Daily Ramblings – Spiritual Sunday – Rediscovering Happiness

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Contemplation, Contentment, Happiness, Joy, Love, Meditation, Prayer, spiritual discipline, Spiritual Exercises, Spiritual habits, Spiritual responsibilities

Regardless of your faith or religious path, each comes with certain disciplines that should be followed in order to attain the success the path offers. Meditation daily, prayer daily or multiple times, eating the right foods and avoiding those that are not allowed. All these should be practiced with love.

I mention quite a bit in my blog about my practice of a “do nothing day”. I wanted to correct that here. There are certain disciplines my religious path requires and even on my “do nothing day” these are done. I read from my bible, I study my discourses, I do my spiritual exercises, and I do my daily journaling. I perform these tasks with joy and detachment. Detachment means I do these things without expectation of a revelation, reward, or some other benefit. I do them out of love for God.

One of the quotes provided by the teachings I follow is that “All is in its rightful place in the worlds of God.” – Sri Harold Klemp. This statement if taken to heart provides a sense of contentment. I have all I need. I am happy. I am safe. I am content. How could I not be if “All is in its rightful place in the worlds of God”?

Many people are constantly looking for happiness. They look here and there, hoping they can find it. What is sad and funny is that happiness is within. It is sad for those who do not know this and are constantly looking for it somewhere else. Perhaps happiness can be found in making a lot of money. Perhaps I can get my happiness through another person. Perhaps I could get a better job, a better car, or a better set of clothes. It is funny because when we finally discover that happiness is within, we stop striving. We stop looking. We realize after all the time we spent suffering that we had happiness with us the whole time.

I wish everyone could experience the contentment I felt when I woke up this morning. I woke up, had my breakfast, did my journaling, my spiritual reading, and my religious studies. As I was doing these things a calmness came. Along with this calmness came contentment and happiness. Because I realized how great life is. The only way I can describe it is the feeling that arose with a scene in my mind about being a kid on Saturday morning with a box of cereal in his hand, watching cartoons with his brother. How we laughed.

We lose this simple happiness as we bear the mantle of life. Now there are bills. There are people to take care of. There are responsibilities. Those childhood memories fade away, as responsibility and worry take over. Then, one day, we reawaken those childhood memories. We realize that happiness has always been there, hidden under the clutter of our lives. A clutter, mind you, that we created because we wanted to recapture this happiness, but forgot where we put it.

Today, even if for a moment, think about a time in your life you were truly happy. Was it because someone else made you happy? Was it because of the things you had? Was it because of the way you looked? I think you’ll find that those moments of peak happiness were simple times. You were happy because you just were. I wish you every happiness in life. You already have it within you. Rediscover that.

Until next time…

Dave

Daily Ramblings – Motivation Monday – Changing a Bad Mood into a Good One

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Coffee, Cookies, donuts, Exercise, Meditation, Mood, motivation, Music, oatmeal, tea

It’s Monday, folks and time for another installment of Motivation Monday. I was thinking about how all of us manifest our environments. Our attitudes have a huge impact on our motivation. If you think the day will be great, it will be. Conversely, if we think the day will be crap, it will be.

The way we “see” our reality is the way it is. We cannot escape ourselves. How do you smooth out a bad mood? There are all kinds of ways to do so. Music is a huge one for me. If music impacts your mood like it does me, grab your favorite toon or playlist and fire it up. Your mood will change in seconds. Another thing to do is to do something you absolutely enjoy. Maybe it’s a warm cup of coffee. Maybe it’s a tasty morsel like a donut, coffee cake, or a steaming bowl of oatmeal.

Another thing that can alter your mood is exercise. A vigorous workout or relaxing walk with your favorite tunes blaring is another great way to change your mood in an instant. The key is knowing yourself and the tools you have at your disposal to alter your initial feeling in the morning.

I have gotten so skilled at maintaining a good mood, that is no longer an issue for me. I wake up happy and ready to tackle the day. All of the tasks I have set up are things I enjoy doing. When I work on my book, it is an escape for me to another reality that unfolds as I put words to the page.

Motivation is impacted by the mood you are in. If you are having one of those “dark” mornings, it is hard to be motivated to do anything. So keep your personal tools at the ready. The mood has to change before anything can be accomplished. Music, exercise, good food, or something you enjoy doing are the tools I use to keep up my motivation levels.

One more tool I have is having something enjoyable to do after I get done with my “work”. I look forward to the video gaming I know I’ll be doing once my to-do list is completed. This little “carrot” at the end of my work day is a key motivator. It makes the day fly by, as I knock out task after task, knowing, I’ve got a great video game experience waiting for me.

Well, that’s it for today. I hope all of you have a terrific Monday!

