All posts by Jonathan Hilton

21

Have a Day

Leave a comment

 

The time after sunset and before dark, the Gloaming!
The time after sunset and before dark, the Gloaming!

There is a time between the light and dark of day, where if you look closely where all things appear to be possible. It is the location in life where the ghosts of daily accomplishments and future possibilities meet.

Did the light of day provide something worthwhile to contemplate? Or were the seeds planted that are going to flourish into the bountiful harvest of tomorrow?

These thoughts arrive in the gloaming as the day resigns its light and accepts the inevitable cover of the night. An ending of one moment, as we all find the rest, we need to face to possibility and new opportunity the new day will bring. Our spirit guides us through this day.

Morning Dawns

The morning light dancing on the water.
The morning light is dancing on the water.

Just as the case with everyone’s life, each day provides an opportunity for creating whatever we choose.  We are born at dawn, and as life unfolds for however long our day will last, we design, experience, and love those things we create.   The morning is ever hopeful. As light dances on the soft water, so do our dreams and hopes move. We see few limits and move confidently through this time.

Sometimes there are clouds or at least cloudy experiences that darken the sky. Many are just temporary, passing from the sun and memory as quickly as the wind can push them away. Others stay with us like a part of our being throughout our day, an almost permanent black cloud. The morning is an excellent time, full of innocence and possibilities. It can be the most significant part of a person’s day. Yet, the realities of life have not diminished one’s hope and the sight of unlimited potential.

Afternoon Of Realization

Afternoon activity can define your day.
Afternoon activity can define your day.

The morning will only last so long, and the midday and the afternoon follow it. The afternoon is a time of great accomplishment. You have the energy and knowledge built up through the beginning of your day, and now you are putting things learned into practice.  Moving with the experience gained, we march confidently from task to task, applying our knowing purpose to professional and personal experiences.

It is only as the shadows of the afternoon get long that we start to see we might not have known so much after all. Some of our best-laid plans that showed so much promise have crumbled around our heads — threatening to destroy us.  It is like an illusion that existed was suddenly wiped away, leaving something strange in its place. The truth is what is left.  These shadows of the afternoon are disheartening and intimidating, and either you will recognize them as mere shadows of fear and move forward with your plans. Or you are going to hide from them with your head in the sand, remembering the good safe times of morning and dreaming of returning to safety.  It is not possible, but the mind is full of illusions.

The Evening

The lengthening shadows of evening.
The lengthening shadows of evening.

As we move through the evening, there is no longer any fooling ourselves. The day is going to end eventually. It doesn’t matter what you do, where you go, or how you act. The day is going to end permanently.  Dusk is a time for reflection, understanding, and to pass along all the valuable lessons that the day has taught to others.

Some might be fearful their decisions are going to come back to haunt them in the coming darkness. Others are accepting of the inevitability of the end of the day and their part in it.  It is best not to regret the memory of the day because whatever has transpired is still, in its way, fantastic and magical.

There will never be another day like it ever again. Your part in the activities, small or large, has been vital. Events have flowed from them, like drops of water from melted snow collect to create a mighty river.

These rivers allow our choices to weave their way over land and create a mighty ocean. So your part is significant, and the reality of all things would be different if you didn’t play your role in the day.

The Gloaming Comes

The day will end, there is no escaping it. All we can do is enjoy the light we have.
The day will end. There is no escaping it. All we can do is enjoy the light we have.

As you move from the end of the day into the blanket of darkness that is night, there is a final moment of reflection and appreciation.  It is a seemingly magical image in time where there is a glimmer of what the day has wrought — memories of the people and events that colored your life dance together, both thrilling and haunting you simultaneously. As you look into the sky, you see a record of these events, but not written in stone. That is the magic of the gloaming, I think, that the activities you remember are only shadows of reality and maybe playing out differently in some other dimension of time.

It is senseless to fear the gloaming of the day because it is merely a mirror image of your creation.  Let the night come. It is not an ending.  It is only the start of a different time of perceived darkness. As we know, though, the night is not dark. There are starlight and moonlight available to guide you. It is a shadow day, but nothing to be feared. The gloaming of the day is merely the doorway into another world. An inevitable journey that we all are going to take at the end of our day. The light is just on the other side, waiting to greet you and bring you nearly unlimited possibilities.

Get your rest because tomorrow will bring a new tapestry to be woven and a new landscape of possibility.

Related articles
21

Our Stages

Leave a comment

Carl Jung teaches that we all pass through four stages of life if we are fortunate enough to have a long enough life. When I look at today, there is enough proof in our society that he was right on in his assessment. Therefore, all thinking beings should be at least asking themselves questions about their current progress. Where are you in life?

