OMG - GMO WHAT'S THE BIG DEAL?

Many people ignore all of the hype around Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO)

Others have fallen into the hype and are spreading "half-truths" and misleading information related to it...thereby harming the real effort!

Few have dug deep enough into the issue to see the real impact that our current state of GMO use and understand act responsibly.

Let's cut through all of the "hype" and conspiracy and look at the simple issues at hand and also at the proper responses to this VERY IMPORTANT issue.


GMO History Lesson

Believe it or not...Genetic Modification is a natural part of nature!  If this were not true...everyone would look exactly the same!  Plants and animals would not have adapted to the environment.

Eons ago people saw that they could by control a natural aspect of nature and  bred wild animals in ways that they ended up with domestic animals that met certain preferred characteristics.

Docile Cows...
Loyal Dogs...

and on and on...

Others saw that the same could be done with plants...

Grass that provided grain...
A plant to produce large ears grain...
Beautiful plants like orchids...

This was Genetic Modification of Organisms through breeding and pollinating and was focused on providing benefits to mankind.

Every offspring....and every generation of plants and animals IS a genetic modification!

GMO Today

Human nature is interesting!  We are inherent efficiency experts!  We are always looking for easier ways to do things...to get what we want!

Genetics was no exception...Scientists learned the "secrets" of DNA and how to modify it!  Rather than taking years of breeding and cross-pollination, changes could be made in "one fell swoop!"

They also learned that some genetic changes could be added to living organisms that would never appear!

This is where that problem arises.

Imagine a plant that produces a sweet fruit that contains every nutrient that a human needs.  Genetic modification can do that!

Imagine producing a disease that is completely resistant to every antibiotic and one hundred percent deadly.  Genetic modification can do that!

Imagine producing a plant that is immune to weed killers and that this plant produces a food that we can eat!  Genetic modification HAS done that!

GMO Recap

Genetic Modification is a natural thing...
Man has learned how to use genetic modification to his/her advantage...
Man made genetic modification more efficient through gene splicing...

GMO - The Good the Bad and the Ugly

GMO's can be a asset and benefit to mankind.  Corn, wheat and many other plants and animals have gone through many modifications to the advantage of mankind.  Corn produces more bushels per acre.  Wheat is resistant to many diseases.  Animals grow faster and larger.

Mankind has been served well through well intentions.

Negative things have resulted from genetic modification.  Dogs have been bred for fighting.  Diseases have been created for biological weapons.  There are many reasons for these modifications, It is hard to rationalize them as good.

These modification have to be questioned as to how they serve mankind.

Over the past decade, genetic modification of plants and animals has become a focus of science and industry.  Sadly when science is funded...it can lose its focus on altruistic service to mankind.  When a "for profit" organization is involved, genetic modification becomes purely self serving.

You are what you eat!

Genetic modification is a relatively "new science."  The downstream impact of eating genetically engineered food is yet to be understood.  We know that we metabolize the foods that we eat at a molecular level...it goes without saying that if a food stuff contains bad things it will become part of us...  Yet the "jury is still out" on this...in terms of scientific fact.  The wise individuals are choosing not to eat genetically modified plants and animals until more is known.  This is probably a good choice.

Most of the focus of current science in genetic engineering is focused on making the production of crops more efficient.  This sounds great...but most of it is "profit oriented."  Case in point is the genetic modification of plants such as corn and soy that is resistant to the weedkiller "Round-up."

"Round-up" resistant corn is appealing to farmers because they can plant their corn, then simply apply "Round-up" directly across their fields and only the weeds will die.  This sounds great, but the weed killer is also absorbed by corn and when we eat it or eat something that eats it...this chemical becomes part of us!

The true issue is not that consuming a GMO is detrimental for one's health and well-being.  That is "hype" until science confirms it.  The true issue is related to what genetic modification is currently allowing!  At this point, We should ask...

Are we comfortable consuming "Round-up"?

Without going into the vicious and boring details, "Round-up" is a known to cause major issues in humans exposed to it.  The list is huge.  At least two countries have banned its use, while others are considering it.

