gurustu's muse - the daily thoughts of an everyday guru

Focus on the positive, but fix the negative.

2010-03-14T21:25:00.000-07:00

Well, of course it's important to have positive thoughts and feelings and actions and all that; because as you know, what we focus on, we get... but that doesn't mean that all we should do is focus on the positive and ignore everything else.

If you're driving along in your car and the engine light comes on, it's advisable not to just fix the light and move on. That underlying 'thing' that you're ignoring will eventually come back much worse.

Life isn't about just positive things; it's about positive and negative things. The key to success is a positive OUTCOME... that means, leveraging everything positive, and turning every negative into its positive equivalent.

It isn't about getting rid of debt, it's about making more money than you owe. It's about living courageously, instead of being without fear. It's about doing what you want, instead of not doing what you don't want.

So just be bigger than the problems, so there are no problems (none that can't handle anyway). Yes, there are going to be things to factor in, but there is nothing you need to worry about.

Adjust yourself, accommodate for circumstance, and accentuate the positive.

In the end, what matters is the end.

Until then...

Keep the light on!
GuruStu

You have to COMMAND respect; you cannot DEMAND it.

2010-03-03T22:57:00.000-08:00

You know the lyrics "R-E-S-P-E-C-T... find out what it means to me" but what does it mean to you anyway?

A lot of people want it, yet think they deserve "just because"... maybe just because they're the parent, or the boss, or a citizen... or whatever else is out there. But respect is a privilege, a gift, not a right.

Should you be respected? Absolutely! But only when you are respectable.

That means "when you are worthy of respect."

The good news is that it's easy to become respectable... and well worth the effort.

There's just a few things you need to do:

All you need to do is be respect-full... have respect, and show respect... for all of life around you... even those that have yet to earn it.

All you need to do is give it first. Never think that someone is so far below you that they don't deserve compassion and a helping hand. Never think that someone is doomed to their current condition or behavior.

All you need to do is be the living example that you expect in others. Don't wait for someone else to show you the way. Be the way for others to follow. Don't just stand there and point... show 'em how it's done.

All you need to do is earn it; every moment, every chance you get. Realize how precious and fragile Respect really is... and treat it accordingly.

That's all.

Keep the light on!

GuruStu

Want an incredible life? Then get to know this amazing person... You!

2010-03-01T22:07:00.000-08:00

So many people want an incredible life. You just have to ask them and they can give you all the ingredients that would make it up; yet no matter how hard they try, they just can't seem to get it together.

Do you know that feeling? Does it sound way too familiar?

Well, I know what you need. Just one simple missing ingredient... and it's something that you have that no one else does.

It's "YOU"

With a little bit of You in everything you do, it will make everything better. Life will somehow fit better, be stronger, taste sweeter... everything will just be shinier... all because it will have a deep mystical, magical glow.

This "You" isn't new... it's eternal, both in its infinite past and infinite future, yet everything it touches will seem as if it never existed before.

And the best part is that you don't have to go anywhere to get it. You already have it safe inside.

All you have to do is bring it out.

Here's to YOU!
GuruStu

Live fully. No one else can live the life you don't.

2010-02-28T06:56:00.000-08:00

We often like to joke about who is going to play us in the movies (Sorry Brad, I know how eager you are, but I've already promised the role to Tom) but in real life the only one who can play you, is you.

And while you may want to hide out in your trailer practicing your lines, there are no cameras waiting for you to begin. You're "on" 24/7, no stand-ins, no stunt people and no second takes.

So if there are things that you want to do, someone you want to be, don't lose half your day wishing or wanting or waiting. Get out there and give it your all.

It's all you, baby, and that's enough to fill up your life's story.

Just make it a story worth telling.

Keep the light on!
GuruStu

Life is so big, it has all the answers. Choose yours wisely.

2010-02-21T02:25:00.000-08:00

Life is so full of wonder. Everywhere you turn, there seems to be an answer... and a million more questions. Yet, every one of those million questions also has an answer. The reason why we get along with some people, and not get along with others, is because of the answers WE choose.

