selflessness
The ‘Can Do’ People
Some of us are ‘can do’ people, while others are always saying, “No can do.” Who would you rather be? This has given me food for thought. What do I really tell myself about my own abilities? Can I really do what I want to do, or am I going to do whatever it may be?
Some people tell themselves that they are not smart enough to do what they want to do for their life’s work. Their mind is already made up. No can do. They go through life accepting and settling for their second, or even third choice.
Others have the attitude, when told they can’t possibly do something, they will show the world they can accomplish anything they choose to do. They believe they can achieve anything they put their mind too. Continue reading
Do It Anyway
Recently, I posted on social media about my daughter’s graduation, when she was awarded a degree in Psychology with high honors from a well-known university. I was really proud of her, and wanted to share it with the world.
Many friends and family commented on the post, with congratulatory excitement and kind remarks. But later that day, I noticed there was also a hurtful comment on that same post from my mother.
In the post I had misspelled the words summa cum laude and my mother’s comment read, “Ask your daughter how to spell summa cum laude.” That was it. It seemed short and cold. My heart sank. Not only from the public embarrassment of her comment, but more so from the insinuation that I lack intelligence. Continue reading
The Real Rewards Of Paying It Forward
What does it mean to ‘pay it forward’ from a spiritual perspective? On a simple level, paying it forward means we take a gift of kindness and pass it along to the next recipient, almost like a karma chain. We’ve all probably experienced such a gift, whether it was a cup of coffee, or a new car. But why do it in the first place? We’re all told that humanity is selfish, not selfless.
If we look at paying it forward beyond the superficial ‘it feels good,’ we see that it really does make us feel better on a physical and psychological level. Stress and depression rates are much lower for those who regularly volunteer, or perform acts of charity and kindness. Our brain experiences a ‘happiness boost’ almost immediately. Life expectancy is also higher for those who volunteer, compared to people who don’t. Doing selfless things simply does make us feel good. Continue reading
Traits Of Your Aries Child
A child born March 21st to April 19th is an Aries. Aries children are smart and very physically strong and coordinated. They are usually very athletic. They may be very quick to walk and talk. Aries are also extremely enthusiastic about life and tend to be optimists.
They are known however to have a bit of a temper. It will help you to establish that you are the boss and not give into temper tantrums very early on in your Aries baby’s life. Keep your calm and exemplify a dignified way of expressing anger and frustration. They are also know to hold a grudge, so teaching forgiveness will also be of benefit.
They are extremely generous and tend to want to give their toys to other kids. However, they may also expect to get some of their friend’s toys in return! They are strong forces and can be demanding and bossy. If you teach them to use that power to accomplish rather than control, they can be anything they want. Continue reading
Do Unto Others
Do unto others as you have them do unto you. It is also known as the Golden Rule. A simple and wise rule to live by, but something humanity struggles to adhere to.
It is also very close to another age-old axiom, “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Again, this sounds easy enough. And what if you are one of those people, as many of us are, who are not in the habit of treating yourself very well at all?
How do you typically treat yourself? Do you like yourself? Do you love yourself? Do you approve, care, and not judge yourself harshly? Are you kind and encouraging to yourself? Or is your internal mental chatter and expression riddled with thoughts like: Continue reading
Spiritual Guidance On Organized Religion
Sitting at a local café, drinking my smoothie, I couldn’t help but overhear a conversation behind me. They were talking loudly and were not really going out of their way to be discreet by any means. The one girl was talking about how her mother had passed. She spoke of chemotherapy and did not want the same ordeal for her friend, who is obviously going through something similar.
She then shared a story of how her aunt called her a few weeks ago and told her about a dream she had. In this dream the aunt was visited by the girl’s departed mother, who told her that if she could do it all over again, she would do two things differently when she was alive. She would not have taken the chemotherapy and she would not have spent so much time in church. Continue reading
Forgiveness – Letting Go To Be Free
Think for a moment of all the heavy emotional burdens we tend to carry: resentment, anger, jealousy, vengeance, hatred. When we carry all that baggage, in some cases for years at a time, our mind, body and soul suffer the consequences. It can do a lot of harm over time, since these emotions are associated with very powerful negative energy! The good news is, there is a simple and effective way to leave all of it behind: the miracle of forgiveness.
True forgiveness is not just about our relationship to others. It begins with forgiving ourselves. If you were to take an honest inventory of your outlook on life as it stands right now, what would that be? Are you often judgmental, bitter or harsh on yourself and others? It’s time to offer some forgiveness. Continue reading