Clues From the Universe

Clues From the Universe

Clues - signs you get them all the time. They’re there to let you know which direction you should take. The problem arises when you’re not always hearing or seeing it.

So what are these clues that you keep missing? They’re the initial thoughts that pop into your head telling you do this or don’t do that.  Sometimes you listen and sometimes you don’t.  You can call it your gut instinct, a knowingness or intuition.  Like any instinct such as the fight or flight response it’s there to protect and guide you.  Its only concern is for your well-being, be it emotional, mental, physical or spiritual. It’s the direct line of communication to your life force. How awesome is that!

Now all you have to do is listen to it. It takes practice.  Typically you’ll get an initial thought and bypass it by consciously disregarding the message as being invalid, nonsense or not making sense.

In reality it’s you inner protection gauge and it comes from a place of your personal authentic awareness.  It’s your spiritual side stirring you in a direction that’s best for YOU.  Your challenge is to listen to it and to start heeding its advice.  After all, it’s just you wanting to shine by being your authentic self. 

The Key to Your Success

The Key to Your Success

Education? It certainly helps but that’s not it.

Connections? Again it helps but that’s not it.

Money? Nope. 

It’s the internal conversation you have with yourself that manifests itself through your thoughts, words and ultimately your actions. It’s the conversation you have with the people around you.  What you think, feel, and believe you can achieve is verbalized constantly. Therefore, if you want to be successful your thoughts, feelings, and language must match that success level as if you’re already there. We create our world with our thoughts and words.

But how do you go about doing that you might ask. You can start by changing your everyday language to become the powerful positive force you wish to become. You may not be aware of it but our language is filled with many negative words which then creates that what we just said we didn’t want.

Our brains are a positive producing organism which means that is doesn’t process negative commands. Your unconscious mind cannot process what is not.  It simply responds to the key words you give it. Children under seven are inclined to respond like the unconscious mind.  Tell a child not to touch something or not to drop something and what do they do, touch it, drop it?  

Here are some examples of what I mean and how to change it.

1. Its hard becomes - It’s not easy – It’s easy.

2. I’m broke becomes - I’m not rich – I’m rich.

3. I’m afraid becomes - I have no courage – I have courage

4. I’m sick becomes - I’m not very healthy – I’m very healthy

Here are some more common expressions that should be changed to more high energy positive language.

No problem – Thank you

Problem – Opportunity

Bad/Difficult – Challenge

Trying –Working on

Failure – Learning experience

If – When

Don’t’ /Can’t – Will

Undecided – Choice

Strange / Weird – Unique

Now let’s see if you can catch yourself in time to change your language to more high energy words.

It starts by changing how you think. Eventually with enough practice your actions will start to mimic your language. As a side benefit, you’ll notice that you’ll start to feel happy about life in general. It’s a win – win scenario for your key to success. 

Wake Up!

Wake Up!

Have you ever found yourself driving along a familiar roadway and suddenly realize where you were and thought to yourself, “Did I remember to stop at that stop sign?”

That’s sometimes referred to letting your mind wonder, zoning out or drifting. Don’t get stressed out about it. You’re not the only one it happens to. We all tend to lose our conscious awareness of what’s going on particularly when we’re around familiar or uninteresting situations.

Let’s face it. It’s difficult to be fully conscious at every moment all day long. But it’s when you’ll discover how alive you really are because you’ll become totally engaged in the present moment.

Being conscious means to synthesize, organize and direct our thoughts from the “how” you are “what” you should be conscious of in your mind.

There are ways to determine to be more present and therefore more conscious of your surroundings.

a)   Be conscious of your thoughts. Ask yourself where you should focus your thoughts right now.

b)   Be conscious of your physical and emotional now. What is your energy level and how shall I feel right now.

c)   Your behavior speaks volumes on which you are and dictates your results in life as well as how others feel about you.

d)   Be conscious of others. Imagine what it would feel to be in their place and what kind of mindset does the other person have.

e)   What is your progress? Are you moving forward, taking the necessary actions, managing your thoughts, feelings, behaviors and relationships that will help you progress and grow?

f)    Be conscious of the present moment. It means being fully aware and attentive but at the same time you release yourself from any expectation. Be at peace with and fully present with what is.

g)   Be conscious of coincidence and intuition. There are no coincidences and trust your gut instinct. It’s your personal survival mechanism.

h)   Finally, live in wonder. Remind yourself what it was like to be a child and marvel at all the life going on around you.

