Category Archives: Emotions

There Is Only One, Big Reason You Don’t Have What You Want!

Want To Change Your Life- copy

“Most people desire things. What do you want? Do you want any of the following? You want the perfect career;  success;  a fine home; a loving, lasting relationship; that special car; jewelry and many other things. You want to travel, eat in fine restaurants and have lots of cash. You want to be out of debt and able to afford anything you want. What is it?

You want things but you don’t have them. Something holds you back.  There is ONE, single, big reason why you do not have exactly what you want, yet. It is important that you understand this.

The ONLY Reason You Don’t Have What You Want YET Is Because

YOU don’t see yourself with it!

You see yourself without it. You imagine not having it. You may imagine wanting it but inside your mind and heart you don’t have it. You see yourself without it. It is not an inner reality for you.

In order to have it

YOU must FIRST

See yourself WITH it.

I repeat:

You Must See Yourself With It In Order To Have It

If you don’t construct it first in the theater of your mind you won’t have it in your life. The outer reality comes from the inner reality and not the other way around. This is what you and most everyone of us miss. Thought precedes action! See it and you can have it!

The brain can’t go after what it doesn’t see or know it wants. You must inform it. You must tell it. You must teach it. The way you do that is to SHOW IT! The brain only responds to pictures and feelings that are intense and in present tense. You must see yourself having it NOW not some day. NOW!

You must see yourself ALREADY having it. You must see yourself as already in possession of that which you want. You must see yourself being it, doing it, having it, enjoying it. You must imagine life ‘as if’ you are already living that future reality and FEEL these feelings.

This is how you program your mind to go after what you want!

Visualization Should Always Be In The Present

Take the future out of your visualization. It must not be ‘some day I will have this’.

It must be ‘I AM this’.

Don’t think, affirm or visualize ‘I will be happy’ or ‘I will be rich’. Think and see ‘I am happy’. I am rich’.

You must use I AM or I HAVE to put your wants into the present tense. Whatever follows the words I AM or I HAVE is crucial. It must be stated in the positive. You must say ‘I AM Rich’ and  not ‘I am not poor’.

It must be deliberate and specific. See it, hear it, feel it, taste it, smell it. Imagine how good it feels in full, vibrant color. In 3 dimensions. Wonderful movies with complete sound and marvelous feelings.

Visualize Having It – Enjoy It – FEEL The Wonderful Feelings

Visualize why you want it. Imagine the reasons. Imagine the benefits you have from being, doing or having this. You’ll have peace of mind, enjoyment, love, happiness, confidence, etc. Enjoy all the benefits and all the incredible feelings right this instant as you visualize.

Do not worry about how you get it. Le go of the ‘how’ it happens. It is not your concern. You job is What and Why. How will take care of itself in time. The Wright Brothers did not know, prior to their first successful flight, how to fly. You won’t know how at first either.

You will discover soon enough the how and the plans becoming available to you as you keep what you want to have in your mind’s eye. This is where faith and trust in your inner resourcefulness comes in.

Trust that your mind will deliver the plan as you go along. Never be concerned with how only with the what and why. Give it over to god, or the universe or your unconscious processes while you focus on what and why. Do not get caught up in how – it won’t help you get it!

To help you make it most vivid describe what you want in your mind. Hand write it out on paper. Choose your words to help you visualize with more detail and realistically. Use powerful adjectives that make your description not only more vivid and realistic but delightful and wonderful.

Make mental movies of what you are doing, who you are with, where you are and fill in all the details. See yourself in the movie being what you want to be, doing what you want to do and having what you want to have. See yourself WITH IT! Right NOW!!!

In Order To Have It See Yourself In Possession Of It

Whether that ‘it’ is confidence, or a car IMAGINE what it is like to be it and own it. Feel it! Wrap yourself in the feelings. Bask in the feelings.

The most important part of this visualization process is to feel as though you already have it AND delight in the incredible feelings. Feel the gratitude and appreciation you’d have.

For example AND I use this only as an example. I do not recommend this playing the lottery.

If you imagined you won the lottery how would you REALLY feel if you looked in your hands and saw the winning ticket and knew that money was now going to be yours?

Believe It – Have Faith – Expect It – Because It Is Already Yours

How would you feel to take the ticket and have it verified that you indeed won. After that, it is only a matter of time until they cut you the check. You have won.

How do you feel knowing that money is yours? Even though you don’t have it in your hands it is designated to you. It is your money and it is coming sometime soon. HOW DO YOU FEEL? WHAT DO YOU FEEL?

I’m gonna bet you probably are feeling pretty fantastic! Am I correct?

Consider this: Nothing in your actual, present time, real life experience, has changed. From the moment your winning numbers are called to when you get the check nothing is different in your circumstances.

BUT your head is different. Your awareness has changed. You know it is your money. You know it is coming. You won it. You now have all this money headed your way.

BUT nothing has changed in your outer circumstances. Any challenges you had are still there. The people in your life, the house you are in, everything is still the same. Yet, you have changed on the inside. You feel and see another reality.

It is those feelings that make the difference! The feelings of already having. The feelings of knowing it is yours! You expect the money. You know it is yours. You believe it.

You Change First On The Inside Then Circumstances Follow

This is the kind of knowing that is important. This is what is meant when we say, Believe it and you will see it! Expect it.  When you have these powerful feelings of expectation that this GOOD is yours, even though circumstances haven’t changed, you and your life are transformed.

Another powerful way to imagine is to include moments when you can you live it and view it through your own eyes. For example, one way is seeing yourself in the car you want to own. Watch yourself get into it and drive and notice how good you look behind the wheel.

The other way is to put yourself in the driver’s seat and look out through the windshield, over your hands on the steering wheel. Feel the comfort of the seat. Feel your hands on the wheel and the sensation of driving the car. In other words, imagine exactly what it feels like to be driving the car.

In the first version you watch yourself drive the car and you notice how good it feels to see yourself do this. In the second version you feel exactly what it is like to be driving the car. You see what you see, and hear what you hear and feel what you feel as you drive along.

Program Your Mind – Visualize  Daily – Make It A Habit

You see what you see from your point of view inside the car. You hear through your ears the sounds of the auto and the roadway. You also hear your inner self-talk and what you say to yourself.

You enjoy the feelings in your body, your emotions and the sensations of driving this car on the road. You can notice what the new car smells like. Experience it as fully as you can.

Repeat this daily and often. See it, claim it, affirm it as already yours and you will make it happen. You become what you think about. You get what you focus on. What you think about you bring about. Spend time doing this each day and you program your mind to get what you want. You literally impress what you want onto and into the subconscious mind.

Know that this or something better is yours. Let go of how. Simply enjoy it. Feel it fully and feel how exciting it is. Visualize before you go to bed and when you arise in the morning. Set you night and your morning mind in positive ways. Remember, you get what you focus on. In order to have it you must first see yourself with it.

What you imagine in you head you can hold in your hand. This is how you begin to make your dreams a reality. First you create the inner reality and that becomes the outer reality. It has always worked this way. Everything that humans have ever made first began as an idea. It begins within your mind. Stop living without what you want and start making it happen.” Rex Sikes

How much delight can you enjoy today?

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I’M GOING TO LAUNCH THE NEW SITE SOON  –  Daily Inspiration And Gratitude’s new home is coming!  A new URL, a new look and feel. All this and new content will be at new site.

Some of you get this blog emailed to you, I don’t know whether that will continue or not. You will be able to subscribe to the blog and my new newsletter.

Please stay with us. I’d hate to lose you or have you miss any blog you want to receive. I’ll let you know when the change is taking place. I might launch and update as we go along.

PS YOU may know someone who could really benefit from hearing this message. Feel free to share this with them via social media or email. Buttons below make it easy for you to do so.

PSS  A great practice is read the posts daily and then go back and re-read from time to time. You will discover things you missed the first few readings. Try it, you will be surprised.

Subscribe and Follow Daily Inspiration and Gratitude!  Visit often. Feel free to comment. If you think others would benefit please share this blog with others.

Use These 6 Simple Steps To Get Everything You Want

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“Do you want more from life? Do you have everything you want yet? Would you like to know 6 easy steps that you can use to make your dreams come true?

Getting what you want can be difficult or easy. It is up to you. It depends on your mindset and your actions. It depends on your follow through. These 6 steps simply guide you and help keep you on track. Use them and you can revolutionize your life.

So, you set your goal. It is off in the future. What you do between then and now is important. Keep your expectations high. Keep faith in yourself and your ability to make your goal or dreams come true.

Stop Comparing Feel Good Instead

Between this time now and that time then keep your energy high and positive. Think and feel your very best. Spiritual people may say you need to vibrate happily. It is important we start from a good place. Mindset and attitude is everything. Positive expectations and faith in your ability to manifest the outcome you want are important.

The more positive, feeling good and happier you are the easier it all will be. Happiness brings more happiness. Success brings more success. Positive thoughts and positive feelings result in more of the same. Begin in the highest, positive place you are able. Focus on the positive and stay there.

Birds of a feather flock together. Whatever you think and feel positive or negative you attract more of. Be sure to chose the positive. Begin with high positive vibrations, mindset and attitude and you will get more back in return. It is important that you feel good. So, how do you feel good?

