Daily Ramblings – Wisdom Wednesday

Tags

anguish, experiences, Joy, pain, pleasure, Suffering, Teachers

“Pain is a pesky part of being human, I’ve learned it feels like a stab wound to the heart, something I wish we could all do without, in our lives here. Pain is a sudden hurt that can’t be escaped. But then I have also learned that because of pain, I can feel the beauty, tenderness, and freedom of healing. The pain feels like a fast stab wound to the heart. But then healing feels like the wind against your face when you are spreading your wings and flying through the air! We may not have wings growing out of our backs, but healing is the closest thing that will give us that wind against our faces.”―C. JoyBell C.

https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/tag/wisdom-quotes

If you spend any time reading through other blogs in the WordPress.com blogosphere, you see a great many people in pain. Mental pain, physical pain, the pain of loss, the pain of failure, the pain of addiction, the pain of poverty, and so many other types of pain.

We all experience pain in our lives. Without pain, we cannot feel its opposite—pleasure. Both have to exist for us to feel one or the other. The same goes for beauty and ugliness, love and hate, laughter and crying. These opposites are here so we can distinguish one from the other. Once we have learned what pain is, we tend to run from it and pursue pleasure.

Pain is a double-edged sword. Wallow in it and you are in hell. Use it and you can sometimes find a way out of it. Pain identifies when I’m at my limit in the gym. Pain tells me I should be careful with my back. Pain tells me what I’ve lost and to treasure regaining that again in the future. Pain teaches me contentment when the pleasure returns.

Pain, like pleasure, is fleeting. Pain and pleasure revolve around each other. They are finite. They come and go.

Don’t get me wrong. I realize there are some folks out there whose pain is so deep that the only escape is medication and psychological help of one sort or another. I am not trying to minimize this.

The pains we feel in life are teachers. There is a saying, “Things are not done to us but for us.” – Harold Klemp. Pain can be a great teacher.

Have you ever come out of a challenging situation in your life and failed to learn something? I, like most, have had my share of troubles. When I go back through my journal and read some of those entries, I am almost brought back to that point instantly, reliving the pain, the fear, and the absolute despair I was experiencing at the time.

When I take the time to really examine these periods, from a more balanced and neutral point of view, I can see the lessons that I learned from those experiences materialize. If I had not gone through what I did, I wouldn’t have learned what I now know. In fact, my greatest learnings over my lifetime have been initiated by painful circumstances, painful relationships, or painful experiences. I am not advocating that you seek out pain to learn, just to be aware that when life gets hard or you are presented with a problem that appears to be unsolvable that there is a way out. “There is always a way.” – Harold Klemp.

For those of you who are experiencing loss. For those of you who are experiencing physical pain. For those of you afflicted with mental pain of any type, I send you good thoughts. I hope your pain passes. I hope that one day you can regain some semblance of normalcy in your life.

Until next time…

Dave

 

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Daily Ramblings – Wisdom Wednesdays

Tags

change, David Allen, habits, Improving, Paul Twitchell, Stephen Covey, Stephen Guise, Truth

“It is easy to hate, and it is difficult to love. This is how the whole scheme of things works. All good things are difficult to achieve, and bad things are very easy to get.” – Confucius

Read more at https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/confucius_119273

Ever wonder why things that are bad for us are so easy to do and the things that are good for us are so hard to do? I have read a string of books by Stephen Guise and this is one thing that pervades his work. The bad things that are easy for us to do are there because they are easy and bring almost immediate rewards. Because they are easy and bring rewards each time, we do them, they become habits.

Conversely, the good things we want to do for ourselves are not so easy. They must be learned or practiced, which takes time. They also give us rewards but they are not instantaneous.

Bad habits like binge-watching television, eating junk food, or mindlessly surfing the Internet are all so easy to do and rewarding. We literally need zero effort to accomplish these things.

Good habits like reading every day, writing every day, exercising every day, or learning every day take work. They deliver tremendous benefits over the long-term but only if we make them habitual.