Eckhart Tolle has a few books out on accessing the present moment but I’d like to recommend two others. “Loving What Is” by Byron Katie, is a really good book about learning how to see the beauty in what is. The other book, “The Precious Present” by Spencer Johnson, is a short story you can read to your children but it’s a lesson for all of us.

Let me know how these books work out for you.

“I’m trying to free your mind, Neo. But I can only show you the door. You’re the one who must walk through it” ~ Morpheus from The Matrix

Source: The Charge by Brendon Burchard

Living Out Side the Box

Living Out Side the Box

I’ve never really like the term “outside the box”.  I didn’t know I was in a box but I guess that’s the point. You don’t’ know you are until you start thinking differently, viewing the same criteria but from another angle.

Now there are ways to get you to think outside the box - by accessing your right brain.  You can do something physical like run, play a sport, meditate or just take a walk.  Some people can access it by reading, painting, writing, listening to music or having an enlightened conversation.  Figure out what works for you. 

You know you’re accessing your right brain when out of the blue the solution to a problem you’ve been working on suddenly pops into your head and Ka...BAM there’s the answer. This has happened to me many times. I’ll be sitting at my desk working on a solution to a problem and not getting anywhere with it yet I can feel the answer is just eluding me.  I decide to take a break. I get up from my chair and take a few steps and ka...BAM the answer suddenly pops into my head. Four seconds ago I was stuck and now I have the answer.  Amazing!

But how do you go about living outside the box? The box represents your comfort level.  In order to live outside it, to excel and become what you know you can be, you need to have the courage, strength and perseverance to continue to grow.  And you know you’re growing and expanding your world when the thought of doing something makes you a bit scared yet excited at the same time. It’s what takes you to the next level. 

People don’t just fall into their greatness.

People don’t become fulfilled by playing it safe.

People succeed by their growth spurts, each one elevating them higher and higher to greater outcomes until one day they stop and realize it was all the little things that made them who they are.

I know living outside my own box is not always an easy thing to do. For me it’s much easier to fall back into the comfortable business aspect of my business instead of expanding my spiritual aspect.  It’s a conflict of interest.  My spirit says to speak my truth while my natural talents want me to fall back into the to-do list of running a business.

Guess who wants to win?

My spirit continues to push me to live outside my box.  I’m not going to lie, it’s a bit scary and uncomfortable but I’m getting so much more out of life. How about you?

Focus on What You Want

Focus on What You Want

There tends to be a lot of discussion and comments on the past and the present in relation to the future. And therein lays the problem in achieving our desired outcomes.

In order to move forward and create a better future, there must be more talk about the vision versus where we are.  By painting a picture in our minds of the vision that’s possible activates the Law of Attraction on a broader spectrum. Imagine not only just a few envisioning a brighter future but masses of people envisioning the same one?

Each time a positive thought enters your mind or a word in uttered about this vision, the masses start envisioning how it would look in their world. The wheels of imagination start spinning and soon actions start taking shape bring the vision into reality and WA...La, there you have it. That’s how it’s done. That’s how it’s always been done.

You first have a thought. You then start to build on it by creating in your mind how you could make it happen.  You ask around and get other people’s opinions and do some research. If it looks good you start gathering the materials or people necessary to make it happen.  At any point if it isn’t going as planned, a new thought arises to create an alternate scenario in which to still keep your ultimate vision intact.

It all starts with a thought that creates a vision.

As a country the people need a vision to focus on where they can visualize a brighter future.  They need to be able to paint the picture in their minds so that they can start to take action on it. They need the Law of Attraction to work for them. 

The Top 5 Ways to Know You are being True to Your Self

The Top 5 Ways to Know You are being True to Your Self

Do you sometimes feel irritable, angry, off, frustrated, agitated or out-of-sorts and have no explanation for it? Perhaps it’s because you’ve lost sight of what makes you come alive and are living someone else’s expectations of you instead of following your own voice.

“Don’t compromise yourself. You are all you’ve got.” ~ Janis Joplin

To live in consistent alignment with whom you are, how you want to be perceived and what you want to become takes courage and self respect to stand grounded in your own space.

So how do you know if you’re being true to yourself? What does it look like? What does it feel like?

Here are the top 5 from my perspective.

