Are You Fake?

These days I'm beginning to wonder more and more about people online.  I'm sorry, but it is true.  Too many who are fake, but throw up the positive thoughts as if they are the sole answer to the universe.

If you post anything real, you get responses of fake positivity that really does little but leaves the recipient feeling empty and hoodwinked.  You might think your words are somehow magical, but if they are not authentic, then they have become the noisy cymbal in the band.

For some reason, people think they have to respond with some wisdom when maybe the person just needs to be heard.  Unfortunately these days, we don't know how to listen.  We only know how to force our views and opinions on others.

You can see this in all walks of life and different places but in reality, the fake part of who we are as humans begin within us.  We're the ones that perpetuate what we so often scream and rant about in life.

Being authentic and honest is what makes a difference.  Listening without judgment and I mean truly listening without judgment is so rare these days.  I see very few people that do this, and I can count them on one hand.

Are you fake?  I'm sure you would quickly answer with NO!  However, I'm guessing without knowing you that this may not be the whole story.

It is something to ponder and consider because I believe each one of us shows a fake side every day and if we don't think we do, then we are fooling ourselves.  In my view, the trick is to recognize it and see how authentic we can be.

Authenticity and vulnerability are the essences of human interaction.

Conditions On Being Tolerant and Loving

Written By Don Shetterly

These days, I get so tired of seeing this on display.  In social media, we wear it as a badge.  I'm talking about how we say and preach one thing to the world while doing the opposite with our actions.

We say we are tolerant and loving, but then we put conditions on it.  Of course, we don't acknowledge that, and if someone pointed it out, we'd dismiss them quickly.

We think it is everyone else.  Those who disagree that are not tolerant and loving.  We've got such a big log in our own eye that we cannot even begin to see this in our personal life.  It is everyone else that has the problem, not us.  We're self-righteous and holier than thou.

We exclaim, we're telling it like it is or we claim that somehow we take the superior high ground because we're enlightened.  It doesn't matter which side of this you are on because we all do it every day.  If you don't believe me, show your social media feed to a young child, and I bet they can point out the hypocrisy quickly.

We go to our churches, and we claim how full of love and righteousness we are, but we don't stop to know ourselves.  We don't stop to look at ourselves and see what is within us.  If you don't go to church, there's a good chance you use some other belief system to do the same thing.

Then we point fingers at one another.  We have to tell others just how wrong they are.  After all, we are tolerant and loving.  We just gloss over the conditions because we are so self-righteous.

Growing up, we were in one of these ultra-religious churches that stated bluntly if you did not believe the way they believed, you weren't going to heaven.  There were a lot of other "beliefs" that they taught that I've written about before on another blog post.  It took me many years to let go of that brainwashing hatred for others that were different than us.

Most of the people outside of that church were much more tolerant.  I didn't hear politics discussed or hatred towards gays.  They were down to earth peace loving people that were fun to be around.  I admired and respected them.

Now, however, when I go view some of the stuff on their social media pages (next to the things about how much they are tolerant and loving), I see some of the vilest hatred that exists.  How can people not see what they are doing?  If you say one thing, but do another, your words mean nothing.  Your actions tell the real story.

These days we are so consumed with things that have knocked this entire planet so far off its course, we cannot even see it on display.  We're so numb and disconnected and unconscious that basic decency and respect for one another is something from prehistoric times.

No, it's not the other people that do this in the world that is the problem.  You can't control them.  The only person you can control is yourself and whether you engage and propagate the hatred and divisiveness or you walk away from it.  That's a choice you make each day.

So when you claim you are tolerant and loving, make sure you're choosing something that matches that.  If your rhetoric and social media feed say the opposite, it might be time to have a hard look at what is within your heart.  For what lies in your heart is showing the entire world what that is.

Tolerant and loving people show it through all aspects of their lives.  It isn't just the words you say, or share and likes.  It isn't the retweets and screaming.  It is pure love that treats each other as human, not as something less than ourselves.  It is your heart in action and your ego filtered with respect.

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.

Taking Care Of Ourselves On Twitter

Written By Don Shetterly

One of the things that I think we forget to do is take care of ourselves on Twitter.  It is far too easy to get sucked into the social media unconscious world before we know it.

There is so much that I enjoy about Twitter including many of my followers.  I love great discussions by others on my follower list.  I love it when others share how they are coming through their own struggles.  The ones that strive to make a difference in the world get my utmost respect.

How can you take care of yourself on Twitter?

Follow The Right People

Yes, I know it isn't easy sometimes to know who the right people are too follow.  There's a lot of games played on Twitter and even trying to check out a profile and the tweets of someone, sometimes you just get fooled.  Be careful and when you see people crossing the line, kick them off.  When they really cross the line, that's when I report them.  Sorry, but when someone is bullying or abusing others and being disrespectful, they need a time-out!

Mute Words

You may not know it on Twitter, but one of the best features is the "muted words" function.  If you go up to you your profile picture, click on the "settings and privacy" menu item, you should see one in there that says "muted words."  All you have to do is start adding in the words you don't want to see.  It doesn't mean you stop following people.  You no longer have to look at those conversations which you don't want to see in your Twitter Feed.  It is a way of taking care of ourselves on Twitter especially when things trigger us.

As new words come up, I just add them to my list, and that is the last of that issue I have to worry about on Twitter.  I'm not trying to hide my head in the sand.  I just don't wish to see tweet after tweet all day long of stuff that gets far too overwhelming.

