Life 03 (Jun 09 - Jul 09)

[winston]

No one eats to appease another's hunger nor takes drugs to alleviate another's illness. You eat to appease your own hunger, you drink to quench your own thirst.

So do not seek approval, appreciation or admiration from others or refrain from your spiritual practices. Be self-reliant and self-confident.

See through your own eyes. Hear through your own ears. Most people today believe their ears and deny their eyes. Or they use the eyes, ears and the brains of others and that leads to fear or misjudgment.

The Divine is moved and showers Grace on every genuine appeal emanating from the heart. Let His Name dance on your tongue forever, conferring on you the sweetness of His Majesty.

- Divine Discourse, 14 Nov 1976

Source: radiosai.org

[winston]

4 Ways to Finding Purpose in Life by Stephen Martile

Finding purpose in life gives you direction and guidance. It channels inner forces and energy to overcome outer circumstances and conditions. It’s at the crux of leading your life, instead of having life lead you.

Are you doing what you love? Are you living on purpose?

Here are 4 ways to finding purpose in life:

.1. Introspection..

Spend some time with yourself. Examine your life and get in touch with those thoughts and feelings that are important to you. Reflect on past experiences and ask yourself:

* When do I feel that my life is most meaningful?
* What do I enjoy doing the most?
* What activities bring me the most passion and energy?
* What are my true priorities?
* What is the deepest purpose I would like to express in my life?

Write down the answers to these questions. Just reading this is not going to cut it.

Find a quiet space and take 15-20 minutes to really answer these questions. Spend some time and really think about what brings you joy and happiness in your life. Reflect back on your life and write down the answers that come to you.

.2. Environment..

You see, you occur to people a certain way. The way you see yourself may be different than the way others see you. The way you occur to others is a reflection of your inner self.

The people in your life are reflective of your way of being. They see things that you don’t. The clues to finding purpose in life can be found in the people that are closest to you.

Consider 5 people in your life that are close to you: your spouse, boyfriend, girlfriend or other important friends or family members in your life. Sit down with them and ask them these questions:

* What do you think comes most naturally to me?
* What do you think are my special talents and gifts?
* What do you think I am really good at?
* What do you think is really important to me?
* When do you find that I’m the happiest and what am I doing?

Again, just reading this is not going to cut it. Write out the answers and review them. Compare the answers you received from the introspection method to the environment method, then look for patterns.

* What are the similarities?
* What patterns do you see?
* What qualities, character traits and values seem to be repeated over and over again?

This is a clue. Your patterns are an indication of what is unique and special about you.

.3. Natural Ability, Not Skill..

When looking for answers, consider natural ability and not skills. Skills are those actions that you’ve perfected over time; they’re external and not necessarily unique to you. Skills are important to executing a well crafted life purpose but are secondary to natural ability.

Look for natural ability; this comes from the inside. Everyone’s got it - you’ve got it. Your natural ability is an act of creative contribution that ignites you. It’s natural to you because it’s part of who you really are. Look for natural ability when examining your life with the questions above.

.4. You’re Inspired..

When you’re inspired, your “in spirit,” and spirit is who you really are. Inspiration is the act of expressing that which is within you.

Again, your environment is a reflection of who you are. Consider the people, mentors, heroes and superstars in your life that are an inspiration. The reason they are inspiring to you is because you see some of yourself in these other people.

When I watched Rocky II recently it really touched me. It really stirred some strong emotions in me; emotions of love, passion and purpose. I love the Rocky movies because they demonstrate the power of the human spirit and the human heart. And that’s what I’m all about. My purpose is to teach and inspire others to love and live life by following their hearts desires.

What is your purpose? Consider these questions:

* Who are some of your heroes and what is inspiring about them?
* Who are the teachers, coaches or mentors that inspire you the most?
* Which movie stars, musicians or performers are inspiring to you?

Again, it’s all about recognizing the patterns. Look for those areas in your life where you see a common thread. These are the clues to realizing and finding purpose in life.

http://www.selfgrowth.com/articles/4_Wa ... _Life.html

[winston]

How to Reclaim Your Life by Alexander Green, Spiritual Wealth

For years my wife Karen and I toyed with the idea of moving our family from Florida to Virginia.

Last year, we finally took the plunge and rented a home near Charlottesville.

Our strategy was straightforward. If we liked it, we'd stay. If we didn't, we'd return to Florida knowing we had at least given it a shot.

The move itself turned out to be an easy one. With the new home furnished right down to the bath towels and wine glasses, we packed up a few suitcases, flew to Virginia and threw our things in the closets. Done.

We quickly fell in love with Charlottesville and our new neighbors. We also learned something we hadn't counted on.

All that stuff back home in Florida - the drawers, closets, cabinets, and storage bins overflowing with stuff we'd accumulated - we don't miss it one bit. In fact, leaving it behind was, in many ways, liberating.

