We have all been reminded this week, due in part to the nationally publicized violent attack in Tucson, that our society is becoming increasingly more negative and that both physical and psychological bullying are on the rise in our schools and in the workplace. It is our obligation as honorable warriors to become agents for positive change in the world around us. But how do we as individuals go about approaching this ubiquitous problem? First we must recognize and understand the causes of bullying and violence.
If we mindfully observe the world around us it becomes very clear that each of us encounters situations in which we are not treated with respect or are treated in an aggressive, negative or insulting manner. How do we act when we are faced with these situations? It is human nature to immediately develop resistance to any situation or interaction that is perceived as negative or threatening. We naturally, due to the selfishness of our egos, have resistance to anything and everything that is not beneficial to us. Many of us, including myself, have an overdeveloped sense of justice. We want life to be fair, but the fact is, life is not fair. When we perceive that we are not being treated fairly, then we immediately feel resistance to the situation or interaction. As our ego processes the situation, resistance takes on negative energy in the form of resentment towards the situation or individual and over time, matures into a desire for revenge.
This process of having resistance, developing resentment and desiring revenge can occur in a few seconds, minutes, hours or days and can take on a little or a lot of negative energy depending on our psychosocial conditioning. When someone cuts us off in traffic we may quickly run thru this cycle and in an instant, act out our revenge in the form of choice words or gestures. However, we have the power within us to defy the development of this negative energy and break the cycle of violence and bullying. The escalation of conflict between individuals, groups or countries is all generated in the same manner, compounded by a viscous cycle of reciprocal revenge. When one individual has a negative interaction with another, they progress through resistance, resentment and then retaliates revenge on the other individual who then may repeat the cycle. Every minor and major conflict in history, including world wars, follows this same pattern.
I am reminded of the historical example of the Hatfields and McCoys, the two families in West Virginia and Kentucky who feuded for decades in the 1800’s. Their series of conflicts all started due to a disagreement over the ownership of a pig. One family believed that the pig was theirs because it was on their land and the other believed that the pig belonged to them because of its distinguishing markings on its ears. The initial disagreement was ultimately mediated by a judge who ruled that the animal belonged to the Hatfield family. Unfortunately, the judge was a Hatfield and ultimately was murdered by a member of the McCoy family because of his perceived unfair ruling. The two families engaged in a cycle of reciprocal violence which resulted in approximately 10 deaths all due to a disagreement over the ownership of a farm animal. As you can see, violence and aggression only begets more violence and aggression and ultimately results in pain and suffering for all involved.
One important way to curb the tendency for the development of negativity, resistance and resentment within you is to purposely limit your exposure to images of violence, aggression or negativity in the form of movies, television programs or video games. I assure you from personal experience that I feel more peaceful and more positive when I do not watch the news or television dramas that depict scenes of violence. Several months ago after my wife and I watched several episodes of a popular crime drama on television, we realized that doing so was not relaxing or entertaining, but instead was somewhat depressing and anxiety provoking. We have since made the conscious effort to avoid such programming and instead limit ourselves to more light hearted or inspirational programming. We both agree that doing so has had a positive effect on our attitude and approach to life.
Another important technique to assist us in controlling our emotions and being successful in breaking the cycle of bullying and negativity which we are exposed to is to consistently strive to maintain our mindfulness of the present moment and acceptance of what IS in our daily life. When we are exposed to confrontational situations we are encouraged to return to our breathing and the present moment. In doing so, we will be able to more mindfully listen to our attacker and with practice, see the situation through their eyes rather than from our ego produced defensive posture. When we are able to change our perspective, then we will be able to approach each situation with compassion rather than resistance, resentment and the perceived need to defend our ego.
Honorable warriors utilize mindfulness to recognize when they experience negativity. When they recognize situations in which we are experiencing bullying or negativity, instead of following our natural instincts to meet force with force, instead we meet hostility with compassion and negativity with positivity.
KAIZEN!!!!
Description
Kanji
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Thursday, December 30, 2010
New Year's Resolutions
At the close of every year, many of us pause and reflect on the past twelve months of our lives. We evaluate our accomplishments and our failures, and we look forward with anticipation and hope to the year ahead. As we evaluate where we are and compare that with where we would like to be, we begin to formulate our goals, or New Year’s resolutions. Naming resolutions at this time of the year is a time-honored tradition for many, but for most, they are good intentions that are never fulfilled because of a lack of follow-through. In fact, only 33% of people still honor this tradition and make annual resolutions. Studies also show that 95 to 97 percent of New Year’s resolutions are not kept. I would like to take this opportunity to encourage you to spend some time this week formulating your resolutions and share with you some secrets to making your New Year’s resolutions, and in fact, all your goals and dreams, come true. Many of the concepts presented here I learned in The Pursuit & Practice of Personal Mastery by Brian Klemmer. In this program, he outlines many of the concepts presented here with regard to goal-setting and successful achievement.
Personal Life Vision
The first important concept of goal-setting is vision. Most of us are familiar with the concept of vision with regard to organizations or businesses, but how many of us have taken the time to author, write down, and commit to a personal life vision? A vision is the act or power of anticipating what will come to be, and a vision statement is a concise summary of your personal life vision. It is the source and motivation for everything we do. We should all develop our own personal life vision to serve as the framework for our goals.
Aligning Goals with Vision
Second, we need to consider the congruity of our short-term and long-term goals. All successful people set and achieve goals, but many of us pursue goals that are not in line with our life vision or do not lead us to anywhere in particular. These goals are rabbit holes, and, when you look at the big picture, time spent in working toward achieving such goals is a waste. Goals that do not lead to anywhere in particular are often the product of our ego, and result in satisfying only the ego, as opposed to more meaningful objectives. I encourage you to scrutinize your goals and make sure that they are in line with your vision and life plan. Your short term and long-term goals need to follow in a systematic manner — as almost like a series of ladders leading upward toward your ultimate goals. Brian Klemmer encourages everyone to take the time to develop 100-year, 50-year, 10-year, 5-year, and 1-year goals (New Year’s resolutions). I know what you are thinking right now. “Hundred year goals? What is the point in formulating 100-year goals? I am not going to live long enough to achieve such goals!” That is exactly the point! We work toward achieving 100-year goals, and create an impact on others by providing them with the necessary momentum to achieve these goals long after we are gone. With this framework in place, it becomes much easier to formulate our short-term goals and ensure that they follow a logical progression, one ladder rung at a time, toward our ultimate goal. Once you have developed your personal life vision and a list of short-term and long-term goals, how can you improve your chances of being in the 3 to 5 percent of people who fulfill their New Year’s resolutions?
Write down your goals
A study performed several years ago polled Harvard graduates regarding goal-setting. At the time of graduation, only 3 percent of the graduates had formulated and written down life goals. When the graduates were surveyed 10 years later, the 3 percent who had envisioned life goals at the time of graduation had achieved significantly more financial success than their counterparts who did not. In fact, the goal-setting 3 percent had a combined net worth that surpassed the total net worth of the other 97 percent of students combined. Writing down your goals creates a level of commitment to achieving your goals.
Post your goals in a visible place
Another step is to post your goals where you can read them on a regular basis. Many people, including myself, have a vision board as a daily reminder of our life vision. Looking at and reading a vision board on a daily basis, I have found, keeps me focused on the most important things.
Share your goals with others.
As humans, we are not very good at holding ourselves accountable. By sharing our goals with someone else, especially someone whom we love and respect, we motivate ourselves to be more accountable and therefore more likely to be successful in achieving our goals — creating a partnership of accountability that will be beneficial to both parties.
