Change. It can be a word to dread or a condition to fear. Especially now, when it seems that the entire world is spinning on a different axis and all the rules are different.
But what about your personal life? What kind of changes have you spinning in confusion or fear? Everyone has their own personal list with the changes they have to face.
But let's take a step back and look at the bigger picture.
Have you ever heard of the Stream of Life? We are all immersed in it, but it is our personal choice whether to be in the middle, where the turbulent water is the most active, or to the side near the shore, where calmness prevails. But what is the Stream of Life?
It is an wonderful analogy that describes the ever abundant flow of the Universe. It acts as a model for our own reactions to events that seem to occur randomly in our lives. And finally, the Stream of Life connects us to the primal force that moves through all of us - love.
The Universe is ever expanding and increasing. Look at nature and you will see new growth on trees, plants and flowers. The birds are busy building new homes of their future young and calves, foals and baby goats can been seen frolicking in pastures, next to their mamas. Growth and change are part of the Universal language. Nature does not resist this inevitable fact of life, why do we?
Because we are the only one of all of God's creatures who have a choice about life. We can choose to be baker, a scientist or a candlestick maker. We can choose to be pessimistic or optimistic. We can choose where to live and what to wear. And we choose how we react to change.
Nature can't do that. An oak tree cannot say, "I'm tired of being an oak tree. I want to be a beautiful Aspen and live in the mountains." A cardinal can't say, "I am so sick of the color red. I want to be blue, like the Blue Jay." Well...you get the point.
Our ability to choose is our greatest freedom and our worst enemy. If we question our choices or debate about "what we should have done" we step out of the Stream of Life. If we feel guilty or angry about our choices, we block the flow of the Stream in our Life. And if our judgment about ourselves and our situation is too harsh, we deflate our own power.
Life stops flowing through us.
Close your eyes and picture a mountain stream. The water flows constantly towards its final destination, the ocean. When the water encounters a boulder or tree limb, it does not debate whether to go left or right. The water does not question why the obstacle is there or what the water did wrong to bring on such a disaster. The water does not question its own value and decrease its own power.
Instead, the water bends around the boulder, flows up or under the tree limb, and it keeps going, more powerful than before it came upon the obstacle!
What would happen if we followed the stream's example in our own life? Instead of resisting change, we decide to flow with it and look for the opportunities that wait to be discovered. Instead of playing the victim ("Why is this happening to me?") we ask ourselves, "What am I supposed to learn from this situation to become a bigger and better person?" Work on your reactions to change and you will begin to experience a different reality.
Change is inevitable. We can't change change! All we can do is accept that change will always be present in our life. It is our reaction to change that either propels us forward as part of the Stream of Life, or hampers our progress. Flow with changes and you will discover peace and happiness.
And you will be connected to your own source of power and goodness. Universal love.
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Monday, March 23, 2009
Ever Heard of the Law of Attraction?
If you are following this blog, then you have probably seen The Secret, the hit movie that came out in the summer of 2006 on the Internet. It spawned an entirely new industry of positive psychology experts who teach the Law of Attraction and other related concepts. If you have not seen The Secret, you can download a copy from your computer by visiting www.thesecret.tv. or buying a copy from that same website.
The Law of Attraction simply states that like energy attracts like energy. Every person on the planet operates his own "broadcasting" station, which sends out signals or vibrations to the Universe. The Universe always responds and events, people and things will emerge in your life based on the matches made between your broadcast signal and the Universe.
But what are the broadcast signals made of? Your thoughts! What you think determines your life. If you think, "I want to be rich" you know what you get? More wanting to "be rich." The Universe does not differentiate between "a want" and "a need." It will fulfill the strongest emotional content of your thought. And if your emotions are centered on wanting, that is what you get - more wanting.
Do you see how powerful you are? You determine what you get in your life!
The basic concept is that you are the cause of the events in your life. You are not "the effect" of something acting on you. You are the reason your life is the way it is. And if you are the cause, then you can change it. But how?
