|
Life is a collection of moments, and every one of them counts. The reality is that we are not present in many moments of our lives. Our body is in one place and our mind in another. We get so busy that we go from one thing to another. We spend much of our time in the world of thoughts, not present where we are and with whom we share the moment. What happens with all those moments we ignore? We lose them. They will never return. They are unappreciated moments. But we can choose to be present in every moment of our life. We rush through life, and we forget to enjoy its moments. We appreciate the big things and important occasions, but do we live for every moment? I think we don't. We miss many moments every day. We give them away in worry, preoccupation, or thinking about what we don't want or dislike. We become afraid of what can happen, and we leave the present moment to go to another place we call the future and imagine it in all detail. Or we entertain ourselves with the stories of the past. Sometimes, we are so exhausted that we allow the moments to pass. We disconnect from life, and we stop living life, which is happening at this very moment. We forget that time passes. I am not saying this to pressure you —just the opposite. Become aware and don't lose any more seconds of your life. You have the power to focus on the thoughts and beliefs you want. Be mindful of what is happening in your inner reality as much as around you. Decide what is essential and cultivate it in your life. Cultivate joy to experience joyful moments. Focus on inner peace to have relaxing moments. Invite Love into your life if you want to live loving moments.  All the pressure we put on ourselves doesn't allow us to live the moment as it is. We have plans, ideas, goals, responsibilities. We cannot let them go because we believe that accomplishing all these things is of the utmost importance. But what if the purpose of life is to enjoy every inch of it to the fullest? Focus on being and savoring the moment with awareness, realizing that every moment of life is a miracle, and looking at yourself and the world with a sense of wonder. We should reserve some time in our existence for 'not doing' but simply 'being.' I am sure you remember the moments of your life that mattered. But every moment could matter independently of where or with whom you are, and what you are doing. Don't label a moment as good or bad; live it. Don't procrastinate your happiness waiting for the good moments. You can transform all moments into good moments if you want. It all depends on your attitude towards the moment, not the moment itself. You can care about each moment as your creation. You are the architect of your life, and you have the power to design your moments. Experience every second of the life you have with all your being. Don't reject any life experience because it is not how you want it to be, or what you would have chosen. Don't get angry with yourself for not being where you want to be. Avoid stressing yourself because things are not how they should be. You are alive to Love fully and to share moments with others. Take time to enjoy the pleasurable moments life on Earth offers. Remember that this moment can be joyful, and the following one, and the one after. When you see your reality full of opportunities for Love and joy, it gets transformed. Nothing has to be perfect for you to enjoy this moment. It is the loving way you look at it that makes it perfect. Let's start enjoying moments! "The way to develop the habit of savoring is to pause when something is beautiful and good and catches our attention - the sound of rain, the look of the night sky - the glow in a child's eyes, or when we witness some kindness.
Pause... then totally immerse in the experience of savoring it" Tara Brach
1 Comment
You are part of the natural world. Even though it may seem that you are a different entity, you are made of the same elements as nature. You and nature share the planet Earth, the air you breathe, and the water you drink. The calcium in your bones, the iron in your blood, the nitrogen in your DNA, and many other things are present in you and in the Cosmos. You are made of the same stuff as the Universe. We live separated from the natural world as if we weren’t a part of it. We have gardens and plants at home, and we enjoy them. We go to the beach, the mountain, or a natural park, but it is as if we visit someone and then we say goodbye and return to our life. We may have a beautiful tree in front of our home, and we don’t even realize if it has more leaves or is blossoming, or if our home plant is asking for water. Our ancestors lived more connected to nature than us and clearly understood that we depend on natural resources for our survival. We take for granted the drinking water we get from the tap and the food we buy in the supermarket. You don’t need to be a farmer to understand that all you need to survive comes from Mother Earth, who willingly shares its abundance with us. In our modern way of living, we have forgotten that if we don’t take care of Mother Earth, we won’t be able to survive. Shouldn’t we Love our nurturing mother?  Loving something means appreciating it, respecting it, connecting with it. The natural world is not there to be observed but to be part of it. We should cultivate an attitude of gratefulness towards the world we live in. Have you ever said thank you to the sun for illuminating your existence? Have you appreciated the water you drink when it enters your body and becomes part of you? Have you been thankful for the cool breeze on your face on a hot day? By becoming aware of the natural world and being present in it, you can understand that you are part of a bigger system than yourself, and that you are connected to it. The natural world is not out there, it is within you; it is part of who you are. When you forget this, it becomes easier to allow damage to be done to your planet. We all do it through our daily choices, allowing water, air, and soil to be polluted and the planet to degrade. If you want to feel one with everyone and everything that exists, look at the sky full of stars at night or the vastness of the sea all the way to the horizon. We all are pieces of a perfect ecosystem. We should live in sync with the natural world and respect and honor Earth, our home. You are just another being, an inhabitant of Earth, like a flower, a mountain, or a giraffe. Feeling that you belong to the natural world will allow you to cultivate a more profound connection with who you are and everything that exists and develop a sense of gratitude for it. Today, look around you with awe and Love what you see. "There is a deep interconnectedness of all life on earth, from the tiniest organisms, to the largest ecosystems, and absolutely between each person"
