Category Archives: 22

22

Still The Mind

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Silent- Completely absent of any sound.

silentLife has become full of noise and sound. It is hard to escape it wherever you go. There is background music in restaurants, and people are always making noise, so finding a silent place is nearly impossible. More importantly, there are a few times when we experience the joy of quiet peace in our minds. Left unchecked, our minds will produce a continuous production of thoughts. I have heard this described as the monkey mind—constant chatter for no real purpose. So the challenge today is to start to become more conscious of the silent peace one can achieve in thought, word,  and action.

How to Still Your Mind

Once the word meditation is mentioned, people let their preconceived notions take over. Many picture something strange, or a process of sitting cross-legged on the floor and chanting some peculiar mantra. This stereotype allows them to dismiss the benefits without ever trying it. Meditation is simply a conscious effort to calm and control your mind rather than the other way around. Finding ways to make your thoughts silentsilent for a minute will allow you to communicate with your intuition and heart. It isn’t a complex ritual to follow, and you can do it anywhere. If the desire is to make your mind more silent and create a more peaceful existence, there is no one way to do this. Prayer is a form of this and works in my experience.

The simplest way to meditate and quiet my mind is through controlled breathing. I use a simple count of 4 to take in a breath, hold breath, and then release that breathe. That is what works for me, and it does help me relax and create a more silent mind. I heard it explained that when you give the “Monkey Mind,” a task like counting breathes, it stops making wild thoughts.   In the silence, things become more apparent, and answers to questions come more easily. This path is just one way to meditate, and there are hundreds of processes available to all people as close as youtube. Log on and look for something that will resonate with you and find a more silent mind. I use an app on my phone to help me called Insight Timer. There are many to provide guidance.

Advantages of Silence

Silent and listening have the same letters, and I don’t believe that is a coincidence. When conversing with someone else, it is a chance to learn and share. Allow another person to express themselves to the silent presence of your attention. Do not think about your response until they are silentdone. This will help you not guess or make assumptions about their point, but to hear the concern, thought, idea, or needed action someone is experiencing. It will also help you grow as a person to remain silent in thought, word, and action when you are having a conversation.

Maintain a focus on learning, not a guide to dictating an answer. This attitude can be helpful in any conversation with your loved ones of any age. Please give them the courtesy of silent listening to all of their concerns. They may not want advice or opinion, and they may wish to express what they think to someone they trust and value. This connection will become evident as you get to the end of a conversation. Being silent is the only way to listen.

Tips for Quieting the Mind

So seek moments that are silent today. Be conscious of it, and even try to silentcreate them through a meditative practice that works for you. Raising your consciousness to find and create silent moments with your thoughts, words, and actions will change your life and allow for more meaningful connections with others and yourself as well.

The silence of the Mind Quotes

“I’ve begun to realize that you can listen to silence and learn from it. It has a quality and a dimension all its own.” ~ Chaim Potok

“Never miss a good chance to shut up.” 
― Will Rogers

 

 

22

Calm, Cool and Collected

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Calm- not showing or feeling nervousness, anger, or other emotions.

When all things around you seem to be falling apart, that is the time when your focus on remaining calm will help you. Emotions are a part of the human experience, and you can’t avoid them, but the level of control you let them have in your life is your choice. Focus your conscious thoughts, words, and actions today on being calm. It will allow you to see the best solutions for all potential pitfalls and roadblocks.

Calm in The Storm

There will be storms that you have to face in the course of life. Relationships will end, loved ones pass away, fortunes are lost, jobs are lost, and just about every other thing you can imagine. I have found that when the storm is raging, I can’t stop it. To be angry at the wind is a waste of time. To be mad at yourself for experiencing the storm is a waste of time. All you can do is remain calm and ride the rain out. This action is not easy because the storm can hurt you; there is a danger there.

In retrospect, there will be a wealth of experience for you to gain from the lessons the storm from life bring you. The biggest problems are not the storms we have survived but the fear of the storm coming down the road. That fear is irrelevant because challenging things are still going to happen. Keep your calm and live in the moment. That is all that you have.

The Present Moment

Calm is the feeling you get when you let worries about the future enter your thoughts today. It is a part of being human; we all want to avoid unnecessary hardships. But when you start to let the fantasy of what might be happening affect your thoughts and emotions today.   Keep calm, breathe, and look at where you are right now. You will handle the challenge at the moment. Worrying needlessly about it will only destroy today’s peace with fears that may never occur tomorrow. That is anxiety.

