Sunday, December 28, 2008

YOU (me?-yes you) HAVE A CHOICE

What do you want? You do have a choice. Yes you. Weather you know it or not we all have a choice to be happy or miserable. Too many people don’t even realize this. Ignorance is not bliss! In fact, it can be very painful.
I am living proof. Earlier this year I went through a very painful separation from the woman I was supposed to merry. Whew, thank God that happened. She turned out to be a mega ego maniac but that is a blog for another day. This brake up was the ugliest and most pain filled experience I can remember. She hurt me deeply for her own satisfaction. (I may still be a little bitter but much wiser)
If I didn’t know any better I could have easily allowed myself to become bitter, angry, and full of blame. That would have been an easy choice. I decided to choose happiness over anger. This was not a difficult choice but it was by no means automatic. I searched for that happiness and did not stop until I found it. I am human. I still have my bad days but they are few and far between.
Now I practice happiness every day. It does take focus and work. The hard thing to realize is that you need to take responsibility for your behavior, your self-talk, and you own happiness. You can’t depend on others for your happiness, this only leaves you disappointed and unfulfilled. Living an existence of blaming others for all the things in your life you don’t like is the easy way out, or is it?
Wellllllllllll, do you think living a life focused on the situations and people that frustrate you and the reasons why they do is easy-OR-do you think living grateful and happy (regardless of what is going on in your life) would be better? (My still small voice says, “the choice is yours”.)
There will be more to come about how to achieve and maintain a happy spirit in weeks to come. For now you should visit my web site at www.thelearningcourse.com/productrec.html There you will find some wonderful resources my publisher friend Michele and I have personally read, listened to, or watched that have helped us make great positive changes in our lives.
Remember, WE ALL HAVE CHOICES. Comment me on your choices and ways you can make new ones. I invite you to email me at geoff@thelearningcourse.com if you have any questions or need help. I care about you simply because I choose too. Thanks for reading from the TLC guy.

Tuesday, December 23, 2008

IT’S THE WHO…NOT THE WHAT

I have made many mistakes in my life. We have all done and said things that we wish we could take back. I don’t know how many times I wanted to go out with a pretty woman based solely on appearances. One thing I have learned is to love everyone. That is no mistake. I just wish I would have learned this sooner. The sooner you learn this, the greater life will be.
I find it easy to love now. The real test that a person has to pass with me is weather I like them or not. For example, you love your family but there may be some family members that you don’t like. Liking someone else and being liked by another is very meaningful. I had it backwards for many years. I used to think before you love somebody you need to like them.
Only recently did I understand how important liking someone is as apposed to loving them. Oddly enough I came to this realization from getting to know my favorite barista. She is pretty and smart, that’s easy to love. From what I know of her so far I like her very much.
I foolishly asked her out shortly after we met and was shot down in flames. It wasn’t that big of a deal because I really hadn’t known her very long anyway. I didn’t know who she was at all. I was just asking her out because I found her to be attractive.
Well, since then I have been blessed with the opportunity to get to know WHO she is. We have had many occasions to converse for a few minutes at a time and sometimes longer. The more I talk to her and learn about her the more I discover what we have in common. I really enjoy talking to her. She is one smart chick.
I always listen intently to what she has to say but I have noticed that it’s easy to become distracted by her beautiful blue eyes. Before I got to know her all I really saw was just another pretty woman. Now what I see is a beautiful sole. In the future I hope to get to know her on many levels emotionally and intellectually (not physically just incase your mind is wondering). I realize this may never happen especially if I try to hard to be her friend.
I just want ya’ll to know this; pay attention to the acquaintances in your life. They have much to teach you if you can see who they are as apposed to what they are or look like. I know this because I have done several programs about the study of human behavior and one very effective method for understanding and retaining the information these programs have taught me is found in The Learning Course.
Geoff / TLC guy
P.S. To the one I’m talking about, you know who you are. Please don’t feel obligated to leave a comment. That’s not why I wrote this. The next time I see you I don’t want you to feel like you must acknowledge me either. It’s okay. I just hope you were able to take the time to read it. (I know you’re super busy) Oh yea, and for everyone else, go to my web site and get my new e-book at www.thelearningcourse.com. It’s well worth your time. Thanks for reading.

Monday, December 15, 2008

IF YOU COULD AUTHOR THE LIFE OF ANOTHER WOULD IT BE BETTER THAN YOURS

I’m guilty. Most of us are guilty of treating others better than we treat ourselves. Why? I’m not sure but it might be because we just want to be loved.
One important distinction I have come to realize through time and maturity is that you can’t give away what you don’t posses. This is true of anything from love to money or knowledge and anything else. My point is this, love yourself. This is easy to say and/or think but it can be so hard to do (for some of us anyway).
I don’t say this from an egotistical position. There are sadly many folks that think they are better than others. THAT’S WRONG. I personally know a few people that think they are God’s gift to the world. These people are truly lost.
Another gross misunderstanding of humanity is the know-it-all. I also personally know a few of them as well. When we decide we know more than others “in general” we are truly lost. You may be the best at “something” but that is no excuse to pretend you know it all.
People that portray themselves as the authority on all possessive knowledge are just scared children. They nave a need to make sure everyone in their pathetic little environment know how smart they are. So sad. I will never know it all but I take great pleasure in understanding that I have new things to learn every day and that is really living. Go luck in your daily pursuit to reach higher and become a better person. Be sure to go to www.thelearningcourse.com and download my new e-book.

