Living in the NOW

• “Always say “yes” to the present moment. What could be more futile, more insane, than to create inner resistance to what already is? what could be more insane than to oppose life itself, which is now and always now? Surrender to what is. Say “yes” to life — and see how life suddenly starts working for you rather than against you.”
  ― Eckhart Tolle

Skipping the Middle Man

As adults we are faced with a vast amount of responsibility. It is often overwhelming and all-consuming at times. We live in a day and age where we are more stressed out as a society than any other before us. The world we live in is fast paced and the expectations of us are endless.  The stress and the worry of what comes next or how we may find the means, mentally, physically and financially to tackle the next hurdle that comes our way. As an enthusiast of positive living, I came across a great little quote that made me stop and think. It was short and simple and stopped me in my tracks. It applies if you are religious or not. “Have you prayed about it as much as you have talked about it?” Um, well…probably not- good point. Imagine how many minutes a day we think and apply our mental energy to worrying about a problem. Problems will always find us. That is life and no one is immune to problems. If you are alive, you are going to have problems; it’s as simple as that.

 

It is all in the way we handle these problems. Imagine if you had to count the minutes of just one day that you were worried about an issue. It pops into your mind over and over throughout the day. If you add up all these minutes, how long have you spent worrying about a certain problem? Fifteen minutes? Thirty minutes? An hour? Or more? Instead of worrying about those problems, it may be best to cut out that middle man of worrying, and spend those minutes or hours with positive thoughts to the situation. If you are a praying type of person, pray every time that thought comes into your mind. It’s all about being proactive instead of being reactive.

 If prayer isn’t your thing, restate the thought that entered your mind and turn it into a positive stream of consciousness. Instead of how am I going to do x, y, and z followed by a series of minutes wasted worrying, rephrase it.  “I am fully equipped and able to handle issues x, y, and z. I will come up with a great solution. A positive outcome is on its way and the answer will come to me, be revealed, etc…” Positive thoughts and words by nature attract positive energy into the situation, while negative thoughts attract negative energy into the situation. Make a conscious choice on how you will spend your minutes and how you think of a situation. Life happens anyway, we have the choice to cut out the middle man – worry- and go straight for a positive solution. Spend those extra minutes doing something you love.

The power of thoughts and words is quite shocking. Japanese Scientist Dr. Masaru Emoto did an experiment on the power of positive thinking on water, proving that it literally changes the structure and health of organic matter. His findings are stunning- as you can see them scientifically for yourself. Take a look at this link and see the photos and the video. It is quote stunning.

 

http://www.positive-thinking-principles.com/dr-masaru-emoto.html

Free Your Mind

Here is a small expert from a Buddhist view on detachment. It is always our attachments in life that cause us the greatest pains, miseries, and sufferings; such as:

·       The object of our desire that we cannot attain or keep, whether they be material possessions or otherwise.

·       Unrequited love.

·       The disappointment of relationships- family, friends, lovers.

·       Unmet demands of people or situations.

·       When things don’t pan out the way we wanted them to.

 The word and concept of detachment can be misleading, as it denotes being free of all things, possessions and relationships- when that is not the case at all. The concept and implementation of detachment releases us from our Ego and allows the freedoms of negative emotions that attachments always keep us in that constant state of emotional rollercoasters- somewhere between happiness and disappointment.

 

Question: What is the meaning of detachment?

Answer: The Buddhist meaning of detachment is slightly different from what the word normally means in English. Detachment in Buddhism is connected with renunciation. The word renunciation in English is also misleading, for it implies that we have to give up everything and go live in a cave. Although there are examples of people like Milarepa who did give up everything and live in a cave, what they did is referred to by a different word, not the word that is translated as "renunciation" or "detachment". The word that has been translated as "renunciation" actually means "the determination to be free". We have a strong determination: "I must get out of my own problems and difficulties. My mind is totally firm on that goal." We want to give up our ego games because we are determined to be free from all the problems they cause. This does not mean that we have to give up a comfortable house or the things that we enjoy. Rather, we are trying to stop the problems that we have in relation to these objects. That leads us to detachment.

Being detached does not mean that we cannot enjoy anything or enjoy being with anyone. Rather, it refers to the fact that clinging very strongly to anything or anyone causes us problems. We become dependent on that object or person and think, "If I lose it or cannot always have it, I am going to be miserable." Detachment means, "If I get the food I like, very nice. If I do not get it, okay. It is not the end of the world." There is no attachment or clinging to it.

