Cultivating the Mind

What is the Secret to Happiness.

2012-01-20T15:02:00.001+11:00

Some people think they deserve happiness. Wrong. The secret to happiness is learning how to be happy with life.

Why do Teenagers Always Argue?

2012-01-19T12:35:00.001+11:00

Teenagers are at an age when they are learning to be independent. Feeling safe making mistakes is an integral part of trusting oneself.
Rebelling against authority is part of evolving into an individual person.

How can I become great?

2012-01-18T16:32:00.001+11:00

Everybody wants to know how to make greatness, but who is willing to do the work? Few are able to navigate the lonely path to the pinnacle, it takes much effort to change and improve.

If you want to become great at something you will need to think for yourself. Greatness by definition is rare; to get there you cannot follow another person. You will need to look insides yourself for the answers.

Great achievers ignore past failure. Instead they are motivated by a challenge, they seek out the opportunity try what others fear and see as too much work.

What is Success?

2011-11-26T09:21:00.000+11:00

All of my proudest moments have come from directing my time and effort into something.

Productive people successfully channel their time into a project. Success comes from the ability to defer pleasure. All effort comes with discomfort and even pain.

People often fail because they are over stimulated and unfocused. Be more productive, don’t sit and watch a screen all day, and don’t be on a treadmill going nowhere. Have an interesting life and leave your mark on the world.

Maximise your work by refining what you have done previously.

Why should I be Frugal?

2011-11-19T09:18:00.000+11:00

Frugal living isn't about deprivation. The aim is to live without waste. By not wasting what you have, you appreciate everything has a value, and are more likely to be satisfied with what you already have. The goal of frugal living is to reduce waste and see the value in things. A frugal mind travels lightly.

Frugal living means smarter spending. Frugal living means harnessing your creativity.

How to be Frugal

Ask what do I really need? Do I need a bed to sleep? Do I need a towel for the beach? What is luxury and what is necessity? How can I use what I already have?

food
shelter
health
An interest

Don't be Greedy

Greed is one of the seven deadly sins. Can you can see why? Greed never knows enough. Greed distorts how people think and only serves one person. Having enough reduces stress. It clears the mind to focus on life rather then never feeling satisfied. Simplicity, trains the mind to appreciate more, with less.

How do I Choose my Food

2011-11-07T15:35:00.001+11:00

Food is an essential part of life, it sustains our existence. Food is more then functional, it has become part of our culture and plays a big part in our social lives. Here I would like to examine the effect of food on our thinking or how our thinking effects our diet.

What motivates people to eat?

It must be more then hunger, because so many people are over weight.

Why does the brain/body trick people into over eating?

Why do I Eat the Wrong Food?

Recently I was in a popular food chain. While waiting in line, reading the menu I tried to decide what to eat; none of the food seemed appealing. I glanced at a picture on the wall of a meal that looked delicious, and looked back at the menu to see how much it cost. My eyes had activated some part of my senses and made me feel hungry.

I ordered the meal in the picture, and waited a minute or two for it to be prepared. It wasn’t long before I was sitting down ready to eat the meal. The food in front of me didn’t look at all like what I had ordered. I wasn’t surprised, I had eaten here enough times to know it wouldn’t.

So how did it taste? Did it taste the same as the food in the picture? One moment, is it possible for food to taste the same as it looks in a picture? I had chosen a meal on how it looked. My appetite was stimulated with my eyes. If that is true, then all the advertising with pictures of food might be triggering my hunger.

This moment triggered my exploration into what decides the food I eat. Why was I buying junk food? What is junk food? Looking at the queue of people lining up to buy a quick meal, others had made the same choice.

Food Selection

I realise queuing for food didn’t happen in nature. Lining up to choose a meal is a man made creation. Why hadn’t I chosen to eat healthy? How do people choose the food to eat? How should I choose my food?

Animals are born in the wild and know what to eat, it’s in their DNA. A lion doesn’t wonder the savannah grazing on vegetation, it is in their nature to hunt animals. Hunting for food is hard work, and dangerous. A lion isn’t going chase down food if it doesn’t need to. For many people, this natural process of selection isn’t what guides food selection. It is all to easy to consume the wrong foods and too much. A persons natural ability to follow their food instincts has been lost. That is why for this article I’ve not consulted other books. It’s an experiment to discover my own thoughts about food, to look inside myself and explore my relationship with food.

Food and Environment

The environment people live in plays a big part in food selection. Let’s look at a few examples.

In a thriving community their is plenty of food and a trip to the supermarket or local restaurant will is where most peoples food comes from.
In a war torn community, food will probably be scarce and people will eat what ever is available.

Think about it. If you were starving, their would be no need to consult a book to see if food was healthy. Any food would be better then none. Food selection is more of a problem when their is too much choice.

In an isolated community, people will eat what is available locally and doesn’t need to be imported.

I will examine the first scenario a little closer because I can draw from personal experience.

The Business of Food

A city provides food in unnatural ways. The ingredients need to come from far away, no one can source their food from the street as a hunter gatherer would have in the past.

Walking into a supermarket is designed to stimulate peoples appetite beyond their needs. As my mum would say “Peoples eyes are bigger then their stomach.” Modern food shopping is a low calorie method of gathering food, and makes it easy to over consume. People would eat less if it was more work to purchase foodstuffs.

A lot of the time we are eating food designed to meet a business model and not peoples health. Food chains design their menu around what people will buy, not people’s dietary needs. The food is compromised by business decisions. Business will say they are serving the customer. This is true, but somewhere along the way food stopped being about survival, and became a pass-time. There are many different reasons people choose the food they eat. I noticed watching ‘Little Big Chef’ many people choose their food out of habit. Health and nutrition are low on their priorities.

How do we Choose our Food?

How people select their food depends on their social group, and who they identify themselves with.

Italian food

French food

Asian food

Health food

Vegetarian

Family

Tv dinner

This is probably where the saying ‘You are what you eat!’ originates from. Peoples lifestyle has a strong influence on their diet. Economic circumstances also play a part, but less so in economically developed nations.

People aren’t willing to pay the price for what it costs to be nutritious. So the consumer isn’t choosing what is healthy, they are choosing what they can afford or what they have time for.

What is guiding your choice of food?

It was on special at the supermarket.
My best friend said it’s delicious.
The food is a delicacy in some far off place.

Conclusion

Don't take your food for granted it could be ruining your life.

What Can a Person Learn from Travelling?

2011-10-22T14:00:00.001+11:00

Why do people travel? What are people searching for when they travel? How does travel change a person’s thinking? What kind of travel changes a persons thinking?

When you travel to a foreign land where you can’t speak the language, you experience life like watching TV with the sound turned off. What people say doesn’t matter, instead you focus on what people do and what you need. You notice more how people behave and less what they say. Communication becomes about action and ignore meaningless speech.

Why do people want to visit a city? What makes a tourist attraction? What is the significance of traveling to a landmark?

I am on vacation in Europe, exploring how mindsets change with geography. Tradition is how a places people has learned to live together. Multicultural societies can cause friction when the people have strong traditions.

The world won’t change to fit the way I see the world, if something makes me unhappy I need to change how I see the world.

Part of the process for change is showing initiative. Initiative is a sign that you are in control.

Some cultures are more focused on conversation.

People who live in large cities live to a different beat then people who live in a small town. Why does activity increase in large cities? Why are people in a hurry? Are people who live in small cities more in time with nature? Does a shortage of time create stress?

Is Society in Harmony with Nature?

2011-10-16T12:18:00.001+11:00

Nature

A lion is a lion and knows how to be a lion, the lion doesn’t try to be an elephant.

People have a habit of thinking they are above nature, and ignore their instincts. Animals in the wild don’t have this problem, they live in an ecosystem; everything has its place and lives in balance.

People try to change nature and be something they’re not. It is east to forget people are part of the environment when living in a city. Ignoring we are part of a system can cause problems.

Society has created expanding list of mental problems. Mental illness can arise from an artificial life. When society ignores the natural laws, people suffer.

Nature Deficit Disorder

The laws of nature are part of life. We are part of the environment. The mind cannot think independently of mother earth, the mind is part of a system; everything is connected. The environment has a pull on us, and we a pull on it.

Humans have the power to appreciate or destroy the environment, for nature to survive harmony is needed.

Is Society in Time with Nature?

2011-10-08T10:20:00.001+11:00

Are we in Sync?

The day is divided into daylight hours and night hours. What do we need daylight for? Nature has its own clock, do you pay attention to it? Do you pay attention to natures timing, like the seasons? People have forgotten the natural rhythms of life. Modern society is paying less and less attention to the seasons. Are people better off? Could life improve by paying more attention to the earths clock?

Think of the world and all it’s plants, how do they mature and what is their purpose? Different plants reach their beauty at different times or seasons. A tree is beautiful even after death, it is used to build houses and furnish dwellings. Is their purpose to a tree’s life? Humans have the power to appreciate or destroy nature. For nature to survive harmony is needed.

You must turn outward and become a keen observer of all that is around you. You are doing battle against all the fantasies that are thrown at you. You are tightening your connection to the environment. You want clarity, not escape and confusion. -The 50th Law, by 50 Cent, Robert Greene

Introduction to Cultivating the Mind

2011-10-01T12:44:00.000+10:00

I’m a wanna be philosopher, and I have a passion for asking questions; questions that grow from deep thought. Cultivating the Mind sprouted from the fertile soil of curiosity. Let me explain.

What is the Philosophy of Cultivating the Mind

Every thought seed sown or allowed to fall into the mind, and to take root there, produces its own, blossoming sooner or later into act, and bearing its own fruitage of opportunity and circumstance. Good thoughts bear good fruit, bad thoughts bad fruit. - As A Man Thinketh by James Allen

The name ‘Cultivating the Mind’ derives from believing 'the mind is a garden where seeds of thought grow', and ‘cultivating’ alludes to the minds need for care and attention, to grow productively. While an 'uncultivated mind' is left to grow wild and without care, allowing an abundance of useless thoughts; weeds to grow.

Weed out Bad Thought

Bad ideas are distractions that infest the mind like weeds. Just as a gardener cultivates his plot, keeping it free from weeds, a person must tend to their mind, weeding out all the wrong, useless, and impure thoughts.

Your going to reap, just what you sow. - Perfect Day, Lou Reed.

How to Grow a Healthy Mind

For a healthy seed of thought to grow it needs to be nourished. Curiosity is the fertile soil in which an idea can take root.
A good seed of thought begins with a good question, making the mind curious and productive, while bad questions make a person worry and nervous.

Questions plant the seed of an idea that grows into a persons life.

Hard Questions about Patriotism

2011-09-24T11:16:00.000+10:00

How do people connect with their country? Does geography change the way people think? Does patriotism create monocultures? Are monocultures good? Do monocultures stifle creativity? Are successful cities diverse or traditional?
Do I belong to a country? Should I fight for my country or for my beliefs? Which is more important? If people didn't belong to a country would there be wars? If people belong to a country, to whom does the country belong? Do people get treated differently, depending on the country they were born in?Who has the power to make rules for a country? Do people fight for their country or their beliefs? People need a place to live.
Related Posts
Patriotic Duty
What Makes a Criminal?

What is Psycho-Cybernetics?

2011-09-16T10:32:00.000+10:00

Psycho-Cybernetics might sound complicated, but it is based on the simple principle of substituting negative thinking with encouraging and strengthening thoughts to build confidence. To sum up Psycho-Cybernetics in one sentence:

“How you think makes ALL the difference.”

Psycho-Cybernetics was started by cosmetic surgeon Dr. Maxwell Maltz.

What does Pscycho-Cybernetics mean?

The term psycho refers to the mind and cybernetics refers to a self regulating feedback system (e.g like a thermostat). Psycho-Cybernetics explains the mechanisms used to create a positive self image.

How to Change
Dr Maltz was a plastic surgeon. He noticed some of his patients after surgery suffered from low self-esteem. These patients had emotional scars from their past, leading to an inaccurate self-image. The old self image they had would sabotage their attempt to change. Dr. Maltz saw the unhappy behaviour as the result of negative self feedback. The negative feedback came from focusing on an old memory, rather then focusing on the corrective action.

The solution was to create an accurate and positive view of themselves.

He theorised that everyone has an Automatic-Success Mechanism, a natural ability to achieve goals. Generally when people lack confidence it is caused by paying too much attention to the past. To activate the automatic-success mechanism the person would vividly visualise a successful future and encouraging future.

For example, when a guided missile is fired, it will correct its course by focusing on the target. People can also correct their behaviour by focusing on their goals, and not looking for solutions in their past.

Dr. Maltz found he could improve a persons confidence by helping the individual create a positive and accurate mental image of themselves. The process is referred to as theatre of the mind, or synthetic experience. In an example of how it works, Dr. Maltz had three teams of basketball players, train in three different ways:

One team practices making free throws.
The second team doesn't practice.
The third team sits on a bench and mentally practices making free throws.

When the three teams are tested, the team that practiced out-scored the team that didn't practice. However, the team that mentally practiced performs nearly as well as the team that actually practiced.

Setting Goals
To program your Automatic Success Mechanism, set your goals in a clear, precise and detailed manner. Have a sense of direction. You don't need to know how to get there - you just have to be clear about your intended destination.

Related Links
Interview with Dr. Maxwell Maltz(Psycho Cybernetics) - youtube video
The Seven Books That Changed My Life - Part 4 of 7 - youtube video

How to Discover Who You Are?

2011-09-02T11:44:00.000+10:00

photo by Sebastian Laube

The life you live is a reflection of who you think, you are.

Does your work reflect what you care about?
Do your words communicates your love?
Does your effort reflect your ambition?

Take time to look at your life and see what it is telling you. I am not saying there is a problem in your life. I am not saying to look for problems in your life. I am just saying look and see what your life looks like to other people. Then compare your personal view with the view other people see.

Related Post

What is Psycho-Cybernetics?

Should I Say No?

2011-08-27T12:53:00.001+10:00

Many people think 'no' is a bad word, that it is a form of rejection. Lets have a look at why this attitude is wrong.

Answering ‘no’ can be positive, when it is used to take control of your life. Because until you say ‘no’, your life will always be swayed by others.

To say 'yes' to everything has a high price; you loose control and become a slave to other peoples desire.

In a world of unlimited choices ‘no’ is the most powerful word you have. Saying ‘No’ is not negative: it is seeing all the options and making a choice. Saying 'no' is deciding what is valuable. Everything isn't worth saying 'yes' to.

What do you think? Is saying 'no' wrong, or does it give you more control?

Related Posts

What is the Best Way to Say 'No'?

How can I Improve?

2011-08-21T17:01:00.001+10:00

This post is an edited version of a guest post I wrote on Armen’s blog Timeless Information.

Turn Ideas into Action

More often than not our jobs are something that we endure; we live for our time off and dream of the future. -The 50th Law (Robert Greene and 50 Cent)

Recently the lottery had jack potted to a ridiculous amount, and every one at work were talking and dreaming about winning.
It started me thinking about peoples dreams and aspirations. Many people dream of a better life, and dream of winning the lottery so they can spend all their time lounging around and being on permanent vacation. Could the dream of winning the lottery be limiting people from creating their own success?
A person's life depends on action; if you are not working at improving your situation, how can life improve? I imagine if your reading this you might be looking for inspiration. I believe success is 80% inspiration 20% hard work. Inspiration is the motivation for hard work, everything else is a distraction.
Where does inspiration come from?