Our brains are wired to resist change. When you have a food manufacturer that offers a “healthy” option that takes 3 minutes in a microwave to prepare—beware. The rewards for this option are easy to cook and get into our bellies. The huge disadvantages are the chemical soup that is within each of these so-called, “healthy” meals, the overabundance of salt, sugar, and fat, and the preservatives, unnatural coloring, and processing that occurs that change whole foods into “Franken foods” (Stephen Guise uses this in a book I just finished about weight loss.)

If you are unsatisfied with your life, look at what you do every day. Are you on autopilot or are you making conscious choices about how you fill your day? Are you moving toward anything meaningful or are you just filling your day with meaningless activities?

I’m not trying to guilt you out. I am merely asking the question. If you are totally happy with your life as it is—don’t change it.

If you are unhappy with your life, take some time to contemplate what is missing. Take inventory of how you feel. Examine your emotional states. Are you bored? Are you stressed? Do you feel terrible and apt to get sick more than most people? Do you have back problems or issues with obesity? Are you depressed?

If any of these things sound like you and you’re tired of feeling or being this way, take some steps to make a change. You don’t have to strike out on some crazy crusade. Too big of a change will not work. You will try for a day or so and digress to your old patterns and behaviors. Make really small changes. Changes that don’t require too much willpower or motivation to accomplish.

If you’re wondering why I ask all these questions and tend to gravitate toward this subject matter on most of my postings, there is a reason. I used to be that guy. I could play video games for 24 hours a day. I could binge watch entire seasons of shows on Netflix, all while stuffing my face with absolute garbage. What was the result? A back surgery that put me down for 2 years, walking around with a back brace. Massive weight gains up to 247lbs before I put a stop to that. The loss of not one, but three separate marriages. I also filed for bankruptcy—twice!

I’m trying to provide advice to people who may be in the same situation as I was. It is a horrible place to be when you realize one morning that you can’t make yourself do what you know you should do. I was really in a very dark place.

How did I turn things around? I took some time to do some research. I began searching for information about how we form habits. I began looking for information about how to make changes. I began to examine the things other successful people were doing each day that made a difference in their lives.

My searches resulted in some books that I re-read every year. These books are here for you. Read these books and put the suggestions they offer to good use. These books changed my life for the better and will do the same for you—promise.

Booklist:

• Mini Habits by Stephen Guise
• The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey
• Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-free Productivity by David Allen
• The Shariyat-Ki-Sugmad by Paul Twitchell

These books helped me create a personal framework for self-improvement. They gave me categories of life to cultivate. They gave me a meaningful way to write down my goals, plan my weeks and days, and utilize an “outside brain” instead of depending on my own brain for everything. They taught me how to make very small changes that have a lasting and awesome impact. They opened my mind to wisdom, truth, and provided me with an architecture of what our existence is truly about.

My levels of self-discipline, motivation, and determination are on an entirely different plane. I found that our improvement never ceases. There will always be another plateau to reach, another level of proficiency to attain, a new area to explore. It all starts with very small steps.

If you are tired of the way things are in your life, take some time to read one of these books. I would recommend Stephen Guise’s book first. It is the easiest read and contains the means of starting your transformation with very little effort. His book is the one that jump-started my journey.

I wish you well.

Until next time…

Dave

Daily Ramblings – Wisdom Wednesday

Tags

4 Areas, Building, Contributing, Freedom, Learning, Productivity, Wasting Time

“Freedom is nothing but a chance to be better.” – Albert Camus

Read more at https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/albert_camus_105894

Have you ever thought about the freedoms that you enjoy? Have you ever contemplated all of the opportunity and advantages we have over previous generations? Have you given any thought to the amount of time-saving technology that we now have access to?

I used to have to use a Thomas Guide to figure out where I had to go when I worked in Los Angeles. Now, I simply type in an address to my phone and it tells me where to go. I used to carry my daily plan, hand-written, and barely legible. Now, my to-do list is on the cloud, accessible by any device I can get onto. I used to carry around a bulky notepad to the gym. Now, I enter all my lifts into an app on my phone. The time savings that these applications provide are staggering when I consider what I used to have to do.

Think about the access you have to books, magazines, radio, music, movies, television shows, and sporting events. If you wanted to, you could literally own a phone and be able to get everything was done that used to take so much time. Think about your contacts. Your phone never forgets a phone number, an appointment, or what you must do today.

