Tag Archives: be yourself

22

Following My Path In Life

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follow your passion
Follow your passion for the path of life.

Life has a plan for our lives. That is something that is becoming clearly factual to me. Our experiences are brought into our consciousness for a reason, and our job is to glean the lesson, understand the content, and grow onto the next adventure. The challenge is getting the lesson, not being overwhelmed, and losing your way. I am sure there is a path for all of us. Follow your passion for discovering where your course will be leading you. Your passion is something existing in your very soul. It has been there since you were a small child. It may not have been nurtured or developed. It has probably been covered up with the weeds of expectations and everything you did to be respectable. Finding your passion is not a complicated process, but getting back to that place can be challenging. But following your passion will lead you there.

Dreams Gone With Childhood

The journey starts when we are young. People are not complicated at that point, and we like to play and do the things that naturally make us happy. Then society takes over by placing its expectations on us and making judgments about the activities that make us happy. This judgment usually comes in the measure of career prospects of your interest. “You won’t be able to make a living doing that!”

So we put those things away and think about “realistic” careers we can make money at. So we look for the most obscure connection to anything there is an interest in. I like animals. Perhaps I should be a veterinarian? Do I enjoy athletics, maybe an athletic trainer? Those are fine career choices if your passion is really in that area, but often these are goals that we are simply settling for because our real passion is

follow your passion
If you don’t, nobody else will

deemed unrealistic. Our life’s passion is buried under the weight of expectation and realism until we forget it even existed. It is gone with our childhood.

We Remember

Eventually, though, we will start to remember. There will be a situation in life that brings up memory and reminds you of your passion. It is a subtle hint at first, a distant reminder of the dreamer you used to be. Do you recall? It most likely is when you look at your life and feel something is missing. I found what was missing was this dream I had when being young. My gifts have been in the area of creativity and the encouragement of others.

We are all brainwashed at some point to forget our “silly” dreams and interests to become solid citizens with unlimited earning potential as a lawyer or a doctor, regardless of whether there is any real passion for the profession. You can make a living at it, which seems to be our society’s most significant goal: create a decent living. If you are listening to this story of what the world wants, it is impossible to pursue and remember what you want and the happiness you bring.

You, Will, Be You

follow your passion
Sometimes the path looks uncertain but follows it anyway. You have no natural choice!

At the end, when the journey is over, regardless of your path and the experiences you have along the way, you will be you. All of the adjectives of your accomplishments will be cast aside, and it will be you at the end of your life, and you will see exactly who you are. At that point, you are going to remember exactly who you are. Were you true to yourself in life? Do you remember in time? Did you take a chance and act on your passions?

I don’t think we have a choice. If you look deeply at yourself, you will remember your passion, and regardless of how far you believe you are from it, it is always seeking you. Life will put you in a position to remember what you love. Your part is to pay attention and take action in that direction, and the rest will take care of itself.

I know we are taught to do everything to create the lives that will make us happy. But in my experience, we only need to do our part, and energy will help with the rest. It may not look exactly like you envisioned, but you almost always end up on the path you belong to if you allow it to happen. There is a path made just for you. All you have to do in the end is take the responsibility to follow it. The song below is a path for me. It reminds me of being very young and always seeking my home at the end of Maine’s country roads during all seasons. The home was where my family lived and the feeling in my soul of where I belonged in the world. You have that too.

 

22

Can You Think??

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“Thinking is the hardest work there is, which is probably the reason, so few engage in it.”
― Henry Ford

thinking
At the very least, you think, my friend.

What It Means To Think

The ability to think is a craft that has been too often disregarded by most people today. We let so many other things fill our minds rather than pure, sober thought. When we use our thoughts, they are often twisted, harmful vines of gossip or judgment that do no positive good to ourselves or anybody else.  The good news is that it is not too late to learn how to focus on the moment, allowing your thoughts to lead away from the negative and toward the positives of creativity.

Conformity Is A Cage of Mediocrity

From the moment I was born, people seemed to push me into a box of conformity.  We are all persuaded and made to “just fit in”  and not be different because when someone is conformity is the jailerso bold as to be different from the crowd, there is no reward, only ridicule from peers and teachers.

