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Being The Best You

How do you accomplish being the best you? What steps, if any, do you take to live your best life? Do you feel a need to justify your existence? These are excellent questions that pop into my head as I continue to grow spiritually.

I do not believe anyone has to justify their existence. You do not need to achieve a certain position or leave a legacy. Publishing books and creating masterpieces are wonderful, but they will not be necessary to justify your time here.

Are You Being The Best You

Simply being is all the justification you need. People can spend their entire lifetime trying to rise to a level at work or creating a masterpiece yet never live. All their time, energy, and focus are given to accomplishing an endeavor, and their life passes them by. They fail to stop and enjoy the day as it is. Life becomes a series of results for them, possibly even a burden. In the end, they never reached the justification that they sought.

Being the best you is accomplished by focusing on yourself. Spend 10-30 minutes a day on yourself. Last week I wrote a post about contemplation and meditation. Take a moment to read about spending time on yourself. By doing so, you will begin to realize how special you are and how to begin seeing everything the world has to offer.

Your Great Identity

Focus your energy inward and discover your true self. Your identity is within you and is greater than you can ever imagine. Being the best you is accomplished in the moment, the now. It is the only place free from the traumas of the past and the fears of the future. In the now, that very moment in time and space, you can conquer all challenges. It is here that you defeat all fears.

Being the best you is creating your own reality. You are free to accept the events and feelings you want and to reject the ones you don’t. You have within you the gift of living the life you want to live. If you don’t like your current situation, you can change it anytime.

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https://unsplash.com/@alex_andrews

Create Yourself

Being the spiritual being that you are, you are responsible for your feelings. Whether you are a happy person or a miserable person, you created that person. We have all known people in our lives that influenced our development. For example, most parents tell their children limiting beliefs because they want to keep them safe. They don’t talk about an unlimited world mainly because it only exists in the spiritual world. Their eyes have not been opened yet.

In the spiritual world, every thought changes your reality. You are creating your future as you read this; whether you believe it or not, it is happening for everyone in the world. Collectively, we as humans create or destroy the world we live in by our thoughts and actions.

We Can Change The World

Currently, collective thought has created a world that is heading down a dangerous path. Together we can change reality for everyone by creating a world of unconditional love and kindness. The more people who believe in spending time creating better thoughts and actions, the more positive impact we will have.

Do you want to change the world? Then start being the best you.

Cites

https://unsplash.com/@fcornish

https://unsplash.com/@alex_andrews

InspireChief8 Comments
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Contemplation And Meditation

As I think about my life over the last two years, I realize how much different I am as a person today. I am a much better human being and more at peace. I owe this improvement to contemplation and meditation. Beginning a daily habit of taking time for myself and learning about meditation is one of the best things I have done.

“I am daily making myself what I am.”

~Robert Thurman

Meditation And Contemplation Are Kindred Souls

Contemplation and meditation are different but also closely related. Contemplation means focusing your mind on a specific subject or object. For example, the beauty of a tree in autumn or a feeling you had about an event. Meditation is keeping the mind blank; being aware of your being or essence.

In a meditative state, your mind is free to accept feelings, images, and ideas; the art of observation without thought. Meditation takes much practice, and it can be difficult to master even in a lifetime. On the other hand, contemplation is easier, and you might want to start with it. They are both ways to look at ourselves and others in a relaxed spirituality. There is no time like today to get started.

Contemplation

To begin contemplation, find a place where you will not be interrupted for 10 to 30 minutes. Get comfortable and relax all your muscles. Start with focusing your thoughts on yourself. Ask yourself; who you are at this moment. Get to know yourself; what is your identity? Are you content with who you are, or do you need a change? Is there anything holding you back? The point is to remove the masks and false images you show the world, bringing out your true self.

We have all built up layers of defenses. Contemplation and meditation will help you remove these layers and get a true understanding of who you are. Spending time daily on yourself will not only help you to relax but is engaging your creative mind and connecting you to the universe.

Meditation

Meditation is more difficult, but it stops the deluge of thoughts that normally invade our minds. At first, you might only be able to stop these thoughts for a minute or two; soon, you notice one creep back in. We all have so much going on in our lives that it is hard to block unwanted thoughts for a long time. Meditation can help you achieve this.

Begin with 20 minutes of meditation. Sit or lie comfortably, and make sure you do not fall asleep. Close your eyes and begin long, slow, deep breaths. Focus your mind on your breathing. Relax all your muscles starting with the face and jaws and working down through your body. Tell yourself you are in a beautiful, peaceful place.

Let Them Float Away

As scattered thoughts in your mind, let them float away. I picture placing them in a bubble over my head and watching them float away pop and vanish. Be mindful of the moment. Listen to the sounds around you and connect to the moment. Enjoy the feelings of peace and joy. Be aware of your feelings, emotions, and thoughts that are here are with you right now; this is mindfulness.

