Be Who You Want To Be September 10, 2013
Posted by nrhatch in Health & Wellness, Mindfulness, Nature, People.comments closed
Who you are now is:
A. The product of a lifetime of choices you’ve made.
B. A habit, not a foregone conclusion.
C. A manifestation of unconscious implicit memories.
D. All of the above.
The answer is D ~ “All of the above.”
Who you are now is a collection of unconscious implicit memories developed over time as the result of choices you made and repeated so often that they became hard-wired habits.
If “who you are now is who you want to be,” take the day off to play while the rest of us roll up our sleeves to examine the roles we’ve been playing.
You can’t just tell yourself to stop.
No matter how tired you’ve become of being depressed, angry, anxious, impatient, or [insert other self-defeating behavior, emotion, or belief here], you can’t just tell yourself to stop.
You’ve already tried that and it didn’t work.
As soon as your conscious intention to “stop doing that!” slipped from the forefront of your thoughts . . . old habits crept back into the drivers seat.
Creating the intention to lose weight, write a novel, or laugh more often is not enough to create lasting change because your old wiring is still in place.
Don’t look now, but your old wiring is still firing.
If you erase a document from your hard-drive, it’s still there . . . lurking in the shadows . . . like a bad habit that won’t go away.
Instead of erasing an unwanted document, try replacing it. Character by character. Or, in the case of unwanted habits, character trait by character trait.
To change, you MUST believe change is possible.
To make any headway, you MUST view yourself as a “work in progress,” not as a “done deal.” If you don’t believe you can change, you can’t. It’s that simple.
Your stubborn unwillingness to entertain the possibility of change will stall you in your tracks before you’ve built up any steam.
The confining nature of your belief is the perfect example of a self-fulfilling prophecy.
You need a map to get from HERE to THERE.
Just as kitchens and baths can be remodeled, you can change “who you are” by re-wiring your brain.
The process starts like any remodeling project ~ with a set of blueprints that clearly depicts “who you want to be.”
Once you have a clear vision in mind, it’s a simple matter of knocking down walls (i.e., eliminating habits) that are not consistent with the more functional design you have visualized.
It’s OK to work backwards.
When visualizing your road map, it’s OK to work backwards, like Michelangelo did before carving David:
* Visualize who you want to be.
* Chisel away everything that doesn’t conform to that vision.
That’s it! You’ve created a virtual masterpiece!
Aah . . . that’s better!
Tomorrow ~> Creating Self-Sustaining Change
* * * * *
Our brain, which controls virtually every aspect of our lives, is as amazing a piece of equipment as you are ever likely to encounter.
Reading this post is akin to reading the Cliff Notes for a beloved classic ~ you’ll get the gist of the plot-line and learn about a few of the major characters, but many delightful nuances and well-turned phrases are missing.
To learn more about our miraculous bundle of synaptic intelligence, consider reading Evolve Your Brain ~ The Science of Changing Your Mind, by Joe Dispenza.
Changing your mind will change your life.
Quote to Ponder: We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an action, but a habit. ~ Aristotle
Moment of Truth April 30, 2013
Posted by nrhatch in Books & Movies, Fiction, People, Writing & Writers.comments closed
If you’re in the mood for a legal thriller full of unexpected twists and turns, pick up Moment of Truth by Lisa Scottoline.
Don’t be surprised if you can’t put it back down.
Despite pot holes in the plot (and a few sheer impossibilities to steer around), this story gives readers an insider’s view at how police officers and district attorneys put cases together ~ piece by piece.
We also see how legal theories fall apart and collapse like a house of cards when constructed on an unstable foundation.
Nothing is certain until that final moment of truth . . . when the last piece of puzzle snaps into place.
I never noticed the puppeteer pulling strings.
From the book jacket:
Attorney Jack Newlin comes home one evening to find his wife, Honor, dead on the floor of their elegant dining room. Convinced that he knows who killed her ~ and determined to hide the truth ~ Jack decides to make it look as though he did it. Staging the crime scene so that the evidence incriminates him, he then calls the police. And to hammer the final nail in his own coffin, he hires the most inexperienced lawyer he can find, a reluctant rookie by the name of Mary DiNunzio, employed at the hot Philadelphia firm of Rosato & Associates.
