MINDFUL-MOD
A Modern Life for the Mindful…
Posted in April 2012 …
WRITING POETRY…
Go into yourself. Find out the reason that commands you to write; see whether it has spread its roots into the very depths of your heart; confess to yourself whether you would have to die if you were forbidden to write.
This most of all: ask yourself in the most silent hour of your night: must I write? Dig into yourself for a deep answer. And if this answer rings out in assent, if you meet this solemn question with a strong, simple “I must,” then build your life in accordance with this necessity; your whole life, even into its humblest and most indifferent hour, must become a sign and witness to this impulse. Then come close to Nature. Then, as if no one had ever tried before, try to say what you see and feel and love and lose…
is your home making you happy?
Places have power—not only the physical power of sheer presence, but the emotional clout to alter our moods. Of course, the converse is also true: We have power over places. If we don’t take advantage of that fact, we’re squandering a major opportunity to bring positive energy into our lives. What luck, then, that you happen to know the world’s leading authority on creating an environment that nurtures your most contented self: you. By tapping your instincts and noting your reactions, you can begin to create a home that will make you happier—right now.
Take a Virtual House-Tour
To begin, grab a pen and print out this worksheet. Then picture yourself heading home after a day of working, attending yoga class, or whatever. Your house is in its usual state of orderliness—or disarray—though at the moment no one else is home. As you imagine walking up to your front door, notice your mood. Are you feeling tense or relaxed? Are you happy—or anxious, angry, or depressed? As you walk in, do you feel relief, excitement, anxiety, dread, joy, or despair? Briefly describe your feelings below.
Continue to pay attention to your emotional reactions as you visualize entering the house. Envision yourself touching the wall to your right and walking through your entire home. This “hands-on” approach will help you to remember to visit spaces you might skip if you merely formed a mental picture of each room. We tend to forget about places that make us feel uncomfortable; the discipline of mental wall-touching ensures you’ll include them. Continue reading
By the time you’re 30…
By 30, you should have …
1. One old boyfriend you can imagine going back to and one who reminds you of how far you’ve come.
2. A decent piece of furniture not previously owned by anyone else in your family.
3. Something perfect to wear if the employer or man of your dreams wants to see you in an hour.
4. A purse, a suitcase, and an umbrella you’re not ashamed to be seen carrying.
5. A youth you’re content to move beyond.
6. A past juicy enough that you’re looking forward to retelling it in your old age.
7. The realization that you are actually going to have an old age — and some money set aside to help fund it.
8. An email address, a voice mailbox, and a bank account — all of which nobody has access to but you.
9. A résumé that is not even the slightest bit padded.
10. One friend who always makes you laugh and one who lets you cry.
11. A set of screwdrivers, a cordless drill, and a black lace bra.
12. Something ridiculously expensive that you bought for yourself, just because you deserve it.
13. The belief that you deserve it.
14. A skin-care regimen, an exercise routine, and a plan for dealing with those few other facets of life that don’t get better after 30.
15. A solid start on a satisfying career, a satisfying relationship, and all those other facets of life that do get better.
7 steps to busting out of a rut & finding happiness…
Are you charting a course to fulfill your dreams? Or are you wandering around without a compass, hoping you’ll somehow find your way? If you’re stuck in a rut, this article’s for you…
1. Don’t Try to Buy Happiness
Would you be happy if you had a hundred new pairs of Jimmy Choos or a brand new BMW? Maybe at first you would, but as time went on you’d “just want more, bigger, better and different in a never-ending fashion,” explains Alan Gettis, Ph.D., author of The Happiness Solution: Finding Joy and Meaning In An Upside Down World (Trafford, 2006). The pleasure centers in your brain come alive when you score the perfect skirt or a great pair of jeans, but the feeling fades. After all, if you could really buy happiness, everyone would have bought it already!
If you still believe money is the secret to satisfaction, consider this: According to a University of Illinois study, the Forbes 400 (the wealthiest billionaires in America) and the Maasai tribes of East Africa (simple, pastoral herdsmen) exhibit the same levels of happiness, regardless of their monetary differences. In plain English: Money doesn’t buy happiness.
random thoughts…
We are the Music Makers
&
the Dreamers of Dreams…
Quote: Start where you are…
“Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.”
-Arthur Ashe (1943-1993); American tennis player, social activist
Quoting…
Loving this quote today and wanted to share…
The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena; whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs and comes up short again and again; who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, and spends himself in a worthy cause. Who at best knows, in the end, the triumph of high achievements; and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.
—Theodore Roosevelt
A “Life is Good” Kind of day…
Today I experienced an all-time high while attending my oldest daughter’s graduation from California Western School of Law… the tears ran down my cheeks as I tried to hold onto my composure sharing this experience with her. As I sat there watching her every move I wondered what I have done in my life to deserve her; to deserve this opportunity to witness her experiencing the high reaching this major accomplishment in her life…always questioning is my nature, sometimes to the point of wearing myself completely out… The pride I felt being her Mom cannot be expressed in words.
More Life Lessons…
I love the following life lessons & wanted to share these with you; they come from a book I’ve been reading entitled Lean Forward into Your Life: Begin Each Day As If It Were on Purpose by Mary Ann Radmacher…
How is it that one is able to articulate the landscape of the spirit? The geography of the heart is understood and seen in ways which are, essentially, ineffable. Such understanding is a journey, a discovery, a joy: peculiar and particular. In our spirits’ holy night sky we come to know the singular beauty and magic that is our own music.
