True-Happiness

Do you have someone you admire and want to be like, because they seem to have good self-esteem? It is good to emulate those who inspire you, but you cannot be them. You see everyone is an individual; every being incarnated on earth is unique. You can no more be someone else than someone else could be you.

There are billions of humans, all with our own individual set of preferences. We are all different, and unique. To try to be what others want us to be is a waste of our life. We simply must be ourselves, nothing less and nothing more.

Many a showman and politician (not much difference except one is paid more) can tell you the truth of the fact that you cannot make everyone happy at the same time. Humans are just too diverse of a crowd to be able to satisfy all of us at the same time with the same action. To try to make everyone happy is both a waste of time and a thankless task.

Your self-esteem

We lose our identity, our self, our soul, when we try to live our lives to make everyone happy. We will of course fail, as making everyone happy is not realistically possible. This failure will in turn lower our self-esteem, as we will view ourselves as failures. To change this view we must learn to be winners, to have a groove, to be whom we are, for what we are.

Your self-esteem is what you think of yourself, what you think you are worth. When other people belittle you because you did not do what they wanted the way they wanted you to is their problem, not yours. You must not take their criticism of you as truth, as it will only destroy your self-esteem and make your life miserable.

Your life is your life

The law of attraction is simply that we attract into our lives what we think about the most. Our predominant thinking is called our resonation. What we resonate is what comes into our lives. I hope that you can begin to see that by thinking you are a worthless failure will bring more of that into your life event if you really do not want any more of that crap.

We attract that which is consonant with our preferences, the stuff that we think about the most becomes our reality. If you think poorly of yourself, and have low self-esteem. Then you will receive more such stuff that will act as evidence that you are correct. Unless you really enjoy suffering from low self-esteem, you need to change the way you think, as well as the way you think about things.

This deliberate and outrageous statement is the truth behind your life and the way you live it. The Law of Attraction never misses, it is woven into the very fabric of the universe, it will operate regardless of whether or not you “believe” in it. The law of attraction is controlled by your thoughts, and you will get what you ask for, through your thinking.

Maybe you really do not want to be laughed at, well if you keep thinking about it, and worrying about it, then soon you will find yourself getting laughed at. This is where the law of attraction comes in.

Getting to the good stuff

Trying to control other people and trying to please everyone are ideas that will lead you to frustration. You must live your life, you are unique, you are the only you in the universe. If you take a shower does your neighbor smell better? The actions you take should be for you, do not allow others to try to control you. Learn to say no to demands from others that you feel are both unreasonable and un-courteous.

Think of what you want in your life, what do you want to do or be? Take a few moments, take a long walk in the park and talk with yourself, what would make you happy. Be careful here, as revenge does not make anyone happy, it just spreads the misery. Think of your life and how you want to live it, leaving other people out of the picture, you have permission to be selfish here.

Once you have determined what you want to do and be, keep this thought always in your mind. By always thinking of what you want to see happen you will attract it into your life. If you find yourself thinking of what you don’t want stop yourself, and change your thought into what you do want to see. If you are thinking of avoiding conflict, you will find a lot of conflict to avoid, if you are thinking of happiness and harmony you will find a lot of them and never have to worry about the conflict.

When you start to see the world changing to the way you like it you will see that your self-esteem will raise to new heights. You will see that you are in control of you, that you are living your life for your higher good. Those around you will soon stop being critical and you will make new friends to replace any of those you thought were friends but were just using you.

You can be and do whatever you will to

Be Blessed

Labels: self improvement

Most people who read articles and e-books know that there are a myriad of diet and exercise plans and programs out there. Most all will work; they will get you into shape or help you shed the pounds. The reason most do not work is that the person who starts the plan does not stay with the plan.

People who are overweight or out of shape suffer those conditions because, that is the habit they have gotten into. Then when they go on a diet or a workout plan they do it for a little while, but their habits kick back in and they revert to what they were doing before. This is what usually causes diets to fail, and exercise programs to not work. Then that person who “tried” that diet will complain, “That one doesn’t work”.

Sometimes a plan will work, and the person loses the weight, then when they are “done” with the plan, they go back to their old habits and are soon just as heavy as they were before they started. Now we must ask ourselves if we can truly break a bad habit. The answer is of course a big no, you cannot break a habit.

Every person has a number of habits, some good some bad, but we all have a number of habits, and when mixed together they determine whom we are. The number differs from person to person but we all have a set number of habits. We will always have that number of habits, and while we may be able to temporarily add a habit, we will not keep it as we have exceeded out habit level.

To change yourself you need to change your habits. Since you cannot wipe out or erase a habit, you must replace it with something else. If you have a habit of sitting around for many hours a day without any exertion at all then you need to change that habit to moving yourself so that you have a habit of doing something, rather than nothing. Once your new habit is truly engrained, you will no longer have to worry about the old habit, as it has been replaced.

So what habits do you have that cause you to be overweight? Do you spend long hours on the sofa eating junk food? Do you think that if you don’t eat all that is on your plate you are wasting food? These are some of the things you must become aware of before you can be successful at losing weight, or getting into shape.

To find a diet that works for you must be willing to change your habits. Eating right is something you will have to do the rest of your life, you cannot eat right for a few weeks and then when you see the weight coming off celebrate by eating as you used to. For when you do you will get your old habits to kick back in, and it will be even harder to get back on a diet.

Sometimes finding a diet plan seems like rocket science. The sheer number of diet plans out there can really confuse a person. So one thing to consider while planning a diet is to ask yourself the question as to whether or not you can stay on the diet indefinitely. If it is one of those plans set for a few weeks, it may not be the best diet for you. You must consider that the diet you have started is actually a lifetime commitment. You do not diet and eat right, and expect to do it over night. Life, as you know, it does not work like that.

You did not get fat in one day, and it is not going to go away in one day. You developed your fat by setting a set of habits for yourself, intentionally or not you did. As time went by you reinforced those habits, and you got fat. To get slim and fit will take some new habits to replace the old habits.

To get more information about replacing habits go to Fitness to receive a gift.
In addition, get more information on succeeding with weight loss forever.

Labels: life, self improvement

Are you wandering through life wondering what to do with yourself? Then you are looking at the right spot at the right time and finding the right information.
If you might suffer from low self-esteem, or feel that you are just unworthy, you can develop your self-esteem and become the person you should be. If you have ever had a dream or desire to do something with your life, know now that you can still bring that dream to reality. With the simple plan set down in the book “Think and Grow Rich” you can change your life to be what you want it to be. The key word here is the word “you”, it is what you want that matters and is what affects your life the most. You must make your life what you want, for to do anything other than that cheats the world of what you are.

The first thing you must do when you read this is to write down your dream. This means write with pencil or pen, on paper, words that convey the meaning of your dream to any who may chance to read them. Don’t worry, you are not going to publish them, you do not even have to let anyone else read them, but they will be read by you, and you must make it clear what it is that you desire from life. This is the first step towards developing your self-esteem, and towards the life, you desire. With this single action of writing your dream on paper, you have set into motion a chain of events that will come about to create your dream into reality.

The earth on which you live, you, and every other thing on this planet are the result of change, through which matter has been arranged in a certain order to fulfill a certain function. Everything has a place and a purpose, including you, you have been created to fulfill a need, and to deny that purpose is to rob all those whom you might have had an effect on.

Understand that the reality that you see day to day was created. Thoughts become reality every day, through the simple skill of repetition things that are continually considered become reality. What you see when you open your eyes, is what you created, and many of the things you see were created by other people. What you must realize is the important fact that you can change all that you see; you can change all that you desire to have an effect on. You are a creator, there is no other fact more important to you than that; you are a creator.

