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Imagination: The Creative Workshop of the Mind

Imagination: the ability of the mind to be creative or resourceful. The faculty or action of forming new ideas, or images or concepts of external objects not present to the senses. by Michael Corthell If you can imagine something, you can take an image that exists only in your mind and make it real. Napoleon Hill, in his book, Think and Grow Rich says that there are two types of imagination: Synthetic Imagination. '' Through this faculty, one may arrange old concepts, ideas, or plans into new combinations. This faculty creates nothing. It merely works with the material of experience, education, and observation with which it is fed. It is the faculty used most by the inventor, with the exception of the "genius" who draws upon the creative imagination, when he cannot solve his problem through synthetic imagination.'' Creative Imagination. '' Through the faculty of creative imagination, the limited, finite mind of man has direct communication wi

How to Develop and Maintain a Passionate Curiosity 

Curiosity: The Passion to seek, and to know. by Michael Corthell To be an entrepreneur or a genius is to be passionately curious. But what if you lack the passion to know things? Can you develop it. Yes, just like anything else—'if there's a will, there's a way.' The important thing [in life] is not to stop questioning… Never lose a Holy curiosity. —Albert Einstein Why? It keeps your mind active and healthy. Curious people always ask questions and look for answers. Exercising your mind has the same result as aerobics has on your body. It keeps your mind open to opportunities and new ideas.   Curiosity builds the anticipation of new information and ideas. Therefore you will recognize a good idea more readily when it comes. It opens up new worlds and possibilities. Being curious will allow you to see new worlds and possibilities which are normally not visible to your old, non-seeking mind. New ideas are hidden below the surface of normal, everyda

American Patriotism vs Nationalism: Where do you stand?

by Michael Corthell January 25, 2021 Nationalism and patriotism can be viewed as two sides of the same coin but there is a major gulf between the two. America is an exceptional nation, I say this not because I was lucky enough to be born here. I believe that America is exceptional because of the shared values, and our willingness to help other countries share our experience by enjoying the same types freedoms written into our Constitution . Looking at nationalism, America's strong national identity has always manifested itself in the form of patriotism. Out of many nations we make up one nation, a nation made up of cultures from every country in the world, therefore American nationalism shouldn't exist... In America, we have no shared ethnic heritage. Writings from our country’s founders show men who envisioned a land made up of oppressed peoples from all the nations on Earth who were fleeing political or religious tyranny. Today, as I write this America just survived an insur

Change: Adaptation is a Necessary Skill

by Michael Corthell If someone says to you, ''Tell me what to do!''  What is the best answer? There are millions of answers, and it is okay to honor their request, especially to help them out of a 'spot', but a better request for them to make is this, ''Please help me train my mind to adapt to any circumstance.'' This is very much like teaching someone to fish, rather than just giving them a fish.  Helping other people to find within themselves the tools not only for survival but to also grow and THRIVE is good. ''Intelligence is the ability to adapt to change.'' —Stephen Hawking While answered questions and planning are necessary, people who accept life on life's terms, the stoics, don't need an answer for every question or a plan for every single contingency. They simply do not worry. Why is that? Because they have confidence in themselves. They believe that they'll be able to adapt to any situation an

How to Be Prepared for Criticism

by Michael Corthell Many people cannot bring themselves to take chances in life or business, because they fear the criticism that may follow if they fail. The fear of criticism then becomes stronger than the desire for success. I think all of us have this fear to one degree or another. To some this fear, of what others will say, has been an insurmountable barrier to achieving success and the life they want. ''Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.'' That childhood sing-song idiom that echoes from our childhood may be true, however, the words of a critic always give us pause, because no one enjoys being rejected. Let's look at ways to minimize this instinctual fear. First look at reality.  Many people see things as they really are. But some people see the worst in everything. They of course have a negative mindset. When you are critiqued it may be wise to ''take it from whence it came''. ''

