Pain is inevitable, but suffering is optional

We all want to be free to emotional pain and suffering, and unfortunately most of us will do anything to prevent pain from occurring in our lives.  These distractions usually turn into addictions on some level.  Anything taken to the extreme even if it's healthy isn’t good for us.  For whatever reason, this society rejects pain as being a necessary part of life.  God forbid we should say we aren’t doing well when someone asks us how we are.  Eastern religions such as Buddhism tell us to move toward our pain, to be in the moment.  This is the way we learn about ourselves and the only way we can be free.  We learn what is working in our lives, what isn’t working, who is good for us, who isn’t good for us, actions that need to be taken, boundaries that need to be set, changes that need to be made, etc.   When we don’t dive into the pain, we live with an underlying chronic discomfort, restlessness and anxiety.  It gets repressed, and eventually we get depressed if we don’t deal with it. We lose our peace, our joy.   Pain is a natural part of life.  The deeper we can be with and feel our pain, the deeper our capacity will be to feel joy.  Pain has many causes such as losing someone we love whether it be through a breakup, death, moving away, or a divorce,  getting disappointed when things don’t work out the way we would like them to, when we are fired or laid off from a job, moving out of our parent’s house, to name just a few.  Any life transition brings grief whether we are aware of it or not.   When we don’t feel the necessary feelings that life brings, they don’t go away.  They stay stuck in our bodies and actually drain our energy.  Ironically, by being present to ourselves and our lives, we move through the pain quicker.  Most people think it’s the opposite.  That if we repress or avoid our pain, it will go away.  This is what actually leads to suffering, which is long term chronic pain.  In life, pain is inevitable but suffering is optional.  I love this saying because it reminds me what is true.  We have a choice to suffer.  What a powerful statement!  If only we actually lived this truth, our lives would be so much more joyful.  Feeling our feelings is a sign of self love.  When we love ourselves enough to feel our feelings, whatever they are in the moment, we will learn our lessons quicker, and experience more joy, peace and love in our lives as well as be free of fear and trust that our lives will unfold for the highest good.  We won't die if we feel our feelings, we will truly live!  Have the strength and courage to do so.  Your body, mind and spirit will thank you.

Surrender to the Plan, but don't forget to do the footwork

Believe in your heart that your dreams can and will come true.  Don’t ever let go of the vision in your heart.  If God put it there then it will come to fruition, just not in our time or our way.  That’s the difficult part.  Let go of how it is supposed to look like.  Tune into guidance every minute of every day and take action on that guidance, no matter how silly, confusing or disjointed it may seem.  There is a Plan and know that the Plan is always in our best interests, even though it may not seem that way at the time.  We have to have faith.  Faith is blind trust.  Faith is a muscle.  Just like the muscles in our body need work to build and stay strong, faith takes practice in order to be strong.  Start small.  Put your faith in small things, then when that becomes comfortable, move on to the bigger things.  Hindsight is always 20/20.  It will all make sense later.  You don’t have to know everything now.  In fact, it is totally futile to try because there is no possible way to.  You actually don’t have much control over anything, so just let go, surrender and let God.  Every experience that we go through is ABSOLUTELY necessary in order to get to the next place on our journey.  It is ALL in perfect harmony with the Plan that God has for us.  Let your life unfold the way it’s supposed to without getting in the way.   It will only delay the inevitable.  Everything is a prerequisite for the next thing on the journey.  It’s like going up a ladder.  We can’t start on the top because if we try, we will fall all the way down.  We need to take each step at a time to get to the top.  We need the lay the groundwork, have a strong foundation to build from, otherwise we will fall all the way down and have to start all over again.  If that’s necessary, then so be it.  We will learn.  Never settle for less than what you know in your heart to be true.  Let go of what isn’t working to make room for what will, trusting that it will come in the perfect time.  Be the miracle you want to see in your life and you will see them everywhere

Make Every Day Valentine's Day

According to Western Society, the “LOVE” day in the “LOVE” month is upon us, Valentine’s Day.  A day of love is great, don’t get me wrong, but why do we set aside just one day for love, where there is an expectation to show love to those we love?  For true, spiritual love occurs moment by moment, day by day, is unconditional, non judgmental, accepting, giving, honest, serene, caring, unselfish, serving, joyful and has no expectations.  Love encompasses so much that it’s hard to put it down in words.  Love is the ultimate force in the universe.  It is the goal of which we all seek.  It is our main driving force in life.  When we love ourselves, we overflow with love for every living thing on the planet.  The internal work we do on ourselves, ridding ourselves of past feelings and behaviors that don’t work as well as knowing who we are, our likes and dislikes, gives us a sense of profound love for ourselves where genuine, pure love can be extended out to others.  We can’t give away what we don’t have.  We ooze love from every pore of our being when we love who we are at the core.  Although it can be challenging to love in a world where there is so much hate and fear, we must rise above the turmoil of the world and love anyway, without expectations.  All the goodness of life is nurtured in the soil of love, for love comforts, heals, creates, liberates, and elevates our lives in a way that nothing else can. We must each make a choice for love if we are to prosper, and we must make this choice each and every day.

