The Official Website of Michael Corthell

by Michael Corthell Are you happy in your life, or about your life? That is a distinction that must be clearly defined. A regular state of happiness can be defined as an immediate, in-the-moment experience, on the other hand, positive life satisfaction is happiness that exists when we think about our lives as a whole, in its totality by looking at the big picture. Through absorbing the thoughts of people like Thoreau and Emerson, and developing a minimalist mindset, many are finding that a simpler lifestyle provides greater life satisfaction than a relentless pursuit of materialism. We can be happy 'going nowhere', but when we are happy with where we've been, and where we're going, that is thriving and flourishing. Then we can have peace and contentment in our lives. We then can call this state positive life satisfaction . Here are the key factors that contribute to positive life satisfaction: Having p...

“If you aren't in over your head, how do you know how tall you are?” ― T.S. Eliot The greater the difficulty, the greater the satisfaction in overcoming it. “What if evil doesn't really exist? What if evil is something dreamed up by man, and there is nothing to struggle against except out own limitations? The constant battle between our will, our desires, and our choices?” ― Libba Bray, Rebel Angels

“I can and will improve the world. I will smile, show kindness, and be grateful. I refuse to be unhappy.” ― Richelle E. Goodrich, Making Wishes: Quotes, Thoughts, & a Little Poetry for Every Day of the Year Thoughts Do Become Things...  Choose The Good Ones!

by Michael Corthell In order for the transformation of ideas into things, a certain amount of belief is required – a certain mindset that lets you know in your heart that you can, and will , achieve what you set out to do. There is a difference between wishing for something, and actually being ready to receive it. No one is ready for anything, until he believes he can acquire it. When creating a mindset capable of accomplishing anything, keeping it clear of negativity is the number one task; where negativity exists , fear causes doubt, which will eventually kill all grand ideas as well as any chances of prosperity or happiness. An effective tool to keep fear at bay is to bathe in positive thoughts. Positive thinking doesn't mean that you hide your head in the sand and ignore life's negative situations. Positive thinking means that you approach negative situations in a more positive and productive way. You simply think the best is going to happen, not the worst. ...

  “We can complain because rose bushes have thorns, or rejoice because thorns have roses.” ― Alphonse Karr, A Tour Round My Garden If you can't be grateful for what you have now, what makes you think you'll be happy with more? “Piglet noticed that even though he had a Very Small Heart, it could hold a rather large amount of Gratitude.” ― A.A. Milne, Winnie-the-Pooh

“Creativity takes courage. ” ― Henri Matisse The more creativity you practice, the more you have. “I never made one of my discoveries through the process of rational thinking” ― Albert Einstein

“We are healthy only to the extent that our ideas are humane.” ― Kurt Vonnegut, Breakfast of Champions From The Original Human Body Owner's Manual : ''Respect your investment by eating healthy foods only.'' “Instead of complaining about problems in your stomach, mind what goes into your stomach to cause the problems in your stomach.” ― Ernest Agyemang Yeboah

“The miracle of life they call it, and it truly is a miracle. The birth of my two children is the closest I have felt to God. I cannot explain it, but there is something about that moment when the baby comes out that is spellbinding and so pure, the most honest, incorruptible moment of my life.” ― Niyati Tamaskar, Unafraid: A survivor's quest for human connection Miracles are not outside of science and nature but only contrary to what we know about science and nature. “Six months from now her baby would be born. Something that had been a single cell, a cluster of cells, a little sac of tissue, a kind of worm, a potential fish with gills, stirred in her womb and would one day become a man-a grown man, suffering and enjoying, loving and hating, thinking, remembering, imagining. And what had been a blob of jelly within her body would invent a god and worship; what had been a kind of fish would create and, having created, would become the battle-ground of disputing good and evil; what ...

