INSTRUCTIONS FOR LIFE (Okay, maybe just some suggestions.)
Sometimes I sit and think about what life is all about. I think hard and as deeply as my shallow mentality will take me. I listen too and read what great minds have said or written on the subject.
I’ve compiled a list of some of their thoughts on life as well as some of my own. After rereading my list I wish I would have put more in about the search for wisdom and of love. Maybe I should add; “The wisdom of the universe can be found in the pursuit of perfect love.”
2) Never lose hope and if someone you know has; pass your hope onto them.
3) Love deeply and passionately. You might get hurt but it's the only way to live life completely.
4) No mater how much or how little you have, share it.
5) Marry a man/woman you love to talk to. As you get older, their conversational skills will be as important as any other.
6) Pray. There's immeasurable power in it.
7) Spend some time alone.
8) Open your arms to change, but don't let go of your values.
9) Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer.
10) Read more books and watch less TV.
11) In disagreements with loved ones, deal with the current situation. Don't bring up the past.
12) Never laugh at anyone's dreams. People who don't have dreams don't have much.
13) Share your knowledge. It's a way to achieve immortality.
14) Be gentle with the earth.
15) Give people more than they expect and do it cheerfully.
16) Remember that the best relationship is one where your love for each other is greater than your need for each other.
17) Read between the lines.
18) Memorize your favorite poem or psalm.
19) Don't believe all you hear, spend all you have or sleep all you want.
20) When you say, "I love you", mean it.
21) When you say, "I'm sorry", mean it.
22) Believe in love at first sight but not if your married.
23) In disagreements, fight fairly. No name calling.
24) Don't judge people by their relatives.
25) Talk slowly but think quickly.
26) When someone asks you a question you don't want to answer, smile and ask, "Why do you want to know?"
27) Remember that great love and great achievements involve great risk.
28) Call your mom.
29) Say "bless you" when you hear someone sneeze.
30) You never fail, if you remember the lesson you learned.
31) Don't let a little dispute injure a great friendship.
32) When you realize you've made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it.
I believe in community service. Whether it’s by being part of local government, neighborhood association or home owners’ group. I’ve made a list of things and situations that you will encounter. Don’t see these as a negative; just be aware that they are going to happen sooner or later. That way it will not come as a surprise to you and ruin your positive attitude.
Lessons I’ve learned.
Complacency and ignorance are heavy sleeper, they wake up grumpy.
If you get involved you will become a target.
People don’t want to hear that something bad could happen they just want to hear about it after it happens.
People tend to pull the alarm only after they see the fire instead of when they smell the smoke.
People find it much easier to kill the messenger than too kill the problem.
People would rather bitch and have more meetings, than to initiate action.
The words “I told you so” are the saddest words ever to be spoken.
You can’t make compromise with an idiot or with someone that holds their self interest above community.
People believe in the politicians they vote for and in “staying the course”, that is until tomorrow.
People tend to find it easier to create a new program rather than to fix the problems with an old one.
The words “The facts are…” is only accepted if the truth benefits the person spoken too.
“Acquaintance Friendship” will only be held, till it is no longer mutually beneficial.
If sides have to be taken the “Acquaintance Friend”, will side with the person that most benefits their wants and needs, even if that person is of known, corrupt character.
The “Acquaintance Friend” once siding with the person of corrupt character can never return as an “Acquaintance Friend”. That’s because once discovering the corruption they will either become too ashamed or to prideful to admit their mistake. They become a “Passing Friend”.
No battle is worth fighting for, unless it involves the safety of your loved ones.
What may appear sometimes to be the honest characteristic of fortitude, can really be the disguise of stubbornness, in holding onto a reality, that is not real.
INSTRUCTIONS FOR LIFE (Okay, maybe just some suggestions.)
Sometimes I sit and think about what life is all about. I think hard and as deeply as my shallow mentality will take me. I listen too and read what great minds have said or written on the subject.
I’ve compiled a list of some of their thoughts on life as well as some of my own. After rereading my list I wish I would have put more in about the search for wisdom and of love. Maybe I should add; “The wisdom of the universe can be found in the pursuit of perfect love.”
