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:

  • seven 3 x 5 index cards (or pieces of paper cut to 3 x 5 size)
  • a pencil or pen
  • a pair of sunglasses
  • seven straight days to do the short exercise (15 minutes each day)

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

  • walk around your house
  • go for a walk
  • ride in a car
  • go to a sporting event
  • on your way to school
  • between recesses
  • on your way home

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!

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! 🙂

I am getting very close to finally finishing my latest book for kids, STINKIN’ THINKIN’ STINKS.  It teaches positive thinking in fun and humorous way.  We are now working on illustrations for each of the chapters and when that is completed, it will be off to book design for the final layout of it.  Each time I think I am done, I find one more thing to make it just a littel better.  I finally believe I am there.  We did finish the book cover but not quite ready to share with everyone but I can tell you it is AWESOME!  Keep checking here for updates on the book.  The book release is currently scheduled for a fall release.

With peace and gratitude,

Bill

Last week we moved the launch of my next book, STINKIN’ THINKIN’ STINKS, to the fall.  This will coincide nicely with the launch of school and allows us more time to do promotions.  The book itself is scheduled to go the final editor within the next two weeks.  After that is complete, the book will head to interior book design.  We completed the book cover last week and boy, it looks awesome!  We have a few illustrations to add and I recently decided to create a companion workbook for the exercises.  By moving the date, it allows me to complete the workbook by the launch date.  Will keep you posted as the book flows through the publishing process.

With gratitude and peace,

Bill

STINKIN’ THINKIN’ STINKS! is my latest book written for ages 9-13.  Although it is taking longer than I expected, I finally have a publication date.  It is scheduled to be released June 22, 2010.  We are in the process of developing the cover design and it is just about ready to go to the editor and book designer.  I have to say that this project has been quite a different one than any of my other books.  It mixes humor with personal development and provides some pretty cool exercises the younger ones will actually want to try.  I also see older children and adults checking it out because of its uniqueness.

Thank you to everyone who has provided me with encouragement on this book.  With 3 years in the making, it is certainly the longest project I have ever attempted.

Peace and gratitude,

Bill