Unlimited Vision

Everything is in Divine Order

• http://www.dailyom.com/articles/2010/24420.html

We can only see so much from where we sit in our particular bodies, in the midst of our particular lives, rooted as we are in the continuum of space and time. The divine, on the other hand, is not limited to the constructs of either space or time, and its wisdom and workings often elude us as we try to make sense of what is happening in our lives. This is why things are not always what they seem to be and even the best-laid plans are sometimes overturned. Even when we feel we have been guided by our intuition every step of the way, we may find ourselves facing unexpected loss and disappointment. At times like these, we can find some solace in trusting that no matter how bad or just plain inexplicable things look from our perspective, they are, in fact, in divine order.

Even as we take our places in this earthly realm, a part of us remains completely free of the confines we face here. Regardless of what is happening in our lives, this part of us remains infused with joy and gratitude, connected to the unbroken source from which we come. Our small self, on the other hand, who is caught up in our false identity as a being limited in space and time, regards happiness as the result of things going the way it wants them to go. It is this part of us that suffers the greatest confusion and upset when the logic of events does not compute. And it is to this self that we must extend unconditional love, forgiveness, and compassion. In order to do this, we tap into our inner divinity, holding the space of a tender authority, extending love and light to our ego as a mother extends her love to a troubled child.

There are many ways to access our inner divinity—meditation, prayer, chanting, channeling, and conscious breathing, to name a few. It is helpful to develop a regular practice that provides us access to this all-powerful, healing presence, as it can be difficult to reach once we are in a stressful position, if we have not already established a connection. The more connected we are with this part of ourselves, the more we share its unlimited vision and the secure, knowing that all the things of our life, no matter how they appear, are in a state of divine and perfect order. 

In the human heart

On this day of your life, I believe God wants you to know...

...that the salvation of this human world lies nowhere else than in the human heart, in the human power to reflect, in human meekness and human responsibility.

Vaclav Havel said that and he was right. Some people say that our salvation lies with God, or with God's Son, yet is not the human heart the place where such Divinity is found?

Therefore open your heart, and open TO your heart, that you may hear its call to reflect, to be meek, and to be responsible.

Love, Your Friend...

Neale Donald Walsch

How Your Words Can Change Your Life

by Barrie Davenport

The spoken word has incredible power.

If you can harness that power and put it to work in a positive way, you can change your life and become a happier, more successful person. This isn’t new age psychobabble — there’s science behind it.

I have become fascinated with the science of neuroplasticity and the impact it has on our ability to “live bold and bloom.” Neuroplasticity is a term that describes the ability of the brain to change and adapt in response to stimuli, cognitive demands, and new learning. As a result, the brain can create new neural pathways and connections.

For the damaged or disabled brain (such as people with strokes or brain injuries), plasticity allows the brain to repair or reroute damaged neural pathways so a person can re-learn to use functions previously lost to brain damage. With repetitive practice, a stroke victim can learn to re-use an affected limb because other parts of the brain begin to take over the movement function for that limb.

For me and you in our everyday lives, the adaptable brain allows us to make profound positive changes if we are willing to do the work. One area where this work has a daily practical application is with our words and the language we use. 


“Be careful of your thoughts; they may become words at any moment.” ~Ira Gassen

If you are repetitively thinking negative thoughts, you are actually strengthening neural pathways in your brain that support continued negative thinking. Negative thinking leads to negative feelings, and negative feelings impact your relationships, work, motivation and sense of well-being.

Now, if you speak your negative thoughts and put your feelings into words, you are exponentially reinforcing your brain to remain in that negative thought pattern. If your language is filled with fearful comments, self-condemnation, negative remarks about others, complaints, or self-pity, you are literally talking yourself into more of the same.

Alternatively, if you focus your mind on positive and affirming thoughts, even if you don’t feel happy or positive in the moment, you will stimulate and reinforce the “happy” part of your brain. With repetitive practice, your feelings will change for the better, supported by a stronger happy brain function.
If you want to accelerate the process of feeling great about yourself and your life, change your language to reflect your positive thinking. Speaking words puts action behind thought. It gives momentum and reality to the thought.

Changing your language is the first real action step toward changing your life for the better.
Now, I suspect some might see this positive talk as potentially false or too Pollyanna. Well it might be. You don’t have to believe it at first to begin the practice of retraining your brain. You just have to speak the words and try to put some feeling behind them. As with physical exercise, you get stronger and more motivated as you continue the practice.

