Seeking The Extraordinary Life

Life Change Can Come Suddenly!

Usually, I talk about how you can change your life. In this post, I want to talk about how life can change on you without warning.

Life change can come suddenly!

Sometimes, when we least expect it, life will take a turn in a direction you just didn’t count on. What do you do when that happens?

Most people get upset. They feel out of control and get upset!

Getting upset is natural. What isn’t natural or good is letting that feeling control us. We need to be able to think clearly, or as clearly as we can. Allowing our emotions to take control guarantees that things will be worse, or at least they will seem worse.

Here’s what I try to do when things get out of hand for me.

I meditate. Now, before you get all freaked out and think that I’m going to say you need to sit like a swami and contemplate your navel, relax! Meditation comes in all sorts of forms.

Certainly you can sit on the floor with your legs crossed, but you don’t have to. Meditation means you give you mind a break from the worry and striving to make everything come out right.

You can do that sitting on your deck enjoying a cup of coffee or other favorite beverage.

We all meditate to some degree or other. Have you ever had one of those moments where you vision sort of fuzzes out and you stare off into space. Your mind just sort of blanks out and you have no real cognizance of any thought, or anything else.

That is your mind taking a break. It is meditating on its own. We can learn to do that at will.

Sit somewhere quiet. I say sit rather than lay down because most of us tend to just fall asleep and that is not the same. Sit somewhere quiet and just invite your mind to do that fuzz out thing.

If you start thinking about something, just gently remind yourself to fuzz out again.

Some people like to do this in total silence, some like a little music in the background. I’ll give you a link to some great music for meditation later.

When life gives you a sudden U-turn, as soon as you can, take a few minutes to meditate. Just let all the worry go. Let all the fear go. Let your mind fuzz out. The problem will still be there when you come back to reality, but your mind will be rested and won’t be in panic mode. Life will be bearable again.

P.S. Here’s that link I told you about for some great meditation music. You can listen to some samples to see just how great it is! Just click the cover!

 

Three Ways To Stay On Track With Your Changes

Do you find yourself working on changes to your life, but somehow, they seem to get lost in the shuffle? Don’t worry, most people have the same problem and there are some things you can do about it.

Three ways to stay on track with your changes.

The first thing I want you to look at is the change itself. Is this something you really want, or is it something that just sounds good, but you’re really not that passionate about it?

Change is hard. It’s hard all by itself. If the change you want is not something that you are passionate about, then your chances are slim that you will ever see success. Many times we “get talked into” changes that others think are good, but we really don’t care that much.

We believe we are supposed to be more goal oriented or that we are supposed to weigh a certain amount. Now those things are good, but if they aren’t you, if they aren’t something you want to work on right now, then scrap ‘em!

Without the passion, there is no change.

Second; what do others say about the change you are trying to make?

If you are trying to make a change that your family, your life partner, your friends, all say is stupid or that you shouldn’t do it or can’t do it, you have a problem! Other people’s opinions of us are strong influencers. You have to be strong enough to stand against their criticism and ridicule.

Remember, this change is for you. If you have decided this is something you really want, that you’re [passionate about, then you have to stand against all those nay sayers.

See if you can’t find one friend, one person, who is on your side and ask them to be your cheerleader. Tell them that the rest of the world seems to want to knock you down and you need them, from time to time, to cheer you on. It will work wonders!

Lastly, put on your stubborn face

I have said it before and I will say it many times more. Change is hard. It takes time and it takes guts. If you can’t put on your stubborn face that says, “I won’t quit no matter what,” then you have trouble ahead of you.

The passion, even if it is strong, will weaken at times. The stubborn face sees you through those weak times.

People will get to you now and then and you will wonder if they aren’t right and you should quit this silly idea. The stubborn face will understand that they don’t know you like you know you and they don’t see it the way you do.

Your life is your life. You may do with it as you like. If you want to change things in some way, then that is up to you. Go out and do it!

How To Change Your Life In An Instant!

Sometimes this whole “Change my life” stuff, can get wearisome and tiring. Sure you want to change, but sometimes it just seems to take forever.

This is how to change your life in an instant.

Before I go on, I want to make a disclaimer. I don’t really believe you can totally change your life in an instant. For most of us, we have been programmed for years to be who we are. To change that takes time. It often takes a lot of time. However, a major portion can happen in an instant.

