Author Archives: John
Author Archives: John
Asking yourself questions is one of the best ways to get an answer.
Well, yes – that statement is obvious – but do you really get it?
Follow me here a minute – –
How many times do you let something undesirable continue to go on and on?
Why is this?
Part of the reason is that you may allow yourself to stew over something and replay the distasteful aspects over and over.
This mental activity does not support doing anything productive to find a solution or termination of the situation.
It actually just perpetuates or even enhances it.
I’ll bet you can easily think about some situations where you.
So, think again about situations where you have moved through into a solution or beneficial outcome.
What did you do to get to this point?
You asked yourself questions – didn’t you.
This may still seem too basic to you – what is he getting at?
OK, you move on with some change by asking yourself a question.
Why did this happen?
Who did this?
What do I do now?
How can I fix this?
You get the idea.
Aren’t movement, understanding and change always based on a question?
The point I am making here is that you will stay repeating the same thoughts and actions until you ask a question.
So then this leads to the fact that the beneficial outcome is based on the kind of questions you ask yourself.
Questions that probe deeper and deeper are the ones that are most valuable.
Questions that are bases on continually asking a question and being aware of the various answers you receive.
Questions that carry on from an answer you get.
Questions that continue to ask why – again and again – not just stopping at the first answer.
The quality of the outcome is directly related to the quality of the questions you ask.
This is related to a very basic concept – that there is always a new idea coming out of an existing one.
One idea leads to another.
Think about it – when you get an understanding about something, there are now new possibilities available that weren’t before.
The key here is that asking a question is the way that you seek that next understanding that builds upon the previous idea.
If you don’t ask – you remain with what you have.
Your unconscious mind may tend to resist this kind of probing questions if you are not accustomed to doing this.
Your mind will tend to just want to repeat what it has been doing.
This is where you will need to exercise your command over your thinking ability.
Learning to step aside from a situation to purposefully ask yourself questions with the purpose of developing new perspectives and understandings is a very valuable skill.
This stepping aside, quieting your chattering mind and asking questions is a skill that must be practiced frequently if you are to get it to be a normal part of your behavior.
You can only override your existing habitual ways of thinking by developing a new pattern.
One idea leads to another – and another, and so on.
Keep asking questions and you will find that you will get more and more appropriate and useful answers revealed to you.
You will learn to be receptive to more answers that come from your inner self and universal intelligence.
Be open to the feelings and varying ways answers are conveyed to you.
This is growth in action.
. . . On purpose.
John
“Every clarification breeds new questions.” — Arthur Bloch
“Asking the proper question is the central action of
transformation… Questions are the key that cause the secret
doors of the psyche to swing open.” — Clarissa Pinkola Estes
“The answers you receive depend upon the questions you ask.” — Thomas Kuhn
“Problems cannot be solved at the same level of awareness that created them.” — Albert Einstein
“The word question is derived from the Latin quarrier (to seek) which is the same root as the word for quest. A creative life is a continued quest, and good questions can be very useful guides.
Most useful are open-ended questions; they allow for fresh
unanticipated answers to reveal themselves.” — Source Unknown
“It is not the answer that enlightens, but the question.” — Decouvertes
Today I want to just remind you about recognizing and giving thanks for something that is important to you.
Here in the US, we will be celebrating our countries independence.
This is a big holiday here, which I presume most are in support of.
This holiday, as are most, is in celebration of something important to a group of people.
Taking time to pay attention to and recognize something that you are thankful for is a worthy activity.
Like the Independence Day celebration here in the US, many things are looked at once a year as a reminder of the meaning and why it is important to us.
This can of course be done on any schedule you choose.
Once a year is good for some things, but more frequently may be desirable.
There are things you can recognize daily or even more often.
Anything that is important to you,
Anything that has deep meaning to you,
Anything that you want to be a part of your daily life,
A way of thinking,
A person,
An activity,
A behavior,
A mindset,
A perspective,
Anything that you feel thankful and grateful for,
Can and should be noticed and celebrated often.
Often enough to keep it a part of your daily operating system,
Or as some call,
“Your map of reality”
The way to have the things that are truly important to you be an integral part of the way you think and behave is to be appreciative and thankful for them.
Since it is so easy for our moment to moment thoughts and activities to cloud out things that are important to us, it can be very powerful when you purposefully keep yourself aware and reminded on a regular basis.
Even with something like national independence, wouldn’t it be of value to be aware of all that it may mean to you more often than once a year?
