An Entire Universe that Doesn’t Really Exist

When I first sat down to write about Permac Sudé, the universe of Tokorel did not exist. In fact, none of it existed until that very day that I turned on my brain and gave this strange character a name. It was interesting creating someone. I realized that I could make this person whomever I wanted him to be, and that he, in the absence of the laws that govern us, could do anything including things outside of our realm of thought and understanding. Phew! That was a mouthful. Subsequently, I made Permac and his entire race, have an ability that I only wish that I had. He has the ability to sense and influence emotions. Can you imagine?

We, as human beings, are very complex creatures when it comes to emotions and emotional responses to the actions of others. Sometimes we don’t even know why we feel what we feel. What if you could walk into any situation? Any situation at all!  What if you could immediately know what the person facing you was feeling. What if you could tell, in a crowded room, what each and every person was feeling? Further more, what if you could, with a thought, change what any of them were feeling into whatever you wanted them to feel? You could make a person trust you. Make them love you. Make them hate someone else. Make them trust you. Make them feel pleasure when they saw you. How many emotions do we have? I started to write a list, but it became too long and took up too much time. So, let’s just suffice it to say that there are a lot of emotions! Now, let’s move on to the next part of this equation. 

What if everyone had this ability? Well, maybe not everyone, just everyone on your planet. There would have to be certain social rules in place to make sure that people acted in a respectable manner. After all, we can’t just go around influencing everyone to like us, trust us and fall in love with us. So, certain rules need to be established and there needs to be some way to recognize when someone is invading your privacy. We’ll call it a “brain buzz” and use that to give someone a general idea that someone else is trying to influence them. You know that someone is trying, which is rude, but you don’t know who, but you’ve learned as you were growing up, that you could block others from doing this if you felt it was necessary. It takes concentration and probably isn’t that fun to do, but when someone is being rude, you need to take the time and energy, to show them that you are not someone to be trifled with. No sir.

So, there we have the ground rules. And obviously, no one plays poker where Permac comes from. But, what if you were to leave your planet, like Permac did. Poker might be an interesting game to be involved with. Your next question, however, might be, “What does Permac’s race look like?” and that would be an excellent question. They look pretty normal, really, except for their clawed fingers. That does make them look like another species though, and I’ll talk about that in my next blog. In the meantime, keep your feelings private and make certain that you know who’s controlling them. Let’s hope it’s you!

White Knuckling to our Goals

The other day, I drove sixty miles to do a job. It was a very straightforward job and I enjoyed doing it. It ended at a little past nine that evening and it was then time for me to drive home.

At the time, we were in the middle of a spring snowstorm. I have a good car with good tires, but the visibility was poor and cars driving on the freeway were splashing copious amounts of slush up and onto my windshield. There was enough slush on the road to make it difficult to see the lanes. It quickly became a white-knuckle drive.

The road and visibility remained consistent for about 40 miles. After that, the falling snow became more rain and the road became clearer so the drive became more pleasant as well as allowing me to drive faster. Home was a welcome sight.

I realized that this drive was a lot like reaching goals. I guess that in a way, I had set a goal of reaching home safely. In life, and in business, we set goals and create action plans to reach those goals. There are times, however, when life throws slush in the road, hiding those markers that will guide us safely to our intended goal. What do we do when that happens?

I could have chosen the safe route by pulling over and waiting for the storm to end. Unfortunately, the storm was forecast to continue throughout the night. It would have been a long night. Instead, I chose to drive carefully, looking for whatever guide markers I could find. When life throws things in the way of reaching my goals, I continue on by looking for markers that I have set in front of me and slow down a little. Sometimes, life has a way of telling us when it’s time to slow down, look around and possibly re-evaluate the direction that we’re going, or the way that we’re going. Perhaps it’s time to take a slightly different path. Whatever the reason, it’s up to us to stick with reaching the goal if it’s something that we really believe in and something that we truly want to reach.

So, the next time you’re feeling frustrated and ready to give up on that goal, slow down and take a look around. It might be that the storm will be over by the following day, and the roads will clear, giving you a straight shot at your goal, possibly faster than you ever imagined. Think of it as a snow day and let the rest energize you, propelling you on to greater heights! 

Drew

GPS

This past weekend, I had to drive from my home in Fort Collins, to a hotel in south Denver. It wasn’t a long drive. It only took an hour and a half. I feel like I know Denver pretty well, but I don’t know every street, and even though I used to have to work down there, it’s grown a great deal since I was down in that area, and so trying to find a specific address can be tedious. Thank goodness we have GPS systems!

I rented a car as I was going to be running down there over a period of three different days. I was filming a pageant for the contestants and their families. When I rented the car, I made sure to rent a GPS so that I could find my way to the hotel. I got the car all packed up, started it and plugged in the GPS. I typed in the address and received a message that, “maps are not available”. I really had to wonder about this, since that, as far as I knew, was the only thing a GPS did. It displayed a map and showed you how to get from here to there. Undaunted, I continued to try. After struggling with the device for a short time, I saw another sign appear. This time the sign read, “Low battery. Connect to external power source.” I looked at the back of the device and verified that it was plugged in, following the cord down to the 12v plug in the car. Yup. It was hooked up. I wriggled the cord at both ends, just to make sure that they were secure. Yup. They were.