But there’s a dark side. With so much entertainment at our fingertips, it is easy to get carried away with video games, movies, and all the social media apps that are available. We must make conscious decisions about what we will do and what we will not do. For some, this is challenging. They waste their lives playing video games for hours and get nothing done. They surf YouTube for hours without reading, writing, or learning. They watch hours of television and for some reason can’t squeeze in 30 minutes of exercise. The list goes on and on.

We have the freedom and access to pursue whatever goals we set for ourselves. We also have the freedom to waste untold hours of time, doing absolutely nothing but staring at a screen.

Take some time today to really analyze what you do. Seriously. Write down what you do today in 15-minute increments. I think you’ll be shocked by the amount of time that you waste daily. How do you turn it around? The first step is setting goals.

Set a few goals. Your goals could be in four areas of your life. Set a spiritual goal. Set a learning goal. Set an exercise goal. Set a social goal. Don’t go crazy, just pick one goal in each of these areas. Then, figure out how you will attain the goal. Start small. Pick something you can dedicate time to each day. Maybe you’d like to pick up meditation. Perhaps learning a new language would be something you’d be interested in. What would you like to do for exercise? Is there a relationship you’d like to cultivate?

Start with these four areas and pick something you’d like to do. Schedule the activities you have for improving these four areas into your calendar or time-planner. Don’t miss a day pursuing small amounts of progress for each one. You will be absolutely amazed at the results.

With the freedom we have, we can either do great things or waste our lives. The more freedom we have; the more rope we have to hang ourselves. Don’t be a social media addict. Don’t be a binge watcher. Don’t be a video game addict. All of these will result in a wasted life. Instead, pursue something that will build a great life. Read, write, meditate, spend time with loved ones, exercise. Learn something new each day. This is your life. Make it a productive, service-oriented, fulfilling one.

Until next time…

Dave

Daily Ramblings – Wisdom Wednesday

Tags

7 habits, Accomplishment, Achievement, Big Accomplishments, Getting Things Done, mini-habits, Small things

“The smallest deed is better than the greatest intention.” John Burroughs

Read more at https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/john_burroughs_120946?src=t_wisdom

Consistent Small Actions Lead to Huge Results

Sometimes taking the smallest action can lead to greatness. How many pages will you read in a year if you dedicate just 10 minutes a day to reading? How many pages could you put toward your book if you wrote one page a day? How many miles could you run if you ran a half-mile each day? How many books could you read, classes could you take, languages could you learn, if you only did a little each day?

I asked you all these questions to drive home a point. It’s the small actions, compounded over time, that deliver results. Not only do these small actions build upon one another, but they also build your confidence, improve your self-esteem, and give your brain a good dose of pleasurable neurochemicals.

I don’t care how big your goal is. Break it down into tiny, discreet, steps that you can accomplish in a short time. After a few months, you’ll see progress. That progress is motivating.

Another benefit of tackling these small steps is that you can work on multiple fronts and still accomplish a great deal. Read a little, write a little, exercise a little, pray a little, learn a little. Over time you will have accomplished a great deal, not to mention avoiding the stress of trying to take on projects that are too big, goals that are too big, or jobs that are too big.

Three Books

Consistent action, moving forward methodically, and just chipping away at something works. I learned all this reading a book called, Mini Habits by Stephen Guise. It is one of those books that you read again and again.

In fact, there are three books I read each year in December, right before kicking into the New Year. 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey, Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity by David Allen, and you guessed it, Mini Habits by Stephen Guise.

Each book contributes to my new year differently. 7 Habits contribute by refreshing my drive to improve my character. Getting Things Done helps me refresh my desire to be organized and productive. Mini Habits helps me revisit the power of creating life-long habits by doing “stupid-simple” tasks each day that transform into powerful habits over time.

I really enjoy reading and learning new things and always on the lookout for that next, great book that will have a real impact on my life. I haven’t found any new ones but I’m still looking. If you are having difficulty in your life and you want to take charge of yourself, these books are a great start. You may not get everything that I have gotten from them, but you will learn something and that “something” will alter your current glide path.

