- Anger is a condition in which the tongue works faster than the mind.
- You can't change the past, but you can ruin the present by worrying over the future.
- Love ......and you shall be loved.
- God always gives His best to those who leave the choice with Him.
- All people smile in the same language.
- A hug is a great gift..one size fits all. It can be given for any occasion and it's easy to exchange.
- Everyone needs to be loved...especially when they do not deserve it.
- The real measure of a man's wealth is what he has invested in eternity.
- Everything has beauty but not everyone sees it.
- It's important for parents to live the same things they teach.
- If you fill your heart with regrets of yesterday and the worries of tomorrow, you have no today to be thankful for.
- Happy memories never wear out.... relive them as often as you want.
- Home is the place where we grumble the most, but are often treated the best.
- Man looks at outward appearance but the Lord looks within.
- The choice you make today will usually affect tomorrow.
- Take time to laugh for it is the music of the soul.
- If anyone speaks badly of you, live so none will believe it.
- Patience is the ability to idle your motor when you feel like stripping your gears.
- Love is strengthened by working through conflicts together.
- The best thing parents can do for their children is to love each other.
- Harsh words break no bones but they do break hearts.
- To get out of a difficulty, one usually must go through it.
- We take for granted the things that we should be giving thanks for.
- Love is the only thing that can be divided without being diminished.
- Happiness is enhanced by others but does not depend upon others.
- You are richer today if you have laughed, given or forgiven.
- For every minute you are angry with someone, you lose 60 seconds of happiness that you can never get back.
- Do what you can, for who you can, with what you have, and where you are.
- The best gifts to give :
- To your friend - loyalty
- To your enemy - forgiveness;
- To your boss - service;
- To a child - a good example;
- To your parents - gratitude and devotion;
- To your mate - love and faithfulness;
Monday, July 26, 2010
Beautiful words to live by
THE DALAI LAMA ON LIFE
- Take into account that great love and great achievements involve great risk.
- When you lose, don't lose the lesson.
- Follow the three R's: Respect for self, Respect for others and Responsibility for all your actions.
- Remember that not getting what you want is sometimes a wonderful stroke of luck.
- Learn the rules so you know how to break them properly.
- Don't let a little dispute injure a great friendship.
- When you realize you've made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it.
- Spend some time alone every day.
- Open your arms to change, but don't let go of your values.
- Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer.
- Live a good, honorable life. Then when you get older and think back, you'll be able to enjoy it a second time.
- A loving atmosphere in your home is the foundation for your life.
- In disagreements with loved ones, deal only with the current situation. Don't bring up the past.
- Share your knowledge. It's a way to achieve immortality.
- Be gentle with the earth.
- Once a year, go someplace you've never been before.
- Remember that the best relationship is one in which your love for each other exceeds your need for each other.
- Judge your success by what you had to give up in order to get it.
- Approach love and cooking with reckless abandon.
SUCCESS' SECRET
| During a meeting of top salespeople from around the country, the 'big cheese' himself, a man who'd consistently had the highest sales figures for the last 20 years, and who earned more money than even the owner of his company, got up to speak. "I am now going to reveal the secret of my success," he said. "I wrote it down on a piece of paper and I put it in this envelope. But success must be earned. So I'm going to sell the envelope to the highest bidder. You have my word that it contains what I said - the Secret of my Success, not only as a salesman, but also in life." The bidding started slowly... $5, then $10, then $50, $100, $130, $150, $200. Finally one of his colleagues bought the envelope for $1000. | |
| The happy buyer took the envelope and kept it to himself until he got home that night. Only then did he open it to learn THE SECRET OF SUCCESS. What do you think was written on the piece of paper? Think about it. Make a mental note of whatever comes to mind before reading the answer and in my opinion, what was written on that piece of paper, is worth much more than $1000. The winner of the auction tore open the envelope, unfolded the piece of paper and read the following hand-written words: THE SUCCESS' SECRET IS... TO ASK. | |
The Golden Box
The story goes that some time ago a mother punished her 5 year old daughter for wasting a roll of expensive gold wrapping paper. Money was tight and she became even more upset when the child used the gold paper to decorate a box to put under the Christmas tree. Nevertheless, the little girl brought the gift box to her mother the next morning and said, "This is for you, Momma."
