pastoryancy

I’ve been doing a lot of reading lately; one book that I just can’t put away is Kevin Kruse’s foray into time management.  15 Secrets Successful People Know About Time Management is an excellent read.  Unlike most time management books, this one is full of “tricks” that save time and increase productivity.  Each chapter deals with a particular trick.  Add to that, words from successful people give substance to what is being talked about.

If you want to improve, then read this book.  It will affect you like no other.

Happy reading,

Robert A. Charlois III

It’s time for the Thursday edition of The Charlois Life; I’m late as I’ve been having computer issues.  Here I am though, ready to share how things are going in my world.  As is this will be published early Friday, with an installment of A Charlois Book Review coming later in the day.

I’ve been working on setting up a schedule, with an emphasis on blocking out priority activities such as blogging and writing my next book.  I’m hopping to set up a meeting with my web designer sometime next week.

Later today I’ll be meeting with my therapist.  We were supposed to meet on Monday but she had something come up.  It will be good to talk so I can share my journey into the Life Coaching arena, I want for all parties to work together for my benefit.

This has been short but I’m going to be focusing on publishing something every day, even if it is short.  This is a work in progress.

So, I’ll keep on keeping on.  Stay with me.

Peace and prosperity to you,

Yancy Adamson

There is going to be a change to the Wednesday offering.  There are two outreach divisions at Charlois, The business, and the non- profit fellowship.  As of this writing, neither one of those entities are active.  I will try to write something appropriate on these days.

Robert A. Charlois III

July 9^th, 2024; almost a month since I last wrote.  There has been a lot going on.  Getting my ducks in a row so I can live my 67^th year as a new, improved, version of myself.  The week following my birthday I started a routine of drinking 64 oz’s of plain water; to keep me hydrated and flushed out.  I wish I could say I haven’t missed a day but I have.  Just a couple here and there.

After that first week I started taking a “Senior Men’s Multi-vitamin.”  I’ve continued that routine without fail every since.  Onward and upward, then the third week I added meditation and physical fitness routine.  I’m still trying to get the kinks worked out of that one.  Same for the last project; quitting smoking.  I’ve cut way back, with a few days of smoking 0 cigarettes.

Then there is this week.  Saw a new Doctor on Monday, and today, Tuesday, I had a phone meeting with Maria Daniels of Reset Business Consulting.  She is going to be my “Life Coach and Support Person.”  I’m getting a plan together.  I’ll be seeing Amy, my Therapist on Friday.  That should put me in a spot to take on this year of change.

The reason I share these things nis, Charlois is a philosophy that aims to assist persons in living their best life.  One way of doing that is to share my journey, warts and all.  There are other pages that touch on various themes.  It is all meant to give you something to ponder.

So, I’ll keep on keeping on.  Stay with me.

Peace and prosperity to you,

Yancy Adamson

Greetings.  The other day, Tuesday, June 11^th was my Birthday.  As much as I wanted to make it really special, I couldn’t even muster the energy to get out of bed.  It seems like every time I think I’m making progress I have a set back.

The last time I posted, I said I was going to give a run down of my goals and plans for the future.  I came to realize that if I were to get my act together, I would have to address my lack of self discipline.  I have all these plans and goals but history proves I lack the discipline to carry them out, at least most of the time.

So, I have been doing some research.  Discipline can be developed.  The more you practice it, the stronger it becomes.  Just start out small and build over time.  That means I’ll be taking my success with writing my first book as a way of motivating myself.  If I can complete writing a book, I should be able to accomplish other projects.

There are a few I’m working on: my second book, this blog, and my self-improvement program.  That should be enough to keep me out of trouble.  The self-improvement program will be the biggest project of the three.  While such things encompass our entire lives, this particular program is set to last 10 years.

Keep supporting my journey and I’ll keep pushing to be the best I can be.  Until next time.

God bless,

Yancy Adamson

It is 11:30 pm on Tuesday night, and as promised I’m writing today’s installment of The Charlois Life.  The last time I posted was May 23^rd, so it has been a while.  Hopefully this is the start of a more consistent endeavor.

I am finally my old self; actually, I’m the new improved version.  I think it will be clear in the days and weeks ahead.  I have put a lot of work into self-examination, and reflecting on my discoveries.  As I clear my schedule and start working on the future, from now on, I’ll be focusing on this blog, my next book, and my self-improvement program.  That should keep me honest.

On Thursday I’ll give a run down on my goals. And we’ll see from that what I’ll be dedicating my time to.  Until then get ready for a new journey.

God bless,

Yancy Adamson

I think it’s time.  Time to admit I need help getting out of this situation.  As I weigh my options, I can tell some of the steps I’m taking are helping, but not enough.  Therefore, I’m planning on talking with my psychiatrist on Wednesday.  We’ll discuss whether it might be time for a medication adjustment.  I don’t like being on meds but sometimes that little kick goes a long way.  (Wrote April 4^th)

It’s me finishing up where I left off.  It has been a while which is indicative of the situation I’ve found myself in these past months.  It has been a rough time what with worsening depression, some physical problems, all happening at once.  However, we increased one of my anti-depressants to the next level and I started seeing results after about two weeks.  That improvement should continue until my therapeutic levels stabilize.

And they have.  Feeling much better these days.  That prepares me for getting back to working on me.  I know I’ll have to take it slow and happy for any progress.  I’m only going on a few things until they are firmly in place.

