Sunday, 30 November 2014
6 Reasons You Can (And Should) Feel Hopeful Every Day
No matter what you are struggling with in your life, whether it be a difficult relationship, painful diagnosis, or just general disenchantment with where you are at, allowing hope in will brighten your experience of life.
This may seem easier said than done, but here are six reasons that you can (and should) feel hope in your life every single day.
1. You have hope anyway (or you wouldn't still be here).
Even the most pessimistic person has a tiny sprout of hope inside of them, or they wouldn't keep going on. The key is recognizing the natural existence of hope, and not resisting it. Rather allowing hope to grow and thrive within you is choosing to pull from the brighter side of the spectrum of human emotion.
This causes upward spirals instead of downward spirals of emotion and thought. Over time, this different momentum can shift the entire balance of your life.
2. Hope inspires forward action instead of stagnation.
Without hope, you will accept limitations (which may actually be false) and sit in suffering. But by allowing yourself to hope that you can somehow lift yourself to a higher place (even if you can't fix what is wrong), you will find yourself taking all kinds of forward moving action, instead of remaining powerless and stagnant in the darkness of suffering.
3. Hope actually costs you NOTHING.
Often we are afraid to believe things can improve because it logically seems "smarter" to doubt. Worst case scenario, you will spend your entire life believing in a brighter day. At the very end, would you rather have spent your entire life believing you had some control over the state of your existence and going on all of the adventures and down all the paths that belief led you to, or would you rather have spent your entire life without all of that color? I personally will not feel foolish for this in my dying moments, I will feel proud. A life of hope is a life well spent.
4. Hope is contagious.
The most powerful way to change the world around you is to change yourself. We are all teachers without trying to be- your state sends a message out to everyone you interact with. It either inspires or discourages, adds brightness or darkness.
5. Hope contributes to a stable type of self-esteem.
When I was younger, I either loved or hated myself based on my ability to conform to the standards of what society told me was love-worthy. Now, I love myself because of aspects of myself that I have intentionally cultivated. My ability to find some kind of hope in any situation is something that I love about myself that can't fade with age, nor can anyone take it from me.
6. Hope can help you discover a deeper truth.
There are several diagnosis that I was given years ago that were implied permanent states of suffering. Because I allowed myself to have hope, I decided to relentlessly test those limitations. I have learned that there are messages in our pain that can help our soul to grow in ways not possible had we not encountered suffering.
Retaining my hope turned me into a seeker, which became my way of life. Obviously, there are illnesses that cannot be cured by hope, but it is a way to remain powerful no matter what you are going through, by believing that you can make something positive out of your struggles.
So keep actively cultivating hope: the belief in a brighter day, and over time you just may find you have lived your way right into it.
Photo Credit: Stocksy
Saturday, 29 November 2014
Friday, 28 November 2014
How to use Ho'oponopono to get rid of emotional baggage
A psychologist assigned to a Hawaiian ward for the criminally insane is credited to improving most of the prisoners' conditions and the general atmosphere of the ward in four years. His name is Dr. Ihaleakala S. Hew Len, hereafter referred to as Dr. Hew Len.
He used a technique called Ho'oponopono taught to him by Morrnah Nalamaku Simeona. Morrnah was a Kahuna La'au Lapa'au, a healing priest, and the techniques she taught had originally been use to resolve family issues. What's truly amazing is Dr. Hew Len never personally counseled the prisoners or staff!
Dr. Hew Len and success motivator Dr. Joe Vitale have put Ho'oponopono into greater public awareness in the book Zero Limits, written by Dr. Joe after attending Dr. Hew Len's workshop. Dr. Joe is not your average life coach or success guru.
Ho'oponopono highlights
The first thing Dr. Hew Len advises is to determine who you are, not as a character, persona, or ego, but to attempt contact with your spiritual or higher Self. This helps remove mind clutter from this practice.The practice itself demands acceptance of full responsibility, not only for your feelings and emotions, but of others' actions and words. That's not so easy for most of us. Dr. Hew Len looked over prisoners' files in that ward, and would utter to the universe or infinity or God (whatever term suits you) "I'm sorry" and "I love you" quietly and sincerely.
