“A human being is a part of the whole called by us universe, a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feeling as something separated from the rest, a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest to us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty.” ~Albert Einstein
If I were to give you something that you valued, how would you feel? Appreciated? Loved? Respected? If you were to give me something that you know I valued, how would you feel? Better or worse?
Don’t we all really want the same things? Don’t we want to be loved, valued, respected, and appreciated? Deep down to the core, we all have this underlying desire to be loved, valued, respected, and appreciated.Continue reading
“You do not have to answer the telephone. You do not have to obey. You can, if you choose, totally ignore the telephone bell.” ~Maxwell Maltz
I was talking with someone the other day who was frustrated because they often let their emotions run amok within their mind, and once they got focused on a disturbing situation, they just couldn’t shake it. It affected all facets of their life — it seemed to “bleed” into every part of their life, to the point where it was significantly disruptive. I think more frustration was coming from the fact that they seemed to almost “instinctively” jump into this aggravated mindset, with little required stimulus. They were looking for some way to disrupt this somewhat “automatic” response to find some inner peace and let it go.
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“Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend.” ~Melody Beattie
Sometimes you just can’t escape “it.” Sometimes “it” falls right in your lap, and you have no choice but to deal with it. The “it” I am talking about is none other than that “difficult-to-deal-with negative energy.” Sometimes it is a result of people around you who are complaining or worrying about something. Sometimes it’s a self-defeating thought that enters the mind and no matter how many times you tell it that you’re not going to accept it, it keeps reminding you of its presence.
There are times, I admit, when I sense that the negative energy has permeated (and dominated) my consciousness. Sometimes it’s just a “gut” feeling that I am surrounded by it; sometimes I hear people talking about a subject that carries with it the negative energy. Other times, I know I am just so fatigued, and at those times I am just so vulnerable to those thoughts full of melancholy, sadness, worry, and fear. Oh how I especially despise those times of fatigue-induced negative thinking! 🙂
Fortunately, I have learned that there is a “place” I have learned I can go when the negative energy is unleashing its wrath upon me. It’s a place that I have created within myself that is walled with an attitude of gratitude. When I feel that negativity gets me down, I start to mentally create a list of all of the wonderful things I enjoy in my life, and all of the things I have come to appreciate.
I can start with my health, the fact that I have two wonderful daughters and a loving and caring wife. I can continue with the thought of how they all have good health, and how fortunate we all are to be alive and enjoy each day with each other. I can’t help but feel blessed that I get to stand before wonderful people on a regular basis and teach them a subject I love (anatomy and physiology), and that I get paid to do it. I feel so much thankfulness in my heart that I have a wonderful community of friends and family. I have a warm place to call home and food on my table. I can feed my family. I have a great life. I am so grateful for so many things. Once I start to mentally list all the things I am grateful for, I can’t help but chuckle at myself at the notion that I believed that negativity could temporarily take a hold of me…
The simple act of thinking about what we are grateful for is so powerful. It immediately takes us to an emotional state that embodies relief, pleasure, and gratification. It’s impossible to hold both positive and negative emotions within our consciousness at the same time. By flooding your conscious awareness with nothing but positivity, it’s like flushing out the negativity to the point where it almost seems impossible that it was even there in the first place. As soon as those “drops” of negativity start to fill our conscious “vessel” of thoughts, all it takes is another “flood” of gratitude to again flush them out.
The more often we can practice this exercise of going to this “haven” of gratitude, the more readily we can assume the position of being grateful. Just like any other skill, if we can learn to quickly assume a state of gratitude, we can quickly eliminate the negativity. It’s kind of like taking a “shower” of positive energy to wash away the negativity before it penetrates deeply within us.
What are some things you are grateful for? Do you have some aspects of your life for which you can immediately appreciate how wonderful your life is? I’d love to hear about what gives you that deep, profound sense of gratitude! Please share!