It's Not Our Circus

One of the best things we can do in taking care of ourselves on Twitter is to realize that not every issue is one we need to engage.  If we remind ourselves that it's not our circus, we can give ourselves permission to walk away from the tweet.  After all, sometimes you're better to walk away than engage and bring yourself down into the mud pit with everyone else.  I've written about rolling around in the mud pit with everyone else.  When you do that, no one can tell you apart from the ones you're fighting.  A mud pit makes both people look the same.

Put A Stop Watch On Your Twitter Time

One of the things with social media is that it can suck you into this world.  Before you realize it, the hours have passed by quickly.  There is something about this behavior that is almost unconscious, and it can consume your time.  Put a stopwatch on your Twitter time.  It helps us take care of ourselves on Twitter.  The world will exist if we are on Twitter or not.  The world will continue regardless of what we tweet or not.  We've traded in taking care of ourselves in life with spending far too much time on Twitter and social media.

Don't Be Part Of The Problem

I see a lot of tweets that come through where they make me scratch my head in disbelief.  Even people who claim to have love or are enlightened or have the answers.  Sometimes those people can be some of the worst offenders.  We often tend to respond on Twitter without thoroughly thinking.  Sometimes the words we say can inflict great harm on others unintentionally.  Of course, you can't always know that, and you can't always prevent this.  Everyone has their own triggers.  Just make sure you think before you type.  Respond with compassion and respect and love.  Before you respond, think about how you would react if someone said the same words to you.  Make sure you're not a part of the problem you despise because very often, we are.

Here's to taking care of ourselves on Twitter!

Taking care of ourselves on Twitter is essential.  I'm sure there are things I'm missing here and please leave a comment below on what ways work for you.  Let's help everyone by sharing what we do.  After all, we're in this social media world together.  

Follow me on Twitter, @MindBodyThought

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Blog Post And Images (c) 3/04/18 by Don Shetterly

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Does Social Media Waste Time?

Written By Don Shetterly

I'm considering dropping off of social media altogether.  In my mind, I'm asking the question, does social media waste time?

If you drop off of social media, does that mean you still exist?  I wonder some days because it seems like all that matters.

On Facebook, people post "simple things" that would have been emailed forwarded at one time.  These things barely say anything, but everyone does it.  Then people react.  When I see that "someone has reacted," I'm thinking ok - is that a good thing?  It just seems so superficial to me.  It doesn't feel real or authentic on Facebook.  If it does to you, then by all means continue.  I've just seen people that once emailed me with "substance" now click like or react to something I've put on Facebook.

On Twitter, people retweet and do all kinds of gimmicks that just get annoying.  They are superficial responses in my mind.  After seeing a thousand of these come through at a time, it gets mind-boggling.  

On Instagram, people love to share pictures of their food or other things that you can barely tell what they are.  I guess if you're there, the image means something but to most people, it doesn't give a clear picture.  Of course, there are the likes on that as well which are supposed to mean something in our day.

Let's not even worry about all the other social media sites.  There are too many to name.

We have so much superficial communication going on that no wonder it seems like we're all so disconnected.  We have so many ways to connect with one another, and yet we're like superficial wanderers passing one another in the dark.

People rant and rave all day thinking they are doing something good, but in my view, it is just passing the stuff on, not helping in the least.  If you elevate that which you don't like, you're suppressing the good stuff in my view.

People exclaim how bad some people are, yet they go off and do the same thing.  Am I doing the same thing here?  I hope not.  They elevate the bullies by giving them a voice when if most bullies had no audience, they probably would not do half of what they do.  Maybe I just live in a pie-in-the-sky world with how I view things, but I'm really tired of all of this on social media.

I think we are either part of the solution or part of the problem.  The answer is not always out-screaming the other person proving that you're right and they are wrong.

Social media feels like a waste of time to me. 
I'm not sure if I will continue it or severely limit how
much time I spend on it (more than I do now). 

I honestly think we need to learn how to be human again in our communication.  Likes, retweets, shares, and screaming isn't doing it.  We're becoming less than human in my view.  It is not how you build a society or find ways to work together.  Well, at least in its current form, this is not working.

Surely we can find better ways to make use of social media then letting our own egos take control of the keyboard.  No, it isn't everyone else out there doing this.  We're all at fault.  We just don't see the log in our own eye.

What do you think?  How do you see Social Media?

By the way, read an earlier blog post about "Your Personal Power Of Communication."  It speaks more to this issue.

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Blog Post And Images (c) 1/1/18 by Don Shetterly

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How High And Mighty We Are

Written By Don Shetterly

It's all those other people out there.  It's the - insert label here - people.  You know, those that don't think like we do!  To this, I can only say, how high and mighty we are!  Yes, I say this with disbelief.

Too many of us think that we have all the answers.  I'm using the collective "we" because I don't want to let anyone off the hook on this blog post.  If it makes anyone feel uncomfortable, I'm perfectly fine with that at this moment.

You see, we label others, and we look down our noses at them.  We see them with contempt.  They are not like us.  They don't believe what we do, think like we do, talk like we talk or live in the way we think they should.  They are mistaken and misled people.  They are wrong.  These people know not what they do!

We look at people with disdain and as if they are the reason for our problems.  We strike out at them trying to correct them into human beings that we can associate with in our day.

After all, we feel we must tell them where they went wrong and just how misguided they are.  We must do this if we want the world to continue on because only we know best.

Then we take to social media to point out just how stupid others are.  They know not what they do, and we are here to tweet and like and post just how wrong they are.  Of course, we are the right ones.  We know best.  We must retweet and share for it is the only way others will know how lost they are.

