Transform Your Thinking with Ed Watters

Transform Your Thinking Theme Song

Doing is perhaps the most crucial step in turning our dreams into reality. Without action, our dreams will remain just that – dreams. It is important to take concrete steps towards our goals, even if they are small at first. Every action brings us closer to our desired outcome and helps us stay motivated along the way.

Social engagement plays a crucial role in enhancing our overall well-being and mental health. When we actively participate in our community, interact with others, and form connections, we are more likely to experience feelings of belonging and support. These social interactions can provide us with a sense of purpose and fulfillment, ultimately contributing to our happiness and emotional resilience.

Conversely, when we react to others with anger, judgment, or hostility, we are more likely to foster a negative mindset that can lead to feelings of resentment, bitterness, and unhappiness. Our reactions to others have the power to shape our thoughts and emotions, influencing how we perceive the world around us.

When we are feeling desperate, it can be easy to overlook warning signs or rationalize behavior that we would not otherwise engage in. By acknowledging the potential impact of desperation on our decision-making abilities, we can better prepare ourselves to respond thoughtfully in challenging situations.

Mycelium: The Hidden Network Beneath Our Feet Beneath the surface of the earth lies a hidden network that connects plants in ways we never imagined. Mycelium, the intricate web of fungal threads, acts as an underground highway system, transporting essential nutrients between plant roots. This symbiotic relationship nurtures the collective growth of the entire community, highlighting the interconnectedness of all living beings.

Kindness is a virtue that can have a profound impact on our thoughts and actions

communication   A process by which information is exchanged between individuals through a common system of symbols, signs, or behavior.   a technique for expressing ideas effectively (as in speech)   In relationships The couple, who have been married since September 1985, says their relationship works because their communication is strong.   At the workplace Internally, fostering open communication among teams can drive innovation, engagement, and customer satisfaction.   How do we communicate? the technology of the transmission of information (as by print or telecommunication or Podcasting and mainly in person) *** Gestural Communication It's not an oral communication. It's body language, eye contact, the grinning, the little signals that go on between people. ***   In print format If the book is good and even if one is reading to oneself, what is happening is a very special sort of social event, a communication between writer and reader.       Listening Listening is one of the most important parts of communication as it helps you understand the perspective of the communicator and effectively engage with them. The process of any communication places a crucial value on listening correctly and responding appropriately.

Dealing with temptations   Many things in life can be hard. For me dealing with temptation is one of the hardest things in life. After many years of addictive behaviors in my lifestyle, I began to discover how lonely temptation can make you feel. I found that I could be happier when I focused on more meaningful details of my life, other than the things that pleased my addictive behaviors. I spent countless hours on things that had no value or meaning, I thought I was having a great time, but the whole time I was running from my fears and misunderstandings. When we are unwilling to see our patterns, life can become ugly. You are always in control and should be willing to adjust behaviors, that means we need to deal with temptations. After struggling my whole life with the inability to control my temptations, I got to a point where I felt confused, dirty, and alone with all my struggles. I felt like no one could understand how I was feeling. All I knew was that I was in a place I didn’t like. When the discomfort hits, it’s like a warning signal that you should listen to. This leads us to the question of, how you fight the overwhelming signals of temptations. When you are deep in the behavior pattern, it can be extremely difficult to overcome temptation. So, let's list a few ways to help overcome temptation. Change what you are doing. Start new routines. Educate yourself on your temptations. Talk with someone about it. Find a support system or network. Be kind to yourself. Find your passion in life and follow it. Find friends that don’t have the patterns that you need to avoid. Keep a journal of your journey and look back at your growth. And for number 10. Keep a positive mindset. We can find many ways to fight temptation, all we must do is take the initiative to do something better for us and the people around us. Now the big question is, when is the right time to start your journey to a temptation-free life? Think about it!

Becoming your passion requires dedication and commitment. It means putting in the time and effort to cultivate your skills and knowledge in order to excel in your chosen field. It also means overcoming obstacles and setbacks along the way, as pursuing your passion is not always easy. However, the rewards of following your passion far outweigh the challenges.

In times of crisis, such as natural disasters or economic downturns, people frequently set aside their differences and work together towards the greater good. This sense of unity is evident as communities come together to provide help and support to those in need, demonstrating the remarkable resilience and compassion that emerge during tough times.

Greed is hurting people! It is way past time that we begin thinking about our greed epidemic. As a boy in the early 1970s, I was raised in an impoverished family. Believe me when I tell you that I have witnessed poverty. I remember fighting over blankets to stay warm on those icy cold December through February nights in our 100+-year-old home without insulation in the walls. I remember the happy thoughts when the commodity box showed up! Let’s say it like this, I understand what it’s like to be cold and hungry. I learned early on to work hard for what I wanted. I remember the summer I worked at the carnival for the first time, I worked so hard that I came home after they paid me and fell into a deep sleep. I woke early that day eager to start the plans that I had for my hard-earned money, just to be slammed with the reality that my money was taken from my pants on the floor as I slept. Poverty will make people do strange and yes, some bad things. I remind you that the struggle is real! I remember the year that I was told as a boy, “You're not having a Christmas tree this year.” The reason given was that we didn’t have the money to get a tree. My young, impoverished mind told me the answer was to take one that wasn’t mine. Life can give you lessons from the worst of situations. The person who followed me home to retrieve his tree, gave me one of the biggest blessings, and at the same time I’m sure to this day was the best lesson I ever learned. How to empathize with others. I have learned how poverty sends most impoverished people down a road of desperation mindset. Most Impoverished people tend to watch people who have obtained what appears to be wealth and happiness and turn it into an inappropriate thought. This is a cycle that many get stuck in. Why? I will say this “The greed of a few will affect many!” It is time to think about the greed epidemic causing many problems in our world. I have been thinking about this for over 50 years now, and my conclusion is that the social and economic structure has been made by some very greedy people. Think about this, what you might be thinking about the situation in our world, could be manufactured to keep others from a positive mindset. If you want to heal our world, end the greed! Think about it.

