Complexity

"Simplicity, patience, compassion.
These three are your greatest treasures.
Simple in actions and thoughts, you return to the source of being.
Patient with both friends and enemies,
you accord with the way things are.
Compassionate toward yourself,
you reconcile all beings in the world."
— Laozi (Tao Te Ching)

Why do we make things so complex in our lives today? It seems to me that along with trying to do everything faster & better, we tend to make everything more & more complex. Often in life it's the simplest answer that is the correct answer. When we have major decisions in our life we tend to vacillate between all the options we have available to us. Some people tend to make lists of all the possibilities & work through the decision as analytically as they possibly can. I use to do this all the time. I would beat myself up to make sure that I've covered all the possibilities, to make sure that I defined everything that could happen in a situation & then prepare myself for the various scenarios that I've envisioned.

This does work on very logical level but by making decision so complex we remove ourselves from the true flow of the universe. We are all connected on so many levels in the universe & the more we try to define what is correct in our life, the further we move away from this connection. Occam's razor says that when all else is equal the simplest solution is the answer. So why do we try to make things so complex?

I think as the cumulative intelligence of the world has risen over the past 100 years we've lost what's important to us. We try to explain everything & we discount anything that can't be explained. I spoke yesterday about patience & I believe making things simple is the next step to finding true joy in your life. Let go of all the gyrations of thought, take time to feel & listen to your soul. That quiet voice deep inside, the voice of God/universe it has all the answers you need & when you begin to simplify your life you will discover the true flow of the universe. Once you realize how easy things can be when you're within the flow of the universe you will work to stay in this true flow all the time.

It is our disconnection from our source (God/universe) that causes us all the troubles we have in our lives. If we can rediscover our connection & stay within it's nature flow, we will know more joy then we can even imagine.

Till tomorrow,

Bill

Quote of the day: "Simplify your life, let go of all the complexity of the worl around us & you will find true joy!"




By TwitterButtons.com

Frustration

Yes I get frustrated just like you do. Thankfully because of the work I've done to lead a more positive/joyful life the frustration doesn't usually last as long as it use to or as long as it does for many other people.

I have found that the best place to be when your frustrated is patient. It is in patience that the answers to your frustration will be revealed. Sometimes it's hard to be patient & for me right now it's becoming more difficult. For those you who don't know; I've been laid-off since June 5th 2009. The past 11 years I have done taxes & worked for one of the Big 4 accounting firms for 9 of those 11 years. I left 2 years ago, from the Big 4, for an opportunity that I believed was going to be a great situation & it didn't work out that way. Besides taxes/accounting I have 8 years of experience in Banking including running an $80 million loan department. In-between these to different careers I was a professional actor. I ran a theatre & was a box office manager at a theatre. So I have a good background in non-profits as well.

Ok that's enough about me. The fact is because I have worked hard to change my life & truly live the things I write about, I rarely get frustrated for long. The key I have found when dealing with negative feelings is that you need to shift your way of thinking. If you allow these emotions to take hold of you, you will spiral into a very bad place quickly. You need to acknowledge how you're feeling but then you need to change the way you look at the situation. It is in this shift of focus that you will discover the answers to the situation you're frustrated about. As I mentioned earlier, patient is also very important. God/universe can do & will do amazing things to help us through whatever we have to deal in our life, if we truly believe it's possible. But sometimes God/universe needs time to create the perfect solution to our situation. We can push to make things happen & sometimes this will work but usually this is a short term gain because it's our EGO that wants the quick solution & so the gain becomes hollow & not what we truly want in the long run.

Believe in miracles & find the patience to wait for them. This along with a shift in focus will lead you through any situation that causes you frustration.

Till tomorrow,

Bill

Quote of the day: "When frustration takes hold, change your focus be patient & miracles can happen"




By TwitterButtons.com

Listening

Are you a good listener? I think in the world today that we've lost the art of listening. We all try to move through life as quickly as we can & don't have time to truly listen to the people in our lives. One of the best ways to stay connected with your soul is to slow down & pay attention to everything that's in your life. This includes listening to the people in your life.

I know we all think we are good listeners. It seems to be a trait that most people think they possess but if you're truly honest with yourself you'll probably agree that you need a little help in this area. Listening to everything that comes into your life can open your mind to new discovers that otherwise would be hidden. Focus on what the people are saying. Don't think about how to respond to what you think they're saying. Take the time to actually listen.

