Tuesday, August 13, 2013

"Fear isn't real. Danger is real..." I Will disagree (sorry Mr. Smith)



For his latest movie "After Earth" Will Smith's voice is heard in the trailer echoing over some ferocious scenes "fear is not real. danger is very real, but fear is a choice."

 I fear, Mr. Smith, I disagree. I believe fear is real. Because our emotions are real. And fear, I believe, isn't always a choice. What is for us to choose is how we react to fear. Or better put, how we act when we are face to face with fear. Fear isn't a choice. Our reaction to it is.
Pursuing a dream is scary. Being vulnerable is scary. Setting big & specific goals for ourselves is scary. Commitment to a thing is scary, to a person even more so. But in order to experience the greatest joy, fulfillment and Love we've got to - time and time again -meet, greet and intimately acquaint ourselves with our fear. And as we defeat it daily greatness is our reward. Fear is real. So is the fact that we have a choice in how we handle it. Believe it.
Bless.
M.

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Wednesday, August 7, 2013

Harness Your Power. Believe In Yourself (a practical exercise to combat self doubt).


To harness something denotes that it already exists. That it doesn't have to be created but instead that thing merely needs to be discovered & directed. 
You already have power, probably significantly more than You know. Our jobs are never to create power - it already exists within us - but to gather it, to combine it with love & learn to use it in order to shine Our inherent light. And step one in this process is to fully believe in it's existence, to  faithfully believe in Self. 

Here's an exercise to combat self doubt. 
First find a spot on Your body that is easily accessed by You but would have to be touched on purpose. Something like gently pinching Your left earlobe. Whatever spot You choose, remember it. Now onto step two.
Recall a time where You had victory over something in Your past that seemed insurmountable, could have been learning to rid a bike as a child or finishing the school year (remember how long that year seemed when that first test in September rolled around!). Whatever the victorious memory, close Your eyes & visualize it. See Yourself in that moment of triumph over great odds. Feel how proud You were in that moment, how strong You were in that moment.  Recall all You went through, how You conquered self doubt and all other challenges internal & external to reach that win.  As You feel that pride in Your preparation, dedication, perseverance and triumph find Your spot (remember the example of pinching that left earlobe) and, this is very important, while feeling all those feelings of triumph during Your visualization "place" those feelings into that spot by (using my example) pinching the left earlobe. Pour them into that spot. Feel the awesomeness & confidence of that experience pouring into Your "spot" (left earlobe) as You touch it. 
Now repeat with another powerful, victorious memory. 
What You are doing is creating a physical point of power, essentially anchoring those feelings of awesome into a place where You can readily retrieve them when You need them. Like most things the more You practice and repeat this exercise the better able You will be in recalling the power of Your victories in moments where fear & self doubt present themselves. 
Happy harnessing.
Bless,
M.

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Friday, June 28, 2013

Just a thought: Our emotions...

As intense as every emotion we feel can be, remember this: we create 'em. Which means we can choose which one to create at any given moment. "Weak is he who permits his thoughts to control his actions; strong is he who forces his actions to control his thoughts." And of course, 'Weak is she who permits her thoughts to control her actions; strong is she who forces her actions to control her thoughts.'
 
 
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Wednesday, May 8, 2013

Everything Is Not Possible. Anything Is.


Whatever it is that we hope to achieve, however grand it may be takes the same amount of focus. If the task is small, or the dream is minute then the amount of focus necessary is just that. But when we take on larger tasks, when we begin our journey towards big goals, big dreams they require big energy and big focus. The bigger the goal, the more focus it takes. And when we apply ourselves wholeheartedly to achieving something, well, anything is possible. But just not everything. Not at that time at least. Not until that one thing is achieved.
Why?

Our energy is not infinite. Like a stream of light our power is determined by our source and our focus. Take the sun, the Ultimate source of (physical) light. We can walk around in it and feel its warmth on a sunny day. Take that same sunlight and focus it through a magnifying glass and within seconds You can start a fire. The power of focus.

We are tapped into the greatest source of energy possible. And our ability to focus that energy is far superior to a magnifying glass and its ability to harness the energy of the sun. Imagine what is possible for us if we simply decide to utilize our God given ability? Wow.

Don't believe anyone who tells You that Your dreams are unattainable, that there is anything You cannot do. Everything is not possible but with the right plan, preparation and humble yet persistent execution anything is possible. Anything.
I wish You the greatest on Your journey & in writing Your next chapter.
Bless,
M.


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Tuesday, April 30, 2013

Jason Collins: Who Cares, Or Rather, Why Do We Still Care?

The sentiment is uplifting but the connotation is upsetting.

I'm upset.
The NBA playoffs are in full swing, the NHL is about to kick off the hunt for Lord Stanley. The ink from the NFL draft is still wet and I'm still trying to figure out what the heck happened to Russel Westbrook yet all I hear about is an NBA basketball player who doesn't even play basketball. The second most interesting thing about Jason Collins, to me, is that he's seven feet tall. I mean I can't even fathom that!  I'm just shy of 6'5" and I have a hard time finding pants that fit, imagine what a disaster buying pants must be for him?! Or traveling on a plane? "No Ma'am You cannot  recline Your seat." Or worse yet pulling into a hotel on the road and having to push the desk chair to the end of the bed to support the one third of Your body which the bed simply will not accommodate.

