The Catalyst

Salutations,



The mind is extraordinary. The mysteries that surrounds it is vast. I’m not talking about your brain (although it is incredible in its own right). With proper equipment, I can see your brain. I can weigh it if I wanted. I could smell and touch it. But I will never see your mind. It doesn’t have an odor. As a matter of fact, it’s hard to even describe your mind. Though a description of the mind is fleeting, I can tell you how it works.
To put it simply, your mind is like a video recorder. It has recorded everything you have ever done. The information recorded influences EVERY decision you make. Though some of us have more to remember than others, one never “forgets” anything. I know what you’re thinking. “If I don’t forget anything, how come there are certain things from my past I can’t remember”. I’m so glad you asked I’m beside myself with glee. You see, you only focus on what you choose to remember. Adversely, you don’t focus on what you deem as unnecessary. Some of us choose NOT to focus on good things in our life because we see them as temporary flukes in an otherwise miserable existence. It’s hard to succeed with a *weltanschauung like this. Others choose to NOT focus on the negative because we feel that pain is a brief inconvenience that we must endure for the privilege of living in a limitless universe. This is the mind of a champion. What you remember depends heavily on the type of person you are. If you’re an optimist, chances are you remember all the good things that you’ve experienced. You remember all of the accomplishments you’re proud of. You can recall how you felt when you graduated. You know how you felt the first time you fell in love. Speaking of your first time…well never mind, you’ll always remember that. When you recall all of the positives in your life, you will literally amaze yourself. Your self-esteem will skyrocket and you couldn’t help but think, “How can one person be so lucky”. But on the other hand, if you are a negative person you probably remember every failure. You can recall each time you tried and it didn’t work. You dwell on times when someone took advantage of you. You remember when your parents divorced. Oh yeah, how can you forget the time you tried to start your own business and fell flat on your face? Life can be so cruel when all you spotlight is the times when you didn’t measure up. There are a lot of things I don’t know. There are a lot of things I do know. What I do know is that there is no reason for a God in Heaven to punish us. We punish ourselves enough here on Earth everyday.
Protect your mind, folks. Your mind is the most powerful asset you have. That is why it is so important you use it carefully. Your mind determines not only how you see the world but how you see yourself and others around you. If all you can remember is pain and anguish, guess how you will see the world. If you can’t appreciate past successes no matter how insignificant they may seem, how in the world can you expect future success? If you can’t see success in your mind, you can never have it in reality. That, my friend, is visualization. You must visualize before anything will materialize. You must learn to dream big. If you continue to think small, you will continue to have a small car, a small house, and a small bank account. Remember: You can’t have what you can’t see.

"Great minds discuss ideas; Average minds discuss events; small minds discuss peaple" - Eleanor Roosevelt

Dream Big. Live Bigger.



The All-American
www.rallostyles.com
www.blestbabyproductions.com


*Word you’ve never heard…

Weltanschauung /VELT-ahn-show-ung (“ow” as in “cow”)/ noun - a comprehensive conception or apprehension of the world especially from a specific standpoint

The Catalyst

Hello All,


I hope everyone enjoyed their 4th of July weekend. You would think with a moniker like "The All-American" that I would have celebrated more than I did. While most of you were grilling, lighting fireworks, and socializing, I was at work watching another Law & Order marathon. Sure, I didn't celebrate my independence in a traditional way. But I did take the time out to reflect on what it means to be free.
You may have not realized but our U.S. Constitution is a work of pure genius. Sure it has its flaws like anything else man-made, but the fact remains that our nation is the best in the world. There are people who would disagree with the previous statement but I don't think my opinion is without merit. People risk life and limb to get into this country and take advantage of opportunities we seem to look over. Where else can you be born in the most dire of circumstances and die a multi-billionaire? In most countries, if you are born poor you are destined to die poor. And your children will die poor. And their children...well you get the point. At least in America you have a chance. There are no guarantees but at least you can have hope. And hope is the gas that fuels aspirations.
I live in an "urban" area. You know what that means. A bunch of shoe stores, chinese food restaraunts, and liquor stores most of which are owned by immigrants. I'm not a hater. I don't mind when people from oversees come over and start businesses. But you do have people that feel that immigrants are presented with opportunities not available to U.S. citizens. Sure, there are programs in place so that legal aliens can start their own businesses. But there are also programs in place to help U.S. citizens start businesses as well (ask that guy on all the commercials with the question marks on his blazer). I may come under fire for what I'm about to say but it's what I believe so (fill in your own blank) it. I agree with former President Reagan. I don't believe people suffer because of lack of resources. Most people can't have the things they want because they have a jog trot* not conducive with success. I think that the U.S. provides plenty of opportunity for upward mobility (and I'm not talking about food stamps, Section 8 housing, or affirmative action). It's just that people either don't know where to get help or they don't want it. No matter the situation, it's no one's fault except for the individual if he/she can't get a piece of the American Pie. Hard times fall on everybody. But if you are truly determined to be a success, no one has the ability to stop you. No one but YOU, of course.
Enjoy your independence people. Don't follow the crowd. Be your own person. Don't get it twisted, though. Independence brings loneliness because most people would rather think like the group instead of outside the box. It's easy to take freedom for granted when its all you've ever known. You have the right to say what you want. So speak up! You have the right to assemble. So throw a party! You have the right to choose your own religion. So go ahead and choose which god you want to give all your money to. This is American, Ladies and Gentlemen. Enjoy your liberty. There are opportunities all around. If you're not going to use them, move and let some one else take advantage.

"He who does not enjoy solitude will not love freedom." -- Arthur Schopenhauer

Dream Big. Live Bigger.



The All-American
www.rallostyles.com
www.blestbabyproductions.com

*Word you've never heard...

jog trot /JOG-TROT/ noun - a routine habit or course of action