23 December 2014

"RESOLUTIONS" AGAIN?

“Resolutions” Again?

It seems hard to believe, each year coming faster and faster, but it’s the beginning of yet another year – 12 fresh months of virgin time, available for you to accomplish something grand. It’s also a time when many people make their “New Years Resolutions”. Did you ever notice that when you talk to people about their resolutions, paradoxically, there is usually an air of resignation? No one seems to really believe that they’re going to stay on top of those things they resolve to do. So resolutions don’t have much of a powerful feel to them – and they’re almost always about giving something up. They just don’t seem to drive any action.
When I had my coaching practice some years ago, I would talk to my clients about intentions instead of resolutions. Intentions are the things we intend to make happen, and by that imagining our intentions are real, bring to bear all the resources and force of will we have at our disposal.
We set our intentions and focus our imagination thereby making our intentions real in our minds. This leads us to specific goals, which leads to game plans which ultimately then leads to actions. Which of course then leads to results.
Did you catch that?
  • Set intentions and imagine them as real
  • Which leads to goals
  • Which leads to game plans
  • Which leads to actions
  • Which leads to RESULTS

So…what are you going to make happen this coming year? What results are you going to produce – for yourself, your business, your family, your community? Do you want to double your sales? Increase your profits? Maybe buy a new house or a new car or take a trip around the world? Will you run a marathon, master downhill skiing or snowboarding, or slim down or bulk up? Or maybe you will change the world, even if only by a little bit. No matter what your intentions are, here are a few questions to answer:
  • Specifically, what are your intentions for the coming year? Answer this in detail: how much or how many, and by when. What will those intentions look like when realized?
  • How are you going to increase your personal power – the velocity with which you turn your intentions into reality.
  • What resources can you bring to bear to realize your intentions?
  • What things, if not dealt with, could stand in your way of reaching your goals?
  • How are you going to get help?

Answering the last question could mean the difference between success and failure. I urge you to think about it seriously. In the meantime, have a happy and productive New Year.

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"Tales from the Mind Field" A collection of short stories coming after the 1st of the year.

08 December 2014

THE CHRISTMAS VISITOR

THE CHRISTMAS GHOST

You've had it happen I’m sure. You’re someplace, anyplace and you see a shadow of sorts out of your peripheral vision, maybe even right in front of you.
You don’t give it a lot of thought until that day or maybe the next day or two you learn that someone you know has died. You give it some thought and then dismiss it as nothing. I’ve had this happen on more than one occasion. The first time was on Christmas Eve 1973 as I stood in front of my boss’s office at the copy machine. He was out of the office at the time and the lights were out so the glass window was more a reflection than anything. I noticed it was 10:40 on the clock above the machine. As I stood there making copies, I glanced up and saw the shadow of a figure behind me. I spoke, “I’ll be done here in a moment” and I was. As I turned around, there was no one there. In fact there was no one within 100 feet or more. Odd I thought and went about my business. The next day my brother called me there at work to inform me that my mother had died.
“Oh no” I said, “When did it happen”
“Around 10: 30 or so the day before.” came his reply.
That evening as I prepared to drive to Phoenix to attend to things related to my mothers death, I thought about that shadow I had seen behind me at the copy machine. Was it a sign? Since I do believe in things paranormal and such I couldn't dispel the notion that I had in fact “seen” my mothers demise.
As the years went by, I heard and read many more stories about people who had experienced similar situations only adding credence to the notion that death may well visit prior to it’s actual arrival.
Coincidentally, a week before Christmas in 1980 I was dating a gal who was open to my theories about the matter. One evening while we were sitting on the couch in her living room, she abruptly disengaged from our “hugging” to exclaim, “Did you see that?” I honestly had to say that I hadn't since I had been similarly engrossed in our… uh, shall we say, “hugging?
She swore that she saw a dark figure move across the room and disappear.
I acknowledged that in fact it was possible but that she shouldn't give too much thought to it since there were better things to concentrate on at the moment. So chivalrous I am. Anyway, two days later she called me crying. Her father in Colorado had died two nights ago. Okay, that got my attention and I talked with her at length about how that was actually a good thing that she had been “witness’ to her fathers passing.
Several years later I was doing some last minute Christmas shopping at the mall on my way to my sisters house for some holiday cheer. I seem to always find myself having to pick up things right at the last moment. Yes, this time I saw it again. In the window reflection at Macy’s there it was. A dark shadow passed right over me and suddenly shot upward. I turned to see, but there was no one there. A shiver went down my spine as I immediately reflected on the past experiences I have had. I wondered who it might be. Someone I know? Someone who’s close to me knows? What a terrible time of the year to lose someone, right at what’s supposed to be the happiest time of the year and suddenly someone dies. I finished my shopping and walked out to the parking lot to my car. The parking lot was filled with shoppers going to and fro with their packages. I couldn't shake the thought that someone somewhere was going to be crying this season.
I arrived at my sister’s home around 9:30. Everyone else had arrived much earlier. As I walked in I immediately saw my sister sobbing as she was being held by her husband. My brother was sitting on the couch, his head down in his hands. Several others of her guest were somber and whispering quietly among themselves. There it was I thought. Once again I had experienced the moment perhaps when someone we knew had lost his or her life.
“Sis” I said, “Who is it. Tell me what happened”
Her grief was I guess too much for her to even hear me and respond. John, her husband slowly looked up and stared past me. He too seemed overwhelmed at the loss of whoever it was. No one was speaking, even when I addressed a couple sitting next to my brother on the couch. Every one seemed entirely consumed by the loss of someone they all must have known. I sat down on the piano seat in the corner and just waited. I finally addressed my brother, “Richard” I began, “Who is it? Who died?”
He head slowly rose from his hands as he seemingly acknowledged that he had heard me though he looked away towards my sister.
“Richard” I repeated, “Tell me” He got up slowly, ignoring me and walked over to my sister and put his arms around she and her husband.
Why was no one speaking to me? It was as if I was invisible there in the room with them. I stood up abruptly and spoke loudly, “Why is no one answering me?” I said
As I looked around the room, suddenly I knew.

THE END.

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