Just be there!

“Right now a moment of time is passing by…
we must become that moment.”
Paul Cezanne

Do you ever feel that you get so caught up in the hustle and bustle of life that you don’t really get a chance to enjoy it?

Today I want you to focus on really being there; being truly present to what ever the moment is that you are experiencing.

If you are used to doing a million things at once, then this can be quite a challenge.

Whether you are at work, play or somewhere in between, make it your point to focus simply on what you are doing right now.

Don’t think about your to-do list, don’t check messages on your iPhone or Blackberry and don’t even consider multi-tasking.

Don’t think about coulds or shoulds, what-ifs or maybes.

Just keep your mind on the here and now and appreciate the moment for what it is.

Learning to be present to each and every moment of your life (and to the people you share it with) is incredibly life-enhancing.

After all if life is a gift, shouldn’t you be taking time to open it, be grateful and most of all enjoy it…

Success is a journey not a destination

“Without deviation, progress is not possible.”
Frank Zappa

Do you want to change the way you live your life.

Do you sometimes find yourself chastising, critiquing or judging yourself for the things you haven’t done.

I’m not talking about the largely inconsequential things that fill up to our huge to-do lists, but the more serious stuff…

So often I hear people beating themselves up because they haven’t achieved this goal, that dream or some other life ambition.

The truth is, life and success, are a journey, not a destination – it’s not a cliché it’s a fact!

As long as your intention is to live your best possible life, this is the life you will be living… regardless of whether it is filled with all the things you thought you would have or have done, by 30, 40, 50 or whenever…

So now I want you to focus on appreciating the life you already have.

BE GRATEFUL

Forget about all the things you haven’t done and instead express your gratitude for all the experiences your life has been filled with so far.

And imagine the experiences yet to come

Gifts In Everything

Look for the gifts in everything, especially when you are facing what appears to be a negative situation.

Everything that we attract causes us to grow, which means that ultimately everything is for our own good.

Adjusting to a new path and a new direction will require new qualities and strengths, and these qualities are always exactly what we need to acquire in order to accomplish the great things ahead in our life.

Being Grateful

Remember, if you are criticizing, you are not being grateful.

If you are blaming, you are not being grateful.

If you are complaining, you are not being grateful.

If you are feeling tension, you are not being grateful.

If you are rushing, you are not being grateful.

If you are in a bad mood, you are not being grateful.

Gratitude can transform your life.

Are you allowing minor things to get in the way of your transformation and the life you deserve?

Happy Chinese New Year

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Year of The Metal Tiger

Kung Hei Fat Choy

The Power Of Thanks

Have you ever got a sincere thank you letter in the mail and felt how it changed your day?

What a heart opening feeling it can be to receive such a thoughtful note!

Thank yous are not only rewarding for the recipient, but they are equally satisfying and inspiring for the sender.

The power of thank you letters isn’t limited to the actual sending and receiving; they have a special energy just in their idea.

In fact, a grateful thought put to paper without even being sent is still tremendously rewarding.

Writing thank you letters can be one of the easiest exercises of all in order to change stress into success.

Toward the end of each day, spend a moment reflecting on earlier events. Consider which people throughout the day actually served you the most.

They don’t have to be individuals who actually did something helpful for you.

Sometimes, the people who stand in the way and create obstacles are actually helping the most because they confront you and force you to come up with your best, enabling you to become a greater achiever.

Therefore, don’t limit your thank you letters to those who’ve made your life easier in some fashion.

Be sure to show gratitude to the people who’ve made it harder for you. In their way, they’ve helped you develop true grit.

To those who’ve challenged you or offered support, you can write long thank you letters, short ones, or just tiny little notes.

You can send them, save them or do whatever feels right for you.

Feel your heart open wide as you express thanks for their presence in your life.

An important ingredient in opening your heart and seeing life as it truly is, a blessed and magnificent series of events, is to consider your day.

Set a time aside, possibly before going to bed, to consider what has occurred throughout this time.

As you look back through the day’s events consider who has served you well and made your life richer or more enlightened in some fashion.

