Killing Doubt

Killing Doubt 

“Doubt kills more dreams than failure ever will.”
–Unknown

We all have dreams.  To a certain extent dreams are what get us out of bed every day.  Having something to achieve and work for is a worthy way to pass our time on this globe.  Without some kind of goal to reach for in our lives we are merely existing… burning oxygen and taking up space and resources.  I do not downplay or belittle the value of existing; existence itself is miraculous and amazing but it rarely satisfies anyone for a prolonged period.  We need purpose in life to bring daily fulfillment.

So logically, we are all out happily working on our various dreams.  Hmm, that does not seem to be the case.  Something is killing the dreams of mankind.  Perhaps it is failure.  People are putting all their efforts into their goals and ambitions but life is just frustrating them and people are failing.  If this is the case then we should see scores of people still striving for their dreams, diligently exhausting all the possibilities before ultimately succumbing to certain failure.  Personally, I do not believe that the evidence within our culture supports this premise.

Sadly, I venture that most dreams never even make it to the runway.  Their pilots look at the skies, point to a cloud and proclaim that the weather is too dangerous and unfavourable for flight today, maybe tomorrow.  They amass many flightless days seeking the perfect weather.  Sure, those pilots visit their dreams in the hangar.  They polish the fuselage and the wings with their plans.  They may even fuel them up with hope and motivate themselves enough to roll them out onto the tarmac, but those clouds, those dark clouds, they always seem to get in the way.

These pilots know.  They have seen other pilots crash and burn.  They have seen other dream battered and broken by storms.  They aren’t about to let that happen to theirs.  Instead, they wistfully remember the flights of their youth when they conquered the skies in early dreams.  They sit recalling victories and promises of childhood, adolescence and youth.  If asked about their hesitation today, they will regale the inquirer with stories of their near misses and malfunctions.  Oh, they have tried to take off many, many times, but it just doesn’t work for them now… too risky.

We have all had goals that succeeded.  We have all experienced the sting of genuine failure.  Though crashing hurt, knowing that we truly did what we intended to do made the effort worthwhile. Circumstance and failures may delay us with maintenance and repairs but they should never truly ground any worthwhile dreams.  Don’t let your dream and ambitions fester in the hangar or moulder on the tarmac.  Fire up the engines and head off down the runway into the headwinds of life.  Our lives are too short to let a little rain and storm keep us from taking to the air.  Face those fears and do not let disbelief shoot down your flightplans.  Know in your heart that it is far better to brave the skies and face real storms of failure again and again than to concede and forever be earthbound by your deadly doubts.

©2018 Scott D. Wilson,P.Eng.

Await or Create

Await or Create

“My dictionary defines opportunityas a set of circumstancesthat makes it possible to do something.The world has conditioned us to wait for opportunity,have the good sense to spot itand hope to strike at the appropriate time.But if opportunity is just a set of circumstances,why are we waiting around for the stars to align?Rather than waiting and pouncingwith a high degree of failure,you might as well go aheadand create a set of circumstances on your own.If you make the opportunity,you will be first in position to take advantage of it.We don’t have to wait for it.We create it.”–Biz Stone

Without your participation, in the next few minutes, your heart will continue to beat, you will continue to breathe and your existence will proceed.  This is what happens to us in this thing we call life. In this manner, we are similar to the animals who live from moment to moment with no greater aspirations. Yet life is so much more than just what happens to us!

Sure we can go through life reacting to all that comes our way.  In fact, this is what the vast majority of people do, day in and day out.  There is nothing shameful or wrong with this way of living.  If you are content doing what everyone else is doing and more or less getting what they are getting then put yourself in neutral and coast along.  This is the easiest and most efficient way to live within our culture.  The greatest personal energy expenditures will only occur if dangerous or unwanted situations occur.   

However, you may have noticed that this is not the manner by which those who are succeeding choose to live.  They do not wait for life to deliver itself to them.  They pursue what they want and make it happen.  Whether it be health, wealth, fame, skill, power or something else they do not sit passively waiting for it.  They plan carefully and work diligently to create the circumstances that will foster what they wish to achieve.  If you want to be exceptional, that is you wish to be the exception rather than the rule, then you too will need to stop being passive.

I cited Biz Stone in the quote above because it highlighted the fact that the “world has conditioned us to wait for opportunity.”  We sit and hope for the right circumstance to come to us.  We even actively prepare for these situations so that we do not miss them when they appear.  All of that is good. However, it is all passive at its core.  We bemoan when the stars do not align and we curse that others seem to have all the ‘luck.’  Meanwhile, we have missed countless chances to create our own opportunities. I know of no one who has not been guilty of this mindset, myself included.   

