Progress is Possible

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This year as in any year on February fifth sales tax reports were due. We filed on February 2nd. Also on April fifteenth taxes are due. We filed on February 7th. This is no accident. I set a goal and achieved it. I put out to the universe that I’d be ready by February 7th, made an appointment with our accountant and met the goal. I never used to be able to do this. I have been building this skill oner the last five or more years. It takes time. I needed to forgive myself for the times when I did not follow through. Following through, thankfully, is becoming more the norm. May I continue to learn. May all beings benefit from positive endeavors as we all reach to achieve great things. In loving kindness and with a spirit of metta in my heart. Today, I am watching the Olympics with my inspiring partner, and we are inspired by the achievements we see. So the question is:

. Are the Olympics not the most inspiring human achievement? Tell me what you think, please.There is no way around it for me. I am blown away by performances.

New Year Continuance 2014

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How’s this for a unique approach? Instead of guilt regarding failure or undue joy over achievement, how about continuing our goals into the new year?

I have found that any attainments, generally, come about as a result of sustained effort (even if at times lagging) over time. Hence, the realization today while taking a moment to pause and consider a practice put into place at least four years ago. The realization is that there is balance and a kind of equanimity available in the affirmation I use, a balance that helps me to CONTINUE to learn about not being too hard on perceived failures nor unbalanced regarding the joys that are to be had.

From this morning:

It’s New Year’s Eve 2013. About four years ago I developed for myself the mantra “Joy, Sharing, Abundance; Abundance, Sharing, Joy.” This is helping to manifest many auspicious things these days. I am fortunate to have come up with something that really resonates for me. It continues to push me to learn further and more and more into being an active, purposeful being.

It is my wish to continue this journey. I wish to honor the start that has been made and to continue learning all I can as I experience “Joy, Sharing Abundance; Abundance, Sharing, Joy.”

May I learn even better to share joy and abundance in 2014 without holding back.

Happy New Year everyone from Dan O’Brien,

Author of the Japan Series

Choosing to live life abundantly

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Living abundantly is a choice according to this message. I believe that this is a useful way to frame it. I am blessed daily. I can choose to see that, and live abundantly or be negative and not. In agreement with this teaching: “It’s a choice.” May all beings be well and happy.

http://johnmaxwellteam.com/abundance-2/

[The above link is for “Minute with Maxwell,” John Maxwell’s daily video to share what he has learned, and not doubt continues to learn. You can sign up to get the free daily motivational/ positive input yourself.]

Putting Priorities in Order

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Priorities, huh? A lot is made of this topic.

John Maxwell suggests putting your actions into your top two priorities first. This will reap benefits, since time will not be lost on items of less priority.

It seems to me that to set priorities and work in alignment with them as we work toward our goals is what is important. It’s not getting the goal that is fulfilling, it’s having priorities in place and working on things that give value to our lives and are in line with our priorities at the same time, that is satisfying.

Do you agree? Comments are welcome. As we share we learn and grow together.

Recently, I am working toward decluttering and also creating organization in my life. It is a process that takes time, though I am enjoying any and all of the small successes along the way.

My priorities are encouraging and supporting personal growth and connection among beings-starting with myself.

May all be well and happy.

Simplicity Sake

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Point of interest:

One organization counseled to  create a separate email for business, verses personal matters. I did that, and found it overwhelming trying to get to each of the many email accounts I had. I went back to one main one recently. I found that otherwise it’s too much to try and check them all regularly.

What have you found?

Author, Japan Series

How Cool is Local? Let’s See.

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I was in St. Paul, MN this morning. To tell the truth, I love being in the “city.” In fact, had I planned it better, I would likely have gone around exploring, the usual inclination when opportunity arises, but today the energy was different…

As it was, I considered going for a coffee, a safe way to see a place, take a break and plan looking around a bit.

Recently, however, I have been on a local bent. “Support local authors” is the tag line I use when promoting our “author readings” at coffee shops, books stores and the like.

So, I decided to go to the local coffee shop in the town in which I live, quite a drive away from St. Paul.

Here, in the coffee shop, while enjoying unimposing music, seeing others interact in positive ways, others enjoying time to do things such as read or write something poetic, I partook in espresso, sipping slowly the velvety dark brew.

This coffee shop and another in a nearby local vicinity support authors, artists, and local community connections … something I wish to honor here.

Maybe the intent to support local is wholesome in some way. Why do I ask? Well, who knows, but someone picked up the tab for my coffee for me. Wondrous how things work out, isn’t it?

Supporting and encouraging personal growth and connection among beings!

Dan O’Brien,

Author, the Japan Book Series

A Message of Hope on Easter Sunday 2013

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Hope? Why not?!

I woke this morning and thought to myself. Easter has such a wonderful message of hope for Christians. It seems to me like people filled with hope, whatever their faith, can take the positive energy of the Christians today and share in it if not offer their own hopeful energy to it.

I start with me.

I hope to continue learning about  sharing more and more over the year 2013 and continue growing and expanding the ability to encourage others to “grow personally and make connections,” my personal mission statement.

What’s yours? Whatever it is, you can start/ continue again today. What a positive day to do so.

Whether your Christian or not, the message of Easter is new beginnings, forgiveness, inspired renewal-chances to regroup and continue again.

I am inspired anew with hope that we can all hear a message of renewal. One of restarting our goals, interests and work toward achieving a world that is complete with all of us sharing in our differences-espcially that-sharing.

We live in a world filled with many people of various faiths, and it is filled at least for today, with the message of hope.

Love Heals

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So often we are strapped with information overload and things to do in the 21 century.

Here is a saying that simplifies the messiness of life:

有愛就沒有距離，用愛調和能消除社會亂象。
證嚴法師靜思語
Love transcends distance and eliminates chaos in society.

It seems that this gives one the truest sense of freedom as it liberates us to be, really be, with others.

The Chinese is above the English. This was posted by the totally beneficent/giving Buddhist organization, Tzu Chi.

Daniel O’Brien