Daily Inspiration 12-5-17

"When you are content

to be simply yourself

and don't compare

or compete,

everybody will respect you." 

-- Lao-tse 

[New post]

This would be another great way to define what peace would be. Comparing and competing are fear-related activities. Where there is no need or desire for either, there is the absence of fear, which is love and which is peace.


Happy Today! Go InJoy! 

Spread Some Joy Today--by laying down the rope carefully and walking away toward your joy.

Daily Inspiration 12-4-17

"Lighthouses

don't go running all over an island

looking for boats to save;

they just stand there

shining." 

-- Anne Lamott 

[New post]

We are all our best influence in the simplest and easiest way: by being. As we are being, we always influence those we see, think about, communicate with.

We are the only ones who control our being. No, control is not right. It is in our attempt to control our being that we cause separation from our Source. It is in our attempt to control our being by attempting to control circumstances and the actions and thoughts of other people. In all of history these attempts have continued and yet throughout all of history, it was an impossible task as it is today.

We choose to try and control or we choose to release as if we are falling into the loving arms of love itself, our Source of all. This is why being is easy. This is how being is simple. If it is complicated, it is in our controlling ideas that this comes to pass.

My favorite book of all time is Love Is Letting Go Of Fear by Gerald Jampolsky. The title is incredibly perfect. It is the lighthouse. It is our true being. It is our ultimate guidance. LOVE. LOVE IS LETTING GO OF FEAR. Control is all about fear. War is fear. Violence is fear. Apprehension is fear. Wanting others to be like us is fear. Love needs none of that. Love is purely and simply what is left when we relinquish control by letting go of fear.


Shine Your Light! You ARE Love! Be!

Spread Some Joy Today--by allowing yourself the pleasure of release.

Daily Inspiration 12-3-17

"Endings are 

awesome new beginnings 

in disguise." 

-- Karen Salmansohn 

[Classic post from 2-26-16]

I am more aware of how much I smile and laugh every single day. It didn't use to be that way. I used to be much more serious, focusing on what needs to be done, what hasn't been done yet, on things I couldn't really control, and all that seriousness took a toll on my joy. I would laugh and smile, just nowhere near as much.

Now, I worry very little if at all. I am finally learning that it never ever helped at any point in my life anyway, so why even do it at all? Now, often I will just be enjoying myself sitting on the tailgate of my pickup in my carport and find myself smiling and laughing at thoughts, watching the birds in the courtyard flitting about eating and bathing. It's so interesting how my life has changed.

As I have gotten older, I find more people have passed on, and so I think about that sometimes. Yesterday I was thinking about grief while on my tailgate with a glass of Chardonnay. I recall shedding almost no tears when my wife passed nearing three years ago. Grief is at the same emotional level as depression and shame. Who wants to go there? Besides, I've come to know that everything happens for a reason. There are no such things as random events, and every cloud has a silver lining.

Instead of grieving for my wife, which is more like feeling sorry for myself than anything, I celebrated my grand opportunity in life to know her a little and to share some time with her on this planet and to find joy in her choices and how she lived her life. I'm still celebrating that. She's only physically gone as a human body, but she is all around my home in so many ways. She is reflected in her children and in the lives of those that she touched while here. Why would there be grief?

People don't have to pass to move out of our lives. My first wife and I finally split for good after 16 years in 1986. Both of our lives improved so dramatically by that ending. Endings really are awesome new beginnings. I lost my last job in the car business at the height of my commercial truck success (that must be where that name came from. . .), and the list of benefits and experiences that I have had as a result, including writing a book is very long. Very long.

As I look back with my 20/20 hindsight at so many endings, I see that at the time some of them seemed traumatic, but as I allowed myself to let go of that feeling sorry for myself attitude, I could then see the benefits beginning already. Every single ending that comes to my mind has had awesome--let me repeat appropriately--AWESOME new beginnings. Understanding that this has always been the case as far back as I can remember, not only is there no reason for grief at the bottom of the emotional scale, but there is ample reason for joy at the top of the scale realizing that grand things are about to manifest.


I Find Myself Looking Forward With Anticipation At The Next Ending. . . 

