Posted on by Raj Daniels

We Want You

You can’t sing like her.

You can’t write like him.

You can’t draw like her.

You can’t build a business like him.

You can play like her.

Great!

Because we already have them.

What we don’t have is you.

We want what you have to offer.

We need whatever unique gifts and talents are buried within you.

It’s so easy to get caught up in the talents and skills that others have and to think that what you have to offer pales in comparison. And the reality is that in some cases that might be true, but that’s okay. What you have to offer is still unique to you.

Just because others have found a degree of success in their lives with their unique abilities doesn’t mean that there’s less of an opportunity for you to do so. There really is an abundance of opportunities out there for you to express your unique gifts. The key is that you have to believe that opportunities do indeed exist, because if you don’t, then you will let your unique talents die within you.

Notice that I haven’t mentioned using your talents to make money. I did this intentionally. So many careers, dreams, and visions have been killed in the cradle with the phrase, ‘you’ll never make any money doing that,’ or its close cousin question, ‘how will you make money doing that?’

So get up, get out and start expressing your uniqueness, even if it’s only to an audience of one. By the way, that one person might be the life you change forever with your unique talents.

P.S. Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed it please share it with one person you love.

Posted on by Raj Daniels

Conscious Author

“Your emotions are the slaves to your thoughts, and you are the slave to your emotions.” ― Elizabeth Gilbert,

What emotion are you feeling right now?

Where are you feeling it?

If you said or thought, ‘within me,’ then you’re correct.

You feel every emotion within you, because that’s where your emotions are born.

Regardless of how many times you’ve thought that something or someone makes you feel a particular emotion, it’s not true. Items, people and situations are external catalysts that unlock emotions within you, because you have assigned them meaning or have created stories about them.

Over your lifetime you write countless stories about how you feel and your stories become embedded within you. And it is more efficient for your brain to retrieve an existing story then it is to write a new one, that’s why you begin to develop emotional behavior patterns. The problem is that you hold on to these patterns even when they become detrimental to you.

Realizing or admitting that your emotions are within your control is the first step to changing your behavior patterns. It’s also the hardest step because you now have to take responsibility for how you feel. But if you really want to change how you react or respond, then you have to take the first step.

Once you decide that you do want to be responsible for how you feel then the work begins. You now have to become a conscious author of your emotions. You have to rewrite or write new stories about how you feel. This will be difficult because your old patterns will not disappear; you have to write over them. And consistency is the key to doing so because if you’re not consistent, then your old patterns will resurface.

Is it worth the effort to become the conscious author of your emotions or is it easier to keep blaming external forces for you how you feel?

That’s a question you have to answer for yourself

P.S. Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed it please share it with one person you love.

Posted on by Raj Daniels

Boring Story

Once upon a time, there was a person.

And this person lived a life.

In fact, for their entire life, this person never had any challenges or problems, and they lived happily ever after.

Just imagine a book or movie about such a person.

How well do you think it would do?

Who would want to read or watch a story about such a person?

If I had to guess, I’d say almost no one.

Why?

Because the story is boring.

We watch and read stories about people that have to go through challenges. And we root for them. We live vicariously through their difficulties and we want them to win.

Your life would also be boring without certain challenges and problems.

If you just sailed through every day without ever having any issues, your days would eventually blend into one dull grey blob of life. No action, no adventure, nothing to conquer, just blah.

Now you might disagree, and understandably so, because after all, who really wants to seek out a life full of problems? But it’s the challenges that add color to your life.

Yes, certain problems in life can be more challenging than others, and I wish no harm or suffering ever falls upon you or your loved ones. But I also don’t wish you a lifetime of smooth sailing.

Life is beautiful, and your challenges add color to its beauty. Your days would be filled with dullness without difficulties and problems. Your life would be like the story I started with.  You nor anyone else would want to hear or read about it, let alone live it.

P.S. Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed it please share it with one person you love.

Posted on by Raj Daniels

One of a Kind

How many feet in a kilo?

How many ounces in a mile?

How many tons in a kilometer?

These questions might seem a little ridiculous and that’s because they are.

It doesn’t matter how fancy a conversion table you have, there’s no way to answer the preceding questions correctly.

