30 WAYS TO LIVE LIFE TO THE FULLEST

http://tinybuddha.com/blog/30-ways-to-live-life-to-the-fullest/

By: Lori Deschene

“Begin at once to live and count each separate day as a separate life.” ~Seneca

At times, it’s seemed as though life contains an endless supply of days.

When I was younger, I thought this for sure. It didn’t matter how long I held a grudge, or how long I waited to do something I wanted—there would be an unlimited pool of other opportunities. At least that’s what I thought back then.

Maybe it’s a rite of passage from childhood to adulthood: the moment when you realize life happens now, and that’s all you’re guaranteed. It doesn’t really hit you when you merely know it intellectually, like you know your ABCs, state capitals, and other concrete facts.

It hits you when somehow you feel it. Your health declines. You lose someone you love. A tragedy rocks your world. It isn’t until you realize that all life fades that you consider now a commodity and a scarce one at that.

But maybe that’s irrelevant. Maybe living a meaningful, passionate life has nothing to do with its length and everything to do with its width.

With this in mind, I recently asked Tiny Buddha’s Facebook friends, “How do you live life to the fullest?” I was inspired by what they had to say, so I’ve used them to create this list:

1. Live in the moment. Forget the past and don’t concern yourself with the future. (Tanner Christensen)

2. Fully embrace the now, no matter what the situation. (Patrick Flynn)

3. Do the things you love. (Diego Felipe Villa Serna)

4. Learn to forgive and embrace unconditional love. (Ann Glasgow)

5. Live every day as if it’s your last, embracing each experience as if it’s your first. (Jennifer Fertado)

6. Believe in “live and let live.” (Satyendra Pandey)

7. Use quiet reflection, honesty, and laughter. (Erin Rogers Kronman)

8. Be other-centered. (Tricia Mc)

9. Find calm in making art. (Z.r. Hill)

10. Focus on today and how you can do your best to live it to the fullest.  (Amelia Krump)

11. Participate in life instead of just watching it pass you by. (Lindsey Wonderson)

12. Stay healthy, eat right and most importantly, be kind to all. (Tho Nguyen)

13. Pray, forgive yourself, appreciate others, listen to your gut, do things you enjoy, and remind yourself that we are all loved and connected. (Sandra Lumb)

14. Don’t sweat the small stuff. (Allison Gillam)

15. Question everything, keep it simple, and help whenever and however you can. (Lynda Corrigan Sutherland)

16. Try to enjoy every minute of every day. (Maria Ahlin)

17. Appreciate life’s every second. (Anna-Karin Boyaciyan-Demirciyan)

18. Step through new doors. The majority of the time there’s something fantastic on the other side. (Terri Mindock)

19. Remember that all is a gift, but the most precious of all gifts is life and love. (Debbie Teeuwen)

20. Keep your spirit free, be flexible, let go. (Leslie Brown)

21. “Do one thing every day that scares you.” -Baz Luhrmann (Adam Raffel)

22. Don’t attach to outcomes. (Wp Ho)

23. Spend as much time with a two year old as possible. (Jackie Freeman)

24. Enjoy each and every moment of life. Every day is a new challenge and opportunity to discover something new. (Chirag Tripathi)

25. Budget travel. It is always an adventure! You get to enjoy what fate has to offer with limited means. (Ruby Baltazar)

26. Be honestly thankful for every breath you take. (Jonathan Carey)

27. Just be. (Catherine Halvorsson)

28. “Trust yourself. Trust your own strengths.” ~Gaundalf the grey (Jonathan David Evan Fulton)

29. Pause momentarily before everything you do so that you notice everything you should or could notice. (Scott Hutchinson)

30. Follow your hopes and not your fears. (Jody Bower)

What have you done today to live life to the fullest?

Have a Blessed Weekend & Easter!!
Love & Light
Karen
The Spirit Way 

Moving forward after losing a loved one

After the most devastating loss, support groups can be a lifesaver for survivors struggling to rekindle their lives.

http://cms.carepages.com/CarePages/en/ArticlesTips/FeatureArticles/Contributors/moving_forward.html

By: Debra Bradley Ruder

Tips for grievers:

Give yourself time to grieve.

Take care of yourself physically: Rest, eat and exercise.

Consider joining a support group or meeting with a counselor.

Jot down thoughts and feelings in a journal.

Remember that it’s OK to cry; tears can be healing.

Seek comfort in your faith, if that feels right.

Work through your “unfinished business” with the deceased person to express your love, gratitude, regrets, anger. You might try an armchair conversation with him or her.

Develop comforting rituals that continue your bond with the person, like looking through photos, preparing familiar meals or marking anniversaries.

It’s OK to cherish belongings of the person who has died, like jewelry, books or furniture.

You may find satisfaction in carrying on your loved one’s work.

Seek comfort in your lifelong sources of joy, such as nature or music.

Pay attention to your kids; they are grieving, too.

Know that pangs of sadness and longing are normal, even years after the death.

Tips for friends and supporters of the bereaved:

Don’t be silent or afraid to talk about the deceased person.

On the anniversary of his/her death, ask how the survivor is doing, or whether there’s anything you can do to help.

Write a note remembering the person who died, for example to his/her children.

Understand that the bereaved person’s life has changed. He or she may be a single parent, or struggling financially, and may not be able to resume activities of the past.

