Reactions become habitual

Why do our reactions feel as though they are out of our control?  We talk to our self after an unfavorable reaction, saying that we will not react that way if this happens again.  Yet, out it pops just the same, as though you have no control over your mind.  Your mind has stored all the reactions that you have experienced in the past and even though you do not want to repeat them, they are what surfaces when your buttons are pushed.  This is habitual.  Your mind reacts as it has done in the past, it doesn't take the time to consider the consequences.  Your mind goes into auto-pilot and before you have a chance to change your reaction it has already happened.

Start by creating a gap; some time between an event and your reaction. This will give you a chance to break the habitual reaction.  There is a calm that is deep within.  You need to go to that place before you react. Journey to your soul and control your reactions.   The longer the gap, the better, but even five minutes will help you to react in a new way.  Longer gaps have an amazing effect, sometimes the problem solves itself or doesn't seem that important any more.  You can save yourself a lot of stress, if you simply take some time to find clarity and your place in the situation.

Amed, Bali

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Be True to Yourself

Life has a way of taking over our genuine self.  The path we choose can manipulate our character in a way that has us fooled into believing we are the actor that we become.  So well trained that we don't even realize that we're acting a part not aligned with our purpose.
This development happens gradually over many years, creating a false self, step-by-step. Each step insignificant in and of itself, but taken as a whole becomes hard to distinguish between your real values and those that have been incorporated to allow this creation to exist.

Why does this happen?  The need to survive is the beginning; making money to live day-by-day.  Once you have enough money for the basics, more perceived needs appear.  Your ego tricks you into believing that you need more stuff, more power, more of anything.  The problem is that there is never enough, as your ego needs to be fed more and more, you adapt to fit the path created by your ego.  Before you know it, you are unhappy but have no idea why?  You are so deep into this new character that you cannot find your real self.
 
To begin your journey visit:  Journey-to-Your-Soul, by Barb Aasen http://www.facebook.com/pages/Journey-to-Your-Soul/309370042492468 

There is so much evidence of these characters in society as people sacrifice their soul for the all mighty dollar, the external power.  Materialism has crept into all segments of society, taking away the joy that is meant to be associated with the celebrations.  Life should be a series of celebrations.  Find something to celebrate today, the air you breath, the trees, the birds, the clean water available.  Just be aware of all you have, take time to silently be grateful and see if you can begin a path to your true self. 

Compassion

"Try being me for a day," is a common cry for help.  This is where compassion can play a role and you can help others with their struggles.  Compassion is not sympathy, it is not feeling sorry for the person.  It is understanding through listening without judgement or criticism.  It is trying to place yourself in their shoes, feel what they are feeling so that you can help them, help themselves.
The first step is to be aware of the other person's difficulties, perceived limitations, or obstacles and try to imagine yourself in their position.  Find something similar in your life that you have experienced and relate that feeling to their situation. Do not verbalize this comparison, send it to your heart and try to just feel what they feel and then just listen.
Throw out thoughts of what you would have done, what they should have done or what you would do now.  This is not about YOU!

   This is about the other person.  Focus on their words, ask questions that will help them understand and feel better.  Take them out of the clouds and down to earth with a form of clarity that they develop.  This may be simply listening while they make sense out of the situation by talking it through, or you may find openings to ask neutral, non-judgmental questions.

Practice compassion as often as you can.  At first you may only get through one step before your thoughts take over and you react from your own perspective.  Practice will allow you to get better at remaining totally focused on the other person and their feelings.
Compassion heals others and will bring you peace.

Let go and stop worrying!

Find peace now;  let go of the past and stop worrying about the future. Worrying only attracts what we don't want. Do the best you can each moment and enjoy the experience.  Refrain from judgment.  Do not label your experiences as good or bad, simply allow them to be.  You don't need to mentally repeat the experience to remember the next time whether or not you would make the same choice.  Let it go ... your mind will be clear and ready to make the next choice! 

