Most of the techniques and practices I've talked about in this blog are basic and fairly easy. Some of them may be hard to understand why they are so important, although I've tried to lay that out as plainly as possible, but basically these are simple techniques.
We start the hard part. This does not involve anything to do with a doctorate from MIT, but it is just as difficult and here is where we separate the men from the boys. This is where you can clearly excel and certainly step out of the cycle of negativity into abundant success in whatever endeavor you choose: successful business, successful social relationships, successful love life, successful weight control - anything you want.
What I'm talking about here is stamina, sticking to your dreams and not letting go of them.
Clearly this is much easier to do if your dreams are what really mean something to you; if you are clearly "following your bliss". If you are following someone else's dreams, not only will it be hard to focus, but you will always have a terrific uphill battle that you will not win. It's just that simple - you won't get there.
This is a definite sign (if it's hard to do visualizations on your goals) that your goals aren't really what you want and you are not following your bliss. When, after you understand how, the visualizations come easy once you practice doing them regularly. This is one of those "ah-ha" moments....when the visualizations come easy and of course then they start working.
This stamina is going to be hard enough as it is without any hindrances, so let's make this as simple and easy as possible. By using your affirmations, any videos or audios to enhance that, praying, meditation and constantly thinking and reminding yourself of your goals and the affirmations that you have written out, you can maintain your belief and good feelings through all sorts of ups and downs that will come your way.
This is where the big difference is made. This is where you set out the path your life is to follow. This is how you set your attitude to a positive direction. This is how you affect your future.
If you succumb to those negative outside influences that are part of the maddening crowd: Oh you can't accomplish this...thinking one way is going to make things another?.....I don't think so....what sort of nincompoop are you for being so simple-minded?....wake up and smell the coffee - things are the way they are and can't be changed, believe me you will never succeed. You will be drawn off your focus, your goals and certainly off your target.
But the exact opposite is just as true: if you believe, "All things are possible through God....I can have and deserve God's prosperous abundance....I have permission from God to enjoy my hard labors and as long as I keep God and Christ utmost in my heart and do not worship two gods (money & God), my perspective will be balanced, my life will be fulfilled and satisfying.
There are way too many divergences that can bring us off tract - on the outside of our awareness and on the inside. Both need our attention. This may seem hard, but it is strictly practice.
Fear is probably the biggest culprit in taking you off target. And it happens a lot of different ways...fear of action (anything/everything I do could be a terrible mistake), fear of inaction (if I don't do something it could be wrong), fear of thought (everything I think is fearful), fear of thinking period (if I start thinking, it will be fearful so why think or fear of thinking). Good grief - that just about covers everything except breathing and you start letting fear get a hold on you, then pretty soon you'll have yourself fearing breathing: "Don't breathe, it might be poisonous!"
Well, that might be the case, but people - if you DON'T breathe, you will definitely die!! That's sort of a "Duh!" statement, but let's go further...Being frightened all the time of everything is just as inappropriate as not being afraid of anything.
The second divergence to your goals is lack of practice. This sounds simple, but it is the simple practice of affirmations, prayers/meditations, revision of your list and the almost obsessive concentration of your dreams, goals and desires, that keeps fear from knocking on your door and pretty soon fear is so far away from your home, that it's almost a stranger. What a fabulous idea!
So practice at saying no to those negative influences, both inside & out, is a must. And practice your daily positive visualizations, meditations/prayers/affirmations and revision of your list if needed.
One of my most favorite person in history is Winston Churchill, who fought depression (more about all of his history below which is really fascinating), said: "Never, never, never, never give up!"
Remember that and stay focused and on track.
Further notes follow.
Some further notes:
Matthew 19: 28-29
This verse merits some close look as it has some interesting connotations to it, and when you look at the Greek translations, the full meaning of the words is clearer.
I put v. 28 for reference, but it's v. 29 that is the meat of this passage:
The key words here are "receive" and "eternal"
- Receive - the Greek translation is more active and proactive that just "receive" as we think of in our daily lives....we sit around and someone gives us something and we accept it - it's passive....we hardly have to reach out our hands and that's all that's required of us. This translation is different in that it is more active....in this version, we "take" in a very active way. So the meaning here is that, Yes Christ gives to us, but we have to take....we have to be active in this process of giving and taking.
- Eternal - The Greek translation here is more at "ongoing" or constant. This does not refer to anything specifically ethereal or esoteric. This refers to something that is occurring now and in the future and forever, so that our wait is not only for our reward in the regeneration but also before then.
The reason this passage and these translations are so important is that this is one of the main tenants of Christianity and it's easily misunderstood to mean that we suffer now and we will have reward later...prolonging the reward for a greater reward later. This does not preclude any suffering it just means that our reward isn't as prolonged in being carried out as the verse might otherwise infer.
The more "real" version might be:
This is one of my most favorite passages in that it tells us that we are not only allowed but are encouraged to enjoy the fruits of our labors. It also tells us that even though it may not come as soon as we would like (it all comes in God's own time), our reward does come and it does not preclude that reward from coming now on this Earth.
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More about Churchill who fought depression all his life. This was without drugs or even a diagnosis of what was wrong with him - he just thought he had some problems and didn't now that he was depressed - talk about a debilitating disease! Churchill was elected PM (Prime Minister) after World War I, but was concerned about the build up of the military in Germany, but was scoffed as a hawk-crying, war mongerer. So much so, that he was thrown out of office and only after Chamberlain gave away parts of Europe to "appease" Hitler, did Churchill return. It finally was Churchill's time, and even though his start was Dunkirk.
What a terrible start for England's entry into World War II. Private boat owners were asked to risk everything to pick up "our boys" on the beach and only through the bravery of everyday citizens who rescued so many of the men on the beach that day.
To make matters worse, Churchill knew about this secret machine. And through that the Brits discovered that Hitler was going to bomb a beautiful old church. If the Brits let on that they knew about the bombing, then they would let Hitler know they knew about the Enigma machine.
The rumor was the cathedral (c. 1880) was sacrificed to keep the secret of the Enigma - but this is only a rumor.
You could say Churchill had one way to go, and went all the way through the top. But it wasn't because he gave up early.
Churchill never gave up.
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