Awareness of your own thought and language habits is the key to this work.
If you accept and embrace (and I hope you do) that you can change your life by changing your thoughts and words, then you must start paying attention to your thoughts and words.

Here are some ways that you can begin to incorporate a new positive language in your daily life:

1. Language starts with thought. Pay attention to your thoughts, and whenever you catch yourself in a negative thought pattern, bring it to a screeching halt. Immediately say out loud, “Stop!” Break the pattern by speaking or singing something to distract you from the negative thoughts. Repeat this for five minutes to unlock the negative pattern.

2. Start your day with verbal intention. When you wake up, go to your mirror and have a chat with yourself. State out loud your intention for how your day will proceed. For example, say something like, “I intend to have a joyful, fun and productive day filled with positive and successful interactions and events.”

3. Use car time as self-talk time. My friend Steve Chandler who is a speaker and coach uses his time in the car to practice his coaching and speaking skills out loud. Instead of listening to negative news on the radio or feeling anxious about traffic, use the time in the car to repeat positive affirmations about yourself or to rehearse a positive conversation or presentation. You may feel goofy doing this, but do it anyway. This verbal activity will reinforce the feelings behind the words you are speaking.

4. Disengage from negative conversations. When other people start kvetching about their day or some co-worker or politics, politely excuse yourself from the conversation. If that’s not possible, do what you can to steer the conversation in a more positive direction. Whatever you do, don’t participate in this pessimistic discourse. There is nothing positive that will come from it.

5. Express gratitude. Several times a day, take a moment to look around you and verbally acknowledge what you are grateful for. I just did this little exercise as I am writing this post and expressed gratitude for my computer, my ability to write, the people who will be reading my post, the bird on the limb outside my window, the books on my desk. You get the picture. Good things are all around us, and if we take the time to see them and speak thanks for them, we begin to feel uplifted and happy.

6. Follow difficult words with action words. There are times when we do have to speak about negative, painful or unpleasant things. During these times, speaking about our pain helps us unburden ourselves from it. It is a necessary part of healing. But once the burden begins to lift, follow up with words and discussion around healing and action. Speak about feeling better and moving forward even before you feel ready to do so. You will be paving the path for yourself as you take the first step toward healing and happiness.

7. Include writing in the mix. If you really want to give your brain a double whammy, write down your affirmations, words of gratitude or positive thoughts, before you speak them. Writing about these ideas is another reinforcing action step that sends signals to the pre-frontal cortex, stimulating feelings of joy.

8. Do the work consistently. Strengthening your brain and transforming your thoughts and feelings takes practice. Like exercise, the work must be done regularly and with intensity if you want to see results.

Commit to pro-actively speaking positive affirmations and words of gratitude at least three times a day. Pay attention to your thoughts and words all the time. Regularly remove yourself from negative conversations. Rate your level of happiness and contentment on a scale of one to ten as you begin this work, and then rate yourself again after a month or two to see how you are progressing.

Your words are tools that can set you free and change your life. Choose them wisely.

• http://liveboldandbloom.com/03/self-improvement/how-your-language-can-change-your-life

 

Change for the better

On this day of your life, I believe God wants you to know...

...that all change is change for the better.

There is no such thing as "change for the worse."

Change is the process of Life Itself, and that process could be called by the name "evolution." And evolution moves in only one direction: forward, and toward improvement.

Therefore, when change visits your life, you can be sure things are turning for the better. It may not look that way in the very moment change arrives, but if you will wait a while and have faith in the process, you will see that this is true.

Neale Donald Walsch 

The law of attraction cannot change anything in your life that you hate, because hate prevents the change from coming. Since the law is giving us exactly what we are putting out, when you hate something the law must continue to give you more of what you hate. You will not be able to move away from it. Love is the only way. If you focus completely on the things you love, then you are on your way to a beautiful life.

May the joy be with you,

Rhonda Byrne

Gazing Upon Goodness

The Importance of Seeing the Good in All

It is important to see the good in all as there are blessings in every aspect of our reality, and the potential for grace exists in all beings.

Our perception shapes the lives we lead because the universe adjusts itself almost instantly to our expectations. When we look for negativity, we are bound to come across it in abundance. Conversely, we create positive energy when we endeavor to see the goodness around us. As easy as it is to criticize the people and situations that frustrate or hurt us, we do ourselves a disservice in the process. It is important to see the good in all as there are blessings hiding in every aspect of our outer-world reality, and the potential for grace exists in all human beings. When our lives are flooded with challenges, grief, and pain, we may be tempted to believe that some individuals or incidents are simply bad. But if we look for the good in all, good reveals itself to us, easing our doubts and reminding us that the universe is a place of balance.

