Fishing For Soul
Angling for Spiritual ReconnectionArchive for May, 2009
The Law of Happiness
A friend said to me the other day “I just want to be happy.” He was not complaining because he was unhappy. He was stating that happiness was his main pursuit in life.
My friend’s comment made me think of how often I am, or am not, in the state of happiness. A meditation on the subject yielded the following:
“It is not hard to have extreme happiness in your life. As soon as you understand that you will make things much easier for your self.
What does it take to be happy? A breath. A thought. An action. We all ways say that if you knew how happy you could be you would never want to create anything but happiness – ever! It takes so much time and energy to be angry, sad, worried and resentful. Imagine how often your mind takes you to those places. It is like traveling to a land that has 110 degree heat, constant sun, no shade, no shelter and no water. Why would you go there?
We are not saying that it is ‘bad’ or ‘wrong’ to have feelings other than happiness. You are human! We are inviting you to look at your attachment to the thoughts that create emotions other than happiness, and how deeply invested you are in maintaining the illusion of those negative thoughts and feelings. What do you create from the place of fear or anger? What happens to you when you rant and rave about your ‘awful’ situation, other people, other countries, and other events outside of your joyful heart? What do you allow to distract you from your pursuit of happiness?
Deep inside of you there is a jewel. It is the most magnificent jewel in all the worlds. You were born with that jewel shining so brightly. Look at the eyes of a small child. Do you see how bright and beautiful and curious and happy they are? Babies make people smile. It is not because they are ‘innocent’ or ‘too young to know better yet’. That is a ridiculous, human story. What you are witnessing when you look into the eyes of a small child is that jewel of remembrance. They know that THEY ARE BLISS. The jewel is bliss. The jewel is love. The jewel is YOU. Go and rediscover it. Polish it. Make it shine once again and you will attract more and more and more of the happiness that you are born to be.” – At One
A Meditation for Attracting Happiness:
Place your feet firmly on the floor. Sit or stand in a way that allows your spine to be as long and tall as possible. Rest your hands in your lap or at your sides. Take a gentle breath in through your nose and out through your mouth. Feel your head floating effortlessly above and between your strong shoulders, and your chin resting easily above your chest. Take a gentle breath in through your nose and out through your mouth. Allow the muscles of your face to relax with every consecutive breath.
Choose a spot directly in front of you to focus your gaze upon. Continue to be mindful of your breath, and the rise of fall of your belly, ribcage and chest. Train your focus on the spot and begin to imagine a shining heart floating in front of you. Examine the shape, size and color of the heart. As you gently exhale, imagine your breath touching the heart and making it bigger, as if you were blowing up a balloon. Fill the heart with images of people and things that make you extraordinarily happy. Place a happy image of your self inside the heart. Intend that the heart float up and out of the place where you are now. Send it out as a joyful gift to be shared with the world, with the Universe.
Place your hands on your heart chakra (the middle of your chest). Take a deep breath in through your nose and out through your mouth. Congratulations! You have just allowed peace and happiness to flow to you and through you.
Amen!
Thanks and peace.
Joe
Enlighten Me, Please (Dolly Parton Did)
“People talk about self-realization, and this is it! Can you just breathe in and out? To hell with enlightenment! Just enlighten yourself in this moment. Can you just do that?” – Byron Katie
I am always on the lookout for quotes that inspire me and for stories that encourage me to keep my ass moving in a positive direction. I admire people who have created peaceful, happy and successful lives on their terms.
Yesterday I found the May/June 2009 issue of AARP magazine sitting on a bookshelf at the gym. Dolly Parton is featured on the cover. In the accompanying article, Dolly talks about growing up in East Tennessee’s Appalachian Mountains, one of 12 kids living in a tin-roofed shack with no electricity, no running water, and no phone, and what it took to accumulate a quarter-billion dollars worth of wealth.
“I’ve learned through the years to communicate with God as I perceive him. I pray for guidance, and I accept the things that come as an answer to prayers,” says Dolly. She also believes that “You’re not going to see your dreams come true if you don’t put wings, legs and arms, hands and feet, on ‘em.”
