Browse published articles attributed to Larry Crane, with full-archive search.
We begin forming relationships from the moment we’re born, yet by the time we’re adults, it’s easy to feel completely inexperienced. Whether we’re raised in loving, nurturing homes or in a less open environment, relationships often leave us feeling vulnerable, uncertain and insecure.
We people are amazing aren’t we? We get mad at anyone who dares even think they are going to tell us what to do. The last thing we would ever consider is living in some country where we couldn’t do what we want to do. Yet, we let our mind tell us what to do. Why is it we let our mind run us? We think we are so smart. We are independent, that’s what we would like to think. Yet, why do we let our mind run us all day, everyday?
Here's an example of some common "I can't" feelings experienced by people who struggle endlessly with abundance: - "I always have to work hard to make money." - "No matter how hard I work... or how positive I try to be about my financial situation... I never seem to have enough." - "It's not fair. Other people always get the lucky breaks. If only I had a quick windfall of money all my problems would disappear." - "Money always goes to money. There's no point trying to think differently. I see it everyday. I suppose I should just be happy with what I've got."
Does panic work? Does panic help anyone? Does panic solve anything? How about fear? What good does fear do for anyone? Does fear solve anything? Take a look at the recession. It started off as one small thing and ended up a big thing. In a few short months it morphed from an economic downtu into a full blown crash. What is the common denominator between the crash and the flu? Panic and fear. Sum it up. Hysteria. Mass hysteria.
What if failure, disappointment and frustration are only a perception? What if so called failures are actually launching pads for incredible motivation and inspiration? What if the only thing that is stopping us from turning our perceived failures into accomplishment, is simply a decision? Truthfully, anytime we accept apparent setbacks as an opportunity to achieve something greater gives us a new point of view… a new focus… and a new adventure.
When we aren’t getting our intentions or achieving our goals, we need to accept that there are limitations and excuses in the way. At times when we aren’t achieving our goals isn’t meant for us to veer off course and assume the method doesn’t work. What doesn’t work is moving into frustration, blame, disapproval or other negative emotions.
When you’re in a positive place you take the right action. Whatever you say or do is effective. It works. When you’re positive, the action you take is correct action because it’s action made in the now, in the present. It’s action based on intuition. In positive energy, all your mental noise, your garbage is out of the way. All your negative feelings are out of the way. Your action is taken from a place of clarity.
The issue of facing challenges is a very interesting point. Take a moment and check in with yourself and see “How do you face challenges?” Notice if any of these suggestions rang true with you: * Avoid dealing with person or situation that feels challenged * Complain about challenges * Try to figure out what to do or not do about current challenges that you are experiencing * Use methods similar to parents, family members, friends or colleagues * Become agitated because of challenges that sometimes seem endless
Fear and panic are ruling right now. Are you buying into it? You don’t have to. It’s just a decision. The alte ative is to let the economy, the financial world and the politicians do whatever they do and not buy into the drama. Somewhere along the line somebody gave you the impression you had to get involved emotionally in all of this. Somewhere along the line you got sold on the idea you have to join in on all of these negative feelings, identify with them, make them part of your life.
Change is only for the purpose of making better decisions that agrees with what we are interested in doing or having, or not doing or not having. If we look at the process of change more closely, logically we can see that some changes require more time and consideration. Certainly things like planning to relocate, changing jobs or career path, or continuing education requires time and thoughtfulness to accomplish any of these elections. However, if the changes we would like to make aren’t initiated within a reasonable time, it maybe because we are allowing fear to intimidate us.
I have a headache. Let me see now. Please allow me a couple of wild guesses. You’ve been upset by the stock market. Up 500, down 500. That’s enough to give anyone a headache if they’re thinking about it all the time. Here’s another guess, you’re upset, maybe angry about the mortgage crisis, the giant companies going out of business, the government response, your 401K, your decision to get into the market or your decision to get out of the market. It’s very confusing, isn’t it? Everyone seems to have a different opinion.
