05 Saturday Oct 2019
Posted in Spiritual Saturday
Video provided by Happify and Dan Harris. Retrieved from https://vimeo.com/131682712
I enjoy posting these videos. I find them entertaining and hope you do too! Today’s little video is a quick walk-through on meditation. I enjoy meditation because it helps me focus, and it is very relaxing. It is a great way to train the mind.
I hope you have a great Saturday!
Until next time…
Dave
14 Saturday Sep 2019
Posted in Spiritual Saturday
Image by Biljana Jovanovic from Pixabay
“Anger does not solve problems – anger only makes things worse. I go by the old saying, ‘Don’t make important decisions when you’re angry.'” – Lionel Sosa
Whenever I am emotional or panicked, I make horrible decisions. The original problem compounds with all the bad decisions I make in these emotional states. Have you ever experienced this?
What I learned, painfully I might add, is to take some time to let the shock of some emergency subside. After I calm my emotions down, I make better decisions and my planning is more solid. The solutions I arrive at solve the problem.
Planning is simple when you think about it. You brainstorm, weigh your options, and choose the path that is likely to meet your objectives. Here are the steps I take to put together an action-plan:
First, I do some research. My research will provide books, YouTube videos, tutorials, and even online courses I could take to learn how to do something or give me ideas what other people have done in my situation. Next I brainstorm.
When I conduct research and begin digging into the content, I gather a bunch of ideas. These ideas are gathered from these resources and compiled with my own ideas. All of this goes into my mind mapping software. The mind mapping software I use is called Scapple. I enjoy using mind mapping software because it allows me to organize all of my ideas and add even more, once I can see my problem graphically and can see the gaps in my planning.
Next, it’s decision time. In most cases, my mind mapping exercise will show the best course of action, based on time, expense, and capability criteria. Some solutions will take too long; others will cost too much. Other solutions will require me to know how to do something that I don’t know how to do and are rendered useless.
Now that I have my solution, I’ll outline the action steps I take from my mind map. This outline will help me put my action steps in order. Then, all I have left to do is to estimate how long each step will take to determine when I will have my project completed.
When I have completed this exercise, my stress levels drop considerably. I am relaxed because I took the time to decompress and think through the problem at hand. I learned, the hard way, that rushing into a solution without thinking through it, normally results in more bad decisions and more problems.
When confronted with a problem, take the time to think through it. Weigh your options. Then, implement your plan on your calendar, time-keeping, or to-do software. If you are panicked or pissed off, decompress before making a decision. Meditate, do a workout, or listen to some soothing music. Once the emotions are gone, you will make better decisions.
I hope this helps you in some way. I wish all of you a terrific Saturday!
Until next time…
Dave
10 Saturday Aug 2019
Posted in Spiritual Saturday
Tags
Benefits, Focus, Less Anxiety, Less Chronic Pain, Lower Blood Pressure, Meditation, Relaxation, spirituality
Mayo Mindfulness: Meditation is good medicine
The above link will take you to a terrific article about the benefits of meditation. I highly recommend taking a quick look if you have any doubts about this practice. Just 10 minutes a day can have a tremendous impact on your memory, your sleep, and your concentration. It can reduce your blood pressure, improve your mood, and sometimes, reduce chronic pain (Sparks, 2019).
There are quite a few apps that can help you with meditation, like Calm and Headspace. You can take courses on Mindfulness and meditation on Coursera. You can also find many guided meditations on YouTube. So what’s holding you back?
Meditation is a good workout for your brain, just like a good workout in the gym. It’s something you can do first thing in the morning or late at night. You can do it during a lunch break.
Personally, I would recommend using an app. Yeah, it’ll cost you a few bucks, but there is a lot of competition and the apps offer a great deal of content for the price. Content includes various meditations, meditation programs for reducing stress, productivity, or even self-care. Most of them will also have meditations specific to improving sleep. Calm’s sleep stories are awesome!
Anyone can meditate. It is just closing your eyes and concentrating on your breath and only your breath (It’s harder than you think). One of the shocking things I discovered is how crazy the mind really is. It is so hard to focus on the breath initially, but it will get easier over time.
