Friday's Purposeful Question

“Be patient toward all that is unsolved in your heart and try to love the questions themselves. Do not now seek the answers, which cannot be given you because you would not be able to live them. And the point is to live everything. Live the questions.” ~ Rainer Maria Rilke

“In order to stay awake and be able to create a future that reflects our goals, we need to question the present. We need to question every choice we make and look at the positive or negative consequences of our actions if we are to align our daily actions with our deepest desires.” ~ Debbie Ford, The Right Questions

Author and teacher Byron Katie says that when you question your stressful thoughts, the freedom that comes out of that graces the world for all of us.

The quality of your life is determined by the quality of your questions. So, what questions are you asking?

"What are your three biggest intentions for 2012?"

"It is not the answer that enlightens, but the question." ~ Decouvertes

Create Your Own Story

“Before I was born in this physical body, a whole society of storytellers was already here. The story was ongoing, and from their story I learned how to create my own. The storytellers whoa re here before us teach us how to be human.

First they tell us what we are – a boy or a girl – then they tell us who we are, and who we should or shouldn’t be. They teach us how to be a proper woman, a decent woman, a strong man, a brave man.

They give us a name, an identity, and they tell us the role that we are playing in their story. They prepare us to live in a human jungle, to compete with one another, to control one another, to impose our will, to fight against our own kind.

Of course I believed what the storytellers told me. Why would I not believe them? They filled me with knowledge, and I used that knowledge to copy their style and create my art in a similar way.”

~ From The Voice of Knowledge by Don Miguel Ruiz

*****
We are all storytellers. The trick is to discern which story to live out.

Do we live out of our own stories – they lies, the judgments, and the beliefs we have accumulated throughout the years?

Do we live out of the stories of our families, tribes, cultures and clans – with its own set of beliefs that we have bought in to?

Or, do we choose to create a new story for ourselves – story that begins with the premise that we are unique, unrepeatable, wonderfully-made divine beings?

Comedian Joe E. Louis once said we only live one life, but if we work it right, one is enough.

The poet Mary Oliver called it our one, wild, precious life.

How will you choose to create your one, wild, precious, unrepeatable and unique life?

It's your choice... so choose wisely!

You Are What You Think!

“Your life is what your thoughts make it.”

~ Marcus Aurelius

We may or may not be able to change or control our circumstances. Yet, we are able to change and control what we choose to think about them. It is we who assign it the label of positive or negative; good or bad; pleasant or painful.

The meaning we assign a certain circumstance is what gives it life. If we don’t like our circumstances, then we need to assign it a new meaning – change the way we think about it.

We have the power to choose a new thought – a thought that will bring us inner peace and purpose.

Make it a peaceful and prosperous day!

Merry Christmas to All!

Here's wishing you all a blessed and safe Christmas!

Friday's Purposeful Question

“Be patient toward all that is unsolved in your heart and try to love the questions themselves. Do not now seek the answers, which cannot be given you because you would not be able to live them. And the point is to live everything. Live the questions.” ~ Rainer Maria Rilke

“In order to stay awake and be able to create a future that reflects our goals, we need to question the present. We need to question every choice we make and look at the positive or negative consequences of our actions if we are to align our daily actions with our deepest desires.” ~ Debbie Ford, The Right Questions

Author and teacher Byron Katie says that when you question your stressful thoughts, the freedom that comes out of that graces the world for all of us.

The quality of your life is determined by the quality of your questions. So, what questions are you asking? 

"Who is your most nutritious person of 2011?"

"It is not the answer that enlightens, but the question." ~ Decouvertes

Always Do Your Best

"Action is about living fully. Inaction is the way that we deny life....

A good example of this comes from the story of Forrest Gump. He didn't have great ideas, but he took action. He was happy because he always did his best at whatever he did. He was richly rewarded without expecting any reward at all. Taking action is being alive."

From The Four Agreements by don Miguel Ruiz

Whatever action you take, just do your best,

Appreciate Life!

"Whenever you're facing any form of resistance, gratitude has the power to quickly dissolve it. This is true whether the hindrance comes from inside of you or outside of you." ~ Peggy McColl

"As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them." ~ John F. Kennedy

When you are appreciating life, life appreciates. If you are not appreciating, then you and your life are depreciating. Become a divine appreciator; be grateful for everything.

“At times our own light goes out and is rekindled by a spark from another person. Each of us has cause to think with deep gratitude of those who have lighted the flame within us.” ~ Albert Schweitzer

Aprreciating YOU!

Friday's Purposeful Question

“Be patient toward all that is unsolved in your heart and try to love the questions themselves. Do not now seek the answers, which cannot be given you because you would not be able to live them. And the point is to live everything. Live the questions.” ~ Rainer Maria Rilke

“In order to stay awake and be able to create a future that reflects our goals, we need to question the present. We need to question every choice we make and look at the positive or negative consequences of our actions if we are to align our daily actions with our deepest desires.” ~ Debbie Ford, The Right Questions

Author and teacher Byron Katie says that when you question your stressful thoughts, the freedom that comes out of that graces the world for all of us.