The mother was embarrassed by her earlier over reaction, but her anger flared again when she opened the box and found it was empty. She spoke to her daughter in a harsh manner. "Don't you know, young lady, when you give someone a present there's supposed to be something inside the package?"
The little daughter had tears in her eyes and said, "Oh, Momma, it's not empty! I blew kisses into it until it was full."
The mother was crushed. She fell on her knees and put her arms around her little girl, and she begged her forgiveness for her thoughtless anger.
An accident took the life of the child only a short time later, and it is told that the mother kept that gold box by her bed for all the years of her life. Whenever she was discouraged or faced difficult problems, she would open the box and take out an imaginary kiss and remember the love of the child who had put it there.
In a very real sense, each of us, as human beings, has been given a golden box filled with unconditional love and kisses from our children, family, friends and GOD. There is no more precious possession anyone could hold.
The mother was embarrassed by her earlier over reaction, but her anger flared again when she opened the box and found it was empty. She spoke to her daughter in a harsh manner. "Don't you know, young lady, when you give someone a present there's supposed to be something inside the package?"
The little daughter had tears in her eyes and said, "Oh, Momma, it's not empty! I blew kisses into it until it was full."
The mother was crushed. She fell on her knees and put her arms around her little girl, and she begged her forgiveness for her thoughtless anger.
An accident took the life of the child only a short time later, and it is told that the mother kept that gold box by her bed for all the years of her life. Whenever she was discouraged or faced difficult problems, she would open the box and take out an imaginary kiss and remember the love of the child who had put it there.
In a very real sense, each of us, as human beings, has been given a golden box filled with unconditional love and kisses from our children, family, friends and GOD. There is no more precious possession anyone could hold.
The Wise Woman's Stone
A wise woman, who was traveling in the mountains, found a precious stone in a stream. The next day she met another traveler who was hungry, and the wise woman opened her bag to share her food. The hungry traveler saw the precious stone and asked the woman to give it to him. She did so without hesitation. The traveler left, rejoicing in his good fortune. He knew the stone was worth enough to give him security for a lifetime.
But, a few days later, he came back to return the stone to the wise woman. "I've been thinking," he said. "I know how valuable this stone is, but I give it back in the hope that you can give me something even more precious. Give me what you have within you that enabled you to give me this stone."
But, a few days later, he came back to return the stone to the wise woman. "I've been thinking," he said. "I know how valuable this stone is, but I give it back in the hope that you can give me something even more precious. Give me what you have within you that enabled you to give me this stone."
Sunday, July 25, 2010
The Echo of Life
A son and his father were walking on the mountains. Suddenly, the son falls, hurts himself and screams, "AAAhhhhhhhhhhh!!!"
To his surprise, he hears the voice repeating, somewhere in the mountain: "AAAhhhhhhhhhhh!!!"
Curious, he yells, "Who are you?"
He receives the answer, "Who are you?"
Angered at the response, he screams, "Coward!"
He receives the answer, "Coward!"
He looks to his father and asks, "What's going on?"
The father smiles and says, "My son, pay attention."
And then he screams to the mountain, "I admire you!"
The voice answers, "I admire you!"
Again the father screams, "You are a champion!"
The voice answers, "You are a champion!"
The boy is surprised, but does not understand.
Then the father explains:
"People call this ECHO, but really this is LIFE. It gives you back everything you say or do. Our life is simply a reflection of our actions.
If you want more love in the world, create more love in your heart. If you want more competence in your team, improve your competence. This relationship applies to everything, in all aspects of life; life will give you back everything you have given to it.
Your life is not a coincidence. It's a reflection of you!"
To his surprise, he hears the voice repeating, somewhere in the mountain: "AAAhhhhhhhhhhh!!!"
Curious, he yells, "Who are you?"
He receives the answer, "Who are you?"
Angered at the response, he screams, "Coward!"
He receives the answer, "Coward!"
