Lifestyle

30 Essential Messages from Emerson’s “Self-Reliance”

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“Where is the master who could have taught Shakespeare? Where is the master who could have instructed Franklin, or Washington, or Bacon, or Newton? Every great man is a unique.”

 

And yes. They wrote a little different in the 1800’s. Many of these quotes I had to read multiple times to truly comprehend.

“Self-Reliance” is a soul touching essay. I continually felt profound connections as I engulfed myself in this essay.

After being so touched by this work I felt the need to share its most essential messages with you.

A few of the many words I would describe this text are: Insightful. Life-Changing. Thought-Provoking. Soul Touching. Truly. Incredible.

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Before diving into all 30 Essential Messages, here is a brief overview of some of the things you will be hearing:

 

9 Overviewing Ideas

(1)-Seeking & Becoming more of your True Self

“I must be myself. I cannot break myself any longer for you, or you…If you can love me for what I am, we shall be the happier. If you cannot, I will still seek to deserve that you should. I will not hide my tastes or aversions…”

“Live no longer to the expectation of these deceived and deceiving people with whom we converse.”

 

(2)-Following paths that brings you joy in life, trusting it & continuing regardless of numerous failures

“…A sturdy lad from New Hampshire or Vermont, who in turn tries all the professions, who teams it, farms it, peddles, keeps a school, preaches, edits a newspaper, goes to Congress, buys a township, and so forth, in successive years, and always, like a cat, falls on his feet, is worth a hundred of these city dolls… 

…He walks abreast with his days, and feels no shame in not `studying a profession,’ for he does not postpone his life, but lives already. He has not one chance, but a hundred chances…”

 

(3)-Experiencing Genuine Peace, which does not come from anything outside of you, but begins within

“A political victory, a rise of rents, the recovery of your sick, or the return of your absent friend, or some other favorable event, raises your spirits, and you think good days are preparing for you. Do not believe it… 

…Nothing can bring you peace but yourself…”

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(4)-Recognizing the facade of societal ways

“…It is the harder, because you will always find those who think they know what is your duty better than you know it…”

“…This conformity makes them not false in a few particulars, authors of a few lies, but false in all particulars.Their every truth is not quite true…”

 

(5)-The people in power hate nonconformity & encourage the general population to oppose those people

“For nonconformity the world whips you with its displeasure.”

“Is it so bad, then, to be misunderstood? Pythagoras was misunderstood, and Socrates, and Jesus, and Luther, and Copernicus, and Galileo, and Newton, and every pure and wise spirit that ever took flesh. To be great is to be misunderstood.”

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(6)-Understanding the connectedness & importance of everything; that all things are of equal importance

“…Is the acorn better than the oak which is its fulness and completion? Is the parent better than the child into whom he has cast his ripened being?”

 

(7)-Wherever you go there you are

“The soul is no traveller; the wise man stays at home, and when his necessities, his duties, on any occasion call him from his house, or into foreign lands, he is at home still.”

 

(8)-Truth>All

“Henceforward I am the truth’s. Be it known unto you that henceforward I obey no law less than the eternal law…

…if we follow the truth, it will bring us out safe at last.– But so you may give these friends pain. Yes, but I cannot sell my liberty and my power, to save their sensibility…”

coacht.blog Emerson quotes

 

(9)-Life(Your Ego) is Fleeting

“This one fact the world hates, that the soul becomes; for that for ever degrades the past, turns all riches to poverty, all reputation to a shame, confounds the saint with the rogue, shoves Jesus and Judas equally aside.”

 

 

30 Essential Messages

The following 30 messages are all significant but I highlighted the elemental concepts in Blue and Bolded succeeding elements. Each message holds high value but I also ordered them beginning with what I believe to be the most moving.

 

#1

“What I must do is all that concerns me, not what the people think…

…This rule, equally arduous in actual and in intellectual life, may serve for the whole distinction between greatness and meanness…

…It is the harder, because you will always find those who think they know what is your duty better than you know it… 

It is easy in the world to live after the world’s opinion; it is easy in solitude to live after our own; but the great man is he who in the midst of the crowd keeps with perfect sweetness the independence of solitude.”

 

#2

“Phocion, Socrates, Anaxagoras, Diogenes, are great men, but they leave no class. He who is really of their class will not be called by their name, but will be his own man, and, in his turn, the founder of a sect.”

 

#3

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“A political victory, a rise of rents, the recovery of your sick, or the return of your absent friend, or some other favorable event, raises your spirits, and you think good days are preparing for you. Do not believe it…

…Nothing can bring you peace but yourself…. 

…Nothing can bring you peace but the triumph of principles.

 

#4

“Well, most men have bound their eyes with one or another handkerchief, and attached themselves to some one of these communities of opinion… 

…This conformity makes them not false in a few particulars, authors of a few lies, but false in all particulars.Their every truth is not quite true… 

…Their two is not the real two, their four not the real four; so that every word they say chagrins us, and we know not where to begin to set them right.”

 

#5

“But do your work, and I shall know you. Do you work, and you shall reinforce yourself. A man must consider what a blindman’s-buff is this game of conformity”

 

#6

“At times the whole world seems to be in conspiracy to importune you with emphatic trifles. Friend, client, child, sickness, fear, want, charity, all knock at once at thy closet door, and say,–‘Come out unto us.’ But keep thy state; come not into their confusion… 

…The power men possess to annoy me, I give them by a weak curiosity. No man can come near me but through my act. What we love that we have, but by desire we bereave ourselves of the love.”

 

#7

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“And truly it demands something godlike in him who has cast off the common motives of humanity, and has ventured to trust himself for a taskmaster. High be his heart, faithful his will, clear his sight, that he may in good earnest be doctrine, society, law, to himself, that a simple purpose may be to him as strong as iron necessity is to others!”

 

#8

“Man is timid and apologetic; he is no longer upright; he dares not say ‘I think,’ ‘I am,’ but quotes some saint or sage… 

…He is ashamed before the blade of grass or the blowing rose. These roses under my window make no reference to former roses or to better ones; they are for what they are; they exist with God to-day. There is no time to them.There is simply the rose; it is perfect in every moment of its existence. Before a leaf-bud has burst, its whole life acts; in the full-blown flower there is no more; in the leafless root there is no less. Its nature is satisfied, and it satisfies nature, in all moments alike…

…But man postpones or remembers; he does not live in the present, but with reverted eye laments the past, or, heedless of the riches that surround him, stands on tiptoe to foresee the future… 

…He cannot be happy and strong until he too lives with nature in the present, above time.”

 

#9

“The soul raised over passion beholds identity and eternal causation, perceives the self-existence of Truth and Right, and calms itself with knowing that all things go well.”

 

#10

“If we live truly, we shall see truly. It is as easy for the strong man to be strong, as it is for the weak to be weak… 

…When we have new perception, we shall gladly disburden the memory of its hoarded treasures as old rubbish… 

…When a man lives with God, his voice shall be as sweet as the murmur of the brook and the rustle of the corn.”

 

#11

“For nonconformity the world whips you with its displeasure. And therefore a man must know how to estimate a sour face.”

This youtube talk, titled Don’t Take Life Too Seriously, by Alan Watts reminded me of the quote above.

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#12

“A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds, adored by little statesmen and philosophers and divines. With consistency a great soul has simply nothing to do. He may as well concern himself with his shadow on the wall. Speak what you think now in hard words, and to-morrow speak what to-morrow thinks in hard words again, though it contradict every thing you said to-day…

…—‘Ah, so you shall be sure to be misunderstood.’—Is it so bad, then, to be misunderstood? Pythagoras was misunderstood, and Socrates, and Jesus, and Luther, and Copernicus, and Galileo, and Newton, and every pure and wise spirit that ever took flesh. To be great is to be misunderstood.”

