Level Up

One of my favorite books is called, “The Game of Life and How to Play it” by Florence Scovel Shinn. It was written in 1925 and it’s truths still hold true today.  The basic premise of the book is that ignorance of, or carelessness with the application of various ‘Laws of Metaphysics’ can bring about undesirable life events.

We are creating even if we are creating in a state of unawareness. Scary thought right? So, this book goes about discussing metaphysical laws so you can go about creating with awareness.  We are all in this grand game and adventure called life, and this is a guide book on how to play the game. 

It may sound simple but it is anything but easy to put into practice. It’s about flying in harmony with the divine around us. It’s about learning mastery over self. Every failure, every challenge that comes our way is an opportunity for us to grow mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. An opportunity for us to “level up” and to get better at the game of life. 

I’m constantly trying to level up, to grow, to better myself, to learn, to function at a higher level. To be the best version of myself that God created me to be. It’s a daily choice. Some days I get knocked on my ass but in the words of video games, I get experience points and eventually those points add up and I get to level up my life.

Nothing is truly a failure if you learn from it. However, part of what I’m learning about the game of life is that not everyone is on the same level as you. You have to allow people to level up in their own way, in their own time, through their own experiences. Sometimes that means paths have to diverge. Sometimes that means getting put in with new teams. Sometimes that means you’re the only one at your level for a while. The point is to never give up, to always keep trying and to believe in yourself and your ability to play the game and play it well.

This is life and I’m living it. Are you? 

Life Quotes

I’ve already say that I am quote junkie. I actually used another word but you get my meaning. I love them. There is always some succinct way of saying something that expresses how I feel in a moment. My outlook on life or perhaps the way I want to see the world around me. I use quotes to express myself and to inspire me to be a better person.

My thought for today is what is an important quote to you? Well, there are many as you can imagine but I think I’ve held onto this one the longest. I don’t even remember who said it but it is never far from me. I just love it. So here is my little gift to you today:

“The impression of life comes in and touches us and every last touch is a revelation showing us something about ourselves.”

Impression: an idea, feeling, or opinion about something or someone, especially one formed without conscious thought or on the basis of little evidence. The Impression of life comes in…..comes in through our own personal filter, through our thoughts, our feelings, our opinions and touches us because we are sensory beings and we exist in a sensory world. It’s how we process things. It’s what makes us….us. And every last touch is a revelation showing us something about ourselves because each touch comes through our own filters and shows us what is right or wrong within us not what is right or wrong within the world. That is why three people can go through an experience together and all have a different version of it. Because we are different. Our filters are different. What you define as good/bad, love/hate, joy/sorrow etcetera is not going to be the same for me.

Our life experiences are teaching us about ourselves not about other beings experiencing “human-ness” so why do we always assume that everything is happening to us? That we are victims of circumstances, situations and other people? We control our filters. We have the power to change them but so many people are blind to this concept. So, yes, I LOVE this quote and I remember it frequently. May it give you something to ponder and perhaps it will become a favorite of yours as well. If the words resonate with you , perhaps, just perhaps you will let this “touch” come in and show you something about yourself and may the discovery be exciting.

 

Becoming Attractive

“Work harder on yourself than you do on your job.” – Jim Rohn.

The philosophy behind that quote…work hard on a job and you can earn a living, work hard on yourself you can make a fortune. Success is something you attract by becoming an attractive person.

This doesn’t mean attractive as in beautiful, this means attractive as in you having the power to attract things to you. I’m sure there are millions of people out there that have read or watched “The Secret” so you probably have a good idea what I am trying to say here.

Another way to say this is…what you think about, comes about. Focusing on the positive brings the positive into your life. We create our own realities. I’m sure you have heard it said multiple ways but the real question here is…are you actually hearing it? Do you actually grasp the meaning beyond the intellectual words? Have you, as the Bible says, written these laws upon your heart?

It’s so easy to say that we know something. Heck, it is easy to spout off truths like we are the Old Faithful Geyser at Yosemite National Park but that doesn’t make it a living principle in our lives until we can actually live by it. Until we actually, eat, breathe and sleep it. Until it is so much a part of who we are that we cannot function any other way.

