57 Asians

21 Europeans

14 Americans (northern and southern)

8 Africans

70 Colored-skins

30 Caucasians

89 heterosexuals

11 homosexuals

6 people would own 59% of the wealth of the entire planet and . . .

All of them will be from the United States of America

80 would have bad living conditions

70 will be uneducated

50 will be underfed

1 would die

2 would be born

1 will have a computer

1 (only one) will have higher education

From this vantage point, there’s an apparent need for solidarity, understanding, patience and education.

Also think about the following . . .

If you woke up healthy this morning, you are happier then one million people that will not survive next week.

If you never suffered a war, the loneliness of the jail cell, the agony of torture, or hunger, you are happier than 500 million people in the world.

If you can enter into a church (mosque) without fear of jail or death, you are happier than 3 million people in the world.

If there is a food in your fridge, if you have shoes and clothes, if you have bed and a roof, you are richer then 75% of the people in the world.

If you have a bank account, money in your wallet and some coins in your pocket, you belong to the 8% of the people on the world, who are well-to-do.

Since you were able to read this . . .

You are likely in the 8% well-to-do group.

You are likely in the 1% group of computer owners.

You are likely in the 1% group with some higher education.

Now, depending on your belief system, this means either . . .

You are very, very lucky.

Or, there is a reason you are among the fortunate few, and you likely had a hand in orchestrating the situation that allows you to live a life of such abundance.

The question is WHY?

By global standards, you are very powerful.

What did you come here to do?

Are you doing it now?

Can you do it better?

You are likely in the well-fed group, comparatively speaking.

Now you have more food-for-thought.

Bon apetit.

Occasionally an original thinker comes along, and everyone benefits. Steve Pavlina is such a person and his new book is destined to become a classic. It’s called “Personal Development for Smart People: The Conscious Pursuit of Personal Growth.”

What I appreciate most about Steve’s style is that he has a fresh perspective. He’s obviously very intelligent (he earned a Bachelor’s degree in 3 semesters), but beyond his keen intellect is a well-balanced student of expanding consciousness. Yes he has a big brain, but his heart is equally well developed. Most personal growth experts are either brainiacs or love gurus. Steve has pioneered a refreshing blend of head and heart based on common sense and direct experience. This is a rare quality.

“My greatest breakthroughs usually come from personal experimentation…” – Steve Pavlina

His refreshing approach is obvious at the beginning of the book where he outlines how the book was born and how it is organized. (And yes, it is very organized!)

“It took me almost two and a half years, but I eventually found the solution I was looking for. It consists of just three core principles: truth, love and power. Four secondary principles are directly derived from the first three: oneness, authority, courage and intelligence. Oneness is truth plus love. Authority is truth plus power. Courage is love plus power. And intelligence is the total combination of truth, love and power . . . these principles are universal; they cannot be successfully compartmentalized without sacrificing something far more important – our true nature as conscious beings.” – Steve Pavlina

The book is organized around these fundamental principles. Personal anecdotes from Steve’s life illustrate his points and keep the material easy to grasp. The principles are sometimes obvious and sometimes deep. I found myself occasionally thinking, “Why didn’t I think of that?” (Many times, I did think of that, but had never articulated it so succinctly.) I appreciate his honest communication style and his gift of making deep concepts easy to catch.

“Genuine personal growth is honest growth. You can’t take short-cuts through the land of make-believe.” – Steve Pavlina

Truth

I resonated deeply with Steve’s recommendation for the importance of discovering your own truth and then learning how to live it on a moment-to-moment basis. We have all grown up in an era where we are brainwashed by the media. I know that’s a harsh assessment, but my own personal experience convinces me that it’s true. It’s a matter of degrees – some of us are mildly brainwashed and know it, while others are thoroughly brainwashed and clueless. (I explored this idea in depth in previous articles, “The Trouble with TV” and “Trade TV Time for Habits of Personal Development and Success.”)

“The cumulative effect of mass-media exposure is to condition you to adopt a false view of reality – one that upholds pro-advertiser values. The more you expose yourself to mainstream media such as television, the more skewed your mental model of reality becomes . . . this is a path of long-term laziness, apathy, and decay, not intelligent self-actualization.” – Steve Pavlina

Love

Here’s another topic that I have also explored in depth – connecting with other people. Steve explains how his wife, Erin helped him to open up to the fact that deep inside, we are really all one. Once that is experienced, relationships are forever changed. Close relationships become deeper, and new relationships begin to take on new dimensions. (I enjoyed exploring these important ideas in a previous article, “Meaningful Spiritual Relationships – Namaste Matters.” )

“There are few greater joys in life than the experience of conscious communication with another person. No ego games, false fronts, or manipulative tactics are employed. Both individuals simply want to connect with each other for the purpose of learning and growing. Once you’ve experienced such open, loving communication with another human being, it’s hard to settle for anything less.” – Steve Pavlina

Steve explains how Erin is a master of quick connections. She does this easily because she believes, rather she knows in her heart that we are all deeply connected, like individual cells forming one body. It’s not necessary for her to labor over creating new connections with people. Instead she just taps into the underlying connection she knows is already there. I’ve known a few people who can do this – my wife, Janey, for one, and it is a wonder to behold. It feels great, but I must admit, I’m still learning. I believe it, I love the idea of it . . . it’s just that I am still breaking through years of social conditioning and erroneous preconceived notions about our separateness.

“Instead of having to break the ice with someone, assume that there is no ice.” – Steve Pavlina

Power

The idea of exercising your own personal power and deliberately creating your best life is a theme that has run through many of my articles. I have known the value of this for a long time and continually explore new ways to do it better and better. It feels right to take the reins of life firmly in hand and deliberately steer it toward your deepest desires. What could be more important or more satisfying than to manifest the best version of yourself and the best life possible? (See “Your Passion as Your Compass,” and “Integrity Through Self-Reliance” and “Goal Setting or Let Go and Let God.”)

“When you set a goal that improves your present reality, what does it matter how long it takes to achieve the final outcome? Whether it takes one week or five years is irrelevant. The whole path is fun and enjoyable. More important, you feel happy and fulfilled this very moment. This drives you to take action from a state of joy, so you’re productive too. Instead of going after goals you think will make you happy in the distant future, focus on goals that make you happy right now.” – Steve Pavlina

Self-Discipline

Successful people usually have it. Unsuccessful people usually don’t. That’s a good clue about the importance of self-discipline in a successful and fulfilling life. To me, the idea of self-discipline is simply a promise I make to myself based on my current understanding on what’s best. It has to be best for me, as well as the good of the whole, for me to be able to get behind it and push when necessary.

“It’s your fail-safe, your motivational backup system . . . motivation starts the race, but self-discipline ultimately crosses the finish line.” – Steve Pavlina

Besides the satisfaction of completing self-appointed tasks as a result of well-functioning personal self-discipline, it feels good while the task is in progress too. It helps you feel good about yourself when you know you are capable of making an important promise to yourself . . . and then keeping it. (See previous article, “Self-Discipline in 3 Easy Steps.”)

Authority

Socrates said, “Know thyself.” That’s a good first step to being authentic. You can’t be yourself until you know yourself. Social conditioning has a way of turning us into homogenous drones . . . cogs in the wheel of industry and consumerism. There’s more to life that that. Much more. It all begins with our personal authority. Unless you assumne your own authority, don’t expect anyone else to simply grant it to you by default. (See previous article, “Know Thyself – Ignore Comparisons and Be Yourself.”)

“When you live without authority, your default behavior is to squander your time. You may acquire some knowledge, but you won’t apply it well. You may take some action, but your movements will be chaotic and unfocused. You have the potential to live a powerful, self-directed life of your choosing, but until you step into your true authority, this potential remains a fantasy.” – Steve Pavlina

Each of us have the responsibility and the profound privilege to take the raw materials of our life and turn it into the life of our dreams. It’s satisfying beyond measure – easily worth whatever it takes to learn how to do it well. This habit of mental discipline is not done in broad strokes but in the small details of life. It’s the little things over a period of time that add up to making a big difference. What are you doing today that has the potential of making a lasting difference in the quality of your life and your personal satisfaction?

“People of authority focus on what really matters to them. They don’t waste time on trivialities . . . What’s important to you in life? What’s a relative waste of your time? . . . If you can’t honestly predict a positive long-term impact from your actions, admit that you’re wasting your time, and set some goals that really matter to you. There’s no substitute for investing your life in something that has the potential to make a real difference.” – Steve Pavlina

Persistence

It’s easy to give up. Anyone can do that. And most people do. Succesful people, in all areas of life, are simply people who have tried and failed enough times to have gained a good education. They fall down, get up and keep going. They recognize it as part of the journey. The failures are opportunities to learn, so they don’t shrink from them. Instead they embrace the new lesson learned and press on. Persistent people are inspired people, and they are inspiring. (See previous article, “Persistence and Perseverance for Winners – Losers Just Quit“)

“I don’t get inspired by people who have all the external trappings of success like money and fame. I’m moved by those who I can see are destined for greatness, but no one else knows it yet. The telltale sign is always the same – persistence.” – Steve Pavlina

Courage

One of my favorite authors in Carlos Castaneda and the way he described his tutelage by the Yaqui Indian shaman, Don Juan. I’ve read all his books, some of them several times, so I wasn’t surprised when Steve Pavlina quoted Don Juan . . .

“Before you embark on [any path] ask the question: Does this path have a heart? If the answer is no, you will know it, and then you must choose another path . . . When a man finally realizes that he has taken a path without a heart, the path is ready to kill him.” – Carlos Castaneda

Does this idea hold any special meaning to you? The idea of a path with heart is a very personal idea, and only you can recognize the truth of your answer. It reminds me of the lyrics to one of my songs:

“And no one but you can find the answer to your quest
Your answer’s for you and not all the rest
(You know your answer’s the best, it’s not a contest)
The question is easy enough, and any honest answer is good enough
You really gotta know . . . . . what do you love?”
- From the song, “Do What You Love” by Tupelo Kenyon

When you are in alignment with what you love, your path has heart. You find it easy, even joyful, to take action. You’re commited, and you like it that way. It’s not a chore but a thrill to do things when you are on your path with heart. (To honestly explore your personal path with heart, see this previous article, “10 Steps to Discovering Your Life’s Purpose.”)

“It’s a great idea to consciously intent what you want, and I highly recommend you do that, but if you don’t want something badly enough to take direct action, then what does that say about your intention? Doesn’t that suggest you aren’t really commited to it? When you’re really hungry, will you wait patiently for food to arrive, or will you get up and make something to eat? When your intentions are important to you, direct action becomes part of the manifestation process. The best instruments of the Law of Attraction are your own hands and feet.” – Steve Pavlina

Intelligence

There’s something deeply satisfying about reading what an intelligent person has to say about intelligence. That’s one of the reasons why I have enjoyed reading Einstein’s words, who said, “Imagination is more powerful than knowledge.”

Steve is a very imaginative person, plus he has learned how to apply the knowledge he has gained. It takes intelligence to do that. His book allows him to take the next step which is to share what he has learned. He has worked hard on his communication skills because he recognizes the importance of sharing the wealth of his intelligence with others. I love being inspired by articulate, intelligent, big-hearted people . . .

“Intelligence is the highest form of human expression. Our intelligence is what defines us as human beings. It is our greatest strength, our staunchest ally, and our most noble pursuit. Without it, we are nothingness; we are form without substance and existence without purpose. It is only through the deliberate exercise of intelligence that we give our lives meaning, a meaning that is consciously chosen . . . the most intelligent thing you can possibly do with your life is to grow.” – Steve Pavlina

Habits

Personally chosen, deliberately cultivated habits help keep us on track. They are tools that allow us to translate our resolve into our daily lives. They simplify the day-to-day activities that help us get from where we are to where we want to be. Good habits are our friends, and I really appreciated the following jewels of insight Steve offered on the subject of habits . . .

“How do you know if a habit is positive or negative? Use your mind’s predictive powers to imagine what long-term, cumulative effect each one will have if you maintain it for the rest of your life . . .

“Since habits wield power over your results, you must wield power over your habits . . .

“Take a moment to consider the social consequences of your actions. Do your habits help others align themselves with truth, love and power, or does your behavior lead people astray? . . . Which habits put you on a path with a heart? . . . When your habits are aligned with truth, love and power, the guy in the glass is your friend.” – Steve Pavlina

Career

It’s inspiring to learn from someone who has figured out a way to harness his greatest gifts to experience abundance while helping others at the same time. This paradigm is still rarely manifested in our current society, but examples like Steve can inspire us to our own greatest potential of contribution.

“. . . the best way to optimize your income is to find a career medium that allows you to share your most important message. By sharing your message with others, you provide exactly the kind of value that can generate abundant income.” – Steve Pavlina

I appreciate Steve’s take on contribution vs. mooching. Many of us are taught to get as much as we can for as little as possible. That is, maximize the return while minimizing the input. The natural extension of this mindset is a nation (or a world) of people expecting a handout. It’s entitlement mentality run a muck.

Instead, Steve does a fine job of extolling the virtues (personally and globally) of a mindset based on contribution. When you provide value, it is inevitable that you receive value in return. It’s a wonderful idea and a tad sad that such a common sense approach has fallen out of favor in modern society. Imagine what it would be like if everyone dealt with one another with this dedication to contribution, rather than focusing on, “What can I get?”

“To build an authentic career, you need to find the path that keeps you aligned with truth, love and power. This requires paying attention to the following four questions:

1. Body (needs): What must I do?
2. Mind (abilities): What can I do?
3. Heart (desire): What do I want to do?
4. Spirit (contribution): What should I do?

“An authentic career is found in the place where all four of these questions produce the same answer . . . When you have all four areas working synergistically together, the combined effect is truly amazing. Instead of meeting your needs, you experience true abundance. Instead of applying your knowledge to your tasks, you unlock your true genius. Instead of tolerating your daily routine, you work in a state of joy. And instead of just putting in your time, you fill your days with a sense of purpose.” – Steve Pavlina

Money

It’s best to learn from those who know. I once had a college instructor who never once demonstrated what he taught. He taught a swimming class, and he never got wet. It was difficult to believe the teacher was much of an authority on the subject when he shouted his instructions from the sidelines. It would have been easier to learn from him if he would have joined us in the game.

StevePavlina.com is one of the world’s most popular personal development blogs (if not the most popular). With over two million visitors per month, he knows what he is talking about, whether he is speaking about personal development or financial development.

“. . . money is a human invention to facilitate the exchange of value. To shun money as something evil or unnecessary is a huge mistake. When properly aligned with truth, love and power, it becomes a valuable tool of conscious living – one that’s too important to ignore. If you want to live consciously, you must learn to use money intelligently . . . work within the area of overlap between your personal values and social values. This will enable you to do what you love while creating something that others treasure as well. Don’t force yourself to focus between your integrity and your income – demand that both be satisfied.” – Steve Pavlina

The section on money in Steve’s book is thorough and thought-provoking. It will challenge you to rethink your assumptions about money and how to get more of it. I feel confident almost everyone will benefit from this enlightened look at money.

“Do your best to create and share your value with others, and you’ll help create a richer and more abundant world for all of us.” – Steve Pavlina

Health

True to his commitment to personal experimentation, many of Steve’s major health improvements have been a result of his 30-day trial technique. This is how he proved to himself that his body responded best to vegetarianism. More energy, clearer focus, less sleep required, and other benefits convinced him to adopt it as a lifestyle choice after the 30-day trial period was over.

