Why I write

The reason for my recent surge of blog posts, is explained in this letter to my teacher at UVU. These blogs have been the result of a service assignment, however, I had this blog long before the assignment. Mostly I changed the direction and focus of my writing.

I did the service for the audience to my blog, or anyone that cares to read it. As I stated when I submitted the service opportunity to you, I have recently found writing my thoughts out very therapeutic. It got me thinking that we all have a lot of knowledge on certain things. We have our own point of view and that point of view is specific to each of us. I thought by sharing my point of view and experiences that have helped me reach higher and grow in my life could help others. So I have written several blogs on topics that have either helped me in the past or are currently helping me.

Did anything surprise me? Absolutely, for one, I realized that this service opportunity helped me more than it probably helped anyone that read my blog. But more importantly, I discovered something interesting. I wouldn’t necessarily say it surprised me, but it was somewhat of an epiphany of sorts. I was recently writing one of my blogs and towards the end got an urge to write differently, more honestly, but was afraid of how I would be judged if someone I knew read it (in fact, I’ve deleted a couple of my blog posts for being TOO open and honest about my personal life to the point that I felt uncomfortable about it), but in my head sometimes I feel like a different person. In fact, the inspiration for my blog name came from Benjamin Franklin. He wrote as Mrs. Silence Dogood so that he could publish his work in the New-England Courant. His brother James Franklin was the founder and publisher of the paper. Benjamin was only 16 years old, so in order to get his work published he would push the written letter under the new pen name of the middle aged Silence Dogood under the door of the printing shop every couple of weeks. I wonder if in his experience writing as Silence Dogood, that perhaps he was able to write more honestly or openly as opposed to if people knew it was him. Does that make sense?

                This experience DID reinforce what we are learning in this class, and I’ll tell you why. This is a technology class. And this service assignment was an opportunity to take advantage of technology oriented service. This is Web 2.0. I can interact with, and contribute to the content on the web. That is an advance in technology that just blows my mind, even now. What we are able to do is amazing. So I think this was very fitting for this class.

                The worst part of this experience was being pressed to write more than I felt inspired to write, which isn’t really that bad of a thing. I like to write naturally, when I feel the prompting or the inspiration. I imagine it is how J.K. Rowling felt after the surge of popularity her books gained. The best part has been the discovery I have made for myself, about myself, and the feeling of creating something that I hope others find value in. Or at least that it might help them in some way.

                I believe service was included in this course and is found valuable by UVU for the very things I have already stated. It adds so much to yourself as well as others. We gain knowledge and it pushes us to gain new understanding we might not otherwise achieve. 

Dear Me,

Do you ever stop and think of your younger self and wish you could go back and shake some sense into that younger you?

There is a movie called "Shawshank Redemption", maybe you've heard of it. If you haven't, stop reading this and go watch it now. Then come back and finish reading this, because I have some really great things to tell you about the character named Red from that movie. In Stephen King's novel which the film was based on, the character named Red is an Irish man with red hair. However, the role in the film eventually went to the actor Morgan Freeman (a decision which I am very glad the casting crew made). Morgan Freeman plays that character so well he makes me believe he could be a black Irishman. Red makes a statement in the movie towards the end of his prison sentence (which you now know because you just watched the film, right? Cause I don't want to spoil this for you, you've been warned).
After the council that determines if he gets paroled asks him if he knows what rehabilitated means this is what he says:

There's not a day goes by I don't feel regret. Not because I'm in here, because you think I should. I look back on the way I was then: a young, stupid kid who committed that terrible crime. I want to talk to him. I want to try to talk some sense to him, tell him the way things are. But I can't. That kid's long gone, and this old man is all that's left. I got to live with that. Rehabilitated? It's just a bullshit word. So you go on and stamp your form, sonny, and stop wasting my time. Because to tell you the truth, I don't give a shit.

So, yes, I feel like Red sometimes. Sometimes I want my younger self to know what's ahead of him. I think people that say they have no regrets haven't committed any act worthy of regret. That's just my opinion, but the word regret exists for a reason, because there are things in our lives, if given the opportunity to change, I'm sure we wouldn't do the same way, but then again we might not know what was better unless we made the choice in the first place. Something to ponder, but I think the greatest wisdom is found in climbing out of a hole we dug ourselves into in the first place.

In the Eye of the Beholder

People often say that 'beauty is in the eye of the beholder,' and I say that the most liberating thing about beauty is realizing that you are the beholder. This empowers us to find beauty in places where others have not dared to look, including inside ourselves.

Salma Hayek

I watched the movie "Shallow Hal" as a kid, and the message of that movie was not lost on me. In the movie, the main character has a trance put on him so that he sees a person's inner beauty reflected as their outer beauty. Towards the end the trance is removed but because he has seen the inner beauty of the people he has come to know he understands what it means to really appreciate someone's true beauty. 

We have all had experiences where the beauty of a person increases or decreases as we get to know who they really are. There have been some people I initially thought very attractive that as I got to know them they became less beautiful...almost physically too...which taught me that there is much more to how we determine beauty.

To Do or not To Do

Recently I have tapped into the power of the "To Do" list. In the past I have been unsuccessful at keeping up with my to do lists, but I want to share with you some tips that have helped me stay consistent.

What I did differently was simple. I got a to do list widget for my computer at work. It stayed on my desktop and I always had it right in front of me. I believe this helped for two reasons. First, it was fun to use. I'll admit I find joy in the simple things, such as clicking little boxes and watching those items vanish and that feeling of satisfaction as I shorten my list. It's great.

Second, because it was on my desktop and open all the time I was reminded constantly of the things I needed to do.

