Flowery Words Without Substance

Written by Don Shetterly

So many times I see online statements from people that are pretty, but that's where it ends.  It isn't online only either as the media and leaders and speakers of our day do the same thing.  Flowery words without substance are in abundance.

Is it wrong to use beautiful words, memes, and positive thoughts?  No, of course not.  We need them to add some spice to our lives.  However, without substance, they are not all that helpful.

Consider this tweet I wrote as I think it sums up what I am trying to say.

Just be down to earth on what you say online. Flowery words that say nothing do very little for anyone. They may sound pretty but often they are void of real substance. #MindBodyThoughts

— Don Shetterly (@mindbodythought) February 23, 2018

I find the thing that helps the most in a day is when we are real and authentic.  When we offer our hand of support to another, we're really adding to a day.  When we are vulnerable and share our life's experiences of what has helped us, we do far more than flowery words ever will do.

We fill up social media with happy thoughts while we often ignore and obliterate the pain that someone is feeling.  Our words become like unhinged swords that take out everything in their path.

Be down to earth.  Show others you really care by your words that come from deep within your consciousness and heart.  These days, the words tend to come out, but the actions and other moments mock what is being said.

We can do so much for others if we find grounding in our life, not what we are putting on display every day for the world to see.  Be part of the consciously connected help in a day, not just the mind-numbed repeats of what is done.

The world needs authentic people.  The world needs us to be down to earth.

Love is More Than Social Media Memes

All too often, many proclaim, but few really put it in action.  I'm talking about LOVE.  Love is not just mere words.  Love is not posting memes saying how much we love others.  Love is putting a feeling and a thought into action.

I see Love as action.  I don't see it as sharing something on social media that grandstands for the whole world to see.  There is far too much of this and far too little that is actually felt and practiced by humans living on the planet.

I've seen far too many things posted saying how great of a person they are and how much they love others, only for their social media feeds and actions to state the opposite.  Love is not something you have to proclaim.  People are able to see it through your actions and thoughts.

We need love in this world...

We need love in this world more than ever.  There is far too much animosity and anger.  We need love to be in abundance and have love starts with each one of us.  If we don't love ourselves, we will not love others.  If we don't show love to others, we are not showing love to ourselves.

Love is not something we have to wait for other to do.  Love is something that we must begin within ourselves.  For when it starts within us, it will permeate and grow and flood every corner of the earth and universe.

Love does not need motivation for if there is love, it will be shown without a requirement to do so. It will be automatic.  People will know you more by the love you show to others, not by the words and memes you share.

Let's start changing the world by showing love for ourselves and as we do, let it flow to every inhabitant of the earth.  We do not need to have strings attached to it.  Love is endless and boundless and just wants to grow and exist between all the inhabitants of this land.

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Blog Post And Images (c) 2016 by Don Shetterly

• Permission required before any part of this blog post is reprinted, reworded or used in any form. 
• You are welcomed to share the LINK to this blog post.  

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When and How To Let Go and Forgive

One of the most common things I see online is memes where people make life seem so easy to live.   One such subject is they tell you that holding on to things in life is the worst thing you can do and that you need to let go.

While it is good to let go, it is often much more difficult than everyone makes it out to be.  It isn't always something as simple as writing a meme or sharing a meme online.  In fact, its a rather difficult process for most people and if it isn't, maybe a reviews is in order.

Letting go isn't a single moment in time, but it can be.  There is no timeline of when it should happen.  There is no one out there that can tell you when or how to let go.  It is all up to each one of us personally and individually.

I've seen people talk about forgiveness and make it out to be the most important focus in life.  Unfortunately for many folks, the concept of forgiveness has been so obliterated by certain segments of our society, that forgiveness is anything but a positive experience.  It doesn't stop people strongly pushing others and shaming them almost, into thinking that if you don't forgive, there's something wrong with you.

Forgiveness is a process...

Forgiveness is a process just like letting go.  It doesn't happen overnight.  It takes healing and a continual journey through your own life.  It isn't like you wake up one morning and the heavens have parted.  It is more in the way that you continue to let go of what is there and the more you do this, the more it no longer impacts your life.

Often, people tell others they need to forgive or let go because of how it makes them feel.  They may not have healed all these similar parts in their own life and so by you being in the place you are at, it makes them feel uncomfortable.  Often when we have not fully healed our own lives, we project that on to others and we identify with their pain as if it were our own.

Let forgiveness come naturally...

