By writing, we not only create what we want, but we help others to do so by the power of imagination.
All people are to some extent, imaginative, however, it is the thought and belief behind imagination that fuels activity and direction. We shape imaginative energy and give it impetus. We power the agent of imagination by stimulating belief. Ultimately, there is no imitation of life by art or otherwise; the two components (art and life) work together, as a single entity. It is our erroneous concept of time that separates the two.
excerpts from Ascend to The Secret Place, a most Transcendent Reality (c0copyright 2015 hamdani, coming this Spring.
Saturday, February 7, 2015
Saturday, January 24, 2015
TheValue of the Writer
The very will of God is first expressed by a writer. Songs of enlightenment, romance and poetry are written before set to music. The first step toward social reform is hidden in a written speech. Minds are emancipated by the written word, and often, the escape to freedom is through the door of books, a vicarious exploration into the unknown.
Saturday, January 17, 2015
#Writing Tips
When describing a character's movement, or personality or attitude, or to create suspense, we might borrow a few techniques from writers and narrators of documentaries such as Animal Kingdom, Wild Kingdom, etc. Below are some phrases, typically used to describe movement in the wild kingdom of animals.
The dark of the night. Rules of engagement. A certain uneasiness. Lowered its head as it lurked. Shield its intentions.
I am not suggestion we plagiarize the works of others, at all. I am suggesting that we use similar techniques in our approach to story development and character description. Let's try it.
For example, a wild animal doesn't simply walk up to a water hole and drink. That would make for a terribly uncolorful and uneventful piece of writing. In suspense, we cannot simply have a lady walk to her car in the dark of the night and drive away; that too is boring; Neither can we have a man walking around a house. That being said, let's take a look at the wild kingdom of animal's and consider a narrator's approach.
You might take the lady who is walking to the car and add more suspense.
The car, in the quiet of the night seemed farther away for reasons Julie could not explain. Maybe she had drank too much. Maybe that was the cause of her uneasiness. Maybe she should have allowed one of the men from the bar to walk her to the car. Several had asked. They were nice enough. She knew them. Why had she been stubborn?
She heard something in the wooded area to her right.
It could have been a squirrel, scurrying for nuts. At this time of night? It could have been a raccoon or maybe a cat?
She held her keys tightly in the fist of her right hand. Always keep your keys handy, her hubby had warned her. Don't wait until you get to your car to start fumbling in the night.
She walked faster. She tucked her purse beneath her left arm. An inexplicable uneasiness caused her to grow tense, that's why she couldn't swallow. That's why she held the keys too tight, cutting into the flesh of her index finger: uneasiness. The act of moving toward her car began to take on the nature of a wild animal, creeping to and from a waterhole. Waterholes attract other beast-prey and predator.
She heard it again. The squirrel was following her.
#
A man does not walk around a house. Instead, we see a figure standing about six feet tall, crouching near a hedge bush. He could be innocent. Maybe he's simply looking for something he dropped. Maybe he lives there. Maybe he's checking his flower bed. At 11:00 p.m.?
And what about the instrument in his hand? It could be a gun or something burglars use to pry open windows. He did not go to the door and knock. He did not enter with a key. Instead, he lowered his head like a dark soul lurking upon the opportunity of evil, using the dark of the night to shield his intentions. He disappeared into a deeper shadow of darkness on the right sight of the ranch house, near the bedroom window, changing the rules of engagement.
#
I hope this tips will motivate you to experiment with your descriptions.
The dark of the night. Rules of engagement. A certain uneasiness. Lowered its head as it lurked. Shield its intentions.
I am not suggestion we plagiarize the works of others, at all. I am suggesting that we use similar techniques in our approach to story development and character description. Let's try it.
For example, a wild animal doesn't simply walk up to a water hole and drink. That would make for a terribly uncolorful and uneventful piece of writing. In suspense, we cannot simply have a lady walk to her car in the dark of the night and drive away; that too is boring; Neither can we have a man walking around a house. That being said, let's take a look at the wild kingdom of animal's and consider a narrator's approach.
You might take the lady who is walking to the car and add more suspense.
The car, in the quiet of the night seemed farther away for reasons Julie could not explain. Maybe she had drank too much. Maybe that was the cause of her uneasiness. Maybe she should have allowed one of the men from the bar to walk her to the car. Several had asked. They were nice enough. She knew them. Why had she been stubborn?
