Reclaiming Your Power

Power has many different meanings which can vary among whomever you talk to.

 For some, power is measured by their influence and direct control they have over other people’s lives;

 For others, power is acquired temporarily by the direct control they can exert over other people by means of threat;

 For still others, their claim to power and happiness is measured by the approval of their friends, neighbors and others who belong to their social networks; and the list of meanings goes on.

But what about the personal power that is the core of your being? There are many people who feel entrapped or overwhelmed by their responsibilities in life. Decades go by, each year draining a little more of who we truly are. And then some of us awaken to the fact that we have really lived our life empoverished by these erroneous feelings of entrapment, howbeit, late in life.

At this point, let’s look at a few of the major emotional challenges that are a part of our daily lives,

 We are faced with more chronic health problems which often start in childhood;

 We are living longer, many with declining quality of life;

 The foundation of the “old economy” is changing leaving many without stable incomes;

 And, if this not enough, we are alerted to all the life challenges occurring on the global scale.

Who, When, What, How and Why?

 “Who” means YOU.

 “When” means NOW.

 “What” means it is essential to assume responsibility for our own being. When you try to spend more money than you have, you end up owing a debt. When you over-extend yourself, the same principal applies. Thus, it is absolutely essential that you establish your boundaries; thereby becoming accountable and assuming responsibility for your own inner being.

 “How” means you can reclaim your self-esteem and self confidence by taking action on the following steps;

1. Accept yourself and your current life situation without judgment and/or labels;
2. Learn to live only “in the RIGHT NOW moment” without consideration for past experiences or what the future may hold;
3. Assume an “I can” attitude in all challenges;
4. Believe in yourself;
5. Be grateful and feel good not only for this particular challenge but for your success in acknowledging and confronting it; and
6. Above all, learn to love yourself unconditionally.

 “Why” means to be forewarned, “If you should make the choice to ignore this responsibility by taking no action, you are choosing to continue your emotional suffering and unhappiness.”

Enough said.

Take good care and Have a Wonderful Week!!

Why do we need self-improvement anyway?

Have you ever pondered self improvement and how it might change your life? This has been an active undercurrent in my life for a good number of years. With all the new thought that is being published and broadcast in the media, it is becoming even more important for me to remain diligent in addressing this issue in my own life.

By writing this web log, I have invited you to join me in this journey. In my research, I have stumbled upon several aspects of self improvement and an equal number of ways to achieve personal goals.

The main purpose of this blog is to share some of these concepts with you. Of course, the key, for you, is to find the one that enables you to break your specific weakness into small steps so that you can take one step at a time in achieving your self-improvement goal.

The one central obstacle to achieving one’s self-improvement goal seems to be
“fear”. The underlying cause of this fear can usually be traced back to lack of self-esteem, lack of self-confidence, and doubt. Just, where did these negative self-concepts originate?

If one has an open mind, one does not have to look too far. Now, comes the “sticky” question? Do you have what it takes to start reprogramming your subconscious behavior?

If you are affluent, you see a therapist/coach who effectively relieves you of some of your financial wealth in exchange for teaching you some self-hypnosis exercises and/or gives you some medication to ease your anxiety. For some, there is always the local neighborhood bar at which we drown our troubles with our friends and neighbors who are in the same life situation.

Another more viable idea is to turn to the volumes of self-improvement books and CD’s. "Been there and done that." However, after carefully spending $1,000+, I did find some very good advice that has helped me get on the road to “emotional recovery”.

If you are angry, judgmental, jealous, unhappy, et al, you have some problems that need to be addressed. Yes, a change in attitude is in order and you must take responsibility now or continue to experience the same unhappiness until you finally make a choice to take remedial action.

Now, we come almost back to the place where we began this discussion. Self improvement generally refers to improving one’s peace of mind by eliminating stress and anxiety. The stress and anxiety can be found within the intellectual, emotional, psychological or spiritual levels of one’s life or in any combination thereof.

To undertake self-improvement, one must reflect and rely on his own knowledge that has been gained through experience, self-dependence, and self-identity. It goes without saying; you must have a strong desire to embark on this journey. It is a lot easier when you have the support of family members and friends.

I invite you to join/stay with me on this journey of learning and self-exploration. It is, indeed, a rewarding journey.

Take care and have a Wondrous Christmas Holiday filled with the Blessings of Peace and Love.

Obstacles to Self Improvement-Part 4 of 6

Good Morning and Welcome Back

Lust is usually present when your daily life is full of hiccups with one stumbling block after another. When this is the case, be on the lookout for its subtle influences.

Lust is another big obstacle to the self improvement goals you wish to achieve. It is not limited to obsession with someone of the opposite sex. Lust is an emotional appetite for any thing you feel that "you can't live without".

Just the other day, I had a very interesting experience with this emotion.

I'm not sure exactly where to begin this story. Anyway, I was presented with an opportunity to change my life. This chance opportunity awakened a long-held dream I had had for several years. Perhaps, the Law of Attraction was working for me after all. All the details of my dream fitted into place. My infatuation grew with the idea of a new life filled with new adventures.

So I set about to make this happen. I literally wore myself out rearranging my life and/or "scheming" for five days.

This is how easy it is to allow/permit "lust" to take control. When the long-held dream failed to materialize for me, it was then, I was "shocked" and awakened to the realization; "Hey, I was really causing myself a great deal of stress in my desire to have this experience to come into my life." Immediately, at this moment, my inner peace was restored.

We need to be vigilant. Lust is ever present in our daily lives, and manifests itself when we are are not completely satisfied with our life "right here and now". It is very easy to lose control of these "I wants/needs"; and, as a result, you can easily become compulsive and manipulative in trying to satisfy your perceived needs. If you choose to ignore this emotion, you can quickly fall into the trap of addiction and loss of self esteem.

The grass on the other side of the fence may appear to be much greener, but it comes with a price, sometimes a very high price.

See you next week when I share some thoughts on the emotional attributes of anger.

Until then, take care, my friend!!