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Being
Aware of Your Thoughts
Ms. A.J. Mahari (aka Soul)
Few people enjoy the company of individuals whose attitudes
are persistently negative. Yet many of us tolerate the
critical chatter that can originate within our own minds.
Since we are so used to the stream of self-limiting, critical
consciousness that winds its way through our thoughts, we are
often unaware of the impact these musings have on our lives.
It is only when we become aware of the power of such thoughts
that we can divest ourselves of them and fill the emptiness
they leave with loving, peaceful affirmations. Many people,
upon paying careful attention to their thinking patterns, are
surprised at the negativity they find there. But when we take
notice of involuntary thoughts in a nonjudgmental way, we
initiate a healing process that will eventually allow us to
replace intimidating and upsetting self-talk with positive,
empowering thoughts.
While the occasional downbeat or judgmental thought may have
little impact on your contentment, the ongoing negativity
that passes unnoticed can have a dampening effect on your
mood and your outlook. When you are aware of the tone of your
thoughts, however, you can challenge them. Try to be
conscious of your feelings, opinions, and judgments for a
single day. From sunup to sundown, scrutinize the messages
you are feeding into your subconscious mind. Consider your
thoughts from the perspective of a detached observer and try
not to judge yourself based on the notions that come unbidden
into your mind. Simply watch the flow of your consciousness
and make a note of the number of times you find yourself
focusing on gloomy notions or indulging in self-directed
criticism.
As you become increasingly aware of your patterns of thought,
whether positive and negative, you will gradually learn to
control the character of your stream of consciousness.
Endeavor always to remember that the images and ideas that
pass through your mind are transient and not a true
representation of who you are. In training yourself to be
cognizant of your thoughts, you gain the ability to actively
modulate your mood. The awareness you cultivate within
yourself will eventually enable you to create a foundation of
positivity from which you can build a more authentic
existence.
"Avoid the company of chronic criticizers, naysayers, prophets of doom,
materialists, fearmongers, gossipers, and the fearful, envious, and
angry. If you must be around these lower-frequency energies, consider it
a test of your ability to hold your own and keep your mind, emotions,
and words in the spiritual zone. When you can do this, you become
victorious, not a victim. We must control our thoughts and words, or we
are nothing more than stimulus-response machines reacting from habit and
fear- and lack-based programming. Seek the highest truth and act on it,
regardless of your old habits and programming. Remember that you are
making new habits and these are what will now start manifesting.
Terry Cole-Whittaker, in "Live Your Bliss"
Finding
Encouragement -Your True Inner Voice
Ms. A.J. Mahari (aka Soul)
Within each
of us, there are numerous voices often that compete for our
attention. It can be difficult to decide which one to
listen to, particularly when their messages are all quite
different, sometimes conflicting, and even alluring. One
voice, however, is the speaker of truth. Among all your
inner voices, your true inner voice is the one which
encourages you, gives you hope, and pushes you to trust and
believe in yourself. Conflict within oneself is often
caused by dueling voices inside of each one of us. As we
move through life, we get mixed messages from the various
aspects of ourselves. Some of our voices, such as the
naysayer or saboteur, can speak so loudly that they drown
out the voice of truth. Listening to your true inner voice
- often the voice of understanding, support, and
self-assurance - can help lessen and even resolve internal
conflict.
If you're looking toward the future but your faith in your
ability to succeed in life is wavering, you will benefit
from finding and listening to your true inner voice. You
can connect with it by remaining relaxed and alert, while
listening carefully. If you have trouble distinguishing
your true voice from the others, meditation may be helpful.
You may hear many voices as you meditate, but the one you
should pay attention to is the one that speaks to you with
love, understanding, and compassion. It will bolster your
spirits and urge you to go after your dreams. And it will
never cause confusion, remind you of past mistakes, or
cause you to doubt yourself.
The more you listen to and believe in what your true inner
voice is telling you about your value and your potential,
the stronger that voice will become. And the more you
disregard the voices that can interfere with your resolve
to succeed, the quieter those voices will become. Saying no
to the voices that are judgmental and make you feel ashamed
will help you stop being critical of your failures and
afraid of success. By finding and strengthening your true
inner voice, you will be able to ignore internal conflict
and pick out the one that speaks the truth.
Believe in Yourself
Ms. A.J. Mahari (aka Soul)
Doubt is the result of fear. Second guessing ourselves often could be an indication that we need to learn to trust ourselves more than we currently do.
How many things or decisions do you approach in your life more from fear than confidence? The less we believe in ourselves the more we will struggle with choices, decisions, and every day situations that challenges us in a myriad of ways to cope to the best of our abilities.
What many people may not realize or consciously be awareof in the living of life is that taking it one moment at a time is truly a gift that you can give yourself. If you try to think too far ahead, or if you focus on the past you increase many fold the stress that you will feel.
This stress can impede your believing in yourself. When you believe in yourself you can and will cope. Sometimes we don't know how we are going to cope with certain stresses and challenges in our lives. Believing that we can cope, however, is the key to actually coping effectively.
Believing in yourself requires loving kindness. You deserve and need your own love and trust. If you think negatively or live out of a fear-based place you rob yourself of each and every unfolding moment that comes to give you a newer and richer sense of all that can be positive in the moment.
Live moment to moment with the belief that you can cope and you do know what you need and you can learn to meet your needs if you aren't already meeting them. Be mindful of your boundaries also.
Believing in yourself is a positive life-giving gift that you can give yourself in this moment and each unfolding moment to come. Treasure that. Know that you deserve that.
Ask not what can go wrong. Do not give your energy to the negative. Focus on the positive. Be excited about your life. Believe in yourself and the way the you view the world will be much more positive. The way that you relate to others will also be much more positive.
Believing in yourself means getting honest with yourself about who you are, your strengths and weaknesses and then accepting yourself, strengths and weaknesses and all, unconditionally.
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Clarity of Possibilities
Ralph Marston
Most of the limitations you experience are largely defined, supported and given energy by your own perceptions. Change those perceptions, genuinely raise your expectations, and the limitations will begin to melt away.
The experience of limitation is only one way, out of many possible ways you have, for relating to a particular situation. You are always free to make another choice, to relate to your circumstances in a more positive, empowering way. Though one approach may be blocked, it is only one of many possible approaches. Limitations are always finite, yet the number of positive possibilities is unlimited. Whatever is holding you back is doing so because you have accepted it as something that's holding you back. Imagine what would happen if you accepted, with just as much certainty, the very real possibility of moving forward.
Are you looking at the world through the fog of limitation or are you seeing the bright, shining clarity of your best possibilities? The way you choose to perceive where you are can make a world of difference in where you end up going.
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