Why?

Because the units of measurement don’t convert, they are unique to their particular system.

You too are unique to your system.

Yes, you’re human and your gender and perhaps a few other characteristics you have can be classified within a system, but even after accounting for all the similarities you have with other humans, at your core your still unique. Aka, one of a kind.

So how do you measure something that’s unique against something else?

Truth is that you can’t?

But life is easier when everything, including people, can be put into neat little categories.

So how do you stop measuring yourself against others when there’s an entire system that encourages you to do so?

That’s a tough question to answer.

The best advice I can give you is you have to persist in developing the unique gifts and talents that you have. Now, these might not be obvious to you at first and do require time, introspection and a wide range of experiences. But as you go through life, if you pay attention to yourself, you’ll begin to notice activities that you’re good at and drawn towards, these are where your unique gifts can flourish.

Yes, there might be other people that are also good at or even experts in the fields that interest you, but there’s always room for one more unique perspective.

The sooner you develop the mental toughness that will prevent you from measuring yourself against others, or allowing others to do so, the better for you.  Remember, systems are built to measure you against others because it makes life easier for the people that built the system, it doesn’t make life easier for you.

So keep working on you, embrace your uniqueness, and let your one of kindness shine through.

P.S. Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed it please share it with one person you love.

Posted on by Raj Daniels

Make Art

What kind of art do you appreciate the most?

Do you enjoy reading literature, watching movies, looking at paintings, going to the theatre, or listening to music?

By the way, this is not an exhaustive list of art and the ones I mentioned are not mutually exclusive choices; you can enjoy one, some or all.

It’s so interesting that art is such an integral part of our lives, yet when asked, the majority of adults would not consider themselves as artists. However, almost all young children, especially those under the age of 10 would quickly identify as some form of artist and would be all too willing to show you their art.

Why is this so?

What happens to that young artist?

Where is the artist that was once in you?

For many years the idea of being an artist has been assigned to a certain segment of individuals. Those individuals that are willing to endure the ‘starving artist’ label and pay the price both socially and economically for the purpose of following their art, and yet we admire so many of them.

You will always have an artist within you and keeping it alive or reviving it is a wonderful way to connect back to the child that you once were. The artist part of you is just as important as any other part of you, and even if you don’t believe that making art is economically viable, make art just to allow you to feel like the complete person you once were.

Humans are art-making animals. So make art and be as fully human as you can.

Posted on by Raj Daniels

Opportunity Knocks

What will you do when opportunity knocks?

Will you be ready?

What if I told you that opportunity is always knocking?

Would you believe me?

You see, an opportunity is not something that knocks from the outside; it’s something that knocks from within you.

Opportunity is an emotion; it’s how you think and feel about a particular situation or thing. Opportunity is your perspective.

Opportunity is that feeling you get telling you to go for it.

What do you do when you feel that feeling?

Do you ignore or silence it?

Do you say, not today?

Do think, no, I can’t do that?

How many opportunities have you let slip by because you didn’t listen to your inner voice telling you to go for it?

You’re presented with opportunities on a daily basis, opportunities to act, to do, to become. Sometimes the voice whispers and at other times it yells as loud as it can; you can hear it knocking, bam, bam, bam.

Should you evaluate opportunities?

Absolutely, but not to point of paralysis, where you let them all slip away.

The next time you hear opportunity knocking from within you, step up and go for it, because if you don’t get into the habit of doing so, then eventually opportunity might stop knocking for you. You might not believe that opportunity will stop knocking, but if you’ve ever met an individual that’s just kind of muddling through life and has lost their joy for living, then you’ve probably met someone that has silenced the voice of opportunity one time too many.

So the next time you hear your inner voice telling you to pursue something you know you want to do, think of it as opportunity knocking, embrace it and take action. Doing so will encourage opportunity to keep showing up for you.

P.S. Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed it please share it with one person you love.

Posted on by Raj Daniels

Secret Sauce

“The secret to life is meaningless unless you discover it yourself.” ― W. Somerset Maugham

What’s the secret to happiness?

What’s the secret to being healthy?

What’s the secret to being wealthy?

