​Beyond Evansing - Courage of the Irish Kingdom

Introduction
Twists and turns in life will create the need to be strong and courageous. We can be on a path heading for the fulfillment of a dream when out of the blue we are stopped cold and our dream is shattered. Or perhaps we are enjoying life and believe it will go on unabated. Then we receive a fateful phone call.  In Beyond Evansing – Courage of the Irish Kingdom, each of the characters encounters twists and turns.
 
Strong and Courageous
Princess Greer must deal with the discouragement of her father, King Erith who has given in to immense negativity which included believing the bad reports about Edwin. But more so she had to remain strong to deal with the disappearance of her husband, Prince Edwin.  She has received reports telling her that Edwin has become an outlaw and is guilty of all kinds of heinous acts. In her heart, she knew that Edwin would never do such things. Still, the evidence seemed overwhelming. This tested her ability to stay strong and courageous. Her support came from regularly taking the Eucharist which strengthened her faith. As an Irish Catholic she believed she ate and drank the actual body and blood of Christ. This gave her new life.  As well her support came from having a strong love relationship with Edwin and knowing the depth of his character.
 
Greer had to remain strong and courageous amid her family members being kidnapped. This of course required great determination in order to stay calm and remain expectant of a good outcome. Imagine the trauma of a kidnapping, not only of yourself but also those who you love. In fact she played a role in rescuing a most beloved family member. One needs to be strong and courageous to do that. It requires the right choice despite all the negative chatter and emotional swirls.
 
Conclusion
This blog has shared some examples of how Greer showed herself strong and courageous. Also shared the means by which she helped to support herself. The strength of our relationships can play a major role in our own strength. The most important point to embrace is knowing we have the choice to choose strength and courage.
 
 

Evansing – Heart of the Irish Kingdom

Introduction
Recently as I sat in my car, I noticed a rabbit running across the road and make it almost across when it stopped. It then turned around and went back from where it had come just as a car came and narrowly missed hitting it. The rabbit, after returning to where it had started, turned around and crossed the road again. For some moments it ran around in a zigzag way, not making any progress in any particular direction.

Stunned Rabbit
I pondered what I witnessed. I thought how many times we as people live life in a state of frenzied activity, moving here and there in a constant state of fear with no clear sense of direction. As long as we stay busy, we feel comforted by the motion. We are so conditioned by this state we aren’t even aware of the fear moving us. We ask someone how they are doing, and they say busy as though that is a meaningful answer to such a question. Fear distorts one’s thinking about self and life. It blocks the ability to evaluate what truly matters. We must stop and think of what is important in our life, for even the seeming insignificant choices can affect the rest of our life.
Edwin in Evansing had to deal with such a situation. He had started out on a journey to a new life when he discovered an enemy force invading their kingdom. Edwin ran to the closest village to warn them of the danger. At first the chieftain responded well, but first he wanted scouts to discover the location of the enemy. They came back with the report of the invaders heading away from them toward another village. Edwin told the chieftain they needed to help the other villagers. The chieftain did not want to, for he didn’t want to endanger his village. Fear and indifference to others blocked his ability to make the right choice. The chieftain and his people got angry with Edwin when he persisted in asking them to help. So Edwin left.
Now he needed to decide his next move. Should he just keep merrily on his way and forget about the people in the path of the invaders? Should he respond like the chieftain who exercised action and then ended up doing nothing? In both cases they could feel good about demonstrating motion and busyness. However, Edwin stopped to consider the best choice in this circumstance.
He could not in good conscience abandon the people in the path of the marauding army. Edwin pursued the invaders and found a vantage point where he kept hidden. He noticed the enemy soldiers appeared very confident. This piqued his confidence. He overheard them mention they had with them a well known and feared Druid priest. His magical power gave them assurance they would win. Edwin decided he could do something about that. As he waited, he saw the one they referred to. He put an arrow in his bow and drew it back. He released it right into the priest’s heart, who dropped dead. The troops stopped and howled in dismay. They began pursuing in the direction from where they believed the arrow had been shot. The chase began. As it got desperate for Edwin, he experienced a most unusual miraculous rescue.
While leaving the area he noticed the invading force moving down the road to the villagers who had refused to help their countrymen. They would now experience the fruit of their indifference. They had not considered the consequences of their choice. 
Edwin and the recalcitrant chieftain both had decided affecting the rest of their lives. Edwin’s led to a great opportunity and a brand-new life. The chieftain’s choice resulted in the very thing he wanted to avoid, the destruction of his village.

