The WEblog

The Truth Revealed: Yes! Women ARE Different than Men, and that's Good!

2011-03-04T13:03:00.001-07:00

March 8, 2011, is International Women’s Day. For the last 100 years, this has been a day for celebrating women around the world and the progress that women have made socially and economically. Having grown up in the United States, I can look back and see the progress that women have made in terms of reaching higher levels of equality and being more empowered, but still it seems as though women are not yet considered equals with men. This is even more evident in other countries around the world. So I wonder, with all of our industrial and technological advances, education and conscious growth, why can’t we overcome this issue?

I think the most important point that we keep on missing both with women’s rights and equality issues in general is that differences in people do not qualify them as more or less important than each other. Women keep asking the world to see them as equally important, and the world keeps answering with “but you are different.” It is as if there are two different conversations going on. Women are not asking the world to ignore that they are different than men, just as a person of color is not asking other people to see them as white.

The problem does not lie in noticing differences. In fact, as human beings we are great at noticing the differences between other people and ourselves. We are programmed that way. Psychologically speaking, it is this ability to notice differences in others and compare others with ourselves that helps us to build a concept in our minds of who we are. The problem with this is when we put things on a “better/worse” scale or a ladder of hierarchy. Instead of just noting differences, we want to judge them as better or worse, stronger or weaker, etc. than ourselves. Unfortunately this distorts the reality of the situation.

The reality is that humankind exists not on a ladder of importance but in a shared plane of existence where although we are nearly identical in our genetic makeup, each is unique as well, and can thus make a unique contribution to the whole.

Take a look at the human body for example and decide which organ is most important. Some will argue the brain, some will say heart, and others still will give another answer. The realistic answer to this question is…the most important part becomes any missing part because without all parts, the whole is diminished or dead.

The same is true with humanity. Each member plays a significant part in the completion of the whole through their unique contribution that is their life. This includes men and women of all origins alike. Everybody is somebody. Every one is interdependent with the other with the actions or inactions of one always affecting those around them. We are one race…the human race. It is not now, nor has it ever been a question of who is more important.

So, how do we really get there? How do we get to a place where we no longer have to concern ourselves with who is more important? The good news is that we don’t have to shut our eyes and stop noticing differences between ourselves and others. In fact, that is counterintuitive and counterproductive. Noticing the differences in others allows you to see their strengths and how they contribute. It helps us to deeply love, respect and appreciate one another. It also helps us to see our own uniqueness. It might even help you see where you can help someone else.

Using words such as “same” and “different” are not dangerous when we compare ourselves with others. They are words of observation. In fact if we remember that we as human beings are both “same and different” and this in no way affects our equality with one another, it helps us to avoid the dangerous words such as “better” or “worse”.

Gender differences teach us this lesson better than any other example in the universe. When comparing men and women, any remotely observant person can recognize that there are not only differences in appearance but fundamental differences between men and women. Thankfully so. For it is these differences that literally make it possible to continue on with the human race.

International Peace Day Call Coming Up!

2010-09-16T16:56:00.000-06:00

September 21 is International Peace Day! To celebrate peace day and the opening of our new company, Power in We, L3C, I will hosting a Free 40-minute Teleconference!. I will be sharing the We paradigm and how to utilize it to create more peace, power, and purpose in your life, your business, and the world!

Please sign up for the call or the replay on the website at www.powerinwe.org! I can't wait to share what I have been learning with YOU!

It's Time

2010-06-24T17:51:00.001-06:00

Have you ever felt that prompting within you that said, "Now is the time"?

That's what I feel now. For the past 2+ years, I have been studying "WE", sharing it with a few chosen listeners, and writing....a lot! Now I feel like it is time to move forward...not move on, but move forward!

It's finally time start sharing this idea in a BIG way. What does that mean? I guess time will tell.

I have already started using this concept with my mentoring clients...and let me tell you! It is making the difference I had hoped for. It is moving people into the light of their power within! It is showing them that the battle is NOT with other human beings, and it is empowering them to fight the real battle...the one within themselves!

What does the world look like when people are realizing who they really are, when people are being their true and powerful selves, when people are loving and respecting other people, when we are able to collaborate at a higher level?

I can't wait to find out! Hope you'll join me! I think it is going to be quite a ride!

"WE" equals more Money

2010-05-31T18:48:00.000-06:00

Often times I share the Power in WE message with people, and they like it, but they have a hard time seeing it in a practically useful way. Through the course of my study of this concept, I have found so many reasons why it is beneficial to view yourself and the rest of humanity in terms of "WE", but recently I discovered a really practical and very popular reason...

Making MORE money.

When asked what would you like more of in your life, many will quickly respond with an automatic "money" answer. We all need to make money, and we all would like more of it. So how does this relate to "WE"?

Think of it this way. Somebody out there or many somebodies out there HAVE the money that you would like to add to your life. Without finding a way to relate to them or to provide value for them, you will likely not be getting that extra paycheck you hope for. Along with people, come money and resources. Those two things are not created out of thin air. They are exchanged between people.

So if you are one who sees others in terms of "you versus me" or in other words, if you see them as enemies or competitors in your life, you may have a problem with them giving you their money.

However, if you can see yourself and others as equally valuable and uniquely significant human beings, you can and will want to create exchange with them. You can offer them your gifts and the value you can provide for them in exchange for their money and/or resources, and vice versa.

There is never money to be "made". It already exists, and it awaits those who can provide value for others and create situations and relationships where 'exchange' is welcome. "WE" equals more money coming into your life...along with the people!

Sharing the Power in WE Message Without Words?

2010-03-06T10:35:00.001-07:00

This last week I attended a free body language course in Sandy, Utah. This was a really fascinating experience for me and made me think about how I can share the Power in WE message without words. Why would I want to share it without words? According to information that I learned at this Body Language Course, only 7% of our communication is actually transmitted with the words we use anyway. The rest is body language and the tone we use. Very interesting!

The course was run by a man named Kirk Duncan who is a body language expert. You can learn more about him here: www.3keyelements.com. I would highly recommend his training to anyone interested in improving your business and personal relationships and learning how to listen and communicate more effectively.

This class made me really think about ways that I might better share the Power in message of mutual respect with my fellow human beings through my body language since this makes up a huge portion of how we communicate with each other. As I thought it over, I decided that I would work on eye contact!

In the class, we learned some very interesting things about people's eyes and what they are saying to us. For instance, when you ask someone a question and they look up and to the right, they are creating an answer or using their creative center to put together an answer for you. When they look up and to the left, they are trying to access their memory center or their past. It seems the eyes truly are windows to the soul and tell us many things that are unspoken.

We also talked about the art of looking at people in the eye and how difficult it can be for many people. I have always been one to try to look people in the eyes when we are talking together, when we are meeting, or even in passing, and I have found it to be very true that many people do NOT do this.

After attending Kirk's course, I plan to add the use of better eye contact as a method of sharing the Power in WE in a nonverbal way. I have made a decision to really look people in the eye--whether in conversation or just in passing. This goes along with my recent blog post entitled, "I see you". I think giving eye contact is an excellent way to show respect for someone, to show that you are listening, and to show that you value them.

I would encourage readers out there to give this a try. It really is not that difficult once you get used to it, and there is an added benefit as well! When you look people in the eyes, not only does it make them feel significant, but it makes you feel significant as well. It actually builds your confidence and reminds you that you are of equal significance to other people as they are to you.

It is quite fascinating to me how the simple act of sharing eye contact can be so powerful, but experience and history have proved time and again that it is always the simplest things that are the most powerful!

Give it a try and let me know what happens! Also, if you are interested in learning more about body language, here is Kirk's site address again: www.3keyelements.com

I See You

2010-01-17T21:16:00.002-07:00

I See You...a Timeless and Powerful Message

In the movie, Avatar, released in 2009, the Navi greet each other with the words, "I see you" expressed in their native tongue. This simple phrase translates into a more profound message of mutual respect and regard for one another as if you are saying "I recognize the value in you."

This same timeless message has been shared many times throughout history with the promise of great power for any who might embrace it, and for good reason.

It is the message of equality, unconditional love, and human/civil rights. Nobel Peace Prize winner and civil rights leader, Martin Luther King Jr. delivered this message in his world famous "I Have a Dream" speech which continues to touch the hearts of any who hear it. This is the message he dedicated his life to sharing and the message that changed the course of history in an extremely significant way.

It is the message of nonviolence, understanding, and peace such as Gandhi exhibited. Gandhi only aimed to attack injustice; never other people. He believed that the injustice itself could be resolved and that peace could occur between the offender and the defender.

It is the message of service, collaboration, and unity which is a common thread shared by all religions and spiritual teachings. When one sees the value in another, we become spiritually connected and unified. The motivation is there to serve, to lift, and to cooperate with one another.

This timeless and powerful message is that of "WE" rather than "you versus me" in humanity. It is about recognizing the equal value and significance of ourselves and others, and it empowers and inspires each one of us to be our best both individually and collectively.

I See You,
Linda McPharlin

Please visit www.powerinwe.org to watch a NEW video: The Missing Peace to learn more about what WE can do for YOU!

Making a Difference

2009-12-03T11:56:00.002-07:00

Many times in life we ask ourselves, "can I make a difference in the world?" While it seems like a somewhat altruistic question, I think sometimes we ask this question with a selfish motive believing that making a difference in the world will make us seem significant or prove that we are important.

There is a story in the Bible that talks about someone giving charitably to be seen rather than giving charitably out of love. The story concludes that this type of giving to be seen will NOT profit or give benefit to the giver. In other words, intent and motive count!

I have found that when my motive is to prove my importance or my value to the rest of humanity, I am self-serving, and I am not able to see with any clarity how I can help because I am too busy trying to see what I can do to look good.

However, when my motive is to truly help another or to really serve humanity, I am able to move forward with inspiration and confidence--not worrying about how I will be perceived, but focused on serving. The really inspiring part of all of this is that...this is the realm in which one will TRULY shine--when they are not trying to shine.

For the upcoming year, I am setting a goal to check my motives. To make sure that my intentions are to serve and then to act immediately from there without stopping to think about the effects it will have on me and my image. I think it is easy to get caught up in this trap because it is deceptive. We fool ourselves into thinking that we are doing good when in fact we are trying to look good. I have been in and out of this trap for the past year now, and I am excited to leave it behind and go for the gusto--in serving humanity!

I hope you will join me this year in really trying to make a positive difference in the lives of others. I believe that in doing so, we will be successful in serving and also successful in finding our true selves, in utilizing our unique talents, and in discovering true fulfillment!

Sharing Your Passion and Purpose Every Day

2009-11-13T16:01:00.003-07:00

Sometimes when you find your passion or purpose, you think only of grandiose ways of sharing it with the world. You think you must create a new business or you must give gain some fame in order to be successful with it.

What I am discovering lately is that you can start small. You can share your message with just one or with just a few. You can make choices every day that go along with your purpose and passion. In her book, The Passion Test, Janet Attwood talks about choosing in favor of your passions or in other words, making decisions based on what your passions are. I think is more powerful than we might think, and it makes a lot of sense.

Following your passions and living your purpose are not always about what you do. They are more about who you are. So, it makes perfect sense to choose in favor of your passions since that is only being true to who you really are. And each time you do this, that authenic part of you grows stronger and is manifested more into the outside world.

So this week, that is what I am working on. I am choosing in favor of my passions and purpose. I am doing something every day, whether big or small, to share my message whether it be sharing by example or teaching.

When it comes to living with "WE" as your guide, here are some ways you can share it every day:
1. Convince someone (maybe even yourself) of their significance.
2. Offer someone (again maybe yourself) forgiveness.
3. Set a new goal to be a little bit more authentic each day.
4. See the good in someone.
5. Feel empathy for someone.
6. Offer to serve or even to listen.
7. Refuse to ignore someone in need.
8. Share the "WE" message with someone else.

These are just a few that I personally am working on that I thought might also help you in your journey. That is what "WE" is really about after all...helping people to become their authentic selves and empowering them to contribute in their own unique way. Give these a try and please comment on what you experience!

My best,

Linda

Step Out of Your Box Challenge --great idea Oprah!

2009-11-04T17:40:00.003-07:00

Just watched a special that Oprah ran today called the "step out of your box challenge". It was awesome! The challenge that was taken on by four different women was to participate in some challenges that would help them to step out of the their box, or in other words, overcome their fears and self-imposed limits.

Ali had them doing everything from sky diving to skinny dipping! It was so great to see these women become so empowered over the course of a very short time! It was as if the light inside of them got switched back on after a long, dark night!

I think so often we get stuck in a rut in terms of what we believe is possible and what we believe we are capable of doing or being. We get caught in the proverbial 'comfort zone' which is really not all that comfortable at times and can be quite miserable as we feel that we cannot reach beyond it. It becomes a self-imposed prison which keeps us from progressing and growing.

Participating in these activities that they would normally never consider reminded them of their inner strength and abilities. It reminded them that the only limits they really have are in their beliefs.

This is what the 'power in WE' is all about--changing a belief in your mind that has held you back from being all that you can be in life. It is about seeing that you CAN and DO make a difference in the world, and then inspiring you to participate in life to your fullest knowing that the world is waiting for you to do so!

Loving the idea of a challenge to shake things up, I am currently developing something called the the "WE Challenge". It will be a program in which I will teach people about the "WE" paradigm and how to change their thinking about themselves and humanity in such a way that they will be empowered and inspired to reach their fullest potential and highest level of fulfillment in life. Indeed, it will be a big 'step out of your box challenge', but it will be well worth it!

If you haven't yet, I would like to invite all of my readers to please visit www.powerinwe.org for more information about the power in WE and sign up for a free "WE Course" to get start stepping out of your box right now!

The people who have done my free course have raved about how simple it is to understand and how it really changed everything for them! Take a look and give it a try!

www.powerinwe.org

Have a wonderful week--and try something new--something that you have always wanted to do. Start stepping out of your box to find out who the real you is!

With respect and gratitude,
Linda

Just how do you share a new paradigm with the world?

2009-10-28T17:14:00.005-06:00

Today I am changing directions with this blog in terms of what I write about here. In the past, I have kept it to informational/inspirational articles that demonstrate the Power in WE and how it can effect your life.

From today on I will instead be writing about my adventures in sharing this paradigm with others and in living it. I am doing so in hopes that I can get some great feedback from my readers--that is YOU--on the best ways to share this very important message!

As of today, I have been working on this concept for about two years. I have only recently been sharing it, but so far, many have caught on and have literally had some life-changing revelations that were inspired directly from this new viewpoint.

Just recently, I shared this concept with a friend of mine, and he had this to say...

"This is a revolutionary and liberating approach to the way we look at ourselves in society and how we compare or place ourselves within that society. With a seemingly simply ease, the level of complexity I found in the concept induced an exceptional transformation of my thinking processes."

Now I don't know what you think, but I think that is really exciting stuff to hear! It really is my dream to share this concept because I know that if embraced, it really will change the world--one empowered individual at a time!

The difficulty I find in sharing it is the technical part of it all. I am by nature a creator, and so technology and groundwork don't come very easily for me. I am learning slowly, but I will say that I am actively looking for partners who excel in this area. I have come to a place where I find myself needing some help. After all, it is the power in We, not the power in ME, right?

If you have any comments or suggestions as to how I should proceed with spreading this message, please feel free to let me know! I invite you to get involved if this is something that calls to you, or just make a suggestion if you have one that you feel will be helpful!

I am posting a video on here today that I just put on the site at www.powerinwe.org. Let me know what you think of it! Looking forward to sharing this journey with YOU!

With respect and gratitude,

Linda

The Missing Piece

2009-10-08T18:23:00.000-06:00

Have you ever slaved away over a 1000+ piece jigsaw puzzle for days and nights on end? You know the kind that have at least 200 pieces that are exactly the same color and are therefore really challenging to find their exact fit in the puzzle? Every time you pass by it, you find that you must sit down just for a moment to work on it, and the moment turns into 5 hours?!@? On the day--or very late night--that you finally complete it, you place that second to last piece in the puzzle and your heart flutters as you anticipate the victory of putting in the final piece and ending this journey that you have toiled through and even perhaps lost sleep over!

Can you imagine your dismay and despair when you look on the table for the last piece, and it isn't there? You snatch the box from the table and look inside hoping that perhaps it is still in there or that it got stuck in the creases. When the box is empty, you hit the floor on hands and knees searching for the elusive tiny piece of cardboard that you need to complete your journey all the while becoming more and more frantic. But to no avail. Of course the search doesn't stop there. You violently tear through any surrounding objects that it might be hiding under or lodged in. You even ask the kids about it and glare at the dog suspecting that perhaps he has eaten it. But still nothing.

It is as if the piece has vanished into thin air, and your brief moment of victory felt just before placing the final piece has vanished along with it. With your hands on your hips you survey the puzzle with a long disappointed sigh. It doesn't matter that you have managed to put together this wondrous creation of 999 pieces of cardboard into a Monet replica. What matters now is the missing piece.

Okay maybe I am the only one who gets this obsessed about puzzles, but if puzzles don't do it for you, there is surely something else that you will obsess or have obsessed over completing. Some goal that you will almost die trying to reach or some mountain that you will walk your legs off trying to reach the top of. Only to complete it and then find that you are still missing something.

How many times have you experienced this feeling? Not over a puzzle, but over another goal you have completed in life. You cross the finish line with a great sense of victory, but soon after comes that uncomfortable and sometimes frantic 'missing piece' feeling when we realize that this goal was not the bearer of joy and everlasting fulfillment that we thought it would be.

So what do we do when that happens? We start again. We pick a new puzzle or a new goal. Surely THIS time there will be no missing piece, and we will have that feeling of true fulfillment that we seek after! Yet more often than not, we are met with the same "victory-void" cycle until finally our enthusiasm is melted into a bitter pile of apathy. SO what is missing? Why can we never find fulfillment in the things we do or the things we obtain? What is the missing piece to the puzzle?

Deepak Chopra said, "There are no extra pieces in the universe. Everyone is here because he or she has a place to fill, and every piece must fit itself into the big jigsaw puzzle"

What if the missing piece is...YOU? You just haven't figured out yet how YOU fit into the puzzle or what your purpose is. You are the missing piece, but you believe the missing piece is something else--some object, goal, or achievement. In all of our striving and seeking for happiness, we often miss what is right in front of us and even sometimes get further away from the truth.

Next time you find yourself faced with the void of the missing piece, don't start over! Instead look harder for the piece! In finding out who you really are and what you really have to offer to humanity, you find how you fit into the great and magnificent jigsaw puzzle of humankind, and subsequently you will find the fulfillment you are seeking.

Remember...when you find your piece, you will finally find your peace!

Peace With Each Other and/or Peace Within?

2009-09-21T11:08:00.002-06:00

Hi everyone,

I am hoping to get some feedback on what I think is one of life's most important questions. I know there are some very wise people out there with a lot of knowledge and insight to share.

With today being the International Day of Peace, I have been thinking heavily on the subject. I have seen many people talk about coming together in harmony. I have also witnessed people fighting for peace on an ongoing daily basis for most of my life. It makes me wonder if it is really possible to have peace in a sustainable way, and I wonder if we aren't going about it in the wrong way sometimes.

Although peace is primarily thought of as something that exists between us or among us as human beings, the opinion is growing that it must first be created WITHIN us. So, although peace is often looked upon and talked about as a group effort of cooperation, it may be more about an individual effort to cultivate inner peace in our lives. What do you think about this?

Can we have one without the other--peace within or peace with each other? Does one come before the other or are they completely unrelated? I would love to hear your comments...

Much love and respect,

Linda

What is Peace?

2009-09-16T11:49:00.003-06:00

Recently a great network that I belong to, www.copperstrings.com, put a challenge out there to post on peace--what it means to you, how we can have it, etc. due to the upcoming International Day of Peace on September 21.