Beyond listening to the people in your life, expand your mind to listen to the universe. Sometimes when we're struggling for answers to things in our life. If we change our focus to things we don't normally pay attention to we can find the answers we're looking for. Until you try this, I know it sounds a bit odd but trust me, you'll never understand the true benefit it can bring. Start by sitting in a park listening to the birds, I mean really listening, listen to every note they sing. This active listening can open your mind to the answers your looking for. The truth is what do you have to lose. You can at least enjoy the song the birds sing. This active listening can be anything in your life; the sound of the wind, the water or just the quiet. Take time to listen, really listen & your life will change.

Begin today practice listening to everything in your life, even the things you don't want to listen to. Pay attention & open your mind your life will be better because of it.

Till Monday, enjoy your weekend.

Bill

Quote of the day: "Open your mind & listen to everything in your life today...really listen. By paying attention to the smallest detail you can find the answers you're looking for."




By TwitterButtons.com

Heroes

Do you have any heroes in your life? I think in the world today we often get confused about about what a true hero is. Many of us pin that label on Entertainers, Sports stars or politicians. The problem is that we build these people up to be even more then they are. I've personally never gotten into all the gossip surrounding all the personalities that are in the daily news. I look to each group for what they bring into my life: Entertainers - how much I enjoy their show, movie or song. Sports stars - how they perform on the filed of play. Politicians - what they do for the betterment of society or what they do with issues that are important to me. I think we all forget that these are people just like you & me. They make mistakes just like each of us do & rarely do they deserve the label of hero.

So do heroes exist today? I believe there are heroes all around us. To me surrounding ourselves with heroes can lead us to more growth in our lives. This growth can be in many different areas but the best part is that you will have people around you that you can pattern your behavior & life after. Certainly there are heroes that do amazing things, I'll never forget all the sacrifices our men & women in the military make everyday or the person who runs into a burning house to save the people inside. These are amazing people in a moment of decision but to me finding the people that do the right thing everyday of their life are the people to surround yourself with. These are the people that will truly help change your life. Find the people that can enhance the things that are important to you in your life. Listen to them, learn from them & your life will be amazingly full of joy.

Remember that you too can be hero to someone else. Yes, you!! You have the ability within you to do amazing things & to help others discover their own hidden talents. Be a hero for your children, your church or your friends. Show them the way to be more loving & grateful or show them what you've learned in your life that can help them grow beyond where they are now. Discover the hero within you, believe in yourself because I know you can do amazing things!

Till tomorrow,

Bill

Quote of the day: "Find the hero within you & be the shinning light for everyone involved in your life!"




By TwitterButtons.com

Chart a course

I've always liked sailing. The feeling of being out on the water with nothing but a sail. The quiet of the ocean, the feeling of the wind & the thought it takes to get to where you want to go. To me sailing is very much like life. One minute everything is going great, the next minute there's no wind or a storm comes up.

I think it's important for all of us to have a course to follow in life. I try hard to have goals for each day or at least each week. I also try to chart a course for the rest of my life. But like sailing we can't get to stuck with the course we chart. To often we become rigid with the plan we have for our lives & we no longer feel the wind. Yes at times the wind can blow us far off course but sometimes the adventure to get back is worth the inconvenience.

Ok I'll stop the comparison for now but life is about living. We have choices everyday on how we're going to live our life. It's very easy to fall into a negative frame of mind & very difficult to get back to living a more joyful life. But because life is about living every moment to the fullest we should never become rigid with what we want in our life. Don't misunderstand me at times we have to move through difficulty with a laser focus but in order to truly enjoy life we need to begin to experience everything & adjust our life plan when we come across things we discover in our life.

To often, even when things aren't working, we stick with our plan & refuse to move away from it. I believe one of the great keys to life is to be flexible & to learn from everything that comes into your life. Just like when the wind changes if your sailing, you need to be willing to let go of what doesn't work in your life & move on to a better life.

Finally, don't get caught up in the negative. There will always be storms in your life. Don't remember how difficult the storms are instead give yourself credit for making it through & let go of the negative. To many of us have people around us that are stuck on the negative & their energy will bring you down quicker then you know what hit you. Surround yourself with positive loving people & let go of the negative things that happen in your life. Chart your course with love & flexibility & you'll sail into a more joyful life.

Till Tomorrow,

Bill

Quote of the day: "Sailing is like life. Feel where the wind is & adjust your life accordingly."




By TwitterButtons.com

Talking with God

Do you talk with God/universe? Do you get answers to your questions? I remember reading the book "Conversations with God" by Neale Donald Walsch & wondering at the time whether it was even possible to talk with God/universe. And if we could talk with God/universe would we really get any answers or was this book just completely contrived? When I was younger I use to have a problem with over analyzing everything. My mind would look for some empirical proof that what I read was possible. As I've gotten older & learned to quiet my mind I've discovered that talking with God/universe can happen to anyone everyday of their life.

