Wishful Thinking

I think that thinking about anything changes that thing. Our thoughts on whatever the subject might be, have an influence on it. Our thoughts surround the subject and somehow rearrange it. For example, this week I have a deadline of Tuesday for some research. I’m behind a bit and really wish I had a few more days and today I was granted a couple of days. Wishful thinking works.

We all have examples of things we think about or concentrate on that come to life. That’s because in the process of thinking we establish a focus and focus channels our thoughts not only on the subject but also on ourselves. Pondering is a way for us to extrapolate the best course of action or develop a better perspective in the process. In both cases we win. And that’s the point. Focus and perspective can form a belief. And a belief becomes our own powerful ambassador in opening our minds and options. We end up getting exactly what we believed we would.

This is powerful and we can apply it right now and to all of the “nows” to come. Belief is a force that even nature can’t ignore. So, believe in positive life changing outcomes and they will happen; believe that you’re stuck, and wishful thinking doesn’t work and that will happen too. It’s your choice. Make a wish.

Szenippet: Our minds create the outcomes in our life. What we see inside becomes a reality outside. What do you see?

Magic Making

Abracadabra

This is the time of the year when we list all of the things we resolve to change or do or create for ourselves. Then we get a magic wand (any brand will do) and wave it appropriately with our own special magic mantra and voila we’ve changed. We could perform this over and over as many of us do, until we almost believe that it will happen. So why don’t those things, that we so desperately want never arrive? I mean I really could lose the extra weight, get more sleep, read more, exercise etc. – All good stuff and for some reason they just don’t happen. The answer is that we’re not waving the magic wand right. It’s very clearly stated in the instruction manual that we must have faith and believe in our self in order to create what we seek.

Nothing happens until we see it in our mind first. That vision is a goalpost and sets the direction of our actions. And it’s those pesky actions that actually do all the work. Action creates energy and acts like a magnate for that which we desire. Even if we take itsy bitsy baby steps toward reaching our goals, we will feel the draw and soon, what we seek, will begin to move toward us. It’s a win win scenario, and all it takes is action. Not ordinary action like going through the motions, but real actions that we believe will bring our dream to life. Belief is the fuel that makes the action work, and it is embedded in each of us. It’s the creation tool that comes with us when we’re born, and we learn how it works through practice.

If you watch a baby or toddler build something or playing intently, you’re witnessing their practice time for building up their belief muscle. If they can see it, they can do it, or at least they will try. Of course, they get frustrated but that doesn’t stop the effort or the action. I like to believe that we still have that power, and it just needs to be energized with a new vision, destination, or resolution that through faith we can bring to life.

So, before you throw out the magic wand, try it again and this time try it with the faith that whatever you seek will manifest and proceed from there. Faith lessens the strain of work, and it builds confidence. It’s the human secret sauce for living the life of our dreams. Abracadabra. Poof! We’re almost there.

Szenippet: Anything we want, we see first in our mind. That mental picture represents the finished product, like we might see on the outside of a box of a do-it-yourself project. The instructions are inside and even though they may seem daunting we know we can make it happen.

Many Happy Returns

Getting a gift from a person you didn’t expect to, or a gift big- ger than the one you thought was appropriate or getting a gift you didn’t need or want at all, can be stressful and make you feel a little uncomfortable. This time of year, this happens a lot. It happens to you and it happens to the person that you just gave a gift to.

Knowing how to receive is as important as how to give. The way you take it, embrace it and acknowledge it is as meaningful as any gift you could ever give in return. The art of receiving is a gift unto itself. And in many cases, accepting a gift the right way is the very gift you give back to the giver.

Children don’t know the right or wrong way to accept a pres- ent, they simply react to it. Remember the innocence and won- der you felt as a child and how you loved the fact that you got everything that you told Santa you wanted. Or conversely how you’d scrunch your nose at the new clothes you always got from Grandma. Remember too, giving your hand-made “do-dad” to your Mom and how she beamed with delight and how you swelled with pride.