"Round-up" resistant plants produce food that we eat!  These plants have "Round-up" sprayed liberally on and around them.  They absorb "Round-up" and we eat it...little by little.  To make matters worse, grains with an excessive amount (not fit for human consumption) is fed to feed animals (e.g. Beef, hogs and poultry) and the "Round-up" is concentrated in their flesh and fat.  We may eat it directly or indirectly.

Moreover the indiscriminate application of "Round-up" has caused other issues...it has leeched into our ground water and we are drinking it.  It is killing wild flowers and weeds that are important to beneficial insect life such as bees and monarch butterflies.  Did you know that more that 80% of the fruits and vegetables that we eat are pollinated by these insects and the die-off is substantial?

Why?

The corporations that are currently supporting GMO research are not doing it to the benefit of mankind...they have modified plants so that they can sell more herbicide!

AND this herbicide is a known killer of humanity...and a downstream killer of other types of life that we depend upon for our existence!

At this point in time...the issue is "Round-up"...NOT GMO...

DO NOT be distracted by hype or misinformation!

We can change the course of inevitable destruction with our ability to vote...not with ballots...but with our dollars.

If we all immediately stopped purchasing "Round-up" for commercial or residential use...the message would be heard loud and clear.

Purchase only those foods that are not modified to resist "Round-up" or genetically has a pesticide or is herbicide resistant!  Not because they are bad...but because they exist for self serving reasons...and because we do not know if those foods are OK to eat!

Eat Organic!  You can not lose!

Make not worth a corporation's money to invest in engineering sales into nature...but to invest their efforts in making humanity better!        



  





    

Earth Day Reflections

I have a relatively active FaceBook page named "Planet B".  For those interested in viewing it and "LIKING" it... its address is... https://www.facebook.com/OurPlanetB

A while back (nearly 5 years ago) I was moved by a simple comment..."People are acting and living like they have an alternative place to live...they need to realize that there is no Planet B!"

Earth Day took me back to the meager beginnings of "Planet B"  I wish that more people would engage with it...and I refuse to let it go idle...there are so many important messages that those who love our "Mother Earth" can share!

REFLECTIONS

Perhaps we can't change the world...but we may be able to change the parts that matter!

Reflecting on the fact that "...this is our only planet (home)..." I am moved to remind myself that I should be living with that in mind...maintenance and upkeep is critical...we should be watching how others are treating our home...and we should respond appropriately...

If someone came into your home and spit on the floor...would you ignore it and walk away?

If someone dumped toxic chemicals in your bathtub...would you say something?

If someone dumped trash in your kitchen...would you simply walk around it?

I hope not!

Our earth is our home...treat it that way and respond appropriately...

Enough said... 

As I reflected...I asked myself...am I acting like I am a permanent part of nature?

The fact of the matter is...I am not!

I am a "visitor" to the earth!  Better stated...I am a guest!

QUESTION - How should a good guest live and act?

ANSWER - With gratitude and respect!

Being a temporary guest of this earth...I have a choice to act with total disrespect and thanklessness...because when I am gone..."they" can clean up my mess"...

...or...

I can act like a great guest...picking up after myself and leaving it better for having visited...

Our host will appreciate it!  

My final reflection was actually related to the term of endearment that we use..."Mother Earth"... 

I asked myself how would I act if someone hurt my mother?

I would be LIVID!

Yet we stand passively by and ignore daily attacks on our "Mother Earth"

It is embarrassing!

Like a good mother...She continues to care for us...despite our utter disregard for her...she patiently hopes that we will change...

It is time to "kick it up a notch" and begin acting like a good child!

Stop letting others treat our mother like that!

ENOUGH SAID!

I posted just one thought on my timeline on Earth Day...it simply said...

"We should not have a single day called "earth day"...EVERY DAY is "earth day"

DO NOT BE DECEIVED...

How we live and act is a conscious decision...

We live a "Decided Life!"

How we treat our "Mother Earth" and how we defend her...is also a conscious decision...

Let's start acting like good and grateful children...rather than THANKLESS BRATS!