Facebook user? Click the “Like” button below for daily inspiration, and I’ll even throw in an electronic copy of my popular “Antidote” to the mediocre mind as a “thank you!” (And I’ll do a little happy dance when I see you’ve liked my page too) 🙂
“Your beliefs become your thoughts, Your thoughts become your words, Your words become your actions, Your actions become your habits, Your habits become your values, Your values become your destiny.” ~Mahatma Gandhi
I am in the middle of preparation to run a marathon — a full marathon — in May. It will be my first. It was last year that I ran my first competitive race in about twenty years, and then I backed that one up with another slightly-longer run and then the “Tough Mudder” event in the fall. I learned something from each of those experiences. From my first run, which was two miles, I learned that I can run okay in a competitive environment. Without trying all too hard, I got second place (out of something like three or four people) in my age category. That was pretty cool. I also learned that while I placed in the two-mile run, when comparing my time to those running the 5K at the same event, I still wasn’t all that fast (most of the “faster” runners ran the longer race). Still, the cool bobble-head trophy I got for placing in that race was cool.
During my second competitive run, which was a 5K, I learned that I could push myself to run faster over a longer distance. My pace was much faster than my two-mile run a couple of months prior, so if I would have run that pace in my previous run, I would have come in at first place for my age category (provided that the first-place finisher in the two mile ran the same speed). Even with my improved time, I placed right in the “middle of the pack” for my age group. During the “Tough Mudder” event, I learned that some things that appear to be pretty scary are just creations of the mind, and if you can overcome your mental objections to doing something, you can physically do anything you put yourself up to.
Speaking of mental objections, I have historically mentally objected to running outside in cold weather. However, I would rather run in cold weather than run on a treadmill in the basement at home, and I needed to start ASAP with my training, so that meant that I had to make sure that I dressed warmly so I could tolerate running in the cold. During my training thus far, I have been running in colder weather than I have ever believed I would run in, and it’s because I dress ridiculously warm. I wear two base layers underneath another three layers of clothing. If I look silly, I don’t care, because I am way over caring what other people think. 🙂 With two pairs of socks on my feet and a warm mask on my head and face, I am good to go and toasty warm no matter how cold it is.
All things considered, even though I have gotten back in the swing of running in competitive events and overcoming mental objections and making arrangements to tolerate cold-weather running, there was one seemingly physical obstacle looming large that I felt was working against me; it was my ability to run at what I consider a “decent” pace, especially over a longer distance. My biggest worry coming into this whole “running a marathon thing” was that I would be still running six hours after I started, with more distance to go.
I have always known I am a fast sprinter, but distance running has always been an issue for me. If I were to run a two or three-mile race, I could put in a decent time, but anything beyond that I could just forget about running it at what I would consider a reasonable pace. I would have a hard time cracking into the 11-minute-mile pace, and if I wanted to run a 10-minute mile, well, I could just forget about it. Running an 11-minute mile for 26 miles would result in me running a four-and-three-quarter-hour marathon. That’s if I can keep up that pace! I have a hard time doing that over much shorter distances.
This worried me greatly. Just as evidence that the universe will conspire to make things happen for you, I was asked to teach a college anatomy and physiology class for my former college professor, while she’s on a sabbatical. It just so happens that one of my students in that class mentioned that she runs a lot. “A lot” turns out to be “every day.”
During lab one day, I asked her if she had run any marathons. She told me that not only had she run marathons, but she has trained people who have run in marathons! She started asking questions about my training, and she finally got to asking about how fast I ran. I told her that I didn’t run very fast, and that I was having a hard time getting below a 12-minute mile. She then asked me what my “cadence” was, but I had no clue what that was. She said a cadence is a measure of how many strides you take in a minute. She said that I should try to maintain a cadence of 180 steps per minute. She added that if I got accustomed to running at that pace, I would start to run faster. That’s three steps per second! It sounded fast, but I thought I would give it a shot. At this point I would do almost anything to run faster…
So, I did some looking around online and found an awesome website, called www.podrunner.com, where you can download MP3s of music at a certain cadence, to use for training. I downloaded a track onto my iPod that had music set at a tempo of 180 beats per minute, and went out and did my pace run of the week at that pace. Holy cow — it was fast, and I was gassed. I ran at that pace for about three minutes, then I power walked for one minute, followed by a jog at a slower pace for two minutes before kicking it up to the 180 strides per minute again. I did this for for the four-mile run, and afterward I was really exhausted. The biggest surprise for me was that by the end of the run, 180 didn’t seem too bad anymore. It was almost as if during my “slower” jog I was inclined to run faster.
