Tag Archives: Belief

Stuck Energy

 Anything offering resistance will create energy blockages or stuck energy, which also applies to your emotional state. 

It is a battle of wills most days regarding the circumstances we see and the perspective we want to see. Resistance is the refusal to accept or comply with something or attempt to prevent something from happening. Your strength can come from action or argument. Things are not left to unfold as they should because we have a set outcome we would like to see in our heads. When you have this outcome in your mind, all other results are unacceptable and will cause a problem in your reality. It is hard to know what you want, set an intention to get it, and only accept one path to get there. Learning to see our resistance to things is vital to growing as a person. Resistance is futile when it comes to seeing the results of events. They will happen eventually, the way they are meant to be. You can fight against them and dislike the results, or you can learn to enjoy the ride. It is also true in accepting things in life. They may seem like “bad” things at first, but all items can bring good to your life in time. Work with them.

Expectations Limit Us

All of us create expectations. This creation means we believe a specific outcome will be the result we will see. Regardless of whether or not it is realistic, the consequences of situations we are involved in are predetermined in our minds. Any other outcome would cause disappointment, even if it were better than you hoped. Our expectations can limit our happiness and stop us from enjoying the good things coming into our lives.

There is an element of control that exists in our expectations. We try to devise what we see as the best possible outcome and then manipulate the world into that tiny, limited mold of options. But life is neither low nor inadequate, and you can’t possibly know all of the variables and potential outcomes perhaps experienced. You can’t control the Universe as much as you would like to. Not for yourself and certainly not for others. Control is a limitation to what you want; it will create situations where you are blocking good things from entering your life. Learning to let go of the control you wish to see in the outcome of your experience can allow more incredible things than you can imagine to enter your life.

Beliefs Cause Resistance

In our development as people, we create beliefs based on our experience and the information others tell us. These ideas bring us to think that a specific outcome will result from a situation even though there is no substantial proof that this will be the case. In this way, we believe we have the world figured out, and the cause and effect relationship of our lives will lead to the desired future results. In short, if I do x,y, and z, then the result will be fixed and predictable. Wouldn’t it be nice if the world worked like this?

The future is continually changing, and there is no way to predict or control what is coming your way. You may be able to do it once or twice even, but to do it consistently is impossible. Understand that our beliefs can and will change as our experiences in life grow. We are going to move toward becoming our potential. Suppose we are not cut short by our mortality. Being limited in your beliefs will lead to resistance to anything outside of them. Resistance leads to a stoppage in whatever you are trying to create. Work on being fluid in what you believe.

Bottom Line: Resistance=Disappointment

If you choose to be ridged in what you believe and the outcomes you will accept in the flow of life, prepare to be continually disappointed. People cannot consistently control all things and people in the world. Those we are close to needing to make their own decisions and have unique experiences. It isn’t up to us to choose for them. Good, bad, or neutral life’s

The rural scene at sunset

experiences are meant for growth. Let the experiences provide what they will, and don’t develop fixed expectations of what you will accept from them.

Resistance to a particular outcome can only lead to disappointment. Life happens, experiences occur, and we can choose to move with the results, or we can choose to resist them. Our choice will rarely change anything, so energy spent in this way seems to be a waste of time. Although it would be great if we could control things the way we want, life would never be able to teach us anything new, and growth would be impossible.

Accept the flow of things and allow them to happen naturally without resistance from you. Learn to take the lesson and become a more productive person as life experiences teach their classes. It’s up to you if you enjoy the ride or not. Resistance is not only futile, and it is a waste of energy. 

Resistance is thought transformed into feeling. Change the thought that creates resistance, and there is no more resistance.”

“The mind commands the body, and it obeys. The mind orders itself and meets resistance.”

“What is happiness? The feeling that power increases – that resistance is being overcome.”

“The path of least resistance makes all rivers, and some men, crooked.”

“Fear is only inverted faith: it is faith in evil instead of good.”– Florence Scovel Shinn

 

 

Hear Your Fear

Fear– an unpleasant emotion caused by the belief that someone or something is dangerous, likely to cause pain, or a threat.

It is often believed that hate is the opposite of love, but that isn’t true. Fear is the opposite of love. Fear is an emotion that stems from beliefs that a situation will cause pain. All things are a choice between love and Fear. To try something you have a passion for, or not give it a go because you are afraid of failure or looking silly or not perfect. The most significant blocks to achievement are the thoughts of Fear, and the purpose of this post is to raise your consciousness about your fears and what they are stopping you from enjoying, accomplishing, or believing.

It all begins by being aware of your thoughts of Fear. They stem from beliefs you have accepted in your mind as undeniably true. They lead to emotions of Fear, words of Fear, and actions based on Fear. You can turn all of it around because Fear is just a thought that you can disregard as quickly as it can be accepted. That is our challenge today. Please find what you are afraid of and then learn how to overcome it. Simple task, right? Afraid not!!

