What Do You See?

WHAT DO YOU SEE?

Edition 61. February 2024 Quick note: For the full length MP3 audio version of this blog post, click on the AUDIO PLAYER tool in the banner at the top of this website.

PART I

When I think about how much we’ve lost over just the last four years, since Covid first showed up...how much we’ve been damaged from it and how far we’ve strayed from normal…well, I tend to get angry.

If you held any doubt as to the competency, honesty and integrity of the people we've elected to lead us, prior to the Covid debacle, I certainly hope you can see clearly now. Never have we seen more corrupt, more dishonest, more inept and more incompetent leaders.

Never have we been subjected to such a global scam.

But there is one thing that should have all of us asking a question... Why? Why did we follow them over the cliff like lemmings!

We must stop this insanity!

They simply must be gotten rid of…voted out of office!

FOREVER!

They simply must not be allowed to continue destroying our economies and our lives!

EVER!

They cannot be permitted to steal even one more of our liberties!

We must stop this insanity!

I apologize. My goal today is not to focus on the negativity of what we’ve collectively experienced over the past four years. My goal is to put all that behind us and get back on track. Ironically, to do this I want to start by going back in time to tell you about one particular seminar I gave twenty-four years ago now.

It took place at the beautiful Biltmore Hotel in Coral Gable Florida in December of 2009. Let me begin by saying the conference room was beyond impressive. Hand-cut coquina stone ceiling arches, walls paneled in rich tropical hardwoods, crystal chandeliers, brocade wallpaper…old Florida at its best! I am going to tell you a bit about that day and the significance of what I opened with and how it is even more significant today…

a single, small black dot in an ocean of white

On the day of the seminar, I made sure everyone was seated before I came into the room. As I was being introduced, four exceptionally talented members of my staff were busy getting everyone relaxed, walking amongst the tables, placing a single sheet of white paper, face down, in front of each person attending. On the linen-covered table in front of each attendee was also a tablet with my company logo, a gift pen, a bottle of San Pellegrino sparkling water and small plate of chocolate mints.

Everyone in the room was instructed not to turn over the single sheet of paper until I had the chance to explain to them what we were going to do…

“I am going to give all of you a test before we begin!” I said. “Don’t worry! It is one simple essay question. In a few moments I am going to ask you to turn over the paper you’ve been given.”

Several people began to turn it over despite my request to wait...

“Don’t do it yet!” I warned. “When I tell you to turn it over, I am going ask the question. Then you will have five minutes to answer. Is everyone with me?”

Everyone nodded their heads in agreement. With that being said, I then told them to turn over the paper.

As I’d expected, everyone in the room had the same reaction...each face showed the same expressions.

Bewilderment

Confusion

Suspicion

On the sheet of paper before them, they each saw one small, single black dot in the very center of the very white page.

“OK!” I said “Here is the test question! Are you ready?”

They were. They were eager to write. I had them right where I wanted them...

“Pick up your pens,” I instructed. “On the back of your piece of paper I want you to write a paragraph or two about what you see on the other side. Perhaps you can do it in a single sentence...or a single word.

You can write anything you want…whatever comes to your mind. Use your imagination. There is no need to sign it...your answers will all be kept anonymous.”

Looking at the clock on the wall, I counted down to zero. Then I said…

“You’ve got five minutes starting...right...now! GO!”

It took a moment or two for everyone to get started and when I signaled, “Times up!” more than a few kept writing...wanting to capture the last of their deep thinking.

Then those same four incredibly talented staff members of mine walked among the tables again, this time collecting the test papers. They brought them up to me on the dais. I scanned through a few of them before I started reading them aloud. I read the first ten...

“Without a single exception,” I said after the tenth, “I see that all of you have focused on the black dot. You’ve tried to explain its importance or its significance and why it was in the middle of the page.”

Then I read a few more of the answers before I stopped and assembled all the pages into one single pile...

“I want to tell you something else,” I said. “There was no right or wrong answer to this test and I most certainly am not going to grade you on it. I just wanted to get an idea of your way of thinking and an example of your perception. With a few exceptions, everyone has answered in much the same way. You all focused on the tiny black dot. Not a single person wrote about the ocean of white paper that surrounds it.”

I went on to explain that their perception of the black dot being the most important thing on the blank page reflected much of how they no doubt saw the world and things in their own lives…

“We have this whole, bright and beautiful world available to us to observe, enjoy and participate in every single day,” I said, “but for some reason we always tend to focus on the dark spots.”