Maybe this shouldn't have surprised us...

According to Peter Walsh, the organization expert for Clean Sweep, a series on TLC, we, as a nation, are overwhelmed with "stuff" and drowning in the clutter.

In some cases, it becomes overwhelming. Many of us have lost the ability to deal rationally and realistically with what we own.

It shouldn't be that way, of course.

Your home is a metaphor for your life. It represents who you are and what you value. Eighteenth century architect William Morris argued that you should not have anything in your home that is not beautiful or functional.

Yet many of us flunk this basic test.

It's not just that our homes are filled with more things than we could possibly use. Roughly 10% of American households have items in one of the more than forty thousand self-storage facilities in this country. This is a 75% increase over 12 years ago, even though the size of the average American house has increased by half.

Some consumers have even been tempted to move to bigger homes - or purchase a second one - to house all their stuff. These folks are really flying the white flag...

Your home should be the place where you live, breathe, love, relax and create. How can you do these things easily or well if you feel hemmed in?

No wonder people often describe their clutter in terms of suffocation, as in "I can hardly breathe in the garage" or "I'm buried under the mess in my office."

There are severe health ramifications, too. Studies show that those who live with severe clutter are more likely to experience:
Depression and anxiety-related illnesses
Asthma, allergies and other respiratory problems (thanks to mold, dust and mildew)
Headaches
Sleeplessness
Moodiness
Low self-esteem
Strained relationships
Fatigue and low motivation
Aside from health issues, there are other good reasons to address this problem:

Clutter makes you forget your priorities. We all have important photographs, keepsakes and memorabilia. If something is truly valuable, it deserves a place of honor and respect in your home. But ask yourself if you really have the time - or interest - in savoring all those old magazines or the minutiae from your past buried in boxes in the attic or the garage?

Clutter jeopardizes your relationships. It causes tension among family members. It creates arguments about personal habits and disorganization. Some even confess that they rarely have visitors over because they are mortified by the clutter.

Clutter costs you money. We often hang on to unnecessary things because we "paid good money for them." But if you can't use them, give them to someone who can - or to charity. Remember, too, that unused possessions are often expensive to store, insure, transport and maintain. (In worst cases, they create a fire hazard.)

Clutter steals your space. What good is your guest bedroom or home office if you can't use them - or have to wade through? Clutter-free spaces create greater clarity, better moods and positive energy.

Clutter monopolizes your time. You may think you don't have time to deal with all the junk you've accumulated. But what is it costing you in terms of lost items (including unpaid bills), stress, embarrassment and aggravation?

Clutter prevents you from living in the now. If we become fixated on stuff from the past or things "we might need some day," we lose the only time we have to be alive: the present moment.

Clutter erodes your spiritual self. Your possessions should be tools to help you achieve your dreams, not hurdles that impede your progress. As Walsh writes in "It's All Too Much," "One of the main reasons I am so adamant about removing clutter is that I see how the space it occupies in people's lives seriously hinders their personal growth and development. It crushes them spiritually."
What's the solution? Reclaim your life by making some hard choices.

According to Walsh, organizational discipline is secondary. Getting on the right path begins with imagining your ideal life, the atmosphere you want to create in your home, and the relationship you want to have with those you live with.

Some of us, I realize, have been surrounded by clutter for so long we don't see it. (Even if we can't see over it.) Others are apparently fine with it. Einstein, reputedly, was one of them.

However, most of us are not Einsteins. And we should be smart enough to realize that no one is going to resolve the mess but us - or, ultimately, our heirs. (And do you really want someone you love to inherit that headache?)

Clutter doesn't just block your space. It distorts your vision. It prevents you from living the life you've envisioned. It can stress you out and alienate you from your partner, your family, and your dreams.

So start digging yourself out today. And if you feel like you really can't deal with it, if the clutter is just too overwhelming, well...

There is another house opening up down the street in Charlottesville.

[winston]

Little Things Reflect Big Beliefs

Your beliefs are reflected not only in big circumstances but also in the seemingly mundane details of your every day life.

Watch the little comments you make to others about yourself, your health, your finances, your relationships, etc.

Are you self-deprecating? Do you make jokes about yourself? Do you try to make others feel better by downplaying your talents or other things about you? Do you find yourself making fun of others or complaining just to fit in or to be accepted? When someone pays you a compliment, do you accept it graciously or do you find something to criticize about it?

Someone told me the other day that they liked my hair and my first impulse was to point out all the gray that was growing out.

It's the little things in our every day lives that make up the sum of who we are and what we're about. Pay attention to those smaller habitual responses to things. While they may seem insignificant in and of themselves, they are huge clues as to your beliefs about yourself and about life.

Source: followyoursoul.com

[winston]

Passion is free of the self

Passion is wholly different from lust, interest or enthusiasm.

