Simple Truths for Change, Healing and a Magnificent Life!
By Marcia Breitenbach http://spiritguide4u.com/
Many people on the planet are realizing that the key to a healthier, happier and life of abundance can be distilled into simple truths. We live in a complex and cluttered world. Take a deep breath and listen to this:You are on this planet to grow and to love. It is very simple. Don’t make it so complicated. We are challenged when change or loss come our way. We get disoriented, confused and begin to lose focus on the things we innately know will help us ride the waves.Here are some tips to review, to help you feel the support of the earth below you and the heavens above.
* Change is coming and change is here. You can be transformed by change, become more of who you were meant to be, and re-member or re-define who you are. You begin with your intention for positive transformation.
* What are your beliefs about life, change, and about yourself? You must bring these to the surface, examine them, and discard the ones that aren’t assisting you to manifest a life of magnificence. Write and voice your new beliefs often. Repetition of helpful beliefs, accompanied by enthusiasm, will bring about the things you want to manifest.
* To transform positively, and to live your best life, you must be connected to your inner voice. By doing so, you are more able to connect outwardly with others and build bridges of healing connections.* Rather than always searching without (or outside ourselves), look for the answers within. Going within requires some periods of stillness and silence. Being, rather than doing.
* Remember that you are not alone on your journey. You are always connected to spiritual beings who await your call for assistance.* Nature heals. Nature can open the wounded heart to love and to life again. Be grateful for, and be a gentle steward of this precious beauty.* Fear is a normal human emotion. Feel it, move forward with it and through it, and claim your Divine Essence.* Surrender, trust and gratitude are the three sisters of grace that allow you to move into a better life very quickly.* Taking time to explore who you are and to love all of you, including your shadows, helps heal the world. It brings balance to your life and FREEDOM!!* In order to love yourself, you must be gentle with yourself, and with the process of becoming a kinder, more loving person. By doing so, you also let go of judgments of others.* Keep a sense of humor about yourself and your growth.
You will never be perfect and you must “constipate your guilt.”* Open your heart, even if it’s wounded, and you will receive more light and love. It is always a CHOICE.* Practice laughing and find ways to stretch and exercise these important life muscles. Create laughing opportunities.* EXPAND your awareness of life’s mysteries. Being open to new ideas and concepts lengthens and deepens your life.* BREATHE with more awareness, especially when you feel strong feelings. It creates space for growth and healing.* Life is beautiful and you are Divine and deserve the best. Let go of the past and live this year like it’s your last. Give your light and love to others. Be a gardener for healing, planting seeds of hope, love, and compassion. It will enrich you!Remember, change is the opening in your life journey that allows you to access the unlimited creative energy within you…you literally are given the gift of re-creation of your life. It may arrive in disguise, such as an illness, death of a loved one, or other life challenge.
Why not choose to use this opening to step into your magnificence?
Saturday, March 10, 2007
6 Great Questions That Will Help You Find Your Focus
By: Cari Vollmer
Do you have a ton to do and have no idea where to start? Would you like to know with each step you take you're heading in the right direction? Would you like to narrow your "to do" list down to a few key items and let go of the rest? Would you like to work smarter, not harder? The questions below will help you do just that. Answering these questions will help you find your focus so you can do what you want to do and feel great about your life while you're doing it.
1. What do I care about most? Or, where is my heart leading me? Only when you allow yourself to do what you care about most will you begin feeling better about your life. Asking this question will give your HEART a space to speak and be heard. When we get wrapped up in all the "stuff" we have to do we often overlook what our heart wants.
2. What do I really, really want to do? Or, ask yourself "is this what I really want?" If the answer is "no", ask yourself why you're doing it and then find a way to stop doing it. So much life is wasted doing things we don't want to do. Doing what you really want is a process of identifying and letting go of the things that you don't want and replacing them with things that you do want. Overtime you'll rebalance your life to include MORE of what you want to do. This question will give your DREAMS an opportunity to come to life. This one question could set your life on a new course.
3. How do I want to feel while I'm doing what I'm doing? If what you're doing doesn't give you pleasure while you're doing it, you may be on the wrong track. Why? Because "doing" takes up much more time then the result. The result happens once. We reach each goal only once and then it's over. The journey to our goals is what fills our life with experiences. If you're not feeling good during the "doing" (aka -- the journey) is it really worth it? This question allows your SPIRIT to come alive -- to be experienced. Give yourself permission to do things that feel good and you'll live an inspired life.
4. What is the "for sake of what" behind what I'm doing? Another way to word this question would be, "In the big picture of my life what purpose does this action serve?" If the answer isn't clear you may be letting life lead you. This question helps you CONNECT THE DOTS and make better choices for your life. Basing your actions on a clear purpose puts you in the driver's seat which means you are LEADING your life instead of letting it lead you.
