Deprogramming

"we are born into greatness and then programmed into mediocrity"

I had a conversation with a friend this morning in which we discussed among other things, the way we are programmed first as kids and then as adults. We reached the conclusion, that it is no wonder we have so many messed up minds on this planet. The programming we usually receive is negative and very limiting.

"we are not born stupid, you have to watch a heck of a lot TV to get that way"

Driving back to my office, I pondered what it would be like if we could find a grumpy negative person and kidnap them for the purpose of deprogramming. You know that kind of person who is always complaining about some injustice and yet does little or nothing about it. Sure it's illegal to kidnap someone against their will but it would be for their own good?

"a positive attitude may not solve all of your problems, but it will annoy enough people to be worth the effort" (Herm Albright)

The purpose of the deprogramming session would be to make them aware that they have been running on automatic (or even worse operating on someone else's thoughts and not their own). To make them conscious that life can be fun, easy, and over-flowing with abundance. By the time we were done with them they would leave with a big goofy grin and be laughing and dancing their way down the street.

"light travels faster than sound, that is why some people appear bright until they speak" (unknown)

They would become super positive people willing to take on any worthy challenge. And as new converts I think they would be trying to convince others of the merits of their new found happiness and if not, then recommend them for deprogramming as well.

Now that is what I call a great daydream!

Eduardo

P.S. I've even heard of people who were programmed to cheer for the New York Yankees and some to even cheer for the Toronto Maple Leafs......isn't that sad?

Tweet your brain...

"you will learn life lessons, but humans are programmed to forget"

CONFESSION; I am a world class forgetter! Yes amigos, I hereby admit that I've learned many valuable lessons in my life only to forget them. I've made bold new discoveries then forgot where I hid them. I've read hundreds of books full of wisdom and yet remember only a fraction of what penetrated my little brain.

Do you want to know why the Law of Attraction doesn't work for 99% of the people?

Lucky for you I've figured it out and for a few pesos I'm willing to reveal all! This is one of those discoveries that scientists will one day figure out and the world will be astounded. Yet lucky you, you will be one of the informed and enlightened one's and all because you visited this site. So let the bells ring out and the banners fly, here is the the reason we are not all rich and happy....

"there is no one in charge of your brain"

Oh you think you are calling the shots and so did I. Poor little misguided fools that we are, we've been deluded. Sure we try to maintain control by reading self help books and blogs. True many of us put cute little messages on our refrigerators to try and remind ourselves to think positively. But the truth is, when it comes to our brains.....

"the light is on but no one is home"

I remember when the movie and book called The Secret was published. Wow, there was excitement and the boob tube was full of its praises. Oprah and Larry King had specials and blogs were all pumped up. And yet, poof the air came out as millions of people got no tangible results. Why?

"the mind is like a 3 year old, it can be having a blast one day and then the next day it can't hardly remember what all the fuss was about"

Our minds have just too much information pouring in and most of it we are not aware of. First there are our thoughts and then the thoughts of everyone else. Friends, family, co-workers, customers, strangers etc. Toss in radio, TV, papers, magazines and the internet and our poor little brains are bombarded with information overload. So we do whats easy and natural...we give up control.

"men are not born ignorant and stupid.....you have to watch a hell of a lot of TV to get that way"

But fear not, I've made an incredible discovery! Brain control will soon be yours. I will teach you how to TWEET YOUR BRAIN! You will gain more control of your mind in a fun and easy way. Sound too good to be true? (probably is but what the heck, it's worth a try).

So come back tomorrow and all will be revealed!

Smile, it looks good on you!

Eduardo

"who was the first guy to look at a cow and say to himself....I think I'll squeeze those pink dangling things and see what comes out? And then I'll convince others to drink the stuff" (unkown)

Paradox #1

"the greatest lesson in life is that....it's not about you"

I've believed for some time now that the Cosmic Jokester (some of you call him God) left a clear path to obtaining everything. In fact you could think of it as a fun easy game we call 'LIFE'. The Cosmic Jokester didn't want to strain your little brain too much, so he made it easy and put the answers right under our noses.