John
“The grateful mind is constantly fixed upon the best. Therefore
it tends to become the best. It takes the form or character of
the best, and will receive the best.” — Wallace Wattles
“Gratitude is an opener of locked-up blessings.” — Marianne Williamson
“The enlightened give thanks for what most people take for granted. As you begin to be grateful for what most people take for granted, that vibration of gratitude makes you more receptive to good in your life.”
– Michael Beckwith
Take a look at what you have been doing and thinking for the last few hours or day.
Are you supporting what you want in your life or are you caught up in hectic reactive behavior?
Of course there are many things which you must do,
But in order to enjoy more of what you want,
You must gradually insert it into your life – yourself.
Ask yourself,
How could I have done things a little differently?
What can I do now, and tomorrow that will bring in a little more of what I want into my day?
Come up with a simple plan of how you will do it.
Schedule it in, go over in your mind what and how,
Use reminder notes, set your watch or phone alarm as a reminder,
Whatever you can use to jog yourself out of the routine just enough to insert a little something different.
Change is usually done little by little more often than through a big event,
Yet we tend to hope for the big event.
While you are waiting you can do it a little at a time and before you know it – you are there!
Checking up on yourself everyday is a good way to discover what to change and how do go about it.
Come up with a balance of doing what is necessary along with a continuous process of growth.
The growth part can very easily slip away, getting consumed by all that you think you need to do in a day.
The power of the human mind is in the ability to exert command over your thinking and what you do.
Choose to step in and be the director of your behavior.
Enjoy the discovery,
John
If you allow fear to stop you – you fail.
In fact that is the only way to fail . . . to never attempt.
If you try and when it does not work properly, you adjust and go again – eventually you will win.
If you never try – you can never win.
And some form of fear can do this to you.
Many get locked into inaction due to the idea that they think they need to work out all the details and possible problems before getting started.
They are afraid that they may run into something they are not aware of and not know how to deal with it.
This concept is the cause of more failure than anything else.
We can get locked in a mental stalemate – thinking that we need to know more to feel confident, yet the best way to learn more is to do more.
True learning comes from analyzing what you do.
Thinking about it actually only approximates what may happen.
Only in the actual doing do you fully interact with all possibilities.
When something is new to you, you cannot know ALL of the possible interactions.
Only after attempting will you be able to come from a perspective of intimate involvement.
Another thing about worry is that it is all a MAYBE.
Take a reasonable amount of time to do a reasonable amount of research and rep work – then take the action you can best determine at the time.
– knowing that you will likely not have every bit of minute possibility covered.
You can’t . . unless you know it all!
Some think they do!
The trap we get stuck in is to believe that we need to know one more thing about it, or solve one more potential roadblock.
How long can this go on?
Forever!
When you think of one thing, then something new is now possible.
And on, and on, and on.
There is an endless supply of ‘maybes’ out there,
. . . but what will really happen only reveals itself when you get going and get intimate with the activity.
Preparation is good and prudent, to a degree.
There is a fine line between not enough preparation and too much.
Are you stuck in the place where you want to feel totally secure before you make a move?
It won’t happen, you must take the leap of faith before knowing it all.
What you are actually telling yourself is that you don’t have confidence in your ability to handle what may come up.
And of course you do.
You will only be able to think from the proper perspective to analyze an outcome after all the features are exposed.
Think about walking on a trail in the woods.
How will you know exactly what your view will be around the next bend?
You may have a map that can provide SOME insight, but not the actual setting and situation.
If you drive a car, you are well able to deal with new situations quickly, as they become present.
You have this ability to utilize with everything you do.
I’ll bet you wondered if you could deal with all the movement of other people and vehicles when you first started to drive.
Confidence is two things –
It is first a decision,
Then it is cumulative.
You need to just decide that you can handle what comes up, just like you have with other things you have done.
After you get going with anything your confidence builds – as long as you keep going.
Each little victory bolsters your confidence.
It is actually better to acknowledge that you will run into unknown situations.
This way there is less mystery to it – it is now a known.
Know that you have the ability to analyze and handle whatever comes up,
And that you will not allow a hitch to stop you.
Know that if you just keep going, making adjustments and more attempts – you will get there.
This process of ‘doing’ will reveal all that you need to take care of in order to win – not before.
You must start on the path before you discover what is one mile out.
Stop procrastinating.
This is just buying into some fear, doubt or worry.
Feel and acknowledge the fear and do it anyway.
Fear is just a signal – not a stop sign.
Sure – heighten your awareness for some possibility – but proceed.
Sitting back and using your ability to wonder will not get you down the path.
Get doing – down the path
John
“It seems that the necessary thing to do is not to fear mistakes, to plunge in, to do the best that one can, hoping to learn enough from blunders to correct them eventually.”
