Losing it!

Losing it!

© Allen Merritt (2016)

I lost it.

No doubt about it.

I simply lost it!

I wasn’t even trying to lose it, but I did.

That’s what happened.

I lost it.

I felt all of the old cliches come flooding into my life all at the same time. Needless-to-say, some are the very same comments my mother used to use on me as a child.

• You can’t even keep your head on straight.
• If it were a snake, it would have bitten you.
•  It’s probably right under your nose or on top of your head.
• If your head weren’t attached, you’d lose that, too!

Okay, here’s what happened. After a full day of working hard to catch up on one of my projects I had fallen behind on, I hit another wall because I couldn’t find a disk (or the information stored on the disk).

More specifically, an SD card, which held hours of video footage and represented hundreds of miles travel. Ouch!

My heart sank a bit and my body deflated as I searched everywhere, racking my brain, backtracking, reviewing all the material I had at my fingertips and tearing through a number of bags I had been using over the last few weeks. I literally, poured out a lot of junk from several bags and they were strewn all over the place. Get the picture? Ever been in this situation? You’re trying hard to make things go smoothly and then you find a monkey wrench, a hitch in your get along, a wall, a hurdle, an obstacle/challenge or whatever else you want to call it. No matter how you look at it you are face to face with a negative when you want to be chatting it up with a positive.

The result of losing it meant the possibility of having to re-shoot necessary material needed for the current project. I knew if worse came to worse I could do that and manage for the here and now, but what about other valuable irreplaceable material I captured somewhere out there in the world hundreds of miles away? I would never get that back. It felt like losing all your sentimental items in a house fire. You can’t get it back and you can’t take it with you. Yikes.

This put me into a temporary land of the lost moment, not quite “in a funk”, but wondering what to do to turn my situation around. Of course, I have to share the story, because it is a lesson in living life on a positive note.

Ultimately, as I am sure many others have experienced, I was not sure how to recover from this one. I was aware of my demeanor. I maintained a state of calm. I didn’t fly off the hand or throw a hissy fit. I simply considered my options.

Stop. Rest. Breathe. Contemplate. Pray. Prepare. Embrace the opportunity and hope the new material will be better than the old. I thought about how this was an opportunity to adapt and adjust, to let go in order to shine a light on the circumstances and on the positive possibilities.

Interestingly, as I wrote this blog I was reading a passage in a book I was in the middle of, which seemed to speak to me and appropriate to share. It read, “When we see things in a limited way, we leave ourselves vulnerable to nothing but hassle, pain and confusion.”¹

With this in mind, although I hadn’t found the lost item, I’m resolved not to get upset or beat myself up over it. Like I said, maybe some of the material will come out better in the long run. Stranger things have happened.

In any case, this is the situation I dare say many experience. And, it isn’t the same thing as saying, “The dog ate my homework.” Let’s face, sometimes we just lose it!

Our car keys

Our identification card

Twenty bucks

There is another interesting dichotomy to consider here in terms of “losing it.” This is the idea of losing it in the literal sense such as losing our temper or our mind. Generally, I can’t point to anything good that can come from that sort of losing it. Someone always gets hurt and winds up with the short end of a stick. That’s why I feel it’s s important to take our situations, put them in proper perspective and maintain a sense of balance/peace despite it all.

Sure! On some level I am saddened and wish I wasn’t in this predicament, but I do have a choice to keep my chin up and pull up my boot straps. Create and recreate. I have that power available to me, we all do. Adapt and adjust as needed. I guess I just talked myself into not wasting another minute worrying about it. Now, isn’t that a positive take on life? If my SD card shows up, great. If not, moving on. Life goes on. Just got to do it! Where there is a will there is away, right? 

I know! 

More clichés.

But consider this; any other attitude would lead to quitting or dropping out just as you are getting to the finish line. So why not go for it? Try not to lose it but if you do, remember you have power to keep recovering and keep on going.

By the way, the happy ending is I found it. I never really lost it. I just couldn’t find it right away. It was there all along. Mystery solved, but what a journey. Moments of doubt, hesitation and uncertainty.

If you find yourself losing it this week, take a step back and wait a while, then come back to it later and you might find it, whatever “it” might be. If not, adapt and adjust.

More power to ya!

Cheers!

Don't Think, Just Go!

 Don't Think, Just Go!
©Allen Merritt (2016)

My friend Hilda in Duncan, Oklahoma told me that I should write about my experiences last week. If for any other reason than to show what it's like to go with the flow and shine positivity on circumstances by trusting and believing in the best outcome. After thinking about it, I decided, "Why not!" After all, keeping a positive state of mind is the best approach. So here goes nothing!

