Live life fully while you’re here. Experience everything. Take care of yourself and your friends. Have fun, be crazy, be weird. Go out and screw up! You’re going to anyway, so you might as well enjoy the process. Take the opportunity to learn from your mistakes: find the cause of your problem and eliminate it. Don’t try to be perfect; just be an excellent example of being human. – Anthony Robbins
What great advice! It’s exactly my philosophy of life. There is so much to experience here. I want to do as much as possible. Find all the things that make me feel good. Meet new people. Travel the world. Explore unusual places. Try new things.
I don’t have a problem with making mistakes anymore. I use them as an opportunity to either make adjustments in what I’m doing or just try again. Life isn’t a final exam. You don’t fail if you get some questions wrong.
So, get out of your house. Have experiences. Make mistakes. Enjoy life. Help others. Don’t take things so seriously. Relax. Breathe.
Michael
Tags: Emotional Health
You do not know what life means when all the difficulties are removed! …It is like eating a sweet dessert the first thing in the morning. – Jane Addams
Lately the contrast in my life has increased. I’ve had to deal with a couple of stressful situations and at least one difficult person. In fact I’ve had to use all of my techniques to get through this period in my life.
It’s been a real test for me; i.e. focusing on staying happy and keeping my attitude high in the midst of what appears to be the opposite. That’s the key word, “appears”. Life is always about contrast and managing the difference between what you desire and what you don’t.
So, when we are experiencing things, events or people that we don’t desire, remember it’s just an indicator; no more, no less. Maybe it’s an indicator that we need to look at something that we haven’t been looking at. It could be an indicator that we need to make an adjustment in our lives. It definitely lets us know that we are doing what we desire.
Looking at negative experiences in this light, takes the edge off the experience. It helps to expand our perspective and simply readjust where we are heading.
If you can view your life experiences as indicators of where you are in your pursuit of what you desire, then you can relax and feel better about what is going on around you. Plus you can make changes that will increase your happiness even more.
Michael
I’ve gone through life believing in the strength and competence of others; never in my own. Now, dazzled, I discovered that my capacities were real. It was like finding a fortune in the lining of an old coat. – Joan Mills
Do you believe in yourself? Do you believe in your ability to handle any situation that comes your way? Do you believe in your unique talents? Do you believe in your contribution that can be made to the world?
Believing in yourself is the biggest contribution you can make to your own life. It’s one of the most important and defining actions you can do. Others may believe in you and that helps, but your own believe in yourself can transform you. It can take you to places that no other can. It’s the secret edge to propel you where you want to go.
If the answers to the above questions are yes, then fantastic!
If the answers are no, then ask yourself if you know why? Do you have some limiting beliefs that are preventing you from believing in yourself? Any guilt? Any fears? I suggest you run not walk to wherever you can get some help to believe in yourself. Do whatever it takes to get you to the point where you can look yourself in the mirror and simply say, “I believe in you.”
Here’s a little push. I believe in you. Now it’s your turn.
Michael
Tags: Emotional Health
Gratitude Counts, And It Feels Really Good Too! 
Slow down and find those little moments in your day too appreciate life!! In our society we spend most of our time rushing from one thing to the next. Trying to get it all done, get through something, or believing when we have…. then we can relax or enjoy whatever we think it is we want or need. Don’t believe your busy minds illusion! Think how many times you believed it and yet “It” hasn’t arrived. Doesn’t it seem like you have done that for a life time already? Has anything changed? Your age maybe!! Then you feel stresses about more time and wasted time and more not enough time. Sounds a lot like a crazy hamster wheel going round and round. Need some meds now to combat that anxiety?
Wake up!! The “Time” is now! The place is right here! It starts with the simple gratefulness of breath, of nature, of loved ones. Remember when people would say a pray of gratitude before a meal? There is much power in that 1 minute task. It creates more abundance and love, which radiates into your life. The more love and gratitude you bring will only grow and increase more of the same in your life and those around you.
