Billosophy

10 Easy Things To Make Life Fun

// August 1st, 2010 // 2 Comments » // Life, Thoughts

I have been inspired lately to read things that inspire!  Its quite interesting how many opinions are out there on what inspires people … for me, its all about living a good life.  I think if you ask 10 people to define “a good life” you will get 18 different definitions.  This got me thinking … what 10 things do I try to do every day?

1. Memorize Something – I work online … I am reading constantly.  I remember in school all the “studies” that have been done saying we as people forget 80% of what we hear and see in a day.  Find something that interests you and memorize a fact, a date, information about that topic.  Not only will this leave your brain sharp and your memory functioning, you will also have a huge library of quotes to bust out at any moment.  Poetry, sayings and philosophies are your best options.

2. Smile – I love making eye contact with strangers and just smiling.  Two things will happen … they will smile back or they will look around to see why you are smiling.  If they smile back watch how that makes you feel inside – and think about how that person will feel now.  I am shocked sometimes how a simple smile will change the outward appearance of someone.  Usually I look for someone with an angry look on their face or maybe they are sitting slouched in a chair … I make eye contact … smile … and watch!  Try it – who knows, you might even meet someone cool.

3. Do Not Be So Serious – Learn to laugh at the little things, life will be a whole lot easier.  If you find amusement in your mistakes and failures (and you are still alive) you can be thankful for a lesson.  Life is not strictly business, it can be mixed with pleasure.  You will find life to be a bit more entertaining if you can laugh more.

4. Make Someone Feel Special – Even something as simple as remembering a name (See #1) … you can have such a profound effect on someone’s whole day or week.  Reach out and tell someone you were thinking about them.  You know your friends … what makes them smile?  Most of the time you’ll find it does not take money to make someone feel special.  Give a word of encouragement … Thank someone for doing something nice … take an extra step to make someone feel like they mean something to you.

5. Relax – You remember … “Frankie Says” … did I just date myself?  Every now and then … sit on the couch and do nothing.  Think about what makes you happy, read a book, watch TV, play a video game!  Relaxing is not evil … I hear so many people tell me how busy they are and how much time they do not have.  How can you be happy and make others happy when you are sooooo busy doing busy things?  We all have the same 24 hours in a day … take some time out for yourself and relax for even 5 minutes.  Try it … Trust me!

6. Create A Daily Mantra – A mantra is a sound, syllable, word, or group of words that are considered capable of “creating transformation” (says Wikipedia) … I admit I do not do this every day, but when I think about it creating a daily mantra is fun.  Try it tomorrow … when you wake up in the morning ask yourself “What one sound, syllable or word will transform my day?”  This can be as easy as the word “Love” … “Laugh” … “Smile!”  It can also be the sound of a sigh (breathe in slowly – exhale quickly) .. sometimes I need that sound when I am starting to feel overwhelmed.  Get creative … try a daily Mantra!

7. Learn To Juggle – Who doesn’t love to watch someone juggle?  Try it … learn it … you will be surprised how easy it really is.  If you do not even know where to start … Google “Learn to juggle” and I am sure you’ll find plenty of videos and website tutorials.  Juggling is fun … plus once you get good at it you can mark that down as an accomplishment!

8. Help Someone – Every minute of every day … someone in your network of friends needs help.  Take a few minutes to observe which one of your friends could use a hand with a task, a project, anything.  Helping others has a ripple effect too … if you help someone, the example is set and it may give them the motivation to help someone else.  You know – Pay It Forward!  Your relationship with that person will grow – I Promise!  If you believe in Karma … its always good to have some in the bank.  Also, if you want a selfish reason … you’ll be able to call in a favor one day and those around you will be more than happy to pitch in.