5. What am I going to do? Make a list of all the things you care about and all the things you really want to do and prioritize them with a "1-2-3" approach. Rank your list in order of importance. Of course we make choices (decisions) about what we're going to do all day long BUT how often do we make choices after asking questions 1-4? Answering the above questions FIRST will give you the opportunity to bring more of what you really want into your life. This question requires a CHOICE be made. Now you've narrowed your focus!
6. How am I going to do it? After narrowing your focus create a mini action plan for each item. Write down the steps you'll need to take to make it happen. Tip: only focus on 1 or 2 things at a time (ex: over the period of 1 month). Don't try to do everything at once. That will just lead to overwhelm. Give yourself a chance to worker smarter and you will get more done.
This question will inspire you to TAKE ACTION. Nothing happens without it. In order to create the life you want you have to give your dreams, heart and spirit a voice and space in your life. However, this alone won't make things happen. You have to channel all these things into a clear course of action. Instead of jumping into your "to do" list, take some time to reflect upon these questions. By doing so you'll put yourself on a life and/or business path that reflects more of what you really want. Determine your FOCUS first and you'll live a fuller, richer life.
About the author:Cari Vollmer is the creative founder of LifeOnTrack.com LifeOnTrack.com’s inspirational and easy-to-read e-zine, LivingOnTrack, offers practical tips and strategies for getting and keeping your life on track. Sign up at http://www.lifeontrack.com/
Maybe Money CAN Buy Happiness
By: Steve Gillman Can money buy happiness? It's easy to say no, and probably correct, but that's just a way to stop thinking about the tougher issues. What is your relationship to money, for example, and how do you use this most powerful of worldly tools? Maybe you see that chasing after money for its own sake is destructive, but isn't it equally damaging to have such a powerful instrument in your hands while pretending it has no importance? Money Is Important Some say that money isn't important to them, but this isn't true. The truth is they don't see the importance. They make more than they need and yet complain they have no time for their children, when they could trade time chasing money for time with their kids. They want self-improvement, but instead of buying the tools to help them (a book, a class, a trip to a monastery) they put $800 televisions on credit cards.
Then they work to pay for it all, taking even more time from their children and their own personal development. It's not about televisions. They can be good things. It's about priorities. How we make money and how we spend money reveals ourselves. Do we like what we see? Money IS important, isn't it? Happiness So, can money buy happiness? Well, it can help put the right conditions in place. Is it easier to be happy if you have food to eat? Whether you call that buying happiness or not, the understanding is more important than the argument. Name any valuable goal or direction in your life. Can't you, with a little imagination, see how money might help? Earn your money in a healthy, satisfying way, and spend it wisely, and of course you have a better chance to be happy. Clearly, we need a deeper understanding of this than a cliche can provide.
About the author:Steve Gillman writes on many self help topics including boosting brainpower, losing weight, meditation, habits of mind, creative problem solving, learning gratitude, generating luck and anything related to self improvement. You'll find more at http://www.SelfImprovementNow.com
Then they work to pay for it all, taking even more time from their children and their own personal development. It's not about televisions. They can be good things. It's about priorities. How we make money and how we spend money reveals ourselves. Do we like what we see? Money IS important, isn't it? Happiness So, can money buy happiness? Well, it can help put the right conditions in place. Is it easier to be happy if you have food to eat? Whether you call that buying happiness or not, the understanding is more important than the argument. Name any valuable goal or direction in your life. Can't you, with a little imagination, see how money might help? Earn your money in a healthy, satisfying way, and spend it wisely, and of course you have a better chance to be happy. Clearly, we need a deeper understanding of this than a cliche can provide.
About the author:Steve Gillman writes on many self help topics including boosting brainpower, losing weight, meditation, habits of mind, creative problem solving, learning gratitude, generating luck and anything related to self improvement. You'll find more at http://www.SelfImprovementNow.com
Appreciation Can Make a Difference
By: Barbara White
When in 1996 a local Secondary School opened, the staff decided to create a tradition to prepare Christmas Hampers for those in need. Each advisory class (of around 18 students G9-12) would adopt a family to help out. The students only know how many members in the family, ages of the children, and whether they have any food allergies. Every year, 65 –70 hampers are delivered to families. Inside each hamper is a note from the school principal wishing the family a Merry Christmas and a healthy and happy new year. It explains how the hamper was put together by the students and adds (I quote) “We hope that this hamper will bring you joy at this special time of year as it was put together with much love and care.” What would you think the experience of delivering a hamper would be? In my minds eye I would imagine this scenario… knocking at the door, and seeing the face of the mother light up, excited voices and delighted faces of children gathering at the door to receive the four or five large boxes, all wrapped in Christmas paper being delivered. I would imagine seeing the relief and gratitude on the mothers face, perhaps moist eyes, as she realizes there will be plenty of food to go round this Christmas. She may feel, perhaps, amazement and a little overwhelmed that total strangers would go out of their way to be so generous. Seeing those things would be all the reward those students needed for their selfless giving, and what a memory to have in the impressionable teenage years. Unfortunately this imagined scene is not reality in the experience of the school. One of the teachers told me one of three things normally happen. When the hampers are delivered (either by the teacher or a trusted Grade 12 student), sometimes there is a thank you, sometimes a terse "put it over there", and sometimes no one answers the door.
