Ideas for thinking and behaving more effectively
“Unless you’re in mortal danger, fear is a compass showing you where to go – Maston Kipp
Questions and thoughts that come to mind: How do you grow and not just become a set of habit loops? How can we become our best selves and not live a timid existence?
The book Born to Win (by Zig Ziglar and Tom Ziglar) is a great one for anyone looking to make changes in their life. The book provides tools and insight to help you figure out who you are, what you want, and how to get there. Zig Ziglar ( who has passed on) and his Tom Ziglar provide both great life stories along with concrete tools to both motivate and support the change process. The book has 3 main focus areas; plan for success, prepare for success, and expect success, with a fourth area of tools for success. This book pairs nicely with understanding how to develop and change habits (previous review).
Charles Duhigg wrote a powerful book (The Power of Habit) that gives us tools to impact a central area of our lives – habits. I highly recommend this book to anyone looking to improve their life. Here is a brief summary of the central question key points of the book. What’s the best way to release yourself from negative habits? You need to understand the habit loop; which is made up of three stages:
1.Cue – something that triggers your habit
2.Routine – the behavior that follows after you’ve triggered your habit
3.Reward – the positive reinforcement your brain identifies with the routine you use.
The key to breaking out of habit loops is to understand these three stages and little changes you can make in any one, or all of them to change your behavior. With time and discipline you can make small substitutions or choices consistently and change whatever you desire about your habits!
I wish everyone a happy new year of growth, adventure, and fun. As you think about what is to come remember to review and appreciate what went well this year, and build on it. I recently read that our brains think about 95% of the same things day after day – only 5% of our thoughts are new. Make it a point to build new experiences, thoughts, and ideas. Despite all of the bad things that happened there was a lot of good done in 2018. Let us all work together to make 2019 a better year for anyone that we can help, and for our planets ability to support all of humanity!
I wish you a wonderful holiday season with your family and friends. Truth and justice lead to peace. I am working to calm my mind and enjoy the moment. I remain hopeful that no one is above the law, or beyond redemption once justice is done. Thanks for everyone taking the time.
I recently completed the audiobook version of Extreme Ownership by Jocko Willink and Leif Babin. The book is excellent and very helpful in a variety of ways. I was a believer in the idea that you cannot fix a problem if you don’t own it before I listened to the book. Listening to this book and it’s concise lessons and strategies pushes the listener to take responsibility and do more in life. This is a great book by warriors who know what they are talking about.
I have been reading the book Enlightenment Now by Steven Pinker. I recommend this book for everyone who wants to know more about current events, and the condition of the world. We are bombarded by the current state of chaos in our government, but the world does not stop because we are dysfunctional. Read or listen to this book for in-depth information and perspective on important trends and events in our country and the world.
How do you know a real leader from a pretender? Real leaders stick to the truth as they strive to move people towards a goal. Real leaders model the expected behaviors. Real leaders show humanity, caring, and concern because they actually believe it is important and the best way to live. When we believe in human leaders we have to be prepared to be let down because no one is perfect, but if we are getting a parade of lies something else is going on… not leadership.
As we approach the midterm elections it is important to vote. Our votes are our voice and our chance to be a bulwark for what we want to protect, and the energy for growth in the directions we desire. Make sure you study the issues and vote!
Words have impact on lives. We must all be mindful of the words that we speak, because we are putting our thoughts into the awareness of others. Our words represent us and are an attempt to influence others about our shared environment and experience. All of us should be intentional about spreading the truth and building a better world and helping others.
Ethereal Bulwark 