You can develop your self-esteem, and in turn change your world with the simple start of writing your dreams and desires on paper. As instructed in the book “Think and Grow Rich” read this out loud every day, read it while you wait for your coffee to brew, read it while you wait for your computer to boot up, read it whenever you find yourself waiting. Soon, often as quick as three days, you will begin to feel that there is a change, and you will notice that the universe is beginning to conspire to assist you. Situations will begin to change, and you will soon thereafter see some great and good changes in your life.

Be Blessed

Labels: self improvement

In the book, Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill there are principles and steps that are laid out for you to discover as you read that will lead you to the success you desire. Desire, that word is so misunderstood, and yet it is the first clue given in the book and repeated frequently. That is the first key; desire, true burning desire is not hope, not optimism, and definitely not wishing, but a determined expectation that you will accomplish what you have set your mind to regardless of the cost.

Now that is where people get scared away, when they hear that there is a price to pay for success. When people hear that there might be a sacrifice to make to achieve a goal, they tend to go in the opposite direction. This is both selfishness and a fear of success. Think and Grow Rich is both a concept and a method for achieving success, and there is a price. To choose to desperately hold on to what you might have even if it is nothing is just sheer unbridled egocentricity. To maintain a situation because it is what you have even if it is not what you want is conceit, and to refuse to exchange value for something you desire is pure selfishness. To fear giving up what you have, even if it is an exchange for the better is fear of success.

We pay a price for everything we do; you must realize that there is no escaping this fact. You have to pay a price in effort to achieve something, and you must pay a price whenever you take an action. If you sit and do nothing you pay a price of lost opportunity, and you lose what little you do have. If you are not willing to get out of your chair and go get a glass from the cupboard, and fill it with water from the sink then you will continue to go thirsty. No amount of wishing is going to make your thirst go away nor will it somehow make the water appear in your mouth so you can drink it. You will have to expend some effort to achieve your desire. Are you beginning to see that you must make an effort, that you must be willing to expend some physical energy in order to think and grow rich?

To think and grow rich requires you to have a desire and to do something. Do you want to be rich? Become an engineer, they make good money, become a lawyer they make better money. If that is still not rich enough for you, then become an entrepreneur, start your own business and make as much money as you can imagine. Nevertheless, you will have to do something, you will have to pay a price, and you will have to expend energy and effort. Action when combined with your desire is the formula for your success. In this manner and no other, can you think and grow rich.

Be Blessed

Labels: self improvement

Secrets of Think and Grow Rich -> Click Here!

A great weakness of us humans is the habit of measuring things based on our own system of measurement. What we believe is how we measure other people and things. This bad habit must be broken, for this is one of the things that are holding us back from success. We have a bad habit of thinking that what we believe is the correct and only way of viewing things. These are the chains that bind us, in other words we are what keeps us from achieving our dreams.

In the book Think and Grow Rich, the author tells the story of how Henry Ford thought of and desired an eight-cylinder engine, and how his engineers said it was impossible. The short version of this story goes that because Henry was persistent, even against the advice of his engineers, that the eight-cylinder engine was indeed invented. What we have to do is take from that example that what we can conceive we can achieve if we are persistent.

The consciousness we carry around with us is what we use to measure all other things with, and this is what must be examined. Think and Grow Rich tells us that we must change our failure consciousness into success consciousness. To do that we must change how we measure things. For example, in the book Think and Grow Rich there is a story of how a young Chinese man came to America to study. When he met President Harper he was asked what impressed him about the American people, and the young man replied that American eyes are off slant. Hmmm, a prime example of foolishly measuring with our own limitations, it is a mistake to assume that our own standard is the correct standard.

The book Think and Grow Rich also points out that we refuse to believe what we do not understand. Most of us think that what they believe is the only and correct way to measure people, places and things with. While if we simply do not try to measure then we do not limit what we can believe and if there is no limit then we can be and do anything that we can think of. We need to simply stop measuring things with our own standard, next time you meet someone try to see their soul, rather than body shape, color, dress, eyes, or any physical part of them. When you talk with that person, listen to the actual words they speak and not what you think you hear.

As an example, let us say that a person refuses to believe that the sky is blue. This person will argue with you until the sun sets that you are wrong for believing the sky is blue, and that your belief in a blue sky is what makes you all screwed up. While you on the contrary believe his view that the sky is not blue makes him all screwed up, and that he needs to change his belief. Of course, this is a rather silly example but it is far more educational than to use a religious or political belief as the example, for had such a view been used then the point of the conversation would have been lost. Because when a point of belief is made, then those of an opposing view immediately would get defensive and offensive. Their internal dialog would kick in with the old “how can he say that?” argument, and as in the blue sky argument above there would be no resolution, and you would miss the point entirely that you should not be measuring with your beliefs...

Be Blessed


So what are you waiting for? Click Here!

Labels: life, self improvement

Hello all my readers, today is such a great day!

There are many people... You know I seem to start a majority of my articles with that phrase. Hmmm, lets try something different, "There I was".... Not quite the result we were looking for.

Well, anyways, lets talk about self confidence for a moment. A person who has self confidence seems to always get what they want when they want. While a person who is lacking self confidence seems to always get whats leftover, if anything. So how do you get this self confidence stuff? I thought you'd never ask.

Guess what? Tommorrow there is going to be one of my really great tirades on self confidence. Make sure to bookmark this and be ready to get in on the information that will appear hear in the morning.

Be Blessed

And while your waiting Click Here!

Labels: self improvement

How To Think and Grow Rich?

In the book “Think and Grow Rich” by Napoleon Hill it is mentioned that “there is no such thing as something for nothing”. There is no free ride, no get rich by doing nothing. In other words everything has a price. The physics law states that for every action there is a reaction. So what we are talking about here is that something has to happen for other things to happen.

What price do you have to pay to think and grow rich? The clue is in the statement. If you think you can grow rich. Now you may be interested in knowing what it is that needs thinking. This is the great mystery isn’t it? You are probably wondering what kind of thinking will make one grow rich.

Well, in the book Think and Grow Rich this concept is mentioned many times, at least once a chapter. In a round about way the method is shown many times from many different angles, yet it is the same concept. The other part is that only those who are looking for it will find it. That means you are going to have to get the book and read it, probably twice.

You need to think to grow rich, and you need to think about certain things in a certain way. Then you will need to apply this process into your life so that it will work for you. You must use it repeatedly and constantly for the thought to affect your life and your riches. Once you start you must continue, you must follow through, and you must keep thinking every day for the rest of your life.

Another physics law states that an object in motion tends to remain in motion. This is what will help you think and grow rich. You will develop the habit and it will become easier and easier until it is automatic. You will be able to think and grow rich without having to expend a large effort. That is if you start at all, you must take the first steps, you must start the motion, you must start to think and grow rich.

As mentioned in the book Think and Grow Rich a clue is given in that “All achievement, all earned riches, have had their beginning in an idea!” You will have to figure out your idea for yourself. To try to copy a person will result in failure. To emulate a person and take your own action will assist in your achieving the riches you seek. No one can do it for you; if you desire to think and grow rich you will have to do it your self.

Now it is time, make a decision, have an idea, and go to recourse block and get the course you know you need to improve your life. To think and grow rich you must make decisions, and decisions can change your life for the better. Make the right one now.

Be Blessed


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Labels: Manifesting, self improvement

People are usually afraid of things they do not understand. When you hear the term “self Improvement” people get all jumpy and defensive. Why? They are afraid of self-improvement because of this fear of the unknown. To proceed with anything in life is self-improvement, to learn more about a subject is self improvement, to exercise, eat right, drive safely, and just about anything else in your life you desire to change is self improvement. may help you in this situation.