Don't get me wrong, because I know learning to forgive and letting go is an important part of advanced healing in one's life.  It doesn't mean you do that when you start out.  It means you focus on healing your life and let the forgiveness and letting go come naturally in its own time.

Too often we think that if we say the words or think the thoughts that we have forgiven someone and it will make everything better.  We may fool ourselves into believing this, but it may just be an opportunity to hide and bury all the baggage of life in a deeper closet.  We need to be careful that when we say we have forgiven or we have let go, that we truly mean that from our internal consciousness and awareness, not our ego brain or the need to placate others.

A long time ago, some people in a church had me come up front at the end of a service.  They laid hands on me and in prayer, they had me forgive my abusers.  Guess what?  That did far more damage to me, than any good that could have possibly come out of it.  I was not at the point of being ready to forgive.  Far too much of what had happened to me was still in that elusive state where I was not even ready to acknowledge its existence.

You see, we throw around memes all day long, but sometimes they can truly hurt those who have already been hurt.  We end up shaming people because they don't fall in line with how we see forgiveness or letting go or even if we are close to that point in our healing journey.  There is a time for anger and remembering and reliving.  No one can tell anyone at what point that needs to end.  It is all up to the individual person to find that path for them self.

Do everyone a favor in determining when and how to let go or forgive and let them find their way.  Allow it to unfold in whatever way it needs to and in the timeline it needs to appear.  Don't force it and don't create something that is not there.  Be okay with this moment because although it may be a very difficult time, it is part of your healing.  It is part of letting go and moving on in life.

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Blog Post And Images (c) 2016 by Don Shetterly

• Permission required before any part of this blog post is reprinted, reworded or used in any form. 
• You are welcomed to share the LINK to this blog post.  

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What You Display To The World

Every day, people write a book that they put on display to the world.  You can find it in their blogs, YouTube videos, Facebook posts, Twitter tweets and all other forms of social media.  You can find it in their conversations they have with other people.

It goes on constantly and continually.  Some of it gets to the point of turning other people off.  Some will listen and read the story no matter what while complaining about the individual or the content.  Of course, we all know this, but we shun it and embrace it at the same time.

So have you ever thought about what you display to the world?  I mean, do you look at what you post, tweet, vlog or write?  Do you really view it over days and weeks and months?  Maybe you're one that just puts it out there and forgets it in the following minute or hour.

It can be shocking...

If we look at what we put out in online media and to the world, it can really be shocking.  Others see it and they form a picture and image of you.  Obviously, many fail to see what they are truly sharing about themselves.

While many of the subjects continually get repeated over and over, I wonder just how much anyone changes another person's mind.  After all, if your views are entrenched in the foxholes of your battle ground, I'm not so sure anyone else could change your mind.  If the other person's views are entrenched in the foxholes of their battle grounds, I'm not sure you could change their mind.

I'm not sure if anyone really listens to each other, but it doesn't stop anyone from portraying to the world, their one stop mindset.   I'm not trying to be real harsh here, but to be honest, that is what it looks like as you read Faceboook postings and Twitter tweets.  It seems like many have one track minds and they display that to the whole world.

Nothing else to share but memes...

You also get the ones that know nothing else to share but memes and you wonder just how much of it they truly believe.  I often wonder if their life is so horrible that this is how they get through the day, but in no way do they become real to the world.  What could be very good in moderation, becomes a turn off and annoyance.

We really do publish a view point or opinion of ourselves to the world each day.  What does your publication say about your life?  Are you truly loving and accepting of others, or are you combative and full of anger?  Are you out for blood or do you really listen to those that think and speak differently from what you feel is true in your life?

How do you display yourself to the world?  Do you retweet and share and like those things that bring more divisiveness to our world or do you replicate memes that turn people off?  Do you share interesting and relevant content that helps people discover something new for their life, or do you just regurgitate what everyone else on the bandwagon thinks?

Of course, it is all up to you in what you do and how you display your life to the world.  It is not up to me to tell you what to do.  I'm just asking the question.  I'm just challenging the status quo of the day.

Are humans one dimensional or not?  This blog posts discusses that topic in further detail.

(click image to read)

If you're not sure how you come across, take an objective look back over your Twitter or Facebook feed.  If you look at this objectively, you will probably get the image that others see of you.  You will most likely come to understand just how much you are helping or adding hurt and insult to the world.  Try it, and let me know what you find.

So what do you think?  Are humans truly one dimensional or not?  Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.

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Blog Post And Images (c) 2016 by Don Shetterly

• Permission required before any part of this blog post is reprinted, reworded or used in any form. 
• You are welcomed to share the LINK to this blog post.  

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