In modern psychology, the word attachment has a positive connotation in certain contexts. It refers to the bonding that occurs between a child and parent. Psychologists say that if a child does not have the initial attachment to the parents, there will be difficulties in the child's development. Again, it is problematic to find the appropriate English word to convey the Buddhist meaning, for the Buddhist connotation of attachment is quite specific. When the Buddhist teachings instruct that we need to develop detachment, it does not mean that we do not want to develop the child-parent bond. What is meant by "detachment" is ridding ourselves of clinging and craving for something or someone.

VIA- http://www.berzinarchives.com/web/en/archives/approaching_buddhism/introduction/basic_question_detachment_nonviolence_compassion.html

 

Be Happy NOW

"Many people think that if they were only in some other place, or had some other job, they would be happy. Well, that is doubtful. So get as much happiness out of what you are doing as you can and don't put off being happy until some future date."

Dale Carnegie

Happiness is nothing more than a simple choice. It seems as though we are all chasing the dreams of some unattainable happiness, or a happiness that is somewhere off in the distance. Most of us feel that we are missing that essential something to make us happy. If only I had my dream job, that new car, a bigger house, if you got down to the size you were in high school, or had the perfect partner. We all tend to live in the tense of only “IF” and “WHENS”. Those are quite irrelevant when you stop and think of it. There are those at this very moment dying of some terrible disease, wishing they still had the ability to be present in the now and have the physical and mental stamina to do what they loved or always wanted to do, but never did. Enjoy your presence in this life NOW, and don’t put off living fully until you meet criteria X, Y, and Z. It would be unfortunate to find out that after attaining any of your criteria, that X, Y, and Z never mattered anyhow and you could have had all of this happiness in the meantime. Make the choice to be happy in the now. Exist in this moment and decide that it is going to be great!

Harmony and Happiness

Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony.

~ Mahatma Gandhi

When any of the above combinations are not matching up- it causes a great imbalance within the self which leads to unhappiness. Satisfaction comes from honesty with the self. Happiness can only arrive when a person is comfortable with his or her authentic self in any light- to include public and private aspects of the self. A perfect life and a perfect self are unattainable because it is not realistic. The key to attaining the harmony is balance. If there is an area of your life out of balance, take a few moments to analyze it and see how it can be balanced out to be something you are more comfortable with.

Perpetual self-improvement and higher goals and ideals lead to better a better quality of life. The definition of insanity, according to Einstein, is doing something repeatedly the same way expecting different results. Life is a changeable force. Most situations can be changed for the better- but only IF you want them to change. It is often the case that people complain, and when provided with solutions to their problems, do not want to remedy the situation in any way shape or form. Some individuals enjoy perpetual problems and a consistent amount of drama in their lives. There are those who thrive on this type of energy. If there is an issue in your life, and you claim you want to change it, but haven’t yet- ask yourself why? Is there something you are getting out of the perpetual problems? Are you enjoying some aspect of it at some level? That may be the case, because if it weren’t you may have resolved the issues long ago.

 Cut out unhealthy patterns and negative energies to make room for healthier life patterns and energies that draw in the positive. If you took the time to look up from whatever it was you’ve been fiddling with the last whoever knows how long, you might see there is a bigger and better world out there other than that irrelevant thing on your mind you’ve been obsessing over. Out with the old that is not working for you and in with the possibility of new; balance the aspects of your life out and enjoy the harmony. Happiness and endless good are abundant energies if we only took half the energy to tap into them that we put into other things. A few moments a day to partake in some self-analysis could be the key to your success.

By J. Brochu

Gibran on Love

“Let there be spaces in your togetherness, And let the winds of the heavens dance between you. Love one another but make not a bond of love: Let it rather be a moving sea between the shores of your souls. Fill each other's cup but drink not from one cup. Give one another of your bread but eat not from the same loaf. Sing and dance together and be joyous, but let each one of you be alone, Even as the strings of a lute are alone though they quiver with the same music. Give your hearts, but not into each other's keeping. For only the hand of Life can contain your hearts. And stand together, yet not too near together: For the pillars of the temple stand apart, And the oak tree and the cypress grow not in each other's shadow.”
― Khalil Gibran, The Prophet

Grain of Salt

“Man suffers only because he takes to seriously what the gods made for fun.” –Alan Wilson Watts

