“One truth you must consider. You are only as expansive, successful, joyous, peaceful and free as you truly love and accept yourself.”
~ Joseph
Books have always been an important source of insight for me. They have even flown off the shelf demanding I have a look at them. Recently a book (The Awakening West by L.M. Lumiere and J. Lumiere-Wins) quietly drew my attention. Immediately I knew words of wisdom awaited me inside.
The words that caught my attention drew me back to my work with awareness. I have seen many people's lives incredibly transformed in a moment of awareness.
Guest post: Dr. Mike of UpbeatBrain.com is my first guest writer here at this blog. I think you will very much appreciate the clarity of this post. Thanks Mike
Decades ago, during a summer job as a hotel desk clerk, I came across three practice golf balls — the plastic, wiffle-ball kind. That job got a little slow toward the end of my 3-to-11PM shift, and I wondered if I could learn to juggle those golf balls. I didn’t know it then, but that challenge showed me that juggling teaches success in life.
With no idea how to juggle, I started with two balls in one hand and one in the other, and quickly threw balls in every direction. Okay, I said to myself, this demands a simplified approach.
LESSON 1: Break down a challenge into manageable steps.
There are times when our energy gets stuck. You know you’re when your energy is low. This is when you need a big shot of something different. The good news is that you can shift almost instantly from what isn’t working to move into a mind, heart, body and soul states that will change things for the positive.
The other great benefit of changing your state is that you empower your power. You show yourself you can make things happen and that translates into more confidence and builds your positive sense of self.
Take these shifters for a drive around the block and appreciate the energy of feeling more fully alive:
- Deepen and/or slow your breath for a few minutes.
- Go for a walk, sense your body and encounter the beauty around you.
- Put a smile on your face and feel the energy of the smile spreading through you.
- Reach out to someone who is energizing and fun.
Exploring life is what I write about. As you explore the following choices be aware that they have great power in shaping who you are and how you live your life.
The choices you make every day will either fill you full of light or send you down in flames. Some will be less dramatic but each choice has such influence over your sense of self and the kind of impact you have in the world.
The following are 66 of the moment-to-moment choices you are given to explore on a daily basis. Choose wisely; be guided by your intuition, your heart and your higher nature.
Are you ready to shake things up? Does it seem like it's time to make some changes in your life?
Sometimes when energy starts to move it has the capacity to shake up everything, including it seems the Earth. Recently a small earthquake happened off the coast not far from where I live and the house did a two-step shift as the hair on my arms jumped to attention.
If you listen inward you will hear a voice that calls you.
If you take the time to listen, you will hear the love and wisdom of that voice.
This is the voice of your higher nature, your soul/spirit, your intuitive knowing. This kind voice is calling you to be yourself. (Note: If the voice is not “kind” it is the voice of your ego-mind, be aware the ego’s agenda is very different and may have gotten you into the mess you are in.)
In this moment you can live in awe of the incredible peace, love, joy and freedom that is available to you. It is a simple choose, be present or not.
There is such wonderful peace when you are able to be fully present to yourself and the divine that powers your life force. In the worry and hurry world peace is left in the dust on the trail of the ego-mind. Peace is the still pond of mindfulness when you rise above the chatter of the ego-mind. Peace is the comfort with self when you are hanging out free of the judging mind, just being.
Today is my birthday and I have 10 wishes. As I blow out my many candles I wish for:
Wow what a world that would be and what a way to celebrate a birthday being part of making these wishes come true.
Love, Light and Joy to you,
The Holiday Season is an enjoyable time of year. It can also be stressful as people hurry and worry. An easier way to go about this time of year is to take the time to be mindful of your thoughts and your heart. What people really appreciate is the kindness you share, the compassion you have, and the acts of caring. This season is not about stuff but about the heart. Yes commercialism seems has taken over but that can be ignored.
How can you express your heart and enjoy what this time of year offers? Here are a few ideas that will enrich your experience of the holiday spirit:
1. Take the time to have meaningful conversations
2. Listen to others with patience and compassion
3. Offer to spend time and give support
4. Reach out to those in need with acts of kindness
5. Allow time for you to be quiet and peaceful
6. Be accepting of others and relax the judging mind
7. Each day appreciate all the gifts of life
8. Find what greater aspect of who you are longs to be expressed
9. Live as much as you can in the now where true joy, love, hope and peace reside
10. Relax, take it easy and go for a walk
Take the time to be mindful of what you are doing, what thoughts are running you and what feelings your are creating and get ready for 2012 which is going to be an amazing year.
