Blessings “R” Everywhere!

Blessings “R” Everywhere!

By Allen Merritt (©2017)

I don’t know if I had an epiphany, revelation or a simple observation, but I found myself looking out the airplane window shooting around Mt. Rainier when I realized that there were blessings everywhere and in everything, more than I realize. Getting distracted or caught up in the rigmarole we forget about the little things or the obvious.

Simply flying thousands of feet for long duration's of time is a miracle in and of itself. Suddenly, I saw Mt. Rainier for the first time in several days and as I got closer to it it began to disappear. That triggered something in me. We think a lot about what we don’t have instead of looking at the whole of what we do have. To me that is focusing on the negative and not the positive.

I can correlate this to a question I often get asked as a vegetarian. “Where do you get your protein from?” or “Well, what is it that you can eat?” Both of which I answer with, “Everything except meat.”

You see as someone who doesn’t eat meat and for the most part minimal meat products I looked at my environment and discovered that I have more options available to me as a vegetarian then most meat and potato types do. The carnivore will tend to choose less of what is available whereas I will have more to choose from. The selection is wide and varied.

My point is that when we look at what is available in our lives are we focusing on limitation or on the most options available?

When I think of possibilities, opportunities and potentialities I want to see more not less, because I want to know that that old adage of one door closing yet another one opening is true. If there is only one door, then there is only one way out. That’s not to say there are not situations where this is true, but stepping outside and taking a look around at the big picture suggests otherwise.

Sometimes we just don’t see the blessings, because we are living in our own worlds. We can’t see any further than the eye can see. But the truth is there is and are a lot of other blessings wandering around out there. We come closer today than in any other age of knowing what kinds of blessings are going on out there with technology and media advancements. We can actually see what is going on in other parts of the globe. Miracles happen all the time and everywhere.

Ponder on these ideas for a minute:

We can go to the grocery store and find many things. There was a time we only had what we could grow, find or capture. The work load in stocking the fridge is less even when you have to battle the crowds.

We can fly to the other side of the world in no time.

We continue to breathe air that our planet generates despite our abuses.

We can communicate in the blink of an eye AND get a response as quick.

I’m certain I could make a list for days on things we take for granted, but the world has changed and as we change with it we cannot forget there are more positives than there are negatives. The good outweighs the bad in the overall objective picture.

Now, on the way back from a different meeting I attended this week I decided to rent a car and take the scenic route home and visit Bryce Canyon in Utah. The splendor and the beauty of such a natural creation of our living earth highlight my original statement of how blessings are everywhere and in everything. I don’t know too many people who would not be awestruck by such wonder. The awe factor is off the charts.

I needed some outdoor trekking time and this day trip to view Bryce Canyon, Red Canyon and Mt Zion were amazing. It absolutely reminded me of all these wonderful things that surround me and blanket me on this earth. I believe this kind of recognition feeds our soul and spirit. Of this there is no doubt. When we come back to that place of understanding this we can relax and move forward gently in life seeing more than what others would have us see.

With that, I will leave you with this one wish; that you would look around and see the blessings available to you.

Have a great week living life positively.

Cheers!

Kicking it!

Kicking it!

By Allen Merritt (©2017)

Occasionally, life kicks you in the stomach and you simply have to take it.

Or do you?

Last week I was dragging around something fierce. “Ugh!” would be the word for how I was physically feeling. And, I didn’t want to feel that way. But every once in a while we succumb to this or that and end up in bed trying to kick whatever it is we’re experiencing out of our system.

It all started when I took my friend out to dinner on a Tuesday night. All was going well and we’re having a good time. By the time I got home I began to undergo the change! (Pun intended) Before I knew it I was losing my cookies. In fact, I lost my cookies four times. Maybe it was something I ate or a stomach virus going around. I still don’t know which, but I was forced to hang out in bed all day Wednesday. We’ve all been there. No fun!

In any case, I knew I had to get ready for a trip on Thursday, so I better kick this fast.