Spread Some Joy Today--by just thinking fun thoughts. It's really that easy.

Daily Inspiration 12-2-17

"The most interesting thing 

in the environment 

is your own mind." 

-- Sherry Turkle 

[Classic post from 4-25-16]

James Allen takes that most interesting thing in the environment and expresses how that environment comes about: "He thinks in secret, and it comes to pass: environment is his looking glass."

I've come to believe that there are essentially two ways to see life: One is that we are here on a ride that someone or something else created for us and it is totally up to us to figure that out and make the best of it. And, two, we are here creating our own environment with the power of our mind; albeit, we may not always be aware of the power that we ultimately control. I have come to know life as the latter, and the more I know about that, the more interesting the whole of it becomes. In fact, I've come to a point in my expansion of having a whole bunch of fun with my environment and my controlling of it or rather learning the allowing of it.

I found one of James Allen's quotes particularly interesting because we often think of hard work and sacrifice as a way through to our objectives, and the bigger the objective, the more sacrifice is required. I especially enjoyed his idea of what that sacrifice is: "There can be no progress nor achievement without sacrifice, and a man's worldly success will be by the measure that he sacrifices his confused animal thoughts, and fixes his mind on the development of his plans, and the strengthening of his resolution and self-reliance." 

As he says, "there can be no progress nor achievement without sacrifice." That is what so many of us have been taught, but we're often led astray in what kind of sacrifice that would be. There was a long list of what kinds of sacrifices we might be obliged to entertain and execute for the privilege of gaining the goal. "and a man's worldly success will be by the measure that he sacrifices. . ." Same old, same old.

The next part is the most interesting: "his confused animal thoughts." Let's just call that in a more modern way, the ego, paying attention to what-is, reacting to all that is already around us, dealing with problems, drama. Of course, it is confused. That is easy enough to see by simply standing back for a bit and watching others. The same kind of things keeps happening over and over because the "animal thoughts" are in control.

Next is where some clarity enters: "and fixes his mind on the development of his plans." Focusing on what we want as opposed to accepting what is. Fixing our mind on what we want is the guiding star of all of life. It is the change-maker. It is where all progress and expansion are created. It is the real stuff of a purposeful and joyous life.

And, the last bit, "and the strengthening of his resolution and self-reliance." Practice. We get better by doing and by adjusting as we move forward toward our desires. Practice helps enhance our resolution to stay on the path. Self-reliance is our enhanced inner confidence and competence, along with accepting responsibility for our own thoughts, actions, and results on the path of our desires.

The part that jumped out at me was that the sacrifice isn't having to let go of something we want, but letting go of some of our self-defeating thinking that often keeps us where we are even though we can feel that where we are is not really where we would like to be.

Of course, if where we are is where we want to be, we have already arrived.


If It Is Not, There Are Sacrifices To Be Made. (Joyous Ones!) 

Spread Some Joy Today--by letting go of holding on to what is not joy for you.

Daily Inspiration 12-1-17

"Life is a process of accumulation. 

We either accumulate the debt or the value, 

the regret or the equity." 

-- Jim Rohn 

[Classic post from 6-17-16]

This morning I received a blog post from Seth Godin. The first part of it is here:

"One of the fundamental equations of our self-narrative is: If I only had more support, I could accomplish even more. 

Part of this is true. With more education, a stronger foundation, better cultural expectations, each of us is likely to contribute even more, to level up, to make a difference.

The part that's not true: "If only.""

I focused in on that phrase, "if only." How many times do we use that phrase in our own conversations with ourselves, and in conversations with others? I can look back and see hundreds of times that I have used it. I was always looking for more support and blaming others for not supplying it, and lamenting about how I could do this if only I had that, and I could do that, if only they would do this, give me this, supply this.

You've heard the question, "is the glass half full or half empty?" The half empty glass is "if only." And, here's the good news: The half full glass is, "what if?"

"If only" is on one side and "what if" is on the other. They seem like the same on the surface, but they are as different as the glass being half full or half empty.

