Helping Make our Communities Safer. Jaime is a Trial Attorney and Safety Advocate at Jaime Jackson Law in Lancaster, PA representing seriously injured victims, wrongful death and those harmed by unsafe products and corporate neglect. Contact Jaime at 717-519-7254 or email jaime@jaimejacksonlaw.com.
Friday, December 29, 2023
Jaime Jackson Safety Blog: A QUIET ROOM
A QUIET ROOM
You can get the International bestseller The Shi*t I Wished I learned in College here:
Monday, December 11, 2023
Jaime Jackson Safety Blog: THOUGHTS
THOUGHTS
“Once you replace negative thoughts with positive ones, you’ll start having positive results.”
Willie Nelson
Thoughts. I wonder if dogs have thoughts? Cats? In us humans our
character is shaped by our thoughts. That internal dialogue in our
head. “positive” thoughts. “negative” thoughts. Things we know we
should not do but we think about them. We are what we think, so
be careful what we think about and dwell upon. Guard against other
people filling our heads with “thoughts” or just because they have a
certain point of view, we should accept it. Maybe we should, maybe
we should not, but they should be our own thoughts with our own
reasons. If on any given day we just cannot seem to come up with an
original thought, then stick to what we know is right, our habits, our
routines, our values, and virtues. Stay the course and stay curious
as we come across each thing that comes before us, we can “think”
about it and how we “feel” about it. Develop or expand, accept, or
reject. But it is our mind, they are our thoughts. It is our divine ability
to think. It is one of our highest powers. Use it wisely.
You can get the International bestseller The Shi*t I Wished I learned in College here:
Friday, December 1, 2023
OVERTHINKING IT
OVERTHINKING IT
“The more you overthink the less you will understand.”
Habeeb Akande
Overthinking sometimes can create stress, worry, or fear. Some things
are like a cold shower, we just gotta get in. After a while it is tolerable,
even feels rather good. Yes, we need to think through things, to
diligently prepare and do the work. But fretting or worrying too much
can be counterproductive. Calm, cool, confident knowing you got this,
you have put in the work. You have thought things through. You have
prepared. You are ready to go. A little anxiety is good, it keeps us on
our toes. Avoid getting sidetracked with excessive worry or distraction.
A little nervous energy, excitement, angst is good. It keeps us focused
on the task at hand and reminds us we very much care but be wary
of the opposite end of the spectrum where we overanalyze, overthink
and “what if” ourselves into inefficiency. Stay focused. Stay calm. Stay
confident and know you are quite good enough and quite capable.
Whatever happens you are well suited for the job because you are good
at what you do, you are capable, prepared, and ready to get it done.
You can get the International bestseller The Shi*t I Wished I learned in College here:
Monday, November 27, 2023
THE POWER TO THINK
THE POWER TO THINK
“Never underestimate the power of thought;
it is the greatest path to discovery.”
Idowu Koyenikan
The ability to think. To reason. To plan things out. To contemplate. To
use logic. These are our greatest powers. Yet, we often just give them
up or hand them over to others. Following someone or something else
blindly, just because. We are in danger of becoming uniform parts in
a uniform system, mindlessly wandering all through life according to
someone else’s predetermined plan instead of using our own minds
and carving our own path. Thinking for ourselves. Arriving at our own
decisions and conclusions after thinking and reasoning for ourselves
based on our own set of virtues and value system we believe in rather
than someone else’s pre-conceived point of view. We must develop
this because as we grow up, other peoples’ value systems or beliefs
are imprinted upon us. Maybe they are “right” maybe they are “wrong”.
We must judge for ourselves with our own minds, from our own point of
view. With our own brains.
You can get the International bestseller The Shi*t I Wished I learned in College here:
Friday, November 17, 2023
Jaime Jackson Safety Blog: Think for Yourself Decide for Yourself
Think for Yourself Decide for Yourself
“We are like children who first repeat the “unquestionable
truth” told to us by our [grandparents] then the “truth”
told to us by our teachers, and then when we become
older, the “truth” told to us by prominent people.”
Ralph Waldo Emerson
Define for yourself your perspective, point of view, outlook, attitude,
and beliefs towards the world. Test everything with your knowledge
and intellect. Accept what you wish and reject what you will. All too
often we hand over our power to decide for ourselves, what to do,
what to believe to others, giving them the authority to tell us what to
do, what to believe, blindly accepting everything we are told.
We are in total control of what to believe, our point of view and our
attitude unless we concede that control to someone or something else.
Our choices are ours, guard them closely and keep them for ourselves.
Always question common opinion. Live with an open and receptive
mind. Be wary of the this is the way we have always done it trap.