Though inexperienced, Mary doubts Jack’s confession and begins to investigate the crime. She find that instead of having a guilty client who is falsely proclaiming his innocence, she as an innocent client who is falsely proclaiming his guilt.
With help from the most unexpected sources, she sets out to prove what really happened ~ because, as any lawyer knows, a case is never as simple as it seems.
From the author’s bio on Amazon:
Lisa Scottoline is the New York Times bestselling author of seventeen novels including her most recent, THINK TWICE, and also writes a weekly column, called Chick Wit, for The Philadelphia Inquirer. Lisa has won many honors and awards, notably the Edgar Award, given for excellence in crime fiction, and the Fun Fearless Female Award from Cosmopolitan Magazine. She also teaches a course she created, called Justice and Fiction at the University of Pennsylvania Law School, and regularly does speaking engagements.
There are twenty-five million copies of her books in print, and she is published in over thirty other countries.Lisa graduated magna cum laude in three years from the University of Pennsylvania, with a B.A. degree in English, and her concentration was Contemporary American Fiction, taught by Philip Roth and others. She graduated cum laude from the University of Pennsylvania Law School. She remains a lifelong resident of the Philadelphia area, where she lives with her array of disobedient pets.
I would love to meet Lisa for lunch in Philly some day, perhaps at Dickens Inn (now Cavanaugh’s in Headhouse Square) . . . just after sitting in on her Justice and Fiction class at the law school.
Aah . . . that’s better!
Aphorisms from Aa to Zz: Nn August 7, 2010
Posted by nrhatch in Happiness, Humor, Magick & Mystery, Mindfulness, Nature, People.comments closed
Nature
Nature does not ask, “what do they want me to be?” Its glory lies in its authenticity.
What good is a house, if you haven’t got a decent planet to put it on? ~ Henry David Thoreau
Nature speaks with many voices. Listen with your ears, eyes, and heart.
Celebrate the joy of nature . . . the unexpected mysteries of life!
SMILE = See Miracles In Life Everyday!
The art of medicine consists of amusing the patient while nature cures the disease. ~ Voltaire
Catching a snake in the house = men’s work!
Nobility
Remember, true nobility lies not in being better than someone else ~ but in being better than your previous self.
Don’t sacrifice your values to reach your goals.
Never do anything you wouldn’t be proud to tell others about.
Happiness flows from being true to yourself.
There is no pursuit more noble than mastering yourself.
Stand guard at the door of your mind ~ let only the best thoughts enter.
When we relinquish, or renounce, the extraneous, we are left with the essential, which cannot be lost. ~ Lama Surya Das
When we understand who we really are, we free ourselves from the illusions that hold us back.
What lies before us, and what lies behind us, are tiny matters compared to what lies within us. ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson or Oliver Wendell Holmes
Excellence doesn’t require perfection. ~ Henry James
I’ve never liked the quote, “Good guys finish last,” because it implies that greed, and power, and arrogance will get you to the finish line first . . . but that’s not the finish line that I’m aiming for.
Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony. ~ Mahatma Gandhi
Success in life is more than racking up dollars in your bank account . . . it’s about being the best YOU that YOU can be.
Our glory lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall. ~ Nelson Mandela
If the whole world followed you, would you be pleased with where you took it? – Neale Donald Walsch
Joy is sharing the best parts of yourself with the world.
And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud, was more painful than the risk it took to blossom. ~ Anais Nin
The greater the obstacle, the more glory in overcoming it. – Moliere
You must do the thing you think you cannot do. ~ Eleanor Roosevelt
When you stop hiding who you are, you have more energy to become more fully who you want to be.
