Monthly Archives: September 2021

21

Greatest

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Most excellent- notable; remarkable; exceptionally outstanding

When you look in the mirror, what do you see? What you should see is the most incredible human being that has ever walked on this planet. Why? Because that is precisely who you are. People shy away from thinking of themselves in this way. Either because of the fear of what others think and being considered arrogant or a significant lack of confidence. Either way, if you do not believe you are the greatest YOU there is, who will?

Take a moment and acknowledge all of the great things that exist in you. It doesn’t mean you don’t have flaws but focus on the great because that will help you along the way. There is absolutely nothing wrong with thinking you are the greatest; it isn’t arrogant or conceited; it is the goal all of us should be striving for in your life. It all starts with our thoughts about ourselves and our abilities, the words we use to project that to the world, and the actions we take because of our feelings of greatness.

Fear Of Greatness

We are our own worst critics because nobody knows our flaws more than we do. You have to spend all of your time with you, twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. There is no escape, and you know the truth about yourself. We have weak moments, and we are not always perfect. Our focus tends to go in the direction of focusing on our shortcomings and ignore the fact that all people, if they

can get out of their way, have the potential for greatness in some areas. Even you! We don’t focus on that, but we should.

One of the greatest athletes and humanitarians of all time was Muhammad Ali. He spent a lot of time telling the world how great he was. At first, nobody listened. They laughed at him, calling him arrogant. But eventually, throughout his career, Ali proved he was, in fact, the greatest. This process is a mentality that we all can take. Not to diminish the efforts or accomplishments of others but to direct our best energy toward our best self. It is not arrogant to be confident. Ever. Confidence allows you to perform at your highest and be the best version of yourself that you can. You are the greatest.

Sticks and Stones

There are always going to be people who don’t like you. Either you threaten them, or your greatness points out their shortcomings. No matter the reason, to be confident in life, you have to learn to deal with those who will try to tear you down. Pay no attention to the things that come from outside of you. They are of no consequence and have all the power and meaning that you give them. Pay full attention to what is inside of you. The messages you are sending yourself. Those are the ones that dictate what you accomplish.

When you pay attention to the noise on the outside, you are trying to compromise yourself to become what others think you should be — leaving your greatness behind to become someone else’s version of mediocrity. That will not allow you to be the best you can be. Inside we have the power to use a voice of confidence for what we can do and appreciation for who we are. Don’t be afraid to be the greatest and show the world what you can do.

Mistakes and Mishaps

Will you ever make a mistake? Of course, you will, but that is OK because you are the greatest, and you will not let an error control your self-esteem. The most exceptional people learn from situations, taking valuable lessons, and moving forward not to make the same mistake again. That is why you are the greatest in the world because you can do this. Those who let the fear of making a mistake seep into their consciousness are doomed to a life of worry about what might happen and never enjoy just being the greatness in the person they are.

Remember that no matter how great you are, there are things that happen out of your control. Robust growth and learning often come directly from the challenges we face in life. Most often, these challenges bring along with them an equally powerful opportunity. Life puts these things in our experience for a reason. Just like most people enter our lives for a reason, most often to teach us something. Be great and learn the lesson, gain the knowledge, and move forward confidently into greatness.

You Are the Greatest

You are the greatest, and nobody can take that away from you. There is nobody else who can be you and do the things you do. People may lie to you, disappoint you, outright harm you, give you no explanations, change you from best friend to worst enemy. It is possible to overcome it all if you can maintain your focus. Don’t be afraid of your greatness, and live comfortably inside yourself with the knowledge that you are the greatest. It all starts with your thoughts, words, and actions today. YOU ARE THE GREATEST!

“I am the greatest. I said that even before I knew I was.” ~Muhammad Ali

“I’m not the greatest. I’m the double greatest. Not only do I knock ’em out, I pick the round. I’m the boldest, the prettiest, the most superior, most scientific, most skillfullest fighter in the ring today.” ~Muhammad Ali

“Imitation is suicide.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

“If things go wrong, don’t go with them.” -Roger Babson.

 

21

To Begin Again

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begin againToday forget your past, forgive yourself and begin again.

Each day brings with it a choice for you to decide how to live your life. Do you stay tied to a past that is gone? Is it holding you in place and not allowing you to move forward? Do you blame yourself for mistakes that are long done and over with and can’t be changed no matter what you do? Do you stay stuck in a place of pain and misery? Or do you make the conscious choice to move in a more positive direction? Understanding the past is gone, things were done and said which can never be taken back. We can only control the choices we make today.

All of these choices belong to each of us in our own lives, and it is entirely up to us which ones we make, to move forward, or lag. Today arrives with a complete package of possibilities. To see anything else is a choice you are preparing to limit your existence. You decide what today will bring for you; nobody else has control over that unless you let them.

