”Wherever you are, be there totally.” Eckhart Tolle
This week, bring your attention to each and every precious moment. If you find yourself resisting the moment for whatever reason – if you are bored waiting in traffic, fed up with the weather or even if somebody is irritating you, ask yourself, can I change this moment? If the answer is no then accept it just the way it is. If the answer is yes then you can change it, but instead of complaining (which is an automatic stress response) either speak out in a positive way or simply leave the space.
Inner peace comes from acceptance as opposed to resistance. When we take away inner conflict and the busy traffic of our thoughts we have a chance to be fully present and to allow the best part of us to shine.
‘If you want to be happy, be.’ Leo Tolstoy
This quote on happiness from the Russian novelist seems, at first glance, almost too simple. With a little reflection, the depth of his words become profound. The state of “being” and not doing is at the core of mindfulness and meditation. The cultivation of “just being” is the constant returning of our awareness back to the present moment. When we are truly “being” in the present moment and our minds are free from the constant traffic and noise of our thoughts we have every chance to implant the seeds of happiness and joy.
“You have power over your mind – not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength.” Marcus Aurelius.
The famous Roman Emperor believed that we are all responsible for finding, creating and maintaining our own happiness. If we can find strength and peace in ourselves then happiness follows suit. Aurelius said that “our happiness depends on the quality of our thoughts.” By allowing our thoughts to be positive even in the face of adversity we can conquer most challenges.
Aurelius practised what he preached and kept a strong positive mindset through great hardships of almost constant wars and disease in addition to losing his parents and brother at a young age.
This week, when faced with a situation that you do not like but have no means to change, accept it in the first place and secondly, decide how you wish to respond. This is where your positive power lies.
Espoir is the French word for hope. Hope is the essence of a positive life. Hope is what has allowed millions to endure unendurable conditions. Hope has brought success and happiness to many who have ‘failed’ in their many attempts at success and happiness.
This week, if the opportunity presents itself, take yourself out to nature; if you live in the city, a park or your back garden will suffice. Nature has an abundance of effortless hope, regrowth and renewal especially now in Springtime. If you happen to see a beautiful butterfly or a bird or even a flower, take a mental snap of the image and make a conscious link in your mind with “espoir”. Bring this image to mind as you go about your week especially if you feel tired or overwhelmed; the image will become embedded in your subconscious and you can simply bring it to mind as and when you need to access positive feelings. After all, as with all natural things we have the ability to heal and renew ourselves with each breath we take.
This week, as this month comes to an end and we have an extra hour of light, use the following positive visualisation to focus on bringing out your best self.
Before you close your eyes, write down three positive emotions/feelings that you wish to bring more of into your life. Also write down three unwanted or negative emotions, feelings or behaviours that you wish to be free from.
Close your eyes and take three deep breaths. With each breath imagine breathing in each of the positive feelings/emotions that you are welcoming in. Imagine you are taking a journey and you are packing the positive feelings into a bag and taking them with you. They can be images, coulours or anything that represents the emotion. Imagine soaring high up and as you look down you see the negative feelings, emotions and behaviours are being left behind. As you rise up higher visualise the negatives getting smaller and smaller until it is difficult to see them. All of a sudden, find yourself in that beautiful place above the clouds where everything is still and as you breathe in and out you focus on the positive things that you have safely packed with you on this journey.
Keep the list of the three positive emotions and glance at it first thing in the morning, last thing at night and any time you wish to remind yourself of the journey you have decided to follow for the new month and beyond.