1.   You stand and walk more confidently.

2.   Your are filled with positive energy

3.   You seem to have a skip in your step and a song in your heart

4.   Your thoughts and words are in sync with who you are. No disconnect

5.   You feel good about yourself as if you are finally whole and complete

If you are not in being true to yourself here are some suggestions on how to get there.

-Think more of yourself and demand that your actions be congruent with the best of who you know you can be.

and

-Act each day in congruence with your self-defined image so that you feel authentic, proud, complete, fulfilled and trustworthy to show up in every situation as the unique, gifted true you.

Remember your self-image is and always has been chosen by no one other than you.

Create the vision for which you can be and actually be that vision.

The power plant doesn’t have energy, it generate energy. Choose the color of your own sky.

Who Told You Life was Supposed to be Fair?

Who Told You Life was Supposed to be Fair?

I don’t ever recall being told that and I don’t know where it came from. Realistically, is it even possible?

It’s not possible and I’ll tell you why. Everyone has their own version of what is fair.  The bulk of society could agree on what is the fair and equitable distribution of wealth, education and taxes but there will ALWAYS be the rest of the group who disagree.

Fairness is in the eye of the beholder.

Think for a moment if everything were fair. Everyone made the same amount of money regardless of the hours or value they contributed, received the same amount and type of education even though their talent and ambition were elsewhere, could only get a certain type of house with limited amenities and drove the same quality of vehicle. How boring life would be.

How hard would you work and strive for your goals knowing your increased effort would receive the same results as someone who didn’t put in any effort? How fair would that be? What would happen to a person’s drive and ambition? I don’t know. Maybe you could ask someone who’s from a communist country and ask them. I have. My 92 year old mother-in-law remembers it well and still curses that kind of life.

Life is unfair for a reason. It gives you something to strive for. It challenges you to become more than what you ever thought you could be. It makes you learn patience, humility, empathy, respect, hope, and love to name a few. It makes you grow as a race, religion, gender – as a person- and ultimately spiritually. That’s what being unfair is all about, growth.

Unfairness is disguised as a learning experience, take it for what it is and identify the challenge where you need to grow. It could be to learn how to stand up for yourself, how to accept others or even how to face your own beliefs.  Yep. Fairness isn’t necessarily out there but inside.

Baby Love

Baby Love is Disguised as Self-Love

Babies are so easy to love even if they do keep you up at night and dirty their diapers several times a day.  Their miniature hands, feet, tummy and face are just too adorable to resist. They’re a mini you.

You find yourself thrilled with each new stage of development and going through great lengths just to get a little smile.  Who would have thought such a little bundle of sleepless nights could have so much power over you and yet bring you so much joy.

As she physically develops you start noticing which parent the features came from.  Even though you realize she’s going to end up with her daddy’s big nose you love her just the same.

You see the parts that came from you, the nicely shaped eyebrow, the long legs and even those ugly stubby toes of yours but you love her just the same.

And as the child grows you start to notice some aspects, talents, and personality traits of both parents.  Some you like and some you don’t but you love her just the same.

Isn’t it amazing haw you can love all those attributes, both physically and personality wise in your child but you have a hard time loving those same things in yourself?

Your child is a reflection of you and the other parent. Therefore, when you love your child even with all their ups and downs, in essence you love yourself.

Did you ever think of it that way before?

Dog Lessons

We could Learn a Lot From Dogs

First off there’s forgiveness.  It doesn’t matter how bad a dog is treated he wants so much to have your acceptance and approval that he’ll come back to you.  He may roll over and submit, rub his nose under your hand as if to say pet me or lick any part of your body like he’s trying to say I’m sorry.  It’s sweet and how can you not forgive him when he’s just turned around and gave you his affection even though he’s misbehaved.  Too bad people aren’t as quick to say I’m sorry and give forgiveness to each other

Second, when he’s making amends with all those gesture he’s killing you with his kindness.  The slight tilt of his head, the pink tongue hanging out and the sad eyes sure do work in his favor.  How can you resist?

Third, the need for affection is amazing. What dog doesn’t like to be petted and have his tummy rubbed? Then there’s the out of now where lick on your hand, face, leg, you name it.  Let’s not forget the cuddling, if you can call it that. It’s when the dog likes to lie right next to you. In some instances he basically takes any area around, top, or side of you and lies across your body. Whatever position he finds most comfortable.  Sometimes I think they believed your part of the furniture.

