Resentment and Forgiveness:

For years, I struggled with resentment and would not let go of those who had hurt me in the past. I would literally work myself up by sautéing my mind in negative memories. Sometimes, I wasn’t even aware of what I was doing to myself.

Don McLaughlin, an influential mentor of mine, was the first to shed light on the issue. When I asked him about resentment he, ever so frankly, explained the following:

“When you constantly think about those who have hurt you and replay the events, it zaps your energy and occupies your mind. Not only are you giving them so much undeserved attention, you are preventing the event from becoming a memory and cannot learn or grow from it. This can only lead to you not being hurt ONCE by the perpetrator, but you are allowing them to hurt you over and over and over again.”

These words stuck with me as I had experienced it in practice. I then embarked on the constant journey of forgiving and trying to move on. Ultimately, it paved the way for greater things as I had, simply, made room in my mind for more positive things. It is something I practice everyday no matter how big or small.

My message to you is FORGIVE. Don’t try and forget because you never will fully. Learn from everything and everybody – even if it’s what NOT to do. Clean your mind. Make way with the old and welcome the new. Forgive those who have harmed you and, most importantly, forgive YOURSELF!

Don't Give Up!: A True Story

I recently had an idea for a large scale, random act of kindness project. I bought a handful of flashcards and wrote inspirational messages on them to be distributed to strangers. I am an avid runner and at first I would run with the flashcards and fling them into the air letting my messages flow with the wind to their destined targets. I later decided to personally give the flashcards out, in public, to people who looked like they needed them.

My project produced amazing results! I got a lot of positive responses, mainly in the form of a smile or a “thank you”, and people seemed genuinely touched by my efforts. Some did not and refused to accept the flashcards. One lady, who I gave a flashcard that read “:) SMILE! :)” responded “Smile? WHY??” in a very cynical way. I continued walking as I realized she clearly needed that specific message.

One day, as I walk through the park, I see a Jamaican man sitting on a bench. He is on the phone and looks up in despair as I walk by. I had located my next target. I casually stroll around the park again until I came back to the man on the bench. He is off the phone now and has a distant look in his eyes. Clearly lost in his thoughts, I approach the man and hand him a flashcard that read “Don’t give up!” He took the card and froze. “Thank you” he stammered. I smile and continued walking. I knew that one had found its mark.

As I walk along, I think about what I had done. It fills me up with happiness because I know that my little kindness really impacted the Jamaican man and many others in a positive way. God only knows how far that can travel.

About a week later I was jogging through the neighborhood (I am in New York now). I wasn’t in a particularly great mood and jogging usually lifts my Spirits… Not this time! Even as I jogged, my fears and personal issues occupied my mind. I was irritable and anxious and very impatient for what the next positive thing life had to offer. I kept going as my pump-up song started to play on my ipod. My jog turns into fast run as I sprint down one of the busiest streets. In the distance, I see an old man distributing flyers. I am fast approaching and I know he will offer me one as I fly by. “Hell no, I don’t want one,” I thought.

Sure enough, as I run closer to the old man he stretches out his arm and offers me a leaflet. Time had slowed at this point. At first I ignore the flyer and my body language strongly says so. Then, in a split second, I change my mind and furiously grab the flyer as I bolt past him. I continue running as I looked down to quickly glance at the flyer, having every intention of crumpling it up and throwing it in the face of the next passerby.

I looked down and my knees buckle. In bold letters the flyer read:

“DON’T GIVE UP!”

My attitude quickly changes. I smile and eventually start to laugh. I guess my random act of kindness really did travel far.

DON’T GIVE UP!!!!!

Never Give Up!

PAST, PRESENT, FUTURE

For every moment you spend worrying about the FUTURE, your PRESENT is turning into your PAST.

People come into your life for a reason

This is fascinating!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=endscreen&NR=1&v=bLltt5cPDOc

An Open Mind

Age is a number that represents the amount of time someone has spent in this world. It in no way represents how much knowledge or experience one has gained during that period. Keep an open mind and learn from everyone and everything. Even if what you learn is what NOT to do, that's half the battle..


Never hesitate to learn from a child. Sometimes their honesty and simplicity is what we really need.

Keeping Afloat with Goals

We must make goals and pursue them regardless of what comes and goes. This will keep us focused and driven, no matter how we are feeling.We cannot be at the mercy of our moods.

