Blogs

Tips for Beating a Down Day.
May13


Editor's Note: Today's offering is a simple, practical recipe for beating moments of sadness or depression. No Xanax or pill needed, just some easy ways to fight back when you're feeling overwhelmed or even just a little down. It's worth a read if you're feeling down today, and certainly worth a bookmark just in case.

It is too easy to get into a negative mindset which invariably leads to unhappiness and depression. To avoid being overwhelmed by negativity we need to make a conscious effort to avoid the experience. When life seems like a perpetual dark tunnel these are some suggestions to change your outlook on life.

Don’t Cherish Destructive Thoughts.

Often we don’t realise how much we subconsciously cherish negative thoughts. It may seem counter intuitive, but often a negative frame of mind occurs because we won’t let go of the negative thoughts and ideas. Sometimes the mind clings on to these thoughts with a feeling of self pity or injured pride. We don’t like the negative frame of mind, but at the same time are we consciously trying to overcome it? The problem is that if the negative thoughts go round and round in our mind they can become powerful and we lose a sense of perspective. Just make a conscious decision to ignore the negative flow of thoughts and sentiments and be persistent in these attempts.

Do You want to be Happy or Miserable?

We should feel a negative mindset is a choice. If we feel a victim to our own emotions and thoughts, nobody else will be able to help us. We should feel that by holding on to a negative frame of mind, we are inevitably choosing to be unhappy; each negative is a conscious decision to be miserable. If we really value the importance of our own inner peace and happiness, we will aspire to cultivate this through good, uplifting thoughts. Next time you feel the onset of a depressed state of mind, just ask yourself the question: Do I want to be happy or Miserable?

Spend Time With Positive People

The best antidote to negativity is simply to spend time doing positive, uplifting activities. Sometimes if we analyse and examine our own negativity it does nothing to reduce it. By engaging in useful fun activities, we forget about the reasons for our negativity; this is often the most powerful way to overcome a depressed state of mind.

Don’t Accept Negativity from Other People

We live in a world where there are no shortage of pessimists, critics and doomongers. There will always be people who can find the negative in life; but, there is no reason why we have to ascribe to their world view. For example, often in an office environment there is a negative attitude to the workplace, but, even if there are faults and limitations we don’t have to allow them to make us a negative person.

Let Go of Thoughts

If you can learn to control your thoughts, you can control the experience and emotions of life. The best antidote to negativity is learning the art of meditation. Meditation is more than just relaxation; it is a change in consciousness. We move from the limited perspective of our mind and discover an inner source of happiness.

Live in the Heart

The nature of the mind is to be suspicious and critical. If someone does 99 good things and 1 bad thing, the mind will invariably remember the bad thing. If we allow ourselves to be drawn into highlighting the mistakes of others we will invite a negative mindset. However, if we live in the heart we are not drawn to the faults of others (even if they are insignificant). It is in the heart that we can have a true sense of oneness with others, their faults seem insignificance and we can feel a sense of identity with the achievements of others.

Don’t Sit Around Doing Nothing

The worst thing for a negative frame of mind is to mope around feeling sorry for ourselves.

Ruminating on our bad luck / worries / fears will not diminish them in any way. Exercise can be a powerful way to bring about a new consciousness. Negativity is often associated with boredom and lack of purpose. Stop endlessly checking emails and surfing web, look for something good to do.

Force Yourself to Think of 3 Positive Thoughts.

If you are feeling really miserable and have a low sense of self esteem, try thinking of 3 good things that you have done. At time our own mind can be our worst enemy and very self critical. It is important not to lose a sense of balance; for the various bad things we have done, we have also done some good things.

Don’t Think Anything You Wouldn’t Say in Front of People

We often think things we would never say in front of people. If you are annoyed, disappointed with someone else, imagine what you would say to them in person. Sometimes when we are with people we are forced to behave; even if we are not particularly sincere the effort to avoid negativity can help us to overcome our bad mood.

From Spark To Flame
by Monique Howat

When my now 19 year old daughter was in Grade 3, all of Mrs. Mathews' students were given a small pot with a bean seed to plant. Green string beans it seems are pretty hardy and the perfect seed to use when promoting green thumbs in young children. That same plant was also a most unexpected source of understanding and insight for me.