I am also interested in diet, nutrition and health and have devoured many books on the subject. I wrote a thorough review on one of my favorites. (See previous article, “Finally the Truth About Diet – The China Study Review.“)

The ideas in Steve’s section on health and in “The China Study” are not mainstream. In fact, they are controversial, not because they are so outrageous but because we have drifted so far away from common sense in our dietary choices. Yes, we are the product of insidious social conditioning and are trained to eat, not what is good for us, but what is most profitable for the advertisers to sell. Recognizing this fact is the first step to assuming responsibility for our own health and deliberately choosing what we put in our mouth.

“In order to be healthy today, you must exercise your self-discipline to overcome the drag of social conditioning. Summon the maturity to make intelligent choices for yourself, regardless of what throngs of sick people encourage you to do . . . the truth is that if the average person wouldn’t consider your current health practices extreme, you probably aren’t very healthy.” – Steve Pavlina

Diet and nutrition is a science in its infancy. It’s easy to find conflicting advice from different experts. (That’s one reason why I appreciated “The China Study” so much. It’s not based on any fad diet or conjecture or marketing hype. In fact, it’s based in emperical scientific evidence gathered during the largest nutritional study ever done on planet earth!)

Ultimately, each one of us makes the decision of what we eat. That one seemingly simple decision has a major impact on the level of health and vitality we experience throughout our lifetimes.

“You can delegate control, but never responsibility . . . If I give you any particular advice in this area that doesn’t resonate with you, you should reject it and trust your own judgement instead.” – Steve Pavlina

Relationships

We are all in this together and we are all in this alone. It’s an interesting paradox. Our lives are defined and given shape by the other people in our lives. The people we choose to spend time with influence us in many seen and unseen ways. Especially for those of us interested in personal development, we need to pick our companions carefully and deliberately in order to support our chosen direction of personal growth. (These ideas were explored in previous articles, “Choose the Companionship of Positive People Who Inspire You” and “Life Drama as Blockage to Personal Development.”)

“I’ve learned to place a great deal of trust in my feelings when it comes to relationships. When something feels wrong to me, I know the best thing I can do is to go to the other person and explain that something doesn’t seem right so that we can work together to sort it out. When you bring truth to your relationships, you build closeness and trust.” – Steve Pavlina

Some of our most important life lessons and aha moments come as a result of our relationships, so it makes sense to do our best to communicate well and be considerate of others. A little kindness goes a long way . . .

“Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting battles too,
Cruel wars within themselves, just like it is with you.
Be kind, because you’ll never know just how much good you’ll do,
A heartfelt word or two can soothe a hidden wound.

“Sometimes the ripples from our deed’s a gentle touch, doesn’t seem to matter much,
It’s like dropping flowers in the Grand Canyon.
And though we’ll never know just what becomes of them, it’s all the same to them,
So drop them anyway, because you can.”
- from the song, “Be Kind” by Tupelo Kenyon

One of the things I appreciate most about Steve’s book is the way he threads the themes of truth, love and power through all the aspects of personal development, including his very insightful look at relationships.

“Exchanges that are lacking in truth, love, or power eventually grow stale, but when all three elements are present, the blocks to deeper levels of connection and closeness are removed . . . What mix of truth, love, and power do you use to connect with others? Realize that your weakest channel will be the source of many of your communication problems . . . When you know your dominant connection strategy, you can use it deliberately to regain your closeness whenever you start feeling a little distant from one another.” – Steve Pavlina

Building close relationships involves an element of risk, but a little courage can make a big difference in the quality of your life. You can’t always expect other people to initiate the contact. Sometimes it’s up to you to extend your hand (and your heart) and invite people in. Imagine what you could miss out on, if you don’t.

“The biggest risks are missing out on laughs you never shared, people you never helped, and the potential partner you sentenced to solitude . . .

“Since all human relationships are impermanent, live with the awareness that every one of your current connections will eventually end. Take the time to appreciate them while they last, and don’t take them for granted. Even when a relationship ends in death, it can still continue in your thoughts. The memories of loving relationships can become your most sacred treasures.” – Steve Pavlina

One of our most popular songs explores this idea. Like love itself, it’s a timeless idea. Those we love go right on living in our hearts, long after they’ve left this world.

“And even though you’re hurting now, the hurting will not last,
The strength you gain from such a pain remains when it’s all past.
And even this will pass away, like this life itself someday,
And all that we take with us is the love we gave away.”
- from the song, “All That We Take with Us” by Tupelo Kenyon

Spirituality

In this section of the book, Steve challenges us to look at our idea of spirituality through the lenses of truth, love and power, rather than the conditioned habits of custom, peer pressure, and heredity. It’s an enlightened approach to spirituality, stripped clean of outdated dogma and exclusive ideas designed to keep us loyal to one particular brand. What passes for spirituality has a history of tearing us apart rather than bringing us together.

I love the way Steve encourages us to consider all things spiritual and take the best of what each has to offer. It assumes the ancient words of Shakespeare were actually true and that we actually care enough to keep an open mind rather than blindly clinging to any one viewpoint . . .”There are more things in heaven and earth than ever dreamed of by your philosophies.”

“Just as your physical senses act as a lens through which you perceive different subsets of reality, your spiritual senses also act as cognitive filtering mechanisms. These filters allow you to focus on bits and pieces of preprocessed information which may or may not be useful to you. The more spiritual sensory data you can access and comprehend, the richer your spiritual life will be, and the more accurately it will model truth . . .

“When we confront the key spiritual question of our lives, such as Who am I? And What is my purpose in life? . . . we can limit our input to a small subset of these channels. In general, when we limit our input too severely, we end up making things harder than necessary, much like trying to prepare a meal while wearing a blindfold and earplugs. This is what happens when we say, ‘I’m only going to consider this single spiritual point of view because it’s the one and only truth’ . . .

“Even though each channel of input has limited expressiveness, if you can access a diverse enough set of channels, each one compressed and filtered in different ways, you can develop a more accurate and complete picture of reality. Each belief system you consider provides another way of viewing the same underlying data, thus helping you develop a better understanding of the whole . . .

“By examining your problems from different philosophical viewpoints, you empower yourself. Holistic solutions finally start to emerge. You gain the ability to solve problems you were previously unable to solve . . . most of us are socially conditioned to overlook the simplicity of across-the-board, high-level solutions because we cling to fixed belief systems that prevent us from seeing the big picture.” – Steve Pavlina

These ideas are close to my heart as I look around the planet and see the result of so many people stubornly clinging to some particular brand of spirituality and refusing to see any merit in any other viewpoint. That’s got to be the manifestation of ultimate insecurity to not even be able to consider the validity of a different idea. (I explored this idea in previous articles, “Beyond the Brands of Truth” and “Beyond Science, Philosophy and Religion.”)

Clear thinking and honest exploration of truth is a refreshing approach to spirituality, and that’s why I appreciate Steve’s style of saying what he thinks and feels, even though it’s not the mainstream viewpoint. Far from it. But, I recognize that the tide is turning as more and more people worldwide are beginning to take responsibility for their own spirituality and making their own choices, rather than settling for being spoon fed by tradition.

“A multispectral philosophy of life – that is, one that combines input from multiple perspectives – aligns closely with what’s considered common sense . . .

“The point of spiritual exploration is to help you make conscious, empowering choices . . .

“Many serious conflicts in the world result from the decision to pass on beliefs that label other human beings as unworthy, damaged, or evil . . .

“Your beliefs are not merely observations of reality; they also shape and define your experience of reality. Many of the thoughts you hold most sacred may reveal hidden falsehoods once you take the opportunity to consider the alternatives.” –Steve Pavlina

Celebrating an Expansive Viewpoint

This empowering book, like all great books, performs magic. It allows us to take a peek inside one of the great minds of our time. As a result, it makes the inside of my head (and heart) feel bigger. What more could you ask for in a book?

These last Steve Pavlina quotes do a fine job of tying it all together . . .

“The ultimate goal of any sound spiritual path is to be infinitely truthful, infinitely loving, and infinitely powerful. By extension, this also requires infinite oneness, infinite authority, and infinite courage . . .

“If it were somehow possible for everyone on earth to come together and agree on a single spiritual philosophy, it would be one that incorporates the universal principles of truth, love, and power. These are the ideals that guide us not only as human beings, but also as spiritual beings . . .

“Invest in creative self-expression, service and contribution, and you will suffer no scarcity. Your greatest gift to the world is to share who you really are . . . No one is served by your refusal to shine.” – Steve Pavlina

Personal Appreciation

Although I don’t personally know Steve and his wife, Erin, they both feel like old friends that Janey and I haven’t yet met. Steve’s writings have been a source of inspiration and encouragement to me for a couple of years. I first went to his website as a result of a link in an email from Derek Sivers, founder of CDbaby.com. Derek was impressed that anyone could graduate from college after only three (very busy) semesters, and recommended an article Steve wrote on how he accomplished that.

I began exploring his other articles and it soon became clear I had found a kindred spirit. His example inspired me to begin writing again, and TupeloKenyon.com was born shortly thereafter. The blog spawned the “Inspired on Purpose” newsletter which provides satisfaction and inspiration for myself as well as others. I have Steve Pavlina to thank for all this.

Thanks Steve, for all you do . . . and all you are.

Sincerely,
Tupelo Kenyon

P.S. Get this book, while it’s in first edition. It’s a classic, and I could only hint at it’s empowering breadth and depth in this (rather long) gushing review.

While reading, did you choose to hear the relaxing instrumental music linked at the beginning of this article? To learn more about it, click here.

Listen FREE to the songs below . . . chosen to enhance the ideas in this article.

Do What You Love Discovering what we have a true passion for, and then figuring out a way to build a life around that passion is one of life’s greatest feelings of accomplishment. http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescHB.html#Anchor10 Be Kind Your example and the kindness shown to others can have a rippling affect that goes on and on. http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescHB.html#Anchor9 All That We Take With Us Even sorrow brings us gifts of deeper understanding and a clearer perspective of what is really important. http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescHB.html#Anchor3 Endless Journey Traveling has so many gifts to give! Spectacular scenery, interesting cultural differences, and the inspiring people you’ll meet. What a well-rounded education is provided by getting away and looking around . . . and, it’s an inspiring education that never has to end. http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescHB.html#Anchor8 Songs by Tupelo
The Trouble with TV Does TV enhance our life experience or get in the way of living our lives? Celebrate life with this refreshing perspective on the boob tube. Trade TV Time for Habits of Personal Development You” be glad you did, and once you go through the withdrawal stage, you’ll never look back. Your Passion as Your Compass Allow your passions to stretch their wings and the direction of your life could surprise you – in a good way. Celebrate life with passion! Integrity Through Self-Reliance When you live your life as if the whisperings from your soul really matter, you are living life in your own way, on your own terms, based on your own realizations on what is right . . . what is good . . . and what is true for you. You are tuned into your own station. The signal you are receiving and the message you are broadcasting with the story of your life are both on the same frequency. You are joyfully and gratefully choosing your favorites from the buffet of life. Goal Setting or Let Go and Let God There are two approaches people use to manifest their desires. Some set goals. Others surrender and presume the universe is conspiring to deliver to them their every desire without strain, in its own way and in its own time. Which way is better? Can these two methods be used together? Self-Discipline in 3 Easy Steps Why is it so difficult to follow through and accomplish what you set out to do? Usually, there is one important missing ingredient: personal discipline. For most of us, the idea of discipline is an external force – it’s something that comes from the outside. For instance, we discipline our children. Most of us are familiar with discipline as a verb (something we do to someone else), but we’re not so familiar with the concept as a noun – something we cultivate from within and apply to ourselves. Know Thyself – Ignore Comparisons and Be Yourself The average person is content to base self-knowledge on comparisons to other people. If this is the measure of self-knowledge, it is based on someone else’s standards. This practice misses the point of “Know Thyself.” Instead, it’s all about how to fit in. We are all unique individuals with our own strengths, talents and nudges leading us to embrace our own best life. True knowledge of self is attained from personal insights of looking inwardly rather than outwardly towards others. Persistence and Perseverance for Winners – Losers Just Quit Giving up is easy. Most people make a habit of giving up. In fact, they make a life of it Persistence through a solution-oriented attitude is for visionaries, dreamers and other winners who refuse to take “no” for a final answer. 10 Steps to Discovering Your Life’s Purpose Of all the self-help ideas I’ve come across through the years, this one has been the most helpful. For me, it’s been the Rosetta Stone of personal development techniques. After getting a handle on the idea of “purpose”, other areas of my life fell into place more easily. Finally the Truth About Diet – The China Study Review Finally, here’s an authoritative diet and nutrition book based on hard science and exhaustive research. This revealing book is written by one of the world’s most respected authorities in the field of nutrition. In his own words, he has been “in the system for almost fifty years, at the very highest levels, designing and directing large research projects, deciding which research gets funded and translating massive amounts of scientific data into national expert panel reports.” There is so much useful information in this book, I consider it one of the most important books I have ever read and give it my highest recommendation. Change your diet and change the quality of your life. Choose the Companionship of Positive People Who Inspire You If the people you spend the most time with are inspiring, supportive, encouraging, and they demonstrate qualities you want to emulate – great, you are on the right track. If not, it’s up to you to do something about it. Life is too short to put up with other people’s pity parties, bitch-and-moan marathons, and oh-woe-is-me clubs. Life Drama as Blockage to Personal Development Some people seem to relish drama in their lives. They go from one catastrophe to another. They thrive on it as if drama is what makes them feel alive. You may be able to see that they are attracting these experiences by their daily thoughts and feelings. But, they don’t recognize it from within the narrow confines of their personal drama. To someone immersed in drama, the idea that they are creating it is completely foreign. With intent, practice and mindfulness, what was once considered drama that snowballed out of control becomes simply examples of the contrasts of life to help you sharpen your preferences and shape your desires. Beyond the Brands of Truth Truth depends upon your belief. If you believe something is true, that makes it true . . . true for you. Of course, if you don’t believe that statement, never mind, because your belief defines your truth in another direction. But, we can commit to finding our own personal truth. We can hope our example will inspire others to look inside for their own truth rather than looking outside at the tumultuous world of competing brands of “truth.” Beyond Science, Philosophy and Religion Is truth absolute or relative? Is there anything beyond science, philosophy and religion? Many of the world’s top quantum physicists think there is. Celebrate life by stretching you imagination. Articles by Tupelo

It’s easy to get sidetracked. Our busy lives pull us in a thousand different directions. How can we stay on track?

Can we balance all the things that must be done, and should be done, with the things that mean the most to us?

Is there a way to make sure our true passions are not forever relegated to the bottom of our “to do” list?

Be with Your Passions

Passions have a way of shriveling up and blowing away when ignored. It’s the principle of “out of mind and out of sight.” This is what happens when your passions are put on the back burner, day after day and year after year.

“Absence abates a moderate passion and intensifies a great one- as the wind blows out a candle but fans fire into flame.” – François Duc de La Rochefoucauld (1613-80)

When the trivial details of daily life are consistently given preferential treatment, that becomes the primary focus of your life – a life built around trivial details. Do you get them all done? Maybe. Do you feel satisfied and inspired by prioritizing them? Probably not.

“‘Know thyself,’ said the old philosopher, ‘improve thyself,’ saith the new. Our great object in time is not to waste our passions and gifts on the things external that we must leave behind, but that we cultivate within us all that we can carry into the eternal progress beyond.” – Edward Bulwer-Lytton (1803 – 1873)

It’s possible to attend to the details of life, and still make room for your passions. It’s a matter of attention. Allow room in your consciousness for the things stirring deep within you – your passions.