Emotions are the most beautiful thing in existence. Unfortunately, that can also be the ugliest. We all experience bouts of confusion and insecurity sometimes - that is life and life is progress. But don't lose your identity. Hold onto your positive accomplishments with all your might. Never lose sight of your direction - as abstract as it may be - and remember that every effort and every little step is creating new opportunities for the future and paving your road to excellence.

Love has the potential to break all barriers. But it is yourself whom you must love first. 

COOL CREATIVITY:

Photo Credit: Sparks of David Photography 

This is my friend SPPENCER. He is flowing as he plays his guitar. As you can see, Sppencer has worked himself up into a blissful state through CREATIVITY. We can all achieve this state of bliss through our OWN CREATIVITY. Each and every individual's CREATIVITY stems from their personal experiences, preferences, and state of mind. If you recognize and are aware that what you are CREATING (whatever that may be) is a manifestation of your effort and personality, it should fill you up with a sense of  great accomplishment and joy. 

WATER

Water is what gives our bodies the vitality to stay in motion. Approximately 70% of the body weight is water and one of its jobs is to transport nutrients throughout the body as well as aid digestion and the removal of toxins in the body. It is VERY important to get enough water in our bodies so we don’t get dehydrated. Many times, when our bodies are not running at full capacity, we are dehydrated. A Doctor once told me that the majority of times that people are HUNGRY they are actually THIRSTY! Irritability, digestion problems, headaches, and overall lack of motivation can all have their roots in dehydration. AMAZING!

There are numerous reasons for dehydration. Changes in weather, caffeine, alcohol, and drug use, a long shower, strenuous activity and exercise, or quite simply, not enough water intakes, are all contributing factors that can dehydrate the body. It’s important to keep aware of your activities and notice when you may need to drink a cup (or two or three!) of H2O.

“STAY THIRSTY, MY FRIENDS.”

F*@!

There is a word that should be completely removed from our vocabularies. It's harsh, gross, and can do irreparable damage. It can ruin lives and destroy all momentum. 
It's a terrible four-letter word and it starts with F


The word is FEAR. 

GOOD bye

I have never met someone that was good at saying goodbye. It proves how connected you are with the other person when it's difficult to finally part ways. Be grateful for the love and friendship that you have in your life and keep in touch by reaching out and initiating contact.

All about creativity

Great interview with a GENIUS:
http://www.charlierose.com/view/interview/12302

Listening

Just lending someone an ear and and giving them some time can change their life. Never forget the people you have helped and always be grateful to those who've helped you.

Influence

I believe that those who propagate and impose their philosophies on others have lost passion in their own journey. Be HONEST and formulate your OWN opinion.

Speak your thought and you will receive anew.

Smile - Its worth it :D

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0dgadTcVu60

Its YOUR world

The positive that one does should not just be cleaning up the negative. Brainstorm, and create new opportunities to better your world.

Positive Callous

A callous is a hardening or insensitivity to something through repetition. When a guitarist first places his fingers on the cords, it is foreign and painful. Through repetition and practice, the skin on the guitarists finger’s become hardened and he develops a callous, or pachydermatous. This allows the guitarist to play with more freedom and grace.

When we are in a predicament, everything we have built for ourselves is put to the test. It is an intense situation and all our energies may not be focused on preforming our best. For example, if someone is dedicated to remaining positive and optimistic but they are faced with something seemingly unbearable, they may slip into negativity and despair. What they don’t realize is if they can maintain their positive feelings in these conditions, at the peak of their capacity, they can do it anytime, anywhere, and in any mind-state. Through pursuing one’s philosophy, in rigorous conditions, immunity to those conditions develops. If we go through an unpleasant experience, while holding on to our dreams and goals, we grow with them, driving them deeper into our psyche.

I was once at the home of a musician who was recording and working on an album. During a break, he was explaining to me how he has terrible anxiety/anger issues and takes prescription medication (on top of other remedies) to help manage it. At that moment, a pencil rolled off the table and landed on the floor. “I’m relaxed now and with friends and good company.” He said. “Usually, that would really get at me and I’d flip out.” I had a thought. I explained that if he were to try and hold on to his other therapeutic tools (other than meds) and break on through the event, he would prevail. Having beaten the challenge, despite all the triggers, he would build a type of immunity to it. The next time a situation came up, with circumstances of the same caliber, it would be insignificant.

