Four Simple Keys to Transform Your Life
Part I: What’s Best for All
The Power of Choice. Every one of us makes countless choices every day. Every choice we make has an impact on our lives. Even insignificant choices can affect what we experience and how we feel. When hunger strikes, we can reach for a healthy, nutritious snack, or we can choose the sugar high of junk food. The more important the decision, the more profound its effect. For instance, how do I act towards that person who treated me badly? Do I generally choose to be passive, or do I actively set clear intentions and create what I want in my life? Every choice we make, however big or small, affects us in some way.
How Do You Make Choices? If you are interested in living a richer, fuller life, there is a foundation upon which you can base all of your decisions which can make life better not only for you, but also for those around you. This foundation is to choose based on what’s best for all. Imagine a world where every parent, spouse, friend, teacher, businessperson, and politician truly did their best to choose what’s best for all involved in every decision they made. We would certainly live in a more caring, supportive world.
It’s the Intention. “But how do I know what is really best?” you might ask. The answer is simple. It doesn’t matter. What matters is not the choice you make, but rather the intention behind your choice. What matters is that whatever decision you make, you are clear in your intention of choosing based on what’s best for all. If it later turns out that you made what appears to have been a bad choice, there’s no need for guilt. Knowing that you did your best to choose with a sincere desire for what’s best for all, your conscience stays clear and open. This then allows you to more easily learn from your mistakes, and to live with a clear heart and mind.
What’s Best for Me, Too! Choosing what’s best does not mean you have to always sacrifice yourself for others. An overly exhausted mother can lose her temper easily. Some time off for this mother might seem selfish, yet in the long run, it can help her to be a better mother to her children. So as we move through each day of our lives, let us remember to include ourselves as we do our best to choose what’s best for all.
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Sunday, June 12, 2011
Happiness is a Choice
"There are two things to aim at in life: first, to get what you want; and after that, to enjoy it. Only the wisest of mankind achieve the second." ~ Logan Pearsall Smith
I recently overheard something that surprised me. I heard that people who win the lottery are happy for about 3 weeks. Yes! Only 3 weeks, and then they go back to their previous state of being, before they won the money. This really did surprise me. I thought that they would have been happy about something so amazing for much longer than 3 weeks.
Did you know that 90% of all people who win the lottery are broke within one year, and that most of those wish they had never won it in the first place?
I think the reason for this is, that anytime we try to change how we feel by using something outside of ourselves, like winning the lottery, or getting a new car or house, it never works. The resulting feelings of euphoria are often only fleeting. We cannot sustain them for very long. Perhaps, in some way, that is a good thing. It reminds us that happiness really does come from within and is available to us at any moment. True happiness has very little to do with what is happening on the outside, it is an inside job. Happiness is a choice. It is a state of BEING.
We can make the decision to BE happy for one day, when we wake up in the morning, every morning. We can find something that brings us great pleasure, like sitting outside in the garden under an old tree and listening to the birds sing, or watching the dog or cat play, and just savoring the moment. Happiness is always available to us. It is our natural state and we need only allow it in. At any moment, we can stop, take a deep breath, and remember who we really are, and why we came here, and that truly is to experience joy and the aliveness of being.
"Happiness is like a butterfly which, when pursued, is always beyond our grasp, but, if you will sit down quietly, may alight upon you." ~Nathaniel Hawthorne
So, dear heart, today, no matter what is going on in your life, take a few moments to breathe deeply and just decide to BE happy, whatever that means to you.
Veronica Hay
I recently overheard something that surprised me. I heard that people who win the lottery are happy for about 3 weeks. Yes! Only 3 weeks, and then they go back to their previous state of being, before they won the money. This really did surprise me. I thought that they would have been happy about something so amazing for much longer than 3 weeks.
Did you know that 90% of all people who win the lottery are broke within one year, and that most of those wish they had never won it in the first place?
