The Official Website of Michael Corthell

by Michael Corthell A woodsman was once asked, “What would you do if you had just five minutes to chop down a tree?” He answered, “I would spend the first three minutes sharpening my axe.” ____________ You have to prepare for success by preparing yourself for success . Before success arrives in your life, you should devote yourself to preparing the way for it. Polish your skills and strengthen your body so that you can do your job and enjoy success when it comes. Strengthen your mind and spirit so they are ready to face the challenges that accompany a truly successful life. If you are not ready when opportunity knocks, you will be unable to open the door. And it may not knock again. Success will come to you when you consciously decided where your path should begin and where you wanted it to end. If you're still trying to convince yourself of your own worth, how can you possibly persuade your employer, or your customers and clients that you have top notch ski

  Some words are just foul wind.  And some are simply treason. ''In certain matters of law and justice the people have the final say'' While seditious conspiracy is generally defined as conduct or language inciting rebellion against the authority of a state, treason is the more-serious offense of actively levying war against the United States or giving aid to its enemies. Sedition is overt conduct, such as speech and organization, that tends toward rebellion against the established order. Sedition often includes subversion of a constitution and incitement of discontent toward, or rebellion against, established authority. Sedition may include any commotion, though not aimed at direct and open violence against the laws. Seditious words in writing are seditious libel. A seditionist is one who engages in or promotes the interest of sedition. Because sedition is overt, it is typically not considered a subversive act, and the overt acts that may be prosecutable under sedition

  American democracy is now under full attack. World history tells us that constitutional, democratic republics with a system of checks and balances and a rule of law are usually just temporary. We maybe about to see just how temporary our American democracy is in the coming days leading up to the inauguration of president-elect Joe Biden. Democracy depends on the will of one group of leaders to transfer power peacefully to another. By showing us that they refuse to do so, the members of the “Sedition Caucus,” as a group of Republican senators are being called on social media, they are proving that they are unworthy of elected office. Part of the process to destroy any democracy is the erosion of trust in democratic institutions. Once a majority of the public feels that their institutions are corrupt or dysfunctional, there will be no need to defend them. We can see that is just what is happening now. Have faith in our republic and our democratic institutions.  Stand up and speak up

  "Loyalty is only a virtue if the person or cause is good". Defining Blind Loyalty Blind loyalty involves being loyal to a person or cause despite the damage the person or cause does to himself or herself or others. Excusing bad behavior in the name of protecting allegiance to another seems honorable at first, but is ultimately dangerous as silence is a form of collusion. Many people feel torn between retaining loyalty to a cause or group and risking rejection or ostracism or personal attack by outing misconduct.  Blind loyalty involves a form of cognitive dissonance where a person sees evidence of a problem or bad behavior and then turns a blind eye to the truth in favor of keeping a positive image of the person or cause. Knowing in your gut that something is wrong, and yet acting as if everything is fine. The classic example is a battered woman who protects her partner when police arrive in answer to a domestic violence call. Think of priests covering for sexual abuse amon

If you are motivated, you learn better and remember more of what you study. But the  rewards may not benefit learning if the subject is not interesting. Therefore, if a subject brings pleasure to the learner it is more easily absorbed and retained. Think about your favorite teachers in school. We're they fun and energizing? Make learning fun.   

 But how do we practice good truth telling? How do we develop our capacity to speak our truth with kindness, with love, and with authenticity?  There are many things we can do to make this happen. Here are three of them: 1) Stop managing other people's feelings . It's arrogant, manipulative, and somewhat foolish to think that we have the ability to manage other people's emotions. Many of us use this as an excuse to not really speak our truth - we don't want to hurt people. We can be mindful of other people's feelings so we don't end up being intentionally mean and hurtful, but when we let go of taking care of their feeling in a euphemistic and condescending way, it frees us up to be have truly adult conversations. 2) Be real, not right - it's not a contest. This is a big deal when it comes to speaking the truth. When we focus on winning or being right at all costs, we no longer tap into our heart of hearts, the place where real truth comes from. When we

by Michael Corthell Your friends and neighbors are out there living life to its fullest, do you care to join them? One thing is for sure — you can’t see them from your living room.  The difference between life on your sofa and being out & about in the real world is going to be massive, so be forewarned. But be assured that it's going to be worth it. ''A dream is your creative vision for your life in the future. You must break out of your current comfort zone and become comfortable with the unfamiliar and the unknown.'' — Denis Waitley Assess your boundaries. If you want to do things differently, you have to think differently. Think about what stops you from getting out there. You know it will be at least interesting, maybe even fun. Find out what it is exactly that's keeping you fenced in. List all your fears and phobias. This is a great self-improvement tool for anyone, introvert or extrovert. Be honest. Eliminate detractions and cultural

 

About Life Choices Our lives don't just happen. Our lives are defined by the choices we make. Some of these choices are ours, and some choices are made by other people, and many of us just accept those decisions and follow along. It is very important to know that we make choices all the time, even when we chose not to choose we have still made a choice. It is our choices that determine everything we experience. The choices we are making today determine what we will experience tomorrow. We have been given the freedom to create our experiences through our choices. Unless we are willing to take full responsibility for these choices, we will never have control over our lives.  If we believe that outside forces are mostly responsible for our choices, we will give away the power of self-determination. Your life is your choice.    