Forget Your Past

begin againSo much of the story we tell others is about our past, but is it the actual past? Or what we choose to remember about events in our lives. By letting go of the past, you will not forget who you are. This fact is valid for a couple of reasons. First of all, we remember the past exactly how we want to. Good, bad, or indifferent, when we think of past events, we color them with anger, love, nostalgia, or some other emotion that skews the view. This action isn’t done consciously; it is done behind the scenes in our subconscious mind. If you and I experienced the same thing ten years ago, each of us would remember our experience differently. Who is right? Both because we remember it the way we need to. How much should you let an unreliable memory influence your life? Some people spend the bulk of their time living in the past. There is no growth there. Let it go and live today.

The past is gone, and you can’t get it back no matter what you do. It is gone into the history books, and no matter how good or bad it was, it will not return. Many people spend a lot of time trying to recreate the feelings they had in the past. Some even stay stuck there, but the fact is, you are not going to grow as you should looking in the past. All things grow and change over time, and it is unstoppable. Forget living in your past, embrace your growth, and move forward. The quality of your future depends on it.

Forgive Yourself

My harshest critic lives solidly in my mind. He has been sitting there for the entire show of my life, seeing the mistakes, the poor choices, the selfishness, and the embarrassing moments. He is all too begin againeager to criticize these moments and make me feel wrong about myself. The thing is that the critic in your head is not a good voice. He does not speak as loudly or firmly about your positive attributes or contributions. Forgive yourself because to do otherwise is to carry a self-imposed punishment of pain for the rest of your life. You do not deserve that, you are a unique, one-of-a-kind person, and you are the only one who can contribute your talents to the world.

Forgiveness brings an understanding to your experience, thought to your mind, and knowing yourself that will help guide you in the future. By forgiving yourself, you clear away the mist from the windshield of your life and allow a much clearer view of where you have been, where you are, and where you want to go. You have to forgive yourself because no one else can give you this gift. It can only come from you, and once passed, it allows you to evolve into a better version of yourself. Whatever that may be.

Time to Start Over

Once you have a clear vision of where you would like to go, you are on your way. There is nothing as exciting and at the same time frightening as the opportunity to start again. Will it work? Will you be successful? Will you thrive? Will you fail? The only way to answer these questions is to try. Put your effort begin againout there and see what crops up in the field of your possibility.

Begin your new challenge with a renewed hope for your future. There is no limit to what might happen; all you can do is take action and experience the results. Whether it is “good” or “bad” is a matter of perspective and depends on how you keep score. One experience may not work out the way you planned but may lead to the thing that makes your life a dream come true. So would you suffer a so-called failure in life if it led to your ultimate success?

Begin again with the attitude of unlimited possibility, and unlimited potential will be yours. Take action, don’t sit in idle planning that accomplishes nothing but to soothe your mind with fantasies of what might be if you dare to take action. Begin again with a brave heart and rise into your destiny. This journey is the choice you can make today.

Today forget your past, forgive yourself and begin again.

“Do the difficult things while they are easy and do the great things while they are small. A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step.”- Lao Tzu.

“Those who improve with age embrace the power of personal growth and personal achievement and begin to replace youth with wisdom, innocence with understanding, and lack of purpose with self-actualization.”- Bo Bennett.

“Failure is simply the opportunity to begin again, this time more intelligently.” Henry Ford

 

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

Inside Story

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Inside– the inner part; the interior. 

People are continually looking outside of themselves for acceptance in the world.  They look to friends, family members, society in general, or institutions to evaluate their progress in life.  They are looking in the wrong direction because all of those things are outside of us, and the instructions that matter are inside us.  What do you think of yourself inside?  Are you a good person?  Are you giving? Are you kind? Are you smart? Are you meaningful?

All of these answers come from within your existence, and those answers are the ones that matter.  What you think and feel inside your being, where nobody else can see, define you. To make sure that you are positive on the inside, you need to develop your awareness of the conscious thoughts you have about yourself and your abilities. These thoughts will determine way more about your knowledge and what you can accomplish than anything outside of you. The ideas you entertain, the emotions a person connects to, the words you speak because of these thoughts, and of course, the resulting actions that create your reality daily in life.

All Things Were Created Inside

There is no object in the physical world a person created without being a thought inside someone’s head first.  When you think about this, your appreciation for what is happening inside of you grows.  You can develop the next significant invention because all you need to get started is a working mind and the ability to follow through with your thoughts.  The thought is just a first step, and if no other measures are taken, your creation will stay just an idea.

To bring a thought into reality takes making a plan. Things created in the brain can become a reality, but a person needs to develop steps to bring those things into existence.  That is all from the inside of you as well. It can be demanding as you get the inside stuff into reality. Some might not like it, or they may be jealous or have some other adverse reaction.  The key is to remember, those are outside things and have little to do with your inner thoughts and vision unless you let them.  If the first thing you try doesn’t work, don’t give up. Learn the lesson and move forward and adjust your steps to accommodate new information. Follow the process until the inside idea becomes an outside reality.

