Be Strong Today Friends

Be strong today my friends. This is not the time to be anxious and to fret.

Allow God´s peace to inhabit your day...to inhabit your mind.

Be gracious to yourself and to those around you. Know that what you do today plants seeds into your life tomorrow and next year and beyond.

Forgiving someone today plants favor into your life for years to come.

Remember what God said when He wrote what is now known as the ¨Lord´s Prayer¨

Matthew 6:12 Kjv And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.

Some folks think that only refers to money.....but it doesn´t.

Someone can treat you harshly for whatever reason, whether real or a silly excuse, but you still have a choice. First of all, you don´t take an offense personally.... if at all possible. 

You don´t know what someone may be going through privately, that it started overflowing into how they are interacting with you.

Also, just based on my background studying psychology, you learn about how humans can react to someone just based upon how they remind you of someone who offended them decades ago.

For example, if someone with a red streak in their hair was very mean to them when they were 12 years old in elementary school, they may keep within their heart an unspoken fear of people with red streaks in their hair. They may unconsciously think that anyone who has a red streak in their hair is not a nice person. It may be illogical and invalid, but realize that the human heart is often irrational and illogical.

These kind of associations happen without us even realizing it. That´s why we need to develop a greater maturity, that we can rise above the petty resentments we may sense around us.

Don´t allow small things to deter you from  doing what your goals leads you to. You are still in the driver´s seat of your life, no matter what everyone is doing or saying. Learn to build yourself up in prayer and time in the scriptures. Listen to speeches and lectures that build up your ability to live with clarity on your goals and peacefulness in your heart.

Surround yourself with good music. If you find that hearing lyrics and humans singing is distracting, then find some good instrumental tracks to which you can work. Great music builds up your peace reservoir and allow you to still concentrate on tasks at hand.

White noise.....what a great invention. Loads of them are available for free on youtube.

You listen to hazy background anonymous sounds like ocean waves or bird chirping and it allows your mind to focus on your task at hand rather than trying to sort through the meanings and nuances of songs and lyrics.

Well, friends, that was all I wanted to give you today....a  word of encouragement. I want to encourage you to rise above the minor irritations of the day and focus on the greater good. You have so much strength....so much possibility. You are alive. You have time left on this earth.

Use it my friends, to forgive and move on to the goals you have set this day.

Peace,

Carla

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If You Are A Woman and You Have Goals

If you are going to be a woman who sets goals and actually accomplishes them.....you just might come up against some opposition.

Folks will be offended by your ¨driven¨ qualities and may even call you the ¨b¨ word.  You are going to have to learn to carry on in spite of that stuff. They are just distractions trying to keep you from your chosen path.

I want to encourage you today ladies. I see how even today a woman resented my confidence and productivity and proceeded to call me an offensive word in a public place. Of course, this was not what you would call a ¨glamourous¨ place I was at, but still, it was a bit shocking to have such a loud and unpredictabl outburst from a total stranger.

But there is a verse in the bible (Ephesians 6:12) that talks about how ¨we do not fight against flesh and blood, but against powers and principalities and against the rulers of the darkness of this world...( there is more to this verse...but you get the general idea)

What does this mean? It means that what seems to just be a weird natural occurence, may actually be a malicious movement by the powers of darkness. 

Now why would anyone care about your success or feel threatened by your movement towards your goals? Perhaps because the devil knows when you get some momentum going you are going to be unstoppable! Unstoppable goal oriented women are POWERFUL! Unstoppable goal oriented women CHANGE the WORLD!

So, if someone starts behaving differently towards you since you started making new progress in life, please don´t be  alarmed. They are just part of that ¨ old structure¨ that resents change and likes to hold women in obscurity.

Sisters, friends, cousins, mothers, daughters, please write down your goals and do not loose sight of them.

Know that the time you invest in pursuing your goals is not wasted time or money. Don´t give up! Go full force! Don´t let anyone stop you! Don´t let any emotion or ¨feeling¨ or weird occurence slow you down.

You are powerful because you know the power of a certain decision, a focused choice.

Someone who can stay on target and move with all their heart towards one written goal is a force to be reckoned with!

Well, friends, that´s all I got for you today. 

Be blessed, be powerful....be good.

Peace,

Carla

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White Noise Works for People Like Me

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Other than an irritating ad at the start of the video.....I really do love this kind of white noise.



