Thought for the Day 10/9/08: Overcoming Our Karma
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Thought for the Day 10/9/08: “Patterns of negative thinking seem our only means of coping with a world which appears bent on denying all our goals and aims and desires. These are our prompters, the crosses we bear as we go through life. Karma it is called by the Indian religions — that which would deny us the unlimited abundance and good of life. And it is sheer idiocy.
The Universal Subconsious Mind denies us nothing. Nature denies us nothing. We always get exactly what we have asked for. There is no lack, limitation, failure, or despair wichi we do not create for ourselves in our own minds. And it is just as simple, in fact downright simpler, to create abundance and success and health in our minds and thus experience them in the physical world.” – U.S. Andersen, “Three Magic Words,” page 205.
The Monkey @ October 9, 2008
MIMM Quarterly NFL Team Rankings: 2008 Recap Week 5
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Another fantastic weekend in the NFL, culminating in a stranger-than-fiction Monday Night affair down in the Big Easy. I have to say, as there is no doubt that there is some odd mojo (or voodoo) floating through the consciousness of New Orleans, it is not surprising that their football club often has to contend with unusually strange ways to be defeated. Monday Night’s game couldn’t have been weirder, especially with Reggie Bush’s two punts returned for touchdowns, with a third TD just a lost-footing stumble out of his reach.
To be honest, I drifted off to sleep in the final few minutes of the game and was shocked this morning when I learned that the Saints had actually lost. There is a lot to like about both of these teams, with their talent, cool uniforms, and rather humble collective demeanor, so it was hard to root for either team in particular. This was one of those matchups in which a true football fan just hoped for a competitive and exciting affair and I don’t think these teams disappointed with their topsy-turvy back and forth contest last night. While Reggie Bush’s talent gets most of the headlines, his professionalism and humility are two of his strongest attributes. I hope that both of these teams find success down the road. Oddly enough, the NFC South has suddenly become a powerhouse Division, with every team save the Saints enjoying a winning record (including the Falcons!) so the Saints will certainly have their work cut out for them as they attempt to make a playoff run.
With that game out the way, we’ll get to the meat of this post, the First Official MIMM NFL Rankings of the season. While many sports news sites and opinion pages rank-order the teams on a weekly basis, a la college football’s arcane ranking system, here at MIMM we will only issue our rankings three times: at the conclusion of the first quarter of the season, the midway point, and on the outset of the fourth quarter of the season. Final rankings will only include playoff teams, as where the Rams or Chiefs, for example, stack up after Week 17 is essentially irrelevant.
The other thing to note about what makes the MIMM Rankings different is that these rankings are broken down by Conference. Why? Well, as it may be fun to see where one’s favorite team stacks up across the board, the only thing that really matters as far as the playoffs are concerned is how that team compares against other teams in its Conference and Division. Only six teams from each Conference will make the playoffs, so for obvious reasons, a team’s sole goal should be to end up among the top six teams in their Conference or they’re staying home in ‘09, regardless of whether or not they have a better record than a team in the opposing Conference.
So without further ado:
MIMM First Quarter NFL Rankings, National Conference:
1. New York Giants (4-0) - The only undefeated team in the NFC, the Giants displayed their dominance of the Conference by absolutely decimating Seattle at home, even without the help of unrepentant suspended wide receiver Plaxico Burress. Eli is playing like the other Manning circa 2006, but with less fanfare. So far these guys are the team to beat and will likely be 6-0 by the time they face the Steelers on October 26th.
2. Washington Redskins (4-1) - The ‘Skins have to occupy the second spot in the Conference, by virtue of their head-to-head victory over one of the other 4-1 teams in the Conference. Like the Giants, they too are on a 4-0 run and only seem to be getting better with each victory. Fortunately for them, it seems as though the toughest part of the schedule is behind them, coming out of their road Division games 2-1 and heading into a stretch against the Rams, the Browns, and the Lions. Their only risk is overconfidence in these upcoming “should-win” games.
3. Dallas Cowboys (4-1) - The highest-scoring team in the NFL, the Cowboys biggest adversary might be themselves and the lofty expectations they have collectively set for their organization. They are in desperate need of leadership and focus. Evidence of this was on display in their near-miss against the Bengals, who, for an 0-5 team, took the Champs to overtime and nearly toppled the ‘Boys as well. I am not convinced that this team is built for success in the playoffs, and despite their enormous talent, may end up at home in January once again.
4. Carolina Panthers (4-1) - I haven’t seen any of their games live, but the Panthers have great talent at the QB and WR position and are extremely well coached.
5. Chicago Bears (3-2) - Who would have thought that Kyle Orton would be playing like he has, putting up gaudy numbers and leading this team to three tough victories? As the old adage goes, “defense wins championships,” this team will be extraordinarily difficult to beat in the playoffs. Their losses are a fluky one to Carolina and another at the hands of an inspired Brian Griese doing the comeback tour. I think they are aberrations, which will be put behind them as they streak ahead towards the halfway point in the season. Look for them to be coming in strong for the November 9th matchup against the Tennessee Titans.
