Category: Interesting Stuff

 

Today’s blog is by one of my teachers, a renowned energy healer and intuitive. His name is Alexander Wilson, from Manifestation Magic.

Enjoy

Do You Really Love Yourself?

Do you think that loving yourself is selfish? Many of us have been taught that tending to our own needs first is wrong. The truth is that learning to love yourself is not selfish, it is in fact the key to a free and happy life.

Do you want to discover how to cultivate a deep sense of love for yourself? Do you long to radiate confidence and security in your life? It is so easy to fall into the trap of self-doubt, procrastination and negativity. Once we start comparing ourselves to others we find it even harder to find self love.

Why is it Important to Develop Self Love?

Many people do not realise how linked the law of attraction and self love are. You know that everything is energy and vibration in this universe, so doesn’t it make sense that through love you will flow pure energy? When you feel good within you feel good about everything else too. Everything is a reflection of your perceptions, beliefs and vibrations.

It is not selfish to love yourself first, it is essential, and we’re not talking about arrogance or telling people how awesome you are! We’re talking about accepting yourself on a deep human level and treating yourself with respect.

When you love yourself you create self-confidence, self-worth and compassion. One of the biggest problems we all face in this age of Instagram and Facebook is about validating ourselves through the approval of others. When we are constantly comparing our lives to other peoples or have worth tied up in their opinions of us, we are setting ourselves up for misery. The answer is to have that sense of self so cemented that nothing anyone can say or do can knock you from your knowledge of who you are and what you are worth. That deep place of self-love is the starting place for all miracles!

We’re going to show you some simple ways to incorporate self love into your life and grow your self esteem for a happy life.

When you learn how to love yourself, the law of attraction will suddenly seem to work to your benefit much more. That’s because when you fuel your desires with optimism (because you just 100% know that you are worthy!), you allow positive things to flow to you with much more ease.

How to Love Yourself: 15 Tips for Developing Self Love

1. Train Yourself Positive

Everyday write down 3 positive things about yourself. These can be anything from achievements in life to friendships you value or physical/ character traits you admire in yourself. The reason this helps is that it trains you to look for and appreciate the positive over the negative in your life. Imagine what it would feel like to praise instead of criticise yourself!

2. Take Yourself Somewhere New

Instead of waiting for the right moment or person to come along, why not just go to the movies or try a new restaurant on your own? When you can break through insecurities you have about doing these things solo, you deepen that connection to your true self. You discover the part of you that loves who you are unconditionally.

3. Travel

Setting off on a trip alone is a wonderful way to cultivate self love and get to know yourself. It’s even better if you also take in a new culture or unknown destination as you will be forced to strip down any preconceptions you may have about others and yourself. Throwing yourself into the unknown is brave and takes confidence, you will find out a lot about yourself on a deep level.

4. Journal

Writing is a proven therapeutic way of releasing tension and negativity. It is amazing to process your feelings and emotions about yourself and your life through journaling. You can also go back and see how you worked through challenges and learned from any bad experiences.

5. Mirror Work

Every morning go to the mirror and look straight into your eyes and say to your reflection “I love you, just as you are and I want to be your friend.” You can choose your own words of course, but the effect of this is incredibly powerful. Some people may find it very challenging at first, but keep at it and feel your self esteem and confidence soar.

6. Create a Vision Board

When you don’t love yourself you don’t believe you can have the things you want in life. Creating a personal vision board of everything you dream of is a wonderful way to get excited about your future. Why not include images of things you already have that you love and are proud of? This can help you to identify with your vision and not see it as just an unattainable dream.

7. Meditate Every Day

Meditating on a regular basis is like food for the mind and soul. We all know it by now, but how many of us actually can say we do it enough? When you get into a healthy practice of calming your mind you start to feel who you really are on a deep level and how you connect with everything else in the world.

8. Listen to Your Gut

Another benefit of meditation is being able to recognize your instincts for what they are and listening to them. When you develop the ability to trust your own intuition, you foster self love. Knowing how to trust your gut is to stand in your own power and own it.

9. Regular Self Care

Self love is much more than getting a haircut and a mani-pedi, however taking the time to respect and honour your physical body with loving gestures that make you feel good is highly recommended. Confidence and beauty do start within, but sometimes looking good can help you feel better on the inside when you are struggling with self-esteem.

10. List Your Accomplishments

Don’t be too shy to give yourself a little credit where credit is due. Write a list of everything you are proud of, whether it’s an educational or work achievement or simply learning a new recipe or deciding to master a yoga position. Big and small accomplishments are all worthy of praise, no matter what they are.

11. Practice Forgiveness

Forgiveness is vital to your mental and emotional health. Holding onto resentment towards others only hurts you in the long run. Equally, identify where you beat up on yourself for choices you regret or whatever toxic thoughts you have about your past, and then decide to let them go. Tell yourself you are just another human on a journey of life and love yourself through all your mistakes.

