Embracing Change

A single iris surrounded by other plants.

Seeds of Hope

Change is unpredictable and this means that on occasions it can sometimes be scary. Fear of the unknown is a very common emotion as there can be comfort in what is familiar to us, whether it is in the people that we know, our routine, or even our view from our house.

Seeing change from a different perspective not only changes your point of view, sometimes literally, but a different thought can enable your to see that even a small change has the potential to lead to something spectacular.

Meditation affects our perception, our awareness of time, and by promoting a positive mental state enables us to be free from negativity that both creates and arises from disorder and chaos.

Give full attention to what you are experiencing physically, and what you are feeling, thinking and doing.  Nature is always changing and there are daily miracles of life everywhere.

You may like to use some of the following affirmations to remind you of the source of all creation and your unique connection to it as a means of embracing change and seeking the seeds of hope.

• I am divinely guided in all I do
• I expect life to give me what is best for me
• I am open to receive the abundant good that God has for me
• God is the source of all that is good
• When I focus on only the positive in my life, I summon all that is for my highest good, and receive what I truly need right now.

Weekly Meditation Newsletter
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AFFIRMATION

September 1st marked the 6th month since I started the meditation blog.
The blog continues to evolve and grow and over the coming weeks I wanted to begin to formalize the daily postings.
I will continue to write Monday through Friday except when on vacation or traveling due to work obligations.
Mondays and Wednesdays will have a guided meditation and Tuesdays and Thursdays will have an affirmation. Fridays will have either an uplifting message or information about a technique or other method that I have tried and found beneficial.

AFFIRMATION

As always, choose affirmations that feel appropriate to you. Feel free to create an affirmation that's suitable to you by asking yourself the following question:
What do you want?

This will help you to create affirmations that assert your purpose and therefore have special meaning to you.
It is important that the words you use are your own or that they feel comfortable to you.
Once you become familiar with using an affirmation, you can create your own ones, based on your specific needs on a day-to-day basis.
The affirmations presented below are a suggestion and I encourage you to change the language and content to better fit what is happening in your own life.

GRATITUDE

An integral part of any affirmation is to believe that it will happen.
If this does not come naturally to you, an easy way to learn this is to practice feeling as if it has already happened by imagining what it will feel like.
I always follow up any affirmation with an expression of gratitude, whether it’s a simple “Thank You” or a more lengthy prayer or communication of thanks.

Today I choose to believe rather than hope.
Divine guidance is with me always.
There are opportunities for deeper insight in all of my interactions.
I am willing to grow. Love is my guide

TODAY’S AFFIRMATIONS

• I am successful in all that I do
• I recognize the infinite wisdom within me
• I now surrender to the will of God

MINDFUL MEDITATION

Many activities require great concentration

Mindful Meditation
Recognizing what you need comes not from what you perceive outwardly, but from what comes to you inwardly through prayer, meditation, and listening to your innermost feelings.

A couple of summers ago I injured my right ankle and attended physiotherapy department for a series of treatments. I waited for my therapist, leisurely flicking through a glossy magazine, and two elderly women joined me in the waiting area; one in a wheelchair.
I couldn’t help but hear their conversation as the two friends discussed the hot humid New England weather that we were experiencing that day. Both agreed that they disliked the heat. “When my husband was alive,” began the woman in the wheelchair, “he was always turning up the thermostat, while I was opening windows. He liked the heat, you see.”
There was a slight pause, and her voice became wistful and wavered as she spoke. “I would put up with any amount of heat if I could just have him back.”

Nothing on Earth remains the same, but being able to live in the present moment enables us to heighten our experiences and interactions with people.
Every moment counts. No moment is more important than the one you are experiencing right now. Events and milestones are significant and add to your mental library of happy memories or lessons to learn from. But even these come down to the thoughts that take place inside you.

Meditation and the Moment
Meditation helps you to appreciate the value of time and your experiences and interactions with the people that you see every day.
Meditation keeps you in the present moment, not only during your meditation session, but afterwards too.
Meditation trains the mind so that you are able to catch thoughts before they turn into actions and thereby choose appropriate ones.

