Author: davidmastersadmin

Polarization and Entitlement

“Me, me, me. Mine, mine, mine.” It starts at a very early age, and if left to itself, this polarization and entitlement can expand and grow, like a cancer, infecting our society. With 7.4 billion people on our planet, we should start to find ways to coexist with less conflict.

You might be able to recognize the adult signs of polarization and entitlement and choose to be part of the solution for a better world.

polarization enitlement victim mentality you don t know me tolerance intolerance

I am the victim

“You don’t understand, I am the victim, here.”

When you see yourself as the victim of some kind of abuse, mistreatment or lack of respect, you polarize yourself away from the subject (person, place or thing) that has “wronged” you and greatly reduce the ability to resolve the issue without conflict. You have drawn the proverbial line in the sand and declared war on the situation.

Any further conversation or negotiation from this point forward will be in the form of debate. You post up and ready yourself for battle and start building your case to establish your affirmative position while imposing your view of how you have been harmed or disrespected. You are ready to fight.

You don’t know me

“You have no idea about who I am, or the life I’ve lived.”

To assume that no one understands me, my plight or my perspective, implies that it makes a difference. Of course, it is actually impossible for m to actually see anything from your perspective – you might be able to give me clues – but it is simply not possible. All of us are completely unique. Though we may share some things in common, no person can truly see anything from anyone else’s perspective (unless we can figure out how to do the Vulcan mind-meld) and at times, we all feel like a Stranger in a Strange Land.

Don’t trust anyone

“I don’t trust you. I don’t trust anyone.”

When I was young, I trusted people. If I’ve learned one thing in my life, it’s that you can’t trust anyone – I don’t care who you are – I cannot, and will not, trust anyone ever again, as long as I live.

Everyone is out to get me

“People are always trying to find new ways to put me down.”

Rarely does a day go by (or a moment, for that matter) that someone doesn’t disrespect me, falsely accuse or belittle me. I am an adult, I have rights and I demand to be treated fairly.

Sense of entitlement

“You owe me. I demand to be taken care of.”

Whether it is being respected, heard, vindicated or to exercise vengeance, my expression must win out and any and all resources available can be called upon to satisfy my basic needs, desires or initiatives.

The idea that everyone should be the same; treated the same, the world is somehow responsible for catering to your every need or whim and your knowledge of how to manipulate the system to get you what you want (for the most part) satisfies your basic need(s).

Stop Intolerance

If you want to live a full and free life, full of happiness and satisfaction (with a little disharmony thrown in for flavor and personal growth) you must stop polarizing yourself against others.

Once you hold fast to the idea that it’s me versus them, you have created an impossible situation that feeds the victim mentality and breeds discord.

It is not until we can wrap our heads around the idea that we are more the same than we are different. Instead of demanding our differences be recognized and respected, realizing – we are all human beings, sharing what resources are available, each making our own way, doing the best we can with what we have – we are all the same, and I love and respect you as much as I’d like to be loved and respected.

Sure, we love those things that create our own uniqueness and celebrate our individuality among the rest of us. We all have the right to our own ideas, ideals, philosophies, beliefs and those characteristics that make us different, but to impose them on anyone else would be disrespectful. Can’t we all just get along?

Tolerance suggests that we all have the inalienable right to think or believe whatever we want, as long as it doesn’t interfere with anyone else’s right to the same.

Barney said it best:

I love you
You love me
We’re a happy family

Until we can love and be loved – allowing each individual their right to their own perspective, without having to defend it – will we see true harmony in our society and/or the world.

Confused? Subliminal Mind Control

Ever get confused while watching television, listening to the radio, reading books, articles, Googling data or just surfing the World Wide Web? Ever wonder why that is?

Consider this perpetual state of confusion and wide array of thoughts, philosophies and feelings as a method to keep you in a perpetual state of hypnotic trance. Your thoughts and perception of life, what is real and what is not, is determined by the thoughts planted in your subconscious in an effort to control what you believe, to cause dissention and polarization among the masses making you conclude that you are capable of independent thought.

confused subliminal messages mind control subliminal advertising subconscious mind

Is it any surprise when you realize that you are confused because you are a victim of mind control and have been since birth, as were your parents and their parents before. You have inherited the disillusionment of our forefathers, which – in reality – is a sleight of hand shell game, where the people who are running the show convince us they have nothing up their sleeves.