What keeps you going? Losing sight of your dream is a definite drain on our emotions. I see more now than ever how easy it is for many people to give up on their dreams. I also found that this is a major factor that keeps me going. I think it’s important to understand the reasons why we do the things that we do. Do you recognize why you do the things you do? So many people give up on dreams because they forget why the dream is important, or maybe the dream was never their dream at all, therefore it never had any importance to them. Sometimes the dreams that we have can be difficult, this is why it is important to understand what keeps you going. What are the driving factors that will make you overcome the challenges that you face? We need to ensure that our focus is aligned with our “why,” this is another thing that will keep us going. I think the more important your “Thing” is, the likelihood of us continuing increases. This should be considered whenever we are planning for our success. So, centering our dreams or goals around our interests will help us increase the motivation to keep us going. The real eye-opener is that you can do anything if your why is your foundation. This is the point in our thinking when we ask ourselves, am I happy, and do I need to change what I am doing? I want to be very clear with this statement. Life is short! Are you here to make everyone happy? Or are you spinning your wheels? The longer you chase someone else’s dream, the longer you will experience the feelings of being incomplete. The quicker you stop wanting everyone to like you and turn that intense concentration onto the “Thing” that will make you happy, the quicker you can discover what you have been missing. When you are about to quit, ask yourself, what keeps you going? If it is important enough, nothing or no one will keep you from doing it. Conclusion: Time is short, apply your energy and focus on the important things in your life. Money and fame are never the things that will keep you going.

Ed emphasizes the strength of compassion and understanding, urging viewers to reconsider their methods of resolving conflicts. He underscores the significance of personal accountability and the choice of benevolence over reprisal. 1. Overview The discussion centers on the concept of retaliation and its cyclical nature in society. Emphasis is placed on the importance of compassion, understanding personal reactions, and fostering healing through thoughtful responses. 2. Action Items - None specified. 3. Topics   The Cycle of Wronging Each Other  - Explores the idea that "two wrongs will never make a right." - Discusses the prevalence of retaliation and its impact on societal interactions. - Advocates for compassion and the importance of pausing before reacting to promote healing.

Episode 2 of TYT

How Can My Actions Change the World? One Action at A Time! Wouldn’t it be amazing if we all had an answer to “How do we change the world?” As you can guess by the title of this thought transformation, the answer is simple. At the very core of all of us is a need to get along and to be accepted by others. This is the very reason why many of us feel a little off as we face our daily challenges as well. When we are children, we are in learning mode 100% of the time, as we get older that shifts into what we know and recognize as truth. The reason we feel a little off is because, we often do not agree with what we are facing in our daily challenges. Many times, our reaction to our challenges come from learned behaviors, and this is where we must start. Actions come from the choices that we make. If we allow our bad habits from our past experiences to influence our choices, we seldom see any type of growth out of the choices that we make. To help you visualize this better, let me say it like this. Every action will always create some kind of reaction, if you through a rock into a pond, you will always see ripples created from the rock hitting the water. As is when you make a choice and follow through with that choice, what ripples are you creating? So, if we can take the time to understand how we respond we could help reduce the ripples from our choices. Our action will always affect someone, ask yourself, will that be something good? Choice is yours, not the crowd that you might be trying to fit into. So many of us choose to take advantage of someone else, to make it easier on ourselves. We have allowed this behavior to become normal and accepted, is this the change that you want to see? Your actions can and should be changing the world one action at a time. If you want to feel good and have a sense of pride, you will consider understanding yourself better and taking an active part in becoming a better person. When we take this type of action, others will watch our growth and will then start emulating this behavior.  It is how change happens, when the right influencer sees you and starts spreading what you are doing, you have started to change the world.

Change is a long game. It all starts with a thought.  When we transform our thoughts, we transform our world.  Let's start with today's transformation.  Let's start it right now.      Let's think about change.  Change is a long game. It's not something that's going to happen overnight in many cases. And I'm talking about transformational change. This means self-help, personal development, growth in areas that you lack.   Let's understand that when we start these journeys of change, we really want to change now and we get discouraged when we have these hiccups, these burps, these moments in time where we lack judgment. You've got to be tender on yourself at the same time being strict with yourself. It's a love hate relationship. When we go into change, if we really truly want to transform, expect to take baby steps and expect to fall many times. Just like when we learn to walk for the first time. We're going to trip, we're going to fall and changes just like that.   Also, when we take the time to reflect during these periods of change, we can see transformation actually happens over long periods of time.   These periods of change, they bring up really troubled thoughts, really troubled times. And yes, we have to sort it all out. We have to weed through the garden, if you will. If there's a bad weed, it's going to take nutrients from other plants in your garden that needs that vital nutrients. So just like a muddy shoe walking down a path, it gets caked with mud, it gets heavy.   A lot of the times we have to stop, we have to wipe that mud off and then our journey gets lighter. We've got to do that with people, places and things.  Really take an inventory on those things. People, places and things that are about your life surrounding you every day.  This is where change comes. And you know the important thing to remember is the only person that can initiate change in personal development is yourself. Don't expect someone else to hold you accountable. Don't expect somebody to hold your hand and nurse you through this change. Either you want it or you don't, and that's critical to understand when you start your journey down the path of change.   It's going to hurt and it's going to feel like you want to give up. But I can tell you, after many years of this transformative change for myself, it gets easier. And boy, pretty soon you're running down the path and you're taking your shoes off so you don't collect as much mud. The mud just flies off. It's just like that. And you have to take time to nurture yourself through the early stages of change.    Be easy on yourself, but yet be accountable. This is what change is about. And if you truly want change, you can't change without the accountability.   So long game is the focus here.   To conclude, change does not happen overnight.  Change feels random at times. Change feels odd. It feels different and many times when we feel threatened by difference, that's when we give up.   I'm telling you, change is a long game. Don't give up and give yourself the leeway to fall a few times. Every expert knows it takes time to get it right, but once you do get it right, boy, you're flying, baby. And keep on going, I'll see you next time.