It's simple - just change the channel!
When you change your thoughts and perspective from "bad things keep happening to me" to "I am prosperous and energetic," guess what happens? A shift occurs and you start broadcsating an entirely different set of signals to the Universe. You have just stepped from "victimhood" to "causation." And you will start seeing different results in your life.
"But I have tried that," you cry in frustration. "It didn't work!"
You might have think you tried it, but I can guarantee you that your old pattern of limited thinking was still operating in the background. We all have a voice inside our heads that judges our actions, our goals and our life, usually in a negative and self-defeating tone. This voice is the voice of the ego - that mind creation that allows us to filter the millions of pieces of information that constantly bombards us. Unfortunately, the ego also plays games with us to stay in control. If the ego feels threatened or powerless, the onslaught of thoughts it spews forth is similar to "Old Faithful."
So how do you turn off the ego and its negative thought train?
Will power is not enough. The ego draws its energy from will power and is very good at convincing you that it is correct. The only way to deal with the ego is to bypass it.
Focus on listening to your Spiritual Intelligence - that inner voice who is your source. Dr. Michael Bernard Beckwith has just released his new book, called Spiritual Liberation. He describes this process beautifully and recommends that we ask the following questions when the ego is on a rampage:
1) What good can I find in this situation?
2) What good is trying to emerge from this situation?
3) What may I do to help it emerge?
Dr. Beckwith states that "your life unfolds, in part, according to the type of questions you place before yourself. By asking relevant questions...a whole new world of insight, beauty, intelligence and intuition will spring into expression through you."
Make a commitment to learn more about the Laws of the Universe and your place in it. As you change your perspective and begin to evolve more in consciousness, you will begin to "wake up" to your spiritual self. And your life will never be the same again!
The Law of Attraction simply states that like energy attracts like energy. Every person on the planet operates his own "broadcasting" station, which sends out signals or vibrations to the Universe. The Universe always responds and events, people and things will emerge in your life based on the matches made between your broadcast signal and the Universe.
But what are the broadcast signals made of? Your thoughts! What you think determines your life. If you think, "I want to be rich" you know what you get? More wanting to "be rich." The Universe does not differentiate between "a want" and "a need." It will fulfill the strongest emotional content of your thought. And if your emotions are centered on wanting, that is what you get - more wanting.
Do you see how powerful you are? You determine what you get in your life!
The basic concept is that you are the cause of the events in your life. You are not "the effect" of something acting on you. You are the reason your life is the way it is. And if you are the cause, then you can change it. But how?
It's simple - just change the channel!
When you change your thoughts and perspective from "bad things keep happening to me" to "I am prosperous and energetic," guess what happens? A shift occurs and you start broadcsating an entirely different set of signals to the Universe. You have just stepped from "victimhood" to "causation." And you will start seeing different results in your life.
"But I have tried that," you cry in frustration. "It didn't work!"
You might have think you tried it, but I can guarantee you that your old pattern of limited thinking was still operating in the background. We all have a voice inside our heads that judges our actions, our goals and our life, usually in a negative and self-defeating tone. This voice is the voice of the ego - that mind creation that allows us to filter the millions of pieces of information that constantly bombards us. Unfortunately, the ego also plays games with us to stay in control. If the ego feels threatened or powerless, the onslaught of thoughts it spews forth is similar to "Old Faithful."
So how do you turn off the ego and its negative thought train?
Will power is not enough. The ego draws its energy from will power and is very good at convincing you that it is correct. The only way to deal with the ego is to bypass it.
Focus on listening to your Spiritual Intelligence - that inner voice who is your source. Dr. Michael Bernard Beckwith has just released his new book, called Spiritual Liberation. He describes this process beautifully and recommends that we ask the following questions when the ego is on a rampage:
1) What good can I find in this situation?
2) What good is trying to emerge from this situation?