Be calm; watch your thoughts. The relevant ones are the ones that deal with the present. That is what you can control, experience, and learn from. Plan for the future set goals, but the steps to reaching these things make them valuable anyway. Be calm and see what you can be doing right now to reach those goals or achieve your dreams. There is peace and confidence that exists in the present moment.

Be Calm Now

Being calm is a skill that needs to be developed and practiced like any other. The reward for mastery is a keen ability to see the moment for what it is. Avoid dangerous things and enjoy the thrills of life more. So today, bring the thoughts, words, and actions of being calm to your life. Notice how it affects how much you enjoy things. Notice how it positively affects all of those around you.

” When adversity strikes, that’s when you have to be the calmest. Take a step back, stay strong, stay grounded, and press on.”  L.L. Cool J

“Be like a duck. Calm on the surface, but always paddling like the dickens underneath.”=Michael Caine

“Before and after the storm, comes the calm.” – Jonathan Hilton

“He who is of a calm and happy nature will hardly feel the pressure of age.” -Plato

 

 

 

22

Finding Joy In Life

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Even when you try to be positive in life, it takes an effort to consistently keep the positivity moving forward in life. When you let your thoughts run wild on their own, you are at the mercy of that stampede of random things.

Someone says or does something annoying but straightforward, and it alters your mood toward the negative. Your schedule is interrupted, and you have to adjust. These simple things can throw you out of your mood and make your attitude less than stellar. It happens when something makes you look at the world selfishly. What does this mean to me? Rather than what you can offer the world at this moment. So a change in your attitude can come when you choose to be more giving and less worried about what you get.

Love Is The Answer

To find joy in all of your moments is the secret to real happiness. Approach every experience in your life with love. If you have planned your day one way and it has to change, embrace that change. Choose to experience joy over angst. Let’s face it. Many things happen; we have little to no control over them. All we can control is our reaction to them. When you think about it, to react with joy is just as easy as responding with anger, and it will be a more positive experience. If a conflict with a co-worker or loved one occurs today, embrace it as an excellent opportunity to express your emotions and expand your relationship. It is a chance to communicate openly and honestly about how you feel. I have heard it explained like this. 1st: Joy over Angst and 2nd state, “I feel great about it.” After all, to make this statement, things make the events belong to you.

Look at this day you have. Approach every experience as if you chose it and decide that you will feel great about it. We are conditioned by society to feel wrong about many lessons of life. People can view it as a negative or even debilitating experience when we fail. But really, it is just a learning experience about what didn’t work for some reason. It could be the critical factor that will lead you to ultimate success. It is just as easy to feel right about something as it does to feel poorly about it. Love what is happening in your life and look for its value because it is always there. As long as you are alive, you have a chance to grow and become better at whatever it is you are striving to do. We should try to make the best of things.

Gratitude

Since we can’t choose what always happens to us, we still have a choice about our feelings about these things that happen to us. Try to feel gratitude for all the experiences in your life. Even for the items we don’t want to happen to us. Why should we feel grateful for difficult things? Because often, they are the events that push us forward to being our best selves. Even the most traumatic experiences, once dealt with, can propel us to becoming better people and achieving life goals we never thought we could make.

It is called post-traumatic growth. It occurs when an event rocks your whole world, and it breaks your shell of comfort. It is a forced significant change in a short amount of time. To adjust, we all have different methods. We withdraw, we experience depression, we feel lost and alone. But when you come out on the other side. Your motivation is better, and your goals are more apparent. You know what type of person you want to be and are closer to representing that ideal every day.

Express Your Emotions

So why allow solid emotional responses to dictate your behavior? There is value in expressing your emotions and being true to your feelings, but does experiencing them in the time of action provide you with more work options? An individual can experience sadness but not let it dictate how they behave at the moment. Remaining calm is the key to finding success and guiding yourself out of the darkness of depression or sadness.

Be calm and measure your reactions. See how many options become available to you. To remain calm when the storm rises all around you is a real challenge. Anger can seem like a powerful tool to make sure your fear is known. But it does not help build authentic relationships or live a better, happier life. Better to recognize the thoughts that brought the anger on and deal with those in a healthy manner. You live in control of your emotions and not the other way around.

