The One Word That's In Zero Affirmations

I'm sure the most common words in affirmations are all so beautiful.

Like 'love', 'freedom' and 'joy'.

And even 'I' - maybe the most beautiful word in the English language. You can't say it without actualising yourself - bringing your attention to your own awareness.

And I'm sure there are plenty of bad affirmations out there. Focusing on revenge, petty wins and vapid materialism are hardly worth the words.

But there's one word that has no place in affirmations, even the bad ones:

'Meh'.

If you're apathetic about something, you wouldn't bother with affirmations. Even putting your intentions into writing would be too much effort for something you don't care about.

And this, right here, is the secret ingredient to making affirmations work:

Emotion.

It's funny - we think of ourselves as thinking, reasonable creatures. And, sure, we can use logic... the check our decisions. But every decision you make comes from a spark of emotions. That's not me saying that - that's neuroscience.

Even something as sensible as "I'm thirsty, so I'll get some water" is impossible to decide without emotion.

And even the desire to be logical comes from your feelings.

But, when it comes to affirmations, not all emotions are equal.

You're probably frustrated by something in your life. Something that you want to be free of or something that's missing.

But there's more than that.

Frustration alone leads to self-pity, negativity and complaining. It doesn't motivate action... unless that action is to complain about what's bothering you.

If you're thinking about affirmations, then something else is driving you.

Maybe it's hope. Hope is a nice one - it orients you towards the future and assumes it'll be better than the present. Given you're trying to create a better future, it's a nice emotion to have.

It could also be desire. And what is desire but a longing for something you want but don't have?

You might feel a drive - a yearning to do more, see more and be more than who you currently are.

All of these emotions are positives, and they all point to the future.

This is what makes affirmations work.

Negativity will only get you so far.

And thinking back on the past - like nostalgia - won't help you to change.

So you need emotions... and they have to be the right ones.

You might be sick of feeling apathy or you might be angry at your circumstances. Good - let those feelings motivate you to begin. But to sustain your changes, you need a carrot to lure you forward.

There are two ways to do affirmations:

There's the easy way, where you stick a note on your fridge and pretend it'll work.

Then there's the right way.

Affirmations aren't a shortcut to better things. They take discipline and persistence. But I pity anyone who doesn't sharpen their mind and focus every day.

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Synchronicity And "How It Is"

Work with yourself in harmony and you will ultimately reap wonders. Panic and you will reap the whirlwind. Sometimes, in crisis moments, you feel you want to go crazy and do something "stupid". My advice is do not: For if you keep on past quitting time productively and consciously, most often, the mind will give you a genuine solution to all problems through alertly seized opportunities that come "dressed in work clothes". This is another reason why patience, understanding and tolerance is where I live without any question, and I practice a steady diet of discipline, thought and control that makes me conscious even when "I do not want to be".

So, before "the last foul is cried", and failure is permanent like suicide or stupid destructive behavior that gets permanent nowhere, give it a few more chances like Bell, Edison and Tesla did, persistence spells out success when you refuse to genuinely give up anyway. I know how I sound "like a broken record" on this very matter of reality. I mention Alexander Graham Bell, because he turned one screw on the telephone receiver, and got success for life. It works just that way at times. Simple persistence is superior to the "Rube Goldberg cartoon complex" approach of panic and ridiculously hard work. In fact, I can say honestly that reality comes down to a simple "turn of the screw approach", not acting out of fear that "misses the whole simple point of success" ultimately. Indeed, I advocate the simple method of Nicola Tesla when it comes to thought experiments before laying down a single item of reality. That approach captures the simplicity and power of success with a calm, forward oriented thought out plan before the success instead of finding out everything that does not work while you are doing it and wasting resources without a good plan at the actual start of action.

The person who genuinely gets ahead not only has a plan of action, they have a full understanding of the inner and outer world of what they are doing, and the genuine science of it. What I mean is success is an inner and outer deal, so is failure, and it gets as simple and realistic as "choose your side" on that. Choose your side is the ultimate affirmation of a reality there is in reality when really understood, thought about, and realistically worked out. For, we make ourselves successes or failures, winners or losers, great or mediocre.

I end this article with a poem called "Don't Quit" to set the genuine tone for how I want to end this article:

"When things go wrong, as they sometimes will,

When the road you're trudging seems all uphill,

When the funds are low and debts are high,

And you want to Smile but have to sigh.

When care is pressing you down a bit,

Rest, if you must, but don't you quit.

Life is queer with its twists and turns,

As everyone of us sometimes learns,

And many a failure turns about,

When he might have won if he'd stuck it out,

Don't give up though the pace seems slow,

You might succeed with another blow.

Often the struggler has given up,

When he might have captured the victor's cup.

And learned too late, when the night slipped down,

How close he was to the golden crown.

Success is failure turned inside out,

The silver tint of clouds of doubt,

And you never can tell how close you are,

It may be near when it seems afar,

So stick to the fight when you're hardest hit,

It's when things seem worst that you mustn't quit."

That is how it is, reality works either way, choose a side, it is all our virtue or our fault. Thank you for reading.