 

#13

“I hope in these days we have heard the last of conformity and consistency…

…That a true man belongs to no other time or place, but is the centre of things. Where he is, there is nature. He measures you, and all men, and all events…

…The man must be so much, that he must make all circumstances indifferent. Every true man is a cause, a country, and an age; requires infinite spaces and numbers and time fully to accomplish his design;–and posterity seem to follow his steps as a train of clients.”

 

#14

“We pass for what we are. Character teaches above our wills…

…Men imagine that they communicate their virtue or vice only by overt actions, and do not see that virtue or vice emit a breath every moment.”

 

#15

“Your genuine action will explain itself, and will explain your other genuine actions. Your conformity explains nothing. Act singly, and what you have already done singly will justify you now.”

 

#16

“Insist on yourself; never imitate… 

…Your own gift you can present every moment with the cumulative force of a whole life’s cultivation; but of the adopted talent of another, you have only an extemporaneous, half possession… 

…That which each can do best, none but his Maker can teach him…
 

…No man yet knows what it is, nor can, till that person has exhibited it…

*Where is the master who could have taught Shakespeare? Where is the master who could have instructed Franklin, or Washington, or Bacon, or Newton? Every great man is a unique.*

The Scipionism of Scipio is precisely that part he could not borrow…

…Shakespeare will never be made by the study of Shakespeare… 

…Do that which is assigned you, and you cannot hope too much or dare too much. There is at this moment for you an utterance brave and grand as that of the colossal chisel of Phidias, or trowel of the Egyptians, or the pen of Moses, or Dante, but different from all these. Not possibly will the soul all rich, all eloquent, with thousand-cloven tongue, deign to repeat itself; but if you can hear what these patriarchs say, surely you can reply to them in the same pitch of voice; for the ear and the tongue are two organs of one nature. Abide in the simple and noble regions of thy life, obey thy heart, and thou shalt reproduce the Foreworld again.”

coacht.blog Shakespeare quote Emerson

#17

“Live no longer to the expectation of these deceived and deceiving people with whom we converse.”

 

#18

“And so the reliance on Property, including the reliance on governments which protect it, is the want of self-reliance. 

Men have looked away from themselves and at things so long, that they have come to esteem the religious, learned, and civil institutions as guards of property, and they deprecate assaults on these, because they feel them to be assaults on property. 

…They measure their esteem of each other by what each has, and not by what each is… 

…But a cultivated man becomes ashamed of his property, out of new respect for his nature Especially he hates what he has, if he see that it is accidental, — came to him by inheritance, or gift, or crime; then he feels that it is not having; it does not belong to him, has no root in him, and merely lies there, because no revolution or no robber takes it away.”

 

#19

“If our young men miscarry in their first enterprises, they lose all heart. If the young merchant fails, men say he is ruined. If the finest genius studies at one of our colleges, and is not installed in an office within one year afterwards in the cities or suburbs of Boston or New York, it seems to his friends and to himself that he is right in being disheartened, and in complaining the rest of his life… 

…A sturdy lad from New Hampshire or Vermont, who in turn tries all the professions, who teams it, farms it, peddles, keeps a school, preaches, edits a newspaper, goes to Congress, buys a township, and so forth, in successive years, and always, like a cat, falls on his feet, is worth a hundred of these city dolls… 

…He walks abreast with his days, and feels no shame in not `studying a profession,’ for he does not postpone his life, but lives already. He has not one chance, but a hundred chances…

…Let a Stoic open the resources of man, and tell men they are not leaning willows, but can and must detach themselves; that with the exercise of self-trust, new powers shall appear; that a man is the word made flesh, born to shed healing to the nations, that he should be ashamed of our compassion, and that the moment he acts from himself, tossing the laws, the books, idolatries, and customs out of the window, we pity him no more, but thank and revere him,–and that teacher shall restore the life of man to splendor, and make his name dear to all history.”

 

#20

“Another sort of false prayers are our regrets. Discontent is the want of self-reliance: it is infirmity of will. Regret calamities, if you can thereby help the sufferer; if not, attend your own work, and already the evil begins to be repaired. Our sympathy is just as base. We come to them who weep foolishly, and sit down and cry for company, instead of imparting to them truth and health in rough electric shocks, putting them once more in communication with their own reason…

…The secret of fortune is joy in our hands. Welcome evermore to gods and men is the self-helping man. For him all doors are flung wide: him all tongues greet, all honors crown, all eyes follow with desire. Our love goes out to him and embraces him, because he did not need it. We solicitously and apologetically caress and celebrate him, because he held on his way and scorned our disapprobation. The gods love him because men hated him. “To the persevering mortal,” said Zoroaster, “the blessed Immortals are swift.”

 

#21

“Henceforward I am the truth’s. Be it known unto you that henceforward I obey no law less than the eternal law. I will have no covenants but proximities. I shall endeavour to nourish my parents, to support my family, to be the chaste husband of one wife,–but these relations I must fill after a new and unprecedented way. I appeal from your customs… 

…I must be myself. I cannot break myself any longer for you, or you. If you can love me for what I am, we shall be the happier. If you cannot, I will still seek to deserve that you should. I will not hide my tastes or aversions… 

…I will so trust that what is deep is holy, that I will do strongly before the sun and moon whatever inly rejoices me, and the heart appoints. If you are noble, I will love you; if you are not, I will not hurt you and myself by hypocritical attentions. If you are true, but not in the same truth with me, cleave to your companions; I will seek my own. I do this not selfishly, but humbly and truly…

…It is alike your interest, and mine, and all men’s, however long we have dwelt in lies, to live in truth. Does this sound harsh to-day? You will soon love what is dictated by your nature as well as mine, and, if we follow the truth, it will bring us out safe at last.– But so you may give these friends pain. Yes, but I cannot sell my liberty and my power, to save their sensibility… 

…Besides, all persons have their moments of reason, when they look out into the region of absolute truth; then will they justify me, and do the same thing.”

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#22

“The magnetism which all original action exerts is explained when we inquire the reason of self-trust. Who is the Trustee?

…What is the aboriginal Self on which a universal reliance may be grounded? What is the nature and power of that science-baffling star, without parallax, without calculable elements, which shoots a ray of beauty even into trivial and impure actions, if the least mark of independence appear? 

…The inquiry leads us to that source, at once the essence of genius, of virtue, and of life, which we call Spontaneity or Instinct.We denote this primary wisdom as Intuition, whilst all later teachings are tuitions. In that deep force, the last fact behind which analysis cannot go, all things find their common origin…

…For, the sense of being which in calm hours rises, we know not how, in the soul, is not diverse from things, from space, from light, from time, from man, but one with them, and proceeds obviously from the same source whence their life and being also proceed…

…We first share the life by which things exist, and afterwards see them as appearances in nature, and forget that we have shared their cause. Here is the fountain of action and of thought. Here are the lungs of that inspiration which giveth man wisdom, and which cannot be denied without impiety and atheism…

…We lie in the lap of immense intelligence, which makes us receivers of its truth and organs of its activity. When we discern justice, when we discern truth, we do nothing of ourselves, but allow a passage to its beams. If we ask whence this comes, if we seek to pry into the soul that causes, all philosophy is at fault. Its presence or its absence is all we can affirm. Every man discriminates between the voluntary acts of his mind, and his involuntary perceptions, and knows that to his involuntary perceptions a perfect faith is due. He may err in the expression of them, but he knows that these things are so, like day and night, not to be disputed. My wilful actions and acquisitions are but roving;–the idlest reverie, the faintest native emotion, command my curiosity and respect…

…Thoughtless people contradict as readily the statement of perceptions as of opinions, or rather much more readily; for, they do not distinguish between perception and notion…

…They fancy that I choose to see this or that thing. But perception is not whimsical, but fatal. If I see a trait, my children will see it after me, and in course of time, all mankind,–although it may chance that no one has seen it before me. For my perception of it is as much a fact as the sun.”