It is for my ears, what a "fidget" is for my hands.



I don't understand the science behind it. All i know is that my mind feels more peaceful, yet occupied and when I am listening with headphones to this white noise, I feel better able to focus on my task of choice.

What kind of audio really helps you achieve maximum output when your mind feels distracted for no reason?

Do tell,
Peace,
C.

I'm Not Lazy...I'm Managing My Cognitive Load

It is a wonderfully descriptive concept I have gleaned from the lovely Seth Godin. .....
"Cognitive Load".

"Cognitive Load" entails whatever your brain is required to do to complete a certain task.

My late brother was the creator of several "made for cable tv" tv shows in Canada. After each episode, he was physically, mentally and especially emotionally drained. He didn't always know how to put that experience into words, but I think he would have identified deeply with the idea of managing his cognitive load. Guys are not always that proficient at expressing their feelings...lol
But a solid phrase like "Cognitive load" is perhaps more tangible for some dudes to help them manage the struggle.

Tim Ferriss has also been helpful for "maledom" in putting into words the struggles of the modern male. Figuring out what tea is best served to "waking him up enough to get some work done and stay focused... along with "hacking" what sources of protein help him operate at peak functionality....like spinach, sardines...and boiled eggs ( manly yes, but I like it too")

Creative people are often misunderstood because the work they do is invisible and the majority of the burden or "work" is done within the brain and heart of the artist. Nobody sees their muses, nobody seems to be able to measure what great hidden effort it takes to create a thing of beauty. ( or at least something beautiful enough to pay the bills) Seth Godin and the frank dude/podcaster/human guinea pig Tim Ferriss have done their due diligence in bringing attention to this concept.

Mike Murdock teaches about limiting the number of daily decisions we make in order to preserve our mental and emotional energy. For example, if we choose the same hair dresser every time we get a hair cut, we have just "managed" our cognitive load and reduced the number of decisions we need to make on a regular basis. Limit the number of decisions you make in a day for personal care and Voila! you have granted yourself more free creative mental energy.
 ( btw... if you do happen to check out Mike Murdock's ministry you have to overcome the cringy hyper sales pitch...but if you can overcome that...there are some real gems to be discovered in his writings)

Putting some decisions on "repeat" will free up valuable energy to focus and complete more of your goals, whether in business or in your personal life.


Peace on,
Carla.



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You Can Tell a Mastercraftsman by What?

The question I have been playing with lately....is how does one identify someone who is at the top of their game? 

You can tell a Mastercraftsman by what? By how he/she treats their tools.

Today, I just want to talk about our tools of MASTERY....yours and mine.

How to focus 101.
  Isolate your tools.

A writer knows which format they prefer to write it...which keyboard clicks more smoothly and which room they prefer to be in when they write. Tim Ferriss (  ya ya.... I know I quote him so very often)  likes to be very specific about how he orders his writing posture, his beverages, his background visuals, his audio background, and his computer system set up. He knows that his mind is prone to wander, just like the rest of us....but he has "mastered" his "monkey brain" to a certain degree to know how to get himself into the "zone" that is optimal for his writings to flow most freely.

As a teen, I recall visiting an artist in her residence. She had carved out a lifestyle that was quickening and pioneering in the small community in which I grew up. Being a somewhat abstract painter in a conservation dutch community is no task for the faint of heart. But not only was this classy lady rising, she was doing so in what appeared to be a most peaceful and gracious flow.

Anyway, back to her tools. I recall how she showed us her paintbrushes.....which ones were made from horse hair etc. These tools were handled gently and with great respect. If my memory serves, her home was designed in such a way as to allow her ample lighted space pouring into her studio from which she produced her masterpieces. She and her family members revered her work space and yes....her tools.

I have never seen a Master at work who was careless with his or her tools. A shirtmaker I once worked for kept his tools stored with precision. He guarded his tools like a bulldog defends a raw steak, fiercely and without question. Anyone brave enough to borrow a tool from this particular Master knew that he/she had to put it precisely back into the exact same space and position it was in when he/she first touched it. He was known internationally for his skill and precision. A MASTER must always know exactly WHERE his tools are.

So, instead of rambling on about a plethora of Masters I have studied and try to learn from.. I want to challenge you today with the following three very blunt questions:

Number 1: What are you aiming to MASTER? Write it here: .......................