If we were to give up one really bad habit, it should be to disconnect from believing that we are unworthy in some manner. Unworthiness is an untruth that we have bought into. In truth, no one is unworthy unless they have pinned that label onto themself. Sometimes because of our misunderstanding of worthiness, we may mistakenly choose to believe that we are undeserving of good things. In truth, most of us aren’t really sure what is necessary to undo feeling insecure or unworthy, so we tend to do what we have always done.
When we focus on being positive everything feels better. Instead of facing another day by looking at more of what's wrong, or looking at all there is to-do, let's begin looking at what makes us truly happy.
The details related to our childhood, and things that we’ve experienced in the past, are still very much running in our subconscious minds. Our childhood memories are affecting how we are living our lives today. As children, we may have fallen out of the bed or down a flight of stairs. Or perhaps we fell off our bicycle or fell off the jungle-gym. For most of us, skinned knees and bruised elbows were things we managed to get through. The physical wound quickly healed although our judgments related to these past incidents remain long after these occurrences took place.
How often do you tell yourself that you can’t do something? Believing we can’t do something is a belief that we can begin to challenge. If we believe, for whatever reasons, that we can’t do something, we will resist (with all of our might), in an effort to hold onto our belief. In the long run, what will we accomplish by believing that the limitation or excuse is true? NOTHING… Nothing can be accomplished because of holding in mind a thought or belief that suggests “I can’t…”
What you need to know is this. It doesn’t matter what’s going on out there in the economy, at the Fed, or at the bank. It doesn’t matter what’s happening. What matters is your attitude toward what’s happening. If you’re scared, the economy has you on a downhill slide. Remember, it isn’t about the money news. Your attitude toward the money news is what counts. People could say, OK, what am I supposed to do? You want me to be happy about it? Well, YES, be happy. Remember the song? Don’t worry be happy.
Are you happy all the time? Here’s the way to do it. Make every day Thanksgiving Day. You want to be happy. Whatever you are doing all day long, you are doing it so you can be happy. Here is one sure fire way to increase happiness. Maintain a constant state of gratitude. How happy are you anyway? No matter how happy you are right now, you can be even more happy. Right now, you have an infinite amount of happiness available to you. One way to get all of the happiness you can is to be grateful all the time.r
Do you realize the amazingly powerful skills you have right now?
Emotional eating is often an unhealthy and uncomfortable attempt of trying to distract ourselves from facing something we deem as unpleasant. So often we overeat without realizing we may be trying to cover up some level of insecurity. We may also be using food as a means to avoid doing something. We may also use food at times to ward off feeling bored or unmotivated. At times we may use food to offer ourselves some level of comfort. We may also use food as a measure of reward—similar to what our parents did when we were young such as giving us ice-cream or popco after a ballgame.
In order for us to be more successful requires our first determining what is it that we want to accomplish. In other words, we need to make a decision and establish a reasonable goal that we can accomplish within a reasonable period of time. We may first think we have to make a list of all things we need to do to complete our project. We may then look at the calendar and see when we are available to do the associated tasks. And if we are really determined and focused on accomplishing our goal, at some time we begin engaging in doing some of the task(s) associated with achieving our goal.
Wow! Just thinking about “enjoying enjoyment” sounds delightful. The definition of enjoyment includes these proposed meanings: freedom from want and distress; consciousness of the good order of things; assurance of one’s place in the universe or society; and so forth. Associated emotions include: joy, exultation, delight, bliss, and love. Happiness, pleasure, or joy is the emotional state of being happy.
Remember as a kid asking your parents questions and their looking at you in a funny way and answering exactly as you predicted. Think about some of your own responses to these questions: Are we there yet? Is dinner ready?
In reality the process of “changing” is simply making a decision to do something other than what we are currently doing. Change is a reflection of current attitudes. Sometimes we choose to make changes that are relatively simple like deciding where to eat or what to order. Surely deciding where to go to lunch is a fairly simple process; although it can be cumbersome if 14 people are included in the decision process. Perhaps if we are dining alone, or happen to be in an unfamiliar area, we may also be inclined to ask for recommendations.
