Today when I think about myself, I don’t feel different from the person I was at younger moments of my life. Yet I know that when I look in the mirror, that person has seen some things, been quite a few miles, and hopefully gained some wisdom. I think we all ponder what factors make us unique in a world that is constantly trying to make us as uniform as possible.
I think that it is kind of mind-boggling to think that of all of the billions and billions of people that have ever existed in the history of the earth, that there has never before been anyone who is exactly like me, and there never will be another again. The same is true for all of us, and there is something in that knowledge that forces us to take a little responsibility for our actions and the lives they create.
I am a one-of-a-kind original, as all people are, which is something powerful to think about. But still, I want to express what makes me a unique individual.
My Power
The first thing that you have to look at is the attributes I was born with, from my personality, which is uniquely my own, to how I react to and interact with the world. These actions are all mine and always have been. I think that I have contained the same personality and been the same person since I
I am what I am………awesome!
I was able first to be aware of life around me. Sometimes, I take things too personally, and I don’t give up on others very easily. Even when they have given up on me. I love to learn, and that is my real superpower because it allows me to continually grow and become a better person simply by using my brain. I have always put people into two categories. One is the sponges; these are people who soak up everything in their lives and learn from them. Taking the valuable and squeezing out the things which don’t matter. The second is rocks, hard and impenetrable. These people are so busy being right in who they are; they don’t absorb anything new and valuable. Growth is impossible. Which type of person are you?
My personality has been influenced and cajoled by the experiences that life has given me. My upbringing programmed me, and although I don’t think anyone meant me any harm, I have been spending my life unraveling the limiting beliefs I was instilled with as a child, from money issues to relationship knowledge. But in essence, the person at the core of my being is the same one who started this journey, just a more complex version.
My History
The second reason I am me is my family and our history. Each of the people of all relationships that touched my life, from my parents, grandparents, great grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and siblings, has all left a mark and helped mold me into the person I am today. Being brought up as the second child of four was the most influential portion of my childhood. The activities we participated in as a family were the first lessons in what is important.
Whether it was the direct lessons, they taught me, like be polite or don’t steal. Or the indirect lessons that they taught by showing kindness, compassion, and caring for others, I am indebted to my family for much of what I am today and for what I will become in the future. I often recall all of my grandparents; now they are all gone, those thoughts are all that is left. What would my grandparents think about the world as it is today, I wonder?
You will choose who you are
This was me at 5 years old. What advice I would give him.
Thirdly, I think that your life experiences make a big impact on who you are and, even more importantly, your reactions to the things that life throws at you. The past year has been a reminder to me about the yin and yang of life, how there always seems to be a dichotomy in all things. Where great good exists, there is the potential for great bad. I know this is true because that was my life in 2018.
There are circumstances you love, wishing they would last forever, and some which aren’t so nice to experience. With each experience, pleasant or difficult, you will always have the choice of what you take from it. In fact, often stressful, painful experiences are often the most educational, motivational, and ultimately valuable moves. How to grow, heal and forgive are often the most valuable residues of the suffering we face.
You alone are responsible for deciding if you learn something and move forward or be so devastated that you can only look backward with regret.
This is a personal choice that nobody can make for you, but one has gone a long way in defining who I am today and why I am me.
Many factors will cause us to reevaluate our lives, the death of a loved one, a serious illness, or perhaps the ending of a relationship.
That new perspective can catapult you into one of two directions, forward to accomplishment or backward in regret and despair. Sounds harsh, but there are only two ways you can go every day in the life: you are getting better, or you are getting worse, nobody stays the same.
Who am I in my own thoughts? To quote Lady Ga Ga, I was born this way, and there is really no other way I would rather be. I have spent too much time in my life worrying about what other people think of the actions I take and how they may look to them. The only person I really need to be concerned with is myself. I choose to base my life choices on strong, positive values like kindness, compassion, understanding, honesty, and integrity.
In the words of Carly Simon, “Nobody does it better.” I am the best me I can be, and that will have to be alright with everyone. Welcome to August 2021!! It’s a pleasure to make it this far.
No matter what life brings you, each person can either be grateful and appreciative of the experience, or they can be angry and disillusioned. The choice is always in your hands. Always.
Things Go Wrong Sometimes, Be Grateful
This is an easy idea to cope with when things are going well. There is plenty of money to do whatever you want, all of those you love are healthy and happy, and the most significant decision you need to make is what form of entertainment is in store for you this evening. Of course, you can be grateful and appreciative of this situation. Yet, I know many people in just such a predicament, and there is very little gratitude or appreciation.