OK! Now I am back to talking to those of you who are reading or listening to this today…

Are you a “black-spot spotter?

Do you tend to focus on the darker side of an issue, situation or circumstance?

For example, when you speak about what you’ve witnessed over the last four years and continue to experience today…

a pandemic

riots in the streets

blatant corruption of your news media

the insanity of gender fluidity

the despicable depths to which social media has devolved

more wars returning to our world stage

lying politicians vying for even more control over you

...are you seeing light at the end of the tunnel? Or are you just seeing more darkness?

It is of utmost importance that you understand something...

What you are thinking about and what you are saying out loud (and to yourself) on a daily basis has extreme power and influence over the decisions, the choices and the actions you take and make...

in so, so many ways!

Over the last month or so, Diana and I have been paying close attention to the content of our conversations. We were amazed at how often the only thing we spoke about, for hours on end, was the horrible condition of the world. And we were dismayed when we realized how filled with negativity, resentment and anger our words were.

I bet your conversations are not all that different from ours

Our thoughts and words can spread beyond us. They affect others in ways that are harmful or helpful.

Harmful...if we are filled with negativity and limited opportunity.

Helpful...if we are coming from a place of positivity and boundless possibility.

Each and every moment of each and every day we have a choice that is entirely within our control. We can choose to act and think and speak with either...

positivity

or

negativity.

In the past fifteen years, we’ve endured a massive economic crisis, endless streams of refugees fleeing their war-torn countries and widespread social unrest. On top of that, the corrupt Far-Left politicians and activist organizations have been unrelenting in their attacks on our freedoms, our moralities and our way of life. They are, as Barack Obama so ominously put it...

fundamentally transforming the world

They are disrupting and polluting everything we have held near and dear for centuries. What was once normal is now abnormal. What was once right is now wrong. What was once the truth we are being forced to believe has always been a lie.

And as if all that weren’t enough to weaken our resolve and crush our spirit, COVID 19 came along.

We have reached our tipping point

PART II

It would appear the pandemic has come to an end. But it is my firmest (and saddest) belief that another pandemic is awaiting us…

a pandemic of negativity

And this one I fear will have far, far greater consequences and longer-lasting damage than what we’ve just gone through.

If you think I am exaggerating, just take a good look at the discourse on social media and the narratives on the mainstream news broadcasts. Everything today is filled with fear, negativity, false claims, the pointing of fingers and the laying of blame.

Listen to the conversations that you are having with your own families and friends. Yours are probably not much different than Diana’s and mine.

We have become a society consumed with negativity!

Nothing good will come from this unless we consciously and intentionally change direction.

When I ask people how they are doing, once we get beyond the chit-chat and the perfunctory answers of “Oh…I’m fine.” or “I guess I’m managing to get through it.” the real truth is exposed…

“Actually…I’m anxious. I’m overwhelmed. I’m lonely.”

“To tell you the truth I’m completely burned out!”

“I fear I’ve lost my sense of optimism.”

“I no longer have hope for a better future.”

“I’m not a religious person, but these sure look like end times.”

“I am broke, I can’t make ends meet anymore.”

“I’m not sure how much longer I can keep going like this.”

These are the real answers I am hearing. Many people are struggling right now. You may be one of them. I fear this will be the case for many months, even years, to come...especially if the Progressives remain in power throughout the world. Returning to normal and creating a happy, successful future for ourselves and our loved ones is going to require so much more than just coping.

We have an opportunity before us to do something significant…something meaningful, something more than just getting through what we’ve gone through. We can strive with all our might to get back as close to what life was like before those evil people committed the heinous act of developing a killer virus in a laboratory and letting it loose on the world.

I know this as fact…the push for freedom is returning.

A return of our rights.

A return to normal.

A return to morality.

A return to common sense thinking.

The right to go out in public and not be fearful

The train is leaving the station my friends. Please, I beg you to get on board now…

do not wait or it will be too late!

I turn to Albert Einstein and something he is quoted as saying…

“In the midst of every crisis lies great opportunity.”

Most people are grasping for something they can do, right now, to make their world better. Even if only a little bit. I believe there is no better place to start than with our thoughts and our words. Changing our thoughts and our words will change our actions. Our actions will change our lives.

We seem to have forgotten how to be courteous with and tolerant of one another. We’ve lost sight of the fact that it is possible to disagree with someone and, at the same time, think and speak kindly to and of that person. It is possible to speak kindlier and more positively to and about ourselves as well.

