Stuck In A Rut

It’s Another Podcast!

Lots of people feel like they are stuck in a rut.  But most do not do anything about it because they don’t want to change.  Change means getting out of your comfort zone!

This short podcast (6:08) is about not being afraid to change.  And, just for fun, it ends with the following instructions from…

1. Keep the clock and altimeter wound up.
2. Carry a railroad timetable in case the plane is grounded.
3. Warn the passengers against throwing their cigars and cigarettes out the windows.
4. Keep an eye on passengers when they go to the lavatory to be sure they don’t mistakenly go out the emergency exit.

Enjoy the podcast!

[If you cannot see the player below, just click the title above]

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Sleep On It

Yesterday I posted Last week’s article in The pep Letter, called, “How To Face Another Day.”  If you’re not a subscriber to the free Pep Letter, then you can see a sample of what you get in your email once a week.

This morning I wanted to post a followup to that article.  It’s called, “Sleep On It,”  and it really presents some great information about our subconcious.

Isn’t amazing the way God created us!

The information in both of these articles is simple and practical.  It can change your life.

Sleep On It

What thoughts do you think before you go to sleep?  Does it really matter?  Actually, what you think about before you drift off into dream land could be very beneficial and profitable to your life.

While your conscious mind takes a much needed break as you sleep, your subconscious mind actually stays very active. Because of this, the thoughts that you think about shortly before you fall asleep are vitally important.

Junk Before Bed?

Many people end their day by watching the news, which is usually negative and often depressing. When they go to sleep after pouring all that junk into their minds, they are basically saying, “Okay subconscious mind, work on all that stuff.”  And then people wonder why they wake up depressed, negative, and with no ambition for the new day ahead?

Your subconscious mind is at work day and night, including throughout your slumber. Maybe you have heard someone say, “I’m going to sleep on it?”  I remember watching a movie and when faced with a problem, the main character said, “I’ll sort it out in the morning.”  Many times after, “sleeping on it,” a person wakes up with a solution, or at least, a new direction in which to proceed.

A Solution

Perhaps you have heard the story about the man who had diligently worked for many, many hours towards a solution to a problem, yet still knew that there was something missing. He went to sleep, still trying to grasp that missing piece. His thoughts before he fell asleep were focused on unearthing the solution.

He said the next morning he suddenly woke up feeling “the greatest excitement.”  In a short amount of time thereafter, Albert Einstein wrote his first draft of a new article – a full thirty pages. It was the start to his theory of relativity.

Time To Get Up

There are a lot of people who wake up right before their alarm goes off. Does that happen to you?  Is it just a habit, or, before falling asleep, do you consciously think about what time you want to get up?  I think it is the latter.

Personally, the only time I use an alarm clock is when I need to get up much earlier than usual.  However, every time I set the alarm clock, it seems like I still wake up before it goes off.  I really believe that is because before falling asleep, I am very aware that I need to get up earlier.  I am very conscious of setting the alarm for a specific time.  And then, the next morning, my subconscious mind steps in, telling me it is 4:30.

Methods

There are some who suggest deliberately putting specific information into your mind before you fall asleep.  Having noted many examples of people going to sleep with a problem or dilemma, and then waking up with a solution, they suggest doing it on purpose, intentionally.

There are many programs that suggest doing your affirmations right before you go to sleep.  Some recommend reviewing your goals at that time. The Bible talks about not going to sleep angry.  Why?  Because our God designed the brain, and He knows that anger, resentment and bitterness is not something you want to give your subconscious to work on while you sleep.

So before you fall asleep, take note of your emotions.  If you are angry, stop for a few minutes and figure out why.  Our emotions are simply indicators of the thoughts in our hearts and minds.  If you need to forgive someone, then do it before you go to sleep and release that anger from your mind.

Don’t Fall Asleep In A Bad Mood

The point is, don’t allow yourself to fall asleep in a doubtful mood, or in a depressed mood, or in an angry mood.  If you fall asleep in a negative mood, you are impeding the work that your subconscious mind could be doing for you while you sleep.  Deal with the cause of the emotions.  Release the anger and replace it with forgiveness.  Release the depressed feeling with anticipation of God’s help in your life.  Release the doubt and replace it with confidence that God has a solution for you.