If enough people embrace Hope and Optimism.   by Michael Corthell  How can we increase the odds that our lives will get better in 2021? I firmly believe in the law of attraction. Simply, this law states that we attract into our lives whatever we focus on the most. It's not magic. This universal law is simply the manipulation of the subconscious mind, which will believe anything you tell it, positive or negative. So if we can focus on positive thoughts and positive vibes, we will attract more positivity in our lives. In the coming year, if you focus on being positive, enthusiastic, and happy, you will have a very good chance of seeing the same reflected in your life. Conversely though, if you enter 2021 with a negative attitude, chances are that negativity will almost certainly cloud your life. To sum up, if you focus on positive thoughts, you will attract positivity. If you focus on negative thoughts you will attract negativity. Believe me this mental attitude works. Always walk o

 'It was the best of times, it was the worst of times' is an appropriate phrase to use in the context of today’s world because on the one hand, the rich are enjoying luxurious lives; while on the other hand, the poor are struggling under the pressure of economic decline. 'The rich are getting richer and the poor and getting poorer. (see: ignorance and want )  Income inequality is bad for society as it is tried to weaker social bonds between people, which in turn makes health and social problems more likely. Economic prosperity creates stronger social bonds in society and thereby makes health and social problem less likely. One study finds a correlation between income inequality and increased levels of political instability. A 2016 study finds that interregional inequality increases terrorism. Another 2016 study finds that inequality between social classes increases the likelihood of coups but not civil wars. A lack of reliable data makes it difficult to study the relations

 

 

 

If Americans take Trump's rhetoric at face value, they will find themselves living in a paranoid society willing to trade fundamental freedoms and principles for a sense of security. by Michael Corthell ( I first wrote this in 2018, I'm editing here to add President Trump's latest Tweet storm dated 12-26-2020 to show just how far down the rabbit hole he's gone: ''Time for Republican Senators to step up and fight for the Presidency, like the Democrats would do if they had actually won. The proof is irrefutable! Massive late night mail-in ballot drops in swing states, stuffing the ballot boxes (on video), double voters, dead voters, fake signatures, illegal immigrant voters, banned Republican vote watchers, MORE VOTES THAN ACTUAL VOTERS (check out Detroit & Philadelphia), and much more. The numbers are far greater than what is necessary to win the individual swing states, and cannot even be contested. Courts are bad, the FBI and “Justice” didn’t do thei

 

The first modern Christmas tree*  by Michael Corthell Long before the advent of Christianity, evergreens had a special meaning for people during the winter. Just as we today decorate our homes during the festive season with pine, spruce, and fir trees, ancient humans hung evergreen boughs over their doors and windows. In many tribes it was believed that evergreens would keep witches, ghosts, evil spirits, and illness at bay. In December 1846, the popular Illustrated London News published an image* of Queen Victoria standing with Prince Albert and their children around a decorated Christmas tree. Prince Albert was a German and he brought the long standing family tradition to England with him. Christmas trees originated during the Renaissance in early modern Germany . Its 16th-century origins are sometimes associated with Protestant Christian reformer Martin Luther , who is said to have first added lighted candles to an evergreen tree. The earliest known firmly dated representation of

Written & Photographed by Michael Corthell I was out snowshoeing today making paths for our beloved dog Miss Penny to run on. I decided to take my camera with me and I got some great shots of the many icicles lining our eaves.  After I uploaded the photos  I wondered how are those things created?' I kind of remembered from 4th grade, but that was two centuries ago, so I went to my axillary brain, GOOGLE and here's what I've got for you: When temperatures drop below freezing and precipitation falls, the eaves of your house can become suddenly adorned with shimmering spikes of frozen water. What are we talking about? Icicles, of course! If you've ever seen icicles up close, it's clear what they're made of: ice ! Their name even gives away their composition . But how do icicles come to be? It's not like spikes of ice fall from the sky and attach themselves to the eaves of your house. Instead, icicles form through a natural scientific process

  The greatest dishonor is ingratitude for good received.