The Year 2012

Published on by Eugene Morgan Category: Ericksonian Principles, Experiential learning, Surprise

Happy New Year!
Post Written By Eugene Morgan

The year 2012 is approaching us. We wonder how things going to be in 2012. We all hope for the best because nothing happens perfectly.

There will be some challenges ahead that are inevitable. There will be some changes we will have to make to make adjustments to a situation. We’re going to be shocked and surprised.

We will get outrage about an event. We will get sad when bad things happen. We will get happy when good things happen. We will experience new learnings.

We’re going to make an adjustment in writing 2012 instead of writing 2011. Next year is a new year. We can look forward to new things in our lives to happen. We can only hope for the best and do a lot of learning.

Put A Positive Spin on A Difficult Situation

Published on by Eugene Morgan Category: Ericksonian Principles, Frame of reference, Perspectives

Spinning Ride
Post Written By Eugene Morgan

When things aren’t working the way we want, we can put a positive spin on it. We can find something positive about what we’re doing.

It’s easy to look at it in a negative light.  Looking at things negative just enforces the negative attitude about the situation.

But when we put a positive spin on a difficult situation, we can begin to feel less stressful and our attitude becomes positive.

As we become positive, we can better handle the difficult situation and others around us can have an opportunity to change their attitude as well. Attitude and emotions is not a vacuum, everyone around positive and negative emotions are affected.

The Sun is Out; Challenging Assumptions

Published on by Eugene Morgan Category: Beliefs, Biases, Ericksonian Principles, generalizations, observation

Mercury in second transit contact, is entirely inside the Sun, moving further inward
Post Written By Eugene Morgan

We all make assumptions that aren’t true. There are assumptions that are even in our language, for instance, most of us would say, “The sun is out or the sun is going down.”

Even though, we know that the earth rotates and orbits around the sun.  Therefore, the sun isn’t moving up or going down, it’s the earth’s rotation that’s causing the illusion of the sun moving up and down.

We don’t normally say I can’t wait for the earth to rotate enough to see the sun or to see the sun set. We base our assumptions on our experiences and our personality and background.

Assumptions ought to be challenged. When we challenge our assumptions, we can see farther than before. Questioning assumptions is one of the most useful techniques that help broadened our minds. Challenging assumptions is a useful skill to get to a better understanding of things.

So Far So Good: Breaking Down Fears

Published on by Eugene Morgan Category: Doubt, Emotions, Ericksonian Principles, Uncertainty

spider
Written By Eugene Morgan

“A man jumped off the top of a skyscraper.  As he passed the third floor window he was heard to mutter: ‘So far so good’.”

When it comes to fear, we don’t jump into something without having some reservations. Most of our fears aren’t about jumping into something that causes death.

The example above is extreme, but sometimes what we fear, feels like we’re jumping into something that causes certain death. But most of our fears are all in our head; they aren’t real.

I don’t recommend anyone to jump. But whatever we fear that we have to jump into, we can have the attitude of the man who said, “So far so good.”

This attitude can help us get through the fear, knowing that whatever event that’s increasing our fear, we can say to ourselves: “So far so good,” whether that’s speaking in a front of a large audience, flying or getting in an elevator. The only thing that’s certain is uncertainty, but we take courage anyways.

When Reality is still Subjective

Published on by Eugene Morgan Category: Ericksonian Principles, Experiential learning, Reality

Glass Float
Written By Eugene Morgan

We all model reality through our background experiences. We have different experiences; therefore, we have different realities.

No matter how real our experiences are, they’re still subjective. When we tell a story about an experience to another person, for them to understand us, the listener would have to sort through their own background to understand us.

Not only are they sorting through their own experiences to understand us, but they’re also experiencing the story through their background. That’s why we love to listen to stories, because we enjoy experiencing the storyteller’s adventures.

Faults

Published on by Eugene Morgan Category: Acceptance, Ericksonian Principles

Post Written By Eugene

Accepting our faults doesn’t mean we’re limited by them.  But acceptance is the first step in freeing ourselves from the limitations of our faults.

What can we learn from our faults and the faults of others? No one is without faults. It’s also good to know what they are.  We’ve got to remind ourselves that although they’re part of our personality, it’s good idea to keep them at bay.

They love to peek their heads out during our most vulnerable times. It’s good not only to admit our faults to others but also to ourselves. We become more real to one another and that’s what creates a strong bond.

A Balancing Act between Resting and Productivity

Published on by Eugene Morgan Category: Ericksonian Principles

Amy in Rocking Chair
Post Written By Eugene Morgan

Resting is just as important as being productive. If we don’t get a good rest, our production decreases.  Resting helps us to clear our minds, rejuvenate our bodies; it helps us increase our understanding about life.

It’s also good to retreat so only to listen to our own voices, instead of the voices of others. It’s all right to listen to our needs and desires, if we want to be effective and productive.

