Continuing with the idea of you having a choice in how your attitude is effected...there are of course things that influence your thinking. Again from SUMO, the book examines four things that can influence you.
1. Your background influences your thinking.
If you were encouraged to keep trying regardless of outcome while growing up, you will be more likely to take chances as an adult. If you were always ridiculed when attempting things, you are probably one cautious person today. Remember this when you speak to your children.
2. Your previous experiences influence your thinking.
Pretty straight forward I would say. If someone walks in to your store and you happen to be in a short mood, they may very well leave remembering that above all else. Chances are very good that ten other people will hear of that experience.
3. The company you keep influences your thinking.
Hang around with people that always view the work place as a sweat shop, you will likely begin to view it the same. Being around people that can find the positive in working conditions will help you view things in a much better light. It doesn't mean not to associate with the dreary views because if you have a good attitude, you can influence those people as well.
4. The media influences your thinking.
Watch the Brady Bunch - for those now guessing how old I am - and you may begin to believe that family life should always be that way...perfect and with a maid to help out. Watch the news and you may believe the world is ready to self destruct. No, that's just life happening and people would rather watch a train wreck then news of a new art exhibit in town. Temper what it is you watch and read.
Be cognizant of the many things that can influence you. Use that knowledge to your own advantage. "Knowledge is the food of the soul." - Plato
Friday, September 23, 2005
Thursday, September 22, 2005
Take a different approach
In his book SUMO, Paul McGee humbly uses a self developed quote..."the most important person you will ever talk to is yourself." This would generally be regarded as thinking and all the while you have to be careful about wallowing or obsessing on thoughts.
Have you ever noticed that by simply obsessing on a subject, in ex; yelling at the driver who cut you off, will effect your driving. You tend to become more aggressive and the revenge factor can come upon you. Your blood pressure rises and tunnel vision sets in and your whole thought pattern becomes that other driver.
It is just another form of how you can allow yourself to be affected and react to situations. If you had simply stopped and thought, "hmmm, maybe they are in a rush to pick up a child from school or maybe they were cut off and were obsessed with getting some other driver." You have the choice to allow or disallow it to affect you.
This translates into every day life, work, home, relationships and church. Everything you do and how everything that happens to you allows you to make that choice. One of the people quoted in the book was William James (1842-1910), who is described as an original thinker in and between the disciplines of physiology, psychology and philosophy.
See the following link for more information on him: http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/james/.
One of his quotes that I found was, "Human beings, by changing the inner attitudes of their minds, can change the outer aspects of their lives." So true as I've seen it in my life and in the lives of others. All of us still get those moments as life can be described as a 'roller coaster of experiences'. I choose not to shudder but to enjoy the ride.
Have you ever noticed that by simply obsessing on a subject, in ex; yelling at the driver who cut you off, will effect your driving. You tend to become more aggressive and the revenge factor can come upon you. Your blood pressure rises and tunnel vision sets in and your whole thought pattern becomes that other driver.
It is just another form of how you can allow yourself to be affected and react to situations. If you had simply stopped and thought, "hmmm, maybe they are in a rush to pick up a child from school or maybe they were cut off and were obsessed with getting some other driver." You have the choice to allow or disallow it to affect you.
This translates into every day life, work, home, relationships and church. Everything you do and how everything that happens to you allows you to make that choice. One of the people quoted in the book was William James (1842-1910), who is described as an original thinker in and between the disciplines of physiology, psychology and philosophy.
See the following link for more information on him: http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/james/.
One of his quotes that I found was, "Human beings, by changing the inner attitudes of their minds, can change the outer aspects of their lives." So true as I've seen it in my life and in the lives of others. All of us still get those moments as life can be described as a 'roller coaster of experiences'. I choose not to shudder but to enjoy the ride.
Wednesday, September 21, 2005
Lisbon From "Christ the King Sanctuary" (Santuário do Cristo Rei)
Christ the King Sanctuary (Santuário do Cristo Rei) was built in 1959 on the south bank of River Tagus, the 110 meter high statue of Christ offers a magnificent panoramic view over Lisbon and River Tagus.
Tuesday, September 20, 2005
I Do, I Do, My Own
How did you answer the three questions previously posed? Was it a former teacher, coach or parent. Did you struggle with the answers and try to come up with your individualized answers? I sure did when I first posed them to myself.
But the answer is purely a simple one - the answer is you. Sure there are many that influence you through out life. But Paul rightly says, "...The biggest single factor that determines where you and I currently find ourselves in life is 'you'.
Think about this in the context of what I've been saying. There are others that enter in and out of your life every year, every month, every day and many times every minute. But you are the one that determines how you are effected. Not those people, but you.
In Paul's book, he examines how we as humans react to the things that happen all around us. He suggests that if we could literally 'wear our thoughts on our sleeves' then we could put on a different t-shirt for different reasons. It is the type of t-shirt that you choose to wear that dictates how you conduct your life.
I wouldn't profess to speak for the author of SUMO and do not want to go too deep into his teachings. So as I talk of these things, I'll simply provide pieces of it...The book will provide the detail. So tomorrow I'll talk on another part of the book...Developing fruity thinking.
But the answer is purely a simple one - the answer is you. Sure there are many that influence you through out life. But Paul rightly says, "...The biggest single factor that determines where you and I currently find ourselves in life is 'you'.
Think about this in the context of what I've been saying. There are others that enter in and out of your life every year, every month, every day and many times every minute. But you are the one that determines how you are effected. Not those people, but you.
In Paul's book, he examines how we as humans react to the things that happen all around us. He suggests that if we could literally 'wear our thoughts on our sleeves' then we could put on a different t-shirt for different reasons. It is the type of t-shirt that you choose to wear that dictates how you conduct your life.
I wouldn't profess to speak for the author of SUMO and do not want to go too deep into his teachings. So as I talk of these things, I'll simply provide pieces of it...The book will provide the detail. So tomorrow I'll talk on another part of the book...Developing fruity thinking.
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