Discernment

Stubbornness is certainly not a virtue because it prevents you from seeing the mistake you made and it thus encourages you to persevere in a wrong behavior, in an obsolete idea, in an unfair judgment. Like many others, it's possible that you, too, believe that accepting something "different" means to have a weak character.  Actually, the contrary is true. When you are brave enough to admit your mistake, you show that you are flexible and open-minded. On the other hand, sometimes it may be necessary to persist in the pursuit of the result you wish to obtain. It's up to you to discern when it's advisable to give up or when you must go on with commitment and trust. If you don't succeed, it means that you didn't do "it" the right way. Maybe you need to make changes, either in your actions, in your attitude or in your thoughts. No-one was born to lose. Defeat is a mental perspective. You are defeated only when you say so. 

Serious Decisions

If you are aware that a certain kind of "action" is bad, you can decide to abstain from it. That is easy. If you don't want to entertain a certain kind of "thoughts" because you see them as negative, you can bring yourself to change them by voluntarily replacing them with positive ones. That is a little more difficult, but it can be done. If you wish to transform a certain "feeling" you are having, you can do it through consistent self-talk, a sort of psychological reprogramming. This is definitely not easy, but it is possible. But if you yearn to achieve a certain kind of "spiritual conviction", the result is not necessarily sure. You can decide how to behave, how to think and even how to feel... and do it by means of your will-power. As to how to believe...you just have to keep trying.

Daily Inspiration

Like everybody else you, too, need a source of inspiration in your daily life. You probably believe you are self-sufficient. Maybe you are, but never completely. You know how to think and act in what you believe to be the best way, but often other people's opinions may help you clarify the righteousness of your behavior. It's therefore a beneficial habit to read, listen to or watch something spiritually positive and uplifting on a daily basis. In fact, not always are you aware of the influence that what you usually hear and see  has on your psyche and - particularly - on your mood and your consequent thoughts, words and actions.

Momentary Shut-down

Only when it's dark enough, can you see the stars. The sun light is often so strong, the "voices" of the world are so loud that you are unable to see and feel what is in the depth of your spirit. Darkness  and silence help concentration. When you momentarily shut yourself down, when you isolate yourself from the world and focus your attention on a specific concept, the "star" of intuition manifests itself. You can perceive the idea you had been looking for in order to solve a problem, you know how to behave in that difficult situation, you understand how to deal with a dilemma, you see how to make a wise choice. Don't allow your difficulties to switch off the sunlight of love and joy in your heart. Simply decide to close your eyes for a moment, concentrate and... listen.

Thanksgiving

It's Thanksgiving time. It's time for an assessment - in earnest -  of your  thoughts and beliefs about your life, of your positive and negative attitudes, of what you perceive to be your achievements and apparent failures, of how aware or un-aware you usually are while dealing with yourself and with the others. How much love do you give? How resentful are you? How judgmental? How forgiving? How much do you complain? How grateful are you?

If the negative level is higher than the positive, a day of 'official' Thanksgiving may be the most suitable moment for you to realize how blessed - in reality - you are. A careful analysis of "all" the aspects that constitute your earthly existence (physical, material, emotional, psychological, spiritual) will show you that - in spite of the drawbacks and disappointments - Life has bestowed upon you a lot to give thanks for. And, for once, focus only on this (and forget the rest).

A Song - Part IV The End

"I love myself the way I am
and still I want to grow.
But change outside can only come
when deep inside I know
(that) I'm beautiful and capable
of being the best me I can.
And I love myself just the way I am."
(Jai Josephs)

A Song - Part III "I Love the world..."

I love the world the way it is
'cause I can clearly see
that all the things I judge
are done by people just like me.
So, till the birth of peace on Earth
that only love can bring,
I'll help it grow by loving everything."
(Jai Josephs)

A Song - Part II "I Love You..."

"I love you the way you are,
there is nothing you need to do.
When I feel the love inside myself,
it's easy to love you.
Behind your fears, your rage and tears,
I see your shining star.
And I love you just the way you are."
(Jai Josephs)

A Song - Part I "I Love Myself..."

