How To Save The World – Part IV

I’m regularly grateful to have experienced being a part of this beautiful blue and white planet which slowly twirls amongst a trillion stars. It is an amazing thought if you really take the time to think about it. Picture one of those photos of our planet taken from space and remember that you are actually walking upon that beautiful orb.

Doesn’t everything else seem trivial compared to that thought? We live our lives with hundreds of useless thoughts cursing through our heads everyday and tend to easily forget how truly amazing life on this planet is. Sometimes our thoughts can turn into conditioning or beliefs that lead us to acts of selflessness, cruelty or even war. By now we are all aware that we are slowly ruining our home - this planet. As an animal we have forgotten how to share this planet with not only ourselves but with all other living creatures.

I have written extensively about awareness, consciousness and living in the moment. I’ve written about meditation, conditioning and beliefs. Many times I’ve thought that people don’t give a shit about using “consciousness” to make this planet a better home. People are more concerned about what celebrity had no underwear, how to lose 20 pounds in a week, how to make a million dollars over night, or are just trying to survive. And yes I’ve been guilty of those thoughts as well.

Fortunately, over the centuries humans have overcome some astonishing challenges. The formation of civilizations, revolutionary and religious wars, plagues, great depressions …the list goes on. But now we are faced with the threat of dwindling resources, constant MacDonald’s commercials, and an ever expanding population.

Is it an iPad that will save the world? Or is it a deeper consciousness? Do we resist buying bottled water (the plastic is made from oil, the transportation of the bottles creates pollution, and they stay in landfills forever if not recycled. Birds ingest floating caps out in sea thinking it’s food and even feed it to their young with both dying a painful slow death).

I am certain that the next big evolution for mankind is consciousness and awareness. We are done with the industrial age and the informational age is only choking us. There is no time like now to think before we buy, feel empathy for all living creatures, rejoice in our planet, reduce our carbon footprint and connect with fellow human beings all around the world (hey, maybe the iPad will help after all).

Over the centuries humans have overcome some astonishing challenges. The fight to save this planet has only just begun. I haven’t placed much hope lately in our governments to make any difference. It’s been only one big slobbering orgy at the mutual feeding troughs of government, corporations and banking for years now. Each and every one of us needs to try to clean this mess up.

I hope it isn’t too late.

Are we living just to survive or are we ready to fight? Are we leaving our children a beautiful planet or an orb dying a slow and agonizing death? Are we living in nature or looking at it through the screen of an iPad?

Consciousness and awareness. The next big evolution

Now You Can Find Peace Of Mind And Meaning

There is my inside me and my outside me. Sometimes they seem to conflict horribly. It’s such a pain. My inside me is striving for a life of meaning and purpose, contentment and existential challenges. My outside me is paying bills, buying a new car and renovating the house. It seems lately that my outside me is controlling my inside me. I’m talking about being on a stress and consumer treadmill.

Sometimes I would love to give this all up and live simply in some country, pondering life, meditating, setting up a small foundation, walking the beach and discovering more wisdom and raison d’être.

What is stopping me? There will be no perfect time. I will just have to walk off the cliff one day and take a leap of faith.

An excellent start would be to start meditating again. Meditating helped me clear my mind, find my breath and increase a wonderful sense of inner peace. I was becoming good at living in the moment and appreciating the little things in life.

It’s a small step that has huge benefits. So the inside me is hopping off the stress and consumer treadmill I’ve found lately.

The other day I went for a mid afternoon stroll with one of the dogs in the small forest nearby. It was absolutely beautiful. The smell of earth and trees assailed my senses and it reminded me of those wonderful carefree summers as a kid. The sunlight splashed against vibrant and luminous green leaves. Small forest creatures darted amongst the plants and trees. I was perfectly in the moment throughout the entire walk. My inside me and outside me were in unspoiled harmony.

It’s too easy to fall out of good habits.

I want more of peace of mind and Mother Nature. Screw the treadmill.

Don’t you?

