Yes, it was I that led the charge
Into the abyss looming large
Let not my ego tell the lies
That it was somehow otherwise
The fog of lies can blind a man
To his true path that lies at hand
Then trapped is he in his own snare
With nothing left to pay the fare
The pain of truth can set you free
Just take Responsibility!
Carlos A. Bauta
Friday, July 8, 2011
Saturday, April 23, 2011
The Common Denominator of Greatness
Do you have hopes, dreams and aspirations? Most people live vicariously through someone else’s dreams and are content to live an insipid, mundane life of mediocrity. The collective mentality of society as a whole ridicules the dreamer demanding that people keep their feet firmly planted on the ground and thereby sentencing them to remain stagnant. The collective abhors individuality. History teaches us that society has rejected and mistreated its visionaries like Copernicus and da Vinci, to name but two. Ridicule, ostracism, scoffing, and at times even imprisonment have been the tools of mass lunacy used by the collective.
Given these attitudes, it should not surprise us that most people have had their willingness to dream beaten out of them at an early age. Yet some of us still dare to dream. However, dreaming alone is insufficient. While every new concept, every new technology, every advancement has sprung from the seeds of dreams, our graveyards are filled with the remnants of suppressed seedlings. For these to mature into reality, they must be nurtured with attributes not easily found in today’s society of immediate gratification: courage, conviction, tenacity, persistence, audacity, faith, perseverance cum stubbornness—yes, stubbornness, and self-reliance.
A life of mediocrity can lead to an eternity of regret. We were not placed on this earth to conspire with the masses but to inspire and prosper. For no creator would give us the ability to dream and to envision what could be without the ability to create it. So I ask you, do you have any hopes, dreams, and aspirations? Is your life what you, as a child, imagined? Do you have the courage to take action in spite of ridicule? Do you have the audacity to create a better life for yourself, your family, and yes, even society? Do you have the perseverance to build a superior life of accomplishment paid for up-front and in full with hard work, frustrations, and heart-ache or will you settle for the mediocre life of human cattle slowly moving in tune to the established rut and creating an eternity of regret? The power to choose lies within you.
The common denominator of greatness: Every great man or woman who has ever lived, has dared to dream and see things the way they could be instead of how they are. And then, deliberately, created a new reality!
Given these attitudes, it should not surprise us that most people have had their willingness to dream beaten out of them at an early age. Yet some of us still dare to dream. However, dreaming alone is insufficient. While every new concept, every new technology, every advancement has sprung from the seeds of dreams, our graveyards are filled with the remnants of suppressed seedlings. For these to mature into reality, they must be nurtured with attributes not easily found in today’s society of immediate gratification: courage, conviction, tenacity, persistence, audacity, faith, perseverance cum stubbornness—yes, stubbornness, and self-reliance.
A life of mediocrity can lead to an eternity of regret. We were not placed on this earth to conspire with the masses but to inspire and prosper. For no creator would give us the ability to dream and to envision what could be without the ability to create it. So I ask you, do you have any hopes, dreams, and aspirations? Is your life what you, as a child, imagined? Do you have the courage to take action in spite of ridicule? Do you have the audacity to create a better life for yourself, your family, and yes, even society? Do you have the perseverance to build a superior life of accomplishment paid for up-front and in full with hard work, frustrations, and heart-ache or will you settle for the mediocre life of human cattle slowly moving in tune to the established rut and creating an eternity of regret? The power to choose lies within you.
The common denominator of greatness: Every great man or woman who has ever lived, has dared to dream and see things the way they could be instead of how they are. And then, deliberately, created a new reality!
Sunday, July 25, 2010
GET GOOD AT IT!
The other day my wife and I were waiting on some team members to come to the house for training. We were both playing games on our respective cell phones when I heard her say, “I suck at this.” My first response was to say, “Self-fulfilling prophecy.” However there was this nagging voice in my head that kept repeating the same phrase over and over again. Finally, I couldn’t take it anymore and I blurted out, “Get Good At It…if you want to.”
GET GOOD AT IT! Wow! As soon as those words left my mouth I realized the power behind them. GET GOOD AT IT! You see, it boils down to a simple choice. One can sit there and complain or bemoan ones circumstances or perceived, yes perceived, lack of talent in a specific area, or one can make a choice and simply go about the process of getting good at it! No one was born a great football player, a virtuoso pianist, a moving and inspiring orator, or a physicist. Lance Armstrong did not come out of the womb on a bicycle, Tiger Woods did not hit a hole-in-one at the age of two months, nor did Michael Jordan dunk a basketball at the age of one. As a matter of fact, Jordan, arguably the best basketball player ever, was cut from his high school team. They chose to Get Good At It!
