Follow Your Bliss!

Shared by Mastin from The Daily Love.com

“If you follow your bliss, you put yourself on a kind of track that has been there all the while, waiting for you, and the life that you ought to be living is the one you are living. When you can see that, you begin to meet people who are in your field of bliss, and they open doors to you.  I say, follow your bliss and don't be afraid, and doors will open where you didn't know they were going to be."  - Joseph Campbell

Chances are if you have a dream that you want to live you've never lived it before. Which means you don't have the feeling place or the experiential reference point for what living your dreams feels like.

Why do you think a guy like Donald Trump can go from such abundance, to bankrupt and then bounce back? Because his set point in his mind and body is one of abundance. Not only does he know what it feels like to have an abundant life, he has the knowledge it takes to create that kind of life.

The bottom line is that Trump could come back from being financially down and out because he knew it was possible, knew what his desired outcome felt like and knew what to do in order to make it happen.

The same kind of outcome is available to all of us. The main pattern I see, over and over again with many folks in the TDL Community, is that they don't have the belief that it is possible to live their dreams; they don't know what it feels like, and even if they believed and knew what it felt like, they don't know what action to take in order to make their dreams come true.

The potential, the possibility for living our dreams exists, but many of us just don't believe it. And that lack of belief stops us dead in our tracks. And if we do believe, perhaps we don't know what action to take - and that stops us dead in our tracks. Sometimes, especially if we are entrepreneurs (like I am), we don't know what the next three steps will be. But we know what the next step is, and we take it. There is a fine line between having a plan for success and allowing ourselves to be guided by The Uni-verse.

There is a sweet spot that exists between knowledge, belief, action and faith where we must live. A plan without faith doesn't carry the spiritual power with it. Faith without a plan isn't grounded enough to have any impact in the real world. And not believing in yourself or the Whispers of The Uni-verse means we are no longer creating our lives, but instead letting our circumstances dictate what is possible for us.

Since many of us have never lived our dreams, we MUST surround ourselves with people who have BEEN THERE BEFORE! They are our Wayshowers, our mentors and those who can help guide our path to our desired outcome. They know it's possible and can help us create a strategy and course of action that has the greatest chance of success.

Whatever you want to be, do or live, getting advice from people who excel in your field will be invaluable. People who haven't lived the dream don't know what is truly possible. They are where they are because they are who they are. That is true across the board. Life has infinite possibilities of outcomes; it is up to US to create the outcome. We take a massive leap towards success when we surround ourselves with people who have been there before and listen to what they have to say. It's important to still trust ourselves, but if we can't see exactly where we want to go - mentors and Wayshowers can help us get there.

Your Perfect Teacher

Shared by the Daily Om.com

"All the situations in our lives, from the insignificant to the major, teach us exactly what we need to be learning."

Many of us long to find a spiritual teacher or guru. We may feel unsure of how to practice our spirituality without one, or we may long for someone who has attained a higher level of insight to lead the way for us. Some of us have been looking for years to no avail and feel frustrated and even lost. The good news is that the greatest teacher you could ever want is always with you—that is your life.

The people and situations we encounter every day have much to teach us when we are open to receiving their wisdom. Often we don’t recognize our teachers because they may not look or act like our idea of a guru, yet they may embody great wisdom. In addition, some people teach us by showing us what we don’t want to do. All the situations in our lives, from the insignificant to the major, conspire to teach us exactly what we need to be learning at any given time. Patience, compassion, perseverance, honesty, letting go—all these are covered in the classroom of the teacher that is your life.

We can help ourselves to remember this perfect teacher each day with a few simple words. Each morning we might find a moment to say, “I acknowledge and honor the teacher that is my life. May I be wise enough to recognize the teachers and lessons that I encounter today, and may I be open to receiving their wisdom.” We might also take some time each day to consider what our lives are trying to teach us at this time. A difficult phase in your relationship with your child may be teaching you to let go. The homeless person you see every day may be showing you the boundaries of your compassion and generosity. A spate of lost items may be asking you to be more present to physical reality. Trust your intuition on the nature of the lesson at hand, work at your own pace, and ask as many questions as you want. Your life has all the answers.

Let Go and Let Flow

Shared from The Daily Om.com

Many people, in heeding the guidance of their souls, find themselves contemplating goals that seem outrageous or unattainable. In the mind’s eye, these individuals stand at the edge of a precipice and look out over the abyss at the fruit of their ambition. Some resist the urge to jump, paralyzed by the gap between their current circumstances and the life of their dreams. Others make a leap of faith into the unknown, unsure of what they will encounter but certain that they will gain more in their attempts than they would bowing to self-protective instincts. This leap can be exceedingly difficult for individuals with control issues because the act of embracing uncertainty requires them to trust that surrender will net them the rewards they seek. Yet when you make a leap of faith, believing without a doubt that you will land safely on the other side, you can accomplish almost anything you set out to do.