I am a complicator by nature with a burning desire for more simplicity, as I suspect many of us are. In trying to simplify my thoughts on peace, eg. what it means, what it looks like, and how we might find it, this is what I have come to...

Peace--both inner AND outer--is realized when an individual recognizes and respects our equal value, shared human nature, individual significance, and interdependence as human beings and lives accordingly.

In doing so, we become the dream team that we were created to be--each member having respect, gratitude, forgiveness, and love for the other, serving and lifting his/her teammates in times of need, sharing their unique talents and gifts with others, living responsibly as individuals for the good of all, collaborating and cooperating in harmony to overcome challenges together, sharing great success and victories, and valuing our relationship with each other and God above all else.

The power of love drives us individually to strive to be the best we can be for our team realizing the importance of our teammates and contribution we make in their lives! We feel gratitude for our teammates and the contributions they make to our lives. We no longer need to seek approval, for we see that we are exactly who humankind needs us to be! As we fulfill our unique purpose in supporting the whole and experience peace with one another, we find individual peace and fulfillment.We begin to see that the only real enemy we encounter is ourselves via negative and limiting thoughts, fear, doubt, judgments on self and others, pride and ego. With humankind on our side, we can finally start to master ourselves now that we no longer feel the need to master each other!

So for me, peace can be summarized even beyond the statement above to one little word..."we". I use this word to remind me that we are team, that each individual can and does make a difference, that I must step up and be who I was created to be for my team, and that I must be loving, grateful, accepting, forgiving, and willing in regards to myself and to my fellow human beings!

What does peace look like to you and how do we get there? Please feel free to post a comment here and also visit www.copperstrings.com to post. It only takes a minute to sign up there, and it is a wonderful network of contributors. Looking forward to your comments!

Your friend in love and respect,

Linda

Looking at Life Through WE-colored Glasses

2009-09-09T17:40:00.000-06:00

I have been looking at the world through my WE-colored glasses and noticing a whole different side to everything. My WE-colored glasses are a constant reminder to me that I am part of "WE" with others, within myself, with the planet, and with a Higher Power--all existing interdependently and harmoniously, living cooperatively and complimentary to each other.

When I get angry at others for something they have done to me, my WE-colored glasses remind me that I am my biggest challenge, not others. When I notice another's mistake, they remind me that I make mistakes too. When I feel alone, they remind me that I am never really alone. When I feel hopeless, helpless, or just don't know what to do, they remind me to look to my Higher Power for guidance and comfort. When I feel out of balance, they remind me that I am body, mind, and spirit and must nurture ALL three. When I think everyone is judging me, they remind me that I am not here to gain approval, but to serve. When I feel like a victim or afraid of someone else, they remind me that we are all equal and that my power comes from within, so I need not fear. When I see someone suffering, they remind me that I need to help however I can to lift that person. When I feel worthless, inadequate, or just lazy, they remind me that I am significant just as everyone else is, and that others are depending on me to be my best so that they can be their best.

I'm telling you...these glasses are awesome! Those are just some of the ways that they help me to see a different and more positive and peaceful side of things.

Looking through my WE-colored glasses, I see...

the beauty and value in others and in myself
how I can contribute to humanity
how humanity and divinity contribute to me and my life
a giant team of supporters who need me to be just who I am
opportunities to collaborate, cooperate, and harmonize with others
the light of peace and love breaking through the darkness
endless possibilities and great hope for the future

I invite you to try them out for yourself! See how changing your perspective to "we" can change EVERYTHING!

Offering my love and respect to all,

Linda, Power in WE

Quitting the Human Race?

2009-09-02T11:14:00.002-06:00

There is a literal race that we seem to be involved in against one another. It is the comparing, competing, contending, and striving that we do with each other on an individual and collective basis. We use personalities, actions, appearances, geographic locations, education, vocation, material goods, etc. to divide, measure, and place ourselves ahead or behind our fellow humans. Just read the newspapers, watch the news, or even take notice how you size people up when you meet them for the first time.

It isn't the healthy competition that pushes everyone to be their best. It is the type of race that holds us back from the lives we were meant to live-both individually and collectively. We decide how successful we are, how happy we are, and even WHO we are based on the race instead of truth.

Many have and will say that the race is just the way life goes. And even that it pushes us to be better. When I look around at my own life and at the world, I see the race as unconscious living that pushes us further away from authenticity and true fulfillment.

What do you think? Is this competition really making us better? Happier? More peaceful?

Are we really meant to compete against one another like this when it...
» keeps us from mastering ourselves as we focus on trying to master others?
» paralyzes us in fear as we face a threat that never retreats?
» makes us feel isolated and alone, always surrounded by perceived enemies?
» traps us in a perpetual 'pursuit' of happiness?
» suppresses our true selves as we try to be whoever we think will win the race?
» stops us from following divine wisdom and will?
» traps us in a virtual and literal state of war with each other and within ourselves?

About two years ago, I decided to 'quit' this human race and went in search of a more sublime alternative. Quitting did not mean giving up. It just meant seeking a better alternative. Amazingly enough, I found the alternative in one little word...WE. This little word helped me to understand the truth about us...that we are all in this life together--connected, interwoven, interdependent, and complimentary!

Once I remembered that humankind was on my side, my whole world changed! I recognized that life was happening for me, not to me. I saw that I was significant, and so was everyone else. I found the peace that had eluded me for so long both within myself and with others. I found the power within myself to live authentically. Now I more fully understand and can take advantage of the power of collaboration. It only required a simple yet profound paradigm shift from seeing the world as "you versus me" to seeing it in terms of "WE", and it has literally changed my life.

What do you think about quitting the race? What would it mean to you to suddenly have humankind on your side?

The Drama-FREE Life

2009-08-25T10:01:00.002-06:00

"I'm too old for this stuff, and I'm tired of dealing with it," I mumbled with a sigh wishing for a simpler life. I have come to a place in my life where I want less whining, less freaking out, less contention, less DRAMA both within myself and with others! I want more simplicity, more peace, more powerful action, and more truth, and the drama seems to interfere with all of these things.

I guess I am in search of the drama-free life! What does that mean, you ask? For me, it is living a life based on truth, simplicity, responsibility, and authenticity. It is peaceful and loving. It is living a life run by spiritual self rather than by ego.

Here are a few important points I came up with about living drama-free...

1. It means being yourself. Often times in life we find ourselves trying to be someone or do something that just doesn't feel right. This usually happens when our motivation and intent are about acceptance or approval or when we are seeking for something to fill the void or make us happy. We become actors in our life, pretending to be what we think is necessary only to later discover that what is really necessary is just to be ourselves! Each of us is significant and has a purpose in life which is fulfilled by living authentically. We are each divinely crafted and uniquely gifted to fulfill a specific purpose in life for the greater good of all. When we fulfill our purpose in the world, we find fulfillment within!

In short, YOU are exactly who the universe needs you to be--so be it! No more acting!

2. It means letting go of ugly stories. We are constantly creating stories about what things mean, what others think, who we should be, who others should be, etc. Unfortunately these are often negative, and we have a habit of seeing our stories as truth when in fact, they are not. Byron Katie, creator of The Work, always asks, "Who would you be without that story?" Give it a try. Practice letting go of the stories, labels, limiting beliefs, negative thoughts, etc. that you have about yourself AND about others. If you aren't ready to let go, at least be willing to question them!

3. It means giving up all predetermined 'roles' including the victim role. The best way I know how to let go of the victim role is to think of life as happening 'for you' rather than 'to you' and also to take personal responsibility both for your part and for your healing. This can really help you in forgiveness of yourself and others. Letting go of grudges, resentment, and guilt will allow you to shake that victim mentality in a hurry and reclaim your strength and power. You can shift from 'poor me' to 'powerful me' in a moment.

4. It means letting go of the need to be right. We all have differing opinions, frames of reference, and yes--different stories. It's okay to agree to disagree, and it's okay to question the 'truth'--yours and other people's. With an open mind, we can learn a lot, and we can avoid contention and arguing. Arguing with others really brings out the drama in life, doesn't it? The best way to end any argument is by saying these two words..."you're right"...to both yourself and to the person you are fighting with. Then discuss and share. If an accord must be reached on something, there is always a mutually beneficial solution with enough creativity and open minds to find it.

5. It means lightening up! Sometimes everyday little things seem like crises to us when in reality they mean nothing. You know the old 'count to 10' trick before you freak out. Give it a try, but while you are counting, ask yourself 'what does this really mean?' Chances are, the answer is 'nothing' and you will usually find that the upset is caused by a perceived attack on your pride or ego rather than your true self.

6. It means not being a drama supporter. Don't support or feed other people's drama. If you must attend a 'show', bring peace, love, and perspective with you. Don't support gossip or dishing on others to make yourself or another feel better. Oooo. This is a tough one!

7. It means NO whining and/or complaining! (no explanation needed)

8. It means asking God for help, understanding, patience, and guidance. Truth, peace, and power lie in connecting with your Higher Power--whoever that might be for you. The closer you get to this source of love and omnipotence, there will be an extreme decrease of drama in your life!

9. Lastly, keep "WE" in mind as a guide to drama-free living. Remember...

WE are all equally valuable and significant. Treat others and yourself as such.
WE are all here together sharing this life, making mistakes, experiencing growth, and serving one another. Who we are and what we do affects others and vice versa.
WE all have differences, but that is what makes us unique and individually significant, and it is in our differences that we find harmony and complementary living.
WE are a team-with each other, within ourselves (mind, body, spirit), and with God--all working together to reach our full potential. It truly is all for you, and you for all.

We don't need drama to make life exciting! Excitement comes from insight, understanding, and fulfilling our potential!

Please feel free to share a comment on what you do to cut the drama in your life!

WE all have issues!

2009-08-19T10:18:00.003-06:00

We all have issues! Don't we?

Just when I am sitting down to my computer to look up some ideas for solutions to my latest problem in life, I check my facebook for some inspiration and find that everyone else has some issue they are experiencing too. On the surface, their lives often look so much better than mine, and they seem so much more balanced than I am. But when you start talking about it, the skeletons come out of the closet and QUICK! I guess struggle is one of those certainties in life that we can just count on and that we can ALWAYS enjoy complaining about when invited!

Sometimes we even like to get into a good game of "who has it worse?" One-upping each other on our life's struggles, obstacles, and fears. Who really wants to win that game? It is a win I guess, but it is like winning the biggest pile of manure. You win, but boy is it crappy! I guess it is just tradition and probably the need to share.

Sometimes when you are going through your own personal struggle, it feels like you are alone, and moreover sometimes it feels like you are really being singled out and picked on! It is comforting to share with others and to learn that you are not alone and that other people are struggling too right along with you even though you may not always be able to see it outwardly.

Next time I catch myself feeling like the victim in life, I will think "WE" and remember that I am not the only one going through difficult things. I will remember that there is always someone out there who can relate to what I am going through. I will remember that there is always someone out there who has overcome my same obstacle and lived to tell about it! I will remember that I am more powerful that what is ailing me, I will remember that I can rely on a Higher Power to lift me above it all, strengthen me, and show me the way to claim victory, and lastly I will remember to be kind to my fellow humans and willing to listen whenever they need me.

Today the WE Way begins!

2009-08-12T09:23:00.003-06:00

Today is day 1 of this new blog-- the WE Way!

I am really excited to start sharing how I use this one little word--WE--as a guide word to help me live a conscious, peaceful, fulfilling, and powerful life! I have been studying the "we" concept for the last two years, and I can honestly say it has changed my mind and my life! Now I am hoping to use it to change the world--one person at a time, maybe starting with you?

Basically the WE Way is about understanding our interdependence with others, with God, and within ourselves and living with respect to that understanding. It is about learning to depend on another with gratitude and humility while embracing our responsibility to be our best for them in return. It is about living in peace, harmony, and with the spirit of responsibility and contribution. This encourages, inspires, and empowers us to be our truest and best selves as we recognize that each is significant and valuable to the whole, and that many are counting on us to be who we are meant to be every day!

We are all in this together~each divinely appointed to fulfill a specific purpose in life, and all working together to help each of us realize our full potential!

I truly believe that the WE Way can lift us to a more conscious way of living in which we are always considering the BIG picture and learning to ignore the petty disturbances that we encounter. It leads to a peaceful, powerful, and meaningful way of life that is not easily side-tracked or derailed.

Every day I am affected by my choice to live this way, and I can't wait to share some of these insights and experiences with you on this blog. I hope you will give the WE Way a try as well and leave comments here on how it is going for you! To learn more about how to adopt the WE Way, visit www.powerinwe.org and sign up for the free We-course.

With respect and gratitude,

Linda

Making "WE" a conscious daily regimen

2009-08-10T10:49:00.003-06:00

I have been thinking about this blog lately and wondering what I should write about. When I started it, I started with a 21-day experiment in adopting the "WE" philosophy in my life. If you don't know what the heck I am talking about, "WE" is about learning to see yourself, humankind, and God in terms of "WE" and the empowerment that comes from doing so. It was a great experiment that forever changed me and the way I live, even going so far as to launch a whole new direction for my career and for my day-to-day life.

It is great to look back through this blog--especially during my 21-day experiment, and see how I was feeling each day and get those tiny bits of insight that might seem insignificant at the time but are really mind-blowing at some later date when you look back on them.

Since then I have been blogging more about topics concerning "WE" and how we can use this concept to get more peace in our lives. While this has worked out okay, I have felt something missing from it all and lacked some direction with it. It has felt a bit haphazard, and I have missed the regimen of writing something each day.

Also I have realized that it is in the day-to-day practice of something that we gain real insight and real experience. This is where true wisdom is found and real change is possible.

In light of these things, I have decided to make a return to daily blogging about how "WE" is changing my mind, my life, and the world at large. Not only do I want to discover and record those little minute details that can become so life-altering, but I want to return to a daily regimen of consciously living the "WE Way".

While it seems that this blog will become more of a daily personal journal now, I am planning to put challenges in here for you as well so that you can join me on this adventure, and I really hope you will!

It has been two years since I did my first 21-day WE challenge, and I can honestly say that I am a different person today than I was then. I am ME again! Most notably, I have been able to let go of my need for approval and praise. I have been able to shift my thoughts to how I can help instead of how I will look. I am loving people, myself, and God more than I ever have. I am feeling a deep sense of connection with everything around me, and I am feeling more balanced.

I still have a long way to go, but I know that I am on the right path now, and "WE" has been the catalyst to get me there! I can't wait to see what is around the next corner!

See you tomorrow my friend!

When Dependence is Power!

2009-07-25T16:49:00.002-06:00

When we think of dependence, we usually don't consider it to be an empowering principle. It feels more like the opposite of power if we depend on someone else in our lives. Yet there is another way to see it. In fact, ALL of us are dependent on someone else somehow in our lives, but that doesn't necessarily make us weaker. In fact, it can add to us and our lives when we embrace our dependence and instead view it as contributions to our lives that others make.

Take a look at the other people in your life and how they bless you every day. Not just the people you like either. What about the people you view as bad or that you view as having hurt you? Is there a way to look at them with different eyes? With eyes that see the lesson in it all?We are dependent on others for many things but especially for learning!

Try to see how the people around you contribute to your life, to your success, to your growth, etc. Then get ready to see the real power in dependence when you are able to turn it all around and see how others depend on you! Dependence is NEVER one way!

It always becomes interdependence! Others are dependent on you just as you are on them. You are teaching someone else a valuable lesson. You are sharing yourself with someone somehow. You are making contributions to the lives of others whom you may have never or never will meet.

Can you imagine how powerful it is to know this, but even more so to use it as a reminder of your responsibility to be yourself and to contribute by living your unique purpose in life?

WE are depending on YOU!

Whole Living the WE Way

2009-07-01T10:24:00.002-06:00

In my adventures with WE so far, I have been looking for a simple way to describe the whole idea. Whenever someone would ask me what it was about, I scrambled to think of a few words I could say that would do it justice. Although a fairly simple concept, it does address a lot of things about life, and it has been a struggle to describe it in terms that people could instantly identify with...until now.

I discovered something called whole living which is essentially getting the most out of life through embracing all that is, through living responsibly and powerfully, and through nurturing balance and harmony. "Ah-hah!" I shouted with glee. "WE" is a guiding philosophy for whole living! I have been a whole living proponent and teacher for most of my adult life through the martial arts, and I didn't even know it! The Power in WE is yet another way for me to share it.

The power in "WE" that I have ever eluded to is that it provides a perspective for you to relate to others, the surrounding world, yourself, and a Higher Power that propels you into whole living. By recognizing your connection and interdepdence with ALL, you discover how to live harmoniously with all!

Whole living or being able to live in harmony with all is big! Here are just a few things that happen when you discover this way of living...

1. You are empowered through equal value, common ground, and your own significance.

2. You are at peace through understanding that even conflict and turmoil is for your benefit.

3. You have stronger relationships through developing harmony with others.

4. You can become a true master of yourself as you no longer feel the need to master others, events, time, or the world at large.

5. You discover your true self and your true purpose when the noise of comparison, judgment, and contention have subsided in your life.

6. You become unstoppable as you align your will with that of a Higher Power.

My message to share with you today is simply this: Whole living is pretty powerful stuff, and WE is a way for you to experience it! Visit http://www.powerinwe.org/webook2.htm to get a list of 10 steps to whole living that you can start with right now! Enjoy!

Doing Good AND Doing Well: Power in We at Work

2009-04-02T12:47:00.004-06:00

In her book, Megatrends 2010: The Rise of Conscious Capitalism, Patricia Aburdene, says: "We the people have the power to heal capitalism, and capitalism has the power to change the world." She goes on to discuss how capitalism has fallen prey to its underlying greed and is ready for a change. She further discusses the idea of bringing consciousness into business, of creating value, of creating sustainability, and of addressing social issues through capitalism. Although this book was published in 2005, we can see this happening in today's economic struggle. Many businesses are failing due to their own greed and many are prospering due to their willingness to really contribute to humanity and to address social issues.

I have always had an entrepreneurial spirit and tend to see most things in terms of opportunities for business innovation. Recently I have begun to tie the Power in WE to business in terms of how an individual or company might contribute to humanity and/or address social issues in their businesses. Or in other words, how a business might operate in terms of "WE". This concept of business is not a new one, but until recently it has existed mainly in a non-profit format. The limiting issue with the non-profit model is the sustainability in terms of funding, growth, and perpetuality. Many non-profits do wonderful things, but their ability to make long-term changes can be limited by any of these.

Many are now exploring the idea of 'social enterprises' or 'profit for purpose' businesses. They are essentially for-profit businesses with a strong social mission. I love this whole idea of doing good AND doing well. It is about seeking to contribute that which you have to offer society or to humanity in the form of a business venture. Many already do this, but their main bottom line is profit for themselves rather than profit for their community, their society, or humankind.

I, like this author, do believe that capitalism and/or business plays a very creative part in society at large. I am looking forward to more and more businesses who will undertake a social mission and make it every bit as important as their profit margin.

Even for those who are not entrepreneurial, you can use the power in WE in whatever your career is as a guiding tool. You can work in terms of "WE" meaning giving and being your best for the good of all. In this way, an individual can basically have a social mission of their own and make a profit at the same time. Whether we have our own business or work for someone else, it is indeed possible and even probable to do good and do well simultaneously through the Power in WE.

What's The Magic Word?

2009-02-12T11:38:00.002-07:00

No, it isn’t please or thank you. It is also not abracadabra, but it is in fact a word that contains a magic great enough to unlock a wealth of power for all of humanity and for each individual as well.

How can one word be so powerful? I know it seems difficult to believe that one word can make such a big impact. A while back, someone sent me an email that asked you to reply with one word that described the person who sent it to you. At first, I thought it would be silly to think that one word could describe the complexity of a human being, but when I tried it, I found it to be quite simple. Each person I did this with seemed to have one word that fit them like a glove. One word that summed up who I knew them to be. I was amazed.

