“Stress is caused by being ‘here’ but wanting to be ‘there.”‘ -Eckhart Tolle

There will always be the possibility of a tomorrow that could be better than today. Tomorrow you might be more satisfied with your work. Or maybe you’ll be more comfortable financially. Or happier in your relationship.

There’s always going to be a there that sounds like a fantasy–someday when you’ve gotten what you want.

You could easily wrap your whole life around the promise of getting there and tie your emotions to the illusion of getting closer. You could stress out if you don’t think you’re making progress or feel frustrated that you haven’t seen enough results. You could complain to people about feeling stuck and dwell on how much better things would be if only you could get there.

You could do all of that–if you want to choose unhappiness. Because this moment, right now, is your life. And where you are is where you have an opportunity to be happy. Not tomorrow, not where you’ll be then–but right now, in this time and place.

You can fight it and feel stressed or let go and feel peace.

That doesn’t mean you can’t strive for things you want. It just means you’ve realized getting where you want to be doesn’t require you to feel pain where you are.

Dig your heels in and take a deep breath. You are here. Here is your chance to find and experience joy.

www.tinybuddha.com

Spiritual Thought

"May every soul that touches mine, be it the slightest contact, get therefrom some good, some little glance, one kindly thought, one aspiration yet unfelt, one bit of courage for the darkening sky. One gleam of faith to brave the thickening ills of life, one glimpse of brighter skies beyond the gathering mists to make this life worthwhile. "
-George Eliot

I'll be happy....if only......

if only i had this,
if only i had that,
if only he's said this,
if only she'd not said that,
i wish it was different,
i wish i was elsewhere,
i wish the world was a better place,
i wish everyone would care,
i want sunshine and not rain,
i want some heat and not cold,
i want my own place in the sun,
i want as i want it to unfold,
i need more than i have now,
i need to travel and explore,
i need to learn and express,
i need to have more and more,
i'll be happy if i get a house,
i'll be happy with a new car,
i'll be happy if i find love,
i'll be happy if i become a star,
if only i was slimmer,
if only i was pretty,
if only i was clever,
if only i was witty,

if only, i wish, i need, i hope,
i want, i yearn, i long, i ache,
i'll be happy, if only, if only,
everything happened my way.....

a white cloud passing by,
got fed up with my chatter,
gave me a caress on my face,
woke me to what matters.....

right here, right now,
what is, just is,
all is perfect,
like this or like this.....

nothing to get,
nowhere to be,
to accept this "what is"

is the only key......

Neeta Bali

No-Thought for the Day

Judgment is ugly — it hurts people. On the one hand you go on hurting them, and wounding them, and on the other hand you want their love, their respect.It is impossible. You love them, respect them, and perhaps your love and respect may help them to change many of their weaknesses, many of their failures — because love will give them new energy, a new meaning, a new strength. OSHO

Spirituality in Business?

Our spirituality drives our entire direction in life, including our work life. Leaders that have a solid spiritual foundation tend to make the correct ethical choices at work and tend to take selfishness out of the equation.

Robert A. Marchello

Meditation, why?

Meditation is first learning how just to be, secondly learning through your daily actions to keep yourself centered.

Dharma

“If you correct your mind, the rest of your life will fall into place.” -Lao Tzu

You’re stuck.

We’ve all been there. Even the things that normally make you happy begin to bring you down. Worst of all, you can’t seem to understand why.

So you give it time, let it take its course, and just when you think you’ve escaped the funk, something drags you back in. You know it’s happening, but you can’t stop from slipping back under.

What’s happening here is simple. Something—be it your job, peers, or general lifestyle— is contaminating your mind. You’ve lost track of the calmness you know you possess, and it’s like your mind’s been tricked. You’re stuck in a painful and decisive delusion that causes everything to be toxic.

It’s time to wake up. Seriously, the snooze button is off-limits.