The Institute for Research on Unlimited Love suggests that selfless love can increase our immunity by de-stressing us.  Love extends our life span by improving our state of mind, reducing depression by shifting our focus from ourselves to giving or helping others.

It is interesting to note that studies suggest that SHOWING support and affection for loved ones slows down the aging process even more than receiving love does.

Imagine a world where people were filled with love from the inside out.  We wouldn’t have words like hate, jealousy, envy, condemnation, negativity, unhappiness, or fear.  Let’s do our part in contributing to this type of world.  Start with yourself.  It is your responsibility to yourself and the world around you.  A little love can go a long way in healing our planet.  With devotion and discipline, you will discover the ability to give up your pride, forgive those who have hurt you, and give of yourself in pure love.  Then, you will be on the path of life and healing and every day will be Valentine’s Day.

         

LETTING GO – THE KEY TO HAPPINESS

The end of a year is a great time to let go of what is no longer serving us in order to make room for new, happier things in our lives.  Letting go is the process of releasing people, situations, thoughts, habits and patterns that no longer serve us and cause us pain. Letting go means surrendering our ego and self-will and trusting that our highest good and greatest happiness will be given to us.  Many of us tend to want to remain in control and refuse to let go even when we know it is in our best interests to.  Letting go is realizing that even when we really want something to occur in our lives, that sometimes it isn’t the right time or the right thing to happen.  Something else needs to be worked out first.  We don’t know what that is, but our Higher Power, Source, Universe, etc. always has our best interests at heart and has a better, more fulfilling plan that we could ever have for ourselves.  Know that timing is perfect.  Something so wonderful, so incredible, beyond our wildest dreams, better than we could have ever expected is in store for us that will lead us to our greatest happiness.  We have to BELIEVE it in order for it to happen.  The key is getting out of our own way and making space for something bigger and better to happen.  We are the only one limiting our good.  Get out of the way.  Stop trying so hard to control things.  You have very little control.  LET GO, SURRENDER!

Many of us need to let go of negative belief systems. We form belief systems at a young age that are faulty and don’t work to our benefit, but we cling to these beliefs because, although they don’t work for us, they are familiar. We may find ourselves in situations that repeatedly lead to unhappiness and frustration.  We don’t realize that there is something more fulfilling and different available to us because we are blinded by our current reality.  As long as we remain stuck in these patterns we don’t have to change. Change is scary, even positive change.  Unfortunately we wait until the pain of our lives not working is so unbearable that we are forced to make a change.  It could be the situation that we need to let go of.  This may include releasing drama and stress from our lives by changing jobs or friendships, moving to a new place or finding alternative ways of interacting with others.  All of this suffering can be avoided if we let go on a daily basis to the will of our Higher Power and take the necessary actions we are guided to do.  Ask for courage, strength and guidance.  This is the key to our happiness.

The first step in letting go is becoming aware that an area of our life is not working. Once we acknowledge that there is something to release, take some time to just observe your thoughts, habits, and relationships. Only when we are present in the moment, can we see what is occurring in our lives. Only when we have a conscious perspective of what we are doing, can we figure out what needs to change.

Next, we need to decide if we are ready to release this pattern. Until we are really open to change, nothing will budge. Letting go is up to us.  Letting go doesn't mean defeat, it means something isn't working and we need to consider other possibilities that do work to our benefit and to our greatest hapiness.  It is actually a very courageous act.  Once we acknowledge that something in our life isn't working, and we have made the conscious decision to let go, the next thing we need to do is find new ways of doing things. This step may take some time. Perhaps it may be observing ourselves and others to see what works and what doesn't.  Or it could be discovering new ways of doing something.  Therapy, reading books, conversations with others or perhaps doing the healing work on ourselves through energy balancing, meditation, prayer or acupuncture are excellent ways to find answers.  Once you find the answer, replace the old belief with a new, more self affirming one.  Consciously practice it when the old ways creep in, and expect them to because they will.  Once practiced enough, they will become second nature.