— Abraham Maslow
“When defeat comes, accept it as a signal that your plans are not sound, rebuild those plans, and set sail once more toward your coveted goal.” — Napoleon Hill
“The way to develop self-confidence is to do the thing you fear, and get a record of successful experiences behind you.”
–William Jennings Bryan
“Fear is not a disease of the body; fear kills the soul.”
— Gandhi
“Feel the fear and do it anyway”
— Susan Jeffers
We are all motivated by something.
Everything you do is motivated by something.
Any time you think about making a change, there is some kind of motivation is behind it?
All that you desire to do is motivated by something – some deeper feeling or thought.
All motivation can be broken down to two main types, ‘towards’ and ‘away-from’
Or – what you do want, and what you don’t want.
‘Away-from’ motivation is very powerful almost automatically because very strong emotions and learned reaction can be involved.
The desire to get or stay away from something often drives your action much quicker than with ‘towards’ motivation.
This is when you want to make a change because you don’t like or want something.
Anything that you fear leads to away from motivation – you don’t want to be involved.
If you have a job or relationship that you no longer want to be a part of – you want to get away from it.
Now, ‘towards’ motivation is as it sounds – you do want something, so you attempt to move towards it.
This is many times called positive motivation, seeking what you desire.
Your desire to have, be or do helps drive your thought and activity.
So why is it important to even know which kind of motivation you are involved with at a given time?
Because your motivational drive involves much of your thought capacity.
And the thoughts you hold have a huge affect on what you will experience.
When you are involved in ‘away-from’ motivation your mind is consumed with what you don’t want.
What you focus on expands, so even when you clearly don’t want something, you are focusing on it.
Your subconscious mind and the universal intelligence are always picking up on and acting based on your thought.
Particularly the emotionally backed thought, which is usually involved when you want away from something, brings you more of what you don’t want.
All the negative emotions involved are not sending the message you most likely want.
When you want away from something you really want something else, but you are not focused on that, you are still focusing on what you don’t want.
So guess what thoughts are being acted on with your subconscious and the universal intelligence?
By dwelling on what you no longer want you are actually ‘requesting’ more of the same
This is why it becomes advantageous to convert an ‘away-from’ motivation to a ‘towards’ motivation.
This way all the possible power and energy available is assisting you with what you actually want.
There is always a reciprocal to an ‘away-from’ – towards.
You just need to seek the reverse – what you do want.
Rather than remain stuck going over and over in your mind, and fretting about ‘what if’s’ regarding what you no longer want to be a part of – choose to go towards something.
Let’ say that you no longer want to live where you are living.
Maybe the neighbors are bothering to you.
Maybe the place is in ill repair, maybe you have a difficult landlord –
Whatever, you want to get away from there.
When and only when are you going to actually do something about moving?
Only after you have decided to look for a new place, and you have decided what you want in a new place.
This is towards motivation – you will now go out looking for it.
You decide that you want a new apartment, two bedrooms, a pool, 2nd floor, well maintained, etc.
This is where you have switched to ‘towards motivation’.
If you never get any ideas of what kind of apartment you want, how can you look for it?
How can your mind and the universal intelligence assist you with getting it?
There are people who remain stuck in ‘away from motivation’ for a long timr.
They keep complaining in detail how they don’t like something, but they stay with it.
This behavior is just digging them in deeper.
So you can choose to go towards something new which you do want that replaces what you have.- that is what will get you out of what you don’t want.
Just because you have an initial negative reaction to something you no longer want, you don’t have to keep those emotions going on and on.
Take command of your thinking, listen to your emotions, they are trying to tell you something – then switch them off by focusing on what you do want.
The details of what you don’t want are a guide for you to define the details of what you do want.
Usually you can just look to the opposite.
The way you are motivated is influenced by your past programming – which developed over time.
Patterned habits are yours to change if you choose.
John
Related Quotes —
“You never change things by fighting the existing reality. To
change something, build a new model that makes the existing model
obsolete.”
— R. Buckminster Fuller
“Getting outside of the box can not only be fun, it is sometimes
necessary for our survival. That is what survival training is
all about. It disrupts our inner programming, the mentality of
going through life on ‘auto-pilot’ so that we can readily see
bright new possibilities heading our way.”
— Gail Pursell Elliott
“No matter where you stand in your business, career or life [and
no matter what challenges you now face] when you make the
conscious decision to become a person of action [rather than
being indecisive] you instantly turn the tide of life in your
favor. Often, if you are mentally ready for action, opportunities
will present themselves in the most unusual ways, and you will
find yourself involved in new and interesting endeavors. Action
has a way of increasing opportunity, while procrastination and
inaction always inhibit success.”