So when we ring in the New Year I encourage all of us to resolve any and all conflicts and resentment we have carried with ourselves during the last year so that we may start the new year with a fresh, positive attitude. Invest the time and energy to develop a life vision and a well thought-out set of short-term and long-term plans that are consistent with your vision. Write down, commit to, and share your resolutions and goals with someone you love and respect. Spend time with friends and family. Love fearlessly, and live in the present moment.
KAIZEN!!!!
“Things which matter most should never be at the mercy of things which matter least.”
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
“The only person who succeeds is the person who is progressively realizing a worthy ideal. He’s the person who says, ‘I’m going to become this’ and then begins to work toward that goal.”
Earl Nightingale
“Commitment is what transforms a promise into reality.
Abraham Lincoln
“Have the courage and the wisdom and the vision to raise a definite standard that will appeal to the best that is in man, and then strive mightily toward that goal.”
Harold E. Stassen
Personal Life Vision
The first important concept of goal-setting is vision. Most of us are familiar with the concept of vision with regard to organizations or businesses, but how many of us have taken the time to author, write down, and commit to a personal life vision? A vision is the act or power of anticipating what will come to be, and a vision statement is a concise summary of your personal life vision. It is the source and motivation for everything we do. We should all develop our own personal life vision to serve as the framework for our goals.
Aligning Goals with Vision
Second, we need to consider the congruity of our short-term and long-term goals. All successful people set and achieve goals, but many of us pursue goals that are not in line with our life vision or do not lead us to anywhere in particular. These goals are rabbit holes, and, when you look at the big picture, time spent in working toward achieving such goals is a waste. Goals that do not lead to anywhere in particular are often the product of our ego, and result in satisfying only the ego, as opposed to more meaningful objectives. I encourage you to scrutinize your goals and make sure that they are in line with your vision and life plan. Your short term and long-term goals need to follow in a systematic manner — as almost like a series of ladders leading upward toward your ultimate goals. Brian Klemmer encourages everyone to take the time to develop 100-year, 50-year, 10-year, 5-year, and 1-year goals (New Year’s resolutions). I know what you are thinking right now. “Hundred year goals? What is the point in formulating 100-year goals? I am not going to live long enough to achieve such goals!” That is exactly the point! We work toward achieving 100-year goals, and create an impact on others by providing them with the necessary momentum to achieve these goals long after we are gone. With this framework in place, it becomes much easier to formulate our short-term goals and ensure that they follow a logical progression, one ladder rung at a time, toward our ultimate goal. Once you have developed your personal life vision and a list of short-term and long-term goals, how can you improve your chances of being in the 3 to 5 percent of people who fulfill their New Year’s resolutions?
Write down your goals
A study performed several years ago polled Harvard graduates regarding goal-setting. At the time of graduation, only 3 percent of the graduates had formulated and written down life goals. When the graduates were surveyed 10 years later, the 3 percent who had envisioned life goals at the time of graduation had achieved significantly more financial success than their counterparts who did not. In fact, the goal-setting 3 percent had a combined net worth that surpassed the total net worth of the other 97 percent of students combined. Writing down your goals creates a level of commitment to achieving your goals.
Post your goals in a visible place
Another step is to post your goals where you can read them on a regular basis. Many people, including myself, have a vision board as a daily reminder of our life vision. Looking at and reading a vision board on a daily basis, I have found, keeps me focused on the most important things.
Share your goals with others.
As humans, we are not very good at holding ourselves accountable. By sharing our goals with someone else, especially someone whom we love and respect, we motivate ourselves to be more accountable and therefore more likely to be successful in achieving our goals — creating a partnership of accountability that will be beneficial to both parties.
So when we ring in the New Year I encourage all of us to resolve any and all conflicts and resentment we have carried with ourselves during the last year so that we may start the new year with a fresh, positive attitude. Invest the time and energy to develop a life vision and a well thought-out set of short-term and long-term plans that are consistent with your vision. Write down, commit to, and share your resolutions and goals with someone you love and respect. Spend time with friends and family. Love fearlessly, and live in the present moment.
KAIZEN!!!!
“Things which matter most should never be at the mercy of things which matter least.”
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
“The only person who succeeds is the person who is progressively realizing a worthy ideal. He’s the person who says, ‘I’m going to become this’ and then begins to work toward that goal.”
Earl Nightingale
“Commitment is what transforms a promise into reality.
Abraham Lincoln
“Have the courage and the wisdom and the vision to raise a definite standard that will appeal to the best that is in man, and then strive mightily toward that goal.”
Harold E. Stassen
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
HEAVEN AND HELL
There once was a Martial Arts Master who was famous for uncommon knowledge and wisdom. Many contemporaries of his day believed that this Master possessed a special insight into the nature of heaven and hell.
A rogue Samurai, while traveling near the Master's village, decided to visit, hoping to gain the Master's special enlightenment. The Samurai found the Master in seated meditation enjoying the peace and serenity of his rose garden. Dressed in formal attire, with his sword at his side, the Samurai loudly and boastfully announced himself to the Master.
"I have come to learn about the nature of heaven and hell!" The master turned abruptly to the Samurai and responded, "How do you expect me to impart any enlightenment to one who is as angry and self-serving as you?"
Visibly insulted and clearly and angry, the Samurai stepped back, drawing his sword into the attack position. "I should kill you where you stand, old man!"
The master gently smiled and said, "This is Hell!"
Embarrassed by his own reactive, violent behavior, the Samurai sheathed his sword and bowed deeply to the Master.
The wise Master responded, "This, my friend, is Heaven!"
This is a wonderful Zen story as told by Dr. Foley in his newly released book, Ancient Wisdom for Life Fulfillment - Inspiring All Individuals to Live Peaceful and Compassionate Lives. In this story, there are many inspiring life lessons, the most obvious of which is the importance of controlling our own emotions, especially our anger. In the story the rogue Samurai approaches his interaction with the martial arts master in a very prideful, egotistical, disrespectful manner and in doing so provides the master with the opportunity to teach him through his actions the meaning of hell. The master teaches the Samurai that when we approach our interactions with pride, arrogance, and disrespect we often provoke conflict with those with whom we interact. Approaching our relationships in this manner more often than not results in disrespect being reciprocated, which results in escalating conflict. When the master confronts the Samurai with the observation that he is angry and egotistical, the highly trained Samurai loses control of his emotions and becomes even angrier. As the master points out, this is a miserable position to find ourselves in and a very unhappy way to live our lives. If instead, we strive to mindfully live our lives and approach all of our interactions without pride or ego and instead show respect and compassion we will discover that these actions and behaviors are likewise reciprocated to us and we have the opportunity to experience heaven on earth.
We are all human and therefore we are all in a constant battle to mindfully control the striving of our egos to feel important and respected. As you can see from this Zen story being respected can only be accomplished through our own capacity to respect ourselves and express our respect to others. When we observe and approach the world from the skewed perspective of the ego, we will fall into the trap of feeling as if we should be treated with respect because of who we are and how important we perceive ourselves to be. With this prideful, arrogant attitude we are exhibiting disrespect to those with whom we interact and we are therefore more likely to unintentionally initiate conflict within our interactions.
Instead, I challenge each of us to strive to live by the ancient concept of "muga" or no ego which allows us to consistently see our relationships from the other person's perspective and allows us to initiate mutually respectful interactions. By doing so, we will foster collaborative, productive and satisfying relationships within our lives, which according to the master, is heaven on earth.
KAIZEN!!!!
