Are You Living Your Best Self?

"We can easily forgive a child who is afraid of the dark;

the real tragedy of life is when men (and women)

are afraid of the light." Plato

Life is always about choice and the outcome of choosing to live a particular way. The consequence of not living a life following your inner guidelines can lead to a life filled with anguish and unhappiness.

We know we should love our neighbor as we love ourselves, we know we should feel compassion for all living things, and we know we should respect the challenges that we face without judgment, knowing that we are all at different stages on the journey of life and are each of us doing the best that we choose to do. Living a life free from negative thoughts and behavior promotes love, thoughtfulness, and kindness for all things. Living in the light is possible for all.

Common Desires
Deep down, we all share the same common desires to have adequate shelter, food, and freedom from harm. This truth affirms our need to share in our commonality as fellow human beings and thereby work together to create a better society that brings about the internal and external peace that we seek.

Project What You Really Want
Meditation brings your complete attention to the present, to what is happening at this very moment, and helps you choose to behave in the appropriate way that puts into practice all your acquired knowledge.

This stills the soul, the mind, and the body enabling you to be a positive light in our own life and those you come in contact with. Because you are living in the present, you are always aware of the way people behave and of your responses toward them. You learn with intention to monitor your reactions and to project thoughts free from judgment, criticism, and hostility.

When you recognize who are are, and show it, you are on your way to living your best self.

The Choice Is Yours
Developing awareness in all situations, including your own feelings and reactions, enables you to take control of what you think and therefore do. It’s up to you to determine what kind of reaction, and ultimately reality, you're going to create.

Affirmations
You have the wonderful ability to think positively. It is a conscious choice to ensure that your thoughts and subsequent action are doing their best for you and for others. Whether you call it positive thinking or an affirmation, as long as you believe that it is working then it will have the power to make a difference.
Use whichever words best meet your own needs and purpose each day.

Here are a few to begin with:

I choose to be kind

I choose to give love

I choose to be happy

I am surrounded with loving, caring people in my life.

I am loving and accepting of others and this creates lasting relationships for me.

I trust my inner thoughts to lead me in the right path.

Are You In The Best Surroundings For Who You Are?

Are You In The Best Surroundings For Who You Are?

Habits
Neuroscience shows that your past experiences, thoughts, and actions are imprinted on the neurons of your brain.

Fortunately, the brain is pliable, like plastic, and is generally receptive to influences that can lead to change. Physically putting your new thoughts into action strengthens the sensory pathways, which activates energy in the area of the brain responsible for the activity. Then, the brain creates a memory for the experience which further reinforces the pathways and in turn perfects your skill or new habit.
Without awareness, you will unconsciously keep reacting in a specific manner, choosing habit over healthy behavior.

Who Sustains You?
If you want to thrive, rather than survive, your thoughts and actions are only a part of the big picture. You are also defined by who you surround yourself with on a regular basis.
Take a look at your own life.
Who sustains you?
Who provides you with love, laughter, and support?
Who drains you and brings you down?
Who makes you feel glad because you are in their presence?

Questions To Ask
Any decision you make, and the actions you take ultimately reflect back on other people that you interact with, and they in turn with other people. You make your decisions not in isolation, but as part of a two-way process that helps you to discover and confirm the right direction your life will take. Your actions ultimately impact others, demonstrating how inextricably bound together we are. By default, it obliges us to live responsibly and in doing so, create an environment that is conducive to behavior that is creative, not destructive.
Feeling good about yourself comes about by thinking less about yourself, and helping others more.
Ask questions such as:
“What do I need?” and “There is happiness when I…”

Choices
You are defined by the choices that you make. They reveal your innermost values and what you hold up as important.
Negative feelings hinder and prevent you from achieving positive change. Have you unconsciously given permission to downbeat thoughts and allowed them to influence your behavior?
Focusing on the positive things in your life means that you can alter your perspective on life. This has the effect of making you more constructive every day, while others are glad to see you because of your enthusiasm and affirmative action.
Make choices that honor who you truly are and you will create a lifetime of love and happiness.


Optimism
Positive thoughts directed to yourself and others help you to stay focused on what really matters. Mindfulness moments free your mind from preoccupations or any suffering you may have sustained through your life. The result is unconditional acceptance of who you are.

The breath has power not only on a physical level, but on a subtle level too. As you meditate every day, develop positive awareness in rhythm with your deep and steady breath. This will become your normal state of being.

Cultivate a state of optimism in all your thoughts by drawing this understanding to your waking activities.

Positive Affirmations:

Each moment of every day my life is filled with wonder

I choose my thoughts

I have abundant energy to complete all my tasks

I am filled with vitality in body, mind, and spirit

All aspects of my being are filled with love