To me the true connection to God/universe is your soul. The soul is the window to all possibilities in your life but many of us struggle to hear what the soul is telling us. We so desperately want an answer that we never take the time to listen. Instead we react to the noise in our head. That noise can be deafening & very hard to ignore especially if you have an overactive mind like me. Learning to quiet the noise & move beyond your mind was the hardest thing for me to learn.

I've spoken many times before in this blog about the problem with the EGO. The EGO is all consuming for many of us & the only thing we know to listen to. But the truth is that although it's always the loudest noise & always craves attention we need to let it go & get past it. Once we can move beyond the EGO & the active mind we can begin to feel the connection with the soul.

This deep feeling of understanding that I choose to define as the soul is the quiet voice deep within you. It's never loud & sometimes it's very difficult to hear at all. But if you take the time to move beyond the "noise" in your life, you will begin to hear that small voice deep inside which is your soul!

Once you've made the connection to the soul you will begin your conversation with God/universe. You will often hear the answers to your questions within this small voice & if the answers aren't spoken to you by your soul, you will see signs throughout your life to answer your questions.

As with Clarity, the way I find this connection is to quiet my mind completely. What do I mean by this? I try to empty my mind completely. I try to get to a point where there is nothing happening in my head....just a blank feeling where my mind embraces the quiet. Once I find this quiet, I listen. I start by listening to my heart beat & then I move beyond that sound to the small voice inside. I rarely directly ask questions because it knows what I need to know & many times it will answer me with what I need to know. Regardless of what I hear I pay attention to it & I pay attention to everything that comes into my life after I've made this connection.

People may argue that this isn't the voice of God/universe & that's ok with me. I believe it is & I believe it's the only way to move your life forward in true harmony. Let go of the noise & discover your soul through this process & you will lead a more joyful life.

Until tomorrow,

Bill

Quote of the day "Discover the connection to your soul & you can begin your conversation with God/universe today!




By TwitterButtons.com

Love

Yes, Love....I've written about it from time to time because it's one of my favorite subjects. But I feel like it's time to write about it again. How do you love? Are you searching for love in your life? Have you found pain because of love?

Love is the answer to everything in our life. I truly believe that, love is the answer. I know it sounds wonderful but what do I mean & how do I find love? For me, love begins from inside of each of us. We all have a deep love trapped inside of us. It's the purest love we will ever find in our lives but discovering it can be difficult. The way to begin is to first love yourself. This can be very difficult or at least it was for me. I've always loved the people in my life but loving myself took me many years to figure out. I've written before about the relationship I had with my Dad to summarize here; I always felt that I could never be good enough for him. This lead me to being extremely hard on myself. I was overly critical of any mistakes I made in life & didn't feel like I could love myself because I wasn't good enough for my love.

I have discovered as I've gotten older that true love begins with loving yourself. We are all imperfect beings & in order to bring more love into our lives love needs to begin with us. Learn to forgive yourself for your past mistakes. Let go of the past because the past holds us back from finding true joy in our life. Remember that no matter what's happened to you in the past. It's in the past & can't be changed. So forgive yourself or the others that have been involved with your past & begin anew today. Once you begin to love yourself you can allow that love to radiate out of yourself into the world.

The next key is to always come from a place of love first with everyone in our life. What do I mean by this? Fill your heart with love & begin each conversation from love. Give people the benefit of the doubt & feel that love throughout all of your relationships. I've always believed that everyone that comes into our life, even for a short period of time, is there for a reason. If we come from a place of love first we allow that reason to be revealed.

The biggest mistake we all make is to search for love. Love will fill your life if you allow yourself to feel love. There's no need to search because what we give out we receive back. So begin with love inside of yourself & you will find more love in your life then you can ever imagine.

So what about the pain of love. I don't want to minimize the pain that can come from loving everyone who enters your life. But the joy we receive from filling our life with love will always outweigh the pain that a few individuals can cause. Remember that each person is on their own journey & we can't control where there journey will lead them. Celebrate the time that people are in our lives & learn from each relationship we have. By doing this our life will be better & love will always find us.

Believe in love, it makes all the difference in the world & if each of us loved just a little bit more the world would be a better place. Join me in bringing more love to the world & changing the world into a better place.

Till Monday, have a great weekend.

Bill

Quote of the day: "Love is the most fulfilling emotion we can have in our life. Open your heart to love & you will lead a more joyful life."


By TwitterButtons.com