We mix and match our answers, creating the tapestry that is our life. The more answers we find that look like the ones we already have, the more we feel that we're on the right track. The more 'correct' the new answers, the more 'right' we feel.

Some take it farther than that, going beyond the heart and into their spirit, and then begin to feel 'righteous'. When the intention is still to do 'right' by loving the world, that's not such a bad thing.

If you get so full of yourself that you start to become 'self-righteous' then your answers might not be the best ones.

Yes, feel right and do right. Yes, become filled with You... just never full of You.

Realize that others have their answers too, neither 'better' nor 'worse'... just different. And their answers give them different choices... and their different choices give them different results... and different results make the world a different place.

So you can see how powerful your answers are.

Pick the right ones.

Keep the light on!
GuruStu

If you try to keep up with life, you'll fall behind. Instead, plan ahead and let life catch up to you.

2010-02-07T04:02:00.000-08:00

There are going to be times when you need a break, or just to slow down. It's actually vitally important that you do that every once in a while. Yet when you're struggling to keep up with each moment, that can feel like you're falling behind more and more.

Now, while I'm a huge fan of living in the Now, it's really important not to ignore the future until it gets here. When you do that, you'll always end up giving reactions rather than getting results.

By projecting your desires into the future, and adjusting your course along the way, you will rise up to meet the next moment, rather than getting run over by it.

Keep the light on!

GuruStu

Want more time in your day? Deepen every moment.

2010-02-05T04:04:00.000-08:00

Do you remember when you were younger and had nothing to do, how sloooooooow time seemed to move? And you ever notice that the more you have to do now, the faster time seems to go? There was the same amount per day then as it is now. Time didn't really change...

Or did it?

On the surface, there is the same amount of time each day... and that's what you get, when that's all you see.

Yet Time is a funny thing really, each moment itself is more than what we see. Each moment has an amazing depth to it. The deeper you sink into it, the more it slows down. It's like walking through mud, rather than a hard surface.

Although deep moments are much richer than walking through mud (maybe it's more like walking through fudge).

The fastest and easiest way to deepen your moments is to let more in; experience things you normally wouldn't. Take in the sights and sounds around you. Let yourself feel more emotions. Put more effort into something than you've done before.

Another way to deepen a moment is to carefully choose your multi-task. If you try to do too many big things at the same time, you end up splitting the moment; thus getting LESS time. Yet by mixing the momentous with the mundane, you can get more out of the moment. For example, I write in my notebook while waiting in lines at the supermarket or listen to motivations CDs while in my car.

So realize that you have more time than you realize. The more you fill up each moment, the more full-filled you'll become.

Keep the light on!
GuruStu

I just discovered the secret to success... YOU.

2010-02-03T04:05:00.000-08:00

You're going to have a lot of results in your life; some you'll like, some you won't. You'll consider some to be joyful successes, while others will be painful failures. Whatever the case, at the center of all of them will be YOU.

You may not be the cause for either the success or the failure, but both of them begin and end with you. They begin with what you WANT and end with what you GET.

Or put another way, they begin with what YOU want and end with what YOU get.

So, ultimately, it all depends on you. It depends on how clear you are with what you want, and how much you're willing to go out to get it. It depends on how you adapt to early results. Do you stay the course when you need to keep going, and do you adjust course as things around you change? (Or do you zig when you're supposed to zag and zag when you're supposed to zig?)

You're the Captain of your own ship. Never take that role lightly (or too seriously)

Keep the light on!
GuruStu

Lower your standard for happiness to include everything.

2010-01-31T16:09:00.000-08:00

You ever play the game "If Only"? You know, "If only I had a better job/more money/someone to love/fill in the blank..." While it's nice to dream... (in fact, it's the first step to achieving it)... it's not good if it stops you from enjoying what you DO have.

Most of your life is going to be filled with the little things.

Notice I didn't say "minor things"... I said, "little things"... HUGE different.

A hamburger is just as good as a Filet Mignon and an economy car is just as good as a luxury vehicle IF you enjoy it. In fact they are BETTER, if all you have is a hamburger in your economy car and not your filet in the luxury car.