Bryant McGill Love is not a passing feeling that can be taken from you or something you withdraw from. Love is an energy that carries you away. If you have fallen in Love once in your life, you will surely remember the unbelievable sensation you felt. You didn't even need to be in that person's presence to feel the Love. Remembering a moment you spent together will provoke the amazing sensation of the Love you felt inside yourself. But what happens when time passes, and the honeymoon effect diminishes? Can you be in Love all your life? It seems complicated to be in Love forever in a romantic relationship because Love transforms and changes. It transforms you and the other person. It becomes more profound and changes into something that does not happen automatically. When Love deepens, and intimacy grows, you may not be in Love or feel the same adoration and passion, but you choose to share the Love you have.  There is a Love that resides within you. Nobody can take it from you because you create it. You are the one that cultivates it. With this Love you go through life with an open heart, allowing Love to flow freely and arrive to others. It is not romantic Love but True Love. It is a Love that sees the other as they are, not as you desire, imagine, or want. It is a Love that accepts and doesn't judge others. It is a Love that forgives the other person's faults, and yours. We don't have a different name to call this kind of Love, we use the same word, but it is a different concept. I can say I like you, but it does not seem good enough. I will call it appreciation instead because it adds a dimension to Love. To appreciate something, I have to see, notice, and take it into account, and then I can say that I appreciate it. It is also connected with gratefulness. I appreciate you as you are, and as a result, I feel grateful to be able to share my Love with you. Love is universal; we all have it and can share it with everything that exists. Every language has different expressions for Love. For example, in Spanish, the expression "Te quiero" could be translated as "I want you." But it doesn't matter if I say "Ti amo," "Je t'aime," or "T'estimo." What matters is that I mean what I say. Love is not a word; it is a state of being that must be shown through your actions. ”Love is a force more formidable than any other. It is invisible - it cannot be seen or measured, yet it is powerful enough to transform you in a moment”
Barbara De Angelis We are the ones that should recognize our value, gifts, talents, and who we are, but we tend to look for recognition and a pat on the back from others. If you only consider yourself important when someone tells you that you are, or when you have accomplished what you wanted, or overcome a challenge, something is missing. You need to be your number one fan, your cheerleader, your best friend. You have to take care of yourself as if you were a child who needs your support. Take care of yourself, be kind and see all the good things you bring to the world daily. Yes, you do bring things to the world, even if you are unaware of it. It is challenging to have a good relationship with yourself if you suffer from self-pressure and stress yourself to perform all your tasks perfectly. It is ok to do your best. Don’t be so strict and difficult with yourself! Embody fierce compassion towards yourself instead. You are not here to be perfect or to do things. You were created to be you. Appreciate yourself just because you exist. Your creation was a divine act. Life is a gift you can never take for granted. Look for little moments to remind yourself: Wow! I am alive. I exist. Life has been given to me. Connect with everything around you. Look at the sky, the clouds, the trees you see through the window of your home or office or while you walk in the street, and remind yourself that life is a miracle.  Every baby step you take towards any of your dreams should be celebrated. Life is a collection of moments, a continuous present. Don’t wait until you finish a task or accomplish something. Look at the step-by-step process as a source of joy. Be sure you enjoy life. Try not to go on autopilot and don’t allow days to go by, waiting for something better to arrive. Live now! Be content with what is, start where you are. Celebrate life. You can create new circumstances at any moment. Your life can change for good in the next instant. You don’t have to live the same life day after day. Ask yourself questions. What things would you like to change? What attachments don’t allow you to move forward? What relationships do you want to strengthen or abandon? What are you afraid of? Ask for help. Ask what you need from the Universe. Trust yourself and your capabilities to be a co-creator of your life. Whatever you want exists out there. Do you want more Love? Abundance? Time? Health? Everything is waiting for you in the field of opportunities and it is available for you. Never deny yourself what is your birthright. Live to the fullest. There is no need for a crisis or facing an illness to realize that you matter and your happiness is essential. You exist for a reason. You and only you can be yourself. Whatever you decide to do with your life will affect all that exists on Earth and the Universe. We are all connected and influence each other energetically. You are not alone. We are all One. “You are wonderful. Valuable. Worthwhile. Lovable. Not because others think so.
