"Dance like no one is watching; love like you've never been hurt. Sing like nobody's listening; live like it's heaven on earth."
~ Mark Twain
Monday, December 28, 2009
Sunday, December 27, 2009
Rev. Michael Discusses Spiritual Liberation
Michael Beckwith Discusses Spiritual Liberation
Michael Bernard Beckwith, well known spiritual teacher and featured contributor to The Secret, shares his teachings with the world in this powerful and compelling book of spiritual wisdom. In this handbook for spiritual revolutionaries, readers are both inspired and challenged to enter the journey to fulfilling their soul’s highest purpose — self-realization, and thereby to know what it means to be radically alive.
Michael Bernard Beckwith, well known spiritual teacher and featured contributor to The Secret, shares his teachings with the world in this powerful and compelling book of spiritual wisdom. In this handbook for spiritual revolutionaries, readers are both inspired and challenged to enter the journey to fulfilling their soul’s highest purpose — self-realization, and thereby to know what it means to be radically alive.
Saturday, December 26, 2009
Be Impeccable With Your Word
Be Impeccable with your Word: Speak with integrity. Say only what you mean. Avoid using the Word to speak against yourself or to gossip about others. Use the power of your Word in the direction of truth and love.
--Toltec wisdom --
--Toltec wisdom --
Out With the Old, In With the New
Retire The Past...
And favor the year ahead
by Christina Julian
As one year ends and another threatens to begin, it is the perfect time to assess this past year with one mission in mind - retiring it, in preparation for the year ahead. Don't get caught in the trap of lambasting everything you wish you would have done, instead focus on setting healthy and helpful intentions for the year to come. Let no avenue go un-chartered as you conduct an inventory of your life, making sure to cover areas around family dynamics, love and contentment, and career and financial goals. Here's how…
Shift focus
When we set out to conduct a life assessment the most common trapping is to hash and rehash what went wrong or not according to plan. Do yourself a favor by skipping that aspect of the inventory. You lived it, no need to re-live it. Instead, focus on all of the things or situations where you met or exceeded expectations. You finally got that healthy relationship you'd been yearning for or maybe a fruitful relationship with your boss. Great news! Stop and reflect on what went right and why. Chances are the positive movements that you experienced this year were a direct result of your hard work and commitment to the cause. It is important to take notice of what you did to impact positive change in your life, so you can parlay those good habits into other aspects of your life for the future.
Acknowledgment
It's been said that behind every great man or woman there was a remarkable person in their corner, encouraging them every step of the way. Same goes for all of us regular folks. We all know that it is easy to blame others when things go wrong. Flip that bad habit into a good one by giving kudos to those supportive people that have been rallying in your corner in good times and bad. The ones that believed in you when you might have lost hope or even given up all together. Why? First, it's just good karma to thank people, whether it was for helping you through rocky times, or celebrating some awesome ones. It's easier than you might think and it goes a long way in keeping those people in your court. It's a healthy habit to get into - rewarding good behavior. Everybody likes to be appreciated for their contribution and support. Second, by walking down that memory lane, you get to relive the positive aspects of those experiences.
Ditch the not-so-glad tidings and grudges
Nobody likes a scrooge, especially this time of year. You know who you are, stop it! If you have been cranky for no apparent reason it is time to swap that attitude for a healthy one. By shuffling around in a bad mood you're ensuring one thing - you will linger in your bad feelings. You're not only raining on your own parade, your also impacting those poor souls around you that are left to lap up the wake of your sour mood. Shift your mindset, your physical presence, your outfit, or your diet, whatever it takes to get the "funk" out of your system before year's end. This should go without saying but let's say it anyway. As the year draws to an end, so should it end any and all grudges that you've been harboring. Growling causes wrinkles, not to mention it can lead to poor mental and physical health. There is nothing to be gained by holding a grudge, little or small. The only thing that it will accomplish is holding you back from success and happiness in the New Year. Be the bigger person if need be, by apologizing, forgiving, or whatever it takes, but end this year by letting bygones be where they belong - in the past.
Chart the course ahead
Now that you've walked down memory lane, assessed what worked for and against you and ditched the bad feelings that were holding you back, you are ready to move forward. Take this time to ruminate on where you hope to take your life in the upcoming year and identify some of the proactive steps that you can take now to pave the way. Then enjoy the passing of one year in favor of what is right around the corner - new year, new beginning. Drive forward without looking back!
