A Lesson from My Army Days

The inspiration for today's blog actually came from my Internet radio show last night. I had noticed a glitch in the show and so I endeavored to fix it while affecting the show as little as possible. I continued to talk to my guest, told him about the glitch and that we would continue while I fixed it.

Long story short, I made the fix and the show essentially went off without interruption. How did I remain calm and find a solution? I remembered an acronym we were taught in Warrant Officer Candidate school, that at the time was taught to all Army officers and warrant officers. It is AIO and stands for Adapt, Improvise and Overcome.

This lesson has applications for anything you may encounter in your life and is especially important given the uncertainty in the world today.

ADAPT

"Adapt or perish, now as ever, is nature's inexorable imperative." - H.G. Wells

When changes occur in our lives and changes are going to happen, how we adapt to them will determine whether it is a positive or negative experience. Being able to adapt allows us to make or accept those changes in a smooth and effortless way.

IMPROVISE

"The ability to improvise allows one to fully tap into their creative core to bring forth a solution to any challenge." - Harry E. Shade

When things do not go the way you expected or do not work the way you thought they would, how do you deal with it? Those that can improvise or to put it another way create a solution on the fly, will do so in a calm and focused manner because they know that there is a solution. All they have to do is look for it and use whatever means are at hand to effect a positive outcome. You want to think like McGyver here.

OVERCOME

"We grow because we struggle, we learn and overcome." - R.C. Allen

The third and final step in the process is overcome. If you can adapt and improvise, then overcoming is the natural result for the first two steps lead us to the end. When life throws use a curve ball, all we have to do is ADAPT and IMPROVISE and the solutions we create we will allow us to overcome even the greatest of odds. Overcoming is really more mental than anything, we know we can overcome something if we can adapt and improvise.

So, once we have the knowing that we can do the first two steps, we can OVERCOME any doubt or fear of the outcome because we know it is assured.

Today, there is a lot of anxiety, uncertainty and fear in the world, most of it put upon us by others. But if we truly take a moment to step back and apply AIO, we will be certain that the outcome will be positive. One thing we need to do is place ourselves in the natural flow of things and try not to fight the current of change.

I know that there are people losing jobs and homes, as well as, retirement money, however those that can adapt, improvise and overcome, will in the end carve out a positive experience in the midst of all the negativity. Maybe we will learn to budget our money better or perhaps learn a new skill and start a new career. The outcomes are of our creation and so we get to decide if they are going to be positive or negative.

Thank you for taking the time to read this today, I am honored that you would do so. I would love to have you share you comments and stories about how you have used AIO in you own life.That way others may benefit from your experiences and wisdom.

May you be blessed always and in all ways.

Harry

http://www.raresenseunlimited.com/

You are far more powerful than you think.

You are far more powerful than you think. How do I know this? Because I know each of us has the power to create. I can go as far to say that we have the power to create life. How can you not believe you are powerful when you have the power of creation inside of each and everyone of you?

In his book, "You'll See It When You Believe It: The Way to Your Personal Transformation", Wayne Dyer takes the old adage that "I'll believe it when I see it" and expertly explains that that is quite backwards. You will not see anything until you believe in it. You have to believe it first or it will never come to be. Here is an excerpt from his book that speaks directly to what I am talking about in this post.

Chapter 1, Page 14, Copyright 2001: "Every man-made creation starts with a thought, an idea, a vision, a mental image. The thought is them applied in some way to form a new product. At this moment I am taking my thoughts, applying them to a typewriter and creating a new product called a book. We all go through this process thousands of times every day. The ultimate in becoming a transformed person is seeing ourselves as unlimited by our form."

We quite often feel as if we are victims of circumstances or beneficiaries of luck, but in reality things don't just happen to us. Like a magnet we bring events and people into our lives through our thoughts and beliefs. If we believe we can have something, we will send out an energy that will draw back the people, circumstances and opportunities that will assist us in obtaining our goals, if we believe the opposite, we will create the opposite. You are in control of your own thoughts and that is a power that cannot be taken away. You can however give it away, through blaming others for your circumstances and/or allowing the past to hold you there so that you cannot create the future you want.

"Whenever your thoughts are are on what you don't want, you are creating by default. You are creating deliberately when you are aware of your thoughts and consciously thinking of what you do want." - Eva Gregory Copyright 2002 http://www.jeannaandevashow.com/

So, we need to ensure that our thoughts on on what we do want and that we are using our conscious mind to actively create what we do want. Don't fall into the trap of focusing on you do not want, as that will give you more of it.