Remember, Shame and Guilt are warning signs!   What are shame and guilt? I’m not talking about shaming! (That’s for another day.) Shame 1 a: a painful emotion caused by the consciousness of guilt. b: the susceptibility to such emotion – Such as, have you no shame? 2 : a condition of humiliating disgrace or disrepute – Such as, the shame of being arrested. 3 a: something that brings censure or  reproach also: something to be regretted. b: a cause of feeling shame   Guilt 1 : the fact of having committed a breach of conduct, especially violating the law and involving a penalty – Such as, A jury will determine the defendant's guilt or innocence. or broadly: guilty conduct 2 a: the state of one who has committed an offense especially consciously. Such as, His guilt was evident all over his face. b: feelings of deserving blame, especially for imagined offenses or from a sense of inadequacy.   https://podcreations.website

The phrase "steady at the helm" is used to describe someone who is in charge or has the command, like steering a ship. It can also refer to having strong, unwavering discipline and control. *** Today more than ever we need to be steady at the helm. Right now, we are in a political season, although it seems that we have been in a “Political Season” for many years now and we are seeing the backlash of our lack of discipline and control. I’m sure that many of you understand what I mean when I say this. For this reason, we need to look at what has been driving us to be so immature in our responsibilities, you can see it everywhere and it is getting dangerous. As we age, we worry about our long-term safety and security. This alone can make the decisions we have to make harder as we watch the fabric of our institutions crumble and become more openly distorted. We are bearing witness to the immoral boundaries being rapidly overtaken by forces that have no allegiance to anything other than greed and the lack of good morals. It is time for strong, unwavering discipline and control. Have you looked at the national debt clock lately? Where do you see disciplines and control? As we witness the circumstances, it should make you pause with great concern. Have you witnessed the lack of discipline and control in our Justice system, letting petty crimes sore as they narrow the focus of all departments to political-style attacks? I could go on for hours about how our systems and institutions are failing in so many ways. Every one of the issues we face should be about the safety and security of each one of us, however, we have let the wrong influence take control of every aspect of our societies. This topic is a big one to talk about, and that is why we need to bring back some Sand, Grit, and backbone to our way of life. The easy convenient lifestyle is by choice! Just think about that.  

As many people along with myself. Saying reflection is a must to better ourselves. It's time to do a little bit of thinking on that concept. I think we really need to go further. With this. Reflection is great. It's how we grow. However. I think you need reflection. With accountability. This is extremely important. A lot of people live in a bubble that they create. Because they never. Get accountability for their reflection. What do I mean by that? A lot of us, we find comfort in understanding. Ourselves. However, we can't truly understand ourselves. If we don't listen to the people around us. These people that we interact with day-to-day. We need to reflect with their impression also. We need to find out what people think about us in order to understand. How we truly are. Or what some perceive us to be. Is it a facade? Are you being somebody who you're not? This is the trap that many people get. Stuck in? They reflect. But they only reflect on those things that they remember how they see things. This is dangerous if you truly want to fix yourself. You've got to incorporate the thoughts of others. For instance. My wife and I, we've been through some roller coasters, ups and downs. It's part of life. However. When I started down the journey of self-discovery. Self-help. In transformation. I was trying to reflect. On the way I saw things. How I understood things. This was a trap. And I got stuck in this for quite some time. And then I realized. It's part of the roller coaster. If you do not. Listen to others how they see. What went on in your life? You're just going to loop back until you fix it. It's a perpetual cycle that can't be ignored. Many of us. Want to ignore? What we can't take? We can't take. And sometimes taking criticism. About us. We find that offensive. This itself is a trap. Sometimes criticism is offensive, and sometimes that criticism should not be there. Constructive criticism. Comes from those closest to you. I remember getting mad a few times. When I was put in check with my attitude. However. Nothing was going to change until I accepted. That other people saw the other side of the coin. And I needed to really incorporate that into my understanding to get a full entire picture of how things happen in my past. This way I can direct a better a brighter future that is better for myself and the people around me. Reflection is very important and I think it's vital that we all incorporate what those people that are closest to us. Really think about us. And you should have these conversations. You should find out. What people think of you? And, you know, often I say I don't care what people think of me, and that is true. However. There's also falseness to that because it's important to understand what people think of you. Because it's the only way to get a well-rounded picture of who you truly are. So yes. I say reflect often. Reflect. With accountability. Bring those closest to you into your conversation. And bring accountability. To what you're trying. To change. You will be amazed. At how far you will go. Once you accept. The other side of the coin. Reflection. With accountability. I'll see next time.