My first thought was this, many times when we’re not at our best we don’t care about any negative energy going on around us. We don’t care how we appear or in putting up with anything. We just want to get better. Secondly, the best positive thing we can do to facilitate getting past it is to listen to our bodies and get that rest to heal faster. Let the world take care of itself for a few.

Now, for me, come Thursday I felt well enough to travel, but my energy was low. I continued to rest as much as possible and not push it with my work any further than I had to. I didn’t want to overdo it. By doing so, I could feel my energy level rising and any brain fog dissipating. It was like a coming home to yourself, so to speak. My analogy on this is plugging in my cell phone and waiting for it to slowly charge back up again. It takes time ( and patience).

This little bug had me through Sunday when I was to begin travelling back toward home. But I think my interest in staying rested, positive and placing myself back in that good place helped make everything much better sooner than it would if I had fought against my needs and wallowed in misery; and I didn’t take any medication neither!

Here’s the thing. Situations come and go, negative or positive. If we change our perspective to stay on the light side (positive) we stand a better chance of seeing past it. You know, looking for a light at the end of the tunnel and realizing that this too shall pass. It’s all temporary! Those thoughts go a long way in keeping us on the positive track; not only that, but moving down that positive track toward being the best we can possibly be.

I heard or read something recently about how staying on the right track can only take place it you move and don’t just sit there. You have to at least think about it and take some kind of action toward getting up and getting going. You got to kick in the bud…even when you’re not feeling like it.

So that’s my story for the week. I got over it. Yes!

And my message for the week is to get out there and work on kicking it in the bud!

If that means holing up in your room in bed for the day, as uncomfortable as that can be, then listen to what you body needs and do it. If you're feeling blah, find something to laugh about for a few. Get back to positive!

Hope this finds you well going into a new week of living life on a positive note.

Cheers!

Persist!

Persist!

© By Allen Merritt (2017)

I was tooling around Los Angeles recently and noticed something I had not seen before. It was a sign perched high above the freeway above a tunnel entrance. My eye gravitated toward it all of a sudden as I drove out of downtown on the 110 freeway heading toward Pasadena and the I-5. If you have ever driven that route, you’ll know there are a series of tunnels you pass through. In fact, if you ever watched the movie Rumor Has It, you’ll remember those tunnels as a part of the story line at one point.

Anyway, I’m driving along, look up and see this sign mimicking the famous Hollywood sign, which was humorous to me. However, instead of welcoming everyone to Hollywood, this sign simply put forth the word “PERSIST” in simple white lettering. (I think it was after the second tunnel).

It only takes one little nugget of truth to get the mind to thinking!

It might as well have said, “Don’t give up!”, “Hang in there!”, “Keep trying!” or “You’re almost there!”

Persist is a simple little word to remind us how important we are. That is how I chose to see it anyway.

I wonder who put it there. Someone thought it was important to get the message out there. I’m sure it wasn’t easy getting that sign secured onto that steep over-hang as traffic zoomed by below. That is an act of persistence in and of itself.

The word persist is a verb which is significant in that it is active, which is to say taking action. By definition it means to “continue firmly or obstinately in an opinion or a course of action in spite of difficulty, opposition, or failure.”¹

Here are some thoughts on the word PERSIST or persistence. It is necessary. If no one persisted, nothing would get accomplished. Progress and growth would be obsolete.

I remember the 7.5 marathons I have managed to run. I did them not for any other reason other than to say I did them. I had to show myself I could do it. Heaven knows it isn’t because it ever got easier. It took training, yes. But most of all it took will power, persistence and perseverance to plug along and push my way through to the end. When each marathon was over there was a sense of accomplishment to use as a motivational tool in other areas of my life.

Another thing I am reminded of by this little word PERSIST is that no one ever said anything would be easy. My mother used to tell me that. You can’t be afraid to work at it. If it’s worth having, then it’s worth working for and worth the wait. Life happens in its own time and for its own reasons, so jump those hurdles and leap around every obstacle.