When it’s all said and done, when we are at the end of our lives, looking back- imagine all of the wasted time and energy we have spent taking life too seriously. Certain things, of course, by their very natures are meant to take in all seriousness. However, for the most part, they are not. If we take the minutes a day that we spend wasting being upset about something we cannot change, add those minutes to hours, and those hours to days- and for some, perhaps even those days to years. That is a lot of time spent frustrated, upset and angry. There are going to be some times that anger is merited and cannot be chosen- but for the most part, our anger and frustration is all in how we take things, and many are taking it all way to seriously. I am quite certain, that if many souls could come back to this lifetime, they would chose to do a few things differently- mainly taking more things with a grain of salt. Too much time has been spent in anger and frustration, and if given the chance again, most would choose to take back that time, and spend it with those important to them. Anger would be more easily dissolved and skated past. Most things that provoke our inner anger is irrelevant in the long run.

One of my favorite books, Cow in the Parking Lot, teaches us that Anger is always sprouted from one thing and one thing alone- an unmet demand.  We have in our minds at all times, demands that we think and feel should be met, and when someone does not meet that demand- we become upset and angry. What is worse is that rarely we make others aware of what our demands are. We make assumptions and believe they should know what we want and read our minds. Ergo, we are half guilty of the anger we are currently harboring, because no one really knew they failed to meet a certain demand. The second part of our being guilty of harboring anger is choice- anger is a choice- yes it is a human natural reaction, and everyone gets angry. But more often than not, it is because we choose to keep those feeling close to us. We choose to be angry and choose to be the victim of circumstance.  I am personally guilty of all the above.

The synopsis for Cow In the Parking Lot is this- You’ve been circling around for what seems like an eternity for a parking space, finally you spot one. You put your blinker on and wait patiently for that car to back out so that you can pull in. The car finally backs out, and out of nowhere, another car pulls around and parks in your spot. This would immediately piss anyone off. So you sit there, stewing. You want to take some sort of revenge. Scenarios float through the mind of things one could do to get back at them….nasty note leaving, keying of the car, perhaps even slashing of tires to be extreme….However more of those things change the situation. Your parking space is gone and any revenge ideas you may have will just lead to more anger and negativity. Let’s say you took revenge in some form. The person comes out to find the revenge and then they get pissed off. They drive home cutting people off, etc. The someone that got cut off, gets upset, they go home and yell at their spouse. The spouse is now upset, so they yell at the kid. Now the anger has perpetuated to the kid, who kicks the dog. The anger perpetuates in many many directions, all due to one negative event.

Now imagine the same scenario, you are waiting on that parking space, blinker on ready to be on your way with your daily business, when out of nowhere, a cow walks into the parking spot you were waiting for, and lies down. This promotes a different level of WTF. Slight annoyance with a side of funny- at how random that was. But the bottom line is- your parking spot is still taken. You still can’t park there. The difference is in the reaction- it is more light hearted. The cow in the parking space moves you less than the inconsiderate human being that took the space. The cow is oblivious to what it has done. Same for the person who took the space – either oblivious to the event or worse in that they don’t care. It is always our choice in how we react. Our reactions always perpetuate a chain reaction of energy.

The people in our lives are much like the Cow in the Parking lot, unaware that their actions have any effects on anyone else, and furthermore, just like the cow, lack any capability of the sheerest comprehension of it. Always bless them with positivity. And of course there are those who are beyond aware of their actions and negativity, people such as this need to be blessed even more so. Furthermore, it is of the utmost importance to lead by example, in doing the right so that those around us may see what it looks like, in the even they ever choose to never join us. One must always be the change in the world we want to see. We are responsible for the energy we bring into a room, no matter what is going on. One can choose to be moved by negativity, or one can choose to pave a new way of positivity. Chances are most of those we want to blast out may never fully comprehend our points anyway, which causes us more distress and frustration for us. Choose your battles in that respect. Know when to hold, and when to fold. Anger is a low level energy, it is heavy and stagnant. I’d rather not carry around the dead weight. I choose to live in the moment and be present. Smile and laugh at those around you. Engage with the souls that are accounted for here in the now. Life is too short to take it all too seriously!

“The world is, of course, nothing but our conception of it.”- Anton Chekov

Hope everyone has a wonderfully productive day. Choose to be great and flourish!

By J. Brochu

On Love

"To love a person is to learn the song that is in their heart, and to sing it to them when they have forgotten." - Anonymous

Change of Weather

Each of us makes his own weather, determines the color of the skies in the emotional universe which he inhabits.- Fulton J. Sheen

We do not have control of all of our circumstances, but we do ALWAYS have control how we will react to our circumstances. We cannot be reminded of this concept enough. Hope everyone has a happy Wednesday filled with great things.

