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A Bad Case Of Writer’s Block

I haven’t been around lately because I have a bad case of writer’s block. Normally, I like to write and post on a regular schedule, but as of late, I cannot come up with the content to write about. Others have suggested that I re-purpose some of my old posts. When I think of doing that, I don’t get a good feeling about it, so I have scratched that option.

Before, I would get inspiration from anywhere (I am assuming like most of you). It could come from reading a book in one line in that book would turn into a post. Seeing someone on the street that mentioned something in passing; could turn into a post. Many times, inspiration would hit me while exercising, and I would write an article in my head, later transferring it to paper.

After discussing this issue with Cindy Georgakas of uniquelyfitblog.wordpress.com, she suggested writing about what I am experiencing. So here I am, and I will try to describe what I’m feeling the best I can. Please be aware that when I talk about God, I am talking about Infinite Intelligence, the Great Creator, the Universe, whatever word you use. I believe they were all talking about the same God, even if we come from different religions.

Before May, writing my blog posts was easy for me. I wake early, and the first thing I do is drink 24 ounces of water. While drinking, a thought enters my mind, and before I know it, I’m writing the next post. After I returned from my daughter’s graduation (yay Lindsey), the ideas stopped coming. I thought it would only last a couple of days, and I quickly resumed my daily routine.

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After giving thanks, meditation, and prayer, I sat down and opened my journal. Nothing came to me except a bad case of writer’s block. I just stared at the blank paper waiting to be filled with words. Since I have learned to enjoy writing, I couldn’t comprehend what was happening. Days turned into weeks; still no inspiration.

One of the confusing issues I have is that everything else in my life is going well. I am healthy, happy, and feel closer to God than ever before. I am reading more than I ever have. In contrast with my blog, the fictional novel I’m working on is almost writing itself. Ideas flow to me when I’m writing fiction. The scenes play out in my head like a movie. I then transition to writing my blog, and the ideas stop. Having a bad case of writer’s block is very frustrating.

Because I don’t know exactly what is happening, I have become inundated with questions. Is God pointing me in another direction? Am I supposed to put more effort into my other endeavors? Why is this resistance happening right now? Is the timing significant? How long will it last?

I know that God will always point me in the right direction. God is always taking care of me even when I stayed a good distance from Him. The answer will come sooner or later, in Divine timing. I trust and have complete faith.

If anyone has any suggestions, I am open and ready to receive them. I truly appreciate everyone who takes the time to visit my site and comment. Once again, thank you, Cindy. It feels good to be publishing a post once more.

Cites

https://unsplash.com/@steve_j

https://unsplash.com/@honza_kahanek

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Harold The King of Fear and Self-Doubt

It has been a while since I last posted, and, unbeknownst to me, I guess I needed a break. I have been dealing with resistance, and I could not come up with anything to write. I am still drawing a blank, therefore, I am posting about my friend Harold, the King of fear and self-doubt.

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Do You Have A Harold The King of Fear and Self-Doubt?

If you have read my story, you know that I lived with fear and self-doubt for 47 years. It was my inner turmoil despite all the achievements I had made in my life. It took battling cancer to begin to be myself, a confident and fearless man.

When I was younger, I focused on the future. The future is filled with anxiety and doubt. It caused me to look at my past which was filled with self-doubt. Everyone was better than me. My life, viewed from the outside, didn’t match what was going on in my head.

The Now

Today, I focus on what is happening now. I look inside myself and feel what’s going on. I ask myself, how am I feeling right now? If I experience something negative, I want to know how my body is feeling. What does my reaction feel like? Is my heart beating faster? Does my stomach feel like it’s in knots?

Focusing on the NOW has helped me control and eliminate fear and self-doubt. I understand that those thoughts don’t come for me. They come from other sources. For example, a baseball/softball player walks to the plate to face a great picture. He/she is not thinking they are going to strike out. They are thinking about hitting the ball. They don’t sabotage their at-bat by purposely thinking of the worst outcome. Those thoughts come from outside.

Doubt Demons

I call these entities that produce negative thoughts, Doubt Demons. I have struggled with my Doubt Demons in the past. In the last couple of years, I have been able to remove most of them from my head. All except Harold. Harold is rooted pretty deep. He moved in early in my life and has made quite a home.

