" Any Road Will Take You There, if You Do Not Know Where You Want To Go " - by Garry O. Blanson

While walking the other day, a scene from one of my favorite childhood movies," Alice in Wonderland " entered my mind.It was the scene where the Cheshire Cat asked Alice were she was going. Alice asked the Cheshire Cat : " Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?" ; The Cheshire Cat replied : it depends a good deal on where you want to get to ; Alice : I don't much care where ; The Cheshire Cat : Then it doesn't much matter which way you go. When I thought about that scene, all I could do was laugh ! Why was I laughing ? Well, when I thought about Alice asking the Cheshire Cat that question, it made me realize that so many people are exactly where Alice was in the Movie.They want to know which way they should go, but they don't know exactly where they want to get to,so it's just like the Cheshire Cat said in the movie," Then it doesn't much matter which way they go !" It seems like people have been conditioned to run on autopilot. If you are a kid, it's wakeup, go to school, do your lesson, go home,do your " homework," watch television, take a bath, go to bed and get ready to do it allover again tomorrow !If you are an adult. It's get the kids off to school,go to a job,do the work at the job, go home, cook the food for the kids, watch television, take a bath, go to bed and get ready to do it allover again tomorrow ! Robert Kiyosaki, the author of " Rich Dad Poor Dad " says, once people are trapped in the lifelong process of bill-paying, they become like those little hamsters running around in those little metal wheels. Their little furry legs are spinning furiously, the wheel is turning furiusly, but come tomorrow morning, they’ll still be in the same cage( going nowhere ): great job !” So, how does one get off of the proverbial " HAMSTER WHEEL ?" Where should a person begin ? I believe that a person should begin with an " AWARENESS " of one's ownself ! Stephen Covey said," Every human has four endowments - self awareness, conscience, independent will and creative imagination. These give us the ultimate human freedom. The power to choose, to respond, to change. You see, in order for a person to change, they must become " AWARE " of what changes need to be made. A Wiseman once said," He who knows others is wise; he who knows himself is enlightened.” “The first thing you have to know is yourself. A man who knows himself can step outside himself and watch his own reactions like an observer.” “ Your own Self-Realization is the greatest service you can render the world.” So, start with Yourself.Take time everyday to get to " Know-Thyself better !" Most people have spent over 12 years of their lives learning about everything under-the-sun, but themselves.So do yourself a favor in " 2017 "and make it a priority to get to know YOURSELF BETTER. Besides,you can't truly be who you are,unless you know who you are ! Please don't forget to go to FACEBOOK and like my page: https://www.facebook.com/Garry-O-Blanson-115049231930571/?fref=hovercard

WHAT ARE YOU DO,DOING IN PRIVATE ? - by Garry O. Blanson

" PEOPLE get REWARDED Publicly for things that THEY have PRACTICED and PERFECTED FOR YEARS PRIVATELY " - Tony Robbins It's amazing how people think that someone became so successful over-night.While it is nice to believe that's how it all happened,it usually never happens that way.Most of the time,the person has to find and develop a ritual or a system that they practice in private on a daily and weekly basis.Take any person from any area of life,and you will find that the person has had to overcome homeostasis.Homeostasis,the tendency of the body to seek and maintain a condition of balance or equilibrium within its internal environment, even when faced with external changes.You see, humans tend to act consistently to who they Think and Believe they are.The sad thing about this is that most people came up with this False Identity or Definition of who they Think and Believe they are,before the age of 15. It has been said that the Adult gives Birth to the Child,then the Child gives birth to the Adult.Maybe that's why the government took control of the Schooling of children in America.Remember,there was a time in America the Bible was a part of the School Curriculum and the " CHURCH " handled the Education of children.Now,more and more, you see local,state, and the federal government trying to take more control of the children from the parents.Just today,a friend left me pic about a California bill(SB18 ) http://www.infowars.com/bombshell-sacrificing-children-to-the-state-of- california-sb18/ , where the Po " LIE " ticians of the state of California are trying to just this very thing ! Somehow the people of America have to " WAKEUP " to what is really going on with our Education System ! Please don't forget to go to FACEBOOK and like my page: https://www.facebook.com/Garry-O-Blans on-115049231930571/?fref=hovercard