He looks to his father and asks, "What's going on?"
The father smiles and says, "My son, pay attention."
And then he screams to the mountain, "I admire you!"
The voice answers, "I admire you!"
Again the father screams, "You are a champion!"
The voice answers, "You are a champion!"
The boy is surprised, but does not understand.
Then the father explains:
"People call this ECHO, but really this is LIFE. It gives you back everything you say or do. Our life is simply a reflection of our actions.
If you want more love in the world, create more love in your heart. If you want more competence in your team, improve your competence. This relationship applies to everything, in all aspects of life; life will give you back everything you have given to it.
Your life is not a coincidence. It's a reflection of you!"
Sand & Stone
Two friends were walking through the desert. During some point of the journey, they had an argument and one friend slapped the other one in the face.
The one who got slapped was hurt, but without saying anything, wrote in the sand:
'Today my best friend slapped me in the face.'
They kept on walking until they found an oasis, where they decided to take a bath. The one who had been slapped got stuck in the mire and started drowning, but the friend saved him.
After he recovered from the near drowning, he wrote on a stone:
'Today my best friend saved my life.'
The friend who had slapped and saved his best friend asked him, 'After I hurt you, you wrote in the sand and now, you write on a stone, why?'
The friend replied, 'When someone hurts us we should write it down in sand, where winds of forgiveness can erase it away. But, when someone does something good for us, we must engrave it in stone where no wind can ever erase it.'
Learn to write your hurts in the sand and to carve your benefits in stone.
They say it takes a minute to find a special person, an hour to appreciate them, a day to love them, but then an entire life to forget them.
Do not value the things you have in your life, but value who you have in your life!
The one who got slapped was hurt, but without saying anything, wrote in the sand:
'Today my best friend slapped me in the face.'
They kept on walking until they found an oasis, where they decided to take a bath. The one who had been slapped got stuck in the mire and started drowning, but the friend saved him.
After he recovered from the near drowning, he wrote on a stone:
'Today my best friend saved my life.'
The friend who had slapped and saved his best friend asked him, 'After I hurt you, you wrote in the sand and now, you write on a stone, why?'
The friend replied, 'When someone hurts us we should write it down in sand, where winds of forgiveness can erase it away. But, when someone does something good for us, we must engrave it in stone where no wind can ever erase it.'
Learn to write your hurts in the sand and to carve your benefits in stone.
They say it takes a minute to find a special person, an hour to appreciate them, a day to love them, but then an entire life to forget them.
Do not value the things you have in your life, but value who you have in your life!
The Blind Boy
A blind boy sat on the steps of a building with a hat by his feet. He held up a sign which said: "I am blind, please help." There were only a few coins in the hat.
A man was walking by. He took a few coins from his pocket and dropped them into the hat. He then took the sign, turned it around and wrote some words. He put the sign back so that everyone who walked by would see the new words.
Soon the hat began to fill up. A lot more people were giving money to the blind boy.
That afternoon the man who had changed the sign came to see how things were. The boy recognized his footsteps and asked, "Were you the one who changed my sign this morning? What did you write?"
The man said, "I only wrote the truth. I said what you said but in a different way."
What he had written was: "Today is a beautiful day and I cannot see it."
Do you think the first sign and the second sign were saying the same thing?
Of course both signs told people the boy was blind. But the first sign simply said the boy was blind. The second sign told people they were so lucky that they were not blind.
Should we be surprised that the second sign was more effective?
Moral of the Story:
Be thankful for what you have. Be creative. Be innovative. Think differently and positively.
Invite others towards good with wisdom. Live life with no excuse and love with no regrets.
When life gives you a 100 reasons to cry, show life that you have 1000 reasons to smile. Face your past without regret. Handle your present with confidence. Prepare for the future without fear. Keep the faith and drop the fear.
Great men say, "Life has to be an incessant process of repair and reconstruction, of discarding evil and developing goodness! In the journey of life, if you want to travel without fear, you must have the ticket of a good conscience."
The most beautiful thing is to see a person smiling!
And even more beautiful, is knowing that you are the reason behind it!