Until next time…

Dave

Daily Ramblings – Ted Talk Tuesday – Yoga

Tags

anxiety, cardiovascular health, depression, Flexibility, health, Meditation, Stress Relief, Yoga

Yoga has many benefits, including improved flexibility, relief from stress, and improved cardiovascular performance. If you’ve never tried this, you may want to give it a shot. Yoga, in its simplest form, is a great way to get some much-needed exercise, particularly now with the many intermittent lockdowns that will continue into the future, particularly now that we have begun to see mutations of the COVID virus appear in the States and elsewhere. You can find a truckload of Yoga tutorials on YouTube and other video streaming sites (Rumble, Vimeo, etc.). Give it a shot. It’s a great way to add some variety to your home workouts.

Namaste!

Until next time…

Dave

Daily Ramblings – Spiritual Saturday – The Law of HU

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Contemplation, creation, Divine Spirit, Eckankar, God, Light and Sound, Meditation, reality, The ECK

HU is an ancient name of God. In ECKANKAR, we use it during our contemplations, among other charged words. You can chant HU, regardless of your religion. It is an uplifting mantra that gives peace and calm, particularly when life is giving you a rough time. Below is a link for you to listen to if you wish.

HU—The Sound of Soul

The Law of HU declares that the ECK or divine spirit, or what we call the Light and Sound of God, are the formers of this and many other universes. It is this divine spirit that gives life to the matter in this reality.

I hope all of you have a terrific Saturday.

May the blessings be.

Dave

Daily Ramblings – Spread Your Wings Sunday – Week of September 6, 2020

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Breath, Calm, Headspace, Meditate, Meditation, reduce stress, Relaxation, Spread Your Wings

With all the craziness in 2020, here’s another challenge that will help you gain a little peace. Challenge: Meditate 5 minutes for two days this week. It can be anytime you want, and wherever you want. You can listen to meditation music, you can get trial periods for the Calm or Headspace apps, or you can just use the simple method of closing your eyes and following your breath.

In the comments, tell me how it went.

Until next time…

Dave

Daily Ramblings – Thankful Thursday – Music

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Gratitude, heavy metal, Meditation, memories, Movies, Music, Reading, Soundscapes, Thanks, Writing

I have always enjoyed music. It seems that we are all wired to music, in light of how popular it has been throughout history. Music entertains. Music reminds. Music inspires.

I like to listen to music when I read. I can’t listen to music with words, because it is too hard to concentrate, but instrumental music is a common partner when I read. I also enjoy listening to music when I write.

Again, I have to refrain from listening to music with words while I write because it is too hard to concentrate on what I’m doing when I listen to the words. Interestingly, I have found that listening to certain types of music invoke emotions that are helpful when I am writing an action scene or an emotional scene. I can’t listen while I write, but I do listen before I write.

Another type of music I like listening to is trance while I do cardio or heavy metal while I lift weights. Trance helps me deal with the monotony of cardio, while heavy metal helps me achieve the aggression I need when I’m trying to push myself to my limits.

I like listening to Asian music, sound scapes, and other cerebral music when I meditate. It helps my mind calm down, while I concentrate on the breath.

I even enjoy listening to movie soundtracks. When I listen to the music of Pirates of the Caribbean, Gladiator, Star Wars, or even the Godfather, I can see the various scenes play out in my mind. It is amazing how much the music impacts a scene in a movie.

Think about the dark music in the original Halloween movie or The Exorcist. When you hear these songs, you automatically think about these movies. It is fascinating.

So today, I am grateful for music that helps me write, workout, relax, and visualize my favorite movies.

Happy Thursday!

Until next time…

Dave

Daily Ramblings – Spiritual Saturday – Going Within.

Tags

Calm, Chaos, Contemplation, going within, Meditation, News, Relax, Stress

The world just keeps getting crazier and crazier. This year has been a whopper so far. How do you remain calm in all of this chaos?

Each of us can go within ourselves in quiet meditation or contemplation. We can sit down and read a book that captures our attention. We can listen to Sound scapes, classical, or some easy listening jazz. The point I’m trying to make is you can be alone, quite, and relaxed, simply by going to your happy place in your home and just suck in the peace of silence.

Those that are hardcore meditators, particularly the Zen Buddhists, call meditation sitting, The simplest forms of their meditation is either following the breath or a body scan. Either technique achieves its end goal—serenity in the breath.

The greatest benefit of this process is learning to “control” the mind. You do so by focusing it gently on the breath and keep your attention there. It is harder than I describe it. Many of us have so many responsibilities, worries, and consume some form of news. The latter is the most stressful practice you can adopt. The news is designed to enrage, frighten, and confuse. If they achieve their goal, they have a person stuck in an endless loop of “soap opera”-type news stories that create a situation where you cannot stop reading to get your adrenaline fix.