​Conclusion
Making right choices in life requires a sense of direction. Where do we want to go? Where do we want to end up? Have we stopped to consider what keeps us going? Have we identified fears in our life? How are they affecting us? Do they make us feel like we need to keep in motion even when no clear sense of where it takes us? It is important to know why we do what we do. No one intentionally lives life to end up in a bad place.
Set aside time to sit and ponder where you are going and whether you would like it when you arrive. Consider whether your activity is moving you forward or are you zigzagging here and there with no genuine progress.
 
 

Evansing – Heart of the Irish Kingdom

Introduction
Recently I had backed out of my garage and pressed on the garage door closer. Nothing happened. I kept it pressed down as sometimes that is what is necessary to close it. Still nothing happened. I went into the garage and pressed the button there. Once again the door did not close. I looked all around in the area where the door comes down and could not see anything that would affect the door sensor. Then I looked down to the exact line where the door would land. There I noticed a little leaf. I don’t think I seriously thought it would keep the door from closing but I kicked it out of the way. Then I went to my car and clicked the door closer and it closed with no problem.

Little Leaf
As I drove away, I started saying to myself, “Little resentment, little bitterness, little unforgiveness.” I repeated it over a few times and then a person came to mind. Someone I care about. As I pondered why they came to mind I realized I had harbored some resentment, some bitterness and unforgiveness. They weren’t big items, just enough to create some distancing and agitation in the relationship. It doesn’t take much to build little walls with others. Our feelers can be incredibly sensitive to little hurts and perceived slights. A relationship can be overwhelmingly good in many ways and yet those little unresolved issues produce an inordinate amount of harassment. They rob us of the full measure of what is available to us in that relationship.
Sometimes we aren’t even aware there is a problem. We know something isn’t quite right. In one sense we look for what could be the issue. Nothing significant comes to mind. Yes, sometimes a certain irritating memory shows up, but it’s not a big deal. Or perhaps a current agitation shows up in how we perceive being treated by that person. We may well wrestle with the issue a bit and then let it lie where it is. It seems of no real consequence after all it is only a little leaf.
Often there are multiple little leaves allowed to build up in a relationship. If we don’t start sweeping them away and out, they can cripple a relationship. Our relationships with loved ones and other key people represent a wealth of experiences that enrichen our lives. To lose them over petty resentments and perceived slights is tragic and unnecessary.
Hanging onto a little leaf to the destruction of an important relationship is like the divorcing couple spending all their assets on legal fees because its “the principle of the thing.” We get so wrapped up with our “rights” being violated that we lose sight of the long-term value of the relationship.
Our most valued relationships will frequently be the most tested. A willingness to surrender our rights will often be required of us. Mature individuals can do this. They will overlook the slights and offenses and forgive as is necessary. Immature persons will not. They think they cannot, but really, they choose not to surrender, overlook and forgive. After all they have ‘rights’.
Edwin, in Evansing, needed to forgive his uncle of harsh treatment he received as a boy. Percival his mentor helped him with the process of forgiveness. In Edwin’s case it was not a little leaf. It was a whole bunch of little leaves and some rather large leaves. It illustrated the importance of forgiveness. All those wounds detracted from Edwin’s ability to do well in his relationship with Greer, his fiancée. Fortunately for Edwin his good friend and mentor would not let Edwin stay insisting on his rights to hate his uncle and continue to be bitter. No mileage in resentments, bitterness and unforgiveness. It will only make you physically, mentally and emotionally unwell.
Edwin’s unforgiveness with his uncle also affected his relationship with Greer. It is like a contagious virus making people ill. Unresolved matters in one relationship creates hot buttons easily agitated in another relationship.

​Conclusion
When we choose to forgive, we do one of the noblest and most divine acts humans can do. It brings healing to our bodies, minds and souls. Harboring hard feelings and unforgiveness is a lose, lose way to live life. Yes, unforgiveness can feel unfair and many times it is unfair. The payoff is much greater than keeping a sense of injustice. Your life will be happier, your health will be greater and your relationships will be closer.
 
 
 

Unlimited - Anything is Possible

Introduction
Recently I sat in a meeting with some men and the discussion turned to communication between family members. The thought came to me of how words can produce wounds like razor cuts. An individual razor cut is not a life-threatening wound. You probably wouldn’t even notice it for most of the day until you rub your face and notice a sharp stinging response.