— The Millionaires Library
“If you find yourself in a hole, the first
thing to do is stop diggin’..”
— Will Rogers
“When you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.”
— Paul Coelho
“Our life is shaped by our mind; we become what we think. Suffering follows an evil thought as the wheels of a cart follow the oxen that draws it.
Our life is shaped by our mind; we become what we think. Joy follows a pure thought like a shadow that never leaves.”
–Buddha
“One does not discover new lands without consenting to lose sight of the shore for a very long time.”
— Andre Gide
Are you seeking too little?
Are you short changing yourself based on what is really possible?
Why?
Do you think you are not worthy?
Not qualified?
Maybe you have never done something before and you can’t see how you can.
Have you allowed your expectations to be lowered because of past shortcomings?
Let me ask you a question,
Have you ever seen a partial of an oak tree? One that is only part of what it could be.
Actually I could not even describe what a partial oak tree looks like. What is missing?
The oak seed, an acorn, only asks for the whole deal – not part of it.
And what does it get? All of it!
The universe assists the acorn to develop into the tree of its dreams. What the tree becomes is based on its vision for itself.
That’s what is in the acorn – the picture of a fully developed oak tree – not just part of it.
You see where I am going with this right.
Seems simple, and many of you are thinking, this is not a big deal, more about the seed thing again. I get it.
OK, but what are you doing about it?
Statistics shows that most people are not living up to their capabilities, in fact most don’t even know what they are.
Why?
We are not bringing a big enough bucket when the ‘stuff’ is being given out.
The universe will fill whatever vessel we bring – large or small.
The real question becomes why don’t we being a larger bucket?
We all have ‘reasons’, which are based on the perceptions and interpretations we have accumulated:
We doubt it is possible for us.
We don’t allow ourselves to dream or fully envision what we could.
We restrict ourselves based on our personal self-concept.
We doubt our expertise or abilities.
We don’t have any experience having, being or doing – so we don’t think we can.
We think we need to know exactly how to do it before we start.
We don’t think we have the resources.
We have listened to the negations of others.
We are unsure of listening to our inner voice or unaware of it.
In order to change anything for the better, we need to challenge the validity of our ‘reasons’
The key is to ask for more if you want more.
Bring a bigger bucket to be filled – what if it was actually filled?
You will never know until you try.
Allowing these negative ideas to squelch your deep desires is like stepping on an acorn, twisting your foot over it until it is turned to mush.
It’s easy to see why this seed would never grow into a magnificent oak tree.
The full concept of the oak tree was destroyed way before the universe had a chance to do anything with it.
And so go your ideas, knocked down in their infancy without a chance of taking root.
Let your bucket get bigger – for bigger ideas – bigger requests – bigger results.
John
“Too often we visit the well of divine abundance with a teacup instead of a bucket.”
— Elinor MacDonald
“The well of Providence is deep.
It’s the buckets we bring to it that are small.”
— Mary Webb
Take some action –
Check with yourself,
What is your little voice telling you when you start to think about something great and wonderful?
Do you hear something like:
Aww. . that’s not for you.
Not in this lifetime!
Who do you think you are?
You don’t deserve it.
And just how do you think you are going to do that?
You don’t know how to do that!
What will ______ think?
Stop dreaming.
Don’t waste the effort.
What if it doesn’t work?
You don’t have the education/training.
And where are you gonna get the money for all that?
Why, you’ll just end up getting hurt.
Each one of these is a fear, doubt or worry – and they will continue holding you back as long as you let them.
All these ideas are supported by your protective ego mind.
They key is to question every self statement like these, and challenge their validity.
Ask yourself why you should believe in them,
Hwy you should follow them,
And why you should continue with them.
Ask;
Are they helping and supporting you in living the life you truly want.
You are deserving of anything you can think of – your past does not need to dictate your future – redefine yourself.
Affirmations are a good tool to help reprogram your chattering mind to dwell on what you want rather than keep you from it. The more you make emotionally backed statements the more they will become your commonplace thoughts.
Rise above all the negative chatter, and the limited level of your divine request.
Ask for it all – use a bigger bucket
Have you ever actually asked for everything you deeply want -how do you know it doesn’t work?
When you allow your ego based chatter to head you off right away – both you and the universe never really know what you truly want.
Then how can you and the universe do anything towards bringing it about?
Question this ‘blocking’ chatter – it’s your right!
John
Of course!. . . this is a loaded question.
Once again I am trying to help you to pay attention to your thoughts – all the time.
Let’s start today with a quotation so your perspective, while you are reading this, is aligned with what I am about to say regarding the above question.
