Tag Archives: Fear

21

Imperfection

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Imperfection– a fault, blemish, or undesirable feature.

imperfectionAll of us have to face facts at some point. We are not perfect.  Our lives are infected by personal shortcomings and weaknesses of all sorts, which cause us to make imperfect choices all the time.  These imperfections may be physical, spiritual, emotional, financial, or fall under any area of our experience and/or lives.  Despite these shortcomings, the secret to enjoying life is to explore and embrace each one of them fully. Personal growth can only come from understanding.  This understanding results from looking honestly at the things we don’t like, knowing why they happen and taking actions to improve them.  Increase your awareness of your perceived imperfections by looking at your thoughts, the resulting emotions, words, and actions you experience noticing your imperfections. You will find these imperfections can be a guide to personal growth and understanding of one’s outlook.

Don’t Hide from Imperfections.

For myself, I see weakness every day. Each day I am confronted with situations that either reveal or highlight some glitches in my personal makeup.  There are clear choices.

No need to hide from your weakness, embrace it.
No need to hide from your weakness. Embrace it.

Available to me when I experience these challenges.

The first one is to try to hide them from the world.  You can ignore them and move on with life like nothing ever happened.  This can be good for a day or perhaps a week or maybe even a month or a year, but ignoring something doesn’t make it not exist.

These not-so-powerful images of ourselves do not exist to make us feel bad. They are there to provide you with a road map for improvement.  Don’t hide from or ignore your personal “weaknesses”; learn to recognize, embrace them and grow from them.  We spend so much energy hiding our perceived problems from others, and the real problem becomes the hiding of the problem and worries about it, more than the problem itself.  Embrace your uniqueness and understand it makes you who you are. Unique.  It is through understanding that things change.

See the Path to Improvement

It can be a painful thing to see your weakness on display. When I see my anger, impatience, and negative attitude crop up, it can be a daunting task to face.  Who wants to admit that they are not perfect in everything they Imperfectiondo in a day?  But it is only by recognizing where we are weak that we can see the path we need to follow to be strong.

So if I am negative about something, there is a reason it is happening, and usually, it is a personal, teachable moment.  Yesterday I got angry several times because of the actions of others.  Not bad actions, just being human and worrying about their own needs above everyone else’s needs.  I am a firm believer that anger is an emotional warning sign that shows our concern that our needs might not be met or that we are in physical danger.

It seems my anger reveals my own concerns about the ending of something and the inevitable moving on.  I am ready to move on in most cases, but there are quite a few people and work situations that I have become quite fond of, and both consciously and subconsciously, it hurts to see that coming to an end. But knowing this allows you to say goodbye or maintain relationships comfortably and enjoyably for all people.

I have a fear of these relationships.  I am rational enough to know that moving on is the best thing for me and all of the people I care about. In fact, the end has to happen for me to grow, but it still does not come without difficulty.  Without realizing this, I may let the opportunity to tell some of these people exactly how much they have meant to me during this experience in my life. I could not have enjoyed it without them, and in fact, they are all part of the combined reason it was such a memorable experience.

Grow From Understanding Yourself

So there is really no other choice in life but to embrace the weakness that shows up in your day-to-day existence.  It may be initially difficult or uncomfortable to admit, but once you do, there is a wealth of information imperfectionthat can help to guide you on your path and lead you toward your dreams.

Dissecting your shortcomings allows you to view honestly where your work needs to be spent to live a higher quality of life.  This higher quality is going to allow you a better chance to reach your full potential.  All people have a tremendous potential to be great, but life’s pain and false beliefs often cover it up. Your weakness can provide you with the key to unlocking this great potential inside you. It simply needs to be dealt with.

It is also a fact that many times it is our imperfections that make us unique and interesting.  In some cases, your weakness will push you to overcome it, either to prove your worth to others or yourself, and these motivating factors are a part of understanding why we have weaknesses in the first place.