And favor the year ahead
by Christina Julian
As one year ends and another threatens to begin, it is the perfect time to assess this past year with one mission in mind - retiring it, in preparation for the year ahead. Don't get caught in the trap of lambasting everything you wish you would have done, instead focus on setting healthy and helpful intentions for the year to come. Let no avenue go un-chartered as you conduct an inventory of your life, making sure to cover areas around family dynamics, love and contentment, and career and financial goals. Here's how…
Shift focus
When we set out to conduct a life assessment the most common trapping is to hash and rehash what went wrong or not according to plan. Do yourself a favor by skipping that aspect of the inventory. You lived it, no need to re-live it. Instead, focus on all of the things or situations where you met or exceeded expectations. You finally got that healthy relationship you'd been yearning for or maybe a fruitful relationship with your boss. Great news! Stop and reflect on what went right and why. Chances are the positive movements that you experienced this year were a direct result of your hard work and commitment to the cause. It is important to take notice of what you did to impact positive change in your life, so you can parlay those good habits into other aspects of your life for the future.
Acknowledgment
It's been said that behind every great man or woman there was a remarkable person in their corner, encouraging them every step of the way. Same goes for all of us regular folks. We all know that it is easy to blame others when things go wrong. Flip that bad habit into a good one by giving kudos to those supportive people that have been rallying in your corner in good times and bad. The ones that believed in you when you might have lost hope or even given up all together. Why? First, it's just good karma to thank people, whether it was for helping you through rocky times, or celebrating some awesome ones. It's easier than you might think and it goes a long way in keeping those people in your court. It's a healthy habit to get into - rewarding good behavior. Everybody likes to be appreciated for their contribution and support. Second, by walking down that memory lane, you get to relive the positive aspects of those experiences.
Ditch the not-so-glad tidings and grudges
Nobody likes a scrooge, especially this time of year. You know who you are, stop it! If you have been cranky for no apparent reason it is time to swap that attitude for a healthy one. By shuffling around in a bad mood you're ensuring one thing - you will linger in your bad feelings. You're not only raining on your own parade, your also impacting those poor souls around you that are left to lap up the wake of your sour mood. Shift your mindset, your physical presence, your outfit, or your diet, whatever it takes to get the "funk" out of your system before year's end. This should go without saying but let's say it anyway. As the year draws to an end, so should it end any and all grudges that you've been harboring. Growling causes wrinkles, not to mention it can lead to poor mental and physical health. There is nothing to be gained by holding a grudge, little or small. The only thing that it will accomplish is holding you back from success and happiness in the New Year. Be the bigger person if need be, by apologizing, forgiving, or whatever it takes, but end this year by letting bygones be where they belong - in the past.
Chart the course ahead
Now that you've walked down memory lane, assessed what worked for and against you and ditched the bad feelings that were holding you back, you are ready to move forward. Take this time to ruminate on where you hope to take your life in the upcoming year and identify some of the proactive steps that you can take now to pave the way. Then enjoy the passing of one year in favor of what is right around the corner - new year, new beginning. Drive forward without looking back!
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
3 Ways to Quash Negative Thought Patterns
Negative Thought Patterns
3 ways to quash them
by Alina Mikos
Following a recent heart-to-heart conversation with a close friend about life choices, I found myself pondering a particular question: "If you looked at your inner voice as a separate person in your life, would you be friends with her?"
My immediate answer -- a resounding 'no,' prompts me to consciously watch and better train my 'inner friend.' Negative thinking, a perilous and all-too-common part of the human condition, places us at odds with our own better self and gives credence to the adage, "You are your own worst enemy." For most of us, this negative commentary is a well-established pattern,. It's self-programming of sorts, and it slips beneath our mental-health radar because it's frequently subconscious.
According to National Science Foundation statistics, the average person thinks roughly 12,000 thoughts per day. A deeper thinker cranks out 50,000 thoughts daily. That's an incredible number of thoughts running around, and if you're anything like me, some are certain to be self-deprecating.