My name is Joshua Clayton, I am a freelance writer based in Inglewood, California. I also write under a few pen-names and aliases, but Joshua Clayton is my real name, and I write by that for the most part now. I am a philosophical writer and objective thinker and honest action taker. I also work at a senior center in Gardena, California as my day job, among other things, but primarily I am a writer.

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Supporting Your Immune System

 

Boosting Your Immune System At Home

During these trying times, a strong immune system is more important than ever. I would like to touch on a few ways you can help your body fight the never ending viral battle.

There are many ways to help your body with its innate ability to protect itself. Many of these can be done by just changing a few habits.

Our bodies are much like a complex recipe. Skipping or shorting just one ingredient can dramatically alter the outcome. Your body is no different. If we are low or lacking a specific "ingredient", we are not allowing it to be its best.

Helping the body fend off viral or bacteraial invasions requires optimal fuel and training. I would like to suggest a few ways to help you combat the onslaught of viral invaders.

Food/Diet

What you put in your body is essentially what you get out. Make sure you are refraining from too much of the processed foods and get back to raw fruits and vegetables. A healthy diet is a great way to build up your immune system.

Water

Believe it or not, water is an excellent way to maintain and boost your immune system! The proper amount of water will help prevent bacteria and viruses from congregating in your sinus, nose, or mouth.

Exercise

Exercise is one of those things that you can sometimes have "too much of a good thing". Good, intense exercise is a great way to keep the body and the immune system strong. But, too much exercise when you are sick or feeling run down will actually weaken your immune system.

Sleep

This is an important one. If your body is sleep deprived, it becomes weaker and will make you susceptible to illness. Try to not be exposed to light from a TV, phone, or computer during rest periods. Also, most studies have shown we need between 7 and 9 hours of uninterrupted sleep.

Vitamins/Supplements

These are just a few tips that can help you stay strong and healthy during stressful periods. If I can be of any help please let me know.

There are at least 3 major vitamins you will want to make sure you are getting enough of. Vitamins C, B6, and E have all been proven to boost immune function. I also suggest you consider vitamin D and Zinc.

To Your Best Health,

Greg Gruba DC Elite Chiropractic

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Mindfulness Attitudes - Beginners Mind

 

Have you ever been with a child when they see something completely new? How their eyes grow wide, their breathing changes, their whole posture alters, and their entire focus is concentrated on that new thing? Nothing else in the world exists for them at that moment, just the sheer wonder and joy of something new.

One of the great, unexpected, joys of my life has been becoming a grandparent. This is not to say I didn't enjoy my children's magical moments, but as a grandparent you have so much more time, can dedicate that time to really being with the child and the enjoyment is more concentrated. I was voted least likely to marry and have children by my school peers; I ended up married with children before most of them! The happy consequence of this has been being a 'young' grandparent. My energy levels are nowhere near what they were as a young mum, but my enthusiasm is far greater, particularly when responding to the never-ending curiosity of my grandchildren.

That is the engaging trait of mindfulness, the beginner's mind. Not to be childish, but to be childlike in your experience of the world and each moment. To open your mind and your curiosity to the world around you is one of the key attitudes of mindfulness.

This openness and curiosity can only be achieved with awareness. If we let our days drift by without paying attention to them, we will miss moments that may make a difference of enrichment to our experience. Have you ever had the experience of arriving somewhere and realising that you have no recollection of the journey, how you got there, anything you may have seen en route, even if (perhaps most worryingly), you have driven yourself there in a car! We function so much on autopilot when we are carrying out routine tasks. Mindfulness asks us to take a stance of the beginner's mind to ensure that we are aware throughout our lives. There are many inspirational quotes exhorting us to practice awareness as though our lives depend on it - which of course, they do.

"If you miss the present moment, you miss your appointment with life. That is very serious!"

Thich Nhat Hanh

"Do every act of your life as though it were the last act of your life."

Marcus Aurelius

"Ardently do today what must be done. Who knows? Tomorrow, death comes."

The Buddha

Back to our thoughts as we cherish every moment, we need to do this with curiosity, openness and no judgement. We tend to move through the world quickly, looking for the most effective path, not fully taking in each unique moment. Although this has benefits of efficiency, there is a downside to this pattern of behaviour. We can miss out on a lot of important things like new perspectives, ideas, or different approaches to problem solving. A beginner's mind enables us to be open to possibilities, be more creative and connect with the people in our lives. This encourages others to engage with us, as they experience your interest in them and demonstrate your appreciation for their thoughts and ideas.

By having an open and curious mind, we can also free ourselves from expectations about future events based on past experiences, because no two events can be exactly the same. When we face the future, we sometimes use the image of coming with a 'full cup' or an 'empty cup' to describe our attitude to facing something new. If we face up to any situation with a full cup, it means we have no room for a fresh perspective. At that moment, we are already full to the brim with our own preconceptions, there is no room for any new thoughts or ideas.

Observe yourself through your day and see if you are coming to your life with a 'full cup', unwilling to make space for new perspectives, ideas or opinions. If this is the case, consider if you can experience these situations with an 'empty cup', bringing your beginner's mind to the fore. Try opening your mind to your day-to-day activities and view them as if you had never experienced them before. Allow yourself to be just a little amazed by the ordinary, see the wonder in simple sensations, feelings and ideas.