THE DECIDED LIFE - Decisions, Decisions, Decisions

How often have you thought...or said...or heard? "Decisions.Decisions, Decisions!

Many people that I work with initially believe that living "The Decided Life" means that they have fewer decisions to make...let me respond to this...

"NO!"

"It's not true!"

Before we entertain the rationale behind that thought...Let's rant for a while...

The other evening...during a discussion...I heard the word "entitled"...

Everyone who knows me knows the normal response elicited by that word...

Anyone verbalizing that simple word, runs the risk of a lengthy lecture on the only thing that we are entitled to is a breath and a heartbeat...

Our "Founding Fathers" did their best to parallel that philosophical position with the guarantee of "...life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness..."  beyond that...from my perspective...it is a choice!

Today as I was  driving...I reflected on my position on entitlement...it was then I began noticing the impact that this word has had on our society...

ENTITLED DRIVING!

Although this is not apparent across the US...it is in my corner of America...

..."Entitled driving" has become the way a majority of the people drive...

...Perhaps better stated...the driving behaviors in this area of the country vividly show that a majority of this society's belief system is affecting the way they are driving!

Behaviors are driven by one's beliefs...

Let's look at a particular driving behavior that I consistently see...

People will be driving along and suddenly change lanes...often without warning!

First of all...they totally forget about a standard courtesy device on their steering column called a "directional signal!"

Then if they are not given (what they believe is their right to change lanes anytime they desire) they use an emergency device called a horn!

I am amused how people lacking courtesy can create personal emergencies!

After a little thought it's the use or lack of use of these two devices that seem to point to a deeper problem...

Yes individuals deserve the right (are entitled to) "...life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness..."  but that right is extend only as far as it does not ''...infringe on the rights of another..."

This is what is lacking from this current culture...

A drivers need to turn at a specific intersection, or into a driveway should be fulfilled...but not at the expense of anyone else behind them...

Regardless of the excuse for needing to change lanes at a specific time...it should be done with minimum infringement on the others on the road!

Perhaps many of these drivers have poor eyesight...and don't see the road signs until they are near...

But then I ask...should they be driving?

Perhaps the driver was talking on the phone or texting...

But then I ask...should they be driving?

Perhaps the driver was intoxicated...

But then I ask...should they be driving?

Perhaps they neglected to anticipate the need to change lanes...

But then I ask...should they be driving?

Perhaps they don't care about the other drivers on the road around them...

But then I ask...should they be driving?

When one's behavior affects or infringes on the rights of others around them...they no longer are entitled to the right they have!  RIGHT?

This may sound extreme...but...if a lane change of one person causes others to slow down...even thought the cost is minimal...it is infringement!

Many miss the fact that there are costs associated with EVERY action...our goal is to think and act in such ways that our self-serving actions (such as a lane change) has minimal impact on the others around us!

This behavior extends beyond "lane changes" and permeates the mindset and actions everywhere!

"I have a right to occupy this space..." is true...but only when the cost associated to others is minimized, permitted by their approval, or negated...

When I think deeper...taking something without permission is theft!

Let's push this to the limits...bad driving is thievery!  A bad driving behavior steals from the others around them...and although petty larceny...it also infringes on others right to "...life, liberty and their pursuit of happiness..." and is a direct breach of the foundation of this wonderful country...

A driver's license is not an entitlement...it is an endorsement of one's ability to drive with the rights of others in mind...

Enough ranting!

But there may be a lesson that can be tied into the original theme...

Decisions, Decisions, Decisions!

Our lives are recipes...composed of the results of our decisions made!

Like a cake...it will not be right if we leave certain ingredients out!

or...

add too much of another...

or...

replace one with the wrong one...

The perfect cake has the perfect combination of ingredients...

As does our lives...

Expecting to make fewer decisions as the result of living a "Decided life" is unrealistic...

Each of us has a set number of decisions to make to become the "perfect cake!"

Our goal is to make each decision...exactly the rights one, at the right time...in the right amount!

Creating the perfect cake!

The question then arises...

How do I make the right decisions?

Let's return to our rant about poor driving!