In self-improvement you are simply changing yourself for the better. So, to understand is to remove fear. Said another way; the best way to remove fear is to understand. You may already know that life is always in a continual cycle, of ups and downs, good times and bad times, and so forth. Just keep in mind that normally no one is permanently up or permanently down. Those who get stuck in a “down” often are thought of needing self improvement, but you need constant self improvement to just live life, regardless of you situation. In life no one can avoid these ups and downs it is the way life is. However by constant self improvement your life will have shorter downs and longer ups.

What people should do about these downs is to learn from them, the lesson is to understand that without constant growth you are no longer alive. Think about this: Life is growth. If a tree stops producing new leaves it is considered dead, if a rose no longer produces buds and is just a bunch of grey thorny sticks, it is considered dead. To prove that it is alive the tree and the rose must always continue to produce, or grow, new leaves, branches, and so it is growing. When the growing stops it is a sure sign that life has ended. We humans are the same, no we don’t grow leaves or buds, and we produce results. Such as we produce cooked meals for our family, or produce products for our employer, or produce love and comfort for our significant other. We are always producing something and in this measure we are alive.

When we stop being useful and helpful we are no longer living like we should. So we need to use a little self improvement to change what we are doing so that we again produce. An example is in order here. Let us say that your hobby is knitting, and during the winter you knitted every body you know a pair or mitten, because you are good at it and like to do it. Then comes spring, not a whole lot of need for mittens, so you begin to feel useless, and experience a down moment in your life. What to do now? You ask. Well, you learn something new, put it into practice and produce something else. Continuing with the example you learn a new stitch and start making grill pads for everyone so they have a place to set those hot pans without melting the table underneath. You just committed self improvement! Does this mean you should start to learn knitting? No, if knitting is your thing then carry on, but you may have other things you do, such as auto detailing, carpentry, bicycle repair, and so on. Some people even find a way to make a living with their hobby.

So do not fear self improvement, the term means only what it says. Improving yourself. Maybe this year you’ll run a marathon, grow a black rose, solve the world peace problem, grow the perfect tomato, or get the promotion at work. All you need is a little self improvement, and that usually starts with reading something that leads to learning something that leads to doing something.

We all have problems that affect us every day. These problems bring us misery due to the fact that we just don’t know what to do. We should never loose hope, where there is life there is hope, all we need is a little self help in figuring out solutions to these problems. “All we need is to learn how to overcome it and not to be overcome.”

Self-improvement should not wait for the last moment; you should always be looking for skills to learn and things to do. To stop learning is always for the worse and consequently, you will let go of a chance, an opportunity, because you are afraid to take a risk.

Keep in mind that, from time to time, something has to happen in order to free you from monotony, so don’t be surprised if, at a certain moment in time, instead of being afraid of change, you desire it with all your heart.

Self-improvement is not a bad thing; it is not to be feared. You will understand that you are alive and to prove it to the world you will keep growing, and producing. Then when you see your self slowing down or stopping you simply apply a bit of that self improvement stuff again and you are back in the game again.

Be Blessed

Labels: happiness, life, self improvement

Low self esteem has never helped anyone, and it sure will not help you. It can only drive you into depression, anger, fear and a poor quality of life.

The way you think about yourself is the determining factor of how you interact with others.

What are some examples of low esteem, these are not all inclusive, just some of the common symptoms.
You are afraid to converse with others for fear that what you say will not be accepted.
You believe that you are not attractive.
You choose something and it turns out to be the worst one.
Nothing you do seems to go right
You believe that most people do not like you.
You feel swallowed up in a whirlpool of frustration.

Let us discuss some of the origins of low self esteem. Low self esteem usually started in childhood when children were made to believe that they were worthless. Their self confidence was eroded and they succumbed to the idea that they could never achieve success in anything that they did. This left a lot of low self esteem and resentment.

If that was your experience, it is time you cut yourself loose from that mindset and start your self improvement. Start reading about the life of successful persons and you will soon discover that many of them had such low self esteem that they could not even complete an elementary education.

So you ask “What can I do?” The answer is changing your thoughts; it is actually what you think that is the problem.

Understand that those behaviors listed above are thoughts; they are only aspects in your mind that you need improvement on. Do not let low self esteem ruin your life, be determined to improve your self esteem and you are on your way to a better quality of life.

It may seem easier said than done, but what you need to do is stop thinking that the world is against you. Get determined to achieve what you desire. Stop blaming other people for your misfortunes. The world is not your problem, the hard truth is that you are your problem.

From this moment on, realize that you must begin the process of self esteem improvement. Think the right way and be determined to win, and win you will. Just remember that success never comes easily and that is why determination is the counterpart of desperation.

Oftentimes, one gets to the brink of success and with just a little disappointment or setback, they lose heart and give up too easily and too soon. There is a story in the book “Think and Grow Rich” about a man who quit just three feet away from gold, a parable about the lesson of not quitting. Too many people give up, who knows what great things might have achieved if only they had persevered a little longer.

With low self esteem, your life could be rather boring. Change your thinking, and you will begin to see improvement in your life. Make a very special effort to be what you really want to be.

You are the one in control of your life and you have to seriously decide either to remain in a miserable state of low self esteem, or develop a high self esteem with good character and self image.

Many decided to override their low self esteem and improve their attitude, whatever it took. They became some of the greatest men and women that ever lived.

Re-program your thinking and control your state of mind. You must believe that you are worth much more than you think or you will remain at the foot of the ladder and never make an attempt to climb it.

Do not waste your life away with feelings of inadequacies. Instead, think of ways to go about improving your self esteem. Success is yours, just reach out and grasp it.

Be Blessed

Make sure to check out Think and Grow Rich

Labels: happiness, life, self improvement

Today we will discuss everyone’s favorite subject; yourself. You may have been wondering about a technique that may be used by you to help you to help you. Let us start with the obvious; you want something, perhaps a better job, perhaps a better car, you simply need to determine what it is that you want.

Now for some reason you do not have these things that you want, probably because you may have thought you could never attain any of them. So here is the solution to your problem: Become a guidance counselor. The “trick” of this is you are going to counsel you.

First take a sheet of paper and write down the question which appeals to you most. Such as “I want to start my own business” or in the event you desire a thing such as a new car then write it down as a question, “how do I get a new car?” State your desire as plainly as you can, write it down clearly, then leave the paper on your table or desk and walk out of the room. Take a break, make some coffee, stand outside and watch the clouds move, whatever you decide, do that for at least five minutes. Then after your break go inside and find the piece of paper with the written statement on it and here is the twist.

Think of yourself as a counselor, imagine a client has come to you with the written desire and has asked you to give a solution, to present a plan for achieving this desire. Now as all good counselors do, knowing the objective of the client, ascertain the reasons that are standing between the client and the attainment of the objective. Of course write these things down, remember they are for your client, and so be honest and candid. With this information you are now ready to develop a plan of action which will enable your client to jump the hurdles, and overcome the obstacles and attain the objective.

Answer your clients questions that you would expect to be asked such as “How can I bring it about, How can I afford to live in a better home, How can I become a power in my community?” and so on. Sit there and think about it, then as ideas come to you write them down, no matter how silly or trivial they may seem write them down. You may write a lot so you may want to have a few extra sheets of paper handy.

The next step will involve some work, so sip your coffee, and get down to it. Take all your notes, compare, compile and organize: Then come up with a game plan for your client. Be detailed and specific, step by step make the plan easy to understand and easy to follow. Now lay the paper aside and take a break as before except make it at least an hour.

After your break come to your table or desk and find the detailed plan that has been made for you, read it thoroughly and be prepared to take the actions listed by your counselor for you. You have now helped yourself to help you help you. So with your guaranteed plan in hand go forth and achieve.