She heard something in the wooded area to her right.
It could have been a squirrel, scurrying for nuts. At this time of night? It could have been a raccoon or maybe a cat?
She held her keys tightly in the fist of her right hand. Always keep your keys handy, her hubby had warned her. Don't wait until you get to your car to start fumbling in the night.
She walked faster. She tucked her purse beneath her left arm. An inexplicable uneasiness caused her to grow tense, that's why she couldn't swallow. That's why she held the keys too tight, cutting into the flesh of her index finger: uneasiness. The act of moving toward her car began to take on the nature of a wild animal, creeping to and from a waterhole. Waterholes attract other beast-prey and predator.
She heard it again. The squirrel was following her.
#
A man does not walk around a house. Instead, we see a figure standing about six feet tall, crouching near a hedge bush. He could be innocent. Maybe he's simply looking for something he dropped. Maybe he lives there. Maybe he's checking his flower bed. At 11:00 p.m.?
And what about the instrument in his hand? It could be a gun or something burglars use to pry open windows. He did not go to the door and knock. He did not enter with a key. Instead, he lowered his head like a dark soul lurking upon the opportunity of evil, using the dark of the night to shield his intentions. He disappeared into a deeper shadow of darkness on the right sight of the ranch house, near the bedroom window, changing the rules of engagement.
#
I hope this tips will motivate you to experiment with your descriptions.
Tuesday, January 13, 2015
#Writing: Write Anyway
Most of us experience those cloudy moments better defined as writer's block but we inevitably find a way to escape to freedom. Here's another approach.
When you don't feel like writing, yet need to, you may simply express your feelings during that moment. I refer to the process as, In the Moment Self-Coaching. It helps, of course, when you use an analogy or metaphor to make your writing more colorful.
For example, when feeling overwhelmed, tired and just simply not feeling the writing inspiration, you may write something like this:
The weight of my pen sinks deeper into the sea of writer's block. I hear the voice of my soul, murmuring for me to write.
Later, when describing sadness in one of your characters, you may exploit the above feeling. For example, Chad sat on the screened porch where no one could see him. Face in hands, he re-lived the last twelve hours of his life. He lost her. Chad lost Jennie. Lost became a murmur in his soul. The weight of her love plummeted in his heart like a cold stone, sinking into the sea of memory.
I hope this exercise helps.
#writing
#writing tips
When you don't feel like writing, yet need to, you may simply express your feelings during that moment. I refer to the process as, In the Moment Self-Coaching. It helps, of course, when you use an analogy or metaphor to make your writing more colorful.
For example, when feeling overwhelmed, tired and just simply not feeling the writing inspiration, you may write something like this:
The weight of my pen sinks deeper into the sea of writer's block. I hear the voice of my soul, murmuring for me to write.
Later, when describing sadness in one of your characters, you may exploit the above feeling. For example, Chad sat on the screened porch where no one could see him. Face in hands, he re-lived the last twelve hours of his life. He lost her. Chad lost Jennie. Lost became a murmur in his soul. The weight of her love plummeted in his heart like a cold stone, sinking into the sea of memory.
I hope this exercise helps.
#writing
#writing tips
Tuesday, May 13, 2014
How to Tap Into the Genius of Artist
We flow as artist, in part because we live on a plane where we respect what is not yet so. We appreciate what has not yet been done in a space where opportunity cries out to skill. It is a place of creation. It is magical. It is without boundaries. The magic is found on an empty page, or it may be found in the form of a song unwritten or on an empty canvas. Creative process can be seen as steps to a dance yet unperformed.
There is a particular field of awareness indigenous to but not limited to artist (writers, vocalist, dancers, poets, musicians and so on) which connects us as catalyst toward a perfectly timed universal shift. In this space, we create. Creativity involves the ability to consciously employ the inner community to serve a greater cause. God works through creativity. So do we.
I don't claim to have a cornerstone on creativity but like you, I live in that place between manifest reality and a reality that is yet latent outside my physical world. Here, artist experiment with elements of higher consciousness. We take much joy in treating that which is not as though it were.
We are creators.