A Truth

Existence. What does it all mean and what does it imply? Why are we here? What is the purpose of life? These are things that no one can answer in one universal truth. I have pondered these things since early child hood as far as I can remember. I can recall lying awake in my be at around the age of seven pondering what it meant to exist and questioned reality. How do you know you exist? How do you know what reality is? What will happen when I cease to exist? What if every life form as we know it ceases to exist? What If our universe imploded and suddenly it was all over? What if nothing existed? What if the thought of existence never existed? These are the thought’s that have terrified and kept me pondering since then. Some of these thoughts are enough to send one over the edge. They certainly sent me into bouts of hysteria at age seven, twenty-seven and even still at the age of almost thirty-two.

Most days I simply wish that these thoughts did not consume me. I might be better off living more simply spending my days in front of the television with a big swirly lollipop while twirling my pigtails while accepting the notions of whatever organized religion was handed to me. I might even prefer it. Not that organized religion is bad- but it does answer many questions for you- which may relieve one of further ponderings… But my mind just has never operated that way. It never has.

The 17th century, the French philosopher René Descartes came up with the following: "I think, therefore I am". We know we exist, at least in our own minds because we can, and do think about it. This leads me to the next question. What kind of life are we living? Are we merely existing? And if we exist in our own minds- is it a passive existence or a conscious existence? I am convinced we live most of our existence on auto pilot passive awareness. Yes- we are here….present and accounted for, but are we actually here? Are you present in your own mind? How do we start our days? I am sure for most of us it is passive….You get up, brush your teeth, get ready, drive to work, bla bla bla…same as yesterday and the day before that. The mind is like a computer setting and can work just fine on auto pilot. I can function just fine in a day of passive existence in the mind. I have done it for years at a time. Now let’s consider how it is different from active existence in the mind. Active existence is like a really cool computer program that scans the computer for how it can perform optimally. Are you doing that? Chances are you’re not. Why exist if you’re not doing what you love and want to do. You are here anyway. Why just passively exist?

Identify your goals, dreams and passions. Become everything you want to do and be. Nothing is impossible. The word itself says I’m Possible. If you cannot do everything you ever wanted, at least you have tried. You have actively existed. You can start this at any moment- to live and exist in an active consciousness and manifest it into reality. Or you can choose to live passively with life on autopilot and let it all pass you by.

I think, therefore I am. If you think you are something, fat, worthless, uninteresting…then you are.

If you think you are interesting and worthy, then you are interesting and worthy. You are attracting that vibratory force of being interesting and worthy.

Devil’s Advocate- If you think you are Napoleon, are you really Napoleon? Chances are you are not. But you are closer to it than someone who does not believe they are. On some level of existence in the mind, you are Napoleon.

The local town lunatic may think they are the Queen of France. They certainly are in their minds. And I would like to say that’s where it all counts, but one has to also be a functioning member of society with their thoughts about their existence. Otherwise you may not get as far as you hoped for, just a stint at the Georgia Regional Hospital.

Existence is subjective. Its finding “a truth.” Find the truth that works for you and that is the most functional and productive and that makes the world a better place. Use this existence to flourish and put a smile on your face and those around you. If you are going to exist, make it count.

Wishes....

 “Everything you want should be yours; the type of work you want, the relationships you need; the social, the mental, the aesthetic stimulation that will make you happy and fulfilled; the money you will require for that lifestyle that is appropriate to you; and any requirement that you may (or may not) have for achievement or service to others. If you don’t aim for it, you will never get it all. To aim for it requires that you know what you want.”   - Richard Koch

You walk into a restaurant with a ridiculous craving for a cheese burger in mind. The restaurant is busy, so in a rush you allow the waiter to take your order. You want a cheeseburger- so that’s what you ask for. When the waiter returns with your order, to your surprise- you get a cheeseburger- but what is on your plate is not exactly what you had in mind. It’s too rare, not a double Pattie, the cheese is all wrong- Cheddar instead of Swiss. To make matters worse- they added mushrooms- gross! And sautéed onions instead of fresh onions. Oh and then they didn’t bring you mayo or mustard. Suddenly the burger you dreamed up becomes a nightmare in reality. You begin to pout inwardly. This is not what I wanted. The question therein lies- were you specific? We usually would not wander into a restaurant and just order “a cheeseburger”. They would need to know what you wanted on it, how you wanted it cooked and what you did not want on it. Did you want a whole wheat bun? No bun at all? No one ever had a clue. You never were specific. We would never just order a random burger and just late fate decide on specifics. The same applies to life.

