Our Freedom of Choice

No one has power over our minds!

Regardless of our current situation and experiences. Regardless of our heritage, our belief systems and values, or our historical conditioning through religion, family, society or education!

It doesn't matter where we have been or where we come from, our minds are our own!

Unfortunately as a result of these influences, factors and experiences we do not exercise our freedom of choice as we should, and for the most part we default to our existing state of conditioning, which unfortunately is more often than not limited to an inferior level... a level way below what our true potential can accomplish!

FORMULA FOR OPTIMUM SUCCESS AND OUTCOMES

For every situation or dealing, we are exposed to, we find ourselves presented with the following equation:

EVENT/INTERACTION + RESPONSE = OUTCOME

• The event/interaction. Better referred to as a stimulus, could be either negative or positive. In fact, most of times they are neutral events imposed upon us by an external force or a person, known or unknown! This is an action that is commonly referred to as 'happening to me'. This is something we have no control over.
• The response. This portion is all us! This is what we do following the event or interaction being imposed on us. This is entirely an internal driven, individual action.
• The outcome. The resultant condition, emotion, environment or atmosphere that pervades when all is said and done.

In order to develop a deeper awareness, we can take the above equation and expand on it as follows:

EVENT/INTERACTION + [FREEDOM OF CHOICE] + RESPONSE = OUTCOME

We can develop the awareness that we have a window of opportunity, regardless of how small it may be, to make a choice prior to issuing a response.

This choice will determine whether we react or respond, how we perceive the EVENT/INTERACTION along with the importance that is placed upon the it.

Whatever happens though, we have to engage our Freedom of Choice and take better control over what influences we will feed into our response and therefore have a greater impact on the collective outcome.

INCREASED AWARENESS EQUALS INCREASED EXPERTISE

As this mindfulness of how our freedom of choice can greatly influence our outcomes, it is important to begin to develop an understanding of what influences our freedom of choice.

These can be:

• Our awareness of the situations or environment that the person, group, or external influence is coming from or exposed to.
• Our awareness of our own capabilities in relation to what we are being confronted with in conjunction with an awareness of how the interaction or event will impact on our own personal situation.
• Our existing level of knowledge in relation to the
• Our understanding of the other people or groups that have initiated a response.
• Our beliefs. Do they correspond to the influence or are they being challenged? Will our beliefs be compromised, exposed or validated at the outset of the interaction?
• Our Expectations. Are they being met or are they being let down or subordinated to some degree?
• Our desires. What are we pursuing, both big picture and to the short-term needs and requirements? Does this interaction move us into the path or vibration of our desires or is it a disruption, negative or positive?

Effectively the influences over our freedom of choice in the situations we find ourselves in is going to be dependent, largely on the resources we have absorbed or utilised over and also the capacity we have created for ourselves through study, personal development and self-improvement study!

THE BENEFITS AND BLESSINGS

The value of positively engaging our freedom of choice can progress our situation and move us into a more focused and healthier vibration.

This can be demonstrated by:

• Serenity: we can maintain a wonderful composure that demonstrates a higher level of wisdom and self-control! Knowing that what others impose on us does not affect us, if we choose and this in turn reinforces a wonderful confidence in ourselves as well as our progressing abilities!
• Not being rushed: following from serenity is an expansion on the composure we radiate by ensuring that the appropriate time for all things is taken. This helps us greatly from 'blowing a fuse' at the smallest thing!
• Peace: in harmony with serenity is the peace and stillness that pervades within our mental and emotional capabilities.
• Humility. Knowing, that with an increased awareness is that we are not better than the initiating person or force, just different and this position of humility allows all confrontation to be broken down, but also (in a positive interaction) allows us to know that we can always learn and grow, and therefore harvest the best learning experience possible!
• Discipline. This is a vital benefit as without sound discipline, self-control and the ability to learn new skills will not manifest. The disciplines we can radiate will be apparent as follows: All our actions are aligned to our specific purpose. We improve in our bbility to set meaningful priorities. There is an ever-increasing ability to sacrifice the good (instant gratification) for the great. We do not give in short term emotions at the expense of long-term growth!