Now I understand that it is embarrassing and humbling to receive, and many people find it very difficult, and may not be able to show their appreciation in person. There are other ways to show gratitude and say thank you, a thank you note to the school, a phone call or a letter. Sadly this seldom happens. I was shocked!! The school has probably prepared over 700 hampers since 1996, and have seldom received any acknowledgement whatsoever. The teachers reassure the students that the hampers were appreciated, and the school keeps on giving. At this time the students are planning how they can help the victims of the tsunami. The teacher’s comment was “The students are amazing!” There is a well-known saying that it is better to give than receive; I would say that it is also easier to give than receive. I don’t know why it is so hard to show real appreciation when we receive something, but it is not just a cultural or generational problem. In the gospel of Luke we learn that it was difficult over 2000 years ago. Leprosy is a terrible disease that eats away at a person’s flesh, and is very contagious. In biblical times there was no cure.
To have leprosy meant living outside the town, being ostracized from society, no longer able to live a normal life with your family, maybe never being able to hug your children, only being able to speak to them or see them from a distance. If you had leprosy you had to walk about warning people by ringing a bell and shouting ‘unclean, unclean’ so people would keep away from you. Can you imagine living like that! Jesus met ten of these lepers one day, and told them to show themselves to the priest, as they went they were healed. Not only was the pain and suffering gone, but also their lifestyle was to be transformed. They could be reunited with their family, work, and be part of community again. Luke’s account tells us that one of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice.
He THREW himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him. Only one out of ten showed gratitude for such a huge life-changing miracle! We are so blessed by God and by the people around us. Yet in a society, which seeks ‘instant’ satisfaction, it is easy to take many things for granted and not really demonstrate appreciation. We are raised to say ‘thank you’, but so often it comes out of our mouths automatically without really thinking about how grateful and appreciative we are. Our society has many expectations - good service, to have meals, to be warm and comfortable in a home, and because we’re used to this kind of lifestyle it’s easy to lose a sense of gratitude and appreciation. Saying thank you is sufficient, and is the right thing to do, yet have you considered how by going out of our way to show appreciation we can bless others and make them feel valued? When we show appreciation, we can make such a difference to someone’s day. A thank you note, a surprise gift, a letter commending good customer service to an employer, or a smile and a word of appreciation to the cashier at the checkout are some of the many ways we can show gratitude.
Often showing appreciation, a short time after someone has blessed us, touches a person’s heart, as it demonstrates that what he or she did was noticed and appreciated. It costs us so little to take a moment to take someone aside to say thanks, you did a good job, and yet it can mean so much! Being a thankful people is God’s heart for us. Scripture tells us many times to give thanks, give thanks to God, and also to those around us. To be known as a person who is thankful, showing gratitude and appreciation for all things that we have been given reflects God’s love to the world around us. Our life is a gift, our health, all we have, and all the ways that people serve and give to us are gifts, not rights we can demand or expect. Col 2v7 encourages us to be overflowing in thankfulness. Let this year be the year when we grow in our thankfulness, and take more time to show others our appreciation for them as individuals, and the things that they do.
Barbara White copyright 2005
About the author:Barbara White, a former Principal and teacher, is now president of Beyond Better Development. As a speaker and author, Barbara brings her passion and expertise to work with people to help them grow towards excellence and their unique potential in their personal and professional life. For more information visit her website, http://www.livingbeyondbetter.com/and sign up for her free newsletter "Growing Beyond Better".
Wednesday, March 7, 2007
Are You Saying "Yes" To Life?
Spiritual Articles http://spiritguide4u.com/
By: Eve Delunas, Ph.D.
I used to be hung-up on the need to be successful. That is, until I took a daring step into the unknown and discovered the difference between attaining success and successful living. While others achieve transcendence while trekking in Tibet or living among indigenous tribes in the Amazon rain forest, my spiritual epiphany began with a move to Munich, where I didn't know a soul or speak the language. (Does gesundheit count?) In that move I learned to follow my inner guidance, surrender to life, and trust that I am safe and taken care of regardless of where I am in the world. I discovered that life is meant to be an adventure, and that only when we step out of our comfort zone can our dreams become a reality.
