The One You Feed

Today I would like to share a little 'story' with you that simply illustrates what goes on in all of us. Food for thought. Enjoy.  :)

"An old Cherokee told his grandson, "My son, there is a battle between two wolves inside us all.  One is Evil. It is anger, jealousy. greed, resentment, inferiority, lies, and ego.  The other is Good. It is joy, peace, love, hope, humility, kindness, empathy, and truth.

The boy thought about it and asked, "Grandfather, which wolf wins?".

The old man quietly replied, "The one you feed.".

Author unknown

Advice

"Nobody can give you wiser advice than yourself." by Marcus Tullius Cicero

You know yourself better than anyone!  Be true to yourself. You can listen to others and take their advice into account, but ultimately do what is right for you. Decide your own path. Make your own journey.

Make A Wish And Let It Go

When you want something to happen, it doesn't. When you release it, that is let go of how and when you think it should happen, it happens!  Amazing.

So the lesson is: make a wish and let it unfold as the Universe/God/etc. wants it to.

Silence

Once in a while it is very restorative to surround yourself by silence. You can be busy and active throughout all of it, but leave all technology off, such as radios and TVs. Enjoy the silence, the quiet. Relax into it and let it surround you.

Do All Things With Love

"Do all things with love." by Og Mandino

Apply this to everything you do in your life, literally. Whenever you find yourself stressing out about something, remind yourself of this - bring love into the situation. When you are stressing, often times you are the one creating additional emotions that unbalance you but add nothing to the situation itself. Whether you stress about it or not, doesn't change the situation. It only adds to distort your emotional and mental state of mind.

Next time you start fretting, stop and think about this. Whenever you feel yourself stressing out, stop that emotion, and do it with love. See how the dynamics change for you.

Happy Sleep

"A well-spent day brings happy sleep." by Leaonardo da Vinci

When you have a productive day you feel fulfilled and happy. Invariably that will relax you and your body, easing your sleep.

Not everyday can be productive and fulfilling.  Nevertheless you can work on nurturing happy thoughts and releasing the days worries prior to going to sleep. Consciously relax you mind and body, breathe deeply and have positive thoughts as you fall asleep. :)

Dare

"To dare is to loose one's footing momentarily. Not to dare is to lose oneself." by Soren Kierkegaard

This is an interesting perspective. Fear of change often stops people from changing. This denial though stagnates you and your development, ultimately leading to not knowing who you are. So take a chance...loose your footing momentarily! :)

600th Post

Who would have thought I would ever make it this far?  I certainly had no idea! I do want to say at this point that I am deeply grateful for the support and encouragement I have gotten to do this and to continue blogging on a daily basis.

Thank you all. You are a part of my journey. Lots of love and light to you.

Alive

Today, be thankful you are alive. Be thankful for having the privilege to experience beauty, love, challenges, sadness, exuberance, anything! It is what makes you YOU and what life is all about. Be grateful for all your senses and let life in.

"Your life is your message to the world. Make sure it is inspiring." by Unknown

Inspiration

Inspiration can hit you from just about anywhere. All you need to have is a childlike innocence and openness to receive it!

Patience

One way to practice patience is to go driving with a teenager who has just gotten a learner's permit. It is an instant challenge. Want to increase the challenge? Go on a night drive!  ;)

One-On-One Time

Every so often spend one on one time with your child. Make it a special time for the two of you. Focus on something you both enjoy.

Too often you get caught up in the everyday routine, chores, and whatever else you have going on. Taking this time helps you nurture your connection to you child and gives you both a fun break from your routine.  :)

Changing Routines

With summer vacation being over and school starting again, life changes and a new rhythm has to be adopted. Like any change it takes time and energy to find your new groove and to get everyone else settled into theirs too.

Be aware of this extra unsettledness and the additional energy you are expending. Get plenty of rest, feed & hydrate yourself well and keep centered as much as possible.  All these things will help your transition into a new routine.

Random Acts Of Kindness*

Today, a person cut in line right in front of me, handing the cashier a twenty dollar bill and telling her to use that money to pay for the next orders until the money is gone and then left. This is so unusual that both the cashier and I were speechless...it took us a while to register what had happened.

