Do Things With All Due Diligence

AFTERNOON:

With all due respect, you really ought to do things with all due diligence.

The house is on fire? Be calm and get everyone out. Maybe rescue your pets if it's not too much effort. But do it with all due diligence.

A car's coming at you head-on? Be calm. First, quit texting immediately. Second, with all due diligence, swerve.

Diligence. I bet I could look up the word and find it has an interesting root. Perhaps it's from the same root as DELicious or DILLY Bar.

It's a great characteristic for someone to have. The definition being something like an extraordinary effort at accomplishing something.

What's desirable, from my point of view, is to have diligence as an ordinary thing. To face every challenge -- big or small -- diligently.

Diligence implies you're scoping out all the angles, acting in a purposeful way toward a goal, believing in yourself, that it can be done.

There's an extra effort in it. Confidence calls forth from you what's extra, not only to get it done, but to do it in a terrific way.

I've had a few tasks today. I've stepped through them with all due diligence. This is done, that is done, and I'm working on the rest.

I recommend it to you. Take on your day, your tasks and challenges. See them accomplished in the best way, with a very confident diligence.

All Due Diligence Wins The Day

MORNING:

Having all due diligence in life, the resolve and strength to get your responsibilities and duties accomplished, is the way to go.

You want to be a strong person with achievements? Then BE a strong person with achievements. It all starts with your desire.

But desire alone doesn't do a thing. There's a whole mental framework standing behind desire. That's where our focus needs to be.

Each day if we set our mind, we're on the way. Set it for a number of purposes. These include not just doing our job, but our spirit in it.

It's easier to do a job when your heart's in it. But it's also good to let your heart know who's boss. Fulfill responsibilities and duties.

Mental strength is not just following your bliss (in that sense of somewhere else), but making the life I have now my bliss.

Yes, there are goals and dreams, but there's also all the unpaid bills from yesterday. These need to be honored as well.

To be truly happy, we take care of our business with all due diligence, like a man at an anvil, slugging it out every single day.

It's not drudgery -- it's life itself. It is easy to appreciate and treasure it when the mental framework is truly set in place.

Today, I will live my life with all due diligence. Nothing is going to sway me. I will accomplish, achieve, and probably be tired tonight.

All Due Diligence

My personal resolve refuses to weaken. I will press on in boldness and strength, exerting myself with all due diligence to get the job done.

That applies to whatever job there is. My resolve is such that I will have discipline to accomplish this, that, or the other thing. If it's set before me and is a part of my responsibility or duty, that is what I will do.

Once your mind is set, the resolve is locked in place. At that point there must be no loosening, no shrinking back to a place of laziness and excuses.

Just looking at this great picture helps toughen my hide for what the day may bring. I will be both the anvil and the guy pounding against it. Anything but the colorful marshmallow background! I will not soften or become a sticky, gooey mush, regardless of what anyone else does.

I like the looks of that old anvil: "ACME GUARANTEED." You don't want a bad anvil. So it's always best to get one that's guaranteed. You take a whack at it and it splits in two? That'd be the last anvil I'd buy from Acme, or whoever. The shipping on an anvil, it's high. You want one that's going to stand the test of time. And, frankly, I've never heard of a bad anvil. Whoever makes them knows by now how to get the job done.

Obviously I have a lot in common with anvil makers. They're tough and I'm tough. Except I'm made of flesh and bone, not iron. So it's tougher to successfully be me than it is to be an anvil. I have that as a point of pride. It represents me, and anyone who would exercise all due diligence in his or her life to get their job accomplished in a worthy manner.

There's not enough toughness in the world. There's too much softness. People falling away from their responsibilities and duties. Or in so many cases, never giving them a second thought in the first place. Like deadbeat dads. You want to stick it where you want to stick it, but there's a price to pay. That price is responsibility, deadbeat. You either need to be tougher or keep it zipped.

I've got going on here a "Drive for Pride," with some of the principles of self-esteem, confidence, and pride going forth. And yes, I'm taking my own medicine, and it's delicious. There's nothing more satisfying than keeping strict personal control, of being personally strong, mentally strong.

