Original Thought · Self Improvement

We are What We Seek?

Do we always attract that which we are dwelling on? If I am thinking serious thoughts about serious issues, do I find myself immersed in reading, writing and discussing serious thoughts or do those find me? Does it matter at all?

I am amazed by what I observe and understand when I allow my attention to focus on a specific subject, idea or relationship. The discoveries are bold and normal simultaneously. With my eyes, ears and heart wide open, I find an array of opportunities, possibilities and small treasures. Do I attract those good things or do they appear from an ether that my scattered mind has fabricated because it is feeling overwhelmed?

Is this evolutionary brain architecture? Or is it more like when I am on the 57th floor of an office tower, I only see the surroundings and people on that floor. I can imagine Jan on the 23rd, who I am meeting with tomorrow, and the great latte I am going to get at 10 am from the shop on the 2nd but unless I am dreading or lusting for either, my focus eventually gets pulled back to the immediate.

Do I imagine that I see more expectant mothers when someone I love is pregnant? Or am I committed to watching for maternity as I have seed of the process planted in my head and heart. Does it work like the Goethe quote that I have used here before (at least three other times)? “that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then Providence moves too. All sorts of things occur to help one that would never otherwise have occurred. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one’s favor all manner of unforeseen incidents and meetings and material assistance, which no man could have dreamed would have come his way.”

Do I commit to the idea of motherhood, Jan or a latte and providence issues forth? There seems to be something in the imagination that can cause cascades if we choose to be open to her mystery and magic.

What happens if I commit to a disposition for a month? Say generosity – Will I get more of it, see more of it and share more of it? Another flip of the calendar page begins on Tuesday this sounds like a pseudo science experiment that would be fun to take a stab at.

If this were ‘pure science’ as described by some picky friends of mine (they are also correct) I might choose the Scientific Method.
Research
Problem
Hypothesis
Experiment
Results
Discussion and Conclusion

In my counterfeit experiment I will take liberties with all the steps.

Research – secondary and tertiary evidence (think Google) is inconsistent in its conclusion.
Problem – if people aren’t intentionally generous, they aren’t generous
Hypothesis – if I focus on generosity, she will appear much more often for me and those around me
Experiment – observe and record signs and acts of generous behavior throughout November
Results – forthcoming
Discussion and Conclusion – forthcoming in Decemebr 2016.

I will provide updates throughout but would love to have a larger sample so the pretend process offers genuine narratives and examples. Sign up for November is Generosity and let’s have some fun.

Make Next Month Remarkable,

B

Original Thought · Self Improvement

Time is on Your Side

Tomorrow you get a fresh 168. I know some of you will disagree and say that the new week starts on Monday but for the purposes of this post, please humour me. Starting at midnight tonight you have 10,080 minutes to use as you want, need, could, should. At 11:59:59 next Saturday, the clock ticks over and they are all gone regardless of how you wanted to, needed to, promised to, hoped to, should have, could have used them. Next Saturday night, they are gone. You don’t get to carry them over. There isn’t any interest paid on the moments you didn’t really use but let slip away.140seconds

168 hours, 10,080 minutes, 604,800 seconds ahead of you in the next 7 days and yet the refrain I hear most often is I don’t have time. How did you use the week that is ending tonight? Do you know what you did with the minutes? Did you fritter some of them away like I did? Do you have no memory of great chunks like I do? Did you sleep enough? too much? If you are like me, you don’t know where the week went. Maybe it is time to keep track.

Would you join me in capturing your week in 30 minute blocks? Start tomorrow morning, when you get up – I will be up at 5am so I will record that 10 30 minute segments were at rest. My routine is such that I can predict that the next 2 segments will be learning and the following 2 will be exercise. After that it often seems like a free-for-all but I will hand record my day and my week so I can see where it is going. I am not asking you to change anything (not yet) just capture the 336 segments so that you can review your activities.

Are you in? I will commit to begin disclosing my week starting with my Monday post, just to keep me accountable.

Make Your Time Remarkable,

B