All posts by Jonathan Hilton

22

Thank You Kindly

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Thanks– an expression of gratitude.

ThanksIt doesn’t matter who you express your gratitude toward in your daily life. It is only essential that you tell your appreciation to everyone you can by saying thank you for all opportunities. No matter where you are in life, there is a chance to thank someone and feel gratitude for what you do have. The energy created by using this simple sentiment will be dominant in your life. Gratitude is contagious in your life. If you are thankful for what you have, more things will come into your life. The beginning of this process is simple, consciously look for opportunities to say thanks today. It could be for something tiny, but the more you use the phrase “thank you,” the better your day is going to go. Consciously seek these changes in your thoughts, emotions, words, and actions today and see what stems from them. Focus and say thanks for everything positive in your life.

Thank You For the Good Things

The most comfortable place to start is with all the good things already in your life. It could be a job, your family, those who care about you, your physical and mental ability, the money you have, the trips you are going on, or any other positive thing that exists in your life right now. List them and appreciate them by saying thank you. And mean it, in your heart. Be grateful for being able to experience your life. It is a fantastic thing.

Every day we are given a gift of life and experience. You have a choice of what you do with that gift. Take advantage of it or waste it by feeling sorry for yourself or angry about a tiny aspect of your experience. One of the best choices you can make every day is to be grateful for the positive things in your life. The human mind can only entertain one conscious thought at a time. If you are thinking of the things you are thankful for, that energy will be transferred to the rest of your day. How many items should you say thanks for in your day that you take for granted? Count them.

Thanks for the Tough Times

All lives have moments that are difficult to experience. Challenges arise all the time. Some are very tragic, and of course, we can live without them. But once something has happened, it has happened, and no matter what you do, you can’t change it. All you can do is choose how you will deal Thankswith it now. Some choose self-pity and to kill their feelings with drugs or alcohol. That is not going to solve anything. If you experienced the loss of someone, be grateful for the time you had together. Thank them for all they provided in your life—the memories and lessons you learned.

Moving forward after a tragedy is complicated, but that makes it a fantastic thing. Sometimes the drama of life will wake you up to what you have been missing. Recognizing the words to thank you for at these moments is even more powerful. Always say thank you to those who matter to you because you never know when that chance for them to hear it will be gone forever. The tough times always wake you up to what you take for granted in life. As you get older, you experience more challenges and become more and more awake to the good things in life. Enjoy them and say thanks even when it is hard.

Thanks for That

There is a chance for you to appreciate things right at this very moment. Since the human mind can only think one thought at a time, if you are Thanks for everythingthinking thoughts that are consciously negative, feeling frustrated, angry, or judgemental of others, take a moment. Just take a moment and a deep breath and start thinking of the things you appreciate in life. Say thanks to yourself, the universe, or somebody else for them, and soon your mood will shift. It has no choice.

Every day will start to look pretty good when you start looking at things this way. Your mood will shift, and not only will your energy be more positive, but the energy of those around you will also seem more positive as well. Look at the world and take a moment to see the things right in front of you which are miraculous. The sky, the clouds, the sun, the moon, the stars, or just the current weather are all fantastic in how they work. Please take a moment and appreciate the grand scheme of things that brings them all about. Be conscious of the items in the world which are more significant than you. Say thank you to them.

Be Conscious of your Thank You’s

Today is a day like any other, but take time to notice the times you consciously say thanks to someone else. Even take extra time and look for opportunities to thank anyone and everyone you can. It takes just a little effort and see what the rewards are. Be grateful for what you have in each moment of every day. A place to live, a person who cares about you, someone to care about yourself: all of these can provide an excellent opportunity to say thanks. Be conscious today of that and the number of times you can say thanks on a regular, ordinary day. It all begins by noticing your thoughts and being aware of the emotions, words, and actions that spring from them.

“Gratitude can transform common days into thanksgivings, turn routine jobs into joy, and change ordinary opportunities into blessings.” — William Arthur Ward

“If a fellow isn’t thankful for what he’s got, he isn’t likely to be thankful for what he’s going to get.” — Frank A. Clark

“Be thankful for what you have; you’ll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don’t have, you will never, ever have enough.” — Oprah Winfrey

“Cultivate the habit of being grateful for every good thing that comes to you and to give thanks continuously. And because all things have contributed to your advancement, you should include all things in your gratitude.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson

 

 

22

Life Challenges

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highwireIt is fantastic that life continually puts you into situations that challenge and change you. It is also eye-opening that I continue to be surprised by this. Yet here I am, looking at what I want to create, standing on the precipice of going for it and tentatively cringing.

It is not rare, I think, for people to feel this way. When you look at most people, they have put their real goals and dreams aside to accept living in a rut of consistency and security that life provides. Safe is the choice, but we still have ideas that we are not acting on. Today I am looking to move and am encouraging you to come with me.