If you haven’t meditated before, try the apps or YouTube. It’ll be worth your while. Articles like I provided above and cited below, provided by the Mayo Clinic, are beyond credible. Give it a whirl, you won’t be disappointed.
That’s all I got today, folks. I wish you great success with your new meditation practice.
Until next time…
Dave
Reference
Sparks, D. (2019). Mayo Mindfulness: Meditation is good medicine. Retrieved from: https://newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/discussion/mayo-mindfulness-meditation-is-good-medicine/?cauid=100503&geo=national&linkId=71697218&mc_id=us&placementsite=enterprise
20 Saturday Jul 2019
Posted in Workout Routine
Tags
Consistency, Exercise, Learning About Yourself, mini-habits, Saturday, spirituality, Weakening Neural Pathways, Wiring Your Brain
Happy Saturday!!
It is hot today in Michigan. The heat index is above 100 in most parts of southeastern Michigan. Today was an indoor day of reading, coding, writing, exercise, and spiritual study.
I was pondering consistency today. Why can we do certain things consistently and other things inconsistently? I have no problem reading, coding, writing, and my spiritual studies and exercises. I have always had trouble with consistent exercise. Why is it so hard?
I didn’t have any trouble with exercise in the Army. We exercised Monday – Friday without fail. Why do I have trouble now? I don’t have someone else telling me to do it every day. I have to tell myself to do it. That’s the part that is difficult.
Self-management is hard. It is hard because no one cares whether we do something, unless it is something we obligated ourselves to. Did you miss a workout? No problem. Did you miss a workout with your trainer or workout buddy? Big problem.
So how do you solve the problem? You solve it by making the self-management task so easy that your mind doesn’t fight it. You start with a mini-workout to get yourself into automatic mode. Once your mind expects to do something, the workout gets done because you trained your mind to expect the workout to occur. It has automated the workout task in its wiring. Once this rewiring occurs, the mind expects it to happen, and it solves the problem.
What I learned recently is we can undo this wiring. Fail to workout for a few days or weeks, and the wiring, which was strong initially, fades. You lost the habit, the neural pathway supporting this habit deteriorates, and BOOM—no more habit.
So now, I’m going back to the mini habit foundation phase. This requires doing something small every day so that your mind doesn’t resist it. One exercise for a few reps and that’s it.
If you are struggling with your exercise routine or need to establish one, here’s a great book for you to read, which tells the tale of Stephen Guise and how he started a healthy workout routine and diet by doing 1 pushup a day. The title of the book is Mini Habits: Smaller Habits, Bigger Results. Click on the link if you’re interested. I am not an affiliate. I enjoy recommending good books to my readers.
Well, that’s it for today, folks. I hope all of you have a terrific Saturday.
Until next time…
Dave
22 Saturday Jun 2019
Posted in Spiritual Saturday
Image by Karolina Grabowska from Pixabay
“Sometimes it’s important to just stop and be grateful for the blessings that you already have.”—Harold Klemp The Language of Soul
Think about the things you have right now. It’s highly likely you have a place you call home. You have a bed to sleep in. You have people in your life you call friends and loved ones. You may even have a pet. When I look back over my life, the times I was truly happy were when I was satisfied with what I had. I was grateful for those little moments you hold close to your heart. Laughter at a birthday party, knowing smiles between you and your lover in a crowded room, enjoying a cup of coffee or tea while you read a good book, or walking in a park or along a beach with your dog. All of these little moments collect in our boxes of memories where we visit them again and again.
As I have mentioned in numerous postings on this blog, a gratitude journal assists you with staying in perspective. Yeah, we all want a new car, a nicer home, or more toys to play with, but when it really comes down to it, most of us have all we need to live. Why are the feelings we get when we buy something new so fleeting, while the little moments I mentioned above stick with us throughout our lives? It is because these little moments in time are more important to us than a new car, home, or toy. These moments we take with us. They stay with us forever. When we are called to our final resting place, leaving this place, this reality behind, all we have are our experiences. The cars, the homes, the toys, the bank accounts, will not go with you. Neither will your loved ones. You will leave this place with your character, your memories, your experiences–nothing more.