"the answer to everything can be found in a paradox"

A paradox is a seemingly contradictory or even absurd statement that expresses a possible truth. For instance consider this; the best way to impress someone is to be impressed with them. Or, 'the best leaders are the one's that serve others'. You get the idea!This is an emerging concept for me, so don't bother asking me to develop a paradox for every problem you have. Just go look for one yourself. The Cosmic Jokester didn't put me here to provide you a short cut, just to explain the rules.

"life was never meant to be hard and difficult, but rather like a gentle stroll down a tropical beach"

To most that would sound like an absurd statement. But I'm willing to wager that if your thought about for a long while you would start to find a grain of truth in that seemingly absurd idea. "if you only learn one thing about life...learn this

"It's not about you!

If you are looking for the solution to obtaining; happiness, abundance, business success, acceptance, love, recognition or for that matter anything. All you need to know is the greatest paradox...it's not about you. Now put that in your pipe and smoke it!And grasshopper when you've deciphered this paradox, your life will be instantanously easier and more abundant. Then you can join me on the beach!

Smile, the Cosmic Jokester (and Eduardo) are on your side!



Eduardo

P.S. If you are like many and think I'm a little nuts, then I will make you a challenge. Print the card you see above or write it on a card and put it where you will see it daily. Just think about it and after a week, I'm betting you will be a little nuts as well (and happier)

10 Things I wish knew when I was younger

"youth is wasted on the young"

Wouldn't it be nice if we hadn't made so many mistakes in our past? Some things it seems we just have to learn the hard way. But others we learn through experience and we can pass it on to our kids or others. Here are some of those things that I wished I'd known earlier in my life....

1. Everything is easier than you think.

2. Everything takes longer and costs more than you think.

3. Whatever you want to do, has probably been done by someone successfully before, so if you can get their advice in person or from a book you will save time, money and grief.

4. No matter how complicated something is, it can be broken down into simplier parts.

5. Always ask yourself....who can help?

6. Small gradual improvements (Kaizen theory) can lead to big and impressive results.
7. Spend less than you make (enough said)

8. Take more risks. I'm not talking about betting the family farm on the stock market. Doing things like public speaking can be a terrific high and worth the risk. Or how about starting that business you've dreamed about. We all would benefit from getting outside our comfort zone occasionally.

9. It's not who you know that counts, it's who you know that likes you.

10. When life gives you lemons....make a margarita!

Ok, now its your turn to pass on some wisdom! Tell us what you wished you had learned years ago.

Eduardo

P.S. And when your sweetie asks you if she looks fat in that dress....suck up your courage, look lovingly into her eyes and...... LIE!

Good Times straight ahead

"everything is not as it seems...it is much better"

Ok, I admit that sometimes even I don't feel like I believe myself. But just when the economic news is getting to me, along comes the latest research from teenagers. I have to admit, I didn't see this coming....

Today's teens less likely to drink, smoke or take drugs!

Yep, that wasn't a typo or me dreaming in technocolor, you read it right. The kids are actually learning something from all their parents nagging. Here are some of things revealed in a study of 4,500 teens by the University of Lethbridge;

* 8 out of 10 teens receive a high level of enjoyment from their mothers
* 7 out of 10 teens receive a high level of enjoyment from their fathers.
* 56% of teens have never had sex (up from 51% in 2000)
* They smoke less
* Less likely to drink or take drugs

The future is bright!

Todays teens are optimistic about the future. They foresee; large happy families, stable marriages and jobs that they want and not merely good jobs. A shocking 95% of teens believe they will get to where they want in life. In short they have some kind of a 'hope chip' embedded in their little skulls.

Phew!

That makes me feel better....now all I have to do is convince Mom and Dad to quit worrying and get on with the realization that.....

"everything is not as it seems....it is much better"

Smile, the trick to life is in growing up without growing old!

Eduardo

Zen

"to be calm while others are losing

their heads is an incredible advantage"

I've been reading a couple of books about Zen Buddism and am fascinated with the benefits and teachings of it. I'm not about to become a disciple or try to convert you to anything. I do though find some value in it for me. I think we are all in need of a little extra serenity and calm in our lives. This seems like a valid path.

