Keep Your Mind Quiet And Listen!

Instead of listening many times during shared conversations, our minds are racing with all the important thoughts we want to interject and get across. We’ve got to be heard at all costs, so instead of listening we concentrate on our timing to cut off the other speaker without appearing rude. I have to believe we do this unconsciously because most people really care about others and what they have to say.

During those times when we're most anxious to get our ideas heard, we lose out on valuable information that can either make us smarter, or it will broaden our horizons with new thoughts that can be just what we need to solve a problem, find a new path in life or come to a new conclusion. And there's always the opportunity of learning more about a person so that we can understand their motives and perhaps not trust them as we originally believed we should. Then there's the opposite to consider. We might find we have much in common with a person, but we won't know if we don't give them our full attention.

I've caught myself doing this at times with my sister’s son. I hate to admit it, but I have to shut-off my opposing thoughts overriding his voice. Once I calm my mind and just listen to what he has to say with unbiased acceptance, I soon get his trust. That trust allows him more freedom to continue speaking with greater depth and sincerely. And you know what? I learn more about him as others beyond my brotherly need to show him a better way or to guide him in another direction.

There is a spiritual law at work here and once we realize how easily our minds can slip into their own silent, one-sided dialogue, we're open to changing this particularly ignorant habit that might keep us locked within a dark, one dimensional world.

There are great rewards given in exchange for listening. We learn patience, self-control, how to care about others, and most important how to have an open mind for tolerance. Even if we can't agree with what we hear, we'll have the privilege of seeing life from another point of view. We don't have to accept what we hear, but every different point of view expands our minds. And who knows? Just one different or profound idea can lead us in a specific direction we were meant to go, but would have never found otherwise.

So learn to regard different ideas as seeds being planted in your mind. If they're fertile, your heart will embrace them and your mind will deepen them into greater thoughts that will create and bring forth the purpose in life you were meant to fulfill.

And you know what? By listening you can do the same for others. When you truly care about what others have to say, they'll stop and listen to you when it's your turn, unless you're speaking with someone who just isn't listening.

CHANGE OF PLANS

This calls for a change

A change of plan and time

Though it may sound strange

It had been in the prime

When no hands showed up

And the journey gets fatigued

Then it’s time to think and stop

Standing for direction to rescue

A new set of direction but true

To get to the same end

Sometimes this takes hard-knuckles through

It just must be called a friend

When all things look hard

And the future seems blank

Then it’s time to change cards

As the game stand no thanks

Salau O John©

Look To Your Heart For Inner Guidance

Life is exciting, but it's an experience that many people don't have. The loud noise of complaining and broken dreams crashing into oblivion keeps many lost in a confusing maze of complacency and frustration.


Quiet! Can you hear it? Listen carefully to your heart! It's trying to lead you to where you're supposed to go. It's always active because it never sleeps. It does everything it can to get your attention, but it's not rude or pushy because it respects your right to having a free will. So, it's never going to force you to do anything. You're going to have to take action on your own!

So listen in the still quiet of the night or early morning. Don't speak or take out your phone, and whatever you do stay away from the computer. Don't let facebook or twitter steal you away, keep them at a distance while at the same time you erase the thought of food from your mind. Your hunger can be indulged later, not now. You need to keep your mind free and clear from all the cares of living and the daily routine of life.

So what do you do next? I think it's clear. Force yourself to be quiet and let all thoughts, all noises, and all cares drift from you mind, because you're going to shift to the source of your guidance, your heart, not the anatomical heart, but your spirit. It will guide you if you let it.

Believe it or not, your mind is not the sum total of who you are. You are also a soul and a spirit who lives in a body. However, your soul is where your emotions are and at times they can take control of your actions and cause you to do things that are not in your best interest. They can create so much chaos your mind will spin with fear and doubt, keeping you from moving forward with your life or your dreams.

So if you want to "listen to your heart" it's vital that you calm your emotions and rest your mind. Find a place to lay down and relax. As you practice doing this a few times you'll begin to be at peace. When this happens it's time to ask for guidance about things you can't figure out from your mind. Ask for knowledge and wisdom about family, business decisions, career, church or whatever it is you need to know. Then by faith, rest in the fact that you have the answers you need. Never be discouraged, but instead be open to hearing from a "still small voice from within."

From experience I can promise you that you will learn how to listen if you don't give up. And you will easily understand what you hear so that you are sure you are receiving guidance. This is what successful people do. However for some this process just comes naturally, so they don't make an issue of how to perceive what they hear. But as you continue, you'll find the process becoming second nature.