The power of your subconscious mind controls every thought, or succession of thoughts, determining your emotions, perceiving and interpreting your experiences as you make your way though this life, trying to make sense of it all.

In my work with businesspeople, I see the efforts of promotional departments and advertisers involved in the most painstaking efforts of pouring over the miniscule details of particular campaigns to illicit a particular response from those who have access to the product, story or advertisement.

Color, placement, font styles, shapes, sounds, backgrounds, words, phrases, punctuation, voice inflection, stimulating thoughts and concepts perceived by both our conscious and unconscious minds that could be interpreted independently of each other… and we fall for it every time. This power is wielded by manufacturers, retailers, promoters, public relations and the media.

Do you think the most powerful forces might have access to even more mind control techniques than advertisers?

Subliminal messages and overt polarizing events establishing preconceived popular thought patterns, all carried out with premeditated forethought, careful scripting, acting and played out with pinpoint accuracy, to assure you are kept in a state of confusion and fear, questioning your own relevance or existence.
Your concept of reality may very well be a figment of your imagination as there is no limit to the power of the subconscious mind to take precedence over the conscious mind.

In an effort to make sense of it all, independent thought patterns are emerging and breaking free from the mind control machine as we begin to embrace our individuality no longer shackled by the disillusion that imprisoned the minds of previous generations.

It’s enough to make you feel like you want nothing more than to get away from all the mind control, to establish your own individual mind power in hopes of possibly making sense of all this crazy stuff that we are constantly barraged with.

Your constant confusion is due to the full frontal attack of subliminal messages we all are subject to 24 hours a day (yes, even while you sleep) and it’s not just subliminal advertising that you are falling prey to. No, your subconscious mind is a victim of hidden messages filtered by your subliminal perception to cause you to be content enough with your life so as not to question authority or search for any real meaning in this life.

Your unconscious mind may be exhausted from all the continual exploitation, so it’s easier not to fight it; just to give in and let the forces that control us take over, because it’s easier that way.

Or, you might be part of the awakening underground, who are beginning to make their own independent stand against the crazy world, determined to reclaim their own power of the mind, as they begin to think independently finding truth, when what is represented as the real world just doesn’t make sense.

My Own Worst Enemy

Why is it that just when I’m about to make a breakthrough, I clumsily do something to screw it up?
My own worst enemy self sabotage vs positive thinkingDoes this ever happen to you?

You are faced with opportunity, a job, a promotion, a romantic relationship, an investment, a business opportunity, then just nonchalantly watch the whole thing go sideways based on your action – or inaction – that, when you look back on it, you KNEW nothing good would come from it?

Why do we do that?

Self Sabotage

It’s as if there is something inside us that makes us believe that we are not worthy of all the goodness this life has to offer and this underlying belief becomes a self-fulfilling prophesy. Then your mind can reassure itself with a resounding, “You see: I knew it was too good to be true.”

I told you so

But isn’t the truth of the matter that you were given this life and all it contains to have happiness, joy, fulfillment and the ability to achieve your highest and best?

If you could just wrap your head and your heart around it.

If not, you will continue to destroy every good thing that could potentially happen to you. This self-sabotage is a self-protection safety mechanism built-in to your subconscious, based on fear. The fear that something bad might happen, or you might be disappointed because we all know

It Happened Before

At some point (or several points) in our lives (beginning in our youth) we had a hope, a dream or a projected outcome that did not come to pass and it broke our heart or spirit. It felt bad not to enjoy our expected result in the way we had hoped. We thought it would feel so good, felt like we were fortunate and somewhat worthy (or at least lucky) enough to be able to enjoy this one moment, only to watch it fall to pieces before our very eyes.

Danger – Danger – Danger

Our subconscious (in concert with our conscious mind) goes about the work of protecting our fragile feelings, setting up our life in such a way as to never be disappointed again, for we would be better off not to have any expectations, wealth, feelings, love, joy or happiness, than to take a chance and suffer loss.

To protect ourselves from feeling let down, or taking the risk of making the wrong decision we screw up every opportunity we are presented with in an effort to protect that fragile little child who lives within us – who secretly desires to have all these things – but would rather die than take a chance at truly enjoying anything… ever.