A man was walking by. He took a few coins from his pocket and dropped them into the hat. He then took the sign, turned it around and wrote some words. He put the sign back so that everyone who walked by would see the new words.
Soon the hat began to fill up. A lot more people were giving money to the blind boy.
That afternoon the man who had changed the sign came to see how things were. The boy recognized his footsteps and asked, "Were you the one who changed my sign this morning? What did you write?"
The man said, "I only wrote the truth. I said what you said but in a different way."
What he had written was: "Today is a beautiful day and I cannot see it."
Do you think the first sign and the second sign were saying the same thing?
Of course both signs told people the boy was blind. But the first sign simply said the boy was blind. The second sign told people they were so lucky that they were not blind.
Should we be surprised that the second sign was more effective?
Moral of the Story:
Be thankful for what you have. Be creative. Be innovative. Think differently and positively.
Invite others towards good with wisdom. Live life with no excuse and love with no regrets.
When life gives you a 100 reasons to cry, show life that you have 1000 reasons to smile. Face your past without regret. Handle your present with confidence. Prepare for the future without fear. Keep the faith and drop the fear.
Great men say, "Life has to be an incessant process of repair and reconstruction, of discarding evil and developing goodness! In the journey of life, if you want to travel without fear, you must have the ticket of a good conscience."
The most beautiful thing is to see a person smiling!
And even more beautiful, is knowing that you are the reason behind it!
MEANING OF FAMILY
I ran into a stranger as he passed by,
'Oh excuse me please' was my reply.
He said, 'Please excuse me too;
I wasn't watching for you.'
We were very polite, this stranger and I.
We went on our way and we said goodbye.
But at home a different story is told,
How we treat our loved ones, young and old.
Later that day, cooking the evening meal,
My son stood beside me very still.
When I turned, I nearly knocked him down.
'Move out of the way,' I said with a frown.
He walked away, his little heart broken.
I didn't realize how harshly I'd spoken.
While I lay awake in bed,
God's still small voice came to me and said,
'While dealing with a stranger,
common courtesy you use,
but the family you love, you seem to abuse.
Go and look on the kitchen floor,
You'll find some flowers there by the door.
Those are the flowers he brought for you.
He picked them himself: pink, yellow and blue.
He stood very quietly not to spoil the surprise,
you never saw the tears that filled his little eyes.'
By this time, I felt very small,
And now my tears began to fall.
I quietly went and knelt by his bed;
'Wake up, little one, wake up,' I said.
'Are these the flowers you picked for me?'
He smiled, 'I found 'em, out by the tree.
I picked 'em because they're pretty like you.
I knew you'd like 'em, especially the blue.'
I said, 'Son, I'm very sorry for the way I acted today;
I shouldn't have yelled at you that way.'
He said, 'Oh, Mom, that's okay.
I love you anyway.'
I said, 'Son, I love you too,
and I do like the flowers, especially the blue.'
FAMILY
Are you aware that if we died tomorrow, the company
that we are working for could easily replace us in
a matter of days.
But the family we left behind will feel the loss
for the rest of their lives.
And come to think of it, we pour ourselves more
into work than into our own family,
an unwise investment indeed,
don't you think?
So what is behind the story?
Do you know what the word FAMILY means?
FAMILY = (F)ATHER (A)ND (M)OTHER (I) (L)OVE (Y)OU
'Oh excuse me please' was my reply.
He said, 'Please excuse me too;
I wasn't watching for you.'
We were very polite, this stranger and I.
We went on our way and we said goodbye.
But at home a different story is told,
How we treat our loved ones, young and old.
Later that day, cooking the evening meal,
My son stood beside me very still.
When I turned, I nearly knocked him down.
'Move out of the way,' I said with a frown.
He walked away, his little heart broken.
I didn't realize how harshly I'd spoken.
While I lay awake in bed,
God's still small voice came to me and said,
'While dealing with a stranger,
common courtesy you use,
but the family you love, you seem to abuse.
Go and look on the kitchen floor,
You'll find some flowers there by the door.
Those are the flowers he brought for you.
He picked them himself: pink, yellow and blue.
