Uncertainty

News
No new updates for this week.

Quote
“I wanted a perfect ending. Now I've learned, the hard way, that some poems don't rhyme, and some stories don't have a clear beginning, middle, and end. Life is about not knowing, having to change, taking the moment and making the best of it, without knowing what's going to happen next.
Delicious Ambiguity.”
-Gilda Radner

My Thoughts
Have you ever tried something over and over again and no matter what you do it doesn't work? It may feel like you are banging your head against the wall. It can happen in any or all areas of your life: relationships, finances, education, work, etc...

Sometimes life doesn't cooperate like we want. It doesn't always work out according to our plan. We think we may have something figured out and life surprises us. I've learned that having a vision of the future with goals is great, but being able to adjust to the flow of life is also essential. I recently have experienced some huge changes in my life which I'll write about in detail sometime in the future.

How can you handle the uncertainties that pop up in life?

I know I've said this before, but meditation. This is what has helped me tremendously. Just sitting there alone with your thoughts and feelings can help you become more aware. Eventually with practice you will be able to become more present. If you are more present you have less fear. With less fear comes more clarity.

It doesn't really matter if you sit for five minutes, ten minutes, or one hour. Especially in the beginning, just spending some time meditating everyday will help you develop it into a habit.

I encourage everyone this week to spend a few minutes each day meditating.

Have an excellent week.

Reflection

News
I've decided to open up Bob Proctor's "Success Puzzle" program for group coaching. Out of all the programs I've done, "Success Puzzle" has had the most profound effect. It completely changed my life.
Here are just a few benefits I received from the program:
-It is because of this program that I gained the deepest insights into myself and what I would like my life to look like.
-It is because of this program that I ventured to Northwestern India on a life changing journey. I'll share the full story during the coaching.
-It is because of this program that I've meditated almost every day for the past year (more about that below).

I am only going to work with five people for this program in order to keep it very personal. Actually one person is already signed up so only four more people can join.
You should only join this coaching if you are seeking serious change and are committed to your own growth.

For more info on the program, please go to www.oneamazinglife.com and click on the "How" section.

Dates: Saturday, March 12th - Saturday, April 30th
Time: 1:00-3:00pm
Number of Sessions: 8

For more information, please email me: bob@oneamazinglife.com

Quote
"Follow effective action with quiet reflection. From the quiet reflection will come even more effective action.”
-Peter F. Drucker

Thoughts
We sometimes get so caught up in work or taking action that we forget to stop and see if we are taking effective action. Simply working hard without regard to effectiveness won't really get you very far.

It's like the fly constantly smashing itself into the window to get outside. It's goal is to get outside, and it's working very hard. However if it stopped and reflected it would notice that there is an open window nearby and without so much hard work it could easily achieve it's goal.

So the point is it's very important to stop and see what impact your action is having. If you find that the action you are taking is ineffective, then you can look at other options. Is there another way you could be doing it? Is there something you have not tried yet?

Another area that has tremendously helped me is meditation. While I was doing the "Success Puzzle" program a little over a year ago, I decided I was going to meditate every day for 90 days. I accomplished that task. Then I wanted to keep going so I decided I was going to meditate every day. What happened?
In the last 13 months I've missed 12 days. Overall not too bad, but room for improvement. I usually meditate for 15 minutes a day, although sometimes I'll go as long as an hour.
It has helped me become much more aware of what thoughts are running through my head and allowed me even greater control over my emotions.
I practice zazen. However, I think almost all forms of meditation are useful.

I encourage all of you to spend some time reflecting, you may be surprised at what you find.

Have an outstanding week.

Seeking Happiness

Quote
"Seeking happiness outside ourselves is like waiting for sunshine in a cave facing north."
-Tibetan saying

My Thoughts
I appreciate all of the feedback I received from last week's message. I believe some people perhaps misunderstood the meaning of the message. Some people were worrying that I may be feeling depressed or that I could possibly become depressed. I assure you that there is no need to worry.

You see, I am not seeking happiness because true happiness cannot be sought. True happiness resides within you, however it takes a shift in perception to become aware of it. You may believe that a Mercedes S600, a 5000 sq ft/140 pyong apartment, and flying first class will bring you happiness. Those things will bring comfort but they won't bring true happiness. Why? Because all of those things can be taken from you.

Much of your happiness depends on your attitude towards life. Do you tend to see hope or despair? Do you tend to see love or hate? Do you tend to see opportunities or obstacles?
The answers to these questions will give you clues into what your attitude looks like.

What has helped me?

First, I recommend you read every day. I also encourage going back and reading over books that have helped you in your past. You will see new information each time you read a book over.
Some books I recommend:
"Think and Grow Rich" by Napoleon Hill
"Man's Search for Meaning" by Viktor Frankl
"Psycho-Cybernetics" by Maxwell Maltz
"Building Your Field of Dreams" by Mary Morrissey
"You Were Born Rich" by Bob Proctor
"The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership" by John Maxwell
"The Power of Intention" by Wayne Dyer
"The Success Principles" by Jack Canfield
I would keep going but those are enough to keep most people occupied for the time being.

Second, I highly recommend meditation. There are probably hundreds of different forms of meditation. I would guess each of them has their own benefits. I personally have been using Zen meditation for the past six months. I meditate for 5 - 60 minutes every day. I suggest starting with five minutes every day. Meditation really helps bring inner peace and also allows for a deeper connection with your source.

Until next time....