12. Don’t be Afraid to Say No

A lot of stress can be avoided when you realize it’s ok to say no sometimes. If you don’t feel like going out or feel overwhelmed, listen to that and take it as a sign to spend some time alone getting grounded again. You cannot please everybody and you need to make sure you are being true to yourself first.

13. Leave Your Comfort Zone

On the flip side of the above point, say yes occasionally when you normally say no. You can tell (if you’re listening to your gut) whether your ‘no’s’ are coming from a place of fear or a genuine desire not to do something. Try saying yes to something out of the ordinary for you and see how it feels to challenge yourself in new ways.

14. List Positive Traits in all Your Friends

This is a fun one to do in a couple or with a friend. Sit down together for 5 minutes and list the strong qualities and positive aspects that you each identify in the other. This can be an amazing way to bond in relationships and also has the uplifting effect of raising your own self esteem.

15. Be Childlike

Find a photo of yourself as a child and really study it. Try to remember what that little person dreamed of, what they believed and wished for. See the innocence and light in your young eyes and find that place in you now – that place of purity and playfulness. Self love never went away it just got pushed aside. When you remember your childlike innocence, worries seem to fade away.

You might find some of these suggestions scary at first, perhaps you shy away from some of our tips because they threaten your normal way of thinking and behaving. The bottom-line is you will feel so much happier and more positive in your life if you work on developing love for yourself.

Once you master some of the ways to create self love you will realise how crucial it is to own who you are and shine your authentic light in the world.

Bonus Tip – Try using love to create the things you desire. For example, tell yourself that you are going to love yourself into the best version of you. You want a bigger house? A soul mate? A new job? A dream vacation? Love them all into existence. You can draw them, write about them, and dream about them, whatever you choose, just as long as when you think of them you feel the vibration of love not lack. Love the life you desire into existence with your unfailing belief in your own magnificence.

Click on the link here to discover more about how “Manifestation Magic” can help you.

Hope you have enjoyed this guest blog. The one other tip I would offer you is: express gratitude – for everyone and everything. 

Keep manifesting only good things 🙂 
Tony

If interested in getting a free copy of my mini e-book and subscribing to my e-mailing list click here

 

 

So, what’s this about celebrating a Sabbath?  Does anyone really do it anymore?Do you?

What the heck is a Sabbath anyway? Is it on Saturday or Sunday? Or another day of the week? Who says we should celebrate a Sabbath? 

Well, my Sabbath happens every day.  And this is how I celebrate it. And you can too! Easy Peasy as they say.

To me, a Sabbath is a time-out, with a purpose. It’s a chance for me and you to make conscious contact with the Divine – the Spirit or Source. It does not require a whole day or even a major part of a day. It can be at anytime when you pause, perhaps closing your eyes, and turn within. You will return to the present moment after this short Sabbath pause, feeling renewed and refreshed. Full of creative energy and enthusiasm to move on with your day, handling the stresses of your life with greater ease.

Now the Sabbath “pause” is about resting your mind as you become quiet and go within. You can observe this Sabbath at anytime since it is merely a state of consciousness. It’s a moment of rest. A pause of silence. There are no rules about how often it must be done, where, or for how long. So create your own sabbath. Find your rest and your peace.

The Sabbath that many of us know is an institution that was established by human beings based on sacred scriptures. It generally refers to taking the 7th day to refresh and restore oneself. However we also read that  “The sabbath was made for humankind, and not humankind for the sabbath” [Mark 2:27] So, it does not matter if you dedicate a day, an hour , or only a few moment as your special Sabbath. 

Rev. Elizabeth Longo suggests that you “Unplug your phone and take a rest from all technology for at least an hour a day. Instead, plug into Spirit – pray, meditate, and write”. 

What do I do? Well, I  have a daily morning spiritual practice whereby I meditate, do some visioning, review my purpose and goals, write in my gratitude journal, state affirmations, complete some tapping [EFT], and read some spiritual literature. All before checking my I-phone or computer for e-mails, messages, notices etc. Yeah – I know. Being semi-retired gives me quite a bit of time freedom.

The other “Sabbath” type thing I do is every hour on the hour, while awake, is repeat a denial and an affirmation. I have set an alarm on my watch to beep hourly as my wife’s large clock in the living room of our house dongs out the time. I pause, sometimes close my eyes, [depends on where I am or if I’m walking, running, driving or riding my motorcycle or bicycle] get quiet, go within, and state the following [usually under my breath or just in my head]:

“I release fear, anger, judgement, criticism and blame. I affirm, attract and promote love, peace, joy, truth, beauty, gratitude, forgiveness, and abundance.”