Who can blame the news? They have to make money in a very competitive marketplace. They compete with podcasts, YouTube channels, Blogs, books, and social media. The news is on every channel in one shape or another. Even ESPN is political nowadays.

Chop down your news consumption. Treat yourself with loving kindness by taking 10-15 minutes to close your eyes and just listen to your breath. It provides tremendous benefits and will help you deal with all that is going on in the world.

Until next time…

Dave

Daily Ramblings – Spiritual Saturday – In Times of Trouble…

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Bible, God, Inner Peace, Meditation, Prayer, Religious Practice, Spiritual Exercises, spirituality, The Calm

They say that we seek comfort during times of trouble. Many reach out to friends and family. Others use activities to take their mind off of things. Some turn to their religious beliefs.

It’s hard now because they’ve banned public gatherings across the country. Religious institutions are closed. No one but families in the home can get together. So how do you get comfort?

Some religious institutions are offering worship services online. Others are doing charitable work in the community by delivering food and other items to those less fortunate or at risk. Some will read their Bible or religious tome and rely on the faith they have in their hearts. I fall into the last group. I have a faith belief that all things happen for a reason and that whatever happens is exactly what should happen. “Everything is in its rightful place in the worlds of God.” – Harold Klemp.

How you comfort yourself and your family is up to you. I am comforted by the timeless principles in the scripture I read daily. I am also comforted by the daily spiritual exercises that help me reach the calm within. It is always there—waiting.

I hope each of you finds the calm in your own way. It is a tremendous place to be during calamity, disaster, and chaos, when the world seems to get more frightening daily.

Be safe. Follow the guidance provided by authorities. Take care of each other. We will all get through this together.

Until next time…

Dave

 

 

Daily Ramblings – Motivation Monday – Repetition

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Daily to-dos, Exercise, Meditation, motivation, Practice, Reading, Repetition, Weekly Schedule, Writing

Like I said, repetition in practice and hard work.

Jerry Rice

Ask any sports legend, concert pianist, actor, writer, anyone with any skill and they will all tell you they got where they are by practice and repetition. They practiced, and practiced, and practiced.

When I served in the Army, we did the same thing. We practiced. We repeated. We worked on something until you could do it in your sleep. That’s the key. To transform a skill from conscious practice to subconscious execution. Then you practice more.

Repetition can be boring. It is tough to stick with something every day. But for those of you who understand the power behind repetition, you know that sometimes you dread doing something you did yesterday, and the day before. The mind loves novelty and will fight it.

Stick with it. Keep doing it. Don’t stop. Greatness and mastery are on the other side of the boredom and repetition.

Here’s my schedule for the week:

• Work on character development for my fiction book – daily
• Learn Graphs in Python – daily
• Blog daily
• Journal daily
• MS Publisher Course – daily
• Exercise – daily
• Meditate – daily
• Read a chapter – daily

Have a great Monday, folks.

Until next time…

Dave

 

 

 

 

Daily Ramblings – Motivation Monday – It’s Sunday Night, and All is Quiet

Tags

Blogging, Comments, Flexibility, habits, Meditation, motivation, rituals, Variety

Hey there!

I was reading through a few blog posts and saw the time. It’s Monday Motivation time. I’ll time this post if I finish early or just post it at midnight. I love the variety in the blogs I follow. One had a family visit to a great tropical resort, another is in Japan, and yet another got to the gym and knocked out some treadmill work. We are all so unique, yet the same. We like to write (obviously), we like to tell our stories, and we like the occasional response to our work. I try to respond to all the blogs I read, hoping folks will do the same on mine. I really enjoy getting comments. It makes my day!

OK. Off we go!

This week I’ll be following my daily regimen. Writing, reading, learning, meditating, coding, exercising, and all the rest. I enjoy my rituals. I schedule enough work to keep me busy and the rest of the day is mine. Rituals are nice because they slowly become a habit. I do not follow a daily schedule, because I would rarely follow it. I get all of my stuff done. It’s nice to have some flexibility in the day and attack what I want to when I feel it.

One thing I do is cluster like tasks together. When I’m done with this blog post, I’ll hit my journaling, posting quotes, sharing articles, and letter writing. Tomorrow during the day when I’m fresh, I’ll do some work on my classwork and coding exercises. I’ll get my exercise in, and I try to meditate every afternoon between 2:30 and 4:30 pm. I like this time of day because there is little chance I’ll fall asleep. I tried morning meditations and before-bed meditations, but I always fall asleep. The afternoon sessions are perfect.

I hope all of you have a great week!

Until next time…

Dave