When we are faced with a challenge we should view it as if we are paving the way for bigger and better things. By holding on to our values, regardless of the situation, we build immunity and a callous to the challenge. This builds stamina, endurance and helps us grow. It leads to higher capacity and more opportunities which, in turn, lead to more experiences, pleasure, and happiness. 

Growth: Through the Ages

When a baby is born its perception of life is very narrow. It cries when it wants anything or is uncomfortable or lonely. The baby is fed, bathed, clothed, and washed up after. It overall can not provide for itself. It can’t even walk! With time, as the baby develops, its brain builds the capacity for speech, play, and even independence.

As the years go by, the baby advances in all areas of communication, creativity, and of course, the body. The baby learns to socialize with others and express its needs. It draws pictures and builds with blocks and makes messes. It crawls, and walks, and runs, and falls; all with the naiveté and innocence of a newly born child. After a certain amount of experiences, even at a young age, the child starts to realize that there are new realities in the world it was thrown into. The child learns cause an effect and becomes conscious of his actions and their consequences. Reward and punishment, not only in a disciplinary manner, become a pivotal part of his life. As the child grows, so does a callous for pain and pleasure. The things he once enjoyed no longer excited him and what was once a great source of pain, became seemingly insignificant. Thus began the pursuit of bigger and better things. Through trial and error the child builds a keen understanding of what suits him best. Naturally, the child gravitates towards what is pleasurable and distances himself from that which is painful.
   
However, there comes a certain point in life when the child has an epiphany. He realizes, in his pursuit of pleasure, that in order to achieve a certain level of pleasure he needs to face an amount of pain. This pain is a tool to achieve the desired pleasure and thus becomes a steppingstone in his journey for the pleasure. When the child understands this system he becomes a little man.


As the little man uses these tools of pain he begins to grow in many areas. He builds the stamina and capacity to take upon himself greater responsibilities which in turn lead to greater pleasure and pain. The little man continues to have experiences and has a greater awareness of the life he is living. At any point he may be faced with a foreign or uncomfortable predicament which will require an immediate reaction. The little man then realizes that what he feels like doing and what he needs to do may contradict each other. He then begins to differentiate between his intellect and emotions; thinking and feeling. When a small man is consciously aware that his future greatly depends on how he reacted to foreign and uncomfortable situations he becomes a man.


As a man goes through life growing and living, he will inevitably experience many feelings and moods. Through the good times and the bad, he will face life with his intellect and emotion. At any given time he may choose to THINK-THINK, THINK-FEEL, or FEEL-THINK. Always using the intellect, FEEL-FEEL isn't an option. When a man lives life in control and not at the mercy of his moods, he becomes a great man.

Staying Positive

The following is a true story:

In my school there is a short black man named John who works as our janitor. John (and I don’t think this is his real name) came to Israel from a country in Northern Africa to pursue a livelihood. He scrubs the toilets, mops the floors, and picks up the trash. He even plants flowers around the campus -all with a big SMILE on his face.

 One particularly grey and gloomy day, I walked outside my dorm room as John was mopping the floor in the hallway. I stood there for a moment and watched as he tediously swung the mop back and forth. The night before, some kids had gone to a tie-dye party and brought supplies back for some late night fun. Hanging on a line from one room to the other across the hall were shirts, pants, boxers, and socks with all types psychedelic designs on them. Below, the floor was covered in all sorts of different colored paints. John turned to me with a big SMILE and in broken English asked “They. color. clothing?” I laughed and confirmed that they had indeed been coloring their clothing but I had no part in it. John shrugged and with a SMILE turned to continue mopping. Not in the greatest of moods, I tried to compose myself for a challenging day. I walked down the clean hallway and just as I was heading out the door I turned to him and asked “John, how the hell are you so HAPPY all the time?” He looked up and with a big SMILE responded “Whaahtt?”Recognizing the language barrier I approached him and said animatedly “SMILE, big SMILE!” “Ahh!” he replied “Yes. Always – that’s how. It’s done.” He finished and stood there, noticeably proud of himself, nodding and SMILING.

Feeling encouraged, I continued my day with a bright outlook and a SMILE to the day’s challenges. The days went on and when I would see John I’d wave or say hi to him. Whether I would see him cleaning up after meals or planting flowers along the walkway between buildings, I was greeted with a SMILE. I was soon getting a daily dose of inspiration from a Sudanese man who hardly spoke English. Night and day, rain or shine, this guy always had a POSITIVE atmosphere. It was truly inspiring.