How To Feel Good

First: To help yourself feel good you  do those things that make you feel good. Use wise, healthy practices. Smile, laugh, do something nice for others. Do anything that makes you feel good. Walk, sing, dance. Go to a favorite place.

Clean your house if it makes you feel better. Treat yourself. Spend time with family or friends. Celebrate, count your blessings. Feel grateful. Volunteer, donate.  Do a favor or kindness. Anything healthy and positive that makes you feel better is available for you.

Second: Clarify what you want. Know your purpose. Set your goal. Be clear about what you want. Be committed. Affirm what you want and what you will do to get it. Affirm that you will keep at it no matter what. Be on purpose, be intentional, and keep your commitment.

Visualize it. Affirm it with strong feeling. Feel the firmness of your decision. Feel your resolve and joy and confidence Speak with authority. When you affirm and visualize imagine it as already completed. You have made it happen. Enjoy the feelings. Celebrate having made your dreams come true.

Get Clear On What You Want

Imagine having a discussion with someone close who celebrates you achievement and describe to this person how you made it happen. What easy step by step you took. How you kept your faith and persistence. Tell them why you  did it, what you did and how you did it to make it a reality for yourself.

Again remember, in your mind it has already happened and you have everything you want. Feel and bask in those feelings. As you picture and describe it and how you did it commit to taking the easy step by step approach. Work at making your goal come true bit by bit. Enjoy the process.

Three: Use your affirmations to describe you desired life. Be descriptive and use wonderful adjectives to put ‘oomph’ into your descriptions and affirmations and mental images. Make it vivid and glorious. The more strongly you feel as you describe and picture the more readily your subconscious mind gets the message.

Your pictures should support your affirmations and your affirmations should support help create your pictures. Describe the life you want as though you already have it. Feel what it is like to be there, having and doing those things. Feeling is most important. Keep all talk self-talk and other talk positive! Live your dreams in your mind fully as you are able.

Visualize, Affirm And Use Positive Self-talk

For example, if you want more money. Saying ‘I am debt free’.  Or ‘I have lots of cash’. May not make you feel very happy. The first puts your focus on debt. You want to put your focus on prosperity. You may wish to say, ‘I have all the money I need’.

But even the second example and this one may not trip your trigger too much. Piles of cash may be nice but some people are not that excited by green paper. It is what the green paper represents that is important. It is all you can do with lots of the green stuff that makes you feel good.

Think of all the things you will do with that money. It isn’t the money that makes you happy but what you are able to do because of the money.  You might love to travel or by a new home. It could be purchasing nice things makes you feel good. Perhaps it is  the security and confidence to be able to do whatever you want, with whomever you want, whenever you want makes you happy.

Think about it. Feel happy! Feel great and notice why you feel happy.  It is what you do with what you have is where the feelings come from.  Use what makes you feel the best.

Spaced Repetition Builds Habits

Fourth: Do it repeatedly. Do it every day. Spaced repetition develops habits. Everyday visualize and use affirmations. Keep in mind what predominately occupies your mind is what you get. What you think about most often you bring about. You get what you focus on. DO it everyday and do not stop.

Don’t miss a day. Commit. While that may seem like a big commitment there is a reason for it. Some people rationalize once they miss going to the gym or fudging on their diets and soon give it up. You don’t want to end up like one of those people do you?

Don’t let there be any room for not following through. Keep your promise to yourself. Consider this an investment in you and cherish this investment. Cherish yourself, value yourself enough to stick with it. Thought precedes action. Get you head together first and foremost.

Begin the day right. Start it off positive. Affirm and visualize. Then affirm and visualize  whenever you can during the day to stay positive. Fill your mind with positive thoughts, words and actions. Before you go to sleep count your blessings and affirm and visualize for your subconscious to work on while you sleep.

Take Action Steps

Fifth: Start moving forward. Take the first steps. Take action. Create momentum.  Follow through. During the time you were clarifying your goals and dreams and affirming and visualizing your mind, your subconscious, helps you create a plan.

Be aware of flashes of insights and ideas that you can do that help you get your goal. Work you plan. Plans may change but you don’t change you goal. You keep you intention and work creatively to get it. Remember, step by step you make your dreams come true.

With the right mindset in place, first, you will look for and you will find, you will make happen and attract, the right people, the right circumstances, events, and opportunities that are advantageous for you.

When you align your energies with what you desire and when you get congruent in your conscious intentions with your subconscious you become a creative force to be reckoned with. You become a powerful Can Do person.

You become a powerful Chooser. You determine your destiny. You begin to live as a champion and as a winner. You become a powerful creator who makes things happen. You become a magnet to attract all good things to you. What you put out to the universe you get back. Like attracts like.

Thought precedes actions. The most successful people already know and practice this. They either learned it deliberately or stumbled on it. Those who struggle in life often work hard and wonder why their actions aren’t paying off. Have you ever? If so, you must get your mind in the right place first. Then everything else can line up behind it and work.

As Above So Below As Within So Without

Sixth: Get the Within in order and the Outer will follow. Take care of your mind and body. Consume healthy nutrition to feed the mind as well as the body. Read positive books and articles. Listen to positive talks and speeches. Attend positive events and seminars.

Consider finding and spending time with people who are already doing what you want to do well. Also find those who are pursuing it as you are too. If you want to get good at anything you need people around you who are good and better.

You don’t want to be the smartest person in the room because you won’t learn anything. If you want to learn to play chess, or basketball you need to be around others who play the game. If you want to be the best then you need to spend time around those who are the best.

Find a community of positive, encouraging, supportive people to hang out with. It will make a big difference. Not only can they encourage and support and contribute to you but you can for them. The practice of contributing to others also makes you happier and healthier and stimulates you to get all the good things you want.

Bonus: Take time and apply these six steps and you will rock your world. You will transform yourself and your life in positive and dynamic ways. You will begin to experience many good things that will delight and surprise you. While on the path put your attention on the successful steps you take. Put your attention on the wins, large or small.

Keep Your Focus On The Steps You Can Take 

When climbing a mountain it is recommended to look down a few paces ahead of your feet. Do not look at the peak. The contrast of where you are and where you need to get to is vast and may cause you to lose faith and give up if you constantly compare. It drains you of your energy and confidence.

If you keep your focus on the few paces in front of your feet you are making the journey step by step. You are moving forward and no longer comparing. You can celebrate each step knowing you are getting closer. You are winning each step of the way. You are keeping your focus on what you can do.

Yes, it tricks the mind and you into sticking with it by making it easier for you. The same is true of our goals. Keep you attention on the small wins. Each step you take in the right direction is positive. Do not compare, let go of the when and be grateful for the now.

Do these six or seven things. Start today. Never wait when opportunity presents itself. Take advantage of now! Fill yourself up with feeling good and thinking good. Begin surrounding yourself with quality people. Focus on the small wins along the way. Enjoy the journey and you will make your dreams come true. Never quit.” Rex Sikes

Have a glorious day!!

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*Horizons photo used with permission of Phil Koch.

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I’M GOING TO LAUNCH THE NEW SITE SOON  –  Daily Inspiration And Gratitude’s new home is coming!  A new URL, a new look and feel. All this and new content will be at new site.

Some of you get this blog emailed to you, I don’t know whether that will continue or not. You will be able to subscribe to the blog and my new newsletter.

Please stay with us. I’d hate to lose you or have you miss any blog you want to receive. I’ll let you know when the change is taking place. I might launch and update as we go along.

PS YOU may know someone who could really benefit from hearing this message. Feel free to share this with them via social media or email. Buttons below make it easy for you to do so.

PSS  A great practice is read the posts daily and then go back and re-read from time to time. You will discover things you missed the first few readings. Try it, you will be surprised.

Subscribe and Follow Daily Inspiration and Gratitude!  Visit often. Feel free to comment. If you think others would benefit please share this blog with others.

What To Do When You Are Bothered By Negative Thoughts And Feelings

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“Negative thoughts and feelings can be trouble. What to do when you have a negative thought? It can ruin your day. It could interfere with your ability to feel happy and successful, pursue your career and enjoy life overall. Some people try to avoid negative thoughts.

Trying to fight thoughts and feelings usually only exaggerates them and makes them worse. You have probably found that to be true, right? There is a way you can get free from them. Would you like to know how? Keep reading.

Thoughts come and they keep coming. Many are repetitive, habitual, chronic old thoughts that just run on and on. The reason you keep thinking the same thing may be because you never attempted to direct them before.

How To Change The Old Into The New

It is estimated we think over 60,000 thoughts a day. 60 percent or more are the thoughts we routinely think. They are the thoughts from the day before and the day before that. The reason we have these repetitive thoughts is because most people don’t bother to learn HOW TO think better.

We think because we think that is how it has to be. We don’t realize that thinking is a skill and a process as any other. We can be good at it if we want to be or we can accept however we learned to do it. That is a choice each of us can make once we realize we have that choice. It would be nice to be a talented thinker, wouldn’t it?

Just like training a horse it can take some time but you can learn to think in new ways. You can think in new positive ways just as reliably and automatically as the old way. The way you learn to think new thoughts is you choose. You make choices. You decide what to think.