The quality of your life is determined by the quality of your questions. So, what questions are you asking? 

" What are your top three intentions for 2012?"

"It is not the answer that enlightens, but the question." ~ Decouvertes

It's Not About YOU!

The second of the Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz:

"Don't Take Anything Personally"

I was on the NYC subway one night, forced to listen to one side of a cell phone conversation. The subway was elevated outside, so perfect opportunity to use some of those free minutes! Yikes!

Anyway, the sister was hollering at another sister about being offended that this dude thought she was 28 years old!

"How dare he! Do I look like I'm that old?" she shrieked.

I would love it if someone would offend me like that ~ but I digress!

My first thought was why was she taking the offense. And this is the topic of this post, which ties in with the second agreement ~ not to take anything personally.

If I handed you a bottle of poison, and you took it and not only took it, but drank it. Who dies, me or you? No, this is not a trick question.

I handed it to you. You could have refused to take it. Not only did you take it, you ingested it, meaning you made it about you. That was your choice.

You also have the choice to say, "No thank you!" Ever heard of those words? Well, use them and relieve yourself of the drama. 

Just for today, don't take the offense and stop taking things personally!

Failure or Divine Redirection?

"If you must begin then go all the way, because if you begin and quit, the unfinished business you have left behind begins to haunt you all the time." ~ Chögyam Trungpa

A prosperous mindset is about looking at what others call obstacles and seeing opportunities. Only you can deem yourself a failure. As the saying goes, there is no failure, only feedback.

What would have happened if Thomas Edison considered himself a failure and quit? We would probably be sitting in dark rooms, or rooms lit by candlelight still. Who knows? The point being, Edison never gave up. It was his divine mission to create a new way to light a room. He was passionate about it, so failure was never an option. When interviewed, Edison said he didn’t fail, he found 10,000 ways that won’t work. It was this kind of mindset, a prosperity mindset, that made Edison the pioneer he was created to be.

What kind of mindset do you have? A prosperity mindset or are you into scarcity thinking?

How do you deal with failure? Do you see it as failure and want to quit? Or, do you see it as feedback and press on until you achieve your goal?

It’s all about mindset. As Henry Ford said, if you think you can, or you think you can’t, you’re right!

Just for today, think about how you think about failure. Try turning it around and you will soon find that failure will work for you as Divine redirection.

Friday's Purposeful Question

“Be patient toward all that is unsolved in your heart and try to love the questions themselves. Do not now seek the answers, which cannot be given you because you would not be able to live them. And the point is to live everything. Live the questions.” ~ Rainer Maria Rilke

“In order to stay awake and be able to create a future that reflects our goals, we need to question the present. We need to question every choice we make and look at the positive or negative consequences of our actions if we are to align our daily actions with our deepest desires.” ~ Debbie Ford, The Right Questions

Author and teacher Byron Katie says that when you question your stressful thoughts, the freedom that comes out of that graces the world for all of us.

The quality of your life is determined by the quality of your questions. So, what questions are you asking? 

" Have you fully prepared for the coming of Christmas?"

"It is not the answer that enlightens, but the question." ~ Decouvertes

The Gift of Peace

Novelist and poet Christopher Morley once said, "When you give someone a book, you don't give them just paper, ink, and glue. You give them the possibility of a whole new life."

One of the possibilities is the possibility of inner peace. Not only can a book transport a person to a far off land, to another time, a different space, but it can also give the gift of inner peace – a respite from the harried and hurried life they are all too familiar with.

When you need to give a gift and have no idea what to give – give the gift of inner peace. Give a gift certificate to a favorite bookstore or to Amazon.com. It’s the kind of gift that will forever be appreciated and cherished.

Give the gift of peace!

Be Happy On Purpose!

Just for today, make the decision to be happy. 

How? Change your focus. Focus is power.

If you focus on what's wrong, you will find it everywhere.

If you focus on what's right, you will find it everywhere!

Focus on what's working in your life.

Focus on how far you have come.

Focus on your ability to think, feel and attract.

Focus on someone or something you love.

So, just for today, deliberately focus on something or someone that makes you feel good.

Friday's Purposeful Question

“Be patient toward all that is unsolved in your heart and try to love the questions themselves. Do not now seek the answers, which cannot be given you because you would not be able to live them. And the point is to live everything. Live the questions.” ~ Rainer Maria Rilke

“In order to stay awake and be able to create a future that reflects our goals, we need to question the present. We need to question every choice we make and look at the positive or negative consequences of our actions if we are to align our daily actions with our deepest desires.” ~ Debbie Ford, The Right Questions

Author and teacher Byron Katie says that when you question your stressful thoughts, the freedom that comes out of that graces the world for all of us.

The quality of your life is determined by the quality of your questions. So, what questions are you asking? 

"Imagine you are at a New Year's gathering. What would you want people to notice about you?"

"It is not the answer that enlightens, but the question." ~ Decouvertes