LIVING WITH YOURSELF

LIVING WITH YOURSELF


The only way of living with yourself and all your imperfections is by focusing on what you can control. Only then are you likely to reduce stress. Focusing exclusively on the intended results of your actions, which are often out of your control, could make you less productive. You could actually 'win' more with a job well done. Performing a process properly, whatever the outcome, prevents the stressful impact on your mind of things beyond your control. As long as you are the master of your own ship, you will be able to live with yourself.

The odds of the intended results actually happening increase, if you feel that you remain in control. Improbable does not mean impossible. Improbable things happen all the time. But if you feel you are on firm ground ('your competence') rather than on quicksand ('uncontrollable way of life'), your self-confidence will continue to grow and you are much more likely to win.

Living with yourself becomes a challenge, when you are not free from your past. Everything you have done and said, which you may now regret, should be left behind. Intend to start every day with a clean slate. Remember mostly, what you once did and said right. You have been a genius for some of the time and that is all that counts.

The center of your attention should, however, always be on where you want to be. The future may not be yours to control, but it will take care of itself, as long as you practice constant visualization ('the process') of what it should be like. Then you will attract the kind of life you deserve with less stress.


DIEDERIK SCHMULL       25th December, 2018           Westcliff-On-Sea, ESSEX, U.K.

RISE ABOVE THAT

RISE ABOVE THAT


You should do your best to rise above something unpleasant. But aren't you then 'in denial'? Partially yes. But it'll give you a chance to see the forest from the trees. It also prevents you from getting mired in something, that could get hard to get out of. Focus instead on positive alternatives and keep your head high, no matter what happens. Don't give in to 'reality'. No storm lasts forever. This too shall pass.

Be good enough not to do what most other people seem to be doing. The 'herd' instinct is part of human nature, but be aware, that being part of that, often clouds your judgment. You actually may lose your ability to be successful, because a group has a mind of its own. You may regret being part of a group later, but the group may not let you go quietly. So if you end up in such a situation, rise quietly above the prejudices of that group and get the hell out.

In some societies, the group is everything and the individual is nothing. This dilemma is very difficult to deal with. It's human nature to try and survive at all costs. If you stand out, you're dangerously exposed. You could be considered a threat to the cohesion of that society and then you are at risk. Remember however, that personal freedom is the highest good, more so, than getting enough to eat. Conformity is a necessary evil at times, it's unnatural, a stop-gap measure, a short-term 'fix', until something better can be obtained. You should rise above this nuisance. Dream therefore of your True Self and magic will happen.


DIEDERIK SCHMULL                   November 20th, 2018     Westcliff-On-Sea, ESSEX, U.K.

YOUR AMAZING TOP OF THE MOUNTAIN

YOUR AMAZING TOP OF THE MOUNTAIN


Awesome! Reaching your top of the mountain is an incredible victory. The harder the battle, the sweeter it is. It's the fulfillment of a long-held dream. It could be the love of your life or your long cherished goal. Success may come early or it could take a lifetime. No matter. Some people even miraculously come back out of a coma and have experienced the bright light of the afterlife. Catching a glimpse of heaven is that top of the mountain for some.

The highest point of a mountain is called the peak. A mountain climber may never necessarily reach the peak, but rather the highest area a person can reach, which is called the summit. Take stock of where you're currently at. As soon as you realize where you are, you are ready to start moving up and then keep moving. Don't let up! The man on top of a mountain, didn't fall there.

Getting to the top isn't the ultimate goal. It's only the first step to achieving life's destiny. It brings a sense of accomplishment. It's an exhilarating experience, which makes you very happy and excited for the rest of your life. You are now truly in a position to exclaim to yourself: 'I did it! I really did it!'. The need to prove to yourself of being capable of doing it, will then finally be satisfied. You should be proud.


DIEDERIK SCHMULL          November 18th, 2018       Westcliff-On-Sea, ESSEX, U.K.

IT'S GREAT TO BE ALIVE TODAY

IT'S GREAT TO BE ALIVE TODAY


Don't let anybody tell you that being alive today is awful. When you hear that, you should just roll your eyes. At no time in history have there been so many opportunities to live your dream. The current communication revolution, with its explosive growth in internet and smartphones, has truly enabled people to become successful, wherever they happen to be. Suddenly the world has become one village and creating overnight success is more common than ever. All it takes is passion, persistence and a strong work ethic. Rectify that: a very strong work ethic.


Your great-grandparents had to deal with war, economic depression, diseases, extreme poverty and slavery. Despite these tragedies, you have survived and you have been given the chance to make something of your life. Be grateful. You may not be aware of how awful life has been in the past for most people. Aren't you lucky! That's why you should focus on improving your life and the life of others now. Not later. That's your mission.


At the same time, you should develop a clear personal vision of how to reach certain goals in life in the future. That means, that you are no longer on auto-pilot! You know where you're going. Yes, you're in the race. No matter what. Your focus guarantees, that any excuses cannot derail you and that you will stay the course. These will no longer slow you down. You are now in control of your own destiny, because you will outwork anyone, who is smarter and more gifted than you are. You are unstoppable. What a sweet experience!


RICK SCHMULL    October 30th, 2018       Westcliff-On-Sea, ESSEX, U.K.