Our Resolve Comes From Inside

Challenges are a part of life. We get a push by the experiences we face. All beings are touched with a problem or two. These experiences give us the inspiration we often need to dig inside of ourselves and learn what we are made of on the inside.  Because whatever happens outside, the real struggle comes within each of us. Out provides the test, inside decides how we fair against it.

A river of power flows deep in each of us, untouched for most of our lives. Yet in this current is located an innate ability to perform in big moments. When your focus is on the outside, these abilities lay dormant and never rise to the top where they can help you inside and improve the outside world. The outside world can say anything it wants and offer to help, but it is our strength and the choices that will define who we are going to be in life.

Treat Yourself Well on the Inside

How you talk to yourself will be one of the most significant factors in how much you are going to be able to accomplish in this life. There is a voice that speaks to you in your head all the time.  It forms when we are young, and it speaks to you in the same manner the critical adults in your childhood talked to you.  If your parents were caring, loving, and understanding, then so is your voice. If they were judgmental, fearful, and negative, so is your vote.  Listen to your inner voice and the self-talk that results.

All of this comes from inside of you, and nobody else can hear it or judge it.  So it is totally up to you if you decide to listen to how you speak to yourself. If it is negative, many problems stem from this, from a lack of confidence to a lack of self-esteem. But the fix is easy, change the voice, and that can only happen through conscious effort.  Speak to yourself as you would speak to someone you care about very much. Use kindness, understanding, and love to make yourself feel better.  Changing the self-talk you hear every day from negative to positive will allow you to become a kinder and more giving version of yourself.  That inside change makes the outside world a much better place.

Finally Inside

Nobody can see the inside strength that exists in you. You have to seek it out before you find it. It probably won’t happen if you spend your life being distracted by other things, entertainment, shopping, drugs, or alcohol. It will only come to you when you consciously make an effort to look at how you think and feel inside. The emotions that were resulting lead to the words you speak. All of it is based on your inner feelings, and of course, the resulting actions bring your right ideas to the outside world. Nobody can read your mind.

‘Do you know what you are? You are a manuscript oƒ a divine letter. You are a mirror reflecting a noble face. This universe is not outside of you. Look inside yourself; everything that you want, you are already that.’ -Rumi.

“There is a life force within your soul. Seek that life.
There is a gem in the mountain of your body, seek that mine.
O traveler, if you are in search of that.
Don’t look outside, look inside yourself, and seek that.” -Rumi

“Why compare yourself with others? No one in the entire world can do a better job of being you than you.” -Eric Thomas.

 

21

Playing It

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Play- engage in an activity for enjoyment and recreation rather than a serious or practical purpose.

playLife often seems to be a somber and practical experience, making people miss the truth behind it. Life is a game, and once you accept that and learn how to play it, it will become a much more enjoyable and recreational experience.  Like any game, there are challenges to overcome and strategies to implement.  Most people never realize this is the case. They spend their life soberly moving from one square to the next,  regretting moves they made in the past or fretting over challenges that may come tomorrow.  Life is a game that is played in the now because that is all you are guaranteed.  Never forget to play with passion as you move through life, and it starts with an awareness of this game happening right under your nose, with your thoughts, words, and actions.  

Enjoy The Game

We are all born into this game, I don’t think we asked for it,  but here we are.  Like all games, you can see players using different strategies to get maximum enjoyment with minimal effort.  Some play a social game as they move around the board, and others choose to be the lone wolf.  All of us are trying Playto move through the board and find the prize of peace and contentment. It seems that the players that enjoy every experience, every move are the ones that benefit the most.

There are many truths to the game of life. Who you choose to play with will determine how well you play and how much you enjoy the experience. Some have the intention of not wanting any part of the game.  These negative souls see every changing move as a problem and a potential for pain. Avoid these players at all costs because they will make the game miserable for everyone they contact in their sport.  Spend your time with people who love the game, and it will be easy to enjoy too.

Limits to Avoid

In the game of life, there are some things to avoid as you play.  One of the most important is to avoid worrying about what other people think of your moves around the board. They may tell you that you look silly or that your playstrategy will never work, or they may say they have a better plan.  Let these reservations of others slide right off you. You are the only person who can play your game, and life provides you with many lessons that will assist you in reaching the goals of happiness and contentment.  Anyone being critical of your play is probably sliding backward themselves or can’t seek the imagination it takes to move forward. Avoid listening to what others think of you. The responsibility for your play lies with you alone.

The second thing to avoid is becoming too confident in the way you play.  Life has many penalties for overconfidence, and none of them are pleasant. Be assured, but never stop being grateful for where you are and what you have in this game. That will keep you grounded and avoid the big falls that pride can bring.  You will never figure the whole match out; nobody does.  But you can learn through playing to the end all that you need to know. Gratitude is an essential fuel for the game, play it consistently and generously, and it will take you a long way.