In your quiet moments, dwell upon them. Be with them mentally and emotionally. When they are deliberately included in the fabric of your life, opportunities present themselves that allow you to integrate your passions into your daily life. With practice, you will recognize these opportunities and serendipities because of your habit of regularly including your passions in your deep mental and emotional reality.

On the other hand, if your habit is to think about your passions only occasionally and briefly, before putting them back in your mental “later” file, the same opportunities and serendipities can easily go unnoticed.

Before your outer life can be a reflection of your true passions, your inner life has to be in alignment with them. If you ignore the true calling of soul, reflected by your passions, your life can turn out to be an exercise in “if only” and “what if.” The way to avoid a life of regret is to first recognize whether or not you have developed the habit of ignoring your true passions. If you have, this usually leads to an unfulfilled life.

So pay attention to your passions now, and continually incorporate them into your day-to-day life by energizing them with your attention, thoughts and emotions.

“As life is action and passion, it is required of a man that he should share the passion and action of his time, at peril of being judged not to have lived.” – Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. (1841-1935)

Go Deeper

What if you go through this process of externalizing a passion and integrating it into your life, only to discover that it does not satisfy you? Your interaction may leave you feeling flat and unfulfilled. How can that be?

The problem may be you need to dig a little deeper.

What you had identified as a passion may not be a true passion bubbling up from the depths of your being. It could be any number of things, but most likely, it’s born of ego, and may be ego driven. It could be the product of the “little me” in your head, rather than the irresistible impulse of the universe itself seeking expression through the unique combination of skills, talents and interests you bring to the recipe of co-creation.

“It’s the soul’s duty to be loyal to its own desires. It must abandon itself to its master passion.” – Rebecca West (1892 – 1983)

Embracing Change

When drive is mistaken for passion and situations change, it’s easy to throw up your hands in resignation and give up. When you are inspired from the inside out by true passions, your outer activities bend gracefully with the winds of change. The outer manifestations of your true passions morph, as needed, to best reflect the inevitable changing circumstances. New circumstances require new approaches, and when you are in alignment with your passions, it will become apparent how to best maximize the potential of each new circumstance.

Your Passions Make You Unique

Fundamental passions come from the core of your being. As you become accustomed to living your life in alignment with them, you become less and less like everyone else and more and more who you really are. As your outer life becomes in closer alignment with your true passions, you grow into the unique individual that you are.

“Most people are other people. Their thoughts are someone else’s opinions, their lives a mimicry, their passions a quotation.” – Oscar Wilde (1854 – 1900)

The Ego-Driven Give Up Fast
Passion-Driven People Last

A passion-driven life does not come to an abrupt halt by a roadblock. Instead, from the inner place of stillness where you have invited passion to reside, an idea for the perfect detour springs forth. The detour itself could very well turn out to be a serendipity, bearing gifts and benefits that would otherwise never have manifested. It’s all a matter of attitude. The determined, yet gentle resolve that comes when you’re committed to living in alignment with true purpose, is fueled by your deepest passions.

“There is no chance, no destiny, no fate, that can circumvent or hinder or control the firm resolve of a determined soul.” – Ella Wheeler Wilcox (1850-1919)

Let Go of Resistance

Situations change. Perhaps the only constant in the universe is change. Change happens. It makes no sense to resist it. It does make sense to learn to roll with it gracefully and delight in new experiences and opportunities made possible by our ever-changing circumstances.

When situations change, we have a choice. We can become upset and resist the change. This approach wastes precious energy in complaining and blaming. Or, we can accept it as it is, settle our attention deeply inside, and become receptive to the next appropriate action based upon the new situation.

“Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass. It’s about learning to dance in the rain.” – Unknown

When we focus our attention on this present moment and allow our true passions to be on-going companions, outer changes are not the enemy. Whatever happens, regardless of the mental labels of “good” or “bad” we give it . . . this too shall pass.

From the depth of stillness will come the impulse for the appropriate course of action now. This new urge for a specific action takes into consideration the most recent outer changes and your commitment to the deepest nudges from your inner reality. These nudges, rooted in true passions, represent your north star . . . you can trust them, and you can steer your life by them. (To help clearly define exactly what your passions are, see previous articles, “Your Passion as Your Compass” and “10 Steps to Discovering Your Life’s Purpose.”)

When your outer activities are in the flow and inspired by your passions, your life becomes a work of art – an original expression of the teamwork between you and the universe itself.

“Nothing great in the world has been accomplished without passion.” – Georg Wilhelm

“The worst sin – perhaps the only sin – passion can commit, is to be joyless.” – Dorothy L. Sayers (1893 – 1957)

“The more passions and desires one has, the more ways one has of being happy.” – Charlotte-Catherine

The Grandest You and Your Deepest Passions

In the stillness of your personal quiet times, re-connect with your passions. Revisit the stirrings of soul and refocus on what is genuinely important to you . . . not the “little you” – the ego, but the grand, bright and shining YOU – the one-of-a-kind embodiment of all-that-is, born into this world with a unique set of talents and tools to enable you to do what nobody else can in the entire world.

What is that? That is your true passion.

While reading, did you choose to hear the relaxing instrumental music linked at the beginning of this article? To learn more about it, click here.

Listen FREE to the songs below . . . chosen to enhance the ideas in this article.

	Miracle in Disguise Synchronicity is such a positive and hopeful idea, it begs the question, "Why not actively look for it and even expect it, as long as it feels good?" http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescX.html#Anchor11 Time of Our Lives Time is so fleeting, so elusive, it’s good to remember the importance and power of living right now. http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescHere.html#Anchor7 Take the Plunge Their advice is "for your own good", but the last thing you need to hear is their worst-case scenario. http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescHere.html#Anchor11 Celebrate Life Create your own personal celebration of life by your choices, rather than allowing life to be something that merely happens to you, or around you. http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescHB.html#Anchor2 Do What You Love Discovering what we have a true passion for, and then figuring out a way to build a life around that passion is one of life’s greatest feelings of accomplishment. http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescHB.html#Anchor10 Live From Your Heart We all come from a long, long, long line of love. And our lives are enhanced exponentially when we interact with one another as if that mattered. http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescHB.html#Anchor13 You Gotta Have Fun Our moments are fleeting . . . and finite. Too few to squander on "bad news". We must steer our attention deliberately in order to attract the kind of life we were born to live. http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescAnth.html#Anchor20 Songs by Tupelo
Your Passion as Your Compass Allow your passions to stretch their wings and the direction of your life could surprise you – in a good way. Celebrate life with passion! 10 Steps to Discovering Your Life’s Purpose Of all the self-help ideas I’ve come across through the years, this one has been the most helpful. For me, it’s been the Rosetta Stone of personal development techniques. After getting a handle on the idea of “purpose”, other areas of my life fell into place more easily. How Do You Feel – About Inner Guidance? Is it a hunch? Is it a voice in your head? Is it something you feel? Don’t confuse what you feel with who you are. Once you are able to access this awareness of pure being and identify yourself with it, you won’t get carried away by whatever emotional cloud happens to be passing by. Celebrate life through one of the more subtle forms of communication available to us – inner guidance. Persistence and Perseverance for Winners – Losers Just Quit Giving up is easy. Most people make a habit of giving up. In fact, they make a life of it Persistence through a solution-oriented attitude is for visionaries, dreamers and other winners who refuse to take “no” for a final answer. Inspire Yourself on Purpose – Inspiration from Inside Out Here are twelve common sense reminders on how to inspire yourself. The word “inspire” derives from root words that mean “in spirit” or “spirit within.” Although there’s always another step to take, these points are a natural result of recognizing and identifying with this realization of who we really are. Ego or Soul? Who’s Driving Even though I identify my sense of self with soul, there seems to be another “something” inside forever jockeying for position and making its presence known. This is the ego. What’s the difference? How can you know which one is in charge? What are their characteristics? Since I prefer peace to mayhem and contentment to perpetual, blind striving, my goal is to keep soul in the driver’s seat as often as possible. Instead of an either/or situation, I like the idea of soul and ego peacefully coexisting in a manner that best serves the greater good. Enhance Your Self-Image on Purpose Here are twelve common sense reminders on how to inspire yourself. The word “inspire” derives from root words that mean “in spirit” or “spirit within.” Although there’s always another step to take, these points are a natural result of recognizing and identifying with this realization of who we really are. How to Live the Life of Your Dreams Through Intuition Intuition feels good. That should be enough of a clue it’s something that can be trusted. But, our culture has done a thorough job of instilling doubt about the wisdom of following our instincts. Instead, we are taught to think things through and be logical. These mental tools are important, but they were never intended to be used instead of intuition. They work better when used in conjunction with intuition. If we are open to it, we get nudges and insights to move us in the direction of our greatest joys, our most valuable contributions, and our most satisfying life. Those quiet whispers and gentle taps on the shoulder are examples of inner guidance in action – intuition. Know Thyself – Ignore Comparisons and Be Yourself The average person is content to base self-knowledge on comparisons to other people. If this is the measure of self-knowledge, it is based on someone else’s standards. This practice misses the point of “Know Thyself.” Instead, it’s all about how to fit in. We are all unique individuals with our own strengths, talents and nudges leading us to embrace our own best life. True knowledge of self is attained from personal insights of looking inwardly rather than outwardly towards others. Articles by Tupelo

]]> http://www.tupelokenyon.com/2008/05/09/refocus-on-your-true-passions/feed/ 0 http://www.tupelokenyon.com/2008/04/11/why-i-blog-on-personal-development-and-advice-for-other-writers/ http://www.tupelokenyon.com/2008/04/11/why-i-blog-on-personal-development-and-advice-for-other-writers/#comments Fri, 11 Apr 2008 12:00:11 +0000 Tupelo http://www.tupelokenyon.com/2008/04/11/why-i-blog-on-personal-development-and-advice-for-other-writers/ For instrumental music while reading, choose: hi-fi (broadband) or low-fi.

I was recently interviewed by Alex Blackwell for his series called, “The Next 30 Blogging Heroes.” He asked some good questions, so I decided to reproduce the interview here.

Alex says, “Inspired by the book ‘Blogging Heroes: Interviews with 30 of the World’s Top Bloggers’ by Michael A. Banks, this series features the next group of exceptional bloggers who are making an impact in the blogosphere.

“Blogging heroes create quality content and build a loyal, and very large, base of readers. This series will center on their best blogging practices as well as tips and advice. You will benefit from their helpful tips, advice and insight.”

“The Next 45 Years is proud to welcome author and musician Tupelo Kenyon of TupeloKenyon.com.”

It was an honor to be included in this series. For interviews with other bloggers, visit Alex’s site: “The Next 45 Years.” Here’s the complete interview:

What prompted you to start TupeloKenyon.com (please mention when it was launched)?

“Prompted” is a good choice of words. A few years ago, in preparation for one of our concerts, we were loading our equipment through the back door of the venue. An intriguing old man was sitting on an overturned white bucket, outside the door. He was ancient, with a joyous and mischievous sparkle in his eye. I slowed my step, even though the load of instruments was heavy. With no small-talk preamble, he looked me straight in the eye and said matter-of-factly: “I’m here to tell you it’s time for you to start writing books.”

I acknowledged his strange statement with a nod, took it in stride and continued with the task at hand. There were people behind me, also carrying heavy loads, so I kept moving to get out of their way. I was eager to go back for details on my next trip. When I returned, he was gone. I asked around and none of the employees recognized my description of the old man. I never saw him before or since.

I enjoy a good mystery and pay attention to “coincidences,” hunches and inner nudges, but this experience was over-the-top. The weirdness of the circumstances and the bluntness of his message percolated within me for a few years as I contemplated “writing books.”

The mystery man planted a seed and successfully prompted me to begin. When I discovered blogging, I recognized it as an ideal vehicle for outflow that combines some of my favorite passions with several personal skills: writing about personal development ideas, contemplating great quotes, song-writing, instrumental music composition and computer skills.

When I think back on the aspects of my life that have provided the most satisfaction and joy, I realize they all started with a hunch, a quiet whisper in my ear, or an intuitive tap on the shoulder. Gratefully, I did not write them off as musings from an overactive imagination and ignore them. Instead, I was willing to at least consider it might be an important “prompt.” Usually, I’ll play along and take the next step in the direction of my nudge, and then the next, and the next, curious where it may lead.

One of my songs is about this willingness to live on the edge with an adventurous spirit:

“So I’m taking off those blinders and throwing them away,
There’s so much more to living than the safe and narrow way.
The meek will surely inherit the earth . . .They won’t get very far,
While the bold go for adventure, exploring beyond the stars.
So I’ll encourage inspiration, and I’ll soak it up like a sponge,
Instead of terminal safety, I’m ready to take the plunge.”
From the song, “Take the Plunge” by Tupelo Kenyon

So, I took the plunge and started the learning curve on the mechanics of blogging in November of 2006 and launched TupeloKenyon.com on New Year’s Day 2007. The blog is titled, “Personal Development Inspiration and Uplifting Music” and the very first article was titled, “The Power of Beginning.” Perhaps blogging is the first step to the old man’s prompt to “start writing books” since I have already published enough content online to fill a couple.

Your blog is unique in the sense you connect your articles with your music. What is your musical background and experience?

I am mostly a self-taught musician, although I did take guitar lessons for a few months when I was about fourteen. (Thanks, Mom.) After earning my Associates of Mathematics degree, I changed my major to music at the University of Texas in Austin. That lasted about three months. I learned some valuable music theory, but soon realized I’d much rather be making music than studying it. So I moved to Alaska and began making a living singing and playing guitar by the time I was 21.

“Life is like music, it must be composed by ear, feeling and instinct, not by rule.” – Samuel Butler (1612-80)

The musical teamwork with my wife, Janey, has resulted in 11 music CDs and performances in all 50 states plus several foreign countries. We are known as “Laughing Bird.” We’ve also produced a feature-length video DVD titled, “Celebrate the Journey” of our unusual lifestyle as touring musicians for the last thirty years. (You can see a 7-minute preview online free.)

More information about our unique musical journey is in the article titled: “Benefits of Music for Personal Development.”

What is your process for choosing how you link a song to an article on your blog?

The songs I recommend at the end of each article are chosen to support the subject matter and tone of the article. Sometimes they are specific and the reference is obvious. Other times, the song may be a related tangent. Sometimes the songs are chosen to facilitate the listeners to come to their own understanding and discover their own insights about what a particular idea means to them. Those are always the best.

Choosing which songs fit best with a particular article is a fairly straight-forward process since I also wrote the songs. As I am writing an article, song titles will pop into my head as good choices for related themes. After I finish writing the article, I usually scan a list of all the songs we’ve recorded (112 so far, with more added regularly). This helps me make sure I don’t overlook any appropriate recommendations.

The instrumental selections available at the beginning of each article require a different process. I currently have three CDs of original instrumental music to choose from, so I try to match the feeling of the article with the instrumental selection that best supports it. It’s a more subjective process, so I try not to over-think it too much and just go with whatever feels right at the time.

Are you achieving what you set out to do with the site?

It’s a good start, and I’m enjoying the process. I’m also recognizing the benefits of surrounding myself with these powerful, empowering ideas in such an active way. I’ve been attracted to these themes of personal development and inspiration since I was 17, so these are the ideas I contemplate in my quiet time. The process of writing the articles gives me the opportunity to explore deeper and discover what I really think about these important topics. The act of writing clarifies ideas and inspires new viewpoints that I may never have considered otherwise.

The site has evolved into an extension of my own process of personal development and my dedication to living an inspired life. So yes, I am achieving that aspect of continually taking the next step in the expansion of consciousness that has been so important to me for about forty years.

One of my songs explores this theme . . .