A hunter can train to shoot well and buy all the best gear.  They could also learn all the habits and ways of the creatures that they wish to hunt.  Then our hunter might go to the proper environment and the appropriate time and sit in a random promising spot and hope to see their prey walk by.  This will sometimes result in a successful expedition.  The more successful hunters learn various ways to lure their prey towards them.  They use calls and bait to entice the creatures.  They carefully check their hunting grounds for signs of their prey’s activity.  They’ll work hard to understand their target and to encounter it.  The will use their time and energy wisely and will not rely on simple chance and their results will show it.

An aspiring actor who hopes to be discovered would be considered foolish if they did not actively pursue every possible chance to showcase themselves.  Yes, they could take acting lessons and practice with various groups and guilds, but all that would be in vain if they did not actively work to promote their name and reputation in the entertainment industry.  Sure they might take roles hoping to get noticed by someone influential who might happen to attend a performance.  However, they could equally well invite influential people to their shows and provide them tickets.  They could take some well calculated risks to create the circumstances that they desire.

The difference between passive and active may seem subtle but it is significant.  Passive prays, waits and watches.  Active does this and then also plans, creates, pursues, entices, provokes and works.  Passive looks for chances.  Active intentionally takes risks.  Passive hopes.  Active intends and does.  Passive awaits inspiration.  Active gains inspiration through activity.  Passive relies on motivation.  Active relies on discipline and routine. This holds true for all of and all our dreams and ambitions.  We can wait for the universe to arbitrarily deliver opportunities to us or we can work with what the universe has already provided in order to create such opportunities. Health, money, peace of mind… no matter what your goal may be you have a choice:

Live passively and let life happen

or live actively and make life happen.

©2018 Scott D. Wilson

Overcoming The Enemy in the Mirror

Overcoming The Enemy in the Mirror

“If you do not conquer self, you will be conquered by self.”
–Napoleon Hill

If I were only able to impart one brief idea to the world then I think the one above might just be it. As I watch people milling about living their lives as best that they can, I see one universal struggle: people fighting with themselves. Whether these people seek to get ahead, escape from life situations, discover meaning and purpose, achieve weight loss or whatever, their greatest struggles are rarely with their circumstances and the world at large but rather with themselves.

Even those who are disciplined and regimented seem to labour with this matter. Many who seem successful in general still seem to find comeuppance in some area of their lives. Meanwhile, the temptation is quite strong for each of us to externalize the various problems that plague our existence…

-If I had his or her connections then I’d have a better job.

-If I liked vegetable more I’d still have a good body.

-If I had their skills then I could be paid to do that.

-If I lived there then I would have it made.

-If I were lucky then I’d take those chances.

The issue is always our body, our workplace, our society, our situation, our family, our kids, our spouse, our friends and so on, ad nauseam. Heaven forbid that heart of the problem may well lie within our very own heart and soul. That would be unthinkable! Our mantra and fantasy is “Once everything and everyone else changes to what I want then I can finally succeed and be happy.” We remain perplexed by those who just seem to navigate this life with ease and accomplishment. Clearly, they must be special.

I know of no easy cure to this point of view and I believe it to be fatal. If it sounds familiar, this is also the addict’s mindset. A full blown addict sees all their problems as external and themselves as a victim. A struggling addict grudgingly admits they might have a problem but they are always waiting for certain circumstances to allow them to change and overcome them. However, unless an addict slams headlong into his or her problems and is forced to see the cause within then they will never have a chance to recover. Even this realization is only the first step in a life-long battle to overcome themselves.

So if we see ourselves as the problem then the question becomes, “How do we prevail in this struggle with ourselves?” Realizing that you have an enemy and that the enemy is within is one thing. Preventing that enemy for overcoming us again and again is quite another matter. Carved on the ancient temple at the Oracle of Delphi are the words “Know thyself.” The wisdom of these words has been recognized for centuries. We are not just a mere intellectual mind and consciousness bobbing along through the universe trapped within a meat cage. That view is simplistic at best.

We are a complex mix of conscious and unconscious reactions, emotions and perceptions. We are creatures of both emotion and thought, mind and body. What we do to our body affects our faculties to think, and what and how we think likewise affects our bodies. To truly know oneself is to understand one’s very heart and soul, the darkness and the light, our nobility and our cowardice… and to truly accept them.

The universe impartially accepts us as we are and has accordingly assigned consequences to teach us about ourselves and our actions. It is the ultimate training program, tailored to respond to our every action. The results we get teach us about ourselves, each other and this incredible time and place in which we live. The problems start for each of us when we want to control the training regime itself and the results that it is giving us.

We literally want to manipulate reality and its principles. We want wealth without work. We want fame without understanding the needs of others. We want fitness without effort. We want love and understanding without offering unconditional acceptance towards others and without confronting our own deeply personal fears. We want our hearts to submit to our minds without acknowledging our soul’s very real and significant needs and desires. Reality keeps responding otherwise and we continue to rage against it.