Decide To Become A Talented Thinker

You claim and you regain control. You put yourself in charge and you begin to decide what to think. That is what affirmations,  Directed Questions™ and positive self-talk is all about. You choose the thoughts and images you want to fill your mind with. You choose the best thoughts to think about yourself!

If you are up late at night and watching TV or a movie that you don’t like because it produces horrible thoughts or images what do you do to quit being bothered? Some people say turn it off. That doesn’t work because then you think about the last things you saw over and over.

Instead, you change the channel. You watch something else. You tune to something you enjoy. Soon you will forget about the old horrible show and images because you will be caught up in the new more enjoyable ones. You chose to put your attention elsewhere.

You Are In Charge – Change The Channel

You make positive thinking a reality in the same manner. You switch what you are thinking about. You don’t try to stop thinking negatively because what you resist persists. You don’t try to shut the less than glorious off rather you add in more positive, powerful, enjoyable, glorious thoughts.

You make the new thinking a habit by choosing to  think and affirm the new thoughts over and over repeatedly. You think them and add positive emotion and enthusiasm while you say or shout them out loud to yourself. Think of the intense emotions used in military training or sports training. Make your feelings intensely joyful!

Over time, the new thoughts take hold. You begin to think them more reliably and you begin to believe them. They become a part of you. They begin to come naturally and habitually. The older thoughts you think less and less. Your new thoughts take hold.

You Form Habits By Correct Practice And Spaced Repetition

Just as when you change residence. At first you may find yourself inadvertently traveling back to your former address. In time that will happen less and less as you continue to return to the new home address. Soon enough the new address takes hold and you always go there. You learn to go where you put your attention. It is reliable!

It works the same way you make a pathway in the forest or pasture. You travel the same route again and again until a path is formed. It works the same way in the brain.

You create new neural pathways to travel by choosing the thoughts you want to think and repeating them again and again. The key is to use strong, intense, positive strong emotions while affirming. The emotions are what wires in the thoughts.

Choose Your Thoughts

Choose to think new thoughts.  Become aware when you aren’t. Make a correction by adjusting thoughts that run counter to what you want. Change to a positive channel. You will feel better too.

Apply, correct, apply correct and soon over time you get the knack and develop the new thinking habit. It is not just the words but the feeling you have when saying the words. Once you choose to think better thoughts your feelings improve too! It works both ways.

But What If I Think A Negative Thought?

It is okay. We all do. We are human.

Frequently it means that thought is a signal to get your attention. It is a signal that you need to put your attention on something in order to avoid or resolve a difficulty. The same is the case with less than glorious feeling. It means you are focused in the wrong place.

Perhaps, you are more focused on what you do not want than on what you want. Notice the thought or feeling, acknowledge it and put you attention where you want it to be instead. If the thoughts stop or the feelings change for the better you got the message.

You Have  A Guidance System That Provides Feedback

Once you get the message stop focusing on the message. Apply your positive thinking on making the situation better. If it alerts you to something you do not want FANTASTIC!! Now turn your attention to what you do want and concentrate on making this happen.

Switch the channel. Focus on the positive thoughts you want instead. It may be something triggered old associations. That is okay it may happen from time to time.

If it persists it may be you need to listen to your gut. Something requires your attention. Calm down, relax, and accept it. Listen patiently. Learn to pay attention to your inner guidance. Once you get the message you will experience relief or at least the nagging will cease.

The Goal Is To Feel Good Most Of The Time

The goal is to think positive thoughts and feel better MOST of the time. It doesn’t mean we never have other thoughts. So you chose to and do what you need to do to feel good most of the time. If 60, 70, 80 percent of your time is spent feeling fantastic life will be too!

Negative thoughts can be signals. No worries. Utilize them when you become aware of them. Take it as a signal to put your attention  on what you want to include rather than what you want to avoid or exclude. Sometimes they are extraneous and nothing to be concerned with.

They serve as a signal message or as feedback so you can better move forward. Isn’t that great?  We have an internal guidance system. We have our own inner GPS that can take us to where we want to go. Learn to appreciate it, use it and it will serve you well.

We are fortunate that we have this system of guidance. We are fortunate that we can control and choose what we think when we want to. Do we have to be positive and happy all the time? NO the choice is yours. BUT when one learns the power of choosing how to respond in any situation all of life seems to remarkably improvel

Accepting things as they are is important too. If, for example, one suffers a loss of someone close to them. Grieving is a normal process. Allow it. It is not about trying to avoid or alter it. Let it process. Take your time, be sensitive and when ready move on.

What About Negative Feelings?

To reiterate the same applies to feelings. More often than not it is a signal to get your attention to make a positive change in some way. Again, don’t focus on the negative feeling. Put your focus on what you want.

It may be telling you you are off course or focused on the wrong things. So change what you are paying attention to or what you are focused on. If you then feel better you know you made the right correction.

The bad or less than glorious feeling is feedback. It is a signal you are headed or heading off course and alerting you to get back on track. Celebrate it.

It Is A Signal, Feedback, A Message – Pay Attention

We are so lucky to have this available to us. Learn to use it! AND use it! Pay attention and shift your attention as necessary. Energy flows where you attention goes. What you focus on you get.

Monitoring feelings makes everything easier. You either feel good or great or not so good or bad. The goal is to live life feeling the best you are able most of the time. You want to live with joy and celebrating everything.

When you feel less than glorious you are being notified that something is out of whack and requires your attention. Then move step by step toward feeling the best you can. Do whatever you need to feel better. Choose different thoughts, ask questions, go for a walk, skip, sing, dance. Change the channel! Feel better.

Sometimes feeling a little bit better is enough. It moves you in the right direction. For example, right now you are sitting wherever you are. You want to enjoy yourself in a theme park but right now you don’t feel that wonderful.

Drop By Drop Fills The Tub – Bit By Bit You Will Get There

Take a step toward the theme park you want to be at. You are now one step closer. Step by step you will get closer and closer until finally you are there. As long as you are headed in the correct direction you are making progress.

You may notice the closer you get the more eager anticipation you feel. With each step you can leave the less than glorious feelings behind. You’ll move into better feelings until finally you are there enjoying all there is to enjoy! This is how we nudge ourselves along.

Notice that as the eagerness increases you are thinking different thoughts. You attention is no longer on not having or not being there but on the things that you can’t wait to do while there. You are thinking about the fun so your feelings and thoughts change as a result.

Stop Being Critical – Learn How To Let Go And Accept

Accept wherever you are without being critical of yourself. We think we should be further along and better at it than we are presently. In reality, there is no place to be other than in this moment where you are. You can’t force it. Accept where you are at. Love yourself.

You planted seeds now let them grow without any critical commentary. Have faith, trust the process. Let go and let them grow. They wil blossom soon enough but maybe not in your time frame. Let it go. Relax and allow. Be patient. Everything in its own time.

Don’t add insult to injury by heaping less than glorious commentary on yourself whenever you think, feel or do anything. Learn to let go of that old habit. The ability to let go and accept is part of evolving into a more positive and powerful person.

When you let go and drop negative running commentary you and your mind are free to focus on creating what you wan. You are more able to align your resources to enable you to do that. You aren’t distracted by the comments.  You are singularly focused and this is powerful.

You Are In Charge – Exercise Your Ability To Choose The Best

Free yourself up to be who you are. You are a person who has choices and who can decide. Even if you believe you never have you still  can learn how to take charge. Bit by bit. In life you make countless decisions on what to wear, eat, where to go, what to do, what to watch.

Chose your thoughts. Chose the best thoughts. Make thinking positively and powerfully a habit. Enjoy the finest feelings you can find. Spend more time enjoying thinking better and feeling better. Soon enough it will be a habit and overall your life will transform.

Find things to appreciate about yourself, others and the world. Find the best in each and every moment and circumstances. Put a smile on your face and believe in yourself. YOU can do this. Start now and everything can change in wonderful ways! You can be delighted and surprised!” Rex Sikes

How will you celebrate this new day?

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*Horizons photo used with permission of Phil Koch.

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I’M GOING TO LAUNCH THE NEW SITE SOON  –  Daily Inspiration And Gratitude’s new home is coming!  A new URL, a new look and feel. All this and new content will be at new site.

Some of you get this blog emailed to you, I don’t know whether that will continue or not. You will be able to subscribe to the blog and my new newsletter.

Please stay with us. I’d hate to lose you or have you miss any blog you want to receive. I’ll let you know when the change is taking place. I might launch and update as we go along.

PS YOU may know someone who could really benefit from hearing this message. Feel free to share this with them via social media or email. Buttons below make it easy for you to do so.

PSS  A great practice is read the posts daily and then go back and re-read from time to time. You will discover things you missed the first few readings. Try it, you will be surprised.

Subscribe and Follow Daily Inspiration and Gratitude!  Visit often. Feel free to comment. If you think others would benefit please share this blog with others.

Why ‘The Secret’ & The ‘LOA’ Doesn’t Work For You!

horizon green creek and sky

“Why does ‘The Secret’ not work for everyone? Have you ever felt this way? Have you thought, ‘well I tried the Law Of Attraction (LOA) thingee but didn’t get very far’. If so then you want to read this. The Secret, the LOA, does work. It really does!