Thanks for the unexpected Law of Attraction lesson Dolly! Positive Action Equals Positive Outcome.
Although I love reading inspirational stories like Dolly Parton’s, I get equal satisfaction when I sit quietly and listen to my own, inner guidance. That truly feels like enlightenment in the moment as Byron Katie says. It is the gift that keeps giving. At times I am astounded at the peacefulness I feel in that ‘quiet mind’ space, and wonder what it would be like to live in that energy all the time. Hey, it could happen!
“When you allow your self to BE, you find that nothing but that matters. You seek more ways to BE. You attract more BEING-ness. The gift of breath becomes your guide. You become more curious about Life. You fall in love with your self and realize that there is that and only that to know and love. What else would there be? Enlightenment comes from the most mundane sources. Look around. It never ends. Isn’t that remarkable!” – At One
Today I am grateful for the abundance that surrounds me, my J.O.B, new writing opportunites, new business connections, the food I eat, the air I breathe, the MTA, my home, sunshine, time to heal, life’s endless lessons, my senses, my Blackberry, my bed.
Amen.
Thanks and peace!
Joe
Love Revisited
Here’s another Law of Attraction message about love from a recent meditation. Some things are worth repeating. One day it will all sink in.
“It is absolutley, positively, 100% OK for you to rethink your thoughts about certain ‘romantic’ love situations. It is when you try not to have the thoughts that you create pain.
You may say, ‘But the thoughts themselves are causing me to have feelings that are unwanted.’ To that we say, yes, of course, but as you move through the thoughts and feelings you rediscover that love is still there and that feels good. Love is all ways there. Where would it go? When you focus on it not being there in the form of another human being then you create suffering. For indeed, you have allowed that person to become, for you, the physical embodiment of love. And then that person is no longer there in the same way and you say that love is gone, or lost, or over. Love is love. That is what we all ways say. Love is love and there is nothing you can do about it. So why not be in love? It is much easier for you to be in that energy, it is much more natural, than any other state. But you like to fight it. You like to keep love from flowing to you and through you. You dole it out. You ration it. You save it for ‘the right person’. And then you are heartbroken and feeling pain. Is that what you want?
Lack feeds lack. Love feeds love. What will you feed? How will you be in love RIGHT NOW? Focus on the love that is here NOW and allow that to attract the physical embodiment of the love you desire, which is of course here, now.” – At One
Amen.
Today I am grateful for love, divine guidance, my computer, words, warm sun, Central Park, friendly neighbors, kindness, affection, my bike, breath, strong legs, a growing business, t-shirt sales, extraordinary friends, Connie’s drum, this blog that helps me to keep things in perspective.
Thanks and peace.
Joe
Swimming in Soul
“As you move forward into the beauty of your own light, please know that with every breath there is an opportunity to become more of what you desire. You cannot help but be who you are, where you are now. Isn’t it amazing to know that this journey of life is just like a body of warm, clear water where you can swim and swim and swim and swim and swim and swim and swim, and never become tired?
Life is good. That is it’s nature. Let it be that!
Life is meant for you to enjoy. Do that!
Life is full of everything you could ever want. Embrace that!
YOU HOLD THE KEY!
Choose. And then swim in the endless delight of you.” – At One
TRY THIS: ‘Heart Radiance Activation’
Sit quietly with your eyes closed. Imagine your self swimming, floating, drifting easily and happily in a warm, clear body of water. As your vision expands, imagine a bright, white light radiating throughout your body. Tap your self gently on the heart chakra (the middle of your chest) and take three deep breaths in through your nose and out through your mouth. Notice your thoughts, your emotions, and the physical sensations that come and go. Practice observing.