As I thought more about it, having one word that we could look to that would help us in making choices, in thinking and doing, and even in being who we are could be very powerful indeed. And while I think each one of us has one specific and individual word, there is for certain one word that we can all utilize as a guide to greatness.

“WE” is a magic word, and it is in fact a word that contains a magic great enough to unlock a wealth of power for all of humanity and for each individual as well. How can one word be so powerful? I know it seems difficult to believe that one word can make such a big impact.

Although it is very small, seemingly insignificant, and really just a common pronoun, it can indeed change everything! This little common word can be personally empowering for you and life-altering for humankind if we choose to act on it and in accordance with it. It changed my entire life almost overnight, and I believe it has the power to change yours as well. It is indeed a magic word!

Besides bringing us together in harmony, “WE” shows us how each one of us is significant and important with a specific purpose and mission. “WE” can empower you to discover your own word. The word through which you will make your unique contribution to humankind to help us all reach our full potential both collectively and individually. Although there is magic in the word “WE,” the real magic in it lies in you finding your magic word.

So, what is your magic word? What is the word that captures your individual significance to humanity?

Please post your word on this blog once you discover what it is!

PS: Please visit the site: www.power-in-we.com and join the "Yes to WE!" movement!

Final week of the Charity Challenge

2008-12-28T21:01:00.002-07:00

Well, this is it! We made it to the final week of the charity challenge. I hope it has been a good experience for you so far. We have spent the last few weeks working on weekly challenges that were designed to help us feel more love for our fellow human beings. Hopefully this was the result.

For this last week of the year and the last week of the charity challenge, I challenge you to continue your efforts to try to be more charitable or more loving of humankind throughout the year and not just for a season or for the duration of a challenge such as this.

There is a famous quote by Charles Dickens that says "I will honor Christmas in my heart and try to keep it all the year." In saying this, I believe he meant that he would try to hold onto the feelings that we experience of love, patience, tolerance, compassion, etc. for one another around the holiday season. This quote inspired me to write a poem last year which follows below. I hope it will help you to stay on this path of developing charity in your life.

I can promise you that doing so will bring great power to you personally as well as to all humankind. I am looking forward to being able to share more of the power in WE with you in the coming year! See you then!

Our Christmas Selves

Can we keep our Christmas selves around, or must we send them away?
When Christmas has passed and New Year’s is done, couldn’t we let them stay?
Who are these Christmas selves, you may ask in jest,
Our Christmas selves are our regular selves when we are at our best!

They give with generosity,
They love with fearless zest,
They share their treasures and spread their joy,
They serve so others may rest.

They do not harm their fellow man,
They do not criticize,
They forgive and forget and make amends,
They see with Godly eyes.

Our Christmas selves know a secret that our regular selves may miss
They know if we have charity, we can live a life of bliss.
They play for team mankind ever giving it their all,
They give their best, support the rest, and catch those who may fall.

When we pack up our trees and boxes and bows, and put them all away,
We must remember above all else to let our Christmas selves stay.
If we let them help with our new year’s plans, our lives will be greatly blessed,
For remember when we are our Christmas selves, we are at our best!

Week 5 Charity Challenge

2008-12-15T13:45:00.003-07:00

Welcome to week 5 of the Charity Challenge. I don't know how your week went, but mine was amazing. I tried very hard to see others the way I thought perhaps God would see them. I quickly found out how judgmental I had been and how unforgiving I was being toward a couple of people. It kind of shocked me a bit at first, but once I saw it, I went about changing it!

I prayed for those who I had been so harsh on, and I prayed for myself to have a change of heart. Guess what? It worked. It was difficult at first, but the more I did this, the more I began to feel love and appreciation for them again. Also, the better I felt! I felt as though I had set down a very heavy bag that I had been carrying for a long long time--without even realizing it.

I hope you had a similar experience with this or if not similar, at least equally as rewarding!

With Christmas coming so close now, this week's challenge has to do with the gifts! Each year we busily plan and shop for the perfect gift for those we love. For this week, I am challenging us to give one of the best gifts I can think of...the gift of service and the gift of ourselves.

This week, try to give of yourself whether that be your time, your talents, your service, etc. Whatever you want that to mean is up to you, but please do it genuinely and with love! This kind of gift is one that literally keeps on giving--both to the recipient and to the donor! Some ideas might be to spend time with someone, do something nice for somebody, volunteer yourself to a cause, make a homemade gift for someone, help or serve somebody known or unknown. The possibilities are endless!

This is sure to make your holiday season much more special! I plan to get my kids involved on this one as well because I want them to know the joy that comes from it. Blessings to all! See you next week!

Week 4 Charity Challenge

2008-12-08T11:05:00.003-07:00

I hope you enjoyed last week and were able to appreciate and even be grateful for the differences you observed in others. I am a great appreciator of differences and varieties--a self-proclaimed people-watching champion. Most of all, I like to watch others and challenge myself not to judge! It has helped me to notice the good more than what I think is bad. Also, I have learned two words that will stop any argument from even starting. They are, "You're right." :-) Sometimes not so easy to say, but the more you say it, the easier and more fun it gets. Even if you believe something different than what is being said, you must realize that in their own mind, that person is in fact right, as our perception of things is truth to us. So, you aren't lying by saying this. Perhaps in your mind, you follow this saying with, "and I believe something different." If you can't bring youself to say it, just a nod of the head will even work. Someone said it last week in a post....agree to disagree. No big deal really.

This week I would challenge you to take this a step further and to try to see others the way God would see them. So, how would God see us? I think He sees us with mercy and with love. From reading the Bible and other works of scripture, we know that he sees our flaws, but he still loves us. He understands that we make mistakes. He has true charity for each of us and He asks us to have it for each other as well. While seeing others through God's eyes, we must be careful not to do God's job. He decides whom He forgives, but he asks us to forgive all.

I know this might be challenging, but I am asking you to see others in this light this week--especially those who you feel have wronged you in some way. This can include people you know or even those you don't know. I challenge you to try to have mercy, compassion, and empathy on others and even to try to forgive them. This can also include yourself.

Perhaps you might forgive someone openly, perhaps just in your heart. Perhaps you might pray for those who seem to be your enemies or wish them well. Perhaps it will just be about letting go of something that has been weighing on you.

Whatever it is, remember that this is not just something that I am asking from you. It is something that God asks from each of us. I think you will be surprised at how this will really affect you if you try it!

Until next week...

Week 3 Charity Challenge

2008-12-01T13:06:00.002-07:00

We are on week 3 of the charity challenge. If you are just tuning in, you can start right here with week 3 or feel free to take a look at weeks 1 and 2 to see what we have been up to. Last week was about feeling gratitude for others in your life. How did that go for you? For me, as I felt gratitude for those around me, I began to feel more love for them. I even attempted to feel grateful for those who presented a challenge to me somehow, and this made me appreciate them rather than dislike them. I began to see that they are all here for a reason, and I can learn something from all of them. This raised my gratitude for God and His wisdom and grace. I hope you experienced something similar.

This week I would like us to focus on the differences that normally divide us. Often we as people separate and divide ourselves and others based on the differences we have in appearance, personality, opinion, education, vocation, and even geographic location. We actually focus quite a lot on our differences. This time though I want us to focus on the differences in a different light. I challenge you to go ahead and continue to note the differences, but this time, instead of using it as a measuring or division tool, think instead of how these differences benefit you. This will be an exercise in tolerance and appreciation for the differences we all have with one another.

Perhaps the differences you note in others are things that you yourself are missing and might benefit from. Any one person is not equipped to do everything. For example, if you are building a dream team for a new project at work, you would not want everyone on the team to be the same. You would want diverse members with different strengths and gifts that they could offer the project. You would need some who are natural task masters and some who are the creative minds. You would need some with a knowledge of past projects as well as some with a fresh outlook. See those things in others that would make them great team members.

Perhaps the differences you note can be appreciated at an artistic level. Try to enjoy someone's appearance without judging it or without comparing it to your own.

Perhaps someone else can produce a completely different point of view than yours. Instead of feeling threatened by it, try to understand it more and don't worry so much about being right all the time. What does being right really mean anyway? If you really want to challenge yourself, try to discuss this with them WITHOUT arguing or debating...just mutual sharing without trying to prove anything.

Perhaps there is someone whose personality seems to be the exact opposite of yours. Instead of feeling irritated by them, just observe and realize that this type of personality just as your own is useful in God's plan.

Above all else, remember that even though we are very different on some levels, we are all still equally valuable human beings and children of divinity. See you next week!

Charity Challenge Week 2

2008-11-24T10:13:00.002-07:00

So, how was last week? Did you try to see similarities in yourself and others? Did you find some of the many ways that we are the same? Did it help you relate to others better or maybe even feel more empathy and/or compassion for them?

When you start to see the similarities between yourself and others, often you are better able to relate to them, and you are better able to care for and respect them. Another added bonus is that you are sometimes shown things about yourself by observing someone else. You see something in them that you realize is the same as you although you may not have known it. Perhaps you learned something new about yourself in addition to learning things about others.

This week, week 2 of the Charity Challenge, is all about appreciation and gratitude. Fitting for the week of Thanksgiving. This week I challenge you to notice all the things about others that you are grateful for. Say thank you to those around you for their contribution in your life. Appreciate the things they do as well as who they are. Notice how who they are and what they do make a difference in your life.

And lastly, remember to be grateful to your creator this week. For it is He who created the universe and planned and laid out the intricate details that would help you to achieve your full potential in life. In other words, everything in your life--even other people--can be viewed as a gift from God.

Week 1 Charity Challenge

2008-11-17T12:16:00.002-07:00

Welcome to Week 1 of the Charity Challenge! Thank you for joining me in this exciting event. I can assure you that your participation in the charity challenge will make this holiday season a most memorable one for you and probably for those around you as well!

This week's challenge is all about observation. I challenge you to try to see the similarities between you and your fellow human beings. Try to pick out things in them that you can identify in yourself as well. Not only physical things, but ALL things that might make you the same as or equal to others.

For example, try to find out what others around you want. What are their goals? What are they really after? What do they need more than anything? Can you identify with them? Do you share of these same wants, needs, and goals?

Look at what people do in certain situations. Do you do the same thing? Is your reaction the same as theirs? Do you feel the same way they do or have you felt that way before?

What do people care about, worry about, stress about, etc.? Is the same for you?

Maybe even reach outside of your immediate contacts. Observe people of different faiths, of different colors, of different geographical locations, etc. How can you identify with them? How are you the same as them?

That's it! Not too difficult right? Will be really fun for you if you are a natural 'people watcher.' But remember your intent! You are looking for similarities. You are looking for your self in others.

Please post any comments you have. I know it is helpful for others who are taking this challenge to hear your insight! I will comment next week and issue your new challenge. Also, I invite you to watch the web site: www.power-in-we.com over the next few weeks. I am adding a whole bunch of fun and free interactive learning pages on there to help everyone more fully understand and experience the Power in WE.

Take care,
Linda

Are you up for a charity challenge?

2008-11-13T12:32:00.010-07:00

The whole Power in WE concept is about the hidden blessings found in practicing charity--a divine and pure love for others. With the holiday season approaching quickly, I thought it the perfect time to issue a charity challenge to my fellow humans. This is the best way to really experience the power in WE.

So here goes...

I challenge you to earnestly try to gain a deeper love and appreciation of your fellow human beings for the rest of 2008. Keep this goal at the forefront of all you do and think about. Essentially I am asking you to let this purpose guide your life for the next month and a half.

Each week here on this blog, I will issue a special challenge that will help you along and will also help you to see the power in this principle. I hope you will join me in this journey of discovery! Please comment if you like to let me know you are in. I will issue your first challenge on Monday, November 17, 2008.

In the mean time, just think it over. Get focused on it. Commit to it. Get ready for big things to happen! You may not believe me, but this could completely change the course of your 2009 and the rest of your life!

See the Power in We in action on Tuesday!

2008-10-29T14:47:00.006-06:00

Each of us has a voice. Each of us has an opinion. Each of us has unique gifts. We are each significant and important. I think of us as puzzle pieces: each unique in function and appearance, each fitting a different way. We are beautiful in our own right, but we all need to contribute in order to create a masterpiece.

When we are living a We powered life, we understand that the best way to play our part in the puzzle is by being our authentic self. Sharing who we are, what we think, what we can contribute, etc. If we don't, then others can and will suffer because of it. They will not receive that input that we could have shared. In essence, if just one piece is missing from the puzzle, the whole puzzle suffers on some level.

What does this have to do with Tuesday? Voting is a great time to exercise this idea of 'showing up' for your team. With the pending presidential election, you have a chance to let your voice be heard. Realize that your opinion matters, and your vote counts. We each only have one vote, and all votes are equally counted. When it comes to popular vote, your vote does not matter any more or any less than that of another--it is equally important.

I know this is beginning to sound like a public service announcement, but if you think about the concept behind voting, I think it illustrates perfectly the power in We. We are all the same in that we are all seeking to elect someone who will be able to do what's best for our country. We are all different in that we may disagree on what that is. We are each voicing our opinion or contributing of our selves for the overall purpose. Now, can we do it with respect for the opposing opinions? I think so--if we remember that we all want the same thing--what is best for our country. We all share that intent. We can be connected on that point and show up and vote to make our own individual contribution in a peaceful and respectful way. So, yes, I am urging you to vote. Don't keep your voice silenced. Share your opinion.

This will be my final post on the election. I just figured right now it is in the forefront of everyone's mind, and isn't it great that we can utilize it to see the Power in We in action!

Have a great week!
Sincerely,
Linda McPharlin

The Election without the Race

2008-10-22T09:57:00.002-06:00

I find myself wondering what the current presidential election would look like without the influence of the human race. How would it be if we didn't have this element of ugliness and deceipt? I have listed a few things that I believe would be different. Take a look and see what you think. Try to imagine it...

1. Each candidate would strive to honestly educate voters on his own views, plans, solutions, etc.

2. There would be no negative campaigning or bashing of the opponent.

3. Each candidate would answer questions directly and in a straight-forward manner, not worrying so much about the reaction. (That would be crazy to hear a politician answer "yes" or "no" wouldn't it?)

4. Candidates would actually ask AND care what people think and really want.

5. Candidates would honestly be striving to be their best instead of striving to beat the other guy.

6. The media would be objective and not just there to "stir the pot."

7. There would be no drama.

8. The candidates would be judged based on who would represent and lead us the best, not based on looks, age, fashion, sense of humor, celebrity endorsements, etc.

9. You could discuss politics without a fight breaking out! People would not be so heavily divided by politics realizing that we all have unique opinions, but that we all essentially want the same things.

I'll bet you can think of many other ways the election would be different without the influence of the human race. I encourage you to think about it this week. Post your comments, so we can all share your insight.

I also encourage you to try to see past the ugliness that the race adds to it all. Try to get a clearer picture of both candidates, so you can make an honest and educated decision when you vote.

What does the Human Race look like?

2008-10-14T16:53:00.002-06:00

It is easy to spot the human race taking place on the news between nations and in our country's economy, but the race can be much more subtle in everyday life. Over the past few days, I have seen the race everywhere. I have been observing it for a long time, and once you start watching for it, you begin to notice its many faces.

Here are some examples of what the race might look like in the average human being's Tuesday:

1. Two grown men fighting over a parking spot at the grocery store--ending in both being taken away in police cars.

2. Questioning the driver's intelligence of the car in front of you when he is going the speed limit and you are late for work.

3. Feeling challenged when someone takes an opposing opinion to yours.

4. Missing an event because your hair would not cooperate.

5. Doing nice things only when others are looking.

6. Feeling the relief of not having to pretend anymore when you come home from work.

7. Asking your child why he cannot be as good as his brother when he makes a mistake?

8. One kid bullying another after school or even a supervisor bullying employees at work.

9. Feeling good about your weight when you see an overweight person.

10. Listening to someone sing and thinking "I could do better than that."

11. Playing the one-up game with a friend. She says, "I am so excited! We are going to Hawaii this winter!" You say, "Oh we have been there a few times already."

12. Listening to someone share their problems with you and feeling glad that it's not your problem.

13. Watching someone get defensive with you when you tell them how well you are doing financially or with your fitness goals.

14. Purchasing a shirt that you don't like because it is currently in style.

I could go on and on, but I only listed these 14 since today is the 14th. Great logic, right? My point is that the race can be very subtle. It doesn't necessarily have to look like an actual race. You will see it whenever pride is in control or whenever pride is challenged.

Maybe you can relate to some of these things I listed. Maybe they describe a moment of your life that happened today. I challenge you to watch for these examples in your life and in those around you! Watch for the race to show its ugly face. It will and often!

Please comment on what you see. Share the faces of the race with us that you notice. In identifying the different ways we race with one another, we can be aware of them and stop it when we find ourselves doing it!

Have a great week!

Sincerely,
Linda

PS: Remember if you haven't already done so, you can learn more about the human race and how to stop racing at www.power-in-we.com

The Power in We website launches with The End of the Human Race!

2008-10-01T01:00:00.000-06:00

Good morning everyone!

Well, the Power in We website is officially launched today. Being that it is election season, I have decided to do some campaigning of my own with the site launch. I am launching the Power in We with a campaign to End the Human Race! I know it sounds a little bit crazy, but it is actually quite sane and quite exciting! Check out the site at: www.power-in-we.com to sign up to stop racing racing and start winning!

I am so happy about this launch. As many of you know, I have been hard at work on the Power in We for almost 2 years now. I have been learning about it, studying it, testing it, and trying to decide how to share it. To see it finally come to life is a very exciting moment for me. I only hope that it will be as helpful to others as it has been to me!

I know I have taken a blog break over the last few months, but I will be actively blogging now at least weekly--keeping everyone who is interested updated about how the campaign to end the human race is going. It is my goal to get 1 million people to drop out of the human race! I can't wait to see what happens!

On the edge of my seat,

Linda McPharlin

2008-04-01T12:54:00.000-06:00

Hi All,
It has been so long since I have posted! Thank to ravensview.blogspot.com for reminding me! A lot has happened in my search for the power in we. I have come to a conclusion finally on what it really means. So, without further ado...

The Power in We is the power that comes from seeing your fellow humans as teammates rather than competitors.

As we begin to do so, which is only seeing the truth, powerful things happen both for the individual and collectively for humankind. Individually, we are able to see ours and others' significance. We are able to conquer fears of judgments that have been holding us back from being our best. We understand the need for our specific and unique contribution to the world and its people. We grow closer to our creator as we learn to love and serve. Lastly, we learn to master ourselves as we stop trying to master other people.

Collectively, I can only imagine the great benefits that would come of working as a team. Imagine the great solutions we could come up with if we were cooperating! Imagine the peace that we could attain among us. Imagine the healing that would take place.

The bottom line is when we take away that need to compete with each other, what we are left with is our true and powerful selves!

By sharing this message, I am hoping to inspire people to:
1. Recognize their own significance and that of others.
2. Ask 'how can I serve my team?' and then put a plan in action!
3. Reach out to those in need of love, respect, encouragement, etc. Essentially become a light for those in darkness.
4. Work together with others for the common good.

So, I am off to share this with the world I guess, yet I feel a bit lost on what is the best way to do so. So, I am putting the call for help out there...
What do you think is the best way to share this message with the most possible people? Please email me at info@power-in-we.com to weigh in! I am reaching out to you for your help! Any feedback will be greatly appreciated!

Take care,
Linda

Pioneer Day

2007-07-24T08:56:00.000-06:00

Today is Pioneer Day in Utah. Today in our state we celebrate the Mormon pioneers founding this valley and setting up the beginnings of what we are today. These were people who were persecuted for their religious beliefs. They were cursed at, beaten, and brutally murdered for what they believed in. They were driven from their homes and chased from place to place until they were inspired by their leader to make their way west to a safe land. They knew it would be a long and difficult journey, but they had the promise of a freedom to motivate them. So, they packed up whatever they could carry and off they went with the their families in tow. Many died along the way from weather conditions, illness, and other treacheries. Included among these were men, women, and children. Many families made it here only in part.

