Seeds of Dreams

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Seeds of Dreams

How We Think, Changes Everything

A Sixty-Word Short Story:

Carla was obsessing about getting this job. On paper she was a perfect fit, so why was she having to endure a gauntlet of interviews. One after the other ended with “We’ll get back to you.” And then she would wait thinking that they’ll never call back, but they did – 8 times. What was wrong she wondered? Her thinking was.

 And more…

 Whenever we have a situation that doesn’t add up, where we know our strengths but we’re unable to capitalize – like the interview process for Carla, where the resume’ was solid but she could not close the deal – we begin to doubt ourselves. And once doubt creeps into our minds, its insidious power dismantles our confidence, and we tend to grasp at straws and become willing to believe anything that offers hope in our situation. This is the recipe for failure. Self-confidence is the fuel we all need to succeed and when it’s missing, we stumble.

When we believe we can do it we tend to do it. If we don’t believe it, not so much. That’s because our personal beliefs drive our decisions and they fuel our actions. The problem with beliefs however is that they can be both rigid and changeful, and we often don’t recognize how empowering or how debilitating they can be. Beliefs are the source of dreams that come true but can also fuel the bugaboos of life. In essence, beliefs are the seeds of all we become.

Our personal beliefs are the fabric of our own unique mosaic. Some beliefs float consciously to the surface while others are buried deep within our psyche. Our challenge, like Carla, is to align what we know is true for us to the reality we’ve created for ourselves. Although she knew she was qualified, the interview process raised some doubt to the point she began to question herself and thus projected an unsettling image which fueled concern for the would-be employer. When she lost confidence so did they. Net result, nobody wins.

The lesson here is that we always have the power to change what we think, which helps us change what we believe, which translates into changing our lives. This process creates self-awareness which defines exactly who we are and also opens the door to whoever we want to become. When how we appear is truly who we are, we always win.

The Final Thought: Improving our lives only happens when we change our beliefs about ourselves and the transformation begins by simply changing what we think.

* The Premise (Opening short story): Always 60 words. No more. No Less. For more stories like this and information about my books, please visit www.szenzone.com

Moments That Linger

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 Moments That Linger

A Sixty-Word Short Story:

They were running late, and Alex was still putting on make-up in the car. Ben was trying to will the car in front of them to move over. The air was tense and neither felt like talking. Panic was setting in. And then, they were there and she bolted, then stopped and caught his eye and smiled. So did he.

 And more…

 Life can go pretty fast sometimes, and we can become so intent on keeping up with it that we often miss the whole point of why we’re here. Do we know why, I mean really know what the point of life is? I don’t know about you, but I did not come here with an instruction manual. In that regard we are all ex-babies – born, then slapped and helpless and wide open to the possibilities. There is no map, path, or clear destination. And sometimes, we live for quite a while before we figure out that we’re still not sure of where we’re going or what it all means.

It might not be the secret to life, but I think we can find pretty good clues as to what life means for us by contemplating all of the moments that got us to here: Moments of joy and smiles and pain too that somehow mattered and are remembered, and for whatever reason seem to define us. And each of those defining moments started just this way.  Like reading this sentence and maybe asking ourselves how in the world did all of this, all of our life, unfold.

The answer is: we did it. We orchestrated life. We flowed with its currents, and we set plans and dreams and events into motion because we could. And we had help from other players, living in this same universe, that by acting their own unique way, helped us somehow. It’s pretty cool how those gazillion thoughts we’ve had have brought us to here – To one of many moments of beauty like Alex as she composed herself enough to turn and smile and then wait for the smile from Ben. Some moments are charged with significance. They are bookmarks in our life, and it feels good sometimes to go back and re-read the good parts.

Here’s hoping that your story has filled you with love and joy and that the next chapter is more of the same.

The Final Thought: A smile, glance, soft touch or any of a zillion memories can make us feel alive. One moment is all we need to feel that life is surging through us. May the moment linger.