As we heal and balance ourselves, we are breaking old patterns and finding new, happier ways of living our lives. This is the path of letting go. When we release what no longer works, we are making room and being open to something amazing to occur. We are the ones who limit ourselves.  God never does.  I wonder how many wonderful opportunities have passed us by because of our rigid view of what things should have looked like!

Letting go is a continuous process. We may surrender something only to latch back on to it consciously or unconsciously, so it is important to remain present in the moment and monitor our thoughts and actions. We don't want to fall back into old patterns. We don't want to release one thing only to replace it with something similar that still doesn't work, only because it is familiar.  When we fear letting go we don’t trust in a Higher Power to provide what’s best for us.  Trust is a crucial factor in letting go.  Breathe through the fear and discomfort of new situations and ways of being. They will become more comfortable as we grow and make space within and around us.  Breaking patterns, letting go, and releasing things that do not serve us is a process that takes time, gentleness, flexibility and forgiveness.  The reward is true and lasting happiness regardless of outer circumstances. May you walk gently on your path with God beside you every minute of every day and be guided to a life of greatness.  Don’t live another day in suffering, pain and unhappiness.  It’s a simple choice you can make.  Let go and let God!

Affirmation – I am letting go and releasing people, situations, thoughts, habits and patterns that no longer serve me.  I am open and receptive to all the good that my Higher Power has in store for me.  I live happily, with love, peace, and prosperity always.

                                                                        By Jill Dawn Schwartz

How To Attract Lasting Abundance

Abundance and Prosperity.  We all want it.  What is it?  Many people have different definitions. For one person, it might be having the freedom to do what they love.   For someone else it might mean having material possessions such as a car, or a house, or a million dollars in the bank. For another, it may mean having many people in their life who are spiritually evolved.  It doesn’t matter what definition you have.  The important thing to ask yourself is, “Does my life contain all the elements of prosperity according to my definition of Prosperity?”  If it does, congratulations!  You are a prosperity master.  If it doesn’t, no big deal.  You just have more work to do, which will cause you to grow and prosper.  What an exciting adventure you have in store!

Our abundance and prosperity is largely a result of the thoughts and feelings we have about life.  Form follows thought.  Think of everything we have in the world – cars, roads, buildings, cities, amusement parks, etc.  All of these things were first a thought in someone’s mind with an underlying passion of creating it.  Sounds simple, yes.  Easy, no.  We manifest things naturally and automatically all the time using thoughts and feelings.  Manifestation is a process of bringing ideas, concepts, visions and dreams from our inner world into the outer world, to experience them with our physical senses.  By thinking new thoughts, new realities are created about money and prosperity.  We are the source of our riches, not a job, investments, a spouse or parents.  By linking with the unlimited abundance of your soul or higher self, by opening your connection to the higher forces (Source, God or whatever you want to call it), and by expressing and radiating your higher qualities of inner peace, joy, love, well being and aliveness, abundance will be yours for the asking.  It’s simply a Law of the Universe.

People who are devoted to a personal life purpose are blessed with an abundant heart that naturally results in abundance and prosperity as well as naturally attracts resources to fulfill their mission.  Where we place our energy, time, talents, natural skills in doing what we love, we get rewarded beyond our expectations.  Do what you are guided to do without any attachment or expectation of how it’s supposed to look, enjoy your life, be peaceful and joyful, and abundance will be yours.  Focus on your purpose like a laser point of light as you develop your vision and receive your calling.  Affirm it as you feel the power of love for what you are to Be…Do…and Have. Write down what you love.  Take action with energy.  The gifts may not always look how you expect them to, but your needs will always be met and you will have more than you need.   Believe it.  Affirm it.  

Gratitude is the greatest prayer we can ever offer our Creator.  Inspiration is the greatest meditation we can ever receive from our Creator.  Prosperous people who experience abundance know the importance of unconditional love and gratitude.  Learn to focus your attention on the blessings in your life and you will find them.  By doing this, your blessings will multiply. Express your gratitude for what is, as it is and be inspired as you find yourself persevering toward your purpose.

I invite you to realize that by asking the right questions you can increase your abundance and prosperity. Begin to explore the questions that you can ask yourself and others as you discover the ones that will improve your quality of life. Some questions that you can begin to ask yourself are:

What lights me up and inspires me? What am I good at?
What gives me and my life the most significance and meaning?
What are the actions I can take toward fulfilling my purpose today?
How can I major in what I love, minor in what I need to, let others worry about what I should do, delegate what I have to, and dump what is not necessary?
How can I do what I love and love what I do and get paid well doing it?
How can I direct my service more and more, to touch more people’s lives in less time each day?  
What is the greatest prayer I can offer my Creator today?
What is the greatest meditation I can receive from my Creator today?
Now, as you take a closer look at these questions and ponder them, you can find yourself beginning to experience new thoughts and new feelings.  These will lead to new actions, more positive directions, more fulfillment, and you will be rewarded beyond your wildest dreams.