I went out a week later, and I was able to do the 180 cadence the whole time, with exception of my one-minute power walks, which I pre-determined to take while hydrating or “powering up” with some sort of carbohydrate supplement (GU) at each mile. I was able to do the 180 cadence the whole time I was jogging! Yesterday, I was scheduled for my pace run, and I did it again, running five miles, at 180, with exception to the power walks each mile.
To my amazement, I completed the 5-mile run at a time of 49:40! I did it! Not only did I crack a 12-minute mile, or even an 11-minute mile, but I cracked the 10-minute mile mark! I was thrilled! That was even in spite of running against some brisk winds and several hills!
After I thought about it, I realized the power of believing in myself. I had let myself believe for so long that I was good at running short distances, but not long distances. If you think about it, the key to running short distances well is by moving your feet more quickly (a quicker cadence). My “well, duh” moment came when I realized that the key to running long distances well is also by moving your feet more quickly. It makes total sense, but I had myself convinced that I couldn’t do it.
The power of belief cannot be overlooked. It was unfortunate that I had to witness personally that I was capable of running at a faster cadence before I convinced myself that I could run faster than I have ever clocked myself before as running. I should have known better, but I didn’t. Once I moved to consciously believing that I could run faster, I gave myself permission to do it, and then I did it!
Let me ask you — do you have any pre-existing beliefs that you feel you are holding on to? Are they holding you back from reaching your full potential? Are there ways you can convince yourself otherwise, so you can break through to achieve higher levels of performance or a higher quality of life? Let me know. I’d love to hear from you!
“Wear self love like a blanket of comfy cashmere” ~Anne-Sophie Reinhardt
Join me for this week’s interview on Monday, February 18 at 12 PM Central!
To listen to the interview, click HERE! I will be welcoming Anne-Sophie Reinhardt to my radio show this week!
We just celebrated Valentine’s Day last week. For most people, the celebration of the day is our love for others, which is so appropriate. So many times, we take other people, especially the people we’re closest to, for granted. We don’t take the time to let them know on a regular basis how much we truly and deeply love them. While every day could be Valentine’s Day, in reality it isn’t.
Don’t we sometimes take ourselves for granted too? Don’t we forget to tell ourselves how much we love ourselves? We often times are so good at reminding ourselves of our faults and shortcomings, and we ignore the good in who we are. Or, sometimes we feel that to tell ourselves how much we love ourselves we are being egotistical or narcissistic.
The reality is that we don’t give ourselves as much credit as we deserve, and we sell ourselves short. We tell ourselves that we are not deserving of heaps of love for ourselves, because if we feel we are deserving, there must be something wrong with us or we have some “unmet need” lurking out there somewhere. We neglect to offer ourselves some “self love,” and we suffer as a result. Ultimately, so many of our problems originate from self-image issues.
I am happy to say that today I am a healthy person; I am preparing for my first ever marathon! I just ran six miles yesterday, and I have run more in the past couple of weeks than I had in a week in a long time, and it feels great. It wasn’t always that way. I used to weigh 250 pounds. I was lazy, miserable, and unhealthy. Life was not as enjoyable back then. I certainly lacked self love and body love, and my suffering was tremendously great.
Having run the gamut, so to speak, of various levels of self love and body love, it provides me with an awesome perspective on how hard and how wonderful life can really be! I am so thrilled to welcome Anne-Sophie Reinhardt on to my radio show this week, because I know she offers such wonderful insight, perspective, and expertise on self love and body love, and I can’t wait to talk to her about it!
