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IT IS SAID that soon after his enlightenment the Buddha passed a man on the road who was struck by the Buddha’s extraordinary radiance and peaceful presence. The man stopped and asked, “My friend, what are you? Are you a celestial being or a god?”

“No,” said the Buddha.
“Well, then, are you some kind of magician or wizard?”
Again, the Buddha answered, “No.”
“Are you a man?”
“No.”
“Well, my friend, then what are you?” The Buddha replied, “I am awake.”

“Buddha”

The name Buddha literally means “one who is awake.” Many people go through life, mindlessly. Remember, we have about 60,000 thoughts a day and 95% of those are the same as the day before.

We are our habits.

If you don’t like the results you’re getting, change your habits. Is it difficult? No, change is easy, maintenance is a challenge. But who doesn’t love a challenge?

I meditate at least 30 times a day. I just stop whatever I’m doing and appreciate all that I have and all that is around me. Basically, I have GRATITUDE. By doing this, not only have I managed to SLOW life down, but I’m also healthier, happier and more productive. I am enlightened, awake.

So wake up!!! Work hard, but enjoy life. If you appreciate all the good AND all of the bad, you will be enlightened. They can take your house away; they can take your car away; they can even take your ipod away; but if you have inner peace and stability, NOBODY can EVER take that away.

People wait until they become successful (whatever that means) to be happy. It doesn’t work that way…you can be happy NOW; it is a choice.

Thanks for reading.

This message is dedicated to the great John Sieh, about to embark on a month-long trip to Europe.

Are you a camera? Can you focus?

You need to focus, first, on the right things. If you are weak at overheads but only practice your groundstrokes (your strength) during practices, guess what? Your overheads aren’t going to get better. Focus on your strengths, but don’t forget about your weaknesses.

One of the keys in life is listening. The problem is, when other people are talking, they think about what they are going to say next, in response. Instead, FOCUS on what the other person is saying. Then, you will be able to truly HEAR what they are saying and will be able to better respond to them and perform at a higher level. That will lead to a better relationship, whether it’s with a teacher, family member, whoever.

One quick thing about multi-tasking…don’t do it. I see people all the time sending emails from their phone and checking to see who is calling. I have been on the phone with people and they are multi-tasking at work. I can tell by their voice that they are multi-tasking. They think they are being productive, but I say it’s lack of focus. I certainly don’t like that feeling when I’m on the receiving end. Focus on one task at a time and you will be more productive in the long run.

What else can you focus on? A lot. You know what you need to focus on; it could be your goals, your fitness/nutrition, your family, your finances, your spirituality, your balance, finding your purpose, and many more things, but I trust you get the point.

Many people know what they need to focus on, but don’t do it. Why? Because they don’t write them down. Have a goals sheet or notebook. If you don’t have a goals sheet, email me and I will send you one. It’s too easy to say “I’ll do it later.” There’s never a “good” time; well, except for right now.

“Man is what he thinks about all day long.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

Thanks for reading.

DO YOU WANT TO KNOW HOW BECOME AN EXPERT?

Today’s message is dedicated to Detective Christopher Longo.

The way to become an expert in whatever you do, is to look at things from a different perspective, try different ways of doing things, and ask yourself questions.

When you look at things from others’ perspectives, you may see that your own perception was wrong. The truth of the matter is that there really is no right or wrong, just differences. You don’t know what others have gone through or have been taught. There could be cultural differences or learned conditions. On the other hand, if you are playing a tennis match and look at the match from your opponents’ perspective, you may be able to figure out their strategy and help yourself out.

If you try different ways of doing things, you may find better ways and more options. It’s OK to lose a tennis match as long as you try different strategies. If what you are doing isn’t working, try a different approach. Change the way you hit the ball; or WHERE you hit the ball. Do anything to get your opponent out of “the zone.”

If you ask yourself questions, you will also learn more and get new ideas. I think many of us are on automatic and don’t question what we are doing, what is going on, or where others are coming from. But you need to ask the RIGHT questions. Instead of asking “why did I miss that serve?” ask “HOW can I fix that?”

There are so many variables that nothing really happens exactly the same every time. So if you begin noticing differences, you will be more of an expert in whatever you do. Not only will you be able to perform better yourself, but you will be able to TEACH it better yourself.

Thanks for reading.

This message is dedicated to the great Dr. Harvey Dulberg.

When figuring out what you want to do or accomplish in life, you have to make sure you narrow your focus. Too many people try to put their hands in many different things and as a result, just wind up in quicksand, going nowhere. If you narrow your focus, not only do you get to your goals quicker and have “laser focus,” but you also become an expert in whatever field you are in. It is then that you will be called upon to give your input on breaking news. Don’t just say you want to be a good cook, say you will be an expert chef in seafood or Italian cuisine.

You can’t spread yourself too thin because if you try to please everyone, you will end up pleasing no one. Get specific and be a master at one specific thing.

Thanks for reading.