Want a good movie to see this weekend? Wholesome, clean, uplifting, inspirational, moving — bella is an amazing film that will make you feel good. It won the People’s Choice Award from the Toronto Film Festival in 2006, but couldn’t find a distribution company so it is being distributed independently.

bella is about character, commitment, humility, compassion, service to others, overcoming tragedy, and joy.

For more information go to bellathemovie.com

How do you honor people who were held as forced laborers in life-long bondage and made to help build one of the greatest symbols of American freedom? A couple of weeks ago the House of Representatives passed a bill to name the largest room in the new Capitol Visitor Center, “Emancipation Hall,” in honor of the slaves who were physically forced to help build the U.S. Capitol.

I appreciate that the House wants to honor a few of the millions of Americans who were cruelly crushed by our democracy. That is a step in the right direction. However, “emancipation” means “the act of setting people free” and the people who the House wants to honor were being driven as slaves rather than being set free. Surely there is a more accurate name to honor the slave Capitol builders than “Emancipation Hall.” That name seems to gloss over the reality of the lives and situation of those the House wants to honor.

The House could be radically honest and call it “Human Hell Hall” in memory of all the horrible sufferings that the slave Capitol builders were put through against their will. Other honest names would be “Sins Of Our Fathers Room” or “American Holocaust Hall” or “Humans Are Not Chattel Hall” or ”Suffering Slaves Room.”

Quotavation is motivation in the form of a short quotation. It’s quick. If you regularly meet your quotavational quota it will quadruple your emotional quadriceps and lift you out of your quagmire.

Regularly reading your quick quotavation quota will qualify you for a quality life. Even if you have qualms about quotations, at least give it a try.

If your life is in a quandary, even a small quantity of daily quotavation will make a quantum leap in your life and calm your inner quarreling. So use your quick quotivation quota to quash anxiety, to quiet cravings, to quit quirks, and to quell any negativity in your life.

Here is how it works. Copy your quick quotavational quota. Carry it in your pocket. Frequently read it through out the day. Keep it up for 21 days and then observe to see if there is any new strength in your emotional quadriceps.

Quick Quotativation Quota #1 — “Make yourself an honest person, and then you may be sure there is one less rascal in the world.” –Thomas Carlyle

“Unless you repent, you too will all perish,” has been lost to the idea of self-approval.

“Watch out for false prophets,” has been lost to the concept that anybody who claims to speak for Jesus is valid whether they obey Him or not.

“Deny yourself,” has been replaced by self-promotion.

“Be reconciled to your brother,” has been lost to hard nosed competition even among religious people and organizations.

“Follow Me,” has been exchanged for the idea of following human ministers.

“Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you,” has been replaced with retaliation.

“Go and sin no more,” is dodged with the argument that everybody sins.

“Give,” has been turned into a “seed” and a technique to create personal wealth.

“Pray for those who persecute you,” now often means pray to get even with them.

“Store up treasures in Heaven,” has been turned around to mean that we should get as wealthy as possible here on earth.

“The greatest among you will be your servant,” has been changed to the idea that the greatest is the one who controls a church or ministry and names things after himself.

“The seed is the word of God,” is ignored and money is called “the seed.”

“Everyone who exalts himself will be humbled and he who humbles himself will be exalted,” has been replaced with the idea that the one who promotes his own name, picture, and reputation gets the glory.

“Lead us not into temptation,” has been replaced with the idea that we stay as close to temptation as we can.

Motivation Quotation: “Isn’t it possible that tradition, custom, a comfortable rut, a familiar lifestyle, may keep us from the greatest thing life offers? And if so, isn’t custom a deadly drug, tranquilizing us, preventing changes that will be wholly for the good?” –Clement of Alexandria

Move Into Motivation: Those are good questions. Perhaps we are being held back from a better life by custom and tradition.

It is easy to settle into a routine both in our behaviors and in our thinking. Then routine stretches into habit and habit keeps us doing and thinking the same things over and over again, even if those thing are producing bad results for us.

We often forget to evaluate outcomes in our life. Are our thoughts and behaviors producing the results that we want in our life? If not, we can step outside our comfort zone — think new thoughts, do new things, and quit our self-destructive, pain producing attitudes and actions. We don’t have to allow custom to keep us doing and thinking what isn’t producing a joyous, hope-filled life.

There is a way for everyone to find peace, contentment, satisfaction, fulfillment, encouragement, gratitude, and good cheer. All we have to do is leave our ruts and search till we find the thoughts and behaviors that will produce those outcomes!