Louise Hay’s favorite saying to date is, “I love life and life loves me!" What could be more perfect than that, it really does say it all. By choosing to love EVERYTHING about life, we immediately go into rapport with our Source and by being in harmony with our Higher Power we emulate love and appreciation. This in turn draws only good into our experience. It’s a win, win every time. Does that mean that we will never again encounter adversity, disappointment or injustice? Unfortunately or possible fortunately that is not the case.
While living in this world of time and space we must become willing and accepting of its rules and criteria. The stuff that makes this environment so appealing is all of its contrasting elements. We will never live long enough to see that change, nor would we want to once we understand why. It cannot and will not change because it is the fuel that powers all of our expansion. Without expansion eternity would cease and that will never be the case. Eternity is assured as is the ever expanding consciousness that creates it all. Now, the task at hand then becomes how does one learn to love EVERYTHING? The good, the bad and the ugly. The right and the wrong, the joy and the sorrow, the health and the disease and all of the endless contrast that surrounds us. How?
As with everything that we do, it boils down to making a decision. Yes, you can decide to love it all and the avenue I found that made that possible is this. Knowledge. It is so powerful and knowing that, without the so called bad contrast, we would not be capable of recognizing what it is that we prefer, well, this was where I started. As children we learned not to touch the hot stove but that didn’t mean that hot was BAD and cold was GOOD. They are just contrasting elements. We learned how it felt to be criticized but that didn’t make peoples’ opinions necessarily right or wrong, just different from our own. Through play we soon learned the consequence of stepping off an object that was several feet off the ground. We fell abruptly due to gravity’s effect on us but that didn’t make gravity BAD and weightlessness GOOD. And so on it goes and so it is with all the innumerable contrasting things that are here.
The next piece of awareness to sway me further was, that as I fall into attitudes, behaviors and circumstances that are unlike love and appreciation, I am all the while sending more and more wanted desire into my future escrow. Consciously or not, verbally or not, my preference for it to be better, different or improved is emitted by me and is known by my Source. Not only is Source aware of it, it immediately becomes it. In other words, by being fearful or depressed, my Source Energy is keenly aware of how badly I desire freedom and joy. Therefore it, my greater self, becomes more free and joyful in that very moment that I am not. It does so more powerfully than ever before. The longer I choose to wallow in that darkness, the greater my desire for its opposite grows and the greater my Source grows. With that increased “unwanted energy” emulating, the equal and opposite “desired energy” is also created. That greater part of me that has expanded as the consequence of my living in the contrast, it is then pulling on me to move toward it.
The longer I resist that pull, the worse I feel. That is, of course, my divine emotional guidance system working perfectly. If I am aware, which I am, of my emotions and I wake up to those negative feelings I am experiencing, I can then know that I have veered off my path. I have allowed myself to think thoughts that are not in alignment with who I am. In that moment, as I DECIDE to deliberately choose thoughts that feel better, I immediately begin to feel relief which is my indicator that I am once again moving in the direction of Source. I now have the potential to become that which the contrast has caused my higher self to already become.
The contrast is always serving us both as a way to assist us in coming to personal preferences, as well as a way of bolstering and growing our delightful future experiences. This information has made it possible for me to whole heartedly say and mean, “I love it all!” And let me tell you, what a freedom comes with that. When I finally gave up pushing against, resisting and fighting and relax into the perspective of my Source Energy, oh my goodness, life really did become the magical, wondrous experience I had always dreamed of. Life is supposed to be fun and most of us have forgotten that. We take all of this way too seriously and for what? It all turns out for the best in the end. That is, when we have our death experience, when we re-emerge back into pure, positive Source Energy, we bring every bit of our expanded consciousness with us and we then get to be all that the contrast has caused us to become. But why wait until you die to enjoy it? I believe that each life is truly precious and that it is a waste to live it feeling miserable. Each of us has the choice and the power to think and feel our way to freedom and joy right now. Blessings on your path.
Archives
Friday, October 23, 2009
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
There is no time like the present, and you are never too old or too deconditioned to regain a higher quality of life. Procrastination is a funny thing, though. We somehow think there are endless “tomorrows” available to us and that next week holds some magic that will suddenly make us want to begin taking better care of ourselves. Who do we think we are fooling?
I am very aware of the difficulty people have in beginning a healthier lifestyle: First, I have been there and struggled for years to maintain a healthy body weight; and second, I know it simply is not human nature to be self-motivated. It really isn’t, and yet so many people beat themselves up, day after day, for not having “whatever it takes” to get themselves started.
The percentage of self-starters living on this planet must be minuscule compared to the billions of humans who absolutely require outside encouragement. So, take yourself off the hook and simply accept that you are a normal human who will need to find your way to your particular brand of motivation.