Once the bean plants had sprouted and flowered, their teacher allowed the kids to carefully transfer the precious cargo from school to home. Once home, Shanna scouted around for the perfect location and settled on a sunny south window sill and then proudly declared, "Soon I can feed the whole family!"

Shanna's sisters were envious and even our cat looked intrigued which should have been a warning to me because when I woke up the next morning, I saw that the bean plant had been maliciously knocked off the window sill and ripped from it's pot. It's leaves were frayed and except for a limp thread of stem that still connected the roots to the flowering top, it was quite unrecognizable from the day before. The plant, it seemed, was a goner.

I dreaded what I had to tell Shanna but as I gently began to explain that the bean plant had to be put in the compost, her reaction was not what I expected. She said, "Everything will be okay Mom, the plant will get better."

Without wasting a second in thought she secured the first aid kit from the bathroom returning with gauze, a tongue depressor, bandages and a deep belief that the pathetic looking, near-dead bean plant would live, thrive and even produce food!

I had mixed emotions knowing that she was postponing the plants inevitable trip to the compost bin but I went along with it and helped her wrap bandages. Days later, to my absolute surprise, the bean plant was standing tall and looking perky. We were able to remove the bandages and discover a protruding hump in the stem where its near-fatal stem break had been. It was also amazing to see that the one and only bean, had become plump almost completely masking the claw marks that had scarred it.

I don't know why I hadn't thought the cat might go for a second round because it surely did, and this time I ran for the first aid kit! I carefully applied a heavy blanket of everything from cotton and gauze to colored band aids with "ouch" written on them and when the medic work was done, I whispered a little something to the heavens.

Just one week later we were able to take the bandages off and again we barely found evidence of an attack and there was even a new sliver of green where a second bean was forming. I was excited and amazed while Shanna had been expecting nothing less. Back to the window sill it went but this time we built a fortress of heavy books to keep it safe until our day of bounty.

I set the table beautifully with all the fanfare of a Thanksgiving dinner. The beans were carefully divided by 5, which awarded each person 2 small pieces, claw marks and all. They turned out to be the best green beans I had ever eaten!

My daughter never quite understood my exuberance over the significance of the beans. In my work as a youth motivator I am brought together with kids and teens that all desperately need people to believe in them. Now, more than ever, no matter what I have been told about a child or a teen and their behavior, I see everyone, no exceptions, with the same eyes and heart that my daughter used on her broken, beaten up bean plant.

I wonder if it's a coincidence that later that same week, I stumbled upon a most appropriate quote by Italian Poet Dante (1265-1351): "From a little spark, may burst a mighty flame."

Especially if you believe...!

DailyOM – Bounded by Wellness
June 22, 2010

Bounded by Wellness

Send Healing To Yourself


Try to spend time each day to send yourself love and light. Often we neglect doing this for ourselves as we are busy tending to others.


Most people, when given an opportunity to aid someone in need, are eager to do whatever they can to be of service. Those of us who have chosen to make healing the world a vocation are grateful for any occasion to send light and love to people in our immediate spheres of influence and beyond. As we apply our passion and our principles to this altruistic endeavor, we often forget to send ourselves the same bountiful gifts of wellness, though we ourselves may be in dire need of it. We overlook ourselves, not because we forget, but because we fear that focusing on the self is an indicator of selfishness. It is moreover much more difficult to heal oneself than to heal others because the seeds of uncertainty are more easily banished when we act on another's behalf. When we send healing light to ourselves, it is important that our intentions and our self-trust be stronger than ever to counteract doubt.

As we bless ourselves in this way, we serve as both an active channel and a passive destination. This should not change the way we interact with the valuable energy we wish to receive, however. Though we may be tempted to consciously direct or influence the manner in which light impacts our lives because we know ourselves most intimately, we should not try to control its path. When we draw the white light of protection and purity to our bodies, taking it into ourselves with each inhalation, our belief in the fact that it will naturally move toward areas of dysfunction will ensure that it flows through every muscle and organ. And when we fill our spaces with this light, our environments are cleared of all the negative energy that can sap our strength and our spirit. Surrounded inside and out with healing light, we feel safe and protected, healthy, relaxed, and content just as those who regularly receive such loving gifts from us do.