We need to assume that "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness..." is a universal law of nature!

Regardless of the cultural, or political, or religious ideology...this law holds true "too everyone" and must bind the "rightness" of our decisions!

Any decision made must consider the consequences to others in the immediate area and in all actuality...downstream...

Consider a "simple" lane change...that slows traffic ever so slightly...

The long term or downstream affect may be a gridlock on that section of the road!

I wonder how many people even consider that thought before they change lanes...

My guess is that it doesn't matter because they got what they wanted and aren't present in the stoppage!

Total disregard!

Believe it or not...our decisions are often made from that narrow and self-serving perspective...

Although often unintentional...we do not look at the known consequences (costs) to others...

We need to get what we want thinking that the costs (whatever they are) are of no matter to others...

This totally breaks this universal law...then one becomes a felon...breaking a universal law!

Changing lanes could infringe on someone driving to a hospital to see a dying friend and the "tiny" delay then causes that individual to miss a chance to say "good bye!"

Ignorance is no excuse!

The "lane changer" may justify their move by asking, "how could I have known?"

The response to that LAME excuse is simple...

Anticipating the change sooner and driving more courteous, using a directional signal and rather than jumping ahead...maintaining speed until the others in the lane had passed and moving at the best opportunity would have helped...

OR...

Perhaps admitting stupidity and driving beyond the intersection and turning around and learning from the mistake...and paying the price for not being a good driver...That one made me smile!!!

Seriously...

We have been taught the wrong decision making criteria...

It is really all about costs...literal and figurative ones!

Great Decisions change the "cost" structure associated with them...

The greatest cost should always be borne by the "decider"...why?...because they are receiving the greatest benefit from it...

The cost to those surrounding the decision should be minimal or eliminated...for most of them have absolutely nothing to gain!

It becomes VERY clear that each decision is made on the associated costs to the decider and the derived benefits!

That puts "deciding" into perspective and makes it very easy!

As I think deeper...making the right decisions is not only a talent...it is an obligation!

We owe it to those surrounding us...whether we know them or not...

For there is no such thing as a decision of value that can be made in a vacuum without any impact on other...

...and they are the ones who pay the price for bad decisions...

The Decided Life!







.

The Decided Life - Special Edition: The Granary

 

 

As I enjoy the sun of southern Florida, my mind drifts back to my younger years and life in the northern US. 

 

The latter part of the year was, in a word, "COLD!" 

 

Winter meant snow, and single digit temperatures.  It meant days with long nights, cold winds and heavy clothes.  It often seemed like our lives were on hold and our only goal was to simply make it to spring and the renewed life that it promised.

 

As I reflected on those days and the my many experiences, I recalled an aroma that was sweeter than any other that I knew and more sought and welcomed than any in my desires.  As I thought about it, I immediately felt a peace that has been absent from my soul in years.

 

Many, if not most of you, have never sensed this odor...I wish that you had...your life would be different.  I know that I have sparked your interest...or at least I hope that I have...let's not waste any more of your time!

 

Among other things, my grandparents were dairy farmers.  The farm had a large dairy barn, a chicken coop, a wood shed, pump houses, equipment sheds, and others. 

There was also a very special building. 

The granary. 

It was located next to the barn and every fall, filled with the harvest from the fields. 

 

The granary served two purposes; it held grain to feed the animals over the winter and it held the seed of next year's planting.  In most cases, those seeds where the same, just meted out for different purposes.

 

On cold winter days, when we were visiting, I would walk out to the granary with my grandmother or grandfather and help carry a bucket of grain to the barn to feed the cows or the chickens. 

Some days the cold was so extreme that it would bite at my little nostrils, making my little nose numb, but upon entering the unheated granary, the smell of the granary would enter my nose and comfort every part of my being.  It was amazing and almost magical!

 

The granary is unlike any other building on a farm.  If the granary is old, the odors from the farm's history of harvests saturate the walls and hoppers.  It is more than just the smell of grain.  It is the odor of life itself and more...

