As we journey along our path we will undoubtedly encounter problems. Problems are just part of life and they seldom become as insurmountable as we believe they will be. Remember that you have yet met a problem that you have not dealt with, you have not been stopped in your tracks, in-fact, you have grown and have become stronger because of problems.

I want to look at how we can detect problems and then face them head on with courage. This ten-part series will be devoted to just problems and what we can do to solve them.

First let’s talk about what is a problem. According to Webster, a problem is defined as, “A source of perplexity, distress, or vexation.” It appears that we even have a problem defining what a problem is. If we look just at the part of the definition that makes the most sense to me, “A source of… distress…” A problem then is something that causes us to become stressed. We all know that stress can be a huge negative factor in our overall wellbeing both mentally and physically, so I believe that it is imperative that we know best how to deal with and eliminate as many of the problems or sources of stress in our lives as possible.

As we dive into “Problems Along the Journey,” we have defined what a problem is, and we will then jump into: problem identification, identify the factors involved in the problem, research and analyze the problem, identify possible solutions to the problem, pick the best possible solution, apply the chosen solution, test results and apply different solution if needed, and finally to reflect on what the problem and the solution has taught us.

This method of problem solving is a continuous process and with that it can become a powerful learning experience and a place from where we can gain knowledge and wisdom that will help us tackle other problems and become more successful in the long run.

As we investigate each of these steps, keep in mind that you have yet to meet a problem that you have not been able to overcome and by studying these steps each upcoming problem will become less and less of an issue to you. Dealing with problems can be learned, and eventually we no longer deal with problems along our journey, we just push them aside and continue on our way.

No two sets of fingerprints are exactly the same, even between our own ten fingers.

What is it that makes us truly unique individuals? I believe that several things combine together that make us truly unique and unlike any other person now, in the past, or in the future for that matter. First is our experiences, no one has experienced situations exactly the way we have, our point of view, our thoughts as we are exposed to the event, or even the senses that are invoked while going through them. We all see, feel, smell, thinks, and process our experiences distinctly.

Next is the knowledge that we gain from the experience, sometimes we learn something completely new and other times we add to our resume of experiences. Knowledge comes from experiences and wisdom comes from knowledge gained from multiple experiences.

Finally, I believe that what we walk away with, the lesson we learn, is uniquely our own. Some may consider the experience a non-event, others a learning opportunity, and yet others a situation to avoid at all costs. How we perceive our reactions to the event will guide us in how we learn, grow and continue on our journey to our next destination in life.

Remember this, we are all truly unique individuals, just like everyone else. Ain’t it cool?!

Life is hectic, it is frantic, it is even chaotic at times. But is it really out of control?

If we think about what it is the makes us feel that things are out of control, we need to look at the situations we are facing and really even more deeply, how we are responding to the stimuli.

Life never goes any faster or any slower for us than it does for anyone else, so why does it seem that way at times? It all boils down to how we are reacting and responding to the situations that are presenting themselves to us. May I be brave enough to say that the only thing out of control in most situations is us? The only thing that we can actually control is how we respond to the situation. Even in a life or death situation, we still have the ability to control ourselves, we may not be able to control or even affect the outcome, but we can control our responses.

I like to remind folks that are facing difficulties in their lives that they have never met an obstacle or challenge that they have not been able to overcome. We have all had harrowing times in our lives when we felt as if it was all about to end, but eventually the clouds of despair partled and the sunshine of a new day started to shine once again. Each time we are faced with a challenge we need to remember that we have overcome many challenges in the past and that we have the benefit of drawing on those experiences and the strength that we gained because of them.

So if things seem to be out of control, take a deep breath, relax, and know that you have yet to be defeated when facing a challenge. We are promised that we will never be given more than we can handle.

Well what happens when you have been going along so strong, so well and then suddenly you run out of steam? If we think about what it takes to make steam we need to realize that there are three vital components needed to make steam: water, heat, and a vessel that can withstand pressure. Let’s take a closer look at the analogy each of these items brings to my mind.

Water. Water is the life that is within us all, without it would would cease to be alive. We can have different qualities of water and these qualities can be affected by our attitudes, perception, and even our interactions with others. If we have good clean water, our lives are going to be well controlled, there will be fewer surprises, fewer issues that will be needed to be dealt with. Good, clean water is nice to have but it comes at a cost, we have to maintain it. We have to eat well, exercise regularly, and keep our bodies healthy. By doing so, our life and our water remain at a quality level.

