Solution: Fake It Until You Make It - One Step At a Time
1. Accept. It took time to acquire whatever pattern of behaviour you are trying to eliminate; it is going to take time to change it.
2. Fake. Make time every day, even if it is just for a minute or two to start, increasingly slowly with time, to practice the new behaviour, practice makes perfect.
Sunday, December 16, 2007
Friday, December 14, 2007
A Seasonal Message
Traditionally one of the major holidays at this time of year is Christmas. As not everyone is of the same faith, allow me to put forth a brief explanation of the significance of the date chosen, as well as a suggestion that will hopefully enhance the lives of all those who chose to consider it.
December 25th was decreed as the official date of Jesus’ birth by Pope Julian, in 345 C.E., under the auspices of a newly converted Roman Empire. Yet, since the earliest civilizations, major religious festivals, in all beliefs, have taken place in late autumn, early winter.
The timing followed the course of nature. Late autumn being a time to give thanks for the harvest, the winter a time of rest with rebirth in the spring.
The date for the revelry known as the Roman Saturnalia and pagan festival of Yule, both celebrating the winter solstice, coincided with the birth of the Mithras the Persian god said to have been born on December 25. Mithraism a rival to Christianity, had reached Rome c 67 B.C.E. Pope Julian, cleverly appropriated these dates. There can be no argument that it is easier to get people to follow established patterns, than to acquire new ones.
For two millennia the historical Jesus has been the cause of wars rooted on religious intolerance. Today, the debate rages on as to whether Jesus actually existed. In my opinion it is essential that we stop emphasizing the messenger and focus on the message.
Be it two thousand years old, or five thousand if we accept as evidence the Egyptian myth the message, similarly believed by most religions of the world, is that every human being carries within a “Spark” of Divine Manifestation.
Accepting that a “Divine Spark” joins all human beings, frees us to overlook physical and intellectual differences and realize that we are all derive from the same “Source”.
With that principle in common we can use nature as a model, and look at this time of year, as a time to shed the old branches that draw on our resources. Let go of old grudges forgive those whom you believe have grieved you; forgive yourself for having allowed unkind feelings and thoughts to steer you away from compassion and love.
Use the time between now and Spring to reflect inwardly and strengthen your inner “Spark”, allow the Light from Within to shine BRIGHTLY!
BLESSINGS
December 25th was decreed as the official date of Jesus’ birth by Pope Julian, in 345 C.E., under the auspices of a newly converted Roman Empire. Yet, since the earliest civilizations, major religious festivals, in all beliefs, have taken place in late autumn, early winter.
The timing followed the course of nature. Late autumn being a time to give thanks for the harvest, the winter a time of rest with rebirth in the spring.
The date for the revelry known as the Roman Saturnalia and pagan festival of Yule, both celebrating the winter solstice, coincided with the birth of the Mithras the Persian god said to have been born on December 25. Mithraism a rival to Christianity, had reached Rome c 67 B.C.E. Pope Julian, cleverly appropriated these dates. There can be no argument that it is easier to get people to follow established patterns, than to acquire new ones.
For two millennia the historical Jesus has been the cause of wars rooted on religious intolerance. Today, the debate rages on as to whether Jesus actually existed. In my opinion it is essential that we stop emphasizing the messenger and focus on the message.
Be it two thousand years old, or five thousand if we accept as evidence the Egyptian myth the message, similarly believed by most religions of the world, is that every human being carries within a “Spark” of Divine Manifestation.
Accepting that a “Divine Spark” joins all human beings, frees us to overlook physical and intellectual differences and realize that we are all derive from the same “Source”.
With that principle in common we can use nature as a model, and look at this time of year, as a time to shed the old branches that draw on our resources. Let go of old grudges forgive those whom you believe have grieved you; forgive yourself for having allowed unkind feelings and thoughts to steer you away from compassion and love.
Use the time between now and Spring to reflect inwardly and strengthen your inner “Spark”, allow the Light from Within to shine BRIGHTLY!
BLESSINGS
Thursday, December 6, 2007
Mind Power Healing – Fact or Myth?
Do miracles happen? Can we create miracles in our daily lives?
The trick is learning how. It is not hard really, it is just a matter of believing. Hey, there’s the rub!
What are the three things real estate agents consider important?:
Similarly there are three key essentials in mind power healing:
You must have the “will” to heal the self or to assist in healing others. Without intent no amount of positive thinking or intervention will work.