Kinder Self-Talk is the First Step

There is a voice in our minds that talks to us continually. It suggests judges, states, encourages, or discourages us in all situations we face in life. The tenor of that voice has a lot to do with the level of self-esteem we enjoy. If that voice is kind, encouraging, and supportive, then your confidence will be higher, and Fear will be less of a problem. If that voice is negative, discouraging, worried, or judgmental, Fear will have an easy time controlling you. But it can all change.

Our ways don’t exist in stone. Changing the tone of our inner dialogue can happen just by becoming aware of the sound and choosing to change it. Notice how you speak to yourself when you see yourself in a mirror, when you face a challenge or when you think of those you care about. If that voice is negative, recognize it, and refuse to accept it. If you don’t expect yourself to be kind to yourself, it isn’t easy to assume that treatment from others. You are a unique human being with a wellspring of potential to do all sorts of things. See it, make a choice, and pursue it. The self-esteem you accept from yourself will determine your success more often than not. Don’t fear yourself.

Face Your Fear

As children, many are afraid of darkness at night. It is a thought of what might be hiding in the dark that scared us. Once we turned on the light, those fears were eventually let go. There was no monster under the bed, but there is always one in your head. That monster is Fear. That monster is there to tell you: “You can’t do that!” “You will look stupid!” “You have no talent in that area.”, “You will fail!” or any other negative comment you can think of. This hurdle is the monster of Fear in your head, and it is all just a thought.

The cure for Fear is to turn the light of experience on it. Once you shine a light on that Fear, it will lose its power, and you can move past it. So facing Fear is decisive for your confidence and self-esteem. Understanding the difference between danger and anxiety is essential. Danger can hurt you, and it is natural, tangible, and needs to be taken with precaution. Fear is the thought of things that might or might not happen ever. Shine a light on your Fear by facing them. Understanding that this can be very difficult to do, confidence rises inside that will help you meet and overcome more significant fears once it is done. Once the mindset is created that Fear is just a thought, and you can overcome it, what can stop you from doing anything?

Never Fear Mistakes

I have learned in life that people will make choices that lead to pain and suffering of one sort or another. These are viewed as mistakes in hindsight. But are they? All options cause actions, and these actions lead to results. How you weigh them is a point of view. Good, bad, tremendous, or horrible. It is the value you assign to the experience that gives it its value. As a society, we have been conditioned to fear making a mistake.

In school, we were graced by the number of mistakes we made and labeled by our school because of them. If a person never tried anything new and only stuck to what they mastered, they would never make mistakes, and they would never evolve or grow either. To truly learn, a person has to throw their whole self into the process. Create a theory, try it out, evaluate your results, adjust your opinion until you find success. Mistakes are a part of learning, and to fear them is unnatural. The more you shine a light on errors, the more you will see them for what they are, opportunities.

Nothing to Fear But Fear Itself

One of the most powerful, simple, and actual lines Franklin Roosevelt ever spoke. Fear is the only thing we have to fear in life. It was expressed at the time of the great depression when people were panicking in Fear that the country would collapse. It wasn’t what was happening that scared everybody, and it was the thought about what might happen that hurt them.

This practice is the way it is in life. If you are in a situation, you deal with it. You handle it. It may not be pleasant, but you will live. Then the thought about that thing happening again is the thing that haunts you. Your imagination is excellent at making up dark fantasies about bad things happening. The idea is these are not real, and the Fear of them is being afraid of a thought. It is fearful of Fear itself. Don’t let the fear of what might happen run your life and make decisions for you.

Fear Factor

Take a moment today, look at what scares you, and ask yourself why? Is it the danger of the situation, or are you letting an irrational thought get the best of you? Evaluate all of your dreams on their fear factor. Is there a real danger here, or is it a fear of what might happen? Look at your physical reaction to this emotionally. Look at the things that you want to say because of it. Observe how your actions are affected by it. This is becoming conscious of how Fear affects you and is, in effect, shining your light on the monsters under your bed. Taking action is always the cure for Fear.

“If you are distressed by anything external, the pain is not due to the thing itself, but to your estimate of it; and this you have the power to revoke at any moment.”- Marcus Aurelius

“Fear is the main source of superstition, and one of the main sources of cruelty. To Conquer Fear is the beginning of wisdom.”-Bertrand Russell

“Fears are educated into us, and can if we wish, be educated out.”-Karl Augustus Menninger

 

A Belief

Belief- an acceptance that a statement is true or that something exists.