There are so many personal stories I could tell you about failure and disappointment but who wants to hear about that? Take my advice: Read these books. In combination, if you buy the Kindle versions, they’ll run you less than $30. Thirty dollars is two large pizzas, a Starbucks coffee for six days, or a trip to the movie theater. If you’re tired of failing, lost control of your life, and have lost track of where you want to go in your life, read these books. They are life-changing.

For those of my readers in the United States, I hope you had a nice Halloween. We had plenty of Trick or Treaters visit our home yesterday.

Enjoy the rest of the week!

Until next time…

Dave

Daily Ramblings – Wisdom Wednesday

Tags

Achievement, Adjusting Actions, Altering Actions, Altering Plans, Confucius, Goals, Review

“When it is obvious that the goals cannot be reached, don’t adjust the goals, adjust the action steps.” – Confucius

Read more at https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/confucius_140548?src=t_wisdom

When we strike out to achieve something, the territory is unknown—we have never done this thing before. If we had, it really wouldn’t be something to pursue—we’ve mastered it already. Pursuing goals will result in mistakes, missed milestones, and frustration. It’s ok.

When we first map out a route to a goal, we are guessing. We have read what others have done; we follow some of the steps they have taken. As we walk this path we find out that what these others have done doesn’t work for us. Do we give up? Never.

As Confucius suggests, we measure where we are, we look at the finish line, and we adjust our sails. We reformulate a new plan to help us achieve the same end-state. This could result in altering our diet, altering our writing plan, or even learn a new skill that will contribute to our goal’s achievement. Whatever we do doesn’t give up the goal it merely changes the route we will take to get there.

The changes you’ll make will relate to what you do each day. The action steps you are taking each day to edge toward your goal. These action steps, although small, will build toward your goal.

Here’s an example. Let’s say your goal is set and you are making progress. Once a week you review your progress against all your goals and discover that you will not meet your deadline by the time you set it. Uh oh! If you’re writing a section of your book a day (typically around 500 words or so), you can adjust this by writing two sections (around 1000 words a day). At the end of the next week, you’ll be writing 7,000 words instead of 3,500. This small adjustment should make a dramatic improvement to your writing plan’s productivity.

Maybe it’s a planning issue. You set out a daily schedule and for some reason fall off your schedule consistently. Print out your daily routine and look at what happens when. Perhaps it is an energy issue? We all have those parts of the day that we are most productive. Maybe you could adjust your writing to the afternoon or evening? Try it out. You have nothing to lose.

For me, my prime time for exercise is when I get up. I know that if I don’t go to the gym as soon as I wake up I will miss that workout. This was my adjustment to achieving my goal of being in shape and trimming some weight. Does this make sense?

Whenever you are pursuing a goal, take some time to review your progress. I typically do this on Sundays (my do-nothing day) to check in with myself and see where I am making progress and where I am falling behind. As I plan the next week, I adjust my schedule. I think about what is working and what is not working—then I make a new plan and review my results again the next week.

I hope all of you are achieving what you want to in life. If not, take some of the advice that Confucius offers. Good luck on your journey to success!

Until next time…

Dave

Daily Ramblings – Wisdom Wednesday

Tags

Action, Intention, John Burroughs, mini-habits, Stephen Guise, wisdom

“The smallest deed is better than the greatest intention.” – John Burroughs

Read more at https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/john_burroughs_120946?src=t_wisdom

First off, I totally screwed up timing this week and posted my Thinking Thursday yesterday (oops 😊). So, here’s Wisdom Wednesday on Thursday to make up for my date mix-up.

We all have intentions. We intend to do good. We intend to do right. We intend to think about others before we think of ourselves. But…

Intentions like dreams mean nothing if they lack action. Actions are much more meaningful, even if they are small. Serving someone, even slightly, will have an impact. Taking one step on that walk will have an impact. Reading one page in your book will get you closer to the end.

This is one of the greatest challenges that face us as individuals. This is why I really enjoyed the book Mini Habits by Stephen Guise. This book truly changed my life. It showed me how to get started—how to execute. The price for the Kindle version is $5.99. I highly recommend this book to you if you are having difficulty sticking to anything.

