Category: English

The concept of Yin Yang captures the essence of what normally happens in life. In all that is good, there is a little bit of bad; and in all that is bad, there is a little bit of good. When we understand the best and worst of times will come to an end, we can look at life from a different perspective.

In the sea of dark

There is a spot of light

In the sea of light
There is a spot of dark

When we analyze our most memorable moments, they generally come from one of these two extremes, good or bad. Nevertheless, right now the great majority have changed in some way, shape or form. The most intense feeling of happiness has changed into something steady, or has disappeared completely. At the same time, the most uncomfortable circumstance has also diminished or been completely resolved.

The phrase, “The only thing constant is change,” promises each and every situation will change. Although the change is not always for the better in the moment, everything will indeed change for nothing stays the same forever. When we focus on what we can control, we influence the intensity and frequency of the majority of what happens in life.

If we are happy and content, we know change will come. The magnitude and direction depends entirely on us. If we notice this pleasant sensation is diminishing, we can do everything possible to maintain the energy and positive vibration. Instead of lamenting what might possibly happen, we can construct an environment where our actions and attitudes steer us toward what we most desire.

If we are down and despondent, we know also change will come. If we keep doing the same things, and do nothing to improve the situation, things will more than likely get worse before they get better. On the contrary, if we begin to change what we do and how we do it, we begin to attain different results. While they may be the same or worse in the short term, with perseverance we will achieve new destinies.

What is “good” and “bad” depends not on what happens, rather on our interpretation of what happens. We can consider the good which comes from even the most difficult of circumstance. While not everything is rosy and bright, we can extend and magnify the magical moments in our lives. When clouds come to conceal the sun which previously shone upon us, we can find comfort knowing the same wind which brought the darkness will also whisk it away.

Life is to live and part of “living” is to take the good with the bad. When we do our best to accentuate the positive and diminish the negative, we begin to live with intention instead of slowly dying through distraction.

∞ Rob McBride ∞
LL II 41

Magic surrounds us…

* The flight of a bird

* The petals of a rose just bloomed

* The wind blowing through our hair

We all live in different circumstances, yet we are all the same. The way the human body works is magical and this magic is inside each and every one of us. Incredibly, this marvelous magical machine in which we all live continues to function most of the time with very little maintenance.

If we add a little more magic to what is already magical, there is no limit to what we can achieve. We need only believe and then take action to achieve what we want to receive.

* Be useful in all we do

* Be tenacious toward challenge so as to believe and achieve

* Develop a deep desire to help others get what they want in life

* Initiate new trains of thought to improve constantly how we do what we do

* Eat fresh vegetables and fruit to sprinkle a little magic dust on our marvelous magical machines

* Have a positive and enthusiastic attitude despite the knowledge life is not always rosy and bright

* Have confidence in ourselves despite difficulties which will sure come by knowing they will be an integral part of our experience

* Be tolerant of others because no one is perfect, including ourselves

* Develop a deep driving burning desire to achieve what we believe

Life is not as it should be, it is as it is.

There will be times when the curtain falls on the magic at the end of the night.

We need only know, and according to current forecasts, tomorrow will dawn with a new day enabling us to go forth in a new way.

∞ Rob McBride ∞
LL II 40

 

When we go with the flow
We can constantly grow

So many obstacles in life
It need not be with strife

So many ups and downs
Too frequently with frowns

Yet with a heave and a ho
We can simply say, “Let’s go!”

Each day takes us to and fro
And so, it isn’t easy to grow

Voices often come from below
Telling us that they really know

“Life is difficult,” they can say
“So, just hold tight and pray…”

Yet life is much more than that
We can live like the Cat in the Hat

Pure pleasure can indeed be our prey
All we need to do is to choose the way

So much in life to live, so much to see
In our minds we can choose to be free

There are those who typically say, “Nay”
Those unwilling to jump into the fray

We can take a firm hold of each day
And do our best to get out and play

The child within each of us never dies
Though far too often this child hides

In those moments we want to cry
We can spread our wings and fly

In life we can live and let live
To achieve this we can all give

What we give to the world
We will receive two fold

What we do not get today
Will come on another day

When we give we will grow
For we will reap what we sow

Things are not black and white
So there is no need to take fright

When we look deep into the light
We come out of the dark of the night

Things are not always as they should be
Though this is not so very easy to see

We can accept things as they are
And we don’t have to go very far

The answer we now hold within
To come inside out of the din

We need only know this is so
We are here to go and grow

So relax, simply let go
And go with the flow

∞ Rob McBride ∞
LL II 39

The face in the mirror
Is always so very near

The eyes shine bright
With all of their might

They plead, “Have no fear”
Shed not ever for me a tear

And in the light of the night
The face is never out of sight

What is that now you say?
Please, show me the way

Shall I go this way or that
Or, just sit here and get fat?