As always before taking up mental exercising, make sure you have a calm head on your shoulders, and be free of any effects of alcohol, sleep deprivation, drugs or any other mind altering behaviors. It may seem that you may have thought any one of these questions were beyond practical answers. However by the time you complete this exercise as given, you will have glory in your victory.

With clear, logical, concentrated thinking, it will not be difficult at all to see through any of the problems you may have previously seen as insurmountable. With the aid of your counselor you will be able to use your mind to achieve greatness. Minds can make people into geniuses, so far as personal power and accomplishment are concerned. This is just as true with your mind as it is with the minds of others. Put this exercise to use, and soon you'll find a new you emerging from the one that exists today. You will no longer envy others for their possessions and achievements because you will know that you can do and be more. You can do and be anything you will to, you just have to will to do so.

Goals and Objectives will not be something to wish for; but things to do. Your wish list will soon be your list of accomplishments and possessions.

Be Blessed

Labels: goals, self improvement

It is a well known fact that muscles not used, atrophy. For example a broken arm, in a cast and carried in a sling for a period of time, will shrink in size and lose a lot of its strength. Then after it is removed from the cast, it will take several days of use to bring it back to functionality and a few weeks of work to bring it back to its former strength. Well your mind is the same thing, it is like a muscle that when used is strong and when not used atrophies. Today’s discussion is about building up your mind.

As we just mentioned; a mind which is not kept active will become less alert and will lose its brilliance and intelligence. So it is logical to assume that you must exercise your mind, as well as your physical body. We are all familiar with the benefits of exercise for the body, but it is rarely touched on about exercising the mind. As to relative importance, of the two types, mental exercise should have the priority, in fact, physical exercises should be coordinated with the mind to achieve the maximum results. Any trainer can tell you that you will gain far greater results from the type of exercise you enjoy, than you will from the exercise you force yourself to do. Biking, walking, tennis, or whatever you choose, will help you far more than following a routine of motions that are boring.


Happiness is relaxing, and muscles respond to exercise more quickly when you are relaxed than when you are tense. So it is with mental conditions which correspond with tenseness and relaxation. If your mind is tense, because of a number of disturbing thoughts attempting to enter, your thinking is not fully developed. You will have difficulty in thinking through your problems, and will be unable to make correct decisions. This little discussion will help you to stimulate and develop your mental faculties, the rewards will be great, and you will find yourself reaching a higher level of delight as you begin developing a quick thinking mind.


The number one emotional crippler among us humans is frustration. Fortunately for us frustration is not an incurable mental disorder. It is simply the product of an uncontrolled mind. If you allow disturbing thoughts to take over and block all rational thinking, you become almost panicked as your imagination sees yourself thwarted by many problems. You become entangled in a self destructive loop of thinking and soon can not see a way out of your troubles.

So the first thing you must do is simple, but so few people actually do it, is writing it down. Pick up a sheet of paper and name your problems, put them in a list so you can see what might be done. You will find that you can easily write down number one, and then it may take a few moments before you can set number two on paper. Then it will take a bit longer to find number three, and some concerted effort to think of and write down number four. Rarely will people be able to think of a number five, and even fewer ever come up with a number six. You will be amazed that the huge amount of problems and troubles you thought you had were actually so few, and some even so minor that they could be cured in an afternoon. You will have discovered that a state of frustration had taken your life away, and had completely occupied your mind, but with a little calm thinking your world was soon made right again.

Next we will discuss “Feeble mindedness”; it is a term that is often misused. When we think of someone as being feebleminded, we think of them as being a hopeless case. This is not always true; usually it is a result of an inactive mind. When you are thinking about plans you are engaging your mind, you are exercising it. This can be from such activities such as puzzles, crafts, reading, painting, gardening, and other “recreational” hobbies that we all have. Every person has a hobby, something you like to do, such as building model ships, growing flowers, etc. Since you like that activity, use it to your advantage and practice it frequently. Also try new hobbies from time to time so that your thinking does not grow stale.


Then there is the common ailment; Forgetfulness. This “condition” is often caused by having a disorganized mind. When our mind is in a state of turmoil, our powers of recall are lessened. Then when we try to remember any fact, it is slow in coming. So we erroneously accept the thought that we are becoming forgetful and, as we encourage such a condition, (by verbally affirming it) and we grow more forgetful. It is obvious that the memories of those with well disciplined minds are much keener than those with confused minds. So to “cure” your forgetfulness you need simple change your statement to “I’ll think of it in a moment” and do some mental exercises.

The symptoms of the three “F’s” (frustration, feeble mindedness, and forgetfulness) are sure signs that your mind is not being exercised. So it is a matter of causing your self to think, and any practice of exercises which causes you to think is of great value to you. You will be absolutely amazed to discover how quickly the mind will respond and that in a very short time you will notice major improvement in your ability to think calmly, quickly, and logically.

Let us discuss now some of those mental exercises. There is the game we learned as kids while in the car, using license plates. Take the numbers of one license plate and add them to the numbers of the next license plate, then add them all together to come up with a “hard” number. For example the first car has the numbers 1 and 4, and the next car has the numbers 3, 6, and 2. 14 plus 362 equals 376, then 3 plus 7 plus 6 equals 16, then 1 plus 6 equals 7, this is your hard number. Then do the next two cars to come up with another hard number, when your hard numbers add up to ten you are done. If you go over ten add those two numbers together to come up with a new hard number and keep going until you end up with ten. For example hard number 7 from the first exercise, is added to hard number 5 from the second exercise for a totally of 12, then add 1 to 2 that equals 3 and this is your new hard number. Continue until you can make a hard total of ten. If the traffic is too light use mile markers, destination and highway signs for the numbers.


The quizzes, and number or word puzzles which you find in newspapers, and magazines also help to stimulate the mind. Crossword puzzles not only add new words to your vocabulary, but also stimulate your mind as you have to think. As you continue to work with them, you will notice that words come to your mind much faster than they did when you first began to do them. Soon you will be looking forward to the daily paper for the new Sudoku, or word jumble, or crossword puzzle. You may even go out and buy those small books of your favorite type of puzzle, my wife likes to buy and work the word find puzzles.


Another great exercise is speed reading. Learning how is good practice for your mind process. There are many methods of speed reading to choose from, and courses can be found ranging from free to major investment. Start with the free courses, and if you choose to later, you can buy a course or two. Reading faster speeds up your thinking, and this of course, tends toward sharpening your mind, and aids you most rapidly in the other areas of your life that you choose to improve.

In association with your mental exercises, be certain to use your mind correctly. Use positive affirmations for the maximum effect. Most people, when called upon to arrive at some solution which requires their concentrated thinking, will immediately say: "Oh, I can't do that." This, of course, is a sure way to block the mental processes. By this verbal affirmation you have just blocked your own thinking so that a logical solution will not be forthcoming. Always speak the positive, say things like: “This will be fun” or “This looks like a fun challenge” and so on. Build on the thought that these mental exercises are easy for you and that you will gain great benefits. Develop the awareness that your mind is becoming more active every day. It is interesting, and enjoyable, to discover your mind is becoming more relaxed, faster, and alert.

To sum up this conversation; exercise your mind and you will become happier and smarter.

Be Blessed

Labels: Manifesting, self improvement

Millions of people waste the greater part of their lives and minds by blocking-off their own memories. All by the simple negative saying of “I forgot” or “I can’t remember”. By giving your subconscious mind this command you are seriously screwing up your own life.

I will show you that by simple speaking to yourself correctly not only does this develop your memory, but also strengthens other mental powers. It has been shown many times that it is of great worth to be able to come up promptly with names, addresses, phone numbers, and prices. Just remember; you have a perfectly good memory.