If we have a contaminated source of water, our lives will be murky, unclear, and potentially unsafe to maintain our healthy state of being. We will need to correct the impurities in our water and work hard to bring it back into a quality state. We have a couple of options available to us to clarify and purify our water. First we can filter it. By filtering, I mean we can control what we allow into our system, the thoughts we think, the people we spend time with, or even the sights and sounds that we absorb through our daily living. The other thing we can do is to treat it, and by this I mean that we can increase the beneficial nutrients that we bring into our system, more good things and fewer of the not-so-good things. Increase your exercise, and this will increase the oxygen flow in our system. We need to take a few good deep breaths from time to time to clear out the toxins. We can increase our water consumption, 60-80 ounces a day is a healthy goal for all of us to shoot for. This will help to hydrate our systems and flush many of the unhealthy toxins away. Lastly we can increase the amount of positivity in our lives. We can think more positive thoughts, spend time with more positive people or even just enjoy the peace and tranquility of some quiet time alone reading or meditating on positive subjects.

The next component necessary to make steam is heat, and heat is nothing more than energy. This energy can come from different sources and can be intense or barely noticeable. Energy is vital in every aspect of our lives and without it we can go nowhere. How do we generate or create energy? Simply put, we do what we know must be done, we put our nose to the grindstone and commit to the commitment. Remember that it is easier to act our way into a feeling than it is to feel our way into an action. If you wait for the feeling to be right before you act, you may be waiting an awfully long time. Waiting is a passive endeavor and would be like a needle in a haystack finding you, it won’t happen. But if we act first, we may not find starting anymore pleasurable but the feeling of accomplishment will feel so much better than the feeling of another opportunity lost while waiting for a feeling to take charge.

Finally, we need a vessel that can withstand a little pressure. That vessel is you. God has created us uniquely capable of withstanding more than we realize. Think about this; when was the last time you met an obstacle or challenge that you did not overcome? You may have thought at the time that you were doomed but looking back on the situation now, you see that you did overcome it and actually came out the other side stronger and more fit to meet the next challenge.

So if you are feeling like you don’t have the steam to continue, think about what you do have that will get you through this low point in life, you have the ability within yourself and with the help and guidance of a loving God and Father to get you through it. You will never experience a truly unique problem or obstacle that hasn’t been faced by someone in a similar situation. You have never met a challenge that you didn’t overcome and you never will. Things may appear dark in the valley but remember the valley is only temporary, soon you will be back on your way up and the view from the peak will be so much nicer and fulfilling. Your steam will come back and soon you will once again be able to blow your whistle and chug along the tracks of life.

Brian

It seems that we live in a society that is not sure just what they belive, or what they should belive. Many seem to think one way and then act in a different way. This is not healthy for the person that is conflicted in this way or for the people and relationships that are impacted by this incongruity.

Beliefs are things that we understand as being factual and truthful, but when we are introduced to new information that disproves our belief, we can negotiate a new belief. Think about when you were a child and the thought of Santa Claus brought a giddiness to your day. Now that you have matured and have been introduced to new data and information you now have an adjusted belief in him. Your belief was negotiated.

Morals or values are something that are more deeply rooted and come to us through our family of origin, our culture, our religious beliefs. These are thoughts that are not negotiated and that when we go against them in action, thoughts, or speech, we feel uncomfortable and uneasy. These morals and values are what guides us and makes us strong, unique individuals.

With that being said, our ethics come into question, where do we align them. Undoubtedly we need to align our ethics and how we conduct ourselves and our business with our morals and values. By doing so our ethics become something that people can count on us to be consistent with. If we align our ethics with our beliefs, then we have as much negotiating ability with them as we do our beliefs. We cannot be congruent with ourselves or with anybody else for that matter if we keep changing who we are, what we belive, or how we act in each separate occasion.

To be known as a person with a high degree of ethics, you need consistency and unwavering dedication to what you belive. We can’t ride the fence, take a stand and stand for what you know is right and what is best.

Successful people are consistent and by being consistent they are consistently successful.

Just think about it, where would you be today if nothing bad ever happened to you in your life, if you were protected from everything that caused harm to you.

What if you never broke your arm in 3rd grade, what if your dog wouldn’t have died when you were 13, what if you never would have broke up with your steady date in High School, or would have not been in that car accident. What if you wouldn’t have lost a child shortly after finding out about the pregnancy? What is your wouldn’t have had to see your mother suffer before she died? What if you hadn’t gotten that divorce? Add to or subtract from this list any on the terrible things you experienced in your life. Who would you be today if none of those things had not have happened?