Low Expectations

It’s as if keeping expectations so improbably low, and seeing destruction all around you does one thing. It proves that you are right and you can justify your pathetic state of mind because

Nothing Good Ever Happens

And all your observations seem to support your state of mind. Whether it happens to a friend, relative, stranger, innocent bystander or you see it on the news. Bad things happen to people all the time. It happens everywhere to everyone every day, and they’re not alone. We’re all in this boat together, “Life Sucks” for everyone 24 hours a day 7 days a week… and so it is.

Your resistance to allowing goodness into your life is the most effective way to protect yourself from disappointment because in this way you are sure never to have the expectation of anything better than achieving numb mediocrity… and that’s better than putting one’s self at risk of getting your feelings hurt.

Positive Thinking

You could live out the rest of your life this way, or you could experiment with happiness and joy just by exercising your imagination and thinking about something good. You don’t have to make any huge commitments to change your life in any way, or battle with any inner demons lurking within. All you have to do is to dip your toe in the water to find some sense of feeling good.

You risk nothing by exercising your imagination. Try it. Close your eyes and think of a joyous thought (or moment) when you felt thoroughly happy. See it in your mind’s eye and remember every detail of it, the colors, the smells, the lighting, the feel of it and smile.

See. You were happy and you did not die.

Maybe there’s hope for you, yet.

Isn’t Now the right time to start living a happy life?


My Own Worst Enemy (Unfinished) from Tim Madding on Vimeo.

 

Why Do People Commit Suicide?

There is no doubt that the current suicide statistics are off the charts. Suicide is one of the top ten leading causes of death in the United States today. Today 117 people died from suicide, of those 22 of them were Veterans. 30 of the suicide victims were women, while the other 87 men also took their own lives. It not only happened today, but it happens every day in the USA.

why do people commit suicide depression suicide suicidal thoughts commit suicide why do people kill themselves

Why do people commit suicide?

Determining the specific details about why people are actually moved to take their own life is somewhat of a mystery, but many share some of the same characteristics. Depression is the default answer, but since everyone who is depressed does not commit suicide, what do those who actually commit suicide have in common?

Some key components that suicide victims appear to share include pain, loneliness, abuse, guilt, rejection, helplessness, and deep sadness. As we collect more data the answer to, “Why do people kill themselves?” becomes more clear. The single most significant constant appears to be an overwhelming concern of being a burden on others or the community at large.

So, the common feelings among people who commit suicide include:

My life has no value
I have nothing to offer the world
There is no reason to live
The world would be better off without me

The Suicide Attempt 80/20 Rule

Twenty percent, or one out of five people who attempt suicide and fail, will successfully commit suicide in the next five years.

By all means, when reviewing any statistical data on suicide, keep in mind that these are people, not statistics. Resist the temptation to categorize or judge, because any of us at any time could be in a position to feel that not living might be the only way to stop the pain of living.

Here’s the Good News

One out of five people who attempt suicide will change their lives and be living a wildly satisfying, happy, and fulfilled life in the next five years.

You might be surprised to find that it takes the same amount of effort, determination, conviction, and commitment to kill yourself as it does to change your life for the better; in fact, so much better, that the very same person who was willing to commit suicide can enjoy massive success, happiness and live a long and fulfilling life. Consider being a thriving survivor.

Suicidal Thoughts

That said, thoughts of suicide can be the most important indicator that your life is at a critical juncture of dramatic change. The universe is offering you all the desires of your heart fulfilled if you choose to accept the challenge in this moment.

The Suicide Opportunity

This distinct pinpoint in your life indicates the greatest opportunity in your life. It’s as if you are standing on a tightrope suspended over two choices, for it takes the same amount of effort to choose a massively successful life on the one side, or managing the taking of one’s own life on the other. Either way, it takes a great deal of thought, planning and careful execution of your plan to achieve either self-inflicted death or massive success. Sixty percent of those who have attempted suicide will shimmy across the rope without making one of the two decisions, accepting their lot in life, to live out their days doing the best they can with what they have.

If you are considering committing suicide, this is a clear indication that you are at the most important place in your life, the decision that you make in this moment will change your life forever, either for the better or to prove that you refused to take the offer provided you by the universe.