Athlete Stage- Preoccupied with how you look, your body, and nothing else seems significant or as important as that. The media functions in this sphere by creating a particular body image that all people should strive to possess to be considered attractive.

As a culture, we pander to this stage, teaching them to become good consumers. Our society teaches that it’s not only looks that matter; you can still be acceptable by having the right possessions.  This shallow belief continues into the other stages. Many still believe that money can buy happiness. It can’t. What brings you joy?

Warrior Stage– During this stage of life, young people are driven to get out there and conquer the world. There is a constant movement to be the best, get the best, do our best, and do what warriors do and act like we think warriors should work.  This stage has you believing that by defeating others, you have more value for yourself.

So many organizations are built on the false lure of competition. That by winning at anything, you are a more intelligent, better, or more desirable person. The actual value of competitive sports is not the competition but the cooperation that success takes. If you learn the lessons of competition, it builds teamwork, the trust of others, the value of your teammates’ skills, and attempting to achieve goals as a group. So how do you view competition?

Statement Stage- People start to realize the warrior stage has a lack of real purpose in it. Life is more than acquiring material possessions and simply achieving for yourself and your glory. At this stage, all most want to do is stop being selfish and give to the world. It seems essential to leave the world a better place than it was before you arrived here.

People start to look to do good things in charitable works and looking for ways to give back to society rather than take from it. The valuable lessons of cooperation allow those that learn them to work better with others. What is your statement? 

Spirit Stage– Since the other stages are based on the exterior of things, our looks, accomplishments, and legacies, this stage focuses on who we are.  We are more than our bodies, and there is a spirit and soul inside that takes this journey. We are far more than our possessions, more than our friends, more than our profession, more than our country, etc. We are all spiritual beings having a human experience.

So as you look at the world, you will see your journey as something to be experienced, not something to be owned. As we pass through the stages, it is essential to look know each has a purpose. As we develop, it is all leading to a spiritual awakening. Some will never get to this point, but most will eventually. Some will find it through organized religion. Others will find it in the delicate and unforgiving movement of nature. One Carl Jung quote that defines this process well:

“Thoroughly unprepared, we take the step into the afternoon of life. Worse still, we take this step with the false presupposition that our truths and our ideals will serve us as hitherto. But we cannot live the afternoon of life according to the program of life’s morning, for what was great in the morning will be little at evening and what in the morning was true, at evening will have become a lie.”

We are all seeking our place in the world and moving through changes. Not everyone is going to experience everything the same, but your perspective will change. Those who are clinging to the past are wasting their years.  LIFE IS EITHER SADNESS OR EUPHORIA…………..

 

21

My Growth

Leave a comment

One of the choices we have in life is to grow and become more every day we experience or not. In all situations, we are either getting better, or we are getting worse. Nobody ever stays the same.  Some may say, “why worry about growth? Just enjoy what you already have.”  That is true to some degree, but nothing is static. All things are constantly changing, and in many instances, we have a handle on moving in which direction you grow. I choose to pursue growth because it allows one to move toward something being a better human. Becoming your best self and provides a purpose for living. Without meaning, life becomes an empty exercise of activities, knowing something is missing. I want to have a purpose in every moment in life and continually seek to contribute to the world.

Don’t Fear Challenges.

I want to see challenges as an opportunity to become better, to learn, and to grow. So I want to embrace them and do my best to overcome them with strength, dignity, and courage. So many people avoid a challenge because it will be difficult or push them outside of their known talents and existence. But that is what life is about. You don’t have to travel far distances to experience new things and to grow. Challenges are the method life provides. So I want to embrace challenges with courage and understanding.

We do not know everything when we are born or at any stage of life. There are always new things to learn, and the challenges life sends your way are designed to allow greatness to come out of you.  Overcoming a new challenge is suitable for your self-esteem, confidence, and understanding of life and yourself.  Our number one purpose is to become our best selves.

Persistence Is Irreplaceable

Developing a stubborn persistence in the pursuit of things is another reason I prefer growth. When you have a weak mindset, it is straightforward to give up on a goal or a dream if the going gets too complicated. However, when obstacles come, don’t give up. Instead, keep working and develop a plan to get over, under, or around whatever is in your way. This talent is developed through choice, and it is one we will be working on for the entirety of our lives. All the great ones of history had this talent in their toolbox.

Once you decide to avoid difficulty and just quit, you have developed a habit that will stick with you until you learn to accept that not all things in life will come to you quickly. They take ongoing work and focus on overcoming.  When this talent is achieved, what can stand beyond your reach? Keep on trying, and eventually, the key will be yours to whatever door you seek to unlock.