There is a perceptible energetic shift that takes place when we choose to see the good in all. The unnecessary tension that came into being when we dwelled on negativity fades away and is replaced by sympathetic tolerance. We can forgive those that have wronged us because we recognize in them traits we admire, and we may even discover that we can bring out the good in one another. Though loss still grieves us, we recognize the beginning of a new phase of existence that abounds with fresh opportunities. Each new challenge becomes another chance to prove ourselves, and we learn to show great patience in the face of difficulty. There are few pleasures greater than gazing outward and seeing beauty, wisdom, and harmony. These are the attributes of the universe that help us to cope when we encounter their opposing forces.

Since you create your reality, you make your world a better place each time you acknowledge the good in your circumstances and in the people you encounter. As you draw attention to the positive aspects of the world around you, your understanding of the affirmative nature of all existence will grow. There are few lessons you will learn in this life that will prove as instrumental to your happiness and satisfaction. In appreciating the all pervasive goodness that exists in the universe, you internalize it, making it a lasting part of your life. 

Daily OM

• http://www.dailyom.com/articles/2010/24151.html

6 Virtues that Can Radically Improve Your Life

By Stacey Porto, CC

“Moral excellence comes about as a result of habit. We become just by doing just acts, temperate by doing temperate acts, brave by doing brave acts.” ~Aristotle

Moral excellence, as Aristotle says, is a result of habit. Like anything else we want to master, to become morally excellent or more virtuous takes practice. Typically, we don’t go through our day thinking about whether we need to practice more kindness or more commitment or even more love. Morals or virtues are usually ingrained in us and come naturally, right? Yes, but if we became more mindful of the difference that the practice of virtues can make in daily life, we will undoubtedly lead a more fulfilling and happy life. Mainly because we are striving for excellence; our personal best based in virtues such as love, kindness, gratefulness, courage, and integrity.

By practicing the following six virtues, your life can radically improve in the form of better relationships, peaked performance, and fulfillment of your dreams.

1. Commitment

Without commitment, we have little direction or purpose in life. We fall victims to our circumstances, rather than being captains of our ships. But to commit to a worthy cause, to something that holds meaning for us, whether it’s a highly noble one like starting a nonprofit or simply promising to exercise regularly, is when things turn around. Now we have focusing power, there are no more questions, no more being on the fence or wavering in the face of fear, temptation or criticism. The moment we commit to something, thoughts become action and with true commitment, we become unstoppable.

Think about what you are committed to or not committed to in life. Our commitments either move us towards our goals or further away from our goals. The beauty is that we have a choice. We can continue committing to things that are not working for us or to nothing at all, which can lead to frustration, unhappiness and even addiction, or we can commit to things that matter to us and give our lives purpose.

2. Faith

How hard is it to have faith when things are not going well in life? This bad economy has surely tested the faith of many people. People have lost their jobs, foreclosed on their homes and lost their 401K’s. Yet, without faith, it’s tough to even get through another day. Having faith provides a spiritual foundation that allows us to push through difficulties again and again.

Take for example Nelson Mandela who endured 27 years in prison through faith. He had faith in what he stood for, the people’s support and in his eventual freedom, which gave him the will to persevere and keep his sanity. However, faith can be a challenge because we are trusting in things that we cannot see, and that’s not always easy. But when you are faced with a difficulty, practicing faith and trusting in the journey can help you press on and give you peace knowing that things will work out.

3. Forgiveness

When Dr. Wayne Dyer, a well-known personal development author and speaker, forgave his deceased father for abandoning him at just 4-years-old, his life turned around. Before he forgave his father, Dr. Dyer was overweight, in a bad relationship and drinking too much. His writing was not doing what he wanted. But after he forgave his father and released a lifetime of anger and bitterness, his whole life took off. He wrote the book Erroneous Zones, and 14 days after he wrote it, the book became a worldwide bestseller. He got back into shape and stopped drinking.

Forgiveness can change the course of our lives as it did with Dr. Dyer’s. It allows us to place our attention on other things in life instead of dwelling on our anger and resentment towards the offender. If there is someone you have not forgiven, think about how your lack of forgiveness is affecting your life and consider making amends with the person so that you can live your best life.

4. Gratitude

Gratitude is one virtue that, if practiced, our lives can improve right away. Our natural tendency is to think negatively, which can hurt our well-being. Gratitude helps us to shift negative thoughts to positive ones, and positive thoughts prevent negative emotions.