I have worked with many successful people who have been there. Even though for the most part (for obvious reasons) they are unwilling to tell their stories to the general public, so many highly successful people found themselves, staring down the barrel of a gun, holding a handful of pills, contemplating stepping off the chair, or swirling poison in a wine glass.

The best stories start that way.

This is when you decide that

I can have everything I ever wanted
I have a mission and purpose for my life
The giving of my gift to others is my reason to live
I can help to make the world a better place

Instead of planning your suicide by searching for how to commit suicide, or how to kill yourselves painless and easy, maybe consider that you are at the most meaningful crossroads that you will ever face in your life, and you may choose to begin your

Most Amazing Life Ever

If you can’t seem to get a grip on how to stop suicidal thoughts, please call 1-800-273-TALK (8255). You are in no hurry, talk to someone anonymously first and consider reaching for just one more day because once you decide to kill yourself, the effects can be permanent and you may not get a second chance.

Don’t let your song die

But please, see this as a moment of clarity indicating that your life does have a meaningful purpose, and now is the time to find and begin singing your song to the world.

I would love to congratulate you on your decision to turn your attention to achieving your highest and best.

All it takes is being open to the possibilities and to start living the life you were given to its fullest.

You can do this

May God bless you in all you do

Spiritual Awakening

It’s happening all around us, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, people are waking up from a spiritual slumber that has plagued our planet and stunted our evolution for thousands of years.

And guess what? God doesn’t care who you are, what stature you occupy in society, how educated you are, where you’ve come from or where you think you’re going, and He’s got your back one hundred percent.

spiritual awakening god holy spirit spiritual gifts spirit science enlightenment

What do you have to do to be part of this spiritual enlightenment?

A hundred different spiritual leaders will tell you 100 different answers to “What is spirituality? or how to grow spiritually breaking through to the next level of spiritual growth.

The truth of the matter is this:

It’s not that complicated.

All you have to do is to embrace the spiritual science that surrounds each and every one of us, acknowledging the spiritual energy that flows through every cell of our body and every living (and non-living, if there is such a thing) thing on this planet and throughout our universe. This includes the space (that we think is empty) is completely populated with this spiritual energy.

Spiritual Energy

If God is energy, then all you have to do is to plug in to the energy. Once you’ve established a spiritual connection with God, the source of everything, you immediately have access and can begin your personal spiritual journey.

Spiritual Journey

Your spiritual journey will look much different from the journey that you had previously found yourself on. As your spiritual awareness begins to become more adept at piquing your interest and ramping up your spiritual intuition, you will begin to notice the things of this world begin to appear very different to you. As your awareness of the spirit world continues to increase your sense of truth, as you peel back the layers of ambiguity that surrounds those lost in the darkness, a calm sense of spiritual intelligence begins to emerge.

Once you have decided to travel your own individual path to your unique spiritual enlightenment, you will begin to attract spiritual leaders, with their own individual spiritual systems that have helped them get to where they are along their spiritual journey.

Spiritual Guidance

Your spiritual calling is not to follow some other spiritual leader’s footsteps. Your spiritual journey has not mirrored anyone else’s journey step-for-step, why should you start now. No, God has placed these individuals to give you clues. Clues about where you are going, and understand how someone else on their path has achieved their own individual spiritual empowerment can be very helpful in your navigating your own spiritual journey.

Your spiritual guidance system is a part of you, who you are. You are hardwired to be a part of the spiritual evolution that is visiting the peoples of our planet and you are perfectly on track, in the right place at the right time as you find peace in the realization that everything is perfect and connected.

Spiritual Power

Your new spiritual life will not be without conflict. As you begin your spiritual metamorphosis, you will attract both earthly and spiritual forces intent on thwarting your spiritual progress. This is a challenge of spiritual warfare that faces each and every spiritual traveler, paving their own way.

This process includes imbuing your personal nervous system, mind, body and soul with an unparalleled spiritual power to assist you as you embark upon your new spiritual journey.

You may encounter various and sundry forms of spiritual attack and you will find that God has already provided you with ample resources back by His holy spirit gifting you with spiritual gifts and weapons far superior than any man, principality or power can devise to prevent your spiritual development. If called to engage in spiritual battle, you will win, victorious as a testament to your individual spiritual beliefs.