The beginner's mind takes practice, as all the attitudes do, but unlike some of them, this is an attitude that we have simply lost touch with, we were all children once!

Join The Aware Mind for mindfulness practices and techniques

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By practicing mindfulness and meditation, we can begin to more fully understand how our emotions, thoughts, and feelings impact our lives. Taking one small step in support of a happier, healthier, and calmer way of life, mindfulness and meditation is a great place to start.

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People Need Their Imperfections

 

Late 2020 we finally saw the completion of our renovated kitchen

It had been a long time coming. Not only had we, as a family, fought incessantly over how the renovations would look, would we or would we not remove a wall and turn two smaller rooms into one large kitchen, which is what we eventually did. But it was in the middle of a pandemic.

We received the commitment from the renovators in early January, but were unable to begin until mid August. The first wave of the pandemic delayed construction almost a year.

Ours is an old house. At least 120 years old if the city museum is to be believed.

It is replete with old house problems, but it has a certain old house charm, and old house imperfections. The new kitchen, however, is near perfect. It is much improved over the previous kitchen both in form and in function. But there are a few minor imperfections.

I have discovered lately that I like the imperfections. The corner where the countertops had to be connected diagonally, has a noticeably raised seam, the island could have used foot rests, and the fridge makes slight creaking noises when opened and closed, probably from rubbing on the cabinets that enclose it.

It makes me wonder why I like the imperfections. The creaking sound that the fridge makes is like a symphony to me. I rub my fingers along the imperfect seam and it actually calms me.

Most people would consider how much money they spent on this new kitchen and, for that kind of money, demand perfection. They might demand that these imperfections be resolved. They might demand some kind of restitution with the builder. In fact, they might allow these imperfections to make them feel worse, more angry, more frustrated than they did before the renovations even took place.

But not me, I let it remind me that there will always be imperfections in life.

I let it remind me that there will always be disappointments in life.

If having worked for 30 years with the general public has taught me anything about people, it's that many people demand perfection. The woman who gets upset because her hotdog is slightly cooler than she prefers. The man who becomes livid because his car is taking ten minutes longer than promised.

I admit that both of these people could possibly have just reached their breaking point after a long string of disappointments, goodness knows, I've been there. But it's more likely that these people need more encumbrances and battles in their lives.

The battles that keep you grounded, the battles that allow you to really FEEL the imperfections in your life and really embrace them rather than cause you to feel like your life is coming apart at the seams.

Just like that imperfect seam on my counter.

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5 Brilliant Steps to Positively Change Your Mindset!

When you hear people saying change your mindset it sounds so easy right? Its not like flicking a light switch and all of a sudden you're thinking positively and everything starts going your way. Many factors affect our lives that may sway our mindset from a positive healthy mindset to negative, these could be, but not limited to -

Our childhood upbringing

Relationship breakups

Redundancy

Financial problems

Mental health issues

When you are deep in despair and not quite sure how your life can be fulfilled and positive, it is then difficult to think positively. However, in order to turnaround your life from one of scarcity and despair to one of abundance and positivity, you have to change your mindset to match. This brings me to ''law of attraction'', the universal law that governs each and every human being, we probably can manifest negativity much easier than positivite energy without conscious awareness by our thoughts and emotion. What we put out there we get back, like a boomerang, we reflect exactly what we then get back.

''You get what you focus, so focus on what you want''. Changing your mindset to focus on the positives in your life creates a flow of energy that only great opportunities and synchronicity will be evident. Opportunities will start pouring in, sometimes from unexpected sources, the goals you were aiming to achieve will start happening, this is not by a wave of a magic wand. I was listening to a guy on YouTube who spoke about how he was stressing about setting up his business, because he wanted it so badly he focused on it so much yet at the same time he did not take time to rest and reflect. One time he decided he needed to take time out, walk his dog and stretch his legs so he can refocus and recharge batteries. Part of him was telling him that would be a waste of time, thankfully he chose to take that break and walk his dog. During his walk, he bumped into a friend who happened to ask him what he was doing as a job, the conversation they had there, was the missing puzzle to what he wanted to achieve. His life changed from that point, he got the lead he needed and his business went from strength to strength.

The following are the steps I've taken to change my mindset, it is a journey and enjoy the experience as it opens up your eyes 

• Believe in yourself - fall in love with yourself, if other people can achieve the goals they're aiming, what's stopping you? If you believe in yourself and have confidence, like minded people will be drawn to you. Even if you have to tell yourself, write it down or read it to yourself (affirmations), in time you will start to notice that it gets easier believing and loving yourself
• Do not pass judgement - practice empathy, love to everything around you - the way you treat others will be the same way you will be treated. Remember, what you put out there will come flying back to you, so imagine if you radiate positivity and love, the same will come in abundance
• Be present - mindfulness is important, when you open your eyes, you will start to notice the opportunities around you, like minded people will start coming your way, encouraging and supporting you through your journey
• Come from a place of abundance never scarcity, this is of utmost importance, when you open up your heart and move towards a place of less resistance, abundance can only come your way. You can only magnetize things from the same vibrational frequency as you.
• Meditation, stillness brings about reflection and focus, when we focus, quietening the little voice, we can search deep within and answers and solutions will become apparent.

