Overthinking and Hidden Habits

 

Many years ago I read a book called "Using Your Brain for a Change" (I've mentioned that book previously on this blog because it is so good. See the article: "Do we all live in our own abridged reality?") One of the things it pointed out was you don't normally react to a situation it self, what you react to initially is your perception of the situation. That is, if you think a particular food is going to taste bad then it very likely will.

Using Your Brain--For a Change:
Neuro-Linguistic Programming
By Richard Bandler

Publisher: Real People Press
Year : 1985
ISBN numbers: 9780911226263, 9780911226270, 0911226265, 0911226273

• Listing on WorldCat Library index
•  Listing on Google Books

People tend to bring their reality into alignment with their belief system. And one's belief system can be very, very powerful. But many of us don't realize it, because our belief system is not often scrutinized. For the most part it's on autopilot and doing what ever it likes. It's also very fast, especially when taking the form of an emotion. In such a case, your conscious mind has been conditioned to just follow along. Whether you like it or not.

So the first thing to do is pay attention to how aware you are of your surroundings. This is the beginning step of taking your self off autopilot. Just stop right now for example, and take stock of what there is to notice. Do this a few times throughout the day. Then consider if you have any opinions about what you've noticed:

•  Is there anything you would like to change?
• Are there any unexpected reactions to your environment when you actually pay conscious attention to it?

Just this simple act of taking yourself off autopilot can yield so much information. I recommend you don't go overboard but just pick one or two things to modify or perhaps make notes on.  

Now, for Those Hidden Habits:

Have you ever found yourself in a position where you have a straightforward task to perform and yet even before starting you fear that you will fail to complete it?

Taking an initial great idea and becoming overly worried about it because of perceived fear some aspect is going to have a greater impact in reality than it usually does. This habit has an effect that I bet you never thought about.

It keeps you from taking a risk, and risk is built into all new endeavours. Even though you may become this frustrated as hell. It is possible that subconsciously part of you is relieved. The trouble is unless you address what you are feeling and begin to deconstruct it, this automatic "kill switch" will just keep firing whenever a new endeavour or idea wonders by.

I talked with many people were very frustrated because in their own words "I can never get anything off the ground. The more I try the more frustrated I become a mineralogist give up." After a little more investigation most of the time it is revealed that they start with the initial idea and then they keep building requirements on to it. Before they know it may become overwhelmed.

The thing to do in this situation is take the first simple and thereby doable version of the idea and implement that. Instead of trying to get the concept perfect. This is one of the best ways to start things. Frequently, my article start with the simplest of ideas and rather than waiting until I got some sort of Mangum openness, I type the first sentence into the online editor of my blog. That gets me going, and because it actually creates a draft entry of the article on the site it makes it just a little bit more real. Now, not all ideas come to fruition. Sometimes I find other sites covering the same topic and doing much better job. In which case I may simply reference them in an later article. Sometimes what seemed as a great idea doesn't hold water the next day. It's is all part of my creative process. The big point here is that you start with whatever you've got.

This also conditions you to not overthinking everything and actually getting something off the ground. Over 12 years ago when I started this blog it sat dormant for many years and then one day boat four years ago I just decided to start adding content and now we are at 165 articles. They are not all by any means literary masterpieces, but slowly and surely I am getting better at this and the monthly views are following suit. At this point in time I can't even remember why I started the site and that doesn't matter. What matters is I enjoy what I'm doing and I know in a small way I am adding content and value to the good old Internet😀

So don't think too much about a new idea but take steps toward a small goal as fast as you can. That helps keep it real and gets you going on whatever the adventure is.

The other thing I hear a great deal when talking with people is ingrained automatic habits that they are barely aware of . These habits can have great effects both positive and negative. Here's an example:

A coffee lover who has an important event in next day. Normally they enjoy their Java throughout the day. But in this case the night before and have to be alert at their event they drink double the amount of coffee. Because that is what to do when they're nervous. Of course but they don't always realize is that they are guaranteeing themselves to have a bad night's rest. Breaking this little habit for them is very challenging. They have relied on this mechanism for a long time. Even though it is totally counterproductive and works against them ultimately.

This same scenario can take different forms but you get the idea. Small little habits that don't seem to be harmful at all and yet if you're not totally aware of what you're doing these little routines can spell a guaranteed scuttling of your ship. So start tracking what you're doing will you go throughout your day especially when you're in stressful moments. I have a feeling you are going to find a few of these little habits kicking around and actually ingrained behaviour can become someone conscious that the only way you know it's there is because of your emotional reaction.

Take care,and as usual feel free to leave comments.

Patrick

The Active Versus Passive Mind.

AI generated re-creation of
The Thinker sculpture by Auguste Rodin sculpture.
Software used: Vision FX 2.0 by Distinct AI

 Active vs. the passive mindset-- Would you rather ride the train or just watch it pass you by?

Once again my daily life has provided me with the idea for this article. I simply cannot believe how often I'm inspired to write by just the simplest in small events.

Today is a holiday Monday here in British Columbia Canada and when I went downstairs for lunch someone asked me what I did today. I rattled off the following: "Helped an elderly person with their computer issue. Did another section of my online course in computer science. Researched a few technical problems on my blog...." They looked at me for a moment and said "Yes, but what do you like to do for fun?" To which I replied "It's the same thing as what I just said." Then they said "Okay, what don't you like to do?" My reply was (and is) "Waste time." They looked mildly astonished and that was the end of the conversation.

Now please don't get me wrong, I do occasionally like to have a day off where I just relax, but it is not my regular state of being. My curiosity and desire to add something to my life each day are driving forces. I simply cannot abide just sitting there watching the train go by. At the very least I'm going to ride that train. For me life is far too short and far too precious. I do not believe in an afterlife, but even if I did, I would not want to waste each day. The very fact that I can interact with the world and be aware of that interaction is something that I find amazing. It is obvious as well that to be alive and sentiment might be quite a rare combination. I course as I get older I become aware even more it each day is short. So bottom line, I am not going to waste it by being passive and just watch life go by.

However, it seems that there are a lot of people, at least in my surroundings, that to want to just let the train of life go by rather then ride it. Now don't get me wrong, I do occasionally like to have a day off and just relax. But it is not my default state. Hearing from people that they would rather just chill out and continually not really participate in the life just price me a little crazy. Because I want to do the exact opposite.