With this simple act of kindness this person made a positive impact on multiple people, that will remember this random act of kindness for a long time, and I assume will also aim to pass it along. It is reaffirming to see that people care and are willing to share with complete strangers in an "anonymous" way. Imagine if each one of the people that were touched today passed along one random act of kindness to another small group and so on. Kindness could start spreading like wildfire.  :)

Being Right

"Let go of your attachment of being right and suddenly your mind is more open." by Unknown

This is a lovely reminder to not fixate on one point of view or one thing. By fixating you not only narrow your horizon but you also judge others and yourself. When you want a breather remember this quote and open yourself up to other possibilities, to all else.  :)

Good Night

Here is a little poem I came across over the Internet:

Day is over,
Night has come.
Today is gone,
What's done is done.
Embrace your dreams through the night,
Tomorrow comes with a whole new light.

Make peace with your day before you go to sleep. It helps you to open yourself to dreaming and then also to a new day and all the possibilities that come with it. Take a few deep breaths and consciously let everything go before going to sleep. Relax. Sweet dreams and good night.

Goals

"A goal is not always meant to be reached, it often serves simply as something to aim at." by Bruce Lee

Be open to changing your goals as becomes appropriate. On your path you will gain new insights that will change your perspective and your goals. Sometimes more than others, but the point is to stay flexible and connected to yourself. If a new course presents itself as better, trust yourself and have the courage to change your path.

Theoretical vs. Practical*

Today I had the pleasure of being taught an extraordinary CPR class by a local fire-fighter. His dynamic, practical, real life approach to the whole class kept me spell bound. For the first time ever I left the class with the confidence that should I ever have to help someone, that I would be able to do so.

Balancing theory with real life experience made all the difference in the world. We were presented the best, up to date theoretical approach and his every day experience to take into consideration too, thus making this an as real as possible in classroom setting.

Theory is a starting point, but experience brings it together, and can make all the difference in the world, especially in a life or death situation. Whatever theories you have out there, test them! It is the best way to find out how they work and better yet how they can be improved upon, thus leading to new theories and new test. That is how improvement can be achieved to better the lives of all.

Parting And Reunions

"Every parting is a part of death, as every reunion is a type of heaven." by Tyron Edwards

No matter how much you rationalize the rightness of your children flying the coup, it still leaves a hole in you when they do leave. Likewise though it is so heavenly fulfilling when you get to see them again. Of course this applies to any loved one, not just your children. 

The sadness is balanced by the happiness, while if you don't part it is more of a constant. The challenge of parting creates more space for joy and appreciation later.

Fixing Others

As your children become adults, somewhere along the way you become aware that it is not your responsibility anymore to fix their problems. They choose challenges they need to further their growth. However that doesn't mean that you can't do anything for them. Quite the contrary!

Rather than working on fixing things for them or telling them how to fix it, they will benefit more from experiencing/knowing that you love them unconditionally, that you do not judge them, that you have compassion for them.  Create a virtual safe space they can enter whenever they want to and whenever they need it. Leave your problems out of that space. It is not about you, but about them.

Be there when they need you. Listen to them, truly listen. Often that is all that is needed.  Add encouragement and/or reassurance as needed. Shut off your judgement. Refrain from taking the reigns.  It is disempowering to your child. And just love them. Love the child within them. Love their pureness and innocence, their essence. Thus you will help them find their way back to themselves. Be the mirror they need in their time of need.

We all need a safe haven and parents have the privilege to be able to give that to their child/children. Doing all this takes time, perseverance and practice. As always too, practice makes perfect and you are giving yourself and your child the best gift ever.

Positivity

Train your mind to think positive thoughts and to dwell on good things.You choose which camp, the positive or the negative, you want to spend your time in. The first step is to catch yourself when you are dwelling in the negative camp. Then consciously release that thought and replace it with a positive one.

Be diligent and build this muscle until it becomes second nature. It will do you a world of good.  :)

Love Can Move Moutains

I haven't shared a song in a while and thus would like to share this one, one of my favorites. Listen to the lyrics. They are inspiring and OH so true! This is one way to find inspiration.  :)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iudvkW7_b1c

Abundance

"Abundance is a process of letting go; that which is empty can receive." by Bryant H. McGill

Isn't it interesting that abundance is not about accumulating more, but about letting go of all the wants and taking in all there is. While abundance can be monetary, it is only a small part of what there is. It is when you get stuck on something that you believe is abundance that you close the doors to true abundance in all forms.

