Saturday, October 31, 2009
Dharma student's practices
Always keep your dwelling and environment clean and tidy. To take good care of your dwelling place and temple environment is to take good care of the body-and-mind of your Dharma student training. To take good care of the body-and-mind of your Dharma student training (purity of heart) is to transform this world into the land of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. Cleaning and keeping our environment free from pollution is the Pure Land movement. Be on your guard and diligent. It is conduct unbecoming to a Dharma student to pick on others and blame them in order to build a self-defense or reinforce one's position. It is the downfall of a Dharma student to become jealous of the other people's prosperity and gloat over others' misfortunes. If such a feeling or thought arises you should perform prostrations right away and surrender your weakness, and renew your Bodhisattva vows and pray for the happiness of all beings.
Saturday, October 17, 2009
The 7 Steps to Developing Habits
1. Get clear on the end result of developing habits.
2. Develop strong enough reasons why you want the end result.
3. Educate yourself. Know what it really takes to form the habit.
4. Prepare to be attacked.
5. Get reinforcements.
6. Continue on the stairs until you reach the escalator.
7. It’s all maintenance from here.
Get Clear on the End Result
This may sound elementary but you must first know why you want to develop the habit in the first place. What is the end goal for having the habit? If the habit you want to develop is going to the gym every day, your end result could be to get down to a certain weight or be able to run a marathon or to reduce stress. Now the end result should be something that you can get excited about. Remember, a habit isn’t just something you will do a few times and never do again. It’ll be something you will consistently do until you decide to break it.
Develop Strong Enough Reasons
Once you know the end result, you must identify why you want it. You must have enough compelling reasons for doing this because if you don’t, you can easily become discouraged. Most of the time when people fail to achieve a goal they’ve set out, it’s because their reasons for achieving it wasn’t strong enough to help them endure the setbacks and obstacles. Therefore, it’s critically important that you have strong reasons for obtaining the end results because it will be the fuel that will drive your actions in forming the habits that will eventually make everything automatic.
Educate Yourself
You’ve got to know what it really takes. If you go into something blindly, chances are you will be faced with disappointment. Let’s say your goal is to lose weight. You set a goal to lose 50 pounds 3 months. Then you work on developing the habit of regular exercise and eating correctly. Problem is, you didn’t educate yourself enough to know what proper exercising and eating consists of.
Prepare to be Attacked
The greatest obstacle you’ll face in developing habits will come from your own “gremlins”. You know, the charming little voice in your head that comes up with about a dozen excuses to not take action. Persuasive little critters they are. Have you ever wanted to develop the habit of waking up at a certain time every morning? You know how it is right? The first few days might be a cinch. But about the end of the first week, you wake up at the right time, but on this day, something wakes up with you and starts a little sales pitch.
You know yourself best and you know the excuses you will come up with when you don’t feel like taking action. In those moments of weakness, if you’re not prepared, your gremlin will win. So here’s what to do. I’ve done this myself and it has worked very well.Take out a piece of paper and start writing down any excuse you can think of that you know will eventually come up. Things like, “it’s too cold”, “I’ll just do it tomorrow”, “I don’t really feel like it”, “I haven’t seen any results yet, what’s the point”, “I just have to learn to love myself just the way I am”, etc. You get the point.
Next, write down ways to overcome these excuses. Know that these excuse making thought patterns is a habit. What you need to do is figure out a way to break them. For each excuse you’ve come up with on your list, write down one or more strategies to deal with it. You’ve got to anticipate these excuses/obstacles in advance and figure out a way to overcome them or set it up where they never come up.
Get Reinforcements
Find ways to remind yourself why you’re trying to develop habits. Examples:
•Put your goal in writing where you can see it everyday.
•Put a picture of the body you want with your face on it in front of your refrigerator.
•Record a message to yourself telling yourself why you’ve got to keep going and listen to it daily.
•If you have songs that just pump you up and get you going, listen to it.
•Get support from friends and family members to help keep you accountable
The point of having reinforcements is that it’s so easy to get sidetracked. Having these things in front of you every day will remind you of your reasons why you must follow through.
Continue on the Stairs Until You Reach the Escalator
The hardest part of developing habits is the actual developing stage. When something isn’t a habit yet, it will take focus and work. Do you think the people who have great looking physiques have to force themselves to go to the gym and eat right? No. Those activities have become a part of their life. I know this from experience. Only about a year and a half ago, I had to force myself to go to the gym. But once I’ve done it long enough, it just became a part of my life. Now, NOT going to the gym makes me feel like I’m missing something. It’s become a habit for me and is no longer a struggle. That’s the point you want to get to with any habit you want to develop, when NOT doing it makes you uncomfortable.