Right now, I want to  understand this passive point of view. As you can probably tell admit quite a number of people like this. Many of them very bright and young in their 30s if not late 20s. As I write this article I am pondering ways to understand their behaviour. They must be getting something out of it. Could it be their life is so empty that they just are used to going through the routine? I don't think so. Several years ago, when I was waiting to move in to my current assisted living building I spent some time on a respite ward while I was waiting. The room was small but I did have my laptop with me and the staff were very enthusiastic that I was there. I didn't spend my time watching TV, rather when I heard from the staff that the floor's Wi-Fi was intermittent, I got on the phone to the local provider and because of my background in IT was able to work with them to clearly articulate the problem. Ultimately they sent out a technician and the issue was found and fixed. This is what I like to do, --fix things-- it just makes sense to me. I had previously assumed that this was the way life worked. That even if people more outwardly motivated, there was indeed something driving them inside. I still think this is true. Human race simply wouldn't have evolved if we were content to sit on a rock.

So is this mental passivity, of just letting the train go by, a symptom of something I touched on in an earlier article (To benefit from Challenge, Is the Meaning of Life) , aversion to challenge, and could it be that people are losing their ability to undertake challenging tasks or projects. Could then the default reaction be "Since I'm uncomfortable with challenge and the time it takes, I will just sit on the sidelines and watch things go by."  Boy, oh boy, I hope that's not the ultimate answer to this question. Still, the answer just doesn't seem right. Life itself is not passive. It does not just sit there. It finds ways to multiply and at the very least exist. Given a long time life usually ends up thriving in the most unlikely of places and environments. The hot acidic underwater vents come to mind.

I have no one people who outwardly appear to be mentally passive and content to watch the train go by but many of them are just deep deep thinkers. They consider an issue and relish solitude in order to devote themselves entirely to the matter at hand. They can be quirky and eccentric but I'm telling you their minds are active. The very antithesis of this situation I'm describing.

Over the past few months I have tried to motivate some people here and the seemed to gravitate back to their original state which is in my book wasting life. I remember my parents saying "What do you want to do when you grow up?" I always had an answer and it might be electronics or playing a musical instrument. At one point I nearly next my father to death about building a steam engine out of coffee cans and plastic tubing. (I was probably around six years old then. At the time it seemed completely logical to me.)

Okay, we have definitely defined that I'm different among my group in this building... But I sure would like to motivate some of the other people here. It seems like it's such a waste to be alive and not take advantage of it. Yes we are all disabled, and some of us have some pretty severe conditions. For the severest of which I understand where they want to keep your life simple. It is not those people I am pondering about, it is the people that are sufficiently adapted to their situation that they do have a choice on how they proceed through life.

The benefits of an active mindset are many. For one thing you enjoy life the very state of being. You see potential and change all about. It is impossible to have an active mind and not be curious. The active mindset also has the ability to carry you through rough times. If you are stuck and can't do anything about your situation you automatically look for other avenues that you can effect. Someone came up to me yesterday and asked where they would purchase a "wheelchair wraparound desk" the Canadian paraplegic popped into my head. They would probably know where to get one. There are enough people in the workforce that I'm sure even the local Staples office furniture store might have some in stock. Again what blew me away about the request was that the person had absolutely no idea where to start and they have been in their wheelchair for life.

… I think I just figured this out. I think, and please do tell me if you think I'm wrong, it's the one the difference between myself and people with passive mindsets is that "challenge" as being part of my lifestyle as far back as I can remember. My father had polio and was one of the first, if not the first practising disabled anaesthesiologists in Canada. Since I was born in 1959 this is quite some time ago. Can you imagine the challenges he faced. There were no accessibility laws or standards and if you've ever been down a old sidewalk you will note that not only are there no cutaways the sidewalk is very high. My father could walk with braces but that would mean he would really have to swing himself to get up and down on sidewalks. Talk about challenge. I think that is it. So how do we bring useful challenge into the modern lifestyle. How do we make things a wee bit difficult but keep them meaningful.? Definitely let me know what you think.

Take care for now. Patrick

Promoting optimism: The Glass Is Half Full!😀

This article is about optimism of the individual, but the ideas can be applied to groups.

Have you ever considered that the way you feel at any given moment is the way you think you should feel in that situation?

Think about this situation: Unexpectedly a dear friend who you haven't seen in many years calls you up. Instantly there is a feeling of joy and excitement. Now when you think about it, that feeling of happiness is not occurring due, to the fact that your dear friend is calling you up. It has to do with the decision you made when you realized who it was on the phone. You decided it was a good time to feel joy. On the other hand, if a bill collector calls, you may feel the exact opposite and again it is not the bill collector's call, it's your decision on how to feel in that context. 

It is amazing when one begins to realize how much control you really have over emotions. But we are not taught to think of it that way. Most people behave as though the reaction it's outside of their control. But the reaction and indeed the interpretation of any given situation is fully within your control. So why not promote optimism as you go through your daily life. It not only will improve your well-being, it will also deepen your understanding of other people and indeed society.

 

"The reaction and indeed the interpretation of any given situation is fully within your control."

You are the decision-maker of interpretations.

Consider "political correctness" movement and its variants, it is not the words that are the issue, it is the value and interpretation you give to the situation. So you might as well put a positive spin on it or simply ignore whatever words are used and look for the intent of the message. Society can either choose to promote positiveness or it can go down the other road. The choice is really up to the individual and the group they are involved with.

Promoting a state of being positive it's really about taking the time to get involved with your self on an intimate level. Turn off the autopilots and consider what attracts you or repels you in any given situation. Once you figure that out you might as well start selling an optimistic outlook to your self and others. I live in an assisted living building and many people here lament that they were once able-bodied and are no longer. I remind them that rather than focusing on what they lost they should when possible look at your new situation and embrace it. They may have lost mobility but they have gained support (Our building actually has a doctor who makes house calls) The staff here would do almost anything in support of the people they work with. I know this because they have moved heaven and earth when it comes to enabling me to do various projects like repair a computer. Physically I'm slow and my coordination is in great. One day I had a computer here the needed a new Bluetooth card. I was able to direct the staff on how to put the cart in the machine and everything turned out wonderfully.

The point is, you can choose your outlook and interpretation of almost everything. Promoting optimism seems like a very useful thing to do. In the next few moments it will probably be an opportunity for you to choose how to interpret a situation. Analyse the reaction or the decision made and decide with you can put a positive spin on it. These opportunities occur many times each day and often we are barely aware of them. Treat these events as opportunities to see the glass half full rather than half empty. It is an amazing and ongoing journey.

Don't you agree?… Let me know in the comments.

Patrick

N.B. Due to technical issues, this post was written literally live online between December 29 to the 31st 2024 inclusive. The text was subject to change between those dates. 

How to Cultivate Patience: A Personal Journey.

Image generated by Ideogram AI.

 First, let's define what I consider "patience" to me:

1. It is not just the willingness to wait for something to complete or happen.
2. It is about being comfortable and open to the passage of time.
3. It is about understanding that people and things occur at different rates.
4. It is also about understanding one's self and others around you.