There have no doubt been times in your life when you chose to go where the universal flow took you. Yet you may encounter instances in which your objectives require you to step outside of the boundaries of your established comfort zone so that you may freely and actively jettison yourself into a new phase of your life. While you may fear what seems to be the inevitable fall, consider that in all likelihood you will find yourself flying. A successful leap of faith requires your attention, as it is the quiet and often indistinct voice of your inner self that will point you toward your ultimate destination. Understand that the leap across the chasm of ambiguity may challenge you in unforeseen ways but you will make it across if you trust yourself.

If your mind and heart resist, you can dampen this resistance by building a bridge of knowledge. The more you know about the leap you are poised to take, the smaller the gap between “here” and “there” will appear to be. Your courageous leap of faith can lead you into uncharted territory, enabling you to build a new, more adventurous life. Though you may anticipate that fear will be your guide on your journey across the abyss, you will likely discover that exhilaration is your constant companion.

The Joke's on Us!

Taken from Mastin at The Daily Love.com

"If you want to make God laugh, tell him about your plans." - Woody Allen

We spend more of our lives trying to chase the proverbial carrot that is "right" around the corner. If we could just become a little more, be a little better, be just a little more perfect, we would be worthy enough to get this carrot.

The joke is on us.

Not only is there no carrot, the only thing we need lies within us. That is our own approval. Everything outside of that is outside of our control.

When we realize that we are enough, as is, we set ourselves free. When we no longer decide to settle for a quarter of the love, the joy and the awesomeness of life that we want and instead, raise our standards and declare ONLY THE BEST - can the best find us.

The Uni-verse is ready, willing and able to give us what our hearts desire. But, in order for this to happen, we have to own our worthiness - AS IS. And be willing and courageous enough to let go of all that resonates with LOVE, with JOY and with our growth.

One of my most favorite phrases that TDL has propagated out there in the internet is: What you put up with, you end up with.

I cannot tweet, email, write or remind myself of that enough. It's soooo true.

We are here to own our worthiness as is and then be courageous and receptive enough to allow all the good stuff in. This requires us to let go of fears of abandonment or rejection and of not belonging.

For us to live at our Highest Potential we must be willing to let go of that unworthy life and step into a life of knowing how love-able we are, right now.

There is nothing for us to chase TDL fam - we are already there. All we have to do is recognize our worth and then not settle.

 

Putting Yourself First

Taken from The Daily OM.com

"Putting yourself first means that it may be necessary to say no to someone else in order to say yes to yourself."

We have all heard the instructions of an airline attendant reminding us to put on our own oxygen mask before we help anyone else with theirs. This advice is often cited as a metaphor for self-care because it so accurately expresses why it is important. It seems to say, ironically, that if you can’t take care of yourself for yourself, do it for others. Few situations in our daily lives mimic the wake-up call of an airplane emergency, so it’s easy to keep putting self-care off—easy, that is, until we get sick, overwhelmed, or exhausted, and suddenly don’t have the energy to care for the people who count on us. That’s when we realize we haven’t been getting the oxygen we need to sustain ourselves. We begin to understand that taking care of ourselves is neither selfish nor indulgent; it’s just plain practical.

Putting yourself first means that it may be necessary to say no to someone else in order to say yes to yourself. For many of us, there is always something we feel we could be doing for someone else, and it helps to remember the oxygen metaphor. You can even encourage yourself by saying “I am caring for myself so that I am better able to care for others” or some other mantra that will encourage you. It also helps to remember that self-care doesn’t have to be composed of massively time-consuming acts. In fact, the best prescription for taking care of yourself is probably small, daily rituals; for example, taking one half-hour for yourself at the beginning and end of the day to meditate, journal, or just be. You might also transform the occasional daily shower or bath into a half-hour self-pampering session.

Whatever you decide, making some small gesture where you put yourself first every day will pay off in spades for you and the ones you love. The oxygen you need is all around you; sometimes you just need to be reminded to breathe.

Where You Need To Be!

Taken from The Daily OM.com

"Every person fulfills their purpose when the time is right."