If you would like to order Ancient Wisdom for Life Fulfillment - Inspiring All Individuals to Live Peaceful and Compassionate Lives by Michael R. Foley, M.D. please contact me at the email address listed below.
Respectfully,
Steven M. Erickson
Sensei.Erickson@KiInspiringThoughts.com
© Copyright 2010 Steven M. Erickson.
All rights reserved. Ki Inspiring Thoughts.
The Center for Humane Living.
"Without feelings of respect, what is there to distinguish men from beasts?"
Confucius
"When you are content to be simply yourself and don't compare or compete, everybody will respect you."
Lao Tzu
"Knowledge will give you power, but character respect."
Bruce Lee
"Ego is to the true self what a flashlight is to a spotlight."
John Bradshaw
A rogue Samurai, while traveling near the Master's village, decided to visit, hoping to gain the Master's special enlightenment. The Samurai found the Master in seated meditation enjoying the peace and serenity of his rose garden. Dressed in formal attire, with his sword at his side, the Samurai loudly and boastfully announced himself to the Master.
"I have come to learn about the nature of heaven and hell!" The master turned abruptly to the Samurai and responded, "How do you expect me to impart any enlightenment to one who is as angry and self-serving as you?"
Visibly insulted and clearly and angry, the Samurai stepped back, drawing his sword into the attack position. "I should kill you where you stand, old man!"
The master gently smiled and said, "This is Hell!"
Embarrassed by his own reactive, violent behavior, the Samurai sheathed his sword and bowed deeply to the Master.
The wise Master responded, "This, my friend, is Heaven!"
This is a wonderful Zen story as told by Dr. Foley in his newly released book, Ancient Wisdom for Life Fulfillment - Inspiring All Individuals to Live Peaceful and Compassionate Lives. In this story, there are many inspiring life lessons, the most obvious of which is the importance of controlling our own emotions, especially our anger. In the story the rogue Samurai approaches his interaction with the martial arts master in a very prideful, egotistical, disrespectful manner and in doing so provides the master with the opportunity to teach him through his actions the meaning of hell. The master teaches the Samurai that when we approach our interactions with pride, arrogance, and disrespect we often provoke conflict with those with whom we interact. Approaching our relationships in this manner more often than not results in disrespect being reciprocated, which results in escalating conflict. When the master confronts the Samurai with the observation that he is angry and egotistical, the highly trained Samurai loses control of his emotions and becomes even angrier. As the master points out, this is a miserable position to find ourselves in and a very unhappy way to live our lives. If instead, we strive to mindfully live our lives and approach all of our interactions without pride or ego and instead show respect and compassion we will discover that these actions and behaviors are likewise reciprocated to us and we have the opportunity to experience heaven on earth.
We are all human and therefore we are all in a constant battle to mindfully control the striving of our egos to feel important and respected. As you can see from this Zen story being respected can only be accomplished through our own capacity to respect ourselves and express our respect to others. When we observe and approach the world from the skewed perspective of the ego, we will fall into the trap of feeling as if we should be treated with respect because of who we are and how important we perceive ourselves to be. With this prideful, arrogant attitude we are exhibiting disrespect to those with whom we interact and we are therefore more likely to unintentionally initiate conflict within our interactions.
Instead, I challenge each of us to strive to live by the ancient concept of "muga" or no ego which allows us to consistently see our relationships from the other person's perspective and allows us to initiate mutually respectful interactions. By doing so, we will foster collaborative, productive and satisfying relationships within our lives, which according to the master, is heaven on earth.
KAIZEN!!!!
If you would like to order Ancient Wisdom for Life Fulfillment - Inspiring All Individuals to Live Peaceful and Compassionate Lives by Michael R. Foley, M.D. please contact me at the email address listed below.
Respectfully,
Steven M. Erickson
Sensei.Erickson@KiInspiringThoughts.com
© Copyright 2010 Steven M. Erickson.
All rights reserved. Ki Inspiring Thoughts.
The Center for Humane Living.
"Without feelings of respect, what is there to distinguish men from beasts?"
Confucius
"When you are content to be simply yourself and don't compare or compete, everybody will respect you."
Lao Tzu
"Knowledge will give you power, but character respect."
Bruce Lee
"Ego is to the true self what a flashlight is to a spotlight."
John Bradshaw
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
THE GIRL AND THE STARFISH
A man was taking an early morning stroll along the beach when he noticed a young girl a few hundred yards ahead of him bending down, picking something up, walking to the water's edge and tossing the object into the sea. The man watched for several minutes while the girl performed this act repeatedly. Unable to contain his curiosity any longer, the man walked toward the girl to see what she was doing.
Once the man was close enough to see the girl, he noticed that she was bending down to pick up a starfish, which had been swept up on the beach by the morning tide and stranded there when the tide rolled out. The man asked her what she was doing, and as he suspected, was told that she was finding stranded starfish and tossing them back into the water so they could float back to sea.
The man then noticed that there were several thousand of these starfish washed up on the shore. He pointed this out to the girl and asked her why she was bothering to toss a few back when there were so many. As the girl picked up another starfish from the beach, walked it to the water's edge and gently tossed it back into the sea, she looked at the man and said, "I made a difference to that one."
This story is my wife's favorite Zen story because of its message that no matter how trivial a kind act or word may seem at face value, we are encouraged to always listen to our heart and do the right thing. We should not be persuaded from performing kind acts because of our perception that doing so will not make enough of a difference. This message was reinforced for me when our family recently attended a Christian concert and one of the performers took the opportunity to tell us about an organization that they have partnered with in an attempt to change the world in their own way. He was passionate to tell us how Compassion.com is changing the world one life at a time by providing the framework for individuals to sponsor children living in poverty around the world. He showed a very touching video of young men and women who have benefited from sponsorship and how this simple act has changed their lives forever. Immediately after the presentation my daughter Lindsey wanted to sponsor a child and has since registered to be the sponsor of an adorable girl in South East Asia. I am so proud of my daughter for grasping an understanding of the importance of giving. In the same manner, as the girl on the beach in the Zen story my daughter will not make a dramatic difference on the immense problem of poverty in our world, but she certainly can be the difference for this one girl.
It is from this same perspective that Laurie and I began the pursuit to adopt our son Michael and I can assure you that we have already made a difference in our little starfish's life.
However, the same logic can and should be applied to all of our daily actions. In this day and age, our world continues to become more and more complicated and as a result it may seem as though it is more difficult for one person to make a difference in the world. We are all blessed with an innate desire to make a positive impact on the world, but many of us find it frustrating and demoralizing in our attempts. As a result of these feelings, or a general selfish approach to life, most people fail to make a consistent effort to make a positive change in their world. As Gandhi said, "Be the change that you would like to see in the world."
KAIZEN!!!!
"Kindness in words creates confidence. Kindness in thinking creates profoundness. Kindness in giving creates love."
Lao Tzu
"Let us not be satisfied with just giving money. Money is not enough, money can be got, but they need your hearts to love them. So, spread your love everywhere you go."
Mother Teresa
"When I chased after money, I never had enough. When I got my life on purpose and focused on giving of myself and everything that arrived into my life, then I was prosperous."
Wayne Dyer
"For it is in giving that we receive"
Francis of Assisi
Respectfully,
Steven M. Erickson
Sensei.Erickson@KiInspiringThoughts.com
© Copyright 2010 Steven M. Erickson.
All rights reserved. Ki Inspiring Thoughts.
The Center for Humane Living.
Once the man was close enough to see the girl, he noticed that she was bending down to pick up a starfish, which had been swept up on the beach by the morning tide and stranded there when the tide rolled out. The man asked her what she was doing, and as he suspected, was told that she was finding stranded starfish and tossing them back into the water so they could float back to sea.