Becoming Great

The effort you give to solve problems, overcome obstacles or meet challenges will determine your skill level at that thing. We are faced with different sorts of challenges every day. To do what we must exist in life, but digging deep inside ourselves to find the strength inside us will push us to keep working at the things we want to do.  Finding time to do something and to do it consistently will make you proficient at it. Seeking constant improvement is going to allow you to see the best that is going to happen.

The path to mastering anything comes with practice and repeated activity.  Keep working, try to become better, and improve. It is the same for learning how to draw or learning to tie your shoe. Practice until you become the best at it.  We are all capable of becoming great at almost anything with enough practice and work. One thing for sure without effort, you will not reach your best.

Learning from Criticism

It can be challenging to hear people be critical of you or your work. But there is an opportunity in that criticism to improve and become better. Some people criticize for no good reason, and others provide supportive, constructive criticism, which is meant to help you. Knowing the difference between the two is how you keep your mind calm, stay positive, and stay motivated. Look honestly at the work you have done and the person talking to you. Not everything is going to be great the first time you try it. However, development is essential, and that is growth.

Do not take critical things about things you create personally, the things you do may resonate with some people, but others are not going to appreciate it.  Expect it and know that it is not an indictment of you as a person. Still, they didn’t understand your work if the criticism is of a personal nature that is something different—probably caused by jealousy or attempted manipulation. How much faith you give will determine how much you are manipulated.  Don’t fear criticism; it isn’t worth it.

Find Inspiration from Others Success

That leads us to the success of others.  It can be hard to watch others reap the rewards, doing something you wanted to do yourself.  Jealousy will get you nowhere, but accepting and appreciating the talents of others can help you grow.  See what they have done and be positively critical to see what you might be able to differently or better.  Too many people waste time on envy or jealousy, and those two emotions will take you nowhere. Instead of working on yourself and your talents, you are sulking in the corner, wishing you were someone else.

Learn the lessons that someone else is teaching you through their success and use them as inspiration to move in the right direction.

“The journey is never-ending. There’s always going to be growth, improvement, adversity; you gotta take it all in and do what’s right, continue to grow, continue to live in the moment.” – Antonio Brown.

 

21

Learning Mindset

Leave a comment

“I just can’t do the math!” “I don’t learn very easily.” “I can’t pay attention long enough to learn.” 

If you have ever entertained any of these limiting beliefs before then, I am here today to dispel the myths of these thoughts, even though I have never met you or seen your academic ability before. Here is the secret we were never taught in our education system. You are capable of learning anything. Anything at all.  Now, will you learn at a different pace? In your way? Maybe but when you have been force-fed information in one accepted method, it isn’t easy to recognize your abilities.  Too many have been fed messages of not being good enough or right in the way they think, and soon they stop trying and accept they will not be successful at learning certain things. This is a lie, and it is wrong. You can know anything, and here is why.

Working The Brain Cells

The human mind is a great tool. We each have one, but it is up to us to determine what information is essential and something we want to learn and what is not. Each decision we make will drive our experience in learning and, more importantly, our learning attitude.  Here are some facts. When you start to learn something new, it can be an initial struggle because you have to build the connections in your mind called dendrites, allowing the information to process and the activities to occur. That is what learning is.

Every time you learn something new, your brain is being reshaped. This process is called neuroplasticity.  Where the unique experiences you have become a part of your basic biology. Meaning your brain develops neurons that provide paths to understanding things and doing things. Dendrites are fibrous extensions from neurons that grow as a lesson is learned. Every healthy person can do this in all areas of learning. The only thing that stops it is a limiting belief of some sort. Something you have agreed to because of circumstance or experience in your life.

The more you experience something in reality through practice or mental visualization, the more you create a neural pathway that allows the neural transmitters to move through a synapse into the dendrites. This process is the way your brain learns, grows, and changes. Learning new things expands your mind.  A lack of activity will atrophy a reason and weaken these firing synapses.

Belief Is The Catalyst

Since we all have this ability to learn anything, the only thing that stops us is our own accepted thoughts about anything. Real learning is not easy, meaning there will be some failures as you figure it out and your brain starts to build the synapses you need.  It is OK, and in fact, will allow you to make stronger connections as your mind takes the lessons learned and adds them to the process. This goes for everything from a physical skill like shooting a basketball to a mental gift like calculus.

Our mental ability to believe we can understand whatever it is we are setting out to learn will determine our success in that endeavor. Or it will determine our failure.  That could be seen as a lot of pressure, but I prefer to look at it as the ultimate personal power. We are all responsible for ourselves, what we learn, and how we apply that to our lives. So be optimistic about your abilities, and your success will be attainable.

