Fear was controlling my life. I had always had a standard response to fears: avoidance. Choices I had made kept me from having to face them, but they had also kept me from realizing my dreams.
I had been claustrophobic for as far back as I could remember, and then I developed a fear of flying. When I was eight I almost drowned. Fear of the water led to fear of bridges, which led to fear of heights.
My loving wife decided she would help me take baby steps toward conquering my many phobias and managed to find a short cruise. Let’s see, that covers fear of flying, claustrophobia, water issues…yup, she had just about gotten them all in one trip! I cringed as she explained her gift to commemorate ten years of marriage was to kill me on a doomed flight or drown me at sea if that failed.
We got through security rather quickly which allowed plenty of time to sit and visualize multiple ways of dying. I anticipated crashing on takeoff, hitting another plane in mid air, having birds blow out an engine, and being caught in a major storm. Every imaginable crash was calculated and weighed to determine which was the most likely to occur.
I sat praying that our plane would not be one of those Buddy Holly crop duster planes, and it must have worked because it was even bigger than I imagined. How in the world would this beast get off the ground? I knew what our fate was, crashing on takeoff.
Feeling wave after wave of the fear of flying and claustrophobia, I actually could not buckle my seatbelt! Jeez! You have got to be kidding me! For a few moments, I thought I was going to black out. Sweating profusely and scared to death, I scanned my options. Should I take the flight or run for my life before they seal us in the tube of death?
As we started taxing to the runway, I paid attention to every single word of the safety features as if there was going to be a pop quiz during the flight. I actually wanted to ask a question but chose not to for fear of embarrassment. Since I knew there was a very good possibility of the plane crashing, I wanted to be prepared. As the attendant talked to the people in the exit rows about their responsibility in case of a crash, I was ready to scream. No one was paying attention. We are DOOMED and when we crash, these idiots won’t know how to even open the door. I decided to pay very close attention and read the entire safety manual just in case.
The time had come. We were about to hit the thrusters and head down the runway of death. All I could do at that time was close my eyes and pray that the plane would not crash before it got off the ground. Within minutes, we were off the ground and leveled off.
We were in the air for about an hour and a half and were scheduled to fly to Atlanta to switch planes. Wait, switch planes? Somehow I missed that memo! Take off, land, take off, and land again? This was going to be a very long day.
When we got close to Atlanta, we hit turbulence. The turbulence made me feel like I was sitting in one of those jump houses. I looked at my wife and said, “What the heck was that?” I had never experienced turbulence before, but I knew it was not good to be “bouncing” around in the sky. She told me what it was and gave me a physics lesson on turbulence trying to convince me it was a natural thing. “It’s going to be alright, honey,” she said softly. I thought, “No way, we are about to die!” It turns out the turbulence was caused by a powerful thunderstorm that was passing through Atlanta. Over the intercom, the pilot stated that we were going to have to circle until we were given clearance to land.
Trying to distract myself, I put headphones on to listen to some in-flight music. Maybe this would get my mind off the intense turbulence and lighting show going on below us. Bad, bad, bad idea! I will tell you this but you will probably not believe me. As I plugged in, the song that was playing was “…drove my Chevy to the levy but the levy was dry,…this will be the day that I die.” Yes, “Bye, Bye Miss American Pie.” Realizing immediately it was about Buddy Holly’s plane crash, I quickly changed channels. On the next channel the song blared “…Peggy Sue, Peggy Sue….” A song by none other than BUDDY HOLLY! Yes, Buddy freaking Holly! YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME! Ok, it is fate; we are crashing. I quickly unplugged the headphones and awaited my impending death.
Finally, the pilot came over the intercom and said, “We have just received clearance to land. It is going to be a bumpy ride so please stay seated with your seatbelt on. When the oxygen masks drop, be sure to put it on yourself before you try to put it on anyone else. In the event of a water landing, the bottom of your seat may be used as a floatation device.” Say WHAT? DID HE JUST SAY THAT? Well, actually, no. He did say something about clearance to land but somehow my mind switched to recalling the safety guidelines. Which way do I pull the door handle? Left? Right? Turn and push or turn and pull? Jeez, we’re doomed!
We finally landed and everything was all right. Well, that was until we were trapped in a tropical storm the next day for our cruise. You think there was a message in there for me somewhere?
