insights

Becoming Dad

Dead or alive, loving or ignoring, present or absent: we all have a father, whether we like it, or him, or not. May all of you enjoy celebrating Father's Day in whatever manner you do, or don't.

Written by Andre Best
President, Ultimate Results, Inc.
http://www.andrebest.com
'Learn About Life From Another Perspective'

(Author's permission is granted to share this full article with others. Just leave the signature line intact, please.)

Posted by Andre Best at 12:04 AM | Comments (0)

May 31, 2009

Death: The Great Equalizer

Admittedly, death is not a topic that many people are fond of. It's not something that is broached during everyday conversation, at least here in North America. The old saying of there being only two things that will never go away: death and taxes, still applies. We all pay taxes and we're all going to die.

Death is not something that people like to ponder over, or dwell upon. Why? Because it's not fun to do so.

We want to live, not die. We want to have fun, not cross over to the other side: whatever, wherever, and whenever that is.

For those of us who live, death is but an abstract concept. Something 'out there'. Something that other people who are so unfortunate have to think about or deal with, perhaps while living.

But, death is right here, right now, with every one of us. It's with our every breath. It's with our every heartbeat. It's with our every blink of our eyes that we come closer to personally experiencing it.

We are all terminal. We all wake up one day closer to the end. Every day we live is but another day that brings us closer to the precipice between this physical plane and the ethereal one.

Is this nasty? Yes. But it is a fact. And no amount of denial, ignoring, forgetting, suppressing, or numbing is going to take away the fact that one day you will, we all will, be taken away to the other side.

Anyone who talks about death, like me with this article, is usually thought of as being morbid, or having 'something wrong' with them. That is how much people don't want to think of this part of existence. At least until we have to as it may be forced in front of our face unexpectedly, or expectedly.

I think that death is something that we don't want to face because it is scary, and it is a sober reminder of our finite days on this plane via our mortality as a physical creature, a human.

Think of all the things people do to fight the idea of aging and death. Surgeries, medicinals, drugs, potions, and lotions usually are all attempts to stop the ultimate demise of the body. Allay? Yes. Stop? No.

I've sometimes had discussions of this topic, at a very elementary level, with my oldest son. I remember him thinking that the human body starts dying around the early adult years but I told him that the human body essentially starts 'dying' the minute it starts existing. As the old saying goes "everything that has a beginning, has an ending."

Is this morose and dark and morbid? Depends upon how one looks at it. Some people say that death is a part of life. Some people say that death is the opposite of birth. Some people say that death is the opposite of life. All may be true, in my opinion.

But, the fact of the matter is that right now we are all alive. We are all living, breathing, growing, aging, dying human beings. We are alive. Right now. We're reading these words. We are able to take in this sharing. We're able to hear the birds, and feel the movement of air as it passes into and out of our body. At least, that is what we should be aware of.

I believe that our purpose of life, our purpose to living, is to become as aware as we can before the body dies. We should live before we die. We should be aware that the life we are currently blessed with is just that: a blessing.

I also believe that, once we are sentient, no matter what our circumstance, no matter what our stage in life, if we haven't used the countless opportunites to understand and live from the place of existence that is aware that it exists, then we haven't truly lived while we were alive: we haven't fully embraced the blessing of existence.

Death is approaching each and every one of us.

Is it something to fear? In my opinion, no.

Is it something to look forward to? Perhaps.

Is it something to hurry towards? No, not in my opinion.

But it is something that needs to be taken in to our existence now and then used as a springboard towards living while we're alive. Right here. Right now.

Am I saying that we walk around every moment thinking about death and worrying about it? No, not at all.

I'm saying that death is inevitable for us and is part of existence as a physical creature. It is there. It is here. It is now. And it is not to be ignored.

Although we all want to, no one will live forever on this plane. But, we don't have to use that as a reason to not live now. Life is so blessed. Life is so short. Life is so sweet and can be the most glorious experience depending upon how much we're willing to release and then take back in what returns.

I was once told that 'lessons ride in on the back of events'. Analogously, Life is the event for each and every one of us. Are you willing to find out your Life lesson, before the body dies and the great existential playing field is leveled again?

Written by Andre Best
President, Ultimate Results, Inc.
http://www.andrebest.com
'Learn About Life From Another Perspective'

(Author's permission is granted to share this full article with others. Just leave the signature line intact, please.)

Posted by Andre Best at 10:32 AM | Comments (0)

November 15, 2008

The New Colors of America

Well, it happened. The United States finally has someone different in the old Oval Office, literally. Their first minority President. It was a somewhat close call, as far as the popularity ratings went, between Senator John McCain and Senator Barack Obama.

But, now the history textbooks will show that Barack Hussein Obama was chosen as the United States' 44th President. Cool.

As a man of minority status I found the so-called presidential race to be more than just a race over who had the stronger political stance and espoused the better position over currently contentious issues such as the economy, health care, the war in the east, and the environment.

It was a true race competition between another man of the majority and a man of minority.

Let me add, that I think it truly would've been nice to see a woman become President. But, maybe next time we'll have a minority woman run for President. Now won't that be something that the country would have to think heavily over before endorsing. I think the U.S. is not quite ready to hang their hat on that rack yet. But, one can always hope.

Nevertheless, the citizens of the U.S. have shown that a man of color can become the president of what is thought to be the most powerful country on the planet. That may be arguable to some, but that's not the point of this article.

It truly was a momentous occasion to see Senator Obama relatively come out of nowhere and then win the election, and race. He was an eloquent speaker, he challenged one to think. He proffered interesting and insightful answers to some tough questions. However, like all 43 men before him, the talk is going to be tested to see just how far it was above the walk that is going to occur during the next four years. But, that is where the historical similarities end.

Personally, I haven't paid much attention to the presidential races during the past 16 years I've been in the United States. But, this one was worthy to watch. We all know, at least those of us who have been following the news reports, that the world economy is not doing too well right now. And, without going into any multisyllabic economic terms, jargon and shoptalk, suffice it to say that things need to change.

Now everybody most likely is banking on the next President to spearhead that change. Is that possible? Can one man save the world from itself right now? Perhaps. But more likely not.

Can one man with the power of the U.S. President cause the rest of the world to pay attention? Of course. It's been proven over and over again.

But, can a man of color go beyond the biased and racial view that is present no matter with whom he is present with or presenting to? No. It's there.

The United States has a black President. And I'm glad for that. But, the world may not be just yet ready to hold this man in the position of power and authority that he was granted. I believe that he will be seen as a man of minority first, and then the President of the United States. That's a given fact.

I can attest to this statement, as this has been my experience many, many times during my life. I'm not of black descent, rather, Native Canadian and specifically from the Cree First Nation. I'm also half Caucasian/German. But that half isn't seen when someone sees a picture of me. They see a man of a minority 'race'. They see a man of color first.

They relate to that man of color. They interact from their own perhaps unknown and unconscious bias that we all have towards something and someone 'different'. Even if that difference is color.

We don't like 'different'. We like everyone to be like us.

Not them. Us.

We want similarity. We want sameness and common and pronounced expectations of being akin to others and the environs around us.

It's human nature to seek out similarities in others. And, unfortunately, to push away differences. Even if that difference is only the difference in depth that the pigment penetrates our upper skin layer. Or not.

I remember growing up in Canada and during my school years I was never, and I mean never, seen as a Native boy. I wasn't ever asked if I was 'Indian'. I wasn't ever asked if I was 'white'. I was asked if I was pretty much every other minority group in the world, but not what I truly was. Why not?

Because I wasn't seen as Native. I wasn't seen as white. I was different. I wasn't like the others. I was darker than the whites. And I was lighter than the full bloods. That made me different. And that made others treat me differently. Not always with malice and indifference. Just differently. Cautious interplay comes to mind as a descriptor.

Of course, this continues into my adulthood, even here in Arizona. I have long hair down to my lower back and I keep it braided during my work days so that I look more professional in the attire I wear to the work environment in City Hall.

But, even when I'm out walking the city streets I know that people don't know what to make of me. Still.

I've had local Arizona natives ask me if I'm 'Indian'. I've had Caucasians and other people from minority groups ask me similar questions. Why? Because I don't look like the other people, nor the other natives down here. Again...I look 'different'.

Even in my dress slacks and button down long-sleeve shirts, and polished squared-toed dress shoes.

I look different.

I do look different.

I am different.

Different is good.

Different is what we all are, after all.

We're all different.

Yet, we're all the same. We're all one 'race'. We're all one people.

By the people, and for the people. Right? Isn't that what the United States Constitution included?

I'm one of the people. Barack Hussein Obama is one of the people. Yet, we're both seen and will always been seen as men of color first.

Is that unfortunate? Obviously not, for Barack. It was downplayed as a factor in the presidential race, per his own request. And so it should've been. Skin color doesn't matter. But, again, depends upon who is asked.

I ask you:

You've read my words.

You've heard soon-to-be President Obama speak.

And you've seen him win.

I work in City Hall in an Arizona city. A servant of the public.

As President, Barack Obama is a servant of the People, the entire United States, and even the world.

Does that matter though? Does both of us being men of color make a difference, essentially?

Time will tell. More people have seen beyond his color and seen into what he is and what he stands for. That is what counts.

But, again, distill out the politics...

Separate the dross from the substance...

Remove the 'white' from White House...

...And one is left with the undeniable fact that a man of color is in charge of the United States. In this case a man who a mere 143 years ago could've been owned as a slave simply because he was a black man.

Fortunately, the United States people, at least the majority of them, have shown that they now truly are color blind.

Hail to the Chief, and to the new colors of the United States of America: Red, White, Black and Blue.

It's about time.

Written by Andre Best
President, Ultimate Results, Inc.
http://www.andrebest.com
'Learn About Life From Another Perspective'

(Author's permission is granted to share this full article with others. Just leave the signature line intact, please.)

Posted by Andre Best at 9:45 AM | Comments (0)

October 11, 2008

Making Meaninglessness Meaningful

Life boils down to nothing. It has no purpose and it has no meaning in and of itself. It is what we make it though. Nothing more, nothing less.

It's not about what we are doing with ourselves and our Self's. Rather, it's how we do what we're doing with ourselves that matters. That's what brings the meaning in to life and nothing else.

There is nothing special that can be done that has wonderful meaning to it. Want proof? Two people can be doing the exact same thing and be experiencing two completely different outcomes of that doing. It's not in the doing, it's how the doing is being done. Nothing more, nothing less.

There is no answer to Life.

There is nothing that can be figured out and one can then lie back on their laurels and say "there I have it all figured out, just do this." No. There is nothing like that that exists. Yet we're all seeking it. Even this writer, as I too am a human trying to be. So don't believe what I say. Like Krishnamurti repeatedly espoused during his life, go find out for yourself and you'll KNOW.

We're all looking for that magical potion to drink, or experience, or obtain, or own, that brings lasting satisfaction and contentment though some doing and some action that we're to undertake.

But you know that it's not there. It doesn't exist. Down deep you really know, even though you probably don't want to admit to yourself because of what that'll bring on during your days, and nights.

It's nowhere to be found on this physical plane we occupy.

There is nothing to find. That's the simple brutal truth of the matter.

There is nowhere to go.

There is nothing to do.

There is only something to see that will get you to the place that drives you to continue to get up each morning.

There is not something to understand.

There is not something that needs to be done.

There is only the knowing that life doesn't have any sense to it. It just makes sense as life unto itself.

Life, oneness, doesn't strive for meaning. But we strive to put the meaning into our life. That is where we go wrong.

We don't accept what is. We don't accept what is happening to us and around us and by us, so we live in a constant state of dissatisfaction and discontentment with what actually is.

But the is-ness of our life is what we have done to individually create it. It is what we make of our days and nothing more, nothing less. That is where we happen to go wrong with our living.

We exist. Period. Nothing more, nothing less.

We exist to exist yet we want to find something that has meaning throughout our days of existence. Even if that something means doing something like helping other people. Please...

We can't even help ourselves to live a life full of meaning. How can one help others when one can't help oneself find lasting meaning?

There is no meaning to life. There is nothing that makes sense. But we strive to find that thing that we have convinced ourselves exists just beyond our reach.

But we never reach it because it is unreachable through doing: it is only reachable by being at oneness with Life. Therein is the meaning. Therein is the meaning through the doing no matter what that doing is.

I know this probably doesn't make sense and may even provide you with more doubt and confusion than it answers anything. But, if so, that shows how much you are wrapped up still in your doing -- so consider that a blessing to know.

Also, this writing is not meant to have one think "life has no meaning so I have to find the nearest cliff or bridge to jump off of." No.

It's about sharing a conscious knowing. Not a belief. Not a mental decision. Not a doing. Not even a 'getting it' or an understanding.

It's not about letting go of anything. It's about knowing, inside, in your heart, that the meaning is just there when the striving for meaning is let go.

We put the layer of meaning onto an activity, every activity, and then that activity is what provides meaning to our life, to our existence. No.

Again, that is where we go wrong. We make the activity the creator of our meaning instead of understanding with conscious knowing that the meaninglessness of existence brings meaning into every activity.

Just be.

Be with what is in your life right now.

Be with what is when you are doing what you are doing during your days, even when you are reading these words. That is the meaning you strive for right now. Then the next thing you do is there to give you more meaning and to make your life make sense.

There is nothing to know.

There is nothing special to do.

There is nothing.

Period.

There just 'is.'

Meaning -- look for it and you'll never find it. But, find meaning in meaninglessness and you'll know the meaning of life, and living.

Promise. Cross my heart and hope to live.

You too?

Written by Andre Best
President, Ultimate Results, Inc.
http://www.andrebest.com
'Learn About Life From Another Perspective'

(Author's permission is granted to share this full article with others. Just leave the signature line intact, please.)

Posted by Andre Best at 10:14 PM | Comments (0)

August 19, 2008

Insights Blog: Day 1000 - Blog Entry 91

It has been three years now since I began this digital e-rag, and sometimes I'll admit that I regret starting it. I wrote about before, a couple of years ago, about what it means to undertake blogging and exactly what a blog is. Well, I'll tell you what it is...

It's work.

It takes dedication, and passion, and commitment to the cause, and actually believing that one has something worthy to share. Nevermind holding onto the tenuous belief that others think that what one is sharing is worthy of their precious time.

To think that many tens of thousands of people read this writing of mine each month now is staggering. I never would've thought a mere three years ago that anyone would be interested in what I have to say. Nevermind commenting on it, or thinking about it or -- heaven forbid -- actually linking to my site from their similar work of Internet effort. This weblog is something that I never thought would amount to anything worthwhile, or worthy, to anyone.

But, like I wrote a couple of years ago, this is something that has more meaning for me than anyone else. It's a place where I can spill my guts, so to speak, and by throwing caring to the digital wind, let the e-crap fly at times when it comes to the particular type of sharing I'm inspired to relay.

