Daily Ramblings – Spiritual Saturday – Recapturing the Curiosity, Imagination, and Wonder of a Child

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Childhood, creativity, Imagination, Innocence, Openness, Spiritual Saturday, Wonder

“If you can dream something, you can do it. As long as you do not align your actions with your dreams, you are not fulfilling your destiny.” — Harold Klemp The Language of Soul

All of us have aspirations to be something more. Why do so many people give up on them?

 

Some may think life’s responsibilities are more important. Others lose hope because they have had some bad luck. Still others feel like that life has passed them by.

Remember when you were a kid and nothing was impossible? I think that is what all of us need to recover the dreams of our youth. We need that childhood curiosity. We need to capture that wonder and imagination that made everything bright and wonderful.

All of us can achieve that state. Once you do, you’ll realize you still have so much to do, to give, and to learn.

I was at our local Sam’s club yesterday. I had lunch there after I finished shopping. Next to me was a grandma and her grandson. She was spooning some frozen yogurt to him. The look on his face when that cold treat hit his mouth was priceless. There was another group of two women who sat down in front of me. They had frozen yogurt too. I asked the lady if it was any good. She said it was and was pleased that she and her daughter were enjoying some frozen yogurt together.

 

I make it a habit to get out and about during the day. It’s nice to have these little interactions with people. I enjoy interacting with them and sharing part of their day. Sometimes opportunities do not present themselves for these types of interactions, so I take a few moments to get to know the cashier, waiter or waitress that is serving me. I joke with them or tell them how great their food or service is.

 

How does this relate to my original point? The childhood state of mind I’m talking about is about enjoying the small things. Remember when walking through a store, getting some ice cream, or going to a movie was the happiest moment in your life? Recapture that. That’s where the magic is. Capture that feeling of wonder and excitement.

When you can rekindle your childhood imagination, you’ll see things differently. You’ll redevelop that sense of wonder that made the mundane magical, the impossible possible, and open your mind to an infinite amount of possibilities. Without the fear of failure, because you could do it all when you were a kid right?

 

 

Try this out. Get out there and be present. If you are in the grocery store, enjoy the colorful packages, the smells, the textures. If you are in a mall, look at the people, engage with them. If you are at the movies, get yourself some popcorn and enjoy every kernel. Lose yourself in the film and enjoy the time you have with the person you are with.

Being present helps us enjoy the details and to relish everything with all of our senses. When you can perfect this state, you will reinvigorate your life. You’ll cultivate that childhood wonder when everything is brand new.

Use your imagination. Think of all the things you could do if you couldn’t fail. Imagine the possibilities.

I hope you try this out. It is a wonderful way to regain some of that innocence, joy, creativity, and openness we had as kids. It’s a great place to be.

Have a great Saturday.

Until next time…

Dave

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Daily Ramblings – Spiritual Saturday – Exercising the Brain

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Brain Exercise, brain health, Calmness, Focus, Meditation, Relaxation, spirituality

Video provided by Happify and Dan Harris. Retrieved from https://vimeo.com/131682712

I enjoy posting these videos. I find them entertaining and hope you do too! Today’s little video is a quick walk-through on meditation. I enjoy meditation because it helps me focus, and it is very relaxing. It is a great way to train the mind.

I hope you have a great Saturday!

Until next time…

Dave

Daily Ramblings – Spiritual Saturday – You Can Only Control Yourself

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Help When Asked, Helping Others, Law of Non-Interference, Let People Alone, Mind Your Business, Spiritual Saturday

Image credit: https://www.azquotes.com/quotes/topics/interfere.html

“As we come out of our childhood of spirituality into greater states, we learn to let people be.”

—Harold Klemp
The Language of Soul

There is a law called “The Law of Non-Interference.” This means we do not interfere with what other people do with their lives, unless they ask. You cannot control other people. You can only control what you do.

Stop trying to change others. They will change on their own or they won’t. If you try to change other people, you will probably get some push back. They may get angry or blow you off. What I have discovered every time I try to involve myself in other people’s problems, I soon learn that I care more about what they do than they do.

I’m not saying that you ignore a dangerous act, like letting a friend drive home when they’ve had too much to drink. I am also not advocating the neglect of your children. But, for adults, let them be. It is not your business, unless they ask you for help.

If they ask, do all you can. If they do not, let them go.