While this is the way things seem to operate these days in our society, we're really all in this boat together.  While we may think we have the answers and are right in what we say, we're really throwing mud in the face of others.  Our eyes are so darkened that we cannot even begin to see this.

We've lost the way of listening to one other and engaging with each other.  No more do we honor and respect one another, and no it isn't because everyone else does not do this.  We've lost it within ourselves.   Respect for ourselves has vanished.

No longer are we connected to our heart and our mind body.  Instead, we obliterate ourselves with our busy, nonstop, stressful lives.  We pour junk into our guts hoping acting as if it doesn't matter while playing a dangerous game of risk with health treatments that fail to treat the root causes.

We have added so much horror on our days by not dealing with life's issues, but by numbing ourselves every second of the day.  Feelings and emotions are running for cover.  Heart and mind connected thoughts are silent.

If we continue this way, we'll be in a much worse mess than we are now.  We cannot sustain this because it is taking its toll on the human body and the mind.  It is not up to someone else to solve this.  This has to begin with each one of us.  Only we can turn it around in our lives.

While we may think we are high and mighty, in many ways, we are not.  The more we believe that everyone else is the problem, the more we have lost our way.

Stop for a moment.  Look at what you are doing to yourself and the world-at-large.  Leave no stone of discovery unturned.  Look deep and hard within your own mind and body and heart to see what needs the sunshine of truth.

Give up trying to pull the speck out of your brother's eye when you have a log in your own eye.  It is the only way to help anyone is by helping ourselves first.  Otherwise, we are just high and mighty as we continue to destroy the world we live in.

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Blog Post And Images (c) 1/01/18 by Don Shetterly

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Your Personal Power Of Communication

Written By Don Shetterly

One of the things I keep noticing on social media is how we fail to communicate.  For platforms that are designed to communicate, we're failing big time!  It is sad because I believe communication is one of the things that help us become so much more.

There are so many times I read responses, and I literally have no idea what I am reading.  It is like a bunch of words and cryptic letters compiled together to form a thought which I cannot read.  I feel like it is a foreign language known only to the person that created it.

In news articles, some headlines are packed full of words but mean little.  It is almost as though the author is trying to cram all the possible discussions into one short title or article.  I read articles that afterwards, I have no idea what I just read.  Nothing in them makes sense, but it fills page after page on my screen.

Another thing I have seen is how people make up words that kind of sound like something that is logical, but again you have no definition for the word.  Instead of explaining the meaning of the made-up word, it is just treated as if all know what it means.

Be clear to get the result you want...

Communication is difficult at best when we are trying to get our point across, but when we purposely do it lazily, it becomes almost impossible.  If you expect someone to understand what you are saying in a millisecond, yet you are nowhere close to being clear in how it is stated, your result will not be favorable.

We spend far too much time these days on communicating in a world like we've not known until this point.  If we keep communicating so no one can understand, we will soon become a civilization that has no connection.

I realize that sometimes I miss the mark in what I write, but it isn't for lack of effort.  Sometimes, I just cannot get my point across.  I understand it in my head but writing it, so others understand it, is difficult.  I cannot imagine using special characters, abbreviated words, and lack of coherent thoughts to communicate.  I would fail miserably.

Maybe while embracing this new technology, we need to not diminish communication but use it to enhance what we say.  Maybe we need to think another second or two before we respond or write something online.

The more we learn to communicate more effectively, the more personal power we have when it comes to getting others to understand what it is we are saying.

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Blog Post And Images (c) 2017 by Don Shetterly

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Inhuman Online Activities on Twitter

By Don Shetterly

These days I wonder about the long-term survivability of the human race.  Maybe that's not the best word to use, but I really wonder if we can sustain the human race in the era of inhuman online activity.

We're hit with auto messages of every type and flavor on Twitter.  I gave up on Facebook because I got tired of it trying to run my life with likes, shares, and the latest rants of the day.  At least on Twitter, I can mute words and boy do I have words muted!

However, everyone thinks that automated bots and replies are good.  Even Twitter does it.  Have you ever tried to contact Twitter help and support?  Good luck if you reach anything but their automated bots that give you canned responses.

I try to play by the rules on Twitter.  I try to genuinely make a difference on what I share on Twitter.  Yet, for some reason in the past two weeks, I've been locked out of Twitter.  In the first instance, I wasn't able to get it unlocked until late into the following day.  This more recent time, I was able to get it unlocked because they ACTUALLY called my phone (unlike the last time).

I just wish there were humans you could talk to that would explain why things happen.  Twitter so hates the automated bots, but yet they do exactly that which they despise.  They don't have any controls in place for stopping the porn and hate like they should,  yet they will slap you for some unknown infraction or mistake by locking your account.

Some days, it really gets old dealing with everything being automated.  I'm tired of my direct message inbox filling up on Twitter with all the "against the rule" spam messages that get sent to me, including TrueTwit spam messages.

No one seems to care.  No one wants to be human.  Everyone just wants to blast everything to everyone all day long.  That is not human.  That is inhuman.

Many times, I've tried to respond back to the automated messages, but I never get a response.  I scratch my head and wonder - then why send it to me?  You're nothing more than annoying when you do this.

I think we have to pull our heads out of our collective backsides and start to figure out how to at least be human.  Right now, we're failing ourselves and the world in the behaviors and activities we do.

If we keep going down the path like we are, places like Twitter and the users that spam people will degrade us to a point where inhuman will be the norm.  Surely we've got to be better than that.  Surely we've got to engage our mind, body, and heart together as one.