I came to know Anne-Sophie through a guest post on my friend Jodi Chapman’s blog last fall. I loved her message and visited her website. Since then, our paths have crossed across the “virtual landscape” a couple of times! We must have been destined to speak on my show! 🙂 I am thrilled to have her!
Anne-Sophie is an anorexia survivor, body image expert, self-love advocate and the author of The Ultimate Guide to a Healthy Body Image. Join her newsletter and receive your free 3-part video series empowering you to madly fall in love with yourself. If you haven’t already checked out her website, I highly recommend it!
Anne-Sophie has a book, which you can find on Amazon, titled The Ultimate Guide to a Healthy Body Image, and she is active on Facebook and Twitter as well, where she has already won the hearts of so many. I personally welcome you to join the large community of people already following Anne-Sophie on her wonderful journey by following her!
I can’t wait for our talk today, and I would really like it if you listened in as well! We’ll see you there!
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“You are a spirit with a soul who is having a human experience.” ~Nick Bunick
Tuesdays are a weekly highlight for me. I get the opportunity to join my older daughter for lunch. I go to her school, and I get to sit with a bunch of first graders and eat with them. If you have never had the opportunity to get a front-row seat to hear the conversations that take place at the lunch table, you’re missing out. It’s quite the experience.
For example, I usually get this:
First grader: “Mr. Schueller…”
Me: “What?”
First grader: “You said it!”
Me: “Said what?”
First grader: “You said it! We’re playing the ‘what’ game. You said ‘what!’ You lose!”
And on it goes. It never gets old for them, and to be honest, it really doesn’t get old for me either. I know that these years of youthful innocence are numbered, and I’ll take it in and enjoy it for all it’s worth.
In addition to the lunchtime antics, I frequently get reports on the daily happenings in first grade from my older daughter. It’s not unusual for her to fill me in on the latest “drama” that occurs in first grade. It’s usually on par with the “what game” stuff. Someone said they’d give them a pack of gum if they’d let them cut in line, and then they don’t follow through; kids taking things from other kids; arguments over whether someone really “hypnotizes” another student simply by looking at them for one minute straight…All that kind of “trivial” material that consumes the social life of a first grader. When compared to the worries of an adult, these “first grade worries” seem so insignificant and so small…
I think of our journey here on this planet the same way. Some of us on this planet are consumed in proverbial “what games” and so full of fear and worrying about what we stand to lose. Then there are some of us on this planet who are just oozing with spiritual maturity — their self control and patience is through the roof, and they are admired by many for their mastery of self and spirit.
I had the opportunity to do a phone interview with Nick Bunick, author of several books. In his book titled, Time For Truth, he says what he said to me during our talk, when I asked him what the meaning of life was, and why we were here on this planet. In essence, he says to visualize a pyramid with a thousand steps inside of you, and at the top of this pyramid is the universal spirit/infinite wisdom/God. He says, “The purpose of your life is to climb the steps, one at a time, until you reach the top and become at one” with that universal spirit/infinite wisdom/God. Nick also says that he estimates the average person is at around step 200; some are lower and some are higher. Some are in higher “grades” and making higher progress on their personal pyramid, and some are in lower “grades” and struggling spiritually.
What are the means by which we can reach the top? By embracing “universal love and compassion.” That’s it!
Now, I know it’s easy to look around and cast a judgmental eye on those who do not exercise love and compassion toward others. It’s not hard to find people who are glaring examples of the opposite of love and compassion. Just turn on the news. However, we need to work on setting aside that judgment and passing that universal love and compassion to others, even if they haven’t come around to embracing it themselves.
It helps for me to simply think about those people as being in a “different grade” spiritually. They are at a different place. Just as we don’t get “angry” at first graders for being first graders, with their “what games” and “trivial concerns,” we can move away from being angry at those who don’t practice love and compassion. Just as an adult is not any better than a first grader — just older — a more “spiritually advanced” individual is no better than someone who is at a different “step” on their personal spiritual pyramid.
I usually endorse the famous quote, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do,” during those times when it’s so easy to pick apart and judge someone who is doing something differently than I would in that same situation. I’m no better. I may be in a different “grade,” I may be on a different “step” on my pyramid, but I can’t get angry; again, I am no better. That usually helps me get through it.
