Letters of Note.

Procrastination is a soul destroying conditioned behaviour based on fear, I have recently come to realise it is an action of the weak. My delve into discovering why I allow this self-defeating behaviour to continually overcome me when I truly feel I want to succeed has shown me I am weak, easily led and prone to fulfilling useless ego desires instead of being deliberately focused with pure determination and discipline towards my dream fulfilment.

Procrastination takes over even when I am passionate about the project I am working on, it occurs  when I am on a very tight deadline such as exams I must study  for or important deadlines to be met.  It occurs during events that I have chosen to undertake, accomplishments I desire to achieve. By procrastinating at times like these, I set myself up for anxiety, guilt, a feeling of disharmony with life. I live with a nagging consciousness that life is prompting me to complete a task that needs to be done, that will actually serve me well.

Procrastination does not serve me.  I have let it use me long enough, I am finally sick and tired of it. It no longer has a hold over me. I am stronger than it is. It is a useless joy- sucking dream-killing, painstaking choice of behaviour. I set it free.  I am free. Procrastination has robbed me of years, in that the success that I know is so rightly and deservedly mine is still yet to occur. Why? I procrastinate. I put it off; I choose ridiculous pointless things to do when I should be dedicated to fulfilling my destiny, my goals  and my conscious choice of success.

Yes, I have discovered procrastination is a habit of the weak. This word alone has provoked change within; I can no longer deny it or use it as a method of escape.  It allows us to make excuses for what we have not yet accomplished, which was well within our capabilities. It keeps us small and lacking in mind, soul and dream fulfilment. Procrastination is a killer of dreams, of passion, of feeling good about a job well done, a prevention of blessed achievements.

It is weak. I am stronger; with choice, I can win my previous battle with procrastination. You can too!

• What are you putting off that needs to be addressed?
• What are you avoiding because you do not want to face up to it?
• What is already past due and creating a nudging anxiety within you?
• What treasures are you forsaking by giving into this destructive habit?
• What goals have you moved forward, yet again, due to the  undisciplined act of procrastination?
• What areas of your life would be enhanced, joyous, successful if you master this behaviour?

See it for what it is, a conditioned habit based on some belief picked up in our tender years that maybe we weren’t good enough, or maybe it’s an easy way out of being disciplined and productive. Negative emotions such as anger, fear or feeling hopeless invite  procrastination into our lives. Examine your own reasons for procrastination; it seems to come from a place of undervaluing our self-worth, as most negative conditioned behaviours do. It often has just become a habitual way of being.  Blast it open with self-discovery and authentic compassionate self-truth. Expose it for the weakness that it is and decide to be more than a limiting habit that robs you of your true divinity, your highest possible best self.

Slam procrastination!

Write out your most desired goal, write what comes from your heart and soul, YOUR heart and soul, not someone else’s dream for you, but from where you are now standing, what do you want to change, what do you want to be, have and do?

Ask this question in quiet contemplation and LISTEN to the answers from your Higher Self and the Universe.

Imagine your desired outcome using all of your senses:  what do you see when you achieve it, when you get there, what do you smell, what are you hearing and from whom, and most importantly how do you feel? Make it colourful; make it real and in the present tense. Believe it to be already happening. Write it down and use this image daily, meditate on it, rest with it, visualise it in spare moments, which may otherwise be filled with procrastinating thoughts and ACT on it.

Make a list of actions, however small that will help you get there and do them, one by one or in large bundles of achievement, with joy in your heat and enthusiasm in your soul.. feel it, be it, live it. Affirm the following throughout the day, adapt to suit you personally; write it on your walls and notebooks, your mirror and doors:

I am on time and in tune with the harmony of my life. I enjoy being productive and energised towards my hearts desires. I tune into, trust and act on the guidance of my Higher Self. I am free to be, have and do all that my heart desires.

Beat procrastination before it beats you.. again! I am.

Surrender to what is. Accept who you are now, the people, the circumstances, the events  in your life. Throw yourself into your present.  Accept. Release resistance. Feel where you are.

This is not to say you remain there, it is not about condoning poor behaviour or surrendering to other’s plans for us, it does not mean we sacrifice our beliefs, boundaries, hopes and dreams. It is not permanent. Accept for now.

Once we practice acceptance, we free ourselves up to know where we currently stand and it  allows us to move forward towards making productive changes for our higher good. When we resist things that we deem unwanted in our lives, we actually create the energy to keep them there and worse, we attract similar unwanted scenarios and behaviours.

Accept where you are, give gratitude for the lessons being offered, release it and make empowered choices towards change.

Resistance makes things harder on us, we waste our energy opposing, repressing, denying.  Accept. Accept the negative thoughts, accept that you are in a place you’d prefer not to be, accept that life is, as it is, for now.  Then release it all. Repressing or resisting how we feel creates disharmony in our lives, the thoughts and emotions churn within us causing further despair and illness. They drive us to make poor decisions and inappropriate actions.

Accept, then release, then choose.