So, I encourage you to take a deeper reflection on your current level of self-control and grow in the understanding of how this can always provide an advantage... regardless of the interaction!

At invinciblemind, we believe in the unlimited potential of the mind and are striving to share the life-changing effects of a renewed mind!

Learn how to Unleash Your Ultimate Potential with invinciblemind... Your future self will thank you for the immense decision!

https://ezinearticles.com/?Our-Freedom-of-Choice&id=10288045

Discover Why Self-Fulfillment Begins With You, Not a Job

When you wake up in the morning, do you immediately believe this is going to be a rewarding day? Do you look forward to what's ahead and know you will be able to feel good, regardless of what transpires throughout the day?

This would be the ultimate goal it seems, to have a life which flows easily from day to day, and one in which you are able to feel a sense of purpose no matter what occurs. Yet for most people, this isn't the case. There always is a sense of struggle for many, searching for something to give them hope, looking for happiness in things that can be acquired, basing how they feel upon external circumstances, or any other number of similar factors. In other words, a sense of self-fulfillment is in short supply and often tied to a state of happiness, related to circumstances and fluctuates frequently.

I've thought quite a lot about self-fulfillment as I have a milestone birthday coming up this year, and I know these types of birthdays can prompt reflection. I think back to the difference between the milestones, starting with the difference between my 20s and 30s. The focus was on career development and growth. As time has progressed, I've evolved more into a desire to be involved in work which paves the way for self-actualization for me. As an educator, I find this every day when I'm working with learners, even those who challenge me, as I'm having to continually learn and grow myself.

Then I began to think about finding self-fulfillment when working in less than desirable conditions. Consider the person who works a demanding job, with long hours, rarely receiving recognition or acknowledgement for their hard work. Does this sound familiar to you? Is the type of work itself enough to create a sense of fulfillment, despite the conditions? What I have come to conclude, through time and experience, is this: If you take responsibility for development of your own self-actualization, and you base it on your own achievements, you will always find contentment in your life. I'll share some strategies with you that I have learned along the way.

What is Self-Actualization? Does it Matter?

I've mentioned the concept of self-actualization as it has become important in my life and at my age. Now if you are younger, this may not be as important to you yet. If you are familiar with Maslow's hierarchy of needs, it is the highest level, the attainment of your true potential. This is after you have met all other needs, including your self-esteem needs, which are related to status and recognition. I know of many people who are in their 50s and 60s who still are pursuing their self-esteem needs, which means they are still seeking status and recognition in their career.

Typically, actualization occurs later in life, though there are no set rules and you can begin to experience it at any age. You will know you are in the process of seeking self-fulfillment when the idea of chasing the next big promotion or job title is no longer enough to make you happy and instead, you want to do something each day that connects with you from the inside. I have read many stories of people who have changed careers later in life, to pursue something they have "always thought of doing" and were "too afraid to do". You likely have heard that as well.

Often when we start our careers, we don't always know what it is we want to do. It's a significant transition to go from high school to adulthood, and the expectation is that you'll go to college and/or know what type of career to pursue. I started a career to pay bills and it evolved over time based upon what I naturally enjoyed doing. I had another career transition in my 40s, from the corporate world to higher education, and it was then I really found what I believed to be my vocation. I have worked like many online educators, who spend long days, nights, and weekends helping learners, and yet, I find such immense satisfaction from my career I cannot imagine doing anything else. This is what it means to find and live self-actualization. You do the work that you love and love the work that you do.

How to Develop a Self-Fulfillment Attitude

It seems that many people are awaiting circumstances to get better, or for the right job to come along, before they can ever find and know true happiness in their career. If this is you, it is possible you might be waiting for quite some time, as there is no predicting when circumstances or situations will ever be perfect enough for you to feel good. More importantly, if you tie your personal happiness and well-being to external events or conditions, you are certainly setting yourself up for disappointment. Why? There are certain to be people who are going to let you down. There are going to be managers who will recognize you for your hard work, and others who only contact you when you have done something wrong. More importantly, there is never going to be a perfect job or set of working conditions.