I’d had a paper cut a few days before that meeting. I put some Iodine on it and forgot about it until the cut got touched, at which time I became instantly aware how painful it was. Now imagine if you had your fingers covered with paper cuts. You would soon realize how minor cuts can become a tremendous source of discomfort and irritation. To minimize the distress, you would take steps to protect those cuts from being aggravated. You would probably put on bandaids and alter some of your activities to reduce the likelihood of them being rubbed or touched.

Razor Cuts
As we react to physical cuts, so we react to mental and emotional cuts. We tend to avoid the people who cut us with their words. Or we will reduce or eliminate any level of vulnerability to avoid cutting words. In marriage this can destroy love and intimacy. Spouses will distance themselves from each other and quit sharing with any depth. Conversation will revolve around shallow issues and the relationship will become less and less satisfying. Likewise friendships, once strong and long-lived, will be no more as the joy has disappeared from too many cuts.
We have all heard and maybe even used ourselves the well-known refrain: “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” As we grow older, we realize those words are a lie. Most physical wounds are long ago healed and forgotten, but words spoken in cruel jest, ignorance or deliberate malice remain alive and well in our minds and hearts. The old axiom that time heals all wounds is also a lie. Unless we purposely address a wound from a hurtful word, it will not heal. Unaddressed, fifty years could go by and we will feel the pain of those words as though they happened yesterday.

Gracious communication seasoned with salt is an absolute necessity to maintain harmonious relationships. No one likes to be around someone who makes them feel like they are the butt of jokes and put-downs. Or in the presence of someone who is hypersensitive and quick to give sharp responses. We all like to be with people who make us feel good to be with them. That includes ensuring the content of our conversation is uplifting, not a continual litany of negatives about people and things.

Parents need to be especially sensitive about how they communicate with their children. Seemingly harmless off handed remarks to a child can mark them forever. Children look to their parents as the chief source of their value. One major way parents express value is when they speak affirming words. Parents can be careless in their words and allow their frustrations to spark harsh outbursts with their children. Even so-called mild put downs repeatedly spoken can have the effect of numerous razor cuts or paper cuts. Each one seems of no consequence, yet the cumulative effect is destructive. When the children are grown, the parents wonder why they seldom hear from their kids. They wonder why their children have little interest in visiting and interacting even after they have had children of their own.

If you recognize yourself as someone who has hurt others with your words, it is necessary for you to go to those people, acknowledge your wrong and ask for their forgiveness. They may pass it off as no big deal. People are often unaware to what extent your words have impacted them or do not want to admit it hurt. If this is the case, ask them to do you the favor to forgive you anyway so you can feel better about it. Expect them to experience healing and a strengthening of the relationship.

Make a point of minding how you communicate to others. If your normal content is not kind, respectful and encouraging then ask yourself why not? It may well be that you have been on the receiving end of many cuts from words which have never healed. When others have wounded us, we tend to wound others.
First step identify those people in your life who hurt you with their words. Don’t be prone to dismiss it as no big deal. Words that made you feel pain have hurt you. When you receive enough minor cuts, it can make a serious difference to your well-being. It also diminishes relationships. An important clue is when you think of a specific person and the first thing you remember is something negative they said to you whether yesterday or 20 years ago. Don’t let it fester. Your relationship will suffer for it.

Next step you need to forgive that person for those specific words or for the history of repeatedly being wounded by their words. This is paramount, for without forgiveness you will not be free. It isn’t about them. It is about you. Unresolved wounds result in resentments and bitterness which can produce physical illness as well as rob you of joy and keep you from fully enjoying key relationships. Depending on the depth of the wound and the importance of the offending person, you may need to repeat this step and the one below numerous times until you totally feel free.

Now you can speak words over yourself that will break the power of those hurtful words. Say this: “I break the power of those (describe the specific words or a description of the destructive communication) spoken against me by (name the person).” 

Then say this: “I speak healing in my mind, heart, soul, spirit and body from these words whose power I have now broken.”

Conclusion
After you have done these steps, you should notice a substantial change in how you feel when you think about that person and recall their words. If you have completely resolved it then the negative emotion will no longer be present.
The book of Proverbs states: “Our words have the power of life and death.” People have died from getting a severe infection from a seemingly harmless paper cut.