Pick one small thing in your life, a person, a job, money etc and everyday stop for one minute when it comes to your sight or mind and cultivate a feeling of love and gratitude. Do this for one month or even two weeks and watch the amazing happenings that will arise around and within you. NOW IS THE TIME
Don’t judge each day by the harvest you reap, but by the seeds you plant. – Robert Louis Stevenson
As we go through our day, we are constantly planting seeds by our thoughts and ultimately our actions. If we took a little bit more conscious time to think about what we are planting, the long term effects would be dramatic.
Negativity begets negativity. Positivity begets positivity. Laughter breeds more laughter. Grumpiness finds more grumpiness. Passion creates more passion. Repressed feelings birth anger. Compassion directs compassion towards you.
Just like a small seed can bring a huge harvest, each thought we think is the beginning of something much bigger. Those small thoughts lumped together form beliefs. Our beliefs determine our actions and how we perceive the world around us. Our actions and perceptions determine the quality of our lives.
So, if we start working on the small thoughts, we can change everything in the long run.
Have a great day!
Michael
The day after the accident was actually much better than I had expected. Erica was completely fine and went to the gym. I had some muscle stiffness that only lasted the day.
So, we are very fortunate that nothing long term or serious occurred. I’ll end up getting a new car. Outside of having to change our plans for the weekend, everything worked out perfectly.
Erica and I did have a brief discussion about how a few seconds or minutes here and there would have changed the outcome of the evening. If she had gone to the restroom before we left the movie. If I had taken my normal route home instead of the one we took. If we had walked slower to the car and on and on and on. You can drive yourself crazy thinking along those lines. We made the decision to stop playing the what-if game because it ultimately serves no purpose. The accident happened; it’s over and is now part of our past. Dwelling on it doesn’t really help our present moment and doesn’t have anything to do with our future.
I do try and make the story of the accident funny and lighter. I think that’s important for three reasons:
- Remembering something negative will bring your mood down
- Telling funny stories is much more enjoyable for everyone than the other choice.
- By finding the humor in the event, you can many times find the true lessons that will enrich your life from that point forward.
I’m still thankful and will continue to be.
Michael
Tags: Emotional Health
On the way back from the movies on 5/8/09, Erica (my girlfriend) and I were involved in a car accident. I was driving home and someone turned left unexpectedly right in front of us. I had milliseconds to react which wasn’t enough to prevent the head on collision. The other driver was clearly at fault.
Both airbags deployed and thankfully, we were wearing our seat belts. Needless to say it was anxiety producing. I believe I was in shock for a little bit. I was taken in an ambulance to the hospital to get checked out. No injuries; only a tight neck and back muscles. Erica was even better than me. In fact she went to the gym the next morning.
Life throws things at you sometimes and like I’ve mentioned in the past, your reaction and attitude are the most important things you can manage.
Even though I was in a state of shock, many things happening around me at the time were quite positive. Erica was well enough to gather all our belongings and talk to the police. An ex-fire chief from the local town was right behind us when the accident occurred. He corroborated our story and became an official witness of the accident. Based on his story the other driver was issued a citation clearly showing their fault. He also helped me calm my nerves by talking to me. It was a great help.
There were even some funny things that happened after the accident. As they strapped me on the gurney, one of the emergency workers pulled the strap tight across my lower abdomen which put pressure on my bladder. As I had just come from a two hour movie, the pressure was too much. So, I laughed and told them to loosen up on the strap so that I wouldn’t have another type of “accident.”
After about an hour in the ER, I really had to go to the restroom. The nurse told me to stay on the gurney and use the container as they needed to get a sample to make sure I had no internal injuries. While I’m doing my duty here, the registration lady walks in and starts talking to me while I am basically exposed to the world. She quickly realized that she was intruding.
