silence the busyness

“Doing nothing is better than being busy doing nothing” Lao Tzu

How busy are you?   On a scale of 1-10 how busy do you think your life is?   Very busy, extremely busy, overwhelmingly busy, or worse?   Being busy is something that has been popularized by our society – be productively busy, be busy playing games, be busy watching TV, be busy doing, be busy giving, be busy …

The Chinese words that make up busy are “heart” and “death”.    Being busy creates death in the heart.   We often don’t find time to just reflect.   We often don’t take time to let the quiet interrupt our soul’s journey.

Eckhart Tolle wrote, When you lose touch with inner stillness, you lose touch with yourself. When you lose touch with yourself, you lose yourself in the world.”

“I said to my soul, be still, and wait…So the darkness shall be the light, and the stillness the dancing.”  T.S. Eliot

Take time to silence the noise, the busyness of life and take a deep breath and let silence flow in and out of your soul.   Take time out to be in stillness.

Remember busyness is the death of the heart, the soul, and the ideas that prance around in our minds, the ideas that float in the clouds, the dreams that form on the setting skies, and the dreams that are launched at the end of the rainbow.

“It is an ironic habit of human beings to run faster when we have lost our way.”  Rollo May

The faster our lives become the faster our life becomes not.

each day has worries of its own

“Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could; some blunders and absurdities have crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day; you shall begin it serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense.”  Ralph Waldo Emerson

Many people focus on the things that didn’t get done during the day and not on the many things that did get done.   Some people focus only on the things that went wrong in a day and not the things that went right.   Develop a sense of gratitude for all the things that did go right.   Remember that it took many, many more things to go right then what didn’t for each day to progress as far as it does.   You are the captain of your boat, sail it gladly.

intentional living means, …

“Setting an intention is about getting really focused.  It’s so much about owning your stuff and not blaming anyone else.  It’s like saying, I’m going to take responsibility for my happiness, my life, my everything.”  Dodie Moquin – Psychotherapist

It is so easy to blame someone else, or something else than it is to look at the situation and say, what part do I play in this?    When you take responsiblity  for your choices, for your feelings, and for your happiness you are setting a direction in your life that will result in greater joy.

If you blame someone else or something else will that make you feel better?  In most cases it won’t.   Try it – see if blame moves you forward or leaves you standing where your are.   Write down those times that you call yourself names or when you blame or insult somene else.   How many times in one day are you playing the blame game?

Here’s an interesting article  on accepting responsibility.

Responsibility, the more you take the better your self-esteem.

What is your choice?

silence the inner critic

The inner critic is that little voice you hear in your head that says, “You can’t”, “You shouldn’t”, “You aren’t good enough”, “You’re not ….”.    The inner critic exists to keep you safe from harm.   When you were growing up your parents said, “No” to protect you from what they thought would harm you.  Others said “No” as well.  At some point in time the “ego” begins to believe the “No’s” as truth. 

The “No’s” can start to show up even when there is no threat or potential harm that would occur if that very thing was done.   A teacher yells at a student and kills their potential for learning.   A friend tries to protect the relationship they have with you and makes suggestions that imply “No”.   A co-worker says “No” to an idea that has potential and your voice goes silent.    There are all kinds of “No’s” being thrown at you and most of them aren’t threats but you believe them to be true.

When the inner critic speaks what do you believe it is saying that is true?

“Up to a point a man’s life is shaped by environment, heredity, and movements and changes in the world about him.  Then there comes a time when it lies within his grasp to shape the clay of his life into the sort of thing he wishes to be.  Only the weak blame parents, their race, their times, lack of good fortune, or the quirks of fate.  Everyone has it within his power to say, “This I am today; that I will be tomorrow.”  Louis L’Amour

for a moment of inspiration

Take a look at this short inspirational video clip, it is the called “The Butterfly Circus”

It might just change your day …

creating space

 

“We cannot let another person into our hearts or minds unless we empty ourselves. We can truly listen to him or truly hear her only out of emptiness.”