Research is increasingly showing that we have too much stimulation in our lives. Stress levels are getting out of control especially with the current world economic situation. And when things aren't going our way we pile on worry, another negative emotion.

So whether we listen to calming music, take a walk in the park or meditate, we need some way of calming ourselves and decreasing the stimulation. This is especially true if you live in an urban setting. It's near impossible to think clearly when our brains are over-loaded with stimulation.

Just like we need sleep to rest our bodies and mind, we also need calm during our day to refresh and recharge the mind. Think of it as an adult recess break. The key here is to slow down the stimulation.

"he who is of a calm and happy nature,

will hardly feel the pressure of age,

but to him who is of an opposite disposition,

youth and age are an equal burden" Plato

Smile, who knew...doing nothing was the answer again?

Eduardo

BONUS; I was standing in the park wondering why Frisbee's got bigger as they got closer. Then it hit me! (unknown)

How I define a really good day

"To laugh often and much;

to win the respect of intelligent people

and the affection of children.

To leave the world a better place

to know even one life has breathed

easier because you have lived.

This is to have succeeded"

That is a pretty good definition of a life well lived by old Ralph Waldo Emerson. I don't think I can improve on that. But I've been thinking about how I would describe a successful day as opposed to a sucessful life like Waldo did. So then here is how I describe a successful day for me...

1. To have learned something new

2. To have completed an act of kindness

3. To have had some fun

That shouldn't be that hard for me to do. I enjoy learning and reading. I have a naturally inquisitive mind. And those that know me will agree that there is a ton I need to learn.

An act of kindness can be as simple as smiling at a homeless person or holding the door for someone. I don't want to set the daily bar too high. I wrote this a long time ago to remind myself of how little effort it takes to be kind;

insignificant effort

a kind gesture

a smile

a gentle touch

to a wounded soul

your insignificant effort

can mean so much

to the lonely

to the depressed

feelings are intense

your karma echoes

you changed the world

the psychic reward

will be immense

Now for my final point of having daily fun, I am pleased to report that I have this one mastered. As long as I have friends that make easy for me to make fun of I'll breeze through this requirement. As the buddist's say....laughter is the language of the God's. And I must be on a first name basis with them.

So there you have it, how I describe a really good day. Now if you'll excuse me, I have a very important task ahead of me.....I need to go have some fun!

Smile and remember what the billionaire guy Warren Buffett said....it's only when the tide goes out that you know who was swimming naked!

Eduardo

Still amusing myself....

I am easily amused

"the guy who can laugh at himself, is always amused"

It seems to me that a lot of folks make their lives a lot more difficult than it need be. Life is full of disappointment and things that disgust us. But this doesn't need to be so. We can choose to be amused instead.

Imagine what our lives would be like if we chose to replace our tendencies to react with anger and disgust and replaced it with amusement. We would always be in control. Also, it would position us to take advantage of most any situation. The gal who is easily amused doesn't carry around a lot of stress.

"everything amuses great minds"

They say small things amuse small minds, but big minds are amused by everything. I figure this must be the gateway to enlightenment. The person who is enlightened becomes an observer and not a just a reactor to life. It's hard to think clear when we are angry or disgusted but not so when we are amused. In a state of amusement we don't have need to take everything so personally.

"we learn best when amused"

I always remember my favorite teacher in school. He was a bit of a goofball and it was easy to see that his students amused him greatly. I also got my best grades in his classes. He may have been the only teacher I ever had as a kid who didn't tell my mom, I was always daydreaming in his class. I'm thinking now, he was onto something!

"the easiest way to control the masses is to amuse them"

I've been watching with great interest how popular the President Barack Obama has become all over the world. His humor and big smile seem to melt sceptical minds all over. I find it amusing to watch him on TV. I'm guessing I'm not alone.

We can, if we try be amused at most anything. And to prove my point, just read this and ponder....

"the statistics on sanity, are that 1 out of every 4 people suffer from mental illness. Look at your 3 best friends. If they're ok, then it's you" (Rita Mae Brown)

"I have great faith in fools....my friends call it self confidence" (Edgar Allan Poe)

Smile, I'm easily amused!

Eduardo