Resting and production is a balancing act. We don’t want to have too much rest or too much of production.  Too much of rest will make us idle and too much of productivity will burn us out.

So those who have rest too much will need more productivity in their lives and those who are ultra productive will need more resting.

Imitate Yourself, Find Your Own Path

Published on by Eugene Morgan Category: Ericksonian Principles, Individuality, Uniqueness

Flower Path
Post Written By Eugene Morgan

We’re unique in every way. We each have different interpretations for the same event, because each of us look at thing with a filter.

Our filters are made up with our unique background that everyone has experienced. So why do we like to copy or imitate someone else’s work?

We copy or imitate those who are similar to our personality and interests. Although we may imitate someone else’s work, there still is a slant difference, if we were to make a comparison to our work, versus the work we’re imitating.

So we might as well learn to follow our own path where there are new discoveries about ourselves we didn’t know we had.

Doing the Hard Things First

Published on by Eugene Morgan Category: Ericksonian Principles, persistence, Responsibility

Ta - Da List, May 18
Written By Eugene Morgan

Whenever we want to tackle a project, it’s better to do the hard part first. Even when the hard part of project takes longer to complete, because by the time we complete it, the rest will come easier.

One thing is true about starting the difficult part first is that we learn something about it.  That learning may help us complete the rest of the task.

We don’t even have to complete the difficult part of a project so long as we start and work on it for certain amount of time.

This gives us a psychological effect on how we complete the rest.  The rest of the project will seem doable then if we started with what we think is easier.

Worrying, Or Action

Published on by Eugene Morgan Category: Choice, Doubt, Ericksonian Principles

Worried - 62/365
Post Written By Eugene Morgan

Worries mean inaction and action means no worries. Some of us have a tendency to worry so much about things. Worrying keeps us from doing anything about it.

But if we make a plan of action, our worries decease. Now we need to worry enough to consider the possibility to do something about it.

But just worrying usually doesn’t change a thing that we’re worrying about. It’s where we place our attention. Do we want to attend to worrying or do we want to attend to action?

Some of us want to worry just to delay the inevitable, action.  Most of time, what we’re worrying about, requires us to act.

Out of the Pit of Self-Doubt

Published on by Eugene Morgan Category: Doubt, Ericksonian Principles

The Lavender Pit
Written By Eugene Morgan

Self-doubt can limit our choices. Without choices no one is free. Unless we widened our mind, we won’t see choices that are in front of us to make.

Self-doubt is another obstacle we have to go through or around in life. Usually self-doubt is created when something new that challenges our capabilities.

Doubt likes to occupy our thoughts where we can’t think of anything else. It’s difficult to find alternatives in a situation when one doubts.

So how do we get out of the pit of doubts? We think of what we can do in the situation, unlike-doubt focuses on our limitations of what we think we can’t do.

Once we preoccupy our thoughts with what we can do, we feel the sensation of taking action.

Keep At It

Published on by Eugene Morgan Category: drive, Ericksonian Principles, persistence

Climbing
Post Written By Eugene Morgan

Keep at it when we see no end in sight.  Keep at it when everything so far has failed. Keep at it when no one but us believes in what we’re doing. Keep at it when we don’t see any reason to continue.

Keep at it when it’s raining. Keep at it when it’s snowing. Keep at it when we have a good reason to stop. Keep at it, especially, when we’re in self-doubt.

Keep at it when we want to find excuses to stop. Keep at it when it seems so impossible to do. Keep at it after we have completed the task.

Keep at it when we feel tired. Keep at it when distraction is plaguing our concentration. Persistence is one of the elements of succeeding so keep it at.

Lessons are Everywhere

Published on by Eugene Morgan Category: behavior, Ericksonian Principles, Resistance, Teaching

First Helicopter Lesson - Getting ready to land at Manassas Airport
Post Written By Eugene Morgan

Life is full of lessons. We all experienced something the hard way. Some things are better experienced than told. Those of us who are parents want to tell our kids what they should and shouldn’t do.

Most parents naturally want to protect their kids. When we were kids there were things we preferred told about than experienced.  But most of time as kids we wanted to figure it out ourselves.

But lessons are everywhere; we don’t have to look for them. They’re in the movies we watch, on the news we hear and in the newspapers we read. Some lessons are warnings, others, for most of us, repeated themes in our lives, such as, patience.

Some of us, who are rushing to work, are impatient when we’re behind a slow-moving vehicle.  It’s not the fault of the slow-moving vehicle.  This started when there was a delay, or not getting us enough time to prepare for work.

Whenever we’re having a hard time with something, there is a lesson learned.

Proof demands a Verdict

Published on by Eugene Morgan Category: Beliefs, Ericksonian Principles, Learned limitations

Giant Gavel
Written By Eugene Morgan

Who said we can’t do it? We tell ourselves we can’t do it.  Then we believe we can’t do it; not giving ourselves a chance to see if we can.