Our thoughts and emotions carry energy so we can only receive what we reflect, its not an overnight achievement, small steps that will become a life style. Don't wait to achieve something in order to be happy, be happy and enjoy the journey whilst seeking and fulfilling your purpose.

Until next time...

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Motivating Yourself to Get Out of Bed in the Morning

 For some reason, sleep seems easier and sweeter when it is time to get up. You feel like rolling over and closing your eyes, Ahh, if that were only possible! However, try

. Starting Small. Open ypur eyes. Slip off your pj pants. Then ease yourself into a sitting position and put on your slippers, This process should take less than a minute You've moved past the hardest part!

Stretching Begin stretzhing your arms. Then move on to stretching your legs. Only don't overdo stretching your legs because you'll give yourself muscle cramps.

Visualizing. How will your day go? Do you know what you'll be wearing? Meeting? Eating for lunch? Looking forward to an activity?

Exercising Again start small. One sit up, One posh up. Turn on some music and dance or listen to a talk show. I remember looking forward to and listening to Howard Stern every morning. He was raunchy and funny. Which brings me to the next tip/

Tuning in to a favorite talk show. I always looked forward to listening to the Howard Stern show, I laughed at his jokes. My only issue was tuning in when I had guests. Like one of my aunts. She happened to get an earful of Howard Stern's commentary. which appalled her, How dare you listen to that? She asked. In all due respect, I need a laugh and feel awakened. It's how I start my day

Playing games. Timing yourself as you bathe or shower or style your hair. Turn it to a game, Suppose that you only had ten minutes or less to finish? Five minutes? How how long would it take to do these if you were running late? I get it. You don.t even want to think about being late. But it happens, And panicking is not the answer. Just remember how much time it takes to do each chore. Use one or two shortcuts if necessary to speed things up. Consider skipping some things just to save time, Could you still do it? What would you be able to skip if you had to? For now, all of this is preparing you for that dreaded time.

Getting more sleep by going to bed earlier.:ike an hour or two earlier, You won;t feel like sleeping. You'll likely toss and turn during that time. After all, going to bed earlier is an acquied habit. It may take a few days to acclimate yourself, but trust me, it works, You'll sleep longer and find that getting up in the morning isn't so bad----or difficult, And become healthier as well,

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How Coming Upon Pure Inner Silence Can Change Our Life

 

Have we ever wondered: what is silence, is it just the absence of sound?

Well, yes, in a way: silence makes outer sound possible or perceptible, in that, silence gives sound a vibrancy, quality or nature, referred to by many as mental freedom.

But silence is more than mere absence of sound. At transcendental level with, silence essentially is Power awaiting an awareness, or consciousness awaiting stimulation into action.

Pure inner silence thus equates to 'potential': potential requiring sound contact through which to manifest one's latent potential. This is why mantras are used in meditation: their sounds vibrate into deeper consciousness: vibrational sound waves entering into levels of awareness not previously touched upon, resultant in expanded capacity of conscious mind. Levels of consciousness above the mental noise/sound of time and space or, relative existence. Transcendental silence - also termed cosmic consciousness -- makes the all-knowing inner intelligence as reality presence within consciousness. In this context, vibrational sound waves in deeper mind give rise to direct experience of transcendental silence.

Exodus 3: 14 KJV puts it: And God said unto Moses 'I AM That I AM'

'God said unto Moses' is symbolism for 'God said unto you/me'.

Thus, when asked: 'what is your name' (name meaning nature, thus, what is your nature?), Jesus replied, 'I AM That I AM' meaning, 'I will be what I will be' meaning, my INNER name/nature is I AM Self-existent soul-silence; my transcendent I AM nature is Self-sufficient unto my own consciousness. Thus, like an unbounded ocean, transcendental 'I AM' silence contains and upholds the life-needs of every soul. In other words, the Truth or, all-knowing Silence, is already established within each of us as Potential.

The 'I AM' potential is the same standard for each person, in that, we're each made in the image (imagination) and likeness (potential) of I AM or, God-Nature: we're each the eternal I AM Silence or Potential. In this context, as Self-existent beings, we can each, through use of heightened imagination, create our own destiny, create our most heart-cherished dreams and visions. Thus, whatever we can conceive (in mind), believe (applied faith) we can achieve (manifest materially or spiritually within consciousness).

The simplest way of experiencing direct applied faith is to experience pure silence within, this silence IS pure faith, and such is how we 'practice' spiritual faith

Our purpose on earth is to come upon this creative silence: that we each become as manifesting channels [of flowing silence] through which divine Will fulfills purposefully as opposed to randomly. On becoming this channel, the Self-sufficiency status of I AM becomes automatic in expression: our individual inner-prompt needs now become the needs of nature. Thus our every thought, word and deed is in harmony with I AM, benefiting both ourself and others, thus the world at large.

Awakening Silence

Vibrational silence reveals that it was the mental noise of non-disciplined thinking that kept the spiritual soul asleep, now, paradoxically, it's inner silence which awakens it.

