Sunday, July 28, 2013

Simplicity

Coromandel, New Zealand

There is nothing wrong with having nice or expensive things.  We can have and enjoy them, as long as we understand that they cannot bring us peace or fulfillment.  The problems arise when we believe that things will fill the hole in our lives or bring us lasting satisfaction or joy.  The elation that we feel when a long desired item or experience is achieved will soon lead to frustration when the feelings of desolation and isolation return.  It is doubly frustrating because we were so sure that it would make us feel whole.

We can experience peace, gratitude and joy by enjoying simple things: a swim in the sea, a walk in the park, holding hands, or watching a squadron of pelicans glide over the ocean.  Even the simple act of being aware of our breathing can bring us profound feelings of grace and fulfillment.

Let's enjoy life's simple pleasures.

Sunday, July 21, 2013

Surrender

Coromandel, New Zealand

Our thoughts and beliefs are keeping us from living peaceful and fulfilling lives.  We have built a solid wall of beliefs which was constructed from our birth and continues to the present moment.  This programming of our belief systems has occurred by our parents, teachers, friends, the media, religious leaders and so on.  We believe we are our thoughts and beliefs.  The reason this causes us so much frustration, anger, unhappiness and despair is because we all share the same root belief:  We are unloved and unlovable.  

All of our problems come from our identification with thought.  We have forgotten that all of our thoughts, beliefs, and judgments are an illusion. They are not who we really are.

The good news is that we can become who we really are and live peaceful, harmonious, fulfilling lives, filled with love and joy, in any given moment, including this very one.  Regardless of how hopeless or frustrated we believe our lives are, we could awaken to a brand new life right this second.  Every problem that we think we have would disappear in an instant.  We could create heaven on earth.  Right now.

All that we have to do is to acknowledge the truth of who we really are and surrender our thoughts and beliefs.

Since we believe we are our thoughts and beliefs, how do we do that?  We create a separation between our thoughts and beliefs and who we really are by bringing awareness to our thoughts.  Awareness is our attention without judgment.  We notice our thoughts, acknowledge them without labeling or judging them, and surrender them, allowing them to drift off without attaching ourselves (i.e., our awareness) to them.

Let's acknowledge our thoughts and surrender them to the light.

Saturday, July 6, 2013

Gratitude


Kamakura, Japan

The opposite of gratitude is regret.  We wish we had done things differently.  We wish that other people had acted differently.  We wish that things that happened to us, happened differently.

Gratitude is allowing things to be as they are.  It is accepting that life is what it is.  Anything other than that is denial.  Gratitude is acknowledging that everything that has happened to us is divine grace.  True change can only occur when we accept that reality is what it is.

Gratitude is the key to abundance.  In fact, gratitude is abundance.  If we are grateful for what we have, we are satisfied and fulfilled.  This is the definition of abundance.  When we are grateful, the Universe responds in kind.  Like energy attracts like energy.

The more we accept life, the more we appreciate what we have, the more abundance we will attract.  It is the striving, desire and frustration which keeps us from receiving what we want.

Gratitude is ecstasy.