The Daily Inspiration

The horse was a focal point of human transportation in the 1500′s. Plains Indians ate buffalo as their primary meat. Hunting buffalo was important in the food gathering process and back in the days where there wasn’t a farm or slaughtering house to outsource all of the nourishment, it had to be caught from the wild. During the hunt, each of the Indians would head out on horseback in groups to alarm, chase and exhaust the gigantic beasts.

It is true that various Plains Indians would occasionally chase buffalo over a small cliff. The Indians, when they found a suitable bluff, would conceal themselves behind the rocks with hides. When the herd would start to move towards the bluff, the Indians would jump up from behind their rocks, shouting and waving the hides, keeping the buffalo moving toward the cliff, according to a caption by Alfred Jacob Miller.

During these critical moments when the buffalo would be forced to make a decision to save their life, their lizard brain would be put into hyper drive. This last ditch effort was dictated by a part of the brain called the hypothalamus. When this part of the brain is initiated it creates a sequence of nerve reactions that will prepare the body for running and fighting. Chemicals adrenaline, cortisol and noradrenaline are released into the blood and cause every part of the physiology to prepare for battle. The same brain that protects the buffalo is what foundation that also affects human psychology.

When our fight or flight system is activated, we tend to perceive everything in our environment as a possible threat to our survival. By its very nature, the fight or flight system bypasses our rational mind—where our more well thought out beliefs exist—and moves us into “attack” mode. This state of alert causes us to perceive almost everything in our world as a possible threat to our survival. As such, we tend to see everyone and everything as a possible enemy. Like airport security during a terrorist threat, we are on the look out for every possible danger. We may overreact to the slightest comment. Our fear is exaggerated. Our thinking is distorted. We see everything through the filter of possible danger. We narrow our focus to those things that can harm us. Fear becomes the lens through which we see the world. - Neil Neimark, MD

Your lizard brain is not making decisions that will help you

On a basic level our lizard brain only has the ability of looking out for the basic food/shelter physiological needs and doesn’t allow us to make rational decisions when it is engaged. How many people are walking around with their lizard brains telling them what to do?

The Indians were dependent on the fact that these buffalo were acting solely on the most primitive part of their brain. Modern society has caused a lot of additional stressors that didn’t affect generations prior. Since there’s such a risk to us for falling ill and degrading our quality of life, it’s important to consider whether or not our lizard brain has taken over.

Next time you are feeling anxious, angry or tense, take that opportunity to ask yourself: Is this my lizard brain talking? Find a moment to release the claws of the lizard and regain control of self. This is a mantra that will help you become the best you possible.

“Life is ten percent what you experience and ninety percent how you respond to it.” ― Dorothy M. Neddermeyer

Too many weekends I’ve spent tearing through books for the answers to life’s questions. I came across a very important story about a seemingly ordinary man that changed my self-perception forever. This man was tall, lanky and had an familiar reputation for abolishing slavery in the United States. If you haven’t already guessed, I’m referring to Mr. Abraham Lincoln. Never before in the recent history of man have we seen someone quite like Lincoln. Never before in my life have I felt more validated than after hearing the story of his childhood.

Get your Lincoln on

By no means did I have it half as poorly as Abe did, but his fascination with books and learning is something we can all learn to appreciate. It baffles me that in the 1800′s it was rare that a boy would even have the ability to read, let alone write. How much we take for granted these most basic skills.

Lincoln embarked on a quest for learning and self-improvement. He read incessantly, beginning as a youth with the Bible and Shakespeare. During his single term in the House of Representatives, his colleagues considered it humorous that Lincoln spent his spare time poring over books in the Library of Congress. The result of this ”stunning work of self-education” was the ”intellectual power” revealed in Lincoln’s writings and speeches. He relied, Miller notes, on in-depth research and logical argument to persuade his listeners rather than oratorical flights.

- An Ethical Biography - William Miller

It’s magical to me that I’m able to pick up a book to comprehend, understand and apply concepts that help me share my life with others. If you are reading this post than you have the same magic available to you now. Are you using it?

Books are a complex map of human consciousness. When you read a book, fiction or non-fiction, you are taking a journey through the minds of people who have left a record of their experiences to share with you. That’s powerful.

“A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies, said Jojen. The man who never reads lives only one.”
― George R.R. Martin

Allow me not to be carried away on my rant about reading. I mean this harmlessly and as a reminder for you to channel your inner Lincoln and see the learning possibilities you have at your fingertips. Now with the digitalization of books, you have instantaneous access to a breadth of knowledge ready to entertain, educate, enrich and astound you.

Be the Lincoln.

On a daily basis I am fortunate to be connected with up to a dozen or more new intelligent and driven people. Today brought about an unusual gem that led me down a lesson I needed to get to in my personal growth.

Want to change the world? Start by changing someone else.

