How many great ideas are destroyed before they have a chance to take root? How many are discarded by the neglect of time? Due to fear of failure or a lack of self-confidence? The time to wait is over, and the time for action is here. Taking action is THE ingredient that turns the perfect combination of raw materials into a masterpiece. Life is defined by the actions one takesor, in many cases, the inaction.
I wanted to share a few things I have learned about grasping your life by the throat through action. None of them are complicated to do, but they can be daunting, and I continually have to remind myself about these things.
Forget your Fears
We are all afraid at some point. Fear has served its purpose in your life to help keep you safe in a wild world, but it can become too much for people to function at the level of their highest capabilities. What is there to be afraid of? Action will defeat fear. Always!
If you stretch yourself, reaching for something you want, what is the worst thing? Fear will stop you from getting because you may be hurt, but that cocoon you exist in has become a cage, and it is time to let that go. Action will destroy fear.
Ignore the negative voices of others and even your mind. When someone behaves without fear, it can make people uncomfortable because their worries are displayed in comparison. Encourage the negative to seek positive actions. Actions will defeat fear.
Recognize your fear, thank it for caring and then do what you should. Move forward with all of the drive and ambition that you have in your heart. You are a bright light that doesn’t need to be hidden anymore. It is your time to shine through the dim fog of fear. Action will destroy fear.
Focus on Your Voice
There is a voice guiding our actions in each of us, and it performs this duty perfectly and for our greater good. Unfortunately, many of us lack a practical aptitude for hearing this voice, much less following it.
The voice is not in your mind but in your heart, and it can only be heard when you quiet your mind and listen. This is the guide that can tell you what you need to know and help guide your steps toward your dreams. To quiet the reason is a simple breathing practice, focusing on your breath and not paying attention to the endless stream of thoughts in your mind. 99% of these are not essential or relevant.
If you have a fail, it is this voice that will tell you to keep on going. Regardless of what others or your mind think, your greatness will be revealed when listening to this voice. Quiet your mind and focus on your voice. It is never wrong and will guide you into the action and places you need to go. You have to have faith and follow what it tells you. This is admittedly difficult to do, but what have you got to lose? A life of comfortable mediocrity?
Be Conscious of Your Vibration
Quantum physics has proven that each object globally projects a measurable vibration based on its physical makeup. You and I are no different, with the minor exception that human being seems to be able to adjust their vibration by changing how they perceive the world. Your thoughts are paramount to this. You can’t control all of your thoughts because they come pretty rapidly sometimes. Yet we have total control over the views we pay attention to and, of course, our reaction to those thoughts.
In a nutshell, focus on the thoughts that come from love, such as kindness, joy, peace, hope, benevolence, empathy, truth, faith, and compassion. They provide a higher vibration and power. Give no attention to thoughts like envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, resentment, guilt, inferiority, lies, superiority, or ego, which are all thoughts of fear. These lower vibrations will thwart your plans and make your life less enjoyable.
Positive thoughts are the motivation for our best actions. Our actions will define us. Many believe that your vibration will determine what type of life you will experience. Be conscious of which thoughts you focus on, and they will evaluate the experiences that come into your life. The quality of people you meet and the success you ultimately enjoy through your experience.
Kick It Now
All of this is to urge you to go for it. If you have a mountain in front of you, climb it! Start swimming if there is an ocean between you and what you want. Now is your time.
All people are born with extraordinary abilities, and how much of those the world will see is determined by your conscious decisions to take action. If you want to lose weight, start doing something to lose weight!
If you want to be successful, start doing what you can to achieve your goals. There is absolutely nothing between you and your dreams than a lack of action.
All successful people seem to do things to make the most of their time and produce valuable stuff they want in their lives. They are simple to understand but challenging to practice collectively consistently, but if you put them all together and allow your awareness to settle on them as you complete them, they will take you on the road to where you want to go. There are seven of these, and I encourage you to learn to make these decisions as I know to choose each one daily.
Take Responsibility
Decide to take responsibility for everything in your life. It is difficult to do when you can quickly look at circumstances, other people, and bad timing as convenient excuses for how things have played out. But once you accept a reason for something, you have given that thing, person, or situation your power. You are, in effect, stating you are helpless against that person, condition, or something. We are just about as weak as we decide to be. Take responsibility for everything, your past, present, and future. Because you are responsible for the situation you are in right now, good or bad. Own it. If things are going well, be accountable and keep working toward building more wonderful goodness. If things are going bad, on the things that put you there, make different choices, and own them. Always be responsible for everything in your life.
Look For More Wisdom
No matter how smart you think you are, there is more to learn. Be proactive and follow the path of knowledge to its completion. There will be things that make sense to learn for business and some you should know for your interest and development as a person. Learn through, find the people, books, classes, or whatever you can to give you the ideas you are looking for. Then as you develop as a person, look for ways to provide service to others.
Having a high level of intelligence or super skills in some areas does not good for society if you keep it to yourself. Let it out and help other people develop their skill set or improve their life experience by sharing what you know in the most practical way possible. Helping others helps the world and will help you develop as a person. Seek wisdom today in all you do, exercise thought, reading, writing, or any creation.
Take Action
Understand that you are a person of action and make those actions count. Today, there are actions you can take to help others and allow them to grow as people and overcome circumstances. We live in a predominantly negative-minded society, be the positive exception that flows against the grain and provides an excellent example for all who observe you and watch you work. Be an example that can’t be questioned. Actions always speak louder than words.
Have Faith
Every person will waver at some point in their life. They will start to question whether there is a purpose for life or if we are just dust in the wind—one of many pebbles on the beach. We are one of over 7 million, but each is unique. There has never been anyone like you, and there will never be another in people’s history. So embrace your special talent and ability. We all have different skills, physical abilities, and appearances. Have faith; things you set your heart on, with the intention of action and follow-through, will happen. It is a mindset of thought we are all capable of right now, in this very moment, to help you grow. Have faith in yourself and that life will work out for the best if you let it.
Choose Happiness
That’s right, choose happiness because it is always a choice. You can let things outside of you that are out of your control take away your joy. Or you can choose to look for the things you can control and be happy about them. In your day, there will be people who do things differently than you might like, or they may make mistakes, and it is up to you if you allow those situations to put you in a bad mood. You don’t have to identify with every problem you see and allow it to make you sad, angry, or anything else. You choose to enable the great spirit in you to shine a light on others or to dim that spirit and be a slave to the whims and larks of the world. That is up to you. Choose happiness.