Who Do You Love?

A few months ago I used TLC (The Learning Course) to study Tony Robbins most recent self-help program named “Get The Edge”.
I recently did step seven again. This turned out to be a real revelation for me. At one point in the program Tony instructs the student to do a “hands on” exercise. He said to make a list of all the people you love. I didn’t actually write down this list but it did inspire much thought. The answer for me was that I really do love everyone. This can be very hard for many people to accept. It took most of my life to learn and accept this as well.
You can’t just walk up to a stranger and tell them you love them but you can feel love and compassion for them. I suppose you could actually walk up to a stranger and say this but you might get punched in the face. That would be bad. LOL
I won’t get religious on ya’ but it has been said throughout history that we all are supposed to love one another. That being said…
I remember how angry 9/11 made me. How could those guys blatantly destroy so many innocent lives (not only the people that actually died but also the loved ones they left behind). My first thought was for all of the children that will never see one or both of their parents ever again. I felt so bad for those children that I had a hard time holding it together and I really needed too because I was working on a large commercial construction site in Seattle that morning.
Do you hate the people responsible for this action? I had a tremendous amount of anger in my heart for this senseless act against freedom and America for a long time. Does feeling anger and hate towards anyone make your life better? If it does please leave me a comment explaining why. Any negative emotion can eat you up inside if you choose to focus on them. Can you imagine what kind of world this would be if no one hated anyone anymore? I focus on how wonderful life is and can be and I’m thankful for all of the people in my life that enhance it, those in my life who don’t aren’t in it for long.
Terrorists are truly lost souls. They will never know how much human potential they poses. They don’t have a clue as to how wonderful life can be. And you know what else, it’s not even their own fault. They are products of generations upon generations of misunderstanding and hate. We are all products of our own environment and the difference between us and them is that we have the freedom to change the things in our environment that we don’t like. All they have ever known and been taught is to hate anyone who doesn’t believe as they do, the Infidels (what a pathetic indoctrination). Also, if they don’t do as they’re told they will be killed by the very mentors that are supposed to love them. How would you like to grow up in that environment, I think I would be a screwed up freak too.

I’m proud to be an American. We all have so many things to be thankful for and sadly how many of us take time each day to be grateful for what we have? I don’t know but for all of the trials and troubles we face in our daily lives, it’s so much better than being raised in a terrorist hell whole. So count your blessing every day and thank a solder for the sacrifices they and their families make. This is not a commentary on this mismanaged war but we are free for a reason and remember FREEDOM ISN’T FREE. It never was and never will be. In fact, it’s kind of an oxymoron.

Tuesday, December 2, 2008

Do Your Friends Inspire You?

Do Your Friends Inspire You?
We are all teachers and students of each other. Everyone should have a mix of friends. The first type of friend should raise us to new levels of awareness and abilities, someone that inspires and encourages us. These people are our mentors. Everyone needs a mentor, weather they know it or not. The other type of friend that is important to have is one that we can mentor and bring to higher levels of understanding and awareness.
I know a woman that has been a total inspiration to me. Unfortunately, she has no idea that I hold her in such high regard. We have known each other for a few years. This person is so nice and caring. I realize she simply sees me as an acquaintance but I see her as a true friend. I say that because she has raised my level of awareness. I have a tremendous amount of love and respect for her. Even since we first met she has inspired me to be a better person. I can think of no greater compliment to tell another person than how they have inspired me in such a deep and meaningful way. Our paths may never cross again and that’s okay because the things I’ve learned and realized from knowing her will serve me well.
The most important legacy each of us is responsible for are the positive changes we have made in the lives of others. My aunt Betty has been my inspiration to study self improvement programs for most of my adult life. The things I have learned from her guidance will inspire my family for generations to come. The most immediate affect of learning how to make positive changes in my life is in how I choose to raise my children. The ways in which I teach them to conduct themselves will in time be passed down to their kids. One of the most important things I can teach my kids is to always look for ways to become a better person and a blessing to others. Observing the ways other people conduct themselves has taught me plenty. I love to learn and live to learn new things every day. We all learn many things from others on a subconscious level. When I observe others on a conscious level I learn a lot more from them. I have made it my mission to understand and listen to other people. Call me crazy but I actually enjoy listening to other people talk most of the time. I do deplore ignorance though.