This is what the saying "a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush" is all about. What you DO have is much more valuable and much more enjoyable than what you DON'T have.

So while it's still important to keep growing and keep going on your path of improvement, lower the level of what makes you happy. Make it so that EVERYTHING makes you happy. Really enjoy that meal, and that job, and the people around you... everything, everything, everything. That makes it's easier to get happy, be happy and make happy.

Have a happy day!
GuruStu

PS You make me happy :-)

If you really want to impress other people, show them how great THEY are.

2010-01-29T17:34:00.000-08:00

Do you know why people like to look up to other people? Not because they like the qualities of the person, but because they want to be LIKE that person. They don't necessarily want to BE that person, just have that one or two qualities that the other person has. So that's definitely a reason for you to be your best, so that others will want those qualities for themselves.

But do you really want to know a better way to get them to be impressed by you? Show them just how totally beautiful, smart, funny, caring, dynamic, divine, and incredibly unique THEY are.

You see, people want YOUR qualities because they think it would make them feel better if they had it. Yet, if they realized that they have admirable qualities too, then they wouldn't have to look outside themselves for something to make them feel better.

Of all the qualities you could cultivate to make yourself look better, the best one is becoming the shiniest mirror you can be.

Keep the light on!
GuruStu

Live Life like a baker that kneads bread rather than a beggar that needs bread.

2010-01-22T06:31:00.000-08:00

Life owes you nothing, yet offers you everything. The only thing that keeps you from it is not what you have or don't have, but rather what you think of yourself.

You act according to your nature. You do what comes naturally. It's just that what feels "natural" and what is your true nature don't often match. Years of negative conditioning has gotten you all doubtful, fearful or cynical and now it just feels like you're the victim, or you're in competition for a limited supply or just plain undeserving of all life's riches.

Get over yourself.

There IS an unlimited supply out there, providing we give back from what we receive. A baker sees a world full of flour, water and eggs and gives back bread. A beggar sees a world of only so much bread and begs the world to give it up.

Both are right, but one of them has the secret to abundance.

So how do you see yourself, and the world around you?

I'm begging you to be the baker ;-)

Keep the light on!
GuruStu

It is the worst of times that brings out the best in people.

2010-01-18T06:00:00.000-08:00

During the good times, it's easy to forget. It's easy to overlook flaws; and it's easy to look really good. Yet, the good times are when we build the character that we show during the worst of times.

Natural disasters happen. We may not understand the reason for them, but they do. They don't matter nearly as much as what we do about them.

Do we use them to question God or the Universe (or whatever higher power you might believe in)?
There is suffering in the world, does that mean they're cannot be something compassionate out there? Some will lose their faith.

Do we use them to think we are superior to others?
The recent comments of Pat Robertson, that the Haitians brought the earthquake on themselves because of a pact with the devil, says so much more about him than about the people who now lie buried in rubble. Others, like Rush Limbaugh, would use this disaster to attack others no matter what the outcome. Had President Obama been slow to act, he would have complained about Obama's lack of compassion; because the response was quick, he accused Obama of bring political. Clearly these people are exposing their truer nature. Some people will lose faith in them.

Do we them to show we care?
You CAN focus on all the suffering and devastation, if you wish, or you can look at all the people coming together to help one another. People rushing to their cellphones to make donations, organizations mobilizing to bring food and water to survivors, and big equipment to help create more survivors... and seeming enemies coming together, if only for a moment, to forget about their differences and concentrate on their common goal. Some people will gain faith.

Do we take the time to treasure what we have?
Disasters that happen to others can also impact us. They can remind us of how much we have, and what is most important to us. We may hug our loved ones a little tighter, or enjoy the comfort and warmth of our beds just a little bit more. Some people will gain gratitude.

We can't choose our disasters, but we can choose whether we turn them into tragedies or triumphs.

What do you choose?

Keep the light on!
GuruStu

"I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character"

~ Rev. Martin Luther King Jr

You CAN change the past... by making today worth it.