That last point  (number 4 ) is really interesting and important. If you find yourself in the state of being impatient. That means that something about the situation you are in is bothering you and it is not usually as apparent as you first may think.

When I was in my mid-20s even though due to a disability I was physically slower, I would frequently get angry at people who didn't understand concepts as quickly as I could. This was missed place frustration at the physical limitations imposed by my condition. It took a long time, but what I finally discovered was the key for me is that you must be willing to go beyond your personal perceptions and consider for a moment the larger picture. Once I properly understood my physical frustrations, the impatient situations began to decrease.

So when you feel impatient about something, take a moment to look at your bigger picture. I bet you will find that there is some other component not being addressed. This is actually a very big lesson to learn: To continually alter the way you look at things. It is actually a good habit and one worth developing.No one likes to go outside of their comfort zone, so this lesson did take me a long time to really "get".

Judgements about people can also manifest as impatiences. To cover the fact that we are judging someone we simply feel impatient. Here, the answer is to look inside oneself to see what is motivating any particular feeling.

Learn not to take things personally. You are not the centre of the universe. Adults and children are spending far less time with each other in social activities. So we get used to dramatic feedback in everything from games to YouTube and this can result in a very insecure personality. Emotionally such individuals develop a need to be focused upon all the time. This is a recipe for disaster. Conversely if one understands that they are part of a larger community and that communities go through various cycles and changes you will find that there is no need to get an "Attention-Hit".  So turn off the computer and spent some time with your fellow human beings. The insecurity will disappear replaced by a healthy sense of balance.

The more you understand about your self, the more you will grow and the more you will learn. The ability to be patient will grow and grow. You will also know when on occasion to not be patient. The point is you will know what true patience is.

As with all things in life, cultivating "patience" takes effort and commitment. For some of you it will not come easily because it will inevitably involve challenging yourself and your belief systems on some level. To truly understand what patience is, is indeed a journey. I can guarantee you that as you go through life your definition will change. But it is well worth the ongoing undertaking.

As always, feel free to leave comments and let me know what you think. Take care,
Patrick

** NOTE: The pictures "Image generated by Ideogram AI" displayed at the top of this article is from the service Ideogram AI.  As a layperson, I have read their relevant "terms of service" and determined, to the best of my ability, that the image may be viewed by the public.  However before any reuse, please review fully their terms and if necessary contact the company for more information.

The use of said image does not imply any affiliation or endorsement.

 

 

People addicted to anger.

 

Basic Image generated by Ideogram AI.
Text added by me.

Thought I done an article on this topic before but it's not in my database, so here we go…

I am continually surprised by how many apparently angry people there are when I look around me where I live, which happens to be Surrey British Columbia. Individuals and what apparently appears to be a perpetual "bad mood" who when you ask them actually want to stay angry. They may put it in different words, but at the end of the day you can see by how they are framing things that they really want to stay upset.

Why the heck would people want to do that? It stalls any hope of personal growth or being able to benefit from life. They also apparently want to complicate everything. Small seemingly insignificant events become full one multiperson debates. I have seen arguments over the availability of coffee and/or its strength get to the point where of their staff in my assisted living building have to get advice from the administrator. To me that's just ridiculous. I'm not talking about big changes to the coffee situation it's more about things like 6 (178 ml) ounces versus 8 (236 ml) ounce cups. The results will want to projecting going on in these arguments and they all seem to like it in a very negative way.

To be honest, I live in a facility which is far above most others that I have seen. The staff here are kind, enthusiastic and just a bit quirky 💗. It's not perfect of course because the healthcare environment is just full of rules and regulation. Sometimes that can put a damper on things, but overall the staff does an excellent job of keeping the quality of life going.

Yet for a lot of the tenants there is a malaise. Yet when ideas are brought forward to break the pattern people are stuck in there is tremendous rationalization as to "why they can't" to whatever is being suggested. ...I just don't get it. There is so much opportunity to do what ever you want and the time to do it. That's a lot free most of the world doesn't have. Yes the cost of staying here is 70% of one's income but that covers everything aside from Internet and a landline if you want it. (the land line is only $20 a month). One cannot get kicked out unless something really insane happens. Essentially people have the time to take courses if they want; we have a few libraries nearby. Because everyone here is disabled in one way or another they all qualify for discount Internet plans. I get 150 Mb per month for $30 unlimited. I mean it's insane the amount of opportunity that you just sitting there for anyone to grasp.

So what is this negative hold over people? What are they getting out of it? There must be something. I really do find it fascinating and I admit I also find it very unsettling because it is wasted potential. Now I'm not perfect and I have my own issues that I deal with, but at 65 years old I am doing pretty darn well. Most people in this building are much younger than I am. One of the things I do to balance out the negativity and stay connected with the world at large it's write this very blog. I also volunteer five days a week via a remote connection to the office of the organization. Occasionally I going to Vancouver to attend meetings but 90% of my work and duties is done right from my very desk. Still it keeps me connected with people and events and drawing value from my life.

The place where I live could be a hive of activity. There actually is an organization in Vancouver British Columbia called "HiVE Vancouver Society". They rent out space and hardware for those needing to set up a small office for their entrepreneurial grassroots business. I've never been there but I heard it's quite something. I can see the place where I live doing something similar if only the tenants would avail themselves of the opportunities that exist. Yes many of them have been through accidents which brought them here but "here" is not a bad place at all. As I said earlier this particular facility is far ahead of others I have seen. The apartments by the way are huge, I intuitively want to say about 600 ft.² (55 m²). Far larger than other organizations provide.and like I say the staff is very, very "groovy"! 😀.

I think I just figured this topic out…  Why people can be addicted to anger:

As long as you are angry, especially if it's your preferred state, the responsibility for everything tends to be placed on other things or people. -- It's a short term get out of jail free card! And it's easy. One gets to ignore everything else. The trouble is of course, you don't get anywhere. There was no benefit because you handed over mentally the responsibility for everything. In that mental state, you can't even change your self. Yikes!… The person's stuck until they break the routine.

Conversely, taking advantage of an opportunity frequently involves work and commitment. The benefits however are legion. First off, the opportunity allows the person to evolve and of course the evolution takes one in uncertain but often times incredibly beneficial directions. Speaking from personal experience, I think by getting to know your self and the opportunities around you, one's health overall is much better. Because you are looking at the various things in your life. Even though I have Cerebral Palsy and am 65 years old I take absolutely no drugs. Not because I'm a Puritan, because I don't have to. (I think I may be the only person in my building who can make that claim.)