"I love myself the way I am,
there is nothing I need to change.
I'll always be the perfect me,
there nothing to rearrange.
I'm beautiful and capable
of being the best me I can.
And I love myself just the way I am."
(Jai Josephs)

Whirlwinds

Things are changing fast. Everywhere. Every day. You don't know what even the next minute might bring. Is it good? Is it bad? Probably neither. It simply is what "is". Change has always happened, maybe not as quickly as it seems to do nowadays. What could the reason of such whirlwind of events be? The spiral in which our reality is wrapped appears to be getting closer to the bottom and that's why it is spinning faster and faster. Everyone is in a hurry, drastic changes take place overnight, success is expected to be achieved in a whim, you never know what the next hour will be like. All fields of experience are involved, it is truly a global situation. Nature, morals, feelings, politics, economy, relationships.... nothing seems stable, you have the impression that the ground is shifting under your feet, that there is no stability you can count on. What to do? How to react? You can only wait and see. You may take action in what is under your control. Then.... relax... and hope for the best.

Does Happiness Exist?

How much time do you spend wondering about happiness? Some think that happiness resides in past events because the present is neither pleasant nor fulfilling. Others hope to find it in the future, when their dreams may still come true. As the past has been disappointing and the present is not that good either, the only possibility - if there is one - seems to be in the future. There are even those who believe that happiness is just a myth because they see life as a dispenser of upset, disillusion, frustration. It's therefore a yearning that can never be satisfied. A few see themselves as reasonably happy because they have found a way to face whatever comes with acceptance and are content with what they have. Who is right? Which belief reflects your personal outlook?

Ancient Wisdom

Ancient wisdom gives us a certain advice that is often ignored in our speedy world: There are things that need to be dealt with at a slow pace. One of them is anger. When you get upset and immediately react, such reaction usually entails a counter-reaction and, possibly, an altercation. On the other hand, if you give yourself time (a few seconds might be enough), the simple action of delaying your response will give you the opportunity to choose the best way to handle the unwelcome situation. Being in a hurry - no matter what you are doing - is usually the cause of a less than perfect result to your actions. Therefore, take the time needed to carry out whatever task you are performing and, most of all, stop and relax for a moment whenever you are angry.

Freedom & Responsibility

How would you define the word "freedom"? The dictionary states that freedom is "the power or right to act, speak or think as one wants without hindrance or restraint". It sounds wonderful, doesn't it? How do you feel about having such power? What does it really mean for you? If you reflect a moment, you realize that power - in order to be a positive feature - necessarily implies responsibility. You need to consider the consequences that your thoughts, words and actions entail. In fact, feeling powerful may make you reckless, arrogant, conceited. As all things in this world, each situation is like a coin: it always has two sides. Everything can be used either in a positive, useful, beneficial way or in a negative, useless, harmful way. It's up to you to realize the necessity of always being "aware" of the possible result of your orders, decisions, choices.

A Kind of Denial

Nowadays many find it difficult to feel satisfied with their own lives because they haven't learned to accept the stage they are presently living in. The young wants to be older in order to enjoy more freedom of choice. The mature adult looks forward to a later time when he/she hopes to be fulfilled in his/her expectations. The elder looks back at the past with longing and would like to stop time and the process of aging. It seems that neither of them has found the best way to be in the moment. Their eyes are staring somewhere else, trying to spot the perfect time when they will feel the gratification and fulfillment they are hoping for.  Will such wish become a reality or will it keep moving further ahead?

Connection

A very hard question: What can you do when you feel that people don't understand you? You believe that you are being so clear, your behavior is unmistakable, your words sincerely uttered...yet you don't get the reaction you expected. You are looking for an answer that - it seems - you will never get. What to do? Give up? Probably. If you keep wondering, you might find such answer in yourself. All human beings are undeniably bound together on a wider, spiritual sense but - in everyday situations - you are usually left alone to carry out your chores, to solve your problems, to deal with your doubts. The universal connection is certainly great...if it only worked on "all" levels!