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Each of us has our ideas of what a winner is. Sometimes I look at what is presented to us as a winner, and I am shocked. It makes me wonder how we got to this thinking and how far can this kind of thought go. Winning is never about the prize or the praise, although it does help when we are recognized for our overall performance. Winners understand how many losses come with just a single win. Overcoming all the obstacles that hold us back from that ultimate win, is what a win is all about. Winners should never brag about winning, but we find people bragging about the simple wins and never really finding an understanding of how the win came. Don’t get me wrong here, being proud and sharing your win with others is not a bad thing, but if we allow our ego to take over a lot of the time it can go way too far. Winners are eager to help others that might be following the same path as you have. This is a big part of winning! Taking time to give back is a great way to help improve not only yourself but the people around you who might need your help. So often in our world today this simple practice is forgotten or overlooked to pursue a little extra for themselves. Winners do not gossip or talk about others to find acceptance from others. If you find yourself engaging in such behavior, ask yourself why and be aware of your behavior. If you find yourself around people who are engaging in this behavior, understand that what you allow yourself to be around is what you will become. So, ask yourself, are you a winner? The choices that we make in every situation are what tell us if we are. Healthy choices will help us set healthy boundaries and in turn, you will find yourself feeling more like a winner and ultimately will allow us to love and forgive more. Conclusion: Being a winner happens every day not just during some competition. The struggle is real, and it happens to all of us. Being aware of what we are always doing and making the best choices that we can, is one way to know that you are in the right competition.

When we think of a garden people's minds tend to have such a different idea of what a garden is. And as we get deeper into spring and summer, many of us will find ourselves in the garden. Today I want to concentrate on a garden because I feel that we can miss so many things that we would never associate with a garden. For me, a garden is a place of healing, relaxation, contemplation, and most of all a place to help me get closer to nature and God. I find myself picturing the relationship that Adam had with God in the garden, and it makes me more understanding of my faults or even weakness. A garden can be whatever you want it to be, all it takes is action. That might sound a little cliché, however, let's take a deeper dive and see. You see, I feel a garden is about a place that you are at peace in, when you can feel at peace it is a mental garden that we should nurture and care for, protecting it at all costs. When we first start building our garden, it is very easy to make simple mistakes that can feel devastating, however, it is the joy of learning that we can’t fully understand as we are making the mistake. I often associate a garden with life and how we must take the time and care to build the dream that we see for our garden or lives. This is when we can turn what we perceive as a failure into the building blocks of our foundations. Dreams just like gardens take time to mature into that beautiful garden or life of our dreams. Never rush a long-term plan. Many times, in life just like the garden we might start building what we see as the best way to achieve our long-term outcome, however, about halfway through it the plans must change to get the desired outcome for the long term. Change is never going to be easy, and yes it can through a few wrinkles in your day or even year. This is the time when we can take a moment and enjoy the beauty, taking the time to reflect can revitalize you and give you that boost you might need. When we start changing our thinking on what life is and why we are here, we can start living the dream life that we are inspired by. Life is just like a garden, what we do with it is what it will respond with. The size or the amount you receive from your garden is all in the planning and preparations. The plan can change but the garden never happens if you don’t put the work in and start one. When you have a desire to put meaning and order into your life, it will always require personal commitment and action. Conclusion: The sooner you see your life becoming a beautiful garden, the sooner your dream will come true. All it takes is one step at a time, and remember, never count the steps, reflect on and enjoy the steps!

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Living a balanced life   For the last year or so I have been putting a lot of focus on living a more balanced life. After going through three family deaths in the last year, I found myself looking at how I was spending my time and I found that I was not living a balanced life for many years now. I found that I was letting many things get in my way of living a balanced life. I love to look or more like take an inventory from time to time of how my life is going. I feel that it is very important for us to be honest with ourselves and understand the things that we should shift or pivot from and make the necessary changes needed in our lives from time to time. So, here we are today looking at the pivots that I need in my life. For the last 15 or even 20 years, I have dedicated myself to strict change in my life ranging from both physical and mental health and most importantly my relationship with my wife. This transformation sent shockwaves through every aspect of my life; it made me examine so many things that I have avoided for so many years. What I needed the most in my life was balance, a concept that I found novice. Back to my recent reflection, I am at a point in my life where I deal with so much physical pain that it is extremely important to have a good balance, or things get out of hand fast. I found that I was spending too much of my time on things that didn’t matter in the slightest. Sometimes worrying about things that are out of my control. I love podcasts I found a great comfort in the therapeutic aspects it brought. However, I am discovering some things that I need to cut from my life that involve podcasting So that I can find a better balance in my life. Now that I understand the things that have been making me feel unbalanced, it is up to me to make the changes needed. Sometimes this is easier said than done. It can be difficult to pivot from the status quo, but as we start the needed transitions, a great weight falls from us, and we tend to start feeling more energized and ready to step into the next phase of our lives.   Conclusion. Even when you think that everything is going fine in your life, it is important to do the hard work and tell on yourself. And after you do the discovery work, take it a step further with accountability. Sometimes we are the only ones who can discover how lost we truly are. Challenge yourself with a personal audit and change the hard things in your life.