How does one tap into this resource of creativity? Simply want it. That's all. Desire it. Some people believe in focusing upon the outcome for inspiration but that can be a limiting concept. You should not know the outcome. You should only see it in bits and pieces, otherwise, you will not recognize who and what has been sent to aid you if it does not arrive in the form in which you imagined the outcome. The act of seeking an outcome is not vision. Vision happens when the outcome seeks your attention. Creativity is about process, not outcome. Vision chooses you. We tap into it by tapping into emotions that we would rather not deal with. Actors cry in scenes because they tap into past painful moments. When the tears pour the actor will have arrived. There is little difference in the re-lived occurrence and the past event. In fact, the process of re-living an event is generally richer. In re-living an event, the reality of shock is no longer present; therefore, the capacity in which we originally experienced shock is now a conduit for something else, something far more relevant. Former energy expressed by shock is energy now transformed to be used as capital elsewhere. Energy never dies. The key is to return to an emotional place of choice. For example, you enjoy returning to moments that made you happy. Whatever that moment is, you should re-employ it, often.
By returning, we discover much of what was overlooked before. As we create stories and characters and music and painting and explore the emotions behind events we discover healing when we did not realize anything was wrong. We even come to explore an excavation of our own soul.
This is the way of the artist. We manipulate energy!
We can now tap into those same old emotions and go where hurt, fear and uncertainty prevented us from traveling before and by doing so, we tap into new realities and greater dimensions and possibilities. Here are some practical things to do to put you in a firm creative disposition.
If you can sleep 4-6 hours consistently, you will find yourself connected among all dimensions. This is BIG. Take naps as they naturally occur and you will lose nothing. Energy is never lost. This is explored in detail in the upcoming book, Ascend to The Secret Place.
Here, you will find what you were looking for or more accurately, it will find you. You will find yourself more accessible to the voice of God. In plain English, you will have combined the "you" of your dream world with the conscious you and the greater you that is known in bits and pieces during moments of genius. There, you will meet your higher self through a mysterious introduction to higher consciousness. Artist do it all the time.
There is an underlying world of infinite possibilities, coupled with all of life's nuances. We create through this vortex of conflict. The conflicts we avoid by ignoring our emotions are the conflicts we were "given" in order to lead us. Great leadership has never been accomplished without equally great conflict.
So, like an artist, learn to allow your emotions to flow. As explained in my upcoming book, there are no good and bad emotions, just restrictive emotions. And yes, that's a plug for my book.
There is wealth in intense conflict and artist have learned to experience it through a litany of bridges to emotional intelligence which is free of judgment; therefore, the natural spontaneity that flows from a writer's pen or a painter's brush tends to showcase life with all its brilliance, its similarities and a magnificently contrasting of that which is not yet in existence- as we know it- with that which already exists.
This is the place of creation and everyone is welcome.
There is a particular field of awareness indigenous to but not limited to artist (writers, vocalist, dancers, poets, musicians and so on) which connects us as catalyst toward a perfectly timed universal shift. In this space, we create. Creativity involves the ability to consciously employ the inner community to serve a greater cause. God works through creativity. So do we.
I don't claim to have a cornerstone on creativity but like you, I live in that place between manifest reality and a reality that is yet latent outside my physical world. Here, artist experiment with elements of higher consciousness. We take much joy in treating that which is not as though it were.
We are creators.
How does one tap into this resource of creativity? Simply want it. That's all. Desire it. Some people believe in focusing upon the outcome for inspiration but that can be a limiting concept. You should not know the outcome. You should only see it in bits and pieces, otherwise, you will not recognize who and what has been sent to aid you if it does not arrive in the form in which you imagined the outcome. The act of seeking an outcome is not vision. Vision happens when the outcome seeks your attention. Creativity is about process, not outcome. Vision chooses you. We tap into it by tapping into emotions that we would rather not deal with. Actors cry in scenes because they tap into past painful moments. When the tears pour the actor will have arrived. There is little difference in the re-lived occurrence and the past event. In fact, the process of re-living an event is generally richer. In re-living an event, the reality of shock is no longer present; therefore, the capacity in which we originally experienced shock is now a conduit for something else, something far more relevant. Former energy expressed by shock is energy now transformed to be used as capital elsewhere. Energy never dies. The key is to return to an emotional place of choice. For example, you enjoy returning to moments that made you happy. Whatever that moment is, you should re-employ it, often.