Finally, avoid fear as you move around the game. It is natural if you are in a “good” spot on the board to stay there. But life is a running game and never stands still; one of the specific rules is that you have to keep moving and changing. Change is life, and accepting change is accepting life.   Some call this scary. Others call this opportunity.  Call it a chance because it doesn’t matter if you like it or not; that is what will happen. Things will change, and you will have to roll the dice again or spin the wheel and take the moves in front of you.  Do not be afraid. Be confident that whatever lies ahead, you will have the ability to play through it and move on to even a better level. Each challenge of the game is an opportunity for growth. Play the game and grow!

Winning the Game

Well, here is the sad truth. There is no winning the game. There is only one playing it.  The choices that you make on the way define your play and will playdetermine the experience you have. The most crucial factor in realizing is that you have a choice. Maybe not with what the game brings you but in how you react to those experiences. These are the most important decisions you can make because they will determine if the skills you have move you forward or backward in the game.  Are you climbing a ladder or sliding down a chute back to where you started?

Try not to play the victim and complain about everything.  All challenges bring with them an opportunity. To be better or accomplish something. If you choose not to take advantage of that because of grief for what has gone or fear of what might come, then take responsibility for it.  Because in the game of life, you are responsible for how you play. You and you alone.

PLAY TO THE BEST OF YOUR ABILITY.  That is winning the game and will allow you to get the most out of it.  We have little control over when it will end but total control over the choices we make while we play. Raise your awareness of the play with your thoughts, words, and actions. Remember, none of us will get out of here alive. 

“Life is a game, and you are the player. As you master the game, so you also create it.” ― Jay Woodman.

“The game of life is a game of boomerangs. Our thoughts, deeds, and words come back to us with astounding accuracy.” ~Florence Scovel Shinn

 

 

 

21

EVERYTHING

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Everything- all things, all the things of a group or class.

I have found this one fact pervasive throughout my life, EVERYTHING we do matters when it comes to our happiness and enjoyment of life.

Every decision that you make every day of your life contributes to the essence of your existence.  Each choice you make to support someone or knock them down will be reflected in your own experience.  Through my young adulthood, I never realized this. I was too worried about my existence to put much concern into the lives of others. That was a mistake and one I don’t want you to make. It all starts with a constant awareness of the thoughts you are entertaining, the corresponding emotions they cause you to experience, the words you use, and the actions you take because of them.  Everything you think, feel, say, and do matters to your existence. So choose them wisely.

Choice consists of the mental process of judging the merits of multiple options and selecting one of them.

Your Choices Count All The Time

Every day, you are faced with a thousand choices, from what you eat to where you go or your thoughts about them.  One of the most Everythingimportant decisions is how you treat other people and how you treat yourself.  Many of these decisions happen with little thought at all,  but you should be aware that each choice you make defines the substance that is you.

Your energy is a compilation of these decisions, you can keep them to yourself and not tell anyone else about them, and they will still be a part of you as clearly as if you wore a scarlet letter on your forehead.  Due to this fact, it is significant that you understand there are no small choices; they are all big choices and will help determine what types of things you will attract to your life.

Decisions On the Job

all decisions are important
What do you do at the fork in the road?

When you go to work at whatever job you are performing,  you will always have choices, which will help determine how much you will enjoy that experience. And, more importantly, what kind of person you are going to be.

It doesn’t matter if you are digging ditches or splitting atoms. The choices you make will determine your success and value at that job and in life.   Everything all starts with your attitude.  Your attitude is the most significant decision you make about your work and, more importantly, your life.

If you continuously focus on how much you hate your job, it only stands to reason that you will struggle with it.  That is your choice. If you approach the crappiest job in the world like it is the sweetest thing you have ever done, then you are not accepting that job as your end-all.  You are displaying that you are a trustworthy person with unlimited potential. If you knew someone digging ditches for a living, and they approached it with responsibility and a positive attitude, wouldn’t any boss anywhere want that person around all the time?

Wouldn’t they actively look for places that would use that individual’s talent to the best of their ability?  The answer is, of course, they would. But more importantly, wouldn’t that person be looking for situations that would use their talents better and provide more satisfaction. Only you control your attitude at work or anywhere else — everything you do matters.

Choices about Your Friends

Every Thought Counts
Choose Them Wisely

The people that you spend the most time with will have a significant influence on you. If you crave adventure, find adventurous friends. If you enjoy thought-provoking debate, seek out friends that enjoy that as well. Decide what you want to experience in life and spend time with people who have a similar disposition. Building a positive network of friends will increase your enjoyment of life. The friends who have the same values as me, like honesty, integrity, and doing what is right, even if it isn’t always easy, are valued and appreciated. They give you strength and make your life much more enjoyable.