It all starts with accepting who and what we are. This never means that you can’t climb out of the struggles that plague you. Every second that I have wasted chasing more than I was, just added to the misery and suffering that had plagued me for so many years. Chasing money and thinking that the money would fix all my problems when the rat race of chasing money was indeed the very thing causing most of the problems. You know, what I have found is that you are so much happier when you choose to be who and what you are at that point and time in your life. Once we decide to do this all the stress and every other emotion that is tied to the chase melt away, we start to think with clear intentions, and our focus shifts to becoming a better person eager to improve ourselves. This is when our choices become clear, and our judgment tends to be much better. When we need something, it is so much better when we keep our budget in mind and the focus can then become a bartering tool. For example, I came to a point when I needed a truck but had no way to just go buy a truck. This can make you feel desperate and make you do things that might not be wise. I was presented with an offer to buy a truck from a person who knows me. I told him that I could not give him what he was asking, and I told him the amount that I could pay him, and he said that he couldn’t do that so I said that I was fine with that and that I would just wait and keep looking for what I could afford. It was a couple of weeks later that this person called me and said that he would accept my offer. The bottom line is if I can’t, I don’t. However, it doesn’t mean that I can’t do it. This is the place most people get in trouble; they are willing to put themselves at risk when they shouldn’t. Look at the rate of credit card debt in America and around the world. It appears that everyone is so far in debt that it is affecting them negatively.  It’s clear we have a problem when it comes to controlling ourselves and living within our means. Our pride is more important than our health and safety. Conclusion: When we choose to stop competing with the Joneses and focus on growing our wealth at a more manageable rate for where we are in our life journey, life can and will get better. If you don’t have it put the work in to achieve it. Stop thinking that you driving a brand-new automobile is a right. This is a privilege after many hours of hard work.

Gratitude is made up of two components. The first is, the state of being grateful / which means (appreciative of benefits received.) The second is,  THANKFULNESS: which means (conscious of benefit received.) expressed gratitude for their support.   Gratitude is a gift that is often overlooked in our modern day. The other day, I witnessed an incident where a homeless person was offered $5. Now, the funny thing is, the homeless person rejected the $5 gift and replied, “That’s not enough.”   What kind of a world do we live in where we lose the ability to be grateful for the benefits that we receive, the kindness from others? This is disruptive in many ways and very alarming at the same time in our society. When we feel that we are so entitled and that we are above the help because it’s not enough, that’s when we’ve hit critical mass.   It’s time to really wake up. To be thankful is a wonderful thing. Once you can be thankful, you can start giving because you have the gratitude and that state of being grateful. Once you find that, it’s like finding out that you already have enough.   I really ask that we look at ourselves and how leavened we are and puffed up in our society today. It’s fast-paced, it’s disposable, and it’s very harming to all of us. When we find ourselves without gratitude, we find ourselves without care. That, my friends, is a very dangerous place to be.   People throw around the term narcissistic, narcissism all the time, and many of the times we hear those terms coming from individuals, they themselves are suffering from narcissistic behaviors. We find ourselves now living in a very competitive world. Sometimes, the competition is way overboard, and this is part of the world that we are living in today.   Every day that you wake up, it’s a gift. Are you grateful for it? Each time you get a nice clean drink of water, it’s a gift. Are you grateful for it? Every time you have the luxury of a decent night’s sleep, it’s a gift. Are you grateful for it?   When someone takes time out of their busy day to offer you help and you show a lack of gratitude, it dismisses humanity and it makes the person offering that support second guess himself or herself the next time. How is it that we can be so bloated that we cannot accept a portion? That’s what it’s all about really, is portions. It’s about, can you handle the portion that you receive?   If you don’t have gratitude for what you receive, how can you handle the portions that you receive? When someone offers you a portion, be very thankful. It’s a promise of new beginnings. It’s hope for a brighter future. It’s a promise for a better tomorrow.   How can we battle this lack of gratitude? Some simple things that you can do: make a list of things that you’re grateful for, keep a daily diary and list at least one thing you’re thankful for each day, say thank you to people when they do something for you or when they say something nice to you, and most important of all, tell people how you appreciate them when they help you.   It’s up to each and every one of us to make this a better world, and really, this is one of the major issues that we have to fight and battle and face each and every day because all of us feel kind of belittled in some way. But I’m here to tell you that you’re precious and you are very valuable to our world. We need you, and most of all, we need each other.   Let’s learn to be grateful and show gratitude where we need to the most. It starts with you.    

Someone who smiles at you is not always a friend. A friend is your buddy, your pal, your amigo, your comrade. You know, someone you trust and like enough to hang out with regularly.   Noun.   A person you know well and regard with affection and trust. “he was my best friend at the university”   Friendship is the state of being friends with someone. A good job, good health, and romantic love are important, but without real friendship, your life might not feel complete.   Let’s face it, it’s hard to find good friends in today's world, and it’s becoming more difficult to understand who your true friends are. We live in a very different world today than when I was growing up. When did we lose sight of the importance of friendships? A friend is not someone who talks about you or others when they are not present to defend themselves. A friend is not someone who will intentionally mislead you or cause harm to come to you. A friend is not someone who will ask you to do illegal things. A friend is not someone who always takes advantage of your kindness.   Let’s face it, someone who smiles at you is not always a friend. This is why it is so important to hold friends accountable for all the things a friend is not. If you find yourself in a situation where you are not being treated as a friend by someone who is supposed to be a friend, call them on it! The danger of a fake friend is unmeasurable when we dive into some of the emotional hardships that we might be subject to under such a relationship and only God knows how deep the triggers will take you. I want to be very open with you about this, for myself, I have no friends. I do have many acquaintances in my life but that is as far as I will express my relationships. I only have one true friend and that is my wife. She is the only one who ever comes anywhere close to the definition of what a friend should be. For many years I called everyone a friend, then I started feeling drained and overworked and yes even used to the point of no return. People tend not to have a very good sense of boundaries when it comes to friendship. They often feel that it is your duty as a friend to cater to their every wish. This is not a friendship! It will always be up to you to set healthy boundaries so you can experience a happier lifestyle. Take some time and think about who you are calling a friend. Do they measure up to the definition of a friend? You need to take charge of who you let in your circle. Even if you don’t have any friends and they are just people that you know. It is up to you to make sure that the energy that you have is used for things and people that make you happy. Don’t let people tap into your energy for their benefit unless they are willing to do the same for you. Conclusion: Friends are there to be a part of your journey through this thing that we call life, they are the ones that will still be with you after the hard things in life. Most of all do not just call anyone your friend, make them understand what a friend should be and hold them to it.