By returning, we discover much of what was overlooked before. As we create stories and characters and music and painting and explore the emotions behind events we discover healing when we did not realize anything was wrong. We even come to explore an excavation of our own soul.
This is the way of the artist. We manipulate energy!
We can now tap into those same old emotions and go where hurt, fear and uncertainty prevented us from traveling before and by doing so, we tap into new realities and greater dimensions and possibilities. Here are some practical things to do to put you in a firm creative disposition.
Pray.
Exercise daily.
Eat properly.
Do NOT oversleep.
Forgive people.
Here, you will find what you were looking for or more accurately, it will find you. You will find yourself more accessible to the voice of God. In plain English, you will have combined the "you" of your dream world with the conscious you and the greater you that is known in bits and pieces during moments of genius. There, you will meet your higher self through a mysterious introduction to higher consciousness. Artist do it all the time.
There is an underlying world of infinite possibilities, coupled with all of life's nuances. We create through this vortex of conflict. The conflicts we avoid by ignoring our emotions are the conflicts we were "given" in order to lead us. Great leadership has never been accomplished without equally great conflict.
So, like an artist, learn to allow your emotions to flow. As explained in my upcoming book, there are no good and bad emotions, just restrictive emotions. And yes, that's a plug for my book.
There is wealth in intense conflict and artist have learned to experience it through a litany of bridges to emotional intelligence which is free of judgment; therefore, the natural spontaneity that flows from a writer's pen or a painter's brush tends to showcase life with all its brilliance, its similarities and a magnificently contrasting of that which is not yet in existence- as we know it- with that which already exists.
This is the place of creation and everyone is welcome.
Sunday, May 11, 2014
If You Believe, Do Life Your Way: Escape to Freedom
During tough times, here is how to remain encouraged.
Many years ago, I decided to not work for anyone, ever again. I made that decision after working for Rhodes Furniture Company that went out of business after 120 years. Some of you remember me from that company. After the business closed, I spent my 401K on living expenses over the following years. That money represented my life's savings.
Although, I've always had some kind of business on the side, including my writing, the job was something I fell back on when things were financially difficult. Suddenly, I realized that I could not sustain myself unless I made changes. I had to make a decision. So, with only $154.00 left from the 401K, I made the decision that corporate America could not be trusted and that it was headed to the dumps and I wasn't going down with it.[At the time, the major investment banks were in trouble in the mortgage industry as a result of ripping off the country, led by Lehman Brothers]. I don't want to think about what I lost in the stock market, pursuant to the financial crisis. That's another story.
As of that day (having made that critical decision), I never worked for anyone again.
My point is that we can have life our way but there is a definite price to pay. If one is to succeed, one must consider the risk/reward ratio and make a decision. I did. I considered my talents. Ok, I told myself, I have language skills, writing skills and I am a decent editor. So, what do I do?
I decided to tutor Spanish and edit books which, consequently, led to award winning titles, including Randy Austin's book, Wizard's Refrain, and many books by world renown artist such as Barbara Sykes and Dr. Crespil.
After saving several thousand dollars over six months, I bought a moving truck and started a moving company. This was not something I really wanted to do at the time but life had scared me for reasons I will soon explain. Fear can be a powerful motivator if faced by faith. Fear speaks to what can go wrong. Faith speaks to what can go right, not in spite of fear but because of it. Healthy fear acts as a warning. It is not a suggestion of quitting, it is a sign that reads: Approach with Caution.
I did. I bought the truck, I invested $200 into flyers for tutoring and bought an ad for $5.00 to solicit editing jobs. Each effort became profitable but not before the trials I am about to share with you.
I hope you will see that the things we fear most cannot happen unless we fail to act, faithfully. It is action and attitude that validates faith and that measure of faith will not only replace fear but it replaces what fear produces. Fear produces no action or non-decisive actions by way of a poor attitude. Fear has no vision and therefore one cannot plan properly based on that notion. Faith replaces this phenomenon with planned, directed action. As I mentioned in the upcoming book, Dancing with God, faith is the first step toward creativity.
When we read the 6th chapter of Hebrews we learn of all the wonderful things faith produces. In fact, Enoch, by faith, walked into a most high dimension. By faith, Abraham saved a nation but more importantly, by faith the favor of God and the entire universe was bestowed upon them. By faith, one can build a small empire with a couple hundred dollars. Its been done more times than I can count.