How long does it take to form a habit? Conventional wisdom says 21 – 30 days. It really depends on the habit from my experience. How long it takes really depends on how fast you can get to the point where it becomes effortless, but for practicality sake, set a goal to do it for at least 30 days, everyday. So your goal is to do take action on what you want to develop into a habit for 30 days so that it becomes a habit. Regarding the 30 days, know that it’s okay to fail. You read correctly. Too many times people set a goal to develop a habit only to end up quitting just because on day 7 or whatever, they failed to follow through. It’s not all or nothing. If 30 days is too long, break it down. Do it for 7 days in a row, or 5 days, or 2 days. That’s not enough time to form a habit but it will give you confidence that if you can sustain the action for 2 days, you can do it for 5 days and 7 days and so on.
Once you’ve formed the habit, from this point….
It’s All Maintenance From Here
This is where you want to be at. This is what makes everything easy. Once you’ve developed the habit, it’ll no longer be a struggle. You will no longer have to force or motivate yourself to take action. It’ll be a part of your life. From here, all you have to do is maintain it. Depending on how strong the habit is, even if you stop say, going to the gym for a few weeks, your habit will eventually draw you back into going again. Now and then you might have to get back into a habit of doing something if you’ve stopped for too long perhaps due to some external circumstances like relocating and not having a gym near by, but don’t worry, the 2nd time around is a lot easier and takes less time.
2. Develop strong enough reasons why you want the end result.
3. Educate yourself. Know what it really takes to form the habit.
4. Prepare to be attacked.
5. Get reinforcements.
6. Continue on the stairs until you reach the escalator.
7. It’s all maintenance from here.
Get Clear on the End Result
This may sound elementary but you must first know why you want to develop the habit in the first place. What is the end goal for having the habit? If the habit you want to develop is going to the gym every day, your end result could be to get down to a certain weight or be able to run a marathon or to reduce stress. Now the end result should be something that you can get excited about. Remember, a habit isn’t just something you will do a few times and never do again. It’ll be something you will consistently do until you decide to break it.
Develop Strong Enough Reasons
Once you know the end result, you must identify why you want it. You must have enough compelling reasons for doing this because if you don’t, you can easily become discouraged. Most of the time when people fail to achieve a goal they’ve set out, it’s because their reasons for achieving it wasn’t strong enough to help them endure the setbacks and obstacles. Therefore, it’s critically important that you have strong reasons for obtaining the end results because it will be the fuel that will drive your actions in forming the habits that will eventually make everything automatic.
Educate Yourself
You’ve got to know what it really takes. If you go into something blindly, chances are you will be faced with disappointment. Let’s say your goal is to lose weight. You set a goal to lose 50 pounds 3 months. Then you work on developing the habit of regular exercise and eating correctly. Problem is, you didn’t educate yourself enough to know what proper exercising and eating consists of.
Prepare to be Attacked
The greatest obstacle you’ll face in developing habits will come from your own “gremlins”. You know, the charming little voice in your head that comes up with about a dozen excuses to not take action. Persuasive little critters they are. Have you ever wanted to develop the habit of waking up at a certain time every morning? You know how it is right? The first few days might be a cinch. But about the end of the first week, you wake up at the right time, but on this day, something wakes up with you and starts a little sales pitch.
You know yourself best and you know the excuses you will come up with when you don’t feel like taking action. In those moments of weakness, if you’re not prepared, your gremlin will win. So here’s what to do. I’ve done this myself and it has worked very well.Take out a piece of paper and start writing down any excuse you can think of that you know will eventually come up. Things like, “it’s too cold”, “I’ll just do it tomorrow”, “I don’t really feel like it”, “I haven’t seen any results yet, what’s the point”, “I just have to learn to love myself just the way I am”, etc. You get the point.
Next, write down ways to overcome these excuses. Know that these excuse making thought patterns is a habit. What you need to do is figure out a way to break them. For each excuse you’ve come up with on your list, write down one or more strategies to deal with it. You’ve got to anticipate these excuses/obstacles in advance and figure out a way to overcome them or set it up where they never come up.
Get Reinforcements
Find ways to remind yourself why you’re trying to develop habits. Examples:
•Put your goal in writing where you can see it everyday.
•Put a picture of the body you want with your face on it in front of your refrigerator.
•Record a message to yourself telling yourself why you’ve got to keep going and listen to it daily.
•If you have songs that just pump you up and get you going, listen to it.
•Get support from friends and family members to help keep you accountable
The point of having reinforcements is that it’s so easy to get sidetracked. Having these things in front of you every day will remind you of your reasons why you must follow through.