Forgiveness, kindness, and affection - sounds like love to me.  I believe every part of nature is here for a purpose.  Maybe dogs were put here to show us what love looks like.

Your thoughts? 

Mirror on the Wall

Mirror Mirror on the Wall who’s the …

What is it that you see?

Do you like what you see?

If you’re unsure on how to answer these questions a good exercise is to take a look at the people you do and don’t like.

First, think of someone you don’t care for. What is it about that person that you don’t like?  Pinpoint exactly what it is. For me there use to be a person in my life that would always keep tabs on what I was doing at work or reporting it to others, which by the way was none of her business. I did the same thing to her but I brushed if off because I was her boss.  But then I came to realize that the more she kept tabs on me the more I kept tabs on her even if it wasn’t work related. 

Here I was criticizing her when I was doing the same thing.  That was my own reflection in the mirror coming back to me which I didn’t like in myself.

Second, now think of an attribute you like in someone else.  I have a friend who is always giving me encouraging words and who is basically my cheerleader for my business. I also realized she did this for lots of other people and I really admire and am thankful for her support.

Then one day we were having a conversation and she complimented me on how I’m always encouraging and supporting others to be true to them and what a service I’m providing to them.  

Now isn’t that interesting? The same thing I liked about her is what she liked about me.

You could say you reap what you sow here but you can also say what you see in the world is actually a reflection of how you show up in the world. You notice these traits because they are in some form a part of what you do.  Sometimes it’s a nice reflection and sometimes it’s not so pretty.  If they didn’t have an effect on you then you have no emotion attached to it.

When you find yourself liking what someone else does or complimenting them then take notice, you likely have a similar attribute but it may not show up exactly like theirs.

Now the hard part, when you find yourself saying or thinking negative comments about someone else take a good honest look at yourself. Is it possible that you do the same thing in some way or another? That’s what I do and I find myself having less negative thoughts about others.

What does it do for me? It makes me more calm and accepting of other people’s behaviors. I realize they’re just being themselves.

What are your thoughts on this?

Give Money to Receive Money

Give Money to Receive Money

It’s the law but you won’t find it in any book. No. It’s one of the laws of the universe, the law of Giving and Receiving.

Ever notice that there is always an equal but opposite to everything; up/down, back/forth, give /receive.  It’s different aspects of the same energy and absolutely everything has energy even the seemingly stagnate coffee table beside you. Its nature harmonious intelligence in motion, everything seen and unseen constantly flows without us having a conscious awareness about it.

Your mind, body and spirit are in a constant dynamic exchange of energy but stopping that current of circulations is like stopping the flow of blood.  And what happens when blood stops flowing, it begins to clot and becomes sluggish in its movement. Somewhat like our economy right now.  The flow of money is moving very slow and it’s having a hard time getting back into the current. How do we fix that?

First let’s back up a bit and explain a few things. “The word affluence comes from the root word “affluere,” which means “to flow to.”  The word affluence means “to flow in abundance.”  Money is really a symbol of the life energy we exchange and the life energy we use as a result of the service we provide to the universe.  Another word for money is “currency,” which also reflects the flowing nature of energy.  The word currency comes from the Latin word “currere” which means “to run” or to flow.

Therefore, if we stop the circulation of money – if our only intention is to hold onto money and hoard it – since it is life energy, we will stop its circulation back into our lives as well.  In order to keep that energy coming to us, we have to keep the energy circulating.  Like a river, money must keep flowing, otherwise it begins to stagnate, to clog, to suffocate and strangle its very own life force.  Circulation keeps it alive and vital.” (The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success – Deepak Chopra)

Getting back to the Law of Receiving is simple.  In order to receive you have to give. It’s not give and take but a free, loving and joyful type of giving combined with allowing the receiving to come to you.  If you stop the flows of either you interfere with nature’s intelligence.  The more you give the more you will receive.  It will keep the abundance of the universe circulating in your life. And this just isn’t for money but for everything.  If you want joy you give joy. If you desire to be loved than you need to love others, want peace – give peace, want more clients – help others to get clients. You have to give freely and with joy the thing you wish to receive.

Giving isn’t just for birthdays, anniversaries and holidays.  You can give freely anytime, anywhere and to anyone.  It’s your choice.  Go for it!

You Can See Clearly Now

For thousands of years, we have been taught not to judge - but let's face it, we still do it all the time. The truth is that we all have judgments running in our heads.

