Someone wants to change you…

Lots of people want to “change the world.” Often that means they want to change you. There are lots of them and they have different ideas. Will you comply?

Of course, you’re going to say no. Your life is your own, and you’re not going to bend to the will of anyone else if you don’t want to. Fair enough. But we must understand that is what other people are thinking when we want to change them. They aren’t going to let you do that.

The only people we can really change is ourselves. Control that controllable, because when we change, our world changes.

How are you doing on you?

Ready to hear it.

Sometimes we hear good advice or the answer, but we just aren’t ready to hear it.  We don’t recognize the value or dismiss it because our head is just in a different place right now.

Maybe it’s not something new we need; we just need to listen to what we have heard before.

Are you ready? 

Learn and return

“One recognizes one’s course by discovering the paths that stray from it.” – Albert Camus

We make mistakes, and those mistakes tell us when we are on the wrong path – we can feel it and we know it.

It’s ok. Come back to who you are.

"Eudaimonia"

It’s Aristotle’s word for happiness, and it means “good soul; succeeding at expressing the best within ourselves. Virtue.”

Expressing the best versions of ourselves moment to moment is what happiness is all about. Happiness is a virtuous activity of the soul.

What would your soul like to do right now?

The Economics of Attention

Don’t underestimate how much you play the role of addicted user caught up in the $7 trillion attention economics industry (mind-hacking).

Use technology to become your best self rather than mindlessly letting your one-million-year-old prefrontal cortex get hacked all day every day.

Human Progress

Let’s compare 1950 to 2016 – 

Avg. Hours Worked/Week, Output/Person Adj. for Inflation, Buying Power Change

Things are getting better. Much much better. Why? Human flourishing and well-being have improved dramatically in concert with liberty and limited government spreading around the world.                                                     

Go "visiting"

When I was a kid, sometimes we’d “go visiting.” Sure, we have all kinds of entertainment now and things to occupy our time, but there is nothing like being with people face to face.

Feeling down? Stuck? Blah? Go visiting. We are social beings. Other people give us all kinds of things we need – connection, love, hope, purpose, meaning, examples, advice, help, information, courage, tradition, and so much more.

When you’re humanity is feeling a little weak and listless, like it’s missing something, go visiting.

"Buy Tickets"

Buy tickets for an event, a show, a game, a concert, a play, etc.  Make it a different kind of event than you normally go to. Buy more tickets than you usually would. 6….8….10.

Invite some friends.  Maybe a little different mix.  Then go.  Have fun.

Your world – opened a little more, and memories made.

The Body – Mind Connection

When your body takes a given position, your brain determines what it means and goes along with it.

For example, if I smile, even a fake smile, the brain says “He is happy now” and releases chemicals to make me feel happy.  If I slump down, make myself small and frown, I get the opposite effect.  

What if you pretend you have a string coming out of the top of your head and you gently pull it up? – Confident and alert.

Can you modify how you feel with your body language?

Who do you think you are?

Our self-image, our concept of who we are, determines who we become.  If I believe I am this kind of person, and that’s who I will always be, I will find myself dressing, talking, acting and putting myself on a trajectory to stay or become the person I believe I am or will be.

How can I become a person I don’t believe I am?  I can’t.

You have to see yourself as the person you want to be – and believe it.  

This, of all, is the most powerful, surest way to change your life.  From the inner, the outer.