It starts with your mental framework. If you have it in you to say this is how it will be, then to follow through on it, you can have great success. If you will put forth all due diligence to get the job done, and to do it with appreciation for the responsibility and task, there's no stopping you.

Let this be another day of fulfilling our responsibilities and duties. Appreciate your work. Do it with sincerity and resolve. With all due diligence. Be tough, but also a nice person.

Set Your Mind -- Mental Acuity Is Good

EVENING:

How am I doing on setting my mind? Pretty well, yes sir.

I had a major afternoon nap, a little over an hour. That was kind of a killer because some of that time's prime real estate.

During that time I kept my mind set, but if I'm being completely honest -- like always -- I'm sure it went several extraneous directions.

The day isn't over. I still have things to do. I'm doing this [Twitter] and I'm as focused as a high def camera to get it done.

Then I have real work to do as well, which will keep me occupied through the course of the evening. The nap will pay for itself then!

Whatever give and take there is, I will have that thought up there somewhere of how my mind is SET. That discipline will be real.

What's this I see coming in view? Some unexpected challenge? I've already foreseen the unforeseen earlier and will not be sidelined.

Mental acuity -- I won't leave home without it.

Brain stem, don't fail me now!

My Mind Set -- How It's Going To Be

AFTERNOON:

Set your mind and take better control of your life.

If you want to drive east, make sure you looking east through the windshield.

What you want out of life, tell your mind that's the direction you're going, then do it.

Your mind doesn't have to wander. There's all kinds of discipline you can depend on.

You can foresee many things throughout the course of your day. A response can be planned in advance.

Foresee people's humor. Laugh and add to it. Foresee people's pain. Be concerned and encouraging. Foresee the unforeseen. Roll with it.

Foresee someone trying to get your attention. Give it to them in a complete, graceful way. Go beyond what they expect.

No one will know what's going on. To them the process will seem seamless. Why? Because you set your mind that it'd be that way!

There's an expression we use (in my family, anyway) when we're hungry: "I've got my mouth set for [fill in the blank.]"

When my mouth is set for something, it's my preference that's what I have. But if I don't get it, I foresee that too and roll with it.

When setting your mouth, you've also set your mind. So nothing is outside your grasp.

This is a day in which I'm not forgetting these principles, this discipline. My mind is set and that's how it's going to be.

My Mind Is Strictly Set

MORNING:

My mind is set today. The settings are in place. I expect good things as I do things in a good way.

My personal discipline today will be such that I will have very few regrets, perhaps none, when the day ends.

My mind is set in a strict way, but it's also set that the strictness will not be obvious to those I meet.

It is set to respond to every situation with calmness and perspective.

If my house is on fire, I will calmly explain to the fire department that I would appreciate a visit as soon as possible.

If I'm approached by an ax-wielding maniac in an alley, I will calmly use misdirection to divert his attention, then run like the devil.

Running like the devil may sound frantic and not calm, but it's always beneficial to set your mind in harmony with instinct. That IS calm.

When it comes to interpersonal relations, I will give everyone a kind look. I will silently be trying to understand them, their problems.

One thing I will know, their problem will probably come down to this -- Their minds aren't set. They didn't set them.

Like anyone, I'm looking for reasonable advantages for myself. I will not give up my advantages, but I won't exploit others to their harm.

One question for you today: Is YOUR mind set? Are you going to set it?

Set Your Mind And It's Done

This is definitely the way to live. Set your mind and it's done.

You can get on with your day quickly. The idea pops in your head, something affirmative, you say "Yes" and you're on your way.

There's way too many allowances for pit stops, laziness, mental junk food, and sass. This whole mental, physical, spiritual thing called me is designed to work in harmony with the constituent parts. To expect unhealthy relapses is no way to live.

I'm setting my mind today. I set it yesterday. It seems like it'd be great to be able to set it and not think about it. But what kind of fun would that be? If you consciously and purposefully set it, that's a good time to give yourself some positive strokes, backward and forward. You know, even Fixodent says Fixodent and forget it. But it's a daily process. You don't just put on an enormous layer the day you get your false teeth and forget it.