Debra Bradley Ruder is a Boston area-based writer and editor with a longtime interest in end-of-life issues. She currently edits the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute’s award-winning research magazine, and her freelance stories have appeared in Newsweek, The Boston Globe and Harvard Magazine.

When her husband died at age 44 from nonsmoker’s lung cancer, Christine Cleary of Cambridge, Mass., was shocked, heartbroken and angry. How could Ed be taken away so young, leaving their two daughters fatherless and Christine without her soul mate of 16 years?

Although her friends and relatives were supportive, they soon resumed their normal lives — but Christine couldn’t.

Feeling terribly alone in the months after Ed’s death, she sought refuge in a support group for young widows and widowers hosted by a local hospital. “These people were in the same boat, and we understood one another,” she recalls. “They were my lifeline.”

The bereavement group, which ran for eight sessions, offered a place for Christine to cry, talk about her husband, and pick up useful tips like this one: When you go anywhere with other people, take your own car so you can leave if you’re upset. Slowly, the group — which continued to meet on its own for about two years — helped her begin to redefine herself beyond the wife of a seriously ill man or a widow. Now, seven years later, she finally feels like herself once more; “It took that long to feel my life is rich again.”

Christine’s experience reflects many of the benefits of support groups, according to Mary Lou Hackett, LICSW, a clinical social worker at the Dana-Farber/Brigham and Women’s Cancer Center in Boston. For the past 14 years, Hackett has led bereavement groups for spouses of patients who have died from cancer, helping them come to grips with their lost hopes and dreams and begin, albeit slowly, to find joy and meaning in their lives.

“They feel understood,” notes Hackett. “As one person in the group said, ‘You can’t say anything too stupid here. …To know that you aren’t losing your mind, that grief is hard physically and emotionally, is enormously sustaining for people.”

Grief is a universal experience, but it differs according to the survivor’s personality, cultural and religious beliefs, coping skills and support system, as well as the circumstances of the death. Losing a young child to illness or a friend to suicide is wholly unlike losing one’s aging parent to natural causes. Support groups that focus on a particular kind of loss are most successful, observers say.

The commonly accepted “phases” of grief include disbelief, yearning, anger, sadness and acceptance. However, people often experience the first four as a set of emotions, rather than a distinct series of stages leading up to acceptance, notes Holly Prigerson, PhD, a bereavement authority based at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute who studies both normal grief and a severe form called prolonged grief disorder.

Another common reaction after a death is guilt. The survivor might wonder, “Why didn’t I take him to that other doctor?” or, “I promised her that she would die at home, but she didn’t.” Support groups can help you realize that you did the best you could, says Hackett. “The grief process is the first step in going forward.”

Grief takes time, but as a culture we generally don’t encourage mourners to take that time. Some rituals, like the Jewish customs of sitting Shiva (a weeklong period of mourning) and reciting the Kaddish (a mourner’s prayer) for up to a year, give survivors who follow them a comforting structure for their sorrow.

Anyone who has lost a loved one knows that you don’t “recover.” Instead, you learn to incorporate their absence and memories into your life and channel your emotional energy toward others. Eventually, it has been said, your grief walks beside you instead of consuming you.

“In general, bereaved survivors shouldn’t think of ‘getting over’ a loss, but develop ways to get used to it,” says Prigerson. “Even years after someone dies, pangs of grief may come out of the blue, and feelings of heartache and missing the deceased are rekindled. That’s normal.”

In a 2006 interview with The New York Times, Mexican writer Carlos Fuentes described having two children die before they turned 30. “You go on,” he reflected. “You bring the person you love inside you. That is how you cope. You make him or her live within you.”

Christine Cleary has done exactly that with her late husband, Ed, a graphic designer and artist who died in 2000. She loves describing Ed’s upbeat and easygoing manner, visiting with his old friends, and seeing Ed’s traits — like his passion for baseball — in their teenage daughters. She honors his memory by helping organize an ongoing art exhibit at Massachusetts General Hospital, and she marks the anniversary of his death with a quiet, reflective day off from her work as a writer/editor. For several years, Christine has been romantically involved with a man who, similarly, lost his wife to cancer. They’re both comfortable talking about their late spouses.

Death forces you to look back, and acceptance involves slowly turning your body around to look forward, Christine explains. “If you begin a new chapter of life, you carry the person you lost along with you.”

Have a Blessed Day
Love & Light
Karen
The Spirit Way 

Everything you need to know: Vernal or spring equinox 2012

http://earthsky.org/astronomy-essentials/everything-you-need-to-know-vernal-or-spring-equinox

By: Deborah Byrd                          

In 2012, the vernal or spring equinox comes on March 20 at 5:14 Universal Time (12:14 a.m. Central Daylight Time). Here’s all your need to know.

The March equinox signals the beginning of spring in the Northern Hemisphere and autumn in the Southern Hemisphere. It marks that special moment when the sun crosses the celestial equator going from south to north. In 2012, this equinox comes early. It’ll be on March 20 at 5:14 UTC, or 12:14 a.m. Central Daylight Time for us in the central U.S.

