Posts Tagged ‘Christmas’

30 Dec

A Kindle Powered New Year and more resolution stuff….

Posted by timabraun in Addiction, Body and Soul, Christianity, dreams, Faith, goals, God, growing up, Lifestyle, Mind, miracles, music, music therapy, My Life, Personal development. Tagged: , , , , , , , .

Cover of "Kindle Wireless Reading Device,...

Cover via Amazon

I don’t know if it took getting back to writing in my blog or the Amazon Kindle that my wife gave me for Christmas to get my head back in the game but at minimum I have been able to fill my head with all the good stuff the last week via my Kindle.  I have to say that the Amazon Kindle may be one of the greatest inventions of our time.  Not only can I read all the really cool new books on the Law of Attraction, the Secret, The Power and the 4 hour workweek and 4 Hour body but I can also listen to all the great audiobooks out there.  Unlike a book that has to be held open to read, the Kindle is flat, light and easy to hold as well as effortless when it comes to turning the pages.  I believe it will become my single greatest tool in 2011 as I fill my head with all the good stuff.  Here’s the disclaimer, I have no affiliation with Amazon, this wasn’t a commercial, I am just a very excited and thrilled owner of this wonderful new tool.

Now, the really important stuff, New Year’s Resolutions.  I am not sure I ever believed in the resolution thing but each year at this time I have always taken the time to review my goals and plan for the new year.  While reading the newsletter from my Church this morning, my Pastor said that most resolutions for the new year are abandoned by January 7th, which I totally believe.   What I am proposing for this year for everyone and for myself is “New Day” resolutions, it other words resolving each and every day to lose weight, work harder, be kinder, love more, forgive more, visualize more, give more etc.  I am sure there will be people who abandon their New Day resolutions by 9:00 am they can make them again for the next day without having to wait a full year.

I think today’s post will have to fall into the random thoughts category because I have a bunch of random thoughts on my mind as I review the past year and prepare for the New Year. One of things I was thinking about this morning was personal responsibility and how important it is to always be responsible for yourself and your actions.  This is a subject that has been on my mind for sometime, I think I tend to take responsibility for just about everything because I refuse to pass the blame, this gets ridiculous when one of my kids blames me for the lousy weather and I find myself apologizing and feeling like I had something to do with it.  The other thing that was on my mind in this whole taking responsibility thing was how tough it is to teach your  kids personal responsibility  by setting an example by taking responsibility yourself.   As I said, I think I take responsibility for everything even when I shouldn’t and it has become more apparent to me as I listen to friends and family not take responsibility.   Anytime something happens to a friend or a family member the first thought that goes through my mind is that I did take the action I should have to prevent this from happening to them.  So my first action in these cases is to take the blame and tell them it was my fault and I take full responsibility, while I honestly feel that way, an analysis of recent events leads me to believe that quickly taking responsibility for everything leads to being quickly blamed for everything that goes wrong in those same people’s lives.  While I feel bad that I get blamed for things, my nature is to take responsibility and try to figure out what I can do to help.

Let me be clear, I love to be responsible for everybody and everything because I want to take care of people and do everything I can to help them but what I perceive as a good deed (personal responsibility)may also be my biggest weakness and the primary cause of the failures in my life.  I know that certain business decisions I have made that didn’t turn out good come from my desire to take responsibility for trying to fix someone elses problems.  That’s why I guess it is Personal Responsibility that is so important and not responsibility for other people’s problems.   OK, that was pretty random and yes, I take full responsibility for the above content, responsibility in all forms is another one of life’s mysteries that I intend to figure out one day.

Now the feel good stuff !  This past year, I have blogged about my mental juke box and how just the right song plays at the right time in my head to lift my spirits and carry me through various challenges in life but the number one thing that makes me feel good, appreciate life and makes things fall in place for me is realizing how much stuff in life I love.  Whether I am driving through the country and appreciating the scenery or looking at pictures of my wife and kids or the new Ford Products especially the new Ford Explorer and Mustang.  The more I am grateful and appreciative of all that life has to offer the better I feel.   The most important part  is consciously acknowledging this gratefulness and appreciation, whether saying it out loud, writing it in a journal or blog or thinking about it over and over.  If you don’t believe me give it a try and see how your outlook and your life starts feeling better, look at a picture of your spouse or kids and remind yourself how much you love them, or drive by the Ford dealership and check out the new Explorer and tell yourself how cool that vehicle is and how much you love it.  Do like I do and find a piece of land, along a river or lake or mountain or in a big city that you would love to own and build a house on and tell yourself how much you love that property.   Think about the city you live in and how much you love it or how much you love the city or place you would like to live in.  I guarantee you that when you start throwing all this love around you can’t help but change your outlook and feel better about everything and if you can hold on to those good feelings all the time, those things you love that you don’t have will soon come your way and those other things you do have like your family, they will start sending you love back in ways you never thought possible.   Happy New Year….I can’t wait for 2011, I love the number eleven and when 20 is in front of it, nothing is better.   What will you love in 2011 ?  Everything possible I hope !