You Choose

Life is going to give you a series of experiences. It’s up to you to decide how skills will ripple through your life and the lives of those around you. Will it be a gentle wave of calm or a violent tsunami of anger, fear, and frustration? That is the choice you have today and every day. It’s your experience and your choice of how to grow from it.

quotes

“It is our attitude at the beginning of a difficult task which, more than anything else, will affect Its successful outcome.”-William James

“Our attitudes control our lives. Attitudes are a secret power working twenty-four hours a day, for good or bad. It is of paramount importance that we know how to harness and control this great force.”-Tom Blandi

“I am convinced that attitude is the key to success or failure in almost any of life’s endeavors. Your attitude-your perspective, your outlook, how you feel about yourself, how you feel about other people-determines your priorities, your actions, your values. Your attitude determines how you interact with other people and how you interact with yourself.”-Carolyn Warner

 

22

Over The Rainbow

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The Wizard of Oz has always been classic because of its great story and, of course, for the messages it teaches.   Yearly, children of all ages enjoy it because of the symbolic search for self the characters embark on. The search for personal growth is one that I am very familiar with, the ability to think, have a heart, maintain your courage, and find a home. I think we are all looking for the same things. I have learned a few things on my trip somewhere over the rainbow.

If I only had a Brain

With the thoughts I'd be thinking, I could be another Lincoln.
With the thoughts I’d be thinking, I could be another Lincoln.

The search for intelligence has changed over time for me. Initially, I thought school was the ultimate expression of your intellect and to what degree you had determined your intelligence.

But life experience has taught me that your natural intellect is revealed when you have a passion for learning something. I have learned more since I turned 44 than I ever conceived of as a college student. I never had a passion for reading about facts and learning new things as I do today, and trying to fit their lessons into my life. If I were a faster learner, perhaps I would have had a happier life.

I believe that all people contain intelligence inside themselves, and they only need the right question to bring it out. Don’t spend a lifetime looking outside yourself for intelligence or intellect. It has existed inside you all along. Embrace it and your magic that will take you anywhere you want to go.

Tales of a Broken Heart

I would like to be able to sing and dance too.
I want to be able to sing and dance too.

Many of us are just like that tin man, tapping our chests and hearing nothing but an echo shooting back at us. Yet, the heart is always there, and it has to be for us to exist. Some are hard to find in people as they act callously toward us or others. But some semblance of pulmonary machinery exists, and you have to look hard in some people.

An emotional heart is in everyone, but we try to protect it too much. Nothing hurts as bad as when it is broken, but that is a part of the process. There is an inherent risk in any relationship that if you love someone, you may be hurt. It is one of the elements of life that make no sense. Something good goes terrible; pleasure becomes pain; joy becomes sorrow, yin, yang, light and dark; we are all pawns to our strongest emotions.

This fact goes for loving your spouse, girlfriend, boyfriend, children, grandparents, or friends. Because it hurts so much, that is why we construct such stable structures around our hearts. The problem with this is that it is hard to get any guidance from a heart so deeply buried. Let it rise to the surface and take your chances. That is life. No guarantees.

Remember that your heart is available to you anytime you want to use it. Any tin walls around it can be removed simply by deciding to do so. But know also there is no warranty on your heart and no return policy either. It will allow you to love all the good, bad, joyful, and painful stuff that comes with it.

What have they got that I ain’t got?

I'd fight you with my eyes closed!
I’d fight you with my eyes closed!

When it comes to courage, we all face fears all the time. Some are big, like a fear of death or heights, and some are pretty small. There is a twinge of fear in each action that we either overcome or succumb to. I think I have given in way more than I would ever like to admit. To the horror of what others think, fear of failure, fear of success, and fear of being happy. (as silly as that sounds)

Courage to me is recognizing the thing that frightens you and still moving forward anyway. As life progresses, people create routines and structures that seem to protect us from fear, but it still exists.   My search for courage is to be myself in every moment, regardless of what others think. To open myself up to life and love and accept the results, even when they aren’t what I would choose. I still endeavor to try to be happy and try to be brave for another day. Some days I have retreated, but we all have days like that. I have been knocked down 100 times and gotten up 101.

Your fear may be something else.   We all have the courage inside us to face whatever adversity we face. It isn’t always easy, but it can be done. Have courage in your journey, and you will find success.

No Place Like Home

There's no place like home. There's no place like home.
There’s no place like home. There’s no place like home.

Some would say that home is where the heart is, and others might say that home is where you can be accepted and loved for who you are. No matter what definition you use, I think searching for a home is a lifelong one.