He stood very quietly not to spoil the surprise,
you never saw the tears that filled his little eyes.'
By this time, I felt very small,
And now my tears began to fall.
I quietly went and knelt by his bed;
'Wake up, little one, wake up,' I said.
'Are these the flowers you picked for me?'
He smiled, 'I found 'em, out by the tree.
I picked 'em because they're pretty like you.
I knew you'd like 'em, especially the blue.'
I said, 'Son, I'm very sorry for the way I acted today;
I shouldn't have yelled at you that way.'
He said, 'Oh, Mom, that's okay.
I love you anyway.'
I said, 'Son, I love you too,
and I do like the flowers, especially the blue.'
FAMILY
Are you aware that if we died tomorrow, the company
that we are working for could easily replace us in
a matter of days.
But the family we left behind will feel the loss
for the rest of their lives.
And come to think of it, we pour ourselves more
into work than into our own family,
an unwise investment indeed,
don't you think?
So what is behind the story?
Do you know what the word FAMILY means?
FAMILY = (F)ATHER (A)ND (M)OTHER (I) (L)OVE (Y)OU
The Most Beautiful Flower
The park bench was deserted as I sat down to read.
Beneath the long, straggly branches of an old willow tree.
Disillusioned by life with good reason to frown,
For the world was intent on dragging me down.
And if that weren't enough to ruin my day,
A young boy out of breath approached me, all tired from play.
He stood right before me with his head tilted down
And said with great excitement, "Look what I found!"
In his hand was a flower, and what a pitiful sight,
With its petals all worn-not enough rain, or too little light.
Wanting him to take his dead flower and go off to play,
I faked a small smile and then shifted away.
But instead of retreating he sat next to my side
And placed the flower to his nose
And declared with overacted surprise,
"It sure smells pretty and it's beautiful, too.
That's why I picked it; here, it's for you."
The weed before me was dying or dead.
Not vibrant of colors, orange, yellow or red.
But I knew I must take it, or he might never leave.
So I reached for the flower, and replied, "Just what I need."
But instead of him placing the flower in my hand,
He held it midair without reason or plan.
It was then that I noticed for the very first time
That weed-toting boy could not see: he was blind.
I heard my voice quiver, tears shone like the sun
As I thanked him for picking the very best one.
"You're welcome," he smiled, and then ran off to play,
Unaware of the impact he'd had on my day.
I sat there and wondered how he managed to see
A self-pitying woman beneath an old willow tree.
How did he know of my self-indulged plight?
Perhaps from his heart, he'd been blessed with true sight.
Through the eyes of a blind child, at last I could see
The problem was not with the world; the problem was me.
And for all of those times I myself had been blind,
I vowed to see the beauty in life,
And appreciate every second that's mine.
And then I held that wilted flower up to my nose
And breathed in the fragrance of a beautiful rose
And smiled as I watched that young boy, another weed in his hand
About to change the life of an unsuspecting old man.
Thursday, July 15, 2010
I DIDN'T WRITE IT BUT I LIKE IT!
A Birth Certificate shows that we were born.
A Death Certificate shows that we died.
Pictures show that we lived!
Have a seat . . . Relax . . . And read this slowly...
~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~
I Believe...
That just because two people argue, that
doesn't mean they don't love each other.
And just because they don't argue, that
doesn't mean they do love each other.
I Believe...
That sometimes when I'm angry I have the right to be angry,
but that doesn't give me the right to be cruel.
I Believe...
That we don't have to change friends if
we understand that friends change.
I Believe...
That no matter how good a friend is, they're going to hurt you every once in a while and you must forgive them for that.
I Believe...
That true friendship continues to grow, even over the longest distance.
Same goes for true love.
I Believe....
That you can do something in an instant
that will give you heartache for life..
I Believe...
That it's taking me a long time
to become the person I want to be.
I Believe...
That you should always leave loved ones with
loving words.. It may be the last time you see them. (very very true)
I Believe...
That you can keep going long after you think you can't.
I Believe...
That we are responsible for what
we do, no matter how we feel.
I Believe...
That either you control your attitude or it controls you.