Change is Constant and Inevitable

Recognizing a weakness is a blessing because it allows you the opportunity to make changes and improve yourself in almost any way.  We know this will happen one way or another because no matter what you do, things are going to change.  Our imperfections are not a permanent handicap on enjoying and being happy in life, and they are simply a signpost of what needs work in our lives to make our existence a greater experience.

We are all imperfect beings in an imperfect world, trying to enjoy the ride of life.  You have the potential to be great, and embracing and working on your weaknesses will allow you to find success a whole lot quicker and to enjoy the experience of life along the way.  Often it is our “imperfections” that allow us to become our strongest selves.

It all begins with a greater awareness of the thoughts we have about our imperfections. Please don’t make it an indictment on you personally. Make it an opportunity to learn and become better, and the growth that results will allow a greater level of consciousness today.

Imperfection is beauty, madness is genius, and it’s better to be absolutely ridiculous than absolutely boring. Marilyn Monroe

“The fact of storytelling hints at fundamental human unease hints at human imperfection. Where there is perfection, there is no story to tell.”- Ben Okri

“There would be no need for love if perfection were possible. Love arises from our imperfection, from our being different and always in need of the forgiveness, encouragement and that missing half of ourselves that we are searching for, as the Greek myth tells us, to complete ourselves.”-Eugene Kennedy

 

21

Anger

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For those who like spelling!
For those who like spelling!

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

Anger is just Anger

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

Is anger Good?

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

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

Anger Problems

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Revenge will Get You Nowhere.

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

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

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

Jealousy is a Monster

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

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

Forgiveness is Final

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

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

 

21

Duplicitous

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It has been an observation that all people are duplicitous, always have been, and always will be.  Some have more separation between their two sides, but we all have them.  This image of the apple makes me think of this.  Billy Joel expressed it very well,

“Well, we all have a face
That we hide away forever
And we take them out and
Show ourselves
When everyone has gone
Some are satin, and some are steel
Some are silk, and some are leather
They’re the faces of the stranger
But we love to try them on.”

What you show the world

I don’t think that anyone can argue with the premise because we don’t go around showing the world everything about ourselves. We show them what we want them to see or are comfortable with them seeing.  This apple is like that because you will see something undesirable if you look at the bottom, and it looks like it is no good.  However, if you look at the top, the apple still looks healthy and normal.  If the apple

hiding feelings
Be Careful What the World Sees

could choose to show you only its healthy-looking side; you would assume it was a normal and healthy apple without knowing the hidden damage underneath.  All people are this way to some degree.

Hide Your Damage

People hide their damage from the world for a couple of reasons.  First of all, nobody wants to be judged on the things that have happened and hurt them.  Nobody knows how much someone has been hurt or why. It seems a narrow thought process to label someone for one small part of their life.  Most often, judgments come from selfishness to point out someone else’s pain to hide our own. Or deflect attention from the very same issues in one’s own life.

masks
Are all outward appearances just carefully conceived masks?

Another reason people practice this separation is that if people knew their true feelings on things and issues, they would reject them, and they would lose acceptance in society.  This fear keeps many wearing their masks for their entire life, showing what they know will be accepted and hiding their different faces, regardless of the honesty behind them.

Why Be Shady?

It seems that people would be a lot happier if they could be who they are, think what they want, and be allowed to heal their damage. This is the way of the human condition, and we will continue to exist like the apple showing what we believe to be our shiny side to the world while we hurt underneath.

It makes you wonder if everything you see from people is just a mask or if they are trusting you enough to show you what they really think.  That is why people like dogs because you always know exactly where you stand with them. I have met people I thought I knew well, who proved over time to be hiding their true self behind a veil of lies and misinformation.  I can’t judge too harshly.