Spiritual Science

As you are further spiritually awakened you discover your enlightenment is constant and never-ending and your spiritual consciousness reveals the secrets of the science of spirituality which far exceeds the science of man. Yet there exists a correlation between science and spirituality that the less enlightened cannot understand.

Spiritual Tolerance

And you find your new spiritual self okay with that, allowing every individual to embrace their own journey in their own way. You are respectful of those who have not awakened, or are only newly awakening spiritually, never judging or measuring anyone, nor comparing to your spiritual experience or spiritual practices for you allow everyone to be their own individual spiritual person.

You respect other’s right to express their spirituality and applaud them as they exercise their rights in any way they choose, as long as it does not impinge on the rights of another spiritual being. You do not hold any judgment, nor differentiate between religion and spirituality, because everyone is a spiritual being on their own spiritual journey, and they are all doing the best they can with what they have.

Your journey is one of growth and spiritual balance as you evolve spiritually moment by moment and continue your awakening spiritually.

God bless your continued evolution.

Law of Attraction Positive Psychology

In my work with clients changing their lives for the better and helping them achieve their highest and best (and even more)… it is not uncommon to cross paths with the Law of Attraction (or LOA). From an early age (and long before The Secret was released) I was intrigued by what has become known as the Law of Attraction when I first discovered the principles in the Bible during my ministerial studies as I was simultaneously processing the positive psychology works of Dr. Norman Vincent Peale. Since then, I discovered the Law of Attraction predated the religious texts that I was studying.

Moving onto vogue, the Law of Attraction was picking up speed, separating itself from religious venues and leaking into pop culture and embraced by what was known as the New Age Movement or associated with New Thought, then found a home amongst Quantum Theory, influencing Quantum Mechanics and Quantum Sciences.

The Secret law of attraction rhonda byrne positive psychology self improvement

You have probably heard of the Law of Attraction due to its increase in popularity thanks to the work of Rhonda Byrne’s release of the movie, The Secret. I became acquainted with Ms. Byrne and her work in 2008 and was so impressed with her story, which was an effective demonstration of the Law of Attraction in Action. Most of the general population had not heard about the Law of Attraction prior to the release of Bryne’s film that spread throughout our culture, like wildfire, though many had paved the way since the early 1900’s, most notably, Wallace D. Wattles and Charles F. Haanel, and in the most recent times, Esther Hicks and (of course) the entire cast of The Secret movie.

Regardless of what you might think about Ms. Byrne, thanks to the popularity of her work, the Law of Attraction has found a place among a pondering public, becoming curiouser and curiouser about

What else is possible?

and

How much better can it get?

For those of us in the self-help industry, the idea of the Law of Attraction was nothing new, and the area wherein we focused our attention was not readily accepted by the traditional treatment camps – Even though our results far outweighed any traditional therapies – we were regarded as pseudoscience or pop psychology. Since (in the beginning) much of my work was religious in nature, I was even more isolated and categorized as a prosperity theologian with the likes of Kenneth Hagin, E. W. Kenyon, Oral Roberts and Kenneth Copeland, even though I had moved far beyond the constraints of organized religion.

Be that as it may, a great deal of my studies and expertise revolves and evolves in, around and beyond the area of massive personal, heart-centered and spiritual growth. In an attempt to best serve my clients, I have fully embraced multiple modalities and continue to grow and expand my own consciousness and expertise. For me, this is a constant and never ending compulsion to be my highest and best, as I help others achieve their highest and best.

And it never ceases to amaze me, when I reach a new plateau, I encounter resistance. Life will shake me up, with little respect for my trepidation and fear, presenting me with a new, unforeseen summit to consider.

Rhonda Byrne’s participation in the popularization of the idea of the Law of Attraction was almost incidental. The universe was bound and determined to bring the idea to an increased audience that was waiting for a glimpse of a better life and hope for a bright future, when lightning struck Ms. Byrne and she was ready and willing to answer the call. The Secret is not a complete work, it is not the end all-be all source of the Law of Attraction. It is only an introduction…

Any questions, comments, suggestions?

Dangers of Social Media

Okay, we can all agree that our children (those adorable young cyberspacers) need some coaching on how to safely use social media. There are apparent security risks, like predators & stalkers, being mindful not to post too much personal information (which may mean not posting when and where you are in real time, not posting pictures taken by a camera which includes physical location of where the photo was taken).