Sometimes the sharing is so obtuse that I wonder if anyone can gather what it is that I'm partaking with my words. And that comment is not made from a posturing position or one of higher knowledge or superiority insomuch as from a particular inability on my part at times to conscisely and easily relay what it is that I'm working so hard to share.

And, other times I know that I drone on about subjects and don't really impart new knowledge to the cause overall yet it is something that allows me to release the veil from my brain and show what is really lurking under the cover of the grey matter upstairs.

There are so many subjects to write about that one really can't even make a blog like this about just one. But I have been shown through the many similar topics that I have written about that I lean towards writing about subjects that I hope will make this a better place after I'm gone then what it was before I came onto the scene.

Sometimes I know that my somewhat esoteric subjects only apply to a very select few people, perhaps to just people in my particular circle of influence, but nevertheless there are embedded lessons that I hope have meaning to others whom I shall never have the pleasure of meeting face to face. Regardless, that doesn't stop me from sharing as I see fit and as I'm inspired to by whatever insight happens to cross behind my forehead.

This blog is a passion for me. It is something I'm realizing that allows me to hang onto the belief that I'm doing something for the good of the cause. Essentially, that what I say matters to at least one reader of my e-words. If so, then it's all worth it.

There is something gratifying about sharing, especially when that sharing can be viewed as helpful, that allows one to believe that they have more substance on this plane then what they heretofore believed.

I know that that's all imaginary, but it is what it is for me nonetheless.

In writing my 1000+ word articles I've found that this blog and even the subject of it, insights, has caused me to have a different perspective through each day. That is, I go through my day, now it's a habit, wherein I wonder if what I'm experiencing at home, at work, with others, or alone, has some tangible lessons in it that others might benefit from, and this has become a way of relating to the world for me.

At times it's really sweet and delightful to view the world as a place of so many lessons that one just has to reach up to the proverbial fruit tree and pick off the branches whatever sweet insight that one chooses to.

But, it's all so sweet after all.

There are so many lessons in life that one can only begin to separate the wheat from the chaff and throw away the dross of life to find what the real meat of life is. At least to that person.

I know that I'm rambling and not really making sense overall but this is just something that has particular meaning to me. Sometimes it's good just to spew forth whatever comes to mind and then see what settles out from that release. Isn't it?

Sometimes it's good to stay awake to the moment and see what it is made up of and how much of one one is imparting to that release and how much of ourselves we can see in the event. Next time we'll see more and therein become more 'complete', if you will.

Life is so inviting and willing to show us everything that we want, if only we'll look the way it is asking us to and speaking to us from. But, so many of us are too too busy with us and our petty existences that we don't want to get up from the dredges of Life and rise up and smell the fresh air above the dirt and the filthy channels we daily trudge forward through.

There is so much sweetness in life that can be gleaned from the smallest experience. I don't have to relay examples here as there are millions to choose from. They are all there, in your life, in your day, in your existence, right now, and they always have been. And they are right in front of you right now as you read these droning-on words of mine.

Yes, even my spewing has meaning to you. It has particular meaning to you that you may not be aware of. And, if you find yourself consciously resonating with what I'm writing, even if it doesn't make a bit of sense to you then my words have participated in a slight awakening of you and your spirit.

And, if so, don't you agree that that is enough reason to go on writing something as insubstantial as a blog called 'insights' from a guy who thinks that his words have little relevance to Life for others, in general?

Written by Andre Best
President, Ultimate Results, Inc.
http://www.andrebest.com
'Learn About Life From Another Perspective'

(Author's permission is granted to share this full article with others. Just leave the signature line intact, please.)

Posted by Andre Best at 10:18 PM | Comments (0)

July 21, 2008

Sucker Punched By A Sucker

Have you ever noticed how Life sometimes comes overall from a place of showing one that it is ongoing, never stopping, and seamless in its approach to showing one what it wants one to know?

If only one has ears to hear, it doesn't stop in what it wants one to know. It continues forward and continues to show one, sometimes in the smallest instance just what one is supposed to learn about oneself and then hopefully incorporate into their understanding of themself and then share that with the world.

For me, it's most interesting that this showing comes about in the smallest of experiences, especially for me one that was particularly painful to watch, and yet not watch.

I'll explain.

I recently went to the postal store where I receive my mail and there were a couple of young people at the counter getting their mail needs met. There was also this woman, a middle-aged mother in front of me who had a young son with her. He was about five-years old and when I entered the store I came upon an interaction between the two of them that was in midstream.

The boy wanted a candy sucker from the candy dish on the countertop, and the mother wanted to do her mailing task at the counter. The boy wasn't agreeing with this and simply wanted to be given a sucker and so he was doing everything he could to get her attention to let her know just how badly he wanted the sucker. This was about the extent of what was clear to me.

What happened next was what made me think about my role in life with my younger sons and also filled me with feelings related to them as young souls and my relationship with them as an older soul who supposedly 'knows better'.

Again...

You see, the mother just wanted to do her mailing task and then get out of the store. But, the boy was being a boy. He was being a child and rightfully so. He wanted that brightly colored, plastic-wrapped sucker on the countertop to put in his mouth and, like the proverbial dog with a bone, he wasn't going to let go of that goal that he had in his mind. I could tell by the way he was acting that for him, the obtainment of the sucker was just about his only reason for existence at that moment. That's how determined he was.

But, he wouldn't quit nagging his mother by crying, repeatedly asking for the candy sucker, and periodically wailing from his sitting position on the carpet floor, so what his mother eventually did was she told him to get up off the carpet and stand up, and then go stand against the wall of the store and be quiet over there.

The boy did this but he was still loudly crying and asking for the sucker, and now, for her attention. This wasn't good for the mother, and I could tell that the young couple at the counter being served by the mail store staff were also not too impressed with what was transpiring nearby.

I, for one, didn't care. I'm still in those days at times where my own sons have the tendency to behave like that boy, and I have to deal with the situation like that mother did.

Anyway, after about a minute of listening to the boy continuing to cry and maintain his position of emotional upset from the corner of the store he was now standing in, the boy's mother left the line we were in and walked over to him. I was sure more severe discipline was to follow at this point, as is usual for most parents, and so I found myself closely listening not only to what the mother was saying to the boy, but more importantly, how she was saying it.

But she showed herself to be a model of parenthood that I resonated with. She didn't hit the boy, she didn't yell at the boy, she didn't lose her temper with the boy, and she didn't shame the child. She didn't have an undercurrent of anger in her words as she was talking with the boy and doing her best to discipline him via the timeout he was now in.

She handled the situation very well and because the boy still didn't quiet down, she had to grab him by the hand and lead him out of the store. Overall, I thought she handled herself very appropriately, considering the circumstances, and did a wonderful effort of doing what she could to take control of the situation.

The only thing that I did find myself questioning as I was watching this event is that I thought she was too concerned about what all of us in line were thinking, due to the fact that she wanted him to be quiet, I'm assuming so that the rest of us could go about conducting our business with our mail. Personally, I wouldn't have been so concerned now, after all these years of parenting, of what others think during a time like that. My focus would've been the child's needs and how to best handle that.

I would've simply and immediately taken the boy out of the situation, and not try to get him to be quiet. That is, I'd have taken him outside much sooner than she had, so as to let him have his little screaming fit outside in the wide open space of the parking lot. Forget the mail, it can wait!

Anyway, I digressed so I'll step down off the soapbox I was preaching from.

Continuing...

The insight behind this experience which I was brought into was the insight of experiencing regret. That is, I felt that the strings inside of me were being pulled into a position of regret.

You see, that boy only wanted what he wanted. Yet, the mother also had her own agenda which she needed to take care of, on a practical sense.

Yet, the boy was denied what he wanted, which simply was a candy sucker.

How many times have we been denied in our lives what we want? How many times have we thrown a temper tantrum this past week - at least inside, so that others don't notice and we still are viewed as mature and capable adults?

I ask you, when was the last time you threw a tantrum when you didn't get what you wanted?

And when was the first time you threw one that you remember?

Were you hit to get you to shut up?

Were you criticized and blasted emotionally for having a normal human desire squelched out of existence?

Were you ignored until you knew that you were absolutely not going to get what it was that you wanted?

Or were you threatened, perhaps within an inch of your life to shut up and never behave like that again in public with all those other 'nice people' watching you be what - a child - for heaven's sake.

How many times have you wanted something as a fully-grown human, and now that the toys can't be thrown, and the feet can't be stomped and the pants can't be wetted, or the breath held till the face turns blue, how many times have you just wanted to do that so as to get what it was that you wanted?

And yet, even today, how many times has it happened that nobody really cared about what it was that you wanted, or were even aware that you were screaming inside for that sweetness Life was desiring to deliver to you?

You see, where I felt regret over this experience, was not so much just for the young boy, it was also for myself and for ALL of us, as children, who didn't get what we wanted those so, so, so many times we simply wanted to taste the sweetness of Life.

It really isn't fair that Life doesn't give us what we want when we want it and in the way we want it. Is it?

But, again, how many of us were wronged and made to believe that we were wrong for wanting what we justifiably wanted and simply needed as a child?

How many of us were hit into submission?

Or shamed? Or belittled? Or criticized? Or ignored? It's not pretty how the stopping asking for things covertly and overtly happens, is it? But, again, it's no surprise.

I regretted that I couldn't always get what I wanted, the many simple things that I wanted when I was a young boy. I can't even remember almost all of them, yet they're still there inside. Some in memories now that I don't want to relive again in some instances. That's just part of the human experience.

We have all had to live through not getting the special Life sucker that we wanted. Even if it only cost a penny to purchase, and now is so cheap to make that it's given away for free in stores.

It doesn't really matter what that was all about, yet, it was all about the need, the wanting, the fulfilling of our hearts desire which at that age does take the shape of a candy sucker.

At that age that sucker is the world to us because we're all present every moment. Our world is right now and the sucker is right now so what's wrong with wanting it right now?

To us, and our young minds, nothing was wrong with wanting what we wanted. Yet, Life had a different agenda for us. It wanted us to know that there are others in our existence to consider. Be they family or strangers in line in the store.

It wanted us to know that we are not the sole focus of our caregivers at times like that. It wanted us to learn the lesson that Life doesn't always give us what we think we want, when we want it.

It wanted us to know that there are some things in life that are unreachable and perhaps always may be. But that doesn't have any permanent impact on us, intrinsically.

Life wants us to know that our worth, who we are, who we are being in the present is not predicated upon that candy sucker.

But, when we were five-years old we didn't know about that stuff. And we didn't care about that stuff.

But now that we're 45-years ripe, or 62 years of age, we should know better.

Let me finish by asking you: Do you know better now?

And, if so, what are you going to do, even deep inside, the next time Life thwarts what you want and you think you have full right to right now?

Think about it, before you become the next sucker and let what Life throws at you become a sucker punch.

We all know it's just a matter of time till that next experience arrives right in front of our face to learn from. Or not.

Interesting food for thought, eh? Get the sucker and be a sucker, or forget the sucker and BE with Life.

Written by Andre Best
President, Ultimate Results, Inc.
http://www.andrebest.com
'Learn About Life From Another Perspective'

Posted by Andre Best at 3:37 PM | Comments (0)

June 7, 2008

Crying Over Spilled Milk

Have you ever spilled milk? Really. The actual stuff. Milk. Have you ever spilled milk? It could be that some flopped over the edge of the glass you were holding it in. Or it could be that the entire milk jug inexplicably slipped out of your hand as you were carrying the carton across the kitchen to put it back in the refrigerator.

And then it happened.

The milk hit the floor and splashed out either a few small drops of spray across the floor, or, in the case of the milk jug, milk droplets and spray went over the entire bottom half of every kitchen cabinet within 10 feet of the event. Not to mention the bottom half of your trousers, or legs, or all up the dog's behind. Not a pretty sight to be a part of or view occurring, is it? Or was it?

But, here's where everything gets really interesting and will be the focus of this article and hopefully proffer cogent words to help you with your desire to be a better human being in your household. Again, if that's not you, then I'd advise you to stop reading and flip your attention over to another website or the nearby television listings.

Anyway, back on track here with the spilled milk subject...

What I would like to focus on here is not the seeming messiness of the actual spilling of the milk, but instead the spilling of something else which usually occurs just right after the liquid makes its way all across the kitchen floor tiles.

And that spilling would be what happens in you that makes its way outside of you into the kitchen environment, usually within earshot of all those in the area, or sometimes even in other rooms of the house. And even in some rare cases, in the households of the next door neighbors who happen to have their kitchen windows open while they're doing the dishes.

What am I alluding to here? I'm mentioning the literal tirade of words, epithets and profanities that usually come out of most people's mouth immediately succeeding an event such as this.

The milk spills, and the mouth opens, and every single mama's-going-to-wash-your-mouth-out-with-soap-kind-of-word comes spewing out of your mouth. Right?

And all of it in reaction to what happened in front of you on the kitchen floor and through this unexpected accident of something being dropped on the floor and leading to a mess that you no doubt will have to handle and scream about, or simply just have to deal with by cleaning it up.

Wow, what a hassle eh?

Life was going oh-so-fine-and-dandy and then this stupid obnoxious milk had to go and spill itself all over the nice clean floor.

And cupboard.

And fridge.

And oven.

And dishwasher front.

And on my newly polished shoes.

And on my nice dress.

Oh, the horror of it all, eh? Life is just so unfair at times, isn't it?

I think you can tell that I'm being facetious here. I'm allowing you to get into the moment that most of us have experienced at some time or another during our life and time here on this planet.

But, seriously, it really is a volatile situation isn't it, when something like this happens, isn't it?

The milk isn't allowed to just spill is it? It has to spill and that spillage has to, it just HAS to, be followed with any number of streams of profane statements and expletives that your worst enemy shouldn't be privy to, right? But, the real question here is...why does that have to happen?

Why does a simple thing like spilling the milk on the floor result in the reaction that most of us have fallen victim to? Why does that have to happen?

Well, here's something to think about.

It doesn't have to happen.

You heard me right.

Having that reaction, even having any reaction of any type, doesn't have to happen at all.

The milk can just spill. And then the event is done. There doesn't have to be anything following it in you. Did you know that? Did you know that that was a possibility?

Did you know that just because the Universe decides to spill your glass of milk all over your nice floor on this morning of this day, that doesn't mean that you have to react to that event?

It can just happen. Just like it just did. In fact, it can just occur as it already has, and you can just witness it occurring. And, maybe even feel it too as the wetness seeps down along your legs and into your shoes. That's all okay though.

Why am I saying this?

Because Life is happening but you don't have to happen like you've always happened. You don't have to be the victim of that milk spilling like you always have been before.

Let me tell you something.

Do you want to know what someone is really like? Do you want to know what a person is really, really like inside? The absolute real person living inside that person, not the person that they are telling you that they are? This is a way to find out who that person really is.

Watch them when they spill milk all over their kitchen floor. Watch them closely. Watch their reaction to that event.