I had a buddy who asked for help. He wanted to get better with his exercise routine and get his life organized. I helped. He struggled and made some progress, but lost it after a few months. I asked him if he wanted my help. He said, not really. Why? He was happy the way he was, despite how screwed up his life is. In hindsight, I think he asked for help because he thought he wanted it and he thought I possessed some magic bullet that would change his life overnight without the work it takes to do that. In reality, he is happy the way his life is. That’s ok. After a few more months, I had to let him go. We no longer had anything in common to talk about. People make choices. He made his; I made mine.

I could have persisted. I could have done all I could to help him change his life, but trying to help someone who doesn’t want your help or wants to change, is impossible. They will drag you down, lie to you, and waste your time.

My Dad has Dementia. I moved back home in 2016 to help around the house and give my Mom some freedom to get out of the house from time-to-time. My Dad gave up his driver’s license and we cannot leave him home alone. Dad has lost most of his short-term memory. My Mom and I make suggestions to him about things he could do, but he doesn’t want to do them. He sleeps late; he sleeps in his rocking chair when he gets up, and when he is up and about, he is watching YouTube. My Mom tries to help by having him do little things he can still do, but she is growing frustrated with him. Like me and my friend, my Mom is experiencing the same thing. She is trying to change Dad, when he doesn’t want to change, and his disease makes it even more difficult. We can take care of Dad, making sure he takes his medication, making his meals, and taking him out to dinner once in a while, but it’s his life. All we can do is let him live his life and take care of him as the disease progresses. When Dad gets to the point he can’t function on his own anymore, than we’ll have to do more. 

These are my experiences. Perhaps you have a different scenario where you need to intervene. You be the judge. For me, people have to ask for help to get it. I won’t volunteer to help them without their permission and request. People have their own lives to live. They make choices that are both good and bad, just like you and I do. Intervening or injecting ourselves into someone else’s life without that person asking for our help is not a good idea. You will be better off if you only get involved if asked.

Some may think this advice is harsh. So be it. If you believe you can change someone, go for it. My belief is that people will make changes when it benefits them to do so. They will change when they perceive there is something in it for them. Until then, they have to learn the hard lessons on their own. It is the only way.

 

I wish all of you a terrific Saturday! I also want to thank all the new followers of Daily Ramblings this week. It makes my day when people follow and comment. I wish all of you a great weekend!

 

Until next time…

Dave

 

 

 

 

Daily Ramblings – Spiritual Saturday – Let Divine Spirit Do It’s Work

Tags

Achievements, answers, Confirmations, Divine Spirit, Faith, Goals, Intuition, Patience, questions, Trust

Image by Dean Moriarty from Pixabay

When you don’t put a definite shape to what you imagine, Divine Spirit can have unlimited freedom to fill that mold. But if you put a limit to it, you often strike out because you’ve allowed for only one possible outcome.

—Harold Klemp

The Language of Soul

Think about the last thing you wanted to do or accomplish. How did you do it? Did you visualize an outcome, did you have a vague idea about what you wanted, or were you trudging along blind?

I began experimenting with what Harold discusses in this quote a few years ago. It came about because I was doing the opposite of what this quote posits. I was putting a definite “how” to accomplishing my goal. As stated, I kept running into problems, frustration, and ultimately gave up in anger.

I don’t know what your beliefs are, but I started to believe this quote when I tried again with achieving something that I wanted. This time, I just kept my eye on the end state of the goal, not on how it would come about. I became relaxed. I knew my daily actions would get me to the goal; I knew I would make mistakes; I knew obstacles would come up during the journey, but I soon discovered that it also provided me with ways to work around these mistakes and obstacles. I followed my instincts or perhaps an inner intuition that said, “Ok, no problem. Do this now.”

I believe in Divine Spirit. I believe that it passes on little clues or tidbits of information to achieve what we envision. It doesn’t do this because we are special or particularly holy or worthy. The mechanism is the visualization of what we want and keeping a focus on that picture day-to-day. Whenever I run into a problem or difficulty, I ask, “So what now?” As I wait for the answer to come I continue to plod along with the daily tasks I have set out for myself that will edge me closer to the picture I have in my mind. You know what? The answers come.

I have talked with friends and family about this and they all concur. Each of us gets an answer to our questions. One thing I have discovered is not getting wrapped around the context of what that answer will be or what form it will come in.