Watch out for SALY. (Same as Last Year).
You can get the International bestseller The Shi*t I Wished I learned in College here:
Friday, November 10, 2023
Jaime Jackson Safety Blog: LEARNING LAST FOREVER
LEARNING LAST FOREVER
“We receive three educations, one from our parents, one
from our school masters, and one from the world.”
Baron de Montesquieu
Education is not something you can finish. In fact, for most people,
real education begins after formal education concludes. Learning how
to learn is the most important skill to acquire. I have often heard
the phrase, “Now you need to unlearn everything you learned in law
school.” Learn, unlearn, re-learn, and stay curious.
The biggest mistake someone can make is thinking they already
know it all; you can never truly have a certain area or topic mastered.
Complacency kills. Be curious, thirst to learn more, and learn from
other people’s mistakes as well as what worked well for them. You
cannot learn if you are not open or willing to listen.
Every person has one or two nuggets or pearls of wisdom you can
take away that will add to your toolbox. You can guarantee someone
knows more than you do no matter what the topic, so stay humble,
stay curious, be open, and constantly be on the lookout for fresh ideas.
The important thing is to never stop questioning.
“Wisdom and knowledge are not the products of
schooling but the lifelong attempt to acquire it.”
Albert Einstein
You can get the International bestseller The Shi*t I Wished I learned in College here:
Friday, November 3, 2023
BE CURIOUS
BE CURIOUS
“Be authentic. Be unique. Be you. Stay
curious. Be curious not judgmental.”
Walt Whitman
Curiosity is a secret weapon. Kids are curious creatures. Remember
how 4-year-olds always ask, “But why?” Somehow as we age, we
lose our curiosity. It’s because we think we know it all. We are so
smart. We do not have time to stop, listen, and explore what is right
in front of our eyes.
Everyone and everything is interesting if you know how to ask
questions and listen. “What is your story? Tell me more.” This really
means listening, learning, and dissecting the answers. It’s not about
simply nodding your head while thinking about how to end the conversation
so you can finally get to the bar for another drink.
Everyone has a story to tell. You just need to know how and where
to look for it. Be curious. Be inquisitive. Remaining curious is the best
way to stay open to continued learning. Quietly listening helps us stay
open to learning.
Things change. Learn new things. History repeats itself. Learn
from the past. Learn from other people’s mistakes and from the lessons
they have learned. It is amazing how much we can learn by observing
others and reading what others before us have gone through. These
lessons go back thousands of years, yet they are still as relevant today
as they were then. What you think you know is a tiny droplet in the
ocean. Stay humble. Stay open. Stay confident and curious. Always
ask, “Why? What did I learn? What are my takeaways?” It is part of
the value of humility. Stop, look, listen, and reflect. Constant learning,
un-learning, and re-learning equals progress.
Any college degree is outdated by the time you walk off the
campus. One of the best things we can do for ourselves is to learn
the learning process. Discover how to study and take it all in. Every
day should be studied—we can learn a valuable lesson at any moment.
Learn from your mistakes and failures. Better yet, learn from other
people’s mistakes and failures and avoid making the same ones yourself.
Success and failure are tied together. They live together.
“When your enemy is making a mistake, let them go, do not interrupt
them.” Napoleon Bonaparte
Learn from your mistakes, have patience and humility, and always
stay curious. Be genuinely interested in other people, and never be
fake or patronizing, not only because it is the right thing to do to
connect with others, but because it is a great way to learn.
You can get the International bestseller The Shi*t I Wished I learned in College here:
Friday, October 27, 2023
Jaime Jackson Safety Blog: READ
READ
“Read the best books first, otherwise you will
find you do not have enough time.”
Ralph Waldo Emerson
Read! And I do not mean Instagram, Facebook, or the latest “news”
on your phone. Read the best books and avoid the traps of junk. Read
what has stood the test of time; there is a reason they are called the
“classics.” We have available to us, through written books, thousands
of years of wisdom and knowledge.
Read what interests you. Read to learn something. Read to
re-learn. Be attentive to what you read so it sinks in. Take notes.
Reading is not always about how much you read, or how many books
you read, it is more about the quality of what you read—soaking in the
knowledge, retaining it, and thinking about it repeatedly.
It is better to know a few things well—so we can put that knowledge
to actionable use in our daily lives—rather than to fill our heads with
junk, gossip, or other commercialized social media.
If you do start a book and don’t like it, or it is not resonating with
you, set it aside. If it is a 200-page book, and after reading 10% (20
pages of it), it is just a stinker, put it down and move on to the next
book. Life is too short to suffer through a book that doesn’t resonate
with you. Anytime someone says they read a book and “it changed
their life,” remember that title; it’s probably worth the read.