This Christmas think about how to receive as well as give. Be gracious. Be honest. Be happy. The look on your face, the twin- kle and spark from your eyes will say it all. People know when you don’t like what you got. They can tell by the shift in your aura. By the twitch in your smile. By the lack of eye contact.

Open up. Let people give. Let them be happy with what they wanted you to have. Let them feel that you care and appreci- ate the effort. Remember there is no gift that you will ever ever receive that has not been considered and thought about and maybe agonized about before its presentation. And for each of us that receive that extra special and thoughtful gift there is a gift giver that swells with pride with your reaction. Their gift is truly in the giving and that’s what makes them happy. So take it, don’t spoil their fun, and know that you are giving them the best gift of all, your gratitude.

Merry Christmas. May every gift you give be the right one.

A Playbook for Change   

Moving Toward a Path to Happiness

Albert Einstein tells us: “We can’t solve today’s problems at the same level of thinking as when we created them.” Hence, if we change our thinking we can solve our problems. But what if we didn’t create the problem to begin with? What if sinister cosmic forces thrust the problem on us and that’s what is making us unhappy?  What then? What can we do to keep on our path to finding and holding on to happiness? Well the first thing to do is to understand that solving problems or issues or circumstances are just a part of life. If we put our life’s journey toward happiness on hold to solve problems we’ll never get there.

In the book by Matthew Kelly entitled Perfectly Yourself, here’s what he says on the subject: “Unhappiness is the fruit of doing and saying things that contradict who we are and what we are here for. Unhappiness is not something that happens to us as if we’re poor little victims. Unhappiness is something we do to ourselves. You can choose to be happy – and never forget God wants you to be happy even more than you do yourself.” I suppose the next question we should ask is, even if we choose to be happy, what do we have to do to get to be happy? The answer of course, is it’s different for everybody.

It’s a combination of mindset, and faith that will propel us into the happiness zone. When we turn toward our own unique goals, the world will turn with us. It’s true that if we believe in where we are heading, the destination will move toward us too. Events, luck, serendipity will arrive on our journey to ensure we get to where we want to go. And consequently we get happy because happiness is the by-product of the journey, not the goal. The goal is to be the best version of ourselves and that’s what gives us confidence to continue to strive to improve. Eventually we get enthusiastic about our life and the outcomes we seek. Enthusiasm is confidence on steroids and as Ralph Waldo Emerson said: “Nothing great was ever accomplished without enthusiasm.” I agree.

Szenippet: Whatever we seek becomes easier to achieve when we continue to become better versions of ourselves. The more we grow, the more we know, and with knowledge comes the power to harness change on our behalf.

***************************

 Did You Hear That?

A Sixty-Word SZEN Story: *

John could not decide. He ran the numbers and weighed all of his options. Both offers were good, though one would force him to move his family. He looked around the house, the pictures of the kids, the marks on the wall measuring their growth, he took it all in and pondered what change would look like. Then he listened.

 And more…

 Throughout history the single driving force for all things to happen is the simple axiom that change is constant. We don’t live in the same way our ancestors did, nor do we think the same way. This is now and that was then. There is also another constant: That is our own internal barometer on what’s what. We have the software inside to imagine, reflect, and decide. We can determine the right and best path to follow.

In our story, John was reflecting on the “what if’s.” We’ve all been there and have had to make decisions that presented hope and growth but also fear of the unknown. How did we decide what’s best? We felt it. Our own internal, soul enriched and ever-ready visceral “gut” feeling is always there to help us. What it says is always the truth. And yet we sometimes miss the signal or ignore the voice. For this to work for us we have to nurture it and not bury it. Our intuition is a valid tool and all we have to do to get the most out of it, is to listen. Did you hear that?

Szenippet: We are wired for greatness. We have the gift of intuition – the internal software to guide us – and we can generate the will power to change our lives right now.

*Always 60 words. No more. No less.