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https://unsplash.com/@sagefriedman

Meditation frees our minds to go anywhere and gives us clarity. It can help answer a question you have or give you an idea for your next venture. These clarifying thoughts can only be reached in a relaxed meditative state and by focusing on the now.

“In us, there is a river of feelings, in which every drop of water is a different feeling, and each feeling relies on all the others for its existence. To observe it, we just sit on the bank of the river and identify each feeling as it surfaces, flows by, and disappears.”

~ Thich Nhat Hanh

Still Learning

Contemplation and meditation are different yet share a kindred soul. They are a way to improve your health, both mentally and physically. Learning to spend time daily on me has changed me for the better. Even though I have a long way to go, I am learning and growing as each moment passes by. If you decide to try it, if nothing else, you might find that just getting into a relaxed state every day will do wonders for your body and mind.

Thank you for reading and following my blog. Let me know in the comments if you receive any benefits from contemplation and meditation. I appreciate each one of you.

Cites

Weiss, Brian L. “Chapter 11 Contemplation and Meditation.” Same Soul, Many Bodies: Discover the Healing Power of Future Lives through Progression Therapy, Free Press, New York, NY, 2005, pp. 166–179.

https://unsplash.com/@ianstauffer

https://unsplash.com/@sagefriedman

InspireChief4 Comments
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Mr. Peaches and Unconditional Love

One of the most important skills we can learn in our time on this beautiful spinning rock is unconditional love. I believe it is our purpose while we are here. Some of the best examples of unconditional love come from animals. If you have ever had a pet, you know what I mean. Here is a story about Mr. Peaches and unconditional love.

Unconditional Love From Mr. Peaches

I learned of a wonderful story from a friend, Linda who I was introduced to by my wife. Linda learned lessons about unconditional love from a squirrel. Yes, a wild animal that lives in trees and is part of the rodent family. I always find it amazing the different ways God uses to teach us these important lessons.

Around August 2019, Linda was outside her home when she noticed a fur ball on her deck. It was a baby squirrel, about a month old and it wasn’t moving. She brought the squirrel inside and began giving it water from an eyedropper. The baby slowly began to gain strength and progressed to solid food. It particularly loved peaches, so naturally, Linda started calling him, Mr. Peaches.

The Florida Room

Mr. Peaches was raised by Linda and stayed in the Florida Room of her house. For those who have never heard of a Florida Room, it is essentially a closed-in porch on the back of the house with a roof. Mr. Peaches slept in a wicker basket and played by running around his new home.

Since squirrels like to live up high in trees, Linda’s father built Mr. Peaches a beautiful pagoda. He loved his new home. Mr. Peaches would show his appreciation and love by crawling in Linda’s lap and snuggling up to her.

@thelifeofmrpeaches

Love! ♥️🐿🍑 #mrpeaches #thelifeofmrpeaches #lifeispeachy #love #lifeisgooddance #strangepets #squirrels #goodvibes #cutepets #laborday #floridalife

♬ Nature Boy (Remastered) – Nat King Cole
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The Return

One morning, about eight months later, Linda came to greet Mr. Peaches but he was gone. She found a hole in the screen where he had chewed through. It saddened her to think he was gone for good. But not Mr. Peaches … No. Two days later he came scurrying around her pool and climbed on her pants leg. He was back!

They turned the hole into an entry/exit for Mr. Peaches to come and go as he pleased. Soon, Linda noticed that Mr. Peaches had built a dome-shaped structure in the pagoda out of the inside of palm trees. He had made a nest in his new home. Many days he would lie under his dome with just his head peeking out.

He Was Free

Mr. Peaches would come and go whenever the desire hit him. Some days she would find him at home and on others, he was out; growing and exploring. Like our children, animals have an instinct that it is time to branch out independently. In May 2021, Mr. Peaches left and didn’t return.

For almost two years, Mr. Peaches showed Linda and everyone who met him the true meaning of unconditional love. He was always friendly and unafraid and would approach everyone who came to Linda’s house.

Mr. Peaches Is A Children’s Book

Linda was so taken by the love shown by Mr. Peaches, that she wrote a children’s book titled, The Life of Mr. Peaches. He even had his own social media pages on Instagram and TikTok. You can find the book by clicking on the link above in the book title. Mr. Peaches is an example of how animals can be used to teach unconditional love. Maybe one day we humans will evolve and learn to love each other with the same unconditional love Mr. Peaches has.

