Tough-Minded Optimist

Make it real by the way you feel

I choose to honor my feelings. By acknowledging emotion as a valuable element in the creative process, I position myself to gain greater control over my life.

Thought is the vehicle. Emotion is the engine.

 
Thomas Troward once wrote “It is thought which creates the form, but it is feeling which gives vitality to thought.” This is a very important insight for those involved in the process of using the power of thought to manifest desired realities. Forming a mental image of the life we long for is the initial step in the creative process. It is impossible to consciously create a life that we’re unable to first envision as possible. We must always begin with a new conception of self. This new conception or mental image is what Troward calls a “thought-form”.
 
The persistent contemplation of what we want creates a thought-form in the invisible realm which begins to germinate like a seed until it sprouts into manifestation on the physical plane. What Troward points out, however, is that the mere creation of thought-forms is not enough. In order for those thought-forms to gain momentum, one must meditate upon them with deep feeling. Jeff Grupp refers to this process as “Telementation”, which is the practice of “feeling reality into existence.”

Feel it real

If every thought were a seed, emotion would be the water that causes each of them to grow. Only those positive thoughts which have been brought to life by heartfelt emotional energy will attract to us the things we desire. It has been observed that an ordinary piece of steel has no attracting power, but when chemical energy rearranges the position of its molecules, it becomes magnetized and is able to attract objects up to ten times its weight. Emotional energy magnetizes our thought-forms. It provides the power which enables our thoughts to attract wonderful things to themselves.

If we want to change the way our life is going, we must alter the direction in which our emotional energy flows. The world responds to us according to the “frequency of our feelings.” If we wish to ever break free from the cycle of negativity that seems to characterize our lives, we must develop the discipline of learning to feel good independently of what’s going on around us. We simply cannot afford to wait on the right circumstances to show up before we give ourselves permission to be happy. By the exercise of creative imagination, we can transport ourselves into the feeling-state of a life that is already whole. These positive feelings will then assist our physical efforts in properly arranging the outer conditions which accurately reflect our new inner state. 

Bobby Mcferrin was right: “Don’t worry. Be happy.” Why? Because when we feel good, we have greater access to the inner and outer resources that make dreams come true. So hold the image of something pleasant in mind and infuse that image with the fire of emotion.

What you feel, you have the power to make real.

That’s my two cents! What do you feel?

T.K. Coleman

You can do anything better when you’re doing better

The quality of my life is determined by the quality of my thoughts. As I exercise my freedom to think well, I will gradually begin to feel well, and ultimately I will live well.

Can positive thinking really do anything?

Zig Ziglar once told the story of a woman who angrily approached him after one of his lectures and charged “You positive thinkers. You naively seem to think that positive thinking can do anything.” Mr Ziglar responded “Well, I don’t think positive thinking can do anything, but I do believe positive thinking can do anything better than negative thinking can.”

Optimism IS realism

The optimistic life is sometimes misunderstood as the naive belief that by simply closing one’s eyes and visualizing flowers and rainbows, we can make the contrasting elements of life disappear. Tough-minded optimism, however, is not the denial of life’s difficulties, but rather the recognition that we can face any situation with confidence and hope. We are not here to suppress that which appears to be unpleasant. We are here to master the art of assimilating such discrepancies into the creative process.

Sometimes life does seem hard. This we should not deny. Even in the midst of such tough times, however, we must affirm our power to not let the hard times dismantle our resolve to live and our will to press forward in productive action. We must believe in ourselves and in our inner strength enough to know that we have what it takes to deal creatively with whatever challenges we encounter on our life path.

Optimism is realism because the optimistic philosophy holds us accountable to the truth that we do, indeed, have the option of choosing to be the deliberate creators of our own experiences.

When you get positive, you get practical

Far from mere idealism, this is a practical attitude. Nothing is more productive than establishing our personal connection to well-being. When we focus our attention in a life-giving way, we are “getting things done” in the way we were made to “get things done.”

Of course you’re going to feel better if you successfully create something you want, but you’re far more likely to successfully create it if you can find a way to feel good first.  An attitude of defeatism and discouragement isn’t going to make you better. If you want answers, solutions, and practical achievements, then lift your head up.

You can do anything better when you’re doing better.

That’s my two cents.

Cheers,

T.K. Coleman

Humanity needs you Pt. 2

In a previous post I wrote about the quandary of doing good deeds for others that go unappreciated and unreciprocated. It’s called “What goes around, comes in a round about way.” In my most recent post, I continued that theme by showing how people benefit from the spirit of well-being that you radiate even when they don’t recognize it. You can read that post by clicking here. Today, I’d like to offer a bit more encouragement to those who have ever felt weary from taking the high road in life.
 

An insight that inspires

 
“So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.” – St. Paul’s epistle to the Galatians.
 
When we release our need for praise and social approval, we find a hidden source of strength that empowers us to press toward our goals without fear of loss, regret, or persecution.
 