It seems like so many are focused on what they don’t have rather than what they do have in their life. They have a house, but the problems with that house seem to stand out to them, and they only see the lack rather than the bounty.
When things are going badly, many people get discouraged by the pain, trouble, worry, or inconvenience. It is hard to see the positive and be grateful and appreciative when the cellar is flooded, possessions are being ruined, things need to be moved, and the plumber can’t come for two days. These situations make it difficult to appreciate, but in time the positive can be seen if you choose to look. No situation is inherently good or bad except for the label that we apply to it.
Appreciate the Good Things
Positives can be anything from being grateful for the times when the cellar isn’t flooded to the new closeness that your family has for working together getting through the problem. Being appreciative of the simple things in life is much easier when taken away for even just a short time. Today when we lose power for a day, we are lost. But you sure as heck have an appreciation when the power is back on.
Choose Appreciation and Gratitude
There is a power that comes with expressing gratitude for what you have. When you have a heartfelt appreciation for what you do have, I believe that it opens the door for more of the same to show up in your life. Be grateful for the comfort of the life we are provided each day. Enjoy the people who make your life the wonder that it is each day. The family and friends who provide all of the delightful flavors to your life.
Being grateful is always a choice to appreciate what life brings you. Not for what it is, but for what it allows you to be. All events can be positive life-altering events if you choose to make them so.
One of my favorite stories of my youth was The Lord of the Ring trilogy by J.Rs.R. Tolkien. I loved the fantasy of it and yes I was a total geek about it throughout my life. I had the occasion to read the poem All that is Gold did Not Glitter the other day, and I wondered why I liked it so much. It is the description of Aragorn and I feel it describes the way many of us think about our own journey. There is a hero inside of us, nobody can see, just waiting for the right moment to rise. This article attempts to explain my attachment to this poem and the connections I make to my life.
Here is the Poem in its entirety:
“All that is gold does not glitter,
Not all those who wander are lost;
The old that is strong does not wither,
Deep roots are not reached by the frost.
From the ashes a fire shall be woken,
A light from the shadows shall spring;
Renewed shall be blade that was broken,
The crownless again shall be king”
Below is my breakdown of the connection I see between this poem and life.
All that is gold does not glitter.
How many people have you met in your life where this is true? I can think of many gold people, right off the top of my head. Individuals who lived their lives honestly and helping other people every time they had the chance. Many helped me, and as a younger person, I was oblivious to the real gold that was located in their soul and was passed on to me. All of my grandparents were this way, and now they are
Gold does glitter, but so does great character!!
all gone, the lessons, the kindness, and the value of them has not diminished. It has grown. Their touch on my life and the lives of those that knew them was more valuable than gold.
As an older and hopefully wiser man, I try to remember and emulate those great individuals who have made living my life on the Earth a much more enjoyable experience. I only hope someday to be even a small influence of those lives I touch in a good way. Those that glitter, or look for attention are not really out to help anyone but themselves. Look for the people who do good for good’s sake, not their own.
Not all those who wander are lost.
It is common to relate your own position in life to the position of others. Most do it to gauge how they are doing in this game called life, others do it for comparison so that they can feel better about themselves and their decisions. It doesn’t matter where you are or even where you are going but the manner in which you are getting there. Honesty, courage, caring, understanding, acceptance, and love should all be a part of the journey. To ignore these things would be a lost journey indeed. Judging someone else based on the outward appearance, or your own preconceived bias is wrong.
I think that understanding our own journey is totally unique to us and will bring you all of the joy, happiness, thrills, and valuable lessons that you can learn from and become better from. Worry about your own wandering and accept that you can help others from time to time as well. Let others wonder on their journey, lost or not our journey is our own.
The old that is strong, does not wither.
Some certain truths and ideas may be old, but their value never diminishes. The power of love is one of these. Attributes like honesty, faithfulness, fairness; integrity is all examples of positive qualities that show strength and never go out of style or wither away. We often look at the aging process as something to be avoided or a bad thing. It isn’t it is just a part of the journey. We are all born, we live and at some point we will die. That is the way of it. As you get older and hopefully wiser, you gain a strength of character a younger man can’t have. Because you have faced the challenges life throws your way and you are still here. You have won.
The more we steer our life’s course toward these positive factors, the stronger your experience will be. Look at the people that you have known who you really admire. What adjectives would you use to describe them? Our character is defined by the choices we have made. Right or wrong at the time does not matter now, all taught a lesson and it is how you use that knowledge that matters today.
