I'd just started consulting with a major Midlands manufacturing firm, and was in an opening meeting discussing a new IT system.
"So, how long will it take?" asked one of the managers.
Before I could answer, the most senior manager chirped in.
"Projects will ALWAYS fill the time available," he answered sharply. "You've got two months."
I was shocked.
I'd been doing this a while and nobody was ever quite so blunt.
But he was right -- and, yes, we finished within two months. The project filled the time available. And it occurred to me back then how often we do exactly this in all areas of our life...
Most notably, with our worrying.
We all have a certain amount of "worrying space" (essentially our whole "head" and consciousness). We fill it with all of the petty day-to-day happenings, until something bigger comes along. Then that fills the worrying space for the moment.
A few weeks ago, I was worried about an argument I'd had with a friend. That consumed my mind, and all of my available "worry space."
Then I realized finances were pretty tight, especially on the purchase of my new apartment. So concerns immediately switched to the dropping sales of my company. Then I had a severe health scare, and my attention turned to that... WOW!
When those things passed, I immediately switched my worry to something else. Big or small.
To paraphrase that senior manager...
Our worrying ALWAYS fills the worry space available.
That means even the smallest of problems occupy the entire space and can overload us sometimes. Which means we often forget to notice the happiness, beauty and perfection of everything.
Are YOU guilty of doing that?
I know I certainly am.
The cure?
Either get yourself in PERSPECTIVE as often as you can, or limit the amount of worry space you have available.
I've included a few links to help at the bottom of this post.
Once you've gained that perspective, or limited your worrying space, you'll stop being overwhelmed by some of the small things life throws at you -- and suddenly even the "big things" won't seem all that daunting.
Enjoy -- and realize the perfection in the seeming imperfection :)
* * *
Here are a couple of inspiring links to help get your own life in perspective:
(If you're pretty new to this blog, I post a Random Act of Kindness every Monday. With over a thousand people reading this every single day, the hope is to change the world in some small way. And if you remember my starfish story, you'll know that every tiny difference really counts.)
This week's suggestion is a great act of kindness and doesn't cost much to try out...
When you go shopping, buy a few extra groceries. Make up a small food box full of tinned food and other non-perishable items and donate this to someone who is in need.
A lonely neighbour. An elderly individual surviving on benefits. An unexpecting friend.
Find out if there is a food bank in your area that collects groceries for needy people. Your contribution, although costing just a few dollars, might just help someone gain a decent meal today.
How far are you prepared to go to live your dreams?
Are you prepared to battle through the rough times?
Absolutely NO great artist, scientist, sports champion or the like ever succeeded without perseverance.
Look back through history – Einstein, Picasso, Da Vinci - anyone who ever became renowned did so because they worked hard and with amazing diligence to achieve their success.
An anonymous sage once said...
"The spontaneous gifts of heaven are of high value but the strengths of perseverance gains the prize."
What a wonderful quote – and so true.
An occasional, unexpected success or windfall is always a pleasure to receive but how much greater the pleasure when you have worked hard for it.
It certainly provides a more pronounced sense of achievement and fulfilment.
So, whatever you are striving for, continue to work at it with passion and perseverance.
Through my little baby, the My Writers Circle site, I'll be helping to choose winners in a new flash fiction competition.
If there's talent somewhere between your fingers and the keyboard, then check out the following post by best-selling author Nick Daws, where he introduces the competition:
Currently, only 20% of individuals are registered to donate their organs, yet 70% actually want to donate their organs after they've died.
Part of me blamed the current system.
Who in the world carries a Donor Card anyway??
Then, after a little research, I found out the whole system had changed. You no longer need to carry a card. There's a central registry for those who want to donate organs.
And you can actually register ONLINE.
Just enter your details once and they'll match it up with your NHS details.
It's EASY, and you can "opt-out" again at any time.
Steps to Happiness by Author Unknown sent to me courtesy of Monique
Everybody Knows, You can't be all things to all people. You can't do all things at once. You can't do all things equally well. You can't do all things better than everyone else. Your humanity is showing just like everyone else's.
So, You have to find out who you are, and be that. You have to decide what comes first, and do that. You have to discover your strengths, and use them. You have to learn not to compete with others, because no one else is in the contest of "being you".
Then, You will have learned to accept your own uniqueness. You will have learned to set priorities and make decisions. You will have learned to live with your limitations. You will have learned to give yourself the respect that is due. And you'll be a most vital mortal.
Believe, That you are a wonderful, unique person. That you are a once-in all history event. That it's more than a right, it's your duty, to be who you are. That life is not a problem to solve, but a gift to cherish. And you'll be able to stay one up on what used to get you down.
How much more pleasant the world is when there is kindness...
There are so many people whose lives have been darkened by loss or sadness; just being able to bring a smile to their face or to see their eyes light up after passing on a kind gesture is a wonderful gift.
You can touch the lives of people who are suffering in so many ways but here's one suggestion you can do today...
Spend time listening to a person who is lonely or going through a difficult time. Take them out for the day.