 The other day the unfortunate and terrifying news had spread around that John’s 17 year-old brother, en route to Israel, had been captured by terrorists and is currently being held hostage. At lunch, this was the topic of conversation and when John walked in a hush fell over the cafeteria. As he walked by, John showed no signs of negative emotion which caused someone to ask rhetorically “How did he come to work today??” I walked into the kitchen to get something and was greeting with the same SMILE as everyday like nothing had happened! I was floored. How does someone go through that and continue on with his chores like any other day? I approached John later that day and asked him about what I had heard. I spent some time with him as he struggled to find the right words in English. He confirmed the story and told me the terrorist group had been given a sum of money but had sold his brother to another group which now demanded $36,000! He said the group had called him the other day and threatened that if they didn’t receive the money they would kill the boy. He continued on about how he had warned his younger brother not to try and come to Israel because of the danger in the surrounding areas and his fears had come true. It was hard for me to keep my composure just listening to him tell me the story. What really got me was how optimistic he was. He explained it was impossible for his family to pay that amount but his plan was to get friends in America to help him. “The rest,” he said as he pointed to the ceiling, “Is God”. John shrugged and with a SMILE, he turned and continued on his way. 

I don’t know what will be of John’s brother, but I hope for the best. What I do know is that John’s determination, despite his terrible situation, to keep a positive attitude and take care of him-self and his responsibilities is truly admirable. If I had gotten any inspiration from John before, it’s doubled. I don’t know where he gets the strength to be so positive and optimistic but if he can do it, I can.

  

Never let your emotions override your intellect

We THINK with our minds and FEEL with our hearts. Sometimes we FEEL like we don't want to get out of bed in the morning but we KNOW we have responsibilities and must face our realities. If we're wholly driven by our hearts, life could be a disaster! One may not FEEL like paying the bills or stopping for a red light but the KNOW what needs to be done.
Harmony is the balance between the mind and heart. Think about it. How do you feel?

And.....We're back!

hope to get some cool stuff up soon

Staying Focused:

"Don't focus too much on the trees to the point where you forget the forest"
-Unknown

Details serve as a means of enhancing a 'bigger picture'. But some details are so vivid that we can get distracted from what's REALLY going on. Always look for the ESSENCE of the topic at hand. This will keep you alert and focused...

Creativity:

Creativity is taking the tools that we have and using them to build something. We can create words, food, children, peace and tranquility, friendships, moments, movies, airplanes... The list goes on and on. It all starts with realizing the uniqueness of our thoughts, ideas, and inspiration. We can act on them and pursue them into realities. Focus on your strengths and grow with them. They're yours! The idea is to not lose focus or get distracted from your main goal.


Remember the inspiration! :)

Inspiration:

Inspiration comes and goes...


We can be inspired to do anything: clean our room, start a project, connect with an old friend, get spiritual, exercise, take action, etc. etc. Whatever it is it all starts with that one spark. We get excited and our intellect is infused with emotion, creating this burst of momentum. If acted upon it can be glorious! But sometimes it fizzles out and skepticism starts to creep in. All sorts of fears come to the mind and the energy we should be using to follow through turns sour. Where did it go?? We were so driven two minutes ago! argh! lol
The key is immediate action. Time is valuable. Don't miss out on an opportunity especially when the inspiration literally falls into your lap... If you are inspired don't lose it! Hold onto that spark and never forget the main goal. Remember the feeling and how excited you were at the time.


...Don't lose it!  :)

THE ILLUSION OF FEAR:

(This discusses personal fears not fear factors set up by law enforcement, schools, parents, and the media)


Fear is something that can break all momentum, inspiration, and excitement. There are many types of fears: Fear of failure, fear of rejection, fear of the unknown, fear of oneself, phobias, etc. etc. etc. Where does fear come from? Of course we can be influenced by factors around us but the actual fear comes from within.
AMAZING! The biggest thing preventing us from doing what we want to do is OURSELVES! Many times we could have a spark of inspiration and want to spontaneously do something but a second later our minds are flooded with all sorts of 'fantasies' and predicted thoughts of the future. We think about the outcome of the event or what may follow (even before it happens...) but how could we possibly know the outcome before it happens? We can definitely think about how things may 'play out' but how many times have we contemplated the future but were 100% WRONG?
Fear is an illusion. Don't get blind sighted by the negative thoughts that can prevent you from being you!