THIS IS THE FIRST DAY OF THE REST OF YOUR LIFE

THIS IS THE FIRST DAY OF THE REST YOUR LIFE


Don't look back. The past can't be changed. Thinking about the past is a waste of time. More often than not, you tend to regret the things you have said or done. Just leave the past behind. What a relief! You'll have more strength for today and tomorrow. You'll be able to focus better on what needs to get done now.


Imagine yourself as a man or as a woman of destiny. Your enthusiasm will become remarkable. You may become somewhat controversial, but as long as you believe in yourself, you should not fear your dreams. Actually, if your dreams don't scare you, they are not big enough. That's what living your life is all about: living the dream, doing what you always wanted to do. No matter what. Then you will become a shining star. That's why you should 'shoot for the moon. If you miss, you'll land among the stars' (Norman Vincent Peale).


Write it down. Carry with you a little book with your plan and update it regularly. You'll become your own guiding light. It's like your future, etched in stone. For your eyes only. It's better to listen to your own instinct, rather than to the opinion of others. If you want to stand out in a particular field, then that will be due to your own uniqueness. In order to identify this, you should give your genius a chance, in a solitary place, far from the madding crowd. Then the rest of your life will, not could, become an exciting journey!


RICK SCHMULL                       October 30th, 2018            Westcliff-On-Sea, ESSEX, U.K.

NO MORE EXCUSES

NO MORE EXCUSES…

There isn’t enough time! Time flies, as you well know. Therefore, do away with unearned leisure that is not supposed to be happening. It makes you feel so guilty. And rightly so.You are supposed to be in charge of your life. The scary consequence of not being ‘on the case’ is sudden panic, when some deadline gets too close. Staring such a disaster in the face isn’t exactly something to look forward to, is it?

First and foremost you have to motivate yourself towards productive activities. Avoid low self-esteem or any thoughts of what possibly could go wrong. Emphasize what should go right and create the circumstances that confirm winning rather than losing. Self-destructive behaviour is toxic and disastrous. You have to keep telling yourself, that you deserve better than that. Instead of this self-sabotage, you have to focus on good planning, goal-setting and execution. There is nothing wrong with being a bit vain, like projecting an image of ‘who’s better than me’, without necessarily saying it out loud.

Your life really is in your hands! Shake off all possible excuses for not doing well. Success doesn’t come on a plate, so if you feel, that you don’t really ‘deserve’ success, then such conditioning actually increases the likelihood of stress and catastrophe. You have to convince yourself, that the best is still to come, even in the face of ‘impossible’ odds. In fact, nothing is impossible, as history teaches us again and again, so if you feel overwhelmed, you have to meet that challenge head-on. Running away from something that appears to be ‘impossible’ anyway, instead of taking charge immediately, would preclude you from turning your life around.

Whenever you feel you’re stuck in a rut, take a break and go for a walk or a workout. Settle for nothing less than the path to victory. That may mean, that you have to put yourself in the line of fire, but such a decision is a key moment in the rest of your life. Debilitating circumstances won’t just go away, because they can’t. That’s why you cannot afford being challenged by a poor mental state. If your goal pleases you and not necessarily others, then that should really get you going. You will get so excited, that you will achieve more than you and others ever imagined. ‘Just you wait’ is all you need to think about and your unshakeable enthusiasm paves the way for the ‘inevitable’!

RICK SCHMULL

January 2nd, 2017

WESTCLIFF-ON-SEA, Essex, U.K.

YOUR ROADMAP

YOUR ROADMAP

Try living your life without short-term and long-term goals. It’s ‘like a ship without a rudder!’ (Thomas Carlyle - 1795 / 1881). You would go around in circles. Therefore, you need to develop a clear vision. A man with a purpose in life stands out in the crowd. You’ll have a brief moment to shine and you’ll have to learn how to deal with it. Besides, being some faceless pencil pusher all your life must be a quite unpleasant alternative anyway. So get to work and focus on the critical areas of your roadmap with a definite planning horizon. Very little of this process should be left to chance, otherwise complacency will set in and essential opportunities will be missed.

Being on the disciplined path to your own unique success will give you such a feeling of exhilaration, that you should have a sense of gratitude every day. Never take anything for granted, but at the same time, make sure, that you remain flexible enough in order to change course, if necessary. The world is not static, so don’t end up in a dead end street. If the world around you changes, you should be ready to adjust. Some things only work for a certain period of time. That’s why you should keep moving in order to remain on the right track.

Becoming the master of your destiny requires self-discipline, willpower and constant energy. You have to leave the quiet life behind. But in the long run that is preferable to blaming yourself for ‘what might have been’ later. Will you be able to control all the noise and distraction around you? As long as you seem to bring yourself one step closer to the reward of your success, you will find, that you are part of an unstoppable force. Chasing the end of the rainbow is not an illusion after all!

Failures happen to everyone. But life goes on. Never dwell on the past for too long, because the lessons of the past are only useful up to a certain point. There is always another window of opportunity around the corner. The ultimate destination of your roadmap will always look a little different than how you originally imagined. Keep your sense of perspective. Work should be fun and then you can have it all.

RICK SCHMULL

December 27th, 2016

WESTCLIFF-On-SEA, Essex, U.K.