The Importance Of Viewing Your Life In Stages As If It Were Fruit (Watering The Seeds Of Your Life).

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Everyone is familiar with the idea that a tree doesn't sprout in one day. When a tree has been planted, it often takes many years for that tree to grow into what its full potential is. The same way of thinking also applies to fruits and vegetables. When the seed of whatever fruit or vegetable that a person is wanting to see grow has been planted, it takes consistent watering and care for it to sprout and grow. As with nearly every aspect of life, we as people along with animals and plants and many other organisms all go through stages that are meant to inspire growth. We as human-beings sound probably identify with this even more so due to the fact that our journey towards being here in this world required a seed to be planted. Furthermore, most of us can attest to the fact that in order for us to get to whatever stages that we are in life today required nurturing and care from our parents and loved ones. Beyond the more obvious aspects of this topic that deals with the nurturing and care that was required for us to be who we are now, many of us forget that the same way that our bodies develop in stages, our livelihoods also unfold in stages as well. There could be a multitude of reasons for why so many of us forget this, however, I think the most common reasoning for this deals with the fact that so many of us compare our lives to those of our peers. Does this sound familiar to anyone out there? Just like almost every aspect of life happens in stages, we have to remember to see our own person growth in this manner. We have to begin to look at the mental growth our lives as if it were similar to fruit when it comes to growing properly, and the best way for that fruit of our lives to grow in the manner that it should means that we have to constantly nurture and water it.

What's good everyone? This is your main man Brad H. back at it once again, and I'd like to welcome everyone to another topic of discussion with 'Brad H.'s Perspective'! We are back for another week to hopefully dish out some wisdom and inspiration. I hope that all has been going well for everyone since the last topic. Well for my soapbox this week, I'm going to go ahead and give my thoughts on the conclusion of the NBA Finals. Boy did we have a quick NBA Finals this year. The Golden State Warriors pulled off the sweep of the Cleveland Cavaliers last night. I think that most people that follow basketball pretty much didn't expect the Cavaliers to win the series. However, I think that the sweep happening could have been a surprise for some. I know I expected the Cavaliers to win at least one game at home. I think this year's finals were pretty uneventful in my opinion. Not to take anything away from the Warriors being the champs once again, but the Cavaliers were just outmatched. I know that LeBron James done all that he could, and he deserves credit for how well he played throughout the playoffs. It is just hard to beat a team like the Warriors that have so many guys that can pick up the slack when one of their players is off. I mean Stephen Curry had a terrible game 3, but you got a guy like Kevin Durant that can put up 43 points. I think it says a lot when Curry has an off night and the Warriors are still able to win. Now that the NBA has concluded, we can look forward to the free agency months this summer. I think this is going to be one of the more interesting summers for free agency that we've had in recent years. Everyone wants to know where LeBron is going to play next. What are the Celtics going to do with so many of their younger players performing beyond their years this season? What is going to happen with my San Antonio Spurs and Kawhi Leonard? Where does Paul George end up playing? These are just a few of many questions that we will hopefully have answers to in the next few months. Alright, I think it is time to go ahead and transition into this week's topic of viewing our lives in stages.

Now that I've gotten on my soapbox and talked about something besides the topic at hand for a bit, it's time for me to go ahead and give the usual disclaimer that I give before addressing any topic I discuss. We all have different ways of viewing and thinking about things. The point of what I'm aiming to do here isn't to focus on what is considered to be right or wrong, but rather to hopefully provide some insight and inspiration. I often encourage myself and others to be open to the idea of thinking of things in ways they may not have before. If reading any of the topics that I talk about has helped someone to be able to do that, then I would consider that to be a good thing. Again, I want to stress that I'm not here to force my beliefs on anyone else. I also don't expect everyone to share in some of my ideas. Whatever you believe or think is okay with me, and even if you happen to disagree with me on this topic or any of the others, I still appreciate the people that are interested in what I have to say. As for how this topic came to be for this week, I would attribute some of it to a video I watched on Youtube a few nights ago. I was listening to a guy talking about the topic of bad habits that we as people often exhibit. At some point during the lecture he was giving, he talked about the human body, and how our bodies are like fruit that grows in stages. This really stood out to me, and I thought to myself if there was a way that I could use that comparison to show that the same logic applies when it comes to our livelihoods. I pondered on it for awhile, and I felt like it was something I could pull off. The reason why I want to use this comparison is due to the fact that so many of us lack patience when it comes to wanting to achieve things in this life. This is something that I have frequently talked about on here, and I'm hoping this this will just be another way for us to use something that most of us can already relate to. I can't promise that everything that I'm going to address will make a lot of sense for everyone, but I will do my best to hopefully get my point across.