6. Tampa Bay (3-2) - While the Bucs technically wouldn’t qualify for the playoffs if they were to be held today, I think that ultimately their defense makes them a superior team than the Greatest Show of Turf Version 2.0. I am still unconvinced that the Cards can overcome their habitual losing ways, even with proven winner Kurt Warner at the helm, who by the way, seems to be losing a bit of his mental edge after being shell-shocked by the Anquan Boldin injury against the Jets. As much as I like Warner, I think the Bucs may have more going for them on the other side of the ball.
7. Arizona (3-2) - With Kurt Warner at QB, the ‘Cards are fun to watch this year. Their only hope of reaching the playoffs is to maintain control of the bottom-feeding NFC West, a task they should be up to. They have a huge test this week at home against Dallas and again the next weekend versus Carolina. They also have to face the Giants and the ‘Hawks at home so their schedule isn’t exactly easy. The good news is that the rest of their Division also has the Cowboys and the Giants on their schedule so as long as they can stay on top of their Division games, they have a good chance returning to the playoffs for the first time in ten years. With Warner chucking the ball, I like their chances. Plus, it would be a neat way for him to end his career after this season, bringing respectability back to tattered franchise.
8. Philadelphia Eagles (2-3) - The reason the Eagles top the other 2-3 teams is because they beat the Steelers and went toe-to-toe against the NFC-leading Cowboys and Skins. Considering they are currently at the bottom of the tough NFC East, their chances of making the playoffs are dwindling with each passing week.
9. Minnesota Vikings (2-3) - I never understood the preseason Superbowl hype surrounding this team, especially considering their quarterback situation. Obviously Tavaris is no longer the man, but unfortunately Gus, for whom I first gained affection back when he pulled off the first win of the Redskins 1995 campaign as a backup to Congressman Heath Shuler (D-NC), isn’t the answer either. He is a great backup but has been a backup for most of his career for a reason I am sure.
10. New Orleans Saints (2-3) - Many deem the Saints the most underachieving team in the league. Like the Cardinals and the Lions, there is just something in their DNA that prevents them winning consistently. They peaked at the 2006 NFC Championship Game and will likely miss the playoffs this season unless they simply decide to live up to their potential.
11. Atlanta Falcons (2-3) - Wonderful story that this team, so devastated last year by the antics of Jim Petrino and the crimes of Mike Vick, is putting together a few wins, especially over a respectable opponent like the Green Bay Packers. A hair below .500 should be considered a success for this team.
12. Green Bay Packers (2-3) - As much as I love young Aaron’s grit, I think reality is setting in for him and Coach McCarthy. It is highly likely that this team might not pull off a win until late November. Prediction check-in: so far it seems that my prediction of this team going 6-10 might have even been a bit generous.
13. San Francisco (2-3) - Gave the Pats a fight, but 2008 still isn’t their year.
14. Seattle Seahawks (1-3) - Amazing how far this team has fallen. They should pull out a couple of home dates this season but will likely get smooshed by the NFC East.
15. St. Louis Rams (0-4) - The only reason they’re on top of the Lions is due to their storied past.
16. Detroit Lions (0-4) - Forever stinky. I suggest an off-season uniform change to address their woes. Worked the ‘Hawks, the Bucs, and the Pats for a while.
MIMM First Quarter NFL Rankings, American Conference:
1. Tennessee Titans (5-0) - The Titans have demonstrated their “for realness” with wins over solid teams like the Jags, the Vikes and the Ravens. So far their defense has been superb, especially at creating turnovers. Despite the weakness of the AFC this season, their toughest games should be against teams in their own Division, like the Colts, who they still haven’t played yet, and the Jags again later in the season. They have a solid chance of extending this unbeaten streak for quite some time.
2. Pittsburgh (4-1) - Big Ben has shown incredible toughness in his scrappy wins this season. Their only loss so far this season came at the hands of the NFC East’s Eagles, but they have the rest of the East to contend with, along with a pretty tough schedule down the stretch.
3. Denver (4-1) - The Broncos are 2-1 in the weak AFC West and will likely make the playoffs, but I am not at all sold on this team. I don’t like their defense and I’m still not convinced that Jay Cutler has the poise to win in the playoffs.
4. Miami (2-2) - ESPN’s Power Rankings oddly has this team ranked behind both the Chargers and Patriots, although they have beaten them both, one pretty soundly (remember Ronnie Brown?). They played extremely well against the Jets and easily could have won that game. I like how Chad Pennington is managing games and obviously their running game is not only effectively, but also pretty groundbreaking in terms of changing the way offense is played in the NFL. New Prediction Alert: The ‘Fins miss the playoffs but finish at 8-8.