We must ensure we are consuming a steady diet of positive and factual information.

We must be alert always to what it is that we are reading and listening to.

We must set boundaries for what we need to avoid or limit.

One of the more common laments I hear from the many people who write to me, those who have been physically or emotionally traumatized by what has transpired over the last four years...negatively impacted financially or crushed by bureaucracy in one manner or another, is that they feel that they have lost control over their lives or have little to no power. And worse than that...

they have no idea how to take it back

They tell me they feel that other people have been making their decisions and taking action for them. Dishonest politicians, the power-hungry bureaucrats and government-funded experts on everything, have intruded into their daily lives. They have had unnecessary pain and irreparable damage inflicted upon them. And as a result, they feel that they can no longer make decisions for themselves without feeling...

fearful

guilt-ridden

anxious

And as a result, they have become...

resentful

angry

bitter

They feel betrayed by their leaders and even a bit foolish…foolish for having gone along with what they now see has been a carefully choreographed charade. They want to take back control of their lives.

Are you one of these people?

I know I am.

I want to end this month’s message with a plan for how to get past the past and start heading into the foreseeable future.

Today I want to show you how to lay the first foundation blocks for the new life you will build atop them.

Today we are going to declare enough is enough.

Today we are going to start taking back control.

I’m not talking about open rebellion or mass revolution. That is exactly what they are waiting for. We outnumber them, yes...but they are too strong. We will not give them what they want.

I am talking about personal rebellion and private revolution. We will rebel against them quietly, privately, personally.

Taking back control of your life…being able to once again make your own decisions and choices (and live with the consequences of those choices) is essential to your recovery. It will empower you. It will help you to feel better about yourself. It will even help you to relieve some of the emotional damage that you’ve endured and alleviate some of the symptoms that have been lingering or troubling you.

As I said earlier...

in the midst of every crisis lies great opportunity

You must know what stands in your way before you can start removing it. And as you begin the process of taking back control, I want you to constantly remind yourself of these three truths…

You are intelligent

You are capable

You are determined

Because of the trauma you’ve experienced, you may have come to think otherwise. But that is nonsense. None of it is true. You have not only the intelligence to define your goals but also the ability to find ways to achieve them in this strange new world landscape...

no matter what

Despite all the difficulties and struggles you’ve been through; this life is still the most precious and beautiful gift you will ever experience. The quality, fullness and enjoyment of the life you want to recapture will depend upon what it is you focus upon.

PART III

Now before I get too much further along, I want to admit (or confess) something. Although I may come off as one, I am not an expert in doing what I am telling you that you must do. But like you, my life has been upended, turned over, stomped on and scattered across the landscape. I too am struggling. I too feel powerless at times. But I have learned some very valuable lessons in the nearly seven decades I’ve been alive. And I am compelled to share a few of them with you. I believe with all my heart they will help...

Above all other things be grateful!

I make it a point to be thankful, even in tough times like what we’ve all just been through. I find it puts me in a happier, more peaceful place. Being thankful for all that I already have, I believe, is where starting over begins.

You must know who you are!

You might think you know, but I guarantee you, these last four years have changed you in ways of which you are not even aware. Set aside time every day for an uninterrupted period of reflection. Dedicate time to rediscovering your passions and your desires. Be honest with yourself about your fears and insecurities.

Try a little introspection!

Figure out what you want back from your old life and what you don’t. Determine what is missing from your life today and ask yourself whether you really want it back or not. If you don’t feel that your life was all that great before, now would be the perfect time to start designing a new one!

Don’t be afraid to make changes!

Listen to the answers, hints and clues that come from your introspection. If you continue doing the same things you’ve always done, you will only get more of what you already have (or do not have)! This old saying rings perhaps truer right now than it ever has.

Live with more love!

Love is the one thing that makes life worth living. Make your life beautiful and more meaningful by giving love to everyone you meet in the form of kindness, understanding, tolerance, acceptance and generosity.

Make peace with the world!

Get rid of the bitterness! Bitterness, resentment and anger are more destructive than you know! There is no way you can rebuild a beautiful life if you are filled with any of these.

Forgive the people that did this to you.

Holding on to bitterness and resentment does you no good. In reality, it pretty much ensures that any steps you take towards regaining your beautiful life will be in vain. So do yourself a favor, forgive and move on. But damn it...don’t ever forget what they did and why!

Change your perspective!