Like the old man living on Mount Saint Helens before the eruption, he isn’t leaving. Harold is the annoying roommate. He appears at the worst times and will not shut up. All my bad thoughts, fears, and self-doubts come from Harold.

Becoming Friends

Since it seems I can’t get rid of him, I have made friends with Harold. When he appears, I laugh at his efforts and send him back to his room. Because Harold’s only purpose is to keep me where I am, he has perfected his technique. What Harold doesn’t know is that I have a secret weapon.

Since I have grown spiritually, Harold’s old techniques don’t work anymore. He doesn’t hang around very long when he appears. If he did, he would be destroyed by my faith. Harold and faith cannot exist together.

Hit The Switch

Harold is darkness. To destroy darkness, one has to introduce light. Faith is light. Harold’s technique now is to appear for a microsecond. He appears; I have a brief feeling of doubt inside, and he is gone. That’s all it takes, a microsecond.

Jesus said, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you can move mountains. How much doubt does it take not to move a mountain? It would be a lot smaller than a mustard seed. Harold knows it only takes one quick thought of doubt to stop me from manifesting change in my life.

It is time for Harold, the King of Fear and Self-Doubt to go permanently. I continue my readings, research, and studies. As I grow spiritually, Harold will eventually have to pack up and move out. I will gladly help him pack his bags and do the duffel bag drag into oblivion. My faith will continue to grow until I become the person I am meant to be.

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Life In The Jungle

This is a post I wrote back in December about life in the jungle. I am traveling this week to go see our youngest daughter graduate from college. Therefore, I am reposting this article about focusing on what is happening around you as it is happening. Don’t get caught up with the past or the future; live now. I hope you enjoy this tiny glimpse into my life in the jungle.

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My Life In The Jungle

Life in the jungle was both boring and exciting. It all depended on what was happening and could change in an instant. Living in the now became commonplace. There wasn’t a lot of time to be thinking about the past or worry about the future.

Life inside our base camp was mostly monotonous. For example, I spent a lot of time cleaning and prepping gear, as well as reading. We looked forward to going on operations and getting into the jungle. The temperature inside the tent would quickly reach 100 degrees. I don’t remember ever being cool or dry; I was always sweating.

It Can Be Scary

One day as I was lying in my bunk reading and sweating, I was suddenly startled by the “burp” of a machine gun. I saw bullet holes appearing in the roof of the tent. I immediately rolled off my bunk onto the floor, grabbing my weapon. My teammates and I made our way outside the tent. Much to our dismay, we saw the Peruvian commander standing outside the barracks across from our tent holding an Uzi machine gun.

The weapon was seized on a mission the day before, and the commander wanted to test fire it. Not being familiar with the weapon, he did not know how to handle it. Without any warning, he pointed the weapon at the sandbag wall facing our tent and squeezed the trigger. The Uzi recoiled violently up and to the right. He lost control, and the rounds went over the wall, into our tent. We had to be living in the now because these events can happen at any time.

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Amigos

Always Waiting

Our base camp was in the Upper Huallaga Valley in Peru. This area was controlled by the Sendero Luminoso communist terrorist organization. They would protect the narco-traffickers and did not like us gringos. Occasionally, they would attack our base camp. We always had to be ready. Almost nightly, we were called by U.S. intelligence agencies warning us of a pending attack they had overheard on radio traffic. Life in the jungle was exciting on these nights.

One night I was dead asleep when I was awoken by two explosions. Thinking it was another attack, we proceeded to our defensive positions. Later we found out it was just a Peruvian police officer. He’d gone a bit crazy and attacked others inside the base camp with grenades and rifles. Luckily no one was injured.

Thinking About The Good Times

The other day as I was reminiscing about life in the jungle, I realized that most people are not aware of what is happening right now. They are too busy thinking about the past and the future. Learning to live in the now is important. Your thoughts are mostly comprised of your past and future. If something bad happened yesterday, you dwell on it for days. It can create anger that boils inside of you. If your thoughts are constantly about the future, are you wondering how things will turn out? Wondering can create anxiety and worry.

You can take control of your thoughts by focusing on what is happening right now. Look for all the good things going on around you. Concentrate on living in the now. I was lucky to learn this growing up, even though I didn’t know I was doing it. Therefore, I didn’t realize how important it was, but I do now.