What’s the secret to success?

What is that secret sauce and where can you find it?

Well, there’s good news and bad news.

First the bad news.

There is no secret sauce.

But, wait for it.

There is a secret sauce.

No, I haven’t lost my mind quite yet, although by contradicting myself it might seem that way.

You see, the thing is that if you want to achieve any of the aforementioned states of success then you’re going to have to make your own secret sauce. And although you can dig through articles, books, and stories about other people’s successes, ultimately like any great recipe you’re going to have to go through a lot of trial and error before the recipe is just right for you.  

Yes, you can borrow a dash or pinch of ingredients from studying people that have achieved or accomplished what you want to, but ultimately, it’s going to have to be your own unique recipe.

So just like any great chef, get to work on your own secret sauce.

Dash, dab, and sprinkle in all your unique ingredients then whisk away until you create exactly the secret sauce that works for you.

P.S. Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed it please share it with one person you love.  

Posted on by Raj Daniels

Brain Washing

One believes things because one has been conditioned to believe them. Aldous Huxley

Who is brainwashing you?

I can give you a clue.

Right now it’s me.

That’s right; who or whatever you expose your senses to has the ability to make permanent or temporary impressions on your brain. So as you read this, my words are brainwashing you.

Fortunately for you, I’m not trying to sell you anything or take advantage of you.

Through my words, I’m attempting to make you aware of your own vulnerability to outside influences.

Since the day you were born you’ve been exposed millions of messages that have shaped the person you are today. First, it was your immediate family, then the broader community at large and then all the media intertwined along the way that has made you the person you are. All have taken their turns brainwashing you.

And here you are today.

I’m sure at some level you’re already aware that you’re a product of your prior influences, but how often do you think about it?

Now you might be thinking, so what? Or even, why should I think about it? And you’d be perfectly correct in thinking so. But what if now you’re allowing other people to brainwash you for their benefit instead of yours?

Research has shown that almost any message repeated enough times eventually begins to gain traction, regardless of whether the message is true or not.

How many messages are you exposed to on a daily basis that tell you or show you how your life should be or look?

Please take note that I intentionally did not say only advertising.

Yes, messages can be in the form of advertising, but they can also be photos of people, conversations you have, or stories that you’re being told. All contain the ability to influence you, especially if you avail yourself to them frequently.

The idea that you’re being brainwashed by the information you expose yourself to might seem a little harsh, but sometimes you need something a little drastic you give you wake up call. And, unfortunately, in this case, it is true. The information and messages you receive on a constant basis do shape the way you think and ultimately the person you are.

So since you are going to be brainwashed not matter what you do, what if you were just a little pickier about who or what you let wash your brain?

P.S. Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed it please share it with one person you love.

Posted on by Raj Daniels

Outlier

“If you are always trying to be normal, you will never know how amazing you can be.” ― Maya Angelou

Where on the curve are you?

What curve?

The Bell Curve.

What’s the Bell Curve?

Glad you asked.

The term “bell curve” originates from the fact that the graph used to depict a normal distribution consists of a bell-shaped line.

Fascinating right?

Just kidding. It’s probably one of the least interesting things you’ll read today.

But do me a favor and go back and read it one more time.

Did you see the words “normal distribution?”

That’s the most important part of the definition.

You see, as long as you stay in your lane and do everything you’re told to do and don’t’ ask any questions you will fit perfectly within the normal distribution. And there’s nothing wrong with that.

But, almost everyone you admire, follow, and see that are making changes to society in any way do not fit under the normal distribution of the curve. They are as defined by the author Malcolm Gladwell as people who do not fit into our normal understanding of achievement; they are those who operate at the extreme outer edge of what is statistically plausible.

At the outer edge of what is statistically plausible. Now isn’t that interesting?

Being at the edge of the curve, better known as an outlier is risky and does not guarantee any rewards, but being in the middle of the curve comes with its own set of risks and doesn’t guarantee any rewards either, except perhaps the psychological mirage of safety.

Where you choose to live on the curve is entirely up to you, but be very aware that rarely does anything great or groundbreaking happen in the center of the curve, for that you need to move towards the edges. And as you move towards the edges you’re going to have to risk emotional, reputational and in some cases even physical security.

