Monthly Archives: June 2021

21

Your Story

Leave a comment

story-of-your-lifeThere is only a short time allotted to each of us to write the story of our life, and with that time, we are tasked with a lot of things to accomplish. You have only one life to get things right and sing the song you want to sing. Time to get busy finding out what it is that you want to do and what you want to leave behind in the wake of your efforts.  You are the only one who can write the story of your life.

Size of Your Success in the story of your Life

The size of your success is only limited by the size of your thoughts and the limitations of your beliefs. desireLook at your goal and develop it. Take that initial goal and make it as big as you can imagine, and then start getting excited about bringing it about. Make your dreams so compelling that you will that you can’t wait to work on them because waiting to experience them, in reality, is too painful.

This enthusiasm is a must. I think all successful people find as they start to build their dreams and achieve their goals. Look at all the greatest stories and accomplishments you have ever heard of.  At the core of them was an enthusiasm that pushed them through each day to accomplish greatness. So tune your enthusiasm to the size of your goals and attack it as your story depends on it because it does. That is how you write the story of your life.

Paying the Cost for the Story of your Life

pppjjjjAll things of value are going to come at a cost. That is what makes an accomplishment something to treasure. That is why people are willing to work hard to be a success. Unfortunately, not everyone is willing to make sacrifices to become the best at what they do or build the best company. Greatness has its price, and chasing your dreams is something that you should do with every ounce of yourself because you only have this one chance. You can sleep later or get to work. You can watch TV, or you can work. You can play computer games or work on your craft. It is all up to you. Remember, there is only one chance to write the story of your life.

It is time to start writing your story and decide what your legacy will be. Your thoughts will lead to your actions which will write the story that others will read throughout history. How many will read the story of your life?

 

21

My Fears

Leave a comment
My fears
My fears follow me like a ghost.

I often write in generic terms, through which I remove my emotions from the words, which makes the thoughts clearer for others to understand, but today my connection to the topic is personal, my link to my fears. Each day there seems to be a different mix of emotions. I move from fear to bravery to fear and back again. Anxiety, to me, is a force we are all learning to deal with, but my worries are much more constant and more significant than I once believed. Overcoming them is the secret to moving forward in life, or more likely to move forward is overcoming my fears.

Facing and Dealing with My Fears

I am like most people. I am afraid that I will be inadequate in what I attempt to do. I am so scared that I will let others down or, more rightly, myself in an attempt to accomplish anything. My failures are most my fearsoften a result of these things. What if I try and give it my all, and it still doesn’t work? What then? The root of most of my fears developed through experiences, the time I tried, and it didn’t work out, the time we failed or forgotten. The time we were hurt. The fear of being hurt again limits us. How do you overcome this?

Could you take Action to Defeat My Fears?

Taking action is the right cure for fear. My fears live in the midst of the unknown and are manifested by worry. Worry is the result of fearful thoughts that don’t allow for growth. Worry amplifies fear.  Action defeats it. There is no fear after taking action because there is no doubt and nothing to worry about because the results are all there to analyze.  Your mind moves from the unknown to the known. Even if your actions don’t work out the way you envisioned, they still allow you to move forward in your life.

Fear rarely occurs when you are in the midst of danger. Instead, you react, without a doubt, and the thoughts of what might have been only visiting you after an event. Fear is just a thought that you pay attention to in your consciousness. The action puts your focus away from your fear, and that is a good thing.

Take Action

eleanor-quoteThe obvious thing for me to do is take action and let the cards fall where they will. Fear is a prescription for limit and lack. Action is the conduit for results and knowledge. There is no fear in education, only hard truth, which can take you exactly where you want to go in the world.

All of the monsters we fear to live in the dark and are revealed to be harmless when a little light reveals their true nature. Action is the light that allows you to face, deal with, and eliminate the limiting fears in your life. I am resolving to take steps that will lead me to where I want to be.

My Biggest fears: 

Trying and not succeeding- this leads to difficulty finding motivation and stops affirmative action. 

Unexpected Loss- Makes me very guarded with opportunities. What if they don’t work out. 