“My feet are in the water, my head’s up in the clouds,
Floating on a fantasy, but living out loud,
Living out loud.
An’ I wonder if I’ll ever do you proud.

“I’m not exactly grounded, but I’m not entirely free.
I’m not exactly ready to go, but this never felt like home to me.
So I’m eager for that next step, even though I’ve come so far,
With my seat right here in the saddle . . . and soul in the stars.”
From the song, “Soul in the Stars” by Tupelo Kenyon

One of things I set out to do with the site was to supplement my income, and this intent is manifesting slower than I had hoped. However, my quality of life is more important than stressing over the blog’s income issues, and the blog has contributed to my excellent quality of life from the very beginning. I knew blogging was not a get-rich-quick scheme, so I began with lots of patience and a long-term attitude.

As I continue my focus on delivering quality content with the potential to make a real difference in the quality of life for my readers, I am confident that the readership and the income will continue to grow. Since we have other income streams from other passions (concert performances, CD sales, and our recording studio), there’s no pressure to risk compromising my vision by trying to prematurely squeeze money out of TupeloKenyon.com.

Although success is usually associated with money, according to Emerson’s definition of success, I am already enjoying a measure of success . . .

“The definition of success–To laugh much; to win respect of intelligent persons and the affections of children; to earn the approbation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends; to appreciate beauty; to find the best in others; to give one’s self; to leave the world a little better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch, or a redeemed social condition; to have played and laughed with enthusiasm, and sung with exultation; to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived–this is to have succeeded.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-82)

Where do you get your ideas for content for your blog and for your songs?

I enjoy reading a wide variety of authors, philosophies and disciplines. I consider myself a “free agent,” so I don’t prescribe to any one particular “brand.” Some of my favorite authors include Esther and Jerry Hicks, Eckhart Tolle, Wayne Dyer, Lee Carroll, Richard Bach, Paul Twitchell, Dan Millman, Steven Covey, Joseph Campbell, Neale Donald Walsch, plus many others.

There’s a page on my blog with brief reviews of the fifty or so books that have had the biggest impact on me. These books have moved me, opened me up, amazed me, thrilled me, and helped me feel something profound.

While reading, something will strike me just right, and an article title will occur to me. I use the original idea as a springboard and do my best to find a fresh perspective. Whether I’m writing an article or a song, I never know where it’s going. Instead, I trust the process and enjoy the ride. I am often surprised where it ends up compared to where it started.

I realize it’s an unconventional way to write, but it’s satisfying to me because it’s not as rigid and structured as strictly left-brained writing. Instead, it allows for the freedom of random associations and an overview of the big picture made possible by allowing the right brain to have free reign also. Since I enjoy the process of working this way, songs and articles get completed.

What do you find to be the more difficult aspects of blogging?

Time constraints are the most difficult hurdles I face with my personal commitment to publish a new article every week. My average article takes between 8 and 14 hours to complete. I decided at the beginning not to create a blog of short posts. There are plenty of excellent blogs with short posts, but in the interest of something for everyone, I decided to concentrate on the more in-depth coverage made possible by the technology.

I have published one new article per week since TupeloKenyon.com was launched on January 1, 2007. That may not seem like a big time commitment, but it feels like it with all the other activities that require so much time. Janey and I do major concert tours every year that keep us on the road for about six months. When we are at home, our recording studio, Riversong Studio, keeps me busy. I produce CD projects for other artists as well as our own. Busy, busy, busy. You know what they say about the self-employed: “You only have to work half-days . . . and you can choose which twelve hours that is!”

They also say, “Busy people get things done.”

“It is not enough to be busy. The question is: what are we busy about?” – Henry David Thoreau (1817-62)

Do you do anything special to increase your readership?

I stay focused on providing consistent, quality content that can make a difference in people’s lives. My intent is to make it so compelling that my readers won’t be able to keep it a secret and will share it and recommend it to the people they care about. I provide a link at the end of every article to make it easy to “email this article to a friend.” I also make it easy for people to submit each article to their favorite social networking sites.

I have also dabbled in carnivals, listed the site with blog directories, and have begun to learn more about the social networking phenomenon. All these things take time, so I haven’t explored them in depth.

I am not interested in spending my entire life in front of a computer screen, so I budget my computer time carefully. As I prioritize the limited time I am willing to stare at a computer screen, most of that time is spent writing articles.

Do you use SEO? If so, which techniques provide the best results?

I made sure my META tags include specifically chosen keywords that relate to the theme of my site. My decision to submit my articles to carnivals was driven, in part, by the hoped-for advantage of getting incoming links from related sites. I have a few hundred by now, but I honestly don’t know how much they help.

I try to use keywords in the article titles and in the body of the copy, but mostly I write in a stream of consciousness style better suited to human readers rather than search engine spiders. The algorithms used by the search engines will continue to get more sophisticated and keep getting better at catching on to the myriad ways used by people who try to “game” the system. The purpose of the search engines is to find the sites that do the best job in providing value and reward them with higher search rankings. If my purpose is also to provide value, the search engines will recognize that and everyone wins. And hopefully, I won’t have to spend too much time on boring, mind-numbing busy work like SEO. (Warning, this may be a blue sky, pipe dream with no basis in the real world of online traffic-building. Sometime in the future, I may change my tune and discover that yes, indeed, it is necessary to be more proactive in this area – but I hope not!)

What do you find gratifying about blogging?

It’s always gratifying to hear from someone who was touched by one of my articles or my music. It’s fascinating to hear how someone was able to apply an idea from a song or article to the unique circumstances of their life in a way that would never have occurred to me. I love to hear creative interpretations and stories of how something made a positive difference in someone’s life. The lyrics to one of my songs express this idea . . .

“The way we live our life is like a pebble dropped, into a quiet pond,
It carries on just like a circle growing.
The ripples that we make may touch another shore,
You may never know for sure,
How much you’ve helped someone without you knowing.

“Sometimes the ripples from our deed’s a gentle touch,
Doesn’t seem to matter much,
It’s like dropping flowers in the Grand Canyon.
And though we’ll never know just what becomes of them,
It’s all the same to them,
So drop them anyway, because you can.

“Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting battles too,
Cruel wars within themselves, just like it is with you.
Be kind, because you’ll never know just how much good you’ll do,
A heartfelt word or two can soothe a hidden wound.”
From the song, “Be Kind” by Tupelo Kenyon

What are your future plans for TupeloKenyon.com?

I realize that big companies and corporations must have detailed, well-thought-out business plans for the future, but my approach with TupeloKenyon.com has been more organic . . . more in the moment . . . more about now. I take it one article at a time and do the best I can with the amount of time I have available.

I do have a vision for the future but have not nailed it down with any step-by-step action plan. I enjoy a wide-open approach to allow the universe plenty of latitude to take it in any direction . . . whatever is in the interest of the greatest good. I appreciate surprises, serendipities and “coincidences” orchestrated in the more subtle planes of consciousness, well beyond the one-dimensional confines of my best, well-laid plans.

My vision for TupeloKenyon.com is an ever-growing site contributing inspiration to those attracted to ideas of integrity and techniques of personal development and expanding consciousness.

It is personally satisfying when readers of my blog discover my music and when my music listeners discover my articles. As these readers and listeners continue to grow in number, this provides me with a ready outlet for more articles, songs and music. I see it as a full circle of contribution. I am gratified that all this is made possible by my own personal commitment to inner growth.

It feels like right livelihood. When people buy our CDs, download our music and contribute in other ways, it’s a vote of confidence that I am on the right track of making available something worthwhile for the good of the whole. That inspires me to become an ever-clearer conduit for ideas, words and music to flow through me, knowing there is an appreciative place in the world for it.

Now, after all that, here’s the short answer: My plans are open-ended. My vision is win/win.

What advice can you offer other bloggers?

Since I am a relative newbie myself, my first morsel of advice would be to take my advice with a grain of salt. One of the ideas that made a lasting impression on me came via Esther Hicks to a fellow-writer friend of mine: “Write for your own connection.”

To me, that means the act of writing should be done first and foremost as an exercise to deepen your own understanding and facilitate your relationship with your own inner self. It allows you to entertain ideas, concepts and feelings in detail that have the power to make a dramatic difference in the quality of your life. Instead of being motivated to write for money or fame or recognition or shallow ego gratification, write for you. Write for (and from) that deepest part of you, which cries out for its connection to the infinite. I am confident that this approach provides the greatest benefit for the greatest number, including the writer.

Actively engage the mystery in your life. Be unique, be yourself, be the brilliant individual you were born to be, and do it in your own way. Nobody else in the whole world can do what you do. Be sincere, be real and light-hearted, and be committed to excellence.

Learn whenever you can from whomever you can. Be aware of any advice offered. But also beware.

“No one can give you better advice than yourself.” – Marcus Tullius Cicero (106-43 BC)

Instead of basing your direction on the advice of others, look inside for your own way. Listen for (and expect) nudges, hunches and intuitive taps on the shoulder from you inner self. Learn to trust them and discover for yourself that your intuition has your own best interests at heart.

Whatever you do, do it well, and others will recognize your commitment to excellence and will be attracted to whatever you have to contribute. Make it fun so you enjoy the process. Be in the moment. Give first without attachment to outcomes. Balance that with your expectation of great things already moving toward you. Receive the abundance of life graciously. Be grateful every day. Take nothing for granted – especially the wonder of life itself. Most importantly, do whatever brings you joy.

While reading, did you choose to hear the relaxing instrumental music linked at the beginning of this article? To learn more about it, click here.

Did you get something good from this article? You can also enjoy the feeling of giving. Click here to leave a donation for Tupelo. Thank you.

Listen FREE to the song samples below . . . chosen to enhance the ideas in this article.

Take the Plunge Their advice is “for your own good”, but the last thing you need to hear is their worst-case scenario. http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescHere.html#Anchor11 Soul in the Stars It feels good to try to see the bigger picture once in awhile,and to focus on gratitude for what we have, rather than the frustration of what we are lacking. http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescHere.html#Anchor4 Be Kind Your example and the kindness shown to others can have a rippling affect that goes on and on. http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescHB.html#Anchor9 Do What You Love Discovering what we have a true passion for, and then figuring out a way to build a life around that passion is one of life’s greatest feelings of accomplishment. http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescHB.html#Anchor10 Celebrate Life Create your own personal celebration of life by your choices, rather than allowing life to be something that merely happens to you, or around you. http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescHB.html#Anchor2 Songs by Tupelo
The Power of Beginning The most important part of any project is the beginning. Just begin and follow through and you will be amazed at the momentum. . The creative power of the universe responds by lining up the details to bring it into manifestation. Coincidences begin to occur. Your job is to choose and then begin. Benefits of Music for Personal Development All music is not created equally. This article takes a look behind the scenes to catch a glimpse of how the intent of the composer translates to the feeling evoked in the listeners. Many links are included to streaming mp3s. Celebrate life through music! Take Time for You Don’t put yourself at the end of the list. You deserve to be first, at least some of the time. Don’t let your entire life slip by with everything else (and everyone else) getting preferential treatment over your most important priorities. Their needs are important, but yours are important too. Celebrate life by taking time for YOU! The Law of Attraction With anything as important as the law of attraction, it’s a good idea to hear it described many times from many different angles. This article looks at it from several viewpoints as well as revealing how to get the understanding of the law of attraction from the prime source. Many links are provided including links to streaming mp3 songs that incorporate the principles of attraction in the lyrics. Celebrate life with an ever-clearer grasp of how the law of attraction determines your life experience. Relax and Rejuvenate for Balance and Productivity Whatever you do, taking time to relax and regenerate helps you to do it better. If you don’t pause occasionally, shift your mind into neutral and recharge your batteries, your productivity plummets and you may not even realize it. You need time to let your mind wander – time to imagine new possibilities – time to enjoy the simple pleasures of life – time to nurture soul. Life is more than an endless to-do list, and many of its most important gifts come when you allow yourself to put the daily details on pause and just experience the simplicity of life in the moment with nothing in particular on your mind that needs to be done. How to Live the Life of Your Dreams Through Intuition Intuition feels good. That should be enough of a clue it’s something that can be trusted. But, our culture has done a thorough job of instilling doubt about the wisdom of following our instincts. Instead, we are taught to think things through and be logical. These mental tools are important, but they were never intended to be used instead of intuition. They work better when used in conjunction with intuition. If we are open to it, we get nudges and insights to move us in the direction of our greatest joys, our most valuable contributions, and our most satisfying life. Those quiet whispers and gentle taps on the shoulder are examples of inner guidance in action – intuition. Inspire Yourself on Purpose – Inspiration from Inside Out Here are twelve common sense reminders on how to inspire yourself. The word “inspire” derives from root words that mean “in spirit” or “spirit within.” Although there’s always another step to take, these points are a natural result of recognizing and identifying with this realization of who we really are. Goal Setting or Let Go and Let God There are two approaches people use to manifest their desires. Some set goals. Others surrender and presume the universe is conspiring to deliver to them their every desire without strain, in its own way and in its own time. Which way is better? Can these two methods be used together? Work – Just a Job or Visible Love Do you love what you do and do what you love? Here’s a step-by-step method on how to put your passions to work and start living the life you were born to live. Your Passion as Your Compass Allow your passions to stretch their wings and the direction of your life could surprise you – in a good way. Celebrate life with passion! Articles by Tupelo
Why wait for inspiration to strike? Be proactive, and go get it. Better yet, this newsletter brings it to you. “Inspired on Purpose” newsletter by Tupelo Kenyon contains articles, reviews and resources to supercharge your personal development, inspiration, productivity, abundance and joy. FREE e-book Instant download – when you subscribe. Personal Development Supercharger 101 Tips and Techniques by Tupelo Kenyon It’s FREE. Subscribe now. Enter name and email address below: Name: Email:
Privacy policy: Your email address is secure. I will not sell, rent or trade your information to anyone for any reason. Period. – Tupelo Kenyon

This profound quote, “Know Thyself,” is attributed to at least six ancient Greek sages, including Socrates and Pythagoras. It was inscribed in the forecourt of the Temple of Apollo at Delphi – according to the Greek writer Pausanias. At least a few of the ancients knew the importance of self-knowledge and self-awareness.

Then, as now, the average person is content to base self-knowledge on comparisons to other people. If this is the measure of self-knowledge, it is based on someone else’s standards. This practice misses the point of “Know Thyself.” Instead, it’s all about how to fit in.

“The creative individual has the capacity to free himself from the web of social pressures in which the rest of us are caught. He is capable of questioning the assumptions that the rest of us accept.” – John W. Gardner (b. 1912) – President, Carnegie Foundation

Socially Conditioned to Accept Comparisons

Comparisons are inevitable. They are a fact of life. We are compared to our siblings the moment we are born and compared to other children even before we understand the concept. We are compared to other students in school and graded accordingly. Then we are compared to our peers throughout our careers.

The trick is to recognize the majority of people have always used the yardstick of comparison to define their own sense of self-knowledge. Unfortunately, this same yardstick is also used to measure self-worth and even self-love. The secret of true self-knowledge is the realization that comes when all comparisons are ignored. True knowledge of self is attained from personal insights of looking inwardly rather than outwardly towards others.

“Total self-esteem requires total and unconditional acceptance of yourself. You are a unique and worthy individual, regardless of your mistakes, defeats and failures, despite what others may think, say or feel about you or your behavior. If you truly accept and love yourself, you won’t have a driving need for attention and approval. Self-esteem is a genuine love of self. Stop all adverse value judging of yourself. Stop accepting the adverse value judgments of others. Purge yourself of all condemnation, shame, blame, guilt and remorse.” – Unknown

Find Your Own Inner Genius

In school, we were conditioned to the idea of comparison by the grading system known as the bell curve. This system ignores the fact that we are all unique individuals with different strengths and different ways of learning to access our own inner genius.