Is it worth the risk to be an outlier?

That’s a question you have to answer for yourself.

P.S. Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed it please share it with one person you love.

Posted on by Raj Daniels

Time Zones

With mindfulness, you can establish yourself in the present in order to touch the wonders of life that are available in that moment. Thich Nhat Hanh

How much time do you spend thinking about the past, the present, and the future?

Do you spend an equal amount of time on each one?

If you’re like most people then you probably spend more time thinking about the past or the future. Which if you really think about it, and are open to admitting it, then you’ll agree that neither one of them exists.

The time that passed has already disappeared like a wisp of smoke into the ether, and the future is just an idea in your head that may or may not materialize.

Straddling the present to spend time in fictional time zones is an interesting practice, and according to research to date, humans are the only animals capable of doing so.

So why do you spend so much time thinking about time that either no longer or might never exist?

Some say that living in the past or future is a sense of escapism, essentially not wanting to deal with what is in the present. I’m not sure that I completely agree with this, but can see how for some this might be true.

Taking some time to think about how you think about time is very likely a worthwhile investment. Deciding which time zone you want to be in at any moment can also be a fun experiment.  You can actually practice thinking about moving from the past to the present and then on the future. Since you’re already probably really good at thinking about the past and the future, participating in this practice will actually strengthen your ability to ground yourself in the present.

Look, ultimately which time zone you spend time thinking about is up to you, and I’m not suggesting you even attempt to spend an equal amount of time in each one. What I am saying is that as enjoyable as thinking about the past and future might be; don’t skip over and miss the beauty that the present has to offer.

P.S. Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed it please share it with one person you love.

Posted on by Raj Daniels

The Success Equation

"Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful." -- Albert Schweitzer

What is the success equation?

Success = ?

The answer depends upon the following questions.

What does success mean to you?

What is your definition of success?

In today’s world success is all too quickly equated with fame or fortune. There are hundreds of books, magazines, and websites dedicated to showing you how to be successful and all so often their primary indicator of success is rooted in financial wealth.

As you move through the various stages of life the idea of success will take on different meanings for you. For example, if you ask a senior citizen their idea of success, they might say making it through another day, while a teenager might say doing well in school. As you can see the success equation doesn’t have just one correct answer.

It’s hard not to get your ideas of success caught up in other people’s ideas of success, especially when you’re constantly bombarded with messages of what success should look like. You’re exposed on a daily basis to visual images that tell you what your life should look like if you want to be successful. The irony is that if you were to ask any one of those individuals that are responsible for the messages you’re seeing, what success means to them, the answers would vary from person to person.

So what’s the solution to the success equation?

Well, unfortunately, it’s the non-committal answer of, it depends. It depends on what is important to you as an individual.

However, I can give you a clue that might be helpful. If you want to be successful, then look within yourself. Find what piques your curiosity and identify the things that are important to you, then vigorously pursue those things.

While I can’t guarantee that you’ll be successful at the things you pursue, I can tell you that you’ll have less regret in life, which can also be viewed as a measure of success.

P.S. Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed it please share it with one person you love.

Posted on by Raj Daniels

Tools for Change

Whosoever desires constant success must change his conduct with the times. Niccolo Machiavelli

There are two types of actions you can take to change your life.

Your actions can be massive or incremental, also known as drastic or moderate.

Both have pros and cons.

But more important than the pros and cons is the context in which action you take. For example, if you’re in a life-threatening situation then massive action might be the answer so that you can avoid immediate danger.

The type of action you take to make changes in your life also depends on your personality. If you know that you’re a strong-willed or disciplined person then perhaps you can work with incremental change because you have the discipline to keep going. If on the other hand, you struggle with change then perhaps massive action is better for you because you only need to make the decision once. Think of it like ripping off a band-aid quickly rather than peeling it off slowly.

Making drastic changes will obviously give you results in less time, so if you’re the kind of person that needs immediate or quick results then this might be the action for you. But don’t forget that nothing happens in a vacuum, so massive action might cause upheaval in other areas of your life. Whereas incremental change might take longer but will allow for other areas of your life to adjust with time.