So, what step on your personal “pyramid” do you think you are on? Are you still struggling to embrace universal love and compassion? Is love and compassion something you can do on a part-time basis, but you still need work on making it a more full-time practice? I know that’s where I am…I am getting better, but I still need work on making it a full-time behavior. I have a long way to go, but I have also come a long way!
Climb those steps. Embrace that “universal love and compassion.” Refrain from judging others — just extend to them that same “universal love and compassion,” and help them on their way. That universal spirit is right there, within you — and the higher you climb on your own personal pyramid, the closer you will get to sharing with the world that wonderful you that resides right there inside of you!
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“To really ‘live,’ that is to find life reasonably satisfying, you must have an adequate and realistic self image that you can live with. You must find your self acceptable to ‘you.’ You must have a wholesome self-esteem. You must have a self that you can trust and believe in. You must have a self that you are not ashamed to ‘be,’ and one that you can feel free to express creatively, rather than to hide or cover up. You must have a self that corresponds to reality so that you can function effectively in a real world. You must know yourself—both your strengths and your weaknesses and be honest with yourself concerning both. Your self-image must be a reasonable approximation of ‘you,’ being neither more than you are, nor less than you are.” ~Maxwell Maltz
About a year and a half ago I decided to attend a conference for professional speakers. It was a great weekend — I met some really nice people, and I learned a lot in the process. One of the treats of the weekend was getting the opportunity to learn from one of the “big names” in the speaking industry, and I walked away with a wealth of information to use from here on out. Overall, it was a productive weekend.
How do you do when walking into a new environment — when you know you’re going somewhere where you know you won’t know anybody, and where you will be asked over and over again to introduce yourself and answer questions about yourself? Are you nervous? Are you a bit fearful? Truth to be told, I have never been comfortable at events like this in the past. I never was a fan of these types of events, partially because I felt like I didn’t “belong” there with the other people. I felt that the “others” were more experienced, polished, and “worthy” of being there than I. Have you ever experienced that sort of “I really don’t fit in here with all these people” moment? I think we have all experienced that nervousness somewhere along the line. Maybe we still do to this day!
Where do you believe those feeling come from? I believe that the feeling of fear and nervousness comes from a perception of how we “measure up” to other people. I believe that we assign a relative “worth” to others, and then compare it to ourselves. What do we use to assign this “worth?” Perhaps it’s experience; perhaps it’s charisma and confidence. Perhaps it’s how “well known” someone is in the public sector. Can you relate? Have you ever met someone who was a “guru” of some sort, or another “famous” person, and felt so overwhelmed and just in awe, simply because you were in their presence?
So, let me ask you a question…Take away all the “perceptions” of “worth” that you have about this “famous” person, and what do we have? We have just another person. Another person, just like you and me. No more, and no less. This was the realization I had as I approached that weekend of the conference. I had reached a point where I had found myself in a mindset that was calming and reassuring, with no pressure or nervousness. I realized that it was my own “self image” which had been holding me back at events like this in the past. It was all a creation of my own mind. It was my own “measuring up” and comparing myself to others that was leading to my apprehensions. Once I figured this out, everything changed.
I no longer worried what other people thought of me; I didn’t care if people liked me or not. I had confidence in my abilities and I felt that I was “worthy” and that I “belonged” right there with everyone else. I felt extremely comfortable working the floor, and talking with other people. Were there people who had experienced more “success” than I? Absolutely! Were there people there who had more experience than I? Without a doubt! I didn’t care!
On the second day of the conference, the featured speaker arrived. During a break in the session, there was a long line of people who were waiting in line to shake a hand, get an autograph, or get a photograph. While I recognized that this person is well known (throughout the world) and extremely successful, I didn’t feel the need or desire to jump in the line. Truth to be told, this speaker would never remember who I was anyway, so what would I really gain from this possible encounter? The opportunity to say I “shared” the stage with this “world renowned” personality? Sure, I guess!