People, who are "following their bliss" as the great scholar Joseph Campbell called it, are living a life of significance and meaning and are devoted to a cause greater than themselves.

Affirmation – I have the resources to develop and express my life purpose, tap into that infinite supply of love, peace and prosperity and am abundantly rewarded in return.

THE IMPORTANCE OF LIVING YOUR LIFE PURPOSE

Patanjali, A famous philosopher who lived between the 1st to 3rd century BC once said, "When you are inspired by some great purpose, some extraordinary project, all your thoughts break their bonds; your mind transcends limitations, your consciousness expands in every direction, and you find yourself in a new, great and wonderful world. Dormant forces, faculties and talents become alive, and you discover yourself to be a greater person by far than you ever dreamed yourself to be."

Are you looking to be fulfilled, inspired, motivated and passionate about your life?  Who isn’t?  In order to do this, you must do something you love to do. But as we all know, it’s not always easy to do that.  A lot of people find themselves drifting from doing what they love and do other things just to make a living.  They may be successful by society’s definition, but still feel that something is missing.  All of our inner discomfort in life stems from withholding or suppressing our innate creativity and love, hence our purpose for living.  If continually suppressed in its struggle to be born, it creates internal havoc in our minds and bodies and external havoc in all our affairs and manifests itself as stress, restlessness, illness or discomfort.

Without being clear about the reason why your here, there won’t be a feeling of passion for what you do and you won’t be motivated or fulfilled.  Everything in life has a reason for existence. Until you discover the reason for your existence, you will not live the life of an awakened soul.  Without purpose you will get sidetracked in your life’s journey and drift away from your right path and achieve little of great importance for yourself.

Without a purpose you will lose your power and strength in the midst of difficult times. When you face challenges, you need a guide, something which to draw from to help you deal with difficult times. So, having a purpose empowers you against obstacles. We receive so much information every day and can only filter what is important to us.  Technology today has caused life to be faster than it has ever been before and there is tons to process all the time.  Your purpose will act as a powerful filter that will fine tune all the information you receive and select what matches with it for you to take action on.  Decisions are made more easily and life is more simple.  It comes down to this: When making decisions, ask yourself, “Does this fit with my life purpose or not.”  If the answer is yes, then follow it.  If it’s no, then don’t.

Without a purpose you may still excel at what you do, according to society’s perceptions, but you still won’t be able to become the best you can be.  You only become your best when you do something you love because it reflects your highest gifts and talents.  You will find yourself gaining energy because you’re living and expressing your truest and greatest self.  Without a purpose you won’t be able to give your best and serve others. When your actions align with your life purpose, you will find yourself automatically serving others.

Having purpose makes it easier to achieve what you want. Because when you have a clear vision and purpose you will radiate powerful positive energy that will attract people, resources, and opportunities that will help you achieve what you want.  Where you focus your energy, especially with the highest qualities of joy, love, excitement and enthusiasm, the universe will respond with abundance in all areas of your life.  This is simply a law of the universe.

Don’t be discouraged if you don’t know what your purpose is right now.  It takes time, patience and a deep yearning for it, that it’s revealed to us.  Our life purpose evolves as we grow.  Here are some questions to ask yourself to help clarify your purpose: 

1. What makes you smile? (Activities, people, events, hobbies, projects, etc.)

2. What are and have been your favorite things to do in the past? In the present?

3. What activities make feel so much in the moment that you lose track of time?

4. When you go to the bookstore, what types of books are you drawn to?

5. Who inspires you most? (Anyone you know or do not know. Family, friends, authors, artists, leaders, etc.) Which qualities inspire you, in each person?

6. What are you naturally good at? (Skills, abilities, gifts etc.)

Be clear why you are here and discover your purpose of existence. You will be peaceful, happy and fulfilled knowing that you are being and doing what you have been put on this earth to be and do.  This will create a deep meaning to your life and attract all people, resources and opportunities to help you achieve your goals faster than you can imagine.  It is our responsibility to utilize the gifts and talents we were given to make the world a better place.  In turn you will be blessed with joy, peace, success and fulfillment beyond your wildest dreams.

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