Since human timetables quite often do not correspond with universal timetables, it’s common for people to feel that life is progressing too slowly or too quickly. We draft carefully composed plans only to find that they fall into place when we least expect. Or, conversely, we are thrust into roles we believe we are not prepared for and wonder how we will survive the demands imposed upon us by unfamiliar circumstances. When delays in our progress kindle pangs of disappointment within us or the pace of life seems overwhelming, peace can be found in the simple fact that we are exactly where we need to be at this moment.    

Every person fulfills their purpose when the time is right. If you have fast-tracked to success, you may become deeply frustrated if you discover you can no longer satisfy your desires as quickly as you might like. Yet the delays that disappoint you may be laying the foundation for future accomplishments that you have not yet conceived. Or the universe may have plans for you that differ from the worldly aspirations you have pursued up until this point. What you deem a postponement of progress may actually represent an auspicious opportunity to prepare for what is yet to come. If, however, you feel as though the universe is pushing you forward at too fast a clip, you may be unwittingly resisting your destiny. Your unease regarding the speed of your progress could be a sign that you need to cultivate awareness within yourself and learn to move with the flow of fate rather than against it. The universe puts nothing in your path that you are incapable of handling, so you can res! t assured that you are ready to grow into your new situation.

You may feel compelled to judge your personal success using your age, your professional position, your level of education, or the accomplishments of your peers as a yardstick. Yet we all enjoy the major milestones in our lives at the appropriate time—some realize their dreams as youngsters while others flourish only in old age. If you take pride in your many accomplishments and make the most of every circumstance in which you find yourself, your time will come.

Different Ways of Navigating

Taken from The Daily OM.com

"We are all on this earth together learning and teaching together in many different ways."

We're all in the same boat. We just have different paddles, and perhaps we find ourselves on different rivers. We all live in human bodies. These are the vehicles in which we move through our world. We are all made of flesh, blood, and bone, with brains, hearts, and lungs to power us. Our paddles—the tools we use to move through the world—vary, as do the bodies of water—the environments—in which we find ourselves.

Some of us use our high IQs to get where we want to go. Some of use our smiles, others use kindness, a gift with language, or athletic ability. Some of these qualities we were born with and others are skills we have learned. Considering this metaphor in light of your own life can be very enlightening. What tools are you using to get from point A to point B in your life? Chances are, you and the people you know have used many different tools in various combinations throughout your lives to get where you needed to go. Just as with oars or paddles, a balanced approach is best. If you rely too much on one thing, like beauty, to open doors, you fail to be well-rounded and you may eventually lose your equilibrium. And if you lose that one quality, you have no paddle at all. This is inspiration to develop multiple tools to navigate your world.

Some of us may be moving along paths that are like rushing rivers; others may be on a large, still lake. We have all felt, at one time or another, tossed about on a stormy ocean. Through all this, we are never really alone, even though it might seem that way. There is inspiration all around us in the form of other people making their way through the world, in the very same boat. Remember to look around you for role models, companionship, and encouragement.

A Small Piece of Heaven

Taken from The Daily OM.com


"A new view of a situation is just what we need to answer a difficult question or see something we’ve been missing."

There is no greater way to escape the troubles of daily life than to ascend into the welcoming embrace of a tree house. Like a bird in its nest, we feel held and safe in the branches, cloaked within a curtain of green leaves. Here we can breathe more freely and think more clearly, our hearts and brains fed by the oxygen released by the leaves. We float above the everyday world of the ground, enjoying a bird’s-eye view of all that remains below.

We may choose to be alone or we may invite a special friend to join us. Either way, this is our private world in which we get to decide who comes and goes. It is our haven where we can fully be who we are, shed the masks required by the world below, and reveal our most hidden secrets, dreams, and desires. It is also an ideal vantage point on the life that continues below the branches. Often, a new view of a situation is just what we need to answer a difficult question, solve a challenging problem, or see something we’ve been missing. It is as if we have ascended into the heavens and are able to tap into a higher awareness. We can draw on this airy energy to revitalize us, relax us, and feed us new ideas. When we descend, we are ready to enter the world again, cleaner, clearer, and often more inspired.

If you haven’t been in a tree house for a while, now may be the time to make one for yourself or find one you can borrow. If you can’t find or create an actual tree house, think of other venues that could provide the same experience—a rooftop perch, a quiet spot in a grove of trees on a hilltop, a light-filled attic. Or just close your eyes and visualize yourself ensconced in your perfect home in the branches of your favorite tree.

Gems for Dreamers!

Taken from The Daily OM.net

"It is said moonstones have been imbued with mystical properties that extend the fabled powers of the moon into daytime."