See Your Fear

We should be good friends with fear by now in life. It has been a constant our entire lives. How we have reacted to it has changed through our life, but still, it is always there knocking at the door of your thoughts with those two little limiting words…………… What if?

I could attempt my dream, but what if……….

….it doesn’t work?

……….I fail?

……………………I look stupid?

………………………….., the world laughs at me?

…………………………………………….I am not good enough? etc., etc., etc.

These are the seeds of doubt, driven by fear that paralyze us into taking no action at all toward what we want to be. The only difference between those who achieve their dreams and those who do not is a willingness to take action and see what happens.

If it doesn’t work? You will gain experience and knowledge to allow it to work the next time. If you fail, then you learn and know. Joy and freedom are the results of bettering yourself and reaching your dreams. This effort is never wasted. Not growing the talent inside of you and seeing what you can do would be a waste of energy.

What if the world laughs? The world won’t laugh. The world will continue to exist, much as it did before, with the single exception that someone living there has provided their unique contribution, and now it is a slightly better place.

What if you are not good enough? A leftover doubt from childhood and time to get rid of this fear. Why wouldn’t you be good enough? If you can conceive of a thing, you can create that thing. If others don’t accept it, then that is their problem. The beauty of the building isn’t any less.

So on this thoughtful day, let us choose to evaluate who we are, see where we would like to be on a personal, financial, physical, and spiritual level, and then be brave enough to take those first tentative steps toward those goals.

The only way to know if you can cross that high wire is to try and see if you make it to the other side.

“Believe in your dreams, no matter how impossible they seem.” Walt Disney

“Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.” Arthur Ashe

“The biggest adventure you can take is to live the life of your dreams.” Oprah

“Our truest life is when we are in dreams awake.” Henry David Thoreau

“We may place blame, give reasons, and even have excuses, but in the end, it is an act of cowardice to not follow your dreams.” Steve Maraboli

 

22

Forget the Judgement

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What would you do differently if you knew nobody would judge you?

For much of my life, I spent a lot of time worrying about what others thought about what I did to the point that I often would not do things I wanted because I was afraid of what others might think. That fear stopped me from doing silly, inconsequential, and big things alike. I would see a picture of people judging me and thinking poorly of me in my head.

When the thoughts in my head worried about the ideas in others, the results were a constant fear of showing my true self. There was a chance that someone might not like what I would be doing.

The problem with this thought pattern is that you are never actually able just to be you. People put a lot of pressure on themselves to be perfect, which is impossible to achieve. I have put most of this thought pattern behind me, which I now notice.

Doing What I Want

judgment defines you not others
Look inward before You Judge Someone and their behavior.

There is an impression that this question builds in your mind that if you were released from the disturbing thoughts of society, you would suddenly do things that were totally out of character. But I think that doing all of the things that are part of my personality without worrying about what anyone else thinks is the fun of life.

I am a thinker, and I enjoy reading and thinking and then writing my thoughts about what I learn and contemplate. I want the cafe’ and getting to know people. I like working out every day and not apologizing for the length of my workouts. All of these things I do and do not do any of them for the sake of what someone else might think would make my life unhappy. You have to be your best, and I like that person.

Truth about Freedom

The truth about freedom is I like the freedom to be myself and say, I don’t care about the judgments of others, but that has just meant that I can do the things I like to do without worry. These things haven’t changed much at all, but the perception I have of these activities and how others perceive them has. If someone has a problem with the way I live and my choices have a problem with themselves.

So I will read and learn about life and delve into why people are the way they are. If you read this site, you will see I share my thoughts freely and encourage a conscious positive vibe in everyone.    I will share my feelings if you ask. I don’t care if you agree because a challenge is an opportunity to teach and learn. All thoughts should be challenged so that they stand up as truths. If they don’t, you will move a step closer to finding the truth. So I haven’t started dressing differently or acting a whole lot differently, I don’t care what anyone else thinks about how I dress or how I work, and it feels fantastic.

now be yourself
Who else could you possibly be?

There are things I do now that I might not have had the courage to do before, and each one I recognize as a step forward, although I think for many people, they would be pretty small steps indeed.

Normal?

One of the most significant things that have arisen from this change of thought is that I judge others much less. I try not to judge at all. I have learned to appreciate the differences that each individual brings to the world, and the vibrant contrast allows for a broad spectrum of color in life. It is a much more exciting canvas that I see painted in front of me. I wouldn’t say I like the things everybody does, but I try to accept them as their choices, not mine. I’ll worry about my thoughts, words, and actions and let others worry about theirs.

This wide variety can be scary to some, but we should embrace it. Just as you accept each person for their unique ability, so will you be recognized as special and beautiful. I think there is a misconception that a “normal” state exists when the real normal is that you should be who you are and that, my friend, is good enough.