You can get the International bestseller The Shi*t I Wished I learned in College here:
Sunday, October 22, 2023
Jaime Jackson Safety Blog: Listen
Listen
“Never miss an opportunity to shut up.”
Will Rogers
Listen. Look. Be aware. Observe. Pay attention. Be present. Hear what
is to be heard. Stay curious. Communication is talking, listening, and
seeing, mostly listening, intently. Cultivate keen awareness. We must
always work on listening. Try to talk with people. Communicate with
people. You will always learn something. Listening helps the other
person. They just want to be heard. Just wanting someone to listen
to them. Respect them. Show respect by listening. Listen to the water
flowing in the creek. Listen to the wind. Listen to the birds. Listen to the
tone of the other person’s voice. Listen to body language. Listen to the
message behind the words. Listen to the choice of words. Slow down
and listen. Pay attention. Show a genuine interest in what the other
person is saying. Be engaged. Spend the time. Be curious and you will
learn something or help someone because you listened. Awareness.
Observance. Perception. Point of view. Heightened awareness of what
is happening around us. Pay attention. Life is about where you choose
to place your attention. There are things to be seen, heard, or soaked
in that may pass us by. Be careful not to judge, just observe, just listen.
Just be. Let emotions flow. Feel, listen, observe, ascertain the intent of
what is the message behind the message. Words are just words. Where
is the hidden truth? Listen to it. Look for it. Be open. Be transparent.
Stop, look, and listen for life’s beauty. It is there. Not always in plain sight.
Sometimes you must look closer for it. Sometimes it is blindingly obvious.
Listening to learn. Listening to learn is the highest level of listening.
The most helpful type of listening, both to ourselves because we truly
learn, but also to the other person because it allows them to be heard
on a deep-down human level passing on their knowledge. Connection.
We must fight our urge to listen to argue. Always be right. To take over.
To just tell the other person what to do or think. How about we just
listen? Pause, reflect, be curious. We will be more helpful and may learn
something ourselves. Look for the message behind the message. It is
there. We just need to look for it. Listen. Body language. Tone of voice.
Hidden messages, but not really hidden, right there in front of us. If we
just listen. Pause. Reflect. State curious. Listen to learn. The less we talk
the more we learn. The less you talk the more you will be heard. Talk,
talk, talk, and people tune you out. Blab on and when you actually have
something important to add to the conversation no one will hear it. Like
the boy who cried wolf, your insights will be diluted into your blabber.
Never talk over people, it is rude. You cannot listen if you are talking.
How often do we keep babbling on thinking we are really driving
our point home? Make a point or points, make them with strength,
confidence, and conviction then sit down and shut up. There is great
power in that. Short, sweet and to the point. The reason so many of
us cannot do that. We are not prepared. We do not put in the work
to make it simple. We have nagging doubts about ourselves. We are
trying to convince ourselves. We think we are prepared, but like Mark
Twain said, “if I had the time, I would make it shorter.”
You can get the International bestseller The Shi*t I Wished I learned in College here:
Saturday, October 14, 2023
Jaime Jackson Safety Blog: BE THE BEST VERSION OF YOURSELF IN THE MOMENT
BE THE BEST VERSION OF YOURSELF IN THE MOMENT
“Do the best you can until you know better.
Then when you know better, do better.”
Maya Angelou
The bottom line is this: be the best version of yourself in this moment.
We want to have a life’s purpose. We set long term goals. The BIG
PICTURE. This is good, it is great to have a master plan, but the bottom
line is the best way to have a sense of purpose, to reach our life’s goals
is to simply be the best version of ourselves in this given moment. Am
I being the best version of myself right now? Let this question guide
our every decision. Our every act. Constantly pause and ask yourself,
am I being the best version of myself in this moment. It does not
matter if you are doing a push-up or going to meet with the President.
Am I the best version of myself today? Right here, right now in what
I am doing. This may mean helping the person right in front of you or
placed in your path. Putting your best effort forth on this lap around
the track, rep at the gym, presentation to management, whatever the
task at hand be the best version of yourself in the moment. Make the
most of your time. Saying no when you know you should. Doing the
right thing. Helping when you should help. Whatever project you are
working on, no matter how petty you perceive it at the time, simply
do your best. Be who you are. Be who you know you should be. Be
the best version of yourself at this moment and you will find the best
version of yourself just keeps getting better and better.
