Here is another video on voting to share with you at Living in Courage. Get out there and vote. This could be the most important election of your life. What kind of life do you choose? Remember, vote from confidence, courage of conviction and fearlessness.
Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Cruise, Cameron Diaz, Snoop Dogg, Harrison Ford, Julia Roberts, Ben Stiller, Will Smith, Steven Spielberg, Justin Timberlake, along with Sacha Baron Cohen as Borat, Zach Braf…
Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Cruise, Cameron Diaz, Snoop Dogg, Harrison Ford, Julia Roberts, Ben Stiller, Will Smith, Steven Spielberg, Justin Timberlake, along with Sacha Baron Cohen as Borat, Zach Braff, Colin Farrell, Neil Patrick Harris, Scarlett Johansson, Shia LeBeouf, Tobey Maguire, Ryan Reynolds, and Jason Segal, are featured in a second of a series of public service announcements to encourage American youth to vote in partnership with Google, YouTube, Declare Yourself, and MySpace. The non-partisan PSAs, produced by DiCaprios Appian Way, were created to engage and inspire young people to vote and participate in the upcoming election.
Here at Living in Courage, we love Ted Talks where some of the world’s greatest minds meet in Monterey, California once a year to explore new technology and the people who develop and experience great things in the world. I hope you enjoy this video from Ted Talks and explore more of the available videos.
Working from principles of differential geometry, physicist Garrett Lisi is developing a new unified theory that purports to explain all the elementary particles, and gravity, in one elegant model. His theory is based on a mathematical shape called E8. With 248 symmetries, E8 is large, complex and beautiful — and Lisi believes the relationships of its symmetries correspond to known particles and forces, including gravity.
Jason McElwain (J Mac as he likes to be called,) is a highly functioning autistic boy, but autism is nothing for this basketball star. Jason is an student assistant for the coach Jim Johnson. Coach Johnson gave Jason a chance to play in the game and talk about courage. This is a video of an amazing boy and his basketball story inspired a school and athletics department.
I have been out of commission for 5 days with severe food poisoning and had many hours to contemplate how each of us can live in courage and what this means for our country. Now is the time for each of us to stand tall and reject fear. This country has been fear driven for far too long. The old systems are crumbling faster than a house of cards. New systems are quickly moving forward to create a much better world for all to live in. Are you going to be part of the solution? Change must occur, it is inevitable. We must all be courageous at this time and make the decision to be part of the solution.
I found a wonderful article by Patrick Ryan that I would love to share with you. I enjoyed it immensely as it is written by a Canadian who can see the clearer picture. Visit Patrick at Awakened Wisdom and enjoy reading his blog. Patrick is an author, executive coach and leadership trainer. Look for Awakened Wisdom in my blogroll for easy access.
Debra Oakland @ Living in Courage
Who Is Doing Your Voting?
Well here we are again, about to choose the next generation of leadership in the United States. As a Canadian residing in the US, I do not get to vote so I have a unique perspective on what is unfolding. It’s an interesting time in the world right now, and as I’ve been traveling about the world lately I appreciate the opportunity I’ve had to hear so many different perspectives on the changes taking place. The current global economic challenges are trading headlines daily with the US election process, and the entire world is keeping an eye on the United States as it all unfolds.
Obviously running a presidential election campaign is stressful. One gauge of a great leader is how he or she responds to stress and how he or she continues to manage a campaign under pressure. After all, if you can’t manage your own campaign in a good way, how could you be expected to manage the role of President of the United States of America and its attendant global responsibilities?
Consider, both candidates in this US election said very clearly early on, that they would not stoop to the pressure to include negative campaign ads In their strategy.
Low and behold, both have. Why is that?
Election strategists tend to agree that negative ads can and do work, and some might insist the use of such ads is necessary to win. But what do we gain in a campaign that’s “won” with negative ads? Negative ads do “work” in that they prey upon our often-present underlying fears and cause us to doubt our deepest voting instincts. The fearful side in each of us is always on the look-out for things to be afraid of so, yes, negative campaigns can “work” if they gain power as THEY feed on our fears.