My dog Pax, my wife Bobbi and I wish you a Merry Christmas and a wonderful Holiday season.
Listening to an interview of Jon Kabat-Zinn (at Sounds True), I experienced my thoughts expanding into what was possible in a world where mindfulness informed humanity. What would a world be like if wisdom was our guiding force, if peace of mind was how we experienced our self, if being fully present was what mattered, if loving-kindness was our way of interacting with self and others?
The idea of an age of mindfulness stirred in me: a sense of excitement about what is possible, a vision of a better world were we all cared about each other, and hope for new possibilities and solutions fueled by our deeper knowing and our compassionate heart. The future seems so much brighter when together we are intentionally seeking awareness and understanding beyond the ordinary thoughts, concepts and beliefs that too often limit our sense of self and the world.
A world guided by mindfulness might include people:
Living a heart-centered life
Less judgmental and more accepting
Balancing thought with awareness
Tuning inward for self-understanding
Finding inner peace through watching the mind
Compassion for self and others
Listening to each other with an open heart
Resolving conflicts together
No longer run by their fears
Rediscovering and more fully expressing their creativity
Acting with all the people and the planet in mind
Engaged in thoughtful and heart filled discussions
Seeking solutions instead of finding fault
Learning from the universe in moment-to-moment awareness
Stepping back from their reactivity and stepping forward more open to possibilities.
In my work and personal life, I have explored and taught mindfulness for many years. I have benefited greatly from the awareness and insight gained and my clients have repeatedly reported how much they value mindfulness.
*** My new book, Awaken:100 Questions That Will Expand Your Mind And Open Your Heart, will be available in January 2012. This book draws greatly upon the wisdom and the many gifts mindfulness has given me over the years. I am very excited about sharing this book with you.
The beach walk this sunny morning was nice. I found a really beautiful agate as I walked and enjoyed the cool fresh air.
I wanted to continue on my theme yesterday about finding hope. How do we build hope into this next year? 2012 is supposed to be an important year in human history. My belief is that are minds are very powerful and that if we decide to make 2012 a powerful year, we will. I propose that we put together some positive ideas for 2012 and bring our collective minds and hearts together to make this year the most powerful in human history.
Nine Ideas For 2012:
What would you change or add?
We all can make a difference.
Late in the afternoon yesterday I ran along the mouth of the Alsea River, which pours into the Pacific Ocean through a sleepy Oregon town called Walport. The tide was going out and I was running along the powerful current that was rambunctiously interacting with the ocean in the form of waves in every direction and whirlpools. The energy of the flow was amazing. I can still feel it as I write this almost four hours later.
Flow is a word I love because it feels so alive and in the moment. I was thinking about the kind of flows that happen in our life.
There is the timeline flow from birth until the big chill.
There is the flow that is us before this lifetime and will continue on for infinity.
There is the flow of our breath that when watched is called meditation.
There is the flow of the love in a variety of relationships we enter into and sometimes exit in a bumpy way.
There is the flow of blood in its dance with our heart.
There is the flow of energy on meridian pathways called chi.
There is the flow of inspiration that comes to us when we create.
There is the flow of prosperity when we tap into a greater source.
There is the flow of night to day and the cycles of the moon.
There is the flow of insights when we are open to growth.
And all the other wonderous flows we are blessed to partake in.
It is a wonderful feeling to tap into the flow of the gifts of life with appreciation and gratitude?
Still feeling the high current of the ocean/river merging I feel myself wandering how we create a flow in our own life? The flows above are part of our lives but what if we want to make something happen? Can our intention create a flow? Can living our purpose be a powerful flow?
What flows do I want to create as something I leave with the planet when I come to the end of my time as a physical body. Several flow projects come to mind immediately:
One is an ever-expanding flow of compassion and loving-kindness. This flow is innate within us if we keep our hearts open. If we close down along the way and many of us do sometime or another, then how can we find the way to take down the walls and let the flow go? More loving-kindness and compassion would be a really good thing at this point in human history.
Another flow is toward higher consciousness, which is part of the plan of our soul. Abraham Maslow, who studied what was healthy about people, believed we have to continue to grow to feel okay about ourselves. That makes sense and awareness and insight into who we are expands our consciousness. The more conscious we become the more the collective consciousness expands. That would also be a good thing.
I seem to have arrived at the similar two important topics as I did in yesterday’s blog post. Maybe this is about how do I enter into a greater flow living vibrantly and purposefully with these two directions of compassion and loving-kindness, and expanding consciousness? I know they are both needed. I also know I have a passion for them and the skills to deliver.
