Horizons Magazine
MARCH 1997
Hello everyone! Isn't this great weather we're having? The perfect weather for getting outside and doing things. People often ask me how I keep my life in order while being involved in so many projects, where I find the time to do all that I do. I always tell them that I decide what I want to do, then I make time for it and stay focused on it until I achieve it. Easier said than done, I know. I'm asked so often that I thought I'd share a few thoughts with you.
DAILY PRACTICE
We spend much time daily doing things we look back on later as such a waste of time, so why not turn some of that time to good use? Daily practice is the key to so many things. Steady, focused practice on a regular basis. Practicing what, you ask? For me, that's a variety of things. I usually fall asleep about 10:00 p.m. and wake up between 3:00-4:00 a.m. Someone once said, “when you wake up, get up ~ God (the Universe) is giving you a wakeup call. Go see what They want.” This private, quiet time alone is invaluable to me.
I may drive to the beach to meditate on the sound of the surf, I may just sit and study a favorite philosophy but always I take about 20 minutes to just stretch and breathe and focus on my breath. That's when the good insights come ~ when I'm completely in silence, alone, relaxed, not thinking or talking about anything. I usually go back to sleep about dawn for another hour or two and always awaken refreshed.
When I get up, before I go into my daily work, I make a list of everything I want to accomplish that day; next I review and revise my ongoing list of everything I want to accomplish this week, this month, this year. I just check it over to see if there are any additions, amendments or things to check off that have already been accomplished.
CULTIVATING THE INNER EXPERIENCE
I believe that the easiest way to achieve peace of mind, centeredness and everything else that I want, is to cultivate the inner experience. What do I mean by that? I mean doing those things and being with those people that encourage the Higher Self within me to emerge and express Itself. For me, this includes sacred study, prayer, meditation, affirmations and writing.
SACRED STUDY
When I say sacred study, that doesn't necessarily mean religious scripture, for me it also includes Wayne Dyer, Deepak Chopra, Marianne Williamson, Ma Yoga Shakti, Annie Besant, Rudolph Steiner, Jane Roberts. They all delve into the heart of Life and inspire me to be all I came here to be; they've all inspired me in my own personal journey of transformation and awakening. When reading any of their material, be sure to take time to reflect deeply on what you read.
PRAYER
I have 7 prayers I say in sequence as I sit to meditate, including the Great Invocation, the Lord's Prayer, the Gayantri Mantra and others. These prepare my mind for meditation.
MEDITATION
Many enjoying listening to guided visualization tapes and I'd just add that after you've listened to the tape, sit quietly in the silence just following your breath for about 20 minutes afterward. I prefer just following my breath, no tape. Sit quietly, put your attention at the base of your nostrils where your breath comes in and out and feel the breath in your nostrils and when a thought comes, and it will, just focus your attention back at the base of your nostrils and again follow your breath, that releases the thought. This is more powerful than you imagine in cultivating the inner experience.
DO AFFIRMATIONS REALLY WORK?
Affirmations absolutely work. My favorite affirmation is I live a joyful life and blessings flow to me in abundance. I have others as well, and I say this one about 500 times a day. That's only 50 times every hour on the hour all day long.
I tack my affirmations up all over the house where I can see them. They say things like My life is getting easier and happier. I am Divinely guided in all that I do. The Universe is supporting me in unseen ways and guiding me in every moment. Every day I am becoming clearer and fulfilling my goals. I have loving relationships with everyone I know. My life is free of tension & worry. I am becoming more and more focused every day. Don't worry that your friends will think you're nuts, they may be inspired by these seeds also.
As I sit and say my affirmation 50 times every hour, I relax and allow the feeling of well-being to emerge within me. I remember that I do, in fact, live a joyful life and I mentally bring to mind all evidence of that. I remember that blessings do, indeed, flow to me in abundance and I mentally bring to mind all evidence of that.
If your dog just died, your car is broken down and you've just been evicted, for the time you spend doing your affirmation, put those thoughts aside completely and focus just on all evidence of good in your life. Bringing to mind all the good in your life, despite the chaos around you, is the surest way to cultivate the inner experience and, incidentally, to bring more love and abundance into your life at the same time. Use my affirmations, just for 30 days, 500 times a day, then write and tell me your experience. I guarantee you success.
WRITING
Make a list of all the things you appreciate and are thankful for. Mine begins with a roof over my head, food to eat, indoor plumbing, electric lights and includes good health, friends who care for me, and my list is quite long. Review this list every morning and add to it anytime you wish. Make a list of all the things you want to accomplish today, this week, this month, this year, and in your lifetime. Review this list daily and revise it as needed. This helps keep you focused and on track.
EXPERIENCING EVERYTHING CONSCIOUSLY ALSO CULTIVATES THE INNER EXPERIENCE. Don't deny yourself outer experiences, experiencing them consciously also cultivates the inner experience. How do you experience them consciously? Be present in the Now when you do them. When you eat, eat consciously, enjoy every bite and swallow; turn off the radio and tv and put down the book and, as they say in Zen, eat when you eat. Cultivate mindfulness in every act you do in your daily life. When washing dishes, feel the weight of each plate and revel in the soapy delight of washing dishes. Feel the happy soap bubbles under your sponge. Be conscious in every thing you do.
ON ASCENSION AND RAISING OUR VIBRATION
We've heard these phrases for decades now and many still aren't sure what they mean. I like using terms everyone understands and can automatically apply to their life right now. Right now, not way off in some enlightened future. What activities or friends used to hold your attention that no longer do? Who and what holds your attention now? Do you feel you've risen in consciousness since that time?
For many, going to clubs was a weekly event and was immensely fulfilling ~ dressing up, going to a new or favorite place, having a few drinks, gathering with friends, meeting new people, dancing until 2:00 a.m. Then just as you got to know every club and every person who went there, you got bored with it; it was no longer stimulating; it no longer held your interest. You started noticing all the people who were there time after time and weren't having fun. It seemed almost like a routine designed to fill the time and ease the ache of their lonely lives. Their heart wasn't in it. For many, their heart wasn't in anything and that is a Universal condition we all know. We've all been there at some point in our lives. As soon as you've begun to notice you're not having fun anymore, that's the evidence that you've ascended to another level, that you've raised your vibration a notch. A good rule of thumb is don't do anything unless your heart is completely in it.
HOW DO WE RAISE OUR VIBRATION?
We raise our vibration by raising our level of compassion and understanding of ourselves and others. We know we're raising our vibration every time we feel the thrill of being in complete appreciation of and gratitude for everything around us.
HOW DO I KNOW IF I'M ASCENDING?
We ascend in gradual, and sometimes not so gradual, steps daily by working through the challenges in our own lives, by striving to see and understand the point of view of others. We know we're ascending when we allow others to make statements we don't agree with and commit acts we wouldn't choose for ourselves without openly fighting against it, knowing that there is a reason for everything and that every experience has value in helping us integrate our personality.
HOW DO I GET OUT OF A SLUMP?
The quickest way I know to pull myself out of the blues is to sit down and make my appreciation and I want lists. When I'm in a slump, the fastest way I've found to raise my vibration is to re-read these lists and remember exactly what I have, and who I really am.
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