Interest in something can be very deep, and you can use that interest for profit or for power, but that interest is not passion.

Interest may be stimulated by an object or by an idea. Interest is self-indulgence. Passion is free of the self.

Enthusiasm is always about something. Passion is a flame of itself.

Enthusiasm can be aroused by another, something outside of you. Passion is the summation of energy which is not the outcome of any kind of stimulation.

Passion is beyond the self.

Letters to the Schools vol I, p 57

Source: jkrishnamurthi.com

[winston]

Ariel and Shya's Tips for Coping with the Economic Downturn by Ariel and Shya Kane

1. Don't panic, breathe.
You are equipped to deal with whatever comes up in your life in each moment. You are not equipped to deal with hypothetical futures, which is what worrying is all about. Breathing automatically brings you back into the moment, calms and centers you.

2. Don't be embarrassed to reach out:
Our cultural and genetic heritage has been one of cooperation for millions of years and this conflicts with the current idea of "being independent". You don't have to prove how strong you are and that you can do it on your own. It will be a much easier journey if you realize you are not traveling this road alone.

3. Realize that what you resist will persist and grow stronger:
If you focus on the downturn in the economy, you will get stuck there and won't have a life. (This is the First Principle of Instantaneous Transformation.)

4. Recognize that no two things can occupy the same space at the same time:
You can engage in drama and the fear of the future or make a commitment to taking care of what is right in front of you: one will upset and disturb you and the other will ground and center you. You can either put your attention on your fears or on taking care of the people and things around you. (This is the Second Principle of Instantaneous Transformation.)

5. Operate as if being consumed with the country's current economic downturn is not a problem but rather a symptom of not being fully engaged in your life:
Often when people are unsure of what to do next in life or they are not going about activities with totality, they replay old thoughts, much in the same way a screen saver on a computer will appear after a period of inactivity.

6. Start handling those incompletions in your life and your worries will become manageable or even disappear:
If you paint the kitchen, change the light bulbs, wash the dishes etc, and really be there while you are doing even the smallest of activities, you'll be back in the flow of your life and a stronger version of yourself. This will empower you to tackle even the most challenging of circumstances.

http://www.selfgrowth.com/articles/Arie ... nturn.html

[winston]

"We exaggerate misfortune and happiness alike. We are never as bad off or as happy as we say we are." - Honore de Balzac

And the Award Goes to... By Marci Shimoff, ETR

Does the idea of standing in front of a mirror and appreciating your positive qualities feel uncomfortable and stupid? It did to me - which was a sign that I really needed to try it.

I learned this mirror exercise in 1990, when I took a weeklong course on self-esteem from my mentor, Jack Canfield. Jack assigned the exercise as homework every night, saying, "Make sure you do this behind a closed door so nobody walks by and thinks you're crazy."

Each night, my roommate and I took turns going into the bathroom, shutting the door, and whispering sweet nothings to our reflections: "You're kind." "You're loyal." "You have a loving heart."

The first night, I felt like a California New Age woo-woo nutcase. And soon I experienced a rush of sadness. I was an expert at criticizing myself - but why was it so hard to say nice things?

With practice, it gradually became easier to come up with reasons to love myself: "You're smart." "You go out of your way to help others." And so on. But the real power of this exercise came when I learned to express appreciation for myself for no reason - to look myself in the eye and simply love who I was, unconditionally.

If you're like most people, consciously recognizing the positive about yourself may feel conceited. After all, we're raised not to "toot our own horn." So we end up not giving ourselves credit or acknowledgment - or, worse, beating ourselves up. That shuts down our hearts, contracts our energy, and decreases our happiness levels.

While doing the research for my book Happy for No Reason, I interviewed scores of scientists, as well as 100 unconditionally happy people. (I call them the Happy 100.) One of the things I discovered is that truly happy people have a compassionate, encouraging, and validating attitude toward themselves. This isn't arrogance or self-centeredness. It's an appreciation and acceptance of who they are.

Learning to see the positive about yourself starts by changing your brain's habit of focusing on your negative experiences and, instead, inclining your mind toward joy.

So today, begin registering your happy experiences more deeply - consciously looking for them. You can make it into a game. Have the intention to notice everything good that happens to you. Anything you see, feel, taste, hear, or smell that brings you joy. A "win," a breakthrough, an "Aha!" moment, or an expression of your creativity. The list goes on and on.

This intention triggers the reticular activating system (RAS), a group of cells at the base of your brain stem responsible for sorting through the massive amounts of incoming information and bringing anything important to your attention. Have you ever bought a car and then suddenly started noticing the same make of car everywhere? It's the RAS at work. Now you can use it to be happier. When you decide to look for the positive, your RAS makes sure that's what you see.