Deep Roots are Not Reached By The Frost
I think that holding your values dear to you and sticking by them steadfastly, is what this line means. The unavoidable changes in the world, like the weather, and what behavior is popular, is not going to affect a person who is really good.
The outside may be affected by the wear and tear of life, but the inside or the deep roots will never be touched by such temporary influences.
From the ashes, a fire shall be woken.
Everybody in the history of the world has had to face difficult times, it is a part of being human. If you have never seen your life reduced to ashes, literally or proverbially then either you are very lucky, or you better have the number to your local fire department handy.
This is not to scare anybody, but to state, most people have been down. That is not the part of the story that enthralls others, it is the rising from the ashes. The rebirth of your life, that is better than you could ever imagine it could be. The ability to rise from the destruction of everything you know, move forward and still thrive is the greatest of human stories.
A light from the shadow will spring.
It is at these moments when a person has been counted out, that they are primed for the greatest of victories. That light can be an idea, an act, or an event, but the greatest of these come from the places that are least expected.
Some of the greatest discoveries came from unexpected sources totally from left field. Not because that what the only place they could come from, but because that is where destiny deemed they should come from.
Renewed Shall be the Sword that Was Broken
The sword can represent any part of your life that was shattered by the events you experienced in your time. The renewal can be inside, outside, and most probably both. A person can come back, love again and triumph again and enjoy all of the fruits of life that were once at their convenience.
The Crownless Again Shall Be King
All people, in all walks of life, have great ability inside them. Even if they are not labeled as such, they are kings of what they possess. Whatever talents they were born with, leadership, music, science, mathematics, or athletic prowess, these are the keys to your kingdom. Please open your eyes and see what talent you have and pursue it.
The crown you wear will come from knowing that what you have been given by providence has been explored and exploited to its deepest and most complete capability.
All People Have Value
The key to happiness in these times for all people is to accept people for what they are, and what they possess inside. Much like Strider in the Lord of the Rings, great power can be hidden by appearance, and underneath the surface, there may be a warrior, a poet, a scientist, or even a king simply waiting for the right time to show themselves.
My advice is to avoid judging someone from their appearances and looks deeper into what characteristics and the values they live by. All people show you who they truly are through the values they represent day to day.
No pain, no gain is an expression many people use to find the motivation to get into better physical shape. For years I have thought it was a philosophy that missed the mark. Who wants to experience pain? Nobody. But recent experiences have led me back to this phrase and the absolute genius it provides in its simplicity. I believe now that there was much more truth in it than I ever could have conceived. No pain, no gain.
But recent experiences have led me back to this phrase and the absolute genius it provides in its simplicity. I believe now that there was much more truth in it than I ever could have conceived. No pain, no gain.
No Pain No Gain is a Part of Life
“Life is pain.” That is a line from The Princess Bride, and it is true. Many will look at that statement and think that all we have in life is pain, which is not valid. All people have a mixture of happiness, triumph, disappointment, love, anger, and of course, pain. Yet pain will be a constant part of your life because, in all things you attempt, there is a chance for the pain to occur.
Pain is everywhere. When you love, there is a chance for pain if it doesn’t work out or you lose that loved one. In your job, there is a chance for failure and despair. If you have kids, there is a chance for pain. Whenever something doesn’t work out ideally, there is a chance for pain.
As we all know, life rarely works out perfectly, and the result is pain. There is pain in rejection, defeat, failure, or criticism of others. It is not the pain itself that stops you from excelling. It is the fear of that pain that does this. No pain, no gain.
Don’t Hide
So that fear can make you hide from the chance of experiencing pain. It will make you find a safe place and sit there hoping that nothing terrible happens. Don’t try anything risky, or you might be hurt. The problem with this is that no person ever found their greatness by hiding safely in the corner to avoid criticism of others. There are many different kinds of potential dangers in life. Each brings its sort of pain, but through this pain, there is also a lesson.
Learn to leave your fear of pain and disappointment on the shores of the ocean as you cast your line and start to sail toward whatever dream it is that you think is essential. No pain, no gain.
No Guarantees Other than Pain
There are absolutely no guarantees that success will come to you. That is life. All you can control is your thought, your effort, and your direction on any day. They will take you to the places that you want to go. There may be lessons you need to learn, experiences that you need to have, or challenges to overcome that will move you toward your goals and dreams. Embrace them and look at them from that frame of mind. Don’t be afraid of others.
Embrace them and look at them from that frame of mind. Don’t be afraid of what others think because it doesn’t matter unless you choose to let it. Learn your lesson and move forward, and eventually, there is no place to end up other than success. These significant gains are made only through the existence of pain. Be grateful and understand that no pain, no payment is valid in life.
