Being in Harmony

You have more harmony points with every person on the planet than you have disharmony points, because there is much more of you that is in harmony with your Core than you realize or that most of you allow. The closer you come to being in harmony with your Source Energy, the more in harmony you are with each other.

When you think about other people and what they think of you, do you understand that what they think of you has very little to do with what you are? It has mostly to do with the habits of thought that they have developed. It has more to do with them as thinkers than it does with you as the subject of their thought.

If nothing is more important to you than that you feel good, you can form a fantasy about someone who is in your life and they will begin to modify to meet your fantasy, because Law of Attraction is a very powerful thing. (Abraham-Hicks)

Giving Thanks

This day and your life ... are God's gift to you , so give thanks and be joyful always! He enjoys much who is thankful for little; a grateful mind is both a great and happy mind.


Difficulties are opportunities to better things; they are stepping stones to greater experience. Perhaps someday you will be thankful for some temporary failure in a particular direction. When one door closes, another always opens. There's always something to be thankful for. If you can't pay your bills, you can be thankful you're not one of your creditors.


Some people are always grumbling because roses have thorns; I am thankful that thorns have roses.


He enjoys much who is thankful for little: a grateful mind is both a great and happy mind.

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To educate yourself for the feeling of gratitude means to take nothing for granted, but to always seek out and value the kind that will stand behind the action. Nothing that is done for you is a matter of course. Everything originates in a will for the good, which is directed at you. Train yourself never to put off the word or action for the expression of gratitude. -Albert Schweitzer

Outside Our Comfort Zone

Most of us have had the experience of tackling some dreaded task only to come out the other side feeling invigorated, filled with a new sense of confidence and strength. The funny thing is, most of the time when we do them, we come out on the other side changed and often wondering what we were so worried about or why it took us so long.

Whether we avoid something because it scares us or bores us, or because we think it will force a change we’re not ready for, putting it off only creates obstacles for us. On the other hand, facing the task at hand, no matter how onerous, creates flow in our lives and allows us to grow. The relief is palpable when we stand on the other side knowing that we did something even though it was hard or we didn't want to do it. (from the Daily OM)

We all have at least one thing in our life that never seems to get done. Doing this task is an act that can liberate a tremendous energy in our lives. Resistance takes a huge amount of energy, and causes unneccessary stress. No matter what wise person provides the message, the answer to peace in our lives is always the same: Accept and embrace what's before you. Do not fight with it.

Inner Peace

Embrace Reality

The single biggest key to inner peace in any moment is to align with reality, and NOT fight it. Reality, simply, is what IS. In this moment, you cannot change it....so accept it fully. As Eckhart Tolle would say, provide a space for it....accept its "ISness".


Let Go of Your Shoulds

Shoulds are nonacceptance of reality. The more shoulds, the less inner peace you will have. Let go of your story about how things SHOULD be. How do we know what SHOULD be happening?
Simply notice what IS happening.


Create Space

Always give yourself a time buffer. Do not over-schedule. Being more realistic about time will help you attain more inner peace.


Make the Most of Your Time

Instead of spending your time in frustration the things are not happening as you would like,
be prepared to use that time in a productive way. Read a book? Set some goals? Prioritize your day? Write a letter? Listen to your iPod? Meditate?

You have the option of turning this from a time of waiting to delicious time in which you enjoy yourself.

(based on "The Power of Inner Peace" by Mary E. Allen)

Holiday Stress

Sometimes it is not easy to remember that WE are in charge....That WE create our reality. Although there are many explanations of why holidays are stressful, you are the one who creates the stress by your expectations for yourself as well as your expectations for your family.

