I will make you an offer you can’t  refuse” Mario Puzo.

The Godfather Part III,

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> 

You can’t refuse this 2016 offer  , -can YOU ??

No,  not the offer as shown in the Godfather by Michael Corleone or by his father!!.. .We may remember this master of drama and art, The Godfather:  a  genius mafia/crime film by Francis Ford Coppola  in the 70ties and 90 ties… Many of us have seen this, either in the cinema or on TV or on DVD…
However, what does it benefit a man when he gains the world and loses his soul? That is the question being raised.. After killing all his enemies who betrayed him, Michael Corleone died as a lost man, full of guilt. He wanted his family out of the Mafia scene, but one revenge did lead to the other and in a last attempt, sucked in again, after losing his first wife, his second wife,- he finally lost his beloved daughter Mary. The last played by Sofia Coppola.
It’s a drama with similarities in some families, communities, countries and even the world. The world where, at times,  we keep our enemies close. To destroy them when we seek our chance.
The hypocrisy is everywhere and the menace of violence almost anywhere.
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Just one comment was interesting, when an US Senator visited the Corleone family:
Senator Pat Geary: I despise your masquerade, the dishonest way you pose yourself. You and your whole fucking family…Michael Corleone:  We’re both part of the same hypocrisy, Senator, but never think it applies to my family…

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See the film yourself if you haven’t seen it, as it is not the subject today.
It may however illustrate something. We can win the world but lose our soul. We can  howbeit take part in the drama of this world as actors. Actors who have the chance to rehearse well before our actions, or go down the hill as failed culprits due to the disease of dedicated negligence and failure to get our act together. An act which can be played out differently than some Shakespearean drama’s. Different than some drama’s on this planet at present, where evil indeed needs to be destructed, and where we have to play a part at home and in our communities. But you know, for all this,  education is the key. Not only the education for a trade or whatever you name it, but the education on the greater needs for humanity. And the last is the deeper learning. The learning we have to do in sustained ways, often the learning at the centre of our heart.
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I will do you an offer you can’t refuse. It’s a different one, a greater one. It’s an offer where nothing is too big, no distance too great.
Time can’t stand in its way and there is no obstacle it can’t overcome. And you  don’t even need to go to the movie for this, as you can make the movie play in your own brain, in your own heart.
In your own soul, if you wish. In that particular spot where there is no distance or barriers or obstacles. 
You know, ..nobody can take this away from you! In this area lies your greatest freedom. And with this freedom you may get at times both the weirdest, – but also the greatest revelations at night during your dreams.
You know – but this aside – that only a tiny fraction of our brains is used? ..That our reserve capacity being not used is far greater than what can be applied at the moment… Are we able to explore this reserve capacity with a view to a better state of humanity?
If the desire for this is huge, indeed no distance is too big or any barriers too large. The last when the dream (your dream!) is amazing. The last when  the wanting for all this is stunning and the love and gratitude for the movie in your own mind astounding… But you need to allow it happening!.. YOU need to allow this happening in your whole body mind and spirit.
Does that make sense?
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Look, Michael Corleone pictured the world as he wanted it in his mind, he laid the foundation like his father did. The desire went on and on in his mind, and so did the killings, – master minded, breathtaking and awful. When we allow the good stuff going on and on in our mind, allow the dreams which never were, repeating itself time after time and day after day, we can come up with something far better.
We can achieve  together more than on our own. And then: together we can do better at home, at work  and at the stage show of this world. And in our country, or in our community!
An offer you can’t refuse, isn’t it?.. Sounds attractive isn’t it?
What do you think?
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If we want to live and lead a better life we need to create  a sense of hope, a sense of excitement and confidence. A sense of achievement as such as well. And all this starts in our own mind, if we allow it happening, if we allow our creativity being guided by what we feel is hope . By what we feel is real excitement and achievement. Creating 
authentic confidence for ourselves.
Sounds easy isn’t it?
Not that easy for most of us as we may feel trapped as Michael Corleone felt trapped through the culture of his family and the expectations perhaps, but we have a free will, trapped as we can be at times.
Imprisoned as we may feel at times.
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However, in our spirit we may feel without fear. And we may play without stress in the movie we create ourselves in our own being, in our inspiration. It is  then what we may even feel into our bones, where moreover we feel this in our spirit, – where we likewise believe it…
Where we shall hold this close to our heart. So good as it can be!

