The gossip.
The news.
The futile words that don’t get you anywhere.
So then, where should you focus?
Philosophy
Adversity is a Gift
“Let me embrace thee, sour adversity, for wise men say it is the wisest course.”
—William Shakespeare
You lost the election.
You bet on the wrong stock.
You missed the game winning field goal.
You fell down face first into a pile of mud.
And it hurt.
It still does sometimes.
But you weren’t meant to remain in pain.
The pain – the adversity, is an opportunity to grow, to learn, to prosper, but in the moments it happens it’s almost impossible to appreciate.
Adversity doesn’t feel good, but it carries within it a gift.
The gift of experience.
“Experience is the teacher of all things.”
—Julius Caesar
The gift may be hidden, but it’s there, waiting for you to find it, open it, & move forward – stronger, wiser, and ready for the next opportunity.
Express Yourself
“My role in society, or any artist’s or poet’s role, is to try and express what we all feel. Not to tell people how to feel. Not as a preacher, not as a leader, but as a reflection of us all.”
– John Lennon
But first, express how you feel.
This is difficult to do in societies that don’t encourage self-expression, but it is essential toward creating a better tomorrow, for us all.
There is something within you that this world needs now more than ever.
Discover it & share it.
The world will thank you.
Compare Less. Do more
Sometimes I scroll through social media and find myself comparing myself to famous people who seem to have “made it.”
Yes they have made it to where they are, and that’s perfect, but that’s not where our focus should be.
My focus, your focus, our focus, should remain upon our own lives, our own goals, our own dreams.
When you stop comparing and start focusing and working on improving your own life, life improves.
It takes time, but it’s worth it.
“Stay in your lane. Comparison kills creativity and joy.”
-Brene Brown
Begin Today
Fall Seven Times & Rise Again
“For though the righteous fall seven times, they rise again, but the wicked stumble when calamity strikes.”
—Proverbs 24:16
You’ve stumbled. You’ve fallen. But you won’t let this keep you down. Not again. Not this time.
You’ve been created on this planet with a purpose. Some people find their purpose & live it out, while others contribute to purpose without knowing.
To find and live your true purpose requires a righteous pursuit. On this path you will fall much more than 7 times, but you will continue to rise and be stronger with each comeback.
You can go through your entire life with your eyes “closed”, or you can open your heart, mind, and soul and find the treasure that it waiting for you.
It’s your choice.
& Rise again.
Comparison is the thief of joy
Theodore Roosevelt is given credit for the quote: “Comparison is the thief of joy.”
But that really doesn’t matter.
What’s important is what you do with this information.
Because how much time do you spend comparing your life to others? Or others’ lives against others’?
What’s better than comparison?
Inward reflection & gratitude.
Change Happens Now
Everything is happening right Now.
Transformation is happening in this Moment.
Now is where everything happens.
For example, reflect on yesterday. Everything you did yesterday was happening in the moment. The same is true for today.
Everything is literally happening right Now.
What are you doing Now?
Love your fate
We rise.
We fall.
We get back up.
We carry on.
Your fate is what is destined for you specifically.
You are born into this world in the current form you are in, and you have no say in how you are born.
Your life has been written for you.
It seems the practical choice is to love your fate and flow with it. The other choice, like the stoics talked about, is to try to fight your fate – which is like a dog putting it’s hind legs in the dirt trying not to be carried by the cart which is pulling it.
It’s better to let go and flow with life than to resist and be painfully pulled.
Friedrich Nietzsche said:
“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.”
Your life has been designed for you to live, and for you to love.
It’s better to embrace and love your fate than to resist and be dragged.
The Power of The Dream
MLK jr. had a dream.
John Lennon imagined.
Jesus Christ lived a vision.
& the list goes on…
“Where there is no vision, the people perish.”
—Proverbs 29:18
Not only did the dreams of these greats serve as inspiration, they were necessary building blocks toward the quality of lives we live today as they continue to serve & inspire us to dream & take action toward our dreams.
The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho shares the dream.
Eckhart Tolle’s A New Earth shares a vision.
Shakespeare said “Thoughts are but dreams till their effects be tried.”
& Einstein said “Imagination is the preview of life’s coming attractions.”
Your thoughts & ideas — your dreams, hold more power than you think the do.
So what’s your dream?
What do you imagine?
What vision lives within you?
With Ken Thompson 