It is essential to understand what a belief is and how it affects our lives. A belief is a thought that we supply an attachment to and accept as true and accurate in our lives. What you choose to believe will determine the foundation of your life, and that is a significant thing because it will lead to your reality. If you have an attachment to a belief limiting your potential, you may never be able to create all you are capable of. Be aware today of all of the expectations we have chosen to accept and how they influence your life. Analyze where they come from and what evidence is there to back them up. This vision begins with a focus on your thoughts, words, and actions around your beliefs and how they influence your behavior and control what accomplishments you will experience. (see video)

Don’t Limit You

All people should value themselves and the gifts they bring to the world. You have a gift to get into the world, and the pursuit of life is to find that gift and allow it to come into the world. It will let you light up and, in turn, brighten the world as well. Too often, we have made beliefs that dim our lights limit our efforts and expectations of what we can accomplish and achieve. These beliefs have as much power to restrict us as we allow them to have. It is always up to you which ideas you actively accept and let slide beliefpast. How we feel about our values and abilities is probably the most crucial factor in developing our self-esteem and confidence. Too often, our lights are turned off before we even get a chance to see what we can do because we have decided to accept a limiting belief as accurate, and it isn’t.

People who have chosen to be limited feel the need to limit others and are not fulfilled. Misery loves company, and they consciously or subconsciously deter all others from pursuing theirs. First, because misery loves company, but more importantly, I think if someone else succeeds around them, develops their talents, and finds success,  it makes the folly of their limiting belief apparent. That is a scary thing for them. YOU build your self-worth based on how you feel about your abilities, skills, and choices in life. Choose to look at yourself in the best light. It is not arrogant to love yourself, and it is common sense. We should all understand this is the only life you have. Don’t waste your opportunity living the limiting beliefs of others. Change them, forget them, and see how great a person you can be and what great things you can accomplish.

You Can Do It

It is credited to Henry Ford, but I think anyone who has ever endeavored to achieve anything could also say it. “If you believe you can, your right. If you believe you can’t, you are also right.” No more accurate evaluation of our beliefs beliefhas ever been made. It doesn’t mean that you will never fail; it means that the “failure” is merely a lesson or a necessary step along the path to ultimate success and fulfillment. If you let a setback destroy your belief in yourself, then you will indeed be limited your whole life. You can choose the path of limit or keep going and see what happens next. Learn and grow.

Make a goal, create a dream, and keep on talking nonstop action toward it. This is the path to success in all areas of history. Very few things will come “easy.” They take effort and work. But isn’t that a pretty simple formula? Cut out the harmful noise of others and keep to your task. If you know that you can become whatever you want, why do we let our beliefs stop us?

Creating Positive Beliefs

You only have a relatively short amount of time in this life. You can choose if you spend it being small because someone else thinks you are unrealistic…….. or you can make an effort and take your chances. People are afraid of those beliefwho achieve because they see what they could have achieved if they had believed in their faith and abilities a little more.

Be true to yourself and recognize your beliefs, limiting you and causing you to be modified in your pursuits of fame, money, charity, kindness, or whatever you are looking to create. Recognizing a limiting belief is the first step to changing it and replacing it with one that serves you and your life. You are a great soul seeking expression, and anything or anyone who tells you something that takes away from that limits you.

It is a scary proposition to be responsible for your life, but you are, and if you are not where you wish you were, then take steps to start moving in that direction. It is totally up to you. Create awareness around your thoughts, words, and actions today and see what beliefs dictate your reality and if you are limiting others with your own limiting beliefs.

Quotes on Belief

“The moment you doubt whether you can fly, you cease for ever to be able to do it.” ― J.M. Barrie, Peter Pan

“Tell people there’s an invisible man in the sky who created the universe, and the vast majority will believe you. Tell them the paint is wet, and they have to touch it to be sure.” ― George Carlin

“Keep your dreams alive. Understand to achieve anything requires faith and belief in yourself, vision, hard work, determination, and dedication. Remember, all things are possible for those who believe.”– Gail Devers

“Another belief of mine; that everyone else my age is an adult, whereas I am merely in disguise.” Margaret Atwood

 

 

Suspending Your Belief

There is a skeptic in everyone. The voice inside questions the validity of everything and the intentions of everyone. It is natural to doubt things because we protect ourselves from avoidable forms of suffering. There are times it is appropriate to have questions about something. Otherwise, people would continually take advantage of you. But like everything, there is a balance you have to strike in life, to selectively suspend your disbelief to allow new ideas to reach you. Think of the great things you might experience if you allowed just a little bit of change into your consciousness.

We Suspend Belief All the Time

One of the great things about this process is we have a lot of practice at suspending belief. Any time you watch a movie or show on Netflix, you suspend belief. You know the situations you are seeing are not happening in reality and that the people you are watching are only pretending to be the characters you are viewing.

Yet, people are still moved to tears by the action that unfolds. People allow their emotions to rise and fall with the characters’ plight on the screen. A viewer can sympathize and empathize with a fictional character, suspending your belief in the experience. How many people have seen a good movie and think that a pleasant experience? This is a skill I am encouraging you to develop in other areas of your life.