Some Quotes on Not Caring what others think

“The eyes of others our prisons; their thoughts our cages.” ― Virginia Woolf “

A dame that knows the ropes isn’t likely to get tied up.” ― Mae West

“You have no responsibility to live up to what other people think you ought to accomplish. I have no responsibility to be like they expect me to be. It’s their mistake, not my failing.” ― Richard P. Feynman

“Care about what other people think, and you will always be their prisoner.”—Lao Tzu

“Never dull your shine for somebody else.” ― Tyra Banks

“If being an egomaniac means I believe in what I do and in my art or music, then in that respect you can call me that… I believe in what I do, and I’ll say it.” ― John Lennon

“I do not care so much what I am to others as I care what I am to myself.” ― Michel de Montaigne

“Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don’t matter and those who matter don’t mind.”— Dr. Seuss

“Doubt kills more dreams than failure ever will. “― Suzy Kassem

“Most people are other people. Their thoughts are someone else’s opinions, their lives a mimicry, their passions a quotation.”— Oscar Wilde

22

Focus on Being Kind

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kindness
You are that one

Kindness-The quality of being friendly, generous, and considerate.

People face many challenges every day. There are expectations for performance from ourselves, our bosses, or teachers that make each moment seem not enough. Today, even in those times of complete business, let your focus shift from what you have to do to the small acts of kindness you can be responsible for today. It begins by paying attention to the focus of your thoughts as you look at others in the world today. Focus on being kind. It will correspond with emotions, words, and actions that spread your kindness to others. It begins with your thoughts.

Make Kindness Your Focus

Kindness costs nothing and makes everything in the world better. That is a fact that is indisputable. Time invested in being kind to others or yourself will have positive rewards for your life. It will make your perspective brighter and increase your positive thoughts and feelings, if nothing else. This positivity will make your life a more enjoyable experience because you decided to practice kindness and make being kind a focus of your day.

Kindness is Contagious

Like the most popular viral video you can think of, compassion can spread from one person to another. Each small act of kindness has the possibility of sparking understanding in another. If you choose to say the kind word or do the kind deed, there is no telling how far that act may go. It may allow someone else to see the value of kindness and practice it as well. And that, in turn, may lead someone else to focus on goodness too. So your kind thought or act can ripple through the world and affect people you have never met positively. The influence is just as significant for unkind people. So choose your words and deeds well.

Our Responsibility

Each of us is responsible for the effects our behavior has on the world. We set an example for others to follow, consciously or unconsciously. Each focused thought, word, and action allows you to take control of your influence and make it exactly what you want it to be today, right now at this moment. Focus on practicing kindness in your life in all of your interactions and see what happens. One thing is for sure, and the world will be a better place because of your choices. They are things only you can do.

“How wonderful it is that nobody needs to wait a single minute before starting to improve the world.” ~ Anne Frank

“Three things in human life are important: the first is to be kind; the second is to be kind, and the third is to be kind.” ~ Henry James

“When words are both true and kind, they can change the world.” ~ Buddha

 

“Let us seek to reign nobly on the throne of our highest self for just a single day, filling every moment of every hour with our finest, unselfish best.”~ William George Jordan

22

Things I learned From Meat Loaf

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Things I Learned Listening to Meat Loaf

meat loaf
This sage has taught many valuable life lessons

A few years ago, I was driving down the road with my best friend of forty years when the song “Two Out of Three Ain’t Bad” y Meat Loaf came on the radio.

We laughed and said how stupid the song was, but then almost without our conscious choice, we were singing along loudly and we both knew all of the words to that song. Two dudes in their mid-forties who obviously had too much time on their hands as adolescents.

As we talked about the song and the message that it sends, I started to realize that there was a reason that some people of our generation (me) have a difficult time with relationships because we spent our adolescence listening to Meat Loaf, building up some quite unreal and pretty unhealthy expectations of ourselves and what we should look for in relationships.

In a different conversation with another friend I realized that I knew the words to every song on Meat Loaf’s Bat out of Hell Album. A fact that I am neither proud or ashamed of, but in awe. As I listened to each song for the first time in years, the lessons from the songs came back. These meatloaf lessons were hard-hitting and impactful. Like I was my seventh grade self again.

This is what I learned from listening to Meat Loaf when it comes to relationships. R ember, I listened to this music as an impressionable teenager and this is the top  things I learned about life from this talented musician.