How to Find Positive Solutions to Problems

 by Michael Corthell Problems are at the center of our lives every single day, whether you're solving a problem of what to have for breakfast, or helping those in need to solve their problems. The problems that you face can be large or small, simple or complex, easy or difficult, but they are ever-present. Your task is making them manageable. The most effective way to do this is through organized, step-by-step thinking. ''Problems are only opportunities in work clothes.'' —Henry Kaiser Problem-solving includes prevention and is at the core of a leader's job description. As a leader, your primary goal is to lower the occurrence of problems. That means planning for them, and handling them head-on before circumstances make us take action. As Karl Popper, simply stated, ''All life is problem-solving.'' Meaning that, not only do the best leaders need to be the best problem solvers but also that the rest of us should be great pro

Hacks - Tips - Lessons: How to Improve Your Life and the Lives of Others

by Michael Corthell What if you could go back and tell your 12-year-old self about the secrets to a happy and fulfilling life? What if you had heard, understood, and accepted the most important life lessons when you were still a teenager?  I've collected most of them here. 1. Have Faith  2. Be grateful for everything, despite your suffering. 3. Always remember that what you don't know is much more important than what you know now. 4. Don't stay in a career that you hate. 5. Always behave so that it's easy to tell the truth about how you acted. 6. Always believe that the person you are with might know something you need to know. 7. Be mindful. That means Pay ATTENTION. 8. When you choose, be the one who does things, instead of the one who watches things. 9. Grab what is meaningful in life and hold on to it. 10. Be honest, tell the truth. 11. Seek to always improve things, make things better everywhere you go. 12. Guard who you share bad news with.

"You are a Liar! (And so am I) | How to Spot Deception

by Michael Corthell Let's start with the Big Lie: ''Donald Trump and his allies were peddling lies about the 2020 presidential election within hours of the polls closing on Nov. 3, but the seriousness of the misinformation campaign escalated in the days, weeks, and months that followed. The intensity of the deceptive propaganda reached dangerous levels in early January, culminating in an insurrectionist attack on the U.S. Capitol.''(source: NBC News) Delusional thinking is something that we all practice. This type of thinking is on a continuum from very mild to extreme detachment from reality. For instance, when we go to the movies we all tend to, ''suspend our disbelief''. We as human beings generally love being fooled. That is why magicians and sleight-of-hand artists draw large crowds. These instances are mild and not dangerous, but mass delusional thinking is not, such as what gripped Germany in the pre-World War Two era. Both ends of th

Veganism and The Power of Plant-Based Eating!

by Michael Corthell I and many others, including physicians, dietitians, and nutritionists have concluded that the 'Eden Diet' is the optimal meal plan for humankind. Below is the distilled version of many books and movies on the subject of veganism. Included is a list of resources, that when digested with an open mind, will convince you that an all plant-based lifestyle is the way to truly live and live well. There is dietary veganism(plant-based) and there is also total veganism. Complete or total vegans, in addition to being vegetarian, do not use other animal products and by-products such as eggs, dairy products, honey, leather, fur, silk, wool, cosmetics, and soaps derived from animal products. And God said, “Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit. You shall have them for food. Genesis 1:29 It is my purpose in this essay to state my case for eating a totally plant-base

Materialism: Trapped in a Money Pit

  by Michael Corthell [Want a long-term, direct solution to this madness? Skip this article and Go HERE ] More money, more problems? It might just be true. Americans today, compared to 55 years ago, own twice as many cars and eat out twice as much per person, but we don’t seem to be any happier because of it. Rather than rising levels of well-being, we’ve seen mounting credit card debt and increasing numbers of self-storage facilities to house the things we compulsively buy. Trapped in a Money Pit   In the developed world, at least and for the most part, true basics like shelter and food require only part of an average income. An important slice of consumption is therefore directed at things we don’t absolutely require. Some of the time at least, if we properly reflect on our experiences, this discretionary expenditure doesn’t quite bring us the satisfaction we were hoping for. The more spiritual voices among us will argue that the reason is obvious: the whole idea of improving o

What Makes People Go Wrong: The Only Thing Necessary...