Beyond Evansing - Courage of the Irish Kingom

Introduction
After consistently encountering obstacles, complications and the unforeseen unfortunate, Edwin is frustrated. With exasperation, he wonders why everything must be so hard.

Twists and Turns
The following is an excerpt from Beyond Evansing (Beyond):
“Then he sat up in bed and started ruminating about all the experiences since they had resumed the Quest. Nothing but obstacles. Everything was a struggle. Hardly anything just came together without some sort of resistance. ‘Why! Why! Why! Maybe the Quest is not what we are meant to accomplish after all. The easiest thing for us to do is simply be comfortable and build ourselves a nice secure, prosperous kingdom.   Perhaps I should let go of all thoughts on something greater. It is too hard. What is the point?’ Finally exhaustion overtook the grief and anger and he fell back to sleep.”
 If we suffer numerous unfortunate experiences while growing up this can create a stronghold in our thinking and perception of life. As a child my father picked up a small placard stating: “Cheer up the first 99 years are the hardest.” Given the difficulties of my childhood, I subconsciously internalized that statement. Not the best thing for a child to hold on to. Later on as an adult I embraced the statement: “Life is hard and then you die.” Also not a credo to live life by.  These mindsets perceived an arduous life devoid of hope.
 
Despairing thought patterns set us up for disappointments. Even though Edwin had experienced brilliant success as a warrior leader he still battled his own personal darkness from his childhood. This led him to making a fateful decision where he believed the end justified the means. See the following excerpt from Beyond.

 “Edwin took stock for a moment trying to determine what to do next. It was difficult for he had never been in such a situation before. ‘How does an entire troop of men and a severely wounded Percival just disappear?’ He decided to ask his men for their input.”
 
A critical situation arose which set up Edwin to make a crucial decision. He didn’t recognize it as also being a test of his values. Another excerpt from Beyond.
 
“’Supposing you are right, what do we do now?’

‘We have to get a Druid priest to draw him (Donegal Dwarf) out of his cave.’

‘A Druid priest? Are you serious?’

‘Yes, I am. I know where we can find one.’”

The bait and hook have now been set. As you can tell Edwin experienced dismay at the thought of engaging a Druid priest. The Druids were sworn enemies of the Quest to unite Ireland and have created obstacles to achieving that goal. Druidry represented all that was dark and evil and contrary to Edwin’s values. The next Beyond excerpt shows how Edwin failed the test.

“’What do you plan to do?’

‘I plan to lead you right to him, but before I do, I will use an incantation that is sure to shield all of us from the Dwarf’s magic.’

‘Wait a minute, how do we know you won’t put us under some harmful spell?’

At this moment, Leif spoke up, ‘Sir, I know this man by reputation. Even though he is a Druid he is an honorable man.’

Edwin struggled within himself whether he should delve further into using the Druid’s help. He knew that allowing himself to be willingly placed under a Druid incantation was the last thing Percival would have wanted. Yet what was he to do? His dear friend Percival may still be alive, and of course the missing men were his valued friends and fellow warriors. Surely the circumstances justified him foregoing his normal standards of avoiding any dark side magic.

With a sigh he said, ‘All right let’s do it.’”

This decision leads to Edwin and his men ending up in the same position as the men he wanted to rescue. He then realizes he made a serious mistake in judgment. We can be in a situation where if we would have considered another option or willing to wait a little longer the right solution would come. Edwin’s darkness narrowed his sense of options in a difficult place. This resulted in his willingness to entrust himself to someone whose values and goals in life were totally opposite to his own.

Betraying our heart by violating our principles is never a good idea. The twists and turns of life can pressure us to justify such decisions. They always produce regret and cause more loss than gain. Even if they seem to produce profit in the short-run they cost more in the long-run.

Jordan Peterson has said it is important to recognize life is hard and to develop the character and discipline necessary to succeed in life. We know life is hard. We have two choices, either let the hardness warp us or let it build us. In the book of Romans, The Passion Translation, it states:”…every detail of our lives is continually woven together to fit into God’s perfect plan of bringing good into our lives…”  We must embrace the truth of knowing how the twists and turns of life can be a source of benefit.

Conclusion
Everyone experiences those seasons when seemingly everything is against us and nothing comes easy. Our progress is like walking in heavy cement. All we can do is focus on putting one foot in front of the other and trust life will turn around for us.

