Life

What Love Has To Do With It

August 8, 2021 Jonathan Hilton Leave a comment

One of the great experiences I have been able to have is to be able to write a lot of great things at my favorite coffee shop. One of the perks (no pun intended) has been to become friends with the people who work so hard to keep my coffee hot and flowing as I worked my way through many different writing projects. These people don’t know it, but their conversations with me provide a lot of writing topics. One of the most common

themes that they discuss is love.

Most of the people I am listening to are less than half my age, so I incline to roll my eyes and think that they don’t know what they are talking about. But on further review, listening to the hopes and dreams from a young person’s perspective of love, there is a hope that comes back to me. I think that I have forgotten or, better yet, looked past what it means to be in love.

What did I forget? The feeling of love when it is new. As I have gotten older, that feeling is either something that I don’t think is possible or fear because I know the pain of being hurt. Great beginnings become painful endings. The possibility of that pain becomes too much sometimes.

Through that lens, it is difficult not to feel people are

being unrealistic when they are 20 and say that they are so in love and will spend the rest of their lives together. The first inclination is to tell them they don’t understand how long life is or how much they will change in the next five years, let alone the next twenty. Then again, who am I to advise like I am the expert on love? I am clearly not.

The discussions around this topic, though, have reminded me of the times my mind was affected by love. We discussed how you live to hear the voice of the one you love and will talk with them all the time because they make your heart go “pitter, pat.” The happiness that comes just from being with them, and that nothing else and no one else in the world really matters. Just you and the one you love. Paradise!

Every person in people’s history has been there before, and the heights of love make life all that more enjoyable. Food tastes better, experiences are more fun, and that person enhances the ability to grow because you want to become more for them. That is a view of love that a younger person has, and an older person forgets because they know the other side of the experience.

There is a dark side to love for that high that comes when a person has no idea about the potential pain.

Who hasn't felt like this? — Who hasn’t felt like this?

When that love is taken or dies on its own, deep, dark soul building moments of sharp pain and emptiness, where you are so empty because you realize that what is left inside you is a vast space with nothing to fill it, the love is gone, and you can’t replace that hurt with someone else or something else, although you may try.

The scars that are left by this experience will teach you a lesson, and often the simple solution to this problem is to shut yourself off and don’t allow that power of love to enter into your life again. Control how you feel, and don’t let anyone close who might be able to bring out these emotions grow inside of you again. That has been my life for a long time.

Here is one person who is not too stubborn to learn from the young people in the world when it is appropriate. There is a heart in all of us that deserves to be loved and to experience love. It should seek the happy, giddy, and unbridled enjoyment of being with someone else, being “crazy” about them, and enjoying the experience of being in love and being less afraid of the experience.

So I urge you all to reach for it, open up for it, and to seek love without fear and to invite it into your life and let yourself have love as idealistic as your heart belongs to a young person. Force someone else to roll their eyes at you each day because you are clearly so in love.

If love isn’t a part of your life then, what is the point of it all? If you have love in your life, nurture it and deliver empathy to the one you love always. Never take it for granted because it doesn’t happen all the time. Treasure the love that you have and the experience of being in love.

One and Only

August 7, 2021 Jonathan Hilton Leave a comment

How fortunate are we to meet new people in life. I wanted to share this poem by James T. Moore, which exemplifies what I feel about our power and ability to contribute to the world. We are unique, surprising and can do almost anything if we set our minds to it.

It is easy to let our negative thoughts drive our lives. Thinking things like, I am not special, I have no talent, or with so many people in the world, everything has already been done. There will always be someone better than me, or a thousand variations of these thoughts, which accomplish nothing but defeating your greatness. I think the most significant people are the ones who put aside what the world thought about them and did what they felt called to do. What are you called to do? What is the power you should be developing? What is the gift you have that once shared with light-up your part of the world? Only you can answer that question, but please, explain it before it is too late.

One and Only You

Every single blade of grass,

And every flake of snow—–

Is just a wee bit different…..

There’s no two alike, you know.

From something small, like grains of sand,

To each gigantic star

All were made with THIS in mind:

To be just what they are!

How foolish then, to imitate—-

How useless to pretend!

Since each of us comes from a MIND

Whose ideas never end.

There’ll only be just ONE of ME

To show what I can do—

And you should likewise feel very proud,

Thoe’s only ONE of YOU!

That is where it all starts

with you, a wonderful

unlimited human being.

James T. Moore

Our world seems to want to push everyone into uniform existence. As if our unique thought or a different way of doing something is a threat to others. If you live according to these standards, you will never venture out into uncharted waters, never see the power in yourself. You will exist from birth to death within the confines of the box society gave you. The world is a much more exciting place when all people break out of that box and contribute to what they are. Would you please avoid the false positive of general acceptance and popularity and seek recognition within yourself? That is where your uniqueness lives.

Nothing to Fear

August 4, 2021 Jonathan Hilton Leave a comment

FEAR ME

“I am afraid. ” There I said it, I admit it. Now the challenge is for you reading this look at yourself and sees how true that statement is for you.

Fear is so ingrained in our society that sometimes it is difficult even to recognize it anymore; if you are like me, it is time for you to get onto the common ground with your fear and face it.

What is Fear?

This is the feeling that something or someone will cause us harm, resulting in pain and suffering. It begins from the time we are small children as adults in our lives try to warn us against the damage the world can cause. It has its place in the learning curve because otherwise, kids would walk in traffic, set the house on fire, and do all kinds of harmful things.

