We the consumed hereby swear to uphold the ugly truth, to turn a blind eye, and ensure the survival of the free marketplace to which we will become slave to,  believing in the false security that it will continue to support our best interests.

Psychology is a very big part of the markets that support and sustain us globally. As we speak, third world countries penetrated by war are being quickly introduced to the western market-driven principles of abundance as large corporate stakeholders establish new supply chains to support overseas troops.

Human weakness, vulnerability, naivety, these are the targets of the messages broadcast throughout our world media. Belonging, Equality, Respect, Personal Control, Sex, all things representing a sense of acceptance; people want so badly to ‘fit in’ and to feel accepted – belonging. To know and be known, the very foundation of the human experience.

Is it all bad? In many respects, no. We clothe, food, shelter, millions easily. Our global village has bridged the vastness of geography with the advance of technology. Instant communication, accessibility, are making more possible. The question remains, are we taking ownership of the responsibility of governance – self-governance? In this sense, our adult perspective must include a global self, to support the individual self.

Everywhere we turn, we see ‘make a difference’ plastered in advertising slogans. 2003-2004 this was nowhere to be seen in mainstream media, advertising, or business consciousness. It was taking root in individual consciousness though. When the criminal element catches the shifting wind, they incorporate a strategy without even giving due thought to the real need. The corporate goal is to survive the marketplace, to sell more, to make profit. People like you and I work there, and participate in these decisions.

When an opportunity presents itself to ‘be the change’ in our daily affairs, it can surpass our own personal world-view to become one that has a lasting and positive impact upon a larger whole: our community, now a growing global village, penetrated by a vast corporate infrastructure seeking more. War, politics, oil, power, and cash, are driving forces behind change.

In the movie, The Green Mile, the friendly giant says, “He killed them with their love. It’s like that everywhere. All over the world, they’re going kill each other with their love.’ Manipulation, selfishness, self-centredness, greed, power, control, security. What do you love? How do you wield your sabre and shield?

It isn’t all bad, and there are many who are influencing big change. It is important, however, to also remember that we are bombarded daily with messages intended to influence a direction for some agenda driven for money and politics. We have one simple thing to remember to do, and after a very mind-numbing and exhausting day at work, this is sometimes difficult for some or many to do: Remember to Think. Critically think, being conscious of what is behind the messages.

Question the stories of old, the beliefs that separate, the loyalties that bind. Humankind is meant to be free, to be creative, to grow and discover. During times of expansion in the physical, we see what we have now consumed and amassed globally. Some are terribly concerned about the impact we’re having on the environment, and others deny it. What messages of belief have we adopted?

Look under the skin of each of us, and we see flesh and blood, a pounding pulsating heart, and a complex network of wiring in a brain, and all of this is host to a consciousness similar to our own. So how different are we? Appearance, Education, Culture, Language, Religion, Beliefs, etc. How perfect are these influences?

The child is born, consciousness arrives, and data is input into the biological machine. Each generation, one after the other, handing down the same truth, time after time. Our progress is slow, as the intelligent ones grasp the reins of knowledge in order to advance individual goals without regard to a greater whole. Other intelligent ones also grasp the knowledge, and attempt to counter-balance, and our cycles of change arrive.

Remember, every culture has been affected by war. It was a very long, long time ago when it was discovered that war is the most efficient way to altar a culture, beliefs, and ideologies in an accelerated fashion. With the advance of technology, Culture can be spread more quickly, more readily, across the globe very powerfully and surpass the influence of war.

Our individual responsibility now bears more weight in the fight for what is good for all of humanity. Our voices can be heard. We can participate. For as long as we are aware, thinking, of what choices are being made in our name today. Keeping the Internet freely accessible, not giving up the influence to the power of corporations, remembering our influence and participation in these corporations, and that we are family.

We the consumed, have the ability to change the course of our history.

Being told who to be, what to do, how to act, what to wear, where to go….. STOP!!

I’m certain we all encounter spaces in our world experience where enough-is-enough.Whether you had parents telling you to be a doctor when you wanted to be a painter, or you are not fitting in because you are different, any one of us can relate a personal experience to being hemmed in. Instead, the expected behavior is required.