NOTE:
This obviously needs a balance. There are healthy fears that prevent us from running into a lion's den or throwing ourselves in front of a moving train. Those fears are needed to survive and should not be overlooked...

Thoughts:

Just as we can choose to replay scenarios in our head, we can choose to ignore them completely. It is a matter of finishing or 'riding out' the thought that pops up. Notice that when you are zoned in and focused on a particular task, anything that gets in the way can be pushed aside. It's when we are not preoccupied that we become more susceptible to being influenced by.... OURSELVES! Does anybody else control our thoughts?? The human mind is a powerful tool. Scientists say that with all the "action" going on in galaxies and planets and stars in our universe, nothing compares to the human brain. Know that you have this tool and that it is in your control to take it where you wish.

Balance: (pt.1)

Balance is what makes the world go round. Without it we wouldn’t be able to channel our energies and act accordingly. We wouldn't be grounded or leveled and our emotions and thoughts would be morphed into one chaotic mess..
The world we live in is fast-paced, intense, and full of extremes. The trick is to balance our lives and harmonize with the things around us. This does not define conformity! We are all unique and should take pride in this. We tend to live in extremes with an "all or nothing mentality". When it comes to the human ego one should not be overly arrogant but not have 'ego-death'. Nothing can stop a balanced ego and healthy self esteem....




To be continued...

Listen to the Silence (A poem about self-discovery)

Let your thoughts run wild
Like the mind of a child
Picture for a moment
Fantasize if you must
A world full of peace
A world full of trust
You may think
"Another messenger with that hippie crap"
But Lennon was right
Imagine that...
Armageddon, 2012, doom and gloom
Why do you think it will be gone so soon?
We'll be fine
We've got time
Soon it will all be sublime
Because the gloom is in the head
Fighting with all it's might
Torturing your dreams in the middle of the night
It fills the mind
With sorrow and self-doubt
Drowning your desires
Clouding your heart's shout
But listen closely
And you will hear
A muffled calling
That will become more clear
Follow that direction
And the battle will be won
But hurry, because
TIME
WAITS
FOR
NO
ONE

Positive:

The key to happiness..
Think, and it will be.

Resentment:

Resentment can suck the positive light out of anything.
No matter how much time passes after the event it will remain fresh (if not more intense) if you constantly review it in the mind's eye. It serves us no good! The other person has moved on in life while you constantly hurt yourself by replaying the scenario over and over again. Nothing can be more counterproductive than living in the past. The only purpose our past should serve is a memory we can learn from. That's the only productive way to move forward in life after the event. It's essentially the only thing we can do with it. It cannot change!

Past, Present, Future: Know where you stand!

A wise man once told me "Never forget where you came from or where you are going". What great advice to live by! Know where you stand in the grand scheme of things. I believe that our thoughts are composed of either (past) memory, (present) awareness, (future) fantasy, or imagination (dream) created by the mind. We can be aware of which category our thoughts fall into and act accordingly. For example, Past (memory) cannot be changed and only learned from. How sad it would be if one where to constantly live life walking down memory lane and completely oblivious to the world around them!
The future is something that we cannot even contemplate because it has not happened yet. How many times have we predicted what will happen and were completely wrong?
What we are all looking for is awareness. Awareness is living in the present and being foucused on the life around us. We are free to live life in the present and not get distracted with the surrounding factors that make up the thrilling life that we live in. With so much going on we need to stay alert and focus on our goals..

Know where you stand!!!

DEPTH

Lets break it down. What's the essence of LIVING?
I think the essence of living is growth.
When we were tiny newborn babies, our perception of life was very narrow. We cried when we wanted anything or were uncomfortable or lonely. We were fed, bathed, clothed, and washed up after. We overall could not provide for ourselves. We couldn't even walk!  But think how much has changed since then? How much has been accomplished?
After a certain amount of experiences, even at a young age, we started to realize that there are new realities in the world that we were thrown in. The years go by, advancing in all areas of communication/socializing, creativity, and of course the body...

Fast-forward to the present.

Just reflect on how much you have grown.

Feedback…?.... Tell me what you think!

                     {PEACE}

Just started this blog, still putting it together. Any tips?