Cites

https://unsplash.com/@halofourteen

InspireChief14 Comments
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How Do You Handle Adverse Situations

How do you handle adverse situations? Let’s face it, every day is not sunshine and rainbows. I don’t care how connected or powerful you are; difficult times happen. How do you react to these trying times? Your reaction is important to your personal development.

Are you the type of person that complains about the current state in which you find yourself? I hope not. Complaining is nonacceptance of what is going on in your life. Complaining has never provided a solution to any situation. In fact, when you complain, you make yourself into a victim.

Handling Adverse Situations

Instead of complaining, accept the situation as it is, and look for anything positive that can come out of it. If possible, find ways to change the situation. I have recently read some blog posts from someone who faced a difficult circumstance and accepted it.

My friend Hamish, from hardlinesheavytimes.wordpress.com, found himself dealing with adversity a few days ago. Hamish is a wonderful and talented young man from New Zealand who traveled to the States to compete in a World Ultimate Frisbee Competition.

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https://unsplash.com/@johnkofi28

COVID-19

I am sure he put in many hours of training and sacrifice with his teammates to come and compete. Shortly after arriving and only three days before the tournament, he tested positive for COVID-19 and had to be quarantined. It had to be devastating to watch his teammates travel on without him. It is one of the worst things that can happen to an athlete.

Despite his disappointment, he has handled the situation admirably. He wrote in his blog about accepting this adversity. In his words, “It sucks. But is not insurmountable.” In addition, he changed his goal from playing in the tournament to being there for his teammates.

He has chosen to create memories rather than focus on his disappointment.

Accept It

How do you handle adverse situations? Be like Hamish and accept it. Acceptance is surrender, and there is great strength in it. By surrendering to the situation you become free internally.

Sunshine and rainbows are always out there, even in the worst thunderstorm. If you look hard enough, you will find them.

Cites

https://unsplash.com/@sonctw

https://unsplash.com/@johnkofi28

InspireChief9 Comments

The Joys Of Driving

Ah, the joys of driving in South Florida. I believe I might have mentioned this topic in some previous posts. It is always an adventure; you never know what will happen. Will there be an overturned fuel truck that blocks both lanes of I-95 for hours? Possibly. Is somebody going to shoot at me for an unknown reason? Unlikely. How many times will I get flipped off? It’s definitely going to happen. How many times? Your guess is as good as mine.

In today’s post, I just want to implore my fellow drivers to stop the hypocrisy. Be the person you are.

A Little Tale About The Joys Of Driving

The perfect example happened to me the other day. I was driving home from the driving range after hitting a few balls. It is a short trip up the Florida Turnpike, with only two exits. At one point, I was passed by someone who was clearly not having a great day. I had to smile as he passed by with his arm up giving me the finger.

It is not clear what this person didn’t like about me or possibly my vehicle. I’m not a “bumper sticker guy” with political bumper stickers on my car. In fact, the only things on my windows are college insignias.

This Is Driving Me Crazy

As I said previously, I am never bothered by other people’s antics, especially when driving. It is just part of the joys of driving in South Florida. What did rile me up, just a bit, about this particular person, was his window sticker. It read: “Be Kind.”

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https://unsplash.com/@gwendal

I have had it up to here (tapping myself on the top of the head) with the hypocrites of the world. We don’t need anymore, we have more than enough of them in Washington DC. So here goes the instructional portion of this post.

If you are an A-hole, then be an A-hole. Embrace your A-holeness completely. Don’t half-ass it, be the best A-hole you can be. Strive to be the number 1 A-hole on the planet.

Don’t Be The Great Pretender

Stop pretending that you are a kind person who drives around with a “Be Kind” window sticker on your car. Who are you to tell others to “Be Kind.” You are an A-hole, but not even a good A-hole. You try to hide behind your sticker and hope those that don’t know you think you are kind.

If you are a kind person and be kind 24/7, not part of the time. It is a full-time job. Being an A-hole should also be a full-time job unless you are a hypocrite. Learn your identity and choose one or the other.

For all of the kind people out there, please remember, that even the full-time A-holes deserve love and it is all part of learning to love unconditionally. Here in South Florida, it is just another day of experiencing the joys of driving.

Cites

https://unsplash.com/@adamnem

https://unsplash.com/@gwendal

InspireChief14 Comments

The Perfect Quote

Today, I want to share a God wink I received the other day. It came in the form of an email called Inspiring Quotes. Now, I receive hundreds of emails daily and do not read 99.9% of them. I hit edit, select all, and click trash. The procedure gets repeated several times a day. For whatever reason (God), I opened this email and read the perfect quote for me at this time.

The perfect quote came from the artist Vincent van Gogh and it reads:

“The man of faith, of energy, of warmth… Steps in and does something.”

It is a line from a letter that van Gogh wrote to his brother, Theo, in 1884. Van Gogh expresses the need for action.