If you begin by pointing the finger of blame outward, then the focus isn't on you. You can just let loose and be uncensored. We're often quite sure about what other people need to do, how they should live, whom they should be with. We have 20/20 vision about others, but not about ourselves.

When you do The Work, you see who you are by seeing who you think other people are. Eventually you come to see that everything outside you is a reflection of your own thinking. You’re the storyteller, the projector of all stories, and the world is the projected image of your thoughts.

Since the beginning of time, people have been trying to change the world so that they can be happy. This hasn't ever worked because it approaches the problem backward. What The Work gives us is a way to change the projector - mind - rather than the projected. It's like when there's a piece of lint on a projector's lens. We think there's a flaw on the screen, and we try to change this person and that person, whoever the flaw appears to be on next. But it's futile to try to change the projected images. Once we realize where the lint is, we can clear the lens itself. This is the end of suffering, and the beginning of a little joy in paradise.

Find out more about The Work by Byron Katie in; "Loving What Is".

Stop Fighting Cancer – It’s a losing battle

In fact, stop racing too.  It won’t get you what you want- a cure.

Like many others I too have had people close to me die from cancer.  It’s not a pretty sight.  However, I’m well versed in the Law of Attraction to know that you get what you ask for.  Therefore, if you ask for a fight that’s what you’re going to get, a disease that is constantly fighting back new treatments.   If you want to race for a cure then that’s what you’ll get – a race.  The goal will always be out of your reach.  It might show up as finding new treatments only to discover another symptom has taken its place and now we’ll be racing to find a cure for it.  The cure is the good part of the declaration but not the race part of it.

Cancer isn’t the only area that could use a revamp in its language.  Politicians are always claiming that we’ll fight for this or that.  The media picks up on the verbiage and now we have war on terrisiom, war on drugs.  Let’s see what else can we have a war on?  And then we wonder why the world is in the shape it’s in. 

Mother Teresa said it best when she said she wouldn’t participate in a March on War but she would if it was a Peace March.  She understood the Law of Attraction.

Society needs to choose their words more wisely.  I catch myself all the time saying things I should have said differently. I can’t blame anyone but myself for the results because I asked for it.

A simple statement like “Let’s have a discussion” has a negative energy to it.  To discuss comes from the Latin word discuss which is to dash to pieces and quatere - to shake. Therefore, you’re implying that there will be disagreement and that likely wasn’t your intention at all.  It would be far better to say that we need to have a conversation or dialogue about this matter. There isn’t a defensive emotion attached to those two words.  They’re neutral.  It’s the same reason Coke, Kodak and Toyota have such a good brand image, there isn’t a prior meaning attached to those words.

So if you want a cure for cancer it would be better to say you’ll walk, run, bike etc for it but not race. As the saying goes, “Where attention goes energy flows”.  Let’s give the attention to the cure and not the fight.  Are you with me?

You were born an original

“You were born an original.  Don’t die a copy” ~ John Mason

We don’t need another Einstein, Lincoln, or Bob Hope. They were originals. They shined when it was their time to do so.  They were original in their thinking, delivery and persona.  It’s what made them unique. They were classic and you don’t mess with a classic.  You cherish, learn and hopefully get inspired to also be an original.

Eleanor Roosevelt is quoted as saying that good women don’t make history.  A similar phrasing could be said for being an original, unique individual. Copycats don’t make history, only originals.  It’s the people who insist on amplifying their uniqueness that shine not the copycats.

The Beetles, Bob Dylan, Elvis Presley, Beach Boys, Jimi Hendrix, Aretha Franklin, BB King and Michael Jackson were way ahead of their time in musical talent.  They were each unique in voice, phrasing, delivery and style of music. Each was or still is an original that has inspired others to go beyond their comfort zone.  That’s why they are considered classics.

Copying someone else my help you get started in expressing yourself.  By copying someone else you are complimenting them because you can relate to them.  However, use the copy technique as a tool to find your own voice.  Discover how you can take what you’ve learned and add your own unique spin and flavor to it. Make it your own because there is nothing better than the feeling you get when others like what you love to do.

(This is a snapshot of my book, Pick Me Up – Inspirational messages to make you jump for joy) 

Want to Have a Green Thumb?