 

#23

“But the rage of travelling is a symptom of a deeper unsoundness affecting the whole intellectual action. The intellect is vagabond, and our system of education fosters restlessness. Our minds travel when our bodies are forced to stay at home… 

…We imitate; and what is imitation but the travelling of the mind? 

Our houses are built with foreign taste; our shelves are garnished with foreign ornaments; our opinions, our tastes, our faculties, lean, and follow the Past and the Distant. The soul created the arts wherever they have flourished…

…It was in his own mind that the artist sought his model. It was an application of his own thought to the thing to be done and the conditions to be observed. And why need we copy the Doric or the Gothic model? Beauty, convenience, grandeur of thought, and quaint expression are as near to us as to any, and if the American artist will study with hope and love the precise thing to be done by him, considering the climate, the soil, the length of the day, the wants of the people, the habit and form of the government, he will create a house in which all these will find themselves fitted, and taste and sentiment will be satisfied also.”

 

#24

“In manly hours, we feel that duty is our place. The soul is no traveller; the wise man stays at home, and when his necessities, his duties, on any occasion call him from his house, or into foreign lands, he is at home still, and shall make men sensible by the expression of his countenance, that he goes the missionary of wisdom and virtue, and visits cities and men like a sovereign, and not like an interloper or a valet.”

 

#25

(Although I still love traveling, I think there’s wisdom in this quote below & reminds me of Jon Kabat-Zinn’s book Wherever You Go, There You Are)

“Travelling is a fool’s paradise. Our first journeys discover to us the indifference of places. At home I dream that at Naples, at Rome, I can be intoxicated with beauty, and lose my sadness. I pack my trunk, embrace my friends, embark on the sea, and at last wake up in Naples, and there beside me is the stern fact, the sad self, unrelenting, identical, that I fled from. I seek the Vatican, and the palaces. I affect to be intoxicated with sights and suggestions, but I am not intoxicated. My giant goes with me wherever I go.”

 

#26

“The relations of the soul to the divine spirit are so pure, that it is profane to seek to interpose helps. It must be that when God speaketh he should communicate, not one thing, but all things; should fill the world with his voice; should scatter forth light, nature, time, souls, from the centre of the present thought; and new date and new create the whole…

…Whenever a mind is simple, and receives a divine wisdom, old things pass away,—means, teachers, texts, temples fall; it lives now, and absorbs past and future into the present hour. All things are made sacred by relation to it,–one as much as another…

…All things are dissolved to their centre by their cause, and, in the universal miracle, petty and particular miracles disappear. If, therefore, a man claims to know and speak of God, and carries you backward to the phraseology of some old mouldered nation in another country, in another world, believe him not…

…Is the acorn better than the oak which is its fulness and completion? Is the parent better than the child into whom he has cast his ripened being? Whence, then, this worship of the past? The centuries are conspirators against the sanity and authority of the soul. Time and space are but physiological colors which the eye makes, but the soul is light; where it is, is day; where it was, is night; and history is an impertinence and an injury, if it be any thing more than a cheerful apologue or parable of my being and becoming.”

coacht.blog Emerson Quote Self-Reliance

#27 

“In what prayers do men allow themselves! That which they call a holy office is not so much as brave and manly. Prayer looks abroad and asks for some foreign addition to come through some foreign virtue, and loses itself in endless mazes of natural and supernatural, and mediatorial and miraculous… 

…Prayer that craves a particular commodity,–any thing less than all good,–is vicious. Prayer is the contemplation of the facts of life from the highest point of view. It is the soliloquy of a beholding and jubilant soul. It is the spirit of God pronouncing his works good. But prayer as a means to effect a private end is meanness and theft. It supposes dualism and not unity in nature and consciousness. As soon as the man is at one with God, he will not beg…

…He will then see prayer in all action.The prayer of the farmer kneeling in his field to weed it, the prayer of the rower kneeling with the stroke of his oar, are true prayers heard throughout nature, though for cheap ends. Caratach, in Fletcher’s Bonduca, when admonished to inquire the mind of the god Audate, replies, — “His hidden meaning lies in our endeavours; Our valors are our best gods.”

 

#28

“The other terror that scares us from self-trust is our consistency; a reverence for our past act or word, because the eyes of others have no other data for computing our orbit than our past acts, and we are loathe to disappoint them.”

 

#29

“As great a stake depends on your private act to-day, as followed their public and renowned steps. When private men shall act with original views, the lustre will be transferred from the actions of kings to those of gentlemen.

 

#30

“Life only avails, not the having lived. Power ceases in the instant of repose; it resides in the moment of transition from a past to a new state, in the shooting of the gulf, in the darting to an aim. This one fact the world hates, that the soul becomes; for that for ever degrades the past, turns all riches to poverty, all reputation to a shame, confounds the saint with the rogue, shoves Jesus and Judas equally aside.”

 

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Here are some considerable(still super incredible) quotes:

 

Considerable Quotes

“His note-books impair his memory; his libraries overload his wit; the insurance-office increases the number of accidents.”

“Society is a wave. The wave moves onward, but the water of which it is composed does not. The same particle does not rise from the valley to the ridge. Its unity is only phenomenal. The persons who make up a nation to-day, next year die, and their experience with them.”

“These are the voices which we hear in solitude, but they grow faint and inaudible as we enter into the world. Society everywhere is in conspiracy against the manhood of every one of its members. Society is a joint-stock company, in which the members agree, for the better securing of his bread to each shareholder, to surrender the liberty and culture of the eater. The virtue in most request is conformity. Self-reliance is its aversion. It loves not realities and creators, but names and customs.”

“It is only as a man puts off all foreign support, and stands alone, that I see him to be strong and to prevail. He who knows that power is inborn, that he is weak because he has looked for good out of him and elsewhere, and so perceiving, throws himself unhesitatingly on his thought, instantly rights himself, stands in the erect position, commands his limbs, works miracles; just as a man who stands on his feet is stronger than a man who stands on his head.”

 

 

For more relative quotes, here are some quotes from Thoreau to ponder.

 

Space is NOT the Final Frontier

Posted on by in Lifestyle, Motivation, Self-Help, Successful People and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , .

As Columbus discovered new land so we too are seeking new land…beyond Earth.

Columbus is just the face of discovering new land—There were many others who ventured out in search of different environments.

(And please don’t bring any flags that only cause division and chaos.)

So what will happen if we do discover livable land for humans outside the Earth?

Will we be able to cooperate with possible alien life?
Or will we act as humans in the past, in fear, and try to take over their colony?

This is why we need to change what is within us before seeking new land.

Right now and throughout the past we observe separation & struggle in this chaos we call life. This will only continue if we don’t change what is within.

Miscommunications and misunderstandings divide us.

As we seek new land in space, it’s important to remember that quality of life is foremost, and we can only achieve that by working together, helping each other, and through cooperative education.

Imagine hundreds of years from now…Humans discussing the past, discussing the time and place we are currently in.

Will they talk of the chaos and separation?
Will they talk of how we changed & came together?
Both?

The frontier that needs to first be sought out is ourselves.

We must first change what is within us to change what is outside of us.

