ABC's of Clear Decision Making

This article is not about strategies  for better decision making. 
I want to take a more internal approach.  I observed that most of our decisions are based on emotions, either love or fear.  Obviously, we are not aware of this underlying influence.  None-the-less, if you want to make wise decisions, which really advance you as a human being be watchful of your motivation.  Love decisions benefit others and also yourself.  By focusing on positive intentions, even if the temporary result is not to your liking, the ultimate result will bring wellbeing.  With fear decisions you want advantage, dominion, revenge or play on your jealousy or shame.   The result will always be division: awareness of race, religion, nationality, and whatever else makes people appear different.

A – Acceptance
The opposite of acceptance is apathy. It is not only necessary to accept the other person or circumstance but paying attention to them. Your willingness to accept the other is based on a decision.


“Some people confuse acceptance with apathy, but there's all the difference in the world. Apathy fails to distinguish between what can and what cannot be helped; acceptance makes that distinction. Apathy paralyzes the will-to-action; acceptance frees it by relieving it of impossible burdens.”
~ Arthur Gordon


B – Belief
In all of history nobody had ever broken the record of running one mile in less than 4 minutes, until Roger Bannister broke the record because of his belief.


C – Choice
I belief it is man’s greatest gift to have choices. That puts us above all of the creatures in the universe. It is also an awesome responsibility, because we have the choice to act on our fears.


D – Destiny is not a matter of chance, rather a choice – take action, even small steps can make a difference toward what you really want in life.


"Great things are not done by impulse but by a series of small things brought together."
~ Vincent Van Gogh


E – Emotional Release
The Emotion Code  is a powerful release method because it helps to make a decision to let go of emotional baggage.  I like to encourage everybody to look into this book by Dr. Bradley Nelson.  He explains how we all have emotional memories which are dragging us down and cause problems in life.


F – Focus
Choosing selective concentration helps to make better decisions. With a clear focus we can even “move mountains.” Or is it with a strong faith? It is the definiteness of either, which will bring us the desired result. As long as we focus only on our physical strength, we only get tired. With the spiritual input, focus makes us unstoppable.


G – Gratitude
Gratitude  is a virtue but it is also an attitude, because we can decide to be grateful even in the most difficult circumstances.


“Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos into order, confusion into clarity.... It turns problems into gifts, failures into success, the unexpected into perfect timing, and mistakes into important events. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today and creates a vision for tomorrow.”
~ Melodie Beattie, Author


H – Happiness
Happiness  is a choice; we can decide to be happy. Happiness is not depending on external circumstances rather how we feel inside.


I – Intention
By deciding on a certain intention, a goal can be reached more successfully. Once a specific purpose is decided upon, the result will come based on the intention. It is quite liberating, because that way we are not focused on the result but rather on the process.


J – Joy
Joy is an emotion which follows the fulfillment of desire; blessed are those who can find the source of joy within themselves, rather through external stimulation.


“I cannot do great things, but I can do small things with GREAT LOVE.”

~ Mother Teresa

K – Kindness
Being kind is a general act of goodwill. Something that doesn’t cost a penny; it can be as little as a smile or a friendly word. Being generous in kindness is the best reward for yourself because it makes you feel good, too.

L – Letting Go
I was listening to an interview with Hale Dwoskin from the Sedona Method  the other night. He explained that letting go is as easy as looking at a pen in your hand and deciding to let it fall to the ground. Just let it go. It is a decision. And so it can be with emotions, thought process and undesirable habits. With willingness even the most stubborn subconscious mind has to co-operate.


M – Manors
Manors are based on certain habits we adapt to throughout our lives. If we can accept certain disciplines when we are young (hopefully our parents are enforcing discipline), our manors can be pleasant and acceptable to others. Fortunately, we are never too old to change our habits and with that, create better manors.


O – Optimism
Optimism is positive expectation. With an upbeat attitude, even the darkest day can be an experience. The optimist finds the good in everything and beliefs that in every difficulty or disaster one can still find something pleasant.


P – Patience
Patience takes discipline. Discipline is difficult to learn. With the skill of discipline life becomes easier to handle.


R – Responsibility
Humans are the only creature who can be responsible. Only spiritual beings have the “ability to respond.”


S – Serving others
If we could define the human purpose in three words, it would be “serving each other.” Everything in the universe is base on relationships. Nobody can live alone, or be fulfilled alone. Only in relationship to each other can we find true fulfillment.


T – Trust
Trust is deeper than faith. It takes knowing and experience to trust: God and people.


U – Understanding
Decide to understand others and your relationships will flourish. Literally, understanding means “standing under” someone. It takes humility to do that.


V -Value 

What do you stand for? What are your core values? Decision making is very much based on how you determine what is important or not. Do you value integrity, family, faith, fidelity, traditions, etc.?


W – Willingness

Every decision starts with the willingness to engage, to act, to continue, or to pursue. 

I hope I could shed some different light on the power of decision making.  We are spiritual human beings.  In order to advance and grow in life, we need to focus on spiritual principles and values.  Whatever we are focusing on will multiply.  Our world is full of fear and despair, let’s bring about more love.

"The size of your success is determined by the size of your belief."
~ David Joseph Schwartz

Spring, finally ....