Know Your Future

Every child grows up with a dream for their future. A child’s dream is built around everything important to the child. -The 50th Law (Robert Greene and 50 Cent)

That dream you had as a child doesn’t disappear, it is worn away by life’s distractions.

We lose sight of our objectives and end up following some detour. This is the source of so many of the failures in our lives. -The 50th Law (Robert Greene and 50 Cent)

Shit happens, Dreams are Made

Dreams don’t just happen, for a dream to come true it needs to be worked on. Dreams come true when the dreamer is willing to do the hard work. As hard as the work might be, it is a small price compared to the reward of making a dream come true. Reading Paulo Coelho’s ‘The Alchemist’ I learned life is a journey of transformation and dreams need to be worked on. Only those dedicated to their vision are rewarded.

Remember that wherever your heart is, there you will find your treasure. You’ve got to find the treasure, so that everything you have learned along the way can make sense. -The Alchemist, Paulo Coelho

With a strong heart and by creating true love we learn to accept all the hardships in our life. Love is the deep meaning in our life that carries us forward.
All the while it is important to live in the present moment. Remembering, what is done now decides the future.

A Clear Mind is a Disciplined Mind

Don’t just have a dream, turn your vision into action. Clear thinking plans the details and takes the action necessary for making dreams come true.

From this knowledge, you shape the project itself, grounding it in reality rather than in airy concepts in your head. Operating this way helps you slow your mind down and develop patience for detailed work, an essential skill for mastering any craft. -The 50th Law (Robert Greene and 50 Cent)

To think clearly requires discipline. Discipline gives the individual power to control one’s thoughts and actions. A disciplined mind is predictable. The mind isn’t in constant flux. You need faith in yourself and ability.
True meaning in your life doesn’t change with the weather, but is a guiding star to plan your life by.

We are not engaged in the daily activity of the job with our full mental powers because it is not as exciting as life outside work. We develop less and less tolerance for dull moments and repetitive activity. -The 50th Law (Robert Greene and 50 Cent)

Discipline

There are two kinds of discipline, self discipline and enforced discipline:

Enforced discipline puts a price on certain actions. E.g If I don’t do this, something bad will happen.
Self discipline sees the value of correct action. E.g If I do this, I will be rewarded.

The fearless types in history inevitably display in their lives a higher tolerance than most of us for repetitive, boring tasks. This allows them to excel in their field and master their craft. -The 50th Law (Robert Greene and 50 Cent)

Many people get trapped by planning their life around enforced discipline.

Plan Your Day

Clear thinking plans the details necessary for completing a goal, and is prepared for the future. Everything needs to happen at the right moment; there needs to be consistent effort. Un-realised dreams are the result of poor planning.
Break down a big project into bite size steps.

Remember: anything will give way to a sustained, persistent attack on your part. -The 50th Law (Robert Greene and 50 Cent)

Don’t let life pass you by. Be prepared. Everything doesn’t happen all at once.

You cannot persist on two or three paths, so avoid that temptation. -The 50th Law (Robert Greene and 50 Cent)

We want to achieve many things in life, but isn’t meant to be easy. Each achievement needs to be worked on, and executed at the right moment. It is important to plan your day to be in harmony with life. Success isn't random. It comes from a vision and working on the details necessary for completing a goal (make a dream real).
Unfinished dreams are the result of poor planning. Allow each moment to shine a light on what is important and needs to be done.
Tasks that don’t get completed are -not relevant. -are too complicated and need to be broken down into action steps. -out of date. -rescheduled
Remember sacrifice is the price of success.
Clear thinking programs your brain to focus on the present moment. Clear thinking programs your brain to execute what you learn.

Sweet Dreams

Your life is right here, right now. Your future is decided by what you choose to do. Society and the future of civilisation is in your hands.

Greatness consists not in the holding of some future office, but really consists in doing great deeds with little means and the accomplishment of vast purposes from the private ranks of life. To be great at all one must be great here, now, in Philadelphia. He who can give to this city better streets and better sidewalks, better schools and more colleges, more happiness and more civilisation, more of God, he will be great anywhere. -Acres of Diamonds (Russell H. Conwell)

Blind Faith

2011-06-23T10:49:00.002+10:00

The blind man has faith. He believes that his thoughts reflect the world. In a way I think everyone is blind. How long did people believe the world was flat? People lived their lives believing they could fall off the edge of the world, blind to the fact the world was round.
With each new discovery we have the chance to see more, to see better. But when you are blind, chances are you will be cautious to go where you haven’t been before? The mirror tricks us into believing we can see who we are, when all it is doing is reflecting light. A person’s power lies in being in control over their own thoughts

.

Patriotic Duty

2011-06-23T10:47:00.001+10:00

We have it drummed in our heads that we belong to our country and it is wrong to disagree with the government, we must fight for them and follow their rules/laws. It's unpatriotic if we don't.
An idea is good or bad on it's own merit, patriotism shouldn't be a consideration. Government has us believing that we must vote on the choices they offer, but what if we want to make our own choice, can we? What is the penalty for making our own choice?
When you reflect on some of the most unjust acts in history, people were be patriotic; to better the country. Unfortunately patriotism can stop people from thinking for themselves.
What happens to a nation when the people stop thinking as an individual?
We may think it is unjust for one man to kill another, but why does a government see it fair to kill in the name of a country. In the jungle the strong rule by their own hand, not because other animals will do their dirty deeds.
Have you ever heard the government say, "It is our patriotic duty to..."
It might sound like I'm an anarchist, well I'm not. I do believe in harmony. I just feel that the world has too much politics.
How can a government be trusted if it lies to the people?
In my opinion patriotism, is just another form of prejudice.
Related Posts
What makes a criminal?

The Origin of Cultivating the Mind.

2011-06-22T11:40:00.001+10:00

Why do I write?

My writing has grown from a hard period in my life. It started during the last three years of high school. School in general was difficult for me. Socially I didn’t know how to relate with classmates. I can remember feeling numb, even dumb. To deal with the hard times I became very self absorbed and withdrew into myself. Writing was a reflection of my thoughts. See my life in words on a page help put my life in perspective.

My current outlook is optimistic.

Sometimes people lives are a snapshot from the past. They live on a good memory from the past. Failing to see the world has changed.

In the past I withdrew because I was unable to deal with my emotions or with other peoples emotional response. It took me a long time to realise my problems came from an ineffective view of the world. I was trapped with a child’s view of the world. [What am I here for?]

Now I have learned life is a mission to connect with people; a desire to communicate. [A Seed of Thought]

I am trying to write for other people and be less self absorbed. This means interacting and being social. It isn’t always easy, but it is worth the effort because nothing is better then being surrounded by good people - friends and family.

Related Posts

Seeds of thought

2011-06-07T13:02:00.001+10:00

Think of yourself as part of nature and your thoughts as seeds that grow into world. With communication your ideas touch other peoples thoughts. Like bees in a garden, conversation is used to pollinate ideas; so thoughts can grow and blossom into a fruitful, productive action.

A seed of thought grows into fruit/action when it is shared with the world.

If you sow love, love will grow.

What seeds of thought are you growing?

How Can I Change?

2011-05-11T09:51:00.001+10:00

I have often wanted to change my life, thinking the grass was greener in other pastures. Lately I have noticed there are two kinds of change:

Trying to be something I’m not.
Improving who I already am.

The problem with wanting to change your life, is you are approaching the task from the wrong angle.
The aim shouldn’t be to change; you are what you are. Instead your goal is to be the best version of yourself. The goal is to unravel the person you are and become better at being you. Blossom, let your natural self show through.
What is in your nature?
Think of it like this, your life is a progression through locked doors. The only doors you can pass through are the doors you have the keys to. Their is no way through a door without a key.

The Noise in your Head

Are the neurones in your mind firing, making you exited or is there just noise; a lot of things happening but nothing that can hold your attention. The noise is a distraction, it is stopping you from hearing your natural voice. Learn to quieten the noise.

Soldiers of Evil

2011-04-09T11:45:00.000+10:00

Are you a hand for peace or a soldier for evil?

photo by Denise Docherty

How to Overcome Fear?

2011-03-28T11:03:00.001+11:00

What is fear? How do we remove fear?

Yes. A Jedi's strength flows from the Force. But beware the dark side. Anger, fear, aggression. The dark side of the Force are they. Easily they flow, quick to join you in a fight. If once you start down the dark path, forever will it dominate your destiny. Consume you it will, as it did Obi-Wan's apprentice. ―Yoda to Luke

It is hard to understand the nature of fear by looking at oneself. It is better to step away from the topic and look at fear from a distance. For my example I will use the movie Empire Strikes Back. This movie is full of stories about fear, one part especially captures the nature of fear. Let's examine this moment, and see fear through the eyes of Luke Skywalker. When Luke was learning from master Yoda on a faraway planet (leaving home) there was a cave (dark, hidden and unknown) that Luke would occasionally pass. The cave was haunted and it frightened Luke. Yoda noticed Luke's fear of the cave. When Luke wanted to leave and rescue his friends, Yoda convinced young Luke to enter the cave he feared. All of Yoda's training was, in a way was preparing Luke to face his fear of the cave.

What was so scary about the cave?

Luke wasn't sure why he feared the cave, he just sensed danger.

Why did Yoda want Luke to enter the cave?

Yoda new that Luke didn't fear what was in the cave, Luke feared what might be hiding inside. Entering the dark cave Luke could hear strange noises, clearly Luke was afraid. He sensed the cave was haunted. Even after all of Luke's training to be a Jedi he still feared the cave and its hidden secrets.

What awaited him in the cave?
Why did Yoda ask Luke to leave his light sabre?

Fear and danger are often confused as the same thing, or at least we treat them the same. We don't notice that fear is a creation of the mind (like so much of our life). Fear doesn't exist if we don't let fear into our thoughts.
Yoda asked Luke to leave his light sabre behind because Yoda new the cave was safe and didn't hold any danger to Luke. Yoda wanted Luke to face his fear and realise his fear was only a creation of his mind.

Feelings

Fear is a creation of the mind, but not from our thoughts, fear is born from our feelings. Feelings are a primitive way of thinking, feelings happen without thinking. All fear is connected to the feeling of dying, and is why fear invokes our fight or flight response, our primitive brain tells us our thought is dangerous, and we might die.
A big step in self mastery is the ability to control our feeling of fear. First we need to realise fear is not real or permanent it is a feeling. Fear grows from the bad feelings arising from our thoughts. Emotions are linked to our feelings of pleasure and pain. Fear is strong feeling associated with danger and pain.
Back to Luke Skywalker. When Luke entered the cave, Yoda wanted to expose Luke to his fear of nothing, the cave wasn't dangerous or haunted. Luke had only projected his fear into the cave, his fear lived and thrived in darkness.
Probably every self help book ever written has been about overcoming fear.

... you can’t predict the future. All situations are far more complex than you can possibly calculate, and fear has a way of completely screwing with your higher faculties. Whatever horrible moments you’re afraid of, they cannot match the way the situation is actually going to go down. - David, Raptitude.com

Fear

Fear seems real because it manifests itself in our emotions. Emotions are a primitive part of the brain that overrides our higher faculties. It takes practice to see past our emotions and observe the true nature of our circumstance.

In fact, it’s always a feeling. All we want in life and all we fear in life are feelings. Everything you have ever wanted: toys, candy, sex, money, love, letters in the mail, friendship, a clean kitchen — what you really wanted was the feeling they give you. (feelings)
Just the same, everything you have ever feared: embarrassment, failure, poverty, rejection, losing your job, getting sick or injured — it’s not the situations that are fearsome, but the awful feelings you expect them to give you. -David, Raptitude.com
How can you remove the fear?

The truth is everyone has a natural fear of the unknown, but some people will challenge their fear. Brave people have learned from experience that fear is mostly a imagined and not a true reflection of the danger. For example many people are scared to walk up to a stranger and ask them out on a date. Why? Is it dangerous? Are they really better off not asking? There is a lot to gain from confronting your fear, and much less to loose.
One of the ways we learn to live, is to learn how to die. What does this mean? Well, the ultimate fear, is the fear of dying. If you can accept your death, all your fears will diminish in size. I believe this is one reason why people are attracted to dangerous sports, but this can be a distraction from facing the deeper fears, social fear, the fear of not being accepted and being alone. Learning how to die teaches us to the meaning of life, what do I want to experience before I die? How do I want people to remember me?
How is your fear similar to Luke's? Is the fear born from the unknown or is it real? What does real fear look like? Why is fear good for you? Think, how can I use fear to make me better? What is on the other side of fear? What removes fear? Have you ever overcome a fear? Was the fear real? Did the fear need to exist? Was life better with or without fear?
The benefit that comes with facing fear.

Bravery

On the flip side of fear is bravery. A person cannot be brave without first knowing fear, and to the person who conquers their fear comes power.

What is a Productive Life?

2011-02-02T10:48:00.002+11:00

By Bilboq, via Wikimedia Commons

A Productive Life

You hear about productivity in the workplace all the time, but how does it apply to peoples personal life? Personal productivity can be best described as making dreams come true; being productive is about creating desirable change.

What is it that you really want to do?
What gives you a rush of happiness every single time?
What do you sorely miss when you stop doing it?

To answer the big question, it is helpful to tune out the world for 15 minutes a day and listen to your heart. Listen to yours and yours alone. What makes you happy?

Productive Change

The researchers found that the contrast technique was the most effective in encouraging people to make plans of action and in taking responsibility but only when expectations of success were high. When expectations of solving their interpersonal problem were low, those in the mental contrast condition made fewer plans and took less responsibility. Jeremy Dean- PsyBlog

It isn’t enough to dream, the dreams. The change needs to be grounded in reality. Compare your life, with where it is now and how it will change with your dream. Visualise how the dream will fit in your life, good and bad. Ask yourself:

What needs to be done?
How will it change my life for the better?
How will it complicate my life?
What am I willing to sacrifice?

Everything in life is a reflection of the mind. When you develop the mind you change the lens through which you see the world. Movies are filmed with a variety of lenses, each lens offers a different perspective. When looking at life see the world through the eyes of a movie director and make it interesting; choose the lens and angle that makes the world mesmerising.
Nothing in life is permanent, everything changes; being productive is about creating desirable change.

Workflow

Dreams don't come to life on their own. To be productive means working on your dream. This means time needs to be set aside to make the dream real.
A good workflow removes distraction to re-focus effort on what needs to be done; to make the wish come true. At each moment be aware of exactly what needs doing and why. Keep it simple. Remove distractions. Distractions destroy creation. Keep your vision firmly in your mind. Ask, how is what I do today helping my future?

Conclusion

To be productive you need to be aware that time is a limited resource. In advertising you often hear the line, “For a limited time only.” Guess what? Life is short, time is limited. Use it or lose it.

Money Make the World Turn

2010-12-23T11:48:00.008+11:00

Image by epSos.de via Flickr

I am learning that a lot of self improvement is linked to the perception of money. I used to think money was not important for happiness. Personal experience has changed my opinion, I have learnt that money is a tool for defining value. In a manner of speaking it is a score card. A good life pursues lasting value. Money is a guide for value. The value isn't set by the price, value is set by the price people are willing to pay. Money is also a guide to the social value you have created.

