How many of you self reflect?

[MuscleAddiction]

Re: How many of you self reflect?

Man bro I swear sometimes I want to get a blood test to see if were are blood brothers. I have a bleeding heart in just about everything I do. I believe it keeps me humble and able to keep mind we are all people who some way or form want to be loved. Some may have been hurt and are now hurting others. I can just about assure you that unless they are mentally challenged would love to be stopped amd given a hug and told how much they are loved.

Sorry for being deep.

Don't be sorry brother...we are all brothers and sisters, blood or not. We are all connecting here for a reason, and it truly is all about love for your brothers and sisters that we lean on when times are rough, and we need a shoulder to cry, some advice, or reassurance that we are heading in the right direction...bro, we haven't hit the deep end yet .

This is all we can do bro. We are our worst critics. We have to allow ourselves the ability to keep pushing through regardless of what that small little voice says.

...and that little voice can be so fucking critical and convincing at times which is why we need to self reflect. I just seen that movie with Gerrard Buttler "Machine Gun Preacher" and it blew my mind...about Sam Childers who was a biker who turned preacher and defender of African orphans in East Africa, things that some have no idea is going on in the world, and it truly makes you reflect on your own life, family, and how blessed we really are compared to some of the peoples troubles and lives in this world...sorry, still in the aftermath of the movie...it blew me away.

Thank you Chris for this thread bro, I will probably be back here continuously checking in and doing more self reflecting...truly thank you my brother from another mother!

[MuscleAddiction]

Re: How many of you self reflect?

I try to improve myself all the time. I have an issue with holding a grudge when I feel I've been wronged. This yr I've been trying new things and making self improvements both body and mind.

I do learn from the past but try to always keep moving forward!

Another brother I can very much relate too...damn grudges when we have been wronged, even when it could be a family member. I am learning that expectations create resentments, and we need to let go of our expectations of others as they may never live up to ours of them...love and tolerance is what I am trying to learn...and it is hard!

[MuscleAddiction]

Re: How many of you self reflect?

http://www.musclecoalition.com/showthread.php?3048-Eye-opening-complete-cycle-layed-out-on-youtube

I'm sorry...this video even made me self reflect tonight...as this just made me go WTF??? Nothing against NJguy at all...but the guy in the video just blew my mind!!! I really did look at myself in the mirror for a minute after watching it.

[SirFatKok]

Re: How many of you self reflect?

Damn MA, totally agree with you bro! That is a great movie. My time in Kosovo & Afghanistan really opened my eyes to the atrocities that go on every day all over the world, and just how trivial so many of the things that America as a society. especially media, places such importance on, it's really sickening sometimes. I self reflect daily to remind myself what is really important, and how blessed I am, even though I like to feel sorry for myself and compare myself to people who have more stuff, but in the end it's just that, stuff. And I'm really so very blessed and my needs are met every day.
And, as you pointed out, expectations create resentments. I learned in an anger management/ptsd class to adjust my expectations, don't expect people to show you the same courtesy/respect as you may show them, and if they have a track record of treating you badly or letting you down, then don't expect them to do otherwise, and they may surprise you, or they may not. But if/when they fail, you don't have a resentment towards them. I'm an alcoholic, and resentments are something I have to be very careful of, cause they are so easy to develop. At the end of the day as long as I can show love and tolerance, like you said, towards my fellow man, then I have given away what has been so freely given to me by others, and my "higher power/God/what ever you want to call it". But, it is SOOOOO VERY DIFFICULT, sometimes! Lol, no body's perfect.
AND, I did the exact same thing after watching that vid!
Thanks MA, mad respect!

[chrisotpherm]

Damn MA, totally agree with you bro! That is a great movie. My time in Kosovo & Afghanistan really opened my eyes to the atrocities that go on every day all over the world, and just how trivial so many of the things that America as a society. especially media, places such importance on, it's really sickening sometimes. I self reflect daily to remind myself what is really important, and how blessed I am, even though I like to feel sorry for myself and compare myself to people who have more stuff, but in the end it's just that, stuff. And I'm really so very blessed and my needs are met every day.
And, as you pointed out, expectations create resentments. I learned in an anger management/ptsd class to adjust my expectations, don't expect people to show you the same courtesy/respect as you may show them, and if they have a track record of treating you badly or letting you down, then don't expect them to do otherwise, and they may surprise you, or they may not. But if/when they fail, you don't have a resentment towards them. I'm an alcoholic, and resentments are something I have to be very careful of, cause they are so easy to develop. At the end of the day as long as I can show love and tolerance, like you said, towards my fellow man, then I have given away what has been so freely given to me by others, and my "higher power/God/what ever you want to call it". But, it is SOOOOO VERY DIFFICULT, sometimes! Lol, no body's perfect.
AND, I did the exact same thing after watching that vid!
Thanks MA, mad respect!