So, if you want to try something like that – feel free. I encourage you to do so. Works for me. Might work for you too! Create your own Sabbath. Find your rest and your peace.

“As you take the time to cultivate your beautifully unique Sabbath experience, may the light that is you shine brighter than ever before, and may your many Sabbath moments always be a time that refreshes your soul.” Rev. Kathy Beasley.

 

Keep manifesting good things 
Tony

If interested in getting a free copy of my mini e-book and subscribing to my e-mail list click here.

Lose what? My cool!

Within days of each other: 1. My computer went down and I thought I had lost all of my documents/pictures etc.. 2. My automated e-mail service provider stopped sending out my broadcast e-mails. 3. My daughter and her family arrived from out of town for an overnight visit even though my wife and I were self-isolating.

But I kept calm and carried on.

Here’s the whole story.

The Premier of Ontario announced that some family members could physically reconnect with others not living in the same household during the COVID-19 outbreak. Now, my oldest daughter, her husband, and their little boy live out of town. My wife and I had not spent time with them since mid-February. We had been self-isolating since mid-March and had self-quarantined after our return from a Mexico resort in early March. My daughter, on hearing the public announcement called us, told us about it, and asked if they could come for an overnight visit. We were thrilled with that!

Later that day, after they had arrived and were greeted with hugs and kisses, the Public Health authority in Ontario announced that the Premier was wrong and that families not living in the same household should continue physically distancing. The Premier publicly apologized. Too late for us. Please note that both my wife and I, not being spring chickens anymore, are in the most vulnerable group in the event of a Coronavirus infection!

They stayed for 3 nights and I was cool with that.

Towards the end of their stay my computer [it’s a tower with a big desk-top screen in my home office] stopped working. All of my documents and everything else simply disappeared. I thought it may have been caused by my little grandson playing with the keyboard or my cat walking across it. Nope!
The PowerPoint presentation and the text for the 20 minute message that I was to present the next Sunday on Zoom was totally gone! No back-up. Luckily my wife has a laptop and I was able to re-develop, to some degree, the original information for my message. It took a fair bit of time, but I was cool with that.

As I was with the fact that I had to drive some 45 minutes to the computer repair service to try and get my tower fixed. And the fact that the computer crash happened on a Friday, and I was unable to take it in for repairs until the next Tuesday because it was a long holiday weekend in Canada. I did not get my computer back until almost 2 weeks later [I was cool with that], but most of the lost information was recovered. Apparently things had gone south during a scheduled update of my operating system, but all was well again. I also upgraded my hard drive and committed to more frequent back-ups.

Part way through all that I noticed that my daily e-mails that I had previously prepared for broadcast to the AbundanceTogether community were not being sent out. I would have normally been on top of it sooner, but with the family visit and the computer issue I had not been paying attention. So, I contacted my automated e-mail service provider who advised me that I had been ignoring their messages and that they were denying all of the e-mail campaigns that I had developed. In other words, my subscribers, the AbundanceTogether community, were not receiving my daily newsletters.

Now, the warning messages they had been sending me were on Skype, but I rarely ever use that program and had no idea there were outstanding messages in my in-box. Apparently the open rate on my daily e-mails had been declining and was below their threshold. They had therefore advised me to unsubscribe any contacts who had not opened their e-mails from me for the past few months. Since I had not responded to their messages and had not done the subscriber cleanup they had requested, they had shut me down.

As soon as I realized what the situation was, [after various e-mails back and forth over a few days due to “longer than usual wait times”] I immediately unsubscribed my non-opening contacts and was back in the provider’s system. 9 days’ worth of broadcast e-mails were never sent out and not one of my subscribers [including my wife] had told me that they were not getting their daily fix of AbundanceTogether. But I was cool with that.

Now, you may be wondering why I was cool with all of the things that happened, as noted above. Would I not normally have lost my temper, gotten angry at the situations, felt frustrated and acted rudely with the perpetrators? Yes – in the past. But I had been reading spiritual and self-improvement books and watching self-help videos and had come to the realization that what was happening in my life was as it should be; that I had manifested all of the events and circumstances through the Law of Attraction; and that there was absolutely no point in getting out of shape over it. I had learned to just let go, to accept, to forgive, and let it be. To live in the moment – in the NOW!

Will I be able to maintain my calm and cool in the event other things go “wrong” in my life in the future, as I know they will inevitably happen? Well, I intend it to be so! And I expect my wife will hold me to it!

Hope you enjoyed my blog. Let me know what you think of my story.

Keep manifesting only good things 🙂
Tony

If interested in getting a free copy of my mini e-book and subscribing to my e-mail list click here.