Self-worth comes from only one place: self” Karen Salmansohn We spend so much time fighting reality, talking about it, and criticizing it when we do not like it. There is not only one reality, there are many, as many as people in the world. We see reality as we are, not as it is. We look at the world through our senses, values, philosophy of life, culture, upbringing, education… We judge our life and decide whether it is good or bad. The truth is that we cannot change the reality that others see, we can only change ourselves and our approach to what we experience and witness. If instead of trying to avoid what is happening we learn how to be with it, how to accept what is happening without losing our balance and alignment, we will gain a lot of wellbeing and joy. It is difficult to be present and aware when you face a reality that scares you, that you cannot control, that is uncertain. I know. But I am sure you can find the strength within yourself to face it as it is. You are more resilient than you imagine. You can feel and be vulnerable. Never ignore your feelings, because they will offer you the necessary information to be able to do what is best for you.  Investing more energy fighting with life or worrying about it will not solve anything, just the opposite. All the energy you have should be devoted to seeking solutions, not to look at the problems. Go within and you will find clarity. Do nothing and you will create space to receive guidance. Relax and rest and you will have more energy to face anything life sends your way. Reality is not good or bad, it just is. You cannot run away from it. But you can invest in creating a new reality; one you like, one that is peaceful, loving, and where good things happen. This reality starts with you. You can plant the seeds of the reality you want to live in and see it blossom. You will do it with your daily behavior, with your example, with your good intentions and acts of Love, with your authenticity and your desire to create a better life for everyone, not only for you. There is always something good to appreciate, even in a life that you don’t like. The world is full of wonders and beautiful things that are not perceived because maybe we pay more attention to the negative things that we experience. Appreciate those things that are important for you, those that you don’t want to lose, and be grateful for them. Focus all your attention on what matters, because this is the way you create a new reality. With the power of your intention and Love. "Whatever we plant in our subconscious mind and nourish with repetition and
emotion will one day become a reality" Earl Nightingale It seems normal to be looking for potential danger and avoiding risks, and it is a survival mechanism that we all have installed in our systems, but it is not all that great if you want to have a joyful life. It is so easy to see what is lacking, to see what you don’t have, or to focus on what is waiting to be solved, that you may forget to focus on what works and on what you have right now. When your mind is busy looking for solutions to existent (and inexistent) problems, and always focusing on what can go wrong, you energetically live in a world of difficulties and negativity, always having to solve something and unable to relax and enjoy the present moment. Reality shows us that we can find many problems every day to keep us terribly busy. But how you look at your problems determines your ability to overcome them. Are your problems obstacles, challenges, opportunities to grow, situations that will pass, or something you will be helped with or guided to resolve? Do you feel you have the power to overcome them? One of the things that will help you to feel more confident and to find the strength you need to overcome any situation in life, is to focus on what is working, in the positive, in what you have in your life. Reflect on all those great things you don’t value or even notice.  Appreciate what you have, not only in the material world, like a safe place to live in, but also the Love and the good things you receive every day. The sunrise, the trees, the breeze in your face, the song of a bird, a nice view or landscape, a good meal, the way your pet shows you Love, the hug or the smile of a loved one… Don’t wait until you lose something to see how important it was. Value and enjoy every bit of life. In the middle of the chaos, illness, fear, and crisis, realize that you are alive (if you are reading this), and that this is a wonderful thing to celebrate. While there is life there is hope. You may feel down, or maybe you are in a difficult situation, but you won’t solve this by obsessively thinking about it. The solution can be a shift in your perspective of life and in your openness to the opportunities it can bring you. When you disconnect from the problems, you can find a solution, for instance in the morning after a good night of sleep. When you are relaxed and still, you can receive the information you need. When you let go of stress and stop living in survival mode, you can see things differently and create something new. Count your blessings, and be grateful for them. See what is working in your life and appreciate it daily. You will bring more of it into your existence. Rely on the Universe, and its immense power to support you. And learn how to use the great power your mind has to configure your reality. Create a world where there is goodness, kindness, generosity, understanding, forgiveness, and Love, starting with Love for yourself. It is your world, a world of your design, you have to live in it, and you can invite others to join you there. "A positive attitude gives you power over your circumstances