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Blog Post And Images (c) 2017 by Don Shetterly

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Disrespect On Social Media

More and more I'm seeing behavior that falls short of people online being human.  Yes, it is social media.  Yes, I know that kind of behavior has always been there.  However,  the amount that is showing up seems to be setting records, and I find that very sad.  Surely, we can be more than this as humans.


A recent tweet referenced a blog post about how studies show we influence the world through our thoughts.  The blog post referenced was "Influencing The World Through Our Thoughts"

Here's the tweet

Studies show we influence the world through our thoughts https://t.co/BPA94UBzCs #Thoughts #Mind #Brain #BodyMind pic.twitter.com/yhbgxjBhCj

— Don Shetterly (@mindbodythought) June 23, 2017

Of course, one follower thought they had to come back and reply with "You don't wanna study my thoughts about this b.s. right now."  No, I'm not going to reference their name because I would not want to give them any publicity.

At first, I was taken aback by what they said, and thought "how rude."  In fact, I asked them to be at least respectful and if they could not, to just run along.  It isn't that I don't allow someone to disagree.  It is how someone does it.  If you can't be respectful and at least open to what I post, then we have major issues.

In this case, I don't think the follower even read the blog post.  Hey, why be bothered reading what is behind the tweet when you can just declare how stupid you think the other person is?  I mean, that's the way it comes across.  Sorry if that sounds rude or harsh, but it is the way I perceive it.

Of course, with his reply of "You don't wanna study my thoughts about this b.s. right now," he really proved the point of the article.  Because our thoughts and behavior do impact the world and yet we walk around with our heads buried somewhere as if they don't.  So in many ways, maybe I should be thanking this person for proving my blog post.

What I really find disturbing, though, is how we treat others.  This is a perfect example of it.  If I look at the guy's Twitter feed, I can see that he has little respect for anyone and therefore has little respect for himself.  That is his issue.  If he wanted to change it, he would, but it is obvious he does not.

My life goes on regardless of people such as this one, but I think we all need to take a step back and learn once again what respect for others in life actually is.  You can't have that much hate in your heart without it spewing over to everything in your life.

We are humans and we were put on this planet to work together, not stand at odds with one another.  We weren't put here to trample over one another.  I'm so reminded of the story in the movie "I Am" by Tom Shadyac.

We each play a role in humanity every day.  Either we are part of making the world a better place through our words, actions, and thoughts, or we are part of the problem.  We like to think it is everyone else that is the problem, but we often state those words with blinders on.

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Blog Post And Images (c) 2017 by Don Shetterly

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Asleep By SmartPhones

This one is getting to be an epidemic.  Our smartphones can be so helpful, but they can also keep us so disconnected and asleep. It is getting sad these days, as I look around and no one is paying attention to anything but their smartphones.

In the example posted on the blog post, Are You Asleep, there are some issues with Sally and her smartphone.  She can go to her happy and safe place with her phone.  Yes, it is disconnecting from everyone, but hey she is still there present with them, although asleep. 

Yes, we can probably chime in and say, "Oh I hate it - everyone is on their smartphones these days but not paying attention".  Yet,... and this is a big YET, we fail to see we are doing the same thing.  We're too asleep to notice.  We're too disconnected to notice what we do.

It is easy to point the finger at others, but with the majority of people doing it, we might need to realize that three fingers are pointing back at ourselves.  It isn't just others that do this!  That's the point I'm trying to make.

Smartphones can be good.  I love them.  I love what I can do on them, but sometimes (myself included), we let them control our lives.  If you don't think you do, try shutting it off for 24 hours and putting it away.  Let me know how that is going after an hour or two.

We connect to so many people online, but in many ways we don't connect with anyone.  We just stay behind a screen of likes, favorites, shares and forwards.  We just don't engage with others in a humanistic way.  We are asleep and disconnected and numb for the most part.

If we could limit ourselves and find balance, it would be helpful to the mind and body.  It would make us all more human, rather than these high strung opinionated people we are becoming.

Humans require physical communication with one another, I believe.  I'm not sure I believe that smartphones rise to that level. In the long run, they are hurting us.  They are hurting us because we have lost our balance, and grown asleep in our lives.

Make sure you check out the next part in this 11 part series

 Part 10 is "Feeling Pain In The Body"

 

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Blog Post And Images (c) 2017 by Don Shetterly

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Are You Asleep Online

So, if you read yesterday's blog post from June 13, 2017, this is the point where we jump into things a little deeper.  Are you asleep online?  That's the question, so let's expand upon what I briefly described as an example.

Here's an excerpt from yesterday:

Joe goes browsing through his many social media accounts and only reads a few words.  Rather than reading the whole thing or reading the link behind it, Joe furiously types on his keypad making his point known in response. (click to read the whole example)

We've all been there and done this.  One time doesn't mean much of anything, because we can get so busy that the social media feeds through quicker than what we can keep up with.  If you look at the number of followers I have, you'll understand why my news feed on Twitter zips by quickly.

However, this is more deep than just missing something.  This is not really reading or seeing what is before us, but only taking less than minimal effort to exist in the space of online social media.  Yes, online social media is designed to get us to react, not necessarily think about all the edges of where we are.

Sometimes we need to stop and slow down and think through what it is that we read.  Sometimes we don't have to click on everything we see, and engage.  We end up shortchanging ourselves and the person that shares stuff, which is not respectful at all.