Growth Comes With New Ideas

I often break life down into simple things for me to be able to understand my journey better. When it comes to development, you go one of two ways, growth and getting better or stagnation and getting worse. There are very few times we are sitting in neutral and staying precisely the same. Growth can happen naturally, like when you are a child, all you have to do is wait for time to work its magic, and a person physically transforms throughout their life.

Intellectually it is not that simple. Without new input, we are sentenced to experience the same old things. Suspending belief for a short time to allow further information to enter your intellect will allow you to evaluate things rationally. Each piece of data can be weighed and measured, and one can choose to use it or not. Either way, they understand it, and there will be natural growth in that understanding.

Stubborn

I have often been accused of being stubborn about my beliefs in life. People like to hang onto the known because it gives them a false sense of security. If the recent pandemic has taught me anything, we have no idea what security is. Everything you know can be wiped away in an instant. It is up to us to learn what information is valuable and what is not.

Growth can result from any suffering if we allow for the addition of new information, new experiences, and unique points of view. I know not one person who has experienced no change over the past two months. It has been stressful for many, looking outside and seeing danger everywhere, and some have found strength. If I can handle this, then I can take anything. Facing this new situation with only the past paradigms will lead to a frightening and frustrating experience. Allow further information in, then decide for yourself what makes sense. Let your heart determine what actions are right for you and whatnot.

Conformity Is Limiting

The choice to avoid new information or, worse, only to accept the point of view of someone else (the media, the government) leaves you with nothing but limitations. There is a comfort in conformity, everyone agreeing on a mode of action. Anything different is frowned upon or even outlawed, but we will get the answer to cure the problems we face through nonconformists. It won’t come through hanging onto the past. It won’t come through judgment, ridicule, or treating people poorly.

I have seen many efforts to force conformity on everybody since mid-March. Many celebrities and government officials urge people to stay home, social distance, wash their hands, and wear a mask. I am sure there is value in all of these things, but we don’t have enough information to know how this will all play out. Unfortunately, that will never happen until this is all over, and then we can say what should have happened, which didn’t. Anyone who claims to know what will happen is fooling themselves.

Growth Recipe

I am for letting people operate at their level of comfort. If the current circumstance frightens you so much, being in public makes you nervous, then stay home and avoid all of this whenever necessary. If you have a higher level of comfort, get out and see what the world is doing. It has been my experience. Life is full of challenges, illness, uncomfortable moments, and fear. Overcoming them is a part of growth, and following the crowd blindly is a recipe for disaster.

Today, try to suspend your belief and allow something new to filter into your reality for just a short time. Try to challenge the paradigms you are living through and see if a method makes no sense. You may find you were right all along, and learning this is also growing. If you do the same things you always have done, think the thoughts you have ever felt, and believe what you have always accepted without question, it leads to stagnation. Any belief we hold without question will end up limiting you. You may have the correct answer for everybody if you suspend your belief for a second and allow a new breeze of thought to blow through your mind.

“It is not disbelief that is dangerous to our society; it is belief.”-  George Bernard Shaw

“It is now life and not art that requires the willing suspension of disbelief.”-  Lionel Trilling

“The more you can create that magic bubble, that suspension of disbelief, for a while, the better.” – Edward Norton

“I guess love is the real suspension of disbelief.” – Melissa Bank

 

Belief

Belief- an acceptance that a statement is true or that something exists.

It is essential to understand what a belief is and how it affects your life.  A belief is just a thought that we supply attachment to and accept as true and accurate in and to our lives. What you choose to believe is going to determine the foundation of your life. It is, of course, going to drive the story of your adventure.

If you have built an attachment to a belief limiting your potential, you may never be able to create all you are capable of building. Or, at the very least, it will provide a vast edifice needing to be conquered.   Take some time and develop an awareness of all of the beliefs you have chosen to accept as our reality. And how our lives are driven positively or negatively because of it.  Analyze where they come from and what evidence is there to back them up. Usually, there is not much fact, and we are running our lives based on another rumor. Seeing the origin of your beliefs begins with a focus on your thoughts, words, and actions around your ideas. And how they influence your behavior and accomplishments.

Don’t Let Opinions Limit You.

All people should value themselves and the gifts they bring to the world. Too often, we allow the opinions and thoughts of others to become a part of our belief systems. Even though they are untrue, make you weaker, ruin your self-esteem, and take away your power. It is always up to you which ideas you actively accept and let slide beliefpast your consciousness.  How we feel about our values and abilities is probably the most vital factor in developing and using the skills we have born in us. Too often, our lights are turned off before we even get a chance to take them for a test drive and see just what we are capable of doing.