* The Premise (Opening short story): Always 60 words. No more. No Less. For more stories like this and information about my books, please visit www.szenzone.com

Szenzone – Stories of life and the power to change yours – is sent via email by request and is published weekly or thereabouts. For back issues or to receive this publication directly please email [email protected]  © Gary Szenderski 2025 All Rights Reserved. Gary is an author, branding specialist and teaches at the University of California in Irvine. He specializes in helping people and organizations navigate change – if you or your company needs assistance contact Gary directly.  Gary resides in Southern California and welcomes your comments.

On Edge

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On Edge

A Sixty-Word Short Story:

“Cut!” shouted the director. “Listen Charles, you have to relax and not think about the whole scene, just this moment and your line. You know your line, right?” Charles nodded. “Then say it for us!” Charles looked around the room. People, equipment and so much tension in the air were making him nervous, then “Don’t touch that door!” he screamed.

 And more…

 Life can dish up some tension (another name for stress) now and then. It can be a business situation, a family disagreement, a phone call with the IRS or simply being cut off on the freeway. Tension is our way of metabolizing the moment. We need tension to feel the event in order to be able to react. Tension, creates emotional currency, and is a bridge from routine to something else. It enables us to call upon our senses and wits to act. And whatever the act may be that we’re called on to do, it is propelled by the tension, pressure and sometimes the fear we feel in that split second when we know we must do something.

Tension works because it’s a way to get us poised for action. Being on the edge is typically something most of us would prefer to avoid, but the emotions inherent in tension can get us revved and ready for whatever happens next. Without it, the greatness of so many decisions in our lives would be forgotten. The tension of the situation is what makes for great stories – time running out and he shoots and scores, she bends over to grab his hand and accepts his proposal, the phone rings and we got the job. You name it and I bet the best stories of our lives included some angst, fear and doubt, the siblings of tension and what makes living on the edge worth it.

I think without some emotion, be it fear or doubt or love or whatever in our routine we avoid the edge and thus miss out on some of the fun of life. If we push ourselves and open the door to possibilities, even a little every day, we live more. We make better stories – Stories worth telling.

The Final Thought: A shift from a “how are you doing?” to a “how are you feeling?” orientation reveals a deeper dimension of connectedness: Feelings uncovered always change the conversation.

* The Premise (Opening short story): Always 60 words. No more. No Less. For more stories like this and information about my books, please visit www.szenzone.com

 

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What’s in a Name?

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 What’s in a Name?

A Sixty-Word Short Story:

They went through the baby naming book so many times that they nearly had it memorized. The search was compounded because they didn’t know the baby’s sex, so she started quoting Shakespeare: “What’s in a name? That by which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet…” I have it, he said, if it’s a girl.

And more…

Names are not only the thing we give our children. We give them an identity that they can grow into. Many years ago, when our second child was born, we had names selected whether it was a boy or a girl. If it was a boy, and it was, the name would be Lucas. When we met him however, he didn’t seem like “Luke” to us and so for a couple of days we searched the naming book again, like the folks in our story. We finally decided on Adam. And if you know him or ever meet him, you’d say that he’s the perfect Adam.

Later that day I told my family we had decided on Adam and since my brother was expecting a baby the next week, he told me that “Adam” was the name they were considering, but now they we going to reconsider. Having two cousins with the same name didn’t seem right so they chose Eric. And Eric is the perfect Eric. Just ask him. My point is that when names have context and deliberation, they create a story that surrounds the namesake and somehow perfection is attained.

That said, I’m happy to report that I’m a grandpa again. This week I met my granddaughter, Florence Marie, born to my son Maxwell and Florence’s mom Julia. Florence was my mother’s middle name and Marie is the middle name of Julia’s mom. And thus, the story is created and like our story this week, featuring a rose, the name Florence is derived from the Latin florens meaning flourishing, and of course, blooming.

The Final Thought: Sometimes, when it comes to naming, you have to go with the Flo.