If you sincerely believe that there is a part of yourself that exists independently of upset and illness, the love and light you send yourself will help you connect with it. You will see the affirmative impact of this connection almost immediately when you include yourself in the recipients of your healing gifts, as life's frustrations become more tolerable and your bliss becomes ever more palpable.

DailyOM – Time for Wellness
July 12, 2010


Time for Wellness

A Self-Healing Day

Set aside a day for focus on yourself. Start the day by setting the intention that you are dedicating this time to healing yourself.


Human beings carry within themselves the seed of healing. Our choices affect us more than we realize, and it is because of this that we tend to place responsibility for our wellness in the hands of others. As beneficial as regular visits to a healer can be, we have the power to heal ourselves at will. When we dedicate a day to the pursuit of wellness, we can relax and renew ourselves in a nourishing and comfortable environment. A sincere desire to open ourselves to the highest realities of our physical and spiritual selves is the key to self-healing so that healing energy can flow into us unimpeded.

A self-healing day should address the vital needs of the self as a whole while directing healing energy where it is needed most. Solitude is an important part of the process as is the ability to take refuge in a space that is both beautiful and peaceful. Start your healing day by setting the intention that you are dedicating this time to healing yourself. Flowers, candlelight, incense, and music can guide our focus toward a more tranquil state.

For a more intense session, try listening to music through headphones since tuning out can help you tune in.

It is up to us to decide what we need to do to cultivate wellness in our lives. For some, it may be time spent in reflection. Others will turn to calming activities that help them remember their purpose, such as journal writing, being in nature, or studying. Our healing may even take a more direct form as we use color, sound, or crystals to balance and ground ourselves.

Ultimately, your wholesome intentions transform what might otherwise be a simple day of rest into a day of healing. Grant yourself permission to relax and savor the stillness. If you attune yourself to the calm around you, worldly distractions will be minimized and the unadulterated flow of your consciousness will reestablish itself in the forefront of your mind. The needs of the body, the heart, and the soul will then be revealed to you, empowering you to tap into the essential healing energy of the universe. The mechanism you use to channel this energy will be dependent on your shifting requirements, so each day of healing you enjoy will be unique. All will replenish you, however, allowing you to recreate yourself in a perfect image of health.

The Price (and Rewards) of Having Children.
May18

Great story about raising children with a different perspective. Normally, you only see the breakdown of the cost of raising a child, but this piece provides the rewards too.

The government recently calculated the cost of raising a child from birth to 18 and came up with $160,140 for a middle income family.

Talk about sticker shock! That doesn't even touch college tuition. But $160,140 isn't so bad if you break it down. It translates into:

• $8,896.66 a year,

• $741.3 month, or * $171.08 a week.

• That's a mere $24.24 a day!

• Just over a dollar an hour.

Still, you might think the best financial advice is don't have children if you want to be "rich." Actually, it is just the opposite.


What do you get for your $160,140?

• Naming rights. First, middle, and last!

• Glimpses of God every day.

• Giggles under the covers every night.

• More love than your heart can hold.

• Butterfly kisses and Velcro hugs.

• Endless wonder over rocks, ants, clouds, and warm cookies.

• A hand to hold, usually covered with jelly or chocolate.

• A partner for blowing bubbles, flying kites

• Someone to laugh yourself silly with, no matter what the boss said or how your stocks performed that day.


For $160,140, you never have to grow up. You get to:

• finger-paint,
• carve pumpkins,
• play hide-and-seek,
• catch lightning bugs, and
• never stop believing in Santa Claus. You have an excuse to:
• keep reading the Adventures of Piglet and Pooh,
• watching Saturday morning cartoons,
• going to Disney movies, and
• wishing on stars.
• You get to frame rainbows, hearts, and flowers under refrigerator magnets and collect spray painted noodle wreaths for Christmas, hand prints set in clay for Mother's Day, and cards with backward letters for Father's Day.