During the presidential debates, groups of undecided voters are hooked up to electronic equipment, which indicates when they are either attracted to or repelled by a candidate. The meters flip quickly into attraction when candidates speak about solutions from a resourceful and wise aspect of themselves; when a leader is able to stay clear and grounded in his or her wisdom, this in turn activates the wisdom of those observing. If an undecided voter were to stop right there, and vote from this place of wisdom, we’d likely end up with a candidate who has some pretty sound ideas.
However the converse is also true; when candidates start bashing their opponents, approval indicators start dropping as undecided voters start to feel conflicted. The candidate who goes down the road of negativity is counting on this, for negativity is contagious. If a candidate can get voters to cast doubt on his rival’s character and abilities, the vote may sway. When candidates campaign from this lower aspect of their nature, they activate it in others. And those who are not grounded enough in their own wisdom may get pulled down the road of negativity.
We can hope, but not expect that our candidates will always refrain from using negative ads. When one candidate starts, another may feel obliged to respond and defend – a seemingly inevitable and vicious cycle of negative ads ensues.
So what can we hope for in a voting nation when negative ads are calling out to us? We can hope for discernment.
We have two basic inner aspects of our selves through which we can choose a candidate. Awakened Wisdom teachings describe these aspects as the Divine Self and Distorted Self. Simply put, Divine Self is the resourceful, creative, empowered aspect of who we are, while Distorted Self is the fearful, critical, judgmental aspect of who we are. We each have our own personal version of these two aspects lurking within us.
As you step into the voting booth you have an important choice. You can vote for what you believe is the highest and best solution or you can vote from fear.
Whichever aspect you put in charge of your voting will determine what you’ll create in this election and in your life. If you vote according to your Divine Self, (a choice based on your best wisdom given all the insight and information you have) it is likely to attract positive results for all. (FYI - Making a Divine choice can also still feel risky. It may include agreeing to short term risks in hopes for long term, or more broadly reaching benefits, not just for yourself, but for others.)
If you allow fear to guide your vote, you are choosing to put your own Distorted Self in charge. Such a fear-based choice would continue to create more fear, resentment and scarcity. It would attract a leadership style that would be operating through the same fearful energy that has empowered it. If a presidential candidate wins through fear and negativity, these energies will no doubt overshadow the entire presidency. We have been trudging through a long stretch of fear-based leadership; we have a choice to shift this energy. The world is watching the United States as it chooses its next leader.
I cannot tell anyone which way I think he or she should vote. I am however, reminding people to choose well - through wisdom rather than fear.
When you do vote, ask your self these two simple questions:
What is most needed in the Leadership of this country at this time?
Which candidate is most likely able to create that?
I will state that it seems time for all nations to learn to create again from wisdom, trust, courage, and openness. To do this now, Americans must be willing to let go of creating from fear. That doesn’t mean being naïve, it means operating from Divine wisdom. This is the kind of wisdom that knows real, from imagined dangers and is willing to hold out for long-term sustainable prosperity versus short-term gain.
Any idea or action that does not add beauty to the next generation is not a good idea for the day at hand.
Do you have the courage to walk into the house of 1000 mirrors to see what is reflected back to you? People who are angry at the government, their employer, people, themselves and whatever they have created in a negative way, will see 1000 little dogs growling back at them. People who walk in peace, love, authority, happiness and grace will see 1000 little happy bouncy dogs smiling back. Which do you choose? The choice can only be made by you, so choose wisely.
Long ago in a small, far away village, there was a place known as the House of 1000 Mirrors. A small, happy little dog learned of this place and decided to visit. When he arrived, he bounced happily up the stairs to the doorway of the house. He looked through the doorway with his ears lifted high and his tail wagging as fast as it could. To his great surprise, he found himself staring at 1000 other happy little dogs with their tails wagging just as fast as his. He smiled a great smile, and was answered with 1000 great smiles just as warm and friendly. As he left the house, he thought to himself, “This is a wonderful place. I will come back and visit it often.”