For years I had usually gotten exactly what I asked for. If I wasn’t specific- I got a version of what I wanted, but not with the details I wanted. How could the universe not know my specifics? Then I learned to hone in on what it was I wanted- or thought I wanted. Got that too. Turns out even those requests were not specific enough. You want onions on your burger? What kind? Sauteed? Fresh? Diced? Ringed? Red, white, or yellow? I made a list of requirements- but had not thought the pros and cons of each one out.

Never want something on a whim. Know what you want. If it’s a big request- it requires big review- big pros and cons, big revisions of that list and then the big submission of the request into the universe. The phrase “be careful what you wish for” often comes to mind. I take a look at my past and my wishes and giggle. I have always been quite good at manifesting what I want in my life, but that never means perfection; always room for improvement and more to strive for. Hopefully I have all of my right orders in with the universe now. I have pondered all of my wishes long enough now, and carefully from every angle. With the large amount of work I have put into it, I do have high and positive hopes and expectations for wondrously large outcomes. Cheers to my very specific “cheeseburger”….and yours as well!

Happy Productive and Flourishing Thursday!

Love, Anyway

“People are often unreasonable and self-centered. Forgive them anyway.
If you are kind, people may accuse you of ulterior motives. Be kind anyway.
If you are honest, people may cheat you. Be honest anyway.
If you find happiness, people may be jealous. Be happy anyway.
The good you do today may be forgotten tomorrow. Do good anyway.
Give the world the best you have and it may never be enough. Give your best anyway.
For you see, in the end, it is between you and God. It was never between you and them anyway.”

― Mother Teresa

Here is to a new day- a fresh start- the choice to make it a great day! May it be a productive and flourishing day!

Kant

“Two things fill the mind with ever new and increasing admiration and reverence the more often and more steadily one reflects on them, the starry heavens above me and the moral law within me.” ― Immanuel Kant

 

Immanuel Kant is without a doubt my favorite philosopher.  Cranky and inflexible- he embodies the true character of what it means to be German- Old School German that is. An old quote from a historic novel comes to mind when I think about Kant; “To be German - is to be Impartial.” Man of Straw by Heinrich Mann. (When I read that line in the novel I cackled LOUDLY. It describes me, and so many Germans to a T. It made me giggle, shake my head and consider that I man need to lighten up every now and again.)  How true that statement sill is. I grew up in Germany with strict rules and was given a strong backbone of morality and ethics by my Mother and Father and my extended German Family. A constant stream of what one should do- for the sake of good in and of itself. It’s no surprise that Moral Philosophy has become my all time favorite.

Reason is what separates us from animals. The moral law within is derived from that very reason. This poses the question then- what is moral and what is not? How do we come to the conclusions that we do when we define goodness and morality. What moral compass do we use?  Is it religion? Philosophy? Our upbringing? 

Kant takes the question and uses a formula (similar to a mathematical formula) to indicate what is morally correct and acceptable. He believed that a rigorous application of this method of reasoning would yield success in dealing with moral questions.  

It is a given that human beings have subjective impulses—desires and inclinations that may contradict the dictates of reason. As our reasoning often becomes questionable, Kant proposes his categorical imperative (an unconditional moral law that applies to all rational beings and is independent of any personal motive or desire. The unconditional moral principle that one's behavior should accord with universal maxims which respect persons as ends in themselves; the obligation to do one's duty for its own sake and not in pursuit of further ends.) :

 

 “Act only according to that maxim whereby you can at the same time will that it should become a universal law."

That is, each individual agent regards itself as determining, by its decision to act in a certain way that everyone, including itself, will always act according to the same general rule in the future.