I was 31 and living in Southern California. Despite many wonderful friends, a rental house near the beach, a sports car, a busy psychotherapy practice, and a lucrative speaking and consulting business, I wasn't happy. Mostly, that was due to my ever-present quest for success. I dressed to succeed (according the popular book on that topic), drove the car a successful person would drive, and constantly thought about what I needed to do next on that seductive road to bigger and better achievements. I worked too much, and played too little. Though I exercised at a gym (for successful people, of course) took yoga classes, and meditated regularly, there was little peace in my life. I was driven by the fear that if I stopped for a moment, someone else would take the place that was waiting for me at the top of the mountain. I was surprised to receive the message, "move to Munich" in response to my inner plea for clarity, guidance, and direction. But when the inspiration came through, I decided to "go for it" and see where it would lead me. My transatlantic move was both the scariest and most exciting thing I had ever done. I took nine weeks off to travel by myself to Europe (I had never been there) and look for work at the same time.
Five months later I closed my business, sold or gave away everything I owned, and moved to a small, furnished apartment in Munich to teach psychology for an American university. One of the first things I noticed after my overseas move was that I had taken myself with me. There I was, six thousand miles from home, and recreating the same negative patterns that I had hoped to leave behind. Unfortunately, this made it difficult for me to blame my unhappiness on my life circumstances. Clearly, my life was not going to be truly satisfying until I looked within and changed some old, familiar ways of being in the world. The most important thing I did was to redefine success for myself. Instead of always pursuing some illusive, future goal, I decided that success for me would be having nice days. Each morning, I thought of ways in which I could make that day special. I began to appreciate the music of the distant church bells chiming in my neighborhood, the delicious smell of fresh bread in a local bakery, and the light cast within my tiny apartment, with snowflakes falling outside my window on silent winter afternoons. With spring, I rode my bike along the banks of the Isar River, captivated by the beauty of nature and the magnificent, old buildings that line its banks. I anonymously walked the streets of the city, and discovered favorite cobblestone passageways leading deep into the ancient past.
Each night, as I lay in bed, I asked myself the question: "Did I have a nice day?" If I did, I considered myself successful. During this time, I discovered that I didn't need lots of money or possessions to live abundantly. I earned little, owned almost nothing, and didn't even have a car (unheard of in Southern California, freeway capital of the world!) Yet, I found with a little economizing I was still able to travel to Denmark, France, Greece, Cypress, and Italy for glorious experiences. I stopped identifying myself by my accomplishments or income level, and even stopped dressing for success (oh, sweet relief!) Although I made new friends from many cultures, I found that I was contented simply being with me. Not surprisingly, just when I was completely at peace within myself, I met a wonderful man who has been my life partner ever since. Life has taken its inevitable twists and turns since then, bringing new joys and challenges along the way. Thanks to my time in Munich, I strive to say "yes" to life whenever possible. I have come to believe that we live our best lives when we act courageously in accordance with the magnificent guidance within us. There are enormous blessings which accompany our willingness to say "yes" to the opportunities life places on our doorstep. Although these opportunities never come with written guarantees that all will be fine, in my experience, when we risk following our inspiration, life unfolds even more perfectly than we ever imagined.
About the author:Eve Delunas, Ph.D., psychotherapist, author, speaker, trainer. Offers proven strategies to help you rise above your limitations and soar. Breaking the Spell of the Past--Book and Guided Visualization CD set. Take a FREE QUIZ to find out if you are SPELLBOUND by your past. Download a FREE guided meditation to relieve stress and feel more peaceful. Sign up for a FREE monthly ezine called AWAKENING INNER VISION: RESOURCES FOR ENLIGHTENMENT.
Go to: http://www.innervisionresources.com/mailto:eve@innervisionresources.com
The Art of Concentrating by Means of Practical Psychic Exercises
(Part 4)
By: Zach Keyer
Exercise 6 Put the right hand on knee, both fingers and thumb closed, except the first finger, which points out in front of you. Then move the finger slowly from side to side, keeping the attention fixed upon the end of the finger. You can make up a variety of exercises like these. It is good training to plan out different ones. The main point you should keep in mind is that the exercise should be simple and that the attention should be firmly fixed upon the moving part of the body. You will find your attention will not want to be controlled and will try to drift to something more interesting. This is just where these exercises are of value, and you must control your attention and see it is held in the right place and does not wander away. You may think these exercises very simple and of no value, but I promise you in a short time you will notice that you have a much better control over your muscular movements, carriage and demeanor, and you will find that you have greatly improved your power of attention, and can center your thoughts on what you do, which of course will be very valuable. No matter what you may be doing, imagine that it is your chief object in life. Imagine you are not interested in anything else in the world but what you are doing. Do not let your attention get away from the work you are at. Your attention will no doubt be rebellious, but control it and do not let it control you. When once you conquer the rebellious attention you have achieved a greater victory than you can realize at the time.