This so called “angel” that came into my life today was extremely intellectual in regards to the way the world functions. We exposed many of the problems going on in the world now in relation to American culture. How we have learned to fight against capitalism and socialism, overfeed and under educate our people, make a mess of the health care system, and not have much of anything to show for it. That was enough to spark my brain and begin wondering what it is that paralyzes us from making real change. After hearing the person out, my question was, “If everyone has the answers to the worlds problems, why is the world not changed instantly?”

Lack of collaboration? Too lazy? What is it?

We talked at length and I then solidified my vision. Not only what The Daily Inspiration is destined to do but what all of us must band together is the inner strength to come together and share ideas that will better the growth of our entire culture. We are beginning to fall away from what we believe in and are rendered powerless against the evil we perceive as circumstances we cannot change.

Many people think they are a victim to their circumstances. The truth is, we are victim to the belief that circumstances shape our destiny. It is indeed our reactions to these that make the long lasting change.

It is my goal to find five people to empower with the important task of changing five others. Only then can the real seed be spread. Don’t get me wrong. When I say the word change I do not mean alter their viewpoint on politics, religion or any other controversial topic. What I mean is the change that kindles the flame of passion and purpose that’s within all of us fighting to make its way out into the world.

Don’t be caught with the false belief that you have a limited amount of impact on others. It is up to you to take charge and assert for what you want during your short time here, as well as spread happiness to others. Small tokens of appreciation, encouragement and motivation are all any of us could hope for on a daily basis. Find where a need is in someones life and fill it. Be intentional about connecting with them in a way that encourages viral growth in their life.

The person who you are going to change after yourself is right next to you, waiting for you to give them a small nudge in the right direction. To do the right things. Make the right calls. Apologize for the wrong things. We have a powerful untapped resource of love within ourselves that we hold on to because we believe it is ours to keep. Truth is, you may be nudging the person next to you, but who will really be changing the world is is us.

Take some inspiration – pass it on.

It can be difficult at times to see where someone else may be coming from when it comes to viewpoints. Lately I’ve realized that there truly is no reality, and it is our perception that rules 100% of the time. Philosophically, no two people will see the world in the same way and this affects how we live daily. When learning how to understand yourself better and as well as other people, it helps to take into account what perception you are viewing the world from at any particular moment.

A story I read once made me realize how we truly operate on various grounds of misperception (I am going to recite it to the best of my memory):

While boarding the subway northbound toward the city, I noticed it was an unusual day on the MTA. Passengers were uneasy to say the least. Reaching up to hold on to the handrail as the doors closed I noticed a man whose children were creating a rude disturbance in the crowd.

They ran in circles screaming, playing, whining and causing the others on the train to grit their teeth. The father? Apathetic at best.

“You think you can keep those kids under control, sir?” I finally gathered up enough nerve to ask. I felt triumphant to speak up as I did. The official spokesperson of every other aggravated commuter aboard that rail car.

He looked at me slowly and life hardly flickered once in his eyes. Nodding his head down then back up again he said softly, “I do apologize. We are returning from the hospital. Their mother is terminally ill with cancer.”

The moment stood still.

What is it like to hear that news? As the father? The children? How could the rest of us be so insensitive?

Suddenly the minor aggravation of the uncontrolled children didn’t seem so major anymore. How many times in your life have you let your perception get in the way of how you interpreted reality?

Can we wire ourselves to subconsciously take a step back when we are about to react to a situation and consider the thousands of possible other viewpoints at play? When we are able to do this, it is boosting what I like to call, our emotional intelligence. Relating to others and seeing things from other angles makes us happier people in general.

Are you willing to accept that your perception is not reality? Lately I’m understanding that there is no reality. If we all look at one scenario and derive different outcomes, the truth is self-evident.

Last week I was traveling to a conference and was forced to valet my car at the hotel that was hosting our event. As I surrendered my keys the gentleman sped off in my car and I went inside without thinking much of it. A few hours later, when it was time to leave, the same person parked the car in front of the large double doors entering the lobby. Reaching down into my pocket there was hardly a ball of lint to be found.

“I’m terribly sorry, but I do not have any money with me now.” I stated regretfully. The man looked a apathetic, “Tell you what, tomorrow I’m coming back again for the conference and I will make good on my word to tip you when I return.”

The valet attendant nodded his head but didn’t make solid eye contact with me as he shut the door behind me and ran off to the next car.

Next morning I arrived at the same location but a different attendant was at the entrance. Since I wrote down the name of the gentleman who had served me yesterday, I asked for his whereabouts.

Spotting him I headed in his direction with my hand extended toward him, “Thank you for your understanding. It’s a day late.”

He took the money and instantly lit up, “No one ever comes back. Dozens of people make that promise and never follow through. Thank you.”

The entire mood change of the man indicated to me how much the little things in life are often forgotten. When you are able to make a positive change in someone else’s life simply by holding to your word, it’s clear we as a civilization have a long way to go before reaching “enlightenment”.

Today’s challenge is to step outside of the normal boundaries of habit and try to make a small impact in a strangers life. It will pay forward exponentially.