Like the addicts, we will continue to frustrate ourselves if we see all our problems outside ourselves. The desire to bend existence to meet our expectations will continually generate great grief and exasperation. It is the disharmony between our mind and the enemy in the mirror that sabotages all our efforts inside and outside ourselves.

As Napoleon Hill stated we must conquer our self or we will be conquered by our self. Yet too many would wrongly read this as the mind conquers and controls the body and the emotions by brute force and willpower. That is the rationalistic view. Yet mankind is NOT rational. Mankind is emotional. Before rational thinking, before concepts, before words we each experienced life through perceptions and emotions. That is our base or core operating system.

For our minds to succeed in directing our hearts our minds must begin to learn to think and operate at that primal emotional level. Taoist philosophers and martial artist speak of defeating enemies before they exist. Someone who makes no enemies is indeed a very successful martial artist. This truth exists both within and without. The mind does not overcome our spirit by raw willpower and opposition. Our emotions are patient. They will wait until our rational mind is weakened, tired and inattentive and then they will strike and overcome it.

Instead, we must use our minds to understand that emotions do not grow in vacuums. If we awaken our awareness to our bodies and our heart then they will tell us what frightens them and what they love. The wise mind then uses our loves and passions to fuel constructive behaviours and actions. Only a heart and spirit that is well fed, cared for and secure will gladly and willingly cooperate with logical mind.

It is possible to know ourselves – both our emotions and our thoughts. It is possible to minimize the struggling with ourselves. There are many paths towards that end if we seek them. For some it is meditation. For others it is mindfulness. Some require focused activities like yoga or tai chi. Some read and then quietly contemplate. Still others use prayer. The key is to find out what works for you to get in touch with your inner workings.

Our unconscious or non-verbal selves can communicate with us but we need to create the circumstances that allow them to be heard by our ever-babbling brains. We need to invest time in ourselves to better understand our own personal spiritual, emotional, social, physical and intellectual needs. Fears and worries will dog us and thwart our logical goals if we do not face them, understand them and overcome them.

If you struggle finding a path for yourself then look to those who are graceful and harmonious in their lives. These people have discovered how to peacefully unite their hearts and their minds. They do what they want and they want what they do. Content with themselves they continually strive to improve and grow. They understand their own foolish thoughts and actions and the foolish ideas and actions of others. They express compassion towards themselves and to all those around them. Listening and aware, they properly feed their hearts as well as their minds. They are at peace internally and externally. Seek out such people and their wisdom, as they have subdued their selves and with this new ally they boldly and successfully face their fears and undertake to build their dreams.

When you find your life and your goals and plans are frustrated resist the temptation to blame the world. Gently accept your role in creating your circumstances. Become teachable and let the universe impart to you its often difficult and painful lessons. Find the path to understanding the emotional and non-verbal sides to yourself. Discipline your mind to listen to your body and your spirit. Learn to meet all your personal needs. Discover the ways to harmonize your mind with its internal and external environments. Then will you be able to successfully conquer yourself and overcome your adversary in the mirror by transforming them into a comrade.

©2017 Scott D. Wilson

Finding Success

Finding Success 

©2015 Scott D. Wilson

This article is dedicated to the admirable life and great friendship of Dr. Janice McCarthy.
I do not know when exactly but I do know that soon a light will fade from this planet and the universe will be a bit darker. My friend, Doctor Janice McCarthy is in the final stages of her battle with the evil that is cancer. My heart breaks for her husband and children and their unfair loss.


But I am not writing here about loss. I am writing about finding success. I do not know a single person who does not crave success in their life. It is almost a fundamental human drive like hunger, sex, love and acceptance. However, we all seem to achieve varying levels of success in our lives. We all want and dream of success yet few of us are willing to do all that is needed to achieve those goals. I believe that the drive for success is akin to psychologist Abraham Maslow's description of the quest for self-actualization.


I am privileged to have known several successful people in my passage through this weary land of heartaches and broken dreams. Some were wealthy.  Others had meager means. Some were well known and popular. While some live in quiet obscurity. There were those both brilliant and simple. I would imagine that many reading here wonder then how I am defining success.


Earl Nightingale gave the best definition of success that I am aware of to date.  His definition stated that "Success is the progressive realization of a worthy ideal."  In most people's eyes worthy ideals are mainly fame and fortune. I have a much broader view of success yet I would have to say that still only a few obtain it.


My successful few have one common thread: a fearless passion for life. Their legacies are loving families, heartfelt friends, admiring colleagues, grateful neighbours and a general respect from virtually all who knew them. Whatever their circumstance they grabbed life for all it was worth. None of them were victims in their maturity. Their environments did not subdue or define them. They truly overcame the world and themselves.  Oh, they had fears and nightmares but they all learned to face them to persevere beyond them.