Continue on the Stairs Until You Reach the Escalator
The hardest part of developing habits is the actual developing stage. When something isn’t a habit yet, it will take focus and work. Do you think the people who have great looking physiques have to force themselves to go to the gym and eat right? No. Those activities have become a part of their life. I know this from experience. Only about a year and a half ago, I had to force myself to go to the gym. But once I’ve done it long enough, it just became a part of my life. Now, NOT going to the gym makes me feel like I’m missing something. It’s become a habit for me and is no longer a struggle. That’s the point you want to get to with any habit you want to develop, when NOT doing it makes you uncomfortable.
How long does it take to form a habit? Conventional wisdom says 21 – 30 days. It really depends on the habit from my experience. How long it takes really depends on how fast you can get to the point where it becomes effortless, but for practicality sake, set a goal to do it for at least 30 days, everyday. So your goal is to do take action on what you want to develop into a habit for 30 days so that it becomes a habit. Regarding the 30 days, know that it’s okay to fail. You read correctly. Too many times people set a goal to develop a habit only to end up quitting just because on day 7 or whatever, they failed to follow through. It’s not all or nothing. If 30 days is too long, break it down. Do it for 7 days in a row, or 5 days, or 2 days. That’s not enough time to form a habit but it will give you confidence that if you can sustain the action for 2 days, you can do it for 5 days and 7 days and so on.
Once you’ve formed the habit, from this point….
It’s All Maintenance From Here
This is where you want to be at. This is what makes everything easy. Once you’ve developed the habit, it’ll no longer be a struggle. You will no longer have to force or motivate yourself to take action. It’ll be a part of your life. From here, all you have to do is maintain it. Depending on how strong the habit is, even if you stop say, going to the gym for a few weeks, your habit will eventually draw you back into going again. Now and then you might have to get back into a habit of doing something if you’ve stopped for too long perhaps due to some external circumstances like relocating and not having a gym near by, but don’t worry, the 2nd time around is a lot easier and takes less time.
More Quotes...
"The moment a man ceases to progress, to grow higher, wider and deeper, then his life becomes stagnant."
~Orison S. Marden~
"Self-discipline begins with the mastery of your thoughts. If you don't control what you think, you can't control what you do. Simply, self-discipline enables you to think first and act afterward."
~Napolean Hill~
"People who consider themselves victims of their circumstances will always remain victims unless they develop a greater vision for their lives."
~Stedman Graham~
~Orison S. Marden~
"Self-discipline begins with the mastery of your thoughts. If you don't control what you think, you can't control what you do. Simply, self-discipline enables you to think first and act afterward."
~Napolean Hill~
"People who consider themselves victims of their circumstances will always remain victims unless they develop a greater vision for their lives."
~Stedman Graham~
Do More
By William Arthur Ward
Do more than belong: participate.
Do more than care: help.
Do more than believe: practice.
Do more than be fair: be kind.
Do more than forgive: forget.
Do more than dream: work.
Do more than belong: participate.
Do more than care: help.
Do more than believe: practice.
Do more than be fair: be kind.
Do more than forgive: forget.
Do more than dream: work.
Why Not You?
By Steve Maraboli
Today, many will awaken with a fresh sense of inspiration. Why not you?
Today, many will open their eyes to the beauty that surrounds them. Why not you?
Today, many will choose to leave the ghost of yesterday behind and seize the immeasurable power of today. Why not you?
Today, many will break through the barriers of the past by looking at the blessings of the present. Why not you?
Today, for many the burden of self doubt and insecurity will be lifted by the security and confidence of empowerment. Why not you?
Today, many will rise above their believed limitations and make contact with their powerful innate strength. Why not you?
Today, many will choose to live in such a manner that they will be a positive role model for their children. Why not you?
Today, many will choose to free themselves from the personal imprisonment of their bad habits. Why not you?
Today, many will choose to live free of conditions and rules governing their own happiness. Why not you?
Today, many will find abundance in simplicity. Why not you?
Today, many will be confronted by difficult moral choices and they will choose to do what is right instead of what is beneficial. Why not you?
Today, many will decide to no longer sit back with a victim mentality, but to take charge of their lives and make positive changes. Why not you?
Today, many will take the action necessary to make a difference. Why not you?
Today, many will make the commitment to be a better mother, father, son, daughter, student, teacher, worker, boss, brother, sister, & so much more. Why not you?
Today is a new day!
Many will seize this day.
Many will live it to the fullest.Why not you?
Today, many will awaken with a fresh sense of inspiration. Why not you?
Today, many will open their eyes to the beauty that surrounds them. Why not you?
Today, many will choose to leave the ghost of yesterday behind and seize the immeasurable power of today. Why not you?