Just a visit to a cafe or a park doesn't take much effort and can have the effect of giving someone a much-needed break from their troubles.
You're probably thinking... That's easy.
And, of course, it is!
So, give it a try.
Show that you care. Give a little of your time.
Simple random acts of kindness like this can really go a long way.
Today, I'm sharing yet another random brain-splurge of curiosities.
From erotic cucumbers to Sir Jimmy Saville, vending machine deaths to dining with royalty -- if it's not here, it's... well, it's just not here.
So ENJOY, amaze your friends -- and have a great weekend!
* * *
* The first couple to be shown in bed together on prime time TV were Fred and Wilma Flintstone
* When dining with Royalty, it is customary to stop eating when they have finished whether you have finished or not.
* Sigourney Weaver's dad, Pat, is said to be one of only two people who know the exact recipe for Coca Cola.
* The acronym I.O.U. actually stands for 'Is Owed Unto'.
* The only word in the English language that ends in '-MT' is 'Dreamt'.
* The elephant is the only mammal that can't jump.
* If you dream about cucumber it is meant to foretell romance. (Please don't analyze this one!)
* Because of the rotation of the earth, an object can be thrown further if thrown west.
* Time magazine's 'Man of the Year' for 1938 was Adolph Hitler.
* The average salary in the UK is £25,000. If you earn this, you are richer than 97% of the rest of the world.
* Walt Disney holds the record for most Oscars won (26) and most nominations received (64).
* Ringtones now account for 10 per cent of the world's music market, generating a staggering $3bn.
* What do Sir Jimmy Savile, Garry Bushell, Jamie Theakstone and Carol Vorderman have in common? They're all members of Mensa.
* Average number of Americans killed annually by vending machines falling on them: 13
* James Bond is half-Swiss. According to Ian Fleming's You Only Live Twice, Bond was the son of a Scottish father, Andrew Bond, and a Swiss mother, Monique Delacroix, both of whom died in a climbing accident.
* The record distance for a human fired from a cannon is 57 metres.
* It takes approximately two million flowers for a bee to make 1 lb of honey.
* A peanut is not a nut. It is a legume.
* Your body contains 60,000 miles of blood vessels
* The following celebrities were cheerleaders at college; Teri Hatcher (Freemount High, San Francisco), Sandra Bullock (Arlington, Virginia), Raquel Welch (San Diego), Cameron Diaz (Long Beach High) And George W Bush (Phillips Academy, Massachusetts)!
Today, I'd like to share a great little story from Tony Masiello, author of Whispers from the Universe.
* * *
I find it humorous sometimes that even the most mundane occurrences can have an impact on our awareness.
My wife, daughter, and I moved into our home nine years ago and we spent a lot of time and energy in the yard to get it looking like it does today. We live on a corner, higher than street level, and the entire side of the yard is encased by a professionally built rock wall. The front of the house though is another story because instead of a wall along the sidewalk the rocks appear to be just thrown up onto the dirt as if someone were in a hurry to finish.
We did the best we could with what we had to work with and called this area our 'rock garden'. Whenever we had left over flowers or plants, Denise or I would stick them out front, just to bring some color to the area.
I still do all of my own yard work, even the dreaded weed-pulling. After putting on my knee pads I assume the position to clear the yard of weeds, even in the rock garden.
Last summer I had reached the end of the rock garden and found a tiny little plant that I could not immediately identify. I knew I didn't plant it and Denise claimed that she didn't either. We decided to let it continue growing until we could figure out what it was.
Weeks passed and as I made my way back to the mystery plant, it appeared to be a Sunflower. It was spindly looking with a tall skinny stalk and only one head on it. I decided to baby it along and weed around it. As I pulled rocks from the area to get to the weeds, I noticed something unusual. The Sunflower had not started where I saw the stalk begin. It actually had begun under a big rock and grown under and around it to reach the sun.
That's when I realized that if a tiny little Sunflower didn't let a big rock stand in its way of developing, we too have the capability of doing the same thing. Once our environment begins to see that we believe in ourselves like that little Sunflower, we can attain the same nourishment and nurturing as well.
First, we need to believe in ourselves knowing we have the capabilities in achieving our desires. Like the Sunflower, it knew it had the capability to overcome its obstacle because it trusted in the Universal Truth and had faith it would succeed.
Stand tall like the Sunflower and be proud of who and what you are and the environment will begin to support you.
You will find a way to go under or around your big obstacle in order to reach your desires.
"It's good to have money and the things money can buy. But it's good, too, to check up once in a while and make sure that you haven't lost the things money can't buy."
- George Horace Lorimer, US editor, Saturday Evening Post
Buy a huge box of chocolates and take them into work to share with your colleagues.
Don't wait for a special occasion. Every day is special, right?
So, take in your box of chocs to spread some happiness and share them out with everyone.
The drawback, of course, is that you have to share! You can't hoard your favourites. This is your gift to your friends and colleagues, so hand the box round and give generously.
Chocolate is renowned for stimulating the brain's feel-good centre and will surely brighten up everyone's day at work.