Conversely, if you spend your time with negative people, gossip all the time, and are miserable about their lives and others, what do you think your outlook will be?   The transference from one person to another is a fact of life. The choices of association in this area significantly matter to your happiness.

Think about the people you know. Aren’t there some people who just put a smile on your face only by being around?  Unfortunately, some people make you depressed just by saying hello.  I know I have met plenty of both.  You need to choose to steer towards the positive people when you can and leave the negative folks to their misery.  You will make enjoy life a whole lot more.

Be The Toxic Avenger

If you have friends in your life who have a toxic effect on those around them, then you have two choices.  You can either totally avoid them and the poisonous foolishness that comes with them.  Or if that is not possible, the more fun method is to challenge them on every negative thought and action constantly. After a while, they will either change their perspective or start to avoid you.  Either way, you win a more positive life. Everything

When they say something negative about someone, disagree and say something you know that is positive.  Most of these toxic people are not evil. They have just gotten into the bad habit of feeling that unless they make someone else feel bad, they can’t feel right.  By choosing to counteract them at every turn, you will either make them so mad they will leave on their own accord or, more often than not, they will fall in line and agree with you.  Be consistent with this, and you may turn a negative toxic person into a positive, happy person.  That decision will be a happy one for you.

How You Think About Yourself Counts

Every Thought CountsOften, it is confusing to people who focus and make positive decisions about how they think about others. They will be doing well, but they ignore how hard they are on themselves.  And the truth of the matter is that if you don’t love yourself and treat yourself like you deserve great things in your life, you can’t be too surprised when you don’t get them.

How you decide to view yourself is probably the most critical decision you can make in life.  If you look at yourself and point out the flaws, real or imagined, you are beating up your self-esteem for no reason.  How can you expect that great things will happen for you if you don’t even think you deserve them.

The great thing is that changing this pattern of thought is as simple as changing your mind.  Really?  Don’t believe me? Then do this.  Honestly, make a list of all the things you don’t like about yourself.  Hopefully, it won’t be too long, but I know some of us are hard on ourselves.  For every negative thing about yourself, rewrite the statement as a positive.

You can change the complete statement, or more likely, replace it with something you do like.  For example, an idea like, “my butt is too big” can be changed into “I have stunning eyes.”  or  “My butt looks great!”  In the end,(no pun intended), I don’t think it matters how you change the statement because as smart as we think we are, our brains can only remember one thing at a time. If you are considering the same positive thought repeatedly, then there is no room for the negative version.

You can choose to make it a negative thing or decide to make it a positive thing.  If you think positive thoughts about yourself and your abilities consistently, you will automatically permeate success, and others will be able to sense it.  All I can ask is that you try it.  Give yourself a break. You are a good person, and there are beautiful things about you that are so attractive.  Focus on them.  What you think about yourself is all that matters anyway.

Every decision you make, from the minute you wake up to the time you lay your head back down to go to sleep, will affect everything about you and your life.  Ask yourself when you are making a choice, “Does this choice honor me.” If you can honestly answer, “YES.” Then the decision will be simple, indeed.

I leave you with one thought, and it is the one I had initially — all you do matters in life. The choices you make are yours, and you are responsible for them.  Everything will come from your thoughts, feelings, words, and the actions that result from them.  If you don’t like the way the music sounds, change the arrangement.  Everything you do will allow this to happen.

In a minute, there is time for decisions and revisions, which a minute will reverse.  ~T.S. Eliot

Good decisions come from experience, and experience comes from bad decisions.  ~Author Unknown

Once you make a decision, the universe conspires to make it happen.  ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

The inability to make a decision has often been passed off as patience.  ~Author Unknown

Everything is something you decide to do, and there is nothing you have to do.  ~Denis Waitley

 

Life

Perception

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Our perception of situations will dictate all of our actions and the emotions we feel in any case. We don’t often pay attention to that any situation provides perceptions in any number of different ways.  Each viewpoint brings other emotions, a different thought process, and a different reality to the perceiver.  So how you perceive things in your mind will directly affect the fact that you experience.  So it is essential to understand your perception is one of the keys to consciousness and creation.  Look at your thoughts, words, and actions in any situation and see if you perceive it negatively or positively. You do have a choice because perception is an ongoing process of cause and effect.

Negative Perception

Our perception is a direct result of our thought process. When a situation occurs, we immediately provide a thought to it, leading to emotion. That emotion leads to chemicals released into the brain and neural pathways created.  If your view is directly about fear, lack, anger, judgment, or any other negative emotion, your brain is hardwiring to build a negative perception of this experience.  Usually, it seems there is a fear of being hurt at some level and that self-preservation drives our natural comprehension. But only if you don’t take control.

