Go Ahead and VENT!

Great blog post on Robert Kiyosaki Rich Dad site. I pulled the main points below. For the full read click the link. But to sum it up...Say what you feel and act on what you really believe in. No matter what. It may save your life ;) 

 

On Fear---

“Fear’s like a giant fog. It sits on your brain and blocks everything…But you lift it and, buddy, you’re in for the ride of your life.”

That quote came from Albert Brooks’ Defending Your Life, a film with a simple premise: fear holds us back from becoming our better selves.

On Denial---
Yet it’s not just how denial holds us back but how it can hurt our health. Studies indicate that denying stress exists actually leads to poor health. For men in particular (who tend to bottle things up) this can be a deadly combination. It may be easy to fool other people, but who pays the cost? If we deny feeling pain or loss it can build up or even create new complications from established medical conditions.

Denial can also kill relationships. If you tell yourself something a partner is doing isn’t irritating you when it is, this can build up into resentment. How many times have we heard someone give a eulogy for a fallen friend and say, “And they never complained.” And this is a good thing? Though you don’t want to turn into Debbie Downer, to never admit when you’re bothered or share it with the offending party is not a positive quality. Resolution is a critical part of the human experience and to becoming closer to the people who mean the most in your life.

http://www.richdadeducationblog.com/2010/11/avoidance_and_denial.php

Love,
Christopher

Right At Home

My time here in beautiful Iowa City is spent doing the things that I love. Lately, I have danced, sung, made music, laughed, drunk rejuvenating ice water, thought deeply, had amazing conversations, eaten delicious free food (thanks roomies!), sailed, biked, hugged, kissed, smiled, listened, and learned.

Maybe it is out of necessity, being a broke college kid and all, but all of my favorite things happen to cost nothing. Zip. Nada un dolare. $0. Us rambling souls that tend to "bum" as much as we can...are we drawn to these things simply because they take no money? In a way, yes. We have no other option. But I also think that being broke at 21 years old is the perfect time to see the real priorities in life--the things that deserve our good time and attention, and just so happen to cost nothing.

I am grateful. We live in a world where the best things truly are free. Free pleasures are there for just that--pleasure. The free things in life are the great equalizers between people. It doesn't matter whether you make millions or make wages. We all get front row seats to see the sun rise and set every day.

Got out on a solo bike ride today-- a perfect break in the middle of a work day. On a solo ride, especially, you can think. You can be you. As you lose sight of town, clarity comes washing into your brain, purging the week's worth of build-up.  Your daily worries and tribulations begin to flake away in the brisk breeze, and you begin to breath naturally again. You remember how to live.

The world is our playground. It's out there waiting for us, because it wants to play too! The rivers and lakes wish to tickle you with cool cleanliness. The radiant sun simply enjoys smiling and giving a warm hug as you soak up its rays. The fallen leaves long for a good doggy-pile wrestling match now and again. The squirrels and chickadees urge you to sing along to their chitter chatter (and give them nuts). The keenly perched hawks admire your human strength as you enter their domain, and you equally envy their freedom of flight. The fatherly hills stand proudly as you gaze at the world from their shoulder-tops, and they chuckle heartily when you zoom down their bellies on two wheels and splash into the paint bucket of autumn colors below. The deer elusively play hide and seek with you through the roadside woods. The horses live to race down the fence line as you whistle encouragements at them. The weeping willows whisper lullabies, calling you to siesta beneath their shade-- you pedal on. The honking motorized vehicles test your emotions and tempt you to use the one-fingered wave, but you must stay in your world-- you pedal on. The hungry vultures wait in vain for you to take a fatal spill, but you defy them with a rebellious smirk--you pedal on. The strong North wind dares you to quit as you hunker down and...even harder-- you pedal on. Finally, the majestic bald eagle fishing for breakfast stirs your emotions, and you remember where you are...the land of the FREE.

You pedal on...back to town, back to work, back to life, back to your "home". Funny...you were just starting to feel at home out there. :)

Be You. God Bless. Pedal On.

-CM

Unexpected Wisdom

Surprisingly, this inspiring and timely article came within a real estate and finance blog!--not where you typically expect to find profound life lessons. My entire perspective on things changed while letting these words sink in. I have highlighted some gems here, but the entire read (5 mins) is worth every word. Enjoy.

"There is no reason to lament or regret anything. You did the best you could with what you had in the moment. Trust yourself, forgive yourself, ask more or less of yourself accordingly, but do it in that very moment."

"It takes learning to adapt to who you are and what you were made to be, not who you think you should be. Open up and really hear what your soul is trying to tell you."

"If we grasp the truth and set aside our fear, our ego, then, and only then, will we begin to truly shine."

"We truly do not have to, nor are we supposed to, control every moment. There is a rhythm to life that flows naturally and beautifully. Relax and just let go. Take life less personally."

"All of our answers are within. All of our answers come when we let go of our fears, open ourselves up, and allow them to come with acceptance, not force; with understanding, not denial; and with awareness, not fear."

Full blog post: http://www.richdadeducationblog.com/cgi/mt/mt-tb.cgi/233

-CM

Searching for....(____)

Searching for something. Aren't we all?

Hasn't every human since the beginning of time stretched their view....seeking meaning to all that's left loose-ended in the world? Some find answers that satisfy them, some continue digging for a lifetime. Maybe for those diggers, it's this quest for clarity that makes them truly alive.

At the moment, I find myself in the latter category. I am a seeker: A seeker of experiences, of knowledge, of love, of peace, of wisdom, of happiness, of truth, of soul, of God.

In this adventure called life, I am seeking myself. The infinite layers of myself: curiosity, intellect, emotion, faith, creativity, compassion, inspiration, humor, drama, ad infinity.

This blog is meant to be an outlet for new thoughts and revelations, and a reflection of myself in the world as I know it. There will be little logical flow to this collection of entries--I will let flow happen naturally. My observations of the world are obviously limited...I am one man with one perspective. Therefore, some blog musings won't even be my own. I will periodically give the stage to someone who, for a moment at least, articulated something that no one else could in the same way. I want this journal to be entertaining, light, and readable. However, this journal is the extension of a person's mind and soul, meaning it will have very human characteristics. If written with truth, it should include the good, the bad, and the ugly. No mask.

Please feel free to contribute to my journey and my journal, as I sincerely hope I can contribute to yours.

A fun watch to send the ship off....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R6dm9rN6oTs

-CM