POSITIVE THOUGHTS, POSITIVE YOU

Consciousness is an endless stream of possibilities.

“Our character is what we do when we think no-one is looking.”

H. Jackson Brown, Jr

Every day, the news stations and newspapers present us with reports, facts, and opinions from all around the globe. People we meet also have news to share about their health, their family, and their jobs. We receive a daily dose of information and most of it’s not pleasant.

While most of us are well aware that “remaining calm” or “love is the answer” are appropriate choices to the issues that we learn about or personally face, putting them into practice is another matter entirely when you find it challenging to monitor your thoughts, keep them in check, or even reign in actions that you really don’t want to pursue.

While meditation helps you to uncover your life’s purpose (dharma) there are daily encounters where you have to make choices, either instantly or with some pondering and self-discussion. In both cases, and whether you realize it or not, each decision that you make will result in some form of action, which impacts you and the world around you (karma).

In yoga terminology, this is referred to as Samsara, which translates as cause and effect, whereby you reap the results of the seeds of your actions. This life-cycle has an ebb and flow to it and how you respond is your choice and yours alone.

The basics of life keep us busy and it’s often a challenge to remain calm and in control while balancing obligations to family and work. Challenges are everywhere, from the mundane to the major ones and living your life to its highest and greatest can seem especially difficult particularly when someone says or does something thoughtless to you or a loved one.

No-one likes a hot-head and having a life that’s overflowing with happiness, contentment, meaning, and purpose can only occur when you take a moment to identify your priorities and look closely at what you are doing and whether it serves you best. It does take effort, but so does the alternative.

Meditation is one of the simplest methods to help you look deep within and determine what will actually make you happy. Then the steps that you need to take and live by in order to attain it fall into place with ease.

What Makes You Happy?
Before you enter into your meditation practice, ask yourself one question such as; “What will make me happy?”
The answer will either come to you during your meditation, or soon after, as a feeling of certainty about what is right for you.
The lower mind is where all your rational, everyday thinking occurs while the Higher, or Wisdom Mind, is where you uncover your innermost desires and aspirations. Your Wisdom Mind gives you the strength of purpose and conviction to follow what resides deep within you.

All obstacles and thoughts dissipate in your mind’s eye and a sense of peaceful assurance fills you. This gives way to joy and bliss. Following your meditation, the joy continues to stay with you as you embark upon your path to happiness. There is a richness to your activities that benefits not only yourself, but everyone who comes in contact with the fruits of your actions. Only when you lose yourself and stray from your purpose does discontentment, anger, and your old mind-set return.

While happiness can be generated via meditation or affirmations that reshape the way that the brain formulates responses to external or internal stimuli, it is ultimately your thoughts that determine your happiness.

It’s all very well repeating affirmations such as “I am happy” or “I am successful in all that I do” if you don’t believe it, don’t feel it, don’t experience it to be true. You choose what your responses and emotions will be in both the joyful and sad events that occur in daily living, be it the birth of a child or the sad passing of a loved one.

So how do you maintain integrity and contentment?
Choose what you want to focus on, then practice focusing on it!

Technique
For example, try focusing on liking situations and people. This is a popular technique that I teach during workshops.
The next time that you are at the grocery store, try liking your surroundings and the people who are in the store too. Don’t focus on the way the other shoppers dress or style their hair.
Project feelings of happiness to them and to the world.
Notice what is good in your environment.
Appreciate what you have.
Smile.  (Don't grin.  Your smile is sufficient.)

Continue this method with family members and yourself. When folding laundry, take each person’s clothing and think about whom that item belongs to. Send that individual loving, happy thoughts. Think about some quality that you appreciate in this person. Do the same with your own items. What features and talents do you like about yourself?

The purpose of this technique is to show you that it is possible to reduce negative thinking one thought at a time and replace it with feelings and thoughts that are appreciative and happy. You will find that you release old emotions because they are literally dragging you down. This attitude overflows in all areas of your life and in turn, you find that it becomes easier to identify and stick with your goals and achieve a life that is fulfilled and enriched with great relationships and opportunities.

Meditation Generates Power
Meditation connects you with the wisdom mind which is the source of all insight and with continued practice it leads you to a state of bliss. It directs your mind away from a negative view of the world and shifts it towards one that embraces opportunities. This awesome power is yours and only you can choose what you are going to do with it.

Remember, no-one has control over your thoughts except yourself. Your hope, wishes, even your imagination are all within your own power to direct their energy in one path or another.
Studies show that the mind can not discern between what it has actually seen and what it is seeing via your imagination.
This means that your mind can be “tricked” into believing that a memory that you have created has actually been experienced!

Use the power of your thoughts to generate a reality that is positive, loving, and all that you desire. This is not a make-believe type of imagery, but a means of creating more positivity and constructive actions that in turn generate affirmative thoughts and actions. Gradually, you develop the habit of thinking positively, seeing opportunities rather than obstacles, and being the type of person that people want to be around because they feel good by being in your presence.

Downbeat and pessimistic thinking is an acquired habit with its own internal mantra, and you can release yourself from thinking in terms of boundaries, disappointments, and problems by first and foremost seeing all that is good in your life and being thankful for it. Thinking and doing the right thing all the time may seem like a lofty principle, but ultimately it’s your life and the karmic results belong to you too.

Meditation is a great teacher and you have the resources within you to have a truly amazing life. It is YOU who has the ability to empower yourself and take the first steps to move forward on your life’s purpose, rather than standing still.
You are a remarkable individual with untapped possibilities and you Can have amazing success with all of your endeavors.

The choice remains yours.

The quote at the top of the page asks you to consider how you would act when you think that no-one is looking. Meditation teaches each one of us that the Self is always observing.
SO WITH THIS AWARENESS, HOW DO YOU ACT?

AFFIRMATIONS
I choose my thoughts
Every thought takes me closer to my life purpose
I am filled with joy and enthusiasm
Divine guidance is always with me
I love myself and others
I choose to do things that foster love
I am successful in all that I do
I am connected to the source of infinite wisdom
I am at peace