This ties into something else, I wonder if society is making things a little too easy. (See Difficulty Has Its Advantages on this blog.) In order for people to grow they need challenge that is meaningful and they need to learn the skills to benefit from such situations.

With that I think I will end this positive rant and put together a quick video for it.

Have a great day everyone. Patrick. Thanks for stopping by.

 

** NOTE: The picture "Image generated by Ideogram AI" displayed at the top of this article is from the service Ideogram AI.  As a layperson, I have read their relevant "terms of service" and determined, to the best of my ability, that the image may be viewed by the public.  However before any reuse, please review fully their terms and if necessary contact the company for more information.

The use of said image does not imply any affiliation or endorsement.

Content, Content, And More New Content...

Image generated by Ideogram AI.

It is clear from the reviewing the blog statistics that the way to keep the numbers of visitors coming back is in a phrase: "Content, Content, And More New Content." However if I rush out short articles Google and the other search engines frown and send the blog down to the basement of the search listings, which is not a good thing.

Nevertheless, during 2023 I did attempt to put out an article every few days and while there were a few good ones, for example "Nurturing the Creative Soul" there were also some that made me want to cringe. But I made a commitment when I started the blog way back when never to delete an article, I may tweak it a bit if I find it glaring error but the article as a whole will stand as long as this site keeps running. The whole year taught me a lesson that it is better to aim for meaningful content rather than just cranking it out. 

So how to pull this off is the question. In a way that I can sustain. The video production takes the longest to create even though I very much enjoy doing it. Then of course there's all the other related stuff:

• Creating the artwork for the YouTube and Pinterest thumbnails.
• Checking all the copyright information and making sure that it is included clearly in the video. I also want to make sure that in doing so you the viewer/reader can discover perhaps new resources in the process.
• There is always a surprise somewhere in the production. I keep trying to get it down to a formula but things are always in flux.

And that's just what comes to mind at this very moment. My intent has never been to make money, although I would never say no to that. 😀. So rest assured I'm just going to keep on going.

There was a recent request to make a comparison between Linux and Windows video. However I am not going to reproduce the same "Geeky" production which is overly detailed. I'm thinking about a split screen approach where you accomplish a task. It could be as simple as watching a YouTube video Or using some graphics program to edit a photo. We shall see what I come up with.

There will be an update on the blog sometime Monday, September 2 when I have the next segment to the "Perception Throughout The Ages" series which deals with in a broad sense how a person's perceptions alter how they work with the world. Briefly I am working with someone who has a very different way of looking at reality and I am having to teach them the very fundamentals of using a computer. There is more information in the current article,.

I am heading out to see them on Saturday, August 31. Currently I'm trying to develop some sort of very informal lesson plan. The idea of small posters with key points on them of how to do very fundamental things had occurred to me but after seeing their room in the facility it became apparent that it is far too small to clutter up with things even on the wall. Well, I'm just going to have to be adaptable and make this work.

So this is my way of saying stay tuned and please bear with me as I discover and uncover all sorts of things as I go through each day 👍.

Take care Patrick

** NOTE: The picture "Image generated by Ideogram AI" displayed at the top of this article is from the service Ideogram AI.  As a layperson, I have read their relevant "terms of service" and determined, to the best of my ability, that the image may be viewed by the public.  However before any reuse, please review fully their terms and if necessary contact the company for more information.

The use of said image does not imply any affiliation or endorsement.

 

Disability from an optimist's point of view

 

 "Don't seek comfort and conformity in your world. Seek to engage  the world."

Most people spend a fair bit of time and indeed their life, trying to differentiate themselves from what they perceive as "The Rest of Us". Sometimes this effort works out and sometimes it does not.

Now if you're born "disabled", and feel free to insert whatever terminology you want to put in there for whatever condition or situation you are in. We are different from the get go. "A limited run", "A one-of-a-kind… The descriptions and labels could go on and on.

But for me, and I really mean this,  disability is an opportunity in disguise. I look at the normal world and I see most people not taking advantage of the great options that are right there in front of them. I speculate, and this is only my speculation, that they never had to think outside of the box. They never had to become good problem solvers. Whereas being different, and having challenges forces you to engage with the world as it is. The world is not going to adjust to me for being different. So one must be very creative, and stretch whatever boundaries exist.

As I have grown older I have become very aware of the benefits inherent in challenges.

I don't want things simple and I don't want things easy. However I despise meaningless effort. If something is going to be difficult and it darn well better be difficult with a good goal. This is an important point because as long is there is a positive goal inherent in the challenge then the individual will be given an opportunity to grow. Whether they take advantage of that opportunity is another matter entirely and probably an additional article on the blog at some point.

Now, I know there's an infinite range in regards to disability, from the minor to the utterly devastating. I don't want to reduce any condition or state of life to an overly simplified point of view. But that being said, if you are different or see yourself as disenfranchised in any way, rather than falling down the stereotypical black hole of disadvantage and/or despair. 

Take your differences and work with them. This is where ideas truly come from and thereby so does opportunity.

At almost 65 years of age, I can say unequivocally that I would never want to be normal and that is especially true in the 21st century. People who are born now, may not have the early exposure to the effort needed to expand their horizons. Young minds who simply go online to find a predigested answer to a question. They may never get a chance to really explore and find out why something is the way it is. That puts them at a great disadvantage because a person must learn to think at a fairly early age in order to really take advantage of life. Yes, one can do it at any age but it is so much more effective the earlier one undertakes these challenges. Same goes for the amount of time invested in some undertaking. I myself have to fight my own shrinking attention span. Yet look back less than 100 years and you find people undertaking complex disciplines and working of the answers using only their minds and paper. That means that they truly understood the concepts they were evolving and in that process they gained resilience and depth in their understanding.

Use the gift of technology and the coming artificial intelligence revolution in the best way possible. If automation has make your life easier then use that freedom to continue to explore other avenues. Do not just stay a consumer of technology and or the environment. Seek a little difficulty. Make it something slightly uncomfortable, so that you have to work at it. This will help keep you alive on so many levels...

In short:

"Don't seek comfort and conformity in your world. Seek to engage  the world."

One of the things that really surprised me when I moved into my assisted living facility was the lack of motivation of all the tenants. I on the other hand treated as a godsend, rather than being tied down with the various energy sapping necessities which are required to make it through the day, the staff greatly reduce my physical strain. Leaving me with a lot of free time to explore all sorts of avenues. Which is what I've done and will continue to do till the very last day of my life. So apparently I'm a bit of an outlier because I thought that everyone who has their burdens of life reduced would naturally explore what ever interested them. However are stuck in a rut of their own making. Bizarrely they use their own intellect to maintain the status quo. This is something I really do not understand…

Well I will keep trying to motivate everyone around me because life is just too short to waste. Hopefully the articles that I now post will leave some of my audience thinking and the other us smiling. I would like to publish more articles however time and energy just do not permit at this moment of my life. My ultimate goal is to increase the quality of these articles a great deal. That however takes time which is why I am not publishing is much as I used to compared to early last year.