However, in this case, we are far too quick to respond as if we have all the answers, rather than saying, "what can I learn from this" or "how can I apply it to my life?"  Yes, I know, there are far too many memes and thoughts circulated on Twitter and Facebook, but we do need to apply filters.

Just going through the motions of reading without fully seeing all that we are reading is behavior that has us asleep online rather than awake.  It is up to us to engage in a way that is honoring to ourselves and others.  No one can do that for us.  It is solely up to our own choices in how we proceed.

Online social media like Twitter and Facebook should be tools to help enhance our lives, not distract from what it means to be human.  If we want to be awake, it must start within each one of us, for what we do makes up the collective online social media experience.  Let us be awake, rather than asleep.

Make sure you check out the next part in this 11 part series

 Part 3 is "Asleep With The Latest News"

 

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Blog Post And Images (c) 2017 by Don Shetterly

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How Much Do You Notice?

Often we go through our day not seeing what is around us.  It is there, but we just don't see and notice it.  We're too busy in our minds to stop and observe.

I see it every day with people.  The birds chirping outside.  The trees swaying from the breeze.  The sun shining down and giving us warmth.  The clouds forming different shapes in the sky.  All of these things are around us, but we're too busy to notice.

We get on our phones and we're walking down the street texting away, but oblivious to anything else going on.  Our thumbs and neck muscles work harder than our minds.

We get on social media and we comment, share, and like everything about the latest "news storm" of the day, yet we don't fully engage.  We don't notice the bigger picture of what is around us.  We are so microscopically focused on only the rants and raves of the day.

So darn disconnected from it all...

We get in our cars and we turn on the radio, but we never stop to truly notice things around us.  There may be someone that needs some help, or a homeless person that has lost their way.  There may be other things going on around us, but we're just so darn disconnected from it all.  We don't notice.

There is so much going on and if we don't take time to stop and observe it, we are really robbing ourselves of the human experience.  We're not meant to stare at our phones constantly or go from one busy task to another.

Meant to find balance...

We are meant to find balance in our lives as humans.  One of the ways to do this is by stopping and observing what is going on in the world around us.

Most of the latest news rants and political firestorms are nothing but ego, fear, and greed competing for dominance.  They are not as critical to life's sustenance as we think they are.

An experiment...

Try and experiment if you will.  Time yourself if it helps for you to do this little experiment.  Take one minute when you step out the door of your house to notice one thing.  Maybe what you will notice is a bird, a flower or a tree.  Maybe it is the blue sky or the clouds.  Maybe it is a sound.  Whatever it is, just take one minute to notice it.

 

Then on the way home from work, stop and take one minute to notice one thing before getting into your car.  See how it makes you feel.  See if you can breathe into it.

Just stop and ask, listen, and connect.

I've got a feeling one minute will go by very quickly.  More than likely it will change your view and perspective for the day.  More than likely, you'll let go of some of the stress of the day and refocus and center yourself.

You'll most likely find the balance that human body so badly needs, especially in these days of nonstop destruction of our time and attention.

So, go ahead.. try the experiment.  Comment below with what you found.  I'm anxious to hear it.

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Blog Post And Images (c) 2017 by Don Shetterly

• Permission required before any part of this blog post is reprinted, reworded or used in any form. 
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What You Read and Watch Affects You

So often during the day we go through and preach love and acceptance to the world.  We talk about how we should all work together and be accepting (especially for the others in the world).  While that is a good thing, I think we might be missing something.  Let me explain further.

We tend to dismiss what we do while looking down our noses at others, gasping at what they write, create, or upload as a video.  We gasp at the news.  We gasp at the politicians.

However, we don't stop and pay attention to how we play a role in all of this.

What you read and watch affects you.  It impacts your thoughts now and into the future.  It impacts how you view the world and those around you.  It impacts so much of your peace and joy in this world.  It really does.

It really does...

Now I'm not saying to walk around with your head stuck in the ground, ignoring what is going on in the world.  With that said though, most of what you read online generally sucks these days and much of it isn't true.  The rest is so biased and slanted, no matter what source you use.

There is no reporting of fact.  There is no fair and balanced in any of the media. Sorry if that shakes the ground below your feet, but hey - that's about the only fact that has truth to it these days.

So when we glue ourselves to every tweet on Twitter, post on Facebook, or video that is uploaded, we are impacting our life of joy and peace so much.  We are often destroying the life we are meant to live when we can't step away.  When we follow every news pundit, news station and politician, we're giving our mind and body empty calories.

Consuming the garbage...

The more we spend our every minute consuming the garbage that is put out in the world today, the more we are robbing ourselves of something we need.  We can't have love and acceptance of others while filling up our belly on this garbage.  There is no value to it.

Plus, the more you consume this stuff, the more that is going to be put out on a daily basis.  Do you think that if people stopped watching this garbage and paying attention to every hateful and disrespectful tweet, that it would continue to come out?  The more you pay attention and watch and read the stuff, the more they do it.  If everyone got as wise as they think they are and stopped consuming all of it, things would change.

It really is up to each one of us to make a choice as to what we let into our lives.  No, you can't live being completely oblivious to what is going on, but too much of it takes up far too much of anyone's time these days.  We are so unconscious as a human population, that there is no wonder why the garbage propagates faster than a virus.

You can't control what others do, but you can control the choices you make and what you let into your life.  Don't say that you're for acceptance and then retweet and share everything that comes along.  You're basically no better than that which you despise.