 

I’m addicted! How about you?
You see- we are all addicts of one form or another.
Maybe not addicted to alcohol or drugs, but any number of other substances, material things, belief systems. Even other people!
That certainly covers a lot of ground doesn’t it? While I don’t see myself as addicted to booze, let’s focus on alcohol for now.

I regularly enjoyed a glass of single malt scotch or some red wine.
But felt that I was maybe enjoying it too much, too often.
So, when I found out that one of my daughters had done a Dry January challenge a year ago, I decided to try it myself this year.
I got started late, so it ended up being part dry January, part dry February, including the day of a big birthday party for me, celebrating a milestone year.

I took on two 30 day Alcohol-Free Challenges at the same time.
The first was “The 30 Day Sobriety Solution” by Dave Andrews and Jack Canfield [bestselling co-creator of the “Chicken Soup for the Soul” series]
The second was “The Alcohol Experiment – A 30-day Alcohol- Free Challenge” by Annie Grace, author of “This Naked Mind”.
Both of these programs would appeal to those who may have tried a 12 step program [Alcoholics Anonymous for example] and did not find it to be a good fit for them.

Here’s a bit more information about each of them.
First, The Alcohol Experiment: A 30-day, Alcohol-Free Challenge to Interrupt Your Habits and Help You Take Control. “Annie’s advice offers judgement- free empowerment…”. It’s an “…action plan for anyone who’s ever wondered what life without alcohol is like.”
You can do the Alcohol Experiment without getting the book. It’s all on-line and it’s free [there is also an inexpensive advanced live version that Annie offers from time to time and includes additional features]. I bought the paperback version of the book out of curiosity and for future reference. The website has great content and you are walked through the challenge day by day. It also has an excellent social support network.
I found the Alcohol Experiment to be well research based. It discussed the specific ways habits are formed and shared strategies for reducing or removing alcohol from your life. I really liked the fact that it was promoted as an experiment to “…abstain from drinking for 30 days and just see how you feel”.

Now about The 30-Day Sobriety Solution: How to Cut Back or Quit Drinking in the Privacy of Your Own Home. “It will lead you step by step through the process of overcoming excessive drinking, and give you the tools to stop for good, even if you have tried before and failed.”
The 30 Day Sobriety Solution requires the purchase of the book, but it’s inexpensive if you buy a used copy. Once you have the book you can go online and get free access to the website which has neat multimedia content. Regretfully, a number of the resources are out of date and the site has not been refreshed in quite a while. While the 30 solutions covered in this book are primarily for alcohol consumption reduction, they can easily be applied to other “addictions”. I really liked the “celebrate your thriving in sobriety” focus of the program.

I found that Annie’s program was more gut based while Jack and Dave’s book was more cerebral. Dare I suggest that hers was more feminine while the other was more masculine? Doing both programs at the same time worked very well for me, since one supported the other and ultimately appealed to dual aspects of myself. Yin/yang. Male and female. I recommend them both if you are looking at cutting back or curtailing your alcohol consumption.

The results of this experiment? – I lost a few pounds even though I ate more. [It wasn’t really a big deal for me since I tend to run on the lean side anyway]. I slept better, had no hangovers or sluggish mornings, and saved a nice bit of money. The negative side? – It took  self discipline and willpower! Did I miss out on any fun by not drinking? – Nope.

Shortly after completing the programs my wife and I went on a vacation to an all-inclusive Mexican resort. I certainly enjoyed the all-inclusive alcohol aspect of the holiday but then significantly cut back on alcohol consumption on my return home. While I am by no means a teetotaller, you could say that alcohol is now a take it or leave it thing for me, and I am thriving. Check these programs out if you want to know more about alcohol or are interested in going alcohol free for a bit.

That’s all for now. Feel free to share this blog with a friend or relative who might find it beneficial.

Keep manifesting only good things 🙂 
Tony

If interested in getting a free copy of my mini e-book and subscribing to my e-mailing list click here. 

 

This is a special guest blog by Alexander Wilson, from Manifestation Magic. Enjoy.

Understanding your inner child is an essential part of the inner work you will do in your lifetime. We all have an inner child, a part of ourselves that is truly us. In some ways I think of the inner child as the essence of a person, who they were before the world imposed beliefs and experiences on them telling them otherwise. It is not that the inner child is the best or fully realized version of yourself, but it is more like the point from which you began. The seed that you grew from and the flower that you continue growing and blossoming into.

The first ten years of our lives are incredibly influential on our souls. We are soaking up and absorbing experiences like little sponges until we begin to form our own opinions and ideas about the world.

These formative years are about laying the foundation for the way we think and view the world and creating a kind of framework for our character.
Any kind of trauma that is experienced during these years, no matter how huge or how seemingly small has an affect on us mentally and emotionally. They could be anything from experiencing death or loss, emotional or physical abuse, divorce, bullying, changing homes or schools or losing a special toy.
Whatever your childhood experiences were, how you reacted and dealt with them at the time and how others reacted to you is all stored in your subconscious.

