Browsing "Musings"
Apr 7, 2013 - Musings    No Comments

Let Go of the Past

by Brian Johnson

“We keep ourselves so tied up in regretting the past and fearing the future that we don’t have any energy left to figure out who we are and what we want to create right now.” ~ Gay Hendricks from Conscious Living

A key aspect of living consciously is to BE PRESENT. We can’t do that if we’re constantly churning through the negative stories of our past. We’ve gotta let it go and become present to the joy of this moment and the thrill of our glorious future.

We’ve talked about the absurdity of going to a REALLY bad movie AGAIN and AGAIN and AGAIN or about trying to drive looking in the rearview mirror. Just doesn’t work.

Let’s reflect on that wisdom again and see if we can’t shake the habit! 

First, how about some old school Vernon Howard wisdom from his classic The Power of Your Supermind? He says: “A chief cause of unhappiness is what I call mental movies. Mental movies are a misuse of the imagination. You know how it goes. You have a painful experience with someone, then run it over and over in your mind. You visualize what you said, what he did, how you both felt. As awful as it is, you feel compelled to repeat the film day and night. It is as if you were locked inside a theatre playing a horrible movie.”

Now imagine driving somewhere while staring in your rearview mirror. Not gonna work, eh? Same with our lives. We’ve GOTTA let go of the past and quit replaying the scenes we regret to open up to the possibilities of the moment.

(I’m repeating myself now, huh? It’s deliberate. 🙂

So, how about you: Are you replaying a scene in your head again and again and again? Now a good time to let it go?
Apr 3, 2013 - Musings    No Comments

Little By Little

by Brian Johnson

     The Buddha tells us that one becomes good little by little—as a water pot is filled with water, drop by drop by drop. (He also tells us that one becomes evil, little by little, drop by drop by little decision drop.)
Little by little. Drop by drop.
Little by little. Drop by drop.
After years of trying to fill my water pot ALL! AT! ONCE!, I’m finally understanding that my attempts to change everything NOW were like trying to fill a beautiful, delicate water pot with a fire hydrant. Rather than winding up with a full pot, I pretty much sprayed the thing all around the room (and nearly cracked it!).
Little by little. Drop by drop.
That’s the way to roll.
Moment by moment. Little decision by little mundane decision. Day in and day out. THAT’s where it’s at.

Brian Johnson, Chief Philosopher
P.S. Check out the mini-video for this chapter here!
Mar 17, 2013 - Musings    No Comments

Powerful Observations attributed to the Dalai Lama

17 incredibly powerful observations attributed to the Dalai Lama worth posting on your bathroom mirror. Learn them and live them. They will improve your life.

Shared by Michael Josephson

1. Follow the three Rs: respect for self, respect for others, responsibility for your actions.

2. When you realize you’ve made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it.

3. Open your arms to change, but don’t let go of your values.

4. Not getting what you want is sometimes a wonderful stroke of luck.

5. When you lose, don’t lose the lesson.

6. Great love and great achievements involve great risk.

7. A loving atmosphere in your home is the foundation for your life.

8. In disagreements with loved ones, deal only with the current situation. Don’t bring up the past.

9. Don’t let a little dispute injure a great relationship.

10. Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer.

11. The best relationship is one in which your love for each other exceeds your need for each other.

12. Share your knowledge. It’s a way to achieve immortality.

13. Spend some time alone every day.

14. Once a year, go someplace you’ve never been before.

15. Be gentle with the earth.

16. Live a good, honorable life. Then when you get older and think back, you’ll be able to enjoy it a second time.

17. Judge your success by what you had to give up in order to get it.

This is Michael Josephson reminding you that character counts.

Mar 7, 2013 - Musings    No Comments

Concrete Gardens

by Brian Johnson

Pema Chodron (a rockin’ Buddhist nun) tells us we need to catch ourselves the moment we fall into old, negative patterns. Failing to do so is like pouring concrete over that (potentially) beautiful garden that is our lives.
And, well, concrete gardens pretty much suck. So, let’s not do that.
Make it a game. See if you can catch yourself right as you slip into weenie-ville. Notice your pissiness, fear, anger, anxiety, overwhelm, RIGHT when it arises and see if you can aikido that energy into something more constructive. Doesn’t matter what you do, just do ANYTHING other than the old destructive patterns.
Take a dozen deep breaths, go for a walk, sing a song, do a few pushups or jumping jacks, go for a run, whatever it takes to break the pattern and let your goodness garden bloom before you dump a ton of concrete all over it!
P.S. For the record, scientific research supports this whole concrete garden dealio. Bad mood + rumination = toxic.
Check out Sonja Lyubomirsky’s brilliant book, The How of Happiness(and/or my PhilosophersNote on it) for more goodness on that subject!P.S. Check out the mini-video for this chapter here!
Mar 5, 2013 - Musings    No Comments

Mind the Gap: How to Close the Integrity Gap

Do you sometimes get caught in the middle between the person you want to be, and the person that you are because your integrity is being blocked by regret, anxiety and disillusionment?  This blockage, which is preventing you from becoming the highest version of yourself, is something we all struggle with from time to time. However, there are a few simple things you can do to ensure that you can experience each and every day feeling proud of who you are.

Watch this 4-minute video, by the Philosopher’s Notes author Brian Johnson, to learn three easy steps you can incorporate into your thought process so you live each day with integrity and in alignment with the highest version of yourself.

Like the video? Tell us what you think below and share any techniques you use to ensure you keep your integrity in check.

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