Also, grateful people, according to scientific research, recover more quickly from illness, cope better with stress, and benefit in greater physical health. There is always something to be grateful for in life. It’s not always easy to be thankful, especially during hard times, but by practicing gratitude we focus our thoughts on what is working in life and this can help us to make positive change.

5. Courage

What incredible insight C.S. Lewis had when he said, “Courage is not simply one of the virtues, but the form of every virtue at the testing point.” It sure does take great courage to persevere through obstacles. You need courage to be honest with someone about how you really feel. Integrity requires courage because you are doing the right thing no matter how tough it may be.

Think about being courageous when practicing virtues and you will find that becoming more virtuous will start to come easier.

6. Love

With love, all things are possible, fulfilling relationships, self-confidence from loving ourselves and service to others, for example. And when we look at any situation through the eyes of love, we will experience more peace and harmony and create the same for others. This may seem like a Pollyanna approach to life, and not always easy, but it’s a more enlightened way of being and peaceful path to follow rather than feeling angry and hurt.

Next time when a person or situation causes negative emotions, step back for a moment and make a choice to see that person or situation in a loving way. For example, if someone criticizes you, instead of getting defensive and angry, take a deep breath and make a choice to tell them how you feel, but with kindness and love. You will find that this practice can make for a more peaceful and happier experience for you and for them.

• http://www.thechangeblog.com/virtues-that-can-radically-improve-your-life

Author bio: Stacey Porto, CC, a certified life coach, is founder of Virtues for Life, www.virtuesforlife.com, a website designed to inspire and coach people in the daily practice of virtues so that they can become their personal best and, consequently, live more extraordinary lives. Subscribe to our Virtues for Life blog here for our latest posts. Also, have you practiced a virtue that made a difference in your life or someone else’s? Please write to us with your story. We would love to hear from you.

The simple art of kindness

Written by Corey

There’s something powerfully simple, and deeply profound in the Dalai Lama’s quote: “My religion is very simple. My religion is kindness.”

This single word can become the central tenet of your life, if you let it: “kindness”.

Kindness can guide every interaction you have with others, can guide your life’s work, can give meaning to your life, can even guide your eating, parenting, marriage, and more.

All else will melt away, if you let go of it, and leave only kindness.

Doing to others IS doing to yourself

The Golden Rule goes like this, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” But another idea of this rule – how you treat others is how your treat yourself.

Consider: when you react to others with anger or meanness, you are putting yourself in an angry mindset, a bad mood. You’ll likely feel pretty bad for at least an hour, if not all day.

When you are uncaring or indifferent to others, you also create an empty, blank feeling in yourself, a void that cannot be filled with gadgets, social networking, shopping, food, or possessions.

When instead you are kind, you build a good feeling within yourself, you make yourself happy. In effect, you are being kind to yourself.

Other outward-facing actions have a similar inward effect: if you want to learn, teach. If you need inspiration, inspire others. If you’re sad, cheer someone up.

mindfulness + kindfulness

It is near impossible, in my experience, to transition towards kindness without being mindful. Thoughtlessness leads to unkindnesses.

You must be mindful of every interaction with another human being. Approach each person mindfully, with your full attention, smiling, seeking to understand them, trying to interact with gentleness, warmth, compassion.

When someone comes to talk to you, when your kid tugs on your pant leg for attention, when your spouse starts speaking, turn to them without distraction, putting everything else away, and give your full attention. Listen. Be 100% present.

Here’s something beautiful: by treating others with kindness, you will create a happy feeling within yourself, effectively creating a positive feedback loop for your mindfulness. This will encourage you to be more mindful throughout your day, which will help you to treat others with yet more kindness, and so on.

Mindfulness and kindfulness feed on each other in a wonderful cycle.

ABOUT THE WRITER

 

Corey is the editor of Simple Marriage as well as a licensed marriage & family therapist. While he has a Ph.D. in Family Therapy, he only occasionally likes to be called doctor. If you enjoyed this post, please subscribe so you don't miss any future posts.

The Magic of Guarding Your Vibration

by Kate Corbin

 

"There is nothing wrong with you that cannot be fixed by what is right with you." - Michael Neill 

To recognize your vibration as a precious treasure is merely to hint at its value and significance in your life. Even fame and fortune pale by comparison. Everything you experience comes to you in response to your vibration. To live the life you desire, it will serve you very well indeed to guard your vibration as your most prized possession.