Maybe a reset would help. So, I turned the GPS off and back on again. This time, before anything else, it told me that it had a low battery and to connect it to an outside power source. What the heck!  I thought. This was not going to be easy. Then, the GPS shut down and refused to turn back on. Dang it!

Okay, realizing that there was a USB port in the car, I took my cheap little Android phone, plugged it in, pulled up maps and asked for directions. It worked amazingly well and got me to my destination without any issues. It even helped me find my way home that evening.

The weekend went well, and it turns out that I didn’t even need the GPS because of my phone. Sadly, I still paid for it even though it was useless to me. That, however, is another blog for another time! The point is that I knew where I wanted to go, knew generally how to get there, but also knew that for the last mile or so, I would have been clueless. I realized that this same scenario applies to life. Many times we set goals. We know where we want to go and how to get there for the most part, but when we get down to that last little bit, we get lost and off track. Ever wish that there was a GPS for life? Well, there might be a device that will show us where to go all the way to our goals, but we have two things that will help. Knowledge and persistence. Whether it’s knowledge by learning for ourselves, or knowledge that we gain from asking others, it’s that knowledge that will see us safely through to the very end and help us avoid getting lost that last little bit. Persistence is essential in reaching your goal. You might get lost, but keeping at it will always keep you moving forward. You might hit road blocks, but keeping the rewards at the end, in mind, can keep you on track. Don’t let a little hiccup in the plan stop you from getting to where you need to go. Keep moving and find another way if necessary!

Always research the trip from where you are now to the goal you wish to reach. Ask for help and direction, and don’t let anything stand in your way and before you know it, you’ll have successfully arrived and be ready to plan the next trip to a great new goal!

Drew

Take a Step Back

The other day I went into WalMart to grab a quick snack comprised of a banana, an apple turnover and some milk. I didn’t want a gallon or a half gallon of milk, I just wanted one of those little bottles that one can drink in the car. After getting the banana, I went over to the dairy section to look for the milk. I stood at the section that had the smaller bottles of chocolate milk and looked. I couldn’t find the plain milk in the small bottles anywhere. I looked at the chocolate milk rack and just below it, and it just wasn’t there! Then an interesting thing happened. I took a step back. In doing this, I was able to see the entire case, in addition to the two cases on either side. Low and behold, there were the containers of milk that I was looking for.

The moment that I stepped back, I could see more, or more of the big picture, as it were. It was at that moment that I realized what that saying meant. You know, the one that says something like, when you are too close to a situation, you need to take a step back away from it. 

The dictionary talks about taking a step back as,“to withdraw from something, especially to consider it from a wider perspective”. It comes from what I literally did in order to see my situation more clearly, and to be able to find a solution to my problem.

I guess that most words of wisdom are created from something that is done, at least once, with a successful result. I have to wonder what the person was doing, who came up with this concept of taking a step back. Maybe looking for some milk to go with breakfast, but probably not.

It’s amazing, however, how something this simple and something that I’ve heard over and over for years, really didn’t hit me until I actually had to do it, and now it makes sense. So, when ever you run into a problem that you feel is difficult to figure out, take that step back. Whether it’s a mental step or a physical step that you need to take, remember that it’s a step back to get a better view of the entire problem as well as a view of the possible solution. In other words, don’t focus so hard on the one problem point that you lose sight of the goal. Take that step back and let it help you move forward toward the the solution or reward that’s waiting for you!

Drew ~

It’s Taken Care of…

It’s Taken Care of…

by Drew Bankston

I look around at people and see the worry and concern that they have for their lives, and I have to wonder…why?

Okay, truth be told, I don’t really wonder why. I used to be right there, and righty so! There wasn’t a month go by when I wasn’t worried about something. Mostly money. I think that we all worry about money at least once in our lives. I had other worries too, though, oh yes sir I certainly did! When I look back on things I really wonder why I was so worried.

Here I am, so many years later, and not without worry, but my worries are somehow fewer than they used to be. Life has not, by any means, become simpler, but I have come to understand it better.

One of the biggest things that I’ve found is the need to play. We’ve all heard it before. When we’re kids, out work is play…and so on. The fact of the matter is that we are no longer kids. We are adults. We have responsibilities, lives, jobs, families, bills and payments and probably a lot more than I have time to list here. We do however, have one thing that can benefit us, reduce our stress, lessen our worry and make us feel so much better in life. It’s something that won’t cost you anything unless you want it to. It’s a gift that allows you to live a little better. I know that you’re wondering what this miracle is, and how you can get it. Here it comes! Relaxation.