What this means is that you must base your needs, at least the most important of all needs, on that which you can control. If you go back to the definition of self-actualization within Maslow's hierarchy of needs, you'll find it involves the realization of your talents, abilities, and skills. More importantly, it is the awakening of your true potential. Now you may be thinking that this is in fact dependent upon the conditions of your job or external environment, and it can be, if you allow it. But if you want to experience the full essence of your self-awakening, it is time to turn within. You make a transition from dependence on anyone else to only yourself. Perhaps these strategies will assist you.

Self-Reflection for Self-Awakening

If you are feeling a need for something more than advancement in your career, waiting to be recognized, or any other form of external validation, there is already something going on within you that is indicating a transition is in place. Now is the time to begin self-reflection, and you can accomplish this deliberately through a few minutes at a time, rather than viewing it as a long process of lengthy meditation periods. This can be as simple as using a journal, typing notes into a Word document, or any other method you can think of to put your thoughts down as a record.

Why is this important? During a time of transition, there are many thoughts available that you may want to examine, and there are some you may want to question, challenge, or discard. Put those thoughts down on paper, in some format, will help you begin to address them. You do not have to be too concerned about what it all means, rather you want to allow the process of self-awakening to begin. This can allow you to find out what is driving you now, and perhaps, what is motivating the desire for change at this time. You will likely discover something new about yourself in the process.

Self-Awareness to Create Self-Dependence

After you have begun the process of initiating self-awareness, you can now see a clearer picture of who you are and who you want to become. It will now become much easier for you to determine if this next phase of your life, and possibly your career, will involve a shift away from self-esteem needs to self-actualization needs. If this is the case, then you can also start to make a shift from thinking about the conditions and people who need to do things, say things, or create situations to make you feel happy and fulfilled, to considering how you can create your own sense of fulfillment.

This means you are now making a shift to self-dependence for your happiness. At this point you are able to think about the activities you are involved in each week, or the duties and tasks you would like to be involved in, that can bring you the most fulfillment. This may not be a quick or easy process either, especially if you have not thought about your job, life, or daily activities from this perspective. But when you have decided you want to experience a sense of meaning from your life, now is the time to look at what you are doing each week and from that list determine what is most satisfying. This is not to state you can or will make immediate changes; however, you can begin to get to know more about yourself and who you are becoming.

Self-Development to Nurture Self-Actualization

The process of awakening to self-actualization is transformational in that you are now determining what matters most for you, in terms of creating value for your personal and/or professional life. For many people this occurs over time and as a product of age. But once it occurs, you can begin to think in broader terms than just switching jobs. Now you can examine fully those aspects of your week that bring you contentment, and compare it to what you've been thinking about for your life. Perhaps your transition into a new self-awareness will involve simple steps, such as a new hobby to compliment your life, or it will lead you to a career change.

More than likely, you may already have naturally evolved like I did and are working in a career you enjoy. If so, you may want to find other means of expanding upon your talents and skills. I find writing for me is another form of satisfaction, as I'm sharing with others and connecting with a broader audience. The opportunity to share what I've learned, with those who are highly experienced and educated, is always an exciting prospect. This also leads to the prospect of opening up an intellectual dialogue as well. Perhaps you can find an extension of your talents as well, when you continue your self-development in the pursuit of your purpose. Whatever it may be, it is certain to help you find purpose and meaning.

A Job is More than a Job, When You Make It Meaningful

When you have finally gone through a process of transformation, and reached the top of Maslow's hierarchy of needs, you will find yourself living life in a renewed manner. This is not to state you are going to live your life without challenges, or that every job you are employed with will be perfect. But what it does mean is that you can have the best job and find meaning, and you may also have the most demanding job with the toughest of circumstances, and still find your purpose in the work you perform. It isn't the job itself that is meaningful, it is the work you do and the disposition about the work you hold which determines how you connect to it.