Unwilling to accept the status quo, I've decided to alter the tone of my inner voice from judgmental to constructive and positive. I discovered 3 key points that I found most helpful in changing some of my knee-jerk negative thought patterns.
Observe your own mind at work
The first step is to really tune in to the intricate workings of your mind. Observe your responses to daily events, focusing on subtleties of thought. Most of us have blatant, instantaneous responses to critical events of our day. For example, if criticized by our boss in public, our transparent response would very likely be embarrassment accompanied by some anger at the insensitivity of our superior.
However, the more concealed thoughts might be even more harmful. Self-loathing, shame and worthlessness are far more detrimental to the human psyche. We need to carefully monitor our minds for these subtle but insidious thoughts which can be so damaging to our happiness and self-esteem.
Retrain your brain
Whenever a negative thought wriggles into your mind, immediately follow that notion with a positive one. Work at becoming your own loving parent, making an effort to correct that faulty inner voice; teach yourself to see things from a more positive and productive perspective.
It's helpful to consciously work on accepting and loving yourself as you are, which makes it so much easier to give ourselves a "pass" when we fail to live up to some impossible standard that we or society has set. And for those of us who typically count ourselves as paragons of emotional health given our current levels of happiness and success, we can ill afford to ignore the inevitable. Sooner or later, all of us will come to that moment when life simply hands us a catastrophe that rocks the foundations of our self-perceptions. In such a crisis, even the strongest of us will need to rely upon our previous training to find some encouragement in the dark days that face us. Fortunately, for those of us who have done our homework, we will have a positive wellspring from which to draw and sustain that brighter day.
Be patient with yourself
Negative self-talk is wired into the brain over time. Most of us have experienced some form of that negative internal voice all of our lives. It is most often a compilation of our childhood experiences (how our parents raised us), the impact of our educational system, diverse and incessant peer commentary, workplace criticisms and societal positioning. This negative element of the inner voice is firmly entrenched by adulthood and requires considerable time and effort to retrain. New learners need to be patient with themselves and be alert to the likelihood that the negative wiring will resist attempts to establish a more positive circuitry.
Finally, it helps to refuse to take yourself too seriously. To be able to laugh at ourselves and embrace the diversity of the human psyche as fascinating, surprising and heartwarming -- is one of the great joys in life. If we retain faith in ourselves, in our inclination to move in positive directions and in our power to do so, we can accomplish almost anything. Ultimately, we must acknowledge that we deserve to be happy and that the key to our happiness resides within us, including a healthy internal voice, now whispering words of compassion, understanding and love.
3 ways to quash them
by Alina Mikos
Following a recent heart-to-heart conversation with a close friend about life choices, I found myself pondering a particular question: "If you looked at your inner voice as a separate person in your life, would you be friends with her?"
My immediate answer -- a resounding 'no,' prompts me to consciously watch and better train my 'inner friend.' Negative thinking, a perilous and all-too-common part of the human condition, places us at odds with our own better self and gives credence to the adage, "You are your own worst enemy." For most of us, this negative commentary is a well-established pattern,. It's self-programming of sorts, and it slips beneath our mental-health radar because it's frequently subconscious.
According to National Science Foundation statistics, the average person thinks roughly 12,000 thoughts per day. A deeper thinker cranks out 50,000 thoughts daily. That's an incredible number of thoughts running around, and if you're anything like me, some are certain to be self-deprecating.
Unwilling to accept the status quo, I've decided to alter the tone of my inner voice from judgmental to constructive and positive. I discovered 3 key points that I found most helpful in changing some of my knee-jerk negative thought patterns.
Observe your own mind at work
The first step is to really tune in to the intricate workings of your mind. Observe your responses to daily events, focusing on subtleties of thought. Most of us have blatant, instantaneous responses to critical events of our day. For example, if criticized by our boss in public, our transparent response would very likely be embarrassment accompanied by some anger at the insensitivity of our superior.
However, the more concealed thoughts might be even more harmful. Self-loathing, shame and worthlessness are far more detrimental to the human psyche. We need to carefully monitor our minds for these subtle but insidious thoughts which can be so damaging to our happiness and self-esteem.
Retrain your brain
Whenever a negative thought wriggles into your mind, immediately follow that notion with a positive one. Work at becoming your own loving parent, making an effort to correct that faulty inner voice; teach yourself to see things from a more positive and productive perspective.