Getting Older

"Do not regret getting older. It is a privilege denied to many." by Unknown

Age indeed is a privilege and every day counts. Be thankful for every day you get to experience. Love your gray hair and your wrinkles, even the little aches and pains. You are alive and privileged to experience & grow on this beautiful earth.

Unitasking

Nowadays people are more and more drilled to multitask. It is the 'normal' state of being. Multitasking saves time, but it also removes you from the here and now. You loose the ability to be single minded, to be mindful, to be present.

If you are up for it, challenge yourself to focus on one thing at a time. Unitask! For example, when you are eating, eat. Don't think about the million other things you have to do, or the problem that keeps nagging at you, or drive while you are eating, or texting/calling someone, etc. Sit down and simply eat. No more, no less.

Sounds easy? It definitely sounds easier than it is...  :)

Stuff

"It is not how much we have, but how much we enjoy, that makes happiness." by Charles Spurgeon

Stuff/things don't bring happiness. You can be the wealthiest person in world and still be through and through unhappy. Nurture your enjoyment of everyday life as it is. Beauty is found everywhere and if it seems to delude you, go into Nature, or take a walk, or do something creative, etc. and find some joy.  :)

Mindful Walking & Mindful Breathing Exercise

Try the following exercise to practice mindful walking and mindful breathing: As you start walking put your focus on your steps.  See how many steps you take for every in-breath and how many for every out-breath.

Lets say, for example, you take two steps for every breath in and three for every breath out. Focus on this step to breath pattern ratio. It helps if you mentally say "in, in" and then "out, out, out" as you are breathing in and out. Keep this up throughout your walk.

Through this exercise you practice being in the moment and being centered.

Confrontations

If you don't like confrontations take heart...you are not alone. Confrontations though are also important for your growth. It is part of you embracing your power. It is all about how you apply it. As long as your heart is in the right place, ie you are centered, you will find the strength to follow the path that is right for you in alignment with your highest good and the highest good of those around you.

When you do find yourself in that space you will find too that confrontations don't have to feel uncomfortable. They will just feel aligned.

Interconnectedness

Though you might feel pain in a certain spot, it doesn't always mean that that spot is where the source of your pain is. It might just be that that spot is trying really hard to make up for something else in your body that isn't working the way it should.

Everything in your body is interconnected and relies on each other.  When one thing is out of balance other pieces suffer too. That's why it is so important to take a holistic approach to your body and not just focus on one thing to heal all of it and bring the body back into balance. Removing the symptoms does not restore balance. Finding the true source a healing it will restore balance.

Walking Meditation Poem

I love this poem, and thought you might too, if you haven't already seen it. In a recent blog I mentioned 'mindfulness' and this is one way to put mindfulness into practice. Enjoy!  :)

"Walking Meditation" by Thich Nhat Hanh, from Call Me by My True Names: The Collected Poems of Thich Nhat Hanh. © Parallax Press, 1999.  

Take my hand.
We will walk.
We will only walk.
We will enjoy our walk
without thinking of arriving anywhere.
Walk peacefully.
Walk happily.
Our walk is a peace walk.
Our walk is a happiness walk.

Then we learn
that there is no peace walk;
that peace is the walk;
that there is no happiness walk;
that happiness is the walk.
We walk for ourselves.
We walk for everyone
always hand in hand.

Walk and touch peace every moment.
Walk and touch happiness every moment.
Each step brings a fresh breeze.
Each step makes a flower bloom under our feet.
Kiss the Earth with your feet.
Print on Earth your love and happiness.

Earth will be safe
when we feel in us enough safety.

Shortcuts

Shortcuts are a funny thing...sometimes needed, sometimes wanted, sometimes wished for. No matter what the reason though a shortcut is just that - you cutting yourself short. Shortcuts are often sought in the hope of saving time, though most of the time you end up spending more time trying to find the shortcut than actually doing it right in the first place.

Find the patience to take the steps you need to take and save yourself time and frustration in the long run.  :)