Keep To Yourself

How much of myself do I keep to myself? Just because I don’t want to put myself in front of the speeding train of judgment.  Much like all of our superheroes, Superman, Spiderman, Batman, and the like, they maintain a “secret” identity to protect a part of themselves.  I think it is to give them a safe space to live, outside of the public pressure of being Superman.  I think there is a bit of that in all of us.

Regardless of where you stand personally on the subject of duplicity, I will know that you, as well as everyone else, have a duplicitous identity. I guess the trick is to see which side of themselves any person is choosing to show you at any one time.

21

History

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forget your historyA limiting belief many people carry around in their minds is “History always repeats.”  As a former history teacher, I know that general themes in history do repeat themselves in the broad scheme of life. However, this is not a given, and it takes a combination of circumstances and choices for any event to occur. This is particularly true in your life, don’t be limited by the concern or fear that events from your past are simply going to play again in your mind. Forget your history.

Live for the possibility you have right now in front of you. The past is over, and history can’t change it. Did you make a mistake? Accept it. You can’t change it now anyway. Understand that if you could have done better at that moment, you would have. Now you have grown and developed more maturity and tools to help you cope and deal with situations life throws at you.

Forget your history of Fear and Worry.

The real problem with this belief is that it causes constant fear of the bad regret2things we have experienced. They hurt and were painful, and who would want to go through that again? Yet, we spend a lot of our time worrying and preparing, just if that situation rears its ugly head in our lives. If you sincerely believe that bad things are going to come, then they most likely will.

Patterns do happen in life, but how many of them occur because we allow them to. By spending so much time worrying about them and fearing certain things, we actually create the circumstances that create them. Not one worry or fear ever added anything positive to your life, certainly not as hope and love will. Where your focus lies has a lot more to do with the events of your life today, much more than your history ever will. Forget your history. Focus on the potential of today. It is as great as you want to make it.

Nothing is Guaranteed; forget your history.

There are no guarantees in life that anything is going to happen, which is forget your historytrue about difficult things and positive, easy things. History always repeats robs a person of some freedom to make choices in their lives. We have choices in every second of life to have this experience or that one.

Should I work or watch Netflix? Write something or create nothing? Move or stay? All of these are choices that come in all moments of the day. You are the driver of this vehicle called life, and it doesn’t matter what has happened in the past. All roads are open to you. Your past is history, and history is in the rearview mirror life is not moving that way. Don’t let the limiting belief of history always repeats dim your future.  Forget your history. Focus on your future.

Make Your Future Great

The time that you see that the options for you are wide open. A few alterations here or there, and you can see what might happen. Your choices will determine how much happiness and personal fulfillment is in your future. Only you and your thoughts can make history repeat. Choose not to. You choose your life, and your past has very little to do with it unless you allow it to. Forget your history.

Today may be the day that you achieve that dream, meet that person, accomplish that goal, your life changes for the better in radical ways. Forget history and live.

 

21

Red Balloon

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How many times in your life have you thought you had it all figured out? The secret to wealth, fame, and fortune was all yours, and all you had to do was accept it. Yet somewhere, we stop short of taking action on our dream, as we allow our potepersonal developmentntial to float away like a solitary red balloon floating away on a summer breeze. It fades slowly into the sky and leaves behind nothing but the smokey emptiness of what might have been. It is time that you took responsibility for your own life and what becomes of your dreams because without your choice to apply yourself and dedicate your complete being to making your future the place that you want to live in, it most likely won’t happen. Personal development is all about taking concentrated, motivated actions toward your goals.

Why It Can Be Difficult to Develop Ourselves

It is a simple concept on the surface to apply yourself fully to what you already know you want, but we are people. Each of us possesses our own unique load of difficulties, differences, and fears that can prevent us from applying ourselves and our efforts toward finding our dream.  Fear is the biggest of these. It can make the strongest of people pause their endeavors.

personal developmentThere are two types of fear that lead to people never applying themselves toward their goals, and the first is the fear of failure. This is the fear that tells you not even to try because you are going to fail anyway. All of us have attempted to do something in our lives and experienced failure. It hurts! Our ego remembers that, and when we are put in another risky position, we fear failure that stops us from even trying.