Have you ever had a question answered by coming across a website that spells it out? What about a passage in a book? How about a conversation you have with someone or what you overhear someone talks about? Have you ever found an answer coming across in a radio program, podcast, or a billboard?

This is what I am talking about. If you ask a question and remain patient, aware, and open, the answer comes. It will probably not be what you thought it should be. It will be clear. Now comes your ability to have faith in the response. Sometimes, what comes through is something that makes little sense. How do you compensate for that?

You test it. Let’s say you ask about your current job? You recognize some tell-tale signs that things might not be going well with your employer. You read articles in the paper; You see people leave the organization. These signs tell you that your organization is going through some financial stress, despite the positive notes or messages the leadership is passing out to everyone. You ask and wait.

The answer comes and says, “Time to look for a new role.” Before you do that, ask for a confirmation. The confirmation can be anything. I used a yellow bird as a confirmation. I waited patiently.

One morning, as I’m looking through some articles on Flipboard, I see an article about a business laying people off and within the same web page that displayed the article’s headline, was a yellow bird, depicted on the page. I got my answer and a confirmation. I left that job and within two weeks after my leaving that position for a new role in a different state; I heard through the grapevine that company laid off my entire team, including our market president.

Random? Lucky? Unbelievable? Maybe. This is one thing you must prove to yourself. It’s the only way for you to understand what I’m talking about. Experience this for yourself.

Imagine being able to ask these types of questions and getting answers to them. I don’t care what topic they relate to. Maybe you want to find out whether to continue a relationship. Maybe you are considering a move. Maybe you are considering a new project. Whatever that is, ask and figure out if this works for you. It may; It may not. If it works, imagine how powerful that is? It works for me and I trust it more and more.

I’ll stop here. I wish all of you a terrific Saturday!

Until next time…

Dave

Daily Ramblings – Spiritual Saturday – Slow Down

Tags

Action Planning, Decision Making, Mind Mapping, Planning, Slow Down, spirituality, Time-table

Image by Biljana Jovanovic from Pixabay

“Anger does not solve problems – anger only makes things worse. I go by the old saying, ‘Don’t make important decisions when you’re angry.'” – Lionel Sosa

Whenever I am emotional or panicked, I make horrible decisions. The original problem compounds with all the bad decisions I make in these emotional states. Have you ever experienced this?

 

What I learned, painfully I might add, is to take some time to let the shock of some emergency subside. After I calm my emotions down, I make better decisions and my planning is more solid. The solutions I arrive at solve the problem.

Planning is simple when you think about it. You brainstorm, weigh your options, and choose the path that is likely to meet your objectives. Here are the steps I take to put together an action-plan:

 

 

First, I do some research. My research will provide books, YouTube videos, tutorials, and even online courses I could take to learn how to do something or give me ideas what other people have done in my situation. Next I brainstorm.

When I conduct research and begin digging into the content, I gather a bunch of ideas. These ideas are gathered from these resources and compiled with my own ideas. All of this goes into my mind mapping software. The mind mapping software I use is called Scapple. I enjoy using mind mapping software because it allows me to organize all of my ideas and add even more, once I can see my problem graphically and can see the gaps in my planning.

Next, it’s decision time. In most cases, my mind mapping exercise will show the best course of action, based on time, expense, and capability criteria. Some solutions will take too long; others will cost too much. Other solutions will require me to know how to do something that I don’t know how to do and are rendered useless.

Now that I have my solution, I’ll outline the action steps I take from my mind map. This outline will help me put my action steps in order. Then, all I have left to do is to estimate how long each step will take to determine when I will have my project completed.

When I have completed this exercise, my stress levels drop considerably. I am relaxed because I took the time to decompress and think through the problem at hand. I learned, the hard way, that rushing into a solution without thinking through it, normally results in more bad decisions and more problems.

When confronted with a problem, take the time to think through it. Weigh your options. Then, implement your plan on your calendar, time-keeping, or to-do software. If you are panicked or pissed off, decompress before making a decision. Meditate, do a workout, or listen to some soothing music. Once the emotions are gone, you will make better decisions.

I hope this helps you in some way. I wish all of you a terrific Saturday!

Until next time…

Dave

 

 

Daily Ramblings – Spiritual Saturday – Watch what you See and Listen To

Tags

Influences, Inputs, Movies, Music, Negativity, Reading, Surroundings, The News

Sri Harold Klemp discusses how negativity in music and other inputs can pollute the body. It is wise council.