I Believe...
That heroes are the people who do what has to be done when it needs to be done, regardless of the consequences.
I Believe...
That money is a lousy way of keeping score.
I Believe...
That my best friend and I can do anything, or nothing, and have the best time.
I Believe....
That sometimes the people you expect to kick you
When you're down will be the ones to help you get back up.
I Believe...
That maturity has more to do with what types of experiences you've had,
and what you've learned from them...and less to do with how many
birthdays you've celebrated.
I Believe...
That it isn't always enough to be forgiven by others.
Sometimes, you have to learn to forgive yourself.
I Believe...
That no matter how bad your heart is broken the world doesn't stop for your grief.
I Believe...
That our background and circumstances may have influenced who we are,
but we are responsible for who we become.
I Believe...
That you shouldn't be so eager to find
out a secret. It could change your life forever.
I Believe...
Two people can look at the exact same
thing and see something totally different.
I Believe...
That your life can be changed in a matter of
hours by people who don't even know you..
I Believe...
That even when you think you have no more to give, if
a friend cries out to you...you will find the strength to help.
I Believe...
That credentials on the wall do not make you a decent human being.
I Believe...
That the people you care about most in life are taken from you too soon.
The happiest of people don't necessarily have the best of everything;
They just make the most of everything.
Thank you God for all the wonderful people who help us throughout the journey of life...
God Bless You!
A Death Certificate shows that we died.
Pictures show that we lived!
Have a seat . . . Relax . . . And read this slowly...
~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~
I Believe...
That just because two people argue, that
doesn't mean they don't love each other.
And just because they don't argue, that
doesn't mean they do love each other.
I Believe...
That sometimes when I'm angry I have the right to be angry,
but that doesn't give me the right to be cruel.
I Believe...
That we don't have to change friends if
we understand that friends change.
I Believe...
That no matter how good a friend is, they're going to hurt you every once in a while and you must forgive them for that.
I Believe...
That true friendship continues to grow, even over the longest distance.
Same goes for true love.
I Believe....
That you can do something in an instant
that will give you heartache for life..
I Believe...
That it's taking me a long time
to become the person I want to be.
I Believe...
That you should always leave loved ones with
loving words.. It may be the last time you see them. (very very true)
I Believe...
That you can keep going long after you think you can't.
I Believe...
That we are responsible for what
we do, no matter how we feel.
I Believe...
That either you control your attitude or it controls you.
I Believe...
That heroes are the people who do what has to be done when it needs to be done, regardless of the consequences.
I Believe...
That money is a lousy way of keeping score.
I Believe...
That my best friend and I can do anything, or nothing, and have the best time.
I Believe....
That sometimes the people you expect to kick you
When you're down will be the ones to help you get back up.
I Believe...
That maturity has more to do with what types of experiences you've had,
and what you've learned from them...and less to do with how many
birthdays you've celebrated.
I Believe...
That it isn't always enough to be forgiven by others.
Sometimes, you have to learn to forgive yourself.
I Believe...
That no matter how bad your heart is broken the world doesn't stop for your grief.
I Believe...
That our background and circumstances may have influenced who we are,
but we are responsible for who we become.
I Believe...
That you shouldn't be so eager to find
out a secret. It could change your life forever.
I Believe...
Two people can look at the exact same
thing and see something totally different.
I Believe...
That your life can be changed in a matter of
hours by people who don't even know you..
I Believe...
That even when you think you have no more to give, if
a friend cries out to you...you will find the strength to help.
I Believe...
That credentials on the wall do not make you a decent human being.
I Believe...
That the people you care about most in life are taken from you too soon.
The happiest of people don't necessarily have the best of everything;
They just make the most of everything.
Thank you God for all the wonderful people who help us throughout the journey of life...
God Bless You!
Love Heals - By Martin Brofman
When I decided to heal myself of terminal cancer in 1976, I heard the idea that "love heals." Everyone seemed to know this, and since healing myself was now a matter of life and death for me, I decided it would be a really good idea to add this to my self-healing arsenal.