It works for everyone the same way. It rains and the sun shines on everyone equally; the good and the bad, the rich and the poor. It doesn’t care nor does it discriminate. It does take longer for some than others but it always works.

Why it takes longer for some than others is up to the individual. That is actually cool because it means it is all within your control. You are in charge of the results you get.

Do This If You Haven’t Yet Had The Success You Desire

If you go back and read Napoleon Hill or the New Thought Leaders or even the ancient texts they seem to agree in various ways with Hill’s language. Know what you want. Know your Definite Purpose. Clarify it. This is a must do first step. Make no mistake about this.

Next, it must be made into a Burning Desire. You must want it with every fiber of your being. Then you must have faith that it will happen. You need to expect its arrival. You conceive of it, you believe it and you achieve it.

Then YOU make a total commitment to make it happen. Never give up. Keep going until you make it happen. The Law Of Attraction is for proactive people. It works for people who make it work. LOA is about harnessing your attention, your energy, your focus and your abilities.

Some people believe they don’t have to do anything but think about it and it will magically manifest. That is NOT what the LOA actually is about. It is a magnifying lens. Anything you place before it expands or is exaggerated. If you look at wonderful things you are blessed. If you put crap in front of it don’t be surprised if life is crappy.

What you focus on you get. Whatever the mind can conceive and you can believe you can achieve. It is about what you ACHIEVE. Not what magically appears. It all starts with the correct attitude or mindset. It begins first in the mind. It involves your feelings and your actions.

Know What You Want – Believe You Can Make It Happen

Some of the reasons LOA doesn’t seem to work is because people believe wrongly about what it is. It isn’t the fast food, magic bullet, quick fix, chant it into being formula some think it is. IT IS a practical, proven means to get you off your ass and into success by putting timeless principles to work. It works when you work it!

Some people take longer than others to know what they want. For some it takes a while  to specify it. It takes some people time to hone it and lock in on one thing. They may go back and forth about what they want or are vague in the first place.

Precision is key. Focus is Key. Practice is key. Write it down. Make autosuggestion work for you instead of against you. Autosuggestion is always ongoing. It is not something you do once. It is a life long continuing process. It is the basis of getting what you already have.

For some the problem is they concentrate on what they do not want. The subconscious mind (or the universe if you prefer) doesn’t care of judge. It gives you whatever you focus strongly on. It makes happen whatever you think about accompanied with strong emotion.

Some People Inadvertently Get What They Don’t Want

Some people are great at getting what they don’t want. They are scared, or depressed, angry, resentful, fearful, anxious or worried. So they get more of these.

Their attention is on what they want to avoid and they feel emotional at the same time. THAT is the magic formula for creating more of the same.

Make autosuggestion work for you by visualizing what  you do want as if you already have it. Feel these feelings strongly. Enjoy these. Affirm what you want positively with strong emotion. Feel it!

Do these things repeatedly. It will work for you. Hill states read it out loud at least twice a day. Fill your thoughts with it all day long. What you think about you become.

Think in terms of already having. State emphatically, ‘I am confident’ or ‘I have confidence’ rather than thinking you will some day. Some day never comes. Claim it now! Be a champion. Act like it!

You Already Use Autosuggestion Even If You Don’t Know It

You already have everything you need. This issue is you do not yet believe that nor do you fully realize it. You already have all the resources you just have not tapped into them yet. They ARE within you. They truly are. You will discover this if you act like it is true.

Too many people wait and hope. They don’t believe or affirm what they want. If you remain unconvinced that is what you end up with. Convince yourself you can do anything you set your mind to do.

You can learn how and you can make it happen. Don’t make excuses. Make what you want happen! Affirm it. See it as if it already happened. Imagine it so strongly you can see, feel and touch it.

Do this everyday until it is a burning desire – a white hot burning all encompassing desire. You must absolutely want it more than anything. Some people aren’t there yet. Don’t wait. Do it! It will not happen by itself. You make it happen.

You must do what it takes and keep doing it until you get it. Many won’t even try and many don’t stick with it. Hardly, anything else needs to be said about this. If you give up YOU quit! Don’t expect to be a winner if you are a quitter.

Commit Don’t Quit – Stop Being A Wimp

Some ‘gurus’ tell you it is because of your past unconscious conditioning and limiting beliefs. While this may be accurate it is a slippery slope. Don’t use what they say to look for crap. Remember, you get what you focus on.

Hill said you would come to believe what is necessary through repetition of thought. By repeatedly filling your mind with what you want you re-condition your mind to believe. The principle which is tried and true is ‘A lie repeated often enough is substituted for the truth.’

This means if you stick with it long enough you will get it. You will come to believe it as you affirm it or claim it. It does work. Spaced repetition is what creates a habit. Repeating the correct action over and over again during a long enough period of time is how habits are formed. So you create NEW thought habits the same way.

When ‘gurus’ say it is YOUR limitations there is a tendency to look for, find and focus on what is wrong. This is not going to help but can hinder you. Yes you want to free yourself of the limitations but wallowing and sifting through garbage doesn’t make you better.

Think of weeding a garden. You plant seeds expecting a certain plant to blossom. Weeds may enter the garden. Extract them as you find them and get rid of them. You do not give those weeds any more thought than that. You concentrate of making your garden healthy.

Use Autosuggestion To Get What You Do Want

You do need to focus on what you want and the new beliefs you want to have. Autosuggestion is the process we use to build new thought habits.   We are always suggesting things to ourselves.

We are always already affirming either positively or negatively.  We are already imagining wonderful things or not so wonderful things. We are already thinking about what we want to include or what we want to avoid. BOTH types of thinking create the results we get.

Stick with positive affirmations and positive visualization to program your mind positively! Use Directed Questions™. Fill your mind with positive inspiring and motivational materials. Read & listen to positive, life affirming materials. Hang around positive people.

Find ways to stay positive and feel your finest. Be happy and enthused. Allow yourself to enjoy and celebrate everything! Smile, laugh, sing, dance. The better you feel the more you enjoy life! Radiate! Imagine you are a light unto the world. Your job is to illuminate and spread joy.

Love Life And You Will Get Everything You Want

Help others get what they want and you will be helping yourself get what you want. Enjoy the success of others. Hold every one in positive regard. Practice, hell, LIVE the Golden Rule. DO these things and you will transform your experience all for the better.

You will be better equipped to handle difficulty when it arises. AND you will be better equipped to enjoy life daily. Make tiny moments magnificent and make terrible moments tiny. Whatever you can conceive and believe YOU can achieve!

Yes, it may take time but do you want it or not? What conditions do you put on getting it? If you can be, do and have anything you want this year will you do what it takes to get it? Will you keep doing it if takes 5, 10 or 20 years?

The answer to that question determines whether or not you are in if for the long haul.

Never give up! Persist in spite of any and all difficulty. This is the most difficult concept for people to get because, sadly, most people lack will power, backbone, dedication and tenacity. Stick with it!

It is easy to give up albeit disappointing. You must not quit if getting to your destination is important to you. There are things I am working on that are only now beginning to come together. Some things just take time. Accept this. Whatever you resist, persists!

Celebrate The Journey Because Where You Are Is Where You Are

Life is a process. That means ONGOING. We can’t tell where we are while in a process. So give up trying to. Nothing is all at once. We don’t have all the information at one time. Let it go. Enjoy the journey. Enjoy the process. Celebrate everything and all will be better!

You cannot and must not compare yourself with others. Their path and yours are not the same in any way. You must not be locked into a time frame. You can work with deadlines but some things may take longer. THAT is just the way it is.

Think, ‘THIS or something better is coming to me.’ Think, ‘Good things are happening, and I don’t know when or how. Everything always works out for the best.’ Attitude really IS everything! It is ALL mind set!

How you are and others go about things is different. Stop comparing. Why you or they get something slower or faster is not worth suffering over. If you want something be patient. Anticipate getting it. Do not look at your present and complain you don’t have it yet. That will thwart it. Stop this!

Keep the faith regardless of what present circumstances are like. These have nothing to do with what you are creating. Do not be distracted by less than glorious circumstances or events that come up. Stay focused on what you want. Stay focused on celebrating everything.

Good Habits Get You What You Want To Be, Do And Have

The secret to the Law Of Attraction is the work you do on yourself. You must do the inner work. It begins in the mind and continues through into your actions and behaviors. Your attitude and your feelings determine how far you will go and whether or not you will continue when the going gets tough.

You must visualize and affirm and concentrate and focus on what you want to the exclusion of doubt, fear and worry. You must be passionate and want it and be convinced you will have it. Nothing wil stop you.

You must daily do the work and repeat it over and over until your subconscious mind takes hold and helps you with it. You consciously dictate again and again to your subconscious what it is you want.

Eventually, it gets it and things happen more swiftly. YOU have to lay the groundwork. You have to prepare the soil for planting, then plant, then nurture, then harvest. It takes time.

You have to dig the hole, lay the foundation, build the house. It takes time. You can’t rush it. If you do each step faithfully you will get what you want. You want to build it strong to last. Haste makes waste!

No doubt about it. You will make it happen. BUT remember it is YOU who makes it happen. It doesn’t happen to you. It is YOU working in co-operation with others who will make it happen.