Opening up and being hurt for it.   It makes me sabotage many relationships before they get too far. Hurt them before they can hurt me. 

Not being good enough- If you never go all out, you will never know your value, so if you never put yourself out there, this will never find realization. 

Action is the cure for all of these things, and I know that and am attempting to take positive steps in defeating each of my fears so that I can live a life full of the things I want: success, love, fun, growth, and all the positive things life has to offer. We will see how I am doing, defeating my fears.

21

To Read

Leave a comment

Reading is The Key to Learning Anything

reading is power
All The Power in the world is contained within the binder of books!

If you are looking to be the best you can be, I don’t think there is a better activity for you than reading.  When you talk to people today, it is sad how little we read books that expand our horizons and push ourselves to grow and think a little.

I understand that there is an inordinate number of distractions out there today, all vying for our short attention spans, and books seem to be getting the short end of the stick. But, unfortunately, with that, so are we.

Books Changed My Life

I am going to champion the wonder of books and the magic they carry in their pages, just waiting for you to read their words: the imagination that they provide, the knowledge, and the answers to questions.

I was fortunate to have been a reader since I was four years old, reading books with my parents and myself as often as possible. So, as a child, I was aware of the power of words to catapult your imagination and stimulate thoughts of places you have never been, and expand your mind.

As I grew older, the importance of reading fell behind other interests like sports, girls, and money.  I was subject to the same time restraints everyone else is.  I forgot what power was hidden in the pages of these works of art. Each book possesses an opportunity to learn and grow. Yet, I did not take them right away.

teaching you something through books
Find the book that is just right to interest you.

Eventually, as life has unfolded, I finally started to ask some questions that nobody I knew could answer.  How we positively live life, and what being alive on this planet was all about?  I wasn’t the first one and won’t be the last to ask deep questions. Fortunately, I was able to find some great guides for this journey, and they were all located in the pages and words of books.

The Key to the Kingdom

The first really great book I read was called The Kingship of Self-Control and The Majesty of Calmness, by William George Jordan, which he wrote about 100 years ago, but it is a guide for your behavior, most part applicable today.

Dealing with honesty, greed, calmness, how to treat others was a revelation, and I have him to thank for my reawakening in literature.  Since I read that book, I have read somewhere between 60 and 100 books on various topics, but always being drawn toward philosophy, psychology, and how life works.

william george jordan
The Book that started my journey will make you want to be a better person!

The more I read and learned, the more I wanted to learn. There were many things that nobody had ever told me, so not only was I entering a new world I had never visited, it was a world I didn’t even know existed.

There are other philosophies about reality or that our minds work a certain way because conditioning was an exciting discovery.

There isn’t any force that could stop me from learning more and reading now.  That is a passion and a desire that I would hope for everyone.

One of the saddest conversations I have had recently was with a high school student who stated clearly that most of her classmates didn’t see the value in reading and, in fact, couldn’t remember that last time they read a book.

They stated that they didn’t see the value in it. You can watch things on television or on your computer.  This is true, but you will never have the intricate connection that absorbing words from a page into your mind will give you.

This connection is more powerful than any television show you will ever see and is available to anyone literate.  Once you have the power of literacy, all you have to do is apply it, and there you go, you are off to whatever pinnacle you are reaching for.

The Dream Builder

For myself, reading helped crystallize what my dreams were, and it may help others do the same thing.  Read a book about something you are interested in and then ask questions about the information you learn.  That will inevitably lead you to another book and more knowledge, and before long, you will be smarter than you ever imagined possible.

Knowledge is power, and power will help you get anywhere you want to go, regardless of

be a bookworm
I can’t think of anything better than being a Bookworm!

your economic background or family situation can achieve whatever you want by applying yourself in reading.  You can learn from the mistakes of others, building on their philosophies, adopting what proves right to you, and discarding what doesn’t seem to fit. Unfortunately, this is learning and seems to be a lost art in our overly mandated education system today.