I had been diagnosed with a spinal cord tumor at the level of the neck, and it had been declared inoperable and untreatable. I had been given one or two months to the year before, and by some miracle, I was still alive -- perhaps because something in my consciousness had changed in terms of my attitude toward life.
I still had to find a way to get rid of the cancer, and the idea of using love for that sounded like something I could use. The only problem was that I was not really sure what love is, and I felt like I needed to be sure in order to use it for my healing.
I looked around at what people were calling love, and much of it didn't make sense to me as a healing force. It looked more like domination ("I love you, therefore now I tell you what to do" ) or slavery ("If I ever found him with another woman I would do this or that to him..."). Certainly, there were a lot of different ways of expressing love, but these were not the emotion itself that I needed to use.
I went to hear a conference entitled, "What is love?". The person talked for two hours, and the conclusion of the talk was, "Love is." Perhaps that made sense to the person speaking, but I knew no more than I did before.
One evening I was alone at home in a meditative space, considering the question of love, and a symbol appeared on the wall, which I understood as a message from my Spirit. It was heart with light shining from the center, and the number "1" visible through the center and extending to the outside of the heart, with the word, "Acceptance," written below.
For me, this was the key to the opening of my heart chakra, understanding the true nature of love, and knowing when I was feeling that force that heals.
I used the symbol as a visual meditation, seeing different messages in it each time I looked, and understanding that this was because of the nature of my perceptual filter each time I looked at it, according to what I was feeling or going through that day.
One day it said to me, "Acceptance is Number 1." Another day the message was, "Open your heart. Look inside. See the light." Another time it was "Accept your individuality, and the individuality of others."
I could relate to Acceptance as something I could use to raise my vibration from a solar plexus place to a heart space. Accepting "what is" allowed me to emotionally accept the situation that existed, to remove the emotions about what was happening in order to be in a clear space from which I could change the situation. Accepting people as they are, rather than deciding how they should be, allowed me to let go of control, which I understood to represent tension in the solar plexus chakra, and see them from a clearer sense of freedom in the solar plexus, and in fact, to see things about them that I could appreciate, at the level of the heart chakra.
I found that if I thought of someone I judged, and the quality about them I thought was "wrong," I could ask myself if I could remember a situation in which someone else could have used those words to describe me -- and I always could. Of course, I could easily tell myself that when I was in that situation I had a good reason for doing what I was doing -- and then I could understand that perhaps, that other person might have the same good reasons -- and then I could see the other person with compassion, and perhaps not so different from myself.
I recognized when I was feeling the love, by the sensations in my heart, and I felt I had something to work with, something I could add to the other tools I was using to heal myself.
I decided that in a meditation I would surround myself with people who I know loved me, and to feel the love, the connection I felt with them. I could then take the feeling, the physical sensation that I recognized that went along with the emotion, and direct it to the part of the body that needed it, feeling that part opening to the love, accepting it, and feel something happening there, a little more each time I did it, until I felt no more symptoms. Eventually, when I went back to the doctors for a new examination, they decided they must have made a mistake.
There is a way to read the body as a map of the consciousness within, in order to determine the inner cause to a physical symptom. The key to this map is the chakras, the energy centers found in Hindu philosophy. Each chakra represents certain parts of the consciousness and certain parts of the body. When there is a symptom in a particular part of the body, we can see that it represents tension in the person's consciousness about something specific happening in their life at that time.
There is a personality profile associated with each symptom, a way of being that is not really who the person is, but rather what they have been doing. There is another personality profile associated with having no symptoms, a way of being that is always accessible in the person's consciousness, and that is who the person really is. Healing is about releasing the stressed way of being and returning to our natural state of balance. We can say that anyone with a symptom has not been themselves.
Why would someone choose to not be himself or herself? Either as an expression of love, to change in some way in order to be loved, or as a reaction to the perception that they are not loved, or would not be loved for who they really are.
When we don't feel the love, we look for evidence that it is there or not. "He did that, therefore he loves me," or, "...therefore he does not love me."
We are surrounded by people we love. An interesting question to ask ourselves is, "How much time do I spend during my day feeling the love that I have in my heart?"