When you fall in love, you sometimes don’t have control over your senses. You are prone to do unpredictable things and might be susceptible
So Does the Music
to influences you would never otherwise fall prey to. Music can creep into your life. Let me rephrase that lousy music can creep into your life at that point and leave an indelible mark on your memory. One that will never honestly go away no matter what you do. I heard a song on the radio today, which brought this horrible phenomenon clearly into my thought, Billy Ocean singing his mid-eighties hit, “Suddenly,” and I realized that not only did I know every word, but I was getting a little emotional thinking about it. Weird, I thought, to hear music from so long ago. Billy Ocean is haunting me. Something needed to be done. The video of the song Payphone below sums up my thoughts on love songs.
I decided to be proactive, which led to this post. I am exorcising the demons of all of the silly, stupid, bad, and downright awful songs that have been tied to my memory by “love.” I thought this would be short but………….
First, those as mentioned earlier Suddenly by Billy Ocean, don’t worry if you watch this. The lyrics are included so that you can sing along as you listen to this song. I, unfortunately, don’t need that kind of help.
Next up is a song called Cherish by Kool and the Gang. Very similar sound to Billy Ocean. I must have had it bad actually to have liked listening to this stuff back then. But here it is, number two of the songs I need to forget. I often wonder, “what does the heart do?” Then I realize I will never understand and listen to Kool and the Gang.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_I0LSMXVUGs
The following is so embarrassing I almost left it off the countdown, but if I am honest, it has to be in there. Listening to Bonnie Tyler’s, Total Eclipse of the Heart, I often wondered why nobody would ever turn around? Oh, I know because now and then, I fall apart. I hadn’t heard this song in years, but maybe it is good to listen to………… now and then.
The next two go together because they came from the same movie, “Dirty Dancing,” yes, I saw it, and it has emotional connections to several loves of the past—time to put them all in the rearview mirror. The first is “Time of My Life,” this video has been viewed 106,208,763 times. Make that 106,208,764 after you watch it! Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes, thank you, I sympathize.
The other Dirty Dancing song is by the late great Patrick Swayze himself. She’s Like the Wind. I am not sure what being like the wind has to do with love, but it must have had something to do with it. Besides, “Nobody puts Baby in a corner.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oiiix_vIBSw
Sometimes a song is just tied to that special someone so tight, you can’t help but think of them whenever you hear it, ten, twenty, or thirty years after that heart -stopping individual has moved on down the road. Gloria Estefan’s song, I don’t want to lose you now is one of these for me. I really didn’t know this until I heard it playing in the background one day. Definitely made me think of a certain person at a particular time. It is a sappy song, but I, of course, can sing along perfectly.
The same can be said for I Can’t Stay Away from You. My life in the late 80’s was a Gloria Estefan soundtrack I guess. Sad but true.
As scary as these are, I could go on for at least ten more entries, I won’t, but I would love to hear what songs haunt other people.
It just goes to show that love stinks, and so does the music!
Do you believe that there is a soulmate out there for everyone? At first impulse, I often think, “No Way!” But then I did a little thinking…….
What is a Soul Mate?
This definition needs to be established first, and according to the internet, here is the description:
Soul Mate- a person, ideally suited to another as a close friend or romantic partner.
In this context, I am not sure how anyone could argue against the concept. We all have these people in our lives who are uniquely qualified to be a lover or friend over another person. They provide a unique understanding of the place you come from and help you understand your journey and that you are still OK after taking it.
Often, we look at ourselves and see the parts of us that we can’t fathom anyone loving. The ugly scars on the inside and out that life have left on our faces and our souls. Yet a soul mate can look at those scars, and suddenly they don’t seem to matter to them. They see character or toughness or experience that provides attractiveness to them. The scars don’t seem to matter at all. I have been fortunate enough to have experienced this in my life.
I think this is a question that has to be answered by each individual for themselves. Connections are made every day between people, and who is to say that they are soulmates or just random acquaintances. It is more than simply a romantic notion. I believe in the thought of a mirror. That we all need to have our weaknesses reflected on us to overcome them. Once the strange, uncomfortable differences in each of us are exposed, and we are still accepted anyway, that is the purpose of a soulmate. In each other, we find the strength to be our true selves.
In the end, being loved for your unique thought, action, and essence are what life is all about. Everyone deserves that at some point in their lives. There is something magical in the world of growth that occurs when we are given a chance to see our weaknesses.
To me, there is no doubt that soulmates exist, and we are each destined to meet them. If you haven’t met yours yet, then it could happen tomorrow. Perhaps you already know them and don’t realize it.