The difference between money and value is personal. Personal value is linked to the individual, while money has social value.

Maybe you were like me and you thought the desire for money made you greedy; the desire to create wealth was selfish. You may believe the pursuit of wealth prevents you from appreciating what you have. I don't believe this is true if money is only used as a tool for exchanging value for value. In it's purest sense when you create money i.e earn money it is done by creating a service or product with something of value. Many wealthy people are careful in how they spend. Money is a tool, it isn't an emotion or a feeling, it isn't a character flaw.

Value is Derived from Effort

Do people appreciate the value if they haven't exchanged effort for effort? How do I create or earn money? How do I create value?

effort * value = money

demand/scarcity = value

effort * (demand/scarcity) = money

If money is the reward for people who create value, should anything be free. Is it fair to ask someone to work hard to create something, and then give it away for free? If it is given away for free do people value it? When a fisherman gives something away for free, it is bait on a hook. Generally speaking free should ring alarm bells.

Easy Money
Do you want to win the lottery so you can spend all your time lounging around and be on permanent vacation? Do the goals and dreams you make depend on you and your actions? Is the dream of winning the lottery limiting you from creating your own future, your own success? If you are not working at improving your situation how can life improve?

Capitalism
The best part of capitalism is it is a natural way to do business. To trade value for value. The flaw in the system is it favours those who have wealth and power. Loans try to bridge the gap between those that don't have and those that do.

Conclusion
People associate wealth with greed. But what we want is not other peoples money, we want a good life for ourselves. See other peoples success as hope for yourself. Shouldn't people who create value be rewarded? The wealthy man spends his money and rewards other people who create value, and that is how the economy works; we hope. People who create value are rewarded and the money earned by creating value can be used to pay other people who have created value.
The problem is when wealth gives an individual a disproportionate amount of power. How can we separate wealth from power?

Related Reading
Bad Stuff Happens, Dreams Are Made [Timeless Information]

The Credit Crisis in Simple Words, Part 1 [ Cultivating the Mind ]

The Credit Crisis in Simple Words, Part 2 [ Cultivating the Mind ]

Questions about the Credit Crisis [ Cultivating the Mind ]

Does God Exist?

2010-12-15T20:16:00.002+11:00

Image via Wikipedia

I haven't always believed in God, there was a time when I was an atheist. I thought believing in God was backwards and old fashioned. Now, I am more inclined to think God exists. The belief isn't born from logic, the belief rises from another form of reasoning. Let me explain.

Logic is suitable for science, but not so good at explaining humanity and all the feelings that make us human.

Alternatively, not believing in god makes about as much sense as not believing in science, everything continues to work, even without believing. But, what changes when you do believe? Your mind becomes open to possibility and you observe more.

It is much more functional to accept the divine possibility. That way, the fight between religion and science ends peacefully as both sides coexist. Science and religion are not opposites, rather the ideas are born from different seeds of thought. It's best to move away from both religious and atheist fanaticism, it's pointless. In this essay I will try to help non believers consider the possibility of God.

Firstly let me disclose the origins of my beliefs. I've never had a divine experience, nor am I religious, but I was educated in the catholic school system. Despite my education, for a long time I considered myself an atheist. That changed when I started to look into why people believe in a greater power. Now I don't say no, instead I explore the possibility.

Finding a place for God
Believing in God has helped broaden my mind. I find their is a benefit from having a plural view on life, not just the scientific perspective. Science tackles the world from the view that each piece of the puzzle must be put together. Religion lets us believe in the complete puzzles meaning; what is best described as faith.
Suspend your disbelief for a moment, and explore a new perspective. Think of God as a figment of the mind, who exists in thought. Isn't the mind a world of it's own? Isn't it possible that God is manifested in thought?

What is thought?
Good thoughts can bring people together to act as one and thoughts have an effect the physical world. Through the existence of god in thought could it be possible to manifest his being into the physical world through social expression, a group of people acting as one, in the name of God.

God could explain why people don't have complete power over thought. His spirit may live in the same place creative expression is born. God could be the social conscience, the voice we hear when seeing other people suffer or an animal in pain.

Conclusion
Who am I to say what is and what isn't? I'm little compared to the universe. Maybe a good education is reason not believe in God, having said that I personally believe in the possibility. How can I expand my mind if I limit the possibilities outside my understanding?

Do you believe in a God? Let me know in the comments, even if it is just a yes or no.

Related Posts

The Source of Faith

Related Links
Charter for Compassion

Hallucination, Virtual Reality, and Reality

Over stimulated and unfocused

2010-12-02T20:07:00.000+11:00

It is easy to become distracted by all the information.

Re-focus
Be more productive, don't sit and watch a screen all day. At the same time don't be on a treadmill going no where. Strive for an interesting life. Leave your mark on the world. Maximise your work by refining what you have done previously.

The Big Question

2010-11-25T13:10:00.001+11:00

"Once you’ve established what your passion is, you’ll find it difficult not using that as a source of inspiration for everything else you accomplish." - Shawn Blanc

It has been a while since I have written. I have been thinking; if I were to change my life, how would I make it better?

Questions about Government

2010-10-13T13:23:00.002+11:00

I have been thinking about governments, especially about the decision making process. What I have been noticing is so much of our society is at the mercy of a select number of people; people in power. Is this good for society?
Questions about Government
What if we had people vote on policies and not leaders?
What would a true democracy look like? Where individuals have a say in determining decisions and not just the leaders. What happens when there is a 50/50 split? How can there be two solutions? At school we were taught to give the correct answer. Could their be more then one right answer?
The wealthy tend to be liberals and want to reduce the number of laws. The poor tend to be socialist and want government to improve equality. It would be fair to assume both are looking after their personal interests. Which is the better form of government? Maybe both working hand in hand? Are governments building trust? What is the objective of government? Should government meet the needs of the people? Which people? Can the government meet the needs of everyone? Or the majority, the powerful, the wise? Is government always a compromise?
Should I be working for more money or on improving the world? When I earn more money am I doing more good? How can money, value and doing good become synonyms?
What is the function of sport socially? Is it a benefit to society? Why do political parties have team colours? Should I be voting for my team or the best policies?
There is a relationship between morale and workplace accidents/sick leave. Does this apply also to the health of a society?
Conclusion
Governments are under a lot of pressure to satisfy many different needs, their needs to be room for diversity. Progressive societies move away from central governments. Too much power in one person/group corrupts a society.
Related Ideas
Collaboration

The Four Seasons of Nature

2010-10-07T20:04:00.003+11:00

To put this post into context, it might help to know I've been working a lot in the garden lately, and I am seeing the world through different eyes.

Nature works in harmony with the four seasons. The humans try to control its environment and be the master (this was the message I got from the movie Avatar). The mind sees it as a challenge to change nature and be its master. It is never content to leave things as they are.

Reading Walden's Pond by Henry David Thoreau has helped give me another perspective on the world. Thoreau clearly has thought long and deeply about the nature of things. People often see themselves as above nature, Thoreau believed life was better when we lived as part of nature. Too often people get caught up in the drama of life, and forget what is important. When removed from modern society, the most important part of life is survival. No longer can the mind get caught up in the turmoil of emotions at the expense of higher needs such as water, food and shelter.

Modern society makes us dependant on others, we loose sense of our own power to survive as a part of nature. In a city nature is hidden, people live in a man made world. We cannot grow our own food or hunt for it, we need to get a job so we can buy it from others, the natural environment is forgotten. A closer connection with nature could be created by introducing nature into cities with more parks and more plants and animals.

Questions

Are we paying attention to the natural world?

Do we notice the changing weather?

Has human invention forgotten our connection to nature?

Quotes

Haste makes waste, no less in life than in housekeeping. Keep the time, observe the hours of the universe, not of the cars. -Henry David Thoreau

A truly good book teaches me better than to read it. I must soon lay it down, and commence living on its hint. What I began by reading, I must finish by acting. -Henry David Thoreau

Aim above morality. Be not simply good, be good for something. -Henry David Thoreau

The Benefits of Collaboration

2010-09-30T11:36:00.002+10:00

No idea is born from itself, everything has an origin that is connected to something else. Trying to live in isolation doesn't work. It is better to learn how to live in harmony and connecting with more people.
Chris Anderson: How web video powers global innovation. (18m53s) Chris Anderson
Chris Anderson speaks about Crowd Accelerated Innovation at the TED conference. In this video, Chris clearly demonstrates how influential ideas can spread through the internet.
Now that more people are connecting through the internet, ideas are spreading faster, and people no longer need to be force fed information by big media. People are forming communities around ideas and beliefs, connecting from person to person; not from the top down.
More and more celebrities will emerge from the internet.
Where good ideas come from (4m07s) by Steven Johnson
In this video Steven gives a persuasive argument that the missing piece that will solve our problem lies outside ourself, and the best solutions come from connecting with other people.

Self Confidence

2010-09-26T09:29:00.000+10:00

When a person is socially awkward they can feel as if the problem is genetic, the problem is in their DNA. This is far from the truth. Most social problems stem from the person's beliefs. If you don't believe in your own personal value, it will manifest in you life, and leave one feeling hopeless.
Getting out among people and engaging in conversation is the best solution. This can appear scary, but there is no painless solution. Personal fears need to be challenged.

Self help books are very much about cultivating a positive attitude in the reader. The danger is the reader may perceive the author as the source of hope, and not see the power lies within.

Bellow I have listed some of the books that have played a part in cultivating a positive thoughts in my life. I would be very interested in hearing about books or people who have helped you see the world is often a reflection of your thoughts.

Seeds of Hope
If your thinking is making you miserable because you can't see any good, here are some books that have helped me see the world in a better light.

The Magic of Thinking Big, is a great book for inspiring confident thinking strategies. People with a confident attitude think differently to those who lack confidence.

Avoid believing things are better than they really are when you are on a peak, or worse than they really are when you are in a valley. Make reality your friend. - Peaks and Valley by Spencer Johnson, M.D

Peaks and Valleys, show us that life is full of good times and bad times. When times are hard we need to focus on where we want our life to be. Our thoughts in the present play a big part in what we can expect from our future.

Psycho-cybernetics, by Maxwell Maltz can help the reader see how thoughts affects a persons self-image.

Life is not primarily a quest for pleasure, as Freud believed, or a quest for power, as Alfred Adler taught, but a quest for meaning. The greatest task for any person is to find meaning in his or her life. Frankl saw three possible sources for meaning: in work (doing something significant), in love (caring for another person), and in courage during difficult times. - Man's Search for Meaning, Victor Frankl.

Man's Search for Meaning, Victor Frankl was a psychologist who spent time in a concentration camp. While their, he learned a lot about how people endure difficult times. In this book he show how a person's ability to survive is linked to the meaning in their life

Learning about Advertising

2010-08-31T11:31:00.003+10:00

Not all advertising is about convincing people to buy, instead the focus is on owning a part of your mind. Example: Coke want you to think of them when buying a drink, they own the part of the mind associated with drink. Coke do their best to keep the product in your thoughts. To do this they place the product in fun environments. The idea is based on the same idea used in word associations. The next time you consider buying something ask yourself why this one? Is it really better, or just disguised in advertising?

How would you like to be informed about products?
Where do you get your information for deciding what is best for you?
How much of our life is free will?
What are the factors that effect our thoughts?

Advertising tries to influence us by planting the seed of an idea and making it grow in our thoughts. Inception; the start of a new idea.

Advertising is big because of the influence it has on our thoughts. Media companies distribute advertising and are a source of information. What effect does adverting have on society?

Distracted

2010-08-26T20:17:00.000+10:00

Distracted

I have an addiction to ideas. I collect them on scraps of paper. Most people would file it away in their heads and use it where appropriate. All of my notes are a jumble of ideas. Those pieces of paper are a distraction.

How do I develop constructive thoughts from those pieces of paper?

Every now and then I have to stop and assess what I am writing and ask am I focused on writing a useful or interesting thought? I need to write a clear message with purpose. Is there any other point for writing? Clarity, brevity and purpose are key to productive ideas.

Education

2010-08-26T19:52:00.008+10:00

Putting thoughts into words is an important process for developing an idea; words are use to connect separate ideas into a coherent thought.

Elizabeth Spelke weighs in with research from her baby lab--which suggests a child's brain begins as a series of islands, until it can find the right words and phrases to bridge the gaps. -Via WNYC's Radiolab: Words

Education is the biggest influence on life. It shapes our thinking. Luckily the brain is plastic and can be reshaped if it is unhappy, but how?
Related Podcast
WNYC-Radiolab explains how Words shape our thinking.

What makes a criminal?

2010-08-08T13:55:00.003+10:00

By publik15 ,via Wikimedia Commons

I want to examine how society treats people who break the rules. People who break the rules are labeled as criminals.

Social Engineering

We are not alone, a person's life will always be affected by their relationship to others. Social engineering endeavours to build structures for a better society. Laws are made to help create a happy society.

Prisons are one of the ways that society manages people who break the rules. I don't think it is an effective solution. Locking a person away only tries to hide the problem and puts a stigma on the person after release.

Here are some questions to help think about the effect prison has on a person.

Prison

How can prison help a person correct their wrong? Should the first duty be to the law or humanity? Do people end up in jail because they are on the wrong side of power? Is power the best indication of who is right and who is wrong? Is the purpose of being powerful, to decide what is right and wrong? When is putting a person in jail an effective solution?

If you break a leg, do you cut it off, or give it a chance to mend?

What Makes a Criminal?

Is people's behaviour a product of their environment? Is criminal behaviour more likely to develop in certain areas? What is common to areas with high levels of crime? Who is responsible for creating a good environment for people to live in?

Thoughts about Disobedience

Is discipline the answer to social problems? Education? Equality?

Does a judge follow the rules or make ethical decisions? The same question can be asked about the jury? Who makes the rules? What influence over the rules do I have as an individual? What influence do rules have over my thinking? If power is controlled by the majority what happens to the minority?

Is Prison Ethical?

What does it mean if a country has a large population in jail? Does it mean the government isn't representing a large portion of the population? Or does it mean a large portion of the country is born bad? Do the people in jail disagree with the law that put then there? Or is there some part of their life that impels them to break the law? Is crime proof the government is failing? Why do people choose to break the law? Is it an easier life for the law breaker? How should we treat someone who makes a mistake? Should a mistake be treated the same as a deliberate act? If it is against the law to kill a person, is it wrong for the law to sentence a person to death? Should people conform to the majority? Has rebellion ever been good for society? Should I stay true to myself? Should I be more grey? Flexible? Understanding? Do laws and punishment teach discipline? What crimes deserve a prison sentence? Is locking people up a solution?

Independent Thought

Should I be pursuing what makes me happy or change what makes me happy? Can I be happy if I ask so many questions? If you are wandering.. the answer is yes; I am happy. If I leave things as they are eventually through no fault of my own, circumstances will change. How can I remain happy if I'm not flexible? A large part of my happiness is due to, accepting my circumstances.

Conclusion

Society's solution is to lock criminals away so they can't recommit the crime. This solution, becomes part of the problem because it doesn't teach people how to be part of a community.

I suggest prison isn't an effective solution in most cases. We need to look for better ways to deal with social disobedience. If we continue down the same path we can only expect more social injustice.

Is our responsibility to punish or educate?