Now I think that we can all agree that it is rare that we find that we're in a situation where we're able to do something that may be new to us without having to learn how to do it first. When we first start learning how to ride a bike when we're kids, we don't just hop on the bike and start riding without falling. It is a process of continuing to get up after we fall, which in turn is how we learn how to ride the bike. In relation to the fruit analogy that is the theme that this week's topic is centered around, you can think of getting back on the bike after falling time and time again is similar to watering the fruit that we're trying to grow. Again, this is all a process of steps from the early stages of first getting on the bike, to being good at riding the bike. Now how does this example relate to our lives some of you may wonder? Well from my perspective, and as I mentioned earlier, nearly every aspect of life has stages. However, we must be mindful that while this applies to our lives, the stages at which the fruit grows in a person's life varies. In other words, if life were a race, everyone moves at a pace that fits their personal situation. But with that being said, I believe that though we all move through this life differently, the seeds of our lives still need to be watered in order for us to reach a higher level. I believe that one of the biggest mistakes that so many of us make in life is that we're so eager to get to certain stages of life that we end up skipping steps along the way. Now going back to the fruit analogy, do you really think that a particular fruit will be healthy enough to eat if it isn't grown and watered properly? No, it won't be, and it will likely just wither away. As much as I hate saying what I'm about to say, this is how so many of our lives end up being. A lack of proper growth and nurturing often leads to decline and decay.

When we're talking about a lack of proper growth and nurturing when it comes to our lives, I'm referring to not being able to live the best quality of life that we're able to. From my perspective, the only way to truly live the best version of life is being able to water our life seeds in stages. This perspective not only applies to the physical, it is also the mental and spiritual aspect as well. When dealing with a topic of this nature, I also want you to consider the livelihood aspect of it. As I mentioned earlier, we often compare our lives to our peers. If our peers are doing something or accomplishing things, many of us assume that we need to be doing those things as well. I don't think that most people go in with the intention of thinking this way, but I think it is just in our nature to compare ourselves to others. Now if we're all individuals and have different ways of thinking, wouldn't it also make sense that we have should have different ways of living as well. The stages of your life happen specifically for you and no one else. Everyone has to go through stages in life, but it is the individuality that makes everyone's journeys different. Instead of giving a lot of time and attention to what is happening in whatever stages someone else is in within their life's journey, it is more important to focus on watering your own life seeds to get to where you want to be. I know this isn't an easy concept to endorse, because the truth is that while most people like seeing others get ahead, they may not necessarily want to see people get that far ahead of them. The reality of life that is some people's flowers bloom faster than others when it comes to life, just like some people's life fruit grows more healthier than others. Again, the important thing is to focus on better yourself so you can water your seeds better.

Now that we've talked about the importance of viewing our lives in stages and watering the seeds of our lives, we have to ask ourselves; "How do I water my seeds?" I believe the best way to properly water the seeds of your life to become a better individual ties in directly with self-improvement. I believe that in order to grow our life seeds means taking steps and actions to improve ourselves. This means reading books that deals with growing as a person. It also means getting rid of bad habits and people that are holding us back. I believe it means immersing ourselves in positive habits that will encourage us to do and be better. At the end of the day, no one else can tell you what you should or shouldn't do to water your life seeds. Only you truly know what is and isn't good for you. Everything that I've mentioned so far is only suggestions, but it is up to you in the end. So I'll get ready to bring this to a close by reminding everyone to try and be mindful of these things. As hard as it may be at times, try not to compare your situation to that of others. That only adds stress and can create depression in our lives, and I don't think we can grow as people if we're depressed constantly. Secondly, start looking at your life in stages. Treat everything in your life as a stepping stone to get to something that is hopefully better. Finally, continue to focus on self-improvement, and think of that as watering seeds to grow. A gardener doesn't plant seeds and just leave them to rot off and die. They constantly water those seeds and give them time and attention to help them grow. Lets try to do the same for our lives, and hopefully we'll see ourselves grow exponentially.