Fitting in is hard. Embrace yourself at that moment.

Do you chase money because you feel that it signals knowledge? Money does not make you smart! However, Smart choices can make you money. People say that money is the root of all evil, but that’s not a true statement. The truth is the love of money is the root of all evil.   Why Successful People Hide- Grant Cardone https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y7zidvG2FL4   The Dark Truth About Jane Greer's Life Under Howard Hughes' Control https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-uNiUHZ-Wmg  

What is it? For our use today, let’s understand. Respect is used as a verb. 1: to consider worthy of high regard. 2: to refrain from interfering with. As in please respect their privacy ------------------------------------------------ REGARD, RESPECT, ESTEEM, and ADMIRE all mean to recognize the worth of a person or thing.   REGARD is a general term that is usually qualified. As in he is highly regarded in the profession.   RESPECT implies a considered evaluation or estimation. As in after many years they came to respect her views.   ESTEEM implies greater warmth of feeling accompanying a high valuation. As in no citizen of the town was more highly esteemed.   ADMIRE suggests usually enthusiastic appreciation and often deep affection. As in a friend that I truly admire.   I have a great concern as we progress into our modern world. As we witness the ways of our old world crumble to make way for a more progressive ideology, we can witness a decrease in everyone's respect they might have for others and even private property rights. The lack of respect for people's unalienable rights keeps growing at an alarming rate. This should make us all pause and examine some of the underlying conditions causing this lack of respect in our culture. We are now living in a world full of narcissistic personalities concerned with nothing more than what makes them feel good, jacked up on fame and fortune that most people will never attain anyway. When we look deeper at this, we can see how many skilled individuals get told, that they don’t have what it takes, so they simply give up and never attain that higher potential they feel inside of them. The lack of respect for themselves makes them seek approval from the very people that cause most of the problems in our world today.   Respect is an odd thing, so many think that they should automatically receive respect, in most cases because of position or title. This is so far from the truth! Respect is earned and yes, we all understand that when we first meet someone, we offer a certain amount of respect as a gesture of friendship, and it has been a societal trend in most cases. Respect is the glue that holds it all together. Another thing about respect is that if you don’t respect yourself first, it is highly likely that you will never respect anything or anyone. If you do not respect yourself, ask yourself what is holding you back from holding yourself worthy of high regard. This is the first step in your recovery process. Learn to respect yourself. So, how do we learn to respect ourselves? This starts with setting healthy boundaries. Respect itself is a healthy boundary. When we learn to set boundaries, it allows our self-confidence to grow and in turn, our self-respect grows as well. When we learn how to make the right choices not based solely on the need to fit in or please anyone. Boundaries will help us grow in ways that we would never have thought were possible before. When we build our confidence, we feel better about who we are and that allows us to respect others as well. It is time that we all face the fact that we need to stand firm on our rights and abilities. This means that we should educate ourselves and understand our world better. When we are educated on the topics that drive our world, we will feel better about how and why we interact with our world. We must take pride in our abilities and not let others undermine the contributions that we offer. We must always be willing to take the time for others who might not be as advanced in understanding or education as we might be. Our world is crying out with fear, anger, greed, and negativity and this is a breeding ground for the lack of respect that we are facing in today's culture.  

They say that “birds of a feather flock together!” Do you ever feel isolated from events? Do you ever feel that you might not fit in? And more so, how do you feel about that? Let’s take some time and dive into this topic just a little.   Let’s face it, it is a very odd picture seeing a flock of doves, and in the middle of them, you see a seagull. You think to yourself it’s a bird and yes, it’s similar in color however you know deep inside that the seagull just doesn’t fit in this picture.  Now, let’s look at it from a nonbiased viewpoint. Maybe the Seagull had no other seagulls to be social with and maybe the seagull just wanted some social time because all lifeforms crave interaction. Even in nature, you can see times when it contradicts all social norms.   Sometimes we need to reject social norms to be happy or even fulfilled. We often find it hard to break defined social norms, even to the point of self-harming behaviors. We can feel and even become isolated from many things and people because of the overwhelming pressures that we might feel when we reject social norms. One thing for sure is that it is never easy to reject social norms.   Being able to observe the thoughts and behaviors that overcome each of us as we face dividing lines of our social norms, I find it interesting, that you can truly understand who you are at this very point in time.  So many people will go along with social norms just for the sense of comfort and security that they feel when the whole tribe is not looking and talking about them. It takes a person with strength and understanding of themselves to stand in the presence of adversity. It can make even the strongest people question themselves when faced with such a task.  History can show us just how powerful a group can be when overcome with a sense of entitlement from just the number of people within a group. To stand out and object to social norms has always been hard for people, discovering that it is easy to fall into a psychosis because of the lack of self-control or lack of understanding or the “go along to get along” mentality can be very detrimental in many ways.   I guess what I’m trying to say is that we need social norms in many ways to feel a sense of pride. However, we should always be able to call out the negative points of any social behavior. Now more than ever I feel a sense of urgency that we need to remember the dangers we face when we forget how important it is to recognize everyone for their individuality. Groupthink can be very dangerous, and some people recognize the power in a hive-like mind environment and will easily take advantage of this type of atmosphere. Conclusion. Social norms, as needed as they might be, can be very detrimental to a healthy society if we can’t accept that some social norms can never be one-size-fits-all. Learning to embrace the multiverse of cultures that you might not be a part of (or the fear of missing out.) can help us heal our ever-growing divides.