You are writing history with your life. 

How shall it be?

“We shall not cease from exploration, and the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started and know the place for the first time.”
T.S. Eliot



Exclusive Justin Allen Interview

Posted on by in Lifestyle, Motivation, Self-Help, Successful People and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , .

If you are an athlete striving for the next level or someone who generally wants inspiration, Justin Allen offers timeless ideas for you.

 

“I’d like to share with those struggling that they ain’t gon’ give it to you. I’d like to let others know from experience that no matter how much talent you have it doesn’t mean it’s going to come easy. You gon’ have to work for it and prove yourself over and over to keep it.”


I had the pleasure of interviewing Justin Allen, a former New Mexico State wide receiver, brother of the New England Patriots Dwayne Allen, & recently featured on Netflix’s Last Chance U.

 

 

Allen is an inspirational mover in the way he propels people forward.

Authentic. Inspired. Mindful.

3 of the many words that describe Allen & his unshakeable work ethic.

Allen is currently working with the star of Netflix’s Last Chance U, Ronald Ollie, to get him in the best shape of his life in all aspects.

In the interview below you will see how these two met, gain more insight into who Ollie is, and get a glimpse into the mind of a truly inspired being, Justin Allen.

1) As a person who has been on both sides of the football field, what is your favorite aspect of the sport and why?

“My most favorite aspect of the sport is being able to impact lives in a positive matter through the process.”

2) What kept you inspired to continue working in athletics after getting injured at New Mexico State? What was the transition like going from being an athlete to training athletes? 

“I went into Depression after my last injury and training became my peace. The transition was smooth because they are similar I just don’t play in the games on Saturday or Sunday.” 

3) In what ways has being a trainer taught you about football that you weren’t as aware of when playing? 

“It honestly proved what I thought as a player to be true. Some coaches look for players who test out well but overlook the 4.6 guys that have 4.4 football speed. There is a difference.”

4) Is there one specific characteristic you have found that distinguishes the greatest athletes from the “good” athletes?

“Their Mindset.”

5) Speaking of successful people, do you have a role model?…Who?

“My older brother Dwayne Allen.”

And what are some characteristics they have that you work on cultivating?

“Staying true to who I am and not living outside of my means. He harps on doing the right thing at all times and genuinely helping others.”

What is your definition of success?

“Bringing out the best in those around you.”

6) What have you found many athletes struggling with?

“Most athletes struggle with the mental aspects of the game.”

How do you go about turning weaknesses into strengths?

“We build them up mentally to prepare for the worst, so when it comes, they’ve been there.”

7) What is your favorite quote and why?

“’WeALLEN’ Being ALL-EN is a mentality. It’s a journey, a constant quest that we are all on. When you are ALL-EN, it means you are prepared and equipped to be the best version of yourself. In order to be ALL-EN, you must be passionate, relentless, fearless, and resilient.”

8) In what ways has your brother Dwayne Allen, (Tight End for the Patriots), influenced your life?

“He taught me how to stand on my own two feet. He doesn’t make things easy for me.”

9) How did you become acquainted with Ollie?

“He came to get a haircut at my facility from Fade Game and others began to take pictures of him and I asked who he was because I had never saw the show that he starred on (Last Chance U) I later DM him on twitter asking what he was doing in Houston instead of being in school.” 

10) What is something you learned about Ollie that others should know?

“He’s well rounded. As we all know he’s a talented football player but he’s just as skilled as a music artist and actor.”

11) What do you love about training Ollie and others?

“I love the energy that Ollie gives off and his willingness to get better. He realized the opportunity he has in front of him.”

12) What would you say is your greatest accomplishment? What about that experience brings you joy?

“I would have to say my greatest accomplishment was creating a brand to positively change others lifestyle…helping others reach their full potential. It’s an unexplainable feeling, I want everyone to be able to experience. Nothing brings more peace or happiness.”

13) If you could give one piece of advice to a struggling athlete or anyone who wants to make progress, what would it be?


“Eliminate all distractions and things that don’t help them progress and grow.”

14) Is there anything you’re looking forward to in the upcoming years? Anything you look forward to most in life?

“I look forward to changing the culture through sports training and mentoring. I believe it’s the best unspoken discipline.”

15) Is there anything else you would like others to know about you? Is there anything else you would like to share?

“I’d like to share with those struggling that they ain’t gon’ give it to you. I’d like to let others know from experience that no matter how much talent you have it doesn’t mean it’s going to come easy. You gon’ have to work for it and prove yourself over and over to keep it.”

As Allen continues to inspire others he is also working on getting physically fit himself. No matter where he ends up he will undoubtedly help illuminate those around him.

I’ll leave you with a quote from Ronald Ollie during the most recent episode of Last Chance U

“It’s just love you know. Everything is love.”

 

 

Find Justin Allen on twitter here.

More on his elite worldwide training program, ALL-EN Sports, here.

Allen is also on the selection committee of the nation’s High School All-America Game.

Ronald Ollie Interview.

 

Awaken the Ego

Posted on by in Lifestyle, Motivation, Self-Help and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , .

Because it’s sleeping..

Have you ever made decisions based on what you thought other people were thinking of you?

It happens to all of us at some point, but the funny thing is, if we knew others’ thoughts, we’d find out they probably weren’t thinking of us!

Many people rely on other people for a sense of their self-esteem and self-importance.

EGO in this article is defined as a person’s sense of self-esteem or self-importance. 

When we live by the ego our happiness depends on external approval. We will always be searching for more, wanting more, and never having ‘enough.’

The ego thinks in terms of how others perceive itself. The ego believes that you are successful when you have more or do more than another person. Our true self is happy when we are working on genuinely bettering ourself.

Comparison is a big disappointment & a quality of the ego. I have found myself to be much happier when I stop comparing myself to others.

Expectations can also lead to disappointment.

The moments pass you by as you await a ‘better’ future. This is a delusion that so many people fall into because when the future comes, are you enjoying it?

Or are you still awaiting a better better future? 

That’s the ego.

Why awaken ego?

Once it becomes awakened, it can’t fully go back to sleep/unconscious living.

All the answers won’t just come to you, but you will be on your way to a more intentional life, as I am on the same journey. Far from perfect but living and learning.

As you become more self-aware, aware of how you’ve been acting through your ego, you will begin to realize how much potential you really have and how much time you have been wasting on meaningless experiences.

I have wasted lots of time dwelling in wondering what others might be thinking of me. As I began to let go of what they might be thinking I have found myself feeling truly alive in bliss & liberation.

When you realize that even though your eyes have been open, you may have been asleep, you will begin to awake.

Explaining Precisely What Jim Carrey is trying to tell us. Plus Jim’s Illuminating Quotes.

Posted on by in Lifestyle, Motivation, Self-Help, Successful People and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , .

Acting has become a gateway to enlightenment for the actor Jim Carrey.

A big influence in this awakening came from what he learned throughout and after his role of playing Andy Kaufman while filming the movie “Man On The Moon.”

As Jim played the character of Andy he realized that we are all playing roles in our day to day lives; that we make choices each day, either consciously or unknowingly, and these actions lead us to where we are right now. Jim realized that we can take conscious actions, like actors do when preparing for & playing a role, which will guide us to becoming the person/character we want to become.

Each of us can choose to be the hero of the life we are living in, but many people live life only as a product of their environment, reacting instead of acting.

Like I said, some of this realization came to Jim when he went back to being “Jim Carrey” after playing the role of Andy Kaufman for months. If he can make intentional choices to become “Andy Kaufman,” then who really is Jim Carrey?