The problem with conformity is there is no originality, and without original thought, there can be nothing new, and nothing new will change.  It is a paradox that people strive to fit in when anybody who ever did anything worthwhile stood out, was different, and had original thoughts.  So the first thing you should do is stop being one of the crowd and start being yourself.  When you see a question, don’t just look for the answer; look for the process to get the answer.  Think outside of the box, and don’t be afraid.  Your greatness is just one thought away because ideas do become things.

Choose Your Thoughts Wisely

Choose your thoughts? A perfect friend of mine once told me that there was no way he could choose his studies because his brain just worked too darn fast to try to control.  That may be true. I have no way of knowing, but even my quick-thinking friend can choose which thoughts he gives credence to and which ones he lets float away.  Your mind is a you are what you thinkmachine that works hard to allow you to understand the world. It will think about many things. Some are positive about things you like and support.  Then there are the negative thoughts of gossip, anger, hatred, discrimination, greed, etc.  You choose what to do with your thoughts, entertain them, or dismiss them entirely.  Which direction you decide to go in will determine much about the quality of your life and what you experience.  So always choose your thoughts wisely. What you think will determine the pleasure you experience in life.

What You Put In Your Mind Matters

An old saying is that what you put into your mind is exactly what you will get out of it.  Today we are a society of easy answers and quick fixes.  There is instant entertainment available virtually everywhere now, thanks to smartphones and tablets.  This modernization is all wonderful, except that many people choose mindless games to play and programs to watch with little intellectual value.

Some entertainment can be great, but there are so many negative messages sent through the media and on the internet that it can become difficult to feel even the slightest bit positive about ourselves.  This manipulation is because marketers figured out a long time ago that you will do almost anything to feel good if they can make you feel bad about yourself.  This most often involves buying whatever they sell, making you prettier, sexier, thinner, or more attractive.

Even the shows that should be educational, like the news, drive their programming on negative stories designed to instill fear or spread cheap gossip. Suppose you want to be able to think then, for at least a small portion of time every day read an actual book.  Read about philosophy or ideas that might broaden your mind.  Reading is an interactive process that increases your ability to think. The more you do it, the greater your power.  If you don’t believe me, put down the phone, turn off the computer or television, and read for just half an hour a day.  The results will astound you.  Reading is the key to the doorway of thought, be brave and open it.

Keep Your Mind Open

Once you start thinking, you will think you know it all and are pretty sure open mindabout how the world works.  The most intelligent thing that anyone can do is to understand that no matter how smart they are, they do not, nor will they ever know it all.  There is always something else to learn, some theory to try, some perplexing problem to solve.  Every thought is a step on the path of growth, and you can’t be too surprised when today’s fact turns into a stepping stone to help you reach tomorrow’s truth.

Thinking is a lot like building a pyramid. You can create the top until you place all of the concrete stones at the foundation, then the next level, and then the next.  Keep your mind open to give credence to thoughts you haven’t considered, test them, question them, and evaluate their merits.  Only then can you glean the wisdom or folly of every idea you encounter.  A closed mind will never shed any light on the world, whereas an open mind may provide an opening as bright as the sun.

Someday, You May Need This

When you read this, you may not pay attention right now, which is OK. You may want to hold on to your entertainment, and you may not like to read. Maybe you don’t want to stand out from the crowd because people might talk about you.  That is your choice, and I respect that.  At the moment in life, you think, “ Is this it?”  or “what is life all about?” I want you to come here and read this.  Those questions are the spark of all proper thought, and you will have a hard time finding happiness until you learn to evaluate the messages from your mind.

“Think before you speak. Read before you think.”
― Fran Lebowitz, The Fran Lebowitz Reader

22

Forget the Judgement

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What would you do differently if you knew nobody would judge you?

For much of my life, I spent a lot of time worrying about what others thought about what I did to the point that I often would not do things I wanted because I was afraid of what others might think. That fear stopped me from doing silly, inconsequential, and big things alike. I would see a picture of people judging me and thinking poorly of me in my head.

When the thoughts in my head worried about the ideas in others, the results were a constant fear of showing my true self. There was a chance that someone might not like what I would be doing.

The problem with this thought pattern is that you are never actually able just to be you. People put a lot of pressure on themselves to be perfect, which is impossible to achieve. I have put most of this thought pattern behind me, which I now notice.

Doing What I Want

judgment defines you not others
Look inward before You Judge Someone and their behavior.