This is why I think our little moments stay with us. We know inside that this is what is important in life. The times you laughed so hard you couldn’t breathe, the times you felt love from your friends, significant other, or your pet. The times you felt peaceful and satisfied and everything was right with the world. These are the moments that stick with us and what we take with us when we go to our next place. I am truly grateful for all the experiences and little moments that have blessed my life. Life is a privilege. It is something to be cherished while you have it. Don’t waste it on jealousy, anger, lust, vanity, or attachment. Instead, be grateful for every moment you have.
Until next time…
Dave
08 Saturday Jun 2019
Posted in Spiritual Saturday
Tags
Acceptance, Awareness, Grateful, Gratitude, Joy, reality, simplicity, spirituality
“When you arise in the morning think of what a privilege, it is to be alive, to think, to enjoy, to love.” Marcus Aurelius
It is a privilege to be alive. I am thankful for each day and all the experiences that come with it. Each of us is here to gain experience and take one more step back to our true home–God. The lessons keep coming and we either learn or fail to recognize the lesson presented to us. The lessons keep coming.
I believe that everything is in its rightful place in the universes of God. It is not reality that is the problem. It is our inability to accept reality for what it is. Some things we can change or avoid, but who can avoid being sick, the death of a loved one, or the loss of a job? No one. These things happen. People get sick, they die, and in today’s business climate will lose work.
There is always a lesson to be learned in every problem we encounter. You can get emotional, you can throw a tantrum, you can ignore the problem, but the problem and the lesson remain. God is persistent. If you fail this time, God will give you ample opportunity to try again, and again, and again. God has all the time there is to help you grow and return to your home. It will happen sooner or later. Why not make it sooner?
I have had a good share of trouble in my life. I’ve filed bankruptcy twice, divorced twice, lost a home, surrendered a few vehicles, lost my job, and a whole host of other things. Did I learn anything? You bet. I realized that happiness has nothing to do with whom you have in your life, how healthy or sick you are, or if you have a soul mate. Happiness is a personal choice. If you want to be happy–be happy. It is that simple.
Find the joy in the moment. Savor that first cup of coffee. Listen to a loved one tell you about his or her day. Talk to your dog or cat and spend time with them. Enjoy every bite of that cheesecake. Happiness to me is all about paying attention to how great we all have it. I have enough food to eat; I have a roof over my head; I have projects that keep me busy; we have a nice dog, a nice home, a great backyard, and the technology we need to interact online, play games, and watch television shows.
For me happiness is recognizing the things I have, rather than thinking about what I do not have. It is literally taking into account all the things I am grateful for and savoring the thoughts that come from that place where all is well. I do this every morning and it is really a great thing to do. Simply write down all the things you are grateful for and keep adding to the list until you feel it–that feeling of comfort, love, and satisfaction, knowing all is right with your world. I do this in my gratitude journal and it is an awesome daily practice. Try it out. Start small and write down 3 things you are grateful for. That’s it. As you establish this habit, you’ll find that you will uncover more and more things you are grateful for. Be as specific as you want or as generalized as you want.
When you have established the habit of a gratitude journal, you’ll begin to notice a shift in your attitude. You will begin to realize that you really do have all you need. Things will rattle you less. Things will roll off of your back instead of sticking to you. When you realize you have all you need, life becomes a true joy to live.
Thank you, to all of my new followers this week. I really appreciate the growth. My goal this year is to get to 1000 followers. I am at 564 so far, so I have some more work to do to gain more. If you enjoy reading Daily Ramblings, send your friends here. I thank you in advance for any help you provide.
Two things I’d like you to keep in the back of your mind as you move forward with your life. All is in its rightful place in the universes of God and God will never give you a problem you cannot solve. These two points should give you great solace as you move forward. I wish you well.
Have a great Saturday everybody! See you on Monday!
Until next time…
Dave
01 Saturday Jun 2019
Posted in Spiritual Saturday
“Creativity, bountifulness, and gratitude go hand in hand.” – Harold Klemp The Language of Soul
As a writer, creativity is an important aspect. We need creativity to create the worlds, conversations, characters, and dialogue that intrigue and entertain our readers. We also need creativity to live our lives. I have found that I am most creative during times of duress. You know those points in your lives where you feel like everything is crashing down around you and you sit there wondering, “What else can go wrong?”
