"Gratitude will lead your mind out along the ways by which things come; and it will keep you in close harmony with creative thought and prevent you from falling into competitive thought." Wallace Wattles, The Science of Success (P. 45)
"The moment you focus on dissatisfaction, you fixate on the common,the ordinary,the poor and the squalid."
When you are experiencing hardship, lack, ill health,or inspiration you can benefit from expressing gratitude to yourself, others around you and to (God, Spirit, the Divine). Gratitude forces you to look upon things in your life that brought you joy, abundance and opportunity for growth. Although you can feel grateful about a particular "piece" of your daily existence and unhappy about another, you cannot be both grateful and ungrateful in whole at the same time.
Your heart tells you where you are focused. What happens around you confirms which direction your are currently heading. You are focused on what you have and what you can learn if you are able to solve or resolve troubling matters quickly. Experiencing confusion and anxiety indicates the need to refocus on Gratitude. Seek harmony and spread your joy!
Sunday, January 8, 2012
Monday, January 2, 2012
What Lies Are You TellingYourself (and others)?
The story we tell ourselves and others to explain our current reality is a direct result of what we have come to believe-about ourselves, about others and about the world. We tell stories as a way to protect ourselves because we have become afraid to let others see us as we really are.
What are you afraid of? Did you know that research has found there are only two "natural" fears: the fear of falling and a fear of loud noises. The rest of our fears are manufactured lies we tell ourselves as a result of an experience we somehow find undesirable.
Fear has been described as False Evidence Appearing Real. In other words, we make up evidence to support us in coping with an unpleasant situation. The more often we practice telling ourselves that there is a "real" reason for us to avoid something, the more real it becomes. It doesn't take long for us to accept this as a truth and allow it to guide us unconsciously in the choices we make.
Often times, we adopt someone else's "truth" about things. For instance, before Christopher Columbus discovered America, the world knew the truth about the world-it was flat. Before Thomas Edison invented electricity, we knew ther was no way to harness energy through wires to produce light. Before Roger Bannister ran a mile in under 4 minutes, we knew it couldn't be done.
What lies are you telling yourself to cover up your true identity? What beliefs are you using as your guide in life to avoid that which you fear?
Are you willing to discover a new truth-to "know" a better way of achieving what you desire besides hiding in fear and hoping someone else will provide?
What are you afraid of? Did you know that research has found there are only two "natural" fears: the fear of falling and a fear of loud noises. The rest of our fears are manufactured lies we tell ourselves as a result of an experience we somehow find undesirable.
Fear has been described as False Evidence Appearing Real. In other words, we make up evidence to support us in coping with an unpleasant situation. The more often we practice telling ourselves that there is a "real" reason for us to avoid something, the more real it becomes. It doesn't take long for us to accept this as a truth and allow it to guide us unconsciously in the choices we make.
Often times, we adopt someone else's "truth" about things. For instance, before Christopher Columbus discovered America, the world knew the truth about the world-it was flat. Before Thomas Edison invented electricity, we knew ther was no way to harness energy through wires to produce light. Before Roger Bannister ran a mile in under 4 minutes, we knew it couldn't be done.
What lies are you telling yourself to cover up your true identity? What beliefs are you using as your guide in life to avoid that which you fear?
Are you willing to discover a new truth-to "know" a better way of achieving what you desire besides hiding in fear and hoping someone else will provide?
Monday, December 26, 2011
Are You WIlling?
There is a difference between knowing something and being aware of something.
Recognizing a piece of information because you have heard it before does not mean you "know" it. To know something, you must have the awareness of it. You must experience it. You must understand it at a deep level.
I bet you have experienced a time or two in your life when someone told you a piece of information to which you replied, "I know". Then, they ask "If you know it why didn't you do it?"
You may have just heard an old conversation in your head-such as a parent telling you something they have told you before. You clearly hear yourself saying "I know".
Information is an ingredient to knowing something. Information gives you a context in which to determine what, if anything, needs to be done. It may give you an indication as to where you might start. But to know it, you must act upon the information in a meaningful and focused way.
