Beautiful Thoughts

When everything seems to go wrong, just push.

When the job gets you down, just push.

When people don't react the way you think they should, push!

When your money looks funny and the bills are due, just push.

When you want to tell them off for whatever the reason, just push.

When you ask the question, when is my ship coming in? Just push.

When people just don't understand you, just push.

Let me tell you what Push stands for ....

P-ray

U-ntil

S-omething

H-appens

I ran into a stranger as he passed by,

"Oh, excuse me Please" was my reply.
He said, "Please excuse me too;
Wasn't even watching for you.

We were very polite, this stranger and I.

We went on our way and we said good-bye.
But at home a different story is told,
How we treat our loved ones, young and old.

Later that day, cooking the evening meal,

My daughter stood beside me very still.
When I turned, I nearly knocked her down.
"Move out of the way," I said with a frown.

She walked away, her little heart was broken.

I didn't realize how harshly I'd spoken.
While I lay awake in bed,
God's still small voice came to me and said,
"While dealing with a stranger, common courtesy you use,
But the children you love, you seem to abuse.
Look on the kitchen floor,
You'll find some flowers there by the door.

Those are the flowers she brought for you.

She picked them herself, pink, yellow and blue.
She stood quietly not to spoil the surprise,
And you never saw the tears in her eyes."

By this time, I felt very small

And now my tears began to fall.
I quietly went and knelt by her bed;
"Wake up, little girl, wake up," I said.

"Are these the flowers you picked for me?"

She smiled, "I found 'em, out by the tree.
I picked 'em because they're pretty like you.
I knew you'd like 'em, especially the blue."

I said, "Daughter, I'm sorry for the way I acted today;

I shouldn't have yelled at you that way."
She said, "Oh, Mom, that's okay. I love you anyway."
I said, "Daughter, I love you too,
And I do like the flowers, especially the blue."

Are you aware that:

If we die tomorrow, the company that we are working for could easily replace us in a
matter of days. But the family we left behind will feel the loss for the rest of their lives.
And come to think of it, we pour ourselves more into work than to our family - an unwise
investment indeed. So what is behind the story?

You know what is the full word of family?

FAMILY=(F)ATHER (A)ND (M)OTHER, (I) (L)OVE (Y)OU

It is worthwhile to share more time with them as they are getting older. Make balance
among all things. Fill life with love and bravery and we shall live a life uncommon.
 Return to the site

Thoughts and Quotes

These beautiful and very simple thoughts and quotes can be fun to read,
and very useful in your daily spiritual work. They come from :

Daily Life
Moments of Inspirations
Great Human Beings
Omraam Mikhaël Aïvanhov
Simple Prayers
Great true life stories

Daily Life :
 " When Love speaks, it is Master. "

" Your true friend is the one who never lets you do mistakes, but forgives you everything. "

" Never let anyone come to you and leave without being happier. "

" The soul of a great man can be recognised in the sparkling eyes of his lady. "

" We must love ourselves enough to know how to forget about ourselves. "

" If your daily life seems poor, do not blame it, but rather, blame yourself and know that
you have not been poetic enough to capture it's richness. "

" Music gives soul to our hearts, and wings to our thoughts. "

" There are no uncrossable obstacles, there are only more or less energetic wills. "

" You will be young for as long as you stay receptive. Receptive to all that is beautiful,
good and great. Receptive to the messages of nature, men and God. "

" Old age which is a decadence for ordinary beings, is for geniuses, saints and Initiates;
an apothesis. "

" In young woman, beauty contributes to spirit. In older women, spirit contributes to
 beauty. "

" A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity, an optimist sees the opportunity in
every difficulty. "

" God and men are like two lovers who have made a mistake on the location of their
meeting place. Men waits for God in time, and God waits for men in eternity. "

" God is an infinite sphere of which the center is everywhere and the circonference, no
where. "

" To give a glass of water for a glass of water is nothing. True greatness consists of giving
back good for wrongdoing. "

" When you are sorry, look at the other person in the eyes. "

" Those who have a great "why", can endure any "how". "

" Choose a work which you love and you won't have to work a single day of your life. "

" Everytime you wish to know the true nature of something, give it to time. "

" Rest from having done your best, and let others speak as they want. "

" Man builds himself only in the pursuit of what is greater then him. "

" We must never think of the distance, whatever it may be, that separates us from virtue. "

" To listen well, is almost to answer. "

" No matter if the beginning is small. "

" It is in efforts that we find full satisfaction and not necessarily in success, a full effort is a
full victory. "

" There are no great realisations which were not utopias first. "

" To the happy heart a joyful smile. "

Moments of Inspiration :

" The secret of hapiness is to work on yourself so that you may give to others."

" The most beautiful prayers are those who ask for nothing but give everything in return. "

" Saints are only, accomplished Saints. We are all Saints in the making and will get there,
eventually : ) "

" True cosmic justice always takes place first ... in the human heart. "

" When a being learns to love all creatures, he becomes invulnerable. "

" The people who are joyful and positive never are by chance. It is a great Teaching that
they are following either consciously or unconsciously. "

" If there are so many obscurities in this world, it is perhaps only because we do not live
according to the laws of light. "
 " It is not Life that is wrongly made, it is humans that don't live right ! "
( for now only, we will get better later ! )

" Wherever we are, that is where our work is. "

" The harder the winter, the Greater the spring. "

" To complain without working to better a situation is neither beautiful nor noble, and
certainly not very useful ... "

" By critisizing, our conscience levels itself with the problems. By putting solutions into
practice, it surpasses them. "

" When we have surpassed a situation, we become able to laugh about it. That is perhaps
why the great sages have such a sense of humor. : ) "

" Live each day well, and you will have an extraordinary life ! "

" Men needs to beleive and aspire towards something bigger then him, not because he is
so small, but really because he is much greater then he knows himself to be ! "

" The search for God often has but one reason, rememberance ... "

" Life is a gift, an absolutely free gesture which is only up to us to honor. "

" Illumination is the ultimate synthesis of things. "

- Quest

Friends and E'mails:

" There are no chance happenings. "

" At the very basis of things, we all have the same age. "

- Pierre Lafleur
 " The greatest gift there is, and it wears it's name well, is the present. "

- Nicolas Bouchard

" When we take a walk in nature, we are under the impression of discovering fantastic
places, of doing a beautiful voyage. In reality, we are only re-visiting our true home and re-
discovering our very own natural habitat. The lakes, stars, seas, skies, trees and sunrises,
all these are of the same essence as we are ! This might explain why we feel so good in
such places ... "

- Jonathan Gosselin ( Havok )

Great Human Beings :

" You must become

the change you would like to see in the world. "

- Mahatma Ghandi
 " A mistake is not a truth because it is shared by many people,
just as a truth is not false because it is emitted by a single individual. "

- Mahatma Ghandi

" The yogi who as conquered the mind, as conquered the world. "

- Paramhansa Yogananda

- Paramhansa Yogananda
These thoughts come from the calendar "Inner Reflections" 2003
You can visit this link to visualise the 2004-2006 editions

" Sometimes, hope is what makes us smile.

