Select a Thought

In the hustle and bustle of the world today, it can be so easy to plough through our daily routine without a thought for the well being or feelings of not only friends, family, neighbors and colleagues, but of every one who may, come across our path during the course of a day.

Now stop and think for a moment. How would life change if we all were to make a conscious decision to spread a little tenderness? Wouldn’t there be more smiles of gratitude, self satisfaction, feelings of well being and self worth?

Just imagine for a moment how you would feel to be on the receiving end of a kind gesture. With very little effort on your part, you can make a difference, and bring a little pleasure to the life of another being.

It doesn’t have to be anything major, even the tiniest gesture can make a surprising difference. One of the simplest gestures that reaps instant rewards is a smile, be generous with yours.

Give a kind word, a compliment, a thank you, whenever you can. It doesn’t cost anything materially, but the benefits to both giver and receiver are immeasurable.

If you are feeling really magnanimous, flowers are foolproof. It doesn’t have to be an expensive bouquet that possibly you can ill afford, even a small blossom freshly picked from your garden will show that someone cares.

Believe me, if you stop to think about it, you will find innumerable small ways to make someone happy. The feel good factor you will receive in kind will be more than worth the effort.

Every once in a while, stop the mindless chatter in you head and listen. Listen to others, listen to the sounds of nature, and listen to your inner self.

Silence is golden in more ways than one. It can help you find yourself when all seems lost. Quiet reflection can ease and comfort when all else fails.

When a person is hurt and upset, often a reassuring embrace accompanied by mutual silence can be of far greater comfort than awkward spoken words.

It’s not only in times of sadness that silence plays an important role. Far too often in daily life people are not giving their full attention to the person speaking. They are far too busy thinking of what they themselves are going to say next. Not only is this discourteous, but it prevents the speaker from being fully heard and understood.

So many misunderstandings in life are as a result of presumptions, and not entirely listening to what their fellow man is trying to say.

Did you know, the one thing that all great spiritual leaders and salesman have in common is their ability to listen? Because they listen fully, and give the speaker their undivided attention, they learn what the other person is really trying to say, what their true needs and concerns are.

Try to make a habit of not interrupting others when they speak, hold back, pause and actually listen to what they are trying to tell you. You may be pleasantly surprised at what you learn.

A sure fire way to keep your aspirations alive is to Create an Abundance Journal. A personalized abundance journal will act as your very own guide, friend and mentor.

The first thing you need to do is treat yourself to an appropriate blank page journal. There are so many shapes and sizes available that you will be spoilt for choice, but try to find one that somehow has a special look and feel about it to you. On the other hand, if you are a creative type, you may wish to make a unique one for your self using your favourite special materials.

Now comes the best part. You are going to fill the blank pages with whatever your heart desires. Seek out and paste in pictures of your desired objects and experiences. Write down all your goals, affirmations and aspirations. Paint, draw or doodle, different signs & symbols from time to time. Smileys, £££’s, $$$’s, hearts, whatever you feel represents your desires.

Whenever you experience a success, however small it may be, or something pleases you, makes you smile, and makes you happy, make an entry. Cut out and paste meaningful snippets and articles you come across.

Don’t forget happy mementoes, add anything and everything that makes you feel good, happy, and optimistic. Use your journal as often as possible, make new entries and look at it frequently. You will find that over a time your abundance journal will become a great source of comfort, encouragement, and inspiration to you.

Every once in a while you need to take a break from trying to be all things to all people. Don’t let yourself become stressed out, be selfish for a change. The break will calm, refresh and revitalize you. Reward yourself, and give yourself some quality time for a change.

The modern lifestyle of today can be so hectic at times. It often seems that all the technology we now have just adds more to the frenetic haste and pressure.

You and I are only human, not machines. Humans have a need to take time out, to refresh the mind, the body and soul.
As Stuart Wilde would say, ‘Life wasn’t meant to be a struggle’.

There are so many ways to take time out for yourself and we all have our different preferences. Some may prefer a walk in the park, in the forest, or a stroll along the seashore. Indulge in your favorite pastime, or try a new one. Write a good old fashioned hand written letter to someone, dabble with a few paints. Maybe a long soak in warm scented bath, a glass of wine perhaps, listen to a favorite piece of music, or simply curl up with a good book.

Make a date with yourself now, and treat yourself to some quality time for a change. Relax and enjoy your ‘me time’, you deserve it.

Worry beads, prayer beads, and affirmation beads are regularly used in some form or other by people of many different faiths around the world. Since 3200 B.C. beads have been lovingly fingered in prayer, in hope, and in belief.

The actual beads used, are made from almost any material, precious gems or just plain cord. They can from range from the most exotic and elaborate, to modest and humble.

Whatever the particular origin and religion, they all have one thing in common, they help your mind to focus on you things you wish to manifest in your life. The use of beads as an aid to reinforce your affirmations will be a great benefit to you. They will calm your mind, and help you to focus on your goals.

They are particularly helpful when used with positive affirmations. A simple strand of beads, or a knotted cord, can be discretely slipped into your pocket, around your wrist, placed by your bedside, or even slipped under your pillow to serve as a constant reminder to yourself.

It’s a simple matter to repeat the positive affirmations over and over to yourself as you finger each bead, or knot in turn. Keep them close by you, and use them at every opportunity to reinforce your goals. Very soon you’ll find that it has become an enjoyable habit.

Flowers have long held an aura of magic, they bring harmony and peace and even have their own language. Flowers are often used in medicinal products, and there are even flower remedies for the soul.