Forgive Everything
Approach every day with a forgiving spirit because carrying a grudge will give you a heavy burden. Anger and fear are the negative emotions we usually can’t forgive, and when you have a grievance, you create an energy block in your life that will stop you from achieving all that you can be. Forgive the people who harmed you, not for them, but for you. And most importantly, forgive yourself for all of the shortcomings you may have had in life. Forgiveness is a powerful tool that frees up your energy and allows you to function at your best.
Persist
There is nothing in your life that can take the place of persistence. This is the ability to stay with something even when you hit a few roadblocks on the way. Those who persist toward their goals without exception will be the ones who find success in the end. It takes a person of great faith to continually move forward against a stream that is flowing against them, but it is the path to success and those who quit before finding the x on the map or the gold at the end of the rainbow. How many projects were not completed because someone lost motivation and quit? Don’t quit. Persist on your way. Carry great faith in your heart that you can achieve and will achieve. It is a mindset you need to discover.
There you have it, seven simple tips to help you find success in anything you do. Each of these attributes by themselves would be great but combine them, and there is nothing you can’t achieve in your life.
Our minds work overtime sometimes, and we must establish a clear representation of our thoughts, goals, and perspectives on life to find our direction based on the things we truly believe. All knowledge will change you and move your consciousness one way or another and leave you with a final set of core beliefs representing your experiences and how you choose to interact with the world. Looking at my experiences over the last year, I needed to revamp my collection of what I think and look at other people.
So here is the current version of MY Mission Statement. Presented in no particular order, here are a few things I hold as truths in my life.
We Are All Connected
Call it God, the Universe, or whatever your religion dictates, but to me, we are all connected through a divine order. All people have the same abilities for great love and equal power to commit evil, which is just a part of this crazy game called life. We are given individual gifts at birth to make our unique mark on the world if we choose to do so. When you look at all things, events, and people in your life, you can see the thread that connects everything.
This connection runs through the hearts of all people. There is an illusion that our experiences are seperate events; a universal force is running between us all, connecting all of our stories. Remember this the next time judgment of others and separation’s effects enter your life. There but for the good fortune of your circumstances, go you. There is no difference between you and anyone else but choices and details. We are all connected.
Our Beliefs Control Our Lives
Each of us has developed throughout our lives a core belief system. We established most of these beliefs early on in life. These are limiting beliefs that delay or even stop our development completely. Our expectations were built by our parents, grandparents, siblings, teachers, religion, and peers. Most were developed before age ten and have remained with us to this day. Our beliefs have to power to achieve goals or stop us from becoming what we should be.
The great thing is that all beliefs can change at any point in life when we look and find irrefutable evidence that contradicts them. All of the “you can’t,” “no’s,” “you’re not good enough’s,” “You can’t make a living doing that’s,” or any other limiting statement from your youth making you feel like you are not good enough can be eliminated — the processing and acceptance of new information about you and your abilities.
Here is a secret; you are powerful and can do anything you set your mind to accomplish. You have the chance to try anything. Look honestly at the barriers stopping you; most often, you will find insecurities and limits that we place on ourselves because of limiting beliefs we choose to accept. Accept new ideas to guide you.
Your Actions Define YOU
Talk is cheap; what you do is the definition of your character. I have heard the soft and sympathetic words that were worth nothing but have been blessed by the actions of many great people. Saying you are something means nothing, and being that thing means everything.
Each day is a new opportunity to take action toward a goal or a dream that you have. Take a step, mail a letter, make a call, or do whatever small thing you can that will lead you toward your goal. Action is the power source for people’s dreams and will cancel out fear.
Every person that has ever been born has had a dream of some kind, and there are no exceptions. When a person takes action, they can make their dream come true. If that action leads to failure, then at least you know, and a direction more suitable to you may show itself from the effort.
Thinking Positively Leads to Positive Results
Bad stuff happens to everyone at some point in life; how you deal with it is crucial. Life is full of things that we define as good or bad. Positive thinking is not about ignoring the “bad” in life and always looking on the bright side, although those factors result. Positive thinking is bringing the focus of love, understanding, kindness, acceptance, and peace to all you experience—ignoring your counterpart’s hate, judgment, separation, meanness, and conflict.
All experiences have the power to bring the positive or negative inside a person to the surface, and what emotions and thoughts you let dominate your behavior will decide what actions come from you and what feelings are happening inside you. All things are just things until we assign a value to them and determine how we look at them.
All People Have Value
A person’s value is difficult to remember when I am angry or someone has hurt me, but that doesn’t change the fact that I believe this is true. People live differently, make poor decisions, and look differently, but they are all valuable and unique individuals. All that separates us from the circumstances of another is mere chance. At our core, we are all beings of love, and understanding and are looking for acceptance in the world.
We are all born with a unique gift that can contribute to the world’s good. It is the meaning of life to find out what that gift is and how to use it. Some people lose their way through the experience of life and bury their talents too profoundly to be retrieved, but the reward is still there. With the right nurturing, perhaps it could resurface.
Gratitude is the Gateway to Abundance
How often do you appreciate all the positive things in your life? Moving through life each day is easy; let events and people swirl past you without absolute acknowledgment. Stop for a moment and give thanks for each experience. Even when the lessons are not what you are looking for, they will provide clues as to the direction you should be moving in.
Being grateful and putting yourself in that mindset each day creates an energy of acceptance around you, and that energy attracts more into your life. What you focus on multiplies; if you are grateful for what you have, you will have more things to be thankful for having in your life. Take time and reflect a bit each day on the blessings in your life. Breathing in and out and having an experience is a blessing many lose daily.
Forgiveness is Necessary to Move Forward
To forgive someone for something they did that harmed you is very difficult. It can’t just be lip service of saying you forgive; it has to be inside your heart. The only one who can give forgiveness is you, and the sooner you give it, the sooner you can move on. Letting go of pain, sadness, anger, or any other negative emotion is key to enjoying life. I read somewhere that you know forgiveness occurs when you think of that person, and there is no subtle searing inside your heart. It can take a conscious effort, but with forgiveness comes freedom and strength.