Pruning the Mind

When you do not use a thought or a neural cluster, the brain will take neurons away from that cluster and use them elsewhere.  So the thoughts you choose are critical. For example, I was a very ardent baseball player when I was a youth, and my brain created a lot of neural clusters designed for me to hit, catch, and

Just like pruning a bush, your mind prunes its synapses as you sleep. So what you focus on, you keep.

throw easily. But over the years, I do not do those things, and the brain has found a better use for those neurons.

I tried to play some whiffle ball once quickly and was extremely frustrated at the foreign feel of hitting. But, with a bit of practice, the good news is that you can rebuild the neural pathways and much quicker.  That is where the phrase, “Just like riding a bike,” comes into play. You will quickly remember and rebuild those skills.

Pruning takes place at night when you are asleep, and this is when your mind determines which pathways need to be strengthened and which ones can be forgotten.  How do they make this choice? They don’t you do, by your thoughts, actions, and emotions.  These things show the mind what is important to you and held in your focus. It will treat the fertile garden of your mind just as you prioritize it.  Learning to visualize and use your imagination can control the pruning and build the neural pathways you want.  That is the power and responsibility we all have in our lives, right now today!

“There is nothing I can’t learn!” Say it with conviction. You will feel the confidence build back in you.

To believe anything else is like poison to the mind!!

21

Thoughts I Choose

Leave a comment

Thought is a constant companion in your life. From the moment you wake up in the morning, the mind is spewing a continuous stream of ideas from the spigot of dialogue.  I have heard it estimates the human brain can produce 60-70 thousand thoughts per day. Most of our thoughts, around 95%, are repeats from the day before and the day before that. Left working on an unconscious level, you will think and experience the same thing you did the day before and the week before, and possibly the year before that. It will be hard to change your life if new thoughts aren’t being cultivated and chosen continuously.  The great news is that you ultimately have control over the ideas which have value to you. What thoughts are you choosing this day?

Old Programming Power

Our minds are not working against us, we have a valuable tool to use, and most of us are just not aware we have the power to control it.  Our experiences in life have programmed our subconscious mind to perform in a certain way. How to talk, walk, ride a bike, shuffle cards, we store in our subconscious mind.  It wouldn’t be very efficient if we had to relearn how to chew food before every meal.  The valuable information stored here is also stored beliefs we have gathered about how life works, how we fit in it, and our value as human beings.  We build most of these opinions in the concrete setting of your mind by the time you are 7-10 years old.

So many of the beliefs about yourself are the beliefs of a seven-year-old. Most of us let these beliefs dictate our ability to do something and the value we bring to life. For example, if you had an experience in early life where you tried a new math problem and failed, all it takes is for someone to say something that hooks your mind, and a belief is born. ” You are just not good at math.”  That belief will live unchecked in your mind and will only grow as your mind will seek examples to support and define the perceived truth.  What you believe has then become a reality. Often we have long forgotten the initial instance the belief took hold, but the result of the thought has taken on a life of its own.

Change is Possible

Look at yourself honestly and what you see yourself being able to accomplish.  What is limiting you? It is often the thoughts we accept as accurate about life and our place in it based on the ideas of the people fate put in our lives as children.  Their fears, shortcomings, and lousy programming became a part of our experience without our consent or acceptance.  There is no sinister plot here, just people doing the best they can, but reading this at this moment, now it is up to you to continue to accept these beliefs or not.  Change is simple, but it isn’t easy.  A belief system or paradigm has allowed us to survive and navigate a sometimes harsh world.  There is a part of your mind loving these beliefs because there is a known factor to these limiting thoughts. That part of your mind is the ego.

The ego exists as a survival mechanism. It is the voice in your head that is often on the opposing side. Get a great idea you want to try, wait five minutes, and your ego will weigh in with all the limiting thoughts it can create. “What will people think?” “That will never work.” “You are not creative like that.” “Nobody will like anything you do.” “You will never make money at that.” “You will be poor forever.”   On and on, they will go if you let them. It is easy to paint the Ego as the villain in your life, but it is just a mechanism in your mind that you allow to stop you.  Don’t listen and see what happens.

Changing a Belief

The most challenging thing about changing a belief is to identify the limiting thought in the first place. Next, pay attention to the thoughts and feelings you get when you are pursuing something you want to do. Then you have to apply a process of change to it.  There are many different theories on the best methods to change a belief because most of them have profound roots. But don’t give up because changing your paradigm and the landscape of your life will allow you to grow into the person you are capable of being.

I have heard affirmations or short positive statements to change a belief, but the declaration alone is not enough to change a long-standing idea. You need to combine a positive comment using your imagination to visualize what you want along with powerful positive emotion, and your subconscious will start to accept your new belief. So, 1. create a positive statement about what you want to see in your life.  2. visualize this thing happening. How will it look? Imagine all aspects of it?   3. Attach positive feelings to the images you create.  Then do this consistently.