My friend Janice is not dying of cancer. She is truly living deeply and fully with the disease. Despite the ravages of the illness she seems more alive now than when we first met. Yes, I see a certain sadness within her but it is not regret.  It is the natural yearning for more. Her smile, her wit, her impish ways, her unconquered spirit burn brightly. Even in the precious last days she still reaches out and counsels her patients. Her abundant generosity has not been stemmed by this vicious disease.  I see in her the unbowed unbroken warrior.  I cannot help but be inspired.


Why is this success?  She has lived this life on her terms. That is one of the noblest ideals that I can envision. The lives she has touched attest to this. Of this I have no doubt. Her family and friends have been given a shining legacy from her. I will miss my friend but I will forever be enriched by my time spent with her.


And so I encourage you, my reader, to look to your own life. Find your own success and commit your life to it. Use the inspirations of lives well lived to find your own noble ideals. Do not narrow success to money or popularity. Define life on your own terms. Dream big and work hard. Love deeply and boldly!  Do not let world extinguish your light. Burn brightly like a shooting star... like my friend Janice.

"To laugh often and love much; to win the respect of intelligent persons and the affection of children; to earn the approbation of honest citizens and endure the betrayal of false friends; to appreciate beauty; to find the best in others; to give of one’s self; to leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition; to have played and laughed with enthusiasm and sung with exultation; to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived—this is to have succeeded."- Ralph Waldo Emerson

The Language of Your Life

The Language of your Life

©2015 Scott D. Wilson

 

“Life is a foreign language; all men mispronounce it”  ― Christopher Morley

 

Depending on your view language is either mankind’s greatest invention or its greatest gift.  Language enables us to share and transmit ideas, feelings and experiences in creative ways.  We take it for granted as we use it daily, but language is one of our most powerful tools.  Language has been used to change countless lives and even to forge the events of history itself.  Language is the programming code for our minds.  The way we speak reveals a lot about our upbringing and our background.   Our speech also shows the inner workings of our mind and thoughts.

 

If you close your eyes and imagine then you can likely think of countless examples of speaking patterns that you have encountered throughout your life: 

 

• the clipped speech of a police officer who has pulled you over
• the colourful drawl and homespun words of a rural western American 
• the loud and vibrant language of a passionate evangelical preacher
• the rough profanity-laced dialogue of a hard-living miner
• the carefully measured words of a suit-and-tie executive speaking to the board
• the angry venom of a native New York cabbie who just got cut off by another driver.
• the gentle tones and soft language of a counsellor consoling a grieving spouse
• the serious and grave dialect of criminal judge handing down a severe sentence

 

My point is that words themselves and how they are delivered vary immensely and carry with them more than mere information.  In a sense, we paint a picture with our language.  We study the ancient cave drawings in the hope to understand prehistoric communications.  We know that our development of words literally took the place of those early cave paintings.

 

Yes, we use language to convey ideas, images, feeling and experience.  In essence, we use speech to share a piece of our lives or a moment of our living.  Ah, but allow me to expand the vocabulary of this discussion.  The deaf use words but they convey them through gestures and signs.  The blind read but they must use texture and form.  So communication is not limited to words on page or the oration from our mouths.  Of course we have all heard of body language but that is not really what I am talking about here.

 

I am talking about the very dialogue of our daily living.  Every day we get up and go about living our lives.  How we do this communicates to universe itself and to others.  The vocabulary of our actions speaks volumes to our character and our attitude.  We may quietly whisper our gratitude through the act of prayer and meditation.  We may loudly proclaim our anger and frustration through our surliness or sullen attitude.  We might chat our joy brightly through our beaming smile and happy demeanor.  Perhaps we speak slowly and deliberately with our careful behaviour and cautious nature.  Or perchance we might zip off the quick staccato of our nervousness.

 

What I am saying here is that our behaviour speaks as truly as our words.  Our lives are like that cave wall thousands of years ago.  We paint upon it our communications to others and to the world around us.  I am asking you, reader, to consider what kind of message you are sending with your life.  Is it a deliberate and positive message that others will want to read and understand?  Or possibly are you randomly scrawling on the walls of your lifetime?  Today, you have the chance to become aware of the messages that you have been sending.  Look back and try to read the words that you have been living.  Do they contain hope?  Love? Trust?  Fear?  Bitterness?  Despair?

 

Life is meant to be deliberately lived.  If we intend to succeed we need to look not only at what we are saying to others with our words but also what we are saying with our demeanor, our attitude, our dress, our deportment… our entire lives!  Make sure your whole message is worth hearing!