End the experience with a ‘Thank You’ to your self and know that in allowing your self to be with your self you have given your self a wonderful, priceless GIFT. – At One
My Gratitude List for Thursday, May 21, 2009
I am grateful for my breath, my body, my friends visiting from Peru and their incredible clarity, peacefullness and wisdom, my home, my friend and business partner Leslie, my teaching jobs and my students, laughter, meditation, At One, my garden, my quiet Harlem courtyard, the sun, Robin at Shine Connections who is helping me to connect with businesses who want what I offer, water.
Amen!
Thanks and peace.
Joe
Looking Back In Order to Move Forward
Well, here’s some more info for this months Law of Attraction intensive. Looks like I need it right now. Perhaps the energy of Mercury Retrograde is assisting the reviewing, recharging, and renewing.
Over the weekend I found myself reflecting on events from my recent past. My thoughts about the issue were a bit surprising, in part because I had considered the situation resolved.
As usual, when my thoughts are focused on something that is making me feel a bit uneasy, I decided to sit still, ask questions, and listen for the wisdom and guidance to come forth. The message I received in meditation was:
“Once you begin to think about what you considered resolved you begin to engage emotions that you may have assumed were not there before. We would certainly ask you to reflect on the possibility that those thoughts have been there all along. Are your thoughts making you feel uncomfortable, sad, angry, resentful, or afraid? Are you comparing your self to others and thinking you are inferior? Perhaps this is an opportunity for you to ask your self if this is a pattern that is worth repeating or one that is necessary for you to get to know your self more intimately.
It is perfectly fine to rethink your thoughts in regard to any situation. There is all ways an opportunity to learn from the past. Indeed, you may find that there is something that needs to be altered within that can help you navigate this more easily. The ‘trick’ is not to become caught up in your thoughts to the point of distraction.
You may say to yourself, ‘But that is finished. Why would I have thoughts about that in this way now?’ We say first that you have chosen the thoughts and those thoughts are creating feelings that are ‘negative’. When that happens, it is as if a red light has appeared on the street of contentment, and you are slowing the flow of uplifting emotions and positive abundance. You are also getting your attention in order to become clearer about this issue. We see that your thoughts are occupied by this. What will you do? Will you sit and worry or will you allow your self to acknowledge your thoughts with a quick ‘hello’ and ‘thank you’ and then move on? Think about that. Does it feel better to wallow in the negative or to begin to attract the positive? Ask questions. Move to the better feeling place. There is clarity and wisdom inside you that will always help you to break through to the feeling good place. Trust that. Trust your self. Worry breeds worry. Fear breeds fear until YOU break the cycle. And you will all ways break the cycle, whether it is for one second, one hour, one year or longer. That is good news! Do you not feel better now? Indeed, because you attracted the better feeling thoughts. That is the power of meditation.” – At One
Well, I DO feel better and clearer, and for that I am grateful.
I have decided that, after rereading what I wrote on Friday about gratitude. I am going to include a Gratitude List at the end of each post. Today I am grateful for my breath, my body, my bed, my spiritual guides, rain, flowers, friends, New York City, abundantly positive opportunities, and work that feeds my soul.
Amen!
Thanks and peace.
Joe
A Bit About Gratitude
Here are 10 things that I am grateful for today:
- My breath
- My body
- My home
- Earth
- The food that nourishes me
- All of the money that comes my way
- My friends
- My family
- My laptop
- Laughter
- Music (OK, that’s 11)
- God (and there’s 12)
“As you explore the concept and feeling of gratitude, perhaps you can allow your self to experience what it is about those things that create the desire to say ‘thank you’. Take a breath and acknowledge the moment. Take a breath and acknowledge you. Take a breath and acknowledge all that is around you. Gratitude helps you to open your eyes to what is, and then you can be grateful for what was and what will be. It really is very simple. Thank you.”
- At One
That was simple.
What are you grateful for?
Thanks and peace.
Joe
Breaking the Cycle of Doubt, Worry, Confusion, Fear (or not?)
“Your ego has to terrify you all the time, so that you can investigate and come home to yourself in the body. This is what we’re all here to live. When we aren’t attached to our thinking, when all the why’s, when’s, and where’s let go of us, then what really is becomes visible.” – Byron Katie
I read that quote toward the end of my day on Tuesday and it fit very well with what I had been contemplating for hours. Synchronicity abounds!