Create a wonderful life for yourself. Commit to being the best, feeling your best, living your best and helping others to do the same. Your life will take on great meaning and you will be fulfilled!” Rex Sikes

Make marvelous this day!!!

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*Horizons photo used with permission of Phil Koch.

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I’M GOING TO LAUNCH THE NEW SITE SOON  –  Daily Inspiration And Gratitude’s new home is coming!  A new URL, a new look and feel. All this and new content will be at new site.

Some of you get this blog emailed to you, I don’t know whether that will continue or not. You will be able to subscribe to the blog and my new newsletter.

Please stay with us. I’d hate to lose you or have you miss any blog you want to receive. I’ll let you know when the change is taking place. I might launch and update as we go along.

PS YOU may know someone who could really benefit from hearing this message. Feel free to share this with them via social media or email. Buttons below make it easy for you to do so.

PSS  A great practice is read the posts daily and then go back and re-read from time to time. You will discover things you missed the first few readings. Try it, you will be surprised.

Subscribe and Follow Daily Inspiration and Gratitude!  Visit often. Feel free to comment. If you think others would benefit please share this blog with others.

Doing This Can Help You Feel Much Better

horizons green blue and farm

“If ever you feel out of sorts, down and out, depressed or angry there is something you can do to change how you feel. It is simple and powerful. It works like magic in many ways. It can help you feel better and make your life much more meaningful.

Yesterday, I was fortunate to be able to volunteer to assist physically and mentally challenged adults go water skiing and tubing. What a joy and blessing that was.

They had so much fun and so did we. Their looks of excitement, their sounds of joy was truly touching and wonderful. Their gratitude and that of their parents and caretakers was incredible.

The ski club my son belongs to has done this for 20 years. We joined last year and this was our first event of this kind. As they thanked us I thanked them for coming out and having fun with us.

The other dedicated volunteers worked hard to make this a special day for all. It absolutely was. I mention this opportunity I had because it serves as a great reminder.

One is that people are people. Love them all. Whatever shapes, sizes, colors, abilities, religions, politics, anything and everything. People are people. All people seem to like having fun. To make that possible for them was a blessing in itself.

Some people are more fortunate than others. Some have fewer hardships or challenges. We should be grateful for whatever hand we are dealt. It could be better, true, but it could also be worse. Be grateful. Find all the reasons you are fortunate and blessed!

Whenever you may be feeling down or sorry for yourself volunteer. Help out someone else. Service for another is a great way to get outside of one’s own issues and find comfort, blessing and satisfaction. When you help another person you help yourself. Help uplift another person and you uplift yourself. Instant good karma!

Give. You get back more than you give. The amount of fun and joy and delight I had volunteering was far greater than the efforts I made on behalf of others. The reward or payback was and is immense. As you give you get the rewards immediately!

So lift yourself up and lift up others. Give for no reason other than it feels good and it feels right. Enjoy the feelings that you get helping put a smile on someone else’s face. It is worth it in every way.” Rex Sikes

PS In my previous blog I invited you to comment and share whatever needs and wants, successes and difficulties you may be having making your dreams come true. This is an open invitation. Let’s see how together we can support each other in being, doing and getting what we want. Let me know what you need so I can help as best I am able.

Have a glorious day!!!

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*Horizons photo used with permission of Phil Koch.

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I’M GOING TO LAUNCH THE NEW SITE SOON  –  Daily Inspiration And Gratitude’s new home is coming!  A new URL, a new look and feel. All this and new content will be at new site.

Some of you get this blog emailed to you, I don’t know whether that will continue or not. You will be able to subscribe to the blog and my new newsletter.

Please stay with us. I’d hate to lose you or have you miss any blog you want to receive. I’ll let you know when the change is taking place. I might launch and update as we go along.

PS YOU may know someone who could really benefit from hearing this message. Feel free to share this with them via social media or email. Buttons below make it easy for you to do so.

PSS  A great practice is read the posts daily and then go back and re-read from time to time. You will discover things you missed the first few readings. Try it, you will be surprised.

Subscribe and Follow Daily Inspiration and Gratitude!  Visit often. Feel free to comment. If you think others would benefit please share this blog with others.

Use This Powerful Secret To Get Over The Past & Any Limitations!

horizons trees and shadows

Are you bother by the past? Do you relive less than glorious moments? Do you have regrets? Are you a survivor? Are there issues right now that you are struggling with? Do you want to be happier and healthier but find it difficult? There is a way transform all that and more. Would you like to learn how?

The Past Brought You To Now

Keep in mind the past has brought you to where you are today. It has been your journey. Each step of the way brought you to now. Some people spend most of now regretting or agonizing the past. Others have survived the past still tending to their wounds.

There are those for whom the past is golden and they spent most of their moments reminiscing and reliving. However one experiences the past there is only one thing that is for sure. It is over! It is no more. To carry the past around with you good or bad is as if you carry all your personal belongings around in a sack on your back.

That is too burdensome! That is far too heavy a load to keep carrying. Let it go. That was then. To let go of the past does not mean you do not learn from it. Learn from it and let it go. There are people, and perhaps you are one of them and already have, who look back at the worst time in their life and are grateful.

They are grateful for their past experience because they realize that without those times, or that terrible  incident, they would not be who they are, or where they are today. They consider it the ‘best thing’ to have ever happened to them. How you chose to look at and feel about it is important.

Celebrate Learn From And Let Go Of The Past

The past is nothing but a collection of memories.

If someone hurt you in the past years ago, and you each day feel that same hurt in your present, the only person hurting you now is you. That person hurt you back then. You are the one who keeps hurting yourself ever since.

Harsh, I know but it is accurate. Some would ask, who is crueler to you; the person in the past or you for keeping it alive? It is time to drop past hurt and trauma and move forward.

You can’t hope the past all goes away. Actually, it already has.  BUT you can turn your back on it. You can learn from it and learn to get over it. You can stop carrying it around.

This is how I discovered it is possible to change. I went through an excruciating time and was reliving it over and over. Until, I started to direct my mind differently by asking questions of myself.

I have taught countless others throughout three and a half decades the power of Directed Questions™. I have a special name for these because it is about the direction you set for yourself asking yourself a class of questions, not just any questions. People have been asking questions since the dawn of human kind.

Others have used portions of my work to spread the power of questions worldwide to millions. I am happy because it works and if you use this you too will discover the power.

Much of the material in my blog posts, including this one, comes from forthcoming books. I have a lot coming out soon. This material will be covered in two or more blogs. This be the first.

Ask Yourself Questions

‘What have you learned?’ ‘What lessons are there for you?’ ‘What do you need to know?’ ‘What do you need to do differently to not do the same things?’ ‘What possibilities exist because you went through those experiences?’

‘What can you now do differently if you would begin to?’ ‘How can these insights lead you into positive and permanent change?’

‘How is it possible that your past experiences contribute to you in positive ways now, regardless of what they were then?’

‘In how many different ways is your past a resource for you, a great learning?’ ‘How many more resources might you have because you lived through then?’

There are so many questions you can ask that will lead you into new ways of thinking and being.

You need to let go of the past. Honor it, honor you. Forgive yourself and forgive anyone from the past. Actually, forgive. Stop choosing to live in the past feelings. Stop preventing yourself from enjoying now and a wonderful future.

Ask yourself questions that move you from then to now and into a glorious future. You can if only you will.

‘How soon can I begin to notice myself paying attention to the little delights that make up right now?’ ‘How often can I discover people and things that make me smile?’ ‘In how many different and pleasant many ways can I draw my attention to this moment to notice how wonderful life can be?’

‘In what different ways can I put my attention deliberately on all the good things in my life?’ ‘How soon can I find myself learning from and recoding all my present and my past experiences as positive resources and learnings that I can be thankful for?’

‘How easily am I going to discover myself being grateful for all the experiences in my life?’ ‘How soon will I find overall well-being and comfort in knowing how strong and positive I am and that I can overcome anything and move forward?’

Direct Your Mind Towards What You Want To Include 

The number of questions may be infinite. The idea is to direct your mind and not get a word answer.  You don’t want to ask a question that you answer with yes or no, or a few words.

You ask a question you genuinely don’t know the answer to.  You may think you do but you really don’t.  For example, if I ask yes or no,’ do you like tea?’

There is an answer. You already thought of it. Right? If I say, ‘how ya doing?’  You can say, ‘meh, good, great, bad, not sure.’ If I say, ‘how much fun can you have today?’ You don’t honestly know, do you? You may say, ‘not much’ or ‘I don’t know’ or ‘little because today is busy.’

You could answer,  ‘I’m not in the mood’ but if you are honest you plainly don’t know. The question, ‘How much fun is possible for you today?’ is not the same question as ‘will you have fun today’ or ‘are you going to have fun?’ or ‘do you want to have fun?

How much fun can you stand  today? Do you get this? You will, if you haven’t yet.

The Direction Is More Important Than An Answer

If I said ‘how quickly do you imagine you could learn to play basketball?’ You honestly don’t know, do you? You may think it could take a long time or short time depending on various factors but you actually do not know. There is no actual real answer because only experience will bear it out.

The goal in Directed Questions™ is to direct your mind to look for the experiences in life you do not yet experience fully. It is about having insights and positive feelings and moving in a direction.

