Tag Archives: Personal development

22

Some Things that Aren’t True

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We all have an ego, which feeds us information about ourselves and life that isn’t true.

Which defines you.

Most thoughts the Ego creates stem from fear and are designed to keep you from making ANY changes. It just wants you to stay in the known. But the problem is that most of your greatness and dreams lie in the unknown, which can be scary. The Ego is your false self, a voice in your head telling you things to limit you.

This little writing is about some daily popular lies your Ego creates for you. If you do nothing else, look at your thoughts objectively and see if they are in your best interest. If they are causing you to suffer, harm yourself, and not allowing you to step into the best possible version of yourself, then make a change. Of course, like all things, YOU are the one who needs to make the decision.

Lie # 1 You are what you own.

Your are not what you own
You are much more than this……

Many of us buy into this one. Our Ego equates accumulating things with being critical, safe, successful, and happy. Yet, even though this thought is in our heads, experience teaches everyone that the enormous pile of material goods will not make you a good person. Once a purchase is made, there is a momentary feeling of gratification followed by a search for the next thrill of possession. If only it were this simple. Buy something and be a better person. The funny thing is that what you own will never make you happy.

Our society is so consumer-oriented, and we are all conditioned to consume from birth. Propaganda teaches what things you need to be popular, influential, or successful. If a person feels a lack, we are introduced to fill it with popular clothing or highly processed foods loaded with sugar. All of that is not going to make you any closer to happiness. You are what you own is a lie that we all believe, but it is still a lie. In the end, when you are taking your last breath in this drama called life, you will not be thinking about the things you own. You will wish for the people who mattered to you—those you loved and loved you back, even for a short time. The lies of the Ego push love to the background with a need to make you safe. What you own doesn’t create character, love, enjoyment, or happiness. Find your true self.

Lie # 2 You are what you do for a living.

In American society, this is particularly true. When you

You are not your job
Are you happy?

Meet someone, and one of the first questions asked is, what do you do for a living? Why? We can glean their success, value, and personal development by the profession one decides to pursue. This is a lie, as well. What someone does for work does not define their character, caring, kindness, and ability to care about others. This is your Ego, looking to measure yourself against someone else and making yourself feel better about your life, choices, and prospects. It has no merit at all as to your value and contributions as a person. A profession is what you do to make money, not who you are.

This is your Ego, looking to measure yourself against someone else and making yourself feel better about your life, choices, and prospects. It has no merit at all as to your value and contributions as a person. A profession is what you do to make money, not who you are. A better question to ask a person you just met is, “What excites you right now?”  That passion is a more realistic indicator of what a person is all about.

What you choose to do to make money is not a vote of confidence or an indictment of your ability; it is a reflection of current circumstances. The e will change but will still have little to do with your value, and your actions will show this.

Lie # 3: What others think of you defines you.

One of the most harmful lies your Ego tells you. It  s a simple fact that some people are going to love you,

Prison of what others think
Who wants to live in prison?

Some are going not to like you so much. Most of the reasons for this have nothing to do with you but more with that person’s biases and experiences. When someone notices something about another that bothers them, it reflects something they don’t like about themselves.

Often, I have created imaginary thoughts in others’ minds, in which I make explicit assumptions about their thoughts of me with absolutely no factual evidence. To give validity to these thoughts (which don’t exist) is insane.  So  thoughts that help me – 1. What someone else thinks of me is none of my business. 2. Ego is not who you are ev r form assumptions about another’s thoughts. 3. if someone thinks something negative about you, it doesn’t make it accurate.

One of the most challenging lessons here is not caring about what others think about you. Your thoughts and feelings about what you do should be necessary.

The bottom line is that you have control over the thoughts that you entertain and add validity to in your life. Cho sing to add value to negative thoughts about yourself is a self-defeating activity that can be changed at any moment.  You are not your possessions, your job, or what others think of you……….That begs the question, “Who are you then?”  Looking for this answer is the first step to expanding consciousness, a deeper understanding of life, and a feeling of fulfillment.

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.

 

 

21

Destiny

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Destiny- the hidden power believed to control what will happen in the future; fate.

DestinyThere are always going to be questioned in people’s minds. Why is this happening? Why did that occur? Why this experience? Are there forces at work in our lives that we have little control over?  Do we have a destiny, or is life all about free will?  Or both?  Questions are the tools of all thinking people searching for answers. They guide our minds toward solutions and actions.  Whether you believe every person has a destiny or not is irrelevant to me because we all have a destination. Whether you are fated to get there or not is a matter of semantics because you will get there.  Your life will be full of challenges, changes, and choices you will have to make. Each one is propelling you toward other challenges, transitions, and options. This cycle will continue in a loop until the end of your time.

Each of these decisions you make and experiences you have to change you, your outlook, and the skills others have with you.  So do you control these choices, or does it come from the Universe?  Just contemplating this situation will increase your consciousness. It all starts with you taking a moment and looking at your thoughts, words, and actions today as you determine the extent of your experiences.

 Choices of Destiny

Why does one person become a wild success and another a failure? I think it has very little to do with what is destined to happen and more to do with our reaction to situations and the choices we make.  To believe that only one destiny is available would seem to take away the joy of growth and learning.  Who is to say that there are not two or three or a million different destinies available to us and how we react to the challenges we face determines where we land.  Each day we are faced with the simple choice to accept where we are or to do something different.  To be a positive force in the world we live in or harmful.

