by Michael Mamas | Saturday, October 15, 2011 | Personal Growth, Spirituality |
“Fantasizing about the future is one of my favorite pastimes.” – Richard Branson.
The relationship of many with the future is well expressed here. Future fantasies are made in quantum leaps.
But progress in life is usually made through small, yet continuously patient, nibbles.
Those unwilling to take those nibbles rarely achieve the quantum leaps.
This relates to another quote from a golfer whose name I cannot recall: “The more I practice, the luckier I get.”
You must learn to take the small nibbles day by day. Then, in time you will live the future you long for.
© Michael Mamas. All rights reserved.
by Michael Mamas | Saturday, October 1, 2011 | Personal Growth, Relationship
In a heated argument we are apt to lose sight of the truth. – Publilius Syrus
I see this quite often, not only by the main participants of a conflict, but also by their supporting friends and family.
I think it was Davey Crockett that said, “First get your facts straight and then go ahead.” However, when things become heated, facts tend to fall by the wayside.
In those moments it is best to settle down and give it the time and space necessary to come from a better place… a healthy second response.
No one has the right to attack another in a heated moment.
© Michael Mamas. All rights reserved.
by Michael Mamas | Friday, September 30, 2011 | Spirituality |
What one thing do the two following quotes address?
If you want your children to be intelligent, read them fairy tales. If you want them to be more intelligent, read them more fairy tales.
The pessimist sees difficulty in every opportunity. The optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty. – Winston Churchill
There is nothing of greater value than a free mind. A free mind naturally gravitates to the highest just as assuredly as a helium balloon when released soars upward to the sky.
A free mind’s domain is the universe.
Education, real education, frees the mind.
A free mind is creativity.
A free mind is imagination.~
A free mind is joy.
A free mind is one with God.
A free mind is enlightenment.
A free mind is a free soul.
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Do you want to be happy? Do you want to be fulfilled? You must free your mind.
© Michael Mamas. All rights reserved.
by Michael Mamas | Wednesday, September 28, 2011 | Personal Growth
Truth is all around you. But it is up to you to put it all together.
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Consider the following three quotes:
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Good plans shape good decisions. That’s why good planning helps to make elusive dreams come true. – Lester R. Bittel
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If you’re going through hell, keep going. –Winston Churchill
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I do not think much of a man who is not wiser today than he was yesterday. – Abraham Lincoln
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Now putting them together:
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Have a good plan for your life. Determine what is most important in life as the central theme and move forward in that direction.
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As it is said in the game of chess, an imperfect plan is better than no plan. All too often I see people get so lost to details that they lose sight of the big picture and start spinning, as scattered thoughts bounce back and forth in their head.
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During tough times, keep moving forward… get through it. Do not wallow in the mire. Do not crumble, panic, or give up or give in. Now is the time to be strong and keep going.
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Learn as you go so you become more skilled to move in the direction of the plan.
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Every experience is a learning. You must be willing to expand your thinking, expand your horizons. Conditioned thinking is a rut that most live by, are tortured by, and die by.
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Look beyond that horizon. Life is not as you have been led to believe.
© Michael Mamas. All rights reserved.
by Michael Mamas | Thursday, September 22, 2011 | Relationship
The simplistic answer is ‘be nice.’ As the old saying goes, ‘you will catch more flies with honey than with vinegar.’ But your understanding of ‘being nice’ must not be superficial. So I would add to this, ‘Be straight.’
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People feel things. They can tell not only when they are being assaulted, but also when they are being manipulated, i.e. when you are not being truly honest with them. When you are throwing darts, when your motivations are coming from a distorted place.
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It is not always easy to be straight with people. You may feel hurt or any other form of negativity that puts a spin on your emotions making it very difficult to stand up straight and deal with whatever is going on. In such instances, give yourself the time and space required to access and act from a wiser place within. This can take time and effort, but as the saying goes, ‘if you do not have time to do something right, how are you going to find time to fix what you have done wrong.’
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You may also see that the person you are dealing with is in just that sort of emotional spin making them inaccessible. It is common in such instances to retaliate. But that will only make things worse. You must find it within yourself to wisely give them the time and space they require. At such time, it may be all you can do to wait and watch for an ‘in’… an opportunity to connect with them on a deeper level.
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This all begins with an honest relationship with yourself. What are you really feeling? You may think you are angry for example. But anger is often just a cloak for the deeper emotion of hurt or frustration. You need to find honesty within yourself. Then present yourself to the world from that place of honesty. This does not mean throwing yourself at the feet of another. It means being honest with yourself and acting wisely in your interactions.
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Rest assured that people will sense where you are coming from, and if you are acting from an honorable place within, they will, at least in time, respond accordingly. The best way to get what you want is to behave in a manner that elicits respect… be nice in a profound sense, not a plastic or superficial sense. Being nice means being straight. Come from the place of maturity within. In other words, being nice is far more than a sugar coating. It means simple, honest, straightforward integrity.
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Integrity is a word that is thrown around far too freely often used when a person is not doing what you want them to do or what you think they should do. But true integrity runs much deeper. Integrity means integration. Are the many facets of what you are feeling integrated with what you are thinking, what you are knowing, and what is actually the case? Are you really being honest with yourself and others? Are you standing up straight in your dealings with life? This is not so easy to do.
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But it is what is required if you want the respect of others. And that is your best chance of getting what you want.
© Michael Mamas. All rights reserved.