What is important to you in life? What is life all about? Why are you here? There are so many questions that we ask about life and our place in it that I thought it was time for some answers. These great questions will help you understand your thoughts in this area. I have tried to answer each according to my conscience. Only you can answer these 25 questions for yourself.
1. Is there a grand scheme of things?
I believe that there is a grand plan. We are all filling our part in this plan. You may be wondering where you fit, but sometimes it isn’t easy to see your part when you are involved personally in the tasks at hand. You are a valuable player in this game of life, and others depend on your behaviors, positive or negative, to get where they need to go.
2.Are we born with a destiny to fulfill?
Is there a destiny?
I think that we are all born with a potential for greatness, and you have the potential to be tremendous and experience excellence. Whether you do or do not fulfill your destiny is where your choices of development come. I think that I have a question about this. No matter what road we choose to take, will we end up in the same place in the end? Nobody can know the answer to this. However, that is what makes life interesting.
3. If so, what’s the use of forcing certain things we think should happen to happen?
Have you ever forced something and had success? I know that I have forced things I thought were good for me, and they turned out not to be very good for me at all. We are not always the best judge of what is best. All we can do is make choices and live with the results. There was a pretty resounding and clear answer when I had forced things that I shouldn’t do. It can also be painful. We should all take actions toward our goals because actions are the catalyst for anything, but lose your attachment to the results.
4. If all things come at the right time, why do we constantly worry about the future?
You can choose to worry if you want to. You can also choose not to worry.
Worry is just thoughts we have that make us feel like we are involved in the decision-making process. Some people think like worrying will keep away all results that are perceived as unfavorable. Some people believe worrying will prevent them from being disappointed. All you can do is live your life, worry if you want, but it won’t do any good. I think all things do come at the exact right time, and it is just that the clock is not run by what is easiest for us. It is best, sometimes hard lessons are best, and that can hurt, but it is always a choice to respond to any event. Worry if you want to, but I have found worrying a waste of time.
5. And what do we do during the intervals while we wait for those predestined things to occur?
Live your life. Live your life. Live your life. Enjoy what is happening. Why look ahead. Because you may feel you have a destiny ten years from now, who knows how long you have? Enjoy today. If you are looking ahead to find your future, you miss the fate right in front of you today!
6. Am I just wasting my time in seeking my purpose?
There are no wastes of time. Some are on the path of enlightenment, and some are on the way to video game supremacy. Who can judge what a waste of time is?
I don’t know are you wasting your time? Do you think you have control over it? You don’t. Birds gotta fly, fish swim, and you have to look for your purpose. I do not have the insight to tell you what will happen, but the growth you have experienced and your influence on others is indeed a good thing, so how could that be a waste of time. Change is inevitable, and if you weren’t changing one way, you would be changing another. Nothing is a waste of time unless you decide it is.
7. Do we even have a purpose? If so, Do you find your purpose, or do you create it?
I think we all have a purpose. Does it matter if you create it or you find it? It is there, like a mountain, it is there, it doesn’t matter how it got there, does it? It is there for you to enjoy, climb on and adventure on. Do what your heart tells you. Your purpose will become evident. If it feels right, do it; if it doesn’t feel good, don’t do it.
8.If you’re supposed to find it, how do you go about it?
Live your life. Please do what you can; it will find you. When you do something that fuels your fire, pursue it and accept the results that come. Trust that the experience will provide you with the lessons and value that you need. Without being aware, soon, your purpose will be evident.
9. If you’re supposed to create it, how do you go about it?
Live your life. Do what you can. It will find you. Be creative in any way that you can because creativity is the doorway to creation. It connects you to your true self and allows you to see a more significant piece of the puzzle. So draw, paint, write, think, tell stories, invent, experiment, or do whatever gets your interest.
10. Is there a Universal Force, a Great Creator, a Divine Source? Or, is it just us Humans of skin and bone?
Where do you find Divinity?
I have never been surer of anything in my existence. There is a force greater than ourselves. If you have become aware, you know this to be true as you feel your way through your life. This is the power that connects us and allows us to create unique and powerful human beings. Our vehicle for this adventure is the human body, and it should be valued, but our identity is not our body. If you were born into another body, wouldn’t you still be you?
Skin and bones, dust to dust, the body are temporary; your soul is eternal. If it is not, how come we do not age on the inside? We don’t. I feel the same in mind and spirit as I did when I was young. I have more experience in life, but I do not think differently. Do you?
11.Is there really something spiritual about us, and what about Mother Earth?