 

“In the end, we'll all become stories.”  ― Margaret Atwood

An Impoverished Mind

An Impoverished Mind

©Scott Wilson 2015

 

North America is by all measures a country of prosperity and abundance. Food is plentiful and inexpensive. Economical energy sources of all types abound. Our land is rife with natural resources. For centuries North America has been labelled "the Land of Opportunity." Modern living affords us more leisure time and more entertainments than any of our forefathers could have ever hoped to obtain. Indeed, compared with much of the rest of the world we are living amidst luxury, wealth and opulence.

 

Why then does it seem that most of us tend to think in terms of deficit? Our society is rife with individuals who feel that they do not have enough money, or possessions, or time. Rare is the man or woman who considers themself to be rich. Our attention is drawn towards that which seems to be missing instead of that which we have already received and currently possess. It would appear that our hearts and minds are truly impoverished. Advertisers profit from this thinking, pointing out how we need their products to genuinely fulfill us.

 

Perhaps we inherited this thinking from our parents and grandparents who suffered through the Great Depression. They were the first generation on this continent to experience a serious lack of abundance. Their fears seem to have given rise to the general angst and longing that pervades our present culture. As the speed and reach of our communications has become instant and global mankind has begun to sense its limitations. We wonder and worry that our lonely planet may not have the energy and resources to allow our continued prosperity.

 

I believe it would benefit us to question this pervasive mindset of poverty. By all reckoning this universe appears to be vast and infinite. There is no reason to believe that mankind cannot continue to advance and improve our use of the unending energy and materials that surround us. In addition to this physical view we would also benefit by questioning the relative importance of material wealth in our life journeys.

 

In my studies of successful people I have found various commonalities of outlook and thought.  One common factor that I have noticed about those whom we deem successful is that they tend to think in terms of abundance, not deficit.  They see opportunity everywhere, even in their failures!  Motivational writer and instructor Earl Nightingale described this abundant thinking best with these words “Don’t concern yourself with the money. Be of service. Build. Work. Dream. Create. Do this and you’ll find that there is no limit to the prosperity and abundance that will come to you.”  To those with a winning mindset, the world is rich with success; all they have to do is persevere to obtain it. Successful people live and act as is there is always enough for everyone and that they have but to claim their share.

 

The prosperous build growth upon growth, strength upon strength.  They see and understand weakness and loss but these are not their primary focus.  These positive people remain doggedly fixed on their objectives. As that old Frank Sinatra’s song goes, they have ‘high hopes.’  It is this outlook that we should seek for ourselves if we too wish to partake of similar successes in our own lives.

 

Look at your goals and objectives.  Are you lacking cash, time, resources, information, experience or anything else that you need to obtain what you envision?  Do not let these become anchors and barriers to you.  Look at what you *do* have and build upon it.  See the areas of success in your own life and amplify them.  Understand that the universe is filled with resources that can become yours to command if you allow yourself to see the very real opportunities that surround you.  If you truly seek to succeed then you need to lose your impoverished mind!

“A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.” –Winston Churchill

"Some people are so poor, all they have is money." –Patrick Meagher

The Other Small Voice

The Other Small Voice

©2014 Scott Wilson

I have a guest writer here today who wanted to speak their mind...

Hello, can you hear me? I am the OSV, the Other Small Voice. You probably don’t know me too well but that’s ok. Most people ignore me or they listen to my brother NSSV, the Not So Small Voice. He’s the guy who’s always telling you that you aren’t good enough, smart enough, lucky enough or even deserving of anything good.

 

He’s seems to be far more successful than I am because almost everybody seems to listen to him. Maybe it’s because he reminds people that they are just the same as everyone else and he comforts people when they fail by helping them to come up with good excuses. Also, he saves people time and energy by using these same excuses to avoid attempting anything worthwhile.

 

But enough about him, it’s my job to remind you of the miraculous nature of who you are and the virtually infinite potential that you possess at this very moment. Did you know that your personal DNA contains a unique sequence of over 3.2 billion base pairs? Barring cloning, there will never be another human being with your specific DNA sequence. Never. You are quite literally an amazing scientific and biological masterpiece. One might even say, a miracle.

 

I’m telling you this because you need to understand that you have a unique opportunity at this time and this place. Some things you have no control over, like the weather and where you born. The list of uncontrollable things is indeed vast. But you have one very powerful tool: choice. In this moment you have control over what you choose to do, to think and to be. That is powerful! That is far more powerful than the things that you cannot control.

 

You can choose to follow others or you can chart your own course. The point is – this moment, and the next one, will be what YOU choose to make them. You can coast along on autopilot doing what is easiest and accepting what this world seems to be – for better or for worse. Or you can question and dream and start to build something else, something different… something better. Will it be easy? Not likely. Will there be a cost. Sure. Will it be worth it? Oh yes!

 

Once men looked up and dreamt of flying and now thousands of people are in the air as you read this. Dreams can become reality when you have a vision and make the choice to follow it. So that is why I am here.