This is especially useful to avoid having one's own internal or external reactions be negative towards another person or persons actions or words. Having negative feelings or proving one is right and the other is wrong or others are evil, holds that specific person or group in place.
Dr. Hew Len explains that we have subconscious memories or recordings that we react to by not accepting 100% responsibility for how we feel from outer circumstances. We all share these subconscious memories. But by uttering those phrases of apology and love we release them from an incident of turmoil or upset.
Dr. Hew Len used those phrases with an occasional "please forgive me" and "thank you" without judging them or himself as he read those prisoners' files. Thus he was appealing to the higher consciousness or the Self that's within all of us. That's why he says he didn't heal anyone.
This was a vast departure from his experience of teaching and special education for handicapped children. He now was not the doer, but the precipitator. Higher knowledge teaches that all our experience is within, and we are all connected. The ultimate reality is our problems are not all out there, they are within.
Deep stuff indeed, and not easily covered all at once. But after dismissing Ho'oponopono at first, Dr. Joe Vitale claims uttering the prescribed phrases calmly without anger, angst or regret worked for him immediately (http://www.mrfire.com).
Ho'oponopono is based on the ancient Hawaiian spiritual teachings of Huna. Huna is similar to many different ancient and aboriginal cultures that recognize different divine aspects of life represented by different entities or gods.
Despite western dogma prejudices, they all accept one divine creator or God (male aspect) with a goddess (female aspect) that permeates life with the creator's energy. The other gods represent specific areas of life and nature. These ancient understandings are based on spirituality, not paganism.
Ho'oponopono is not New Age woo-woo. It's based on real spiritual understandings. Our modern civilization has tried to wipe these spiritual practices out of existence in favor of dogma interpreted by unenlightened humans to control others.
http://www.naturalnews.com/035991_hooponopono_emotional_baggage_mental_health.html#
Thursday, 27 November 2014
14 Creative Ways To Practice Gratitude
Thanksgiving is just around the corner, which inspires many of us to pause and practice gratitude.
Developing an "attitude of gratitude" isn't just a pop psychology trend. It has been linked to an overall better quality of life, and one study shows feeling grateful makes people less likely to turn aggressive when provoked.
Perhaps we could all use a little more tender love and care. Feeling gratitude is one of the most beneficial ways to feel more inner peace. We can't control what happens around us or to us, but we can always control how we react. Those folks who are grateful tend to be more easygoing, happier and more secure.
You don't have to wait for Thanksgiving to give thanks. Here are 14 creative ways to practice more gratitude.
1. Write a handwritten letter to someone you've never properly thanked. Send by mail or hand-deliver; don't email.
2. Create An Appreciation Calendar. Each day, write five things you're grateful for and put it on a calendar.
3. Turn everything into a gift. Instead of your normal morning coffee, think of that cup as the gift of coffee. The gift of laughter. The gift of a smile.
4. Focus on something you're looking forward to and be grateful.
5. Say "I'm grateful for you," to everything you touch today.
6. Enjoy the little things. With a small task you do today, such as washing your hands or texting a friend, ask yourself how your life would be without it.
7. Look in the mirror and say, "I appreciate you," or, "I'm thankful for you."
8. Reach out to an author whose book has changed your life and share your gratitude in an email or letter.
9. Share a positive post on social media about a friend, company or product you truly love.
10. Spend five minutes with your hand on your heart, appreciating you and all of your hard work.
11. Donate your time or money to an organization or charity you believe in.
12. Make a list of ways you've impressed yourself lately. Think about what the challenges in your life have taught you. Be thankful for the blessing in the lesson.
13. Call your parents or children and tell them you appreciate them.
14. Send love to a force bigger than you, and give thanks to your higher power.
For more inspiration grab this FREE Love Your Life to the Fullest Guide.
Photo Credit: Getty Images
5 Ways To Start Being Productive Today
Being productive is hard.
We have access to thousands of distractions thanks to the internet, and then there’s the stuff we have around us; kids, dogs, people mowing their lawns, the neighbors loud music… It’s an endless sea of distractions.
But there are tips that can help alleviate these problems, and they’re actually pretty easy to use.
