Brogan's Blog

If I could go back in time and tell the younger version of myself one thing, it would be the winning numbers to a Mega Millions Lottery jackpot. And if I had the opportunity to tell my younger self one other thing it would be to   STAY OPEN-MINDED . We are born with an open-mind, with no preconceived notions or judgments about anything in life. We have a clean slate. But then life and our surroundings take over and we become messed up. That’s right, messed up! We are fed beliefs, opinions and teachings of adults and peers around us and those ideas are embedded into our brains. Not that all of that what we learn is wrong, but all those thoughts are downloaded unfiltered into our mind and at that young age we aren’t able to create ideas of our own. This can lead to us becoming narrow-minded beings. So, all we have to do is say goodbye to a narrow-minded view of life and become open-minded. Easier said then done, right? Growing up Catholic I was spoon fed many ideas that bec...

Karma, as used in Hinduism and Buddhism, is defined as the sum of a person’s actions in this and previous states of existence, viewed as deciding their fate in future existences. It also refers to the spiritual principle of cause and effect where intent and actions of an individual (cause) influence the future of that individual (effect). Good intent and good deed contribute to good karma and future happiness, while bad intent and bad deed contribute to bad karma and future suffering. Or if you want to keep it simple, look at it like this, “What goes around, comes around.” Now as a full disclosure, I am neither a Hindu or Buddhist. In fact I grew up Catholic and now I consider myself a non-denominational Christian. So to say I have a full understanding of what Karma really is would be a lie. In fact there are many differences on how Hinduism and Buddhism look at Karma. Some equate Karma to be something that impacts our present lives, while others believe it involves past and future...

According to the   National Institute of Mental Health , 68% of Americans have a fear of death. I wonder if what they fear the most is the actual event when they die or what happens after their death? And what about the 32% of Americans that don’t fear death. What do they know that everybody else doesn’t? I understand the fear of how you will die. I mean, there aren’t too many ways to die that seem pleasant. Drowning, Disembowelment or being eaten by a shark all rank up there as ways I don’t want to die. Dying in your sleep would probably be the way to go. Or something that is instantaneous where you would feel no pain would be a good option if you had to choose from a death menu. But what about the fear of what happens to you after your death? Is this where those 32% have some secret knowledge about the afterlife that keeps them from being afraid of death itself. Is it a spiritual belief that gives them confidence to stare death in the face and not be afraid?  Let’s take...

One of my goals moving forward in my life is to live a more balanced, simple life. In the fast-paced, stressed out society we live in it’s very easy to forget about what’s really important to us. It’s easy to want more and more, and get caught up with always having the next best thing. It’s also easy to get caught up in social media, news, TV and other distractions and lose site of what we really want in life. In my research to find ways to obtain a more simple life I came across this great manifesto. The manifesto lists 72 ways to simplify you life. I cut this list down to 20 ways (look I am already simplifying!) that fit into the scope of my balanced simple life project. I think these are all great ways for not only myself, but anyone to re-examine their life and find a more balanced and simple life. Make a list of your top 4-5 important things . What’s most important to you? What do you value most? What 4-5 things do you most want to do in your life? Simplifying starts with thes...

It seems like this past week all I have heard around me is negativity, bitterness and anger. And yes, some of this is for good reason with the latest election season, but it seems to be getting out of hand. It seems that this most recent turn of events have set off a fire that has been slowly building over the years. It’s sad, but it’s the reality of life we live in I guess. So what can we do to not get caught up in the negativity around us? How do we find peace when our friends, family and co-workers are constantly spewing out negativity and resentment around us and on social media? How can we rise above this and be a positive force for change? First it starts with changing yourself. To be the change, you must live it. Be positive, love others and treat everyone as you want to be treated. When someone is in need help them. When someone is feeling down, build them up. Fill others buckets and you will find yourself feeling good about yourself which others will see and want to e...

Sometimes you have to put yourself in someone else’s shoes to really understand a situation. Recently I had the privilege of volunteering at my children’s school on two separate occasions. My assignment was to lead three different classes in special activities for 45 minutes each. The ages of the kids I worked with ranged from 3 to 11. How hard could it be? I have two kids, 5 & 7 that I watch and hang out with on a daily basis, so this should be simple. Right? Well, let me tell you it wasn’t easy work. In fact, to be honest at the end of only three 45 minutes classes I was exhausted! Did I really enjoy my experience? Yes. It was great. But I was tired out after only a short time with the kids. I couldn’t imagine teaching and watching them all day long.  Plus at my job I can get up from my desk anytime I want, hit the restroom, grab a drink or even make a personal call. None of this happens when you are with the class. It’s non-stop! And these were small classes. Some schools ar...