3) What may I do to help it emerge?
Dr. Beckwith states that "your life unfolds, in part, according to the type of questions you place before yourself. By asking relevant questions...a whole new world of insight, beauty, intelligence and intuition will spring into expression through you."
Make a commitment to learn more about the Laws of the Universe and your place in it. As you change your perspective and begin to evolve more in consciousness, you will begin to "wake up" to your spiritual self. And your life will never be the same again!
Saturday, February 28, 2009
The Garden of Your Mind
Forgiveness. What images does that word raise up in your mind? A person with their head bowed, while another stands over them and smiles gently? The forgiver standing tall, being the bigger person, while the forgivee (the person being forgiven) bows in surrender, becoming smaller in the process?
I have another image of forgiveness I want you to consider. One that does nothing to the forgivee but everything for the forgiver.
A garden.
Think of all the transgressions against you, the hurts, the slights, the rejection by the one you most cared about, as the weeds in the garden of your mind. The more you dwell on the past, and feel those strong emotions that were triggered by the negative event, the more you water the weeds. Science has proven that thoughts are bundles of energy - if your thoughts are constantly reviewing, analyzing and reliving the past, you are directing energy (water) to your "weed thoughts."
And guess what? Weeds continue to grow if given water! (Heck, they grow without water, so why encourage them?)
How do you get rid of weeds? You pull them out by the roots. If you just pull out just the part you can see, the weed will grow back. It is the same thing with your thoughts.
We are programmed from childhood to hold onto our hurt. The "why" of that process is beyond the scope of this blog. But fortunately, the "how" of weeding your garden is not. Because the Universe is an orderly place and there are laws which keep the order. Follow the laws and you will get the results you seek!
When you plant good seed in your garden, nature will do her part and the seed will grow into what it is. Plant corn, and corn will grow. Plant cucumbers, and you will receive cucumbers. Can anyone tell me of a time when someone planted tomato seeds and received radishes instead? It just does not happen!
The Law of Cause of Effect will not let it happen.
This is a law that governs everything in form, but it also governs the formless. Your thoughts. The emotions that are triggered by your thoughts. And the actions you take because of the thoughts which triggered the emotions which compelled you to act.
Follow this logic with me. If thoughts are bundles of energy that are subject to the same laws as a tomato seed, and if I am in control of my thoughts, then I can control what type of thought I allow in my mind. And if I chose to have only positive, self-affirming thoughts about myself and every person and situation that I encounter, what do you suppose will be the result?
A beautiful life!
But what happens when the weeds (negative thoughts) keep reappearing? How do you pull them up by the roots so they are gone forever?
That is where forgiveness comes in. A Course in Miracles defines forgiveness in a unique way. To paraphrase, forgiveness is defined as a shift in perception that removes a block in me to the Divine. Forgiveness does not involve the other person who did you wrong - it directly impacts you! The weeds you hold onto so tight are a block in your own perception. And when you let them go - the block dissolves and you can see the situation clearly and from a different perspective.
I will tell you how to weed your mental garden in the next post. If you want to become immersed in this subject, go to www.MiracleIncome.com and click on the link to The 11 Forgotten Laws by Bob Proctor. The material included in that course will help you to wake up and plant only thoughts with good vibrations in the garden of your mind.
Enjoy the harvest!
I have another image of forgiveness I want you to consider. One that does nothing to the forgivee but everything for the forgiver.
A garden.
Think of all the transgressions against you, the hurts, the slights, the rejection by the one you most cared about, as the weeds in the garden of your mind. The more you dwell on the past, and feel those strong emotions that were triggered by the negative event, the more you water the weeds. Science has proven that thoughts are bundles of energy - if your thoughts are constantly reviewing, analyzing and reliving the past, you are directing energy (water) to your "weed thoughts."
And guess what? Weeds continue to grow if given water! (Heck, they grow without water, so why encourage them?)