However you dealt with it and the level of support you received is what really matters here. Your inner child is formed from these experiences and how you were able to cope and whether you received support and nurturing through it.

Most young kids are not able to use full cognitive awareness to understand and cope with trauma. That’s why sensitive children often feel they are to blame for abuse, divorce and so on. Their inability to understand complex situations and emotions means they internalize the situation as somehow being related to something they did or didn’t do.
This can become programmed into the belief that I am bad or something is wrong with me. That gets internalized into the subconscious mind and stays, despite growing up and realizing the truth of a situation. That programming can remain buried within the inner child, in our minds, and can affect other areas of life in adulthood.

Inner child work helps us to reconnect with this wounded element of ourselves. We can connect to the root cause of our fears, insecurities and negative patterns and heal them by looking at how they originated.

It’s so common for people to resist doing this work, dragging up your past can be painful and tedious. Many people feel their traumatic experiences were not serious enough, or were just a normal part of growing up. But your feelings at the time were very real and should not be ignored. They are a big part of your emotional and psychological baggage in life.

It’s also important to note that doing inner child work is not about blaming others, especially your parents. When you do this work, have in the back of your mind that everyone at all times is doing the best they can with what they know in the moment.

I want to share some healing techniques with you today to help you learn to soothe and reconnect with your own inner child. These will help you to resolve deeply held self-sabotaging life patterns so that you can release that emotional weight and resolve your past.

1. Think about something that happened in your past, a life-changing event or traumatic memory you hold from those first 10 years. Try to recall how it made you feel. Go deeply into those emotions and feelings. See if you can relate how you felt then to the way you sometimes deal with things in the present. Journal about all of this as a way to record your memories.

2. Imagine yourself as the age you were during these traumatic/ life-changing events. See yourself standing before you now. Think about how that child version of yourself would have wanted to be supported, nurtured and comforted. Write a letter to your younger self with everything that you would have wanted to know and hear.

3. Meditate quietly and use the following visualization technique to speak with your inner child. Close your eyes and bring your breathing to a regular, calm rhythm. Let your thinking mind be still and just concentrate on listening to the silence within. When you feel you are in a calm state of mind, visualize a beautiful garden or place that makes you feel safe, happy and empowered. Once you have created this place in your mind, allow yourself to invite your child into this space. There you can meditate quietly and ask your child to speak to you, let them tell you whatever they want to. Just listen and be there to hear them. You can get better at this the more you do it.

4. Speak to your inner child in the following ways to heal and nurture them:
I love you
I hear you
You didn’t deserve this
You did your best
I forgive you
I’m sorry
Thank you
Say these words as often as you need to, while thinking of the past or during the day as you catch yourself falling into regular patterns or negative thinking.
Treating your inner child with love, compassion, kindness and understanding is a way to re-parent them today. It is possible to heal and change the past by the way you act in the present.

5. Remind yourself of who you were as a child. Look at photos and find the ones that resonate and bring you joy. Pin them up around your home in places where you can regularly be reminded of the spontaneity, adventure and innocence of childhood in a positive way. This can help you to connect with a sense of playfulness that you once had and to bring the presence of your inner child back into your life today.

6. Remember some of the activities or games you enjoyed as a child. From coloring to climbing trees or playing make-believe. Without judgement, try to recreate these activities in your life today. It may sound silly but it’s truly a powerful way to let your inner child know they are important, and that they contribute to your life. It’s an amazing way to heal and empower yourself as an adult.

7. Finally, set an intention to be more aware of the way you behave and act moving forward. When you become conscious of your patterns and what informs the decisions you make, you can make sure that you act from love and not fear or insecurity.

Thanks,
Manifestation Magic Team

Hope you enjoyed this guest blog. I’ve tried all of these methods, and trust me [and my inner child] – they work!

Keep manifesting only good things 🙂 
Tony

If interested in getting a free copy of my mini e-book and subscribing to my e-mailing list click here. 

 

Here’s another great guest blog from Dr. Steve G. Jones. He’s a Clinical Hypnotherapist and creator of Total Money Magnetism. It’s about becoming happier. Enjoy.

Happiness is what people like you want to achieve. However, finding out what really makes you happy and how to feel happier is not an easy journey.

What does it really take to be happy? Happiness, is one of those things you either have or don’t have based on the combination of life circumstances and natural disposition.

Here are 8 ways to feel happy:

1. Do one nice thing for yourself daily.

How about taking some time everyday to do nice things for yourself? Either you get yourself a small treat by buying yourself a nice cup of espresso at your favorite coffee shop or taking a 30 minute nap before going out to do your adult stuff.