During his 12 year career, Jason Collins averaged under 4 points per game, half of both a steal & blocked shot per game, under one assist per game and about 4 rebounds (which for a 7 footer who played 20 minutes per game  is fairly average). An average basketball player among the best in the world, an accomplishment? Absolutely but not remarkable. Or sports magazine cover worthy.
So why are we talking about him?
Is it because he went to Stanford (the most interesting thing, to me, about a guy I don't know) and graduated with a degree in communications (broadcast & print media) - which for an All Pac 10 & All American basketball player is rather unheard of - I mean he completed school before going to the league. Stanford no less. Now that's impressive.
Jason Collins' achievements are incredible. None of them are because he's black. Or seven feet tall. Or gay. They are because he was blessed with a gift (his mind and secondly his physical talent) and because he applied himself and worked extremely hard to achieve what he desired to achieve. None of what makes Jason Collins exceptional is the fact that he is gay.

I get it though. To discount that him being black doesn't make his achievements greater is a lie. And to discount that him being gay and achieving would be as well - which is partly why I'm upset, but I'll get to that in a minute. Him being black is something that created challenges for him, just like him being seven feet tall. Being gay is something he kept to himself, and I've no judgement on that because it's his life and he should be able to love who he pleases without consequence.
This is the upsetting part for me - we still live in a society where being gay is considered a hindrance. Just like being black is. And with all the progress we've made the amount of coverage this story is getting shows us just how much farther we have to go. That we still heavily judge people by the shade of their skin and whether they love the same or opposite sex as opposed to for their character, merit and achievements. And that upsets me.
          (Aside - I could never quite understand how any one who deals with any ism (race, sex, age, gender etc... ) could condone homophobia. I mean it's a "don't hate me for what I am yet I hate so and so for that very same reason" stupidity that perpetuates hate. But that's for another time.)

My heart and prayers go out to all those who feel the need to 'hide', may You find the support and love You deserve in being unapologetically and wonderfully You.
And good luck Mr. Collins on Your, I pray, noble journey from here. And seriously, where do You buy Your pants?
M.

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Monday, April 29, 2013

Walls, Doors and The Purpose Of Everything.

Everything has a purpose. Walls are walls. Doors are doors. Don't confuse them & You'll do fine.
"What are You talking about Mark?" Let me explain.
Everything in life has a purpose - it's just easier to tell with some things. When we confuse the purpose or don't search for the purpose of things in our lives we make our journey much more challenging than it already will be (Yes life is challenging - if it weren't You'd be dead).

When we come upon doors, even closed ones and act like they are walls, we miss (or put off) the opportunity to learn, grow and progress. When we come upon walls and try to walk through them, we...well, have You ever tried to run through a brick wall? Hurts doesn't it? And chances are You don't get very far (even if You are built like the hulk). Get it?

As I said, everything has a purpose. Walls are walls. Doors are doors. Don't confuse them & You'll do fine... Now windows? That's for the advanced class.

Bless,
M.

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Friday, April 19, 2013

'Problems' - Solve 'em or don't. Remember, the choice is always Yours.

The unclimbable, unsolvable are only so to the One who views it as such. 
Every problem comes equipped with a solution - the real challenge is unshackling Your imagination's innate ability to find it.




Think back to when You were a child - when boundaries of "cannot" rarely existed, where excitement and wonder often pushed You past the walls that fear may now have you bound within.
Hot stove? Let me see...
I'll get hurt if I jump? Yeah right, I'ma jump anyways. 

We weren't taught to walk but discovered it from our curiosity to explore. Learning to speak was an extension of our soul's desire to paint a picture for those around us of what stirred within us. Heck I'm still amazed at how quickly my Young Boy learned to kick butt at 'Ghostbusters!' All in all when we are excited to explore and levitated to new heights by love no one thing is impossible to overcome or outlast and no solution lays outside of our grasp. Well, sort of. You see every solution we need is within us - that is where the concept of 'until the student is ready to be taught no lesson can be learned' comes from - but it is our choice to unlock the gates we set up to let our spirit free to lovingly explore, examine & expose to ourselves what we are truly capable of and what we deserve & desire. Only once we've allowed ourselves this freedom can we ever hope to be taught. Only once we leave our cage can we ever hope to learn.
Here's a quick exercise to begin unlocking Your potential - write down 3 beliefs You hold true as to why You cannot find a solution to a given problem. Go ahead, I'll wait...

Now, for each, ask Yourself 3 questions:
1. Where did I get this belief?
2. Is that belief absolutely true?
3. Does it serve me towards what I desire?

If the answer to number 2 & number 3 is "no" then ask Yourself why You still hold on to it - not why You did in the first place (because it clearly was needed to get You to where You are now). Perhaps it's done it's job and is time for that belief that no longer serves You to rest. Perhaps not, I know nothing of Your journey so that's for You to decide. But actively decide and don't let it, life, choose for You.

You are incredible and deserve all that You truly desire. Don't ever let nor believe that something can stop You from working and attaining it - not time, not another person and surely not Yourself.
I wish You the greatest of discovery and love on Your journey.
M.





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