Let us first be as simple and well as Nature ourselves

The Path To Living Well:

Cultivating A Sense Of Spirituality

by: Laura Turner
“Let us first be as simple and well as Nature ourselves.” ~Thoreau, Walden
Have you ever thought: “Wouldn’t it be great to live ‘well’?” Yet, through our often rushed and fully-packed schedules it’s easy to wonder what living well actually means. Is it about living “healthy”? Eating right to support your body? Is it about exercise? Managing stress?
The answer, indeed, is “yes” to all of these. However, before exploring what you can “do” to live well, let’s first take a look at who you are “being.” After all, it’s at the bottom of your being which creates the foundation for a healthy, fulfilling life.

How to decide who you are being? Well, most people already believe in a higher source, a higher power. But for our purposes, we’ll take it one step further. We’ll call this sense of “being” your own personal Nature. And, what’s important for a life of living well, is the connection you make to this inner Nature. The easiest way to do this… Develop your own personal belief system.
Why Develop Your Own Belief System?

If living well involves first establishing a relationship with your inner Nature, let’s also look at a few reasons why you should cultivate this relationship:
• Explains the Unexplainable:
Certain “chance” happenings and connections to other people cannot always be explained by empiric science. How do some people experience “spontaneous healing”? Or, on a smaller scale, why does just the right person “show up” when you need them? Why do the right circumstances come into your life at the precise moment?
For example: just yesterday, I was thinking about a friend of mine from college I hadn’t spoken to in a while—an hour later, she called.
Your inner Nature can give you clues to why all of this is true. Try taking inventory of yourself. Have you ever had a “hunch” or a “feeling” about something and it turned out to be true? I think we all have.

Challenge yourself by recalling all the incidents you can, then jot them down. Be aware of these connections in the future and make note of them.
• Helps You Find Joy in the Present Moment
Did you know that Now is the only moment you have? Realizing the past is behind you and the future is a function of your choices can be empowering; looking at the present moment allows you to take inventory of where you are right now (and who you’d like to be in the future). What, in you life, are you happy with? Dissatisfied with? What in your life, if you could, would you change?
Again, take a quick personal inventory by jotting these things down, then giving thought to each. Becoming aware of where you are right now, will help you set your sights for guided personal development.

• Gives You a Sense of the Larger Picture
How liberating it would be to take charge of your life! Yet, most do not realize, this power is available to all of us. If you begin where you are, you can make small, daily steps toward “being” the person you’d like to be. Why not try right now? Why not just “be” the person you’d like to? Be kind. Be healthy. Be energetic. Be successful.
Check your list again. Who do you desire to “be”? Once you know, then look for ways to “be” it. Do you need to exert more confidence? Build self-esteem? Again, add these notes to your list and spend a few minutes every day thinking about them. I think you’ll find yourself moving into that space quickly.

Take Home Message: Learn to Live in the Flow of Nature.
Perhaps there is something you’re “resisting” that is keeping you unwell or unhappy: are you in a job that is not satisfying? Grappling with an old illness or injury that is holding you back? Be aware of these things as they come to you. Then, take small steps toward change.
Make your aim to move through your pains and fears and be aware of the ways your inner nature provides cues for you. Just like the “accidental” phone call, the new job that may better serve you could also be available. Allow yourself to be open to the possibilities. Practice letting life show you how to live in it's harmony. Most of all; enjoy the adventure! You are certain to find yourself living a healthier, more rewarding life.

About The Author
Laura Turner is a health journalist and author. She hosts http://www.beauty-and-body.com/ and publishes the bi-weekly New Body News and Wellness Letter, The Online Magazine Healthy People Read. ( http://www.new-body-news.com/). Subscribe for f.r.e.e. and receive her Special Report: "Take Charge of Your Health!"

Writing Books on Spirituality

Make Money With Writing Books on Spirituality and Self Help:

10 Great Reasons To Become An Author Today

by: Arielle Ford
It was the first time I overheard someone whisper "she’s the author", as I walked into a book signing, that I suddenly realized that I had achieved something very special. Not only had I managed to get my book published, I now received respect and admiration from total strangers. Being an author even it today’s digitized world, is still an awe-inspiring accomplishment.
In 2005 USA TODAY reported eighty-two percent of Americans say they plan to write a book someday. I think the critical word here is 'plan'. If you want to be someone who really does write a book, you can begin right now by understanding how being an author will improve your life.

Here is my top ten list why you should become an author today, especially if you are a spirituality, self help or personal growth expert:
1. Authors are recognized as experts by virtue of having a book with their name on the cover.
2. The media loves authors (i.e. experts) and uses them often, on all levels.
3. Being an author improves your chances of getting paid speaking engagements.
4. While you may not become a millionaire from writing a book, you can certainly improve your chances of increasing your income.
5. When you go to your high school reunion, you can finally shove your book under the noses of all who snubbed you in your teenage years.
6. If you ever felt that you weren’t 'smart enough', writing a book will certainly go a long way in curing that.
7. Being an author gives you a stronger sense of self-esteem.
8. Your book will open doors and create business opportunities you wouldn't have received without it.
9. Having a book gives you a platform for teaching workshops and seminars.
10. Being an author is a great icebreaker at cocktail parties.

