible--something that can help resolve some questions,
uncertainties, and challenges of life.
You won't find complicated
comparisons of differing cultures or religions in this book, as it was written
to be accessible and beneficial to people of all faiths, and to those who may
not have any type of spiritual or religious convictions. I have no intentions of
imposing my beliefs upon anyone else, because a true connection to goodness is
made through one's beliefs and actions, not through arguments, forceful
principles, or disrespect for the various beliefs that exist.
I
completely respect the multitude of differing beliefs in our diverse world
because everyone travels a personal journey in life and has unique experiences
and perspectives. My most heartfelt wish is to respect your views, while
offering you the positive, powerful, and practical values that getting back to
good can provide; values which are fundamentally universal, pertaining to every
person, persuasion, and faith. To that end, I made every attempt to express
ideas and messages that offer a straightforward guide to help you live with the
goodness and tolerance that is applicable to every human
being. |
I remember thinking about the state of our world — how negative it can
seem at times, and I honestly felt I did my fair share to help out. You
know what? I did do my fair share — my share of negativity and
pessimism. It wasn’t until years of separation from my family that I
slowly became aware of the fact that the responsibility for much of the
negativity I witnessed in the world and in my family was my own.
Trapped in a downward spiral of negativity, I was often angry,
resentful, ungrateful, and selfish.
I was so
wrapped up in an “all about me” attitude that I could not see the way I
perceived and treated others lacked goodness — that I was treating
people in the very ways I found so disheartening. The words I, me, my,
and mine were used much too often in everyday encounters, and
self-centered, intolerant behavior served to drain positive energy and
joy from my life. My actions caused personal relationships to suffer,
creating damaging rifts in my family, social, and professional lives.
Following years of stubborn selfishness, and the pain,
self-pity, and unhappiness it produced, I began to ask, “Why am I so
mean and negative at times? Why do I consider my needs to be more
important than the needs of others? What can I do to bring more
happiness and fulfillment into my life? How can I become a better
person, both for myself, as well as for the people around me?” I realized that in order for this world to change, I must be the one to change, and so started my journey getting back to good.
Who are you? Who do you want to be? What are you
meant to do with your life? Are you truly happy and fulfilled or do you feel
that life is unfair and difficult? Have you honestly
Do you think you can make a difference or do you deem that a naïve
belief? What if there was a way for you to effectively create positive changes
in our world? What if simple thoughts, actions, and attitudes could empower you
with the ability to bring about immensely powerful, beneficial changes to your
life, and therefore into our world?
Committing to get back to good can help you
achieve these positive goals. In order to set this inspirational process into
motion, contemplate the following questions: Why should goodness be part of
your life? How does living with goodness benefit you? Is it even possible to
become a better person in today’s hectic, sometimes unforgiving world? What if
you could take a step back from your opinions, circumstances, and daily
routines, and learn to be more tolerant, kind, and grateful? What if, above
all, you could live with more goodness?
Certainly, you don’t have to be good. No laws of
humanity dictate that you must be patient, giving, or kind. If you are selfish
and intolerant, or show care and concern only for what is important to you, the
“goodness police” aren’t going to charge you with a crime and take you to jail.
After all, life can be so hard, demanding, and seemingly unfair that taking
care of your needs may leave little time, ambition, or energy for being a kind,
selfless, and giving person. So the question remains: Why should you live with
goodness?
Despite the cliché, living with goodness truly
becomes its own reward, on a personal level as well as on a grand scale.
Actively seeking to become a better person for yourself and for the others
around you will move you toward a positive and enriching life in all of its
aspects. Choosing to get back to good empowers you to:
- Find
happiness and fulfillment;
-
Express patience; you’ll be able to deal with
stressful situations and your relationships more positively;
- Remember
what you should be thankful for, from your health to your family and friends to
the day itself;