Embrace Love, Avoid Fear
All people carry this inside of them, and the one you pay attention to will determine how much you enjoy this ride we call life. Focus on the love-based emotions like kindness, understanding, generosity, acceptance, patience, and love while avoiding the fear-based feelings and thoughts of anger, hate, separation, jealousy, stereotyping, and judgment. It can be harder to do than it sounds, but the effort is well worth it.
Remember that fear will be a continual battle for you throughout your life. It will attack you both outwardly with dangers real and imagined. It will also subtly invade your life through indirect methods, invading your thoughts and being powered by your emotions. All things will work out if you let them. Some powers exist which are far wiser than you. Learn to trust them.
Our beliefs are essential to the type of life that we live. If you do not work to control them, they will direct you. We all have to live with the results.
All people have a powerful tool of the imagination. You can use this tool to achieve very positive results or a very negative experience. Each of us decides how our imagination is used and the benefits or suffering we receive from it. All of these things are a choice, and the power of our choice in using our imagination will determine our ability to reach our goals successfully and live a life of passion.
Or our imagination can cause us to spend our lives living in fear. It is one of the essential parts of our development as people, we look forward with hope and determination, or we look all around in fear. The choice is all up to you and how you choose to use your powerful imagination.
Start with The End in Mind
What is it that you want? This simple-sounding question is one everyone asks themselves at some point in their journey in life. The fortunate ones know right away and in great detail what they want to accomplish. Others struggle because our minds are clouded with thoughts of suffering, experience, and reasons we can’t do something. If you’re discouraged in your dream, tell it to someone else, and immediately they will tell you all the reasons you won’t possibly find success. But all of us can achieve, and it starts with the positive use of our imagination and knowing where we want to go.
Start with the end in mind. Think of where you want to be in a year from now. Create a picture in your mind of where you want to be living, what you want to be doing, who you want to be doing it with, etc. Then start moving your way backward to the present moment. What sorts of things have to happen to get you to that point. Maybe you see something that you are unsure how to happen, but that is alright because the steps will become more apparent as you move forward. When you get back to the present moment, take the first step to move in that direction. Continually do this exercise and use your imagination to create the end goal, and your purpose will start to take you there.
Purpose and Power
The purpose is the force that gets us moving daily to work toward our goals. It is the thing that makes life valuable and provides meaning to the movements we undertake daily. When you imagine the end goals happening, the purpose of achievement will drive you to take action. Each action will bring experience to your life, the price and reward of having a purpose. These moments of action between now and the accomplishment of what you imagine determine the joy you experience in life.
Many people have set their goals too short in their existence. Many have a retirement goal and then reach that without any purpose left for the rest of their lives. Without a purpose in life and a force to drive you toward something, life is filled with empty moments of activity. People do things to fill the time but not to nourish the soul. Always have a dream, using your imagination to create the favorable circumstances of your life, and you will always have a purpose in your life. Actions that have meaning. That is the power of purpose in life, always having a force behind it.
Overcoming Fears
Fear is a poor use of the power of your imagination. We have all done it, though. We are considering the worst-case scenario and worrying about the future and what might happen or what someone else will think and how that will affect us and our lives. Worry is a misuse of imagination because most things won’t happen. And if they do, worrying about them won’t make them any easier to handle. Somehow we all take the challenges of life one second at a time. Actions always defeat and erase fear.
Fear is an illusion. We all experience fear because we are afraid of suffering. But once you recognize it and how it feels, you can start to create some appropriate action steps to lessen or eliminate the impact the fear will have on your life. Then list the positive results from those action steps being taken, and the fear will most often fade away. Faith is the opposite of fear. When it is difficult to see past the fear because it is pervasive in your life, keep the hope alive in your mind. You will overcome it.
The Great Mind Tool
Imagination is one of our most powerful tools, and it can help you create almost anything in your life. Whether those things are good or bad will be totally up to you. Imagining your goals from the end and moving backward is a powerful method to master your dreams and goals. These dreams bring purpose to your life, and purpose is the fuel to the enjoyment of life. Imagine that.
“The man who has no imagination has no wings.” – Muhammad Ali
“The true sign of intelligence is not knowledge but imagination.” Albert Einstein
“What is now proved was once only imagined.” – William Blake
If you are wondering what your thoughts and emotions have led you to in life, take a moment and look at your life and honestly evaluate your circumstances. Nothing will provide a clearer picture. The events of your life are a living, breathing display of how you think and what you believe about yourself. We make choices every day about what exactly we “deserve” to experience every day, and the accumulative effect of these choices is our reality. So if you are working a job you are not wild about, that is a result of your preferences. Nobody else forced you into it. You chose it for some reason. The status of your relationships in all areas of your life results from the decisions you have made based on your beliefs about life and reality. That is a fact, and if you want to change things, you need to look at the ideas that led to your thoughts and discard the ones that are leading you in a negative direction. Here are a few thoughts to move in a positive direction. There is success in everyone. The potential for joy in every day and all of it is really up to us.
Take Responsibility
The first and only place to look in answer to: “Why am I in this situation?” or “How did this happen?” is to look in the mirror and accept your responsibility for all of your life situations. You can cry and complain about this happening or wallow over the sadness that somebody else hurt you. That is a fact; people will hurt others, be callous, uncaring, and take advantage of others. It happens to everyone in life, but you are responsible for your reaction to everything. You are responsible.
It is easy to slip into the role of a victim and feel sorry for yourself and think about how you couldn’t help what happened because someone else made the choices. That is a very slippery slope, and it slips in more areas once you allow responsibility to fall to something or someone else. The best choice we can make is to take complete responsibility for our lives and situations, and that gives us all the power to create whatever future we want. You are responsible for your past and your future.
Grow and Take Action
You have the opportunity in every moment of every day to seize that experience and make it something powerful and productive. Too often, I have seen myself and others sit comfortably in the virtual recliner of routine behavior. If you dream of doing something, set your intention to create it, and then take at least a small action toward developing it. In action, there is a truth. It will tell you what will work and what you need to do differently, but it will always lead you toward your reality and the accomplishment of your goals and dreams.
