Not everyone will understand your journey. That’s fine. It’s not their journey to make sense of. It’s yours.
Author | Photographer | CG Artist | Filmmaker
So many things in life come and go in waves. Knowing this can be particularly useful when dealing with difficult times. By recognizing that, in many cases, all you need to do is ride out a challenging time before things will begin to get better can make it easier to bear.
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Sometimes I read books about subjects written by authors I don’t think I’ll agree with…
And the funny thing is, while I don’t agree with everything, I always learn something.
Always.
I think there’s probably a lesson in there.
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There’s nothing difficult about finding faults, flaws, and things to disagree with — which is why so many people seemingly make a sport of it.
When you find yourself with a predominantly negative view of people (or life in general), it can help to change your focus from fault-finding to appreciation-seeking.
“What can I appreciate about this person, this moment, or this thing?” is a question that will often leave one feeling far better for having asked it than simply focusing on all the things one doesn’t like.
I’m an optimist. I like to see the best in people. I believe human beings are inherently good. I believe people are capable of achieving far more than they believe. I encourage tolerance, kindness, and open minds.
That said, knowing this one simple fact may prove beneficial in getting through life:
Idiots are everywhere.
(And sometimes we are those idiots.)
That probably won’t change.
But what can change is who we are and how we act when we cross paths with idiots. Because, sadly, we often let other idiots turn us into idiots without thinking.
The more we resist the urge to let others control our emotions and our actions in a negative way, the less likely we are to let idiots turn us into idiots (and the happier and more in control of our lives we will be).
Our attitude and how we handle ourselves is always our responsibility.
We may not always know what to do when we cross paths with idiots, but we can always choose the type of person we want to be.
And if you choose not to let an idiot turn you into an idiot, that’s one less idiot there will be in the world.
Originally published on: Feb 12, 2014
“Never argue with an idiot. He will drag you down to his level and beat you with experience.” — Mark Twain
“Never wrestle with pigs. You both get dirty and the pig likes it.” — George Bernard Shaw
“Stop attaching so much weight to being right. In the grand scheme of things, being right is insignificant compared to being happy.” — Deepak Chopra
“Be selective in your battles sometimes peace is better than being right.” — Ritu Ghatourey
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You start at zero and you add one.
And then you add another.
This is how it’s done.
Zero steps of a journey you want to take.
Zero miles you want to run.
Zero things you want to make.
Zero things you want to do for fun.
You start at zero and you add one.
And then you add another.
This is how it’s done.
Originally Published on: Oct 1, 2019
Today is day one.
You’ve just been handed your life in its current state.
Your health, your skills, your relationships, your job, your education, everything.
So looking at your life today, what is it you want to change?
What is it you want to get better at?
What bad habits do you want to break?
What good habits do you want to adopt?
Does your current life accurately reflect your values of today or are you filling your schedule with activities you would no longer choose to do if you had the chance to start over?
Has your life become cluttered with possessions you no longer value as much as you once did or no longer use?
Make a note of your answers to these questions and redirect your aim and attention to what you want to improve in your life even if it means changing direction.
Let go of the things that are simply taking up space and time and no longer serve you.
The more that you incorporate things that you truly value into your life — from knowledge to skills to people to activities — the more value you not only bring to your own life, the more value you bring to the people and places you encounter on a daily basis.
Invest in bettering yourself and the future you. Let your future self look back on the changes you make today and be thankful you made them.
Today is always the first day of the rest of your life.
Today is day one.
Originally posted Mar 29, 2015
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It is entirely possible to help people without criticizing them or what they do. It is entirely possible to have a disagreement without being disrespectful. It is entirely possible to teach and guide people without abusing them.
There is no shortage of critics, haters, or people who complain about things that they don’t like. There is, however, a severe shortage of people actively encouraging what they do.
Encouraging what you’d like to see more of is a far more elegant and positive solution than constantly complaining about or criticizing things that you don’t.
If your method of “helping” people often involves making them feel bad, you may want to reconsider what it means to be helpful.
In a world of critics, be an encourager.
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Dear Self,
I am working on being a better person.
Please let me be the type of person who I would respect & admire if I saw them in action. Let me greet each new day as another opportunity to get things right. Let me be open to thinking about things in ways I haven’t thought about them before. Let me find ways to make a positive difference in the world, no matter how small, and act upon them when I am able.
Let me be open to the challenge of change. Let me not shy away from things just because they are difficult. Let me face my fears and do things I would like to do even when they make me nervous. Let me be generous with what I have to give away. Let me remember to be grateful for every second that I get to make choices in my life and act upon them.
Let me make at least one person’s day brighter by having been a part of it. Let me accept my mistakes as learning experiences. Let me learn to love myself, flaws and all. Let me not care so much what others think. And let me be confident in my ability to succeed.
Thank you. — Me
Originally Published on: Jan 27, 2012
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One of the most significant aspects of living a happy, healthy, and fulfilling life comes down to respect.
Respect for yourself, your body, and your goals. Respect for other people, their property, and their beliefs. Respect for your time and other people’s time. Respect for your relationships, your community, and your environment. And countless other things.
Nearly every important aspect of life deteriorates without respect.
Where is your respect (or lack thereof) reflected in your life?
