Continuing with my series on the six spokes to a great life, spokes three and four. "Just as a candle cannot burn without fire, men cannot live without a spiritual life." - Buddha
Spiritual and Moral
In your life, have you determined what your personal values are in life? I mean really sat down one day and thought about what it is you believe or don't believe in. Things relating to money, job, sex, politics and religion are areas filled with vast ranges of spiritual and moral possibility. Where do you stand on these?
As it was spoken to me, "are you living up to those personal values?" If you take your place in values relating to religion and God is important to you, do your values reflect your beliefs? The same can be asked of your job. Does the way you conduct yourself at work conflict or fall in line with your religious thoughts.
This area of life can be complicated and so many aspects are woven together. But if you work to establish simple values and then apply them to other areas of your life, it can work out. I'm not talking about 'imposing' your beliefs on others. I'm talking about having beliefs or values and striving to live by them. It isn't easy and at the same time you need to have an open ear to others. Have spiritual life that helps you establish your morals. It will strengthen this part of your life.
Family and Home
Recently I had the opportunity to see a movie called CLICK that tells the story of a man whose life is wrapped up in his job. His belief being that if he pours more energy into his job, it will provide more opportunity for his family. Sadly, he gets all that he wants for his family yet loses much of what he had 'with' his family.
Many of us will tend to work very hard in our jobs. Work harder, make more money, your family can have more. I for one was very much like this and some hard lessons were learned. Your family needs more then your success and added income. They need your time and your presence.
Do you spend enough time with your spouse, watching your kids grow, talking about life to them and about them? Your kids will watch and learn from what you do. They will either grow away from you or become like you. It is a difficult balance to maintain when the pressures of your job or business demand so much of you. But try not to short change this part of your life. To wake up one day and wish things had been different is difficult to deal with.
Make a change now and spend extra time talking to your spouse, to your kids and just being there. As the movie indicated, don't be on 'auto-pilot'. Engage yourself in this wonderful part of life called family.
Sunday, July 02, 2006
Saturday, July 01, 2006
Life Spokes One & Two
“When you take charge of your life, there is no longer need to ask permission of other people or society at large. When you ask permission, you give someone veto power over your life.”
- Abert F. Geoffrey
The first two spokes of ones life have to do with your money and your life withing society. Each are described here. As noted in my previous article, ther are six spokes the complete the wheel of your life. All must be in working order for your life to move forward and achieve greatness.
Financial and Career
So just how much do you enjoy your job. Myself, I love getting up and going to work each day. The people I work with and the type of work I do is great. Everyday I feel like I am contributing something to the company and I get paid a decent wage.
In your life, can you say the same thing? If not, then change needs to happen and it is up to you to do so. What you do for a living, how much you enjoy it and the money you earn performing your job function are all related. One effects the other - if you are not happy, you likely are not performing well which means you don't earn as much.
If you are earning, are you giving back part of your money to society. Maybe to your church, to a charitable organization close to you or maybe directly to others in need. By giving of your money, you will feel better about yourself. It also creates in different ways a return of goodness to you as well. But you say you don't have much money, then start small. Maybe five dollars or ten.
So create your own destiny within your finances and career. Don't spend more then you make as debt is a serious problem. Adjust your budget and spending habits to the level of your earnings. Doing so means you will have less financial stress, feel better and perform better at work. Your performance goes up and most likely your earning.
Social and Cultural
Do you have friends in your life? A recent CBS NEWS Health Watch story indicates that "...most people's circle of confidants is on average about one person smaller now. The percentage of people who say they have no one to confide in has reached about 25%." All of us need those one or two close confidants. People that the article refers to as a "discussion network" — people you reach out to for help, advice, or just as a sounding board. In the new research, they say the network is important because it shapes "the kinds of people we become."
How do you develop these friendships? By having a life outside of work that allows you to draw back and recharge. It also rounds you out better as a person, to be in tune with what is happening in the world around you. You can better effect the world around you when you understand it and engage in it.
Be a part of the world around you - make changes to strengthen these areas of your life.
- Abert F. Geoffrey
The first two spokes of ones life have to do with your money and your life withing society. Each are described here. As noted in my previous article, ther are six spokes the complete the wheel of your life. All must be in working order for your life to move forward and achieve greatness.
Financial and Career
So just how much do you enjoy your job. Myself, I love getting up and going to work each day. The people I work with and the type of work I do is great. Everyday I feel like I am contributing something to the company and I get paid a decent wage.