We need people who are more conscious in life.  We need more people who truly walk the talk and have love and respect from deep within their heart.  It is more than mere words.  We need people who are aware, not following whatever is being said on their TV, in a tweet, or a video.  We've got to be better than that if we want this civilization to survive and  thrive on this planet.

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Blog Post And Images (c) 2017 by Don Shetterly

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Unsolicited Advice Gimmicks

So I was logging on to my Twitter account and I read a tweet someone sent me that made my eyes bulge out of my head.  I'm not going to name the individual because I do not want to give them any publicity for the way they tweet others.

The tweet said, "Shed Up To 16 pounds in 14 Days".  That's all it said, and it was tweeted to me directly.  Really?   Hmm!

Yes, I know - these automated direct messages and tweets that many think are how you market make my eyes roll 50 times around my head.  And yes I know...  they are so annoying and ridiculous, but...  that's not my point of this blog post.

I would hate to lose 16 pounds.  Maybe a few could be okay, but 16 would be a lot for me and ridiculous.  So, for someone to automatically think I need to lose weight without even knowing me personally, I really question their motives.

Yes, I know, people do all kinds of tricks and gimmicks on Twitter.  Giving unsolicited health advice like this is just plain wrong.  It is foolish to do things like this and could be harmful for people.  Of course, they most likely don't care because they are just trying to get you to buy something.  They are looking for a sale.  Who cares about the health of a person!

Weight is secondary to the mind body...

I don't focus on weight gain or loss.  It is secondary to what is going on within the body and our emotional health.  It is like putting a Band-Aid on someone who was in a car accident, and thinking you're doing something good.

I don't use my Twitter feed to promote gimmicks, and this person was obviously doing that in the initial tweet and in their responses.  More power to them if they think this is acceptable behavior, but I find it reprehensible.

You can't just go around throwing unsolicited advice to everyone thinking that this is okay.  There are other factors to consider, and these quick weight loss things are a joke!  Sorry if that offends anyone, but there are far too many weight loss gimmicks out there.  If they worked, they would never be needed again.

I do realize that many on social media don't care about facts and truth.  They just want to make money.  Making money at the expense of other people's health is less than human.  Find a way to have some respect about yourself or just don't do it.

Regardless of what others may choose to do, I refuse to partake in gimmicks like this.  If you think my Twitter feed and blog are about gimmicks such as this, you have completely misjudged the content I create. 

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Blog Post And Images (c) 2017 by Don Shetterly

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How Impersonal Can You Get?

I scratch my head sometimes trying to figure out the human species.  We have all these communication forms at our fingertips and yet, it seems like we don't know how to communicate.

We are so busy with our lives, that we don't stop to take a moment and say "hello" or "how are you doing" or some other simple statement.  We just go on and on about how busy we are and how we've got a zillion things to do and how we just don't have time to keep up with any of our friends.  We apologize ad nausea until our repeated apologies sound like a broken record.

Yet, the minute the latest political story of the day comes out, we are on it so hard.  We're tweeting away, we're texting our friends, or we're liking it on Facebook.  It becomes our sole focus and then consumes us, but yet, we are too busy for others in our lives.

Anything more than a simple text or tweet or Facebook like seems to be quite complicated for most humans these days.  I mean, why engage and truly let someone know they matter in your life, when you can just click a little heart or click a like.  How impersonal can you get?  Yes, I know these platforms draw you in to make it so easy to do, but it is the lowest form of communication that you can do.

I see various people that I've communicated with on a regular basis ignore me almost since I'm no longer real active on Facebook.  Without Facebook, it is like you don't exist.  If you don't text people, it is like you don't exist.  Sorry, but how in the world did we ever manage up to this point in time without Facebook, Text Message, and Twitter?  I'm being sarcastic there of course.

If my memory serves me correctly, there is a song that Tracy Lawrence sings (might have the wrong country music artist) but it is about if everyone had a front porch - in other words - people got to know one another and communicate with one another.  It is a thing of the past that I miss.  Yet, in those days, we only saw and heard what we wanted to see as well.  It wasn't always a good thing as we want to remember.

We've become so impersonal with our communication that we barely know one another.  We're more interested in screaming at one another through social media, than we are seeing each other through eyes of love, compassion, and understanding.  We're more interested in screaming our beliefs and opinions at one another than we are just communicating with one another.  We're more interested in hating one another than truly loving each other.

If we don't watch out, we will wake up one of these days and wonder who these other two-legged creatures are around us.  It takes communication.  It takes not being too busy for others.  It takes really making a personal effort by each one of us to make an attempt to see those around us in our life as if they matter.

Are we too busy for others?  Unfortunately, the rhetorical question deserves an answer of YES.  It is up to each one of us to change that.  It isn't the fault of anyone else out there in the world.  Either you're too busy for others in your life or you make time for them.  It is that plain and simple.

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Blog Post And Images (c) 2017 by Don Shetterly

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I Choose To Ignore

There is far too much going on in this world to worry about it all.  If you're not careful, you become wrapped up in other people's negativity and toxicity.  It will render you into a crying mess of an existence.

I choose to ignore it.  It is the best thing I can do for my own sanity.  Engaging with people that have no desire but to destroy themselves and others does absolutely no good for me.  It is unhealthy and if I'm not careful, it attempts to suck me down into the mud pit they are in.

I choose to ignore some of the most hateful comments and tweets and shares that I see.  For some are not up to the goal of being human.

I choose to ignore the ones that just try to bait you to get a rise out of you with their hurtful statements, thoughts, and language.