''The purpose of religion is not building grand temples, but cultivating positive human qualities like tolerance, generosity and love.' ' —Dalai Lama We are all connected; To each other. To the earth. To the entire universe. That's quantum-ness, that's holiness! “Make your own Bible. Select and collect all the words and sentences that in all your readings have been to you like the blast of a trumpet.” ― Ralph Waldo Emerson

“People pay for what they do, and still more for what they have allowed themselves to become. And they pay for it very simply; by the lives they lead.” ― James Baldwin Act as if what you do makes a difference(both positive and negative) in this world. Because it DOES. “We know only too well that what we are doing is nothing more than a drop in the ocean. But if the drop were not there, the ocean would be missing something.” ― Mother Teresa

by Michael Corthell Researchers have tested the theory that some people who have a strong desire for success may actually be suffering from the fear of failure. The results have been mixed, even though achieving success is, by definition, the opposite of failure. It may be that those who fear failure do not necessarily hope for success. ''Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.''      ― Winston Churchill Many people are so afraid of failing at something that they decide not to even try at all. And sometimes this fear is so overwhelming that they will undermine their own efforts to avoid even the possibility of failure. The fear of failure can be immobilizing, but as we know, the antidote to the fear of anything is  ACTION. There are many causes for the fear of failure and/or success. The number one cause seems to be having critical or u...

“There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self.” ― Ernest Hemingway Every single soul you meet knows something you don't. “These are the few ways we can practice humility: To speak as little as possible of one's self. To mind one's own business. Not to want to manage other people's affairs. To avoid curiosity. To accept contradictions and correction cheerfully. To pass over the mistakes of others. To accept insults and injuries. To accept being slighted, forgotten and disliked. To be kind and gentle even under provocation. Never to stand on one's dignity. To choose always the hardest.” ― Mother Teresa, The Joy in Loving: A Guide to Daily Living

“More smiling, less worrying. More compassion, less judgment.  More blessed, less stressed. More love, less hate.” ― Roy T. Bennett, The Light in the Heart Circumstances change when we change...think positive and the changes are likely to be good changes. “If a problem is fixable, if a situation is such that you can do something about it, then there is no need to worry. If it's not fixable, then there is no help in worrying. There is no benefit in worrying whatsoever.” ― The Dalai Lama

by Michael Corthell Worrying, worry-wart. Are you one of those? Have you been called a nervous Nellie? Do you constantly fear everything and anything from your health to how you're liked at work, to whether or not the end of the world is imminent? ''First ask yourself: What is the worst that can happen? Then prepare to accept it. Then proceed to improve on the worst.''   —Dale Carnegie Does this sound like you? Then you might be wasting your time and worrying your life away. This extreme worrying doesn't just affect your mental health, it also can ruin your physical health as well. But, there is good news, you can stop worrying and love life. It only takes three things: The decision to do something out that wearying worry, the burning desire to change and the persistence to follow through on that plan for change. ''I believe God is managing affairs and that He doesn't need any advice from me. Wi...

  ''Abundance is not the absence of scarcity; it is the presence of abundant mentality.” ― Debasish Mridha Gratitude is the beginning of the Abundance Mindset. (Give thanks for every good thing and you will get more good things) “Plant seeds of happiness, hope, success, and love; it will all come back to you in abundance. This is the law of nature.” ― Steve Maraboli

'When you get into a tight place and everything goes against you, till it seems as though you could not hang on a minute longer, never give up then, for that is just the place and time that the tide will turn.'' —Harriet Beecher Stowe Try going slow to go fast. Often people live as though there aren't enough hours in the day. Do each task calmly and carefully and you will get it done quicker with much less stress. “Much of the stress that people feel doesn't come from having too much to do. It comes from not finishing what they've started.” – David Allen

by Michael Corthell We have all faced crises and negative situations in our lives. It could be something minor like someone spreading rumors about you, getting a flat tire or your hot water heater fails. It's also called having a bad day. The key to overcoming any negative situation and succeeding is maintaining poise (balance) over panic. When you are in situations like this it is admittedly difficult to keep your mindsets positive. Your natural inclination is to release your anger by swearing and maybe even throw a few things to release tension. Any negative reactions will make the situation worse and you will filled with negative emotions and in fact will attract even more negativity. ''When you get into a tight place and everything goes against you, till it seems as though you could not hang on a minute longer, never give up then, for that is just the place and time that the tide will turn.'' —Harriet Beecher S...