***Bat Out of Hell Notes***

  • The Pyre can be burning, even on the edge of ice field and somewhere there is a tank full of time.
  • Heaven can in fact wait.
  • Long ago and far away was so much better than it is today.
  • There is no paradise by the dashboard light
two out of three aint bad
Math would tell us that two out of three is kind of bad, Unless you play baseball for a living.
  • If you have trouble with an answer, then you should sleep on it before you decide to give an answer in the morning about loving someone forever.
  •  Having promiscuous sex in a car is going to lead to a life time of regret and have you praying for the end of time so that you can escape a bad relationship. On the good side, keeping  your word is important regardless of the consequences.
  •  Being all revved up is no good if you don’t have someplace to go, especially on a Saturday night.
  • Don’tlook for gold on a sandy beach, don’t drill for oil on city streets or a ruby in a mountain of rocks they will lead you to frustration. Just play the lottery.
  • Crying icicles is worse than crying tears
  • There ain’t no Coupe de Ville at the bottom of my Crackerjack box.
  •  If you keep on telling someone you want them, you need them, but there ain’t no way you are ever gonna love them. They will eventually accept it as a pretty good deal.
  • I am in fact glowing like the metal on the edge of a knife
  • It is cold and lonely in the deep dark night, but as long as you listen to baseball you will be OK
  •  Just because it never felt so good or felt so right doesn’t mean it will end up good or right.

**** two out of three is in fact, quite bad, if you only do 66% of your work, you will flunk at school or get fired from your job, you will be seen as a failure, so Meat Loaf was wrong and Jim Steinman was not a math major or very motivated apparently.

Gratitude

Thank you Meat Loaf for all of the great life lessons you taught us on your educational and entertaining album Bat Out Of Hell, I am grateful and I am sure my whole generation is currently dealing with your relationship “advice.”

There are certain things that time will make nostalgic and music from your youth will allow you to travel to a simpler time. List n to Bat out of Hell when you have a moment, and as you uncontrollably sing along,  think about how messed up the lyrics are. You will understand suddenly why you have a problem committing in a relationship today.

THANK YOU, MEAT LOAF

22

Seek Your Peace

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Seeking Peace

There are so many ways to improve your outlook on life that it is

impossible for me to list them all here for you, but in general, there are a few simple tips I can give you that have made my enjoyment of life increase exponentially.

These are not extremely difficult things to do; solving advanced math problems or rocket science is complicated; finding peace should be simple.

It requires you to honestly look at yourself and the situations that affect how you feel and choose to let events enhance your life, not harm it.

These are three simple practices I have implemented in my own life that have made a living a much more enjoyable experience, and I think you might too. I almost guarantee it. It is all up to you.   The steps are acceptance, forgiveness, and peace, and you are on your way to happiness if you want to be.

1. Acceptance is Not Approval

The first thing you have to be able to experience is the acceptance of all that has happened. is was difficult Acceptancefor me because I always believed that by saying I accept a situation, I simultaneously admit the status will never change, and acceptance is not that.

Acceptance does not mean approval, consent, permission, authorization, sanction, concurrence, agreement, compliance, sympathy, endorsement, confirmation, support, ratification, assistance, or even liking whatever it is you are accepting it is merely saying, “it is what it is, and what is, is what is.

Popeye believed the same thing, “I am what I am.” and so does Patriot Coach Bill Belichick when he analyzes a game, “It is what it is.” Until you choose to accept things as they are, realizing and identifying the situation accurately, you will never be able to develop a plan to overcome an obstacle and learn what you need to learn and grow from the experience.   Acceptance is the first step and the most important because you will never get to the ultimate destination if you never start a journey.

2. Forgiveness Will Set You Free

Step two in this search for self-discovery is forgiveness. F giving someone for doing something that hurt you or someone you care about can be very difficult to do because we all internalize things that happen to us and take them personally,

forgiveness
Forgive and Free Yourself

but to quote an ancient Chinese Proverb, “Anger is a hot rock that burns the one who holds it.”

To me, this means that the heat of anger,  disappointment, jealousy, whatever negative emotion you associate with somebody else’s actions, you have to forgive and let go to move on with your life.

I also have learned that you don’t have to make your forgiveness known to anyone other than yourself. You don’t have to have a ceremony, a rite of passage, or even talk to anybody. All you have to do is forgive whoever you have to in your heart, and you will find you are on your way to finding peace.

If you don’t believe me, try it.   Just think about a person you feel has hurt you, then accept whatever the situation is. Then forgive them for whatever they did, or you perceived them to do, truthfully and wholeheartedly. If you are sincere, you will start to feel relief almost immediately.

You can let all of the foolishness of life and the anger that you are carrying around because of the actions of others and experience growth, allowing becoming a better version of yourself. You can even forgive yourself, which is probably one of the first places you should start.

Whatever shortcomings you have had, mistakes you have made, dreams you left disappointed, goals you haven’t reached yet, whatever angers you about yourself, forgive yourself for being human, and accept what has happened.

You will find the road that leads you where you want to go will appear to you almost magically. Forgiveness is simple, but it is never easy because we tend to hang on to things and internalize them, and they become a part of who we are.

Then when you forgive them and let them go, you fight against it because these situations have become a part of our identity, and they have become who we are, rather than something that happened to us or something we did. Forgiving everyone is what I advocate, and moving on to a better place.

3. Peace  will Find You

Thirdly, you will find the third almost without any work if you follow these two things. It will come naturally to you, like an inevitable turn in the river you are riding on, and you will encounter peace.

