Think Good. Do Good. Be Good. You have to.

Hello Friends! It’s your Captain speaking.

I’ve not done a lot of reading or much research really that would adequately familiarize me with the concept of doing good and good will come, but it’s in the Bible, and after all, seems like a GOOD thing to do, so why not? But another philosophy I also don’t know much about is the law of attraction. This, (thank you Google) dictates that whatever can be imagined and held in the mind’s eye is achievable if you take action on a plan to get to where you want to be.

Hippie talk if you ask me…well, if you asked me a year ago. Are you asking now? Oh. I’m glad you asked.

The mind is a powerful, wonderful, terrifying, magnificent, and complicated thing…be a shame to waste, huh? It can be your friend, your enemy, your happiness, your despair. Your mind is in control. When you think things seem OUT of control, and you are LOSING your mind, and just when your head is about to EXPLODE from all of the built up stress and anxiety, suddenly, you hope, you wake up, you look in the mirror, and with authority proclaim, “I HAVE TO DO__________” and then do it. Oh how simple. See, leading up to this point in life, you’ve needed to do this, wanted to really get around to that, should have done that, or shouldn’t have done that. But what do you have to do?

Let’s look back. What are some things you’ve HAD to do? Quit drinking? Great. Smoking? Any addiction that controlled your life? Awesome. You had to do it. (Note: reasons that you “have to” vary from person to person and should in no way be used as a road map for anyone except for oneself…I think that’s the appropriate disclaimer.) So you discovered something you had to do, or so that’s what you told yourself, you did it, done. Congrats. You see, if you have to do something, arguably, this leaves choice out of the equation as far as I can tell from my newfound life hack, and with no choice, “have to” enters the picture. Perhaps you’ve heard or even said yourself, “I have to starting working out and eating better,” Let’s break that down. HAVE TO WORK OUT. Okay, you HAVE TO because________…..look better? Feel better? Healthier? Okay. Go for it! I’ll be here waiting….

…haven’t started yet? Oh, well, I guess you didn’t have to.

WAIT RHAM?!! ARE YOU SAYING YOU HAVE TO HIT A WALL BEFORE YOU “HAVE TO” DO SOMETHING!? Like the doctor telling you you HAVE TO stop smoking, or HAVE TO stop eating this or that, or you HAVE TO start walking and lose weight or you’re going to have a body-attack…body attack? Is that a thing?  I’m not saying that getting to a “have to” point in life only comes after something major, or something life-changing. No, “have to” could come and many times should come from within, when  you reach a point that you know it’s the wrong path, or that there’s a better path elsewhere, and thus starts the brain-mind-head- spin of BELIEVING that you HAVE TO do something..Now, granted, sometimes people need that wake-up call in the middle of the night, or that kick in the door, or proverbial kick in the tail. Some of us respond to that, and make a change, others think they don’t have to and don’t, or didn’t….results may vary. Ask the person for details. Some restrictions apply.

So now you’re confused. Yes? It’s fine. Just wait. Gets even better. Got a treat for you this week! (My Brain: enter at your own risk) See, what’s happening here now, is I am taking you on a little journey. It’s one I take most every week, inside my mind, words swirling, ideas tap dancing on the roof, hangin’ 10 on the the brain waves of Rham Ocean…… OH YA!! … Because it’s difficult to explain to people how my mind works (as I too haven’t the slightest clue) I thought it would be cool to show you the process of writing the Captain’s Log, or writing anything for that matter. First, the spark of an idea comes to me (today that was on the topic of “being Good”….do you remember that far back?) Idea comes, I pull out my phone and most of the time start in the notes section. If the idea is strong enough, I immediately send the words to my MacBook, and continue the words there…and more words…and more words… I display multiple levels of questionable sentence structure, and the only thing that outnumbers all of my strategically placed run-on sentences in my prose are commas, yes, commas. If you’re asking yourself, “what on Earth is this little sidenote of “Rhamdom-ness” all about?? Nothing specific really, just the process I go through when I’m trying to get out words. I do this most every week. In the past, the words would sometimes float out in the air and I would lose them but now I try to record them (that’s an interesting audio session to review later.). Then, there are those other words that make their way on to the screen, like these you are seeing here now in some sort of magical mind to phalanges exchange the likes no one has ever seen…and just when you think there is no way…  See, after a little glitch similar to what you just waded through (hope you’re still with me?) I’ll go back and take all of it out of it before publishing. This is just the fat drippings so to speak, it’s what my brain is constantly doing while I am trying to focus and write about “doing good” or things you “have” to do. But, I derail sometimes, so, when I do, I take out the extra words, store them elsewhere, (after all, no need for any words to go to waste) and, who knows, might reference them later, or not. But they’re words, my words. Sometimes I put them in the right order, other times not so much. If I’ve done it right though, I take out just the right amount and get right back on track…well, except for this week. I figured, why not? ….Okay, done. I’ll continue so Beth doesn’t rag me for this being too long (let’s see if she even makes it this far and texts me! HA!)

Where was I? AH! So if one doesn’t hit a wall and decide to change something, what then, Captain? What if something clearly NEEDS to be changed, but HAVE TO has still not quite punctured the head brain? (Let’s make a note here that I am in no way, shape, or form a therapist or psychologist or a doctor of any kind…I’m a Captain, but that’s different, and questionable…but what I say here is just things that I have come to recognize in my newfound sobriety, a clear mind, and overall view on life. Works for me. Maybe it will for you. Maybe not….shall I go on? …..I just remembered I opened a parenthesis somewhere back there and have no clue where to close it, so I’m not going to…. When your mind finally fully comprehends what “have to” really means, the race is on. HAVE TO means something different to us all. HAVE TO often times HAS TO come from within. There, that’s all you should lift from all of this… I think.

What then? Finally getting back to what I intended for this post to be about….something good. And believe you me, we’ll end this on a GOOD note! The mind is a powerful, wonderful, terrifying, magnificent, and complicated thing…did I mention that? I’d hate to repeat myself. If it is change you seek, not until you are able to convince your mind that there is something that HAS TO BE DONE, HAS TO CHANGE…HAVE TO….. REQUIREMENTS ARE NOT SUGGESTIONS. But did you catch that? You have to convince your mind to believe that you have reached and impasse and you HAVE TO do something about it? Seems little tricky… I mean, that’s like fighting a battle using troops from the same side. Tricky indeed. Here’s what you do in the meantime, while youre trying to figure it all out, when you’re not quite sure what to do…It’s never bad to do something good. For someone else. For yourself. For no reason at all. No pat on the back – no ‘like’ on Facebook, nothing. Well, not nothing. You know what you did was good, and that feels good, and you like to feel good, so you do it again and again…. Your attitude suddenly changes. You begin to write a new story. You begin to map out a game plan… you’re smiling more. You’re happier, healthier, funnier, more productive,….  All because you took something you needed to do, realized you for reasons maybe only you know, you had to, and did it. I had to quit drinking.

I had to, and I did. I’m starting to understand. ish…

Find your have-to at a bookstore near you….I joke. It’s not about finding and conquering things you have to do. It’s just about being more aware. By being more aware, surrounding yourself with thoughts that fit you, that make you smile, makes you want to make someone else smile….that is a good feeling, and good is where we all want to be!

Okay, I was scattered this week I admit. Many more words but better wrap for now. Things to do hot and heavy …again … AWESOME. Scroll down to see what’s coming up. Until next week keep it positive out there, do something GOOD for someone today and if you Love Fort Smith Love ALL of Fort Smith OUT LOUD!!!

Words, over.

Rham. C.