If there was only one nugget of gold in the entire world, how much do you think that would be worth? If there was only one diamond in the entire world, how much do you think that would be worth? Well there IS only one you in this world and when you think about it, you are much more complex than either of those other two. You are much more intricate than gold or diamonds. You are capable of so much more than either of them, so how valuable are you? YOU ARE SO VERY VALUABLE!!! You can wish, speak and listen things into existence. You can wrap your arms around others to sooth their souls and feel the warmth of another soul when they do that to you. You can think and create and love and be loved. You can move forward, make some mistakes and bounce back from them and much more. You matter and you are valuable! The problem is that sometimes we just don’t feel like we’re valuable. It happens to all of us. It doesn’t matter who you are, how happy or sad you normally are, where you live, what you do for a living, how much money you make or how old you are. Sometimes you just feel like you don’t matter. The solution is to remember that it’s OK to sometimes feel like that and more importantly, it’s OK to ask for help. It’s more than OK, it’s enviable, necessary and courageous. Perspective is also part of the solution. Use that perspective to realize that we all have problems and that problems and challenges are PART of our lives but NOT our lives themselves. So the next time you find yourself feeling kind of low, think about that nugget of gold or the diamond that we talked about earlier. Do all that you can do to remember just how valuable you are. That all those scars you’re carrying are vivid reminders that you are still alive! Be proud of that and of yourself. Be grateful and proud that everything you’ve been through has brought you to here and now. We are! Peace      ……Gregg Thank you for reading A Common Man’s Wisdom. This post is public so please share it.

Many years ago I received some of the best advice I’ve ever received. I remember, as clear as day, hearing my mom and dad saying “Gregg, just let it go.” Man were they wise.  When it came to exactly what I needed to let go, the actual subject matter didn’t matter since that advice covers a lot of territory! We could be letting go of a grudge we’ve held for a long time, some sad feelings we’ve allowed to stay with us for too long, standing up to fear instead of allowing fear to rule our lives  or any of a million other things that we’re holding onto that aren’t healthy for us.  I remember when I asked my dad one time how I was supposed to let go, he told me that sometimes it’s not so much letting go but just not holding on.  My dad once asked if I was holding onto the bumper of a moving car that was headed off a cliff, would I let go and maybe get a little scratched up but still alive or hold on and go over the cliff? (Yeah, there’s really only one answer here that makes any sense, isn’t there?) So how do we remind ourselves and others to let it go? I’ve always found that for me the most effective thing to do is to verbalize it. Say it out loud… Let It Go.  When you hear yourself saying it, it might seem to carry more weight. When you find yourself mad about something or at someone or yourself, tell yourself to let it go and then take a big breath. Repeat as many times as you need to. If you’re telling someone else, be specific about what should be let go and then ask them if they think that makes sense.  We hold on to way too much stuff that just gets heavier and heavier over time. The time has come to give yourself a break. Give yourself an opportunity. Both of those things will happen as soon as you can both say and do these three little words.  Let It Go Peace       ……Gregg

I was asked to sit in on a meeting the other day when, after an interminable period of time listening to some others drone on, this phrase came popping out of my mouth, “You are not furthering this conversation, so until we figure out how to do that, it’s pointless to keep going.” The silence in the room was deafening and then someone chuckled and said “ I’ll second that” and we moved on.  After that meeting it dawned on me that maybe we should all ask that question more often in our lives.    Are you furthering the conversation? Are they furthering the conversation? And most importantly, Am I Furthering The Conversation? I’m not just talking about our spoken conversations but all the different types of conversations we have in our lives.  •Are we furthering the conversation or are we sitting back wishing we were?   •Are we furthering the conversation or just chiming in to add something in the hopes of being noticed?  •Are we furthering the conversation or continually interrupting it to prove how smart we are or to prove how others aren’t as smart as they think they are.   So how exactly do we further the conversation? There are many ways, the most effective being through our actions. The least effective is almost always by only using your words. The worst is by just walking away from it altogether. Show others, allow them to feel instead of think. Allow them to listen with their heart and soul instead of their ears. Allow them to see through your eyes instead of being blinded by their own closed mindedness. Live your life today in a way that not only allows them, but makes them want to live their lives like that tomorrow! Constantly ask yourself if you’re furthering the conversation with your family, at your job, as you meditate or while you’re all alone but frustrated or upset. Start there and once you’re confident, find other categories and ways to incorporate this incredibly powerful concept into your life. Pretty soon it will leak into other areas of your life and the lives of others around you.  Congratulations on talking the next step to doing that! By simply considering the things we’ve talked about here, YOU’VE ALREADY FURTHERED THE CONVERSATION! You should be very proud of yourself and excited about the amazing possibilities you’ve just unlocked.  Peace      ……Gregg