Action will help you gain more wisdom regarding what you want, what will make you happy, and what might not. Learning is gaining knowledge and can come to you from books, videos, classes, other people, time spent in nature, or many different sources. Nothing will lead you to wisdom if you don’t seek it, and nothing can stop you from finding it if you look for it. So make an effort to find the knowledge available to you every day, and then look for ways you can share what you have learned with the rest of the world. To receive is essential, but to give is the legacy of your life. Make it a positive one.
Choose a Happy Destiny
It doesn’t matter to me if you believe in destiny or not; you have an opportunity in your short life to create something magnificently fabulous or something tragically awful, or something anywhere in between. It is up to you to look at your heart and see what gifts you have to fine-tune and share with the world. Your destiny will be assured once you have listened to that voice within. We are all born with something to give, and then life covers it up through programming and expectations. The journey to find it is up to you.
Often, the simple thought and feeling of genuine gratitude will guide you back to your true self. Be grateful for what you have in life, and more will come your way. That is what seems always to happen. Have a thankful spirit, and that choice will bring happiness into your life. Grateful people are still happy, and that choice can be yours now. No matter what your situation is right now, there is something to be thankful for, and through gratitude, a small glimmer of joy will enter your life whether you want it to or not. Look for it, create it, and move more positive feelings into your life.
Forgive
Another absolute power we all have is brought to us through forgiveness. It doesn’t mean you condone any poor behavior, and it doesn’t mean you are OK with bad things happening to you, but it means you are no longer letting something that happened in the past define you today. Refer back to responsibility. You are the only one that can choose to forgive someone and all they do or don’t do. Holding on to anger, hate, fear, or whatever negative emotion you perceive from an event will harm you. These are released through forgiveness. Decide to give heartfelt and honest forgiveness to all those in your life.
The most important person you can forgive is yourself. Deep down, we hold anger toward ourselves for all things that occur in our lives. Some see taking responsibility for their life this way. Looking at the past is an impossible game because you can’t change anything that happened, and if you could have done better or behaved differently, you certainly would have. So to use your past as a punishment for your experiences today is our choice. And it can be released by only looking into our hearts and forgiving the people who hurt us and, most importantly ourselves. A forgiving spirit will guide you to greatness and a life without fear.
Persist Always
Finally, it is vital to develop and maintain a practice of persistence in your life. Some will start many things and have a high energy level initially but will lose their momentum at the first challenge they face and move on to something else. Persist without exception. Nothing ever takes the place of persistence. It is a trait that will lead to success in all areas of life. Keep on trying. Get knocked down eight times, get up nine, and trim will be able to stop you. It is a great faith in yourself that will allow you to be persistent in your pursuit of a career, health, a relationship, or anything else you are shooting for. Keep on trying, and don’t give up because it gets difficult or you have an initial setback. Those challenges are sometimes needed to teach you the information you need. Persistence is power and will always lead you in a positive direction.
“The truth I know for sure is that if something feels good and makes you happy on the inside, you’re probably moving in the right direction.”- Jacqui Holland
“Surround yourself with people who talk about ideas and visions of positivity and do not waste time talking about other people.”
Each of us has things that purpose is driving us to do. It may be a new job, end a relationship, start a relationship, lose weight, finish a project, or change the world. One of the most challenging things to do to accomplish anything is actually to start the project. Once you start, there is no telling what may happen, but at least at the end of it, you will know. To start is a simple process we develop that makes sense. You may be able to use it for yourself. It sounds so simple to accomplish anything create steps to guide you on the way. Write down what you think the process should look like, step by step. Even if you are not sure, write it down.
The Start: Making the List
Starting to make a list can be the most challenging part of the process for several reasons. First, we all have fear inside us. A voice that tells us things will never work; we are stupid; it will never work out. This voice is your ego, trying to protect you from suffering. Of course, to start anything, these thoughts need to be put to the side, and the fear has to be released. Let each of your situations speak for themselves, allow the lessons they have for you to sink in, and the process begins simply by making a plan of the steps you logically think you will have to take to find success.
Start with the most straightforward part of the process. If you are looking for a new job, then step one is to create a list of possibilities for what you want to do. Not just one or two but ten different things that you might want to do for money. That is step one, putting them down on paper. If losing weight is your goal, create a list of things you can do that involve eating healthier and exercising more. List the steps that you believe you will have to take and then start at the beginning and accept them.
Evaluating the list and readjusting
Of course, you will not know everything right off the bat, and that is OK. That is a part of the learning process and of having a growth mindset. You are not going to know everything, and part of the fun is learning along the way. You can readjust, make changes, find out what works for you, and bring the results you want. Continual evaluation and adjustment will be necessary, and doing this should not be seen as a detriment.
The other type of mindset is a fixed mindset, and that is one where a person needs to know everything or at least pretends to. The person with a fixed mindset would instead continue on the wrong path rather than admit that they didn’t know what they were doing. A fixed mindset believes either you have the talent to do something or don’t, and effort should not be part of the equation. The aim is always a part of the equation. Fear of failure and others’ thoughts stems from possessing a fixed mindset and staying away from the growth mindset.
Start the Process
To begin with, we should always start with the most straightforward steps. Decide what you need and organize it most efficiently. Take action, evaluate, take another action, and then another. Get quiet and write down the logical steps you think you will have to take to do something. Then start taking action. The alternative is someplace I have been. In limbo, afraid to start and afraid to stay where you are. In that situation, you are just going to be scared. An action is a cure for fear always. Start the process and allow what is going to happen to exist.
Enjoy each step along the way and the adventure and learning that they bring you. Grow with them, and don’t be limited by a fixed outlook on yourself or the expectations you have about life. Your ultimate destination is not the value; it is the journey that provides the right stuff for you. The most challenging thing in the whole process is knowing what you want. Once you know that, you can begin to add that to your life through lists. And there is only one way to go, one step at a time, following your list.
“The list is the origin of culture. It’s part of the history of art and literature. What does culture want? To make infinity comprehensible. It also wants to create order.”— Umberto Eco, renowned Italian author.
Even when you think it might never happen, to go one more mile down the road may be all you need!