Why is the equinox early in 2012? The reason is, in part, because 2012 is a leap year. If this year weren’t a leap year, this equinox would come on March 21 – not March 20 – at 5:14 Universal Time. The equinoxes for the coming three years – 2013, 2014, 2015 – will all fall on March 20 as well. But – with each passing year – each equinox will come nearly 6 hours later by the clock. In the year 2016, the equinox would fall on March 21 – if 2016 weren’t a leap year.

 

A Chinese perspective on the spring equinox

Equinox 2012 comes on March 19 for U.S. West and eastern Pacific

2012 equinox: Sun rises due east and sets due west

If you’re curious (or confused) about the early date of this equinox, you’re not alone. Study the data at this link at the U.S. Naval Observatory website. It might help out visually with the explanation.

Here’s what we all know about this equinox. In the Northern Hemisphere, the sun is rising earlier now, and nightfall comes later. Plants are sprouting. Winds are softening. For us in the Northern Hemisphere, people are enjoying the warmer days of spring. South of the equator, autumn begins.

 

What is an equinox?

The equinox is an event that happens in Earth’s orbit around the sun. Simultaneously, it happens on the imaginary dome of our sky. The imaginary celestial equator is a great circle dividing the sky into northern and southern hemispheres. The celestial equator wraps the sky directly above Earth’s equator. At the equinox, the sun crosses the celestial equator, to enter the sky’s northern hemisphere.

Our ancestors didn’t understand the equinoxes and solstices as events that occur in the course of Earth’s yearly orbit around the sun. But they surely marked today as being midway between the sun’s lowest path across the sky in winter and highest path across the sky in summer.

Today, we know each equinox and solstice is an astronomical event, caused by Earth’s tilt on its axis and ceaseless motion in orbit.

Because Earth doesn’t orbit upright, but is instead tilted on its axis by 23-and-a-half degrees, Earth’s northern and southern hemispheres trade places in receiving the sun’s light and warmth most directly. We have an equinox twice a year – spring and fall – when the tilt of the Earth’s axis and Earth’s orbit around the sun combine in such a way that the axis is inclined neither away from nor toward the sun.

At the equinox, Earth’s two hemispheres are receiving the sun’s rays equally. Night and day are approximately equal in length. The word equinox comes from the Latin aequus (equal) and nox (night).

But, since Earth never stops moving around the sun, these days of equal sunlight and night will change quickly.

Where should I look to see signs of the equinox in nature?

The knowledge that spring is here – and summer is coming – is everywhere now, on the northern half of Earth’s globe.

If you live in Earth’s Northern Hemisphere, you’ve likely been noticing the earlier dawns and later sunsets for some weeks now.

Also notice the arc of the sun across the sky each day. You’ll find it’s shifting toward the north. Birds and butterflies are migrating back northward, too, along with the path of the sun.

The longer days bring with them warmer weather. People are leaving their winter coats at home. Trees are budding, and plants are beginning a new cycle of growth. In many places, spring flowers are beginning to bloom.

Does the sun rise due east and set due west at the equinox?

Yes, it does. And that’s true no matter where you live on Earth, because we all see the same sky.

No matter where you are on Earth, you have a due east and due west point on your horizon. That point marks the intersection of your horizon with the celestial equator – the imaginary line above the true equator of the Earth.

At the equinoxes, the sun appears overhead at noon as seen from Earth’s equator, as the illustration at right shows. This illustration (which is by Tau’olunga) shows the sun’s location on the celestial equator, every hour, on the day of the equinox.

That’s why the sun rises due east and sets due west for all of us. The sun is on the celestial equator, and the celestial equator intersects all of our horizons at points due east and due west.

This fact makes the day of an equinox a good day for finding due east and due west from your yard or other favorite site for watching the sky. Just go outside around sunset or sunrise and notice the location of the sun on the horizon with respect to familiar landmarks.

If you do this, you’ll be able to use those landmarks to find those cardinal directions in the weeks and months ahead, long after Earth has moved on in its orbit around the sun, carrying the sunrise and sunset points northward.

So enjoy the 2012 spring equinox on March 20 – an event that happens on our sky’s dome – and a seasonal marker in Earth’s orbit around the sun!

Bottom line: In 2012, the vernal equinox comes on March 20 at 5:14 UTC, or 12:14 a.m. Central Daylight Time for us in the central U.S. This post explains why the equinox comes early in 2012.

 

Have a Blessed Week
Love & Light
Karen
The Spirit Way 

22 Reasons To Never Give Up

http://www.pickthebrain.com/blog/22-reasons-to-never-give-up/

Written by Diggy

At some point in the various journeys we embark on in our lives, we get to a part where we feel like giving up. Sometimes we give up before we even start and other times we give up just before we are about to make that huge break-through that we have been putting so much effort in to achieve.

I have created this list of 22 reasons why you should never give up and I hope that you will find it before you give up, so that I can inspire you to keep going!

1-As Long As You Are Alive Anything Is Possible

The only valid excuse you have to give up is if you are dead. As long as you are alive (and healthy and free) you have the choice to keep trying until you finally succeed.

2-Be Realistic

The chance of mastering something the first time you do it is almost non-existent. Everything takes time to learn and you will make mistakes. Learn from them.

3-Michael Jordan

Arguably the best basketball player of all time. He attributes his success to all his failures. He just never gave up even when he knew he had missed over 300 shots and had missed the  winning shot of the game many times. Every time he got knocked down he got back up again.