Fortunately, Edwin often experienced the support of Greer, his supportive wife and valuable friends in Percival and Darcy. Together they worked to keep Edwin calm, rational and able to stay the course. He experienced the deposits of their previous support, even when they were not physically present.
  

Evansing – Heart of the Irish Kingdom
 
Introduction
Courage and strength are essential to living a successful life. Without these qualities the problems of life will wear us down and cause us to abandon or avoid what is necessary for fruitful and meaningful lives.
 
Courage and Strength and Great Resolve
In the following excerpt from Evansing we note Carson’s willingness to take on something difficult: “News of this young boy missing especially touched Carson. He’d had a close call with his eight-year-old brother the year before. He remembered the torment his family went through when his brother had wandered into the forest. The searchers found him three days later in a very dehydrated condition. His little brother would not have lasted another day.


So with great resolve to make a difference, Carson first went to the parents to ask for some information regarding their son. They were ambivalent about talking to someone from Evansing, but their love for their son overcame their prejudices. Carson gleaned that their son liked to go into the nearby streams. Together they studied drawings of where the streams were located and a description of the terrain. They weren’t deep or fast streams, but if Josh had gone into one, he could lose the hunting dogs engaged in the search. It seemed as though Carson had a sixth sense about where Josh had gone, for he headed in a direction where nobody considered looking. It was a particularly forlorn area and difficult to enter. The entry though was a stream that wound its way through the middle of that area.”


As we note it was with “great resolve to make a difference” that Carson undertook a difficult and as we later discover a dangerous mission to rescue the missing boy.
Courage and strength will always be necessary to engage the tasks or processes necessary to refine us to be who we need to be in order to create a large life. In the course of doing the difficult the hidden treasures that lie within us come to the surface. New genius is discovered which leads to the joy that comes from satisfaction realized.
 
Cultivating joy is an important component of being strong. The Bible says, “the joy of the Lord is my strength.” We all feel able to do most anything when we are in a positive frame of mind and emotions. Joy is an integral part of this. Getting focused on something good or perhaps dancing in our cubicle, whatever it takes, are useful for restoring joy.
 
Facing our fears is a way to build our courage to do the tasks or pursue the projects that may at first even appear to be impossible. This doesn’t mean that you take on the giants in the land right off the bat. It may simply mean you join a Toastmasters group and begin speaking on a regular basis in front of a group of people. This will build your courage and strength levels as it is commonly stated that public speaking is one of the most common fears. Another way is take on a leadership position in an organization. This extra pressure will strengthen your inner being resulting in a new ability to take on greater challenges. A key here is to get relatively comfortable with discomfort. In other words, embrace the discomfort. You choose to value the benefits of the desired outcome as more important than the discomfort experienced to achieve it. In other words, as I heard Dennis Waitley once say, “Winners value pleasing results more than pleasing methods.”
 
Here we have a major stumbling block to great achievement. Often people want to achieve greatness without the pain and discomfort of the journey to get there. That is living in a fantasy.
 
What would we think of an explorer in the 1700s in North America who didn’t like the idea of being uncomfortable? Naturally we would think he is being unrealistic and would question whether he should be considering a vocation of explorer. It’s like a missionary being sent to a small village in Africa who doesn’t like dirt. The prognosis would not be good for them to stay long.
 
If you struggle with doing what you believe you are meant to do, then it may be one of two issues at work. First, it may not truly be what you are meant to do. Sometimes we can fall in love with an idea, but it doesn’t necessarily mean our heart is really in it or that we are well suited for it. Parents or other significant influencers in our lives can unduly push us in a direction they want us to go, but we at a core level do not. Second, you may have an attitude of futility. If you do, there will be an invisible barrier radiating the message, “What is the point? You will only fail anyway.” In this case, place your hands on your head and then say these words, “I demolish the stronghold in my mind, heart, soul and spirit of futility. I replace it with expectancy and anticipation of success.” I just did this myself and I broke out laughing and laughing.
 
Conclusion
Courage and strength and great resolve to make a difference is necessary in order to live a life we can look back upon and say we truly lived the life we were created for. Start developing a mindset of “Yes, I can do that” whenever considering the achievement of a new important goal. Progressively your automatic response of “I can” will replace the old automatic response of “I can’t.”
 
Another book you can read on Courage is called: “Courage: The Joy of Living Dangerously.” I haven’t read it personally, but it does have high rating reviews. It is available at http://www.amazon.com.
 