Part of being human is to create dreams for yourself of what the future will hold. Everyone does it, and then the story of our lives is whether or not we achieve the things we dream about or not. Life is a beautiful experience. We get all we need to accomplish whatever we want. Sometimes it comes easy, and the dream or goal takes shape quickly, as if by magic. But there are other times when it seems like every obstacle in the world is blocking our way. It is at this point we have become one of two types of people. Those who persevere and make their dreams real or those who do not. This distinction will determine much about your mental attitude for the rest of your existence. Don’t quit on what you dream about. Continue to take action. Success may be one more mile down the road!
One More Mile
Trying to capture something you want is tricky because there will always be lessons we need to learn to achieve what we want. Too often, not only do we have a dream of accomplishment, but we believe we have all the answers about how to get there. There are always lessons to learn and insights to gain in
Never let anyone tell you that you are not practical, or there is no chance…….You take the opportunity.
order to transform from one place in life to another. Don’t get too discouraged when roadblocks pop up. Look at them carefully and see what they are trying to teach you. Too often, our confidence is lacking, and we turn back when if we went one more mile down the road, we would have found what we are looking for in their dream.
Maintaining your confidence can be the most challenging thing because fear is a constant companion. I doubt that we might fail—fear of what others might think of us. Worry about what we will do without a fulfilled dream. Fear is a disease that infiltrates your mind and takes away your confidence. Don’t let it happen. Action always defeats fear. Let your action take you one more mile down the road, then another, until you find what you are looking for in your accomplishments. It is there waiting for you one more mile down the road.
Value
Not all things in life are going to obtain without difficulty. Most things that are valuable will cost you effort, creativity, perseverance, and inner strength. All of these attributes will rise to the surface, helping you accomplish whatever it is you are dreaming about doing. Just because something is not easy to do, doesn’t mean it isn’t right for you. To be our best, we need to learn and develop skills that take us in the direction we want. The challenges we face on the path offer us the opportunity to become better and learn what we need to know. Rather than getting frustrated, we need to embrace whatever obstacle our way is and see what valuable lesson it teaches us.
Sometimes when things come to us quickly, it is hard to maintain gratitude and appreciation for them. When you have to expend effort to accomplish them, the value of that thing increases. It may not mean the same to anyone else, but to you, it does. Your story doesn’t matter what others think; it is what you think and knows about yourself because of the trials you have undergone that should matter to you. That is the value of life and the value of your dreams. If you can persevere in one instant, you know you can do it in another. Just keep taking action, being creative, and look for opportunities to grow.
Dreams Come True
Creating a goal and achieving it is something that anyone can do. Not all will because it can get hard on the road to your accomplishment. You have to decide for yourself what your story will read like when it’s over. The result will be yours and yours alone. Did you keep going when things got complicated, or did you move forward?
You are writing your story every day. Each of us is the creators of our own story. Do you learn the lessons, and develop the skills and obtain the knowledge you need or not? That is the question that will determine the extent of your success in life. Keep moving toward your dream, and don’t let your life be sidetracked in life by perceived failure. Learn the lesson, and keep moving forward. Your vision may be just one more mile down the road.
“Character consists of what you do on the third and fourth tries.” ―James A. Michener.
“It always seems impossible until it’s done.” ―Nelson Mandela
“How long should you try? Until.” ―Jim Rohn
“You just can’t beat the person who won’t give up.” ―Babe Ruth
“Most of the important things in the world have been accomplished by people who had kept on trying when there seemed to be no hope at all.” ―Dale Carnegie
I developed a post about my core beliefs a few years ago. Since then, I have experienced a lot, but, remarkably, so much of what I believed has stood up to the test of time.
These personal beliefs are ever-evolving, but this is where they stand right now.
All People are Connected
Call it God, the Universe, or whatever your religion dictates, but to me, we are all connected through a divine order. All people contain the same abilities for great love and an equal capacity for evil. I believe that the perceived separateness of the world leads to many of the problems we face in religion, race, age, sexuality, or any other label we can apply to each other. Just as many drops fall together to make the ocean, we are all unique pieces of the whole. The more we recognize the same, the more understanding and kindness we can show each other, and the better the world will be.
Practice kindness with all people because you are a few circumstances away from being exactly in their shoes.
Your Actions Define Who YOU Are
Talk is cheap. What you do is the definition of your character. I have heard the soft and sympathetic words that were worth absolutely nothing but have been blessed by the actions of many great people. Saying you are something means nothing. Being that thing means everything.
Taking action is the catalyst to all achievements, great and small. Having the courage to go, stay, jump, start, stop, begin again, love, share, understand, give, etc. It is the beginning of anything and will lead you to understand who you are and find your place in the world.
Live in the Moment, and it is all you have
It seems like I have wasted a lot of time, feeling wrong about the past and the things I can never change or worrying about the future and the things that most likely will never come. When I can live in the moment, I find peace, motivation, enjoyment, love, etc.
Being in the moment and being grateful for all that exists with you at that time is a great recipe for happiness. Plan the best you can through goal setting and dreams but understand that you can’t control everything, and sometimes the things that happen, which seem unwanted, provide unforeseen growth and understanding. They catapult us into places we wouldn’t have thought to go.
Thinking Positively Leads to a Happier Life
“Bad” stuff happens to everyone at some point in life. How you deal with it is essential. Life is full of things that you define as good or bad. Describing them as positives allows you to enjoy life more, be healthier, and support those you love. At the same time, negative thinking is defeatist and will supply you with the exact opposite.
How you choose to perceive anything will determine the overall value it provides to your experience of life. All things have the potential to work for good. Your mental state will determine how much interest they provide your life if any.
Positive thinking does not ignore the negative, and it should put it into a perspective of positive, as best that you can. It also doesn’t mean that you accept the poor behavior of others. It means that you do not choose to let poor behavior negatively influence you. I can’t control the behavior and choices of others, only the choices that I make. That is it. I try to do better than I did yesterday. That is all I can do.
All People Have Value
Sometimes, this is difficult to remember when I am angry or hurt, but that doesn’t change my belief. People live differently, make poor decisions, and look differently, but inside they are all valuable. Every person that you meet knows something that you don’t, and that is the thing that is one of the many values of meeting new people.
All that separates any of us from the circumstances of another is mere chance. At our core, we are all beings of love. Keep this in mind and be patient with others. There are always thousands of unseen reasons that lead to behavior. Don’t be quick to judge a story by the one short chapter you see. Read the whole book so that you can understand things in context.
