tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-89951209019267052872011-12-14T05:10:47.549-08:00A subjective perspective on personal growth and self improvementBerthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09971721042712465763noreply@blogger.comBlogger441100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8995120901926705287.post-64317276256981287402008-08-13T22:35:00.000-07:002008-08-13T22:43:19.504-07:00

The journaling has been going smoothly, I'm still maintaining a good habit of writing when I feel the need to express events in life. I'm starting to get annoyed however with having to write update posts about the journaling. Its starting to seem a little redundant from my perspective and is getting really tough to post new updates with only a day of change. Possibly this is making me much more

Berthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09971721042712465763noreply@blogger.com71tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8995120901926705287.post-42235571422924811052008-08-12T22:22:00.000-07:002008-08-12T22:34:09.395-07:00

I seem to be getting more comfortable with journaling now. I'm using it consistently to process overwhelming thoughts and emotions that occur during the course of my day. Its becoming almost an automatic response. I feel negative or confused and I react by opening the journal and writing out what I feel. Just by this action alone, I already feel calmer and more aware of my current state. I'm

Berthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09971721042712465763noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8995120901926705287.post-54963621025271600462008-08-11T22:34:00.000-07:002008-08-11T22:47:15.324-07:00

Today's journaling experience was much more effective and useful than its been for the past few days. I used the journal continuously throughout the day to record thoughts that I wanted to organize and clear my head of negative feelings I was experiencing. Again I noticed its very effective when used as a tool to process experiences and feelings. The act of writing them out forces me to

Berthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09971721042712465763noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8995120901926705287.post-55480245625088530132008-08-10T23:17:00.000-07:002008-08-10T23:22:53.923-07:00

In journaling today, I used it to work through a recent situation in which I surprisingly reacted negatively, but caught me off guard. I found that journaling in this case, in order to process and better understand the cause and reaction, was very helpful in first letting go some of the negative feelings which lingered. Its funny how a part of yourself can surface that you weren't even aware of

Berthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09971721042712465763noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8995120901926705287.post-80955981542676774112008-08-09T23:25:00.000-07:002008-08-10T17:08:13.188-07:00

A lesson learned with journaling is that doing them at night isn't the most effective. At night, especially right before sleep, I really have no desire to journal; I just want to sleep. Thus I get really crabby about journaling and put that mood onto my thoughts in the journal. In the future I'll try journaling earlier to see how that changes my journaling effectiveness. Another lesson learned

Berthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09971721042712465763noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8995120901926705287.post-75875122975323766632008-08-08T23:17:00.000-07:002008-08-08T23:20:35.355-07:00

Today journaling was feeling like a chore to get accomplished instead of a joy. I think this is just part of the learning process and getting used to developing it as a habit. It's like when I practice capoeira and we've throwing 500 kicks. It really sucks after a while, however eventually you get into the vibe and get comfortable and grateful at being able kick properly. Even though the

Berthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09971721042712465763noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8995120901926705287.post-41505904093851487232008-08-07T22:59:00.000-07:002008-08-07T23:03:18.171-07:00

Today will be a short post. I've been busy enjoying the last of my time in California, so I really didn't journal except at the end of today just covering some high level points. It feels better to journal when I truly have something to get off my mind, such as fears or tasks to accomplish. Just journaling for the sake of it doesn't seem to be nearly as fun or effective. Maybe when this challenge

Berthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09971721042712465763noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8995120901926705287.post-84180818295795638672008-08-06T23:29:00.000-07:002008-08-06T23:43:00.017-07:00

It's been another successful day of journaling. Lately I've been using journaling as a reference, note taking tool. This I'm finding for me works excellently. Quick insights, cluttered thoughts or lists of tasks are perfect for using the journal to jot down notes on. My journal now looks less like an organized novel and more like a madman's collection of random notes and concepts. The benefit to

Berthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09971721042712465763noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8995120901926705287.post-50581057128405641322008-08-05T23:39:00.000-07:002008-08-05T23:49:36.568-07:00