So what’s the problem? Fear becomes more than this. Fear is the root of all evil. All of the negative emotions of the world stem off from worry. Hate, anger, jealousy, judgment all come from fear-based beliefs and all-cause irreparable pain.

Can Fear be Good?

Some people believe that fear supplied in a small dose can be a motivating factor for some people. I think that is initially true; however, it is not a successful nor long-term solution. What are you trying to motivate yourself to do? Fear may get you there once, but what then? Is it going to take something even scarier to get you to reach further?

The best motivator is creation. A person working from fear will work hard as long as the threat is behind them; they will let up when removed. The person who is working for the motivation to be creative will persist until the invention comes into reality, Regardless of factors surrounding them. Fear will keep you from walking out into traffic, but common sense does that as well.

Fear Control

It has become commonplace for leaders to use fear as a mechanism for control. Leaders learned long ago that having a common enemy would hide their faults and even help push their agendas. After 9-11, there was an intense fear of terrorists, which justified many bad things. Constitutional rights were wiped away by the Patriot Act; there only had to be the suspicion of wrongdoing, and all that our Constitution stood for disappeared. Why? Because of fear?

Media Fear Is Worst

The most prominent proponent of fear is the mainstream media. They have learned that if they talk incessantly about things that might hurt you, then ratings go up. It is sickening. About a year ago, I implemented my boycott on all mainstream media news. I haven’t missed a news story, and I am less afraid that the person in the car next to me will take drugs, jump out the window, smash my windows in with a baseball bat and try to kill me. So I think it worked out ok.

Sadly Fear Sells

In all seriousness, fear is us to sell everything from acne treatments to life insurance. I refuse to buy anything marketed through fear. I refuse to be afraid of stuff that doesn’t make sense. Otherwise, we end up locked in our homes, fearful of every sound. Can something happen? Of course, it can. That is life. Being afraid only makes you miserable. Buy what you need, not what you are worried you might need.

Fearfully The End

In closing, I will say this, in the beginning, I stated that I am afraid, and I do have a bit of fear, and this is the most significant one to get rid of, that is a fear about yourself. We all have a fear of failure to some degree that we have to overcome. I have this in spades.

Why? Because I am afraid that if I try something, I might fail. The purpose of writing this post is to put my fear in public. I sincerely hope that this act will allow me the courage to follow through with my plans. I am going to write them out. I am going to work on them every day, unafraid of what will come. Because clearly, to do anything else is practicing limiting thinking.

We result from the thoughts that we entertain, and they will each have the power that you allow them to have. So from now on, this is a no-fear zone. Or at least that is my hope.

What are you afraid of?

Encourage

August 3, 2021 Jonathan Hilton Leave a comment

Daily Positive Thought- Give Encouragement

Encouragement is something you can give to others and yourself to allow people to become the best versions of themselves.

When you head out on your journey today, look for the ways you can encourage others to become the best they can be. No matter how far you have come in life and how much success you have experienced, you can promote someone else in their struggles. Try to help another person reach the next level in their goals. Or find a way to support yourself this day to be the best version of yourself possible.

Help Them Up

People hit snags in life and sometimes need a simple, kind word to find the strength to keep ongoing. What effort does it take to offer this to a person? We can get so wrapped up with what is happening inside our minds; the needs of others are ignored. The simple things to give people, a word, a pat on the back, or just an acknowledgment that we see them trying is enough. Your encouragement could be the difference in keeping a person from giving up. Look for those who are down in life and could use some support and give it to them today. Be the person who encourages others.

The Next Level

See those people in your world who are pushing to move to accomplish a goal they set. These are significant accomplishments and need to be recognized and celebrated because the success of one person means that all people can achieve their goals. Each positive result is not just for that person. It is for all people in the world. When you see someone step out of their comfort zone and try something new, encourage them to keep going. Your thoughts, words, and actions could be the difference for someone to become all they can be. Look for opportunities to help people in this way today, and you will make the world a better place and your life a more enjoyable experience.

Encourage YOU

The most important person you can encourage is yourself. You are a person that is often ignored or put last on our list of priorities. The thoughts that we entertain about our abilities and worth is the most significant factor in our success and enjoyment in life. Listen to the way you talk to yourself, and this is the place kind words are needed most. Too often, we chastise ridicule and diminish our efforts. We know we aren’t perfect, but we are human beings with nearly unlimited potential. It is important to remember that. Speak kindly to yourself and encourage the steps you have to take to reach the goals you want to accomplish in life.

For people to become the best version of themselves, they have to encounter some encouragement along the way. You can be the source of that encouragement for yourself and others. It takes a little conscious thought.

“Everyone has inside them a piece of good news. The good news is you don’t know how great you can be! How much you can love! What you can accomplish! And what your potential is.” – Anne Frank

“Everything you need to accomplish your goals is already in you.”

“Whenever you find yourself doubting how far you can go, remember how far you have come. Remember everything you have faced, all the battles you have won, and all the fears you have overcome.”

“In case you forgot to remind yourself this morning: Your butt is perfect. Your smile lights up the room. Your mind is insanely cool. You are way more than enough. And you are doing an amazing job at life.”

“You are gold, baby. Solid gold.”

Jonathan Hilton Mind Connections

Monthly Archives: August 2021

What Love Has To Do With It

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