A Good Read: Love

Showing posts with label Love. Show all posts

Monday, February 9, 2015

Quiz: The 36 Questions That Lead to Love

Hello, I found this article interesting, in addition to those who are seeking a relationship and those whose fire needs rekindled ... What's your thoughts? Love to hear from you! -Glenda

www.nytimes.com/2015/01/11/fashion/no-37-big-wedding-or-small.html

By DANIEL JONES

In Mandy Len Catron’s Modern Love essay, “To Fall in Love With Anyone, Do This,” she refers to a study by the psychologist Arthur Aron (and others) that explores whether intimacy between two strangers can be accelerated by having them ask each other a specific series of personal questions.

The 36 questions in the study are broken up into three sets, with each set intended to be more probing than the previous one.

The idea is that mutual vulnerability fosters closeness. To quote the study’s authors, “One key pattern associated with the development of a close relationship among peers is sustained, escalating, reciprocal, personal self-disclosure.” Allowing oneself to be vulnerable with another person can be exceedingly difficult, so this exercise forces the issue.

The final task Ms. Catron and her friend try — staring into each other’s eyes for four minutes — is less well documented, with the suggested duration ranging from two minutes to four. But Ms. Catron was unequivocal in her recommendation. “Two minutes is just enough to be terrified,” she told me. “Four really goes somewhere.”

Set I

1. Given the choice of anyone in the world, whom would you want as a dinner guest?

2. Would you like to be famous? In what way?

3. Before making a telephone call, do you ever rehearse what you are going to say? Why?

4. What would constitute a “perfect” day for you?

5. When did you last sing to yourself? To someone else?

6. If you were able to live to the age of 90 and retain either the mind or body of a 30-year-old for the last 60 years of your life, which would you want?

7. Do you have a secret hunch about how you will die?

8. Name three things you and your partner appear to have in common.

9. For what in your life do you feel most grateful?

10. If you could change anything about the way you were raised, what would it be?

11. Take four minutes and tell your partner your life story in as much detail as possible.

12. If you could wake up tomorrow having gained any one quality or ability, what would it be?

Set II

13. If a crystal ball could tell you the truth about yourself, your life, the future or anything else, what would you want to know?

14. Is there something that you’ve dreamed of doing for a long time? Why haven’t you done it?

15. What is the greatest accomplishment of your life?

16. What do you value most in a friendship?

17. What is your most treasured memory?

18. What is your most terrible memory?

19. If you knew that in one year you would die suddenly, would you change anything about the way you are now living? Why?

20. What does friendship mean to you?

21. What roles do love and affection play in your life?

22. Alternate sharing something you consider a positive characteristic of your partner. Share a total of five items.

23. How close and warm is your family? Do you feel your childhood was happier than most other people’s?

24. How do you feel about your relationship with your mother?

Set III

25. Make three true “we” statements each. For instance, “We are both in this room feeling ... “

26. Complete this sentence: “I wish I had someone with whom I could share ... “

27. If you were going to become a close friend with your partner, please share what would be important for him or her to know.

28. Tell your partner what you like about them; be very honest this time, saying things that you might not say to someone you’ve just met.

29. Share with your partner an embarrassing moment in your life.

30. When did you last cry in front of another person? By yourself?

31. Tell your partner something that you like about them already.

32. What, if anything, is too serious to be joked about?

33. If you were to die this evening with no opportunity to communicate with anyone, what would you most regret not having told someone? Why haven’t you told them yet?

34. Your house, containing everything you own, catches fire. After saving your loved ones and pets, you have time to safely make a final dash to save any one item. What would it be? Why?

35. Of all the people in your family, whose death would you find most disturbing? Why?

36. Share a personal problem and ask your partner’s advice on how he or she might handle it. Also, ask your partner to reflect back to you how you seem to be feeling about the problem you have chosen

Thursday, January 29, 2015

To Build (or Break) a Child’s Spirit

May 20, 2014

If you needed to lose weight, what would be most motivating?
You are fat. I’m not buying you any more clothes until you lose weight!
Or:
Let’s take a walk after dinner.
I’ll let you make the salad.
I love you just the way you are, exactly as you are.

If you needed to learn how to swim, what would be most motivating?
I don’t want to hear your crying. Get in the water and swim! Don’t be a baby!
Or:
I’ll be right by your side.
You can do this. If not today, we’ll try again tomorrow.

I love you just the way you are, exactly as you are.
If you needed to practice better hygiene, what would be most motivating?
What is that awful smell? It’s a wonder you have any friends.
Or:
Let’s go to the store and pick out some deodorant.
Your hair smells so good when you wash it. I think you should wash it every day.
I love you just the way you are, exactly as you are.

If your table manners needed improvement, what would be most motivating?
You eat like a pig. I cannot stand to watch you eat. You are disgusting.
Or:
I am trying to put down my fork after each bite, I’d like you to join me.
Thank you for chewing with your mouth closed.
I love you just the way you are, exactly as you are.

If you are a bit clumsy and disorganized, what would motivate you to be more responsible?
Can’t you do anything right? You are either losing things or making a mess!
Or:
Everyone makes mistakes. That’s how we learn.
It’s no big deal—just get a rag and clean it up.
I love you just the way you are, exactly as you are.