So while you're just sitting there why not get started? Your spirit is waiting for you to listen!

CHARACTER AND TALENT

Building the success journey calls

But on top behavior bothers

Talent may be the only ball

Truth will call for true persistence

Our talent will mount the ups

But then what calls character?

Can that bring help no to flop?

The world awaits these thoughtful steps

Many will fail in the lane

But none is to blame of character

Life will go on with fights

Something must be done here

Talent will help but character

The joys of persistence calls

Though watching steps build banners

Life goes on after all

Salau O John©

Rest and Relaxation For Nurturing Balance

We work hard and wonder why things don't always go the way we've planned. Why do we end up not being promoted or not winning that account we worked so hard for months to get? What happened?

If you're working overtime, sometimes seven days a week, putting your job before all other commitments, you may believe that such a work ethic entitles you to "great rewards," only to be disappointed when they always seem to pass you by for someone else. Sometimes to a person who didn't seem to work that hard or who didn't seem as committed as you.

If you can't figure out what's gone wrong, let me venture a guess. You're working too hard! You're too focused upon the reward of your work over life in general and worse, you've lost sight of the little things in life.

According to my diagnosis, when this happens in many cases there's only one thing you can do. TAKE A VACATION OR AT LEAST GET SOME REST!

Please don't argue with me. If you say you don't have enough money or time, that just won't do! Consider the fact that we must take all things in moderation. This applies to your work schedule as well. So if you've put your whole life energy into this one activity, you've lost balance. You need to tip the scales in your favor.

Think about that vacation you've been dreaming of for years. Well maybe this isn't the best time to take off from work, but you need to carve out at least a couple of days for rest and relaxation. Taking time out to be at peace will help you understand why you're not achieving the goals you've gone after thus far in your life.

People don't realize that resting their minds when they get into a rut will actually release the information they need. However, the opposite is also true. The more we pressure our minds to tell us what we want; we run the risk of drawing a blank.

Everyone needs rest and relaxation. To spend our whole lives working, even if we enjoy our work is counterproductive. We have to take this important time for ourselves even if we believe it's not possible. Be creative and think of ways to relax and get away, even if it's only to a neighboring town or city.

Did you know that getting away from your daily routine can give you inspiration and creativity for new income opportunities? More important, it gives you peace to hear God's guidance for your life. This is the source of your creativity. So if you feel you're in a rut, take a little vacation and let your mind rest!

If you have resistance taking time for even a small trip with arguments like "I don't have time," "I can't afford it," "I"ll do it someday," etc., read over the list below to convince yourself that now is the right time. When we put things off, we rarely get to them.

Say to yourself that you are ready for a vacation:    
* to fortify your health and well-being
* to remain balanced with a well-rounded lifestyle
* to stimulate your creativity
* to expose yourself to new places, people and experiences
* to be spiritually at peace for growth
* and to share special times with your family or friends

There are more reasons, but for this instruction, the main goal is to get away from your career or business to clear your mind and rest. In a short time, you'll receive the answers you need to achieve your desired goals and to achieve an exciting, well-rounded life.

Take your leave before you leave!

JUST FOR TODAY
Nothing can change today again

You only have one life, living

Understanding may not have rain

You need your steps for today

Folding hands connotes failure

And tomorrows regret is reflecting

Life and success must be sure

Though temptations bothers all

You only have today to walk

And tomorrow pays no regret

Opportunities today not luck

Repetition may not shine light

What must be today must be

Though the world says it’s impossible

Only one chance says you’re free

The world waits this alone

Salau O John©

Is Happiness Really Just A State Of Mind?

Emphatically we each have the power to claim happiness and joy no matter what our circumstances. In fact much of what we suffer is caused by our not allowing ourselves to be happy for whatever reasons we choose.

Allowing ourselves to Feel angry and bitter will actually cut off our channel of blessings because it leads to selfishness, thereby keeping us distant from those we love and people in general, causing us even more distress.

If you'd like to experience happiness, it's relatively easy. It begins with caring more about what others are feeling than what you feel. If you want to be happy, unselfishness will give you a new lease on life and it will open the door to great blessings, especially when you express your love and friendship to others instead of anger or frustration.

Let's examine what else you can do.

Being grateful for even the little things in life will open up a new realm of enjoyment. Suddenly you'll see wonderful things about your life you didn't notice before and you'll begin to view the world in a different way.