1) 1) Remember the three R's: Respect for self; Respect for others, Responsibility for all your actions.
2) Never lose hope and if someone you know has; pass your hope onto them.
3) Love deeply and passionately. You might get hurt but it's the only way to live life completely.
4) No mater how much or how little you have, share it.
5) Marry a man/woman you love to talk to. As you get older, their conversational skills will be as important as any other.
6) Pray. There's immeasurable power in it.
7) Spend some time alone.
8) Open your arms to change, but don't let go of your values.
9) Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer.
10) Read more books and watch less TV.
11) In disagreements with loved ones, deal with the current situation. Don't bring up the past.
12) Never laugh at anyone's dreams. People who don't have dreams don't have much.
13) Share your knowledge. It's a way to achieve immortality.
14) Be gentle with the earth.
15) Give people more than they expect and do it cheerfully.
16) Remember that the best relationship is one where your love for each other is greater than your need for each other.
17) Read between the lines.
18) Memorize your favorite poem or psalm.
19) Don't believe all you hear, spend all you have or sleep all you want.
20) When you say, "I love you", mean it.
21) When you say, "I'm sorry", mean it.
22) Believe in love at first sight but not if your married.
23) In disagreements, fight fairly. No name calling.
24) Don't judge people by their relatives.
25) Talk slowly but think quickly.
26) When someone asks you a question you don't want to answer, smile and ask, "Why do you want to know?"
27) Remember that great love and great achievements involve great risk.
28) Call your mom.
29) Say "bless you" when you hear someone sneeze.
30) You never fail, if you remember the lesson you learned.
31) Don't let a little dispute injure a great friendship.
32) When you realize you've made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it.
2) Never lose hope and if someone you know has; pass your hope onto them.
3) Love deeply and passionately. You might get hurt but it's the only way to live life completely.
4) No mater how much or how little you have, share it.
5) Marry a man/woman you love to talk to. As you get older, their conversational skills will be as important as any other.
6) Pray. There's immeasurable power in it.
7) Spend some time alone.
8) Open your arms to change, but don't let go of your values.
9) Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer.
10) Read more books and watch less TV.
11) In disagreements with loved ones, deal with the current situation. Don't bring up the past.
12) Never laugh at anyone's dreams. People who don't have dreams don't have much.
13) Share your knowledge. It's a way to achieve immortality.
14) Be gentle with the earth.
15) Give people more than they expect and do it cheerfully.
16) Remember that the best relationship is one where your love for each other is greater than your need for each other.
17) Read between the lines.
18) Memorize your favorite poem or psalm.
19) Don't believe all you hear, spend all you have or sleep all you want.
20) When you say, "I love you", mean it.
21) When you say, "I'm sorry", mean it.
22) Believe in love at first sight but not if your married.
23) In disagreements, fight fairly. No name calling.
24) Don't judge people by their relatives.
25) Talk slowly but think quickly.
26) When someone asks you a question you don't want to answer, smile and ask, "Why do you want to know?"
27) Remember that great love and great achievements involve great risk.
28) Call your mom.
29) Say "bless you" when you hear someone sneeze.
30) You never fail, if you remember the lesson you learned.
31) Don't let a little dispute injure a great friendship.
32) When you realize you've made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it.
I believe in community service. Whether it’s by being part of local government, neighborhood association or home owners’ group. I’ve made a list of things and situations that you will encounter. Don’t see these as a negative; just be aware that they are going to happen sooner or later. That way it will not come as a surprise to you and ruin your positive attitude.
Lessons I’ve learned.
Complacency and ignorance are heavy sleeper, they wake up grumpy.
If you get involved you will become a target.
People don’t want to hear that something bad could happen they just want to hear about it after it happens.
People tend to pull the alarm only after they see the fire instead of when they smell the smoke.
People find it much easier to kill the messenger than too kill the problem.
People would rather bitch and have more meetings, than to initiate action.
The words “I told you so” are the saddest words ever to be spoken.
You can’t make compromise with an idiot or with someone that holds their self interest above community.
People believe in the politicians they vote for and in “staying the course”, that is until tomorrow.
People tend to find it easier to create a new program rather than to fix the problems with an old one.