It is easy to look back now and see how fears exaggerated my reality. Over the next several years I faced many situations just like this. When I started looking within for the answers to my fears, I discovered that by simply changing my thoughts, I changed my life and eliminated the fears almost instantly. The more I was aware of what I was thinking and changing the negatives to positives, my life shot off like a rocket! If you have any fears, face them, change what you are thinking about, then visualize a positive outcome. It is that easy. I tried it and wiped out everyone one of my many fears.
Cool Shades for STINK Eyes – Cont. 2
With peace and gratitude,
Bill King
Day 4: Repeat Day 3 exercise using a new card.
Day 5: Repeat Day 3 exercise again using a new card.
Day 6: Get the sixth index card and write “Like” on one side and “Don’t Like” on the other. Your job today is to write down the things you notice that you like on the “Like” side of the card, and write the things you see that aren’t pleasing to you on the “Don’t Like” side of the card. Today, don’t put on your cool shades. Try this exercise for thirty minutes.
Day 7: Repeat Day 6 exercise, but this time put on the cool shades for the entire exercise.
Expected Results
By Day 7, you’ll probably write more things on the “Like” side of the index card than on the “Don’t Like” side. That’s great! From now on, when you use the cool shades, you’ll find yourself looking for things you like more quickly¾and you will find more things that you like. This is due to the programming of your mind during the third through fifth days. Cool shades are amazing, aren’t they?
Tips for a Successful Exercise
The STINKIN’ Summary
STINK eyes typically take perfectly harmless situations and make them appear negative. Everything appears worse than it really is. Avoid catching the STINK eye at all costs.
Cool Shades for STINK Eyes – cont.
Today is day 2 and 3 of the Cool Shades for STINK Eyes exercise. There will be another post on Thursday so please come back!
Day 2: Repeat Day 1 exercise using a new card.
Day 3: Get one index card and a pen or pencil and start looking around. Put your cool shades on as you do this. This time, notice all the things that you like, that make you feel good, or that put a smile on your face. Do this for 15 minutes. For example, if you see a nice, clean cut backyard, write “yard.” If you see a friend, write your friend’s first name. If you see your new game system, write the system’s name. Continue to write things you see that provoke positive thoughts during the short 15 minute exercise.
That’s it for today folks. Please leave comments if you like as you work through the exercises.
With peace and gratitude,
Bill
Cool Shades for STINK Eyes
Today is a continuation of yesterday’s blog post that was taken from my new book, STINKIN’ THINKIN’ STINKS! There will be another post tomorrow so be sure to come back!
STINKIN’ Exercise: Cool Shades For STINK Eyes
Cool shades for STINK eyes will help you see more clearly throughout your day. They will build your awareness of how you look at things while developing skills to help you manage a bad case of the STINK eye.
To start your cool shades exercise, you will need the following products:
Now, let’s get started. The exercises below are short but will take seven days. You can do that, right?
Day 1: Get one index card and a pen or pencil and start looking around. Your job is to notice all the things that you do not like for 15 minutes. Don’t apply any judgment to what you notice, just become aware of the things you don’t like or that cause you to feel badly. Each time you see something that you don’t like or that makes you feel bad or sad, write it down using just one word. For example, if you see a dirty room, write “room.” If you see someone you don’t like, write his or her first name. If you see a mean dog, write “dog.” Use the front and back of the card if you need the space.
Ideas for how and when to do your exercise
More to be posted tomorrow and the rest of the week. Comeback soon and hey, why not share this on Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn? Thank you!
How to Avoid Catching the STINK Eye
Below is an exerpt from my new book, STINKIN’ THINKIN’ STINKS! It is the first portion of Chapter 5 and tomorrow, I will post the next section that includes the exercise, Cool Shades for STINK Eyes. Enjoy!
“As a man is, so he sees. As the eye is formed, such are its powers.” William Blake (Mystic, Poet, Painter, and Engraver, 1757–1827)
STINKIN’ THINKIN’ Translation: If you look for the STINK in things, you’ll see a bunch of STINKIN’ things. And if you look for the SA-WEET in things, you’ll see a bunch of SWEET things.
Have you ever heard the phrase “STINK eye?” The dictionary definition of “STINK eye” is as follows: a facial expression of distrust, disdain, or disapproval; also called “hairy eyeball.” Do you see things from a STINK eye’s point of view?