I decided to hop on a bus and save myself from the challenge of driving and a few bucks on gas to go into to Los Angeles to work with my coach and take a meeting with a potential project. When it works out schedule wise I appreciate someone else doing all the driving. Off I went!

The thing with bus schedules is you have to go with what schedules they offer and not necessarily what is best for you. That meant a bit of waiting time here and there. I arrived in L.A., took a metro train to Culver City, walked over to a coffee shop and caught up on paperwork and attended a conference call before heading over to bus stop to see my coach. So far, so good.

Afterwards, I made my project meeting. Still good. Suddenly in the middle of my meeting I get a text booking me on a job, which caught me off guard at such a late hour of the day. This sometimes happens, but I really wasn't prepared for it this day. Following the meeting I found myself scrambling to work out details on where I would stay the night and what kind of clothing options I had available and needed for the next day since I had not packed anything.Next I had to figure out transportation options all over the place to a hotel and then to the job site. After all, I didn't have any wheels. I was on foot. Are you getting the picture thus far? Under any circumstances, this would be a bit stressful. On top of everything, my phone was running out of juice making it difficult to research options.

I trained, I bused and I walked. I walked some more.

I managed to find a safe and comfortable enough place to stay last minute. I figured out a bus route to get to the job the next day. I found clothes. I missed my bus back home, but that would have to wait until the next day.

The next day I got to the job on time (early even) and waited. I did not know how long I would be there that day, as often is the case. I knew I could catch a bus later around 6:25pm and still get home at a decent hour to sleep and get ready for the next trip the following day to Phoenix, which I had to get to. But all of that depended on how long I was working today! As it turned out I worked until about 6:45 pm. Yikes. Later bus? Couldn't justify that. I walked back to bus stop and called an airlines while doing so and found a flight at 8:35 pm. I got to bus stop at 7:04 pm and waited for bus to arrive at 7:39 pm. Rode 20 minutes to Burbank Airport just in time for all emergency vehicles to come barreling into the parking structure right before the bus. No worries, I was close enough. I got off bus and literally ran all the way to the terminals, got boarding pass, flew through TSA and up to gate with a couple minutes to spare before boarding and speeding back home in record time.

In a nutshell, I got some sleep, did laundry, re-packed and headed out again the next day hitting everything I needed to do just in time. Whew!

Now, how could I not think that something positive had not happened over and over again during this chaotic time period.

I remember thinking, I could not have planned this better. I just kept saying to myself at every juncture, "Do I turn left or right?" Then I went with it. And, you know what? Things worked out. Amazing.

So that is my story last week. I hope you get something out of it to take with you in the new week ahead that reminds you about how staying positive and going with flow, begin calm cool and collected will generally pull you through such moments. It's nothing short of miraculous!

So even in the midst of chaos is a peace beyond all understanding that leads us through to where we need to be. That is the positive lesson I offer this week.

Go out there and make the most of every moment with a dash of positivity.

Cheers!

You Can Do This!

You Can Do This!

©Allen Merritt (2016)

The phrase of the week is, “You Can Do This!” I noticed it pop up at me while scrolling through my Instagram feed. It caught my attention as something to remember. Sounds like its own little pep talk, doesn’t it? You can do this. It has a sense of encouragement and positivity about it. And, it’s only four little words. I thought the phrase could work as our little On a Positive Note mantra for the week.  A bit of envouragement to brighten the day.

You Can Do This!


Try saying it out loud with various vocal inflections.

YOU can do this.

You CAN do this.

You can DO this.

You can do THIS.

Repeat it over and over when you are moving forward with the every day.

If you’re like me, sometimes you will need the reminder.

When you are getting what appears to be a run around at the bank and are told three different stories before someone actually gave you a straight answer forcing you to keep going back and forth three times from home to bank, home to bank, home to bank looking for the information they say they needed before you could finalize your paperwork. Tell yourself, ‘You can do this!”

If you are trying to keep track of a family member in the hospital and the facility keeps moving them from one wing to another and refusing to stay in contact with you as the “point of contact” so that you can be informed and make decisions accordingly, take a breath, be kindly assertive and remind yourself, “You can do this.”

When other individuals walk around like zombies heads buried in an electronic device not seeing, not watching, observing and/or looking like they are uncaring and apathetic despite the dangers they are causing, go ahead and shake your head, but find some humor, smile and sing out, “You can do this!” to yourself.

