Essays by Thomas Martin

  by Thomas Martin What if I told you that happiness is just one step away? That there is only one thing you need to do to be content and happy?    Would you take that one step?    Is joy more important to you than sorrow?    Is giving up one thing to receive thousands of other blessings sound like a good thing? It’s really that simple but It isn’t all that easy, yet the results are amazing.    This one thing is the root cause behind almost all unhappiness in the world.    It is definitely the primary reason for the failure of relationships.   So what am I asking you to give up in life?    What is the one thing to give up so that many wonderful things may enter your life?    I’m asking you to give up Expectations.   There is an adage that members of AA are taught in their twelve-step program.    That saying is, “Let Go, Let God.”    As much as I believe and trust the power of God, I think in many ways, the power of this statement is in first part; Just letting go of expectations.   I u

  by Thomas Martin I think almost all men reach a point in their lives where they question whether or not they have “made a difference” in this world.   One of the most touching moments in film is in Saving Private Ryan when the adult Private Ryan takes his family to the cemetery in Normandy, France; he kneels down at the grave of his dead Captain, weeps, turns to his family and asks, “Have I been a good man?”   Another very impactful movie/documentary to me is Searching for Sugarman .  It is the story of 1970s singer Rodriguez.  Rodriguez was considered by many in the music industry to be the next really big thing, but he found only moderate success in the United States.  He was finally dropped from his record label and faded into obscurity.  What he did not know was that he made a huge impact in the lives of the youth in South Africa during the time of Apartheid.  In fact, he was the biggest selling artist of that time.  The youth who opposed Apartheid drew inspiration from the musi