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Thursday, April 17, 2014
Thursday, April 3, 2014
Be a Boat Rocker
Douglas Clark
-Head writer, The Inspiration Engine
DouglasHClark.com
-Head writer, The Inspiration Engine
Sometimes, rocking the boat is just the shake up you need to
get your life on a different course. Making a transition can totally alter your
perception of life. It's a curious thing to realize that after getting so used
to something one way, we can become so rigid and unwilling to try any other
way. Life in our modern age is built on routine. This routine provides
structure and a foundation we can rely on and expand.
However, if we become too complacent or dependent on that
routine, we can become my lethargic and apathetic. I've noticed that as much as
I love routine and structure, if I don't break it up a bit and deliberately
introduce new challenges, I get demotivated. I think the desire to remain
surrounded by the known factors in life can be so strong, it overrides the need
to explore new things, especially since deviating from the known can result in
great failure, personal pain, or professional setbacks.
Sometimes, however, disturbing up the apple cart is exactly
what you need. The last time I switched jobs I experienced a serious amount of
change. My morning routine, my workouts, break times, commute, and of course my
basic job all changed. It scared me. How could I maintain all that I achieved
by screwing with the status quo? Well, the status quo what is the exact thing
that needed to change.
Doing the same thing over and over can help you accomplish a
great deal, but eventually there comes a need to shift gears and try something
new. Otherwise you will only get so far and then stall out. Making that change
forces you to try something new, but it also exposes you to alternatives that
you might not have ever considered otherwise. Don't let complacency fool you
into thinking you are being responsible. Challenging yourself to grow is a reasonable
course of action.
For me, my mind began playing with the idea of waking up
much earlier, going to bed before 10 p.m. (shocking right?), I even began
thinking about how my diet and exercise schedule would change and how it would
benefit me. Now I know change is scary, intimidating and hard, but focusing on
the improvements it brings is what provides the motivation and encouragement we
need to keep growing and improving.
No one ever changed the world by maintaining the status quo,
so how can life get any better with the same old same old? Make a change for
the better. It will be worth it.
Thanks for reading.
Questions and comments are welcome.
Friday, March 14, 2014
What If a Golden Opportunity Knocked?
By Douglas Clark
There is always a golden opportunity coming your way.
Whether you recognize it or want to admit it, there can always be a better
situation resulting from your actions. The flip side of course is disaster
lurks behind every decision, ready to strike like a Viper.
Recognizing the opportunities in front of you is not always
easy. Roadblocks like stress, pride, fear, despondency, fatigue, or arrogance
get in the way. Truth is, most people probably miss golden opportunities
because they feel overwhelmed by the change they would bring. Familiarity with
your current situation is comforting. As the cliche says "the devil you
know is better than the one you don't", but it is that very complacency that
gets in the way of improvement and success.
I felt stuck in a rut for a long time. I wanted to grow,
take on a new career challenge, improve, but for years, (I'm sad to admit), I
avoided it. Oh sure, I'd complain, but not really take action to force a
change. One day I hit a tipping point and decided I must do something different
or that creative, motivating drive inside of me would die. So I got a new job.
Granted, starting a new job is scary. It's also disruptive
and uncomfortable. I noticed simple things like my gym and lunch routine were
vastly different, but you know what? I needed that.
I have watched people I know including myself, squander
opportunities, repeatedly. It's frustrating because you know if they just seize
that opportunity a lot of good things will come their way. And yet they
flounder. Remember those roadblocks I mentioned? I think fear is the strongest
one. Fear of failure, the unknown, making a mistake, and even fear of success
all crowd out the basic truth that without a new course of action the same
results or worse will occur.
Thanks Einstein. Don't let fear control you. "Fear is the mind killer". Don't be a slave to it. Use your fear as a catalyst, not
an anchor. Let that fear drive you towards success, not cower under the covers.
Your adventure and success in life come from slaying the monster that lurks
under your bed. That's the story people want to hear and what you need to live.
Get to being the hero of your life book. End the chapter of fear and start writing
the Chapter of Success.
Yes it can be done. Just seize that golden opportunity!
Thanks for reading.
Questions and Comments are welcome.
DouglasHClark.com
Thursday, February 6, 2014
Serenity
by Douglas Clark
Let's try something very simple.
What do you feel when you see this picture?