​Unlimited - Anything is Possible
 Introduction
Decision making wisely establishes the cornerstone for a successful life. All of us experience the joy and the pain from our past decisions. Therefore it makes sense to want to understand what affects our ability to make wise decisions.
Fear-based decision making
Emotions influence our decision making. Decisions made when fearful will almost always produce regrets. As a result, we want to avoid making important decisions when struggling with fear.
Having awareness of fear-based thinking can be difficult to identify. Awareness of fear can be especially difficult to uncover for the person who has grown up with living a fearful life. Fear distorts one’s thinking so what appears as a wise basis for a decision can actually be foolish. Wisdom for a person with that background would be to ask someone they trust for their opinion as to a particular decision. In addition, they should make a practice to ponder and consider their true motive for a decision.
I will give a personal experience. Some years I received a phone call from a friend who was all concerned, even fearful that I needed to lock in my mortgage rate as the rates were going up. I got caught up with the fear and decided I needed to move quickly. I had a variable rate mortgage, which was low interest. Given the high level of government debt in USA and Canada, it would not make sense for the Bank of Canada to raise interest rates, but some so-called experts stirred up fear about rising interest rates. So, I got caught up in a whirlwind of locking in my mortgage and paying significantly more interest. This resulted in thousands of wasted dollars on paying needless interest. This is a classic example of how fear overwhelms our sense of rational thought and motivates us to take steps we regret later. As the saying goes: Act in haste, repent in leisure. Fear does that.
Selfish motives decision making
Sometimes others with selfish motives can influence us to our detriment. They may seem like they have our best interests at heart, but truly they do not. When my parents went through a divorce, my father decided he should sell all his real estate. He had several rental properties he had acquired over a number of years. He showed great expertise and a willingness to be stretched financially to accomplish this. However, in a moment of vulnerability at a stressful time, he lost it. Yes, he got the money, but he lost out on future cash flow and the increased values of those properties. He often expressed regret at what he had done. For whatever reason, he never purchased rental properties again.
He had engaged a realtor to handle the sales. The realtor stood to gain significant commissions on the sales. My father shared with the realtor how he was reconsidering whether to go through with the transactions. He had initiated the divorce and now he had second thoughts about going through with the divorce. According to the realtor, my mother had shared with him some rather uncomplimentary thoughts about my father. When he said that my father went ahead with the transactions and the divorce. Even if what the realtor said was true, his motivation at that moment was his desire to make commissions. His selfish motive prevailed over an opportunity to encourage reconciliation between my parents.
Exuberant decision making
We must exercise caution when experiencing emotions of great exuberance and joy. It is easy to make rather risky decisions when in such a state. This results from a feeling of invincibility. The resulting belief causes one to decide they can handle whatever risks they feel good about in the moment. Prudence dictates waiting until one has come down from their emotional high before making a critical decision.
A state of high exuberance reduces the capacity to recognize the danger in making a decision at that time. This may in some ways seem hard to appreciate. But a person in such a good mood does not easily accept a cautionary warning. Wisdom says one should slow down and ensure one can make a wise decision. Asking the opinion of a wise friend or advisor can also aid in such a case.
I will share another personal experience. Some years I ago I attended a seminar in Houston. Lots of hype on the possibilities of their services. It required a very significant investment, and I decided to sign up. Then I discussed it with a friend who brought me back to earth about the risks and advisability of such an investment. After further reflection I decided my friend was right, and I chose to not make that investment. When I have thought about that later I am glad I did not pursue that so-called opportunity.
Conclusion
Wise decisions require awareness of one’s emotional state. Extreme highs and lows can lead to poor outcomes. Discerning the motives of others influencing us is also very important.
 May your reading this blog create an increased awareness any time you are making a significant decision. Choose wisely!
 
 

​ Beyond Evansing – Courage of the Irish Kingdom
 
Introduction
The sequel to Evansing – Heart of the Irish Kingdom has a special focus on Edwin the courageous leader. He has especially stretchy experiences that test his courage. We all have seasons when life is pushing us to keep going and face challenges head-on. During those times we may be tempted to put the covers over our head and stay in bed. Nevertheless, we got up and decided to face the world and do our best.  Being courageous means facing our fears of whatever form they come in. Edwin had to face a wide array of obstacles and difficulties that at times threaten to push him to despair. He chose to demonstrate courage.
 