Some of you would say, “They were born with these talents, and I wasn’t.” Let’s examine that, yes we are all born with different gifts, things we are innately good at or that come easier to us than to most. However, how good we get at them will depend on the choices we make and how much effort we are willing to put into it. Lance Armstrong “Got Good” at his sport, then was diagnosed with cancer. After beating his disease, Lance was still Lance, but he no longer was a premier cyclist. He had to choose to “Get Good At It” again! So he worked and sacrificed and put in extraordinary effort and eventually he accomplished feats in his sport no one had ever done before. It was just a simple choice! Please don’t confuse simplicity with ease, for simplicity and ease are usually diametrically opposed.
I will never be compared to Pavarotti; friends and family usually ask that I don’t sing. Nevertheless, if I chose to “Get Good At It” and I invested in voice lessons, and I practiced and kept “working at it,” eventually, I would become much, much better than I am today. I may not excel at it, but I could “Get Good At It.”
You see, after the decision is made, it is just a process, as are all endeavors. How you speak to yourself will go a long way towards your desire to continue the process, or do as most do, and quit! Substitute negative language for positive language. Have you ever stopped to actually listen to the harshness with which you communicate with the most important person in your life, yourself? I suck at this, I can’t ever get that right, I’m so stupid, that was smart (in a sarcastic tone), brilliant (in a sarcastic tone), I’ll never get this, who was I trying to fool. At times, instead of attacking ourselves we attack the very thing we were working on. Who needs this stupid…? That game sucks, this business doesn’t work, who in their right mind would do this any way? Any of this sounds familiar?
In any enterprise, whether it is sports, academia, personal development, or business, those that rise to the top are not necessarily those who are the most talented. No, they are usually the ones who understand that it is a process and that they will get better with time and effort. Therefore, (when you get frustrated--as you will, or when things don’t go as you wished--which they won’t,) instead of berating yourself, speak to yourself in positive reassuring language. With the knowledge that indeed it is a process, try “I’m getting good at it” because with every attempt, whether it is a failure or a minor success you are in the process of getting good at it. If you spoke to a prospect and he told you to take a long walk off a short pier, say to yourself, “I’m getting good at it.” If you only made two out of ten free throw attempts, try “I’m getting good at it.” When you truly are putting effort into that which you desire, then the phrase “I’m getting good at it” will resonate with your subconscious, you will feel more empowered and accomplished as well as motivated to “GET GOOD AT IT.”
Carlos A. Bauta
I know that “I am getting good at it!”
GET GOOD AT IT! Wow! As soon as those words left my mouth I realized the power behind them. GET GOOD AT IT! You see, it boils down to a simple choice. One can sit there and complain or bemoan ones circumstances or perceived, yes perceived, lack of talent in a specific area, or one can make a choice and simply go about the process of getting good at it! No one was born a great football player, a virtuoso pianist, a moving and inspiring orator, or a physicist. Lance Armstrong did not come out of the womb on a bicycle, Tiger Woods did not hit a hole-in-one at the age of two months, nor did Michael Jordan dunk a basketball at the age of one. As a matter of fact, Jordan, arguably the best basketball player ever, was cut from his high school team. They chose to Get Good At It!
Some of you would say, “They were born with these talents, and I wasn’t.” Let’s examine that, yes we are all born with different gifts, things we are innately good at or that come easier to us than to most. However, how good we get at them will depend on the choices we make and how much effort we are willing to put into it. Lance Armstrong “Got Good” at his sport, then was diagnosed with cancer. After beating his disease, Lance was still Lance, but he no longer was a premier cyclist. He had to choose to “Get Good At It” again! So he worked and sacrificed and put in extraordinary effort and eventually he accomplished feats in his sport no one had ever done before. It was just a simple choice! Please don’t confuse simplicity with ease, for simplicity and ease are usually diametrically opposed.
I will never be compared to Pavarotti; friends and family usually ask that I don’t sing. Nevertheless, if I chose to “Get Good At It” and I invested in voice lessons, and I practiced and kept “working at it,” eventually, I would become much, much better than I am today. I may not excel at it, but I could “Get Good At It.”
You see, after the decision is made, it is just a process, as are all endeavors. How you speak to yourself will go a long way towards your desire to continue the process, or do as most do, and quit! Substitute negative language for positive language. Have you ever stopped to actually listen to the harshness with which you communicate with the most important person in your life, yourself? I suck at this, I can’t ever get that right, I’m so stupid, that was smart (in a sarcastic tone), brilliant (in a sarcastic tone), I’ll never get this, who was I trying to fool. At times, instead of attacking ourselves we attack the very thing we were working on. Who needs this stupid…? That game sucks, this business doesn’t work, who in their right mind would do this any way? Any of this sounds familiar?
