Tag Archives: attitude

How To Be An Artist…

It is something to be able to paint a particular picture, or to carve a statue, or so to make a few objects beautiful; but it is far more glorious to carve and paint the very atmosphere through which we look – to affect the quality of the day, that is the highest of the arts.Henry David Thoreau

art

What is art? One definition is: something created that reflects Truth, Beauty and Goodness to most people who gaze upon it. But why limit the definition of art to objects? Why can’t our life itself be a work of art? Why can’t each endeavor we undertake be a piece of art?

becoming an artist

We all are or certainly can be artists. It’s the way we approach things and it’s the way we live life. If we can skillfully diffuse a rough relationship moment that then results in love and harmony then we’ve just commissioned a high work of art. This work of art will last forever. That’s because everything worthwhile in life, which has generally to do with relationships, lasts an eternity. Love never fails…

Daily Affirmation: Today I AM a life artist.

Recommendation: The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron

The Artist's Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity [10th Anniversary Edition]Kindle Wireless Reading Device, Wi-Fi, 6

The Essence Of Being Present!

So much of modern life is a feverish anticipation of future activity and excitement. We have to learn to step back from this into the freedom and possibility of the present.Fr. Bede Griffiths

ok to anticipate

We anticipate and we dream; we are ever waiting for something to happen. It’s actually a great tendency because the place from where these anticipated moments arise is the same one from where hope and creativity emerge.

fully present

So it’s quite ok to dream and to anticipate as long as we do it with a whole heart, immersed in the experience, fully enjoying the moment as it unfolds. And that’s the trick to stay in the moment even when dreaming of the future!

Daily Affirmation: Today I AM fully here and there.

Recommendation: The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle

The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual EnlightenmentThe Power of IntentionKindle Wireless Reading Device, Wi-Fi, 6

How To Get Our Point Across…

I cannot teach anybody anything, I can only make them think. Socrates

telling doesn’t work!

How many times do we argue, tell, inform, convince and even shout but no matter what, the other person never listens or appears to listen? Why is that? How can we get through to other folks? How can we make them listen and act?

make ‘em think

No one likes to be told. Everyone has an ego to protect and that appears to be the biggest challenge. Another factor is that we often don’t speak the others’ language. The language of their experience and outlook. If we can’t understand their perspective, their motives and goals we won’t be able to get through effectively. The way to get across is to ask thought provoking questions or use other means to allow for thinking to blossom. This exact technique works for self too; if we journal actively, think about stuff and ask important questions we can start to connect, to our deep self!

Also notice the book recommendation below Smile. ‘Parenting with Love & Logic’ techniques are universally applicable!

Daily Affirmation: Today I help invoke thinking.

Recommendation: Parenting With Love And Logic by Foster Cline

Parenting With Love And Logic (Updated and Expanded Edition)Kindle Wireless Reading Device, Wi-Fi, 6

What’s Our Potential?

We know what we are, but not what we may be.Shakespeare, Hamlet

self knowledge?

We don’t know what we are either. We live according to a certain concept of what we are and we apply a similar standard to others. We think we know what others are and then paint them with the brush of our expectations of them. That’s a recipe for major disaster because we start with a poor idea of self and match it to a poor idea of others. No wonder relationships are so hard!

what we may be…

Along with a poor knowledge of self we often can’t be sure of our pure potential! Being of divine heritage, the sky indeed is the limit to what we can achieve. This is especially true if we partner with the Universe to achieve divine goals that impact a larger group of people and not just us. That then is the way forward, combine efforts with God and proceed forward! Only true success can result.

Daily Affirmation: Today I AM focused on my divine potential!

Recommendation: The Urantia Papers

The Urantia Book: Indexed Version with free Audio Book on DVD (Can only be played on a computer with a DVD drive.)Kindle Wireless Reading Device, Wi-Fi, 6

What To Do Now?

Time is life. It is irreversible and irreplaceable. To waste your time is to waste your life, but to master your time is to master your life and make the most of it.Alan Lakein

time value

Each breath we take is a measure of time and of our life. Just like each breath is precious so is the time that the breath occupies. And each such moment is unique. What will we make of it?

now or never!

Each moment we have 2 choices:

  • To Be: We can relax, collect our thoughts and figure out what comes next. Breathe….
  • To Do: Take action based on a plan we’ve made previously. If we don’t have a plan, let’s make one, now. Action!!

Daily Affirmation: Today I master life by mastering time.

Recommendation: The Power of Now & Do It! Let’s Get Off Our Buts

The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual EnlightenmentDo It! Let's Get Off Our ButsKindle Wireless Reading Device, Wi-Fi, 6

Why Pursuing Safety Is a Trap!

When we renounce our dreams and find peace, we go through a short period of tranquility. But the dead dreams begin to rot within us and to infect our entire being. We then become cruel to those around us, and then we begin to direct this cruelty against ourselves. That’s when illnesses and psychoses arise. What we sought to avoid in combat – disappointment and defeat – come upon us because of our cowardice.Paulo Coelho

kill dreams –> hurt self & others

We all want to be safe and in seeking that safety we often sacrifice our dreams! We’re all afraid of life and of death. This fear is what burrows deep inside us and creates long lasting issues that emerge in different ways. When we can’t surface those fears, anger and other frustrations are the result which in turn hurt us and others.

the antidote

It’s a major travesty when we suppress our dreams and force them to become meaningless. The dreams arise from a deep creative place inside us, a place that itself springs from the divine. Many of our dreams are dreams of the divine. When we push such dreams away we deny God, we deny Universal Intelligence and we deny our own selves. So let’s rejuvenate our lost dreams; let’s rescue them from the abyss and let’s give them a new lease to life!

Daily Affirmation: Today I AM a dreamer.

Recommendation: The Alchemist by Paul! Coelho

The AlchemistKindle Wireless Reading Device, Wi-Fi, 6

What Should We Look For?

If you just look for what’s right – in others, in relationships, in yourself and your journey – you’ll always find it. Same when looking for what’s wrong.The Universe

what’s right!

If we always look for what’s good, what’s right and what can work then I would call us optimists not polyannas! Yes it’s quite possible that we will be unrealistic occasionally but at least we can be happier overall? And with such a positive outlook we can more easily overlook all that’s wrong, can go wrong and is wrong with people, relationships and events!

else

The alternative is pretty sad. If we look for what’s wrong we’ll be worriers, we’ll be jealous, we’ll be sad … in other words we’ll suffer! Now why would we choose that??

Daily Affirmation: Today I AM a seeker of the silver lining!

Recommendation: Infinite Possibilities by Mike Dooley

Infinite Possibilities: The Art of Living Your DreamsKindle Wireless Reading Device, Wi-Fi, 6