Choose Peace

Every day, events happen in your life that you do not necessarily have control of. How you act or react to a situation, though, is entirely in your hands. In order to maintain your bliss, you need to make a conscious decision, before a thought even enters your mind, that you will choose to think, feel, and act from a place of peace. This process takes a little while getting used to and adapting as a habit; but the more you do it, the better you will feel about your choices. The tension will slowly melt away, and as you infuse peace, love, and faith into your conscious decisions, the Universe's energies will respond in a positive way. You will learn to trust in the process and be open to receiving a solution that benefits all.

I keep my focus on the here and now. I breathe peace into all of my thoughts, feelings, and actions.

Power of Prayer

Prayer to God/Universe/Spirit or even your own higher self can be a cathartic experience. When I pray, I have my usual "Can you please bless my...." But the genuine emotional praying that elicits a deep physical, mental, and heartfelt communication can be much like writing a journal page, tearing it out, then releasing it into a drop box as a request to "Please heal this situation for the highest and best good." Sometimes just talking aloud or to yourself intending it to be heard by a spiritual support team is healing as you surrender and finally let go of any fears. In order for God or Spirit to manage the problem, you have to detach from any expectations or outcomes. In this way, a win-win situation from a higher level of consciousness can be created. Allow the magic of the Universe to do the dirty work and follow any subsequent guidance to co-create a more fulfilling solution.

When I pray, I surrender any challenging situations to my higher support systems and release the need to control the outcome. I trust in the power of Spirit.

Transcend the Pendulum

So you wake up one morning and the sky is blue, your kids are cooperating, you find an extra $20 in your pocket, and there's no traffic on the way to work. You go home and your neighbor gives you leftovers, you and your husband have a splendid intimate evening, and you get a full night's rest. Next day you wake up late because the electricity went out from a thunderstorm, your food in the fridge is ruined, you just remembered it was your turn at carpool, your child spills her milk all over the car seat, and its bumper to bumper traffic on the way to work. Your boss wants you to rewrite your proposal, your child throws up at school, and your husband decides to mention the business trip he has to go on for the next week.
How do you deal with life's ups and downs? How do you transcend the pendulum swing of emotions?
First of all remember that tomorrow is another day and this too shall pass. Then visualize yourself rising up the pendulum as it swings. Realize that everything happening is just an illusion and peace and harmony are what truly exists. Take a deep breath during the mishap and ask yourself why you feel negative emotions, fear, or stress about the situation. Make a conscious choice to let the negativity go and choose to follow a path of faith and love. Once you develop this habit, instead of managing stress you will be maintaining bliss by rising above.

I rise above challenging situations and maintain my bliss.

Keep it Simple

Just for today, think about how you can simplify your life. Can you clean out some clutter, cancel magazine subscriptions, avoid a phone call from a drama queen friend? The key to having peaceful days is to create inner and outer peace in your life. Inner peace can take a long time to develop as a habit, a function of daily life. We all want to be like Buddha and feel blissful all the time. The truth is, though, life happens and we experience a gamut of emotions, sometimes in the course of a few minutes. However, to create a sense of peace and bliss around your daily routine and external environment, you can take certain measures that you have control of. Develop healthy habits of organization, preparation, and simplification. Some habits that have helped me include the following:
* Keep your checkbook balanced
* Take care of mail daily
* Put clothes out at night for the next day
* Shop for groceries one week at a time
* Freeze extra food from cooking
* Cancel unwanted magazines
* Limit knick knack buying
* Put a list on fridge to mark items for shopping
* Invest in a file cabinet
* Designate one area as a to-do box
* Clean once per week -- sheets, vacuum, mop
Consistently working on a sense of structure and organization on a daily basis can bring peace to your external world. This is what you have control of so take advantage of creating the best situation conducive to bliss and harmony.

I structure and organize my life to create stability, balance, and hamony.

Overcoming Irrational Fears

We all have preconceived ideas about what may or may not happen if we try to experience something new. The problem with these preconceptions is that they are often negative and fear-based and prevent people from entering into a situation that could prove to be fun, exciting, and worthwhile. Fear-based notions often start at an early age and can continue to develop throughout adulthood. Unfortunately, the rationales behind what stops someone from new experiences are often unfounded and usually relate back to social conditioning. Social conditioning of fears refers to what society or the media deem as something to be scared of. For example, children's shows often depict little kids afraid of the dark with the monster lurking in the corner. Who says the dark is something to be afraid of? I teach my child that the dark is a blessing as it helps us to sleep better and get much needed rest. It can be depicted as a fun time to explore the nocturnal life, not a scary place. Examine your fears, whether you're afraid of the water, snakes, or meeting new people. Where do they originate? If it's some television program or magazine article that makes you feel like a victim, then stop watching and stop reading! If certain circumstances, such as previous rejected relationships, are stopping you, realize that these are in the past. Take responsibility and learn what you could have done better and move on. Don't not experience life because you're afraid to, simply reset your mind to one of confidence. It is a choice.

I choose from a place of love. My decisions are based on confidence and courage.

The Need for Growth and Development

My 3 y.o. was watching a show today in which the little boy character decided he wanted to run away from home because he didn't want to take naps anymore. After his family candidly rationalizes with him about his decision, he decides not to go anymore. He would rather be close to his brother, play with his toys, and have fun with his friends. The show ended and my daughter comes up to me stating her wishes to run away from home as well. When she claimed it was due to the fact that she didn't want to take naps anymore, I reminded her that she gave up naps several months ago. She didn't have much else to say after that.
It was interesting to note that after viewing the whole episode, with the plot, the climax, and the resolution, she choose to focus on the conflict. I think we often do that in life. Look at your life situations as if they were a television show. Are you focusing on the crisis....the drama? We can choose to focus on a healthy outcome....a resolution. Of course through conflict and problems we can learn and personal development can occur. But do you want that in your life? Do you want situations where you feel like you're on an emotional roller coaster? Is that what you choose? We're here on Earth to learn and evolve so why not choose personal development involving healthy situations, like in a genuine partnership or when you're committing your time and efforts to a worthy cause. Review you life and release the dramas. You don't need them.

My life is full of fun and healthy situations that allow me to grow and development mentally, emotionally, spiritually, physically, financially, and socially. I choose to surround myself with positive influences.

Believe in Yourself

When we're in situations that just don't resonate with our true passions or what we really want, it's sometimes hard to regain the confidence and frame of mind to have faith in making a major life change. What has helped me out in the past is a conscious connection with God/Universe/Spirit/Life Energy/Higher Self, whatever you choose to call that universal spark that helps us to become truly aware of our individual purposes. Believing in yourself and in the creative mind of the Universe, is a big step on the path to a personal development journey. Listen to the inner voice or your higher conscience that propels you toward releasing situations that no longer serve your higher purpose. Surround yourself with people and events that support you on your journey. Remind yourself day to day with affirmations, meditation CDs, or whatever you need to keep your thoughts, feelings, and actions focused on your passion and purpose. The layers of the onion will continue to peel back as you believe in yourself and the true path of your life is revealed.

I fully believe and am confident in myself for choosing the path that fuels my passion and purpose. I believe in the power within myself and the Universe to manifest the brilliant life that I deserve.