As you can see, neither is a one size fits all solution and in many cases, they will be personality and situationally driven. However, you can learn to experiment with them to see which one suits your personality the best. Once you learn how they work for you, you can use them as tools to make changes you need to make throughout your life.

P.S. Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed it please share it with one person you love.

Posted on by Raj Daniels

Work on You

“When we strive to become better than we are, everything around us becomes better too.” Paulo Coelho

What’s the most important work you’ll ever do?

I’ll give you a clue.

It will not be the work you do in school, nor will it be the work you do for your employer.

If you guessed the work you do on yourself, then congratulations, you’re correct.

As you progress through life you’ll realize that there are some things that to some extent you’re required to do. Working is one of those things, at least if you’re looking to earn an income.

However, the problem with working is that many fall into the trap that because they have a job, they no longer need to work on themselves, after all, they’re already getting paid for who they are. This kind of attitude is a trap. Especially in this day and age with the rapidly changing technology landscape, it’s very easy to get left behind.

If you don’t invest the energy and time to continuously update and upgrade your skills you’ll soon find yourself stuck with limited options. Or even worse you’ll find your skills obsolete.

Certainly, if you consider yourself to be your highest priority then the idea of working to improve yourself should be something you look forward too. And just to be clear, you don’t work on yourself to be better than anyone else; you do it for the self-satisfaction of personal growth and improvement.

Working on yourself doesn’t have to be a monumental task that consumes huge chunks of your time. In fact with just a little time committed on a regular basis, you can leverage the power of compounding to your advantage and keep ahead of the skill curve.

Never forget that the most important work you’ll ever do is the work you do on yourself. Unfortunately, you have a choice of whether to do it or not. I hope you think you’re worth it and choose wisely.

P.S. Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed it please share it with one person you love.

Posted on by Raj Daniels

It’s Your Time

Time is the most valuable thing a person can spend. – Theophrastus

What time is it?

While this is a useful and perhaps a practical question, a more important question is, whose time is it?

And the answer is, it’s yours.

It’s your time.

If you’re born and raised in what’s known as the developed world where formal schooling has become mandatory then at a very early age you’re taught that your time does not belong to you.

You’re entered into a system of schedules designed by the agendas of others and then before you know it, you move through secondary education where you continue to be programmed by the sound of hourly bells. And as soon as your education is over, you’re taught to transition into the workforce where your time now belongs to those that are paying you to be there.

Rarely on this journey from childhood to adulthood are you taught that your time belongs to you.

And why not?

Because it’s more convenient for you to fit in to the schedule of those around you, or said differently, those who are managing their own time.

Let me be clear. I’m not saying that there is any malice in this system, but what the system does is that it programs you from a very early age to give away ownership of your time. It gets you in the habit of giving away your most important resource.

After all, what is time?

It is your life.

The sooner you realize this, the more important your time will become to you. And hopefully, you’ll begin to use your time to work on and accomplish the things that are important to you.

So the next time you check to see what time it is,  hopefully, you’ll remember to ask yourself the more important question of whose time is it?

P.S. Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed it please share it with one person you love.

Posted on by Raj Daniels

Be a Farmer

The farmer has to be an optimist or he wouldn't still be a farmer. Will Rogers

Imagine for a moment that you’re a farmer.

In spring you plant seeds in the hope that in autumn you’ll have an abundant harvest. Enough crops to feed your family and sell on to the market for profit.

You work long hard hours using all the tools and technology available to you and do everything that’s within your control to ensure your labors come to fruition.

You are the ultimate optimist.

You have a faith in nature that the little, in some cases almost invisible seeds you plant in the ground will deliver to you the rewards of your work.

You know deep down you and nature are partners, and that if you do your part, barring any outlier events,  nature will work to do her part too.

Life’s rhythm is very similar to nature, after all, we too are born from nature. So why not adopt the farmer’s mentality?

Plant the seeds of the crops that you wish to harvest and then work diligently towards your harvest.

Yes, there is an undeniable difference between crops, plants and the goals or aspirations you have, but the method to get there is similar. And, just like in nature, different crops have different growth patterns and timelines, so will the goals you wish to accomplish.