Today, many will break through the barriers of the past by looking at the blessings of the present. Why not you?
Today, for many the burden of self doubt and insecurity will be lifted by the security and confidence of empowerment. Why not you?
Today, many will rise above their believed limitations and make contact with their powerful innate strength. Why not you?
Today, many will choose to live in such a manner that they will be a positive role model for their children. Why not you?
Today, many will choose to free themselves from the personal imprisonment of their bad habits. Why not you?
Today, many will choose to live free of conditions and rules governing their own happiness. Why not you?
Today, many will find abundance in simplicity. Why not you?
Today, many will be confronted by difficult moral choices and they will choose to do what is right instead of what is beneficial. Why not you?
Today, many will decide to no longer sit back with a victim mentality, but to take charge of their lives and make positive changes. Why not you?
Today, many will take the action necessary to make a difference. Why not you?
Today, many will make the commitment to be a better mother, father, son, daughter, student, teacher, worker, boss, brother, sister, & so much more. Why not you?
Today is a new day!
Many will seize this day.
Many will live it to the fullest.Why not you?
Friday, May 15, 2009
The Power of Intention
Four Steps For Setting An Intention Marcia Wieder, America’s Dream Coach. It’s time to change the way we think and speak about our dreams. Transforming a conversation, just like manifesting a dream, begins by setting an intention. Your intentions will assist you in taking greater control of your life. A working definition for intention is: “to have in mind a purpose or plan, to direct the mind, to aim.” Lacking intention, we sometimes stray without meaning or direction. But with it, all the forces of the universe can align to make even the most impossible, possible. My intention is to transform the conversation around dreams from fear and doubt, to hope and possibility, followed by action and results. Some might say this is not the right time to dream. The media and masses say, “It’s time to be realistic.” Consider this. Without our dreams all we have is our present reality. Reality is not a bad thing. We have to know where we are so we can design the appropriate strategy for getting to where we want to be. The challenge is our attitude around “reality” and being “realistic” and what being realistic has cost us. Often that’s our passion and joy, our hopes and dreams. Given the unknowns and sometimes craziness of life, there’s never been a more important time to dream and setting your intention is the first step. When should you set an intention? You could set an intention every day. Your intention could be to work less and make more, or to find a new career that you are passionate about. It could be to get healthy and physically fit, or to spend more quality time with loved ones or alone. It can be specific and about something in particular or more like a quality, such as to be more relaxed or involved with life. At seventy, Bessie set an intention to become a world famous photographer. Although many thought she was too old, she didn’t. She entered a photo contest where she won the first prize of $10,000. Her prize-winning photo toured around the world with a Kodak exhibit. She told me, “We’re never too old to make a dream come true.” People set intentions on all kinds of dreams; to get married or have children, to get a job or make a career change, to write a book, lose weight, or move to a foreign country. When you set an intention and then act on it to demonstrate your commitment, amazing things occur. Intention can also give us fortitude for dealing with tough times. I am currently rebuilding my home. I simply wanted to add on a new bathroom, but with all the surprises an old (and charming) house can offer, every turn has been a shock, sometimes even a nightmare. It looks like the entire building may need to be rebuilt. My intention is to live through this process with dignity and grace. I am tested daily. It’s often not easy, but this intention has helped me maintain composure, sanity, and on a good day, a sense of humor. Intention can be used for community or social issues, global events or (literally) in your own backyard. For example: Before you get out of bed, you can intend to have a fun or productive day. · Before you leave the house, you can intend to have quality time with your family or roommate. Before you start your car, you can intend to have a safe ride to work. Before you enter your workplace, you can intend to learn something new or be helpful. Before the meeting begins, you can intend to be brilliant or calm.
1. Get clear about something you want and write it down.
2. Share your intention with someone in a way that will supportively hold you
accountable to taking action.3. Do something today to demonstrate your commitment to your intention.4. Acknowledge that you did what you said you would and then, take the next step.5. By setting an intention, you make it clear to yourself and others, just what you plan to do. Set an intention to redefine what it means to be serious about your dreams.Bless your life with intention... ;)
THE WORLD OF THE HEART
As you walk through this world in these times, beloved ones, let your hearts show you the world, not your minds. This is the cusp upon which the world stands, the transition through which the world progresses. It is the shift between the world of the mind and the world of the heart, between the human reality and the reality of Love.