When I was a kid, I wanted to learn to swim. My mother sent me to swim lessons, but I just couldn’t get the hang of it. I knew the basics, but something was missing.

My parents and I were at a motel, visiting my brother, and the motel had a pool. We were all going swimming and I was ready long before my parents. They said I could go out, but not get in the pool.

I rushed outside and into the pool area. There wasn’t another soul around. I looked down into the water and wanted with all my soul to be able to swim in that wonderful looking water.

I stood at the edge on one side of the deep end and knew it was now or never. I gathered my courage and jumped in and started flailing about like I had learned in the swim lessons. Before I knew it, I was on the other side. I climbed out and looked down into the water. I had conquered it! I swam. Not well, but I swam. I have been swimming ever since.

No, I don’t advise young people to throw themselves into the deep end and I don’t think it wise to jump into situations without thinking about it some. What I do advise is to start.

So many people want to do something and they think about it and plan it and dream about it, but never start. They come to the place where they feel like everything is perfect for them to begin.

It never will be!

There comes a time when you have to just jump in. In that instant, your life will change. It might not be to the magnitude you would like, but it will be forever changed.

When I jumped into that pool, I could never go back and get un-wet. I had taken a step that could never be taken back.

What is it you want to do or to become? Have you thought about it until you are tired of thinking about it and nothing has happened?

Jump!

Just go do whatever it is. Do it to the best of your ability and then do it better the next time. Keep doing it. If it is something you truly want to do, don’t let any false start or less than perfect outcome stop you. Do it again and again, over and over until you are whatever it is you wanted to do.

How do you change your life in an instant?

You jump in with both feet! You go back and do it until you are happy with the outcome. Will it be perfect the first time? No, it may take years to make it perfect, but it will never happen if you don’t start. Start now!

How Pride Can Help and Hurt You Being You!

I understand that you want to change some things about your life. I also know that your life is not as bad as you think. We all tend to think that our lives are crap and nothing in them is right. We want to change and we want to change now.

I’m certainly not saying you shouldn’t change anything. What I am saying is there are things in your life that are okay. The problem is, we don’t think those things are okay. We think they are either terrible or mediocre at best. That’s where pride comes in.

How pride can help and hurt you being you.

I want to talk about pride in two different ways. One will help you and one hurts you. Pride is pride, but it has these two affects.

The first kind of pride is the one your mother, grandmother, father, someone said to you more than you wanted to hear.

“Have a little pride in yourself!”

Every time you heard it you wanted to cringe or shout some expletive that would get you grounded for the rest of your natural life.

That person was right!

Have some pride in yourself. Why? Because there is only one of you. There is no one else in this universe exactly like you.

“Good!” you say. “My life sucks bad enough. If there were two of me it would be that much worse!”

I’m not going to try to talk you out of that attitude. You’ve already bought it. What I will do is say that with a little pride in who and what you are, you can become better. I don’t care what it is, whatever you can do, if you have pride in that thing, that ability, it will get better.

It is a natural phenomenon that whatever we do with pride, we do to the best of our ability. As that ability is refined and grown, the thing we do gets better too. Have pride in that and it will get better. It is a never ending cycle.

Now, how about the other kind of pride, the one that hurts you.

“I can’t play the guitar and sing!”

Some would say that is not pride, but false humility or lack of pride. I used to as well. It is pride.

Why won’t you play the guitar and sing (or whatever it is you do)?

“Someone will hear me and laugh. They might even tell me I’m so bad I should stop!”

That’s pride. You are so full of pride you won’t risk. You are so full of pride that you are afraid you will fall apart if you are criticized or ridiculed. You are so full of pride that you won’t let the world into your little sealed off kingdom.

What to do about it?

Start by getting some pride in who you are. Allow yourself to be part of the human race. Allow yourself a small place in the universe and claim it for your own. Have some pride in what you do and who you are and see if it doesn’t get better.

Next, when you feel those old inner objections to whatever it is you have planned, recognize the pride in there. Laugh at yourself a bit and remember that, although you have pride in who and what you are, you don’t have to take yourself so seriously. Sure you might foul things up. So what? Do it anyway.

Know pride for what it is. It can help you or hurt you.

You Can Change. Stop Being A Wuss!