5. New England (3-1) - This team has struggled against poor opponents, yet I still haven’t seen enough to render a more profound judgement than that.
6. New York Jets (2-2) - Earlier I predicted that the Jets would finish 11-5, so far I’ve seen nothing to change my mind on that. Jet Favre will improve as the season progresses, provided he stays healthy, which unsurprisingly seems pretty likely given his resume.
7. Buffalo Bills (4-1) - The Bills have struggled against, and later beaten, some rather mediocre teams.
8. Indianapolis (2-2) - Who would have thought that the Colts would be standing in the middle of the pack of the inferior AFC?
9. Jacksonville (2-3) - Despite their record, this team still has a lot of fight in it and could easily make a run during the middle third of the season, especially with dates against both Ohio teams and the team from Michigan.
10. Baltimore (2-2) - Defense wins championships but Joe Flacco is no Trent Dilfer.
11. San Diego (2-3) - The New Orleans Saints of the AFC.
12. Oakland (1-4) - With so many awful teams in the AFC, I’m shocked that there are actually teams that are worse than the Raiders.
13. Cleveland (1-3) - Will Derek Anderson be traded to Minnesota before the deadline, ushering in the Brady Quinn era? Probably not the best thing for Quinn’s development.
14. Houston (0-4) - A legacy of losing for this franchise. David Carr must be smiling riding the pine at 4-0 in New York.
15. Cincinnati (0-5) - Even talent like Carson Palmer and Achtzig Funf can’t overcome institutional failure imprinted into this franchise’s DNA.
16. Kansas City (1-4) - Seems like a nice guy, but how does Herm Edwards continue to get work?
Week 5 MIMM Player of the Week: Reggie Bush. The young man nearly ran back three punts for touchdowns, virtually single-handedly winning this game for his reeling team. His performance on Monday night indicated an astonishing ability to shut down the Monkey in his Mind clamoring over the mistakes made by him and his team and focus solely on the task at hand: turning his touch of the football on three separate plays into something magical and awe-inspiring.
Storylines to Watch in Week 6:
- The Redhot-Skins have beaten some good teams, but now it’s time to beat up on some bad teams to prove that they are more than a fluke.
- The Saints are in dire need of a win. Enter the Raiders.
- Miami looks to crack .500 in Houston.
- Giants will go 5-0 against Cleveland.
- Green Bay continues their losing skid in Seattle.
The Monkey @ October 7, 2008
Thought for the Day 10/6/08: In God We Trust?
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“Though the slogan on America’s silver coins says, “In God we trust,” we deny this as we set out to collect as many of these coins as we can.” — U.S. Andersen, “Three Magic Words,” page 181.
The Monkey @ October 6, 2008
Thought for the Day 10/5/08: Thoughts Become Things
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Image by: Kymberly Vohsen
Sphere: Related Content“Thoughts become things. Things are thoughts held in form by the great creator, the Universal Subconscious Mind, but a thing only becomes a thing as a result of a conscious thought!” – U.S. Andersen, “Three Magic Words,” page 142.
The Monkey @ October 5, 2008
Using Positive Thinking and the Power of Persistence
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Photo by: Revati Upadhya
Thought for the Day: 10/4/08:
“There are only two things you can do for yourself. One is conception and the other is conviction. All the work of creation rests with another than you. For no [one] is responsible for anything in this life except [their] thoughts and [their] beliefs.” – U.S. Anderson, “Three Magic Words,” page 49.
Yesterday, as I drove into Boston to once again put the laws of “Intentional Creation” into practice, this time to negotiate with a car dealer to be compensated for some damage to my car that was undetected until after I purchased it, I was overwhelmed with the realization that this latest challenge was nothing more than an opportunity to manifest even greater abundance for myself and my family.
Granted, thoughts were swirling around in my mind all week about what I would do if I weren’t successful in receiving compensation to cover $3000+ worth of damage that we discovered during a routine inspection, and my Monkey Mind also focused on points I would make within the negotiation itself: arguments I would raise, objections I would counter, instead of simply focusing solely on the desired result: a repaired car back in my hands. Then, in the final hours, I began to redirect my focus solely on what I wanted, constantly overcoming the Monkey Mind’s desire to focus on the difficulty, the problem itself, the enigma of the negotiation. In fact, the image that came to my mind was one of my shining, fixed car spinning in front of my eyes, like a glossy car commercial inside my mind.
Look for the Light In Others and Circumstances
During that beautiful ride into Boston, driving purposely through the crisp October air, a huge smile crept across my face. Not only was I going to be successful in manifesting my intention, but I was also going to have fun in the process. Right then and there I decided to shift my perception of the owner of the car dealership. Instead of assuming that he was a swindler, a typical “used car salesman” who sold me a lemon, I instead envisioned him as a successful, balanced entrepreneur, no different than myself, who was also in the midst of a problem (i.e. selling a valued customer a damaged product), and that he would do everything in his power to resolve this problem fairly. I made a choice to look only for the light in him, to approach the situation calmly, and to allow a space within our negotiation for the Universal Mind to be able to exist and provide the answers for our right-minded thinking.