In any enterprise, whether it is sports, academia, personal development, or business, those that rise to the top are not necessarily those who are the most talented. No, they are usually the ones who understand that it is a process and that they will get better with time and effort. Therefore, (when you get frustrated--as you will, or when things don’t go as you wished--which they won’t,) instead of berating yourself, speak to yourself in positive reassuring language. With the knowledge that indeed it is a process, try “I’m getting good at it” because with every attempt, whether it is a failure or a minor success you are in the process of getting good at it. If you spoke to a prospect and he told you to take a long walk off a short pier, say to yourself, “I’m getting good at it.” If you only made two out of ten free throw attempts, try “I’m getting good at it.” When you truly are putting effort into that which you desire, then the phrase “I’m getting good at it” will resonate with your subconscious, you will feel more empowered and accomplished as well as motivated to “GET GOOD AT IT.”
Carlos A. Bauta
I know that “I am getting good at it!”
Monday, July 6, 2009
If you don't like the weather, wait it will change.
Life only gives us two certainties, death and change! If you don't like the weather, wait it will change.
It is ironic that we spend so much of our time afraid of the only things that are a sure thing. Learn to embrace them both! Yes I said embrace them, cherish them, learn to love them! "What, what are you saying? I want consistency and the security that it entails. I also love life, and you want me to love death? Are you nuts?"
Although some may, indeed, question my sanity, I am quite in control of my faculties. Let's look at these one at a time. Change - too much angst is spent trying to combat it. If you were to accept it then you could plan for it, not only plan for it but be a force behind it, maybe even initiate it. In other words find the consistency your looking for in the very change you hate.
Death - no it is not a morbid thought to say love death. You see it is only by understanding and accepting that our time here is finite, that we can learn how important it is to LIVE each and every moment. Learn to live the NOW! Imbibe in the euphoria that is LIFE!
Life can only be experienced one moment at a time!
Carlos A. Bauta
It is ironic that we spend so much of our time afraid of the only things that are a sure thing. Learn to embrace them both! Yes I said embrace them, cherish them, learn to love them! "What, what are you saying? I want consistency and the security that it entails. I also love life, and you want me to love death? Are you nuts?"
Although some may, indeed, question my sanity, I am quite in control of my faculties. Let's look at these one at a time. Change - too much angst is spent trying to combat it. If you were to accept it then you could plan for it, not only plan for it but be a force behind it, maybe even initiate it. In other words find the consistency your looking for in the very change you hate.
Death - no it is not a morbid thought to say love death. You see it is only by understanding and accepting that our time here is finite, that we can learn how important it is to LIVE each and every moment. Learn to live the NOW! Imbibe in the euphoria that is LIFE!
Life can only be experienced one moment at a time!
Carlos A. Bauta
Friday, June 19, 2009
When deep in "Stuff," look up!
When deep in "Stuff," look up! Looking down is not a pretty sight, and it does not let you see any other options.
Wallowing in self pity and focusing on your problems does not resolve them. Indeed, it increases them! The law of attraction tells us that we attract that which we think about most. Therefore, if we spend our time contemplating our woes, then we will get more woes.
However, some of you may not believe in the law of attraction, so let's look at Solrac's law of logic. If we are spending all or most of our time thinking about our "Stuff," then we are not using that time to plan and take action towards the solution to our needs!
In other words, take your head out of the "Stuff" and focus on your dreams and the actions it will take to accomplish them. Keep the blinders on; don't look down nor to the sides. Always look forward, and even if it is inch by inch, you will eventually get out of the "Stuff"
Carlos A. Bauta
Wallowing in self pity and focusing on your problems does not resolve them. Indeed, it increases them! The law of attraction tells us that we attract that which we think about most. Therefore, if we spend our time contemplating our woes, then we will get more woes.
However, some of you may not believe in the law of attraction, so let's look at Solrac's law of logic. If we are spending all or most of our time thinking about our "Stuff," then we are not using that time to plan and take action towards the solution to our needs!
In other words, take your head out of the "Stuff" and focus on your dreams and the actions it will take to accomplish them. Keep the blinders on; don't look down nor to the sides. Always look forward, and even if it is inch by inch, you will eventually get out of the "Stuff"
Carlos A. Bauta
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Thank God, I am out of my MIND!
Some say "A mind is a terrible thing to waste". I, on the other hand, say that a mind can be a terrible thing to have!
Our MIND, the Maddening Involuntary Neurosis Designer, is like an early warning system. What if..., then what, and if..., oh my GOD, look out, be careful, oh no...
We humans have an incredible capacity for creating self misery. Usually it starts with our mind, the 24 / 7 story creator, we take small bits of information, some real, some perceived, and we proceed to weave an intricate tapestry of tall tales. What is worse, we then buy our own story and declare it to be the God given truth. To add insult to injury, we then react to our own concoction.