This is what "experts" say about holiday stress:

• Unhappy memories. Going home for the holidays naturally makes people remember old times, but for you the memories may be more bitter than sweet. “During the holidays, a lot of childhood memories come back,” says Duckworth, who is also an assistant professor at Harvard University Medical School. “You may find yourself dwelling on what was inadequate about your childhood and what was missing.” If you associate the holidays with a bad time in your life -- the loss of a loved one, a previous depression -- this time of year will naturally bring those memories back.
• Toxic relatives. Holidays can put you in the same room with relatives you avoid the rest of the year. People struggling with depression may face stigma, too. “Some relatives don’t really believe you’re depressed,” says Gloria Pope, director of advocacy and public policy at the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance in Chicago. “They think you’re just lazy, or that it’s all in your head. It can be really hurtful.”
• What’s changed. The holidays can highlight everything that’s changed in your lives -- a divorce, a death in the family, a son who’s making his first trip back home after starting college. Any of these can really unsettle a gathering and add holiday stress.
• What’s stayed the same. For others, it’s the monotonous sameness of family holiday gatherings that depresses them -- the same faces, the same jokes, the same food on the same china plates.
• Lowered defenses. During the holiday season, you’re more likely to be stressed out by obligations and errands. It’s cold and flu season and your immune system is under assault. It’s getting dark earlier each day. You’re eating worse, sleeping less, and drinking more. By the time the family gathering rolls around, you’re worn out, tense, and fragile. The holiday stress makes it harder to cope with your family than it might be at other times of the year.

My brief answer to all of this is "Just say 'No', and have no expectations."

1. Learning to live in the present means not dwelling on unhappy memories. Take charge of your thoughts.

2. Who says you must spend holidays with toxic relatives? You choose, always with a loving heart, of course, but suffering is optional.

3. It is your choice whether you view change as "bad" or as an exciting adventure. And, if it's "same old, same old".....Create something different.

4. If "lowered defenses" are an issue, you have been following all the "Shoulds" and not taking
care of yourself. You can change that, you know.

You Are Special, But So Is Everyone

Take a moment from time to time to remember that you are alive. I know this sounds a trifle obvious, but it is amazing how little time we take to remark upon this singular and gratifying fact.

By the most astounding stroke of luck an infinitesimal portion of all the matter in the universe came together to create you and for the tiniest moment in the great span of eternity you have the incomparable privilege to exist. For endless eons there was no you. Before you know it, you will cease to be again. And in between you have this wonderful opportunity to see and feel and think and do. You are special.

But not that special. There are five billion other people on this planet, every one of them just as important, just as central to the great scheme of things, as you are. Don't ever make the horrible, unworthy mistake of thinking yourself more vital and significant than anyone else. Nearly all the people you encounter in life merit your consideration. Many of them will be there to help you - to deliver your pizza, bag your groceries, clean up the motel room you have made such a lavish mess of. If you are not in the habit of being extremely nice to these people, then get in the habit now.

Millions more people, most of whom you will never meet or even see, won't help you, indeed can't help you, may not even be able to help themselves. They deserve your compassion. We live in a sadly heartless age, when we seem to have less and less space in our consciences and our pocketbooks for the poor and lame and dispossessed, particularly those in far-off lands. I am making it your assignment to do something about it.

(Bill Bryson, from the book, I'm a Stranger Here Myself: Notes on Returning to America After Twenty Years Away)

Ten Thoughts to Live By

1. Thou shalt not worry, for worry is the most unproductive of all human activities.
2. Thou shalt not be fearful, for most of the things we fear never come to pass.
   
3. Thou shalt not cross bridges before you get to them, for no one yet has succeeded in accomplishing this.
4. Thou shalt face each problem as it comes. You can handle only one at a time anyway.
5. Thou shalt not take problems to bed with you for they make very poor bedfellows.
6. Thou shalt not borrow other people's problems. They can take better care of them than you can.
7. Thou shalt not try to relive yesterday for good or ill — it is gone. Concentrate on what is happening in your life today.
8. Thou shalt count thy blessings, never overlooking the small ones, for a lot of small blessings add up to a big one.
9. Thou shalt be a good listener, for only when you listen do you hear ideas different from your own. It is very hard to learn something new when you are talking.
10. Thou shalt not become bogged down by frustration, for 90 percent of it is rooted in self-pity, and it will only interfere with positive action.
    (Author unknown)