Fresh Stimulus

"Defeat should never be a source of discouragement but rather a fresh stimulus." by Robert South

Indeed!  There is always another way, another approach to be taken. It is all part of the larger picture, giving you the opportunity to be creative, to stretch yourself in a new direction, to step outside the lines, possibly even to see things in a new light. Keep this in mind the next time you feel defeated.  :)

Anything Can Happen*

After a lot of rain the last couple of days, the wind kicked up and whooshed away the clouds, pollution and humidity.  On my way home, the sky was sparkling and the air was so clean and fresh, I just had to drive home with all the windows open, the stereo blasting, me singing at the top of my lungs, and my hair flying uncontrollably everywhere! What an energy booster that was. It felt great just to go with the flow and enjoy the moment, to feel that vibrantly cleansed and cleaning air. The world felt very alive and fresh.

It is always amazing to me how quickly things can change in Nature. The last few weeks the temperatures have been very high and all of a sudden you get a 30 degree drop, rain, and wind, resulting in gorgeously clear evening. Life is that way too. Change comes out of the blue, rearranging what is, clearing the air and giving you a new platform. Sometimes it is just a preview of what is to come (the temperatures will rise again in the coming days), but it shows you too that anything can happen, even out of season.  :)

Over Thinking

Over thinking or trying to work something out way in advance takes up a lot of time and make little or no difference at all in the end. Things will probably work out completely different then you predicted when the actual time of action happens.

While I believe that prep work has a lot of merit too, after a while it becomes ineffective and redundant. When it is time to act be open to all the possibilities and choose what feels right at that point.  That'll be the right choice for that moment.  :)

Creativity

Harvesting fruits and vegetables is energizing and inspiring to me. It heightens my senses and sparks my culinary creativity. It reminds me of how wonderful it is when your creative juices are flowing.

Do you know what sparks your creativity? Integrate it into your life as often as possible. It is the connection to your Divine source.  :)

Relationships

Every person that enters your life, every relationship you have with someone else, no matter how long or short, no matter how good or bad, is there to help you grow. Those relationships that end on a less than desirable note, create resistance in you and stop you from moving forward.

A way to start moving forward again is to make a list of all the positive this person has brought into your life. Think about how that person made you learn new things, helped you expand your being and knowledge through their actions, through their being? This doesn't mean necessarily that they led you by the hand and were wonderful to you. The conflict changed you  - maybe opened your eyes to new aspects within you, to qualities that you maybe were not yet aware of within yourself, etc.

How did this person and the situation(s) created by your mutual interaction help you grow? Focus on this and you will find that 1) you indeed have grown and expanded your being and 2) that you did it because of your interaction with that person.

Elderly

Pay special attention to the elderly today. I find, over and over again, that they are so thankful if you just take a moment to listen, a moment to care. The elderly used to be revered as the wise ones, the keepers and sharers of knowledge. Things appear to have changed and they are now viewed more as feeble and undesirable. Does it have to do with the way technology has changed the world in such few years?

Either way, human interaction is so important. Communication amongst all ages needs to be nurtured and furthered. We all can learn from each other. Make it part of your life.

Eating Your Problems

Are you present when you eat? Do you put all other thoughts aside and focus on your food? Do you pay special attention to how it tastes, looks, feels?

You are what you eat. I'm sure you have heard this before. Yet, you are not only eating the physical aspect of it but you are also adding your thoughts/energy to it and if they are negative you are literally eating your problems. When you are worried or angry or sad, etc., you are adding that energy to your food, and thus also to yourself.

Imagine instead you are delighting in your food.  You are thankful for the bounty you are being blessed with and taste all the lovely nuances of the meal you are taking in. You can be sure that your body will integrate and absorb this energetically blessed and appreciated food far better.  :)

Be mindful today of your food every time you eat. Be thankful and consciously enjoy every bite. Even a prayer or a blessing prior to the consumption of your food makes a world of difference to how your body will accept the food. In addition you get a moment to relax, to put your worries aside, and to focus on nourishing yourself mentally, physically and emotionally. Enjoy!

Life & Death

A fire went through part of my favorite hiking trail last week. Walking through the burnt landscape was sad and intriguing at the same time. The landscape was completely changed, black and barren, and also more open. At the same time you could see seeds strewn throughout the ashes already too. It made me wonder how quickly life will form again.

Life and death are so closely linked. Though the fire destroyed, it also made the ground fertile again for new life, creating new possibilities for growth. It is the same in life/death.

Impermanence

Impermanence is the one thing in life that you can count on. Though you strive toward achieving a constant, invariably something changes again. There is nothing wrong with striving toward stability and constancy. Accepting and embracing impermanence at the same time, though it sounds paradoxical, completes the picture, that is it helps the flow of life.

