Remembering Pee Wee Reese on Jackie Robinson Day

As I listen to Marty Brennaman and Jim Kelch broadcast the
Reds game on this, MLB's Jackie Robinson Day, when all players wear number 42 in commemoration of this day in 1947 when the color barrier was abolished, it's easy to get a little choked up thinking about Cincinnati's important connection to that important season--and the Kentucky connection to it. 

And I do . . . get choked up about it, I mean . . . every year, I do. It's such a beautiful story about a Kentucky boy demonstrating nothing more than simple kindness.

And changing the world thereby.

Where Do Affirmations Come From?

You are your consciousness. Your consciousness and Consciousness are one. You are Consciousness. Your voice is the voice of your consciousness. Your voice is the voice of Consciousness. When you use your voice, Consciousness is taking its rightful dominion. Use the voice of Consciousness to dictate to subconsciousness exactly what Consciousness wants for your life. These vocal directions are affirmations. Awareness of this simple process in the miracle of humanity.

But where do affirmations come from? This is an important question. In much the same manner as described in "How We Know Stuff," affirmations arise from being. If you give them a try, you'll find that you can't just pick any affirmation you want. You may get that affirmation down on paper and you might be able to say it a few times. But each time you do, it won't sit well with you. You'll find yourself pondering that affirmation, scrutinizing it, until finally you modify it or reject it as not in line with your being, with who you are.

How to Find the Doing That Arises from Your Being

"I am the greatest, I said that even before I knew I was." --Muhammad Ali

One of the best tests for figuring out if you're doing that which arises from your being is to modify Muhammad Ali's famous affirmation by saying out loud: "I am the greatest _____________ of all time," and fill in the blank with what you're doing right now. If this isn't really the doing that arises from your being, you probably won't even be able to finish saying this short sentence. And if you do finish it, the words will feel like bits of cardboard in your mouth.

If, on the other hand, the words roll off your tongue with fluidity and ease, you've found the right doing for you (and you probably already know that). Now, to achieve greatness in that doing, put aside any misplaced, misguided, culturally-induced sense of supposed humility you're supposed to harbor within your soul and say your own version of this affirmation as many times as you think of it throughout the day. Tinker with it to come up with your own wording to make it more personal to you, then make it your habit to think it and to say it as often as possible. Say it both to yourself and to other people. That's right, say it to other people. If you do, you will achieve greatness, guaranteed.