The second is a fear of success. There are several reasons that people fear success. It could be a fear of finding out what they dreamed of wasn’t all it was believed to be in the first place. As long as you never try to make your dream a reality, it will always be perfect in your mind. Was that what we truly wanted? What if you achieve your goal and it isn’t what you wanted?  If I could be wrong about that, what else am I wrong about? The fear of success paralyzes and stops a real effort from being taken toward accomplishing our dreams.  Personal development is about overcoming fear and acting toward your goals.

To-Do Is All There Is To Do

Fear is a big hurdle, but you can jump by using the power we have to defeat all fear and take action. It is through action that all results are found and measured. personal developmentDoubt is removed, and we gain absolute knowledge about what it is we are trying to accomplish. In the end, that is what all journeys are about, finding out what it is we are looking for. Effort and action will bring this information into your life, and there is a power in that knowledge. It is real and tangible and does not disappear in a breeze. Action destroys fear and replaces it with confidence that will enable you to accomplish more dreams and goals. It is all located on the other side of your fear.

Knowing is not enough. We must APPLY. Willing is not enough. We must do. ~Bruce Lee

In the end, all of our dreams lie just over the rainbows of our minds, and it takes an application of our talents and the action of doing for our goals and dreams to be realized. We all have the talent to do this. We all have the capacity to practice the personal development we are looking for.

 

20

Escaping

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Many of us exist in prisons of our own making that stop us from expeiencing life fully
Many of us exist in prisons of our own making that stop us from experiencing life fully. Escape!

Escape-break free from confinement or control.

Are you living life in the way you really want? Do you say everything you would like to? Or do you hold back your real thoughts because of a fear what you really think will cause suffering for you? If you are not confident enough in your ideas to speak to them without fear, you are living in prison.  If you don’t do exactly what you want because you are afraid of what others will think, you are being confined. I believe that for much of my life, I have been in a detention cell of my own making, and it is time to organize a prison break. To escape the cage, we need to assess the limitations we are placing on ourselves honestly.  It begins by examining your thoughts, building your prison walls. The resulting emotions that punish or reward you. The words you speak to express and describe your situation And, of course, the actions you take to escape or remain in confinement.

The Choice of Fear

One of the greatest prisons I have experienced is the prison 2prison of fear. This is a large prison because it contains inmates from all over the world and of all social classes. Fear finds a way to grab hold of us wherever it can. There is no way to avoid it. There is something that we are afraid of and don’t want to experience. This fear can affect the behavior of everyone, and it positively has affected my life in negative ways. For many years I looked at many fears as common sense, but fear is the opposite choice of love. Without love, all of the positive things are removed from your experience.

It has become evident to me as I have grown older that each decision that I make is a constant choice between love (positive for us, growth, understanding, caring) or fear (worry, misunderstanding, judgment, or even hate).   Each thought that you entertain is going to lead you into a prison of expectation and attachment or toward a life of freedom and acceptance of yourself and your actions. That choice is up to you.

The prison of fear is like many others that we create ourselves in our existence. Self-made with no need for guards. Fear will keep you nestled snugly inside your cell at the appropriate time. Not realizing that you are being confined, and you will often feel like things are going just the way they should be. An excellent system for the warden! When you have the most in life, there is always the fear of losing it.

Your identity and accomplishments are exactly what society told you to aspire to.  There is no way that a person solidly bound to the ground can ever reach great heights. Fear will keep you from reaching, stretching, or looking for something new. The comfort zone is the home base of fear, and there is nothing new that will result from it. So either you will atrophy where you are, but more likely, you will shrink backward. Into your cell, comfortably watching mindless entertainment, and thinking very little. With little thought comes small growth, and without increase comes death.  I had met many people who had died long before their lives ended.  I am inspired not to be one of them. I look to escape that fate of fear and mediocrity.