Let me see here. How am I going to set my mind? In a certain sense, I already have. Because I've already been up for about three hours doing things. But I can still set it for what looms ahead.

There may be chance meetings with people through the day. I'm setting my mind for a good, calm, friendly attitude toward them. I'm setting my mind to not show uncomfortable surprise or shock. In addition, I'm setting it to take everything in stride.

There may be opportunities for wit. This is a tricky subject. I'm setting my mind that it would be appropriate, in keeping with the tone of the moment. I will not thrust it upon anyone or unnecessarily prolong it. Both of these are a sure sign of an unset mind.

There will be completely unexpected things. Again, calmness is the default setting of choice.

Even now I'm imagining forward, thinking about what might happen. I'm going to recalibrate things here -- OK, done! -- not to get too specific in that. Because it's my intention to face what comes with freshness, genuine responses. For that, I will set my mind to automatically reset itself incrementally on the fly according to my general preferences, well known to it by experience. Anything major, check with Central Command. Anything typical but still needing a tweak, tweak it and we'll also evaluate it on the fly.

My personal theme today -- not an unusual one -- will be personal discipline. A mind that is free to engage in give and take but still tethered to good sense and reason.

Next, I'm setting my mind to smooth out any seams that might otherwise be visible to those I meet. This is a lot like the incremental resetting above. It will not appear that I am being calculating. Instinct is still my friend.

But I will be calculating to this extent: My attitudes and responses will be such that I will have few regrets. Anything that might otherwise get me down, I will have it so encompassed with mental forces, that I will come through in a cheerful way.

Lastly, for any mental alarms that may go off, right now I'm turning the volume off, setting it for vibrate only. So if you see a guy today who seems perplexed about something and his head is shaking like a hummingbird's wings, that'll be me.

The Old Grind Is History

AFTERNOON:

The Old Grind is history.

I went beyond and transcended the Old Grind today. I threw myself into my work and enjoyed it as much as I could. I kept reminding myself.

Like any other day, I started wearing down as the day went on. But it was still a concept in my mind, to treat my work as an opportunity.

I like concepts. The last few have been very helpful to me, including the Hedgerow of Warring Angels. I thought of it today, invoking it.

And Gigantic Strides. I was thinking if I get a whole list of these concepts, I'll indeed have to make a list, so I can look at it.

Maybe I can make my own deck of spirituality cards, like where a person will pull a Gigantic Strides card and accomplish something big.

Or a Hedgerow of Warring Angels card, then be surrounded and protected by the Hedgerow, clearing the way to fulfill your great destiny.

My mentality reaches for what comes next. I don't know what it is. But it's somewhere in the folds of that gigantic thing inside my head.

Now it's late. I've been up since 5 a.m. I need to do the dishes, clean the catbox, take the dog out, brush my teeth, and go to bed.

Even though I'm tired, do I consider doing all that the Old Grind? No. Thank God for my dog and cats and that I get to do the dishes.

I didn't really want to write anything else tonight. But I thought, "That's just the Old Grind talking." Write it! It's an opportunity!

Staring Down The Old Grind

AFTERNOON:

I've stared the Old Grind in the face and by gosh I think I won.

First one to look away is the loser. And the Old Grind couldn't take my intensity.

Thank goodness for a little discipline. Discipline, self expectations are all it really takes to overcome so many things.

Like the way we conceive of our work. Is it the Old Grind or is it an opportunity to excel and better yourself?

I definitely think having a more joyous, expectant attitude is the way to get ahead.

But to cringe and pout about having to put my nose to the grindstone -- the Old Grind -- that just makes me sick and resentful.

So overcome the Old Grind, the mental concept of your day being the Old Grind, and see everything become new!

I have lots of other tasks to do, chores around the place to keep me busy for most of the rest of the day. I'm loving it!

I've been getting a lot done. The morning definitely flew by. Time wasn't dragging a bit. In fact it went too fast.