The most famous of these remedies were invented by Dr. Edward Bach in the early 1930′s. The flower remedies work using the vibrational powers of the flowers. Just a few drops of the essence are placed on the tongue or in a liquid drink.

The belief behind the flower remedies is that our fears, cares and anxieties open up our vulnerability to illness. When we are able to eliminate our fears and worries, we automatically feel happier and better in ourselves, and consequently less prone to illness.

Dr Bach formulated 38 different remedies. There is a remedy to treat an amazing list of personality traits and moods, from absent-mindedness to worry.

The 38 remedies were placed under seven main headings: Fear, Uncertainty, Insufficient Interest in Present Circumstances, Loneliness, Oversensitive to Influences and Ideas, Despondency or Despair, and Over-care for the Welfare of Others.

But the seven main headings only just scratch the surface of all the underlying conditions and combinations. I hope to be able to cover them all for you gradually in future postings.

What color are your thoughts? Do you realize just how much color can influence your thoughts? Indeed, color plays a far more important role than we may realize.

Are you maybe feeling a little melancholy? Feeling sad and blue? Go raid your wardrobe and pick out the brightest colored clothing you can find. Bright colors will cheer up, energize and enliven your spirit.

Notice how happy go lucky and ever smiling people choose bright colorful clothes? I bet you do likewise when you are on holiday.

Would you like to add a little more romance into your life?..add some pink. Want to go a little further and add some passion?..it has to be red.

What if you have to study a report? Swat up for an exam?.. Your choice then is to pick yellow.

Now perhaps you are planning to meditate, the ultimate color to select for meditation is violet, it is without doubt, the lightest and best vibrational color.

Are you one of the unfortunate few to suffer from travel sickness?..try to wear sky blue, you’ll notice a marked improvement.

Now then, if it’s money and abundance that you’re after, then go for green, but having said that..the Chinese swear by red.

The magic of color is all around us, don’t stop with your clothing, what about the decor in your home and office? Even if you can’t redecorate, you can add colorful accessories.

I will be adding more on the magic of color in future blogs, so please stay tuned.

The practice of meditation is well known for the healing and restorative benefits it can bring. When used in conjunction with other modalities, sensory meditation can be a beautiful uplifting experience.

One of the most evocative sensory additions is the use of aromatherapy oils. This is because the different scents can so readily evoke memories and enhance visualization.

Our sense of smell is more powerful than we realize. As there is a such a wide choice of aromas available, it is possible to choose a different scent to enhance all our differing moods and conditions. Some will induce a sense of calm and a feeling of inner peace, while others will help to boost confidence, stimulate creativity, and assist mental clarity.

If you wish to give your energy and motivation a boost, try one of the warm invigorating aromas. There are many to choose from. Cinnamon, cedar, citrus, mint, and patchouli come quickly to mind.

For peace and serenity, the beautiful florals work wonders. You could try, lavender, rose, honeysuckle, violet or jasmine among many others.

You can gently heat the oils in a diffuser, or maybe dab some on to cotton wool balls and place them on radiators. I’ve even wiped light bulbs with the impregnated cotton wool balls. And what better than a few drops added to the bath water?

The food we eat really can influence our thoughts. Just as food has an effect on our health and physical well being, it can equally have an impact on our minds and consequently our moods.

Eating the right food can help the body rid itself of many niggling aches and pains. It can help banish tiredness, lethargy, and irritability. Choose fresh natural food to give your brain power a boost, get that feel good factor, and add years to your life. Have you noticed how people who live to an extraordinary old age are always happy and serene?

It often puzzles me that some folk still prefer white bread over brown, as brown wholewheat bread contains so may of the vitamins and minerals the body needs. The same goes for sugar, did you know that sugar can be used as a pesticide? If you really can’t live without sugar try brown sugar or better still, plump for the natural goodness of honey.

Whenever possible choose natural foods and try to avoid processed foods. How pure is the water you drink? Do you use a water filter? We aren’t all fortunate enough to live near a sparkling fresh water stream, but have you tried drinking pure rain water?.. It’s sent straight from heaven you know.

Don’t forget, your body needs around eight to ten glasses a day, don’t deprive yourself of one of nature’s most precious gifts.

Music has always played an important part in our daily lives, it affects our mind, and consequently our mood. After food, clothes, and shelter, music is an important material need of ours.

Depending on the type of music, it can have an extremely beneficial effect on our lives. Music has tremendous healing power. It helps to alleviate stress and depression, can enhance study, assist meditation, and aid sleep. Today, even dentists are offering their patients classic musical as opposed to anesthetic.

It’s important though, that the music is chosen with care. Have you noticed how the erratic jarring music that blares out of so many cars, clubs and pubs seems to stir up anger and violence in it’s followers?

In contrast, the soft harmonious sounds of beautiful classical music such as Debussy and Chopin, invokes calm and peace. Such music can calm the mind, soothe the soul, lift the spirit and lower blood pressure.

As Martin Luther King once observed, ‘music makes people milder and gentler, more moral and more reasonable’.

Study is another area where music plays an important role. Here the preferred music is that of Mozart, and great baroque composers.

Don’t forget your plants, they too are sensitive to music. They thrive on and respond to beautiful music. A favorite type of music for plants, is something like Elgin, and ‘gardens in the rain’ by Debussy.

No matter whether you want to work, study, rest or play, listen to some inspirational music today, make it a habit and change your life for the better.