THOUGHT FOR TODAY - Success is not a destination: It is a Journey

Lotus flower by 0.tqn.com

Success is not a destination: It is a journey. The happiest people I know are those who are busy working toward specific objectives.  

The most bored and miserable people I know are those who are drifting along with no worthwhile objectives in mind. ~Zig Ziglar

»»  read more

THOUGHT FOR TODAY: Maintain Balanced Friendships and Family Relationships

Hibiscus flower
Source: pictureworldbd.com

The love and care we give others should never be given at the expense of our own well-being. We can be loyal to the important people in our lives without sacrificing our health and happiness, provided our approach to the maintenance of friendships and familial relationships is balanced.  

Our ability to give our loved ones the care and support they need is dependent upon our physical health and emotional wellness. When we take good care of ourselves before endeavoring to care for others, we ensure that we can be there for family and friends no matter how dire the circumstances at hand.  

We can commit ourselves to others precisely because we have first committed ourselves to ourselves. You will find that your outwardly-directed faith is unerring today when you have taken steps to make certain that you feel consistently energetic and upbeat. DailyOM

»»  read more

You are the Captain of your Ship and the Master of your Soul

Hibiscus flower by 3.bp.blogspot.com

Louise Hay just shared three Heart Thoughts  with us from her book of the same name via her free newsletter. 

I'm passing them on to you because of their importance to your physical and mental well-being.

The heart is the centre of our universe - yours and mine - and the fact that it lies in the centre of your chest is no coincidence.

 It is the well-spring from which we seek succor in times of pain and stress. We need to become friends with who we really are inside there.

Leaving yourself open may make you feel too vulnerable but it is the only way to face what ails you, head on and deal with it.

I unwittingly left myself open after the final year of psychotherapy during my suicidal depression and it was one of my best friends who brought it to my attention.

 She was impressed and scared at the same time that I could walk around in public without a mask.

I cannot say that it is easy every day but that was eight years ago and I am learning more about me every day and making the changes that are essential to my growth and evolution. 

This is everyday spirituality and a powerful technique for your personal growth.

Deal with the hurt and pain created by your thoughts and beliefs learnt from others in childhood when you had no choice and knew no better. 

As adults you can choose who you want to be and the thoughts you want to keep in your heads. Your beliefs are up to you.

You are the captain of your ship and master of your soul!

I Am Free to Be Me

Don’t swallow your anger and have it settle in your body.

When you get upset, give yourself a physical release. 

There are several methods you can use to release these feelings in positive ways.

You can scream in the car with the windows closed. You can beat your bed or kick pillows. 

You can make noise and say all the things you want to say. You can scream into a pillow. 

You can run around a track, or play a game like tennis to release the energy.

Beat the bed or kick pillows at least once a week, whether you feel angry or not...just to release those physical tensions you store in your body! 

I Create Wonderful New Beliefs about Myself

These are some of the beliefs that can really help you in your life if you think or say them every day: 

I am always safe.

Everything I need to know is revealed to me.

Everything I need comes to me in the perfect time/space sequence.

Life is a joy and filled with love.

I prosper wherever I turn.

I am willing to change and to grow.

All is well in my world.  

It’s Only a Thought and a Thought Can Be Changed  

How many times have you refused to think a positive thought about yourself? 

Well, you can refuse to think negative thoughts about yourself, too. People say, “I can’t stop thinking a thought.” 

Yes, you can!  

You have to make up your mind that it’s what you’re going to do. You don’t have to fight your thoughts when you want to change things.  

When that negative voice comes up, you can say, “Thank you for sharing, and I’m choosing to do something else. 

I don’t want to buy into that anymore, I want to create another way of thinking.” 

Don’t fight your thoughts. Acknowledge them and go beyond them. 

Affirmation: I claim my power now. Life is always there for me.

Louise Hay

»»  read more

Death is the Opposite of Birth and Grief is a Natural Reflection of Life


Many of you have experienced the death of loved ones. It makes us numb, sending us into a tailspin and depth of pain and hurt which is terrible to endure at times and many of us also take a long time to accept it and move on, and some of us don't.

This loss also includes our beloved pets and many simply do not understand our grief.

When I lost my beautiful boy Elton in 2009, I was devastated as I share in Memories of my incredible pug, Elton and still think of him to this day and even dream of him sometimes.

Following that was another devastating loss of a new/old heart friend from stomach cancer in 2011 and I still haven't come to terms with that one as yet. 

We become so attached you see to those we hold dear and this is so very natural that we forget that death is the opposite of birth and it is inevitable.

We must participate fully in this dance of life, every single day.

So, I share here this book excerpt from the wonderful Louise L. Hay and David Kessler You can heal your heart.

It talks so very eloquently about death, and dying and the inevitable guilt and grief which ensue and the healing which also must inevitably follow if we are all to cherish the memories of those who have made the transition and continue with fulfilling lives. 

This book shows the way thoughtfully and lovingly.

Honoring Pet Loss

Grief is a natural reflection of life and exists in any relationship where we have feelings and attachments. 

We all mourn for those we loved, for those we disliked, and even for those we hated. 

We don't grieve when there is no attachment. In that context, it seems silly to think that we wouldn't grieve for the animals in our life that we are indeed very much attached to.

Our pets share our living spaces—and in many cases, our beds—and are truly members of the family.

 

Despite this, people who are grieving over an animal that died will often find that they must be very discreet about their feelings and with whom they share them.

 

They instinctively know that they're dealing with a form of disenfranchised grief—a type of grief that other people might deem as "less than."

 

Some have shared their heartbreak only to be met with: "Well, it's not like it was a person. It was just an animal," and "Just go get yourself another pet."

The reality is that grief from pet loss is not as easily fixed as some would have us believe.

 

It's hard to live in grief that's judged as unworthy. Grief is about love, and our animal companions often show us some of the most unconditional love we could ever experience.

 

How often, despite our best efforts, do we absorb some of society's judgments and think, I shouldn't be grieving this much? Yet when we let these thoughts in, we betray our genuine feelings.


To complicate our grief even more around pet loss, we're often clearer on treating them humanely. 

When they're in pain at the end of their lives, despite our wanting them to stay around, we will often choose to euthanize them to make sure that they die in a respectful, dignified manner, surrounded by love.

 

But sometimes it makes the loss a little harder when we wonder if we did the right thing at the right time.

People feel very strongly about their animals. Many people resonate with humorist Will Rogers's statement: "If there are no dogs in heaven, then when I die, I want to go where they went."

Many believe that when we die, we will reunite with all of the people and pets we loved that passed on before us. 

We embrace the concept that death is arriving into fullness rather than emptiness. In other words, when any of us leaves the earthly plane, it will be "standing room only" because we will once again be surrounded by all of our loved ones whom we've been missing so much. 

Let's imagine that scene with our pets greeting us as well. To see their faces again, their tails wagging.

 

Hearing their barks, their meows, their chirps, their whinnies and grunts, and being around all of their other loving attributes. What a tender arrival we will have when we die.

I embrace all the gifts my pet has left me.

I am thankful for all the experiences we shared.

My sweet pet will always be surrounded by my love.

With a perfect blend of Louise's affirmations and teachings on the power of your thoughts and David's many years of working with those in grief, You Can Heal Your Heart will inspire an extraordinary new way of thinking, bringing profound love and joy into your life.

 

You will not only learn how to harness the power of your grief to help you grow and find peace, but you will also discover that, yes, you can heal your heart.

»»  read more