However, every so often you have to create your own support system and find what you are looking for by looking in unsuspecting areas. If you want to make the most out of life, persistence is a step in the right direction. Another powerful word to remember here is versatility. It pays to be diverse. It may seem like you do a lot and master nothing, but in today’s world, the more you are able to do, the more opportunities there are to do it. I know this to be true in my life.

In any case, all it takes is one little word of encouragement to inspire, motivate, remind us and drive us toward that old keep on keeping on!

This week the word is ‘Persist!’

Because it isn’t over until it’s over.

Persistence is powerful. 

Persistence is positive.

Hope springs eternal in moments like these as you’re driving along and a one word message leaps out at you from up above. It just goes to show you it pays to keep your eyes and ears open.

Look to the stars, because the sky’s the limit!

Choose this week to persist and live life on a positive note.

Cheers!

https://www.google.com/search?q=persist&rlz=1C1NNVC_enUS485US559&oq=persist&aqs=chrome..69i57j0l5.3487j0j8&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8¹(Viewed on 5/10/2017)

Thumbs Up!

Thumbs Up!

© By Allen Merritt (2017)

The video indicated 961,515,469 views. Out of those almost a billion views the video had 4,051,024 ‘thumbs up’ votes and 146,355 ‘thumbs down’ votes. I clicked on the ‘thumbs up’ and pushed the likeability up to 4,051,025! So there!

It doesn’t matter how good you are or how hard you try not everyone is going to like you nor are you able to please everybody.

In my view, everyone deserves a chance to demonstrate their abilities and express themselves within reason. Because we all have a story to tell and a talent to share, everyone deserves the benefit of the doubt. If we can do if for our kids at the school play, we can do it for ourselves and each other. 

Think of it this way, support can be beautiful.

So what does a 'thumbs down' illustrate? Does it mean a certain populace hates the video? Does it mean that this particular video was not their cup of tea (preference)? Are they making a statement that it’s simply bad, not good and a waste of time? Or, are they being spiteful to steer attention to themselves? Who knows!

I suppose there could be a number or possible reasons one might choose a ‘thumbs down’. Not all reasons would lead to absolute negativity. In this case, it was a music video by Shawn Mendes. It was really good and a lot of people liked it...obviously.

When it comes to art and music, individual preferences and differences play a large role in determining who will like or dislike something. Therefore, you’re always going to see a mix of likes and dislikes displayed prominently for the viewing audience. And, we're going to experience in our every day life.

This got me to thinking about the importance of not focusing on the negative. If it is always there, then you already know you will face it to some extent. It won’t just go away. Not every critic will give you a good review. That again, is based on their preference. In my business rejection is more prominent than selection. If I focused on the downside, I wouldn’t survive.

I felt this was another example of consciously choosing to focus on the good and positive numbers. (Over 4 million were likes and only 150,000 were dislikes). Personally, I think I could live with that.

How many times in life do we focus on the bad when the good outweigh them? If there are more people who statistically like our work, who we are and what we do, then there are those that disapprove, then why do we only see the disapproval? Are we trying to prove that we can get everyone on board with us? For me, if something I do makes one person smile or laugh, then it was worth it. 

It seems healthier to choose looking at the brighter side. Check out those positive numbers. Think: Small But Mighty! Great things can happen when you least expect it. That alone is reason enough to keep plugging away at being the very best one can be.

The other thing I noticed in looking at these numbers is that out of those 961,515,469 views, 957,318,090 viewers did not respond one way or the other. No ‘thumbs up’ and no ‘thumbs down’. They simply tuned in and enjoyed the video for whatever it was worth or offered them.

If you are looking to find your worth and gain a support system, just keep doing what you do until you find your audience or niche. If people like things, they spread the word. If they don’t like things, they spread the word. And in some cases such as with this video, more people kept their mouth shut and ears open. The numbers speak for themselves. Not many can garner almost a billion views on a video post, so it can’t be all that bad.