Related Post

Patriotic Duty

Related Links

Prison Pete

Evil, Sin and Coping Mechanisms

Philip Petit on Consequentialism(podcast)

Blindness

2010-07-25T12:56:00.001+10:00

Blindness

When I do a Sudoku puzzle there are always a few obvious numbers, that I get easily. But then it becomes hard. You might say I am blind, unable to see a solution to what is right in front of me. The answer is there, I just can't see it. If I am persistent and continue to work at solving the puzzle my eyes adjust to my thinking and the solution is revealed to me. What I am saying in a round about way is we are blinded by our thoughts. Learning helps us to see what is hidden.

What if a blind person went through life only believing what they could see? Would the person be smart if they waited till falling off a cliff before changing their path? What approach do you take to see the cliff that cannot be seen?

Which leads to the question what is real and what is a creation of the mind?

What happens when education goes wrong?

Making Robots Human

2010-07-19T13:11:00.005+10:00

I was reading a blog post about an author reflecting back on their youth. In particular they were looking at what knowledge was missing from their lives as a child. This started my own thinking about being a child and being unsure of the world.

I am not the same person as I was 10 years ago, not because I've grown older but because thinking has made it so. Life is not just experience or events, a person's life is defined by the thoughts associated with what has happened in one's life. By comparing my life to other peoples life I learned to see what was missing from my life. My life changed when I began to observe more. Another way I observe life is by looking for the meaning in stories. I look past the events in the story and ask, "what is the reason for writing this story?" Their is a lot to be learned by looking deep into why a story is written. An interesting story theme I'd like to look at is the story of a robot becoming human.

Why do Humans Write Stories about Robots Becoming Human?
The first point is to notice the story wasn't written by a robot, but by a human. It is important to recognise the story is a projection of human thought. Another question to ask is, what is the significance of a robot becoming human? Why do humans think it is interesting to write a story about a robot growing into a human? The core theme of the story is transformation; from robot to human. On another level its about a caterpillar growing into a butterfly.

I want to suggest the robot is a metaphor for people who feel like robots. A person who goes to work and does the same job day in day out. Someone in this position might feel like a robot. The reader connects with the story because their is sympathy. To understand the story you need to know what it feels like to be a robot. There are times when all people have felt like a robot, stuck in a program written by someone else. In our hearts we want to be free from the life defined and decided for us. We want freedom. Think of the movie 'The Matrix.'

This story isn't just for adults, children can make the same connection. Think of the popular cartoon Astro Boy, this was a cartoon aimed at children. Why would children connect with these feelings of being a robot? I want to argue that school is the starting point for turning people into robots. That is the place many people are first introduced to repetitive tasks and learning is programmed into us. It's not a place to learn how to be free but rather how to fit in the program. I'm not saying school is bad, it is a stage in human development, but some people don't develop to the next stage. The next stage would be independent thought; a robot becoming human.

The movie Avatar takes a different approach to this idea. Here Jake escapes his crippled human life by having his mind projected into another creature. In this way he discovers a world where the old rules don't apply. Jake is transformed from a human to Navi. While the people stuck on the military base follow orders, Jake changes. Why? Were the humans on the military base trapped by their education? Jake escaped the limits of his thinking by changing his environment and being educated by the Navi. He becomes more then human and more then Navi. What I am trying to argue here is not that we are robots but we are limited by our education and thoughts.

I can relate to these stories personally. My experience in high school left me feeling trapped by my education. School wasn't flexible, it didn't help me explore who I was. I am not trying to say schools are bad. I am saying school shouldn't be a person's only education. Explore new ways of learning about the world.

At the end of high school I still thought the world was flat, and if I travelled too far I would fall off the edge (figuratively speaking). Inevitably everyone hits hard times. I did. That was when my learning really began. My eyes started to look for answers to personal problems. It is good to remember there are always options you can explore. The solution is just over the horizon, you don't see the answer yet; just keep moving forward. Don't be limited by letting other people do the thinking.

The difference between me and my younger self is .. I grow, and nothing stays the same.

Explore the edges of knowledge. The edge of knowledge is where fear lies.

Related Post
Blindness
A Focused Mind Works

Related Reading
-Who Moved my Cheese
-Self Reliance by Ralph Waldo Emerson
-The 50th Law by Robert Green and 50 Cents
-The War of Art by Steven Pressfield
-Jonathan Livingston Seagull

Related Movies
The Matrix
Avatar
Pinocchio

Blogs I read to expand my view of the world are
-Timeless Information
-Ryan Holiday
-Adventure of a Barefoot Geek
-Raptitude

A Focused Mind Works

2010-07-12T09:00:00.011+10:00

Focused action

“To get there you will have to learn a craft—educate yourself and develop the proper skills. All human activities involve a process of mastery. You must learn the various steps and procedures involved, proceeding to higher and higher levels of proficiency. This requires discipline and tenacity—the ability to withstand repetitive activity, slowness, and the anxiety that comes with such a challenge.” -The 50th Law (Robert Greene and 50 Cent)

Defining a Workflow
A workflow is the process of getting work done, a system for creating. Not all workflows are effective. A well designed workflow will use time and resources effectively and efficiently. The goal is to bring thoughts and actions together to be congruent. Importantly workflows focus on what needs to be done now.
A workflow isn’t about learning. A workflow is always about creating and doing. It must be remembered that all work is done in the now. If your not working on the project, your not working.

To-do List
One method of focusing the mind on a job is to use a to-do list. With a clear mind separate the project into actionable steps. Then break down each step into separate tasks. The goal is to break down the project into small enough steps that the goal no longer looks intimidating. Be aware to-do lists can become overwhelming, stay focused on keeping the process as simple as possible. At its heart a to-do list should be focused on what needs to be done now. Don’t get lost worrying about the future.

Related Reading
Bad Things Happen, Dreams are Made
The Mountain and the Man
Adventures of a Barefoot Geek

Self Reliance

2010-06-15T08:35:00.044+10:00

Grow from the inside, out.

“We need to take ownership of our lives. That is the true meaning of power.”-The 50th Law (Robert Greene and 50 Cent)

Focus on life and what you can do. Life is a journey of transformation.

“To get there you will have to learn a craft—educate yourself and develop the proper skills. All human activities involve a process of mastery. You must learn the various steps and procedures involved, proceeding to higher and higher levels of proficiency. This requires discipline and tenacity—the ability to withstand repetitive activity, slowness, and the anxiety that comes with such a challenge.” -The 50th Law (Robert Greene and 50 Cent)

Success is getting through your personal barriers. When you set a goal say it out loud. Stay focused. Pay attention to your achievements and appreciate your efforts.

“The only way to gain self-reliance is through effort and practice, it is the process of gaining power over yourself. And this effort should not be seen as something ugly or dull; that is the most satisfying of all, knowing that step-by-step you are elevating yourself above the dependent masses.”-The 50th Law (Robert Greene and 50 Cent)

When you learn something new it is easy to forget how life was before learning, but if you ever look back and say “I wish I knew this back then.”, you are educating yourself. School didn't teach me how to apply knowledge. It was through work that I learned the best education serves a function.

“There is a time in every man’s education when he arrives at the conviction that . . . imitation is suicide . . . that though the wide universe is full of good, no kernel of nourishing corn can come to him but through his toil bestowed on that plot of ground which is given to him to till. The power which resides in him is new in nature, and none but he knows what that is which he can do, nor does he know until he has tried.”-Ralph Waldo Emerson

A good education, imparts noble character, creates a wide circle of friends and creates an honourable name.

“You cannot get this requisite inner strength from books or a guru or pills of any kind. It can come only from you. It is a kind of exercise you must practice on a daily basis—weaning yourself from dependencies, listening less to others’ voices and more to your own, cultivating new skills.” -The 50th Law (Robert Greene and 50 Cent)

Related Reading

The Source of Faith
This post was inspired by The 50th Law, The Struggle of Being Yourself, and by Ralph Waldo Emerson's essay Self Reliance. Wikipedia has a short description of Emerson's essay on Self Reliance.

Clear Thinking Looks for the Truth

2010-05-23T13:00:00.005+10:00

This article continues the series examining clear thinking and explores how clear thinking avoids distraction by focusing on the now.

Objective
The objective of clear thinking is to remove distraction and pay attention to what is happening now.
One effective method of removing distraction is to focus on the truth, because the truth is what it is and cannot be changed. Once you separate what is true from what isn’t true you see where your power lies. The mind can get caught up in thinking, and loose touch with reality.

In the Present Moment
The truth is right here, right now. The truth only exists in the present moment, everything else is a creation of the mind. By being ready for now you are focusing on what can be controlled. In practical terms; this means the past cannot be changed, the future is only a creation of the mind.
Your power is how you choose to act right here, right now.

“Do, or do not. There is no try.” -Yoda, Empire Strikes Back

Everything doesn't happen all at once, each achievement needs to happen at the right moment. Problems arise when we are not ready for what is happening now.

Your thoughts are Your Life
Anything that is true cannot be changed, but anything that isn’t true can be changed by what you focus on. Focus on how you would like things to be. Clear thinking adapts to unforeseen circumstances. Clear thinking pays attention to the situation and responds to what is happening. Your thoughts are the truth but are not real, because they can change. Changing your thoughts changes everything.

In Summary
The truth is:

everything in your control is happening now.
what you do now decides your future.
the past cannot be changed.

Related Posts

How to Think Clearly with Emotions

2010-05-07T18:50:00.002+10:00

This article continues the series examining clear thinking and explores how emotions distract us from our purpose.

This story is an example of how emotions can effect people at work. I was having trouble with a colleague at work, we were constantly conflicting and it was preventing us from doing our work.

At work I work with Joe, he is bossy. Joe is always telling me what to do. It makes me angry, and I will always tell him to mind his own business. This is always leads to arguments.

After looking at this situation with a clear mind, I noticed my emotions; anger was my first response. The anger was distracting me from thinking about what I said. To stop the arguing I needed a better emotional response.

At work, I used to think Joe was bossy. It would upset me that Joe was always telling me what to do. Getting upset was my first response. Now I don’t get upset, there is no need; I accept his comments as instruction. If Joe’s instruction is inappropriate, I let him know without anger. By removing anger from my response, disagreements don’t escalate into arguments. Differences are discussed and settled.

Changing a Problem into a Solution.

Try to focus the mind more on what is and less on what isn't. Recognise the difference between your reaction and actual events. What really happened and where should your energy be focused?

Take responsibility for the situation.
Remove anger from the response.
Change perspective.

Sometimes the problem is a persons first emotional response. By being aware of your emotions they can be altered to suit the moment.

A person thinking clearly takes responsibility for their thoughts, emotions and actions. This means:

Nobody can make a person angry; the person chooses to be angry. There is less conflict when anger is removed, because the fight response isn’t triggered. Try to steer the conversation away from anger.
Nobody tells a person what to do; people choose their response and should accept responsibility for their reaction.
All choices have an outcome; smart people control their reaction for the best outcome.

Summary

The mind is magic, it sees what we want it to see. Owning the thoughts in your head is the first step to happiness. The emotions we have, has a way of colouring our thoughts; bad feelings come from bad thoughts.

By developing good language skills, people can alter the reaction. If you describe events negatively it will bring to mind bad feelings; how we interpret events define them. If we are strong minded our reply won't be controlled by emotions. Power comes from the ability to be in control of your mind.

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Clear Thinking

2010-04-28T07:09:00.000+10:00

“..the root of the problem is not boredom itself but our relationship to it. Try to look at boredom from the opposite perspective—as a call for you to slow yourself down, to stop searching for endless distractions.” -The 50th Law (Robert Greene and 50 Cent)

The modern lifestyle is full of distractions. So many things are fighting for our attention e.g the TV, advertising, employers, internet, books, software and new hobbies. These distractions cause people to lose focus on what is important. Clear thinking aims to focus the mind on being yourself.

Inspired by David Turnbulls article on Effortless Living, I started to think about how to live effortlessly. What does it mean? I think it is about being true to yourself. Don’t try to be everything, don’t try to be what other people expect. Simply be yourself. Clear thinking aims to remove distractions, so you can be yourself. It helps you to slow things down, develop patience and self-discipline.

Clear Thinking will be a series of articles that look at how to remove distracting thoughts.

Related Posts

The Deep Meaning in Avatar

2010-04-14T16:31:00.000+10:00

Behind the beauty of Avatars computer animation lies the heart and story of the movie; in a faraway world a beautiful paradise is under threat from a mining company.

The story explores the relationship humans have with nature. Jason Cameron asks,

How do humans connect with the environment?
Do humans live separate from nature, or are we a part of nature?
Why do humans feel separate from other kinds of life?
Are corporations heartless?
What does it mean to be human and what is our relationship to things not human?

Like any story it's best to begin at the start. Once upon a time in a faraway land called Pandora, humans arrived to mine the mineral unobtanium. Quickly the mining company the goes to work finding the unobtanium, ignoring the native Na’vi's disapproval. Emphasising the corporations value of things over social harmony (see Further Reading). The Corporation has a life of its own; a mining companies survival depends on mining and its needs mines to exist.

The humans who are amongst the Na’vi see the damage being done by the mining operation and try to convince the pencil pushers that mining Pandora is unethical. The mining companies decisions are made by people who have a vested interest in the success of the mining exploration, and so ignore the damage and hurt created to the natives. Are the wrong people making the decisions?

In the movie, Jake has his thoughts transferred from his crippled human body into that of an Avatar; the body of a Na’vi. As Jake becomes more connected to his view of the world changes. At first Jake doesn’t like the Na’vi. As Jake experiences life in the avatar of a Na'vi his values change. Would Jake have felt the same way if he wasn’t in the avatar's body? By the end of the movie Jake chooses to become a Na'vi permanently.

Jakes character explores the origin of thought. Avatar leads us to believe the body is an important part of our identity, asking. “Where do our thoughts live? Are they born in our body?”

So do Jake’s first thoughts live in his crippled body?
Where do our thoughts come from?
What is the source of thought, is life born in the body or is it born from the environment?
How does the movie relate to habitus, as defined by Pierre Bourdieu?

One final thought. All of the humans who help the Na’vi, during the invasion have experienced the world through the body of the Na’vi. Except for the pilot of the helicopter, why did she help the rebellion? Was her motivation the same as those who had Avatars?

Further Reading

Eight Principles of Uncivilisation

Side Story (Zombie Economy)

Zombie Economy: A zombie is the living dead. Businesses are functioning organism (organisation). Their main purpose is to extract money. Generally the core of a business is dead and has no soul, it isn’t driven by ethics but purely the desire for profit.

The economy is everything people place a value on. If the only currency of value is dollars and cents, what chance does ethics have in business decisions?

Employees in the company will work to keep the company alive.
Decisions are made on paper and their is little connection with reality

Empathy: Jason Cameron creates another world for the viewer. The viewer enters the body of the Na’vi, and discovers another perspective of the world. When you watch a movie their is a transference, you see the world through the characters eyes; just as Jake’s experience changed when he lived inside an Avatar.

The Subversive Reality of the Movie

How did Jake become convinced that what the humans were doing is wrong? Was he made blind by love? Or did love open his eyes to the similarities between the humans and the Na’vi? Is it true that everything is connected?

Counter Point

I would also suggest watching Father Barron’s review of Avatar. He watched the movie from the perspective of a catholic priest. It is interesting to see how the meaning of the movie changes according to the background of the person; which is a relevant theme to the movie. People see the world differently, and peoples view of the world is guided by their beliefs.