instead of your circumstances having power over you" Joyce Meyer Can you accept yourself as you are? Be totally honest with yourself when you answer the question. Maybe you are not sure you can do it, or you don't know how. Unconditional acceptance is something you must practice every day because being you, authentically you, is the most important thing you can do to live happily. You can simulate that you have a good relationship with yourself, that you accept your flaws, mistakes, that you forgive yourself for what you believe you did wrongly. But your soul will know if you, deep inside yourself, reject yourself, cannot accept yourself as you are and criticize yourself constantly. Having a good relationship with yourself and becoming your best friend starts with the absolute need to accept yourself as you are, and also the life you are living. You cannot say that you Love yourself if you criticize everything that happens to you, don’t appreciate your life, relationships, environment, life circumstances… In time you will see that the self-acceptance will allow you to transform this feeling into appreciation, and then into gratefulness, and together all of these will convert your life into something greater and happier. This way you will be able to release the pressure you put on yourself to improve yourself and your life, and you will be able to become content with yourself as you are.  You may have to do an effort to accept who you are unconditionally, to say aloud “this is me”, to present yourself as you are without any protection, without adapting yourself to others or the situation, without the fear of being rejected or criticized for your ideas, way of living or your acts; this may require courage and make you feel vulnerable. Let me tell you that to be you is simpler than you imagine, because when you accept yourself the world accepts you as well. The inner conflict between who you are and the image you want to show in public, in your job, in front of your in-laws or friends, or to get a partner, takes a lot of energy from you. It puts you in a constant state of alert to protect yourself from any mistake you can make that allows others to see the real you, the one you unconsciously want to protect from the judgment of others. Your intimate relationship with yourself should be easy, smooth, allowing you to feel relaxed and at ease in any circumstance. If you feel that there are things about yourself and your past that you cannot forgive, this is the perfect moment to let them go, to set yourself free from a thought, experience, or situation that holds you back and makes you suffer. To accept yourself this way you will have to learn self-forgiveness, kindness and compassion towards yourself. Just give yourself the same Love you share with others, and you will create a new relationship with yourself, one where you can discover who you are, know yourself more deeply, accept yourself and fall in Love with yourself, with the real You. "Self-acceptance is my refusal to be in an adversarial relationship with myself"
Nathaniel Branden You may believe you were born to do important things with your life. It is true. You have unlimited possibilities and it is never too late to create, learn, or do new things. But the most important reason why you were born was to live your life to the fullest, the only thing that only you can do. You are alive to become yourself, to be just you. I am writing this blog on a plane that is taking me from Miami to New York, and I discovered myself making my to-do list of pending work and errands. Now all is written in the notes of my phone, technology has simplified my life. I can remember what I must do, I have a good memory and a real agenda on paper, but lists help me focus and prioritize. What I realized is that the most important things are not in my to-do lists. Have you ever created a to-be list? If not, do it for fun. It is the most amazing contribution to your life that you can give yourself. After creating your to-be list don’t get sad or frustrated if you realize that you have forgotten your dreams, that you have self-sacrificed too much, that you haven’t loved enough, or that you are living a life that is not true to your values. These things happen to all of us human beings.  