However, the one thing you must have is the underlying optimism, the faith that your work will deliver results.

Just think for a moment how ridiculous it would be for the farmer to plant seeds with no hope of them bearing the fruit of her labor.

Why would she bother to do so?

So go sow the seeds of your dreams and tend to them with all the resources available to you. Be patient, have faith and maintain optimism. Nature is on your side and doing her part. Give her time, don’t give up.

P.S. Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed it please share it with one person you love.

Posted on by Raj Daniels

Stay the Same or Change?

We don’t work hard to stay the same. Jay Z

You gotta want it!

That’s what you’ll hear people say.

And while they mean well, they’re only slightly correct.

More important than wanting whatever ‘it’ is for you, you have to learn to be it.

You have to learn to be the person, to embody the person that already is the ‘it’ you’re seeking.

You have to learn to separate yourself from who you are right now and start being the person you want to be.

And this can be a painful process.

Honestly, I want to write that it will be a painful process, but I don’t’ want to scare or deter you.

The commitment required to change who you currently are to a new version of you will not be easy. In fact, it will probably be one of the most difficult things you will ever do.

It will be difficult physically because you will have to learn new behaviors, but more important, it will be difficult emotionally. There’s a high probability that once you begin to take on the new behaviors required for you to be the person you want to be, you will begin to jeopardize many of your current relationships.

Why does this happen?

Because the people you’re currently surrounded by are used to and comfortable with the current version of you. Once you begin to change, they will behave differently towards you, and you will have to decide if you’re going to let the gravitational pull of their behavior keep you as you are and where you are. Or are you going to put in the work that will be required for you to break free?

You will have to decide if you’re willing to endure the challenge of the metamorphosis of leaving the person you currently are to the person you want to be.

Will it be difficult?

Yes.

Is it worth it?

Well.

How’s who you currently are been working for you so far?

P.S. Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed it please share it with one person you love.

Posted on by Raj Daniels

Learn to Zoom

May you find inspiration in the big picture, but may you find love in the details. Adrienne Maloof

How often do you make time to zoom out and take a broader view of your life?

If you’re like most people then you’re probably so caught up in your daily activities that you’re unaware you’re experiencing a myopic view of life.

The problem with being so zoomed in on your day to day activities is that it’s easy to lose track of the bigger picture of your life. And as time goes by you run the risk of one day realizing your life is nothing like you thought it would be.

Making time to step back and identify things that you want to accomplish might seem like a waste of time, but if you don’t get in the habit of doing so, you’ll never fully experience all the opportunities available to you.

Just as a photographer changes the aperture on their cameras to zoom in and out on the photos they take, and map makers provide both high level and detailed maps, you too should do the same for your life.

Think of zooming out on your life as high-level strategic planning. Imagine how you want your life to look a few years from today and mark out a few waypoints that you think will let you know whether you’re on track or not. This exercise shouldn’t take much time at all. And once you’re done, you can zoom back into your daily activities.

Now, this is when you’ll begin to experience the magic if zooming out.

In the back of your mind, you’ll begin to very quietly question your daily activities. And if they’re not aligned with the waypoints you’ve set for yourself you’ll begin to experience discomfort, because you’re daily actions and long term goals will be misaligned.

The choice to pursue your goals is up to you. I’m just giving you a tool should you decide to do so.

P.S. Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed it please share it with one person you love.

Posted on by Raj Daniels

Indomitable Will

Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will. Mahatma Gandhi

On a scale of one through ten, how would you rate your willpower to get things done?

Take a moment before you answer.

If you’re being honest with yourself then hopefully you’re struggling a little with the answer. In fact, I would be surprised if you’re not whispering to yourself ‘it depends.’

And you’re right. It does depend.

Now if you’re like most people then there are probably things that you’ve wanted to accomplish and for whatever reason, you gave up. And perhaps you justified it by saying something along the lines of ‘I really didn’t want it anymore,’ or, ‘it’s no longer important.’ Both might be true, but there’s also a chance that once you realized how difficult it would be to get what you wanted, you gave up.

And there’s nothing wrong in giving up, sometimes.

