TheLeaderInside.com

How many problems are you having in your life right now? There are probably at least one or two, right? Problems are a natural occurrence in every human life. There is always “something”!

The question isn’t whether people have problems, the question is how do they handle them?

Unfortunately, most people set out to deal with their problem by focusing on the problem itself. The fact is, when you focus on the problem itself, it tends to take on a life of its own. It seems as though the more you focus on it, the bigger it becomes and the solution never seems to rise to the surface and you end up with a more confusion than you expected.

On the other hand, you can’t just ignore the problem either, in the hope that it will just go away on its own. That works about as well as putting too much focus on it. You have to stay with the issue — you have to give it your full attention — but — here’s the secret — you also have to quit putting your focus on the problem itself.

Rather, what will really help you, is to turn your attention around. Turn it away from the problem, and turn it toward what you see in your life after the problem is solved to your satisfaction. Focus on how you will feel when this problem no longer exists. Let your mind imagine the best possible outcome you can think of.

Try it. You’ll see what I mean. When you put your mind on the solution to the problem, rather than the problem itself, you will find yourself behaving differently. Your belief structure will change as you see yourself living with the problem solved.

Anyone is capable of doing this. We tend to follow the crowd and focus on the problems of life — that’s what everyone seems to be doing, right? But it’s backwards — be different and focus on the best possible solutions to life’s problems, and you will see that when you really believe something will happen, the universe will move to make it happen.

~~~ DBL-R

One of the attributes that can make or break someone in their leadership role, is whether they are miserable or happy. Here’s an interesting thought … have you ever noticed just how unhappy you can get over the fact you are not happy?

Does that make sense?

Think about it — being unhappy over being unhappy is like throwing gasoline on a fire to put it out. You get lots of fire and smoke — maybe more than you bargained for — but in the end all you are left with is a pile of ashes. This is why you must understand this next amazing fact.

You can make yourself miserable but you can’t make yourself happy.

That is one of those “hard to swallow” facts, isn’t it? But most of us, when we really think about it, can admit that at times we do make ourselves miserable. There isn’t anything good about feeling bad. It just doesn’t make sense to tolerate feeling miserable, especially when we bring it on ourselves. Whatever we bring upon ourselves, we can eventually eliminate if we can understand what’s making us do that. The truth that needs to be discovered here is that if we want to find authentic happiness, we have to realize that we can’t make ourselves happy.

Outside of drugs and alcohol, which are obviously not the way to happiness, whenever you try to make yourself happy, you must put forth an effort of some kind. Putting forth an effort means you are applying force of some kind. Putting effort into something is a good thing when you are following plans for business concerns or cooking or construction projects, but putting any sort of effort into becoming happy — working at becoming happy — is steering you in the direction of unhappiness.

How could this be true, you ask? Let’s look at it, because if it is true, then that would mean that true happiness is effortless, right?

As I mentioned above, effort implies a plan, whether we know it or not. Plans are, by definition, used to build things. If you have a plan to build happiness, and you have a picture of what happiness is firmly fixed in your mind, you will meet life always looking for your picture, rather than accepting and experiencing what life has brought you. Since life will most often bring you events contrary to your picture, you’re bound to experience the pain of stress. Why? Because you’ll see that life is not meeting your picture of happiness and you’ll be experiencing a series of disappointments instead of happy adventures.

Take notice of this next statement ….

You could never be unhappy with anything you found in this life if you didn’t already have it fixed in your mind what you were looking for.

Can you see that our ideas about happiness are more often than not the very root of our unhappiness? The point is that happiness cannot be made. Happiness comes to those who understand that you can’t seek it any more than you seek the air you breathe. Happiness is a part of life that is as natural as the air you breathe. Trying to be happy will not get you any closer to true happiness than smelling freshly-baked bread will take away your hunger. When you are pursuing happiness you are undoubtedly doing so based upon the false assumption that happiness can be possessed. It cannot.

Happiness is the natural expression of a stress-free life, just as sunlight naturally warms your body. Happiness is effortless.

~~~ DBL-R

While this doesn’t relate directly to the topic of leadership, there is some correlation to leaders — world leaders.

During the past week, the world has been witness to a frightening drama unfolding in the Middle East, as Israel and Hezbollah are locked in an escalating conflict that neither party seems willing or able to diminish, and at the same time Israel’s operation in Gaza is creating a humanitarian catastrophe.

Each time such a situation comes to pass, I am reminded of the Buddha’s injunction that “hatred does not cease by hatred at any time: hatred ceases by love.”

These words are easy enough to say for those of us outside the conflict zone. We realize that life must feel quite different right now in a place like Beirut, Lebanon, where men, women, and children are under fire by Israeli bombers. Just yesterday–July 19th–news sources report anywhere from 19 to 49 civilians have been killed by these air strikes, and more than 200 have died in the past week. And we empathize with the citizens of Haifa, Israel, and in other areas along the northern border where at least 30 people have been killed. There, wise words from any religious tradition may seem irrelevant with rockets landing in backyards and people injured or dying. For those of us who have never lived in a war zone, it may be impossible to realize just how stressful such a situation is and how easy to succumb to the practice of retaliation in the name of protecting one’s own people.

Still, it is up to all of us in the global community to speak clearly for sanity amidst this insane march toward destruction, and to hold up the truth that violence only perpetuates more violence. And we must take actions to support this belief and to support our sisters and brothers in Israel, Lebanon, Gaza, and the entire Middle East.

One action that those living in the U.S. can take is to contact the Bush Administration and Congress to demand that the U.S. take immediate action to help the conflicting parties declare a ceasefire and begin negotiations. We can also organize delegations of peace advocates to Congressional offices. Call the White House (202-456-1111), the U.S. State Department (202-647-4000), and the Congressional switchboard (202-224-3121), which will connect you to your Congressmembers’ offices,

I happen to share the perspective of the United for Peace and Justice coalition: “Just as in Iraq, there is no military solution to the current crisis. The only real and lasting solution is to resolve the source of conflict by negotiating a resolution based on freedom from occupation and equal rights for all as enshrined in international law… The Lebanese government is imploring the international community to press for an immediate ceasefire, for United Nations intervention, a negotiated settlement and release of all prisoners — Palestinian, Lebanese and Israeli.” I believe that those of us who are proponents of the peace movement can and should add our voices to this call, as soon as possible.

We recognize that this is a complex issue, and the current situation has widening circles of involvement beyond Israel and Lebanon, with the U.S., Iran, and Syria all implicated. The weapons and financial aid these countries provide to Israel and Hezbollah fuel the fire of this conflict. All parties must be encouraged to see the utter futility of this approach.

I am calling upon the U.S., as a world leader, to use its diplomatic influence to immediately help bring these parties together in dialogue and to make it clear that the current violent methods are unacceptable. We encourage the U.S. to support the efforts of the United Nations and the European Union to broker a cease fire.

While Hezbollah’s attacks on Israel are unconscionable and we should certainly speak out against them, those of us who are Americans must recognize that we have some accountability for the acts of the Israeli defense force. Israel is our close ally, and Israel’s weapons have been supplied by the U.S. government. The U.S. Senate has just passed a resolution endorsing Israel’s military actions in Lebanon. So it is all the more incumbent upon us to raise our voices. Those of us who live in the U.S. need to pressure our government to withhold financial and military support from Israel when it violates international law by acts of massive retaliation such as the current offensives, and refuses to negotiate with the party the Palestinian people have elected.

Homeland security, in every sense of the word and for all people of the earth, depends on upon our participation in this process.

~~~ DBL-R