Archive for October, 2007
The Causes That Make My Heart Sing
Posted on 10.19.07 | 16 Comments
Alex Shalman started a writing project called Caring Compassion Charity where each person tagged is to write about a cause they feel passionate about. I was tagged by Priscilla Palmer and Jean Browman at the Cheerful Monk. Much appreciated!
There are two causes close to my heart: 1) Tibetan Children 2) Empowering People
Tibetan Children - The Story
I spent a month last year traveling in Tibet. The journey was a life altering one. My experience moved my life focus inwards and lead to a series of events that triggered my understanding of ‘Happiness‘. I learned many lessons from the pilgrims, lamas, and street children I connected with throughout my journey. It became clear to me that one can be truly happy with no external possessions, and that the kindness within you can never be taken away. I was quickly moved by their lives of devotion, compassion and simplicity. Their generosity and consideration towards all people deeply touched me. I have never felt so loved by a group of strangers, and met a happy group of people who lived on so little.
6 Ways to be Positive in Any Situation
Posted on 10.17.07 | 41 Comments
The power of remaining positive, whatever the situation, can never be underestimated. We are all here for a limited period of time, is it worth it to spend any of that time in a dismal mood? Being negative?
The true test of an individual to remain positive is when challenges become difficult. Remaining positive keeps one’s mind in the right state of balance and often opens resolutions to the problems at hand. Negativity is contagious; not only does it affect the individual, but it spreads to anyone they interact with. When only the negative perspective is in focus, the resolution process is impeded.
Eliminating negativity, or rather, being positive is a mindset that can be found at any moment, and turned into a habit. Here are some tips that can help you in shifting your mindset:
- Shift Your Thoughts - Be conscious of your thoughts. Especially, when life just isn’t going your way. The moment you see that you are diving into frustration, agony, sorrow and low self-esteem - shift your thoughts, by thinking about something completely unrelated. This breaks the pattern of self-pity, mind-created stories, and negative downward spiral. What makes us different from other mammals is our ability to control our thoughts and think for ourselves.
- Find the Lesson - There is a lesson to be learned from every situation. No matter how unfortunate the situation may appear, recognize the beautiful lessons waiting to be discovered. Sometimes lessons are expensive, but every problem is a learning opportunity in disguise. You may have made a mistake, but now you can accept it and continue, knowing that you will make a different decision in the future. Understand this and be appreciative for the experience.
Attitude of Gratitude: 5 Tools for Appreciation
Posted on 10.15.07 | 36 Comments
Photo: Tranuf“We can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasures. –Thornton Wilder
When life gets hectic and you begin to feel overwhelmed, take a moment to focus on the people and things you are grateful for in life. When you are grateful, other things will fall by the wayside. For example, you probably won’t be able to feel jealous and grateful at the same time. You might even be thankful for someone else’s success or their contribution to you. Being thankful gives you perspective on you situation and brings you to the present moment.
One of the most impressive reasons for being grateful is the positive impact on the way you think and feel. Research shows that grateful people have, “higher reported levels of the positive states of alertness, enthusiasm, determination, attentiveness and energy . . .”
You will find a positive emotional state by simply focusing on the parts of your life that you are most thankful for. Appreciate the abundance in your life. Being grateful is an energizing way to start your day and a relaxing way to end it. Tony Robbins suggests to list out all the things you are grateful for as you warm up for your morning exercise. Deepak Chopra has incorporated gratitude exercises into his guided meditations. Swamiji has added similar techniques in his guided meditation; Nithya Dhyann.
Feeling gratitude is an important practice that I have brought into my daily routine. I notice that it has improved my emotional wellbeing and general happiness.
Sometimes a quick visual reminder is all you need to bring you back to a place of thankfulness and abundance.
1. Gratitude Journal: Each evening you can list the things for which you are grateful. Start with just five things. You will soon see that your list is much longer than you expected. Personally, I have found that the best part of a Gratitude Journal is the record it creates; pages and pages of my personal history of abundance.
Meditation 101: How to Start
Posted on 10.12.07 | 20 Comments
Photo: Christopher DanielsWe mentioned the benefits of meditation in the article: Finding Clarity & Inner Stillness.
If meditation is new to you, this article suggests several ways how you can start today. These suggestions are all based on my personal experience testing out various techniques over the years. I have personally found these to be helpful and hope that they can add value to your wellbeing.
1. Zazen or what swamiji calls “Just Sit”. From Zen techniques and also used in transcendental meditation. This is the simplest technique of meditation:
- Find a comfortable place. Sit with your back straight. It’s important that you are not lying down or slouching as you might fall sleep. Make sure you won’t be disturbed by closing the door and turning off or placing the phone in silent mode.
- Let your hands rest naturally and comfortably in your lap, or on top of each other.
- Close your eyes.
- Start breathing deeply and fully, eventually to a natural breathing rhythm.
- Focus on your breath and nothing else.
- When a thought comes, acknowledge the thought, let it pass, and go back to focusing on your breath.
How to Capture Ideas
Posted on 10.10.07 | 36 Comments
Photo: Sofia KatariinaMy work requires me to interact with many types of people. And, during the course of my meeting them I have come up with three categories of people so far, based on my observations on how people manage their work:
- People who rely one-hundred-percent on their memory. These people remember each and every detail of what has been discussed.
- People who do not rely on their memory, and always carry a small notebook with them. Such people are meticulous, highly efficient, steadfast, and always well-organized.
- People who rely one-hundred-percent on their memory, but do not have the capability to afterwards remember the details of the discussion. This reduces their productivity.
Writing things down helps in collecting and organizing your thoughts. Your thoughts seem more concrete when you can see them in front of you. I like thinking on paper, because it forces me to be specific with my thoughts. Plus, I have my thinking process written down so that I have a way of recollecting my thoughts.
I also find that writing my ideas down tend to lighten my mental load. Once written down, I can let that thought bubble burst. By letting one thought subside, I can easily move on to another with a blank slate.
9 Steps to be Decisive
Posted on 10.08.07 | 18 Comments
Photo: Orin Optiglot“It is the moment of decision that your destiny is shaped.“
- Anthony RobbinsLife can oftentimes feel overwhelming, especially when we face many options, pending decisions, and countless unknowns. Making a decision can seem daunting, and even scary, when you consider the long list of impacts your decision will have. We feel clouded in mind-created confusion and incapacitated by the fear of the consequences. It can be easy to get caught in the turmoil of reaching a conclusion, however I know you will find that a decision is as easy, or as complicated, as we choose it to be.
Our life path is shaped by the decisions we make in every moment. If we are not conscious in the decisions we make, then we feel as if we are endlessly drifting in our unconscious bubble, feeling helplessly hopeful, yet afraid to face the unknown. Burst the bubble, take control, and decide to be decisive.
The perceived ability to make a clear decision comes with the choice and belief that you are Decisive. Clarity has power and making an unquestionable decision gives you energy. This absolute energy will attract the resources and support you need to carry out that decision.
When you are clear and sharp on your decision, others will not second guess you; instead, they’ll back you up.
There is no magic in developing the ability to be decisive. It is simply a mindset; a mental attitude that comes with practice and persistence.
The following are techniques I personally use to gain clarity. I have found them to be helpful in helping me become more decisive.