Emotional Seeds

We all have negative and positive emotions. It is within your power to nurture one over the other. If anger or despair, for example, is taking over what can you do? Instead of trying to suppress it, choose  not to feed it, that is don't give it energy.

Instead choose a positive emotion, such as kindness or love, to take its place. Put your focus on the positive emotion and help it develop into the space the negative emotion was holding.

To help you visualize all this, think of emotions as seeds that are all within you (as they are within all of us). The more you water one, the stronger and taller it will get. Choose the seeds you want to nourish and practice constant watering.  :)

Presentation

Caring about your looks (i.e. how you present yourself) matters. It is not necessarily vanity, rather more a reflection of how you see yourself, how you feel about yourself. First impressions do matter. More than that though, it matters what you think of yourself. How you present yourself says a lot about you.

What story are you telling?

Perfect Moments

Perfect moments, moments that warm your heart, happen all the time. Often though they come and go so fast that you miss them, because you are distracted, or not listening, or simply are not present in the now, not in your heart.

Whether it is being in perfect harmony with your child, or the loving wag of a dog's tale, or a breathtaking sunset, or something as simple as a moment of complete silence, all this moments are perfect the way they are.

Today, see how many of these moments you can catch for yourself. Let them show you that you are blessed many, many times every day.  :)

Streaming Life

The more you focus your attention on your visualization, the more manifests all at once. When you let go of the details and focus on the essence, you will experience faster results. Keep in mind, time is not relevant to energy.

Just focus on what you want to experience. What do you want to experience in this life?  When you make your choices, focus on being:

limitless
timeless
focused
heart centered
and grounded.

You are here on this earth to experience life! Take charge. Be clear with yourself on what you want. Life is happening now. Seize it. Manifest it. Believe in it. Hold on to it. And most of all: LIVE.

The Universe's Creativity

When you visualize your dreams long enough, eventually they do align for you. All the minute details are always a fun surprise. Focus on the essence of what you want and the Universe will do the rest.

The how and when is not very relevant.  The essence of what you want, is. When it does manifest though, you will definitely know that it did!  Marvel at the when and how!  The Universe is incredibly creative!

Be You

Claim who you are. Be who you are. That is all you can be. And you are the best just the way you are. It is when you try to be something or someone else when you start to suffer.

The Five Powers

In this post I would like like to share a passage from a book called "The Art Of Power" by Thich Nhat Hanh:

"What most people call power Buddhists call cravings. The five cravings are for wealth, fame, sex, fancy food, and lots of sleep. In Buddhism, we speak of the five true powers, five kinds of energy. The five powers are faith, diligence, mindfulness, concentration, and insight. The five powers are the foundation of real happiness."

Apply this to your life...how much time do you spend pursuing the five cravings? What would it be like if you changed your focus onto the five powers? How would you life change? Just even going through this mental exercise have you noticed an energy shift within you?

The Toad

A toad, four inches long (sitting) and four inches wide was sitting on my driveway today, completely unfazed by anything. Even when we took a picture of it with a flash it didn't flinch!

Its composure was very impressive and made me think what it would be like to be that self assured, unfazed by life, to be able to take each moment as it comes with no back ups, no assurances even when two large creatures are staring at you and looming over you.

Today, become that toad. Be calm and self assured. Breath and imagine yourself as big or bigger than life. See how others react... Observe life around you and bask in your peace.  :)

Being Present

"When you love someone, the best thing you can offer is your presence. How can you love if you are not there?" by Thich Nhat Hanh

It is easy to get caught up in all the happenings of your life, all that is going on, all that you are trying to achieve. It can consume you to the point that you are not present anymore, especially with the ones you most care about.This presence does not only represent physical presence, but emotional, mental, and spiritual presence too. It means showing up in your essence in the lives of the ones you love.

Today put special focus on being fully present for those you love most. :)

World Cup 2014

So happy for Germany winning the Soccer World Cup 2014 in Brazil! What an exemplary show of team work. Great players sharing the same lime light as a team. CONGRATULATIONS!

"The best team against the best player" - that is how this Germany - Argentina match at the world cup final 2014 was labeled by the media. That is a lot of pressure to put on one person (Messi for Argentina) and at the same time a lot of attention given to that one person. Imagine having hundreds of thousands of people pinning their hopes/dreams on you... It is really hard to fathom.

Germany on the other hand was viewed as one unit, one team. Through their constant efforts they are now world champions, all getting attention.

Two different paths to fame. Thought provoking...

What Would It Be?