2010-01-14T23:02:00.000-08:00

There's a big movement to put the past behind us. It's over, after all, so why bring it back up,

right? Because there's so much more than just a threat to repeat it, if we forget it.

We lived the past for a reason. Not just to put it behind us. It was there to teach us, to

nurture us and to make us who we are today. To leave it back in time robs us of so much of its

power.

The past is very much alive, in the choices we make and the experiences that we share. And it's

alive not just because we're still alive now, but because our past changes just as much as our

future does.

Something seemingly insignificant can suddenly pop into importance, or an old friend's name can

suddenly disappear from our tongues. It doesn't matter what happened in our past; what matters is

what we do with it right now.

And a even greater truth is not that we are doomed to repeat forgotten pasts, but rather we are

doomed to repeat pasts that are remember the same way over and over again. Remember, hindsight is

20/20, so don't be afraid to look back with new eyes. See the past differently than you did

before and you will not only change that past, you'll change your present and your future as

well.

Here's lookin' at you, kid!

Keep the light on!
GuruStu

Someone may open a door for you, but you still need to walk through.

2010-01-11T21:54:00.000-08:00

Successful people don't have more opportunities than unsuccessful people, they just see more. And highly successful people don't have more opportunities than successful people, they just do more.

Opportunities are EVERYWHERE... and they are available for EVERYONE. They're not one-size-fits-all and that's why some have better results than others... but WHOEVER you are, and WHEREVER you are, and HOWEVER you are, there's an opportunity.

BUT!

You have to SEE it.
You have to SEIZE it.
You have to DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT.

Even when someone else opens a door for you... if THEY walk through, then it's THEIR opportunity. You want it to be YOUR opportunity? Then YOU walk through!

Knock knock!
Who's there?

It better be YOU!

Keep the light on!
GuruStu

'Perfect' is not to be, but to 'Be' is perfect.

2010-01-08T06:33:00.000-08:00

The 'problem' with "Perfection" is that it changes every time... because Life changes every moment. There are 'right times' and 'right actions' and occasionally those two come together, but all too often, we strive to be "Perfect" all the while keeping that at an unreachable length away.

I'm going to give away a giant secret now...

You're already Perfect... just the way you are.

Sure, you've got lessons to learn, and dreams still unborn; and you don't always say the right thing or know what to do in an awkward moment... that's all part of Life. It's MEANT to be that way.

"Perfect" is an end result, an achievement, and therefore it's finite. Life isn't. Life in Infinite. YOU are infinite.

So stop trying to be something that stops. Instead, rise to every occasion, do the best you can whenever you can. Just BE.

Live, Learn and Love. It's perfect, so you don't have to be.

Keep the light on!
GuruStu

The road behind you may be empty, but the road ahead is open.

2010-01-03T15:20:00.000-08:00

There are going to be times when you look back and wonder "what have I done with my life... have I made it worth my while, did I make a difference?" You may end up focusing on all the things that went wrong, or never happened and then start to think that it's not going to happen now or in the future either.

But just because you can look back and see emptiness, and even look forward and see emptiness there too, doesn't mean the entire road has nothing to offer. On the contrary, the open road ahead is full of possibilities! How do I know this? Because that's what fills up the emptiness that surrounds us... infinite possibility!

And besides, you're so busy looking around to notice that the road is NOT empty. ow do I know THAT? Because of YOU. YOU are on it. As long as the road has SOMETHING, it can't have NOTHING.

So stop looking for nothing... go boldly on the open road and let the world see that you really are SOMETHING.

Keep the light on!

GuruStu

Now's the time to make New Year's Real Solutions.

2010-01-02T18:45:00.000-08:00

New Year's Resolutions are getting a bad rap. Just because a number of other people have made promises that they know they can't or won't keep doesn't mean that you shouldn't make promises to yourself.

Lately it's gotten so hip to put down resolutions... everyone explaining why they don't work, or why they'll never make them for themselves, yadda yadda yadda blah blah blah... but nevertheless, "resolution" means to commit to a something, a determination to follow through. How is that a bad thing?