So if you are wondering about anything and curious about how to be successful or how to run a business or climb a mountain or sail a boat, all that you need to know is located somewhere in a book for you to discover, read, and read and master.  All you have to know is where to look.

Read for your mind, read for your soul, and read for your success.  There isn’t anything you can’t accomplish through the power of literacy.

 

Some of the books I have read and would recommend checking this link. 

Get a move on and read, get smarter, become successful.

 

21

Day Before

Leave a comment
You never see the real painful things coming.
You never see the harrowing things coming.

There are days that you remember because they have a long-lasting effect on your life.  I certainly have many of these.  Some days serve to remind me of those moments when my life changed so dramatically that it could never be the same again.

What had been my life was over and what was coming next was unknown and unpredictable. The experience I identified as my life was shattered into a million pieces, and no matter how they my life will never be the samewere put back together, they would never be the same. They would never fit snugly.

What was I going to do? But what about the day before? The day before, my life changed forever. Before the accident. Before we told the truth. Before she left. Before the death. Before………

I remember having several days where my life ended as I knew it, and the scars are going to be carried inside for the rest of my life.  Those painful moments are seared into my memory, and their story has become a part of my inner and outer story.  I have remembered them more than I care to admit and still feel a dull pain of regret and longing for the past.   It is strange, but I remember the days before with as much clarity as to the traumatic events themselves. I had no idea that I would never be the same.

I remember that I worked out that day. If I had known it would be my last, I would have probably commemorated it more but got my work done and then went home.  I remember hurrying to mow the lawn before it rained because there was a storm coming. I got half of the backyard done before it rained. I had no idea I would never finish that lawn for the rest of the summer.

As the rain started to fall and the thunder rolled in the distance, warning of the foul weather to come, I had no clue that in many ways, it would never be clear skies again for years to come.  I remember watching the rain from my back porch and thinking of the small, boring things I had to do tomorrow, the next week, the next month.   What to eat? What to watch on television? What to do in two weeks? The futility and foolishness of those thoughts could only be revealed by the

What to eat? What to watch on television? What I “needed” to accomplish? The futility and foolishness of those thoughts could only be revealed by the wisdom or folly of the days coming unforeseen in my future.  The day before my life, as I knew it ended, I had no idea of what was coming.  I think that is what they mean when they say ignorance is bliss. 

I am sure that is how most people feel on the day before your life changes forever. A regular day of “normal” thought that will unexpectedly be interrupted by the devastation of the storm to come, unlooked-for and out of nowhere.  I am not sure if they are meant to last as a memory of peace or one of torture.

I hope that you have never met this kind of tragedy and that your life is full of happy days that you truly enjoy. There is a part of me that will always warn you, though; Beware of the calm sea because often there is a tempest waiting under the surface, simply waiting for the right time to alter your life forever.

Know that no matter how devastated you are or how many changes you undergo, there is still hope. I hope that you will be stronger and can put your life back together again.

I hope that the pain of the current circumstance will sharpen your talents and wits to the fine sharp edge needed to accomplish great things. It can build your confidence back up again after a fall and allow you to rise higher than was previously possible.

Hope is the light of the future, and it allows all people not only to seek but to find retribution in your life. It allows you to take the next step forward when all you want to do is quit. Don’t quit, or you will never know what you are capable of contributing.

Know that each day, there is something to be grateful for and to enjoy. So enjoy it because you never know what will come tomorrow.

21

Under Rocks

Leave a comment

Are you doing what you believe in, or are you settling for what you are doing?

I think that I have to answer this question by saying that I am doing what

doing what you believe in
Do You Believe?

I believe in it because I Am sincerely searching to find what I do believe in and what I am doing is giving me the ability to keep looking for the right path for me.

I believe that I was settling for what I was doing for much of my life, which ultimately led to a life that was unfulfilled, unexciting, and fake.

Life had been moving along just fine, a job, a career, a belief that I was

doing what you belive
And Achieve

doing what I should, and on the surface, it seemed that was where I should have been.

But below the surface, I never felt quite right about it.  It always felt like there was something significant missing, but I ignored that feeling for many years and carried on.