There are many heroic stories that come from these pioneers. They were driven by a common need--their need to be free. Free to worship and believe what they wanted. Free to live how they wanted to live. Free from fear. We, as humans, all share this same need. Yet, we are often guilty of inflicting this type of bondage on other people. We understand the need for this type of freedom, yet we continue to take it away from others.

I believe this comes from a lack of believing that we are all equals--every human being--not matter the color of one's skin, their attitude or personality, their way of life, their beliefs. Still, we are all of equal value. If this is true, then we must remember that whatever rights we feel entitled to, we must allow others to hold the same rights wihtout our interference. THis means no oppression. THis means respect for our rights and the rights of others. What a different world this would be if we all embraced that idea.

It feels as though we are moving toward it. THere have been great strides in civil rights all around the world, but I know we have a long, long way to go still. Anyone who watches the nightly news can see that there is still oppression in the world in large number. If you have never been affected by this type of negative thinking directly, you will be at some point in your life. Someone will descriminate against you because of some reason. It may be something as simple as the way you dress.

The good news is, we can do something about it. We can first choose to stop ignoring it. THen, we can take this idea and live it. We can make changes in our lives that will have a far-reaching effect. We can treat others around us with respect no matter what their color, lifestyle, belief, etc. Does that mean we have to like it or agree with it? No, but we MUST respect it. Further we can proliferate this idea by sharing it with those around us. We can teach others. We can teach our families, our children, our friends.

I would challenge anyone who is reading this post to do so. Every time you think about your rights--your human rights--first be thankful for them, and second remember that every other human deserves the same as you. Have a great day!

More on WE: Get the confidence you need!

2007-07-22T19:05:00.000-06:00

Good evening everyone. It has been a couple of weeks plus since my last post. I have been traveling around for business and have been very busy. It is nice to be home and to be able to get back into the swing of things. I am still working on the concept of WE in my life, as I hope some of you are as well. Right now the biggest message I am learning from this concept is that of equality and the confidence that comes from knowing you are around your equals. It is much easier to see others as supportive and family-like when you can remember that we are all living souls of great worth. When you can see them this way, they are much less intimidating. If you are one to have this issue--fear of judgement, fear of embarrassment, etc.--then this one simple shift in perspective can truly change your life!

For me, it has been very powerful. I used to often feel afraid of being around people I did not know or of talking in front of others. I worried about judgements from them. I worried about looking good. I often felt inferior and that my opinion did not matter. This was so frustrating, because I really felt that what I had to say was important, but I did not think others would agree with that. This type of thinking leaves you feeling helpless and sometimes worthless.

In training myself to see others as my equals and even as my team members, I feel a great sense of confidence. I feel like it is actually my responsibility to share my opinions and ideas. Also, I look forward to discussions more and to meeting other people and learning about them and their insight. This makes social situations so much more comfortable and even enjoyable where before they were a great source of anxiety to me.

I have really needed this type of empowerment in my life. I have had this in Taekwondo (the martial art I teach), and that is why I love martial arts so much. It has given me courage and confidence to actualy get up in front of people and to even teach them. The problem is that as soon as I got into a different (non-martial arts) scenario, I went back to same old afraid me. Interesting. So, this concept has been my teacher in taking my confidence outside of martial arts and into the world. I know I will need this if I want to continue to share this concept with others in the ways that I want to do so.

It is great that my own life is demonstrating the power in these ideas. This serves to make me more sure of my need to share it with others. I imagine there are many more people out there with this same issue and many others whom these ideas can empower.

At any rate, I hope some of you have further explored the WE concept since our WE challenge and have found it to be helpful in some area of your life. As the 2nd principle of WE states...We are all different. Therefore, we will be affected by this in unique ways just as we all have unique challenges and circumstances. I am going to be on a reglar blogging schedule now hopefully daily--probably posting at night.

Also, I am creating a web site called www.power-in-we.com. It is pretty rough right now as it is under heavy construction, but I hope you will check it out often to watch it grow and to contribute to it once I get that feature added. I hope you will continue on this journey with me and that you will share this concept with someone else you know to see how it can help them. Until tomorrow...

Day 21: Final day of WE challenge

2007-07-05T09:59:00.000-06:00

Day 21: Final day of WE challenge

Welcome to the final day of the WE challenge. For the last 3 weeks I have been living in the WE concept—which is accessing your personal power through connecting with mankind. To recap, there are 3 main principles of WE.

1. We are all the same. This means we, as humans are all equals. We share many of the same things: this world, our creation, our wants/needs, our journey through life, etc. If we can grasp this principle alone, we can begin to see our selves as equals with others. We can have empathy for our fellow man. We can live a life free of harsh judgments from others and from ourselves. We can cast off our doubts and fears.

2. We are all different. This means we are uniquely valuable—each one of us. We all have unique talents, gifts, dreams, and purpose. We all have a unique role to play, a unique contribution to make. Knowing this might give us the confidence and power we need to amplify our talents, to pursue our dreams, and to fulfill our purposes. We might also be able to be truly happy for our fellow man and his accomplishments—knowing that he is playing his unique role, and we will be able to benefit from that.

3. We are all a team. This means we are all in this together—all taking the same journey although paths may vary. We ought to then be for each other rather than against each other. Life is a competition within ourselves—making ourselves better today than we were yesterday. We as a team ought to seek to empower one another, to serve one another, and to lift one another to our highest potential. If we know we have a team like this behind us in all we do, what could we be capable of?
Many would see this concept and ask, but how to we make people behave this way? Well, we can’t. You cannot control other people—at least not directly. The only person you can change is yourself, and you are the only one who can do that. So, that is where we start—with ourselves. We change our perspective. We begin to see the world in this way. We decide in fact that this is the way the world is. Are we lying to ourselves? No. Truth is in perception. The way you see it is the way it will be. If you believe it, you will make it so.

The great part about taking responsibility and changing yourself and your perception is the power that comes from being able to do that. Just taking control of how you act based on how you see things will help you grow in confidence exponentially and seemingly overnight. I know, because this is what I have been up to for the last 3 weeks. And what a difference!

My outlook has changed, and because of that, my life has changed. I have confidence to follow my dreams. I have the security of knowing that I am part of something really big—the human race—the human team. Further, I know our coach, and I take faith and strength by following Him. I have gained such a great respect for my fellow man. I had it before but not to this extent. I am better able to put silly judgments aside—both on others and on myself. I can experience true empathy. I can experience the happiness of others and the sadness of others. I can learn from others, and they from me. I want to serve those who need a lift in life, and I know the ways in which I can do that. I finally feel significant, and I revel in the significance of others around me. The possibilities are truly endless and the potential boundless.

Does this mean the work is done? Of course not. When you make a change like this in your life, you have to have commitment to it—lifelong commitment and daily commitment. This can seem challenging, but there is also great power in knowing that I have control of myself and I can make changes like this in myself successfully. I have to take responsibility when I fail, but I also get to take responsibility when I succeed. Lastly, I would say without our creator, none of this would be possible. I give all glory to Him, for he has showed me some wisdom in this life and has given me the strength to share it with others.

I would end this 21 day challenge with a life-long challenge to take what you have learned over the last 21 days and let it really transform your life and those around you. True you cannot change other people, but you can share wisdom and your example with them, and through this, they may decide to make a change in themselves.

Although today is the last day of this challenge, I will continue to blog on my journey—my journey of sharing this concept with my fellow man. For me, my purpose in life is to empower others and to help others learn that we are all significant in God’s plan. I believe the concept of We is a great vehicle for doing that. Please feel free to email me if you have any questions or if you have any feedback. My email is tkdmommy@comcast.net. Also, I am in the process of setting up a website: www.power-in-we.com. It is not yet complete, but check back often for updates if you are interested. I hope you have a wonderful day.

If you have not yet tried out the WE concept for 21 days, I would encourage you to do so. The great thing is that at worst, you will gain a deeper respect for your fellow man. You can’t beat that. So, go for it. Give it an honest try. Cast off your doubts and fears. Embrace your global family, and be powerful beyond your imagination!

If you have done it, please email me and let me know of your thoughts on it. Take today, the last day to really evaluate what this all means for you. Make the powerful connection in thought using “if, then” scenarios. For example, “if I am equal with everyone else, then there are no people who are better than me or worse than me.” Then ask ‘what does this really mean for me?’ There is great power in just this process. I encourage you to give it a try.

Until next time…

Day 20: Report on team spirit among mankind

2007-07-05T00:16:00.001-06:00

Day 20: Report on team spirit

Today was a great 20th day of the WE challenge. I really focused on team spirit among mankind. As I enjoyed a great evening with my family barbequing and doing some fireworks in our backyard, I noticed the great camaraderie that we as a family share. We can really be ourselves around our family. They know our stuff, our history, our weaknesses, our strengths, etc. We don’t have to feel on alert or anxious to hide things. We enjoy being with each other because we have that deep bond or trust with one another. This is a great example of team spirit that could permeate the human race if we encouraged it along. Can you imagine feeling this free from fear of judgment out in the real world? What would be the consequences of this? How powerful would each of us be? That is really an exciting thought to me, as I am sure it is to you as well.

Today I also kept thinking about the words ‘human race.’ Often it seems as though we are all in a race. We are all competing against each other, running and striving as hard as we can to beat someone else—sometimes with fair play; other times with foul. We often find ourselves exhausted from all of the racing. I know I do. I am exhausted in fact from the racing—not just doing it but watching others do it. I can’t help but wonder if we could change the dynamics a bit to make it a more fulfilling race.

First of all, if this is in fact a race, what is the finish line? Death? If so, we are all going to finish this race. There is no doubt about it or escape from it. Does it matter then where we place in regards to one another if the finish line is death? I don’t think so. I think what does matter is how we run the race. It is the journey that matters—not winning or losing or beating someone else.

Again the competition lies within not without. We are competing against our selves to create a better person, a more improved and wise soul. We are all running together. Instead of trying to beat one another in a race where place does not make sense, we could be encouraging each other and cheering for each other to continue the journey and to improve every day in it. How strong could our team be if this is the way we ran the race?

Team spirit is one of those things that electrifies a team’s performance. With this kind of team spirit, we would be unstoppable. We could achieve things that have never before even been conceived. We may just be able to reach our full potential and become all that our divine creator intended us to be. Is this really possible? If you say it is and believe it is, then it is. See you tomorrow for the final day of the WE challenge!

Day 20: Team Spirit among mankind

2007-07-04T10:24:00.000-06:00

Day 20: Team Spirit among mankind

It is day 20 of the WE challenge. Today is Independence Day also. Today I wanted to focus on developing team spirit among mankind. For Americans, today is a day of team spirit—of allegiance. As we remember our independence, we feel blessed to be an American. We feel part of a winning team.

We, as humans, often break ourselves into smaller groups by gender, race, etc. I think this is natural for us as we have certain groups of people that we identify with in a stronger way because of circumstance, environment, or substance. There is certainly nothing wrong with this type of group bonding. However, I think it is important to remember that we are part of something bigger—the human race.

Let’s focus today on carrying this great team spirit that we share with our different groups in society to larger spheres. Really this is the key to this entire concept—being able to team up with mankind, to work together, to support each other, and to love and respect one another because we are all human beings. Ultimately we need to develop a team attitude and spirit among ourselves. This starts, again, with just one person. If just one person spreads this spirit to their small group of friends and family, something amazing is possible. A viral growth of this concept that could transcend barriers, solve world problems, and carry us to a much higher level in our existence. Let’s choose to believe this is possible! Let’s share our team spirit! Have a wonderful day, and I will see you tonight!

Day 19: Report on showing up

2007-07-04T00:17:00.001-06:00

Day 19: Report on showing up

Day 19 of the WE challenge is officially over. Today we were focusing on showing up for your team or being your best. I thought a lot about this today. I wondered what ‘be your best’ really means. I think it is really important to add ‘be your best you.’ Some people think that being their best means they have to put on some type of false persona that is perfect in every way. Most of us have tried out this role and know that it is a pretty hard costume to wear for an extended period of time.

Being your best is not about being fake or playing a role. It is about being authentic—being the real you, but being the best you that you can be. Whenever I think about being my best, my mind goes to integrity. Many think of integrity as doing what you know is right. Integrity often becomes associated with morals and values. I would agree that this definition fits well, but I would also add onto that. I would suggest we look at integrity as doing your very best, trying your very hardest—even and especially when nobody is watching. It is about holding yourself accountable, being responsible for your own outcome. It is about living your life as if you are in control. It is about not allowing yourself to play the victim, make excuses, or be lazy. It is about having courage to overcome the fear of failure. Importantly, being our best means learning how to balance all of this confidence and assertiveness with meekness and humility. It is living in truth. It is being authentic. It is showing up!

When people live this way, that is when you see the power and grace inherent in the human being. That is when amazing things happen.

So, who needs to show up for the team? In a perfect world, every member of the team—all human beings—you and me. Let’s just start with our selves though since that is all we can really control. Will that be enough? I think it will. It will definitely make an impact in your life and in those around you. Remember, everything begins somewhere with just one thing or one person. This means each of us have a very powerful potential. Why not try really showing up and see what happens! See you tomorrow!

Day 19 of the WE challenge: Show up!

2007-07-03T10:52:00.001-06:00

Day 19: Show up!

Welcome to day 19 of the WE challenge. The challenge is only 21 days long, so we are almost there. This week we are focusing on the third principle of We: We are all a team. Today I would like to focus on what we can do as individuals to strengthen our team. Whenever you have a team situation, it is important for all members to really work and train hard to be able to show up for their team. Each member needs to be performing at their best in order for a team to be a winning team.

How can we show up for our team? That is the question to look at for today. How do we ‘train hard’ to make our selves the best we can be for our team? I would encourage you to take the day to think about these questions, and what your individual answer might be. Parts of the answer may be the same for all members, but each person since he/she has a different role on the team, will have some unique things that they can do to be their best. Have a great day! See you tonight!

Day 18: Report on loyalty through service

2007-07-03T00:18:00.000-06:00

This ends day 18 of our WE challenge. Today we were focused on loyalty through service to our fellow man—our teammates. I have always felt like service was an important thing. Many times I have been the recipient of service from my fellow man, I have been privileged to witness many unselfish gifts of love, help, support, money, etc. given to others in need, and I have myself been able to serve others in my lifetime as well. To me, all aspects of service are empowering—both to the server and to those he/she serves.

I know that there are some who would disagree with me on that. There are many people who believe that serving others takes away or saps their energy and power. In addition, there are also some who believe that serving others can be a way of enabling them. Still yet, there are those who say they have no time to serve or who say that they must take care of themselves before they can take care of anyone else. These are all common excuses for not getting involved or for ignoring problems that people around us are having. I think we do this out of fear—fear of not being able to help, fear of wasting our time, fear of an unsuccessful outcome, fear of weakening ourselves by sharing our power, fear of getting too involved in someone else’s problems, etc.

I think if we can see our fellow man as our teammates instead of our competitors, we can lose this fear and have a sense of loyalty to each other. We will feel more compelled to help them when they need us. Many have sung about and talked about ‘being there’ for someone. Why not ‘be there’ for your fellow man—wherever, whenever, and however you can.

As I have been thinking about service, I thought I might share this model that I use. It is called the ‘pillar of light.’ It is based on the characteristics of a pillar of light—such as that coming from a flashlight. It is an empowering way of serving others. Hopefully it will help you too:

1. Rescue from darkness. Just as the light from a flashlight saves us from darkness, we can save our fellow man from darkness by helping him define the darkness and climb out of it, but it doesn’t stop there…

2. Provide vision for what is ahead. Just as a flashlight can show us the way to safety, so can we help others see a vision of what could be for them by sharing our hope, faith, and vision.

3. Strengthen and empower. Just a flashlight provides a feeling of confidence in a dark world, we can help our fellow man to have strength, power, and confidence through knowledge and education.

4. Be a pillar of light. Just as the flashlight is a guide for us, we can be a guide for others. Once you have conquered a problem, it is your responsibility to help others with the same plight by sharing your knowledge and example. Also, we can share this model with each other in our times of need.

Serving in this way is in no way enabling, weakening, or wasteful of time. It is mutually empowering. It is us lifting each other, helping each other to resume responsibility of ourselves, restoring dignity and faith, educating, building stronger individuals, and proliferating power.

Further, I would add that when we serve our fellow man, we serve our creator. Prayers are answered through our efforts. We are instruments in our creator’s hands, and we are learning how to be more like him as we serve.

If we serve with the motive of loyalty to team and brotherly love, we cannot go wrong. If we serve with inspiration from our creator, success will follow. If we acknowledge our fellow man and make a commitment to help him, he will likewise help us, and we will both be better for having done so. See you tomorrow for day 19.

Day 17: We challenge--report on strength in numbers

2007-07-01T15:56:00.000-06:00

Day 17: Report on strength in numbers

Well I am back to report on day 17 of the WE challenge. I just got back from out of town. I was at a belt promotion test for a friend of mine’s Taekwondo school. Being at the test gave me great insight on strength in numbers—on unity.

Whenever a person tests for a belt rank in martial arts it is sometimes customary for them to have to break a board with one of the techniques they have been studying. It takes not only power, focus, and a good technique to break. The key ingredient is confidence. You must have confidence for the board to break. When it comes time to break your board, a lot of fears race through your mind. The whole room is watching you—students, family, friends, and your instructors. You start to become really unsure of your ability to break that board. Sometimes your fear takes over, and you are unable to break the board.

This happened to a woman at this testing I was at. She seemed afraid, and her technique, power, and focus suffered because of that. She had tried a few times, but the board was holding strong. Each time the board refused to break, she became more and more frustrated. Then, few isolated voices called out from the crowd “you can do it!” “c’mon, try again. You’ve got this!” The encouragement spread quickly like a virus, and the whole room began chanting and cheering for her. With that she took off running with a determined look on her face. She seemed to stay suspended in the air for hours as her flying side kick sliced cleanly through the board triumphantly. As she landed, the crowd erupted in applause. It was not only a victory for her but everyone in the room! This is the perfect example of what unity can do.

When she knew the crowd was behind her supporting her, she had added strength beyond measure. She could have broken 12 boards with her new-found confidence. The second great part of it is that her victory was shared by all who had supported her. This can work the same way for us in life.

When we feel supported by a team, we are strengthened. Our confidence grows, and our abilities are amplified. Then when we succeed, the victory is shared by all! If you are part of the supportive team to somebody else, their victories are your victories. You can delight in their happiness instead of being jealous of it. What a wonderful thing. I hope you shared a similar experience with your focus on strength in numbers.

Tomorrow will be day 18 of the WE challenge. There are only 5 days left until we reach the end of the challenge. If you have not been following this or if you have not tried to take the challenge yourself, I would encourage you to try it.

If you want to get an early start, day 18 is about being loyal to your team by serving them when they are in need. When one teammate is down, injured, frustrated, or in need, the others are there for him/her. They are there to lift them.

There is so much suffering among our team—mankind. There are people who have had their basic human rights taken from them or who never had them to begin with. They cannot even meet their basic needs of food, water, and shelter. There are people suffering with sadness, depression, humiliation, etc. There are people who are bullied, abused, and oppressed every day. The saddest part of all of this is that we are doing it to each other—one human hurting another. The second saddest part is that even if we are not guilty of doing this to someone else, we are ignoring it when it happens to our fellow human beings. Now is the time to change this.

For the rest of today and tomorrow I encourage you to think about the injustice going on in the world, in your country, or even in your own neighborhood or your own home. First, don’t be the cause of this. Second, don’t ignore it. Think of how you could help and serve. This could be something as small as listening to someone in need and acknowledging them or something as big as starting a service project in your community. The key is to pay attention and to work toward change. It is our responsibility to take care of our fellow man, just as it is his responsibility to help us when we are in need. We are our brother’s keeper indeed.