It seems like people have chosen not to pursue their skills, and of course, are not fulfilled.  Misery loves company, and they consciously or subconsciously deter all others from pursuing theirs. But more importantly, I think, if someone else succeeds around them, develops their talents, and finds success, it makes the folly of their limiting belief apparent. That is a scary thing.  YOU build your self-worth based on how you feel about your abilities, skills, and choices in life. Choose to look at yourself in the most favorable light you can find. It is not arrogant to love yourself. It is common sense. You are the most critical person in your life!  Don’t waste your opportunity settling for the limiting beliefs of others. Change them and see how great a person you can become.

You Can Do It

Henry Ford gets credit for this quote, but I think anyone who has ever endeavored to achieve anything could say it as well. “If you believe you can, your right. If you believe you can’t, you are also right.”  No more accurate evaluation of our beliefs beliefhas ever been stated and provided a more significant explanation for what we do or do not achieve. It doesn’t mean that you will never fail; it means that the “failure” is merely a lesson or a necessary step along the path to ultimate success and fulfillment.  If you let a setback destroy your belief in yourself, then you will indeed be limited. You can choose this path or keep on going and see what happens next.

Make a goal, create a dream, and keep on taking nonstop action toward it. Action is the path to success in all areas throughout history.  Very few things will come “easy,” they take effort and action. That is what gives them value.  But isn’t that a pretty simple formula?  Cut out the harmful noise of others and keep to your task. If you know that you can become whatever you want, why do we let our beliefs stop us? Take affirmative action and create positive expectations.

Create Positive Beliefs

You only have a relatively short amount of time in this life. You can choose to spend it being small because someone else thinks you are unrealistic or incapable.  Or you can make an effort and take your chances and find your measure against the world. People are afraid of achieving their goals because they see they could have achieved just as much if they believed in their abilities and talents just a little more.  Be true to yourself and recognize the beliefs you have, limiting you and causing you to be limited in your pursuits of fame, money, charity, kindness, or whatever you are looking for in life. Recognizing a limiting belief is the first step to changing it and replacing it with one that serves you and your life.

How to do this is a matter of trial and error for each individual. Variables include your history, the creation of the belief. How much of a part of your identity are the belief and all the other things that make us human?  But with a plan of action, and a willingness to change the way you look at things, the changes will happen.  There are many methods to try, but I suggest making personal affirmations that fall within your belief system but push your thoughts in the most positive direction of achievement.  Begin with an active conscious awareness of what you believe and why.

It is a scary proposition to be responsible for your life, but you are, and if you are not where you wish to be, then take steps to start moving in that direction. It is totally up to you.  Create awareness around your thoughts, words, and actions today and see what beliefs dictate your reality and if you are limiting others with your own limiting beliefs. The future is as full of possibility as you believe it is.

“The moment you doubt whether you can fly, you cease forever to be able to do it.”   ― J.M. Barrie, Peter Pan.

“Tell people there’s an invisible man in the sky who created the universe, and the vast majority will believe you. Tell them the paint is wet, and they have to touch it to be sure.” ― George Carlin.

 

 

 

Courage Quotes

 Courage lets You go in the right direction

 courage
King of the Forest

“If you find a path with no obstacles, it probably doesn’t go anywhere.” –Unknown

Like everybody else in life, there have been times when I have been faced with circumstances that were not the most pleasant to deal with.  There are really only two choices as to how you decide to face these moments in life.  One is to act out of fear, that you may lose what you have worked for or be hurt irreparably by whatever misstep has come your way.  Or you can face the challenge of the situation head-on and with courage that you will not be conquered by the events of your life and you will not shrink from them.  You will come out on the other end a stronger, better person. Courage is defined as mental or moral strength to venture, persevere, and withstand danger, fear, or difficulty

Quotes of Courage from the Cowardly Lion

I have always liked the Cowardly Lion in the Wizard of Oz, how he realizes that if he would just face his life with more courage he would be more happy and successful.  The best part is, that just like all of us, all of the courage that he ever needed was inside him all the time just waiting for him to have the confidence to use it. He just needs to get beyond the limiting belief that he is a coward and always will be.

The ability to summon up courage from inside yourself does not have to be done with a formal ritual, or a special process.  It has to be done by believing in yourself, and your value as a human being.  I know that is all well and good, but how do you really do that? Get by the catchphrase and summon up the courage that you need.

“Courage. What makes a King out of a slave? Courage.  
 What makes the flag on the mast to wave? Courage.     
What makes the elephant charge his tusk in the misty mist or the dusky dusk?   What makes the muskrat guard his musk? Courage.  
 What makes the Sphinx the 7th Wonder? Courage.  
What makes the dawn come up like THUNDER?! Courage.
 What makes the Hottentot so hot?   What puts the “ape” in ape-ricot?  Whatta they got that I ain’t got?   Dorothy & Friends: Courage!  
Cowardly Lion: You can say that again.

