Always tell the truth, just don’t always be telling the truth. That was a philosophy my mother often spoke. As a kid, it seemed like a stupid thing to say, a contradiction in concepts. As an adult, I totally get it. I am even learning to take that expression a step further.
LIFE
Working From The Heart
I was talking with a ranching neighbor of mine the other day. He’s a great guy with a permanent smile on his face despite the hard work he puts in. Driving by his place, I always see him out working on things — cutting, bailing, and stacking hay; moving cattle from one pasture to another — or down the road in an old-fashioned cattle drive; fixing fences and tending the irrigation. Ranching is a lot of hard work. He uses horses and dogs to drive the cattle, and sometimes he uses ATVs, too. During our call, he commented that ranching is all he’s ever wanted to do. He added, “I’m not getting rich, but I’m living my ideal life.” I call that working from the heart.
Shields Up!
Nights in White Satin, by Moody Blues, was my class’s Senior song. Our mascot was a knight, complete with a suit of armor in the school’s front entry. It represented our strength and invincibility. And no animals were harmed in our march to world domination. 😀
Only a Breath Away
My friend Lou loves to remind me that “the mind masters the senses, but the breath masters the mind.” He then adds, “if you are conscious and control your breath.” When you stop to think about your breathing, which you probably rarely do, you’ll realize that the first thing you do in life is inhale, and the last thing you do in life is exhale. Talk about the breath of life!
Peace Place
I have two places I go to in my imagination when I want to change my mood. Having these getaway spots has made a big difference in my life. I bet you’d benefit by having one or more peace places too if you don’t already have them.
Unlimiting
In response to a cognitive test I took, and learning that I need to focus on focusing (oooh, look at that shiny butterfly!), I started reading Jim Kwik’s book “Limitless”. Jim teaches people how to learn, think, and read — among other things. He introduced the concept of unlimiting very early in the book. What a beautiful concept! And how appropriate for those who struggle with their potential.
The Opposite of Fear Is…
Four years ago I wrote an article about what the “opposite” of fear is. In it, I shared what others thought it might be, tossed around some of my ideas, and drew some analogies, but ultimately concluded I didn’t have any answers and didn’t think there was one correct answer.
Consider the path to my different conclusion. I’ve identified fear as the basis for most, if not all, of the issues my clients bring to me to help them work through so they can live more satisfying, successful, and joyous lives.
Will You Do It Or Not?
Do you want to really succeed at a goal? Try Why Power instead of Willpower, then. And set your environment to be goal-enriching to support your behavior toward that goal.
I’ve used willpower and setting up my environment to help me reach several goals, but the willpower flagged with time.
Fire Your Fear
Fear can be immobilizing. Fear can short-circuit your logic center. Fear can make you act irrationally.
The longer you focus on the fear the bigger, scarier, and more uncomfortable it gets.
Fear has a purpose. It’s telling you to act. There are three fear responses: fight, flight, freeze. Each of those responses is an action, and they can each have good or bad outcomes.