You could say you are seeking answers, but what you are actually seeking is all the good times, the resources, things about you and your world you aren’t presently noticing?

More in my next blog post. Think of it as helping a child to discover all the wonderful things around her. What is there she may not have noticed about herself yet? What can she notice about her abilities and the world around her to enjoy a wonderful life? Where would it be most valuable for her to put her attention?

The Directed Questions I want you to learn and practice are designed to help you to become truly curious and then truly captivated and fascinated by what you find. These questions direct your mind powerfully and positively into what you can be, do and have that you ost want and enjoy! Celebrate and delight!” Rex Sikes

Celebrate today!

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*Horizons photo used with permission of Phil Koch.

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I’M GOING TO LAUNCH THE NEW SITE SOON – COMING VERY SOON –  Daily Inspiration And Gratitude’s new home.  A new URL, a new look and feel. All this and new content will be at new site. Some of you get this blog emailed to you,

I don’t know whether that will continue or not. You will be able to subscribe to the blog and my new newsletter. Please stay with us. I’d hate to lose you or have you miss any blog you want to receive. I’ll let you know when the change is taking place.

PS YOU may know someone who could really benefit from hearing this message. Feel free to share this with them via social media or email. Buttons below make it easy for you to do so.

PSS  A great practice is read the posts daily and then go back and re-read from time to time. You will discover things you missed the first few readings. Try it, you will be surprised.

Subscribe and Follow Daily Inspiration and Gratitude!  Visit often. Feel free to comment. If you think others would benefit please share this blog with others.

How To Stop Being A Slave To Your Thoughts & Feelings!

horizons road yellow lines

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if you could just stop thinking about things you didn’t want to think about? Did you know there is a way? Would you like to know what it is? It works! Before I get into what you can do let me ask you this. Have you ever watched a scary movie or a horrible show on TV or your computer late at night. It bothers you so you want to quit. You can’t stop thinking about it? What do you do? What is the best way TO STOP thinking about it?

If you said turn it off you’d be wrong. While that MAY work it usually doesn’t. When you turn off the scary show what typically happens? What happens once it is off? You KEEP thinking about! Right?

You turned it off to get away from it! BUT now all you do is think about it! Again and again. In the dark you cannot stop. You have to get up and turn on the lights. BUT still you keep thinking about it. That is the very thing you don’t want to!

The more you try to stop the more it keeps on. When you resist it what happens? You give it more energy. You are focused on fighting what you do not want so the more it persists! When you push back IT pushes back and vice versa. On and on it continues.

The way to change something or to stop something is not to fight or resist it. Nope!

What You Resist Persists

If you want to stop thinking about the horrible show turn the channel. Watch something else.

Get engaged with different upbeat content. Soon you will forget about the bad show. Brains don’t stop. They keep working. It takes more energy to try to shut them down than to re-direct them into a useful area.

You more easily think of something else when you direct your brain elsewhere. You withdraw your attention from what you don’t want and put your attention on what it is you do want. YOU CHANGE the channel in your mind!

I have called this Mental Aikido for decades because we redirect the energy of our thoughts.

A master of Aikido redirects the energy of an attacker. The master doesn’t resist the attackers energy or try to stop it. Rather the master utilizes it to subdue the attacker. We do the same thing with out thoughts. We don’t try to stop them. We redirect them into the positive.

If an attacker charges the master. The master doesn’t try to stop the attacker or block the attacker. The master will use the attackers momentum to pull him or push him into a different direction while tripping the attacker up and sending him to the ground.

The master won’t try to become a wall and stop the attackers charge. The master uses the energy offered to defeat the attack. I repeat: The master uses the energy offered to defeat the attack!

If you encounter something you don’t want. If you have negative thoughts or feelings or behaviors don’t fight them. They only persist that way. Acknowledge them and move on!

Turn Resistance Into Assistance

Redirect the energy. Think other thoughts. Read inspirational material. Listen or watch funny or uplifting audios and videos. Ask Directed Questions™ that lead you in more useful and positive directions. Divert your attention toward the positive.

Direct you attention to what you want, what feels better and which is more productive.

What else can you pay attention to? Get totally present. Notice and comment on what is immediately around you. Take inventory as you notice sights, sounds, feelings, smells and perhaps, even tastes. Explore the area around you. Comment on it. Put your focus there.

Become filled with gratitude and count your blessings. This is an excellent way to feel better instantly. Savor the wonderful feelings of those people, times, places and things you are most thankful for. Let your heart soften as you feel grateful. Soon you will feel marvelous!

Take a walk, work in the garden. Engage in some physical activity. Use your body differently. Change your physiology. Stand straight, smile. Put a determined look in your eye and walk as if loaded with confidence, positivity and self esteem!

Sing, skip, or dance. Jog or hike. But move and use your body differently. You can do any of these things or more than one.

Take Responsibility

You alone a responsible for your emotions. You are responsible for your own emotional well being. You alone can control what you think, feel and do. Only you. No one else can do it for you.

Might it take some time to get the knack of it? Yes, especially if you have lived your life as a victim to your thoughts and feelings and circumstances. Then it may take a little time. So what?

You can change from victim and become a victor. You can become a winner and a champion!

You simply must take control. Take 100% responsibility. Decide to commit to redirecting your energy whenever you notice it is less than glorious. If you don’t like it or don’t want it, or if you are feeling down and bad take it as a signal.

It is a message delivered to you personally so you can redirect your energy. Negative thoughts and feelings ARE signals that you are paying attention in less than useful ways to things you don’t want. Direct your attention toward the positive. Look into what you do want instead.

Energy Flows Where Your Attention Goes

You can’t stop the river! There is too much energy. If you try to dam it up you end up spending much more energy in managing it. You have to keep it from building up and overflowing. Even then you really cannot stop the river. It still is coming.

BUT, like the Aikido master, you can redirect the flow.

You can direct your energy into positive, powerful, pleasant, healthy, fun and fascinating directions. No need to suffer or remain the same when you can change yourself into anyone you want to be.

You can learn to do anything you want to do. You can have anything you want in life. All this is possible when you take charge of the brain between your ears.

Direct Your Thoughts And Feelings And Your Behaviors Will Follow

You thoughts instantly become things. Your thoughts become actions. When you think happy wonderful thoughts your body responds with action. You smile, your countenance lightens up, you feel uplifted, you might laugh. Your voice resonates. You feel on top of the world.

When you think angry thoughts you feel hot. You experience pressure. You become flushed. Your face gets red as your body responds. Thought become things. Thoughts produce action. Your body responds to your thoughts.

When you think sad depressing thoughts your face pulls downward. Your energy wanes. Your breathing becomes shallow. You feel lackluster and depleted. You shoulders slump forward and you compress your chest. You move sluggishly, slowly.

Thoughts Become Things

Change what you are doing. Even a small change in the correct direction matters. Space ships are guided by degrees. So are sailing ships. A one degree change of course now means hundred of thousands of miles difference later.

For example, a rocket aimed at the moon is constantly correcting its course very slightly. If it got off course by ONLY one degree after take off it would miss the moon by hundreds of thousands of miles. Just a small degree of change means a lot of change.

Change it into a positive direction. Tiny steps in your own best interest right now can have monumentally large results down the road. If you want a more wonderful and glorious future then begin today.

A Single Tiny Change In The Right Direction Can Have A Huge Positive Payoff

Take charge! Be responsible. Direct your mind in positive ways towards what you want.

Be your own best friend. Support and nurture yourself. Have fun while you change. Enjoy the process. Celebrate and fill yourself with gratitude and right attitude. You will discover so much richness and well being when you do! Commit to directing and re-directing you own mind. Don’t be a slave to your thoughts and feelings. Be their master!” Rex Sikes

Enjoy today!

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*Horizons photo used with permission of Phil Koch.

PS YOU may know someone who could really benefit from hearing this message. Feel free to share this with them via social media or email. Buttons below make it easy for you to do so.

PSS  A great practice is read the posts daily and then go back and re-read from time to time. You will discover things you missed the first few readings. Try it, you will be surprised.

Subscribe and Follow Daily Inspiration and Gratitude!  Visit often. Feel free to comment. If you think others would benefit please share this blog with others.

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COMING VERY SOON –  Daily Inspiration And Gratitude’s new home.  A new URL, a new look and feel. All this and new content will be at new site. Some of you get this blog emailed to you,

I don’t know whether that will continue or not. You will be able to subscribe to the blog and my new newsletter. Please stay with us. I’d hate to lose you or have you miss any blog you want to receive. I’ll let you know when the change is taking place.

How To Determine If You Are A Destroyer Or A Builder & Why It’s Important!

horizon house and sun

“Do you want to know the secrets to happiness and success? There are some. They are hidden in plain sight in most cases. Many people still manage to miss them. Have you? Do you want to know how you can more readily and more easily get ahead and create the career, life and relationships you want?

Is wealth and health important to you? If the answer is yes, pay attention to these concepts and principles. Apply these simple ‘secrets’ and you can dramatically improve the quality of your life. Wouldn’t you like to do that?

Alright, if you have been reading my blog for awhile you know me.

If not, I encourage you to go through and read other posts. Start at the beginning if you like, or pick mix and match. Reading is great.

