Thoughts/Life 101
These are observations they don’t teach you in school. Take what is useful and leave the rest behind.
Conflict management is not you vs me, but you and me vs the problem. And always listen to the other person first.
Everyone filters information through their belief system. You are entitled to your own beliefs, you are not entitled to your own facts. Example: Electricity and gravity don’t care if you believe in them or not. Plato referred to this in his Allegory of the Cave, in The Republic. Neil deGrasse Tyson said “The good thing about science is that it's true whether or not you believe in it."
No one really knows what happens to us after we pass away from this life. All Jesus said was “that in my Father’s house there are many mansions.” Spiritual seekers and mystics commonly say that the deeper they go, the more mysterious it gets.
My code for living is to respect God/Life, respect others, and respect myself. I don’t always succeed, but I mean well and I apologize to anyone I have hurt or offended.
History repeats itself because human nature hasn’t changed. The Lessons of History, A Concise Economic History of the World, and The Mature Mind, address this idea. When Society Becomes an Addict, by Anne Wilson Schaef, goes into the codependent model of human behavior on a macro level.
Self Realization Fellowship offers two years of weekly lessons on living life to the fullest.
A good self defense checklist is: Be alert, be aware, be mentally prepared, and use common sense. This will serve you better than a black belt. A good checklist to use if confronted with a violent situation is Avoid, Negotiate, Blend, Enlist aid, Run, Defend/attack, Agressive action (alertness, decisiveness, agressiveness, speed, coolness, ruthlessness, surprise).
The three biggest problems a guard of any kind will have are Boredom, Daydreaming, and Distractions. And sometimes, Complacency.
Use a 3 breath break between activities.
Sensitivity to others: Treat others how you would want to be treated, think before you speak or act, Mike’s Rule - If you have to ask yourself “Should I do this?” you probably shouldn’t. And/or "Will what I am about to say or do, help me or hurt me?"
Putting the tip of your tongue on the roof of your mouth is a calming technique.
Reproduction/procreation is the #2 biological drive of all living organisms. Survival is #1.
Feel the world with your 5 senses. Perceive the world as a feeling. Keep your gaze moving and your thoughts will stop.
Some of us practice sanity by distraction.
The power of understatement is enormous. (Robert Ringer - Looking Out for #1)
From my counselor, Roger Wilde: People will do what's important to them (Why didn't so and so return my call?) and If you have recurring patterns in your life that don't make you happy, maybe you should look at your behavior.
I believe 1% of the people in the world are sociopathic/predatory, 1% are trying to make the world a better place, and everyone else is trying to get by.
From Dale Carnegie: If you want to be considered a good conversationalist, find out what the other person is interested in, and talk about it. Also, use their name in conversation.
According to my minister, Carmen Rich, The #1 thing that makes people feel loved is to be listened to.
Everyone wants to love and be loved, feel worthwhile and have someone else feel they are worthwhile, and to have something to look forward to.
Changing for Good, by James Prochaska, gives a clinically proven road map to successful behavior change.
Putting a small dab of Tiger Balm or similar product on your 3rd eye, when meditating helps you focus.
Never play the other man's game - Brett Maverick
Accumulating wealth does not have to be a Zero Sum game.
The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was to convince people that he didn't exist. Charles Baudelaire, et al.
CBD hemp oil is a great sleep and anxiety aid. Lorazepam/atavan helps too.
Use a water pik occasionally to clean out your ears. Fill with warm water and an ounce or so of peroxide. do it outside or over a large sink. It gets messy. Start on low and adjust to comfort.
According to one of my health care providers, 2 ibuprofen and 1 acetaminophen taken together is a very effective pain reducer.
Nobody goes home until we all go home. but not everybody is going home. - Carmen Rich, Unity minister.
The world is run by gangsters. The extremely wealthy (estmated to be between 3% to 5% of the poulation) influence the media, the populace, and the governments for their own benefit. 1000 Americans, by George Seldes, A Concise Economic History of the World by Cameron/Neal, The Lessons of History, by Will and Ariel Durant, War Is a Racket, by General Smedley Butler. The form of government in which they operate is irrelevant.
We still live in a feudal system. Kings and Princes have been replaced by billionaires and CEOs.
The first thing that comes to mind to a government or corporate employee, upon hearing of a new idea, is "How will this affect my job?", not "Is this a good idea for the government/company and the citizens/customers?".
The human mind can only hold one thought in consciousness at a time. Human reaction time is around .5 of a second, so you can go back and forth between thoughts fairly quickly. This is why distracted driving is so dangerous.
Practice gratitude, to others and in prayer. Good practice, all the way around.
GAS - The Generalized Adaptation Syndrome - formulated by Hans Selye, postulates that there are three stages of unrelieved stress - 1. Resistance, 2. Burnout, 3. Breakdown. He was the first person to use the word stress as we know it as a psychological term. I was exposed to this in security work training and fitness instructor training. If you are under stress you can use this to monitor your level and take action accordingly. From personal experience, I can tell you that breakdown is no fun. "I have camped out on the edge. I return occasionally to visit. It's not a long trip."
The mirror principle - Carl Jung: What bothers you the most about someone else, is probably an issue for you. Very useful self improvement tool.
Authority and responsibility go hand in hand. Responsibility without authority is not workable.
"Those who beat their swords into plowshares usually end up doing the plowing for those that don't." Benjamin Franklin
Meditation Tips: Place the tip of your tongue on the roof of your mouth (this is a calming technique), Put a dab of Tiger Balm or similar on the spot between your eyebrows and focus on it, Practice alternate nostril breathing without using your hands, Sit up straight, Relax, Use a mantra (I often use Peace God), Read The Relaxation Response by Herbert Benson. Self Realization Fellowship offers lessons.