I choose to ignore the memes that provoke your compassionate side because someone needs attention and they get it by playing on your sensitivities.

I choose to ignore the people who think they are the experts and instead of being authentic, they show their own ignorance with a half-baked idea and plan.

I choose to ignore those that only see one side of an issue, not because they haven't seen more, but they choose to not see more.  Only one side is all they wish to see.

I choose to ignore those that seem to want to hurt others and that it is okay with them in how they do this.  They may think it is okay, but it does nothing to help a fellow traveler along in this world.

I choose to ignore being ignored by others because their life is too busy or they don't care or they just don't value my time as an individual.

I choose to ignore the hatred, the mean-spirited and the grandstanding in this world because it serves no purpose and the more I give it a container to grow in, the more I'm a part of its growth.

I choose to ignore the single focused obsession with only one view in life.  I know there is so much more and so it serves no benefit to me.

I choose to ignore the one side pitted against the other because instead of helping one another, we stand opposed which ultimately weakens all of us.

I choose to ignore those that preach love and acceptance and respect, but then go out and do just the opposite through their own words, actions, and thoughts.

I choose to ignore those that just try to get attention in any way possible and by doing so, they disrespect all those that need a little extra in a day.

At this moment, I'm not willing to engage with people in many of these things.  If someone is truly wanting to engage and try to understand, then I will be there with bells on.  However, I see far too much disrespect and hatred these days that I have no desire to be a part of in my life.

I see far too much fear and if fear is not harnessed and learned from, it becomes a poison that spreads to every member of society and every cell of the body.  When fear rules, we lessen the overall human experience and we degrade awareness and consciousness down into a nutrient-less bubble.

May we rise above and may we see more than the world we currently see.  We've got to be better than this as humans.  We've got to be better than this as a world.  For if we continue to stand opposed, we will never be able to stand up against the things that life brings into our view.

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Blog Post And Images (c) 2017 by Don Shetterly

• Permission required before any part of this blog post is reprinted, reworded or used in any form. 
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How We Treat One Another

Some days I feel like I'm writing for the heck of it.  It is almost like my words mean nothing and fall on deaf ears.

I see the hatred shared online from people who despise the hatred.  I see people getting angry acting as if I should only post stuff that they like and God forbid we don't see things the same way.

How we treat one another these days is mind boggling.  How we censor others is mind boggling.  How we get up on our pedestals and somehow demand others treat us as if we have all the answers is mind boggling.

We have replaced love with hate.  We have replaced our religious beliefs with intolerance.  We have denigrated those that wish to speak up by making them out to be horrible people we make fun of and call names.

What gives here? 

Where is our humanness?

Where is the love we proclaim we have?

We can't walk down both sides of the fence at one time.  We can't proclaim we love others and we want tolerance if we throw mud at those who disagree with us.

Aren't we better than that?  Don't we realize that the more we do this online that we're just being anything but human?

Seems like I have more rhetorical questions than there are answers.  Maybe the answers are there, but no one wishes to see it or hear it.

Heck, I don't have all the answers either, but I at least try to not make fun of others.  I try to not degrade and mock other people.

Our social media accounts show our true nature I think.  If someone wrote a book about us based upon what we share and like online, I've got a feeling that many people would be doing damage control.

It is sad.  It angers me to see the way we treat each other, especially online.  It angers me to see people talk about love and respect and tolerance, but then they go and do the same thing they despise.

It almost, no it does, remind me of the house I grew up in with the church-going-family who hated everyone that didn't think like them.  Maybe that's why this bothers me so much.  I have already lived this once in my life.

Little did I know, I would have to relive it again.  Where's the spaceship - I want to find a new planet that has tolerance and love, not hatred disguised as love.

May we all try a little harder to share a little less online and love a little more.  That's my hope!

Maybe we could work to be a little bit more conscious and aware.  After all, those things are not evident because of words, but because of the actions we portray.

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Blog Post And Images (c) 2017 by Don Shetterly

• Permission required before any part of this blog post is reprinted, reworded or used in any form. 
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Online Obsession

Every day I try to log on to my social media accounts, I see obsession with particular individual or world events.  No, I'm not going to name them because it is secondary to what I am writing.  The obsession online is mind boggling.  It seems to be all that anyone can talk about, focus on or share with everyone.

I just don't get it.  Unless everyone is locked into the trauma of the situation, isn't there more to this life and the world?  Does every waking moment need to be about one person or one event or one whatever it may be?  I know, that's a rhetorical question.

Of course, social media tends to be for the most part about superficial topics.  We go from one sensationalized headline to another, one celebrity to another, all the time oblivious to what our life is really like.

If you can't tell, I don't follow 99% of that stuff online.  We don't have cable anymore and from what I see playing out in social media, I don't think I'm missing a thing.  I don't watch the TV news - not any of the TV stations, so I don't get swept up into the frenzy of fear most days.

There is good online...

Yes, there is some great stuff online in social media where it is truly trying to make a difference.  This obsession online though with the repeated over and over single focus drives me insane.  It serves no purpose, but everyone has to eat, breathe and depend upon what is being fed to them.

I'm not saying you have to give it up but maybe it is more helpful to find some balance in our day.  It doesn't do your mind and body any good to stay this engaged in the fear and hyped up engagements of the day.  It isn't good for your nervous system, your overall health and your mental health.  It is damaging if you stay in this stuff every day.

Yes, I know it isn't easy walking away from it.  Everyone thinks they have to like, share, and post it all day long.  If you go to YouTube it is there.  If you go to websites, ads pop up with all of it.