At times in my life I have been overweight, scared to swim, smelly, ill-mannered, and disorganized. During those times, I could have used some encouragement. So when I saw the young boy ordered to get out of the pool because he was scared to swim, I cried with him from behind my sunglasses. I saw the disappointment in the man’s eyes as he looked at his shivering son hugging his knees to his chest. The man really wanted his boy to learn to swim. He thought reprimanding him and ignoring the boy’s cries would motivate him to try harder next time.

At times in my life, I thought this too …

About a little girl and her ukulele,
About a little girl and her frequent messes,
About a little girl and her perpetually slow self,
About a little girl and her inability to ride a bike.
“Play the song again; you’re not trying hard enough.”
“Another spill? Are you serious?”
“How many times do I have to tell you to hurry up?”
“All the other kids have learned to ride their bike. It’s high time you did too.”

With every sharply delivered word, with each disapproving glare, with every disappointed shake of the head, that girl got smaller. Less confident. Less capable. Less shiny. And one day she spoke the words of a defeated soul.

“I just want to be good, Mama,” cried the little girl who once loved to strum her beloved instrument. And now she was placing the instrument at her feet, wondering if she should even be strumming at all.

Over time, my constant critiques and exasperated breaths led her to believe she was no good.
Over time, I’d broken her beautiful spirit—the one that gave her a unique and radiant light.
Motivating? Not so much.

There was a fine line between helpful adult guidance and using my authority to shame and belittle (under the guise of good intentions). As I crossed that line again and again, my child experienced a harsh reality: No matter what she did, it would never be good enough for me; I could never be pleased.

Motivating? Not so much.

The thought of my child growing up with a parent whose love was based on what she did rather than who she was caused an immediate change in me. I stopped being her rigid taskmaster and instead became her loving encourager …

Rather than harping on every single thing my child did wrong, I saved my guidance for serious issues—issues that could be potentially dangerous or life-altering.

Rather than forcing her to master a skill at the same rate as her peers, I assured myself that she would be ready in her own time.

I stopped overreacting to kid mishaps and minor incidents and realized she was better at cleaning up after herself without someone breathing down her neck.

If there was a bad habit that needed changing, I led by example. I invited her to join me in healthy habits. I provided tools (like timers and check-off lists) to empower her to become more prompt and responsible without my assistance.

I celebrated her efforts rather than the outcome and strived to speak three times as many positive words than negative ones.

Under the wing of Loving Encourager for the past several years, I’ve watched my child blossom. Her confidence and self-assurance have grown. She takes risks and when she fails, it’s not the end of the world because she knows she can try again. She knows I will love her regardless of what she does or doesn’t do. She confides in me when she does something wrong. She loves herself “as is” even though she does things a little differently than most.

I wish I’d abandoned the role of demanding taskmaster sooner, but I will not dwell on yesterday. Today matters more.
My hope is that by sharing my own painful regrets and life-changing discoveries, I can help someone else see what I see:
Shame abandons, encouragement believes.
Condemnation paralyzes, compassion frees.
Exasperation quits, patience prevails.
Yelling silences, communication opens up.
Blame hurts, grace heals.
Faultfinding destroys, praise builds.
Rejection loses, unconditional love wins.

If you were a child trying to get through life the best way you know how, what would be most motivating?
I don’t think you’ll ever measure up.
Or
I love you just the way you are, exactly as you are.

**************************************
Author note: This post is not advocating an absence of guidance or instruction in our children’s lives. This message is meant to inspire thought about the way we do it—and not just with our children, but also with our spouse, our friends, our relatives, and our colleagues. Through ten years experience helping children overcome serious behavioral issues in a classroom setting, I have seen living proof that encouragement builds and heals. In my personal life, the mantra LOVE ONLY TODAY has helped me overcome my own inner bully to love myself and my family “as is.”

The specific steps and strategies I used to transform my distracted, perfectionistic, hurried life into one of meaningful connection and inner peace can be found in my book, HANDS FREE MAMA, a New York Times Bestseller.

Rachel

http://www.handsfreemama.com/2014/05/20/to-build-or-break-a-childs-spirit/

Sunday, February 17, 2013

Why LEGO is the BEST Company in the World

Its an incredible story of how a young boy saved ALL of his pocket, birthday and Christmas money to save up for the Lego set he really wanted. After 2 years of saving he sadly discovered that the train set was no longer in stock. Until he got this letter from letter from Lego........

This little guy has Aspergers ... read the commentary following the video.

A life-defining experience for this little guy.

Glenda

Tuesday, January 1, 2013

Tuesday, September 11, 2012

PARTNERSHIP

Today more couples than ever identify as life partners. The term points to the fact that your significant other shares a proportional part of your life. They are not your whole life, otherwise the bond might be called wholenership rather than partnership! In relationship, we share part of our lives, we share part of our day. We each do our part.

Intimate sharing is reciprocal, appropriate and measured. To know and be known doesn't mean sharing everything there is to know. In fact, too much information can easily overwhelm a relationship as much as not enough sharing causes emotional distance. Taking part is both quantitative and qualitative -- it involves real time spent together in a healthy way.

You might have experienced unhealthy models of 'being part of' a relationship in the past, such as in your family of origin. Sometimes parents didn't do their part, or they didn't allow anyone else's part. What was your model for being part of something, for being in a partnership? What is your ideal partnership today, and how do you communicate your innermost relational values?