Over the course of the week as I thought about this problem, I realized that too much of my thinking was oriented towards the problem itself as opposed to the solution. I thought of all the things I would say, the merits of my case, and what I would do if I didn’t get what I wanted. Looking back, I realize it is literally insane thinking within the context of any perceived problem to do anything else besides constantly focus on a positive result.
And why is this true? Well the answer is simple. We have a choice in every given moment of our day as to how we wish to perceive external stimuli. The choice is ours and ours alone. So why not assume the best? If we assume the worst and the worst manifests, our only reward will be to have been “right.” If we assume the best and the best happens, we will be rewarded with the desired outcome and the “benefit” of being “right.” But what if we assume the best and the worst happens? Or we assume the best an outcome we didn’t plan for occurs, or we assume the best and something somewhere between best and worst manifests?
Persistence Pays
This is such an important question because it brings about one of the most important concepts of prosperity consciousness and success, and that is the concept of persistence. The easiest way to truly understand persistence is to view it as simply a refusal to accept negative outcomes as final. In other words, when things appear to be negative, these occurences are merely reminders that more opportunities exist to once again realign ourselves with the Universal Mind. The old adage, “It ain’t over ’til it’s over,” simply means, it isn’t over until we say it’s over. U.S. Anderson puts it even more clearly, saying, “do not deny negative circumstance. Simply have faith in what you believe and refuse to accept negative circumstances as final.“
There is always an opportunity for a second act, another day, another try. Even on the precipice of death is there an opportunity for a shift in consciousness. What one day might be perceived as a calamity might the next be seen as a windfall. As an example, the other day I was talking to one of my customers who was explaining why I hadn’t seen her in a while. Turns out she was in a car accident and had to miss work while recuperating from injuries. Sounds bad, right? Well, she goes on to say that prior to the accident, her car had encountered some serious maintenance issues that would require several thousand dollars worth of repair work. There were also some other things about the car that she didn’t like and had made an intention to somehow get a new car. In addition, being from Russia, she had made the intention of visiting her family next year and was saving her vacation days for that, but at the same time, had decided that she would like to take some vacation days now after working for over two years without a single day off. She wasn’t sure how she would be able to afford taking vacation days twice, as her trip to Russia would require a lot of time with the far distance to travel.
Not long after deciding on this intention was she struck by another motorist while driving home from work, totalling her car and injuring her. While injured, fortunately none of her wounds were life threatening or permanent. Her doctor ordered her to 2-3 weeks of rest at home, exactly the time off that she had been desiring prior to the crash. With her car totalled, she no longer had to worry about that large repair bill and her insurance settlement ended up providing more money than she owed on the car, resulting in her making money on the exchange, which allowed her to buy a new, safer car, for less money than her cheaper compact car, due to the extra funds she received in the settlement.
As she told me about this, I remarked on how she had been putting the Law of Attraction and Law of Intention Creation in practice, and she admitted that she had been realigning her thoughts for several years now and wasn’t all that surprised by the results she had achieved. What appeared to be a bad situation turned totally positive, based on her manner of thinking.
Many of us might have stopped at the car crash, the injuries, the inconveniences. We would have battled against the insurance company, our health care providers, or our employers on minutiae that would have suddenly expanded into larger problems. But a refusal to accept a negative outcome as final leads to untold riches.
A phrase often heard in recovery circles is, “Don’t quit before the miracle happens.” If we continue to persist, the miracle is right around the corner, behind the next door, just waiting for us to discover it.
I thought about this last night, shaking hands with the owner of the car dealership, smiling as he wrote a large check out to me to cover the damages. Mission accomplished.
“Each nay I hear will bring me closer to the sound of yea. Each frown I meet only prepares me for the smile to come. Each misfortune I encounter will carry in it the seed of tomorrow’s good luck. I must have the night to appreciate the day. I must fail often to succeed only once.”– Og Mandino
The Monkey @ October 4, 2008
Thought for the Day 10/3/08: Positive Thinking
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Image by: Kymberly Vohsen
When it comes to our lives and our thoughts about our lives, we have a choice: we can view it all anyway we wish. So if the choice is ours, why not view it through a positive lens?
Sphere: Related Content“Form proceeds from mind, and mind controls all, and this knowledge properly applied can change your life…If you mean for your life to be progressive and full of achievement, vigor, love, and abundance, you will abandon each negative thought the moment it is presented to you.” – U.S. Anderson, “Three Magic Words,” page 122.
The Monkey @ October 3, 2008
Thought for the Day 10/2/08: You Are What You Think
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Image by: Kymberly Vohsen
I am having a lot of fun reading U.S. Anderson’s “Three Magic Words.” So much so, that while reading yesterday, I received an inspired thought to share some of what I’m reading in the form of “Thoughts for the Day” on my blog. These short quotes will come from whatever I’m currently reading that I believe contains particularly helpful power.