You can get the International bestseller The Shi*t I Wished I learned in College here:
Friday, October 6, 2023
Jaime Jackson Safety Blog: WHAT IS THE PUROPOSE OF LIFE? WHAT IS THE MEANING ...
WHAT IS THE PUROPOSE OF LIFE? WHAT IS THE MEANING OF LIFE? WHY AM I HERE?
“Whoever has a why to live can bear almost any how.”
Friedrich Nietzsche
We ask ourselves, what is the purpose of my life? What is the meaning
of life? Why am I here? Reasonable questions to ask. The answer,
like most things, is quite complicated, yet so simple. The purpose of
life, the meaning of life, the reason we are here: to live life. To live my
life in my time in accordance with my virtues and values. That is, it.
The better way to phrase these questions is, what does life expect of
me? What is life asking of me, right here, right now? What task in life
is waiting for me? This is uniquely specific to me. No one else. Not
what other people want of me. Not what other people think I should
do. Not what I think other people want or want me to do. What is life
asking of me? It is for me. It is for me to decide how I will answer.
How I answer will dictate the quality of my life and how I “feel” about
myself. If I do my best and respond to what is being asked of me to
the best of my ability in accordance with my values and virtues, then
I will feel “good” about myself, If I do not then I will feel “bad” about
myself. Living life is the opportunity to do something in the moment.
Whatever life puts on our plate we eat it. Whatever life throws at us
we accept it. Deal with it. Thrive on it. Learn from it. Survive and thrive.
Life can be simplified into three steps:
1. Do something. Act. Deeds. Do good deeds! Deeds, actions,
not words. Create something. Work. Do your job. Do your
duty. Bring something into being. Make it happen. Bringing
work into being. Mood follows action.
2. Experiencing something. Experiences. Pleasure. Nature. Art.
Music. Reading. Exercising. Observing. Taking it all in. LOVE;
and
3. If it cannot be 1 or 2, and this may be the most important to
recognize and accept, if it can’t be 1 or 2 then take a stance
against your inevitable, unalterable fate. Accept, react, and
deal with your unalterable fate. Deal with the inevitable. But
make damn sure it is inalterable and inevitable, like terminal
cancer for example.
Living my life in my time, answering the questions life puts to
ME, is specific to me in my moment in time. Now. What does life
expect of me? What is life asking of me? What task in life is waiting
for me? Prepare, train, act. I am responsible for my own existence,
in my moments, in my time. Life is a task in every moment. How will I
respond? How will I deal with difficulties? How will I respond to what
is being asked of me?
We should never ask what is the purpose of life? That is not the
question. The question is, what is life asking of me? Right here, right
now. Life is all about our being questioned. Constantly. The purpose
and meaning of life are how we respond to these questions being
asked of us. How we react. How we answer. How we act in our everyday
lives. Life is what we create, experience, and suffer in our time,
in this time. Every single moment contains many possibilities. How
will I choose? We must choose in accordance with our virtues and
values and act. Make it happen. As has been said when life hands
you lemons, make lemonade. Whatever life hands you, grab onto it,
get in the arena, and take action. Enjoy every single moment.
You can get the International bestseller The Shi*t I Wished I learned in College here:
Friday, September 29, 2023
Jaime Jackson Safety Blog: THE PERSON YOU DECIDE TO BE
THE PERSON YOU DECIDE TO BE
“The only person you are destined to be
is the person you decide to be.”
Ralph Waldo Emerson
The power to decide. The ability to choose is the greatest trait or
power a human being has. Yes, the environment, body, and conditions
we are born into play a role, but we always have the power to
decide. Decide how hard we want to work. Decide where we want to
go. Decide who we want to be around. Decide our point of view. How
we choose to see things. Interestingly, when we start to do the work,
learn, be courageous, be curious, follow our heart, things start to
happen. Doors open. Opportunities crop up. We just must be mindful,
stay aware, get started and keep going. We need to earn our way and
work hard to our destiny and divine Providence, but when we prepare,
work hard, follow our intuition, forces no one can explain intervene
and guide us. Reinforce us. Invigorate us. Push us a certain way but
it is the combination of good choices based on core values combined
with doing the work, divine Providence and fate that takes us to our
decided destiny.
You can get the International bestseller The Shi*t I Wished I learned in College here:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C5FMWDGW
Tuesday, September 26, 2023
Jaime Jackson Safety Blog: GOOD NEWS!
GOOD NEWS!
GOOD NEWS
“The good news is that you don’t know how great
you can be! How much you can love! What you
can accomplish! And what your potential is!”
Anne Frank
How much we can help someone or our community. What a difference
we can make. What an impact we can have. How we feel about
ourselves. What we choose to do. Our point of view. How we see the
world. How we react to what happens. How we control our thoughts.
