Posted in Master Your Mind, tagged discipline, how to, metaphor, philosophy, quote on July 10, 2012| 4 Comments »
This is the final post in this series beginning with Part I: Inspiration and continuing with Part II: Ideas. It is meant to be read in order.
Part III: Discipline
Dreams are what get you started. Discipline is what keeps you going.
-Jim Ryan
Without heat, a fire can neither begin nor continue. Discipline, our heat, must be in sufficient supply to allow for the process of burning oxygen with fuel to occur. When overlooked, most endeavors fall short of ever seeing the light of day.
Posted in Master Your Mind, tagged debt, money, philosophy on June 21, 2012| 2 Comments »
Every day in the news you hear stories about the sad state of our economy. Many people need not even turn on their tv or computer to find this out; they live it on a daily basis. Prolonged unemployment. Unaffordable healthcare. An endless barrage of bills and student loan payments. I hear people now saying that anything below $4.00 per gallon is a good price for gasoline. Huh?
Even if you are one of the lucky ones, which I consider myself to be, I’m sure you are working harder, more hours, and for less pay than you used to. You likely know of at least one person who just cannot find a job, especially if you live in California. I live here now, and I know of several.
Posted in Master Your Mind, tagged how to, ideas, metaphor, philosophy on June 3, 2012| 1 Comment »
This post is a continuation of Part I: Inspiration and it is meant to be read in order.
Part II: Ideas
A fire needs not only oxygen to continue burning, but also fuel. Even the most formidable conflagration can be extinguished by a lack of lumber. If you are to take photos, what concepts will you seek to capture? If you wish to make movies, what stories will you tell? If it is songs you desire, what motifs will you compose? Once you feel that inspiration, that urge to create, you will need ideas to fuel your fire. Even a gym rat needs to come up with novel ways to reinvent his routine.
Sometimes it’s difficult to get those creative juices flowing, especially when that sponge between your ears may feel all dried up. Here’s what I do to overcome my own periodic writer’s block:
Posted in Master Your Mind, tagged bereavement, betrayal, break up, dating, how to, interpersonal, peace of mind, philosophy on May 25, 2012| 2 Comments »
A lot of what I write deals with overcoming adversity, taking on new challenges, or navigating the complex web of human relations. I write these under the assumption that you are able to exert some measure of control on your external environment. However, there will be occassions for which there seems to be no adequate recourse:
Heartbreak. Betrayal at the hands of a friend. A merciless twist of fate.
Posted in Master Your Mind, tagged how to, inspiration, metaphor, passion, philosophy on May 21, 2012| 2 Comments »
Part I: Inspiration
Just as a fire needs oxygen to spark, so too your passion needs inspiration to give it life. And yet inspiration is often hard to come by. Artists desire artistry, but paint may be allowed to dry and clay to harden if inspiration is lacking. Writers wish to write, but many sit idle waiting for the spirit to move them. How much sand must pass through the hourglass, how many suns must rise and fall, how many wrinkles must beset upon one’s face before inspiration will take hold?
The fallacy most people make is that inspiration will wash over them automatically. They often end up waiting for either wolves to be at their back to terrify them, or sirens to be at their front to lure them with deceptive songs. A windfall may occur once in a while, but by itself, it is simply not enough. A fire may have even been ignited in such a way, but to keep it burning, the supply of oxygen must be continuous.
 | Athena B. on brb said she #7 |
| Sol Ulbricht on How to Not Be Self-Consci… | |
 | Alexandra Z on Summer Rain |
 | M on The Jealousy Cure |
 | A. T. Bui on The Vortex |
| A. T. Bui on The Vortex |
Choose to Take the Journey 