Other times, a smile is what can bring us hope. "

- Tibetan Monk

" What is false lasts until tomorrow, what is pure lasts for eternity. "

- bulgarian proverb

" A world of non-violence can only have it's roots in a non-violent food diet. "

- John Robbins
author of " Diet for a new America "

" We are not human beings having spiritual experiences, we are spiritual beings having
the human experience. "

- nde researcher

" A person who asks love of others, but does not himself give it, cannot be loved. Always
be the first to give love and it shall be given to you. As long as you do not give your heart
first, you will be far from love. "

- Peter Deunov

" Spread love everywhere you go: first of all in your own house. Give love to your children,
to your wife or husband, to a next door neighbor... Let no one ever come to you without
leaving better and happier. Be the living expression of God's kindness; kindness in your
face, kindness in your eyes, kindness in your smile, kindness in your warm greeting. "
 - Mother Teresa

" A human being is a part of the whole called by us universe, a part limited in time and
space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feeling as something separated from the
rest, a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for
us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest to us.
Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circle of compassion
to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty. "

- Albert Einstein

[...] "Master, you are wonderful!" A student, taking his leave, gazed ardently at the
patriarchal sage. "You have renounced riches and comforts to seek God and teach us
wisdom!" It was well-known that Bhaduri Mahasaya had forsaken great family wealth in his
early childhood, when single-mindedly he entered the yogic path.

"You are reversing the case!" The saint's face held a mild rebuke."I have left a few paltry
rupees, a few petty pleasures, for a cosmic empire of endless bliss. How then have I
denied myself anything? I know the joy of sharing the treasure. Is that a sacrifice? The
shortsighted worldly folk are verily the real renunciates! They relinquish an unparalleled
divine possession for a poor handful of earthly toys!"

- Badhuri Mahasaya
quoted from the book : "Autobiography of a Yogi "

Omraam Mikhaël Aïvanhov :

and Spiritual Work
 " The power of human beings lies in their capacity to say ‘no’. Human beings, created in
the image of God, are as powerful as Him. So why do they show such weakness? Because
they do not know where their strength lies. Their strength lies in their ability to say ‘no’.
This means no-one in the world can force them to do what they do not want to do. Even if
all the creatures from hell united against them to force them to act against their will, they
would not be able to. Even God cannot compel human beings. Which is why if they knew
where their true power lies, they would be above all seduction, all temptation, all crime. If
people commit crimes it is because they consent to do so. The spirits of the invisible
world have ways to tempt human beings, but they do not have the ability to force them. It
is because people are not aware of their divine origins that they are so weak in the face of
evil. "

" Every day life presents us with complex situations and we need to learn to be flexible in
order to cope with them. There are people who react in the same way to every
circumstance, using the same means, the same methods, what ever the situation.
However, since every problem has its own specific solution, these people never stop
running full tilt into obstacles. You need to be flexible, and flexibility is all about being
more a psychologist, more of an educationalist, more of a diplomat – but not a diplomat in
the pejorative sense of hypocritical and sly. True diplomacy implies wisdom. The sage is a
diplomat who knows the most beneficial method to choose to do maximum good in every
given situation, or vis-a-vis any individual. A sage, a true sage, thinks and finds ways to
manoeuvre like a sailor who knows the currents and reefs, and knows how to steer his
craft to avoid shipwreck. Flexibility therefore implies wisdom. To be flexible in life means
to have wisdom and psychological insight. "

" Like nature, the human being is a creation of God. How absurd, then, that certain
creatures do not recognize they have a Creator! How can they refuse to acknowledge
something so perfectly obvious: that creation and creatures by necessity have a Creator?
When a crime has been committed, we begin by asking ourselves who the perpetrator is.
In most cases, he is long gone by then. He has not stayed near his ‘handiwork’, and yet no
one doubts that this work has a perpetrator! In the same way, when a painting is
discovered without a signature and we do not know to which painter we should attribute it,
we do not say that no one painted it. We simply say that the painter is ‘unknown’. Although
we have no idea who the painter is, it would never occur to us to doubt his existence. Why
then do some claim that this grandiose, sublime work of creation has no author, that it is
the product of chance? Let them say instead, if they wish, that the creator is unknown, but
to deny this author’s existence is the greatest possible aberration. "

" Your happiness depends on your ability to change your state of consciousness, to
extricate yourself from the realms of the unconscious, the subconscious, and even the
self-conscious, in order to elevate yourselves to the realms of the superconscious, or
divine consciousness, so that you may dive into it as into an ocean of light. Doing this,
you realize not only that you are free from the limitations of your physical body and the
impressions of the five senses, but also that your whole being extends to infinity. In this
fusion with divine light, even if it only lasts for a brief moment, you feel that you are
gradually being taken over by your superior self, which is a tiny part of the Godhead. And
then, one fine day, all of a sudden, you will be given all the comprehension, sensations, or
achievements you previously lacked. "

" While youth and beauty last an actress or singer knows success. But what happens
later? More often than not she will be forgotten and a younger, prettier star will take her
place. However bitterly she rebels against this apparent injustice there is nothing she can
 do to change it. She should have been prepared for it. She should have known that the
public is ruthlessly fickle. Every star fades and is replaced in its affections unless they
possess a secret. And what is this secret? It is to know how to renew the life within. If you
are capable of radiating new life every day, a life of love, light and purity, no one will want
to put anyone else in your place even when you are three hundred years old! No one ever
thinks of replacing the sun. We replace all kinds of things and all kinds of people but no
one has yet succeeded in taking the place of the sun. Husbands get rid of one wife and put
another in her place. And vice versa. You will say, ‘Yes, but that is because he was not
earning enough money, or because he had a broken nose!’ No, the real reason is that he
had allowed his life to stagnate. No one wants to replace those who radiate life, because
life is the one thing we most need. "

" There is one justice, and there are two injustices. You don’t believe me? Well, let me
explain. When you go to the greengrocers to buy a kilo of cherries, he can give you exactly
a kilo… or a little less… or a little more. In the first instance he is being just, and in the
other two he is being unjust, but of course the second injustice is most welcome to his
customers. They wish everyone were as unjust as this good man, whereas the first
injustice does not please them at all. So you see, we have one justice and two injustices.
People are always advised to be just. Well, on the contrary, I am going to advise you to be
unjust, in other words to learn to work with love. Yes, love is the greatest injustice there is:
whether the person deserves it or not, you give him something. Maybe no one has ever
classified love as an injustice, but I repeat: love is a magnificent injustice, and I advise all
of you to be unjust in precisely this way! "

Simple Prayers :
 May your heart be as pure as crystal,
Your intellect as luminous as the sun,
Your soul, as vast as the Universe,
and you Spirit, as powerful as, and united with God.

- Peter Deunov

Great true life Stories :

Rescuing Hug

This is a picture from an article called “The Rescuing Hug”. The article details the first
week of life of a set of twins. Apparently, each were in their respective incubators, and one
was not expected to live. A hospital nurse fought against the hospital rules and placed the
babies in one incubator. When they were placed together, the healthier of the two threw an
arm over her sister in an endearing embrace. The smaller baby’s heart rate stabilized and
her temperature rose to normal.

Let us not forget to embrace those whom we love.