Inoculate yourself with positivity. There is good in what has happened to you. But trust me, you must work hard to see it. Every moment from this point on is a moment for learning. The more you are mindful of what you can learn from what has happened, the better your chances are of recapturing or rebuilding that beautiful life you so desperately desire.

Learn from what happened!

Take time to turn the tables on your problems. What you went through is indeed a gift whether you know it or not. Ask yourself in the very beginning of your recovery...

“What are these horrible situations that I’ve been through trying to teach me?”

Be flexible!

Stop being stubborn. Strive to have the kind of mind that is open and flexible. It’s when we are more flexible in our approach to life that we can enjoy and experience it with unbounded possibilities. Putting all this craziness behind you will require you to be a contortionist!

Be an optimist!

Stop expecting the worst. You’ve seen the worst. It can only get better from here on out. It is easy to get into the habit of always seeing the dark spots…the downside of situations and expecting the worst from people. You must consciously decide to begin to fill your life with a more positive outlook if you are going to rid yourself of all the negativity you’ve absorbed.

Stop procrastinating!

Start today! So much time has been squandered in the last four years. Stop dreaming about what life was like before and start attracting a new one that is even better.

Be realistic!

It is not going to be easy. What these people have done to us is nearly criminal. They’ve put rules and laws, regulations and restrictions, mandates and decrees in place that are designed to control us and thwart rebellion. You simply cannot trust them to step aside. There is too much at stake for them…they thrive on power and control. But do not be deterred.

Admit it...you are more than just hungry to get this crap behind you...you are famished! You are chomping at the bit. So, what in this most beautiful world are you waiting for?

Life is a most incredible gift, given to us with love and care. There are endless reasons to celebrate it. There are literally thousands of miracles that are taking place every day, yet we see so few of them. Why is that?

Why do we insist on focusing only on the dark spots?

The dark spots are really very small when we compare them to everything else that we have in our lives. But it is the dark and negative things that get our attention, distort our thinking and pollute our outlook on life.

We have been consuming a steady diet of dark spots for too long. Things have become critical, and we are nearing the breaking point...

Enough is enough!

It is time to put down the proverbial fork and push away the figurative plate. Get up from the table and walk away! If we expect to lead abundant, full, compassionate and meaningful lives again, now is the time to focus more on the positives and less on the negatives.

“Life goes on no matter what we do,” I reminded those people at my seminar. “So, I recommend you not waste a moment of your time thinking about anything that does not advance your goals or make your lives better.”

When the conference was over, I sent them all on their way with a challenge and an assignment....

“I hope you will get back with me from time to time,” I urged. “Keep me apprised of your progress.”

It is the same challenge and assignment that I am going to extend to each of you today. If you would be so kind, let me know from time to time how you are doing. Tell me about the progress you are making or the obstacles that are in your way. Send me a private message here on Facebook if you want to remain confidential or if don’t want to publicly share your progress on my timeline. You can also contact me through our webpage.

We have the perfect forum for positive conversations, helpful ideas and words of comfort on Facebook. It is the group that Diana and started for this very purpose...

THE BEST YEAR OF MY LIFE

If you have not joined our Facebook group already, please consider joining. Recommend it to your friends and family, neighbors and coworkers. It is easy to find…just type the name into the Search Facebook window and look for the monkey! Though it has been rather stagnant of late, Diana and I have great things planned for our group members in the coming months.

And if you haven’t yet purchased my best-selling book THE BEST YEAR OF MY LIFE, I recommend you do There has never been a more important or opportune time to begin getting structure and purpose back into your daily life.

It is available in large paperback (8.5 x 11) as well as digital Kindle formats. And Diana has designed a beautiful and easy to use Daily Journal that pairs perfectly with the book. Click on our website link and navigate to the bookstore.

FINAL WORDS

I want to say one last thing to you before I stop writing.

Another very important way you can begin the process of taking back control of your life is to get involved in the upcoming elections...

The people who did this to you should not be given the opportunity to do it again.

If you are not registered to vote…get registered.

If you are unaware of who the candidates are that are seeking office, or what they stand for...learn everything you can about them.

A simple rule of thumb to follow is this...

Any candidate who is not following the laws of the land, the same ones that pertain to and govern you, will not represent you well or protect your freedoms.

Any candidate who is promising you something for free, know that he or she will have to steal it from someone else to give it to you!

Thank you for taking time out of your busy day to read this. I look forward to hearing from you. For the full length audio version of this blog post, click on the AUDIO PLAYER tool in the banner at the top of this website.