So without further ado, beginning today, each day I will post a “Thought for the Day,” with the purpose of providing a nugget of consciousness to inspire, motivate, and reflect upon. Today we begin with a thought about the so-called “Law of Attraction“:
You are what you think; you attract what you think; your life is a product of your thought and belief; and nothing in the world can change this fact. To alter your life the only single course open is to alter your thinking! — U.S. Anderson,“Three Magic Words,” page 191.
The Monkey @ October 2, 2008
How to Enjoy Prosperity in Times of Economic Uncertainty
Posted in: Economics, Law of Attraction, Personal Development | Comments (0)
Photo by: Scott Snyder
In a previous post I discussed the process of putting “Victory Focus” into action in order to manifest results. This process involves:
1) Imagining the results we wish to experience
2) Visioning with emotion and power what a reality containing those results would feel like
3) Believing with absolute certainty that our dreams are possible
4) Finally, co-creating those previously “imaginary” concepts, dreams, and intentions into physical reality.
These techniques and tools have never been more essential and necessary than precisely at this moment, considering the “financial crisis” that we are seeing all around us, especially when we focus on external stimuli like the evening news, the internet, talk radio, and newspapers. Ironically, when one looks at this problem through the lens of prosperity consciousness, one realizes that the perception of the problem is as much of the problem as the problem itself. In other words, a commonly accepted spiritual maxim of prosperity consciousness states that what we focus on expands. So if we focus on lack, if we focus on debt, if we focus on fear, if we focus on crisis, if we focus on greed, all of those things expand.
While no sane person would advocate or recommend practicing denial in order to cope with this “crisis,” a more healthy way of dealing with the current financial situation in the country would be to avert our attention away from the car crash, keep our eyes on the road ahead of us, and focus on the things that we wish to manifest in our lives, instead of the things we don’t wish to experience.
I cannot explain why this is, but many of us are programmed to automatically shift into fear mode when it comes to a multitude of circumstances in our lives. How often when considering a business move or financial decision do we first entertain the thought of failure? For example, let’s say a person is planning on listing their house for sale. They might look up and down their street and notice dozens of other “For Sale “signs, silently calculating in their head how long those signs have been up. They might remember that a friend or realtive had their house up for sale for a year or more, and if they did happen to sell, they lost money or barely broke even. Taking all of these cues, or mental blueprints into account, that person will probably conclude: “I’ll never sell my home.”
If that same person is considering buying a new home, they might remember that news report from the night before talking about the tightening of credit and might say: “I’ll never get a loan with everything that’s going on right now.”
If a person is considering a career change, they might consider the “fact” that CNN reported many companies are not hiring right now: “I’ll never find a new job.”
This pattern goes on and on and informs so much of our thinking that most of us never question it and simply assume that being habitually disappointed is just a part of life!
What’s incredible is that if we logically examine this phenomenon, we will discover the following: thoughts fuel results. If we assume lack, adversity, and difficulty, those things usually manifest in our external experience. Don’t believe me? Here’s an exercise: think of the happiest, wealthiest, healthiest person that you know. Go on, do it, you probably know somebody who has achieved some form of success. Now, recall your conversations and experiences with that person and ask yourself: “How often has person x complained about not enough, has felt sorry for themself, or has blamed their problems on others?” The answer you will probably come to is: not very often. While many of us experience moments of weakness, those of us who are manifesting extraordinary life experiences are also creating extraordinary visions for how we wish to live our lives.
But what if we habitually go to the negative? Well, recognizing this habit is a powerful first step, so congratulate yourself on that. The cool thing is that we have the power to change our habits. The only prequisite for change is belief in the possibility of change. And this begins with another simple question you can ask yourself, despite your present circumstances: “Do you believe it is possible to manifest prosperity in your life if you only had the tools, the help, and the guidance?” Most people will probably say yes to this, which is a huge first step, but then go right back to an error in thinking when they assume that the “help” they desire will come from the outside.
In order to advance from this first step to actually manifesting the changes we desire is to simply believe that what we want is possible, and then completely detach ourselves from the how. The how is none of our business, only the what. We believe that the sun will rise, that our hearts will continue to beat, that it will get warmer in the summer and cooler in the winter. We believe all these things and so they are. So what if we chose to incorporate other beliefs, positive beliefs, into our mental blueprint? Isn’t that revolutionary?
I mean literally imagine this, dream it up, play make believe. Many of us have heard the phrase, “Fake it ’till you make it.” What this means is that if we are embarking on a path and using tools with which others have achieved success, but we’re still not convinced that we’ll be able to experience the same success, what if we simply pretended that we were on the right path? This technique is used all the time to overcome addictions in just about every 12-step program there is, but can also be used very effectively to manifest any outcome we desire.