"If only" is all negative. It's all about what isn't right. It's about what is wrong. It's about what is not working. It's about blame. It's about justification for not doing more. It's about saving face. It's about a certain reality. As Abraham, Esther Hicks might say, it is focusing on and wallowing around in "what-is." There it is. This is what is happening. I can't do anything about it because. . . What can I do? They won't give me the support I need. It is complaining. It feels bad. It creates despair through powerlessness. It is all negative.

"What if?" on the other hand, is very positive. It's the dreamer. It is using one's imagination. It is conjuring up solutions. It is finding a better way to see things. It is joyful. It feels good. It is empowering to be able to see a thing complete, to imagine a problem solved, to imagine others participating in your dream. "What if" is a perfect way to achieve, create, and to feel better. It is wonder and delight. It is all positive.

"What if" created everything worthwhile, while "if only" is still waiting for someone to do something about it. It's as easy as changing one word. . .


What If? Imagine The Possibilities. They Are Endless. 

Spread Some Joy Today--by imagining joy around every corner today.

Daily Inspiration 11-30-17

"Fantasy Football: 

Winning the Super Bowl 

without ever showing up for practice." 

-- Albert K. Strong 

[Classic post from 10-5-16]

James Allen said:

"Mind is the master power that molds and makes, 

 and Man is Mind, and evermore he takes 

the tool of Thought, and shaping what he wills, 

brings forth a thousand joys, a thousand ills:-- 

He thinks in secret, and it comes to pass: 

Environment is but his looking-glass." 

This morning I read this quote from Abraham, Esther Hicks that just came:

"Each and every component that makes up your life experience is drawn to you by the powerful Law of Attraction's response to the thoughts you think and the story you tell about your life. Your money and financial assets; your body's state of wellness, clarity, flexibility, size, and shape; your work environment, how you are treated, work satisfaction, and rewards--indeed, the very happiness of your life experience in general--is all happening because of the story that you tell." 

As I read that, I pondered it by asking myself, "am I attracting what I want? What are the stories that I am telling myself? Am I wanting the physical results without doing the mental work? If I am where I am financially, physically, and otherwise because of the stories I am telling myself, it might be better for me to pay more attention to the stories in my head."

A day or two ago, I mentioned seeing a pothole in the road. Suppose I see a pothole and then decide to find all the potholes in the city? What do you suppose will happen? I know. I would find a serious amount of potholes and all of them of different size, depth, shape. Some might be "pre-potholes," sort of like pre-diabetic, or pre-cancerous, and such. As I focus on those pre-potholes, they will surely become full-fledged official potholes.

And as I spend my time doing that, I am becoming a pothole expert of sorts. I could then write a book all about potholes, how they come to be, the various ways they show themselves, how to catch potholes in the pre-pothole stage so that they can be repaired before the actual pothole forms. I would have lots of photos of potholes, with scientific drawings, and maybe even links to a YouTube channel so that I could use video to promote my ideas about potholes. But, as I see in looking at YouTube and typing in 'potholes', there are already quite a number of people focused on potholes. I should be surprised, but I am not really, because there are potholes all around the world, and many much larger than those here in my city.

After a time, I see nothing but potholes. Everything around me reminds me of potholes. I write letters, appear at council meetings, cajole officials in public about potholes and how they are taking over the city, and they just ignore me. Sometimes, I just get screaming mad at these low-life politicians who won't listen to the facts and don't do anything about all the fricken potholes all around this city. We're drowning in potholes! They are everywhere! I hate potholes!

My mental life has taken charge of my physical life. My thoughts have built my story. My story has caused my actions. My actions have reinforced my story. I am feeding myself with my own dung.

Or, my story could be what is going well, going right, feels good, is good. I could spend my time building the building, rather than tearing everyone else's down. I could pay attention to my story and adjust as necessary to get what I want instead of what I don't want. I could see the world as good rather than bad, joyous instead of fearful, whole instead of broken. It is a place where potholes may exist, but I don't focus on them. I allow others and things to be as they will as I choose what I want and intend to see, hear, smell, taste, feel, and sense.


"If We Perceived Life With Reverence, We Would Stand In Awe At The Experience Of Physical Life And Walk The Earth In A Very Deep Sense Of Gratitude." -- Gary Zukav 

Spread Some Joy Today--by enjoying your beautiful smoothly paved Thursday.

