Talk to me, old Greek

"Be as you wish to seem."

-Socrates 469 BC - 399 BC

What do we know about this ancient Greek philosopher?  He never wrote any of his philosophical beliefs.  His teachings can only be deciphered through his students (legendary figures in their own right).  He is known for asking many questions without providing answers.  Although the specifics of Socrates's history is shrouded in mist,  we cannot deny the impact of his words.

Does the above quote remind you of anything?  It should.  It's the concept of visualization.  Visualization itself is rooted in the Law of Attraction.  Recently made famous by Rhonda Byrne's book The Secret. (Although it didn't hurt having Oprah's approval)  Act like what what to feel.  This can be easily proven by simply smiling.  A simple smile with begin to ease your mind and change your mood to the better.  Please try this if you don't believe me. Better yet, do as Napolean Hill suggests: belt out a strong hearty laugh.  Do it.  Don't think about what anyone else thinks of you.  

This is a good time to mention something about me.  I know you probably don't want to hear, but I used to think all this stuff was total garbage.  I thought the entire movement of self-improvement was meant to take our hard earned money.  I know that everyone isn't genuine and the lines aren't black and white. What I do know is that if I smile and tell myself to feel happy - I feel happy. 

To Open

"All that we are is a result of what we have thought."

-Buddha (563 BC - 483 BC)

This quote is fascinating to me. I think the most compelling aspect of the quote is not the idea, language or even the words themselves. It's the time-frame in which the words were spoken. I just imagine what it may have been like 500 years before the birth of Christ. This in itself is almost beyond the realm of imagination. Once I wrapped my mind around that, I could start reflecting on the brilliance of the words.

This theme is repeated in almost any book, speech or magazine in the area of personal development. I've become a fanatic about this subject. I've contemplated many hours on how some individuals manage to discover peace of mind and fulfillment through the choices they've made. In a field were it seems everyone is an expert, it's hard to sift through the content and find what is 'real'.

The way I approach this subject is simple. I compare it to jury duty. This is no lie. While on a recent jury duty, the judge overseeing the case was a rather interesting person. It was something about the delivery of the instructions that hit me. While issuing the instructions on what we were supposed to do, the judge said, " You have the right to believe everything your hear today, some of what you hear or nothing at all. It is your decision to believe whatever you choose." The more I poured over these words, the more I realized these instructions not only apply to the courtroom, but they apply to life.

These instructions have become almost a mantra for me. I'm starting to realize that life is not to be wasted expounding time and energy over things we can't control. This reminds me of another quote from history that I'll post next time. Anyone have a guess?

I do have a tendency to rant and get off topic, but that's what we're here for. Feel free to expand and comment on any of this post and future posts. Thanks for listening.