TheLovingPath

Monday, September 19, 2011

Difficulties are Disguised Opportunities

We truly desire that each day will go as we planned and assume that our ideas about this are correct so they are all we need. However, as we all know, this doesn't happen. Before we know it, our well-laid plans go awry. And usually we view the detours as difficulties.

It is important to remember that you are viewing your life from a limited perspective – from a vantage point that automatically excludes anything outside your realm of reality. This means you are aware of only a fraction of what is possible and only some of what is necessary. Therefore, what is viewed as a difficulty is usually just an opportunity in disguise. It is the detours that promote an expanded view of life and growth.

So, when your day takes a detour, remember to view it with curiosity and move toward it with a sense of adventure and possibility. You will discover there is more to living than you have imagined.

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

No Two People Experience the Same Reality

Constantly, events are occurring in our environment and we notice some of them. We respond, even if only internally. And we assume that everyone else noticed what did and saw what we saw. But, this is not so.

Whenever something happens in our environment, our filtering system determines what we ultimately experience. Our filtering system is our genetics, experiences, values, norms, current emotional state, current physical state, etc. There are many factors that come into play that decide what we experience whenever something occurs in our environment.

Therefore, it is important to be aware that just because another person was in the same place as you when something happened, their experience of it may, and probably will be, different from yours. By knowing this, you are able to become an inquisitive person who is nonjudgmental because you know that their perceived reality is not yours.

Monday, September 5, 2011

Now is All There Is

Planning, reminiscing, worrying, longing……… There are so many words we use to describe how we are living at any given moment. Unfortunately, so often these words refer either to the past or the future. And while it is important to heal from our past and to plan for the future, it is also vital that we spend time in the present.

It is “now” that offers living fully; spending time experiencing what is happening. Sometimes “now” is painful. But by allowing yourself to actually feel it, you are able to attend to it and heal. There are times that “now” is exciting and since this doesn’t happen often, it is wonderful to fully feel it. And, usually “now” is benign and it is also important to enjoy the ease of this and remember to be grateful.

Most of us live our lives having never been there. Be sure that you are not one of them. Be fully present in the “now” because the past is gone and the future depends upon the “now”. And it is the ”now” that provides peace, joy, and the opportunity to heal.

Saturday, August 27, 2011

One Benefit to Self-Acceptance is the Freedom to Make Faulty Choices

What is self-acceptance? It is satisfaction with self; a realistic awareness of one's strengths and weaknesses that results in a feeling of inherent worth. Self-acceptance allows for the freedom to heal, learn, and grow. Without realizing inherent worth, one feels unworthy of the gift of achieving in life.

When self-acceptance reigns, there is peace of mind, a calmness that comes from non-judgment that offers opportunities to risk. The freedom to experiment, to learn, to grow, provides time for successes as well as failures that are acceptable because they are not deemed to represent self-worth.

So, self-acceptance allows you to try what is new, unfamiliar – to take the risks that make life worth living.

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Thinking is Always Based in the Past or the Future

We spend our days thinking. But rarely do we realize that this activity always relates either to the past or the future, even if it is the immediate past or the immediate future. To ponder this idea feels strange to most of us. However, it is accurate. And, all stress comes from thinking because this action makes us aware of the discrepancy between what we expect and what is.

The reason for contemplating the concept that we spend most of our time in the past and the future is that by doing so we can become aware that we almost never spend time in the present. And, it is the present that is important; it is what we claim to value to get the most from living. We want to enjoy our life but if we are never present, how is this accomplished?

The answer is mindfulness; the intentional choice to be aware of the present moment without judgment or evaluation.

Saturday, August 13, 2011

Each Problem or Change Is An Opportunity to Learn

We are continually faced with changes that we often view as problems; sometimes because they actually are issues that have arisen. But often we define changes as problems just because they are changes and we don’t like change.

When faced with either an actual problem or just a change, usually our first response is to ignore it, hoping it will disappear. However, it is important to accept that these situations are commonplace, are to be expected. Therefore, we should accept them as a routine part of our lives. By doing so, we are able to see the problem or change as an opportunity to expand our world; to view life from a slightly different angle, to alter our perceptions – in general, to learn.

So, use each change or problem as an expected experience that you use to your best advantage by acknowledging it and using it as an opportunity to learn.

Saturday, August 6, 2011

Mindful Choices Are Always Simple

When living as your True Self, you become Mindful. Mindfulness is the state of being aware, acknowledging, and accepting of what the True Self is experiencing. It is allowing what needs to be heard and lived from without ignoring what you may not what to hear and acknowledge. It is the staying in the moment despite how it makes you feel. Mindfulness is living the True Self.

When making choices, it is incredibly easy and tempting to look outward for answers. And while I am an advocate of utilizing all available, appropriate resources, ultimately we each must listen to ourselves. However, even then we must be aware that we may be hearing our ego, which tends to be loud and invasive due to overuse.

So, keep your life, and your decision-making, simple by listening for, acknowledging, and trusting that wise, unaffected mindful choice that is clear, simple, and always available.