CHS Meditations (Alexandra Katehakis, MFT, CST, CSAT / Tom Bliss) chsmeditations@gmail.com

Wednesday, June 20, 2012

The Spirit of Gift

The Spirit of Gift
by Satish Kumar

We have learned much from the native Americans, the Australian Aboriginals, the indigenous people of India (adivasis) and the Bushmen of Africa. We have been guided by Jesus Christ, the Buddha, Mohammed and Mahavir. We have been inspired by Valmiki, Shakespeare, Tolstoy, Jane Austen and many other writers. We have benefited from the lives of Mahatma Gandhi, Mother Teresa and Martin Luther King.

They were not motivated by fame, fortune or power. Buddha claimed no copyright on his teachings, and Shakespeare received no royalty cheques. We have been enchanted by music, paintings, architecture and crafts of many cultures, from time immemorial. We have received a treasure house of traditions as a free gift. In return we offer our work, our creativity, our arts and crafts, our agriculture and architecture as gifts to society to present and future generations.

When we are motivated by this spirit then work is not a burden. It is not a duty. It is not a responsibility. We are not even the doers of our work. Work flows through us and not from us. We do not own our intellect, our creativity, or our skills. We have received them as a gift and grace. We pass them on as a gift and grace; it is like a river which keeps flowing. All the tributaries make the river great. We are the tributaries adding to the great river of time and culture; the river of humanity.

If tributaries stop flowing into the river, if they become individualistic and egotistical, if they put terms and conditions before they join the rivers, theywill dry and the rivers will dry too. To keep the rivers flowing all tributaries have to join in with joy and without conditions. In the same way, all individual arts, crafts and other creative activities make up the river of humanity. We need not hold back, we need not block the flow. This is unconditional union. This is the great principle of 'dana' (offering). This is how society and civilizations are replenished.

When we write a poem we make a gift. When we paint a picture or build a

beautiful house we make a gift. When we grow flowers and cook food we make a gift. When all these activities are performed as sacred acts, they nourish society. When we are unselfconscious, unacquisitive, and act without desire for recognition or reward, when our work emerges from a pure heart like that of a child, our actions become a gift.

--Satish Kumar, in You Are, Therefore I am

http://www.ijourney.org/

Saturday, May 7, 2011

Mother's Day: Honoring Our Many Mothers

Mother's Day: Honoring Our Many Mothers

By Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat

We are aware that to some people, Mother's Day seems to be a holiday concocted by the greeting card and floral companies, a cultural holiday dominated by consumer pressures. For those whose mothers have died or are distant, and for those who have never been mothers, the day touches other sensitivities. But we think any "problem" with Mother's Day is just because typically it is defined too narrowly. There are many mothers in all our lives and many kinds of mothering experiences.

Here, then, for that very special day, Mother's Day, are spiritual practices to honor our many mothers.

1. GOD'S GIFT (FOR SONS AND DAUGHTERS)

In a song titled "Mother's Eyes," Willie Nelson sings: "God's gift sent from above / A real unselfish love, / I find in my mother's eyes." Create a gift for your mother to express your gratitude for her unconditional love. Remember to also thank God for this unsurpassable gift to you.

2. MOTHER'S HEART (FOR MOTHERS)

"The mother's heart," Henry Ward Beecher once noted, "is the child's schoolroom." Share with someone near and dear to you a few of the important spiritual lessons from your heart that you have passed on to your children — or that you want to pass on to your children.

3. MOTHER MOVIES

Rent a video about the challenges and rewards of motherhood. Here are a few suggestions: The Dollmaker, Places in the Heart, Terms of Endearment, Little Women, Postcards from the Edge, Stepmom, Anywhere But Here.

4. HOLY MOTHER

In India, women who are profoundly compassionate, nurturing, and wise are publicly acknowledged by the title "Holy Mother." Recall a woman you know or have known who qualifies to be addressed as "Holy Mother." Write a description of what you admire about her in your journal. Tristine Rainer in The New Diary notes: "By writing diary portraits of people who intrigue you, you enter their qualities in your book, in your space, and begin the process of recognizing and taking posesssion of those qualities."

5. ADDRESS THE DEITY AS MOTHER

Sri Ramakrishna, the great Hindu spiritual sage, wrote: "Why does the God-lover find such ecstatic delight in addressing the Deity as Mother? Because the child is more free with the mother than with anybody else, and consequently she is dearer to it than anybody else." Try using one or more of the following honorific titles for God: Mother of the World, Mother-God, Goddess, Sophia, Shekinah, Queen of Heaven, Tender Nursing Mother, Gentle One, Wise Old Crone. Gather other names and images of the Divine Feminine that speak to you. Incorporate some of them into your devotions over he next few weeks or months as an ongoing Mother's Day practice.

6. CONTEMPLATE IMAGES OF GOD THE MOTHER

Meinrad Craighead has painted images of motherhood in its many forms. She explains: "The creative spirit I know within me has the face and the force of a woman. She is my Mother, my Mothergod, my Generatrix, the divine immanence I experience signified in all of creation." Forty paintings, including Garden, are reproduced in The Mother's Songs: Images of God the Mother along with brief meditations by the artist on each of them. You can also see her work and purchase prints at the artist's website: www.meinradcraighead.com. Sit with these paintings and experience the creative spirit and force of the Mother.

