Take Time to Sharpen the Saw

Take time to sharpen the saw is an old metaphor for being prepared for your daily work. And being someone who loves to chop wood, I know first hand how important it is to take 5-10 minutes before I start, to sharpen my ax or saw. It can make a humongous difference and probably saves a good 30 minutes-1 hr of work on a 3 to 4 hour job.

Taking time to sharpen the saw can also be applied to the self-keeping yourself refreshed, recharged and in optimal, harmonious states. This includes, but is not limited to, exercise, sleep, healthy eating, positive thinking and care of the soul. The area I am going to focus on the most here however, is care of the soul. This is because I believe it is the first area to get neglected and is one of, if not the most important areas. In Neale Donald Walsch's amazing book Conversations With God, he says, "If I do not go within, I go without." Taking time for daily rejuvenation is both restorative and necessary for the soul. And yet, most people I know go through their daily lives without taking the time, or making the time to sharpen the saw in this area (to refresh, recharge, rejuvenate at a soul level). If the soul is not at peace, at rest, then nothing is in harmony. Harmony and peace start inward. It doesn't matter how good you eat, how much sleep or exercise you get. If your soul needs are lacking, your total health in mind, body and spirit will be lacking. The soul needs care as well.

Taking the time to go within has made all the difference in my life. I have seen a dramatic increase in my health and vitality, and my energy level over the past ten years, since I began daily yoga/meditation, combined with spiritual study. My daily routine begins at 5 am everyday with journal writing, spiritual study, yoga/meditation and prayer. And what it gives me is balance, poise, inner strength, insight, clarity, tons of energy, and passion and enthusiasm for the day. If your life is lacking these things, I encourage you to set some time aside for care of the soul. It will most certainly make your day flow more easily and smoothly. And if you want to experience total health in mind, body and spirit, take time to sharpen the saw in all these areas.

Sowing Seeds of Positivity

I was very fortunate to grow up around a quite large fruit and vegetable farm. There is much to be learned from the farm life. One invaluable lesson I was taught early on is that whatever you sow, you reap. And yet planting, sowing seeds isn't as simple as just throwing seeds on the ground, or digging a hole and putting them in. You can't just sow the seeds on hard, rocky soil. You have to work and prepare the soil, by breaking up and loosening the dirt, removing the rocks and etc. Only then, when the soil is fully ready, can you plant the seeds. And the work doesn't end there. You still have to water and cultivate the weeds continuously, fertilize, etc. Then, after much patience, diligence, sweat and labor, can you reap the harvest.

Sowing seeds of positivity in our lives, follows the exact same process. Just merely planting our hopes, dreams and goals isn't going to ensure we reap the rewards of our desired goals/outcomes. Just as in sowing actual seeds, we have to follow all of the steps mentioned above. First and foremost in this process, we have to prepare the soil metaphorically speaking; meaning we have to get ourselves right at the core. We do this by developing good thinking habits, a positive attitude, a good work ethic. Also involved in this process is preparing the soul. We do this by nurturing, feeding our souls, cultivating inner peace, and spiritual wisdom. Then we must plant seeds of positivity and water them continuously with hope, belief, faith and action. And last but not least, is the weeding or cultivating part, keeping out the weeds (overcoming our own or others criticisms and negative thoughts).

It is just as easy to sow seeds of negativity as it is to sow seeds of positivity. The tricky part is and the part you gotta be mindful of is, whichever ones you sow the most, you reap. So if your focus is always on negative events, or why your life is not working, instead of on obtaining or creating the positive desired change, you will attract more of what you don't want in your life. In order to sow more positive seeds, it requires a conscious decision to monitor and take responsibility for the thoughts you allow in your consciousness, the thoughts you focus on. I promise you if you start sowing more positive seeds, you will most certainly start harvesting more positive things in your life. Our minds and souls are like gardens and all they do is grow whatever we put in. It's the law of the harvest, you reap what you sow!

