Category: Lunar Letter (English)

Traveling through this marvelous journey we call life, we constantly seek happiness, success and meaning to affirm our existence on this planet.

Sometimes we find answers to our questions and frequently the replies lead us to yet more uncertainty. Life is a series of moments; some we consider “positive” and others we deem “negative.” We attempt to increase the “positive” moments while diminishing the “negative.”

If everything were so easy, we would get to the end of life and do the math. More “positive” than “negative” moments would indicate a plentiful life. Measuring life is not that easy. Life cannot be put into a box and be categorized as “good” or “bad” based simply on the sum of each of these experiences.

A life measured in “good” and “bad” assures frustration and fatigue. Is it realistic to believe that each moment which awaits us will be free of negativity? The answer is a resolute NO.

Deception and disgust will certainly cross our paths. We have loved ones who will leave the world we know and enter a reality yet unknown. There will be trials and tribulations with work, friends and people we have not yet met. This is not being negative; it is being realistic with our expectations.

If we wait for everything to be beautiful, bright and bountiful during our adventure, we will likely be disillusioned with our destiny. If we accept unfortunate events as a given, we can consider our reactions, responses and reflections rather than the significance of the events themselves.

Charles Swindoll proposes the following:

“We are all faced with a series of great opportunities brilliantly disguised as impossible situations.”

Life is the sum of all experiences. Any moment, be it “good” or “bad” can be a magical moment. What matters most is our perspective of each situation and what we learn from it. A friend told me recently, “The times when I was in the greatest pain, tribulation, and fear… those were the times I learned the most, changed the most, and became more of who I am.”

Directing our thoughts toward learning in turbulent times as well as in marvelous moments of excitement and ecstasy allows us to reflect upon a plentiful and productive lifetime complete with endless magical moments.

It’s the Bounce that Counts!

∞ Rob McBride ∞
LL I 36

Experience and our thought process determine our degree of confidence. Thought drives personal power as well as our ability to achieve goals and objectives. Throughout the ages, men and women have contemplated ways to strengthen our personal power through thought.

Plato said:

“The human body is the carriage; the self is the driver; thoughts are the reins and feelings the horses.”

To take hold of “the reins of life” we must control our thinking.

Thoughts track the progress of our journey. Feelings test our hold on the reins of thought. In a moment of carelessness, we can inadvertently release the reins. Should we do so, our carriage wanders recklessly without direction or destiny. Taking control of the reins of thought once again is difficult; meanwhile, the horses run unhindered. Our emotions can be rebellious; to keep them under control, we must hold firmly to the reins of thought.

Montaigne said:

“Each man is as well or as badly off as he thinks he is.”

Keeping firm hold on the reins of thought in turbulent and challenging times is the difference between arriving at our destination or deviating to unknown and undesired locales.

When we release the reins of thought, our emotions take control of our course. We then become passengers instead of directors of our destiny. To take control of our direction, we can change the way we think about the circumstances which constantly cross our path. If we believe occurrences to be obstacles which block our path, we will mire in the muck and mud. If, on the other hand, we believe events to be a natural part of being, we will find elegant solutions to the challenges which cross our path.

Losing one’s job, for example, is certainly an event which creates chaos. We can lament the cruel cards we have been dealt or establish new roads and carry on. Life doesn’t care which direction we choose. It is the power of thought which determines our reaction and route.

Our thinking dictates the strength of our personal power. Taking control of the reins of thought determines our direction and destiny.

It’s the Bounce that Counts!

∞ Rob McBride ∞
LL I 35

 the heat of the moment which you later regretted?
How about reacting to what somebody said or did which later surprised even you?

These types of reactions can be regarded as blind spots in our ability to think. We can liken these blind spots to the blind spots which we cannot see as we drive an automobile. Traveling the highway of life without properly inspecting our blind spots is reckless driving and should be punished to the full extent of the law! Perhaps a bit drastic, nevertheless valuable as we consider our emotions and reactions to certain stimuli.

Is it necessary to always look to the blind spot before changing lanes in a car? Of course not; we can change lanes without incident by carefully checking our rear view mirrors perhaps 90% of the time. The problem is the other 10% which can result in tragedy when we don’t see the blind spots.

Dr. Bob Smith develops a model with specific tools to discover and eliminate our blind spots in his book Discover Your Blind Spots.

Dr. Smith describes six different areas of our brain which process information. Three determine how we see the world and the other three specify how we see ourselves. In addition, he explains the following four ways we utilize to process information:

Reacting: Use of one dominant area of thought which is driven by impulse and designed to protect us from danger.

Responding: Use of two or three areas of thought and triggered after we have had a moment to process different elements of a situation.