“Education must provide the opportunities for self-fulfillment; it can at best provide a rich and challenging environment for the individual to explore, in his own way.” – Noam Chomsky (b. 1928)

A Swiss psychiatrist, Jean Piaget, made an important discovery about how students learn. In his research, today’s accepted standard teaching method of lecturing and testing produced the typical results of the standard bell curve. About 66% of the students achieved average results (C grades). About 12% were above average (B grades) and about 12% were below average (D grades). About 3% got A grades and about 3% got F grades. About 2% achieved results that could be considered in the genius range and 2% exhibited no retention whatsoever. (If drawn in a graph, these results would resemble the shape of a bell, which is why it became known as the bell curve.)

The surprise came when the method of instruction was changed. No matter which teaching method was used – drawings, small group discussions, video, reading, etc. – the bell curve remained the same, with similar percentages in each area. But with each method of instruction, there were new heroes and new zeros, and the individuals were redistributed in the average areas. These results can be interpreted to mean that we all have our own unique genius within, waiting to be awakened by the method or methods that best interface with our individuality.

“The ultimate goal of the educational system is to shift to the individual the burden of pursing his own education. This will not be a widely shared pursuit until we get over our odd conviction that education is what goes on in school buildings and nowhere else.” – John W. Gardner (b. 1912) – President, Carnegie Foundation

Most people never discover their own inner genius because they are conditioned to accept the comparison method as the last word. Imagine the individuals in the smallest percentage of the bell curve – the ones who just don’t get it by hearing a lecture. Perhaps they are just as intelligent, just as interested and just as capable as the people at the other end of the bell, but they’re simply not auditory learners. They may be visual learners or they may learn best by a more tactile, hands-on approach. With this dramatically different way of teaching and learning, they may be at the other end of the bell curve. The comparison system could just as easily label these same people geniuses simply by changing the way the very same material is presented.

“If you treat an individual … as if he were what he ought to be and could be, he will become what he ought to be and could be.” – Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832)

If we were taught to “Know Thyself” instead of “know where you fit on the curve related to other people learning a specific subject via one specific teaching method,” what a difference it could make in our quality of life. Our own self-exploration would reveal our own strengths and affinities as well as which methods work best, based on our individuality.

“Brilliance is typically the act of an individual, but incredible stupidity can usually be traced to an organization.” – Jon Bentley

If our educational system taught “Know Thyself,” we would be more eager to discover our own areas of genius and be less inclined to accept the judgment of others. We would be better able to recognize brilliant self-awareness in others and could more easily avoid those who are enmeshed in the limiting comparison method of self-knowledge and self-worth.

“The invention of IQ did a great disservice to creativity in education . . . Individuality, personality, originality, are too precious to be meddled with by amateur psychiatrists whose patterns for a ‘wholesome personality’ are inevitably their own.” – Joel H. Hildebrand – Emeritus Professor of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley

Educate Thyself

Education, self-realization and enlightenment are all things that happen to one person at a time. Each person has a unique approach and a unique experience. Don’t make the mistake of trading your precious individuality for membership in the club of the masses.

“Man as an individual is a genius. But men in the mass form the Headless Monster, a great, brutish idiot that goes where prodded.” – Sir Charlie Chaplin (1889-1977)

Don’t lean on the crutch of outward opinions, methods of the moment, or current social trends for your sense of worth.

“Never violate the sacredness of your individual self-respect.” – Theodore Parker (1810-60)

Education is incredibly valuable because so many of life’s gifts depend upon it, but remember the best kind of education is self-education where the approach is custom tailored to the strengths and affinities of the individual. Education, like self-realization, is an inside job. For maximum efficiency and personal satisfaction, it all begins with “Know Thyself.”

Social Education is Better than No Education . . . BUT . . .

The educational system of our modern culture is always changing and lagging behind the leading-edge thinkers. It’s better than nothing, but if the system itself could be personified, given a truth serum, and asked to describe itself, it would have to say something like this . . .

“You are in the process of being indoctrinated. We have not yet evolved a system of education that is not a system of indoctrination. We are sorry, but it is the best we can do. What you are being taught here is an amalgam of current prejudice and the choices of this particular culture. The slightest look at history will show how impermanent these must be. You are being taught by people who have been able to accommodate themselves to a regime of thought laid down by their predecessors. It is a self-perpetuating system. Those of you who are more robust and individual than others, will be encouraged to leave and find ways of educating yourself . . . educating your own judgment. Those that stay must remember, always and all the time, that they are being molded and patterned to fit into the narrow and particular needs of this society.” – Doris Lessing

Know Thyself Deeper

“Know Thyself” is such a powerful phrase because it can inspire a lifetime of revelations as we discover ever-deepening layers of ourselves. This article has focused on an important, but relatively superficial, layer of self-knowledge revealed by contemplation on the phrase, “Know Thyself.” It leads quite naturally to these age-old questions: “Who am I?” . . . and “Why am I here? . . . and “What does it all mean?”

These are the questions that matter most, so the most satisfying answers cannot be found in comparisons with others but from deep inside ourselves.

We are all unique individuals with our own strengths, talents and nudges leading us to embrace our own best life. Of course, that’s an ever-changing, moving target that grows and evolves with our own expansion of consciousness and deepening self-knowledge. There’s always another step to take, and one of the best clues when deciding the direction of the next step is to revisit the ancient Greek’s profound directive, “Know Thyself.”

While reading, did you choose to hear the relaxing instrumental music linked at the beginning of this article? To learn more about it, click here.

Listen FREE to the song samples below . . . chosen to enhance the ideas in this article.

	Don’t Tell Me No Just don’t do it. It’s better that way . . . for both of us! http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescX.html#Anchor3 Who is the Watcher Explores the silent witness within and the idea that life occurs in this present moment. Always. http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescX.html#Anchor-14 Story Belt Celebrates the importance of keeping things in perspective while being a part of the bigger picture. http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescHere.html#Anchor8 Take the Plunge Their advice is "for your own good", but the last thing you need to hear is their worst-case scenario. http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescHere.html#Anchor11 Love is Who You Are – Live Version "What is love, anyway?" Is it something you give or get, have or make? Or could it be, down deep, simply who we are? http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescHTu.html#Anchor19 Hell or a Whole Lotta Fun Nothing to do? How about too much to do? Our attitude seems to make the difference. http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescAnth.html#Anchor16 You Gotta Have Fun Our moments are fleeting . . . and finite. Too few to squander on "bad news". We must steer our attention deliberately in order to attract the kind of life we were born to live. http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescAnth.html#Anchor20 Songs by Tupelo
Self-Discipline in 3 Easy Steps Why is it so difficult to follow through and accomplish what you set out to do? Usually, there is one important missing ingredient: personal discipline. For most of us, the idea of discipline is an external force – it’s something that comes from the outside. For instance, we discipline our children. Most of us are familiar with discipline as a verb (something we do to someone else), but we’re not so familiar with the concept as a noun – something we cultivate from within and apply to ourselves. Six Killers of Individuality and Personal Independence Is the course of your life determined by your own internal road map or by a map made by someone else? Each of us can choose our direction deliberately and live a life custom sculpted. Each life can be as individually unique as the person living it. If you pattern your life after someone else, exactly what is it you have to offer? Enhance Your Self-Image on Purpose Here are twelve common sense reminders on how to inspire yourself. The word “inspire” derives from root words that mean “in spirit” or “spirit within.” Although there’s always another step to take, these points are a natural result of recognizing and identifying with this realization of who we really are. Inspire Yourself on Purpose – Inspiration from Inside Out Here are twelve common sense reminders on how to inspire yourself. The word “inspire” derives from root words that mean “in spirit” or “spirit within.” Although there’s always another step to take, these points are a natural result of recognizing and identifying with this realization of who we really are. Choose Excellence and Lose Mediocrity What if you knew that a life of excellence was lurking right around the corner, if you would only prioritize your moments in such a way so that you could recognize it. Take an objective look at the various activities of your life. Get inspired to lose the mediocre to make room for something better. Methods as Temporary Tools Instead of Lifetime Crutches We are obsessed with our methods. We become attached to our particular way of doing things. The trouble comes when we cling to an old method that we have outgrown. We feel bogged down and then stuck when our personal development potential is being limited by an outdated method. If your method feels more like a crutch than a tool, it’s time to take an objective look at it. Is the method in question bringing you peace and joy? Is it helping your personal growth, or is it just a familiar and comfortable habit of thought? Integrity Through Self-Reliance When you live your life as if the whisperings from your soul really matter, you are living life in your own way, on your own terms, based on your own realizations on what is right . . . what is good . . . and what is true for you. You are tuned into your own station. The signal you are receiving and the message you are broadcasting with the story of your life are both on the same frequency. You are joyfully and gratefully choosing your favorites from the buffet of life. How Do You Feel – About Inner Guidance? Is it a hunch? Is it a voice in your head? Is it something you feel? Don’t confuse what you feel with who you are. Once you are able to access this awareness of pure being and identify yourself with it, you won’t get carried away by whatever emotional cloud happens to be passing by. Celebrate life through one of the more subtle forms of communication available to us – inner guidance. 10 Steps to Discovering Your Life’s Purpose Of all the self-help ideas I’ve come across through the years, this one has been the most helpful. For me, it’s been the Rosetta Stone of personal development techniques. After getting a handle on the idea of “purpose”, other areas of my life fell into place more easily. Your Passion as Your Compass Allow your passions to stretch their wings and the direction of your life could surprise you – in a good way. Celebrate life with passion! Articles by Tupelo

]]> http://www.tupelokenyon.com/2008/03/21/know-thyself-%e2%80%93-ignore-comparisons-and-be-yourself/feed/ 3 http://www.tupelokenyon.com/2008/02/01/six-killers-of-individuality-and-personal-independence/ http://www.tupelokenyon.com/2008/02/01/six-killers-of-individuality-and-personal-independence/#comments Fri, 01 Feb 2008 12:00:22 +0000 Tupelo http://www.tupelokenyon.com/2008/02/01/six-killers-of-individuality-and-personal-independence/ For instrumental music while reading, choose: hi-fi (broadband) or low-fi.

Is the course of your life determined by your own internal road map or by a map made by someone else?

Each of us can choose our direction deliberately and live a life custom sculpted. Each life can be as individually unique as the person living it. If you pattern your life after someone else, exactly what is it you have to offer?

Following the herd has always been humanity’s default behavior. The idea of strength in numbers provides a feeling of belonging and a false sense of security. But if you look at the people who stand out in history, it’s not the faceless and fearful members of the flock who we remember, but the bold and adventurous.

“It is a blessed thing that in every age someone has had the individuality enough and courage enough to stand by his own convictions.” – Robert Green Ingersoll (1833-99)

The Inspiring I-Think-I-Canners

These rugged individualists of the past often had a difficult time walking their own path. Speaking their mind and following their own internal guidance system put them at odds with the establishment of their day. For example, Galileo was under house arrest for many years for speaking out against the accepted knowledge of his day – even though he was right. Socrates was condemned to drink poison hemlock because his ideas didn’t support the officially sanctioned train of thought.

Still, these men and many others stuck to their own ideals, determined to live their lives their way, rather than adopt the common way prescribed by those in power. There have been millions and billions through the ages who fade into the background blur of the masses, and we remember very few of them.

The rugged individualists stand out from the crowd, inspiring us with their daring spirit and strong resolve to live their lives from the inside out. They based their lives on the whisperings of their hearts – the internal guidance system that steered them into a life of inspiration. That decision to follow their own path made all the difference for them, as well as for those of us inspired by their example.

“The essence of independence has been to think and act according to standards from within, not without. Inevitably anyone with an independent mind must become ‘one who resists or opposes authority or established conventions’: a rebel. If enough people come to agree with, and follow, the Rebel, we now have a Devil. Until, of course, still more people agree. And then, finally, we have — Greatness.” – Aleister Crowley (1875 – 1947)

It’s Never Been Easier

Think about past eras of humanity and how an individual’s life was predetermined by the expectations of others. If you were born poor, like the vast majority, you likely followed in your parents’ footsteps and remained poor. If you were one of the privileged few born into royalty, you were expected to stay there, even if you had a totally different song in your heart.

The caste system held everyone firmly in its grasp, and precious few dared to cross those invisible lines. Did your daddy build furniture? Then you were expected to become a carpenter too. Did your mama spin and weave? Then you were expected to do the same.

These days, there is still some expectation to follow in the footsteps of your ancestors, but there is also a new freedom, undreamed of only a few generations ago.

We are finally free to choose our own way, our own profession, our own life. What an amazing development in the evolution of humanity!

“True individual freedom cannot exist without economic security and independence. People who are hungry and out of a job are the stuff of which dictatorships are made.” – Franklin D. Roosevelt (1882 – 1945)

Instead of allowing outer circumstances to dictate the direction of our life, we are free to look within and get in alignment with our deepest passions and biggest dreams. Many take this privilege for granted, not realizing what a valuable gift it is. Instead of blossoming into the fullest version of their unique self, they continue to amble along with the herd, doing things like everybody else because . . . well, because that’s what everybody else is doing. (Moooo.)

The Six Killers of Who You Really Are

1. “May” – This idea indicates self-doubt and lack of confidence in one’s own ability to choose. When used as a question as in, “May I do this, that or the other?” – it indicates a need to seek permission rather than to rely on your own sense of what is right, necessary and true. When used in a statement as in, “I may do this, that or the other.” – it indicates indecisiveness, a wishy-washy approach to life. A decisive individual, trusting their own course embraces their chosen direction with resolve and gusto. There is no room for “may.”

2. “Might” – This word is often used in the same way as “may” as in “I might do this, that or the other.” It is also used to express what might have been. This is a total waste of mental energy. What’s in the past is done. Its time has come and gone. As long as it is remembered, it will always be just as it was. No amount of thinking “what might have been” has the power to change even one tiny detail. There is nothing to be gained by reliving the past over and over in the imagination, fantasizing a different outcome. Instead of squandering this precious, present moment on thoughts of what might have been, a strong, independent individual will make a mental note of where improvements could be made whenever a similar situation presents itself, and then gets on with living life here and now – in this present moment.

3. and 4. “Could” and “Would” – These words (and the thoughts behind them) are often used as excuses as in, “I would if I could.” This attitude reflects lack of resolve and lack of self-confidence. The ancient Roman, Virgil, said, “Fortune favors the bold,” and the habit of surrounding oneself with “could” and “would” is anything but bold. Instead it indicates a timid, retiring and weak approach to life. That’s a good description of the herd instinct, following the crowd, the lemming approach to life. These words are also used to seek permission as in, “Would it be okay to . . .” or “Could I do this, that or the other?” A bold individualist simply states his or her intentions and asks if anyone cares to join in. Simple. Direct. To the point.

5. and 6. “Should” and “Must” – Should is often used in the same vein as “might have been” to express remorse about some past experience, fantasized with a different outcome. Again, after noticing the desire for a different way of handling a similar situation in the future, it’s a waste of valuable energy to dwell upon “shoulds.” The idea of should and must is often a reflection of the expectations of others. These are the things you do that are not inspired from your deepest self, but you do them anyway so that you don’t disappoint others. Living your life according to “should” and “must” is a way of orchestrating the details of your life according to your perception of the expectations of others. Of course this is merely your perception, which may be accurate or may be completely different from their real expectations. Either way, you are ignoring your own internal guidance system and steering the ship of your life according to external landmarks. Living this way in this new era of personal freedom is a shame. Living according to the expectations of others is the way of life of our ancient ancestors, mired down in the archaic caste system. It is an incredible gift to have the opportunity now to live a unique life, inspired by our own internal guidance system rather than according to our often skewed perception of the expectation of others.