4-Lance Armstrong

Lance was diagnosed with serious cancer that had spread throughout his entire body. He had cancer cells the size of golf balls in his lungs. Despite all odds he overcame the cancer and set out to win the Tour de France 6 Consecutive years in a row.

5-Muhammad Ali

“Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee”. Muhammad Ali is one of the best boxers the world has ever known. He suffered only 5 losses while having 56 wins and was the first boxer to win the lineal heavyweight championship three times. This is a guy who literally knows how to get knocked down and get back up.

6-The Man Who Created The Marathon

Very long ago an Athenian herald was sent to Sparta to get help when the Persians landed in Greece. It was said that he ran 240km in 2 days and after that he ran 40km to announce the victory of the Greeks only to collapse and die on the spot from exhaustion. If you ever feel like things are difficult, imagine what it would be like to run 240km in 2 days. (Don’t try that because you might die from it, but use it as an inspiration).

7-Chris Gardner – The Pursuit of Happiness

Have you seen the movie “The Pursuit of Happiness”? It is based on the life story of Chris Gardener, a man who went for the lowest of the lows in an environment where most people would give up (no money, no job) to the highest of the highs (A millionaire with his own investment firm). If you ever think about giving up, watch this movie!

8-Kanye West

I’m pretty sure you have heard of the rapper Kanye West. Read his story. He is a big inspiration for me and proves that you can go from having very little to being among the most famous and respected people in the world.

9-Nelson Mandela

Campaigned for justice and freedom in his South Africa. Spent 20 years in jail for his opposition to apartheid. On release he healed the wounds of apartheid by his magnanimous attitude toward his former political enemies.

10- You Are Strong

You are stronger than you think. One little setback is not enough to stop you from achieving your goals. Neither are 10 or 100 or 1000 setbacks.

11-Prove Yourself

You don’t want to be known as someone that is weak and gives up. Go out there and prove yourself to the world and to yourself. You CAN and WILL achieve what you set out to do. The only time you fail is when you give up.

12-Has It Been Done Before?

If someone else can do it then so can you. Even if it is only one other person in the world that has achieved what you have set out to achieve, that should be reason enough for you to never give up.

13-Believe In Your Dreams

Don’t sell yourself short. In life there are going to be many people who will try to bring you down and tell you what you want to achieve is not possible. Don’t let anyone destroy your dreams.

14-Your Family and Friends.

Let the people you love and who mean the world to you be your inspiration to persist and persevere. Maybe you need to try a different angle, study more or practice more but don’t give up!

15-Because I Tell You To.

Not that I am any sort of guru or Godly figure, but if you want to give up then don’t. Just because I’m telling you not to.

16-There Are People Worse-Off

Right now there are many people who are in a worse situation and environment than you are right now. Are you thinking about giving up running 5 miles a week? Think about the people who are unable to even walk and how much they would give to be able to run 5 miles every day.

17-Improve Our World

When you achieve whatever you set out to achieve you can use your success to make a difference to the world or other peoples lives.

18-Get Rich or Die Trying

Like Fiddy (50 cent) says, “Get rich or die trying”. 50 Cent is rich, he made it (although he did get shot 9 times). Face your fears and don’t take the easy way out by giving up.

19-Let The Haters Hate

There will always be haters. There will always be plenty of naysayers  and people who try to tear you down. Don’t pay attention to them and don’t take what they say to heart. Let the haters hate and you keep believing in yourself.

20-You Deserve To Be Happy

Don’t ever let anybody tell you otherwise. You deserve to be happy and you deserve to have success. Keep that mindset and never give up until you reach your destination!

21-Inspire Others

Be an inspiration to others by refusing to give up. Who knows what someone else can achieve because you never gave up and in turn inspired them not to give up.

22-         You Are So Close

Often when you feel like you want to give up and you are about to give up you are so close to making a huge break-thru. Seth Godin has written an awesome book about this called “The Dip” – a riveting read that teaches that at any given time you are always just a heartbeat away from success.

P.S. NEVER GIVE UP!

 

Have a Blessed Weekend
Love & Light
Karen
The Spirit Way
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How to Attract Positive Energy and Dispel Negative Energy

http://www.outofstress.com/attract-positive-energy/

Written by: Sen – CalmDownMind.com

Every moment you have a choice – to be at peace or to be in resistance. When you are at peace you attract positive energy and when you resist you create negative vibes that reflect back on your being. It’s a simple choice and yet most people unconsciously choose to live in negativity.

It’s not your boss, colleagues, parents, ex or the traffic, but your own perception that creates stress and negative energy. Circumstances are neutral. You will generate positive vibes when your inner state is one of alignment and congruence, instead of being resistive.

 Here are a few tips to attract positive energy by staying in touch with your inner peace and stillness.

Start Your Day With Meditation

Any form of meditation is helpful but it’s best to keep it simple. Just practice the meditation of becoming aware of your presence. You don’t have to sit in any strident posture, just relax and feel your consciousness or presence in the midst of the thoughts and emotions. This is a very powerful practice that creates a positive vibe throughout the body.

 Treat Everyone the Way You Want to be Treated

A day is easily ruined when you start holding resentment against someone. Know that everything is oneness and though we appear as different forms, everything is the manifestation of the one true essence. When you see others as yourself you will not harbor negative feelings and in turn your attitude will attract positive energy from the people around you.

