Monday, April 30, 2007

10 Ways to Feel Spirit in Your Life — #2
1. Practice including people who your mind labels as "different," distasteful, or even dangerous, inside the bubble of your personal reality. How is each person an aspect of your Big Self? They are symbols of something you have tried to throw out of your universe. But nothing can be thrown out, because the universe has no end. If you don't resist them, what kind of gift might they have for you?

2. Practice being fully present with What Is, each moment, without trying to change anything. Remind yourself that: "It is what it is".

3. Make a personal commitment to be comfortable at a deep level. This doesn't mean taking the easy way out. It means telling the truth about what causes inner stress. To tell a "white lie" might take the pressure off of you temporarily, but the tension created by withholding the whole truth can neutralize any benefit. The same goes with suppressing your creativity and monitoring your natural self-expression. Only when energy flows without snags do you feel deeply comfortable.

4. Trust the wisdom of your body. Find out what your Truth Signal and your Anxiety Signal are. How does your body let you know when something is right for you? Inappropriate for you? Learn to pay more attention to these physical cues. See if you can learn to pick up the signals before they reach emergency proportions! Your body will always give you good advice. Note: Learn to discriminate between a simple, neutral body cue and emotionally-loaded desires. This is the key to hearing your Inner Voice.

5. Throughout the day, at regular intervals, stop and take inventory. Take a breath and come back to the here-and-now. Get centered in your physical body. Be real! Put your attention on your body and scan through, noticing any tensions, feelings of incompletion, frustrations, feelings of overwhelm. Name them. Do what's necessary to complete things so your body won't have to create pain to get your attention.

6. Learn to meditate.

7. Be silent for one day.

8. Try to fall asleep with a smile on your face.

9. Make a list of what you're grateful for.

10. Complete all the old cycles, involvements, and projects in your life — the ones that have been lingering and draining your energy. This means fearlessly letting go, with love, of what isn't appropriate for you anymore.

Note: See March 19 for the first 10 Ways. . .