How we make choices. How we choose to see anything that happens
to or around us. Letting go of the external events that we do not control,
like what other people think or do. Trust that we are capable of so much
more physically or mentally. Bust through that ceiling we place on
ourselves. It is just another form of psychological resistance in disguise.
Keep going! See and explore of what you are truly capable. The good
news is that this is our power. Our choice. So, seize your power. Seize
your choice and act. Mood follows action. Good news indeed!
You can get the International bestseller The Shi*t I Wished I learned in College here:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C5FMWDGW
Friday, September 15, 2023
Jaime Jackson Safety Blog: Perfection
Perfection
PERFECTION
“To improve is to change, to be perfect is to change often.”
Winston Churchill
Constant improvement is an excellent goal, perfection is not. I am not
sure perfection even exists. We get so caught up in believing things
must be “perfect” or this or that must be “perfect.” Perfect can be
paralyzing. Perfection is the enemy of good. Sometimes good is good
enough. If we follow one of the most fundamental rules of life, “do your
best” isn’t that all we can do, our best? Be the best version of ourselves
in the moment. We can all improve, constantly. We can do the work,
prepare, and get the job done in the best way we know how and that
is that. If we seek “perfection” we will never get anything done. We
can spend 5 hours getting 99% of the fence painted and then spend
five more hours just finishing those last touches trying to eliminate all
those brush stroke marks, just to make it look exactly perfectly right to
the discerning eye if you can even see it, when it looked pretty darn
good five hours before. What did that additional 5 hours get us?
You can get the International bestseller The Shi*t I Wished I learned in College here:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C5FMWDGW
Friday, September 8, 2023
Jaime Jackson Safety Blog: Yin and Yang
Yin and Yang
YIN AND YANG
“The old age old story of Yin & Yang... Every positive
side has a negative side too. Which are you?”
Timothy Pina
We all have our difficulties, ups and downs, highs and lows, peaks and
valleys, not quite able to find our yin and yang. Why is that? Why the
rollercoaster ride at times? Especially when there is no real reason to
feel down, or up. Why not a steadfast, stable path? Sometimes there
is more rolling around in our minds than we realize. Waiting to boil
over. We feel the need to magnify things, create stress, excitement,
or stir the pot. It is symbolic of a more significant underlying problem
we really need to look at and contemplate. Accept it or do something
about it. Move on or do something about it. But do not dwell on it and
let something that is really nothing suck the energy and lifeblood from
you. Highs and lows, peaks and valleys are a natural part of life, but
we can always look for and take care of getting our yin and yang back.
Jaime Jackson Safety Blog: The Right Path
Wednesday, August 30, 2023
The Right Path
THE RIGHT PATH
“If we are not excited about it, it’s not the right path.”
Abraham Hicks
Sometimes we step in a puddle, slip on the ice, trip over a rock on our trail,
fall off our bikes, ride the wave on surfboards then find ourselves underwater,
or we are flying high down that double black diamond cruising through
that turn when we catch an edge and wipe out spectacularly. At times we
go down harder than others on the path and journey of life. But we always
get back up, dust ourselves off and keep going. We may at times need to
alter our path we are on, head down a different path or keep buggering on
steadfastly down the path we started. We will eventually get to the clearing
or open meadow and say wow! What a view, pause, reflect, look around,
enjoy the beauty, soak up the feeling and then we say let us do that again!
Maybe we will head off to another peak on the next mountain range, but we
just keep going and when we do stop and look back, we just might realize
the best part were the struggles where we picked ourselves up after the
fall. No one climbs a mountain all at once, mountains are climbed one solid
step at a time. Focus on one solid step at a time.
You can get the International bestseller The Shi*t I Wished I learned in College here:
Friday, August 18, 2023
Jaime Jackson Safety Blog: IT IS NOT ALWAYS ABOUT YOU
IT IS NOT ALWAYS ABOUT YOU
IT IS NOT ALWAYS ABOUT YOU
“Don’t Take Anything Personally. Nothing others
do is because of you. What others say and do is a
projection of their own reality, their own dream. When
you are immune to the opinions and actions of others,
you won’t be the victim of needless suffering.”
Don Miguel Ruiz
We can easily get overwhelmed or down on ourselves because we
care too much about what other people think or always take things
personally. Who are we trying to impress and why? We only need
to care what we think about ourselves. We can fall into the trap of
buying what we do not need to impress people we do not really know
or like. We also may assume other people do things directed at us
personally. It is not. Other people have their own issues and their own
problems. Do not take it personally. Funny things happen when we
start caring less about what “other people think.” We are less anxious.