“Don’t cling to anything and don’t reject anything. Let come what comes, and accommodate yourself to that, whatever it is.
If good mental images arise, that is fine.
If bad mental images arise, that is fine, too.
Look on all of it as equal, and make yourself comfortable with whatever happens. Don’t fight with what you experience, just observe it all mindfully.”
-Bhante Henepola Gunaratana, “Mindfulness in Plain English”
It does not matter where it came from, who wrote it, it is very thought provoking, it can get you thinking –
If you do think that who wrote it and what religion or philosophy they ascribe to, you are doing exactly what the quote is telling you not to.
If you decide it’s validity based on who said it, you close down any receptivity you may have to beneficial insight you could realize from openly entertaining the ideas.
And actively thinking on new and different ideas which may come from a perspective differing from our own is exactly what we all need in order to fully understand our own perspectives and to discover something new.
Most people who are actively working on growing their life know that you must be open to something new, otherwise all you can do is recycle what you currently understand – that’s not growth.
I know I probably need to tell you this, but just because you already know what I have just said, how much do you actually seek new ideas that may challenge what you know and deeply think about them?
We all know many things that can benefit us, but how much do we practice or use it?
OK,
This short quote says a lot,
I think you are aware of how your mind will immediately relate something in your immediate experience to similar situations from the past.
We will tend to interpret the new experience in a similar way as we have done before – there is a pattern established in your programmed mind.
And some emotional feelings will be attached to this, the same ones attached to your memory based on how you were involved in the prior experiences.
The emotional feelings are generally categorized as good or bad – but why?
These past emotional feelings are based on your reactions to something, not the thing itself.
A thing, situation or experience does not come pre-loaded with a specific emotional feeling.
That comes from our judgement, which is based on our personal perspective at the time.
And this pattern will repeat until you purposefully change it.
So, new experiences can be looked at differently than in the past, but you have to mentally realize what you are doing when you start to interpret and judge it.
– Your past programming is welling up.
As the quote states, not judging it at all is best, this way you are not applying a specific emotional label to the experience – it just is.
Further, the quote talks about allowing whatever feelings you get to be OK – don’t fight them.
I know about now, this may sound like I am talking in circles – don’t judge, allow, and be OK with whatever you feel.
Yes, all of it together at the same time.
This is another example of the harmony of life – it’s not all or nothing.
It IS about balancing both sides.
Allowing what is and being OK with it is just an observation.
You can notice how you feel about something without getting emotionally involve currently.
This way you are not adding more, new emotional energy to it, and
You can be separate from your feelings and better analyze the best way for you to feel about it.
Maybe in a different way than you have in the past.
Try to allow things to be as they are, not how you have categorized them in the past.
A new perspective takes a new approach
– try something new and different
– with an open mind.
Question authority!
Your mental authority –
Your unconscious mind that wants to keep things going as they have been.
Ask yourself:
Why did I react that way?
Why do I feel this way every time _______?
Why do I feel this way about him/her?
Ask yourself about any topic:
Why do I see it that way?
Why do I feel about it as I do?
Ask,
Ask,
Ask,
Ask,
Ask. . . .
If you want to know
———————————–
Remember, We Are One
How has your programmed perspective and interpretation affected the way you see and treat others?
How did these attitudes get started?
Do they need to remain this way forever?
Why not start from the idea of how you would rather interact others and then adjust your perspective to match.
Go make it better out there!
John
Lots of ‘things’ and ‘stuff’ getting in the way –
Breaking your routine,
Taking you off course,
Keeping you from doing what you want.
I’m sure you can relate.
Life has a way of being like this sometimes – distracted – jumbled.
I was out of town most of that last two weeks and had computer ‘issues’ – so no laptop to use while away.
During this time most of my routines and usual activities were upended, getting me off course and out of focus.
We all have these times and they can be frustrating if we allow them to be – I have been able to ‘breathe’ through it for the most part.
As most of you know, I talk a lot about paying attention to your thinking and managing your thought to be of more specific benefit to you.
Of course no matter how much you do this on a regular basis, times like my last two and a half weeks may come up.
This is just part of life and the important thing is to not allow these distractions to become permanent. You want them to be no more than temporary aberrations.
This actually can take some effort sometimes, if you allow it to go on too long your thinking and behavior routines can change.
You may stop doing some things that you had been doing temporarily at first – like me doing this newsletter every week – and then realize after some time has passed that it is no longer part of your day.
As humans, we seem to default to what is more comfortable and known – which may not include what you are doing to change your life and live your desired life.