The Choice is Yours

Either you will look at your life and evaluate where you are and where you want to go, or you will accept things in the status quo.  The choice is up to you and only you. We are all responsible for the results of our lives and how we are living them.  The most significant part of the human condition is that we can change everything with a simple thought. We can become what we want to become.  Our mind is a valuable tool, but it is only as helpful as choosing to make it.  Otherwise, it is just a machine running our lives with no meaning.

Choose today to start the pursuit of where you want to go.  Practice a visualization. I dare you.  See what ideas will come to you. Taking action will reveal answers to you. The path will unfold the only way it can. Then have the courage to nurture those ideas, take those actions, and follow those paths. Our true selves are found when we use our courage.

“You begin to fly when you let go of self-limiting beliefs and allow your mind and aspirations to rise to greater heights.” ―Brian Tracy.

“Don’t limit yourself. Many people limit themselves to what they think they can do. You can go as far as your mind lets you. What you believe, remember, you can achieve.” ―Mary Kay Ash.

“Do the uncomfortable. Become comfortable with these acts. Prove to yourself that your limiting beliefs die a quick death if you will do what you feel uncomfortable doing.” ―Darren Rowse.

“If you accept a limiting belief, then it will become a truth for you.” ―Louise Hay.

Chances are you can do whatever it is you dream of………..you have to believe you can do it.

 

21

A Gift of Possibility

Leave a comment

morning hope Sometimes we forget that every day we are given the gift of possibility. All people have a chance to make their lives whatever they want. Unfortunately, too many spend time ignoring this fact and choose to dwell on the negative. They are choosing instead to be weighted down by the predictable prison of routine and hopelessness of poor thought patterns. For today let’s hope the world may surprise you.  If you give it a chance and allow your focus and expectations to stretch just a little bit toward positive things, there is no telling what may happen. Greet each day with a heartfelt, Good Morning!! Let’s see what this day will bring to you. I know the days I focus on possibility, good things come my way, and the challenges I can leap over like an Olympic athlete. So I say, “Good morning to you!”  Loudly and with no tentativeness at all.

Focus on What you Have

It is easy to focus on the things that we lack. Fame, money, a brand new black supercharged Ford Mustang may be objects of your desire.  These things can make our lives seem like it isn’t what it should be or what you would like.  Yet, the facts are indisputable. At the dawn of each new day, the infinite possibility of accomplishment is open to you.

Whatever you dream of creating in your life or career, the path is before you every time the sun rises. Unfortunately, I have spent too much time in life looking at the flaws rather than looking for solutions to create what I dream should exist. This is a waste of time.

Believe it or Not

Now, as you read this, you are either thinking,   “Yes, a new day filled with ultimate possibilities. Time to be great!” or you are thinking, “That is a load of crap, I can’t possibly good-morning-quotechange this situation. I am in.”

If you have anything similar to the second answer in your head, I have one thing to say to you.  You are right; if you believe there is no changing your present situation, it will never be changed.  You will be living that reality until YOU decide to change the way you think about it.  I can speak to this from experience.  Looking at the new day and seeing nothing but minefields and problems. A life lived from that perspective has a desperate feeling of worry that never allows you to enjoy anything, even when the best circumstances are presented to you.

Possibilities

The unique opportunity that you have to put an imprint on life is presented every day. If you choose to embrace this thought, then your life will be an adventure. Life will be full of what you truly desire to experience. So take a step each day toward your dream. There is always something to do, a hurdle to jump, a skill to develop, or a deed to do.  Magic happens one event at a time.

The feeling of hope pervades a life practicing this mindset. Hope allows all things to be possible. In the way you define it, achieving the ultimate success is a possibility in each morning we experience. For this hope and promise, I am grateful.

Good Morning to you!!!! Have a great day, and remember who you are. A one of a kind wonder unleashed on the world. So be who you are, and the right people will love you and those who don’t lose out.

 

 

21

Educational Tool

Leave a comment

Karma is a concept that resonates with most people. The belief that actions lead to repercussions, either good or bad, depends on that action’s energy. However, it becomes clear that karma is a bit more in doing a small amount of research.  Karma is a Sanskrit word for action. According to Newton’s law of motion, there is an equal and opposite reaction for every action.

Some see karma as a form of punishment, but that is short-sighted. Instead, I view karma as an educational tool. As we all develop in life, we take actions, and it has become abundantly clear to me that there is no escape a person can find from the consequences of their actions. So here are 12 laws of karma I was reading about recently. What are you attracting?