"The world we have created is a product of our thinking. It cannot be changed without changing our thinking." - Albert Einstein

We need to take each day and use the power that the universe has given us and create the world we want and deserve.

That's all for today!

May you be blessed always and in all ways!

Harry

Simplify!

It is hard to pick up any magazine, read any newspaper or surf the internet without someone talking about simplfying our lives. What I find a little ironic about it for me is that I have lived my life as simply as possible for as long as I can remember.

When I wrote my book "Rare Sense; One Day It Will Be Common" , I wrote it to be a simple guide to living a fulfilled and balanced life. To me life is nothing if not simple, if you look at it at it's basic level. If you read "Conversation With God" by Neale Donald Walsch, it is loaded with simple ideas on how to live your life. If you read the Bible, God broke it down to 10 simple commandments, all the rest is just filler and reminders. Buddha encouraged simple living in his teachings. The Native American Medicine Men & Women taught their spiritual ideas through simple stories and lessons.

Life is simple, we make it complicated with the weight of all the stuff we pile onto ourselves. The guilt, the fear, the hurt, the anger, the worry and the past.

Here are some suggestions on how to simplfy your life:

1. Get organized.
2. Get rid of clutter.
3. Approach everyday with an attitude of gratitude.
4. Approach everything from a position of love.
5. Set goals.

That's it. Simple! Start with those things and in no time, you will see how simple life can be.

May you be blessed always and in all ways!

Harry

The ABC's of Life - Attitude

One of the seminars I give is called The ABC's of Life. Today, I am going to start with Attitude and eventually we will get through the whole "life" alphabet. All the quotes are mine.

Attitude: “Attitude as much as anything else will determine the quality of your life!”

What is your attitude toward life? Yourself? Others? Do you have an attitude of gratitude? Do you face each new day with wonder and anticipation? Do you look for the good in all things? Do you think it is all hopeless? Do you see no point in it all? Do you live in the past? Do you let others determine your life or do you hold the power? Are you actively participating or sitting on the sidelines and wondering why things are not working out?

When you have a good attitude the highs of life will last longer and the lows will be shorter. Yes, even when you have a good attitude there will still be highs and lows. You will seek ways to grow and take on new challenges with enthusiasm and total commitment. When you have a good attitude your "luck" will increase and no matter what happens, you will have the ability to overcome any obstacle. When you have a good attitude, life will be easier and more rewarding. You'll love more and worry less. You will be healthier, happier and face life without fear.

How do you have a good attitude? I could say something rather silly right here and say by just having one. Even though there is truth in that previous statement, it is not very helpful.

You will have a good attitude by being thankful for all that you have, right here, right now. By living in the present and not the past. By making what and where you are at this moment the best it can be. Attitude is a state of mind and grateful people can only have a good attitude. No matter how much or how little you have, if you are grateful for what you do have, then you are on the way to having a good attitude.

When you can look in the mirror and see a worthy, human being, not perfect but worthy, then you will have a good attitude. When you know your true worth, you will have a good attitude. When you can love you for you and accept everything about yourself, you can not help but have a good attitude.

So, do you have a good attitude? If so, great! If not, why not? With all the benefits what is keeping you from having a good attitude?

May you be blessed always and in all ways!

It's Not Being Selfish

Ok, I found myself trying to figure out what to write about today and once again I received inspiration from a complete stranger.

I was reading some posts on the web site Tee Bee Dee, a social networking site for those 40 and over (see link below), when someone with the profile name of DeeD posted the following thoughts in a discussion group about what you are grateful for:

" I am grateful for finally beginning to see what was hidden. I never understood "love yourself" until very recently. Always before when I heard that it came through as blah, blah...
Now I see it. I don't want to do to myself what I won't stand for being done to someone else. I never realized how much mean talking I do to myself, sometimes to the point of cruelty. There are other issues, but this one illustrates well enough. I am grateful for this lesson!"

This is one of the most important lessons to learn in life and the earlier you learn this one the better, for it is key in creating the relationships that you attract into your life. I know what you are going to say, you don't love yourself but you still love others and people still love you. Yes, but...even though everyone has someone who loves them and people that they love, you can love more deeply and unconditionally if you love yourself and it makes it easier for others to love you when they are not constantly having to build you up. It takes energy to constantly be building someone else up, energy that could be used for other things.