There is an impression that this question builds in your mind that if you were released from the disturbing thoughts of society, you would suddenly do things that were totally out of character. But I think that doing all of the things that are part of my personality without worrying about what anyone else thinks is the fun of life.

I am a thinker, and I enjoy reading and thinking and then writing my thoughts about what I learn and contemplate. I want the cafe’ and getting to know people. I like working out every day and not apologizing for the length of my workouts. All of these things I do and do not do any of them for the sake of what someone else might think would make my life unhappy. You have to be your best, and I like that person.

Truth about Freedom

The truth about freedom is I like the freedom to be myself and say, I don’t care about the judgments of others, but that has just meant that I can do the things I like to do without worry. These things haven’t changed much at all, but the perception I have of these activities and how others perceive them has. If someone has a problem with the way I live and my choices have a problem with themselves.

So I will read and learn about life and delve into why people are the way they are. If you read this site, you will see I share my thoughts freely and encourage a conscious positive vibe in everyone.    I will share my feelings if you ask. I don’t care if you agree because a challenge is an opportunity to teach and learn. All thoughts should be challenged so that they stand up as truths. If they don’t, you will move a step closer to finding the truth. So I haven’t started dressing differently or acting a whole lot differently, I don’t care what anyone else thinks about how I dress or how I work, and it feels fantastic.

now be yourself
Who else could you possibly be?

There are things I do now that I might not have had the courage to do before, and each one I recognize as a step forward, although I think for many people, they would be pretty small steps indeed.

Normal?

One of the most significant things that have arisen from this change of thought is that I judge others much less. I try not to judge at all. I have learned to appreciate the differences that each individual brings to the world, and the vibrant contrast allows for a broad spectrum of color in life. It is a much more exciting canvas that I see painted in front of me. I wouldn’t say I like the things everybody does, but I try to accept them as their choices, not mine. I’ll worry about my thoughts, words, and actions and let others worry about theirs.

This wide variety can be scary to some, but we should embrace it. Just as you accept each person for their unique ability, so will you be recognized as special and beautiful. I think there is a misconception that a “normal” state exists when the real normal is that you should be who you are and that, my friend, is good enough.

Some Quotes on Not Caring what others think

“The eyes of others our prisons; their thoughts our cages.” ― Virginia Woolf “

A dame that knows the ropes isn’t likely to get tied up.” ― Mae West

“You have no responsibility to live up to what other people think you ought to accomplish. I have no responsibility to be like they expect me to be. It’s their mistake, not my failing.” ― Richard P. Feynman

“Care about what other people think, and you will always be their prisoner.”—Lao Tzu

“Never dull your shine for somebody else.” ― Tyra Banks

“If being an egomaniac means I believe in what I do and in my art or music, then in that respect you can call me that… I believe in what I do, and I’ll say it.” ― John Lennon

“I do not care so much what I am to others as I care what I am to myself.” ― Michel de Montaigne

“Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don’t matter and those who matter don’t mind.”— Dr. Seuss

“Doubt kills more dreams than failure ever will. “― Suzy Kassem

“Most people are other people. Their thoughts are someone else’s opinions, their lives a mimicry, their passions a quotation.”— Oscar Wilde

22

Don’t Care What You Think

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caring-what-others-think-2One of the most common blocks people face in accomplishing their goals is worrying about what others think of your choices, behaviors, or talents. How often have you stopped doing something because you didn’t want to look foolish or be ridiculed by someone else?

This is a limiting thought that can be easily changed if you start to focus on what you are doing and forget what others might be thinking about it. You will enjoy life a whole lot more and find success as well. There are several simple reasons that this is true.

Most Don’t Think Of You Anyway.

The criticism we imagine is mainly located solely in our imaginations. People are too involved in their drama of life to pay attention to your decisions for the most part. Want to start a business? Do it and if someone confronts you with questions, tell them you appreciate their point of view and 93b9bf6a5497b9a255bd83a522d3bd78move on with your plan.

We come by this fear naturally. As young people, we find that learning to fit in with the crowd’s expectations makes sense. We don’t get picked on, and life is much more comfortable. But there is a point where successful people put fear aside and worry about how they feel and what they are doing rather than the often misguided judgments of others. I know that it is the fear of what someone might think that has stopped me. Not even the honest thoughts of a person but my thoughts about what I thought they might be. It seems silly to carry fear for someone else’s feelings.