I am fortunate to have experienced a lot of pleasant experiences in my life, but I am unfortunate that I have never found my home. Home is one of the places that I have been looking for all of my life, and I have thought I found it before but was mistaken. I also know what I may encounter is finding the home I am thinking of is an impossibility, or it may be something that I have known all along. There is a sneaking suspicion inside me. Home is not out there somewhere over the rainbow but residing much closer to me, right inside myself, just waiting to be recognized. Once accepted and understood, the world might make sense. We can’t find a home in another place or another person, and we can only share our home with them, and they theirs with us.

Either way, those who have found this in their lives should be grateful. I am thankful for the idea that home will be possible someday, and I dream of it because there is no place like home.

So, What have you learned, Dorothy?

So as I express my gratitude for this movie and the search for a brain, a heart, courage, and a home. I urge all of you who have these things to be grateful for them. If you are still searching, that is OK too.

Life is nothing but a search for all of our missing pieces, which exist out there somewhere. If I only knew where a wizard was hiding behind a curtain, perhaps I would find mine more efficiently.

22

Factors In My Fear

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One of the most influential factors in the lives of all people is Fear. It comes to us in various ways and affects what goals we set, what actions we take, our thoughts, and how we interact with other people. The factor of Fear touches almost every moment of our lives. It makes you wonder how we all became so afraid. Fear comes in many different forms to influence us, unease, worry, anxiety, nervousness, tension, dread, and even phobia. These are the faces of Fear that people face and are influenced by every day. The thing to remember is that most of these are not tangible things. There isn’t a real and present danger that will cause you harm. No, these are fears based on something that might happen in the future, perhaps. If they do, I will suffer, making me nervous, anxious, worried, tense, etc. So we live our lives based on something that is just a thought that is not happening now. You can counteract feelings of Fear with thoughts of love, which starts with you, in your mind.

The Present Moment

It is also very peculiar that there is no room for fear when people are faced with things in the present moment. You can be worried about whatever you want, but when faced with that experience in the here and now, most people react without a doubt. They do what must be done, one step at a time. There is no room for fear or anxiety because you are dealing with the problem head-on, and you know the answers to any questioning thoughts you may contain in your head. Later, after the trauma is over, your mind can create wild replays of an incident and create new fears. This thought is post-traumatic stress. The event dominates your thoughts with what-if scenarios, and if that could happen, what about this?

Look at your thoughts, and all of our fearful ones are based on the potential for suffering and avoiding it. We are all scared of monsters in our closets, we all have different closets, but the Fear is the same. I will be hurt, and I want to avoid that at all costs. Try to focus on the thought that we can always deal with the present moment, but we have difficulty coping with things that are a projection of the mind. Because our minds can make up scenarios that make us feel helpless, and that is the scariest thing at all. The future is challenging to deal with as a projection because there is no honest answer to counteract the perceived pain experience. What is this pain?

Our Fears

What exactly are we afraid of?

*One is a fear of loss, that something we care about will be taken away from us. If you have nothing, you have nothing to lose, and it is the loss of things we have that frightens us. If you have love, rather than enjoying it, we destroy it with a fear of losing it.

*Another major fear is a fear of failure. To me, this is a significant impediment to developing to your fullest potential. When you try something new, you will either succeed or fail. Either way, you will learn something valuable that will lead to your ultimate growth and fulfilling your potential. Too often, we let our fear of failure stop us from trying something, and we are defeated before we begin. It isn’t the failure that scares us, and it is what others think the loss says about us.

*Fear of being hurt is another one. I think suffering is one of the parts of this human experience that we need to be conscious of. Of course, we don’t want to experience pain. It is not a good thing. But the pain has a purpose. It tells you that something is wrong and that problem needs to be addressed one way or another. It directs action and forces us to do something. When the pain is happening, most people are not afraid. After the experience of the pain, we are fearful of being hurt again. We remember the experience and, of course, would like to avoid it in the future. The problem is when you let your fear of being hurt stop you from living that you are living in Fear.

**Fear of death is the real problem we have mentally, that this physical journey will end at some point. You have to come to peace with our impending mutual doom at some point. But some people take it to the extreme and need to be right in every argument to defend a mental position they have identified with. To lose the debate is the mind having its sense of self threatened with destruction. If you are wrong about something you believe wholeheartedly, what else could you have been wrong about? Once you realize the mind is not you, it is possible to step back and see that right or wrong makes no difference. You can know what you believe and speak it firmly and clearly.