With peace will come freedom from the thoughts you have been carrying around with you. It is simple as thinking: I accept that experience, forgive that experience, and am free. This is where positive thinking will start to emerge in your life.

It was explained to me that just thinking positive thoughts to exclude negative ideas is challenging because you have been having those negative thoughts all your life, whatever they are.

My parents didn’t pay enough attention to me. I am weak. I am always treated poorly in relationships. I am miserable because that’s all I deserve when you accept your thoughts as what they are and forgive them; these negative thoughts are not ignored but instead transformed into ideas of a positive nature. I have found that I am happy most of the time when this happens. Peace is just another word for experiencing inner happiness about who you are, where you have been, and going.

So give this process a try, accept a situation that has hurt you and all the people involved. Forgive t m. All people do crappy things because they are people, and it’s not personal, they are just trying to live their life, and you will find a feeling of peace and understanding. Accept yourself and others for who they are and move.

Quotes About Inner Peace:

“The self is not the individual body or mind, but rather that aspect deep inside each person that knows the truth.” – Swami Vishnu Devananda

“We can never obtain peace in the outer world until we make peace with ourselves.” – His Holiness the Dalai Lama

“If you let go a little, you will have a little peace. If you let out a lot, you will have a lot of peace. If you let  o completely, you will have complete peace.” – Ajahn Chan XX century Buddhist Monk

“Respond intelligently even to unintelligent treatment” – Lao Tzu.

“When there is light in the soul, there is beauty in the person.
There is harmony in the person when there is beauty in the house.
When there is harmony in the house, there is order in the nation.
When there is order in the nation, there is peace in the world.”-  Chinese Proverb.

“If you lose touch with nature you lose touch with humanity. If there’s no relationship with nature, then you become a killer; then you kill baby seals, whales, dolphins, and man either for gain, for “sport,” for food, or knowledge. Then, nature  is frightened of you, withdrawing its beauty.”-  Jiddu Krishnamurti

“To achieve the strength we need in living, an inner life must be lived apart from the world.
To wear the whole world as a loose garment is a key to serenity.
Loosen your hold on earth, its cares, and its worries.
Unclasp your hold on other people and material things.
Let go of resentments, they hurt only you, not the person, persons, or institutions you resent.
Relax your grip, and the tide of peace will flow in.
Live in today, not in regrets over what happened yesterday, not in the fear and apprehension of what tomorrow may bring.
The past is gone as a cloud of dust.
Tomorrow may never come.
We are faced with living just one day…today.
Try to relax, rejoice, and be glad in it!” – (Unknown Author) 

“If you are distressed by anything external, the pain is not due to the thing itself, but to your estimate of it; and this you have the power to revoke at any moment.   – Marcus Aurelius (Roman Emperor)

“Whenever anyone has offended me, I try to raise my soul so high that the offense cannot reach me” – Rene Descartes.

“A man who is master of himself can mend a sorrow as he can invent a pleasure. I don’t want to be at the mercy of my emotions. I want to be them, to enjoy them, and to dominate them.” – Oscar Wild

“Out of clutter, find simplicity. From discord, find harmony. In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity.” – Albert Einstein

“Nothing is either good, middle, or bad, but thinking makes it so” – William Shakespeare.

“Dwell as near as possible to the channel in which your life flows.” – Henry David Thoreau.

22

Are You Inspirational?

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Getting Inspirational

Inspiration can be hard to find if your focus is on yourself and not on the world around you. For me, sometimes writing is as easy to create. It’s effortless, much like a raindrop falling to the Earth; the 181129216233675879_jrZJ8Ysk_cwords seem to have no choice but to be written. Here is a little struggle, and those are the topics, projects, articles, and posts that make publishing your thoughts fun and exciting!

Unfortunately, there will be some days where finding the words is like driving down the road and hitting a dead end. You begin with a good thought, but it quickly plays out, and you have no choice but to turn your mind around and start over again. These trips don’t happen too often, but they come into my experience.

So do you quit, or do you persevere? Of course, we endeavor to continue. The motivation you need could arrive from anywhere, and I have found a lot of great inspirations over the years. These are not cure-alls, but I do find inspiration in them.

Follow Your Creative Process

The way people create is as different and unique as how people dress. There is no one right creative_processway. When I first learned to write in school, I was not too fond of it because instead of teaching me to write, they focused on a long, drawn-out process that didn’t make any sense to me. Proper grammar and neat penmanship were the focus, neither of which I had mastered as a child. But it wasn’t until years later that I discovered a magic in my words, and it didn’t matter how they were written, grammatically or neatly. The words themselves were the key. For others, it is drawing, sculpting or painting, or linocuts. There are many ways to express your creativity. Follow them.

I realized a long time ago that it is about your process, not the process. M method is simple and works for all creative things, but I use it primarily for writing. I  form an idea or ask myself a question and then let it grow in my mind for a day or a week or until I write it down. Then when I get to write it, amazingly, the words are there.