There will be a video with this post but I can't tell you exactly what it will be because I am just about created it and at this very moment there are lots of ideas along the vein of "Disability from an Optimistic Point of View." So let's see if I can surprise myself.

Thank you for stopping by my blog. And come back to this article in the next day or two because I will be adding or reediting parts. It's just that kind of weekend. (In other words I'm running out of time.)

Take care Patrick

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Do you notice the times when you're happy?

Some of my father's wood carvings.
Circa 1995.

My father would often cloister himself away, to work on his many art projects, be it carving, drawing, painting, creating figurines of the Plaster of Paris etc.… He definitely knew when he was happy.

We often go through out our day noticing when things are not going right and usually are very aware of the impact it has. How often are you aware when you're happy throughout the day? Do you actually noticed the moments when you are happy as much as those times when you are negatively impacted? If the world is so busy counting the negatives, perhaps it is time to take pause and count the positives.

I am guilty of this as well. Although I do my darndest to catch these darker moments and events and balance them out with a clear perspective. Here's an example:

When I bought a bottle of wine, even if it's a screwtop, I am very aware that usually getting it open takes a little bit of planning. This is due to a disability I have, Cerebral Palsy, usually I put on rubber gloves to increase my grip and give the bottle a few tries before the lead cracks open. But occasionally the bottle opens without effort and I am instantaneously very pleased. But how long do I hold onto that memory?-This is the question. So today I'm going to make a conscious effort to notice the things that go right. At the end of the day I will look back and see what I feel about things. It is also very appropriate that it's Friday. That in itself always brings a smile to my face. This particular file goes way back to when I was a child and it meant the end of the school week was near. Even though I liked school, the weekend was always much better. Full of adventure 😌.

So, that's it then, let's all take some time to notice when we are happy and then reflect on that at the end of the day and see how we feel. The video with this incredibly short article goes into more detail and I can tell you that by the end of it I was feeling pretty darn good 😁!

There may be a follow-up video because I intend to keep this positive idea of being aware of my own positive events going for at least a week and then I will report back. So this article will get longer.

For now take care and enjoy the video. May it bring something nice to your day.
Patrick Clark

The Art of Being Happy.

There are of course many articles written on the art of being happy. This text however will be different it is a much more personal journey as I attempt to look at what happiness is for me and perhaps for you. There will of course be a video at some point. (It'll probably be just below this paragraph as Google loves videos to peer near the beginning of a piece so that users don't have to scroll very far😁

Step 1: Get Real, Stop the Mental Autopilot

I did an article and video almost exactly a year ago dealing with just this.-The article is called "Presence of Mind". To summarize the article you have to pay attention to what you are doing mentally. When everything is done by routine we almost immediately stop listening to the internal dialogue but we don't stop listening to the overall message. If that messages negative or in other ways untrue we still accepted as fact on an emotional level and that of course impacts everything.

Step 2: Stop Saying "Yes." To Every Task; Pair down Your To Do List.

I have a tendency to say "Certainly, I can do that.", because I like to accomplish things and help people in the process, or at least that's what I like to tell myself. But I think the truth is closer to something like this is how we validate ourselves or temporarily make ourselves happy. Well, the second step is to stop doing just that. A single person can only do so much and even though you and I may love to be involved in everything. In order to accomplish anything the tasks must be manageable. They must allow you to have breathing room. So since the goal is to be happy, let's say for today you must have the room and time to do it. If you look at very creative people they guarded their time jealously. (See the article "Intuition and the Curious Mind" )

 Step 3: Happiness Is Not External, it's internal And You Have To Own It.

This one a big one, which must be clearly understood. Happiness does not come to you. It is something you'll create by being involved and taking responsibility for how you feel. Yep, you have to work at it and it is only temporary. Which means you have to keep working at it and be willing to put in the effort. The details of this sobering paragraph are that you have to figure out your own personal mechanism to find happiness. Start with identifying why you may be unhappy. Separate the things you cannot change from the things you can. It may be necessary to change your self. Many people think they can attain something without changing themselves. Humanity was literally built on the idea of constant change. If you are unhappy at this very moment and then you manage to make your self happy you will not be the same person.

Click picture to view/download full
resolution printable copy.

This artwork is hereby placed in the
public domain and is based upon material
in the public domain. Patrick Clark

So happiness is really a voyage of discovery and effort. It has very little to do with external things. You definitely cannot buy happiness; you could only buy distraction at the end of the day you must deal with your self. Therefore embrace change and effort.

Step 4: The Discovery

So happiness is really a voyage of discovery and effort. It has very little to do with external things. You definitely cannot buy happiness; you could only buy distraction, and  at the end of the day you must deal with your self. Therefore embrace change and effort.

Very often as you get closer to feeling happier, and you find with some astonishment that there is resistance. Human beings don't fundamentally like to change regardless of how miserable or positive there are normal is. The key thing to remember is that you are not trying to win an achievement. There is no plateau. More accurately, what you are doing is making minor alterations to your outlook one step at a time. Be prepared to practice and be very honest with yourself during this ongoing journey. At some point you will be astonished how happy you are.

Step 4.5: Keep Track of Your Discoveries

Most often a "lack of happiness" can be defined as a lack of knowing one's self. The more you understand about the person you are, the more you can address and make changes. Following the above steps will literally make you a happier person. Because you understand more about your self and it is an ongoing journey. It is not a simple task to be happy it is much easier for some people to be miserable because all they have to do is ignore the things that would make them happy. Which is to change what they are doing in some way.

So start digging around and considering the particular situation you find yourself in. You may not feel the change a lot of things but at the very least you can change how you interpret and react to any given event.

Take care have a great day Patrick

Mindfulness of the Self.

 

The  Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary defines Mindfulness as follows:
 

"A mental state achieved by concentrating on the present moment, while calmly accepting the feelings and thoughts that come to you, used as a technique to help you relax."

This is a good starting point. After one does this on a regular basis for a while you may begin to notice patterns in your thoughts that you did not expect and these can tell you a great deal about the more subtle aspects to your self and personality."Take mindfulness to the next step." Is how I stated in the short video on this page.

Everyone as a public persona and everyone also has a private persona where they might tell themselves, "This is who I really am." Surprise, with regular mindfulness training you might discover that there is another layer which may be in contrast to who you think you really are. Most of the time it's much more subtle, but no less tremendously important to pay attention to, providing insights most often to feelings and states of mind you tend to automatically accept throughout the day.

