Bruce Lee's Wisdom

Couldn't help but share this once I saw it. Bruce certainly lived a life of discipline, and as such he was very successful in what he pursued.  Especially like his thoughts on "time" and "stiffest tree."  I will readily admit that these are two areas in which I struggle greatly.

 

First, time is what life is made of, so if you love it don't waste it.  It's more than likely that I talk so much on this particular topic because it is one that not only plagues our society, but one that affects me deeply as well.  How easy is it to take a quick break, or sit down to rest for a minute, and before you know it an hour or two or more has passed by?  I know it's a vice of mine, and one that I strive to correct each day.  How many opportunities have passed me by because I was too busy "wasting" my time?  If in fact I love life, how am I using my time to make the most of it?

 

Second thought is so good I'll restate it:

 

Notice that the stiffest tree is most easily cracked, while the bamboo or willow survives by bending with the wind.

 

How often do we insist that something must be done a certain way (more times than not "our way") or it's wrong?  Too many times in my life (certainly more than I care to admit) I've been too busy focused on whether I was right to see the truth and beauty I was missing in opening my mind to something different.  The only way to grow and progress is through trials and overcoming challenges as we face them; as such if we aren't able to bend and adjust as the willows or bamboo shafts in the wind then we will break and shatter like a piece of stiff wood.

 

Humility is the key, and most likely why I struggle so much with this concept.  Recognizing that we don't know everything, that we can't do everything alone and that there is a higher power at work in our lives enables us to bend rather than break. Only then can we truly state with sincerity Bruce's other gem: To hell with circumstances; I create opportunities. Clean and center your inner self, and from there the world is yours for the taking. Andy got right to the point in the Shawshank Redemption, "Get busy living, or get busy dying!"

 

Calling all Lions!!

Time

 

This week we have examined in depth the messages inherent in Christopher Nolan's film: Inception. There are even more tidbits and gems hidden in this great work of art, one even being the scene illustrated above. Taking place in the 2nd layer of dream, their world spins uncontrollably due to the van being flipped in layer 1.  Not only does that create one of the best scenes in cinema, but it demonstrates that our thoughts build off of one another. Taking it further still, that they are dependent on one another, so all it takes (literally) is one tiny thought to sabotage an entire plan, dream or self confidence that we may hold. And in turn one small idea or moment can make a dream possible.

 

As I mentioned there are others, but I wanted to finish the week with the power of the music from the film.  I like to call the way Christopher Nolan finishes this film a "crescendo finale", and the music from Hans Zimmerman captures you and carries you through it.  The track from his score is entitled Time that plays during the climax, and words cannot describe the emotions held within this great piece of music. Please listen to it, watch the images as they appear on the video, ponder on what we've discussed this past week and I promise you will leave feeling renewed and empowered to make the changes necessary in your life; to stand up when you really just feel like sitting down; most importantly to live like a Lion even for just one day!

 

Calling all Lions!!

 



Thoughts are Things

We continue our discussion of Inception this week with a look at how "thoughts" or "ideas" are illustrated in the movie.  Think back and you will realize that every idea is actually an item or tangible thing. The Cobalt Engineering job involved stealing expansion plans from a competitor; those plans were a confidential document. Mal's reality was represented by the top, and when Cobb left it spinning round and around that showed that her reality wasn't in fact real. Robert Fischer wanting to split up his father's empire was the alternate Will, but the love of his father was in fact the Pinwheel from his youth. Yesterday I quoted Napoleon Hill in that we can achieve whatever we can conceive and believe, and these symbols illustrate the importance of belief.

Thoughts are in fact tangible things, and it is our desires that make them stick and last.  How many times have we started a new year with a resolution to lose weight?  Maybe we made it a few weeks, hit the gym regularly and even lost a few pounds only to see us back indulging in old habits before spring without achieving our initial goal of better health.  Why does this happen?  Because the idea is great, and something that we desire; however, our true "desire" betrays us.  It's not until we make that mental switch (the focus of power that we've discussed previously this week) that we make lasting change.