“Then I found myself knockin’ at the pearly gates,
But nobody’d answer the door.
So I looked around and then I climbed the wall,
Just to look around a little more.
Then a fellow with a beard says ‘Hey, what’s your story?’
I think he said his name was Pete.
I said, ‘I shoulda done better, I coulda done better,
If I’da known this place was so neat.’
And Pete said, ‘Shoulda-coulda-woulda won’t get it up here,
But just lookin’ ain’t no sin.’
So I said, ‘Hey Pete, could you help me out?’
He said, ‘Sure, which way’d you come in?
I’d really love to help you out, which way’s you come in?’”
- from the song, “Love to Help You Out” by Tupelo Kenyon

Embrace the Gift of Individuality

So, the six killers of individuality and personal independence are: may, might, could, would, should and must. Basing your life experience on the ideas and limitations represented by these six words indicates personal weakness and fear of taking control of your own life. It shows a serious lack of self-confidence. Instead it reflects your willingness to surrender your personal power and destiny to someone else, letting them make the important decisions on your behalf.

If free will, individuality and personal independence are gifts from God, a preference for the herd instinct is like throwing them back in Her face.

The Road Not Taken

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as far as fair,
And perhaps having the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I –
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.
- Robert Frost (1874-1963)

Rejoicing in the Diversity

We can each choose our direction, and the more diverse we become as a result, the better. When we learn to see the beauty and the benefit of contrast, it is no longer a threat to the status quo and the official company line.

Diversity helps us to make better choices. Even when we see someone else’s choice as 180 degrees out of phase with our own choice, it helps us to clarify and focus our own preferences. Let the other person be. Their choice may be different, but that’s okay. They are living their life, not yours.

If your choices and therefore your life was exactly like that of another, one of you would be redundant.

“Dare to be what you are, and learn to resign with a good grace all that you are not and to believe in your own individuality.” – Henri-Frédéric Amiel

Individuality, uniqueness and the freedom to stand out from the crowd is the spice of life. Being different is good. It’s not to be shunned or avoided, but embraced to enhance the grand diversity of the infinite potential of life itself.

“All Fords are exactly alike, but no two men are just alike. Every new life is a new thing under the sun; there has never been anything just like it before, never will be again. A young man ought to get that idea about himself; he should look for the single spark of individuality that makes him different from other folks, and develop that for all he is worth. Society and schools may try to iron it out of him; their tendency is to put it all in the same mold, but I say don’t let that spark be lost; it is your only real claim to importance.” – Henry Ford (1863 – 1947)

Your unique approach to life does not need to be approved or validated by anyone else in order to have unquestionable value for you. Even if everyone else seems to be going the other way, that’s not an indication it’s right for you. In fact, it may be a good clue that another way might be a better choice.

Ignore peer pressure. It is historically dangerous and smothers the seed of greatness struggling for nourishment deep inside. Nurture it and allow it to grow into your best possible life – the one you were born to live.

Follow your heart. Listen to your own internal guidance system. Follow the road not taken. Step away from the herd, and make a difference.

While reading, did you choose to hear the relaxing instrumental music linked at the beginning of this article? To learn more about it, click here.

Listen FREE to the song samples below . . . chosen to enhance the ideas in this article.

Love to Help You Out A light tongue-in-cheek look at some of the stupidity that passes for normal, or at least average, these days. Still, beneath the mayhem, maybe it’s best to believe there’s a method behind it all . . . if only, "What goes around, comes around." http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescHTu.html#Anchor9 Take the Plunge Their advice is "for your own good", but the last thing you need to hear is their worst-case scenario. http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescHere.html#Anchor11 Love is Who You Are "What is love, anyway?" Is it something you give or get, have or make? Or could it be, down deep, simply who we are? http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescHB.html#Anchor1 Celebrate Life Create your own personal celebration of life by your choices, rather than allowing life to be something that merely happens to you, or around you. http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescHB.html#Anchor2 Do What You Love Discovering what we have a true passion for, and then figuring out a way to build a life around that passion is one of life’s greatest feelings of accomplishment. http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescHB.html#Anchor10 Just One Step Just begin. If you will just get underway, the project itself gains momentum and carries you along to its completion. http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescHB.html#Anchor12 Hell or a Whole Lotta Fun Nothing to do? How about too much to do? Our attitude seems to make the difference. http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescAnth.html#Anchor16 You Gotta Have Fun Our moments are fleeting . . . and finite. Too few to squander on "bad news". We must steer our attention deliberately in order to attract the kind of life we were born to live. http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescAnth.html#Anchor20 Songs by Tupelo
Your Passion as Your Compass Allow your passions to stretch their wings and the direction of your life could surprise you – in a good way. Celebrate life with passion! 10 Steps to Discovering Your Life’s Purpose Of all the self-help ideas I’ve come across through the years, this one has been the most helpful. For me, it’s been the Rosetta Stone of personal development techniques. After getting a handle on the idea of “purpose”, other areas of my life fell into place more easily. How Do You Feel – About Inner Guidance? Is it a hunch? Is it a voice in your head? Is it something you feel? Don’t confuse what you feel with who you are. Once you are able to access this awareness of pure being and identify yourself with it, you won’t get carried away by whatever emotional cloud happens to be passing by. Celebrate life through one of the more subtle forms of communication available to us – inner guidance. The Six Mistakes of Man We share the journey, even though each journey is unique. It’s encouraging to know others are also interested in the mysteries of life. It’s inspiring to see others dedicated to living life to the fullest, in spite of the fact that humanity has been making some of the same mistakes for centuries. Integrity Through Self-Reliance When you live your life as if the whisperings from your soul really matter, you are living life in your own way, on your own terms, based on your own realizations on what is right . . . what is good . . . and what is true for you. You are tuned into your own station. The signal you are receiving and the message you are broadcasting with the story of your life are both on the same frequency. You are joyfully and gratefully choosing your favorites from the buffet of life. Inspire Yourself on Purpose – Inspiration from Inside Out Here are twelve common sense reminders on how to inspire yourself. The word “inspire” derives from root words that mean “in spirit” or “spirit within.” Although there’s always another step to take, these points are a natural result of recognizing and identifying with this realization of who we really are. Enhance Your Self-Image on Purpose Here are twelve common sense reminders on how to inspire yourself. The word “inspire” derives from root words that mean “in spirit” or “spirit within.” Although there’s always another step to take, these points are a natural result of recognizing and identifying with this realization of who we really are. Articles by Tupelo

Numerology is an ancient study of numbers. How it works is deep and a little mysterious, but it’s simple to use. Even without understanding the details of why it works, we can still learn from it.

It’s just another tool in our spiritual tool bag to provide us with information and inspiration.

Like electricity, we can benefit from it as easily as flipping a switch, even if we don’t know (or care) about the technical details at work behind the scene.

Numerology 101

Here’s a quick overview of numerology at a basic level. By adding up all the numbers represented by your birth date and name, you arrive at a single important number that can reveal amazingly accurate insights about your personality, your personal attributes, and clues about how to live your best life.

There’s an excellent book that goes into fascinating detail about how to benefit from the discoveries of numerology. It’s called, The Life You Were Born to Live: A Guide to Finding Your Life Purpose – by Dan Millman. There’s a short review about it on my recommended book review page.

Wow Factors on Every Page

Several times, I have shared this book with groups of friends and family. Every time, we have been amazed at the uncanny accuracy of the personality traits and other personal attributes the book details for people with particular master numbers.

Common comments are, “Wow, that sounds just like me” . . . and “That’s exactly like my wife” . . . or “She may not admit it, but that describes my brother perfectly!” There are always several “aha” moments every time we share the book. It’s a great way to better understand the people who mean a lot to you. Some employers even “run the numbers” on perspective employees before hiring them to gain extra insight into the person’s inner worlds.

Numerology is a fascinating field, if only from the standpoint of curiosity, but this article is about an aspect of it that has the potential to affect us all. Some aspects of numerology pertain to one individual at a time, while others can have a global influence.

As Easy as 1, 2, 3

This article was written at the end of the year 2007. Add up all those numbers and you get 9, which represents completion. Add up the numbers in the year 2008, and you get 1, which represents a new beginning. Of course, every year ends with the idea of completion and every year gets underway with the idea of a new beginning. The outgoing year adds up to a 9 with the incoming year adding up to a 1 exactly once per decade. What makes this particular cusp different is this is the last time it will happen before the year 2012.

2012 is Synonymous with Big Earth Changes

The year 2012 is famous in metaphysical and new age circles as the end of the Mayan calendar. It marks the cusp of a major shift in energy worldwide. Adding up the numbers of 2012 gives us the number 5, which represents change. 2008 is also a year of presidential elections in the U.S., a new beginning that will likely bring changes with worldwide effects.

Energy Dips, Cusps, and Lulls

There seems to be a lull between the completion of the old and the beginning of the new. The energy takes a dip and resets itself to zero before getting ramped up into the fresh energy of the new beginning. Apparently, these energy dips are a natural part of the ebb and flow of life on planet earth.

So, if you are experiencing a dip in energy in your personal life, don’t beat yourself up about it. It may have very little to do with you personally and very much to do with the energy of the planet recalibrating itself, getting ready to take it up a notch.

All living things and all aspects of nature have cycles and seasons beyond our understanding and often beyond our notice. Still, we may feel the subtle effects of these changes, even though we may not be able to put our finger on the exact cause. We can pooh-pooh the whole thing as the workings of someone’s over-active imagination, or we can choose to play along, if only out of natural, childlike curiosity . . . just in case there is insight to be found by the adventurous spirit.

Get Profound Inspiration from a Prime Source

Another interesting source of information about numerology and energetic changes can be found in the work of Lee Carroll. (I mentioned him in a previous article, “Kryon Discovery Retreat Review.”) Lee’s work, for the last 18 years has provided a unique perspective on the changes so many of us feel individually, as well as the changes our entire planet is undergoing.

The information at Lee’s website is all free, and there is a lot of it. He has presented compelling insights at the United Nations on seven different occasions, and those transcripts can also be read on his website. He’s also written a dozen books that have been translated into over a hundred editions worldwide.

If this kind of channeled “woo-woo” (his word) doesn’t scare you off because it’s different from whatever you have grown accustomed to, there is a whole new world of inspiration, insight and understanding to be found (free) at http:www.kryon.com.

Quick and Complete Overview

On Lee’s Kryon website, there is a new series of five articles called, “The Lightworker’s Handbook.” These articles do an excellent job of encapsulating some of the most profound information revealed in the last 18 years. If you are interested in exploring the numerology ideas hinted at in this article, listen to the free audio .mp3 called, “2007-2008 Transition” presented at the Smithfield Theater: smithfield.mp3. The ideas are expanded upon in another free .mp3 called Longmont_08.mp3.

Exciting Times Ahead

New beginnings are good. These energetic lulls represent exciting times to come, full of promise and potential. This article is my last one of the year. The first article I wrote for this website, at the beginning of 2007, is called, “The Power of Beginning.” It is just as relevant today, at the end of the year as it was when it was written on January first.

I am forever grateful to people like Dan Millman and Lee Carroll, angels in disguise, who dedicate their lives to providing us with glimpses of the more subtle aspects of life. Their passion for the truth and their life’s work has the potential to make a profound difference in the quality of our lives if we are willing to consider new ideas with an open mind.

I am grateful and excited about wrapping up another year with a sense of accomplishment and completion, but my attention, energy and passion is focused ahead on the potential and promise of the next new beginning.

While reading, did you choose to hear the relaxing instrumental music linked at the beginning of this article? To learn more about it, click here.

Listen FREE to the songs below . . . chosen to enhance the ideas in this article.

Wrap Your Wings Around Some call it intuition; others call it inner guidance. Whatever it is, once you begin to rely on it, it "sounds" mighty quiet when it seems to stop. http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescX.html#Anchor4 Compass Spin What would life on earth look like if our perspective allowed us to see centuries passing in the wink of an eye? http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescX.html#Anchor8 A Heartbeat in Eternity’s Highway In the grand scheme of things, what’s the difference between a single moment and all of eternity? What’s the point of reference? http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescX.html#Anchor17 Angels Around Us Is it your higher self, or your guardian angel, or perhaps an over-active imagination? http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescHere.html#Anchor3 Here A love song to the beloved and/or to the larger part of ourselves. http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescHere.html#Anchor16 Songs by Tupelo
The Power of Beginning The most important part of any project is the beginning. Just begin and follow through and you will be amazed at the momentum. . The creative power of the universe responds by lining up the details to bring it into manifestation. Coincidences begin to occur. Your job is to choose and then begin. Kryon Discovery Retreat Review After an inspiring weekend at the Sunrise Ranch, I drove away deeply grateful that there are people like Lee Carroll in the world, and Dr. Sid Wolf, and Dr. Amber Wolf, and my wife Janey – busy going about the work they are inspired to do. They move us, open us up to new potentials, and help us see the bigger picture. These angels-in-disguise offer the wisdom of their experience to bring us understanding, laughter and joy in the sacred process of our own personal development. Inspire Yourself on Purpose – Inspiration from Inside Out Here are twelve common sense reminders on how to inspire yourself. The word “inspire” derives from root words that mean “in spirit” or “spirit within.” Although there’s always another step to take, these points are a natural result of recognizing and identifying with this realization of who we really are. Articles by Tupelo

The idea of “self-image” is often a static concept. You hear of people with a “low” self-image or a “healthy” self-image. Whatever it is, many people seem satisfied to play the cards they’re dealt. Few people seem to realize their current self-image can be a departure point as they move toward the kind of self-image they specifically choose and deliberately engineer.

Your self-image is much more than something that “happens to you.” As you first start thinking about your self-image, it’s natural to be curious about how your current ideas about it originated. Your first impression may be that other people’s ideas and attitudes about you were instrumental in creating your self-image. If your childhood and early adult influences were positive, encouraging and nurturing, you may feel these experiences contributed to a reasonably positive, healthy self-image. If your early experiences were negative and discouraging, it may feel natural to blame them for your current less-than-stellar self-image.

Whether healthy or weak, positive or negative, good or bad, notice these influences originate outside of yourself. They come to you from others – their opinions, their prejudices, their short-sightedness, their personal agendas. Upon close examination, it becomes clear their attitudes, ideas and expectations of you have very little to do with you and very much to do with THEM.

Whatever these people think about you is none of your business. It’s their problem, and it doesn’t need to affect you. And it certainly shouldn’t be the basis of your own self-image.

It’s All About You

Let’s look at the semantics. “Self-image” has nothing whatsoever to do with anyone other than you. Self-image bypasses everyone else and is all about you. It’s only about what you think about yourself. Self-image refers to the package of ideas, feelings and aspirations you hold for yourself – and about yourself.

In order to have any kind of positive self-image, the first step is to really grasp this realization that it’s all about you. Once you remove all others from the equation, you can get down to the business of discovering what you really think about yourself. You can get a clearer picture of how you feel about the chosen direction of your life, totally independent from any outside influences.

Self-Image and Purpose

The second step in enhancing your self-image is to explore the idea of purpose in your life. Now that you realize that self-image is all about “me,” what is the bigger picture? How do you best fit into the macrocosm, and how can you best contribute for the good of the whole?