Stephen emphasizes starting small. He began his exercise program doing 1 push-up a day. He began his writing career writing 1 sentence a day. All of this is backed by some studies on willpower, habit formation, and how the brain works. I hope some of you pick this book up and read it. It is easy to read and not too long. When I read it for the first time, I finished it in a day.

After finishing the book, I started putting his suggestions into action. I started my routine with 1 push-up a day. I started writing 1 sentence a day. I read 1 chapter a day. I meditated 5 minutes a day. One thing I would like to be clear about is that I did not start all of these at the same time. Stephen suggests starting out by creating one habit. You can do more if you wish but if you’ve been living a life of intending to do something and never getting around to it, starting with one habit will be a huge leap for you.

Get this book. I am not affiliated with Stephen Guise or Amazon. The book is just that good and will help you if you give it a chance. I hope this helps some of you get “unstuck” and gets you moving towards your goals. I wish you a great Thursday. The weekend is only two days away!

Until next time…

Dave

Daily Ramblings – Wisdom Wednesday

Tags

Adversity, Attitude, Discrimination, Og Mandino, Opinion

Photo credit: www.brainyquote.com

“Always seek out the seed of triumph in every adversity.” Og Mandino

Read more at https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/og_mandino_157857?src=t_wisdom

We all have problems. We are surprised by unforetold losses. We are struck by random emergencies, causing us to scramble and struggle to recover.

Our opinions and attitude truly can be our greatest strength or greatest weakness. They are a strength if we learn how to react to life’s “surprises” like water does to any outside influence. The water reacts exactly to the input, be it a pebble, a bird landing for a cool bath, or the gentle breezes. When we can be like water we let the troubles roll off of our back. We maintain a detached attitude, realizing that our reality is what it is—nothing more—nothing less.

The character trait I am working on this month is discrimination. Discrimination allows us to determine the difference between right and wrong, truth or lies, reality or imagination, truth or illusion. Ultimately, if we pay attention long enough, we discover there is no right or wrong, truth or lies, reality or imagination, truth or illusion. We realize that everything just is. All that happens in our lives is an experience. An experience that teaches us. When you come to this realization you learn that every problem is not a roadblock. Each problem is a stepping stone.

Think about how “freeing” this attitude is. It’s hard. It is really hard to forge an attitude that turns problems into helpful solutions to our unfoldment but that is exactly what each problem is. Problems are what we define them to be. If you change the definition you no longer have any problems.

I hope all of you are having a terrific week so far.

Until next time…

Dave

Reference

Og Mandino Quotes. (n.d.). BrainyQuote.com. Retrieved October 10, 2018, from BrainyQuote.com Website https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/og_mandino_157857

Daily Ramblings – Wisdom Wednesdays

Tags

Contemplation, HU App, HU Chant, Lao Tzu, Meditation, Relaxation, Stress Relief

Life can be stressful. We deal with traffic jams, stress at work, and the stress of being exposed to constant and uninterrupted noise. How can one escape it?

Some folks meditate. I contemplate. The key difference is that meditation waits, and contemplation is active. Regardless of the technique you use, take as little as 10 minutes a day and just be quiet. Close your eyes, relax, concentrate on your breath, scan your body, visualize a serene vista in your mind, or chant a word out loud or silently repeatedly.

One of the words I use to chant is HU. HU is an ancient name for God. Simply sit in a chair or lay down on a bed or couch. Place your attention on your third eye. This eye is about 2 inches in from the point between your eyebrows. Chant HU 3 or 4 times and then sit or lay quietly and listen and watch. It is also nice to think of something that creates a feeling of love within. Think of a pet, a parent, a sibling, friend, or significant other. Start your practice for as little as 5 minutes a day and work yourself up to 20-30 minutes.

There is a HU app in the iTunes library and Google Play. You can find the app for free in both. Simply use the keyword “HU” in either library and you’ll find it.

Meditation and Contemplation are excellent ways to relax, develop your ability to focus, and relieve stress. This is part of my day, every day. I cannot recommend this enough.

I hope your week is going well!