Recently, I have been reminded how easily our minds and bodies change and toughen up, given half a chance. The change you want in your life is easier than you think!

Stop being a wuss!

Over the last few weeks I have started running again. I run barefoot. It has to do with my knees. I’m no expert, and you certainly shouldn’t take my advice as medical, but I find that running barefoot helps strengthen my knees. It has to do with the way your foot contacts the ground.

Anyway, I have never been someone who just can’t wait to go for a run. I love to be in shape, but I am not what I would call an exercise fanatic!

When I started running again, I could hardly run fifty yards and I got an almost instant blister on one foot.

Yeah, I was a wuss.

A few short weeks later and I am running nearly two miles on pavement and over gravel paths. It didn’t take long for my body to toughen up and I actually look forward to my morning run.

All this is to say that if you want to change, then work on it and your mind and/or body will quickly make the desired changes.

How do you do this?

First, decide what it is you want to do. Let’s say you want to be more assertive. Start today. Talk to someone you meet. Just say anything. If a conversation starts, great. If all you say is hello, fine. Just say something.

Do it tomorrow too. Do it twice tomorrow. Do it three times. The next day, do it all over again.

The point here is that once you start practicing the behavior you want, your mind and body will quickly adjust. Taking the above example, your mind will quickly understand that talking to people will not kill you. You won’t die of embarrassment and you might find you enjoy it.

As you become more comfortable with your behavior, your mind will begin to tell you that it likes doing this new thing. You enjoy talking to people and now do not need to force yourself, but you look foreword to it.

The second thing I would encourage is to allow yourself to feel proud of your accomplishment. So often, even when we have successes, we put on the humility cloak and mumble something about it not being anything. That’s garbage! If you make a change in your life, you deserve congratulations! You deserve a pat on the back. You deserve a standing ovation!

Do you understand how many people would like to change something in their lives and never have the guts to do it? Do you know how many times those people wish with all their being that they could do what you just accomplished? Do you understand how many of those people are wusses?

How about yourself? How many times have you wished you could change and never did anything about it and failed?

I enjoy running now and my feet are tough enough to take most places. It didn’t take long. The change helped in my physical self and my mental self.

You can do the same thing.

You can!

Just go out and do it!

Don’t take any lame excuses from yourself or anyone else.

Make the change!

Start today!

Stop being a wuss!

P.S. Wanna know the laws of life that will help you stop being a wuss? Check out my book,” The 7 Universal Laws Of Life” in the side bar. Don’t you think you’re worth it?

To Hell With The Tyrants! Declare Your Own Independence!

Okay, so here it is the Fourth of July, Independence Day. It is the day we, in the United States, celebrate our independence from Great Britain. I thought about that and realized that most people want the same things that this country did. We want independence for ourselves. We want to be free from oppression and others telling us what to do.

To hell with the tyrants! Declare your own independence!

What is it that keeps you down? Is it really others or is it yourself. It would be my guess that it is more yourself than it is someone else.

Even if you are in an abusive relationship, it is your willingness to stay in that relationship that keeps you there. Well, unless the other person keeps you bound and chained against your will in the basement. In that case, you probably aren’t reading this anyway.

What to do?

When the colonies decided to rebel against Great Britain, they took into account what that would mean. They knew that there would be bloodshed. They knew that it would not be easy. They also knew that the end result would be well worth the effort.

Do you feel that way about your life?

Think about the person you dream of being. Is the struggle, the effort to much to ask? If it’s something you really want, I bet you answered that with a no. You are more than willing to do whatever it takes to become that new vibrant person.

The problem is, it is so hard to just accept the status quo. It is so easy to make yourself believe that things aren’t really that bad. Only you can decide that.

If you want to change, then here are some suggestions.

• Decide that you are unwilling to live under that present regime.
• Understand the cost of making this change. How much blood will have to be spilled (figuratively of course!) to make this change?
• Gather people around you who are willing to help you with this open rebellion.
• Once the first shot is fired, refuse to give up. “Give me liberty or give me death,” Patrick Henry said. Let that be your motto as well!

The quest for independence is a noble one. It is full of hardship and struggle. In the end. It is worth every minute! Now is the time for you! Down with the tyrant! (That’s you by the way) We want our independence!

Don’t you think you’re worth it?

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