Acceptance is vital to your sense of well-being, vital.  It entails that you look at your life honesty, with compassion and view things as they are, without emotion, without judgement. Then accept  that this is where you are currently. Once you can accept, without resistance, you can then, from a calm focused place, decide on your next action. Things most likely happen for a reason, it would appear there is a grand structure to this wonderful world we live in, despite the appearance of chaos.

We are here to live happier lives than is apparent all around us. Acceptance of what is aids that beautifully.

Are you happy? Why not? Is it because you do not accept your current living conditions? Good, that’s a great place to begin.

Lord grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,

the courage to change the things I can and the wisdom to know the difference.

Accept, then choose to continue to accept or change what it is you are judging or resisting. It really is that simple. We only make it hard on ourselves by the thoughts we have about ourselves, our lives, other people. It is our resistance to what is, that causes the anguish.

Change always begins within, once we change our own inner beliefs and attitudes the world changes to reflect that. Its magnetic, it’s a mirror, it’s holographic.

Use your innate wisdom, you will know if it is you that needs to change or if it’s the situation. Be careful here, we tend to blame the situation. Look closely, compassionately, courageously and with total honesty. Your life depends on it. Use the prayer, God Grant me the Serenity and wait for the answers to appear within.   Who has told you that you have to stay in your current situation; what is it that keeps you stuck in an unhappy relationship, job, friendship, situation? Only you!

This is liberating, if you can truly absorb that reality.

Only you have the power to accept or change, only you hold the keys to  liberated living in your hands, by the thoughts you think and the choices you make.  Choose wisely!

• Lovingly accept yourself as you are now, smile at your weaknesses and be grateful for your strengths. We are all human.
• Trust that you are exactly where you are meant to be right now. It is your starting point.
• Accept the situation you are in with an openness to understand the lessons contained within this experience, growth is essential for living happily and freely.
• Accept all others that are part of your experience, they too are where they are meant to be.
• Release it all without judgement giving thanks for the lessons learned.
• Choose wisely, choose that which honours  you, choose the path towards freedom, happiness and living your deepest desires.

We are all here to experience greatness and the abundant riches of life, it is up to us to choose them, first by accepting ourselves, others and our circumstances, then by releasing it all and making the necessary actions to move forward.

Propel yourself towards being the best you can be by accepting where you are right now. It is the starting point for the next step of your journey.

Spirituality conjures up different ideas and emotions dependant on one’s own personal beliefs and conditioning. Those with strong religious backgrounds can claim it to be specific to their religion or dismiss it as new age philosophies with no real significance. Others are aware it is a journey towards truth, of travelling inward to discover the answers we are seeking to live a happier more spiritual existence in the world. It can create a positive or negative impact depending on personal perceptions.

Spirituality is about questioning and possibly dropping these preconceived perceptions of the world around us, what we have believed as truth without going within and finding what is real for us. It is the dropping of judgments, of opinions of labels and opening up to a world of possibilities.

Ultimately, it is a journey back to our true self. The innate energy that we are born with. It is about self-discovery, of dropping the ego fabricated self to reveal that which resides in each of us, pure divine energy. It is a path towards who you truly are and what your purpose is. It enables you to embrace life fully, wholly and completely.

Spirituality is awakening to personal and universal truths. This wisdom lies within available to each of us who become silent enough to hear it. It is with this renewed sense of self, opened to discovery that leads us to a more fulfilled life, one of joy and wonder of all that unfolds. It is the dropping of the illusion of separation and embracing the wonder of connectedness. The connection that exists from source energy to each of us and to each other, to all that is. When you awaken to your senses and drop the incessant chatter of the mind, you find this universal intelligence in all its loving glory.

“It is a realisation that life is bigger than each of us, than our human existence, it is a coming home, a way of living life to its fullest”.

Spirituality needs no debate to prove its existence; it is something that you feel within. It is when you just know what you know. You believe it to be true because you live it and see the wondrous results in your daily life. You are aware of it in your interaction with life, in your connection to your deepest self and to all around you.

Spirituality is living in harmony of mind, body and spirit. It is awareness that the mind is not you, that you are beyond mind, the silent observer of all that is. When you fully know this, you can watch the antics of the mind with some amusement instead of being caught up in ego dramas of attachment or aversion. You live with a calm acceptance of all that is, as it is.

Our innate nature is spiritual; it is what encases our physical being, here only for duration. You may have glimpsed this aspect of yourself in times of silence, sitting in nature, feeling that all is perfect as it is. You may have discovered it in times of great grief when you just knew that this too shall pass and you were not alone.

To be spiritual is to be true to yourself, to live the life you intended with love and acceptance of all, including you. It is not to be found only in doctrines, churches or creeds but inside each of us, hidden beneath the ego.

It is the fundamental aspect of life, the energy, the divine energy that inhabits all beings, it can be called, God, Allah, Buddha, Universal Intelligence or any other name. It is always present, all knowing, it is each of us. It is life.

What is Spiritual Growth & Development Ebook?