Silence further reveals, that, we're not born into this world as ready-made 'saints', rather as Potential. If we were born 'perfect' there would be nothing to overcome; no development and testing of applied faith, thus no reason to be in mortal bodies enduring the suffering or learning phase of soul evolution unto becoming conscious I AM, thus realizing our higher potential.

The nature of silence is Bliss, therefore, by engaging silence in daily meditation, bliss becomes infused into the very nature of the mind, thus establishing vibrational I AM as our own eternal Self-sufficient, faith-infused conscious soul. This is God getting to know God directly AS you and through you. In other words, God [I AM] works through us and not to us.

Silence being the active substance of faith, thus our faith first becomes established AS silence consciousness.

Ancient scholars knew the secret

Metaphysical writers have been highlighting the need of inner silence, for hundreds of centuries.

Thus, when weighing up the value of scriptures, it's hugely important to acknowledge that these Self-realized authors were highly skilled in the practice of direct transcendental silence or, faith experiencing; daily meditators harnessing pure meditative silence hence their powerful, insightful and discernible writings on inner events, albeit in coded format.

Events for instance such as 'Noah's Ark' resting atop of a Mount represents the awakened silence-mind coming upon higher -- or Mount -- states of silence within consciousness. Noah is symbolism for soul, with Ark representing the brain. For this reason, much of Scripture focuses on 'silence within' and inner spiritual awakening. Thus, mental and physical well-being are but reflections of transcendental silence consciousness.

The ancient scholars are emphasizing the need of quietening the ever-turbulent conscious mind and its associated levels of chaotic thinking, thereby accessing pure calm -- transcendental consciousness -- the source of spiritual and physical well-being. That, what mind thinks, or entertains, persistently will be taken as prayer by our deeper mind.

Thus, an obvious question arises: if bliss is the nature of silence, what then is its opposite nature?

The Fear-less Soul

As our spiritual soul is fear-less or, pure silence, thus, it's not possible to be fear-filled while encountering deep silence on a daily basis. Thus, the opposite of pure silence is residual ignorance-based fear, the dominant emotion prior to spiritual awakening. With fear being the opposite of love, hence Scripture places huge emphasis in this area.

Job 3:25-26 NIV "What he feared most came upon him"

Job is clearly stating: what the deeper mind attaches to fearfully will be accepted as prayer and made manifest within - by law.

Happily, with silence being the opposite of fear, the reverse of Job's statement is also true: whatever 'prayer' we're constantly happiest about, comes to pass. In other words, when our consciousness becomes silence-based or, silence-infused, then this silence becomes as natural positive prayer. Or, when the heart becomes love-full and overflowing then fear cannot invade to overwhelm.

1 John 4:18 "Perfect Love castes out all Fear".

Perfect Love, or pure transcendental silence, transforms human fear into spiritual soul love. The perfecting inner process awakens the asleep all-loving spiritual heart into expressional unconditional compassionate love; awakens our spiritual conscience from the mire of lower human intellect which creates and maintains fear in the deeper subconscious mind.

Developing 'perfect love' requires entering meditative silence daily. But once commenced upon, the target of 'perfect love' becomes unmissable in heart. Perfect love, as pure silence, then forms the basis of our every personal interaction regardless of creed or societal status. Such divine state extends beyond the boundaries of self-interest and lower-ego, when consciousness vibrates AS love, where fear cannot exist.

Scriptural expression of this fear-less love is referred to as 'speaking in tongues': speaking through the higher spiritual heart as opposed to language and mental activity sourced through spiritual ignorance and residual fear.

Transcendental Silence

Without direct experience of transcendental silence, the conscious mind finds itself adrift on the turbulent ocean of 'noise' and attraction to lower sense-consciousness. At this point, the need of inner silence becomes the imperative. In this context, inner hearing the sacred sound AUM is like dropping a mind-soothing pebble-sound into the choppy surface mental waters, thus triggering the ocean's deeper stillness into oscillating pure silence unto our deeper consciousness, thereby 'firing' inner happiness, peace and love -- to include boosting the immune system optimally.

This stillness-pebble, AUM, initiates vibration, expansion, thereby acclimatizing the consciousness of pure transcendental unbounded silence: the soul re-establishing on a higher spiritual evolution: realigning with higher states of vibrational silence consciousness. Our life now moving beyond chaos, confusion and uncertainty unto love-vibrancy, rootedness and permanency.

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What Next? An Unfulfilled Journey

 

Our mind is overwhelmed with many ideas and thoughts to progress in the direction of unfinished task of our life hoping to strive towards success and fulfillment. This is the cardinal point and a first step leading towards a giant leap. One must recognize the tipping point, a core concept which catapults the ideas into unknown but achievable direction opening new vistas of unexposed knowledge and wisdom. At this point we should pay attention and evolve meaningful deductions from our actions and reactions that continually or continuously pondering our mind.

The mind which is the receptor of emotions, feelings, thoughts, and desires need appropriate guidance to take corrective measures to take the most achievable decision. Here, the factors which influences our progress is the mind growth. It opens ideas which are progressive and provide many alternative directions which are beneficial to our lives. The negative aspect is the mindset which is a stagnant entity. Here there is no growth because it firmly sets on a predetermined track and acts accordingly. There could be two possibilities; the mindset leaves at the dead-end which becomes a hurdle. Whereas a growth mind provides passages and propagates in the right direction.