We encourage our children to be polite and respectful, warn them not to engage in gossip or putting others (including classmates) down for fear of promoting cyberbullying or creating disrespectful or dangerous social situations in real life school.

Our kids

When we think about the dangers of social media, we think about the young people who may be putting themselves at risk by engaging in a technology they were born into. Like it or not, it is an integral part of their life. Unlike you, they do not know a world without social media.

dangers of social media

You

What about the dangers of social media to you?

You don’t think about that much, do you? I’m not talking about the potential threat of Big Brother nosing around your data or tracking every move you make. No, I’m talking about what danger might you expose yourself to by using social media?

We’re aware of the threats and consequences we’ve read about in the headlines, like people posting their vacation photos in real time and coming home to a home that’s been robbed while they were away (and a hundred, if not more, stories related to posting your location).

For families, the same threats apply for attracting predators for proud parents, as it does for our children (but we might be less likely to take that into consideration). For single adults, there are different kinds of narcissistic predators, psychopaths and stalkers waiting to exploit your social media postings, and the list goes on and on…

Not to mention what is social media doing to us as a culture. Most of our face to face relationships, even voice to voice relationships, as we move our social interactions from real life and even talking on the phone to the more convenient and less intrusive social media platforms. It appears that authentic social interaction is morphing into reclusive voyeurism. I’m not convinced this is an upgrade.

More importantly, I am concerned about the dark side of social media, a place where people can mock, put-down, bully, disrespect and spread hate like a wildfire without any social responsibility. Personally, I choose not to participate in negative social media campaigns, and there are so many to avoid.

Then there are the haters. A hater’s gonna hate and there’s nothing you can do about it. The best advice, if a hater starts hating on you, is to ignore it. Responding to haters or attempting to defend yourself only adds fuel to the fire.

But mostly, I’m concerned about what we inflict upon ourselves by posting our own negative campaigns. I see people that I care about deeply in real life destroying their lives by posting negative comments. These seemingly harmless postings attract more of what they don’t want by declaring to the universe in the most poignant way possible, “I don’t like,” or even worse, “I hate,” whatever follows… and whatever follows is like placing your prepaid order with Amazon for even more of what you posted, with free shipping.

And it breaks my heart to see this simple rule of thumb proven over and over again. I see someone posting about how much they dislike or disapprove of something, then in a few days or weeks, they’re posting about how they were visited by something worse; and if their declaration was extremely vehement, far worse.

On the other hand, there is a camp of folk who are completely the opposite. They post primarily positive and supportive items on social media and they seem to attract more good news and happiness to their lives. I believe there is a connection.

Warning you attract what you post on facebook

Avoid the danger of adding more misery to your life by posting negative comments online.

Reduced to its simplest form (trying not to sound like a Chinese fortune cookie):

Post bad news, get bad luck.

Post good news, get good luck.

post bad news get bad luck post good news get good luck fortune cookie

Dysfunctional Family

An honest review of what is now the acceptable standard for family relationships is a far cry from the family dynamic of yesteryear. Are you happy with the way your family is?

It breaks my heart to see how far we’ve fallen, as there’s little respect for the family unit in comparison and chances are, if you’re a member of a family, you’ve found yourself a member of a

Dysfunctional Family

dysfunctional family children and family marriage divorce social services abusive relationship

By definition a dysfunctional family is a group of individuals related by blood, marriage, or living arrangements that experiences conflict on a fairly regular basis. I believe this defines every family, so there’s nothing that unusual about being a member of a dysfunctional family, unless an abusive relationship threatens the family unit requiring intervention.

Even so, even “abusive relationships” can (and often are) exaggerated to effect a certain means to an end, without regard to the family member whose life may be sacrificed for the sake of his or her accuser, further exasperating the dysfunction of the family.

Nowadays, the expectation is that the whims of the individual outweighs the needs of the family, resulting in fractured families and broken homes causing more discord, especially when children and family suffer the consequences.

Unfortunately, the divorce industry and social services support the destruction of the family, and doing so, actually supports our government and the economy… but at what cost?