Appreciate your work. Do it with happiness. You'll be happier!

No More Old Grind For Me

MORNING:

The old grindstone awaits my presence. Well, let it wait, I might say, because I'm sick and tired of putting my nose to the old grindstone!

I might say, My nose is worn down badly, all the skin and cartilage is in shreds, and all that's left are the pipe cleaners sticking out.

And you expect ME to show up to work again today, to look down at that spinning obsolete contraption, and bend low to meet it again?!

Well! I might easily huff, Get yourself another man. I've been victimized by your profit-making schemes for too long, I'm outta here!

That's one way of looking at our daily round of work. Maybe your job is a toughie and you dread it. And yet you have to go to it, of course.

Another way is to start looking at life with refreshed eyes, where everything is a wonder, including what we normally consider a grind.

We might look at it like the great privilege it is, 1) to be alive; 2) to have something to do; 3) to spend our day doing it.

Personally, I've seen it from both sides, and they still come and go: "50 whole weeks of the same old grind, then two weeks of pleasure."

At times I can't seem to help it. That's just the way it is. Then at other things I think, Why not make the 50 weeks pleasure too?

It's a mental shift, of course, but one that can refresh us greatly. Meaning that what we do is a vocation, maybe an adventure, maybe fun!

Some of my little tasks around here -- BOORRRRRING -- I can look at them that way, or I can look at them as "This IS My Life -- Enjoy It!"

So I'm "Getting Beyond The Old Grind," leaping, bounding, flying over the concept of the Old Grind, and enjoying what I do.

Don't waste this day of life. Whatever crap-thing you're called to do, dive in like you just won the lottery. It'll be good for your spirit.

That's the way I'm going to face this whole day! Seriously.

Beyond The Old Grind

Put your nose to the grindstone.

That's the way to get things done. I think the old phrase means it may be painful but to get it accomplished you have to dive right in.

You might have just been innocently sniffing a grindstone and someone started it up. If anyone could be said to be "innocently" sniffing things. There has to be something devious about it.

As weird as the whole thing is, we has some idea what it means. Then it gets related to the whole reputation of hard work, that it's a grind.

Back to the old grind. Two weeks of vacation, then 50 weeks of the same old grind. Or you could switch it around for a more positive spin, 50 more weeks of the same old grind, then two weeks of happy vacation! Lounging on the beach while the kids beg for money and things.

The same old grind is a boring way to look at life. It's not cutting loose enough for my tastes. Instead, there's something to be said about embracing the old grind, even transcending the old grind. That would mean being so mindful and purposeful about your life that everything is fun, or if not fun, rewarding.

Like whatever I have to do today. I could look at it as drudgery. Getting in there and slogging it out. The various chores I have around the half acre and house. Or I can see it in more personal terms, like what they always say about a vocation, as my purpose, a calling.

But what kind of calling is it, what I do? For the average person looking at it, they might say it's no calling at all. It's just the random everyday duties of a guy who needs to scrape like the rest of us. Yes, I have an advantage, since I'm on disability (a game toe), but that doesn't mean I do nothing. I have plenty of responsibilities.

And, as you know, I've been spending a lot of my time (informally) in the teaching field (self-certified), leading people (strangers on the internet mostly) in some of the pointers that relate to self-esteem, confidence, and personal pride. I could consider that a grind, but I don't. It's very rewarding to know that many of my readers (no doubt) are transcending their circumstances this very second, thanks to what I've been able to share.

Today's pointer is just that, to transcend our circumstances, as they relate to the daily grind, the old grind. And to see it in more purposeful terms. There's no telling what greater things you can accomplish just by a few mind tweaks as to how you see things. Instead of drudgery, everyday is the opportunity of a lifetime! To do good work, to touch and bless those around you for good.

I've got my nose to the grindstone and it's a great thing! Now I'm cranking it so it won't wear down. And letting the sparks fly where they will!

The Odds Of Not Yawning

AFTERNOON:

What a nice day! I set the clock back an hour and the thermometer 10 degrees.

November came and suddenly it's heaven on earth.