If you are in job and decide there is something there that brings you fulfillment, the external circumstances of that job will become much more manageable. There may still be days that are challenging to overcome, and yet, you will still find your purpose through it all because you have awakened to the knowledge you seeking a life of purpose. How you approach the tasks you perform will be much different, and even the most mundane of tasks may now have new meaning. Even if you have to find a new job or career, the realization you are now working towards a new future, one you are in control of now, will give you hope. When you decide to look for meaning within your life or career, and base it upon your needs rather than conditions, then you will find greater purpose, happiness, and long-term fulfillment.

https://ezinearticles.com/?Discover-Why-Self-Fulfillment-Begins-With-You,-Not-a-Job&id=10409996

We Are All Walking Resumes (By Wilson Horrell)

What kind of person are you? How do you perceive others to view you? How would you like others to view you? That's a difficult question to answer. So difficult in fact, that I don't think that most of us really get past asking ourselves the question. We go to that place in our brain and begin to ponder, but we never really go into the answer. I don't know when or how often any of us will really need to have this information, but I know it would be comforting to have it when things aren't going our way.

Last week, a friend of mine informed me that she might be losing her primary job. She sounded concerned. OF COURSE, she sounded concerned, she is losing her job! I, on the other hand, am not concerned in the least. Not only do I lack concern, but I am excited for her and her family. You see, I know what this person is. Of the three questions I posed at the beginning of this post, I know the answer to the first two. There is no one better in the world at living out life's resume. She is one of those people that when someone asks how they are doing, you know that they are just making conversation. You expect them to be doing good, cause they are good, and they deserve good.The future for her is going to be nothing but a huge payout of everything that she has done in the past, and is doing in the present. It might take a moment for the universe to serve her the fancy dinner, but make no mistake about it... she will be eating a big, fat, beefy dish of "I told you so" from my kitchen, when it plays itself out.

This friend of mine has positioned herself as intelligent, hard working, diligent, reliable, competent, loyal, tough, brave, and able to work through adversity. There is not an employer in this country that would not hire someone with these qualification. The problem is that everyone claims to have these qualities, when they need a job, but many people don't demonstrate these things consistently enough to make it part of their identity. I think it is important to remember that we are all walking resumes. People are continuously sizing us up in an effort to somehow further themselves, or make their life a little better. I don't mean that in a "sociopathic" way, I mean in it in the reality of "being human" kind of way. Some people are so aware of this that they don't allow themselves to reach their true potential, because they are constantly living inside of strict parameters that they have let the masses govern their every behavior. I want to be accepted, and live life as a good person, but I can't base my personalty and restrict my desire to live loudly based on the majority. I believe that people who live their life fully are never out of options, and always presented opportunities.

I have formed step-by-step instructions on how I need to go about becoming the person that I want to be. It is easily the most difficult set of directions that I have ever tried to follow. Stepping outside of these directions will only be setting myself up for failure. I have to concentrate on this most complex guide to becoming who I want to be, with every shred of my being. I view it as cooking in a crock-pot. These instructions have to be initiated, and then I have to re-visit time after time and make sure everything is progressing as it should. I need to stay plugged in, and supply myself with continuous, positive energy. I shouldn't expect results immediately, as these things take time. However, it's important that I don't forget what's cooking, or else my recipe will dry out and fall to pieces.

OK, are you ready? This is some seriously intense Yoda-type business. It's mind-numbingly complex and will require re-read after re-read. Print it out if you have to, because you won't be able to swallow it all at once. Here it is:

1. Decide who and what you want to be.

2. Be that person.

I know this because I continuously see this in the people in my life. I watched my best friend become a partner at his architecture firm, because he decided to. I watched a buddy take ownership and manage a profitable promotional products business, because he wanted to. I work with drunks and junkies who wake up and decide to be completely different human beings, because they are ready to. I watch my wife position herself as the best that there is in her field by constantly making herself available, and gladly willing to put in the extra time to educate not only herself, but others. These people are the best at what they do, simply because they decided to be the best at what they do. Now, I could argue about what is different about these people, or what these people have that I don't, or I can learn from these people, and move forward in my career path of becoming a better person. It's of great comfort to me to know that I can become a better person and start living a better life, at any time that I choose. The problem is that it is up to me to become that better person and live that better life. I wish that there was a pill I could take, or a package that Amazon could deliver to make these changes for me, but there is not. It is all within, free of charge, and in abundant supply. Become better. Become better, now. Ready. Set. Go! Have a great week.

http://ezinearticles.com/?We-Are-All-Walking-Resumes&id=9585156

7 Social Norms That Are Killing Your True Potential

If you are navigating your professional life by these 7 norms, you are setting yourself up for one type of success: normal.


Our society operates on laws and social norms. They were created to reduce chaos and to build the modern world we live in. However, similar to being at the mercy of our caveman tendencies when we aren't in caveman days, we often make decisions based on what everyone around us wants us to do, rather than doing what is right for us.

If you are navigating your professional life by these seven norms, you are setting yourself up for one type of success: normal. For those of you who want to break barriers with your impact and your career, take note of the alternatives:

1. Social norm: caring what others think and keeping up with the Joneses

Alternative: You have to let go of what others think in order to get connected to your true self. Jennifer Crocker, University of Ohio psychologist, did a study and found that college students who made decisions based on what others thought had higher levels of alcohol and drug abuse and had lower grades than those who didn't base their decisions on what others thought. If you are making career decisions based on what others think, those influences may be steering you in the wrong direction.

2. Social norm: blending in

Alternative: As adolescents, we would do anything to avoid standing out. Emotional immaturity equals lack of confidence. However when it comes to maximizing your career potential, standing out is what it's all about. In order to come up with innovative, new, and game-changing ideas, you have to be willing to be different and be yourself.

3. Social norm: doing what everyone else is doing

Alternative: It's easy to do what you see everyone else around you doing. In fact, how many times do you see people follow in the footsteps of others because they don't know what else to do? Set yourself on a path that feels right and is not done in absence of knowing what else to do.

4. Social norm: getting advice from your friends or family

Alternative: Your family and friends may love you, but they are not able to be objective. This is especially true when something that is right for you may take you far away from them or alter your normal routine with them. Try seeking advice from people who are able to help you get clear on what is right for you or are doing something that you know you want to do. Friends and family, whether they realize it or not, are too emotionally invested to ensure that their advice is not just a reflection of what they want you to do.

5. Social norm: going to graduate school

Alternative: Getting a graduate degree or PhD is a no-brainer for people who are absolutely clear that it's a requirement for their profession of choice, for example, doctors, lawyers, and professors. However, if you're considering graduate school for another career path, it's worth questioning why you are making this decision. Too often people continue their education because they don't know what else to do. Make sure it's the right decision, and explore other ways to educate yourself and further your level of expertise. To really rise to the top, it's not about getting the degree--it's about doing what is aligned with your top skills and passions.

6. Social norm: taking the safe option

Alternative: Safe is easy, and it's something everyone will suggest. Safe is understandable, but sometimes doing something risky will have the best payoff. When I made the unsafe and radical decision to start my own business, my family was worried. Even I was a bit worried--it felt scary and exciting. But I recognized these feelings as validation that I was doing the right thing. You have to feel a mix of anxiety and excitement when you start new things and push your comfort zone. It is a sign that you are on the brink of greatness.

7. Social norm: calming your wild ideas

Alternative: Most people that have experienced breakthrough success say that when they started, everyone they knew said they were crazy. What pushed them to move forward was the belief in themselves and their ideas. Jeff Bezos went on to create Amazon. Oprah Winfrey launched The Oprah Winfrey Show. There was no question in their minds that it was right for them. This is how you should feel if you are clear on your career goals--no matter how "crazy" they are.

http://www.inc.com/laura-garnett/7-social-norms-that-are-killing-your-true-potential.html