Okay, so now you’re wondering what the heck I’m talking about. Take a look at the title of this blog. So many of us just go, constantly, without stopping, and never give ourselves the opportunity to relax. We go straight from one project into another, without taking any time to reset. Some of us, only take five minutes to relax. What the heck is that? How do you relax, or do you? Do you take time to sit down with a good book and a cup of tea, or glass of wine. Do you rest your mind as well as your body? Here’s the advice: Take a break! When, as the title indicates, it’s taken care of and the project is over (or the day for that matter) give yourself the time that you need to relax. Rest your body and your mind. Don’t say that you don’t have the time. Make the time and time will make way for your needs. It’s really amazing how it all works and comes together. Try it. That’s all I’m asking. Give it a couple of days and see if I’m not right about this. You’ll feel so much better and get so much more done, you won’t believe it.

Melt your troubles and worries away, become more productive, and live a better life by relaxing on a regular basis. Take a walk. Read a book. Look at art. Listen to music. Do whatever it is that helps you to relax and reset, and the world will be yours for the taking. Come on, try it.

Roundabout Life

Over the past few years, the city that I live in has started installing more and more roundabouts in intersections. At first, I wasn’t sure why they would do that, but then I was told that these would help us save gas because people wouldn’t have to stop as frequently as they would if a stop sign had been placed in the same spot. Made some sense, so okay. Not that there was anything I could do about it. Anyway, I learned rather quickly what the rules of the traffic circle were. Basically, if someone is in there, they have the right of way, and I need to wait until it’s clear. Simple enough, or so I thought.

It all seemed to work well for a while, but then I started seeing more and more people who felt that they should just bolt out into the circle regardless of who was in there or how close they were. This seemed to cause a lot of hard feelings in addition to scared drivers!

So, as I tend to do often, I looked at this as a great opportunity to compare life to a roundabout, and it seemed to work well. Staying with me? Okay, here we go.

In life, for the most part, we travel straight with an occasional bend in the road and maybe a right turn or left turn just when we need to adjust our course. If we’re lucky, there are sign posts and maps along the way, to help us reach all of the destinations that we want to in life. Then, somebody up and decides that they’re going to put up a roundabout. It throws some new rules into our everyday travel through life, and makes it so that you discover how many strange and unknowing people there really are around you. You do your best to keep on going, but every now and again, there’s something that happens to cause you to have to circle another time. Did you miss the turn that you needed by not being prepared? Were you feeling the pressure of the guy behind you or others competing with you? Whatever the reason, you find yourself going around a second time. Eventually, though, you make it out alive and none the worse for wear. In fact, you make it out and find yourself a little more savvy when it comes to maneuvering these traffic circles of life. 

When you find things that apparently send you spinning, out of control, and wondering where you’ll go next to get out of this, you eventually find your way to a better place and realize that you now know more than you did before the event. It’s never just smooth sailing through life. If it were, there would be no challenge and nothing to shoot for. As it is, life’s little roundabouts help us all to take a breath and then carry on, knowing that our destination is just up ahead. Keep going folks. You’ll get there, maybe a little dizzy, but better for having thought your way through it.

Drew

Fresh Eggs...

Have you ever taken out a carton of eggs and cracked one open, only to find that it’s been frozen? When that happens, you have to wonder what’s wrong with your refrigerator? Why did the egg freeze? So you go back out to the refrigerator and check the milk, at least, that’s what I do. I want to make sure that the milk isn’t frozen as well. When I say, go back out, it’s only because I have teenagers, and that forced me to buy a second refrigerator that I keep in the garage because there’s not room in the kitchen. So, I go back out to check the milk and make sure that it’s not frozen as well, and once I get out to the garage, I notice that someone, or several someones, have not thrown away the cartons that once held the cans of Pepsi on the garage floor. With a sigh, I pick up the empty carton, break it down and carry it over to the recycle bin, break it down and drop it in. How hard was that? I begin to walk back over to the refrigerator, when I hear the phone ringing inside of the house. I run in to answer it, but after looking at the caller ID and noticing that it’s not someone I know, I choose to ignore it. So I run back up the short flight of stairs to the kitchen, and I go to the kitchen refrigerator to get out the milk so that I can make the scrambled eggs. Getting out the milk reminds me that the eggs were frozen and that I wanted to check the milk outing the garage, and the cycle is complete.

How many of us experience days like this? You might not experience the specifics of the day, but the general idea of it. You experience the inability to be able finish one task before another one rears it’s ugly need! So what do you do?

I’ve had this difficulty a lot recently, and i’m not really sure why. It hasn’t been a problem all of my life, just within the past few weeks. So what am I doing to solve this untimely dilemma? I’m really focusing on the task before me. I am determined to get this one thing done and then move on. If something comes to mind that threatens to draw me away from my current task, in order to satiate the craving for more than I can handle, I have a note pad where i write down the task and get to it when it comes up on the rotation. I’m finding this to be incredibly effective as well as providing me with a great ToDo list. I’ll be busy for weeks to come at this rate!

So, just my two cents worth. If you’re experiencing this issue, give my idea a try and let me know if it worked for you. You can always reach me at author@drewbankston.com or, for more fun things delivered monthly, go to my webpage (www.drewbankston.com) and sign up for my monthly newsletter, where you’ll get life tips, info on my new books, my touring schedule as well as information on book give-aways and contests. Later my friends!

Drew