There is a special kind of service I am talking about—it is an empowering service. It is not only about helping someone out, but it is about helping someone to see a new vision and then helping them gain the strength they need to make it reality. Hopefully we can spend the rest of the day today and all of tomorrow thinking about this concept—loyalty to our teammates and offering empowering service. I will report on this tomorrow night. See you then!

Day 17: Strength in numbers

2007-06-29T10:18:00.001-06:00

Day 17: Strength in numbers

Today is day 17 of the WE challenge. Today we will look at strength of the team and strength of the individual from team support. It is so important for humans to have support from their fellow man—at least one of them. We need someone who is on our side. When we feel like someone is backing us up, we are stronger, braver, and much more confident in our selves and in our abilities. There is strength in numbers—meaning you are stronger as part of a team than you are alone.

Perhaps today we can convince ourselves that people are generally on our side. How do we do this? We do this by being on other people’s side. We send out the behavior that we want to receive back. We see our world as we want it to be, and we work every day to make it so.

If we are supportive of those around us, they will reciprocate. Maybe start with your closest group of people—family or friends. Let them know that you are their teammate, that you are on their side, and that you are there for them.

I am leaving town today and will return tomorrow evening. I am not sure if I will have internet access, so I may not report tonight or tomorrow morning. If I am unable to do so, please continue working on this principle, as will I. Have a great day!

Day 16: Report on competition

2007-06-28T22:27:00.000-06:00

This blog concludes day 16 of the WE challenge. Today I thought a lot about how and why we compete with other people. As for the why, I think one issue is that we think that there is only a certain amount of success, power, wealth, happiness, etc. We have it in our head that only a certain amount of people can be happy or can be powerful or successful. This is a lie. The reality is that there is plenty to go around of everything. Many of these things we seek after are within us from the beginning. We all already have them. We just need to choose to experience them and utilize them. These are things like power and happiness.

Another reason I think we tend to be so competitive with each other is that we are so judgmental and critical of our outside world, that this is really the only way we know how to rate ourselves—against our outside environment—by comparing against our fellow man. The big problem with this is the old saying ‘comparing apples to oranges.’ Although we are all equal and have many similarities, remember we are all very unique. Your version of success may not match mine. Also, even though we are all headed toward some of the same things (our unique definition of these things), we may get there by different ways. It would be like a swimmer competing against a runner to see who gets the fastest time. We may both be racing, but our method of transport is different. Our paths are different.

There are many reasons why it just does not work to compare yourself to others when trying to measure your level of success in whatever you are trying to attain. I would suggest instead that you make the competition more of a ‘you versus you’—today’s you versus yesterday’s you. Are you better than you were? Can you continue to improve? How will you do that?

We are all growing at our own unique rate and in our own unique way. The point is to continue to grow and to motivate others to grow by the excellent example of perseverance we set for each other and through the support and encouragement we can provide for each other. See you tomorrow for day 17 to talk more about how we are a team.

Day 16: Competition

2007-06-28T09:35:00.000-06:00

Day 16: Competition

Welcome to day 16 of the WE challenge. This week we are working on the 3rd principle of We: We are all a team. Today I would like us to consider competition. I think often we forget or we never knew that we humans are all on the same team. Instead we see our fellow man as our competition, and unfortunately we often do not have very good sportsmanship. It seems we are often comparing ourselves to others and competing for a higher place on the ladder. Many would get ahead by pushing down another rather than striving for excellence themselves.

Is there healthy competition? Sure there is. It is a motivating and positive type of competition. It is not about wishing failure on your competitors. It is about wishing your competitors will do their best in order to challenge you and motivate you to do your best. Take the Olympics for example. These athletes from the same and different countries compete against each other, but they are also cheering each other on. They are motivated to do their very best by knowing that their competitors will be at their best as well. They want each other to succeed in the very best way, and then they wish to be ranked with those who are giving their all and reaching new heights.

This is the kind of healthy competition that exists among teammates—the kinds that we could have with our fellow man. Today I would challenge you to think about the way you compete with others. Is it healthy or not? What could you do to make it better? How could you show better ‘sportsmanship?’ See you tonight.

Day 15: Report on 'we are all a team.'

2007-06-28T00:12:00.000-06:00

Day 15: Report on we are all a team

As I write this blog tonight, I find myself a bit sad about how my day went today. I felt a bit isolated today, and it really threw me off. I also had a reminder of a past bad experience that I had that made me feel like I was going through it all over again. I found myself in a deep darkness toward evening. I have been on such a high with this experiment that my solemn attitude is a big change. Anyway, it made me see that isolation is a fear of mine now. I would typically consider myself a person who likes to be alone more often than most, but I have changed.

I see now that I need other people in my life. I need to be more open about my feelings. I need to trust others with the truth. Trusting others has always been quite difficult for me, but now I see that it must be. This really drives home the ‘we are all a team’ principle for me tonight. I need my team. I need to feel like I have people on my side. I need the power that gives me to know that. I need to believe that they will not judge or criticize me, but that they will respect me and support me.

Sometimes we count on others to lift us when we are low, and sometimes we are the lifters. I guess our roles and positions on the team can change from time to time.
I suspect that we all need each other—even if we feel like we don’t. None of us can be “on” 100% of the time. None of us is capable of being our best every moment. We need support, and we need lifting. Our teammates can give that to us, and we can give it to them when they need us. What a beautiful relationship. The mere choice of seeing my fellow man as my teammate gives me hope. Until tomorrow…

Day 15: We are all a team

2007-06-27T08:28:00.000-06:00

Day 15: We are all a team!

Today marks the last week in the WE challenge. This week we look at the 3rd principle of the WE concept: We are all a team. This is the last principle for two reasons. First, it is important to understand principles 1 and 2 to be able to really understand principle 3. Second, it is the most important principle of WE—last the best, right?

Today I would like to focus on looking at our fellow man as our teammates. Through principles 1 and 2 we have already established the following: 1. We are all equal with each other. 2. We are all created after the same model. 3. We share many similarities in life. 4. We are all unique and valuable. 5. We all have different roles to play.

So, let’s put that in a team environment perspective. First, each of us is equally important and valuable to the team. There is no one member who is more important than the other. There is no superiority even when there is authority. We all have the same coach, our creator—even though we may refer to him differently than another player or have a different relationship with him than a fellow teammate.

We are all training for and playing the same game of life. We all go through good times and bad, struggles and triumphs. We are all working to achieve our purpose as a group and individually. We are all training daily to be able to play this game better.

We all have unique talents that we bring to our team, and we all have different positions to play in order to cover all of the field. Each of us has unique strengths, talents, dreams, etc. that we contribute to the team. We all have our own unique position to play—the one that we are good at, that we are made for. We need every member of our team to play their position to the best of their ability in order for us to be our best.

Today I would encourage you to see your fellow man as your teammates. See them as working toward the same goals as you. Encourage them as you would your teammates. Trust in them and in their abilities. Lend yourself to them for support. See how changing your perspective toward them makes you feel and the positive affects it can have in your life. See you tonight!

Day 14: Problem solving and week summary

2007-06-27T00:11:00.000-06:00

Day 14: Report on working together to solve problems
Well, it is the end of day 14 of the WE challenge and also the end of the 2nd week. Today we focused on working together to solve problems and the power in harmonizing minds. I don’t think anyone can dispute that multiple minds are better than one. It seems obvious, doesn’t it?

As I continued to contemplate working together to solve problems, the thing that kept on coming to me today was the excellent feeling you get from discussing ideas with other people. There is an old quotation that says something like ‘Simple people discuss other people. Clever people discuss events. Intelligent people discuss ideas.’ I don’t know how it goes word for word and I can’t remember who said it, but I enjoy it very much.

Unfortunately, I have some serious experience in gossip arena. The feeling you get from gossiping about others is always very negative. I have never felt good after participating in a gossip session. However, recently in my life I am making an effort to discuss ideas with people rather than talking about other people. It is not always easy, but once you get started, you can’t stop! It is such an exciting feeling that comes from discussing ideas with another human being! To be able to share you thoughts about something and have them shed new light on it by sharing their thoughts. In the right setting the momentum continues, and pretty soon the two of you or however many people are involved in the discussion are humming along like a well-oiled machine churning out a litany of great ideas. Although it can actually be exhausting after a while, it is so wonderfully fulfilling and so motivating. Maybe the old quote should say ‘sad people discuss other people and get sadder. Happy people discuss ideas, and their joy is multiplied!’ Further I think it is not being intelligent that makes you discuss ideas; it is discussing ideas that makes you more intelligent.

The more we are willing to share ideas with each other, the more problems we can solve and the quicker and more efficiently we can do it. We are all so unique in our frames of reference, in our personalities, in our knowledge and education, in our talents, etc. that we have a very special contribution when it comes to adding our ‘two cents’ to an issue. We all have our own special point of view, and it is impossible for one man to see all sides from one point of view. Therefore we need many points of view to see all sides, all angles, all possibilities.

As I think more about this last week, I am really overwhelmed by how magnificent mankind is—individually. We are obviously divine in our creation. Although we are all from the same basic glorious model, we are so intricately customized both inherently and environmentally.

It is undeniable that we each have a role to play with special talents, dreams, missions, and purpose. We are each a piece in the puzzle of mankind, and without even one of us making our special contribution, many will be affected.

One final thought that I have on this subject has to do with my belief in our great creator. I have always believed in prayer, having been guided most of my life by it. I believe that prayers are answered, and I believe that we are the instruments that God uses to answer them. This is sometimes difficult for us to detect or to understand. For example, a woman has no money for groceries and prays to God for food for her children. Nothing happens. Later than evening, her neighbor happens to stop by with an extra casserole or a loaf of bread, and she thinks to herself, ‘thank goodness my neighbor brought this food, for God did not answer my cry for help.’

What does this have to do with people having unique roles? Well, you never know when your role or your contribution or your special talent is God’s answer to one of your fellow man’s prayers. Let’s hope we can have the courage to share what we have been given and who we are with the world.

Tomorrow begins day 15 and the final week of the WE challenge. This week we will be looking at the 3rd principle of WE: We are all a team. See you in the morning.

Day 14: Multiple minds = multiplied power

2007-06-26T10:53:00.000-06:00

Day 14: We can work together to solve big and small problems
Well, we are at the 2-week mark in our 3-week WE challenge. Today is the last day to explore the principle of ‘we are all different.’ Today I thought we would look at our ability to solve problems. More specifically, our heightened ability to solve problems when we work together—combining efforts with each other.

The power of one mind is great, but the power of many minds working together in harmony is phenomenal! Let’s look at that word, “harmony.” Harmony in singing is when different voices come together to make one beautiful sound. The voices are different. They are providing different sounds and singing different parts. Yet they are able to blend.

Today let’s explore the idea of how much better we might be able to solve problems, the world’s and our own individual problems by connecting with others, by working together, by letting many minds harmonize to find the perfect solution—one that could not be formed with just one mind.

I have had many instances in my life where I could not see a solution to a problem that I was very close to. I needed the input of others around me. I needed their perspective. I needed their ideas. Also our minds tend to be very interactive with our environment. Often we will feed off of other’s ideas. We will come up with things that are sparked by something someone says or does. The point is, we are more powerful together than separately, especially when it comes to finding solutions.

Today perhaps I will focus on some of my own current issues, and I will get some feedback from other people concerning them. I will get some ideas from others around me. I hope you can do something similar today to test out this idea. See you tonight for a full report on today and a summary on this last week!

Day 13: Report on our unique contributions

2007-06-25T22:28:00.001-06:00

Day 13: Report on our contributions

It is the end of day 13 of the WE challenge. Today we considered the unique contribution we all can make to mankind. Sometimes when we think of a contribution to mankind, we think of something like a Nobel Peace prize winner, a renowned artist, or someone curing a disease. We think of large acts that affect a huge number of people. This line of thinking easily leads us to believe that we are not ourselves significant, that we cannot make a contribution, a change, or a difference in the world.

Is it possible that a contribution to mankind could be as small as a kind word to someone in need of one or a small act seemingly unnoticeable? The more I think about it, the more I think so. Something to consider would be the tiny rock thrown into the pond making ripples that seem to go on forever. The rock itself seems to be a small and insignificant thing, but the affect it has on the entire body of water is widespread and all-inclusive.

I would go further and say that the beginning of all significant events in history could be traced to a word or two, a simple action or reaction, a choice of one person.

Another thing I think of is seeing life as a movie. Do you know all of the work and effort that goes into producing a film? Having sat through the credits of many movies in my lifetime, I am always amazed at how many people are involved in a single production. As I read the credits, some are obvious—such as the main actors in the film. However, I have no idea what some of the jobs they list with corresponding names even mean. What I do know though is that whatever that person did was important in the overall picture. Without him/her making their contribution, the film would have been somehow incomplete. Will they be known the world over for their contribution? Probably not, but their lack of notoriety does not erase the importance of their role.

Today I started to notice the seemingly insignificant jobs I saw around me. I started to wonder things like ‘who is it that sewed the zipper into my pants,’ ‘who was responsible for assembling the airbag in my minivan,’ ‘who was the first person to say ‘good morning’ to someone else? It became more and more clear to me that we all have an important and unique contribution to make. Whether seemingly small or obviously enormous, each contribution—each individual—is significant and is potentially unlimited.

I am inspired today to contribute to my fellow man however I can in whatever ways are natural to me. I feel very good knowing that what I can do will make a difference to someone and perhaps to many. I realize that I will benefit from this as well as from the contributions of my fellow mankind. We all work together to create the big beautiful and complete picture. I hope you feel the same way. See you in the morning.

Day 13: We all have contributions to make

2007-06-25T08:56:00.001-06:00

Day 13: We all have contributions to make

Today is lucky day 13 of the WE challenge. We have spent much of this last week investigating our unique differences including personalities, talents, dreams, and purposes. Today we can put all of these together finally and talk about contribution.

Mankind is like a giant beautiful puzzle. Each piece is unique in appearance and in function. Alone one piece does not make much of a picture to look at it, yet each piece is significant in its contribution to the whole. When you take those individual pieces and fit them together, you see the big wonderful picture.

Just like these puzzle pieces, we each have a unique contribution to make in this world. Our contribution has to do with who we are, what we think and know, what we are good at, what we do, etc. Most importantly though, our contribution cannot be made without connecting with the other pieces to the puzzle. And with just one piece missing, a puzzle stands incomplete and although you can see the main picture, it lacks something.

Today let’s investigate the important contributions that we all can make to the big picture. What is your contribution? What are the contributions of those around you? Take a look through our history and wonder what life might have been like without some of the important contributions to society, to mankind that others have made before you. Remember that each contribution, no matter how small it seems, is important to the big picture. See you tonight!

Day 12: Reporrt on purpose

2007-06-24T21:55:00.000-06:00

Day 12: Report on purpose

I just realized that my original post today says “prayer and medication” instead of prayer and meditation. That is pretty funny. No medication involved, I promise. J

Anyway, I get a chance to think a lot about purpose today. Again, I think purpose relates more to who you are than to what you do. I think we all have a unique purpose as well as a shared purpose as mankind. Also, I think that purpose is not really something that can be measured quantitatively. It is definitely more qualitative in nature. Purpose is not an achievement or a destination that you reach. It is the way you live. It is how and why of life.

I think you can do anything you want for a living, but if you are not living according to your purpose, you will find yourself feeling irritated, uncomfortable, unhappy, and unfulfilled. That said, you can find a way to be in line with your purpose in just about anything you are doing—career wise. It is not necessarily what you are doing, but how you are doing it that makes a difference.

I think the real magic happens when people can combine their special talents and gifts, their dreams, AND their purpose—when they are all in line with each other and working together. That is the real magic. That is when big things can and do happen. That is when anything is possible.

As for the question, why are we here? After much studying, prayer, and meditation, I believe that I can confidently answer that for myself, and I can answer that for mankind—as I believe it to be. There is great power in knowing the answers to this question for myself. If one knows the answer to why and believes in its importance, then they are an unstoppable force.

Have you figured out the answer to this question—why are we here—yet for you? Why not start now. See you tomorrow.

Day 12: We all have a common and unique purpose

2007-06-24T10:24:00.000-06:00

Day 12: We all have a common and unique purpose

Good morning on day 12 of the WE challenge. Today we get to look at purpose. We as humans all have a unique purpose for which we are made. Also, I think it is important to wonder if we all have a common purpose that we share as well. This would be the answer to the “why are we here” question. It all depends on what you believe in. A common consensus that I have noticed spanning many religions is that we are here to learn something and to grow somehow.

I believe that we all have a unique purpose to our lives. When I started out thinking about purpose some years ago, wondering what my role is here on earth, I always thought of it being related to what I would do as a career. Recently, I have changed my perspective on the subject. I believe that our purpose has much more to do with who we are than what we do. Our purpose is our own specific answer to the question “why am I here” and “what is my role” in the big scheme of things. Once you figure out the answers to these questions, you have your purpose.

I like to look at purpose in terms of the phrase “on purpose.” I like to live life “on purpose” rather than by accident. What this means is that I like to act on life rather than always reacting to it. I see this as making choices and acting based on who I am, what I believe, and what I want to do. Living “on purpose” also means living your life, making those choices, and acting according to your purpose or doing things that support your purpose. I believe this can bring a person a great deal of peace. It has to do again, with being your true self. Hmmmm. A lot to think about today. I challenge you to contemplate these things, as I will today also. Again, it is Sunday (a holy day for me), so today seems like a great day for some deep introspection combined with prayer and meditation. Whatever you go about it, I would ask you to look further at your purpose, both uniquely you as well as our purpose as mankind. “Why are we here?” See you tonight.

Day 12: Report on our dreams

2007-06-23T22:10:00.001-06:00

Day 11: Report on dreams

This marks the end of day 11 of the WE challenge. We are more than half way there now. Today I concentrated on dreams—my dreams, dreams of those around me, what it means to have a dream and to pursue it.

I began to wonder why we call it a dream. A dream after all is something that is not real. It is a fantasy. Does that mean we think that our dreams are just fantasies and will never be reality? I think for the most part, it does, and that is why many people never see their dream become reality. They never believed it would.

Maybe we ought to stop calling them dreams. Maybe we can call them something else—something that represents reality, something that is reachable or attainable. Would that help? Is this really the reason that people don’t go after their dreams—because they never thought they could be real? This is definitely a factor. Another factor though is again, fear. Fear of what the world might say. It might say no after all. It might refuse to accept your dream as a possible reality, and the fear of that happening is stifling!

What if someone like Martin Luther King Jr. had allowed that fear to stop him from speaking out? What would be different in the world—or worse, what wouldn’t be different in the world? Just like he ‘had a dream,’ we all have our own dream. If we can realize that all of us have one, perhaps we would be more willing to hear each other out—to let one another share our dream for the better of all. And if we knew that was the welcome reception that our dream would receive, we would be much more willing to share it.

Again, we can’t change other people. We can’t make them accept our dream or how we go about making it come true. However, we can have the courage to try. We can look at our fellow man as a receptive audience—and audience who shares our same struggle. They have a dream too that they are longing to share. Perhaps your courage in sharing yours will give them the courage they need to share theirs.

It has taken me a long time to find it, but I have a dream. It is to help people realize the power that we all have inside of us. Power to choose and to act. Power to overcome fear and oppression. Power to help and serve our fellow man and to stand up for what is right. Power to forgive and to have charity toward all men. The power of knowledge. This power is our greatest gift from God. To see others embrace that power---that is my big dream. The WE concept is the birth of my dream—allowing people to free themselves of the fears we all have by connecting with mankind and encouraging them to embrace their power within. I hope you will share this dream with me, and I hope you are inspired to pursue your own dream—knowing that your dream is important to you and to your fellow man. See you tomorrow for day 12.

Day 11: We all have a dream

2007-06-23T11:40:00.000-06:00

Day 11: Our dreams

Good morning—almost afternoon. I got to be with my Exchange Club in a parade this morning, so I did not get a chance to blog until now. Today for day 11 of the “WE” challenge, we will focus on dreams. Not the kind of dreams that you have when you are sleeping, but the kind of dreams that really wake you up! I am talking about the dream that we all have inside of us.

