How do I respond ??????

One thing is for certain in this life is that you will have trouble!!! You will be "disappointed".You will have "setbacks" and there are some things that will happen that you won't have any control over!!!

When the inevitable happens, how will you respond? I asked myself this question while doing the dishes one day. In my mind, I went over some of my most challenging times, and I had to admit to myself that on a scale of 1 to 10, I had to give myself a 2!!!!

When "hard" times came I responded in a way that caused me to stay in a state of worry, frustration, fear and anger. I went through cycles of depression and hopelessness. I allow my mind to get so over whelm that I even contemplated suicide several times.

Now I am ashamed to admit that I thought about taking my life because of "trouble" and "hard" times, but that how "low" I had got in my Mind! I readily admit that I did not always respond in a positive way. Despite the fact that I "knew" how to get into a more powerful state, I allow despair and defeat to overtake my thought process. My mind ran wild with images of sorrow and "woe is me". I stayed to myself and would not leave my house for days on end. I avoided people because I was afraid of them seeing me in this state. I was afraid of what they might say.

I was supposed to be this guy who had answers but could not seem to shake this funk that I was in. How did I get into this state? Easily!! It all started with me responding in a dis-empowering way.

I use the power of distortion and "blew" things out of proportion. I reacted slowly to things that needed to be taking care of. When things were out of my "control" I saw it as "God" playing chess with my life. I developed a "victim" mentality which played a major part in me creating even more cycles of frustration.

Even though it may sounds corny, you cannot achieve anything great with a negative mental state. I know because I tried it!!! I "knew" what to do to change my life but I was coming from a negative place.

How I respond to things will determine the level of peace that I experience now. It will also determine how much of my potential I will be able to tap into. Negative stress blocks up "the Flow". The flow is comprise of creativity, insight, wisdom and other positive states that can empower you.

So how do I respond to trouble? If it something that is beyond my "control" then I accept my current situation and make lemon aid out of lemons. Crying about it will just cause depression. Getting angry and lashing out at people will strain or destroy relationships. Staying frustrated for too long will lead to stagnation. So being positive is the best alternative.

I may not be able to control everything around me but I can always control how I respond to things. It is a matter of discipline and a willingness to change. I now look at what is the most empowering way to deal with a situation and take that approach. I approach life light hearted and with a mixture of gratitude and humor. Things may not go as plan, but if they don't, I learn from my feedback, suit up and get back on the playing field (to use a sport analogy). I chose Now to consistently live from a place of wisdom, understanding and peace. I tried living from other perspectives and I was miserable.

Now my mind is focused on enjoying every aspect of life, from "troubles" to triumphs. From setbacks to breakthroughs and from sorrows to profound levels of ecstasy (not the drug, lol). This my friend is a way of life that will lead to deep levels of Self fulfillment and Personal Development. Produce Outstanding Results!!!!!!