Many times afterwards you will be thankful you have learned to concentrate your closest attention upon the object at hand. Let no day go by without practicing concentrating on some familiar object that is uninteresting. Never choose an interesting object, as it requires less attention. The less interesting it is the better exercise will it be. After a little practice you will find you can center your attention on uninteresting subjects at will. The person that can concentrate can gain full control over his body and mind and be the master of his inclinations; not their slave. When you can control yourself you can control others. You can develop a Will that will make you a giant compared with the man that lacks Will Power. Try out your Will Power in different ways until you have it under such control that just as soon as you decide to do a thing you go ahead and do it. Never be satisfied with the "I did fairly well" spirit, but put forward your best efforts. Be satisfied with nothing else. When you have gained this you are the man you were intended to be. Exercise 7 Psychic - Concentration Increases the Sense of Smell. When you take a walk, or drive in the country, or pass a flower garden, concentrate on the odor of flowers and plants. See how many different kinds you can detect. Then choose one particular kind and try to sense only this. You will find that this strongly intensifies the sense of smell. This differentiation requires, however, a peculiarly attentive attitude. When sense of smell is being developed, you should not only shut out from the mind every thought but that of odor, but you should also shut out cognizance of every odor save that upon which your mind, for the time, is concentrated. You call find plenty of opportunity for exercises for developing the sense of smell. When you are out in the air, be on the alert for the different odors. You will find the air laden with all kinds, but let your Psychic - Concentration upon the one selected be such that a scent of its fragrance in after years will vividly recall the circumstances of this exercise. The object of these exercises is to develop concentrated attention, and you will find that you can, through their practice, control your mind and direct your thoughts just the same as you can your arm.
Exercise 8 Psychic - Concentration on the Within. Lie down and thoroughly relax your muscles. Concentrate on the beating of your heart. Do not pay any attention to anything else. Think how this great organ is pumping the blood to every part of the body; try to actually picture the blood leaving the great reservoir and going in one stream right down to the toes. Picture another going down the arms to the tips of the fingers. After a little practice you can actually feel the blood passing through your system. If, at any time, you feel weak in any part of the body, will that an extra supply of blood shall go there. For instance, if your eyes feel tired, picture the blood coming from the heart, passing up through the head and out to the eyes. You can wonderfully increase your strength by this exercise. Men have been able to gain such control over the heart that they have actually stopped it from beating for five minutes. This, however, is not without danger, and is not to be practiced by the novice. I have found the following a very helpful exercise to take just before going to bed and on rising in the morning: Say to yourself, "Every cell in my body thrills with life; every part of my body is strong and healthy." I have known a number of people to greatly improve their health in this way. You become what you picture yourself to be. If your mind thinks of sickness in connection with self you will be sick. If you imagine yourself in strong, vigorous health, the image will be realized. You will be healthy.
Exercise 9 Concentrating on Sleep. What is known as the water method is, although very simple, very effective in inducing sleep. Put a full glass of clear water on a table in your sleeping room. Sit in a chair beside the table and gaze into the glass of water and think how calm it is. Then picture yourself , getting into just as calm a state. In a short time you will find the nerves becoming quiet and you will be able to go to sleep. Sometimes it is good to picture yourself becoming drowsy to induce sleep, and, again, the most persistent insomnia has been overcome by one thinking of himself as some inanimate object--for instance, a hollow log in the depths of the cool, quiet forest. Those who are troubled with insomnia will find these sleep exercises that quiet the nerves very effective. Just keep the idea in your mind that there is no difficulty in going to sleep; banish all fear of insomnia. Practice these exercises and you will sleep. By this time you should have awakened to the possibilities of Psychic - Concentration and have become aware of the important part it plays in your life.
Exercise 10 Psychic - Concentration Will Save Energy and Appearance. Watch yourself and see if you are not in the habit of moving your hands, thumping something with your fingers or twirling your mustache. Some have the habit of keeping their feet going, as, for instance, tapping them on the floor. Practice standing before a mirror and see if you are in the habit of frowning or causing wrinkles to appear in the forehead. Watch others and see how they needlessly twist their faces in talking. Any movement of the face that causes the skin to wrinkle will eventually cause a permanent wrinkle. As the face is like a piece of silk, you can make a fold in it a number of times and it will straighten out of itself, but, if you continue to make a fold in it, it will in time be impossible to remove it. By Psychic - Concentration You Can Stop the Worry Habit. If you are in the habit of worrying over the merest trifles, just concentrate on this a few minutes and see bow needless it is; if you are also in the habit of becoming irritable or nervous at the least little thing, check yourself instantly when you feel yourself becoming so; start to breathe deeply; say, "I will not be so weak; I am master of myself," and you will quickly overcome your condition.