Daily Inspiration 11-29-17

"The form of what you do

is less important

than the energy you hold

while you are doing it." 

-- Alan Cohen 

[New post]

I've long been a fan of the teachings of the late Jim Rohn. I remember that he said it was valuable to turn frustration into fascination. That has never left me from the moment I heard it on a tape recording many years ago. And, as I know that another of his teachings was that "things do not just happen, they happen just," I find my practice of being fascinated when things are not going according to some plan I had instead of being frustrated by them has changed my life oh so much. I am so grateful for these teachings which I find uses for almost every day of my life.

Today is a perfect example. Each and everything that I had planned today changed. People were not there when I had an appointment, people showed up unexpectedly twice, and so much more. I also found so many blessings during the day that those blessings so outweigh the challenges as to make it a very unfair competition.

I realized today that I have come to a place in my life where I have learned to go with the flow so to speak. I just watch it unfold in fascination and let any potential frustration go. Now, I'm not yet 100% on this because, after all, it is a practice, but it is well within me now so that it is something I will go to very quickly and laugh along the way that these things are happening at all.

We love being in control, but sometimes that eagerness for control is thwarted right in our face, and we want answers and we want to know what is going on and we can't get answers and we don't know what is going on and we might not even know who to blame, but we feel that we must blame. And yet, what good would that do. Our upsetedness leads only to our being more upset and so all that is going toward us instead of who we think should be the one to blame.

Which makes me laugh all the more. It becomes silliness, so why not laugh at it all.

But the lesson for me is to let go and pretend I'm in a small boat with some oars and to try to row upstream is to work like crazy trying to get where I think I want to be, when to put the oars in the boat and just let the current take me where it wants to go and just enjoy the journey wherever it may lead.


Today Nothing Went According To Plan And I Find Myself Thankful Anyway. Or Probably, Especially! 

Spread Some Joy Today--by not sweating the small stuff. It's all small stuff.

Daily Inspiration 11-28-17

"Peace on earth

is possible only when

you put peace before earth." 

-- Alan Cohen 

[New post]

Peace on earth, good will toward men. . . a phrase I've heard so many times, and especially this time of year.

I awoke this morning thinking of peace. What is peace? Is it the absence of conflict? Is it compromise? Is it a willingness to tolerate others in spite of the fact that we don't understand them or approve of how they live? What they do? Their culture, habits, religions?

Then this came to me: Harmony. It is the closest word I could think of to describe what peace is. It is harmony. It is harmony with the environment and harmony with each other. It is not toleration or even basic acceptance, it is harmony.

When I think of harmony, the first thing that comes to mind is music. Whether the music comes from our own vocal cords, or from some type of musical instrument, harmony is essentially more than one single note that is in resonance with the other. The notes are different and yet they are the same when they are in resonance. They are different and because they resonate, they compliment each other. They add to the whole. They improve the whole. Together with whatever number of notes, they become a symphony.

Think of a large symphony and all those different instruments, where there are even multiple instruments of the same type, like say, violins, for example. Even though there are multiples of the same type of instrument, each one is unique, and yet as they are skillfully played they resonate in such a way as to expand what was before to something quite delightfully different.

Then consider all the varied instruments from stringed instruments to reed instruments to horns to drums and percussive instruments, as varied as the piano is to the oboe, the kettle drum to the violin, the French horn to the guitar. They play different notes in different tones and timbre, low, high and in between, softly, and with panache, rhythmic and syncopated, so soft you can barely hear it, so loud it begs you to move. These and so much more come from this varied assembly.

This is harmony. This is peace. This is what peace is like in our world. When we have peace in our world, whether our own individual lives or that of the entire planet, we are in harmony with each other and all that is in that world we are focused on.


May Harmony Show You Peace. 

Spread Some Joy Today--by getting rid of the idea of tolerating others. That is only closing your eyes to something you don't want to see. Instead, find a real solution. Find the harmony that you can be in the symphony of your life.

Daily Inspiration 11-27-17

"The problems of the world cannot possibly be solved by skeptics

or cynics whose horizons are limited by obvious realities.