The Art of Becoming

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Have you ever noticed that some things just happen while others take their sweet old time before they gestate completely? The speed of completion is often correlated to the speed of the decision to make it happen. Correction, not “often”, but rather always correlated to how fast we actually act on something. The sooner we decide, the sooner that decision can take shape.

What keeps us from living in a “snap of our fingers” and stuff just happens world is that we can’t snap until we feel sure. Thinking things through is exclusively a human trait. The rest of the species on the planet just “do” what seems natural. And as a reminder, when we all were children we had this very same innate quality built into our psyche. We just showed up for life and life just happened. The days were filled with discovery, wonder, joy and some occasional pain but none of these feelings ever lasted that long because the next thing to happen took its place. We would spend the days living every moment with vigor until we ran out gas and fell into one of those deep and replenishing sleeps that seems all too rare now as adults.

As adults it’s not that simple to just “be.” We have to be doing something or be going somewhere or be thinking about what the next thing to be will be. The whole process has become time consuming and fraught with way too many options than ever ever before. Decisions now take more time and have to yield positive return, hence we fret and analyze and kick the can down the road until we’re absolutely okay with making the right judgment call. While all of this is taking place, the world at large is charging ahead – and we all struggle to keep up if we can.

Becoming, the act of transformation, is a form of creation. We actually create or recreate ourselves as we choose and with total control of the outcome. The real art of becoming what we choose to become has less to do with our actual goal and everything to do with our belief that we can get there. Confidence, self-assuredness, faith, call it what you will, is what really moves those mountains, and can move obstacles from our path and rally the support of legions of followers and believers. Becoming is a gift that we get to use over and over again because we all are endowed with the ability to create; we were created in the image and likeness of the Creator; It’s in our DNA. Here are a couple of thoughts on tapping into our true potential:

  1. Visualize your dream without the thought process of how to get there. Don’t worry about how, just concentrate about what you seek and the “hows” will take care of themselves.
  2. Remember that you are worthy of whatever dream you create.
  3. Sometimes you might want to put #2 ahead of #1.

Finally, don’t be afraid to ask for help from others. Your asking may fuel and be part of what another wishes to become.

The Final Thought: The way the world moves is a reflection on how we all move and think. Every thought from every person impacts what is and becomes part of the whole

 

Creating Wisdom

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 Creating Wisdom

A Sixty-Word Short Story:

No one could tell Jonathan anything. He knew it all and let you know it when he was in your presence. He was always the smartest person in the room; even if we knew he wasn’t, he acted like he was. He was the boss, and he had all of the answers, except when it came to his own feelings.

And more…

 Knowledge has quite a bandwidth. There is so much that we can know and categorize and memorize and build upon because, as we learn, we add to our perspective. We merge the new facts with the old and we temper the process with experience and sometimes wisdom. The net result is intellectual growth, and it’s often translated into success based on the formula that the more we know, the more we can achieve.

Emotional growth however is not so simple. Emotions are not easily separated and distinct. Anger, fear, love, greed etc.- all of the primary emotional possibilities – exist in partnership with and are intermingled with other emotions as well as facts.  Anger has a reason it appears and so does love, fear and the rest. And unlike intellectual growth, which allows us to build on what we learn, emotional growth can be elusive, and hence there are folks like Jonathan that know it all but somehow don’t “get it.”

We’re all on a learning curve to somehow create balance between the “what’s” that we learn” and the “how” it makes us feel when we do. A combination of both helps us translate life’s many challenges so we can understand “why.” Knowing why we are who we are, and do what we do, gives us the emotional leverage we need to truly succeed. Where the smarts meets the heart. That’s where true wisdom forms. And from there the possibilities are endless.

The Final Thought: When we meld the facts of our lives with our feelings about those facts we can emerge into a new realm, called wisdom.