So, it was by faith that I stepped out with only $150.00 remaining from my 401K...and I did tremble.
I accepted the cost of my dream by breaking it down into little pieces, poco-a-poco. It does not take a lot of sophistication to pull this off. The act is simple. The brilliance of simplicity is this act of faith. For example, I accepted what was to become my new reality by writing down the tradeoffs.I had to also create a new belief to support the new tradeoff. This is a critical step to achievement and nothing of value can be accomplished if the belief is separate from the action. That's why this article is entitled: If you believe...
So, I would, step-by-step trade one reality for another. For instance, I realized that by taking this leap of faith into the unknown that I would not be able to buy a new car, again, for sometime. No problem!
Change your beliefs and change your reality.
My immediate new belief became: One only need reliable transportation; after all, people I know who have several kids do not buy cars until the kids grow up anyway; therefore, any reliable car with fuel economy would do. I don't have rich friends, therefore, that was my reality, my new belief.
NEW CAR Used Car no problem!
Another trade off: I would not be able to buy another house soon. I had to sell the other one to prevent foreclosure; so, I rented a one bedroom apartment - a far cry from a five bedroom home on an acre of land. No problem! I had a new belief about that, also: reduce expenses and pull yourself up, financially.
Home Apartment no problem!
I would not be able to eat out as often as I liked. My new belief was that I needed to learn how to cook so that I could save money and entertain socially, without going out to spend money. I became a good cook.
Restaurant Cooking no problem!
I could no longer afford my golf memberships at two different golf clubs for a couple grand per year which is cheap for good golf. I had a new belief about that: when going into business one needs to cut expenses, deeply. I should not reward myself with memberships if I don't have a home of my own. That was good motivation for making my comeback, besides, I had a notion to write about golf and teach others my hobby: building putting greens. During my spare time, I wrote a book called How to Build a Putting Green, having no idea it would take care of me financially, for the following two years.
Golf memberships Write and play $20.00
county courses no problem!
It's worth repeating that behind each trade off is a new set of beliefs. As man thinketh, so is he. I once believed that my new home, cars and the trimmings equaled success. It equaled an illusion for others to view. It actually equaled misery because I was not living my dream: to write, play golf and teach Spanish. So, I began believe that success is happiness, not stuff.
Each morning, I told myself that life had changed for the better and that one must pay a price for what one wants. Sometimes, my beliefs waned under pressure, but I prayed and thanked God until I began to believe more competently. I constantly reminded myself that fear of failure is normal. I said, daily, "the greater the fear the greater my courage develops." My mind was made up. The greater the obstacle the greater the reward. The greater the opposition the greater God demonstrates his superior presence. The battle before God is like protecting a little brother, you don't step into the fight to help until the little brother throws the first punch. If you think he will not win, then help him. I believe God actually does that.
The greater the fight the greater the victory. I can accomplish all things through Christ who strengthens me. This exercise of auto-suggestion is imperative toward counteracting the negativity of others-of people who dare dream. If you don't do it, you will not succeed. Life MUST test your beliefs. Having accepted my trade offs and having embraced the beliefs behind them, I became subconsciously immune to negative thinking. I replaced every thought with a contrasting prayer which disputed the thought and wounded it. The thoughts were vaguely there but had grown weak by my new beliefs which were true and the truth does set you free. It is a multidimensional escape to freedom.
I believed that if God had not wanted me to manifest my dream then he would not have given me the talent to manifest that dream. Say that when you pray and look beyond yourself that someday you will be able to help others along the same path: that's why God is listening to you and not your selfish desires - that you may help others.
During the process of rebuilding I heard nearly every excuse there is as to why I should not have succeeded:
*You'll starve to death without a job.
*You don't have enough education. You should earn a Masters.
*You don't have enough money.
*You don't know the right people.
*You don't have a name of notoriety.
*You wife will divorce you.
*You'll become homeless.
Well, here's what I believed back then and yet believe: so what? No one I know has enough money. I'll work with what I have and concentrate on the Masters later....if at all. Contacts? Few people are born with them.