They call it the “will to live”. Why is it that some patients recover from what appeared to have been a fatal disease, while other succumb to a simple illness? It is all due to the person’s intentions and willingness to heal.
Healing is not the same as curing!
Curing is the process of eliminating disease from the body.
Healing is the process of achieving a state of well-being regardless of the condition of the body. Nonetheless, healing can be used to help the body rid itself of the toxins and blockages that cause discomfort... i.e. disease.
Before we can talk about what we can do to help ourselves and others to heal, we have to understand how the body works and how the process of “mind power healing” affects the body.
When the battery dies in your car, one normally requests a boost. Why? To assist in the recharging of the battery so the car will run again.
Mind power healing works by boosting the energy level of the body. As an example, we draw from the Universal Energy Field normally in moments of reflection, prayer or mediation. During moments of intense concentration one is focused on the desired result. Thus, intent, focus and belief become the driving force that make miracles possible.
Of course we can!
The trick is learning how. It is not hard really, it is just a matter of believing. Hey, there’s the rub!
What are the three things real estate agents consider important?:
Location, Location, Location
Similarly there are three key essentials in mind power healing:
Intent, Intent, Intent
You must have the “will” to heal the self or to assist in healing others. Without intent no amount of positive thinking or intervention will work.
Doctor’s know that!
They call it the “will to live”. Why is it that some patients recover from what appeared to have been a fatal disease, while other succumb to a simple illness? It is all due to the person’s intentions and willingness to heal.
Let us look at healing.
Healing is not the same as curing!
Curing is the process of eliminating disease from the body.
Healing is the process of achieving a state of well-being regardless of the condition of the body. Nonetheless, healing can be used to help the body rid itself of the toxins and blockages that cause discomfort... i.e. disease.
Before we can talk about what we can do to help ourselves and others to heal, we have to understand how the body works and how the process of “mind power healing” affects the body.
When the battery dies in your car, one normally requests a boost. Why? To assist in the recharging of the battery so the car will run again.
Mind power healing works by boosting the energy level of the body. As an example, we draw from the Universal Energy Field normally in moments of reflection, prayer or mediation. During moments of intense concentration one is focused on the desired result. Thus, intent, focus and belief become the driving force that make miracles possible.
Monday, December 3, 2007
10 Easy Steps to Combat Winter Depression
Sometimes without apparent reason, depression seems to take over. The best medicine is preventative. Looking after mental health is as essential as looking after physical health. A physically tired person will generally take a break. Rest replenishes the body’s energy. Exhaustion is released and the body feels better. The mind also needs to release the constant bombardment of stimulus, some pleasant, some not so pleasant, i.e. stress. Mind fitness is a prerequisite to maintaining a harmonious sense of well- being.
Watch your diet. Eat “light”. Refrain from eating “heavy foods” which will make the body feel sluggish. Vegetables, fish etc. Studies have shown that depressed patients have a lower level of the natural amino acid tryptophan. This natural antidepressant can be found in bananas. Licorice is known to contains a natural MAO inhibitor (monoamine oxidase enzyme).
1. Get plenty of sleep. Ensure that your night’s sleep is undisturbed. If possible take a warm bath and drink a warm cup of tea before going to bed, camomile, passion flower, lemon balm are suggested. Burning incense, oils or scented candles prior to falling asleep can ensure a deep sleep. Recommended scents: marjoram, cedarwood, sandalwood, camomile.
2. Exercise. Depression responds to vigorous aerobic exercise rather than gentler types such as yoga. If going to an exercise class is not possible, a good exercise video can be used at home. 20 minutes a day is recommended but 10 minutes is better than nothing.
3. Seek Advice. Depression can be clinical, caused by hormonal deficiency, or environmental, caused by life situations. After ruling out medical causes for depression, seek friends or professionals who can offer different perspectives on life situations.
4. Dissect. The large picture always feels overwhelming. Break down the picture. Examine each area, i.e. life situation individually. Deal with one component at a time, as though tearing down a brick wall. (Good visualization exercise)
5. Contemplation. Meditation, visualization, affirmations are three essential methods of training your mind towards feeling better. Meditation does not have to done sitting cross legged staring into the infinite. A walk in the country contemplating the beauty of nature can be meditative. While in a totally relaxed state, either walking. sitting or lying down, visualize the depression lifting from the body. Affirm that your body’s natural state is healthy, and that it is achieving a healthier state second by second, minute by minute, hour by hour, day by day, week by week, month by month, year by year.... Create whatever personal affirmations are applicable to the situation.