When you are given your boarding card and it’s number 12 to get on the bus and then several other people squeeze in and cut ahead of you who have number 36 and up claiming they are disabled when they so clearly are not. Remind yourself there are enough seats on the bus and everyone with a ticket with get one. “You can do this!”

On it goes day after day. We have to encourage ourselves to keep our mindset going in the right direction. Why? Because you can never totally predict where other people’s heads are at, what they are thinking, what they know, what is going on in their lives or anything for that matter. All we can do is adapt and adjust in the most positive manner possible and insist on getting it as right as possible for the betterment of all people, places and things.

Hurdles.? Obstacles? Bumps, humps and dips in the road?

You can do this!

Rude people? Obnoxious people? Selfish people?

You can do this!

If you have to say it out loud, do it.

If you feel like singing or shouting it with joyfulness, do it.

If you need to keep it to yourself prayerfully, go ahead.

Keep it positive and let yourself know that in any circumstance it’s okay and you can do it.

Better yet, mix it up. Remind yourself, “You can do this!” as if you are another person talking back at yourself. Then affirm the statement/mantra by saying, “Yes, I can do this!”

You can do this!

I can do this!

Doesn’t it simply sound good?

I think so and that’s my thought for the week.

You Can Do This!

I Can Do This!

We All Can Do This!

Spend the week reminding yourself repeatedly how you can do…anything!

Cheers.

Pushing Toward Happiness!

Pushing Toward Happiness!

©Allen Merritt (2016)

Well, another week has gone and passed us by. For me, as I have navigated my way through all kinds of curvy situations I have tried to make sure to make time to rest. I am amazed at how at times I feel utterly exhausted when I don't feel I should be. But when I look back on my experiences over the last couple of weeks I can see how fatigue comes into play not only with the daily grind, but from traveling, stressful situations that pop up unexpectedly and suddenly have to be dealt with and whatever else tackles us.

This past week I did have an opportunity to take a day job which landed me near downtown Los Angeles. I have a friend who had an apartment in the area and whenever I can and have time I contact them to see if they are around and available for a cup of Joe and a little visit. As it turned out, I only had to work a half a day, which was really nice and left me with definitive time to check in with my friend. I texted them and found out they were no longer in the area. They had moved out of town a couple hours east, a completely different town.

My friend proceeded to inform me of the fact that downtown had changed dramatically and was no longer what it used to be for them, ergo stimulating and prompting a change in life. Needless-to-say, I was surprised and had not expected this as I was under the understanding they loved living downtown and in the thick of it all. Plus, their career was center in the same industry as myself meaning they were near everything.

After congratulating my friend on their decision I added a note, “Here’s to happiness!”

I have been thinking on the idea of pushing through to happiness every since. When I hear about people’s struggles and difficulties in moving forward in life or in keeping the day to day going, I begin to think on how all the bumps in the road seem to trigger all kinds of reactions. Some of these reactions lead us to have a grumpy day or hit us the wrong way. My thought is to catch it when it happens and turn it around. For example, as I drove to the coffee shop today I experienced pedestrians crossing through major traffic zones in non-pedestrian areas and in the middle of traffic flow. My immediate thought was on why are they causing such a disturbance and putting themselves and other people in jeopardy? Interestingly, these pedestrians did not look to see if it was safe, did not yield to the traffic (since they did not have right of way) and they slowed down their pace to force traffic to stop around them. Not only was this a congestion, it was an endangerment which could have been prevented if they had walk further to the crosswalk. I felt grouchy over it and at the same time glad I was alert and spotted them.

Situations like that while small and petty can throw a hitch in your get along if you let them. So pushing forward toward our happiness is important. Just like my friend realizing she needed to move toward a better state of happiness because the changes in her area were not compatible with her goals and preferences. I can sense the frustration and the need for positive change. 

Some frustrations are health oriented. Others are financial or career based. In my circle, relationships are not even a consideration because folks are most focused on survival.

It is the same with the following situations which I hear about daily. 

• Lack of opportunities
• Not enough income
• Absence of any benefits
• Inability to achieve goals or dreams
• Various aspects of human interference's

I am certain you can think of many other situations popping up and causing you to reconsider the value of where you’re at, what you’re doing and whether or not making a positive change is necessary. Sometimes we are compelled to move on.

So my thoughts are centered on the importance of moving forward in life and pushing toward our happiness. Sometimes it is a simple change in attitude or thought process. Maybe a simple conversation might change circumstances or if need be, making a physical change and moving from one situation to another. The key issue is being aware and assessing our lot in life rationally and making changes accordingly. No matter what choices are made, thinking positive and asking yourself what makes you happiest and what needs to be done to realistically achieve that is the every day goal.

