COUNT YOUR BLESSINGS

Be thankful for all the wonderful things you have in your life and seek the hidden advantage in the events that surround you

So many times a door in life closes and we become angry, cursing our fate. We lose a job, our girlfriend or boyfriend leaves us, our house is virtually destroyed in a storm and we have to move. The famous Roman orator, Cicero, who lived in the first century AD, had this to say about attitude, “A thankful heart is not only the greatest Virtue, but the parent of all the other virtues.” At first glance, this is a puzzling little saying, but since Cicero is probably one of the world’s first motivational speakers, perhaps it is worth taking seriously. Still, we must ask, what is a thankful heart, especially in a world where hearts are so easily broken, where calamity and disappointment for so many lurks behind every corner and where life seems so easily to dispense failure and dissatisfaction and heartbreak? It would seem that a thankful heart is possessed by a man or a woman who habitually looks at the world with a feeling of thanksgiving or gratitude despite what other people might think of the world about them. To obtain a thankful heart, one must either be slightly insane, given the nature of things or have adopted an attitude of thankfulness, despite the normal course of things for some over-riding reason. Cicero says that a thankful heart is “the parent of all other virtues.” Some say that the Law of Attraction operates by sending back to you whatever you send out to the universe. It would seem that it would be best to be sending out thoughts from a heart disciplined to look at the good side of things. In other words; look at life by seeking the invisible opportunity in difficulties, seize the possibilities for growth in adversity, and look at life’s situations from the standpoint of a thankful heart. For most, the habitual response to those situations is purely negative. But to others, who know the secret very well, there is always the possibility of a hidden advantage. What could that be like? Well, obviously, if you lose your job, you could get a better job, one that you would never have thought of looking for. If you lose a boyfriend or have a divorce, there could be something in store for you. Things that seem bad are not always the worst possible things. Sometimes they are just a way of the universe opening up new possibilities for you to enjoy. Therefore, at the very least, when something unexpected happens, you can realise that you are stepping into the unknown. But, is there a way you can step into these unknown and perhaps seemingly dangerous waters — and still put your best foot forward? Perhaps, you can use the healing and s t re n g t h e n i n g power of gratitude. Gratitude is not just an emotion, but a power, a power that empowers you to move forward in life. What should we be grateful for? Yes, we should be grateful for our jobs, our homes, our cars, our financial rewards — but, principally, we should be thankful for our friends and families, for the loving relationships that nurture and sustain us everyday. But, instead, of letting our gratitude be like the backdrop of painting, a colourful but distant background to the events and drama in our lives, Greg Hand suggests that it should be a very positive, very prominent part of our lives. How do we do this? By daily, hourly, minute by minute, thanking God for the many wonderful things in our lives. In a recent video called The Secret, the movie focuses on the Law of Attraction, what it describes as the universe’s natural and lawful tendency to return back to us what is given it. So, if you give gratitude to the universe, gratitude for the abundance, love, happiness and peace in your life, for the manifold blessings you have — even if those seem somehow hiding under a shadow — the universe will return the attitude by bringing abundance, love, happiness and peace into your life. Sometimes it happens in a very surprising way. The real secret, however; is to be thankful for all the wonderful things you have in your life and to always seek the hidden advantage in the events that surround you. Dare to dream and make those dreams into your reality through your actions and thoughts

Mind Power- Inner Psychology to Success

The term mind power and the subconscious mind power are described in many different ways. In the psychosomatic sense mind power is labeled as ability to have emotions, imagination, memory, and will; and subconscious mind power is labeled as part of the normal individual’s personality in which mental processes function without consciousness under normal waking conditions.

Contents

1. How Mind Power and Subconscious Mind Power work
2. How to use Subconscious Mind for success

Mind power is our conscious mind, the way we think. The mind is similar to a constantly flowing spring however a natural spring cannot send forth fresh water and bitter from the same opening, nor yield both salt water and fresh. So it is with the mind and its thoughts; it cannot equally think negative and positive thoughts at the same time. One will rule the other.

Since the mind reflects habitual thoughts, it is therefore our responsibility to influence our mind and brain with positive emotions, thoughts and energy as the dominating factors in our mind. Mind power is beyond positive thinking or brain power, it is thinking than believing what you think that will manifest your reality. Since this mind power is power of thought and beliefs, and these thoughts and beliefs will create the outcome of your now, you will want to stay aware to the reflections you are thinking.

Now mind power is a dual system that includes your power of thought(brain) and your subconscious mind. We all have subconscious mind power; it can be as small as smiling at your boss in the hopes of improving the odds of acquiring a raise.

It can be the way you unconsciously handle a situation whether appropriately or not. Power of the subconscious mind comes from the thoughts and beliefs of your the power of the your mind. However you think and believe is what your subconscious mind power will produce. This is done continuously, one minute at a time. Every thought nourished regularly by your mind power will activate your subconscious mind to generate those thoughts and energy whether good or bad into your life. This is how you’re present and future is created.

Your mind power and your subconscious mind work together and they fashion your reality. Let’s use a parallel to help you visualize how this works. Your subconscious mind power is similar to fertile soil that consents to any seed planted inside it. Your habitual thoughts and beliefs are the seeds which are being continually sown and they will eventually produce a crop. So if you plant weeds you will get weeds, if you plant fruit, you will get fruit. In other words, you reap what you sow. Now the conscious mind is the gardener, and it is the mind power to choose what reaches our inner garden- the subconscious.