Courageous
Edwin encounters situations way over his head requiring him to stay calm and encourage himself. One such circumstance especially tested him. This involved almost all his men including Percival disappearing without a trace. He only had several men remaining and had to make a tough decision under pressure to recover the missing men. He did manage to find the rest of his men and Percival. Unfortunately, that decision now led himself and his remaining men also into the same dark place as the others. Edwin had allowed pressure to cause him to make a hasty decision against his values. This happens to all of us where we experience a need to solve a problem and take an expedient course of action. Often a better solution existed if we had considered our options a little more closely.
 
Sometimes we will hear news other than how we would like it to be. Edwin had received encouraging news from a friend of Percival. But wait something was missing. What about Orla his daughter? There had been no comforting assuring news about her. Edwin struggled with keeping his calm about this disappointment. It required him to display the courageous leader within. Edwin’s choice to stay calm and focus on what needed to be done empowered him to be an effective team member in the pursuit of Orla’s rescue. When emotions run high and scary thoughts of worst-case scenarios bombard our minds, we need to ensure we make the right choices. It is never good to make an important decision when we are in a state of fear and anxiety. We all can relate to regretting those decisions we made in times of fear. Yet fear is a powerful trigger to decide on something. That is why car salesmen or realtors will ensure we know someone else is coming to look at the same car or house. They want us to know it won’t be available long and we may miss out.
 
Demonstrating courage when others do not can be a singular route for distinction and success. During the War of the Spanish Succession, the Duke of Marlborough demonstrated great courage as he continually looked for opportunities to engage the enemy. Conversely, most of the leaders of their allies wanted to mainly conduct a defensive war. Their motivation stemmed from fear of defeat. The Duke had to face many demoralizing situations where he wanted to go on the offensive but had to stand down because of overseeing leaders refusing to give him permission. In this case the Duke had to demonstrate courage not only on the battlefield but also in his relationships with his allies. By doing so he gained the opportunity to have his sought-after freedom on the battlefield. This led him to celebrate victory at the Battle of Blenheim which led to the defeat of the French and their allies.
 
When Joshua led the Israelites into the Promised Land, he undoubtedly felt the pressure of being in a difficult situation. The land they had been given contained fierce inhabitants in fortified cities and well-armed soldiers. The people he led were poorly armed and had little military training. Three times in the same passage he is commanded to be courageous and even very courageous. Along with that he is commanded to be strong and vigorous. This gives a clue how determining to be strong and vigorous helps to create an attitude leading to courage. We may not have someone commanding us to be strong, but we can command ourselves to be strong, vigorous and very courageous. Our minds, hearts and bodies respond to our words. As we feel new vigor and energy it fuels our capacity to face difficult tasks, situations and people. I have a close friend who says we don’t ask for an easy path; we ask for strong shoes. I like that. I often say something like this, “Lord, I ask you to give me strong shoes.”
 
Joshua was also commanded to be not afraid or dismayed (discouraged). Fear and negative thoughts will rob us of strength and courage. It is mandatory to refuse those kinds of thoughts. If we struggle to resist those thoughts, then we have another opportunity to use our words to snap out of it. For example, we could state something like this: “I renounce and reject all fear and anxiety. I choose to be cheerful, joyful and expectant of a good outcome.” Keep doing it until you get the release and start feeling calm again or at least calmer. Remember the power of choice. If you have chosen to fear you can also choose to reject fear and then choose courage. Recently, I got a revelation of being the President of my future. I have presidential authority to make choices to create the future I am meant to have.
 
Conclusion
Edwin had to demonstrate courage in circumstances where much was at stake. He didn’t always respond perfectly but he always recovered his ability to stay strong. May you increasingly recognize opportunities to act with courage and gain the fruits of success.

​Evansing – Heart of the Irish Kingdom

Introduction
Awareness is of no benefit if a person does not choose to change in some concrete way, either to begin something new or to quit doing something damaging to the well-being of self or others. There must be courage to implement the required change. This can be difficult, especially if there is a substantial investment in the previous belief and behavior.