If all your current responsibilities were gone in a flash and you could start with a blank slate, what would you do? What would you want to do? Leave the variable of money out of the equation. Focus solely on what you would want to do to achieve inner happiness.  What would it be?

Wishing Your Life Away?

Are you wishing your life away? How often a day do think about the future, about what could be or will be? For one day follow your thoughts and take notice.  You'll be amazed how much time you spend out there and not right here.

If you do spend a lot of time in the future looking forward and reaching toward what might be, be mindful that you are here in the now. Bring yourself gently to the present every time you become aware of being in the future.

Sunrise

There is something magical about sunrises. The world seems to be still asleep. Nature is slowly waking up. There is a stillness all about, and the first rays of sun come timidly through, casting long shadows. Colors start coming alive all around you infusing life. The sunflower starts stretching its neck toward those first rays, welcoming the sun.

Let the magic of a sunrise run through you and energize you for a wonderful day.

Acid-Base Balance

Balanced nutrition is a key to health. One of many aspects on this topic to consider is the acid-base balance. Western nutrition is heavily skewed to the acidic side.  Most of us have too much acid in our bodies. Below are a couple of links you can go to to see which foods are basic and which are acidic (or google it!). Become aware. Even little changes can make a big difference. :)

http://chirocarehealth.ca/food-as-medicine/acidic-and-basic-foods.html

http://www.rense.com/1.mpicons/acidalka.htm

Funny Quotes

Humor is important.  So here is something that might make you smile when life gets too serious:

"Do not take life too seriously.  You will never get out of it alive."  by Elbert Hubbard

and

"I believe if life gives you lemons, you should make lemonade...And try to find somebody whose life has given them vodka and have a party." by Ron White

Give Your Heart The Reigns

Sometimes there is not a logical solution to a problem. No matter how many times you dissect the problem, no matter how many different ways you approach it, no matter how many facets of it you look at, no solution presents itself.

When logic fails, stop feeding that process energy and let faith take over. And most of all focus on living in the now again.

When you are in that type of an endless loop you can completely loose yourself and your energy. There is always a solution. You are just not able to figure it out with your head. Give your heart the reigns and live in the moment.

Burns

I am always amazed how well Dr. Bach's Rescue Remedy Cream works on minor burns. I apply the cream on the burn and it instantly soothes the pain. I keep reapplying it as soon as I feel the pain coming back until it seizes to hurt. As the wound heals you can keep reapplying the cream as long as the skin is intact. It seems to me like it helps it heal faster too.

Benefit

If you are reluctant and/or resistant to change a situation that you know you need to change, or you are 'trying' to change it but it doesn't seem to change, odds are that you are still holding on to the situation because there is a benefit in it for you as perceived by you.

Ask yourself: "What am I getting out of this situation, what benefit? If you answer: "There is none", ask yourself: "If I were to guess, what would be the benefit?"

Obviously you are not consciously choosing the situation, so it may take deeper digging to get to the bottom of it. When you accept that there is a benefit in it for you, it gets easier to become conscious of what it is. Once you find the answer you can make a conscious choice as to whether you are OK with the situation as is or if you really want to change it.

Purpose Of Life

What is the purpose of life?

Here is one answer that was written on a Yogi tea bag: "The purpose of life is to enjoy every moment."

Maybe it really is just that simple. What do you think?

Find Inspiration

If you are in a rut, find inspiration. It can be as simple as googling a new recipe, checking out a new store, randomly taking a new route to work.  Look for something new to do. Reach outside of the lines you are abiding by currently and see what comes your way.

Make the conscious decision to change something. Be inspired. Find a new road.

What Is Best For You

When it comes to knowing what is best for you, it is YOU who knows best.  Keep and nurture the trust in yourself, even when it goes against what everyone else says and/or believes to be true. Only you know what you feel, think, experience and live each day. No one can possibly know you better than you.  Though others may have more knowledge on certain subjects, they can't know you as well as you know yourself.

Choose what is right for you. Believe in yourself.

Timing*

Just two days ago we started picking cherries off of one of our cherry trees. There were so many that we stopped after picking about 2/3 of the tree, thinking they would stay fresher on the tree and it would give us time to process what we harvested.

This afternoon I looked at the tree to see if there were still cherries to be harvested and there were. Four hours later however, when I got ready to pick the rest of the cherries, the tree was bare of all cherries! Wow!

It made me think of how life presents you with opportunities and it is up to you to seize the moment. Sometimes, if you wait too long, the door closes.  It is a reminder to take chances, to say 'yes' instead of thinking you will get to it later, to act instead of being passive. There is no moment like the present. If it feels right, just do it.  Harvest all the bounty. :)