For $160,140, there is no greater bang for your buck. You get to be a hero just for:

• retrieving a Frisbee off the garage roof,
• taking the training wheels off a bike,
• removing a splinter,
• filling a wading pool,
• coaxing a wad of gum out of bangs, and coaching a baseball team that never wins but always gets treated to ice cream regardless.


You get a front row seat to history to witness the:

• first step,
• first word,
• first bra,
• first date, and
• first time behind the wheel.

You get to be immortal. You get another branch added to your family tree, and if you're lucky, a long list of limbs in your obituary called grandchildren and great grandchildren. You get an education in psychology, nursing, criminal justice, communications, and human sexuality that no college can match.

In the eyes of a child, you rank right up there under God. You have all the power to heal a boo-boo, scare away the monsters under the bed, patch a broken heart, police a slumber party, ground them forever, and love them without limits.

So . . one day they will like you, love without counting the cost. That is quite a deal for the price!!!!!!!

Love & enjoy your children & grandchildren!!!!!!!

Inspiration by God Newsletter

www.TheInterviewWithGod.com, www.PathwaysToPeace.com & www.InspirationManifestation.com

Hello my Sweet friends, here we go again, another weekend flown past. I send you Positive Blessings, much happiness and unconditional love. Wishing you a wonderful Week. Take care and be happy, Blessings Melodie


An Apache Legend

There was once an old man who was very fond of beaver meat. He hunted and killed beaver so frequently that his son remonstrated with him.

His son told him that some misfortune would surely overtake him as a punishment for his persecution of the sagacious animals, which were then endowed with the magic powers of the medicine-men.

The old man did not heed the warning, but continued to kill beaver nearly every day.

Again the son said, "If you kill them, they will soon catch and kill you."

Not long afterward the old man saw a beaver enter a hole in the bank. Disregarding his son's advice, he plunged head foremost into the burrow to catch the animal. The son saw him enter the hole, and went in after him. Catching the old man by the heels, he pushed him farther in.

Thinking another beaver had attacked him, the old man was at first too frightened to move, then he cried for mercy. "Let me go, Beaver, and I will give you my knife."

He threw his knife back toward the entrance, but received no reply to his entreaty. "Let me go, Beaver, and I will give you my awl." Again no answer. "Let me go, and I will give you my arrows."

The young man took the articles as they were handed to him, and hastened away without making himself known.

When the old man returned to the tipi, he said nothing of his adventures, and his son asked no questions. As soon as the old man left the tipi, the son replaced the knife and other articles in his father's fire-bag.
"Where is your knife?" said the son when the old man returned. "I gave it to the beaver to induce them to let me escape with my life."

"I told you they would catch you," said the son.

The old man never hunted beaver again.

I shot an arrow into the air, it fell to earth, I knew not where;

For so swiftly it flew, my sight could not follow it in its flight.

I breathed a song into the air, it fell to earth, I knew not where;

For, who has sight so keen and strong that it can follow the flight of song?

Long, long afterward, in an oak, I found the arrow, still unbroke;

And the song, from beginning to end,
I found again in the heart of my friend.

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

DailyOM – No Hard Edges
today@dailyom.com

June 11, 2010


No Hard Edges

Creating Space In The Body

When our minds are cluttered with too many thoughts and information, our bodies respond by trying to take action.


Our minds and bodies are interconnected, and the condition of one affects the condition of the other. This is why meditation is such a powerful tool for healing the body, as powerful as physical therapies. When our minds are cluttered with thoughts, information, and plans, our bodies respond by trying to take action. When the body has a clear directive from the mind, it knows what to do, but a cluttered, unfocused mind creates a confused, tense body. Our muscles tighten up, our breath shortens, and we find ourselves feeling constricted without necessarily knowing why.

