Awareness

The Catlins, South Island, New Zealand

Our mind is designed to think continuous thoughts. It is easy for us to lose awareness of our current circumstance and be lost in thought. When we our lost in our thoughts, all of our feelings and actions will reflect the patterns of our thoughts. Unfortunately, the patterns of our thoughts are created by the conditioning that we have received since birth. They are based in fear. Since our thoughts are based in fear, all of our feelings and actions also arise from fear. This is why we are fundamentally frustrated in our lives. We identify with our thoughts and believe that they are our reality, and therefore, we are trapped in an existence in which we do not feel fulfilled.

We can break this cycle of fear-based actions by realizing that our thoughts are not real. They may or may not be true, but they are certainly not who we are. We are not our thoughts.

There is a much more powerful reality. We cannot stop our thoughts. However, we can become free and in harmony with our true selves by bringing awareness to them without judgment. Once we are objectively aware of our thoughts , they slow down and they begin to lose their power over us.

Let's bring awareness to our thoughts, feelings and actions.

Gratitude

Lettuce, Coromandel, New Zealand

The Buddha said that the cause of our suffering is desire.

We desperately want prosperity, love, and peace. Our desire is what is keeping these things from us. Our lives are a reflection of what we think, believe and feel. We attract into our reality what we think, believe and feel. We cannot change our reality by wanting. If we are in a state of constant dissatisfaction and desire, that is a signal to the universe to attract more lack into our lives.

In a state of gratitude for what is, we are open to receiving more abundance. As we attract, so shall we receive.

Let's be grateful.

The Body

Clivedon, England

The body is the instrument with which Spirit interacts with the material world. Just as the Infinite Energy Source is as real as the body, the body is as divine as Source. The more that the body is nurtured and respected, the more effective it will be in fulfilling our desires.

The elements of maintaining a healthy body are well established: nutritious fuel (more fruits and vegetables and less saturated fats and processed foods), exercise, and sleep and relaxation.

Once we fully inhabit our body, it will generally tell us what it needs. Also, by fully being present within our body, our consciousness is connected with Source and Source can freely express itself through us.

Let's respect our bodies. It is so much more than we think it is.

Freedom

Santa Fe, New Mexico

We are prisoners of our thoughts and beliefs. They are keeping us from happiness and fulfillment. Until we realize who we really are, we will unconsciously move through life, saying and doing what we were conditioned to do from birth.

We can find freedom and peace by moving our attention away from compulsive thinking and towards presence. Once we are willing to give up our judgments about who we are and how the world is, we will be able to live our lives in freedom. Our problems and our frustrations will dissolve. Every action that we take will be deliberate and in harmony with our true selves.

Let's surrender to freedom.

Surrender

Hole In The Rock, Bay of Islands, New Zealand

We hold on to stale thoughts and beliefs even though they adversely impact our happiness and well being. We feel safe with our belief systems and belonging to the groups which share them.

These thoughts and beliefs are keeping us from having peace in our lives and living up to our potential. Most of these thoughts are created from fear or are meaningless gibberish. Our compulsive thinking blocks the infinite energy that arises from Source and exists between and beyond our thoughts.

We are afraid of what will happen to us if we give up our thoughts and beliefs. We are afraid of the Great Unknown that exists between our thoughts. We will not be alone if we surrender our thoughts. We will be connected to everyone and everything.

Let's surrender to being.

Allowing

Coromandel, New Zealand

We are not willing to accept things as they are. We constantly wish that things were different. We wish that we looked different, that we had more money, a prestigious job, more love in our lives, that we had done things differently, and so on. We do not allow things to be as they are.

Allowing things to be as they are does not mean that we have to accept our current situation if it does not suit us. On the contrary. only by accepting reality as it is can we effect real change. By not accepting things as they are, we are living in a fantasy world. Non-acceptance causes stress, frustration and endless, repetitive cycles of thought and behavior.

Let's allow things to be just as they are.

Stillness

Coromandel, New Zealand

Do we want to have a more fulfilling, enjoyable life, free of fear, frustration, envy and anger? Would we like to be healthier, sleep better, and think more clearly? Would we like to improve our relationships?

Meditation is not necessary to become awakened. However, it is a powerful tool. Many studies have proven that meditation lowers blood pressure, improves sleep, prvents disease and enhances our health and the quality of our lives in a multitude of ways.

We think that we do not have time in our busy lives to take the time to meditate. Can we really not find the time to do something that makes our entire day better in every way?

There are no rules or techniques required to be still. We can sit down or lie down or stand up, for that matter. All that we have to do is bring our attention away from compulsive thinking and bring it to our bodies, our thoughts and everything around us. It is such a small investment in time which brings such a large benefit.

Let's find the time to bring stillness into our lives every day.