The Golden Rule

I have read The Four Agreements few years ago and re-read it several times! I think if more people lived by these words of wisdom, the world could be a very different place to live. None of these principles were new and if we simply aware then accept it, our life will be more peaceful. 

I keep telling myself this simple principle: Don't take anything personally. What other people think about you is their reality, not yours. Always do your best effort and that's all that matter. "Everything is alive and changing all the time, so your best will sometimes be high quality, and other times it will not be as good... Regardless of the quality, keep doing your best."

The way to avoid making assumptions is to make a conscious effort to find the quieter space in our minds. "If we go deeper, if we find a place in between thoughts -- that inner silence -- then we will see that we really can control our thoughts and we can create that silence inside of us."

These are the "golden rule":

1. Be Impeccable With Your Word
Speak with integrity. Say only what you mean. Avoid using the word to speak against yourself or to gossip about others. Use the power of your word in the direction of truth and love.

2. Don't Take Anything Personally
Nothing others do is because of you. What others say and do is a projection of their own reality, their own dream. When you are immune to the opinions and actions of others, you won't be the victim of needless suffering.

3. Don't Make Assumptions
Find the courage to ask questions and to express what you really want. Communicate with others as clearly as you can to avoid misunderstandings, sadness and drama. With just this one agreement, you can completely transform your life.

4. Always Do Your Best
Your best is going to change from moment to moment; it will be different when you are healthy as opposed to sick. Under any circumstance, simply do your best, and you will avoid self-judgment, self-abuse and regret.

You don't need to trust others as much as you need to trust yourself to make the right choices. ~ Don Miguel Ruiz

Find yourself and express yourself in your own particular way. Express your love openly. Life is nothing but a dream, and if you create your life with love, your dream becomes a masterpiece of art. ~ Don Miguel Ruiz

Half Full Perspective

Perception is unique to every individual and is simply one's interpretation of reality. The phrase "Is the glass half empty or half full" can be referred to as philosophical question. The purpose of this question is to demonstrate that the situation may be seen in different ways depending on one's point of view and that there may be opportunity in the situation as well as trouble. Life is a series of choices. The choices you make in life will greatly influence the friends you have, what you and your friends do, where you live, what you will do with yourself to contribute to society, who you will marry, and most importantly where you will spend eternity.

In life, it is easy to make excuses of why you aren't where you really want to be, but really, the only excuse that makes sense is that you just haven't fought hard enough to get there yet. Are you an optimist or pessimist?




Although I'm seeing myself as a realist but I'm always hopeful and choosing positive thoughts. I think being optimist is always healthier choice. I’ve learned that life is a lot more pleasant when one looks at the bright side, seeing the glass half full and they are more fun to be around.

“Optimism is the belief that good things will happen to you and that negative events are temporary setbacks to be overcome.”

In a book called “Breaking Murphy’s Law,” Suzanne C. Segerstrom, a professor of psychology at the University of Kentucky, explained that optimism is not about being positive so much as it is about being motivated and persistent. She also wrote: “People can learn to be more optimistic by acting as if they were more optimistic,” which means “being more engaged with and persistent in the pursuit of goals.”

Occasionally I need the dose of 'optimism' to keep me grounded and reminded me that it really is a conscious choice. Some of my favorite quotes are:

“Optimist: Person who travels on nothing from nowhere to happiness.” – Mark Twain

“A pessimist is one who makes difficulties of his opportunities and an optimist is one who makes opportunities of his difficulties.” – Harry Truman

“The optimist sees the rose and not its thorns; the pessimist stares at the thorns, oblivious of the rose.” – Kahlil Gibran

Here's a great metaphoric story:

A psychologist walked around a room while teaching stress management to an audience. As she raised a glass of water, everyone expected they'd be asked the "half empty or half full" question. Instead, with a smile on her face, she inquired: "How heavy is this glass of water?"

Answers called out ranged from 8 oz. to 20 oz.

She replied, "The absolute weight doesn't matter. It depends on how long I hold it. If I hold it for a minute, it's not a problem. If I hold it for an hour, I'll have an ache in my arm. If I hold it for a day, my arm will feel numb and paralyzed. In each case, the weight of the glass doesn't change, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes."

She continued, "The stresses and worries in life are like that glass of water. Think about them for a while and nothing happens. Think about them a bit longer and they begin to hurt. And if you think about them all day long, you will feel paralyzed – incapable of doing anything."

It’s important to remember to let go of your stresses. As early in the evening as you can, put all your burdens down. Don't carry them through the evening and into the night. Remember to put the glass down!

DON'T WORRY. EVERYTHING IS GOING TO BE AMAZING.

Gratitude in Action

During holiday season, we often take a moment to recognize all of the blessings in our lives. We expressed gratitude on Thanksgiving, we shared joy and gifts on Christmas, and we renew our hopes and dreams for the New Year. We are all blessed in some way and even more blessed when we acknowledge all the goodness in our lives. It's a great reminder to always be grateful and keep our gratitude mode in action ON.

Begin each day with a grateful heart. Gratitude is the gateway to abundance.

Starting out with a "daily gratitude list". What am I grateful for? I am grateful for the abundance in my life. I am grateful for love and support of family and friends. I am grateful for being healthy. I am grateful for everything that made my life so worth living. Begin by choosing a time you can devote to 'being grateful' each day, a time when you can write down something that makes you happy. Simply list down three to ten things that can lift up your spirit and fill your hearts with joy. 

Example of a Daily Gratitude List:

• Sunshine.


• Seeing my daughter's beautiful smile.


• Taking pictures of nature.


• Having a cup of tea and butter cookies.


• Awesome yoga practice.


• Compliments from stranger.


• Leftovers!


• Reading my Facebook newsfeed.