9. Laugh – Whenever you get a chance … Every time you think about it … find some reason to laugh!  Laughter is a great thing – that’s why we’ve all heard the saying, “Laughter is the best medicine.” There is strong evidence that laughter can actually improve health and help fight disease.  Laughter connects us with others and it is contagious, if you bring more laughter into your life, you will most likely help others around you to laugh more, and realize the benefits as well.  By elevating the mood of those around you, you can reduce their stress levels, and perhaps improve the quality of social interaction you experience with them, reducing your stress level even more!

10. Call Someone “Just To Say HEY!” – Has this ever happened to you?  You get a call out of the blue from a friend just ’cause!  It has happened to me and every time my day has changed for the better.  Think of someone you care about … and call them to say hi.  Do it now … and watch how your day becomes better by sharing with someone you care about.

This is your life … your journey … why not make it fun for you and those around?  Try some of these … leave a comment … tell us what you do to make life fun!

Andy Dufresne Got It Right!

// March 16th, 2010 // 1 Comment » // Thoughts

In 1992 I read a book – Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption.  The book was made into a movie in 1994 and Morgan Freeman took the Oscar for Best Actor in a Leading role.  I think the role of Red could not have been played or written any better.  What surprised me off the bat, and what some of you might know.  Steven King wrote this as a short story.  A “short story” that needed 2 1/2 hours to tell it … page by page.  In my opinion, the movie followed the book to the letter.  It is fabulous and if you have not seen it – GET IT!

At the end of the movie Morgan Freeman is narrating the following lines:

I find I’m so excited, I can barely sit still or hold a thought in my head. I think it’s the excitement only a free man can feel, a free man at the start of a long journey whose conclusion is uncertain. I hope I can make it across the border. I hope to see my friend and shake his hand. I hope the Pacific is as blue as it has been in my dreams. I hope.

Watch the movie and you will understand … if you have seen it … you know what it did to you.  To me – that is hope!  Hope is the silent energy that keeps people going.  Hope is that small whisper in your ear saying “You can do it!” Hope is stirring inside of your chest when your brain says NO WAY … and your mouth says … I can do it!  I love hope … and I love what it brings with it.  What have you hoped for?  As a kid, I wanted a BMX bike … a blue mongoose with mag wheels!  I hoped … and there is was Christmas morning!  Hope gives you powers to make the impossible easy!  As Wikipedia says – “Hope is the feeling that what is wanted can be had or that events will turn out for the best.”

My goal is to carry a message of hope … share that message with every one I come into contact with.  My own hope is tried constantly.  From those who are without hope – down, frustrated, angry … all I want to do is give them that spark.  I don’t need to give them hope – to me, hope is in everyone … hope is part of the human core!  All someone has to do is spark it, give it that little push, turn on the switch.  Most of the time – that hope will drive someone to completion … either through perserverence or through planning.  As long as you focus on your mission … and use hope to drive your momentum … Anything is possible.

A great dialog in the Shawshank Redemption between Red and Andy went something like this

• Andy Dufresne: That’s the beauty of music. They can’t get that from you… Haven’t you ever felt that way about music?
• Red: I played a mean harmonica as a younger man. Lost interest in it though. Didn’t make much sense in here.
• Andy Dufresne: Here’s where it makes the most sense. You need it so you don’t forget.
• Red: Forget?
• Andy Dufresne: Forget that… there are places in this world that aren’t made out of stone. That there’s something inside… that they can’t get to, that they can’t touch. That’s yours.
• Red: What’re you talking about?
• Andy Dufresne: Hope.

Hope is yours … it is what makes you human, it makes you who you are … it completes you!  Nobody can take away hope from you life – some try, and others willingly give it up … but I think Hope is just as important as Freedom!  Without either – we are dead.

Hope is how we as friends can continue to motivate our other friends to complete what their passion is – Andy writes to Red – “Remember, Red, hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things, and no good thing ever dies. I will be hoping that this letter finds you, and finds you well. Your friend. Andy.”

I like asking people what they hope for … what drives their goals … and why do they set them.  I think the answers I get tell a lot about those in my life.  And they range from “I don’t know” all the way to “sit down, this will take a while.”