 Return to the site

© Quest - All rigths reserved - 2006

Nine Ways to, LESSEN STRESS, INCREASE

PEACE , FULFIL YOUR PURPOSE By. Dr. Dawn
Stranges

1. Quiet Time Each Day

Meditation, Prayer, Visualization, Imagery, Time for Solitary Reflection
2. Healing Movement Exercise Each Day
Walking, Swimming, Running, Tai Chi, My Chi, Yoga, Eurhythmy, Dance
3. Mindfulness Each Day
Be fully engaged in whatever the current moment offers
4. Gratitude Each Moment
See how privileged you can feel throughout the day for each experience
you encounter
5. Create Something Beautiful Each Day
Cooking, baking, artwork, dance, building, gardening, handwork, writing,
etc., etc., etc.
6. Express Kindness Each Day
For no reason
7. Release it – All of It, All the Time
Any kind of stress, worry, fear, anger, grudge, etc., etc., etc.
8. Enjoy Fun Each Day
Fun with family, with friends and especially with yourself!
9. Be Love – All the Time
That's why you're here! Love 'em all, especially the unlovable one - they
need it most!

How Not to get Stressed.

Stress is ineveitable in schools where the teacher is expected to do everything from writing
curriculum, to assessment, to learning about individual personalities and dealing with problems
and trying to solve them. Learn to cope with stress. The internet is full of ideas.
I have worked out some tongue in cheek solutions that are worth considering, if you know you are
stretching beyond a coping level. Then, concentrating on alleviating stress levels for yourself,
does help. When the strategies lower again and stress reoccurs, then reassess your strategies
and level out again. I believe firmly in early nights so that does not add to the situation and eating
properly so at least your health is not the majoy issue and the Life Balance theory does suggests
that even teachers do need some sort of relaxing fun if they are to cope and this is where having
a friend helps as then there is some social life and someone to lean on away from work.
Take my suggestions as you will...but they help me all the time, even if I don't always follow my
own advice.

1. Believe in God. It helps to have long conversations with God about your problems and he
always seems to provide a listening ear and God does not argue with what you are saying.
2.Get out of school as fast as you can and work at home. I found the agony stayed whilst I was at
school so I ended up buying all the equipment needed to run my office from home and I do my
work there in a happy surrounding, where I am content with myself, and when I need help I get on
the Internet and do a search.
3.Do not argue with the students, teachers, HODs, Principal, parents, cleaners, canteen lady or
anybody I have not mentioned. All have the ability to get back at you in some insiduous way like
not buttering your bread, not cleaning your room, complaining to others or just ignoring you. If you
argue...you lose. Do not argue with anyone about anything even in fun as some people take it
as a real argument.
4. Smile...The day you stop smiling and start telling people why you look unhappy, is the day you
regret. Tell no-one nothing and smile...smile...smile. The world understands a smiler and smiles
back. You cannot teach all your students to smile, but you can say you smiled as much as you
could and seemed to be always happy.
5. I always dress with pride. It makes me feel better and disconcerts the students who are used to
yelling at people dressed the same as them. Its very hard to keep demeaning someone dressed
elegantly and with style. The better dressed I am the harder the group I have to face. I never
underdress in situations that are not friendly. I add all the trimmings and try to hold myself with
dignity even when facing insults and demeaning teenage confrontations. I have face, and I have
pride in myself, and however down I am, I try to cling to this vestige of self pride.
6. Don't ask for help from immediates. The ear may seem sympathetic, but often the ear has its
own problems, and when stressed, turns on you for adding to them ,or discusses the fact that you
asked for help. Try and handle things yourself. If you really do need help go to someone who
cannot benefit from your ignorance like the Internet.
7. Do some exercise. If its too hot or too cold to exercise outdoors, do it in front of the fire or TV.
Lift weights even if it is an encyclopedia, dance to music, walk or jog on the spot, or do something
like Tai chi or yoga or anything, but get some exercise regularly and stick with it. Many people
play sport, walk with a pedometer or exercise whilst driving by tensing every part of the body.
8. Sleep on it. Never try and solve a problem on the spot. Inside each of us is an ability to have
our inner souls advise on the right action. If you sleep on a problem you will invariably wake with
an answer. Learn to tune into your inner voice..the voice of reason.
9. Laugh Therapy. This is getting many components in the States where people are being trained
to belly laugh to relax completely. Funny shows and comedies that make you belly laugh can be
doing more for you than you think. Learn to laugh, and laugh loudly.
10.Vitamins and Health boosters. There are many available such as ginseng, pollen and royal
jelly, seaweed and honey, herbal drinks and health foods. Convince yourself that one or more of
these is your saviour and work on bringing yourself back to a healthy level.

Tips for Happiness in Daily Life

by Remez Sasson

Daily life can be made happier. It is a matter of choice. It is our attitude that makes us
feel happy or unhappy. It is true, we meet all kinds of situations during the day, and some
of them may not be conductive to happiness. We can choose to keep thinking about the
unhappy events, and we can choose to refuse to think about them, and instead, relish the
happy moments. All of us constantly go through various situations and circumstances, but we
do not have to let them influence our reactions and feelings.

If we let outer events influence our moods, we become their slaves. We lose our freedom. We
let our happiness be determined by outer forces. On the other hand, we can free ourselves
from outer influences. We can choose to be happy, and we can do a lot to add happiness to
our lives.

What is happiness? It is a feeling of inner peace and satisfaction. It is usually experienced

when there are no worries, fears or obsessing thoughts, and this usually happens, when we do
something we love to do or when we get, win, gain or achieve something that we value. It
seems to be the outcome of positive events, but it actually comes from the inside, triggered by
outer events.

For most people happiness seems fleeting, because they let changing outer circumstances
affect it. One of the best ways to keep it, is by gaining inner peace through daily meditation.
As the mind becomes more peaceful, it becomes easier to choose the happiness habit.

Here are a few tips for increasing happiness in daily life:

1) Endeavor to change the way you look at things. Always look at the bright side. The mind
may drag you to think about negativity and difficulties. Don't let it. Look at the good and
positive side of every situation.

2) Think of solutions, not problems.

3) Listen to relaxing, uplifting music.

4) Watch funny comedies that make you laugh.

5) Each day, devote some time to reading a few pages of an inspiring book or article.

6) Watch your thoughts. Whenever you catch yourself thinking negative thoughts, start
thinking of pleasant things.

7) Always look at what you have done and not at what you haven't.

Sometimes you may begin the day with the desire to accomplish several objectives. At the end
of the day you might feel frustrated and unhappy, because you haven't been able to do all of
those things.

Look at what you have done, not at what you have not been able to do. You may have
accomplished a lot during the day, and yet you let yourself become frustrated, because of
some small things that you did not accomplish. You have spent all day successfully carrying
out many plans, and instead of feeling happy and satisfied, you look at what was not
accomplished and feel unhappy. It is unfair toward yourself.

8) Each day do something good for yourself. It can be something small, such buying a book,
eating something you love, watching you favorite program on TV, going to a movie, or just
having a stroll on the beach.

9) Each day do at least one act to make others happy. This can be a kind word, helping your
colleagues, stopping your car at the crossroad to let people cross, giving your seat in a bus to
someone else, or giving a small present to someone you love. The possibilities are infinite.
When you make someone happy, you become happy, and then people try to make you happy.

10) Always expect happiness.

11) Do not envy people who are happy. On the contrary, be happy for their happiness.

12) Associate with happy people, and try to learn from them to be happy. Remember,
happiness is contagious.

13) Do your best to stay detached, when things do not proceed as intended and desired.
Detachment will help you stay calm and control your moods and reactions. Detachment is not
indifference. It is the acceptance of the good and the bad and staying balanced. Detachment
has much to do with inner peace, and inner peace is conductive to happiness.