He thought. Isn’t that just a name he has been given? Our actions are what define us and turn us into the character we are, and we are all taking several actions each day.

 

Jim has realized that he is not the name he has been given. That he is not limited to the words we humans use to describe and live “life.” Most people don’t understand this and think Jim is crazy, but he is just waking up to who we all really are and I hope you will too. This quote of Jim’s just below shows his understanding that peace is beyond words and the things we have created:

 

“The peace that we’re after lies somewhere beyond personality, beyond the perception of others, beyond invention and disguise, even beyond effort itself.”

We are all so much more than the names we are given and we can all be more than the product of our environment but most people don’t make the choice to be who they want to be.

You can.

Shakespeare said “All the world’s a stage. And all the men and women merely players; They have their exits and their entrances; And one man in his time plays many parts.”

Jim is basically saying what Shakespeare said. Each day we all put an act on, whether we intentionally choose our act or not is up to us. Let these quotes guide you to taking control of your life, your “act.” Make a choice to become the character you want to be.

Below are some Jim Carrey quotes that may help you awaken to your true self and help you make choices that will lead you to living the life you dream of. Take action on your dreams. After all you are an actor of life.

“I’ve never been one to sit back and go, I’d better do what the audience wants me to do, because I don’t want to lose them.”

“It is better to risk starving to death than surrender. If you give up on your dreams, what’s left?”

“So many of us choose our path out of fear disguised as practicality. What we really want seems impossibly out of reach so we never dare to ask the universe for it. I’m the proof that you can ask the universe for it.”

“How will you serve the world? What do they need that your talent can provide? That’s all you have to figure out.”

“The effect you have on others is the most valuable currency there is.”

“I learned many great lessons from my father, not the least of which, was that you can fail at what you don’t want so you might as well take a chance on doing what you love.”

“As far as I can tell, it’s just about letting the universe know what you want and then working toward it while letting go of how it comes to pass.”

“I don’t believe in hope. Hope is a beggar. Hope walks through the fire, faith leaps over it.”

“Flowers don’t worry about how they’re going to bloom. They just open up, and turn toward the light and that makes them beautiful.”

“You are ready and able to do beautiful things in this world, and as you walk through those doors today, you will only have two choices: love or fear. Choose love, and don’t ever let fear turn you against your playful heart.”

“Life opens up opportunities to you, and you either take them or you stay afraid of taking them.”

“Desperation is a necessary ingredient to learning anything, or creating anything. Period. If you ain’t desperate at some point, you ain’t interesting.”

“I’m making a conscious choice to see challenges as beneficial so that I can deal with them in the most productive way.”

“When things are really bad the only thing to do is laugh.”

“You can spend your whole life imagining ghosts, worrying about your pathway to the future, but all there will ever be is what’s happening here, and the decisions we make in this moment, which are based in either love or fear.”

“To find real peace you have to let the armor go. Your need for acceptance can make you invisible in this world. Don’t let anything stand in the way of the light that shines through this form. Risk being seen in all of your glory.”

“Fear is going to be a player in your life, but you get to decide how much.”

“This is the voice of your ego. If you listen to it, there will always be someone who seems to be doing better than you.”

“Beware of the unloved, because they will eventually hurt themselves… or others.”

“Fear is writing that script. And the working title is ‘I’ll never be enough.’”

“If you aren’t in the moment, you are either looking forward to uncertainty, or back to pain and regret.”

“Maybe other people will try to limit me but I don’t limit myself.”

“Originality is really important.”

“You’ll come up with your own style. That’s part of the fun.”

“I really believe in the philosophy that you create your own universe. I’m just trying to create a good one for myself.”

“There is a huge difference between a dog that is going to eat you in your mind and an actual dog that’s going to eat you.”

 “I’ve arrived at the place if I’m not taking a career risk, I’m not happy. If I’m scared, then I know I’m being challenged.”

If you know Jim Carrey you have probably heard this quote just below: 

“I think everybody should get rich and famous and do everything they ever dreamed of so they can see that it’s not the answer.” (Is it that we all desire for more, yet when we get more there is another thing that comes to our minds that we want…Be happy now.)

“For the most sensitive among us, the noise can be too much.” (And it’s all just a bunch of noise, right?)

“My soul is not contained within the limits of my body. My body is contained within the limitlessness of my soul.”

“We had problems like all families but we had a lot of love. I was extremely loved. We always felt we had each other.”

“I refuse to feel guilty. I feel guilty about too much in my life but not about money. I went through periods when I had nothing, so somebody in my family has to get stinkin’ wealthy.”

“I’m the first to admit this whole salary thing is getting out of control. In the final analysis, it’s still about the work.”

I hope you enjoyed these illuminating quotes. I encourage you to continue learning every day as you awaken to your best self by making conscious choices. This will direct you to living as your ideal actor in this play of life. Please share and spread the message if you see what Jim Carrey is trying to tell us!!

3 Ways To Live a Life You Won’t Regret in 30 Years

Posted on by in Lifestyle, Motivation, Self-Help and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , .

Scientific research has been collected from hospice workers who have asked people on their death beds what their biggest regrets were. They came up with the top 5 things people most regret which are listed at the bottom of this page. The 3 I discuss are intertwined with the top 5 & this list can help spark the inspiration needed for you to begin living your best life! A life you can reflect on daily and you won’t regret it years from now.

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Dance like no one’s watching 😉

Number 1) Do what you Love!

Don’t waste your life spending all your time at a job you hate! Try out all sorts of things to see what you enjoy doing most. If someone is an expert in the subject you love then you can too! It’s possible. This article can help you figure out what you really would like to do in life.

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Great times in Venezuela!

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Spring Break 2015

Forbes discusses statistics here where 71% of employees in America hate their jobs… So most people would rather spend their entire life working a job they hate just so they can keep living, which is to keep working until they can possibly retire. Are you living to work or working to live? Choose to live now.

When you do what you love you feel better about yourself & have a stronger connection with a higher purpose. Take time out of your day to do more of what you love!

2) Don’t live for the approval of others.

“There is only one way to avoid criticism: do nothing, say nothing, and be nothing.” Aristotle

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Paris 2013

Many people never follow their dreams because they are so afraid of what other people will think about them. Someone whose main goal in life is to impress other people will one day end up reflecting on so many meaningless interactions that could have been spent in a joyous more fulfilling way. The funny thing is, no matter what you do or how nice you are people will still disagree with you. People will criticize, complain & try to bring you down.

Are you choosing to live small? Or are you letting the light that is within all of us shine?

If you live based off of other people’s opinions you will never be right. There will always be someone who finds fault in what you choose to do so you need to do work that matters to you! Allow your beliefs to guide you, not anyone else’s.

3) Make A Choice

“Not making a choice is still making a choice.” Unknown

When you don’t choose, you are making the choice Not to choose! You are leaving the situation up to fate instead of taking control of it yourself.

You are making choices every single day! But most of the choices you make are habitual such as “Do I stay with my job or take the risk of following my dream?

Have you asked yourself that question?^^

You have a choice about your job. You have a choice with who your friends are. You have a choice about your relationship. 

When you stay with someone or stay in a place that you dread, it’s time for some change. Where do you feel like you’re being called? What would you do if you could spend your days doing anything you want? I’m sure there are opportunities to get experience & get paid to do what you love.

Feel free to email me if you are wondering how you can begin living a life that you truly love.

Make a choice. Act on that choice then let it go & move on. There are more choices to be made. If you never choose, you’ll be exactly where you are for your entire life…

The choice is yours.

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Cheers Dublin, Ireland

How do you make a choice?

Make choices that lead you closer to where & who you want to be and what you want to achieve.