That's the REAL person there reacting to that event. Not the person they just told you they were as they described themselves to you ever so nicely. That's not who they are.

They're the person who is reacting to the milk spillage.

Are they a screaming, angry lunatic blaming everybody and everything under the sun for this horrible occurrence?

Or are they a person who shrugs their shoulders and says, "Oh well. I guess I had better get to work cleaning this up because no one else should or has to."

Which person would you rather be in relationship with when the going of Life gets tough? Would you rather be in the company of the raving lunatic and have them react to something at your side? Or would you rather be at the side of the person who is calmly and simply dealing with the situation at hand?

I don't know about you, but I'd rather be with the person who is able to see the situation for what it is and then act accordingly.

I have a good and long-term friend who told me a few years ago that he had just recently accidentally dropped a glass of juice on the kitchen floor. I guess the glass was sweaty from sitting on the counter for a bit, so it was slippery when he picked it up and he dropped it and juice and glass went flying everywhere in the kitchen.

My friend told me that prior to following the truth teachings of people like Vernon Howard and Guy Finley and Osho, that he used to be the raving lunatic. He told me that he used to say 85 '(very profane words about one's mother which I won't print)'. But, this time he just said 'darn it'. And then he cleaned up the mess in front of him.

That's a man that I'm glad to be friends with. He has done the work to change his reaction to the everyday occurrences that Life inevitably brings to us across our Path and then lays down the Glove of Life, so to speak, and asks us to deal with what is in front of us.

So, let me ask you, as I lay the glove in front of you with this article: Are you willing to deal with what is in front of you and do the work to change your reaction, if it needs changing, to one of acceptance?

Or are you going to ignore what is being proffered and continue with your fighting of the many events that Life brings that aren't in accord with your wants? If this is you, I'd suggest that you might want to remember just how many times Life has spilled the glass of milk you were carrying when you were least expecting it.

And, let me ask you: Do you really want to go to your grave reacting as you always have as a raving lunatic? If so, sounds to me like a life bereft of Life. So, good luck with that.

But, if not, I suggest that you do the work to be able to see the event as it happens, and then simply clean up the mess and move on with your life.

The kitchen will be clean.

The floor will be dry.

Your clothes will be changed.

And you'll be on your way to the store to get another jug of milk which just may spill for another milk drinker in the household.

But, if they were so lucky so as to have witnessed this newly changed reaction in you, think of the wonderful seed of opportunity for peace and love you just planted in them and their world by showing them right then and there that another type of response is possible to events like this.

Good for you for doing the work, if indeed you have and do decide to do so. And thank you for making the world a better place for all.

Written by Andre Best
President, Ultimate Results, Inc.
http://www.andrebest.com
'Learn About Life From Another Perspective'

(Author's permission is granted to share this full article with others. Just leave the signature line intact, please.)

Posted by Andre Best at 10:56 PM | Comments (0)

May 11, 2008

A Mother's Day Thank You

Well, today is Mother's Day. That ubiquitous day, at least for North America, where we all give thanks to the woman who gave birth to us. At least that's what we're supposed to be doing. We're also supposed to be giving loving praise for our Mother, whether she is dead or alive, for the undeniable fact that she is half-responsible for who we are. Without her, we wouldn't exist.

At least that's what the greeting card companies want us to be thinking when we fork over our green to send and mail those trite words of thanks to the one parent we owe so much to.

Of course, some of us never had a mother, so to speak. We were given up at birth, or our mother died at birth, or our mother left at birth, or shortly thereafter.

Or, conversely, our mother chose to stick around and be there for all the scraped knees, fights, and snotty nose-wiping's that we needed kissing and tending to.

How can one summarize on a card what we owe the female who gave us life? The female who carried us inside of her for nine months, or more, and then continued to be there as much as she was available for us when she was able to, or not working, or not out doing stuff to escape the sometimes madness of parenting. Or whatever.

We're supposed to think that a few words on a card, or even in this article for that matter, are supposed to show that woman that we are forever indebted to her sacrifice that led to our being borne unto this plane of existence.

Of course, there was the male part of the equation, in some cases even though this is not known, which does have a matter of thankfulness to it too, but that's for the next article on this blog of mine.

You see, I've thought about the many ways that one is supposed to give thanks to the (now) woman who gave us life. We're supposed to buy her a card, or give her flowers, or give her a box of chocolates, or buy her a special gift even for being the special mother of our children together.

All of that is nice and fine and does have inherent meaning to it. But, what I'm realizing is that it's what is done with the days where the special recognition isn't asked for, or expected, or given, that really have and continue to define the relationship with our Mother.

And that's not just the day to day days throughout the year as we both live it now. No.

That also involves the days that started the moment that that woman knew that she carried a valued life inside of her and now she was living for two souls. That's when the defining moment of the relationship and the recognition of motherhood begins, in my opinion.

I can think of many ways to tell my living mother how special she is to me. I can think of a number of actions that I could undertake, but they don't have the meaning that having a good conversation with my mother brings to both of us. And being able to still tell her that I love her and to hear her respond in the same manner. And to hear it in her voice. And to feel it across the two countries that separate us.

I could think of something to give my mother, an object that she can't even take with her when she leaves this physical dimension. And to me, that is not something that matters or is sustaining or recognizing the specialness of the mother-child relationship we all have with our parents. No matter where they are. Dead or alive.

There is something that occurs between a parent and the child that can't be spoken. There is a relating that occurs between the two that is the mutual exchanging of life from that place in the heart that only those two types of relations share.

Friends don't share it.

Siblings don't share it.

Spouses don't either.

It's unique to the parent and the child. That blood bond.

And so, with that in mind, how is one to say 'thanks' to their mother on Mother's Day?

How is one to show that the woman who bore them unto this earth is that special person that they appreciate and are forever indebted to for their existence?

It's not a return of a small favor, is it?

Now, I want my mother to know that she is a special woman in my heart. And that through these words I am doing my best to express what is in that part of my heart that was forever forsaken to her when I was born.

I know that my mother did the very best that she could when I was growing up. Now, I can look back upon those times, some of them tumultuous, and stand and judge and criticize what decisions she made and actions she took as my mother, and, at times against me. But I can't and chose many years ago to no longer stand in judgment of the actions that my mother took.

We all know that sometimes being in relationship with our mother is not the best time of our upbringing. It can be outright painful for some. But, nevertheless, it's something that defines who we are and contributes to who we are now. For better or for worse.

How can one summarize what one's mother did, the sacrifices that she made and the life that she gave up to allow us to grow and to flourish into adulthood to hopefully return the favor by enabling her to become a grandmother, and great-grandmother?

How does one say thank you to the person who gave so much, starting nine months before we came out of her?

How do we say we forever remember that the days she has spent teaching us right from wrong, and cooking for us, and bringing us medicine when we were sick, and feeding us from her own breast at times, and putting our needs in front of hers when it was most difficult for her?

How do we possibly give thanks and insert all of that into the Mother's Day that the greeting cards want us to believe can be summed up on one side of a cardboard panel?

I don't think it can.

But I can do, as a son to my mother, what I can and what I believe more than summarizes what it is that I feel and think of my mother when I know she is still with me on Mother's Day. And, also gives recognition to the simple fact that I am here because she is.

I can say four words. Twice.

"Happy Mother's Day Ma."

"I love you dearly."

Written by Andre Best
President, Ultimate Results, Inc.
http://www.andrebest.com
'Learn About Life From Another Perspective'

(Author's permission is granted to share this full article with others. Just leave the signature line intact, please.)

Posted by Andre Best at 7:37 PM | Comments (0)

April 30, 2008

An Article About Nothing

Ever watch that old Seinfeld television show which ran for many years and essentially was about nothing? Well, this article is going to be the same.

I know some of you might be thinking to yourself, 'Hey, André, what's the change from your usual ramblings?' But, again, I hope to be different with this article.

You see, sometimes a person needs downtime, that is, time when they don't need to do anything in particular. Time to be quiet. Time to reflect. Time to shut down the ever-present activities of the mind, which usually starts the moment we wake up each day and our mind 'boots up' with us.

Sometimes one just needs to take time to him/herself. Time to just replenish the supplies, so to speak. And this time can be time well spent. Or it cannot.

It all depends upon the person allowing themself to experience the downtime.

We all have time on our hands. But do we ever do anything of particular relevance with that time? That is, anything of particular usage, or benefit, to us and or to others, with that time that we have to 'spare'?

I'll bet not. Speaking from experience, that time is not time well spent.

When there comes time that one finds oneself in a place of 'not having anything to do', one sure as heck finds something to do.

Even if it's cleaning out the dresser drawers and ironing the underwear you find in a bunch in the top drawer. And the socks too. Better iron those.

You see, none of us do particularly well when there is nothing to do.

Or nothing to be done.

Or nothing to be gained from doing nothing.

Especially us men.

We're programmed to feel guilty and unproductive when there's nothing to do. We're told that we should be making use of our time. And use of our mind. We're not supposed to be wasting precious minutes doing nothing.

We're told and it's ingrained in our little brains from a very early age, that doing nothing is wrong.

But, let's question that. Is it?

What is it about doing nothing that is viewed as being 'wrong'?

What is it about not doing anything that is not right?

I answer - nothing. Nothing is wrong with doing nothing.

I think that doing nothing is doing something.

I think that doing nothing is very productive and useful and beneficial and worthwhile. Nothing is the calming of the mind. Nothing is when the mind has ceased in its ever-present production of actions and things to do lists that we fall victim to and feel compelled to comply with fulfilling.

Nothing is the space in time, between the doings, when we are given a golden opportunity to do something that will benefit us wholeheartedly, in the long run.

Nowadays, doing 'nothing' is a bad word. But it is such a good experience to truly allow ones Self to do nothing.

Think about it. It's really pretty simple to do nothing.

Even think about the term doing nothing.

One would think, or question, perhaps - "how do you DO nothing?" Isn't that doing something, if you're 'doing' it?

Technically, I suppose it is. But, simplistically, it isn't.

You see, we all know exactly what it is that I'm writing about here.

Doing nothing is simply that. Just doing nothing, when nothing presents itself as an opportunity to experience.

We all have those moments, usually at the end of our day, where we have an opportunity to just 'wind down'. But what do most of us do with that time, or those moments? We busy them up doing something.

We take the golden opportunity to do something and we fill it with something. And that something is usually mindless television viewing and channel flipping. Or being on the Internet website surfing.

How about instead of doing this you take the opportunity that is in front of you, that break in the busy-ness of your life, and simply do nothing.

Just 'be'.

Just allow yourself to experience the emptiness of the present moment that is in front of you.

The present moment is full of so so much that it really can't all be taken in at once. It's so complete it's scary. And it scares most of us too. That's why we're all so busy.

Personally, I've had plenty of time to ponder the vacant and empty moments in my life, and there have been many. They are so rich with Life though. They are so complete. They are a doing of a magnitude and scale that my mind could never create.

One of my favorite authors - Guy Finley - said once, several years ago that "Heaven is the space between two thoughts."

I say that the space he mentions is actually 'nothing'. Yet, nothing is everything.

Nothing is all. There is everything that one could want to be found in the moments containing nothing in one's life.

And what would that nothing be? It's your nothing, so that depends upon you.

Your mind isn't going to like it when you allow and work at having the nothings be just what they are during your day.

Not busying them up with thought, or doing, or thinking, or pondering, or fantasizing. None of that.

One doesn't have to get fancy and find a special cushion to sit on in a special room at a special time, in a special pose. Of course, if that works and has worked for you, great. But, it doesn't have to be that way.

The opportunities for nothing happen throughout our days here, every day, all our life. One doesn't need special training to do nothing. Or a guru. Or even a book to have been read.

No.

Just allow nothing to exist for you.

And know that what comes up is going to be about as individual as you are.

But, even in spite of this, what you will be experiencing, once you're able to make the most of your nothing moments will be absolutely everything.

It'll be an experiencing of the same nothing that we came from, and we're all aging towards.

It'll be the nothing that is timeless and is so full of Life.

I know this all may sound like a lot of nothing to you. But that's okay.

After all, it's up to you.

You can choose to do something. Or you can choose nothing.

Do yourself a favor, and choose nothing.

And then...watch.

Written by Andre Best
President, Ultimate Results, Inc.
http://www.andrebest.com
'Learn About Life From Another Perspective'

(Author's permission is granted to share this full article with others. Just leave the signature line intact, please.)

Posted by Andre Best at 11:30 PM | Comments (0)

March 30, 2008

The Matter With Mind Over Matter

I sometimes find it interesting when it comes to writing that I flow with whatever comes into my mind. In a way it becomes a cathartic release of sorts and allows me to move what was beforehand in my mind onto paper, or e-paper, so to speak and in that way get it out of my head.

I know I've written about this subject before in another of my blog articles, but it's a good thing worth repeating. That is, each of us needs time to process whatever it is that we need to process, and using whatever medium we can or do have at our disposal is usually one way to go about processing the electrons firing in our head, and making them productive in some outer way.

Usually and hopefully not at the harm of another though. That's not productive. But find a way that allows for the release of whatever it is you find in your head and you'll do fine.

I'm tempted to begin with whatever comes to mind when it comes to writing this article. But that's okay as this is what needs to be raised at the time it needs to be written. There is nothing wrong with saying what needs to be said, especially when that saying is something that needs to be said and shared and expressed.

Expression is the will of the One and that is what one needs to know as for the expression of what is necessary. There is nothing sacred about expressing what is on one's mind. It is in there for a reason and the expression of it is what needs to be maintained and used to allow for a clearing of sorts from the mind and out of the head. This release is good for the mind and the soul overall. It is something that one needs and should be using to ensure that whatever is being said is what needs to be expressed.

You see, there is a certain way in which the mind works. And when we allow it to have its say then it shows us what it is that we need to see but heretofore were not allowing ourselves to know about. There is amazing potential and latent power in what is stored in each of our minds and in our heads and when one allows oneself to come in contact with that power, that energy, the using of it can prove just as powerful and useful to a larger extent.

Don't let what is going on inside your mind scare you. It wants to help you. It wants to show you that there is another way to exist in the world and if you'll let the expression of the ideas and thoughts that are up in your head be expressed then you'll know what it is that you need to see to help you with whatever it is you might be struggling with now.

You see, we might think that we know it all and that whatever we see and know is all that needs to be known. But that simply isn't the case.

How many times have you woken up from a sleep and found yourself just not feeling quite right but not knowing why? You went to sleep the night before feeling rather good and prepared for the coming morning. But then upon waking you realize that there is something that feels out of place inside.

That is what is speaking to you and desires expression. Something happened between the time you went to sleep and the moment you woke up. What was that happening?

'You' weren't there, that's what was happening.