Once you release the negative emotions and replace them with something you do want to see in your life, then, deliberately give you subconscious mind something to work on.  Whether it is your affirmations, or goals, or something you are working to solve, be specific and deliberate about your thoughts right before you fall asleep.  Your subconscious mind is going to be working all night on something anyway, so why not give it something profitable?

Successful people develop successful habits; it doesn’t just happen automatically.  You can take charge of your life by doing many little, seemingly insignificant things.  However, those “little” things will reap enormously profitable dividends in your life.

So have a sweet, peaceful, and productive sleep!

Michael A. Verdicchio
2010

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Obstacle Illusions

It’s Another Podcast!

After the day I had yesterday, I thought maybe I ought to do a podcast about obstacles.  My latest Pep Letter article is titled, “Obstacle Illusions,” so the topic is pretty fresh in my mind.

Actually,  I applied the information I share in that article to handle the obstacles I was faced with.  They weren’t big obstacles, but even if they were, the principles still work.  Discover in this short podcast (9:20) what to do when you’re faced with an obstacle, big or small.

[If you cannot see the player below, just click the title above]

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Soar With The Eagles!

In 1981, in the Capitán Mountains of New Mexico, a hiking group including myself climbed to the top of Sunset Peak. It has an elevation of 9,000 feet. We reached the summit just before noon on a beautiful cloudless day in January. The view was spectacular!

Sitting there felt as if you could see the whole world. Perched atop Sunset Peak, we saw something so remarkable that I can still see it as clearly in my mind today as it was on that day. And since then, I have never seen anything as magnificent.

We watched in awe as four eagles soared below us with ease! The eagles’ elegant moves were an awesome sight that I will never forget.

They Know When A Storm Is Coming

Did you know that an eagle knows when a storm is brewing long before it breaks? When a storm is eminent, the eagle will fly to a high spot and wait for the winds to come. This is how they respond to storms.

When the storm arrives, they set their wings so that the winds lift them up, high above the storm. And, as the storm rages below them, the eagle soars high above it, effortlessly gliding with ease.

What is fascinating is that the eagle does not escape the storm; the eagle does not suffer through the storm, or hope to survive. The eagle does not fly away from the storm. The eagle just simply uses the winds of the storm to lift itself high above the storm.

The eagle’s response is to rise high above the storm on the very winds that brought the storm close.

How Do You Deal With The Storms Of Life?

At times in life we will all face storms. Sometimes we face small storms and other times we face big storms. But regardless, the storms of life do not have to overcome us. We can, if we choose to, rise above them. An eagle recognizes that a storm is coming and then responds by rising above it.

Pressures in life do not have to stress us out. Challenges we face do not have to discourage us. Set backs do not have to lead us to failure.

It’s really not the storms in life that defeat us. It is how we respond to the storms that will determine the outcome. Just like the eagle, we can soar high above the storm.

Some people choose to run from storms. Others grit their teeth and hope to “weather the storm.” And then, there are those who choose to respond to the storm by rising above it.

I Remember Being Afraid Of A Storm

I remember as a small child hearing some pretty loud thunder followed by some heavy rain. I was afraid. I wanted to hide. But my mother, who had lived through many thunderstorms, reassured me that every thing was going to be alright. And even though I could still hear the thunder and rain, I trusted what my mother said. I was no longer scared. I was soaring above the storm.

God wants your life to be victorious, despite the pressures. He wants your life to be successful despite the challenges. He wants your life to be fulfilled despite the set backs. God is not in the failure business; He is in the success business.

So, when the storms of life come, look to Him for help and direction. Ask Him for guidance. Believe and trust Him to lift you high above the storm.

There’s a verse in the Bible that says,

“Those who trust in the Lord shall mount up with wings like the eagles; they shall run and not being weary; they shall walk and not faint.”

We really can soar with the eagles!

Mike Verdicchio