“Earth laughs in flowers.”   ―  Ralph Waldo Emerson God made heaven and he made the Earth almost like heaven. Nowhere in the universe is there so much love, life, beauty... Our job is to make 'almost', 'just like'. #EarthDay2021 “Now I see the secret of making the best person:  it is to grow in the open air and to eat and sleep with the earth.” ―  Walt Whitman

  “What happens when people open their hearts?" "They get better.” ― Haruki Murakami, Norwegian Wood Each and every creature has a unique part to play in the healing of the world. “Forgetting was not the same as healing.” ― Rivers Solomon

 by Michael Corthell When I speak to people about God and the Christian Bible, I usually pick one precept and talk simply about that one instruction. In my way of thinking simplicity is the key that unlocks understanding. ''Whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.'' —Jesus (God incarnate, aka the Universe) In this teaching, we have Jesus healing a woman who has had uterine disease for twelve years and she can't be cured by any physician. And in another teaching moment with his followers, He tells them and us to ''Have faith in God.'' Faith healing or rightly stated, healing by faith is a one-on-one partnership with God. And I want to make it abundantly clear that I am not referring to faith healers like Oral Roberts who act like the 'middle man'.  The type of healing I'm referring to is the partnership between the believer and God directly with no intermediary. ...

“Let us be grateful to the people who make us happy; they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom.” ― Marcel Proust True gratitude(and forgiveness) is when you can say 'Thank you' for any experience. “Walk as if you are kissing the Earth with your feet.” ― Thich Nhat Hanh, Peace Is Every Step: The Path of Mindfulness in Everyday Life

“The scientific knowledge derived from genetics, epigenetics, and neuroscience, should be used to enhance the power of meditation and to eliminate the sufferings of humanity.” ― Amit Ray, Yoga The Science of Well-Being Tell me what you eat and I will  tell you how you feel. “But DNA isn’t really like that. It’s more like a script. Think of Romeo and Juliet, for example. In 1936 George Cukor directed Leslie Howard and Norma Shearer in a film version. Sixty years later Baz Luhrmann directed Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes in another movie version of this play. Both productions used Shakespeare’s script, yet the two movies are entirely different. Identical starting points, different outcomes.” ― Nessa Carey, The Epigenetics Revolution

“To my way of thinking, there is every bit as much evidence for the existence of UFOs as there is for the existence of God. Probably far more.  At least in the case of UFOs there have been countless taped and filmed and, by the way, unexplained sightings from all over the world, along with documented radar evidence seen by experienced military and civilian radar operators.” ― George Carlin Humanoid species do not exist elsewhere in the Universe, that is, unless they developed on a near perfect earth-like planet.... so be prepared, it won't be like Star Trek and Star Wars pilgrim. “Don't you believe in flying saucers, they ask me? Don't you believe in telepathy? — in ancient astronauts? — in the Bermuda triangle? — in life after death? No, I reply. No, no, no, no, and again no.One person recently, goaded into desperation by the litany of unrelieved negation, burst out "Don't you believe in anything?" Yes", I said. "I believe in evidence.  I believe i...

Our galaxy, the Milky Way, contains 250 Billion stars with each star hosting a planetary system. There are over 100 Billion Galaxies in the known Universe. That adds up to Trillions of planets. (first published on 12/24/2016, updated 12/24/2017 and 04/18/21) by Michael Corthell [ April 18, 2021 - New information is emerging about a series of mysterious sightings over U.S. Navy warships in California. Video shows a strange pyramid shaped object hovering over one of those ships, and now the Pentagon confirms it was taken by the Navy.] A team of scientists have revealed new research that seems to indicate intelligent life (aliens) beyond our solar system exist and are trying to communicate with others (and us) in the Universe. In a paper titled "Discovery of peculiar periodic spectral modulations in a small fraction of solar type stars" it doesn't necessarily sound like a stunning discovery to most people, but the research paper published in t...

“Understanding is the first step to acceptance, and only with acceptance can there be recovery.” ― J.K. Rowling Three unconditional properties of true love:  A) Acceptance B). Understanding B) Appreciation “You couldn't relive your life, skipping the awful parts, without losing what made it worthwhile. You had to accept it as a whole--like the world, or the person you loved.” ― Stewart O'Nan, The Odds: A Love Story