" CHARTERING YOUR NEW COURSE " - by Garry O. Blanson

As You begin this NEW YEAR,it is fitting that You turn Your attention to Creating Your NEW LIFE. A Life that You will be Creating, One day at a Time ! First,You want to Create Your Values List. Choose Your Top 20 Values that are " MOST " Important to You[ it's almost impossible to go against Your Values ]. Next, You want to use Your Dreams and Vision to You help Create Your Dreams Lists. After You have completed Your Values and Dreams Lists, You are ready to " Plot " Your Dreams onto the Life Wheel,and under Your current and future Life Roles. Use the Areas of the Life Wheel and Your current and future Life Roles to help You " Plot " Your Dreams from Your Dreams List( doing this will help You in Choosing which Dreams You want to add to Your Goals list ).After You have finished plotting Your Dreams,You are ready to Choose which Dreams that You want to add to Your Goals Lists . *** NOTE : Before adding any Dream to Your Goals List," MAKE SURE " that it " DOES NOT " conflict with any of the items on Your Values Lists. *** You will be making " 5 " separate Goals lists. The First list will be Your 0 - 22 days List, Your Second list will be Your 23 - 46 days List, Your Third list will be Your 47 - 94 days List, Your Fourth list will be Your 95 - 190 days list, Your Fifth list will be Your 191 -365 days List. Now, go ahead and make 5 more Lists for the NEXT 365 days,and the NEXT 365 days,UNTIL You have done enough for a period of ANYWHERE from 25 years to a period of 75 years{ it all depends on how far down the " RABBIT HOLE " You really want to GO ! }. Please don't forget to go to FACEBOOK and like my page: https://www.facebook.com/Garry-O-Blanson-115049231930571/?fref=hovercard

EVERY STUDENT SUCCEEDS ACT[ ESSA ] - by Garry O. Blanson

By now, you have heard of the " DEATH " of the Federal Program for Education in our Schools Known as " NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND." As a matter of fact, some states had " ALREADY " established their own new program to replace NCLB.The New Federal Program that each state must implement is called ," Every Student Succeeds Act( ESSA )." ESSA will replace No Child Left Behind and each state must develop its own plan to measure student progress and help students achieve more Academically. The Louisiana Association of Educators recently released their report on what they say that parents and community members say they want from public schools.Also, members of the LAE said that more than 750 people participated in their meetings. So far,I haven't talked to anyone in the Monroe area who actually attended any of their meetings.Here is a statement from an article about the LAE report," Many participants are concerned about the amount of testing in schools, and how testing may affect learning time, creativity, critical thinking and innovation in the classroom." The article went on to mention that " PENDING " federal " approval, the Every Student Succeeds Act could be in place in LOUISIANA SCHOOLS for the 2017 - 18 school year. Yes, there's a lot that I could have said,but right now I just want to help you become " AWARE " of how School is used as a tool against Innocent Minds ! Please don't forget to go to FACEBOOK and like my page: https://www.facebook.com/Garry-O-Blans on-115049231930571/?fref=hovercard

" Conditioned to Respond " by Garry O. Blanson

Recently, I came across a term known as " Conditioned Response." After further research, I found out that this term was also called," Classical Response." So what does these two terms actually mean? Although people sometimes give different meanings to these two terms, most people agree that the terms involve behavior which is consistently repeated over a period of time( sometimes as little as 4 or 5 times within a single day ). Most times the behavior is done Subconsciously( un-beknownst to the persons involved ). The Responses include Mental and Physical as well as Emotional responses.Additionally, the Response can be Triggered by any single or combination of people,places,events or things within a persons Mental and Physical or Emotional World { examples include anxiety, doubt, fear, the color of the sky, the wind blowing,or someone looking at you in a certain way, etc...} The verdict is still out on whether or not the " CLASSICAL RESPONSE " is the CAUSE of many of the problems that cause children to develop what is known as S.D.D.[ Self-Awareness Deficit Disorder ].Self-Awareness Deficit Disorder basically means that a person isn't fully " AWARE " of who they are in regards to their individual strengths,gifts,talents, and divinity. They lack knowledge and full understanding concerning who they are and what they are truly capable of achieving. Hopefully, through articles like this one and others, School Administrators,Teachers,Principals, Parents,and Students will start the necessary conversations about " S.D.D." and " CLASSICAL RESPONSE." Please don't forget to go to FACEBOOK and like my page: https://www.facebook.com/Garry-O-Blans on-115049231930571/?fref=hovercard