Dad

My father inadvertently taught me how to live in the now. He loved the outdoors, and we spent vacations camping, hiking, and enjoying nature. Dad always taught me to stop, look around, and observe everything. Observe the plants, animals, and sky. Everything that God had created. Many people go on a hike and never look up. They don’t stop and enjoy the beauty.

In the jungle, outside of the base camp, we had to be living in the now. There was no time for the past or future. Many things can kill you including, snakes, insects, animals, and narco-traffickers. We learned to intently focus on what was going on around us; this was life in the jungle.

Situational Awareness

I had to be aware of everything around me at that precise moment. Listening for unusual sounds and looking for any movements. I had to be able to tell if anything was out of place. I had to be aware of where I was stepping and where I would put my hands. Thinking about the past or future would get me killed. I was forced to focus only on living in the now.

The lessons from the jungle serve me well today. I still have thoughts about the past and the future, but today they are controlled. As a result, because I control my thoughts, I am living in the now even when I am thinking. If I feel negative feelings creeping in, I stop and focus on what is happening now to cause those feelings. I use my five senses to immerse myself in the now.

Experience Everything

If you are experiencing anxiety, stop, open your five senses, and begin living in the now. Think about what is causing these feelings and how you can stop them. Experience everything around you as it is happening. Let your worries float away and be happy to be alive.

I won’t be posting this weekend as I enjoy time with my daughter and the rest of the family. I am immensely proud of her accomplishments. My family and I want to wish all the mothers an early Happy Mother’s Day. Celebrate your mother and make her day special.

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Control Your Thoughts

It is said that you have 20,000 thoughts a day. By learning to control your thoughts, you can live the life you want to live. I am grateful I have learned to be conscious and control my thoughts. As I grow, it becomes more important to me because I have more free time now. More free time means more thoughts bombarding my mind.

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Control Your Thoughts As You Get Older

When I was younger, I had so much going on that I didn’t have time to think. I focused on the ongoing activities that were happening around me. Now, there are fewer activities so without controlling the thoughts they could easily take over.

I control my thoughts and I live the life I want to live. I don’t leave it up to chance to determine the life that I’m going to have. The past doesn’t matter. It has happened, and there is nothing I can do about changing it. In fact, I would not want to.

Good or bad, my past has shaped me into the man I am today. All my mistakes were lessons to be learned. The challenges I went through built up my strength and perseverance. My future is what I want it to be. I determine my path by my thoughts, words, and actions.

How Do You Feel?

The person I will become is not the same person writing today. I am changing and improving as I write this post. The most important time in my life is right now. Not necessarily the actual events happening right at this moment, but how I feel about those events.

How do I feel and react to the things happening to me as I write? I feel joy because it makes me happy to put pen to paper. The feeling of my right hand resting on the sheet of paper in my journal. Listening to the quiet, soft sounds of the early morning. These are what is going on, and it goes beyond my five senses. It has become a feeling for me. I feel the energy in my body vibrating; the warmth in my chest as I experience joy in the smallest things.

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https://unsplash.com/@neonbrand

You can control your thoughts and determine your path. It is the difference between living unconscious or conscious. Being unconscious is letting the thoughts in your mind control you. You are not aware of most of the thoughts you are allowing to enter your mind.

Live In The Now

If you spend time thinking about the past and the future and it is causing you to feel worried and anxious, you live unconsciously. You don’t believe that you have any control over what is going to happen to you. Your unconscious mind allows negative feelings to take over, and you have no control over these feelings. That is not true.

Being aware of what is happening now, the thoughts you are having and, the feelings you are experiencing is living a conscious life. As life happens around you, how do you feel? For example, if someone cuts me off in traffic, it makes me angry. How does anger feel in my body? My chest feels closed, there is a pit in my stomach, and I feel the tension rising in my face and head.

Choices

At this moment, I have a choice, I can keep those uncomfortable feelings and remain angry, or I can release them. The moment has passed therefore, there is no need to hang on to the anger. You can control your thoughts and feelings by recognizing what is happening to your body and taking control of these feelings.

Recognize when your thoughts are making you feel uncomfortable and change them. Begin to think of the life you want to live, not the life you are living. Picturing yourself living your ideal life will change your feelings to ones of peace and happiness. It is a process that will take some time, but if you want to change your life bad enough, trust and enjoy the process. Control your thoughts, and you can control your life.