* The Premise (Opening short story): Always 60 words. No more. No Less. For more stories like this and information about my books, please visit www.szenzone.com

 

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It’s Up to Us

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It’s Up to Us

A Sixty-Word Short Story: *

The preschoolers sat in a circle with the teacher, and she opened a book and began to read. It was a story of a princess who loved beautiful things, especially clothes. The guys lost interest in chapter one and became fidgety. A few times the teacher had to stop and ask the boys to be quiet and listen. They didn’t.

And more…

Even at a very young age, the differences between boys and girls are obvious. And as they grow the differences become even more pronounced. It’s as if they come from different planets. That would explain a lot.

So how do the genders figure out how to communicate and relate? Is it an intellectual challenge, a social mindset, or an emotional connection that allows the sexes to get on the same page and ultimately bond? I don’t think there is a stock answer to this, and I’ve witnessed folks that have been together for expanses of time often express their devotion to each other as a combination of friendship, trust and non-judgment. It’s a matter of degrees it seems, and of course everybody is different.

The point is that we all have multiple ways to relate and share, and the only restriction is our own reluctance to try. When we try, we discover new pathways into another’s soul. We find words come easy when we don’t judge and we’re not judged. Which gets to the singular focal point. We decide. We can try. We can resist. We can share or not. It’s up to us. It’s always up to us.

The Final Thought: “You made me do it!” This is an impossible scenario no matter what we were made to do. Fact is we only do what we want and if we don’t it’s mostly on us.

* The Premise (Opening short story): Always 60 words. No more. No Less. For more stories like this and information about my books, please visit www.szenzone.com

When Time Meets Space

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When Times Meets Space

I really appreciate the concept of space, be it outer, inner, the distance between us, or how we feel when something that was full goes empty. What’s left is space. In Zen they see things with this idea in mind. For example, if we had a room with no furniture or anything in it, we’d call it an empty room. From a Zen perspective it’s really a room full of space. Which translates into having gained versus having lost. And so, what do we do with a room full of space? We fill it with whatever we want. What if we had a room full of time?

I think of time and space as siblings with time being the favorite and getting most of the attention. We never seem to have enough time and unlike space, which we can create and hold onto, time can’t be held, and we can’t create it either. It’s either used, or it’s gone. And it never stops moving until it does or at least slow a bunch. To observe this requires a different perspective and formula. Space-time is a mathematical model that joins space and time into a single idea called a continuum. This four-dimensional continuum is known as Minkowski space where mathematician Hermann Minkowski facilitated a geometric interpretation of Einstein’s theory of relativity.

I’m bringing this up because I have lately been running out of time to get things done, and in the process have not been able to create any space for a respite – Like a quiet contemplative spot where meditation comes easy and time slows down. We all need to have some quiet time in a quiet space. So to create a meditative space, not only the physical, but the spiritual as well, we have to ask ourselves whether any of the stuff in our life that currently takes up space in our minds and our day and in our garages is really needed. Will all of the boxes of stuff we’ve saved be wanted by anybody when we’re gone? Will any of the space in our hearts or minds that’s been squandered on things that don’t really matter be worth noting in our obituary?  No, it won’t matter when we’re gone and probably doesn’t matter now.

Not to be morbid, but rather to be thankful that we actually do have ways to control the space where we exist; we can spend the time that’s left as we choose. We can reach that elusive dream. There is still time; the space we need to traverse is not always the great chasm, but only a thought away, an instant. And once we think it and believe it, we merge time and space into our very own continuum where Minkowski has been waiting, and the party is about to begin.

Final thought: When we merge our space with our time, when where we are is in sync with who we are, we create magic. So, wherever you are take the time to enjoy.

Enabling Change

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Enabling Change

A Guide to Transformation

A Sixty-Word Short Story: *

Judi struggled with her own beliefs. She always felt that the universe would provide the abundance that she sought. Not just for her, but her family and her business too. She practiced positive thinking, meditated regularly and routinely helped others find their way. Although she felt blessed and empowered, something was missing. The answer was simple. She needed a push.