About the author:PsyCourse.com Brings You Psychic Training for Real People. Embrace Your Psychic Side - Today!! www.PsyCourse.com
By: Zach Keyer
Exercise 6 Put the right hand on knee, both fingers and thumb closed, except the first finger, which points out in front of you. Then move the finger slowly from side to side, keeping the attention fixed upon the end of the finger. You can make up a variety of exercises like these. It is good training to plan out different ones. The main point you should keep in mind is that the exercise should be simple and that the attention should be firmly fixed upon the moving part of the body. You will find your attention will not want to be controlled and will try to drift to something more interesting. This is just where these exercises are of value, and you must control your attention and see it is held in the right place and does not wander away. You may think these exercises very simple and of no value, but I promise you in a short time you will notice that you have a much better control over your muscular movements, carriage and demeanor, and you will find that you have greatly improved your power of attention, and can center your thoughts on what you do, which of course will be very valuable. No matter what you may be doing, imagine that it is your chief object in life. Imagine you are not interested in anything else in the world but what you are doing. Do not let your attention get away from the work you are at. Your attention will no doubt be rebellious, but control it and do not let it control you. When once you conquer the rebellious attention you have achieved a greater victory than you can realize at the time.
Many times afterwards you will be thankful you have learned to concentrate your closest attention upon the object at hand. Let no day go by without practicing concentrating on some familiar object that is uninteresting. Never choose an interesting object, as it requires less attention. The less interesting it is the better exercise will it be. After a little practice you will find you can center your attention on uninteresting subjects at will. The person that can concentrate can gain full control over his body and mind and be the master of his inclinations; not their slave. When you can control yourself you can control others. You can develop a Will that will make you a giant compared with the man that lacks Will Power. Try out your Will Power in different ways until you have it under such control that just as soon as you decide to do a thing you go ahead and do it. Never be satisfied with the "I did fairly well" spirit, but put forward your best efforts. Be satisfied with nothing else. When you have gained this you are the man you were intended to be. Exercise 7 Psychic - Concentration Increases the Sense of Smell. When you take a walk, or drive in the country, or pass a flower garden, concentrate on the odor of flowers and plants. See how many different kinds you can detect. Then choose one particular kind and try to sense only this. You will find that this strongly intensifies the sense of smell. This differentiation requires, however, a peculiarly attentive attitude. When sense of smell is being developed, you should not only shut out from the mind every thought but that of odor, but you should also shut out cognizance of every odor save that upon which your mind, for the time, is concentrated. You call find plenty of opportunity for exercises for developing the sense of smell. When you are out in the air, be on the alert for the different odors. You will find the air laden with all kinds, but let your Psychic - Concentration upon the one selected be such that a scent of its fragrance in after years will vividly recall the circumstances of this exercise. The object of these exercises is to develop concentrated attention, and you will find that you can, through their practice, control your mind and direct your thoughts just the same as you can your arm.
Exercise 8 Psychic - Concentration on the Within. Lie down and thoroughly relax your muscles. Concentrate on the beating of your heart. Do not pay any attention to anything else. Think how this great organ is pumping the blood to every part of the body; try to actually picture the blood leaving the great reservoir and going in one stream right down to the toes. Picture another going down the arms to the tips of the fingers. After a little practice you can actually feel the blood passing through your system. If, at any time, you feel weak in any part of the body, will that an extra supply of blood shall go there. For instance, if your eyes feel tired, picture the blood coming from the heart, passing up through the head and out to the eyes. You can wonderfully increase your strength by this exercise. Men have been able to gain such control over the heart that they have actually stopped it from beating for five minutes. This, however, is not without danger, and is not to be practiced by the novice. I have found the following a very helpful exercise to take just before going to bed and on rising in the morning: Say to yourself, "Every cell in my body thrills with life; every part of my body is strong and healthy." I have known a number of people to greatly improve their health in this way. You become what you picture yourself to be. If your mind thinks of sickness in connection with self you will be sick. If you imagine yourself in strong, vigorous health, the image will be realized. You will be healthy.
Exercise 9 Concentrating on Sleep. What is known as the water method is, although very simple, very effective in inducing sleep. Put a full glass of clear water on a table in your sleeping room. Sit in a chair beside the table and gaze into the glass of water and think how calm it is. Then picture yourself , getting into just as calm a state. In a short time you will find the nerves becoming quiet and you will be able to go to sleep. Sometimes it is good to picture yourself becoming drowsy to induce sleep, and, again, the most persistent insomnia has been overcome by one thinking of himself as some inanimate object--for instance, a hollow log in the depths of the cool, quiet forest. Those who are troubled with insomnia will find these sleep exercises that quiet the nerves very effective. Just keep the idea in your mind that there is no difficulty in going to sleep; banish all fear of insomnia. Practice these exercises and you will sleep. By this time you should have awakened to the possibilities of Psychic - Concentration and have become aware of the important part it plays in your life.