A Reflection on Them

dont-worry-dr-seussIf they are thinking something negative about you, there is a problem with them, not a problem with you. So many people are stuck in their choices that they see their limitations when they see someone trying something different or reaching for success. This is not a pretty sight, so many critics will shoot you down to avoid looking at their failure. If everyone is mired in mediocrity, they won’t feel bad about their inability to pursue their dream.

Anyone who criticizes someone else for seeking to improve themselves in any way is showing their own limiting beliefs. All people choose what they stand for, and being a limiting influence on anyone is letting fear dictate your behavior. What if you fail? What if they fail? What if they look funny? What if…….. These words can haunt an empty life. So what if you fail? You will learn, and learning those lessons may be the missing piece you need to achieve your dreams.

Don’t Play Small

The moral here is not to play the small game that suits you. How do I know? There is something in ALT_8.16.13you that is great and waiting to come out and contribute to the world. The lessons that you will learn along the way will help steer you toward your best self. Honestly, do you think you were put here on this Earth not to succeed? Of course, you were made for success, and letting what someone else might think stop you from doing what you want is playing at your most minor. Play the big game that you were meant to represent.

The world is full of critics who are generally unhappy people who have decided not to find their purpose. The internet is a whole of negative people who seek out the creative work of others only to write negative comments about it and diminish them. These people should get all the attention they deserve, none at all. Ignore the naysayers and feel sorry for them. They are stuck playing a game of ego and separation. They need your kindness more than anyone else.

“The eyes of others our prisons; their thoughts our cages.” ― Virginia Woolf

“You have no responsibility to live up to what other people think you ought to accomplish. I have no responsibility to be like they expect me to be. It’s their mistake, not my failing.” ― Richard P. Feynman

“Care about what other people think, and you will always be their prisoner.”—Lao Tzu

“I do not care so much what I am to others as I care what I am to myself.” ― Michel de Montaigne

 

21

My Enemy

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My own worst enemyMy own worst enemy is almost always in my mind, that voice that tells me I can’t, shouldn’t, or couldn’t possibly achieve what I would like to do. This message is an outdated survival mechanism left over from childhood. Where it once served a purpose but now only limits my potential.  As I grow older, the voice of criticism that I hear and entertains works to destroy my confidence, lower my self-esteem, and significantly limit what I can achieve. It is time to Get rid of that voice or, at the least, pay very little attention to what it says. Here are a few of my favorite methods for limiting or eliminating my own worst enemy and learning to listen to positive self-talk.

My Worst Enemy Speaks Harshly

It would be best if you started paying attention to what the voice is saying about you, my own worst enemyyour appearance, and your abilities. Ask a question, and you will hear an answer in your mind: How do I look?

Will I be successful on that project?

How will that date go?

Will I get the job?

Or any of a thousand other questions, then listen to the answer. If it gives you a list of negative attributes that limit you, you have your answer. How do I look? You are too old. You have gray hair. You are too heavy. You have a scar on your forehead that nobody can find attractive. You are ugly. You are not appealing to others.  This coding is a replay of things that I have thought about myself at some point in my life. See all negative and all need to be challenged and changed. My own worst enemy uses them to limit the chances of feeling the pain of rejection and disappointment. But it is essential always to realize that the opposite, more positive thought is still available to your mind. You have to pay attention to it.

Defeating My Own Worst Enemy

The way to change your thoughts is by paying attention to how you value yourself. Recognize that negative self-talk leads to negative emotions. It is challenging to build a positive image if you’re continually telling yourself how positive self-talkawful you are, how untalented you are, or how ugly and worthless you are. Change that around by focusing on your relevant personal characteristics. The great question is to ask yourself, would I speak to a young child this way? If you wouldn’t, then don’t talk to yourself in that negative, degrading tone. Changing is as easy as choosing a different thought. If YOU aren’t going to be optimistic about yourself, who is?

I think it is important to decide what you want in life. If you’re going to feel powerless and feel bad, then continue to listen to your own worst enemy. If you are ready to destroy the enemy within, start creating some positive affirmations that have truth and emotional attachment to them.  I am talented. I am good with money.  I am attractive.  Whatever point you usually destroy yourself on, build yourself up.