How do you get rid of weeds? You pull them out by the roots. If you just pull out just the part you can see, the weed will grow back. It is the same thing with your thoughts.
We are programmed from childhood to hold onto our hurt. The "why" of that process is beyond the scope of this blog. But fortunately, the "how" of weeding your garden is not. Because the Universe is an orderly place and there are laws which keep the order. Follow the laws and you will get the results you seek!
When you plant good seed in your garden, nature will do her part and the seed will grow into what it is. Plant corn, and corn will grow. Plant cucumbers, and you will receive cucumbers. Can anyone tell me of a time when someone planted tomato seeds and received radishes instead? It just does not happen!
The Law of Cause of Effect will not let it happen.
This is a law that governs everything in form, but it also governs the formless. Your thoughts. The emotions that are triggered by your thoughts. And the actions you take because of the thoughts which triggered the emotions which compelled you to act.
Follow this logic with me. If thoughts are bundles of energy that are subject to the same laws as a tomato seed, and if I am in control of my thoughts, then I can control what type of thought I allow in my mind. And if I chose to have only positive, self-affirming thoughts about myself and every person and situation that I encounter, what do you suppose will be the result?
A beautiful life!
But what happens when the weeds (negative thoughts) keep reappearing? How do you pull them up by the roots so they are gone forever?
That is where forgiveness comes in. A Course in Miracles defines forgiveness in a unique way. To paraphrase, forgiveness is defined as a shift in perception that removes a block in me to the Divine. Forgiveness does not involve the other person who did you wrong - it directly impacts you! The weeds you hold onto so tight are a block in your own perception. And when you let them go - the block dissolves and you can see the situation clearly and from a different perspective.
I will tell you how to weed your mental garden in the next post. If you want to become immersed in this subject, go to www.MiracleIncome.com and click on the link to The 11 Forgotten Laws by Bob Proctor. The material included in that course will help you to wake up and plant only thoughts with good vibrations in the garden of your mind.
Enjoy the harvest!
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Forgive the Mental Strips
I was asked by a waiter at Chili's last night what I gave up for Lent (the ashes on my forehead were a dead giveaway). Such a casual question for such an important decision! I gave some flip answer but the question stayed with me.
What could I give up to enhance my evolution into the next higher and greater version of myself?
Today the answer came to me. I did not embrace the idea at first; in fact, there was an instant, strong resistance to the very suggestion. Why such a powerful reaction to such a simple concept? Then I realized what was happening. The very idea of it threatened my ego and it responded accordingly. Now I knew I was on the right track!
So what am I going to give up for Lent?
Forgiveness.
I am sure that strikes you as odd - why would someone give up an attribute that we are supposed to practice? That is the common perspective, and true up to a point. If the phrase "give up" means to abstain from, resist or avoid, then forgiveness is not something that should be "given up." The negative side of the "giving up" phrase is the one that most people understand. But there is a positive interpretation with a deeper meaning that dovetails nicely into the Easter message.
To "give up" also means "to offer" or "lift up" or "to release."
Do you see the difference? If I offer forgiveness to those people who hurt me, I release the hurt from my mind. I no longer devote precious energy to thinking about how much it hurt, or how I will get that person back for what they did. I actually free myself from myself!
It is just like those like those thin, metal strips in the junk yard I described in my last blog. Every time you are rejected, hurt or treated unfairly, another mental strip is added to your thought junk pile. After a while, (if you follow this practice religiously), you will discover that all of your thoughts involve the junk pile. And on occasion, when you are feeling really special, you might even dig through the pile to find your most special, most powerful and favorite mental strip to prove that you win the prize for The Best Victim!
This practice always originates in the ego - that mind creation that usually dominates the victim mindset. Think about why the ego wants you to be entrapped in always thinking about or searching your junk pile. If you are so caught up or immersed in holding on to past hurts, events or slights, then you can not live in the moment. Your past is polluting your present. And you ability to stay focused in the present moment is destroyed. (to learn more about the ego's games and their effects on the present moment, read Ekhart Tolle's The Power of Now and A New Earth).