People who think they are scatter-brained sometimes fear they are mentally defective. Except for people with brain trauma from a serious accident or disease, this is simply not so. The real cause is you have taught your subconscious mind some seriously bad habits.

Thoughts have power; every action must begin with a thought, and it is you that decides how much power to give to a particular thought. A strong emotion that sends you the message that all is lost causes you to give up, and so then very shortly after that all is lost. What you think is what your subconscious mind will put into action on your behalf.

So how do we as humans improve this sorry situation? First you will instruct your own subconscious Mind to concentrate on the concepts you want to be the most powerful. Then your subconscious also known as the Creative Mind will instruct your Conscious Mind to keep those concepts always in view. You'll have no further trouble in concentrating.

This process takes only a few days of actual effort then it becomes almost automatic as your creative mind follows your orders. Plus it will eliminate a lot of worry and keeps your vital energies working together to attain your goals.

By the simple act of telling yourself that “I can” and “I will” you will change how you do things every day. Your Creative Mind will give you a cheerful, zestful attitude toward anything you do. The answer may seem absurdly simple, but that is truly all that there is to it. Now, when you have a task to perform you simply tell yourself “I can and I will” and you will feel anticipation of all the pleasure you are going to feel when the job is accomplished. Then, when you actually do it, obstacles seem to melt away, or at the most, they become merely details. When the job is done, you will feel that good satisfaction all over again.

Right there was a key secret of getting rich. First you must decide in your Conscious Mind that you are rich. Believe it or not, your major job is completed! Now when ever a negative thought enters your mind push it out by saying that you can and that you will, in return nothing, absolutely nothing can stand in your way.

So to sum up, when you catch yourself saying “I forget” or “ I can’t remember” stop and instead say “I will remember in a minute” or “I can remember, it just takes a minute” and soon you will see a drastic improvement in your mental abilities. In the same train of thought, when you catch yourself saying “I can’t do that” ask yourself if there is a real reason why, if not then say “I will do that but it might take a while” or “I can do that if I tried to” or anything similar.

Give your self a chance at succeeding and just say “I can”.

Be Blessed

Labels: self improvement

Let me start with this simple proposition: You are not a body with a mind, Rather you are a mind with a body. Take heed and remember this, it is the cornerstone to of all that you are and will become.

You are mind; your mind is who you are. It is not your body, no matter how beautiful or pathetic it may be, that defines you; it is your mind. As a little proof have you ever seen the really buff guy who can’t seem to get or keep a girlfriend? Is it because he is ugly? No it is usually because he has no personality, his mind says he is pathetic and even though his body is in perfect shape he is such a dreadful person that he has hardly any friends, much less girl friends.

You are what your mind thinks you are. However there is a twist, the mind actually has two parts. The one we are all familiar with and know best is the conscious mind. This is the part we use to think and it takes in information through your sense of sight, hearing, touch, taste and smell. It is highly effective in making your daily decisions. When you perform any conscious act, such as pick up a pen, go somewhere, make a phone call, etc. it is your Conscious Mind that sends those orders to your body. Then when you go to sleep, your Conscious Mind also goes to sleep.

The other part never sleeps. This is the Subconscious, or Creative Mind. Your Creative Mind literally keeps you alive. It is responsible for the involuntary life functions such as your heart beating, eye blinking, and breathing. It has the control over your glands, internal organs, and even your cells. It is the master regulator of your body. It also controls your character, your inmost drives, and your deepest and most secret desires!

What most people do not understand is the Creative Mind also governs the Conscious mind. In other words; a person is what their Creative Mind says they are!

What you think is what you are. You give commands to your Creative mind all the time, and eventually these commands become part of your personality. Have you ever said “I can’t remember” when a fact does not readily come to your conscious mind? Then a few hours or even days later out of nowhere the answer comes to you and you smack your head saying “Now I remember”. What you have done is issue your creative mind a command “I can’t remember”, and so your creative mind follows its orders and presto you can’t remember. Whenever you give your creative mind a command it will obey and cause you to do the things you have commanded to make happen.

What you say instead is; “It will come to me in a moment”, this gives your creative mind a command that it will follow and then shortly you will remember. Have you told your self or others that “I just can’t concentrate”? Guess what? You have given your subconscious a command and it obeyed make you unable to concentrate. Instead if you tell your self “I will concentrate on this thing for a while” you suddenly find yourself able to concentrate. The examples are as endless as there are people in this world.

Instead of saying “I can’t” say “I will” instead and you will see your life improve in so many ways you will be amazed that you even survived this long without knowing this simple truth.

Be Blessed

Labels: self improvement

Fear of rejection is a state of mind that makes a person feel inadequate, helpless and worthless. It inhibits a person from doing or saying things because of the fear that other people might not accept them or disapprove of their actions and words.

The fear of rejection may have haunted each one of us at one time or another, It may be caused by our fear of being and living alone, too much dependence on other people's perception of us, lack of confidence and inability to control our own life.

A person who is so concerned about what others may think of them could make their life miserable because one can no longer speak their own mind nor do things that they would normally do on their own. The fear of rejection can paralyze a person and discourage them from being productive.

A person's uniqueness disappears the moment one puts primary emphasis on what others want them to be. A person too caught up with pleasing others will start to emulate other people from the way they dress and the way they behave in society. This usually happens to young people who crave attention and acceptance but do not yet have enough foundation for self acceptance. This is detrimental to a person's growth because there is no more room for self expression, only of self denial and the thought of pleasing others.

A person who fears being rejected can be characterized as a person who acts without confidence: A person who is not sure of their self will tend to imitate others and keep from trying new things. Such lack of confidence will ultimately make such person unhappy and bitter.

A person who is not vocal about their perception of things may be having trouble with rejection. One may keep from voicing out their opinion for fear of being criticized. A person who does not have the freedom to speak for their self and to express their wants will soon become depressed and will no longer have love for life. This person will tend to act like a remote control robot that can not make its own decisions.

The reason for this is that one is confused about their own true identity. A person who has fears of being rejected will end up confused about which they really are. This leads to an identity crisis and will makes a person angry at their self and at other people for no reason at all. This will cause lack of self esteem and self worth; a person who gives more importance to what others may think of them does not have much faith in their self to start with. This lack of self esteem may have resulted from feelings of rejection instilled in them by his family or friends.

A person who fears rejection will ultimately be rejected by the people they want to please and who love them dearly. A person who has the tendency to please other people will soon get sucked into a difficult cycle of rejection. Their behavior will keep the people they care about alienated from them, one sees this as a rejection and then the cycle goes on and on.

So how does one suddenly develop their own self identity? It is so simple it is hard. First retreat for a while and be by your self with only your self as company, no friends, family, pets, or other distractions. Seek as much silence as possible and prepare yourself for some work. This may take a few hours or even a whole day. Go to the park, a deserted beach, the library, a reading room at the book store, etc. Find a place where you can be with your self for a while.

Have a small note book with you and a pen, write down all the things you like, your favorite color, favorite food, etc. Now write down what you like to do, jog, hike, play chess, etc. Now write down what you like about your life, your hobby, your home, your neighbor hood, etc. Note; if you do not like something do not write it down.

Now look at what you have written and rewrite them all into one sentence. Write it as many times as you need to make a coherent sentence or paragraph. When you are satisfied with the work reread it and think about it. This is the beginning of you: The tip of the ice berg, the start of self discovery, the front door of your structure. You now have a glimpse of who you are.

The next step is to take what you now know of your self and decide what you want to do in this life. Pick anything, something, even if it is only a short term goal and determine that you will do it. Maybe determine you will go see the movie you want to see, even if your friends disapprove. Maybe it will be to seek a different job even if your family disagrees. Decide and do it and you have begun the crucial start of being your self and discovering who you are.