Reflecting: Ability to utilize four or five areas of thought, which we achieve when we are focused on solving problems.

Relating: Capacity to utilize all six areas of thought, which we attain when we relate with other individuals while in deep thought, searching for alternatives and solutions.

Eighty to ninety per cent of our time is spent in Reaction and Response where we utilize a small portion of our brain. Fortunately, these thought processes are frequently sufficient to achieve our objectives. At the same time, there are other situations which cannot be solved effectively because our blind spots hinder our ability to utilize every part of our brain. In short, we React and/or Respond inadequately. When we make a decision without seeing these blind spots we often make poor decisions.

To be more efficient and effective in our lives it is imperative we become aware of blind spots and how they affect our thought process. By taking time to Reflect deeply and Relate with others in search of solutions, we can discover our blind spots and diminish their devastating effect while determining our destiny and direction.

It’s the Bounce that Counts!

∞ Rob McBride ∞
LL I 34

We all think about the nature of time. The Latin phrase Carpe Diem (seize the day) has become part of our vocabulary. The essence of time took on particular significance recently when I decided to wait until the following day to take a photo of a spectacular flower.

For you, my Lunar Letter friend, a poem reflecting my thoughts about the experience:

THE LUSTER OF LIFE

The luster of life burns bright
Five precious petals reflect in the light

A wonder to behold
to grab onto and hold

A moment of fleeting thought
The beauty nature has brought

Oh, to capture such spectacular splendor
A photo to remember, recall and then render

No doubt to delight, develop insight and pleasure
An experience to recreate, appreciate and treasure

Moved by a desire to shake, bake and take action
Put aside believing it would hold its attraction

The following morning the sun burns bright
The dew shimmers and shines in the light

Deception upon waking and having found
Five lifeless petals lying on the ground

Yesterday is wistful memory; tomorrow an unfulfilled promise and today a truly magnificent miracle. Carpe Diem!

∞ Rob McBride ∞
LL I 33

There is a palpable pressure in society to be “perfect.” We praise people who are efficient. From an early age we learn to do things well. Perfection is a worthy ideal and we should always aim to improve ourselves. Perfection, as such, through extreme efficiency can be a double-edged sword. It’s worthwhile to consider:

Is what I am doing in this instant efficient or effective?

The definitions in the dictionary of efficiency and effectiveness are very similar. Depending on your perspective, there are significant differences. In his essay “Effective versus Efficient Decisions”, Dr. Donald Burton offers this definition:

Efficiency – To do things right
Effectiveness – To do the right things

Let’s take a look at a couple of examples:

First, let’s suppose today is our first day of work for the year. We know our existing clients will play a fundamental role in successfully achieving our business plan. We look at our client files and find they are a mess. We decide to organize and analyze each file by creating an Excel program referencing the following items: who bought our product, why did they buy it and with whose approval, where was each product purchased, and at what time. To efficiently complete the task takes us two weeks working from 7:00 AM to 8:00 PM.

Our boss and our colleagues are impressed by our “efficiency.” The hyperlinks between documents and the color coded graphs with each color representing one of our clients will be very useful. During these same two weeks, while we have been “efficient,” a new competitor has been more “effective” and has set meetings with each of our clients to sell them a new product, which we also will be launching. Being effective and doing the right thing is much more important than being efficient.

Now, imagine taking 10 minutes at the end of each day to make a list of to do’s for the following day. This habit is very “efficient” though not necessarily “effective.” The tasks we normally place on our list are those which have to be done and not necessarily those that should be done.

We obtain immense personal satisfaction, which is reinforced in the work place with congratulatory comments about a job well done. By its very nature, doing what should be done is more difficult because often it implies taking a risk and doing something we have never done before. In addition, it opens the door to possible failure. Our challenge is to be effective and efficient at the same time. We can make a list of to do’s which starts with what should be done and then with what has to be done. Effectiveness and efficiency are not mutually exclusive; they can work well together.

Great accomplishments have been made by paving new paths. The pleasure of being efficient in something we already know how to do is momentary. The delight of doing something we have never done before requires additional effort and can be extraordinary. We can be more effective by doing the right thing and thus determine our direction and our destiny.

It’s the Bounce that Counts!

∞ Rob McBride ∞
LL I 32

The difference between achieving and dreaming is the specific action we take toward our objectives. We can create, imagine, innovate and desire but without taking concrete steps toward our intention, we are left high and dry.

If it’s so simple, why don’t we all take positive action toward our desires?

Although it is simple to understand, it is certainly not easy to put into practice. Taking action frequently requires a leap of faith. When we wait for everything to be perfect before taking action, we fall into the paralysis of analysis.