I think the reason for this is, that anytime we try to change how we feel by using something outside of ourselves, like winning the lottery, or getting a new car or house, it never works. The resulting feelings of euphoria are often only fleeting. We cannot sustain them for very long. Perhaps, in some way, that is a good thing. It reminds us that happiness really does come from within and is available to us at any moment. True happiness has very little to do with what is happening on the outside, it is an inside job. Happiness is a choice. It is a state of BEING.
We can make the decision to BE happy for one day, when we wake up in the morning, every morning. We can find something that brings us great pleasure, like sitting outside in the garden under an old tree and listening to the birds sing, or watching the dog or cat play, and just savoring the moment. Happiness is always available to us. It is our natural state and we need only allow it in. At any moment, we can stop, take a deep breath, and remember who we really are, and why we came here, and that truly is to experience joy and the aliveness of being.
"Happiness is like a butterfly which, when pursued, is always beyond our grasp, but, if you will sit down quietly, may alight upon you." ~Nathaniel Hawthorne
So, dear heart, today, no matter what is going on in your life, take a few moments to breathe deeply and just decide to BE happy, whatever that means to you.
Veronica Hay
Friday, June 10, 2011
The Window
Two men, both seriously ill, occupied the same hospital room. One man was allowed to sit up in his bed for an hour a day to drain the fluids from his lungs. His bed was next to the room’s only window. The other man had to spend all his time flat on his back.
The men talked for hours on end. They spoke of their wives and families, their homes, their jobs, their involvement in the military service, where they had been on vacation. And every afternoon when the man in the bed next to the window could sit up, he would pass the time by describing to his roommate all the things he could see outside the window.
The man in the other bed would live for those one-hour periods where his world would be broadened and enlivened by all the activity and color of the outside world. The window overlooked a park with a lovely lake, the man had said. Ducks and swans played on the water while children sailed their model boats. Lovers walked arm in arm amid flowers of every color of the rainbow. Grand old trees graced the landscape, and a fine view of the city skyline could be seen in the distance. As the man by the window described all this in exquisite detail, the man on the other side of the room would close his eyes and imagine the picturesque scene.
One warm afternoon the man by the window described a parade passing by. Although the other man could not hear the band, he could see it in his mind’s eye as the gentleman by the window portrayed it with descriptive words. Unexpectedly, an alien thought entered his head: Why should he have all the pleasure of seeing everything while I never get to see anything? It didn't seem fair. As the thought fermented, the man felt ashamed at first. But as the days passed and he missed seeing more sights, his envy eroded into resentment and soon turned him sour. He began to brood and found himself unable to sleep. He should be by that window - and that thought now controlled his life.
Late one night, as he lay staring at the ceiling, the man by the window began to cough. He was choking on the fluid in his lungs. The other man watched in the dimly lit room as the struggling man by the window groped for the button to call for help. Listening from across the room, he never moved, never pushed his own button which would have brought the nurse running. In less than five minutes, the coughing and choking stopped, along with the sound of breathing. Now, there was only silence--deathly silence.
The following morning, the day nurse arrived to bring water for their baths. When she found the lifeless body of the man by the window, she was saddened and called the hospital attendant to take it away--no words, no fuss. As soon as it seemed appropriate, the man asked if he could be moved next to the window. The nurse was happy to make the switch and after making sure he was comfortable, she left him alone.
Slowly, painfully, he propped himself up on one elbow to take his first look. Finally, he would have the joy of seeing it all himself. He strained to slowly turn to look out the window beside the bed. It faced a blank wall.
Moral of the story:
The pursuit of happiness is a matter of choice...it is a positive attitude we consciously choose to express. It is not a gift that gets delivered to our doorstep each morning, nor does it come through the window. And I am certain that our circumstances are just a small part of what makes us joyful. If we wait for them to get just right, we will never find lasting joy.