Example:

“Consider, for example, the case of someone who contemplates relieving a financial crisis by borrowing money from someone else, promising to repay it in the future while in fact having no intention of doing so. (Notice that this is not the case of finding yourself incapable of keeping a promise originally made in good faith, which would require a different analysis.) The maxim of this action would be that it is permissible to borrow money under false pretenses if you really need it. But as Kant pointed out, making this maxim into a universal law would be clearly self-defeating. The entire practice of lending money on promise presupposes at least the honest intention to repay; if this condition were universally ignored, the (universally) false promises would never be effective as methods of borrowing. Since the universalized maxim is contradictory in and of itself, no one could will it to be law, and Kant concluded that we have a perfect duty (to which there can never be any exceptions whatsoever) not to act in this manner.“ “http://www.philosophypages.com/hy/5i.htm

 

This is to say that one should only act, in such a manner in which it would be appropriate for everyone else to act, thus making it a universal law. There are to be NO exceptions to this rule. One cannot make any exceptions to this rule for the sake that it may benefit the self. Each action we set forth should be a maxim that we would be ok with if it were to become universalized. If the action is not something that would benefit society- and if it would not be ok if everyone else were engaging in this action, than this action is to be considered morally wrong. If this is the case, than one should highly consider taking another action.

 

Kant provides a great moral compass here in my opinion. If there is ever any doubt regarding a moral action, this really should solve the issues rather quickly. It is an expanded version of the Golden Rule- do unto others as you would have done to yourself, with an additional application that each action should be something you would want others to be doing as well, universally. It causes one to ponder what kind of world it would be if we all acted in a manner that only benefitted the self. People do what they want to all of the time without any consideration of the consequences, but this is done solely with the lack of reason and forethought.

 

Having grown up this way, with my moral compasses set forth early in life, it brings me great satisfaction in doing the right thing. On occasion my reason does get clouded and I do fall off of the wagon, but a good reminder of Kant’s works on the subject quickly gets me aboard right away. Quite often, we do not want to do the right thing- as emotion clouds our reason. Just the other day I was with a friend pondering a moral question over breakfast- wondering what action I should take over a given situation. I told her I had no interest in doing the right thing- as emotion was clouding my reason on the subject. She of course gave me the lecture of “you’re going to do the right thing whether you like it or not….” In a temper tantrum like demeanor- I agreed and said that I would indeed do the right thing while shoveling a fork full of eggs into my mouth and bitching about how much I hated her for pointing out the right thing- which of course I knew but refused to look at in my childish temperament of the moment…Bitching -but thankful. One should surround themselves with friends and people who will cultivate you to do the right thing…and if there is no one around…there is always Kant to turn to.

Here's to a happy Monday filled with Good things! I hope it is a successful and productive one for each of you!

Oh the things you can find...

Oh the things you can find
If you don't stay behind!
In the places I go there are things that I see
That I never could spell if I stopped with the Z.
I'm telling you this 'cause you're one of my friends.
My alphabet starts where your alphabet ends!
So, on beyond Z!
It's high time you were shown
That you really don't know
All there is to be known.

- Dr. Suess, On Beyond Zebra 1954

The Gift of Faiure

It must be borne in mind that the tragedy of life doesn’t lie in not reaching your goal. 

It lies in having no goal to reach.

 

It is not a calamity to die with dreams unfulfilled, but it is a calamity not to dream. It is not a disgrace not to reach the stars, but it is 

a disgrace not to have any stars to reach.

 

Not failure, but low aim, is the real sin.

 

                  –Benjamin Mays via Pablo Eisenberg

 

 

What another great way to view our failures in life. One should rather have failed a million times over- in attempts to reach a goal or a dream, than to never have had a goal in mind. Failure is proof that one has gotten up and tried. Repeated failure is proof that of how strong an individual can be and how motivated and driven they are.

My best lesson in failure brings me back to my first years of College and that pesky ole College Algebra they find it necessary to make you take.  I have always done relatively well in school with mostly A’s and B’s….until it came to Algebra- my arch nemesis (and still is to this day).  First they made me take Math 97 – a class to prep you for Math 99- the precursor for College Algebra. I struggled through Math 97 and made a D. By struggled- I mean endured endless hours of study and practice and showing up on Saturdays for help and review of the week’s lesson.

Math 99 was the same. About five or six extra books on the subject from Barnes and Noble- Algebra for Dummies, etc. I went online to high school and middle school math sites for better comprehension and easier examples (as my comprehension was MIA). I did practice questions online, from the book, you name it. Attended every class and review session. I passed the class with a B- but failed the required separate exit exam. I was required to repeat the course the next semester.

Math 99 round two. Same thing as round one. Practice, tutors (4 different ones- two on campus and two non campus -one who was a high school Algebra Teacher and one from GA Tech) to help me wrap my mind around the subject. NADA. I could recite the formulas- but when applied to an equation- the answer was wrong nine out of ten times.  Writing this is currently giving me flashbacks of me crying on the floor four hours on end. There seemed to be no solution to my problem.  With endless practice and positive affirmations each day- I passed with a D. Then onto the next.