Re-reading the same material is even better because you will learn new things with each re-visit. WHY? Because you will have changed between the readings. Okay, so you know me:

I like to keep it simple. While there are always shade of gray (I hear at least 50) I’d like to point out there is Black and White. While there is a gradient of temperature it is easier to refer to things as Hot or Cold. Other areas lend themselves to these notions as well.

Up Down; Good Bad; Large Small; Positive Negative: Rich Poor; Happy Sad; Tall Short; Fat Thin we could go on. OOOOOH – there is another one… On OFF.

Choose Positive OR Negative

There are always counter examples and exceptions to each and every rule but let’s keep it simple. Let’s work with Either OR. Is that okay with you? This is just to simplify and keep it simple. So the bottom line is:

You either think Positive Uplifting thoughts OR you think Negative ones.

You will never have a positive thought while focused on the negative. You won’t live a positive uplifting happy ‘I can do anything’ life focused on the negative, ‘I can’t do it, why do bad things always happen to me’ thoughts. It just isn’t going to happen.

If it does IT is extremely rare. (See, right there, I included the counter example right there for those who say… ‘but… but…’)

There are either Positive Uplifting People or there are Negative Downer People. People may be mostly one or the other. We may be either at some times in are life. BUT consider the example in the extreme EITHER OR.

Did you catch that, I included a counter example again for those who feel compelled to think… ‘but … but’.

Which Are You – Builder OR Destroyer

Put another way. There are Builders and there are Destroyers. Builders build, uplift and help others. Destroyers are those who tear down, take apart, criticize and blame.

You are either a Builder or a Destroyer. You are either Positive or you are Negative. Where do you spend most of your time? What do you spend most of your time doing? Who do you spend most of your time around?

DO you spend most of your time thinking about and pursuing what you want? Do you think about who and what you want to include in your life?

Do you consider who you want to be, what you want to do and have?

How much time do you spend happy, celebrating and are grateful for what you already have? How much time do you spend planning a better future?

Alternatively,  do you spend most of your time thinking about what you do not want? Do you focus on what you want to exclude? Are you most concerned with what you are trying to avoid?

Do you spend much time considering reasons why things haven’t worked out or criticizing yourself, others or circumstances? How much and whom do you blame?

Think about it. While there are variations let’s take it to the extreme. Which one are you? Which do you predominantly do? What are you focused on?

Are you a Builder or a Destroyer? Is your self-talk nice or not? Do you build up others or gossip and complain?

Whom Do You Spend Most Time With

There are Builders and Destroyers around you. The Builders, obviously are the uplifting positive people who help support you. They inspire and motivate you with their attitude, energy, thoughts and words.

The Destroyers are busy with negativity. They MAY be well intentioned but at the same time their attitude, energy thoughts and words are negative. They tend to be a downer. They can be discouraging, critical, harsh or blaming.

These people may be family, friends, co-workers, bosses, employees, people you associate with frequently or strangers you may meet from time to time. With whom do you spend most of your time?

Are your spending most of your time fraternizing with Builders or Destroyers?

Don’t be a bummer to the bummer people in your life. Don’t be critical, harsh or negative because you have energy vampires around you. That would be falling to their level. Take the higher road.

Live, love, laugh, celebrate and allow them to be who they are without judgement.

Spend Time With Uplifting People

Attempt to spend more of your time with the uplifting people whenever you are able. Associate with positive energy and positive thinking. Feel it. Surround yourself with Builders as much as possible.

Associate as little as possible with people who drain you and might bring you down.

Fill your mind with positive inspiring reading materials. Listen to motivational audio materials. Turn your car into a positivity classroom. Hang out with positive inspiring people. Attend fun, positive, inspiring learning events like classes, seminars workshops and retreats.

Enjoy community! Enjoy fellowship. Support and encourage each other. Help nurture and be happy for others. Celebrate everyone’s success and happiness. Don’t be envious or jealous. Be truly happy if others succeed before you do.

Go first! Practice the Golden Rule. Add value to others first. Help out. Give of yourself; your time, energy, money, whatever you can give, to make a positive difference for others. You will get back whatever you put out.

Put out the very best.

Spend Time Uplifting Others

Enjoy life moment to moment! Make it a priority. Feel your finest. Let go. Be grateful and be filled with joy as much as you can AS often as you can. Have a wonderful time!

Make each day worth living. Enliven your minutes and those of the people around you.

The more time you spend making others happy the more time you will be happy too. I’m not talking about sacrifice here. I am talking about feeling good and being a positive energy person.

The more time you spend feeling good, obviously the happier life you will have.

Smile a lot! Simply smiling will help change the flow of energy within you. Laugh a lot. Fill yourself with positive energy. Live with enthusiasm and energy. Be simple as a child.

Have fun. Delight yourself!  Focus on these and you will get more of them back.

Let go! Enjoy! Birds of a feather flock together. With the right attitude you will more easily handle any challenges or obstacles that may come your way. With the right attitude more of the people you want and hope for in life will be attracted to you.

Be a light! Be filled with light! Be lite! Delight! You will attract people, events, circumstances, (opportunities and advantages) that can help you and support you. Be radiant and they will come to you!

Birds of a feather flock together. Like attracts like. You get what you focus on!

Be A Beacon And You Will Attract The Best

Ignore the downer people. Don’t be rude. Just don’t get caught in their negativity. Let it go. Do not let those rain on your parade. Do not be bothered. Let it go like water off a ducks back. Instead, keep the faith. Have fun! I mean really have fun!

Be safe! Be wise! AND enjoy life whole-heartedly!

The world is filled with so many marvelous, wonderful, inspiring, and uplifting people. Be sure you are one of them! Find them and join them.

Live hot! Live Up! Live as a Builder! Live with Positive thoughts. Live with positive energy! The more you do this the more will be available to you. You will transform yourself and your life in the most wonderful and incredible ways. Do you want that? Then you know what to do! Begin now.” Rex Sikes

It’s too nice a day to not have a nice day. No matter what the day is like! Enjoy!

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*Horizons photo used with permission of Phil Koch.

PS YOU may know someone who could really benefit from hearing this message. Feel free to share this with them via social media or email. Buttons below make it easy for you to do so.

PSS  A great practice is read the posts daily and then go back and re-read from time to time. You will discover things you missed the first few readings. Try it, you will be surprised.

Subscribe and Follow Daily Inspiration and Gratitude!  Visit often. Feel free to comment. If you think others would benefit please share this blog with others.

NEWS     SOON     NEWS     SOON     NEWS     SOON     NEWS

COMING VERY SOON –  Daily Inspiration And Gratitude’s new home.  A new URL, a new look and feel. All this and new content will be at new site. Some of you get this blog emailed to you,

I don’t know whether that will continue or not. You will be able to subscribe to the blog and my new newsletter. Please stay with us. I’d hate to lose you or have you miss any blog you want to receive. I’ll let you know when the change is taking place.

How To Be Happy & Live The Life You Choose!

horizons sky and tracks

“Have you ever noticed some people just seem to want to rain on your parade? They can’t help but share the bad news and their bad news with you. Sometimes, it isn’t even another person who rains on your parade, have you noticed that? Sometimes that other person is you? Sometimes we bring ourselves down. That sucks, don’t you think?

Some people believe you can’t be happy all the time. Some people claim positive thinking doesn’t work. They imagine it all to be a big waste of time.  Some people get bent out of shape with the Law Of Attraction. They don’t believe it is a real law. They think all this is fluffy, unscientific,  mumbo jumbo. They are skeptical to say the least.

So let’s pretend for a moment.

Let’s pretend the Law Of Attraction is crap. It doesn’t work and it doesn’t exist. There is no such thing. Let’s further pretend there is no known reason for thinking positive. Positive thinking doesn’t work. Okay, can you consider that for a second? Good.

Let me ask you this: when you feel on top of the world and everything is going fantastic WHAT ARE YOU thinking?

What Are You Thinking 

If you have to, take your time and relive an experience. Do whatever you need to do to track back and find out the answer. Explore and examine for a few moments. Then, let me ask you this. When you are on top of the world, feeling incredible and everything is going well…

Are you thinking negative, weak, crappy thoughts? Are you filled with fear, doubt, worry and anxiety? Are you depressed, frustrated or angry? Are you feeling hatred towards others in that moment or envy or jealousy?

What exactly do you think and feel when things are going great?

Okay? Any answers?

I can bet the thoughts and feelings that you have going on then are a whole lot different from the kind I just mentioned. Would I be correct in making that assumption with you?

What Are You Saying To Yourself

You probably are thinking things like, ‘Wow, this is incredible!’ or “I feel fantastic!’ or you are so caught up in feeling great you aren’t even aware of what you are thinking. BUT you are thinking! My guess is you feel lighter and brighter! I bet things appear brighter too.

Or are you saying ‘ho hum, life is okay’.

My guess is your thoughts are wildly optimistic and positive when you feel at your finest. When everything is working together for good and you are enjoying life your thoughts are in line with that.

I’ll bet that when you get a piece of good news you think something along the lines of ‘oh boy!’ and not ‘oh no’. Isn’t that right?

For as long as you are on top of the world I’ll bet you are thinking great thoughts!

