mindful living
Happiness Is Here And Now
Too often I hear the lament, “When will I be happy?” The answer is simple – right now!
Our mind is our own worst enemy but it can also be our best friend, if we let it. Understanding simple concepts of universal truths can go a long way towards our mind knowing these truths and accepting them as fact into our world.
One of the biggest universal lies is that happiness is a permanent state of being or, worse yet, that everything has to be perfect for you to be happy. That’s a lie. The simple, universal truth is much easier and also much more freeing. Happiness comes in moments, happiness is where you are right now, with exactly what you have. Continue reading
A Tale Of Two Wolves
As a child, I always enjoyed parables, and even in my middle years I still like listening to a story that has real meaning behind it. Recently, I discovered a fabulous story.
A young Cherokee child gets into an argument with one of his peers whom, until now, he felt he had been on good terms with but on this occasion, however, felt that the other boy had been most unjust to him.
In anger, the Cherokee boy runs off to seek advice from his wise grandfather, an elder of the Cherokee tribe, who loves teaching his grandchildren all about life. After telling his grandfather of his injustice, the old man wistfully looked at his grandson and said that he too, in his life, had similar experiences that resulted in him feeling great anger. “It is like there is a fight between two wolves going on inside you,” said the old man, “and indeed a terrible fight.” Continue reading
Release Yourself From Past Life Patterns
A few days ago my good friend Tom, whom I have known for a couple of years now, popped over for a visit – as he tends to do every now and again. Tom is quite smart and generally an all around nice, helpful person.
During the course of our conversations, Tom commented on the fact that although he is well into his 60’s now, his life has been somewhat dull and uneventful. He cannot understand why things for him appear to be always so bland and unexciting.
After a few probing questions on my part it soon became apparent that Tom had never really established any goals for himself and did not have any particular vision in mind for his future. There was never any thought of wealth or riches, aside from the fact he shared the hope of many of one day winning a lottery. He is just one of those individuals who believe that somehow the world would open up for him and life would take on a whole new meaning without any input from him. Continue reading
Signs You Might Be Overstressed
Almost all of us are under stress of some kind, whether it’s from work, family life, financial situations, or countless other sources. But how do when we know when it all gets to be too much?
Sadly, we tend to overlook the very real, physical signs our bodies give us, to let us know that the stress is all too much. If you’re experiencing one or more of these symptoms, it might be time to take a look at how to reduce stress levels and get your total health on track.
Pain in our bodies is probably the most obvious sign something is wrong, yet it tends to get ignored until it’s almost too late. Aches and pains, stomach issues, muscle tension, and heart palpitations are among the most common. Also, when we’re under stress, our sleep may suffer. Sleep is crucial to a person’s well-being, and if we’re not getting enough sleep (or too much) the entire body suffers as a result. Continue reading
The Color Palette Of Your Life
You get to choose which colors you like to have on the palette of your life – not what anyone else thinks you should have. It’s okay to paint exactly as you wish, as all great artist do. Color can empower you, color can uplift you, color can heal.
Embrace all your favorite colors, even the darker shades, including black. A lot of people fear the color black, but without the darkness of the shadows we cannot truly appreciate the light. I personally like the color black. It makes me feel good about myself. A few years ago I went to court for my divorce hearing. I had no lawyer; I chose to represent myself. I was wearing a black dress suit, with large, black leather purse. The judge took me seriously and granted all that I negotiated for. I give credit to my choice of wearing the color black. Continue reading
Good Vibrations
The Beach Boys hit song Good Vibrations is more than just a catchy title. Our bodies and minds are constantly engaged in “pickin’ up good vibrations.” We are all composed of energy manifesting as matter, as are our environments. At a very basic level it is the interaction of atoms and molecules, and our behaviors have a lot to do with those interactions.
The unfortunate truth is, we’re also surrounded by negative influences. Stress, poor diet and nutrition, and lack of exposure to a natural environment are common in the busy, urban world many of us now live in. Literally, they are everywhere we turn, and it can be overwhelming.
Often we treat these symptoms with even more harmful solutions, such as artificial medicines, negative thinking, alcohol or narcotics, or non-wholesome foods. It’s a vicious cycle. However, there is a way to escape and break free. Continue reading