Today was a more useful day of journaling. Instead of just relying on journaling online I put a good bit of time on good old fashioned pen and paper. Ideas seem to flow easier on pen and paper as opposed to typing on a keyboard. This may be due to the fact that I've never officially learned how to type correctly, but regardless I've had a lot more experience with handwriting. I noticed when

Berthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09971721042712465763noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8995120901926705287.post-47186502569578547602008-08-04T23:24:00.000-07:002008-08-04T23:35:01.626-07:00

Today I haven't experienced any major developments or insights in journaling, but instead have gained a deeper appreciation for the value of journaling. Again I had a lot of ideas floating in my head today, but I noticed that I seemed to be able to deal with them better and take action on things easier. I can't be entirely sure, but I believe the act of journaling (focusing on getting thoughts

Berthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09971721042712465763noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8995120901926705287.post-20401038230486091902008-08-04T06:35:00.000-07:002008-08-04T06:47:59.378-07:00

Just missed posting last night due to coming home and directly knocking out, so I'm posint an update this morning instead. I found my journaling experience yesterday to be a more motivational one. Yesterday I started off listening to a motivational tape to get me in the attitude of taking some action on my current projects. While listening to it, I had a swarm of ideas start floating around and

Berthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09971721042712465763noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8995120901926705287.post-9369147544866840292008-08-02T22:02:00.002-07:002008-08-02T22:51:24.134-07:00

Today was a more relaxed day and it was reflected in my journaling. Normally when recording journaling, I just collect a bunch of good ideas and thoughts that cross my mind before they leave. However since my mind was more settled today, I really didn't feel like doing that. Instead a couple of short poems manifested in my head which I quickly recorded before they disappeared back from where they

Berthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09971721042712465763noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8995120901926705287.post-84006180200466264382008-08-01T22:21:00.001-07:002008-08-01T22:34:02.876-07:00

What a difference a day makes! Today's trial at journaling had very good results, especially compared to last night. I tried a different approach to journaling this time. Yesterday I was just summarizing the notable points of the day which really didn't provide any value to me and seemed pointless. Today I made in effort to make the journal more like a useful tool than a history book.

Berthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09971721042712465763noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8995120901926705287.post-17958655707808721722008-07-31T23:29:00.003-07:002008-08-01T10:49:06.459-07:00

Tonight was my first day of journaling for my new challenge and I'm really not sure what to think about the experience. This isn't the first time I've used a journal, but I'm running into what I think commonly stops me from maintaining this habit:I really don't know what to journal about.I find myself summarizing my day and highlighting the notable points. That's cool, but what's the point unless

Berthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09971721042712465763noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8995120901926705287.post-10905001403927545362008-07-31T16:43:00.003-07:002008-07-31T17:06:38.967-07:00

I just finished reading a lot of awesome articles by Steve Pavlina, specifically 10 Ways to Optimize your Normal Days and feel motivated to start installing some positive changes in my life. Normally when I get this type of motivation, I'm extremely gung-ho about implementing a lot of ideas and do good initially, but after about a week I fall off since I'm doing to many different things at once.

Berthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09971721042712465763noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8995120901926705287.post-35311805557361725082008-07-30T09:08:00.006-07:002008-07-30T10:30:22.170-07:00

What drives millions every year to watch fantastic movies, immerse themselves in epic novels and listen to passionate songs? It's our innate desire for adventure, the excitement of a new journey full of possibilities for our imaginations. It's the anticipation of what's to come and the exhilaration of going along for the ride. Stepping back from movies, books and music and taking a honest

Berthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09971721042712465763noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8995120901926705287.post-36958384835923791742008-07-06T21:12:00.002-07:002008-07-06T21:30:49.965-07:00

How often do we stop, pull back from our daily grind and truly appreciate the wondrous lives we have?For a majority its very rarely, and even then its clouded by false perceptions and insecurities. Do we not realize the blessing it is to even be alive?Stop right now, letting go of ALL anxieties, worries, concerns and issues you may have in your life. As of this moment, none of that matters. Take

Berthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09971721042712465763noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8995120901926705287.post-57164613723461700582008-05-18T06:57:00.002-07:002008-05-18T07:11:52.000-07:00