Takes a big man to share the intimate part of their lives. However I believe by doing so we can forgive ourselves or others who have caused us hurt or disappointment.

[MuscleAddiction]

Re: How many of you self reflect?

Damn MA, totally agree with you bro! That is a great movie. My time in Kosovo & Afghanistan really opened my eyes to the atrocities that go on every day all over the world, and just how trivial so many of the things that America as a society. especially media, places such importance on, it's really sickening sometimes. I self reflect daily to remind myself what is really important, and how blessed I am, even though I like to feel sorry for myself and compare myself to people who have more stuff, but in the end it's just that, stuff. And I'm really so very blessed and my needs are met every day.
And, as you pointed out, expectations create resentments. I learned in an anger management/ptsd class to adjust my expectations, don't expect people to show you the same courtesy/respect as you may show them, and if they have a track record of treating you badly or letting you down, then don't expect them to do otherwise, and they may surprise you, or they may not. But if/when they fail, you don't have a resentment towards them. I'm an alcoholic, and resentments are something I have to be very careful of, cause they are so easy to develop. At the end of the day as long as I can show love and tolerance, like you said, towards my fellow man, then I have given away what has been so freely given to me by others, and my "higher power/God/what ever you want to call it". But, it is SOOOOO VERY DIFFICULT, sometimes! Lol, no body's perfect.
AND, I did the exact same thing after watching that vid!
Thanks MA, mad respect!

No...thank you brother! You, Chris, myself and many others would be a band of brothers if we lived close enough I know this...we all seem to share the same values, morals, and principals in life and it is such a breath of fresh air to know now I have a few brothers from other mother's to share things with. Hey, I am not ashamed to admit I tear up at sad movies and things that are disheartening in life, and I do the same shit as you feeling sorry for myself because someone else seems to have it better than me because of what they have or have experienced that I haven't. Then I think of what I have, I look at my little girl, my beautiful wife, and where we live, and now my new job here on the coast working with some really cool people starting soon...and everything like you said is material shit that can be gone in an instant and what would these people have left...what matters most, love...family...friends, and hopefully they realize it instead of what material things they lose or lost. Anyway, thanks again for sharing...and my wife is a sister of Bill ...and even though I am a Normy, I have lived and experienced so much alcoholism in my life from my step-dad dieing of sclerosis of the liver and kidney failure from drinking, to my wife relapsing a few times on me that I am so turned off from alcohol I enjoy going to meeting with her just to see others getting healthy and finding their higher power, and where we live on the coast this community here is so nurturing and has been a family to our family...there isn't a price that you can put on that as that is why we are truly blessed.

Thanks again buddy...posting this helps me to reflect and remember what really does matter most.

[MuscleAddiction]

Re: How many of you self reflect?

Takes a big man to share the intimate part of their lives. However I believe by doing so we can forgive ourselves or others who have caused us hurt or disappointment.

Agreed 100% my brother...damn I wish we lived close to one another...maybe one day!

[chrisotpherm]

It would be an honor.

[kazman68]

Re: How many of you self reflect?

All the time...If only I did this or didn't do that...I learned you can't change the past but you can at least learn from it. But I struggle with depression and guilt for alot of reasons.

[chrisotpherm]

All the time...If only I did this or didn't do that...I learned you can't change the past but you can at least learn from it. But I struggle with depression and guilt for alot of reasons.

We are own worse enemies. Sometimes big brother kaz we have to allow ourselves to let go of the unchangeable. If we don't we will be able to allow ourselves the future we deserve. Without going in detail I have dons some really really REALLY bad things in my past. Only by the grace of God and a wonderful wife am I here and the man that I am. Do I sometimes think about what I did, yes. However it only fuels me to never be that again and if amd when I do fall I get back up no matter what.