In this same village, another little dog, who was not quite as happy as the first one, decided to visit the house. He slowly climbed the stairs and hung his head low as he looked into the door. When he saw the 1000 unfriendly looking dogs staring back at him, he growled at them and was horrified to see 1000 little dogs growling back at him. As he left, he thought to himself, “That is a horrible place, and I will never go back there again.”
All the faces in the world are mirrors. What kind of reflections do you see in the faces of the people you meet?
Expose your fears with Courage. These illusions of fear create more of the same. You can look around you to the world at large and see all the evidence of this. Fear creates war, suffering, violence, limitation, insecurities, loneliness - need I go on? Look fear in the eye. Look the cause of fear in the eye and do not look away until it disappears. Ponder upon the wise words below by Jack Canfield and walk in Courage.
Most fears cannot withstand the test of careful scrutiny and analysis. When we expose our fears to the light of thoughtful examination they usually just evaporate. Jack Canfield
Monday is: Miraculous, Magical, Majestic, Motivating, Musical, Mastery
Tuesday is: Terrific, Tempting, Tolerant, Total, Timely, Tasty
Wednesday is: Wonderful, Wild, Willingness, Waiting Peacefully
Thursday is: Thrilling, Thorough, Thought Provoking, Timeless
Friday is: Fun, Fulfilling, Fantastic, Frolicking, Food Finds, Flowing
Saturday is: Successful, Sun, Silly, Seductive, Special, Sexy
Sunday is: Selective, Shelter, Sleepy, Slow, Silky, Slumber
How fun to look at life with courage and make the choice to select the ways you want your week to unfold. It takes more work to think and act negatively than positively. You get results either way, so pick the road you wish to travel on. How easy can it be? Get creative and add any words that suit your life. I just quickly added the ones that make me feel good. How Easy Can It Be?
I notice people talking about how hard everything is. Life, work, relationships, parenthood, growing up, letting go - you get the idea. We have programmed ourselves, and not in a positive way in most regards. Life is not supposed to be a struggle, we make it that way. It takes courage to say, “How easy can it be?”
Not making enough money? Set a goal of what you want to make - an end result. Perhaps you want to make $5,000, $10,00 or $15,000 or more a month. Pick an amount realistic to you, but stretch yourself a bit. Then say ” I don’t know the details of how this will happen, I may not know the way to make this happen, but I hand the details over to _________. Who do you trust in as a higher power, your source, a guardian angel? Use whatever you are familiar and comfortable with, or just the strength you know is inside of you.
Say the amount, hand it over and then say “How easy can it be?” Say it all day, feel it. There is an abundance of money on this planet, plenty of rich people. They have money, so can you. How easy can it be? Be a magnet for what you choose, because only you get to choose what comes into your life. Get used to knowing things are easy - not difficult. Reprogram your hard wiring.
You can use this statement for relationships, a job, health, joy, peace, financial freedom or any need you have. There is an abundance of all of these things everywhere, so it is available to everyone. Change your attitude with courage of conviction.
There is so much going on in the world right now that frightens people. You will see old dark systems crumble beneath the feet of those who have been living off the backs of the people. The lies we have been told will unfold faster than we can keep up. The world of finance, business, economics, technology, energy and global interaction will all change as new systems rise to take the place greed and corruption.
As these changes occur, we need to change what is in us as well. Look deep into old patterns. Anything unforgiven, anger, judgment of yourself and those around you, what is not working in your life and how you created it. How do you approach each day? Usually the same old tired way. Wake up and say this day will be different - “How easy can it be?” Change your self talk, feelings and actions to reflect these new miracles that are waiting to come into your life.
Will your try it? Just give it a chance. It takes courage to say “How easy can it be?” But, you know what? I know you can do it.
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