I Swore I'd Never do THAT

Posted on July 19, 2010 by Rasheed

I suppose it is a sign of maturity when you do what you swore you’d never do.

You see, it takes some growing up to realize that a lot of decisions that you made when you were younger were made at a level of maturity of that era in your life. Now that you have grown up a bit, you could let go of the immature bits and pieces and move on. It also takes courage to accept that you might have been wrong. That you were wrong.

Back in the early 1980′s it became popular to jog. There was a wave of awareness going around that made us realize that we were getting over-weight as a nation, and one of the things we could do to combat it was to execise, and jogging was said to be very effective.

Back then, I weighed a mere 120 lbs and wore size 28 pants (I struggle to get into 36 these days, but it is changing), and I saw no sense in subjecting the body to that kind of torture. What really gave good laughs was when I saw people jogging along the sidewalks in pouring rain, okay, at least in a drizzle. I swore I’d never be silly, crazy or stupid enough to do that.

I got dressed to go for a walk this morning and as I opened the door, I noticed it was raining. Not a hard rain, just a little drizzle. Without a second thought, I shut the door behind me as I headed out for my 15 minute walk. As the rain covered my glasses and made it difficult to see clearly, I wondered, how ever did I get this crazy.

I smiled to myself as I realized that finally at the age of 56, I was growing up.

Is there something you swore you’d never do, but found yourself doing? Share in the comments below or send me an e-mail.

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I Found Myself

Posted on July 14, 2010 by Rasheed

I had an opportunity to speak toady in front of an audience. I spoke in front of my Toastmasters club.

The topic of my speech was Paradigm Shift. I talked about my passion for being Independent, and being Joyfully Jobless, as Barbara Winter would put it.

I was dressed in a pair of pants and a t-shirt. I was chastised for not dressing professionally. Well, not really, but more than one person commented on it in their feedback.

One of the members, whom I have known for several years and who is a good friend of mine, in a very friendly helpful manner told me that I need to wear a suit the next time. I told her it wasn’t happening. I have donated all my suits to Goodwill. I have no suits.

As I looked over the friendly notes, it confirmed my passion for the topic. Many of them felt inspired by what I had to say. “Thought provoking” was one of the common comment. It felt good to deliver the speech and it felt even better knowing that I had made an impact. But the best part was that I had somewhat of a cocky attitude toward the usual concerns about following the norms.

In my speech I mentioned that I will soon be holding an entrepreneurship  seminar titled “Mind Your Own Business.” I have been playing with the title for some twenty plus years, but today after I delivered that speech I felt ready to do something with it. I have been working on “perfecting” it for several weeks, almost several months, or is it several years? And today, for the first time, I felt that I was ready. There is no better time than now, and there is no better way to get started than to get started. So I have set a date for my first Mind Your Own Business seminar. It is August, 28, 2010

Then, as if right on clue, when I got home, a couple of blog posts arrived that made be laugh out loud for their impeccable timing, reassuring me that everything I need or want is always available to me at the precise time of need.

I have always preached the gospel of being different, and being yourself, but, I have also been hesitant and reluctant to rock the boat, so to speak. But today, today I have found myself and I am very pleased to meet myself for the very first time.

I will introduce me to you, as I get to know me better.

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What is Success, but…

Posted on July 9, 2010 by Rasheed

I woke up this morning (more like in the middle of the night), but I didn’t know what time it was since I don’t wear a watch and I don’t have a clock in my room. I didn’t feel like rolling out of bed and stumble over to where my phone was being charged overnight. A voice within me said to get up, but I ignored it and tried to go back to sleep. The voice reminded me that when I listen to it, I find life to be good.

I rolled out of bed. It was 2:30 AM. Suddenly, I realized that is all about our attitudes. Life is what we make of it. I have learned over the years that when I listen to that still voice within me that I know as my intuition, wonderful things happen, while I don’t always know what happens when I don’t listen, I know there are times when I am consumed with the regret of I should have listened to that voice.

So, as I sat there in the darkness, wide eyed, at the end of my bed, this calm and blissful feeling came over me knowing that my life is great and I have total control over how my life will turn out based on the thoughts I choose to entertain. As my friend Cathy (@CelibritiCat) put it, “Just because a negative thought comes to visit you doesn’t mean that you have to welcome it, or entertain it. If you entertain it, it will stay.”

I knew in that moment, that as long as I trust my intuition and allow it to guide me by taking inspired actions, regardless of whether they make sense or not – like rolling out of bed at 2:30 in the morning to find out that it’s 2:30 in the morning – I will always find happiness.

As far as I am concerned, there is no better way to define success than to find happiness.

What do you say?

Make sure to share your thoughts and feelings in the comments s0 we can continue the conversation.

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I Don't Want to Lose Weight

Posted on July 8, 2010 by Rasheed

Thank you all for your support, and suggestions and recommendations on weight loss, both here at the forum and via e mail.

Well, for one thing, I am not treating this as a weight loss effort or weight loss goal, because it is not that at all. I realize that I am living in a body that is not fit to live the lifestyle I want to live. Also, even if I wasn’t looking to live an active mobile lifestyle, my body is not that of a healthy person.

So my goal and intent is to create a body that is healthy and fully functioning in the ways Nature has intended human bodies to function. So, while I will achieve weight loss in the process of creating that ideal body for me, that is not the primary focus or goal.

I have enrolled in my friend and mentor Marilyn Jenett’s , I Create My Body Audio Program. It works on changing your thinking at a subconscious level. It is based on the same principles that her prosperity program, Feel Free to Prosper is based on, which I took a few years ago, and found it to be very effective. So I will keep you posted on how it works.

One thing is for sure, I am not treating this as a weight loss effort. It is a lifestyle change that I am seeking to accomplish. I have been on various weight loss programs and have had success with some of them, but, then the weight comes back. I guess something about the human psyche. When we lose something, we try to get it back. Been there, done that. Not doing it again.

Oh, BTW, those ARE affiliate links, in case you haven’t figured it out.

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What Are You Celebrating… Independence Day or the 4th?

Posted on July 4, 2010 by Rasheed

The last time I was here I left you hanging while I went for a walk. That was four days ago.

No, I haven’t been walking for four days straight. But I did go for a walk the last four days. It was a measly quarter of a mile in 12 min the first day. My wife said, “Back already? you call that a walk?” Today, I passed the one mile mark in about 20 minutes.

While I was walking, a neighbor  asked if I was planning a BBQ? I told him that I was planning on going to work. He looked at me as if I had lost it. I just smiled knowing that I can just as easily decide not to go to work today. Or tomorrow, or any other day for that matter, while he will be back to his 9 to 5 job singing “It’s another Manic Monday” tomorrow.

When I got to the restaurant where I work, I wished everyone a Happy Independence Day and someone said, “A happy forth to you too.” That got me thinking (I know, old habits die hard). In the last 36 years since I arrived in the USA, I have very seldom heard anyone refer to it as the Independence Day. It is always referred to as the 4th of July Weekend.

Is it because most people don’t really feel that they are truly independent? Or is it because they don’t really know what independence means in order to celebrate it?

What do you celebrate? Independence Day, or 4th of July?

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