We need to test it first, before we can say we can’t do it. We need to honestly test ourselves, instead of masking our excuses as proof that we can’t do things we want to do. But we won’t know until we make an honest effort.

We have beliefs that are really assumptions about what we can or cannot do without proof. Proof is in the pudding. Testing to find out is very important. Sure, we have our limitations. But how do we know our limitations without testing them?

Today is a Gift

Published on by Eugene Morgan Category: curiosity, Desires, Ericksonian Principles

What a beautiful day-Bavaria today
Post Written By Eugene Morgan

A day is a gift to us.  Receiving another day gives us an opportunity to celebrate life. It’s a good sign when someone says, “It’s good to be alive.”  When all our senses, hearts, minds and spirits are in sync, we are experiencing a feeling being alive.

We see the blue sky, we feel the wind blowing on our faces, and we smell everything around us. Most of us feel most alive when we’re doing some outdoor activity because our senses seem to take over.

All the outputs from our senses feed our minds and bodies. On rainy and snowy days when we’re indoors, we can recall those memories to re-experience all the outdoor activities that made us feel alive.

Today is a gift because we have another opportunity to connect with one another. Today is a gift because we have another day to learn something worthwhile.

It’s Never Too Late to Learn

Published on by Eugene Morgan Category: Ericksonian Principles

Mountain Hike
Post Written By Eugene Morgan

It’s never too late to learn. We ought not be afraid of learning something new. Throughout this blog, one of the main topics is about learning.

Learning is not just about reading books and studying. Learning about experiencing new things we haven’t experienced before or sightseeing to places we haven’t seen before, or going on a trip to a part of the country or even another country we haven’t been before.

However, it doesn’t have to be grand like going to other side of the globe, it could be as small as going to a local art gallery, or taking a local bike or walk trail.

It’s so easy to be caught up in our busy lives to think about anything else. Learning something new can fuel the fire in us and build new relationships with others who are also learning the same things. Learning doesn’t have to stop at age 21, it continues on every day as long we’re alive.

An Idea that grows into more Ideas

Published on by Eugene Morgan Category: creativity, curiosity, Ericksonian Principles, Experiential learning

Mustard seeds of some sort
Post Written By Eugene Morgan

When we have an idea we ought not be afraid to use it. Not every idea that pops up in our minds will be useful. But it’s nice to see if it can be useful in some way.

Ideas are like finding a new pair of shoes that fit; we have to try many before we find the one that’s fits comfortably.  By applying one idea to a situation, we may learn something else that sparks another idea that may work better.

Ideas are like seeds; we just have to find the right condition and the right climate for them to grow.  A new idea helps us to expand our thinking so we can see things differently than before. Expanding our thinking helps us to look at possibilities that we haven’t seen yet.

Read, Learn And Apply

Published on by Eugene Morgan Category: Ericksonian Principles, Teaching, Understanding

AP Language Reading
Post Written By Eugene Morgan

Not only we ought to manage small projects but also we ought to manage one small project at a time because juggling multiple projects can easily overwhelm us.

It’s better to master one skill first than trying to learn multiple skills simultaneously. It’s easier for our brains to process learning one skill at one time.

When the skill is mastered, then we can learn to master another skill.  Some of us have the tendency to read and learn and read and learn again without ever applying it to something.

Instead, read the material, learn the material and then apply the material; that’s what makes things worthwhile mastering.

Today is December 1st

Published on by Eugene Morgan Category: Ericksonian Principles, Future Orientation

December 2011 (Nevada)
Post Written By Eugene Morgan

Today is December 1st. December represents the last month of the year.  In December, most of us celebrate the last big holiday of the year.

As we get closer and closer to the end of year,  2011 begins to become our past as we reflect.  Some of us will ask ourselves if we have done the things we wanted to do while others may say, “what a year this was.”

Some of us may say, “2011 has come and gone.”  After we’re done reflecting on 2011, some of us will start thinking about resolutions. Some of us will surmise about whether resolutions were meant to be broken, while others will gear up for another challenge.

However, today is December 1st and let us enjoy the next 31 days we have left of 2011.

Listen to Reasoning and Follow your Heart

Published on by Eugene Morgan Category: Desires, Dreams, Emotions, Ericksonian Principles, Storehouse

Balance
Post Written By Eugene Morgan

Anyone who is alive today has the stuff to bring a dream into reality. We just need to get out-of-the-way and let things happen. Either we hold ourselves back, or we believe what others tell us; that it won’t work.

It’s okay to listen to our loved-ones and friends because they mean well, but it’s also okay to listen to our hearts. Granted we do need to hear a sounding voice to keep it real but a sounding voice doesn’t have to stifle our dreams either.

We should never lose our dreams, especially when the dream is near to our hearts. It’s all right to follow our hearts and it’s also all right to listen to reasoning—a balance of both would do!