You weren't in the way to not allow your mind to process whatever it was that it needed to process. Your mind spoke to you through the night and perhaps helped you see things and dream things and remember things that you don't want to or can't remember during your waking hours. And now that those seemingly unpalatable realizations were stirred around during the night, you wake up feeling disturbed and 'not quite right'.

But this is perfectly normal - as long as you know that your mind is trying to tell you something. It's speaking to you. Or rather, Spirit is speaking to you. Only it's not using words. It wants you to know what it is that it is sharing. If only you'll listen you'll do yourself a world of good.

You see, what happens during sleep is the ego, the overinflated sense of self, is no longer there. We're all raw, pure, and mentally naked so-to-speak when we're sleeping. There's no 'I' getting in the way of what it is that we truly need.

And because that mental clearing occurred it's best that you do what you can to process what it is that is happening each night. And by processing it I mean listening to the space inside of you that feels not too right upon wakening. It's speaking to you. It's telling you that you have been working on something that is happening irrespective of your mind. Spirit is speaking to you.

And your work is to listen to that telling.

That's key to reducing the amount of days that one wakes up feeling out of sorts. That is how to start the process of no longer wakening to that feeling that something isn't right.

That is how to ensure that those mornings where you don't feel on top of your game are reduced.

I don't think they'll ever be eliminated because that is part of the lifelong process of living. But, I believe they can be reduced. But only by listening to the speaking that is being spoken while one sleeps.

And then having enough wherewithal to heed the words that you are telling you.

You are dreaming. You are processing what is in your mind. It's your sleep time. No one else's. You have to honor that process and allow it to tell you and show you what it is that you need to work on.

Are you willing to do that? It doesn't take much work. Just go to sleep tonight and don't resist what you remember tomorrow morning. Think about it. Remember it. Hang onto it and let it show you the golden nuggets of insights that you're being given each and every night in your mind.

Eventually your days will become more golden too. Sweet. So sweet.

Written by Andre Best
President, Ultimate Results, Inc.
http://www.andrebest.com
'Learn About Life From Another Perspective'

(Author's permission is granted to share this full article with others. Just leave the signature line intact, please.)

Posted by Andre Best at 6:31 PM | Comments (0)

March 17, 2008

What You Do Not Know You Do Not Know About Life

Life is the most amazing mystery at times. Why? Because it does such a great job of hiding from us when we seek it, and showing up right in our face when we least want to expect it. But struggle as we do, we can't avoid it. It's always there. Waiting. Waiting to show us what it is that we need to know, but are usually unwilling to heed.

But, as we all know, Life goes on. It continues to slowly creep forward, with us as its usual unwilling participants, because we know better than it does as far as what's good for us. And what's good for those around us. Right?

How dare Life hide underneath that experience. Or within that event. Or not show its face to us throughout that struggle. Really.

I mean come on - I prayed, didn't I?

I begged and pleaded and hoped and bargained, and tricked my way to thinking that I could somehow convince Life that what I was asking for and surely knew that I wanted in that Life event was what I really needed. Didn't I?

And yet if only Life would see it my way, well, then everything would be just fine and dandy.

We've all been there. Many times. Haven't we? I know I have.

I have many a time found myself thinking that the lesson being brought to me couldn't be, absolutely shouldn't be, the lesson in the event that was just what I needed to know at the time. After all, it couldn't be, because I knew better than the Universe, than Truth, than reality, than God, if you will.

Why shouldn't I have what it is that I want from the event that I'm finding myself going through? Why shouldn't things turn out the way I want them to? What's the harm in that? Why does it have to be the teaching that is so hard to see, instead of what it is that I want to have?

Life just isn't fair at times, is it?

You see, we all at one time or another get caught up too closely in ourselves. We think we know what is best for us. In actuality, and as I continue to age and pay attention to Life as it shows itself to me in the most mysterious ways, I know that Life is showing us exactly what it is we need to know, right when we need to know it. No more, no less.

But it's we who muddy up the waters so that we can't see the beauty in the offering Life presents. We get in our own way and don't pay attention to the inner workings inside of each of us.

As a wonderful spiritual teacher of mine, Vernon Howard, stated many years ago, "God/Truth/Reality is always speaking to you. You're just looking the other way." That's a very succinct way to put what is attempted to being relayed via these words of mine.

Life is there. It's in all of us. It's inside of us yet we don't want to truly know that. We would rather seek outside and then blame the outside event or person or circumstance for what it brings to us.

But, the real key here is to know that what it is that we truly seek, whether that be happiness, clarity, or insight - all of that is already inside of us. We just have to stop looking the other way, and then we'll see.

Then we'll know.

We have to stop looking outside, and turn our focus inside, and then we'll know what it is that is being shown to us.

If only we'll learn to pay attention to what is being shown, then we wouldn't find ourselves seeking out the advice of that next guru, or spiritual leader, or book, or movie, or scheme.

None of that is where Life is existing. Real life doesn't exist there. It exists in each and every one of us. There will be oh so many of us who don't want to pay attention to that fact though. And that's okay. Truth is not for the masses. Truth, Life is for those willing to do what it takes to see the truth of every matter.

It's not up to one who seeks Truth, and Life to assume that some-one, some-thing, some-event outside of them is the answer. It's not.

But, I know so many people, as it was for me for many, many years, will believe without a doubt that that must be the case. So many will believe that it can't be any other way. Truth has to be what is told to us. Truth has to be what is seen by the eyes. Truth has to be what is understood by the Mind.

No. No. And, no.

Truth is what is known by the Heart.

It's in the heart. And everyone has one, so everyone has Truth, Life, existing in them all the time. Every second of every day.

This is not rocket science. But it does take a keen person to be willing to let go of everything that has been picked up along the road of Life to-date. Said another way, one would benefit from putting down by the side of the road all of that baggage, including all the unnecessary assumptions, adopted beliefs, erroneous desires, and unfillable expectations that one presently holds so dearly inside of one-self.

Why? Because Life is not in any of that. That's anti-life. That's death. That's a living death on this plane. We'll all been there. We've all lived in that place for probably a long time now.

And now we have to understand that that is not where Life exists. Again, look inside. Don't force it. Don't figure it out.

Just know.

Know that what you seek, and have been seeking all of your life is inside of you. Always has been. Always will be.

There's no denying the truth of that fact, though you can and probably will try. But, even so, that won't change the Truth.

Life is in all of us. And it's not the life we can smell, see, or hear. It's a level of Life that is only known. It's not believed in. It's not understood.

It's known.

I know this is all sounding pretty wacky and a matter of profundity. But it is what it is.

As you may already know...I write what I write as I realize what I realize. Insights are what they are. And to know an insight of this type is a wonderful experience.

Never again is one living with the belief that one is alone in this world. Never again is one thinking that Life is happening independent of them. Never again is one wishing for Life to go 'their way'.

Why? Because that person knows that Life is always going whichever way that person is going. Always has been, always will.

It's an undeniable truth. Life is always present, everywhere, and in every one.

And that's a wonderful knowing. So, let me finish by asking you...

Are you willing to know what you already know, but don't know that you know?

Let me know when you know.

Written by Andre Best
President, Ultimate Results, Inc.
http://www.andrebest.com
'Learn About Life From Another Perspective'

(Author's permission is granted to share this full article with others. Just leave the signature line intact, please.)

Posted by Andre Best at 10:35 PM | Comments (1)

February 6, 2008

Question: Annoyed? Answer: Annoyance or Awareness?

Being the father of three young boys is always an opportunity for insights, especially when the boys happen to be in the thick of their young brotherly love and they are all in my company.

I recall a particularly insightful event when we were driving in my vehicle and the younger twins were in their booster seats in the back seat and their older brother was sitting next to me in the front seat, and one of the boys was making a repetitive clicking sort-of noise. Of course, I was paying attention to my driving on the Arizona freeways, but it was easy to notice that this noise being made was done intentionally, versus accidentally.

Anyway, the other two boys both said at pretty much the same time "That's annoying, stop it!", and that's when the insight struck me. That is, it became very clear to me that what was going on appeared on the surface to be about annoyance and being irritated by what was happening outside of one's Self; however, this was not the case.

The annoyance that two of the boys felt was something that was going on inside of them. And the fact of the matter was that they were making a mostly unconscious choice to let this event occuring outside of them bother them. Now, let's bring this home to each of us, as readers of this article.

You see, the boys were doing what pretty much every human being does from time to time. That is, they were allowing something outside of them to affect what was going on inside of them. And this is something that we all know all too well at times.

But, where we usually go awry, so to speak, is when we attribute how we feel inside to what is happening outside of us. That is we make something, someone, or some situation outside of us responsible for how we feel inside.

Now, I know that you are probably thinking that there is nothing wrong with that. But, let's re-question this and see if there is another way to go about dealing with matters happening outside of us.

You see, when we expect some-one or some-thing or some event outside of us to not be occurring, just the way it already is, we are giving away our ability to truly control the situation in the only way we're actually able to do so. And what is that way? We have a choice as to whether our perception of that behavior or situation changes from annoyance, to acceptance.

How does one do this? Easy. We decide to change how we react to the situation. We decide to reclaim our power and change the only thing that we truly have the power to change. Again, that would be our power to change our reaction to the event.

But, however simple this sounds, it isn't. You see, once again, we're all programmed to blame and hold to the proverbial feet of the situation to the fire that burns inside of us. That is what we've been shown throughout our life to be what works.

How many of us at one time or another, myself included, have yelled or shouted at that other person to 'stop that annoying behavior'?

"Stop it now!"

"Don't you see how annoying that is?"

"You're annoying me."

"You're so annoying."

"Stop annoying me."

"Dad/Mom, please make him/her/it stop!"

But, what happens when it doesn't stop?

We get mad.

We yell louder.

We rage.

We demand.

We threaten.

And worse. Sometimes we hit, and abuse in other physical ways.

We've all heard any version of most of the above statements. Or we've heard, most if not all, of these words coming from our own mouths at some time in the perhaps not too distant past.

Again, when we understand that we have the ability to not be annoyed by what is happening outside of us, then we can choose to have a different experience with that heretofore annoying situation.

So, how is this done?

Well, simply by staying aware of what is going on inside when the voices begin to pound on the inside of our skull. You know the ones. The voices that want one to yell out to have the event outside of one to stop.

We all know that yelling and threatening for the most part doesn't create effective change in the situation. Usually the other person will simply continue with their behavior. Why? Because they probably don't see it as annoying, but you do.

You see, there are other people who wouldn't be reacting to the event like you are. That is clear enough proof that the situation is not the problem: your reaction to the event is what is creating the problem for you.

So, you're not really asking the other person to stop behavior that everyone would necessarily agree is annoying, since it's a definition that for right now only exists inside of you. It's your definition of annoyance. So it's up to you to deal with the annoyance that you feel inside.

And, again, the way to do this is to become as aware as you can of what is happening inside of your head. The voices, the feelings, the energy. All of it.

And, what do you do with it? Pretty much nothing. Observe what goes on inside of you. Watch it. Notice what it wants you to do as the annoying event transpires outside of you.

And, do you know what will eventually happen? The action that that other person was doing most likely will stop in due time, and you'll be left with golden nuggets of insights into what inside you was causing you to react the way you do.

And, do this enough times and one day, yes, one day you will not find yourself reacting the way you do right now. You'll no longer see the action of that other person as annoying. They can go on doing what it is that they've done before, and it's a no-skin-off-my-nose situation to you. You no longer react the way you did.

The anger, the energy, the feelings that want to have you undertake a knee-jerk reaction are no longer present.

And what does this do inside of you? Well, for starters, it reduces your stress level. It brings you to a place of peace, over time. It allows you to see things inside of you that make you a more whole human being. It enables you to know that the world outside of you happens as it happens and there isn't anything you can do about it, and that's okay with you.

The rewards go on and on, but you get the picture.

You see, one day you'll find someone near you exhibiting a behavior that others find annoying, and heretofore you would've as well, but now you'll be in a space where you won't be pulled into a place of reaction to the event like those others.

And that will be a world of peace and understanding that annoyance is something that is a matter of reaction, or non-reaction in your case. And it's also a way that clouds the true beauty of the world around us, even in spite of those around us who 'won't listen' to us and 'stop that annoying behavior'.

So, I would suggest, that if this article pertains to you, that you might want to see just how clear and beautiful your world gets through diligent effort with what was shared here. And, to help you along, think how wonderful you'll feel once there is no one, no thing, no situation that annoys.

It truly will be a great experience, to experience. Trust me.

And, lastly, if this article annoyed you - you know where you might want to start working on changing what is happening inside of you. Start by seeing that annoyance is not good, it's bad for you.

Annoyed with this article? If so, watch it closely and learn.

Written by Andre Best
President, Ultimate Results, Inc.
http://www.andrebest.com
'Learn About Life From Another Perspective'

(Author's permission is granted to share this full article with others. Just leave the signature line intact, please.)

Posted by Andre Best at 8:44 PM | Comments (0)

January 20, 2008

Sticking to the Truth

Sometimes sticking with what we said we would stick with can get kind of sticky. Take anything that you had committed yourself to, or had given your word to someone that you would do it. And, so once said or stated, you were stuck with following through with your commitment. Or, at least you were in a commitment that someone else knew about and therefore knew whether you did it, or not.

Kind of hard to get out of if it’s something that you no longer want to do, or never wanted to do, or don’t want to do any longer, isn’t it? When someone else knows that you have a commitment to something you’re now held accountable, if at least figuratively. And so not following through with what it was that you said you would now puts you in a sticky situation that may take some finagling to get out of. Or some outright lying.

Isn’t it amazing sometimes to what length some people will go to in order to get out of doing something that they said they would do? You know what I mean, we’ve all been there. Something that they gave their word on or expressed that they would follow through with. But, alas, these days one’s word doesn’t mean very much anymore. Words are trite, diminished, and virtually meaningless.

And, so, when somebody does follow through with what they stated they would do, we find ourselves rather surprised, and maybe even pleased that we are in the company of a person who is keeping to their word.

A rare thing nowadays.

So, where am I going with all this? Well, just to state that when a commitment is made it’s oh-so-easy to say the words, but it’s a whole new thing to actually put those words to use and make them mean something.

Take our commitment to others, and how we value them in our relationships. We say we care for them. We say we love them. We say they mean a lot to us. We even tell those Others how significant and important they are in our life and how much we value who they are. And then we find that we are capable of being able to lie to them, mistreat them, and behave in ways that no one deserves or asks for.

How many times have you been told by someone that you are so important in their life and then a few scant months or years later you are trodden upon and taken advantage of at every turn?

How many times have you been told that you are loved by that other person, yet at the same time they are doing as much as they can to ensure that they are getting what they want, and all the while you’re not knowing what is happening ‘behind your back’?

This doesn’t just include spouses, and partners, it also includes friends and lovers. Why? Because people are people.

They say one thing, and then do another thing. Usually.