And why not, because it doesn’t cost anything to simply believe something, does it? So going back to the question above, which many people will answer yes to: What if we simply imagined that we already possessed the tools, help, and guidance to manifest our dreams?
The logical construct of this new “blueprinting” is as follows:
I. We accept that we would be able to manifest our desires if only we had the tools.
II. We accept that belief is the cornerstone of our reality.
III. We consciously choose to believe that we already have the tools.
IV. Since we already have the tools, we accept that will be able to manifest our desires.
It’s that simple. The only wrinkle to this whole process is the concept of time. How long are we willing to persist until the miracle occurs? Many people read articles like this, get all excited, begin the visioning process and then get frustrated that their results don’t manifest immediately. Well the old adage, “Rome wasn’t built in a day” comes into play here. If it took an entire lifetime to build our negative and destructive belief structure it might take more than a few days to tear the city down and build anew. The crazy part is that the concept of time is as much of a belief as anything else, so it can be manipulated and “wrinkled” according to our desires if so only we can believe that achieving results in a manner that requires less and less physical time is possible. A tip for beginners is to start with “small” desires that you will reasonably expect to be accomplished in short order, if only you had the tools. From success wtih small things, we can build towards to bigger and better dreams and goals.
This whole process should be fun and exciting. And it helps to have additional tools at your disposal. I recently started using some audio programs from Melissa Zollo. Melissa Zollo is an “Imagist” who runs a personal development business called Present Memory and her instructions are powerful, clear, and inspiring. I began with her program “Discover the Power of Imagination” and have recently begun her money-attracting program, “How to Unleash the Power Within to Attract Money.” Over the course of about 30 days, I was able to sell my current home at a substantial profit within about three weeks, manifest my dream house, and also register a personal record in terms of revenue and sales in my business. Currently I am visioning to get substantial repair work done on my car without having to pay a penny for it. All of this during an “economic downturn,” and a “housing burst.” I simply chose not to identify with these negative concepts. I highly recommend these powerful products. You can buy them by clicking right here.
Paul Davison is the Founder of OrganicGreenDaddy and the Co-Founder of OrganicGreenMommy.
The Monkey @ October 1, 2008
Beasts of the East: 2008 Week 4 NFL Recap
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Matt Bryant, MIMM NFL Player of the Week
With weekends like this, there is no wonder why the National Football League is America’s most popular sport. Consider these Week 4 highlights: Jet Favre throws six touchdown passes in a shootout against the Greatest Show on Turf (Version 2.0), tying Broadway Joe’s franchise record, the Tennesse Titans go 4-0 for the first time in franchise history, the Raiders choke on a 12-point fourth quarter lead, lowly KC pulls the reigns on the Bronco offense while torching their hollow D for 33 points and the win, a Ohio-based football team garners a win, the Eagles reveal a dent in the armor of the NFC East and lose their first game to a non-Division opponent in Chicago, and last but not least, rookie Head Coach Jim Zorn bucks history by beating the NFL’s top-ranked team in their own building (no previous Redskins Coach had been able to win in Dallas on their first attempt).
Monkey In My Mind NFL Player of the Week
Of course we’ll talk more about some of these headliners below, but first I wanted to take a moment to formalize my week-by-week award for the player who puts together a performance that is most indicative of mastering the monkey mind on the fields of friendly strife.
I hadn’t invented the award yet when I wrote the Week 1 Recap, but the Monkey has authorized me to retroactively deem Green Bay QB Aaron Rodgers as the Week 1 MIMM NFL Player of the Week, for his ability to put the sideshow of the Brett Favre Saga behind him and pull out a huge opening day victory.
In Week 2, we saw Santana Moss walk away with the award and in Week 3, Ronnie Brown was the no-brainer selection.
WIth the selection of the winner for Week 4, however, for the first time since starting this blog will the Monkey and I have to issue an apology and a correction to a previous post. The post in question was an entry I made on September 20th entitled, “Kickers Are Not Football Players,” in which I essentially argued for the consolidation of the punting and kicking duties into one position. While I still don’t quite understand why there are two people on the squad to handle these rather similar functions, I now realize that my headline was a bit brash and possibly offensive to NFL kickers, who deserve a bit more respect than I had initially offered, especially in light of an incredible performance by a kicker this weekend, who is the recipient of this week’s Monkey In My Mind NFL Player of the Week Award: Tampa Bay Kicker Matt Bryant.
Tragically, Bryant lost his infant son eariler this week, yet still chose to suit up with his brethren and take the field against Rodgers and the Pack, a “Bay of Pigs” matchup a la the old NFC Central. The fact that Bryant was even able to step out onto the field, much less hammer home the game-winning field goal, along with several other scores earlier in the game, indicates incredible mental toughness, perseverence, leadership, and dedication to ideals above and beyond himself. In fact, Bryant’s performance - triumph amidst tradgedy - literally personifies the Overcoming of the Monkey Mind. In a way that is unfathomable to me as a father, Bryant was able to offer up his performance to his deceased son and his teammates in an inspiring and enlightening manner.