 Let Go of Your Need to Control

Life is a flux and its nature is change. The more you resist the more you will suffer. Whenever you try to control a life situation, you will feel stressed out and this will generate a lot of negative energy. Just imagine life to be a raging river, does it serve any purpose to struggle? Wouldn’t it be much more relaxing and peaceful if you just let go and allow yourself to float with the flow? People who stay surrendered and relaxed generate a lot of positive energy and attract the grace of life.

 See the Positive in Every Situation

Know that good and bad are just perceptions created in the conditioned mind. In reality every life situation is pure grace and is the manifestation of the one truth – call it god or spirit or energy. When you see every situation with this innocence, it will reveal its grace to you.

 Visualize a Peaceful Life

Your mind might be addicted to negative thinking, most minds are. You will have to consciously break out of this addiction if you want to attract positive energy within you. Stay conscious and see your mind churning out fearful images. Stop thinking these thoughts and focus your attention on visualizing a peaceful flow of life. You will be amazed at the positive vibes you feel in your body.

 Stop Worrying About the Future

Worry has not served any purpose to this date for anyone. Whatever has to happen will happen, there is nothing you will achieve by worrying about it. In fact what you worry about will not even happen most of the times. So why waste energy dwelling on worries? You are unconsciously creating a lot of negative energy inside you which is harmful to your whole being. Just plan practically and leave the rest to life.

 Drop the Resentment Within

The past is past, it has no reality than as a memory trace. Can you live in such simplicity? After all if you don’t continuously think up a bad memory you will not feel any resentment within. So just learn to forgive and move on. There is a lot positive energy in the simple act of forgiveness.

 Stay as the Presence Instead of the Ego

While interacting with people try to stay as the conscious presence instead of dwelling in your mind. Be the unconditioned presence, allowing people to talk or interact with you without taking offence or protecting opinions. People will get attracted to your calm nature as it radiates a lot of positive energy.

 Look at the Nature

If you want to attract positive energy just look at the nature for a while. A tree or a flower, it just rests in stillness and moves with the wind. There is a peace that radiates from their being. This peace will ignite your own inner true nature of stillness.

 Feel the Spaciousness in Your Body

Just close your eyes and try to feel your body from within. You will be surprised at the spaciousness of your body. It feels like a lot of empty space with a few sensations here and there. This inner body realization will free up any stored negative energy. After a few moments of inner body realization you will feel light and at ease.

These are some simple techniques to attract positive energy into your being. Remember that staying conscious and dwelling in presence is your true nature, and it’s always peaceful and radiant of positive energy.

Have a Blessed Week
Love & Light
Karen
The Spirit Way 

Understanding Your Dharma

By: http://sattvaschoolofyoga.com/understanding-your-dharma/

Why am I here? This is probably one of the most commonly asked questions in the world … it seems like such a simple question and yet we all know there are many layers to it. If you listen closely, you know intuitively there is an answer; the difficult part is trusting in this answer. Trust takes time and confidence to cultivate…we are always second guessing and double checking to make sure that what we feel and think is aligned with where we want to go, so that we can take the next step that is right for us. We all want to know what the next step is.

So what is your path, your life’s calling? In India, they refer to this as dharma. Each person has a dharma, and that is his or her obligation and responsibility for this particular life. It IS the reason we are here. It is the deep motivating movement that comes up frequently, the private one we listen to at night with our eyes closed but which we aren’t always quite brave enough to purse. This is your life’s work – an incredibly spiritual calling, no matter what that work is.

Your life path and purpose are also connected to your karma, which are past experiences and where you have gone up until this point. This karma seems to carve out a particular path for us to follow … the path of least resistance. If we can actually follow this path, then we can achieve a level of understanding where we can look back and say “ah, this all makes sense.” Drawing this perception into present life experience, you see that each decision leads us into the next. At the same time, these decisions almost feel predetermined, like we are just playing a role in a larger theatrical play. Potentially then, everything happens for a reason and as it is happening it is our practice to be present and take note.

Sadhana, your particular practice, is the means by which you can connect to your path. Commitment to a practice shows you the way to your dharma by gradually peeling back the layers of intention you communicate to yourself – through your actions, your words, your thoughts, and the general way you exist inside yourself and in the world around you. Within this community of yoga, we do physical postures, breathing and meditation as our practice. Each one of these techniques takes you deeper into the connection of why you are here which propels your forward into your life’s work.

So why yoga as your practice and not something else? It is important to ask the question why. To answer, you must look to what you feel as your intention. Generally in the context of yoga, there is a practice for impermanent gains for physical body or for a relationship. Then there is a form of practice that is for a more spiritual gain and focused upon yourself, so that the work you do is for you, for your own spiritual realization. And within this spiritual motive there arises a practice that is for the sake of others. You get on your mat or sit in meditation for the personal growth of others. One usually comes before the next; generally we must become selfish before we become selfless. This is a natural progression. The practice that you do, whatever it is, is what helps you to weed out and let go of that which is unethical or ego driven. When the distraction of the ego weakens we begin to see clearly the true reason we are here. It is a continuous cycle of letting go and realigning with our purpose, over and over again. The practice enhances and develops that which is grounded into the whole reason why you are here. In this sense, it doesn’t really matter so much why you are doing your practice – there is no right or wrong. But it is important to identify what the reason is, as this provides the fuel for your practice so that you can move forward on your path of realization and understanding.