Let’s encourage happiness!

Go out and find your happy this week and stick to it!

Cheers.

Upload the Positive!

Upload the Positive!

©Allen Merritt (2016)

I walked onto the elevator to overhear two people in the middle of an uplifting conversation. It was a male and a female nurse. The male nurse was leading the discussion about how it was such a joyous day for him; and, when people have a tragedy happen to them they allow that tragedy to steal their joy and peace from them. But to him if you already have the joy, nothing can steal it away from you.

It was at this point the man walked closer to the woman and said, "You get what I'm saying, don't you sister?"

The woman replied, "Yes, I do. But I love to hear it."

The man went on, "Yeah, you need a little reminder."

"That's right. We need a little reminder. You have a blessed day!” whispered the woman before exiting the elevator and leaving me and the man to ourselves.

The man turned toward me and asked, "How are you doing, young man?"

"Good." I said.

"Good? Good is mediocre, man. You got to feel joyful!"

I said, "That's right, especially around here."

The man went on, "You got it! Got to upload the positive and delete the negative just like on a computer. Know what I'm saying?" (He said this while taking his finger and pointing it up towards his temple, as if to demonstrate.)

This happened as I was visiting my friend who had been admitted into the hospital over the weekend.

This male nurse was chockfull of energy, joyfulness and eager to share and celebrate all that life was offering despite any and all circumstances going on in the world around him or in general.

His energy was infectious and the idea of sharing his comment in today’s positivity blog seemed more than appropriate. We need to upload the positive and delete any negative content in our lives. That is what I aim to build, nurture, grow and share every week, no matter what!

In fact, the last couple of weeks have been challenging for me as I lost my best friend Scooter Dawg! That's right, my doggie passed away peacefully in his sleep while I was trying to make my way across country to catch up with old family and friends I had not seen in three years. It was a sad day, because I had Scooter for over 15 years and since he was 4 weeks old. He was my family. But despite his passing, I had expected it sooner than later and was extremely grateful he had gone peacefully. That is what this man was talking about when he said to upload the positive and delete the negative.

I want to keep that mentality as much as possible. I have even caught myself this week getting a little impatient with others who were being a bit pushy with me to take care of their needs when I am in the middle of a stressful situation in dealing with my friend in the hospital. For about a day I was feeling overwhelmed and taken advantage of. It appeared there was a lack of consideration and compassion taking place.  I had to remind myself how things may not be what they appear to be and maybe I was being too sensitive. Again, I was uploading the positive and getting rid of some negative.

In any case, here I am today and I was wondering what my blog content would entail when life delivers me this neatly packaged message that speaks for itself. I walked right off that elevator and knew I had to share the experience and the idea in today’s On a Positive Note blog.

So there you have it!

This week’s positive reminder is to upload the positive and delete the negative.

May we all be encouraged by such great energy and be reminded of how being positive and joyful means much more to our overall well-being than holding on to grudges, bad feelings or negative energy.

Go out there and have a great fun-tastic week, despite it all!

Cheers!

Open Hands Theory

Open Hands Theory

©Allen Merritt (2016)

I feel like I want to address the idea of openness this week.

If I remember correctly, there was a commercial from days gone by that used the idea of open hands as a symbol to reach out to people. In stands out in my mind as something powerful and true. I thought of this today as I read a few pages of a book I have been trying to finish. The specific chapter spoke to this idea of our open hands and what they represent. For example, displaying open hands conveyed a willingness to receive and propose an offering of some sorts.

I am certain this is different for any individual and dependent on ones outlook and circumstances. But today I think of this theory in context with many situations going on in our world today. For instance, when you see movies or live news footage of police or extremist groups pointing weaponry at someone, many times you see one or more individuals being contained with their hands up and open to show they are not on the defense or holding any kind of dangerous item.

I guess on the other side of the coin (and a more personal note) we can look at the idea of open hands as a way of not holding onto anything. Open hands do not cling or claw at anything and demonstrate a letting go initiative. Some faith based practices utilize this the idea of open handed-ness as a means of opening up to the spiritual world and taking it all in, as well as releasing some sense of self. To release and absord, I guess. There is something positive about this.

It also seems important to not close oneself off from everything albeit there are times it appears it might be the best choice. Recognizing that not all things are what they appear to be helps keep the door open at least a crack until the situation fully presents itself as it is.