If you are not feeling well or seem to be in a bad mood, look around at your surroundings. Is there someone in your life that is exceedingly negative? Is the music you listen to filled with negativity? Are you watching a lot of violent shows or movies?

I love heavy metal when I work out. I love to watch a great action movie with lots of violence. I like politics and the news. One of the areas I began to notice that had a dramatic effect on my well-being was the news. Every time I would watch CNN, MSNBC, FOX news, or even catch Rush Limbaugh on the radio I would become very angry and stressed out. I decided to cut back on this stuff. Don’t get me wrong, I still scan the news. What I changed was getting too involved in the stories. When I did that, my life smoothed out a bit. I was less anxious and angry. I was more relaxed.

These are just examples. For some of you, none of these may have any effect on your overall outlook. This is individual. If you do get into a funk, start monitoring what you’re watching and listening to. Watch what you are reading. Many of the things you may be exposing yourself to may be harming you, without your knowledge. Experiment. Cut down on the sad or negative music you’re listening to. Watch movies that are uplifting instead of violent. If any of these changes, lighten your mood, you have solved the mystery.

I’m posting this early today, because I have some things to do tomorrow and wanted to get this posting out of the way in advance. If anything in this article helps you, leave a comment. I’d like to hear about what you learned.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Until next time…

Dave

 

Daily Ramblings – Spiritual Saturday – Being Grateful During Hard Times

Tags

ECK, Eckankar, Grateful, Gratitude, HU, Riding the Waves of Life, Sri Harold Klemp

Enjoy today’s video by Sri Harold Klemp, who discusses how to utilize a tool to remain centered and grateful despite life’s ups and downs. If you like this video, feel free to subscribe to Sri Harold Klemp on YouTube. It’s free and has a wealth of information you may be interested in.

Enjoy your Saturday!!

Until next time…

Dave

Daily Ramblings – Spiritual Saturday – Attitude Adjustment

Tags

Attitude, Blessings, Ego, God, Gratitude, Little Self, Mind

If we want to keep the blessings of life coming to us, we must learn to be grateful for whatever is given.

—Harold Klemp

The Language of Soul

Gratitude is an interesting character trait. It requires us at times to really dig deep to find something, something to be grateful for. As the quote says, we must LEARN to be grateful for whatever is given.

So, how do you learn to be grateful? I think this is an individual endeavor. What works for me may not work for you. I started out with the 5-minute journal and followed the instructions that it provides at the beginning of it when you pull it out of the package that arrives. “List three things you are grateful for” in the morning. “List three things you are grateful for” in the evening before bed. This simple, short exercise helped me finally grasp what it means to be grateful.

When I first started I listed out the common things everyone is grateful for. I was grateful for my wife. I was grateful for my stepdaughters. I was grateful for my immediate family. After a while, when I began to see the benefits of explicitly writing down what I was grateful for, I began to get more detailed. Instead of “I am grateful for my wife” I would write down “I am grateful for my wife because she works so hard to take care of me and our girls.” When I began writing the specifics of why I was grateful for something, the feeling I had changed to a stronger feeling.

There’s another quote I began to think about during this time period. The quote reads, “Things are done for us, not to us.” I don’t know who the author of this quote is, but it had an impact on me. Think about that for a moment. Things are done for you, not to you. Think of the last time you had that “woe is me” feeling. Now think about this quote. It is hard to capture gratitude when things are crumbling around you, but if you truly embrace, “things are done for you, not to you”, you begin to see that God is doing everything for you so you can become a more spiritual being.

Maybe God is trying to tell you to change your diet, or it’s time to get a new job, or it’s time to move to a new area. If you believe that God is doing things for you and not to you, some events in your life that are traumatic or unsettling, take on a whole new light.

These attitudinal changes make a huge difference in how you approach your day. Think how good you will feel when you discover that nothing can rattle you, that your internal happiness cannot be affected by the changes in weather, what other people do or don’t do, or how things turn out for you. The human mind is so feeble and incapable of grasping the whole that we rarely see how God works in our lives, nor in the lives of others. It is beyond the human mind’s capability to see the infinite amount of variables that intertwine to make our reality.

Gratitude is a simple character trait. It is being grateful for your life. It is being grateful for what you have. It is being purposefully grateful for the blessings that God has given you. The ego and the human mind are very small vessels. They are necessary for our survival, but easily offended, upset, and dumbfounded. This is where a faith-belief must take hold in your heart. If God is perfect, which IT is, everything in this universe must be in its rightful place—everything. Everything that God does for us must be received as a blessing not a curse.