You can be what ever you will to be.

Be Blessed

Labels: self improvement

Self confidence is an attitude; an attitude that people develop that is characterized by a positive belief in one’s ability to take control of one's life and of one's plans. People who are self confident are those who acknowledge their capacity to do something and then proceed to do it. They do not rely on the permission or approval of other people in order to affirm their existence. It is enough that they know they have the capacity and the potential to do something, and have the guts to do it.

People who are self confident take advantage of opportunities that come their way, no matter what others may say. Lack of self confidence is not relative to a person's abilities; in fact, there are people who are extremely talented and able but they lack self confidence and so fail to use or show these abilities.

Developing self confidence is not easy; especially if you do not think highly of yourself. If you want to be self confident, avoid things that will discourage you from gaining confidence. This is easier said than done. Start with little things like not dwelling on past mistakes or failures. Whenever you are reminded of a past failure instead think of a successful moment. We all have some success in our lives, like a healthy pet, great cooking skill, a clean house, and so on. Things that you know you have done correctly. By thinking only of your victories and learning from your defeats, you will have more faith in yourself, and eventually, more confidence.

The main cause of poor self confidence and thus low self esteem is: Fear. Fear is the Natural Enemy of Self Confidence and self esteem. Self-Confidence is generally described as the ability of an individual to have faith and believe in their own abilities. According to psychiatrists when one has self-confidence it normally results in having great self-esteem. Self-esteem is defined as the “worth” that one can place on them selves. It is this measurement, of one’s own value as a person, which is proportional to their behavior. In addition, it is referred to as the respect and adoration in which one holds their self based on ones belief of what and who they are as a human being. This greatly affects one’s feelings about ones self, about ones life, about ones relationships, and eventually determines their actions on how one accomplishes things.

Ignorance is the basic and the prime cause of fear. When one is not aware of their “true nature” and the facts needed to make a decision fear develops in the void that is created when one suffers from misinformation or lack of the same. A study showed that when one was convinced or has encountered his indestructible infinite “soul-nature”, then one would never feel fear. However, there are those who cannot or do not accept this, thus they feel separate, vulnerable, susceptible and isolated.

According to studies; fear is man's enemy hindering self confidence. These studies stressed clearly that ‘fear thought” is an illness that can be detected and identified. It largely arises from corrupt mental patterns, wherein the mind is allowed consistently to dwell on doubtful thoughts, inefficiency and failure. This power will become unbearable, when it is freely allowed, affecting your life in virtually every undertaking.

So what do we humans need to do to overcome this fear we hold on to so dearly? We need to investigate, pry, search, study, and learn, all that we can, concerning anything we dare to set our hands to. If we think we might want to do something we should learn about it and then proceed as we learn to accomplish that which we have decided to do. Must we learn all there is to know before we proceed? Of course not, but we must learn enough to get started and to make intelligent choices, either by seeking advice and help, or searching in written tomes, we must know enough to get started correctly.

Remember this; self-confidence is developed, not inherited. The ignorance that causes fear can be overcome, and when that shadowy presence of fear is dissolved by the light of knowledge you can be and do anything you will to.

Be Blessed

Labels: self improvement, success

Before you do anything in your life, whether it is mundane like cutting the grass, artistic like decorating the house, or grandiose like starting a business, always ask yourself; “Am I doing this for the right reasons?”

Yes, the chores have to be done, but not if you're in the middle of crucial market research and yes you need to do yard work but not if you're worried that the neighbors will think you're lazy. Yes, the house has to be decorated, but not if it's at the expense of your health, yes your business needs to be run but not by shooting your stress levels through the roof. And above all definitely nothing needs to be done because you are worried about what other people might think.

Worrying about what the other people might think is called 'Other people slavery’ and it kills your creativity, your energy and your drive towards reaching your goals and fulfilling your dreams. This Other People Slavery stops you from going to places you want to visit, doing the things you want to do, and enjoying the kind of entertainment that you enjoy.

So, look at why you are doing something, make certain you're not always driven to do things because you're worried about what other people think of you. If your tired then stay home, they can go party if they want, but you need a nap. If you want to go to the park instead of the bar, go without them, you will be happier and have more money left in your pocket. Soon you will see your friends wanting to do things with you, because you are confident in whom you are, and they are not.

Nearly everyone you know will strive to be normal; just because it's socially acceptable, and the normal person goes nowhere special and achieves only the mundane. They live in a pleasant neighborhood in an average house, own an average car, and have a normal hobby, with a mundane routine life. In translation this means: every thing they do or have is or looks exactly alike, apart from the few odd differences of color.

Then they save up all year round to go on vacation, somewhere nice where it's safe, usually they book a package holiday, so everything is taken care of and they know exactly what to expect. Even the entertainment is all planned for them, their job is boring, but it pays the bills and the pension is good. It'll never make them rich, but then they don't want to be rich (but they wouldn't give away a lottery win!). They say things like “Anyone who's rich has had to lie and cheat their way to the top. I like to sleep at night with a clear conscience. I may not have much but at least its honest toil.” Most nights after work they shower, change and after dinner, put their feet up and watch television until bedtime. Every Sunday, they have a roast dinner and every Friday they treat themselves to a dinner out. Are they happy? Well, it’s a life isn't it?

That's how many people live their lives; they spend their days grumbling about how they hate their job, get fed up with their bosses and partners, but that's all they do. The same gripes day in and day out, but taking no action to change their situation, simply because they are slaves to being normal and worrying about “'what will other people think of me, if I do something unusual?”

So do you desire to be just another member of the herd, or would you like to go and do and be as you will? Yes strays get picked off by predators, so don’t be a stray, be a leader, be in the front of the herd and others will follow. By following your will and intentions you will not be wandering aimlessly through life waiting for something to happen to you. Instead you will be the one making things happen the way you want them to happen.

You only have one chance to live this life; it doesn’t matter if you believe in another life after this one or many other lives, you can not go back and do this life over again. You have this life, right now, to do something with; so get on with it and do something with your life. The choice is yours, not theirs, they can not take a shower and make you smell better, and neither can you eat their food and make them feel full. You have to live your life; you and only you can be you.

To quote Nelson Mandela:
“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate, our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure, it is our light that frightens us and not the darkness.
We ask ourselves; who are we to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and fabulous? Actually, who are you to not be? Your playing small does not serve the world; there is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people will not feel insecure around you.
We are all meant to shine; we were born to make manifest the glory that is inside us. Thus as we let our light shine we unconsciously give those around us permission to do the same, as we are liberated from our own fear we liberate those around us.”

Be Blessed

Labels: life, self improvement

Trying to please everyone else is a sure fire way to screw up your life. Caring what other people think of you is a necessary part of life, but allowing what they think to control your life puts them in charge, instead of you.

The worry of “What will other people think about me?” is a form of slavery and unfortunately is extremely common. Most of us are brought up to be considerate others, but unless we are discerning, we soon find ourselves caught up in a job we can't stand, or living in a relationship which makes us unhappy, and getting caught up in the spiral of poverty.

You can not please everyone all the time, trying to do so will only lead to frustration and unhappiness. The 'trying to please other people all the time' syndrome begins in childhood. It stems from a desire to be liked and admired. What we are not taught as children is that self esteem comes from inside not from external influence.

For example if you have good friends you strive to always be with them, to spend time with them and to be together even if it is just to “hang out” together. In your efforts to keep your friends happy with you, you may well find yourself doing things you would not normally consider doing. In this way you begin the spiral of giving up your personal power to others in the hope you will be liked.