I read a book recently called the “Dream Giver.” It is a modern-day parable in which a man named “Ordinary” gets a dream from the Dream Giver. It goes on to reveal his journey where he meets and conquers his “bullies,” finds “sanctuary,” and finally thrives in the “land of promise.” Great book about pursuing one’s dream.

Our dreams are usually related to our talents and gifts, sometimes not though. I think if your dream can include your talents and gifts, that is ideal. When I say dream, it doesn’t necessarily mean starting your own business or creating your own product. It means pursuing and sharing your passion with the world in whatever is the best way for you! It may be in a big way or in a small way—but the key is to find a way!

Today I am going to think about my dream and try to better define it. We all have one after all. What is yours? What is your spouse’s dream or your friend’s dream? Do you know? Have you shared yours or someone else’s? Hopefully we can all be a little bit enlightened today by learning more about our dreams and those around us. See you tonight!

Day 10: We all have talents and gifts

2007-06-22T22:25:00.001-06:00

Day 10: Report on talents and gifts

It is the end of day 10 of the “WE” challenge. Today I decided the world is just full of wonderful talents and gifts. I saw them everywhere I looked, and I was so thankful that these people were sharing them with me.

I talked earlier today about how the magic of talents is really in sharing them. As I look around and see people who are sharing their talents, I see their happiness and I see them empowered by being able to contribute to our world in a positive and unique way. I also see the happiness and wonder it creates for the people whom the talent is shared with.

I wondered what the world would be like if everyone felt brave enough to share their talents. I started to wonder how many people around me were hiding special talents and gifts within themselves. This happens so often in our world. There are people everywhere around us, or even we ourselves, harboring and burying talents or gifts because of fear. We don’t know the impact it would have if it were shared, but we are too afraid to test it. How much talent is wasted every day because of fear? Figuratively speaking, how many Mona Lisa’s are there sitting in someone’s garage, unseen and unknown to the world?
Imagine a world where we all felt encouraged and supported enough to share our talents and gifts. Without the fear of rejection, we could all feel comfortable, confident, and even excited about finding and sharing our talents. We would feel significant in our world.

The truth is that we are all significant. We all have something special to offer mankind. If we don’t share our gifts and talents, there will be something missing—not just in our lives but in the lives of others.

Sometimes our talents are not always clear to us. What if we could count on our fellow man to point out the talents they see in us, instead of pointing out our flaws? There would be such power and confidence created from an atmosphere of encouragement and acceptance rather than criticism and discouragement. People would want to share a gift that no one else has—at least not the same way that they do. Lives would be blessed by that talent and joy, relief, comfort, and inspiration would abound.

Getting rid of that fear of rejection by others provides a safe way for people to share these gifts to their fullest extent, benefiting all of us. How do we do that? Well, we simply change our views of other people. We follow the concept of “WE.” We begin to see each other as equal to us, as unique and valuable individuals—this includes ourselves. We begin to appreciate others’ talents (and our own). We begin to see the world as an accepting place where we can grow and flourish and where we can share our talents freely.

What unique talents and gifts are you hiding? How could your talents and gifts be shared with others? How could they benefit the lives of others? Is fear stopping you from sharing them? If so, let go of the fear and embrace your fellow man as your friend. Until tomorrow…

Day 10: Our unique talents and gifts

2007-06-22T10:09:00.000-06:00

Day 10: Talents and gifts

Welcome to day 10 of the “WE” challenge. We are about half way through the 21-day challenge. That is exciting. Time has gone quickly, and I think I am growing a great deal from this experience so far. I hope you are too.

Today we examine talents and gifts. What is a talent? The dictionary says it is a special natural ability or aptitude. It also offers another definition which I really like. It says it is a power of mind or body considered as given to a person for use and improvement, (referencing the parable of talents given in the Bible). Each of us have unique talents; so according to the second definition, each of us a power of mind or body that is a gift to us to use and to improve. Each of us has a natural aptitude for something or multiple things.

It is widely known that talents differ among people. Some have talents that are easily seen and understood while others have talents that are more subtle or complex. All are important. An interesting side note—as I type right now, my dad is singing a silly song. I must say his greatest talent is not singing J, but he has a great talent of hilarious delivery with his words and song that will make anyone within ear shot let out a chuckling smile.

Talents are powerful. They can be used to evoke emotions, provoke thought, educate, entertain, etc. They are of great value for you and for those around you. However, to access this great value and power, you must share them! A hidden talent never touches anyone and therefore never reaches its potential. Often it becomes a secret painful reminder to the owner of what could have been.

So, today I want to take a look at my own talents and see if I am doing something to share them. Also, I want to try to notice the talents of those around me and maybe even point them out. Sometimes we can’t always see our own talents. There are many in the world who would say they have no talent. This is simply not true. Everyone has talents and gifts that belong uniquely to them, and when you think of all of the different ways that talents can be shared, the combinations are endless—creating the possibility of a truly unique experience for every human being. How wonderful!

I hope you will join me today in examining your own talents and those of the people around you. See how you can better share them. A great thing happens when you share talent. Not only does it benefit those you share it with, but you grow from it. Your talent grows too and leads to discovering even more talents that you never knew you had or being able to develop new ones. Have a wonderful day! I will see you tonight.

Day 9: Report on differences in personalities

2007-06-21T21:57:00.001-06:00

Day 9: Report on differences in personality

Well, we made it through day 9 of the “WE” challenge. Hopefully you were able to appreciate the many differences in personality that people have as I was today. Not only do we have differences in personality, but some of us seem to have multiple personalities—not as a true mental illness, but as our moods change. This does complicate things a bit, doesn’t it? I am sure you all know some people who are a surprise each time you see them. You never know exactly what you’ll get in terms of behavior from them. Then there are those who give you the same person every single time you engage them without complaint. Then there are yet others who you never really know what their true personality is, and maybe they don’t either.

After thinking about how complex this can really get, I started to think that the best we can do is to be authentic—be ourselves. I guess my mom was right all those years when she kept telling me that. In order to do that though, we must first know ourselves. Some of you are probably thinking ‘duh, of course I know myself,’ but I would suggest that may not be true. Often times I think, people don’t really know who they are—truly—without all of the drama, people-pleasing, false behavior, etc. Sometimes if you pretend something enough, it replaces the reality. You may find yourself wondering why nobody around you understands you or ‘gets’ you. If you look further you may see that they don’t actually know the real you. They know a make-believe person that you have been pretending to be. No wonder they don’t get you.

If you ever saw the movie “Runaway Bride,” you’ll remember how the woman kept running away from her fiancés just as it was time to marry. She always left them at the alter. She came to discover that she was always afraid when the time came to get married because she never really knew herself. She never really knew what she wanted. When someone asked her what her favorite way to eat eggs was, she didn’t know. She would always just say her favorite eggs were whatever her fiancés’ were. The point is, if you try too hard to fit in with others, you will lose yourself.

So, how do you get to know yourself—truly? Well, you first have to stop worrying about and making judgments. Just allow yourself to be aware of who you are, what you like, what you want, etc. Don’t judge the answers to these questions as good or bad, right or wrong. They are neither. They just are. Don’t worry about what other people might think. It really doesn’t even factor in to this equation at all. Once you have figured out some important facts about you, dare to share them. Dare to be who you really are—without the judgments or fear of judgments.

This can be quite shocking, as I have found from my past experience. For a long time, I had been doing what I thought I was supposed to be doing, being who I thought I was supposed to be, and saying what I thought I was supposed to say. All of this to please others and I thought to please myself. I was wrong. When I finally starting searching for the real me, it took a long time to find her. She was buried under a thick smothering blanket of fabrication. I am still learning what it is I really like and what I really want in life. It is a really fun adventure. I find that my relationships with others are so much better now. They know who I am because I show them every day. They ‘get’ me.

If you decide to try this, prepare yourself. You may not like what you find. You may be someone very different than you thought you were. However, I would say you cannot ever hope to find true happiness without seeking to know the real you. So, it is worth it. Once you embrace the real you, you will find it impossible to go back to the fake you without a great deal of discomfort. You will find that you don’t fit into that old mold anymore. You will have to create the reality that the real you craves now.

We, as human beings, are all unique in who we are. We owe it to ourselves and our fellow humans to find out who that is and to be that person. I would challenge you to get to know yourself better. Only then can we find true happiness. Only then can be make our real contribution to the world and to mankind. See you tomorrow!

Day 9: Respecting different personalities

2007-06-21T09:44:00.001-06:00

Day 9: We all have differences in personality

Welcome to day 9 of the “WE” challenge! Yesterday we talked about people looking different on the outside. This variation is a mere hint of the different personalities that lie within each human.

Whenever I think about different personalities, I think about a book I read years ago by Anthony Robbins. I don’t remember the title, but I remember him talking about people having different ‘rules.’ He said something to the effect that each person has their own set of rules that govern their reactions to other people. When we make someone feel angry or upset, we have broken their rules. The bad part is that we may not even have known their rules to begin with. This is the most common reason for misunderstandings. One person may be deeply offended by something whereas another may not even bat an eye at it.

It is easy to see how different personalities can cause clashes. The opposite is true in that different personalities can also compliment each other beautifully. So we can easily get along with some while we struggle to get along with others.

Is it important to get along with everyone? Well, I think it is important to be respectful of everyone. You may not always agree with them or their ‘rules,’ but you can show respect and brotherly love for them anyway. This is a deeper connection between souls and reaches beyond barriers set by different personalities and opinions.

So, today, I am going to be aware of the different personalities that people have and the different sets of ‘rules’ that they have—especially those around me. I think again, the key is not judge or compare—just be aware and be respectful. Let’s try! Have a wonderful day, and I will see you tonight!

Day 8: Reprot on differences in outer appearance

2007-06-21T01:18:00.001-06:00

Day 8: Report on differences in outward appearances

It is the end of day 8 of the “WE” challenge. Today I set out to focus on noticing the great variety in the outward appearances in people. In fact, I took my kids to a public swimming pool where there are people in all shapes, sizes, colors, and varieties. I thought it would be a perfect place.

Normally, this experience would start with me—noticing my outer appearance in my bathing suit. I am generally very self-conscious about getting into a bathing suit in front of people—especially in front of people I know. However, today it was different. I decided to be a little kinder to myself. I decided that I am a living, breathing miracle—just as every other human being is, and so it didn’t really matter how I looked. I was completely me—take it or leave it style.

At first I was trying to notice people’s outward appearances and their differences and enjoying myself with this. But from there something strange happened to me. Even though I started out thinking I was going to really look at people’s appearances with a positive attitude, what happened instead was that I started to NOT notice their outward appearances as much as I normally would. I just saw them as other people—just like me. In the case of the swimming suit, I did notice the people more who were trying to hide things rather than just wearing a normal modest swimming suit and not worrying about it. I thought it strange that my attention was drawn more to them because they were more uncomfortable with themselves. Hmmm, I thought, perhaps I will stop wearing the long cover-up shorts and big T-shirt that I used to dawn to hide the things I don’t want to share. It seems to actually make them stand out more.

I found that throughout the day, I did hear negative comments from people around me about other people’s appearances. It made me feel bad that they would take the time to point out negative things in others. I wondered if they really had nothing intelligent to talk about. I felt sad for them—not for the person they made a negative comment about.

Incidentally, I am sure we all have those relatives, coworkers, or friends in our lives who feel it is their job to point out when someone gains some weight—to them, as if they didn’t know it. If there is anyone out there reading this who does that, please stop it. If this has been your job, quit today. When people put on weight, they know it. They don’t need someone else to point it out, and they certainly don’t need your negative comments. The negative comments are very damaging and NEVER have a good outcome. They will NEVER be appreciated.

All in all today, I learned two things. First, I learned that once you decide to embrace the variety in people’s appearances, you actually don’t notice it as much. Instead you just see another person—just as you are. Then you automatically being to treat all people the same respectful way—no matter their outer appearance. Second, I learned that we need to be careful about how we judge other people’s appearances. In a previous blog, I discussed how we are our own toughest judge. Well, if you are judging toughly on other people’s appearances, imagine how you are judging yourself! Perhaps if we understood that people should look different, they should come in different shapes and sizes, and they should be different colors, we could really appreciate the beauty of them all. And if we can get to that point, then that means we can more easily appreciate the beauty in ourselves.

I hope you enjoyed the great visual variety in your fellow mankind today. Perhaps tomorrow we can begin to look inside to see the variety and uniqueness of the soul! See you tomorrow!

Day 8: We are all different

2007-06-20T08:40:00.001-06:00

Day 8: We are all different

Welcome to day 8 of the “WE” challenge. This week we get to explore the second principle of “WE” which is “We are all different.” The main point is that we are all different, but we are all equally valuable with out own contributions to make to the world and to mankind. This week I hope to explore the differences that people have, to see their uniqueness and mine, and to understand our individual value to each other. I hope you will join me. If you like to ‘people watch,’ this week will be an exciting adventure for you and like no other people watching experience you have had before.

Today we will focus on physical variety in people. Few of us (identical twins) look exactly like someone else. Although we are all a miraculous model of our creator—coming from the same mold if you will, we come in many different varieties. People come in different shapes, sizes, colors, and gender. I say, thank goodness! What a boring world it would be without these varieties in mankind.

Not only do we have natural variety in our appearance, but there are many things about ourselves that we can alter to our liking as well. Today I am choosing to notice the many varieties people come in. The key will be to NOT judge or criticize. I call it people watching with wonder! I will focus on just appreciating their uniqueness and again realizing that although they may look very different from me, we are still related—they are part of my global family. I also would suggest that we try this on ourselves! Take a good long look in the mirror and be honestly happy about what you see—a unique and wonderful creation!

I am really looking forward to it, and I hope you are too. See you tonight!

Day 7: Report on personal power

2007-06-19T21:49:00.001-06:00

Day 7: Report

I spent the last day of the my first week of the “WE” challenge concentrating on personal power—that every human being has. Tonight I was teaching my Taekwondo class about self-control and self-mastery. Self-control can be described as forcing one’s self to comply with your wishes or training yourself to behave in a certain manner. You have to consciously make yourself behave and do what you want. After you do this long enough with a certain behavior, it becomes natural. You no longer have to force yourself to do it. It becomes the norm for you. This is self-mastery.

I started thinking about how this applies to personal power. We all have the power to change, whether we know it or not. We can change our mind and our actions. For example, take this 21-day “WE” challenge that we are doing. We are applying our personal power to change our behavior toward others, and more importantly we are working to change our perspective. We are training ourselves to see people in a different way. If we continue to train ourselves, eventually it will become natural. It will become our truth, our reality. You will live in a world where people support each other, where people show kindness and respect to one another, where people can feel confident enough to share their talents, and where people are a team. Are you changing the world? No, not really although you may be affecting those you come in contact with in a very positive way so as to invite them to change as well. The reality is that you are merely changing how you see things. You are choosing to see the good. You are choosing to see others as your teammates rather than your foes.

Isn’t it exciting that we can make a change for ourselves that is that big?! That is life changing! That has the power to crush fear! Who has the power to do this? The answer is, everyone and anyone. We all have that kind of power within us. Remember—we are the same. Once we realize that all of our thoughts, actions, reactions, and feelings are a choice, we can have the power to choose what we want.

Does this mean looking at the world through ‘rose-colored glasses’ or ignoring reality? No, it doesn’t, but it does mean altering your perception and choosing a different reaction to ugliness in this world. It means that you will not give your power away to fear.

An important thing to consider is that since we all have inner power, that means there is no shortage. That means there is no need to fight for power, to step on others, or to try to take others’ power away so you can have some. Power cannot be taken but can be shared. It is already there—within you, within all of us. Let’s recognize it. Once we do that, we can realize whatever we want to.

Can we change ourselves like this over night? Of course not. You cannot change in one night what it took years to create, but you have to start somewhere, right? The time will continue to pass whether you decide to take control of your personal power or not.

From time to time when one is working towards self-mastery, doubts will come up. Insecurities will arise that tell us we are crazy or that tell us we are not being realistic. This is the ego, not the soul talking. The soul would say you are doing the right thing. You will become strong through this process. You are on your way to great joy. Keep going! Quiet your ego, and listen to your soul!

This ends the first week of the “WE” challenge. I have learned so much already. I hope you have too. This next week we begin looking at principle #2: We are all different. We will be looking at our uniqueness as humans, our contributions, our talents and gifts, and other things that make us different from each other and valuable as individuals. See you tomorrow!

Day 7 of the "WE" challenge: Recognizing power in yourself and others

2007-06-19T07:20:00.000-06:00

Day 7: Recognizing the power in myself and others

Well, we made it to day 7, the 1-week mark, in the “WE” challenge. Today is the final day for concentrating on the first principle of “WE” which is “we are all the same (equal).”

Today I want to focus on the power that lies within each one of us. Sometimes I think we as people forget that we do have a choice, that we can make changes in our lives, that we can create the world we want. We don’t do this by changing others; we do it by changing our self and by changing our perspective. This is really where the empowerment of “WE” comes in. It is the key—changing our perspective.

Today I would challenge anyone who is joining me on this journey to focus on your inherent power—your agency. Also, I would encourage you to remind others of theirs by your example, through your words, and in your interactions with others. Respect their power and yours. If you have not yet begun your 21-day “WE” challenge, you might consider starting today. It is never too late to begin something, and you can choose to do so at any time. If you are not happy with your current life, you have the power and really the responsibility to change it. Have a wonderful day! See you this evening.

Day 6: We are connected by basic human rights

2007-06-19T00:17:00.000-06:00

Day 6: Report on human rights

Today as I went about my day, I tried to notice the many rights that I have and to really appreciate them. Although basic human rights belong to all humans, we certainly do not all have access to them. Sadly, there are many who go without rights. When I think of things that are happening or have happened such as slavery, oppression, abuse, etc., I wonder why.

I believe it all stems from basic bullying. It starts with someone feeling either that they are superior or that they must get more power by taking it from others. Then they use fear as a tool to drive someone else into submission to meet their needs. We even do this to ourselves sometimes by letting our fears get the best of us. It is so ugly and so undoubtedly wrong, and yet even with our proclaimed intelligence, we cannot figure it out and stop it.

I often wonder why I was so lucky to be born in America when there is someone else on the other side of the world, just as important as me, who was born somewhere where they have very little or no rights at all. I am thankful for what I have, and thinking about this makes me wish that I did not complain so much about things.

Sometimes those of us who are lucky enough to have rights and even lucky enough to have other people fighting for our rights still complain that we don’t have enough. We get that feeling of entitlement. We start to believe that we deserve certain things and then more and more things. Now I finally understand why moms get angry about their kids not eating their dinner-time meals or complaining that the have to eat their vegetables. You know the famous line…”there are children starving in other parts of the world.” Well, it is true. There are. Sometimes closer than you think. When you really consider this, it makes you feel pretty bad for complaining about anything that you have to eat. The point is, you have food, and clean water to add to it. Many don’t.

I think it is really important to at the very least recognize this fact instead of ignoring it. Many people do not have their basic needs met on a day to day basis or even throughout their short lifetime. Many people are being bullied in the world. Why is that? Are they inferior to others? Of course the answer is no. I still wonder why we, as the intelligent species we are, cannot do more to help this situation. Even if we set a goal to AT LEAST make sure every human had their basic needs met. Could it be done?

While considering our basic human rights today, specifically the ones I mentioned earlier: Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, I began to wonder what these really mean. First to me, I define “life” as having my basic needs met. That means having food, water, shelter, and love. As I have already discussed, there are many going without these things.

The second one, liberty, to me means freedom to choose. It means I am in charge of me. I can choose my thoughts, actions, etc. Of course there are many in the world who would try to convince you that you do not have this kind of power, but you do, and it is bestowed by our creator, not man.