In addition, only now do I realize that my rail against kickers in that post was itself a manifestation of the Monkey Mind in action, similar to my previous free admission that I was harboring resentment towards Aaron Rodgers and Jay Cutler for the actions of their coaches and/or team management.
That being said, NFL Football Player Matt Bryant wins this week’s Monkey in My Mind Player of the Week Award.
On to this week’s games…
Skins Unseat Beasts of the East
JC Takes the B of the E Award from Romo
In one of the most hotly anticipated games of the weekend, the Washington Redskins visited Texas Stadium for perhaps the last time to take on the undefeated, top-ranked and arch-rival Dallas Cowboys. The Redskins entered the contest on a two-game winning streak but the high-scoring Cowboys were the unanimous favorites. The Skins were seeking credibility and legitimacy, while the Cowboys were attempting to put their playoff miscues behind them and establish themselves as the leaders of the NFL elite, with the Patriots’ stranglehold on the league suddenly challenged.
The keys to the Redskins’ upset victory were multifold.
- Primarily, their recent success has come hand-in-hand with the marked improvement of QB Jason Campbell. The man hasn’t thrown an interception yet this year and has so far managed to put together a string of extremely efficient performances, quietly checking in as the #4 ranked Passer in the league. To put this accomplishment into perspective, every other quarterback ranked in the top 7 in the league in Passer Rating (Favre, Rivers, Brees, Warner, Romo, and Cutler, respectively) has four interceptions! each
- Secondly, the Redskins D, while allowing over 300 yards per game, has made stops and key turnovers when necessary. Rookie Chris Horton currently stands tied at #2 in the league with 3 interceptions. And, kudos toShawn Springs for making T.O. look like Brandon Lloyd.
- Thirdly, while now a West Coast Offense team, Rookie Head Coach Jim Zorn realizes that the Redskins will likely never stray too far from the rich tradition of power running. Clinton Portis is currently the #5 rusher in the league and has done so without a fumble. The Skins controlled the clock in this ball game through a perfect Yin Yang balance between passing to speedy receivers Santana Moss and Antwaan Randel El, and putting the ball game on the backs of the Redskins Rushing Corps.
- Finally, the previous point leads right into sound coaching. So far Zorn seems to be learning from his mistakes. All you can ever ask for in life is to improve everyday. The Skins are making strides each week and that kind of progress is hard to argue with. They will be facing a hungry Eagles ball club after their very tough loss to an extremely physical Bears Defense. If the Skins can manage back-to-back wins within their Division, the NFL’s toughest, they will suddenly find that they too are surprisingly among the NFL’s new elite.
And oh by the way, they win the right to call themselves Beasts of the East, a title to be challenged next week against Philly.
A word about the ‘Boys. They are a talented team. Among their talented athletes one stands out among the rest. His name is Marion Barber III. Do not forget about him. He had nine touches in that game. Inexcusable.
Skins-Boys Highlights below…
Touchdownapalooza in the Meadowlands
Lucky Throwbacks?
This week, two, count ‘em, TWO teams in the NFL named the Titans won their games. And if I were the person within the New York Jets organization responsible for choosing which uniforms the team wears on Sundays I would keep those ratty blue and gold unis within reach after the bye next week.
Oh So Sweet Eagle Throwback Unis
Much like Donovan McNabb lighting up the Detroit Lions last year for 4 TD’s and 56 points while wearing the “so ugly they’re bad-assed” Eagle throwback unis, Jet Favre lit up the Arizona Cardinals for 6 TD’s and 56 points while wearing the “so ugly they’re bad-assed” Jet (A.K.A. New York Titans) throwback unis. Oddly enough, the losing quarterbacks in both games (Warner against the Titans, Kitna against the Eagles) threw for over 400 yards each and couldn’t pull out a win. What’s especially notable about the New York win is the fact that the Cardinals committed seven turnovers! I’m not sure if I’ve witnessed that many turnovers in a game in my entire life (the NFL record is 12, tied by three teams in 1942, 1950, and 1965).
The Buffalo Bills wore their “Standing Buffalo” throwback unis earlier in the season and won, while the Pittsburgh Steelers wore their “Bizarro World” (yellow helmets, black jerseys with yellow numbers, & white pants) throwback unis against Baltimore Monday Night and won (also winning while wearing them twice last year, ironically against Buffalo and Baltimore).
I’m a huge fan of throwback unis and personally loved the Redskins yellow-helmeted “R” logo unis, which were designed by Vince Lombardi himself, and worn most recently in 2007 when the Skins suffered a horrific collapse against New York in Week 3 at home. 