Manifesting Your Hearts Desires

Visualize... visualize... visualize... I can't over-stress the importance of visualization! If you want something, you have to see it in your minds eye first. The old adage is true-seeing is believing, although, believing is also seeing. Whatever you focus on, you will most definitely experience more of. This is talked about immensely in the book The Secret. If you haven't read it, READ IT! It is a remarkable read for learning to manifest your hearts desires. Visualization works, but it is also something you have to practice. I have personally used visualization to manifest the car of my dreams, and to help launch my former clothing business. I would go into department stores and stand there and visualize my clothing lines on the shelves. And in just a few short years, I was selling to over 40 department stores in five different states. It is some powerful stuff!!!

The secret to manifesting is knowing what you want and desire first and then, focus... focus... focus... Instead of hocus pocus al-a-ma-gocus, it should be focus... focus... al-a-ma-gocus. You can truly have anything you desire, when you believe. This works because when you believe something enough, you fill up your thoughts and focus on the outcome, and visualization automatically comes into play. Neale Donald Walsch said in his book Conversations With God, "seek it no longer, call it forth!" He was referring to the God power in all of us to bring forth what we most desire to experience. This power, like the power in Aladdin's lamp, is sitting there inside of you and me right now, just waiting to be called forth.

The reason people manifest lack, poverty and unhappiness is, that is what they see in their minds eye. Your minds eye can either be your best friend, or worst enemy. Get to know it, and let it work for you. People that have achieved greatness or who live passionate, exciting, fulfilled lives, have known this power and used it for centuries. Einstein said, "imagination is the coming preview to life's attractions. " Visualization is one of the most important tools you can use in attracting the things you desire to manifest! Use it, it is a God given tool.

Trusting Your Inner Wisdom

It was Dec. 31, 2007, I woke up in the middle of the night in total horror. I lied there in awe, consumed by a nightmare about our home being completely destroyed as if some major catastrophe had just hit. In the dream, I was walking around outside of this destruction trying to put the pieces back together. The next day I was really bothered by the dream and feeling a lot of apprehension all day long. That same night, Jan. 1, 2008, I woke up for no apparent reason at 1:15 AM in the morning to find our house was completely on fire. I frantically woke up my wife at the time and 4 kids, and by the time we got out, the flames were 20 feet high as the entire house was on fire. How did I know that something was gonna happen? How does anyone know that something is gonna happen before it does? Where do these premonitions come from? The answer I believe is, we all have a built in compass, an inner voice, a direct personal link to universal wisdom. It's just that in today's world, we as a society are quite out of touch with this element. There is so much noise, so much busyness, so many distractions, that we as a society have almost forgotten how to access what I call, "inside information." Native Americans totally understood this ancient wisdom and lived in complete harmony with the spiritual element of life. They understood the inner connectedness and sacredness of all life. They didn't have so many distractions. Their goal was harmony, balance and respect for all of life, not acquiring riches, looking for the next thrill, the next distraction, the next high. Somewhere in our quest for technological advancement and entertainment, we have sacrificed our inner connectedness to spirit and we have got to find a way to get it back.

No one knows better than you what is best for you, what is your path to walk. We have got to learn to access and trust our inner wisdom again. We've got to as a society get back to a more spiritual way of living. Your inner guidance is your friend, your alli, not your enemy. If you make daily time to listen, it will unfold to you your path, your place in this world. It will help you with any challenge you may be facing. There are many traditional religions that I believe actually discourage trusting and following your inner voice. I know, I was raised in one of them. I had to actually leave behind my family religion just to learn to rely more on the spirit as my guide. Your relationship with God, spirit, whatever you call it, is between you and spirit. You don't have to go through any priest, any person, any organization to get to this source. The relationship is instilled, automatic. Sometimes learning to trust you inner wisdom requires you stepping away from others who may be telling you what to think, what to believe. I am not saying religion is a bad thing here. Anything that encourages spiritual growth and development is definitely good. I am just saying that in order to have a more personal relationship with this entity, you need to make a sacred place for you and it alone. Trusting your inner wisdom requires courage to step outside your comfort zone and devotion to learning to quiet yourself in a distracting and oftentimes noisy world. I promise you though, that as you make more time to listen to and walk with your inner wisdom, you will achieve a greater sense of inner peace and harmony and feel a closer bond to spirit.