The transition from an old to a new year is an excellent time to reflect upon the achievements and lessons of the past, and then to set a new course for the future. Sure it can be done on any other day of the year, but the world's made it a habit to do it at the "New Year"... so take advantage of it.

Make one (or two)

Then, all you have to do is stick to it and show everyone else how it's done.

Keep the light on!
GuruStu

How many times do you need to bang your head against the wall before the wall decides to stop hurting you?

2009-12-27T23:04:00.000-08:00

How many people do you know who have blamed everyone and everything around them for their pain, anguish, wrong-doing; while you can plainly see that they're the ones causing their own pain?

So after you just ran down a list of all your relatives, many of your co-workers and a few of your close friends... did you take a moment to count the bumps on your own head?

We cause most (I'd dare say ALL, but then that'd give you a headache)... most... of our problems. That's not to say we're in the middle of difficult circumstances, or that certain people are pains in parts other than our heads... but the source of the pain is US.

It's all in how we react to what's going on around us. Other people being difficult? That's THEIR problem. Stuck in a situation that isn't much fun... it's not the situation that's the problem.

The wall is just a wall. That's all it is, and that's all it does. It doesn't cause pain. It hurts when you hit it, sure, but that's YOU. What YOU'RE hitting is causing YOUR pain.

Same with everything else in life. Pain, pleasure and everything in between comes from how we feel about what we do.

So if you find yourself in any situation that's causing pain, and not making much headway (sorry about the pun) don't look for something outside to blame. Check to see what you're bumping into.

You might just see the light instead of the stars.

Keep that light on!
GuruStu

When someone sees you as 'less' it is because they see less, not because you are less.

2009-12-23T22:54:00.000-08:00

You are an amazingly divine being, as only you can know it. Those who look at you can only see you from the outside, through the eyes of their own limited beliefs. When someone looks upon you and considers you to be less than they are, it has nothing to do with you. They may have this desire to be 'right' and can only achieve that by believing others are 'wrong'. Or perhaps they can't see into other people deep enough to see their light. Whatever the case, someone else's closed eyes doesn't have to put you in the dark.

KNOW that your light shines, even when it isn't looked upon. Make a vow to show your light to those that matter.

And DON'T return their favor... don't think of THEM as any less than you, simply because they cannot see your light. For they have a light too... and if you judge them, you will be just as blind.

Be free.

And Shine on!
GuruStu

A Winner can lose and a Loser can win. It's what they do about it that makes all the difference.

2009-12-17T22:59:00.000-08:00

Everybody wins, and loses, sometimes.

Both Winner and Loser can tell you their tale of woe. The Loser will gain your sympathy when they explain how it stopped them. The Winner, however, will earn your admiration when they explain how their woe inspired them to go on.

They can also share with you stories of their successes, one explaining how fleeting it can be, the other telling you how it can be duplicated.

You see, such is life. No one is immune to failure, disappointment and setbacks... just as no one has more rights to happiness and grand success than any other.

No matter what is handed to you in life, success is ultimately earned.

It doesn't matter where you've started... it matters where you finish.

It matters what you do along the way... how you handle each twist and turn... and how you experience what you see... and how many lives you touch along the many stops.

A Winner wins every moment, regardless of the circumstance.

Keep the light on!

GuruStu

Different isn't always better, but Better is always different.

2009-12-15T05:26:00.000-08:00

You've heard the saying before... "the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, expecting different results." Yet that never stops us from trying just one... more... time... right?

We do the same thing because it's the easiest thing for us to do. It's automatic, it's habit, it's comfortable... and when we end up with the same results, we probably go through the same round of feelings, wondering when are things ever going to change.

When we do something different, right?

Nope.

"Different" is just that, different. You can exchange your dollar for quarters, dimes, nickels or quarters, but it's never going to be worth more than a dollar.

If you truly want your results, and hence your life, to be better, then you need more that 'different' you need to be BETTER.

You need to BE better. Learn more so you can do more. Do what you do just a little bit better than you did it before. Care more, so that everything you do is worth more. If you simply cannot, then enlist the help of those that do it better than you do, so that what gets done, is done better.