Lets get asking our friends and those close to us … “What do you hope for?” … you might be surprised at the answers you get.

Perception Is Reality

// March 2nd, 2010 // 2 Comments » // Life, Thoughts

I had a boss tell me this for 2 years … my first “corporate” job and I had no idea what I was doing.  Perception Is Reality!  Not a week goes by that I am reminded of this.  Perceptions will always vary … you will always get different stories from different people about the same situation.  To take that a step further, we as humans assign different meanings to what we perceive.  There are usually two options when it comes to perception, depending on the situation someone might change their own perspective or simply make things mean something else … sometimes that happens the more you look at something.  There is no fixed meaning to things, sure we have definitions – but isn’t it the exception that usually makes the rule?  You can always change perspectives and change meanings depending on the situation you are in and what is on your agenda.

Perception is that word that makes people tons of money … the people that sit in a chair and listen to you talk for 50 mintues, and then bill you for one hour!  I am finding more and more young kids try to aspire to meet the image society sets for them.  To tall, to short, to skinny, to fat … clothes, language, behaviors, all building blocks of Your Perception!  Think about it – how many times have you watched a commercial telling us in order to be happy, all we have to do is follow this program.  Why must we be validated by others in order for US to feel better?  I continue to tell my boys … figure out what you want and plan that journey.  What is happiness to you … is it a car, big house, an RV, a Boat, airplane, own a company, lead a team, be the boss?  Once we focus our attention on what our definition of success is … when we can stand up and quantify why we are happy.  Perceptions will sometimes become strenght to your armor.  Think about it – Most of our lives will be spent in the pursuit of goals, not the attainment. Therefore, it is far more important to enjoy the journey.  When living in that mindset, outside perceptions will affect your path in a way that validates your decisions and proves you made the right or wrong ones (if they are wrong – regroup, discuss, fix, move on!). Sometimes they reinforce your motivation and drive to give you that extra push when you need focus.

If you change your story – you change your perception – you change your life!

The Book Of Vision Quest by Steven Foster talks about perceptions:

“You may wonder, ‘How can I leave it all behind if I am just coming back to it? How can I make a new beginning if I simply return to the old?’ The answer lies in the return. You will not come back to the ‘same old thing.’ What you return to has changed because you have changed. Your perceptions will be altered. You will not incorporate into the same body, status, or world you left behind. The river has been flowing while you were gone. Now it does not look like the same river.”

All this boils down to one thing – the ONLY thing you can control in life is how you react to situations.  My boys, and sometimes Dawn, will ask me during stressfull times or heated discussions – Why do you seem so calm?  More than once their perception of me has been that either I do not care what the topic is – or I am not that interested in it.  While I am trying to process the information before I decide on the plan to fix the situation.  What controls your perception is your history of decisions and experiences.  Its all you got – Use It!  My experience has been like none other – I would not ask anyone to take a ride in my shoes.  It is all in how you handle reality … how you make your decisions after you process the information (and sometimes before you process – but that is another post).

Where do you find yourself stumbling with perceptions … where do you find yourself excelling?  What are key indicators that trigger your perception of things?  Volume?  Attitude?  Clothing?  Language?

This could be a fun one to talk about – tell me one thing you would change about your story!

2010 New Year Resolution

// December 24th, 2009 // No Comments » // Thoughts

Three days and counting – Starting Jan 1, 2010 I will be embarking on a journey into who I am and why I believe what I do.  I will be talking about my observations and opinions on anything that happens during this year.  So far I have had to bite my tongue (well, more like hold back posting) … with Tiger Woods topic and the recent attempt at bombing an airplane – I find it interesting how “News” is reported and also, how people will attach themselves emotionally to a cause that has zero effect on them or their lives.

I am also going to be slowly unwrapping this onion I call Religiosity – what I think about it, what my opinion is about it and why I am so vehemently against the Church and “Organized Religion.”

I am dubbing 2010 – the year of enlightenment and I look forward to everyone’s take on my thoughts and opinions.