Have a Blessed Weekend
Love & Light
Karen
The Spirit Way 

7 REASONS TO BE HAPPY EVEN IF THINGS AREN’T PERFECT NOW

http://tinybuddha.com/blog/7-reasons-to-be-happy-even-if-things-aren%E2%80%99t-perfect-now/

By: Lori Deschene

“Being happy doesn’t mean that everything is perfect. It means you’ve decided to look beyond the imperfections.” -Unknown

Even though I couldn’t possibly care less about oil-based raincoats, I listened to him talk for about 15 minutes one rainy morning last week.

This little guy, with his colorful button-down shirt and funny-looking hat makes my day most mornings. He works at the 7-11 where I get my coffee. And he always seems happy.

At first I thought he was just putting on a good face, making the best of a tough situation. After all, he couldn’t possibly enjoy working at a convenience store, right? Then I realized I was missing the biggest part of his appeal: he does enjoy his job, and that’s why he seems so happy—because he is.Man that’s awesome. I aim to be like him.

My life doesn’t always look exactly like I want it to. I spend many days writing alone in my living room, when I’d rather work from a beachside office space I share with friends. I drive a beat-up old Toyota, when I’d far prefer something that doesn’t have roll-up windows or a cassette player.

But the world doesn’t change all that much if I have more money, a different space, a better job, or a nicer car. The wrapping paper is different, but the gift inside stays the same.

The way I feel about myself; how much I open myself to new people and experiences; how often I choose to smile simply because it feels good. None of these things depend on my life situation. Colorful shirt guy knows that. I suspect he knows these things, too:

 

1. Enjoying the present moment is a habit that takes practice. If you always look toward tomorrow for happiness, odds are you will do the same when you attain what you’ve been dreaming of. As strange it sounds, the ability to appreciate what’s in front of you has nothing to do with what you actually have. It’s more about how you measure the good things in your life at any given time.

Practice wanting what you have and it will feel even sweeter when you eventually have what you want. Look around—what’s in front of you that can enjoy?

 

2. Finding reasons to be happy now can benefit your future. Dr. Dacher Keltner of the University of California claims she can predict a person’s future by judging the strength of their smile. Researchers examined yearbook photos of 111 female students taken between 1958 and 1960. Subsequent tests revealed that the women who expressed more positive emotion in those photos became more mentally focused, had more successful marriages, and enjoyed a greater sense of well-being.

 

From the article:

“While positive emotion tends to broaden thought, negative emotion tends to narrow it and hold back development….The findings of Dr Keltner and his colleagues, published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, are among the first to show that differences in the extent to which people express emotion may be stable throughout their lives and dictate personal and social success.”

 

3. Tuning into joy can improve your health, something that affords you many possibilities in life. Something that most people take for granted until it’s compromised.

Christopher Peterson, Ph.D of the University of Michigan—who has studied optimism’s link to health for over 20 years—shows optimistic people have a stronger immune system than their negative counterparts. This may be due to their tendency to take better care of themselves. Choose to be happy now and you’ll have more days of good health to enjoy.

 

4. Consistent, long-term happiness depends on your ability to notice and appreciate the details; you can hone that skill right now. Once you get everything you want, you will still be subject to life’s highs and lows. If you haven’t learned to enjoy the little things, your well-being will parallel your life’s circumstances. Every time something goes wrong, you’ll feel deeply unhappy (as opposed to disappointed but determined to make the best of things).

Think about the things that fill you with the most joy—spending time with your pets, listening to the rain, and running on the beach, for example. Focus on those things right now, and let them brighten your day. That way, no matter what changes, you’ll have a variety of simple pleasures to help you through.

 

5. Every day is a new opportunity to be better than yesterday; that pursuit can increase your self esteem and, accordingly, your happiness. I used to be obsessed with being perfect. If I wasn’t the best at something, I couldn’t sleep at night. Becoming great never felt as good as I imagined it would because there was always room to be better. I was constantly dissatisfied and disappointed in myself.

I now look at the things I do as opportunities to get better from one day to the next. It’s more satisfying to set and meet an attainable goal, like focusing better and writing an extra article tomorrow, than it is to obsess about perfection, stressing because I’m not a world-famous author.

By focusing on small improvements and mini-goals, you’ll naturally move yourself toward your larger dreams. And you’ll respect the way you’re doing things.

 

6. You can be who you want to be right now, no matter what your situation looks like. You may think life needs to change dramatically for you to be the person you want to be. That you can’t be giving unless you make more money. Or you can’t be adventurous until you sell your house. The truth is you can be those things at any point in time.

So you don’t have money to share. Be generous with your compassion, and listen when your friends have problems. So your house hasn’t sold, pinning you in one place. Create adventure in your day by trying new things and introducing yourself to new people.

You never know when your nows will run out—so ask yourself, “How can I be that person I want to be in this moment?”

 

7. Finding joy in the present moment—no matter how inadequate it may seem—makes a difference in other people’s lives. Though we all have different lists of dreams and goals, for most of us this is at the forefront : the possibility of living a meaningful life that affects other people for the better.

 

Happiness is a moment-to-moment choice, one that many have a hard time making. Other people will notice if you make that choice. And you will motivate them to do the same. As the research above indicates, this motivation has a substantial impact on their health and future happiness.