There were many good times and great experiences, but in the end, there was a feeling that I should be doing much more with my life.

Finally, circumstances came into place that made me face significant questions about who I was and what I wanted from life. I would recommend that anyone be careful of asking too many questions unless you are ready for answers you may not like.

Once the ball started rolling, I couldn’t stop if I tried. I was turning over rocks

finding answers under rocks
Find Answers Under Rocks

to see what answers were under them, usually finding another rock that provided another question, which needed another answer.

There are many questions that I will never answer, but the point isn’t to find an answer but to strive for an answer and find the truth about yourself along the way.

So as I continue to search for truth, I am doing what I believe in, and that is treating everyone I meet with respect, making honoring choices, and trying to be the best person I can be.

Appreciating all of the experiences I am fortunate enough to have in life and making the world a better place for those with who I come in contact.  That is all anyone can do, and I think to make this experience the best we can for all involved.

Life is definitely not boring or fake to me. I know that everything I have experienced is for a reason. There is meaning in every part of it. I appreciate that and believe that I am making a difference in my own way and will continue to for as long as I am fortunate to be a living human being on the planet.

So that is what I believe in and what I am doing in everything that I do.  There is no time for settling anymore. There are far too many rocks to be turned over, answers to be shared, and truths to find.

ALL MY LIFE, I’VE BEEN SEARCHING FOR SOMETHING

21

Anger

Leave a comment
For those who like spelling!
For those who like spelling!

I was faced with today’s question of whether or not anger is a bad thing or a good thing. I believe that anger is one of the emotions that you should avoid because it is one of the emotions that stem from fear.  However, being the open-minded person that I am, I am willing to look at the emotion of anger from a neutral standpoint and decide once and for all if it is desirable to be angry or not.

Anger is just Anger

I am the first to admit that anger in and of itself is not a bad thing or a good thing. It is just a thing.  We all experience the emotion of anger because we are human. But, it is how we deal with that emotion that I think is important.  So, where your anger takes you in your thoughts, words and actions will determine whether that experience is productive or not.  This determines if it is good or bad for you.

Is anger Good?

Happiness is better than anger.
Happiness is better than anger.

There are some good things to anger.  The emotion itself exists to let us know when someone or something is hurting us or our needs are just not being met. It acts much like a smoke detector, warning of potential danger.   The positive possibilities exist when you look at the anger and understand why you feel this way.  Dealing with these emotions positively and discussing them with the people close to you allows you to work on that warning sign, and the next time it will bother you less.

Anger Problems

It’s not the anger that is the problem. Poor management of anger is the problem. If you are prone to angry outbursts, then you know that anger is more often than not going to entice you to say or do something that you will be apologizing later for.

Anger causes you to react from emotion and act quickly, without really thinking, and those results are usually bad.  But more importantly, I believe it is important to recognize where that anger is taking you.  If, for example, anger makes you physically violent, then that is wrong, and it is always wrong.  That is the most dramatic case, and most people would agree that it is never OK to commit physical violence no matter what someone does to make you mad.

tumblr_mdfkwiHmPt1rzcaajo1_500Everyone knows someone who has an anger management problem, and they are not pleasant people to be around.  You live your life walking on the edge of a volcano, with no idea when it might explode, spewing hot lava all over you.  I have also been fortunate enough to interact with people who use their anger as a push to understand themselves.

We should apply the same filter to other reactions which result from anger.  Much like the action to hit, push or slap a problem away from you because it hurt you, a person can react just as thoughtlessly by adding hate, revenge, or jealousy to the problem.  This would be a great example of how to turn the emotion of anger into something terrible.

Anger leads to Revenge, hatred, and jealousy, to name a few.

Negative thoughts that we entertain are going to affect our lives negatively.  Whether you believe in karma, quantum physics, or Christianity, hate is not an acceptable thought or behavior, and nothing good ever came from revenge, hatred, or jealousy.  They are nothing more than a person’s effort to “payback” someone or something that hurt them or didn’t fulfill a need.  So allowing this anger to churn inside you and spin out these other negative thoughts and actions will harm your existence.