Let’s start with, what is temptation? the desire to do something, especially something wrong or unwise. a thing or course of action that attracts or tempts someone. Many times, in my life have I wished that I could have overcome temptations. This is one of the most powerful effects that we might face in our lives and yet so many of us fall victim to the overwhelming struggle. Each of us has been faced with some sort of temptation. I feel that it's safe to say that all of us have Been overcome by temptation whether it be by a simple sweet innocent treat such as a Tootsie Roll, when we should not eat a Tootsie Roll, however, that temptation overtakes us and we do what is bad for us anyway, or we have fallen victim to that much larger temptation that encompasses everything and everyone around you. No matter the size of the temptation, it is safe to say that it can very easily overcome us. I found that when dealing with our temptations, Awareness must be one of the very first things to be mindful of as we face our transformation into that new lifestyle that we want for ourselves. To do this we must be willing to accept our weaknesses and our shortcomings. Remember, failure is the building block that we can use to build a stronger foundation. I feel that it is harmful to avoid your temptations. It will give you so much more pleasure when you can learn to control your behaviors and overcome temptations. Learning what triggers the temptations, can be as simple as a smell, however, we must be actively aware of this trigger. Once you have practiced and can identify the trigger, then take an active role in challenging yourself to resist the triggered behaviors. After you do this a few times it gets easier, and you will find yourself growing in ways that you have not noticed before. I know this might be a sore spot for most, but you will find yourself growing away from the interest and even the people that you have been subject to. This is the time to embrace the change and lean in on the discovery. Put yourself out there and find the type of people that will help you reach your goals. Don’t feel bad because you are growing at a faster rate than others you might measure yourself against. Now is the time to raise the expectations you have for yourself. Setting healthy boundaries will take some time when we first start, it can make you feel like you should never try to overcome your temptations. I can almost guarantee you that you will be overcome by your temptations more than just a few times when you start this transformation into your ultimate lifestyle. But I can also guarantee that if you stand up for yourself and give yourself the love and care that you deserve, you will be saying in no time at all to yourself, what was stopping me?” Temptation is that one thing that can make us feel so completely out of control and powerless over our compulsions. When we take on our temptations one at a time and learn to overcome them one at a time, it’s not long before we will find ourselves with a new sense of empowerment. The faster we start facing the fear and taking on the things that hold us back and control us, the faster we can find ourselves living that ultimate lifestyle we are looking for.   Remember, you are in control of your own decisions.    

Fear is an inherently unpleasant experience that can range from mild to paralyzing. constant worry, and daily insecurity, can quietly but seriously harm your physical and mental health over time. Fear is also partly imagined, so it can arise in the absence of something scary or intimidating. A lack of fear may be a sign of serious brain damage.  Fear is part instinct, part learned, or taught to us. Some fears are instinctive, while other fears are taught: Cultural norms will often dictate whether something should be feared or not. Being fearless doesn’t mean eliminating fear. It means knowing how to leverage fear. Actions motivated by fear fall into four types—freeze, fight, flight, or fright.   What happens in the body when facing fear? According to Medical News Today People often refer to the physiological changes that occur when a person experiences fear as the fight-or-flight response. Overall, as the name suggests, the changes prepare the animal to either fight or run.   You will also find that your Breathing rate increases, your heart rate follows suit, peripheral blood vessels in the skin, for instance, will constrict, the central blood vessels around vital organs dilate to flood them with oxygen and nutrients, and muscles are pumped with blood, ready to react.   Triggering the response The fight-or-flight response begins in the amygdala, which is an almond-shaped bundle of neurons that forms part of the limbic system. It plays an important role in the processing of emotions, including fear.   The amygdala signals the hypothalamus, which then activates the pituitary gland. The pituitary gland is where the nervous system meets the endocrine, or hormone, system.   The pituitary gland then secretes the hormone (ACTH) into the blood.   At this time, the sympathetic nervous system — a division of the nervous system responsible for the fight-or-flight response — gives the adrenal gland a nudge, encouraging it to squirt a dose of adrenaline and others into the bloodstream.   The body also releases cortisol in response to ACTH, which brings about a rise in blood pressure, blood sugar, and white blood cells. Circulating cortisol turns fatty acids into energy, ready for the muscles to use, should the need arise.   Hormones then prepare muscles for violent action.   These hormones can also: boost activity in the heart and lungs reduce activity in the stomach and intestines, which explains the feeling of “butterflies” in the stomach. They can also inhibit the production of tears and saliva, explaining the dry mouth that comes with a response. They will also dilate the pupils, produce tunnel vision along reduce hearing capacity.   Both the hippocampus — a brain region that is heavily involved in memory — and the prefrontal cortex, which aids high-level decision-making, also help control the fear response. They help us understand whether our fear response is real and justified or whether we might have overreacted somewhat.   If the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex decide that the fear response is exaggerated, they can dial it back and dampen the amygdala’s activity. This partly explains why people enjoy watching scary movies; their sensible “thinking brain” can overpower the primal parts of the brain’s automated fear response. So, we get to experience the rush of fear before our more reasonable brain centers dampen it down.   The fear response has kept us alive. It is primal, and we should respect it. At the same time, it can be unpleasant and interfere with people’s day-to-day functioning. However, paradoxically, fear is also the source of a highly enjoyable adrenaline rush.   The bottom line is that fear has a function that has served us well over the course of history, however, we live in much safer times and we have learned to be comfortable in a less confrontational world. Now as we see the rise in conflict closer to us than we have seen in many years we are seeing more and more problems arising from fear associated with mental health issues. Now more than ever we must understand how our brains make us act under stressful or fearful situations.   Remember, Fear is the destroyer of logic!  