An offer you can’t refuse, an offer which makes or breaks us in the way we deal with it. Which makes or breaks us in the way we live.

Deal with it, live with it, –  in reverberating leadership both to ourselves where it affects our aims, where we have to be proactive and not refrain from the action we need to take. But as a result as well, – all this to the people on which we may have a positive impact, the people we love both at home and in the world. It applies as well to the people even who drive us “nuts”. But also to the people we may despise of what they inflict.

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So what do we need to do??
What we have to do is to lead, to invent and to guide. To lead , to invent ,  and to guide . Why? .. Because it sounds good and as it is good. Because if you focus on results you will not make a difference, but if you focus on a moving change you will get results, as long it is related with the right goals. As long it is related with the right issues and the right things in our day-to-day life, as this is what matters.
This is what matters most. And if I say what matters most , this is  perhaps for all of us what matters most. You know, our kids are eaten up by criminal syndicates who bring in larger proportions drugs in our country. Not drugs which are enjoyable but drugs which make the mind screwed. It kills people like bullets kill people. And one may say it does not affect me in person,  but it happens almost right at our doorstep, right in our street or neighborhood, – where people are getting killed that way. People get so screwed in their brains that they are unable to learn anymore. I don’t mean the academic stuff, but the learning from the heart and how we have to relate to each other.
You know, some die slowly, over years… Some die instantly, in seconds… And the worst thing perhaps is when the spirit dies when people are alive, as those people may get very dangerous and intolerant to others. Like extremism, like terror and others.
And every time when a human being dies, a human being with a good intend,  there is taken away something from his or her family as well.
When people die , there is likewise taken away something from their community. And if it is eg a President killed by a bullet, something as well is taken away from the country, – apart from his or her family, apart from his or her community.
The fragile tapestry of families, communities, and countries are hanging in the balance if no  greater force is going to stop  today’s youngsters being eaten up through the evil of drug dealing and trafficking… The evil of people smuggling and paedophile networks. The evil  of sex trafficking, –  or soldier trafficking with  kids in wars… we can’t comprehend they exist.
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We can’t comprehend they exist!
True?
This is on offer, still,  in our world and far more… Yes?.. And you can refuse this, isn’t it? 
For sure we are not in control about all this,.But what I mean is you can refuse to take part in the nasty stuff which  is invading our culture. Increasingly invading our civilization if we don’t keep close watch… Including, also, – the risk of growing racism and accelerating intolerance as we see this happening again… What we see in the film like “The Godfather” is that violence breeds more violence and we don’t need to look at movies to detect that our world is full of it, – and sometimes very subtle.
Even there where we live.
At the end of the day God made us from the same substance, and it has never been the aim to allow the slow destruction of this vulnerable and mortal fabric of life, – by war or hunger, by climate change or any other …self-inflicted evil perhaps.
We live in a time where this tapestry of life, painfully and clumsily woven at times, is getting more endangered than ever before. We are living in a time where neo-fascism may flare up in countries where we don’t expect this at the moment.
A time where violence is rising and common humanity is ignored.
We see civilian slaughter in far-off lands. People of all shades of sanity may acquire knives or guns whilst the ignorance and misunderstanding is increasing, – and the barriers for violence reduced.. We  see domestic violence on the increase, likewise the institutional violence in churches and in schools.
The indifference and slow decay…you know.
Do you know?
I have no answers on all this and this is not the aim. The aim is more to accept in our own selves the offer we can’t escape. And this is to look privately  what we can do. Which means not to teach to hate and to fear. Which means eg not to judge people on their colour or beliefs. Which means as well not to threaten the freedom of others, if they don’t threaten you.
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Each country has unalike  hardships and different aims, ideals if any, – made or designed by the traditions of their history and the level of understanding of their times. It is however not about the diversity of our goals but the closeness we have in our desires, our struggles and hope for the future. The youngsters of this world whose minds are neither screwed up by drugs, – or by emotional and/or sexual abuse. You know, they have a clear awareness what is at stake. But also those who suffer with clear minds. Sometimes in their sleep , as Aeschylus once wrote differently, falls bit by bit the agony on their hearts, –  and in despair against their will may arise, wisdom through the amazing grace of God.
Some people are more aware of this than others, which is fine..