It is a good idea to keep a journal of some kind listing these insights and other related thoughts. You will discover that you don't know yourself is much as you think you do. Then armed with this information you can form a plan on what you would like to change or just accept. 

This is very important in today's ultra distracted and fast-paced world. You will begin to be able to choose when you are letting things in which have an emotional impact on you. This knowledge will also provide one the ability to separate out the stuff that is unwanted before it really gets integrated into emotional or mental routines.

Years ago I read an article which stated that the average person is exposed to more information in one day then someone born in the late 1800s would receive in the one year. At first this sounded ludicrous, but then I began to think about it. Just look at the number of notifications you probably received in an hour on your phone. Then you can add in the number of interruptions and diversions etc. (If you're one of those lucky individuals who been able to will the door shut to give yourself some breathing room, congratulations. You will probably like another short article I wrote Intuition and the Curious Mind. )

The best part I have found is that it is never too late to have an insight and act on it. You may find that you have done something for years… Well now that you know about it you can modify your reaction moving forward and that is always a good thing.

 It is possible to even incorporate a response to what you discover in your mindfulness journey. Let's say during sessions you find yourself having a reaction to a recurring thought and although you've accepted it there's nothing stopping you from adding in a response to that thought. You can literally adjust the brains "volume knobs" if you'll pardon the really bad analogy, to whatever it is. There is no appropriate way to do it and there's no inappropriate way to do it. Whatever works for you. If during our journeys you discover you need some outside assistance seek out a good friend or professional. That's part of life and I am myself talk to a psychologist on a regular basis just to get an alternate viewpoint.

The mind is a great flexible tool at your disposal, go ahead and polish it up :-)

Finding motivation… It can always be found at the "Start".

Mont Blanc seen from Les Arcs in 1950
Untouched  photo by  Dmottl
Creative Commons license CC BY-SA 4.0 Deed

Have you ever had one of those moments when you just can't get motivated? Of course we all of had this happen it can often initially be a very frustrating thing. What people in North America and indeed the modern world forget is that when you are in this state of not being able to be motivated there are often preconditions you are placing on your "Motivation". In other words you are putting blocks in the way waiting for a certain set of conditions to be true before allowing yourself to be motivated.

Sometimes we think too much. We can get caught up in thinking so much that we never allow ourselves to just start the project. Or allow ourselves to start any activity. Indeed that is one of the tricks, if you can't start the big item that you want to be motivated about. Start something smaller or different. Actually this is why I created this short video attached to this blog post. I was having trouble getting motivated this morning so I decided to start with a video and sort of talk myself through the process. Four minutes later, because that's all it took to make the video, I am now feeling motivated 😀 and ready for the day.

The video simply says this in a nutshell: If you're having trouble finding motivation for your big idea, start on something different or smaller and that most likely will give you the motivation and momentum you need to work on the bigger idea.

And with that said I will now start my day! Hopefully this very short article and video will be of usefulness to you or at least allow you to start your day with a smile. Because you and I can do it. Whatever it is we need done, can be done!

Have a great day Patrick

 

Intuition and the Curious Mind.

This is got to be one of the most important aspects in doing well with life. By doing "well with life"I mean your own personal satisfaction from your own unique point of view.

The curious mind is a brain in which you are consciously engaged with. It is almost a discussion, a positive feedback loop. Sometimes it can be very quick following a train of thought rapidly down the tracks, while at other times, it can be deep pondering perhaps only one aspect of a greater thought. It can become quite euphoric. Especially if one experiences some insight. The classic "Ah Ha!" moment. It makes you feel like a kid again. Einstein said it best and I'm paraphrasing here "Genius is childhood rediscovered.".

So how do we cultivate this; what are some of the things we need to ensure are in place so that the curious mind and intuition flourish?

 

The following ideas are strictly for my own perspective.

• You must be free from the burden. That is you must have a place both physically and mentally where you are not distracted or thinking about other responsibilities. It is actually a healthy requirement that you set aside a period of time or days when the rest of the world does not need your attention. No answering the cell phone or checking anything online unless it has to do with whatever project or idea you are delving into. Preferably this free space is a long enough that you can really indulge.
  
  
• No distractions. This one is very important, there can be no interruptions. Interruptions break the train of thought and can seriously derail inspiration. Inspiration occurs when you give it space.
  
  
• Ensure that your environment is comfortable and stimulating to your way of thinking and feeling. It is not easy to get into the flow of creativity if you are in a dark cave ( unless that is what you're into).

Follow these three steps and I have a feeling you will not only find inspiration. Your brain and body will be also in better health. Simply because you will allow yourself to be your self. For me it kind of synchronizes things. It changes my hold state of mind and mood. It definitely brings back any lost energy. Almost by definition intuition will tend to spontaneously occur if you can create the right environment.

Have a great day! Patrick

If You Do Not Change, You Will Not Find.

 

Start by Turning on the Light.

"If you do not seek, you will not find." sounds quite self evident, but in my experience, some people  subconsciously expect and behave as though the opposite is true. That is, "If I wait here and to do nothing, change will occur."

The more remarkable thing is they will do exactly that. People will maintain their negative habits, complained bitterly and expect a positive outcome. Moreover, they will expect a positive outcome without any alteration to their current behaviour. (Boy, have I got news for them.) There are a few examples that come to mind, they all manifest indirectly and maybe that's why they keep reoccurring:

A friend, keeps complaining about their laptop getting old and they need to do something about it. For two years now, with a small computer store just down the street, they have said they need to drop in and see what is available. Almost daily they complain about something not working right with the machine and yet they do not visit this store. They look online through page after page of devices and sales. I have offered to back up the machine so they don't lose any other content. The money to purchase a new laptop is available or could be arranged quite easily from what they've said. Yet they don't do it. What's worse is that eventually the machine will malfunction and then they will be in trouble, because that will result in a panic buy. They get to take me up on the backup offer. Both of us can see the train wreck coming… Yet why don't they step out of the way and get a new laptop up?

Does this sound familiar to anyone reading this? I bet it does.

Or how about this: Someone complains about, being stuck in a rut and not having anything new to do. So you make some suggestions which are all summarily rejected for one reason or another. Usually the rejections are pretty lame: "I don't want to do that." Or "No, that's too much work..."

If you do not change, you will not find what you were looking for. These are some simple tips and there's only 3 of them.😀

• Light Bulb Moment # 1: Change Takes Work. You can't expect a different outcome without putting any effort into it. In a way a person must be willing to embrace change and understand that in some aspect they will alter themselves. If they do not accept this and they are really stuck. What is probably happening when someone does not want to undertake changing is that they have not acknowledged something positive. Getting out of there current situation. There's always a payoff somewhere.
  