14) Smile more often.

Enjoying a Wonderful Day

by Remez Sasson

How about living and spending one day in a different way from your other days? You can
create and enjoy a beautiful, satisfying and wonderful day. You can do so, by making small
changes in your daily life.

Your preparations have to start the night before.

Sit down on your bed before lying down to sleep, and tell yourself that tomorrow morning you
are going to wake one hour earlier than usual. Repeat some autosuggestions or affirmations to
make the mind accept this idea. Think for a while about the benefits you will gain by waking
and getting up earlier, and about the things you can do in this extra hour.

It is not enough just to wake up early. Often, after waking up, we do not get out of bed, but
stay for some more minutes, and then fall asleep again. You have to persuade and explain to
your mind that you have to get out of bed immediately after awakening. It is pleasant to
cuddle under the blankets, especially on a cold morning, but on this special day you need to
get out of bed immediately.

Set your alarm clock to the appointed hour and enter your bed. While in bed, watch the
thoughts that pop up into your mind, but try to do so detachedly and without any tension. Just
watch them dispassionately, calmly, and in a relaxed manner, until you fall asleep.

When the alarm clock rings in the morning, get up immediately, with a smile on your face.
Don't give in to the desire to stay some more minutes in bed. Don't listen to your mind, which
will probably persuade you to stay in bed a little longer, because it is too early. The feeling of
pleasure and power you gain by getting immediately is greater that the pleasure of staying in
bed.

Get up, wash, change your clothes and sit for

meditation for about twenty minutes, using any
meditation technique that you know. If you do not
know how to meditate, just sit down and visualize
some pleasurable and happy events from the past.
I am not going to describe how to handle each and every action and situation during the day,
as every individual has a different life and schedule. However, I am going to give some general
examples and hints to help you design your own day.

# Waking up earlier gives you more time in the morning, so why not enjoy a nourishing and
tasty breakfast? Prepare something you love, something that you usually do not have the time
to prepare in the morning. You have got the time today.

# Endeavor to be aware of what you are doing throughout the day. When you eat for example,
pay attention to your food, and don't read the newspaper or watch the television at the same
time. If you do so, you will enjoy your food much more. In the same way try to focus your
attention on your other activities. Concentrating on what you are doing helps you do it better
and more efficiently.

# Remember to smile more often during the day. It is important that the smile is not a
artificial, but that it comes from inside you. Smiling makes you and other people feel happier.

# Expect the best and do your best.

# Be patient and tolerant toward others.

# While driving your car, decide to be kind and tolerant toward the other drivers. Stop at
street crossings to let the pedestrians cross the street. Be courteous and considerate on the
road. This behavior will make you and the other drivers and pedestrians feel good. As a
consequence, they too will be kind to other drivers and pedestrians, at least for a little while.

# A good morning with a smile has a great influence on everyone. Greet the people who work
with you, even if you have never done so before.

# Coming to work with a strong intention to have a great day, and handling everything in a
positive and decisive manner, will have its influence upon the people whom you come in
contact with. This will help you to broadcast peace, good will and happiness.

# Do your best to be nice and polite today, to your family, colleagues, friends, the seller at the
grocery or supermarket, to the bus or cab driver, to the delivery boy and to anyone else you
meet today. It is all a matter of inner attitude and choice. Exercise your power to choose a
polite and considerate attitude.

# Make a decision that during this special day you are going to handle everything in a cool and
calm way. If you need to meet someone or do something that usually makes you feel nervous
or irritated, have a talk with yourself beforehand. Tell yourself that you are going to stay calm
and relaxed, and that you are going to handle everything in the best way. If you feel you need
it, make several mental rehearsals. Visualize yourself going through the situation in a very
efficient way, and achieving a positive outcome.

# In this special day act unhurriedly. Do your best to stay relaxed. Remind yourself often that
it is your beautiful, wonderful day. Invite into your mind thoughts and feelings of happiness,
satisfaction and competence. Imagine scenes and events from your past experiences, when
you felt good and happy. By concentrating on these mental images you let the associated
feelings and emotions well up again. Enjoy these good feelings, and try to go on enjoying
them, even after you stop thinking about them.

# When back home from work, what about a flower, a book, or some other small gift to your
spouse and children? Even a smile, a hug or a kiss will do. You have tried all day to be kind to
other people and stay positive. Do this at home too. Devote some quality time to your family.
You have been out the whole day; now enjoy being together with them. Earning money to
suppurt your family is not enough. They need to feel your love and attention too.

# During this special day, make also some special effort to use your time more efficiently. Do
not watch too much TV, and shorten the time that you read the newspaper. It is better to use
this time to read something inspiring that will help you improve your life, or devote a few
minutes to meditation in the afternoon or evening.

# Don't forget to devote some time for yourself. I have talked about meditation, but do also
something that you love, such as reading a book, writing, devoting some time to your hobby,
walking or any other physical exercises.

The above are suggestions to show you what you can do. You can adapt these hints to your
specific situation.

Try to live one wonderful day. Then enjoy another day like it. If you continue, this will become
a habit.

Remember that today is a special and wonderful day. It is different from the other days.

Peace of Mind Tips and Advice

By Remez Sasson

Most people would be glad to have some peace of mind in their life. They would be happy to
forget their troubles, problems and worries, and enjoy a few moments of inner calmness and
freedom from obsessing thoughts.

What is peace of mind? It is a state of inner calmness and tranquility, together with a sense of
freedom, when thoughts and worries cease, and there is no stress, strain or fear. Such
moments are not so rare. They may be experienced while being engaged in some kind of an
absorbing or interesting activity, such as while watching an interesting movie or TV program,
while being with someone you love, while reading a book or while lying on the sand at the
beach.

When you are on vacation, do you experience some sort of mental numbness? At this time the
mind becomes calmer, with fewer thoughts and fewer worries. Even while you are deeply
asleep, not aware of your thoughts, you are in a state of inner peace.

Such and similar activities take away the mind from its usual thoughts and worries, and bring
some temporary inner peace.

The question is, how to bring more peace of mind into our life, and more importantly, how to
experience it in times of trouble. You might also ask whether it is possible to make it a habit,
and enjoy it always and under all circumstances. First, you need to learn to bring more
moments of inner peace into your daily life. Later, you will be able to experience these
moments in times of trouble or difficulties too, when you most need inner calmness and
tranquility.

You can turn peace of mind into a natural habit, but to do so, special training is required,
through concentration exercises, meditation and other means. Browse this website, and you
will find articles, advice and techniques for attaining peace of mind, as well as a special book
dedicated to this subject.
 Here are a few simple things that can help you:

• Reduce the amount of time you read the newspapers or watch the news on TV.
• Stay away from negative conversations and from negative people.
• Don't hold grudges. Learn to forget and forgive. Nurturing ill feelings and grievances hurts
you and causes lack of sleep.
• Don't be jealous of others. Being jealous means that you have low self-esteem and consider
yourself inferior to others. This again, causes lack of inner peace.
• Accept what cannot be changed. This saves a lot of time, energy and worries.
• Every day we face numerous inconveniences, irritations and situations that are beyond our
control. If we can change them, that's fine, but this is not always possible. We must learn to
put up with such things and accept them cheerfully.
• Learn to be more patient and tolerant with people and events.
• Don't take everything too personally. Some emotional and mental detachment is desirable.
Try to view your life and other people with a little detachment and less involvement.
Detachment is not indifference, lack of interest or coldness. It is the ability to think and
judge impartially and logically. Don't worry if again and again you fail to manifest
detachment. Just keep trying.
• Let bygones be gone. Forget the past and concentrate on the present moment. There is no
need to evoke unpleasant memories and immerse yourself in them.
• Practice some concentration exercises. This will help you to reject unpleasant thoughts and
worries that steal away your peace of mind.
• Learn to practice meditation. Even a few minutes a day will make a change in your life.