Adelle, one of the Happy 100, told me about a unique method she has for registering the positive. As she goes about her day, she gives away awards in her mind: the best-behaved dog, the most colorful landscape design at a fast-food drive-through, the most courteous driver. This keeps her alert to the beauty and positivity that is all around her. Charmed by the idea, I tried it myself. I liked it so much, I've been giving out these "Happiness Oscars," as I call them, ever since.

Once you notice something positive, take a moment to savor it consciously. Take in the good experience deeply and feel it. Make it more than just a mental observation. If possible, spend about 30 seconds soaking up the happiness you feel. If you want to accelerate your progress, take time every day to write down a few of your wins, breakthroughs, and things you appreciate about others - and about yourself.

You'll know you've mastered this when you can give yourself an Academy Award for outstanding achievement in true happiness!

[winston]

Find the Gifts Inside of You by Terri Amos-Britt

Have you ever considered the gifts you bring to others? Most of us didn’t grow up thinking about our gifts, and still don’t. Yes, if you were a great athlete, your talents were most likely lauded as a gift. The same goes with kids who were good students. However, I’m talking about the gifts you bring to others that touch them in the deepest parts of their souls. You probably don’t recognize those gifts. Most of us don’t.

I have an uncle who I greatly adore. The thought of Uncle Mikie always brings a smile to my face. I’ll never forget him babysitting me as a kid. He was about nine years older than I. Plates piled high with French fries, laughter, and fun are what I remember most.

He’s still that guy with a sparkle in his eye and a heart as big as the universe. However, it wasn’t until just a few years ago that he finally began to realize that he does indeed have a gift. That’s when he had a massive stroke.

Uncle Mike’s stroke changed his life. He had spent years working, just trying to get ahead, never realizing what a gift he is. I tried to tell him some years ago, as I could see he was depressed. I told him how much he meant to me and how his life had made a difference in mine, just by being who he is. I told him how much I loved him. How we all did.

It wasn’t long after that conversation that Uncle Mike’s stroke shook his world and turned it around. You wouldn’t think of a stroke as “turning around” someone’s life. You might think of it as turning someone’s world “upside down,” but not around. But for Uncle Mike, his stroke was a gift. He finally discovered who he is.

For 15 months, Uncle Mike lived in a rehabilitation home learning to walk again. Not only did his physical being begin to heal, but also his feelings about himself. As the days and months passed, he soon realized he had a gift for helping his fellow patients and staff. Uncle Mike’s kindness, compassion, and ability to uplift them made him loved by all.

Now, in his mid-50’s, Uncle Mike is finally honoring his gifts. He’s going to college for the first time in his life with a cane in his hand and a smile on his face so that he might be of service in helping others heal.

I am so thankful that Uncle Mike is on this journey. He is such an inspiration to our whole family and to every life he touches. But he’s always been like that…he just didn’t know it.

Most people don’t truly know what they bring to the table of life. Instead, they think about what they DON’T have, such as a better figure, greater looks, more money, a nicer home….you know what I mean. I’m not talking about those things you want to achieve. I’m talking about your core and the way you were created. What gift do you bring to others? Take a look at your life. When looked at closely, you’ll see a ribbon that runs through it telling you about your gifts. Look back through the years with loving eyes and see how you’ve touched others. Do you have a big heart? Are you a good friend? Or are you simply someone who brings light and laughter to a room? I invite you to dive deep within and take a good look. And as you do, I know you’ll find the gift that is you.

http://www.selfgrowth.com/articles/Find ... f_You.html

[winston]

The company that you keep

Iron turns into rust if it seeks the company of soil. It glows, softens and takes on useful shapes, if it enjoys the company of fire.

Dust can fly if it chooses the wind as its friend. It has to end as slime in a pit, if it prefers water. It has neither wing nor foot, yet it can either fly or walk, rise or fall, according to the friend it selects.

Knowing this truth, a great saint, Kabir once said. "Here are my prostrations to the good, Here are my prostrations to the bad." When asked why he offered prostrations to the bad, he said, "My prostrations to the bad, so that they may leave me alone. I do the same before good, so that they might remain near me always." You are shaped by the company you keep.

- Divine Discourse, Nov 14, 1976

Source: radiosai.org

[winston]

Not too different from the Tibetan Teachings that Compassion must be accompanied by Wisdom ..

Compassion acts through intelligence

The very nature of intelligence is sensitivity, and this sensitivity is love. Without this intelligence there can be no compassion.

Compassion is not the doing of charitable acts or social reform; it is free from sentiment, romanticism and emotional enthusiasm. It is as strong as death. It is like a great rock, immovable in the midst of confusion, misery and anxiety.

Without this compassion no new culture or society can come into being. Compassion and intelligence walk together; they are not separate. Compassion acts through intelligence. It can never act through the intellect. Compassion is the essence of the wholeness of life.

Letters to the Schools vol I, p 90

Source: jkrishnamurthi.com