Moonstones, gems named for their resemblance to the familiar glowing orb in the night sky, offer us more than mere beauty. Their association with moon goddesses throughout the world may explain why moonstones’ qualities seem to reach out to assist all those who find themselves under the moon’s light, from travelers and those at sea to lovers and dreamers. Throughout the world, moonstones have been imbued with mystical properties that extend the fabled powers of the moon into daylight hours.

In India, they are thought to give sweet, beautiful dreams by night but have gained a reputation for enhancing intuitive sensitivity and spiritual vision of the “third eye” at any time of the day. This connection to the subconscious was also recognized in the Middle Ages in Europe, where it was believed that gazing into a moonstone would cause you to fall into a deep sleep that allowed you to see the future. This extends to the power of fertility, where in Arabia, women sew moonstones into their garments to enhance their fertility. This association with fertility even extends to the fertility of crops, which is why moonstone amulets have been seen hanging in fruit trees before harvest. To further enhance the power of your moonstone, try putting them outside in the light of the full moon.

Moonstones, sometimes likened to a raindrop or tear, have long reminded people in Asia that the moon cannot be seen during the rain, just as it is difficult to see through our tears. By bringing love and abundance into our lives today and helping us to see the future, moonstones allow us to bring the hope of all good things into our lives. 

Quote for Today!

"When you become certain that nothing is impossible for you, you'll attain everything that you desire."

"The more you see yourself as what you'd like to become, and act as if what you want is already there, the more you'll activate those dormant forces that will collaborate to transform your dream into your reality."

"You're always a valuable, worthwhile human being - not because anybody else says so, not because you're making lots of money - but because you decide to know it." 

- Wayne Dyer

  

Messages from the Universe

The universe is always offering us signs to help us, we just need to slow down and pay attention.

The universe can often relay messages to us through signs. Often, we are too busy to stop and consider what may or may not be a sign. We may ask the universe for guidance, yet fail to recognize the sign it sends us in response. Learning the subtle language of signs can help you interpret the guidance the universe sends your way. We all have been blessed with a connection that allows the universe to communicate directly with us. To be able to understand the information relayed over that connection, however, it is necessary that we learn to pay attention and know what to look for.

To see and correctly interpret a sign, you must open your heart and mind to the universe and invite its guidance into your life. Many of us are blind to the signs we receive because we expect angels or our spirit guides to speak to us in a booming voice and tell us exactly what we need to hear. But signs are usually of this earth and therefore easier to encounter. A song lodged in your mind or a number that seems to pop up everywhere you look after you’ve asked the universe for guidance can both be signs. Signs may come through the animal world, from strangers, or jump out of a book in the form of an insightful passage. A sign may be a direct answer to one of your questions. Other signs may point you in the right direction, warn of impending difficulties, or show you a different way. If you want the universe to send you a sign, tell it that you are ready and willing to accept its guidance.

Not everything you hear or see will be a sign. If you are receptive and patient, however, the signs you receive will become easier to recognize. It is important to listen to your intuition. A sign can mean many things to different people, and only you can decipher a sign’s meaning is for you. As you practice reading the signs and following their guidance, the universe will send more of them your way.

 

Things We Can't Control

We develop grace as we learn with the guiding hand of the universe, life will unfold exactly the way it should.

The idea of trusting the universe is a popular one these days, but many of us don’t know what this really means and we often have a hard time doing it. This is partly because the story of humankind is most often presented as a story about struggle, control, and survival, instead of one of trust and collaboration with the universe. Yet, in truth, we need to adhere to both ideas in this life.

On the one hand, there is much to be said about exerting control over our environment. We created shelter to protect ourselves from the elements. We hunted for animals and invented agriculture to feed ourselves. We built social infrastructures to protect ourselves and create community. This is how we survive and grow as a civilization. However, it is also clear that there are plenty of things that we cannot control, no matter how hard we try, and we often receive support from an unseen force – a universe that provides us with what we cannot provide for ourselves.

It is a good idea to take responsibility for the things in life that we can control or create. We work so we can feed, clothe, and shelter our loved ones and ourselves. We manifest our dreams and visions in physical form with hard work and forethought. But at a certain point, when we have done all that we can, we must let go and allow the universe to take over. This requires trust. It requires a trust that runs deeper than just expecting things to turn out the way we want them to. Sometimes they will, and sometimes they won’t. We develop equanimity and grace as we learn to trust that, with the guiding hand of the universe, life will unfold exactly the way it should. We are engaged in an ongoing relationship with a universe that responds to our thoughts and actions.