Here’s a slightly different meaning to consider. In this chapter, when you see “STINK eyes,” it will refer to how you see something and, without thinking, turn it into something negative. This means that you can see something perfectly harmless but with your STINK eye, you give it a negative meaning. For example, you walk outside and you see two of your best friends walking past your house. Your STINK eye makes you squint just a little and puts your emotions on alert, creating a very negative attitude as they walk past. You immediately think they are trying to leave you out. You instantly feel angry, sad, and lonely. The crazy thing about this is that you do this in less than a few seconds, without even being aware of it. You find out later that they are planning a surprise birthday party for you and trying to keep it a secret. All that STINKIN’ THINKIN’ was just a waste of time and energy. Wow! That’s a whole lot of useless STINK in a very short time!
If you want to have a positive outlook on life,
you have to get the STINK eye out.
One way to get it out is to use some “STINKIN’ eye drops.” You can’t buy them in a store, and they don’t come in a liquid form. These drops help you become aware that you’re developing a STINK eye, and then they wash the STINK eye away so you can see clearly.
Too many people tend to look for the bad in everything before the good. Some even do this consciously, on purpose. They want to see things from the worst possible point of view so that they can be prepared just in case it comes true. Well, if you use that strategy, more than likely you will experience the worst case scenario much more often than someone who gets their STINK eye out!
Dr. Wayne Dyer uses a very effective saying that will help you with a STINK eye. He says,
“If you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.”
That might sound like a play on words, but what it really does is provide a quick solution to STINK eye. When you start becoming aware of your STINK eye, you’ll stop looking for bad and start looking for the beauty and good in all things. And you’ll find that having a more positive outlook on life gives you a lot more energy.
Look at a mirror on the side of a car. Do you see the words “objects are closer than they appear”? While that may seem like a dirty trick at first, those words make you aware that what you see in the mirror isn’t necessarily accurate; you need to turn your head and look around the car for yourself. You could say the same about STINK eyes because, if you aren’t aware of how they can distort things, you may not stop to consider what’s really around you. What your STINK eye tells you is bad may actually be harmless or even good. When you get your STINK eye out, you’ll start to see the good in almost everything you experience. There’s an old saying about making lemonade from lemons. Think of the negative things that happen as lemons, as something that can sour your life. It’s up to you to decide whether you want to focus on the sour or take advantage of the lemons and make lemonade. It’s the same with negative events. For example, when you see an accident, do you notice just the horror of the accident, or do you notice how many people are helping the victims and the compassion they are showing? The point of view you assume in every situation you face is up to you.
STINK eyes are very, very contagious.
They spread like wildfire if they aren’t contained. For your safety and for everyone around you, there’s a STINKIN’ COOL exercise to keep you avoid catching the STINK eye from someone else. Consider it a vaccination for your sight. The solution is called the “Cool Shades For STINK Eyes.” This exercise can help you see the positive in all situations. Here’s to your STINK-Free sight.
More to come in tomorrow’s blog post! Please leave a comment if you like what you “see” here! 🙂
Flight or FLIGHT?
I had been claustrophobic for as far back as I could remember, and then I developed a fear of flying. When I was eight I almost drowned. Fear of the water led to fear of bridges, which led to fear of heights.
My loving wife decided she would help me take baby steps toward conquering my many phobias and managed to find a short cruise. Let’s see, that covers fear of flying, claustrophobia, water issues…yup, she had just about gotten them all in one trip! I cringed as she explained her gift to commemorate ten years of marriage was to kill me on a doomed flight or drown me at sea if that failed.
We got through security rather quickly which allowed plenty of time to sit and visualize multiple ways of dying. I anticipated crashing on takeoff, hitting another plane in mid air, having birds blow out an engine, and being caught in a major storm. Every imaginable crash was calculated and weighed to determine which was the most likely to occur.
I sat praying that our plane would not be one of those Buddy Holly crop duster planes, and it must have worked because it was even bigger than I imagined. How in the world would this beast get off the ground? I knew what our fate was, crashing on takeoff.
Feeling wave after wave of the fear of flying and claustrophobia, I actually could not buckle my seatbelt! Jeez! You have got to be kidding me! For a few moments, I thought I was going to black out. Sweating profusely and scared to death, I scanned my options. Should I take the flight or run for my life before they seal us in the tube of death?