Are you willing to know, to understand fully, information that you have been given which, if put into practice or acted upon, would give you different results?
Recognizing a piece of information because you have heard it before does not mean you "know" it. To know something, you must have the awareness of it. You must experience it. You must understand it at a deep level.
I bet you have experienced a time or two in your life when someone told you a piece of information to which you replied, "I know". Then, they ask "If you know it why didn't you do it?"
You may have just heard an old conversation in your head-such as a parent telling you something they have told you before. You clearly hear yourself saying "I know".
Information is an ingredient to knowing something. Information gives you a context in which to determine what, if anything, needs to be done. It may give you an indication as to where you might start. But to know it, you must act upon the information in a meaningful and focused way.
Are you willing to know, to understand fully, information that you have been given which, if put into practice or acted upon, would give you different results?
Monday, December 12, 2011
Four Fundamental Questions
Neale Donald Walsch proposes 4 fundamental questions in life:
Who am I? Describe yourself from the viewpoint of your role in the world. Identify how you influence the world, it's people and it's future.
Where am I? Describe how are you experiencing yourself in the world. Describe "the world" you live in in terms of what is does "to" you, "for" you or "without" you. Is the experience one of being schooled, competing, being devleoped or molded?
Why am I where I am? Give great thought to the decisions and choices you have made that resulted in the reality you find yourself in today.
Most importantly, what do you intend to do about THAT? What choices are you going to make differently and what difference will that make in your experiencing of the world as you have known it to be?
"There is no more powerful change than to start a conversation" Neale Donald Walsch, P.50
How will you engage in this conversation?
Who am I? Describe yourself from the viewpoint of your role in the world. Identify how you influence the world, it's people and it's future.
Where am I? Describe how are you experiencing yourself in the world. Describe "the world" you live in in terms of what is does "to" you, "for" you or "without" you. Is the experience one of being schooled, competing, being devleoped or molded?
Why am I where I am? Give great thought to the decisions and choices you have made that resulted in the reality you find yourself in today.
Most importantly, what do you intend to do about THAT? What choices are you going to make differently and what difference will that make in your experiencing of the world as you have known it to be?
"There is no more powerful change than to start a conversation" Neale Donald Walsch, P.50
How will you engage in this conversation?
Friday, December 2, 2011
Life's Golden Ticket
In the book, Life's Golden Ticket by Brendon Burchard, he suggests that instead of asking: What is happening to me right now?
ASK: What am I making happen in my life right now?
Instead of asking: What am I getting out of this?
ASK: What am I giving right now? (P178)
When we take responsibility for our circumstances,actions and results we find there is much more to be grateful for than if we look at our circumstances from what is wrong.
ASK: What am I making happen in my life right now?
Instead of asking: What am I getting out of this?
ASK: What am I giving right now? (P178)
When we take responsibility for our circumstances,actions and results we find there is much more to be grateful for than if we look at our circumstances from what is wrong.
Saturday, November 26, 2011
The Law of Gratitude
Wallace Wattles, in The Science of Success, describes the Law of Gratitude as:
the natural principle that action and reaction are always equal and in opposite direction. The grateful outreaching of your mind in thankful praise to the Supreme is a liberation or expenditure of force; it cannot fail to reach that to which it is addressed, and the reaction is an instantaneous movement towards you.
He goes on to say, "Without gratitude you cannot long keep from dissatisfied thought regarding things as they are."(Pg 46)
Where can you show or express more gratitude?
- in traffic
- as you experience difficulty
- when you hear of a tragedy or negative happening
What would you be grateful for in the above circumstances or those which are similar? How would that change the way you areseeing the world?
the natural principle that action and reaction are always equal and in opposite direction. The grateful outreaching of your mind in thankful praise to the Supreme is a liberation or expenditure of force; it cannot fail to reach that to which it is addressed, and the reaction is an instantaneous movement towards you.