Now, I know that I may be coming across sounding jaded and soured by Life, but no, I’m not meaning to sound this way. If you search your memory and those relationships you’ve been involved with with others, you’ll too find that other people you’ve come across exhibited the behaviors I’m writing about here. And, if you truly can’t come up with any, then search for memories of events described wherein you were the instigator of such actions. Not pretty, is it?

You see, it’s not such a pretty thing to acknowledge that this is a basic fact of human nature. We commit to people, and situations and then when those situations turn sour or are no longer to our liking, we do what we can to find a way out of that now painful situation, even if it means lying to other people, or hiding actions, or blatantly making statements right to the face of that person whom we previously made the commitment which we can no longer keep for whatever reason.

Life does that to us at times. It turns, its twists, it ends up not the way we expect it to. And then we find ourselves in situations that now look different from what they began as. And yet we’re stuck in them and having to either continue in them, or find a way out. No matter what.

But, this is where the true nature of a person can shine through though. You see, we all find ourselves in situations that are not to our liking or are not turning out how we expected them to. So, either we have to change that situation, or we have to get out of it altogether.

We can do this brutally and destructively. Or we can do it with grace and regard.

We can lie and cheat, and fake our way out of it. Or we can be honest and truthful, and forthright, and ruthlessly loving if need be.

Think of the outcome of the former tactic just mentioned. Think of how the situation, the painful participation we’ve found ourselves a part of ends up through using that methodology. Lies. Deceit. Pretense. Pain. Damage. Maybe even violence.

Think of how using the latter tactic mentioned causes the situation to end up. Honesty. Truthfulness. Full knowing. Care. Concern. Regard. And, yes, sometimes pain.

But think if you’re the one having an exit thrust upon you by someone else.

Wouldn’t you rather have the person who is needing to remove themselves from your life or that situation you both know about be open and honest and upfront with you (and themselves)? After all, we’re all adults here.

So, wouldn’t you rather be the adult who gets treated like one?

And think of how you will feel if you’re the one having to exit that situation you had previously committed to or gave your word to. Wouldn’t you like to be seen as an adult who respects and treats others as the person they deserve to be treated as? That is, an honest and respected friend/lover/partner? Think how they’ll think of you, if even many years from now.

There will be a part of them that will know that they were treated with love and care and respect when that exit was thrust upon them by you. They will know that their feelings and concerns and thoughts were taken into consideration and they were treated as another human being, not a child who is unable to process the truth because they don’t have the mental faculties to do so yet.

I know that I can handle the truth and that that is how I want to be treated by those in my life, and around me. Be upfront with me. Be honest with me. No games. No lying. No cheating and finagling and squirming out of a situation like a snake.

We’re all adults here. Let’s treat each other like such and see how much better our lives will be.

I’ll bet that you’ll agree that were others to treat you in this manner that you would be much happier, and yet sad at the ending at the same time.

You see, we all need to make commitments that ultimately we can’t end up keeping. That’s a part of life, and growing up. And there are words that we say that no longer ring true for us and that we have spoken to others and they expect us to follow through with. But a simple fact of life is that these words change. Life comes at us and pulls the validity of the words and their application out of our hands at times.

And that is when Life comes up to us and says ‘deal with this’. Get out of this the best you can.

And like the proverbial rubber-meeting-the-road cliché, that is when we are able to see how strong and supportive our spine is.

Do we run from the situation in any way that we can? Or do we stand up straight and deal with it head-on, with grace, dignity, truth, and genuine full concern for the person we are subjecting to this matter.

Overall, I think as I write this article that the world itself would be a much better place to reside in, were we all capable of remembering the gist of this soapbox statement I’m making, and then put it to active use as we go about roaming through our days with those we have told ourselves we care about, and perhaps even love.

Nice thought, eh?

Written by Andre Best
President, Ultimate Results, Inc.
http://www.andrebest.com
'Learn About Life From Another Perspective'

(Author's permission is granted to share this full article with others. Just leave the signature line intact, please.)

Posted by Andre Best at 11:05 AM | Comments (0)

December 8, 2007

Responsibly Responding to Responsibility

Okay, let me preface this article by stating that I'm going to be writing about something that is dear to my heart, but at the same time will probably alienate a lot of my readers and perhaps cause them to want to take andrebest.com off of their favorites or bookmarks tab. That's okay if that is what happens.

You see, if what I write about offends you or irks you or riles you in any way, the only reason that that happens is not because of what I wrote and attempted to impart via this article and these words. No, rather it is because what I wrote, and subsequently what you read activated and energized inside of you something that resonated with what I wrote about.

And that resonation, that similarity, that mirroring was disturbing to you and you didn't like feeling that feeling inside.

And, voilà, you take me off of your 'favorites' list or 'bookmark' tab.

Think about that.

How have we all lived our lives to-date? We blame the other for how we feel, right? We hold their feet to the proverbial fire when WE are feeling something that is unpleasant or something that is considered as dark or negative energy inside of US. We say to ourselves, if only silently:

"They did that."

"They didn't do that."

"They make me feel that way."

"They did that to me."

"They made me do it."

Said differently, we don't take responsibility for what we feel inside and what we subsequently do with those internal feelings.

And that's where and when things begin to go awry within each of us who are still under this emotional blaming type of conditioning that we were raised with and had inculcated into us from birth.

You see, when someone does something that irks you or 'gets you angry', it's not what they do or did that caused this inside of you. It's not their fault, in other words.

Even if they did: cut you off in traffic on the local roadway; or cut in front of you in line at the local superstore; or not know what you wanted; or not know what you were feeling or expecting from them; or intentionally do that action to hurt you; or even accidentally forgot to pay attention to what they were saying when they mispoke those words to you.

There are thousands of examples each of us go through each day, outside of us, that fit in this category of externality. But, no matter what the specific external event involved, it all boils down to one main point vital to understanding this whole matter.

That is...

YOU are feeling what you're feeling.

YOU are going through the negative feelings that you're going through.

YOU have this morass of blackness being stirred up inside of you.

It's all in YOU.

It's NOT outside in them. Or that situation. Or that external cause.

It's in YOU.

You're the one who's vibrating with the energies that you are attempting to place outside of you, but can't get to stick with the other.

You are the one who is having all of this occur inside of you and yet you are doing your best to place the reason, the blame, for these energies and feelings that are occurring inside of you, on something or someone outside of you.

Well, this is where I get tough when I bluntly say...

"Grow up. Take responsibility for what YOU are feeling."

YOU are feeling what you are feeling.

You are feeling what you are feeling inside simply because there is a nature inside of you that has previously felt that feeling, those energies before (and they aren't comfortable energies either) and you are once again being triggered into feeling those feelings in the now.

So, what is the result of this internal event going on inside of each of us (yes, the writer too)? The result is that we do whatever we can to play a game of emotional 'tag' with someone outside of us.

"Tag, you're it. YOU'RE responsible for my feelings now. YOU'RE the one to blame for how I feel."

"I tagged you. So, you're the one who is responsible now. You caused this, so you have to do something to figure it out and make my dark feelings go away so the game can continue to be played."

"But, you can't 'tag' me back. Because, remember, the cardinal rule of the game. It's not my fault. It's now YOURS because you're IT."

I ask you: What would the world be like, what would each of our worlds, namely, the internal ones be like were each of us individually, solely, and unilaterally, to take responsibility for what we are feeling inside?

What would our days be like were we to accept complete and unconditional and total responsibility for what we are feeling inside as the crazy world revolves around our constrained emotional hearts and overly sensitive feelings?

What would each of us be like tomorrow and every day thereafter and in-between, were each of us to take full and total ownership of what we were experiencing inside?

The world happens.

Things happen.

And, yet, what if we were to take responsibility for our reaction to what happens?

Think about that.

What would happen were we to take 100 percent responsibility and total ownership for our reactions to what happens to us in Life?

Well, for starters, we would not place blame on someone, something, some entity outside of us. Rather, we'd know it's our reaction to the action that is at hand. It's our reaction to what is happening outside of us that is the rub.

It's OUR response to that event. It's OUR reaction to what we are telling ourselves about that occurrence, or that injustice, or that happening that is unfair.

It's totally OUR job to take ownership and full claiming of what we are feeling inside. Not them. Not they. Not those others. Not that. Not this.

Me.

You.

Us.

Individually.

Internally.

Fully.

Completely.

Unconditionally.

Think about that. What would your day be like were you to have to own what happens inside of you? What kind of work would you have to do if you were no longer allowed to point the finger at anything outside of you as an excuse or explanation for what is happening inside of you?

Wouldn't that be an uncomfortable situation to be in, eh?

Think of what you'd be forced to do with that energy build up inside.

Either you'd implode, or you'd be forced to deal with it in some way that would allow you to constructively and positively express the inner stirrings you are owning.

You would take responsibility for what you feel. You'd feel. Period.

You'd own what your reaction is.

You'd be able to see your part in what your reaction is in response to what the action that occurred outside of you was.

Your world would become brighter. You know why?

Because you'd finally know, one day, that because you are responsible for your reactions to Life, and no one else, that you actually have the power to create the world you have always wanted.

A world free of inner conflict, and strife, and blaming, and threatening, and hurting.

You'd be creating a world inside of you that is able to respond to the many, many events of Life that are right now perceived and unpalatable, unacceptable, and unwanted, and you'd be able to go through them without the prior response and struggle that you've heretofore accepted as the only 'response' to Life.

You'd be in a brighter place. You'd be lighter in your living with Life. You'd be the person who can really, solely, individually, and powerfully make a difference in your small world surrounding you.

And, that would make you the kind of person who is able to read something like this article and understand that there is another world out there, inside of you.

Do yourself a favor. Read this article again.

And again. And, one more time.

You'll be encouraged not only by what you read, but by what you feel inside.

You see, I've written these words, but the truthful resonance of these words INSIDE OF YOU, belongs to Truth, which is wonderfully available to us all if we're willing to do the work to allow it to speak to us, individually and internally, when these reactions to Life come up.

That's where and when the work starts. But, oh, what a lifetime reward undertaking that work continues to provide.

So, are you willing to roll up your sleeves and get to work?

Written by Andre Best
President, Ultimate Results, Inc.
http://www.andrebest.com
'Learn About Life From Another Perspective'

(Author's permission is granted to share this full article with others. Just leave the signature line intact, please.)

Posted by Andre Best at 10:32 AM | Comments (1)

March 3, 2007

How to Complain - The Better Way

Let's take a poll. Raise your hand if you complain about anything. Okay, good.

I'll assume that everyone reading this article raised their hand, or at least should've raised their hand. Why? Because everyone complains.

But it's not so much the complaining that is of concern to detail in this article. It's the understanding of what the complaining is doing to the complainer inside while that person is complaining, either overtly, or covertly, or both.

Complaining is such an easy to fall into fall back position when Life is not coming at us the way we expect, or it is not in alignment with the specifications we've set for it.

Things mostly don't occur like we like them to or expect/demand them to. But what do we do when that happens? The usual...we complain. And mostly we let the nearby world, or sometimes the entire globe know it.

But there is another way to exist outside of complaining. However, one has to actually desire that way out. And, many, many people don't desire it, nor look for it.

Why? Well, partially because it's nice to complain. It gives one a sense of life and aliveness and accomplishment that perhaps the complaining will actually change the potential or actual outcome of a situation.

But what most complainers don't realize it that the real cost of the complaining is coming at the expense of the inner soul in the complainer.

I'll explain...

Recently, I found myself waiting in the waiting room of a hospital and I was within earshot of a woman who did nothing but complain while she was waiting for her medical event to occur. Oh, and complain she did. Nothing but complaints and comments about the medical establishment, the doctors, the helpers, the system of medical screening. It was amazing to overhear. All she could do was continue complaining about what was happening by resisting what was happening through unmet expectations of the actuality of the current event.

I could see that as long as she could complain she felt a sense of control of the situation that she truly had no control over. No one was making her wait there. No one was saying "I'm going to make this woman wait 45 minutes to see the doctor."

Established systems have delays. And it was nothing more complicated than that. But now she was a part of that system. A 'victim' of it. And this woman was going to make sure, at least to herself, and everyone within hearing distance, that she was not happy with the system and how presumably messed up it was.

It was quite incredible that this woman didn't even notice how her mind was taking her for a trip down Impatience Avenue. Again. But, she appeared to be so caught up in the belief that complaining would somehow change the outcome of the event she was now a part of. But, to me, it only showed how her mind needed to be more aligned with the 'is-ness' of the moment and not attempting to glean a sense of life out of this event through the agitation she felt, and the subsequent complaining that came from her darkness inside, about the situation she was intrinsically now a vital part of.

But, how could she do this? How can anyone escape this dark downward spiralling path? She, and anyone else in similar situations, could accept what is.

This woman could've realized that she was in a Life situation that she could really not have much control over. The outside situation.

And she could've also seen that she had a more important inner Life situation that she had total control over and could dramatically impact the outcome of. Tangibly.

What would that inner Life situation be? Her acceptance of the present moment. Her understanding that her complaining did nothing but hurt her. No one else within earshot of her dark words about what was 'being done to her' really cared about what she had to say. She was the only one who did. And she was the one who was being hurt, hurting herself, actually.

Life offers us so many situations to learn so much about ourselves from it truly is amazing that we can be so blessed at times. But how many of us take up the challenge when Life throws in front of us a situation that simply taxes our patience and causes us to immediately determine how much of the situation we want to accept, or how much we want to complain about.

Complaining is so easy to do. It is something that we have been taught from a very early age as to what is acceptable from a societal standpoint. If one doesn't like a situation, one can complain about it. This offers no real concrete solution to the situation, but it sure offers emotional salve for the wound we were just given through the situation that comes cutting across our life path.

But does this really work? No.

So, what does work? Well, first, an understanding that complaining doesn't work.

And seeing one's past complaining efforts as being fruitless and innerly destructive helps as well. Why? Because this sheds Light on the situation inside one's mind. It breaks the dark connection to the rote past behaviors that never really worked. At least not without the cost of damaging one's soul through the effort of complaining.

Lastly, and once one understands how their will is being taken over through complaining they then have a chance to simply and consciously control their reaction to Life situations. And, yes, at times this will involve one shutting their mouth. Or keeping it shut altogether, and forever, regarding that distasteful situation or event.

Again, is this easy? No. Is it habitual to respond as always? Yes.

But think about the kind of room being built inside one's self when one decides to no longer fill it with dark complaints but instead shine the light of insight and understanding into the space created. That new behavior truly can lead to a life-changing turn of events, just the type that was desired from the beginning. But, in this new way, the house being built, room by room, is filled with openness and space and not filled with darkness from the past.

And think how nice it will be to live in that place from now on. Sweet.

Written by Andre Best
President, Ultimate Results, Inc.
http://www.andrebest.com
'Learn About Life From Another Perspective'

(Author's permission is granted to share this full article with others. Just leave the signature line intact, please.)