This experience that I live is my experience! It is not yours, hers, his, or anyone else. Just mine! I alone am responsible. The question now is whether or not you will choose to empower that in me?

An in-depth conversation included talking about the duality of the human experience. Both of us had observations of what we see in our life landscapes coincide. It lead to other side adventures of philosophy, business, relationships, and even parenting.

Parenting

Above is a rather extreme representation of the conversations inspiration. In fact, all I had done is introduced a memory of parenting two boys, and told the story of a time when they got caught swearing at school. I was still early/mid twenties at the time, and my memories of childhood crisp and clear.

Living in a strict environment, always under a thumb from generations of military influencing parenting, I always found myself having to survive. I have lied through my teeth to save my ass from a beating, and have run away for fear of one too. Running away from home didn’t compare to the number of times I ran home from the school bus to save my ass from further beatings.  Always being controlled.

Kids Are Learning

The art of life and growing up is one of constant learning. Many children, just as adults, learn and experience the world differently. Each child is an individual, has uniqueness, talent, and a way of feeling, interpreting, understanding, and experiencing life. Some will learn more by trial and error, the act of learning through doing, while others learn more by rote. Even others can be influenced by more than one learning style. Whatever the methods, the child needs room to make their mistakes as well.

Kids Caught Swearing at School

When I recounted the memory of the children caught swearing at school, I told how I took them aside to talk about reality. I would hope everyone understands that there are times, situations, and places that our budding adolescent children encounter moments of choice where it is easier to go with the flow than to say no. Before you panic, please understand that I talked to the kids about reality.

The Duality of Reality

We are every bit as shaped by our circumstances as we are by our choices. Yet the choices are the building blocks that move us to higher ground. Listen to me talking about higher ground all the time, and yet and still, I will talk of the ‘other side’. It is what lives in us, and it is also pure physics. Polarity is one reason that Life works, exists, functions, evolves, etc. For our personal journeys, we want to make good choices, and yet, so often along our life path a choice made will lead to a painful experience. We learn and grow from these experiences, both positive and negative.

It’s Not Wrong

I explained to the kids that I understood that they might feel the need to swear here and there when they’re hanging out with their school friends. It’s sort of ‘to be expected.’

Duality of Reality acknowledges this, and that reality does not judge right or wrong; we do. We socialize and educate in ways that place so many limits and conditions upon the limits, with who, how, what, when, where, and why. It becomes a confusing place, particularly as our society blends more and more differing cultural influences.

Let Them Learn

In explaining to the children that they may find themselves in situations where they have the freedom to swear, I clearly gave an example in my own communication skills. Having recently left the military, my language tended to find profanity far more convenient adjectives than finding the appropriate words. I told them the cost of this, through the inability to express more meaningfully and accurately.  If you have the choice, how would you like to be seen? How would you like to be?

Empowered Choice

Giving the kids my little self-example, and allowing them to exercise their own judgment, two things happened. First, we never again heard of any problem with them swearing at school or any other adult-supervised event. Second and most important, these kids did become more self-aware and self-empowered as to owning their own choices over following the crowd all the time.

I don’t usually share other people’s written material, particularly if it is already on the web. However, this particular article came to me via email, as I also subscribe to Jon’s great Newsletter. This particular list happened to arrive at a time when I, too, needed the encouragement it offered. It’s never that we’re handling a situation badly, so much as every little piece of encouragement is good and useful, empowering and strengthening us on our individual journeys.

20 Ways to Get Mentally Tough

(Excerpt from Training Camp: What the Best Do Better Than Everyone Else)