“Nothing contributes so much to tranquilizing the mind as a steady purpose — a point on which the soul may fix its intellectual eye.” – Mary Godwin Wollstonecraft Shelley (1797-1851)

“More men fail through lack of purpose than lack of talent.” – William Ashley (Billy) Sunday (1862-1935)

When your life is driven by a strong and clear sense of purpose, you are inspired toward right action . . . from the inside – out. Motivation, which comes from the outside – in, is not necessary since the driving force of your inner inspiration makes your chosen actions and activities joyous.

“The purpose of life is the expansion of happiness.” – Maharishi Mahesh Yogi

When you feel good, everyone around you benefits, and all of life rallies around you. In this state of dedication to purpose, you are inspired and you are inspiring. ( See previous articles, “Inspire Yourself on Purpose – Inspiration from Inside Out” and “10 Steps to Discovering Your Life’s Purpose.”)

“This is the true joy in life: The being, used for a purpose recognized by yourself, as a mighty one. The being, a force of nature, instead of a feverish, selfish little clod of ailments and grievances, complaining that the world will not devote itself to making you happy. I am of the opinion that my life belongs to the whole community, and as long as I live, it is my privilege to do for it whatever I can.

“I want to be thoroughly used up when I die – for the harder I work, the more I live. I rejoice in life for its own sake. Life is no ‘brief candle’ to me; it is a sort of splendid torch which I have got hold of for the moment, and I want to make it burn as brightly as possible before handing it on to future generations.” – George Bernard Shaw (1856-1950)

Dedication to Purpose

People who orchestrate their lives according to their dedication to purpose are easy to recognize. They are upbeat, energetic, and have a happy demeanor. They do not participate in pity parties. They don’t complain or whine or feel the need to detail their grievances anytime someone is willing to listen. When others are involved in these activities, the purpose-driven person with the healthy self-image simply disappears. Before they go, they may choose to drop a hint about why they choose to become scarce, just in case anyone is aware enough to catch it. If they do, perhaps it will nudge the pity part participants to think twice about their whining and choose to stop before serious damage is done.

The person with a healthy self-image will rarely engage whiners and complainers in a conversation about why these habits are so unproductive and destructive. It’s rarely helpful since those consumed by habitual bitching simply launch into an automatic mode of arguing about why they feel so justified in their actions.

“Argue for your limitations and they’re yours.” – Richard Bach (Illusions)

Be Happy First

The purpose-driven individual has a healthy self-image as a result of their understanding that happiness comes first. Their dedication to purpose provides an inner well-spring of contentment and well-being that spills over into all areas of their life.

“The purpose of our lives is to be happy.” – The 14th Dalai Lama (b. 1935)

The complainer’s concept of happiness goes something like this: “I’ll be happy when . . .” or “I’ll be happy if . . .” A more hands-on approach to happiness goes something like this: “I am happy now. That’s top priority. I am living my life on purpose now, according to my current understanding of my life’s purpose. This is subject to change at a moment’s notice as I continue to grow and develop deeper understanding about my true self. I choose to be happy now, at all costs, because I realize that this moment, now, is the only moment in all eternity available for happiness. The past is a memory – I can’t be happy then. The future is a dream – I can’t be happy then. So I choose happiness now, knowing the best possible actions, situations, serendipities and results will spring forth best from this deliberate choice of a healthy, positive and happy self-image.”

“A man with a half volition goes backwards and forwards, and makes no way on the smoothest road; a man with a whole volition advances on the roughest, and will reach his purpose, if there be even a little worthiness in it. The man without a purpose is like a ship without a rudder – a waif, a nothing, a no man. Have a purpose in life and having it, throw such strength of mind and muscle into your work as God has given you.” – Thomas Carlyle (1795-1881)

Monitor Your Words and Thoughts

Words are powerful creators, whether spoken aloud or thought silently, so it’s important to eliminate any ideas or phrases that may be working against you. Be aware of habitual thoughts like the following and deliberately eliminate them from your life: “I feel bad. I’m so stupid. I feel sick. I’m so tired.” Don’t give these ideas the opportunity to become self-fulfilling prophecies. These are destructive affirmations, whether you “mean” them or not. Even if you think they’re a joke or “just words,” they can be damaging. They can sneak up on you and undermine your intentions unless you remain vigilant.

Words and thoughts are powerful creators, so be careful not to use them willy nilly. Think and speak clearly and deliberately, in line with your purpose. (See previous article, “How to Keep Your Word.”)

Whenever you notice an urge to complain or whine about anything, catch yourself in the act. Deliberately become objective and notice how it is making you feel. Is it moving it toward your objective or away from it? Nip it in the bud. Turn it around 180 degrees, and think or speak about the positive aspect instead.

Instead of “I feel bad,” think: “Something feels out of balance that I need to address so that I can feel better now.” Instead of “I’m so stupid,” think: “I choose to pay closer attention and make better choices so I can feel better now.” Instead of, “I feel sick,” think: “My body has a message that I need to hear immediately so that I can take whatever actions are necessary to regain my balance and feel better now.” Instead of “I’m so tired,” think: “My body is telling me I need to pace myself for optimum efficiency, so I will enjoy rest and relaxation interspersed with my inspired activity so that I can remain alert, productive and happy now.”

Speak with the Precession of a Benevolent Wizard

Fantasize that you are a mighty sorcerer and the words you speak create mighty spells that have a profound impact on the quality of your life, as well as the lives of others. Choose your words and thoughts carefully and deliberately, as if they had this kind of powerful magic behind them. Perhaps they do, and we have just forgotten how powerful our thoughts and words are to allow us to create our lives on purpose.

“The purpose of life is to live a life of purpose.” – Richard Leider

You are the creator of the moments of your life. This present moment is all you have. Create it on purpose, from the center of your being, as expressed through a self-image you create and continually re-create for yourself. When your self-image is of your own creation, it is natural for you to like yourself – love yourself. With this kind of personal satisfaction, your moments become happy. Happy moments mean a joyous life. What could be better? Remember, your self-image is all about you . . . so build it any way you’d like it, and make it on-purpose.

While reading, did you choose to hear the relaxing instrumental music linked at the beginning of this article? To learn more about it, click here.

Listen FREE to the songs below . . . chosen to enhance the ideas in this article.

A Heartbeat in Eternity’s Highway In the grand scheme of things, what’s the difference between a single moment and all of eternity? What’s the point of reference? http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescX.html#Anchor17 Time of Our Lives Time is so fleeting, so elusive, it’s good to remember the importance and power of living right now. http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescHere.html#Anchor7 Take the Plunge Their advice is "for your own good", but the last thing you need to hear is their worst-case scenario. http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescHere.html#Anchor11 Same Olde Time Time – it’s so relative. "What if distant starlight shining in the endless sky is just the same, by a different name, as the twinkle in your eye?" http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescHB.html#Anchor7 Just One Step Just begin. If you will just get underway, the project itself gains momentum and carries you along to its completion. http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescHB.html#Anchor12 You Gotta Have Fun Our moments are fleeting . . . and finite. Too few to squander on "bad news". We must steer our attention deliberately in order to attract the kind of life we were born to live. http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescAnth.html#Anchor20 Songs by Tupelo
Your Passion as Your Compass Allow your passions to stretch their wings and the direction of your life could surprise you – in a good way. Celebrate life with passion! 10 Steps to Discovering Your Life’s Purpose Of all the self-help ideas I’ve come across through the years, this one has been the most helpful. For me, it’s been the Rosetta Stone of personal development techniques. After getting a handle on the idea of “purpose”, other areas of my life fell into place more easily. How to Keep Your Word This article is a poignant reminder of the power of your word. Celebrate life by honoring your word . . . and therefore the people with whom you interact. Take Time for You Don’t put yourself at the end of the list. You deserve to be first, at least some of the time. Don’t let your entire life slip by with everything else (and everyone else) getting preferential treatment over your most important priorities. Their needs are important, but yours are important too. Celebrate life by taking time for YOU! Integrity Through Self-Reliance When you live your life as if the whisperings from your soul really matter, you are living life in your own way, on your own terms, based on your own realizations on what is right . . . what is good . . . and what is true for you. You are tuned into your own station. The signal you are receiving and the message you are broadcasting with the story of your life are both on the same frequency. You are joyfully and gratefully choosing your favorites from the buffet of life. Inspire Yourself on Purpose – Inspiration from Inside Out Here are twelve common sense reminders on how to inspire yourself. The word “inspire” derives from root words that mean “in spirit” or “spirit within.” Although there’s always another step to take, these points are a natural result of recognizing and identifying with this realization of who we really are. Articles by Tupelo

It’s a fine line we walk between wanting more and feeling satisfied with what we have. Desire is unavoidable – it comes with the territory. Our experience helps us realize what we prefer and what we’d rather avoid. The natural result of this process is desire – desire for more of whatever we prefer.

Perhaps our desire for more is the very same urge to expand and grow that’s in all life. The tiny acorn is wired to burst forth into a mighty oak tree. It doesn’t worry or care if this process is good, bad or indifferent – it’s just the way things are. Could this thing we feel called desire be the same force that keeps the entire universe growing, expanding and becoming more?

We humans are unique (as far as we know) because we experience this irresistible urge for growth consciously. Other species grow, develop and change instinctually, but we do it deliberately, consciously, on purpose.

Universal Sense Organs

Could it be that the universe itself benefits from our individual experiences with desire and the resulting manifestation? We provide the eyes and ears to help the entire cosmos know itself a little bit better, in all its glorious, ever-expanding diversity. In the same way, perhaps our contribution provides “All That Is” with experiences in desire and the deliberate manifestations that result from these primal urges.

Desire Used to Be Considered Negative

There are some ancient, but still popular teachings that say desire is something to be ignored or denied – subjugated. Perhaps in other times, in other cultures, that idea made sense because of rampant poverty and huge populations. Or, maybe the ruling class found it easier to control the masses if they could be “trained” to want nothing. The idea of abundance was worlds away from the day-to-day experience of the average person living in such a culture.

Rampant Consumerism

There are still people living with these very limiting ideas, of course, but this day and age is different. Today, many people have made their reality the opposite extreme. They want everything and they want it right now. Their whole life is about getting more stuff and guarding the stuff they’ve already got.

“Realize that true happiness lies within you. Waste no time and effort searching for peace and contentment and joy in the world outside. Remember that there is no happiness in having or in getting, but only in giving. Reach out. Share. Smile. Hug. Happiness is a perfume you cannot pour on others without getting a few drops on yourself.” – Og Mandino

What’s the Real Cost

Abundance consciousness is a healthy, empowering state of mind, but when it is undisciplined and out of control, the question presents itself: Abundance at what cost?

So many people seem willing to trade it all for abundance (or their current concept of abundance). In the course of a lifetime, they trade their health, their family, their friends, often even their integrity for that fleeting carrot in the sky – wealth. To me that’s not a very smart trade.

“Health is the greatest gift, contentment the greatest wealth, faithfulness the best relationship.” – Buddha (563?-483? BC)

All the stuff eventually rusts, corrodes, gets eaten by bugs and turns to dust anyway. So again, the question is: All this frenzied activity about getting more and more . . . at what cost? If contentment and satisfaction are never experienced due to the relentless pursuit of “more,” isn’t that an unreasonably high price to pay?

“We may pass violets looking for roses. We may pass contentment looking for victory.” – Bern Williams

Peace from Balance

So, the trick is to find the balance. There’s a middle ground to be found where deep feelings of contentment and satisfaction are spiced with the delicious excitement of something more on the horizon.

A natural result of contentment is a warm feeling of appreciation – gratitude for all that has already been manifested. Satisfaction plus gratitude plus excited expectation is a good recipe for successfully launching new desires. From this balanced state, the principles of creative manifestation are more efficiently utilized.

From this easy-going state of balance, it’s easier to keep your attention focused on what you want to attract, rather than all the things you want to avoid.

“When we create something, we always create it first in a thought form. If we are basically positive in attitude, expecting and envisioning pleasure, satisfaction and happiness, we will attract and create people, situations, and events which conform to our positive expectations.” – Shakti Gawain (b. 1948)

To Want – Deeper Meanings

The opposite state of mind is one of desperate neediness. In this impoverished mental attitude, your attention is riveted tightly to the lack of whatever you desire. From that state you “want” – notice the other meaning Webster’s attributes to the word want: “Deficiency, need, lack, scarcity. To want is to be without that which contributes to comfort or is desired . . . What we ‘want’ would meet artificial desires, what we ‘need’ would satisfy real requirements.”

The Bottom Line of a Succesful Life

So what do we need? The bottom line seems to be that we need happiness, which includes a measure of contentment. To really relax into the moment and feel genuine, deep satisfaction, desires must be under control. It’s useless to deny them or dislike them. But it does seem healthy to keep them balanced with the other profoundly important things in life – happiness, personal satisfaction and contentment.

“Unless each day can be looked back upon by an individual as one in which he has had some fun, some joy, some real satisfaction, that day is a loss.” – Dwight David Eisenhower (1890-1969) – 34th US President

Today, as I was walking around our house, I really appreciated it. It’s cozy, warm and homey. Sure, a bigger house would be fun, but for right now, I feel grateful, content and satisfied with what we have. These same feelings apply to our recording studio, art studio, and vehicles. I feel genuinely satisfied and content, but still okay with the idea of something bigger and better (more) on the horizon, already heading our way.

Feeling Out Loud

If feelings could talk, this feeling I am enjoying would sound something like this: I love my life and all the “stuff” that we have manifested so far. I am grateful, satisfied and content with all of it. At the same time, I feel an exciting tingle of expectation for all the bigger and better “stuff” and experiences that are already on the way as a result of the universe noticing what we prefer and what we choose to avoid. Yes, universe – more of this and this and this please – it all feels so good. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

While reading, did you choose to hear the relaxing instrumental music linked at the beginning of this article? To learn more about it, click here.

Listen FREE to the songs below . . . chosen to enhance the ideas in this article.

Trash Our Treasures People seem to have a history of awarding seemingly insignificant details with places of prominence in our lives, while ignoring or even destroying the most important aspects. http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescX.html#Anchor2 Stuff, Stuff, Stuff, Stuff, Stuff About all the stuff you’ve been keeping that’s not good enough to actually use, but it’s way too good to throw away. http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescAnth.html#Anchor4 May You Have Joy Have you ever felt a warm appreciation for someone in your life, and just wanted to wish them well? http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescX.html#anchor12 A Heartbeat in Eternity’s Highway In the grand scheme of things, what’s the difference between a single moment and all of eternity? What’s the point of reference? http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescX.html#Anchor17 Soul in the Stars It feels good to try to see the bigger picture once in awhile,and to focus on gratitude for what we have, rather than the frustration of what we are lacking. http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescHere.html#Anchor4 You Gotta Have Fun Our moments are fleeting . . . and finite. Too few to squander on "bad news". We must steer our attention deliberately in order to attract the kind of life we were born to live. http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescAnth.html#Anchor20 Songs by Tupelo
The Dilemma of Desire What is desire? Where does it come from? Why do we have it? Does it serve us in a positive way, or does it distract us and keep us perpetually in discontent? This article sheds some light on these important questions so that each of us can find our own answers. The Subtle Side of Manifestation This in-depth, 4-part article explores the principles and laws that deliver what we desire. Celebrate life through the awareness that you have control of your future. The Law of Attraction With anything as important as the law of attraction, it’s a good idea to hear it described many times from many different angles. This article looks at it from several viewpoints as well as revealing how to get the understanding of the law of attraction from the prime source. Many links are provided including links to streaming mp3 songs that incorporate the principles of attraction in the lyrics. Celebrate life with an ever-clearer grasp of how the law of attraction determines your life experience. Goal Setting or Let Go and Let God There are two approaches people use to manifest their desires. Some set goals. Others surrender and presume the universe is conspiring to deliver to them their every desire without strain, in its own way and in its own time. Which way is better? Can these two methods be used together? Action and Satisfaction A satisfying life includes time for doing balanced by time for being , embracing and celebrating all aspects of life. Being, doing, having . . . all these things are important ingredients of our package of life experience. Denying any aspect of it only serves to diminish our joy of living a full, inspired, and satisfying life. Manifestation Fill-In-the-Blank Formula Here’s a simple technique you can adapt to your own style. First, I’ll give you the formula as I currently use it. Next, I’ll discuss each word so you’ll see how it has evolved into its present state. Then, I’ll add some supporting information to provide you with a ready-to-go affirmation for your own experimentation. This manifestation technique is built around one simple sentence . . . Articles by Tupelo

Giving up is easy. Most people make a habit of giving up. In fact, they make a life of it.