It would also be nice if you can schedule bigger self-care activities like massages or going on a vacation on a monthly basis. If you start doing nice things for yourself and taking care of yourself, you’ll find the feeling of fullness and happiness and should then be able to help others.

2. Prioritize your health.

Start taking supplements and vitamins! You body need those. Having the right fuel to push your body and increase your strength and stamina is one way of getting the feeling of happiness. Sugar and other bad eating habits affect our energy and mood which hinders us from being happy.

Try to have a goal of exercising a minimum of 5 days a week. As for the type of work out, that’s really up to you. The rule is do what makes you happy. Choose an activity that you will enjoy and not get bored with ! If you’re not into hard core activities, then try doing Yoga or Pilates. When the blood and oxygen is properly circulating inside your body they will activate the body’s natural healing powers that can give you the feeling of happiness.

3. Forgive yourself!

Forgiveness plays a big part in being happy! There are times that we don’t really think of forgiving ourselves. Remember, when you regularly criticize yourself, it brings down your confidence level.

Forgiving yourself is quite challenging, as most of us have been getting frustrated or angry at ourselves for numerous things that we feel we did wrong. We often think of the things that we could have done or should not have done to make things better.

A lot of us get into trouble because we try to be perfect and beat ourselves up if we’re not. Loving yourself for who you are means accepting yourself and forgiving yourself for whatever may have happened in the past.

4. Start your day with a SMILE!

Start your morning with a positive affirmation and a big SMILE! Be grateful for a good night’s sleep and for waking up to a wonderful new day. 

Did you know that when you smile, the muscles in your face send a signal to your brain and create a better mood biologically. When you smile, your body releases powerful chemicals into your system that make you feel happier.

A smile can change everything!  It’s an international language that everyone knows. It’s also contagious, since once you smile at a person, he or she wants to pass it on.

5. Be kind to someone.

Why does being kind to someone make you feel more happy? It helps calm your mood and takes the focus off yourself. 

The moment you focus on doing an act of kindness to someone, it helps you get a break from your own problems and results in a feeling of happiness. It reduces your stress levels and, like a smile, is contagious.

Think of “paying it forward”, performing an act of charity, or doing volunteer work. Not only will you feel happier, but according to research, you’ll live longer too! 

6. Schedule something fun.

How about planning a day trip out of town? Or maybe inviting friends over for a movie night or dinner at a new restaurant you found out about on Facebook?

Looking forward to a long road trip or traveling to your next dream destination is one thing that can hype you up, get you excited and boost your happiness level. Having something to look forward gives you a good feeling that adds an “Atmosphere of growth” to your life, since the future seems brighter.

Positive anticipation is the key. Sometimes, the happiness in anticipation is greater that the happiness that you experience during the actual event!

7. Get enough sleep.

Research shows as an adult you need to have at least 7 to 8 hours of sleep for your body and mind to fully rest. You know full well that without enough sleep you cannot function at your best. You tend to get grumpy and moody and you react poorly to stressful situations. 

They don’t call it beauty rest for nothing as anyone who wakes up after only a couple of hours of sleep with a dark under-eye circles and sallow skin can attest. Your body needs a lot of rest so it can complete its process of repairing damaged tissues and releasing the hormones that are needed for body growth. You need sleep [and maybe a nap] to be happy!

8. Talk to a friend or Call someone.

Social contact is a main contributor to happiness. It doesn’t really have to be face to face. How about a phone call, an email or even a text message asking a friend or acquaintance how they are doing? It can make a big difference to then and can bring out the happiness in you.

It may seem like a small gesture but it will reap great benefits for you both. Taking some time to show interest in someone without wanting anything in return will brighten your days.

So, there you go. 8 tips to becoming happier! I would suggest that you add forgiving others, meditation and self-hypnosis to that list. 

Get your own free Abundant Happiness Self Hypnosis Track.  Fill your mind and heart with an unshakable sense of peace and joy. Quickly release feelings of stress, anxiety and sadness. CLICK HERE. 

Keep manifesting only good things 🙂 
Tony

If interested in getting a free copy of my mini e-book and subscribing to my e-mailing list click here. 

 

Are you ?
Not necessarily, but you are more likely to be more mindful about what you eat.
In this blog, I’m continuing my story about how I became a vegetarian and then a pescatarian. 
The first part was called “Do You Have to Be Vegan to Be Spiritual?” And you can read or re-read it HERE.
The second part was called “Does Your Diet Affect Your Spirituality?” And you can read or re-read it HERE.