During these times of trouble, our creativity elevates to a new level. Harold Klemp offers three keys to dealing with the troubles that will affect us from time-to-time. When times are tough, it is hard to be grateful. We concentrate on what is being taken away instead of focusing on what we have. This in turn creates a sense of lack or shortage, which in turn, stifles our creativity because of our narrow focus on the things we do not want in our lives.
When I started my gratitude journaling a while back, I did it by going through the motions. The journal I was using at the time was the 5-minute Journal and it requires you to write down three things you are grateful for in the morning when you awake and three things you are grateful for in the evening before you go to bed. I did this each day like without a second thought.
Then, something happened. I began to really feel grateful for the things I was writing down. I began to see how great I really had it. I began focusing on being grateful for the things I had. This focus awoke me to something I have read about over and over again but never really caught onto. It is a quote from some author I cannot remember. The quote goes like this, “Most of us have what we need, but are upset because we do not have what we want.” This is the key to being grateful and cultivating a gratitude that will smooth things out in your life.
Now I write in my gratitude journal until I can cultivate that feeling of gratefulness daily. I write and write until I “feel” grateful. When I have achieved this feeling, I realize how great my life is, how much I have, and how little I need to be truly happy. This is the bountifulness, Harold Klemp discusses. When you have all you need, when you believe you are wealthy beyond words, and you believe that you are satisfied with your life, creativity is boundless, because you have no limits. You attain a child-like quality, where you rekindle what it was like to dream, to make-believe, to live in a world where anything is possible. The days you believed you could be a fireman, an astronaut, a princess, or actress.
Creativity and the ability to visualize some goal or achievement is a great asset, while negotiating this life. When trouble comes, a creative mind will find a solution. There is always a solution to our problems. “God only gives us problems we have the ability to solve” – Unknown.
When you are hit with a problem or challenge, don’t panic. Sit down with a piece of paper and write down every potential solution you can come up with. Brainstorm. I like to use mind mapping software when I begin on a new writing project, others may just want to write out a huge list of potential solutions and work from this. Whichever way you choose to go, evaluate each idea you come up with and choose the solution you feel will work the best. Keep the list, in case the idea you choose doesn’t work. Then you can return to the list for your next-best idea. Visualize the problem being solved. Over time, you will begin to see the answers to your problems come from everywhere. Your friends may offer solutions, your wife, husband, or significant other may offer a solution. You may read something online or in the newspaper that addresses your problem. You may even overhear someone talking in your local coffee shop about the same or like problem you are dealing with and offer some ideas via their conversation. The solution to your problem can come from anywhere if you are open to it.
I hope each of you has a terrific weekend! My brother is visiting and we have a bunch of stuff planned to take advantage of his week’s stay with us. It’ll be a great time.
Until next time…
Dave
06 Saturday Apr 2019
Posted in Spiritual Saturday
“If you fill your consciousness with the positive aspects of Divine Spirit, there is no vacuum where the negative may enter.”—Harold Klemp The Language of Soul
Do you have any bad habits you’d like to rid yourself of? I was thinking about this, this morning as I searched for a quote for today’s article and this one is right on spot. If you’ve ever looked into Neuro-linguistic programming, you are probably aware of some aspects of the brain that are interesting, to say the least. One of these interesting aspects is the brain’s inability to distinguish between don’t and do. If you say you don’t want to smoke anymore, your brain captures smoking. If you say you won’t get angry at stupid things anymore, your brain captures angry. It is interesting and true.
So how do you rewire your brain to break a bad habit? You fill it with a replacement. If you focus on health, exercise, or any other positive trait, you will slowly drain energy from the neural pathway that was created to automate the bad habit you are trying to get rid of. The key is to continuously fill your consciousness with positive aspects. By doing so, you will starve the automatic neural pathways that coincide with your bad habits and they will dissipate. I know. It’s harder than just filling your mind with positive things. It takes a concerted effort.