There is a quote I heard a long time ago that goes something like this – “the first exception becomes the rule”
What this is saying is, the first time you stop something that you are doing, or you let yourself slip into thinking or doing something you really know you should not, it can become normal and routine for you.
For example, an alcoholic knows that their resolve is weakened when they let themselves have one drink.
It then becomes much easier to have another.
And so when you stop doing something you have been doing to progress in life, and you put it off, this can be the opening – it is easier to skip it again.
So, when these situations in life occur, like I just had, it is very easy to follow your ‘lazy’ protective, comfort-seeking ego mind into that mental-emotional comfort zone of repetitive sameness.
Don’t let a distraction stop your life growth.
When things come up that you need to deal with and this takes up most of your time, you must take care of it.
Your distraction may be work related, an emergency of some kind, illness, or whatever – it must be taken care of.
Do your best not to allow it to consume you completely, but it may.
Then make a strong effort to get back to what you want to be doing as soon as you can.
It’s like another saying, “If you’re bucked off the horse, get back on right away.”
The longer you wait, the harder it gets.
The key is to be in active command of your thinking and actions most of the time.
When you are in one of these ‘distractions’ as I call it, you may not be doing your morning routine
Such as meditating, planning your day, and intensifying your focus for example.
. . . you need to get back to it as soon as possible – don’t let the exception become the rule.
If you let all the ‘things’ and ‘stuff’ that can come up in life to be what you are about – it will be.
You can very easily spend your life only reacting to all of this.
Using your life as you desire and enjoying it takes some effort, and even more to keep it up so that you realize the results you want.
And one more point about life’s ‘distractions’, be OK with it while you are involved.
If you fight it and complain about it – you are only feeding it.
Flow with it all while keeping as much of your attention on the big picture of your life as possible
Getting stressed will only hurt you mentally and physically – stress does not fix, change or accomplish anything, but it is the worst thing you can do to your body.
So when your best intentions are derailed, get back on them ASAP
John
“The road to your championship will not be a smooth, wide and
easily traveled freeway. No, great accomplishments are never
realized without first having to endure steep climbs, hard
falls and sharp turns. The key to your success is perseverance
and focus. Keep your focus on that which you desire to accomplish,
your championship, and continually discover ways to, and ways not
to, achieve your goals. Fall down and/or get knocked down 10
times and get back up 11…, and in so doing learn, grow and
move closer to your championship.”
— Greg Werner (Strength and Conditioning Coach)
“The successful man is the average man, focused.”
— Source Unknown
“Courage means to keep working a relationship, to
continue seeking solutions to difficult problems,
and to stay focused during stressful periods.”
— Denis Waitley
And now A Quiz. . .
. . . to help you get unstuck from your distractions.
Sit back and let yourself relax a little bit – take a few slow deep breaths exhaling through your mouth, while telling yourself to ‘let go’ or ‘relax’
Ask yourself these questions after you are calm and relaxed – this will help calm your mind allowing you to get more clear with your responses.
What have I been thinking about the last 15 minutes?
What were my conscious thoughts focused on in the last hour?
What have been my predominant thoughts today?
. . . last week?
. . . last month?
Is something distracting me from what I want to be doing?
What can I do about it right now?
When will I get back to my desired activities?
What are those activities?
How will I make this happen?
Sometimes you just need to ask. . . yourself.
The answers are there, but only if you seek them – ask!
Don’t allow outside situations to take over your life – they are a part of life, not all of it.
You have the command – assume it!
John
Whitman said it like this: “Oh, while I live, to be the ruler of life, not a slave, to meet life as a powerful conqueror, and nothing exterior to me shall ever take command of me.”
Did you know that you could write the screenplay for the rest of your life?
Actually, there is a screenplay for the rest of your life being written right now and who do you think is writing it?
You are – who else would be qualified?
I know, you may wish that someone else were writing especially if you are not very satisfied with the results.
The question to ask yourself is – Is it fresh and new or are you repeating the same familiar plot line you have been using for a long time?
We are always writing our life script even if we are not aware that we are. If we are not aware of this we may not be getting what we want, as it occurs automatically.
You can however write your script consciously and purposefully as you decide.
Looking at the idea of designing your desired life by means of a movie script can be a helpful tool.
Some people are very fluid with their imaginations and can envision many exciting things, situations and attribute for themselves, where others are stuck not able to come up with much of anything other than what they now experience.
The idea of writing a potential script can sometimes be easier when you begin thinking it is for a fictional character. It helps you to see beyond your current reality, which may be all you can focus on.
Sometimes when we try to think about something new in life, our mind defaults back to our current experience and we end up dwelling on that – this does not support change and growth.
This method may allow you to get outside the box of your reality, open up your creativity and allow your deep-seated desires to surface.