Don’t get me wrong — it’s not about ego here. It’s not about me feeling I need to boost myself up and pretend that I don’t care who this person is. I care, but I don’t care that much. I was at peace with myself. I felt comfortable in my own skin, for once, and I didn’t care who was in the room, who I met or didn’t meet. I didn’t care if I rubbed shoulders with the “right” people, or got in on the “right” new ventures that were out there waiting for me. I didn’t care!
Why do we worry if we don’t measure up? So much suffering comes from the attachment we have to feeling that we are deemed “of worth” by others. We don’t need to worry about what others think. It only serves the ego. Simple acceptance of the fact that we are who we are is enough. If we love ourselves, the rest doesn’t matter.
When we boost others up and then end up feeling bad about who we are as a result, we only feel less than “good enough” because we now believe we don’t “measure up.” We do it to ourselves. We can end up loving ourselves less, and in the process feel down and depressed, or even angry or jealous of others.
Don’t worry about measuring up to others. Feelings of “worth” are only creations of our minds. When we simplify who we are and what we are, what are we? We are flesh and bone; further reduced, we are just the elements of the earth — nothing less, and nothing more. We are all cut from the same cloth. We are great beings of spirit, residing in the machinery of the body. We are all connected and equal with each other. We are all here to accomplish the same thing, which is to learn how to become more compassionate and loving toward other beings.
If we learn to support each other, there is no room for judgment, jealousy, or negativity. We can always make more room for love in our hearts, and squeeze out that space which is dedicated to negativity, aggression, and hostility.
Don’t worry about what other people think. We can just ask ourselves what we think. We can ask ourselves how can we live our lives with more love and compassion. Perhaps it’s just simply smiling toward another person to make their day better. Besides, don’t you think that’s the way we were destined to live — with a smile on our faces?
I know that I was smiling the entire weekend, because I had reached a place of peace and self contentment. I was smiling in the car; I was smiling at the airport (even humming while waiting in line). I was smiling at the conference, and I smiled all the way back home. I felt great! I loved being me!
“Measuring up” to others only holds us back. It’s time to let go of our need to feel “worthy” of others’ acceptance. It’s time to be content with who we are. After all, we are awesome inside — and it’s time we start finding it! We are great!
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“And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.” ~Marianne Williamson
You have no idea how good it feels to be writing this post. The last time I wrote a real, true blog post was last year — December 18 — over a month ago! It’s a busy time of year for me. I teach college courses, and I had some other engagements that consumed my time and energy, and I knew my blog would always be waiting for me when I got back into it, and now is that time!
It’s funny when you get a chance to spend some time away from writing a couple times a week how your mind continues to accumulate ideas and thoughts, and I have been taking a lot of time to reflect on who I am and what I am. Even though I wasn’t writing, I was thinking — every day — about what the new year was going to mean to me and for me. I realized that while I have been growing and evolving, it’s time to continue the process and come into my own and focus on one primary objective.
Since I take my work very seriously, I continually search for ways to magnify my message and reach more people. I have found no problem finding people who are willing to provide their two cents (and more). I get emails by the ton every day, with suggestions on how to build an empire of followers and how to dominate social media. I get videos with lots of ideas and read blogs and books with even more ideas on how to be successful and how to take my speaking and writing career to the next level. One idea I have heard over and over again is that to be successful you have to be controversial. Those who support this idea claim that you have to write something that causes a “commotion” so you can go viral and get noticed. That’s not me…Sorry. I know plenty of people who aren’t controversial and are tremendously successful. If I am not that way in everyday life, I am not going to be that on my blog or anywhere in the public!
Let me tell you what I am and what I am not. What I am is someone who cares — who really cares about people, and helping them live better tomorrow than they did today. That’s who I am! What I am not is someone who uses people as stepping stones so I can climb the ladder of success. If you care enough to read this, or any of my posts, or if you care enough to watch my videos or listen to my radio show, then let me tell you this — I care about you! Truly! If you have ever talked with me or have met me, you know what you see is what you get. I am what I am. And that’s all that I am (thanks Popeye!)