It is possible, however. If you begin to realize how your brain automates things—truly see your brain go through this process, it is easier to unravel. It is like witnessing your brain go through the steps that are necessary to do something, say something, or feel something. There is a natural progression of steps your brain goes through for everything you do in a given day. These steps are automated, so you really have to pay attention and watch what your brain does. Once you witness your brain traveling down the road of a bad habit, it will naturally fade away. This awareness is hard to capture but once you do, there is no way you will continue to do something that hurts you.
I have found that doing meditation helps me with this process. When you have developed the ability to watch your breath and ignore everything else physically, it is easy to rise above the thought stream. For those of you who have conquered the “monkey mind”, you know what this feels like. You imagine your thoughts as a steady stream. When you rise above that stream, you are no longer bothered by your thoughts—you are above them! This same process can be used to observe your unconscious mind. The unconscious part of you is where all your good and bad automated processes are located. Let me explain.
When you first learned to drive a car, you had to think about every single step of driving. It was painstaking, nerve-wracking, and exhausting. Over time, you became proficient with driving. Your brain “automated” driving. Once your driving became unconscious, driving was simple. You get in the care, put your foot on the brake, turn the key in the ignition, put your car into gear and off you go. It was seamless from beginning to the end.
You also have unconscious processes for being angry, being jealous, being frightened, being happy, and so on. The unconscious mind becomes visible once your active mind settles down. You can begin to witness different parts of your body. You can begin to witness your thoughts and how they come about. When you truly see the inner wiring of a habit and see how harmful it is, it is much easier to change the wiring, or what the late Stephen Covey calls “rewriting the script”.
To get back to the quote for today’s article, you just must observe your negative inner wiring with positive wiring. It is simply keeping your attention on the positive things in life and letting the negative things fade away. Don’t get me wrong. There will always be things that get under your skin. The key is to minimize the duration you stay in this negative state. Pout or have a tantrum, cry, scream, and then, LET IT GO.
One of the ways I remain in a positive state of mind is by keeping a gratitude journal. Each morning I write down all the things I am grateful for. I don’t hold myself to a time limit or a set number of statements. I just keep writing until I get that feeling. A feeling that everything is ok, everything is going well, and a deep satisfaction that all is well. I have enough; I have great things to look forward to, and everything is exactly as it should be.
Try this technique. Gratitude journaling is really enjoyable once you get the hang of it and spend the time to truly appreciate all you have in your life. If you need some help or some ideas about how to create a gratitude journal, simply do a Google search on gratitude journaling and you’ll find all kinds of articles on the topic.
I hope all of you have a great Saturday.
Until next time…
Dave
30 Saturday Mar 2019
Posted in Spiritual Saturday
Self-discipline is an absolute necessity if one is to have a productive spiritual life. Replace old tastes and preferences with new, better ones. But do it in the name of the Holy Spirit, with love and a sincere heart, or nothing will come of this experiment.
—Harold Klemp The Language of Soul
Self-discipline is nothing more than doing what you agree to do. These agreements can be about your exercise routine, your diet, planning your day, and any other topic you can think of that requires effort. A person who can evaluate themselves and come up with a game plan to improve weaknesses or bolster their strengths are powerful people. They can do anything because they are willing to commit and stick with it.
Change is difficult. Evaluating yourself is difficult. Holding yourself to a new standard is also difficult. Self-discipline enables these and more.
So many people just ramble through life. They occupy their time with meaningless activities with no forethought. Think about all the people who literally live on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, or Pinterest. What are they accomplishing?
Are you happy with your life? If so, change nothing. Keep doing what you are doing. It’s your life. If you’re happy and fulfilled, why change anything. This article is for the rest of us that are not happy with our current circumstances. We want to lose weight, get in better shape, eat better, and build skills that will garner us the ability to make an income throughout our lives.
Where do you start? This is probably the hardest thing to do—decide. We only have so many hours in the day. What will you spend your time on? Do you want to write a book, start a blog, or create poetry? Do you want to learn a new language? Do you want to start an exercise program? Do you want to start a business? What other things can you do each day that will contribute and build?
I started my search online. I wanted to know what I could do to improve my life, make lasting change, and build skills that would provide me with an income as I pursue a third career. I chose specific areas of my life to look at. These areas are Physical (eating right, getting enough sleep, and exercise), Mental (reading and learning every day), Social (staying connected with friends and family and make new friends and connections), and Spiritual (daily meditation, religious readings, attending spiritual events and retreats).