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Good Communication

2010-03-22T10:51:00.007+11:00

There exists a myriad of reasons why human potential remains untapped, one in particular stands out to me,

The inability to capture the essence and verve of what people are trying to communicate in a way that connects. SEE-FEEL-CHANGE

Ever felt like you did not speak the same language as the person you were speaking to? But you had to have a relationship with them. What is the solution? Make what is important to the other person just as important to you, create common ground. This is the starting point of learning to communicate. Please activate your imagination.

Imagine this...
A world were people's focus was on improving communication; trying increase the number of conversations to improve their understanding of other people from around the world. Isn't that why speech evolved?

The internet is a tool for sharing/mind-casting thoughts to create conversations. The internet acts like a collective conscience; a social hub where people from around the world come together to share ideas and communicate. It is great because the only barrier is communication. People are only judged on their idea. Geography, age, gender and distance don't play a part. Instead of feeling threatened when people have a different opinion, use communication as a tool for bridging the differences, and make a connection. Good communicators allow us to SEE the metaphysical through words. Blogging is a step to put thoughts into words and create conversation. Leaving a comments on blogs shows your interest. Comments create relationships through the sharing of ideas. This is the power of new media. Instead of one way conversations where people receive the news, the internet with the power of commenting is making more people part of the news.

The Power of Stories
Story is a timeline of events, usually in three acts.

Act 1 The Beginning

Setup

Characters
Setting

Plot Point

Motivation
The Desire

Act 2 The Middle

Conflict

Move towards goal
hurdles???

Low Point

Act 3 The End

Resolution

Final Push
Reached goal/desire

Stories are more then the truth/reality, because they connect directly to a persons imagination, creating another world and another time. A story is godlike and has the power of creation. That is the power of stories, a good story connects people together with a common vision.

A good writer will piece together small events into the large picture. Slowly unravelling the significance of each moment. The author will write for the audience to connect and share an experience.

I used to think writing was about letting other people know about my ideas. I was wrong, it is about letting people see how you connect with them. It is never about yourself. Instead ask how can I relate to you? The goals is to show how your ideas/life connects and relates to their's. Never be disrespectful or divisive.
Writing is worth the effort, because behind all good stories is meaning. A good story has deep meaning.

Meaning is something to discover, rather then invent. -Victor Frankl

Each story fulfills a unique meaning. There exists a myriad of reasons why human potential remains untapped, one in particular stands out to me,

The inability to capture the essence and verve of what people are trying to communicate in a way that connects. SEE-FEEL-CHANGE

Great stories unravel and inform the reader, they don't try to convince and change the reader's mind.

The New Story
The social web (Internet) is letting people connect and interact according to their ideas and be judged only on their ideas; no other bias need play a part. We can be equal, common humanity. The only barrier is our ability to communicate. The biggest barrier to communication is vagueness, a lack of clarity.

Don't submerge yourself in passive entertainment; one way conversations.

Politics

When a person isn't given a voice, how will they react?

Terrorism

The inability to capture the essence and verve of what people are trying to communicate in a way that connects. SEE-FEEL-CHANGE

What happens when the wrong groups of people connect? What happens when groups of murderers get together and talk? Bias. Unbalanced conversation. We need to increase the diversity of people we speak to.

Exclusion: Hate happens, at least in part, because of homophily: birds of a feather flock together. The result is that people self-organize into groups of like for like. But rarely are the gaps between differences bridged. Yet, that's where the most valuable relationships begin. To be "friends" with 1000 people who are also obsessed with vintage 1960s glasses isn't friendship — it's just a single, solitary shared interest.-The Social Media Bubble,Umair Haque

Individual Stories
What is your story? How do you choose to tell your story? Great stories unravel and inform the reader, they don't try to convince and change the reader's mind.

Additional Notes

Inspired by Words of Wisdom, The Chosen Lyrics written by Armen. I thought it would be a good idea to use music to emphasise the diversity of communication. Music is a form of communication. The strength of music is its ability to encapsulate the emotions tied into the words.
I have chosen is ‘Stand By Me’. This particular version was recorded by Playing for Change. This is a beautiful song, with a message made more powerful by its intention to bring people together. Beautifully capturing the idea that everyone is connected.

The idea for this project arose from a common belief that music has the power to break down boundaries and overcome distances between people. - Playing for Change, The Inspiration

Clothing is a Part of Your Identity

2010-03-17T16:51:00.003+11:00

No matter how unassuming we are, a person’s appearance triggers certain assumptions that we aren’t even aware of. In any first encounter with a person, the brain involuntarily makes connections between the person’s looks and their social standing, income level, education, intelligence, trustworthiness, physical capability, values and worth." -David Cane, raptitude.com

People are identified by the clothes they wear. Think for a moment about the movies you watch. Is it important for the characters to wear the right costumes? The characters in movies dress in costume to help us understand something about the character without meeting or speaking to them. We naturally associate personalities with the type of clothes people wear. An important part of character development is costume. Actors don't just walk onto set and choose any clothes. They put on a costume so the audience can identify with the character.
It isn't just in movies were it is important to choose your clothing. People will judge you by the clothes you wear, clothes are a part of your identity. Clothes don't make the man, but people will identify you by your clothing, especially when they don't know you. What message is your clothes sending? Do you take care choosing the right clothes?

Related reading
Buying Green Is About Being Seen -PsyBlog
photo by Rodolfo Clix

The Source of Faith

2010-03-15T12:26:00.001+11:00

Meaning comes from the questions you ask, faith is the opposite. Faith is believing without asking questions.

Is Faith Important?
Let me answer this question with another question, “If you don’t have faith, why try?”
Faith makes the ground you walk on solid, and makes the future possible. The future is a manifestation of faith. Nobody knows what will happen next, but with faith people plan their whole life.
The barrier to faith is fear of the unknown. I don't know anything, except that our beliefs skew our perception of reality. So believe in something good, something worth persevering, something worth dieing for. Have faith in something that will sustain you through the hard times.
Our life is a manifestation of the effort to answer questions. Why? Questions are the seed of thought. It is from the questions asked, we collect our knowledge. Some questions are good and will guide a person on a path with deep meaning, some are bad and will leave us wanting (acedia). A good question will create curiosity, and create a path for your life.

“ acedia: apathy; a lack of care or interest; indifference; spiritual or mental sloth. Boredom” -Wiktionary

To put this in perspective, think of this idea (faith) as the story in the movie “The Matrix”. Neo thinks his real life is the boring job at the office. But then someone comes nocking on his door to tell him this boredom isn’t real. Suddenly a whole new world is revealed to him. I am not trying to say the world isn’t real, I am asking you if you are seeing the full reality? Could you be ignoring something that is very important?

“Maya: what separates a Human Being from God the Creator! Can we see the stars in daylight. One who has seen only day light would never believe the existence of stars. What makes us believe half truth as the only Truth!! The limited intellectual knowledge gained through five senses prompts us in believing this World to be the only Truth.” -Maya Veil of Ignorance, By Vijay Kumar "Atma Jnani"

Meaning is the source of inspiration to struggle through hard times (perseverance). In Stephen Covey’s book ‘The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People’ the first success habit is “Being pro-active”. I think the first success habit is faith. Before any action their must be a reason why to do big things? The first step is to ask ‘Why?’ All successes in life come from action, but what motivates people to do? The answer is meaning.
My first formal introduction to the importance of the meaning was reading Victor Frankl’s, ‘Man Search for Meaning.' Victor Frankl was a psychologist who studied how the meaning played a part in a person’s mental health. He was interested in discovering how having meaning for your life could cure mental illness.
Related Posts
The First Life Lesson
Logotherapy, A Life with Meaning

A good Question will Inspire You

2010-03-08T12:37:00.000+11:00

The big questions need to be answered. If you ignore what you want to do with your life, you will never be happy. That is what I have come to learn. Seeking answers to questions is what makes life interesting.

Looking back now, I think the suffering was a natural stage in life. The suffering forced me to look inside myself and discover what is important. I began to ask questions, questions that changed my life.

Schools do their best to teach you, what you need to know. But, no one can know what you need to know, to be you.

“You cannot teach a man anything; you can only help them find it within himself.” -Galileo

Think for Yourself
Growing up I had let other people control my life, and it left me feeling like my life was meaningless. It took all six years of high school before I started thinking about my future. I can still remember being frightened by life after school. I thought school would provide me with everything I needed to know. I was wrong.
Since those day’s my attitude and behaviour has changed, a lot. I have reinvented myself. My life has become a progression towards ownership of my thoughts and a mission to ‘Cultivate the Mind.' The mission has come to define who I am and what I do.

One question, was the start of my inspiration.

“Why am I here?”

Each change in my life was guided by a question. The questions were seeds that grew into curiosity, that flowered into answers, that seeded more curiosity, and more questions.

Three steps to a New Beginning

Step 1. Raise Your Standards
Write down all the things you will no longer tolerate, and all the things that you aspire to becoming. It is in everyones power to change and improve oneself.

Step 2. Change Your Limiting Beliefs
If you don’t really believe in change, you have already sabotaged the possibility of change. You need to believe in yourself. Be inspired by your ability to change. Your beliefs shape what is possible.

Step 3. Change Your Strategy
If you keep repeating what you do, you will get more of the same. Consider imitating other peoples success. Develop a new approach to previous failures.

Dealing with Hard Times

2010-02-27T16:48:00.006+11:00

Everyone comes to a point in their life when the world seems too hard. I reached that moment in my final year of high school. I had hit the wall.

'The wall' is a moment in your life when you can’t see your future; You don’t even know what you want for your future. A barrier lies between you and the vision of the life you want; you have built a wall. The walls are a manifestation of fear, walls prevent one from seeing a future, a solution. To get through the wall, one doesn’t require breaking it down or climbing over. One needs to look outside themselves and learn too see the path that lays hidden. The right path is hidden in fear. You might call the path karma; a natural path.

The walls of fear that traps us and cause suffering is a natural part of life. Buddhists believe in ‘The Four Noble Truths’ the Buddhist philosophy explaining suffering. Buddhism explains it like this

“To live means to suffer, because the human nature is not perfect and neither is the world we live in. During our lifetime, we inevitably have to endure physical suffering such as pain, sickness, injury, tiredness, old age, and eventually death; and we have to endure psychological suffering like sadness, fear, frustration, disappointment, and depression” -
The first noble truth, from The Big View

I found comfort in knowing that suffering is normal. The feeling of pain and unconnectedness is a stage that everyone encounters. Using this knowledge helped give meaning to how I was feeling. I came to understand my pain was a normal part of life.

Continue...

Related Posts

Why Should I get out of Bed

2010-02-21T15:34:00.007+11:00

“You cannot teach a man anything; you can only help them find it within himself.” -Galileo

One of the reasons I get out of bed is to write. I would be disappointed if I couldn't write my thoughts. I'm not so excited about work, and find it harder to get up for that, but I do because it is important. Back when I was in high school I found it almost impossible to get up.
In high school, most mornings I didn’t want to get out of bed. Often I would wake up tired, and couldn’t think of a reason to get out of bed. Those days were long and tedious. I had no dream, no vision of what I wanted my life to be. At school I felt like a robot and my education was being programmed into me; other people were making choices for me. I needed change. I needed to take control, but how?

Joi Ito speaks about about school in this short article, Formal vs Informal Education.

I didn’t always feel this way. As a child I can remember dreaming about adventure. I envisioned a better life. But during high school that dream had disappeared and I had lost the imagination and will to shape my destiny. The problem was my dependence on school to fill my needs. I rarely took the initiative and made plans, I left it to others to decide my future.

Craving, ignorance, delusions, and its effects will disappear gradually, as progress is made on the path. -The Big View

Okay that is the back story. Now lets jump forward to see what I have learnt.
After high school my environment changed and I started to see a better life was waiting for me on the other side of the wall.
I started making new friends, reading books and imagining a brighter future. My curiosity in life returned. I could see the new possibilities.
The first insight occurred when I read Stephen Covey’s book, ‘The Seven Habits of Highly Successful people’, l learned the most important step to success:

Be Pro-active

Stephen Covey’s book taught me to see that every success in this world is the result of action. If you don’t get out of bed and make things happen, life won’t get any better; it won’t change. Even if it is just one thing; one goal that is important enough to get out of bed for. You don't have to like it, you don't have to enjoy it, it just needs to be important.

The meaning in one’s life should define what you do. ( until you start doing things for yourself nothing will seem important). -My First Life Lesson

To understand more about the importance of meaning in ones life I suggest reading Victor Frankl's book "Man's Search for Meaning" to learn about logotherapy.

Related Posts
Breaking Through Personal Barriers
The lifetime Promise
The First Basic Truth
Logotherapy, A Life with Meaning

The Sum of all Fear

2010-02-05T11:55:00.005+11:00

I can show you that doing something is better than doing nothing. When you do nothing, out of worry of being attacked, you get no attacks on you, but you also have gone nowhere. It is like putting nothing in a pot and cooking it. An hour later, you have a heated nothing- Words Of Wisdom – Chosen Lyrics, Armen Shirvanian

Fear and Resistance

Between you and your goal is resistance. One should aim their life against the path with resistance, that is where one will find the greatest personal rewards. Overcome your fear; overcome your resistance.

Clarity

Clarity of purpose will help fight the resistance created by fear. If you have a clear picture of your life, you can steer your destiny. In your mind; create a clear picture of each action necessary to fulfill your vision; put your life in motion.

The Motivation

If I were to know that tomorrow I die, would I be at peace or a raving lunatic? How much more time do I need? What am I waiting for? How do I know tomorrow isn't the perfect time to die?

Life is a road with many peaks and valleys. Hopefully your not in a valley. But if you do find yourself at a low point in your life, remember this is where you learn about your spirit. The hard times are a test of your character and your ability to see past this moment of pain, and to envision a better future. This low point is the time to call on your courage and forge the will to create a better future.

The Importance of Relationships

2010-02-01T10:24:00.007+11:00

Photo by: Sanja Gjenero

I would describe myself as a “recovering introvert.” In the past I would always aim my personal compass towards independence, while talking to new people was the last thing on my mind, something I didn't enjoy. I thought it was important to be able to work alone.
Now, I realise what matters most isn't what I do as an individual, but how I interact with the people around me. I look to find people ways to connect with people.

Relationships makes the world we know. (Don’t live alone.) -Life Lesson

Relationship Lessons from Basketball
I first started to think about the importance of relationships when I was playing basketball. I noticed how much the team was effected when players didn’t get along with each other. A team without team work doesn't win many games. Individual talent doesn't count for much if you don't get the ball.
Relationships are important because no one lives alone in this world. Everyone can benefit from relationships.
The Basketball Team
In a basketball team relationships are very important. You need to work with the people on your team, because they will help you win. Independence doesn't count for much.
The Team
Basketball is a team sport; you need the people on your side. To become part of a team, one needs to learn about social value. I quickly learned nobody would have me on their team if I didn’t make friends. I also learned if I had good basketball skills, people would be more inclined to make friends with me.
Welcome to the real world

"Here's the big news: If your strategy is to lie low, do our job, follow instructions, and hope that nobody notices you:

(a) nobody will ever notice your and

(b) you're actually increasing the chances of something bad happening." via Seth Godin's book The Big Moo.