This Was The Perfect Quote For Me That Day

When we begin anything, a painting, a book, a new goal or challenge, first we have to overcome fear and doubt and simply do. Van Gogh went on to write, “Many painters are afraid of the blank canvas, but the blank canvas is afraid of the truly passionate painter who dares and who has once broken the spell of ‘You Can’t.'”

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Earlier this month, a few young women came to me with an idea they had for a phone app. They asked me what I thought, and I told them it was a great idea. I then told them if they wanted it to come to life, they had to put action into the idea.

When You Receive Something, Act On It

All ideas come from God or the Universe, and you receive them for a reason. It is something you are meant to do. If you do not act on them, they will be given to someone else. Recently I asked them how it was going and found out they had not put action to their idea. Fear and self-doubt stopped them from acting on the idea.

Don’t let this happen to you. Step in and do something. Overcome all obstacles and Simply Do!

Cites

https://unsplash.com/@reddalec

https://unsplash.com/@jeancarloemer

InspireChief8 Comments
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What Is Our Purpose

What is our purpose here on earth? It is a question I often ponder, never getting the concise, clear answer I am looking for. Possibly, one day it will be revealed to me in a manner I can understand.

We are all given gifts when we are born. These internal gifts help us make choices about how we are going to live our lives. We feel drawn or attracted to certain vocations. For example, I have always been drawn to providing service to others. It explains why I was attracted to the military and law enforcement.

The Big Question: What Is Our Purpose

Even though I was given the gift of service, I don’t believe it is my purpose here. I saw a lot of the darker side of life during my career. The things I experienced made me angry and judgmental. It was after I retired that I found peace.

I wrote the paragraphs above at the beginning of May. In my post last week, I wrote about experiencing resistance and how it came in the form of writer’s block. Today, the question in my mind is: Am I being pointed in another direction?

When I experience these times of resistance, I believe it means I am on the right track. It is my ego’s way of keeping me from doing something I’m supposed to do. My consciousness is telling me to write, and my ego is resisting. It is this battle that creates the void and silence in my mind. Therefore, when I can’t write, I read.

The Answer To Our Purpose

It was through reading that I not only overcame the resistance, but I believe I found the answer to my question; what is our purpose? My wife began telling me about a fascinating book she was reading, Many Lives, Many Masters by Brian L. Weiss M. D. She read some passages from the book and I immediately understood and connected with what she was saying.

In 1980, Dr. Weiss met a patient, Catherine, who changed his life. Catherine suffered from panic attacks, anxiety, and fear. After 18 months of psychotherapy, Catherine agreed to undergo hypnosis to uncover painful and repressed memories. While hypnotized, she began describing past lives in detail. Her symptoms began disappearing as she recounted more and more past lives.

Neither Dr. Weiss nor Catherine believed in past lives and reincarnation before she went under hypnotherapy. While reading the book, it was revealed to me not only my purpose but that everyone’s purpose on earth is to learn to love during their lifetime. We must love everyone unconditionally. Humans have yet to learn this valuable lesson.

Spiritual Beings

We are spiritual beings in the human body. Our physical bodies carry the soul and will someday die; they have an expiration date. Our soul is energy and therefore, eternal. It is made from the universe and will return after our physical body stops working.

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https://unsplash.com/@pajevictoria

I feel inspired to fulfill my purpose on earth. What am I supposed to learn here during this lifetime? All my readings say we must learn to love unconditionally, everyone and everything while we are here.

There Is Much More

I believe there is much more to this being our ultimate goal. Each of us must learn to overcome our past and the faults we acquired during those times. We must conquer our fears and anxieties, look deep inside ourselves and see what is holding us back.

Are you thinking about how friends and family will react to what you have chosen to do? Do you feel as if you need approval from outside sources? You might even crave approval from anyone.

It is exactly how I was feeling. Before I made a decision, I would picture the reaction people close to me would have to my decision. Then I made one important change; I started listening to my heart. I can feel in my heart if my choices are good and pure. If my heart tells me that my choices are good, God has approved them. That is all the approval that you or I need.

Learn To Love

God loves each one of us unconditionally and only asks that we learn to do the same. If everyone on earth learns to love unconditionally, all killing, maiming, and wars will cease. We have the power to change the world; all we have to do is start using it. Start with yourself and teach one other person the art of loving unconditionally.

Cites

https://unsplash.com/@marekpiwnicki

https://unsplash.com/@pajevictoria

Weiss, Brian L. Many Lives, Many Masters the True Story of a Prominent Psychiatrist, His Young Patient, and the Past-Life Therapy That Changed Both of Their Lives. Piatkus, 2020.

InspireChief12 Comments
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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.

InspireChief11 Comments
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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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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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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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