This reminds me of the one about a man who was traveling down a rural road when all of a sudden he has a flat tire. He gets out of his car to change the tire only to find that he doesn’t have a jack. Just as panic is about to set in, he remembers that he saw a house some two miles back, and he decides to walk back and borrow a jack. As he walks he starts to think (Oh! Oh!), “what if I walk all this way and no one is home?” “What if I walk all this way and someone is home, but they don’t have a jack?” “What if I walk all this way, they are home, they do have a jack, but they won’t lend it to me?” “What if I walk all this way, they are home, they have a jack, they won’t lend it to me, and to top things off, they’re rude?” Just then he reaches the door, knocks on it, and the man of the house answers the door. “Hello! And our stranded traveller replies “You can take your jack and…” I’ll leave the rest to your imagination. The poor home owner never knew what hit him!
Indeed it is hell reacting to our every thought, feeling almost paranoid. Is this real, or we making it up? Reality is a funny thing, and one of the reasons that psychotherapy is in such demand. Our reality may be nothing more than a story and our truth just an unmitigated lie. One’s reality is made up mostly of perceptions. Consequently, letting your mind run amuck is a sure way of creating anxiety and excessive stress.
How many sleepless nights do you spend dreading the apocalypse of the next day? How much time do you waste worrying about what is to come? How many different permutations of what is to happen did you react to? Countless! Each of these senseless concoctions erode your self-image, sanity and health thought by thought.
Yesterday’s tomorrow looks nothing like today. In reality our worst fears never materialized. Indeed things may not be good, but they are never as bad as we make them out to be. We put ourselves on an emotional mega roller coaster. How many times have you done this?
It's time to stop this madness! Take control of your emotions and consequently your life! Learn to discern the difference between valid concerns of the mind and the irrational ones. Don't get caught up in your own stories, STAY OUT OF YOUR MIND!
Carlos A. Bauta
Our MIND, the Maddening Involuntary Neurosis Designer, is like an early warning system. What if..., then what, and if..., oh my GOD, look out, be careful, oh no...
We humans have an incredible capacity for creating self misery. Usually it starts with our mind, the 24 / 7 story creator, we take small bits of information, some real, some perceived, and we proceed to weave an intricate tapestry of tall tales. What is worse, we then buy our own story and declare it to be the God given truth. To add insult to injury, we then react to our own concoction.
This reminds me of the one about a man who was traveling down a rural road when all of a sudden he has a flat tire. He gets out of his car to change the tire only to find that he doesn’t have a jack. Just as panic is about to set in, he remembers that he saw a house some two miles back, and he decides to walk back and borrow a jack. As he walks he starts to think (Oh! Oh!), “what if I walk all this way and no one is home?” “What if I walk all this way and someone is home, but they don’t have a jack?” “What if I walk all this way, they are home, they do have a jack, but they won’t lend it to me?” “What if I walk all this way, they are home, they have a jack, they won’t lend it to me, and to top things off, they’re rude?” Just then he reaches the door, knocks on it, and the man of the house answers the door. “Hello! And our stranded traveller replies “You can take your jack and…” I’ll leave the rest to your imagination. The poor home owner never knew what hit him!
Indeed it is hell reacting to our every thought, feeling almost paranoid. Is this real, or we making it up? Reality is a funny thing, and one of the reasons that psychotherapy is in such demand. Our reality may be nothing more than a story and our truth just an unmitigated lie. One’s reality is made up mostly of perceptions. Consequently, letting your mind run amuck is a sure way of creating anxiety and excessive stress.
How many sleepless nights do you spend dreading the apocalypse of the next day? How much time do you waste worrying about what is to come? How many different permutations of what is to happen did you react to? Countless! Each of these senseless concoctions erode your self-image, sanity and health thought by thought.
Yesterday’s tomorrow looks nothing like today. In reality our worst fears never materialized. Indeed things may not be good, but they are never as bad as we make them out to be. We put ourselves on an emotional mega roller coaster. How many times have you done this?
It's time to stop this madness! Take control of your emotions and consequently your life! Learn to discern the difference between valid concerns of the mind and the irrational ones. Don't get caught up in your own stories, STAY OUT OF YOUR MIND!
Carlos A. Bauta
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
this Blog is not Spam
Wow! My blog was marked as spam, of course I don't think it is but the automatic "robots" thought so. Now an actual human, hopefully living, has to check. Anyhow we should be up and running again in a couple of days.
If you get to see this, thanks for your patience, if you can't, you will in a couple of days and have a good laugh on me. Such is the price of progress.
Carlos A. Bauta
If you get to see this, thanks for your patience, if you can't, you will in a couple of days and have a good laugh on me. Such is the price of progress.
Carlos A. Bauta
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