The man then noticed that there were several thousand of these starfish washed up on the shore. He pointed this out to the girl and asked her why she was bothering to toss a few back when there were so many. As the girl picked up another starfish from the beach, walked it to the water's edge and gently tossed it back into the sea, she looked at the man and said, "I made a difference to that one."
This story is my wife's favorite Zen story because of its message that no matter how trivial a kind act or word may seem at face value, we are encouraged to always listen to our heart and do the right thing. We should not be persuaded from performing kind acts because of our perception that doing so will not make enough of a difference. This message was reinforced for me when our family recently attended a Christian concert and one of the performers took the opportunity to tell us about an organization that they have partnered with in an attempt to change the world in their own way. He was passionate to tell us how Compassion.com is changing the world one life at a time by providing the framework for individuals to sponsor children living in poverty around the world. He showed a very touching video of young men and women who have benefited from sponsorship and how this simple act has changed their lives forever. Immediately after the presentation my daughter Lindsey wanted to sponsor a child and has since registered to be the sponsor of an adorable girl in South East Asia. I am so proud of my daughter for grasping an understanding of the importance of giving. In the same manner, as the girl on the beach in the Zen story my daughter will not make a dramatic difference on the immense problem of poverty in our world, but she certainly can be the difference for this one girl.
It is from this same perspective that Laurie and I began the pursuit to adopt our son Michael and I can assure you that we have already made a difference in our little starfish's life.
However, the same logic can and should be applied to all of our daily actions. In this day and age, our world continues to become more and more complicated and as a result it may seem as though it is more difficult for one person to make a difference in the world. We are all blessed with an innate desire to make a positive impact on the world, but many of us find it frustrating and demoralizing in our attempts. As a result of these feelings, or a general selfish approach to life, most people fail to make a consistent effort to make a positive change in their world. As Gandhi said, "Be the change that you would like to see in the world."
KAIZEN!!!!
"Kindness in words creates confidence. Kindness in thinking creates profoundness. Kindness in giving creates love."
Lao Tzu
"Let us not be satisfied with just giving money. Money is not enough, money can be got, but they need your hearts to love them. So, spread your love everywhere you go."
Mother Teresa
"When I chased after money, I never had enough. When I got my life on purpose and focused on giving of myself and everything that arrived into my life, then I was prosperous."
Wayne Dyer
"For it is in giving that we receive"
Francis of Assisi
Respectfully,
Steven M. Erickson
Sensei.Erickson@KiInspiringThoughts.com
© Copyright 2010 Steven M. Erickson.
All rights reserved. Ki Inspiring Thoughts.
The Center for Humane Living.
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
SECRET OF HAPPINESS
One of my favorite quotes is, "Happiness is not a destination; it is a manner of traveling." but after reading The Art of Power by Thich Nhat Hanh this quote has taken on a more significant meaning for me. In this inspirational book he relates the following Zen story:
One day the Buddha was sitting in the woods with some of his monks. They had finished eating their lunch in silence, and they were about to start a dharma discussion, when a farmer came running up to them. The farmer looked unhappy; "Monks, have you seen my cows going by here? The Buddha said, "No we haven't seen any cows come by here." The farmer said, "Monks, I am a very unhappy person. I have only twelve cows, and I don't know why, but this morning they all ran away. And that's not all. I have twenty acres of sesame plants and this year the insects have eaten everything. I think I'm going to die. How can I survive without my cows and my sesame seeds?" The Buddha looked at him with compassion and said, "Sorry, my friend, we haven't seen any cows passing this way. You might want to look for them in another direction." When the farmer had gone, the Buddha turned to his monks, looked at them deeply, smiled to them, and said, "Dear friends, do you know that you are luck people? You don't have cows to lose."
Looking deeply into the meaning of this story we can begin to understand the pathway to living a happy, peaceful life. If we perceive happiness as a destination then we will never be happy. The mirage of happiness will continue to elude us as we strive to achieve or acquire whatever we perceive as necessary for us to be happy. This is the concept of situational or conditional happiness that is so prevalent within our society. We are constantly conditioned to believe that if we have a nicer car, dress a certain way or acquire certain items then we will be happier. We are taught that in order to be truly happy we need to graduate from a good college, marry a wonderful person, live in a nice house, drive a new car and raise the perfect family. However, these are all conditions that we believe will make us happy and when we achieve all of these things goals, conditionally happy individuals will still find themselves searching for happiness. How many of us have stated or heard others state that, "I will be happy when...?" This thinking is what drives the belief in conditional happiness. Looking externally for happiness results in comparisons to others and judgment rather than acceptance and contentment.
Rather than falling into the trap of pursuing conditional, externally driven happiness I would like to encourage you to look for unconditional, internally driven happiness. True happiness is a way of living that is the result of; acceptance of who we are regardless of our strengths and weaknesses, an outpouring of love and respect for ourselves and those around us and a commitment to living fully in the present moment. Although it may sound challenging to mindfully and purposefully live by this means I can assure you that it is much easier and rewarding than chasing the mirage of conditional happiness. Don't wait for tomorrow to be happy. Start today by slowing down, counting your blessings, mindfully appreciating and growing your relationships and returning to living in the present moment. For this IS the only moment we can live in and the only place that true happiness can be enjoyed.
KAIZEN!!!!
"Happiness... is not a destination: it is a manner of traveling. Happiness is not an end in itself. It is a by-product of working, playing, loving and living."
Haim Ginott
"A happy person is not a person in a certain set of circumstances, but rather a person with a certain set of attitudes."
Hugh Downs
"You have just this one moment, and you can make a choice. You can chase your cravings, and perhaps to the outside world you will look powerful, but I can guarantee you will not find happiness. Or you can cultivate the five spiritual powers (faith, diligence, mindfulness, concentration and insight) and bring to yourself, your loved ones, your work environment, and your community the power of the bodhisattva. It is this path that can bring you real happiness. It is the only path that can transform the world."
Thich Nhat Hanh
Respectfully,
Steven M. Erickson
Sensei.Erickson@KiInspiringThoughts.com
© Copyright 2010 Steven M. Erickson.
All rights reserved. Ki Inspiring Thoughts.
The Center for Humane Living.
One day the Buddha was sitting in the woods with some of his monks. They had finished eating their lunch in silence, and they were about to start a dharma discussion, when a farmer came running up to them. The farmer looked unhappy; "Monks, have you seen my cows going by here? The Buddha said, "No we haven't seen any cows come by here." The farmer said, "Monks, I am a very unhappy person. I have only twelve cows, and I don't know why, but this morning they all ran away. And that's not all. I have twenty acres of sesame plants and this year the insects have eaten everything. I think I'm going to die. How can I survive without my cows and my sesame seeds?" The Buddha looked at him with compassion and said, "Sorry, my friend, we haven't seen any cows passing this way. You might want to look for them in another direction." When the farmer had gone, the Buddha turned to his monks, looked at them deeply, smiled to them, and said, "Dear friends, do you know that you are luck people? You don't have cows to lose."
