Random Ideas and Various Thoughts

Greetings and Salutations--
  Well it may be due to needing some inspiration myself but I think it is time to switch from all this financial talk and do some solving of the worlds problems--jk. I want to think about life in general and how it impacts each of us and how much it can change us. I was talking with a friend of mine the other day and she said she never reads self help books. My first thought was thinking that is a real shame because of how much you can miss out on by not reading any of those type books. Introspection is a wonderful tool that can open up your world. This got me to thinking about how I have viewed self help books in the past and how my perspective has changed since I started the journey I am on now.
  One day I hope to change the section in Barnes and Noble from "self help" to "self achievement" because that is really what I really think it is all about. Changing your reality is hard enough as it is but in a world full of "Debbie Doubters" and negative talk it seems almost impossible to make any real life changes. Most days I feel truly like I could leap a skyscraper in a single bound to be followed up with lots of "why am I even trying any of this- it won't change" or "this is a nice path to pursue but I'll soon go back to my old ways- at least it was entertaining for awhile" or "I'll never have the real success I truly want". Have you ever had thoughts like this?
  I have been thinking a lot about this ever since I picked up the book "The Success Principles" by Jack Canfield and other like-minded books since then. After having read the book and applying many of its principles about life (which we all already know most of them)--I feel it basically boils down to how difficult it is to change your reality and make it stick. I think this is where it is born of the cliche that one day you're the bug and another your the windshield. Most of these books don't really promise you a perfect life (as some people might think)- they just remind you or give you the tools of how to be more successful at what ever you chose and more importantly get you to a place that when the poo-poo hits the fan you are more prepared to handle it. Your change is in your attitude. About any and all things. Negative breeds negative. Positive breeds positive and keeps you in a place where you are better equipped to handle it when life takes the turns that we all know it will.
  One of the things I like the best is that you don't have to know how you will get to where you want- just know where you want to end up and begin. That isn't going to happen while watching TV or without some really hard work and action. This idea is either full of poop or its real but the way I see it- even if its crap I'll be too old to care by the time I figure it out. Besides time is going to pass one way or the other- might as well be entertained while it passes right?
  So what are some of the things that have happened in my life that I can attribute to this way of living I am really trying to learn?--lots but there are few that stick out in my mind in the last 6 months: (1) I negotiated my salary at my job and I had no idea I could really do that in a staff position. (2) I finally called about a stop sign in my neighborhood that really looked awful and needed to be cleaned or replaced. (3) While I was at it I was tired of taking my life into my own hands turning left at an intersection coming into my neighborhood. I called and wrote the letter that was required requesting a protected left turn signal (the green arrow signal separate from the green light) at this intersection. The lady told me she was pretty sure that this assessment had already been done a few years ago and was rejected. I said oh well- maybe things have changed. After one follow up phone call and being informed that they would be conducting the assessment once school started (it was June when I initiated this) as to capture highest volumes (wow- someone in government actually does think)  I just received a letter thanking me for bringing it to their attention and for my concern about highway safety and they would be installing not only a turn signal in the northbound lane but the southbound lane as well!! oh yeah and the stop sign was sparkling clean in less then 10 days :)
  How would I summarize my experience as I try so very hard to change my reality into a life that I really want to have? frustrating, liberating, scary, wonderful, sad, overwhelming, but most of all super empowered and hopeful for what I can change in my world and anyone that I could possible inspire. Never give up. Stop the negative voice in your head and start asking asking asking-- start believing that all things are possible because even if the answer is no it could have been yes and next time it just might be.

Tootles
Heather :)