“May your choices reflect your hopes, not your fears.” Nelson Mandela

“Everything in your life is a reflection of a choice you have made. If you want a different result, make a different choice.” Anonymous

“Your life is a result of the choices you make. If you don’t like your life, it is time to start making better choices.” Anonymous

“No matter what the situation, remind yourself, I have a choice.” Deepak Chopra

“Ignore the noise and follow your own choice.” Anonymous

“It is our choices….that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities.” J.K. Rowling

“Life is the sum of all your choices.”Anonymous

•Do what you love. It’s better to fail at what you love doing than regret not doing it later.

•Don’t live for the approval for others. People will criticize you no matter what.

•Make a choice. Don’t allow fear to control your choices. Be guided by Love.

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Family 🙂

Top 5 things people regret most when on their death beds:

1) “I wish I hadn’t worked so hard.”

2) “I wish I had stayed in touch with friends.”

3) “I wish I had let myself be happier.”

4) “I wish I had the courage to express my true self.”

5) “I wish I lived a life true to my dreams instead of what others expected of me.”

Listen to a TedTalk that discusses this subject & a few things you can do to live happier & longer.

Share this article if you are going to live a life you won’t regret!

The Basis for Global Equality & The One Thing That Will Truly Transform The World

Posted on by in Lifestyle, Motivation and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , .

“There are so many things we all make a necessity that aren’t a necessity,” I wrote in a journal a few months ago…

This led me to asking not “what does the world need most?” Because the world will be fine with or without humans. But “what do we, as humans, actually need to survive & evolve?” …Food, Sleep…& Clean Water even more so, which millions of people don’t have access to.

What blew my mind even more was that about 20 minutes before I thought & wrote about human necessities, I was thirsty, but didn’t drink the filtered bottled water next to my bed because I had refilled it a day or two before & thought “this is old.”

Minutes later in the moment I was writing about water I had an earnest realization about how much myself & many others take any type of water for granted. So I drank the water & it tasted, like water. A yearning was also sparked in me to raise awareness on the water crisis & help in any way I can.

This post is primarily meant to raise awareness on the water crisis going on in the world, but it may also open your mind up to a new way of thinking. Food & water are a privilege that many of us take for granted.

Some water statistics pulled from multiple sites:

• Every minute a newborn dies from infection caused by lack of safe water and an unclean environment. (WHO, 2015) (wateraid.org)

• 1 in 10 people lack access to clean water. (charitywater.org)

• 2.3 billion people don’t have a decent toilet & 31% of schools don’t have clean water. (WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP) Report 2017) (wateraid.org)

•By 2025, half of the world’s population will be living in water-stressed areas. (http://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/drinking-water)

• Worldwide, 1 out of every 5 deaths of children under 5 is due to a water-related disease. (thewaterproject.com)

•More statistics here: https://thewaterproject.org/water-scarcity/water_stats

What is the one thing that will help transform us & the world we live in? …

Unconditional Love

I know there are numerous amounts of issues that need to be resolved on this planet. Not “our” planet, because we don’t own it, but they are all important & can be resolved in time through the means of unconditional love.

I believe creating clean water systems & giving people access to clean water is one of the most important needs for people as a whole. I know equality at every level in the world is out of balance, but it is especially out of balance for those who don’t have access to a human’s most basic survival needs. Without clean water people are constantly in survival mode, can never grow, & are dying without ever being able to enjoy many parts of life we take for granted.

Water is a beginning solution for growth, just like flowers, plants, vegetables & so many forms of what life is made of. Why don’t we share the joy of water with others? We’ve seen where fear has taken the human race. Why not give love a chance?

Love, unconditional love is what is needed to transform hearts & minds which in turn will transform the world. Giving without expecting anything in return. Giving with joy. & yes, to the pessimistic, the unconditional love a person gives will often be misused, but what you can’t currently see are the seeds being planted from unconditional love. These seeds will one day blossom into beautiful flowers as we & the world transform.

World peace is a possibility. Your fear is what holds you back from thinking it is a possibility…Think about ways in which you can live in a state of love, unconditional love, which is an action…

Patience is an action. Kindness is an action. Not boasting or being proud is an action. Not dishonoring others is an action. Being selfless is an action. Not being easily angered is an action. Not keeping record of wrongs is an action. Not delighting in evil but rejoicing in the truth is an action. Always protecting, trusting, hoping & persevering are actions. Love never fails as Corinthians gives us these traits of love.

Do I fail at loving unconditionally? Yes, often. But I work on it. I remind myself to look toward the traits of love & think about how I can act with unconditional love. We might not feel like being patient, but we can still choose to be patient. Love is an action, not a thought.

Anyway! I took hours to research water non-profit organizations & found many that seem great & reliable. In the end, wherever I donate to, I can’t know whether my money will go to helping build a sustainable water system or be given to an employee who is working to resolve the water crisis. Either way I know it will go toward a good cause & it will help people. (I looked up the statistics for how much of each organization’s donation go to helping others & how much goes to employees—Most use 90% to help and 10% for administration/work related—At least the ones I mention.)

I found that charitywater.org is the most reliable & popular water non-profit, but I donate & want to get more involved with waterforpeople.org as I see their potential & hope to work with an up & coming non-profit organization. I want to raise more awareness on this crisis & hopefully one day go out & physically work to build clean water systems & create sustainable plans for communities.

Another water non-profit I think is good is wateraid.org.

water.org is another popular water non-profit that is doing amazing things but I am not sure how to think about the loans they are giving to people in need of clean water…I want to be part of a group that gives & doesn’t expect anything in return for it, but someone could explain the pros of the loans?

There are a million, maybe billions of issues we have as humans, so whatever cause you are helping with, you are appreciated. I believe that the things done in authentic unconditional love will ultimately be the things that transform us & the world around us.

Your genuine desire to help will be what changes this world.

What would you do if you didn’t have to worry about Money?

Posted on by in Lifestyle, Motivation, Self-Help, Successful People and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , .

What would you really do?

How would you spend your days?

Cancun

Took this picture as I enjoyed my time in Cancun Mexico

This might be the most important question you ask yourself on your journey toward happiness.

I’ve read that between 70-90% of all people are going to a job they hate. Are you part of that large percentage?

So think about it. Continue dwelling on those questions until you come up with what you really want to do. It may take days, weeks, months or even years to find out what you really want to do, so be patient-or be impatient and settle for a job you hate.

Don’t disregard your first instinct. If it is something such as acting, writing, traveling the world, being a professional athlete, teaching, painting then that is wonderful. It can be anything! Too many people look past their true dreams because society has driven this limited view into us. We have been told that our dreams are not actually possible by authority, then we don’t question them, so we settle.

For years I have asked myself this question, and one of my instinctual thoughts has always been “acting.” I didn’t know how it would happen, but I knew that it is something I would like to do. As I’ve continued to dwell on what I want, acting opportunities began to arise. I’ve been in multiple movies, TV shows and commercials, have met many famous people on sets and I am currently working as an Acting Teacher.

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I continue to listen to life and adapt as well, as our passions can change throughout the years. I have been blogging for a few years, and a few months ago I got an opportunity to become an intern for the best-selling author, Ryan Holiday. I have published posts for one his websites, done research, editing, but most importantly (after having faith) I put in a lot of focused hours into the work! Your dream is possible.

“Faith is taking the first step even when you don’t see the whole staircase.” MLK Jr.

I never knew how it would all happen, and it is still happening, but I had faith that it would happen.

You don’t need to know HOW it will happen!