You’re forcing productivity
Here’s the thing with productivity, it’s not something that you can just bulldog your way through. Well… you could do that, but you’d be burned out in no time doing so. And that’s the problem, you’re trying to force productivity when it just doesn’t work.
You don’t know effective productivity tips
If you’re the kind of person who forces productivity (unsuccessfully), then I’m betting you’re lacking in your productivity knowledge.
You’ve got the right attitude though, you’re trying to be productive. But it’s going to take more than straight willpower to be productive.
5 tips for enhancing your productivity
If you want to really maximize your productivity, then you’re going to need these tips to do so. Just follow them, perhaps one tip at a time, and I promise your productivity will soar through the roof.
1. Create to-do lists with an emphasis on tiny actions
You probably already know that to-do lists are great for keeping you on top of things, but are you using them as effectively as you could?
Most people just scribble on tasks that are kind of vague, hoping that they’ll get to it later. Unfortunately, this doesn’t work very well. Here’s what I’m talking about:
* Buy groceries
* Plan vacation trip
* Do some writing
* Plan vacation trip
* Do some writing
…and so on.
Do you see the problem? Those aren’t very actionable, you need to stop and think “what steps are needed to complete this?” Here’s a better looking to-do list:
* Buy milk, eggs, and juice
* Compare price and locations of 3 different hotels
* Pick the best hotel based on that research
* Write at least 200 words
* Compare price and locations of 3 different hotels
* Pick the best hotel based on that research
* Write at least 200 words
That’s a much better looking to-do list. It’s clear, highly actionable, and since there’s no guesswork involved you’re much less likely to procrastinate on it.
2. Create a work-time ritual
Work-time rituals are important because they prepare the mind and body for work mode.
Without one, you rely on the “feeling” of wanting to work… Does that sound like feeling you have often? Probably not.
Routines take feelings out of the equation, and the more often you stick with a routine the easier it becomes to transition into work.
So it starts to feel less like a drag.
Here’s a couple quick tips for getting your routine started:
- Work in the same place at the same time
- Stick with small tasks at first, gradually adding more as the routine solidifies
- Use “triggers” to enhance routine engagement, for example:
* light a scented candle
* play a certain song
* have a piece of candy/gum before starting
…and so on. The idea is that they’ll help “trigger” your mind/body’s transition into work mode, make sense?
3. Use site-blockers
Sites that distract us are a constant threat to productivity.
You know that at any time you could press a few buttons and be in fun distraction land, and this knowledge slowly drains your willpower in the background.
And at the end of the day, it can really add up.
Luckily there’s a simple solution – all you need to do is Google “your browser” and “site blocker,” add one of the many tools available, and then it’s as simple as blacklisting those pesky sites so they’re no longer a problem.
4. Batch similar tasks
Batching similar tasks works because it lets you do multiple tasks under the same frame of mind.
For instance, you could batch all of your “social” tasks together like emails, voicemails, and social media together. The mindset for those is basically just “respond,” so you can easily do each one without breaking productivity.
But switching from email, to finances, to feeding the baby, and so on, requires a lot mental context switching (aka multitasking). This is a drain on your willpower and ruins productivity.
So whenever you can, combine like tasks with like tasks.
5. Take your breaks based on the difficulty of work
There’s a lot of tips out there that say when and how often to take breaks.
Some say a break every 50 minutes is best. Others say every hour is best. And others work for an hour and a half before taking a break.
But what do I think is best? Taking a break when the work gets tough, when you start to hit that “brick wall.”
Why? Because at that point your brain has had enough and it’s telling you it needs a break.
…And you should listen to it.
If you need a break after 10 minutes of intense or confusing work, then take it. If you don’t need one for 1.5 hours because the work is simple or routine, then take it later. Listen to your body and mind, and take breaks when it says to.
When you finally take a break, close your eyes and clear your mind. Once you feel revitalized, you can tackle your tasks with a fresh take on things.
By the way, don’t go more than two hours without a break. I’d say that’s the max you should go, no matter how good you’re feeling. If you can work that long with no problems, then set a timer to go off so you remember to take a break.