When we sit down to meditate, we let our bodies know that it is okay to be still and rest. This is a clear directive from the mind, and the body knows exactly how to respond. Thus, at the very beginning, we have created a sense of clarity for the body and the mind. As we move deeper into meditation, the state of our mind reveals itself, and we have the opportunity to consciously decide to settle it. A meditation teacher pointed out that if you put a cow in a small pen, she acts up and pushes against the boundaries, whereas if you provide her with a large, open space, she will peacefully graze in one spot. In the same way, our thoughts settle down peacefully if we provide them with enough space, and our bodies follow suit.

When we settle down to examine and experience our consciousness, we discover that there are no hard, definable edges. It is a vast, open space in which our thoughts can come and go without making waves, as long as we let them by neither attaching to them nor repressing them. As we see our thoughts come and go, we begin to breathe deeper and more easily, finding that our body is more open to the breath as it relaxes along with the mind. In this way, the space we recognize through meditation creates space in our bodies, allowing for a feeling of lightness and rightness with the world.

Travel Light
Posted on June 21, 2010 by theosophywatch

ANCIENT Chinese doctors discovered, 5000 years ago, over 100 energy meridians in the human body. When these meridian points were activated, people were healed.

Today that system of healing is called acupuncture. But now, people are tapping into this same power, literally, without using needles.

They are discovering how to master all the “mental changes” in themselves, as taught in The Voice of the Silence — and how to “harmless make” their own thought and emotional creations.

They are learning, as Albert Einstein famously said, that:

“We can’t solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them.”
We have instead to rise above that old thinking, while fully recognizing our hand in the problems they caused. That’s called karmic acceptance.

Getting Unstuck

It is often difficult to get to the root cause of some issues — especially if those issues were created in a past life we cannot consciously recall now.

“These events, limiting beliefs and patterns are what make us feel stuck.”

Removing Negative Patterns

“We’ve all experienced challenging times, painful events and traumas during our lifetimes. We’ve adopted negative beliefs and patterns,” says therapist Annie Siegel, “often learned from our parents and elders, that aren’t serving us.”

The Monkey Trap

Natives in the islands used to catch monkeys by cutting a hole in the top of a coconut, hollow it out, fill it with sweet beans, and tie it to the base of a tree. During the night, a monkey would approach the coconut shell, reach inside and grab a handful of sweet beans — then hold them tight in his fist.

With his hand rolled into a fist, he could not pull his hand back through the opening in the coconut, because he wouldn’t let go of the beans.

So in the morning, the monkey was still trapped there, and the natives only had to come by and pick him up.

Silence the Chatter

Sometimes we find ourselves trapped simply because we won’t let go of all our past grudges, resentments, bitterness, guilt over past mistakes. We hang on to unrealistic expectations of ourselves and others.
The truth is we all have obsessions that trap us.

Greedy Mistakes

Our work, our stuff, our money, our experiences, our hobbies, our relationships, our status, our entertainment — our worldviews.

We believe these will give us identity and satisfaction. When we hold this belief, we become enslaved like a monkey’s fist in a coconut.

“Even though we feel overwhelmed with emotions, a part of us doesn’t want to create balance and get back to a place of feeling good about ourselves,” Annie writes, “we know we can be more than just our inner chatter.”

“Practicing the Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) daily, neutralizes the relentless chatter [of what are called in Sanskrit the skandhas] and encourages empowering feelings — you can then create the changes needed to make your life work better for you and others.”

Army of Thought Sensations

Voice of the Silence

“Ere thou canst near the goal … thou must have mastered all the mental changes in thy Self and slain the army of the thought sensations that, subtle and insidious, creep unasked within the Soul’s bright shrine.”



The Highway of Sensations
“If thou would’st not be slain by them, then must thou harmless make thy own creations, the children of thy thoughts,” Blavatsky writes in the Voice of the Silence:
“Thou hast to study the voidness of the seeming full, the fulness of the seeming void. O fearless Aspirant, look deep within the well of thine own heart, and answer. Knowest thou of Self the powers, O thou perceiver of external shadows?

If thou dost not — then art thou lost.”

In Plato’s “The Allegory of the Cave,” Socrates begins by describing a cave inhabited by prisoners who have been chained and held immobile since childhood.

Not only are their arms and legs held in place but their heads are bound facing a wall, where they can only see reflected shadows — illusions they must take for reality.