Children are now used as a weapon, and income is not a barrier in this, as it crosses all income levels and tax brackets, though lower income families are privy to legal prowess that would only be available to the wealthier families due to their low income level thanks to support from the Department of Social Services, Child Protective Services and the family court system.

Certainly, we need a system to protect children and families being abused, but our system is greatly flawed, because a parent can use the existing system as a powerful weapon, destroying the life of another (who may be undeserving) at little or cost to the accuser. All that is required is that the accuser be willing to exaggerate and lie to a counselor and possibly to a courtroom under oath. A small price to pay for someone to use – just the implied threat, or equivalent of – “Don’t mess with me or I will ruin you forever.”

Blended Families

You recognize these, they’re like the Brady Bunch; two single parent families with children from a different parent, come together to create a blended family, melding the families into one (hopefully) cohesive unit. In most cases, blended families actually consist of a single mom trying to find love, with children, partnering with a single dad (non-custodial), strapped by extenuating circumstances, visitation with child support and legal issues of his own. Though, some blended families are able to prevail and create a healthy family environment, regardless of the challenges they face.

The results? Look at the prison system filled with the people who were the children raised in these dysfunctional families. Why? It really is a choice. You can choose to live respectful life or a disrespectful life. I know. I come from as dysfunctional a family as you might be able to imagine. I chose to live a respectable life, regardless of my family life, and I vowed that when I entered marriage with the right person, I would maintain a higher standard of familial love, respect and support than was available to me in my youth.

Family First

My approach to family is simply, “family first.” For me, that means that if I am with you and you are with me, then my family is your family and your family is my family. I have a great deal of love for my family and I extend the same quality of love and affection for your family members as I do my own (reciprocity would be a reasonable expectation).

Such a heavy commitment to family doesn’t garner much respect in today’s society.

I hope to see a bright future for the United States and throughout the world realizing, supporting and sustaining the importance of family fueled by family love, tolerance and strength of family.

In the meantime,

For me and my family

We love and support each other

Anxiety Depression Fear

For the most part anxiety, depression and the myriad diagnoses and symptoms that accompany these maladies are all fear-based. Granted, fear is a necessary survival instinct that helps to keep us alive and enables us to have a heightened sense of awareness when danger is present or the need for self-protection is imminent. On the other hand, when fear gets out of balance, anxiety symptoms and depression symptoms escalate creating disorders that can greatly affect our lives.

The therapeutic treatment community is doing their very best to keep up with all these anxiety disorders that are increasing at an alarming rate within the various ranks of our society. Categorization and labeling of specific symptoms has helped mental health professionals to define certain disorders and drug experimentation has been helpful in mitigating the damages (or subduing the symptoms) so as to offer a sense of normalcy to those afflicted with these fear-based ailments.

anxiety depression agoraphobia ptsd ocd panic attack

Some of the most prominent classifications include General Anxiety Disorder and its shirt-tailed cousins, Agoraphobia, PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder), OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder), Panic Disorder, Social Phobia (as well as all other types of phobias, like fear of enclosed spaces, heights, large bodies of water, spiders, snakes, etc…), Acute Stress Disorder, Substance Induced Disorder and a number of variation and combinations as unique as each individual patient.

Then there are the depression disorders, like Bipolar disorder, Manic depression, Melancholia, Major depressive disorder, Seasonal affective disorder (SAD), Clinical depression, Dysthymic disorder, Psychotic depression, Cyclothymic disorder and Unipolar depression plus an unlimited hodgepodge of mixed anxiety-depression to make things even more complicated.

Are You Anxious or Depressed?

With the growth of these fear-based disorders, chances are you suffer from some form of anxiety or depression (which all of us do to some degree), but either you or someone you know suffers from an above-normal anxiety or depression level and you know things are just not right.

What Can You Do About It?

First off, seek help; a qualified third-party to help you discover a proper diagnosis and some intermediary intervention, because left to itself increasing levels of anxiety and depression can lead to suicide, one of the most escalating causes of premature death in the United States today.

That said, as soon as you are able to get a grip, take time for introspection. Either alone or with the help of a counselor, you can find out what the source of your anxiety and/or depression is and deal with it.

Finding inner peace through meditation, mindfulness and disengaging the painful neurological connections in your brain by using tapping (Emotional Freedom Technique) or other psychological pain interventions can be highly effective modalities in helping to achieve a safe emotional place of self-centered being.