''The only thing necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing.''  - Edmund Burke by Michael Corthell There is a time when the good amongst us must stand up for what’s right, even when it's risky, but that moment usually comes only after evil has already been well entrenched and has become widespread. Countering evil may be an essential thing, but it isn’t the first problem. The real problem is that it matters only after countless mistakes have already been made. And if those first mistakes had not been made, great fights against evil just wouldn’t be necessary. People do end up supporting evil sometimes because they don’t want to make up their minds at all - they don't want to think. They desire safety, they want to avoid criticism and vulnerability, so they hold to the middle of the road to avoid all risks. The majority wouldn’t initiate murders by themselves, I truly believe that, but in the name of duty, loyalty, unity, and/or the greater good,

The Are No Limits Save the Ones We Impose on Ourselves

 by Michael Corthell A limitation is a hindrance, something that keeps something from moving. Self-imposed limitations keep us from growing and moving forward with our lives. They are the result of a negative mindset or 'I can't' thinking. Groups of people can set limitations also. The best example of self-imposed limitations by 'group think' is in breaking the barrier of the   ''4 minute mile'' . Back in the mid 20th century, track and field athletes tried and tried to run a mile in under four minutes, but it just wasn't happening. 4 minutes seemed to be an unbreakable barrier. In fact, it seemed to be an outright impossibility. Then on May 6, 1954, an English runner, named Roger Gilbert Bannister ran the mile in 3:59.4 minutes to set a new world record. Right afterward, runner after runner broke his record. Why? In the successive runner's mind , the barrier was gone. The lesson in this is that many times we accept 

Epigenetics: Scientific Proof That DNA Gene Expression is Yours to Change

Your genes can be activated or deactivated. by Michael Corthell Previously we saw  how eating the right foods changes our genetics —for the better, showing that good food equals a good, healthy body. It turns out that a good exercise program changes our genetics as well. Good food, healthy exercise and a positive mindset all equal good health. Who knew?   The DNA of any life form is amazingly complex and dynamic, with genes constantly being turning on or off, depending on what biochemical signals they receive from the body's reaction to stimuli. When genes are turned on, they 'express' proteins that trigger physiological responses in the body. Scientists know that certain genes become active or quieter as a result of food, exercise or thoughts. Going for a jog, a swim or even a walk affects not only our body weight and sense of well being exercise changes our genetics as well. DNA is modified chemically when we're physically active. '&#

How Can I Alter My Genetic Blueprint for Better Health?

by Michael Corthell   It is now being realized that our genetic blueprint, or DNA map, the molecular protein structure that carries traits from one generation to another can be changed during a our lifetime. New research in genetics and epigenetics  (literally: "control above the genes'') is showing that everything we do and experience can affect this structure, which, in turn, impacts our present health and the health of our posterity. ''Our own genomes carry the story of evolution, written in DNA, the language of molecular genetics, and the narrative is unmistakable.'' — Kenneth R. Miller What is this all about? It's called gene 'expression'. Concerning people, to 'express', is to talk, to communicate. At the cellular level, a similar kind of communication, 'expression' happens. There is a very important argument to be made that anything and maybe everything we do or any at large environmental event has the pote

How to Develop a Positive and Pleasing Personality

by Michael Corthell ''A drop of honey gathers more flies than a gallon of gall'' ― Abraham Lincoln To succeed you must get things done. You must inspire confidence. You must inspire people to act. One of the keys to doing so is how we interact with people. Common sense and basic logic will tell you that by being friendly we will create a spirit of cooperation. People with a pleasing personality create a positive cooperative atmosphere just by being friendly and agreeable. Some of us are born that way, while others need to work at it a bit. But like most things, with some persistent effort, developing this kind of 'personality of success' can be had fairly quickly. First do a quick assessment. Based on the traits below, do you have a Pleasing Personality? What traits do you already have? What traits will you need to work on? Smile! Don’t underestimate the importance of a frequent and sincere smile in making your personality