Would you like to know what the magic secret is in order to enjoy the holidays? Quite simply, in order to have the best holiday season, begins with an intention. There is a wonderful and loving energy available to everyone and it's available to us throughout the year. This energy lives within each of us. It is called the power of love. We are the only ones who can truly decide what the holidays or any other time of year will be like. What we hold in mind is what we'll get - every time! In order for us to enjoy the holidays, all we need to do is allow for them to be pleasant.
Can you decide to be positive in spite of the financial news? In spite of the stock market news? Can you decide to be positive in spite of any fears your mind says you should have about your money? Can you decide to be positive in spite of your mind telling you to be scared about your financial future?
Every impossible, no matter how impossible, becomes immediately possible when you are released on it. Exactly what does this mean? It is simple. We have built up in our lives feelings that say, I can't. Imagine the opposite. Imagine I can.
Who said you have to be run by your feelings? Who said you have to feel bad, sad, mad, scared, etc.? Who said you have to be scared by the news about money. Who said you have to feel bad about anything? Do you know it’s your choice? You think you are your feelings. You think those negative states that overcome you are you. Let me tell you. They are not. And, you don’t have to believe what I’m saying you can check it out for yourself.r
When life hands out lemons, why not make lemonade! This approach is deciding to view all situations and circumstances as an opportunity of seeing everything in a good way. The more we practice viewing things positively will help us to shift our attitude away from ‘I can’t…’ towards “I can!”
Bad moods happen when you don’t like something or someone. You don’t like it. That’s negative and the negative energy is in you. Your mind goes to work adding up all the reasons why you shouldn’t like it. Each new reason is another not liking. Each not liking adds up and the bad mood gets worse, and gloomier, and bluer. Lint collects lint and negative feelings collect more negative feelings.
Fed Sees Turmoil Persisting. That was the recent headline across the country’s newpapers . Of course the turmoil will persist. What’s going on right now with the news and the economy can help us if we see what’s going on and use it for growing, for getting more ...
Is it even possible to completely and fully heal the past? Well the good news is yes it is possible for us to heal any hurt; any wound; any tear of sadness or disappointment that we have ever experienced. In order for us to be able to fully transform words of anger, rage, or humiliation requires that we first make a decision that we would like to change how we feel in relation to those experiences that have left us feeling confused and withdrawn.
“It won’t work!” “It can’t work!” “No way, no how!” So basically what we are really holding in mind, is, “What’s the worst that can happen?” Clearly this is not how an article should begin if it is titled "Only the Best." And yet, this is what most of us are doing, most of the time.
The only reason we haven’t decided to be happy, is because most of us aren’t really sure what real happiness is. We mistakenly believe that other people, experiences, or things are what we need to make us happy. In truth, you are the only one capable of making yourself happy. Happiness is your basic nature. Happiness exists within you, right in this very moment. Happiness is ALWAYS a part of you. Real happiness is quite simply, without regret or sorrow.
Recently, a man tied himself to a big bundle of colorful helium-filled balloons and lifted off. He did not intend for the balloons to carry him afar and take his life away. However, there were too many balloons and too much wind and the man was lost. This story was reported in the news. You may have seen it.
ou don’t have the money you would like to have. You’re snowed under with credit card debt, mortgage payment or whatever it is. What it’s about is being short of money. It’s making you nuts. You’re losing sleep over it. You’re worrying about it. You have no idea how to get out of the money situation you’re in. It’s keeping you tense and anxious all the time. You don’t know how to get more money. All you know is, you don’t have enough of it. Let Go of Wanting
Our emotions and wants in regards to our relationships are indications that we are often not in control. Furthermore, the “I can’t and I won’t” thoughts that are playing in the background keeps us from taking positive action. Each “I can’t or I won’t” thought is actually a limitation. These limiting thoughts are the primary factors keeping us in unhealthy relationships. Many of us are stuck in fear. The fear causes us to repeat the same unhealthy patterns, over and over again.
Is it really difficult to make changes or are we just accustomed to believing change is difficult? Good question. Regardless of what we would like to change, most of us have a host of excuses that we use that actually keep us from accomplishing what we would like to achieve. This is silly and yet we all have very strong beliefs of why we should avoid making changes. Perhaps it’s because we have a fear of the UNKNOWN. Think about it… If we had no fear or resistance, making changes would certainly be easy to approach. If we believe change is difficult, we are perpetuating that reality.