How To Be Happy And Create A Lifetime Of Joy With Your Memories

Just came back from Ogunquit, Maine. I love it there. I love the quiet beach, eating fresh seafood, breathing in the crisp ocean air and talking amazing walks. Why though? The reason is that I have such warm memories of this place. And my memories tell me a story even before I walk on the beach. My future and the joy I find are largely due to my anticipation based on my memories.

I saw a whale come out of the water a few days ago and that tied in to my memory of seeing dolphin’s many years ago in Wildwood.

These memories and the anticipation that comes with them will last me a lifetime.

I’ve written about living in the now and experiencing the present moment many times. During these times I feel contentment but not necessarily joy.

Joy I find comes from remembering the incredible beauty in the stories of my life. I may have experienced stunning beauty on multiple cliffs or felt the peace and quiet of a hot summer day. I have heard the sound of waves lapping on a shore in many places. These extraordinary memories never get old.

When I think about any of these memories of my life I am truly happy and even joyful at times.

Forget about buying stuff, go out and create a lifetime of wonderful memories. That is what true joy and happiness is all about.

If you enjoyed this post today, please do me a big favor and use the “Twitter” button down below (click on the + sign) to share it with your Twitter friends and followers (You can also share it on Facebook, Digg, or any of the other sites you see below as well).

Here Is A Quick Way To Let Go of Stress

With today’s technological advances that keep information flying at us and a constant barrage of advertising, it’s no wonder we have total information over load. The much hyped iPad came out this weekend and I wonder how many people truly need one - probably not that many.

We also tend to get easily lost in the details of life, from what clothes to wear, traffic, dealing with dozens of issues at work and what to make for dinner. So what can we do to bring us back down to earth?

Personally, I like the idea that we live on blue planet (or a ball of dirt if you like), twirling around in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by trillions of stars. And we get to be a part of that! So look up at the sky once in a while and think about it. It makes everything seem trivial or at least easier to deal with. Does it really matter if that person honked at you, or what type of car you are driving? Not really.

You get to be a part of this amazing experience of, spinning around on a planet in space. Everything else compared to that falls short. I dare you to tell me otherwise. I dare you.

Life can be truly amazing.

Related Posts:

3 Proven Ways You Can Radically Change Your Life

Meditation

Happiness and Awareness

If you enjoyed this post today, please do me a big favor and use the “Twitter” button down below (click on the + sign) to share it with your Twitter friends and followers (You can also share it on Facebook, Digg, or any of the other sites you see below as well).

6 ways To Let Go Of All Fear, Worry, And Money Stress

My path to living a life of Zen is going very well. I am realizing more and more that my inner peace is all in my mind. Here are the main steps that I have been taking to reach a life of total serenity and joy. You can follow the exact same path if you choose to.

• My mind controls my life. When I step out of my thoughts and use my conscience I realize I am in control, not my thoughts , I am more than my thoughts. I can observe my thoughts and let them go.
• I do not worry about money as much. I live in the now and do not think about what I would like to buy. I have everything I need already.
• I am finding more moments of peace throughout the day by shutting off the TV and radio in the home, car and morning shower. I do not hear advertisements for cars or MacDonald’s.
• I have found out how important it is to open my heart to love. This is one of the most important journeys to go through. This is a spiritual love, not necessary an emotional love. I choose to be a loving and accepting person.
• I am not a weak person, I have simply chosen to accept the goods and the bad in life and stopped trying to control what I can’t. I let experiences and thoughts pass through my heart before my mind attaches to them and closes down my heart.
• I ask myself each day if am becoming more free, liberated and happy.

How I Am Learning To Live My Best Life

Opening my heart and finding beauty

I was not brought up in an emotional household. My parents were very strict and unforgiving. Years later I realized that this was the way they cared. Better to have strict parents than parents that don’t care. The worst thing a parent can do to a child is not care. Children want to know that their parents care for them in some way shape or form. I know my parents cared. Now years later, I am on my own spiritual path. I am on a path to open up my heart and to be totally free. I want to be free of worry, doubt, envy and fear. I want to find beauty in all of life’s simplest of moments. I want to live each and every moment to the fullest. Tonight I was watching the sunset turn the sky into ribbons of a deep salmon color. It was one of those beautiful “ah ha” moments. This is what life is all about. Letting go of all those illogical worries and loving my short time on this earth. I want to embrace each moment and open my heart to all of them. Always.