Instead of expecting everyone to make you happy, you'll be looking for ways to give and share what you have. You'll be thanking God everyday just for being alive. If you're ill, there is no medicine better than joy and thankfulness as it will give you a peace that can heal the body. Certainly having a better attitude will take away stress and discouragement; two emotions that can cause both sickness and failure.

Another way to keep stress out of your life is to stop listening to bad news. Ninety-ninety percent of the news we hear is depressing. Worrying about it will not change it one bit! What can make a difference is a positive attitude that can spread to others.

It is also a good thing to have a belief in God. Without faith in God, life can seem pointless and not worth living at times. Trusting in God through prayer brings about hope and faith that we have safety and protection and that He will be with us to accomplish all things. Ultimately we will achieve a peace that goes beyond human reasoning.

Another important factor for happiness is to manage your time. Time is invaluable and too important to waste. Time management can be viewed as a list of rules that involves scheduling, setting goals, planning, creating lists of things to do and prioritizing. These are the core basics of time management that should be understood to develop an efficient personal time management skill. As you ultimately refine this skill to make the most of each of your days, you will realize greater success.

And in the midst of your planning and organizing, don't forget to laugh. Watch a funny movie, tell jokes or just laugh for no reason. But laugh everyday even if you have to force yourself to do it. Eventually it will be natural.

As you put all of this into practice you can throw in fun activities, sports and learning new things. And you can keep in mind what Abraham Lincoln had to say about happiness. He believed that most people are about as happy as they make up their minds to be.

What do you want out of life, happiness or sadness? The choice is yours!

I TEACH TODAY

Somehow we’ve met here today

Tomorrow may not be foretold

But in our today don’t delay

As I tray all I’ve learned

Maybe we were meant to meet

I know not what tomorrow holds

Maybe just for your season unfit

We are friends today but tomorrow

All that I’ve gleaned in facts

To you I sail before time

Tomorrow may be our friendship pact

We see nothing but our today

I’ve only come here to teach

To tray that I’ve only seen

As the highest knowledge none can reach

My gleaned, known, suffered, I give

Salau O John©

It's Never Too Late For The Late Bloomer In You

If you're older and starting to worry that success has passed you by, don't give up! Somewhere in the distant future, your dreams are resting in limbo, waiting to be realized.

But you can't just sit there, waiting and waiting for those dreams to take life. If you do, before you know it the bloom will be gone from the rose and in no time your hope will be gone.

Stop your empty dreaming for that pie in the sky and start dusting off those goals you set aside. Your dreams are never going to create themselves. They're waiting for you to take interest and make them happen.

So what should you do?

You're going to tap into the late bloomer within and throw aside all excuses that you're too old, out of touch, or you've let too much time fly by you. Maybe you're bitter or you feel too insecure to start over, but I can assure you that the older you are, the smarter you get. The older you are, the better you get. And the older you are the more capable you are of making things happen!

Age is your tool to carve the future as you prove the wealth of wisdom your lifetime has achieved. Whatever you do can make a great mark in life that reaches many, especially those new to life trying to find their way. Turning your life around no matter how old your age will cause inspiration and excitement.

Create a hobby, a business or find a way to give and the joy will spread, creating a circumstance of hope for others that might not have been there if it weren't for you. Already you can see how living your dreams can spread like wildflowers in the wind. So why settle for the expected when you can make what you want happen?

Whatever you decide to do is like a well springing forth waters of new life, joy, peace and love. So don't hold yourself back, make a mark in the world with your life by living it no matter how old you are or no matter what you've missed out on in the past.

Today is a new day filled with the spark of life, while the past is dead forever. Nothing you can do will ever bring it back, so use each moment for creating a legacy that will continue after you've left and passed on to the greater life.

How can you be sure I know what I'm talking about? I started out in life as a dull wallflower who later bloomed into the life I was meant to live. I stopped blending in and began standing out, carving my place in the world that belonged only to me. I didn't worry that I was already getting older. I jumped in and began to make my mark.

Suddenly the impact of my work began to make a difference. That's when I began to understand the value of getting older! It's not to be feared, but realized and shared.

LEAVING A LEGACY
Though this we all do pray for
As all must pass their time
Though tomorrow we wish explored
All we are we must in prime

So many things will call us here
But what will be left behind?
The world will call our cares
Though we run and cry out

All that will be will bot be
As only action will call one
Though the heavens made us free
We make that we’re enlisted

Leaving a legacy is true life
As nothing from earth goes with us
Our home calling will soon alight
What will the world tray often?
Salau O John©