So I'm an hour younger than I would've been and a lot warmer.

Twitter's nice. It allows me to have textual relations with lots of people.

My guess: I'm the first person to use the words Family Bible, Snickers, Dilly Bars, Bravura Cologne, Undies and Bricks in one sentence.

So what's the odds of that? Is that something that can even be calculated?

I have a family Bible, I just ate a Snickers, last night a Dilly Bar, I have a Bravura record here, I'm wearing undies and I can see bricks.

Let's all beat the odds. The odds might be really loooonnnnng and against you. But chances are you can beat them. Note, I said chances are.

To say "chances are" is to assume there's some odds involved. The odds of there not being odds involved are not good.

In fact, what are the odds that odds AREN'T involved whenever something's done? The odds might be zero before you start, but they increase.

Except the odds can't be zero then increase, because the fact that you did it means there were some odds that it would or could be done.

There's some WILL involved. I was yawning at 7 a.m., then told myself not to yawn anymore. I haven't yawned since then. What are the odds?

Even I have a hard time believing that I managed to do that. I almost yawned at 7:01 and 7:02 but stifled it, and so I haven't yawned since.

I didn't know I would utterly succeed at not yawning. I was doubtful. So obviously I thought the odds were against me. Which is weird.

It's weird because I'm generally optimistic when I decide to do something, set my mind for it and POP. It's done. But this amazes me.

If you can set your mind on something and do it, that's an achievement. Odds are pretty good you could do more meaningful things.

Oops, I just yawned.

Here We Are -- Against All Odds

MORNING:

It's against all the odds, but here we are, this particular group of people.

You didn't have to try to get the particular people in high school who were there, but it takes real effort to get them all together again.

The odds were against it the first time, the odds are against it now.

My life had to beat the odds. Assuming there's any kind of randomness and odds involved in the One.

From my point of view, I can see it both ways.

If everything is as it's meant to be, then odds aren't involved. But obviously the concept of the odds is something that occurs in it.

At this point, I give up, and leave it to flashes of insight saying "Shhhhh."

Against All Odds

Everything about me is against all odds. That I'm sitting here pulling forth a sentence from a nebulous haze of stumbling thoughts at this exact time and place is against all odds.

Where and when else might I have been? I might not have been or I might have always been. What do I know about it? Somehow, however it happened, there appears to be two hands with fingers pushing buttons, transcribing something, however boring it might be.

But those are all the hazy things I don't need to think about minute to minute. Because I take it for granted that I'm actually here. And having taken it for granted, there's really no reason to keep commenting on it. Except to remind myself that there's apparently something special and meaningful about it.

So what if it wasn't against all odds? What if what is is precisely what was meant to be, right on down to the bottom-most turtle? At that point, I'd have to say it was a terrific illusion at least. Because I didn't see it that way. But now that I do, OK, I see it. I'll have to stand there -- if there's still any I left to stand or anything standing to be done, since Judgment Day might just be a mental picture of something that doesn't actually happen like we think -- and say OK, you've got my admission, now what?

Enter into the beauties of my kingdom, which were and are prepared for you!

What are the odds of that happening? Pretty good, actually. Because look at everything else, all the other conditions that are given. I haven't had to do squat for the conditions of life. They just are. I happened to be born on a planet that was just right for me. Of course that could all be flipped on its head. There was no I who happened to be born. There was a planet that happened to bring forth all of us. Or there was a planet as a part of Consciousness that happened to give life to form and types to share in the same Consciousness.

I'm sure there are lots of people who could explain it or characterize it better than I. But what of it? They're probably smarter than me, having spent all their time zeroed in on this one thing. While I'm busy with a million things, so naturally I don't know that much about it. I do feel and sense it. Life is definitely a buzz.

However you cut it, something's definitely going on. Isn't it? It either is or isn't. Is that fair? Maybe not. If we can't even figure out that much, how are we going to know if something is against all odds or not?

Odds have to be based on something firm and predictable. So it's against all odds that the odds have anything to do with it. Whatever the odds were, we somehow got five aces.