Hating someone because of something they did to you or someone else is the same thing as hating yourself. We all have the ability to commit great evil and to show tremendous love.  How can you hate someone else for acting exactly like you are capable of?  You never have to like what they do or accept it.  Deplore the act, but forgive the person responsible because it is only through forgiveness that you can find peace.

Revenge will Get You Nowhere.

The same can be said for revenge. When someone hurts you, the most natural response is to want to hurt them back in any way you can.  Through name-calling, disparaging comments, or actions that you know will cause pain.  You can find revenge, but it will not make you a better person.  Anger is the hot rock that burns the one that holds it.  To hold a grudge, or obsess about paying someone back, is only going to stop you from moving forward.  The past

All emotions are ok, it is our reaction to them that causes problems.
All emotions are ok; it is our reaction to them that causes problems.

It is gone, it is over, and no matter how much punishment your hurt feelings get you to implement, you can’t change the act that hurt you.  This thought pattern will stop you from letting it go and move forward.

Jealousy is a Monster

Anger often is turned into jealousy about careers, love, or even possessions.  There is nothing positive about this emotion.  Jealousy is selfish and can turn one of the best experiences in life, love and turn it into a controlling, manipulative relationship.  Most of this comes from anger that you either ignore and are a slave to in your reaction to it.

These are just three negative emotions that stem from not positively handling your anger.  My experience with each of these has been inclusively negative in every way imaginable.  Jealousy stems from anger fed by insecurity. Revenge is a reaction to make someone else recognize and understand the hurt you are feeling, and hate is an emotion that has no positive aspect to it at all.

Forgiveness is Final

There is no reason to beat yourself up or think you are a bad person if you experience anger because we are all humans, and we all experience anger.  Gandhi experienced anger, but he didn’t let it consume him. He believed you had to forgive those who wronged you or the things that happened to you.  Once you let them go, they no longer have any power over you, and you can freely move on with your life.  Much like a giant burden is taken off of your back.

In conclusion, Anger is an emotion that is neither good nor bad; it is an inevitable piece of being a human being, stemming from being hurt or not having your needs met.  How you deal with anger and what you let it manifest into in your thoughts, words and deeds are where we can recognize anger as either positive or negative.

 

21

Doors

Leave a comment

“There are things known, and there are things unknown, and in between are the doors of perception.” – Aldous Huxley

SHORPY_8d27251a.previewI came across this quote today, and it stuck in my head. It was worth a little thought. Maybe too little. Do you know what is important to you? Do you know the meaning of life? Do you know what your inner nature is? Do you see the power of your thoughts? What happens when this physical life ends?

We don’t know many things, and we are looking for the doors that will bring us into knowledge and understanding of a new life. This quote is said to have been the inspiration for the band the Doors to choose their name. Jim Morrison was on to something, but it makes me think about our perceptions of our realities and how foggy the unknown can make our lives.

What You See Isn’t Always What you See

a Julian Beever’s pavement drawing. amazing!!
Julian Beever’s pavement drawing. Amazing!!

There are whole industries created in marketing that show that our perception will see what they want us to see. That is how they control the marketing dollars by turning your perception of reality into wanting their product. There are also many artists who

An entire generation were lied to about the harm of tobacco products, but good advertisements made the perception of cigarettes positive.
They misled an entire generation about the harm of tobacco products, but good advertisements made the perception of cigarettes positive.

Create incredible images that manipulate our perceptions. Two-dimensional drawings which appear three-dimensional.  These trick your eye into believing something that is not there. How many things in our lives are doing the same thing?  Showing us what we already assume we are looking at, but it is something different. The only way to discern the truth of these perceptions is to investigate them thoroughly. Unfortunately, many people are living in a walking sleep and have no interest in finding the truth. Find the truth and change your perception. Open a new door.

Our Story Can Change

city3All of us have a story that we tell about our lives. It explains who we are and how we have come this far in life. Our trials and triumphs take center stage in this tale about our existence. BUT what happens if you change the story? What happens if you add something new and exciting or remove something devastating and sad? How does your perception change, and more importantly, how does someone else’s perception of you change?