(Hint: authors are often considered VIPs or celebrities! It’s true!)

When I started writing my first book, it wasn’t because I was sure I wanted Bill O’Reilly’s producer to have my name in his Rolodex to call whenever he needed a 'mystical' New Age expert. (In fact I’m not sure I’ve ever wanted that at all!) I didn’t devote hundreds of hours to stories of couples finding one another through magical, mystical ways just to impress strangers at a cocktail party. And I can definitely tell you I didn’t write six books just to tell my old high school classmates about it.
I wrote because I had to. I had a story inside of me that wouldn’t rest until I put it onto the page. The benefits of actually finishing the book and becoming a bona fide author and the other "reasons" were simply an afterthought.

I can do everything short of putting a cattle prod under you to get you started on writing your self help book, but, at the end of the day, writing has to be something you want to do. Sure, it’s hard to sit down day after day and stare at a blank computer screen. I know how hard it is to tell your mom or your husband that you only typed two pages in an entire day. I can tell you hundreds of great things about being an author, but not a single one will really get you to the finish line.
What will get you down the home stretch is the satisfaction of knowing that you’re being true to yourself. You dreamt of becoming an author because you had to. You envisioned title ideas and chapter outlines because they came to you and wouldn’t go away. You told your friends you wanted to write a book because you could and you will.
You are an author, and you always have been. All you need to do now is make it happen. It might not be scintillating cocktail banter that puts a finished manuscript in your hands, but keeping your eyes on the prize can’t hurt.

About The Author
Arielle Ford is a world renowned publicist credited with launching the careers of Deepak Chopra and more than a dozen other New York Times best selling authors in the field of self help, spirituality and personal growth. To learn more, go to http://www.EverythingYouShouldKnow.com to sign up for Arielle's "Best Seller Strategies" newsletter and get a free copy of Arielle's guide, "Everything You Should Know About Marketing Yourself Positively & Powerfully On a Budget" free of charge.

The Forgotten Happiness

Kindergarten Spirituality-- by: Neoli Marcos

Happiness is like a telephone directory How 'bout right here, right now, be happy. Tell yourself from now on, you've got no other option but be happy. And then forget about it, and just go with the flow. This is not complacency; this is simply channeling your energies to more worthwhile events. Instead of being overwhelmed with problems, try being excited about solving them. Go with the flow, and everything, as they say, will fall into place. Sounds a lot like Zen and spirituality, you might say. Spirituality is a big thing nowadays, in this age of technologically-flavored chaos and confusion. Everyone's embracing it, everyone's incorporating spirituality into their lives. Because Spirituality is equals to Happiness?

Kindergarten Spirituality Well, yes. Spirituality is equals to happiness. But really, how can we even begin being happy when we can't even grasp the magnitude of spirituality. For all we know, the secret to being happy is to merely go back being a child, see things with a childlike perspective. Maybe we are not happy because we've simply forgotten or abandoned the kindergarten version of ourselves. The ones who were happy right here and now, and didn't think about it. The ones who weren't scared of possibilities, who didn't limit themselves, who seized the day, and laughed and danced and loved as if there was no tomorrow.

We we're a happy bunch when we were in kindergarten and we didn't need any spirituality at all. So how come we need spirituality now to be happy? I am responsible, therefore I am. It's because the world we're living in operates on a different reality now than when we were in kindergarten. Now, we are adults, largely defined by our duties and responsibilities. Add to these the vices, influences, and all sorts of distraction and corruption the world has thrown at us. We didn't need spirituality back in kindergarten because we still didn't have a sense of identity and responsibility. But now we do. Spirituality is, of course, a weighty subject. We can delve into our past lives and realize how they influence the lifetime we're living now. Or how every bit of our smallest actions affects everyone and everything else in the planet, like a domino effect. Or discovering our purpose connects with a higher purpose. Spirituality is all that and more. But for now, we'll simply define spirituality as taking a step back out of ourselves for a better view, and at the same time, going back into our very selves. It all starts with us, when we try to flip open that inner telephone book in us and have a real heart-to-heart talk with yourself. We're too caught up with our responsibilities to the world that we lose touch with ourselves and our spirituality. We forget that we are both responsible for our own selves and have a responsibility to ourselves.

Consequently, we are responsible for our own happiness. Happy Birthday Everyday! But here's the thing, just like when we were in kindergarten, we don't become happy by planning to be happy. Real happiness is effortless. If from the start we have our expectations and projections of it, then we have already shaped and restricted happiness into a set of parameters. But if we are happy simply by meeting each of life's events as they come, if we meet them head-on, as consciously as we can, and savor them for the experience of constant rebirth it offers us, then we’re happy, spiritually so. And we’d be so busy being happy, busy being ourselves, that we won’t even realize it.

About The Author
Neoli Marcos writes for the Universal Psychic Guild – http://www.psychicguild.com. His works has contributed a lot to the site and has captured the heart of his readers.