Details, Details, Details

Did You know May is

Mystery Month

National BBQ Month

National Hamburger Month

National Salad Month

National Photograph Month

National Date Your Mate Month

National Re-commitment Month

and National Older Americans Month

How do you celebrate them all? I have a solution: 

So if you are of a certain age, take a selfie while on a date with your spouse to renew your vows...and celebrate by dining on BBQ Hamburgers, switching fries for a salad, of course – and you've got it all down....except for the mystery part. Where the heck are ya gonna be able to go to do all this during social distancing? aha, that's the mystery to celebrate!

Details, details, details...it's all in the details. It's true, to when manifesting...it's in the details!

In the last few weeks, I have read or re-read some great inspirational books...

The Game of Life and How To Play It by Florence Scovel Shin

The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran

The Science of Getting Rich by Wallace Wattles

...and a few others in my “New Thought Guy Reads” series I do on Facebook, M - F

at 5pm Pacific Time. They all, at one time or another, start saying that the details make

the design of your experiences.

What details are you playing on a loop in your mind? Are they full of der Teufel steckt im detail? Is fear & negativity on the agenda or giving up before starting? You could say that, in that case, the Devil is in the detail. Or is the cycle, as Flaubert indicated, Le bon Dieu est dans le détail. Full of joy, fun, a bevy of imagination, envisioning your best life; where the Good God is in the detail?

Now I am not prescribing to the idea of the devil versus angel going on in your thinking. I am talking about having a negative perspective versus a positive one going on the loop in your mind. Basically, I am wondering, what's your perspective? is it a life of mediocrity or greatness? a society full of the commonplace or exceptionalism? determined by your age and health coinciding in some deterioration or continued health and healing? What thoughts are you holding on to?

As of this writing, today is National Pack Rat Day

                                                                                      “calling all hoarders, calling all hoarders”

We are all hoarders of some type. Some hoard their time, talent, treasure; some their  feelings and emotions; others like to hoard their ideation of lack or limitation or not enoughness. This hoarding of ideas are the details the Universe uses to shape our experiences.

Such as are your habitual thoughts, such also will be the character of your mind; for the soul is dyed by the thoughts.  ~Marcus Aurelius

And so are our experiences - they are dyed, filtered, molded, sculpted, colored, patterned, and birthed from our habitual thoughts.

In Feeling Good: The New Mood Therapy, Dr. David Burns outlines common negative thinking patterns, or cognitive distortions, as he calls them, that create these habitual thoughts. They are:

 

All-or-Nothing Thinking

“I can’t believe I ate a handful of potato chips. I’ve completely failed at my diet. I may as well eat the entire bag now.”

 Over-generalization

  “I really thought I had that job. Now I’ll never land one and will be unemployed forever.”

 Magnification or Catastrophizing

“I fumbled over my words and the broadcast didn't work well. People must think I am the dumbest minister on the planet. Nobody will watch or listen because of this. My ministry is at an end!"  That one is a bunch of bullshit that's gone through my head and some others I've talked to during this use of online presentations.

Emotional Reasoning:

​​​​​​ “I have felt so anxious and stressed out lately, which must mean my problems are pretty major and near impossible to overcome.”

Shoulda /Woulda / Coulda Statements

You know them.

Also, in Psychology Today, Dr. Melanie Greenberg added these two:

Negative Rumination

Continuously focusing on negative outcomes.

Overthinking

Trying to think of and plan for every possible scenario, attempting to control what is out of your control, in an effort to avoid pain or failure. Now that is working too much in the 'how' zone, which is not your prerogative nor your problem.

So how do stop being a 'hoarder of negative ideas? 

There is, within ourselves, the answer to every question, and the solution of every problem; that Spirit makes the demand, and will answer that demand from within, when we allow ourselves to wait for the mental storm to die down. "Be still, and know" is the secret of guidance, as it is of every problem of life. A perturbed mind can never get the correct answer -- a stilled mind always can, because the answer comes from the God within.   ~Ernest Holmes, Power for Good Lesson 10

Of course, I was going to mention a deep spiritual practice and seeking allies, mentors, spiritual or cognitive counseling; in order to redirect those habitual negative hoarding thoughts. More usual reminders in turning off the news (please), reading something inspiring (you are), use affirmations when you wake up and when you go to bed (like the one at the bottom of this post), do Earl Nightingale's 30 day challenge or follow the concepts of Wallace Wattles in “The Science of Getting Rich,” etc. - create a respite from the constant knocking about of and getting knocked about from the negative ideas in rolling around in your head. 

 

Those hoarded negative ideas want attention. They want to remind you of their promise of ease and “normalcy” if you stick with them. It screams, "the devil is in the details, it's scary to change, be careful-it's difficult-watch out, stay here-it's easier in the norm, don't go breakin' the status quo, don't rock the boat or change the Holy order-for God's sake, stay the course...it works!"

It's all b.s. in your belief system. It's time to address your inner critic; challenge it, tell it to get lost or say “void” or “delete” when such junk shows up, or even thank it and bless it to its highest and farthest. Another great thing to do is change your environment when the yelling starts - take a walk, go for a run or a bike ride; anything to break the cycle by breaking the patterns. The more you do this, the more a new habit occurs and you take control of what is going on in your mind. 

Our faith comes in moments; our vice is habitual. Yet there is a depth in those brief moments which constrains us to ascribe more reality to them than to all other experiences.  ~Emerson, The Over-Soul

Ascribe to the reality of your faith! Make it constant. It is said, “When the vision is clear, the decision is easy.”  I say, when the details are clear, the manifesting is easy.

When you come up with a theory, you fall in love with the beauty the simplicity and elegance of it. But then you have to get a sheet of paper and pencil and crack out all the details. Hundreds and hundreds of pages. Because you have to prove it ~Michio Kaku, physicist

Translation:  fall in love with the idea, then write down the specifics - what does it looks like, smell like, sound like, feel like and even taste like. Get into the details, tell the story, and live the story in your mind. A physicist has to prove their theories to others, we only have to prove it to ourselves

As you listen to the Divine Wisdom within you, you will receive your inspiration and guidance.  As you speak your word, think your thoughts, or make your affirmations with complete conviction, you will discover that you are using a Power that actually is, and that actually does respond to you.  The Spirit within you is God, the infinite Source of your intelligence and wisdom and creative power.   ~Ernest Holmes, Power of Idea

God is in the details...so give the Universe some ... what's it look like, smell like, taste like, feel like when you are in it or have it? Envision it, live in it, soak in it!

Details, details, details
Get some and watch your life soar!

Affirmation

Divine Wisdom guides my every decision, lighting my path to greatness.

I follow Its lead to understanding my purpose and power.

I follow Its lead to the knowledge that I need to absorb.

I follow Its lead, staying awake and aware to all the signs, signals, red flags, cues, messages, lessons, hints, pointers, symptoms, inspirations, and ideas It presents to me.

I am lit by the Light of Divine Clarity and go forth educated, illuminated, joyous, grateful and ready to live an awesome life.