• No bills in the mail today.


• Time to reflect on positives in my life.

 “Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow.” - Melody Beattie

Miracles always are happening around us, we just need to slow down our lives to notice them. Count your blessings one by one. To be happy doesn’t mean you don’t desire more, it means you’re thankful for what you have and patient for what’s yet to come. Find beauty in everything that contributes to your reality and be grateful. Celebrate all that life has to offer with the understanding that nothing that is not supposed to happen will happen...

“Sometimes we get so caught up in seeing what we don’t have, that we fail to notice the little things that give life its magic. The foolish person seeks happiness in the distance; the wise person grows it under her feet. Your life is filled with blessings and achievements, take the time to accept and appreciate these gifts.”- Positive Thoughts

“Cultivate the habit of being grateful for every good thing that comes to you, and to give thanks continuously. And because all things have contributed to your advancement, you should include all things in your gratitude.” ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

Living Gratefully... “My life is awesome. I am in gratitude every day for all my blessings.”

Attracting Interest

What are the things that I would possibly do to make life more enjoyable? What helps me to feel good? What is your passion?

I do have many passions -- I love photography, reading words of wisdom, inspirational story, taking pictures, decorating and so forth. Sometimes I find it a little hard to pick one a day. To attract happiness and interest in your life can be achieved by setting your intuition. Perhaps that’s just finding time you set aside to read, listen to music, take a brisk walk, get in shape, window shopping or even spending time alone to enjoy a cup of tea or simply being outside with nature – and it can be a few minutes every day. 

“You create your future with the power of your intention. Intention is simply the conscious act of determining what you want now. Health, harmony in relationships, happiness, money, creativity, and love will come to you in the future, based on your powerful intention now. Intend every day the way you want it go, and you will deliberately create your future life”. ~ The Secret Daily Teachings

Here are some of my favorites to start off the day:

Meditation
What a better way to calm and clarify the mind... transform fatigue into energy... and even improve health. Study shows that meditation can actually unify mind, body and spirit and help you start enjoying the best health of your life. "Meditate. Life purely. Be quiet. Do your work with mastery. Like the moon, come out from behind the clouds! Shine". ~ Buddha 

Yoga
It's been said that yoga has the power to change life for good. It's a matter of letting go and allowing my body to do what it felt was the most natural thing. According to ParaYoga founder and Tantra scholar, Rod Stryker: Yoga helps you remove the obstacles that obscure who you really are, that it helps you come into a fuller expression of your true nature. "We're not transforming into something we aspire to, we're transforming into the very thing that we are innately: our best Self". If practiced correctly, yoga asana breaks down the psychological, emotional, physical, energetic, and psychic obstacles that inhibit us from thriving, he says. I think yoga is the best way to a healthier lifestyle. "Yoga is the practice of tolerating the consequences of being yourself ". ~ Bhagavad Gita

Simple Pleasures
It can be the pleasure of sweets, the pleasure of love, or the pleasure of deep practice. Whether it is taking a risk or no risk at all -- having something to look forward to every day sometimes is the biggest dare of all. Being alone with yourself is also a good thing but try to find the time to meet people. You never know what you might discover in a day that can teach us a lesson -- get outside and explore. There's no excuse not to give a few minutes of your day for better future. Do the things that make you smile, laugh and do more of that!. "Make time to enjoy the simple things in life".

You deserve a day where worries don't get in the way of anything. A day where... even if some people are insensitive or unkind, you're not going to mind because the blessings you received are far greater than the burdens you experience. Remember always focus on positive energy. Intentions + Affirmative Action = Great Result!

“There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.” ~ Albert Einstein

“Teach this triple truth to all: A generous heart, kind speech, and a life of service and compassion are the things which renew humanity.” ~ Unknown

LIVE positively in the present and CREATE a beautiful tomorrow TODAY, right here right now. Don't put your past in the future.



Life is full of beauty -- notice it and embrace it! Life is either daring adventure or nothing -- Live with good intention!!

Stillness

There is value in being mindful of the world and what it offers without comment or thought. According to Zen Master - Thich Nhat Hanh

“Silence is essential for deep transformation. It allows the practice of conscious breathing to become deep and effective. Like still water that reflects things as they are, the calming silence helps us to see things more clearly, and therefore, to be in deeper contact with ourselves and those around us.”

“When you contemplate the big, full sunrise, the more mindful and concentrated you are, the more the beauty of the sunrise is revealed to you.”

“Joy and happiness are possible right here and right now if you know the practice of mindfulness and concentration.”

Stillness connects us to our natural intelligence, a holistic wisdom that can only arise with reduced stimulation. Stimulation naturally puts our nervous system on alert, an unconscious action that disconnects us immediately from any sense of deep well-being. From stillness comes all action… are you connected to your source? Remember energy flows where attention goes.

“Silence is a great source of strength.” ~ Lao Tzu

“Sometimes, simply by sitting the Soul collects wisdom.” ~ Zen Proverb

“Silence is the great teacher and to learn its lessons you must pay attention to it. There is no substitute for the creative inspiration, knowledge, and stability that comes from knowing how to contact your core of inner silence.” ~ Deepak Chopra

“The beauty of today is in all the things: feeling the gentle breeze on your skin, the sunlight filtering through the clouds, the sound of the birds, the silence of no wind. You notice the in-and-out flow of your breath, the feeling of aliveness inside your body. And then there is the beautiful stillness behind it all, which is deep within you. It is through gratitude for the present moment that the spiritual dimension of life opens up.” ~ Eckhart Tolle

This world is so full of beauty.
Open your mind and you will see.
Let your thoughts just drift away.
To a place you want to be.
(Poem by John F Connor)

Sometimes stillness is a better choice than any action.