Over to you
Do you have any productivity tips you like to use? What are they? Leave a comment below with your answer because I’d love to hear them 
Wednesday, 26 November 2014
Never Buy Another Beauty Product: Use These 4 Foods Instead
It might make sound mad to raid your kitchen cupboards for beauty essentials, but trust me — once you start experimenting with these wonderful concoctions and seeing what they can do, you'll be as obsessed with them as I am!
Three years ago, I drastically changed my diet to focus on healthy, plant-based food. I found that as I started to really pay attention to what went into my body, I also wanted to know what I was putting on my body. Since skin is the biggest organ we have, it's so important that we take care of it if we want to look and feel our best.
Remember: A healthy glow comes, first and foremost, from within and starts with foods that hydrate our skin. Cucumber, celery, kale, spinach, avocado (good fats!), nuts and coconut are all great and will help us glow from the inside out.
To up the ante, however, we can use these same ingredients from the outside, in. Here are some of my favorite ingredients to use in both your kitchen and your beauty routine!
Coconut Oil
I have to admit I'm an absolute fiend for coconut oil*. As well as stirring this absolute superfood into creamy coconut porridge or blending it into smoothies, I use it all the time in my beauty regime as the most fantastic all-round beauty product.
Coconut oil is packed with Vitamin E, which encourages growth and repair of skin cells, protects against aging and prevents your lips and skin from drying out and cracking. Being rich in certain proteins, it also speeds up healing time, making your skin look fresher and more radiant.
Try using a small amount every night on as a facial moisturizer. You'll wake up with fresh, dewy skin. Once a week, use it as a full body moisturizer before bed. A little goes a long way, so don't overdo it or you'll be slipping around in your pajamas all night!
You can also use it as a delicious-smelling makeup remover. For stubborn mascara, rub a pea-sized amount gently over your closed eyes and let it melt that makeup away while also moisturizing your lashes. An added bonus? You won't accidentally tug out any of your eyelashes with this gentle trick!
For your hair, try applying a tablespoon to your ends and brush through to spread the coconut oil out evenly. Leave it on for a few hours, preferably overnight to really let it soak in, and then wash it out with your normal shampoo. Let your hair dry and marvel at how soft, smooth and shiny it is!
Apple Cider Vinegar
Apple cider vinegar* is another miracle product that should make the journey from your kitchen to your bathroom cupboard.
Washing your face with harsh cleansers and makeup removers often interferes with the pH balance of your skin, making it more vulnerable to irritations. The natural acids found in apple cider vinegar helps to re-balance your pH levels while alsosoftening and exfoliating, reducing redness, curing dry patches, spots and acne.
After you take off your makeup, apply the ACV to your skin with a cotton ball. If you're worried it might be too strong for your skin, try diluting it with a bit of water to make it gentler. It might smell funny for a minute or two, but I promise the scent doesn't linger!
Rinsing your hair in diluted ACV is also a great way to get rid of any leftover build up from other hair product you use, giving it more body and shine. Combine one part ACV with two parts water (experiment to find the combination that works best for your hair: if you have dry hair, use less vinegar. Oily hair might require more.) and massage it into your hair and scalp after shampooing. Let it sit for a few minutes and rinse.
Even doing this rinse just once a month is enough to give your hair a total refresh, helping it stay beautiful and glossy!
Oatmeal & Brown Sugar
Homemade exfoliating scrubs using ingredients like brown sugar and oats are one of my favorite ways to keep my skin happy and smooth. I try to exfoliate at least once a week to keep dead skin away.
My favorite scrub is made of brown sugar, oats, coconut oil and apple cider vinegar. To make it, simply use a 3-to-2 ratio of sugar to oats and then mix with a dollop of coconut oil and a splash of ACV.
The sugar granules are quite coarse and the perfect invigorating exfoliator for dead skin cells on both your face and body. The oats are soft, so they stop the sugar from being too harsh on your skin. They also contain a fantastic array of amino acids that help heal blemishes, repair damaged skin, moisturize and act as anti-inflammatories.
The ACV has great antibacterial properties that help combat tired skin, redness and spots, while the coconut oil leaves your skin feel soothed and deeply moisturized.
Get ready to glow!