Less nervous. More confident because it is not about us and other
people’s perceptions of us. We can focus on what we know is right,
avoiding what we know is wrong. The only person we need to impress
or satisfy is our true genuine authentic self. We can look ourselves
in the eye, in the mirror, and know we did the right thing. We did our
best. Other people’s worlds do not revolve around us even though it
may feel like it. We cannot control other people’s actions. They make
their own choices and lie in their own bed. We must do the same,
focus on our own choices, and make our own bed. When other people
do things, do not take it personally because it is not about us, there
are larger issues at play.
You can get the International bestseller The Shi*t I Wished I learned in College here:
Friday, August 11, 2023
INDIVIDUAL
INDIVIDUAL
“I believe in individuality, that everybody is special, and
it’s up to them to find that quality and let it live.”
Grace Jones
I am an individual. I am unique. I am unlike any other. My purpose
in life is unique, specific, individual to me in my time, in my space in
my choices, in my actions and what is being asked of me right now.
How I choose to respond and react to the individual specific question
being asked of me at any given point in time will dictate how I “feel”
about myself. Did I do the right thing? Did I act in accordance with my
virtues and values? Did I not respond? Did I fail to respond? Did I fail
to rise to the occasion? Did I not even hear the question? Did I see
it? Did I choose to ignore it? Look the other way? Take a stand. Act.
Run towards the fire. Tackle what is put in front of you. Eat what is on
your plate. Big or small. One step at a time. It is your responsibility.
Whatever happens, happens, you must deal with it. How you deal with
it is your responsibility and your choice. How you “feel” about it will
be guided by how you choose to act, not to act or how you dealt with
it. It is always your responsibility. It is always your individual choice.
Each time life gives you an individual question directed at you, how
will you choose to answer?
You can get the International bestseller The Shi*t I Wished I learned in College here:
Friday, August 4, 2023
WHO ARE YOU?
“Don’t let the expectations and opinions of other people
affect your decisions. It’s your life, not theirs. Do what
matters most to you; do what makes you feel alive and
happy. Don’t let the expectations and ideas of others limit
who you are. If you let others tell you who you are, you are
living their reality — not yours. There is more to life than
pleasing people. There is much more to life than following
others’ prescribed path. There is so much more to life than
what you experience right now. You need to decide who
you are for yourself. Become a whole being. Adventure.”
Roy T. Bennett
It is an innocent, throwaway question, or is it? It is much deeper than
that and really goes to the core of our being. Our soul. Why we are
here? What we are going to do with our lives? Are we merely uniform
parts or cogs to fit in a predetermined system? Parts. Throw away parts
that are easily replaceable? That would seem what society trains us
for. Are we machines who are programmed to go to work, earn money,
pay taxes, then punch out and “die”? I think not. We are divine spirits
placed in our roles and placed through some higher power, in this
space, in this time, in this set of circumstances. What are we going
to choose to do with all we have been gifted? Be uniform parts in a
predetermined uniform system? No, not I! I choose to accept what I
cannot control but know what I can control and steer my own divine
ship. Take care of my mind. Take care of my body. Take care of my
spirit. Take care of other people whose lives cross paths with my own.
Whatever I am called on to do I will do it and do my best. Accept it.
Act in accordance with my own virtues and values. My own sense of
right and wrong. Always doing my best. Always being the best version
of myself in the moment.
You can get the International bestseller The Shi*t I Wished I learned in College here:
Friday, July 28, 2023
ME
ME
“All I can be is me. Whoever that is.”
Bob Dylan
Our true genuine, authentic, unique self. Whoever that is, is all we
got. Who am I? We spend a lifetime trying to figure that out. For what
am I here? What is my purpose? At our core we know who we are
our virtues and values, but we are not statues either. We are like a
river, constantly changing and adapting, growing, evolving, learning,
changing directions. Who we were five years ago, three years ago,
last year, yesterday is not the same person we are today. In fact, that
person is dead, and a new person is born each day. We have the same
core foundation, but we are constantly growing, changing, gaining
wisdom, learning, forgetting. So too are the world and other people
around us. Neither will we be the same person we are right now a
year from now, three years from now, 10 years from now, tomorrow.
Some things don’t change, the truth, our sense of right and wrong,
but we get better, we are in different circumstances, and we prepare
for the future, but we act and take care of the now.
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Friday, July 21, 2023
BE
BE
Be grateful. Be thankful. Be appreciative. Be satisfied. Be aware. Be
observant. Be with nature. Be accepting. Be receptive. Be open. Be
transparent. Be skeptical but listen. Be kind. Be polite. Be honest. Be
humble. Be sincere. Be truthful. Be authentic. Be strong. Be resilient.