That is something that I am really trying to create in my life. I know it, I even understand it, I can speak it but I would like to be LIVING it. Not just when people are paying attention but more importantly, when they aren’t. When the only reason to follow the principles of truth and the laws of the Universe are because I, the ever-present witness to my life is watching and listening.

I am on a journey to becoming an attractive person and I hope there are others out there that are on the same journey. I’d love to hear from you…engage in dialogue…support and encourage you.

My Life is an Open Book? Really?

I was at a business networking event this evening. The event was for Biznik and hosted by a very good friend of mine.  After the event ended I got a brief chance to talk to my friend and as we talked I told him that I have started blogging. He asked me for the link to my blog…”unless it was private”. I told him it was a public blog as I pretty much had nothing to hide. He laughed and said, “Yeah, you are like me. Your life is an open book for all to see.” I laughed and said my goodbyes but those words seemed to haunt me as I walked to my car and drove home.

He saw my life as an open book? I was truly flattered that he could look at me and see a person who was completely open, honest and real. The truth is I don’t see myself that way at all. I feel like there are so many ways I struggle to not hide within myself. I can be totally honest and tell you that for all I do “teach or share” with people, there is a very private part of my life that I don’t share with anyone except perhaps my spouse. 

I have another friend who says I “get a look.” She calls it my “secret look”.  She says I get this smile and this look in my eye that makes me look like I know a huge secret and am taking pleasure in keeping it from everyone else. What is the big secret?  Well I feel like my big secret is that I am a very secretive person in truth. I don’t share those deep dark mysteries of my soul with anyone and I can count only two people in my lifetime outside of my spouse that I have ever shared that part of myself with.

One of those people I shared willingly with and was devastatingly betrayed for the effort. The other was not intentional sharing. Have you ever met someone that you simply can’t hide from? A person you know really sees who you are at a soul level? I have and that person scared the crap out of me and they still do. They have never abused that power and I rely on them for guidance when I need it but to know that no matter what you do, no matter what you say they can see to the heart of you right through any layers of disguise is both frightening and exhilarating.

So his words bring to mind the feeling of truly being an open book to someone else and the potential devastation that can come or the absolute freedom it can bring. Do I really want to be an open book? Well, to some extent I guess I do but in my heart of hearts I cringe in fear. What if people can really see me and think that I am nothing but a fraud? Nothing but a shadow of what they thought I was? Am I really who I present myself to be or is that just another disguise allowing me to hide from my true self?

Amazing really how quickly a random comment can send me whirling into a philosophical debate with myself.

She’s on my mind today….

She’s on my mind today. The one who I shared the depths of my soul with. Her, the one that I thought would be there forever. The one who was most beloved and now on a good day would be considered a friend. Most of the time she is more of an aquaintance and on the worst of days she is naught but a stranger. We are thousands of miles away from each other and yet there are days, like today, that I feel as if she is right here beside me and no matter the distance between us the memories of closeness wrap around me like a second skin. Memories of golden skin that turns to warm caramel in the heat of the sun, rich brown hair with golden streaks that curl to her shoulder.  I can see her engaging smile that enticed people to feel comfortable and at ease with her. I can hear her laughter and see those beautiful eyes light with her mirth. Sheis tall and svelte, curvy in all the places that made men drawn to her like bees to honey. She, the one who I opened up the most private core of my soul to and found that she saw the real me, the truth of who I am as a person and called me friend anyway. Her,that I put on a pedestal and believed that she would never hurt me or betray our friendship. She that I absolute faith in. I feel her presence with me today as surely as if she was standing here in front of me. I miss her, my one time best friend, my soul sister and confidante. Unforeseen circumstances eroded our friendship from the very foundation. I found myself staring into the eyes of a stranger. A stranger that I used to know so well. I fought for purchase on the crumbling grounds of what I believed to be real only to discover that it was all an illusion. She was not who I thought her to be and she  believed things of me that could not believed if she had really seen me and understood the core of who I was…she had deceived me and now six years later I still miss her. I still wait in the hopes that some day I will look upon the face that I loved so deeply and see the light of recognition again in those eyes. Someday I will reconnect with her, my beloved friend, and know peace of heart and mind and soul again. She is on my mind today.