Would you be a better person never having to suffer through the pain and stress of those situations? Would you have been better off in the long run? What if, what if, what if…

I am sorry for all the pain you have incurred during your life and I wish it would not have hurt so much, but I can tell you, with no uncertainty, that it was these events that made you stronger, they made you smarter, and they made you into the truly unique individual that you are today.

As much as we wish bad things wouldn’t happen to us, the reality we need those experiences to help us learn, to keep us growing, and to gain wisdom. Bad things happen to everyone, no one is exempt. I heard a saying once that “Even Jesus got rained on.”

Understand that we become who we are not only from the good things that happen to us but also because of the bad things too. I know also that many more good things have happened to you than bad ones, so don’t dwell on the negative, but take hold of the positive and remember that we have never yet faced an obstacle in our path that we have not been able to overcome.

May you find peace,

 

Brian

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

Today we will talk about who we really are. It is almost an automatic response when asked who we are to go into a description of what we do for a paycheck. I want you to think more about who you are than what it is that you do.

We spend 8 hrs a day, 40 hours a week, 2080 hours a year in our jobs and that is only 23% of the time we have each year. Why do we relate what we do 23% of the time to who we are 100% of the time. I believe we are much more than what we do.

I hope that today’s video clip will get you thinking more about who you are rather than what you do.

Click here for more information.

Happy 4th of July to all!!

Here is a short video introducing “Mapping Your Journey.”

I look forward to presenting more videos in the future and as always I would love to hear your comments and feedback.

How many times have we heard the saying that, “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step?” According to this saying, all we have to do is start walking, placing one foot in front of the other and repeat until we get to where we want to go. Wouldn’t it be nice if it were really all that simple?

If all we have to do is start walking, how do we know if we are heading in the right direction? Starting off just one half of a degree in the wrong direction will put us somewhere completely different after a thousand miles.

If we are working towards obtaining a specific goal, and to be able to reach that goal successfully. we need to do a little more planning than just trusting luck and the fickle finger of fate to get us to where we want to go. We have to know a few things if our trip is to be as successful as possible and knowing  what we currently know and understanding that there are things that we have yet to have a good concept of, is a vital part of the planning of a journey of life.

“Mapping Your Journey” is a guide that will serve to assist you in planning your journey, it will help you to open up your thoughts to “knowing” what you do know and what you have yet to learn. “Mapping Your Journey” will present some questions to you that you may not have considered in the past and will aid you in discovering the answers to many questions that will help you along the path that is your journey.

For more information, click on contact information and I will get you information to help you get started on a journey exploring not only your route but also your desires and dreams.

 

Every morning we awake with an amazing gift of another day, another 24 hours, another 1,440 minutes, another 86,400 seconds, how we choose to use this gift is completely up to us and we have total control of how we will face the challenge of using this gift to the best of our abilities.

Time is said to be the great equalizer, insomuch as it the same for everyone, nobody is entitled to more, no one can purchase more, and no one can save it for a rainy day. We all have the same gift and we all have the same opportunity to put it to use for ourselves. You can always earn more money but, you can’t obtain more time.

I find it fascinating that as I get older time seems to go by faster and faster, and in some ways that worries me. Have I used my time wisely or have I squandered it foolishly? When I was younger I thought I had all the time in the world and now I am starting to realize the stark truth that my time here is limited and that I have more time behind me than I can expect to have going forward. Maybe this is what a mid-life crisis is all about. I also have realized as I age that I spend my time in more meaningful activities, I limit my time watching television, I spend more time outside in my garden and yard, I spend more time trying to add value to others. I have gained wisdom over my time here on earth and I feel that I should share it with others. I spend much more time now learning and growing intellectually than ever before, I find it amazing just how much I don’t know and that how much there is out there that I can still learn. I have always said that you have to learn to live and that living is learning. If we are not learning, we are not living, and if we are not living, then we must be dying. I prefer to live, how about you?

I want to challenge you to look at how you spend your time currently, are you finding that you don’t have enough time in a day to accomplish all you need to accomplish? Are you struggling to keep ahead of your commitments? If so, then let me suggest that you track your time for a couple of days and see where you could possibly find some inefficiencies that you could turn into a more profitable investment of your limited supply of time. You should look at your days in 15-minute increments and see what it is that you are doing and how you are spending your time. Try this for a couple of days and be honest with yourself afterwards, is the time you are spending doing your everyday activities really the best use of your time? I am not saying that you should feel guilty for sitting down and relaxing, we all need to recharge, but binge watching the last three years of a television show on Netflix my not be a really beneficial investment of such a precious commodity.

Spend your times wisely, once it is gone, it is gone…forever.