Another world outside of this...

If you can begin to step away from it, you'll find that there is another world outside of this.  There is a world that exists which is much more deep and fulfilling than this online obsession.

It reminds me of a city I lived in, who had to build up the barriers between the cars on the expressways.  If there was an accident or a car stopped and people going the opposite direction could see it, traffic would back up.  It was like everyone had to just look and see the accident, even though it was usually horrible to view.

We are like that online.  Even though we think it is horrible or it makes us fearful, we stay so engaged to it.  It is like a deer in the headlights.

We need balance and we need it badly.  No, it doesn't begin with everyone else.  It begins within each one of us.  What we choose to take in each day says so much.  If we are engaged in that which we so despise, then we are just as much a part of the problem as that which we complain about in our day.

#OnlineSocialMedia 

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Blog Post And Images (c) 2017 by Don Shetterly

• Permission required before any part of this blog post is reprinted, reworded or used in any form. 
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Living Life Without Obsessing About Life

A struggle I've been having in life, trying to live in life without being overtaken by it.  I see many obsessing with the news of the day and while that is of importance to my life, I am so burnt out on it.  I can't take it most days.  I can't deal with it most days.

In my mind, I keep asking myself, how do I go on living life without obsessing about life.  To me, there has to be more than just the latest news story of the day.  There has to be!

I no longer watch TV news of any type.  We gave that up years ago and I am so happy that we did.  There is a much greater peace of mind without seeing the screaming pundits talk about one subject after another.  And no - I'm not taking sides here because all sides do this.

Yet, if I log on to twitter or go online, I have the news shoved in my face.  I have obsession with the news shoved in my face.  It is almost like there is nothing else that matters in this world than the latest news story of the day.

It often makes me want to puke.  I scream out in my house, but what does that get me - cats that run and neighbors that probably wonder.  I just can't deal with the news stuff and seeing it at every turn in life, is more than I can take.

Overtaken our lives...

I wonder though if the obsession that most seem to have is a good thing.  It truly feels like to me that it has overtaken our lives and left us reduced down to a single focused entity.  It doesn't feel healthy to me in the least.

I see people screaming all day and I see many not listening.  I see people just telling everyone how they should think and believe, but no one is listening to the other.  Yes, I've written about this subject before, but it just seems to wipe out the enjoyment of life.

Am I saying we should go hide in a closet?  No!  Am I saying we shouldn't engage on issues that we care about?  No!  Am I saying we should just all get along in a peaceful world with no conflict?  Probably not!  That may just be wishful thinking.

Reach out with our hearts...

Yet, I think there is much we can do to help this world along by listening and trying to reach out with our hearts.  I think there is a lot we can impact by not being so obsessed with the latest news story of the day.

Heck, most of these news stories, regardless of the source, are biased and presented as fact, but are the opinion of the news delivery service.  None are better than the other because they ALL do it!

I don't know.  I don't have the answers either.  I just see people being so obsessed with some of the things in life rather than living life.  It is robbing us of joy.  It is robbing us of peace.  Is there a way we can engage without obsessing?  I'm not sure.

The thing I do know is if we are all screaming at the top of our lungs at one another, we're probably not going to get anywhere.  Some things are as they are for whatever reason we may not understand in this moment.  If we let them rule our day, then we've lost our life.  If we don't keep focus and balance, then we will become too weak to stand.

My hope is that we all learn how to use our hearts to listen more and scream less.  My hope is that we begin to see each other (and that means everyone) as human, not as enemies.  We're all on this planet earth and if we don't learn to work together, it may get to a point one day where it will be too late.

#Balance

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Blog Post And Images (c) 2017 by Don Shetterly

• Permission required before any part of this blog post is reprinted, reworded or used in any form. 
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Are Humans Really That Hateful

I see a meanness online these days and it truly bothers me.  If you think I should not be bothered by it, then this blog post is not for you.  In fact, I just got called out for caring about what gets forced in front of our eyes every day.  You can't avoid it, unless you just don't go online.

I have to wonder though, are humans as hateful as they show online?  Do they really hate others as much as their words and actions show?  Or is there a major disconnect and the what people show online is different than they actually are?

My next question would lead me to authenticity.  If you can't be the same online that you are in person to your friends, coworkers and acquaintances, then which persona should we believe?  Who really are you?

I think this matters greatly because by treating each other with so much hatred while proclaiming we are great individuals, is extremely harmful to the world-at-large.  Words, actions, and thoughts do matter.  A thought born out of love can really help someone's day while thoughts born out of hate can really incite significant pain upon others.

We can't just sit back and hide our heads in the sand, because it truly matters.  How we treat others is propagated on to other people many times over.  It hurts.  It harms.  It keeps people hunkering down in their caves of anxiety and depression.

How we treat others is what helps this world advance or decline!  I'm sorry if that goes against your beliefs and opinions, but you can just take a look at humanity through the ages and see how true this is. 

The world is difficult enough on our good days and if we can't walk hand-in-hand together towards a better outcome, will this world even make it?  If we stand opposed and fight and nitpick and manipulate with our opinions and beliefs, may the world somehow survive because the odds are against it in this scenario.

Yes, it does matter if we truly understand whether humans are really that hateful with one another.  To ignore this, is being part of the problem that self-propagates throughout online social media.  We had better wake up before it is too late.  In this case, there will not be any do overs.

#Hate

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Blog Post And Images (c) 2017 by Don Shetterly

• Permission required before any part of this blog post is reprinted, reworded or used in any form. 
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