People are unhappy because they aren’t being truthful with themselves. Being truthful with yourself plugs you into your inner power. ~ Suze Orman
He who trims himself to suit everyone else will soon whittle himself away. ~Raymond Hull
Who I am is who I want to be. ~ Cathy Comic Strip
Nurture
Love grows within. You are the garden. Nurture your self.
You have greater impact on others by the way you listen, than by the way you talk. ~ James R. Fisher, Jr.
The first duty of love is to listen.
What if seekers need only ask: How well do I love?
Children are to be unfolded, not molded.
You can learn many things from children . . . how much patience you have, for instance.
The older you get, the more you realize that kindness is synonymous with happiness. ~ Lionel Barrymore
Kindness echoes ~ Mother Teresa
Be happy while you’re living, for you’re a long time dead. ~ Scottish Proverb
Master your thoughts . . . master your life.
The greatest griefs are those we cause ourselves. ~ Sophocles
Want to feel younger, happier, and healthier??? Change Your Attitude.
We take showers each morning to wash off yesterday’s junk, but we often forget to toss out yesterday’s anger, pain, and frustration. Instead of toting yesterday’s trash around, let it go. ~ Marianne Richardson (paraphrased)
Everyone will be called to account for all the legitimate pleasures which he or she has failed to enjoy. ~ The Talmud
Enjoy this moment, it won’t last. The future soon will be the past.
The day quickly becomes the night. Fill each moment with delight.
Aphorisms from Aa to Zz: Gg July 31, 2010
Posted by nrhatch in Gratitude, Humor, Magick & Mystery, Mindfulness.comments closed
Gifts
Monday, Monday . . . a new day, a new week, a new month, a new year. Another chance to get it right.
Enjoy this moment, it won’t last.
The future soon will be the past.
The day quickly becomes the night.
Fill each moment with delight.
After enlightenment, the laundry.
In the silence of not doing, we begin to know what we feel.
When we meditate the world recedes and we hold infinity in our grasp.
Our unique points of view are a gift.
Embrace ALL with Joy . . . Anything can be a Gift of Gold in Disguise.
Barn’s burnt down ~ now I can see the moon. Masahide (1657-1723)
Betrayal by others is a gift which allows us to grow in forgiveness. We betray ourselves by hanging on to every slight, real and imagined.
Glory
Our glory lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall. ~ Nelson Mandela
The greater the obstacle, the more glory in overcoming it. – Moliere
Excellence doesn’t require perfection. ~ Henry James
Our infinite worth lies beyond all labels.
If you’re gonna dream . . . dream BIG!
When you stop trying to impress others, you will discover your infinite worth.
You will recognize your path when you come upon it, because you will suddenly have all the energy and imagination you will ever need ~ Jerry Gillies
Passion makes it happen! Just start, and the way will appear.
Go With The Flow
Blessed is he who expects nothing, for he shall never be disappointed. ~ Alexander Pope
Be flexible. Let go and go with the flow.
The easiest way to transform the world is to change your perspective.
Master your thoughts . . . master your life.
Want to feel younger, happier, and healthier??? Change Your Attitude.
When we hang on too tightly to what isn’t working, we lose the opportunity to gain that which is worth having.
Whether viewed as “good” or “bad” at the time it happened, with enough perspective, “It’s all good.”
Souls don’t break . . . they bounce!
Life is good, except for the bad bits (which, in hindsight, often become good bits, too).
Do what you can, with what you have, where you are. ~ Teddy Roosevelt
Embrace all with joy. Relinquish all with joy.
God
The more you focus on viewing others with love, kindness, compassion, and acceptance, the more your view and God’s view will merge.
God has no religion. ~ Mahatma Gandhi
God requires no synagogue, except in the heart. ~ Hasidic saying
Every day people are straying away from the church and going back to God. ~ Lenny Bruce
Going to church is against my religion. ♥ ♥ ♥ ~ J.F.
I’m giving up Catholicism for Lent.
Nirvana is another word for God. ~ Thich Nhat Hanh
God is the breath inside the breath. ~ Kabir
Even in the stillness, the cosmos swirls. Even when silence reigns, we hear its heartbeat.