The pursuit of happiness is an inward journey. Our minds are like programs, awaiting the code that will determine behaviors; like bank vaults awaiting our deposits. If we regularly deposit positive, encouraging, and uplifting thoughts, if we continue to bite our lips just before we begin to grumble and complain, if we shoot down that seemingly harmless negative thought as it germinates, we will find that there is much to rejoice about.
(Author unknown)
The men talked for hours on end. They spoke of their wives and families, their homes, their jobs, their involvement in the military service, where they had been on vacation. And every afternoon when the man in the bed next to the window could sit up, he would pass the time by describing to his roommate all the things he could see outside the window.
The man in the other bed would live for those one-hour periods where his world would be broadened and enlivened by all the activity and color of the outside world. The window overlooked a park with a lovely lake, the man had said. Ducks and swans played on the water while children sailed their model boats. Lovers walked arm in arm amid flowers of every color of the rainbow. Grand old trees graced the landscape, and a fine view of the city skyline could be seen in the distance. As the man by the window described all this in exquisite detail, the man on the other side of the room would close his eyes and imagine the picturesque scene.
One warm afternoon the man by the window described a parade passing by. Although the other man could not hear the band, he could see it in his mind’s eye as the gentleman by the window portrayed it with descriptive words. Unexpectedly, an alien thought entered his head: Why should he have all the pleasure of seeing everything while I never get to see anything? It didn't seem fair. As the thought fermented, the man felt ashamed at first. But as the days passed and he missed seeing more sights, his envy eroded into resentment and soon turned him sour. He began to brood and found himself unable to sleep. He should be by that window - and that thought now controlled his life.
Late one night, as he lay staring at the ceiling, the man by the window began to cough. He was choking on the fluid in his lungs. The other man watched in the dimly lit room as the struggling man by the window groped for the button to call for help. Listening from across the room, he never moved, never pushed his own button which would have brought the nurse running. In less than five minutes, the coughing and choking stopped, along with the sound of breathing. Now, there was only silence--deathly silence.
The following morning, the day nurse arrived to bring water for their baths. When she found the lifeless body of the man by the window, she was saddened and called the hospital attendant to take it away--no words, no fuss. As soon as it seemed appropriate, the man asked if he could be moved next to the window. The nurse was happy to make the switch and after making sure he was comfortable, she left him alone.
Slowly, painfully, he propped himself up on one elbow to take his first look. Finally, he would have the joy of seeing it all himself. He strained to slowly turn to look out the window beside the bed. It faced a blank wall.
Moral of the story:
The pursuit of happiness is a matter of choice...it is a positive attitude we consciously choose to express. It is not a gift that gets delivered to our doorstep each morning, nor does it come through the window. And I am certain that our circumstances are just a small part of what makes us joyful. If we wait for them to get just right, we will never find lasting joy.
The pursuit of happiness is an inward journey. Our minds are like programs, awaiting the code that will determine behaviors; like bank vaults awaiting our deposits. If we regularly deposit positive, encouraging, and uplifting thoughts, if we continue to bite our lips just before we begin to grumble and complain, if we shoot down that seemingly harmless negative thought as it germinates, we will find that there is much to rejoice about.
(Author unknown)
Thursday, June 9, 2011
A Constructive Attitude
Our thoughts are mental imagines that guide our actions. Our attitude is nothing but a bundle of thoughts that lead our life. A constructive (optimistic) or destructive (pessimistic) attitude has everything to do with the kind of thoughts we choose every moment.
Pessimistic thoughts make us negative and feel like losers – unable to excel and succeed in the great things that life has to offer. Optimistic thoughts paint a smile in our soul. They allow us see the bright side of life and find the appropriate answers and solutions for any challenge we face.
By altering our thoughts, we not only alter our present but also our future. Unless we understand what attitude is and take the right attitude, we will not be able to get any of what we really deserve.
In life, in everything we do, there is no second chance. Either we choose to lose or to win. You can do whatever you set your mind to, you can, if you believe it and perceive it. Set yourself to win, change your thoughts and therefore your attitude.