But let's get back to the main topic for today - forgiveness.
I am not referring to being the "bigger" person and "granting" my forgiveness. That is a false definition - again, from the ego! If I forgive as the ego would have me do it, then I walk away thinking I am better than you. That even though you hurt me, I should be congratulated for taking the high road. The ego would have you focus on the effect of forgiveness on yourself - not the situation.
Ego forgiveness keeps you going back to your junk pile, removing a mental strip, then taking it and putting into a new pile of junk labeled "Forgiveness." Now you have two piles of polluting thoughts to go to whenever you want! You have just duplicated the first junk pile and stored it under a new heading.
Does that make any sense?
There is a spiritual dimension of forgiveness that takes away blame, condemnation and accusations. A Course in Miracles hit the nail on the head when it defined forgiveness as a "shift in perception." But what does that mean?
The forgiveness I want to offer to God is to go back through my mental junk pile, examine each and every strip I have been hoarding, embrace it as a necessary part of my spiritual evolvement, and then let it go. Literally!
Let me give you an example. This morning, I sat quietly and breathed deeply for several moments. When I felt calm and my mind was quiet, I saw myself walking over to my mental pile (I am embarrassed to say it stands taller than me!) and I chose one mental strip from the stack. I read the particular hurt that I had inscribed on it, recalled the incident in every detail, and felt again every emotion attached to that strip. I don't run from the strength of the emotion, or the type of emotion - I just let it bubble up. After all of the emotion that surrounded that event had surfaced, I smiled at it, thanked it for being part of my life, and walked away.
When I opened my eyes, I felt lighter - more vibrant and free. A slight energy shift had just taken place. Instead of holding onto that mental strip (and all of the emotion attached to it) I had released the energy surrounding it. I no longer stored the energy from that event to use in the future. And because I accepted the event and my emotional reaction to it, the energy transformed into something good. It became a small step in the stairway of my evolution to become the highest, best expression of myself. I am going to use this technique every day for the next 40 days, and at Easter, I will be the proud owner of a much smaller thought junk pile!
This new vision of higher self pulls me forward. It makes me excited to think of the possibilities.
Imagine, celebrating Easter and embracing its message of hope and renewal, without the weight and resistance created by your mental junk pile!
Forgive your mental strips and you will be free!
What could I give up to enhance my evolution into the next higher and greater version of myself?
Today the answer came to me. I did not embrace the idea at first; in fact, there was an instant, strong resistance to the very suggestion. Why such a powerful reaction to such a simple concept? Then I realized what was happening. The very idea of it threatened my ego and it responded accordingly. Now I knew I was on the right track!
So what am I going to give up for Lent?
Forgiveness.
I am sure that strikes you as odd - why would someone give up an attribute that we are supposed to practice? That is the common perspective, and true up to a point. If the phrase "give up" means to abstain from, resist or avoid, then forgiveness is not something that should be "given up." The negative side of the "giving up" phrase is the one that most people understand. But there is a positive interpretation with a deeper meaning that dovetails nicely into the Easter message.
To "give up" also means "to offer" or "lift up" or "to release."
Do you see the difference? If I offer forgiveness to those people who hurt me, I release the hurt from my mind. I no longer devote precious energy to thinking about how much it hurt, or how I will get that person back for what they did. I actually free myself from myself!
It is just like those like those thin, metal strips in the junk yard I described in my last blog. Every time you are rejected, hurt or treated unfairly, another mental strip is added to your thought junk pile. After a while, (if you follow this practice religiously), you will discover that all of your thoughts involve the junk pile. And on occasion, when you are feeling really special, you might even dig through the pile to find your most special, most powerful and favorite mental strip to prove that you win the prize for The Best Victim!