Social Anxiety

There is an ailment that affects people called social anxiety. This is a prison that makes interacting social-anxietywith others a terrifying experience. I paid a visit to this prison, and it is an all-encompassing confinement experience.  To me, it was an unspoken fear about what other people might think about me. Thoughts are created in an active imagination to bind you where you are. In my case, I was surprised, in the end, to learn how little people thought of me at all.  This can keep you from

Hopefully one day we will all fly free.........
Hopefully, one day we will all fly free………

venturing out and experiencing all that life has to offer. New experiences that you might need to grow and become the best that you can be.

All of us have the danger of falling into a prison of our own making if we don’t continue to look for areas in which we need to grow.  Growth and new experiences always remind us about our ability to be free and to make choices that are ours alone and will lead to the path of our life.

The new meanings that we discover in relationships work or hobbies remind a person how good and joyous life can be if you embrace it.  Move out of your comfort zone just a little bit and see what treasures you will find. Plan your escape from whatever prison has you in its grips.  The key exists in your thoughts and mind.

Escape Today, Right Now

Looking at the limits I experience every day, it is evident most have been created by my number one enemy, my arch-villain. This person continually hurts and takes away my value,  myself.  I have chosen the limits in my life. The chains were created link by link in the thoughts I have in my mind.  Thoughts of fear, not being good enough, or loveable.  All of these were first created with good intentions of self-protection, but they grew little by little, each day. Almost imperceptibly, they succeeded, until walls were all around me.  Escape is difficult and treacherous. But flight is possible and necessary for growth and success in life.

I believe I can escape my confinements at this very moment, and that being the case, what can I do today that will lead me to growth outside of my comfort zone and the personal freedom that I am looking for?  It all starts with a close examination of my thoughts I am entertaining, the resulting emotions, the words I speak, and the actions I take today!  My escape begins within the walls of my mind.

“Escape loneliness whenever you can. Life is a game best played in pairs.”

“I feel like life is short, and it’s important to enjoy yourself and embrace whatever comes your way, whether it’s a challenging day or a great day, just welcome it with open arms. No matter who you are, you can’t escape challenges; they are part of life.”—- Miranda Kerr

“No one can live without relationship. You may withdraw into the mountains, become a monk, a sannyasi, wander off into the desert by yourself, but you are related. You cannot escape from that absolute fact. You cannot exist in isolation.” — Jiddu Krishnamurti

“No one can live without relationship. You may withdraw into the mountains, become a monk, a sannyasi, wander off into the desert by yourself, but you are related. You cannot escape from that absolute fact. You cannot exist in isolation.”– Jiddu Krishnamurti

“Anyone who looks or listens will experience the full measure of their truths–the sun’s faith in the sanctity of cycles, the rabbit’s dedication to the purity of the present moment, and the bird’s reminder that every soul is as free as it believes itself to be. I filled my mind with their wisdoms and carried the inspiration with me–down the pathway, past the guards, through the gates, and into my prison cell…”  – Rara

 

 

Philosophy

New Perspectives by Kyle Cease

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new perspectives
“If you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.” – Wayne Dyer

This is a great video on creating new perspectives from one of survival to a vision of abundance. Kyle Cease is a speaker/comedian who helps people develop their abilities. He believes these perspectives that come from inside us have control over our reality.

Understanding New Perspectives

There are things we love to do and talents we have in order to find our purpose in life.   Overcoming fear is important in our development.  He advocates creativity and imagination in order to overcome the limits that society puts on us. Feel complete as you are and being what you love, there is no fear. Things outside of you do not complete you. 

Let Your new perspectives help you develop your life experience.

Life Lessons

No News. Is Good News!

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stop watching the news
Give it a shot, stop watching. What do you have to lose but fear?

I am tremendously grateful for a conscious decision I made  about four years ago to stop watching the national news and leaving the fear mongering and celebrity worship behind.