Cobb needed to plant the idea in Robert Fischer's mind to break up his father's empire, but it was his father's love that cemented it and made it real.  "We all long for reconciliation, catharsis," is how Cobb describes it, and how true that is.  The reason most in the world feel lost, alone, abandoned, etc. is because they lack the peace and confidence that come with this powerful experience.  We are fed daily ideas and concepts that will supposedly bring us happiness (yes, inception is alive and well in our digital world dominated by the media), yet often times the cycle is only perpetuated as we buy into what we are told. That disconnect between the idea and desire leaves a hole of despair that only grows deeper over time.

Are your thoughts treated as living breathing things requiring constant attention and nurishment? Are you looking for happiness yet cannot seem to find it?  Remember that there is a difference between what is actually real and what the world would have you believe is real, and the sooner you bridge that gap the sooner you experience the peace for which you long and desire.

Calling all Lions!!

The Dream is Collapsing

 

Today we continue our discussion on the power of our minds, and in turn the power of our subconscious mind specifically.

 

In the movie, the 4th layer of dream represents the absolute bottom depths of one's mind; there is truly no further to go.  "Pure subconscious" or "limbo" is how it is described, and the fear is of course that once there you become so lost that it is impossible to ever find your way back. During early experiments into the study of dreams and the mind, Cobb and his wife Mal found themselves trapped in this land where the shores of your mind dwell.  During their time there (something like 50 years) they created and built the world around them, and these creations were left and rediscovered later as Cobb and Ariadne purposely dive into the depths to complete their mission.  What they find in this forsaken space is illustrated in this picture, and provides powerful symbolism upon which we can build.

 

1. Again, our minds hold limitless power. Cobb and Mal were literally able to build and create without restriction or restraint. So too can we as Napoleon Hill's famous quote goes - "Whatever the mind of man can conceive and believe, it can achieve."

 

2. Aimless thought and idleness erode not only our dreams, but our power to accomplish them.  The image of waves crashing against the shore with crumbling buildings abounding into the horizon relays this message clearly. No one was left to care for the world Cobb and Mal had built previously, and without that constant attention raw subconsciousness had begun to work its way in destroying what had previously been created.

 

Are waves crashing in around you? What are you doing with the power in your mind? Calling all Lions!!

Your Mind is the Scene of the...

 Another key element in the building climax of the movie is the fact that the mark's subconscious has been trained, and therefore militarized. Instead of dealing with peaceable projections they are forced to deal with gunfire, a train running through downtown streets and increasing levels of security the deeper into his mind they go.  In the movie projections are a part of one's subconscious, and therefore something that one cannot control; however, the message is clear that it can be trained and in turn become a source of power and strength rather than a liability.

I believe whole-heartedly in the power of the mind, and in this concept that we can train our thoughts and wield them to shape our destiny. Something as simple as the placebo effect illustrates the power of one's mind to overcome and alter outward circumstances, but James Allen describes it best.  His short treatise, As a Man Thinketh, is pure brilliance, and I encourage any who have not read it to take the time to do so.  On the power of our thoughts (and therefore our minds) he states:

Thought and character are one…the outer conditions of a person’s life will always be found to be harmoniously related to his inner state. The outer world of circumstance shapes itself to the inner world of thought…Circumstance does not make the man; it reveals him to himself…Man, therefore, as the lord and master of thought, is the maker of himself, the shaper and author of environment.

In Inception, a trained (or in other words, focused) mind is a source of security and protection. What could you use a trained mind to accomplish?

Calling all Lions!!

Weakness:Strength

And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them.

Ether 12:27

 

Calling all Lions!

Raw Beauty and Power

There is a place where Brasil, Paraguay and Argentina all connect in one spot; it is a junction where the Iguacu River joins the Parana River.  A short distance upstream from this international divide is one of nature's wonders...As Cataratas do Iguacu or as we know it in English, the Iguazu Falls.