The biggest danger to you is if the solution entails you giving away your free will. In other words, if the only reason you give in is because you desperately want to be liked, and it really matters what your friends think of you, then you are in danger of giving away your power, and your free will to others. What is really sad is that those you give your free will to often do not care and will abuse you and or neglect you in the seeking of their own pleasures.

If they were real friends, of course, they would understand your view and would not criticize. However over the course of years thousands of small incidents build up, until by the time we are adults, most of us make a habit of putting what other people think of us before our own personal needs and desires.

Here is where we must break from this trap and free ourselves. There are certain requirements that we must do, like show up for work: No work equals no pay. While at work we have certain tasks to accomplish, that is why we get paid, but at work we do not have to be friends with everybody. You are getting paid to do work, not be popular. Said in a different way; you must do the tasks required, but you do not have to be the same religion. You have to dress as required but you do not have to vote for the same political candidate. You have a structured day but you do not have to have the same habits as everyone else. You must learn to be you at all times and in all environments.

Being liked or disliked by other people is not what makes the world go around; liking yourself for what you are is what makes the world what it is. If you do not like your self or your life, then you can change it. Please note it is not being said that ‘they’ can change your life to make you happy; what IS being said is that you can change your life to make you happy.

So examine your self, if you see something you do not like, do not blame others for your misfortune, you gave away your free will, and your life was messed up because others did not care that they were supposed to make you happy. So now you must take back your free will and start to lead your own life as you would see fit.

This does not mean for you to forsake all friendships and relationships, you must gently change the ones you wish to preserve so that you are happy. If you are in a bad relationship, you can stop, change or move on. The point here is that the choice is yours.

You must start making your own choices; it is your life so start living it.

Be Blessed

Labels: life, self improvement

It is a sad world we live in; it is filled with people who are only seeking pleasure, seeking to fulfill their own selfish desires, excitement, and novelty. They are not seeking strength, and power; but courting weakness, and eagerly engaging in dispersing what power they have.

Those people of real power and influence are few, because few are prepared to make the sacrifice necessary to the acquirement of power, and fewer still are ready to patiently build up character. To allow your self to be swayed by your fluctuating thoughts and impulses is to be weak and powerless; to rightly control and direct those forces is to be strong and powerful. People with strong animal passions have much of the ferocity of a beast, but this is not power. The elements of power are there; but it is only when this ferocity is tamed and subdued by the higher intelligence that real power begins; and you can only grow in power by awakening themselves to higher and ever higher states of intelligence and consciousness.

The difference between a person of weakness and one of power is not a simple measurement of the personal will (for the stubborn person is usually weak and foolish), but in that focus of consciousness which represents their states of knowledge. The pleasure seekers, the lovers of excitement, the hunters of novelty, and the victims of impulse and hysterical emotion lack that knowledge.

It is the knowledge of principles which gives balance, stability and influence. A person begins to develop power when you check your impulses and selfish inclinations, and instead focuses upon the higher and calmer consciousness within and steady yourself upon a principle.

The realization of unchanging principles in your consciousness is at once the source and secret of the highest power. When, after much searching, and suffering, and sacrificing, the light of an eternal principle dawns upon your soul, a divine calm ensues and joy unspeakable gladdens the heart.

The person, who is governed by selfishness, and not by a principle, changes their front whenever those selfish comforts are threatened, they become deeply intent upon defending and guarding their own interests, they regard all things as lawful that will serve that end. They are continually scheming as to how they can protect against their enemies, being too self-centered to perceive that they are their own enemy.

The one that stands upon a principle is the same calm, dauntless, possessed individual under all circumstances. When the hour of trial comes, and you have to decide between personal comfort and Truth, you give up this comfort and remain firm. The person of self regards the loss of wealth, comfort, or life style as the greatest calamities which could occur, while the person of principle looks upon these same incidents as insignificant, and not to be weighed with loss of character, or loss of Truth. To desert Truth is the only happening which can really be called a calamity.

It is the hour of crisis which decides who are the minions of darkness, and who are the children of light, it is the epoch of threatening disaster, ruin, and persecution which divides the sheep from the goats, and reveals to the reverential gaze of succeeding ages the men and women of power.

It is easy for a person, so long as they are left in the enjoyment of their possessions, to persuade their self that one believes in and adheres to the principles of Peace, Brotherhood, and Universal Love; but if and when those enjoyments are threatened, or imagines they are threatened, they begins to clamor for war and retribution and demanding their rights be defended. This shows that they believe in and stands upon, not Peace, Brotherhood, and Love, but strife, selfishness, and hatred.

The one who does not desert their principles when threatened with the loss of every earthly thing, even to the loss of reputation and life, is the person of power. There is no way to the acquirement of spiritual power except by that inward illumination and enlightenment which is the realization of spiritual principles; and those principles can only be realized by constant practice and application.

Take the principle of divine Love, and quietly and diligently meditate upon it with the object of arriving at a thorough understanding of it. Bring its searching light to bear upon all your habits, your actions, your speech and interactions with others, your every secret thought and desire. As you persevere in this course, the divine Love will become more and more perfectly revealed to you, and your own shortcomings will stand out in more and more vivid contrast, spurring you on to renewed effort; and having once caught a glimpse of the unsurpassed majesty of that immortal principle, you will never again rest in your weakness, your selfishness, or your imperfection, but will pursue that Love until you have relinquished every discordant aspect, and have brought yourself into perfect harmony with it. That state of inward harmony is spiritual power.

Take also other spiritual principles, such as Purity and Compassion, and apply them in the same way, and, so exacting is Truth, you will be able to rest until the innermost part of your soul is clear of every stain, and your heart has become incapable of any hard, disparaging, or pitiless impulse. Only in so far as you understand, realize and rely upon, these principles, will you acquire spiritual power, and that power will be manifested in and through you in the form of increasing calmness, patience and poise.

Dispassion argues superior self control; sublime patience is the very hallmark of divine knowledge, and to retain an unbroken calm amid all the duties and distractions of life, clearly marks the person of power. It is easy in the world to live after the world's opinion; it is easy in solitude to live after our own; but the great person is the one who in the midst of the crowd keeps with perfect attractiveness the independence of solitude.

Some mystics hold that perfection in dispassion is the source of that power by which miracles are performed, and truly the one who has gained such perfect control of all their interior forces that no shock, however great, can for one moment unbalance them, must be capable of guiding and directing those forces with a master-hand. To grow in patience and poise, is to grow in strength and power; and you can only thus grow by focusing your consciousness upon a principle.

Rely upon your own judgment, be true to your own conscience, and follow the Light that is within you; all outward lights are just so many will-o'-the-wisps. There will be those who will tell you that you are foolish; that your judgment is faulty; that your conscience is all awry, and that the Light within you is darkness; but don’t listen to them for if what they say is true then the sooner you, as a searcher for wisdom, find it out the better, and you can only make the discovery by bringing your powers to the test. Therefore, pursue your course bravely.

You will have many falls, will suffer many wounds, will endure many buffetings for a time, but press on in faith, believing that sure and certain victory lies ahead. Search for a rock, a principle, and once you find it cling to it; get it under your feet and stand erect upon it, until at last, immovably fixed upon it, you succeed in defying the fury of the waves and storms of selfishness.

As you grow in spiritual life, and become established upon principles, you will become as beautiful and as unchangeable as those principles, and you will taste of the sweetness of their immortal essence.

Be Blessed

Labels: life, self improvement

On the inner battlefield of which the fight is for the human soul, there are two masters that are ever contending for the kingship and dominion of the human heart. One is the self, also called the “Prince of this world,'' and the other is the Truth, also sometimes called “God.”