Turning around negative perceptions is as simple as changing your mind.  Easy to say, challenging to do, but anyone can accomplish this if they try.  The key is to be in touch with your emotions. People don’t feel angry, threatened, sad, happy, joyous, or anything else for no reason. There is always a catalyst event that causes emotion.  Look at the reason you are feeling the way you are. It is still the thought you attach to in any situation. Changing your thoughts is a conscious process.

Feel a negative emotion welling up. Stop! Just for a second and recognize the catalyst for negative perception. It is a replay of some experience. Can you let it go? Situations contain the charge of negativity or positivity based on our understanding alone.  Can you look at the circumstances and release the negative and relax into a more positive emotion.  Peace, love, kindness, gratitude, excitement, or hope are good examples of positive emotions.

Positive Perceptions

Once you recognize the negative and replace it with positive alternatives, your neural pathways will be built, which reflect this.  Many people seem to spend much of their lives focused on the negative of everything they see. Fighting with people for no other reason than to prove they are right.  Right and wrong is only one’s perception and letting go of the emotions around what other people think differently from you is healthy and necessary to build your consciousness.

No matter how intelligent you feel you are or how much you think you understand the world, you have little control over the perceptions of others. We are all playing the same game, but we most likely are at different locations on the board.  Perceive others with kindness and understanding rather than judgment. If you let someone else dictate your emotions, you lose your power. Keep your potential by controlling how you perceive the experiences in your life — kindness, hope, caring, understanding, acceptance, gratitude, and love.

You do You

People seem to invest a lot of time to attempt to control the perception that others have of them. This view creates through social media; people show the best sides and create an image they want you to perceive. It seems like we would do a lot better in the world by just being ourselves and letting everyone else be who they are.  Social media is addictive because it allows you to both be a voyeur into the lives of others and to create snap judgments about others.

Worry about yourself because that is the only person you can control. Your experiences and your thoughts about them are a single perception that matters.  Spending time in judgment is negative and limits your ability to create positively. Make choices that honor you, that you are proud of and can stand behind.  There is no need to force your beliefs on another because it doesn’t matter what they think. That is their perception. Let them grow in their way.  Focus on your perception, and it starts with your thoughts, words, and actions. 

“It is above all by the imagination that we achieve perception and compassion and hope.” Ursula K. Le Guin

“The difference between ordinary people and achieving people is their perception of and response to failure.”   John C. Maxwell

Perception-the ability to see, hear or become aware of something through the senses.

 

21

Joy

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What does your joy look like?

Can anyone define their joy as one particular aspect of a day or even a life?

I certainly can’t. Life is much faceted, and joy derives from many different experiences. The canvas that I paint on has many colors, and I take pleasure from many other parts of that image my life has created.

Joy is an emotion that comes from within each of us.  Things bring us experiences, but we have to allow the joy in ourselves to rise to the surface and show itself. Happiness can come when you are with someone else or by yourself. It can be in the morning or the afternoon.  You are fully able to feel it at any moment you choose.  My joy today looks like many things. I have some thoughts about some specific things I experience happiness about in life—a glimpse of what is making experience great pleasure and satisfaction today.

Freedom’s Just Another Name

Something about times of complete and utter freedom makes me extremely happy and fills my heart with joy and happiness.

freedom There are times in each day where you have to perform specific tasks for your job or to meet the expectations of loved ones. These acts bring a reward for their merit.  Yet, most days, there are moments where I have complete and utter freedom to do whatever I desire at that moment.

 My desires aren’t all that wild and unattainable. I like to write (surprise), I enjoy thinking, and I read with passion.  Finding the time and freedom to do these things fills me with joy today.

 I think that having and exercising your free will each day for some time make you feel rejuvenated and brand new. I know those moments when there is no requirement on me other than those I place on myself are precious.

 On most days, there is a small portion where I experience the freedom of choice, which looks like a joy to me today.

Be Creative, and Things will Flow.

tumblr_la3fh5yX2q1qcgiqwo1_500I have always thought of myself as a person that lacked creativity.  Since I was a young lad, I heard that I lacked the artistic imagination to make art.

The sad part was not that people said these things, but that I believed them.  If you feel this, it cripples your ability to find the answers you are looking for on your journey.

For example, some writers suffer from writer’s block. They can’t get the flow going no matter how hard they try.  One of the most effective ways to break down walls of any kind is to do something creative.  I find that as I become completely engaged in an activity on the creative side, generally, the blocks go away, and words and ideas start to flow freely.

Surprisingly drawing is a form of expression for me, which allows me to do this.  Even though I have no talent in this area, engaging in a brief drawing session will let me find some clarity if I struggle with thought. Creativity looks like my joy today.

Music is Joy

I have often written about how much music means to me, and it is a daily love affair that is only limited by the number of songs available for me to hear.  No one genre brings me joy because many songs and artists I wouldn’t think I would like to perform songs that I find that I can relate to, at least to some degree! I find that nothing explains your emotions better than music or speaks to your soul like the lyrics of the right song.!