JUST A THOUGHT by Garry O. Blanson

If doctors can amputate a person's diseased foot to prevent the problem from spreading and causing more harm,what if people were to amputate their negative diseased thoughts ? Someone once said," Keeping one's mind off of the thoughts that one DOES NOT want,and on the things that you DO want is one of the most difficult thing one can do." Every minute, we are thinking more and more thoughts { positive thoughts as well as negative ones }. Some of our thoughts are our own,but many of them come from outside sources such as parents,teachers,television,radio,and other social media. We are bombarded with so many thoughts on a daily basis,it's no wonder we often forget a few of them, Lol ! So as I mentioned earlier,it sure would be nice if we could amputate our negative diseased thoughts. However, since amputation isn't an option,we must plant new healthy positive thoughts Over a period of time, the new positive thoughts will over-ride the old negative ones.One of the best ways to do this is by using what is known as an"AFFIRMATION." One of the best definitions that I've come across is the one given by Phil Laut," An Affirmation is a high quality thought that you like well enough to immerse in your consciousness. Also,let me be clear that there is more than one right way to create an Affirmation. Like most things,experiment with several of them and use the ones that work best for you.Also, below are a few guidelines from " JACK CANFIELD " that you can consider when creating your own Affirmations. * Start with the words I Am.The words “I am” are the two most powerful words in language. Use the Present tense.Describe what you want as though you already have it.Wrong: I am going to get a new red Porsche 911 Carrera. Right: I am enjoying driving my new red Porsche 911 Carrera. * State it in the positive. Affirm what you want, not what you don’t want.The unconscious mind does not hear the word no.Wrong: I am no longer afraid of flying. Right: I am enjoying the thrill of flying. * Keep it brief.Think of your affirmation as an advertising jingle. * Make it specific.Vague affirmations produce vague results.Wrong: I am driving my new red car. Right: I am driving my new red Porsche 911 Carrera. * Include an action word ending with –ing.The active verb adds power to the effect by evoking an image of doing it right now.Wrong: I express myself openly and honestly. Right: I am confidently expressing myself openly and honestly. * Include at least one dynamic emotion or feeling word.Some commonly used words are… enjoying, joyfully, happily, celebrating, proudly, calmly, peacefully, delighted, enthusiastic, triumphant.Wrong: I am maintaining my perfect body weight of 178 lbs. Right: I am feeling agile and great at 178!!!! * Make affirmations for yourself, not others.Wrong: I am watching Johnny clean up his room.Right: I am effectively communicating my needs and desires to Johnny. * Add or something better.Example: I am enjoying living in my beautiful beachfront villa on the Ka’anapali coast of Maui or somewhere better. For more information on Jack Canfield, you can click on this link : http://jackcanfield.com/training-events/ AND Please don't forget to go to FACEBOOK and like my page: https://www.facebook.com/Garry-O-Blanson-115049231930571/?fref=hovercard

Solving Problems Using The FACTS Versus OPINION System - by Garry O. Blanson

When it comes to the circumstances in our lives,why do we keep mixing " FACTS " with “ OPINIONS ?” You would think that it would be easy for us to tell the difference.Surprisingly,it's not as easy as it seems. I guess it is because of the way we have been conditioned by our previous experiences.Never-the-less,we keep mixing the two of them together,causing us more grief and trouble than necessary. If only we could learn to separate the two. I've been told that the way we perceive a situation is much more important than how it appears to be. In the words of Shakespeare," Nothing is either good or bad, Thinking makes things So ." It would do us good to keep this in mind whenever we are faced with a problem.Instead, of just automatically viewing it as a problem, why not try and separate the facts from the opinions. Believe it or not, the process is pretty simple. All you need is a couple of sheets of paper or a notebook, and a pen or pencil.On the first sheet of paper, write down all your thoughts about the problem and how you feel about the problem( use two or three sheets, if needed ). On the next sheet of paper,draw a straight line down the center of the page.At the top of one side of the sheet of paper write FACTS, on the other side write OPINIONS.Using the page or pages you used to write your thoughts about the problem,list each thought as either a FACT or OPINION.When you finish listing your thoughts, examine the thoughts that you listed as OPINION " FIRST!"For each OPINION listed, ask yourself, Where did this OPINION come from{ you,your parents, grand-parents, relatives, t.v. ,radio, school, church,etc }? After discovering where you got the OPINION from,DECIDE whether or not you would like to hold on to this OPINION( you do not have to, if you do not want to ). Now examine the thoughts that you listed as FACTS.Which FACTS do you feel like you can tackle by your self ? Which FACTS do you think you need someone to help you with ?Ok,get two sheets of paper[ on one sheet of paper, list the FACTS that you can accomplish by yourself ; on the other sheet, list the FACTS that you need someone to help you with ].You can go ahead and get started on the list that you feel that you can get done by yourself.Also,write down a time of 30 - 45 minutes when you will brainstorm to see who you can get to help you with your list that you need help with. I believe that this little system will help many of you get over the procrastination habit that always seems to keep people from being more productive [Go ahead and "DO-IT-NOW!"]. Please don't forget to go to FACEBOOK and like my page: https://www.facebook.com/Garry-O-Blanson-115049231930571/?fref=hovercard