Purpose

It is generally believed that we need to find our purpose in life to be fulfilled. I don't argue that point but wonder whether we have only a single purpose as is often thought for our lifetime.
We are constantly changing according to the circumstances in our life. Events occur that are not in our control, peoples' decisions which we do not control impact us, changing knowledge and experiences change us, we age and see new concepts and interact with new people, and so on.
Perhaps we need to find different purposes at different times in our lives to keep growing. Perhaps we need to reexamine our purpose or purposes throughout our lives to maximize our lives to the best of our ability.
We need to keep ourselves challenged and evolving throughout our lives and perhaps a single unchanging purpose is not sufficient to accomplish that.
Your thoughts?

Spectator or Participant

A spectator watches a performance or is a member of an audience. Benefits:

• Don't have to train to watch - no effort
• Don't have to commit to a result - nothing to lose (unless betting)
• Change teams, sports, performances at a whim - no investment
  
  

A participant is someone who takes part in something. Benefits:

• personal growth - learn new skills
• sense of accomplishment from completing
• learn how to handle reversals, lack of progress or defeats
• learns the power of persistence
• willingness to try new things for improvement
• freely learns from others

Are we spectators of Life or participants in Life?

Technorati tags: Life, perspective, spectator, participant

Who Do You Write For

On my sidebar I have put the Thinking blog badge that Comedy Plus and Camille awarded me. It comes with the right to brag about your blog but when I was thinking about it; I found it was not the award that tickled me pink; but, the thought of the friends that I have found through this blog. It is like I just got a warm hug. No words but I have that feeling.

I often drive-bye their blogs keeping myself up to date with what's happening, to share some laughter, quiet enjoyment or contemplation that their posts generate. I realized that when I started writing I was wanting to share some thoughts in the hope that it would be of some benefit. But I wasn't writing to anyone in particular and my writing showed it.

Then as I slowly got involved through comments and reading I find it has changed my writing in a very positive way. Now when I write a post I think about my friends and start a mental conversation with one or sometimes all my friends as if they are in the room with me. I don't write it for them but with them.

So instead of bragging about my blog; I want to say thank you to my friends and friends to be for stopping by for coffee and conversation. Without you; all you would find would be the words but not the meaning, the heart, and the viewpoints that you share and enrich my life with.

So who do I write for?

I simply write our conversations.

The award is available to anyone who is caused to think. To put it on your blog all you have to do is a post on what makes you think. That's it.

Technorati tags: thinking skills, perspective, personal growth

The Secret of Secrets

It is sad to report that conspiracies do exist. There are so many places offering the insider track to the "SECRET". We can get the secret to real estate, relationships, affiliate marketing, making MONEY, communicating to aliens, or any one of 106,000,000 other secrets.

I am confused. If it is a secret and it is shared with anyone; is it still a secret? What does having secrets to do with conspiracies? Well, we have to become an insider in order to be given the keys and there is definitely a vicarious pleasure to being an insider. We have to hold the secret close and not tell anyone outside the group.

So I have decided to give away a secret.

It has been passed down for generations and held in high regard by both Kings and Necromancers. It was the secret of their power and is as applicable today as it was in the past. Once you have this secret you will belong to an elite group of world changers such as Newton, Einstein, Buddha, and Gandhi to name a few.

The Secret: Information + Thought + Experience = Knowledge.

There are no free gifts. Information by itself that has been given to you is meaningless unless you think about it and apply it. It is the philosopher's stone to realizing your dreams. Action is required.

There; you have it. You are now an insider.

Start today and take action on creating your dream as a reality.

Note: This was inspired by a post from trizle

Technorati tags: secrets, success in life, managing change, perspective

Cultivate the Stillness Within

One of our best resources is ourselves. As covered in the last two posts a key element for staying on track for our goals, vision or purpose is checking our happiness quotient. We can only do this in moments of quiet reflection. One of the key benefits of a retreat, a pilgrimage, meditation, a walk in the woods, yoga or any similar activity is that it gives us time away from our everyday distractions. It is impossible to have quiet time if we are wired 24/7 or rushing constantly from task to task. All the great thinkers from Buddha to Albert Einstein made time for reflection. All great religions advocated the benefits of pilgrimages and retreats.

Why?

Free from the burdens of normal everyday living our mind can drop the need to act or respond immediately to outside activities. We can ask ourselves questions and in reflection let the answers unfold. It is in the quiet moments that we realign ourselves with our purpose, rediscover what makes us happy, find creative solutions to perplexing problems, find the things we are grateful for, and put problems into perspective. The mind like a muscle needs the relaxation to regroup, refresh and grow. 

The amount of time we take does depend on our obligations but there will always be at least 15 minutes a day that we can take for ourselves. Just like we take care of the need to eat and sleep; we need to take the time for reflection.

Take the time to be present with ourselves daily and we will always be on track for our destination and enjoying our journey on the way.

Technorati tags: success in life, thinking skills, reflection, purpose