There is something spiritual about the world, and you can feel it anytime you get out into a natural setting. All living things have energy, and the power of one thing will affect the point of another thing. Those who neglect this connection miss out.
12. Or, am I kidding myself by not facing the cold, hard facts that this is it, this is our reality.
What is this? What reality are you afraid of? Working? Living life? Your truth is precisely what you accept it to be. You can choose to be spiritual or not be spiritual. You can get the world as you see it, birth, school, work, death. Or as something more. I choose something more. It doesn’t mean life has no moments of learning, or work, or sadness, but they do not come on a schedule, and they can’t be planned. Learning happens each day. Are you kidding yourself? Only you can answer that question. Knowing you, I doubt it very much.
13. Are we a soul living inside a temporary body?
As I answered above, yes, we are. We are spiritual beings having a human experience. All people are connected, and through cooperation, this becomes evident.
14. Are we eternal? Or, does it all end once you’re buried 6 feet under?
I think we are eternal. Yet, of course, we can never be sure. We will find out in the end, and that is a part of the mystery of life. I am not worried about if I am wrong because what difference does it make? Would you live life differently day-to-day? Most people wouldn’t.
15. Are we all the same?
We are all connected, and from the same, I think. My experience is different from yours, and we may have different backgrounds and speak other languages or be of different ages. Yet, there are many things the same. We each have a mind, heart, and soul. So does everyone else out there. Inside, we are quite the same, I can relate and understand your experience, and you can appreciate mine if you try.
16. Are we all connected?
We are all unique but connected, I think. There is no separation between you and me or you and anyone else in the world. That is why I believe it is essential to see all people with a kind heart and soft eyes. No matter what their position in life, they are simply another version of you. If you were born in different circumstances or experienced other things, who knows what you would have done? Be kind and look for the human connection between all of us.
17. If so, then why do I feel so separate?
Why do you feel so separate? Do you try to connect with others? Since I think that each of us is connected, it must be a choice to feel distinct. Maybe you need to have the experience that you are alone, who knows. Ten years from now, you will have a different answer, I think.
It is an illusion of separateness that we accept as accurate. We look at ourselves as islands of experience, unique to us, but we are connected, and all people have a similar core. Look at people as a connected part of you, and they will be. Or continue to see the illusion of being separate. The choice is yours.
18. Is there no magic in us?
There is magic in everyone. Unique and powerful spell. Look at all of the things that have already come from your life. You have created unique and mighty things, and I have benefited from them. No magic? What are you looking for? Magic beans? You have provided plenty of charm already, and you are just getting started. There is a future of magic and wonder coming for you and from you. Why else would you be asking all of these questions?
19. Are we just a brain, with arms, and legs?
I think we are much, much more. Some people lack arms or legs and still have a divine spark of creation that makes them think and feel like anyone with all their body parts. There is a divinity involved in the human experience. You, my friend are an example of this.
20. Is there a calling?
I don’t know. Do you feel like you were called? I think there is being yourself, and that is a calling. You are looking for answers to questions that deep down you already know the answers to.
21. Is the voice I’m hearing someone’s other than my own?
What does it matter? There is a dialogue in each of us. We ask questions continually, and someone answers. Is it God, is it us, or is it a combination of both? Again I wonder if it matters. We are who we are. The dialogue in our head is ours and can add a lot of clarity to our actions if we take the time to listen.
22. Or am I just a raving lunatic talking to myself?
Yes, you are a raving lunatic. Suppose that is what you think. I do not believe so because having questions is a natural part of life, and most people don’t get to the point that they even know there are any questions, let alone the answers to them.
23.Intuition or Institutional?
Do what you feel is the right thing. If you end up in a small room with no windows, you will have your answer. If you don’t, you will also have your answer. We are all in control of our own destiny, through the choices we make every day and the beliefs we accept, because of our programming.
Yes, I believe in God, a higher power, the Universe, whatever name you are comfortable with because there are certain things that are difficult to understand any other way. I am not a fan of organized religion. When you put yourself against someone else, calling your beliefs the “only way”, or you are going the wrong way. These organizations work to divide people, and this divisiveness has led to some of the greatest atrocities in history. I prefer to focus on the values which are true in all religions, honor, honesty, kindness, character, treat others as you would be treated, and all positive moral codes.
If religion is your thing, I support that but refuse to have my ship driven by your beliefs. I will continue to believe what I feel is right based on experience and you can follow whatever dogma makes your life seem complete. I will just say simply, do good things, not bad things and we will all be OK.