You will be responsible for the place you are in right now. Situations are out of our control. How we react to them is our choice always, and the definition of your life is the result.  Losing a job, ending a relationship, a natural disaster, or the sudden death of a loved one are all examples of things happening out of your control.  How you have reacted to these things defines your life today.  Good, bad, or indifferent.  It wasn’t the events that created this destiny, it was your choices and resulting beliefs developed because of them.  You are free to choose something else at any time.

Create Your Destiny

What is it that you want in life? Would you like a more fulfilling relationship? To have more money? To have an exciting career? What is it that interests you?  Knowing that will help guide your choices when facing the challenges life will inevitably present you. Many people have no clear desire or destination in life, so their reactions to challenges are emotional and inconsistent.  In the words of Lewis Carroll, “If you don’t know where you are going, any road will get you there.”

Your destiny can be the result of a series of conscious choices, or it can be the result of your unconscious meandering.  Having a clear idea of what you would like to have in your life will allow you to take the right road and take responsibility for those choices. Don’t hide behind the false wall of pity. No hero’s story was ever built with the boards of self-pity and fear.  Be brave, be responsible for your choices, and know where you would like to go. Picture your desired destination and take actions that most likely move you in that direction. That is your true destiny.

Be a Hammer, Not a Nail

I was once taught there are two choices in life, and at different times we are the experiencers of both: Be a hammer or a nail.  That means you are either the provider of forces influencing the events around you. Or you are the instrument being influenced by the power of situations, other people, or whatever else you allow to control you.  You have the choice in most cases where you fall into this relationship.

Sometimes, we will be the nail no matter what we do.  Accept the situation, be responsible for your part, and look for ways to influence the direction of things from that point. You will face challenges in life, and they are opportunities for growth, accomplishment, and finding your destiny.  Accept the challenge with courage and character, and you will find the lesson in the problem more quickly.

It all starts with a more engaged consciousness, a thought, and focused action. Look at your thoughts, and they determine the words you speak and result in your efforts.  It is your destiny; take control of it today.

“It is not in the stars to hold our destiny but in ourselves. It is in your moments of decision that your destiny is shaped.”

“You can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backward.”

“Love is our true destiny. I can control my destiny, but not my fate. Destiny is no matter of chance.”

 

21

Improve Daily

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My goal is to establish a positive focus every morning by focusing on a positive word or phrase. There are enough negative influences in the world, and I believe that we can improve our emotions, words, and actions and make the world a better place through a conscious direction of thought. Each of us has the opportunity to be more positive.

Improving It

We are all born into this world with some abilities. Some excel at academics, others find their niche in physical things, and others excel at artistic dreams. As we get older and move through our lives in all things, we are getting better or getting worse. There is no middle ground; we only stay the same for a brief moment. The great thing is that to seek to make ourselves better at anything is entirely in our control. The effort that we decide to dedicate to something will allow us to grow and improve at whatever skill, talent, or aspect of our lives we choose to develop. It begins with creating a positive thought in your head about improvement and then taking actions based on those thoughts.

Don’t Rely On Talent.

We are all born with some talents, and it can become human nature to rely on that talent as we develop through life. If you do this, you will most likely experience initial success because of your natural ability, but it will not last if you don’t develop what you have. Others with less initial talent take it upon themselves to do the work to become better, and if you don’t follow suit, soon you will be looking up, wondering what happened. Don’t rely on your talent. If you love whatever you are doing, look for ways to improve yourself at it.

I am finding a never-ending well of improvement available in all areas that I am interested in pursuing. Relationships, exercise, writing, speaking, and helping others, there are many miles of development out there for me to follow. It is easy to relax and think that you know all you need to know, and then you realize one day you did not, and it is at that moment we push ourselves to grow and become better. Be proactive with your efforts, and continually look for ways to improve all things that matter to you.

Developing a Growth Mindset

The barrier we often face has a mindset that tells us that we should know it all. It comes from the programming of life and a fear of failure. We have all failed at something in our lives, and it doesn’t feel right. But if you look at it honestly, most of the great successes in the history of the world have been created out of initial failure. Don’t look at a loss as a personal indictment of your talent or worthiness. When you succeed, it is more than likely going to be the lessons you learned in your initial failure that will help to guide you.

When you look at your life as a continual opportunity to grow, you take the defeats a little lighter and see the option for better things in the future. There will be many opportunities to grow as a person in all areas of your life. As you develop the skill of improvement, your confidence will grow, and you will be on your way to becoming your best self. Development is just another word for cultivating, and if you are not growing, you are dying.

Where Are YOU?

The challenge for all of us is to evaluate just where we are in any situation. What are the things we are doing well? Where can improvement come from? What actions can you take today to get you there? It can exist in any aspect of your life, financial, physical, relationships, career, family, spiritually, or any other part of your life. You can think of that holds within it a desire for you to improve and become better than you are right now.

Then it is up to you to take action. It can be intimidating and challenging to take action because we add too many exterior thoughts to our situations. We are worried about how something looks or what others will think. In the end, the only person you have to impress or get yourself into is you and you alone. So do what you have to do to improve in all aspects of your life that matter to you. We are all ever-evolving beings, and the choices we make in improvement determine what the result will be.

Look at your life and state where you are, and then create a plan of action to improve in that area. Create and write down goals of achievement for yourself in those areas. Then take action and evaluate what happens. If you succeed and become better, great!! If you don’t assess where you are and what will give you the chance to achieve the next time. In this process, you will not be able to help find improvement, which is what life is all about.

“To improve is to change; to be perfect is to change often.” ~Winston Churchill

We are seeking ways to improve every day to allow you to become the best version of yourself.

“If you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always be where you’ve always been.”

“You’re either green and growing, or you’re ripe and rotting.” —John Addison.

 

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.