The self is that rebellious one whose weapons are passion, pride, avarice, vanity, gluttony, addiction, and ignorance. The Truth is the one whose weapons are gentleness, patience, purity, sacrifice, humility, and love. In every soul the battle is waged, and as a soldier cannot engage simultaneously in two opposing armies, so every heart is enlisted either in the ranks of self or of Truth.

Buddha, the teacher of Truth said that “there is self and there is Truth; where self is, Truth is not, where Truth is, self is not." Jesus Christ declared that "No man can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other or else he will hold to the one and despise the other."

Truth is so simple, so absolutely undeviating and uncompromising that it admits of no complexity, no turning, and no qualification. Conversely self is vanity, crooked, governed by subtle and snaky desire admits of endless turnings and qualifications, and the deluded worshippers of self vainly imagine that they can gratify every worldly desire and that at the same time posses the truth.

The lovers of Truth worship Truth with the sacrifice of self, and ceaselessly guard themselves against worldliness and self-seeking. Do you seek to know and to realize Truth? Then you must be prepared to sacrifice, to renounce to the uttermost, for Truth in all its glory can only be perceived and known when the last vestige of self has disappeared.

Are you willing to deny yourself, to give up your lusts, your prejudices, and your opinions? If so, you may enter the narrow way of Truth, and find that peace from which the world is shut out. The absolute denial, the utter extinction, of self is the perfect state of Truth, and all religions and philosophies are but so many aids to this supreme attainment.

Self is the denial of Truth. Truth is the denial of self. As you let self die, you will be reborn in Truth. As you cling to self, Truth will be hidden from you. While you cling to self, your path will be beset with difficulties, and pain, sorrow, and disappointment will be your lot. There are no difficulties in Truth, and coming to Truth, you will be freed from all sorrow and disappointment.

Truth in itself is not hidden and dark. It is always revealed and is perfectly transparent. It is the blind and wayward self that cannot perceive it. The light of day is not hidden except to the blind, and the Light of Truth is not hidden except to those who are blinded by self.

Truth is the one Reality in the universe, the inward Harmony, the perfect Justice, the eternal Love. Nothing can be added to it, nor taken from it. It does not depend upon any person, but all people depend upon it. You cannot perceive the beauty of Truth while you are looking out through the eyes of self. If you are vain, you will color everything with your own vanities. If lustful, your heart and mind will be so clouded with the smoke and flames of passion, that everything will appear distorted through them. If proud and opinionative, you will see nothing in the whole universe except the magnitude and importance of your own opinions.

There is one quality which pre-eminently distinguishes the person of Truth from the person of self, and that is humility. To be free from vanity, stubbornness and egotism, this indeed is true humility, while the one who is immersed in self regards their own opinions as Truth, and the opinions of others as error. However the Truth-lover who has learned to distinguish between opinion and Truth, regards all people with the eye of charity, and does not seek to defend their opinions against others, but sacrifices those opinions that they may love the more, that one may manifest the spirit of Truth, for Truth in its very nature is beyond words and can only be lived.

People engage in heated controversies, and foolishly imagine they are defending the Truth, when in reality they are merely defending their own petty interests and opinions. The follower of self takes up arms against others. The follower of Truth takes up arms only against the self. Truth, being unchangeable and eternal, is independent of your opinion and of mine. We may enter into it, or we may stay outside; both our defense and our attack are superfluous.

People, who are enslaved by self, passionate, proud, and condemnatory, believe their particular creed or religion to be the Truth, and all other religions to be error; and they proselytize with passionate ardor. There is but one religion, the religion of Truth. There is but one error, the error of self. Truth is not a formal belief; it is an unselfish, holy, and aspiring heart, and he who has Truth is at peace with all, and cherishes all with thoughts of love.

You may easily know whether you are a child of Truth or a worshipper of self, if you will silently examine your mind, heart, and conduct. Do you harbor thoughts of suspicion, enmity, envy, and lust? If so, you are chained to self, no matter what religion you may profess. Do you continually strive to control the self and to be gentle, mild, and kind to all who cross your path? Then you are a candidate for Truth, even though outwardly you may profess no religion.

Are you passionate, self-willed, and ever seeking to gain? Do you strive for riches? Do you fight, with passion, for your party? Do you lust for power and leadership? Are you given to ostentation and self-praise? If so, even though you may imagine you worship God, the god of your heart is self.

Or have you given up the love of worldly prizes? Have you relinquished all strife? Are you content to take the lowest place, and to be passed by? Have you ceased to talk about yourself and to regard yourself with self complacent pride? If so even though you may withhold your lips from worship, you are dwelling in the Most High. The signs by which the Truth-lover is known are unmistakable.

The giving up of self is not the renunciation of outward things. It consists of the renunciation of the inward error. You will not find the Truth by giving up vain clothing, relinquishing riches, abstaining from certain foods, speaking smooth words, or praying in public. The Truth is found by giving up the spirit of vanity, by abstaining from the lust of self indulgence, and by giving up all hatred, strife, condemnation, and self-seeking, and becoming gentle and pure at heart.

To do the former, and not to do the latter, is pharisaic and hypocrisy. You may renounce the outward world, and isolate yourself in a cave or in the depths of a forest, but you will take all your selfishness with you, and unless you renounce that, great indeed will be your wretchedness and deep your delusion. You may remain just where you are, performing all your duties, and yet renounce the world; the inward enemy. To be in the world and yet not of the world is the highest perfection, the most blessed peace, it is this way that you achieve the greatest victory.

Be Blessed

Labels: life, self improvement

Many have asked what signifies achievement of true power, first let me state what it is not. It is not money, money simply does not constitute true wealth, neither does it symbolize position, or power, and to rely upon it alone is like standing upon a slippery rock; if you are not very careful you will fall.

Rather true wealth is in your stock of virtue, and your true power is the uses to which you put it. Rectify your heart, and you will rectify your life. If you suffer from lust, hatred, anger, vanity, pride, covetousness, self-indulgence, self-seeking, obstinacy, and other similar minded things then you will have poverty and weakness. Conversely if you attain love, purity, gentleness, meekness, patience, compassion, and generosity, you will attain true wealth and power.

As the elements of poverty and weakness are overcome, an irresistible and all conquering power is evolved from within, and if you succeed in establishing your self in the highest virtue, you will bring the whole world to your feet. Herein lays the secret by which all desirable conditions are secured, and all things that are undesirable are overcome.

Do you think and say that you are lonely and unloved, and have no friends? Then, for the sake of your own happiness, blame nobody but yourself. Be friendly towards others, and friends will soon flock round you. Make yourself pure and lovable, and you will be loved by all. Whatever conditions are rendering your life burdensome, you may pass out of and beyond them by developing and utilizing within you the transforming power of self purification and self conquest.

It does not matter that by the unfailing Law of karma there are past thoughts and acts to work out and to atone for, as, by the very same law, we are setting into motion, during every moment of our life, fresh thoughts and acts, and we have the power to make them for good or for ill.

If you cling to your self then you are your own enemy, and will be surrounded by enemies. The good news is that if you relinquish your self then you are free and are your own savior and will surrounded by friends like a protective belt. Before the divine radiance of a pure heart all darkness vanishes and all clouds melt away, for it is the one who has conquered their self has then conquered the universe.

So to get out of your poverty, your pain, your troubles, and sighing, and complaining, and heartaches, and loneliness, you must come out of yourself. Like the butterfly emerging from the cocoon; let the old tattered garment of your petty selfishness fall from you, and put on the new garment of universal Love. You will then realize the inward power of the universal, and it will be reflected in all of your outward life.

For if you set your foot firmly upon the path of self-conquest, and walk faithfully the path of self-development, and then you will assuredly achieve the highest prosperity, and will reap abounding and enduring joy and bliss.

Be Blessed

Labels: self improvement