The Wisdom of Abraham Lincoln: Day 2

This quote is a great message about how we see the world and ourselves.  It seems to come much easier to people to judge others or situations based on what they see and their opinion of them.  When in reality it may be completely a different story all together.  We discussed this topic in the past post "Is Your Perception Your Reality?".  Many times they way we view things is not what they truly are.

There are two ways to look at this quote.  One way is that he was stating that we are often tricked by shadows into thinking they are something they are not or we let our mind imagine what it is.  When instead the shadow of the tree is just a representation and symbol of the tree but is not the actual tree.  This means that you may see the surface of someone's problems or actions and make assumptions about that.  When in reality you should get to know the real person and root of things before you judge them on their character.

The second is the more literal interpretation in that your character, the person you truly are and who you show to the world, is the real you.  Not the reputation, or shadow, that others make up for you.  Gossip, rumors, and opinions of others form their reputation based on what people here and state. But how you act and show who you truly are is your character.

The Wisdom of Abraham Lincoln: Day 1

Everyone has heard of the old adage to think before you speak.  Many of us say things that we don't mean or give opinions on topics that we may not even know the full truth about yet.  This can be an emotional response that sometimes is not necessarily how you really feel.  It is better to take a moment to collect your thoughts and then share them then it is to blurt them out prematurely.

I can almost guarantee that if you are mad at someone or something, that if you wait a bit to cool down you will make much better decisions on what you say and do.  If you just jump to conclusions or act out of anger then you are sure to make a fool of yourself, which will ultimately just make the situation worse.  And there are those times when it is better just to keep your mouth shut and not share your opinion.  Those moments when you want to say "I told you so" so bad but in reality that will only add fuel to the fire and is not a compassionate response.  Let people learn from their own mistakes, don't make it your job to always point it out.  Sometimes even if you know you are right, let someone know that you value the relationship with them more than sharing your opinion and hurting them.  Don't be a fool.

"The Wisdom of Abraham Lincoln" - Introduction

Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States of America.  He is one of the most famous and influential Presidents in our nation's history.  He brought the nation through the Civil War and drove the fight to give freedom and equality to African Americans.  He understood what the Constitution meant and wanted to hold the American Government accountable for keeping it alive.  He was a complicated man who did extraordinary things.  On this date in 1865 he was assassinated while enjoying a play with his wife, Mary.  He was only 56, but made one of the biggest historical impacts in American History. 

I recently had the pleasure of watching the Academy Award winning movie, "Lincoln".  I was so impressed and emotionally invested in the story.  Even knowing what I had learned from history lessons and what was going to happen, it still had an emotional heart tug to it.  And his fight for equality bears a very similar resemblance to today's fight for equal rights for all under this nation's laws.  A human is a human, and no one deserves rights any more or less than another.

For the next 8 days "Live YOUR Life" blog will be featuring some of my favorite quotes by Lincoln and how they can help you to live a better life.  Please make sure you have "liked" our Facebook page (link to the right of this post) so that you will receive all the updates as to when each entry is posted.  I hope you can take away some wisdom from this man and impart it into your daily life.

Two Hands

I love this quote by Audrey Hepburn because being in service to others is one of the greatest gifts you can give yourself and the world around you.  Being able to give, no matter what you have to give, shows that you are grateful for what you have an unselfish is sharing your love and kindness.  It can be as little as helping someone move, making dinner for a friend, cleaning the dirty dishes in the sink, to volunteering at a homeless or animal shelter or building a house with Habitat for Humanity.  It does not matter what you do, what matters is that you are realizing the value of helping another person and doing it without expectation of compensation.  You are doing it simply because it feels right and is human nature to help those in need.

There are plenty of people happy out there with less than what you have, and sometimes helping those in need can in turn help you appreciate what you have in your life a little more.  When you do good for others you are giving selfless love out to the universe and will in turn receive it back. The joy and personal happiness you get from helping others is something you will only understand when you do it.  I am sure there are times in your life you have done something for someone out of the kindness of your heart and it makes you beam with happiness.  Why wouldn't you want to feel that more often?  Find reasons to help others. Find reasons to make someone's day a little brighter.  It will make your day brighter as well.

Worrying is like a rocking chair...

Worrying is something everyone of us do whether we are aware if it or not.  But many of us worry about things that are not worth it and in all reality there is nothing you should be worrying about.  When you worry you become concerned with what could or might happen.  That is thinking about the future which is something you cannot figure out fully no matter how hard you try.  Tomorrow is a mystery because we have no idea what it will bring.  So worrying about what may or may not happen does you no good.  It just brings feelings of anxiety, nervousness, and fear to your life.

You control how you feel and react to situations in your life.  So why does it make sense to make yourself feel negatively about something that you really don't even know how it is going to turn out?  And if it is something that is truly going to make you feel bad, why are you going to do it?  Is the outcome going to be greater than the current situation?  This topic goes side by side with how irrational fear is.  You can read about fear in the "Live YOUR Life" blog entry from October 7, 2012.  It is something that does nothing for you but bring about uncomfortable feelings which you don't need to have.  When instead of worrying about something, you can just do it and odds are the thing you are worrying about will be done and over with none of the crazy outcomes you thought of.  

It can actually be empowering to go ahead and just do something you were worrying or scared about.  The more you force yourself to just do things, live in the now, and not put worry and doubt about what could happen out of your mind, the more happiness and peace you will bring into your life.

Mirrors

I recently heard one of Justin Timberlake's new songs, "Mirrors", and was drawn to it.  I did some research and found out the meaning of it and came across the quote above.  It is a great statement on how real love should be like a mirror.

When you are in a relationship with someone you should be able to grow as a person and still be who you are as an individual as well as allowing the other person to do the same.  Being you is what makes you special and what attracted your partner to you in the first place.  So instead of trying to become someone you are not to please them, you should grow and evolve to become a better couple together based on the needs of each other, all while keeping the person who you are inside visible.  And by doing so you will then mirror each other as a reflection of similar goals, interests, growth and love.  The mirror reflects two parts that equal a whole.

You should also be able to look at your own reflection in the mirror of life and see the person you want to and deserve to be.  You should see someone who realizes their happiness and gifts in life. Someone who realizes just how special it is to have someone by their side allowing them to grow yet still be themselves.  Remember what you give out you receive   So if the reflection of your life, the things and people in your life, are not what you want to see then you should examine what is causing that and change it.  If you and your partner are having issues take a second to look at what you are giving out that may in turn be what is reflected back to you.  Be individuals but also reflections of your own values and beliefs about love and you will naturally grow and strengthen your bond.

"I think a relationship, when it's working, is constantly evolving because we as individuals evolve.  You want to know that the person you are with is evolving with you." 

- Justin Timberlake

Neutral

Everything that comes into our lives is neutral.  People, circumstances, events, relationships, etc. It is all neutral until we label it good or bad in our minds.  Remember we create the world around us and our reactions to it.  Therefore it is you who chooses to view something as a negative or positive.

You can find a positive spin, lesson, or solution from any "bad" situation.  It may take some soul searching and stepping back for a second to look at it, but it can be done.  Per the law of attraction what you give you receive.  Therefore if you start labeling everything in your life as "bad" or "negative" then you will only bring more of that to you.  Instead, label things as positive experiences or lessons, and appreciate the people who have come and gone in your life.  This will in turn present more positive experiences into your life.

Look at your life now and see what things you have labeled negatively and look for another angle to view them.  You are the only person who can decide that something is good or bad, so why not choose good?!