Reflect upon your blessings and put your thank you notes on paper, expressing your acknowledgment of the role they’ve played in your life and how their presence is of wonderful service to you.

The Golden Ladder

Today I would like to share some thoughts on giving/generosity.

These are saying that I have discovered as I learn and increase my personal growth.

” In charity there is no excess “

To me this is such a simple way to describe where my head space should be when I am thinking about giving.

The next powerful quote comes the 12th Century from Maimonides

“Anticipate charity by preventing poverty
help your fellow man who is in reduced circumstances, either by a substantial gift or a sum of money or by teaching him a trade or by finding him some means of employment so that he may earn an honest living and not be obliged to to pursue the grim option of begging for charity.

This is the highest rung and summit of the golden ladder of charity”

So in today’s global financial crisis maybe we can learn from history to help us deal with poverty and be more giving.

Laughter is the best….

Today I interrupt the series as I came across something that brought a smile to my face and I want to share it with you.

Remember that laughter is the best medicine :

Family Tree of Vincent Van Gogh:

His dizzy aunt ——————————————- Verti Gogh
The brother who worked at a convenience store ———– Stop N Gogh
The grandfather from Yugoslavia —————————— U Gogh
His magician uncle ——————————— Where-diddy Gogh
His Mexican cousin ————————————— A Mee Gogh
The Mexican cousin’s American half-brother ————— Gring Gogh
The nephew who drove a stage coach ——————- Wells-far Gogh
The ballroom dancing aunt ——————————— Tang Gogh
The bird lover uncle ———————————— Flamin Gogh
The fruit-loving cousin ———————————— Man Gogh
The fruit-loving cousin ———————————— Man Gogh
The little bouncy nephew ———————————– Poe Gogh
A sister who loved disco ———————————— Go Gogh
And his niece who travels the country in an RV —— Winnie Bay Gogh

there ya Gogh!

Time to Gogh…………..

Giving When it Counts

One of the biggest discoveries that I have discovered on my road of personal growth is that you’ve got to give to get.

Here is a story that highlights the power of giving.

“Many years ago, when I worked as a volunteer at a hospital, I got to know a little girl named Liz who was suffering from a rare and serious disease. Her only chance of recovery appeared to be a blood transfusion from her 5-year old brother, who had miraculously survived the same disease and had developed the antibodies needed to combat the illness.

The doctor explained the situation to her little brother, and asked the little boy if he would be willing to give his blood to his sister. I saw him hesitate for only a moment before asking a deep breath and saying, “Yes, I’ll do it if it will save her.”

As the transfusion progressed, he lay in bed next to his sister and smiled, as we all did, seeing the color returning to her cheeks. Then his face grew pale and his smile faded.

He looked up at the doctor and asked with a trembling voice, “Will I start to die right away?” Being young, the little boy had misunderstood the doctor; he thought he was going to have to give his sister all of his blood in order to save her.

You see understanding and attitude, after all, is everything.”

Always remember those who serve you

I would like to continue on with another example that I have come across which teaches the lessons that life can share and that we can learn and grow from.

“In the days when an ice cream sundae cost much less, a 10 year old boy entered a hotel coffee shop and sat at a table. A waitress put a glass of water in front of him.

“How much is an ice cream sundae?” he asked.

“Fifty cents,” replied the waitress.

The little boy pulled his hand out of his pocket and studied the coins in it.

“Well, how much is a plain dish of ice cream?” he inquired.

By now more people were waiting for a table and the waitress was growing impatient.

“Thirty-five cents,” she brusquely replied.

The little boy again counted his coins. “I’ll have the plain ice cream,” he said.

The waitress brought the ice cream, put the bill on the table and walked away. The boy finished the ice cream, paid the cashier and left.

When the waitress came back, she began to cry as she wiped down the table. There, placed neatly beside the empty dish, were two nickels and five pennies.

You see, he couldn’t have the sundae, because he had to have enough left to leave her a tip.”

More on the belief of giving to get.

What do you think?