One can argue whether those words are worth anyone else reading, but they are mine, and there is no problem creating them. I fo ow my process, and I always get a post. You have to find what works for you and finely tune that so that it works for you, and you will have a process to find inspiration.

Let Others Inspire You

Amazingly, so many talented and inspirational people are just hanging around

Your blog is this place for me!
Your blog is this place for me!

out there, writing and publishing articles and videos of motivation. When I m stuck on a topic or need inspiration, I can quickly go to the blogs I read and find thoughts I would like to expand upon ideas that I could develop or questions I want to answer.

I am so fortunate to have so many great role models and creative people at the touch of a mouse on my computer. There a  too many for me to be mentioned in this small writing, but I have been stonewalled about creativity and read a post by some people, and POW! Instant ideas.

Inspiration strikes, and I am off and writing.  

When you are looking for inspiration of any kind,  to run a marathon, go skydiving, or write an excellent post, read some blogs, and let their great work inspire you.

Reading is Fundamental

When I am looking for inspiration, there is no better place to look than between a book’s cover. It may j t be me, but as I read a book, I almost become a part of the story.

Also, when you read books that provide information, there is a natural questioning that you develop. For me, n  only did I find inspiration in books, but I also found increased intelligence and, in many ways, found information that helps me live a better life and be happy.

This inspiration comes directly from reading books and then simply writing about the thoughts that come into my head because of what I have read. Sometimes this type of inspiration takes a bit of time, much like a cake in the oven. The ideas are good when done, but you can’t remove them (write about them) until it is all done.

People Are Inspirational

We all have a Gandhi type of story to us, if you listen.
We all have a Gandhi-type of a story to us if you listen, and he is pretty inspirational.

There is something inspirational in every person you or I have ever come in contact with. Every person has a story, and they have had to rise to the occasion at some point in their life. They were beaten by circumstance, or they were disappointed by love. There is a  story that can inspire you as close as the nearest person.

That means that right now, there are several great stories right there in your life that could make a great post or even a book. Just reach o t to them and learn their story. All the world s a stage, and we are merely players.

Be ready to follow your inspiration to the place it carries you. A trip into nature will allow you to connect your triumvirate of body, mind, and spirit and come up with something creative, satisfying all three of these things. When these are all engaged in something, you will realize the power of your creativity and the inspiration that lies within you at all times. Your motivation, in turn, will allow others to become inspired and grow as people.

“Sometimes later becomes never. Do it now.”

“Great things never come from comfort zones.”

“Dream it. Wish it. Do it.  

“Success doesn’t just find you. You have to go out and get it.”

“Dream bigger. Do bigger.”

 

 

22

Overwhelm

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If you are feeling overwhelmed today, it is ok. Life puts us all in that situation at some point. One of life’s best teaching tools is difficult times pushing us on paths we may not want to walk. But we need to walk them. Overcoming the challenges of life makes better people. Taking the hurdles of being and becoming better from them and not letting them defeat you is what positive living is all about. No matter how good a person you are, life will push you. That is how growth happens, and greatness in individuals is developed and revealed. So no matter how dark it is,  how far you have fallen, or how lost you feel, every minute in life is a chance to start turning it all around. These are the moments we have the opportunity to become our best selves. A few “magic” things can help you win the battles of life, simple things that will move you in the right direction.

Do you Always Practice Gratitude?

When you experience loss, it is natural to focus on the things you have lost. Turning that loss around starts with recognizing what you have. There is always something to be grateful for in life. A cup of coffee, your favorite milkshake,  a friend to listen to a family that cares about you, avoiding self-centered, selfish people, or the chance to grow are all things we can recognize and express gratitude for every little thing we have each day.

Practicing gratitude is a mindset, just like focusing on the negative. Always choose gratitude because there are many benefits and no drawbacks. Be grateful you are here, in the world, having a dynamic human experience today. Having an appreciation for even the tough times is essential because, without the tough times, the good times would not be quite as sweet. You only have one go around in life; enjoy it! Be grateful for it. Gratitude is a simple way to turn it all around. From a bad mood to a bad year, always be thankful for what you have.

Do You Focus On Positive Energy?

Some people and experiences bring positive energy into your life, and of course, others get negative. Few things in life are neutral, so you must focus on those that make your experience positive. Turning things around can start in this way. Let’s start with the people in your life. Just as you clean out your wardrobe from time to time, you should look at the people in your life and see the energy they are providing you. If you spend your talks on the judgments of others, gossip, or complaining, then that is an opposing force in your life. Start by changing the interactions into more positive venues, but if you can’t make the interactions more positive energy, consider moving on. No matter how long or how well you know them, negative energy brings negative experiences.