Opening my heart before my mind reacts.

As I drive across the bridge in the morning, I sometimes click off the Audio book I’m listening to and drive in silence. I then hear the soft thumping of the tires on the bridge struts. As my mind quiets I watch the soft, grey morning clouds float off the top of the skyscrapers. I watch the golden rays of sunshine reflect off a thousand window panes, creating a magical splash of vibrant gold across the city. If a driver cuts me off, I feel my heart contract and begin to close. Before my mind reacts I allow my heart open again and let the moment go. I am too much in love with this morning and this life to allow my heart to close and have my mind react negatively. It is going to be a magnificent day. I only have a short time on the earth. This is my path. I am on it now, there is no going back.

Peace

See the world in green and blue
See China right in front of you
See the canyons broken by cloud
See the tuna fleets clearing the sea out
See the Bedouin fires at night
See the oil fields at first light
And see the bird with a leaf in her mouth
After the flood all the colors came out

It was a beautiful day
Don’t let it get away Beautiful day

U2

Related Posts

2 Guaranteed Ways You Can Drastically Change Your Life

3 Proven Ways You Can Radically Change Your Life

5 Huge ways You can make Your Yourself Happy

If you enjoyed this post today, please do me a big favor and use the “Twitter” button down below (click on the + sign) to share it with your Twitter friends and followers (You can also share it on Facebook, Digg, or any of the other sites you see below as well).

The #1 Goal In My Life

I am seeking permanent serenity, joy and happiness. It isn’t always easy. Becoming enlightened means we have to let go of all the conditioning, worries and ego that we carry with us every day. It requires that we accept life as it is and stop struggling against it. We slowly learn how to tear down all the walls that protect us and to let the light shine in. We learn how the heart reacts to life and then the mind afterwards, creating unnecessary pain, insecurity and worry. We learn how to not react and to not keep the pain inside of us. We also learn to accept suffering, instead of avoiding it and move on. We learn to let it all go. We learn to use our consciousness. We learn to be truly happy.

I read that we are one spinning planet of water and dirt spinning around a star, amongst hundreds of billions of stars in our own Galaxy. Sometimes I look up at the sky and think about that. It seems that everything else is trivial compared to that thought. Should I be that concerned about what people think about my clothes or car?

I am learning to accept everything life has to offer. My time is limited on this planet. I want to spend the rest of it experiencing freedom, joy, peace and love. I hope you choose to join me.

If you enjoyed this post today, please do me a big favor and use the “Twitter” button down below (click on the + sign) to share it with your Twitter friends and followers (You can also share it on Facebook, Digg, or any of the other sites you see below as well).

2 Guaranteed Ways You Can Drastically Change Your Life

I continue to draw on meditation and living in the present moment to live a calmer, happier and more carefree life. They have all helped tremendously. Now I am in the process of finding an endless energy flow by releasing all useless thoughts and fears.

Each thought takes up valuable energy

Every movement, emotion and thought that passes through your mind takes up your energy. A closed mind closes off your energy. An open mind opens up you to more energy. To experience high energy means to live a life without your inner voice constantly chatting you up. Learning to live with an open and quiet mind is a key to living a truly remarkable life. When we fight life with constant thoughts we continuously restrict the flow of energy and allow fear to take over our lives. Don’t lose yourself in your thoughts. Be aware of them and let them go. You are not your thoughts. You are more than that. Let go of them right now. Begin by asking yourself “Who am I?” You really are not your thoughts.

Fear is the cause of every problem

Fear stems from emotions such as anger, jealousy, possessiveness and envy. Getting rid of fear will open your heart and remove those endless negative thoughts that run like a movie reel through your mind. Learning to accept and let go of your fears will be the best life change you can achieve. It is our fears that hold us back in life. Fear that we will not be good enough at work. Fear that we will not find love. Once we latch onto our fears and dwell in them they become very difficult to let go. We allow our fears to condition us and this in turn makes us act certain ways. This also uses up our precious energy. Remove all the obstacles that create your fear. Let them go. Keeping your fear inside you will only trap you. Let it go. Open your heart and let in what life is trying to teach you. Now you will be on a remarkable spiritual path to feeling at peace with yourself and the world.