7. HOLY MOTHER EARTH

Many Native Americans have hallowed the Good Earth as the mother who gave us birth and still takes care of us. A Winnebago wise saying goes: "Holy Mother Earth, the trees, and all nature are witnesses to your thoughts and deeds." Find a ritual way to honor Mother Earth and the bounties she supplies. Follow up with a concrete act to support the Earth, such as helping to clean up or protect an area of your environment.

8. MOTHERS OF GOD

In Wrestling with the Prophets Matthew Fox writes: "What does God do all day long? Eckhart asks. God gives birth. 'From all eternity God lies on a maternity bed giving birth. The essence of God is birthing. We are all meant to be mothers of God.' " Meditate upon this understanding that we are all meant to give birth to the Divine One. How and when do you do this in your daily life?

9. HONOR ALL YOUR MOTHERS

"If you consider as kind the mother who carried you in her womb, how can you dislike any being? For in countless past lifetimes all have been your mother," wrote the Seventh Dalai Lama in Meditations to Transform the Mind. As you walk around on Mother's Day, try to imagine that all of the people you meet have at some point been your mother. Send them love and peace and happiness.
10. MOTHERING

The most common word association with mothering is nurturing — and this practice is not limited by gender or any other characteristic. All of us, male and female, single or married, old or young, have the potential to give birth and raise something in the world. In a prayer written for Mother's Day, Pamela Spence Bakker used the following images. Choose those you most identify with and reflect in your journal or in conversation about which you identify with.

Some of us give birth to:
• children
• ideas
• art
• music

Some of us raise:
• animals
• flowers or vegetables
• our friends
• our parents
• our brothers and sisters
• interest in a cause
• money for charity
• concerns
• our voices against injustice
• our eyebrows
• Cain

Friday, February 18, 2011

Radiant Heart Energy

Radiant Heart Energy
by Owen Waters

The gateway to spiritual consciousness is through the heart.

The Creator designed the human experience to consist of twelve stages of evolving consciousness. As I detailed from the original research in my first book, The Shift: The Revolution in Human Consciousness, these range all the way from basic survival to the ultimate state of spiritual consciousness.

Much of the 20th century was devoted to the fifth stage of human consciousness, which is intellectual development. Today, people are migrating in droves to the next stage of human growth, which is heart-centered consciousness.

When a person focuses their intellect through the lens of heart-centered consciousness, they see how much the world needs help and healing rather than the old ways of competition and destruction. The initial stage of heart-centered consciousness produces a constructive, global outlook. It also places a person just one short step from the later stage of heart-centered consciousness and the dawning of spiritual awareness.

“Love your neighbor as yourself” is a guideline that has been with us since the early days of human development. Today, it’s no longer a distant ideal to be sought. The mass shift to heart-centered consciousness means that unconditional love now comes to people naturally.

The complete love and acceptance of yourself and others is the heartbeat of the New Reality.

Feeling unconditional love towards others is the key to successful, meaningful interactions with everyone with whom you meet in any situation. Feeling unconditional love towards yourself fosters a healthy sense of self-esteem which builds a positive reality based upon mutual support.

Even if there are outer behaviors that need improvement in yourself or others, it is unconditional love that is the key that will find the solutions that will bring positive transformation to those behaviors.

Once you begin to think with an open heart, you are stepping from basic human consciousness into the spiritual stages of human development. This is exactly what we came to earth to accomplish because finding spirituality is fundamental to the human experience. It may take courage to move into heart-centered consciousness, but once you acquire the expanded view of a life filled with love, you will never want to step back to the way things were.

You will soon find that any worries or fears that arise in your life can be transformed by the greatest power in the universe – that of unconditional love. It is the power of love that holds the universe together. It is a force of attraction that permeates every cell of your body and constantly reminds you of the love of the Creator for all of life.

*If you enjoyed today's article, forward it to a friend! They will appreciate your thoughtfulness.

Owen Waters is the author of Spirituality Made Simple, which is available both as a paperback and a downloadable e-book, at:

http://www.infinitebeing.com/ebooks/simple.htm

The Pages Long Forgotten

The Pages Long Forgotten

Mike stepped into the used bookstore, smelled the age of old pages and smiled.

Here was a wealth of old stories, history waiting to be read, and a host of other joys. On a back shelf, he found what he was looking for, two tiers crammed with the forgotten. They'd served their use to those who once held them dear, but now gathered dust in the darkest corner of the store.

There were Italian, American, French and Greek. They contained secrets from around the world. There were collections of chicken, beef, pastries, bread, and desserts. They waited, hidden in a little explored part of the store, and hoped someone discovered their treasures.

Mike knew what to do. He picked one up, held the spine in his hand and let the book fall open. They always opened to the most used pages, the recipes loved by lost generations. The page in front of him was for a recipe called, "Beef-filled cornbread". The picture showed a delicious layer of meat and cheese, layered with cornbread and covered with a hot sauce. The pages were stained with splatters of tomato sauce. It was obviously a favorite of the previous owners. He'd try this one.

Those used the most are the best.