Looking deeply into the meaning of this story we can begin to understand the pathway to living a happy, peaceful life. If we perceive happiness as a destination then we will never be happy. The mirage of happiness will continue to elude us as we strive to achieve or acquire whatever we perceive as necessary for us to be happy. This is the concept of situational or conditional happiness that is so prevalent within our society. We are constantly conditioned to believe that if we have a nicer car, dress a certain way or acquire certain items then we will be happier. We are taught that in order to be truly happy we need to graduate from a good college, marry a wonderful person, live in a nice house, drive a new car and raise the perfect family. However, these are all conditions that we believe will make us happy and when we achieve all of these things goals, conditionally happy individuals will still find themselves searching for happiness. How many of us have stated or heard others state that, "I will be happy when...?" This thinking is what drives the belief in conditional happiness. Looking externally for happiness results in comparisons to others and judgment rather than acceptance and contentment.
Rather than falling into the trap of pursuing conditional, externally driven happiness I would like to encourage you to look for unconditional, internally driven happiness. True happiness is a way of living that is the result of; acceptance of who we are regardless of our strengths and weaknesses, an outpouring of love and respect for ourselves and those around us and a commitment to living fully in the present moment. Although it may sound challenging to mindfully and purposefully live by this means I can assure you that it is much easier and rewarding than chasing the mirage of conditional happiness. Don't wait for tomorrow to be happy. Start today by slowing down, counting your blessings, mindfully appreciating and growing your relationships and returning to living in the present moment. For this IS the only moment we can live in and the only place that true happiness can be enjoyed.
KAIZEN!!!!
"Happiness... is not a destination: it is a manner of traveling. Happiness is not an end in itself. It is a by-product of working, playing, loving and living."
Haim Ginott
"A happy person is not a person in a certain set of circumstances, but rather a person with a certain set of attitudes."
Hugh Downs
"You have just this one moment, and you can make a choice. You can chase your cravings, and perhaps to the outside world you will look powerful, but I can guarantee you will not find happiness. Or you can cultivate the five spiritual powers (faith, diligence, mindfulness, concentration and insight) and bring to yourself, your loved ones, your work environment, and your community the power of the bodhisattva. It is this path that can bring you real happiness. It is the only path that can transform the world."
Thich Nhat Hanh
Respectfully,
Steven M. Erickson
Sensei.Erickson@KiInspiringThoughts.com
© Copyright 2010 Steven M. Erickson.
All rights reserved. Ki Inspiring Thoughts.
The Center for Humane Living.
Sunday, September 19, 2010
MINDFULNESS - BEING FULLY PRESENT
Our society continues to place an increasing emphasis on getting more and more done in less and less time. We are constantly bombarded with the message that we need to learn how to multitask and that we should value ourselves based on how much we accomplish in any given day. With advancements in technology we are now able to watch television, check our email, text message, surf the web, play games and talk on the phone all with the same mobile device. With these advancements unfortunately we are consistently being pulled farther and farther away from just being in the present moment and accepting that what is, is. We should heed the advice of Thich Nhat Hanh and instead of becoming better multi-taskers we should practice becoming better uni-taskers.
One of the invaluable skills that we learn in the martial arts is the art of being fully present in the present moment. With the sound of the bell at the beginning of each class we are reminded to be fully present. We are encouraged to leave our worries about the future, regrets of the past, cravings of the ego, projects and to do lists at the door and be fully present in our training. As with everything that we learn in the dojang the application of this lesson outside the dojang is the ultimate goal.
I would encourage you to develop the habit of being 100% present in whatever activities you can. It might surprise you but I enjoy cooking. Well in truth, I enjoy being a sous chef for my wife who is the real cook in the family. As the sous chef I joyfully prepare all of the ingredients needed for whatever dish we are preparing. This usually involves dicing all of the vegetables and meat as well as gathering and measuring all of the other ingredients. I truly enjoy these seemingly mundane tasks because I am assisting my wife and doing something for our family, but I have discovered that there is another reason I enjoy this activity. Dicing vegetables allows and actually requires me to be fully present in this activity despite the frequent chaos within our home with our triplet girls and three year old son. Practicing being completely present is very satisfying and is probably one of the reasons that I enjoy practicing the martial arts, running and cooking so much.
By practicing being present during these activities I have noticed that I have improved my ability to be more fully present during all of my daily activities, just as the monks and martial artists of old were taught to be present in all of their activities like when lighting incense or pouring and drinking tea. It is through the process of being fully present that we can enjoy true happiness. When we get lost in the regrets of the past or our anxiety regarding the future then we create our own unhappiness. When instead we are one hundred percent present in everything we do we will enjoy true happiness and tap into the limitless power of our Ki energy.
I would encourage you to take the time to practice uni-tasking by being fully present while performing simple activities and through this practice you will develop the habit of being present during all of life's activities and all of our human interactions will become deeper and more fulfilling.
KAIZEN!!!!
Respectfully,
Steven M. Erickson
Sensei.Erickson@KiInspiringThoughts.com
"All negativity is caused by denial of the present. Unease, anxiety, tension, stress, worry-all forms of fear-are caused by too much future, and not enough presence. Guilt, regret, resentment, grievances, sadness, bitterness and all forms of non-forgiveness are caused by too much past and not enough presence."
Eckhart Tolle
"The past is history, the future is a mystery but the present is a gift."
From the movie Kung Fu Panda
One of the invaluable skills that we learn in the martial arts is the art of being fully present in the present moment. With the sound of the bell at the beginning of each class we are reminded to be fully present. We are encouraged to leave our worries about the future, regrets of the past, cravings of the ego, projects and to do lists at the door and be fully present in our training. As with everything that we learn in the dojang the application of this lesson outside the dojang is the ultimate goal.
I would encourage you to develop the habit of being 100% present in whatever activities you can. It might surprise you but I enjoy cooking. Well in truth, I enjoy being a sous chef for my wife who is the real cook in the family. As the sous chef I joyfully prepare all of the ingredients needed for whatever dish we are preparing. This usually involves dicing all of the vegetables and meat as well as gathering and measuring all of the other ingredients. I truly enjoy these seemingly mundane tasks because I am assisting my wife and doing something for our family, but I have discovered that there is another reason I enjoy this activity. Dicing vegetables allows and actually requires me to be fully present in this activity despite the frequent chaos within our home with our triplet girls and three year old son. Practicing being completely present is very satisfying and is probably one of the reasons that I enjoy practicing the martial arts, running and cooking so much.
By practicing being present during these activities I have noticed that I have improved my ability to be more fully present during all of my daily activities, just as the monks and martial artists of old were taught to be present in all of their activities like when lighting incense or pouring and drinking tea. It is through the process of being fully present that we can enjoy true happiness. When we get lost in the regrets of the past or our anxiety regarding the future then we create our own unhappiness. When instead we are one hundred percent present in everything we do we will enjoy true happiness and tap into the limitless power of our Ki energy.
I would encourage you to take the time to practice uni-tasking by being fully present while performing simple activities and through this practice you will develop the habit of being present during all of life's activities and all of our human interactions will become deeper and more fulfilling.
KAIZEN!!!!
Respectfully,
Steven M. Erickson
Sensei.Erickson@KiInspiringThoughts.com
"All negativity is caused by denial of the present. Unease, anxiety, tension, stress, worry-all forms of fear-are caused by too much future, and not enough presence. Guilt, regret, resentment, grievances, sadness, bitterness and all forms of non-forgiveness are caused by too much past and not enough presence."
Eckhart Tolle
"The past is history, the future is a mystery but the present is a gift."
From the movie Kung Fu Panda
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Respect
Gichin Funakoshi, considered by most to be the "Father of Karate-do," introduced the concept of "Rei" as the first guiding principle of the martial arts. Master Funakoshi defines Rei as an expression of respect for others that originates from a firm foundation of self-respect. He goes on to say that "Karate-do should begin and end - with Rei." Why is the concept of Rei (Respect) so important to the martial arts? First and foremost, Master Funakoshi states that without respect for yourself, you cannot express true respect for others. When you are unable to express true respect or Rei through the practice of the martial arts, then Master Funakoshi believes that the practice of martial arts is nothing less than contemptible violence. As martial artists we strive to have our practice of the martial arts be an open expression of respect or Rei for each other, rather than just a physical form.