I have had the pleasure of experiencing this natural phenomenon in person, and it is something that you really have to witness firsthand to truly appreciate it.  As you can see above it is easily one of the widest waterfalls in the world, but ranks first in the fact that it displaces over 12,000 cubic meters of water per second.  The sheer power of that much water flowing over the edge creates such a force that as you walk out on the bridge (you can see it in the lower righthand of the picture above) to look over what is known as the Devil's Throat, you literally could be knocked over if you're not careful.  It is a thing of beauty that was just recently recognized as one of the 7 natural wonders of the world.

Another distinctive feature of the falls is the fact that there are many islands dotting the landscape, and depending on water levels Iguacu can actually spread to up to 300 individual falls in this one location. Because of this, Iguacu Falls loses out to the Victoria Falls in Southern Africa for largest singular curtain of water in the world, and it is on this specific distinction that I wish to comment today.

Pictured above is the Itaipu Dam, the largest Hydroelectric Dam in the world.  It begins at the foot of the falls, and extends down just upstream from the point of Argentina, Paraguay and Brasil coming together.  It produces 90% of all the power consumed in Paraguay, and 19% of what is consumed in all of Brasil (keep in mind that Brasil is a land mass slightly bigger than our own in the US.)  Itaipu is a pillar and example to all of what a focused concerted effort can produce.

We have been blessed with the same raw power and potential inherent in the Iguacu Falls.  Yes, it is beautiful to behold; however, when inspected closely the splintered results leave one imagining what might or could be if it was focused and harnessed into one massive flow.  The result can actually be witnessed in the Itaipu Dam, and shows each one of us what our potential can be should we choose to harness that power stirring within each of us; what we can achieve if we apply our minds and focus on a singular goal and purpose; and ultimately what we can become if we consistently implement that level of effort.

We are a beautiful creation, each one of us individually, which in and of itself is commendable and noteworthy; however, it is only in tapping into that power and potential that we truly become immortal as was quoted yesterday...not only enduring, but conquering and prevailing!  So, the choice is left for you to decide...to merely maintain status quo, allowing the distractions of the day to carry you to and fro through life aimlessly and without purpose...or will you find the strength to center your thoughts, actions and being into something more....what will you choose?!

Calling all Lions!

Phony "King" James

Last night brought us yet another perfect example of what we’ve been discussing the past two weeks. Lebron James is undoubtedly one of the most gifted basketball players ever to grace the earth, and arguably one of the most talented all-around athletes as well; however, talent doesn’t equate to greatness.

Not sure how many of you follow basketball (I myself must admit that I’ve yet to even watch a full half of NBA basketball this season,) but last night the Celtics and Cavaliers met for game 5 in a best of 7 playoff match-up tied 2 games apiece. Cleveland is the number 1 seed in the Eastern Conference this post-season and on paper should be able to route an aging Boston squad; however, this stage of the season truly separates and defines greatness, and last night the self-proclaimed “King” James was anything but. Every player, no matter how talented, is certainly allowed a bad game here or there, but it is the player’s attitude toward the poor performance that truly defines who he is and where his place is in the pantheons of basketball lore. Lebron’s play isn’t necessarily what I want to point out, but rather his attitude following it. Here’s his post-game press conference:

“I put a lot of pressure on myself to go out and be great and the best player on the court… When I don’t, I feel bad for myself.” What?! Lebron’s apparent arrogance throughout the 2 plus minutes shown here is more than appalling to me, and is exactly why I find it so difficult to watch the NBA anymore. Here sits a man with the talent to be compared to the upper-echelon of the greats (Russell, Jordan, Larry Bird, Magic, etc.) instead we see a spoiled kid without the slightest idea of what’s at stake. He has concerned himself more with running a business, and becoming a “mogul” (Warren Buffet and Jay-Z are amongst those he considers peers) then actually becoming the “King” he truly could become. Worse still is the fact that Lebron doesn’t realize that championships and his play now, in the trenches of battle during the playoffs, define his legacy, and actually prop up the other side of his persona he continually seems to care more about.