Until next time…

Dave

Reference

Lao Tzu Quotes. (n.d.). BrainyQuote.com. Retrieved October 3, 2018, from BrainyQuote.com Web site: https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/lao_tzu_386562

Daily Ramblings – Wisdom Wednesday

Tags

Acting, Being, evolving, Knowing, Learning, Living, Science, Seeing, Understanding, wisdom

Immanuel Kant is a hard read. You know this if you’ve ever read Kant or any number of philosophers who are relied upon, even today, to glean the wisdom in their words. Science and wisdom are two distinct areas of human searching.

When I look at science I think about the discovery the process of science provides. Science answers questions. Furthermore, science provides us with new ways to look at the world around us.

Wisdom is about discovery as well but we arrive at our conclusions in a different way. Some of our wisdom is gained from watching others. We also gain wisdom by reading or hearing it.

Science discovers things on the micro level. It edges us along piece by piece as scientists make one small discovery here and another there. Each of these little pieces can lead us to yet greater discovery. Sometimes science discovers that one particular thread of inquiry is an absolute dead end, while other threads lead to great learning and unlock secrets that before were unknown.

Wisdom involves a knowingness. In many cases you cannot prove wisdom–it just is. We know it when we see it. We know it when we hear it. We know it when we experience it.

Science and wisdom are both necessary for humankind. One propels us to better living through the discoveries science brings us, the other propels humans to a higher state of consciousness–a new way of looking at the same thing with different “eyes”.

Science tells us more about life. Wisdom tells us more about living.

Until next time…

Dave

Daily Ramblings – Wisdom Wednesday

Tags

Anton Chekhov, Application, Blogs, Books, Learning, online courses, Practice

Anton Chekhov was a Russian playwright and the author of numerous short stories (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anton_Chekhov). Today’s Wisdom Wednesday addresses the importance of applying what we learn.

With the huge amount of information available to us in books, the web, radio, and television, it is easy to become overwhelmed. When you take a look at the number of available, free online courses that information overload becomes even greater. When you begin looking for something to learn, your search could be motivated by a need to know something or to learn how to do something.

How do we internalize new bits of knowledge? We read about it, we take notes, we study the material. If we have enough information to use, we stop gathering information. If we do not have enough information or have other questions, we continue our quest.

It is easy to be sucked into “useless” learning. It can be entertaining to learn about a really obtuse topic that you will never apply but it should not be habitual. Who has that kind of time? Instead, we should focus on learning something that we can use. Perhaps you want to learn how to market your skills. Perhaps you want to learn how to write non-fiction or fiction. Perhaps you’d like to be a better public speaker.

Chekhov’s point is to apply what you learn. I like Merriam Webster’s word of the day. I want to grow my vocabulary and this is a great way to do it. I listen to the word’s pronunciation, I learn about the word’s origins, and I listen to the announcer’s use of the word in a sentence. Then I use that word for the day. This is a simple example of applying what we learn.

There is some learning that cannot be applied directly. I am currently reading Aristotle’s ethics. I cannot apply this information directly but I can use it when I am thinking or tackling an issue that I am struggling with. Learning about history is another example of this kind of learning. We read history to learn about what our predecessors did. How did they handle the problems of the day? How did they deal with reality? How did they tackle the challenges that faced them?

Next month I begin my year-long adventure into character building. I’m going to use the same model that Benjamin Franklin used to work on his character. He simply listed out the characteristics he wanted to achieve as a person and then he worked on one of these each month. After the first month, he would begin working on the first and the second characteristic. As he moved into the third month, he would be working on character trait one, two, and three. This continued until he had built all of the character traits he wanted to. This is an example of using previous knowledge and applying it to one’s own life.

Take a few moments today and figure out what you would like to learn. Begin researching all of the sources of information that apply to your topic of interest. Once you have isolated a few sources (online course, book, etc.) you can begin learning this new skill. Once you have tackled some of the content, try applying what you know to your day-to-day life. You’ll be amazed by the results and how quickly you assimilate this information.

I hope each of you is having a terrific week so far. As always, feel free to comment and pass along my blog to others in your network.

Thanks for visiting!

Until next time…

Dave