 

Your vibration, which consists of your thoughts, beliefs, attitudes and feelings, is the state from which you attract people and circumstances into your life. A high vibration attracts what you DO want and a low vibration attracts what you DO NOT want. 

As I've become ever more vigilant about guarding my vibration, I've noticed a tendency to activate past memories of sadness and disappointment. With awareness of this negative habit, I am now able to make a conscious choice to "not go there." With this awareness, I can swiftly replace sad thoughts with joyful, empowering thoughts. 

Here are some ways to guard YOUR precious vibration: 

Be Conscious. To be a Conscious Creator, it follows that you must be fully conscious, which means no more sleepwalking through life. With consciousness and awareness, you create deliberately rather than by default. Manage your vibration with conscious awareness and BE the Deliberate Creator you truly are.

 

Think Good Thoughts. You have a choice in every moment what kinds of thoughts to think and you create your reality based on this moment-to-moment choice. Thinking good thoughts produces good feelings which attracts good stuff. Be the gatekeeper and refuse to allow negative thoughts to enter your kingdom.

 

Focus on Positive Aspects. Set your intention to focus on the positive aspects in everyone and everything. 

Focus on what you DO WANT, not on what you DON'T WANT. Focus on what feels good, not what feels bad. Focus on the abundance, not the scarcity. Continuously seek out the most positive aspects of your life and consciously direct your attention there. 

Notice How You Feel. Remember to be extra vigilant about guarding your vibration when you're hungry, angry, lonely, or tired (good advice from AA). Taking good care of your vibration is also the best thing you can do for your health. When you think Feel-Good thoughts, your body releases Feel-Good chemicals into your system. 

Protecting your vibration is not a passive activity. It's a proactive exercise to keep tuning and retuning your vibration to what FEELS GOOD. It's a conscious commitment to keep focusing and refocusing on what you DO WANT.

 

When all is said and done, creating a wonderful life is simply a matter of choosing wonderful thoughts. As you guard your vibration by reaching for the best feeling thoughts you can find in each moment, you're creating the wonderful life you desire and deserve - one thought at a time. 

TO HAVE THE BEST DAY EVER,
THINK THE BEST THOUGHTS EVER!

 

Kate Corbin

The Questions of King Milinda

The Questions of King Milinda, Volume 01



The Questions of King Milinda, Volume 02

translated by T. W. Rhys Davids

Part I of II

Volume XXXV of "The Sacred Books of the East"

[1890]

---

Title Page
Contents
Introduction

Book I: The Secular Narrative

Book I

Book II: The Distinguishing Characteristics of Ethical Qualities

Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 3

Book III: The Removal of Difficulties

Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7

Book VI: The Solving of Dilemmas

Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4

Appendix

Devadatta in the Gâtakas
Addenda Et Corrigenda

• http://www.sacred-texts.com/bud/sbe35/index.htm

Love your fate

“Nietzsche was the one who did the job for me. At a certain moment in his life, the idea came to him of what he called “the love of your fate.” Whatever your fate is, whatever the hell happens, you say, “This is what I need.” It may look like a wreck, but go at it as though it were an opportunity, a challenge. If you bring love to that moment—not discouragement—you will find the strength is there. Any disaster that you can survive is an improvement in your character, your stature, and your life. What a privilege! This is when the spontaneity of your own nature will have a chance to flow. Then, when looking back at your life, you will see that the moments which seemed to be great failures followed by wreckage were the incidents that shaped the life you have now. You’ll see that this is really true. Nothing can happen to you that is not positive. Even though it looks and feels at the moment like a negative crisis, it is not. The crisis throws you back, and when you are required to exhibit strength, it comes.”

~ Joseph Campbell from A Joseph Campbell Companion


Wow. That’s worth a re-read (or four).
I don’t know about you, but “the moments which seemed to be great failures followed by wreckage” have been the incidents that have shaped the life I have now. (I share some of these moments in my Note on Joseph Campbell.)


Love your fate.
Remember Uncle Joe’s sage advice: “Whatever the hell happens,” … say, “This is what I need.”
And, most importantly, “Follow your bliss. The heroic life is living the individual adventure.”


…


“In my world, nothing ever goes wrong.” ~ Wayne Dyer
“What does not destroy me, makes me stronger.” ~ Friedrich Nietzsche
Quote from the Note: “Follow your bliss. The heroic life is living the individual adventure.”
~ Joseph Campbell from A Joseph Campbell Companion

by Brian Johnson