Inner peace ultimately leads to external peace. By creating peace in our inner world, we bring
it into the external world, affecting other people too.

Inner Peace and Balance in Daily Life

By Remez Sasson

Inner peace and balance are of great importance in everyone's life. They are highly valued by
most people, though really few possess them. Yet, everyone can develop them, some more
some less.

What do inner peace and inner balance mean? They mean the presence of self control and
discipline and the ability not to let outside events influence our emotions, actions and
reactions. Their presence mean the possession of common sense and good judgment, and of
not letting the outside world shake our inner world.

How many times have you been overwhelmed by emotions, lost your temper and got angry or
impatient? How many times have regretted about your reactions or attitude?

Do you shout at your children, spouse, co-workers or employees? Do you get angry with
them? Are you happy with this situation? Do you let your work, the weather, other people
behavior and attitude, the movies or the newspapers influence the way you feel and think. Do
outside events distract your mind and make you think about them, instead of what you choose
to think about? This is loss of inner balance and lack of inner peace.

Lack of inner balance causes fluctuations of the emotions, lack of decisiveness and wasting
time on unnecessary thoughts, emotions and actions. So what is the remedy?
The moments immediately after awakening are important, and influence the mood of the day.
These moments have to be used correctly.

After waking up in the morning, instead of thinking about the difficulties or tasks that are
awaiting you, smile and tell yourself what a wonderful day your are going to have. Think about
the pleasant things you are going to do or experience, not the about the difficulties. Repeat to
yourself several times that today you are going to maintain inner balance, common sense and
peace of mind.

From the moment you get up until you go to sleep at night try to maintain some detachment.
This does not mean being indifferent or uncaring. It means not reacting immediately to
situations, words, emotions or thoughts. It might not be so easy, but if you persevere you will
win. Take a few deep breaths or count to 10 before acting. This will to some extent calm you
down.

If someone tells you something that you do not like hearing, instead of getting insulted or
retorting in anger, hold and delay your reaction. I do not mean fret and boil inside and show
nothing outside. This is not healthy. I mean look at the incident in a broader perspective. Is
what the other person saying really important? Why do his words mean so much to you?
Maybe he is right, and it would be wise to heed his words and opinion, instead of reacting in
anger?

Always remember that if you descend into a valley, but keep walking forward, you will arrive to
a point where you will start climbing up. No matter what happens, remember that there is
always a way out. After every fall there is rising up again. This knowledge will help you restore
your inner peace and balance, when encountering difficulties and obstacles.

Developing inner strength and the ability to make the mind quiet, through concentration
exercises, meditation, detachment, visualization or affirmations, will take you a long way
toward attaining and maintaining inner balance and peace.

Peace Begins In The Mind

By Remez Sasson

Peace begins in the mind. Anyone who wants to live peacefully has to start working on calming
down the mind, thoughts and worries. There are various techniques to do so; one of them is of
course meditation.

People subconsciously long for peace, so why do they fight each other? Why are there always
groups of people who fight other groups? This kind of situation has been going on from the
beginning of the human race. Deep thinking on the subject will bring one to see the absurdity
of this situation.

Please set aside a few minutes thinking on the following ideas. What is a human being? There
is a machine, the body, which is alive, because of the spirit that animates it. I won't get now
into why and how it was created. The bodies of all human beings on the planet Earth are built
in the same way, and are made from the same stuff. There are no bodies made from some
more precious metal than others.

Then there is the Spirit. There aren't many spirits, but just one indivisible Spirit filling the
whole Cosmos. It is the same Spirit filling and activating all the bodies in the Cosmos. There is
no one spirit better than another, because it is the same Spirit manifesting through all the
bodies.
True, every body looks different from another, but yet they are made of the same stuff. There
is a difference in way the brain and nervous system function, which means there is a
difference in the way that the Spirit can manifest through each body. Some brains and nervous
systems convey through them more easily and smoothly the energy of the Spirit, and others
do not convey it so easily. It is the same as electricity. The electric current flows faster and
with less hindrance through certain metals than others.

Between the body and the Spirit there is the personality, the ego. It comes into existence
between of the Spirit and the body, when these two unite. I won't enter into explanations what
it is and how it comes into being, except saying that the pure Spirit manifests and sees the
world through this personality. It is like looking at the world through some sort of eyeglasses,
and here starts all the trouble in the world.

The personality, which is the ego, is composed of thoughts, ideas, habits and memories. A
person living in a certain society grows with this society's ideas and beliefs, no matter whether
these ideas are positive or negative, true or false.

People are born into a certain societies, tribes, nations or religions, and seldom change their
ideas and beliefs. Later, as they grow up, they join, clubs, support certain sports teams, join
certain societies, political parties or other groups. People with same ideas and beliefs often
join and unite with people having the same ideas and beliefs. If their beliefs are positive or
harmless, it is all right. The trouble begins when they start thinking they are better then
others, and when they start molesting or hurting other groups.

This gets more dangerous, when people regard others as members of one group, as a unit,
which on the material, human level is true, but not on the spiritual level.

Look at a flock of fish. A fisherman does not distinguish between one fish and another in a
particular flock. They all look the same, and all he wants is catch some. People under the
effect of emotions behave in the same way. If they are angry with a particular person, because
of something he has actually done, or because they erroneously assume he or she had hurt
them, they try to hurt everyone connected with that person, even if they are innocent. Too
often they do not distinguish between the members of a group. That is why one group of
people fights another group, one country fight another country and one religion against
another religion. Isn't it futile and ridiculous?

Suppose two babies were born to a certain family, and one of them was taken for adoption by
a family in another country or of a different religion. Each baby grows in a different society,
with different beliefs, goals and behavior, yet both of them are brothers. They grow to see the
world in completely different ways, and might even fight each other one day, as citizens of two
countries or members of different religions. Doesn't it seem absurd? This is all due to the way
they were brought up, and to the way their minds, thoughts and beliefs were shaped.

The aim of a human being should be to rise above the ego, above thoughts and beliefs. One
has to look at the world through the eyes of the Spirit and not through the eyes of the ego.
From the point of view of the Spirit, the ego is only an illusion and is temporary. Why should
one be enslaved by thoughts that come and go? Why should one harm others because of
certain of thought that rule his or her life? Why should one accept certain thoughts and beliefs
and reject others? Thoughts ate like clouds that pass through the sky. You are the sky, not the
thoughts. You are one with everyone else in the world, an inseparable part of the One Spirit.

Peace and real freedom come from within, when one is able to rise above the mind, above the
ego, and to able to live in the Spirit and look at everything from the eyes of this Spirit. You
can do that. You can start today. How? By changing the way you think, by making inner
changes, by inner work and through meditation. I hope the many articles at
www.SuccessConsciousness.com can help in this direction, even if just a little.
Attaining Inner Peace and Mental Mastery
By Remez Sasson

Do you desire to attain inner peace and mental mastery?