Cites

https://unsplash.com/@agni11

https://unsplash.com/@neonbrand

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What Am I Afraid Of

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We are almost to May, and now is a great time to do a SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats) analysis and see how far you have come in 2022. When you look at your weaknesses, ask yourself; What am I afraid of? Check if any fears hold you back. Many people overlook a big reason they aren’t moving forward, the fear of success.

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Ask Yourself, What Am I Afraid Of

Take a moment and ask yourself, what am I afraid of? There are many fears which can be reasons for your lack of success. One of the most prevalent fears is the fear of criticism by others. Some people care more about what others think of them than their success. Are you one of them? If so, stop! No one is more important than you.

I have a fear of heights or, a better way to put it, a fear of falling from great heights. Recently, I was able to experience this fear once again. My wife and I went to the Boca Museum of Art to see the Machu Picchu exhibit. There were almost 200 gold and pottery exhibits from the Incan Empire. In addition, there was a virtual reality experience.

My Fear Of Falling

I walked into the room, climbed into a pod, sat down, and put on my VR headset. After some brief instructions, I was standing in Machu Picchu. An Incan spirit guide appeared before me, and it all began. Next, we were given the power of flight by the Condor God and began rising above the great city. It happened so quickly that my fear of heights immediately kicked in.

It is incredible how real it seemed. I was not a few feet off the ground but thousands of feet in the air. Of course, this was all in my mind. In reality, my feet were only about a foot off the floor. I had to control my fear and keep telling myself where I was. Soon, my fear was under control, and I was enjoying my time flying above Machu Picchu.

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The Fear Of Success

My definition of success is making the most out of gifts you are given at birth in your lifetime. One thing that can hold you back is the fear of success. You might not even realize this fear exists in you. How can you be afraid of the one thing you strive to become? For example, many people would like to become famous, but their lives would have to change to do so. The brain is resistant to change, therefore; you have a fear of success.

The fear of success is powerful and deceptive. It can take the form of procrastination and excuses. If you are successful, you would have to establish another level of comfort. A promotion at work could mean more responsibility. Your fear of success in your mind could sabotage this goal.

What Fears Do You Have?

Whatever fears you have are created in your mind. You can learn to control your mind and also control your fears. Learn to make peace with your fears instead of trying to eliminate them from your mind. As many times as I have jumped out of airplanes and flown in helicopters, I still cannot eliminate my fear.

What am I afraid of? A few things, but I have control over them. Take control of your life and go out and get what you deserve. Never let any fears get in your way of accomplishing your goals. By being honest with yourself, you can see if you have the fear of success. Once you have identified it, you can control it like you can control all your fears. Nothing can stop you!

Cites

https://unsplash.com/@russ_jay

https://unsplash.com/@agnieszkam

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Celebrate Small Victories

Winning is hard. To win at any contest or life is a difficult endeavor; you must be at your best. Winning championships is even more difficult. Championships will only come after you have first won many games. Games are small compared to a championship, but they should be celebrated as much or more than being crowned champions. In other words, without winning the less significant games, there is no championship trophy to hoist. Make sure you celebrate small victories.

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Celebrating Small Victories

Living the life you want to live is like winning a championship. It can be hard to obtain, and you have to do the right things consistently to become the person you want to be. There are many victories along the way, large and small. Celebrate small victories as much as obtaining your ultimate goal.

Your eyes opened this morning; small victory. You breathe, and your heart pumps blood to your vital organs without thinking about it;  small victories. There is food in the refrigerator; a small victory. I can write this post; small victory.

In a previous post, I told the anecdote about the golfer cussing after each swing while Sofia and I celebrated every time we struck the ball well. Each bad word that left his mouth only brought him more bad swings. On the other hand, each time we celebrated returned to us good swings, and we got better as the day went on. Celebrate small victories.

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https://unsplash.com/@nixcreative

Find And Celebrate Small Victories

Look around and find everything you can be thankful for and celebrate all things. If you are losing weight and becoming healthier, celebrate the small victory of putting on your workout clothes. Celebrate starting your car and driving to the gym. Smile and feel the joy of walking into the gym and knowing you are becoming healthier. In Divine Timing, small victories will add up to huge, huge wins for you.