Yes, young people with the right sensitivity, likewise adults with the right responsiveness, know that law enforcement has to tear down crime syndicates dealing with drugs, sex trafficking etc., to save the younger generation and their sanity. They are aware as well that we neither can tolerate climate change by non-activity, nor the intolerance of  those who are violent extremists or racists.
If we allow all this, all what we see already, – we allow our heart to be fooled. We allow humanity bending down the wrong direction, we are crippling the ability of our kids to do the serious lifting when they are adults. Why?  Because the ability to learn from humanity in sustained ways has been lost by the ignorance of our time .
I am going to finalise this story. But remember, – it’s fun to see light and we better live in the light than in darkness.
Embracing normal human rights where those  rights are an obligation to protect, will ensure that the flag of liberty and freedom keeps flying. A flag with the colours of true responsibility as well.
As this is light.
Responsibility to make the right and many forward moving decisions.
As this is light.
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So, which moving forward decisions are we going to make in 2016 now at the end of this year?  Is this a question you can refuse to ask yourself?  Is this an offer and an obligation you can decline? ..An obligation amidst  the injustices everywhere and anywhere?
John F Kennedy once said: “Lets go for the Moon”. Lets go for it…And true, less than 9 years after his assassination Neil Armstrong became the first to step on the Moon. Don’t forget the tremendous team effort!!
I would say: Lets continue to go for this planet, let’s go for ourselves and our own enlargement in person and spirit, – that we may shine as the Moon shines,- under the light of the Sun.
As this is light.
Lets go for the questions which part or which one is our own domain of care, which we can share. Which we can improve.
You know, devoted hearts are never a waste, – and walking with destiny, with passion for all of this, – can be a grace.
As this is light.
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Those things are told so that you may have harmony and encouragement this pending New Year. A year with grave concerns pending again. But it will not be the settlement of the grave or being the slave of a poor mind or conscious, – but the goodwill and the type of mindfulness which brings the present to the future.
As this is light.
A future where  we can respond with wisdom and kindness, rather than habit and reactivity.
A deal  you can’t refuse, isn’t it?
So let’s find first the final justice in ourselves, – and bring it out in both words and silence,  in both action and not acting. The last e.g . when not acting or responding to insults is the best way to do.
As this is light.
Are we able to refuse this?
Are we able to refuse to try to make both more gentle  the lives of others and ourselves?
Do we have a better bargain perhaps than this?
As the actor Al Pacino in his role of Michael Corleone once said,  and I translate it the way as I see: we are all part of the same hypocrisy if for the sake of unity in ourselves we turn a blind eye on what is going on around us and in this world. That is not mindfulness, that is duplicity. The same hypocrisy as shown at many levels in society. The same deception often found at organizational levels of many political and even sacred institutions and foundations. We know this, we see this. “It is easy to fool the eye, but it is hard to fool the heart…”
When evil men and powers plot, fine people must design and organize.
As this is light.
When  evil men and powers bomb and burn and take the life out of our kids, good men should raise and bind.
As this is light.
When  evil groups or men shout repugnant or sickening words, – great people  must undertake the splendour of real connections and affection.
As this is real light.
Our lifetime is too short and the endeavours are too great, –  and so we too have to make sure, within our domain of care, to let our best possible qualities flourish and to show our best possible courage and determination. The remedy lies in our own soul and if trillions of energies and daring are combined this way on this globe, we can say: We can change the world a little bit, in our strong connections in which we face the future. We can change the high tide of insanity for a high tide in humanity.
As this is the best light.
This is the offer we can’t refuse, isn’t it?
And  with this in mind, – I  wish you all an awesome 2016 , and more than this, – even better than this! .. Just embrace the future as a never ending story with everything you have, to make more gentle this generation and future generations!!!
As this is the best possible light!
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Thank you so much!

 Paul 

Paul Alexander Wolf
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2 responses to “You CAN’T refuse this 2016 offer , – CAN YOU ??‏”

  1. John Cromarty Avatar
    John Cromarty

    The claims of our Lord Jesus Christ remain as true today as when they were spoken and recorded in the gospel by the Apostle John (8:12)
    “I am the light of the world: he that follows me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.”
    To have the mind enlightened by God’s illumination is the true light which can never be extinguished.
    Thanks Paul for your thoughtful contribution.
    We must live in the light of both a present and a future grace.
    This remains the only hope for a dying world.

  2. debyc2013 Avatar

    Paul, thanks for the post. This is a smart and a very touching way to show us how mercy and compassion make the whole difference in human actions…

    Happy, prosperous, inspirational, and filled of joy and a fortunate New Year in 2016!

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