I sincerely believe that the goal of most people is to be happy and satisfied. This is the state that many reach for; however they reach naively. Some look for it in a new car or job, some look in a relationship, some even look for it in killing and raping. The common thread is all are looking to reach the state of peace, but have no guide or road map to this state. They wander aimlessly clinging

Berthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09971721042712465763noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8995120901926705287.post-8265659880646842832008-05-17T16:03:00.002-07:002008-05-17T16:09:56.513-07:00

Every moment we breathe is a perfect moment, with all in it as an expression of perfection. The perfect birds over head, the perfect glimmer of the sun through the clouds, the perfect wrong note from an instrument; all perfect.Some moments such as these stand clearly to our awareness as a shining example of their innate, wordless perfection. So clear that the illusions of the mind are penetrated

Berthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09971721042712465763noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8995120901926705287.post-49601018569736042532008-05-13T19:00:00.003-07:002008-05-13T19:35:30.929-07:00

Why would we want to do such a thing, aren't our beliefs good? Don't they give us something to look toward and stand for?Before coming to any conclusions, stop for a second and allow your mind to stay open and listen. We hold on to our beliefs in life strongly, to the point of death even; look at all the wars and atrocities done in the name of God. Given our personal attachment to these beliefs (

Berthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09971721042712465763noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8995120901926705287.post-17509133214250538342007-12-16T11:10:00.000-08:002007-12-16T12:03:57.907-08:00

Now that I've finished with the insanity of school for winter break, I wanted to post a little bit more, especially about some deeper topics. The first of these is the concept of synchronicity and its role in our everyday lives.Synchronicity is defined as "the experience of two or more events which occur in a meaningful manner, but which are causally unrelated". This is the type of situation

Berthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09971721042712465763noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8995120901926705287.post-41632237670598215372007-12-01T14:18:00.001-08:002007-12-01T14:19:15.501-08:00

I mention in earlier posts the importance of energy management and keeping ones self balanced. This post's purpose is to go deeper in that idea and discuss an idea that's been known for thousands of years in a multitude of cultures: The Human Chakra System.The word chakra means spinning wheel in Sanskrit. This term is used to describe the energy centers in every human being, specifically the 7

Berthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09971721042712465763noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8995120901926705287.post-90483799903415553012007-11-29T09:43:00.000-08:002007-12-01T13:30:35.754-08:00

QuestionWhy can guys ho around but girls can't (without getting bad rep)?-Alexia AnswerThere's a lot of ways to answer this question. I'll give you a couple of ideas I've heard, along with what I personally believe to be true. The first idea for this double standard comes from our biology as human beings and the need for survival we had earlier before societies. Biologically, sex for women is

Berthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09971721042712465763noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8995120901926705287.post-31119824300798944452007-11-06T09:33:00.000-08:002007-11-07T07:52:01.509-08:00

It's been another long while since I've last posted. I recognize in myself that I do this very periodically and looking closer have noticed one of the reasons for it. This brings me to the idea of education and experience and how both are completely necessary to learn and grow.In life we learn things in two distinct ways, through education and experience. The difference between the two are easy

Berthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09971721042712465763noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8995120901926705287.post-61969467337102166232007-10-02T08:59:00.000-07:002007-10-04T07:56:07.561-07:00

"The goal of many leaders is to get people to think more highly of the leader. The goal of a great leader is to help people to think more highly of themselves." - J. Carla NortcuttI wanted to talk about the idea of leadership, specifically, the servant side of leadership. The side of leadership which while mostly overlooked I believe happens to be its greatest defining quality. This post is more

Berthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09971721042712465763noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8995120901926705287.post-58590885239722681222007-09-28T19:56:00.000-07:002007-09-29T09:33:22.027-07:00

In this post, I want to discuss the importance of our attention. I personally feel it's a crucial lesson that leads to success in all aspects of life. However, especially in our society, it's something that is not only not taught, but actively abused. I hope to shed some light on this lesson and bring its importance to our conscious awareness.Our attention is defined as the act or state of being

Berthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09971721042712465763noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8995120901926705287.post-39492683862547812002007-09-27T18:25:00.001-07:002007-09-27T18:25:34.287-07:00