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27 Dec

Lost in Space

Posted by timabraun in Addiction, Body and Soul, Christianity, dreams, Faith, goals, God, growing up, Lifestyle, Mind, miracles, My Life, Personal development, philosophy, prayer, Random Thoughts, Recovery, relationships, Story time. Tagged: , , , , , , , .

Album cover of Lost in Space Original Televisi...

Image via Wikipedia

One of my favorite television shows when I was growing up was Lost in Space.  Lost in Space is what I have felt like the last couple of months when I wasn’t writing and posting to my blog.  I got so caught up in just going through the motions that I truly was Lost in Space.  I really needed the Robot around saying “Warning, Warning Will Robinson”  “continuing to just go through the motions will lead to disaster”.  While going through the motions and working the graveyard shift at a convenience store probably weren’t the best choices I have made recently they have fired me up to enter the new year pursuing all of the dreams that had slipped from the forefront to Lost in Space file.

I have always found the week between Christmas and New Years to be an excellent time to review the past year, think about what’s really important and set the stage for the coming year.  While I had taken all out massive action to attack the problems that led to my personal financial crisis, the solutions I jumped into ended up not being the answer but providing the answers and solutions to what I need to do in 2011.  You see, it is very easy to settle in to something that is easy, the hourly job at the convenience store was fun, easy and an escape from reality.  When I was mopping floors at 3 in the morning, all the cares of the world were absent, the silence was therapeutic and it was easy to just go through the motions.  But my life has never been about going through the motions and getting Lost in Space like I did, wasn’t helping my situation one bit.

So as I sit here, doing what I enjoy most (writing) I am planning my escape from the alien planet and that place in space where I was lost.  In 2011, I intend to focus on the things I do best and the things I have always wanted to do.  I am an Entrepreneur and the failures of the past three years had dampened my spirit and led me to believe that just getting a normal job was the way to go.  Getting Lost in Space was what I needed to understand what it was that I needed to do moving forward.  2011 promises to be an exciting year and I have set up a number of new plans to challenge myself to find my way back to the planet Earth.

I know that was a pretty lame attempt to try to work in one of my favorite TV shows from my childhood, but actually it was that TV show that set me straight.  Part of my daily routine was to lay down at 6 pm to take a short nap before going into my job at the convenience store at 9pm.  I would turn on the Family Network at 6 just as the reruns of Lost in Space would come on.  I ended up not getting a lot of sleep because I got so caught up in watching Lost in Space.   After about two months of this routine was when it hit me that I had become Lost in Space.  Somehow, I don’t think it was coincidence that Lost in Space began airing on the Family Network about the same time I started this routine of working 2 full-time hourly positions that paid just a little over minimum wage.  The Universe has a funny way of working and I believe, the TV show was reminding me of what I was doing to myself.

I apologize for the scattered way my post today is going but it may take me a few days to get my writing groove back in synch.  Before I close things out today I want to share with you an email I received as one of my daily notes from the Universe (www.tut.com) .   It is really amazing what the right words can do to lift your spirits and remind you of what your true purpose in life is.  Imagine how you would feel if you received the email below and took it to heart.  I believe this email is what helped me remember what I was up to before getting Lost in Space.  More than anything, I hope that I can someday find the words to share with people around the world that will help them feel the way I did when I received this email.  Thank you Mike Dooley for your daily notes from the Universe! I hope everybody reading this goes to your website and signs up for your daily notes right now.  Here’s the email:

 

 

 

 

        

     

  

If it’s not yet obvious to you, the real reason for this, and all seasons, is you, Tim. A more perfect child of the Universe has never lived. Until now, only celebrations cloaked in myth and mystery could hint at your divine heritage and sacred destiny. You are life’s prayer of becoming and its answer. The first light at the dawn of eternity, drawn from the ether, so that I might know my own depth, discover new heights, and revel in seas of blessed emotion.

A pioneer into illusion, an adventurer into the unknown, and a lifter of veils. Courageous, heroic, and exalted by legions in the unseen.

To give beyond reason, to care beyond hope, to love without limit; to reach, stretch, and dream, in spite of your fears. These are the hallmarks of divinity – traits of the immortal – your badges of honor. May you wear them with a pride as great as the immeasurable pride we feel for you.

Your light has illuminated darkened paths, your gaze has lifted broken spirits, and already your life has changed the course of history.

This is the time of year we celebrate Tim Braun.Bowing before Greatness,
    The Universe

So this email has set up the challenge for me in the coming year, my number one goal is to give beyond reason, care beyond hope, love without limit; to reach, stretch and dream in spite of my fears.  I challenge you to do the same.  It seems to me that if a person can pull this off there is no possible way for them to fail or to ever again get Lost in Space….

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