Posted by Andre Best at 6:00 AM | Comments (1)

February 3, 2007

It's A Wonderful Life

Life is a wonderful teacher to those who are willing to learn. It gives us what we need, when we need it, for the reasons that we really need it. Not what we think we want. Not what we think we need. Not what we prefer or desire.

But most people simply don't listen to the words that are silently being spoken to us. In our dreams. In our experiences. In our relations with others. In our communication with the world.

Not the obvious actions. Not what we can see, only. Not what we were told, or heard.

But just what is happening to us. What is being shown to us.

There are so many silent dynamics that are occurring in every one's life that even scientists are only just now beginning to delve into what is and has been working silently beneath the surface of Life for eons now.

But, of course, as the arrogant humans that we are, we think we know better. This author included.

To many, it comes down then to doing, wanting, having, and pursuing.

But those aspects of life are not the way to come into communion with Life itself.

The way into that place is to be open enough to allowing the possibilities to be seen by the watcher.

Seen by you, if you're so receptive to what is existing behind eyesight.

There are so, so many subtle dynamics occurring when even just two people relate to each other. We've all heard about them.

The silent body signals.

The chemistry, whatever that is, between the two people.

Their silent Souls.

Their thoughts and thinking processes.

So much going on, but yet there is something that is occurring at a level that is removed from all this.

Life.

It is working away bringing us mere humans the life experiences that we need to be able to live a full life. The Life we were intend to live on a daily basis.

And it is working ever so hard every single moment of our existence, tapping us on the head waiting patiently for us to hear what it is silently saying to us and efforcing us to 'see'.

Again, through dreams.

Through the subtler dynamics between the relationships we have with others.

Between the life experiences that are brought our way on a daily basis, every moment of the day.

Behind what happens, and what doesn't happen.

But, unfortunately, most are too busy in their head, their mind, their thoughts, their life, to hear and see, and observe, and pay attention to what is happening all around them. All the time.

Why is this of any concern?

Well, I've found that this silent relationship we have with existence is what is speaking to us and yet if we were to only listen to what it is working so hard to tell us, that our life would be very very different from what we have managed to create it to be.

And it would be different in ways that we can't fathom yet. Why? Because they are not part of our existence; otherwise, we would be living them.

Life shows each of us so many things every day.

Life speaks to us volumes every day.

Life wants us to wake up to ourselves, our-self, and see what it is offering us. The Right place to live our existence.

It wants us to see that there is another way to live Life. There is another level that exists beyond the world we live in.

There is a space in the silence that is so full of life, if only we are able to hear it, then we could enter. At any time we so wish.

And, oh how full our life would be. More than we can imagine.

Many spiritual teachers throughout the eons have worked so hard their entire awakened lives to help people understand that the life they are living is not the only life there is.

I believe what they say. I believe what they have experienced.

Is there a way out of human turmoil? I don't think so, except only to minimize it greatly through exposure and awareness.

But there is a way to live one's life such that the experiences that are brought to it, the people that are brought into one's life can be used, in a good way, to learn about the life one is meant to live.

Think about what happens to you during a day. Do you really think that what happens to you is everything that you have worked so hard to create? Think of all those so-called coincidences. Those dreams. Those pains. Those problems.

Do you actually feel responsible for all of that? Of course, we all want to blame the other.

But if each of us would only step back, and realize that everything that happens to us is there in our lives for a reason. The people. The events. The experiences.

And beneath all that are the lessons.

The insights.

The silence.

The silence is speaking volumes to you. Right now.

Do you want to listen to what it has to say?

Do you want to learn to understand what Life is bringing to you for the reason it is bringing it to you?

I know it's a tough thing to do. Many don't want to. This author included, at times.

But, this approach to life is so out of the ordinary that it truly brings one a wonderful Life.

Written by Andre Best
President, Ultimate Results, Inc.
http://www.andrebest.com
'Learn About Life From Another Perspective'

(Author's permission is granted to share this full article with others. Just leave the signature line intact, please.)

Posted by Andre Best at 7:30 AM | Comments (2)

January 5, 2007

A Blog Comment Is Worth A Thousand Words

Isn't it interesting how one situation can elicit as many different responses as there are people involved in that situation?

What comes to mind is recent occurrences of comments and submittals to my blog here at andrebest.com

The comments range from the one end of concurring with what I write and praise and admiration for my words and my sharing all the way to the other end of comments about my blog having a holier-than-thou style.

I find it most interesting that people who comment on my blog most likely are not aware that their comments are not so much about my blog, but, rather are a clear indication of themselves inside and how much darkness or Light their soul is showing at that point in time.

I'll explain.

When I have, say, a person stating that my blog is wonderful and offers such cogent writing on a variety of topics that really resonate with that particular person, the feeling and the agreement that they are writing to share with me is not something that I'm putting out there in my writings, but something that is being touched on inside them.

We all know the old saying 'like attracts like'.

Well, this is not only a statement about two people liking each other but can and does also apply here.

Let me offer hopefully a better and prettier analogy to what I'm trying to relay here.

Say you're driving in your car and you come around a bend in the road and 'lo and behold you're presented with a suddenly stark and incredibly beautiful scene of nature that literally takes your breath away with its intense beauty and splendor.

Perhaps it even brings you to tears like Jodie Foster's character in Contact was experiencing when she first saw those space constellations that were beyond words for description.

Now, most people would automatically think that the feeling inside the viewer, the sensations of beauty, were created by the scene; however, what is actually happening is the scene AROUSED the feelings inside the viewer.

Like attracts like.

The person in the car views the beautiful nature scene and feels a sense of awe and splendour inside and attributes that to what is viewed. But the awe and splendiferous feelings are actually inside the person and were only AWAKENED by the scene outside of them.

The beauty outside gave rise to the feelings of beauty inside the person.

Like attracts like.

This would apply to every other feeling in a person.

Sadness.

Anger.

Loneliness.

Jealousy.

Fear.

Hatred.

Rage.

Someone or some situation outside of you causes you to feel a feeling in you and you attribute that to the person or situation outside of you.

But the feeling is inside of you, was always inside of you, and yet was only 'awakened' by the event outside of you.

It's all an inside job.

So, getting back to the comments from the many people who read my blog.

Are they REALLY about what I wrote? Is there really any way that I could have somehow written articles here that are both splendiferous and cogent and at the same time holier-than-thou in attitude?

Based on what I wrote above, I say "no".

And I bring it back to 'like attracts like'.

Someone who thinks that my blog has a holier-than-thou attitude obviously is feeling that way inside themselves. My words somehow just awakened that darkness inside them.

They're the one feeling holier-than-thou. I just wrote an article or articles for my blog.

Someone else feeling grateful and peaceful inside after reading my blog and saying that they feel a connection to my words is simply reflecting the feelings that were awakened inside them after internalizing these words I e-shared via my blog article(s).

What's going on inside the person is not a result of what's going on outside the person, contrary to massively accepted public opinion. That is, rather, it's an inside job.

The person reading my blog having the holier-than-thou comments IS the person feeling holier-than-thou.

And my blog reader, many of them, with the peacefulness and sense of connectedness comments IS the person feeling this way inside. They're feeling what they're feeling because they already had the feelings inside of them.

I didn't make anyone feel this way. People reading my blog and articles make their own choice to feel inside as they do after reading.

Now, what does this have to do with anything?

Well, perhaps one can use it to help them throughout their days and interrelating with others as an indicator, a window, into the 'soul' of the other person. More specifically, where these other people are 'at' inside.

Do you really want to be in relation with someone who offers nothing but angry words and comments about things they read (and see, and experience for that matter)? Or would you rather be in relation with someone who has an opinion revolving around common sharing and positive integration and usefulness to them as a person after reading/seeing/experiencing things. Even writings that 'appear' to be controversial.

Reading a writing DOESN'T have to illicit angry comments in a person. That person is making that choice inside. And people like that I personally don't want to be around. Ever. There is enough darkness in the world, and I do what I can to minimize it in mine.

I know who I would rather hang around with and have in my life. And I hope that an insight like this, as simplistic as it appears at first glance, is useful to you, my committed readers, during your daily relations with other humans and situations on this plane.

After all, it's all for fun, isn't it? Really.

Written by Andre Best
President, Ultimate Results, Inc.
http://www.andrebest.com
'Learn About Life From Another Perspective'

(Author's permission is granted to share this full article with others. Just leave the signature line intact, please.)

Posted by Andre Best at 9:08 PM | Comments (0)

November 3, 2006

From Writhing To Writing

Writing can be such an immense pleasure. Or a terrible pain. Why? Because it forces the writer to confront the words and thoughts that are in the mind. And sometimes, even though the mind is perpetually spinning, the words just don't seem to want to come out.

Even though I like to write, I find at times that the ability to write can seem especially difficult to undertake.

I know this is all a false illusion that I'm creating on my own part. But, nonetheless, it's still there. And I'm finding my self suffering from mental paralysis even at the best of times.

Writing something, say webpages for an Internet site, is something that one has to truly enjoy doing. This is not something to undertake on a whim. Especially writing ongoing pieces and articles for a blog.

If you're going to do writing on the Internet then you had better be darn sure from the get-go that you're ready to follow through with whatever you are writing about. And you had better be able to write for perhaps years to come.

It takes a special person to write. Why? Because writing is not something that many people enjoy because they struggle with it.

Writing causes one to have to coagulate their thoughts into sentences and then combine those sentences into coherent paragraphs. And then those paragraphs have to be sewn together into a unified written piece of verbal art. Not easy at times.

But there is one bit of sage advice that has worked wonders for me at times that still works true now. Even as I write this article.

Begin.

That's it.

Just begin.

Or as Nike put it so eloquently and succinctly those many years ago... Just Do It.

The mind is such a pleasurable tool when put to proper use. And our minds are such immense hindrances when allowed to run rampant out of habit.

This mind wants all of us to believe that we aren't good writers. The mind wants one to stay stuck in the belief that 'I have nothing to say'.

The mind wants one to believe that 'I don't know where to start'.

Well, to heck with all that.

Begin.

Just begin.

Sit down, and start writing.

Don't worry about the mistakes. Don't worry about getting it 'perfect'.

Don't worry about having to know exactly what you're going to write about from the very start. None of that is necessary.

That's the trick that the mind is playing on you. And you're buying into it when you believe all those words to be true.

Stop all that.

And just begin writing.

It really isn't all that hard to write, even if you don't know how to spell. Computers correct words for you as you type.

And if you write like I do, literally with my eyes closed, then you don't have to worry about mistakes. Just write and go back and correct what you wrote. That way you can get into the flow more easily and smoothly.

Begin.

Write.

Get those wondrous words out of your head and onto paper. We all have something to share. I know you do too. Just write.

Don't keep those wonderful words floating around in your head only for your edification. You will benefit from releasing them out of your brain. And anyone who reads your words just might benefit from your insights and life experiences shared through your writing.

And, hey...

Maybe you'll realize that you truly can write after all.

Sweet.

Written by Andre Best
President, Ultimate Results, Inc.
http://www.andrebest.com
'Learn About Life From Another Perspective'

(Author's permission is granted to share this full article with others. Just leave the signature line intact, please.)

Posted by Andre Best at 5:55 AM | Comments (0)

October 11, 2006

So Who Is Andre Best Anyway?

It occurred to me that to the many thousands of visitors to my site every month the odd few may be wondering 'who is this Andre Best dude?' Good question.

I'll attempt to answer that question. So if you're one of those who are asking now's your chance to learn more about this blogger.

Cutting straight to the chase, I'm a middle-aged single dad who has an intense and committed relationship with my young sons and my development to become the best father to them that I am able to make happen. I am also a man who is seriously committed to developing my inner self to the best of my abilities and capabilities.

Both of these important aspects of my life have been integral parts of it for up to the last twenty years now. And I see myself going to the grave still working on improving my 'human being-ness' and still being the best father I can be to my sons, no matter how old they may be at that time.

Fatherhood was a decision I made to be a part of my life starting about 14 years ago and it is not the kind of decision that can be 'taken back' or 'returned'. It's lifelong and forever. And that's okay with me because I don't have any regrets about my decision.

My pursuit of developing my inner self is something that I began in the late 1980's and I haven't stopped yet. I've learned that a person is meant to grow up in life, not just grow old. And even though there are many things in my life that I've changed over the years, including many behaviors, this Path is never ending and really should never be stopped.

We're not meant to just go through life mentally and spiritually static. We're meant to grow and add more to the world. Even if our world is a small one, we do have an influence on it and to make that influence the best it can be at all times has ramifications that we can't even fathom how far-reaching they extend.

Being a father to my sons very clearly showed me how valuable and correct it was that I chose to pursue my inner development path. Why? Because it has, and continues to, allow me to be a better mentor, guide, and role-model to these young minds. We all remember the important people in our childhood who had a memorable influence on us. Why? Because of who they were in our mind and our life.

I've always been and I will always be committed to being and continuing to become the best 'Dad' that I am able to physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually develop into. Again, why? Because my boys deserve the best from their father. And I'm making sure they get it.

As for my web efforts with this blog...

You'll notice if you read a few entries on my blog that it's not the typical set up of a blog. I wanted it to be something that was truly useful for those who arrive here and perhaps found my site by some keyword search or article of mine that was e-posted somewhere. People are seeking information when they're on the web. They want to know. They want to learn. They want to find out.

And I've set up my blog to help them, you, out in that fashion. My articles are written to offer useful information that enhances the web and adds to the information base of the Internet. Everyone benefits that way.

When someone finds an article on my site I want it to be useful to them. I want them to find the information relevant to what they were seeking and perhaps say to themselves 'hmmm, that was good - I think I'll bookmark this site.'

When that happens I've succeeded in my efforts to help others.

That is also why I call my blog 'insights - learn about life from another perspective'. We all have unique lives and experiences that we gather and collect as we go through our individual paths on this plane. I figure that since I like to write I can share my unique insights about Life with others for them to hopefully glean something useful from during their days.

It's not that I have holy or wise insights. By no means. But what I have is a perspective that is truly unique. How? Easy...it's mine.