He goes on to say, "Without gratitude you cannot long keep from dissatisfied thought regarding things as they are."(Pg 46)
Where can you show or express more gratitude?
- in traffic
- as you experience difficulty
- when you hear of a tragedy or negative happening
What would you be grateful for in the above circumstances or those which are similar? How would that change the way you areseeing the world?
Friday, November 18, 2011
Thanksgiving and Change
I needed a break this morning: space to think and breathe. So, I decided to go out to rake some leaves. I love raking leaves, especially when the sky is blue, the air is crisp, the sun is shining and the downed leaves are still holding their colors tightly.
As my shoulders begin to complain to my arm muscles about the calming, repetitive motion, I remembered the Season of Gratitude post last year before Thanksgiving Day in the US. Thanking people you wouldn’t normally reach out to, such as those who collect your trash, felt so empowering to me. So, what am I going to do this year?
This year I am practicing the Art of Embracing Life’s Lessons. When I become aware that I am resisting something through judgment or defense, I practice asking, “What is my lesson here?” Many times I have surprised myself by learning that I still have an expectation of others to behave as I know I want to behave and when THEY don’t meet my (mostly unspoken) expectations, I start to hold it against them. That is, until I realize my mistake.
Here I am, raking leaves in the crisp autumn air and sun shine, reflecting on some recent lessons I was given to learn from. I have this sudden urge to come in and invite you to join me for the next week in thanking those in our lives that have taught us some of Life’s Lessons.
I will be sending Thank You notes to people in my life from whom I have gained a deeper understanding about myself and my impact on those around me. It's not the traditional show of gratitude for the "nice" things; it's gratitude for the tough stuff that helps me grow.
In other words, I will be acknowledging people for the challenges they brought to me from which I learned a life lesson. For instance, one person in my life repeatedly shows me where I have an opportunity to be more compassionate by being compassionate to me when I am not presenting my best self.
Will you join me? Will you thank someone, in your own way, for showing you things about yourself that, if improved, recognized, healed, addressed in any way, would bring out a better you?
And, will you share your experiences here so that others may recognize their opportunity in your realization?
For inspiration, watch Oprah’s Life Class episode 6, titled “when you know better, you do better.”
A good resource for writing meaningful thank you notes is the book, 365 Thank Yous by John Kralik
As my shoulders begin to complain to my arm muscles about the calming, repetitive motion, I remembered the Season of Gratitude post last year before Thanksgiving Day in the US. Thanking people you wouldn’t normally reach out to, such as those who collect your trash, felt so empowering to me. So, what am I going to do this year?
This year I am practicing the Art of Embracing Life’s Lessons. When I become aware that I am resisting something through judgment or defense, I practice asking, “What is my lesson here?” Many times I have surprised myself by learning that I still have an expectation of others to behave as I know I want to behave and when THEY don’t meet my (mostly unspoken) expectations, I start to hold it against them. That is, until I realize my mistake.
Here I am, raking leaves in the crisp autumn air and sun shine, reflecting on some recent lessons I was given to learn from. I have this sudden urge to come in and invite you to join me for the next week in thanking those in our lives that have taught us some of Life’s Lessons.
I will be sending Thank You notes to people in my life from whom I have gained a deeper understanding about myself and my impact on those around me. It's not the traditional show of gratitude for the "nice" things; it's gratitude for the tough stuff that helps me grow.
In other words, I will be acknowledging people for the challenges they brought to me from which I learned a life lesson. For instance, one person in my life repeatedly shows me where I have an opportunity to be more compassionate by being compassionate to me when I am not presenting my best self.
Will you join me? Will you thank someone, in your own way, for showing you things about yourself that, if improved, recognized, healed, addressed in any way, would bring out a better you?
And, will you share your experiences here so that others may recognize their opportunity in your realization?
For inspiration, watch Oprah’s Life Class episode 6, titled “when you know better, you do better.”
A good resource for writing meaningful thank you notes is the book, 365 Thank Yous by John Kralik
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