The determination and persistence with respect to any task or rather unfinished task is key reason of growth mind. If you start thinking out of box, then you realised that your confidence is growing and produced positive result. The important point is the positive thinking and adopting different ideas and implementing appropriately. What conspired and transpired within our mind is the manifestation of thoughts? However, outcome becomes a variable depending upon our thinking pattern. The thoughts are duly affected by our feelings, emotions, and desires. The predominant reason is the growth mind which extracts positive aspects from every angle. The result is satisfaction and accomplishment.

If we explore the domain of mind and thoughts within the influence of feelings, emotions and desires then new vistas evolve many opportunities beneficial to humanity. It must then utilize to its potential and maximum benefits. I think we must reflect on great authors or poets' thoughts which are motivational and mind development which will become a beacon of light.

It is appropriate to quote Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's stanza from 'Psalm of Life."

"Lives of great men all remind us.

We can make our lives sublime,

And, departing, leave behind us.

Footprints on the sands of time;"

The life of introvert and extrovert person can provide conflicting outcome subjectively. However, there are some scenarios which indicate that introvert person can be useful positively within his or her restrictive domain. There may be some delay in the execution of action, yet it is fruitful and profitable. Here, the delay in execution is the cautious approach and not any shortcoming because of their inherent imperfection.

The extrovert person's approach on few occasions leads to confusion when conflicting thoughts overshadow the inner voice resulting in a fiasco. Therefore, matured judgement and cool and composed attitude will pave the way to complete the unfinished task.

The conclusion is that every person person must give shape to their dreams with passion and conviction honestly and earnestly. The hurdles as experienced is the manifestation of the inner desire and overcoming and making a smooth passage is the output of persistence.

Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Ehtesham_Mirza/396754

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How Will You Determine Your Personal QUEST?

 

If, you hope, to be, the best, you can, possibly, become, it is essential to, take the time, and make the effort, to clearly, discover your personal QUEST, reasons/ reasoning, priorities, perceptions, needs, and goals, in an introspective, objective way! To achieve this objective, you must be ready, willing, able, and committed, enough, to give yourself, a true, check - up, from the neck - up, and thoroughly, examine, what makes you tick! After, over - four decades, of, conducting, more than a thousand, personal development/ self - help, seminars and programs, I believe, overall happiness, and contentment/ satisfaction, is, nearly - always, up - to - you! With, that in mind, this article will attempt to, briefly, consider, examine, review, and discuss, using the mnemonic approach, what this means and represents, and why it matters.

1. Questions; quality; qualifications; quite: Shouldn't it be, quite, important, to each of us, to try to make ourselves, better? To achieve this, we must, be ready, willing, and able, to ask the right questions, and accept the answers, even, if, they aren't what, you hope for! Examine your personal qualifications, and how to maximize them, to proceed, with your finest, personal quality! Doesn't that make sense?

2. Useful; unique; uses; urgent; usual/ unusual: Differentiate between relevant, useful matters, and the petty - stuff! Identify your personal, unique necessities, and priorities, and whether, specific items are most useful, and maximizes the uses, of these! Know what's most urgent to you, and seek to enhance your ability to handle both the usual, as well as unusual aspects of your existence!

3. Energy/ energize; efforts; effects; empathy; excellence; enjoy; enrich: How one accentuates, the positive, impacts his personal energy, and whether, it energizes your life! Consider all the effects and impacts of your efforts, and consistently, demand your utmost degree of personal excellence, rather than accepting, good - enough! Treat others, as you want to be treated, and demonstrate, genuine empathy! Enrich your existence, and start to enjoy your life, more!

4. Serve you; stronger/ strengths; sustainable; solutions: How will your actions, and attitude, serve you? Will you develop your strengths, and address areas of weakness, in order to become stronger, better, and more, self - satisfied? Consider, both, current, relevant needs, as well as longer - term, sustainable ones, and discover, which solutions, may be, best for you!

5. Trends; topics; traits; tension; teach yourself: Meaningful, self - help, demands a willingness, and ability to teach yourself, thoroughly, and effectively! Know what trends and topics, might help you, minimize and address actual, and potential stresses and tensions, and proceeding, in a well - consider, timely manner!

Are you, ready, willing, and able, to objectively, introspectively, discover your true, personal QUEST? Only then, will you have the opportunity, to become the best, you can be!

Richard has owned businesses, been a COO, CEO, Director of Development, consultant, professionally run events, consulted to thousands, and conducted personal development seminars, for 4 decades. Rich has written three books and thousands of articles. Website: http://plan2lead.net and LIKE the Facebook page for alternative health: http://facebook.com/althealth

Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Richard_Brody/492539

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Like A Time Thief In The Night

It was late at night. I was wired... (this often happens to me after a good night of philosophy).

I needed to wind down. So I went on YouTube. And then... I clicked on a video that grabbed my attention.

It promised to be interesting.

It was an analysis of the history of Final Fantasy Tactics (a, yep, you guessed it, tactical offshoot of the regular Final Fantasy series).

One of the games in the series happens to be among my favorite ones.