It's helpful to consciously work on accepting and loving yourself as you are, which makes it so much easier to give ourselves a "pass" when we fail to live up to some impossible standard that we or society has set. And for those of us who typically count ourselves as paragons of emotional health given our current levels of happiness and success, we can ill afford to ignore the inevitable. Sooner or later, all of us will come to that moment when life simply hands us a catastrophe that rocks the foundations of our self-perceptions. In such a crisis, even the strongest of us will need to rely upon our previous training to find some encouragement in the dark days that face us. Fortunately, for those of us who have done our homework, we will have a positive wellspring from which to draw and sustain that brighter day.
Be patient with yourself
Negative self-talk is wired into the brain over time. Most of us have experienced some form of that negative internal voice all of our lives. It is most often a compilation of our childhood experiences (how our parents raised us), the impact of our educational system, diverse and incessant peer commentary, workplace criticisms and societal positioning. This negative element of the inner voice is firmly entrenched by adulthood and requires considerable time and effort to retrain. New learners need to be patient with themselves and be alert to the likelihood that the negative wiring will resist attempts to establish a more positive circuitry.
Finally, it helps to refuse to take yourself too seriously. To be able to laugh at ourselves and embrace the diversity of the human psyche as fascinating, surprising and heartwarming -- is one of the great joys in life. If we retain faith in ourselves, in our inclination to move in positive directions and in our power to do so, we can accomplish almost anything. Ultimately, we must acknowledge that we deserve to be happy and that the key to our happiness resides within us, including a healthy internal voice, now whispering words of compassion, understanding and love.
Monday, December 21, 2009
Female Connections
"I only really understand myself, what I'm really thinking and feeling, when I've talked it over with my circle of female friends. When days go by without that connection, I feel like a radio playing in an empty room."
~ Anna Quindlen
~ Anna Quindlen
Sunday, December 13, 2009
Sunday, December 6, 2009
You're the ONLY One!
"There's only one corner of the universe you can be certain of improving, and that's your own self."
~ Aldous Huxley
Coach Sherrie says: If you are like me, there may have been a time in your life when you thought you could change your family members, your friends, your spouse. Hopefully, you now understand: the only person you can change is your self. Think about what you can change if someone you love is not meeting your expectations; love them anyway, help them find counseling, let them go? And then get on with the task of making yourself the best you can be.
~ Aldous Huxley
Coach Sherrie says: If you are like me, there may have been a time in your life when you thought you could change your family members, your friends, your spouse. Hopefully, you now understand: the only person you can change is your self. Think about what you can change if someone you love is not meeting your expectations; love them anyway, help them find counseling, let them go? And then get on with the task of making yourself the best you can be.
Let Go of Anger, Hurt ot Pain
"Don't hold to anger, hurt or pain. They steal your energy and keep you from love."
~ Anonymous
Coach Sherrie says: Write about those feelings in a journal; write a poem about it; make a collage or a painting about it. Then, LET IT GO! No matter how bad someone hurt you, hanging on to the pain only hurts YOU. As Metger Evers says "the other person either doesn't know, or worse, doesn't care."
~ Anonymous
Coach Sherrie says: Write about those feelings in a journal; write a poem about it; make a collage or a painting about it. Then, LET IT GO! No matter how bad someone hurt you, hanging on to the pain only hurts YOU. As Metger Evers says "the other person either doesn't know, or worse, doesn't care."
Saturday, December 5, 2009
Jealousy = Fear
Jealousy is simply and clearly the fear that you do not have value. Jealousy scans for evidence to prove the point - that others will be preferred and rewarded more than you. There is only one alternative - self-value. If you cannot love yourself, you will not believe that you are loved. You will always think it's a mistake or luck....
Take your eyes off others and turn the scanner within. Find the seeds of your jealousy, clear the old voices and experiences. Put all the energy into building your personal and emotional security. Then you will be the one others envy, and you can remember the pain and reach out to them. ~Jennifer James
Take your eyes off others and turn the scanner within. Find the seeds of your jealousy, clear the old voices and experiences. Put all the energy into building your personal and emotional security. Then you will be the one others envy, and you can remember the pain and reach out to them. ~Jennifer James
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