Do we focus on the love, or on other issues that we have allowed to get in the way of the perceptions of love? If we have been filling our consciousness with the fears, anger, insecurity, and issues that are not really that important, we can choose instead to hold our attention on the love, and feeling the contact, reminding ourselves if we need to that this is really the most important thing in our lives, and what we need to do to remain healthy.
The more time we spend feeling the love that is always there, the more we strengthen our immune system, making it easier to release any symptoms and maintain our natural state of health and balance.
Love really DOES heal!
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Article: Self-Improvement - 8 Keys to More Happiness in Your Life - By Sylvie Strong
Do you feel like you are in a rut? In our fast-paced society, it is easy to feel dissatisfied with what life offers. Consider these important tips for self-improvement and you will make more out of your time and your life.
1. Happiness Begins With Your Body
Focus on a healthy body first. Get plenty of sleep. 8 hours if you can spare it. If you cannot get 8 hours every night, go to town on a weekend night and go to bed without setting your alarm for the morning. Have a nice set of blackout blinds in your room so that the sun cannot wake you. Some people say that you cannot ever catch up with sleep and if you miss sleep during the week, sleeping longer in the weekend will not reset the clock. I think those people are stupid! Get 8 hours every night if you can, but having a weekend sleep-in once in a while can do wonders for your state of mind.
A healthy diet is critical too. Consult a nutritionist or educate yourself on healthy eating habits. Eat lots of fruits and vegetables.
Exercise. If you do not use your body, you will begin losing the use of your body as you get older. Nothing helps your mental and physical well being better than regular exercise. Hit the gym or your local yoga class a few times a week. Even taking a walk a few times a week can help.
2. Take Stock Of The Good Things In Your Life
You are luckier than you think. It is helpful to periodically take stock of all of the positive things in your life. Your family and friends may rank high on that list. Your health may as well. By focusing on the gifts you have received you will have perspective on the lemons that life throws at you.
3. Avoid Jumping To Negative Conclusions
It is human nature to walk around with a certain degree of anxiety or fear that others will think negatively of us. When we perceive negativity or distress in another person, it is easy to jump to the conclusion that they are unhappy with us or that we did something to cause them distress. Do not assume that. Find out if another person is truly unhappy with you or if there is something else that is bothering them. By doing so you will prevent misunderstandings and a rift in your relationship. Moreover, if you find out that something else is bothering them, maybe you can offer them comfort or help them with their problem. Simple empathy with the problems of another human being is good for others and good for you.
4. Everything is Gray
Our minds tend to want to think in black and white. But human motivations and behaviors are generally shaded in gray. Rather than attaching absolute qualities (good or bad) to people, recognize that human beings are very complicated. If someone does something that makes you happy, their behavior does not necessarily reflect on some absolute quality they cannot change. Instead, communicate with them to understand their motivations and see if you can work with them to develop a better relationship.
5. Avoid Negativity
Negativity can ruin your life. It affects your mood and your health. It poisons your relationship with other people. Recognize negativity in yourself and let it simply float away. If you find yourself drowning in negative thoughts, sometimes it helps to stop what you are doing and do something completely different. Go for a nice brisk walk through the park or go have some ice cream! A positive outlook can improve your life. A negative one never does.
6. Embrace the Healing Power of Touch
Human beings thrive on touch. Hugs will help your state of mind. Give and receive them often. You will help yourself and improve the lives of your friends and family. Get frequent massages, either from massage therapists or loved ones. It will improve your life. Better yet, get training and certification as a massage therapist. You will be the most popular person in your neighborhood!
7. You Are A Social Animal. Act Like It!
Human beings are social creatures. Invest in your social network and make spending time with friends and family a priority. Become involved in social activities that bring you in contact with new potential friends. There is nothing more detrimental to your mental health than being alone.
8. Help Yourself By Helping Others
It is hard to believe but the more you help other people the happier you will be. Try it! Lend emotional support to friends and family. Start there and then take it up a notch by volunteering for charitable organizations in your community. You will not believe how much purpose and happiness will come to your life if you spend time helping others.
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