The words “The facts are…” is only accepted if the truth benefits the person spoken too.
“Acquaintance Friendship” will only be held, till it is no longer mutually beneficial.
If sides have to be taken the “Acquaintance Friend”, will side with the person that most benefits their wants and needs, even if that person is of known, corrupt character.
The “Acquaintance Friend” once siding with the person of corrupt character can never return as an “Acquaintance Friend”. That’s because once discovering the corruption they will either become too ashamed or to prideful to admit their mistake. They become a “Passing Friend”.
No battle is worth fighting for, unless it involves the safety of your loved ones.
What may appear sometimes to be the honest characteristic of fortitude, can really be the disguise of stubbornness, in holding onto a reality, that is not real.
No, Nay, never, No, nay never no more. Will I play the wild rover, No, Nay, never, no more ...Irish Folk song
Negative thinking stops the flow:
I’ve worked as a professional improvisational comic and improv instructor for many years and I have personally seen many instances relating to the stories of Malcolm Gladwell, from his book “Blink”. He uses as an analogy that I can relates to in how negative words can stop the flow towards a goal. He tells about how while he was sitting in on a improv class, he watched first hand how the word “no” can stop the flow of a scene and how the that stoppage of flow was relatable to our everyday lives. In his story he describes a group improvising a scene that went something like this.
A: I’m having trouble with my leg.
B: I’m afraid I’ll have to amputate.
A: You can’t do that, doctor.
B: Why not?
A: Because I’m rather attached to it.
B: Come on, man.
A: I’ve got this growth on my arm too, Doctor.
The trouble with the scene was that by using a negative “You can’t do that, Doctor.” it gave his partner no were to go. It stopped the flow. The B player had nothing to build on, nothing to work with in creating a new thought. One of the very first things I teach my students is to “Never say NO! Never deny, always be accepting and always be building.”
If the player hadn’t used the stopping word “Can’t” the scene may have moved along and flowed something like this:
A: I’m having trouble with my leg.
B: I’m afraid I’ll have to amputate.
A: But it’s the one you amputated last week.
B: So you’re having problems with your wooden leg?
A: Yes, it’s hurts.
B: Let me take a look. Sure enough you have termites.
A: Termites! Is that bad.
B: It’s not good.
A: Can you fix it?
B: Sure, comeback on Wednesday, on Wednesdays I do wood work!
See how words can stop the thinking flow in others as well as ourselves? Did you see how using open words, allowed his partner to open his mind to the flow of creating?
How to stop a negative: By using a double negative against it? NO, NEVER!
I can hear what you are thinking right now. Your thinking: “I want to stop my negative thoughts so I will just say no to negative thinking!” Oops, using a negative to fight a negative is not going to work. But replacing a negative with a positive will. Don’t worry about the math, that’s for someone else to figure out. In removing negatives from our vocabulary and our thinking, you will be leaving a void that will have to be refilled with something. So we need to fill that void with something else. That something else is positive speaking and positive thinking.
Today’s Assignment: You are going to be conscious of how many times you use negative words. Right now, just say to yourself that this is what you’re going to do today. “I am going to be conscious of how many times the words no, nay, never, no more, are used in my vocabulary and thoughts”. (Okay, so you won’t use the word "nay" too much).
This doesn’t mean you can’t say the word no. Later we will even discuss when it is imperative to say no. Common sense will dictate your use of the word, but watch how many times you use the negative form of the verb. Then try to think about how you could have restated or to haveinverted the sentence to a positive.
Example: “No Johnny you can’t do that.” USE: “Johnny instead of doing that, how about you doing this.
Example: “I can’t get this work done on time.” USE: “I can get this work done on time, but let’s take a moment to figure out how.”
Example: “I don’t have the money to fix this” USE: “So I need how much? Okay let’s find the money”
Example: I will not drink (Insert anything you don’t want to do) any more.” USE an alterative statement, “I am going to start “exercising” (Insert what you do want to do) more.”
Remember words are incredibly powerful. The uses of words affect our thought process and our bodies. The words you use can create a bad day or a fantastic, fulfilling, abundant day.
So go out and have a fantastic day! Remember; we're all in this together!