Allow your thoughts to just flow, thinking what could happen if this or that occurred. What would a person that ______ be like? How would they think, act and feel. If you are writing for a movie you need to think of all this so the actors can see how to bring your character to life.
Think about the energy and emotional feelings that will be present with the character at a particular time, place and event. If you allow yourself to actually feel them you will best be able to convey them specifically to an actor. (yourself) Allow yourself to get into the smallest details – this will ensure the realism of the character.
You of course then step into the part and enjoy how it feels, experience yourself living with these details just as described.
This can be an on-going project where you keep adding and refining details.
Discussing this with yourself as you go over the details helps open up your thinking and draw out the details of enjoying your desires. You know how easy it is to discuss with yourself things you don’t like – do it that way – with energy and power.
Also, a very powerful part of this exercise is the actual writing. You will be utilizing more facets of your brain when you write this all down as you develop it. First you think about it, then say it to yourself when you write it down, which is a physical/mental action.
Doing these functions with imprint the ideas into your mind in several ways making the impression stronger.
Think it
Write it
Read it
Imagine it
Describe it
Discuss it
Play the part – in your mind
Re-write
Re-read
Imagine in more detail
Describe in more detail
Etc.
Keep going
The more detail, energy and emotion you apply to this the stronger it is
Remember, you don’t need to have actually done something before – only imagine it and feel it.
Now that you have this well described script describing what you want in your life – you have something to act on.
Give yourself some time and be patient with this – it may take a little time to get use to doing if you are not accustomed to thinking like this.
It would help to start out with getting yourself relaxed mentally and physically, this slows your brainwaves and is much more conducive to creative thought and intuition.
When you are thinking about developing deeper what ‘the character’ can do and feel ask yourself this question – “If that can happen, just imagine what can happen.”
One thing will always lead to another – if you allow it.
Enjoy
John
“I have learned this at least by my experiment: that if one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours.” — Henry David Thoreau
“What would it be like if you lived each day, each breath, as a work of art in progress? Imagine that you are a masterpiece unfolding, every second of every day, a work of art taking form with every breath.” — Thomas Crum
“The more you see yourself as what you’d like to become, and act as if what you want is already there, the more you’ll activate those dormant forces that will collaborate to transform your dream into your reality.” –Wayne Dyer
“Imagination is everything. It is the preview of life’s coming attractions.” — Albert Einstein
“What this power is, I cannot say. All I know is that it exists and it becomes available only when you are in that state of mind in which you know exactly what you want.” — Alexander Graham Bell
“All growth is a leap in the dark, a spontaneous unpremeditated
act without the benefit of experience.” — Henry Miller
“All men dream but not equally. Those who dream by night in
the dusty recesses of their minds wake in the day to find that
is was vanity, but the dreamers of the day are dangerous men,
for they may act on their dreams with open eyes, to make it
possible.” — T.E. Lawrence
Think about your energy level behind the thoughts you have for what you want in your life as opposed to your energy behind what you do not want?
I will take a guess here, there is a much stronger energy, thus emotion, behind what you don’t like or want.
This might just be what is keeping you aligned with what you don’t want and away from what you DO want.
You are flowing more energy into the ‘don’t want’ thoughts – And wa-la, the universe is responding as it does to your most energetic thoughts.
This automatic behavior of impressing negative thoughts with a high level of energy is one most of us have developed – but one we should make some changes to.
I’m not saying to try to ignore negative feelings or to pretend that they are not there – they are part of your normal emotion system. However, the amount of energy you apply to any thought and feeling is your choice.
If you are in the habit of applying stronger energy into the negative than you are the positive, guess how you have charged your emotions – to expound on the negative!
Your emotions do not come with a predetermined charge that you must be subject to – you can decide this.
The charge an emotion has for you comes from the kind and amount of energy you apply to it.
Think about it, I’m sure that you have noticed a difference in the emotional reactions you have to something versus someone you know. You may react, for example, more intensely to the death of a child than someone else, or a mistreated animal, or to someone not getting a job they wanted.
You know how you have maybe wondered why something doesn’t seem to affect someone else as it does you – or the opposite. Our level of energy behind an emotion varies – it is something we have each allowed to develop in our automatic behavior in our own unique way.
Like other thought, this too can be managed to better serve the life we want.
The reason for getting into this idea, of the energy behind your thoughts, is so that you can look at the amount of energy you apply to what you want versus what you don’t want.
Are you actually applying a sufficient level of energy to what you say you want?
You can tell by looking at your emotional feelings. Your emotional feelings will follow the energy applied.