I Can And I Will-Quotes of Courage

courage will allow you to believeOne of the best frames of mind you can build to bring the courage out from inside you is to have the “I can and I will” mentality about life.

When you are faced with a difficult task, that you think you may struggle with, repeat this phrase to yourself, “I can and I will”.  At first, you may not quite believe it, as you try to fight through your own insecurities and fears.

Keep thinking it, “I can and I will”, soon as your past failures and personal limitations fall off to the side you will begin to feel the confidence of this statement, “I can and I will”, your own well of courage which is inside each of us will start to bubble to the surface.  At first like a few small bubbles but as you continue to think and believe, “I can and I will”, more and more will come to you.

Each challenge you face will be faced more and more easily with the courage you have inside you.  You will not always be successful, but you will start to realize that failure will not permanently define you, but your courage will.  You will start to reach higher for things you once never dreamed you had the ability to reach.  And if you fail? So what, “I can and I will” , what you are looking for will happen for you.

 Courage is better than fear

courage over fear,
F**k It You Can Do It

Why then is it so hard to reach inside and summon up the courage that is in each of us just waiting to be used?

Most often it is our own limiting beliefs that stop us from reaching for what we want.  Limiting beliefs are thoughts that have been said so much by ourselves or others that we have finally just stopped questioning them and accept them as true, regardless of what they do to us.

Examples, “I’m not smart enough”, “I don’t have the talent”, “I am too ugly”, “Good things only happen to other people”, “I can’t”,  there are many more.

As you can see if you allow yourself to be boxed into your life by believing statements that are limiting you, you will never be able to reach your potential.  And the bad part is that these limiting beliefs become, in ways, very comforting to us.  They explain why other people are happy and we are not.

If you are hearing that little voice inside your head that is repeating any of these types of limiting beliefs, there is one thing you can do today that will start to erode them away.  Just say, “To heck with that, I’m awesome.”  This phrase carries with it the appropriate emotional emphasis to get you through whatever limits you have placed on yourself and/or your abilities.  Try it when your limiting thoughts come up, “I’m too fat.”  Reply with, “To heck with that, I’m awesome, I am not defined by my weight.”

You will find that once you start to overcome these limiting beliefs, there isn’t really a lot of things that can stand in your way.   Another example is, “Success in business is for other people, not me.”To heck with that, I am as smart and deserving as anyone else in the world.  I can be successful, all I need to do is try.”  Try this with one of your own limiting beliefs and you will see that you have the courage to fight for yourself and to get what you deserve to be happy.  Because the bottom line is that we all deserve to be happy, even you! Our minds need to be reminded of this continually. If you don’t control your mind, someone else will.

I could rattle on all day, but the essence of this article can be boiled down into one sentence that I hope you will read and remember:

We all have courage inside us that will allow us to achieve all of the great things we want to achieve if we will just use it.

That is it, put aside the fear, and limiting beliefs that have held you down for years and summon up the courage that we all have to strive for a dream, or to reach for the goal.  You may or may not get there, but courage allows the journey, and the journey is what life is all about.

 

Quotes of Courage

“Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgment that something else is more important than fear.”  – Ambrose Redmoon

Courage is not living without fear.    Courage is being scared to death and doing the right thing anyway.     – Chae Richardson

Courage is looking fear right in the eye and saying, “Get the hell out of my way, I’ve got things to do.”   -Author unknown

 

Live your beliefs and you can turn the world around.—Thoreau

It is easier to find a score of men wise enough to discover the truth than to find one intrepid enough, in the face of opposition, to stand up for it. –A.A. Hodge

It is curious—curious that physical courage should be so common in the world, and moral courage so rare.– Mark Twain

Cautious, careful people, always casting about to preserve their reputation and social standing, never can bring about a reform. Those who are really in earnest must be willing to be anything or nothing in the world’s estimation, and publicly and privately, in season and out, avow their sympathy with despised and persecuted ideas and their advocates, and bear the consequences. —Susan B. Anthony

Following the path of least resistance is what makes rivers and men crooked.–Unknown

Silence is evil’s closest ally. –Gary Amirault

Whenever you find that you are on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect.—Mark Twain

You must be the change you wish to see in the world.—Gandhi

New paradigms put everyone practicing the old paradigm at risk. The higher one’s position, the greater the risk. The better you are at your paradigm, the more you have invested in it, the more you have to lose by changing paradigms. –Joel Arthur Barker

True courage is not the absence of fear—but the willingness to proceed in spite of it.–Unknown

Our doubts are traitors, and make us lose the good we oft might win, by fearing to attempt. –William Shakespeare

A certain amount of opposition is great help to a man. Kites rise against, not with the wind. – John Neal