He found several other books, each with its own marked pages, carried them to the counter and made his purchase.

"I hope you found something you like." The cashier said.

"Oh yes. Very much! I'm sure these are exactly to my taste."

He paid for his purchase, left the store and carried them in a bag on his way to work.

In the locker room, he placed his books on the top shelf and changed into his scrubs. The recipes would wait. He had a duty.

Freshly dressed, he walked his floor. "Hello, Mrs. Smith!" He smiled at the elderly lady sitting in the sun-room reading a book. In her day, she must have been a beautiful woman. She still was, for a woman in her eighties. "How was your day?"

"Horrible!" she growled. He sat beside her, held her hand and looked into her eyes. "My grandson didn't visit me," she continued. "He promised me he'd be here today." She adjusted her shawl and tried to hide the tears about to spill from her wizened eyes.

"Maybe tomorrow." he replied. "You know how busy these young people are." He noted the tear in the corner of her eye and changed subject. "Mrs. Smith, didn't you tell me you lived during the great depression?"

A smile came to her face. "Oh, yes. What a time that was. There was no work, ya know. But we survived."

"How did you get by?"

"Well, we all worked together. Everyone worked together. We helped each other." She frowned. "It's not like today, where people are too busy to worry about anyone but themselves. In those days, we worked together. If you didn't, you starved."

"It must have been a hard time, Mrs. Smith. I don't know how you did it."

"I didn't." she grinned. "We did. We did it together, the neighbors and my family."

He left her smiling and hoped her grandson paid a visit the next day.

He moved down the hall and stepped into Mr. Walker's room. "Hey, Walk! How's things?" He used the name Walk, as all the others in the center called him. It made Walk feel comfortable.

Mr. Walker looked up from a puzzle he leaned over. "Could be better, Mike. This damn puzzle has me stumped. These eyes aren't what they used to be."

"I know, Walk. Just take your time. There's no rush."

"There is too." Walk chuckled. "I need to finish it before I die."

"Not too soon I hope." Mike said.

"Soon enough. Be glad not to have to work on this darn thing anymore anyway. Say! Have I told you about the guy who walks into a bar with a giraffe under his arm?"

Mike chuckled. Walk loved a good joke. "I don't believe you have."

Walk's face broke out in a smile. "You see, this guy walks into a bar with a giraffe under his arm. He has a few beers. The giraffe falls asleep on the floor. The bartender looks down, sees the giraffe and asks, 'What's that lying on the floor?'

"The guy says, 'That's not a lion! That's a giraffe.'"

Walk broke into a laugh that turned into a coughing spell. Mike slapped him on the back. "Come on, Walk. Cough it up."

Walk got himself under control. "Thought I wasn't going to finish this damn puzzle after all."

"You're OK now. I got your back."

I know about covering someone's back." Walk sat straight his seat. "I was in WWII ya know."

"I heard that. Did you have a hard time?" Mike asked.

"Mike, you have no idea. It was the winter of '41, or was it '42. I can't remember now. Snow was up to here." Walk pointed to his thigh. "We were on the front. The enemy was close ."

Thirty minutes later, Mike said, "WOW! That's a story, Walk." He paused. "Walk, I knew you were in the war, but I don't think I ever thanked you. I want to say, 'Thank you.' You made us safe."

"Ah, stop it. It was nothing." Walk turned to his puzzle, too embarrassed to continue their talk. He and others knew what they did, but don't want to take credit. It's an unspoken rule between the veterans. They did what they had to.

Mike continued on his rounds, held hands, shared hugs and listened.

Here they were, like the cookbooks, sitting in dark corners, ignored. Mike knew what to do. He held them, let their hearts fall open, and found the pages stained with use.

They are the most valued. They are the pages long forgotten.

Michael T. Smith

Michael lives with his lovely wife, Ginny, in Caldwell, Idaho. He works as a project manager in Telecommunications and in his spare time writes inspiration stories. He has recently been published in two Chicken Soup for the Soul Books (All in the Family and Things I Learned from My Cat), in "Thin Threads - Life Changing Moments" and in Catholic Digest.

To sign up for Michael's stories go to: http://visitor.constantcontact.com/d.jsp?m=1101828445578&p=oi

To read more of his stories, go to: http://ourecho.com/biography-353-Michael-Timothy-Smith.shtml#stories

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Reader’s story: The perfect heart

Paulo Coelho's Blog
Sent by Priya Sher

A young man was standing in the middle of the town proclaiming that he had the most beautiful heart in the whole valley. A large crowd gathered and they all admired his heart for it was perfect. There was not a mark or a flaw in it.

But an old man appeared at the front of the crowd and said,
“Your heart is not nearly as beautiful as mine.”

The crowd and the young man looked at the old man’s heart. It was beating strongly but full of scars. It had places where pieces had been removed and other pieces put in … but they didn’t fit quite right and there were several jagged edges. The young man looked at the old man’s heart and laughed.

“You must be joking,” he said. “Compare your heart with mine … mine is perfect and yours is a mess of scars and tears.”

” “Yes,” said the old man, “Yours is perfect looking … but I would never trade with you. You see, every scar represents a person to whom I have given my love….. I tear out a piece of my heart and give it to them … and often they give me a piece of their heart which fits into the empty place in my heart but because the pieces aren’t exact, I have some rough edges.