Have you ever noticed that people who are talented at growing plants talk to them?  I always thought it was just coincidence until I made the connection between Professor Emoto’s Messages in Water and the amount of water in plants.  If you’ve never seen the video go now to view it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tAvzsjcBtx8

The message basically states that positive words and music have a profound effect on water crystals by producing beautiful or not so pretty crystals based on the type of words taped to the container or music played nearby.  When you take into account that the earth is 70% water and so are humans then what kind of effect are the language and music you’re listening to having on your body?  What effect does the word “love” tattooed on someone’s body have versus “hate”?  His work indicates that positive language is much more powerful than negative.  

It’s no wonder that people who talk to their plants have much better results.  Plants after all are mostly water too.  When a person talks to their plants they’re saying good things like how beautiful it looks.

Yep, I think Professor Emoto’s work confirms what those in the know already know; a positive outlook has more energy behind it and therefore produces better results.  Another way to say it is “You catch more flies with honey than you do with vinegar.” That’s something to think about the next time you want positive results. 

Guess all those wanna be gardeners out there better start doing some sweet talking if they want to see the fruits of their labor, me included. Oh and, mind language too. 

It Takes Courage to be Yourself

It takes courage to live your truth.  First off, what is your truth? Only you know for sure. It can get buried or mixed up with all that you’ve been taught that you’re not sure what part is you speaking and what part is a conditioned behavior.  Your truth is in there somewhere but you need to distinguish what values, passions and beliefs are yours and which are the works of other influences that you’ve picked up along the way.

It’s good when teenagers leave the nest to venture out on their own.  It gives them a chance to see the world from a different perspective.  They begin to discover who they are.  It’s as if the sunglasses come off and they can see clearly see what has influenced every aspect of their lives from their parents, friends and education etc.

It’s a time when they discover their truth.  They figure out what parts of what they’re learned they’re going to keep and which parts they’re going to disregard.  In the process they find their truth.

Your truth continues to evolve as you age because you’re constantly learning through each new adventure.  With every new experience you’re deciding what to keep and make your own and what to disregard.  A new understand takes place.  It’s you evolving.  How exciting! It takes listening to yourself without judgment and outside influences to clearly define your truth.

If you need help, I’m available to open up new realms of possibilities for you. 

Making the Most of What You’ve Got

“As simple as it sounds, we all must try to be the best person we can: by making the best choices, by making the most of the talents we’ve been given” ~ Mary Lou Retton

Every day you make choices that determine your future outcome.  Every choice you’ve made, every decision you make has brought you to the place where you are today.  From the friends you chose to hang out with to what you did with the education you’ve received has transformed you in to the person you are today.

Did you study hard throughout the school year or did you decide to cram for the test at the end of the year?  That was your choice and so was the result.  You chose whom to date and possibly to marry. Some of your choices were good and some not so good.  Throughout these choices, you were given the opportunity to learn from your choices, to filter out what you want from what you don’t want.  The choices you make give you clarity to make better choices with the intention of making you a better person.

Has there been a time in your life when everything was clicking, you were operating on all cylinders, you were at the top of your game, in the zone?  How did you feel?  Was it easy?  If so, you were in harmony with who-you-are and using your talents to their fullest.  That’s the funny thing about being who-you-are; you not only get to do what you’re good at but it’s easy.  Sweet!

So many people spend their time working on what they’re not good at, hoping that one day they will somehow become a balanced and therefore a complete person.  The Gallop poll has proven that the most successful people work on their strengths and find someone or something else to cover for the rest.  The best advice is to focus on what you’re good at and let the rest take care of itself.  You will always find someone or something else to cover for your weaknesses.

(This is a snapshot of my book, Pick Me Up – Inspirational messages to make you jump for joy, now on Amazon and iTunes. You can also purchase it from my web site at www.yourtrueheartsdesire.com) 

Can I Get a Do Over?

Sure you can. You do it all the time.  It’s what you do with what you learned that counts.

Call me optimistic but I definitely like the, “Do Over” method of success.  A “Do Over” is when you get another chance to do what you initially attempted but this time you get a chance to do it correctly.

History is riddled with people who have had “Do Over’s”.  They didn’t succeed in their first, second or maybe even their third attempt but that didn’t stop them.  Each setback was an opportunity to evaluate what went wrong, make adjustments, and then attempt it again. Thomas Edison tried over 1000 times to create the light bulb. Imagine if he had given up. How many years would it have taken before someone else came along to invent it?

