The importance of words

Today, I was informed that I did very well last week as far as our office's sales report is concerned. This felt good. I know that in the grand scheme of Vector, it wasn't much more than a drop in the ocean, but there was that sense of pride and fulfillment that welled up a little. I know that it wasn't enough to solve all of my problems, but this was definitely a sizeable step in the right direction. **Pats self on back**

Now that I've got that out of the way, I was looking for something to take away from the meeting we had this evening.  I didn't find anything in my usual places, so I decided to give up on that particular source. Then, I was told something. I don't remember what was said, but I do remember it feeling important to me. I believe the essence of the statement is now buried deep inside my being and will resurface in a later post. I'm not really even going to dwell on this idea very long.

At this point, I simply want to acknowledge the fact that the specific words that are used are unimportant. What really matter are the ideas presented. Language is just a way to relay ideas from one person to the next. Spoken. Written. Signs. Touch. Any form of communication is an expression of ideas. Now, you can either pad the truth or you can get straight to the point and let someone else know what's really going on in your mind.

A Reminder...

In dissecting the world around me, I have forgotten why I began living as a minimalist.

I saw a link to an acquaintance's blog. Slowly sifting through the pages, I stumbled upon this video. No. I didn't stumble. I was very much in control. I came to this video...

First, I just want to thank T for putting this somewhere I was more likely to find it. It reminded me of why I chose to live the life I do. It's to find peace. I've been so caught up in what I was doing that I forgot to consider why I was doing it. I remembered that peace within myself is why I began this leg of my journey. The blog was just a way for me to share what I had learned.

I live in a minimal fashion not to prove anything to anyone, but to make sure I am reminded to stay grounded.

The roots of a tree are what bind it to the ground and what feeds it nutrients. The branches bask in the sunlight and digest the nutrients. The trunk connects the two.

Fairy Tales and A Child's World

I used to believe that the world of fairy tales was just that: a world of fairy tales. A plane of existence where anything is possible as long as you dreamed hard enough.

Not so.

The world of fairy tales is a very true place. I'm not writing, today, about dragons and monsters and unicorns. No, not today. Today, I write about the part of the world where all you have to do is believe and your dreams will come true. I believe this wholeheartedly... modified. What I believe can almost be contained in a couple of quotes.

"When the 'why' is strong enough, the 'how' will present itself."

"Faith without action is dead."

Be Real [and] Limitless. A Double-Blog

Sunday always seems to be accompanied by a blog. Here's a start to your week. I hope this will get your Monday morning off on the right foot or at least get it to switch to the right foot.

Some of the worst speakers I know are pastors. That's funny because speaking is their profession. You would think that they would be good at it, but they tend to lack something. A real and proper expression. Expression is the deal-breaker for me. Never forget that people won't pay attention to you unless you show them that you genuinely believe what you are saying and are emotionally bound to the ideas that you are presenting. This may not seem like a topic that I can turn all philosophical like I normally do, but watch me:

Morning Ritual

When you wake up every morning there is one thing you should do until it becomes second nature. Before you roll out of bed. Before you sit up. Before you turn off your alarm. Before you roll over. There is one thing you should ask yourself.

"Why did you wake up today?"

Don't move a muscle until you have an honest answer for your question.

Take it a step further.

Don't move until your answer becomes your goal for the day. It can be one thing. It can be many things. The number is completely up to you. The only stipulation is that it must be worded in a positive manner. No negative words at all. They foster a negative spirit/mood.

Now you can turn off your alarm. Repeat the idea(s) to yourself.

Get out of bed. As you rise repeat the idea(s) to yourself.

Repeat it one more time before you leave the room.

There's a science behind all this. Trust me.

Have you ever wondered why a day started on the wrong foot? That decision was made when you went to bed. The human mind is the most easily influenced right before it loses consciousness and right after it regains consciousness.

The other day, someone commented on an update I posted saying they wished that they had the positive disposition that I have. There's my secret.

Remember, growing up, hearing "you are what you eat"? It's absolutely true. If you feed yourself the everyday crap of the average human being, you will become the everyday crap of the average human being. If you displace yourself from where you really are, when you realize where you are, you'll only be driven to change it.

This is the truth.

Here's the kicker: don't deceive yourself into how difficult this is. If you are really committed to this decision it will come as second nature to you. Stop and think now. Have you already decided that this is hard? Have you decided otherwise? You're right.

So here's the breakdown:

1. Realize how badly you want to change. 
2. Understand that change is easy. 
3. See that you want to change now. 
4. Change.

It's as simple as that. In fact you can skip the third step if you want to simplify it.

