January 25, 2011

All Choices Count

Every choice we make today, no matter how casually, will affect the choices available to us in the future, in, perhaps, far more pressing times. All of our choices count!

-An Excerpt from
The Butterfly Effect
by Andy Andrews

Not long ago, I finally told the story of when, at the age of twenty-three, homeless and scared, I was given guidance in a most unusual fashion by an old man named Jones. What the old man told me did nothing less than change my life and my future. He said..."With a little perspective you can live a life of permanent purpose."

When I asked what he meant, the old man answered with a question. "Do you sometimes find yourself unconsciously judging your actions by level of importance?" I frowned a bit, not certain I understood. "For instance, "he continued, "the time you spend with friends is important, but the time you spend with family, is more important. You might rank an hour fishing as very important, thirty minutes visiting a sick friend in the hospital much more important than the fishing, and a sixty second conversation with a convenience store clerk as not very important at all."

"When you know that everything matters - that every move counts as much as any other - you will begin living a life of permanent purpose. A life of permanent purpose will make you a better parent, a better spouse, and a more valuable friend. Your productivity and financial success will soar to new heights while the old days of uncertainty, doubt, and depression fade into the past."

Simply put, when we understand that every action matters, every result of our actions immediately improves!

January 21, 2011

Just Say YES



When we say yes to the universe, we enter into a state of trust that whatever our situation is, we can work with it. We express confidence in ourselves, and the universe, and we also express a willingness to learn from whatever comes our way, rather than running and hiding when we don’t like what we see.

The question we might ask ourselves is what it will take for us to get to the point of saying yes. For some of us, it takes coming up against something we can’t ignore, escape, or deny, and so we are left no choice but to say yes. For others, it just seems a natural progression of events that leads us to making the decision to say yes to life.
The first step to saying yes is realizing that in the end it is so much easier than the alternative.

Once we understand this, we can begin examining the moments when we resist what is happening, and experiment with occasionally saying yes instead. It might be scary at first, and even painful at times, but if we continue to say yes to every moment through the process, we will discover the joy of being in a positive conversation with a force much bigger than ourselves.
from *The Daily OM"


To paraphrase Byron Katie, "It hurts too much when we argue with what IS, rather than accepting it." Since I had been taught to change what I didn't like, this concept used to confuse me. Now I know that we must fully see and accept what IS before we can set about living life differently.

January 19, 2011

Happy Relationships

The Law of Attraction Assembles Happy Relationships...

Asking your relationship with any other to be the basis of buoying you up is never a good idea, because the Law of Attraction cannot bring to you something different from the way you feel. The Law of Attraction cannot bring you a well-balanced, happy person if you are not yourself already that.

The Law of Attraction, no matter what you do or say, will bring to you those who predominantly match the person who you predominantly are. Everything that everyone desires is for one reason only: they believe they will feel better in the having of it. We just want you to understand that you must feel better before it can come to you. **Abraham-Hicks**

January 14, 2011

Control


You can find yourself in an endless loop where you explain that you feel negative because of the negative behavior of someone else. But if, instead, you take control of your own emotions and you think an improved thought because it feels better to do so, you will discover that no matter how the negative trend got started, you can turn it around. You have no real control of what anyone else is doing with their Vibration (or with their actions, for that matter), but you have complete control over your own thoughts, Vibrations, emotions, and point of attraction.

--- Abraham

The fastest, surest way to peace and joy is to give up the idea that we have, or should have, control over others.


January 7, 2011

A Matter of Priorities

When we stop worrying about unimportant matters we can devote more to what is truly important.


We experience numerous disappointments each and every day. Our expectations go unmet, our plans are blocked by circumstance, our wishes go unfulfilled, and we discover that our lives are subject to a myriad of forces beyond our conscious control.

In some cases, our response is powerful because we must invest ourselves and our resources to overcome genuine hardship. In others, our reactions are far more passionate than our circumstances warrant. The tension that permeates our bodies and minds when we are late for an event, interrupted at work, or sitting in traffic is not inappropriate, but it can interfere with our well-being in profound ways. When we stop worrying about relatively unimportant matters, we can be at peace and devote so much more of ourselves to what is truly important.

The small frustrations and irritations wield such power over us because they rob us of the illusion of control. But every problem is a potential teacher—a confusing situation is an opportunity to practice mindfulness, and difficult people provide us with opportunities to display compassion.

We have the tendency to invest emotional energy in minor dilemmas and frustrations in order to avoid confronting those more complex issues that are largely outside the realm of our control. The intensity of our response provides us with a temporary sense of personal power that helps us cope with challenges that might otherwise overwhelm us. But it is only when we let the little stuff go that we discover that the big stuff is not really so devastating after all.

In the stress of a singularly tense incident, differentiating between an inconsequential annoyance and a legitimate challenge can seem a monumental task. Ask yourself whether the emotions you are feeling will be as vivid in a year, a day, or even an hour. With practice you can have more control over your reactions. You can do this on your own or seek the assistance of a professional.

(Based on the Daily OM)

January 3, 2011

Happy New Year!


This year, anticipate a world at peace. Expect health, abundance, and love in your life and in the lives of all others. Happy New Year!

(Dr. Wayne Dyer)

Expectations have been on my mind this past week. (My Christmas was disappointing) I knew there was a lesson in this and I've come to the conclusion that our expectations......being able to envision an occasion so perfectly that we can smell it and feel it....are no guarantee of anything, except, perhaps, disappointment.

Our expectations cannot be for others....only for ourselves. When our expectations are about the behavior of others, all bets are off.


We have no control over others. Our expectations can only be for ourselves. Make it "I am healthy, happy, living in love and abundance" Period.
It's "I am peaceful. I think peaceful thoughts. My actions are peaceful."

"Be the change you want to see in the world" is practical advice because we are in control only of ourselves. I believe that the more we are able to let go of our expectations for others, the happier we will be ourselves. This is the goal I have for myself this year!