*There are a few things that you should look for when buying your coconut oil. It really needs to be raw, unrefined "virgin" oil in order to get all these awesome health benefits. This kind can be more expensive, but each jar lasts a few months and trust me, it's really worth it! The same goes for apple cider vinegar: it should be raw, organic and with the "mother" for you to get all the benefits
Photo courtesy of Getty Images, the author
7 Keys To Awakening The Soul
The soul is involved in a process of alchemy, to allow us to see ourselves as expanded beings with limitless power. In the mind, we plant seeds for the creation of our future, flowering from the fourth-dimension of what is unknown, into three-dimensional material reality.
The following are key understandings to liberate us from limitation, and open ourselves to the magical world of possibility that can begin with a feeling, a thought, an intention — opening up a doorway into the creative forces of the universe.
1. Acceptance of personal tragedy is liberating.
Suffering should be expected as a part of life experience. This is when we learn the most.
The circumstances we see as difficult, are often most painful due to non-acceptance and resistance. Once we can accept and integrate the experiences, the energy is thus allowed to circulate freely in our bodies from the Solar Plexus Chakra, to the heart and the head, and then pain can dissipate.
The most suffering is caused not by the events themselves, but our feelings around what happened and our non-acceptance of the events as they unfolded.
Acceptance invites healing.
Non-acceptance and suppression creates suffering. It is allowance that invites transmutation via the feminine principle of surrender. Surrendering is the ultimate freedom, instigating a process of an internal alchemy where real change within is possible.
2. From a soul level, we choose our experiences and thus, create our own reality.
Whether consciously or unconsciously, at some level of our soul, we have chosen everything.
Therefore, it is not accurate or helpful to see oneself as a victim of anyone or anything. Technically, this is never the complete or accurate picture of what unfolded. It is viewing ourselves as victims, that perpetuates this karma.
3. Free will is our power to choose how we respond.
Whatever happens to us follows the choices we make.
It is incumbent upon us then, to respond to these experiences with mindfulness. This is our free will. All experiences contain a kernel of wisdom and learning within them, and that is to say, that they could all be positively interpreted as a learning experience.
4. Forgiveness liberates us from suffering.
Holding grudges and negative feelings towards others merely imprisons us. We become victims of our own suffering, not victims of the person who supposedly harmed us in some way.
We do most harm to ourselves not by what somebody did to us, but by our reactivity to the situation. Forgiveness release others from our internal experience, which we can use as a catalyst to live a life of freedom.
Forgiveness liberates us from being held hostage by blame, shame and guilt.
Forgiveness opens up the gateway to release negativity, and replaces these qualities in our reality with positive feelings of love, peace and spaciousness.
5. We are all an aspect of God consciousness.
We are all aspects of God and our consciousness is a part of God consciousness. As a manifestation of God, we are literally Divine beings.
Each person comes with a unique essence, a unique view of the world, a unique "truth" that adds to the whole.
The knowledge of one person is based on their unique beliefs, experiences and education. How we behave impacts other people and our environment, on energetic, cosmic and physical levels.
Reality works in layers of consciousness, created by our thoughts. Nothing can come to be until it is first conceived as a thought.
6. Our greatest power is in the now.
We are constantly evolving as we continue to expand our knowledge. We were born to evolve in our awareness — it's in our nature.
We are constantly evolving as we continue to expand our knowledge. We were born to evolve in our awareness — it's in our nature.
Past and future are constantly shifting amidst our present awareness. Thus, shifting how we discern the past, changes it; shifting how we interpret the present, changes the future.
Our greatest power is in the moment of choice — the present moment.
7. Joy is the soul's gift.
Pure unbounded spirit — pure energies of the highest realm — are not just found in books or critical study. These very essences — joy, unconditional love, acceptance, kindness and compassion — are among us. These are the qualities of our soul.
The joy of the heart and soul is a quality of purity that brings forth the highest vibration of spirit. It is joy that invites miracles into our lives.
The joy of the heart and soul is a quality of purity that brings forth the highest vibration of spirit. It is joy that invites miracles into our lives.