Mindful Meditation
In your comfortable seated pose, use the methods shown in previous blogs to release the mind from thoughts and conversations, feelings and emotions, and to simply follow the breath.
Feel the breath become slow and steady.
When the mind is calm and peaceful and the breath slow and steady, focus on the intake of the breath from the tip of the nose into the base of the lungs.
As you exhale, follow the breath slowly all the way out of the body and out through the tip of the nose.
Continue with this rhythmical breath.
Ignore any thoughts that enter the mind’s awareness.
Stay focused on the flow of the breath.
As your meditation deepens, you may lose awareness of the body.
Stay with the flow of the breath and then allow the mind to release into the space between the breath.
Continue in this manner until you feel that your meditation session is over.

Mindfulness helps you notice small gifts in life such as this rainbow forming

Mindful Present
During your everyday activities, stay mindful by keeping the breath steady and even. Focus on each task, whether you are at work, in conversation with someone, or preparing food for dinner.
Notice your thoughts and behaviors.
Notice how you react to other people.
Strive to remain positive and non-judgmental
Return to the steady flow of the breath when you need to draw yourself back to the peaceful place within.
Treasure each moment and you will have a lifetime of happy memories,

ATTRACTING SUCCESS

Attracting Success

No matter who you are or what you are doing, you want to succeed in your particular endeavor, whether it is seeking a new job, finding a dream house, or even a dream partner.

Using your mind to visualize what you want to draw to you is a natural technique that we can all learn. Many people use it unconsciously but wonder why they don’t have “luck” in their life. This is because they focus on negativity rather than positive trains of thought.

Thinking “I’ll never get a job that earns x amount, or I can’t afford to live in a neighborhood like that” are all affirmations that come true.

Creative visualization is a mental technique that uses the imagination to help you to “see” what you want and thereby assist it in coming true by attracting the success that you want. Visualizing your goals as already accomplished “tricks” the mind into thinking that it has already happened. The mind cannot distinguish between reality and fiction and envisioning that you have what you want and need draws the energy of the mental picture to you.



Successful Visualization

If you truly want to achieve and be successful, set aside a time and place for your daily meditation session.

Decide what it is that you want to draw to you, and enter into meditation using one of the previously taught breathing and meditation techniques in this blog.

• With the eyes gently closed and the breath and body relaxed, creating a mental image of what you want.
• For example, if you want to see yourself in a new house, try not to struggle with adding details that are too specific such as colors, types of moldings, styles of doors and windows. Instead know how many rooms you want, bathrooms, size of house, whether it has a garden, etc.
• See yourself unlocking the front door and entering the house. Walk through each of the rooms, spend time there.
• Every time you enter your visualization meditation, see the same image and it quickly becomes clearer and more real.

Universal Visualization

If you are unsure about what you want, practice the following visualization to familiarize the mind with the technique. This Universal Visualization helps you to start the day right.

Enter into meditation with a calm breath and mind.

• See yourself smiling and at ease.
• In your mind’s eye, follow yourself as you do each of your normal morning tasks. Feel yourself enjoying each moment.
• Embrace the day and see yourself being happy to greet everyone that you meet.

Your New Job

Enter into meditation with a calm breath and mind.

• See yourself smiling and at ease.
• Know what job you want to do. Envisage yourself doing the job
• See how successful and relaxed you are.
• Hear the praise that you receive for a job well done.
• See your environment and feel how happy people are to work with you.
• Everyone that you interact with is happy to see you.

Implementing Your Visualization

Identify the steps required to achieve your visualization. In the example of acquiring a house, identify all that you need to do in order to attract the house.

Creative visualization uses the power of the mind and can improve your life.

Writing down your goals helps you to work progressively toward the direction that you want to proceed in. This helps you to take control of your life and avoid or overcome obstacles that appear.

Do something everyday that helps you move closer to achieving your dream.

Expend your full effort to achieving your dreams.

See yourself successful every day. Notice your positive traits and believe that you are worth receiving what you want.

Gratitude

As you work toward achieving your goal, help as many people as you can along the way. Demonstrate gratitude through prayers, through acts of kindness, and by monitoring your thoughts and subsequent actions to ensure that you are truly thoughtful with every word and action.

Grazie
Merci
Thank You

No matter how you say it, giving thanks and showing your gratitude is a positive emotion that unlocks the fullness of your energy.
As opportunities open themselves up to you, you will be able to recognize them and act upon them. You have the power to influence your thoughts.
Meditation helps you to be mindful and remain in the present, thereby helping you to fulfill your dreams.