P.S. The Irish Folk song “No, Nay, never, No, nay never no more.” was written by a Irishman that was about to be married. He used the negative words as a means to contemplate and keep his marital vows, which actually worked against him, as the negative thinking turned into reality. Not the positive outcome he imagined. He went on to later to pen a song for Brittney Spears named: “Opps, I did it again”
P.S.S Just kidding! Stephen James
Negative thinking stops the flow:
I’ve worked as a professional improvisational comic and improv instructor for many years and I have personally seen many instances relating to the stories of Malcolm Gladwell, from his book “Blink”. He uses as an analogy that I can relates to in how negative words can stop the flow towards a goal. He tells about how while he was sitting in on a improv class, he watched first hand how the word “no” can stop the flow of a scene and how the that stoppage of flow was relatable to our everyday lives. In his story he describes a group improvising a scene that went something like this.
A: I’m having trouble with my leg.
B: I’m afraid I’ll have to amputate.
A: You can’t do that, doctor.
B: Why not?
A: Because I’m rather attached to it.
B: Come on, man.
A: I’ve got this growth on my arm too, Doctor.
The trouble with the scene was that by using a negative “You can’t do that, Doctor.” it gave his partner no were to go. It stopped the flow. The B player had nothing to build on, nothing to work with in creating a new thought. One of the very first things I teach my students is to “Never say NO! Never deny, always be accepting and always be building.”
If the player hadn’t used the stopping word “Can’t” the scene may have moved along and flowed something like this:
A: I’m having trouble with my leg.
B: I’m afraid I’ll have to amputate.
A: But it’s the one you amputated last week.
B: So you’re having problems with your wooden leg?
A: Yes, it’s hurts.
B: Let me take a look. Sure enough you have termites.
A: Termites! Is that bad.
B: It’s not good.
A: Can you fix it?
B: Sure, comeback on Wednesday, on Wednesdays I do wood work!
See how words can stop the thinking flow in others as well as ourselves? Did you see how using open words, allowed his partner to open his mind to the flow of creating?
How to stop a negative: By using a double negative against it? NO, NEVER!
I can hear what you are thinking right now. Your thinking: “I want to stop my negative thoughts so I will just say no to negative thinking!” Oops, using a negative to fight a negative is not going to work. But replacing a negative with a positive will. Don’t worry about the math, that’s for someone else to figure out. In removing negatives from our vocabulary and our thinking, you will be leaving a void that will have to be refilled with something. So we need to fill that void with something else. That something else is positive speaking and positive thinking.
Today’s Assignment: You are going to be conscious of how many times you use negative words. Right now, just say to yourself that this is what you’re going to do today. “I am going to be conscious of how many times the words no, nay, never, no more, are used in my vocabulary and thoughts”. (Okay, so you won’t use the word "nay" too much).
This doesn’t mean you can’t say the word no. Later we will even discuss when it is imperative to say no. Common sense will dictate your use of the word, but watch how many times you use the negative form of the verb. Then try to think about how you could have restated or to haveinverted the sentence to a positive.
Example: “No Johnny you can’t do that.” USE: “Johnny instead of doing that, how about you doing this.
Example: “I can’t get this work done on time.” USE: “I can get this work done on time, but let’s take a moment to figure out how.”
Example: “I don’t have the money to fix this” USE: “So I need how much? Okay let’s find the money”
Example: I will not drink (Insert anything you don’t want to do) any more.” USE an alterative statement, “I am going to start “exercising” (Insert what you do want to do) more.”
Remember words are incredibly powerful. The uses of words affect our thought process and our bodies. The words you use can create a bad day or a fantastic, fulfilling, abundant day.
So go out and have a fantastic day! Remember; we're all in this together!
P.S. The Irish Folk song “No, Nay, never, No, nay never no more.” was written by a Irishman that was about to be married. He used the negative words as a means to contemplate and keep his marital vows, which actually worked against him, as the negative thinking turned into reality. Not the positive outcome he imagined. He went on to later to pen a song for Brittney Spears named: “Opps, I did it again”
P.S.S Just kidding! Stephen James
Read more of "Funny Business" at http://funnybusinessbystephenjames.blogspot.com/