“ Sometimes I have given pieces of my heart away … and the other person hasn’t returned a piece of his heart to me. These are the empty gouges … giving love is taking a chance. Although these gouges are painful, they stay open, reminding me of the love I have for these people too … and I hope someday they may return and fill the space I have waiting. So now do you see what true beauty is?”

The young man stood silently with tears running down his cheeks. He walked up to the old man, reached into his perfect young and beautiful heart, and ripped a piece out. He offered it to the old man.

The old man took his offering, placed it in his heart and then took a piece from his old scarred heart and placed it in the wound in the young man’s heart.
It fit …. but not perfectly, as there were some jagged edges.

The young man looked at his heart, not perfect anymore but more beautiful than ever, since love from the old man’s heart flowed into his.

Paulo Coelho's Blog: http://paulocoelhoblog.com/2010/10/04/readers-story-the-perfect-heart/

Sunday, December 5, 2010

It’s time to write your Abundance Checks!

Abundance Check Ritual for the New Moon

This ritual has been handed down through so many people that its origin has become unknown.

So What Is An Abundance Check?

Writing an Abundance Check is an exercise you can use to create more abundance in your life and the check is to be written within 24 hours after each New Moon.

It is not necessary to believe that the check will work when you write it and you may be surprised at the increased Abundance you find flowing into your life, whether it be financial or in other areas of your life.

It is best to follow the described procedure; however, if you do not have a checking account you may also draw a check on a piece of paper and fill it out the same way to receive the same results.

Follow these steps to write your Abundance checks WITHIN 24 HOURS AFTER A NEW MOON:

1. On your check where it says “Pay to,” write your name.

2. On the same line where you would fill in a dollar amount write “Paid in full.”

3. On the next line where you would write out a dollar amount, write “Paid in full.” [Some say it works better if you don't add the squiggly line.]

4. On the signature line, sign your check: “The Law of Abundance”

It is not necessary to put a date on the check and you DO NOT write a specific dollar amount on the check. Then put the check away in a safe place and forget about it. The Universe will take over from there.

If you feel skeptical about the Abundance Check Exercise, just do it routinely every month for a while and see what happens!

Enjoy the ritual!

. . . . . . . .

The dates for the New Moon for the remainder of 2010 are as follows. Times listed are “Greenwich Mean Time” and you can calculate your own time zone here:

http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/

Mark your calendar and remember to follow this process within 24 hours after each New Moon…

New Moon for December, 2010 is December 5 [at 9:36am PST].

Happy Manifesting!

In sincere appreciation,

Linda Miller
http://lawofattractionsecrets.com/blog/abundance-checks-5/

Saturday, October 9, 2010

Heart to Heart

Heart to Heart
Marilyn Jenett

In brief, the researchers had followed the lives of many heart transplant patients. And even though the patients did not know who their donors were, they incredibly took on the personality traits and preferences of the donors. The findings were most often based on accounts from family members of the patients.

Here is just one example that was shared...

A man received a heart from a young black man who died. After the transplant, the patient suddenly developed a strong passion for classical music. His family couldn't understand what had happened as the man's life began to revolve completely around classical music. When asked his opinion about the kind of music young black men enjoy, the patient said he had always assumed it was rap music. But what the patient never knew was that the young man who gave him the heart was returning from his violin lessons when he was hit by a car and died. The donor's life had completely revolved around classical music.

According to the details of the radio interview, it was obvious that this was a common occurrence. The doctor went into much detail about their findings.

I spent some time assimilating the information and waiting for insights of my own about this subject. So many thoughts were going through my mind...

It would appear that our heart is not just our bodily organ. I have learned and teach that the subconscious mind has a perfect memory of every cell in our body and can heal us. It is also a perfect record of everything we have ever heard, said, felt and experienced. This is common knowledge in psychological and metaphysical circles. In fact, in metaphysical terms, the subconscious mind is known as the "heart."

But the thought that the actual physical organ of our body - the heart - is also a living blueprint of our personalities that can transcend the body - is a striking revelation.

And then I thought...perhaps every living cell of our bodies contains our personalities. Could this mean that any transplanted organ would carry the personality traits of the donor to the recipient? Or is our physical heart truly the center of our most passionate, beloved desires, spiritual ideals and aspirations that it will carry with it wherever it goes, even if it leaves its original body?

And what if the donor is not a positive loving person with high aspirations - perhaps a criminal donor? Would those personality traits carry over to the recipient patient? Would the patient's own personality traits be able to buffer any negative potential?

And of course, we can even conjure up a bit of Twilight Zone. If the donor's passion for a kind of music can transfer to the recipient, could the donor's passion for a particular person be transferred - if the patient were to meet that particular person? Yikes...my imagination was going wild. Except....except...

Heartfelt

I did catch a movie on television shortly afterwards about a female heart transplant patient who had an irresistible attraction to the young daughter of a man whose wife had died. She was accused of stalking the young girl but could not stay away from her. Long story short, it turned out that the patient had received the heart of the father's wife - the young girl's mother. Oh well, it was only a movie. Except...except...