Well that is all for this week folks. I hope that I was able to make some sense with all of this, and I also hope that some if not all of you found some kind of value in it. I am Brad H., and this has once again been another edition of 'Brad H.'s Perspective'! I always appreciate those of you that came by. If anyone has any comments or feedback, please feel free to leave any and all of that below. You can also find me on Twitter @BradrickH if you want to add anything else. I hope everyone is having a great weekend so far, and I hope you all have an even better week ahead. A lot of of hot temperatures happening around the globe, so don't forget to stay cool and hydrated if you're going to be outdoors. Stay safe out there everyone, and I hope to see you all in the next one. Peace!

©2018 Bradrick H. All Rights Reserved.

The Importance Of Living In The Moment.

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The past, the present, and the future. All three of these spaces are a representation of where we've been, where we are now, and the unknown of what lies ahead for us. While all three aspects are important components of who we are as individuals and where we are going with our lives, many of us give too much of our energy to the spaces that represent our history, and the unknown that's ahead. As important as both the past and the future are to our lives, neither should have precedence over the moment that we're living in right now, which is known to be the present. There can be all kinds of reasons for why so many of us put so much focus into what's happened already, and what has yet to occur. However, the importance of being present in the moment is something many of us don't give enough of our energy to. I once heard a lyric in a song that goes; "The present is a gift." If the present is indeed a gift that we're given, it can be argued that many of us aren't fully appreciating this gift to its greatest extent. Focusing on the present can be a daunting task for many of us, but the importance of living in the moment is something we must learn to appreciate.

Hello once again ladies and gentlemen. It's your boy Brad H. back again, and welcome again to another installment of 'Brad H.'s Perspective'! Hope all has been good and well with you all since the last edition. Of course if that hasn't been the case for you, keep on holding your head up high, and maybe you can find a bit of inspiration here. Well summer is officially here, and I'm sure many of you can agree with me when I saw that you can definitely feel its presence. There has been some absolutely horrible humidity here in Southeast, Texas as of late, and I know it won't be getting better anytime soon. I'm not going to complain about it too much though. There are always people dealing with much bigger problems than the heat. The NBA Finals have also come to an end, which is something that I'm definitely happy about. I'm not sure if I stated it in previous posts, but although I'm not a fan of either team that were participating, I was pulling for the Golden State Warriors to take it all. It looked promising for them being up 3-1 in the series, but of course Cleveland came back and won the series. I kinda had a feeling that the Warriors would lose the series if it went to seven games, and that turned out to be the case. Although there were quite a few bad calls by the refs throughout the series, congratulations goes to the Cavaliers. Believe me when I say that it pains me to say that, which is why I stated that I'm glad it's all over with. Well now that I've gotten on my soapbox for a bit, lets go ahead and get into this week's topic on the importance of living in the moment.

Before getting started, I always try to mention in my writings that a person's individual viewpoint on a topic will always vary. My aim here isn't to focus on what is considered to be right or wrong, but rather to give anyone that reads these posts something to hopefully think about and evaluate further. The main goal here is to use this platform as a way to express some of my views and opinions. If anyone happens to feel differently or disagree with my views on this or any of the topics I write about, that is totally okay with me. So how did we come to this week's topic of the importance of living in the moment? Well, just like the majority of the topics I choose to discuss, the importance of living in the moment is something that I personally struggle with. While a struggle, it is however something that I've become more aware of as time goes on, which is ultimately inspiring me to put more focus and thought into at least getting a hold of this problem. I'm not going to act or pretend that I have everything about life figured out, so I want to stress that because my ears to closest to my eyes and mouth, anything advice that I dish out here applies to me as well. So many people try to portray to others that they have it all figured out, and I'm striving to not be one of those kind of people since that's not the case.