This practice always originates in the ego - that mind creation that usually dominates the victim mindset. Think about why the ego wants you to be entrapped in always thinking about or searching your junk pile. If you are so caught up or immersed in holding on to past hurts, events or slights, then you can not live in the moment. Your past is polluting your present. And you ability to stay focused in the present moment is destroyed. (to learn more about the ego's games and their effects on the present moment, read Ekhart Tolle's The Power of Now and A New Earth).
But let's get back to the main topic for today - forgiveness.
I am not referring to being the "bigger" person and "granting" my forgiveness. That is a false definition - again, from the ego! If I forgive as the ego would have me do it, then I walk away thinking I am better than you. That even though you hurt me, I should be congratulated for taking the high road. The ego would have you focus on the effect of forgiveness on yourself - not the situation.
Ego forgiveness keeps you going back to your junk pile, removing a mental strip, then taking it and putting into a new pile of junk labeled "Forgiveness." Now you have two piles of polluting thoughts to go to whenever you want! You have just duplicated the first junk pile and stored it under a new heading.
Does that make any sense?
There is a spiritual dimension of forgiveness that takes away blame, condemnation and accusations. A Course in Miracles hit the nail on the head when it defined forgiveness as a "shift in perception." But what does that mean?
The forgiveness I want to offer to God is to go back through my mental junk pile, examine each and every strip I have been hoarding, embrace it as a necessary part of my spiritual evolvement, and then let it go. Literally!
Let me give you an example. This morning, I sat quietly and breathed deeply for several moments. When I felt calm and my mind was quiet, I saw myself walking over to my mental pile (I am embarrassed to say it stands taller than me!) and I chose one mental strip from the stack. I read the particular hurt that I had inscribed on it, recalled the incident in every detail, and felt again every emotion attached to that strip. I don't run from the strength of the emotion, or the type of emotion - I just let it bubble up. After all of the emotion that surrounded that event had surfaced, I smiled at it, thanked it for being part of my life, and walked away.
When I opened my eyes, I felt lighter - more vibrant and free. A slight energy shift had just taken place. Instead of holding onto that mental strip (and all of the emotion attached to it) I had released the energy surrounding it. I no longer stored the energy from that event to use in the future. And because I accepted the event and my emotional reaction to it, the energy transformed into something good. It became a small step in the stairway of my evolution to become the highest, best expression of myself. I am going to use this technique every day for the next 40 days, and at Easter, I will be the proud owner of a much smaller thought junk pile!
This new vision of higher self pulls me forward. It makes me excited to think of the possibilities.
Imagine, celebrating Easter and embracing its message of hope and renewal, without the weight and resistance created by your mental junk pile!
Forgive your mental strips and you will be free!
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
The Left or Right Trail - Junk or Treasure?
During my morning walk on the hike-bike trail near our house, I noticed something peculiar. On the left side of the trail, a junk yard stood in all of its glory. Heaps of washing machines, dryers and refrigerators were piled in a line. Spools of wire were in another pile. But is was the third heap that caught my attention.
It was a man-made mountain of long, metal strips, each strip about 1 foot wide, 10 feet long and less than 2 inches thick. This debris stretched as least 30 feet long and more than 10 feet high. How many of those metal strips were in that pile? Hundreds? Thousands?
That pile was not created by itself. It started out flat, then as more and more metal strips were piled on top of each other, it grew in breath and scope. Until finally, it stood as a testament to man's wasteful habits.
Don't we do that to ourselves? We pile on judgment and criticism until our Real Self, our Essential Being, is so covered in piles of garbage that it can't breathe. Much less be expressed in our lives.
Let go of the metal (mental) strips that are hiding your Spiritual Self. They are the ego's creation to keep it on the throne of control in your life. Meditate on the fact that God made you, to live here right now and to be the greatest expression of You that is possible.
And then turn your attention to the right side of the trail.