Sometimes I wonder if I am too quick to make a decision or make a judgment call without looking further into things. I've noticed that if I wait it out just a bit and keep my mouth closed long enough to assess the whole of a situation or let it play out, I learn much more about it and can make a better decision accordingly. This seems to be a direct result of this "openeness" ideology. It is so easy in our world today to simply react instead of respond and the consequences are not always positive.

One way I see this is in how I know people who won't speak to one another and allow years to go by without contact, thus closing a door. Sometimes it is over little things. How do we move past closing the door and opening another or avoiding closing the door needlessly? This is something worth thinking about, don't you think?

Consciously making a choice to remain open to the possibilities may be one answer to making sure we stay on the positive trail. Just thinking about being "open" helps prevent good opportunity from slipping away.

I also think about how if we stop and take time to listen we are are already creating an open and inviting space to move forward. By opening ourselves up more we are sending out an invitation to the universe and the world around us that we are here, as well as ready, willing and able to receive, offer up and accept more in blessings, opportunity, abundance, success or whatever it is we are searching for and have need or want to be a part of.

I'm sure this conversation has a lot moe to consider. With that in mind, take some time this week to take stock on whether you are living each day with an open attitude and make mental note on whether or not that helps make the week nmuch better as a result.

Here are some ideas that are often tossed around we can rumenate on this week as we ponder the Open Hands Theory.:

Open Door Policy
When One Door Closes...Another Door Opens
Open to Possibilities
Open Communication
Come On In, We're Open!

All the best to us all for a wonderful and fulfilling week.

Cheers!

Boot Strap Boogie!

Boot Strap Boogie! 

©Allen Merritt (2016)

I think everyone has one of those days they could live without. In other words, not have to go through living again.  And then there ARE days you would love to repeat over and over, because they satisfied some part of your well being. I can think of celebratory days to be exact.

Unfortunately, not every day ends in a celebration, but doesn’t it start out that way? To wake up and have the chance to try again or start something new seems like a gift and a blessing all rolled up into one.

I bring up this topic because living more positively takes time, effort and a desire. Therefore, whenever one of those bummers of a day comes along and people start hounding you or attacking your sensibilities, those are the times to try and find the celebration and seek out the good in the moment.

No one is immune to having a vulnerable moment. After all, we are human and must connect with our feelings and many times (in an over stimulated state) this happens when we least expect it. Therein lies a chance to reconnect with our positive initiatives. We discover what it is we are after, what we want, what we don’t want and more.

I had one of those days recently. I felt another individual casting off their negativity onto me and ultimately handing me a low blow insult. I began to deflate inside. Here I was making every effort to communicate, work together as a team, finalize a project and make it the best I could with my contribution, and out of nowhere…WHAM!- right upside the head, so to speak.  That basically ended the work day for me. I needed time to assess my thoughts and feelings; to take a break away from the project.

After a little time to feel whatever it was I was going to feel, then I could decide to move forward and let it all go. I’m sure the person was not intentionally trying to step on my feelings. But my feelings were tested nonetheless. During a time like the one I just experienced is a perfect time to find a friend with a good ear. I was thankful to have one and be able to express my thoughts and let them go instead of bottling them up, which is never good.

The next day I was able to pick up and move on leaving the past in the past.

I remember the idea of picking oneself up by pulling up your bootstraps. I believe it to mean making effort to lift yourself up, which is directly correlated to my previous statement about how it takes time, effort and desire. I had indeed picked myself up by my bootstraps. As a result, I had a successful and productive day. Not only that, I was able to proceed without judgment and continue the working relationship that pushed my boundaries.

This is similar to the word “bootstrapping.”

According to Wikipedia¹, “bootstrapping usually refers to a self-starting process that is supposed to proceed without external input.” I take this to mean that no one but you, yourself and you can get yourself up and going again. Albeit, some help is usually never too far away.

I felt this was as good an opportunity as any to review the idea of bootstrapping. We all need little reminders as we go along with the day to day. So if you notice anyone in your circles going through the ringer, give them a little smile and hang in there nudge. It just might help make their day better and push them to lift themselves up and get on with their day.

Heck, remember that country song called “Boot Scoot Boogie” by Brooks and Dunn? Maybe we should try an exercise this week that anytime something or someone tries to push us over the edge, we should stop what we’re doing and perform a little boogie dance right in the middle of it all. That would certainly break any monotony and tension. In fact, it may infuse something more positive into the already trying day. Now wouldn’t that be a good thing?

Here's a YouTube link to Boot Scoot Boogie to help you shake out some grooves!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d05tQrhNMkA

Now, ya’ll keep this in mind and go out there and have a boot strap boogie of a week!

Cheers.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bootstrapping¹ (Viewed 8/15/2016)