So, let’s continue.
Do I feel guilty about being pescatarian? About eating fish and seafood? To a degree – yes. And so I have pretty well stopped ordering anything other than vegetarian in restaurants or for takeout. Will I become a vegan? Don’t think so, since for me, it’s too dramatic a step to take. At this point in my life anyway.
However, I stopped drinking cow’s milk and switched to almond or coconut beverages.
But I still enjoy cheese and yoghurt and even cottage cheese. We generally only buy eggs from free run chickens. And I still bless the animals in the transport trucks that I see on the highway as they make their way to the slaughterhouse.

But I have also listened to messages by Abraham-Hicks about food and eating.
That it’s not the food we eat but our belief about it. That it’s all about vibration. 
And I understand what people mean when they say: 
“Weren’t animals put on earth to serve human kind?”
 “Isn’t the purpose of a chicken to lay eggs and a cow to give milk?”
“Everything in moderation”. 

Well, the human diet appears to be a continuum. Carnivore, omnivore, pescatarian, vegetarian, vegan, and fruitarian.  All the way to subsisting only on water and the rays of the sun [as some yogis and mystics can apparently do]. And everything in between.
I figure that my purpose in this existence is to have fun, and be happy. And to become a better person every day. It is also to experience joy and savor the succulent sweetness of life.
I am not what I was yesterday, or what I may become tomorrow. So, today I’m a pescatarian on the cusp of being vegetarian again.
And I love vegans for their good intentions. And I love my omnivore friends and family. And our carnivore, predator pets. You see, we all make our individual choices. And tend to do our best with what we have from where we are.

So no, you don’t have to be vegan to be spiritual. Or vegetarian or pescatarian. You just need to be grateful for whatever you eat.

Keep manifesting good things 🙂

Tony

If interested in getting a free copy of my mini e-book and subscribing to my e-mail list click here.

 

Does a vegan or vegetarian diet make you more spiritual?
I don’t think so.
But it makes you more mindful about what you eat.
In this blog I’m continuing my story about how I became a vegetarian.
And then a pescatarian. 
It was called “Do You Have To Be Vegan To Be Spiritual?”
And you can read or re-read it HERE.

Anyway – I still have a hard time facing pasta primavera, which seemed to be the only vegetarian main course option available at the numerous conferences and conventions I attended over the years as part of my job.
By the way, my last “meat meal” was steak tartare served at a high-end steakhouse in London, Ontario.
I loved it, as I did blue steak, bacon, chicken and anything with ground beef in it.
I was quite the carnivore!

It was a tough journey to vegetarianism at times, given that my daughter decided to start eating chicken and shrimp again after a few months.
And no one else in our household of six [including cat and dog] was willing to give up “meat”.
Being the chief barbequer [is that a word?] and assistant cook for the family meant that I was regularly frying for and serving meat to pretty well everyone but myself.
I usually gave a blessing and expressed gratitude to the dead creature that I was cooking, thanking it for sacrificing its life for our nutrition.
I must admit that often the smell of burning meat made me somewhat nauseous. 
And still does.

Eventually the kids grew up and left home, my wife continued her omnivore lifestyle, and I my vegetarian one.
Admittedly she ate “meat” only rarely and pretty well gave up pork after seeing the movie “Babe”.
She also became the primary cook in our home.
But it wasn’t easy for my wife to make two separate proteins at dinner whenever she chose to eat “meat”.
One for me and one for her.
And it wasn’t that easy to split an appetizer or entrée at a restaurant if she decided to select a non-vegetarian option.
So, a number of years ago I began to occasionally eat fish and seafood.
After all, we live on the lake where fish are abundant.
So I guess that made me a pescatarian.

Have I ever cheated and eaten meat?
Yep, a couple of times.
I tried alligator fritters in Florida [I rationalized it as a type of seafood], and once at a Thanksgiving dinner I surreptitiously tasted a piece of dark turkey meat.
It left a greasy, unpleasant taste in my mouth.

OOPs- I’m running out of time again, so I’ll continue this blog in a couple of weeks.
Stay tuned :-).

Keep manifesting only good things 🙂
Tony

If interested in getting a free copy of my mini e-book and subscribing to my e-mailing list click here. 

 

Why I’m not a Vegan
A while back I attended a service at a spiritual centre in London Ontario
The guest speaker presented a message about veganism.
She’s a naturopath and social worker, became vegetarian when relatively young,
and then eventually adopted the vegan lifestyle.
It was an excellent presentation and the pictures and the video we’re heart warming, and at times painful to watch. 
It made me stop and think.
And that was my incentive  to write this blog.

Let me explain what I mean by vegetarian and vegan.
To me, a vegetarian is someone who does not consume any kind of “meat”.
That includes seafood, fish and fowl.
That’s right, not even chicken.
Nothing with a face, or a mother [as a friend once told me].
And yes, I know lettuce has a head, 
And corn has ears
And potatoes have eyes. 
But let’s not confuse things here.
To me Veganism takes vegetarianism one step further.
No animal products consumed internally or externally.
That means no eggs, no milk products, and no leather.
I understand that some Vegans even avoid honey or even refuse to have domesticated pets.