Have an amazing attitude journey ahead and take care of your thoughts. They are like babies that require our constant attention and care.
"Sometimes only a change of viewpoint is needed to convert a tiresome duty into an interesting opportunity."
- Alberta Flanders
Pessimistic thoughts make us negative and feel like losers – unable to excel and succeed in the great things that life has to offer. Optimistic thoughts paint a smile in our soul. They allow us see the bright side of life and find the appropriate answers and solutions for any challenge we face.
By altering our thoughts, we not only alter our present but also our future. Unless we understand what attitude is and take the right attitude, we will not be able to get any of what we really deserve.
In life, in everything we do, there is no second chance. Either we choose to lose or to win. You can do whatever you set your mind to, you can, if you believe it and perceive it. Set yourself to win, change your thoughts and therefore your attitude.
Have an amazing attitude journey ahead and take care of your thoughts. They are like babies that require our constant attention and care.
"Sometimes only a change of viewpoint is needed to convert a tiresome duty into an interesting opportunity."
- Alberta Flanders
From my heart to yours
I am your friend and my love for you goes deep.
There is nothing I can give you which you have not got,
but there is much, very much, that,
while I cannot give it, you can take.
No heaven can come to us
unless our hearts find rest in today.
Take HEAVEN!
No peace lies in the future which is not hidden
in this present little instant.
Take PEACE!
The gloom of the world is but a shadow.
Behind it, yet within our reach is joy.
There is radiance and glory
in the darkness could we but see -
and to see we have only to look.
I beseech you to LOOK!
Life is so generous a giver, but we,
judging its gifts by the covering,
cast them away as ugly, or heavy or hard.
Remove the covering and you will find
beneath it a living splendor,
woven of love, by wisdom, with power.
Welcome it, grasp it,
touch the angel's hand that brings it to you.
Everything we call a trial, a sorrow, or a duty,
believe me, that angel's hand is there,
the gift is there,
and the wonder of an overshadowing presence.
Our joys, too, be not content with them as joys.
They, too, conceal diviner gifts.
Life is so full of meaning and purpose,
so full of beauty -
beneath its covering -
that you will find earth but cloaks your heaven.
Courage, then to claim it, that is all.
But courage you have,
and the knowledge that we are all pilgrims together,
winding through unknown country, home.
And so, at this time, I greet you.
Not quite as the world sends greetings,
but with profound esteem
and with the prayer that for you now and forever,
the day breaks,
and the shadows flee away.
Fra Giovanni 1513
There is nothing I can give you which you have not got,
but there is much, very much, that,
while I cannot give it, you can take.
No heaven can come to us
unless our hearts find rest in today.
Take HEAVEN!
No peace lies in the future which is not hidden
in this present little instant.
Take PEACE!
The gloom of the world is but a shadow.
Behind it, yet within our reach is joy.
There is radiance and glory
in the darkness could we but see -
and to see we have only to look.
I beseech you to LOOK!
Life is so generous a giver, but we,
judging its gifts by the covering,
cast them away as ugly, or heavy or hard.
Remove the covering and you will find
beneath it a living splendor,
woven of love, by wisdom, with power.
Welcome it, grasp it,
touch the angel's hand that brings it to you.
Everything we call a trial, a sorrow, or a duty,
believe me, that angel's hand is there,
the gift is there,
and the wonder of an overshadowing presence.
Our joys, too, be not content with them as joys.
They, too, conceal diviner gifts.
Life is so full of meaning and purpose,
so full of beauty -
beneath its covering -
that you will find earth but cloaks your heaven.
Courage, then to claim it, that is all.
But courage you have,
and the knowledge that we are all pilgrims together,
winding through unknown country, home.
And so, at this time, I greet you.
Not quite as the world sends greetings,
but with profound esteem
and with the prayer that for you now and forever,
the day breaks,
and the shadows flee away.
Fra Giovanni 1513
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