Partnering up with a friend, spouse, sister, parent or co-worker has proven successful for many people. Accountability is a powerful motivator. No wants to let someone down after they’ve made a promise; that’s a good thing.
Taking classes is another good option, not only because you become attached to your teacher but also because, typically, you will make friends among the other class participants, and they will encourage you and inquire when you have missed a time or two.
Hiring a personal fitness trainer is another highly successful strategy, and although many people consider the cost prohibitive, there are a tremendous number of options for how you use your trainer.
For instance, meet one time for an assessment; that allows your trainer to gather essential information to design a program that is safe and effective specifically for you. After that, you may want one or two more training sessions, spread out with a week or two in between, so the trainer can instruct you in proper form and on how to proceed exactly. From that point, you may wish to schedule a training session only once a month or even every two months, for progress checks and alterations to keep your program fresh and exhilarating.
There is no rule that says you must train with a trainer two or three times a week, or else.
You can train in the privacy of your own home or with a partner in a local gym in the in- between times. There is always a way to work it out, and our passion as trainers is to assist others on their fitness path, so believe me, we are generally very accommodating.
Finally, I suspect that a lot of people have, gradually over time, gotten so accustomed to feeling lousy, low-energy and mediocre that they have forgotten just how awesome it feels to feel really good. I know that may sound a little crazy, but it has been my experience that once people get into training for a few weeks, they suddenly have this revelation that they are feeling great! It takes them by surprise because they had forgotten how good they could feel.
So, don’t wait another day. Get yourself on your path to better overall health, and just you wait. You, too, will be joyously surprised. Happy fitness.
I am very aware of the difficulty people have in beginning a healthier lifestyle: First, I have been there and struggled for years to maintain a healthy body weight; and second, I know it simply is not human nature to be self-motivated. It really isn’t, and yet so many people beat themselves up, day after day, for not having “whatever it takes” to get themselves started.
The percentage of self-starters living on this planet must be minuscule compared to the billions of humans who absolutely require outside encouragement. So, take yourself off the hook and simply accept that you are a normal human who will need to find your way to your particular brand of motivation.
Partnering up with a friend, spouse, sister, parent or co-worker has proven successful for many people. Accountability is a powerful motivator. No wants to let someone down after they’ve made a promise; that’s a good thing.
Taking classes is another good option, not only because you become attached to your teacher but also because, typically, you will make friends among the other class participants, and they will encourage you and inquire when you have missed a time or two.
Hiring a personal fitness trainer is another highly successful strategy, and although many people consider the cost prohibitive, there are a tremendous number of options for how you use your trainer.
For instance, meet one time for an assessment; that allows your trainer to gather essential information to design a program that is safe and effective specifically for you. After that, you may want one or two more training sessions, spread out with a week or two in between, so the trainer can instruct you in proper form and on how to proceed exactly. From that point, you may wish to schedule a training session only once a month or even every two months, for progress checks and alterations to keep your program fresh and exhilarating.
There is no rule that says you must train with a trainer two or three times a week, or else.
You can train in the privacy of your own home or with a partner in a local gym in the in- between times. There is always a way to work it out, and our passion as trainers is to assist others on their fitness path, so believe me, we are generally very accommodating.
Finally, I suspect that a lot of people have, gradually over time, gotten so accustomed to feeling lousy, low-energy and mediocre that they have forgotten just how awesome it feels to feel really good. I know that may sound a little crazy, but it has been my experience that once people get into training for a few weeks, they suddenly have this revelation that they are feeling great! It takes them by surprise because they had forgotten how good they could feel.
So, don’t wait another day. Get yourself on your path to better overall health, and just you wait. You, too, will be joyously surprised. Happy fitness.
Saturday, October 03, 2009
It doesn’t matter what behavior that you may be unhappy with, be it out-of-control eating, general laziness, procrastination or something else; what is required is to apply focus. Our minds are one of our greatest assets and yet they often keep us trapped in unconscious habitual thinking. Denial and “ yeah but ” thinking are the most common traps that we fall into. What is familiar tends to become a kind of rut that sucks us in and makes our bad habit challenging to overcome.
Step #1 is to get conscious, wake up and take notice of what you are thinking and doing habitually. No one can make your life, your habits, your behaviors different but you. Choose to take responsibility and love yourself enough to be the best you that you can be. If there are behaviors that you want to be different then you must decide to think differently and thereby act differently. Nothing can change without first becoming aware and then embarking on the process to encourage ourselves into thinking and acting differently. Will this be uncomfortable? Probably yes, for a short while, until a new habit is well established. The new behavior is going to require constant conscious effort and attention but after a time, 2 - 3 months at the most, you will be good to go. Change only one unsatisfactory habit at a time; too many changes all at once may be self-sabotaging.