What would you prefer, inner peace and mental mastery, or a mind filled with rushing, restless
and uncontrolled thoughts?

Who is the master and who is the servant, you or your mind? Do you choose your thoughts, or
does the mind choose your thoughts for you?

Does your mind constantly occupy your attention with worries, anxieties and problems?

Can you calm down your mind and impose peace on it?

The mind is a great and useful instrument, but it is greater and more useful, when you
possess the ability to accept or reject thoughts at will, and not accept and dwell on every
thought that passes through your mind.

It is usual for the mind to be always busy, always thinking, but are all its thoughts useful and
necessary? How many of them are just useless or negative thoughts, worries and fears?

Most people are enslaved by their thoughts. It does not occur to them that they can become
free from their grasp. The chatter of the mind continues incessantly from the moment they
wake up in the morning to the moment they fall asleep at night. The habit of constantly of
thinking is very deeply ingrained in the human race. Nevertheless, this habit can be undone.
The mind is a great and useful instrument, but it should not be allowed to rule our lives. We
should be able to silence it when we want to.

Thoughts constantly come and go. You may choose to ignore them and enjoy inner peace, or
you may choose to give them your attention and be constantly occupied with them. It is not so
simple and easy to be able to choose which thoughts to accept and which ones to reject, but
there are ways to do this.

By reducing the amount of thoughts in your mind, you attain mastery over your mind, and are
able to focus it on whatever you want. You will be able to use it in better and more useful
ways.

A calm mind is a powerful mind. A peaceful mind brings inner happiness that affects other
people. It is a great asset and advantage to be able to silence the mind when its services are
not required. A person who is able to silence the inner chatter of the mind is free from worries,
anxieties and fears.

Making the mind peaceful and free from the compulsion of incessant thinking is possible,
provided the proper training is undertaken. With the proper method and exercises, everyone
can attain at least some measure of inner peace and mental mastery.

True control the mind is not just the ability to concentrate on one thought and disregard other
thoughts. It is the ability to cleanse the mind completely and make it silent. This silence brings
peace, contentment, happiness and bliss.

How can you attain inner peace and mental mastery? By learning to concentrate in accordance
with your will, through meditation, and by developing self discipline and inner strength.
Browse the pages of this website, and you will find information and guidance about the power
of concentration, meditation, willpower and self discipline. If you approach the subject of inner
peace and mental mastery with a positive mental attitude, practise the exercises and follow
the advice, you will begin to see improvement and results, and your motivation to attain peace
and mastery would grow.

r spending considerable years in life in search of money, position, power, status, conjugal bliss and

so on, many times we end up with a feeling that, in the bargain, we have lost peace in life. We feel

peace is more precious than many other things we were hunting around for. By the time we reach

such a conclusion, we have already developed such deep-rooted tendencies, behavioral patterns and

mindsets that we consequently find ourselves enslaved in them and become incapable of untangling

ourselves from them so as to live in peace.

Many of us do not know that having peace of mind itself could be a worthwhile goal and we can

work our way to attain it! It would be even better if we develop such a mindset early in life.

Life essentially consists of certain ways and means within our control and certain happenings and

circumstances beyond our control. By acting on those within our control, we can strive to lead a

peaceful life. A spiritual and philosophical mindset would add to our efforts.

Here are some steps to lead a peaceful life:

1. Do not compare yourself with others: Your life is your

own. Your likes and dislikes, tastes, expectations and

standards are your own. Your neighbor or your colleague

need not be a benchmark for you to compare yourself or

compete with. Their level of education, financial status,

social status or spending pattern need not be yours. If at

all you have to compare, compare yourself with those who

are less privileged than you; those whose lives are more

peaceful and less complicated than yours.

2. Do not aspire to make other's dreams your reality:

Your father's unfulfilled dream of becoming a doctor need

not be your dream. Your mother's dream of becoming a

successful dancer need not be yours - unless and until,

you, on your own - think the same way.

3. Have a clear-cut self-judgment about your true

capabilities, strengths and limitations: You might

possess excellent soccer skills within your local league. But

it need not mean you are competent enough to play for the

national team. Compare yourself with better players and

make a sincere judgment: ‘Do I really play or am I capable

of playing to that level? Do I have the physical,

psychological and financial resources to make myself fit

enough to come up to that level? Above all, is such a

yearning worth the effort?'

Sheer positive thinking alone will not do wonders. In the

scheme of nature, all are not endowed with same set of

skills and resources. If you are capable of judging yourself

correctly, you will be endowed with the peace of mind by

not pursuing something beyond your reach.

4. Live within your means: This is time-tested age-old

wisdom, which is unfortunately forgotten in today's credit

card culture. What you buy using credit cards should be

payable IN FULL by you when the bill arrives. If you get

lured by the "Minimum Amount Due Now," it paves the way

for accumulation of debt and consequently, loss of peace,

sooner or later. If the object of desire can be purchased by

you only through installment, DO NOT SUCCUMB to the

temptation of purchase. By bringing in this self-control,

you may lose short-term pleasures, but you will enjoy

long-term peace.

Procurement of capital-intensive items like a flat/house

should be strictly within your well-thought-out budgets,

taking into account your repaying capacity under realistic

situations and NOT based on your dreams of making a big

fortune in your future endeavors!

5. Regularly save a percentage of your income: At any

point in time, should you come across a bad patch in life

 like losing a job, or a loss in your business, etc., you should

be in a position to pull along comfortably at least for a few

months on the strength of your savings.

6. Never get addicted to anything: Be it alcohol,

smoking, drugs, women, work, profession, money, fame or

recognition. Moderation is the key to a peaceful life. Eat

moderately. Sleep moderately. Work moderately. Have sex

moderately. Do not stretch yourself beyond limits.

7. Run around less: Avoid unnecessary travel. Communicate

better and more effectively through the various avenues

and media so that personal face-to-face meetings by

traveling long distances can be reduced. Delegate more.

Remember that traveling long distances taxes your health

by upsetting and altering your eating, drinking and

sleeping rhythms, which in turn, affect your peace of mind.

8. Intentionally slow down: Don't hanker behind high

targets and goals. Reduce your standards of expectation

from others. If you are running, switch over to walking!

Remember: You don't really have to prove anything about

yourself to yourself! Perhaps you can be better off by

extending the principle - you don't really have to prove

anything about yourself to others, too, if you can!

9. Let wellness of your family take precedence over

your profession: Remember: The fundamental needs of

any human being is rather simple and basic: Good food,

good clothing and a good shelter. Under shelter comes the

family. When you have a good conjugal relationship, nice

children, healthy food and the loving embrace of the

beloved's hands when you are physically or mentally down,

you have mostly got what is fundamentally essential for

peace. Any other pursuit that goes against these and

disturbs these fundamentals will only add to misery.

10. Avoid poking your nose into others' affairs

unnecessarily: Extend a helping hand to others, within

your capacity and limits, when help is sought from you. Do

not overstretch yourself in helping others and get into

 trouble. Do not offer help with a mind calculating to get

something in return in the future.

11. Be health-conscious, but don't make a fetish of your

health: By eating in time, eating moderately, eating

nutritious food and by exercising moderately, you will

maintain your physical health and fitness. Do not read

beyond rudimentary facts about various ailments, their

symptoms and cure! Excessive knowledge about various

ailments will add to wild imaginings about their existence

in your body!