The importance of respect is introduced to students at The Center for Humane Living through the act of bowing. New students are taught to bow when they enter the dojo, upon leaving the dojo, when greeting a black belt for the first time each day, at the beginning of class and at the end of class. It is emphasized to all students that the bow is a sign of respect and is "the most important movement in the martial arts." Taken literally, when you bow to someone you are telling them that they are more important than you. By humbling yourself to the person you are bowing to, you begin down the journey of understanding the concept of Rei. At first, a new martial artist often feels awkward and uncomfortable with the act of bowing. They might feel embarrassed since in western cultures this is not a usual greeting or they might feel insecure because they, as the lower ranking belt, are expected to initiate the bow or they might even be afraid that they are doing the bow incorrectly and inadvertently showing disrespect to the Sensei. As time passes, the martial artist grows and with this physical growth, comes spiritual growth and an accompanying improvement in their self-esteem. The martial artist now finds the act of bowing an honor, as their sense of respect for their Sensei and importance of the gift that they are being given takes on new meaning. What began as a meaningless traditional gesture has grown into a true act and understanding of Rei for the student.
This concept of Rei can easily be applied in our daily lives. Today in our society there is the general feeling that there is a lack of respect for each other, for our families, for our teachers, for our bosses. The root of the issue lies in the inability to respect oneself. First and foremost, when an individual does not respect himself, they are incapable of giving respect to others. If we do not practice the martial arts, how does one nurture respect within oneself? The answer is different for everyone, but the concept of how this is accomplished is universal.
In order to respect ourselves, we must care for ourselves. We must show respect for ourselves each and every day by carving out a small piece of our day and choosing to do something just for ourselves. This can take the form of taking a walk, reading a book, catching up with a friend we haven't spoken to in a long time, exercising, meditating, praying or any of a number of other activities. It is whatever small act you do only for yourself that feeds your soul. By giving ourselves some personal attention, we are reminding ourselves of our individual self-worth.
The analogy that I use to teach this concept is that of sharpening the saw. If a lumberjack spends his days cutting down trees with a large hand saw, periodically he will need to stop his work to sharpen his saw. If he does not take the time to sharpen his saw, then cutting through trees will require more and more effort. This will slow his progress, result in muscular fatigue and will likely result in frustration and anxiety. However, if the lumberjack takes the time to periodically sharpen his saw, then his job will become easier. He will be able to complete his work with less physical effort and more efficiency. The outcome is now a more productive individual which results in an increased feeling of accomplishment and an improved state of psychological well being.
Just as a lumberjack must periodically sharpen his saw, I would encourage you to take the time every day to sharpen your saw. By taking the time every day to do something to take care of yourself, you will find that life becomes easier. You will be more efficient and productive and you will become more content and fulfilled. When we nurture and develop our personal self respect we will also now be capable of expressing true respect or Rei to others. Without taking the time to show respect for ourselves we become useless to those around us. Life must begin and end with Rei.
KAIZEN!!!!
"Respect is the act of organizing your thoughts and actions around the existence of someone or something".
Dr. Michael Foley
"Respect is love in plain clothes."
Frankie Byrne
"Self-respect is the cornerstone of all virtue."
Sir John Herschel
Respectfully,
Steven M. Erickson
Sensei.Erickson@KiInspiringThoughts.com
The importance of respect is introduced to students at The Center for Humane Living through the act of bowing. New students are taught to bow when they enter the dojo, upon leaving the dojo, when greeting a black belt for the first time each day, at the beginning of class and at the end of class. It is emphasized to all students that the bow is a sign of respect and is "the most important movement in the martial arts." Taken literally, when you bow to someone you are telling them that they are more important than you. By humbling yourself to the person you are bowing to, you begin down the journey of understanding the concept of Rei. At first, a new martial artist often feels awkward and uncomfortable with the act of bowing. They might feel embarrassed since in western cultures this is not a usual greeting or they might feel insecure because they, as the lower ranking belt, are expected to initiate the bow or they might even be afraid that they are doing the bow incorrectly and inadvertently showing disrespect to the Sensei. As time passes, the martial artist grows and with this physical growth, comes spiritual growth and an accompanying improvement in their self-esteem. The martial artist now finds the act of bowing an honor, as their sense of respect for their Sensei and importance of the gift that they are being given takes on new meaning. What began as a meaningless traditional gesture has grown into a true act and understanding of Rei for the student.
This concept of Rei can easily be applied in our daily lives. Today in our society there is the general feeling that there is a lack of respect for each other, for our families, for our teachers, for our bosses. The root of the issue lies in the inability to respect oneself. First and foremost, when an individual does not respect himself, they are incapable of giving respect to others. If we do not practice the martial arts, how does one nurture respect within oneself? The answer is different for everyone, but the concept of how this is accomplished is universal.
In order to respect ourselves, we must care for ourselves. We must show respect for ourselves each and every day by carving out a small piece of our day and choosing to do something just for ourselves. This can take the form of taking a walk, reading a book, catching up with a friend we haven't spoken to in a long time, exercising, meditating, praying or any of a number of other activities. It is whatever small act you do only for yourself that feeds your soul. By giving ourselves some personal attention, we are reminding ourselves of our individual self-worth.
The analogy that I use to teach this concept is that of sharpening the saw. If a lumberjack spends his days cutting down trees with a large hand saw, periodically he will need to stop his work to sharpen his saw. If he does not take the time to sharpen his saw, then cutting through trees will require more and more effort. This will slow his progress, result in muscular fatigue and will likely result in frustration and anxiety. However, if the lumberjack takes the time to periodically sharpen his saw, then his job will become easier. He will be able to complete his work with less physical effort and more efficiency. The outcome is now a more productive individual which results in an increased feeling of accomplishment and an improved state of psychological well being.
Just as a lumberjack must periodically sharpen his saw, I would encourage you to take the time every day to sharpen your saw. By taking the time every day to do something to take care of yourself, you will find that life becomes easier. You will be more efficient and productive and you will become more content and fulfilled. When we nurture and develop our personal self respect we will also now be capable of expressing true respect or Rei to others. Without taking the time to show respect for ourselves we become useless to those around us. Life must begin and end with Rei.
KAIZEN!!!!
"Respect is the act of organizing your thoughts and actions around the existence of someone or something".
Dr. Michael Foley
"Respect is love in plain clothes."
Frankie Byrne
"Self-respect is the cornerstone of all virtue."