That's all I have for you today, but don't take this as truth. Question everything your senses perceive and discover your own truth.

Peace

The Scorpion, the Eagle, and the Phoenix

In recent history, I began talks with a semi-new individual. I say semi-new because I was introduced to this person a while ago, but we only began our true exchange of personalities a few days ago. In speaking with this person (this ambiguity of this is killing me. I'll just call her Lu). In speaking with Lu, my curiosity in the stars was rekindled.

When I was in middle school, I took a deep interest understanding as much as I could about the zodiac. Since then, I've only challenged my knowledge once and that was at the end of my senior year in high school over 4 years ago. Wow. That seems so much longer than that. Now that challenge has risen again. This is just a bit of what I know and what I've learned with some Wikipedia pages attached. I use it because other source sites may not be around later on and I don't want to have to fix broken links all the time.

According to the laws governing the Zodiac, I am a Scorpio, which is one of the four fixed signs: Taurus (spring/earth), Leo (summer/fire), Scorpio (autumn/water), Aquarius (winter/air).

My parents are Tauruses. My brother is an Aquarius. I am a Scorpio. The women I feel the most attraction to seem to all be Leo's (I'm not ruling others out. I'm simply making an observation).

Stay Hungry. Stay curious.

If you live each day as if it were your last, some day, most certainly, you will be right.


I don't really like leading with my main point today, but it just seems right. I find that some of the worst questions I've ever asked myself started with "What if I had..."

Don't think back to any time you've ever asked yourself that question. You'll only be reinforcing negativity. I want you to think of everything you've ever wanted to do in your life. Now decide to do it all. Take a step in every direction. All day. You've got 24 hours to have the best day ever. Even less if you sleep at all.

The Hallway

Your body walks down the hallway. A soft, white glow emanating from every surface. Not bright, but present. The empty blue sky giving way to the blistering heat of the sun.

"This body of mine is worn."

The stinging rays turn the thin, slick layer of sweat into a sharp mist that seems to cut into your flesh. Your muscles slowly rolling under your skin. Feet dragging. Ribs reluctantly allowing air to fill your lungs.

A Special Request 1

Read these next few lines then do what they say.

Stop

Turn off all sounds

Close your eyes

Slow your breathing

Focus on every breath you take

Let your heart slow down

Don't stop until you can feel your heart beat

Open your eyes

Now that you've discovered the art of calming down, take a look at your situation. There are things that are going well and things that aren't. There are things that you can control and things that you can't. It's really easy to discern the difference between the first pair. The second, often times, is blurred. 

The Next Chapter Has Just Begun

As I walked into the house this evening, I bounced a thought off of the side of the house and listened to the question that I posed to myself.

Sometimes, it's good to hear yourself talk to you out loud.

I asked myself, "What's holding you back?"

It wasn't my work ethic. (I'm always willing to work towards something important to me)
Not my resources. (I can get by on little)
Not the people around me. (I haven't been talking to many people up until these last few weeks)

It turns out that, when I look back, I work the hardest when I'm working for someone else. I'm not saying a boss. By far, no. I mean someone that's a constant in my own life. One that I hold in high personal esteem. I suppose it's the same difference between a man who works to support his family and one who works to makes sure he's got what he needs.

This is my truth as of the moment I'm typing this.

Today's blog is not purposed to challenge others, but for me to voice a challenge to my self.

Revelation of a Lifetime

Every great achievement that has ever occurred follows a moment when an individual allows the perception of themselves to precede reality.

This is a fitting statement to properly dictate how I felt at the end of a meeting I had at work on Sunday afternoon. Essentially, I finally heard a talk that covered material that I needed to have the proper motivation and inspiration to move in the proper direction for the work that I do

[plug]

Contact me if you want to directly support my efforts

[end plug]

I realize that I haven't been putting my best foot forward in life. Growing up, I had the highest regard for every thing that I did for every moment of my day in every thing that I did. Since I moved out of my house, I had reduced my expectations for my self. I took what I could get. I lowered my head to anything that was better. I struggled through what I know I didn't deserve. I worked way too hard for what I got in return. I discounted my worth to myself and those around me. Then, from this grave that I dug for myself, I decided to fight my way outward and dig for my self an system of catacombs that in the end made a glorious infrastructure that only I could appreciate. I displayed my worth in all the wrong ways. I could just have easily taken two steps and be right above the ground.

I finally took those steps and found out slowly that my shovel is useless up here. I escaped the harsh conditions of mainstream work and reached a place where I could flourish. It was overwhelming. I didn't know what to do or where to start. I floated through this past month and some days like nothing had changed and I still had to work towards the expectations of others.