Photo Credit: Stocksy
Tuesday, 25 November 2014
3 Reasons Why Having Your Dream Body Won’t Make You Happy
There’s a statement I hear over and over again from clients who walk into my office. It goes like this: “If I could just lose X pounds, everything would be perfect!”
Maybe you’ve heard someone say this too? Maybe you’ve said it?
It’s as if losing weight immediately results in having more confidence, more success, more friends and a golden ticket to beginning the rest of your life!
Unfortunately, that doesn’t happen. Here are three reasons why:
1) Your Body Changes But Your Mind Doesn’t
I’ve known thousands of women who have lost the weight but still struggle with the heavy thoughts and beliefs that contributed to the weight gain in the first place.
The fundamental thing that has to shift in order to create permanent change is how you see yourself: aka your “self-image”.
Chances are at some point in your life you became disconnected from the authentic, beautiful and brilliant self that you truly are, and as a result, became unhappy. It just so happens that unhappiness is one of the biggest triggers of weight gain.
In essence, your unhappiness has nothing to do with the weight. The weight is a by-product of you not being happy.
If you want to permanently change this, it’s necessary to go back to the core where it all started.
If you were to realize that you’re part of something infinitely bigger, connected to everyone and everything in a way that creates beautiful, permanent harmony in any given moment, things would be radically different.
You would have no trouble making healthier choices because you would want to honor the perfection of your divine-self at all times.
2) It’s Not About the Destination
“As a rule, nothing you lack now will make you happy when you get it.” – Michael Crighton
I agree with the above quote completely.
Think about something you really, really wanted and how you felt when you finally got it. Did it light your fire? Probably. Do you still feel the excitement to this very day? Probably not. Chances are, it was fun for a while but at some point the flame reduced to small ember until it eventually burnt out. The real excitement came in the journey to get that thing.
The hard work you put in to be able to afford that dress. The weeks or months you made do with that worn out pair of shoes because you were saving up for new ones.
You see, the thing that ultimately leads us to happiness is a mindful challenge.
That’s right… happiness is an inside job. True happiness lies in the process, not the end result.
In fact, studies show that women who eat healthy or work out feel happier – even though their bodies haven’t changed at all!
The deep down, soul-stroking kind of happiness comes when you’re setting goals and achieving them. When you’re connecting with a community of like-minded people who are on the same journey you are. When you feel the strength of your own body-increasing workout after workout.
True happiness lies in the journey.
3) Self-Hate is Not Replaced With Self-Love But With Fear
The reason we try to lose weight, tone up and look fab is because we have a love/hate relationship with our bodies. We love to hate them.
If I had a nickel for every time someone said to me, “I hate my stomach”, I would be mega wealthy and writing this article from a remote island.
The fact is that we carry around so much hate for our physical form that when we do manage to lose the weight, flatten the tummy and lift our backsides, we kick the door down for fear to come in and curl up on our couch.
This unwanted houseguest will become a dominant factor in your life and you’ll start to make decisions from a place of fear instead of love and happiness.
You won’t toast with a glass of champagne to celebrate your parent’s 40th wedding anniversary because you’ll be afraid of the extra calories. You’ll cancel dinner with friends because you’re afraid you’ll get caught up in the moment and overeat. You’ll shut down simple pleasures, like the intoxicating taste of chocolate, because of the overwhelming fear that you might gain back even one ounce.
This fear can completely run and ruin your life.
By starting from a place of truly, madly and deeply loving your authentic self, and getting your dream body as a side effect of that love, you’ll hang a “No Vacancy” sign on your door and fear will slink away knowing that it has no effect on you anymore.
We thought this article served as a great reminder of the need to check our motives sometimes, as when it comes to fixing anything in our lives, self-love and acceptance is always the key to success. What do you think?
Manifestation: How To Tune Into Your Mind And Heart Center (Includes Exercise)
The Universe is a “manifestation machine”, and each and every one of us works that machine. Simply put, we co-create all of our experiences. But how exactly do we “work the machine”? How do we manifest every single particle of matter that shows up in our lives? The answer is we use two powerful and magnificent centers: the mind and the heart.