  
• Light Bulb Moment # 2: "People love to stay safe." In this context "safe" is taken in very basic terms. It could be "Am I familiar with my own situation?". If the answer is "yes" for that person then they are going to fight any change. Even if they don't like where they are in life. If their surroundings are familiar to them they are going to tend to keep them in a state of status quo. The solution to this then is to start small. Don't try to tackle the whole problem at once. But be consistent in whatever changes you do succeed in implementing. It may be necessary to restart the endeavour several times. Because creative people find creative ways of avoiding change. If you do find this a requirement that each time a restart is necessary alter the way you do it. Avoid getting stuck in mindless repetition.
  
  
• Light Bulb Moment # 3: Don't discount success. Society is now conditioned to focus on the negative. Indeed it is an evolutionary human trait. In the past it help to keep one alive. Now that behaviour is frankly a pain in the ass for the human species. The successes you have will give you further insight into what needs to be done and you may find it surprising.

These two steps are what is needed for ongoing growth in everyone's life. Give them a try and leave a comment down below.

Have a great day everyone.
Patrick

Things that get in the way of efficient use of your time.

Photo © by Mark Cartwright, Text added by Patrick Clark.
Copyright holder has published this content under the license:
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike.

Before I moved in to my current supported living residence, which is actually great in terms of the physical and emotional supports, I took something for granted. When I was living on my own I didn't acknowledge or really appreciate what a grand gift large blocks of uninterrupted time were. Enough time and quiet environment to fully indulge in whatever activity the creative mind was drawn to.

Now my day is segmented into relatively short blocks, at the most three hours long. What a difference those divisions make especially when you're researching something or problem-solving. Which is in my book the number one thing that can get in the way of productive use of your time. So if you have such an asset, don't squander it. Rather appreciate just how powerful such a serene environment can be. Every once in a while, usually by accident I get a larger than normal block of time and it definitely brings back memories of sitting at my desk building a project at four in the morning. I may have started it in the early evening but I knew then that I could just go fulltilt at whatever my goal was. That knowledge was liberating.

The second thing that can get in your way is having too much on your mind. To be truly creative and "in the zone" one has to be able to let go of the other aspects of their life for a while. As much as I would love to be able to do 10 things at once, in order to be effective and produce quality results I must not try to do everything. So number three on the list is that you have to choose your goals and commitments carefully. If you try to do everything, nothing will get done, and most definitely not to a good standard even if you manage to succeed in all your undertakings. This is probably going to be a new lesson for the next generation as well. Nothing can replace the investment of time, mind and energy. So recognizing that fact, in itself, can free up more of your creative mind.

As one gets older, you realize that your time is not infinite so that anything you apply time and investment to needs to be of real value, either to you or the society at large. You must get something out of it. I watched a brief video in which Neil DeGrasse Tyson was being interviewed about his early educational experiences and although some might consider him a polymath it was very clear that he made choices and considered the weight of each with respect to his ultimate goals.

This does not mean you have to miss an opportunity. But what it does indicate is that you must have each opportunity in acceptable proportions in your life. You can't do it all, but you can definitely sample and decide how much of your finite energy and effort you want to apply to that particular aspect of experience.

Getting to know a little bit about your own personal psychology is also very useful. Many people never take the time to really look at their own personality and the way they actually deal with themselves. In North America, at least the society tends to be very reactive or very introspective. The extreme in either direction is not useful ultimately, you need both to anchor each other. One of the best things I ever did was take a year-long cognitive therapy course in which the group met once a week. Just learning to pay attention to oneself and what is going on within you and the external environment. Taking that perspective and bouncing it off others tends to give one a far greater understanding of society and humanity in general. This cannot be overstated and developing this awareness is one of the most powerful and rewarding tools you can ever undertake to learn.

I find it rather amazing that the educational system does not have this built into every child's curriculum at some point. If you take one thing away from this short article this last paragraph about cognitive therapy, outward and inward perspectives is the most important in making an efficient use of your time and life. Because it will allow you to identify ultimately the inefficiencies and things in your way which you might not have otherwise understood or seen.

Take care Patrick

Moods: What are they trying to tell us?

 

Whenever you hear a discussion about someone's mood, or indeed, the topic of being "moody" it is always in the present tense or very recent past. People say things like "Why are they so moody?" and "Their moods are unpredictable." More often than not there is an implied negative connotation along with these statements. Like the mood itself is a bad thing.

Well, let's take the longer approach and include the present and the past. There probably is a message here. Something these repeating moods are trying to tell the person. Looking at "moods" in this kind of light can give one far greater perspective. First off to consider the long term aspect means that you have to pause and consider things. That in itself can be very beneficial. Breaking up automatic routines which in the modern world we all fall into. If when you stop and take notice, the mood itself begins to change, then perhaps your mood is trying to say "This routine is not doing you any good." However up until you stopped and took notice, you were in a foul mood. I mean what better way to stop someone from doing something they truly don't want to do then to put them in a bad mood. However people are also expert at ignoring the signs and moods which are intended to get them to change their behaviours. This is particularly true in the modern world where automatic nonthinking behaviours are encouraged..

I really think "a mood" is often nature's way of getting you to change something you need to change in order to grow. What society and people individually have to do is make time in their day to break automatic routines and check-in with their moods and other signals their body may have. To literally get a dialogue going. I am now convinced that far too many individuals put themselves on a one-way track to all sorts of problems because they are not used to dealing with change.

Instead of dealing with the issue which created the mood, they medicate. This produces a spiral which is going in the outer wrong direction. If you can deal with small issues before they become big then you grow, almost by default.

Then there's the other side of this issue: When people find themselves in a good mood, they happily go along for the ride, but they don't consider do any major degree why they are in a good mood. You could think of the situation like a shopper who doesn't look at their credit card or the receipt when they buy something. They just indulge blindly. This good mood could have tons of positive information contained within. Don't miss this opportunity. There could be all sorts of things that could be later used to help one avoid slipping into a bad mood. Or at the very least, minimize the impact of such a mood shift.

So the message here is pay attention to your moods. They are one of the gateways to understanding oneself.

For those of you that appreciate or like this in a video format. Here it is.

 Take care Patrick, and as always leave comments or questions.

Addicted to tinkering.

In my volunteer work we occasionally run across people who simply seemingly can't resist adjusting everything in sight. Regardless of whatever it is, a cell phone, computer, smart device etc. they seem to have an inbuilt compulsion to adjust things. Even if no adjustment is necessary. This frequently breaks the item and they usually have adjusted more items on the device before we hear about it.

