Everything can be taken from a man or a woman but one thing: the last of human freedoms to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.”
Viktor Frankl
This past week allowed me to experience some truly wonderful events as well as some difficult adversities. Through these experiences I gained a greater sense of awareness regarding perception and the creation of limitation. I wanted to share with you some of my experiences and insights in an attempt to bring a better understanding to your own life situation. It is through life’s events, both good and bad, that we are given the opportunity to become conscious… to awaken… Be Your Own Hero.
Real Life Situation- This past Saturday on the way to a wedding, I experienced some adversity that caused me to miss my flight. When I first came to the realization that I would not get to the airport in time, feelings of anger, resentment, and helplessness began to creep into my mind. I took a deep breath and I consciously told myself that everything was happening for a reason, things would work themselves out. I gradually released the negative emotions that I created in response to the situation and I envisioned arriving at the event. I accepted the present moment and I picked up the phone to call Delta in an attempt to reschedule my flight. A Delta Rep picked up the phone and I explained my situation. She took it all in and came to the conclusion that I would have to pay $1000 to change my flight. I remained calm and continued to believe that I could figure things out. I asked to be transferred to her manager and thanked her for her assistance. I explained the situation once again while continuing to believe in my vision of getting to Minnesota. The woman I was transferred to understood my dilemma and allowed me to book a later flight at no additional cost. I thanked her for the help and continued onto the airport. I caught up on some much needed sleep while waiting for my flight and felt refreshed boarding the plane. The additional time I had before boarding allowed me to relax and work on some current projects while traveling. I arrived at the wedding late, however, was able to experience the love and joy of two families coming together.

“Everything can be taken from a man or a woman but one thing: the last of human freedoms to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.”
Viktor Frankl
This past week allowed me to experience some truly wonderful events as well as some difficult adversities. Through these experiences I gained a greater sense of awareness regarding perception and the creation of limitation. I wanted to share with you some of my experiences and insights in an attempt to bring a better understanding to your own life situation. It is through life’s events, both good and bad, that we are given the opportunity to become conscious… to awaken… Be Your Own Hero.
Real Life Situation- This past Saturday on the way to a wedding, I experienced some adversity that caused me to miss my flight. When I first came to the realization that I would not get to the airport in time, feelings of anger, resentment, and helplessness began to creep into my mind. I took a deep breath and I consciously told myself that everything was happening for a reason, things would work themselves out. I gradually released the negative emotions that I created in response to the situation and I envisioned arriving at the event. I accepted the present moment and I picked up the phone to call Delta in an attempt to reschedule my flight. A Delta Rep picked up the phone and I explained my situation. She took it all in and came to the conclusion that I would have to pay $1000 to change my flight. I remained calm and continued to believe that I could figure things out. I asked to be transferred to her manager and thanked her for her assistance. I explained the situation once again while continuing to believe in my vision of getting to Minnesota. The woman I was transferred to understood my dilemma and allowed me to book a later flight at no additional cost. I thanked her for the help and continued onto the airport. I caught up on some much needed sleep while waiting for my flight and felt refreshed boarding the plane. The additional time I had before boarding allowed me to relax and work on some current projects while traveling. I arrived at the wedding late, however, was able to experience the love and joy of two families coming together.
Lesson #1- Escaping Limited Perception
The story above illustrates a small adversity in daily life, however, the mindset needed to overcome any perceived adversity (personal loss or extreme tragedy) remains the same. Many times in our lives we often become guilty of unconsciously labeling experiences based upon our past conditioning. This unconscious mind pattern routinely causes us to lump occurrences into categories of good or bad and success or failure, which limits our ability to experience life and accept our current situation. We become so entrenched in external roles and perceived problems that we lose sight of the broader picture, the understanding that the world is carefully organized underneath the level of form.
The idea of limited perception creates feelings of momentary satisfaction during “good” times and extreme anxiety during perceived “bad” times. However, how do we know what is a positive or negative event in our life? Take a step back, breath deeply, and let go of the negativity you have created in your mind. No situation, person, or place has the ability to take away the sense of joy and happiness that resides within you. You are complete in this very moment and there is nothing that can bring you happiness or take it away from you. Believe in your dreams and don’t let little bumps in the road deter you from bringing these dreams into reality. It is important to understand that we cannot always control our external environment but it is our conscious choice with how we react in a given circumstance. This choice will affect your own personal life and the lives of the people around you. Choose to improve your community, one interaction at a time.
