by Tom Morgan | Mar 1, 2021 | Self Awareness
In the original novel, Frankenstein was the name of the scientist, but movie audiences are more likely to think he’s the monster. However, he wasn’t born scary. The lack of love and companionship made him that way.
From the start, his father figure rejected him. Then, the villagers rebuffed his attempts at friendship.
Your neighbors probably don’t chase you with torches and pitchforks, but you may have subtler relationship issues. The human in us needs to feel like we belong.
Try these strategies for strengthening your connections with family and friends.
What Frankenstein Can Teach You About Family
The doctor abandoned his creation just because of the way he looked. He also broke his promise to help Frankenstein find a mate. Without those kinds of challenges, you can probably make your family life much happier.
Use these strategies:
1. Communicate openly. Relationships depend on healthy communication. Listen to your partner and your children. Deal with conflicts promptly and respectfully. Your children will learn from your example.
2. Spend time together. Make time in your schedule for family gatherings and one-on-one activities. Read to your children before bed and go out on weekly date nights. Have fun and create memories that you can cherish the rest of your life.
3. Share responsibility. Work together as a team. Discuss parenting decisions and major purchases with your partner. Give each family member responsibilities appropriate for their age and strengths.
4. Provide structure. Daily routines and rituals make children and adults feel more secure. Be consistent about bedtimes and discipline. Follow through with what you say.
5. Seek balance. Many adults juggle parenting and full-time jobs. Clarify your priorities, so you can devote your resources to the activities that are most meaningful for you.
6. Practice self-care. Staying healthy gives you the strength to care for your family. Eat a nutritious diet, exercise regularly, and manage stress.
7. Think positive. Show your love and affection. Remember what you like about your family members and thank them when they do something nice.
What Frankenstein Can Teach You About Friendship
Frankenstein kept trying to reach out to others, and one blind old man did return his kindness. Persevere with networking and making friends.
Try these techniques:
1. Focus on quality. A few close friendships are usually more fulfilling than a large social media following. Choose friends who share your values and treat you with respect.
2. Pace yourself. It usually takes time to discover if you’re compatible. Give yourself time to get to know each other.
3. Be flexible. Different relationships often satisfy different needs. Try reaching out to someone you might not usually talk with.
4. Keep in touch. Cultivate your friendships. Call and text each other with regular updates. Set up weekly coffee dates and take turns sending out dinner invitations.
5. Take risks. Being known and understood requires some vulnerability. Reveal personal information a little at a time. Be willing to tolerate some awkwardness.
6. Give generously. Helping others is one of the fastest and most effective ways to make and keep friends. Remember special occasions like birthdays and anniversaries. Celebrate your friend’s victories and comfort them when they’re struggling.
7. Share support. Healthy relationships are based on reciprocity. One of you may give or take more, but you care about each other’s welfare and offer assistance when you can. If you feel like a friend is neglecting you, it may be time to talk things over or move on.
Frankenstein was shunned during his life, but now he’s one of our most popular cultural icons. Let him be your inspiration for avoiding the horror of isolation. Value others for their character rather than their appearance and show your love to your family and friends.
by Tom Morgan | Mar 1, 2021 | Self Awareness
You spend every minute with yourself, but you don’t know yourself as well as you think. You love to deceive yourself, whether you realize it or not. As they say, “You can’t handle the truth.”
Unfortunately, if you don’t know yourself, it’s hard to make progress. It’s like driving a car that doesn’t run well, but you refuse to look under the hood. There are issues under your hood that are in your way!
Try these techniques to get to know yourself better:
1. Take a personality test. There are plenty of tests available online. Some are better than others, so be sure to do some research. The more sophisticated and useful tests aren’t free, but you’re worth it!
2. List your values. What matters to you? What do you stand for? Make a list of your values and put them in order of which are most important to you. Do you live your life according to your values?
● Imagine you’re an acquaintance of yours. How would you order your values based on your words and actions?
3. Whom do you admire? Who are the people you admire the most? Why do you admire them? What character traits and skills do you admire in others? What you admire in others says a lot about you.
4. Whom do you despise and why? Just as informative are the people you strongly dislike. Why do you dislike them? What exactly about them is it that you dislike? Do you see any of those traits in yourself?
5. Ask your friends and family for input. Your friends and family know more about you than you think. They definitely know a thing or two about you that you don’t know. Ask them for assistance in learning more about yourself. Be prepared to be surprised.
6. Imagine watching yourself. Imagine observing yourself for a day. Imagine watching yourself eat. Imagine seeing yourself in your typical clothing. Note how you interact with others.
● You don’t appear to others the way you think you do. This is a chance to see what everyone else sees. If possible, consider setting up a video camera.
7. If you could be granted one wish, what would it be? Imagine being given a wish. What would you do with it? What can you infer from that?
● Wishing for a billion dollars is different from wishing for world peace. Wishing for a loving spouse is different from wishing for the ability to fly or for a new sports car.
● Your answer will tell you a lot about what’s most important to you.
8. What do you believe is the meaning of life? If you had to sum up the meaning of life in one sentence, what would it be? How did you come to that decision?
9. What is your biggest regret? What is the one thing you wish you could go back in time and do over? Why do you regret it so much? How would your life be different if you could redo a few decisions?
10. What makes you anxious? What causes you stress? What makes you worry? Why do these things upset you? What does your anxiety cost you? How does it limit you? How would your life change if you felt much less anxiety?
Knowing yourself is a great challenge. You’ve probably never seriously considered why you think and behave the way you do. We spend a lot of time contemplating people and situations outside of ourselves, but little time investigating ourselves.
If you knew yourself better, you could make a few adjustments and enjoy an easier and more successful life. You’d also be in a better position to deal with old emotional wounds.
Be courageous and take a long, hard look at yourself. Getting to know yourself is challenging, but in the long run, you’ll find that it’s worth the effort.
by Tom Morgan | Mar 1, 2021 | Daily Affirmation
In these unprecedented times of turmoil and confusion, I untangle myself from the chaos. I unravel the fear and hatred that abounds in the mainstream consciousness.
I rise above that low-level thinking like a hot air balloon lifting off the ground into a place of peace and quiet. In the serenity of stillness, I can clear my head. In that fresh breeze, all lower-level thoughts blow away.
I breathe in the cool air and calm down. I realize that I am safe, right here, right now. I let the sandbags of anger and frustration out of my basket of beliefs. My balloon lifts higher into the stratosphere.
From up here, all the people and problems are tiny. I see from a higher perspective. I realize that all things start to make sense. As I take another cleansing breath, I recognize that all things are in divine order.
Now my mind and emotions become clear and calm. All my challenges seem small. I am in alignment with my truth. I can make choices from my highest wisdom.
From this place of peaceful perspective, I make wise decisions. I commit to choices that line up with my highest and best self.
Now that I have found my answers from my balloon ride, I start to descend back to Earth. Now I can make choices that are best for me. I smile and giggle inside as I realize how fun it is to ride high above the crowd.
Today, rather than feeling pulled in many directions, I am centered and grounded in my truth.
Self-Reflection Questions:
1. What do I need to do right now to rise above the collective consciousness to find my truth?
2. How can I help others to find serenity?
3. Who wants a ride in my beautiful balloon?