Quitting smoking is my first priority.  It affects everything and therefore it’s critical for it to be eradicated.  Two more things to make into habits: my meditation practice, and my fitness routine.  These two will be important to keep me stable.  Finally, there is my occupation.  I will be devoting 12-24 hours per week to writing.  This will include work on my book and of course my blog.

That should be enough to keep me busy but not overwhelmed.  Which gives me time for relaxation, like reading.  As you can see I am working toward getting back on track.

God be with you,

Yancy Adamson

One of the foundational beliefs of Charlois is the interconnectedness of all things.  However, that does not preclude the idea of us all having individual identities.  That means we all have our own way of doing things, and believing in our own way.  That includes how we relate to God and the universe.  That is the reason there are so many different cultures and faith traditions.

Just because we do things differently doesn’t mean we are not the same at our core.  Everything that exists has a physical form, a spiritual side, and our own unique personality.  However, when everything works together in harmony there is a synergy that changes the equation.  One plus one now equals three or more.  That is where the abundance factor begins to come into play.

Having individual identities, adds a perspective that doesn’t exist in an isolated personality.  That is why it is wise to think of the greater community.  Together we can do almost anything our combined resources can provide.

God bless, and have a great day.

Robert A. Charlois III

“… I tell you, the one who believes in me will also do the works that I do and, in fact, will do greater works than these …” John 14:12 NRSV

Over the past year or so I have been doing a lot of reading about how to take control and live a life you’ll love.  What I am discovering is that almost everyone wants more but few believe it’s available.  That is all but those who promote a prosperity mindset.  In their thinking we live in a universe of abundance, where all you have to do is ask and believe.

I fall into the later camp, where a perfect Creator would provide everything, His creation needed to thrive.  It is through our lack that we don’t have our wants fulfilled.  The universe is made up of three things: God, or a universal consciousness, physical matter, or energy, and a universal mental energy we call the mind.  By our consciousness, which is one part of the greater consciousness of God, takes the physical matter of the universe, and our thoughts or mental energy, forms that which we desire.

As Jesus said, “I and the Father are one,” John 10:30 NRSV And if we are created in the image of God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; then we also are one with the Father, which brings us back to our opening quote.  What our minds conjure our being creates.  So be careful of your thoughts, there is a power in them.

God’s peace to us all.

Pastor Yancy

The last time we spoke I was talking about being a well-read person.  I spoke of Clifton Fadimon’s “Lifetime Reading Plan,” and Britannica’s “Great Books,” as well as references to websites of lists to read.  Today I want to touch on my personal reading plan for this year and beyond.

If you read my posts at all you have probably figured out that reading is a big deal to me.  In fact, on many days, I’ll read between 2-3 hours of various materials.  But for most of my life I’ve just read, without any real plan.  That’s all well and good but if I am to grow into my best self, I’ll need some direction.

That is what I’ve been working on this year; a comprehensive plan that includes: reading instruction, great literature, non-fiction, and popular titles.  It is my goal to continue reading the 2-3 hours I’ve been doing, but in a more focused way.

The reading instruction part is a self-study approach based on “How To Read A Book,” by Mortimer Adler, and several books on reading fundamentals and speed improvement.  The goal being to get to 1200 words per minute with 80% comprehension.

For the Great Literature portion I’ve chosen Britannica’s, Great Books of the Western World; a collection of 74 of western civilization’s greatest authors, put together in a 54-volume set.  Volume 1 is the great conversation, an essay by Robert Hutchinson, as well as a 10-year reading plan and other important information.  Volumes 2-3 are the index of ideas, or syntopicon.  The rest of the set contains the works of 74 authors, some entire works others just the most significant.  While there is a 10-year reading plan in volume 1 I’m choosing to use another plan to get started.

In 1959, Britannica released a set of books called “The Great Ideas Program.”  This 10-volume set consists of 10 separate reading plans that are designed so that each one can be completed in a typical school year.  The focus varies from volume to volume but each one covers an area specific to an idea: literature, science, law, politics, philosophy, etc.  I plan on using volume 1 for the next year to start my 10-year reading program. It is titled, “An Introduction To The Great Books And To A Liberal Education.”  There are 15 readings covering the spectrum of works included in the 54-volume set.  This will give me a good start to the whole set.   Along with the assigned readings there is commentary and self-study questions to guide things.

Finally, the last category of reading direction consists of two genres: non-fiction and popular fiction.  During the course of my reading, I’ll have one or the other of these two areas open.  The way that will be decided is if I’m working on a project I’ll go online and search out the best titles with that focus.  Example, I recently was doing research for a book I want to write on Time Management; so, I looked up “best books on time management,” and came up with a list of 15 books that I proceeded to read.  When I’m not working on a specific project I’ll go to “Good Reads,” and check out their list of “100 books to read in your lifetime,” and choose something from that list. That selection keeps my reading plate full.

This may seem like a lot of reading, however, by reading a minimum of 20 minutes at a time I can cover my reading in under 2 hours.  That is about what I’ve read previous to starting this program; it also leaves time to anything I run across that sparks my interest.  And I am getting in some quality reading.

Whatever you are interested in I suggest you read about it, it doesn’t have to take up your life and it’s well worth it.

Happy reading,

Robert A. Charlois III