Only by changing the story you tell can you change your perception of yourself. Give it a try. Change that tragedy to a win. Talk about it and see if it turns your descriptions.

Open The Doors of Perception

williamblake396783To understand people better and get fundamental knowledge of yourself, let’s open up these doors to the unknown. All things in your reality come down to the decisions that you make. Decide to be more accepting and open-minded about all facets of life, rather than force-feeding yourself the same old story about something you encounter. Look at it from a new point of view.

Engage in reading books that teach you something or videos about topics you want to learn. As your mind expands with new information, your perception of life is going to change. It has no choice, and it will not go back to what you perceived before.

The more we learn, the more we move into the unknown, the more doors we open. The more entries we begin, obviously, the greater our perception of the world around us. To expand your mind with more thought and knowledge, and the treasures of the world may just be yours. 

Wayne Dyer’s famous quote: “If you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.”   This quote tells us that our perceptions of the world are under our control, and it is our choices and decisions that make up our perception of reality.

What are you looking at today that brings a negative perception into your life?

21

Kindness

Leave a comment
You are responsible for doing this!!
You are responsible for doing this!!

No matter where you are in the journey of life, there will be opportunities today to practice kindness of some sort, which will enhance someone’s experience on Earth in a positive way. If you need any convincing that taking this action will improve the world, then I wanted to provide you with five reasons that kindness is fantastic, and you can be the catalyst for this today, right here, and right now.

Kindness Can Change The World

How the world is viewed is unique to each of us. Kindness allows us to share a positive view of kindness inpiresothers. Simple acts of kindness show others that they aren’t on this journey all alone. We are all in this together. That understanding of the connection that kindness brings can allow someone having a bad day to have a good day.

One small act of kindness can lead to another small act of kindness, which leads to another, and that chain reaction can change the world.

Kindness is Free

All people in the world can afford to practice kindness because it is free. There is no limit on how much you can show in a day either. What kind of world kindness 11would it be if everyone was looking for ways to be kind all through every day? It would be pretty great. Think about that the following situation that you find someone annoying you at work. There is an opportunity for you to practice kindness in thought and deed. Perhaps all that annoying co-worker needs is a kind word from you to turn their day around.  Practice as much as you can because it doesn’t cost a thing.

 Kindness is Contagious

Just as a small pebble can cause an avalanche on a mountainside, one act of kindness can significantly change the world. When you practice your small acts of kindness, they may not seem all that great to you. But when we put all of the small acts of service together, then you have a significant change in the world. Each action, inspiring another and then another until the world is covered in kindness. It certainly beats the alternative.

 Kindness Makes Us Happy

When you are kind to another person, it makes a statement about who you are and what you stand for not only to the world but also to yourself. There are enough things in the world designed to make us feel wrong about who we are. Shouldn’t we try to practice something that makes us feel great about ourselves? To feel happy?

wpid-acts-of-kindness-ripple-4-30-2015There is also some scientific evidence that proves that your brain experiences a chemical reaction that makes you feel better when you are kind. So, true or not, there is no doubt that being the reason someone else smiles today is a good thing, and you can’t debate that. Kindness will make you feel better.

 Kindness Makes Us Easier To Live With

Is it easier to deal with demanding and self-centered or someone looking to do things that make your life better? It is the latter, and kindness provides us with that opportunity all the time. Our relationships will only benefit from the practice of kindness. A supportive comment, a compliment, understanding of a problem, or just a supportive hug can change the energy of those you love and make your relationships stronger. How many relationships could be saved by practicing more kindness? Putting the needs of those you love as a priority and soothing them with kind words and deeds could end many of the fights and misunderstandings that end relationships today. Kindness is never the wrong thing to do.

There you go. If I had more time, I think I could easily add ten more simple benefits of kindness. The bottom line is that thinking of ways to be kind to others will change the experience that you are having in life for the positive. It just involves making the happiness of others a priority. So enjoy your day and make a point to create kind experiences for others and yourself.

Kindness is indeed extraordinary!