Anyway, back to my story.
I became a vegetarian back in the late 80’s.
I’d been thinking about it for a while, and read a number of books about the subject
[Diet for a New America, Diet for a Small Planet]
And had done some research.
My youngest daughter decided to try the vegetarian lifestyle, and I agreed to join her.
My reasons were threefold.
In addition to it being more “spiritual” from my perspective, I figured it was
a better dietary choice
1. for my health
2. for the animals
3. for the environment.
I made that decision, just before a cross-country drive with my oldest daughter, from London Ontario Canada to Edmonton Alberta. And then, joined by my wife and youngest daughter, on to Victoria Island in British Columbia. Overall a great trip except for one thing.

In those days it was quite difficult to find a vegetarian option in a restaurant. 
Especially in a fast food joint, compared to the way it is now. I almost lived on egg salad and cheese sandwiches. Oh yes- and ketchup flavored potato chips.

Sorry, I’m running out of Time, so I’ll continue this blog in a couple of weeks.
Stay tuned :-).

Keep manifesting only good things 🙂
Tony

If interested in getting a free copy of my mini e-book and subscribing to my e-mailing list click here. 

I was raised in a strict Roman Catholic family. Along with the Hail Mary, I used to recite the Lord’s Prayer almost daily. I even considered becoming a priest.

Over time I could no longer accept Roman Catholic dogma and eventually joined the United Church. But I kept searching for my spiritual centre. Perhaps like you.

I investigated Buddhism, Hinduism, Theosophy, Baha’i, Rosicrucianism and Unitarian beliefs. I read the Bible, the Qur’an, the Bhagavad Gita and other sacred texts. Practiced yoga and meditation. Studied and took courses in The Silva Method, Neurolinguistic Programming , Therapeutic Touch, Reiki, Emotional Freedom Technique [EFT or Tapping], metaphysics and the Law Of Attraction. Joined Unity.

All the while I continued to read, investigate, study, learn, grow and evolve as a “spiritual being in an earth suit”. Part of my research led me to this new interpretation of The Lord’s Prayer.

It has apparently been helpful to many people.  Perhaps it will be of assistance to you too.

You see, today we have available many more accurate translations of this prayer. They reveal that it was originally intended to be a series of affirmations. They are intended as a frame of reference in which to think about and pray the Lord‘s Prayer.

You can use this version on its own merit. As part of your daily ritual or morning routine.

Note the “traditional” words which are then followed by the reinterpretation of each affirmation.

Our Father who art in heaven: I am now conscious of the infinite and eternal Presence in whom I live and by which I think and create.

Hallowed be Thy name: This Presence in me is whole and complete. It is the activity of health that heals, of intelligence that inspires, of substance that prospers, and of love that harmonizes.

Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven: I am a glorious possibility of the Presence. I now let its perfect idea of me unfold in me and through me. My desire for betterment is the desire of the Presence to perfect that which it is expressing as me, and I let it have its way. I see myself doing that which it sees me as being.

Give us this day our daily bread: I have no existence outside of the Presence, for I am that Presence expressing as me. Therefore, I can never be separated from the all-sufficient substance of the opulent Universe. I claim my divine inheritance and I daily, perpetually, manifest abundant supply.

And forgive us our trespassers, as we forgive those who trespass against us: The Presence in me is my potential for dissolving all conflicts or transgression. The Presence is Love, and it lives in me and through me as I forgive. It releases me as I loose and let go of all my limited thoughts about myself or others.

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: The Presence in me is my light and my deliverance. There is no darkness in the light, and there can be no darkness in me when I am established in spiritual unity with the Presence within me – which is “better than light and safer than a known way”.

[For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory, forever and ever and ever]: In all that I seek to be or do or have, I humbly realize that in the Presence is my power to think, my very thought of aspiration, my will to commence, my strength to keep on, my power to achieve, and the glory of all my accomplishments.

Amen: This is the truth, and it is now done.

This interpretation has been adapted from “Discover The Power Within You [ A Guide To The Unexplored Depths Within]”, by the “20th century Emerson”, Eric Butterworth. Feel free to revise it for your own use.

In this version I have taken the liberty of replacing the word “God” with the word “Presence”.  To some people, the name of God has negative connotations. They think of the God of the Old Testament. The old guy with the white beard who sits on his golden throne up in heaven, judging and condemning, full of wrath, and damning sinners to hell. The God that humanity had made in the image of man, rather than the one who created man in his image.

Keep manifesting 🙂
Tony

If interested in getting a free copy of my mini e-book and subscribing to my e-mailing list click here.