After finishing school I soon learned nobody would automatically include me into their tean. If I wanted to be part of the team, I needed to work at becoming a member. This was an ego bruising lesson, but it was an important lesson.
I had to learn about team value:

What does the team need?
What does the team like?
What position would I play in the team?
How could I get on a good team?

I had to make friends and earn my place on the team.
Make friends
You can have good skills, and still people won’t want to play with you. Friendship is important. You need to care about the people on the team.
A Team Effort
Basketball was an important learning ground, and introduced me to a new circle of friends. Together we enjoyed the challenge of competition; together we played to win. The bigger the success the more people involved.

Life Lessons

2010-01-26T12:45:00.007+11:00

Image by typofi

I have been working on a list of life lessons to help focus my thoughts. The idea came to me from reading the book 7 Habits of Highly People and the blog The Happiness Project.
“Changing my life is like driving against the traffic; everyone toots their horn telling me I am heading in the wrong direction. It is not eas7 Habits of Highly Effective Peopley confronting other peoples expectations.”- Ideas from my phone

Life Lesson List
Here is a list of the lessons I have learnt fromlife. It is in no way complete, I change and refine the list as I travel through life.

Life Lessons:

Meaning in life is the motivation to action - If your not willing to sacrifice, it isn’t worth doing.
The meaning in one’s life should define what you do - until you start doing things for yourself nothing will seem important.
Clarity - begin with an end in mind.
It is what you observe about life that makes it interesting.
Everything in life has a time cost - we don’t live forever, don’t waste time.
Meaning is the reason for everything - the reason to overcome all obstacles
Long term value is worth more then short term pleasure.
The world owes me nothing - I have to earn it, money and everything else.
Wealthy people notice the abundance around them - Acres of Diamonds.
Relationships make the world we know - Don’t live alone and choose your friends.

One of my favourite life lesson lists is written by Buster Benson, his list is called 'Rules to Live By' (scroll down the page to find the list). By my guess, his ideas have been well thought out and tested.

Dr. Phil has another set of Life Laws.

What are the rules you live by? Which have helped you the most? Are any of your rules holding you back? Are they your rules, or have you got them from somebody else? Do you test your rules?

Often we aren't even aware of the rules guiding our life, they are just habits that have an invisible hold on us.

What am I here for?

2010-01-22T15:39:00.003+11:00

Why Should I get out of Bed

During these hard times I have noticed a lack of motivation and energy in me. I sense the absence of purpose. Each day begins with the question, Why should I get out of bed?”

In my final years of high school I didn’t want to get out of bed; I would wake up tiered. Each day was long and tedious; school was a bore. At school I felt like my thoughts were being programmed into me and other people were making choices for me. I needed change. I needed control over my life. Okay that is the back story.
Now lets jump to the present and see how things changed things
A good Question will Inspire You
Looking back now I think the boredom was a natural stage of life. It forced me to look inside myself and discover what was important. Growing up I had let other people control my life, and it left me feeling like my life was meaningless.
I lost control of my life and needed to get it back. It took six years of high school to start thinking about my future, I can still remember being frightened by life after school. Since those day’s my life has changed, a lot. I have had to reinvent myself. My life has become a progression towards ownership of my thoughts and a mission to ‘Cultivate my Mind.' The mission has come to define who I am and what I do. One simple question inspired my change. All I needed to do was learn about myself. I needed to know

“What do I enjoy?”

When you know what you want you can set your mind to create the new life you want. Now

I wake up thinking about what needs doing.
I have many things to do.
I go to bed tiered.
My life is a never ending mission of self improvement.

Things I enjoy doing

Cycling
Travelling
Cooking
Writing
Reading

The Lifetime Promise

Focus Your Mind

2010-01-05T11:10:00.003+11:00

Sometimes you can spread yourself too thin. I took a long time to realise, every time I started a new hobby the meaning in my life was being spread thin. I needed to focus my concentration on the things important to me. At that moment I began to develop deep meaning.

Meaning in life is the motivation to action (If your not willing to sacrifice, it isn’t worth doing). - First Life Lesson

Focus your thought
Start with something simple like writing a list of things to do tomorrow, next week, next month, next year, and so on. This strategy has helped me to see the important things in my life. The simple act of writing a to-do list forces the mind to choose what is important. Over time, and with revision the to-do list will become more focused as you start to value your time and effort more.

First Life Lesson

2009-12-18T18:12:00.008+11:00

photo by Xavier Lukins

Meaning is the guiding star in my life. When I look to the meaning in my life it helps me make the right choice; the right choice for me.

“Basketball is the best thing ever. Suddenly I have something I’m interested in. I know how I want to spend my time” -journal entry 12/05/95

Meaning
Meaning is the “why” to wake up in the morning and get out of bed and choose to do important things. Meaning is the reason I can struggle through hard times; perseverance.

Meaning in life is the motivation to action.- first life lesson

The meaning in your life should define what you do. E.g What I write about reflects on the meaning in my life i.e Writing is important enough for me to go through the effort of putting my thoughts into words.

What is important in life? Some people will recite a list as long as their arm, while others will will struggle and say, "I don't know?".

Questions to help focus the meaning in your life
Do you know what are the most important things in your life?
Are the people in your life guided by the same meaning(star)?
What are the people you know interested in?

If you were to die tomorrow what would you miss?
Do you suffer from acedia?

For more reading about meaning I recommend reading Victor Frankl's, ‘Man's Search for Meaning’. Frankl was a psychologist who studied how the meaning in one’s life played a part in a person’s mental health. He was interested in discovering how having meaning in your life could cure mental illnesses

Related topics

Acedia and the Good Friend

Logotherapy

Introduction: What am I here to do?

2009-12-10T10:13:00.017+11:00

Image from stock.xchng and taken by Stefan Glase

Introduction
This is the first in a series of articles chronicling the story of my search for meaning. In future articles I will attempt to explain how my life changed after discovering the meaning of life.

"I can understand why people commit suicide or self harm. When life stops holding meaning, why struggle when you can end the pain. These feelings are from suffering acedia." - Ideas from my phone

The Search for Interesting

One's goal is to notice the story in your life and understand how the small events fit into the larger picture; slowly unraveling the significance of each moment to create a story. Learning; it is what you observe about life that makes anything and everything interesting.
I will try to write an interesting story that will relate to others.

I want to write a story about my goal to find the answer to a question; 'What is the meaning of life?' A goal I have been focused on ever since I began writing ‘Cultivating the Mind’ in 2006. -From my list of goals

Writing a good story is worth the effort, because behind all good stories is meaning. Writing is helping me to learn the story behind the meaning of life. Through writing I focus my curiosity to create stories.

20 years ago when I was finishing high school, I wrote:

“During hard times I have noticed a lack of motivation and energy in me. I can sense the absence of purpose for the day.”

That day marks the beginning of my search. Since that day my mission in life has come to define who I am, what I do and how people see me.

The Lifetime Promise

2009-11-19T16:18:00.006+11:00

Victor Frankl- Man's Search for meaning.

Many people at some point in their life ask the question, "what is the meaning of life?" Where can you look to find meaning? Meaning comes from something greater then words, it comes from action. Meaning is the reason for doing. From meaning I find the strength to overcome resistance. Meaning gives action purpose. The meaning in my life comes from the things that are valuable to me.
Look to the future and remember you always get more of what you focus on. Meaning is the driving force and road map for your life. The only barrier between you and your dream is what you are willing to do.

Dream.
Stimulate desire.
Commit.

When you make a personal promise, it must be important. The strength of the promise, will be your strength through hard times and achieving your dreams.

Introduction: What am I here to do?

Emotions

2009-11-15T10:01:00.001+11:00

Softly and gently I look after my emotions. They are the child in me. Emotions never grow old. As I develop I learn how to live with my feelings and have learned not to let them control my life. Ignoring feelings or emotions doesn't work, as they are a part of who we are. As I grow, I am more in touch with my emotions; knowing their source. I make friends with my feelings and enjoy them.

Emotions are both the best and worst in life. Be at one.

Metaphor for Life

2009-11-04T20:53:00.002+11:00

As I look back on my life and my history. It appears that part of my life was caught in a current and I was dragged along out of my control. I can remember even now, during those times feeling so helpless and afraid. I am not sure when it started but slowly, slowly I learned to steer my life and take control. Not complete control but similar to a kayaker paddling through rapids.

The Meaning of Sacrafice

2009-10-12T08:24:00.010+11:00

It has been a while since I have written a post. So let me tell you what I have been doing.For a couple of weeks now I have been listening to an audiobook by Victor Frankl, called “Man's Search for Meaning”. The book has inspired me to put into words the meaning of my life, "What is the meaning of life?". Slowly, piece by piece I am unravelling the mystery of life.
I think everyone goes through hard times, when life is a struggle and look for a reason to endure the pain or hardship. I want to tell my story how I found meaning and motivation. Let me start by explaining the first rule in life.

If its important, you will need to make sacrifices.

All the important things in life require sacrifice. Each day, each moment we need to make a choice that will decide our future. We are forced to sacrifice one choice in favour of another. How can we decide?

Sacrifice = giving up a thing of less value to gain a thing of higher value. – Paul Lemberg

Please share your thoughts. What gives you the strength to get through the hard times?

Stay committed

2009-09-29T10:33:00.002+10:00

From my personal experience I have noticed that my thoughts can change from day to day. Often projects die because they loose relevance and become boring. Recently I have been working on ways to improve my dedication to completing projects and staying commitment.

One simple strategy has been to create a todo lists. This simple method is working well. Here are some of the details:

To manage my todo list I use Things on the Mac and on the iPhone.

Working with a to-do lists helps focus thoughts and connect them with action. I have found out the hard way, that thinking doesn't produce anything if it isn't followed with action. So it is important when creating items for a to-do that you express each todo as an action. If a task requires more then one action, create a project. Then break down the project into single step to-dos.

Another benefit of creating to-do lists and projects is it focuses thoughts on what matters. I have found this strategy produces long term benefits.

Eg One of my to-dos is to start a business. Now I know when the tasks on the to-do list are completed I will have a business. All my projects are created to make my dreams and wishes come true, so it is in my interest to complete the tasks.

The amazing thing is, every time I complete a task and tick it off, I can see myself closer to achieving the goal. This is a strong motivator. Of course everything doesn't happen by itself, you still need commitment and dedication to complete tasks.

Be aware you don't overload your to-do list. It is easy to fill up a lists with all kinds of tasks, even ones that aren't important. I had this problem when I started. I noticed myself becoming overloaded. It got to the stage where I would put even the most mundane tasks on the list. Bad mistake, because it is a sure way to kill a to-do list. It is best to only put important tasks on a todo list. The stuff that has to be done, the stuff that needs to be done. Don't include the stuff you might like to do some day. Put that somewhere else.

Breaking through personal barriers

2009-09-14T10:11:00.004+10:00

Sorry for the rushed post the other day, it was my way of breaking through writer's block. I forced myself to write something, anything. I think at times it is more important to write something rather then nothing at all. Let me explain. At times my personal expectations can be set too high, and rather then working through the problem, I give up. So I made the decision to meet the goal and write something, rather then miss the deadline just because I wasn't happy with what I wrote.

It isn't the perfect solution, it was a compromise. I deemed it was more important to complete my goal. Why? At the moment I am working on improving my productivity by using todo lists, and I judged it to be more important to complete the tasks. Completing the goal I set is my priority, it is all about getting things done. Over time I will adapt and get better at creating and completing deadlines so I don't have to rush.

Another barrier I am working through is changing my day job. When you have been in a job for a long time, you become used to your role; it becomes part of who you are. When you decide to make a change, it can be hard to see yourself in a different role, you feel trapped by your past.

I am exploring the prospect of starting a business. Inspired by Tim Ferris's book the TFWW. I want change. I am not satisfied with my job. My goal is to create a business that reflects on the person I want to be. So I am building the idea of starting a part-time business after my regular job. A business that will develop my passions into something that earns an income.

The reason people end up in dead end jobs is because they don't plan their future.

Why Pursue Wealth?

2009-09-10T19:04:00.001+10:00

What does wealth indicate?

Should wealth be a goal?

Does money buy happiness?

How much money buys happiness?

How does money bring happiness?

How often do you need to receive money to be happy?

How to use money for happiness is the job of an economist.

Money encourages sharing by providing a way of valuing effort. The value of a product is defined by the effort used to create it.

The value of a transaction doesn't come from the dollar value, it is derived from the meaning given by the people involved in the transaction. This is why the value of an item can change over time.

Bad Habits

2009-08-31T12:00:00.009+10:00

I am not sure if all habits are bad, but I think all habits are potentially bad. Let me explain. The problem with habits is that they are the things you do without even thinking. That means you're not aware of what you are doing, this could be bad.

How are habits formed? Over on PsyBlog Jeremy Dean explains how habits are formed.

What this study reveals is that when we want to develop a relatively simple habit like eating a piece of fruit each day or taking a 10 minute walk, it could take us over two months ofdaily repetitions before the behaviour becomes a habit. And, while this research suggests that skipping single days isn't detrimental in the long-term, it's those early repetitions that give us the greatest boost in automaticity.-PsyBlog, Jeremy Dean

I want to replace my habits with systems. How is a system different to a habit? A system is different to a habit because systems are a planned, something you thought about. While not all habits are formed consciously. Instead of reacting unconsciously, you have planned how you will act.

The idea came to me from a blog I read regularly, The Happiness Project" by Gretchen Rubin. Gretchen writes about what she is doing to make her life happier, and how she is changing her thinking to enjoy life more and be happy. From this introspection into her habits she came up with 12 life laws that would help her choose responses that would help stimulate her happiness. I am not looking for the rules that will make me more happy, I am looking to develop systems that will make me more productive. I want more control over my future. I want to start a business. To do that I need to use my time productively.

Developing a system helps because it puts me in control. The reason I develop bad habits is because I don't always think about my choice, I take short cuts. Systems are similar to good habits, except I have thought about the problem before hand, and have planned my action according to predefined rules. The rules can be changed, but only if I have taken time and though about the problem.

You shouldn't change a system just because it doesn't suit you in the moment. Instead, over time you should review and refine the system. Systems are what franchises use to create efficient businesses. They work because they simplify the job and create the best results. It reduces errors, because people learn from the experiences of other people. Over time the refined system becomes more effective and will continually improve.

Changing Bad Habits

More Reading 6 Steps to Breaking Bad Habits -The Change Blog
Writing Wednesdays #32: Habit -Steven Pressfield

Finding more energy

2009-08-17T17:20:00.002+10:00

I feel tiered. What gives me energy? Doing things with purpose; nothing saps energy more then living on a treadmill; working hard and going nowhere. To be motivated I need to work on the things important to me.

Learning to Grow

2009-08-09T19:32:00.001+10:00

The thought that goes into writing is a powerful exercise for the mind. The process of putting my ideas into words has helped unravel my thoughts and discover a deeper understanding of myself. It has identified holes and gaps in my beliefs, I had taken so much for granted. Writting forced me to dig deeper and explain my reasoning. It tested the depth of my knowledge and lead me down a path of learning.

I want to start a business

2009-08-05T17:23:00.002+10:00

I would like to start a business. Why? For a long time I have been critical of businesses and questioned how they survive, when they offer such bad service. Well it is easy to be critical, but if you really have something to say, act on it! That is where I am at, I am working on starting a business. My business is under construction, hopefully it will be up and running within months. I have great hopes that it will teach me a lot.