The third one, pursuit of happiness, is my favorite. It refers to the wants and desires of our soul. It does not say “a right to happiness;” it says “the PURSUIT of happiness.” This means we actually have to work for it. We have to seek it. We have to understand what will truly make us happy through a course of learning. We all know that happiness can be elusive and very tricky. When we think we have achieved it, we almost immediately set our sights on some other type of ‘happiness.’ I think that is really why they put the word “pursuit” in there. They knew it is a pursuit or a journey, not an achievement or destination. Very wise wording. Incidentally, I am a firm believer that happiness lies within, not without.

I look at these 3 simple rights, and I see how they pretty much cover it all; however, as I said earlier today, rights are not a guarantee. They represent a potential—what we can have if we take responsibility. Therefore, I would like to add my own 3 simple “rights” to the list in the form of responsibilities.

1. It is RIGHT to be respectful of yourself and others. Among other things, this means you should not pursue your rights at the expense of another’s.
2. It is RIGHT to be grateful. This means recognizing the great rights you have and the blessings that you have received in your life. Say thank you for what you have instead of complaining about what you don’t have.
3. It is RIGHT to love and help your fellow man. Help starts with acknowledgement. Let’s at least try that.

There are many more rights and responsibilities that we share as human beings. Hopefully we can explore them and understand them better. Hopefully we will be more willing to demand that every human have them as we are more willing to see others as our equals. Hopefully we can learn to be grateful and appreciative of our rights and be willing to take on the responsibilities that go with them. I hope you have a great experience today learning about your rights and how they connect us as human beings. See you in the morning!

Day 6: Our human rights

2007-06-18T08:35:00.000-06:00

Today is day 6 of the “WE” challenge. Today we will concentrate on basic rights (and responsibilities) of humans. This is a big thing that connects us all. It is a concept that wars are fought over every day and have been since the beginning of our existence.

What are our basic rights as humans? The Declaration of Independence says they are: “Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” It is interesting to note that Declaration does NOT say these are the rights of Americans only or those who choose to rebel from oppression. It actually says that we are rebelling BECAUSE these rights are being oppressed.

Further it goes on to state that these rights are bestowed upon us by our creator, not by man. To me, this means that man cannot take them away—for he did not give them in the first place.

So, these rights belong to ALL of us. I do think it is also important to consider what a right is or is not. A right is not a guarantee, as some might think. It is not entitlement. It is the promise of possibility. In order to have and maintain our rights, we need to have the responsibility that goes along with them. We need to do the things that are necessary to achieve our rights—to reach these possibilities.

Today I am going to concentrate on our human rights. I am going to investigate further and try to define what they really mean. Also, I am going to take a look around the world through news resources and see if we all have these rights—like we are supposed to. I already know the answer to that, but I want to make myself more aware. I think a lot of times, we as Americans, take our rights for granted. We forget or ignore that there are people around the world (and even in America) that are being denied these rights.

I hope you will join me today in exploring our human rights. Perhaps we can have a new appreciation for them, or perhaps we can consider ways to restore these rights to those who have lost them or who have never had them. See you tonight for a report!

Day 5: Report on listening to the soul

2007-06-17T22:26:00.000-06:00

Day 5: Report on listening to the soul

Well, today I concentrated on listening to my soul. I did things like attend church, pray, read scriptures, and meditated. In between these things I spent time with family members for Father’s Day and relaxed with my family at home. It was a really wonderful day.

I felt calm and joyful. As I came in contact with others today I noticed their kind spirits. I reminded myself that each of these beings is a soul, and I felt a deep connection with them on that level. This was so comforting. I felt as though I was surrounded by my family all day—even though often times today, I was surrounded by people I barely know or don’t know at all.

Somehow I was able to see all people around me as my supporters. I wasn’t worried so much about what they would think of me or how I looked, or other things of that nature. I felt loved and accepted. What a wonderful feeling. Did they change? No. It was all me. I made it happen. Just by seeing them differently, just by making that connection that we are all a living soul—part of a global family. It was amazing.

I took a nap this afternoon after meditating, and I remember waking up thinking the phrase, “listen to your soul.” I have heard this phrase before in regards to finding your true purpose in life. It has become my mantra for the last six months or so. I know my soul knows what I need. I know that it is through my soul that my creator is able to communicate with me and how I am able to feel his guiding spirit with me. I am finally starting to recognize ideas that come from soul versus ones that come from my ego. Hopefully I am gaining the power necessary to quiet my ego and listen to my soul even more as I grow older.

An important note: When it comes to other people, my soul does not make harsh judgments. When I see someone in trouble, I feel empathy for them. I want to help. My soul tells me this is right. My ego might say something like “I don’t have time for this” or “they don’t want/need my help.” But my soul knows better. It is able to connect with them at that deep level and without selfishness or fear. It is a beautiful thing.

This brings to mind something I saw about a month ago that touched me so much. I was sitting in a church meeting when I noticed that an elederly woman sitting in a chair at the front of the room—serving in an officiating position-- had fallen asleep. She was out! When the meteing was over, another lady approached her and in the kindest way, woke her up, took her by the hand, and lead her out of the room. The woman who had fallen asleep was shaking her head in embarrassment and disbelief that she had fallen asleep, but the other woman just smiled at her and put her arm around her. She didn’t judge her or ciriticize her for falling asleep. Instead she put her arm around her to let her know that it was okay and that everything was fine. This was such as simple event, but I believe I will remember it forever. She was definitely listening to her soul.

The most amazing thing is that I become stronger each time I listen to my soul. I become more aware. I think when people talk about being more aware in life, this connection with their soul is what they are referring to—whether known or not. It is very empowering. It seems to be doubly empowering to further allow yourself to connect to the souls of others. This gives you such a confident and supported feeling—like you are not alone, and like you are lifted by those around you and can do whatever you are meant to do.

It was indeed a wonderful day. I hope you shared a similarly wonderful day and a great experience with listening to your soul and connecting with other souls around you. Se e you tomorrow for day 6!

Day 5: Listening to the soul

2007-06-17T08:34:00.000-06:00

Day 5: Listening to the soul

Today is day 5 of the “WE” challenge. In contemplating ways that we are all the same, as mankind, I am drawn to the soul. We all have a soul that brings our bodies to life. This is something we all share. I believe that deep within our soul we are extremely wise. We know exactly who we are, what we really need, and what we are made for. Unfortunately, the ego is louder than the soul, and so often the soul never is heard or gets ignored completely.

Often times there is struggle and strife between the two—ego and soul. Some describe this as my heart telling me one thing and my head telling me another. They rarely agree. One is concerned with short-term; the other thinks long-term. One seeks pleasure; the other seeks joy. One loves himself; the other loves himself and others.

Today being Sunday, a holy day for me, I am going to focus on listening to my soul. Not only will I listen to learn more about myself, but I will listen to learn how I can love others more and how this will help me. I will make God my partner in this, as I believe he has some great expertise in this area. I am not sure what my end result will be exactly, but I have faith that it will be a wonderful experience no matter the result. I hope you can join me today. See you tonight!

Day 4: Report on forgiveness

2007-06-17T00:24:00.001-06:00

Day 4: Report

It is the end of day 4 of the “WE” challenge. Today I focused on learning about forgiveness and empathy. As I went throughout the day, I had time to think about the mistakes that I have made in my life, and I found that there were still some that I have been holding onto deep in my soul. Some of the one’s I found as I inspected further, were really not a mistake on my part at all, but just some guilt that I had created for myself unfairly—all along believing that I did something wrong, when in reality, I was wronged. For some reason though, it felt right to punish myself with guilt, thinking that I must have done something to make this happen to me. I think a lot of victims go through this type of thing—blaming themselves for something that happened to them. We are taught after all to ask what your part is in creating the situation in an attempt to take responsibility for our actions. This can certainly be wise counsel, but it is not really an appropriate line of questioning when it comes to being a victim of a crime. In this case, it is not really about forgiving one’s self but ridding one’s self of guilt that we create in thinking we must have done something to deserve it and forgiving the real villain in the story. It is kind of duel process—a very difficult one. I have struggled with it for years, and just when you think you have surpassed it, it sneaks up on you again—when you least expect it. This is something that I have thought I was completely over many times before in my life. I believe that I still am holding onto a bit of it though. I see that it is well past time to let it go.

I did also find some things in my past that were real mistakes on my part. I have found that it can be hardest to forgive ourselves. Just as we are own worst critic, we are also our own worst punisher. These things seem to go hand in hand. This tells me that if we could lessen the severity of our judgments on others (and ourselves), then perhaps we could lessen our punishing and be more willing to forgive.

Forgiving is difficult; there is no question about it. I sat and thought today and wondered why it is so hard to forgive. The reason I think it is so difficult is that sometimes when we are considering forgiveness, we tend to believe that our act of forgiving is somehow telling the offender that what they did is okay or that it is ignoring the wrongdoing. We know that it is not okay, that it was a mistake, and feel therefore that the punishment must continue so that the offender knows with a certainly that they hurt us or someone else. The last thing we would want to do is tell the offender that what they did was okay, right?

Is that really what forgiveness is all about though? Does forgiveness really justify a mistake or wrongdoing? If this were true, then forgiveness would be enabling, wouldn’t it? By justifying or ignoring the wrongdoing, the offender would continue on the current course without any consequence.

I would suggest that the opposite is true. If we decided in fact to justify or ignore the offense, there would be no need to forgive, right? The act of forgiveness suggests that there is something that needs to be forgiven. It is actually recognizing the mistake. It is solidifying the fact that an offense was indeed committed. Having recognized the offense, forgiveness then empowers the victim and the offender to move on—to learn from it and to overcome it. It allows us to free ourselves from the hurt that was caused, to let it go.

It would seem that forgiving someone who asks for it is much easier than forgiving the one who doesn’t care about receiving it. When the offender is able to admit the mistake and show remorse, forgiveness comes more naturally. Sadly, it doesn’t always work out this way. However, we must still forgive. Again, forgiving is about letting go of the hurt and moving on. We have to look at what harboring the pain of the event is doing to us, and we have to be willing to let it go. Forgiveness is the key that frees the heavy heart—whether it is asked for or not.

So, how do we do it? Well, I know there are a lot of great books out there suggesting different steps to forgiveness, ways to forgive, methods of achieving forgiveness, etc. For me, it is accomplished through honest acceptance and recognition of the wrongdoing, sincere thought and feeling, empathy and understanding, humility and love, learning and wisdom, prayer and help from God, and perhaps some time. No magic formula will fit all instances, but we must find a way.

I know that learning to have true empathy and being able to forgive others and myself will be a life-long challenge. Some days I will be better at it than others. I am just thankful for the insight I gained today to help me along. I hope you are able to see the gift of freedom that forgiveness can be in your life as well. See you in the morning for day 5.

Day 4: understanding, empathy, and forgiveness

2007-06-16T08:57:00.000-06:00

Day 4: Showing understanding, empathy, and forgiveness to myself and my fellow man

Welcome to day 4 of the “WE” challenge. Today is a biggy! I think forgiveness is like medicine. At first you think it will taste awful, and you don’t want to take it. In fact you dread it. You start weighing whether being sick is worse or taking the medicine is worse. When you finally decide to take it, it is not usually as bad as you thought it would be, AND it makes you feel better! Many people, including myself at times, are walking around harboring contentious feelings about someone else. For some, resentment can permeate a soul and takes a role in every part of their life. It has been said that resentment is like taking poison and expecting the other person to die. These contentious feelings do poison our soul, but because the forgiveness feels even more frightening to us, we hold onto the resentment—we choose the sickness over the medicine.

Now that I realize that we are all equal and similar, today I can see that we all make mistakes. I will try to be empathetic toward others, putting myself in their shoes. I will try to be empathetic toward myself, realizing that I too can make mistakes. What I think is a really important step is recognizing a mistake rather than rationalizing it. Once we recognize it, we can learn from it. After all, that is what mistakes are for---learning.

I will work on forgiving myself and others. I will work on not harboring any bad feelings. I am going to try to let go of some sicknesses that I have been keeping inside for a long time. I will plug my nose and take my medicine. J I know it will be healing. I also know it will take longer than one day for it to work, but today is a start. You have to start somewhere, right? I hope you will accompany me today in the healing of our souls. See you tonight!

Day 3:Report

2007-06-15T23:24:00.000-06:00

Boy did I pick a good day to be optimistic and positive. Today should have been a very stressful day for me—at least it would have been without my new attitude. I put on a big event for our martial arts school. Things did not go exactly as planned—never do, right? This is a recurring event that we do where our students test for their new belts. At any rate, there were many times during the day when I could have easily had a mild to moderate breakdown, yet I chose not to. Instead I took the attitude that things were going to work out despite some set backs and that the small issues we had were not total deal breakers. I smiled a lot at everyone I came in contact with, and they smiled back. Testing went well, and everyone had a great and joyful attitude. So, there you go. In simplest terms I smiled at the world today, and it smiled back at me.

I did not catch myself making a lot of negative judgments about others today—which I guess is a good thing. This is something I have been practicing for a while though. When I first began working on it, I caught myself negatively judging someone at least once every hour. Now when I notice a bad reaction that I have to someone, I automatically ask myself why? What is it about me that makes me think that way or that makes me notice that?

I think it is very telling to notice the negative judgments you make about others and to see where they fit into your life. My sister-in-law, who is an extremely wise soul, posted a comment about this blog and said… “All people indeed are our mirrors and our negative reactions to them or our "buttons being pushed" is our opportunity to look within and dissolve this energy.” I could not have expressed that better than she did. She went on to say, “The trick is to look at our “stuff” without any judgment.” Can you imagine actually being able to look at our ‘stuff’ without any judgment? All humans are their own worst judge! I wonder if we pick out the bad in others (which is really often the bad in ourselves) in order to save us from ourselves. We vent those judgments and negativity on someone else rather than ourselves. However, if indeed we could do as she suggested and look on our ‘stuff’ without judgment, we could spare others and ourselves the negativity.

In conclusion, today I have learned that life gives you what you ask for, and most people return whatever you give them. Isn’t that wonderful!? We just need to look more carefully at what we are really asking for and what we are giving. Our lives should be a direct reflection of who we are and what we are choosing. When you feel like your life is not reflecting who you really are—if you feel like there is disagreement between who you are and the state of your life, then it is time to make a change. I will see you tomorrow for Day 4!

Day 3: Other people are our mirrors

2007-06-15T08:28:00.000-06:00

Welcome to day 3 of the “WE” challenge. Today we will be concentrating and learning about how other people are often our mirrors. This means a couple of different things.

First it means that the judgments that we make on others around us often have something to do with the way we are. The negative judgments that we tend to abhor most in others are often ones that we ourselves share. Also, if we are always seeing the bad in others, it is difficult to see anything but bad in ourselves. So, the converse theory would be that if we train ourselves to pick out the good in others and the strengths in others, we may be better able to see the good and strengths in ourselves.

Secondly, this means that whatever vibe we put out into the universe, it will come right back at us. This is sort of the law of attraction, or the “secret” that everyone has been talking about. It is about the energy you give off—positive or negative. This is your choice.

For me, perspective is a big part of this as well. Truth in big part is what you perceive it to be. That is how our minds work. They are not completely factual or objective. They tell us what we are witnessing based on our past experience, who we are, the thoughts that we think, the judgments and beliefs that we hold onto, etc.

So, for today, I will try to see the good in others. I will put out a good and positive vibe to the universe. I will be optimistic in all things. I will notice when I make negative judgments about someone and I will ask why I would think that. I will look inwardly to see if this is an issue for myself. Today I choose to see my world as a happy place full of talented and kind people, including myself. I’ll let you know how it goes. Good luck on your journey today as well! I hope it is fulfilling for you.
See you tonight!

Day 2: Report

2007-06-15T00:42:00.000-06:00

June 14, 2007

This blog ends day 2 of the “WE” challenge. Today I looked on other humans as being my equals, none superior or inferior. What a difference it made in my perspective of myself. I chose to try to see beauty in my fellow humans from my lesson yesterday, and each time I did, I then remembered that we are equal. That meant I have beauty in me as well. It made me feel really great.

Notice that when I saw another person’s beauty, my thoughts turned immediately to myself. This made me think about how people are always comparing themselves to other people—including me. Sometimes I see someone who is well-dressed, seems very confident, and shows great poise, and I wish I were them or I feel intimidated by them. I begin seeing them as somehow better than me or superior to me. There are other times when I have witnessed someone make a big mistake—or even a little driving error—and for an instant, I think I am better than them because I would never do what they did (that is me kidding myself—especially on the driving error part).

You hear the undertone of “better than me or worse than me” spoken in every judgment that people make about another human. It is a comparison. We tend to relate things to ourselves in order to better understand them. This is a very necessary action if we want to develop empathy, but the comparison part is not and can be very damaging.

I teach Taekwondo (martial arts). At the end of class tonight, I found myself talking to the class and saying something very familiar. We are always telling them that they should never compare themselves against others in class. After all, a 50-year-old grandfather will not look the same as a 14-year-old when trying to execute a flying side kick. Nature simply will not allow it. We tell them that they should measure their progress against themselves and the standards and goals they have set. Tonight I found myself saying once again, “Don’t bother to compare yourself against the other students in class. Each one of you is different. Although we share similar goals, our paths are unique in getting there…Compare you against you. It is today’s you versus yesterday’s you. Are you better than you were? Could you be better? Could be stronger…”

After speaking these words for probably the 1000th time or so, something very important came to me. We truly cannot judge ourselves to be better or worse than someone else. We cannot look at other people as a measuring stick, because there are none superior nor inferior if indeed we are all equal. We can only measure where we are at today by where we were yesterday.

With this line of thinking comes great responsibility. This means that we must outwork, outthink, outdo ourselves if we want to progress and grow. If we don’t, we have no one to blame, but ourselves. This can be very empowering if we consider that this means we are in charge of our own success; however, it can be very frightening if we also see that we are in charge of our own failure.

For me, I choose to see it as empowering. I embrace the chance to outdo myself, and hopefully, God willing, I can inspire others to do the same. I hope your day was as good as mine! See you tomorrow for day 3!

Day 2: All humans are equal

2007-06-14T07:56:00.001-06:00

Day 2: All humans are equal

Good morning! Today is day 2 of the “WE” challenge. Today I am determined to view all human beings as equals. As I look at this statement, I think “duh.” I’ve always known that. I have looked at the world daily and wondered why some people have such awful burdens to bear like poverty, disease, racism, etc., yet I live in my comfortable suburbian home with a happy and healthy family. There are people struggling for their basic human rights, yet I have been blessed to live in America where people are always standing up for mine. The people who are not blessed with my same blessings are just as important as I am. They are my fellow man. I know they deserve the same wonderful things that I have.

But when I take a closer look at the inner workings of my mind and how it operates day to day, I see that I often forget that we are all equals.

There have been many times when I have thought myself to be less than or inferior to someone else—because of experience, education, lifestyle, etc. For example, as I go through the inner struggle of writing this blog and my book, I often think to myself, who are you to write this stuff? Why will people care what you think? I often wonder if my family and friends think that as well or if they think I just have a screw loose. There are certainly people in this world who are much more qualified, educated, talented, etc. than me who would be better to communicate this stuff to the world. Then I see that this is my fear and inferiority complex talking—nay shouting!

This is an important message to me, and for some reason, God has compelled me to share it. This is what keeps me going. Then I think to myself, if I really believed that I was equal with every other human, then why should I feel inferior about my abilities to do this work? We all have to start somewhere. I would imagine that even people like Ghandi, Mother Theresa, or Martin Luther King had these thoughts too at one point or several points along their journey through life. Does this mean I am comparing myself to them? Yes, in a way. They were just people—just like me. They were people with a dream, with a purpose who were able to remember that we are all equal and important. They had the courage to continue on their missions, to live their purpose, and by following their examples, hopefully I can have that courage also.