You just need to know what it is you actually want, and then believe it is possible. I found out some of the powers of the mind and the power of life at some point in college, and I have been trusting it ever since. Instinct…

Intuition: Life is talking to you. Are you listening?

If you aren’t sure how to listen to your intuition, no need to worry, intuition can be practiced and improved upon.

Coach T Books

Books!!!!

Some ways to improve intuition:

•Meditation: “Think Less to Live More”

•Spend time in nature. Shut off your mind & observe the beauties of life.

•Read books and other content on developing intuition. 

Developing & listening to intuition has been one of the characteristics that has helped many of the happiest & most successful people live out their dreams.

6 Insights from a Retired Life Coach

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This is a guest post by Mershon Niesner, retired Certified Life Coach & Author of http://motherloss.blog

Mershon gives 6 insights into some of the most important aspects of life coaching and how you can use these tips to enhance your life:

Professional Coaching or Life Coaching does not replace therapy, or counseling or good common sense. However, coaching does help people get unstuck, move forward, solve their own problems and live a healthier, happier and more successful personal & professional life.

I started coaching in 1997 and was certified as a coach in 2000, long before most people had heard of coaching and certainly before coaches started writing guest columns in magazines and there were such things as blogs. Retired now, I’ve turned to writing a daily blog that includes coaching questions and I’m currently writing a book, When Lightning Strikes, to be published in 2019. Here are some things I learned during my coaching years:

1. People know the answers to their own important questions

Perhaps they don’t know how to access the answers, perhaps they don’t even know the important questions, but once they discover the question, chances are that somewhere deep inside, they have the answer. The coach’s job is to ask the questions that help people find their own powerful answers. When the answer comes from within, folks are motivated to act and results are infinitely more likely to happen. You know the feeling…when you’re told to do something you might drag your feet, but when you make the decision yourself to take meaningful action, you’re eager to try out your theory and experience the results. Coaches trust this process. They believe in their clients and create an atmosphere of trust, self-worth, and compassion.

2. Big changes sometimes start small

I had a client that was unmotivated, constantly tired, angry at herself for “not getting anything done.” When I had her do a life style assessment, I noticed she self reported that she didn’t make her bed. So, the first request I had for her was to make her bed for a week and report back. The next week she was surprised at her progress…no more naps, more energy, a greater sense of well-being and self-worth. She started her day with purpose by making her bed. She didn’t want to “mess it up” by taking a nap so she had better nighttime sleep and more energy. Did this solve all of her problems? Of course not, but it was a powerful start. Another client did an online class with me about having more fun. She realized that as a very busy corporate person she had zero fun in her life and did nothing for her own joy. Her assignment, “Buy yourself flowers once a week and put them on your desk to remind yourself that you count.” She did. She later quit her corporate job and became a coach. She was a client for several years. Little things can make a difference.

3. Most people thrive with accountability

Our profession is called coaching because in some ways, we show up like athletic coaches especially as it relates to accountability. For instance, if someone wanted to sell more widgets, I’d ask them, “How many sales calls will you make this week?” They know they are paying their coach good money to hold them accountable so that is part of the motivation. Another aspect is simply wanting to say, “Hey, Coach, I met my goal this week!” Some say, “I did such and such because I didn’t want to disappoint you.” Whatever the motivation, calls are made that would not have been made otherwise, sales increase, self-esteem rises and soon the coach is no longer needed.

4. Generally, people give themselves bigger and better challenges

As a coach or a parent or even a boss, it is tempting to “be in charge” and hand out the goals or punishment. It has been my experience as a coach and as a parent that generally well-meaning people will give themselves an even bigger challenge/punishment than you might give them. Have you ever asked your child what kind of punishment he or she deserves for a particular offense? Maybe you would take away their electronic device for a day. Depending on how bad they feel about their behavior, they will possibly say two. Remember the guy selling widgets? I might have asked him to make 10 sales calls but, likely, he will challenge himself to 15. If he says 5, I would ask him what it would take to double that and see what he says. It’s still his decision…that’s where the power lies.

5. It’s all about the listening

Few people have someone in their corner who truly listens to them. Not half listens, not listens while checking for messages, not listens while stirring the pot but listens with their whole mind and beyond…heart to heart listening. Most of my coaching was done over the telephone. I had clients all around the country and occasionally in exotic places like India. I always called them at the appointed time. Often I “had them at hello.” With just a word, I could tell much about their state of mind and would immediately ask, “what’s up?” surprising them with my “knowing.” When folks are really heard, they begin to shine as if they are on a stage with a spotlight. When they know they are valued and understood, trusted and cared about, listened to with the heart…their life begins to change. You don’t have to be a coach to really listen to the people in your life.

6. Coaching, like life in general, is messy

And finally, I used to tell my clients, “Sometimes you have to throw a lot of spaghetti against the wall and see what sticks.” Living life is a messy business. To have a successful, joy-filled life, you have to try new things, step out of your comfort zone, trust yourself and your instincts (which aren’t always 100 percent), and really live this messy life to the fullest. You have to get out of your own way, have compassion for yourself and others, tap into your faith, make mistakes in order to learn and allow others to do the same. Professional or business coaching may start out to be about marketing or business plans or climbing the ladder but it always evolves into life coaching. We are whole people, experiencing life through a wide lens, not a pin hole. What’s keeping you from being all you can be? What’s one action you will take today to move towards your Future Self?

Contact me if you would like to submit a guest post — kthompson7814@gmail.com

4 Philosophy ideas that can bring you temporary peace

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Disclaimer—This might change your perspective on life. Hopefully for the better. 

The choice is yours.

The 4 philosophy ideas I discuss stem from a philosophy called stoicism.

I wanted to title this post: “Stoicism 101; an old philosophy that can liberate you,” but I’m not sure if many people have heard about stoicism, and I know most people have heard of philosophy.

So what is stoicism? (scroll down to ‘4 Main Points‘ section for just the main points if you’d like).

Stoicism is defined as: “The endurance of pain or hardship without a display of feelings and without complaint.”

It is being okay with everything that happens & accepting how you feel.  It is focusing on what you can control, and letting go of the rest.  

Stoicism is liberating.

Stoicism can help you: 

  • Become a better person & friend
  • Deal with people & external events appropriately
  • Deal with adversity
  • Maintain a level head through praise & criticism
  • Come to peace with death
  • Overcome destructive emotions, and many more.

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Stoicism is also defined as: “An ancient Greek school of philosophy founded at Athens by Zeno of Citium. The school taught that virtue, the highest good, is based on knowledge, and that the wise live in harmony with the divine Reason (also identified with Fate and Providence) that governs nature, and are indifferent to the vicissitudes of fortune and to pleasure and pain.”

Stoicism helps us accept life as it is.  It helps us get past our labels of “good” & “bad.” Stoicism helps put us in a mindful state of awareness, getting us out of our constantly judging mind, enabling us to experience life fully, non-judgmentally.

In relation to living non-judgmentally, I’ve heard this quote: “What is chaos to the fly is normal to the spider.”

Shakespeare also said, “there is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so.”

We know what is good or bad in human terms, but there is a lot more going on in the universe than what we think.

What-the-Big-Bang-explains

Think about the millions of galaxies just like this one. Or even think about 10 more. The Universe is vast.

There is so much happening beyond us.

We know that murder is a bad thing, yet cows, chickens and other animal life are murdered daily in our world.  I eat meat so I am not complaining, I am just trying to get us all to think.

Do you think eating dog is bad?

Multiple countries eat dog today, and other countries think that this is very wrong…Here is an article that came out April 3, 2018 that discusses how over 5 million dogs are eaten in Vietnam every year—Click Here For Article.