As we started taxing to the runway, I paid attention to every single word of the safety features as if there was going to be a pop quiz during the flight. I actually wanted to ask a question but chose not to for fear of embarrassment. Since I knew there was a very good possibility of the plane crashing, I wanted to be prepared. As the attendant talked to the people in the exit rows about their responsibility in case of a crash, I was ready to scream. No one was paying attention. We are DOOMED and when we crash, these idiots won’t know how to even open the door. I decided to pay very close attention and read the entire safety manual just in case.
The time had come. We were about to hit the thrusters and head down the runway of death. All I could do at that time was close my eyes and pray that the plane would not crash before it got off the ground. Within minutes, we were off the ground and leveled off.
We were in the air for about an hour and a half and were scheduled to fly to Atlanta to switch planes. Wait, switch planes? Somehow I missed that memo! Take off, land, take off, and land again? This was going to be a very long day.
When we got close to Atlanta, we hit turbulence. The turbulence made me feel like I was sitting in one of those jump houses. I looked at my wife and said, “What the heck was that?” I had never experienced turbulence before, but I knew it was not good to be “bouncing” around in the sky. She told me what it was and gave me a physics lesson on turbulence trying to convince me it was a natural thing. “It’s going to be alright, honey,” she said softly. I thought, “No way, we are about to die!” It turns out the turbulence was caused by a powerful thunderstorm that was passing through Atlanta. Over the intercom, the pilot stated that we were going to have to circle until we were given clearance to land.
Trying to distract myself, I put headphones on to listen to some in-flight music. Maybe this would get my mind off the intense turbulence and lighting show going on below us. Bad, bad, bad idea! I will tell you this but you will probably not believe me. As I plugged in, the song that was playing was “…drove my Chevy to the levy but the levy was dry,…this will be the day that I die.” Yes, “Bye, Bye Miss American Pie.” Realizing immediately it was about Buddy Holly’s plane crash, I quickly changed channels. On the next channel the song blared “…Peggy Sue, Peggy Sue….” A song by none other than BUDDY HOLLY! Yes, Buddy freaking Holly! YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME! Ok, it is fate; we are crashing. I quickly unplugged the headphones and awaited my impending death.
Finally, the pilot came over the intercom and said, “We have just received clearance to land. It is going to be a bumpy ride so please stay seated with your seatbelt on. When the oxygen masks drop, be sure to put it on yourself before you try to put it on anyone else. In the event of a water landing, the bottom of your seat may be used as a floatation device.” Say WHAT? DID HE JUST SAY THAT? Well, actually, no. He did say something about clearance to land but somehow my mind switched to recalling the safety guidelines. Which way do I pull the door handle? Left? Right? Turn and push or turn and pull? Jeez, we’re doomed!
We finally landed and everything was all right. Well, that was until we were trapped in a tropical storm the next day for our cruise. You think there was a message in there for me somewhere?
It is easy to look back now and see how fears exaggerated my reality. Over the next several years I faced many situations just like this. When I started looking within for the answers to my fears, I discovered that by simply changing my thoughts, I changed my life and eliminated the fears almost instantly. The more I was aware of what I was thinking and changing the negatives to positives, my life shot off like a rocket! If you have any fears, face them, change what you are thinking about, then visualize a positive outcome. It is that easy. I tried it and wiped out everyone one of my many fears.
AWESOME NEWS!
Major Announcement Coming Soon!
VERY SOON, I will be making a MAJOR announcement concerning my site, idontstink.com. This is BIG people! Keep checking the site because you will be amazed for sure.
Have a superfantabulicious day!
Bill
Talk About Using Your Sniffer!
Daily Positive Points
Today’s Message
Anger and resentment must be released. The longer we hold keep them as our friend, the more damage it does to us and others nearby. Today, think of at least one person you are angry with or even resent, and say, “I let go of my negative feelings toward you, (name). I forgive you and I forgive myself for having to forgive you.”
Today’s Quote
“Hanging on to resentment is letting someone you despise live rent-free in your head.” ~Ester Lederer
Positive Points
Today’s Message
Courage will set you free. Fear will bind you in chains. I know that it might be a little scary, but pick one thing that brings you fear and face it. You will be amazed how heavy fear can be and how much lighter and happier you feel when you face it head on. Seriously, pick one thing right now. Take a deep breath and get after it!
Today’s Quote
“Courage does not mean the absence of fear, but the ability not to let yourself be paralyzed by that fear.” Paulo Coelho
You can also click here to see the full message with all the super cool graphics. Pretty cool, huh?