This strength is motivated by an awareness which sees beyond the immediate physical effects of our actions. It is propelled by a conviction that in the end the truth of love prevails over the myth of hate, light eventually fills every dark space, and good truly does dispel the illusion of evil.
 

Good is classic and everything else is a fad

 
Acts of goodness have a way of stretching across time and space as they continue producing positive effects on humanity long after the original acts were performed.
 
Opposition comes & goes and conflicts are fair weather fiends, but that which emanates from a positive source will always have its inevitable day of vindication. The privilege and joy of being a part of that day outweighs any seeming inconveniences that threaten us along the way.
 

I know, I know…trust me, I know, but do it anyway

 
Below I have posted a very wonderful piece of writing by Dr. Kent M. Keith. It’s called “The Paradoxical Commandments.” May his words inspire you to persist in your pursuit and practice of the good life.
 
1. People are illogical, unreasonable, and self-centered. Love them anyway.
 
2. If you do good, people will accuse you of selfish ulterior motives. Do good anyway.
 
3. If you are successful, you win false friends and true enemies. Succeed anyway.
 
4. The good you do today will be forgotten tomorrow. Do good anyway.
 
5. Honesty and frankness make you vulnerable. Be honest and frank anyway.
 
6. The biggest men and women with the biggest ideas can be shot down by the smallest men and women with the smallest minds. Think big anyway.
 
7. People favor underdogs but follow only top dogs. Fight for a few underdogs anyway.
 
8. What you spend years building may be destroyed overnight. Build anyway.
 
9. People really need help but may attack you if you do help them. Help people anyway.
 
10. Give the world the best you have and you’ll get kicked in the teeth. Give the world the best you have anyway.
 
Cheers,
 
T.K Coleman

Humanity needs you

Today I choose to be stubbornly positive. Even when my efforts are not met with praise or social approval, I will strive to live in accordance with my highest values. Someone, somewhere will benefit from the power of my good intentions. I choose to be the best I can be not only for myself, but also for those who need a reason to believe in their own possibilities.

What’s best for you is what’s best for them

A monk of the ancient Eastern Orthodox church once said that “when a man goes out alone in the desert to meet God, he goes not only for himself but for the rest of the world.” His message was simply that it is impossible to pursue personal transformation without also producing global transformation. The efforts that we make towards our own individual greatness will inevitably contribute to the collective advancement of humanity as a whole. This awareness is what led Ghandi to say “Be the change you want to see in the world.”

When great spirits meet mediocre minds

Staying focused on being your best, however, is not always the easiest thing to do. The moment we decide to take a step towards change, we encounter the resistance of a world that does not wish to be moved out of its comfort zones. Albert Einstein once stated “Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds.” For every one man with vision, there will be one hundred men with no imagination who insist on calling the visionary a fool. For every one woman with faith, there will be one hundred women with one hundred reasons for why the faithful should not believe. For every one child with a dream, there will be many who encourage him to just grow up and get real.

When you transcend them, you transform them

When such resistance is encountered, it is tempting to argue with critics and fight with enemies. As tough-minded optimists, however, we must adopt a higher path. Our purpose on this Earth is not to forcibly change people into what we want them to be.

The purpose of an idea is not to convert others into believing it, but to become empowered by the idea so we can create beauty in our world that even our critics, enemies, and naysayers can be blessed by.

Abandon the need to be thought of highly. Let go of the pressure to make everyone happy. Don’t fear being misunderstood. Just go after your dreams, desires, and goals with the utmost tenacity. Humanity needs you whether it knows it does or not.

That, my friends, is T.K.’s Two Cents.

Thanks for reading.

Cheers,

T.K. Coleman

What goes around, comes in a round about way!

All too often, we do good for others only to become disappointed when similar acts of kindness go unreturned. Part of the let down and resentment we feel stems from the common conviction that one should “do unto others as you would have them do unto you” combined with the equally popular notion that “you reap what you sow.” When we treat others how we want to be treated, it can really hurt our feelings when the treatment isn’t reciprocated.

If what I’m saying is resonating with you at all, you may find this following qoute helpful. I’m not sure who to attribute it to, but it’s one of those precious gems I picked up from someone along the way:

“We do not reap where we so. We reap what we sow.”

Allow me to offer my two cents on that one.

Whenever we put goodness out into the Universe, goodness will always come back to us in some shape, form, or fashion.

Our job is not to demand that goodness comes through a particular person or channel.

Our job is to simply sow the seeds of goodness in a spirit of faith while allowing the harvest we reap to crop up in whatever way it chooses.

When we place too much focus on our personal ideas regarding who we think should be the one to reward us for our good deeds, we become closed to the broader ranger of options that truly exist on our behalf.

The key is to remain open to benevolent energy regardless of where it comes from.

We live in a Universe of principle. No act of good is ever wasted. Certain individuals may fail to pay you back and some people might refuse to give you the credit you deserve. But, ultimately, the good you deserve will come to you in perfect timing in and through the right means.

What goes around still comes around. Sometimes it just comes in a round about way.

That’s my two cents,

T.K. Coleman

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