HEART PERCEPTION - The world that the heart will show you will be so different from the world in which you are used to living that it will be as if you were the Phoenix risen on gilded wings in the new dawn. Everywhere around you where others might see destruction, your hearts will show you new life, real life awakening, rising into the Light of a new day -- a new Age and a New World that builds the bridge between the old world of duality and the truth of unity.Everywhere your heart touches, it blesses. What the single eye of the heart sees, it also loves with a Love that moves straight through you from All That I Am within you and All That I Ever Shall Be, as the world is encircled in grace and brought Home.Thus, step-by-step shall your heart free the world from the illusion of suffering. Moment-by-moment shall your heart unfreeze all that was held in bondage. Since your heart lives only in the glorious present, the world of the heart is the world nourished by Me, perfectly. It is fed upon the endless Light of life and blessed by the warmth of Real Love, limitless and yet, intimate.THE DIVINE FAMILY - As each heart opens and the world is seen and loved through it, then each person is showered with Love, more and more Love, from all the hearts that surround it. Soon all those who once were lonely have been drawn into the wonderful human family that through the heart becomes far more than human. It becomes divine. It is the divine family of sharing, caring and elevating each other continually. The divine family lives each day dancing in faith in My abundance. The divine family lives in a world of Nature restored to its pristine glory as it was ever meant to be - a doorway to the truth of God, every tree whispering the truth of each beloved heart's eternal nature; every flower showing you your potential to be the expression of perfect beauty; every step to the dance orchestrated by the Angels who watch over you and every movement guided by My voice, as I whisper within you.FROM THE HEART - This is the world you are entering, when you make this all-important choice to live your life from the heart rather than living from the mind. The mind, beloved ones, is the instrument of the world that is fading away. The heart is the instrument that perceives only Love and only Light. The heart sees beauty in everything, a kaleidoscope of colors, luminescent, a mandala created out of humanity that expresses the divine pattern of worship. What the heart sees, it multiplies, for it sees only the truth of Love and Love is the substance from which All is made. Love is ever expressing more and more of itself. So when you love and you live the heart's reality, then what you love creates effortlessly. Thus do you know the secret of the loaves and fishes and the secret to your prosperity. When you see the Love of which All is made, and you love it, you multiply it. Every particle of Love creates more of itself instantly and the basket of your life is a cornucopia of blessings.THE DANCE OF CREATION - Truly, like the lilies in the fields you can dance through the life created by the heart knowing that every good thing is multiplied in your presence. I AM the endless truth of Love, vibrantly alive in All That Is. It is ever and has always been the heart's jurisdiction to multiply the particles of Love, to dance the dance of Creation, to join truth with beauty, to move together as the masculine and feminine to multiply.AMPLIFY AND MULTIPLY - Only Love and Light create. Only the living particles and waveforms of the universal element of Creation will bring true abundance to you. Not thought forms, not the little mind's desires. Not the needs of the old world situation. I whisper deep within you, beloved ones, remember! Only Love creates and Love is a movement of feeling. Love is endlessly present in all dimensions. Love is the substance of which your heart is made. I AM the heart within you as you are the heart in Me.Let My Light, My voice, inspire you and direct the creative power of your heart. Do this and you have the melding of the forces of Creation right here within you. Instantly before your heart perception, Good shall multiply and bless you and all that you need will be provided, as you amplify, multiply and give more Love.THE LIVING WHOLE - A life lived from the center, from the heart, moves only where I lead, and listens to the Will of the living Whole, the endless all-encompassing expression. It is the perfect Will of Love to give openly and completely touch and ignite creative energy, bringing more and more Love to you in answer to the Love you give.
Thus, as I have said to you before, trust Me. I will provide. And as you have seen and known for eons, you can multiply the loaves and fishes by loving them. Not with the ego's goal of getting - getting something that makes the little self happy - but rather just to be this Love, giving forth more and more blessings. Love every symbol of your life, even those things the ego judges, because every particle of everything is made of only one substance and that is Love. Love even those things that appear as shadows, those things judged as darkness by the mind. When seen by the heart, they are dancing particles of Love enlivened with the Light I Am. Beloved ones, there is nothing else. Everything else is like a dance by finger puppets held up before a light beam. The dance of the old world of ego has just as little substance as this. It disappears when you see it with the heart that is the single eye that Jesus mentions. If your eye is single, your whole body, your whole world is filled with Light for that is all there is.OVERFLOWING JOY - Lead with your heart and a new world will reveal itself instantly to you. You will find yourself living in overflowing joy, awed by the abundance and the beauty. While at first there could be a small delay while the old world leaves your perceptions, that which you allow your heart to love will quickly come to bless you. You shall become the heart of Love I Am, pulsing out this message to everyone, not through the words that you speak or the ponderous thoughts the mind entertains, but rather, through the moments of your days spent loving everything and everyone.A WORLD OF LOVE AND BEAUTY - This is what will change the world, beloved ones, and change it quickly. You have always known it will, for deep inside your purpose always sang and even brought your mind into its vision of a world of only Love and beauty. It is here. It is yours. It is simple. It is just a matter of changing the channel, changing your instrument of perception and listening for My guidance on where and how to use your heart to multiply Love's blessings effortlessly.Practice, beloved ones, every day. If you cannot instantly make the shift, practice living through your heart. Practice seeing with only heart perception. Build your ability to be the heart of Love I Am and you will find Love's momentum, then, will catch you up and suddenly you are living in grace. Your heart will be open and giving. Your whole being will be a doorway to the Real of Love and every moment will be truly lived in ecstasy. Are you ready? I Am.