Shine a Light

Fears will disappear when you shine a light on them. The view of consciousness will eliminate all of your Fear of thought. Hold what scares you in your mind and focus on why it is so frightening to you. Follow the emotion back to its origin, and you will see most of the things we fear have humble origins early in life. They are often punctuated through our experience, but they start in our youth. If you have a fear of trusting someone and being hurt, it began when you were small, and it has probably been plaguing you throughout your adult life. Shining a light on this issue and realizing that there are people you can trust, and often it is your thought pattern that leads to a situation of suffering.

Spend some time documenting and honestly examining your fears. Find their origin and understand that they are just your mind projecting an image that doesn’t exist. The light of knowledge and understanding of yourself will bring courage.

“Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. The fearful are caught as often as the bold.” —Helen Keller

“One of the greatest discoveries a man makes, one of his great surprises, is to find he can do what he was afraid he couldn’t do.” —Henry Ford

“I have learned over the years that when one’s mind is made up, this diminishes fear; knowing what must be done does away with fear.” —Rosa Parks

“Fears are nothing more than a state of mind.” —Napoleon Hill

“I learned that courage was not the absence of fear but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.” —Nelson Mandela

 

22

When Dreaming Was Easy

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Dream – contemplate the possibility of doing something or that something might be the case.

DreamThe human mind is an incredible tool. Not only can it process billions of things each day, it also can help to create the desired images of the future, and it does this through dreams.  Everything that was ever created or achieved started as a dream in someone’s mind and then became a reality through the pursuit of the possibility that dream presents.  What are the dreams that you are creating today? What do you want to do? Where do you want to go? What do you want to be?  The first step to answering all of these things is to start by dreaming. So be conscious today of how your thoughts, words, and actions are leading to or away from your dreams.

When Dreaming was Easy

In the early development of childhood, dreaming is as natural as breathing or eating. A young mind easily imagines what they might be in the future. It doesn’t have to be realistic, it has to be something that will bring joy out Dreamof life and will plain be fun.  As you grow, the world seems to want to distance you from dreaming. We are inundated with statements of “be realistic!”, “you can’t make a living doing that!”, or the most defeating, “You can’t possibly do that!”

The negative messages often come from people who genuinely concern us. They don’t want you to be disappointed, hurt, or seen as unsuccessful. It might be because they will see themselves as a failure if they are not acceptable in society. Some people say these things to you because they didn’t have the courage to pursue their dreams, and if you succeed in yours, they feel emptier without their dreams.  Don’t let your power to dream be diminished, dream every day and let your mind create the possibility of what might be. The world will be better for it.

The Action is the Fuel

So you have this dream of becoming something different or creating Dreamsomething in your life. The fuel that moves a dream from fantastical fiction to reality is taking action toward making it real.  The actions may seem small at first, but action will lead to more actions and soon you are on your way.  Keep the dream in the back of your mind but remain present in the experience of each action you are taking to bring your dream into reality.

If you dream of going to the moon then you have to start by doing what it takes to become an astronaut. If you dream of being a famous singer, you should probably start working on your voice.  Whatever it is, there is a step you can be taking today to move you along the path of your dream.  It won’t happen through thought alone. It takes an action to bring it to reality.

Don’t Be Discouraged

Sometimes dreams don’t come true.  This is one of the harsh realities of life. Even when we keep a strong visualization of the dream and we take positive action toward achieving it, it still doesn’t work out.  The challenge is to see the experience for what it is, a stepping stone to a better you.  Even if you do not achieve your dream, your path will take you in a positive direction.  Evaluate what you learned in the pursuit.  Perhaps it is time to take a new tack and move in a different direction toward the dream? There may have been vital information you needed to obtain in order to ultimately create your dream.

Who is to say what failure is? Many great people failed a lot in their pursuit of achievement. Only by maintaining their dream and continuing taking steps forward did they finally create what they imagined.  That is one of the biggest challenges in life, to keep giving your best every day to make your dreams a part of your reality.  Many times dreams come true if you don’t give up.  Keep dreaming and keep trying, it will allow you to be the best version of yourself and the world will be a better place for it.

Dreams

So as you move through your life today, be conscious of your dreams. Don’t push them away as fantastical things that could never come true.  Look at the places in your life where you can take even a small action toward it. Also, be conscious of the dreams of others.  Encourage where you can. If you don’t want to accomplish anything, at least don’t be a detriment to those who do.  Be conscious of your thoughts, words, and actions today of the dreams in you and all around you.

“Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world.”~ Harriet Tubman

This video was the dream of an Italian guy to get the Foo Fighters to come to Italy to play. He organized and created this 1000 musician band performing the song Learn to Fly. It is the creation of a dream and shows how taking action makes it come true.  He speaks about it after the song.  Great!!

 

22

Make A List

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List– several related items or names are written or printed consecutively, typically one below the other.

Life is not a solo sport, and no matter how much you may try to stay disconnected from others, there will be those who will need you at some point. These people have been placed on your list of assignments for life, and how well you manage to provide them with the guidance and support they need will determine your actual success in life. You may not know some of the people on your list yet, but knowing that they exist may have you start looking for them. It begins with conscious awareness that people depend on you to give them a hand through the rough patches. It begins with n awareness of your thoughts, emotions, words, and actions today.

All People Have a List

There isn’t a person in the world who doesn’t have a list. Position and power don’t have much to do with it. Being human does.   Some on our lists are easy to identify, they are our relatives, and of course, we care about them, but others who need us may not be all that evident  Keep this in mind your listin your daily dealings with all people, are they on your list  Do they need a thing from you  Are they one o your assignments?

At the very least, you can try not to hinder others, who are doing their best to help their assignments. Please treat them with respect, regardless of social status, job titles, or current situation. Have empathy t t their list exists and needs them. Or perhaps they are on your list and require you to provide them with some critical elements of their existence, Either way, be kind to the plight of others.

Whose List Have You Been On?

In your life, there have been times you needed things from others. None of us is an island globally, and we are all connected. No matter how wealthy a person is or how well they have planned their lives, there are times they your listneed somebody. Look back at y r whole life and honestly see the people who drifted into your life to give you a bump or boost at a particular time, Just when you needed it.

An encouraging word, a visit, support when you are down  A friend who n er wavers or loved ones who have supplied unconditional love all your life  I don’t know whose list you have been on, but I am positive that your name has been on a file or two in your life  Be grateful for that, and appreciate what a great thing that is  Your mission in life is critical to others, and you have quite a value.

Your List Gets You Thinking Positively

Sometimes we get stuck in our heads, thinking about selfish, harmful things. Your list and those who need you provide a natural break from negative thinking and push you toward being more positive. Whether you like it or not. It is just about impossible to do something kind, thoughtful, or supportive for another and not feel optimistic. The symbiotic relationship also works the other way. It is impossible not to feel good inside when someone does something for you. So the lesson is to look for those on your list who need you today and come through for them.

You may do this every day already, which is great, but becoming more aware of how you fit into the cosmic movement of life can be a powerful awareness—your actions matter. For yourself and for all of those who need you, it is also comforting to know you are listed on someone’s responsibility list if you should need it as well. Take heart today and think about how lucky you are to be involved in this life. Be conscious o your list and those in and around your life working to provide what is needed for others. It is happening all around you and noticing starts by looking at your thoughts, emotions, words, and actions and how they affect your list of personal assignments.

“Give not because people expect you to but because the world needs you to.” – Tokoda

“Is it always to be a winners-losers world, or can we keep everyone in the game?” – Robert Fulghum

“I wish for all of us the blindness of love that makes us see no faults in the other.” – Kamand Kojouri

https://youtu.be/dvvJ7MYaK8o

 

22

Improve Every Day

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improvementsOpportunities for improvement in intellect, action, or spirituality are things that exist for us every day. I am grateful today that I can seek and find growth in some aspects of my life experience. And it goes without saying, but YOU can too! We have to be conscious of what we want to change and then make choices that allow us to move in the right direction.

We have to be conscious of what we want to change and then make choices that allow us to move in the right direction.

Only Two Directions In Life

Good morning, good afternoon, or good evening, depending on where you are. I say this to point out that it doesn’t matter where you are in the world. A universal fact is that you are going today is one of two ways. You are getting better, or you are getting worse. There is no staying static in one place. This fact is a great thing because if you start to recognize this fact, you will look for ways to make sure you are getting better each day. If you do nothing to improve and assume the status quo is acceptable, you will be slipping in the other direction.

Choose an element of your life, from how you relate to your family, how you perform your improvement 2job or how you relate to the Universe.   If you don’t strive for improvement, regression will most likely be the reward. This idea is valid for physical and mental tasks, and it is true of everything in life. But you have total control over which way you go. If you want to be a better person, then make choices that focus on becoming a better person, and it will happen through your action. There is no other alternative.