When it comes to negative experiences, it is pretty straightforward. Positive activities high vibration, provide self-esteem and feel good. Look at your habits and actions daily and look for things that you can discard to allow more positivism in your life. Low vibration activities like drinking alcohol or using drugs will never let your best self emerge. Our society glorifies drinking, and we are brainwashed into believing it is an acceptable activity. But if you are down and need to turn it around, alcohol will not bring what you need. There are millions of examples of this. Positive activities that always make your life better are participating in exercise in almost any form, following your calling, eating a better diet, or spending time with positive people, which allows you the possibility to move in a new direction.

Do you Visualize?

No matter where you are, even in prison, nobody can control your mind and the things you think about except you. Visualizing how you want life to be can move your life in a more positive direction. If you picture what you want your life to look like, then start to set goals to get there and take action on those goals. You are on your way to getting there. Think of the best-case scenario for you and picture it would be like if all things worked out perfectly. That is visualizing, and that can be a great way to turn things around if you are picturing life without the stress and negativity you are currently experiencing. Look at all of the people and things you deal with daily and ask yourself; Are they moving me closer to my vision.

Things most often are not going to happen overnight, but the wheels of change will help you change things around and become the best version of yourself. The creativity of the mind leads to creativity in reality. Be vivid and push your imagination to its limits to produce the life that will help you thrive and find the things in life that will make you happy.

Do you let fear stop you?

Fear is nothing but a thought we entertain. Fear is an illusion of thought. We remember the pain in the past, and we want to avoid it to look at all situations through that memory of pain. The things we are most afraid of are not things we are experiencing right now, and they are things we may encounter in the future. Life is a constant choice between fear and love, and the decisions you make determine everything from how you live your life to who you choose to spend your time with. Fear can stop you cold if you entertain thoughts, fearing what others think of you or what might happen.

Practice putting fears aside and take the steps needed to find your love. Love has many branches, and they will all help you turn it around. Kindness, understanding, acceptance, truth, faith, confidence are just a few examples. Fear will try to control you with the opposites, selfishness, judgment, lies, doubt in yourself, meanness, single-mindedness can all move you further into a hole. Taking action is always the remedy to fear; there is no fear when you know all the answers.

To become your best self, you have to realize what makes you happy and what God put you in this world to do and then do those things. Usually, they will provide a chance for you to find your best self and serve the world as well. Don’t be overwhelmed by the hard times; they are a part of the experience of life. You have plenty of tools you can choose to use to become the best version of yourself the world needs.

“Positive anything is better than negative nothing.” ~ Elbert Hubbard

“Keep your face to the sunshine, and you cannot see a shadow.” ~ Helen Keller

“You can’t stop the waves, but you can learn to surf.” ~ Jon Kabat-Zinn

 

22

Don’t Care What You Think

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caring-what-others-think-2One of the most common blocks people face in accomplishing their goals is worrying about what others think of your choices, behaviors, or talents. How often have you stopped doing something because you didn’t want to look foolish or be ridiculed by someone else?

This is a limiting thought that can be easily changed if you start to focus on what you are doing and forget what others might be thinking about it. You will enjoy life a whole lot more and find success as well. There are several simple reasons that this is true.

Most Don’t Think Of You Anyway.

The criticism we imagine is mainly located solely in our imaginations. People are too involved in their drama of life to pay attention to your decisions for the most part. Want to start a business? Do it and if someone confronts you with questions, tell them you appreciate their point of view and 93b9bf6a5497b9a255bd83a522d3bd78move on with your plan.

We come by this fear naturally. As young people, we find that learning to fit in with the crowd’s expectations makes sense. We don’t get picked on, and life is much more comfortable. But there is a point where successful people put fear aside and worry about how they feel and what they are doing rather than the often misguided judgments of others. I know that it is the fear of what someone might think that has stopped me. Not even the honest thoughts of a person but my thoughts about what I thought they might be. It seems silly to carry fear for someone else’s feelings.

A Reflection on Them

dont-worry-dr-seussIf they are thinking something negative about you, there is a problem with them, not a problem with you. So many people are stuck in their choices that they see their limitations when they see someone trying something different or reaching for success. This is not a pretty sight, so many critics will shoot you down to avoid looking at their failure. If everyone is mired in mediocrity, they won’t feel bad about their inability to pursue their dream.

Anyone who criticizes someone else for seeking to improve themselves in any way is showing their own limiting beliefs. All people choose what they stand for, and being a limiting influence on anyone is letting fear dictate your behavior. What if you fail? What if they fail? What if they look funny? What if…….. These words can haunt an empty life. So what if you fail? You will learn, and learning those lessons may be the missing piece you need to achieve your dreams.

Don’t Play Small

The moral here is not to play the small game that suits you. How do I know? There is something in ALT_8.16.13you that is great and waiting to come out and contribute to the world. The lessons that you will learn along the way will help steer you toward your best self. Honestly, do you think you were put here on this Earth not to succeed? Of course, you were made for success, and letting what someone else might think stop you from doing what you want is playing at your most minor. Play the big game that you were meant to represent.