The fear of failure is an enemy we all face when we decide to move toward a specific purpose. A leap of faith often implies facing our fears, uncertainties and doubts and requires a high degree of faith, preparation and flexibility.

The most important faith many of us have is our faith in God or our beliefs. This faith allows us to know, in some way, shape or form, we will be taken care of during our journey. Also extremely important is the faith we have in our own ability to achieve a specific mission. Dr. Albert Bandura has studied this type of faith extensively and calls it “Self Efficacy.” Scientific studies link our faith in our ability to complete a given task to our capacity to do so.

Preparation is also key factor to our achieving success when taking a leap of faith. When we are well prepared, does this still mean we are taking a leap of faith? While some may argue otherwise, making a decision which moves us out of our “comfort zone” always creates significant change. The distance we must leap is a function of our preparation. We can diminish the gap from where we currently stand and where we want to go with comprehensive analysis and preparation.

When we take a leap of faith without taking into account the obstacles we are likely to encounter, it is likely we will face significant difficulties which hinder our progress and desire to continue in the face of adversity. On the contrary, when we take a leap of faith with flexibility to adjust our path when inconveniences are encountered, we possess a fundamental tool to persevere until we achieve our objective.

Developing a profound belief in a positive outcome, preparing extensively and contemplating a high degree of flexibility in our plans, allows us to take a leap of faith knowing it to be the best way to achieve, enjoy and delight in all we desire in this magnificent journey we call life.

It’s the Bounce that Counts!

∞ Rob McBride ∞
LL I 31

Our daily actions determine our direction and destiny. Cultivating definite purpose and intention puts us on course to attain all we desire professionally and personally. In his book Think and Grow Rich, Napoleon Hill suggests the following:

“Whatever the mind can conceive and believe, it can achieve.”

Each of the following elements forms an integral part of leading a more prosperous material and spiritual life.

CONCEIVE: The power of our mind has no limits. Utilizing our creative energy awakens our mind, a magnificent machine establishing new ways of thinking to break with routine.

Our creativity, fed by an honest and dignified purpose, can create incredible change. Creating solutions to the problems and challenges facing humanity assures our effort and work will be justly rewarded. One of the most valuable gifts we all possess and which costs absolutely nothing is our creative energy. We can use this extraordinary power to live a life full of intention and meaning.

BELIEVE: A deep belief in our ability to achieve a specific objective is critical to our success. Our mind is our greatest ally and our worst enemy. We construct a base of triumph, or are lost in a hole of defeat, depending on our conviction in our capabilities.

Often the difference between the ecstasy of success and the agony of defeat is the faith we have in successfully completing a task. Confidence in our ability to reach our objectives is critical if we are to prevail through the gusts of adversity threatening to rock and destroy the foundation we have so carefully created.

ACHIEVE: To succeed in the sea of day to day events isn’t easy. Our lives can be likened to a ship on the ocean in the middle of a storm. The swirling winds of destiny and peril test our determination and purpose.

Our daily activities are the rudder leading us and allowing us to maintain our sight firmly on the horizon as the waves of change crash against us threatening the integrity of our purpose. A firm and honorable purpose assures our path remains constant and unwavering towards our objective.

We can enhance this wonderful journey we call life by stimulating our creative power to generate a worthy purpose, by believing firmly in its realization and by taking action to guarantee implementation. To conceive, believe and achieve is to assure we will not waddle in waves of self pity but rather flourish with the energy of burning desire.

∞ Rob McBride ∞
LL I 30

Feeling motivated, inspired and as if we can conquer the world is a worthy ideal. Nonetheless, there will be times when we are unmotivated, uninspired and as if the weight of the world is on our shoulders.

When we are in the depths of defeat and feel down and dilapidated, we can say we are at “the bottom of a bounce.” While it is preferable to sail smoothly on a wave of inspirational paradise, agony and defeat are ever-present threats lurking around the corner.

No one acquires outstanding success without dealing with the bottom of a bounce. More often than not, success is determined not by the absence of adversity, but rather by the way we face events which deplete our energy and drain our desire.

The beauty of being in the bottom of a bounce is that we can in fact be back!

How is this possible?

Think for a moment of life’s most trying times. We have all experienced trials and tribulations testing our patience and perseverance. There comes a time in each and every one of these moments when we truly come to the bottom of the bounce.

If things continue to get worse, it simply means we haven’t reached the bottom of the bounce, yet. When things cannot get any worse, they will in fact get better.

Therefore, the beauty of being at the bottom of a bounce is that we can and will be back better than ever!

So the next time somebody gives you a hard time about being down in the dumps, you can look them straight in the eye and say:

“Don’t bug me, I’m at the bottom of a bounce, but I will be back!”

It’s the Bounce that Counts!

∞ Rob McBride ∞
LL I 29