Learning Wisdom

Life is full of obstacles, challenges, ups and downs, ins and outs. Life is like an ice cream shop, with a variety of flavors. Sometimes it is a rocky road and other times it is a colorful sherbet. And through it all, we are constantly reminded that there is a higher power, a higher order to the flow of the stream of life. And every experience, every moment can teach you much wisdom if you are receptive to the lessons that the universe is trying to unfold to you. I have learned to accept life as it comes, to have plans, yet allow for the unexpected and sometimes even to expect the unexpected. No one has it all figured out. God, the Tao, the Great Spirit, the Unnameable is mysterious and unfathomable, as is life oftentimes. No one is meant to understand it all. I believe some things are meant to be a mystery. Life happens as it happens and sometimes you've just got to roll with it. There are no guarantees in this life. True wisdom is not having it all figured out, but being in the game, being a part of the mystery, embracing the mystery and just accepting that all experiences are part of a whole circle-birth, death, passion, despair, grief, utter joy, are all natural parts of this life experience. Wisdom comes in part by realizing this whole thing, this entire experience of life is bigger than you and me. There is a divine architect, I am certain of it. We are all just a small part in the web of creation. And yet, housed within my soul, your soul is some of the same power that created and operates the universe.

Life is good, no matter how you look at it. Life is a gift and a treasure. And we are all just a part of the dance of creation. So keep on dancing, singing, doing your thing, being who you are authentically, passionately and joyfully and enjoy life to the fullest. Through all your experiences, life is trying to teach you wisdom and also remind you quite often that there is a higher wisdom than your own operating in this universe. Learning wisdom is a process and that process often involves patience, quietness, and making time daily to pray, meditate and ask guidance from the master of wisdom. Sometimes wisdom comes in acceptance of things as they are or as they appear. No one here in this lifetime is a victim. We are all on a journey, a journey that involves constant life lessons and evolution of us as spiritual beings.



Namaste

Happiness is Always a Choice

If you could choose your mood like you choose your clothes for the day, what mood would you choose? Is choosing your mood or state of mind really a choice anyway? A lot of people I'm certain would say no to that question, but I totally believe the answer is YES. No matter the circumstances, no matter the challenges or adversities you may be facing, no matter what the weather looks like outside, or what may be going on inside of you, you always have a choice to choose happiness or not. Bottom line is, you are in control of your focus. And that means, at any given moment, you can choose peace, happiness, positive thoughts or misery, unhappiness and negativity. I know a lot of people are saying yeah right, I mean that guy in the parking lot stole my spot, or that woman in traffic cut me off, or my boss said a harsh, mean comment to me. I had no choice but to react the way I did. But somewhere inside of you, either consciously or unconsciously, you decided how to react, or not to react at all.

All of life is a choice. I grew up in a family with a very angry and reactive father. Putting it mildly, there was a lot of abuse there! There was not a lot of love and compassion in our home, but somehow I managed to stay positive through it all, while a lot of my family to this day has continued to hold on to the hatred and anger. For me, I had an absolute moment of clarity and perspecive one day when I was about 20 or so, and I realized that I could either continue to hold on to my hurt, anger or pain, or I could DECIDE in that moment to let it all go and forgive my father. And decide is a powerful word. I made a decision to once and for all, let it go. In that moment of decision, my life was positively impacted. There is a song I am sure you have heard of. It is by June Carter Cash. It is called "Keep on the Sunny Side" The lyrics start out with:

There's a dark and a troubled side of life
There's a bright and a sunny side too
Though we meet with the darkness and strife
The sunny side we also may view

Keep on the sunny side always on the sunny side
Keep on the sunny side of life
It will help us every day it will brighten all our way
If we keep on the sunny side of life

This is a great little song with a large implication. So remember, the choice is always up to you and me. As our focus, so is our experience. It is not always easy to be positive, but it is well worth the effort. No one likes a grouch. Life is too short to be miserable and unhappy, take the challenge and as June Carter Cash's song says, keep on the sunny side!!!