I also love their “Arrow Head” throwbacks that I last saw worn during the Steve Spurrier days. As the Redskins were unsuccessful in most of these games, I doubt they’ll be going back to throwbacks any time soon. Lately they seem to be digging the all-white outfit, the uni they’ve worn during their two playoff runs (2005 and 2007) during the Joe Gibbs II Era.
Another great throwback fave of mine are the powder-blue digs of the San Diego Chargers, which should definitely see the light of day more often. Anyway, except in the case of the ‘Skins, throwbacks mean W’s, so my question is: Why don’t teams wear them more often?
Titans-Cardinals Highlights Below…
Steel Curtain Call for Ravens
“There is no personal foul on the play…only one member of the Steelers jumped into the stands” — NFL Referee, Ravens at Steelers, Sept. 29, 2008
This game was not pretty, but nothing in the AFC North is. The Steelers had a lot to prove after falling to the Eagles and failing to score a touchdown. Both defenses ran clinics against one another but ultimately, Rookie Ravens QB Joe Flacco was manhandled by the Steelers rush. Big Ben wasn’t getting many favors either, but his defense bailed him out with an interception returned for a TD exactly 15 seconds after ending the Steelers’ offensive (both senses of the word) TD drought.
Storylines to Watch in Week 5
With most teams having played a full quarter of their season, we’ll finally get a sense of who’s who and what’s what with our MIMM Quarterly NFL Rankings. And watch out for these key matchups:
- Miami will get a chance to prove whether or not their domination of New England was an aberration or the real thing when the Chargers come to town.
- Resurging Tampa Bay and their tough D will challenge Denver’s offense and we now know Griese and company can move that offense.
- Arizona doesn’t get any breaks after their resounding thumping at the hands of the Jets with the undefeated Buffalo Bills heading their way.
- Dallas takes on Cincy at home and they had better win, and win big, to silence the growing concerns about a lack of leadership surrounding the “T.O. Effect” on their franchise.
- Beast of the East is up for grabs in Philly.
- And the Giants get to prove if they are as good as many think they are with a home date against Seattle (with playing at home being the preferable way to take on the Seahawks, just as ask the Redskins).
- …And will the swarming Titans D keep Joe Flacco on his heals in Baltimore to assure continued, yet aesthetically ugly perfection (5-0) for Vince Young-less ball club?
The Monkey @ September 30, 2008
First Debate Tie + Palin = Obama Bounce
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The Handshake Says It All
During the opening half of the debate Lehrer attempted to encourage the candidates to comment upon the proposed Wall Street bailout “Splurge” to no true avail. Both Palin’s Running Mate and Obama sidestepped any specifics on the plan as it currently stands, nor could either of them provide a context for how this current financial “crisis” would impact their Presidencies, other than Palin’s Running Mate calling for a spending freeze on all initiatives other than defense, the veterans administration, and entitlement programs.
When it came to foreign policy, the proposed focus of the encounter, Obama held his own in an arena that his opponent has traditionally enjoyed a distinct advantage.
In more abstract terms, Obama appeared charming, smiled at the right time, and remained respectful of his opponent and his views. Palin’s Running Mate, on the otherhand, appeared to evidence disdain for Obama throughout the course of the discussion, chiding him frequently for not understanding the ways of the world, specifically Obama’s definition of tactics versus strategy, as well as his intention to speak with foreign leaders, particularly foreign dictators. Even before the debate began, Palin’s Running Mate seemed to brush off a warm handshake from Obama and appeared to avert his gaze from looking Obama in the eye during their greeting. Later, after the debate, it was Obama who initiated walking back over to Cindy McCain and her husband to ostensibly introduce the wives. Throughout the affair, Obama showed little emotion or reaction to his opponent’s patronizing tone, which should sit well with undecided voters, according to the MonkeyInMyMind Universal Maxim of Presidential Politics, espoused by the Monkey and myself, which states that voters will vote for candidates they like and candidates they know, with likeability trumping familiarity. Obama remained likeable throughout the evening, which should result in a larger bounce as the new poll numbers begin to surface.
Given that Obama’s polling numbers have stepped ahead of his opponents’ during this week of financial turmoil, Palin’s Running Mate could hardly afford a tie in this first encounter, and despite the spin of both campaigns claiming victory for their candidate, a tie in a debate covering Palin’s Running Mate’s strongest suit, plus the impending shattering defeat of Sarah Palin herself at the hands of Joe Biden during the Vice Presidential debate to be held on October 2nd, equals a widening lead for Barack Obama as we head into the final countdown of this Presidential Campaign.
Sarah Palin, who was briefly the GOP Candidate’s ace in the hole is now his Sword of Damocles. Her Running Mate will have a daunting task ahead of him indeed to recover from the damage she will soon inflict to his chances next week in St. Louis.
In case you’ve only heard about the idiocies Ms. Palin spouted off to CBS News’ Katie Couric, now you can see them for yourself:
The Monkey @ September 27, 2008