Any intelligent fool can make things bigger, more complex, and more violent. It takes a touch of genius — and a lot of courage—to move in the opposite direction.– E. F. Schumacher

In the end, they wanted security more than they wanted freedom. –Edward Gibbon (The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire)

Everyday courage has few witnesses. But yours is no less noble because no drum beats for you and no crowds shout your name. –Robert Louis Stevenson

One man with courage makes a majority.– Andrew Jackson

We can easily forgive a child who is afraid of the dark; the real tragedy of life is when men are afraid of the light. – Plato

To know how to say what other people only think, is what makes men poets and sages; and to dare to say what others only dare to think, makes men martyrs or reformers. –Elizabeth Rundle

Fear comes from the Adamic nature—faith comes from the Christ nature– Jacquelyn K. Heasley

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I -I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference.–Robert Frost

People tend to want to follow the beaten path. The difficulty is that the beaten path doesn’t seem to be leading anywhere.–Charles M. Mathias

If you find a path with no obstacles, it probably doesn’t go anywhere. –Unknown

But the bravest are surely those who have the clearest vision of what is before them,glory and danger alike, and yet notwithstanding, go out to meet it. –Thucydides

I cannot give you the formula for success, but I can give you the formula for failure, which is -try to please everybody.–Herbert Bayard Swope

Behold the turtle. He makes progress only when he sticks his neck out.–James Bryant Conant –

The greatest mistake is life is to be continually fearing that you will make one. –Elbert Hubbard

All progress has resulted from people who took unpopular positions.–Adlai E. Stevenson

Evil triumphs when good men do nothing. –Edmund Burke

I think of a hero as someone who understands the degree of responsibility that comes with his freedom. –Bob Dylan

Except a person be part coward, it is not a compliment to say he is brave. –Mark Twain

There are a thousand hacking at the branches of evil to one who is striking at the root. — Henry David Thoreau

The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy. –Martin Luther King Jr

Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one’s courage. –Anais Nin

 

 

Carpe Diem

At what time in your recent past have you felt most passionate and alive?

Carpe Diem Jonathan Hilton
Today is the day.

I have felt most passionate and alive right now, and there is nothing that could top this moment in time until tomorrow!

Many people will look far into the distant past for this answer or maybe dream of a day in the future that might be more perfect, but to me, right here and right now is the place where I feel most passionate and alive.

Get More Passionate Right Now

There is really no other way to be, is there? If you are not passionate and alive today, then it is time to make some changes and get more passionate about the life you are living.  As I am right now looking out the window and seeing the bright light of the early morning start to defeat the darkness of the night, I can only think about the

need a change jonathan hilton
Sometimes we all do!

possibilities that today contains in it.

I can’t wait to find out what is coming.  Is it good? Is it bad? We will see, but the experience of today has never happened before, ever!

It is amazing how many people can just let an opportunity to enjoy life slip past them and treat today like a carbon copy of Tuesday of last week when there is absolutely no such thing.

Enjoying the difference is what allows your life to grow and change in big ways.

Someday never Comes

I think it is a huge mistake to think that it is OK to suffer and be a little unhappy today because tomorrow will be better and bring me what I want, need, or desire.

Tomorrow may never come, and once you start making excuses about chasing your passion, you may do it for the rest of your life, living for the hope that tomorrow you will have the courage to change.

I know that there is no better opportunity than today.  What makes you feel alive is the belief and ability to live your life with the hope that you will achieve your goal and take one small action step that will lead to you finding it.

Choose to Live With Passion

Feeling alive should be a part of every morning because if you aren’t feeling this way or

feeling passionate and alive jonathan hilton
Be like Nike

you find life too much of a drag, and it saps you of the positive feelings life gives you.

If you don’t like how you feel about things, then it is time to stop doing them. Choose to do something else that feels better to you.

This sounds really simplistic, but honestly, ask yourself how often you have chosen to be unhappy, chosen to be dissatisfied, chosen to be afraid, chosen to go with the flow.

Find your passion and choose to follow it, and each day will allow you to feel the most passionate and alive than you have felt in your life.

I know for sure that I have this moment in life to make the best of that I can, whatever that may involve, and that is all I can really be concerned with, yesterday is gone, and I can’t get it back tomorrow may never come.

See a Little Light

 

 

Peace

“A house divided against itself cannot stand.” – Abraham Lincoln.

133622396_80_80This famous quote by Abraham Lincoln was given well over a hundred years ago, and I believe that We can directly apply it today to why we do not have peace in the world. When it comes to war, hatred, and discrimination of any kind, there first has to exist a feeling of separation in one’s mind.  A cognitive judgment that a person places on another to exclude them from themselves and their lives.

I was trying to decide if I had ever experienced peace in my lifetime, and I concluded that I had not.  There are several definitions of peace, but the one I am talking about is a state of harmony between people or groups; freedom from strife.  Perhaps for a short time, these afflictions exist all around us, and only the implementation of love and understanding can provide any other experience.

