Hey, my friends. I hope you safe and well this Saturday! I don’t know if you’ve caught the news about Comet Neowise in the sky right now? It’s visible in the northern hemisphere after sunset in the northwestern sky. Headed out myself shortly to check it out.
Here are three affirmations for your Saturday evening. As always, remember you are awesome!
Ray
Happiness is right here right now always, if we choose it. I promise!
You and I place too many terms and conditions on our happiness. We say:
Yet we achieve those conditions and they may bring momentary happiness. Then we’re right back into dissatisfaction.
It’s not surprising. Our mainstream culture is a skilled merchant in unhappiness, fear, and dystopia. They sell it in bulk on the regular. We are easily swept into these eddies of dissatisfaction. If we’re not careful, they become our home.
I’m preaching at me as much as you this morning. I do it too. I place small print terms and conditions on my happiness. I waste days waiting and working for my conditions to materialize.
Buddha said, “The worst things in the world are desiring something and getting it.” I believe he was talking about this very cycle. We’re stuck in desiring rather than enjoying life. Then we get what we want and it loses its charms and appeal.
It IS a radical choice to be happy no matter what in such an environment. So, how do we achieve it?
Powerhack:
You are all awesome! Thanks for reading today’s post.
Ray
Have you ever seen a legitimate UFO?
I’ve seen three. Two a few weeks apart in 1991 and one in 2004 on a plane over Lake Michigan waiting to land in Chicago late at night. I detailed these in my interview on the Fade to Black radio show a couple years ago.
I’d love to hear about your experiences below.
Here’s a fantastic quote from probably the best researcher in the field today – Richard Dolan.
Setting aside the truth value of the UFO phenomenon, it is an interesting sociological reality that so many people are unwilling to discuss the most – and at times traumatic – experience of their lives. What does it say about our society that this is so? My feeling is that, by its very nature, it represents a form of repression. If you are a reader who believes UFOs to be nonsense of some sort, I can nevertheless assure you that you have a friend or relation who has seen one. They have simply learned not to discuss it. Many people can live perfectly well within the constraints of repression and denial; they simply learn to shut off certain parts of their mind. It is sad, but it happens all of the time.
But not everyone is the same. Not everyone is willing to do this, or even can do this. By any estimate, there are many millions of people on this planet who have had a powerful UFO experience. They cannot and will not be silenced indefinitely.
~Richard Dolan, UFOs and the National Security State: The Cover-up Exposed 1973-1991
Just in case no one else reminds you today, you are Awesome!
Ray
Happiness and freedom are never attained by running away from something. They are possible only when you run whole-heartedly towards your dreams. They are not a change in place, but rather a change in heart.
Today you know you can find happiness and freedom. There is no secret. You already have the answers. Look to your heart, listen closely to its words and wisdom, and then run straight towards what it’s telling you.
Have a great day everyone. Just in case no one else has reminded you today, you ARE awesome!
Ray
Challenge YOUR Status Quo
It’s funny what a difference a word or two can make in meaning. Most of you have heard the quote, “practice makes perfect.” It’s a Vince Lombardi quote, but the popular version isn’t the whole quote. The actual quote is, “perfect practice makes perfect.”
Small word change, but a huge difference in meaning. The first version tells me that if I practice my flawed golf swing, over and over and over, I’ll magically have a better golf swing. The latter coaches that I need to get my golf swing to a good place and then practice the right way over and over to achieve excellence.
It’s a pithy piece of advice to tell someone to “challenge THE status quo.” I’ve written a number of articles over the years on that topic myself.
It sounds very rebellious. Many people are willing to try it. There’s little to no risk in it. Here’s why.
Challenging THE status quo is a nebulous endeavor. What does it even mean? Is it driving a practical car when all, your friends drive sports cars? Does it mean growing your hair longer or wearing out-of-style clothes? Does it mean saying yes when society as a whole says no or vice versa?
These type of behaviors aren’t challenging anything meaningful. They’re non-conformity for non-conformity’s sake. What is that but a new kind of conformity?
No, you must challenge YOUR status quo. You must put your most cherished beliefs to the test once in a while. Take them out to the woodshed and kick the crap out of them. Poke holes in them like a prosecutor would. Evaluate your beliefs the way you would your ideological opponent’s.
Until you do that, what are they but someone else’s theories and talking points adopted by you?
Do they stand up to that kind of scrutiny? Yes. Wonderful, you’ve got principles that are keepers. No or not sure? Maybe these are things you should reconsider or at least be more flexible and less dogmatic about.
Just like perfect practice makes perfect. Challenging YOUR status quo is the only way separate the wheat from the chaff in your belief system.
Have an amazing 4th!
Ray