We need men and women who can dream of things that never were."

-- John F Kennedy

"You see things; and you say, "Why?"

But I dream things that never were; and I say, "Why not?"

-- George Bernard Shaw

"The only way to discover the limits of the possible

is to go beyond them into the impossible."

-- Arthur C Clarke

[Classic post from 3-6-10]

Ever had anyone laugh at your ideas or thoughts? Anyone ever put them down and say what a dreamer you are, or how foolish you are to think that? Anyone ever remind you that you should focus on reality instead of playing around in a fantasy world? Anyone ever say you were crazy and couldn't possibly succeed at something? If so, then you can totally relate to JFK's quote about skeptics or cynics whose horizons are limited by obvious realities. I especially love the phrase obvious realities. If you are a realist, is there any other kind? Perhaps hidden realities, secret realities, unreal realities?

Anyone ask you why in the world you would want to do such a thing? George Bernard Shaw says a great question to ask back is why not? Who says you have to have a reason? That would be for the reality people. The unrealistic among us have no need for such trivial pursuits as reason or even logic. Philosophy is helpful, but mathematics is not necessary. We can pull numbers right out of thin air. That is where they prefer to float, you know.

Then, our fictional scientist, Arthur C Clark claims that there is only one way to find the limits and that is to exceed them. Rules are meant to be broken? If you can go there in your mind, who needs a spaceship? The state of possible is just beyond the border of impossible, or was it the other way around?

One thing is for sure and certain, I have learned to ignore all of these commentaries from the critical mass of the skeptic and cynics whose horizons are limited by obvious realities. The land of impossible is in a galaxy far, far away. I think why is on third base or was that when? A little aging humor.

Dream of things that never were. It's a great place to be. Ignore the obvious realities and say, why not? Why not? Why not you? Why not now?

You are cleared to move about the cabin. . .


It's Obvious To Me That We Can Do Anything We Can Think Up. Why Not?

Spread Some Joy Today--Go do something strange and fun this week. Take a long lunch and go see a movie in the middle of the day, or some other unusual thing. It will be fun and exciting and will give you such a boost. Go ahead. Take a chance.

Daily Inspiration 11-26-17

"Even while you strive

to improve your life,

you are whole, well,

and perfect where you stand." 

-- Alan Cohen 

[New post]

There's always something on the horizon, otherwise, we aren't looking and moving forward, but it is a reassuring thing to pause just enough to realize and accept that we are perfect right here and right now. We are loved. By many. By God. We are enough, and the pursuit of whatever is more that delights us at this moment is also perfect.


Injoy Yourself Today. Give Yourself Some Love. 

Spread Some Joy Today--by feeling it.

Daily Inspiration 11-25-17

"Facts are the enemy of truth." 

-- Dale Wasserman 

[New post]

Facts:

I paid good money for those things. They have value. I can recoup some of what I paid if I wanted to. I will need it again someday. I hate letting go of it. If I don't use it I can store it. I need this stuff.

Truth:

No one owns anything in this life. Everything is but a temporary possession, whether it be property of any kind or any things. When we don't use it in the present, those "things" become attachments. Our ultimate freedom is in the release. Use it or lose it. I need very little.

What an interesting experience I am going through right now. In the past few weeks, I have let go of many, many things that I have held onto for so many years. I finally threw away the master tapes from a record album I did in 1984. Who would want those? Not even me anymore. They've been in a file drawer all this time. Gone. Silliness holding on to them when they no longer mean anything except that I took part in the recording studio way back when.

Books. My entire personal library. I've boxed up 47 bankers boxes so far and can fill another 6-8 of them. I have 18 boxes of my favorite favorites set aside and now I am thinking that they can go too. I have quite a collection of signed books as well.

Sure all the stuff has value, but I haven't got the energy to try to sell any of it. I don't need the money. I could spend it on something, but I don't even want the money from these things. I'm giving it all away. And that feels like the best thing, the thing that is in most alignment with me to do.

Wow. Over 50 years of stuff. So many bookshelves, years of gathering tools, all the furniture, most appliances. I had no idea that there was this much stuff, most of which I only walked past occasionally. I'm going from 1848 square feet to around 150 square feet.