Music works magically like a time machine and transports you to different times in your life, and you can almost more than remember those people who were in your life at the time, you can only touch them with your heart and feel them with your soul but touch them and feel them you do.

A song can transport you over the years to a specific place and time. In an instant, you are there re-experiencing the moment from long ago. Happiness, sadness, or even joy can wash over you as you remember your past actions through a song.

As I drive down the road listening to some great music from today and yesterday, I know my joy looks like music today.

You Look Like Joy To Me!

If you are reading this, then you are what my joy looks like today.  I was thinking about what makes me joyous, and that is when something I write affects someone else and makes them believe in any way.

It can be a positive or negative reaction, but to be moved enough to comment, either way, makes me very happy.

 As anyone who writes probably has realized, this is all just the thoughts that come into your head.  They never existed before in the manner you used them and wrote them down. It is an expression of yourself in your mind.

 If someone else can read them and take something from them, find inspiration, commiseration,  or agitation, then I think that is a pretty powerful thing. I enjoy reading the ideas of others as they push me to learn more about myself and think about what I want to be and do in this experience of life: the personality and the presentation of the information counts.  Much like music, there is an unlimited number of writers and creators out there providing great information and excellent entertainment.  I learn something interacting with each written piece I come across.  I find new ones every day like a treasure hidden, just waiting for someone to discover them.

Joy is a feeling that comes from within, and all of these help me feel it because I accept them in my life. Each of us is in charge of the level of joy we experience and from what source it comes.

“Let your joy be in your journey—not in some distant goal.” —Tim Cook

“We cannot cure the world of sorrows, but we can choose to live in joy.” —Joseph Campbell

“Find joy in everything you choose to do. Every job, relationship, home… it’s your responsibility to love it, or change it.” —Chuck Palahniuk

“The soul’s joy lies in doing.” —Percy Bysshe Shelley

“If you carry joy in your heart, you can heal any broken moment.”

 

 

21

Mindfulness

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All of us are looking for happiness. When you look at the result, we would like to experience all of our choices, and we hope to find satisfaction. However, it seems like many people let other things get in the way of their happiness.  Anger, jealousy, worry, or just plain fear grab ahold of your mind and stop you from reaching the ultimate goal of being happy in life.  The attachments we build to relationships, events, jobs, or anything else prevent us from enjoying the experiences we have every day.

Let it Go

It starts with the things we are attached to in thought. The attachments we make stem from the beliefs that we learned as children and never questioned. Thoughts about security, happiness, survival, success, we believe all these things in our lives are necessary to be happy.  Most of these things we hold on to are not the path to happiness but obstacles to it.

We are taught a narrative from a young age about what a successful education, career, and family life should look like in your life. People spend years cultivating this perceived image of success. We attach tightly to it, even though it may not make us happy. Letting go is difficult because our jobs have become a part of our identity.  Changing the narrative can be difficult because we worry about being accepted and what others, even those closest to us, think.  Let go of your attachments and see what happens.

Paradise and Hell

Inside each of us is the potential for heaven and the potential for hell. We decide which one shows up in our life. However, much of what happens to us is out of our control. How we react to everything is 100% of our choice.  We have the potential to build favorable circumstances or negative ones. Our selection of focus will determine what manifests in your life and how you affect the world.

If our choice is to wallow in the suffering of past hurts and sorrows, then this is a choice that will lead to a negative experience in your life. You are deciding to allow those negative feelings to grow inside you, and what we nurture inside will show up on the outside.

The good news is that no matter how negative you are currently or have been in the past, change can happen right now at this very moment.  The opposite thoughts are available to you right now. If you are experiencing fear, choose feelings of love. If you are bitter, focus on thoughts of acceptance. By concentrating and focusing on the positive, the seeds grown will choke out the negative in all aspects of life.

Be Mindful

This attitude leads to the practice of mindfulness. It means to plant your focus squarely on today and what is happening in your life right now—not allowing yourself to get lost in the memories of the past or trapped by thoughts of the future.  Practicing mindfulness can provide positive energy throughout the day, and that positive wave is available to you at all times.

Focused breathing is a simple way to bring your mind into the moment and to choke out random thoughts of the past or future. Happiness is at the moment. Not all moments are great to experience, but each moment of life has the potential for the experience of joy. You will miss this if your mind is lost in the past or floating around in the future.

Manage your Focus

A focus of thought is the next step, and it works with mindfulness. Once you can center your thoughts on what is happening today, then weeding out the ones that negatively affect you is easy to do.  Concentrating will not allow thoughts of potential suffering or fear of the future to stop you from living a vital and happy life right now.  Life is a test, and there will be moments that test you. Real growth would be painful without them.