M. Scott Peck

 

And thinking about emptiness, here’s another verse of wisdom.

From the Tao te Ching by Lao-Tzu

                     11

Thirty spokes are joined together in a wheel,
but it is the center hole
that allows the wheel to function.

We mold clay into a pot,
but it is the emptiness inside
that makes the vessel useful.

We fashion wood for a house,
but it is the emptiness inside
that makes it livable.

We work with the substantial,
but the emptiness is what we use.

How do you create space in your life to do useful things?

Sometimes the business of the world wraps its arms around us with such vigor that we forget that in our lives we need space.   Space to breathe, space to think, space to reflect, space to create harmony, space to connect, space to believe, and space to relax.

What kind of space are you creating for yourself?   

Where do you need to add space into your life?

vita activa

‘Vita activa’, a life of action.  Living a life of resolve always pushing forward with vigor and intention is what some people do without thinking about.   For others living a full life takes energy that they aren’t willing to commit and as a result life seems to sail by as they ask themselves, “Why is life passing me by?”

For some the focus on action leaves little time to see the world, to see themselves or anyone else and as a result the important things in life, the meaning in life, slips away.

Living at the extremes means something is usually given up.   Living the life of constant action might remove the meaning of life.   A life filled with contemplation might provide a profound sense of meaning yet without action there is little to show.

Living in ‘vita activa’ might satisfy the outer purpose yet does little to satisfy the inner purpose, the meaning behind the doing.   

What is your life like right now?   What is your life filled with?

Love is …

Love is …  Love is many things.   What is your definition of Love?  

“That Love is all there is,
Is all we know of Love.”  Emily Dickinson

 

make today a positive day …

“Decide that you have the power to say YES to it all.  You saying YES guarantees you will find the limitless source of inner strength that lies within.  There is no greater comfort than that.

When we achieve the state of comfort, we can let go of our need to control not only the little things, but even the big things in our lives.”   Susan Jeffers,  “The little book of Peace of Mind” 

We have a choice to make every day when we open our eyes.   We have a choice to make about our attitude and what we will make of the present moment.   We can say to ourselves this will be my great day a day I choose to make it as good as it can be.   I will enjoy each breath I take.   I will think thoughts that magnify all that I am, that will magnify my strengths, my courage, my intelligence, and my feelings in such a way that my soul will dance with happiness.  

“Happiness is not in our circumstances, but in ourselves. It is not something we see, like a rainbow, or feel, like the heat of a fire. Happiness is something we are.”  John B. Sheerin

There is no shortage of news, events, sounds, or words that can drag us into a place that can make one less than positive.   Where do you get positive  content from?  

Have you created your own happiness project? 

Examples of Happiness projects:

  Dr. Robert Holden’s Happiness ProjectHappiness Toolbox

 Alex’s happiness project

The Happiness Project

Gretchen Rubin‘s Happiness Project

What would your happiness project look like?    

Some people may not know how to start their own happiness project.   Some people think to themselves why am I giving up my happiness for this.   Sometimes that leads a person who desires happiness to seek out a coach to help them find those things that would help them to be happy.

What do you want your story to be?   How can you be positive today? 

 How do you want your story to play out?

What is your starting point for creating a more positive and happier life for yourself and others?

the right kind of growth …

“Unsuccessful people think about what they don’t want most of the time. They talk about problems, listen to news and gossip, and spend their time blaming circumstances, situations and others.
Successful people think about what they want and how they will get it. They are intensely focused on their goals and the information needed to help obtain them.”   Darren Hardy

Where do you spend your time?   Is it in front of the TV?   Is it playing games?   Is the time you spend, each moment of time you spend, doing something that is worthwhile?    Worthwhile could be playing with children (not watching TV though), it could be reading (valuable content), or it could be improving your relationships with others.   There are many activities that produce growth, intellectual growth, relational growth, spirital growth, financial growth, and emotional growth.   Where are you growing and what are you growing?