That Means I Have More Letting Go To Do. 

Spread Some Joy Today--by loving the things you love and leaving the things you don't.

Daily Inspiration 11-24-17

"Happiness

has nothing to do

with material things." 

-- Corey Smith 

[New post]

I was watching a new video on the Dylan Magaster channel where he interviews people who live in small spaces, including vans. This quote above came through at the end from one of the two being interviewed. They have lived out of a VW van for over five years and seem to thrive on the adventure of it all. And, as happens to me from time to time, something is said or written and I find it and I am amazed. Often, they are simple phrases that speak volumes in very few words as this one.

Sure, we can experience being happy with an achievement of some kind, a gift or purchase of a thing, a material object, accolades, and any number of situations, events, or things. In this, we can be happy which is like a more vivacious style of being pleased.

As I heard this quote, the real idea of happy came through. Happy is temporary. We are thrilled, pleased, happy for a short time, then we are on to something else. But happiness or happy-ness is an attitude. It is a perspective. It is long-term. Happy is short-term, it's here, it feels good, on to the next thing, and happy-ness is a point of view. It is how we see the world around us that we actually create. It is full of gratitude because it is gratitude that creates happy-ness.

Though happy and happy-ness both feel good, one is a short skip across the water like a flat stone, and the other is swimming in the depths of the world's oceans like a singing whale.


Happy-Ness Has Nothing To Do With Material Things. 

Spread Some Joy Today--by going for happy-ness by closing your eyes and reopening them to the delight and joy of being alive.

Daily Inspiration 11-23-17

"ThanksGiving is good

but,

ThanksLiving is better." 

-- Matthew Henry 

[New post]

It's all in our minds. And we have the only control panel access for our own mind, our choices, our decisions, our actions.

This I know for sure and for certain: Living life in constant gratitude is a beautiful life to live. Every single day of the year, even all throughout the day I find so many reasons to be thankful. And, here's the most interesting aspect of this: It keeps growing.


It Turned To Continual Joy Long Ago. 

Spread Some Joy Today--Thankfulness is where it starts.

Daily Inspiration 11-22-17

"Nurture your mind with great thoughts,

for you will never go any higher than you think."

-- Benjamin Disraeli

"The only limit to our realization of tomorrow 

will be our doubts of today."

-- Franklin Delano Roosevelt

Classic post from 4-19-10]

Ever heard this phrase, "who do you think you are?" It is usually a question that is meant to put you back in your place and keep you where others think you should be. How about some of these: "How dare you think you can achieve that? Have you forgotten who you are and where you come from? Get your head out of the clouds and put your feet back on the ground. You can't do that. You're not qualified to do that."

Well, these statements are plentiful by those insecure and unadventurous souls. They don't want you to grow beyond where they are because it makes them uncomfortable. This could be a parent, a friend or even your boss at work.

It could be YOU.

I truly believe that we as humans can do anything we set our mind to and believe we can do. History has shown amazing changes and what took so long for many was the resistance of others to those ideas. Think about the helicopter. Leonard da Vinci had the concept of the helicopter and made a drawing of the concept in about 1493, it was over 500 years later that one actually was made and flown, in 1906. It was still later in 1942 before they were produced in any quantity. The earliest concepts of the helicopter come from the Chinese circa 400 BC.

In today's world, we don't even flinch when an idea goes from idea to product in weeks or months instead of 2,500 years. What an amazing period the 20th century has been when you look at the whole of human history.

Thinking big and highly of yourself as a creator is the way things get from ideas to reality. Don't let anyone tell you that you can't do something. Make your own decision. You can do anything you set your mind and determination to do. The only thing stopping you is your own limiting beliefs.


I Am What I Believe About Myself.

Spread Some Joy Today--If you've heard those negative questions and comments about what you can and cannot accomplish, it is high time that you bring yourself to the top of your priority list. Step one: Ignore other people whenever they speak limitation to you. Step two: Decide you're worthy. Step three: Dream boldly. Step four: Act with confidence. Step five: Have a thankful heart.