John Harrell's Blog, page 116

Say Yes!

Say no to everything and everyone who won’t get you where you want to go in your life. Say yes to everything and everyone that will advance your life…

The Other Side

We believe things. When I was a child, I believed in Santa Claus. In some ways I still believe Santa is real. I know gravity and eternal life are real, even though I can’t see them.

But what about our staunchly held opinions? What happens to our beliefs when facts show them to be wrong or misguided? To be open minded, it’s good and necessary to explore the other side of an issue. Be willing to let go of your beliefs if evidence is presented to the contrary…

Worry

Are you a worrier? Most things people worry about drains your energy, and keeps you from seeing things clearly.

Find peace and clarity in your life. Worrying about things that probably won’t happen will keep you from finding peace. Leave the worry for someone else. You have things to accomplish…

Satiety

Satiety means you have had enough. If someone you know is treating you rudely, or abusively, or any other wrong behavior, you will eventually hit your satiety point with them.

Conversely, when someone treats you well, with loving kindness, you want more.

Spend your time with those who enrich your life, not the ones who aren’t good for you…

My Interview With Anastasia Lee

Anastasia Lee is thriving. She has a great career, a son, a family and a full life. She’s an activist for animal welfare and foster children. Her life could have been so much different. Anastasia was born in Russia. When she was a little girl, she (along with her younger sister) was placed in an orphanage. The odds of her being adopted were not in her favor. Yet, she was adopted, and her life was changed forever. Anastasia came to the United States not knowing English or anything about America.
In our interview, we discuss the dynamics of being adopted, learning a new culture, how she views being adopted and why she doesn’t like Halloween.

Mistakes

Everyone makes mistakes. Every day. There’s even a series of books for “dummies” that are designed to keep us from making mistakes when we are learning something new!

Our past mistakes or the fear of making a mistake shouldn’t prevent us from trying and learning new things. They are part of the process.

When was the last time you tried something new? Why not make it today…

What a Drag

People who have mediocre mindsets will try to drag you down to their way of thinking. You can’t lift them up. It’s best to take the hard step and separate yourself from those people. They will find other prey, and you will be better off…

Stories

We assume things. For example, when we meet someone who reminds us of someone else, we have a tendency to treat them like the other person they remind us of. This is called projection, and it’s not right or fair. Each person needs to be considered individually for who they are.

Don’t get caught up in the stories we tell ourselves. You might miss something…

Unreachable

Have you ever had a conversation with someone, but realize you aren’t getting through to them?

There’s a handful of reasons for this. Maybe they have an inflated ego, and really don’t care what anyone else has to say. Or perhaps there is something going on in their lives that has taken all their energy.

If it’s ego, stop trying and walk away. If it is a distraction, show compassion and listen…

Trying

Life is hard and life can be harsh. People seem to be caught up in selfishness to the point of being rude.

When you see someone trying to make it, offer some encouragement. Even a small amount of progress is growth. You never know how an encouraging word might propel someone to keep going…