Tag: mark twain

IF YOU WANT IT, GIVE IT AWAY

This may seem counterintuitive, but it really makes sense if you stop and think about it. Take them one at a time. Love is a great example. Love is not always of the romantic type. Although it works the same for both. Love is compassion, understanding and respect. At least it should be. When you love someone, that is show them compassion, understanding and respect, the more likely they are to do it to you. The more that you ‘give it away’ to others, the more people are likely to give it back to you. Will there be some exceptions? Of course. If you wish to have a life filled with more love and understanding, the best way to accomplish this is by giving it away.

Abundance is a little harder to wrap your head around. First thing to note is that abundance is not always money. If you have an abundance of anything, the best thing you can do is share it with those less fortunate. This can be your time, a shoulder to cry on or an ear to sit and listen. The more you do these for others, the more they are likely to reciprocate. Even when it comes to money this is so. Think of someone who picks up the tab when you go out to eat. Would you not want to do the same for them the next time?

The point is that in life if you do something for others, they are more likely to do it for you. Therefore, if you want more of something in your life, it only makes sense to put as much of it as you can into the world. The more you do it, and the more people you do it to, the more it will come back to you. Do not take my word for it. This coming week try putting as much genuine kindness out into the world. If you are already kind, double your efforts. Do this for a week straight and see what happens the following week.

KEEP YOUR MOUTH CLOSED! ðŸ™Š

Just a quick reminder to speak only truth and to do so diligently. Ask yourself, is what I am now saying truly reflect on who I am and what I wish people to think my character is?

It seems in our modern world people feel compelled to say something. Focus more on quality over quantity. This holds true for everything in life, but especially in our speech. Nobody enjoys being around someone who talks just to hear the sound of their own voice.

A quick parting thought. If you wish never to be thought a fool, speak life, empowerment, and encouragement to all that you encounter. There is always room for words that uplift.

GIVE TODAY A CHANCE!

How about this advice from Mark Twain? It is really so true. Today, the day you are reading this post, has the potential for being the most beautiful day of your life so far. It doesn’t matter what challenges you are facing, what the weather is like or whom you have to spend the day with. We need to understand, and appreciate, that true beauty comes not from outside circumstances, but inner gratitude and appreciation for the beauty that surrounds us. I am a huge fan of sunny warm days, yet there is beauty to be found in the rain. There is a majesty to be found in storm clouds and thunder.

Is it a traffic jam, or is it a driving break to say some positive affirmations and sing along to your favorite song at the top of your lungs? Is it a red light delaying your journey or a chance to lean over and kiss the one you love? Is a workout something you dread doing, or is it something you can do to get you one step closer to that healthy body you are shooting for? At first glance, you might notice all of these facts can be true. It is the ‘glass half empty or half full’ question. Both ways of looking at it can be true, but one feels like lack and you are missing something, the other feels abundant and like you have something. Both are equally true, but how we choose to view it determines how it will make us feel.

Give today the chance to become the most beautiful day of your life. At the very least, just don’t get in the way of it becoming so. Free your mind of all the worry, fear, anger and other nonsense that we often fill our heads with. Instead, actively look for all the beauty and things that you can appreciate about the day. Feel free to share some of those wonderful things you discover!

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PLAY A GAME OF KEEP AWAY!

One of my favorite Mark Twain quotes. I encourage you to be very strict as to who you let in your inner circle. Keeping those close who may put you down constantly can kill your spirit.

Also, think of what kind of person you are. Do you encourage others or are you constantly gossiping and putting them down? Encourage others to chase their dreams. We never know what we and others can accomplish.

THE TWO MOST IMPORTANT DAYS OF YOUR LIFE

Here is a great thought to bounce around your head this coming week. The two most important days of your life. The first is obvious. If you were not born, not much would be happening right now. You simply would not exist. I am going to put forth the notion that the second may be of equal importance. How can that be? How can anything be as important as being born?

Well let us take a look at what being born has gotten us. I compare it to a graduation from say high school or college. You have the diploma in your hand, but what does that get you? Not much if you do not follow that with action and direction. Nobody comes up to you and just says “Here is a job now that you graduated.” Just does not happen that way.

So what if we just stop at the first important day. We never discover a purpose. Life becomes an arduous task filled with monotony. After all if you think you were just born to pay bills and die, what do you have to look forward to tomorrow? Life just becomes more of the same. Even if by some great stroke of luck you come into a great fortune, say win some lottery, not much will change. This is why many people who come into a financial windfall end up worse than before they started. In fact, working at least gives them some purpose, albeit not one of their own choosing. Suddenly through retirement or financial gain even that is taken from them.

On the day you discover your purpose it is as if you are born anew. When your life has a sense of direction and purpose the little things that used to bother you seem to bother you less. You have a compelling reason to arise each morning. Should you become financially independent you are free to put those funds to use furthering your passion which could be helping further the career of aspiring authors and blog writers. You gain another very important gift – hope. Without a greater purpose what hope is there that life will get better? You will wake up to more of the same.

So this week begin to refocus your attention on discovering the second of the two most important days of your life. Feel free to share your purpose in the comments below and help to inspire others!

FEAR OF DEATH

“The fest of death follows from the fear of life. A man who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.”

-Mark Twain

We have a Native American saying I like to use often.  “Hoka Hey” loosely translated it means “Today is a good day to die” Now you may be asking yourself “Why would any day be a good day to die?” Fair enough question. Facts being what they are, we are going to all die sometime. A survey was taken of people who were in their final days here on this planet and do you know what their top five regrets were? They are as follows, in no order in particular:

1. I wish I hadn’t worked so hard

2. I wish I had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me.

3. I wish I had the courage to express my feelings

4. I wish I had stayed in touch with my friends

5. I wish that I had let myself be happier

These are the same regrets that often surface when someone we care for passes away as well. I recall this happening when my grandfather passed away. The following day we were supposed to go to a market he enjoyed. Being a young man I must admit I was dreading ‘wondering around looking at junk all day and never buying anything’ funny thing is as soon as he passed away not only did I feel bad about feeling that way, as the years have gone by I rather miss those trips. So much so I have even begun making trips myself to that very market. There are always questions left unasked, thoughts left not shared, moments left undone. One of the reasons this happens is quite often life gets in the way. I’ll take that vacation with my sister when work is less crazy, or I will buy that special gift for my spouse as soon as I save up a little extra money. Yet moments and lives can be stolen in the blink of an eye. Usually we never know when that may be. That is one of the reasons most people fear death, but this fear can also be turned into motivation. Why would a day be a good day to die? Answering the question we began with, a day where you have told everybody you love how you feel. Where you have used every skill and talent you have to bring the most to this world. When you have given of yourself freely and accepted all in complete gratitude, then it is a good day to die. So live every day as if it may be your last and if you every catch yourself feeling at peace with your life, you may want to emulate Chief Crazy Horse and yell “Hoka Hey!”