Thus, as I have said to you before, trust Me. I will provide. And as you have seen and known for eons, you can multiply the loaves and fishes by loving them. Not with the ego's goal of getting - getting something that makes the little self happy - but rather just to be this Love, giving forth more and more blessings. Love every symbol of your life, even those things the ego judges, because every particle of everything is made of only one substance and that is Love. Love even those things that appear as shadows, those things judged as darkness by the mind. When seen by the heart, they are dancing particles of Love enlivened with the Light I Am. Beloved ones, there is nothing else. Everything else is like a dance by finger puppets held up before a light beam. The dance of the old world of ego has just as little substance as this. It disappears when you see it with the heart that is the single eye that Jesus mentions. If your eye is single, your whole body, your whole world is filled with Light for that is all there is.OVERFLOWING JOY - Lead with your heart and a new world will reveal itself instantly to you. You will find yourself living in overflowing joy, awed by the abundance and the beauty. While at first there could be a small delay while the old world leaves your perceptions, that which you allow your heart to love will quickly come to bless you. You shall become the heart of Love I Am, pulsing out this message to everyone, not through the words that you speak or the ponderous thoughts the mind entertains, but rather, through the moments of your days spent loving everything and everyone.A WORLD OF LOVE AND BEAUTY - This is what will change the world, beloved ones, and change it quickly. You have always known it will, for deep inside your purpose always sang and even brought your mind into its vision of a world of only Love and beauty. It is here. It is yours. It is simple. It is just a matter of changing the channel, changing your instrument of perception and listening for My guidance on where and how to use your heart to multiply Love's blessings effortlessly.Practice, beloved ones, every day. If you cannot instantly make the shift, practice living through your heart. Practice seeing with only heart perception. Build your ability to be the heart of Love I Am and you will find Love's momentum, then, will catch you up and suddenly you are living in grace. Your heart will be open and giving. Your whole being will be a doorway to the Real of Love and every moment will be truly lived in ecstasy. Are you ready? I Am.
Five Principles
In order to utilize the power of authenticity in your life as a way to enhance your relationships, increase your fulfillment, and empower yourself,
here are five key principles:
1) Know Yourself -
Make a commitment to your own personal growth.
Discover more of who you are.
And, seek out and allow the support,
honest feedback, and guidance of others.
2) Transform Your Fear
- There's nothing wrong with having fear,
it's the resistance and denial of fear
that is the real problem.
When you admit, own, feel,
and express your fear,
you have the ability to move through it,
transform it, and utilize its power
in a positive way.
Taking action in the face of fear
is courageous and empowering.
3) Express Yourself
- Have the courage
to speak your truth boldly.
Deal with conflicts directly.
Express your emotions fully.
Be vulnerable and real
about what you think
and how you feel.
While on the surface
you may worry t
hat this will be seen as "weak,"
in actuality expressing yourself completely
gives you access to real freedom and power.
4) Be Bold
- Live, speak, and act with courage,
passion, and truth -
- even if it's difficult or scary.
Go for what you want
in your work and in your life.
And get back up
when you fall down,
which you will.
5) Celebrate Who You Are
- Appreciate and honor who you are,
what you do,
and the gifts and talents
that you have.
Celebrating yourself
is not about being arrogant.
It's an awareness
of your own power
and it's the key
to self confidence, fulfillment,
and authenticity.
Being your authentic self
is not for the faint of heart,
but once you're willing
to truly engage and do
the work to become more real -
- your life, your work,
and your relationships
will be more exciting,
meaningful, and fulfilling!
Mike Robbins
here are five key principles:
1) Know Yourself -
Make a commitment to your own personal growth.
Discover more of who you are.
And, seek out and allow the support,
honest feedback, and guidance of others.
2) Transform Your Fear
- There's nothing wrong with having fear,
it's the resistance and denial of fear
that is the real problem.
When you admit, own, feel,
and express your fear,
you have the ability to move through it,
transform it, and utilize its power
in a positive way.
Taking action in the face of fear
is courageous and empowering.