It Doesn’t Matter How Far Down You Are

Another great thing about improvement is that it doesn’t matter how far down you currently are. You can change and get better right now. Having the courage to start is the spark ingredient you need to begin the journey to improvement. If you feel you weigh too much, then choose today to improve that aspect of your life. It may be eating healthier and exercising, and you will be growing. If you decide to do nothing different, where will your weight go?

If you don’t think you are intelligent enough, choose to become more informed. Start to read, research, and become more aware and knowledgeable in areas you feel lacking. If you decide to do nothing and keep on watching Netflix and not reading, your intellect will arrive precisely where you have decided it should be.

The same is true for your happiness in life, spirituality, or relationships. If you are not happy, have no connection to God, or are not fulfilled in your relationships, then it is time to start making different choices, and that will lead you to more honoring results than what you want to experience.

You Can’t Do It All At Once or Can you?

It is my nature to tell you that you can’t attack all aspects of your life at once, but that is a cop-out. You can work on improvement in every part of your life and move toward more of story endswhat you desire. Some areas may be improving more quickly than others, but each can improve simultaneously.

Every time you are faced with one of these challenges, you choose how you think about it. Your choice may be a small one only you know, but isn’t it all about what type of person you can become? Make that choice to improve every chance you get.

There will be moments that you fail, there will be times when it is hard, but those times often will only serve as opportunities to reaffirm our desire to be a better person in whatever manner we desire.

Each of us has a talent inside that will allow us to be better.

“Everything is practice.”- Pele

“Practice the philosophy of continuous improvement. Get a little bit better every single day.”- Brian Tracy

“It is from the numberless diverse acts of courage and belief that human history is shaped. Each time a man stands up for an ideal or acts to improve the lot of others or strikes out against injustice, he sends forth a tiny ripple of hope, and crossing each other from a million different centers of energy and daring, those ripples build a current that can sweep down the mightiest walls of oppression and resistance.”- Robert Kennedy

“Don’t wish it were easier, wish you were better.” – Jim Rohn

 

I am grateful for the ability to improve every day.

 

 

22

Making Choices

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 Conscious Choices 

Please don’t rely on scarecrows with hay in their heads to make choices. Do it consciously.

To make real choices in your life, first, you have to become fully conscious of the thoughts you entertain in your mind. Full consciousness is not easy to accomplish because our brains have been programmed throughout our lives to think a certain way and react almost unconsciously to certain stimuli. If you are responding to things in a patterned manner, then really, there is no choice, just patterned reactionary behavior. Today, one thought is to look at all of your preferences for only one day and ask yourself why you made that decision. Choice implies that we have a consciousness about us, so be aware of the thousands of options we make in a day and the repercussions of these decisions, big and small.

Conscious or Unconscious

It all begins when you seperate yourself from your thoughts. Too often, we have been conditioned to believe that we are our thoughts. An idea is only as accurate as we allow it to be. A  mind is a powerful tool, and it can help us solve complex problems and create positive situations, but it is just a tool, not who we are. What your thoughts for some time and notice their value; most are repeated ideas we have been thinking about for many years. But you don’t have to identify with them,

Be conscious and become aware or unconscious and unaware—your choice.

That is the real beginning of choice. You start to understand that you are not the mind, but the person behind the account who uses the tool to create your life.

The choice begins here. Once we realize we are not our thoughts, we become present in the moment. We are no longer compelled to react in a patterned response from a conditioned mind. Think out how often we try to recreate what we are familiar with because the brain likes comfortable. Your conscious is delighted with the known. Whereas the unknown is a hazardous and fearful experience because we feel there is no way to control it.

All real choices are made in the present moment with an understanding of the pros and cons of each moment and making a decision based on how it will affect your life. Not how  he past has gone, or what you imagine may go wrong tomorrow. Make choices based on the day’s feelings, thoughts, and possibilities. The option is not a reaction, and it is a conscious decision to act, not act or create.

Your Choices Define You

No matter if you are operating on a conscious or unconscious level, you will be defined by the choices you make. Are you resented by love or fear? When you make the decisions of love, the resulting feelings will be overwhelmingly good. If your choices are coming from fear, then bad feelings will result. These fundamental decisions are going to define you every moment. Look at your thoughts, which take your focus. Are they anchored in

Your choices will identify you and the kind of person you are in the world.

The past? Or centered on  what might happen in the future? The only moment that matters now.