It is not enough to believe, one must counteract the former beliefs with truth. The big name deal? I never wanted fame, just happiness. No problem! Homeless? Oops! It actually happened. It was temporary and worth it. I never stopped pushing. The greater the problem the greater the unseen blessing. I tried to believe that last statement as I said it, but it was very difficult. Under pressure, I lost my sophistication and stepped into the brilliance of simplicity. Either my beliefs about life were true or they were not. In any case, I needed to know. Either God was going to help me or he was not. I chose to believe God would.
God did.
It's that simple.
Here' the moral of the events. If you are to live your dream, you must confront the tradeoffs, speak the underlying new belief and speak to the fear so that it does not become your fear. You must develop an opposing belief to fear. When fear speaks argue by the tongue of faith. The point of words is to create something and/or to reject something.
So, you have it. Change your beliefs and change your reality as you escape to freedom.
Don't be alarmed by this challenge because you don't have to employ any of this. You have two other options: Get a job you love or die unhappy. Will you escape to freedom?
Many years ago, I decided to not work for anyone, ever again. I made that decision after working for Rhodes Furniture Company that went out of business after 120 years. Some of you remember me from that company. After the business closed, I spent my 401K on living expenses over the following years. That money represented my life's savings.
Although, I've always had some kind of business on the side, including my writing, the job was something I fell back on when things were financially difficult. Suddenly, I realized that I could not sustain myself unless I made changes. I had to make a decision. So, with only $154.00 left from the 401K, I made the decision that corporate America could not be trusted and that it was headed to the dumps and I wasn't going down with it.[At the time, the major investment banks were in trouble in the mortgage industry as a result of ripping off the country, led by Lehman Brothers]. I don't want to think about what I lost in the stock market, pursuant to the financial crisis. That's another story.
As of that day (having made that critical decision), I never worked for anyone again.
My point is that we can have life our way but there is a definite price to pay. If one is to succeed, one must consider the risk/reward ratio and make a decision. I did. I considered my talents. Ok, I told myself, I have language skills, writing skills and I am a decent editor. So, what do I do?
I decided to tutor Spanish and edit books which, consequently, led to award winning titles, including Randy Austin's book, Wizard's Refrain, and many books by world renown artist such as Barbara Sykes and Dr. Crespil.
After saving several thousand dollars over six months, I bought a moving truck and started a moving company. This was not something I really wanted to do at the time but life had scared me for reasons I will soon explain. Fear can be a powerful motivator if faced by faith. Fear speaks to what can go wrong. Faith speaks to what can go right, not in spite of fear but because of it. Healthy fear acts as a warning. It is not a suggestion of quitting, it is a sign that reads: Approach with Caution.
I did. I bought the truck, I invested $200 into flyers for tutoring and bought an ad for $5.00 to solicit editing jobs. Each effort became profitable but not before the trials I am about to share with you.
I hope you will see that the things we fear most cannot happen unless we fail to act, faithfully. It is action and attitude that validates faith and that measure of faith will not only replace fear but it replaces what fear produces. Fear produces no action or non-decisive actions by way of a poor attitude. Fear has no vision and therefore one cannot plan properly based on that notion. Faith replaces this phenomenon with planned, directed action. As I mentioned in the upcoming book, Dancing with God, faith is the first step toward creativity.
When we read the 6th chapter of Hebrews we learn of all the wonderful things faith produces. In fact, Enoch, by faith, walked into a most high dimension. By faith, Abraham saved a nation but more importantly, by faith the favor of God and the entire universe was bestowed upon them. By faith, one can build a small empire with a couple hundred dollars. Its been done more times than I can count.
So, it was by faith that I stepped out with only $150.00 remaining from my 401K...and I did tremble.
I accepted the cost of my dream by breaking it down into little pieces, poco-a-poco. It does not take a lot of sophistication to pull this off. The act is simple. The brilliance of simplicity is this act of faith. For example, I accepted what was to become my new reality by writing down the tradeoffs.I had to also create a new belief to support the new tradeoff. This is a critical step to achievement and nothing of value can be accomplished if the belief is separate from the action. That's why this article is entitled: If you believe...
So, I would, step-by-step trade one reality for another. For instance, I realized that by taking this leap of faith into the unknown that I would not be able to buy a new car, again, for sometime. No problem!
Change your beliefs and change your reality.