Exercise 10 Psychic - Concentration Will Save Energy and Appearance. Watch yourself and see if you are not in the habit of moving your hands, thumping something with your fingers or twirling your mustache. Some have the habit of keeping their feet going, as, for instance, tapping them on the floor. Practice standing before a mirror and see if you are in the habit of frowning or causing wrinkles to appear in the forehead. Watch others and see how they needlessly twist their faces in talking. Any movement of the face that causes the skin to wrinkle will eventually cause a permanent wrinkle. As the face is like a piece of silk, you can make a fold in it a number of times and it will straighten out of itself, but, if you continue to make a fold in it, it will in time be impossible to remove it. By Psychic - Concentration You Can Stop the Worry Habit. If you are in the habit of worrying over the merest trifles, just concentrate on this a few minutes and see bow needless it is; if you are also in the habit of becoming irritable or nervous at the least little thing, check yourself instantly when you feel yourself becoming so; start to breathe deeply; say, "I will not be so weak; I am master of myself," and you will quickly overcome your condition.
About the author:PsyCourse.com Brings You Psychic Training for Real People. Embrace Your Psychic Side - Today!! www.PsyCourse.com
Reconciling Science and Religion
By: Ronald Tower Is science in conflict with religion? When religion expects unquestioning faith, there is a natural conflict. If religious ideas are open to testing, there is no conflict. Also, religion deals with realms of desire and inner experience that are outside of the scope of science. Science and religion each have their bases in different experiential territories. Science is based on publicly accessible experience. Religion is based on inner experience. If science says that its methods do not apply beyond publicly accessible experience and religion says any revelations it has about publicly accessible experience should be open to the same kind of testing that scientific claims are, where is the conflict?
There are differences, of course. Science is more rigorously tested. Religion is more open to interpretation and there is a lot more variability in approach. Science can usually achieve wide consensus within the community of research once a theory has been sufficiently tested. Religion has many different “communities of research” using different methods. Therefore, individual choice and mutual tolerance is much more of an issue. This will be made easier as religions give up unsupportable claims to unique authority and legitimacy. At the same time science needs to recognize that it has deliberately limited its scope to those experiences that can best be subjected to its methods. Beyond this, there are still whole realms of knowledge that are a part of human experience. It is true that they are less testable and definite than science, but they are still part of life. Religion explores some of these regions. Religion also gives a whole pattern to life of which science can be a part. Religions include ethics, stories, songs, art, community life, and many other areas within their practice.
They supply more of a complete picture of life. Religion can embrace science as one of our great human treasures once it is properly understood not to be a real threat to religion. Science has already recognized that there are many areas beyond its scope, history, journalism, everyday problem solving, art, art criticism, craftsmanship, ethics, personal experience, parties, games, fun, love. Science can study some of these, but it cannot subsume them. Surely some of these are part of how we know the world. Religion is one of these different ways of knowing the world. Part of the problem is a universalizing attitude on the part of advocates of both science and religion, but this attitude is not necessary to the functioning of either science or religion. It is like saying that the only real people are those in my group. Anyone on the outside must be less than human. We have long ago found that a live and let live attitude will get us much farther. A counter argument to this play friendly approach to science and religion is that God knows best what He has created and therefore if He says something in His holy book, then science will just have to accept its authority.
Science is only tentative. It has had to change its theories in the past. Eventually even the scientists will have to see that God is right and they are wrong. But scientists are more than willing to admit that their theories may need revision based on future experience. Their theories are presented as the best view they have at this time. But defenders of religion who insist on the correctness of their theories will not admit that they may be taking creation stories from pre-scientific cultures as fact just on authority. Religion does not need to be in conflict with science, but arguments from authority invite such a conflict. Suppose that the sacred scriptures are not books that come from a particular cultural setting and that they are not human interpretations of inner experiences. Suppose that they are direct words from God. Could it not be that we are misunderstanding them? Could it be that the text could have a different meaning? How do we know we have the right one? And didn’t God also create the human mind as a way to search out the secrets of nature?
There is a confusion about authority. Authority is a social concept. It has to do with who can make certain decisions. But much of our experience just happens. We can’t decide for it to not be that way. None of us has authority over whether the force of gravity pulls objects toward each other. It is just part of the pattern of our experience. There can be authority about whether texts can be changed and about what it means to be a part of a religious community but not about the basic structure of the universe. It is what it is. So some of this is an argument about what people should be allowed to say. Religious people who insist on the authority of their text are in effect saying that we are not allowed to question the text. Furthermore, we cannot claim truth for texts that contradict this text. To question this text undermines the social structure of their religion, and they cannot tolerate that. It also calls into doubt the hopes that they have based on that text. It comes back to the problem of universalizing. If they could accept that their hopes could still be there even if they were to admit that their holy book contains some ideas that no longer apply or that apply in a different way than they originally understood, they could avoid this problem.