Pull your thoughts into this moment and what is happening in your life right now. That is the one thing you are guaranteed at this moment. Either you find the joy in it or the pain, which is the natural choice we are making every moment. Life is a short ride, and the only thing you are guaranteed is that it will end at some point. At that moment, how do you want the choices you make today to look? Are you making decisions based on what is favorable for you? Or are you making choices you feel others will accept? Options that are safe and in accord with the programming from your past? Decisions that you can’t second-guess? Or are you making choices based on the present moment and who you are as unlimited potential? Too often, for me, this is not the case.

Today’s Choices

Take time today and be aware of where you are honestly in this life journey. Make choices of w at type of person you want to be, and then choose to take action from that frame of mind. Efforts in this a a will take you to the experiences you need to become the best version of yourself possible. Look at all your c ices and understand what direction they are pushing you. If they don’t make you better, it is time to start making different choices. The incredible thing about life is that it is never too late to take another direction and begin to become a better version of yourself. It will happen one c conscious choice at a time.

 “Your life changes the moment you make a new, congruent, and committed decision.” —Tony Robbins

 “Life presents you with so many decisions. A lot of times, they re right in front of your face, and they’re really difficult, but we must make them.” —Brittany Murphy

“We are the creative force of our life, and through our own decisions rather than our conditions, if we carefully learn to do certain things, we can accomplish those goals.” —Stephen Covey

 “Sometimes it’s the smallest decisions that can change your life forever.” —Keri Russell

 

22

Time for A Little Honesty

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 Be Honest in All You Do; the deception of others can’t fool you.

honest abe
This guy is always honest.

I once heard that everyone tells at least one lie every day. It seemed a little cynical to me until I looked at my behavior and realized how much effort it takes to be honest with those you continually encounter and on the inside with yourself. It seems that it would be easier to be free of deceit and untruthfulness and to express sincerity in all of our statements and actions throughout the day. The truth is hidden to avoid the perceived pain we may cause by stating the fact. But there are consequences for all dishonesty, and the most significant is a lack of trust in people. But it doesn’t have to be that way, which is my thought for today. Be honest all day today with others and yourself.

Value of Truth

If you took all the money in the world away, what value do we each have? The amount of honesty we bring to the world is the highest currency there would be. There is comfort in being honest in life. If you do not accept lies from yourself, it is easy to spot them in others. How reliable someone else decides to be is their karma and their problem. You can only worry about yourself and the level of honesty you bring to the world. I think that to be the best version of yourself, being honest about your actions and, more importantly, your feelings are a requirement.

Spend as little time possible worrying about how your thoughts, words, or actions will affect others or their perception of you and be concerned about being honest. In the end, your name is all that you have anyway. Focus on sincerity throughout your day. Note anything less than truthful. Could you correct it? See what happens.

The main reasons people don’t always tell the truth are:
    • Fear of harm: The most straightforward reason to understand why we lie is for self-protection, including self-deception, to prevent damage to ourselves. This harm can be either physical or mental.
    • Fear of conflict: To some degree, we all fear to argue.
    • Fear of punishment: When growing up, how often did we lie about how well we did in school or started a fight? How often do we cover up our mistakes and transgressions?
    • Fear of rejection: Sometimes, our insecurities are the foundation of why we lie to each other because we want to remain popular in our relationships. Typically, it is harmless boasting to make ourselves appear more admirable to other people.
    • Fear of loss: This is usually the loss of personal objects, such as money or expensive valuables. Greed is the foundation for this reason and can be found in us. We often lie to make ourselves more desirable to other people too. Most conventional, people lie for fear of alienating their significant other. Other times, when our self-esteem starts to decline, we even lie to ourselves as a means to prevent loss of morale.
    • Altruistic Reasons: We often lie to help our friends and loved ones. How often do we flattery someone to make them feel better? Or don’t tell the whole truth because we are afraid of hurting someone’s feelings? This is the only selfless reason why we lie.

 

Choose Honesty Today

Just for one day, choose nothing but honesty. Be conscious of everything you say and do in your interactions and thoughts. Make them 100% honest according to your knowledge and understanding of the world and each situation you are in. By doing so, your character will grow positively, you will build trust with yourself and others, and there is a definite feeling that comes with being honest. Inside of yourself is the place is open, really counts.

“Honesty is the first chapter in the book of wisdom.” -Thomas Jefferson

“Integrity is telling myself the truth. And honesty is telling the truth to other people.” – Spencer Johnson

“Honest hearts produce honest actions.”- Brigham Young

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dN1nc_BHn5Y