I have asked that question of many people and received numerous different answers. Is happiness different from one person to the next or are we looking for the answers from and in the wrong place? I have given many different answers to that thought myself over the years. Reasons I have heard that induce happiness have included:

• I’m happy when my partner is treating me correctly
• I’m happy when the kids are all in school
• I’m happy when I’m eating chocolate fudge cake
• I’m happy when Friday arrives
• I’m happy when I’m in the pub
• I’m happy when I’m meditating
• I’m happy when I’m on summer holidays
• I’m happy in a relationship
• I’m happy when I’m not in a relationship….. and so on..

Is this happiness, if it is transitional and subjective to others, dependant on another’s presence or lack? I do not think so. I believe true happiness has nothing to do with things, people or places. Don’t get me wrong, I fully understand being happy on holidays, even being happy when your man is happy and unhappy when he’s not , been there, bought the t-shirt, wore it out!! (Empowerment suicide)

If ‘happiness’ is transitory, if it is based on conditions, it is not the happiness I am talking about. I have had all those ‘happy’ feelings; they are fragile and fleeting. I want true happiness; a way of being that enables me to be happy regardless of any external condition or even circumstance.

How do we achieve this happiness? Firstly, you must look for it from a different place than you usually search for happiness. Yes, I said from, all transient feelings of happiness are viewed from the perspective of ego. When we desire something and claim our happiness depends on it,” I cannot be happy without him/her”, “I won’t’ be happy until I get the promotion/ red sports car” and so on and on and on, it is not an eternal rock solid happiness.

“Happiness is within you. When you stop the chatter of the mind and expel your worries and fears you find out that happiness surfaces from within you”.
Remez Sasson

When you take an honest look at your ego desires and conditions for happiness, you can see them for what they truly are. This will free you . You can still enjoy these desires, but without attaching your sense of happiness to them. Know they will give you a heightened sense of pleasure, some even extreme pleasure, but know that this too shall pass. You only have to recall any time when your ‘life’ was dependant on getting some wish fulfilled and that once it was, you’d never ever want again and hey presto within a short space of time, it’s no longer giving you joy and you’re like… “Next!!” This relates to people as well as things, our egos can be very fickle.

Things, certain circumstances, events and other people give us feelings of pleasure and sometimes the opposite too. The very same things and people have opposing effects on us. How many of you have loved your partner in the morning and ‘hated’ him by the time you were going to bed that night for whatever reasons your ego was not being fulfilled. Fickle!

For true happiness look beyond your ego’s needs, go within and be still, you will find it there. It is never missing, you are pure unadulterated joy, you have been all along, you were just looking from and to the wrong place. Happiness is not out there. It is internal, always present just sometimes covered over by thoughts, beliefs, limiting conditions and conditioning. If you can really grasp this and try it out for yourself, you will discover a gateway to experience true happiness. It initially will be fleeting but only because you will return to ego mode and start searching for what you need next. When you want to feel happiness drop everything, let go and find it within, it just loves to be discovered.

True happiness is knowing that you and only you have the power to feel it or not feel it. The choice is always yours. Nothing and nobody else can make you happy and hence nobody can make you unhappy. It is always your thoughts about things that create your emotions, how you choose to view things, whether consciously or subconsciously . This is a very empowering, liberating concept when you embrace it and practice assessing it at will.

Happiness lies in acceptance of all that is. There will be circumstances that you will lovingly embrace and others that you may prefer not to welcome but the fact is both will occur. Accepting this and knowing ‘this too shall pass’ allows for your inner happiness to remain intact, unswayed by events, a little less prevalent but there nonetheless.

“Being happy doesn’t mean that everything is perfect. It means that you’ve decided to look beyond the imperfections.”

Things to do, to bring your inner smile to your outer world.

Observe your self- talk.

• Does your inner dialogue promote or demote happiness?
• Are you constantly ‘on your case’?
• Can you see how this affects your levels of happiness?

Changing the way you talk to yourself daily, will change your world! Choose positive empowering loving words to guide you. Life is hard enough without you being your own worst enemy. Be good to yourself and life will be good to you.

Be silent.

Access your inner joy by choosing practices to still the mind and free caged happiness. Your mind is the jailor. Choose from an array of meditation types to soothe your mind and allow your soul to sing. It can be as simple as concentrating on your breath of any of your senses. Stillness, Silence is the language of your true self. Find the observer of your thoughts, that is real the essence of you, your spirit and the path to happiness.

Gratitude

We can often be habitually in the habit of seeking that which is wrong and overlooking that which is great, which is magnificent, which can bring us happiness. Make daily lists of al that you are grateful for, this can include anything that if you thought about it are happy to have an behold, Your legs, your children, your parents, your job, your ability to read, your desire to be happy, your lessons in life, how far you’ve come, how far you’ve yet to go. There is so much to be grateful for, I love to do this when I find myself having a moan.. I find I can write for pages and mostly I find I can change my whole viewpoint and emotional experience.

Choose Happiness

It really does boil down to this! Get off your victim sofa and into the fun chair and just do it. Life is wasted on moaning and criticising, on judgements and self –pity. Get over it! Get on it! Get With It! Choose happiness.