Since I was busy, the registration lady asked Erica questions about me to start the registration process. Questions like what was my birthday, what was my address, what was my phone number and basic things like that. She couldn’t answer one question correctly and kept referring to me. It was like we had just met. We’ve decided to not go on one of those game shows where you have to answer questions about your partner.
My daughter asked me if they had to use the jaws of life to get us out of the car. No, we just opened the door.
I couldn’t remember my doctor’s name.
The ER had placed sticky monitor pads on my chest. When they gave me the discharge papers, the nurse asked me to remove the pads. So, thinking Erica could help here, I asked her to remove them quickly. It felt like the scene from 40 Year Old Virgin when he was having his chest waxed. Erica seemed to enjoy doing this more than I had expected.
Overall, the experience had many lessons to share:
- Wear your seat belts all the time. No exceptions.
- People, really good people, are always close by waiting to help you.
- Humor works in every situation.
- Be nice to the people that are helping you.
- Don’t blame people for their mistakes. Let it go. You have more important things to do and think about.
- You may never know the reasons why something happened. That’s okay. Just go with it.
I’m thankful that Erica and I are okay. I’m also thankful the passengers in the other car were not hurt. I’m grateful for all the people that helped us.
Time to look for a new car.
Michael
Tags: Emotional Health
It’s not about what happens. It’s about perspective.
I may not be able to change what takes place, but
I can always choose to change my thinking. – Michelle Sedas
Thinking is not taught in schools! – Denis Waitley
Michelle Sedas has nailed the concept of right thinking. We always have the choice to change our thinking. No one or nothing can take that away. It’s where we can have a true sense of freedom. It’s where we decide how the world will treat us. Yes, that’s is what I’m saying. What I mean by that is our thoughts determine our reaction. Two people in the same situation with different thoughts will view the world radically different. To an outsider it would seem like they were not in the same place at the same time. But they were and the only difference is their perspective and beliefs which are derived solely from their choice of thoughts they think.
The process is quite simple. If a thought you are thinking is making you feel bad or not that good, then think something else. All thoughts can be turned into something better, but they must be believable or you will not continue to think them. The easiest way is to change a negative thought slowly to something very positive.
For example, trying to go from I hate myself to I love myself is not possible. You simply will not believe it. But, you can do it in small increments like finding a part of yourself that you love, like, admire, respect and etc. From that vantage point of something you can like about yourself, you’ll be able to find another thought that is slightly better. This process works for any thoughts you want to change. Some call the process pivoting, others calling it tweaking. The name doesn’t matter.
Oh and by the way, you have to practice this. It’s like anything else you start for the first time. Patience. Practice. Patience. Celebrate your successes and do not focus or think about your setbacks.
Michael
Since you get more joy out of giving joy to others, you should put a good deal of thought into the happiness that you are able to give.
– Eleanor Roosevelt
Tags: Quotes
I like thinking big. If you’re going to be thinking anything, you might as well think big. – Donald Trump
People tend to gravitate towards what they think. If you think mediocre thoughts, then you’ll probably be and do mediocre things. If you think and believe in the best of people, then you’ll find the best in people.
Our thoughts are an incredibly powerful tool, but in many cases are under utilized. If you learn to use your thoughts effectively you can literally change your life. You already have evidence of this effect. How do you feel when you are thinking negative thoughts or reliving a bad experience in your mind? It’s simple. You don’t feel good. Think about when you are thinking more positive thoughts or laughing about something. You feel good.
When going for the big things like changing careers or a better relationship, don’t think small. Think big. Think about what exactly you desire, not your backup plan or your second best. What is it that you want, desire, need to change or would like to move towards?
Don’t worry about the how? That’s not important at this time. As you focus on what you want and feel good about it when you do, then the rest just works itself out. Previously unseen opportunities will now become visible. People will come your way to help. You’ll find an article related to your new big thoughts. The possibilities are endless.
So, next time you are thinking, ask yourself “Are these thoughts big enough?”
Tags: Law of Attraction