Lessson #2- Success and Failure are Interchangeable… Live in the Present
Think back over the course of your life regarding adversity you have experienced. Did the adverse situation have the effect that you initially created in your mind? Was it as bad as you initially thought? Keeping that thought in mind, think back regarding a positive event (accomplishing a goal, buying something you always wanted, meeting someone that you ended up dating/marrying). Was it as fulfilling as you thought it was going to be? Did it complete you as a person? It can be accurately stated that human beings often fight the most difficult battles in their mind. When we become identified with our minds and our perceived identity through externals we limit our ability to experience the joy and happiness in the present moment. Life is cyclical, meaning that any success that you experience will eventually turn to failure and any failure you experience has a great opportunity to turn into success. As a society we are constantly seeking illusions of wealth, fame, and a perfect partner to complete us. While we seek to find happiness, we succumb to the illusion that externals and our future life will one day complete us. Step outside of your mind and observe the thinker. Free yourself of unconscious mind patterns that take away the ability to enjoy the present. Constantly seeking is a form of suffering and it is something that I have struggled with for most of my life. You can make a conscious choice to be present and you will be amazed at what happens in your life.
Real Life Situation- While at the gym I saw a man wearing sunglasses moving from machine to machine, pushing himself miuch harder than 99% of the people around him. He was very careful in his transition from each machine and seemed to have a mental picture of the area around him. I later realized that the man was completely blind and suffering from full blown AIDS.
Lesson #3- True Success is Transcending Physical and Mental Limitation
The true heroes in this world are able to transcend limitation and manifest their own realities. As a country, we are obsessed with sports for the primary reason that it is a competition in the overcoming of human limitation. How far can one mentally push themselves? How can one overcome extreme adversity when being down 21 points with 3 minutes to go? Sports mirror real life on a much smaller scale and it is a primary reason so many people admire athletes. Coming in contact with the blind man at the gym helped me realize that we often put limitations on ourselves and often never experience our true potential. We become so identified with our minds, external forms, and thought processes that we never challenge ourselves to overcome the fears, insecurities, and the perceived external identity that robs us of our power. We all share the same power that resides within and the possibilities are endless if you learn to unlock it. There have been many people throughout history, some well known, some not that have succeeded in unlocking human potential.
Viktor Frankl
This past week allowed me to experience some truly wonderful events as well as some difficult adversities. Through these experiences I gained a greater sense of awareness regarding perception and the creation of limitation. I wanted to share with you some of my experiences and insights in an attempt to bring a better understanding to your own life situation. It is through life’s events, both good and bad, that we are given the opportunity to become conscious… to awaken… Be Your Own Hero.
Real Life Situation- This past Saturday on the way to a wedding, I experienced some adversity that caused me to miss my flight. When I first came to the realization that I would not get to the airport in time, feelings of anger, resentment, and helplessness began to creep into my mind. I took a deep breath and I consciously told myself that everything was happening for a reason, things would work themselves out. I gradually released the negative emotions that I created in response to the situation and I envisioned arriving at the event. I accepted the present moment and I picked up the phone to call Delta in an attempt to reschedule my flight. A Delta Rep picked up the phone and I explained my situation. She took it all in and came to the conclusion that I would have to pay $1000 to change my flight. I remained calm and continued to believe that I could figure things out. I asked to be transferred to her manager and thanked her for her assistance. I explained the situation once again while continuing to believe in my vision of getting to Minnesota. The woman I was transferred to understood my dilemma and allowed me to book a later flight at no additional cost. I thanked her for the help and continued onto the airport. I caught up on some much needed sleep while waiting for my flight and felt refreshed boarding the plane. The additional time I had before boarding allowed me to relax and work on some current projects while traveling. I arrived at the wedding late, however, was able to experience the love and joy of two families coming together.

“Everything can be taken from a man or a woman but one thing: the last of human freedoms to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.”
Viktor Frankl
This past week allowed me to experience some truly wonderful events as well as some difficult adversities. Through these experiences I gained a greater sense of awareness regarding perception and the creation of limitation. I wanted to share with you some of my experiences and insights in an attempt to bring a better understanding to your own life situation. It is through life’s events, both good and bad, that we are given the opportunity to become conscious… to awaken… Be Your Own Hero.