It deals with political intrigue, betrayal, and finding your own path in a time of deep conflict.

Needless to say, I was excited to watch the video and learn more about this formative piece of media in my life.

But. From the very beginning... I did NOT vibe with it.

I found the dude's voice kinda grating. And the analysis shallow and lacking in nuance.

Still...

I didn't stop watching it.

In fact, I watched all of it. All twenty-seven minutes of it.

And at the end of it...

I was left feeling angry, disappointed, and like I wasted close to half an hour of my life.

Half an hour that I could have been using for something that's actually valuable.

It was a classic case of a Time Thief in the Night.

Stealing my precious time away.

It's something that I've since learned to be on the lookout for.

We all have them. If we're honest with ourselves.

Whether it be spending time on social media, reading depressing news, watching useless YouTube videos, or playing a mind-numbing game on your phone.

We all sometimes spending our time in ways that do not work for us.

They are activities that pull us in and grab hold of us.

Activities that drain our energy.

And then leave us with little to no value to show for them.

Some call these activities "time thieves."

For that's what they do. They steal your time. Often habitually.

And in doing so, they steal your life.

Slowly but surely.

Until before you know it, they've taken years from you.

Years which you will NEVER get back.

If you want to get more out of life, then you need to be on the lookout for these vicious villains.

Because all too often, our energies and our time get taken by them.

Preventing us from living up to our full potential.

Preventing us from living truly good lives.

So it's absolutely essential for you to be on the lookout for them.

And to eliminate them from your life when you find them.

So, be on the lookout for these time thieves.

For these unproductive, unfulfilling ways of spending your time that you tend to fall into...

But that DO NOT actually work for you.

That leave you feeling like you wasted your time.

They might be things that bore you. Things that drain you. Or simply, things that do not leave you feeling good about yourself.

One and all, these are all villains you should cut from your life.

Find them. And GET MAD at them! Say, NO MORE! NEVER AGAIN!

For they truly are thieves of one of your most precious (and non-renewable) resource:

Your Time.

If you don't look out for your time. If you don't consciously take charge of how you spend it...

Then you will, without realizing, continue to lose years (or even decades) of your life as your days pass you by.

If instead, you consciously take charge of your time...

If you get rid of the time thieves in your life...

And replace them with better, more productive, and fulfilling ways of spending your time (like reading, exercising, meditating, or even just resting)...

Then you will be surprised at how much more you enjoy life.

And how much better your life works for you.

Be on the lookout for how you spend your time. For how you spend your days.

After all, how you spend your days is, in the end, how you spend your life.

Eliminate the time thieves that are taking your life away.

And guard your time like the precious thing that it is.

A precious thing you can never get back.

Santi Sanchez is a Ph.D. in Philosophy. He has spent almost twenty years dedicating his life to philosophical research and practice in order to figure out what makes a life truly good and how to make it even better.

If you're interested in this and other ways to use philosophy to improve your life, download my free Philosophical Guide to Building a Truly Good Life On Your Own Terms right here: https://www.promiseofphilosophy.com/free-guide-to-truly-good-life.

Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Santi_Sanchez/2924647

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Critical Ability Vs. Creative Power

Once upon a time, I was sitting at a philosophy colloquium in a room surrounded by some of the smartest people I have ever met...

There were scholars from almost 10 countries and 4 continents.

People who really knew their shit.

Top-notch philosophers.

And we were all tackling a very VERY specific problem.

A small passage in Kant's Critique of Pure Reason called the "Postulates of Empirical Thought"

It's not among the most central passages, but it is supposed to somehow deal with an interesting payoff of Kant's philosophical system.

And we were all just bumping our heads against the problem of how to interpret it in a way that made sense...

There were plenty of proposals that were put forth...

But they were all found to be problematic...

Because they did not fit with this other part of Kant's texts...

Or because it has this or that implausible and problematic implication...

After more than two hours of this, we stepped back and decided that, essentially, none of us had any idea what was going on in this passage...

But that IF one wanted to know what was going on in this passage...

One would have to keep in mind these twelve VERY complicated philosophical and textual points.

I have to admit...

I was discouraged by this.

It started to feel like all our effort was for nothing.

Like we were just spinning our wheels.

Like this was all a waste of time.

And to be fair, this might seem to many like what philosophy is.

But in that moment, I decided that I couldn't let my philosophy just be that (and this eventually led me to become a philosophical happiness coach)

I couldn't let it be something that remained abstract...

Something purely theoretical...

Something that was only used to question.

Not used to build anything positive or real.

And, as I later reflected on how things played out in this room of very smart people, I realized that, in many ways, it was natural for things to pay out that way.

You see most of these philosophers are philosophers who come from a tradition that approaches philosophy with an analytical mindset, searching for rigorous arguments.

Training in this kind of philosophy leads to one being very good at coming up with objections.

At coming up with arguments against positions.

This kind of philosophical training highly sharpens your critical abilities.

Their ability to criticize and point out flaws.

But.

Unfortunately, it all too often does not lead to people developing their creative powers.

The ability to come up with new creative proposals and solutions.

When you fill a room with a bunch of highly critically able but not so creatively powerful people, you get a recipe for getting a bunch of alternatives all of which seem to have tons of problems.

