I just finished reading Self Comes to Mind by Antonio Damasio.

It wasn't an easy read......not for me.

 It took quite a while to read it cover to cover but....... It was well worth the time and attention I gave to it.

Antonio gives a very detailed account of how our sense of self arises out of our brain. 

He gives an anatomical basis for the illusion we call I.

It is a very fascinating read.  I found  another new way of looking at myself.

 With each book I read my understanding evolves another step.

I liked the Appendix. It gives an excellent description of brain architecture and  how it works.  

Choosing Easy World

Here is a book you need an open mind for.

You need to keep a .........very....... open mind.

I started to read it and just tossed it aside..........too easy ......too simplistic.

It couldn't possibly work.

You can't just say "I choose to live in easy world where everything is easy" and expect your life to be easy.

It just can't work.  It can't be that easy.


If you think those thoughts ............you're right it won't work.

Life will continue to be difficult for you which is exactly what you expect..........and exactly what you will get.

If you can open your mind...........stretch your mind ...........suspend your disbelief for a few minutes and be open to the possibility that

 Maybe........ just maybe.......... it could work ..............you may be pleasantly surprised my friend.

I picked this book up again and read it through with an open mind

Open to the possibility that Easy World could exist.

Open to the possibility that I could choose to live in Easy World.

Open to the possibility that my life could be easier .................much easier.

My life is becoming easier.

Tonight my wife and I went to a Christmas party.

It was in an area that had limited on street parking.

 I was concerned about having to walk a long way in the cold.

 I chose to think "I live in easy world where everything is easy" as I left our home.

When we arrived at the party there was a parking space on the street just steps away from our party.

Easy World.

One incident by itself does not an easy world make............... but a belief in Easy World makes such incidents......... much........ more........ noticeable.

The more you focus on how easy your life is becoming .............the more real.......... Easy World becomes.

It is............ that......... easy.

Can you suspend your disbelief long enough to read this book?

How open are you to the possibility that your life could be easier............much easier?

Thank you Julia for writing such a wonderful book.

Even Eagles Need a Push Movie

Sometimes we all need a push to get started. Sometimes that push comes in a comment from a friend. Sometimes it comes as a series of events.

When we get that push we can push back. We can resist. We can deny.

Instead of reacting to a situation or comment sometimes it’s better to stand back, reflect and see that push as a call to action,.................. a call for change…………. a reason to overcome our fears.

Sometimes we need a push .........Sometimes we need to push others........The following video shows us the why and the how.


Even Eagles Need a Push Movie:

Thoughts on a sunny snowy morning

Life is good.

All is well.

My ideal avocation is coming to me as I write.

I love what I am doing. I love who I am. I love who I am with.

Life just keeps getting better and better.

I have all the time I need to accomplish what I want.

I am happy where I am, doing what I do.

I am enjoying this very moment immensely.

I am soaking up the sun, absorbing the rays, enjoying the warmth.

I am one with the sun.

I am one with the unverse.

I am filled with bliss.

Life is good. Life is wonderfilled.

I have found my purpose. I take steps towards my goals.

I have found a way to enjoy this moment and eagerly antcipate the next moment as well.

I am and I will be.

My purpose is to enjoy this moment fully.

My purpose is to help others to enjoy their lives more fully.

I am sitting in my teahouse, warmed by the sun, watching the snow falling gently slowly swirled by the breeze.

Nothing like a fresh fall of snow to make the world new clean peaceful quiet pristine.

Happy to to be alive awake aware for one more day.

These are thoughts I thought this morning. These are thoughts I think often. These are thoughts I enjoy thinking. How about you? If you thought thoughts like these would you be happier, more peaceful ?
You can choose your thoughts. I choose to think thoughts that help me smile and prosper. How about you?

Can I have your Attention?

Joeseph Cardillo has written a very interesting and useful book on attention and how to use it effectively. Can I have your attention? is a short easy to read book that will have you understanding and using your attention more consciously.

Cardillo combines everyday living , his martial arts experience, discussions with attention researchers and leading edge theory in neurology and psychology into an interesting journey towards increased awarenss and focus.

What I like the most is Cardillo's concept of "procedure". Cardillo views anything that we do, feel or think as a procedure. We have procedures developed years ago that we use every day, like tying your shoes or answering the phone. These largely automatic routines make our lives easier. We also have procedures that are not so good, our good morning cigarette or our fear of heights. The good news is that if you can detach yourself from your procedures and become more aware of them, then you can modify or refine them to serve you better. You can ask "How is this procedure benefitting me?". I believe this could be a very powerful and effective way of improving your every day life, from dedicating a special home for your keys to modifying your weight. It is all about becoming clear about what you want and then modifying your procedures to accomplish your goals.

There is an appendix at the end of the book which details how you can apply what you have read to your own unique situation. You can alter your life significantly by changing how and what you attend to.

I highly reccomend this book.

The Brain That Changes Itself

Norman Doidge has written an excellent book on our brains ability to change. He has researched the field of neuroscience, met with some of the field’s preminent pioneers and given us a look into many of the most interesting discoveries and personal stories of this relatively new science.

The book is based around the new concept of neuroplasticity, the thought that our brains can change and grow. Our brains can rewire, rebuild and reconfigure themselves. We can grow more neurons, increase our I Q’s and overcome damage to our brains. We can train our brains to be faster, smarter, more analytical, more intuitive…..more of whatever we want. Our thoughts can change our brains. Our thoughts can change the actual structure of our brain. Interesting concepts…..very interesting and backed up by good solid research. Doidge puts all of this into language the average reader can understand.

After reading this book I understand how brain plasticity could help me change some of my behaviours and attitudes. I also understand how this same plasticity creates barriers to change and how to overcome or reduce them.

This book gave me a lot to think about and a few unsettling thoughts as well. It is unsettling to realize the thought you are having right now is changing your brain, however slightly. When you suddenly see things differently, when you have an epiphany, when you finally get “it” has your brain rewired, your brain structure reorganized slightly, to adapt to a new thought, a new perspective? Is it possible to adapt to change that fully and deeply?

How can I apply what I have learned from this book? Is it possible to change those same old thoughts we think over and over? Yes it is possible. This book can give you a few tips on how to climb out of those ruts. We can change our lives one thought, one moment, at a time. This book can help you understand how to change.

Changing your thoughts

You can change your life by changing your thoughts...........change your thoughts ...change your life.

We all have a running dialogue going on with ourselves everyday all day. Much of it is the same old thoughts playing over and over in our heads. Some of us have been playing those same old thoughts over and over for years........for decades ........the same old thoughts over and over..We need to become aware of these thoughts..........became aware of those old worn out thoughts......Even just becoming aware of them and naming them......"Oh there is that same old thought I think every time someone says no to me."

Once you become aware of one of your old thought patterns ask yourself this "How is this old thought pattern serving my greater good?" "Could another thought serve me better?"

What is the first thought you think in the morning when you awake?.... Oh no I am late again!
How does that serve you? What if when you woke you thought "Today I will smile and prosper" What if you said "Today I will smile and prosper"and then smiled. Mmmm.... Set two goals and accomplished one already. That thought has served me well............much better than Oh no I'm late.

What old worn out thought are you willing to discard today? What new thought could replace it?