W-O-W-7-archive

Words Of Wisdom

"Reality is the raw material for its own transformation, and
adversity can become anything you choose to make it into."

COMMENTARY

Ponder this W-O-W insight as I have pondered it.

Each week Art Anderson Speaks brings you a new W-O-W to enrich
your lives. Each W-O-W insight is drawn from the speeches, books, or
other materials prepared by Art Anderson. A commentary follows the
W-O-W insight to further clarify its meaning and application to your life.

Art would be delighted to receive comments from you about any of
these W-O-W insights or to hear about any of your own.
Please write to him at art@artandersonspeaks.com

THIS WEEK'S W-O-W
WOW 1--July 1, 2005

Words Of Wisdom

"The World Is As You Are."

COMMENTARY

THIS WEEK'S W-O-W
WOW 2--July 14, 2005

Words Of Wisdom

Every two weeks, "Art Anderson Speaks" brings you a new W-O-W
to enrich your lives. Each W-O-W is drawn from the speeches,
books, or other materials prepared by Art Anderson.
A commentary follows each W-O-W to further clarify
its meaning and application to your life.

Art would be delighted to receive comments from you about any of
these W-O-W insights or to hear about any of your own.
Please write to him at art@artandersonspeaks.com

"Love transforms the lover."

COMMENTARY

THIS WEEK'S W-O-W
WOW 3--July 29, 2005

Words Of Wisdom

"The Rot Beneath The Surface"

COMMENTARY

THIS WEEK'S W-O-W
WOW 4--September 17, 2005
(A delay between WOW 3 and 4 was due to unexpected major surgery, an adversity from which countless blessings are already flowing forth.)

Words Of Wisdom

Every few weeks, "Art Anderson Speaks" brings you a new W-O-W
to enrich your lives. Each W-O-W is drawn from the speeches,
books, or other materials prepared by Art Anderson.
A commentary follows each W-O-W to further clarify
its meaning and application to your life.

Art would be delighted to receive comments from you about any of
these W-O-W insights or to hear about any of your own.
Please write to him at art@artandersonspeaks.com

"Overcoming One Fear Can End All Fears"

COMMENTARY

THIS WEEK'S W-O-W
WOW 5--October 7, 2005

Words Of Wisdom

"Don't let adversity spill into other areas of your life."

COMMENTARY

Contact Art Anderson by email: art@artandersonspeaks.com

Adversity is always specific. Don’t let it spill into other areas of your life.
   Your inner chattering tells you things are worse than they are. This
overgeneralization can paralyze you. Only by clearly defining your adversity can
you seal it off and keep it contained. Just as a ship has airtight chambers that,
when damaged and taking on water, are sealed off to keep it from sinking, so,
too, you must squeeze your adversity into the tightest chamber it will fit and seal
it off from the rest of your life.
   Do not get sucked into a vortex of regrets by carrying over guilt, fears, or
failures from the past. They have no value in the present and jeopardize the
future. They, too, must be sealed off. Making an airtight chamber of the past
includes each yesterday as each today arrives, so that you start every day anew.
Never put new wine in old wine skins, or today’s possibilities in yesterday’s
failed expectations. Each day is made for its own surprises and accomplishments.
   These are tough lessons to learn. When something happens to us that we
perceive to be bad, it tends to overshadow our lives—but only because we let it.
   As an attorney, I saw financial setbacks spread over all aspects of the lives of
some of my clients. They became irritable and depressed. They alienated family
and friends, sufferd adverse health repercussions, exacerbated past mistakes with
future ones, and ended up losing parts of life—even their families—unrelated to
their financial losses. Remarkably, however, many clients under similar
circumstances managed to prevail and prosper. Why?
   It is so very important to define what our perceived misfortune is and confine
it to the tightest space we can fit it into.
   Notice, too, that I use terms like “we perceive to be bad” and “perceived
misfortune.” That’s because we assign to external events the value and
importance they will have in our lives. That is not to say that things are neither
good nor bad, but it does acknowledge that we’re the ones that give them that
extra spin one way or the other.
   If you perceive something as bad, painful or unwanted, except it as a fact, but
do not give it power. You can’t change the fact that it has occurred, but you can
decide how it will affect your life. The choice is yours. Squeeze and squash it
into a little ball of nothingness and seal it up in some unseen corner. Don’t let it
dampen tomorrow. Deal with it and be done with it. There’s too much beautiful
life ahead to get bogged down in any one unwanted event. Live fully—be alive.
Love fully—be loving and lovable. In other words, be your own wonderful self.

WOW #7

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