experience

Thinking Out Loud: You Got This!

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Life comes at us in waves. We can’t predict or control those waves, but we can learn to surf. ~ Dan Millman

NOTE: When my five daughters were young I taught them to swim and to survive in the water. Each summer we’d swim off Cape Hatteras. We respected the ocean and its power, but we did not fear it. It’s the same way with life. As we grow through life, life tosses challenges at us. Some of the challenges knock us flat on our backs. While we’re on our backs, life is screaming at us, “Get up! Get up! You got this!” When we rose we were stronger, more experienced, and more confident. Challenges will never stop coming. They’re like the waves in the quote. Learn to ride them. Life’s given us an education, if we use it and keep learning we’ll keep getting stronger and gaining experience.

Thinking Out Loud: Learning Through Experiences

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“There is only one way to learn. It’s through action. Everything you need to know you have learned through your journey.” ~  Paulo Coelho, The Alchemist

NOTE: I spent many years in formal education. I began in kindergarten and worked my way through high school to college. I eventually went to graduate school and earned my doctoral degree. I learned lots of things. What I learned on my life’s journey is worthy of three or four doctoral degrees. My teachers were experiences, friends, enemies, strangers, and loved ones. Pain, suffering, joy, and happiness were also my teachers. If we’re awake on our journey there are precious nuggets of knowledge to learn. Some of the wisest people I’ve met did not have the formal education I had, but they accumulated wisdom that formal education could never teach.

Thinking Out Loud: Live Life Courageously

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Today’s Thinking Out Loud reflection is on Cervantes  work, Don Quixote.

“The fear Thou Art in, Sancho,” said Don Quixote, “prevents thee from seeing or hearing correctly, for one of the effects of fear is to derange the senses and make things appear different from what they are; if thou art in such fear, withdraw to one side and leave me alone to myself, for alone I suffice to bring victory to that side to which I shall give my aid.” ― Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra

Note: Fear is a crippler. Once it grabs hold of us our minds create situations that do not exist. We imagine the worst and create a minefield for us to navigate through. It causes us to be paralyzed from acting. It is wise to ask ourself if the fear we currently experience is real or is it imagined? It takes courage to live. It takes courage to set out on the adventure. If we live in fear and do not take our adventure we find ourselves slowly becoming emaciated as we watch our lives slip past us. Step boldly into life and experience it to its fullest.

Thinking Out Loud ~ Learn from Experience

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Today’s Thinking Out Loud reflection is on Aesop’s Fable, The Cat and the Mice. Aesop’s Fables is available for free download here.

The Fable

“There was once a house that was overrun with Mice. A Cat heard

of this, and said to herself, “That’s the place for me,” and off

she went and took up her quarters in the house, and caught the Mice

one by one and ate them. At last the Mice could stand it no longer,

and they determined to take to their holes and stay there. “That’s

awkward,” said the Cat to herself: “the only thing to do is to coax

them out by a trick.” So she considered a while, and then climbed

up the wall and let herself hang down by her hind legs from a peg,

and pretended to be dead. By and by a Mouse peeped out and saw the

Cat hanging there. “Aha!” it cried, “you’re very clever, madam, no

doubt: but you may turn yourself into a bag of meal hanging there,

if you like, yet you won’t catch us coming anywhere near you.”

 

Note: There are lots of slicks folks who want to take advantage of us. We get warned about scams coming through on emails or text messages. They may be a politician or someone we work with. We may not recognize it in the moment when someone is taking advantage of us. But we can learn from the experience and not be taken advantage of again. Experience can be a tough teacher. Anytime we refuse to be taken advantage of, we become stronger and wiser. We don’t have to be a victim. We are empowered people if we choose to be.

Inspiring Quote for Today ~ Experience is Our Teacher

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What you have experienced,

no power on earth can take from you.

Viktor E. Frankl

Thinking Out Loud ~ Reflecting is a Worthwhile Experience

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Learn From Your Experiences

James Allen in his book, “As a Man Thinketh, says, “[I}f he will watch, control, and alter his thoughts, tracing their effects upon himself, upon others, and upon his life and circumstances, linking cause and effect by patient practice and investigation, and utilizing his every experience, even to the most trivial, everyday occurrence, as a means of obtaining that knowledge of himself, which is Understanding, Wisdom, Power. ” P. 13

As a Man Thinketh is available online at gutenberg.org under the Harvard Classics.

NOTE: Many religious traditions tell us that an end of the day reflection on our day’s experiences is a good way to examine our conscience and reflect on our spiritual journey. When we reflect on our day’s experiences we can see what we did that was successful and what we did that we could do much better. In this way, we can learn from our experiences. The experiences of the day are not wasted. Each experience, whether good or bad, has a set of lessons to teach us if we are willing to harvest them. Practice reflecting on your day’s experiences for a week, and I think you’ll notice a wonderful difference.

Feeling Good Tip of the Day ~ We’re Designed to be Active & Engaged

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We are designed to be active and engaged. Our level of engagement is directly related to what is meaningful in our life. When we make a decision to commit to something or someone beyond ourselves our lives fill with meaning. Meaning gives us a reason to get up, get dressed and get moving. It provides us with stories and experiences we otherwise would not have. Opportunities for meaning surround us. Reach out and grab an armful. 

Positive Thought for Today ~ It’s What You Do With Your Experience That Matters

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“What you have experienced, no power on earth can take from you.”

Viktor E. Frankl

 

NOTE: What we do with what we’ve experienced makes all the difference in our lives. We can allow negative experiences to fill us with bitterness and anger. We can also allow negative experiences to teach us lessons we would not have otherwise learned. We can transform our negative experiences into something that creates good. Our positive experiences are the foundation blocks of our confidence. Recall these positive moments and build on them.

Feeling Good Tip of the Day ~ Seek Out the New

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Discover something new. As humans, we are hard-wired to experience joy when experiencing novelty. Developing a new pursuit can help us refocus our energy. Give yourself permission to take a few moments of pleasure, especially when you are feeling low. You can try NPR’s Joy Generator for a taste.

 

NOTE: It takes energy to get up off the sofa and do something new. The familiar often traps us to new experiences. I recall the first time I stood on the north rim of the Grand Canyon. I was overwhelmed with a sense of wonder and joy. Seek out new experiences, you deserve moments of joy and the wonderful feelings that accompany it.

Photo of the Day ~ Is It Time to Slow Down?

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Slow down. Enjoy those you love. Enjoy life.

Don’t Miss the Important things of life.

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