12. Live within the mortal framework generally

acceptable to the elders in the society: Every new

generation makes a compromise in moral standards of the

previous generation and dilutes them to a lower level.

Moral laxity is conducive for instant gratification and

unbridled thrills but a sure ingredient for loss of peace.

Sticking to moral standards set by morally sound elders of

the previous generations will help you to lead a peaceful

life.

13. Have faith in a Higher Power governing all: Have faith

in God. Always remember that you are mostly a puppet in

the hands of a higher power whose scheme of things is

mostly beyond human comprehension. Surrender to that

force. Accept and be content about the cards you have

received and play with the best of your ability using the

cards available in your hand. Accept with humility the

outcome of the game.

The stress of modern life can make real relaxation an elusive dream. Yet there is no
reason life has to be filled with anxiety and stress. If you take some time to learn the art
of relaxation, you can easily rediscover the enjoyment in life. The secret of relaxation is a
controlled state of mind. For example, you could spend a whole hour in a health spa; but,
if you spend the whole time worrying about what will happen tomorrow, how can you
relax?
Relaxation Techniques

1. Now is the only Time that is important - How often do we find ourselves worrying
about the future? Anxiety about the future takes up a significant portion of our thoughts.
But, to be honest, worrying about the future doesn’t help in any way. If you always live in
the past or future you will never be able to relax. To be in a state of relaxation means
living only in the present moment.

2. Your environment Matters - Where you spend time has a subtle influence over your
state of mind. Consciously we may not be always aware of this; however, you will notice
that in some rooms it’s easier to relax and be at peace. Look at your room; if you see piles
of clutter these will act as constant reminders of things you need to do.

These constant subconscious reminders are a heavy weight on the mind. If you tidy up
the room and create a pleasant environment, it will make a big difference to your state of
mind and enable you to relax. Don’t be reluctant to spend a bit of money on things like
air-freshners and flowers. Spend time tidying up your living/work environment. Its
essential to relaxation and will also make you more productive.

3. Meditation - During meditation we actively make time to silence the mind and bring
to the fore a real feeling of relaxation. Meditation helps because we learn to control the
relentless flow of thoughts. During meditation, the aim is to keep the mind still; this
brings clarity and inner peace. This is the best type of relaxation because we become free
from the relentless worries and anxieties of our own making. Find time to meditate for 10
or 15 minutes each day; through meditation we can easily detach ourselves from the
pressures of the world.

4. Productivity not Procrastination - Relaxation doesn’t have to mean spending all day
on a beach doing nothing. We need to learn how to relax, even in the midst of our daily
activities. Prioritise the things that you need to do. If you do things systematically, one at
a time, you will feel less stressed and get things done quickly. It’s when we try to do
several things at once that we put ourselves under great pressure — this struggle which
makes relaxation impossible. Don’t make life hard for yourself. Do one thing at a time
and enjoy doing it. When you’ve completed your necessary work, then you have the
reward of pleasing yourself without a guilty conscience.

5. Do Not Depend on the Opinions of Others - How much do you depend on the
opinion of others? When we worry what people may think or say, we place a burden on
our mind. Subconsciously we work towards trying to please others. However, when we
have this state of mind it becomes impossible to relax. No matter what we do or say, there
will always be someone who manages to criticise or find fault. Therefore, we should
develop an attitude of detachment to both praise and criticism.

This doesn’t mean we’re indifferent to the views of others; it just means we won’t allow
ourselves to lose our inner peace because of their opinions. This piece of advice isn’t easy
to implement but over time we can gradually give less importance to the views of others.
Relaxation can only occur if we aren’t constantly thinking about what others are saying
and doing.

6. Time to Yourself - Don’t allow yourself to always be at the beck and call of work and
other people — make time for yourself. If you are harassed by constant email and phone
enquiries, take evasive action. Only take calls and answer emails at certain times of the
day. It’s unlikely that your availability, 24 hours a day, is indispensable. When we allow
pressures to build up, relaxation becomes very difficult. But, if you really try hard, you
should be able to reduce the demands placed on your time and energy.

7. A change is as good as a rest - Life should not be a constantly repeating soap opera. If
you find yourself stuck in the same routine, do something completely different. For
example, if you spend all your evenings watching rubbish on TV or surfing the internet,
you will not get a feeling of real relaxation. Go for a walk or do some sporting activity.
The change of scene and activity will help you relax and get away from the monotony
and frustration of daily activity.

Relaxation is as simple as gentle Breathing

If you feel stressed take a few moments out. Just watch and be aware of your breathing.
Breathe naturally and gently; this will have a very powerful, calming influence on your
mind. When you breathe in, feel that you are breathing in inner peace. When you breathe
out, feel you are exhaling all your anxieties and worries. Relaxation can be this simple - it
doesn’t have to be complicated at all.

Tejvan Pettinger is a member of the Sri Chinmoy Meditation Centre. He lives in Oxford
where he works as a teacher. He also offers mediation classes as a community service
and updates a blog at Sri Chinmoy Inspiration a collection of articles on meditation and
self improve

State of Mind

Happiness is ephemeral, subject to the vagaries of everything from the weather to

the size of your bank account.

We're not suggesting that you can reach a permanent state called "happiness" and
remain there. But there are many ways to swerve off the path of anxiety, anger,
frustration, and sadness into a state of happiness once or even several times
throughout the day. Here are 20 ideas to get you started. Choose the ones that work
for you. If tuning out the news or making lists will serve only to stress you further,
try another approach.

1. Practice mindfulness. Be in the moment. Instead of worrying about your

checkup tomorrow while you have dinner with your family, focus on the here
and now -- the food, the company, the conversation.
2. Laugh out loud. Just anticipating a happy, funny event can raise levels of
endorphins and other pleasure-inducing hormones and lower production of
stress hormones. Researchers at the University of California, Irvine, tested 16
men who all agreed they thought a certain videotape was funny. Half were
told three days in advance they would watch it. They started experiencing
biological changes right away. When they actually watched the video, their
levels of stress hormones dropped significantly, while their endorphin levels
rose 27 percent and their growth hormone levels (indicating benefit to the
immune system) rose 87 percent.

3. Go to sleep. We have become a nation of sleep-deprived citizens. Taking a

daily nap or getting into bed at 8 p.m. one night with a good book -- and
turning the light out an hour later -- can do more for your mood and outlook
on life than any number of bubble baths or massages.

4. Hum along. Music soothes more than the savage beast. Studies find
music activates parts of the brain that produce happiness -- the same parts
activated by food or sex. It's also relaxing. In one study older adults who
listened to their choice of music during outpatient eye surgery had
significantly lower heart rates, blood pressure, and cardiac workload (that is,
their heart didn't have to work as hard) as those who had silent surgery.

5. Declutter. It's nearly impossible to meditate, breathe deeply, or simply

relax when every surface is covered with papers and bills and magazines,
your cabinets bulge, and you haven't balanced your checkbook in six months.
Plus, the repetitive nature of certain cleaning tasks -- such as sweeping,
wiping, and scrubbing -- can be meditative in and of itself if you focus on
what you're doing.

6. Just say no. Eliminate activities that aren't necessary and that you don't
enjoy. If there are enough people already to handle the church bazaar and
you're feeling stressed by the thought of running the committee for yet
another year, step down and let someone else handle things.