God exists only where man lets him in. ~ Hasidic saying
Stir up the gift of God which is in thee. ~ 2 Timothy 1:5
God believes in you, right now, as you are.
God is with you always.
Enthusiasm = inspired by God . . . Inspiration = in Spirit
Let go, and let God. ~ Contemporary Lexicon
No God, no peace. Know God, know peace. ~ Contemporary Lexicon
God loves us as and where we are. ~ Biblical Teaching
God doesn’t make junk.
Gratitude
It is not happiness that makes us grateful, but gratefulness that makes us happy. ~ Anonymous
Think about the good that surrounds you, right here, right now. Gratitude magnifies happiness.
Celebrate your progress. Sometimes half of success is simply noticing it.
Every moment is a celebration, a miracle, a mystery.
Find pleasure in things others take for granted.
Count your joys instead of your woes. Count your friends instead of your foes. ~ Irish Proverb
What a wonderful life I’ve had! I only wish I’d realized it sooner. ~ Colette
Recognize the richness of your existence. Develop an attitude of gratitude.
Count your blessings. ~ Adage
Blessed are they who can laugh at themselves for they shall never cease to be amused. ~ Unknown
Aphorisms from Aa to Zz: Ee July 29, 2010
Posted by nrhatch in Gratitude, Happiness, Humor, Life Balance.comments closed
Enjoy
Happiness requires that we enjoy what we have, not that we have all we want.
Simple pleasures are life’s treasures. ~ Adage
Jazz Fest + Walk on the Beach + Sunny Skies + Turquoise Waters + Bike Ride = Fabulous!!!
Everyone will be called to account for all the legitimate pleasures which he or she has failed to enjoy. ~ The Talmud
Enjoy this moment, it won’t last. The future soon will be the past.
The day quickly becomes the night. Fill each moment with delight.
It’s easier to be happy if you enjoy your own company.
When we hang on too tightly to what isn’t working, we lose the opportunity to gain that which is worth having.
Enough
Don’t make me call the flying monkeys!
STOP THE WORLD . . . I want to get off.
Enthusiasm
Enjoy all life has to offer. Strive to be happy.
Expand the horizons of your world. ~ Unknown
Embrace all with Joy. Anything can be a gift of gold in disguise.
In work, love, and life, play hard and play fair.
Find pleasure in things others take for granted.
I’m on the top of the world!
Enthusiasm = inspired by God . . . Inspiration = in Spirit
Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm. ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson
Excellence
Excellence doesn’t require perfection. ~ Henry James
Our glory lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall. ~ Nelson Mandela
There are fellow travelers out there who take the high road, even if it sometimes feels you’re traveling it alone.
The sad truth is that excellence makes people nervous. ~ Shana Alexander
I’ve never liked the quote, “Good guys finish last,” because it implies that greed, and power, and arrogance will get you to the finish line first . . . but that’s not the finish line that I’m aiming for.
To be a success in life is more than racking up dollars in your bank account . . . it’s about being the best YOU that YOU can be. Success is sharing the best parts of yourself with the world.
Some say Keep your eyes on the prize. I disagree. When your eyes are stuck on the prize, you’re going to stumble and crash into things. If you want to excel at life, you’ve got to keep your eyes focused on the path. ~ Russell Simmons
How do you define success? By quantity or quality?
Do more than belong: participate. Do more than care: help. Do more than believe: practice. Do more than be fair: be kind. Do more than forgive: forget. Do more than dream: work. ~ William Arthur Ward
How a man plays a game shows something of his character, how he loses shows all of it. ~ Unknown
To succeed in writing, or life, follow the Path of P’s: Purpose, Passion, Patience, and Persistence.
It is a funny thing about life; if you refuse to accept anything but the best, you very often get it. ~ W. Somerset Maugham
Exercise
I wrestle with my weight. Does that count as exercise?
Exercise your autonomy to achieve your aspirations.
Thanks to Cindy Taylor for the William Arthur Ward quote!
Spirit Lights The Way 