Focus is the key. Without a determined desire to change and be a better you, you will stay where you are. Change is inevitable but as human beings we seem to fight it, resisting the natural flow that life is always in. Look around you and you will see evidence of the continuous change that everything is in. Nature and the seasons are a prime example. Without Nature’s willingness to be in the flux and flow of life, it would surely die. We are really no different and in many ways as we resist change, we do lose parts of ourselves, they die from the lack of opportunity to grow and expand. I think sometimes that many of us are more afraid to truly shine and be who we genuinely are than we are afraid of being miserable. Misery is familiar. Life is way too short to spend even one minute in misery when you yourself hold all the keys to your happiness.
You have everything to gain and nothing to lose except unwanted weight, guilt for promises you made to yourself and did not honor, broken deadlines and a whole lot of other disappointing events and negative feelings. Begin with a small unpleasant habit. You can gradually work your way up to the larger ones after you enjoy some success. Write the habit you want to change down in a journal and write to yourself about what you think you are gaining from maintaining the behavior, what purpose has it served? Now, write about all the reasons you will be a better person having released this behavior. Write about how it makes you feel to imagine that you have already accomplished the change you are seeking. Imagine the you that you would be without this behavior and savor that feeling. Expand on this as much as possible, contemplating the effect it would have on those you love, co-workers, and most of all, how it positively effects you.
Every day preferably, for 5 minutes each morning and for 5 minutes right before you go to sleep, read all the reasons that you really want this habit to cease. Add to your list as new positive awareness comes to mind. Really savor those good feelings. Then let it go and get on with your day or fall joyously to sleep. Commit to doing this work and as you move through each day, every time that habit comes along and you become aware of it, stop! Take 3 long, deep breaths and repeat this affirmation at least 10 times, “ I am a powerful being capable of becoming anything I decide to become.” The more you repeat this statement, the more committed and stronger you will become...promise. You are worthy of being the best you that you can be and there is no better day than today to begin. Happy fitness.
Step #1 is to get conscious, wake up and take notice of what you are thinking and doing habitually. No one can make your life, your habits, your behaviors different but you. Choose to take responsibility and love yourself enough to be the best you that you can be. If there are behaviors that you want to be different then you must decide to think differently and thereby act differently. Nothing can change without first becoming aware and then embarking on the process to encourage ourselves into thinking and acting differently. Will this be uncomfortable? Probably yes, for a short while, until a new habit is well established. The new behavior is going to require constant conscious effort and attention but after a time, 2 - 3 months at the most, you will be good to go. Change only one unsatisfactory habit at a time; too many changes all at once may be self-sabotaging.
Focus is the key. Without a determined desire to change and be a better you, you will stay where you are. Change is inevitable but as human beings we seem to fight it, resisting the natural flow that life is always in. Look around you and you will see evidence of the continuous change that everything is in. Nature and the seasons are a prime example. Without Nature’s willingness to be in the flux and flow of life, it would surely die. We are really no different and in many ways as we resist change, we do lose parts of ourselves, they die from the lack of opportunity to grow and expand. I think sometimes that many of us are more afraid to truly shine and be who we genuinely are than we are afraid of being miserable. Misery is familiar. Life is way too short to spend even one minute in misery when you yourself hold all the keys to your happiness.
You have everything to gain and nothing to lose except unwanted weight, guilt for promises you made to yourself and did not honor, broken deadlines and a whole lot of other disappointing events and negative feelings. Begin with a small unpleasant habit. You can gradually work your way up to the larger ones after you enjoy some success. Write the habit you want to change down in a journal and write to yourself about what you think you are gaining from maintaining the behavior, what purpose has it served? Now, write about all the reasons you will be a better person having released this behavior. Write about how it makes you feel to imagine that you have already accomplished the change you are seeking. Imagine the you that you would be without this behavior and savor that feeling. Expand on this as much as possible, contemplating the effect it would have on those you love, co-workers, and most of all, how it positively effects you.
Every day preferably, for 5 minutes each morning and for 5 minutes right before you go to sleep, read all the reasons that you really want this habit to cease. Add to your list as new positive awareness comes to mind. Really savor those good feelings. Then let it go and get on with your day or fall joyously to sleep. Commit to doing this work and as you move through each day, every time that habit comes along and you become aware of it, stop! Take 3 long, deep breaths and repeat this affirmation at least 10 times, “ I am a powerful being capable of becoming anything I decide to become.” The more you repeat this statement, the more committed and stronger you will become...promise. You are worthy of being the best you that you can be and there is no better day than today to begin. Happy fitness.