My own worst enemy is almost always in my mind, that voice that tells me I can’t, shouldn’t, or couldn’t possibly achieve what I would like to do. This message is an outdated survival mechanism left over from childhood. Where it once served a purpose but now only limits my potential. As I grow older, the voice of criticism that I hear and entertains works to destroy my confidence, lower my self-esteem, and significantly limit what I can achieve. It is time to Get rid of that voice or, at the least, pay very little attention to what it says. Here are a few of my favorite methods for limiting or eliminating my own worst enemy and learning to listen to positive self-talk.
My Worst Enemy Speaks Harshly
It would be best if you started paying attention to what the voice is saying about you, your appearance, and your abilities. Ask a question, and you will hear an answer in your mind: How do I look?
Will I be successful on that project?
How will that date go?
Will I get the job?
Or any of a thousand other questions, then listen to the answer. If it gives you a list of negative attributes that limit you, you have your answer. How do I look? You are too old. You have gray hair. You are too heavy. You have a scar on your forehead that nobody can find attractive. You are ugly. You are not appealing to others. This coding is a replay of things that I have thought about myself at some point in my life. See all negative and all need to be challenged and changed. My own worst enemy uses them to limit the chances of feeling the pain of rejection and disappointment. But it is essential always to realize that the opposite, more positive thought is still available to your mind. You have to pay attention to it.
Defeating My Own Worst Enemy
The way to change your thoughts is by paying attention to how you value yourself. Recognize that negative self-talk leads to negative emotions. It is challenging to build a positive image if you’re continually telling yourself how awful you are, how untalented you are, or how ugly and worthless you are. Change that around by focusing on your relevant personal characteristics. The great question is to ask yourself, would I speak to a young child this way? If you wouldn’t, then don’t talk to yourself in that negative, degrading tone. Changing is as easy as choosing a different thought. If YOU aren’t going to be optimistic about yourself, who is?
I think it is important to decide what you want in life. If you’re going to feel powerless and feel bad, then continue to listen to your own worst enemy. If you are ready to destroy the enemy within, start creating some positive affirmations that have truth and emotional attachment to them. I am talented. I am good with money. I am attractive. Whatever point you usually destroy yourself on, build yourself up.
My Own Worst Enemy is Defeated
You are in control of the thoughts that you entertain and give the power to guide you. To raise your self-esteem and personal energy, you have to learn to speak to yourself more loving and accepting. Your greatest enemy and greatest ally are simply a voice in your head, and you dictate the tenor and level of kindness that voice brings to your life. You have the pure power to turn your own worst enemy into your most trusted and valued supporter. It is a simple matter of what thoughts you are going to pay attention to.
Many problems come from the illusion of separation that people have been taught throughout life. Almost from birth, we are introduced to group people and label them based on arbitrary measures. Separation by race, religion, region, economics, or any other action is designed to create an identity, but they only build walls between people. Security is a big reason for this. Where you fit in, you are safe, but later it can be attached to a person’s self-worth and value. We are not separate; we are connected. The truth is that we are far more connected than we are different. Eliminate the separations between us, and the world will be a much more functional place.
Keep Learning and Growing
The more you learn and understand people, the more difficult it is to put a fence between you. At our core, we are all the same, and we have a soul, emotions, thoughts, and the capacity to love. Each person is blessed with the same essential functions. In this manner, we are all identical and connected.
Circumstances are different, and it is the circumstances that we tend to focus on. Fear makes people look for differences to make themselves feel more secure, self-assured, or successful. All of this is an illusion. Your success or failure is determined by your thoughts, actions, and perseverance in life. The external factors are arbitrary and have nothing to do with life’s joys or sorrows. We are connected in our humanity, wholly and unquestionably.
Behavior Alone Defines You
It is your behavior that is going to define who you are to yourself and the world. Your words can spin many stories, but your actions tell the truth of what you believe. If you look at the world as separate and look down on people because of broad labels, that shows a lack of growth. Racism is one of these things. Suppose a person judges another based on skin color that clearly defines him and nobody else. People use the perception of separation to manipulate behavior.
The same can be said for political labels, nationalistic or geographic separations. All of the barriers that we create to separate are built on fear and fear alone. Watch the national media, really watch them. Their message is based almost solely on fear. This message is given to control you. The way you think and the actions of our leaders that you will accept. Listen and learn. Messages of love are accurate; statements of fear are false. Listen to the message.
Fear or Love
Like many things in life, separation comes down to a simple choice between love and fear. Love expands, accepts, understands, and makes things better, while fear does the opposite, retracts, rejects, judges, and makes things worse. As individuals, we are responsible for our thoughts and our personal growth throughout life. You are not done, at 22 when you graduate college. Learning and growth are lifelong duties.