Overcoming Personal Doubt

2009-07-10T18:47:00.002+10:00

In high school I was unsure of myself and didn't feel like I belonged. I found it hard to make friends. Now I can see, in high school I didn't mix with enough people; I didn't explore the possibilities. School is only a small, tiny part of the world. If you don't explore the possibilities you will never know all the choices there are.
Continued...

Looking Sharp

2009-07-08T12:32:00.005+10:00

Being an unkempt schlub won't do anything good for your career or your social life.
What effect does your appearance have on your life? Do you know of any examples of people who's life has changed by improving their appearance? I am not talking about cosmetic surgery.
Here are some examples I have come across from reading other people's web log.

Being a “slothful genius” I was confronted with comments such as “Boy, you are wasting your opportunity!”. “Boy, you are capable of so much, why don’t you make use of what you have?”-
The Change Blog

Mindcasting, Communication Through the Internet

2009-06-16T16:39:00.003+10:00

Photo by Matthew Bowden

The world would be a better place if more focus was put on improving communication and increasing the number of conversations. Blogging is a way of mindcasting or in other words, sharing thoughts on the internet to start conversations.

The internet acts like a collective conscience; a social hub where people from around the world come together to share ideas and communicate. It is great because the only barrier is language, NOT geography, age, gender or distance. Instead individuals are judged on their idea.

The new social web lets people interact according to their ideas, no other bias need play a part. We can be equal if we can communicate.

What happens when the wrong groups of people connect? What happens when groups of murderers get together and talk? Bias? Unbalanced conversation?

Does the social web improve peoples ability to communicate?

Working in Groups

2009-06-10T15:30:00.003+10:00

If you are interested in group behavior, I recommend reading Social Facilitation at Psyblog.

Below is my story, it describes how I became interested in group behaviour at work.

I was at work on a day when things weren't going well, people weren't co-operating and the problems were getting bigger. It started me thinking about team work. One of the questions that popped in my head and stuck was; is it better to work in a team or by yourself? I don't imagine their is a universal answer to this question. e.g two heads are better then one vs too many cooks spoil the broth.
Lets explore..
Many small things can affect how the team performs, from personalities, moods to styles of communication.

At some point during my contemplation I started to think about chess and compared two games

team chess, a group of people playing another group of people.
regular chess, one against one

It was at that moment the light bulb turned on in my head. I came to understand how important the context was. Lets look a little deeper

The game of chess is simpler one against one.
Team chess is complicated, because now everyone's opinions have to be considered. Who would make the move? Who had the power to choose the right move?
On the other hand if I had to do all the tasks at my job it would be impossible because there is no way I could fill all the rolls. It would mean having to learn more and spend more time to complete all the tasks, in fact I could not imagine doing everything.

This brings to attention the importance of roles. Clearly defined roles means people know their responsibility. To win you need to take action that plans for the future. A winning group strategy would need to be followed by all the members in the group.

What Motivates you?

2009-05-23T12:23:00.009+10:00

What are your values and beliefs?

Values motivate people to act.
Beliefs control how people act.

Values
Motivation to action is guided by value. What is the reward? Health, wealth, happiness and love.

Beliefs
Beliefs are the principles that guide peoples actions e.g I believe a job is what I need to be rich, versus the only way I will be rich is if I win the lottery.

Seth Godin says this

Some people want to do things because they are interesting.
Some people want to do things because they work.
Some people want to do things because everyone else is doing them.
And some people are satisfied/scared/shy/lazy and don't do anything.
Think about blogging or buying a new pair of shoes or voting for a candidate or picking one career over another. Different people have very different agendas. The key in understanding someone's actions is understanding their agenda. -Seth Godin, Kinds of People.

I say people are motivated by value and act according to their beliefs.

Stoicism

2009-05-15T10:51:00.003+10:00

How to be steadfast and strong and in control of your life.
Practical application.
The right state of mind.
The impediment of action advances action. What stands in the way becomes the way.
To the Stoic everything is opportunity
Clear judgement

What progress have I made? I am beginning to be my own friend. That is progress indeed. Such people will never be alone and you may be sure he is a friend to all. --Seneca

Success, Step by Step

2009-05-07T10:47:00.000+10:00

Image by Sigurd Decroos

In my search to find success it has been important to define goals and meaning. It has been a search to find answers to these question:

Why am I doing this?
Is it important to me?
What are my priorities?

What is success?
I define success as good self-esteem, effective interpersonal skill, healthy emotional responses.
In simple words, successful people focus on how the small actions contribute to the success of the greater goal despite setbacks and discomfort.

Overcome drawbacks
Self-control

To overcome resistance focus on how specific actions are part of a major plan or purpose. Think how actions fit into an overall framework. Long-term projects can easily get bogged down by focusing on the minutiae of everyday processes. By categorising project stages conceptually it is possible to maintain focus and achieve greater discipline.

To help promote success keep these points in mind:

Is this worthwhile? Can I see this through to completion?
The language, choose your words carefully to promote success.
Give yourself permission to succeed, with achievable goals.
Keep linking each action with the original idea.
People are at their best when they work together, great achievements are the works of people working together.

There is no short cut to success.

Sleep is Very Important

2009-05-06T12:05:00.001+10:00

Imagine you are sick and lack energy to function normally because of too little sleep. So you take a drug that makes you feel refreshed after no sleep whatever.

What do you think the side effects are?

Would your problem of not being able to sleep and recover naturally and go away?

I believe eventually the body wouldn't cope on no sleep, it would become over stressed. Sleeping is your time to recover.
Link
Dreams Deferred

Picture by Jade Colley

The New Economist

2009-05-04T11:46:00.001+10:00

Money plays a big part in most peoples lives. Yet how often do you stop to think about what makes money important? Why is money used around the world? What gives money its value? It is these questions that I try to answer in the articles labeled economics.

Most of the people I talk to think of economists as businessmen. I see them differently, the economists job is to understand how money motivates people. There exists a strong relationship between the happiness of people and peoples perception of wealth. The people who feel wealthy are happy and the people who feel poor are unhappy. So wealth isn't defined by how much money people have in the bank or how deep in debt they are, when an economists speaks about wealth their focus is on well-being, the ability of people to meet their needs of food, shelter, employment and pleasure.
The most concise definition of economics I can give is "economics is the study of how society uses its scarce resources to increase happiness".

Often capitalism and greed go hand in hand, but times are changing. I believe the current global financial turmoil is to do with removing greed from capitalism. I see a change in consumerism, with more focus on quality of life services with long term value and less interest in consumables.

What do you think will make the world a better place?

Something to think about:

Why do people still think the interaction of free individuals is a superior economic system to one directed by experts??? I mean, apart from the failure of central planning in every case in which it's been tried, why wouldn't people cling to the idea of being herded into a collective run by the experts?

Have your say.

Changing Bad Habits

2009-04-27T12:42:00.008+10:00

You repeat the same action in the same situation over and over, you get to the point where you take a particular action in a particular situation simply because you're in that situation. Your goal has dropped out of the equation.

Is this you? Well I wrote this article specifically for you or anyone who wants to rewrite their habits and patterns. This article is a collection of ideas and quotes all related to changing your bad habits. Where I could, I have included the source. Some of it has come from my notebook and the origins were lost.

Most people are thoughtful, creative and independent. Unfortunately their tangled habits are getting in the way of their success. Regrettably their life pattern is sending them in circles, hindering them from pursuing their goals. Don't be that person, know that you have something amazing to share with the world.

Many habits can be explained by attentional errors . When our attention is distracted we carry out highly practised behaviours automatically without thought and sometimes they go wrong.

Like putting the milk out and the cat in the fridge. In a classic diary study of everyday slips and lapses, Reason (1979) got people to describe all sorts of cute out-of-context slips. One person reported unwrapping a sweet (candy to the rest of you), throwing the sweet away and putting the wrapper in his mouth, another to putting shaving cream on his toothbrush and another to going upstairs to change for the evening, then finding himself wearing pyjamas. Although practice makes perfect, it can also make an unthinking robot.

The solution is a life centred around self-learning and awareness. It’s all about building your experience to steer you in a better direction. Learning to pay attention and recognising your patterns. Asking, “Why am I doing this and where is it taking me?” Getting ready to biggify yourself in a mindful way that fits in perfectly with your life. Get in shape spiritually. Get in shape physically. Pay attention to details. Be able to envision the results of your goals.

The Story of Life

Your attitude and vocabulary makes a big difference. The words you use and the story you tell are what brings out the picture in your mind. It is how you relate to your dream. If the story is convincing, if it is authentic, it will come to life.

Finding your Attention

Do you find yourself doing things without even thinking and feel stuck, unable to change your life. It's a habit. A habit is like a map with only one road, always leading you to the same place. If you are ready for change, its time to create a new map. A map that will take you where you want to go.

Howard Hill won 287 times out of 287 archery contests in his life. He could split an arrow at 50 feet. You could shoot better than him in a matter of a few hours ... if he was blindfolded and spun around. How can you hit a target you can’t see? Even better, how can you hit a target you don’t have? You must make targets in your life. The problem in life is not the lack of time, but the lack of focus or direction. Everyone has the same amount of time. from Zig Ziglar on Goals

Focus and direction will cure bad habits. Direction will tell you if your off course, and focus reminds you of the goal. Don't confuse activity with progress.

First Step

Be aware of what you are doing. What need does the bad habit serve? When you start paying more attention, you begin to notice new choices and find better solutions.

Second Step
Notice what triggers the habit. Pay attention and look for forks in the road, what choices do you have? Is this choice worth exploring?

Third Step
Replace the bad and out of date habits. Find a new and better way of filling the need that triggered the bad habit.

The Quantified Self and Self Tracking
When you start changing your life and you are faced with many options, you will want to know what is the best choice. It is at this point when you will want to track your thoughts and know what works and what doesn't.

Something to think about

You know the journey up the mountain is just as valuable as getting to the top. Seek enlightenment of heart and head.

Related Posts
Bad Habits

More Reading...
Sri Chinmoy Inspiration article about changing bad habits.
Writing Wednesdays #32: Habit -Steven Pressfield

picture by killick1's

Why are they Famous?

2009-04-24T17:46:00.003+10:00

What do you notice about the people around you? Does your eye automatically seek out the skillful? Do you notice the good? How do you go about finding ways to improve? Do you give credit to those who are a positive influence on your life? Is fame the result of being a positive influence?

Communicate Simply

2009-04-08T16:38:00.005+10:00

Communication is the ability to tell your story and have it received as you intended. Learn what not to say and stay on topic.

What one thing do you want the person to understand?
How do I say it in the least amount of words?

Maybe learn more about good communication in this video.

The very elegant picture above is by svilen mushkatov

Overcoming Introversion

2009-04-01T12:38:00.003+11:00

I have been reading Seth Godin's book The Big Moo, and this passage struck me as the cause of my frustration.

"Here's the big news: If your strategy is to lie low, do our job, follow instructions, and hope that nobody notices you:
(a) nobody will ever notice your and
(b) you're actually increasing the chances of something bad happening."

That was me, the person trying to lay low and not be noticed. The thing is, I noticed that wasn't working for me. Life stayed the same, nothing got better. I wanted more from life, now I am trying to get noticed. I am working harder and paying more attention to the people around me. Nothing changed over night, but with persistant effort my life is changing.

The world is full of opportunity, if you are willing to explore and develop relationships.

What is your experience?

Related Posts
The Importance of Relationships

Picture by Sigurd Decroos

The Power of Government

2009-03-21T10:26:00.003+11:00

When things go wrong in the economy, governments blame the free market. When the market is running well government takes credit for good fiscal policy.
I put my trust in the hard working people. Lets not give government more power. All progress in society has come from individuals taking responsibility.

picture by Sigurd Decroos

Is Greed Still Good?

2009-03-20T12:49:00.006+11:00

Why do people still think the interaction of free individuals is a superior economic system to one directed by Harvard Ph.D.s like us? I mean, apart from the failure of central planning in every case in which it’s been tried, a failure so staggering that only a blockhead could miss it, why would people cling to the idea that being herded into a collective run by the experts isn’t the best way to live?
-Supporters of Capitalism Are Crazy, Says Harvard. Mises Daily by Thomas E. Woods, Jr.

Personally I agree, government should interfere less. The reason businesses and banks go broke is because their business model doesn't work, or the government has changed the rules.

Times they are a Changing

2009-03-18T11:46:00.004+11:00

At the moment people are feeling the negative effects of the Credit Crisis. But I believe the Credit Crisis will lead to a Green Revolution. It will create a shift in societies attitude. With a contraction in consumption, companies will be under pressure to cut costs. Reduced demand will stimulate companies to discover new business models.

The decrease in demand will also lead to a reduction in work hours.
There will be a reduction in consumption. Decreasing the negative effects of manufacturing on the environment. Business cost cutting will reduce waste and energy use.
In the new economy businesses will shift their focus away from consumption, to value adding.
My prediction is, 2010 will be seen as the start of the green revolution. CO2 emissions will continue to be a major issue. The focus on our environment will add pollution of drinking water and the destruction of natural habitats to the list of global concern.
There will be a shift away from mass production in favour of hand and custom made items.
Cities will change into a social hub and become more people friendly by restricting cars into city centers. This will lead to a boom in public transport and cycling.
People will start to value there time more and spend more time with family and friends.
There will be a shift away from long work hours to shorter flexible hours allowing people to pursue personal goals.
The increase in personal time will lead to greater interest in social issues and will lead the government to be more concentrated on social development and less on business development.

What changes do you see for our future?

Finding Happiness

2009-03-13T23:33:00.000+11:00

I am happy, life is good. But it hasn't always been this way. My life has improved, it started when I made an effort to find what made me happy and what was important to me. That is what happier.com sets out to do. Help people find what is important to them.
Happier.com doesn't just fill you with information. It makes you think and work for your happiness. They will help guide your thinking with basic exercises and simple questions. I am not suggesting it will be easy. Like most things in life, the reward is equal to the effort.

What is the best way to Say "No"?

2009-03-02T09:03:00.028+11:00

What do you notice about the people who have confidence? They don't struggle to say 'no'. That is because they are in control of their life.

One of the most difficult things for a freelancer to say is “no.” When your livelihood requires that you continue to bring in work, when a client asks you “Can you do X?,” the temptation is always to say “Absolutely!” -Say No To Others, Say No To Yourself, First Today, Then Tomorrow

The best way to take control of your life is with a 'no'. There are moments in life where it is important to say "No!" to make the right choice and be happy.
The problem is we can feel uncomfortable saying 'no' to our friends, colleagues or superiors. Possibly because we fear it will create conflict. But is this feeling justified?
Over on PsyBlog Jeremy Dean explains a research project that uncovers the reason why we have a hard time saying 'no'. The study found that when people were help-seekers they reliably played down the social costs of saying 'no'. But when they were the potential helper they realised how difficult it was to say 'no'. I suspect the reason people can find saying 'no' hard, is because it can be perceived as selfish.

What can a Person Learn from the Research into Saying 'No'?

There are two things to learn from the research:

People generally don't feel comfortable saying 'No!'
The person asking doesn't know the pressure to say 'Yes.'