I don’t seem to be missing out on anything positive and am just as informed as I always have been, but the real benefit is the fact that I have not been subject to the consistent stream of negativity that comes from any of the national news outlets.  I think  this enables me to be happier on a daily basis.

Haven’t Missed a Thing

My initial reluctance to giving up my news addiction was that I would no longer be properly informed about current events.  Yet, using this week as an example, I am media_monkeysadequately informed about all of Donald Trump’s foolishness and how he and Hillary Clinton fared in their latest debate.   What I don’t have to deal with is the feeling the national media tries to build in you, that the world is going to end because of it. So be very, very afraid.

I have a hint for all of you, we will all still be here tomorrow and then the story will be something else and life will continue on.  It is not that I am apathetic to the plight of our nation and the fact that our politicians are really just highly paid corporate sell outs. It is a fact that as a conscious human being living on the planet, I recognize manipulation and brainwashing when I see it.

I don’t need the national media to fan those flames of fear.  Most often the fears they use are designed to get you to watch more and for the media to make more money from advertising.  With today’s lightning-quick social media, you learn of news without moving an inch, simply by looking at your phone you see today’s events and happenings as they are unfolding. There is no need for a media narrative to tell you how to think.

I am grateful that I can leave it there.  I am sad for those who experience loss, I am sympathetic to those who suffer, but I do not let it consume my life because then I would never be able to contribute to a cure.

Being an Individual Is Hard Today

By not watching the national media and blindly absorbing the version of that story they feed me, I have found that I am much more clearly able to form my own opinion about events.

By looking at how I actually feel about something, I can more readily create ideas that are uniquely mine.  If we blindly follow the thoughts and presentations of others, we are doomed to have no unique and creative thought toward problem-solving.  Being an individual today is difficult because if you don’t think exactly like someone else, then you are going to be ridiculed. This is the first step in forced conformity, to discourage individual thought and force people to accept the “right” opinion about things. Isn’t our education system based on this practice? Learn how I tell you and don’t think for yourself.

Nothing to Fear But Fear Itself

Don't fear the media
The media works hard to keep you afraid. The choice is yours

The national media makes people feel like there is something wrong with them if they don’t feel like they say you should.  Shouldn’t you be afraid of terrorism? Shouldn’t we dislike those who are different from us?  Shouldn’t we fear everyone we don’t know?  The questions go on and on, but the reason is simple.  If you are afraid you are easily controlled and if you are free thinking and problem-solving, there is no telling what you might do. You might even find a better alternative than listening to the Today Show.

Most people in the world are good, honest people who are kind to others, polite and helpful.  People do amazing things each and every day to help other people live a better life.  These actions aren’t often covered in the media because even though they are nice, they don’t grab attention.  Fear grabs attention and it doesn’t let go.  But once you leave that fear behind, you can enjoy life a little bit more.

You May Be the Answer

So today I am grateful for the conscious decision I made about five years ago to stop watching the news and to form my own opinions about the world. I encourage you to find your own path as well.  Who knows the answer to many social problems facing the world today could be solved by you.  It is up to you to decide to be your own person and think for yourself.

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Life

My Notes on The Four Agreements

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The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz is a book I read years ago, and I just came across my reading notes. I thought they were worth sharing. Each of us has to agree with the truth of a thought before it can affect us. Once we do accept, that thought will affect our lives positively or negatively until you choose to change it.  The book talks about fear and how fear dictates what we do, and what parts of ourselves we show to others.  The four agreements are the ones we should seek to create in our minds. Interesting thoughts.

Agreement #1 Be Impeccable with Your Word

Your words contain magic in them and the power to make your life like heaven or like hell. The magic that you wield through your words is either light or dark- a blessing or cursing yourself and others. Too many of our bad agreements about life were planted by the callousness of the words of others. And even sometimes our own.  We are all connected as one.