But if there’s something you really do want to accomplish and you know that if you don’t, you’ll regret not doing so, you’re going to have to develop an indomitable will.

You have to develop a will that regardless of how much it’s pulled and pushed both by your internal dialogues and external forces, it refuses to give up.

And how do you develop an indomitable will?

Reasons.

Your reasons for accomplishing or acquiring whatever it is that you want must be stronger than your reasons not too. Only once you have strong reasons in place can you activate your will to move forward. Think of your reasons as not only the kindling that sets your will on fire, but also the fuel to keep it burning.

Ultimately for what and where you decide to apply the strength of your will is up to you. But once you commit to doing so, find reasons that give it the power to be indomitable.

P.S. Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed it please share it with one person you love.

Posted on by Raj Daniels

Limited Perspective

You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view. Harper Lee

You have an extremely limited perspective of life.

I don’t tell you this to offend you.

I and everyone else also have a very limited perspective of life. However, rarely do we admit this to be true. We dig in our heels and cling to our views convinced that our perspectives are the only way to see life and are indeed correct.

Here’s a wonderful parable that is rumored to have been shared by the Buddha that illustrates just how limited our perspectives can be.

A group of blind men heard that a strange animal, called an elephant, had been brought to the town, but none of them were aware of its shape and form. Out of curiosity, they said: “We must inspect and know it by touch, of which we are capable”. So, they sought it out, and when they found it they groped about it. In the case of the first person, whose hand landed on the trunk, said “This being is like a thick snake”. For another one whose hand reached its ear, it seemed like a kind of fan. As for another person, whose hand was upon its leg, said, the elephant is a pillar like a tree-trunk. The blind man who placed his hand upon its side said the elephant, “is a wall”. Another who felt its tail, described it as a rope. The last felt its tusk, stating the elephant is that which is hard, smooth and like a spear.

In some versions, the blind men then discover their disagreements, suspect the others to be not telling the truth and come to blows.

How many times have you disagreed with someone else’s perspective so strongly that you’ve almost come close to blows?

Hopefully, you realized that you’re just standing at different ends of the elephant.

It can be very difficult to see someone else’s perspective, let alone agree with it, but you can at least allow for it. If all you do is dispute then you’re not really any better off than the blind men.

It can be challenging to make room for someone else’s perspective and point of view because you feel threatened. You feel as though it undermines your perspective, but it doesn’t. In fact, it broadens your perspective and gives you a wider view of life.

So the next time you find yourself on opposite ends of the elephant with someone, instead of disagreeing, ask them to describe what they’re feeling and seeing, and see what you can learn from their perspective.

Just imagine what the world could look like if we were all just a little more open to other people’s perspectives.

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Posted on by Raj Daniels

Is It True?

A wise man proportions his belief to the evidence. David Hume

If you’d like to have some fun with yourself, then identify a belief that you have and ask yourself this question.

How do I know this is true?

If you’re intellectually honest with yourself then you’ll find yourself going down a mental rabbit hole only to find that rarely do you really know what is true or not.

You’ll soon find that the evidence or information you’ve accumulated that supports your belief has actually been hearsay all along. But because you received the information from sources that represented authority, you believed them to be true and did not question them.

I mentioned fun earlier, but asking yourself if what you believe is really true can actually be both dangerous and liberating.

It can be dangerous because once you ask the question and journey down the hole to find the answers; you might find that your beliefs have been perched upon wobbly stilts instead of a firm foundation that you trusted in. And as you dig deeper the stilts begin to evaporate and now you have to decide whether or not you continue to hold on to your belief or you release your grasp and let it slip away. And this is when it can be liberating.

If you’ve been holding on to a belief that’s been holding you back in any way, then here’s the opportunity to let it go. Since you’ve now traveled down the hole and cannot find answers that justify or support your belief, you can now let it go.

Changing your beliefs can be a risky proposition because they are tied intricately to your identity, so removing one can be painful and feel like a physical wound. But over time the wound will heal. And freeing yourself from any beliefs that have been holding you back or have been detrimental to your growth might just be worth the pain.

P.S. Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed it please share it with one person you love.