For example, creation stories from all cultures can be very interesting and can have very deep inner significance. They do not have to be treated as scientific texts. There are many different kinds of texts with many different purposes. Science and religion do not have to be in conflict if extremists on both sides will just back off. Each side needs to recognize their own human limits and to respect the territory of the other. Science has legitimate claims to being the best source of the well tested, coherent theories that cover the realm of publicly accessible experience. Religion has legitimate claims to opening up realms beyond science, the inner realms, the ethical, holistic patterns of life that can include science as one of their many treasures.
About the author:Ronald Tower is the author of The Pyrrho of Martinsburg, an online book of practical philosophy, poetry, and meaning of life speculations. (http://www.pyrrhom.com)
There are differences, of course. Science is more rigorously tested. Religion is more open to interpretation and there is a lot more variability in approach. Science can usually achieve wide consensus within the community of research once a theory has been sufficiently tested. Religion has many different “communities of research” using different methods. Therefore, individual choice and mutual tolerance is much more of an issue. This will be made easier as religions give up unsupportable claims to unique authority and legitimacy. At the same time science needs to recognize that it has deliberately limited its scope to those experiences that can best be subjected to its methods. Beyond this, there are still whole realms of knowledge that are a part of human experience. It is true that they are less testable and definite than science, but they are still part of life. Religion explores some of these regions. Religion also gives a whole pattern to life of which science can be a part. Religions include ethics, stories, songs, art, community life, and many other areas within their practice.
They supply more of a complete picture of life. Religion can embrace science as one of our great human treasures once it is properly understood not to be a real threat to religion. Science has already recognized that there are many areas beyond its scope, history, journalism, everyday problem solving, art, art criticism, craftsmanship, ethics, personal experience, parties, games, fun, love. Science can study some of these, but it cannot subsume them. Surely some of these are part of how we know the world. Religion is one of these different ways of knowing the world. Part of the problem is a universalizing attitude on the part of advocates of both science and religion, but this attitude is not necessary to the functioning of either science or religion. It is like saying that the only real people are those in my group. Anyone on the outside must be less than human. We have long ago found that a live and let live attitude will get us much farther. A counter argument to this play friendly approach to science and religion is that God knows best what He has created and therefore if He says something in His holy book, then science will just have to accept its authority.
Science is only tentative. It has had to change its theories in the past. Eventually even the scientists will have to see that God is right and they are wrong. But scientists are more than willing to admit that their theories may need revision based on future experience. Their theories are presented as the best view they have at this time. But defenders of religion who insist on the correctness of their theories will not admit that they may be taking creation stories from pre-scientific cultures as fact just on authority. Religion does not need to be in conflict with science, but arguments from authority invite such a conflict. Suppose that the sacred scriptures are not books that come from a particular cultural setting and that they are not human interpretations of inner experiences. Suppose that they are direct words from God. Could it not be that we are misunderstanding them? Could it be that the text could have a different meaning? How do we know we have the right one? And didn’t God also create the human mind as a way to search out the secrets of nature?
There is a confusion about authority. Authority is a social concept. It has to do with who can make certain decisions. But much of our experience just happens. We can’t decide for it to not be that way. None of us has authority over whether the force of gravity pulls objects toward each other. It is just part of the pattern of our experience. There can be authority about whether texts can be changed and about what it means to be a part of a religious community but not about the basic structure of the universe. It is what it is. So some of this is an argument about what people should be allowed to say. Religious people who insist on the authority of their text are in effect saying that we are not allowed to question the text. Furthermore, we cannot claim truth for texts that contradict this text. To question this text undermines the social structure of their religion, and they cannot tolerate that. It also calls into doubt the hopes that they have based on that text. It comes back to the problem of universalizing. If they could accept that their hopes could still be there even if they were to admit that their holy book contains some ideas that no longer apply or that apply in a different way than they originally understood, they could avoid this problem.
For example, creation stories from all cultures can be very interesting and can have very deep inner significance. They do not have to be treated as scientific texts. There are many different kinds of texts with many different purposes. Science and religion do not have to be in conflict if extremists on both sides will just back off. Each side needs to recognize their own human limits and to respect the territory of the other. Science has legitimate claims to being the best source of the well tested, coherent theories that cover the realm of publicly accessible experience. Religion has legitimate claims to opening up realms beyond science, the inner realms, the ethical, holistic patterns of life that can include science as one of their many treasures.
About the author:Ronald Tower is the author of The Pyrrho of Martinsburg, an online book of practical philosophy, poetry, and meaning of life speculations. (http://www.pyrrhom.com)
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