College Algebra- here we go again. Same thing. Struggle after struggle. I showed up each day, sat at the front of the class, asked questions, stayed late and attended tutorial sessions. To pass this class you had to have a D. I was one point below passing- with my F in hand I felt miserable. To my surprise- my professor gave me that extra point that let me pass. He saw how frustrated I had been, yet completely dedicated.

 I had tried to reach that goal and it was NOT easy by any means.  I just did not understand the point, and didn’t for many years.  But nowadays I see that point had nothing to do with me learning Algebra. It was me setting the goal to pass those classes no matter what and no matter how hard it was. I was facing academic probation- and in that - losing my identity as a good student.  This went on for an entire year and a half. Finally when it was all said and done- I am glad I hung in there. I wouldn’t want to repeat it- but I would if I had to. Passing those classes allowed me to move forward and cultivate myself in wonderfully interesting subjects. I am quite proud for hanging in there. And even though I feel that I have technically been taught more on the subject than most- I still probably couldn’t solve an equation if millions of dollars were on the line.

Failure was a gift for me. It proved how strong I was in the midst of constant defeat for that year and a half straight. So I look back on those failures and smile (with one eye twitching of course)!  I had a goal and I did not quit.  Much more respectable than no goals at all! So love your failures- there are lessons in them if you look hard enough. SO here’s to failure- because it’s not all a bad thing! 

 

 

 

 

Eudemonia

Happiness does not consist in pastimes and amusements but in virtuous activities.
~Aristotle

 

The question of “what is happiness?”  has eluded most scholars and sages since the beginning of time. In my own personal quest for happiness and the eluding comprehension of what it is, I have always enjoyed the Aristotelian concept of Happiness- as it seems to make more logical sense.

Perhaps happiness is not something that is attainable all of the time. Sometimes, for whatever reason, you wake up and it’s just not there. Logically, it should be; if your life is viewed as a whole and one took into account everything that currently is and has been great. How fortunate we have been to be so abundantly blessed with the things we have had, currently have, and the masses of opportunities available to us.

In the day and age of science and medicine to keep us healthier, and prolong our lives and health- we should be a happier society.

In the age of information to keep us better educated and informed- we should all be happier. 

In the day and age that we celebrate the most social freedoms we ever have in history, we should be a happier society.

But what keeps us from a permanent state of happiness?

Perhaps it is not meant to be. Or perhaps- the term of what happiness means is not actually what we all think it means. The current concept may be inaccurate, or at the very least, misunderstood.  

The translation of Happiness in the Greek Language is Eudemonia.

The word actually translates in Greek to “Human Flourishing” 

Etymologically, it consists of the words "eu" ("good" or “well”) and "daimōn" (a type of supernatural being/the spirit of man/infinite spirit).

As “Eu” is taken from the meaning “GOOD”- one has to consider what “the good” is.

In his Nicomachean Ethics, Aristotle states that eudemonia is the highest good for human beings. The goal of life and the attainment of happiness lie with living a flourishing and virtuous life. Living such a life will have been considered at the end of one’s life- as have lived a happy life. This thought suggests that happiness is not a “thing” to be chased after moment and may not be a feeling to be possessed - but an end result of living a good/virtuous/flourishing life that one can look back at an be proud of.

Now this may be a program I can get behind- doing “good” just so happens to lead (most people) to feeling of happiness almost instantly. Doing good is gratifying- and should be- as long as the good was done in and of itself and for the sake of good. Doing good for the sake of an ulterior motive is not really doing good.  So if one leads a “good” and virtuous life- by choosing good and virtuous acts- it may lead to more feelings of momentary happiness and end in Eudemonia at the end of life.

 

            Eudemonia//Happiness//according to ancient Greeks:

Personal growth (intellectual cultivation/spiritual growth), human flourishing, purpose in life,  positive relations with other, adhering to civic duty, Golden Rule for the highest good, honesty, being a person of Virtue, displaying generosity, practicing  forgiveness. Displaying kindness, living in truth, being loyal, justice seeking, progressive self development and assistance of helping others develop to their fullest potential (when that help is wanted), being trustworthy,  and being ethical in all circumstances.

3 Easy Solutions

I now exercise my fearless faith in three ways- by thinking, speaking and acting. I am unmoved by appearances, therefore appearances move.