Now the next question I get a lot when discussion this topic is: Isn't wanting to take of myself a selfish thing? Another one is: Shouldn't I be more focused on helping and taking care of others first, isn't that the spiritual thing to do? Some comments I get are: I am too busy taking care of everyone else to worry about myself. They just don't allow me time to take care of myself. I just have too many flaws so focusing on others helps me to forget my shortcomings. I don't need to love myself to love others.

Ok, lets examine those aforementioned questions and comments:

Isn't wanting to take of myself a selfish thing? That question is coming from guilt. It is never a selfish thing to want to take care of oneself because if you are not in a good place physically, mentally and spiritually, how can you possibly be there fully for anyone else, if at all. So, it is not selfish it is in a selfless act.

Shouldn't I be more focused on helping and taking care of others first, isn't that the spiritual thing to do? Ahhh, I call this the martyr question. Well, part of the answer to this question is the same as the answer to the aforementioned question. You cannot take care of others if you do not take care of yourself. The second part of the answer is this; you do not have to suffer to be spiritual, in fact your suffering does not make you more spiritual, it just makes you more miserable. The universe wants you to be happy and healthy, if that is what you want! You are being more spiritual when you are happy and healthy, not depressed and sick.

Now for the comments I get all too often and mainly I have to say from women.

I am too busy taking care of everyone else to worry about myself. Really! I find this comment to be interesting for two reasons. First of all it flies in the face of all logic. Once again (I really hate to beat a dead house), if you do not take time for yourself you cannot be fully there for anyone else. You may think you are doing grand, unselfish things but in reality you cannot give 100% to those you want to take care of because you are not taking care of yourself. Secondly, aren't you putting yourself up on a pedestal, just a little bit? Maybe those that you think you have to constantly take care of would really be better served in the long run to have to do some things for themselves. Might actually build some confidence, independence and sense of responsibility in their lives.

They just don't allow me time to take care of myself. OK, do you have free will? Who is not allowing what to happen? It seems to me that if you point out the logic that I have put forth prior, it would actually make sense to them. Now, if you have loved ones that are so totally dependent on you that they rebel at first you have to first tell yourself, well I created this situation. Then just insist that you are going to take time to care for yourself and that they will just have to get used to it and fend for themselves. In fact, you may just want to point out that they should helping to take care of you too!

I just have too many flaws, so focusing on helping others helps me to forget my shortcomings. Yes, you are not perfect, nobody is, but ignoring things that you would like to change about yourself will not make them go away. They will just fester, get worse with time and eventually come out in some of the most unpleasant ways. No, if there are things you do not like about yourself then you must take the time and effort to change the ones you can and accept the ones you can't so you can truly love yourself.

I don't need to love myself to love others. This is probably my all time favorite. While it is true that you can love others and others can love you, even if you do not fully love yourself, it is never unconditional. You cannot give of yourself 100% because you do not have 100% to give. There is always going to be something either missing or lacking. Because you do not love you, you are going to question how anyone else can love you, either in your head or by actually asking. This can put a strain on even the best of relationships and has you in a constant state of worry. Is that any way to live?

You see loving yourself is in fact the selfless thing to do for it allows you to give your love unconditionally and allow yourself to be loved unconditionally. In this way there is no guilt, no martyrs, no anger and no resentment. There is simply love!

Make it a great day!

Please give my web site a visit @ http://www.raresenseunlimited.com/ and check out Tee Bee Dee and my profile @ http://www.tbd.com/viewProfile.html. Blessings!

A Book Review, "The Key" by Joe Vitale

From time to time, I will do a review of a book that I recently read and/or listened to. I really prefer listening to books anymore but do still get time to read some.

Today, I am going to review Joe Vitale's book, "The Key: The Missing Secret for Attracting Anything You Want". If you do not know Joe Vitale and have not read anything by him, you are definitely missing out on one of today's great authors on spiritual and life growth.

Joe has been featured in the world wide phenomenon movie, "The Secret" and is the author of such great books as "Life's Missing Instruction Manual" & "The Attractor Factor". His web site is http://www.mrfire.com/.

In "The Key", Joe really provides guidance in a simple yet profound way that brings about many "aha" moments. One of the main things he emphasizes is the importance of getting clear to get what you really want in life. Which in essence is how to get rid of those things that are blocking you.

I found the book to be easy to read, fun and well worth the time. I would recommend this book to anyone who just cannot seem to engage the Law of Attraction.

Harry Shade
Author - Rare Sense, One Day It Will Be Common; A Practical Guide to a Fulfilled & Balanced Life

http://www.raresenseunlimited.com/