The other evening, Sofia and I were out by the pool practicing our golf swing, and she felt a raindrop. I looked up, and there wasn’t a cloud above us. We live in Florida, the sunshine state, so that is not unusual. Soon, one raindrop turned into 10, and 10 turned into 100. Then millions of raindrops poured from the sky for ½ hour.

Give Thanks

This is an excellent example of the Law of Attraction. If you give thanks for one raindrop, millions will follow. Imagine being a farmer during a drought and feeling a raindrop. Instead of celebrating the small victory and giving thanks, the farmer complained that it wasn’t enough. No rain would come. Conversely, if the farmer celebrated the small victory, a deluge would be on its way. Celebrate finding a penny just as you would finding millions. It is a small representation of what is out there for you. Feel the same way you would feel finding that suitcase of money, and soon millions will follow.

If you want to change your life, celebrate small victories. It will not take long before you start seeing the changes in yourself. Each change no matter how large or how small is leading you to become the person you want to be.

Cites

https://unsplash.com/@lukephotography

https://unsplash.com/@nixcreative

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Find Your Inner Child

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Today I want to talk about belief. Many people lose sight of their dreams when they enter adulthood. We forget how to believe like a child. Our childhood beliefs become replaced by anxiety and worry as adults. Find your inner child and begin believing in your dreams again.

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Find Your Inner Child And Believe

The holiday season is a wonderful time to reflect on your childhood. As a child, you believed all things are possible without question. A man in a red suit, sleigh, and flying reindeer will fly around the world, in one night, and deliver presents to every child.

If you have been good all year, you get the nice present you asked for. In contrast, if you have been a bad boy or girl, you will find coal in your stocking. These unquestioned beliefs resulted in many a wonderful childhood. You might have grown up, but you should find your inner child and continue to believe once again.

Believe In Your Dreams

Believe in your dreams with the same unquestioning passion you had as a child. The only reason you stopped believing was you entered adulthood. Family, bills, your career, and all of the situations associated with adulthood kill your dreams.

Find your inner child and begin to believe you can change. The Bible says, “Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.” Mark 11:24 NIV. As long as you believe and do not doubt, it will be yours. The timing though is up to God.

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Law Of Attraction

This is how the Law of Attraction works, Ask, Believe, and Receive. Belief, mixed with emotion, is the key ingredient in this formula. You must erase all doubt. You might ask for something but do not believe it in your heart, therefore, you never receive it. Ask God to release all doubt within you.

When you find your inner child, you have no doubt. Doubt comes into your mind through your experiences in life. As a child, your parents told you that Santa would come down your chimney and deliver presents on Christmas Eve. The next morning, Christmas Day, you wake up and find the gifts you asked for under the tree. You asked, believed, and received. There was never any doubt.

Reflect On Your Childhood

Today, reflect on your childhood and remember those wonderful days. If you’re not living the life you want to live, decide to make a change. Commit to your decision and begin to believe like a child. Dust off your forgotten dreams and start dreaming again.

Begin to develop daily habits of prayer, affirmations, and meditation. Tell yourself every day, “I release all doubt;” “I release everything that is holding me back.” Do this several times a day, every day, and begin to build belief. In time, your doubts will appear less often, and you will feel the belief building inside of you.

Ask God

Ask God for what you want and believe in your heart that you will receive it. Remember that the Bible also tells us to ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways. James 1:5-8 ESV.

Take some time for yourself to relax and reflect on your childhood. Find your inner child and the ability to believe like a child.

Cites

https://unsplash.com/@profwicks

https://unsplash.com/@carolynchristine

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Enjoy The Process

In all endeavors, there is a process to get from point A to point B. Learning to walk is a process, so was taking a vacation. You have to pack, get to the airport, go through security, board the plane, arrive at your vacation spot, and God forbid, don’t forget anything. Whatever you’re trying to improve in your life, please enjoy the process.

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Learn To Enjoy The Process

In the past, I didn’t enjoy the process of anything. The process of going on vacation was such a hassle it diminished the fun of the first few days for me. In contrast, today, I have learned to love the process as much or more than the result.