When you begin shifting your attention from what you don’t have to what you do have your life will take on a whole new meaning. Try this out. Use a pad of paper, a journal, or a computer program (I use MS OneNote) to do my gratitude journaling. It has made a huge impact on my life and it will do the same for you.

If any of you try this, keep me posted on any changes you feel or what impact this change in attitude brings into your life. Feel free to leave your revelations or insights in the comments below.

As always, have a great Saturday!

Until next time…

Dave

Daily Ramblings – Spiritual Saturday – Meditation Benefits

Tags

Benefits, Focus, Less Anxiety, Less Chronic Pain, Lower Blood Pressure, Meditation, Relaxation, spirituality

Mayo Mindfulness: Meditation is good medicine

The above link will take you to a terrific article about the benefits of meditation. I highly recommend taking a quick look if you have any doubts about this practice. Just 10 minutes a day can have a tremendous impact on your memory, your sleep, and your concentration. It can reduce your blood pressure, improve your mood, and sometimes, reduce chronic pain (Sparks, 2019).

There are quite a few apps that can help you with meditation, like Calm and Headspace. You can take courses on Mindfulness and meditation on Coursera. You can also find many guided meditations on YouTube. So what’s holding you back?

Meditation is a good workout for your brain, just like a good workout in the gym. It’s something you can do first thing in the morning or late at night. You can do it during a lunch break.

Personally, I would recommend using an app. Yeah, it’ll cost you a few bucks, but there is a lot of competition and the apps offer a great deal of content for the price. Content includes various meditations, meditation programs for reducing stress, productivity, or even self-care. Most of them will also have meditations specific to improving sleep. Calm’s sleep stories are awesome!

Anyone can meditate. It is just closing your eyes and concentrating on your breath and only your breath (It’s harder than you think). One of the shocking things I discovered is how crazy the mind really is. It is so hard to focus on the breath initially, but it will get easier over time.

If you haven’t meditated before, try the apps or YouTube. It’ll be worth your while. Articles like I provided above and cited below, provided by the Mayo Clinic, are beyond credible. Give it a whirl, you won’t be disappointed.

That’s all I got today, folks. I wish you great success with your new meditation practice.

Until next time…

Dave

Reference

Sparks, D. (2019). Mayo Mindfulness: Meditation is good medicine. Retrieved from: https://newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/discussion/mayo-mindfulness-meditation-is-good-medicine/?cauid=100503&geo=national&linkId=71697218&mc_id=us&placementsite=enterprise

Daily Ramblings – Spiritual Saturday – Happiness

Tags

God's gift, Gratitude, Happiness, Life, Needs, Unhappiness, Wants

Image by Free-Photos from Pixabay

“Learn to enjoy every minute of your life. Be happy now. Don’t wait for something outside of yourself to make you happy in the future. Think how really precious is the time you have to spend, whether it’s at work or with your family. Every minute should be enjoyed and savored.” – Earl Nightingale

Quote Credit: BrainyQuotes

I use quotes to spur my writing. They are terrific writing prompts because they require us to think about what they are saying. I like writing about happiness because so many people are unhappy. Why? Part of the reason is people associate happiness with something outside themselves.

Their whole life is based on things, people, and events outside of themselves. Why let anything outside of you drive your happiness, when all you have to do is decide to be happy. Yeah, life happens. We get sick. We lose our job. We lose a loved one. We lose a pet. Anyone would be bummed out if these things happen, but you can still maintain your happiness in and around these events. All of these events are normal and inevitable.

How do I maintain my happiness? I cultivate it within. I maintain a sincere gratitude for life. I no longer focus on what I want, but what I need. We all need food, water, air, a place to sleep and have shelter. We need something to wear, to keep our bodies covered. Besides these things what else do we really need?

Some of the happiest people live in absolute poverty. Some of the richest people in the world are unhappy. Think about that for a moment. How does this even make sense? It makes sense because a person’s happiness has nothing to do with wealth. It is internal. Happiness is a choice.

I thank God every day for this life. It is a blessing to be alive. I am grateful for a great many things, but my gratitude for life is my source of happiness. Think about the grand adventure you’ve been on since you were born. Think about the richness of your experiences.

 

Life is God’s greatest gift.

Until next time…

Dave