 

I know this isn’t your usual reasons-to-be-happy post. It didn’t start or end with “count your blessings” and I didn’t delve into your relationships or good fortune. There’s a very good reason for that.

I don’t think happiness is so much about what you have. What you have changes; your “blessings” evolve. Happiness is about how you interpret what’s in front of you. How proud you are of the way you live your life. How willing you are to enjoy simple pleasures, even if things aren’t perfect.

Though I have’t always done this well, today I choose to focus on the good—both in the world and myself—to feel happy right now. How will you tune into happiness today?

 

Have a Blessed Day
Love & Light
Karen
The Spirit Way 

Having One Of Those Days? Here’s How To Deal With It

By: http://www.organizeit.co.uk/2008/05/26/having-one-of-those-days-heres-how-to-deal-with-it/

We all have one of those days from time to time. But what do we mean when we say that? Typically one or more bad things happen that put you in an unhappy mood. Maybe you feel everybody is on your back or your computer is constantly breaking down when you need to finish a report. Perhaps all your current work isn’t satisfactory, the deadline is getting closer and you just can’t seem to get focused. Without really thinking about it we put it all down to fate or being unlucky and then we typically end up feeling sorry for ourselves. That can then spiral and affect the rest of our day. However, it need not be this way. Here is a handy guide to getting your day back on track.

 

Take a breather

Get away from it all. Disconnect the phone, turn off the computer. Heck, lock yourself in a cupboard if you can’t get away from work. Give yourself a chance to clear your head and gain some perspective. You can’t get hold of your day if you don’t give yourself a chance to regain control. One or two unfortunate events will effect your mood which can ultimately cause things to spiral if you don’t take a step back

Work out what the problem is

What makes you think you are having one of those days? Was it the moody customer who shouted at you? Have you been inundated with work because two of your staff are off sick? Having one of those days will put you in a bad mood. It’s important to know exactly what the cause is so you can do something about it.

Shit happens…

There is a logical, rational reason for everything. You might not directly cause it but it’s there all the same. If a customer gives you a hard time because another department didn’t do its job properly, that’s unfortunate. But these things do happen. If you’re dwelling on it while hiding in the cupboard, tell yourself you were just in the wrong place at the wrong time.

…but could I have done something about it?

Things happen that ruin our day which are out of our control, but there also things that, in hindsight, we could have influenced or can yet gain some control over. Could you perhaps have dealt with the rude customer a little better? Can you defer or delegate the workload till the absent staff return? Take the lessons from the experience now so it doesn’t mess up another day in the future.

Treat yourself and move on

Rationalizing and being proactive will help you to smooth out the whole unpleasantness but if it fixed your entire day you wouldn’t be having one of those days in the first place. Take lessons from the experience and try and get through the rest of the day. Treat yourself by going for retail therapy, having a nice meal or watching a film, if it helps. Then get to sleep. You will almost certainly feel much better the next day.

Don’t live in a bubble

A boxer will never be successful if he just runs around the ring avoiding his opponent’s blows. Likewise you will never get anywhere if you are not willing to take the knocks and blows that life will all to readily dish out. You may feel like hiding in your shell when the day turns against you, but resist that urge, it’s not an habit you want to slip into. Shake it off and get back in the fight.

 

Have a Blessed Weekend
Love & Light
Karen
The Spirit Way 

Synchronicity: signs from the universe

http://www.thedailyawe.com/2010/09/synchronicity-signs-from-the-universe/

By LINDSAY on SEPTEMBER 7, 2010

We’ve all had experiences of synchronicity – we might be singing a song in our heads and then when we get into the car, that same song is playing on the radio. We might think of someone we haven’t seen in ages and then a few hours later have a phone or email from that person. Maybe you’ve heard different people all say the same thing to you in one day. Or maybe someone recommends a book to you that was loaned to you by another friend the day before. While it would be easy to shrug these incidences off as mere coincidence, these moments are far more powerful than many of us realize. These are synchronicities: meaningful coincidences that you attract into your life to help your soul grow and evolve.

 

What is synchronicity?

Carl Jung said studied synchronicity extensively. He said, “Synchronicity is the coming together of inner and outer events in a way that cannot be explained by cause and effect and that is meaningful to the observer.”

Of synchronicity, Deepak Chopra says, “My own life has been touched often by synchronicity, so much so that now I get on an airplane expecting the passenger in the next seat to be surprisingly important to me, either just the voice I need to hear to solve a problem or a missing link in a transaction that needs to come together….”

Simply put: synchronicity is an interconnection with the Universe. It is evidence that we are all connected. For example, if you are thinking of having a burrito for lunch and an hour later a co-worker asks you to join her for Mexican for lunch – that is an a good example of synchronicity and the inter-connectedness of us all!

Synchronicities are happening all of the time. You just have to trust in spirit and the Universe. And yourself. As you notice more synchronicities, more will happen. This isn’t because you’re willing them to fruition, but because your spirit guides/the universe/god (whatever you feel comfortable with) are sending more your way as you become more open. Amazing situations happen when your inner awareness changes. Your energetic thoughts and intents and direction of interests and desires will align with all the natural vibrations around you, opening you up for more of these experiences.

 

How can I open myself up to more synchronicities?