Dreaming is Vitally Important
Every person that has ever been born has had a dream of some kind. There are no exceptions. Life has a way of making many of us forget these dreams as we are swept up in living from day to day and the years drift past us.
Dreams of being a musician, a painter, a doctor, an astronaut, a professional athlete, or any other dream you might have had are a good thing. Dreams help us to set our intentions for our actions. It is never too late to pursue a dream, and whether the dream is completed or not, the journey will be the valuable part that makes you who you are.
When a person takes action, they can make their dream come true. That action will lead to a result of success or failure. Failure is not an ending, and it is the roadmap to finding another way to find success. Action toward your dream is the only way that you will know what works.
Gratitude is the Right Attitude
Being grateful for what you have in life leads to appreciation. Rather than looking for something else you don’t have for comfort or happiness, look at what you do have and be grateful for it.
There are many benefits that gratitude will bring to life, but happiness and enjoyment are two of the best. Remember that those you love and who love you are the greatest gifts and should never be taken for granted, be grateful for them.
Forgiveness is Necessary to Move Forward
Who hasn’t been hurt? Let down? We all have issues with others, and we all have a choice, be angry or forgive them. Forgiveness is a tonic that will allow you to be free. It isn’t condoning or approving of the behavior of others, but it is an acceptance of what has happened and making a choice not to let the power of that event rule you.
To forgive someone for something they did that harmed you is very difficult. It can’t just be lip service of saying that they are ignored. It has to be inside your heart. The only one who can give forgiveness is you, and the sooner you give it, the sooner you can move on. Letting go of pain, sadness, anger, or any other negative emotion is key to enjoying life.
I read somewhere that you know that someone is forgiven when you think of them, and there is no subtle searing inside your heart. It can take a conscious effort, but with forgiveness comes freedom and strength.
Embrace Love, Avoid Fear
All people carry this choice inside of them. The one you pay attention to will determine the experience of your life. Focus on the love-based emotions of kindness, understanding, generosity, acceptance, patience, and love while avoiding the fear-based emotions and thoughts of anger, hate, separation, jealousy, stereotyping, and judgment. It can be harder to do than it sounds, but the effort is well worth it. Our experience is primarily the result of this continual decision. Fear or love?
What is important to you in life? What is life all about? Why are you here? There are so many questions that we ask about life and our place in it that I thought it was time for some answers. These great questions will help you understand your thoughts in this area. I have tried to answer each according to my conscience. Only you can answer these 25 questions for yourself.
1. Is there a grand scheme of things?
I believe that there is a grand plan. We are all filling our part in this plan. You may be wondering where you fit, but sometimes it isn’t easy to see your part when you are involved personally in the tasks at hand. You are a valuable player in this game of life, and others depend on your behaviors, positive or negative, to get where they need to go.
2.Are we born with a destiny to fulfill?
Is there a destiny?
I think that we are all born with a potential for greatness, and you have the potential to be tremendous and experience excellence. Whether you do or do not fulfill your destiny is where your choices of development come. I think that I have a question about this. No matter what road we choose to take, will we end up in the same place in the end? Nobody can know the answer to this. However, that is what makes life interesting.
3. If so, what’s the use of forcing certain things we think should happen to happen?
Have you ever forced something and had success? I know that I have forced things I thought were good for me, and they turned out not to be very good for me at all. We are not always the best judge of what is best. All we can do is make choices and live with the results. There was a pretty resounding and clear answer when I had forced things that I shouldn’t do. It can also be painful. We should all take actions toward our goals because actions are the catalyst for anything, but lose your attachment to the results.
4. If all things come at the right time, why do we constantly worry about the future?
You can choose to worry if you want to. You can also choose not to worry.
Worry is just thoughts we have that make us feel like we are involved in the decision-making process. Some people think like worrying will keep away all results that are perceived as unfavorable. Some people believe worrying will prevent them from being disappointed. All you can do is live your life, worry if you want, but it won’t do any good. I think all things do come at the exact right time, and it is just that the clock is not run by what is easiest for us. It is best, sometimes hard lessons are best, and that can hurt, but it is always a choice to respond to any event. Worry if you want to, but I have found worrying a waste of time.
5. And what do we do during the intervals while we wait for those predestined things to occur?
Live your life. Live your life. Live your life. Enjoy what is happening. Why look ahead. Because you may feel you have a destiny ten years from now, who knows how long you have? Enjoy today. If you are looking ahead to find your future, you miss the fate right in front of you today!
6. Am I just wasting my time in seeking my purpose?
There are no wastes of time. Some are on the path of enlightenment, and some are on the way to video game supremacy. Who can judge what a waste of time is?
I don’t know are you wasting your time? Do you think you have control over it? You don’t. Birds gotta fly, fish swim, and you have to look for your purpose. I do not have the insight to tell you what will happen, but the growth you have experienced and your influence on others is indeed a good thing, so how could that be a waste of time. Change is inevitable, and if you weren’t changing one way, you would be changing another. Nothing is a waste of time unless you decide it is.
7. Do we even have a purpose? If so, Do you find your purpose, or do you create it?
I think we all have a purpose. Does it matter if you create it or you find it? It is there, like a mountain, it is there, it doesn’t matter how it got there, does it? It is there for you to enjoy, climb on and adventure on. Do what your heart tells you. Your purpose will become evident. If it feels right, do it; if it doesn’t feel good, don’t do it.
8.If you’re supposed to find it, how do you go about it?
Live your life. Please do what you can; it will find you. When you do something that fuels your fire, pursue it and accept the results that come. Trust that the experience will provide you with the lessons and value that you need. Without being aware, soon, your purpose will be evident.
9. If you’re supposed to create it, how do you go about it?
Live your life. Do what you can. It will find you. Be creative in any way that you can because creativity is the doorway to creation. It connects you to your true self and allows you to see a more significant piece of the puzzle. So draw, paint, write, think, tell stories, invent, experiment, or do whatever gets your interest.
10. Is there a Universal Force, a Great Creator, a Divine Source? Or, is it just us Humans of skin and bone?
Where do you find Divinity?
I have never been surer of anything in my existence. There is a force greater than ourselves. If you have become aware, you know this to be true as you feel your way through your life. This is the power that connects us and allows us to create unique and powerful human beings. Our vehicle for this adventure is the human body, and it should be valued, but our identity is not our body. If you were born into another body, wouldn’t you still be you?