Unfortunately, most of us do not have green thumbs because of lack of knowledge of this law, the psychology behind this success and because of this ignorance we have allowed all kinds of seeds, both good and bad, to enter. So our subconscious mind power will manifest failure, ill health and all kinds of misfortunes just as effortlessly as it will manifest success and abundance. However, it cannot manifest it both at the same time, which is why the need to constantly actuate the positive until the fertile soil of your subconscious mind power reaps only abundance. Success is only a choice away.

The Healing Spirit Of Chiron

In mythology, Chiron (ky-ron) was a centaur, half-man and half-horse. He was wounded in the knee by an arrow and sought a cure for the remainder of his life. Due to his immortality he was not released from his wound; yet he became the consummate healer. He passed on his knowledge of the healing arts to others, specifically healing herbs, astrology, ethics, music and archery. Hence, the archetypal meaning of Chiron pertains to "the wounded healer."

Chiron is the eleventh planet of Astrological significance. Currently Chiron is in the sign of Capricorn until March 2005 when it moves into Aquarius. It has a 51 year orbit. Chiron represents the bridge between the animal and the spiritual; and the inner marriage of masculine/feminine. Chiron's location between Saturn and Uranus highlights the connection between the old and the new, the past and the future, the Age of Pisces and the Age of Aquarius.

The opportunities to journey deeply within our selves are inspired by Chiron. As we replay old wounds from the past we can become more attuned to our healing. Symbolically, Chiron is the journey from the wounded one to the teacher and mentor. We have the spiritual power to exercise awareness of our pain, rather than to escape our pain. Therefore, is it not our conscious position to be in the now so that we may heal the past?

Journey through Chiron and Transcend your pain (find Chiron in your natal chart):

1. How were you wounded in a past life? Make a list or write a letter.

2. Explain 2 fears you experience in this current life? Note your gut reactions.

3. How can you develop courage to face these fears? Open your heart chakra.

4. With compassion and love, how can you let go of these wounds? Heal thyself.

5. To whom may you teach the lessons you have learned in healing? Mentor.

Exploring Chiron is an enlightening journey towards inner peace. With compassion, acceptance, forgiveness and unconditional love for our selves we are connected to God. Let the healing begin!

Suicide is wrong... Why ??

It is not wrong to feel depressed, unhappy, out of control, lost, or scared. It is not wrong to feel paralyzed in a bad situation or hopeless about the future. It is not wrong to have fleeting thoughts that things would be so much easier, if only you were not here.

Feeling this way does not make you a person of weak character. Everyone deals with pain differently, and one person may come away with more intense emotions about a situation than another.

The Impact of Suicide

Please take a moment and think about the following before you hurt yourself.

• Suicide is FOREVER. You do not get to wake up. You do not get a second chance. You will not be able to say, "Wait, I want to stay." There is no turning back.
• Think about the situation in grisly fact. Someone will have to find your body, and most likely it will be someone who loves and cares for you. They will bear this in their memory for the rest of their lives.
• If you kill yourself at someone else’s hand, such as laying in front of a car or train or forcing a police officer to kill you, know that these people will bear the brunt of the emotional turmoil and will always wish that it could have been different.
• There may be people standing on the sidelines, knowing that you are in pain and wishing that they could help you. These people will suffer forever in guilt, wondering if there was more they could have done or said to change your mind. They will blame themselves.
• The repercussions go far beyond this. Friends or family members may grow so despondent that they, in turn, take their own lives.
• Most newspapers will not even mention your name after death by suicide.

If You Are Feeling Suicidal

If you are thinking about killing yourself, you must first and foremost tell someone. Tell a trusted friend, teacher, clergyman, parent or counselor. Do not be afraid of getting help. It means that some part of you is reaching out for life. Do not ignore it. Your life depends on it. Call 1-800-SUICIDE in the United States for 24 hour counseling help. There may also be a crisis hotline listed in the front of the phone book. Talk to someone every day, as long as it takes. Some other tips:

• Make a promise to yourself that you will not harm yourself for at least 24 hours. Use distraction – listen to music, take a bath, or force yourself to do something for someone else.
• Try to spend time with people who are not depressed or who are not part of your circumstances.
• Remove any dangerous objects or weapons from your home.
• Avoid alcohol and drugs.
• Try to create a routine to get you through the day.
• Set one goal to give you motivation. It does not have to be something difficult or even important, just a goal to achieve.
• Do at least one thing you enjoy every day. Even if you don’t think you will enjoy it, give it just ten minutes. You may surprise yourself.
• Try to get outside in the fresh air. It may seem cliché, but the outdoors can do wonders.
• Remember that every person has potential for greatness. Some people believe that we are all here on earth for a reason. No matter what you believe, know that you do have talent that should not be wasted.

Feeling depressed and suicidal often feels like being locked in a closet. You are only aware of your own thoughts, feelings and actions. It may be difficult to think about this at the time, but your life is not just this moment. It will move on, and situations can change. One year, five years, or ten years later you may find it hard to believe that you ever felt this way. Although you may feel that no one loves or cares about you now, you never know who will come into your life down the road to fulfill these things for you.

Suicide: An Ethical Debate

Here are some ethical questions regarding the nature of suicide:

• Is it suicide for a parent to sacrifice their life to save their child’s life?
• Is it acceptable to kill yourself if you are terminally ill or in tremendous physical pain that has no promise of ending?
• Is it immoral for a doctor to assist a patient in killing himself?
• What is worth dying for?
• Is suicide ever the right thing to do?
• Many religious observers believe that suicide is fundamentally wrong.

These are all questions that have to be answered personally and individually.

Suicide is not something that should ever be treated lightly. Parents, friends, coworkers and teachers all need to be aware that these feelings are real and should be taken seriously. It is never too late to reach out to someone who is suffering.