  1. The Great Law– The law of cause and effect. In life, you reap what you sow. Karma is the idea that whatever we put into the Universe is what comes back to us. If you want to experience happiness, peace, love, and friendship, then be happy, peaceful, loving, and a true friend in your daily life. What are you sowing today?
  2. The Law of Creation– The concept that nothing happens. All things are created with a thought and an action. Our participation is required. We are one with the world we live in, both inside and out. So our outer world gives a glimpse into our inner world. Changes inside will lead to changes on the outside. You have a hand in creating the things that happen in your life. What are you making today?
  3. The Law of Humility– Learning to see and accept our faults is complicated. Once we honestly look at our shortcomings, then change can happen. However, you can’t change something if you refuse to accept it. When you look at someone else, if you see their character faults and judge them harshly, understand that they are simply another version of you. A person can’t exist on a higher level of existence if we live a life of judgment of others. What changes would you like to see in your life?
  4. The Law of Growth– The changes you want to see in the world need to come from you and in you. You have little control over other people and events in the world, but your thoughts and actions you do control. When you choose to change who you are on the inside, in your heart and mind. The outdoor life will have no choice but to change as well. Better thoughts=better actions=better life.  Growth is vital to life; without it, life ends. How are you growing?
  5. Law of Responsibility-A person must take responsibility for what is in their life. When there is something wrong outside of us, there is something wrong inside us. We mirror what surrounds us and what surrounds us mirrors us. Responsibility is a universal truth.   Do you accept responsibility for your circumstances?
  6. Law of Connection–  Past, present, and future are all connected, and so is everything else. Your actions are going to have effects on the world in some way. You may not be able to see it, but it exists. Even if our activities seem inconsequential, the tasks we undertake must get completed. Each step leads to the next level. There is no way of knowing what the actual value of your actions and accomplishments will be.  What connections are you making today?
  7. The Law of Focus– The human mind can only focus on one thought at a time. You can try to juggle those thoughts around in multitasking. Some are talented in this way. Still, we can only focus on one particular idea at any singular moment if your focus is on higher thoughts of love, kindness, understanding, and acceptance. They can’t be on lower thoughts of greed, hate, judgment, anger, and fear.  Where are your thoughts focused today?
  8. Law of Giving and Hospitality– You will be called upon at some point in your life to demonstrate all truths that you believe. If you believe kindness, giving, or acceptance to be good things, then life will give you opportunities to confirm this.  What have you given today?
  9. Law of Here and Now– Much of our focus tends to be on the past and what has occurred. Or our thoughts are lost in the future and what might happen. When our focus is on these imaginary places, we are missing out on the here and now. That is the only moment that is ours. Old thoughts, dreams, and patterns of behavior prevent us from creating new ones. People make those choices in the here and now. Remember your experience but live in today.  What trends do you need to revamp or create again? 
  10. Law of Change– Life provides the same or similar experiences to us until we learn the lesson we need to change our path. Each of us is on a journey to our real purpose. Each course correction will lead us in that way.  What lessons have you learned today?
  11. Law of Patience and Reward– It is the journey as much as the destination that provides happiness and joy. Anything of value that we achieve usually takes some level of effort, commitment, and work to accomplish. The rewards will come in time. All awards require toil and struggle. It gives these accomplishments value. Patience and persistence are essential elements of successful endeavors. Patience is a difficult concept in a world that makes us want everything right now.  Where are your patience and persistence focused today? 
  12. Law of Significance and Inspiration– The actual value of anything is a direct result of the intent and energy. You get back from something precisely what you put into it.  Your inspiration for something is usually to better your life or circumstance. This energy will provide a focus and determination to complete a task when the going is complex and the excitement of starting something new has worn off. What inspires you today?

 

21

Calm

Leave a comment

Calm Leads To Power

My goal is to establish a positive focus every morning by focusing on a positive word or phrase. There are enough negative influences in my world, and I believe that we can improve our emotions, words, and actions and make the world a better place one thought, feeling, word, and move at a time through a conscious direction of our thinking. It is easy to lose yourself and your focus in the whirl of activities and distractions we are bombarded in each moment: social media, video games, popular culture, and everything else we are exposed to. Let’s face it, and we have more technology in our phones than we had in the entire school of our youths.  Calmness is a feeling of relaxation and clear thinking, and we can get it at almost any time through mindful breathing and meditation. There is a power in the calm for you to direct your focus in the directions that will be beneficial to you and away from what other people might think you should spend some time and effort finding your calm today.

What does it mean to be Calm?