This widget I started using had some design flaws that slowly made it annoying to use so I switched to just keeping multiple notepad windows open on my desktop. This worked for a couple of months. I had plenty of space and each window had a different topic of to dos. Gradually, I realized the flaws of this method. My computer restarted and I lost my work because I didn't save it, and it made my desktop really cluttered. So after a time of using this method I discovered Evernote. With Evernote I had an app on my computer, laptop, and smartphone which would all sync automatically. This really improved things a lot. I use Evernote to take lecture notes as well. It's designed beautifully and it is fairly intuitive and extremely useful. While Evernote has many useful features, I find that it's sort of like an Android device. There are a TON of features. All useful, but it makes using the application somewhat of a chore at times.

Currently I have started using the apple app "Reminders" for my to do lists. It is incredibly simple and uncluttered. The app shows me I have items to complete on the icon in my phone and on my mac. And I use Evernote for...notes. It makes sense seeing as how each of these applications are targeted for a specific use.

I have one more tip that I read in an article. Make sure that your to do lists include fun things that you want to do. That way when you look at your list it won't be so much of a chore. This will help you stay consistent. I have noticed realized the truth of this in my own life. Now go get to making those to dos!

Aiming your Focus

I heard once that our brain receives so much data every day that it can only process around 40 percent of all it receives. It chooses what to focus on based on what it deems relevant or what is current in your life. What I mean by that is that if you look at a picture of something you wish to have every day your brain will focus throughout the day on that item and pieces of information relating to that item. In regards to vision boards, which are a popular way to visualize your goals every day, this is the reason you are able to accomplish your goals more effectively.

Recently I started my own vision board after hearing about the success of others with vision boards. I learned from a man who mentors others on how to create and utilize this project effectively. He told a story about how it took him weeks before he got the inspiration to start a vision board before he actually took action. My experience was about the same. Things kept getting in the way or distracting me from the simple task of getting that vision board completed. Finally I willed myself to get the items I needed for that board and I got it up as quickly as I could. Then when it was up, my life changed completely. I feel the influence of it daily. I have a total of nine items on my board and I stare at them morning and night. The simple act of looking at those pieces of scrap paper and those images keeps those goals relevant and current in my mind. So a greater chance of the 40 percent that my brain processes is focused on finding a way to create those items on my vision board.

I don't like to use the word 'goal' anymore. Instead, I like to say that I am 'creating'. When I look at that vision board on my wall I am creating those items in my life RIGHT NOW. While a few of my items have dates associated with them I am at work in my life making that item a reality right now. I ponder what the next step is and I do it.

Another part that is key in visualizing is the passion and emotion you evoke into your mind as you look at your board. Connecting your thoughts with powerful emotions will lead to powerful actions. When you do this daily you maintain that emotion to carry you through to completion. I invite you to visit http://3keyelements.com/new/
Kirk Duncan, the founder of 3 Key Elements. I have enjoyed "Building a Mind of Steel" and "Vision Board Success" audio programs that he has created.

So get these programs and get a vision board up so you can aim your brain to focus on the items you wish to create in your life and it will happen!

Why your losing the game...

Analogies are powerful. They can explain thoughts and ideas through symbolism in a potent and enlightening way. One such analogy I will share with you today. I never had much love for sports, I enjoy watching them once in a while with friends or family, but if you asked me the name of the quarter back for any NFL team, chances are I don't know it. That being said, I still use this analogy in my own life because it fits so well. Imagine for a moment that you are on the field, the green grass below you and the lights illuminating the field. The crowd is cheering and you feel the excitement of the game in the air all around you. You look over at the coach who you know has great confidence in you, for you are the team captain. The coach is your Father in Heaven. As captain of the team it is your duty to see the team succeeds at and operates to the best of its ability. The coach trusts you to cut people from the team who you feel are not causing the team to win the games. In your life you have many people who rally around you to support you and help you succeed. Family, close friends, employers, co-workers, etc. Anyone in your "inner-circle" will play a large role on your team. Who you allow to continue playing on your team is an important decision that only YOU can make. The coach will help you to know who might be holding the team back, but ultimately it is your choice to make. There might be that close friend who has started making choices that are hurting you or bringing you down. Perhaps you have a family member who you know always has your back and encourages you to be your best no matter what. Knowing that in order to succeed in life you have to cut that friend from the team and rely on that family member to help your team succeed are some of the most important decisions you will make in life. If you allow friends like that to stick around, you will lose games. As you recruit new players for your team however, you will notice that you have a greater capacity for enthusiasm and a more positive outlook on life. You will accomplish more and you will see more success in your life.

As a man thinketh

Who am I? Is that a question you've ever asked yourself? What is usually the response? It is a simple question, which often provokes deep thoughts about our existence and who we really are and the role we play in this world. It is infinitely more difficult to answer. 

Growing up I would usually hear my mother say, "You can be anything you want!" or "You have the power to do whatever you put your mind to!" While I was grateful for her positive words of encouragement, I heard countless more negative words of discouragement throughout my day from my peers or from the thoughts in my own head.

 

Do the words of others determine who you are? It depends on if you let it. The real determination of who we are and who we will become all comes down to the thoughts in our head and how well we work at controlling them. Proverbs 23:7 states, "As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he." 

I think a lot of us try to think positive thoughts about ourselves and others, but often we default to faithless, negativity unless we are vigilant in our efforts to train ourselves and our brains to fight back. With little effort, little results. With great efforts, great results. 

Just like the phrase, you are what you eat, I suggest to you that you are what you think you are. If you think you are a worthless person, your brain will accept that as fact. However, if you believe your value is great and you are capable of anything, that is exactly what your brain will believe and if you believe it and connect enough emotion to that idea that is what you will become and that is how others will view you. 

"As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he." Proverbs 23:7