My Own Worst Enemy is Defeated

You are in control of the thoughts that you entertain and give the power to guide you. To raise your self-esteem and personal energy, you have to learn to speak to yourself more loving and accepting. Your greatest enemy and greatest ally are simply a  voice in your head, and you dictate the tenor and level of kindness that voice brings to your life. You have the pure power to turn your own worst enemy into your most trusted and valued supporter. It is a simple matter of what thoughts you are going to pay attention to.

 

21

Mindless Thought

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It is amazing to me how much time we spend thinking. Thinking about this and that all day long, a constant barrage of thought flowing through our minds.  Yet all of this thought production can be distracting and counterproductive if you never choose to look closely at them and see what these thoughts are or what they mean.  The funny part is that we all think our minds, and our thoughts define us. But they don’t. They are just something we produce, not who we are.  The goal for me is to disidentify with the mind and the wild swirling eddy of thought and focus on the person looking at them.  A lot is going on in your head and to become the watcher of the thoughts you are producing is quite an achievement.

Use the Tool

A mind is a tool. It has great power to remember, create, problem solve and even run our bodies. But it isn’t who we are, any more than a helpful garden tool is us. It is a valuable tool we can use to create things, to make decisions, and the mind is the biggest factor determining what we accomplish in this life.  Learning to use the tool we have and not identify with who we are is the trick.  Our educational system does not guide how to do this, and most information we are exposed to makes no differentiation between yourself and your mind.  But they are definitely two different entities.

Take a moment and look at your thoughts without judgment. Take five minutes and type whatever you are thinking without any filter or judgment. Then analyze what you are thinking about. If you are the mind, how can you sit back and listen? Something is creating these thoughts, but it isn’t you.  Our thoughts come from a combination of our experiences and new stimuli that enter our lives.  Most often, our mind tells stories based on faulty programming and half-truths based on manipulations of others. If you write your honest thoughts down for five minutes, you will know where your thoughts are coming from.  And with real evaluation, you can trace them to their origin.  Then you can choose if this is a thought you really want to entertain or not. That is becoming conscious, and the choice very few people have made.  Rather than use this tool, the tool uses us and moves our lives along the conveyer belt of life as if we are on autopilot.

Think Where it Matters

Lots of thoughts we have about ourselves are extremely negative. We speak to ourselves in a manner we wouldn’t tolerate from anyone else. Our perceived shortcomings, failures, or personal lack are magnified, and if you listen, there will be words spoken in your mind that are unhealthy and mean.  Thoughts about our physical appearance or personal worth on the negative need to be identified and released. The person who most needs your kindness and understanding is you.  I have known people who go out of their way to be kind and give to everyone else, but they are overly critical and mean when it comes to them. This is obviously a problem with self-esteem and personal achievement. If you deep down think you aren’t as smart, talented, or deserving as everyone else, how can you ever become successful?  You can’t.  You are defeating yourself.

We too often let our imaginations negatively run our lives.  We spend time lost in the past, full of pleasant victories or devastating defeats. We color the past how we want and time spent there takes you away from spending time in the only place that matters.  The same can be said of the future. The future will happen whether we think of it or not. There is nothing wrong with planning. That is responsible, but worrying about everything that might happen is a fool’s errand. It is paying money for a debt that most likely will never exist. And if it does enter your life, it won’t be any easier to deal with.  Time spent thinking in the future takes you away from spending time in the only place that matters.  Where is this place?  Where does it matter?  That is the now. This moment. That is all we are ever promised and all we ever have.

Living in the Moment

Becoming intensely conscious of the moment is a difficult practice. Even the most diligent person is going to find their mind drifting off into other places.  The goal is to develop the instrument of the mind so that it can still be used for thinking of practical purposes, using it for discovering the best way to do things or create new things or become the best at something that you can. But to eliminate the involuntary deluge of negative dialogue that is unnecessary, unhealthy, and a waste of time.

Spend an entire day noticing your thoughts. When they inevitably drift out of the moment, and you notice it, you are back in the moment automatically.  This will allow you to look at how often you spend your time thinking about this moment and how much you spend in the traps of the past and the future.  Returning to the now continually allows you to live in the moment, which is the only reality there is. If you are at work, be there. If you are at the beach, be there. If you are at the gym, be there.  Developing this skill will allow you to become a watcher of your mind and put you in charge of the tool. This is a power that will allow you to get out of the way of your thought stream and use your mind to create, solve problems and enjoy your life. What more could you want?