When you look at your inside world, where thoughts and emotions jumble together to create your consciousness, the ability to organize and regulate will allow you to function at a high level. You will be able to develop better relationships and be more productive if you can remain calm in the chaos of your thoughts.  To be calm is not to let your emotions dominate your behavior but to become the master of them and allow a transparent thought process to dictate your actions, not the irrational and erratic activities of emotions.  This calm is easy to explain but not so easy to master, so I implore you today to make being calm a part of your consciousness!

Storms Come For Growth

Life, as always, is a very willing teacher in the mastery of your calmness. To write or think about controlling your emotions in the abstract is all well and good. But what about when you are in the throws of emotions. Strong emotions come into our experience, and you can’t just ignore them; you have to deal with them in some form or fashion.  Life will present you with plenty of challenges to provide opportunities to grow.  For me, it is a chance to become a better practitioner of the things I think.  Emotions are not a weakness but giving in to their irrational behavior is.

The parts of the brain which control the regulation of emotions are also the ones that handle working memory, which involves your awareness and allows you to remain focused on the information you are taking in. As a result, you can determine relevant from irrelevant.  In short, you can function as a thinking human being and do things efficiently.  When your emotions are disturbed, then this part of the brain goes offline.  Calmness and learning to maintain your thought regulation under challenging circumstances is the power of your serenity. To function fully when the world is crashing, emotionally, all around you.  That is the goal of bringing calm into the front of your consciousness.

Some Calmness Ideas

So that is why you want to be calm, but how do you become better at it.  Learning to master your thoughts and understand how they affect you emotionally is the first step. Each of our thoughts are connected to emotion; it could be anger, happiness, contentment, restlessness, fear, or calm.  We have been conditioned in life to react to certain thought situations in a certain way. Understanding what these situations are for us is the first step.  To do this, one of the best tools you have is meditation.

Meditation is the simple act of learning to manage your thoughts and emotions in an organized way. It is nothing more than that. It doesn’t take a lot of skill or talent. Practice focusing your concentration on the thoughts you have and the effect they have on you.  Simple instructions can be gained today through an app on your phone.  Focused breathing works for me to get my mind under control, but other people use different techniques. The goal is to find calm in the mess of your mind, so keep trying to find the best method of meditation for you.

Mindfulness From This

Mindfulness, or living in the present moment, is another good focus to bring calm to your thoughts and your life. Many of the ideas that disturb our lives and mix up our guide are those spent on regrets of the past and worries about the future.  The only moment we are guaranteed is right here and right now.  Our mind is a powerful and creative tool that, left unchecked, can create wildly negative scenarios that might happen in the future.  All are based on fear and worry. Most of these will never happen, and if they did, you would handle them.

The past is great for learning. It would be foolish not to use the experience from the past to become better today. However, it can be as detrimental to you as worrying about the future.  We all have done things, made decisions, and had experiences in the past that we carry regrets about. The past is gone, and we can’t get it back, no matter what we do.  All of our programming, the emotional responses we have to events today were created there. So a clear understanding of the emotions we felt all of our lives allows us to deal with today in a much more efficient manner.  Bring that knowledge into the present moment where it can do you some good.

Be Calm Today

Look at your emotions today and start to build some emotional understanding. It isn’t easy to remain calm if we never deal with or talk about our feelings.  At least, you may create a fake peace by ignoring an emotion and dismissing it for the time being, but these things will come back to you and erupt like a volcano if you don’t release the emotional pressure a bit at a time.  Releasing your tension comes by recognizing what you feel and expressing that, and hopefully talking about why you think the way you do.

Developing the ability to maintain calm in your emotional storm will allow you to create an effective, inspirational regulation program. This peacefulness keeps your brain from going offline when you hit an emotional event and will enable you to perform better, understand yourself more and become better as people. So bring the factor of calm into your consciousness today and take a look at your emotions.

“It’s all about finding the calm in the chaos.” Donna Karen

“Ships don’t sink because of the water around them; ships sink because of the water that gets in them. Don’t let what’s happening around you get inside you and weigh you down.” Anonymous

“Calmness is the cradle of power.” Josiah Gilbert Holland

“I breathe in calmness, I breathe out stress.” Anonymous

 

21

Player

Leave a comment

e2809call-the-world_s-a-stage-and-and-all-the-men-and-women-merely-players_e2809d-399x400Looking at the experience of living, I can only come to one conclusion, and that is that life is quite a production, like a well-organized play. Designed to teach you lessons along the way, fooling you into believing that you are in control and writing the script of your experience, but life supplies the stage for triumph or tragedy. Revealing slowly, evidently, and entirely that we are not wholly in control of this story but the mere beneficiary of the script. We are left to choose to become this or that, rich or poor, wise or ignorant, accepting or judgmental. We make many choices, but it is all seems to be a deliberate act, and we are merely the actors. Look at the production of your life. Do you like where the plot is taking you? Or do you want a change? The experience will allow you to influence your story if you are wise enough to do it.