“Well, go this way my fine friend”
And remember please to always bend

While the end may seem so very near
Just get up and get your rear in gear

There is so much to live and love
And it can all fit just like a glove

No, it does not always seem so
Yet we can always get up and go

So many places to be and to see
In our heart we are ever so free

We glance away and then back
The eyes in the mirror attack

They never ever take leave
Not even when we grieve

Our forehead always high
Sometimes scrunches in sigh

Our nose which is placed just so
Is in just the right place just below

Also our mouth and ears just so
They go with us everywhere we go

And in this way we all go to and fro
So let us go forth daily to sow and grow

Plant the seeds of greatness within
This surely is the way best way to win

The face in the mirror knows good from bad
And this often is what really makes us sad

Though really what is right and wrong?
Does it come truly from the throng?

Is there really white and black?
Or shades which stare back?

With a nice smile and grin
The face comes out of the din

Our face can and will be our ally
And what’s more it can help us fly

We need only to know it will always be so
We can create glee which surely will show

All it takes is a simple laugh and a smile
To bounce back and go another mile

And so each day we can make it so
And continue to grow and to grow

∞ Rob McBride ∞
LL II 38

Seven years ago
I decided to get into flow
With a mission to build and grow
With each full moon, a chance to sow

And so then the days came to and fro
Sometimes high and others so low
So I now say, “Get ready to go”
Rock and roll for the soul

Now bit of review
To go through and view
Each and every full moon
Each has come none too soon

We started with Experience to energize
Preparation, such a find, for peace of mind
Perseverance to bounce back time and again
Attitud² to forge forth fabulously and take action

We Empowered Creative thought with Powerful goals
Made a Tremendous Difference with The River of Change
Got more Bang for our Bounce with a Well of Abundance
Heard others Knocking to Create Powerful Energy

Created Character with Adversity while Riding the Wave of Change
Obtained the Energy of Life sometimes Bouncing and others getting Bounced
Took Eight to Create Motivate and Stay in Shape with the Resilience of a Sponge
Diligently developed a Creative Bounce with “Retensive Learning”

Fired the FUD’s with a Feast Fit for a King
Tastefully Tuned In to others with a Work of Art
Faithfully Fanned the Fire to constantly Challenging a Problem
Bounced back from the Bottom of a Bounce by Conceiving, Believing and Achieving

Looked out and took a Leap of Faith while Doing the Right Thing
Succulently Seized the day and discovered big blaring Blind Spots
Empowered thought resulting in marvelous Magical Moments
Saw Tantalizing Temptations fade away in No Time Like Now

Reached Beyond our Grasp to hop up On Top of the World
Stepped boldly up A Stairway to Heaven to find Food for Thought
Experienced Intention and Action deriving Direction in the Game of Life
Then bounced back boldly Across the Americas while Daring to Be Great

Overcame Challenge constantly and in the process Learned so very much
Reached Out and Touched others internalizing Imperfect Perfection
Got Pretty and Practical in order to feel Comfort in Discomfort
Flowed through Challenge with the Tenacity of a Tree

Used the Curiosity of a Kid to constantly Challenge Routine
Focused on “How” rather than “What” while Doing the Pacheco
Bettered the Boomerang Effect to combat Another Day for Another Dollar
Emblazoned a Burning Desire on our soul while collecting so many Crazy 8’s

Got On our Marks, to Get Set and Go to Prune Excess
Gave just a Little Extra to Focus on What’s In It for others
Meandered through Moments which are Easier Said than Done
Decided all it takes is a measly 2.22% to create Time for Everything

Did it Wrong every once in a while to realize it is often A Matter of Focus
Intensely and intelligently Imagined a Life with big bright Guiding Lights
Hummed to, “Don’t Worry, Be Happy,” to belittle A Busted Bounce
Charged forward with It’s Showtime while Remembering When

Fired up the Engine of Life in The Eye of the Hurricane
Sang “I Will Survive,” with a very Vivid Imagination
Were Happy, Healthy, Wealthy and Wise
With the Sweet Sensation of Success

And finally Got Uncomfortable
Before going a bit farther into flow
To began a new exciting way to grow
As this now cleverly marks, 88 in a Row

∞ Rob McBride ∞
LL II 38

Take a moment and think about the following:

In this instant are you where you want to be and how you want to be?