For years I have worried about what people thought about me. Since I have been in the public eye as a blogger and writer, I worried about saying the “wrong” thing and “losing” followers. I was so concerned with image and words that I was sometimes ashamed or tentative about sharing an idea or two. While I was authentic, I wasn’t “fully” authentic, and that has bothered me.
I don’t know if it’s maturity finally catching up with me, or a level of spiritual growth, but I can sense that things are changing within me. I can sense that I am shifting and moving. I feel more at peace with myself and in my world. I am losing that sense of attachment to certain material things and viewing the world through a different lens. I feel like I am breaking free. I feel liberated, and I feel ready to embark on a new journey, and I hope you are ready to come with me!
I have a Facebook page; if you haven’t visited it yet and/or if you haven’t “liked” the page yet, I would appreciate it if you stopped by. I share inspirational quotes and ideas several times a day. On my Facebook page early this year, I shared with my followers what my concentration was going to be on this year, and I want to share it with you.
This year, I am going to focus on being a “lightworker.” I know — when I first heard this term, I thought that it meant to take on less of a load — I thought it meant to work “lighter.” This isn’t the case. My work as a “lightworker” is to let my light shine and by doing so help others find their “light.” I am going to do whatever I can to help you find that inner greatness that is within you. I want you to be able to take those things that you do that you’re not happy about or proud of, and replace them with a new you — the “authentic and awesome” you that resides within you, just waiting to come out.
We all have a greatness that lies within us. Some of us can see it every day, while some of us are so inundated with drama, despair, frustration, anxiety, and daily problems that we can’t find it. I want to help you “flip the switch,” and find that inner greatness that resides within you. I want to help you find that light that can burn strongly within your heart, and completely change your life for the better — and for good!
Are you ready to “flip the switch?” Are you ready to embark on a journey of discovery of the personal greatness you possess? I really hope so! It’s time to stop settling for being just mediocre. It’s time to stop settling for good enough, and not happy enough. It’s time to be great. It’s time to stop being affected by negativity that may surround us; it’s time to stop getting angry at ourselves or others; it’s time to stop letting old habits limit our tremendous potential; it’s time to learn to be more loving and compassionate toward others and find patience. It’s time to reach within and pull out that wonderful spirit within you that can bring happiness to you and blessings to those around you. It’s time! Let’s do it!
I’ve had so much time to reflect, and I have so much to share. I feel refreshed and renewed! I look forward to a year of blessings and growth! I look forward to spending it with you. Great things are yet to come, and if you stick with me, you’ll figure out that great things are yet to come with you!
Shine on! Shine on! Let’s flip the switch and let the light shine!
I first met Sandra about a year and a half ago in California at a conference. We had a great conversation, and I made sure I had gotten her business card. At the time I had met her, she was doing wonderful work, helping people deal with grief. Fast forward to a few months ago, and I had received an email from Sandra, when she was happy to announce that her new book was published! I asked her if she would be interested in joining me to talk about her book, and she graciously accepted.
Sandra Champlain is the author of the new book We Don’t Die – A Skeptic’s Discovery of Life After Death. She recorded the free audio “How to Survive Grief” which has now been heard by almost 3000 people in 15 countries. She is also a chef and travels the United States and Canada feeding race car teams and she owns a 21 year old business in Connecticut – Kent Coffee and Chocolate Company.
Sandra’s book was fantastic. It took me on a journey that not only covers death and dying (and beyond), but through it’s easy-to-digest writing style, I learned a lot about life! Within the pages of the book is a story of greatness that we all possess, wonderful powers and abilities many of us can’t even begin to appreciate (until we try) and so many wonderful and helpful resources sprinkled in throughout this wonderful publication.
I can’t even begin to talk about all the things Sandra mentions in her book, but I’ll try — she talks about the “voice” that lives within us, continually telling us that we’re not good enough or deserving; she mentions how the human body possesses supreme abilities that we usually don’t tap into; she talks about life after death; there is discussion with communicating with those who have passed (and how to attempt to do so); there are lessons on dying; there are passages about gratitude and forgiveness; you can learn steps on how to “supercharge your life.” So much information is at your disposal in this book.