Notice Your Thoughts

Clarity is the result of all of this.  Seeing the world as it truly is and finding happiness in that experience. We are not worrying about what MIGHT come tomorrow or regret or be fretting over the past.  This realization will set you free from the suffering thoughts of anger, jealousy, and fear. The result will be feelings of true happiness. We all can use this insight, but it seems few take advantage of it to increase our level of satisfaction. That choice, as in all things, is yours.

  • “Be ever happy inside. You can’t change things outside of you, but you can change yourself.”
  • “There are no obstacles: There are only opportunities!”
  • “There is no greater power than to smile at failure, no more beautiful an ornament to your being than a genuine smile, and no beauty greater than the smile of peace and wisdom glowing on your face.”
  • “Live quietly in the moment and see the beauty of all before you. The future will take care of itself.”
  • “Forget the past, for it is gone from your domain! Forget the future, for it is beyond your reach! Control the present! Live supremely well now! This is the way of the wise.”
  • “Accept change as life’s only constant. Life is change.”

 

21

Choice Defines You

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Choice- an act of selecting or making a decision when faced with two or more possibilities.  Something we all struggle with because we are always worried we will choose wrong.

What choices will you make today?

There is freedom that exists in every choice we make.  From the seemingly meaningless routines of the day to the most complicated interpersonal decisions, the choice of your thoughts, words, and actions always lies exclusively with you alone. That is an excellent and sometimes frightening proposition. But that is part of the joy of life. So I am trying to remember for myself and urge you to make the choices your heart is encouraging you to make. Even if they turn out to have challenges, you will have the ability to create new opportunities and move in another direction.  Each moment of life is a choice, and you create your character with the decisions you make, so choose well.

Daily Choices

The average person makes approximately 35,000 choices in a day. Many decisions arrive using our subconscious mind, and the automatic programming we have been collecting all your life. choiceThere is no conscious thought behind them. They might include, what you eat, what you wear, when you eat, the route you take to work, the places you stop along the way, the coffee you drink, the activities you participate in, or any number of things. There is a missed chance for consciousness in every choice we make on automatic pilot.

Every moment of the day is an opportunity to choose who you want to be. Honesty or lies? Kindness or meanness? Judgment or acceptance? Peace or anger?  These are just a few things that you choose at each moment of your life, and they determine who you are.  If you are unhappy with a portion of your life, then you have the power to choose another path for yourself. If you hate your job, decide to find another or find a way to make it more enjoyable.  If you are unhappy with your relationships, choose to work on what bothers you or select to end them. Be prepared to accept the freedom and responsibility of the results of your choices.

Choosing Our Reaction

There are moments in life that are out of our control, and we have no choice in them and certainly wouldn’t want to experience them. Natural disasters, the death of a loved one, job loss, the poor behavior of another are examples of things out of our control that no sane person would choose.  But we always have a choice in how we react to these unfortunate things.

Life is never a smooth road, there are bumps and challenges all the time, and they are there to allow for your growth. You choose how you deal with them. Do you become bitter or learn to be more accepting? Do you stay stuck in the past or move forward into the future? Do you give up? Or do you rebuild? Each choice will define you until the next opportunity comes along to change it. In the end, you are going to be responsible for the life you live.   We can make all the excuses we want. The choices we make in thought, words, and actions will tell the true story of our life. What choices are you making today?

Honoring Choices

I hope that more people will look at their choices and ask if they are things that will accept them. Only you can decide what thought, word, or action will bring honor to you or not.  I know that there have been times I made poor choices that did not honor my life for me. They were mistakes, and hopefully, I have learned from them and make more honoring preferences with that experience.

If you can be conscious enough to ask yourself in all small choices, does this honor me? You will get an answer, and that will guide you if you listen. It is essential in the manner you choose to treat other people. If you lie or cause harm to someone willingly, then you can expect those poor choices to become a part of your life for a while. It is just that you won’t be the giver of pain and suffering; you will be on the receiving end.

Be conscious of all of your choices today in thought, words, and actions.

“At some point in our life, everyone must decide if they are a creator or a critic, a lover or a hater, a giver, or a taker.” ~ Unknown

“Make good choices today, so you don’t have regrets tomorrow.” Anonymous

“Every day brings new choices.” Martha Beck

“Life is all about making choices. Always do your best to make the right ones, and always do your best to learn from the wrong ones.” Anonymous

“Life is a matter of choices, and every choice you make makes you.” John C. Maxwell

“Everything in your life is a reflection of a choice you have made. If you want a different result, make a different choice.” Anonymous

“Every morning, you have two choices: Continue to sleep with your dreams or wake up and chase your dreams. The choice is yours.” Anonymous

“There are two primary choices in life: to accept conditions as they exist, or accept the responsibility for changing them.” Denis Waitley

I have written about choice quite a lot in the past.

Crossroad Choices

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