What do you want to be? Who do you want to become? Asking yourself these questions will help you create a true to-be list. I will share the two most important items on my to-be list to give you an example. I want to be loving towards myself and others. I want to be kind with everyone and everything. I want to become more loving and kinder. I am, I should say, achieving it through my daily decisions, actions, and attitude towards myself and others. It shouldn’t require more than five minutes to create a to-be list. Write 2 to 5 statements you want to live by. Don’t make it too long. Look at your list through the day. You can read the list slowly to feel and embody every aspect of it, or to remind yourself of your commitment. Include in your list only the items you want to focus on. If it was a to-do list you would list those urgent matters or errands you must do first, not your goals for three or six months, or one year ahead. What you include in your to-be list should be the aspects you as a being would like to be living by right now. Do you want to be kind, empowering, trusting...? What do you really want? Don’t avoid writing certain items in your to-be list because you have no idea how you will accomplish them. When your to-do list includes finding a dress or a suit for a wedding and you don't have any idea where to buy them, or what kind of dress or suit you need, you still list this errand because the wedding is in 10 days. Then you start a process of research, and I can promise you that you will be helped if you ask for help, and voilà, the dress or suit finds you. The same will happen with your to-be list. A book, a coach, a teleseminar, an email, a workshop, a conversation, in meditation, an aha moment going back home... you will receive guidance that will help you be who you want to be. Stay focused, use your list wisely. Become yourself now. "The essential lesson I have learned in life is to just be yourself. Treasure the magnificent being that you are and recognize first and foremost you are not here as a human being only.
You are a spiritual being having a human experience" Wayne Dyer We tend to take our life for granted without appreciating its gifts. There are so many things that you can appreciate every day of your life. Have you realized how many days pass by in which you don't feel this appreciation? Pause and look around while you go through your day. There is beauty all around you, little things that can make your heart sing. You can experience moments of laughter, awe, Love, and joy. Don’t miss them. To appreciate something, it is necessary to become aware of its existence. It is necessary to pay attention. To do it, you have to stop living only in your mind or on autopilot. Look around, connect with what life brings to you, be present and do one thing at a time. Once the sense of appreciation exists in your life, you can be grateful for it, but not before. Being grateful connects you to Love, Love for yourself, your life, and all that exists. Appreciation starts with yourself, with the idea of unconditionally accepting who you are and being proud of yourself, of knowing your gifts, your strengths, your worth, and what you bring to the world. To Love yourself means to appreciate yourself totally and completely. Don’t wait until you receive validation and Love from someone else. The way to get them is to value and to Love yourself.  Appreciate what you have, don’t overlook it. There are so many things to be grateful for. It is so easy to focus on what is lacking in your life, but this will only bring you more lack. We tend to judge our life because it doesn’t look like the way it should. We are so hard on ourselves because we believe that we are not good enough. We can receive more abundance now, and being grateful for what we already have is the first step to making it happen. Do you need ideas about what you can be grateful for? Be grateful for having a body that works and two legs that take you wherever you want to go, for your two eyes that allow you to see a wonderful sunset. Be grateful for the Love of your family and friends, for a kiss, a smile, a hug, for the Love you receive daily. Be grateful for the breeze in your face, for the sun that bathes you, for the flower that blooms for you. Be grateful because you are alive and you have the energy to do whatever you want. Enjoy every moment of your wonderful life. Don’t wait until you lose something to appreciate it. Observe the conversation you have with yourself. Don’t get caught in thoughts that create self-doubt, judgment, and criticism. Stop thinking about the different issues you may have, pointing out what is not working, or it is not the way you want. Love what is as much as you can, even if you don’t like it, or it is not what you may have chosen. Your appreciation and gratitude open you up to abundance, to receiving, to being in the flow of life, of giving and receiving, and they will transform you and every aspect of your life. "Give yourself a gift of five minutes of contemplation in awe of everything you see around you.
Go outside and turn your attention to the many miracles around you. This five-minute-a-day regimen of appreciation and gratitude will help you to focus your life in awe" Dr. Wayne Dyer |
Author
Judith Costa is a Life and Love Coach, Seminar Leader, Writer and Speaker. She has a Masters degree in Psychology & Psychotherapy and an MBA. She helps her clients to overcome their blocks to Love, to Love themselves and to manifest the relationship they want. Archives
November 2023
Categories
All
|
RSS Feed
TELEPHONE |
EMAIL
|
JOIN USSign Up Now For Email Newsletters you can trust. |