7. Make a list. There's nothing like writing down your tasks to help you
organize your thoughts and calm your anxiety. Checking off each item
provides a great sense of fulfillment.

8. Do one thing at a time. Edward Suarez, Ph.D., associate professor of

medical psychology at Duke, found that people who multitask are more likely
to have high blood pressure. Take that finding to heart. Instead of talking on
the phone while you fold laundry or clean the kitchen, sit down in a
comfortable chair and turn your entire attention over to the conversation.
Instead of checking e-mail as you work on other projects, turn off your e-mail
function until you finish the report you're writing. This is similar to the
concept of mindfulness.

9. Garden. Not only will the fresh air and exercise provide their own stress
reduction and feeling of well-being, but the sense of accomplishment that
comes from clearing a weedy patch, watching seeds turn into flowers, or
pruning out dead wood will last for hours, if not days.
 10. Tune out the news. For one week go without reading the newspaper,
watching the news, or scanning the headlines online. Instead, take a vacation
from the misery we're exposed to every day via the media and use that time
for a walk, a meditation session, or to write in your journal.

1. Take a dog for a walk. There are numerous studies that attest to the
stress-relieving benefits of pets. In one analysis researchers evaluated the
heart health of 240 couples, half of whom owned a pet. Those couples with
pets had significantly lower heart rates and blood pressure levels when
exposed to stressors than the couples who did not have pets. In fact, the pets
worked even better at buffering stress than the spouses did.

12. Scent the air. Research finds that the benefits of aromatherapy in
relieving stress are real. In one study people exposed to rosemary had lower
anxiety levels, increased alertness, and performed math computations faster.
Adults exposed to lavender showed an increase in the type of brain waves
that suggest increased relaxation. Today you have a variety of room-scenting
methods, from plug-in air fresheners to essential oil diffusers, potpourri, and
scented candles.

13. Ignore the stock market. Simply getting your quarterly 401(k)
statement can be enough to send your blood pressure skyrocketing. In fact,
Chinese researchers found a direct link between the daily performance of the
stock market and the mental health of those who closely followed it. Astute
investors know that time heals most financial wounds, so give your
investments time -- and give yourself a break.

14. Visit a quiet place. Libraries, museums, gardens, and places of worship
provide islands of peace and calm in today's frantic world. Find a quiet place
near your house and make it your secret getaway.

15. Volunteer. Helping others enables you to put your own problems into
perspective and also provides social interaction. While happy people are more
likely to help others, helping others increases your happiness. One study
found that volunteer work enhanced all six aspects of well-being: happiness,
life satisfaction, self-esteem, sense of control over life, physical health, and
depression.

16. Spend time alone. Although relationships are one of the best antidotes
to stress, sometimes you need time alone to recharge and reflect. Take
yourself out to lunch or to a movie, or simply spend an afternoon reading,
browsing in a bookstore, or antiquing.

17. Walk mindfully. You probably already know that exercise is better than
tranquilizers for relieving anxiety and stress. But what you do with your mind
while you're walking can make your walk even more beneficial. In a study
called the Ruth Stricker Mind/Body Study, researchers divided 135 people into
five groups of walkers for 16 weeks. Group one walked briskly, group two at a
slow pace, and group three at a slow pace while practicing "mindfulness," a
mental technique to bring about the relaxation response, a physiological
response in which the heart rate slows and blood pressure drops. This group
 was asked to pay attention to their footsteps, counting one, two, one, two,
and to visualize the numbers in their mind. Group four practiced a form of tai
chi, and group five served as the control, changing nothing about their lives.
The group practicing mindfulness showed significant declines in anxiety and
had fewer negative and more positive feelings about themselves. Overall they
experienced the same stress-reducing effects of the brisk walkers. Better yet,
the effects were evident immediately.

18. Give priority to close relationships. One study of more than 1,300
men and women of various ages found that those who had a lot of supportive
friends were much more likely to have healthier blood pressure, cholesterol
levels, blood sugar metabolism, and stress hormone levels than those with
two or fewer close friends. Women, and to a lesser extent men, also seemed
to benefit from good relationships with their parents and spouses. Studies
also find that people who feel lonely, depressed, and isolated are three to five
times more likely to get sick and die prematurely than those who have
feelings of love, connection, and community.

19. Take care of the soul. In study after study, actively religious people are
happier and cope better with crises, according to David Myers, Ph.D., a
professor of psychology at Hope College in Holland, Michigan. For many
people faith provides a support community, a sense of life's meaning, feelings
of ultimate acceptance, a reason to focus beyond yourself, and a timeless
perspective on life's woes. Even if you're not religious, a strong spirituality
may offer similar benefits.

20. Count your blessings. People who pause each day to reflect on some
positive aspect of their lives (their health, friends, family, freedom, education,
etc.) experience a heightened sense of well-being.

SolveYourProblem Article Series: Self Improvement & Personal Growth

I Want A Better Life...NOW

6 Simple Rules To Live By

by Jeff Cohen

Life can be simple and peaceful if you incorporate the following six rules into your daily routine.

1. Practice some quite time everyday

Quieting your mind is the secret ingredient to a happy and successful life. Make it a regular habit to enjoy
some quiet time every day. To start, set aside just 10 minutes at the start of your day. Just sit in a quiet place
without paying any attention to your passing thoughts. Only pay attention to your breathing and notice your
chest and abdomen while breathing. This is not yoga, meditation, etc. This is simply quiet time. Just ten
minutes a day in the morning or even at night before bedtime is ideal for you to enjoy the peace within. If you
make this a regular habit you will witness a better quality of life quickly.

2. Exercise your body and mind

Daily exercise keeps you away from mental and physical illness. Exercise keeps your body flexible, supple
and strong. This also leads to a more balanced mind. There are plenty of good exercises you can choose
from to keep yourself healthy and enjoy a long life. If you have not been exercising, start today. Just go for a
brisk walk and feel the fresh air filling your lungs.

3. Eat sensibly

This area really poses a challenge for most of us. ‘You are what you eat’ is not just a mere saying. It is a fact
of life. What we eat, why we eat, when we eat and how we eat are important factors related to our physical,
psychological and spiritual well-being. It is wise to choose a healthy diet and stick to it. Your goal should not
only be to lose weight, but also to keep it under control so that your body and mind do not bear the strain
of obesity.

4. Choose a fulfilling profession or job

Many people have a bad habit of constantly switching jobs. They do not seem to know what they are looking
for. They are not sure if they are after the money, challenge, job satisfaction, etc. It is important that you
have clear-cut ideas on what you are looking for in a job. You should love your job in order to do it well and
succeed in it. You will find fulfillment in your career only when you love your profession or job.

5. Maintain good relationships

Life is for sharing. Share your love and happiness with your friends and family. Learn to cherish your
relationships. Respect everyone around you and develop good communication skills to establish truly
valuable relationships. Relationships make your life meaningful.

6. Get enough sleep

Sleep restores energy. Make sure to get 8 hours of sleep each night. A deep, regular and restful mind is
good for body and spirit. If you have unhealthy sleeping habits, get rid of them and develop good sleeping
habits today. It will make a HUGE difference in every aspect of your life.

When you practice these simple rules you are bound to enjoy a happy, healthy and peaceful life. Life is quite
simple, really!