Skin and bones, dust to dust, the body are temporary; your soul is eternal. If it is not, how come we do not age on the inside? We don’t. I feel the same in mind and spirit as I did when I was young. I have more experience in life, but I do not think differently. Do you?
11.Is there really something spiritual about us, and what about Mother Earth?
There is something spiritual about the world, and you can feel it anytime you get out into a natural setting. All living things have energy, and the power of one thing will affect the point of another thing. Those who neglect this connection miss out.
12. Or, am I kidding myself by not facing the cold, hard facts that this is it, this is our reality.
What is this? What reality are you afraid of? Working? Living life? Your truth is precisely what you accept it to be. You can choose to be spiritual or not be spiritual. You can get the world as you see it, birth, school, work, death. Or as something more. I choose something more. It doesn’t mean life has no moments of learning, or work, or sadness, but they do not come on a schedule, and they can’t be planned. Learning happens each day. Are you kidding yourself? Only you can answer that question. Knowing you, I doubt it very much.
13. Are we a soul living inside a temporary body?
As I answered above, yes, we are. We are spiritual beings having a human experience. All people are connected, and through cooperation, this becomes evident.
14. Are we eternal? Or, does it all end once you’re buried 6 feet under?
I think we are eternal. Yet, of course, we can never be sure. We will find out in the end, and that is a part of the mystery of life. I am not worried about if I am wrong because what difference does it make? Would you live life differently day-to-day? Most people wouldn’t.
15. Are we all the same?
We are all connected, and from the same, I think. My experience is different from yours, and we may have different backgrounds and speak other languages or be of different ages. Yet, there are many things the same. We each have a mind, heart, and soul. So does everyone else out there. Inside, we are quite the same, I can relate and understand your experience, and you can appreciate mine if you try.
16. Are we all connected?
We are all unique but connected, I think. There is no separation between you and me or you and anyone else in the world. That is why I believe it is essential to see all people with a kind heart and soft eyes. No matter what their position in life, they are simply another version of you. If you were born in different circumstances or experienced other things, who knows what you would have done? Be kind and look for the human connection between all of us.
17. If so, then why do I feel so separate?
Why do you feel so separate? Do you try to connect with others? Since I think that each of us is connected, it must be a choice to feel distinct. Maybe you need to have the experience that you are alone, who knows. Ten years from now, you will have a different answer, I think.
It is an illusion of separateness that we accept as accurate. We look at ourselves as islands of experience, unique to us, but we are connected, and all people have a similar core. Look at people as a connected part of you, and they will be. Or continue to see the illusion of being separate. The choice is yours.
18. Is there no magic in us?
There is magic in everyone. Unique and powerful spell. Look at all of the things that have already come from your life. You have created unique and mighty things, and I have benefited from them. No magic? What are you looking for? Magic beans? You have provided plenty of charm already, and you are just getting started. There is a future of magic and wonder coming for you and from you. Why else would you be asking all of these questions?
19. Are we just a brain, with arms, and legs?
I think we are much, much more. Some people lack arms or legs and still have a divine spark of creation that makes them think and feel like anyone with all their body parts. There is a divinity involved in the human experience. You, my friend are an example of this.
20. Is there a calling?
I don’t know. Do you feel like you were called? I think there is being yourself, and that is a calling. You are looking for answers to questions that deep down you already know the answers to.
21. Is the voice I’m hearing someone’s other than my own?
What does it matter? There is a dialogue in each of us. We ask questions continually, and someone answers. Is it God, is it us, or is it a combination of both? Again I wonder if it matters. We are who we are. The dialogue in our head is ours and can add a lot of clarity to our actions if we take the time to listen.
22. Or am I just a raving lunatic talking to myself?
Yes, you are a raving lunatic. Suppose that is what you think. I do not believe so because having questions is a natural part of life, and most people don’t get to the point that they even know there are any questions, let alone the answers to them.
23.Intuition or Institutional?
Do what you feel is the right thing. If you end up in a small room with no windows, you will have your answer. If you don’t, you will also have your answer. We are all in control of our own destiny, through the choices we make every day and the beliefs we accept, because of our programming.
Yes, I believe in God, a higher power, the Universe, whatever name you are comfortable with because there are certain things that are difficult to understand any other way. I am not a fan of organized religion. When you put yourself against someone else, calling your beliefs the “only way”, or you are going the wrong way. These organizations work to divide people, and this divisiveness has led to some of the greatest atrocities in history. I prefer to focus on the values which are true in all religions, honor, honesty, kindness, character, treat others as you would be treated, and all positive moral codes.
If religion is your thing, I support that but refuse to have my ship driven by your beliefs. I will continue to believe what I feel is right based on experience and you can follow whatever dogma makes your life seem complete. I will just say simply, do good things, not bad things and we will all be OK.
Creating a shortlist of beliefs on which I think my life is hopefully based is a difficult task but one I am continually polishing and evaluating as life teaches me the lessons I need to learn. People come into your life, situations change, we learn, we lose, we grow, and the lessons are what we are left with and the beliefs are the constants that strain out of the mess that is left of our lives after all experiences happen. So this product is ever-evolving, and I am editing it as I see fit, but I stick with what I say at this moment. At least for today, until they have been proven false tomorrow, and then I will adjust.
All People are Connected
Call it God, the Universe, or whatever your religion dictates, but we are all connected through a divine order to me. All people are fundamentally the same and contain the same abilities for great good and equal power to commit great evil. That is just a part of this crazy game called life. Just as everyone is the same, each person is a unique creation as well. There has never been another person exactly like you, and there will never be another one again. There is something extraordinary about that. We are all bound together in the experience of life and the story evolving out of it.
All of us have a connection on the soul level. The human ego has been developed to make us feel like we are all alone and isolated. But the truth is that it is just an illusion and breaking that can change your life. When people look to their similarities, and away from what separates them, anything is possible. We are all connected, and that should be the hope of your life. When you look at someone else, don’t judge anyone too harshly. You are only a few circumstances away from being the same.