The point of my discussion is to focus on the good things and discard the parts that aren’t working or distract from the positive message you represent.

If you did a good job, THUMBS UP!

If you tried and did your best, THUMBS UP!

If you followed up, followed through and made it to the finish, THUMBS UP!

If you garner any ‘likes’, THUMBS UP!

You never know when one thing you do might lead to an opportunity, so give yourself the benefit of the doubt and focus on what really matters. Pat yourself on the back every once and while, look in the mirror and give yourself a THUMBS UP!

That’s confidence!

That’s being positive!

That’s resilience!

That’s being persistent!

Here’s a THUMBS UP to us all for working diligently to live life on a positive note!

Cheers!

One Man Show!

One Man Show!
By Allen Merritt (©2017)

It is always interesting to me how large the world is and yet how small it seems. I am also amazed at how one person can do so much damage and cause so much wide spread suffering. It leaves an impression on me about how that same person could also do a lot of good for themselves and the world if they just looked to infuse the world with more love, light, peace, joy and harmony.

In light of even more attacks on Europe such as those on Manchester and London, I would like to express my wish for the world. I wish to enlighten it with happy energy, feel good notions and positive well being. The betterment of our world starts from inside each individual and pours outward from there. Goodness illuminates from within. As a result, when placed in proper perspective, our little one man show can do wonders for ourselves, our family, our town, city, state, country, world, and universe, as well as beyond the great unknown. How powerful is that? Doesn’t it make sense?

What does not make sense is how our youth are becoming more and more discouraged, influenced inappropriately with dogma and propaganda and are convinced that hatred can rule. They are willing to sacrifice anything including their own lives not to mention countless other innocent individuals that happen to be in the pathway just to prove how lost and brainwashed they are.

I am baffled on how people can have so much hate. Yet we see it every day all over the world. This includes our own little individual worlds as we know it. If we could manifest more of that brotherly love and throw out the festering anger and hate, amazing miracles could happen.

What I am saying here is nothing new. However, I believe it pays to keep mentioning the value of it and reminding ourselves the importance of life as a gift to keep on giving; not taking it away. It’s a realization of its (life) beauty. Anything less than that only proves destructive and selfish in so many ways as the headlines continue to declare.

Here’s the thing, humanity doesn’t appreciate such hate. It also doesn’t seem to truly understand it. However, humanity as a whole does come together in support of rising above the chaos. It appears that on the whole people want to come together as one spirit, share in love, light and laughter, as well as spreading the message that fear will not overcome or squash us, but the collective “we” shall overcome; love will always and inevitably win out over any and all evil thoughts and gestures.

We know this.

We cannot keep silent about embracing one another. 
We cannot keep silent about sharing the (any) “good” news.
We cannot keep silent about promoting positive well being.
We cannot keep still and not do anything.
We must seek to encourage humanity to shine brighter instead of letting a few try to dim us.

The list can go on and on. The power lies in the hands of those willing to help humanity live.

How do we do that? We do it by taking our own course of action as a one man band.

We start our own personal crusade to breathe in fresh new ideas; energize ourselves with positivity, dance every day to not just the beat of our own drum but to our own tune(s).

Will you go out there and begin your own one man show to stop the nonsense? 
Will you embrace yourself and those around you as gifts to society?
Will you endeavor to accept the wonders life has to offer instead of looking at how to destroy them?

Think about it.

How far are you willing to go with your own story to promote the better part of the whole?

If we’re all breathing the same air, living on the same planet and are in the same boat together, then how much powerful are we when we share the positives one with another?

This week, please consider these ideas and step up to the plate. It could start a ripple effect that enlightens others to do the same.

Oh, and one other thing. We cannot just shout out words. Our words have to be meant and followed through on to have any power, value or meaning.

If we start our own one man show in this fashion and share it with someone else then we all can keep on living life on a positive note. Isn’t that the way it ought to be?

Cheers!