You only come to find yourself in these types of negative situations because you’ve let your mind take control. It may seem like other people and circumstances are to blame, but everyone is responsible for their own mental state. Life will never stop throwing you curve balls. The only solution is to change how you internalize and deal with them.

Since completely escaping your mind may seem a bit radical, at the very least, you must correct your thinking.

Our minds are like oceans. Like the tides, thoughts come in and then retreat back. When your mind is stuck, the ebb and flow of your thoughts are all negative. Each new thought process makes the negativity even stronger, creating a snowball effect.

Luckily there is a solution, and you innately have it.

Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras suggests that there is a jewel of pure consciousness within each of us that is waiting to shine through the clouded mind. By intentionally concentrating away from negativity, and instead focusing the flow of thought on something pure, that jewel will become apparent.

Even if you have to fake it at first, you can teach your mind to ignore negative thoughts. The mind works both ways; the flow of thought can be a snowball of positive energy too.

This being said, I invite you to give meditation a try, even if you think it’s not for you. Stretch a little first to loosen your muscles and connect with your body. Sit in a position that’s comfortable for you and take a few deep breaths–or as I like to say, reboot your mind.

When you reboot your mind, you are clear of the past, empty of regrets, and focused on something positive. You’re simply present, connected and peaceful in the moment.

Don’t stress if your mind starts to wander while you’re meditating. Just notice it and pull yourself back to a place of awareness. It helps to focus on a specific point or place so that your meditation practice is an active experience. This place, or the inner-jewel, varies between us all, so it is up to you to find your own. By focusing upon this inner-treasure, your mind will feel less inclined to go down a negative path.

If you find yourself struggling to find this place, meditate on the sun, moon, or water. Pretty soon, this type of meditation will teach you your own unique meditative dance. You’ll feel less easily pulled into a funk when things go wrong outside you, and positive energy will seem more natural.

By learning to live in absorption of this meditative place, you’ll help your problems slowly dissipate. Your funk will fade into a sense of peace that you can nurture every day by connecting with body and your breath.

Andrew Deitrick (TinyBuddha) 

Meditation Thought

Physical experience is the leading edge of thought. The furtherest extension of that thought. You are not at the beginning. You are here on the leading edge, living the manifestation of thought. And as you expose yourself to the contrast within the manifestation, you don new desires which then summons the Life Force.

--- Abraham

The Bamboo Tree

Applies to a lot of situations in life, as well as to meditation!

When the voice and the vision on the inside become more profound, more clear and louder than the opinions on the outside, then you have mastered your life. ~Dr John DeMartini, Philosopher from The Secret

You are loved. All is well.

We would like you to release the word "achieve" or "earn" from your vocabulary and from your understanding, altogether, and we would like you to replace those words with the word "allow". You're wanting to allow your Well-being, not achieve it. It's not something that you need to earn. All you have to do is decide what it is you would like to experience, and then allow it in order to achieve it. It isn't something you have to struggle for or try for. You are all worthy beings. You are deserving of this Well-being.

--- Abraham

Rushing into action, you fail.Trying to grasp things, you lose them.Forcing a project to completion, you ruin what was almost ripe.Therefore the Master takes action by letting things take their course.Lao Tzu 

No-Thought for the Day : Life is a verb. Life is not a noun, it is really "living" not "life." It is not love, it is loving. It is not relationship, it is relating. It is not a song, it is singing. It is not a dance, it is dancing. See the difference, savor the difference. OSHO 

Inspirational Thought

“Your task is not to seek love, but merely to seek and find all the barriers within yourself that you have built against it.” ~Rumi

Awakening as One - The Plan

"The Plan" from keith wyatt on Vimeo.

Spiritual Wisdom

Being empty of oneself is to be full of the intelligence of life which can then come to us without hindrance. It is when we surrender without restriction to what we are proposed to live that our eternal part can be revealed.

Nicole Montineri

Meditation Thought

Three things that make us human:
our longing to know the meaning of life,
our capacity for love,
and our ability to laugh.

Dharma