The Universe is always willing and waiting to show you what is meant for you. Synchronicities gently guide and direct you to what is in alignment with your own personal growth. Synchronicities are a little nudge for your soul – a hint for you to watch and wait for something. Sometimes, they are the smack in your head you needed – the answer you have been waiting for.  You just need to be open to them. Acknowledge the ‘hits’ when you get them, smile and ask for more.

In my life, I’ve been contemplating how to go about opening up a Reiki practice. I know in my heart this is what I want, but I have moments of panic and doubt that make me question whether or not I should really do it. The other night I went to bed asking for a ‘sign’ to show whether or not my desire to practice Reiki professionally was the right move. I got an email the very next morning from the Universe. Okay, cheesy, I know.  I know it’s sent by a man (or woman) and not the Universe but I still enjoy reading them. It’s just like reading your horoscope every day and knowing that it is far too general to really be all that accurate, but sometimes it just speaks to you and your situation.

Anyway – the message from the Universe that day contained my answer: The entire world now spins in the palm of your hand, Lindsay. A Reiki praictice is not asking for too much. Synchronicity, indeed.

 

Have a Blessed day
Love & Light
Karen
The Spirit Way 

How to Make Good Choices

http://articles.submityourarticle.com/Shannon-Graham-2583/self-help-21783.php

By: Shannon Graham

Have you ever regretted anything? I think we all have. It is hard not to, it seems at times it can be very difficult to know what the right decision is. In life I believe we all move toward things that make us happy, and away from that which could hurt us or make us sad, I also believe that all people no matter who they are; are entitled to as much happiness and success as they want. I wrote this article because I know what kind of capacity people potentially have; I know they are capable of great things. I wrote this article to share with you a few different tools and techniques that have increased my ability to make better choices and regret less. Read this article with an open mind and just try some of the ideas out, I mean what is the worst that could happen? Your life would get better?

 

Step 1: Say It Right

Often times it can be difficult if not impossible to make what you think at that moment will be the right choice. One of the biggest factors that will hold people back, is that to too often than not we are not completely clear on what type of result or outcome we want from a situation. Think about it, if you don’t really know what kind of result you want it is going to be pretty hard to know what choice is going to be the right one. So what do you do? You get clear, before you make any choice you think about what you want out of the situation. Think about its effects in the long term, and short term. Knowing exactly what you want is very powerful, and if you commit to using this tool I know you will make choices with ease and certainty.

 

Step 2: Give a little

We have all heard the golden rule; Do onto others as you would have them do onto you. This is probably one of the most important ideas to keep in mind when making good choices. When we are young a lot of us develop this me, me, me, attitude. We want all the toys, and we don’t want to share. Now this mentality may get us a lot of toys, but it defiantly doesn’t help you make friends. In this day and age a large part of personal success is based on working with others to achieve ours goals. If we can help others get what they want, it will be much easier and they will be much more willing to help us get what we want. So when making any choice it is always ideal to think about how can I give in this situation? Who else is involved? How can I help them and my self get what we want? Now you have a formula that is a winner every time. So put forth some effort to being aware of others, and get out there and give!

 

Step 3: Class Time

Now many of us think once we have finished high school or college the learning is over. Well my friends this could not be further from the truth. The only thing that changes is your class room environment. We are always learning new things, meeting new people, and gathering new information. Although one lesson that eludes many of us is that no matter what happens in any situation we can always learn. So many of us are afraid to make bad choices because we do not want to encounter the pain that will accompany that choice. Yet keep in mind whatever we think about is what we manifest, so unfortunately when we get overly concerned with making the wrong choice we tend it descend further and further into that fear based thinking that in turn leads us to make a decision that we are unhappy with. All because we were not focused on the right things. I think it is pretty safe to say any skill or ability or just about anything else that we have developed in our life we did not do, or gain on the first try. A lot of us all want everything to just work out the first time and avoid failure at all costs. Well there is a term for that my friends and its called luck! The truth is most of the time things are not going to work out on the first attempt, but if we are willing to learn from the outcome then we are more prepared next time to make a better decision. The quality of your choices will be directly related to how much you are willing to learn from the previous ones. When you learn from your choices you end up with much less regret.

 

Step 4: Fear Is Your Friend

When it comes to making choices there can be a lot of fear involved. A lot of uncertainty can be present when it is time for us to make a decision be it big or small. Sadly there are times when this fear is so strong, so gripping that we are stripped completely of our ability to make any choice at all. That is what I consider true regret because there is nothing to learn from, no action good or bad was taken. But we have to remember fear is there for a reason, but we can choose how we are going to use it. The discomfort that comes with fear more often than not is a signal, a signal telling us that we are on the brink of something new, some personal growth, or even a breakthrough. Fear is there to let you know you are growing, to show you there is still uncharted territory for you to explore. Imagine all the people in history that must have been afraid, who went forth away to discover new worlds, create new sciences, and make the world a better place to live. Now I am not saying that you want to go down in the pages of history, but you can have your own victories and triumphs when you choose to make fear your friend.

As we move through this journey of life we will surely encounter many valleys, although it is my strong belief that if you make a sound effort to make this previous ideas not only some tips and tricks you know, rather to make them a part of who you are. Own them, and they will reap for you great reward and you will find your self atop countless peaks.

 

Have a Blessed Weekend
Love & Light
Karen
The Spirit Way