Let’s start with Understanding Devaluation Devaluation is the act of diminishing or undervaluing someone’s worth. This behavior can manifest in various ways, such as belittling someone’s ideas, criticizing their actions, or dismissing their feelings, thoughts, or achievements. It’s important to recognize these behaviors as they can often be subtle and easily overlooked. For instance, in our political environment, we see both main political parties allowing this divisive behavior. I’m sure most of has witnessed the phrases such as, “Deplorables” or “Loser” and many more. The child-like behavior has pushed our Republic to the very edge of war with itself.

Have you ever heard the phrase “Your eyes are the gateways to your soul.” Your eyes are often used to program your mind and align it with your desires. You can create your reality through the fastest way of mind priming - focused visualization. Visualization is the process of picturing in your mind the things that you want in and out of your life. However, Visuals, tend to have a deeper and more lasting impression on the brain and that is precisely the purpose of using visuals in education. The visual Learning modalities’ have been regarded as one of the most efficient learning styles. With, the understanding that science has had its share of ethical breaches, often with populations that are vulnerable to exploitation. For example, from 1953-1964, the U.S. government conducted behavioral modification research on people, in which they tested, among other things, the utility of hypnosis and LSD for clandestine purposes. Then we have the issues with prisoners, terminally ill cancer patients, and American soldiers that were also used for some of the studies, and some proposed studies sought to produce brain concussions with sound waves. Much of the research targeted the development of a “truth serum” that would facilitate compliance in an interrogation.   / Our Source = (The Select Committee on Intelligence and The Committee on Human Resources, 1977). We also found that The National Institute of Mental Health funded some of the studies conducted on drug-addicted prisoners. LSD was administered to over 1,100 soldiers in the U.S. Army.  / Our Source = (The Select Committee on Intelligence and the Committee on Human Resources, 1977.)   According to the U.S. Senate’s Select Committee to Study Governmental Operations Concerning Intelligence Activities (1976),  “These experimental programs originally included testing of drugs involving witting human subjects and culminated in tests using unwitting, non-volunteer human subjects.  These tests were designed to determine the potential effects of chemical or biological agents when used operationally against individuals unaware that they had received a drug.”   And I could go on with many examples of the misuse of power on the population. However, my intention here is to highlight, that we are always under attack from unexpected places. That is why it is so critical that you understand the programming going on today. I have noticed an uprise in the amount of hateful and even hurtful content that has been leveraging the focused visualization process to subconsciously program you for whatever event is coming. Conclusion Now more than ever we must be mindful of what is going on around us. Sometimes we feel helpless and just want to turn it all off. This might be our best option, just turn it off or turn the viewing of so many unpleasant videos to some more constructive videos. We get to choose the media that we consume! Be aware of what and how much of anything you are consuming and are you balancing this with some other points of view? You decide what our world will be like in the coming years, Hate or Kindness?      

Worrying about things so much that it takes control of us is not a good thing for us. Learning to face the fear and the uncertainty can be tough for many people. I challenge you to learn more about yourself. https://podcreations.website

Negative Self Talk can devastate us. When we can find the secrets of mastering our thoughts, we can do anything we choose to take on. When we depend on others to give us the feelings we think we need, we put ourselves into a compromised position. We think the power comes from finding your true self. That is the freedom that we seek! https://podcreations.website is a Network of true growth and change.

[Music] It all starts with a thought. When we transform our thoughts, we transform our world. Let's start with today's transformation. Let's start it right now. [Music] Welcome to Transform Your Thinking. Transform Your Thinking is a new podcast focused on helping you transform your thinking. Your thought really matters in life. Over the last five years, I have spoken with so many individuals about how we transform ourselves. How we better ourselves. Bottom line, it starts with our thought process. Each and every day, when we wake up and our feet hit the floor, we have to be aware of what we are thinking. Our worst enemy is ourselves. Getting deep inside of our heads, first thing in the morning it can devastate us. Fixing that routine. Fixing how we think about everything we do in life. It's key to being happy, and that's truly what we all want is to be happy. I can also tell you we all win when we face the so-called monsters in our heads. We can start fresh and live extraordinary lives if we just try. So, what stops most of us from breaking through the mindset muddle? I can only tell you that when I stopped lying to myself and others, that's when I started to find pure happiness. This podcast is about helping others identify how to change their thought their patterns. I personally understand the struggle that we all face with the monsters in our heads. I asked for assisted suicide to try to check it out, get out of this world because I did not understand it was my own thoughts, my own troubles that I had to face. And so many times, we want others to fix us. This is impossible. You must fix yourself, and that starts with the way you think about the world, and especially how you think about yourself. Transform your thinking. We'll be a short, episodic series that can truly help us discover how to think properly. It all starts with a single thought. So, join me right here each week as we discover new ways to think about the world that we live in. And remember, life is only as good as you want to make it. [Music] If you found value in today's episode, please share it, like it, and subscribe to the podcast. -