 Dr. Wayne Dyer, my favorite inspirational writer, wrote this in his book ~ Wisdom of the Ages: 

"Try to be less rational and intellectual about your life and how you organize it.  Let go of your mental inclinations to compute and just allow yourself to be and to be pulled by that future pull that is the source of life.  And by the way, enjoy the luscious watermelon, rather than attempting to understand it."

The sun rises everyday, giving you a new opportunity to enjoy life's experiences.  Let go and enjoy the new day!

Trust

Having faith is a big leap for many people.  They conjure up the worst case scenario, imagining what might happen and then try to insurance against all possibilities.  Don't get me wrong, I am not advocating a reckless approach to life, there is a need for insurance and having a cautious, prudent outlook in life is a balancing act. Like many things in life we must choose the risks we are willing to take.  I just feel that we have gone overboard, trying to ensure that every possibility is covered.  The thing is, life is full of surprises and some of them although not welcomed initially, may be exactly what we need.

Fearless and carefree!  Do you remember when you were in your early 20's and risks were taken on with enthusiasm?  I completely trusted the  universe to deliver.  I had no doubt that things would work out for the best; if a job was lost, well that was because there was a better one on the way.  I vividly remember the feeling and it was joyous and full of hope.
Apparently the brain is not fully developed until around age twenty-five; the part of the brain that gives us caution and stops us from acting without consideration for the risks.  That being said, we may have acted without thinking, but we must be careful that we don't spend our lives thinking without acting or or we really will never live at all.

Start small, assume the best, trust in the next moment in your life.  Try it on, see how it feels. Build on it each day,  until you  return to the spiritual security that we have totally lost while being consumed with economic security.

  

Acceptance

Life is a gift, accept it as it is, there are no refunds.  Refrain from judgment, allow yourself to accept that the universe in its totality has a better idea of what should happen than you do.  Each moment you have a choice, you can spend your time resisting what is or you can accept, move on and decide to enjoy life.

Negative energy shows up in your emotions, pay attention and be open to feeling them and then allow acceptance to catapult you up to the higher energy levels. When things don't turn out the way you want, accept that the results are simply the consequences of an experiment in the the use of your will.  Creating experiences in life requires taking risks, some will not work out the way you think they should, but without these perceived failures there would be no success.

Discovering your "Life Purpose" is a process not an end point to reach.  You are here to grow, through acceptance you can move on and make changes.  Growth only comes with change.  As you begin to accept the results of each of your experiences you will learn, grow and change.  Your purpose will change, but the experiments will continue to result in consequences that require acceptance.  You cannot experience life with out both sides of the coin.  Learning to accept will be your medicine to heal the negative results and move on.

Apathy, rise above it and spring foward!

March has arrived with the promise of spring and the hope for warmer weather and longer days!  It is easy to hope for better weather, be optimistic when it comes to the external forces of nature, be confident that each season will repeat each and every year.  But, what about other aspects of life?  What happens when you spiral into low self-esteem, find yourself apathetic, indifferent, with a feeling of despair?  Perhaps viewing your life like the seasons will provide a catalyst, a grain of hope that things can change and a new season of life is one step ahead.

 

To rise above this level of indifference you need to FEEL, to CARE, maybe even get angry and shed a few tears.  Do not give up, have faith that you deserve all the good that life has to offer and then go out and get it. Pursue something that you find interesting, put your heart and soul into it and you will create high level consciousness even if the results are not the way you anticipated.  Try, try and then try again.  The process itself will lift your spirits.

Life is an emotional roller-coaster, when things appear hopeless and that feeling of despair  creeps in, just  keep reminding yourself that, "this too, will pass".  Provide yourself and others with optimism and willingness to adjust, change or move on.  Giving up is just not an option. There is always another season just around the corner.   

During this month leading into spring, I am going to try to rise my level of consciousness out of apathy and despair by  making changes, giving hope, and viewing the next season of life with optimism.  I will change how I view each situation and change the energy that I am sending out to the universe each day.  Tapping into the law of attraction, I will try to stay with positive high energy emotions and create an atmosphere that encourages growth.