" Why ... "

How many times do I have to try to tell you

That I'm sorry for the things I've done

But when I start to try to tell you

That's when you have to tell me ...

That's why it hurts so bad to hear the words

That keep on falling from your mouth

Falling from your mouth

Falling from your mouth

Tell me ... Why

This is the book I never read

These are the words I never said

This is the path I'll never tread

These are the dreams I'll dream instead

This is the joy that's seldom spread

These are the tears...

The tears we shed

This is the fear

This is the dread

These are the contents of my head

And these are the years that we have spent

And this is what they represent ...

You don't know what I feel

~ Annie Lennox ~ Why ~

***

The meaning of Life and it’s impermanent nature.  We often contemplate life, death and the purpose of being here ... the why of it all.  Why the happiness, why the sadness, why the struggle, why the heartache ... and I don’t know if there is a solid answer I’ve found to satisfy the why ... I don’t know if the chase for a more promising tomorrow will ever end.

Some day, that goal ... it will all lead to happiness.  But we know better.  We know that we cannot stride through life as if we will live forever.  We know that we cannot treat time as a cheap commodity that we blindly waste.  We know that we cannot hide behind victim stories forever.  We know the signs to wake up and make a change.

So you learn to forgive, you learn to take responsibility, and you learn to let go of anxiety and stress ... but what happens when we make all those changes only to find our problems are still very present and very real?  You learn to live your life with courage, love and integrity.  You learn to slow down and appreciate the preciousness of whom you are and the beauty, wealth, abundance, love and opportunities that surround you.

it’s about what makes you come alive ... 

A blank canvas in front of you, you are the artist of your life 

and you are free to paint any picture that pleases you ... 

and change it at any time for that matter ... 

We may not be able to answer the infinite question of why ... but we can replace it with questions that motivate us ... what do you love in life? ... what would you stand for if you knew no one would judge you? ... what really inspires you?

Believe that the more you can implement your passions, strengths, values and desires into your days, the less you will be asking why because the most valuable knowledge that you will ever discover is, and always will be, within.

" Other People's Lives ... "

And the details make you shiver

But it's hard to escape

When your head is stuck in vice

Because nothing matters

In the self obsessive age

Where they dare you not to notice

But it's everywhere

In shocking color on the page ...

In the magazine

Staring out at me

Out of my TV

Other people's lives

Pixelated lives

Just like yours and mine

~ Duran Duran ~ Other People’s Lives ~

***

Do you have clarity about what you truly want and is your life exactly where you want it to be?  You may have a general sense of what you want like more money, loving relationship, fame ... but is it enough?

I recently read that without true clarity, you can fall prey to other people’s lives and agendas.  True clarity provides focus, makes things specific ... makes things happen.  So unless you are absolutely clear on what and how, it becomes much easier to get persuaded by someone else who has greater clarity than you.  And, you end of following their agenda.  Makes sense right?

You see, when you are clear, you are driven regardless of what pitfall is in your path.  When you are focused on what you want, you keep your eyes on the prize.

So now honestly ask yourself, are you achieving the results you want in life?  If not, here are some ways to help you gain clarity:

• determine you goal and why it is important to you
• list words and phrases that specifically describe what it would look like to accomplish this goal
• visualize how you feel if you did or did not achieve this goal
• prioritize this goal in your life
• write what are your first steps in accomplishing this goal
• confirm what you will sacrifice to make it happen

Most importantly, power in clarity comes from knowing what you want AND what gets in your way.  The dreaded word: Sabotage.  We have all been guilty of it so once you are clear about your self-sabotaging ways, you can address directly and put it to rest.

"Take stock of your current position and assess how happy YOU are with it.  Becoming more than you are at present means not accepting second best from yourself ... agenda setting is all about having a clear goal in mind. If your agenda is to take control over a certain part of your life, it's necessary to develop an action plan to tackle it ..."

This may seem fairly straightforward, but from my own experience, it takes time to get absolutely clear on what you want and how to get it.  Lots of things get in the way, but it is more than okay to take the time you need before you can truly own this process. 

The key is to keep trying to gain clarity and do what you need to do ... revisit, pray, meditate, and revise ... do whatever works for you.  The beauty is that soon things will become crystal clear and start manifesting quickly ... allowing you to live out YOUR agenda and not other people's lives.

" What Happens Tomorrow ... "

You've got to believe 

it'll be alright in the end 

Fighting, because we're so close 

There are times we punish those who we need the most 

No, we can't wait for a saviour 

Only got ourselves to blame for this behaviour

And nobody knows what's gonna happen tomorrow 

~ Duran Duran ~ What Happens Tomorrow ~

***

How do you define motivation?  Is it what makes things happen?  Without it, is there any desire or drive to accomplish or create?  Once I understood what was moving me in one direction or holding me back in another, I started to understand my motivation triggers.  And started to make things happen.  For me, motivation affects everything I do and every choice I make. 

We usually can slot into one of the below motivation types ...

Achievement ... pursuing & attaining goals ... this kind can be combined with the drive to be good at something.  Achievement motivated people like work, responsibility and take pride in solving problems.  

Affiliation ... strong desire for love and acceptance ... there is a drive to relate to people on a social basis.  Having a support system is crucial.  Compliments, good attitude and cooperation are valued.

Security ... essentially a deep concern for the future.  The feeling that accumulating money and material possessions eases and shelters the pathway to the future.  Change and risk-taking is stressful.  Having steady work and dependable income is comfort.

Nuture ... need to give support, help, service and gifts to others with no strings attached.  Important factor is knowing you are lending comfort or a listening ear.  This is associated with the ability to empathize and respond to the needs of others.

