Entry #1

"Heart & Mind"

     To fully understand a journey there are two things that must be known.  First, where to begin and, second, where it ends.  Turning a dream into reality is precisely that; a journey.  There must be movement or nothing is accomplished.  Too many people sit and wait for their "ship to come in" and end up dying bitter and angry at life for passing them by.  So where does the journey begin?  When I was younger I had the opportunity to listen to a man speak to a large group about goals and dreams.  This man was amazing in that he had traveled and accomplished so much and had complete confidence in his own abilities not only to chase a dream but to catch it.  Unfortunately, I don't remeber his name but I do remember this one thing;

"Dreams are never ruined by circumstance, they are born in the heart and in the mind and it is only there that they can ever die."

This struck me powerfully not only because I have always considered myself a dreamer but because this man was sitting in a wheelchair as he spoke.  Some tragic accident had confined him to a wheelchair when he was young but still he found a way to overcome the "circumstances" that threatened to smother his dreams and aspirations.  How true his statement rang at that time and now over twelve years later it has become a rally cry for me in my life.  The journey towards a dream begins in the heart and the mind with the birth of the dream.  It may be a flash of inspiration, one defining moment when the direction becomes clear like a bolt of lightning, or it may take shape slowly over time and seem to always have been there.  The better we understand our dream the better we are able to pursue it.

     Quite frequently we hear the phrase "knowledge is power" and I have personally come to believe that isn't accurate.  I know alot of people that are very knowledgeable and yet are powerless when it comes to controlling the path of their own lives.  On the other hand , I know alot of "ignorant" people that are the most powerful individuals I have encountered.  It became apparent to me that knowledge wasn't the key.  So I began to search and came to a realization.  It is our vision that makes us powerful.  The way that we perceive things completely alters our understanding of those things.  As we understand the different influences that steer our destiny the better equipped we are to manipulate those influences to our benefit.  Obviously, that man many years ago had the right perspective on his dreams and that gave him the power to make them a reality.

     Once the dream is born, the real work begins.  Our attitude is the only defense we have against life's circumstances and the damage they try to inflict upon our dreams.  There is quote that I have heard in one variation or another for most of my adult life but recently I was at a business meeting and it was mentioned again but in a way that was even more compelling than those I had heard in the past.

     "The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life.

Attitude is more important than FACTS.

It is more important than the PAST,

than EDUCATION, than MONEY, than CIRCUMSTANCES,

than FAILURES,

than SUCCESSES, than WHAT OTHER PEOPLE THINK,

OR SAY, OR DO.

It is more important than APPEARANCE, GIFTEDNESS, or SKILL.

It will make or break a company, a church, a home.

The remarkable thing is,

WE HAVE A CHOICE, EVERY DAY, REGARDING

THE ATTITUDE WE WILL EMBRACE FOR THAT DAY.

We cannot change our past.

We cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way.

We cannot change the inevitable.

The only thing we can do is play on the one strength

we have, and that is our attitude.

I am convinced that LIFE IS 10% WHAT HAPPENS TO ME

AND 90% HOW I REACT TO IT, and so it is with you.

WE ARE ALWAYS IN CHARGE OF OUR ATTITUDES.

-Chuck Swindoll-

Dreams don't die, they are smothered by the choices we make every day.  CHOOSE TO SUCCEED!

     The amount of time we spend thinking about something is directly related to our belief in our ability to accomplish that thing.  How much does accomplishing our dream occupy our mind?  What is it that we think about when we aren't required to think about anything?  Ask yourself that question and if you can answer it honestly then you will gain insight into your own perspective of what you want.  Positive thinking is a conscious decision, again, we choose our attitude.  As we try to visualize what it is we want most as if we had already achieved it, it becomes a reality.  My mentor and friend "Doc" Jensen ( www.doctorlew.com )told me at the very beginning of our discussions together to write my own life story but start it at the end and write it as if I were an old man having accomplished everything I ever wanted.  If you can see the events and decisions leading up to that success before they actually happen you will recognize the opportunities in time to take advantage of them.  Train your mind to embrace the fact that nothing is impossible and it will be open to inspiration and opportunity.  Just because something hasn't been done yet doesn't mean it's impossible.  Your dreams shouldn't have boundaries or limitations but in order for that to happen your way of thinking cannot be restricted either.  Too many times the difference between what's possible and impossible is nothing more than timing.  Allow the ideas to flow and don't toss any out as being too far-fetched because, in time, that idea may be the inspiration that will make it all come alive.  Dreams are born in the heart and mind, that is where they live and grow and, given the opportunity, will take control of the world around them and shape it to their liking.  Our attitude and perspective give us the understanding we need to literally mold ourselves and our lives into anything we can dream.  Our attitude is a conscious choice but one difficult to maintain.   The more we think about it and adjust it as needed the more powerful we become in making it happen.  FEAR WILL KILL IT.  Fear of failure and even fear of success.  Break down the barriers in your heart and mind that say it cannot be done.  At times we must distance ourselves, also, from people who, because of their own fear, say it cannot be done.  Let your dreams wander as they may and they just might find a way out on their own.  Believe it will happen, even if you have to keep telling yourself over and over that it will happen til your mind becomes convinced.  Most importantly, believe that you deserve it.  There is another quote that I originally heard on the movie Coach Carter  and afterwards I researched it and found it in its entirety that discusses our deepest fear:

     "Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.  Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.  It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us.  We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?  Actually, who are you not to be?  You are a child of God.  Your playing small doesn't serve the world.  There's nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you.  We are all meant to shine, as children do.  We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us.  It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone.  And as we let our own light shine, we subconsciously give other people permission to do the same.  As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others."

-Marianne Williamson-

(emphasis added)

     The journey begins in the heart and the mind and until we understand how that works and what it means the path will take us no farther.