Last week, I was gifted an excellent example of what I am talking about. The Mrs. and I were at the Driving Range hitting golf balls. We recently took up the game, and neither of us is good at it. As we were hitting, and the balls were going wherever they wanted to, I heard behind me a distinct word beginning with a F***. Turning around, I saw a man swing, hit the ball, and immediately shout F***! He didn’t look like he was having a good time.

Fore!!

Sofia and I would swing, hit the ball, analyze what we did wrong, and rejoice when we hit it well. We understand to become good at something is a process. It might take 10,000 swings before we hit the ball consistently well.

It is important for us to play well, so we signed up for a lesson with a professional. Within five swings, I hit the ball straighter, farther, and with more consistency. It is all a process. Soon we will be able to drive around a course and enjoy the game with friends.

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https://unsplash.com/@jpineapplepen

Enjoying The Process Of Writing

I have finished the first draft of Chapter 1 of my book; yea me! I enjoy the process of writing. Opening up my creativity and coming up with the story brings me joy. Once I begin, I don’t want to stop, but it is hard to walk after sitting for hours writing. I should get a timer and move around every twenty minutes or so.

I am not focused on the end result of my novel or golf game. The only thoughts, and more importantly, feelings I have, are about the joy of the process. Feeling happy while I’m in the process increases my vibration and attracts more ideas. It is how I open up my creativity. Before I pick up my pen, I like to meditate and open myself up, getting the creative juices flowing.

Enjoy Getting Healthy

Most people who want to get healthy don’t enjoy the process; I know I never did. They are just like me and want to skip the monotonous, exhausting process of changing their diet and exercise. Like me, they want to skip all that and get to the results. They suffer through it, but that is the wrong approach.

For example, my daughter Nicole is training for a fitness competition in June. Every morning she eats plain oatmeal, cinnamon, and an egg white. In support of her, I am eating the same. It is tasteless gruel, and we complain to each other and suffer. I realized that was only attracting negativity. We started looking at the meal not as gruel but as a healthy meal that will help her win. It is part of the process of changing our bodies, and we enjoy it.

How Do You View Situations?

It is all how you look at things. Focus on enjoying the process, and the results will come. I hope and pray everyone is well. I appreciate every one of you who takes the time to visit my site and read my posts.

Cites

https://unsplash.com/@shotbyrain

https://unsplash.com/@jpineapplepen

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Resistance Will Hit You

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Resistance will hit you when you least expect it. I experience resistance when things are going great; it is how life challenges and tests my belief and faith. Last December resistance hit me hard. I did not have any inspirations to write. My mind was blank.

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Get Ready, Resistance Will Hit You

I did have a great Thanksgiving week last year; full of the 4 F’s, food, family, friends, and football. The holiday fell at the perfect time for me because I knew I wanted to take a break. I knew I was dealing with resistance.

When you experience resistance, you find the lessons that you are meant to learn

– Jon Gordon

I wanted to get out of my daily routine for a short time. Every day I start by giving thanks, praying, exercising, journaling, and meditating. I felt it was becoming just a drill, and I was not getting everything out of it. Every once in a while, it is good to step back and take a break.

The tendency to follow the path of least resistance guarantees failure in life.

– Brian Tracy

Do It In Moderation

I believe in doing everything in moderation. I am the type of person that can get obsessed with one thing and ignore other important things in my life. My years of experience have taught me that moderation is a better course for me.

So last week, I went a couple of days without any inspiration to write; I knew I was dealing with resistance. Resistance is that feeling inside you that you want to do something but are also unmotivated to start. It is a force to counter your forward progress. If you have ever attempted to create something, you have probably experienced resistance at some point. No one is immune to it.

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https://unsplash.com/@steve_j

The real problem has far less to do with what is really out there than it does with our resistance to finding out what is really out there.

– Barbara Brown Taylor

Why?

I knew I was dealing with resistance when I began to notice my thoughts. The question, Why was prevalent in my thoughts. Why was I writing? Why was I starting another business? I began to focus on my lack of progress or success in certain areas. I ignored all the progress and success I am having in many more areas. Resistance will hit you, so be prepared.

If I have resistance to something, it means there’s something wrong. The resistance to me is a sign of fear.

– Billy Corgan

Resistance will hit you and is the reason most younger people do not live out their dreams. They believe there is always time. There is no sense of urgency. For example, more people today are living to be 100 than when I grew up. If you are 20 years old, that gives you 80 more years to achieve your dreams. The lack of urgency is why many people do not get wealthy until their 40s and 50s. We live in an unlimited universe, but we do not have unlimited time.