In regards to dealing with the struggles of living in the moment, many of us are either focused on things that have already happened that we can't let go of for whatever reasons, or we're overly concerned with upcoming things that have either yet to happen, or will probably never happen. It can be something as big as worrying about what's going to happen years down the road, or as small as what's going to happen in the next few hours. As I stated earlier in the post, there can be many reasons for why many of us struggle when it comes to living in the moment. I personally believe that one of the biggest reasons many people struggle with living in the moment deals with anxiety. Now there are all different kinds of anxiety that an individual can possess, but for the sake of this entry, I'm going to look at it from a more generalized perspective rather than a particular form of anxiety. Now I'm sure that most of us are aware of anxiety and how it affects so many people. However, many people do not know the true extent of it's meaning. Anxiety is defined as "A mental health disorder characterized by feelings of worry, anxiety, or fear that are strong enough to interfere with one's daily activities." Some of you may wonder how does this relate to the importance of living in the moment, and that's definitely a fair question to ask.

As someone that struggles with anxiety from time to time, I can personally attest to it hindering a person's ability to live in the moment. Just speaking from my own perspective, the reason anxiety can deprive us of living in the moment is because we're too worried about what's going to happen next. It's almost like your brain is working several steps ahead of your mind and body, which causes us to lose conscious of the present. From my perspective on this topic, anxiety can totally sap our ability to enjoy being in the moment with others. Now why is trying to live in the moment such an important thing? Well, simply stated, the present is all that we really have. There's a lyric in a song by one of my favorite hip hop groups (Cunninlynguists) that goes; "You can't count on the future, only the past." I think those lyrics pretty much define why focusing on being present in the moment is vital to our lives. We know where we've been with our lives, which is defined by the past. While it's okay to reflect upon the past every now and again, the fact is that the past represents a time that's over. In regards to the future, because the future hasn't happened yet, we don't know what lies ahead in our lives. How can we enjoy today when we're already worried about yesterday, as well as tomorrow? I personally feel that life cannot be fully enjoyed if we're not in the present.

So how do we train ourselves to live in the moment? If I'm being honest here, it can be a very difficult thing for most people to do. However, there are some habits that we can implement to help with this. I'm not a professional when it comes to this, but here are a few tips that have helped me out quite a bit. First, learning to be grateful can help with living in the moment. Many of us take that glass half empty approach with life and don't realizing that we're truly blessed beyond what we may believe. Make it a daily priority to focus on being grateful for all the small things in life. Next, I would say that learning to meditate can help with living in the moment. Meditation can be a helpful tool when it comes to controlling our thoughts, which can help with controlling anxiety. Finally, getting outdoors and just breathing in that good fresh outdoor air can be of great help. While there is a lot of bad going on in the world, there is still a beautiful world out there for us to enjoy. Looking at little things like the trees, birds, flowers, etc can be a huge reminder of how blessed we are to be here. Again, living the moment can be a difficult thing for many of us to do, but it's definitely not impossible. Just work at it daily and lets learn to enjoy the moment. Remember that every second that passes is another moment that is gone, and never coming back.

Alright now folks, I believe I was able to get my point across, so I'm going to go ahead and sign off for this time. Big thanks as always to everyone that stopped by for another entry of 'Brad H.'s Perspective'! Like I always mention, I hope that some meaning and understanding was gained through this. In the event that this wasn't the case for anyone that read, I still appreciate your visit. I hope you all have a great weekend ahead, and feel free to leave any comments that you find relevant to this topic. Some of you may have some input that could help myself, as well as others who may struggle with this topic. Alright I'm out, so until next time my name is Brad H., and I wish you all peace and positive thoughts.

©2016 Bradrick H. All Rights Reserved.