Another thing that I know will come up for me today is judgments—the little judgments we all make based on the way other people look, speak, act, etc. Am I seeing others truly as my equals? Am I judging unfairly? Am I measuring myself against other people as I come in contact with them? If we are all equals, then I must judge others with the same judgment I use on myself. This could be dangerous and destroying or it could be uplifting and powerful.

If you are coming along with me today, I encourage you to keep in mind that you are not an inferior or superior being. We are all equals—special and unique equals, each with a different purpose. Look around you and notice the inner workings of your mind. What thoughts come into your mind when you think of doing something big with your life? What thoughts come into your mind when you come in contact with others? Are you really seeing yourself and others as equals—beyond the obvious? Have a wonderful day! I will report back tonight!

Day 1 report

2007-06-14T00:32:00.001-06:00

Here I am at almost midnight—the end of my first day of the “WE” challenge, and feeling pretty good. Today I attempted to view myself and others around me as miracles. I spent the day with some of my family members out in the west desert of Utah, geode hunting.

As we drove out into the desolate desert landscape, we drove with faith. We had faith that we would find exactly what we were looking for---geodes. Why such faith given the vastness of the desert and the smallness of a hidden treasure? Well, we had reliable automobiles to get us there, we had all of the tools and supplies that we needed, and we had a miraculous little device called a GPS unit along with the known coordinates of our geode digging site.

I started to think about these wondrous creations of man, and I really gained a new appreciation for them as the day went on. I thought how wise and wonderful mankind is, how creative, how insightful man is to think of what is needed by other humans. We would have wandered aimlessly in that arid desert all day long without the assistance of those things, but instead we drove right to our site (albeit a long and dirty drive), found exactly what we expected to find, and took home many wonderful treasures—both physical and mental.

When we first arrived on the site, I found myself absolutely intrigued and amazed by every little geode my eyes spotted. I began picking them up and putting them in my back pack as we walked on further into the site. Soon, very soon, my backpack became very heavy. I realized instantly that I was literally surrounded by beautiful geodes. It was like walking through a pile of diamonds and trying to decide which ones to pick up.

With the afternoon sun beating down on us unrelentingly, I began to feel exhausted and more and more unimpressed with the geodes. There were so many, and yes they were all beautiful, but they began to lose their intrigue and became common to me. It was only when I took the time to pick one up and really look at all of its little intricacies that the luster of them returned.

As I sat there sweating in the pink dirt and shuffling through the piles of rocks that were surrounding me, it came to me. Ah-hah! My lesson for the day was in the geodes. Just like these geodes, there are so many humans on the earth. We see them every day, everywhere we go. They become common to us. We become common to ourselves. We stop noticing the beauty that lies in each one of us. We stop noticing our intricate details and those of the ones around us. We easily and quickly become disinterested, disengaged, and disconnected, losing that childlike wonder.

Each of us, like these geodes have many similarities. We are all built the same—basically—of course with variations in size, color, shape, gender, etc. (Thank goodness!) We all have beauty inside of us. We all have special, intricate qualities that make us unique. If we only took the time to examine more closely—or to just notice. Just take a moment and notice. Notice yourself. Notice the beauty inherent in you. Notice those around you. Notice their intricacies, their unique qualities, the wonder that lies within them. The outside variations are only a hint from God of the uniqueness found in each human.

Also like the geodes, each of us is a miraculous work of true craftsmanship. We are created with great similarities, and in fact created in the image of our creator. And although the outside is miraculous enough in its own right, on the inside of us lies an invaluable treasure. Our creator has given us unique beauty—just waiting to be discovered by someone who will take the time to notice and explore.

In the future I hope to be able to view my fellow mankind, and myself, as geodes. While being amazed at their existence, I will take a step further and look closer. I will look to see the inner beauty. I will look to see the soul, and I will make at least a small connection with them knowing that we share something wonderful. I will remember that I am special, and so is everyone else.

I am so thankful to God for this day and for my own body, mind, and soul. I am thankful for his craftsmanship—so intricate and detailed. I am thankful for my fellow man, for their beauty, and for the beauty of this planet we have been placed on. I hope you have had a similar, yet unique and wondrous experience today!

Day 2 is coming. See you in the morning.

2007-06-13T07:40:00.001-06:00

day 1: Body, mind, and soul--a miracle

2007-06-13T07:40:00.000-06:00

June 13, 2007

Well, it is day 1. I am awake and ready to begin testing out the concept of “We.” Week 1 I will be concentrating on the first principle which is “we are the same.” After talking about this to a friend of mine (who disagreed with ‘we are the same’) I decided that I had better clarify on this. “We are the same” really means we are equally valuable, and we share the same great qualities and construction that make us human beings. It does not mean that we are literally all the same. In fact axiom #2 is “we are all different.” I’ll bet you can guess where I am going with that one, but more on that next week.

So this week, I am out to change my perspective of the world. After all, you cannot change the world itself; you can only change how you see it and how you relate to it. So, this week, I choose to relate to it with a firm belief that we, as humans, are all equals and that we share many of the same wants, needs, cares, strengths, and weaknesses. My theory is that if I live with this belief and I act on it every day, my life will be completely different. Hold on, here we go!

After careful thought, I have decided today that I will start at the beginning—which for me is the body and soul that I have been given (which we all have been given). I want to gain an appreciation for the body, mind, and soul today—mine and others whom I come in contact with.

Today I am headed out to the West desert in Utah. It is supposed to be extremely hot today, and we are headed for an extremely desolate environment. We are hunting for geodes today. I am taking the kids and grandma with my brother as our tour guide. Afterward, we are headed to a military base to take a tour and perhaps go swimming or something like that to cool off. I think it will be a great adventure—especially for my kids.

I figure that hiking around in the desert today will give me great appreciation for my body and my will—for human fortitude. Taking a literal adventure like this will be a great beginning to my inner adventure that I am embarking on.

If you are accompanying me on this inner journey, I would suggest today that you begin to see yourself as miraculous. See the construction of your body, notice the intricate movements of your hands, think about the control your mind has within you, contemplate how it all comes together to form a miracle beyond any other. Let’s try to be thankful for this great miracle that we all share. Grateful to our creator.

Then perhaps turn your mind to your fellow man—could be your coworker, your child, parent, spouse, friend, a stranger, etc. Take a look at them and notice that they have the miracle as well. Recognize them. Be thankful for them. See them as a miracle.

I will blog late tonight with my insights on how this day goes—with these things at the forefront of my mind—with this principle as my belief for today. Please try it out and give me some feedback if you like—either through comment or email.

The key here is going to be starting with an open and objective mind! As you start trying some of these things, you may find that you have some prejudices in your mind that you have been unwilling to let go of or even still are unwilling to let go of. This may take more time, but I promise it will be worth it!

I know I have found many thoughts within myself that I did not know were so strong in me. Some good, some very bad. I choose to treat the bad ones like a bad habit. I am conquering them by replacing them with a good habit—with good thinking—with good feeling. .Let go of your old way of thinking and feeling. Start anew. Start today!

See you tonight!

the 21-day "WE" challenge

2007-06-12T11:06:00.000-06:00

Well, I am jumping on the "21-day habit-forming band wagon." For anyone not familiar with this philosphy, supposedly it takes a human being 21 days to change or form a habit. As I was thinking quietly yesterday about the concept of "We" and how I could further expand on it, I decided that it must really be tested--by me. This way I could learn how it really works, if it really works.

I have begun writing on a book on it, and since then, I have seen great changes in my thinking and in my feelings, especially toward those around me. I have also noticed some great weaknesses in myself that I have with this concept of brotherly love. I decided that I defintely need some work.

So, I have decided to take a 21-day "WE" challenge, which I will chronicle here in this blog for anyone who might be interested in trying it out.

Basically the concept of "WE" is about the power that one can find through connecting with his/her fellow mankind. The three guiding axioms or principles are:
1. We are all the same.
2. We are all different.
3. We are all a team.

I am planning to spend 1 week of the 21 days concentrating on one of the axioms. Hopefully this wil be an effective start at least in living this concept and seeing if I can really access personal empowerment by living these truths. For if I can do it, so can others. I welcome anyone to follow along these next 3 weeks and even join in with me if you dare.

Week 1 goal: To change my perspective--to view all people as the same and most importantly--equal, and to make the poweful connection contained in this principle.

This axiom's main principle is equality among mankind and empathy for each other. This includes seeing me as equal with others, remembering that we are all made by the same creator, remembering that we all make mistakes and we all share needs, wants, fears, and obstacles. It means that we all have the same rights and the same responsibilities.

The powerful connection I hope to make: I hope to be able to have empathy for my fellow man in order to be more helpful and forgiving and less judgmental and critical. I hope to be able to see others as my equals (rather than feeling inferior or superior). I hope to be more thankful to our creator for the rights and responsibilities we all have, for my own being and blessings, and for my fellow man.

So, I will take this day by day with my goals in mind. Each morning, I will write and decide what my specific goal for that day might be in conjunction with my weekly goal. Then at night, I will write and report how it went.

Tomorrow, June 13 is day 1. Please stay tuned.

WEblog

2007-06-02T19:27:00.001-06:00

I have concept that I want to share with the world. It has made a huge change in my life and is a very powerful idea. It is called "WE." The concept of "WE" is about personal empowerment through connecting with mankind.

It is about connecting with mankind in such a way as to make each person capable of reaching their full potential. There are 3 axioms of "WE."

1. We are all the same: We are all the same as human beings. We are all created from the same mold--that of our creator. Being all the same, we are all equal.

2. We are all different: We are all uniquely different and blessed with individual talents and gifts. This means each of us has something very valuable to contribute to the rest of mankind.

3. We are a team: We as human beings are all involved in the same daily battle. We are all on the same journey. Life is not a competition with our fellow man.

Here is the powerful connection: If these 3 axioms were lived as truth, we as humans could actually be capable of reaching our full potential--both individually and collectively. The key is in believing them and in living your life in such a way as to reflect these truths.

If you believe that we are all the same, then you will see that there is no rationale for oppression of any kind. Some of the sick kinds of oppression we face are bullying, abuse, racism, hate crimes, and there are unfortunately many, many more. We are all equal, having the same rights and responsibilities. Yet we continue to oppress one another--claiming superiority over our fellow man. If you recognize that we are the same, we could be kinder to our brothers and sisters, more empathetic and more forgiving, not oppressive, less judgmental, and supportive instead of of discouraging. Can you imagine the changes we would see in the world if we all lived this one simple truth?

If you believe that we are all different, then you can begin to recognize that all humans are valuable and possess unique talents and gifts--even you! This means that you and only you have something to contribute to mankind in a way that nobody else can. You are extremely valuable--and so is everyone else. We are all potential pieces to the beautiful puzzle of life. If we cannot realize our importance, we leave a piece missing--potentially risking the whole picture.

If you believe that we are a team, then it is easy to see that the competition does not lie with your fellow man, but rather within yourself. Life should be about the new you against the old you. Can you be better today than you were yesterday? With supportive, encouraging, and gifted people on your team, how can you lose? What could you accomplish? Who can you be? What problems could we solve in the world if we worked together to think of the solutions?

So, how does one live this way? Can you change people around you? Can we demand the everyone believe and live these truths? Of course, the answer is no. The secret is in changing yourself--in changing your perception. We make the change person by person. The change begins withing. You change your mind. You change your thoughts and your actions. You realize that your world is what you choose it to be. It is what you create. If you choose to see your fellow man as someone who will be supportive and accepting of your talents and gifts, wouldn't you be more willing to share them? If you knew you were part of a great team, how much more powerful and confident would you be?

Do we have this kind of power within us? I think so, in fact I KNOW so.

Once you start believing it, you will make it happen. You will create your own reality. People around you will even start manifesting your beliefs. In this way, you actually can change those around you--because they will be inspired by the way you are behaving. They will ask you what is the difference in you? That's when you share your secret. When you share with them what you know, then they too can change the way they see things and the in turn, the way they behave. They can be powerful like you using the knowledge that you share with them.

This begins to grow and grow just like a virous. Isn't it time we had a GOOD virus instead of a bad one? Isn't it time for us to spread good will instead of insult? I think this can happen, I really do, but one person at a time.

I am calling on my fellow man to start living these truths today. Start seeing things as they really are rather than the lies we have learned and told ourselves for so long. Through believing the lies, we are oppressing ourselves. We are holding ourselves back--not sharing our talents, not going after our dreams, not reaching out and becoming part of team.

I think now is the time to make a change. Now is the time to find your inner power and use it. Then teach your fellow man to do the same thing. Take just one of the axioms and start believing it as true. See how it chnages hte way you think, feel, and act. I know you will be amazed at hte change just as I have been. Let me know how it goes!

Your sister in mankind,

Linda McPharlin
tkdmommy@comcast.net

The Beginning of an empowering concept

2007-05-16T22:45:00.000-06:00

This is the beginning of something big. This first blog represents the beginning of "We," a concept that hopefully can empower each of us, bring us together, and connect us as mankind.

The following article is an email I sent out to my family and friends a few weeks ago that started this whole thing. Since then, I have been anxiously engaged in writing a book on the concept. I intend to continue blogging on my experiences with this and how it affects others as well as sharing more of this concept and how it can be applied in your life as an untapped source of empowerment. Please contact me by email if you have any questions or comments.

(original email follows)This is not a religious rant, a thought of the day, a joke, a sales pitch, or SPAM. This is me, one human being in her most honest and vulnerable form—at 2 a.m., reaching out to another with a message of great importance. Have you ever felt something so deep within yourself, that it is undeniable and you must share it? Well, I had to share this, and writing is my best method of communication. I start by sharing it with those who know me…which really is scarier than I thought it would be. It is my greatest hope that you will identify with it in some way, and maybe even be inspired by it. Hopefully you will feel inspired to share it with someone else after you read it. Here goes…I believe that we, as mankind, have allowed ourselves to be taught and to believe the following myths long enough:1. I am better than someone else, or someone else is better than me. 2. I can handle life on my own. I don’t need anyone else. 3. I can’t make a difference, or I don’t have time to help someone else. Here is the Truth to dispel these destructive myths for good: We are all human beings—part of a global family. We are in this life together. We share the same needs, desires, goals, sorrows, and fears. There is no superiority in human beings, in mankind. We are all made of the same ingredients, and we are all magnificent and divine. We all have unique strengths, gifts, and talents that should be used to serve one another in times of need. We all fall down, and we all hope that our brother or sister will be there to pick us up, dust us off, and send us on our way again.It is time to change the way we think. To stand by and watch or to flat out ignore as our brothers and sisters are suffering in poverty, despair, torment, and bondage of every kind is intolerable and irresponsible. We would not allow it to happen to our family. Well, what about our global family—our brothers and sisters in mankind? Will we allow these things to happen to them when we have the power to stop it?Many people think they can’t make a difference or they don’t have that kind of power. I hope you will see that you can make a difference just by letting this message resonate within your soul. See the truth. The truth is that we are in this life together. It is not you against me, but you with me against the challenges of life; and awful, unspeakable, and crippling things are happening all around the world and in your own backyard to your brothers and sisters. Recognize it. Recognize them as just as significant a being as you are. While some are actually complaining about having too many choices, others are hoping and praying with all of their soul’s might that they can have a choice at all, that someone will help them to regain some power over their destiny. Now is the time, and times have changed. Never have there been so many challenges that people have to face each day. The old ‘solutions’ are not working anymore. We cannot solve the same old problems with the same old efforts and the same thinking that created them. We need to dare to think and envision new possibilities—for ourselves and for others. We need to help our brothers and sisters see the possibilities and share the vision. We need to support each other, empower each other. We need to give up the old habit of judging one another and constantly comparing ourselves to each other to test for success and happiness. This is futile. The universe is teaching us that every day if we will learn. First, we need to allow ourselves to love. Who? Everyone—all people—even if you don’t know them or don’t like them. Let us love by recognizing our connection at our most significant and precious level—our soul. Let us have compassion and empathy for one another. Let us understand that we are a family. Another thing we have in common is that everyone must die at some time, but doesn’t everyone deserve a chance to live—to really live? To do things that allow us to hear our soul sing. We can’t help the circumstances that we are born into. We have no control over that. However, we can look to those who have been less—much less—fortunate than ourselves and realize that he or she is your brother or sister, and they deserve all of the things in life that you deserve. They have the same power that you have---inside. They just need some help to find it, to reclaim it, and to utilize it. They need you in order to do that. Are we our brother’s keeper? Unequivocally and absolutely, yes. You are theirs, and they are yours. We are all in this thing called life TOGETHER. We need each other. We are meant to need each other and to support each other. We gain greater inner strength by giving it to someone else. There are enough ugly viruses in the world today: physical, mental, and emotional. Let’s say no to these viruses. How about we start a new and wonderful virus— a virus that proliferates faster and more widely than any other known to man? Let’s start a virus filled with joy for once that is unstoppable and incurable. This would be the virus that eliminates all others. Let it operate at the deepest level of our hearts and souls. Let it connect each of us in the human race with one another, so that none of us are alone. Let its symptoms be love and charity for our fellow man—just because he is our fellow man. Let us reach out and spread it as much as we can by touching the lives first of those close to us, and then reaching further if we can do so. There are opportunities everywhere—big and small—if you just keep your eyes and your mind open. There is no greater feeling that lifting your brother when he has fallen and needs a helping hand. Don’t dwell on how he got there, but help him find a solution to get him up and to make him strong, so that he does not fall again. We can gain our power and confidence this way instead of trying to gain it through putting or pushing down others.Where should we start? What can we do? I suggest this model/method as a guide. I call it the Pillar of Light. It is based on what a pillar of light (such as that coming from a flashlight) symbolizes to me. There are 4 simple steps to it. 1. Rescue others from darkness. See them in their despair—whatever it may be—and do something about it…anything! Get them out of that misery. Begin by donating your body: Lend a listening ear, a shoulder to cry on, arms to help carry someone’s crushing load or to wrap around them, legs to walk with them, your eyes to see what is possible instead of the faults, your mouth to speak kind words and give comfort, and your heart to share love with them.2. Provide light and vision. Help them to see another way…a better way, a better path. Help them to believe that something better is possible. Work with them to create the vision for a new outcome, a new future.3. Provide strength. How? Share yours. Share your knowledge. Share your gifts and talents. Let them lean on you, and then teach them and empower them to stand on their own. 4. Be a shining pillar of light to guide others. Be a living example of possibilities, and teach others to do the same. Be willing to lead, and teach others to lead. Share this model in precept and action, and teach others to share it. This is how the good virus can spread to overcome and eliminate all of the bad ones—the same way a cold is spread—by one human being touching another human being. It is not possible for one person to serve all of mankind and solve all of our problems on their own; therefore let mankind serve mankind, as brothers and sisters—one precious soul at a time. Let us take control and solve the problems that plague us by being on each other’s side, by envisioning new possibilities, by empowering others and ourselves.I challenge you to make a decision and take a stand right now that you will not allow your brother or sister to suffer when you can help. Stop what you are doing, and make the commitment now. This is the right time, and no matter how busy you think you are, you do have the time. Light the fire that burns in your soul. Let it warm others until their fires can be lit and burn on their own. Share this warmth with anyone you come in contact with. Let them know that you are their brother or sister and that you support them and that you are there for them. Let go of judgments. They are not real. We are real. Let that connect us. We all have faults. Let’s let go of them and forgive others of theirs. We all have gifts. Let’s share them and accept them from others. We all have something that someone else wants or needs. Let’s give it to them and rejoice in what they give us. We all know something that someone else needs to know. Let’s teach them and open our minds for them to teach us. Let’s be a pillar of light to all who need us, allow others be a pillar of light to us. We are in this together. Let’s begin acting like it today. I am reaching out with this email. It is a bit frightening, but I hope you will do the same. Please share this with your family and friends to proliferate this message. Also, I welcome your email with any thoughts and feedback. Please be gentle. Sharing insight is always the beginning of something wonderful.

Your sister and partner in mankind,
Linda
tkdmommy@comcast.net