1. When you face a setback, think of it as a defining moment that will lead to a future accomplishment.
2. When you encounter adversity, remember, the best don’t just face adversity; they embrace it, knowing it’s not a dead end but a detour to something greater and better.
3. When you face negative people, know that the key to life is to stay positive in the face of negativity, not in the absence of it. After all, everyone will have to overcome negativity to define themselves and create their success.
4. When you face the naysayer’s, remember the people who believed in you and spoke positive words to you.
5. When you face critics, remember to tune them out and focus only on being the best you can be.
6. When you wake up in the morning, take a morning walk of gratitude and prayer. It will create a fertile mind ready for success.
7. When you fear, trust. Let your faith be greater than your doubt.
8. When you fail, find the lesson in it, and then recall a time when you have succeeded.
9. When you head into battle, visualize success.
10. When you are thinking about the past or worrying about the future, instead focus your energy on the present moment. The now is where your power is the greatest.
11. When you want to complain, instead identify a solution.
12. When your own self-doubt crowds your mind, weed it and replace it with positive thoughts and positive self-talk.
13. When you feel distracted, focus on your breathing, observe your surroundings, clear your mind, and get into The Zone. The Zone is not a random event. It can be created.
14. When you feel all is impossible, know that with God all things are possible.
15. When you feel alone, think of all the people who have helped you along the way and who love and support you now.
16. When you feel lost, pray for guidance.
17. When you are tired and drained, remember to never, never, never give up. Finish Strong in everything you do.
18. When you feel like you can’t do it, know that you can do all things through Him who gives you strength.
19. When you feel like your situation is beyond your control, pray and surrender. Focus on what you can control and let go of what you can’t.
20. When you’re in a high-pressure situation and the game is on the line, and everyone is watching you, remember to smile, have fun, and enjoy it. Life is short; you only live once. You have nothing to lose. Seize the moment.

In what ways will you choose to be mentally tough? Share your comments here.

20 Ways to Get Mentally Tough Poster

Download, Print and Share as a Reminder to Be Strong Each Day!

Access additional Training Camp posters here.

Stay Positive, Jon

www.Twitter.com/JonGordon11

Most people overwhelmed by and completely identifying with a condition applied to their particular health issue might actually be able to overcome their challenge through exercising their mind. With a focused effort upon creating change within the mind and the thoughts that arise, the effects of the mind upon one’s emotions can evolve. As emotions affect chemical production of the mind, becoming aware and engaged in changing thoughts can also affect the feelings generated by the emotions as the battle for the mind is engaged. None of this means someone has been diagnosed incorrectly, it simply means that there is more available to someone in these situations that can affect change.

Life is difficult and challenging life circumstances disrupt people’s lives and health continuously. At times, these events can be much more traumatic than others, or someone could be in an already weakened state. Either way, the impact of events can leave a discernible mark upon the character of an individual that stems from their mental and emotional well-being. As with any diagnosis for an illness, the patient is typically wanting to get to the root of the cause and heal completely, and not just bandage things up through the treatment of symptoms.

Anyone exploring options can integrate this exercise of thought management, regardless of the treatment program. Having someone to discuss things through for perspective can be a great help. One element of thought management is the increasing recognition of the experience of Self. First, seeing the mind and it’s thoughts constantly bombarding, what kind of thoughts they are and their impact, and if those thoughts become identifying thoughts of the Self. Quite often, through our formative years of schooling and working, people are accustomed to the presence and use of the mind, often listening to input from outside, and shaping our experience and identity from that perspective. This can act up when a negative spark triggers a direction that is unhealthy, with negativity creeping in with more thoughts going unnoticed until it is too late to regain control. This effort toward change will require more intentional effort over a period of time to undo what has been done.

Secondly, an individual has to start noticing emotions and the affect they are having upon the present-moment experience, and the accompanying thoughts as we’ve discussed already. People do feel. The irony is that most people rarely understand that emotions can also be feeding unreliable data to our experience, framing its meaning from a past trauma, rather than a new possibility. This is how emotions can be created by the mind if left unchecked. With emotions triggered by the mind, more chemical activity occurs carrying physical feelings that reinforce the emotions and thought. A vicious cycle.

In mentioning feelings, it is important to also be aware of the body. Emotions express feeling which the body carries. At the same time, the body may experience a feeling sensation that has little to do with emotion. Illness, aching muscles, broken bones are quite obvious, while other more subtle energies are not so obvious. Being able to notice “feelings in a room” as a presence of energy is often experienced by highly empathic people. This is important to notice how the body also receives information, as the physical body is often much more honest than the emotions being experienced. Noticing and feeling the body can give an individual many clues about what needs to change, and a host of other personally relevant information.