 

One VERY cold morning, I walked across the barnyard with my grandmother to retrieve some grain for the chickens.  As we opened the door of the granary, the familiar aroma hit me and it must have struck "grandma" too! 

She looked down at me, smiled, closed her eyes and somewhat under her breath said, "This is the smell of hope and there is nothing better than to walk into here, holding the little hand of another granary!"

 

I had no idea what she was talking about!  But what she said stuck in my memory and it took years for me to understand what she was saying!

 

The granary is life.  The aroma within the granary is nearly permanent.  Once the smell of the grain, of "life", sets into its walls...it is nearly impossible to remove it!  As I think about it...WHO WOULD WANT TO?

 

The deeper I pondered this thought...the more that I learned that the granary is more than life and its aroma is more than life.  It may be the smell of seeds; the odor of "life dormant"; it is the smell of the future!  It is the aroma of HOPE!

 

The granary not only held the nourishment for today, no matter how cold it got outside, the granary also held the promise of next year's harvest.  The granary held hope!  That aroma was hope!

 

...AND...

Every day was a decision related to that hope. 

 

"Do I use the grain that the granary holds to feed today or do I save the grain for tomorrow?"

 

SWITCHING GEARS!

 

There was another "building" on the farm that held seed.  It was a grain silo.  It had one and only one purpose.  It held feed grain.  This was grain that was going to strictly be used as animal feed.  For one reason or another, that grain was not any good for planting and my grandparents put it there because it only served one purpose.  A funny thing was that the silo did not have the same wonderful aroma of the granary!  Unlike the granary, it emptied by the end of winter and sat that way until the next harvest.  The granary always held seed and was never allowed to go empty!

 

BACK TO OUR THOUGHTS!

 

It hit me later that my grandmother saw that little boy holding her hand differently!  WE are proverbial granaries...I suddenly understood what my grandmother was talking about!

We are not seeds for the future...we hold the seeds of the future!

...AND... 

 

There is nothing like the "aroma of hope!"

 

Within us are the seeds of hope. 

WE hold the promise of tomorrow's harvest.... 

...and like the stores within the real granary. these seeds can be used to nourish us today or they can be saved to fulfill a promise of a greater harvest of tomorrow.

 

We hold the keys of the future!

...and...

It's a decision and both choices are important.

 

Like the granary, the important thing is that its hoppers are never allowed to go empty.

 

We must always hold some hope for our future harvests.

 

When can use our hope today...or we can save some for tomorrow.

 

As with the granary, the best seed (hope) is always kept safely within its walls and that which holds the least promise is used for the nourishment of today.

It's a decision!

 

Sadly, many live their lives as if they were the silo.  There is seed held within, but that seed has no hope of the future.  Their decisions are strictly related to today's nourishment and they end up empty...there is no promised harvest!

 

The "Decided Life" is recognition of the fact that we are granaries!  We carry the aroma of life and hope.  Our lives revolve around storing life and hope and using its contents sparingly...with each decision related to what is truly required today and how we will use what is left to ensure a better harvest tomorrow!  Most important is that we never go empty!

 

There is no perfume or cologne that can match the wonderful aroma of the granary (life and hope)!

It is the aroma that permeates our being to the core of our existence. 

It is what draws and attracts others. 

It is the message of life and hope!

It sends a message to the world that there is a future! 

It is the shivering hand of the "chilled" child...walking with grandma! 

It lasts long after the seeds are gone...

 

It is already in you!

 

Do not live as a silo...but recognize that you are a granary...your hopes and dreams are the seeds of tomorrow...

 

Your next step is to decide...where and when to plant them!

 

ENOUGH SAID!   

 

The granary is the house of "the Decided Life"

 

 

 

    

   

The Decided Life and Fulfillment

"If I were fulfilled...I'd be happy!"

Fulfillment is an allusive objective.

What most "Fulfillment seekers" do not realize is that they are simply trying to live a math equation!

The number that they seek is "1".

Huh?

A+B+C+D...=1

"A, B, C, D" and others being those things, experiences, etc that the individual believes add to the fulfilling experience.

"1" being the moment of fulfillment.

As long as the final number is less than "1" the individual remains unfulfilled.

