Homeschooling for 3

In order to accomplish our goals we need persistence. If we are persistent we can accomplish anything. However, we will only display persistence if our goal is something that we feel is as important as air itself. When our goal is defined, important and subjected to a laser focus it is easier to display persistence. Unfortunately, getting distracted by criticism or fear of being criticized will undermine your willpower. Also, being indecisive, spending time wishing that circumstances were different or looking for shortcuts will doom our efforts. We cannot worry about how others perceive us or our stated goals. I've found that the people who are the most critical and negative have never stretched out their hands to receive anything. So their opinions should be ranked as beneath consideration. I am working hard to maintain a persistent level of "money consciousness." I am finding this to be difficult because my mental habit has always been to desire enough to pay bills and...

I learned a lot in this chapter about American History and about myself. I am pleased to note that procrastination is not one of my pitfalls. That's not to say that I couldn't do better in this regard, I think we've all been guilty of procrastinating about one thing or another. However, I would like mention a few things that struck me as important to think about. I've had the "privilege" of having a sister who takes twenty-two days to decide whether to wear a red dress or a blue dress. Watching my sister live her life in an almost perpetual state of indecision has led me to do the exact opposite. So, I'm pretty decisive about what I'm going to do or no do. That doesn't mean that I always make good decisions, but I try to stick with them as long as it is feasible. One of the things that took me a very long time to appreciate (and practice) was to keep my decisions to myself and just do what I need to accomplish. I've learned that those ou...

Wow! Chapter 7 of the Think and Grow Rich was looong. It was filled with so much information that I'm going to have to reread it in smaller bits. So, for this chapter I will focus on the subheading dealing entitled "The Thirty Major Causes of Failure – How Many of These Are Holding You Back?" This was an interesting portion because this section really required me to ask hard questions of myself. Why is it that each time that I start making progress in an endeavor I allow something to derail me? This list of reasons really has helped me to see what I need to improve on. For one thing (maybe the biggest obstacle for me) is the lack of self-discipline . When I am focused, I get so things accomplished and I do it in a short period of time. I have witnessed this when I attended online college courses and in other endeavors. However, when I let my "flesh" (that lazy section of my brain) take over everything goes down the tubes. And I realize it is because ...

Genesis 5:5-7, states that God created multiple languages at Babel to prevent the post-Flood humans from building a huge tower. The Creator acknowledged, at that time, that there was nothing impossible for people to achieve if they set their minds to a project. This is significant to me because a large percentage of religious people that I know insist through their words and actions that they have no control over their lives. Everything that happens is because God is in control. I personally believe that God actively presents us with situations that will help us to grow, if we step up to the challenge. But ultimately God has given us the power to change our lives if we dare. We have all been blessed with the gift of imagination. This facility to dream and imagine is what sets us apart. Imagination is developed by regular usage and, I think, fueled by a curiosity about the world in which we live. I think that the main reason that there seems to be a stagnation of imagination is ...

Although I always did well academically in school, I had few aspirations of attending college. Being part of the "Witness Protection Program" as my husband jokingly refers to the religion that I grew up in, higher education was frowned upon. It was even implied that those who chose to pursue a college education were "spiritually weak" and need to be helped. If you knew the hierarchy as I do, you'd understand that anyone who is taught to think logically would be a threat to their absolute power, and so much be thwarted at every turn. Now, back to the topic at hand -- the true purpose of education. Although I didn't attend college, most people assumed I had some college background. This used to punish me until an older person told me that all college taught them how to do was research to find the answers they sought. And that's when I knew why people always assumed I was "properly" schooled – I'm intellectually curious and once I am int...

As I mentioned in an earlier post, I am taking a 30 day mental cleanse to help my family life, my business and myself. I have been learning a lot about how my own mind works, and consequently how other people's minds work too. One of the most beneficial things to come out of this course, however, is my newfound compassion for my four year old daughter, Alaya. She's always been a challenge for me because she's very strong-willed, but clingy at the same time. Teaching her is more challenging that it was teaching her older sister. And now I know why. We're different colors. My lovely little girl is Yellow. What does that mean? Well, in a nutshell it means that she's an open, but indirect personality. It is harder for her to express herself than it is for me. She's more thoughtful and "mystical" if you will. We can go on a walk, and while I enjoy the scenery, she wants to examine each leaf, stone and twig. She can become entranced by a caterpill...

The Power of Autosuggestion I guess the one thing that stood out for me in this chapter is how unfocused my powers of concentration are. I was all prepared to be able to nod my head in agreement at the brain’s ability to deal with challenges as long as you prep it correctly from the beginning. My mother is a big proponent of this and emphasized this to me while growing up. I have convinced myself numerous times before undergoing an invasive dental treatment or other physically uncomfortable situations to think that I was lounging on the beach or doing something else pleasant. And this worked for me during the majority of my unpleasant visits. I just knew that I had this chapter already under control. But as with all aspects of life, the universe has a sense of humor. I learned that not only don’t I have this skill under control; I don’t even have the ability to make my imagination work on demand! I have written a goal statement (but I’m unsure if I’ve done it correc...