And more…

Being human doesn’t come with a handbook. There is no set of instructions folded neatly into our psyche when we arrive here. What we do get is a yearning to learn and an innate sense that everything is possible. This is built into our software and can be activated once we know what we want to be. Finding our purpose is the catalyst for all personal change and when we falter with our raison d’être we tend to struggle like Judi in our story. When this happens, we need to recalibrate, reset and realign our thinking with a new goal and destination.

This process requires a transformation and there are five aspects of change that will help us enable and reactivate the power we were given when we were born. They are:

  • Be open to anything. When we’re not open to the possibilities we stifle our own creativity and end up repeating old patterns.
  • Be willing. We can only find the current that will carry us to our new destination by jumping into its flow, making a splash.
  • Be focused. Navigating change means sticking with the dream even though the path may be unexpected or unclear. Think outside the GPS.
  • Be You. Everything we need to succeed we have. Look again within to uncover the special powers only you possess. They got you this far and still work.
  • Be Bold. The best of us is still unfolding. If we stop trying, everything stops. A bold mindset creates energy and activates good karma where opportunity, serendipity and good luck flourish.

Like Judi in our story, we sometimes need a push; a spark. It could come from someone we know, a book that we read, a song that we hear or a memory that reminds us just how special we are – You are.

The Final Thought: Activating positive change is as simple as changing our mind. And changing our mind begins when we open it to the possibilities.

* The Premise (Opening short story): Always 60 words. No more. No Less. 

 

The 1% Club

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The 1% Club

A Sixty-Word Short Story: *

Rick worked for a charity and was travelling with a number of colleagues on a European tour. They had limited resources with no options for getting any kind of upgrades on an airline flight. So, when Rick saw his seat assignment being 1-A, he bragged out loud about being in first class, not realizing it was a one class flight.

And more…

As Rick sat in the first row, the group of ministers passed by him and the head pastor, who had been listening to Rick boast about his first-class seat assignment all morning, hesitated where Rick was seated and quoted a bible verse from the Book of Proverbs – “Pride goes before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall.” I heard the pastor and busted out laughing, we all did. Admittedly, I think because the rest of the group were sitting in the back of the plane, there might have been a little jealously or perhaps a tinge of resentment listening to Rick. The reality, however, was quite vindicating.

I think it’s good when we experience life in a first-class way. We like the attention and the special treatment, and it can make one feel special. A serendipitous corollary to this is when we encounter good luck and find ourselves feeling blessed and fortunate because good things are happening. This is especially powerful when there is no effort expended yet good luck finds you anyway. This was the case this past weekend when my younger brother and his wife came to visit me.

On Friday we booked a whale watching excursion here off the coast of San Clemente, hoping to see some whales. Having been on this trip before, I told them they may not see any whales at all, but it’s very likely we could see a few dolphins. The weather was choppy making it difficult to spot any whale spouts and for over an hour we didn’t even see a single dolphin. Then suddenly the boat lurched forward, and the captain hit the gas. She had spotted a whale and would not let us be disappointed. What we witnessed up close was a Blue Whale, the largest animal on the planet. Their numbers are dwindling worldwide and seeing one in the wild is extremely rare. Only 1% of the world’s population has ever been lucky enough to see one. We did and it was spectacular, and we even got a special badge stating just that. As part of the 1% club, our good fortune continued all weekend.

When we feel gratitude or blessed, I think it sends a signal out to the universe that somehow, we’re ready to receive some good stuff. Beginning with the whale show, we found perfect parking spots, best view-of-the-ocean dinner tables, complimentary food and drinks, and the Trolly and Ubers showed up on demand. To quote actor Walter Brennen from his TV show Will Sonnett, the Fastest Gun in the West – “No brag, just fact.”

The Final Thought: How we see the world is through our own filter of expectations. Our mind’s eye can see what we seek and has the power to bring it into focus.