My walk was not surrounded by ugliness. In fact, the right side of the trail is beautiful - large, old pecan and elm trees form a graceful canopy. Song birds flitted in and out of the tree branches, serenading me with beautiful music. A quiet breeze gently touched me before it played in the leaves on the side of the trail. Nature at its best.
When my attention was drawn back to the left side, I found "junkyard" thoughts started invading my mind. Money worries, family relationship conflicts, even chastising myself for not walking the dogs before I left, entered my thoughts. When I realized what I was doing, I immediately looked to the right side of the trail, and felt peace return.
The point is that we are surrounded by junk and treasure. But you get to chose which one to contemplate, consider and use to inspire you, or depress you. This choice is made every moment of every day for the rest of your life.
Chose to think thoughts that expand yourself through inspiration, creativity and love. Contracting thoughts stifle, judge and criticize - they are the metal strips of junk weighing you down. And you are a willing participant if you continue to give energy to negative thoughts or judgments that form a prison around the soul.
Breath in deeply. Do this often. It cleanses your mind and releases any toxins or anxiety you may be holding against yourself. Let yourself be nurtured by nature. Relax into your existence and be gentle with yourself.
The right trail for you is the one that makes you joyful, peaceful and happy.
Which one do you choose?
It was a man-made mountain of long, metal strips, each strip about 1 foot wide, 10 feet long and less than 2 inches thick. This debris stretched as least 30 feet long and more than 10 feet high. How many of those metal strips were in that pile? Hundreds? Thousands?
That pile was not created by itself. It started out flat, then as more and more metal strips were piled on top of each other, it grew in breath and scope. Until finally, it stood as a testament to man's wasteful habits.
Don't we do that to ourselves? We pile on judgment and criticism until our Real Self, our Essential Being, is so covered in piles of garbage that it can't breathe. Much less be expressed in our lives.
Let go of the metal (mental) strips that are hiding your Spiritual Self. They are the ego's creation to keep it on the throne of control in your life. Meditate on the fact that God made you, to live here right now and to be the greatest expression of You that is possible.
And then turn your attention to the right side of the trail.
My walk was not surrounded by ugliness. In fact, the right side of the trail is beautiful - large, old pecan and elm trees form a graceful canopy. Song birds flitted in and out of the tree branches, serenading me with beautiful music. A quiet breeze gently touched me before it played in the leaves on the side of the trail. Nature at its best.
When my attention was drawn back to the left side, I found "junkyard" thoughts started invading my mind. Money worries, family relationship conflicts, even chastising myself for not walking the dogs before I left, entered my thoughts. When I realized what I was doing, I immediately looked to the right side of the trail, and felt peace return.
The point is that we are surrounded by junk and treasure. But you get to chose which one to contemplate, consider and use to inspire you, or depress you. This choice is made every moment of every day for the rest of your life.
Chose to think thoughts that expand yourself through inspiration, creativity and love. Contracting thoughts stifle, judge and criticize - they are the metal strips of junk weighing you down. And you are a willing participant if you continue to give energy to negative thoughts or judgments that form a prison around the soul.
Breath in deeply. Do this often. It cleanses your mind and releases any toxins or anxiety you may be holding against yourself. Let yourself be nurtured by nature. Relax into your existence and be gentle with yourself.
The right trail for you is the one that makes you joyful, peaceful and happy.
Which one do you choose?
Thursday, February 19, 2009
The Divine Spark
Have you ever looked up into the night sky and felt a pull towards something greater than you? Do you realize that you have greatness within you that was given to you at birth?
A spark of the Divine is included in every baby that is born. It doesn't matter what the external circumstances are surrounding that birth; name, race and sex is immaterial. What culture or society that baby was born into does not change the fact that he or she was born with the Divine within them.
What are we supposed to do with this piece of God?
That question has kept a lot of people up at night, as they struggle for happiness amidst their particular circumstances. They cry out to God (or whoever they believe is supreme) and wonder why did all of these bad things happen to me?