Yes, you might eventually think things like ‘hope nothing ruins this’, or ‘something is bound to screw this up’. Some less than glorious thoughts might begin to intrude.

Tell me, do you feel as great thinking those thoughts? What happens to your feelings of happiness and confidence when less than glorious thoughts begin to intrude? When one does, what happens? Do you dismiss it and go on feeling incredible or do you find another similar thought and begin to feel less than glorious too?

If you begin to worry that your joy will disappear what thoughts do you think are driving that? Could you list them? You may be able to or not. The point is you feel great and you think certain thoughts.

When you think other thoughts you feel a different way. You are aware of this, are you not?

Okay onto Law Of Attraction.

The Law Of Attraction – Like Attracts Like

Let’s pretend it doesn’t work. No matter what you do or think you don’t attract better thoughts. Although scientifically we know that we do attract other similar thoughts whether positive or negative. This we do know for certain.

You don’t attract people or events or circumstances. Let’s pretend that no matter what.  What will be will be. Que sera sera.

If as pointed out above; you felt better thinking positive thoughts doesn’t it THEN make sense to do it even if nothing change. Doesn’t it make sense to think positive if nothing changes at all for the better but your own feelings? Well? Doesn’t it make sense?

If you feel better, more positive, more optimistic, more joyful, more capable, more confident isn’t that better than any other alternative? Isn’t it? Some will say ‘but you have to be realistic’. I say, ‘who says’. According to whom? Why should I feel down just to be someone, whomever that is, claims one should be realistic?

It All Comes Down To What You Choose

AND…  How is feeling good not realistic? We have odd beliefs that we live from if we think we should feel bad just because that is the ‘right’ thing to do. I say feel your finest whenever you can.

Celebrate everything. Be thankful, be joyful, be inspiring to others. Let your light shine and enjoy the radiance. For no reason at all! You aren’t trying to get anything. You are just living your life to the fullest.

Do you imagine that by feeling filled with boundless joy and energy, confidence and delight that you might be able to do things you never did before? I certainly think so. Don’t you?

Don’t you think if your life is spent living at the top of your world that you might be able to focus and make happen anything you want? Because you feel great and you believe in yourself you are more apt to make things happen. You feel confident, competent and capable so you pursue your dreams and passions.

When everything all works together it all works! Isn’t that worth thinking the best you can? So what if it is all crap and not true? What does any of that have to do with you and your life? Live to the utmost. Enjoy each second. Enjoy the life you wish you had!

Live Fully And Make The Most Of Every Situation

Make the most of every situation. Go beyond any limitation and create the you, the career, the lifestyle you want to have. Feel good most of the time just because it feels better than feeling down and out. Actually, isn’t that what it is all about, feeling wonderful?

There are people with absolutely nothing who may be happier and mentally healthier than you and I. What does that tell us? It isn’t what we have that makes the difference. Unless of course you believe that. Possessions aren’t the most important, are they?

It is you! Your attitude and your willingness to become fully alive and celebrate life that makes the critical difference. Be happy. Because after all is said and done: Happiness is a choice! Make the wisest choice and chose the very best for yourself!” Rex Sikes

Live with passion and delight fully today!

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*Horizons photo used with permission of Phil Koch.

PS YOU may know someone who could really benefit from hearing this message. Feel free to share this with them via social media or email. Buttons below make it easy for you to do so.

PSS  A great practice is read the posts daily and then go back and re-read from time to time. You will discover things you missed the first few readings. Try it, you will be surprised.

Subscribe and Follow Daily Inspiration and Gratitude!  Visit often. Feel free to comment. If you think others would benefit please share this blog with others.

NEWS     SOON     NEWS     SOON     NEWS     SOON     NEWS

COMING VERY SOON –  Daily Inspiration And Gratitude’s new home.  A new URL, a new look and feel. All this and new content will be at new site. Some of you get this blog emailed to you,

I don’t know whether that will continue or not. You will be able to subscribe to the blog and my new newsletter. Please stay with us. I’d hate to lose you or have you miss any blog you want to receive. I’ll let you know when the change is taking place.

How To Become More Aware, Stop Suffering & Start Living!

horizon whispy read clouds

“Do you battle inside yourself? Maybe often? Do you feel conflicted? You want something but feel you shouldn’t have it. You don’t do something but feel you should have. Isn’t that true? Would it be accurate to say, at times, you want to escape the turmoil inside?

You want to rid yourself of certain thoughts or feelings that cause discomfort or pain?

Everyone has some at times. We encounter ourselves. We experience anger when we promise ourselves we wouldn’t get mad. We have regrets we know we should move past or we fear the future when we know we need not. Is this you at times?

I certainly have felt this way.

A Zen Koan: The Warrior And The Master

A great warrior, a Samurai Warrior, approached a Zen Master and asked, ‘Where is the gate to heaven? Where is the gate to hell? Are there any gates? Where do I enter from?’

The warrior was a man of simple understanding. He knew life and death. He understood battle. He did not know or care about philosophy or wanting to learn another way. He simply wanted to avoid hell and go to heaven.

‘Who are you?’ the Master asked.

‘I am a Samurai! I am the leader of the Samurai! The emperor pays respects to me.’

‘You!’ exclaimed the Master. ‘You look like a beggar!’ He laughed.

The Samurai drew his sword to kill the Master.  Just as he drew the Master to him the Master spoke.

‘This is the gate to hell. This anger, this sword, your ego opens the gate to hell.’

The Samurai understood and immediately sheathed his sword.

The Master spoke again, ‘Here opens the gate to heaven’.

Heaven And Hell Are Within You

The mind, your mind, has the capacity for heaven or for hell. Heaven and hell are within us right now. The doors open by the choices we make. What we focus on is what we get. What we entertain and think about most is what we become.

What do you spend most of your time dwelling on? Is it positive and healthy or negative and less than glorious? Which gateway do you find yourself going through most often?

The Warrior was smart enough to recognize this and simple enough to not rationalize. In an instant you can move from heaven to hell or from hell to heaven. Our choice makes the difference. Our decisions govern where we end up. Where do you?

Heaven and hell isn’t a future place at the end of life. It is our moment to moment experience. We choose where we will land. We choose what we experience. We choose the gate we go through EVEN when we are not conscious of making that choice!

Awareness Is The Key To Making The Change

The moment the Samurai became aware that he was reacting to an insult was his opportunity to leave the gate of hell. The insult made him hot and angry. It bruised his ego. He suffered from it. He was prepared to take a life because of it.

The instant he realized the pain put him at the gate of hell he stopped! He put away his sword. He put away his hurt and his anger. He made a choice. He responded differently. He became new!

Thus, opened to him the gate to heaven. He no longer reacted out of habit. He made a change. He became aware that he could decide. He understood! His decision in that moment made all the difference!

Both Gates Are Inside You – Choose 

Choose the one you want to go through. Choose the one you want to spend time in. Where you put your attention is where your energy flows. Make the decision to live positive. It is a powerful choice. Put your awareness there. You become what you think about!

Napoleon Hill stated, ‘Any idea, plan or purpose may be placed in the mind through repetition of thought.’ We can replace old, tired, negative thoughts, feelings and habits with new ones. ANY idea, plan or purpose can be placed in the mind! Make your mind work for you!

Great masters, educators, philosophers, trainers, and texts new and old, have said the same for centuries. We can replace old behaviors with new. We can make new choices that help us live better. We can live from a powerful, positive place of well-being.

Life Is What You Make It Already – What Do You Want It To Be

We can make new habits by repeating the new thoughts and feelings often each day throughout the weeks to come. Awareness is the key that opens us up to recognize which gate we are at. We need not remain a victim to our reactions and prior conditioning.

Whenever we realize which gate we are at we can choose whether or not to go through it. Whichever we choose accept responsibility for the choice and the consequences. Whenever we realize we are at the gate of hell we can choose not to go there. It is up to you!

You may stumble many times. Eventually, you will go there less and less. Through making the choice to stop and not go through the gate of hell you are doing something of great importance.

In the instant you choose to enter the gate of heaven (and do so repeatedly) you will learn the new habit. It will get easier and easier to make better choices. You will become aware more and suffer less.

You can make new and healthier choices. You literally can be, do and have anything you want when you put our mind to work for it in the right way.” Rex Sikes

Live more fully today!

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*Horizons photo used with permission of Phil Koch.

PS YOU may know someone who could really benefit from hearing this message. Feel free to share this with them via social media or email. Buttons below make it easy for you to do so.

PSS  A great practice is read the posts daily and then go back and re-read from time to time. You will discover things you missed the first few readings. Try it, you will be surprised.

Subscribe and Follow Daily Inspiration and Gratitude!  Visit often. Feel free to comment. If you think others would benefit please share this blog with others.

NEWS     SOON     NEWS     SOON     NEWS     SOON     NEWS

COMING VERY SOON –  Daily Inspiration And Gratitude’s new home.  A new URL, a new look and feel. All this and new content will be at new site. Some of you get this blog emailed to you,

I don’t know whether that will continue or not. You will be able to subscribe to the blog and my new newsletter. Please stay with us. I’d hate to lose you or have you miss any blog you want to receive. I’ll let you know when the change is taking place.