Resistance cannot be seen, touched, heard, or smelled. But it can be felt.

– Steven Pressfield

Light A Fire Under You

No one is promised tomorrow. Last November marked the first anniversary of the passing of my friend Tom. He appeared healthy one day, and a few days later, he was gone. Never take today for granted. You might not have tomorrow.

If you find yourself dealing with resistance, ask yourself two questions.

1. If you were told you had a week to live, what would you do?

2. If Death appeared before you today and said, It is time, what regrets would you have?

The main question is, What are you waiting for?

Cites

https://unsplash.com/@stillnes_in_motion

https://unsplash.com/@steve_j

InspireChief5 Comments

Sign Your Name To It

My mother always told me, “Scott, if you’re going to do something, do it right.” Those words left an impression on me. What she meant was, whatever you choose to do, do it to the best of your ability. You don’t have to be perfect at it, but you have to give it 100%. In other words, sign your name to it.

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Sign Your Name To It

Sign your name to it is something I have always told my children. I didn’t care what they wanted to do with their life, as long as they did it to the best of their ability. When they wanted to play sports, I told them to strive to be the best player they could be. Don’t just be on the team and wear the uniform; give it 100% and contribute to helping the team win.

Some people are genetically superior athletes, and they tend to play professional sports. If you didn’t inherit those genes, it doesn’t matter how hard you train; they will always be better. Deciding to become a professional athlete would mean you would have to train much harder than them. You would have to be the best you; if you wanted to make the team.

The Gym

I go to the gym every morning and see people who train incredibly hard. They are there every day, and I call them gym rats. In contrast, I see people that can barely walk on the treadmill at a slow pace. The ones that train hard are in great shape and have little body fat. The others, not so much. For them to transform their bodies, they must change their habits and lifestyle.

If you want to become a healthier person and decide you need to do more exercise, the gym is a great place to start. Mentally you have to think of yourself as a gym rat, even if you do not look like one. It is more important to be at the gym daily than it is to spend a lot of time there. Your workouts periods will increase as you get in better shape.

sign-your-name-to-it-woman-man-exercising-gym
https://unsplash.com/@grahammansfield1

Sign Your Name To It With Consistency

It is a process that starts with showing up. Develop a weekly training plan and reward yourself for sticking to it. You do not have to keep up with the gym rats, but you have to be there. Work out the best you can for that given day. It does not always have to be great but at the end of your workout, sign your name to it.

Deciding to make a change for your personal development is half the battle. Commitment is what it takes to win the battle. It comes down to being a professional or an amateur. Professionals show up every day even when they do not feel like it; amateurs don’t. Professionals embrace practice and failure; amateurs do not.

Is Motivation Enough?

In an earlier post, I wrote about the difference between motivation and self-discipline. It is hard to be motivated every day to eat healthily, go to the gym, write, etc. A professional does not need the motivation to do the things they are supposed to do. They have developed the self-discipline to do the right things every day. They sign their name to their daily habits. An amateur goes to the gym only when they are feeling well. Any little ache or pain becomes a rationalization or excuse not to go.

Writing

Writers write daily. They do not always write 2000 words a day, but they write. It is only through this consistent effort that they meet their publishing deadlines. I have recently dove into the world of writing a novel. It is a daunting task. Developing the daily habits of writing and researching will be the only way I will complete it. I keep telling myself to sign your name to it; every day that I write.

Also, I have incorporated the idea of becoming a professional in my golf game. No, I do not have any delusions of making money playing golf. It is not an easy game to learn and requires self-discipline. By being self-disciplined, I work on my swing every day. Some days, I will swing 100 times, and then there are days when I only take ten swings. It is about doing the best I can on any given day and doing it consistently.

Do you have any part of your life you are trying to improve? Are you trying to learn a different skill? If so, enjoy the process. Work on it daily and forget about the results. The results will come; you have to practice delayed gratification. Do the best you can no matter how you feel and develop self-discipline. Most importantly, sign your name to it.

Cites

https://unsplash.com/@britishlibrary

https://unsplash.com/@grahammansfield1

InspireChief4 Comments