3) Express Yourself
- Have the courage
to speak your truth boldly.
Deal with conflicts directly.
Express your emotions fully.
Be vulnerable and real
about what you think
and how you feel.
While on the surface
you may worry t
hat this will be seen as "weak,"
in actuality expressing yourself completely
gives you access to real freedom and power.
4) Be Bold
- Live, speak, and act with courage,
passion, and truth -
- even if it's difficult or scary.
Go for what you want
in your work and in your life.
And get back up
when you fall down,
which you will.
5) Celebrate Who You Are
- Appreciate and honor who you are,
what you do,
and the gifts and talents
that you have.
Celebrating yourself
is not about being arrogant.
It's an awareness
of your own power
and it's the key
to self confidence, fulfillment,
and authenticity.
Being your authentic self
is not for the faint of heart,
but once you're willing
to truly engage and do
the work to become more real -
- your life, your work,
and your relationships
will be more exciting,
meaningful, and fulfilling!
Mike Robbins
Monday, May 11, 2009
You have come to know that it is the mind that causes you the greatest difficulty, the greatest challenge, the greatest grief – for it is the mind that holds you in the past and keeps you stuck in what you do not desire. It is the mind that creates the only living hell there is, and yet it is also the mind that can get you out. Because the big story of humanity is the evolution of consciousness, the mind is a primary participant in this transformation. And so if you all commit to being ardent stewards of your own minds, therein the great revolution occurs!
The most important thing to consider in relation to your mind is that you alone are its programmer and its pilot. What goes in and what perpetuates and what it generates is solely within your conscious control…no one or thing or higher command is in charge. This is the great gift of free will. The love that pulsates in your heart is the great Divine Gift – it is like the electricity, when your mind is the central processing unit of your body that is the computer. And so your ultimate ticket to freedom is governed by your own choice of what you allow your CPU to process.
Make deliberate, conscious, strict, refined, aware decisions about what you allow into, within and out of your mind. This is the purpose of the spam filters! Do not even allow the effluvia past your fire wall. Do not download or run any program that does not serve your highest good or that of your family of consciousness. If ever a bug gets into your system, eradicate it immediately – just press the delete button and shift your focus to what you desire.
The critical importance of this self responsibility to the whole cannot be stressed enough at this time. Be airtight in your diligence and you will be doing the greatest service to yourself and your brothers and sisters on the planet. This is the separation of the wheat from the chaff…the conscious sorting that is creating The New Earth. You each have a key to the outcome, you each have an important role to play in its creation, and this is all governed by your mind.
The greatest rule is this: focus only on that which is imbued with love. If it is expansive and beautiful and uplifting and colourful and meaningful and joyous and rich and awe inspiring…these are all signs that you are on the right track. Many have experienced these attributes but imagine that they are occasional or sporadic…but these are the attributes of the paradise of The New Earth and you are creating them by what you choose to focus upon! Imagine that everything in your experience is magical and intricate and interconnected and peaceful and absolutely amazing…and it will be thus.
Remember above all else at this time that what is falling apart no longer serves, so do not focus for one moment on it or the power of your mind will recreate more…and there is no greater hell than the one that is created consciously, when freedom is just a thought away. Do not allow yourself to be a prisoner of your own mind when you can choose freedom in any now moment.
Do whatever you can to support your mind…choose not to watch the news, choose to focus on love in every now moment, choose to release all unhappy thoughts of the past, surround yourself with life-inspiring people, focus on the sunshine and the miracles of nature, be in nature as much as possible, rejoice in the beauty of art and music, relish water, laugh as much as you can, dance, sing, breathe, celebrate, be at peace, do not judge, trust that all is well, focus on what you desire, know that you are never alone, and above all, that you are love at your core. Love always overcomes. Love always wins. Love always, always, rises to the top.
So if there is anything unlike love in your life, first throw as much love at it as possible. If it continues, then choose otherwise. In this way, you will always be traveling the right path at the right time and all will be well. For by the power of your mind, you ensure that all is always well for yourself, your home, your community, and your world.
The most important thing to consider in relation to your mind is that you alone are its programmer and its pilot. What goes in and what perpetuates and what it generates is solely within your conscious control…no one or thing or higher command is in charge. This is the great gift of free will. The love that pulsates in your heart is the great Divine Gift – it is like the electricity, when your mind is the central processing unit of your body that is the computer. And so your ultimate ticket to freedom is governed by your own choice of what you allow your CPU to process.
Make deliberate, conscious, strict, refined, aware decisions about what you allow into, within and out of your mind. This is the purpose of the spam filters! Do not even allow the effluvia past your fire wall. Do not download or run any program that does not serve your highest good or that of your family of consciousness. If ever a bug gets into your system, eradicate it immediately – just press the delete button and shift your focus to what you desire.