Be moderate. Be temperate. Be focused. Be what is in your control.
Be forgiving. Be powerful. Be impactful. Be out for the common good.
Be persevering. Be steadfast. Be inspiring. Be a role model. Be you.
Be adventurous. Be yourself. Be good. Be.
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Saturday, July 15, 2023
CONTROL
CONTROL
“If everything seems to be under control,
you are not going fast enough.”
Mario Andretti
There are very few things we can control. We can control how we
choose to see things. How we choose to react to things. We cannot
always control what happens to us or around us, but we can control
how we react to it. Our anxiety comes from wanting things that are
outside our control. We can control our point of view. We can control
how we feel. How we see the world. How we react to circumstances
around us. We can prepare. We can train. We can get in the arena. We
can just get started. We can get out of our comfort zones. We can get
on the surfboard and be riding the wave, then we may find ourselves
underwater. Relax, accept it, rely on your physical and mental training
and the waves will pass over us. We know what we must do. Do our
best. Do the work. We cannot always control the stimulus, but we
can control our response. We can control our own behavior, our own
actions, and reactions. We must focus on what is within our control
and let go of what we cannot control. What other people do and think
is their choice, not ours. Who cares what other people think, they have
their own problems and are not thinking about us anyway. Do what
we can do and do it well in line with our virtues and values. Control is
defined in the dictionary as: “to exercise restraining or directing influence
over; to have power over.” How do we choose to exercise our
control? Do we choose to respond with anger, spite, vitriol, revenge?
The better course of action is to pause, reflect, contemplate, plan
out our possible choices and responses, then respond with courage,
confidence, contemplation, calmness, clarity, and character. Be better.
Do not make assumptions. Consider the other person’s point of view.
Consider you may not always be right. You do not know all the facts.
You have something to learn. Be curious. Cool as a cucumber. Calculated.
Cunning. Often the best revenge is to not act like the other
person is acting. Have the courage and mindset to look at what you
can control and let go of what you cannot control.
At first thought, this is tough to reconcile with the Stoic benchmark
principles Epictetus taught of concentrating on what you can control
(your thoughts, mind, and choices) and what you cannot control (externals).
The concepts are perfectly aligned. Like the racecar driver, a
skier, biker, we are behind the wheel. We are in control. That is until
you hit a pothole, or someone hits you, but those are externals. If we
focus on what we can control, we can indeed put the pedal to the metal
and act. Pushing ourselves to the limits. It may be a fine line, but it is
indeed within our control. How far we push ourselves. We may have
the sensation we are “out of control,” however, with well- planned
preparation and training we are not. We maintain control of ourselves
and proceed according to our well thought out plan. External problems
may happen on our journey that temporarily send us spinning out of
control, but we remain behind the wheel with our feet on the gas or
brake, shifting gears as we go but still in control.
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Friday, June 30, 2023
Point of View
POINT OF VIEW
“I’m very confident in my point of view. ‘Cause I think that
that’s all you can really have. I’m never really going to
know what anybody else is going through, so it’s just kind
of your job to be expressive with your point of view.”
Donald Glover
It is all a matter of how we look at things. Point of View (POV).
Perception. Choices. Frame of mind. We choose. We get to decide
how we will view things. The glass is half empty or half full. Rose
colored glasses. It could be worse; it could be better. We decide. Fate.
Things happen for a reason. Someone, something put us here for a
reason. We may not be able to control external things, but we do and
can control our own mind, our own choices, our own decisions. That
is if we do not let other people take what is ours, our choice, our mind
away from us. We can control our internal things, how we feel, how
we think, how we choose to act, but beyond that, we cannot always
control what is happening around us. We can endeavor to influence
external forces that we cannot totally control. We can try to influence
or push in the right direction, how we want things to go, rather than
turning the other way or turning a blind eye. We can try to make a
difference. We should think less about what we want and start thinking
about what other people want. We see what we want to see. We get a
thought in our head, and it can be like a weed that grows and grows,
or beautiful flowers that grow and grow. We see what we tell ourselves
we see. We believe what we tell ourselves we should believe. We see
what we choose to see. Everything, I mean everything that happens
to us, is an opportunity to see the beauty and the challenge of it. We
see opportunity, challenge, joy, beauty. Imagine what we choose to
imagine. Everything that happens makes us better. If it is too easy it
makes us weaker. We were made for strength, adversity, adaptability,
struggle, to work hard and be productive. Do the work. If it can be
thought of it can be done and we can open our eyes to the beauty
and joy of the process. We always have control of how we see things.