Some look at the world and see a collection of frightening problems, but others look at the same place and see the beautiful possibilities. Which type of person are you? We are all in this together, and we can spend our time fighting and fretting over our perceived differences. Or we can spend the short time we have in life enjoying our experience and erring on the side of love.
It seems like some people have just decided to be miserable with their lives. There are several sure-fire behaviors that we can all choose which are guaranteed to make you carry a negative attitude in your life, give you less happiness and cause your negative emotions to dominate your days. Practice these things, and you are guaranteed to be unhappy. Be careful because happiness will always seek a way into your life. We all have an inner desire to find happiness, so if you are not there right now, understand that probably many of these things are being practiced, and it is time you rethink your conscious thought choices. Do the following things, and you will join the ranks of the negative. Do the opposite, and you will find fulfillment in life.
Be Mean to Others
A great place to start is to make sure that you are mean to other people. Most people are mean and accepting of others because we see faults in them that we see and dislike in ourselves. So look at what you dislike about yourself, recognize it in someone else, and be mean to them. Gossip about them, name call and discriminate if you can.
Never learn to accept your flaws because being mean to others is virtually impossible when this happens. Once you start to show kindness, your urge to be kind will grow. Soon kindness will outshine any mean thought, and you will be accepting of others and yourself. Happiness is an uncontrollable byproduct of this situation, so beware.
Be Selfish
Whatever you do, worry about yourself only. Let’s face it, and you are the only one that matters. Everyone else only matters as much as they contribute to the value of your life. If they can’t help you, forget them and find “friends” who will be able to advance your career and wealth in some way. Never put another person first or care what makes others happy.
If you should start putting other people first, then your life would quickly become a happy experience. So be vigilant that this never happens. Once a person starts to give to others, it can grow into a habit. Giving is a precursor to receiving, so if you give love, you will also receive it. It is almost impossible to be unhappy when you get kindness and love from others, so be vigilant. Each day is a new opportunity to be kind.
Be Ungrateful
Never be grateful for anything in your life. Gratitude is a compelling thing and can make you smile, feel good, and be uncontrollably happy.
The funny thing is that if you allow a little gratitude for something, it will invite more of that very thing into your life. Soon you will be smiling all the time and happy without even realizing it. So make sure to be ungrateful to maintain a solid level of unhappiness in your life.
Send Hate
For no real reason other than you are completely miserable, send hate out to everyone and everything. That is sure to make you very unhappy. Be careful, though, because there will always be people who are going to want to love you despite all of your flaws.
Love is a potent emotion, and once you start to allow it in your life, it will tend to grow. Soon before you know it, you won’t even be able to fathom how you ever hated anything. You will start to care about people, and happiness will be the unstoppable result. You will send love to all people, and the momentum in your life will be moving toward uncontrollable, unstoppable, and unimaginable happiness. Who would want that?
Wallow in Self Pity
Finally, one of the best ways to build and maintain unhappiness is to continually feel sorry for yourself and blame all circumstances and other people for any misfortune in your life, real or perceived. Always ask the question, “Why me?” or “Why do these things always happen to me?”. Never accept responsibility for your actions.
Be careful here because once people stop feeling sorry for themselves, they could find uncontrollable happiness in their lives. You will recognize this possibility when you start looking for solutions rather than wallowing in the past or letting challenges overwhelm you. Once you get past the why me mentality, happiness is easy to attain and hard to get rid of, so be very careful about putting the past behind you. It will make your life better.
Complain……………..A Lot
Nothing makes a person as unhappy as unlimited complaining. Be unhappy about everything and share it with anyone you come in contact with. Never let any positive words pass your lips. Even when good things happen, complain about them. Not only will you be unhappy, but everyone around you will be unhappy too! It is a win-win.
The danger here is that some people will begin to use positive thinking. They will look at the good side of any situation, and that will definitely make them happy. When you speak with positive energy, you spread positive energy. So your positive talk can spread just as quickly as the complaining. Soon everyone you know will be happier, and it will all be your fault. Watch out for positive thinking, and it will make your life a happier experience.
As you can see from these examples that it is easy to make yourself unhappy if you want to. It seems like many people I run into daily don’t need my advice in this area. Remember, it takes just as much effort to choose to be happy as it does to be unhappy, so choose your actions and thoughts wisely.
The power of gratitude
Practice Being Grateful and Reap the Benefits
Gratitude, the Gift
Manifesting Grace Through Gratitude – Day 1 The Path to Grace Begins Today
Are You Grateful Today?