This imbalance between your creative powers and your critical abilities is something that I think many people, not just professional philosophers experience.

You see, at least some traditional education emphasizes the development of your critical abilities.

But unless you think of yourself as an artist or have been lucky enough to have someone encourage you to create something from your spirit, chances are, you haven't worked out those creative muscles nearly as much.

Rest assured, however.

Cultivating your creative powers is something that you can start doing very easily.

You can start by simply trying to draw a shape you like every day for a week.

It can be anything.

And you can start simple.

Like a cup of coffee or an object in your home.

I often like to draw swords and other weapons.

But try drawing it every day. At least for three days.

And as you do each time, focus on the details of the object, focus on how all the parts come together in certain proportions to make up the whole image.

If you focus and draw deliberately, you will find that you get better and better (and faster) as you keep drawing it.

And as you do so, you will realize, you REALLY CAN DRAW SOMETHING NICE... even if you never thought that was possible (as I once did.)

And you will learn to find meaning in life by drawing.

This is just one example of how you can start to develop your creative powers even if you've never done so before...

But you can develop them EVEN MORE (and find EVEN MORE meaning in life) by taking up further creative endeavors. Like painting, dancing, sculpting... the sky's the limit!

If you keep going along this path, your creative powers will catch up to your critical abilities in no time...

And help you find solutions and possibilities that can withstand your own critical scrutiny!

Hope you enjoy cultivating your creative powers! (And standing up to your own inner critic)

Santi Sanchez is a Ph.D. in Philosophy. He has spent almost twenty years dedicating his life to philosophical research and practice in order to figure out what makes a life truly good and how to make it even better.

If you're interested in this and other ways to use philosophy to improve your life, download my free Philosophical Guide to Building a Truly Good Life On Your Own Terms right here: https://www.promiseofphilosophy.com/free-guide-to-truly-good-life.

Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Santi_Sanchez/2924647

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Infinite Meaning

 

Earlier this week, I was rewatching the first season of Ted Lasso.

(It's an amazingly charming show that you have to check out if you haven't. It's funny. It's smart. It's got heart. And It makes you feel good. It's great.)

It is now in its second season. But I have watched the first one a fair bit.

The show resonates philosophically with me, you see. I see it as a meditation on how loving (if imperfect) people living in and with imperfect systems can find a better way.

A way that works better for all.

In any case, the point is, I was watching a scene I've seen more than a few times.

I won't spoil anything for ya.

What's important is that it's a scene in which a character goes from being excited about the prospect of a one-night stand to receiving a text that seems to kill her buzz.

But this time...

This time I noticed something new.

Something different about the actress's facial expressions.

There was a distinct look on her face. Not only of her buzz being killed.

It was something deeper.

It was a kind of weird sad emptiness that, to the brilliant actress's credit, really moved me when I noticed it!

By noticing this small detail of a character's facial expressions, I was able to find even more meaning in a scene that I've seen plenty of time before.

This reminded me of a powerful lesson that is near and dear to my heart:

Life Is an Infinite Web of Meaning

Life is made up of all kinds of texts from the media we consume...

To references to such media people develop...

To memes people create from such media...

There truly is an Infinite Web of Meaning with interconnected layers to be found all around us.

More and more meaning is always being created.

AND you can always find more meaning in something.

You can always ZOOM IN.

You can always focus your attention and notice some new detail.

Like I did when watching an episode I thought I already totally knew.

And

You can always ZOOM OUT.

You can always try to understand how something fits into a larger context.

Like when you realize that an episode is making reference to tropes in romantic comedies.

Or when you realize that there is a broader moral or political argument being given by the author in the way the character dynamics play out.

Like when an overly trusting tragic hero is finally betrayed by the friends they should never have trusted.

And upon zooming in/out...

You can always ZOOM IN/OUT AGAIN!

You can always zoom in and notice further details. Such as noticing in what other scenes the character makes that face or ones similar to it. Noticing when that same feeling takes over their spirit. And asking why.

And you can always zoom out and further contextualize things. By considering what other tragic heroes share a similar fate. And which other similar (but non-tragic) were able to avoid or overcome such betrayals.

This applies not only to piece of media.

But to all kinds of spaces and places.

The whole world is an infinite web of meaning.

In this way, there's no limit to how much more meaning you can get out of life.

All by yourself.

You have the power to find more and more meaning in everything around you.

You have the power to get even more enjoyment out of the stories you love.

You have the power to find happiness in being a dedicated reader of life's infinite web of meaning.

You don't need anything else.

Only a willing mind. Willing to entangle itself in the infinite web of meaning all around us.

So, go forth and read this web.

And empower yourself to get more meaning and happiness out of everything around you.

Santi Sanchez is a Ph.D. in Philosophy. He has spent almost twenty years dedicating his life to philosophical research and practice in order to figure out what makes a life truly good and how to make it even better.

If you're interested in this and other ways to use philosophy to improve your life, download my free Philosophical Guide to Building a Truly Good Life On Your Own Terms right here: https://www.promiseofphilosophy.com/free-guide-to-truly-good-life.

Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Santi_Sanchez/2924647

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