Achievers approach problems and setbacks with an entirely different attitude. When adversity strikes, they look for work-arounds and adapt their procedures. As a result, they may find better ways of proceeding toward their dreams that they may have never discovered otherwise.

Instead of reasons to quit, winners see apparent road-blocks as opportunities to fine-tune their methods in order to continue re-inventing their approach to make it the best it can be in any given moment. Quitting is for losers. Persistence through a solution-oriented attitude is for visionaries, dreamers and other winners who refuse to take “no” for a final answer.

“‘No’ is a word on your path to ‘Yes.’ Don’t give up too soon. Not even if well-meaning parents, friends, and colleagues tell you to get ‘a real job.’ Your dreams are your real job.” – Joyce Spizer

“I’m spreadin’ my wings, and I’m learnin’ how to fly,
Let me do it my way . . . no need to justify.
Don’t tell me no, no don’t tell me no,
You might as well hand me an engraved invitation,
Don’t tell me no.”
- from the song, “Don’t Tell Me No” by Janey Kenyon, Jeannie Robertson, JoAnn Molloy

Quitting is Not a Reasonable Option

When a problem come up, the average person sees it as yet another reason to quit. Giving up rarely occurs to someone who is engaged in activities in sync with their passions. When your daily activities feel in alignment with your sense of purpose, persistence is not a difficult inconvenience – it’s a way of life. (See previous articles: “Your Passion as Your Compass” and “Work – Just a Job or Visible Love.”)

Thomas Edison is a good example of someone passionate about his work with a clear sense of purpose. There’s a good story that illustrates his perseverance: A reporter once asked him if he ever got discouraged after working so long and hard with no results while trying to invent the light bulb. He said:

“Results? Young man, I have gotten lots of results! If I find 10,000 ways something won’t work, I haven’t failed. I am not discouraged because every wrong attempt discarded is often a step forward.” – Thomas Edison (1847-1931)

The rest of the story is that he kept at it, and never gave up. As a result, at this very moment, you and I are likely both benefiting from Edison’s solution-oriented attitude. How many light bulbs light your life every single day? It’s a good reminder how much we all benefit from this “never give up” attitude, even when practiced by someone who died before we were born.

“Many of life’s failures are experienced by people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.” – Thomas Edison (1847-1931)

“It matters if you just don’t give up.” – Stephen Hawking (b. 1942)

“Genius is perseverance in disguise.” – Mike Newlin

Commitment Equals Quality of Life

To me, the idea of persistence, determination and perseverance are all about the quality of life. In our own personal experience, Janey and I see the positive results of this solution-oriented attitude on a daily basis. We have lived our entire lives in the arts. She was a dance major in college. I studied math, then music. We were always the stubborn ones, following our muses, dedicated to living the life of our dreams, no matter what.

Janey is a writer and a stained-glass artist, as well as (like me) a singer, musician, entertainer and recording artist. We have both made our living (and our lives) playing music for over 30 years.

Has it been easy? Well, no – all those jokes about starving artists are grounded in typical experience. We chose the independent route and realize it was the best decision for us. We don’t care about fame – it looks like a serious inconvenience. What we do care about is independence and personal freedom. These things are the cornerstones upon which we have built our life together. And, we are willing to work long and hard in order to continue experiencing the joy and satisfaction we feel from this kind of lifestyle. I’ve heard people say how “lucky” we are to live such a wonderful life. I always smile and think to myself: “Yeah, and the harder we work, the luckier we get.”

“When you are self employed, you only have to work half-days. (And you can choose which twelve hours that is.) – Jim Guhlke

Just Because Someone Else Has a Problem, Don’t Adopt It as Your Own

Every job or business has its own unique problems that seem to come with the territory. In our music career, whenever some concert promoter is a jerk and showers us with his bad attitude, we remind ourselves it’s his problem. It may inconvenience us in the short term, but it has little impact on the overall quality of our lives. Unlike us, his personal life choices were likely not based on passion and purpose, and he likely doesn’t benefit from the freedom and independence we enjoy daily.

Is that our fault? No. Are we going to allow ourselves to be an effect of his negativity? Momentarily, maybe – until we catch on and remind ourselves that our chosen life of happiness and satisfaction goes on, in spite of him. Are we going to give up on our dreams and quit our rewarding lifestyle because of some faulty-wired, loose-lipped jerk? Nope.

“Take control of your destiny. Believe in yourself. Ignore those who try to discourage you. Avoid negative sources, people, places, things and habits. Don’t give up and don’t give in.” – Wanda Carter

We All Have Problems – So What? What’s Next?

From the outside, looking in, a life built on music and art looks idyllic and romantic. It is, but the roadblocks, complications and set-backs are significant – likely as intense as in any other form of human endeavor. Still, we have always looked over, around and through whatever obstacle reared its ugly head and kept our focus on the solution.

“Follow your bliss.” – Joseph Campbell (1904-1987)

There’s a rare satisfaction from doing what you love, and if you dedicate your life to that, it becomes second nature to find solutions rather than to collect excuses to quit. The solutions are there to be found, but they will only show up if you are receptive and deliberately looking for them. (See previous article, “10 Steps to Discovering Your Life’s Purpose.”)

“And no one but you can find the answer to your quest,
Your answer’s for you and not all the rest.
(You know your answer’s the best, it’s not a contest.)
The question is easy enough, and any honest answer is good enough,
You really gotta know . . . . . what do you love?

What do you love, do what you love,
Do what you love, Oh, do what you love.”
- from the song, “Do What You Love” by Tupelo Kenyon

Don’t Allow Persistence to Morph into Stubbornness

If you are truly passionate about your dreams and feel like your chosen activities are “on-purpose,” you’ll probably never have to be concerned about the difference between persistence and stubbornness. If you’ve taken the time to ask the big questions and listen patiently until your feelings convince you that you are getting a clear answer, your resolve is based on passion and purpose rather than a selfish, ego-based stubbornness. Still, it’s a good idea to check in with your emotional guidance system regularly to make sure you’re still on the right track and not deluding yourself. (See previous article: “How Do You Feel – About Inner Guidance.”)

“Perseverance alone does not assure success. No amount of stalking will lead to game in a field that has none.” – I Ching (BC 1150)

Persistence Reveals Personal Depth

Even when you are committed to your dreams, living your life on purpose and doing what you love, you will still have trials and tribulations. Things come up you never could have foreseen. You can’t prepare for everything – that’s why a positive attitude is so important. The choices are endless. The potential is staggering.

“Now it’s happening every moment, far too big to see,
It’s all too much to do it all, so passion is the key.
It’s a question of perspective, alive to pick and choose,
It’s where we aim our focus that brings it all into view.

It’s just the way of the world . . . It’s just the way of the world,
It’s really nothing personal . . . It’s just the way of the world.
- from the song, “Way of the World” by Tupelo Kenyon

Deliberately Shift Your Attention to Solutions

Recognize the problem, understand the implications to the best of your ability, and then immediately change your focus. Take your attention off the problem itself and deliberately aim your mental power in the opposite direction. Shift your attention 180 degrees toward possible solutions.

Most people don’t do this. Instead, they get stuck staring in the direction of the problem, as if staring it down will somehow make it disappear. Of course, just the opposite is true – whatever you give your attention to grows in your experience. Even if you are shouting “NO” to something you do not want, the Law of Attraction brings even more of it into your experience. (See previous article: “The Law of Attraction.”)

“Perseverance is not a long race; it is many short races one after another.” – Walter Elliott

Opportunities for Personal Growth

The interesting thing is, by shifting the focus of your attention away from the problem and toward solutions, dormant skills and talents are activated that you may not even know you had. The problem gives you a reason to reach into that infinite well of resources usually dormant deep inside. As a result, you may learn new skills, and develop new mental disciplines that you may have otherwise overlooked.

“Every problem has a gift for you in its hands.” – Richard Bach (b. 1936)

Mine the Depths

There’s a story of two brothers caught up in the gold fever of the California gold rush. They were among the few who arrived early enough to be able to secure a productive claim. Almost immediately, they struck gold. Not a lot of gold, but enough to get them serious about mining. They got tooled up, hired some help and went to work.

Then, as quickly as their discovery appeared, it disappeared. The gold vein simply fizzled out. They were disappointed and decided to just give up. They quit gold mining, sold their claim cheap and went back east.

The new owner of the claim looked at the problem and immediately started looking for solutions. He decided to hire an engineer and a geologist to evaluate the situation. They recommended to keep digging at exactly the same spot – just a little deeper. After just three feet, they struck the mother lode and became multi-millionaires.

“When you get into a tight place and everything goes against you, till it seems as though you could not hang on a minute longer, never give up then, for that is just the place and time that the tide will turn.” – Harriet Beecher Stowe (1811-96)

Rejection? No thanks, I’ll Pass. Next.

My wife, Janey, spent the last three years writing a novel – a really good novel. Like most new novelists, she soon had collected a stack of rejection notices from literary agents. Every time she received another rejection, her attitude was, “Okay, you’re not the one. I’m looking for the perfect agent, the one who ‘gets’ it. That’s obviously not you, so get out of my way!” She simply rejected rejection and kept scouring the “Writer’s Market” book and the internet, looking for the perfect agent. She knew all along that such a person existed and it was up to her to find the agent who was also looking for her.

Janey continued submitting query letters and continued ignoring the rejection letters – refusing to take it personally. Today (yes TODAY!) she had a nice, long talk with her new New York agent, who definitely “gets it” and is as excited as we are about the future potential of Janey’s excellent novel. (So, one of these days when you walk into Barnes and Noble’s bookstore and see a mountain of Janey’s books or see the major motion picture based on Janey’s book, you will know that it’s there because Janey kept her eye on the prize and never gave up.)

“Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination are omnipotent. The slogan ‘press on’ has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race.” – U.S. President Calvin Coolidge (1872-1933)

They Never Gave Up

Walt Disney had a dream of creating “The Happiest Place on Earth.” One of his major obstacles of such a grand idea was funding. He was turned down 302 times before he got a “yes.” As a result of his vision, his commitment to his dream, and his dedication to his feeling of purpose, Disneyland was born. Just imagine all the happiness it has created for all those kids (and adults) for so many decades!

“Don’t give up. Don’t lose hope. Don’t sell out.” – Christopher Reeve (American actor/performer/advocate for the disabled and spinal research. Star of “Super Man”)

In his seventies, Harland Sanders spent two years driving all over the U.S., trying to find resturaunts to buy his recipes. He was turned down 1009 times. But, he never gave up. Today, everyone has heard of Colonel Sanders, and his finger-licking-good Kentucky fried chicken is a household word worldwide.

“Failure is only postponed success as long as courage coaches ambition. The habit of persistence is the habit of victory.” – Herbert Kaufman

In 1998, Google co-founders, Larry Page and Sergey Brin offered a merger to Yahoo for minimal stock options. Yahoo didn’t take these two college kids seriously and promptly declined. Sergey and Larry persevered. They overcame the obstacles, they dug a little deeper, they developed new skills, new ideas, and new technologies that eventually revolutionized many aspects of the internet that we benefit from every single day. They could have become discouraged at Yahoo’s unflattering reaction to their proposal, and simply quit. Instead, within five years, their persistence grew Google into a world-class corporation.

Google’s shares have now topped the $500 each mark. This makes the company valuation somewhere in the region of around $154 billion. To put this into perspective, Yahoo is valued around the $34 billion mark. This puts Google just behind Microsoft and Cisco in terms of high-tech companies.

“Few things are impossible to diligence and skill – Great works are performed, not by strength, but perseverance.” – Dr. Samuel Johnson (1709-84)

Have you heard of Oliver Twiddledee? Have you heard of the incredible life he created, the millions of lives he touched, and all the money he made? Of course you haven’t because, sadly, Oliver got discouraged by focusing on his problems. He gave up and quit. Pity.

Oliver Twiddledee is not an inspiration – not a role model. Nobody cares about him. He helped nobody and went on to live out his life in quiet desperation and regret – a life of broken dreams with a shattered self-image.

“I promise to keep on living as though I expected to live forever. Nobody grows old by merely living a number of years. People grow old by deserting their ideals. Years may wrinkle the skin, but to give up wrinkles the soul.” – Douglas MacArthur (1880-1964)

Instead of focusing any more attention on pitiful Mr. Twiddledee, let’s celebrate the lives and inspiration we get from Thomas Edison, Walt Disney and those two “stubborn” college kids who dreamed up Google. Let’s celebrate and then emulate the lives of the winners who chose to do what they love, dedicated their lives to their passions and never gave up on their dreams.

“Oh, you weak, beautiful people who give up with such grace. What you need is someone to take hold of you — gently, with love, and hand your life back to you.” – Tennessee Williams (1911-83)

While reading, did you choose to hear the relaxing instrumental music linked at the beginning of this article? To learn more about it, click here.

Listen FREE to the songs below . . . chosen to enhance the ideas in this article.

	Do What You Love Discovering what we have a true passion for, and then figuring out a way to build a life around that passion is one of life’s greatest feelings of accomplishment. http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescHB.html#Anchor10 Way of the World Life is so huge . . . so diverse . . . the possibilities are literally infinite. What’s the best way to sort it all out and carve out a little niche of our own? http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescX.html#Anchor1 Don’t Tell Me No Just don’t do it. It’s better that way . . . for both of us! http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescX.html#Anchor3 Time of Our Lives Time is so fleeting, so elusive, it’s good to remember the importance and power of living right now. http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescHere.html#Anchor7 Songs by Tupelo
Your Passion as Your Compass Allow your passions to stretch their wings and the direction of your life could surprise you – in a good way. Celebrate life with passion! Work – Just a Job or Visible Love Do you love what you do and do what you love? Here’s a step-by-step method on how to put your passions to work and start living the life you were born to live. 10 Steps to Discovering Your Life’s Purpose Of all the self-help ideas I’ve come across through the years, this one has been the most helpful. For me, it’s been the Rosetta Stone of personal development techniques. After getting a handle on the idea of “purpose”, other areas of my life fell into place more easily. How Do You Feel About Inner Guidance? Is it a hunch? Is it a voice in your head? Is it something you feel? Don’t confuse what you feel with who you are. Once you are able to access this awareness of pure being and identify yourself with it, you won’t get carried away by whatever emotional cloud happens to be passing by. Celebrate life through one of the more subtle forms of communication available to us – inner guidance. The Law of Attraction With anything as important as the law of attraction, it’s a good idea to hear it described many times from many different angles. This article looks at it from several viewpoints as well as revealing how to get the understanding of the law of attraction from the prime source. Many links are provided including links to streaming mp3 songs that incorporate the principles of attraction in the lyrics. Celebrate life with an ever-clearer grasp of how the law of attraction determines your life experience. Articles by Tupelo