I do not mean to “hate” on King James here or even declare that I am not a fan; however, it is my desire to show yet again that the power of thought is real. With the proper focus and mental toughness, the “King” could very well receive the crown he feels is already his to claim. Sadly, his lack of focus and willingness to carry the team on his shoulders and take on the responsibility that is his to bear could very well mean an early exit for him and his teammates yet again; once again showing that thoughts can truly change the environment in which we find ourselves. As is the case with all of us, Lebron may never get this opportunity again (you never know what life has in store for you), so the real truth is to make the most out of every opportunity you’re given. Now that's living like a Lion!

Ironman...

May 1, some ten days ago, Saint George hosted their first official Ironman race. For those who are unfamiliar with what this entails, it is an event that takes an athlete through a 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike ride only to finish it off with a full 26.2 mile marathon run. It is a true test in pushing the limits of what a human body can physically do and accomplish. Regardless of whether or not you would consider yourself a sports fan, it is hard not to appreciate the sheer will and determination these participants possess. It is on this topic I continue my thoughts from last week.

Last Thursday I discussed the power that a mere memory can contain inside each of us. That by remembering who we are, and what potential we hold, we can in fact change destinies. As part of that post I said, “Our minds are such wonderful and powerful tools,” and this is something that I truly believe full-heartedly. Today I turn to a book that I’ve read many times by James Allen entitled As a Man Thinketh. There are many nuggets of knowledge and wisdom in this book, but today I specifically wish to address the power our thoughts have on our circumstances.

Now, I can easily understand someone questioning our thoughts (an inward action) being able to control and modify the environment in which we find ourselves (outward influences), but I promise you it is true. James states –

Thought and character are one…the outer conditions of a person’s life will always be found to be harmoniously related to his inner state. The outer world of circumstance shapes itself to the inner world of thought…Circumstance does not make the man; it reveals him to himself…Man, therefore, as the lord and master of thought, is the maker of himself, the shaper and author of environment.

To illustrate this very concept let me introduce you to Ironman Scott Goodfellow. This is a video that my brother Benjamin shared with me (thanks friend), and I felt compelled to share with you. No one picks this guy off the ground but himself, and you literally watch how his mental toughness (his very thoughts) alter his physical circumstances and allow him to continue and finish the race when moments before he could barely drink water.



Life and accomplishment doesn’t necessarily have to revolve around completing an Ironman, but the truths learned through a competition of this magnitude certainly apply to all facets of life; that as masters of thought, we are therefore makers of ourselves, and as makers of ourselves we can literally shape the environments in which we live. Remember, and keep close to your heart, the mantra from the video, “I know I can,” and we can all truly live like Lions no matter what our aspirations in life.

"You can quit and they won't care, but you will always know."

Remember...

It has been far too long since my last post, and I appreciate the gentle prod from my brother Benjamin to get me back in the saddle. Got my mind to thinking about things, which sparked a thought that I’ve always loved; that thought is the power of remembrance. Our minds are such wonderful and powerful tools, and it never ceases to amaze me at what you’re able to do and accomplish with the right frame of mind and focus. The Old Horse himself always taught us this truth, “Whatever the mind of man can conceive, and believe, it can achieve.”

I understand that a clip from a child’s cartoon may not be known to invoke the spirit or portray the concept I’m talking about, but I can’t help but admit how much I love this movie and scene specifically. Many years ago it was something I watched and thought a lot about, and it wasn’t until my kids discovered it that I was able to reconnect with it. Today’s post is short, but I hope the inspiration is there none the same. We can truly become whoever we want to be, and it all starts with a simple thought. Let us all remember that we are more than mere mortals, and that our potential knows no bounds. It is in this very thought, and “remembrance”, that the true strength of the lion shows itself. Let me hear your roar!

"You have forgotten who you are, and so forgotten me. Look inside yourself Simba. You are more than what you have become. Remember who you are. You are my son and the one true king. Remember who you are....Remember....Remember....Remember."