The world is full of critics who are generally unhappy people who have decided not to find their purpose. The internet is a whole of negative people who seek out the creative work of others only to write negative comments about it and diminish them. These people should get all the attention they deserve, none at all. Ignore the naysayers and feel sorry for them. They are stuck playing a game of ego and separation. They need your kindness more than anyone else.

“The eyes of others our prisons; their thoughts our cages.” ― Virginia Woolf

“You have no responsibility to live up to what other people think you ought to accomplish. I have no responsibility to be like they expect me to be. It’s their mistake, not my failing.” ― Richard P. Feynman

“Care about what other people think, and you will always be their prisoner.”—Lao Tzu

“I do not care so much what I am to others as I care what I am to myself.” ― Michel de Montaigne

 

22

Feel Better

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Many times, we all wish we could wave a magic wand and feel better, happier, and more engaged in life. Unfortunately, I don’t have a magic wand, but we all can change our mood from bad to good by making the correct action choices. I can’t guarantee these actions will lead to a better feeling, but they might make you a happier life.

It doesn’t take any specialized training or skill to do this, other than the ability to take the actions at the right time. None of these things are beyond you or me, and that is an excellent thing. So find your way to the enjoyment of life and happiness on the path and follow one of these simple steps. The satisfaction you gain is going to be your own. These are methods to create a definite bounce in your life.

You’ve Got To Move It.

Exercise is important. Not only for the length of your life but the quality

jogging

of living, you are experiencing. We are all given a body at birth, and that mechanism functions best when it has regular exercise. If exercise isn’t a part of your program, that is when many issues with your body crop up. There is a long list of these illnesses, from heart disease to obesity; all of them are going to diminish your quality and enjoyment of life. The sad part is that a simple walk three or four times a week could enhance your physical and mental experience.

The choice to exercise gives immediate and long-term benefits for your body and significant short-term benefits to your mind, mood, and feelings. When you exercise, your body releases endorphins into your system, which leads you to feel good in the short term. There have been studies done where exercise has been proven to decrease feelings of depression over the long run. Your body is a mechanism that was made to move, so move, and you will see your mood enhanced today and for the long-term as well. Any exercise will do, so choose what resonates with you. Biking, jogging, lifting weights, aerobics classes, yoga, martial arts, hiking, or any other physical activity that gets the heart pumping will work. Get active and get happy.

Take Actions Big and Small

This is simple advice, but how many of us do what we love as a mood enhancer. Each of us has things we love to do. For me, it is writing about the things I think about; for others, it may be painting, cooking, tinkering with engines, or anything you connect with. When you do this thing, time will most likely disappear and seem to fly by—feeling low? Take some time to find these activities to carry you through.

Sometimes simple activities can provide us with a sense of happiness as well. Doing chores like making the bed, doing the dishes, or folding laundry can provide people with a sense of satisfaction and even joy. There is peace in doing these activities, a chance to focus your conscious mind on a task. This direct focus allows your subconscious mind to work on and give you answers to issues in your life. So don’t avoid the chores. Use them to make you happier, because believe it or not, they will.

Practice Intentional Kindness

Being kind to others leads to an increase in a positive mood—no doubt about that. When you are not feeling overly optimistic, it is usually because you are trapped in your negative thoughts about life. Something didn’t go right, or that might go wrong, and how will that affect me? Will I experience suffering? When you purposely seek out opportunities to be kind, you move your focus from inside to outside yourself. This change in direction brings a natural evolution in mood and attitude.

A straightforward practice I have heard about is the five acts of kindness. That means that you choose a day and must find at least five specific compassion points for others on that day. You don’t have to make them enormous, grand activities, but simple acts of kindness that enhance the lives of another human being. That act by itself will increase the joy in your life and, of course, make the experience much more enjoyable to you.

Retrain Your Mind

It is estimated that it takes about 21 days to establish a new habit. If you are mentally straying to the negative and want a favorable bounce, then start to notice things to be grateful for. I have heard that seeing and charting just three new things every day to be thankful for will allow you to change the way you think. Your mind will naturally start to look for the positive things and let the negative slide. This bounce can be immediate but will also become that habit after 21 days.

Imagine changing your whole outlook in just 21 days and seeing the world from an overall different perspective. Each moment we have in life is precious, and it is totally up to us if we spend it in anger and misery or joy and happiness.

So there are a few of the positive bounce methods that I have used to improve my outlook and attitude daily. I hope that you can use some of these methods too. Look at your mood and thoughts, and if they continually land on the negative, then it is time to make some changes.

“I always like to look on the optimistic side of life, but I am realistic enough to know that life is a complex matter.” — Walt Disney

“Pessimism leads to weakness, optimism to power.” — William James

“I’m a very positive thinker, and I think that is what helps me the most in difficult moments.” — Roger Federer