6. Massage. A good invigorating massage or an aromatherapy massage can stimulate the lymphatic system, clearing the body of toxins. Reflexology, either hand or foot is also beneficial. The site for the pituitary, the “king” of the hormone producing glands, is found in the “middle back” of the toes, and in the hands in the middle of the upper fleshy part of the thumb.
7. Fragrances. Use aromatherapy blends in the bath, as mist sprays for room and pillow and as massage oils.
8. Ritualistic routine. Create a distracting routine or ritual. Find a convenient time of day in which to perform an enjoyable routine or ritual. Select a time that can remain constant for a reasonable period of time, i.e. ten to twelve weeks.
9. Supplements. Vitamin supplements, and tinctures such as valerian root and passion flower can be used, but not long term. St. Johnswort, Motherswort and Ginko are highly recommended. Ginseng and Kava Kava are also useful but side effects may include higher blood pressure and hyperactivity respectively.
10. Release anger. Frequently depression is anger turned within. If you let go depression can be eliminated. According to the Rev. Hanna Kroeger, pressing acupuncture points along the body’s meridians can help release blockages. Hold the following points for a few minutes: mid chin; tip of sternum; left side of knee.
Know thyself and stay happy.........
Help Yourself Feel Better, when depression hits, in 10 Easy Steps
Watch your diet. Eat “light”. Refrain from eating “heavy foods” which will make the body feel sluggish. Vegetables, fish etc. Studies have shown that depressed patients have a lower level of the natural amino acid tryptophan. This natural antidepressant can be found in bananas. Licorice is known to contains a natural MAO inhibitor (monoamine oxidase enzyme).
1. Get plenty of sleep. Ensure that your night’s sleep is undisturbed. If possible take a warm bath and drink a warm cup of tea before going to bed, camomile, passion flower, lemon balm are suggested. Burning incense, oils or scented candles prior to falling asleep can ensure a deep sleep. Recommended scents: marjoram, cedarwood, sandalwood, camomile.
2. Exercise. Depression responds to vigorous aerobic exercise rather than gentler types such as yoga. If going to an exercise class is not possible, a good exercise video can be used at home. 20 minutes a day is recommended but 10 minutes is better than nothing.
3. Seek Advice. Depression can be clinical, caused by hormonal deficiency, or environmental, caused by life situations. After ruling out medical causes for depression, seek friends or professionals who can offer different perspectives on life situations.
4. Dissect. The large picture always feels overwhelming. Break down the picture. Examine each area, i.e. life situation individually. Deal with one component at a time, as though tearing down a brick wall. (Good visualization exercise)
5. Contemplation. Meditation, visualization, affirmations are three essential methods of training your mind towards feeling better. Meditation does not have to done sitting cross legged staring into the infinite. A walk in the country contemplating the beauty of nature can be meditative. While in a totally relaxed state, either walking. sitting or lying down, visualize the depression lifting from the body. Affirm that your body’s natural state is healthy, and that it is achieving a healthier state second by second, minute by minute, hour by hour, day by day, week by week, month by month, year by year.... Create whatever personal affirmations are applicable to the situation.
6. Massage. A good invigorating massage or an aromatherapy massage can stimulate the lymphatic system, clearing the body of toxins. Reflexology, either hand or foot is also beneficial. The site for the pituitary, the “king” of the hormone producing glands, is found in the “middle back” of the toes, and in the hands in the middle of the upper fleshy part of the thumb.
7. Fragrances. Use aromatherapy blends in the bath, as mist sprays for room and pillow and as massage oils.
8. Ritualistic routine. Create a distracting routine or ritual. Find a convenient time of day in which to perform an enjoyable routine or ritual. Select a time that can remain constant for a reasonable period of time, i.e. ten to twelve weeks.
9. Supplements. Vitamin supplements, and tinctures such as valerian root and passion flower can be used, but not long term. St. Johnswort, Motherswort and Ginko are highly recommended. Ginseng and Kava Kava are also useful but side effects may include higher blood pressure and hyperactivity respectively.
10. Release anger. Frequently depression is anger turned within. If you let go depression can be eliminated. According to the Rev. Hanna Kroeger, pressing acupuncture points along the body’s meridians can help release blockages. Hold the following points for a few minutes: mid chin; tip of sternum; left side of knee.
Know thyself and stay happy.........
Are We Who We Think We Are
“ One’s own thought is one’s own world. What a person thinks is what he becomes.” - Hindu text from the Maitri Upanishad, nearly 3,000 years old.