And for those who like the style of my writing and how I work to impart my take on Life via my writing, they are who this blog is for.

~~~~

So, I'm a father to my young sons, a purposefully developing human being, and an avid blogger on the Internet.

There is so much more that I could tell you about 'me' but I really don't like being narcissistic. So, this is enough for now.

But if you want to learn more about me, without hearing about the dry and sometimes scary details simply read the articles I've written to-date and perhaps subscribe to my RSS feed or bookmark my blog so you can continue to read my insights along this path through Life that we are both sharing.

In that way you'll continue to learn about this 'Andre Best' dude, without all the touchy-feely details and intimate sharing sessions.

I promise.

Written by Andre Best
President, Ultimate Results, Inc.
http://www.andrebest.com
'Learn About Life From Another Perspective'

(Author's permission is granted to share this full article with others. Just leave the signature line intact, please.)

Posted by Andre Best at 6:00 AM | Comments (1)

September 30, 2006

Yes Virginia There Is a Santa Claus, Butt...

Ever have one of those defining childhood moments that refuse to leave your memory no matter how long ago the event may have transpired? I have one of these in relation to my meeting Santa Claus one cold Canadian Christmas Eve night when I was seven years old. I was forever changed after that night. In more ways than one.

I'll explain...

Back in the days when it was still politically correct to celebrate the Holiday Season as the Christmas Holidays we would all have a pretty grand time waiting for Santa Claus to arrive at our house every cold Christmas Eve. We lived in a rented house in west Edmonton in Central Alberta and the winters there were bone-chilling cold. However, all of us children in that household didn't mind that fact as the eventful night of Santa's arrival approached.

The Christmas's in our house were celebrated in a rather spartan fashion. We would each find one present tagged with our name under the real Christmas tree come Christmas Day morning. And we would also find the hand sewn stockings that Mama made and monikered with our name stuffed to overflowing with a vast assortment of teeth-rotting seasonal Christmas candy and juicy Christmas Mandarin oranges.

But we didn't care about this simplicity because it was a very special day nonetheless and the sugary sweetness of the candy and oranges was more than enough to satisfy our limited palates during those young years of childhood.

In our household resided four children: me, and my equally spaced siblings aged just one year apart from each other starting with my one-year-older brother Richard.

Because of this lineup of young feet and mouths to feed in the household, the place we were renting was not especially expansive nor decorative. It had creaky hardwood floors, a cold scary basement, and three bedrooms for six people. But we didn't mind sharing the limited bedrooms with one of our siblings as we really weren't raised to expect anything different.

~~~~

Now, let me explain the layout of the bedroom I shared with my brother Richard. It was a very small bedroom and we each slept in our separate twin bunk beds that were not at that time stacked on top of each other. However, because of the small size of the room we did have to situate the beds so that we could still have room to walk between them to get about the room.

My head of my bed was situated along the same wall that held the bedroom door. Richard's bed was situated with the head of his bed along the wall opposite the wall that held the bedroom door. What this equated to was the foot of each of our beds almost were in alignment in the center of the room; however, they were staggered in alignment so that there was enough space to allow for someone to still walk between them.

Now, this house didn't have a fireplace nor a chimney so we had to get inventive as to where we hung Mama's custom made Christmas stockings so that Santa Claus could fill them with goodies. What Richard and I did that particularly fateful December 24th was to hang our stockings on one of the bedposts situated at the foot of each of our beds.

~~~~

Needless to say the arrival of Santa Claus was an extremely pleasurable event to our young minds. And so we spent the better part of Christmas Eve waiting with baited breath for this mystical man who brought all this pleasure to our sometimes troubled household. Even though it was only one night a year it was always something that I found myself looking forward to with immense anticipation.

But this particular Christmas Eve was a watershed moment for my young mind and I was forever changed by the transpiration of events that cold winter's evening. It was already dark for many hours that night as the sun had set sometime in the late afternoon. The house was thick with childhood excitement as this was the evening prior to the 'big day'.

As usual we were told that Santa Claus would not come to our house unless all of us kids were in bed and fast asleep. Well, we did what most kids would do, we complied and promptly went to bed rather early.

However, because it was early in the evening I found that I couldn't sleep. I went to bed and I laid there in an anxious state thinking that I could actually stay up until the Big Man arrived. Because of this expectation, every cell in my body was attuned to an incredibly wakeful state just waiting for the littlest out-of-place sound in the household possibly signaling the arrival of Santa.

I remember that shortly after we kids went to our bedrooms and supposedly went to sleep in our beds, I could hear my parents follow suit. After all, Santa Claus certainly wouldn't come into a household where the parents were awake, would he?

So I was glad that Mama and Daddy were in bed too as this made the house deathly silent with the exception of the gas furnace turning off and on throughout the evening.

Anyway, after what seemed like an eternity to my young mind I still wasn't able to get to sleep. I just lay there face down on the bed trying my hardest to be a good little boy and fall off to meet the sandman yet stay awake for the big moment of Santa's arrival.

However, after what seemed like an eternity of lying on the bed I heard this series of sounds emanating from somewhere down the hallway. It sounded like the noise was coming from my parents bedroom but I couldn't be sure so I just listened with full attentiveness. I heard rustling sounds and a little bit of muffled talking as I lay there in my warm bed.

Then it came...

The sound of footsteps on the creaky wooden floor boards of the house.

I heard these unidentifiable sounds first occurring in my older siblings bedroom down the hall and around the corner. And then I heard footsteps coming closer to my and Richard's room. I thought to myself "this is it, Santa Claus is here and he's going to bring my present and fill my stocking with goodies". As I knew that he was coming to my bedroom next, I lay there and pretended to be asleep but all the while I lay facing in the direction of the doorway.

I was so excited, and somewhat scared about this big moment; however, I found myself just having to look and see what the Big Man looked like in person. After he had finished shaking my bed a bit when he filled my Christmas stocking I opened my eyes to take a look at him as he filled my brother Richard's stocking hanging on his bedpost at the foot of his bed.

However, the sight I saw was not what I expected to see in that dimmed moonlight room that late Christmas Eve night. I was supposed to see a roly-poly man with long white hair and wearing a bright red suit and shiny black boots filling my brother's stocking with Christmas delights. But as I slowly peeked open my eyes what I came face to, er, face with was my Daddy's very naked back end.

Yes, his butt. Bone white naked. The permanent vertical smile. His tushie. In its full glory. Naked.

Why? Well, because for some reason my Dad always slept in the buff no matter how cold the night was. (And he continued to do so until I left my parents household when I was 18 years old.)

But that unexpected sight at the foot of my brothers bed was it for me. My seven-year-old Christmas bubble had burst...

To my small mind and opened, innocent eyes all I saw when I looked down at my brother's bed was a big, white, naked bum that appeared to be radiantly glowing in the moonlight. And after Daddy finished his task with the stocking and he heavily tiptoed out of the room I lay there in light shock.

The Truth shone brightly that night and the Santa Claus lie had come to light in that bedroom that cold winters night. In more ways than one.

Dad was Santa Claus. And I had visual proof. Of course, this was not the type of believable proof to share with my school friends, but proof nonetheless.

Yes, Christmas was never the same for me after that. I knew who the Big Man was.

But after that event I came to appreciate the effort my parents went to to have me be able to take a memory like this into my adulthood. A memory, albeit an unexpectedly funny one, that I will take into my later years and perhaps share with my sons when they too realize just who the Big Man in the red suit is in their lives every Christmas season now.

But for now, I'll continue the tradition of keeping the mystery of Santa Claus alive in my boys' minds as long as I can. But... without the nudity.

Written by Andre Best
President, Ultimate Results, Inc.
http://www.andrebest.com
'Learn About Life From Another Perspective'

(Author's permission is granted to share this full article with others. Just leave the signature line intact, please.)

PS. HAPPY 76TH BIRTHDAY DAD! I hope you have enjoyed this special birthday gift as much as I enjoyed writing it. I love you. :-)

Posted by Andre Best at 7:00 AM | Comments (0)

September 23, 2006

The Truth Shall Set You Free

Ever notice how some people in this world are so adapt at lying that it's literally scary to witness when they're doing so? I had the recent displeasure of seeing someone lie like crazy in front of me to hopefully have an event turn out in a way that would coincide with what was desired by that person.

It was pretty scary to witness. Not in a frightening sense, but rather in a beyond belief sense that a human being could have this much darkness and evil in them to stoop to such a low life level.

Of course everyone tells a little white lie at some time in their life. Sometimes it's to protect someone or to make sure that something that was alluded to too soon is not revealed. But these are not the types of lies that are stemming from a person who literally doesn't have enough of a conscience to stick to the truth of the matter at hand.

Think about why a person would outright lie. Well, if you're like me, that's not an easy thing to do. As lying to no end does not come easy to the average person so even imagining this type of action is beyond belief and rather hard to try to wrap one's mind around.

Why would a person go to such an extent to lie? Well, at first glance it would appear to protect themselves from some sort of perceived harm coming their way.

But when detailed this is seen as the weak explanation that it is. A person who outright lies is a person who lives in fear. Whatever that fear might be doesn't matter. All that is evidenced is that the fear manifests itself in lying to protect the person from the perceived harm.

And when this type of lying becomes chronic to the extent that the person actually believes the lies they espouse then the state of the mind in that person borders on pathological.

We've all heard of them. Pathological liars. Not a pretty description. But it describes spiritually ugly people who actually choose to make this condition an active part of their makeup when dealing with the everyday world. And that's just sick.

Think about how your life would be such that you felt compelled to protect yourself in the only way that you could conceive and that was to attempt to manipulate people and events by lying and changing the actual description of events that transpired beforehand. That must be a pretty bad world to be living in, but again, don't feel sorry for a person like this.

And don't become a person like these sick liars. The world has enough lying going on where the truth is muddied over so much that it becomes undecipherable at times.

But if you're the type of person who finds it inconceivable and deplorable to actually live a darkened life of one big lie then you are a person who will eventually win out against these types of pathological liars that might perchance cross your life's path as you move forward on it.

Don't let people who blatantly lie to hide the actual truth bother you.

Don't feel sorry for them.

Don't wonder how they can be the way they are.

Don't try to figure out why they did what they did.

None of that matters.

Even if the outcome is not what you desired due to their lies and blatant un-truths.

There's a saying in the Bible that states 'the truth shall set you free'. Now, I have never been a reader of the Bible; however, after recent life events and witnessing what could only be described as pathological lying from a very emotionally and spiritually damaged person it has become ever so clearer to me that as long as one continues to take 'the high road' in life and not let people who (choose to) dwell in darkness darken one's road then Life will turn out fine for that person who chooses the Higher Path.

I believe that everything happens for a reason. Life comes at us not the way we want it to but just the way it does. And it comes at us the way it does for a reason. As I've learned over my recent years experience rides in on the back of every event. And the more I'm shown that my path of telling the simple truth is the way to go for me, I am also given the understanding that as long as one tells the truth during every experience one will never be caught in a lie.

Sounds simple, yet it is profound.

Take the high road when Life throws darkness at you. Why? Because the Light on this road will keep you on course. Unwaveringly. And assuredly.

After all, the Truth just IS. But lies have to be built, usually one sick lie upon the other.

Now, if we could only get those sick liars who choose lying over truth to even consider their actions in the world, the world would be a much better place for all of us. Especially those of us who abide by the Truth no matter what.

Written by Andre Best
President, Ultimate Results, Inc.
http://www.andrebest.com
'Learn About Life From Another Perspective'

(Author's permission is granted to share this full article with others. Just leave the signature line intact, please.)

Posted by Andre Best at 7:52 AM | Comments (3)

April 12, 2006

Internet Advertising and Website Design: a Refresher

I'm writing this article to get a minor Internet advertising / website design issue/beef off my chest. It's more of a soapbox rant then anything else but it's worthy to read if you own a website, or do any sort of Internet advertising for yourself, or website design for your business.

I read Google News everyday since I don't read any newspapers, watch television, or listen to regular radio stations. So what I see on a webpage is my exposure to 'current news', so to speak.

Regardless, what has really annoyed me in past years, not so much now since it has significantly changed for the better, is the whole so-called 'need' to have advertising on a page that actually mimics movement or animation.

I'm finding out that I'm getting more and more rigid in my opinion in the necessity of this type of advertising, especially since my computer screen is the only way that I get my daily ingestion of events occurring in the world around me.

I've clicked on certain prominent website links from Google News and there flashing in my face are advertisements that use, for example, a static picture of people jumping and that causes the ad to 'move' so that the people appear to actually be moving up and down across the screen.

This is just one example. I'm sure you can empathize with what I'm relaying here through your own experiences and visits to numerous website over the years.

But, nevertheless, I find this type of ad extremely annoying.

So much so that I am literally unable to focus on the text that is mere pixels away from this cyber-mess of a promotion. It is a real shame that any website would allow this type of advertising on their webpage, or at least those that approve these kinds of ads for their readers.

Nowadays, all I know is that I have zero tolerance for this type of advertising. It really is unnecessary on today's Internet. After all, if I want to view this type of movement on my computer screen I'll either slip a DVD into my laptop's E: slot. Or I'll go watch 'real' movement on the old glass-tubed 'telly.

As a gentle tip, if you're a web designer, or you own a website or websites, or you allow others to pay you for advertising on your site, or you're a consultant involved in advertising in any manner, heed these words.

Please.

There's a reason that most cities don't allow advertisements that are placed next to the road to contain moving images. People need to watch the road, not the roadside advertisements.

And just like roadside limitations, there should be a reason most websites and webmasters don't allow movement on their websites. That is, certain people don't surf the Net to watch dancing hamburgers, flashing text, and jiggling images of... (whatever).

Summarily, my plead is that if you absolutely MUST have movement on your website, at least hold off until the books, posters, and books found in the Harry Potter movies become commonplace in our world.

Then Muggles like me will, literally, have nowhere to turn for visual stillness.

...And no more reason to rant and complain.

Yeah, rrrrright.

Written by Andre Best
President, Ultimate Results, Inc.
http://www.andrebest.com
'Learn About Life From Another Perspective'

(Author's permission is granted to share this full article with others. Just leave the signature line intact, please.)

Posted by Andre Best at 2:15 PM | Comments (1)

March 21, 2006

The Simple Wonder of It All

Have you ever thought about what it must be like to be a little child? I know we, obviously, were all little children at one point in time - for most of us that was probably many moons ago. For me, too many moons to count without removing my shoes and socks and using them for extra digits.

But, regardless, I've been thinking over the last several days about how admittedly most adults are attracted in some unforeseen way to small children. And this 'pull' is especially so when viewing infants and small babies.

One would be hard-pressed to not be positively affected after seeing a small cooing newborn being cradled in her mother's arms or propped up on Dad's shoulder all wrapped up in a blanket.

Oh, to be a child again. The innocence of youth.

Have you ever wondered about how children do have it so easy, as compared to us grown-ups?

Think about it.

It occurred to me several days ago that children don't have the mental preoccupations that we adults do. Of course, obviousness aside, I'm not talking about bills, jobs, and children - but rather the simpler things in life that we toll over endlessly like sex, time, love and so-called onerous life 'responsibilities'. With these aspects of our adult lives we're in a circuitous race to either figure them out (i.e. love) or 'get more' of it (i.e. sex, time).

Let's detail this so that it makes a little bit more sense for you, my dear reader, as to where exactly I'm coming from with this funky life perspective.

You see, we spend the vast majority of our days, whether we know it or not, thinking, planning, and/or figuring out how to get life to go the way we expect, and usually demand, it to go. And when it doesn't go the way we want it to go, we become irritated, angry, or rageful. Essentially, our expectations haven't been fulfilled and our life doesn't contain the activities, events or things that we figure it should.

It's all pretty complicated isn't it? But yet it's also completely unnecessary.

If you detail what people do to get their lives to turn out the way they expect you would find that most of an adult's day is spent in pursuit of these so-called goals and expectations. That is, these 'needs' that one 'just has to have'.

Whether that be sex, more time, more money, love, or any similar such aspects of the grown-up human being's lifestyle.

Now this all sounds pretty complicated doesn't it? Well, that's because it is. But life doesn't have to be that way.

Life can be much simpler for all of us if we so choose it that way. Now, I'm not talking about some New Age teaching that states that all one needs to do is spout a rote saying eighty-seven times every day and all their life's wishes will be granted.

Rather, I'm bringing up this topic to show you, my dear readers, that our lives REALLY don't need to be this difficult and complicated and 'full'.

Think of children.

Think of their lives.

Think how they live their lives.

Think how they go through their days.

They're in the moment.

They're now.

They're present to what is, whatever that may be for them.

They're pure.

They're innocent.

Their spirits haven't been bastardized and destroyed by the wants of adults and society at large (that occurs at a later date as the child matures.)

You won't hear a four-year-old hitting herself on the side of the head and reprimanding herself for 'losing that money-making opportunity two years ago'. She's more concerned with her big brother playing with her toys.

You will be hard-pressed to find a ten-month-old infant worrying about 'tomorrow's meeting with the boss'. She's only concerned about how her basic bodily needs are going to get met as she gets hungry and wets her diaper.

Ever seen a toddler wonder how he can possibly 'get everything done by the end of the day'? He just wants to play hopscotch with the neighbor's kid from across the street.

You see, it was all this simplistic and completely enjoyable for all of us at one time. We just don't remember it because we're all so busy and, sorry to say it... full of ourselves and our so-called 'importance'.

Think about this. How many ways do we adults configure our lives and daily activities to get sex or get someone of the opposite sex (or same sex) interested in us? Let's see...

- we cut our body to change our looks so we're more 'attractive'
- we exercise to look 'better'
- we buy new clothes so we 'appear' more appealing
- we eat foods we don't like so we can think we're 'healthy'
- we portray ourselves as 'together' so we're more interesting
- we put our physical body and life at risk at times seeking out a sexual experience

And how do we configure our days so we can do more to 'have more time'? Again...

- we sleep less
- we work more
- we spend less time with our families
- we work harder
- we neglect our health
- we do things faster and sometimes more unsafely, like driving
- we rush
- we multitask and create more stress for ourselves

Why? That's the question that makes this all confusing at times because it doesn't have to be this way. Our days don't have to be structured this way. At least for the vast, vast majority of us.

So what can you do with all of this?

Realize it.

See it.

Grasp it fully.

Allow yourself to remember it whenever you get the chance.

Make time for your self, make time for you.

Tell yourself that in 50 or 100 years we're all going to be dead so what does it matter anyhow who wins that argument or comes out on top during that 'important' meeting at work. Really. Think about it.

See this whenever you look at a child. See the wonder of life in their eyes. See how they don't have to 'work' at being simple, yet full of life. See how pure their every waking moment is.

To do that would be a good start. Then, after that, realize that you too can be that way. You were once. You can be again.

It will just take time and effort with you clearing space during your days to make time for your-self.

You really can be child-like again. And this is the formula to do so. Work at it and one day you will have a brief moment that is unclear of everything 'adult'. And, oh, how sweet that moment will be.

Written by Andre Best
President, Ultimate Results, Inc.
http://www.andrebest.com
'Learn About Life From Another Perspective'

(Author's permission is granted to share this full article with others. Just leave the signature line intact, please.)

Posted by Andre Best at 9:47 PM | Comments (0)

March 8, 2006

When the Mind Seeks Stillness

You know, right now I find myself in a rather odd state wondering how the mind works and exactly how it goes about maturing and changing over time as one ages.

In my case, recently, I've noticed that I've begun to actually seek out classical music. Not opera, or new age classical, but actual classical music from the composers of centuries ago - Mozart, Bach, Handel, Vivaldi.

Now, this may not seem like such a ground breaking subject worthy of mentioning, but you have to understand something first about the author writing about this new epiphanous moment in his life here on this physical plane.

Let me do a dual-purpose digression and explanation to ensure that you have a reasonably decent grasp of what it is I'm trying to portray here...