These issues can be really challenging to solve because frequently the person doesn't remember all the things they've changed. So the usual scenario is we fix up the device and the person is happy but I also know that they will be back. This happens frequently enough that it is got me thinking what is going on with these people. Why are they making their lives more complicated. My philosophy is so much simpler… "If the thing works, leave it alone."

Sometimes I think it's a need to control their environment however that is not always the case because if you do manage to get them to leave something alone then there's a good chance they will leave it alone permanently, ignoring all the signals when they should be taking action. Their behaviour is very much like a switch it's either all on or it's completely off and ignored.

Now to be honest and clear I am somewhat the same I can get trapped in a downward rabbit hole of adjusting something until it is perfect, or I frustrated the heck out of myself, which ever comes first. But I am aware of what I'm doing and why. So the rabbit hole adventure doesn't happen too often...  Except it just did. If you look at the graphic at the top of this post you'll notice an odd background. I was playing around with my graphics tablet when I accidentally created this. And of course I spent a ridiculous amount of time tweaking everything about it. Now that I think back on and it's kind of frustrating because I know darn well that displays very greatly. What looks fantastic on my desktop monitor may look very poor on the template. Or at least very different. You would think knowing that for certain would mean that I would opt for the safe and reasonable. But no… We can't do that can wait :-).

Tell me your stories in the comments down below so that at the very least we can come to know this interesting behaviour and maybe make it our own and start a new trend in social media.

I wonder if this tinkering and for ever adjusting is more like an addiction for some people? They do tend to go a little odd if you manage to get in the way of their regular routine of for ever twiddling the knobs. I recently worked on an old computer running Windows 7 and the person that owned it had put in everything and it was the ultimate version of everything. As a result this little old computer came to a grinding halt. I cleaned it up for them and told them to be kind to the old machine and consider it more of an heirloom than anything useful. But within a day I heard back from them that the machine was overheating. Upon a little more investigation they admitted they put everything back and perhaps even more. I wasn't mad when I heard this. I think more astonished would be my state of mind.

Around and around these odd behaviours go. The universe really should have provided an instruction booklet for the human race. Not one about culture, but one that deals with getting to know your self.

Do you know people like this, have you worked with them? Even better have you got any insight? Leave your comments below.

Take care Patrick.

Do we all live in our own abridged reality?

 

The short answer is: "Yes, absolutely."

But I don't think many of us realize just how "abridged" our reality and sensations are. Think about it, if once reality and sense of their surroundings were indeed accurate would it be so easy to change one's perspective on any given situation? And indeed how easily we accommodate any new perspective.

Ever had one of those mornings when you wake up and you are just in a grumpy or slow frame of mind? Thoughts meander through your head that are the most optimistic… Then you have a good strong cup of coffee and within a few minutes have all but forgotten the beginnings of your day. You feel engaged and ready to take on the world. How could your perception change that much if they weren't a construct of your own making in the first place?  It really is a powerful question because it means you can adjust a great many things related to not only perception but your own internal processes of thought.

The scenario I just described above is almost my daily ritual in the last few years, and conversely at the end of the day I don't want to stop doing whatever I'm doing. Especially if I'm in a project state of mind where I'm either building something, writing code or creating artwork. I always think of " If onlyI had another hour…"  Each morning though I have to go through the process of getting the lead out of my mind. Slowly but surely I have come to the conclusion that I will not worry about the mornings state of affairs. If my brain insists on being a crocodile and having to warm up in the sun, so be it.

Many people tell me that as they age their mind slows down and their world becomes smaller. For me the opposite seems to be true. I am gearing up and if I have any regrets it is only that I didn't understand all of this stuff when I was 25. It had to wait until now at almost 64 years of age. The malleability of one's mind is tremendous, but that same malleability characteristic can also mean that we accept our mental states without critiquing them. We just kind of go along with the flow. This is most likely a bad habit brought on by not enough time to pay attention to one's inner world. I recently reacquainted myself with an excellent book.

Using Your Brain--For a Change:
Neuro-Linguistic Programming
By Richard Bandler

Publisher: Real People Press
Year : 1985
ISBN numbers: 9780911226263, 9780911226270, 0911226265, 0911226273

• Listing on WorldCat Library index
•  Listing on Google Books

Don't let the title of the book scare you off, the term "programming" only refers to changing your reactions to a memory, image or state of mind. In other words, this book is all about paying attention to your own program. The routines you have built up and automatic reactions to them. Then it goes into ways you can alter that behaviour. The book is written in a very lighthearted and playful manner and is a quick read. You will however return to it many times as it is one of those good books whose insights may not immediately be totally apparent. As far as I know the book itself is been out of print for many years and it was a friend of mine who founded through AbeBooks. 

As I progress through life, it is become very apparent to me that most people do not pay attention to their own inner workings either physically or mentally. As a result they tend to become their own "victims", for lack of a better word. There is a real tendency to only take action once a situation has escalated to the point where they have too, and I can't help wondering: If they had been more self-aware and more involved with their own will being would they have reached the same state they are in now? Which from my perspective frequently is a negative situation. Whereas, here I am almost 64 years of age I don't do drugs except for the occasional glass of wine and mentally and physically am in pretty good shape. Indeed I think my physical disability Cerebral Palsy has been a benefit because at a young age it forced me to pay attention to my own inner workings, and later on seek input from counsellors and other people with different perspectives. It wasn't exactly a smooth trip through adolescence but at the end of the day I think it was necessary one.

Reality 101: The Course

We do indeed live in our own abridged reality and that means get to construct it, piece by piece and rearrange it in whatever way we see appropriate.  I have reached the point where I think these kind of insights mentioned in the above book and the practice of being aware of what motivates an individual should be taught in school. We should not just take our own mental states and react to them after the fact. We should to gain the most benefit of our existence be the architect of our reality in the first place. How else can one discover, truly, their talents, and by the same token, know the things they are not well suited to. You want to take deliberate action to know your self and construct whatever reality you want. There is great freedom in this because it places you firmly in the conductor's seat. 

 People seem to like these kind of ideas presented in a visual format. So I put together a short eight minute video. The key thing to remember is that no matter what you are always the orchestrator of your reality. 

Even if your hands are tied up and you cannot move you would still be able to interpret that situation. You might find yourself saying: "I can't move and so I might as well will relax… Why waste energy." By the same token if you become aware of your habitual habits, you can alter them. The change does not need to be you, and as a matter of fact, that's one of the keys to success. Make small doable changes. Just realizing that the change can be made is often in itself very liberating.

If for some reason you find that you are stuck in a certain frame of mind then realize that it will change and then you might be able to revisit the issue.

Your life is the orchestra and it is you who ultimately create the music. Even more so, you get to pick the instruments which ultimately make up the entire piece! Think of the freedom in that.

Have a great day
Patrick