Real Life Situation- This past Saturday on the way to a wedding, I experienced some adversity that caused me to miss my flight. When I first came to the realization that I would not get to the airport in time, feelings of anger, resentment, and helplessness began to creep into my mind. I took a deep breath and I consciously told myself that everything was happening for a reason, things would work themselves out. I gradually released the negative emotions that I created in response to the situation and I envisioned arriving at the event. I accepted the present moment and I picked up the phone to call Delta in an attempt to reschedule my flight. A Delta Rep picked up the phone and I explained my situation. She took it all in and came to the conclusion that I would have to pay $1000 to change my flight. I remained calm and continued to believe that I could figure things out. I asked to be transferred to her manager and thanked her for her assistance. I explained the situation once again while continuing to believe in my vision of getting to Minnesota. The woman I was transferred to understood my dilemma and allowed me to book a later flight at no additional cost. I thanked her for the help and continued onto the airport. I caught up on some much needed sleep while waiting for my flight and felt refreshed boarding the plane. The additional time I had before boarding allowed me to relax and work on some current projects while traveling. I arrived at the wedding late, however, was able to experience the love and joy of two families coming together.
Lesson #1- Escaping Limited Perception
The story above illustrates a small adversity in daily life, however, the mindset needed to overcome any perceived adversity (personal loss or extreme tragedy) remains the same. Many times in our lives we often become guilty of unconsciously labeling experiences based upon our past conditioning. This unconscious mind pattern routinely causes us to lump occurrences into categories of good or bad and success or failure, which limits our ability to experience life and accept our current situation. We become so entrenched in external roles and perceived problems that we lose sight of the broader picture, the understanding that the world is carefully organized underneath the level of form.
The idea of limited perception creates feelings of momentary satisfaction during “good” times and extreme anxiety during perceived “bad” times. However, how do we know what is a positive or negative event in our life? Take a step back, breath deeply, and let go of the negativity you have created in your mind. No situation, person, or place has the ability to take away the sense of joy and happiness that resides within you. You are complete in this very moment and there is nothing that can bring you happiness or take it away from you. Believe in your dreams and don’t let little bumps in the road deter you from bringing these dreams into reality. It is important to understand that we cannot always control our external environment but it is our conscious choice with how we react in a given circumstance. This choice will affect your own personal life and the lives of the people around you. Choose to improve your community, one interaction at a time.
Lessson #2- Success and Failure are Interchangeable… Live in the Present
Think back over the course of your life regarding adversity you have experienced. Did the adverse situation have the effect that you initially created in your mind? Was it as bad as you initially thought? Keeping that thought in mind, think back regarding a positive event (accomplishing a goal, buying something you always wanted, meeting someone that you ended up dating/marrying). Was it as fulfilling as you thought it was going to be? Did it complete you as a person? It can be accurately stated that human beings often fight the most difficult battles in their mind. When we become identified with our minds and our perceived identity through externals we limit our ability to experience the joy and happiness in the present moment. Life is cyclical, meaning that any success that you experience will eventually turn to failure and any failure you experience has a great opportunity to turn into success. As a society we are constantly seeking illusions of wealth, fame, and a perfect partner to complete us. While we seek to find happiness, we succumb to the illusion that externals and our future life will one day complete us. Step outside of your mind and observe the thinker. Free yourself of unconscious mind patterns that take away the ability to enjoy the present. Constantly seeking is a form of suffering and it is something that I have struggled with for most of my life. You can make a conscious choice to be present and you will be amazed at what happens in your life.
Real Life Situation- While at the gym I saw a man wearing sunglasses moving from machine to machine, pushing himself miuch harder than 99% of the people around him. He was very careful in his transition from each machine and seemed to have a mental picture of the area around him. I later realized that the man was completely blind and suffering from full blown AIDS.
Lesson #3- True Success is Transcending Physical and Mental Limitation
The true heroes in this world are able to transcend limitation and manifest their own realities. As a country, we are obsessed with sports for the primary reason that it is a competition in the overcoming of human limitation. How far can one mentally push themselves? How can one overcome extreme adversity when being down 21 points with 3 minutes to go? Sports mirror real life on a much smaller scale and it is a primary reason so many people admire athletes. Coming in contact with the blind man at the gym helped me realize that we often put limitations on ourselves and often never experience our true potential. We become so identified with our minds, external forms, and thought processes that we never challenge ourselves to overcome the fears, insecurities, and the perceived external identity that robs us of our power. We all share the same power that resides within and the possibilities are endless if you learn to unlock it. There have been many people throughout history, some well known, some not that have succeeded in unlocking human potential.
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