To get a higher standard of living, live to a higher standard.

Don't just keep the light on... make it brighter,

Wishing you all the BEST,
GuruStu

The fastest way to 'have it all' is to consider yourself a co-owner with the rest of the world.

2009-12-09T06:43:00.000-08:00

There is abundance all around and it's great to revel in all the 'stuff' Life has to offer. It only becomes a 'problem' when act as if someone else has to lose in order for us to have something.

Did you know that there is more wealth than there are riches? There isn't enough physical money or property or valuables to equal how much people are worth. That's because we're sharing it. Money passes from hand to hand to hand. No one actually 'owns' it... we share it.

Yet if we take that concept to a much bigger view, you'll discover that we share EVERYTHING.... the air we breathe, the water we drink. Just try holding on to all the air in the world... doesn't work, does it?

So if you really want to 'have it all' just look around you.

You already do.

Keep the light on!

GuruStu

One of the biggest mistakes you could make would be trying to live without them.

2009-11-27T23:21:00.000-08:00

The perfect answer to being perfect is that there are no perfect answers. One of the biggest (and most ironic) reasons why people fail is that they are afraid to fail. They might fear ridicule, or judgment; they might tie their self-worth into their ability to get something 'right' and then end up not even trying at all. All they're left with is a life of empty dreams and never-ending, never-fulfilled potential.

Mistakes are not only a part of Life, they're an integral part of the process. They help us define what works by showing us what does NOT work.

They also teach us patience and persistence and continually test us to make sure we still have our resolve. Success may not be assured through persistence, but failure is assured through quitting.

Remember the saying "fail forward fast" meaning get the mistakes done with as soon as possible. Getting a few really good mistakes over right away can save huge amounts of time later.

So don't fear them, revere them. Respect what they have to teach us.

Now go out and goof up... because the biggest success is waiting for you just beyond.

Keep the light on!

GuruStu

People can't see the thanks you have, only the thanks you give.

2009-11-26T23:13:00.000-08:00

There's all this talk about having gratitude... and that's great. I'm all for being thankful for what I have... but that's a private affair. It gives me the warm and fuzzies and helps we focus on manifesting more warm and fuzzies... but it does little for making the world a better place.

GIVING thanks is just that... it's sending gratitude out into the world to do MORE than just make me feel better. It's like the ripple in the pond... it just gets bigger and bigger the more it's out there. It surrounds more and more and is felt by anyone who comes in contact with it.

So remember that this holiday season is all about giving... so let your thanks be known.

Keep the light on!

GuruStu

To broaden your horizons, deepen your moments.

2009-11-22T23:38:00.000-08:00

There's only so much time in a day. How many times have you heard it, or said it to yourself? You find yourself reaching the end of the day so quickly, wondering how you got here and how come nothing seems to have gotten done. Right?

Yet, how come some people seem to get so much done before noon?

The answer is "quality time". By that I don't mean the half hour before bedtime that an overworked parent spends reading to their kids... I mean making the most of every moment.

In order to succeed, you don't have to add more moments. You don't need to do double or triple the work than the next person. You don't even have to stop doing a lot of the stuff you do now.

Instead, just get more out of each moment.

How?

That's also quite simple...

Just put more INTO each moment.

Go into each moment knowing what you want to get out of it. Set a goal, even for the most mundane tasks. You know how to do dishes... so don't think about the dishes... and don't think about the laundry, or the day's problems while doing the dishes either... think about Love and about doing the things you love... let your mind flow over creative solutions, like the water flowing over the plate.

Or if that doesn't suit you, how about listening to a motivational CD or MP3 while you do your daily tasks?

Wouldn't that be putting more into the moment? It still takes the same amount of time it would have anyway... so see how different it is when you add to the moment?

Also, if you're going to some event, or have to do some particular project, plan out what lessons you'll get from it. Realize that even if the project you're about to work on isn't your ideal thing, you can learn the process of getting it done, so that you can use it for more important things later on.

So if you want to find more time, look inside each moment. Just go deeper.

Keep the light on!

GuruStu