 

I am the Other Small Voice. I know that you have been listening to Not So Small Voice… but he is wrong!! Today I want you to take a chance, dream a dream, and make at least one small step towards a better tomorrow for yourself and everyone. You deserve it. This world deserves it. If everyone on earth took one step closer to their dream today image how amazing tomorrow would look?

 

You are unique!

Your time is NOW!

Make the best of it!

The choice is yours…

 

How are your investment paying?

How are your investments paying?
©Scott D. Wilson 2014

“We are all self-made, but only the successful will admit it.” – Earl Nightingale

 

All over the internet and on television there are investment companies promising great returns on your investments. Friends in social setting will often ask each other how their investments are doing and trade strategies on this stock or that mutual fund. People certainly spend a good deal of time and effort tending to their money while a much more valuable asset goes unattended: themselves.

 

Do not get me wrong. Wise money management is not wasted and money itself is obviously valuable because it represents our time and effort. What I simply wish to speak to is the matter of time itself. Realistically, we each are allotted a finite amount of time on this wondrous planet. To ignore the reality of our eventual death is foolish. Likewise, we are given one body in which to make this journey and one mind to navigate its course.

 

Like money we can chose to spend or invest our precious time on various pursuits. We carefully chose to invest in property and various assets. Since we deem these items valuable we spend time tending, maintaining and repairing them. Yet our most precious properties are arguably our bodies, minds and spirits. Yet these appear to be our society’s most neglected assets.

 

We can purchase new houses, cars and other valuables, but our bodies and minds are irreplaceable. The sad reality is that they come to us for free and as such we place little value on them. We take them for granted. I cannot say this better than Earl Nightingale did in his wise discourse “The Strangest Secret”:

 

“The problem is that our mind comes as standard equipment at birth. It’s free. And things that are given to us for nothing, we place little value on. Things that we pay money for, we value.

 

The paradox is that exactly the reverse is true. Everything that’s really worthwhile in life came to us free — our minds, our souls, our bodies, our hopes, our dreams, our ambitions, our intelligence, our love of family and children and friends and country. All these priceless possessions are free.”

If you accept this premise then you should seriously consider how you are tending your greatest asset: yourself. You may well wonder how it is that you could invest in yourself.

 

Clearly your body is the most obvious treasure that you can nurture in meaningful ways. It is your responsibility to give your body proper amounts of good food, keep it sufficiently active and provide it with adequate rest. Many of us fail here on various levels. As with any responsibility the key to improvement is to make no excuses and to take action to learn control of our food, activity and rest. Be honest with yourself; set and work on the proper goals for one’s health.

 

It seems to me that mankind’s most neglected assets in our modern age is our minds and our spirits. This time is filled with the most marvelous entertainments and distractions. The problem is that these marvels are literally disconnecting us from our very lives. We often spend an inordinate number of hours watching and reading about what amounts to other people’s lives rather than attending to our own.

 

Our spirits crave real physical connections with our surroundings and our society and we feed them with anemic virtual online relationships. Psychologists have done studies around the healthy need for physical connections. One such study showed that the simple friendly act of hugging has tremendous health effects on people including lowering average heart rate.   Countless different scientific reviews have discovered incredible benefits for families who regularly eat together. There are many simple things that we can do to feed our spirits and enrich our lives if we are willing to routinely break from our virtual enticements.  

 

Not everyone is an intellectual but everyone should be learning and growing from day to day. However, how many of us actually spend the needed time it takes to expand our minds or to learn new skills and to grow as people? It is good to have hobbies that you pursue with a passion. When you can’t take time to read books on self-improvement you could listen to audio books and podcasts that challenge your mind and our spirit to grow.

 

We humans are innately creative in an infinite number of ways. Yet so few of us are willing to sit quietly with ourselves to ponder some of our significant concerns in a creative manner.

 

I challenge you to pick one issue in your life and let your mind simply freely create answers. Write down whatever comes to mind no matter how absurd it may sound. Do this for five to ten minutes or longer. Once finished, let if go until you have another quiet time to look at your answers. In that time pick one answer that you think you can work with and then let your creative mind loose on ways to achieve that solution. Keep going until you find actions that you can start working on and then turn those into goals. It is that simple but many do not find it easy.  

 

I have provided only a few easy examples as to how you could begin investing in yourself. There are many, many different ways to do this. Find some that suit you in particular. To this end I will provide a list of some very good reverences below. Look at how you are literally spending your life. A few minutes invested on yourself daily may be all you need to gain confidence in yourself and realize that some of your dreams are not too late or too far. I guarantee that if you make some regular dates with yourself to care for your body, mind and spirit that the investment will pay you back with amazing dividends!!