Awareness Requires the Right Action
Military commanders have still gone ahead with battle plans, even after new intelligence showed different plans would work better. Their ego investment would not allow them to change, and the results were disastrous with many lives needlessly lost. An example of this occurred in the Korean War in 1950 (reference was made to a Harvard Business Review article entitled “Business and Battles: Lessons from Defeat” written by Joseph L. Bower), when Chinese forces staged a surprise attack along the Yalu River. Suicidal waves of Chinese troops drove the US Eighth Army back in great confusion and sidelined that army unit for much of the war. While the nearby U.S. Marine X Corps achieved great success in fending off the Chinese attacks. They thoroughly defeated and in effect eliminated for the rest of the war the two Chinese armies opposing them.
 What explained the Marines success and the Eighth Army’s defeat? The Marines had served with Mao’s Eighth Route Army and knew that the Chinese were not a poorly equipped version of the North Korean Army and planned accordingly. They knew the Chinese attacked at night from close in. Their tight lines and aggressive picketing worked well to locate and respond to the Chinese. In contrast, the Eighth Army used a spread-out, under-manned formation vulnerable to Chinese order of attack.

The Eighth Army leaders ignored intelligence reports and failed to learn from the Marines. Reason for this lay with the Army’s preconceived ideas and assumptions about the Chinese abilities and inflexible ways of thinking and doing battle. Their low view of the Chinese capabilities and belief their ways were superior led to an inability to recognize the value of the intelligence provided by the Marines. Consequently, they executed a strategy they felt comfortable with.

Even everyday opportunities to change can be ignored because it’s uncomfortable. Quite often this is because of some fear of the consequences of the change. Even when it is apparent, it will lead to better long-term benefits. People can have fear of failure or even fear of success. This will result in a person staying in a dead-end job or abusive relationship because it’s familiar and in a perverse way, comfortable.

It is worth investing a little more in the topic of fear. It can diminish our ability to take the right action. I once heard in a movie trailer that “fear rots the brain.” That is a very succinct and accurate representation of the effects of fear. It distorts our thinking. Fear blocks one’s awareness, or at least can impair our willingness to acknowledge the new awareness trying to take root in our consciousness. This can be due to the new awareness being costly in some manner. Perhaps it will affect our finances, or maybe we need to release a relationship. Whatever the cost it is important to recognize the awareness that has arisen and be willing to not let the fear of loss influence our decision. All true awareness has the purpose of improving our long-term well-being, even if there is a sacrifice in the short-term. This raises the question of accurate discernment as to what appears to be a new awareness. In the event of a serious consequence it is wise to get counsel from someone we trust or go to an authoritative source able to give us a definitive answer.
 
​One way to check out your new awareness is to enumerate and investigate all the reasons why it may not be a good choice. Also evaluate possible less than the best outcomes for your current path. This latter one is always vital as we tend to look at only the evidence supporting a decision our emotions want us to pursue. We must recognize our emotions can powerfully influence what we believe is a logical decision. None of us are totally logical. No humans are copies of Mr. Spock from Star Trek.
 
Conclusion
Decide to stop being driven by fear. Until you can get to a place of peace, refuse to make a decision. And start or stop doing those things you know your new awareness is telling you. As you gain confidence in your ability to gain accurate awareness you will make better decisions and take the right actions.

​by Glen Klassen | Oct 6, 2017 
 
Why read “Unlimited – Anything is Possible?” Self-help blogs exist on a whole variety of topics. Many self-help blogs simply aid you to live more comfortably in your dysfunction. Or as I heard a noted speaker once share, live life as a better slave. This book is largely based on a novel, “Evansing - Heart of the Irish Kingdom.” You could say this is an Irish self-help book. Reason being that I have taken many illustrations from Evansing to illustrate important points in Unlimited. As well numerous other sources have been used. These clearly demonstrate qualities and specific actions necessary to attain an Unlimited life.
This book inspires you to freedom in your thinking. Then you can truly start to have an expanded viewpoint on what is possible for you. The book is divided up in easy to digest short chapters to facilitate pondering and applying what has been read. This then makes it easy to incorporate the book in a daily reading. After all, you want to apply the information to change your life, not just have an interesting read. You will find as you keep going through the chapters and consider the reality of having a life that is Unlimited your mind and perspective on what is available for you will grow and your options will increase.
 
SELF-HELP CONCLUSION
In conclusion, this book has been written in a style that is simple, enjoyable and easy to read and understand. Often we read books and then promptly forget what we had learned. This book is designed to be a reference you will want to review over and over to reinforce the principles.  This will empower you to use them in everyday life. The end result of their application will be a life you can truly look back upon with satisfaction of a life lived well.