The next time you need to say 'no', you will remember that your initial impulse will be to say 'yes', but it is OK to say "no" because a reasonable person will understand that it is your choice. It is in your power whether to say "yes" or "no". Use it honestly and thoughtfully and if you need to say "no", say it with confidence, there is no need to feel bad or selfish.
When you say 'no', be respectful, and remember saying 'yes' just because you can't bear the pain is not going to help in the long-term.

How to Say 'No' with a 'Yes'

Here is the tactic I use when saying "no". I try to negotiate. This way both people can win. I show interest in the other persons needs, and explain my limitations. The goal when saying yes is to create 'a win win' situation. Negotiate a solution that appeals to everyone.
Please share your experience saying "no" to people.

Conclusions

No isn't always an objection to ideas. It is about communicating that your life is headed in a different direction and it isn't possible for you to help.

Related Post

Related Links

No One Nos: Learning to Say No to Bad Ideas

Follow Your Heart- Being Truthful to Yourself and Others. (The tips on how to say, “No.” near the end of her article)
Making Tough Decisions: How to Break a Commitment Professionally.

Say No To Others, Say No To Yourself

Don’t Take No for an Answer

Related Books

Questions about the credit crisis

2009-02-16T09:24:00.000+11:00

The stock markets around the world continue their downward slide. Business confidence is low.

Why?
Lets discuss.

Who is to blame?
No one person or country is to blame, that is why the Credit Crisis is a global problem. We are going through a correction in the market. Businesses have been forced to reduce their borrowings.

Where has the money gone?
Nowhere. Hard currencies are still in the economy. Things are tough right now, because it is harder to borrow money to grow your business or investments.

How is this effecting people?
Companies are down sizing and people are loosing jobs. This has left people and businesses scared, people are acting much more conservative. Instead of investing everyone is paying down their debt. This has reduced the flow of cash in the market.
Money will return into the economy when people are confident. People shouldn't be waiting to see what the government can do, instead ask yourself what can I do to stimulate change and confidence?

When will things get better?
I believe this market correction is passing and will leave a healthier financial system. These difficult times are caused by businesses becoming less dependant on borrowings. I am confident the companies that survive the turmoil are going to be great investments.

p.s These are my personal opinions, I would like to know what you think?

picture by sanja gjenero

Emotions

2009-02-07T20:20:00.002+11:00

Emotions are similar to the weather, forever changing and often out of our control. Many things play a part in our emotions. Food, sleep, health and attitude.

Simplify Your Life

2009-02-04T12:23:00.006+11:00

On my recent trip overseas I became more aware about what I need and what I don't need. The last thing you want is the burden of carrying excess baggage when travelling. I discovered there are many shapes and kinds of burdens. If your life is complicated, and you want a simpler life I recommend a long trip. I think it will help you see things differently. I re-evaluated my outlook on life. The world is amazing and the diversity is inspiring.

picture by Davide Guglielmo

Holidays

2008-12-06T17:50:00.001+11:00

I am going on holidays to Europe for the next 6 weeks. Hope to post while away, but I am not sure how regularly.
Peace.

Bad Government Policies

2008-11-25T11:16:00.001+11:00

This cheeky video with the help of sarcasm points out how some mainstream policies might be having a negative effect.

Conspiracy Theories

2008-11-23T17:48:00.006+11:00

The secret hand of power. Some call the unknown hand, the power of god. But what if it was some unknown megalomaniac, hidden behind the walls of his palace; like a character out of a James Bond movie. Too unbelievable? If you were the leader of the world, how better to protect yourself.. then in secrecy.

If it was true, how would they come to have this power? Inheritance? So who rules the world? How much power can the elite have? Who makes the decisions that effect the world? It is these questions, that Signs of the Time try to answer.

What do you think? Are there unknown people in power controlling the world?

I am not a believer in conspiracy theories, but it pays to keep your eyes open and get your news from more then one source. Just to stay informed.

picture by spekulator

A Successful Attitude

2008-11-13T09:22:00.003+11:00

One of the reasons I started writing Cultivating the Mind was to stimulate my personal growth. By putting my thoughts on the internet I could test my ideas; I believe successful ideas spread and gain support. All the while I have been writing, I'm still to find an idea that stimulates discussion. This indicates a need to change, a need to evolve.
So I have used Seth Godins, The marketer's attitude as inspiration for my article A Successful Attitude.

A Successful Attitude

-Relentlessly positive
Always see a reason for trying. Never give up because it is hard. Able to see the greater good.
-Visualise complex projects
Break down complex ideas into small actionable tasks.
-Imagine alternative possibilities and outcomes
To use a metaphor, there is more then one way to skin a cat.
-History of doing successfully
People will judge you by your reputation. It is important to develop a history of success. People will see a change in you when your history changes.
-Taken and completed audacious projects
You aren't afraid to take on a big challenge, and develop even more.
-A leader
Be able to create visions people want to follow.
-Charisma
People like you. You have personality. You speak to everyone.
-Good communication
The ability to share your vision, and bring people on board.
-Show initiative
Able to seek out solutions yourself and don't need others to show the way.
-Good listener
Part of good communication and able to understand what people are asking.
-Self motivated
I am, therefore I do. There can only be one.
-Set goals
Part of setting goals is being able to see projects through to completion.
-Constant improvement
Things can only get better. A positive attitude.
-Self improving
I am learning, I am growing and I accept the challenge.
-Constant learning
I want to see and understand the world I live in.
-Share
Share your joy for life.
-A good person, who takes care to do wellI care, I want to be part of the community.

So how do you see success? What action are you taking?

Photo by Jolka Igolka

How Money Works

2008-11-11T10:30:00.004+11:00

I am not an expert on money in any way and I have almost no understanding about economics, but I am keen to learn how the global financial system works. In this post I have included some links to websites and videos that I've found informative.

How do governments decide the value of a currency?
The website Kwaves gives a history of how the United States has defined the value of their currency. I think what you learn from reading this article helps explain currency values in general.

fiat monetary system
hyper inflation
fixed gold standard

One rich man's view of current financial markets
An interview with Jim Rodgers. Jim doesn't see an easy way out of the global financial mess. In this interview Jim Rodgers suggests we need to prepare for some global pain.
Daniel Ng in his blog The World I Know, has embedded a video interview with Jim Rodger from an ABN Amro conference in Amsterdam and followed it with a written summary of points from the interview.

Here is my summary of what I've learned so far.
Money is the currency used to exchange value for value. If there was no money, trading would be a lot more complicated. Money is the lubricant in trade, it makes exchanging goods simpler. Money was designed for trade. As a simple way to put a value on something, without having to barter.
The current financial turmoil seems to be caused by too much paper money (i.e no restraint on the amount of money printed). As a result many assets have been over valued. This has lead to the current financial crisis of hyper inflation. Leading us to a period of rebalancing value.

Related Posts

Money Makes the World Turn

Ayn Rand's Capitalism

A More Leisurely Life

2008-11-03T12:18:00.000+11:00

Marcus Aurelius has this to say about leisure.

Occupy thyself with few things, says the philosopher, if thou wouldst be tranquil.- But consider if it would not be better to say, Do what is necessary, and whatever the reason of the animal which is naturally social requires, and as it requires. For this brings not only the tranquility which comes from doing well, but also that which comes from doing few things. For the greatest part of what we say and do being unnecessary, if a man takes this away, he will have more leisure and less uneasiness. Accordingly on every occasion a man should ask himself, Is this one of the unnecessary things? Now a man should take away not only unnecessary acts, but also, unnecessary thoughts, for thus superfluous acts will not follow after. -Marcus Aurelius, Meditations

Marcus Aurelius (121–180) was a Stoic philosopher. Stoicism was a complex philosophy that advised people to find happiness by living in harmony with the universe and by doing their part to better the world—without worries about fate or about things they were unable to control. -Notable Biographies

To Marcus, happiness was to be achieved by living "according to nature," in harmony with the principle that ordered the universe; the peace of mind of such a person could not be affected by life's difficulties. -Notable Biographies

Finding Insperation

2008-11-01T12:00:00.002+11:00

I started to blog in 2005 as a way to piece together my thoughts; a search for inspired and awakened thinking. Writing about the experience helped

remove self limiting thoughts
uncover hidden truths
discover purpose
following personal dreams.

While writing I found it is the questions I ask that guide my thoughts and learning. Step by step I am learning to ask better questions.
A summary of my philosophy

cul·ti·vate [kuhl-tuh-veyt]

1. to promote growth by labour and attention.
2. to develop and improve by education and training; to refine.

Identity

being oneself; distinctive, unique and individual
the same as described
providing sameness and continuity in personality over time
Synonyms: individuality, personality, distinctiveness, uniqueness

Erik Erikson described identity as a sense of self that develops during the course of a person's life. The personality that relates him to and sets him apart from his social milieu.

Authentic/Authenticate

being oneself
providing sameness and continuity in personality over time

“When you step into an intersection of fields, disciplines and cultures, you combine existing concepts into a large number of extraordinary new ideas! Innovations and creativity flourishes at the intersections.” - Frans Johansson (The Medici Effect)

Ayn Rand's Capatalism

2008-10-27T09:00:00.001+11:00

The credit crunch has made me realise how little I know about the monetary system. What is the system that gives value to money? How do we protect the value of money? How does lending have an effect on money?
When I stopped and thought about how the economy works, I came to these conclusions:

The usefulness of money increases when it passes through many hands (equivalent to sharing), stimulating the economy by stimulating trade and manufacturing. When money is passing through many hands people are interacting. People see value.
Money sitting in a jar isn't taking part in the building of an economy, it isn't stimulating investment or encouraging people to be productive.

It wouldn't surprise me if the credit crunch lead to more people reading Ayn Rand's, Atlas Shrugged. You can find a passage from the book here.

Solve Problems by Changing Focus

2008-10-21T10:13:00.002+11:00

Seth Godin in his article reminded me of a couple life lessons:

Our life is bigger then any one problem.
If there is a problem there is a solution.

Benefits of a Low Information Diet

2008-10-19T12:32:00.002+11:00

One habit I am working at changing is the time I spend browsing the internet. Often I get distracted by information, chasing a never ending quest to learn. The problem is it isn't productive. I get caught up in learning without a purpose. Even at school I would rather study what interested me in the moment, rather then what would help me pass tests. It is time wasting and a symptom of unfocused thinking.
To help overcome the distractions of the internet I started writing. Keeping a blog is a tool to help focus my thinking and the information I seek out. Here are some notes I took while reading The 4-Hour Work Week by Tim Ferriss.

Information consumes attention, creating poverty of time.

Reading after a certain age, diverts the mind too much from its creative pursuits. Any man who reads too much and uses his own brain too little falls into lazy habits of thinking. -Albert Einstein

Problems, as a rule, solve themselves or disappear if you remove yourself as an information bottle neck and empower others. -The 4-Hour Work Week, Tim Ferris

My ultimate goal is to maintain a low information diet and avoid information excess. A successful lifestyle design increases output and makes you productive.

Most information is time consuming, negative, irrelevant to your goals, and outside your influence. -The 4-Hour Work Week, Tim Ferris

Is random information distracting you from focused thought?

Chris Anderseen had a qoute on his blog The Long Tale by Nassim Taleb, whose project is designing a lifestyle on how to live and act in a world we do not understand, and how to come to grips with randomness and the unknown. Nassim Taleb has this to say about information,

"Put wax in your ears. People are more afraid of flying than driving because the press does not report car accidents. I never watch the news. Only listen to news you get in a social setting, the things people talk about. Our brains cannot deal with the overload of information. Having a lot of data is not good for anyone trying to make a decision." -Nassim Taleb

Tips for a Low Information Diet
Read accounts that are:

how I did it i.e autobiographical
not speculative
be discerning

photo by Griszka Niewiadomski

The Credit Crisis in Simple Words, Part 1

2008-10-16T11:50:00.004+11:00

Recently I read an article in Time magazine describing the causes of Wall Streets meltdown. Here is a collection of quotes from that article, 'The Price of Greed' and some observations.

"How were we supposed to know that people who lied about their income and assets would walk away from mortgages on houses in which they had no equity? That wasn't in our computer model. -The Price of Greed by Andy Serwer and Allan Sloan

You would like to think this is an over simplification of the truth, but how committed is someone who does not own any equity in their property.

In normal times, problems in the economy cause problems in the financial markets because hard-pressed consumers and businesses have trouble repaying their loans. But this time; for the first time since the Great Depression; problems in the financial market are slowing the economy rather than the other way around. -The Price of Greed by Andy Serwer and Allan Sloan

Is this a contradiction of the first quote? People could repay their loans?

..subprime is Wall Street's euphemism for junk.. -The Price of Greed by Andy Serwer and Allan Sloan

How can the government bail out banks that have junk for assets? It would be like pouring money into a black hole. It sound like banks were investing in pie in the sky assets.

If you borrow 35 times your capital and those investments rise only 1%, you've made 35% on your money. If, however, things move against you; as they did with Lehman- a 1% or 2% drop in value of your assets puts your future in doubt. -The Price of Greed by Andy Serwer and Allan Sloan

Now you can understand why the economy has lost faith in the financial system. This shouldn't be possible. Banks and the people who run them should be too scared to take on this much risk. More fear then the loss of their job.

If AIG croaked, all the players who thought they had their bets hedged would suddenly have "unbalanced books." That could lead to firms other than AIG failing, which could lead to still more firms failing, which could lead to what economists call "systemic failure." -The Price of Greed by Andy Serwer and Allan Sloan

Domino effect. Everyone pays the price, even the people who played be the rules.

Blankfein argued that confidence in global markets had built up to a dangerously giddy level and that investors weren't being compensated for assuming outsize risk in securities like esoteric bonds and Chinese stocks. -The Price of Greed by Andy Serwer and Allan Sloan

Irrational exuberance.

..Wall Street's classic business model, which works like a dream for Wall Street employees (during good times) but can be a nightmare for the customers. Here's how it goes. You bet big with someone else's money. If you win, you get a huge bonus, based on the profits. If you lose, you lose someone else's money rather than your own, and you move on to the next job. -The Price of Greed by Andy Serwer and Allan Sloan

It is a corrupt system that protects the powerful.

What ever the politicians do, we as a society are going to be poorer than we were. -The Price of Greed by Andy Serwer and Allan Sloan

The people at the bottom of the food chain are the people who suffer the most. In other words the people at the heart of the cause get away, while the battlers bear the biggest burden.

We all will have to start living withing our means; or preferably below them. If you don't over-borrow or over-spend, you're far less vulnerable to whatever problems the financial system may have. -The Price of Greed by Andy Serwer and Allan Sloan

If you aren't tempted to carry large debt you will have a better chance of escaping the turmoil in the financial markets of the world.

more reading The Credit Crisis in Simple Words, Part 2, The New Economist, Questions About the Credit Crisis, Money Makes the World Turn

photo By Lisa Kong

Distracted Cognition

2008-10-10T11:22:00.006+11:00

A tip I learned from reading David Allens Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity. Overcoming distracted cognition is as simple as getting things out of your head and into an objective format so you can review. Write your notes on separate 3*5 cards and spread them out. Now organise the cards to give them structure so you can see how the ideas are connected.
Well I don't use 3*5 cards, instead I collect notes on my mobile phone. Then when sitting down to write, I send the notes from my phone via bluetooth to my computer; where I edit and organise them.