Fear ... often imposed from an external source.  Creates worry and stress.  Internally, the feeling of need for change, due to pain and fear of remaining in a situation is often a catalyst for this type.

Power and Influence ... intensely driven to put in an extra effort to accomplish goals for this promise.  Competition with others is evident.  Influence, leadership, desire to control and responsibility for others are by-products of a power position.  Positively, results are achieved, negatively, power used for personal aggrandizement.

So what motivates you? Unlocking your motivation type(s) can help you understand your personal values ... what truly energies and excites you.  Once you know what these values are, then you can plan your goals around them.  If you are still unsure, study the some of the most successful people.  They understand what their values are and live their lives in accordance with them.  

You’d be surprised how many of us though, live our lives according to other people’s values. We end up devoting a large amount of time to things that genuinely don’t matter to us which results in those feelings of de-motivation & sluggishness. 

Some of my personal values are health, innovation, learning and insight, fun and adventure.  I make a concerted effort to ensure I am factoring in these values every day in some way.  I am careful not to confuse my values with ‘pleasurable activities’ ... values are not always about instant gratification – but they assist you to grow as a person in the long run.

“Never let the things that matter to you most be at the mercy of those that do not”

" Focus ... "

“ Not concerned about

What nobody else gotta say

Just do what you do

Cuz they gonna talk anyway ...

Yea, Do it just for you

So dont even waste ya time ...

I'm focus now, I'm focus now “

~ Ashanti ~ Focus ~

The power of focus ... our ability to focus wholeheartedly on on our goals can determine the likelihood of achieving the success we desire.  Daydreams are often seeds of ideas taking root.  They can provide a roadmap towards dedicating all efforts on our ambitions.  A level of dedication ... using the entirety of our brainpower ... centering and focusing on an opportunity.

It may sound simple yet so many of us struggle with bringing our dreams to fruition.  Our minds are incredibly strong and influential ... if we focus on our goals, we can truly see and feel the power of the mind.  But sometimes it’s not just good enough to just keep our goals in mind.  Writing down our goals and putting all our power and energy into the list can help.  We can start this process by the following according to “Power of Focus” by Jack Canfield:

• Make It Yours - keep in mind that your goals have to be right for you, not someone else - don’t be tempted by media, peers, or culture - ask yourself if this is really what you want or are you being pressured by others.
• Be Specific - accurately specify what it is that you really want - don’t be vague as that won’t get you far - get as specific and detailed as you can - if you can measure it, it will be easier to follow through
• Dream Big - it is not useless to set high goals - ask yourself if you are afraid to set a big goal - ask yourself are you afraid of failure as to some extent, we all are, but the key to becoming successful is to look fear in the eye and go for your dreams in spite of any obstacles that may come your way.
• Be A Realist - don’t let your imagination go too wild and create dreams that are physically impossible - dream big but be realistic.
• Give Yourself A Timeframe - give yourself reasonable time to develop what you need and practice it well before you become - don’t be hard on yourself yet be fair.

When we visualize our objectives, we begin to understand that the success we wish to attain is within our grasp.  We can make the most of this optimism by channeling our imprecise devotion into our ability to focus on the next steps ... to build our life desires.  Our dreams that once seemed beyond our realm of possibility can become concrete goals.  The power of focus ... 

Choose to live your dreams, not your fears ...

" Quiet ... "

I am heading for a time of quiet

When my restlessness is past

And I can lie down on my blanket

And release my fists at last

I am heading for a time of solitude

Of peace without illusions

When the perfect circle

Marries all beginnings and conclusions

~ Paul Simon ~ Quiet ~ 

***

Why is it so hard to find peace and joy, continuously oveflow with bliss on a daily basis and seem free of problems and emotional pain?  Maybe because we mentally punish ourselves for failing, concluding that we don’t deserve it.  We can become easily distracted by the harsh demands of modern life and at times losing touch with our natural state of being.  But we do deserve it and there is a way if we choose to bring clarity in our lives, starting by quieting our minds.

You see, most of our problems stem from our mind.  Take note ... some external even happens, we choose to see only one side of the story, and then interpret the situation such that it cuases some form of mental conflict, resulting in emotional suffering.  Is that about right?  The advice telling us to just “forget about it” is not that simple.  After years and years of conditioning on how to attract conflict in our lives, to just “stop thinking about it” is not very effective.  We need to get to the root of the problem to truly solve it.  We need to go to our innner space and de-clutter.  Imagine if you will, like cleaning out an old closet of “stuff”, similar analogy.

And, our mind has a difficult time becoming still ... it is meant to be dynamic, move and participate.  Therefore practicing stillness, or meditation, where you focus on one thing can be tougher than one realizes.  You will probably notice that the moment you become silent, random and unrelated thoughts start to distract you from your inner silence.  You become cluttered with useless information also known as junk.  And where does this “junk” come from .... well we may be unconsciously feeding our selves with distractions we’ve declared as urgent and important .. watching TV, updating social media, checking email, gossip ... all pulling at us, at our attention and away from things that are truly important to us.  Recognize that the information we expose ourselves to fills our inner space on some level, and affects our emotions and desires.

Our ultimate desire is to get back to our inner selves, one which is sacred, wise, peaceful and eternal.  We can do this by waking up and taking control of our destiny ... start with what you focus on and allow into your life.  Observe your thoughts and words.  Limit your exposure to the “urgent and important” distractions.  You have the power to decide what you let into your inner space.  Be conscious of what you allow inside, beginning with your own words, thoughts and attention and become the guardian of your own mind.