Sir John Herschel
Respectfully,
Steven M. Erickson
Sensei.Erickson@KiInspiringThoughts.com
Monday, August 2, 2010
PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY
This week I took one of our cars in to be serviced at a local dealership and had a very interesting interaction with the service department. When I dropped off my vehicle I was asked if I would like to receive a complimentary car wash upon completion of the service, to which I replied in the affirmative. Then I was asked to sign a waiver of liability. This document stated that by signing the document I was releasing the dealership of any liability related to any damage including but not limited to cracking of the windshield which may occur as the result of my complimentary car wash. The document goes on to state that the dealership is not responsible for any lost or stolen articles that are left in the vehicle. This interaction made me stop and reflect about the epidemic in our society of blaming and unwillingness to accept responsibility for anything including the personal circumstances of our lives. To illustrate this point let me tell you a story as told by Brian Klemmer in his book titled, The Compassionate Samurai. This is the story of a construction worker who begins work on a new job site. On the first day when lunch time rolled around he retrieved an old, black, metal lunch box out of his truck and wandered over to where the other workers were eating lunch. He opened the black metal lunch box and removed a sandwich. As he did so he began to complain, "Peanut butter and jelly sandwich, again! I don't like this kind of sandwich. I wish I had something better." He continued to grumble as he ate his lunch. The next day his co-workers noticed again that when he removed his sandwich from his lunch box, he complained that he had yet ANOTHER peanut butter and jelly sandwich. On the third day the construction worker repeated the same routine at lunch time and his co-workers began to talk about his seemingly odd behavior. The next day one of the foreman asked him, "Why don't you just ask your wife to make you a turkey or even a roast beef sandwich for lunch?" With a surprised look on his face the worker simply replied, "Wife? What wife? I'm not married. I make my own lunch every morning before I come to work."
The humorous modern day Zen story presented above beautifully illustrates an important attribute of an honorable warrior, the virtue of personal responsibility. True warriors understand and accept responsibility for ALL of the choices that they make in life. Unfortunately, this virtue is becoming ever more scarce in our society that is filled with selfishness, blaming, excuses and a sense of entitlement. Our society seems to be filled with individuals who lack a sense of personal responsibility. When problems arise or when mistakes are made they are very quick to blame others or the circumstances rather than accepting responsibility for their decisions, actions or words. The only result of blaming others for their life circumstances is that it propagates a victim mentality which produces feelings of helplessness and despair. The only solution for dealing with this negative mindset is to accept personal responsibility for everything in our lives.
Honorable warriors are aware of their freedom to make choices and accept responsibility for all of their decisions, actions and words. My challenge for you today is to see the world from the perspective of accepting complete responsibility for everything in our lives. Blaming or complaining about the circumstances of our lives is unproductive and cowardly. We should all strive to make courageous decisions, commit to our beliefs and accept full responsibility for all of the problems, difficulties, and failures along with all of our successes, accomplishments and blessings.
KAIZEN!!!!
"Until you accept total responsibility - no matter what - you will not be able to put plans in place to accomplish your goals."
David Cottrell
"A good leader takes a little more than his share of the blame, a little less than his share of the credit."
Arnold H. Glasgow
"To become a courageous leader, you must realize that accepting responsibility is not optional - it's mandatory."
David Cottrell
"The price of greatness is responsibility."
Winston Churchill
Thursday, July 22, 2010
SCARCITY VS. ABUNDANCE
From the time we are very young we are taught to live according to the theory of scarcity which is the belief that no matter what the human want or need, there simply is never enough of it to go around. For example, when your mother made a cake you were conditioned to operate under the belief that there was never enough for everyone and that you should fight to get your fair share because soon the cake would be gone. Most of us continue to live our lives according to this theory of scarcity. We live according to the belief that there is never enough time, we will never have enough money, we have a finite amount of love to share with the world and we need to fight against everyone on the planet to insure that we get at least our fair share. Living life from this perspective results in a competitive, confrontational, pessimistic outlook of the world. Much of the time our focus is on what we don't have rather than what we do have. We view other individuals in the world as competitors for all of the resources rather than as teammates working towards a common goal. We are reluctant to give of our selves because we believe that there is not enough to go around so we hoard our talents, money, time and love believing that by doing so we will have enough for ourselves, family and true friends.
The alternative to living according to the theory of scarcity is to live according to the law of abundance. Living from this point of view requires a reconditioning of our mind set for most of us. Living according to the law of abundance begins with taking an inventory of all that we possess and developing a pervasive feeling of gratitude within our lives. For most of us we have been blessed to a greater extent than we take the time to appreciate. We look at the glass of life and see it as half empty when in reality it is ninety percent full. One method of developing this habit is to start a gratitude journal. Every night before we go to bed my wife and I write in a journal, three things that we are thankful for that day. I would encourage you to try this because it is very rewarding to take a few minutes each and every day to reflect on what we have and feel gratitude for the people, experiences, relationships, or possessions which we enjoy.
The next step in living according to the law of abundance is to develop the belief that there is and will always be enough. Changing our belief system in this manner is a lot more challenging but there are a few simple ways that I would encourage you to try to get you started. The next time you are in the drive thru line at your favorite coffee or fast food establishment, pay for the car behind you and then just drive off or the next time you are on a street that has parking meters look for any expired meters and put a few coins in them to give someone a little more time. Both of these simple gestures of unconditionally giving someone a little bit of our money will have a dramatically positive effect on the way you think and act. What you will also discover is that by making a habit of creating and distributing this little bit of positive energy, you will become the recipient of an outpouring of positive energy directed into your life.
The two object lessons presented above that involve small monetary gestures of generosity serve as examples to get us started. However, living in accordance with the law of abundance will require us to generously give of our time, money, love and energy to those in need. These deeds often require a faith and understanding that by giving of ourselves we will be rewarded by a flow of positive energy back into our lives. I can assure you from personal experience that when I live according to the law of abundance I have been rewarded with not only a feeling of gratitude and peace, but I have also been blessed in ways that that I did not even imagine. In a sense, by giving someone else my piece of cake I have personally been rewarded by someone else unexplainably giving me an entire cake of my own to enjoy and share with others. Living life in this manner takes faith in a world that doesn't always seem so easy to believe in. It also requires a belief that the whole world is truly on our side and in fact it is at our disposal to tap into its infinite power. As Martin Luther King said, "Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase." I encourage you to take the first step and begin to live your life according to the law of abundance rather from a theory of scarcity. I assure you that by living from this more purposeful, optimistic approach you will be blessed in ways you cannot imagine. Within the optimist's creed, Christian D. Larson beautifully summarizes some of these thoughts. "I promise to think only of the best, to work only for the best and to expect only the best. I promise to think well of myself and to proclaim this fact to the world, not in loud word, but in great deeds. I promise to live in the faith that the whole world is on my side, so long as I am true to the best that is in me."
KAIZEN!!!!
"You can have everything in life you want if you will just help enough other people get what they want."
Zig Ziglar
Respectfully,
Steven M. Erickson
Sensei.Erickson@KiInspiringThoughts.com
© Copyright 2010 Steven M. Erickson.
All rights reserved. Ki Inspiring Thoughts.
The Center for Humane Living.
Friday, June 11, 2010
WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE A MENTOR?
Last week the world lost one of the most honorable, inspirational leaders of our time, Coach John Wooden. Coach Wooden was arguably one of the greatest coaches who ever lived. Many of his coaching records will probably never be surpassed. His teams at UCLA won ten collegiate basketball national championships in twelve years. He won seven national championships in a row and during that time sustained an 88 game winning streak. He coached his team to four perfect, undefeated seasons and in his entire career the teams he coached had only one season that produced a losing record. However, what is more remarkable than any of these amazing facts regarding his career as a coach is the legacy that he leaves us as a coach, teacher, mentor and inspirational leader. As I read his most recent book, The Essential Wooden, I was left inspired by the life lessons that he taught his players by the way he lead and the way he lived his live. As an example, during his career he was charged with only two technical fouls (and one of them was a mistake by the official). In this day and age we are surrounded by coaches, parents and individuals who value winning at any cost, even if it means cheating. Coach Wooden was not that type of leader. He taught his players and inspires all of us to understand that in his words, "Success, as measured by each one of us individually, is the peace of mind derived from making the absolute and complete effort to do the best of which you are capable. The quality of your effort to realize your potential counts first and foremost." Coach Wooden valued winning and success as much as any coach but his loyalty to teaching character and instilling within his players a set of values was far more important. His success as a coach was directly related to his belief system and the manner in which he lead his teams. He authored, taught and lived according to his pyramid to success, which he strongly believed would result in what he referred to as competitive greatness. I am comforted and humbled to discover that Coach Wooden taught his players that the most important aspect of competing was not the result of winning or losing but instead was the quality of the effort. Growing up my father attended almost every game that my brother and I ever played. He was certainly my greatest fan and I miss him dearly. After every contest my dad would challenge me to evaluate my play. We would sit and talk about my shining moments as well as my mistakes. I always left these interactions with the understanding that my dad loved and cared about me very much and that if I had performed my very best, no matter what the result, he was proud of me and I should be proud of myself. The concepts that he instilled within me during these interactions are certainly the reason for most of the successes in my life and for my personal philosophy by which I live which is KAIZEN or continuous improvement. My dad and Coach Wooden taught those that they mentored to refrain from comparing ourselves to each other but instead to gauge our success based upon our personal effort and the personal improvements we should all celebrate each and every day.