Number 2: What are your top five tools required for mastery? What could those tools be or what are they now?1....................
                2 ...................
                3...................
                4...................
                5 ..................

Number 3. Where do you keep those top 5 tools? Are they secure? Consistently in the same spot?
.............................................................................................................................................................
.............................................................................................................................................................
The answers to those questions will help you understand your own path to Mastery a wee bit better.
If your "tools" of choice, are scattered all over your home, in hard to find or dusty places.... how focused are you really on becoming a Master?

Or perhaps, in thinking through your list of fave tools ...you begin to remember how you loaned your favorite tool to your cousin or an old friend. Maybe it's time to get it back where it belongs. Maybe it's time to re-build your MASTERY tool chest.

Your tool of choice, may be a laptop that has a virus plaguing it....and is, therefore, lying dormant under your bed. It's time to get that laptop de-bugged. Your tool of choice may be a set of knitting needles ...one of a pair which has gone M.I.A. Time to visit yur fave knitting needle shop....or shop online to replace one.

Maybe the weights you use to carve out those athlete level muscles have rolled under the couch....roll them back out. They are your tools.
Your path to Mastery has  a path and on that path are quality tools.

A Chest of tools. Respect the tools, Respect the chest, the place to rest and protect your tools. Maybe your chest of tools needs a new lock to "seal the deal"  to your revitalized commitment to Mastery.

The path to Mastery is not a static line..... It ebbs and flows. There will be times when you need to remind yourself of what you are aiming for.....and aim again.Aim Again today and empower yourself with quality tools that you keep close and secure.

May God bless you as you move towards your goals.

In peaceful productivity,
Carla.




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Let Your Goals Hem You In

It's summer time....woot woot.But when you find that the summer air and kids running hither and thither are just about to
send you off course......take time to review your written goals.
Allow your goals to hem you in.

Sometimes even the weather can easily besought us and get us off course.
Have your written list of goals ready and handy to access in a second's notice.
I know that some of you protect your written list of goals with ultra high security, because you feel that somehow if someone in your home would glance upon your list, that they would somehow be able to tamper with your dreams.

But don't be afraid. Be courageous. Make a plan, write down at least one specific life goal that you can work towards. Most humans have about three major goals. The rest will fall into alignment as long as your goals are pleasing to God. What do I mean by pleasing to God? I mean that your written goals must be in the direction of "good will unto mankind".

So, folks, enjoy the jubilant weather and put the sunroof up in your car and get down to the beach this weekend. And when you catch a quiet moment in the midst of your fun, grab that beautiful list and rehearse your plan.

Peaceful productivity,
Carla

The Lure of Consumerism

No this isn't going to be a diatribe about how terrible shopping is....or how we should just stop spending money.

No, today I just wanted to discuss briefly how consumerism can be stealing your focus without you even realizing it.

What does consumerism do? Consumerism is an obsession with "all things bought".
Those who are lured into consumerism inherently despise anything that wasn't purhased with money and hate anything that was crafted or invented at home.

It's not that I'm necessarily advocating that we all become home bodies and spend all our time making home made gifts out of dried macaroni..... I'm simply saying that if you are one of those people who
wants your creativity and inventiveness to flourish, you might just have to resist that "spirit of consumerism" that has beguiled the masses.
Consumers don't create anything....they simply shop for what already has been created by someone else.
Consumers don't invent anything new, because their time is spent trying to please some external and commercialized idea of what is beautiful, effective or intelligent. They will buy what the media tells them to buy, even if it is in direct contradiction to their written goals. Perhaps they don't even have one single written goal at all. They merely live to consume, to purchase....and give all their time and adoration to what others have established.

But I know that there are many "Indie" publishers, writers, crafters, musicians, makers, and inventors and investors who are chock full of new and brilliant ideas. But their ideas are still in hiding because they have not been released through that very precious gift of "focus".

Are you going to give your written goal/goals the gift of focus?

Peaceful productivity,
Carla

Focus is the Perfect Hedge

I've noticed that there's something so ultimately powerful about staying "focused".......a bonus attribute of "focus" that is not often advertised nor understood.

Alright, enough....so what, Carla, is all the hoopla about focus?

Well, let's just say this, focus....... REAL FOCUS is the ultimate HEDGE around your life.