“Life is like a game of chess. To win, you have to make a move. Knowing which move to make comes with IN-SIGHT and knowledge and learning the lessons accumulated along the way. We become every piece within the game called life!”

“Much more surprising things can happen to anyone who, when a disagreeable or discouraged thought comes into his mind, has the sense to remember in time and push it out by putting in an agreeable, determinedly courageous one. Two things cannot be in one place.”

“The beginning of wisdom is the definition of terms.” ― Socrates

“Never underestimate the power of thought; it is the greatest path to discovery.” ― Idowu Koyenikan

Life Lessons

Super Hilton

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Yesterday I had one of the most interesting visitors I ever experienced.  It was from my 10-year-old self and it was eye opening to remember how great that person was and even better to know that all of the great things about him

Super Hilton at a summer camp in the Maine, 1977. (back row 8th from left and right, dead middle)

are still there inside of me now 40 years later.

Today we live in a time where every moment is captured in pictures and posted on social media. It is difficult to fathom that events happened in our past which were never caught on camera and only exist today in our memories and thoughts. Over the years those thoughts get lost,  buried underneath the avalanche of experiences we have year after year. Positive and negative they work to change us.  I was a kid with hope and a kid who loved life and knew what a good person I had the potential to be. And I lived it every day.  I enjoyed people and the new experiences that every day brought with it.

Over the years those things that made us get lost,  buried underneath the avalanche of experiences we have year after year. Positive and negative they work to change us.  I was a kid with hope and a kid who loved life and knew what a good person I had the potential to be. And I lived it every day.  I enjoyed people and the new experiences that every day brought with it. At this camp, we did the usual stuff, archery, swimming, arts, and crafts, and in this case bible and Jesus stuff.

Here are a few of the lessons that he had me remember today.

Seek Your Joy

Enjoy each day………….. Or we should experience joy in each day, it is there for you. No matter what is happening there are things to be joyful about and allow yourself to embrace life.  Joy is in us all and there is an opportunity in every day to feel it through the things we do.

Occasionally, we look at the things we like to do and worry about what others think. That will rob from your joy. If you are functioning from the view of your true self, and nobody else is being harmed then don’t waste energy worrying about others judgments. It is none of your business and really of no consequence, what is the joy that you get from what you are doing. That is all that counts.

Be Yourself

Each of us is unique and that is what makes us great and identifies us as the one of a kind human beings that we are. Don’t apologize for it and don’t ask anyone else to be different than they are.  All of us have a light in us and when it shines, so do we.  Life has a tendency to cover the light with the shade of experience or the fear of not being accepted.

Let your light shine and those who appreciate it are welcome to visit and those who are negative toward it or you are unimportant and clearly, need to work on themselves. Let them do that someplace else.

Understand and Support Others

All people have their struggles and challenges. The experiences each of us have leave wounds and scars and fear of the pain they cause lead to behavior that is reactionary, mean and sometimes hurtful.  Don’t judge others too harshly because under that behavior is a light that is uniquely theirs and is probably seeking someone to recognize it, accept it and love it for the beauty that it provides.  Allow them the chance to shine when you can.  Some people are jealous of others talents and abilities. Don’t be one of these people.  There is more than enough darkness in the world and it needs light. The more people who are living up to their true selves the brighter and more exciting the world will be.

Just because you are kind doesn’t mean that you are weak. Never let other people dim your light because of jealousy, envy or because they don’t appreciate you.  Not everyone is going to like you and that is their problem, not yours.

Super Hilton

The signatures on the back of the picture. I am Super Hilton, written in cursive.

There is no doubt that as a 10-year old, I had a vivid imagination and really had a lot of confidence in what I could do in life. On the back of that picture, all of the kids in the cabin signed their names. I signed mine as “Super Hilton”. Since I just started to master writing in cursive, it was written in perfect 5th-grade cursive writing.  There was a confidence in that name I lost in life.  10 year old me has been living with me for the past 40 years and he has made many appearances, but only for a brief moment and not for nearly long enough.

It is my goal to bring more of Super Hilton into my life each and every day. Being more confident in who I am and what makes me happy. How to treat others and what behavior I accept are all the things this visit from the past reminded me.  I believe each of us has the ability to be great, and I feel sorry for all of those who have forgotten or don’t believe this about themselves.

In the words of Super Hilton, “I  am the man”.