“ We are shaped by our thoughts. We become what we think.” - Buddha writes in the Dhammapada, c 500 BC.
"Cogito Ergo Sum" ("I think, therefore I am.") - René Descartes (1596-1650)
Sages, philosophers, psychiatrists, and ordinary folk have said it for millennia, “Be careful of what you think”.
Sigmund Freud recognized years ago that thoughts, manifested by behaviour, are founded in the belief system. His opinion of the necessity to understand our beliefs gave birth to the psychoanalytic process, where adults spent years in analysis, seeking the root cause of their beliefs, by attempting to remember and dissect their childhood.
Some theories suggest that the foetus is able to sense the world while still in the womb. While that idea may be disputed, the fact that infants start to formulate their opinion of the world, as soon as they leave the birth canal is not. Language is not necessary to imprint the psyche.
The beliefs that make up how we perceive the world are firmly established by the age of three. As our intellect develops, our set of beliefs modify slightly, nonetheless we will always view the world according to the colour of own personal lenses. The colour instilled by the original beliefs.
What are our options? Is it sitting on the analyst’s couch, a la Woody Allen the only way to improve our lives? Or, do we continue to blame our parents for their lack of parental skills?
Or, do we assume responsibility for our lives and refuse to be driven by unknown forces in our subconscious?
Ancient sayings were right we are what we think, because thoughts generate actions; actions have consequences; which generate thoughts, which generate actions ad infinitum.
To improve our lives we must change the patterns of behaviour. By making a conscious effort to change our thoughts, we are taking a pro-active approach, which, can effect an immediate change in behaviour. The secondary benefit is that as we attempt to reprogram ourselves to change old unwanted behaviours with new, it becomes easier to identify the belief that fueled the thought.
Once implanted beliefs surface, they can be challenged, by holding them to the light of the present, and their validity assessed. Either saved or discarded.
Without being able to shed the light of the present on set beliefs, adults will continue to behave like children, not being aware of the forces that drive them.
Exercises
1. Whenever you find yourself repeating an old behaviour, ask yourself, why, what is the belief behind the behaviour.
2. When overwhelmed by negative or oppressive thoughts, remind yourself:
I am the master of my thoughts!
“ We are shaped by our thoughts. We become what we think.” - Buddha writes in the Dhammapada, c 500 BC.
"Cogito Ergo Sum" ("I think, therefore I am.") - René Descartes (1596-1650)
Sages, philosophers, psychiatrists, and ordinary folk have said it for millennia, “Be careful of what you think”.
Sigmund Freud recognized years ago that thoughts, manifested by behaviour, are founded in the belief system. His opinion of the necessity to understand our beliefs gave birth to the psychoanalytic process, where adults spent years in analysis, seeking the root cause of their beliefs, by attempting to remember and dissect their childhood.
Some theories suggest that the foetus is able to sense the world while still in the womb. While that idea may be disputed, the fact that infants start to formulate their opinion of the world, as soon as they leave the birth canal is not. Language is not necessary to imprint the psyche.
The beliefs that make up how we perceive the world are firmly established by the age of three. As our intellect develops, our set of beliefs modify slightly, nonetheless we will always view the world according to the colour of own personal lenses. The colour instilled by the original beliefs.
What are our options? Is it sitting on the analyst’s couch, a la Woody Allen the only way to improve our lives? Or, do we continue to blame our parents for their lack of parental skills?
Or, do we assume responsibility for our lives and refuse to be driven by unknown forces in our subconscious?
Ancient sayings were right we are what we think, because thoughts generate actions; actions have consequences; which generate thoughts, which generate actions ad infinitum.
To improve our lives we must change the patterns of behaviour. By making a conscious effort to change our thoughts, we are taking a pro-active approach, which, can effect an immediate change in behaviour. The secondary benefit is that as we attempt to reprogram ourselves to change old unwanted behaviours with new, it becomes easier to identify the belief that fueled the thought.
Once implanted beliefs surface, they can be challenged, by holding them to the light of the present, and their validity assessed. Either saved or discarded.
Without being able to shed the light of the present on set beliefs, adults will continue to behave like children, not being aware of the forces that drive them.
Exercises
1. Whenever you find yourself repeating an old behaviour, ask yourself, why, what is the belief behind the behaviour.
2. When overwhelmed by negative or oppressive thoughts, remind yourself:
I am the master of my thoughts!
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