As I researched the subject, I found someone who had read a book by a woman who was one of the first heart and lung transplant recipients. The patient was a classical dancer, but after the transplant surgery, she immediately started craving beer and hot dogs and driving fast cars. She later discovered that her donor was a teenage boy who died in a motorcycle accident. She eventually was able to meet his family and everything that she now craved were things that were important to him. And this was a TRUE story!

A little more research and I found the book. Claire Sylvia's story was made into a feature film for television in 2002 titled Heart of a Stranger and starred Jane Seymour. (You can google Claire Sylvia to find more details)

This paragraph from the book jacket says it all:

This is a story that must be told and heard...a fascinating example of how cellular memory can outlive physical death. -- Deepok Chopra

You Gotta Have Heart

Now I ask you to think about this...

If a physical heart can travel to another human body and carry with it the passions, preferences, and desires of its former owner, what is the impact that your own heart has on you? What kind of influence does your heart have on your life experience, your circumstances and the manifestation of your desires?

In studying prosperity laws, we learn that our words and our thoughts create dominant ideas in our mind that become our circumstances. But if your words and thoughts are infused with feeling - specifically the feeling of the end result - you possess the greatest manifesting tool in the universe, indeed.

When we put real feeling into something we are doing, isn't it said that we "put our heart into it?"

We can say all the words and affirmations we want...we can even fool ourselves - and others - with our words and actions. But ultimately the greatest impact in our lives and in the results we gain from applying mental and spiritual laws will come from the "whisperings" of our heart. That's where the truth of the matter lies. It's in the whisperings of our heart - and the seat of our subconscious.

You can't fool your heart. It knows the truth about you.

But to me the most amazing thing in the world is that we can have a change of heart (of course I don't mean a transplant but that's equally amazing!)

What's in your heart right now? Could you use a change of heart?

Take heart

~ Marilyn

© Copyright 2010 Marilyn Jenett, Feel Free to Prosper
All rights reserved

Monday, May 24, 2010

Love money happiness - what everyone wants

You want to experience love, have money and be happy. You are not alone. These are desires common to mankind. We yearn to be loved, to feel special to someone, to have money to live well and to be happy. It’s normal to want these things. The question many people ask is how to find love, get enough money and be happy even until the love and money show up.

The easiest way to find love is to discover self love. Realize all your gifts and talents. This isn’t saying to be a snob, but to be aware of how caring you are. To show yourself respect and love that you would like to experience with another person. There was a study done a few years ago about what men found the most sexy about a woman. The winning answer was “a woman who knows she’s sexy”. The same is true for what women find attractive. How you feel about yourself is a signal you give out to other people. They respond to that self worth signal you send out. Sit down and be honest about what you think about yourself. What areas can you improve on? How you feel about yourself will result in who you attract into your life.

Money is another main topic of conversation. Everyone wants more of it. Money is energy, the energy of abundance that is all around. There is only abundance. There’s plenty of everything. You are the stream of consciousness that the energy of abundance moves through. Using your thoughts, feelings, knowing combined with action opens the windows and doors of your life allowing the easy flow of more money. Remember, abundance is the natural state of life itself, always seeking to expand and experience more of itself. By placing your attention on abundance of what you do want rather than paying attention to what you don’t want.. well.. you get the point. Where your energy goes.. creation soon follows. So pay attention, notice abundance. Be aware of how much abundance there is. Look around you right now. See the abundance of everything you could ever desire. Now realize that you are the channel that everything flows through.

Happiness is another of the main three desires of all mankind. We enjoy feeling good. We like to feel connected to life and at peace with our surroundings. Taking note of all the beauty around you is one way to increase your happiness level. Picking conversations that uplift and inspire is another. Movies, books, and music are also wonderful mood elevators. Going for a long walk to commune with nature or sitting quietly watching the birds and listening to their songs will bring up your level of happiness and connection.

Often there are community activities that you can join to meet others and learn a new skill or hobby. Check your communities leisure center, they often have classes in yoga, martial arts, painting, dance, etc. These are a great way to meet new people and fling open the door to opportunity. The more involved you are in your life the more possibilities you discover.

Be open to your life. Live it fully. Grab each day and dance through it. You are the only one who has the power to hold you back or move you forward.. What’s stopping you? Ready Set GO!!!

Donna DeVane
Secret Design Creations
http://secretdesigncreationsblog.com/

Tuesday, December 29, 2009

156 Countries Sing Together for the Starbucks Love Project

Friday, December 18, 2009

Should You Trade Up? by Michael Webb

o ~ o ~ o ~ o ~ o ~ o ~ o ~ o ~ o ~

SECRETS OF BLISSFUL RELATIONSHIPS

Should You Trade Up?

by Michael Webb
Author, 50 Secrets of Blissful Relationships order today at:
http://www.TheRomantic.com/50secrets.htm

Athena and I have never had a car payment. Our current vehicles
are 6 years old and our previous car was a 13 year old Honda Civic
that ran just fine until the final few months.

When our Honda Civic was getting up in age (and didn't look so
shiny) we have had friends and family ask us point blank "when are
you going to get a new car" and tell us "certainly you can afford
something new". Yes, we can afford just about any car that we
could possibly desire. But no, we don't have any plans on trading
in our perfectly fine Honda for something new(er) simply to impress
others. Yes, when safety or reliability become a factor, we'll be
shopping for something else.

I find it curious, but not surprising that every person who has
suggested that we upgrade our car has been divorced at least once.