Agreement #2 Don’t Take Anything Personally-

All the people are living in our dream. You are but a bit part in another person’s vision. Most of what people say and do is because of their lives, NOT due to you, your value, or behavior. The best action is to stay away from the insult or adverse response. It has nothing to do with you and everything to do with them.

Agreement #3  Don’t Make Assumptions-

 

All assumptions are fantasies made in your mind about the behavior of others. See yourself reflected in the faces of others. Deal with the facts using the pure nature of your words and that of others. Truth is desired; fiction can be left behind.

 

Agreement #4

– Always Do Your Best

A simple thought can change your life negatively or positively. In each activity, each day, in every moment, simply trying to do your best is all anyone can do. If you continually strive to accomplish your highest achievement: you will embody your best to all.

Other Key Thoughts from Notes:

 

-Be who you are NO matter what someone says about you, or whatever they do, don’t take their words personally, and it doesn’t hurt anymore.  You will no longer be afraid to love, to share, or to open your heart.  NO ONE ELSE IS LIKE YOU!!

-Most people are emotionally wound

ed and sick with fear. All people carry wounds in their minds, which are open and hurting. They make us afraid to be who we are.

-Shyness is a fear of expressing yourself, and you may believe you don’t know how to sing or how to dance, but this is just repression of the healthy human instinct to express love.

-We are born into this society, grow up in it, and we are condemned to be like everyone else in it. Playing nonsense all the time.

-Fear leads to injustice- we become full of emotional poison, which eventually we have to release in some manner. Telling someone how bad they are or about all of their perceived flaws. These actions allow the poison to move from one person to another.

-Love is not about concepts: Love is about action.  To practice love is the only way to master it.

-Bad, complicated, unhealthy relationships are based on fear, drama, and the war for control.  The battle for control = no respect and selfishness, not love. “I have to control you because I don’t respect you. I have to be responsible for you because whatever happens to you is going to hurt, and I want to avoid pain.

-Team players play together but not against each other, and you are playing because you want to have fun.

-Track of love- you are giving more than you are taking. You love yourself enough not to allow selfish people take advantage of you.

  • Everyone dreams of their dream. You can control your half but nothing else. Or partner in a relationship is responsible for their half.
  • Know what love is and what is fear: you become aware of how you communicate your dream. The choices you make in each moment determines the quality of your communication. Just by catching the awareness of the track of fear, you can change it. Merely changing your attention can change your world.
  • Love and happiness come out of you. There is no dependence on anyone else for feeling this way.

This book allowed me to look at my dream and how I was not myself in some ways. Following the four agreements can give you freedom. Just the fact that most people are not treating you a certain way because of you, but because of them has been great for my personal growth. It is being a better communicator to other people, not assuming and asking questions and being impeccable with my word and honest with all, and doing my best. The level of my best can change from day today, but I try to give it all, whatever that tends to be on that day.  I recommend this book to anyone who is seeking personal growth and understanding.

Quotes from the Four Agreements

“To be alive is the biggest fear humans have. Death is not the biggest fear we have; our biggest fear is taking the risk to be alive — the risk to be alive and express what we are. Just being ourselves is the biggest fear of humans.”

“We don’t see the truth because we are blind. What blinds us are all those false beliefs we have in our mind. We have the need to be right and to make others wrong. We trust what we believe, and our beliefs set us up for suffering. It as if we live in the middle of a fog that doesn’t let us see any further than our own nose. We live in a fog that is not even real. This fog is a dream, your personal dream of life — what you believe, all the concepts you have about who your are, all the agreements you have made with others, with yourself, and even with God.”

“Nothing other people do is because of you. It is because of themselves. All people live in their own dream, in their on mind; they are in a completely different world from the one we live in.”1

“The problem with making assumptions is that we believe they are the truth.”

“All the sadness and drama you have lived in your life was rooted in making assumptions and taking things personally.”