So now that I have explained myself, I ask you “How are your investments paying?”!!


 

Body Resources:

Better physical health and improved activity (site and the associated smartphone apps)
Website:  http://www.loseit.com
You will also find some encouragement too!

 

 

To improve your mental and/or physical health

Website: https://www.superbetter.com/

This is a site that turns health into fun gameplay.

 

Mind and Spirit Resources:

Books & Authors:

Journey of learning and self-discovery

“Way of the Peaceful Warrior” by Dan Millman

Consider also Dan’s other books and resources:   http://www.peacefulwarrior.com

 

Motivation and self-improvement

“The Strangest Secret” by Earl Nightingale

Free copy here: http://www.nightingale.com/articles/the-strangest-secret/

Also recommend Earl Nightingales other books such as “Lead The Field”

 

Working with others and self-improvement

“How to Win Friends and Influence People” by Dale Carnegie

Like Earl Nightingale, Dale Carnegie has a wealth of knowledge so consider also his other books such as “How to Stop Worrying and Start Living”

Website: http://www.dalecarnegie.ca/

 

Understanding communication and being a better communicator

“What Every Body Is Saying” by Joe Navarro

Website: http://www.jnforensics.com/  

Podcasts and Blogs:

Inspiration and Innovations (videos and podcasts)

TED Talks

Website: http://www.TED.com/

Watch and listen to inspiring people and ideas. TED – Ideas worth spreading!

 

Coaching, self-improvement and motivation (website/blog/podcast)

“Make Your Someday Today”” by Trevor LaRene

Website:  http://makeyoursomedaytoday.com/

An excellent resource for the person trying to figure out how to realize their goals!

 

Innovation, entrepreneurship & self-improvement (website/blog/podcast)

“Inspiring Innovation” by Meron Bareket

Website: http://meronbareket.com/

An amazing fellow who continues to help others with his blogs, podcasts and workshops.

 

Entrepreneurship, motivation & self-improvement (website/blog/podcast)

“Entrepreneur on Fire” by John Lee Dumas

Website: http://www.entrepreneuronfire.com/

An awesome place to find ideas about just about every form for business enterprise!

 

Time management and entrepreneurship (website/blog/podcast)

“Time Hackers” by Julie Sheranosher

Website:  http://imjulie.com/

If you need more time then Julie can help you find it… and more!

 

Classic Texts (available free across the Internet)

“The Art of War” by Sun Tzu

Understanding the art of managing conflict.

 

“Tao Te Ching” by Lao Tsu

“The Way of Power” – Learn the principles of the martial art of life!

 

“The Bible” by YHWH

Read it again for the first time!!!

Finding 'Why'

Finding ʽWhy ʼ

©Scott D. Wilson 2014

"Where there is no vision, the people perish" – Proverbs 29:18

Lately, I encounter a lot of people who tell me, "I need more motivation." This common lament troubles me. An entire industry has built itself out of this apparently common need. Motivational speakers, talk shows, podcasts and blogs abound. Just as people crave teachers and coaches to tell them how life works, so to do they seem to seek people to explain their lives and give them meaning. I am concerned by this.

It is quite one thing for people to seek better understanding of the universe around them. That is natural. When confronted with the infinite frontiers of knowledge it is simple wisdom to acknowledge that mankind remains largely ignorant. As humanity has exponentially increased its knowledge in recent decades it has equally discovered how infinitely vast is the knowledge still left to be discovered. We are definitely in need of wise discoverers, teachers and coaches.

Motivation, however, does not deal with knowledge about the workings of this world. Motivation is defined as the reason for a person’s action. In short, motivation is about the workings of ourselves. It is about our 'why'. There are many things that we can learn from others but purpose is not one of them. Nothing is more personal than the reasons why we do anything and our motives are as valuable as our actions.

As important as our actions are to others and the world around us, our motives are of greatest importance, especially to ourselves. For example, doing good is significant but doing good for the right motives is crucial. In this example if you give to others continually expecting for it to be returned to you then you are not giving unconditionally and you will soon become disenchanted and jaded by life's returns. If your giving is from your own abundance and generosity, seeking no personal gain, only then will the true satisfaction and reward of giving return to you. Thus your motivation is of great significance.

When I have encountered those who are seeking motivation their statements are inevitably paired with some personal failure. It seems evident to me that they lack an understanding of themselves and it is sabotaging their efforts to improve. This is why I chose the opening quote from Proverbs 29:18. Those seeking motivation seem to lack a vision of themselves and are 'perishing' in achieving their goals.

These people who share their motivational problems with me seem unsure of what drives them and unfortunately they look outside to find their own ‘why’. They seek maps to themselves and hope that others can supply them. Unfortunately, many people, both spiritual and secular make the claim that they can deliver this meaning. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Since no one can live your life for you then you should not let anyone tell why to do anything! Quietly listen your own heart and mind. They will tell you why. Each of our lives is amazingly unique. Our genetics, our parents, our society, when and where we are born, our life experiences, our thoughts and emotions all work together create the specific person that we are right now.