If the answer is yes, congratulations you have absolutely nothing to do except to keep doing what you are doing. If, on the other hand, like the majority of us you feel something is lacking or there is a part of your life which can be improved…

Get uncomfortable!

While it’s true we love to be in a cocoon of comfort, it is also a surefire way to continue getting more of the same and, in some cases can lead us to the edge of an abyss.

Mankind’s greatest achievements have occurred as a result of discomfort. In addition, many of us have achieved our greatest feats after feeling uncomfortable with a situation or result.

Discomfort drives us to find other solutions and take alternative courses of action to obtain a different direction. When we face an uncomfortable situation, we can choose one of two courses of action: The first is to manage the pressure and do nothing. The second is to get up and find another avenue to achieve what we most desire.

Our most outstanding successes tend to come after situations which shake our world like an earthquake. For example: marriage, the birth of a child, taking on an obligation which is greater than we believed possible and even the death of a loved one. Pressure and discomfort can stimulate or diminish our ability to establish new ways of working and acting.

Following, a story about discomfort: An older gentleman is rocking in his chair on his wooden porch. A traveler requiring assistance walks up to ask for help and notices the dog lying down beside the man is visibly troubled. The dog whimpers and whines in agony. The traveler asks the man, “What’s wrong with your dog, is he sick?”

The man laughs and says, “No, he isn’t sick. He is sitting on a nail which sticks out of the porch and it’s poking one of his testicles.”

“Why doesn’t he move?” the traveler asks.

“Well, you see he doesn’t move because it hurts him just enough to complain but not enough to move,” answers the owner.

This same situation happens frequently in life. We are hurt enough to complain though are not in enough pain to move. If this is the case, we can get more uncomfortable with regards to our present situation, get up and take action to effect positive change.

“It is easy to sit up and take notice. What is difficult is getting up and taking action.” ~ Al Batt

When we get uncomfortable with goals and objectives which go beyond what is comfortable and convenient, we can go farther than we ever imagined possible.

∞ Rob McBride ∞
LL II 37

Success and how we achieve it is of interest to most. The books on the shelves in bookstores throughout the world “shout” out promises of success to all who follow the advice of the words which fill their pages.

What are the characteristics of success and how we can assure it comes to our doorstep more often?

We have all felt the exhilarating sensation of success at some point in our lives. It generally comes after a particular event or as the result of achieving certain goals or objectives.

This feeling is typically the result of several things which come together to make us “feel” successful. This being the case, success is a sensation, not a situation. It isn’t what happens which makes us feel successful; rather how we sense what occurs.

For example, a student who gets 100 (on a scale of 1 to 100) on a test has a good reason to feel successful. Does this then mean someone who gets a 70 is a failure?

The answer isn’t so evident. For a student who has learning difficulties or, for a test where 70 was the highest grade given, it is quite possible for these students to feel successful. In addition, there are students who think it is the end of the world if they get a 90, while others celebrate the same grade for days on end.

It is not what happens or how it happens which defines success. Rather, how we perceive what has happened which gives the event context and significance. Success is not achieving a certain position in life or a making certain amount of money, rather the value we give an event.

How then can we get the sweet sensation of success more frequently?

We tend to be our own harshest critics. Our internal dialogue can be brutal when we don’t achieve what we desire. Instead of beating ourselves up mentally, we can start by realizing no one is “perfect.” While we all have desirable character traits, we also make mistakes.

Instead of concentrating on what is “wrong” with our lives, we can instead concentrate on what is “right.” If we perceive there is nothing “right,” we can permit our marvelous mind to soar to another space and time when we have had the sensation of success.

Success does not depend on what we have achieved or lost, rather on how we interpret these events. For some, simply getting up in the morning is success. We can broaden our definition of success, giving ourselves permission to fall and fail every once in a while. Success is a feeling and there is no ceiling on the number of times we can feel the sweet sensation of success.

∞ Rob McBride ∞
LL II 36