Back in 1988 Diamond Cutters International conducted a poll asking
women if they would ever consider trading in their engagement ring
for a bigger, better diamond. 46% of the respondents said yes.

Fifteen years later, these same women have been polled again.
Of those who were willing to trade up, 81% are now divorced.
And what about those sentimental ladies who would never trade in
their original ring? 78% are still married.

Are you the type of person who wants a new car every few years and
sees each raise as an opportunity to move to a bigger house? Are you
easily bored with the latest gadget you bought just a year ago?
Do you always have to have the best television among your peers?
If so, studies have shown that you have a much greater chance of
being tempted to "trade-up" spouses too.

Learn to appreciate what you have and don't be so quick to want to
get the latest model. Otherwise it might REALLY cost you.

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Fast Food Love by Michael Webb

Fast Food Love
by Michael Webb Author, 50 Secrets of Blissful Relationships order
today at: http://www.TheRomantic.com/50secrets.htm

I read a news story a few weeks ago about a school that bucked
the system and tossed out the pizzas and french fries and other
kid-friendly food from its cafeteria and reintroduced healthy meals
that faded away over the last few decades.

At first, there was a big uproar. The kids wanted their fast
food back and others were worried about the significant increase
in cost for the home made, healthy food they were now serving in
the cafeteria. But something miraculous happened.

The kids now behave. The hallways aren't frantic. Even the teachers
are happy.

The school used to be out of control. Kids packed
weapons. Discipline problems swamped the principal's office.
But not since 1997.

Since then there have been zero expulsions, no suicides, not one
person caught doing drugs or carrying weapons. The fake food in
the cafeteria was replaced with real food and the vending machines
were carted away. And what a difference it made.

When kids are healthy their attitudes and dispositions change.

Now let's talk about love. Over the last few decades we've slowly
introduced so much fake love into our relationship diet that it has
now become the staple for many couples. Most people don't even
know what real, healthy love is these days. We no longer have
the patience to build love from scratch. We want fast-food love.
It's instantly gratifying even though it might make us sick in the
long run. Men and women don't want a courtship. They want to jump
straight from infatuation to intimacy. And we've got a lot of sick
relationships as a result.

While there is *some* nutrition in fast food, if it is your steady
diet, you are bound to suffer in the future.

Here are some examples of fast-food love: • Expensive gifts •
Quick physical intimacy • Flirting • Time together in silence
(like watching movies) • Dreaming about fantasies • Infatuation
("loving" someone you don't *really* know yet)

Healthy, nutritious love: • Serving each other • Sacrificing for
one another • Little gifts, just because • Regular, meaningful
conversations • Long physical intimacy with your spouse •
Planning together for the future • Commitment to someone you
really know

Is it any coincidence that as we introduce more and more fast-food
love into our relationships that they become more and more unhealthy
and the divorce rate keeps climbing?

Consider your own relationship. What does your diet look like? Maybe
its time to cut back on the fast-food love and start introducing
more healthy forms on love into your relationship (or get out of a
relationship that does not have healthy love). Yes, it takes more
time and energy, but the results are well worth it. And don't forget
that your real diet has a direct impact on your relationships just
as we saw what happened to the school children. Maybe its time to
start eating healthy too.

Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Like The Sun Shining by Tenzin Palmo

Like The Sun Shining
by Tenzin Palmo

Sometimes people don't understand how Buddhism can talk about compassion and love in one breath and non-attachment and all these qualities of renunciation in the other breath. But that's because we confuse love with clinging. We think that if we love somebody, the measure of our loving is that we want to hold on to them. But that's not love, that's just self-love, attachment. It's not genuinely loving the other person, wanting them to be well and happy that's wanting them to make us well and happy. This is very important, because we confuse it all the time.

When I was nineteen years old I told my mother, "I'm going to India" and she said, "Oh yes, when are you leaving?" She didn't say, "How can you leave me, your poor old mother, now you've got to the age when you're earning a living, how can you go and abandon me?" She just said, "Oh yes, when are you leaving?" It was not because she did not love me, it was because she did. And because she loved me more in a way than she loved herself, she wanted what was right for me, not what would make her happy. Do you understand? Her happiness came by making me happy.

That's love, and that is something which we all need very much to work on in our personal relationships. To hold people and possessions like this (hands outstretched to indicate holding something lightly in the palms) and not like this (fists clenched to indicate holding something very tightly). So that when we have them, we appreciate and rejoice in them, but if they go then we can let them go. Change and impermanence is the nature of everything.

You see, when we lose something we love, it's our attachment which is the problem, not the loss. That's what causes us grief. And that is why the Buddha taught that with attachment comes fear and grief. We have the fear of losing, and then we have the grief when we lose. Buddha never said that love causes grief.

Love is an opening of the heart. It's like the sun shining. The sun just naturally shines. It doesn't discriminate, shining on this person but not on that one. It just shines, because it's the nature of the sun to give warmth. Some people go inside and close the doors and windows; that's their problem. The sun is shining anyway. And it's that quality of heart which we have to develop. That quality of open, unconditional loving, no matter what. I'm going to love you if you do this but I'm not going to love you any more if you do that parents do that, when their children don't obey.

--Tenzin Palmo

A Good Read