It’s Easy to Build Walls A Monkey Can Do it.

monkeyI was having a conversation with a friend who continually separates people into different groups and stereotypes them.  When I point this out, his retort is OK because his stereotypes are positively meant to him. There is no such thing as a positive stereotype because once you separate yourself from someone, you have set the stage for you to perpetrate violence or discrimination against them.

If you honestly look at your own life and feelings toward others, you will see that the groups and people who you don’t care for are the ones you have separated from yourself. Either because of race, religion, economic status, ethnic background, or nationality.  These separations perpetuate fear and lead to acceptance of violence toward others.

 Divide and Conquer

stereo types to
Labeling anyone and generalizing their humanity immediately makes them less than human in your mind.

My simple premise is that once you accept a label and separation, you have justified any poor behavior toward those that have been separated. This can be done individually, as looking down on your neighbor or en mass as relating to races, religions, or nationalities.

If that were where my thought ended, then it might seem a rather dim view of the world without any hope of peace ever breaking out, but I do not think this is so. The solution to the problem of separation lies within each of us in our ability to love.

Peace Starts Within You

The first place for peace to start is within yourself and in your daily life. Look for the separations that you create between yourself and others. Rich or poor. Old or young. Married or single. Any of these are separation devices.  In my state, there is a lot of discrimination against the poor. All people who need help from the state are labeled as unsuccessful, lazy, drains on the economy.  It is then easy for these people who already.

Why we Build Walls

wallsWhen it comes to experiencing peace in our world, the biggest barrier is the walls we build to separate us. This can be a physical, mental, or spiritual separation. Still, when you hold something apart from yourself, you have subconsciously allowed yourself to exclude others, discriminate against them, and in the end, perpetuate hate.  When separations are removed for whatever reason, the opposite happens. Understanding flows because we are all the same.

Walls are built because of fear, and fear is the root of all evil in the world. Hate, anger, jealousy, and conformity all stem from the tree of fear.

Expanding circles is the Answer.

The simple response to building walls is not tearing them down but refusing to build them cop bannerin the first place. In your mind, your heart, or your soul.  We need to expand the circle of who we include under our definition and allow more people in. The more you include in the group of “us,” the less fear there will be of the group of “them.”

Instead of excluding someone and labeling them, include them and accept them. People are all the same. We are equal members of the human race, and that membership should rise above one’s nationality, religion, or skin color.  Draw a big circle around yourself and include everyone on your side, then there will be no opposition.

Love is the answer to fear, and love involves understanding and acceptance. For every branch that exists on the tree of fear, there is a corresponding and more powerful counterpart on the tree of love.  Love over fear.

One day I may experience peace.

Under Rocks

Are you doing what you believe in, or are you settling for what you are doing?

I think that I have to answer this question by saying that I am doing what

doing what you believe in
Do You Believe?

I believe in it because I Am sincerely searching to find what I do believe in and what I am doing is giving me the ability to keep looking for the right path for me.

I believe that I was settling for what I was doing for much of my life, which ultimately led to a life that was unfulfilled, unexciting, and fake.

Life had been moving along just fine, a job, a career, a belief that I was

doing what you belive
And Achieve

doing what I should, and on the surface, it seemed that was where I should have been.

But below the surface, I never felt quite right about it.  It always felt like there was something significant missing, but I ignored that feeling for many years and carried on.

There were many good times and great experiences, but in the end, there was a feeling that I should be doing much more with my life.

Finally, circumstances came into place that made me face significant questions about who I was and what I wanted from life. I would recommend that anyone be careful of asking too many questions unless you are ready for answers you may not like.

Once the ball started rolling, I couldn’t stop if I tried. I was turning over rocks

finding answers under rocks
Find Answers Under Rocks

to see what answers were under them, usually finding another rock that provided another question, which needed another answer.

There are many questions that I will never answer, but the point isn’t to find an answer but to strive for an answer and find the truth about yourself along the way.

So as I continue to search for truth, I am doing what I believe in, and that is treating everyone I meet with respect, making honoring choices, and trying to be the best person I can be.

Appreciating all of the experiences I am fortunate enough to have in life and making the world a better place for those with who I come in contact.  That is all anyone can do, and I think to make this experience the best we can for all involved.

Life is definitely not boring or fake to me. I know that everything I have experienced is for a reason. There is meaning in every part of it. I appreciate that and believe that I am making a difference in my own way and will continue to for as long as I am fortunate to be a living human being on the planet.

So that is what I believe in and what I am doing in everything that I do.  There is no time for settling anymore. There are far too many rocks to be turned over, answers to be shared, and truths to find.

ALL MY LIFE, I’VE BEEN SEARCHING FOR SOMETHING