In your life, can you say the same thing? If not, then change needs to happen and it is up to you to do so. What you do for a living, how much you enjoy it and the money you earn performing your job function are all related. One effects the other - if you are not happy, you likely are not performing well which means you don't earn as much.
If you are earning, are you giving back part of your money to society. Maybe to your church, to a charitable organization close to you or maybe directly to others in need. By giving of your money, you will feel better about yourself. It also creates in different ways a return of goodness to you as well. But you say you don't have much money, then start small. Maybe five dollars or ten.
So create your own destiny within your finances and career. Don't spend more then you make as debt is a serious problem. Adjust your budget and spending habits to the level of your earnings. Doing so means you will have less financial stress, feel better and perform better at work. Your performance goes up and most likely your earning.
Social and Cultural
Do you have friends in your life? A recent CBS NEWS Health Watch story indicates that "...most people's circle of confidants is on average about one person smaller now. The percentage of people who say they have no one to confide in has reached about 25%." All of us need those one or two close confidants. People that the article refers to as a "discussion network" — people you reach out to for help, advice, or just as a sounding board. In the new research, they say the network is important because it shapes "the kinds of people we become."
How do you develop these friendships? By having a life outside of work that allows you to draw back and recharge. It also rounds you out better as a person, to be in tune with what is happening in the world around you. You can better effect the world around you when you understand it and engage in it.
Be a part of the world around you - make changes to strengthen these areas of your life.
Thursday, June 29, 2006
Your Inner Self
“You are led through your lifetime by the inner learning creature, the playful spiritual being that is your real self. Don't turn away from possible futures before you're certain you don't have anything to learn from them.” - Richard Bach (author of 'Jonathan Livingston Seagull)
All of us have this inner self that we listen to and argue with. Yes, you can have an argument with yourself. It is your inner attempt to reconcile or deal with information. One may think that we are of a single mind so therefore no conflict should exist. Yet it does and some may call this self actualization. This is the process of understanding oneself more completely and being aware of issues affecting one's life.
From The Conscious and Unconscious Mind by Kendra Van Wagner, according to Sigmund Freud, the mind can be divided into two main parts:
1. The conscious mind includes everything that we are aware of. This is the aspect of our mental processing that we can think and talk about rationally. A part of this includes our memory, which is not always part of consciousness but can be retrieved easily at any time and brought into our awareness. Freud called this ordinary memory the preconscious.
2. The unconscious mind is a reservoir of feelings, thoughts, urges, and memories that outside of our conscious awareness. Most of the contents of the unconscious are unacceptable or unpleasant, such as feelings of pain, anxiety, or conflict. According to Freud, the unconscious continues to influence our behavior and experience, even though we are unaware of these underlying influences.
Two parts of us at conflict with each other. It is this inner-self that you must attempt to deal with in order to better handle what life sets before you. I'm not certain any of us fully reach a point in which we completely understand our inner self. But we all need to reconcile ourselves to that inner voice. Once you have done this, it releases you to move forward in life to go after your dreams.
"Believe in your vision, act upon your vision and realize your vision." - Joseph Primm
All of us have this inner self that we listen to and argue with. Yes, you can have an argument with yourself. It is your inner attempt to reconcile or deal with information. One may think that we are of a single mind so therefore no conflict should exist. Yet it does and some may call this self actualization. This is the process of understanding oneself more completely and being aware of issues affecting one's life.
From The Conscious and Unconscious Mind by Kendra Van Wagner, according to Sigmund Freud, the mind can be divided into two main parts:
1. The conscious mind includes everything that we are aware of. This is the aspect of our mental processing that we can think and talk about rationally. A part of this includes our memory, which is not always part of consciousness but can be retrieved easily at any time and brought into our awareness. Freud called this ordinary memory the preconscious.
2. The unconscious mind is a reservoir of feelings, thoughts, urges, and memories that outside of our conscious awareness. Most of the contents of the unconscious are unacceptable or unpleasant, such as feelings of pain, anxiety, or conflict. According to Freud, the unconscious continues to influence our behavior and experience, even though we are unaware of these underlying influences.
Two parts of us at conflict with each other. It is this inner-self that you must attempt to deal with in order to better handle what life sets before you. I'm not certain any of us fully reach a point in which we completely understand our inner self. But we all need to reconcile ourselves to that inner voice. Once you have done this, it releases you to move forward in life to go after your dreams.
"Believe in your vision, act upon your vision and realize your vision." - Joseph Primm
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