One of the passages that I liked best in Sandra’s book was this:
“What forgiveness means is to stop being resentful towards someone. I heard someone say once that resentment is like taking rat poison, then waiting for the other person to die. Resentment is painful and can eat us up inside. Forgiveness is simply giving up the right to be resentful. Whether the person did something right or wrong, you are no longer going to have the rat poison killing you from the inside out. I urge you now to forgive and let go of any resentment you may have toward a person or yourself. A special ingredient you can add to forgiving someone is compassion. Remember, the best place to stand in an argument is on the other person’s side.”
Please join us for a wonderful conversation about life, death, and so much more!
I invite you to listen to my conversation with Sandra today!
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“Only the ego operates in the past and the future, the soul and God work only in the present.” ~Craig Beck
My wife and I are in the thick of the holiday season, getting ready for another fun couple of weeks with our wonderful daughters, ages seven and three. We got our holiday shopping done early, but the presents are still in bags, waiting to be wrapped. Now, we stand only one week away from the big day, and we still have so much to do!
For me, personally, I am preparing to have a lot on my plate to start the new year. I will be teaching my usual load of college courses, and then I will be adding another teaching assignment. I was honored to be asked by my former college anatomy professor to fill in for her this spring semester, and teach her anatomy course. Maintaining this rigorous schedule would be enough, but then throw on top of it maintaining my website, finding time to write a book, and carving out some more speaking engagements. I’m beginning to wonder where I will find the time to manage it all!
When we get busy, it’s easy for us to look at this huge list of “tasks” or goals that stand before us. The list can be daunting if we look at it all at once. We think about the things that have to be done, and it can cause great anxiety within us. If you let it, it can literally keep you up at night! Each time I start to look ahead at a large number of responsibilities to attend to, I think back to the most influential words I have ever read, coming from Craig Beck’s book, The Secret Law of Subconscious Attraction. Those words are: “Only the ego operates in the past and the future, the soul and God work only in the present.”
I love that! It’s so true! The ego loves to remind us of our failures — the things we didn’t get done today. It adds frustration to our lives, and if we let it, it becomes a part of us. We believe we are failures, and we start living our lives as failures! The ego loves to place that self doubt within us about our capabilities to accomplish what lies ahead of us. It loves to tell us that we’re not quite good enough. We start to contemplate giving up before we start, because we’re not capable.
Both are false — we are not failures, and we are indeed capable! We just have to believe it!
The past can also make us complacent…We can look back at our successes and think the work is over. We’ve accomplished what we needed to and we can rest on our laurels and enjoy the ride. That’s nonsense as well! We are born to be better than that! Every new day is a gift to accomplish something! Every new day is an opportunity to grow and develop!
So, when we look at this daunting list of things to accomplish, or missed opportunities from days gone by, what can we do to overcome the worry, doubt, and anxiety? We can live in the “now.” The ego doesn’t exist in the present. Only our pure self exists there!
Do you have a long list of things to accomplish? Write them down on the list. Start with item number one, and work until number one is accomplished. Cross it off. Move on to number two. Work until that’s done. Cross it off. Keep going. One at a time.
By doing this, you will be working in the present moment at all times. You are focused on what is right in front of your eyes in the here and now. Your list will always be there, so you’ll know what’s next as you move through the list, but you will harness the supreme power of “now” time. You’ll be more efficient; you’ll get more done; you’ll feel extreme accomplishment as you look back on what you did in that “now” time.
When things get tough and the list grows long, remember — there’s no time like “now” time!
This is my last post for 2012. It’s been a great year! Thank you all who helped me become #23 on the list of the “Top 50 Personal Development Blogs!” I am so appreciative! Thank you all for your support this past year. 2012 was a great year. I can’t wait to see what 2013 brings! I wish you all a very happy and prosperous 2013! Best wishes to you always!