My immediate new belief became: One only need reliable transportation; after all, people I know who have several kids do not buy cars until the kids grow up anyway; therefore, any reliable car with fuel economy would do. I don't have rich friends, therefore, that was my reality, my new belief.
Another trade off: I would not be able to buy another house soon. I had to sell the other one to prevent foreclosure; so, I rented a one bedroom apartment - a far cry from a five bedroom home on an acre of land. No problem! I had a new belief about that, also: reduce expenses and pull yourself up, financially.
I would not be able to eat out as often as I liked. My new belief was that I needed to learn how to cook so that I could save money and entertain socially, without going out to spend money. I became a good cook.
I could no longer afford my golf memberships at two different golf clubs for a couple grand per year which is cheap for good golf. I had a new belief about that: when going into business one needs to cut expenses, deeply. I should not reward myself with memberships if I don't have a home of my own. That was good motivation for making my comeback, besides, I had a notion to write about golf and teach others my hobby: building putting greens. During my spare time, I wrote a book called How to Build a Putting Green, having no idea it would take care of me financially, for the following two years.
county courses no problem!
It's worth repeating that behind each trade off is a new set of beliefs. As man thinketh, so is he. I once believed that my new home, cars and the trimmings equaled success. It equaled an illusion for others to view. It actually equaled misery because I was not living my dream: to write, play golf and teach Spanish. So, I began believe that success is happiness, not stuff.
Each morning, I told myself that life had changed for the better and that one must pay a price for what one wants. Sometimes, my beliefs waned under pressure, but I prayed and thanked God until I began to believe more competently. I constantly reminded myself that fear of failure is normal. I said, daily, "the greater the fear the greater my courage develops." My mind was made up. The greater the obstacle the greater the reward. The greater the opposition the greater God demonstrates his superior presence. The battle before God is like protecting a little brother, you don't step into the fight to help until the little brother throws the first punch. If you think he will not win, then help him. I believe God actually does that.
The greater the fight the greater the victory. I can accomplish all things through Christ who strengthens me. This exercise of auto-suggestion is imperative toward counteracting the negativity of others-of people who dare dream. If you don't do it, you will not succeed. Life MUST test your beliefs. Having accepted my trade offs and having embraced the beliefs behind them, I became subconsciously immune to negative thinking. I replaced every thought with a contrasting prayer which disputed the thought and wounded it. The thoughts were vaguely there but had grown weak by my new beliefs which were true and the truth does set you free. It is a multidimensional escape to freedom.
I believed that if God had not wanted me to manifest my dream then he would not have given me the talent to manifest that dream. Say that when you pray and look beyond yourself that someday you will be able to help others along the same path: that's why God is listening to you and not your selfish desires - that you may help others.
During the process of rebuilding I heard nearly every excuse there is as to why I should not have succeeded:
*You'll starve to death without a job.
*You don't have enough education. You should earn a Masters.
*You don't have enough money.
*You don't know the right people.
*You don't have a name of notoriety.
*You wife will divorce you.
*You'll become homeless.
Well, here's what I believed back then and yet believe: so what? No one I know has enough money. I'll work with what I have and concentrate on the Masters later....if at all. Contacts? Few people are born with them.
It is not enough to believe, one must counteract the former beliefs with truth. The big name deal? I never wanted fame, just happiness. No problem! Homeless? Oops! It actually happened. It was temporary and worth it. I never stopped pushing. The greater the problem the greater the unseen blessing. I tried to believe that last statement as I said it, but it was very difficult. Under pressure, I lost my sophistication and stepped into the brilliance of simplicity. Either my beliefs about life were true or they were not. In any case, I needed to know. Either God was going to help me or he was not. I chose to believe God would.
God did.
It's that simple.
Here' the moral of the events. If you are to live your dream, you must confront the tradeoffs, speak the underlying new belief and speak to the fear so that it does not become your fear. You must develop an opposing belief to fear. When fear speaks argue by the tongue of faith. The point of words is to create something and/or to reject something.
So, you have it. Change your beliefs and change your reality as you escape to freedom.
Don't be alarmed by this challenge because you don't have to employ any of this. You have two other options: Get a job you love or die unhappy. Will you escape to freedom?
Thursday, May 8, 2014
What's the Value of a Writers blog/website?
barrywrites.blogspot.comResearch from www.alexa.com/siteinfo/barrywrites.blogspot.com
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