–Scovel Schinn

Today is a new day- completely separate from yesterday. Whatever disappointments are in the past- keep them there! The future has not happened yet- but the moment is in the now! Live in the present knowing that anything you desire in life IS possible and when you set the standard for attaining your goals and desires- they will be sure to manifest.

To ensure a positive future- you must exercise the moment in the following three ways- by thinking, speaking and acting in positive and productive ways toward your goals.

If your current appearances do not reflect those ideals, and you implement changes in this moment by thinking, speaking and acting- appearances will move in the right direction soon after.

There is NO SUCH THING as LACK or LIMITATION- if you think, speak and act all positive things into creation. Your energy will shift toward a different energy frequency of positivity and you will attract only what you think, speak and act of that positive nature.

MONITER your thoughts, words and actions- make sure they are all of the highest ideals, in positive form only and never hint to any lack or limitation. This includes thoughts of ourselves and thoughts of others. Keep the energy positive and it will move quicker and spread faster – as it has a higher vibration frequency- than any negative thought ever could.



I hope everyone has a wonderful day and lives in the present moment in a positive and productive way- ensuring a future beyond your greatest expectations.

The Proof is in the Pudding

Today I am extremely excited for one of my Best Friends Billy, who, by using the powers for positive thoughts, affirmations and prayers has landed his dream job in the Hustle and Bustle of New York City. About a year ago, he decided to leave Atlanta and venture on a journey to New York-a feat in and of itself. I am not sure if I would have had the gaul to leave my safely net here and just get up and go- but he did. He left the comforts and financial luxury of home for a life of the unknown.


Recently he had been working at a job not utilizing his advanced degrees at a medical office- just to pay the bills and be able to get by. He had been applying and interviewing for jobs around the city for almost a year and was feeling drained after not hearing back from various positions. Billy had always been a positive and uplifting person- one of the reasons I love him so dearly. But even the best of the best get dragged down by life and a series of disappointments. Add insult to injury, he had been informed that he would be laid off in the next coming weeks. After a distraught phone call from my dearest friend, which by the way is rare, I decided to send him a copy of one of my all time favorite books I was re-reading, The Writings of Florence Scovell Schinn, an innovative writer, philosopher and metaphysician from the turn of the century. Her writings are based on a lot of things we already know, but she takes these concepts and puts in them in a way they are better understood. Many of the concepts have Christian undertones, but even if you are not Christian or religious, these are just semantics and the concepts can be understood and applied even if you do not subscribe to that particular doctrine.
Upon receiving the book, Billy immediately began to read it and apply the concepts of positive thought and affirmation. He would call and we would discuss our readings together and what he was doing to produce positive changes for his life. We both began to pray for the “RIGHT” job for him- a job that would allow him to use his degrees and move up to the next level-a job that he could learn and grow and be happy at. Using the following quotes and similar ones, he began to visualize the right job for himself. In addition to this, he gave thanks in advance for the right job and went upon the faith knowing that the infinite spirit was never too late and that the right job would be provided. If indeed there was a job in NCY for him, he would find it in perfect ways under perfect grace. He began interviewing again but with a different outlook on life- one of positivity and grace.


“The spirit is never too late. I give thanks to the ….received on the invisible plane and that is manifests on time.”


Then Billy set a start date in his mind and wrote it down that he would be starting his new dream job on March 5th, 2012. Using laws of the following quote:


“Man must prepare for the things he has asked for, even if there isn’t the slightest sign of it in sight. “


He started looking for apartments and enjoying the city for what it was and left his negative thinking and worries behind. On March 12th, one week after he had set his goal to start his dream job, he received a phone call and was offered a position of Practice Manager of the Department of Neurology at Mount Sinai. I couldn’t be more proud of him! I am so excited for him and he could not be more deserving. This is just the tip of the ice berg on all the wonderful things that are coming his way.
Just a glimpse of what the powers of positive thinking can do!


Here is a link of some of Schnn's affirmations and quotes listed by catagory:


http://www.florence-scovel-shinn.com/florence-scovel-shinn-affirmations-success.html


Hope everyone has a wonderfully productive and positive day!

Manifest

“Whatever one feels deeply or images clearly

 is impressed upon the subconscious mind

and carried out in minute detail"

 ~

Florence Scovel Schinn 
Be mindful of your thoughts today. Clear out any negative thoughts, concepts, ideas, banter and self talk. Open your mind and thoughts to positive energy and create the existence you want for yourself. Nothing is unattainable. There is a supply for every demand.






Have a Wonderful and Productive Wednesday.