Question Bert, I read your post about cubicles. I truly love my job. I am a capitalist. I have a metaphysical sort of problem, and I hate metaphysics. I want to make lots of money. Not because I want to be rich and buy things, but because I do excellent work and I want to be rewarded for it. In a pure capitalistic society, those who do the most important work and produce the most are paid the

Berthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09971721042712465763noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8995120901926705287.post-85747050098727351562007-09-27T18:24:00.002-07:002007-09-27T18:25:12.873-07:00

"The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results" -Albert Einstein I'm compelled to write this post by the thoughts that have been swirling in my head recently. Everyday, for 8 hours I feel like I'm slowly going crazy. It's the feeling of losing grip of your own reality piece by piece. The more I think about it, the more absurd it seems,

Berthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09971721042712465763noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8995120901926705287.post-49244563436370540072007-09-27T18:24:00.001-07:002007-09-27T18:24:42.114-07:00

'Though reading and conversation may furnish us with many ideas of men and things, yet it is our own meditation must form our judgment.' -Isaac Watts I wanted to write a brief entry about my personal experience with meditation. What started out as a chore for me to complete has led to a valuable tool for me to manage my life. I began my experiences with meditation first through exercises. I

Berthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09971721042712465763noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8995120901926705287.post-59816334896801402582007-09-27T18:23:00.004-07:002007-09-27T18:24:21.078-07:00

Question Bert, Just recently I started re-evaluating my profession in the transportation industry. I’ve been working for the same family owned and operated business for 8 years now with no formal recognition. However, I have proven myself to be a very valuable employee mastering every department available. The time has come where I need more money!!! The job is willing to work with my salary but

Berthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09971721042712465763noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8995120901926705287.post-62294804542233019352007-09-27T18:23:00.003-07:002007-09-27T18:23:54.591-07:00

It's been a little while since my last post, not to say I haven't been thinking about it, but life sometimes throws curve balls. In my case, it threw a whole game... Regardless, I'm back and ready to start writing more of my thoughts and observations on the world. Since I'm just getting back on track, I think that's definitely a good topic to talk about. We've all been there. You have a great

Berthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09971721042712465763noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8995120901926705287.post-22488630947451044712007-09-27T18:23:00.001-07:002007-10-02T09:41:46.279-07:00

I really feel the need to discuss the topic of dependence since it's something I've recently seen a lot of people around me dealing with. On observing it closer I've seen dependence is more of a universal issue that a majority of people struggle with daily.That being said, what is dependence? The act of depending is defined as placing reliance or trust in something. Thus dependence is reliance or

Berthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09971721042712465763noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8995120901926705287.post-45461290685365227302007-09-27T18:22:00.000-07:002007-09-29T11:15:45.087-07:00

"A stitch in time saves nine" A decision is being able to consciously choose your personal action in a situation, event or even thought. It is your personal response to a stimulus that you receive. The importance of a decision is in its conscious choice which gives you complete responsibility for your reality. I feel in life, a lot of times we fail to decide in situations. People will tend to

Berthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09971721042712465763noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8995120901926705287.post-62473521310402775732007-09-27T18:21:00.000-07:002007-09-29T11:15:38.113-07:00

"Imagination is everything. It is the preview of life's coming attractions." - Albert Einstein What is the most important tool in getting the life you want? Money? Support from others? Power? None of these compare to the one gift that you already have inside of you, your imagination. Imagination is the gift we have as humans to create and connect ideas, people and events; basically taking

Berthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09971721042712465763noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8995120901926705287.post-45845578826376086332007-09-27T18:20:00.002-07:002007-09-29T11:15:28.947-07:00

"Many people have a wrong idea of what constitutes true happiness. It is not attained through self-gratification, but through fidelity to a worthy purpose." -Helen Keller Let's tackle a universal question in everyone's life, what is our purpose for being here? This is a question that has been asked since recorded time and something we've all personally asked ourselves at least a couple of times.

Berthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09971721042712465763noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8995120901926705287.post-57057448750251817252007-09-27T18:20:00.001-07:002007-09-29T11:15:19.884-07:00

Question This is great. I know I’m a nerd and all for thinking about certain things when I should be thinking about others, but what-a-great-way to manage your mind/brain to focus on studying/hw and learning. I spotted this deficiency in junior year when I realized the only reason people don’t learn is because they do not focus. It’s all about that foci. jeje. Thanks for your great advice and my

Berthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09971721042712465763noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8995120901926705287.post-7541764438112540812007-09-27T18:18:00.004-07:002007-09-29T11:15:09.882-07:00

Question So I’m not sure where to leave comments but here goes. So I’m a student and started talking with this one girl. For some reason, ever since I’ve been getting to know her, I think about her all the time. Studying requires mad focus and attention and I find myself in classes with my mind on this chick. How do I go about focusing all my energy on stuff I’m supposed to be worrying about

Berthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09971721042712465763noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8995120901926705287.post-12189914460256034002007-09-27T18:18:00.003-07:002007-09-29T11:14:58.190-07:00

“The state of your life is nothing more than a reflection of your state of mind.” -Wayne Dyer “It is usually a surprise to discover that most ugliness we see in others is but a reflection of our own nature" -Anonymous Why is it that there are some things in our lives that get to us? There are some qualities that people have that annoy us. Some actions people do that bother us. For instance, if

Berthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09971721042712465763noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8995120901926705287.post-20641105674434830182007-09-27T18:18:00.001-07:002007-09-29T11:14:48.937-07:00

"But are not this struggle and even the mistakes one may make better, and do they not develop us more, than if we kept systematically away from emotions?" -Vincent Van Gogh "When dealing with people, remember you are not dealing with creatures of logic, but creatures of emotion." -Dale Carnegie Emotions are the force behind many of the things we do in life. Emotions drive us, guide us and lead us

Berthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09971721042712465763noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8995120901926705287.post-20312001591755984292007-09-27T18:17:00.001-07:002007-09-29T11:14:36.022-07:00

"Whatever games are played with us, we must play no games with ourselves" -Ralph Waldo Emerson "I'm not concerned with your liking or disliking me...All I ask is that you respect me as a human being." -Jackie Robinson The above quotes have to deal with one massively important idea, respect. Respect is defined as the ability to hold to a high regard. Respect is something we give and are given.

Berthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09971721042712465763noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8995120901926705287.post-43345313569520281842007-09-27T18:16:00.002-07:002007-09-29T11:12:10.195-07:00

I want to talk about a topic that is extremely important but very often overlooked. It's involved in everything you do in your day and more often than not determines how successful you feel at the end of the day. This topic is energy and specifically I want to discuss its management. By learning how to manage your energy efficiently, you'll see improvements in all areas of your life from how much

Berthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09971721042712465763noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8995120901926705287.post-8698666694233324892007-09-27T18:16:00.001-07:002007-09-29T11:13:11.652-07:00

"It is better to give than to receive" I wanted to take some time to talk about the ideas of giving and receiving. Personally, I feel they have gotten to the point of being meaningless words. How many times do you hear that you should give to others less fortunate and do nothing? The meaning of giving has truly been lost and has been replaced by a word sometimes used to guilt people into doing

Berthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09971721042712465763noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8995120901926705287.post-84305244984944721632007-09-27T18:15:00.000-07:002007-09-29T11:14:08.986-07:00

"A mind is a terrible thing to waste" This quote is very true, but like most quotes seems too simple to be taken seriously. Most quotes like these are rarely given any serious thought if any at all. This quote, however, sprung to me when I was considering the topic of thought control. That is honestly the best name I could use to describe what I'm talking about, but I'll go more into detail.

Berthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09971721042712465763noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8995120901926705287.post-59659428592008712402007-09-27T18:14:00.000-07:002007-09-27T18:15:47.371-07:00

This is my first post for my new site Ask-Bert.com. My goal for this site overall is to provide valuable advice on the topics of interpersonal relationships (business, romantic, family, etc.) and self development (goal setting, motivation, time management...). I've immersed myself in these fields for years now and I finally feel I'm in a position to provide a positive impact on others. To achieve

Berthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09971721042712465763noreply@blogger.com1