This is complicated by the fact that there are negative numbers in the equation too!  In fact, there are two general categories that the negative numbers fall into:

• Past regrets and failures that detract from the present moment
• Present situations that detract from the present moment

This endeavor is further complicated by an individual's future goals.  In a worse case scenario, individuals become so future (dream) oriented that they lose sight of the present!

Thinking this through

Now that we understand the components of fulfillment, what does this mean in our achieving it?

You probably noticed that every element had something in common.  It was their affect on the present.

AHA!  Fulfillment is what is happening in the present and its experienced is totally dependent upon how one perceives the past and future...not to forget...what they are doing in the present...

I absolutely love the image at the beginning of this article...It explains fulfillment in the fewest words possible...

It is recognizing that the past is gone and is absolutely nothing!

It is recognizing that there is no future, until it gets here...it therefore means nothing in relation to this moment's fulfillment!

It is about "Deciding" to do...RIGHT NOW...what is fulfilling and achieving that "1" by not maximizing the numbers in your "Fulfillment Equation", but by eliminating and minimizing the "numbers" or elements of fulfillment in the equation!

Fulfillment is all about what you decide!

If you are currently not living "fulfilled" and authentically happy...your equation may contain elements that are not adding to your achievement of "1" and detracting from your equation...making it impossible to every achieve what you seek!

It is all about what you Decide!     

The Decided Life - Decisions (Part 1)

Last week I received a note from a dedicated reader of the "Weekend Update" saying..."...enough on the introduction of living the Decided Life...tell us what decisions we have to make..."

"...What decisions do I have to make to be successful and happy?..."


My Response

I wish that I could simply say, "Only two decisions..."

The first one is to decide to be successful and the second is to decide to be happy!

The fact of the matter is that it is that simple, but at the same time, it is significantly more complex!

How can that be?

Let's start with on of my "Epiphanies of the Utterly Obvious"

"...When you find yourself in a position that you have to make a decision, you do not have enough information!..."

Those whose have spent any time with me...have heard me say this over and over...and more important...they see me live by this axiom...

Before we can decide to be successful and happy we need information...I call this Stage Setting!


STEP 1

First we need to know what we see success and/or happiness is...

Success and happiness MUST be clearly defined and understood.

It needs to have measurable aspects like, "I consider success as making $1,000 each day or more" or "Happiness is spending at least 3 hours each day of the week, at the beach."

From this point you can then determine if you are successful with a high degree of confidence...in other words, you will know when you have become successful.  If you are making $800 per day, then you can say that are not yet successful...if you are spending 3 hours per day at the beach only on weekends you are not yet successful.

Although I have only cited a small piece of an overall definition of success, you can see what the overall definition should look like.

To ensure that it covers all aspects...use the words "and" and "or"

To go a bit deeper, all of your definitions should sound like a LONG run-on sentence.  Success is making $1,000 every day of the year and spending 3 hours each day at the beach, rain or shine and...and...and...!

There will be many more and should be,,,"ands" and "ors" in your definition, just make sure that you have covered EVERY aspect of what it will take for you to say that you are successful...

Don't be like those who refuse to clearly define success and happiness and claim. "I will know it when I see it!" or "I am leaving doors open...just in case..."  These people often have success in the grip and they let it go because they didn't realize that it was there!


STEP 2

Once you have defined real Success and Happiness, you can use what you now "know you want" to understand what you currently have.

This is actually quite simple.

Once you understand that success is making $1,000/day and you need to see how much you are currently making each day.  For this extended example we'll say $240/day.

If spending 3 hours/day at the beach will make you happy, you can then look at your current life and see that you how much you are spending.  We'll sat that you are spending less than an hour each day.

Repeat this for each and every part of the Step 1 definitions until you have covered each.


Step 3

The next step compares where you are to where you need to be.

This is easy!

I am making $240/day and need to be making $1,000/day to be successful.  I am $760/day from success.

I am spending 1 hour/day at the beach and I will be happy when I spend 3 hours/day.  I need to spend 2 hours more each day to be happy.