Coach Wooden coached many highly successful players including Kareem Abdul Jabbar and Bill Walton. However, his success was not built upon strong recruiting but instead upon team building. Five of his national championships were achieved with teams that did not possess star players like Jabbar and Walton. Although Coach Wooden was not a martial artist he taught his players and those he mentored many important life lessons which we attempt to instill within our students at The Center for Humane Living.
These include the following life lessons:
● Do not compare yourself to others; instead judge yourself on the effort you make to become the best that you can become.
● Live as though you will die tomorrow. Learn as though you will live forever.
● Be true to yourself - to what you believe in your heart is right.
● No individual on the team is more important than the team.
● If you are not making some mistakes you are not doing anything - not trying to make things happen.
● Worry is fretting about the future. Concern is figuring out future solutions. Don't worry.
● Adversity makes you tougher, more capable of dealing with trouble the next time it comes looking for you.
● Ability may get you to the top but it takes character to stay there.
● The difference between being competitive and having competitive greatness is in the attention to the details.
● The player who has done his best has done everything, while the player who has done less than his best is a failure.
● Truly believe that you are better than your opponent in fighting spirit and you will be mighty difficult to defeat.
● Always offer a positive statement - a compliment - before criticism.
● Turn a deaf ear to praise and criticism, and you will hear all you need to hear of both.
● If you do not have time to do it right, when will you have time to do it over?
● One important aspect of character is the ceaseless desire to improve.
● In order to accomplish anything as a leader, you must really believe in what you are doing.
● The more concerned we become over things we cannot control, the less we will do to improve those things we can control.
● Make each day of your journey a masterpiece.
(To learn more about coach or print your own Pyramid of Success go to www.CoachJohnWooden.com)
Coach Wooden truly understood the self sacrifice it takes to make a difference in the lives of the individuals in whom he was given the privilege of being a mentor. Each of us is given the opportunity to be a leader, teacher and mentor. I would challenge you to keep Coach Wooden in mind as you do so. Ask yourself if you are making a difference in the lives of the people that you lead or mentor? I am grateful for the opportunity to try to serve as a mentor with the same energy and impact that Coach Wooden had on the lives of his players and that my father and Sa Bum Nim Foley have had on me.
KAIZEN!!!!
"Some snicker and say I'm ridiculous, because with details I'm meticulous. But what you see near those who succeed? Perfected details are ubiquitous." Michael James Cronen
"The leader uses his heart as well as his head. After he considered the facts with his head, he lets his heart take a look too." Wilfred Peterson, author of The Art of Living
"It is better to trust and occasionally be disappointed than to mistrust and be miserable all the time."
Abraham Lincoln
"A day lived without doing something good for others is a day not worth living." Mother Teresa
"The heights by great men reached and kept, were not attained by sudden flight. But they, while their companions slept, were toiling upward in the night." Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
"Make Each Day Your Masterpiece." Coach John Wooden
"Success is peace of mind which is a direct result of self satisfaction in knowing you made the effort to do the best of which you are capable." Coach John Wooden
Respectfully,
Steven M. Erickson
Sensei.Erickson@KiInspiringThoughts.com
© Copyright 2010 Steven M. Erickson.
All rights reserved. Ki Inspiring Thoughts.
The Center for Humane Living.
Coach Wooden coached many highly successful players including Kareem Abdul Jabbar and Bill Walton. However, his success was not built upon strong recruiting but instead upon team building. Five of his national championships were achieved with teams that did not possess star players like Jabbar and Walton. Although Coach Wooden was not a martial artist he taught his players and those he mentored many important life lessons which we attempt to instill within our students at The Center for Humane Living.
These include the following life lessons:
● Do not compare yourself to others; instead judge yourself on the effort you make to become the best that you can become.
● Live as though you will die tomorrow. Learn as though you will live forever.
● Be true to yourself - to what you believe in your heart is right.
● No individual on the team is more important than the team.
● If you are not making some mistakes you are not doing anything - not trying to make things happen.
● Worry is fretting about the future. Concern is figuring out future solutions. Don't worry.
● Adversity makes you tougher, more capable of dealing with trouble the next time it comes looking for you.
● Ability may get you to the top but it takes character to stay there.
● The difference between being competitive and having competitive greatness is in the attention to the details.
● The player who has done his best has done everything, while the player who has done less than his best is a failure.
● Truly believe that you are better than your opponent in fighting spirit and you will be mighty difficult to defeat.
● Always offer a positive statement - a compliment - before criticism.
● Turn a deaf ear to praise and criticism, and you will hear all you need to hear of both.
● If you do not have time to do it right, when will you have time to do it over?
● One important aspect of character is the ceaseless desire to improve.
● In order to accomplish anything as a leader, you must really believe in what you are doing.
● The more concerned we become over things we cannot control, the less we will do to improve those things we can control.
● Make each day of your journey a masterpiece.
(To learn more about coach or print your own Pyramid of Success go to www.CoachJohnWooden.com)
Coach Wooden truly understood the self sacrifice it takes to make a difference in the lives of the individuals in whom he was given the privilege of being a mentor. Each of us is given the opportunity to be a leader, teacher and mentor. I would challenge you to keep Coach Wooden in mind as you do so. Ask yourself if you are making a difference in the lives of the people that you lead or mentor? I am grateful for the opportunity to try to serve as a mentor with the same energy and impact that Coach Wooden had on the lives of his players and that my father and Sa Bum Nim Foley have had on me.
KAIZEN!!!!
"Some snicker and say I'm ridiculous, because with details I'm meticulous. But what you see near those who succeed? Perfected details are ubiquitous." Michael James Cronen
"The leader uses his heart as well as his head. After he considered the facts with his head, he lets his heart take a look too." Wilfred Peterson, author of The Art of Living
"It is better to trust and occasionally be disappointed than to mistrust and be miserable all the time."
Abraham Lincoln
"A day lived without doing something good for others is a day not worth living." Mother Teresa
"The heights by great men reached and kept, were not attained by sudden flight. But they, while their companions slept, were toiling upward in the night." Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
"Make Each Day Your Masterpiece." Coach John Wooden
"Success is peace of mind which is a direct result of self satisfaction in knowing you made the effort to do the best of which you are capable." Coach John Wooden
Respectfully,
Steven M. Erickson
Sensei.Erickson@KiInspiringThoughts.com
© Copyright 2010 Steven M. Erickson.
All rights reserved. Ki Inspiring Thoughts.
The Center for Humane Living.
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