Maybe there is another, more potent, more empowering question that should be asked.
"What is the good that I am to receive from this situation?"
Because no matter what the circumstance, no matter how much pain is involved, there is always good. Because we live in a world that exists because of opposites. We would not recognize pleasure without knowing pain. We would not know how to love unless hate had been experienced at some point. And we cannot feel happy without feeling sad.
So there is always something good that will arise from what looks like a bad situation. Because you can't have "bad" unless you also have "good."
So look for the good and you will discover the Divine.
And gratitude will fill you up to overflowing, because who wouldn't be grateful when they find their own, personal, piece of God?
A spark of the Divine is included in every baby that is born. It doesn't matter what the external circumstances are surrounding that birth; name, race and sex is immaterial. What culture or society that baby was born into does not change the fact that he or she was born with the Divine within them.
What are we supposed to do with this piece of God?
That question has kept a lot of people up at night, as they struggle for happiness amidst their particular circumstances. They cry out to God (or whoever they believe is supreme) and wonder why did all of these bad things happen to me?
Maybe there is another, more potent, more empowering question that should be asked.
"What is the good that I am to receive from this situation?"
Because no matter what the circumstance, no matter how much pain is involved, there is always good. Because we live in a world that exists because of opposites. We would not recognize pleasure without knowing pain. We would not know how to love unless hate had been experienced at some point. And we cannot feel happy without feeling sad.
So there is always something good that will arise from what looks like a bad situation. Because you can't have "bad" unless you also have "good."
So look for the good and you will discover the Divine.
And gratitude will fill you up to overflowing, because who wouldn't be grateful when they find their own, personal, piece of God?
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
What is your piece of the Divine?
Have you ever wondered why you are here, at this time in history, in this particular place with the characteristics, talents and interests that only you possess? The answer lies within you, not somewhere outside.
When you were created, God put a small piece of himself in you. It is that drop of the Divine that urges you to seek meaning in your life. That Divine drop of eternal love will lead you to peace, joy and happiness. But how do you connect with it?
It can only be felt and heard in stillness. Silence.
The mind's constant chatter is like a repellent - the more noise that is allowed inside your head, the less likely you will be to connect to your own piece of the Divine.
So learn to be still - inside and out. Learn meditation and practice it as a daily habit. One simple technique is to just follow your breathing. As you breathe, let your thoughts go. Don't judge your thoughts, just be loose and let your thoughts flow out of your mind, as you breathe deeply in and out. After a while of quiet, you will begin to notice another source of energy inside.
That is your Divineness starting to emerge!
As you continue to practice meditation, you will notice that all of the external, worldly things that were once so very important in your life have faded to the background. As the layers of mind chatter, judgment and beliefs are peeled away, you will discover an inner glow of peace and love.
That is your own, personal drop of the Divine - cherish it.
And your life will never be the same again.
When you were created, God put a small piece of himself in you. It is that drop of the Divine that urges you to seek meaning in your life. That Divine drop of eternal love will lead you to peace, joy and happiness. But how do you connect with it?
It can only be felt and heard in stillness. Silence.
The mind's constant chatter is like a repellent - the more noise that is allowed inside your head, the less likely you will be to connect to your own piece of the Divine.
So learn to be still - inside and out. Learn meditation and practice it as a daily habit. One simple technique is to just follow your breathing. As you breathe, let your thoughts go. Don't judge your thoughts, just be loose and let your thoughts flow out of your mind, as you breathe deeply in and out. After a while of quiet, you will begin to notice another source of energy inside.
That is your Divineness starting to emerge!
As you continue to practice meditation, you will notice that all of the external, worldly things that were once so very important in your life have faded to the background. As the layers of mind chatter, judgment and beliefs are peeled away, you will discover an inner glow of peace and love.
That is your own, personal drop of the Divine - cherish it.
And your life will never be the same again.
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