NEXT STEPS

We are now ready to begin deciding.

But not today!

We'll do this in the near future!

For now, it is important that you clearly define and understand What "Success and Happiness" specifically is for you.  Work diligently at this understanding,,,to the point that you can not deny that you are successful and happy.  If there is any doubt, you need to work harder.

Be patient...good things are worth working for...

Your success and happiness depends upon it!

The Decided Life - I wish I had...

"Hindsight is 20/20..."

"If I had only..."

"It would be so much different if I would have..."


How many times have you heard...or made...statements like the aforementioned?

Hindsight and regret are normal conditions of anyone who is on the path to a better place in life!

Yet hindsight and regret are powerfully destructive emotions...

By themselves they are nothing but feelings...but these feeling easily turn into negative reactions that cause "vicious circles" of inaction...or worse...negative responses...leading to more "poor decisions" and more regret...

I wish I had...

Stop wishing and decide!

Success and Authentic Happiness is just a few decisions away!

That is what the "Decided Life" is all about!

It is a simple answer to a situation that we believe is complicated...

That's Right...

..."The Decided Life" is not complicated...but it is systematic...

It, by necessity, needs to follow a prescribed path to ensure that the right thoughts are deeply embedded and act as a foundation for the future...

The hardest part of "The Decided Life" is submitting to it!


Let's start down the path to living a Decided life...

That is...

...if that is what you decide!

But before we do...let's begin by committing to making only informed decisions...


More Decided life...

As the name implies, the Decided Life is a life guided by conscious decisions AND conscious acceptance of the consequences...

The important part at this point is acceptance of the consequences...whether they are known and anticipated...or they are unknown and unanticipated!

It must start with a decision to live a decided life...

For many this is a terrifying option!

The thought of living with total responsibility for the decisions made and a lack of options is totally unacceptable...that is...until one realizes that the life that they are living is actually no different!


Shifting Gears

There are 3 viable decisions...

1 - To do something
2 - Not to do something
3 - Not to decided

Most of our life is controlled by option 3...YES that is true...


Why do we live in option 3?

Because we often do not recognize that there was an option or a decision afforded us!  As a result we just went with the flow...we let life take its own course...and then the only option given to us is how hard we complain and moan and whine about how unfair life is!

Let's not get too deep today...

Let's simply consider what living the Decided life means...

It means deciding to take control of what you can...and deciding to let go of those things and situations you want to control...

It truly is about reestablishing your boundaries...and...

Deciding to live a decided life...


Life lesson...

"The Decided Life" has an interesting perspective. 

Last week a friend brought over a large "veggie" sub sandwich.  It was so large that I could not eat it in its entirety.  I actually ate more than I should have.  I was totally full!  I hate to waste things...so...I wrapped the uneaten portion in foil and set in in the refrigerator...and forgot about it!

Two days later I remembered it and retrieved it...

Opening the foil I saw that it was inedible...

It was soggy...the lettuce had looked really bad!  I don't have to go further...It was YUCKY!

I threw it away!

Yesterday, my stomach growled and I went to the refrigerator...opened the door and saw nothing appetizing! 

My mind wandered back to the sub!

I wished that I had it now!

If I hadn't thrown it away...

WAIT!

The garbage pick-up company hasn't emptied the dumpster yet!

I could go out and dig through the trash find the trash bag and retrieve the sub!

I know!  EWWWWWW!

This is simply to make a point...

What was DECIDED a week ago was right for the time...

Changes in conditions and situations do not make the previous decisions less or more right...

A week ago...

I had kept half of it because I DECIDED that I couldn't eat any more of it...

Two days later...

I threw it away because I DECIDED that if I ate what I retrieved...it would make me sick...

My current state of hunger does not make my prior decisions bad!

I was hungry now...but...

Did I really wish I had kept that sandwich?

NO!

As trivial as this seems...this simple story sets the stage for the next aspect of the Decided Life...

BIGGEST MISTAKE

At this point...If you have decided to live decided...you have now taken the first step...and have averted making the single biggest mistake that people make in living a successful and authentically happy life,,,

NOT STARTING!