Check out these related posts.

Meditation

Happiness and Awareness

If you enjoyed this post today, please do me a big favor and use the “Twitter” button down below (click on the + sign) to share it with your Twitter friends and followers (You can also share it on Facebook, Digg, or any of the other sites you see below as well).

How To Find Meaning and Purpose Overnight

A few stats and facts from Adbusters

• The Beijing Olympics were endangered by China’s dismal air quality, threatening athlete’s health.

• UN Secretary - General Ban KI-moon has named the future fight for clean water as the century’s biggest threat to humanity.

• Pesticides and chemicals on our soil are 10 times more powerful today, yet it takes 1000 years to grow an inch of soil.

• Rain forests that covered 14 percent of the Earth’s surface now cover less than 6.

• The planet is losing 30,000 species a year, the largest extinction in 65 million years.

Do our Economic experts know what they are doing?

The financial collapse was a disaster. Do we just continue listening to the government kissing Wall Street’s ass? Do our current economic models make sense? Is credit killing the quality of our lives?

What are we teaching our kids?

Are we teaching our kids in school about life or about making money? Are we teaching them about compassion, being in the present, living within our means or how to have a loving relationship? Are we teaching about the quality and beauty of human relationships?

Are we getting happier?

The United States has failed to see higher happiness since the end of the Second war. Is happiness reduced to the next generation iPod or iPhone? Are flat screens creating flat minds?

What is making your life worthwhile? What are you fighting for? Are you learning from your mistakes? Sometimes it only takes one powerful idea.

A world wide revolution is on its way. We have no choice.

We are all a part of it.

What is your one powerful idea?

If you enjoyed this post today, please do me a big favor and use the “Twitter” button down below (click on the + sign) to share it with your Twitter friends and followers (You can also share it on Facebook, Digg, or any of the other sites you see below as well).

Finding Peace And Harmony With Meditation

Plenty of people ask me how to meditate.

I think a better question would be why I meditate.

Meditation is about letting go of the normal world and associated thoughts that constantly invade the senses and mind. Meditation is about just being instead of doing. Meditation is about becoming friends with yourself and realizing that separation from the ego brings freedom and happiness.

We bombard ourselves with thoughts beginning with I. I need to pay the bills. I need to lose weight. I need to buy a new something. I should be eating better.  Probably 80% of these thoughts are constantly and annoyingly repeating themselves from one day to the next.  It seems to be a constant struggle. Meditation trains you to quiet the mind and look at life from new perspective. By calming the mind, you begin to distance yourself from all that mindless chatter and begin to think with more clarity. Meditation reduces snap decisions and trains you to look at yourself and your thoughts with a friendly curiosity. Instead of being overwhelmed with sudden angry thoughts, you become more inquisitive about your thoughts. Most importantly meditation slows down and relaxes the mind. Don’t we all want that? Don’t we want to exercise the body and the mind?

By practicing meditation, you will find that it affects your whole day. Decisions are made with more clarity. Peacefulness resides in the background of you at all times. You realize that struggling with thoughts all the time was a waste of time.  Life will throw you curve balls all the time. It isn’t easy sometimes. But the more you are able to quiet your thoughts and stop labeling and twisting them, the easier it becomes.

So step out of all those thoughts of desire, dislike, fear, and ego. Don’t let them control you. You can learn to control them.  Soon you will see yourself changing and become friends with yourself and your thoughts. You will chase your thought less often, become less judgmental and see the world with more clarity.

And finally, if you use the meditation technique of following your breath throughout the day, you will be living in the present moment more often. This is the ultimate goal of course, because the more you live in the moment, the more you give your life your fullest attention. Don’t you want to be aware of life and all it has to offer? I certainly hope so.

If you enjoyed this post today, please do me a big favor and use the “Twitter” button down below (click on the + sign) to share it with your Twitter friends and followers (You can also share it on Facebook, Digg, or any of the other sites you see below as well).

Next Page »