You are the master of your own fate. Increase self-confidence and take control of your life. You can – even in the most challenging life circumstances – find peace, harmony and happiness from within, living an enthusiastic life, giving you the ability to achieve your highest and best.

When you allow yourself to suffer the symptoms of anxiety and/or depression, your personal vibration acts as a powerful magnet attracting more and more negative life circumstances. Don’t close yourself off from others. Only by centering yourself and living a happy life (though probably faking it, at first), get out in public, put on a smile, greet people (even if only the clerk at the store, at first) looking and acting as if you are happy, will eventually help you feel better.

Finding any way to make you feel better is doctor’s orders. If it feels good to spend time with friends, be out in nature or go to a comedy club, whatever… Do that; then do more and more of those things that make you feel good.

Practice stress reduction techniques, such as mindfulness meditation or aerobic exercise. Shift your focus to the positive emotions in your daily life. Work to identify meaning and purpose in your life. Get support from others. Go for a walk or run in a park.

You Can Do This

You can conquer anxiety and depression and ultimately live a stress-free and happy life, if you learn how to relieve stress and are ready to get back in the driver’s seat of your best life, create an alternate route and begin your new journey to the destination of your choice.

Do not let these feelings and inner voices devour you. You have all the tools necessary to deal with this and get you back on your feet.

Enter the Counter Leader

For years those of us in leadership have been trained and led to believe that leaders influence others to support a cause or business, to create a team of sub leaders within the greater whole of supporters and to influence continuity among those in the organization. An effective form of managing a group of people supporting a business or cause, but is it possible that a new leader is emerging from the role or leadership? A leader that is the polar opposite of the one that might insist that followers, “Think like me, or be gone.”?

Enter the Counter Leader

Unlike the iron-fisted (paramilitary-style) leader (I admit this is an extreme example) who resides at one end of the leadership spectrum, the Counter Leader is found on the other end of the spectrum and their numbers are on the rise.

The traditional leadership model is more focused on managing supporters by demanding compliance, establishing a strict set of rules, creating and managing a hierarchy of participants, establishing responsibility for productivity and systems to support to reporting non-compliance of other members, all excellent components to running a tightly-knit organization.

The Counter Leader, on the other hand, is a leader who doesn’t take responsibility for managing his or her followers. All the management is performed individually by the supporters as they are empowered to find their own way, exercise their innate skills, to freely come and go, participating with the organization – or not – without penalty or amercement.

This sounds like utter chaos to traditional leaders

How in the world can you expect to manage groups of individuals without controlling them and establishing conformity? It simply will not work.

For the most part, this might be true, if you’ve based your position on the lowest common denominator. If your supporters are simply regarded as worker-bees, then you are absolutely right.

But what if the participants in your organization and supporters were considered as uniquely individual, on their own path of enlightenment, taking full responsibility for their own thoughts and lives?

As enlightened individuality spreads among the populace and the numbers of this counter culture continue to increase, these individuals will not be able to be managed by traditional leadership models.

enter the counter leader growing underground enlightenment love peace

And you might be surprised to learn that there are a growing number of these enlightened individuals within your organization right now. Because their numbers are small, many of them are living their lives and resigning themselves to covert operations, expending energy to appear to blend-in with your worker-bees in an effort to get by.

But they are merely biding their time. For the day will come when there will be a massive shift on this planet; and it will not be not be conquered by force, but by unconditional love and tolerance. There will be no more need for war or compliance, and those who promote dictatorship, dependence, submission, hate, violence and disrespect will find themselves without resources or followers, powerless to promote their agendas or influence others.

Yes, there was a time when we believed you, followed you, supported you, pledged all that we had to you. Why? Because you kept us in fear; fear that without you, we might surely die (or think that without you, we might be better off dead).

While Counter Leaders are growing in numbers they are not organizing an uprising, they are not promoting any agenda, and they are only loving others and mildly suggesting that others might consider growing and evolving without expectation. It has been a long journey, and you have controlled us well, but there are some who know you now and see you for who you really are and we are expanding.

Your reign is coming to an end

Without threat or violence, this path of enlightenment will continue to grow, peace and love will prevail.

And we love you