You might not know everyone very well; you might not even get on with some people; but this gesture of kindness will certainly leave an impression.
Alternatively, deliver a box of chocolates as a surprise gift to someone who has been helpful or supportive... or... randomly give a box of chocolates to someone who looks down.
Some week's ago, I was randomly sent a box of chocolate and flowers.
I mean, on the whole, I'm a complete optimist. Everything is endlessly beautiful -- and the very finest qualities shine from within all.
But over the past week, my blog posts have faded slightly. I know that.
You see, I've faced a whole bundle of challenges which have left me feeling low.
I won't go into details. But I'm talking about challenges that really leave you disappointed. That make you think maybe it won't be that easy to get things going again.
I think you know what I mean.
So, what are we to do during these low spots?
Well, one thing I often talk about on this blog is duality.
And so I ask myself... Will I *ever* be able to really appreciate true happiness and positivity -- if I haven't experienced sadness and negativity?
Of course not!
One of my close advisors from the Netherlands has a little motto.
"The answer is always on the other side of the coin."
It's not being more positive I need to worry about. It's about welcoming my negativity, and not denying it.
What are you concerned about in your life right now?
What's on the other side of the coin? What's the duality?
And can you -- just for a moment -- embrace and welcome that?
I'm embracing and welcoming my current disappointment... in the knowledge that it's just phenomenon that will pass.
When you wake up in the morning, are you excited by the potential of what the day has in store for you?
Are you bubbling with positive energy as you set out to work?
Being impassioned about life and maintaining this feel-good mood day-after-day provides the momentum you need to achieve your dreams. It is a positive sign that you're happy with your life choices.
But what if you're uninspired by what you're doing?
If you can't get excited about life, then be open to reflecting on the path you have chosen, or the way you're going about your journey in life.
What you choose to do should make you happy... even ecstatic.
"Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm."
Do YOU choose to be great?
You can do anything if you have that inner excitement about your day and are excited by the potential of what you can achieve.
Show enough enthusiasm and you'll inspire and influence others too.
Life really is what you make it!
Have an amazing day!
PS. Remember, if you're feeling a little down, maybe you've not quite set your intention correctly today. Read this post to learn more about a little morning exercise I think will really inspire you!
If you haven't visited recently, and want to meet a group of friendly, loving individuals, sharing Random Acts of Kindness, Friday Factoids, giving and receiving acceptance, and more - then check it out.
There are many animal charities that rely totally on human kindness so that they can take good care of animals they have rescued.
This week's suggested RAK is to do whatever you can to support them.
Volunteer your time, make a donation or raise some funds for the charities. What you do could rescue the life of a horse, dog, cat or other pets and wildlife, and it doesn't take much to demonstrate your kindness.
You can even do something closer to home... from your garden or outside your lounge window!
Erect a bird-feeding station to offer some food and water to wild-birds. It doesn't seem like you’re doing much but your kindness and consideration could protect bird-life - especially during winter months when nature's food is scarce.
Just yesterday, I was interviewed by a chap called Mohamed Tohami about my thoughts on personal development and spirituality, for his Life Purpose radio station.
I'm used to being the interviewer at Self Dev Radio, so it was quite a change to be on the other side of the mic. Plus, I'm currently suffering from a bout of man flu, so was a little cough-cough during the questions.
But, surprisingly, the end result was great :)
You can listen to a totally unedited version of the 30-minute interview right away by clicking the play button here:
If you're reading this by e-mail, the player won't appear. Please visit the blog at www.karlblog.com to play.
In the interview, I chat about the most important points I raise daily here on the blog -- including the concepts of living in the now, letting go of the idea of "me", the spiritual essence of duality, why "wanting" is a bad idea, and finding your freedom.
If you get five minutes, have a listen.
I'm sure you'll enjoy it :)
That's all for today. Have yourself a great Thursday!
My friend, musician Scott Johnson, who recently donated many of his songs to Self Dev Radio, was recently eating there with his wife -- and asked a waitress what the Eleventh Commandment was.
She replied...
"Thou Shall Enjoy!"
It inspired Scott so much he wrote a song about it. It's a brilliant little number.
Scott has given me permission to post it on my blog today.
Do you buy books and magazines like they're going out of fashion?
If so, what do you do when you've finished reading?
This week's RAK is to suggest that you consider passing on your reading material for others' benefit, inspiration or enjoyment!
There are plenty of options here...
1. Take the books / magazines to a charity shop. 2. Call in at your local retirement home and donate the reading material to any keen reader residents. 3. Ask your local hospital if they require magazines or books for their patients. 4. If you have a selection of children's books, consider donating them to a local school for their library. 5. Leave a favourite book somewhere -- one that has inspired you -- for someone else to pick up. 6. Donate your reading material to a good cause to sell at a charity fair. 7. Pass your magazines or books on to family, friends or a neighbour.
I especially like option two.
So, if you've not yet tried any of the RAK's on this blog, why not have a go at this one?
It's INCREDIBLY EASY -- and it could be the start of something big for you.