This is a gradual process of self-realization, explains W. Q. Judge, learning “to distinguish between the ‘I’ and the ‘not-I.’”

The Subjective and the Objective:

(Lesson from the Cave of Plato – Republic, Book 1)

“The lightest breeze of passion or desire,” warns The Voice of the Silence, “will stir the steady light upon the pure white walls of Soul. The smallest wave of longing or regret — the path that lies between thy Spirit and thy self, the highway of sensations —

“… a thought as fleeting as the lightning flash will make thee thy three prizes forfeit — the prizes thou hast won.”

Travel Light
Remember who you are,
and travel light.

Gandhi's Belongings

“That man possesses an immortal soul is the common belief of humanity — to this Theosophy adds that he is a soul, and further that all nature is sentient,” writes W. Q. Judge in Chapter 1 of The Ocean of Theosophy …
“… down to the smallest atom all is soul and spirit ever evolving under the rule of law which is inherent in the whole.”

“The course of evolution is the drama of the soul and that nature exists for no other purpose than the soul’s experience.”
- W. Q. Judge

Heavenletters™, bringing Earth closer to Heaven.

HEAVEN is here to reach every soul on earth to reawaken:

* Our connection to God *
* Our belief in ourselves *
* Our awareness of our shared worthiness to God *
* Peace on Earth *

God is always bringing us closer to Him.

HEAVEN #3486 Serve God Over the Past, June 11, 2010


God said:

It is essential that you let go of your past mistakes. No matter how much you regret, no matter how careless a mistake, or how deliberate, you have to let go of it. Otherwise, you lasso yourself to the past and tie yourself there. This does no good to you or any man. Flagellating yourself is non-productive. It embeds the error. Tell the error, "Begone."

If you must be punished with the realization of the error of your deed or non-deed, you have already been punished enough. Do not keep yourself in the dunce's chair. There is no point to it. You are someone who learned something. The person who made the error and the person who regrets it are not the same person now. Regret your mistake once, and then be done.

You have to let go of the past. You have to free yourself from it. For My sake, let go of the past, and its errors.
Is it not true that heretofore you have been relentless with yourself? Now, I beg of you, let the guilt go. I exonerate you. You are all atoned for. You will not make that mistake again. Is that not good enough?

Why whip the hand, beat the chest, embed a knife in your heart again and again, to what avail?

Every time you imprint an error in your heart, you make it deeper. You make a rotogravure of it. Better to erase it. Do you see the humaneness and practicality of what I am saying? Do not keep error to you. Do not sustain it. Do not feed it over and over again. Release it.

You make no excuses, but you have to let error go. Congratulate yourself for being further along than you once were. Can you not be glad for progress made?

I congratulate you. I congratulate you for having greater vision now. I congratulate you that you are done making that error. You will not step in the same puddle again. Go ahead now, and buy yourself some new shiny shoes. Reward yourself.

You have graduated from an error. Once you were ignorant, and now you are less ignorant. Now you are wiser.
In the world, you do not have to be perfect. You are here on Earth learning how to live divinely in a human world. This is not always easy, but, dear ones, do not make it hard for yourself. There is no percentage in it, not for you, not for anyone.

When you have reached a higher rung in the ladder, you have reached it. Climb up, not down. Think of the greater good and not your penitence.

How does your sitting in a corner, chewing your nails, lashing your back, feeling regret and pain - how does that serve the world? It does not. It pains the world. Why not bless the world? Say:

"I made a mistake. I'm sorry, deeply sorry. Now I erase my mistake from the face of the Earth. I would not burden the world any longer with my regrets. I cast off this burden, from myself and from the world. I have vanquished the dragon. This dragon's term is over. And now I shall go forward on Earth and slay all the dragons of my past and leave a clean playing field for myself and for others forevermore.

"Once I was a scalawag. Now I am further along. I do not keep the dragons of my past in a cage where I can see them. I am not a taxidermist. I live life, and I serve God, not my past. This is good enough."


Permanent Link: http://www.heavenletters.org/serve-god-over-the-past.html

Thank you for including this link when publishing this Heavenletter elsewhere.