Now I see and truly realize that everything I do, though it affects everyone else, it all effects my self above all others. I mould my own existence.

Here is the challenge. It's a rewording of that opening statement.

Exist beyond now.

A Trip Back In Time (my first post via email)

Here begins a trip into the past...

I love my family.

When I was but a wee lad in the great city now known as Miami-Dade, I wasn't the smallest member of the family. I was the youngest, but I was also the [proportionally] largest. I had a sleek, buoyant, round, jiggly figure. I know this because my family loved to *poke* fun at me for it. Not to worry. I laughed too.

You see, my fam was never malicious towards each other. If we ever had anything to say, we'd find the best way to say it without hurting anyone's feelings.

My chubby jokes were usually accompanied by a tickling or a poke (remember, I'm like 4-5 y/o).

The reason I'm sharing this in particular is to make you chuckle. Now that that's accomplished, the second reason is to let you know something else: whatever you have to communicate can be done in a positive light.
If you know me today, you'll notice that I don't really have much size to me at all. This is because I saw that something needed to change. I wasn't shamed into not liking my shape and it wasn't some reality tv style struggle that I went through. I just decided to do more.

Stop dwelling on the past. Remember it and move forward

I'm an avid follower of the news according to NPR. This week, they've been spending a lot of time focusing on the events of September 11, 2001. One of the points that struck me the most is the amount of time that has passed since it happened and the amount of other things that happened since then. Has it really sunk in that it was almost 10 years ago since that event/chain of events? I was about to turn 13. Sitting in my social studies class next to my friend Stephen Lorance...

[this is the part where you reminisce about where you were when you got the news and start mourning and all that stuff]

I know my perspective seems a bit insensitive, but wait til the end so you can tell what perspective I'm coming from.

Moving a little closer as we walk side-by-side

I'm not sure how my voice is going to sound today. I've been feeling a bit off since I donated some of that good ol' plasma yesterday afternoon... so yeah. I'm just trying to stay on track with my resolution.

The day before yesterday, I realized something truly. In my inner being. It's not about what you don't have. It's about the things you do and the people that you surround yourself with. At the end of my fantastic (for many reasons) day, I went out to a lounge with a couple friends.We spoke about a few things and laughed about more. All in all, I learned to appreciate the fact that I still have people involved in my life that can shed some light for me. That being said, I'm still working on shedding my own light on my own circumstances. As great as it is to have friends that can do that. I don't want to have to rely on others like that until I can surround myself with people that carry similar values to what I hold and who can broadcast the same light for me as I do for others.

Sweet Nothingness

This morning started like any holiday would if I was working a regular, hourly job. Aside from the constant pitter-patter of rain drops falling outside my window, things were calm as usual. I decided to test out my new Gymnopedie station on Pandora while I was browsing my usual sites for my inspiration for today. A little way in and I decided to get something to eat. After a coarse few moments of deliberation, I decided upon a bowl of Raisin Bran. As I was noming away at it and stumbling at the same time, I found this little gem:



...right after reading a comic about the quality of apple products. This made my morning.

Making a difference in your everyday life

Yet another sermon-inspired blog on a Sunday afternoon. I wrote another note to myself because it's hard to blog from the pews and my poor little thumbs can't keep up like my hand can. I've added to my notes since then, but here is the finished product.

Seize every moment to the very last second. Don't passively float through your existence and expect to sleep easily every night. Work diligently towards where you want to be. 

"Who you are today is a sum of yesterday's decisions. Who you will be tomorrow is a sum of today's decisions."

We all know that we create the world around us, but do you understand that it takes diligent work to reshape where you are to where you want to be. Knowing and understanding are two completely different ideas. Even a painter must work diligently to transform a few colours and a canvas into a masterpiece. 

To gain anything, something of equal value must be lost. 

If you find that your time isn't as valuable to your employer as it is to you, find someone whose value is at the same level as yours. Everyone has the same twenty-four hours as you do every day. What sets each person apart is how they choose to spend them.

Stand up and walk.

I've reached a point now in my life where I must now turn around and stand up. My legs have grown weak from this laziness and my belly thin. Letting myself slide down this slope is not what I'm meant to do. My purpose is to flourish and now I must do just that. I'm the only one that can set my guidelines, though I can still seek guidance from those that surround me. My mold was broken long ago, and now I must reshape it to the figure I want and fill the cavity with my essence. Once it is overflowing, I'll trim the excess and remove the mold. Then, I'll live my life as a the figure I molded myself into and keep growing every day. No more slackness. Let's do this...