To me, I feel warm, calming peace of mind. As I look at this picture, I can hear the subtle rippling of the water as a gentle breeze flows past my face. The soothing warmth of the sun's rays blanket me in a comforting hug as the soft grass tickles.
I could sit near that pond for hours if I could.
When you look at this picture, what do you feel?
The original picture was found here. Thank you Robert Finkelstein.
Thanks for reading.
Questions and comments are welcome.
DouglasHClark.com
Let's try something very simple.
What do you feel when you see this picture?
To me, I feel warm, calming peace of mind. As I look at this picture, I can hear the subtle rippling of the water as a gentle breeze flows past my face. The soothing warmth of the sun's rays blanket me in a comforting hug as the soft grass tickles.
I could sit near that pond for hours if I could.
When you look at this picture, what do you feel?
The original picture was found here. Thank you Robert Finkelstein.
Thanks for reading.
Questions and comments are welcome.
DouglasHClark.com
Tuesday, February 4, 2014
Our Firsts For a Year: Day 32: Meditation Gardens in Encintas
Our Firsts For a Year: Day 32: Meditation Gardens in Encintas
Check out the Meditation Gardens in Encinitas.
Check out the Meditation Gardens in Encinitas.
Thursday, January 30, 2014
Who Are You?
By Douglas Clark
Who are you? The character Kosh on the sci fi television
series Babylon Five would ask that of a few of the main characters, especially
during times of self-doubt or pending change. We could ask ourselves the same
question. Who are we? As individuals, as a society, as a species, we are all in
a constant state of flux.
Recently an article was published about the relationship of
Neanderthal and Human DNA. A small yet distinctive amount of DNA from
Neanderthals is present in many of the humans alive today, despite geographic,
social, ethnic, or political ties. Neanderthals are a species of Homo Sapiens
that is considered to be an cousin to modern day people. They had
similar intelligence, physical make up, abilities and skills. Having died out,
they exist now only in our genetic code. But what does that say about us? As a
species that wars, fights and hates against itself, we are the sole remnant of
a species now vanished from this world.
My mind swirls with the idea that within us we hold the
tiniest bit of an entire race. What were the Neanderthals dreams? What did they
long for? What did they imagine when they looked up at the starry night sky?
Who did they love and care for? What pains and agonies did they suffer when
loved ones died? It may seem ridiculous
to contemplate such things. After all, they were just ‘cavemen’ right? Well, if
you really look at it, the Neanderthals were very much like us in many ways.
And no matter how you look at it, they were related to us, physically,
genetically, and in my mind, intellectually as well. They weren’t exactly
human, but so very close our ancestors mated with them and formed families.
So in that regard, they are our kin, on many levels. What
would you do if you were the sole holder of a memory of a lost love, a child,
family? Would you want to preserve that memory and cherish it? If we are the
keepers of every dream, desire, aspiration, and struggle of a lost race,
shouldn’t we try harder to celebrate our commonalities, rather than fight because of our differences? The legacy of two human races depends on it. Think about
it…
Thanks for reading.
Questions and Comments are welcome.
Thursday, January 23, 2014
I'm So Thirsty!
by Douglas Clark
I was struck today by the terrible images of Drought that certain parts of the US and the world are suffering with. For some reason, I'm fascinated by dry lakes and desiccation. Strange perhaps, but fascinating all the same. Perhaps you may or may not be aware of the Aural Sea. Well, it's basically gone. It dried up because of human interference with its water supply. Hard to imagine draining an entire sea, but there you have it; man's capacity for destruction.
Now don't get me wrong, I'm not all gloom and doom here. Human kind is capable of great things, but when I see pictures of docks and boats sitting on a dry and dusty plain, my imagination sparks with ideas. Perhaps it's the incongruent nature of ship and desert, or a dock leading to nothing. But my mind is transported to what it was like while the water was drying up.
What did the people do who relied on that water?
How did they cope and deal with the loss of the life they knew?
What caused this to happen?
These are all thoughts that race through my head.
See, I'll use those images and the thoughts they provoke to find a story. It may be tragic that the Aural Sea is gone, and drought is destroying countless habitats. But if it sparks your imagination to do something about it, that's at least something positive. There is usually a reason behind the catastrophes and disasters of this world. Sometimes they are caused by nature, sometimes caused by man. It's up to you to find the truth and bring some good to the world because of it.
Thanks for reading.
Questions and comments are welcome.
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