He then carried me into the house and set me down.

I have absolutely no recall, no memory of the ladder, of my Dad, zero, nada.

So this makes me ponder...and wonder...how many more of my memories are inaccurate? Have I perceived taunting when it wasn't so? Have I thought that I was a failure when it wasn't so? Did I read that situation correctly?

He talks about pictures that the mind produces. If you have ever learned another language, you know this all too well. When you are first learning the language you do not have this association as you do not know the words yet...

For example: when learning Spanish I was introduced to 2 words that sound very similar. They are: lechusa (owl) and lechuga (lettuce). You do not know how many times I have said there is an owl in the refrigerator!! Why? Because to me, they were just two words that sounded the same and I was just trying to remember which one was which. But to a Spanish speaker, they start laughing because immediately they see an owl in the refrigerator.

Later, he points out that when you practice your memory it improves. I really believe this. He also observes that your mind has a huge capacity to Google things, to recall memories, to recall emotions. This immense power can be used for our good if we learn to think critically and learn to use the tools to access it. Even on the Internet, one has to learn the tools for searching and researching, and how to determine if it is truth. It is the same with our mind. This power to discern and to not have distorted thinking is: wisdom.

Robert says to "create internal processes". My whole web site is set up to do just that. Learning about intelligence, organization, decision making, and so forth. Each one of these skills will build upon the other until the mind does them correctly and then you will have self-will and self-restraint. You will have become a person of skills and then when opportunity presents itself, you will be prepared to seize it.

And Robert is right...these are SKILLS that anyone can learn. Many people are deceived into believing that they are talents that others cannot have...and while I admit that you may be born with a talent or a disposition to do some things better, with practice and determination, you can still learn the skill.

I play the piano and had seven years of lessons. Is it a talent for me? NO. I still struggle to just put the two hands together, but it was a skill I developed through lots of practice. And guess what...when I do occasionally sit down and practice, I see improvement.

What Robert says about BAD memories is PROFOUND. This is the only addiction I have ever fought with.

Several years ago, something deeply hurt me, and songs, certain conversations, and so on would trigger strong negative emotions. I struggled for sometime; putting an X on the calender when I had a good day, calling a close friend who kept reminding that I had to "let go" of the past, and other things.

I finally reached the point, I only listened to inspirational music, and I was very careful as to what I read and watched. I was able to eradicate most of those memories. Only once, perhaps every six months or so, does something trigger an emotion. But now I have the skills to QUICKLY dismiss it. To NOT let it stay and to move my mind on to something else.

The mind is capable of only one thought at a time. So if I concentrate on something else The thought will leave. DO NOT let any negative thoughts, criticisms, doubts, etc. stay in your mind. It is a muscle and you CAN train it to see the world (and others) in a positive light.

Everyone always tells me that I am too optimistic, but I agree with Robert Smith, that the mind cannot perceive what is real....so why not live in a Pollyanna world? The few times that I have been hurt and disappointed, and then have said I will not trust again, has been pure misery. What a horrible, sad way to go through life...not trusting people. I must say, there are scammers out there (which is why I want you to learn to think critically), but at the same time, the great majority of people I have met are good, honest people trying to make the best life they can under their own circumstances. Smile!

This was a documentary on BBC in 2006. It was very hard to find, but here it is. It is fun and you learn a lot! I would suggest though, that you watch only a couple at a time. Try to work on what you have learned for a week or so, then come back and watch some more. These are great for professional, busy moms, homeschooler's looking for an activity, and so forth. The videos taught me that while I definitely have memory strengths (spatial memory for one). I do have weaknesses, too. So this has helped me to identify and work on specific items.

(I don't know why these loaded to the web page so separated. They are okay, then when I upload the page, they separate, but if I try to delete the space...it deletes the video).