Your Actions Define Who YOU Are
Talk is cheap. What you do is the definition of your character. I have heard the soft and sympathetic words that were worth absolutely nothing but have been blessed by the actions of many great people. Saying you are something means nothing. Being that thing means everything. Each day all people are faced with a large number of choices, be positive or negative. Loving or fearful. Kind or judgmental. Etc. It is these choices that lead to action and define us to the world. Make your choices carefully.
How do you want to be seen in the world? Think about that when you make a thousand decisions making up your day. I have heard people speak about the virtues of kindness globally and then treat people in their day-to-day life in a very mean and judgmental fashion. What type of person are they? Kind or mean? Words say kind things, but actions are callous and cold to human understanding. Your actions are mean, selfish, and insensitive, then that is what you are. The good news is anyone can change at any moment and become a better version of themselves. Let your actions be a ringing endorsement of your character, not a condemnation.
Thinking Positively Leads to Positive Results
Bad stuff happens to everyone at some point in life. How you deal with it is essential to the quality of your life and those around you. Life is full of things that you define subjectively as good or bad. Our attitude about these events is what will determine our lives. Look at the good in all situations. You may not be able to see it at first but ask yourself, “How can this make me better?” or “What is this situation trying to teach me?” The truth is no situation is positive or negative. There is a little of both in everything. It is up to you to find it. How well you make these choices defined how happy you are in life.
Defining things as positives allows you to enjoy life more, be healthier, and support those you love. At the same time, negative thinking is defeatist and will supply you with the exact opposite. As I mentioned above, you choose every day to be positive or negative in this world. Positive thinking will lead to positive results in your life. How much positivism do you prefer?
All People Have Value
This is difficult to remember sometimes when I am angry or someone has hurt me, but that doesn’t change the fact that I believe this is true. People live differently, make poor decisions, and look differently, but inside they all have value. All that separates any of us from the circumstances of another is mere chance. At our core, we are all beings of love. Therefore, understand and giving love is the most important thing.
Every person is a teacher and a learner. You can learn something from everyone. A valuable lesson can come from a simple conversation or just in observation of someone living their life. I don’t look in judgment but in understanding and appreciation of what their experience brings. For example, Victor Frankel was a Holocaust survivor who didn’t let the worst experience of his life dim his hope for humanity. I take that lesson and apply it to my life all the time. If he could remain positive, what excuse do I have to feel bad? We can learn those lessons from all sorts of people every day.
Action Is Mandatory for Success
Every person that has ever been born has had a dream of some kind. There are no exceptions. When a person takes action, they can make their dream come true. Even if that action doesn’t work out, then you have gained valuable information that you can use to try again. Many people carry a lot of fear around inside them, of many different things. Action kills fear because it removes all doubt. Either something is going to work, or it isn’t. There is no need to worry or fret because you have all the information right in front of you. Taking action is the reality check and a powerful ally to all people. Take action and see what you can accomplish in your life today.
Start your business, ask for the date, apply for the job, say what you mean. All of your actions will lead to repercussions for which you will be responsible, but that is a great way to live life. Embrace all of the ripples of your existence and never apologize for them. If you are honest and trustworthy and explain why you did what you did to those who matter, you have nothing to be ashamed of or worried about. Let your action do the talking, and it will create a life of consequence.
Forgiveness is Necessary
To forgive someone for something they did that harmed you is very difficult. It can’t just be lip service of saying that they are forgiven. It has to be inside your heart. The only one who can give forgiveness is you, and the sooner you give it, the sooner you can move on. Letting go of pain, sadness, anger, or any other negative emotion is key to enjoying life. I read somewhere that you know that someone is forgiven when you think of them, and there is no subtle searing inside your heart.
It can take a conscious effort, but with forgiveness comes freedom, strength, and love. Choices that are made from love are generally good choices. To hold on to anger or pain is to give power to someone else over your life, and clearly, they don’t deserve to be a part of your life if they hurt you or treated you with disregard. Forgive them and learn never to treat anyone inadequately again. Let your ripples be of kindness and joy. Forgive everyone, including yourself, and move forward with the best intentions to be the best version of yourself possible.
Embrace Love, Avoid Fear
All people carry this inside of them, and the one you pay attention to will determine how much you enjoy this ride we call life. Focus on the love-based emotions like kindness, understanding, generosity, acceptance, patience, and love while avoiding the fear-based feelings and thoughts of anger, hate, separation, jealousy, stereotyping, and judgment. It can be harder to do than it sounds, but the effort is well worth it. Love is a powerful way to think that will allow you to become the best version of yourself spiritually, physically, and mentally. Love leads to kindness and personal growth. Fear is the opposite of love, and it will lead to isolation and a negative life experience. Not many people are happy with their fear-based thoughts, and living through love makes it impossible not to be satisfied.
There it is, some simple things to help you think about ways to move better through your day and your life. The song below is one of my all-time favorites; it reminds me of how life changes and moves. We do move like water, and you never know when life will end, and all we have is this moment. Love much and believe in yourself ultimately!! Be the most extraordinary person you can be, and make sure your beliefs allow you to shine fully.
How many great ideas are destroyed before they have a chance to take root? How many are discarded by the neglect of time? Due to fear of failure or a lack of self-confidence? The time to wait is over, and the time for action is here. Taking action is THE ingredient that turns the perfect combination of raw materials into a masterpiece. Life is defined by the actions one takes or, in many cases, the inaction.
If you stretch yourself, reaching for something you want, what is the worst thing? Fear will stop you from getting because you may be hurt, but that cocoon you exist in has become a cage, and it is time to let that go. Action will destroy fear.
Our minds work overtime sometimes, and we must establish a clear representation of our thoughts, goals, and perspectives on life to find our direction based on the things we truly believe. All knowledge will change you and move your consciousness one way or another and leave you with a final set of core beliefs representing your experiences and how you choose to interact with the world. Looking at my experiences over the last year, I needed to revamp my collection of what I think and look at other people.
Creating a shortlist of beliefs on which I think my life is hopefully based is a difficult task but one I am continually polishing and evaluating as life teaches me the lessons I need to learn. People come into your life, situations change, we learn, we lose, we grow, and the lessons are what we are left with and the beliefs are the constants that strain out of the mess that is left of our lives after all experiences happen. So this product is ever-evolving, and I am editing it as I see fit, but I stick with what I say at this moment. At least for today, until they have been proven false tomorrow, and then I will adjust.