 

Philosophy

Build Your Adventure Pack

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“The purpose of life is to live it, to taste experience to the utmost, to reach out eagerly and without fear for newer and richer experience.”
― Eleanor Roosevelt

Why We Need Adventure Packs

My adventure Pack
My Adventure Pack

In a conversation with a friend, they mentioned that they always kept a pack of items in their vehicle, just in case there was a cause to go on an adventure that day.  It got me to thinking that each of us should create our own “Adventure Packs” for whatever each day might bring us.  There are many things that you could do every day to make your life more of an experience if you wanted to.  I figured that why not set the tone and expect something adventurous by carrying an adventure pack, just in case.  Think of all of the adventures you might be missing out on just by not having one. The pack doesn’t have to be fancy or anything, it can just be a bag with a few of the necessities an adventurer might need.   I think there are many different experiences that can qualify as adventures, here is a short list of adventures you might have.

Physical Adventures Are Good For You And Fun

physical adventure with an adventure pack
My pack is always ready.

These are the most prevalent kind of adventures, I think, the ones that take you somewhere, on a hike, or a walk, or around the bend to see what is there.  In your daily activities, you might see a road that you wanted to walk down, or even a park you wanted to visit, to see what was there.  What is stopping you? If you have an adventure pack with a bottle of water, sun screen, a light jacket, then you will be ready for this type of excursion.  The benefits of these types of activities are improved health which is good for your heart, your mind and your soul.  The difference between a thought and an experience is action, so don’t be afraid to take that action step. Make sure you keep a snack in your adventure pack so that you will always have the energy to carry out the adventure in front of you.

Social Adventures Good For Your Mind

adventure pack for fun
Adventure packs are light weight and make you smile

These are the ones that involve getting together with someone in a social situation, going for coffee or breakfast just for the sake of socialization.  Your adventure pack doesn’t even need to have much in it to carry on this type of excitement.  If you have a strong desire to connect then you really don’t need to do anything other than a little money to pay for whatever you eat.  Most often when you visit with old friends you will have revelations and memories about yourself and them that you had forgotten a long time ago. Life is a can be a long road and it is a much happier experience when you travel it with friends. So always keep a little extra cash in your adventure pack, just in case the opportunity to connect comes up.

Simple Things which are Great

There are a bunch of simple adventures that you can experience with just a little bit of energy and imagination.  On any clear night, you have access to one of the grandest adventures on earth, the night sky.  When you make the effort to get where the lights of civilization are not a factor you can view the stars and any time you do this, you can’t help but be swept up in the power and wonder of the vastness of space.  Each star billions of miles away has a story, and you are just a very small and insignificant spec to whatever story is happening there.  You can also have the same kind of adventures at any natural wonder, a river, a lake or the ocean.  You will have to travel with your adventure pack to get to these locations most likely, but keep a map in your adventure pack and you will never get lost on your journey.

Doing Something for Others

adventure pack for visiting
My pack usually has enough to share, if not we’ll make due.

Having an adventure pack handy should allow you the freedom to help someone else.  There are many people who don’t really need anything other than a visit and a kind word.  This adventure is very low-cost and will never be out of demand.  If you don’t know who needs this type of adventure from you, look around.  There are hospitals and nursing homes with people in them who would like nothing more than a friend to talk to and share their stories with.  This is why it is always important to keep a handy list of topics with you at all times.  Remember that any commonality is a conversation in and of itself.  A sport, a team, a performance or anything that you can relate to in any way can create a conversation that will pick up someone’s day.  This type of adventure is doubly good because it is good for the person you visit and it is good for you.

In the end, there is no shortage of ways that you can enjoy life more than you do right now.  If you are already filling your life with adventures, then perhaps it is time to add new people to them.  The more the merrier is a great theme to follow as you move through life.  It is true that the more people you share your life with, the richer you will feel.   So create your own adventure pack and hit the streets, life is nothing more than an adventure waiting to happen.

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