April 23, 2023by Brian WeinerNo CommentsChanging The World One Thought At A Time., Lessons From The Mountain

I choose to live by choice, not chance; to be motivated, not manipulated; to be useful, not used; to make changes, not excuses; to excel, not to compete.

I choose to live by choice, not chance;

to be motivated, not manipulated;

to be useful, not used;

to make changes, not excuses;

to excel, not to compete.

I choose self-esteem, not self-pity.

I choose to listen to my inner voice,

not the random opinions of others.

Do you choose to live by choice? Or chance?

If you live your life, making pre-concerted determinations about your daily regimen and your life goals, you are leading a far different life than someone who is continuously hoping the best things will happen to them, regardless of their own actions or activity. 

It is only through a regular and disciplined perspective, that someone is able to continuously live by choice. The circumstances in life can become overwhelming, and the variables that arise can be problematic and highly disconcerting. 

Even with every focused effort, we might make on our own behalf, life is still determined to throw curveballs that we have not anticipated. 

There are a lot of qualities in western culture that create a continuous stream of voices to which any one of us could potentially succumb. Western culture continuously divides things into opposites on a continuum: east versus west, UCLA versus USC, Republicans versus Democrats, and in these choices, we are expected through society to pick a side. 

But what if neither side is where we specifically feel we belong? Is it incumbent upon us to acquiesce to societal demands and a option for one side of the continuum or the other… or is it a wiser choice for us to pick our own path, such that we are more capable of staying in alignment with beliefs, values, and overall judgments, that we would be making for ourselves? 

I believe we are best served to learn that much more about who we are, and what is important to us, so that we are then able to make choices in life that reflect our values and further facilitate our ability to achieve our goals, stand tall and proud, and live a life that we can look ourselves with pride in the mirror, and determine that we are our own best potential advocate.

Happy Sunday!

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Written by Brian Weiner
When I was 5 years old, I discovered that the lemon tree in the backyard + dixie cups + water and sugar and I was in business. I have been hooked on that ever since. In 1979, I borrowed $14,000 to create a brand new product... photographic greeting cards with no text on the inside, called Paradise Photography. That was the start of The Illusion Factory. Since then, The Illusion Factory has been entrusted by all of the major studios and broadcasters with the advertising and marketing of over $7 billion in filmed, live, broadcast, gaming, AR, VR and regulated gaming forms of entertainment, generating more than $100 Billion in revenue and 265 awards for creativity and technology for our clients. When I took a break from film school at UCLA to move to Hawaii, my mother did not lecture me. Instead, she took 150 of her favorite aphorisms and in her beautiful calligraphy, wrote them artistically throughout a blank journal. That is the origin of the Lessons from the Mountain series. Since then, on my journeys to the top of a mountain to watch the sunrise, I have spent countless hours contemplating words of wisdom from the sages of all races, genders and political persuasions, constantly accumulating the thoughts to guide me on my life path. I hope you enjoy my books. Please let me know your thoughts, as I highly value your feedback!