I once again look back on the issue of violence in our world. The answer that I came up with after I looked through the eyes of Curi Osity is that we can’t just bandage up a problem by increasing our security. We have to remember that before we fix something that is broken to find out why it broke in the first place. For every rhyme there is a reason. When someone responds there is a catalyst that makes them respond to issues in a certain way. When we give love we get love back. When we show hatred we get hatred back. It is tragic to see the results of hatred and even killings in this world. Everyone comes into this world with one beating heart and one living brain. We are all virgin to the world and enter with a clean slate. We are all equally the same to eventually decide what we want to do with our lives.
When we look through the times of all the tragedy in the world we really need to take a good look at the person in the mirror and look through our eyes of Curi Osity and ask ourselves, “How do I treat others? Have I ever bullied anyone? Have I ever cut anyone down to put myself on a pedestal? Have I ever talked without listening to what was on the other person’s mind? Have I ever walked away from a conversation with someone when another person entered a room only to talk again with that person after the new comer left? Have I sincerely looked and listened to another person empathetically? Have I ever treated someone as a outcast?” We need to take interest and take special interest in the interests of others and listen when they talk and not just our own views. People will be a mirror reflection of the way we treat them. When you treat people as we would treat the person in the mirror you will see that the world will be a better place for all of us. Everyone has feelings and wants to be respected for who they are. What a good feeling within when you spread the joy of life because it will return back to you.
Take the Time to Listen
I know I have talked about this in other chapters of this book, but I wanted to dedicate this one chapter exclusively to developing listening skills in yourself. It is so turnkey to do this one thing in anything you will encounter in life. I have to say that I myself am guilty of poor listening skills. It is vital to attain good listening skills within yourself.
Many times in discussions with my wife Cathy I find myself rattling off at the mouth talking about things that I want to talk about and when she starts talking I cut her short without realizing i’m doing it. The other night Cathy said to me, “You need to take time and take interest in hearing what I have to say and let me talk.” Cathy was so right. It was like a light bulb that had lit up in my head and she gave me the answer to a lot of my questions of Curi Osity by her looking through her eyes.
My questions of Curi Osity grew and this was the magical answer to all of my questions:
Why is there so much violence in the world?
Why do relationships break up?
Why do people retaliate?
Why can’t we come to an agreement?
Why can’t I remember what was said?
The answer was so so simple. When dealing in conversations with other people we just need to stop, look, and LISTEN. Good communication and negotiation skills in people come to those who take the time to stop and empathetically look through the eyes of Curi Osity of the other person and listen to what they have to say. If the other person hasn’t learned such listening skills yet just nicely ask them to please listen and hear what you have to say. Once both people are looking through the eyes of Curi Osity in each other then the connection of good communication and negotiations skills between one another will have then been made and the world will be a much better place.
Talk is Cheap
We all make promises to ourselves and say we are going to do this and we are going to do that but in the end it never ever happens. How many times in your life have you caught yourself saying, “One of these days i’m going to make it a point to…” The only thing is when you make statements like that one of these days never comes. It is so true in life that talk is cheap and easy to say anything that you are going to do. There is a huge difference between talking the talk and walking the walk. The bottom line is if we are going to get anywhere in life we have got to set out to do the things that we say we are going to do and not procrastinate about doing it. It is way too easy to say we are going to do something and then the next thing that you know it never happens.
Get in the habit if you say you are going to talk about doing something schedule a date as to when you are actually going to do it. The more organized you are the more successful you will be with accomplishing your goals. I always try to make it a habit of documenting everything that I say i’m going to do. The more organized that you can be when setting out to doing what you say you are going to do the better off you will be and the better you are going to feel about yourself.
Remember, and this is so turn-key, if you are going to talk the talk then you better learn to walk the walk.
When Visions of Dreams Turn into Reality
We all have visions of dreams in our lives. For example how many times have you made a wish saying, “I wish I could loose some weight and get to be nice and slim?” Or maybe some of your wishes were one of the following: I wish I could take a nice tropical vacation. I wish I had a lot of money and was financially secure. I wish I would have pursued acting as a career. I wish I could learn an instrument really well. I wish that I could be a singer and make a recording. I wish people would treat me with the respect that I deserve. I wish everyone would quit all their complaining. I wish I could get around to doing my taxes. I always had a dream that I could be debt-free and start enjoying life a little bit. I always have had a dream that I could be able to live the kind of lifestyle that I realistically always have wanted.
If this is the lifestyle that you have been living, based on wishes and visions of dreams, then you need to stop what you are doing right now at this very moment and make the commitment to yourself that you are going to set realistic goals to turn your wishes and dreams into reality. I want you to stop right now at this very moment and if you have a wish or a dream that you want to accomplish in your life then I want you to set a goal and a destination that you need to set to turn your wishes and visions of dreams into reality. You have got to set your goals. What steps are you going to take realistically day by day to reach your destination and then document your progress each and every day of your life to reach your destination? Remember in life, if you never take a step day by day in your life to reach to where you want to be in your life you will never walk a mile. Once you set your goal and take your steps to get there you can never ever stop until you reach your destination. Only then can you turn your wishes and visions of dreams into reality. If you don’t make that commitment to yourself and take action the goals that you set will never ever happen and that’s all your wishes and dreams will ever be is what they are. Only with persistance, dedication, and commitment can it ever be turned into a reality. Trust me when that happens and you reach your goal you as a person will feel amazing. Remember the only person who can set your life straight is you and you alone. You are totally in charge of your own life and whatever decision you make the bottom line is you and you alone is the one who has to live with it. Besides, once you make that commitment you will see how wonderful life can actually be and your lifestyle will begin to be a whoe lot healthier and your life will take on new meaning.
What Drives You Crazy?
Curi Osity wants to know, What drives you crazy?
This is a fun chapter. Everyone has certain things in life that drives them crazy. I thought I would list a few of the things that drive me crazy. Here are just a few of them.
Going