Choosing Yourself: Chapter 17: Two Stories About Choosing Yourself - 4 Insights

Everyone Has a Plan Until They Get Punched in the Mouth. Mike Tyson

All of my plans felt like I got punched in the mouth so I stopped planning. I stopped setting goals. I realized I knew far too little and all the people I was listening to and reading about knew far too little too.

I healed my Mind
- I started listening to wisdom that was greater than my own (that voiceless voice). Every body knows what I'm talking about. I think some of you call it intuition. It's the voice (that's not a voice) that you hear when you remove all of the doubt, worry, and fear from your conversation.

- Once I hear the voice about what I should do next I act on it. I don't question it. I expect the instructions given to be different than anything I could or would ever come up with. I know that as long as I'm following the instructions given that I cannot fail. I don't have to be concerned with what to say, who to say it to, where to go or what to do when I get where I'm going. I just listen and act where an action is required.

- I always know that I have exactly what it takes to carry out said plan or I wouldn't have been given the assignment. No external validation needed. I don't need to have a consultation with anyone about anything. I don't need to ask anyone what they think or how they feel. How in hell would I expect them to know anyway?

- There are no obstacles to stop me. My plans can't be thwarted.
It's a different way to live - no more pressure - no more crystal balls - recession proof

1. Magic buttons and short cuts may be desirable but they are rather quite unfulfilling.

It's not a question of "what did you do" but rather a question of "who are you choosing to be"...When we decide what we are to be we only do the things that a person that is be-ing that would do. There's no rush...no hurry....there's not a place that we're trying to get to...we're living it every day.

Haven't you noticed that things happen to us at least twice in life?
First the mental (ideas, thoughts) then the physical (the signing with a record label, start up, etc)
First the thought (mental), then the action (physical)

2. If you hold a belief of "Yah" or "Nah" you will see this same belief that you hold onto most dearly reflected back to you in the marketplace. The worlds we create are an exact replica of our most cherished beliefs.

We create our own marketplaces. If we have problem with our height, being gay, being from the hood, having crooked or missing teeth, lack of education we will discover that the world regurgitates those same beliefs and sentiments back to us. It's a perfect match. If you want to change "out there" you got to first change "in here"

3. Paying your dues. What you earn in life must be acquired through hard work, long experience, or suffering. Hogwash.

Hard work is a myth and highly overrated.
It takes as long as it takes (what do you care when you're having fun) and we don't get to decide the length of time.
Do you believe that there's a moment that is more delicious than the one you're having right now?
We each have a unique set of gifts and talents to offer the world and as long as we're engaged in giving our unique gifts to others we can never suffer.
You were not put on this earth to suffer despite what many may have you believe.

4. Community is connection. We're afraid to connect. It's quite difficult to connect when you see others as different from yourself. Community works so well because it's in our nature to be loving, caring, and nurturing towards others.