If you don’t feel intense feelings about what you want, you are not putting enough energy into the thoughts.
Have you ever REALLY wanted something? To have something – like a new car, to be with someone, to go somewhere? Think about the intense feelings you had then.
This is an example of putting energy into a thought.
Also, using the negative, what about when you have been really upset about something – think about the power of the feelings you had. That is power!
Applying this kind of power is what is needed if you are to have the thoughts of what you want to be the most overpowering thoughts you are planting with the universe.
Remember, with your thoughts, you are planting seeds – make them well defined and potent. Weak, unspecific and low energy desires will be stuck in the ‘hope’ phase and never get results.
Your most prominent and powerful thoughts are what the universe responds to, and so do you. Looking carefully at your life right now reveals evidence of your predominate thinking.
This can include not really thinking about anything specific, and so your life goes – unspecific.
I remember Zig Zigglar use to say, “become a meaningful specific”. He was referring to taking command of your thinking rather than living a life of default – just allowing whatever comes up to be in control.
Also, managing your thinking is a 24 hour thing, you can’t just go through some specific thought exercises, going over what you want, and then spend the rest of the day allowing thoughts that oppose your desires.
If you allow much of your day to include thinking about what you don’t want or like, your frustrations, your worries and fears – what are you highlighting and enhancing for yourself?
I’m not saying that you need to keep your thoughts fixed on your desires all day – that wouldn’t work. But you need to be generally happy and satisfied right now – all the fears, doubts, dislikes and worries will dilute or negate the thoughts of your desires.
Learn to watch your thinking, feelings, reactions and behavior 24/7, it’s all a choice.
Choose to drop thinking that does not support being happy.
“Stop the mindless wishing that things would be different.
Rather than wasting time and emotional and spiritual energy
in explaining why we don’t have what we want, we can start
to pursue other ways to get it.” — Greg Anderson
“Whatever commands our time, energy and resources, commands
us.” — Tom Sine
“Power is the faculty or capacity to act, the strength and potency to accomplish something. It is the vital energy to make choices and decisions. It also includes the capacity to overcome deeply embedded habits and to cultivate higher, more effective ones.” — Stephen Covey
“Love the moment and the energy of the moment will spread beyond all boundaries.” — Corita Kent
Make your thoughts for what you want impressive and highly potent.
You’ve got to run an ad campaign for what you want in your life.
You know how companies selling products apply to your emotional hot buttons – you can do this to yourself to help intensify your feelings behind your desires in order to have them to be the greatest impression on yourself and the universe.
Lowering the energy you apply to what you don’t want or like and then increasing the energy behind what you do want is the goal.
The first step is to take conscious notice of your energy application, then you can make some assessments for yourself.
Following this, decide how you can alter the intensity to support more of what you want – to support your intention.
Looking at your feelings that come up, you can question yourself about them:
Why do I feel this way?
Do I need to feel this intensely about what I don’t like?
Can I feel more intense about what I want?
Some ways to get yourself more charged up about your desires:
Spend more time thinking about them allowing greater detail,
How much of my time goes to passive, unspecific thought and action,
Let your imagination run wild,
Specifically seek out how you WILL feel when you do, are, or experience it,
Write yourself into the part like a movie or story,
Get yourself into an assumptive mental state – that you are experiencing it now,
Ask yourself, how will I feel WHEN_____,
What fulfillment and satisfaction will you experience when you_____?
Generally, allow yourself to get riled up about it, in a good way. You do this by purposefully applying your thought to something.
You can read the amount and kind of energy you are applying to the thoughts by your emotional feelings about them.
Again, spend more time thinking about what you want.
Look at how much of your time, each day, you spend thinking about specific things. How much time goes towards what you don’t like, what you want and also when you aren’t thinking about anything specific?
How can you apply more to what you want?
Action follows your thought and experience follows your actions.
But first, your thoughts must be charged high enough in order for the universe to respond and for you to be properly motivated to do what you are guided to do.
You do have the equipment and ability to apply your thought energy to what you choose even though you may struggle with it at first. As with anything you try to learn, stick to it with the intention that you can do it at will.
So your first action is to think with intensity about what you want. Apply the time and energy to the thoughts of your desires. And, reduce the intensity of your negative or ‘don’t want’ thoughts.
Take charge, apply your energy to what you want – it’s worth it. Think on purpose!
Make a commitment to stick with this for at least 30 days so it will set in as a habit. Yes it may seem like a hopeless endeavor at first, be patient, you will come around.
John
“You must be the change you wish to see in the world.” — Mohandas Gandhi
“Success… My nomination for the single most important ingredient is energy will directed.” — Louis
Lundborg