Is it wrong to kill animals for food? I don’t have that answer.

Maybe hundreds or thousands of years from now, if the human race is still around, they will wonder how we could have eaten the meat of other animals.

Maybe not though as well.

Look back to a few examples from recent centuries, the 1900’s & beyond, to things we look back on in disgust: Open racism, public hangings & no womens’ rights.

These injustices are still happening today in some places.

So this is what philosophy is; thinking. Thinking, learning & then living out the best life from what we know. Philosophy is about questions & perspectives.

Stoicism is not pessimistic, it is optimistic, you just need to see it in the right light.

Before I get to the main points of stoicism, I would like your feedback via email. I am considering writing a short ebook that will discuss stoicism in more detail.  I have about 70 pages of solid notes on the subject, & have read multiple books regarding stoicism, so if you would be interested in reading a short ebook(condensed to about 20 pages) please let me know!

For now, here is a summary of a few main points that stoicism offers & how we can apply them to our lives.

4 Main Points

1~Amor Fati

•Which translates to a love of one’s fate•

German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche was a big fan of amor fati. 

He is quoted saying, “my formula for greatness in a human being is amor fati: that one wants nothing to be different, not forward, not backward, not in all eternity. Not merely bear what is necessary, still less conceal it, but love it.”

The stoics also had another way of looking at this. They believed in a universal guiding force of the universe. They thought we are like a dog tied to a moving cart, and we have two options: We can try to dig our hind legs in, struggling to control everything, getting dragged & being challenged. Or we can enjoy the ride & live our best lives.

Last quote on Amor Fati:

“Demand not that things happen as you wish, but wish them to happen as they do, and you will go on well.” Epictetus (Philosopher & former slave)

Are you loving your fate?  If not, you can with practice, and it will help you live your best life.

2~Focus on what you can control and let go of the rest

Most of us have heard this quote: “God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.” Reinhold Niebuhr

We have heard it, and might think, “yea that’s good, I should do that.” But we often don’t follow through with this quote.

We need to follow through with action. Make a list of things you can control, and a list of things you can’t control.  Then stop wasting any time on things you cannot control.  This takes time & practice, as I am practicing this myself and am not perfect at it.

I love this idea from Philip Ghezelbash that relates to focusing on the things we can control:

“Do you have a problem in your life?

No? ► Then don’t worry.

Yes? ► Can you do something about it?…

Yes? ► Then don’t worry.

No? ► Then don’t worry.”

I have been practicing this lately when I am stuck in traffic.  There is no reason to get upset in uncontrollable traffic, but many people do & I have too at times.  I’ve been reminding myself that I have no control over the traffic, and this reminder has been bringing me peace of mind.

3~Practice poverty & misfortune

This may sound counterproductive but it can actually help a person grow tremendously.

When we intentionally practice poverty & misfortune a few days each month, we will be more prepared and accepting for when it does come.

“We must learn to disappoint ourselves at leisure before the world ever has a chance to slap us by surprise at a time of its own choosing.” Alain de Botton

Alain goes on to say: “One of the goals of civilization is to instruct us in how to be sad rather than angry. Sadness may not sound very appealing. But it carries – in this context – a huge advantage. It is what allows us to detach our emotional energies from fruitless fury around things that (however bad) we cannot change and that are the fault of no-one in particular and – after a period of mourning – to refocus our efforts in places where our few remaining legitimate hopes and expectations have a realistic chance of success.”

Entrepreneur, practicer of stoicism, and author of a New York Times Best Selling Book, The 4-Hour Workweek, Tim Ferriss, practices this each month.  See him talk about it by clicking here…

Ferriss talks about how the philosopher Cato, would practice poverty & misfortune:

During Cato’s age, over 2000 years ago, every now and then he would wear clothes that society viewed as humiliating.

Cato did this to train himself to be ashamed of only those things truly worth being ashamed about.

Deep down we know that clothes are nothing to be ashamed of, but many people spend a lot of money to buy brand clothing to impress people they don’t even like.

The philosopher Seneca also practiced this.  In one of his writings he wrote: “Set aside a certain number of days, during which you shall be content with the scantiest and cheapest fare, with coarse and rough dress, saying to yourself the while: ‘Is this the condition that I feared?’”

We undervalue what we have, because most likely we’ve always had it…

“Many of your fears are based on undervaluing the things that are easily obtainable.” Tim Ferriss

Ferriss also practices this by doing fasts, not eating anything for days, & also doing fasts that include only eating rice, or only drinking water.  (If you plan on doing a fast, research it as much as possible beforehand).

This year I have done two 30 hour fasts, and multiple 16-20 hour fasts.

There has been a lot of research done on fasting, and it has many benefits.  This Harvard study explains how fasting can lead to a longer and healthier life: Click Here for the study.

I’ve been practicing this another way without even knowing it:  When I need clothes, I first go to Goodwill or other thrift stores, where I buy great clothes for a cheap price.  I am very glad my mother took us to thrift shops growing up; they really have some amazing gems.  And when I buy clothes that society might think is “poor,” that doesn’t bother me & I’ll still wear it.

Macklemore agrees here in his song Thrift shop(clean version).

He says, “I’m like, ‘yo, that’s 50 dollars for a t-shirt.’ Limited edition, let’s do some simple addition. 50 dollars for a t-shirt, that’s just some ignorant _____.

I call that getting tricked by the business.”

Do we care that much about the opinions of others that we will spend enormous amounts of money to impress them?

2000 years ago, former Roman Emperor, Marcus Aurelius said, “it never ceases to amaze me: we all love ourselves more than other people, but care more about their opinion than our own.”

Think about what your life would be like without the things you have.  It could happen.  Better to have practiced misfortune so that if it comes to you, you won’t be bothered by it.

Are you practicing poverty & misfortune?  If not, do you think you will?

4~None of what you do lasts

Again, this may sound pessimistic, but it is liberating, and if you are still reading you can sense that practicing stoicism can be liberating.

Marcus Aurelius reminded himself of all the people who have died, whether they had a “great” occupation or a “lowly” one.  He said: “Run down the list of those who felt intense anger at something: the most famous, the most unfortunate, the most hated, the most whatever: Where is all that now? Smoke, dust, legend…or not even a legend. Think of all the examples. And how trivial the things we want so passionately are.”

“No matter how clever or brilliant, none of what we do lasts…It’s good to remember that.” Ryan Holiday

epictetus

“If everything is ephemeral, what does matter?  Right now matters.  Being a good person and doing the right thing right now, thats what matters and that’s what was important to the Stoics. Be humble and honest and aware.” Ryan Holiday

If you want to really live your best life, it is important to frequently think of your own mortality. This will help you appreciate each and every moment, and not have such an intense fear of death that most people refuse to think about.

“You could leave life right now. Let that determine what you do and say and think.” Marcus Aurelius

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I hope you enjoyed learning about, or learning more about the wonderful philosophy of stoicism.  There are many more practices involved with stoicism; these were a few key starting points I believe are good to begin with, & they are ones that I am practicing.

If you want to learn more about stoicism, I recommend reading the book “Meditations” by Marcus Aurelius.  I recently read it & it is now one of my top 3 all-time favorite books.

And as I said, I have many notes on stoicism and am considering writing a short ebook on the subject to discuss it in more details (the ebook would be around 20 pages). If this is something you’d be interested in reading please let me know 🙂

I look forward to hearing from you, & hope you have gained a new perspective through reading this.

Cheers.

“In your actions, don’t procrastinate. In your conversations, don’t confuse. In your thoughts, don’t wander. In your soul, don’t be passive or aggressive. In your life, don’t be all about business.” Aurelius