We set our point of view and perception. We control our minds. The
world is constantly trying to take control over our minds. What other
people think. Our phones. Social media. What we read. Who and
what we choose to give our attention to is our choice. No one can take
that from us. How we choose to spend our time is our choice. What
I choose to do is my choice. How I feel is my choice. How I react is
my choice. We cannot always control what happens to or around us,
but we can control how we respond, react or how we feel about it.
We can choose to see positive. We can choose happiness. We can
choose doom and gloom. We can choose to push forward and continue
through adversity. We can choose anger, but really what good does
that do us in the end? We can choose to see the glass as half full or
half empty. We can choose to help people. We can choose when we
say yes and when we say no. It is our lens how we choose to see the
world around us. It is our point of view. It is our mind that is always
within our control.
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Friday, June 23, 2023
Stronger
STRONGER
“That which
does not kill us makes us stronger. Friedrich Nietzsche
Nietzsche
may have been talking about near death experiences, but I suspect more likely,
the every day “little” things that we fret and stress over. As we worry and
whip ourselves into a frenzy leading up to an event, or worrying about what
will happen, the everyday struggles. We will get through them, be the better
for having gone through it and come out the other side stronger. Better for it.
A life without struggle is not worth living. Then again, Nietzsche may have
been talking about those narrow escape near death experiences where we escape
the grips of death and ask ourselves, “Why me?” “Why did I survive?” “What am I
meant to do in the future now that I survived this?” This makes us stronger mentally because we now
realize how precious every second of life is and that life can be over in an
instant. After these “near death” experiences the flowers seem a little more
colorful, the sun a little brighter, gray skies not so dark, our loved one’s
faces a little more beautiful. The annoying stuff that used to be a big deal
suddenly, not so annoying. We have more resilience. More patience. More
perseverance. More willpower. More grit. A new point of view. We take on a new
perspective, looking at our world through a different lens. A new sense of
appreciation for what is and what we have.
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Check Out “The Sh*t I Wished I Learned in College” an International Best-Selling Book on Amazon
Best Seller Publishing announces the release of Jaime Jackson’s new #1 international best-selling book, “The Sh*t I Wished I Learned in College.”
Harness the life lessons handed down from generation to generation and discover pearls of wisdom that can help you lead your most authentic life. Whether you’re a college student or are fully immersed in the daily grind of the workforce, chances are, you feel like you have too many glasses to fill. Social media, influencers, and celebrities paint a gilded portrait of what the good life is—and it usually involves money, status, and fame. You work so hard to achieve these things that you can risk losing sight of your destiny and your passions. You have a unique journey to complete—and nobody knows how to get to your destination better than yourself.
Life is all short and fleeting. If you have loved anyone or anything and lost it, then you know how arbitrary, unexpected, and plain shocking life events can be. It is precisely in the face of your biggest challenges and losses that a deep sense of awakening arises—and you realize that happiness is impossible if you keep trying to live by everyone else’s standards. Consider this book to be a manual for life; one with a myriad of timeless messages you can pick and choose as you desire, put your own imprint upon, and come back to over the years.
“The Sh*t I Wished I Learned in College” by Jaime Jackson is available on Amazon at: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C5FMWDGW.
“The Sh*t I Wished I Learned in College” has a Rating of 5.0 Stars on Amazon.com, here’s what some people are saying:
“This is an excellent book, and a great guide for young people about to set forth on life. There is tons of great advice for any age of people as well! I would highly recommend this book for anyone to gain a positive way to navigate life.” -Kyle F.
“The book is full of excellent advice for both young and old. It provides practical tools and sage wisdom to help shape your actions for any future decisions you may have to make. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. It will certainly help improve the quality of life for anyone who reads it.” -Nancy C.
For More Information:
For questions or to schedule an interview about this press release please contact us at (626) 765-9750 or email info@bestsellerpublishing.org .
Best Seller Publishing is a Los Angeles Publishing Company dedicated to helping business owners and entrepreneurs become “the hunted” with their best-selling books.
About the Author:
Jaime Jackson is a trial lawyer and lawyer lifestyle advocate. He has been recognized as the Lawyer of the Year for Personal Injury Litigation—Plaintiffs, in the Harrisburg, Pennsylvania area and Jaime Jackson Law has been noted among the Best Law Firms by U.S. News - Best Lawyers “Best Law Firms” for personal injury litigation, also in the Harrisburg, Pennsylvania area. Jaime has also been selected as a Pennsylvania Super Lawyer for 10 years in a row.