This year more than ever, everybody whom I know is waiting for spring and the warmer weather. Today, being the first full day of spring (according to the meteorologists, spring started officially on March 20, at 7:21PM EST)  The spring equinox (vernal)  is the time when both day and night are equal about 12 hours each. Here in the Southern part of Ohio, we have experienced a few warm days already and the crocus and daffodils bloom.

Seasonal changes are determined by the influence of the sunlight which is determined by how the earth orbits the sun and the tilt of its axis.

Magnetic Pole Changes
Some scientists believe that the climate changes are due to the moving of the magnetic pole. It has been recorded that the magnetic north pole has moved as much as 40 miles (64 kilometers) a year; in fact it has been confirmed that the pole is now located in Siberia. The earth's north magnetic pole is racing toward Russia. One newspaper reported that that is nothing to worry about since it has happened before.

The recent earthquake in Japan and the following tsunami brought parts of Japan closer to the U.S.

The earth’s magnetic field
Another phenomenon has happened just last week: thousands of dead fish have washed ashore in Redonda Beach, California. Some scientists believe it happened because of the reversing of the polarity of the earth’s magnetic field. Others believe that extreme occurrences like the reversing of the polarity are not going to happen until December 21, 2012.

Global Warming
There is a growing controversy going on regarding Global Warming. More scientific research shows that the whole idea of Global Warming is a political issue rather than a geological event.

The London Times recently reported: “Britain’s premier scientific institution is being forced to review its statements on climate change after a rebellion by members who question mankind’s contribution to rising temperatures.”

Newsweek magazine also reported: “Uncertain Science: Bickering and Defensive, Climate Researchers Have Lost the Public’s Trust.” Newsweek does its best to cling to its increasingly discredited doctrine, but the growing body of contrary evidence only adds to the public’s disbelief.

Other newspapers also wrote similar articles.

Here is the Cato Institute’s opinion regarding this issue.

“A generation goes, and a generation comes, but the earth remains forever.” ~ Eccl. 1:4

Amidst all the changes we are experiencing, let’s enjoy the beautiful season of spring with all the fresh growth and renewal. Nature has proven itself faithful every year, and brought back its radiant colors and sweet fragrances. When we think things are out of control, we have to look deeper and find the causes behind the events in our lives. For many faithful believers, these are “The Last Days.” 

“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more.” ~ Rev. 21:1

Let's Pray for Japan

“Pray unceasingly…” 1Thess: 5:17

Some events in our lives come and go. The earthquake and following tsunami in Japan is not one of them. As we follow the news coming from the pacific island nation, we are in total awe in the face of the destruction and human suffering. Earthquakes and tsunamis have happened before, Japan hits home a little more, because of the many friends and families I have gotten to know over the years. In the last few days, we received many good-news reports in the midst of the disaster, that our friends are safe and by some miracle were spared death. Do our prayers get answered?

"The chaos of our world is a mirror of what we harbor within. As we heal our personal challenges through forgiveness, understanding, tolerance, and compassion, our Earth world will be healed."
~ Gregg Braden

Pray for Specific Needs
I often feel so helpless when events like these happen. Our prayers are more than useful. With specific requests, they can be life-saving. In this case, donations poured in and essentials were delivered like food, water, blankets and kerosene.

Japanese Character
The Japanese have a saying:”shikata ga nai” (it can’t be helped), which means they are more accepting of circumstances beyond their control. Another is “gaman” (being a virtue), which encourages to be patient and persevere in the face of suffering. None-the-less, we all have our limits. When you’re cold and hungry and homeless, you have only one thing on your mind: when will all this end?

Here is a link that exemplifies this behavior:

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/20/opinion/20kristof.html?_r=1

Prayer can be powerful because it sends not only good will but an energy which can truly “move mountains.” Pray by yourself or in group settings and send your love-vibes to those displaced Japanese.

Here is a personal testimony of an earthquake surviver:
http://significatojournal.com/columns/compassionate-pugilist/looking-for-my-family-in-the-earthquake

Here is a link for a spiritual practice for sending Love Energy: 
http://evolutionezine.com/with-love-to-japan

Here are the links for money donations:
To donate $10.00 just pick up your cell phone and text REDCROSS to 90999

For those who want a receipt for this $10.00 go to:
http://www.mgivefoundation.org/receipt/

If you'd like to give more than that, go to:
- http://www.redcross.org/ for instructions.

Here is the CBN link:
http://www.cbn.com/ Disaster Relief Fund

Here is the link for Unification Church to help Japan:
http://www.familyfed.org/members/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=315&Itemid=390

This Day in History: March 7, 2011

Today, we cannot even imagine living without telephones. I thought it interesting to remember Alexander Bell, who in the year 1876 on March 7, introduced the talking machine to the world. Although there is a controversy about who invented the early telephone, Alexander Graham Bell has been most often credited because he submitted the first patent for an “apparatus for transmitting vocal or other sounds telegraphically".

The modern telephone and especially cell phones are the result of the work of many people who deserve to be recognized otherwise.

Mr. Bell was only 29 in 1876. One year later, he started the Bell Telephone Company and married Mabel Hubbard. Like many other inventors, he was a driven man, and continued to work in his laboratory, inspiring many other young scientists to work with him.

Bell, working together with Thomas Watson, basically improved on the existing telegraph system, using electricity for transmission. The first famous words transmitted were: Mr. Watson, come here. I want to see you. Mr. Watson continued to work for the Bell Telephone Company until 1881, and then sought out other ventures.