The critical importance of this self responsibility to the whole cannot be stressed enough at this time. Be airtight in your diligence and you will be doing the greatest service to yourself and your brothers and sisters on the planet. This is the separation of the wheat from the chaff…the conscious sorting that is creating The New Earth. You each have a key to the outcome, you each have an important role to play in its creation, and this is all governed by your mind.
The greatest rule is this: focus only on that which is imbued with love. If it is expansive and beautiful and uplifting and colourful and meaningful and joyous and rich and awe inspiring…these are all signs that you are on the right track. Many have experienced these attributes but imagine that they are occasional or sporadic…but these are the attributes of the paradise of The New Earth and you are creating them by what you choose to focus upon! Imagine that everything in your experience is magical and intricate and interconnected and peaceful and absolutely amazing…and it will be thus.
Remember above all else at this time that what is falling apart no longer serves, so do not focus for one moment on it or the power of your mind will recreate more…and there is no greater hell than the one that is created consciously, when freedom is just a thought away. Do not allow yourself to be a prisoner of your own mind when you can choose freedom in any now moment.
Do whatever you can to support your mind…choose not to watch the news, choose to focus on love in every now moment, choose to release all unhappy thoughts of the past, surround yourself with life-inspiring people, focus on the sunshine and the miracles of nature, be in nature as much as possible, rejoice in the beauty of art and music, relish water, laugh as much as you can, dance, sing, breathe, celebrate, be at peace, do not judge, trust that all is well, focus on what you desire, know that you are never alone, and above all, that you are love at your core. Love always overcomes. Love always wins. Love always, always, rises to the top.
So if there is anything unlike love in your life, first throw as much love at it as possible. If it continues, then choose otherwise. In this way, you will always be traveling the right path at the right time and all will be well. For by the power of your mind, you ensure that all is always well for yourself, your home, your community, and your world.
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Ten Useless Matters
There are ten useless matters:
1. Knowledge that is not acted on
2. The deed that has neither sincerity nor is based on following the righteous examples of others
3. Money that is hoarded, as the owner neither enjoys it during this life nor obtains any reward for it in the Hereafter
4. The heart that is empty of love and longing for Allah, and of seeking closeness to Him
5. A body that does not obey and serve Allah
6. Loving Allah without following His orders or seeking His pleasure
7. Time that is not spent in expiating sins or seizing opportunities to do good
8. A mind that thinks about useless matters
9. Serving those who do not bring you close to Allah, nor benefit you in your life
10. Hoping and fearing whoever is under the authority of Allah and in His hand; while he cannot bring any benefit or harm to himself, nor death, nor life; nor can he resurrect himself.
However the greater of these matters are wasting the heart and wasting time. Wasting the heart is done by preferring this worldly life over the Hereafter, and wasting time is done by having incessant hope. Destruction occurs by following one’s desires and having incessant hope, while all goodness is found in following the right path and preparing oneself to meet Allah.
How strange it is that when a servant of Allah has a [worldly] problem, he seeks help of Allah, but he never asks Allah to cure his heart before it dies of ignorance, neglect, fulfilling one’s desires and being involved in innovations. Indeed, when the heart dies, he will never feel the significance or impact of his sins.
Al-Fawa'id
1. Knowledge that is not acted on
2. The deed that has neither sincerity nor is based on following the righteous examples of others
3. Money that is hoarded, as the owner neither enjoys it during this life nor obtains any reward for it in the Hereafter
4. The heart that is empty of love and longing for Allah, and of seeking closeness to Him
5. A body that does not obey and serve Allah
6. Loving Allah without following His orders or seeking His pleasure
7. Time that is not spent in expiating sins or seizing opportunities to do good
8. A mind that thinks about useless matters
9. Serving those who do not bring you close to Allah, nor benefit you in your life
10. Hoping and fearing whoever is under the authority of Allah and in His hand; while he cannot bring any benefit or harm to himself, nor death, nor life; nor can he resurrect himself.
However the greater of these matters are wasting the heart and wasting time. Wasting the heart is done by preferring this worldly life over the Hereafter, and wasting time is done by having incessant hope. Destruction occurs by following one’s desires and having incessant hope, while all goodness is found in following the right path and preparing oneself to meet Allah.
How strange it is that when a servant of Allah has a [worldly] problem, he seeks help of Allah, but he never asks Allah to cure his heart before it dies of ignorance, neglect, fulfilling one’s desires and being involved in innovations. Indeed, when the heart dies, he will never feel the significance or impact of his sins.
Al-Fawa'id
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