~~~~

I vividly remember the weekends I spent in my parents house growing up from a child during the 1960's all the way to my moving out to go to university in 1981. I can summarize them in one way with regards to music: essentially, not to my liking whatsoever.

What happened every weekend, and I mean EVERY weekend, in that household was that I was exposed to two types of music that I had absolutely no interest whatsoever in paying any attention to. But since I wasn't audibly challenged (with the exception of when my parents were talking/yelling at me to get me to do something) I had no choice but to listen to the music that was routinely and regularly piped throughout the house on my Dad's large stereo system.

That is, on Saturday's my Mother had her way with the records and record albums. And every single one of them was country and western music. Why? Because that was what my Mother listened to as she grew up on the reservation and throughout her younger adult years.

Now, I'm not talking the achy-breaky country western fluff that is played on most radio and satellite stations nowadays and trying to pass itself off as 'Country Music Favorites'. No. Uh-uh.

What I was subjected to over the thousand Saturdays in that household were old-time country and western tunes put out by the (mostly dead) artists of the early- to mid-twentieth century. Hank Williams Sr., Johnny Cash, Johnny Horton, Charlie Pride, Hank Snow - to name a few that came to mind.

Every Saturday. For years. Over and over. And I was only a KID.

I think you get the point.

Now, let's move on to the Sunday routine...

~~~~

That was Dad's day. And my Dad was born and raised in Germany, the country with a history dating back to the classical (music) era. So it's no wonder that classical music is all that he listened to virtually from birth. I assume in Germany during the mid-twentieth century there weren't a whole lot of other choices for music deep in the heart of Europe. So classical music was what flowed in my Dad's blood. And it showed.

Every Sunday. Classical music. Again, the great classical composers were blasted through the small house we lived in throughout my childhood. Every Sunday. To no end. Non-stop. Again, I think you get the point. And my take on it too. Non-stop...classical.

So, did I learn to love country and western music? No.

Did I learn to love classical music and seek it out wherever I went when I was old enough to do so? Not by a long shot.

Instead, I rebelled. In my own way. How?

By the time I was a teenager I sought out 'hard rock' and 'heavy metal' music. Genuine 'headbanger' music, as it sometimes is called - even today. And I avoided even thinking about liking any other type of music, especially country/western and classical.

And you know what? I actually enjoyed that music. I wore the AC/DC t-shirts. I went to the Van Halen concert when they were in town. I listened to the Ted Nugent cassettes and adored ZZTop. It was all pretty cool. Or so I thought.

Then I went to university and I was exposed to a whole new genre of music. Pop. Light rock. Easy listening. Christian. Punk. Disco. This time really opened my eyes and I found myself rapidly drifting away from the likings of my teenage years to some of these new sounds.

And, again, as I matured more into my twenties and towards hitting thirty, I began to listen to New Age music, acoustic music, light jazz, and light rock. The shift of that time was interesting as I found myself in disbelief and asking myself 'what I ever saw' in hard rock.

But now that I'm, er, more 'mature' in years I'm undergoing another shift in auditory tastes.

Prior to now, I pretty much only listened to light jazz and very light rock with vocals. No intensity needed here. Just-keep-me-calm-and-don't-yell-at-me-or-I'll-turn-you-off kind of music.

That was my taste for almost the past ten years. But, as I said, things recently started to change.

Now, I find that I'm seeking out music that is both relatively calming and isn't 'speaking' to me with vocals as I don't really care right now to be forced to hear the lyrics and words that someone else wrote. (Why? Because I'm finding that I focus on the words and lyrics instead of the beauty of the sound. I guess that might explain why Enya is such an immensely globally popular artist. In my opinion, Enya is today's version of a classical composer.)

So, what is all this resulting in? Well, as I stated at the beginning of this article - I'm actually starting to seek out...classical music. Yes. Weird. I know.

After twenty years of kind of doing whatever I can to avoid it, I'm now seeking it out.

And it's as if I'm discovering it for the first time. I listen to the songs on the radio and on the cable television's classical music channel and I find that I know about one-quarter of the songs being played because I heard them played so many times by my Dad. They're like a distant sweet memory from my childhood coming back to tease me.

In a way, it's very amusing to me. I know that my Dad will get a kick out of this when he reads my words here and knows that this isn't just a 'phase' his youngest son is going through.

Instead, like a fine wine, it's a maturation that has been ever so slowly and quietly occurring over a few decades now. But it's only now that the wine has begun to offer a taste that is ever so appealing to this, ah, 'enophile'.

Life is funny sometimes how it goes, isn't it?

Written by Andre Best
President, Ultimate Results, Inc.
http://www.andrebest.com
'Learn About Life From Another Perspective'

(Author's permission is granted to share this full article with others. Just leave the signature line intact, please.)

Posted by Andre Best at 4:56 PM | Comments (1)

January 4, 2006

An Awful Waste of (Outer) Space

I remember reading this analogy of just how big the cosmos is and how we can't be so conceited to think that we're alone in all of it.

The example went something like this...

Imagine that the Sun is a grain of sand and that the Earth is an imperceptibly smaller grain of matter circling around that small grain of sand.

Got the picture? Good. Let's continue.

Now, scientists calculate that the Milky Way Galaxy, of which our solar system is an active part of, contains 100 billion solar systems. Each of these solar systems has its own sun and own planets and/or moons and/or spherical entities circling around it.

Now, scientists also calculate that space contains 100 billion galaxies that are like the Milky Way Galaxy.

So where does this leave us? Well, let's do the math.

100 billion solar systems multiplied by 100 billion galaxies amounts to a number so big that there is no name for it, according to the scientists coming up with these numbers.

Now, this is where things get really cool...

So, just what would this number that is so big that it doesn't have a name look like if we were to make it a real-life situation? Well, remember that analogy of the Sun being a grain of sand?

Well, how many grains of sand would 100 billion multiplied by 100 billion amount to?

Answer: It would be enough sand to cover the surface of the Earth, yes - the entire surface of the Earth, three-feet deep with sand.

Can you imagine that?

Take your eyes off of your computer and look off through a window into the distance. Now imagine that distance being covered with three feet of sand, just like at the beach. Now imagine that sand covering the entire Earth.

Whoa.

That's big.

Now, do you think it's still reasonable to think that we're alone in all this cosmos and blackness of space?

We won't know for sure until if/when we have our own version of 'Independence Day' and the extraterrestrials show up in our backyard.

But it's a neat concept isn't it?

So, the next time your kids ask you, like my three boys take turns periodically asking me, 'Daddy, is there other people out there in space?' - now you know how to answer them.

Or you can just answer like the line from that great Carl Sagan SETI-inspired movie 'Contact' and respond to them 'Well, if we are the only ones, it would be an awful waste of space, wouldn't it?'

May the force be with you.

Later.

Written by Andre Best
President, Ultimate Results, Inc.
http://www.andrebest.com
'Learn About Life From Another Perspective'

(Author's permission is granted to share this full article with others. Just leave the signature line intact, please.)

Posted by Andre Best at 8:46 PM | Comments (1)

December 2, 2005

Ever Heard of A Charlie Brown Christmas?

It's the holiday season around the country and this is no more evident than in North America and the televising of A Charlie Brown Christmas on CBS.

However, this year I had an unexpected insight into this North American Christmas television tradition as I discussed this subject with my nine-year-old son.

Let me digress and state for the record that I grew up with Charlie Brown, Snoopy, Linus, Lucy, and the Peanuts gang in my daily reading of the newspaper comics and the televised specials throughout the year of the antics of the Peanuts characters as they, mostly, showed how they celebrated holidays throughout the year.

I recall even seeking out the Peanuts compilation books when I was about eight-years-old to make sure that I knew all about Charlie Brown and what he had been up to.

And it certainly was a Christmas season tradition in our household, and since I was a child, to watch A Charlie Brown Christmas as it aired on CTV (Canada) or CBS (United States) the first Wednesday of December, usually. I remember how my mother would chuckle at the Snoopy dance and the dancing of the other Peanuts characters in the big hall while they rehearsed for their upcoming Christmas play.

I still get a warm feeling from watching the scene where Linus says 'Lights please!' and then repeats that biblical verse to inspire Charlie Brown. And I loved the soundtrack to the show so much I bought it about ten years ago and play it every holiday season on the CD player.

But, getting back to what happened with my nine-year-old son this year.

~~~~

I mentioned to him a couple of weeks ago that A Charlie Brown Christmas was going to be on television in a few days.

And he immediately and innocently questioned - 'Who's Charlie Brown?'

As I sat there stunned at his question, all I could do was reply 'Oh, he's just a cartoon character you wouldn't know about anyway.'

After that brief discussion about a tradition I experienced for over 30 years I suddenly realized why he responded the way he did.

That is, why would he have any knowledge of who Charlie Brown is?

He doesn't read the comics in the daily paper, especially since we don't get the paper in our household. And add to that the fact the Charles Schulz died several years ago and the comic strip is forever relegated to reruns only, usually in the classified section of the paper.

He doesn't go to the library to read books anymore, ever since he discovered the Internet.

He certainly doesn't choose to view any of the periodic Charlie Brown specials that are air on television when he can be watching Yu-Gi-Oh, Totally Spies, Duel Masters, or The Fairly OddParents on Nicktoons.

Besides, why would a child today want to watch a cartoon that is full of mostly talking and discussions about life issues?

And, why would a child today want to watch a cartoon that doesn't involve some sort of quick action scenes, duels, and battles for good to fight its way out to conquer evil?

And would a child of today want to watch a cartoon that is poorly drawn and has characters that aren't inspiring enough to relate to only several times a year when they can get their dose of Spongebob Squarepants on Nickelodeon 19 (yes, 19!) times a week as of this writing?

~~~~

So, why am I writing this?

Well, I guess it's to get off my chest the fact that I see a Christmas tradition, the A Charlie Brown Christmas television show, coming to a slow demise with the advent of the Internet and the proliferation of other more 'exciting' forms of stimulation on today's cartoon television shows for kids.

It's too bad that we still don't live in the simpler times when there were only three major television stations and a family was virtually forced to gather around the television on the first Wednesday night in December to watch a timely, and unique (now classic) television show that was meant to inspire and provide hope to all who viewed it during this sometimes, downcast time of year.

Now if only I can get my nine-year-old into some other modern tradition that he will take into his adulthood to warmly remind him of the specialness of this season and how much his Dad cared about him to give him this special memory each holiday season.

Hmmmm....

Goodbye A Charlie Brown Christmas, hello... A Spongebob Squarepants Christmas?

Uh, no. ANYTHING but that. ;-)

~~~~

For those of you who celebrate, Happy Holidays.

Thank you kindly.

Andre Best

Posted by Andre Best at 6:05 PM | Comments (0)