The process goes something like this. Picture a fisherman throwing his net out into the ocean. You are the fisherman and the net represents the electromagnetic field of your mind or heart. The fisherman (you) waits, feels movement and hauls in his catch. All the fish trapped in the net symbolize your reality. One fish can be your partner, the other your job, yet another your home, and so on. And like the fisherman that throws out his net before he catches fish, your mind and heart also set the stage in advance for what you end up receiving.
A great deal of attention has been given to the powerful influence of the mind in manifestation—especially after the Law of Attraction was popularized by books such as The Secret. The mind is an astounding phenomenon of brain circuitry and it is immensely powerful in manifesting what it wants. But what if I told you the heart is even more powerful? According to the Heart Math Institute, the heart has the strongest electromagnetic field in the body, 60 times greater than the brain’s. Yet, we seem to give the mind much more decision-making influence over our lives and hence, our reality.
My experience has taught me that the mind can manifest a whole lot of drama and suffering if we let it. The heart does no such thing. The manifestations powered by our hearts never lead us astray because the heart center is our connection with the Universe and our Higher Selves. Our hearts know exactly what we are supposed to do in this life—if we only listen. On the other hand, the mind carries a lot of baggage that influences what we believe, think, and ultimately, manifest. So if the heart is indeed so much more powerful than the mind and it knows exactly what is best for us, why on earth don’t we listen to it more?
Well, it’s just easier that way. Our consciousness is easily drawn into the drama our minds create—especially when the thoughts generated cause fear. Fear is powerful and can easily get your attention. The heart speaks to us through emotion, instinct, intuition, or “gut feeling”. It doesn’t communicate verbally like the mind does. Our reality is therefore much more conducive to a “mind-based” system of manifestation. But that can all change in a heartbeat.
A sequence of painful, mind-led events brought me to where I finally connected with my glorious heart center and allowed it to command my experience. I had always lived with a strong mind and it manifested some great events in my life. However, it also manifested some pretty painful ones, too. I remember laying in the dark one night and thinking: “There’s got to be a better way”. And there was. I instinctively began to meditate, without knowing exactly why I was taking up the practice at that particular time. In the beginning, my mind protested. Back then, I wasn’t the type of person that would just “waste” time on “useless” things like sitting quietly with my eyes shut. There was just too much to do. Yet miraculously, there I sat every day. At first, I could only manage three or four minutes at a time. But as the days progressed, I felt a radical shift in me. My mind was quieting down and instead of all the incessant chatter, I was now feeling love invade my chest. “What is this?” I thought. It was my heart speaking. From then on, I never again allowed my mind back into the role of commander-in-chief. That job is now solely performed by my heart.
Many people have asked in my workshops and classes how they too can connect to their beautiful hearts. Here’s how:
1) Quiet your mind.
Whether it’s through meditation, yoga, jogging on the beach, or walking in the forest, seeking bliss helps decrease the endless voices in our heads. For me, the miracle was meditation but for you it can be something totally different.
2) Tune into your heart center.
As the mind chatter decreases, there will be a wonderful silence and space inside you. In that space, you will start feeling your chest. You will literally feel love, compassion and kindness…in your chest! Become accustomed to the language of your heart and listen to it. Sometimes, I use visualizations and picture my heart chakra (the energy center located right above the breast area) shooting out the color green. Other times, I become aware of what I feel when I look at someone I love or at a beautiful sight like a sunset. It feels like my chest is exploding with love.
3) Use the power of your consciousness to stay alert to synchronicities.
This is a big one. Synchronicities are the results of your electromagnetic fields being thrown out ahead of you. They are like the fish caught in the fisherman’s net. When you remain alert at all times—that is, when you live in the present moment and outside of your mind dramas—you are more likely to see these synchronicities.
4) Act on synchronicities.
This is where the mind comes in. I still have a powerful mind and thankfully so. But it just knows its place now. I use my mind as a tool that helps me manifest what my heart desires. Do you see the difference? The heart commands and the mind follows. This is where all your creative juices should be used. When your heart brings you experiences and synchronicities, your mind helps build upon those initial desires.
When you allow your heart to command your experiences in life, nothing will ever be the same. Once you learn the language of the heart, you will never again ignore it. And pretty soon you’ll arrive at your life’s purpose. Because it turns out, only your heart knows what that is.
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