Opening Act

Childhood is our opening act. It is in the production many of our personal beliefs stock-photo-10348904-opening-the-stageform. Beliefs are inherited or observed and become a part of us. Most of the assumptions we develop about life become deeply embedded in our subconscious when we are 7-10 years old.  The influences and experiences we have written on our scripts will be the most significant factor in our development. We are lingering in our subconscious mind, controlling our experience, making all the choices we are not consciously making.

Were the adults in our lives nurturing, or were they judgmental of us?  Were we encouraged? Was money a factor? Were we loved? All factors determine how limiting or empowering our beliefs will be through the early stages of life. If you never question these beliefs, then your play is being written by a seven-year-old. Look at what you believe and evaluate if it is accurate or something you want to represent you. That is one of the many choices you will have to make in your life.

Character Development

The next act involves growing up and getting educated. Our education is where we take our beliefs and see how it.

How many masks have you worn?
How many masks have you worn?

All fit in the grand scheme of society. I was fortunate to live this part of my play out in college. I learned where I fall in and which face showing to whom to receive the desired crowd reaction. Like any good actor, I performed what I needed to allow the production to move forward successfully.

Of course, a few missed lines were a few marks that weren’t quite right, but through experience, an absolute mastery developed.  We think we have developed the role that will take us through the rest of our lives successfully. But, unfortunately, we forget that it is all just a play, and we fool ourselves into believing it is all real.  During this time, we start to lose ourselves and our connection to our true selves.

This is it?

Eventually, as the play of life evolves, many of us are continually acting to our full capabilities. Still, over plot-holestime even the best-written and most action-packed game can become old and stale. We start to see the holes in the script, and no matter how hard we act, the holes get bigger and bigger. We all work all the harder, but finally, we have to ask ourselves the question that has not been in the script before. “Is this it?”

These thoughts provide a critical question that will lead to many changes in your play. Sometimes the transition to new production is smooth and seamless. A person is well-adjusted and willing to take the steps leading to the stage meant for them. More often, though, the transition is a bit more volatile. Leaving our play behind makes one question precisely who they are. “If I am not this character I have been playing all these years, then who the heck am I?”

Final Script Adjustments

In the end, there is a common thread in most of the great stories in history. The new production will end with all of our characters finding the truth they are looking for, becoming the hero they wanted to be or

Thank you, we all take a curtain call for life.
Thank you, we all take a curtain call for life.

getting the reward they desire. There are some tragedies out there, but there are far more hopeful, inspiring productions created every day.

As people start to realize they are in roles, playing a part, they see their power. The actor can take the script they have and make it into almost anything they want. As a person sees their potential and talent and starts to grow, life is your choice.  The beautiful play that is life becomes an instrument for expressing what is inside, not an opportunity to collect accolades, money, or personal recognition.

 

21

Viral Kindness

Leave a comment

Kindness makes the world a better place.  Nobody can argue with that

seek kindness
Seek to give and receive service daily

sentiment. The great thing is that all people can practice being kind every moment, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. It doesn’t cost anything, and the result is always positive.  Why then are so many people not kind?

It is probably due to a focus on the wrong things, but we can always change our direction towards the experience of kindness. People always enjoy receiving compassion from others because it feels good. Performing kind acts for others is just as gratifying.  Kindness is free and is highly contagious. Try spreading some around today.

Make Kindness Go Viral

Now understanding the viral nature of society today, your one simple act of kindness could spread quickly worldwide. Think about it, when

Kindness is contagious
Make Kindness viral

you treat someone with compassion. It makes a person smile and feels good about life. The only thing that feels better than receiving kindness is extending kindness to others.

Think about this, and if you are consciously aware of being kind to three people today, you might start a chain reaction that will spread all over the world. Think that is too much?  Not really. If all three of the people affected by your kindness, extend kindness to three people, and so on, very quickly, your act of goodness may spread everywhere.

Be Brave and Reach for Kindness

We are always seeking kindness but are too afraid to open ourselves up to other people’s kindness.  How many times have you walked by Kindness for allsomeone and not said anything?  Or been sad and could use a hug or a kind word and never told anyone because you were concerned about what others would think?  Perhaps it was because you were worried they would reject you, and it is much easier to be sad or miserable than to risk rejection.

Perhaps it was because you were worried they would reject you, and it is much easier to be sad or miserable than to risk a disappointment from someone else, making life even more depressing. The risk seems gigantic, but all good things come with a portion of risk attached to them. It gives things their value.