A good friend emailed me on Tuesday morning and commented on the state of my mental and emotional well-being that I wrote about in Monday’s blog post. She referred to it as a cycle. A cycle. Bingo! Cue the flashing lights and sirens, we’re on to something here, folks!
I couldn’t get the word cycle and what it meant in regard to my process out of my head so I decided to ask about it in meditation. My good friends At One showed up and said,
“You are asking about the cycle of negative and positive thinking that you create in order to know who you are. The root of that ‘cycle’ is you. You in your brilliance. You in your desire to know. You in your desire to dig deeper. We suggest that you journey to a place of clarity and see what is revealed.”
I decided to interpret their journeying suggestion as another kind of meditation, so I grabbed a rattle, made some sound and received the following vision and understanding:
I come to a very large gate which opens as soon as I approach it. There is a golden house on the other side of the gate. I walk through the gate and into the house. I enter a room and see a beating heart – my heart – lying on a table. I reach out to take the heart in my hands and notice that the arteries are very long and are attached to something bigger. I realize that my heart is a part of a much bigger heart and that heart is attached to an even bigger heart. I then become aware that my heart is not my heart – it is a thriving, pulsating part of an energy that is beating, vital and alive all ways. I am a small yet integral part of the Whole. The more joy I radiate, the more joy there is for the Whole. The more clarity I have, the clearer the Whole becomes. Any cycle of doubt and confusion can open me to clarity and joy if I allow it. Any cycle of pain and suffering can be a cause for deeper contemplation and awareness of my connection to the BIG HEART that is alive and well all ways. That energy lives forever. I am alive forever. I am the BIG HEART.
That feels good.
Amen!
Abundant blessings and gratitude to Holly for opening the door.
Thanks and peace to all.
Joe
Note to Self: The Law of Attraction is Always at Work
I felt like I was getting a spiritual kick in the pants for several days this past week. My thoughts were all over the place, which meant that my emotions followed suit. Whew! What a wild rollercoaster. I was really in the place of believing what I was thinking and it was very uncomfortable. I’d like to blame it all on Mercury Retrograde, but that wouldn’t be very responsible of me. When I’m caught up in my own mind games I know it’s time to get back to basics. I make space in my day for longer meditations and journaling, and I spend a bit more time alone. Being in Nature helps too, so I was happy to spend several hours digging in the garden on Sunday.
My back to basics course has included a review of Law of Attraction principles. Here’s the latest:
The Law of Attraction states that what you focus on grows. Thoughts become things. If it’s on your mind, it’s in your life. Thoughts lead to feelings, which lead to an action and an outcome. As At One says:
“If you think you should have something in your life that is not there, please stop and take an inventory of your thoughts. Why isn’t it there? Because your thoughts are not there. You are focused on the ‘not’, therefore you cannot and will not see it in your life. Remember, ‘not’ is a ‘knot’ that keeps you bound to what isn’t. And what isn’t is what is until it is not anymore. If you intend to move from where you are to where you want to be you must change your mind. Embrace what is and think a thought that is more in line with the thing you desire. You may say, ‘I want a new car.’ If you follow that powerful statement with a thought that you do not have the money for it then your chances of manifesting that car quickly diminish. What if you were to say, “I want a new car and I see that at this moment the dollars I need for it do not match what is in the bank. I know that I all ways have the ability to manifest what I want, so I will now choose to have thoughts that make me feel good about wanting that car, and I know that those thoughts and feelings are so very powerful that they will lead me to take the most positive action I can take and then I will see, sooner and later, the desired outcome.” Do you see the difference? Start from where you are and then move to the place inside your self that feels best. Repeat that process over and over and over again. Life flows much easier that way. Try it. You’ll like it!”
Deepest gratitude to Lynn, Fred, Robin and Eduardo for listening, asking the right questions and letting me be.
Amen.
Thanks and peace!
Joe