What I like most about “Do Over’s” is that there is no such thing as failure.  It’s as if you’re getting a free pass-go to the school and collect more knowledge- now go back and try it again.    With each setback you’re able to evaluate and refocus your energy on the achieving the task at hand.

It is only when you give up on the “Do Over” that you have truly failed for succumbing to failure drains the life blood of creativity that runs through your veins.  You must create and be better than your former self.  You must move forward by creating and it’s only through the “Do over process” that you continue to learn a new and better way to achieve your desires.

Therefore my friend, there is no such thing as failure as long as you continue to believe in “Do Over’s”.  

Is it the Truth?

In today’s climate of political discord, it’s hard to tell what is really the truth. Many times, only part of the truth is told while the rest is spun to deceive the recipient, us.

What ever happened to just telling the truth and letting the chips fall where they may? What makes the authorities not want to tell it like it is? What are they afraid of?

That’s an interesting emotion, fear. To understand why someone wouldn’t tell the truth indicates the person/ organization/party has something to hide. It will hurt them in some way which for me only arouses curiosity. What are they trying to hide?

I believe what the Bible says, the truth shall set you free. By telling or keeping a lie going also is a form of control, control over others or maintaining face. That to me means the group or person is unable to expose their true nature or gets a kick out of controlling others. Neither one is good.

For an individual, there’s a huge emotional release when you allow yourself to release all the lies you’ve lived with.  All those years holding the truth back and living the lie within you takes its toll physically, mentally, and emotionally. When you release this negativity, you become accepting of who you are and thereby begin to love your authentic self. I imagine that is the motivating force along with a sense of what’s right why whistleblowers come out. Their sense of what’s right and the emotional release is a breath of fresh air.

Are you holding anything back from telling it like it is?

We all must be vigilant in discovering the truth about our institutions and ourselves.  It is only when we are accepting of our truth that we can evolve.

Are we Breeding Responsibility or Dependency?

People will rise up to the expectations that you set for them.  Ask any good coach, manager or parent and they will tell you the very same thing. Sometimes athletes, employees and children can’t see the potential that lies within them but someone else can.  So the coach, manager or parent inspires and sometimes pushes the individual to aim higher, to be all that they can be.  Isn’t that what we’re here for, to be the best that we can be, to become better than the generation before us, to leave this place better than how we found it?

So what happened that a growing number of people think they’re entitled to government hand outs? What happened to honor, pride and self worth in working to provide for yourself and family? Remember when children were raised to become productive members of society, to give more - expect less, to have a sense of honor and integrity in what you do, to take responsibility for your actions, to strive to live up to your full potential and become a self-supporting adult, to ask what you can do for others not what others can do for you, where conning the system or any other entity was shunned, where being self supporting was respected and a badge of honor?

Oh! There are still people like that around however it’s become more acceptable to see what you can get away with than being a responsible adult. What’s in it for me has become more important than what’s best for mankind.

Now this didn’t just happen overnight.  It’s been brewing for quite some time.  The exact time frame is up for debate.  It was likely a combination of events and a mind shift that changed the core essence of what the US was founded on.

It happened slowing, bit by bit, whittling away a parent’s confidence that they needed to bow to the pressure of the so called professionals.  Parents feared they were damaging their children if they were too strict or disciplined them too harshly.  Worse yet, the children started hearing this type of thinking and used it as emotional blackmail to keep their parent’s from parenting. Some wise parents saw it for what it was while others bowed to their children’s threats and demands.  They were afraid they would lose their child’s love but instead they lost their respect.  Alas there went the best form of education, setting the example.  Let’s not forget that it’s the parents that have the greatest influence in a child’s life.

Now we have a growing number of our society that believes they should be taken care of.  Any slight discomfort is cause to blame someone or something else for their own lack of personal responsibility.  Hey! It’s easier to blame than actually doing what needs to be done. It’s a cop out.  In the long run the person looses out on building their self-esteem and growing as a person. They miss out on feeling good about themselves.

Teaching someone to be responsible is a never ending process. It takes patience and guidance to see it through but the rewards are well worth it. It not only benefits the individual but society as a whole.

My question is, with such a growing number of people believing they are entitled to hand outs, what happens when the number of responsible contributing members of society is outweighed by the entitlement society? Who will provide for what they believe they deserve?

It’s time to raise the expectations of all members of society, to stop asking what the country can do for you but what you can do for your country.