When you know what you want and you have committed all your eggs and all your energies to your chosen goal, there are many irritating folks who will simply give up on trying to distract or draw you down.

Your focus is like a wonderfully high strong wrought iron fence around your life.

Let's make an example. Let's say you have a relative who, for years and for some mysterious reason, seems to relish the act of verbally cutting you down to size, and criticizing much of what you do and even who you are. Well, if you become truly focused on your written goal, there is nothing that that relative can say to you that will ever steal your confidence. He or she will never again be able to steal your joy.

Knowing what you want is so ultimately personally empowering that little can be done to squash the incredible passion and confidence that follows your focus. Focus is everything.
The "gnats" in your life will quickly disappear because they will sense that you can not be touched behind your very high wall of focus. They will choose to pick on someone else more vulnerable and indecisive.

Is any of this ringing true? I challenge you to explore this idea in your personal life....and test it out. I am all ears as to your feedback....the comment section is always open.

Peaceful productivity,
Carla

"Whatever you Focus On...."

Tony Robbins said in one of his 2014 seminars
"Whatever you focus on you're going to feel".

I would tend to agree with his statement. Those who choose to focus on bad news, always find more....
Those who deliberately choose an optimistic world view, always find those hidden beauties in life that many others miss. Choosing to believe that God loves you, directs your mind and heart and emotions to seek out those proofs in the world around you that confirm and illustrate His love for us.

Be conscious of what you have chosen to believe about life. It is most certainly possible to
retrain and re-program a sullied mind, so that it thinks in new ways.
People's minds can change, when they take the time to immerse themselves in experiences and listening to cd's and speeches etc, that focus on the positive and empowering aspects of modern life.

And in case, you're rolling your eyes just about now, thinking that I am just someone with rose colored glasses....think again. I'm a realist too. But I know that from many many years of experience that I myself can choose what to focus on, what to believe and this ultimately and very effectively determines what I accept and expect to occur in  my life.

I expect good things to happen in my life....a very long and gushing gurgling rapids to burst forth.
Why? Because I have fed my heart mind and soul with God's word as well as the empowering words of thoughtful and intelligent and successful people.

Peace, productivity and prosperity.






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You Don't Need Everyone to Like You

You don't need everyone to like you....just the right people in the right season.

It's a colossal waste of time and integrity to chase approval. If folks don't like you.....their loss.
Your gain....no wasted time on their turf.

I believe that God has a plan for each of us...if we want it.
I also believe that God helps us and assists us in a myriad of methods and strategies in order to help us accomplish His will for our lives. Therefore, it is God himself who will give you favor with the right people at the right time.

I don't waste time being a people pleaser. I keep my eye and mind on my goals and aspirations. Those who want to bless my journey are a part of my inner circle. Those who don't .....aren't.

I've spent way too much time thinking about what other people want, to the point of forgetting what I wanted....and I found that distraction to be a most evil ploy of the enemy of our soul.
We need desperately to stay on track....so we can take regular daily steps towards our goals. We don't need to get sidetracked by chasing popularity or anyone's approval.

Be content, my friends, to pursue your goals and dreams. Those who belong with you on your travels, will stick with you, because they were meant to be with you for the long haul. There are those who are destined to learn from your journey and you from theirs. Those are the folks that you will bless and they will bless you with their time and attention.

Thank you God, for the best humans in the right seasons, so that we may accomplish what You have so freely given to me with joy.

Peace.





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Mindfulness? I Think It Depends on What is On Your Mind

Yes, yes I know it's trendy.... everyone and their cousins are preaching some "gospel" of mindfulness.
But hey it's supposed to be uncool to ask actually "What" we are supposed to be mindful of.

But let's get real ok? Mindfulness is a little bit sketchy. Some folks talk about mindfulness as the next great teaching tool. But I want to say it again....just WHAT are we supposed to be mindful of?

As a Christian, I find this mindfulness idea to be rather grievous to a Christian's mindset.
We are taught to have the mind of Christ....not to just simply be "mindful".

If your mind is full, what really is it full of?

If you want to renew your mind, it's time to get in deep up to your elbows into the good ole bible, not some new age wonky unclear mystical teaching.

If you can find "mindfulness" in the bible, then please send me the verse from scriptures into the comment section below. I'm all ears.....

Peace.



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