Being caught in a State of being, whether it is in suffering anything that is mental, physical, or emotional, it is important to see that quite often people will identify their Self with that State of Being, rather than the true sense of Self that has experienced so much more in life. An ancient expression, This too shall pass, is a valuable ally in recognizing the ebbs and flows of our lives in this sense. Rather than get caught into the vicious cycle, notice the frustration too, and the mental wrangling as the dark and the light are fighting for the direction that heals or steals. Get on side with the side that is fighting for healing, and when thoughts of the mind are busy comparing between what could be and what is, use that desire and refocus that energy upon creating change from the negative cycles that are perpetuated by the mental and emotional experiences.

Paying attention, becoming more aware, the individual would become more conscious of the fact that they are “noticing” all that is occuring within their experience. Seeing it within the experience creates a stronger relationship to the real source of Being, rather than the State of Being. As more command is developed, then what it is to be Aware can be recognized, and in that open space the real information for the true self can rise up and overcome the state over a period of time. Time is one thing that cannot be escaped as yet, and the seeds of change must mature and grow, so patience is of essence in this challenge.

Awareness recognizes all that is happening with mind, body, emotions, and thoughts. Awareness also waits for the person to connect before it can become involved in creating change. It also understands process, that in a world of natural laws of cause and effect, much occurs on the journey of a seed becoming a firmly rooted tree. As all are subject to the processes of nature, healing for the body, obstacles to overcome, blockages to eradicate etc., are necessary to get life back on track. Being more aware better equips an individual to manage life’s challenges positively.

Being vs State of Being is about becoming right in the circumstances of life. It is a mental game that can be won by exercising the Self Awareness and bringing it into authority over the mind, body, and emotions.

Can’t it predict my future?

No.

Nothing in this world can predict your future better than you can.

When told recently it is an unethical world, I felt a number of warning signals flash in my body. Exploring the information received from the experience, and subsequent reflection, I realize the limitations introduced through such beliefs. This brought on the question “Why?” when considering the originating source.

When someone insists upon a world with a negative view, they are creating a perspective viewpoint that can be proved true through observing supportive evidence. If you look for it, you will find it. What you focus your attention upon is where your eyes will more often travel. What you consider consciously more frequently, will become your unconscious pattern. Your unconscious experience will find itself living in the reality created.

Awareness and conscious thought notices thoughts and patterns. It can harness the negative and replace it with a positive view. As it grows and increases in strength and habit, it too will become your unconscious pattern. Your unconscious experience will find itself living this positive reality created with thought, care, and attention.

No matter what side is true, the masses will eventually prevail with this exercise of conscious thought: Choosing a better experience through managing their awareness and thought. All of us focused on more positive goals, outcomes, experiences, and habits, will influence the flow of influence upon the fabric of our society — politics, culture, and the marketplace.

Think, and think well.

Man Who Waited

He heard what he had to do. The suggestions came from all over, offering direction and insight. You see, he was after something important in his life, even though he couldn’t quite put his finger on exactly what. He had a general idea, it was just the specifics of it that killed him.

There have been times when opportunities to take a course of action radically different from the past have presented themselves. Remarkably, there have been a good number of times I’ve taken that radical path. Equally, there have been a remarkable number of times when I have not taken that radical course of action. I’m sure that somehow the pro’s and con’s sort themselves out.

All the same, in the current pain of the game, there are those definite moments of looking at hindsight and realizing just how much more could have been gained with a specific choice or two. Ah, but we can’t turn back the clock can we? No, we can’t.

So, in all this wisdom, why is it that when new games of adventure, learning, and growth do come up, we tend to keep putting off the little things until we get everything right? I’ve been doing that forever now in some areas of my life. What I’m learning is that it just doesn’t work that way. Observant to the lives of those around me, and whom I serve, I see the same too.

Months go by, and in spite of repeated hand-holding attempts, one client did not take action. Months later, on a wing and a prayer he is doing everything he can to finally learn steps that could have made an enormous difference  to where he finds himself now. It’s what I’m learning too. Why wait? Take action now.