The areas I want to learn are two-fold. Write books (nonfiction and fiction) and learn how to write computer programs. Once I began my investigation into these areas, I found all kinds of resources to help me on my quest. These are now daily habits that I dedicate my time to. I write every day for this blog and work on my books. I also code every day. I have made great strides in both areas because I do a little each day to add to my abilities.
I need a little discipline in these areas because I love both. I love writing and I love coding. They are closely related because a programming language has rules and a whole new language to learn to enable my code to work. Book writing is a combination of actual writing every day and learning the craft. I try to read a writing book daily and find courses online that can teach me the various aspects of writing whether these classes are on grammar, style, or the specifics of writing a book. There are books on plot development, world building, and character development. The learning never ceases.
What are your passions? What would you like to do with the rest of your life when you retire? Do you want to keep working? Do you want multiple streams of income? Take time on a weekend and think about some of these things. Once you have discovered what you’d like to do, add that to your day. Do a little on these areas each day. How long does exercise need to be to be a benefit? How much writing do you want to do each day? What can you fit into your schedule after your workday is done and you’ve attended to your home responsibilities?
When you start out, put in a half-hour or so to each thing you’d like to try. I would recommend grabbing one item you’d like to add to your day. Then, once you’ve solidified your newfound habit, add another and another, until you are hitting all the things you want to pursue. You’ll be amazed how many things you can do by chipping away a little at a time.
Well, folks. I hope you are having a great Saturday! Enjoy your weekend. If anyone is interested, comment on this thread. I am more than happy to give you some ideas to help you move forward.
Until next time…
Dave
23 Saturday Mar 2019
Posted in Spiritual Saturday
Tags
Acting as-if, Deleting, Distorting, Generalizing, Internal filtering, internal map, spirituality, Visualization
“A person who has a high degree of spiritual unfoldment will be balanced in his everyday life. He will use common sense and common courtesy with the people around him.”—Harold Klemp The Language of Soul
What is spiritual unfoldment? The easiest way to explain it is to use the analogy of a map. Initially, we start with a folded-up map. We see some map but miss the details that are in it. As we unfold the map, we see more of the surrounding territory and have a better view of how to move to the places we want to go. The more unfoldment we gain, the higher and more detailed our map becomes. When our internal map improves it gets us closer to the true terrain. This truth, once we recognize it, helps us live our lives better.
I find the topics of psychology and cognition fascinating. Over the years I have discovered that each of us use our own map to negotiate life. Some parts of the map are like other people’s maps. Some parts are not. These maps are unique to us. As we move through life, our maps change to adapt. I recently learned about filters. These filters do three things. They distort, generalize, and delete. These filters are necessary because they help us interact. Imagine having to relearn common, everyday tasks like walking to the mailbox, going out to eat, and anything else you can think of. This automatic filtering saves time and energy.
The downside to these internal filters is what they do with inputs we receive through the senses. Let’s say you have a bad boss and you are traumatized by your interactions with him or her. The part of your filter that generalizes could generalize that all bosses are bad. This causes us to “expect” to have bad bosses. If this auto filtering becomes strong enough in our internal wiring, you will delete or distort anything that differs with your belief that all bosses are bad.
Our beliefs are powerful. They are hard to circumvent or change because of the internal map we possess and the filters we used to analyze new information. We can change, however. We can short-circuit this cybernetic loop by changing our behavior or our beliefs. The beliefs we should target are called “limiting beliefs”. Limiting beliefs are those beliefs that cause us to doubt something or make it appear unsafe. Beliefs like “no one will love me”, “I’m horrible with money”, or “I can’t find a job” are all examples. How do you change these limited beliefs? One way is to behave differently. Act as if. Acting as if is like making pretend. We pretend we can do something we think we can’t. Since the mind can’t tell the difference between what it perceives and what it imagines, it can be fooled into believing that it can do something it couldn’t do before. This is quite a revelation, right?
I’ll leave you with this thought. You can change whatever you want if you can act your way into believing it. Once you believe something, your auto filtering system will do the rest.
Have a great Saturday!
Until next time…
Dave