No one will ever fully understand what it means to be you. We each need to discover why we are here. We each have unique passions that bring us joy and meaning. Several wise cultures have called this 'a path with heart' and we each are responsible to find our own. The answers that others have found for themselves will not necessarily work for us. There is no ‘one size fits all’ solution.

Look inside and find your own answers as to why you do what you do. Let go of who you think that you are and listen to your thoughts, your emotions and your life; they will honestly teach you about yourself. Bravely face the uncomfortable lessons that they will deliver. You will likely be surprised.

The truth that we learn about ourselves is often mixed. For example, you may learn that you are impatient but you may also discover that you are generous and kind. We may also discover that our desires and passions lie in areas that we have feared to tread. The most important thing is that you listen without judging yourself. Be gentle.

Learn your ‘why’. Find your unique purpose. This is true for every goal that you set in your life. Whether it is fitness and weight loss or a financial goal, you need to know uniquely why you are doing it. And to this end, I also recommend that you regularly remind yourself of your ‘why’. We are forgetful people and we often lose motivation because the emotions and thoughts that first impelled us fade with time.

Throughout time the wise spiritual traditions have used the concept of touchstones to remind us of our purpose. For example, in the Bible, when the God of the Hebrews created the nation of Israel, he instructed them to carry stones from the land of their wandering into the their new land of promise. These stones formed a monument that the people and their offspring used to remind them of their bondage that they fled, their deliverance and why they wandered for so long. It reminded them why they were a nation.

When you find your purpose it is very helpful to create a meaningful touchstone so that when your motivation fails that you literally have something to see and touch that will remind you of your purpose. It should touch your heart and mind, spirit and it should speak uniquely to you.

For example, if you are working towards a financial goal you might write a cheque to yourself with the amount of money that you wish to obtain. Under the 'For' section of the cheque you could write your motivations like 'security for my family' or 'to give to a certain cause.' You could then place the cheque in your wallet and when your resolve weakens you could look at it and remind yourself why you are making this effort. In the end, your specific touchstone will be as unique as your reasons ‘why’.

The important thing is to brave enough to listen to your heart, mind and life to discover who you are and why you do what you do. Stop looking outside for your motivation. When you find your purpose take the same time and bravery to discover something that will help you to remember it. It is that simple but it won’t be easy and it will be worth it!

The Other Small Voice

The Other Small Voice

©Scott D. Wilson 2014

This fellow wanted to talk to you and me so I gave him a chance today...

Hello, can you hear me? I am the OSV, the Other Small Voice. You probably don’t know me too well but that’s ok. Most people ignore me or they listen to my brother NSSV, the Not So Small Voice. He’s the guy who’s always telling you that you aren’t good enough, smart enough, lucky enough or even deserving of anything good.

He’s seems to be far more successful than I am because almost everybody seems to listen to him. Maybe it’s because he reminds people that they are just the same as everyone else and he comforts people when they fail by helping them to come up with good excuses. Also, he saves people time and energy by using these same excuses to avoid attempting anything worthwhile.

But enough about him, it’s my job to remind you of the miraculous nature of who you are and the virtually infinite potential that you possess at this very moment. Did you know that your personal DNA contains a unique sequence of over 3.2 billion base pairs? Barring cloning, there will never be another human being with your specific DNA sequence. Never. You are quite literally an amazing scientific and biological masterpiece. One might even say, a miracle.

I’m telling you this because you need to understand that you have a unique opportunity at this time and this place. Some things you have no control over, like the weather and where you born. The list of uncontrollable things is indeed vast. But you have one very powerful tool: choice. In this moment you have control over what you choose to do, to think and to be. That is powerful! That is far more powerful than the things you cannot control.

You can choose to follow others or you can chart your own course. The point is – this moment, and the next one, will be what YOU choose to make them. You can coast along on autopilot doing what is easiest and accepting what this world seems to be – for better or for worse. Or you can question and dream and start to build something else, something different… something better. Will it be easy? Not likely. Will there be a cost. Sure. Will it be worth it? Oh yes!

Once men looked up and dreamt of flying and now thousands of people are in the air as you read this. Dreams can become reality when you have a vision and make the choice to follow it. So that is why I am here.

I am the OSV. I know that you have been listening to NSSV… but he is wrong. Today I want you to take a chance, dream a dream, and make at least one small step towards a better tomorrow for yourself and everyone. You deserve it. This world deserves it. If everyone on earth took one step closer to their dream today image how amazing tomorrow would look? You are unique, your time is NOW. Make the best of it! The choice is yours…