Your mind is not your friend. Your mind is in the business of keeping you controlled, captive and negative. Your mind wants you to think you are owned by it. One of its tools is guilt. What value is the feeling of guilt? How does it help you? How does it make you feel better? How does ...
Living in the Now is a must if you’re going to be happy. For one thing, Now is all you ever have. Now is where life is happening. If you’re somewhere other than Now, you’re missing out on life.
Let’s face it–if we are stressed about work, we are also stressed in all areas of our life. Unless we change what we are holding in mind, we will continue to experience stress. Stress is an unnecessary choice that we are fueling by holding the wrong things in mind.
If you’re expecting good things most of the time, please stop right in this moment and give yourself a pat on the back! Bravo to you! Realistically we should all be expecting good things at all times. Truth appears that most times, most folks tend to expect somewhat unfortunate outcomes. Think about this for a moment… Perhaps you have used phrases such as, “Too expensive… too good to be true… I can’t… I don’t know how… and the list goes on and on. Without realizing, these limiting statements are actually projecting what we are holding in mind.
Oh goodness! If we are trying to figure something out, it is without a doubt that we are not releasing. What we are doing is asking the mind questions. Our questions are indicating that we haven’t been able to resolve something regarding an area of our lives. Our trying to figure something out is our holding in mind “not having” an answer. Therefore, we are allowing our ego to keep us from receiving better results.
What do you perceive necessary in order for you to be inspired and successful? Well let’s begin by looking at inspiration. Inspiration is anything that generates a willingness to accomplish something in a wonderful way. It includes “Only the best outcomes” and is leaving all doubts aside. What is most important regarding inspiration is that it invokes an attitude of “I can do this!” Or something like, “I am going to do this!”
Here are several things that you can easily do to begin feeling happier each day. You will be as happy as you decide to be. In deciding to do nothing, that is exactly what you will accomplish — NOTHING. Your life is, and always will be, a reflection of what you are holding in mind. Involving yourself in positive activity will allow you to continuously feel happier.
It seems by the time November 1st comes around everything is playing to the tune of “beat the clock.” The end-of-the-year has a lot to do with hustle and bustle. Businesses are trying to make plan, so bonuses can be distributed. Retailers are promoting holiday sales by incenting people to shop around the clock in order to get the best savings.
In truth, many of us still believe that happiness is a secret. First of all, opposite of what most people believe, happiness is available to everyone–at all times. No one is excluded. Every person, regardless of their age, nationality, level of education or success, is naturally capable of being happy.
Communication is probably one of the most important aspects of being human and accomplishing our goals. Communication is more than just speaking or writing. Communication is for the purpose of engaging our senses in a manner that communicates information. Communication exists in many forms. Writing, speaking, teaching, artistic expressions such as: crafting, painting, dancing, playing a musical instrument, and even playing sports require multi-sensory communications.
Perhaps you’ll agree that when something is bothering you, it prevents you from being at peace. In truth, the more we try to figure out “what-to-do” or “what-not-to-do” actually keeps the situation from changing. Take a moment and look at this consideration more carefully. Whatever we are focused on, is what we are creating for ourselves. So the more we dislike someone or something, is causing us to actually attract more of those unwanted situations into our life.
If we only did one thing, perhaps the greatest thing we can share with ourselves and others is GRATITUDE. Being grateful for everything is living in acceptance. When we fuel our life with gratitude, the quality of life that we experience is absolutely wonderful and uniquely flavored in positive and loving ways. This is the beginning of living without regret.
Regardless of the changes we would like to make, it is important that we begin by clearly deciding what it is that we would like to change. The decision part of any area of our life that we are hoping to change is a very important aspect. Clearly we can easily agree that choosing healthier foods, foods with more fiber or less fat, offers us healthier options. We can also agree that more exercise may be necessary or perhaps that we need to provide more variety in our diet and exercise routines.