Week 24 — The Power of Intention

“If you desire to help someone, to destroy some form of lack, limitation or error, the correct method is not to think of the person whom you wish to help; the intention to help them is entirely sufficient, as this puts you in mental touch with the person. Then drive out of your own mind any belief of lack, limitation, disease, danger, difficulty or whatever the trouble might be. As soon as you have succeeded is doing this the result will have been accomplished, and the person will be free.” (Haanel — Week 24 -13)

I would like to share with you powerful tips “the five steps for harnessing the power of intention to create anything you desire” by Deepak Chopra (http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-9603/5-steps-to-harness-the-power-of-intention.html):

1. Slip into the Gap: Meditation takes you into the silence and stillness of pure consciousness.
2. Release your Intentions and Desires: The best time to plant your intentions is during the period after meditation.
3. Remain Centered in a state of restful awareness: Stayed centered even without knowing the timing or the details of what will happen.
4. Detached from the outcome: Detachment is based on the unquestioning belief in the power of your true Self. …allow opportunities and openings to come your way.
5. Let the Universe handle the details: Your focused intentions set the infinite organizing power of the universe in motion. Trust that infinite organizing power to orchestrate the complete fulfillment of your desires.

“The absolute truth is that the “I” is perfect and complete; the real “I” is spiritual and can therefore never be less than perfect; it can never have any lack, limitation, or disease. The flash of genius does not have origin in the molecular motion of the brain; it is inspired by the ego, the spiritual “I” which is one with the Universal Mind, and it is our ability to recognize this Unity which is the cause of all inspiration, all genius. These results are far reaching and have effect upon generations yet to come; they are the pillars of fire which mark the path that millions follow.” (Haanel — Week 24 -18)

Happy Easter!!!!

Week 23 — Focus and Persistence

“No steam or gas drives anything until it is confined. No life ever grows great until it is focused, dedicated, disciplined.” – Harry Emerson Fosdick

“Persistence can grind an iron beam down into a needle.” – Chinese Proverb

“Just when the caterpillar thought the world was over, it became a butterfly.” – Proverb

“Whenever you want to achieve something, keep your eyes open, concentrate and make sure you know exactly what it is you want. No one can hit their target with their eyes closed.” – Paulo Coelho

P. S. I am on a business trip. Enjoy the rest of the week 🙂

Week 22a — The Healing Power of Innate Love and Wisdom

“To be a healing and compassionate presence to others, we need to heal deep within.  For that, we need to connect to a more open, unconditional part of our being, a basic kindness and compassion available in the background of our experience, in our basic awareness.” (Rama John Makransky)

“Today I will be master of my emotions. Flowers bloom; flowers fade. Seeds are sown; harvests are reaped. All nature is a circle of moods and I am a part of nature and so, like the tides, my moods will rise; my moods will fall. Trees and plants depend on the weather to flourish but I make my own weather, yea I transport it with me.” (Mandino, Og. The Greatest Salesman in the World (pp. 78-79))

As I mentioned in my previous blog that I attended a non-residential silent meditation retreat last weekend (Mar 5-6) guided by Rama John Makransky. I noticed that the majority of participants respected the silence very well, and I felt it was much better than I expected.

Rama John taught us how to make our own weather with simple tips based on our Buddhist  meditation:

• We initially became grounded by deep breathing exercises: inhale through your nose and hold your breath for a few seconds; and then exhale through your mouth by opening your mouth widely with the long sound Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaa.
• The majority of people close their eyes when they meditate, but Rama John instructed to keep your eyes open and look down.
• Opening to receive care: Rama John instructed us to recall a brief caring moment i.e.  you enter a restaurant and you are greeted by a smiling waiter… and then you recall the  feeling you had now as if that person were standing in front of you.
  • If you feel cared, that’s good – Open your heart and receive it. If not, acknowledge that feelings or any sensations may happen in your body, and feel it without making stories.  If you resist or ignore your feelings, it will accumulate in your body causing you to be easily triggered. Allow the body to release that sensation naturally, and you will experience calm and peace.  
• Extending caring love to others: Rama John instructed us on how to extend our caring love to others. It can be very powerful when you feel it. Imagine 3 people – your loved one,  a friend, and a stranger all in front of you right now and you share your caring moment to all 3 of them.
  • Og states”If I bring joy and enthusiasm and brightness and laughter to my customers they will react with joy and enthusiasm and brightness and laughter and my weather will produce a harvest of sales and a granary of gold for me. (Mandino, Og (2011-01-05). The Greatest Salesman in the World (pp. 79-80))

It was very interesting to observe how my body, initially uncomfortable became calm and peaceful. It was a very rich experience. 

I love this exercise because it has reinforced my practice of both meditation and Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT – Tapping). Both techniques help you to be aware of your feelings, to connect to your body, and to create a new relationship with yourself. This gives you the choice of the silent process through meditation or using EFT where you acknowledge your feeling out loud while you use your index and middle fingers tapping on your body’s main meridian points.  EFT can help people who haven’t practiced meditation and/or people who are new to meditation as well. What I love most is both Rama John Makransky and Gary Craig, EFT Founders, have the same philosophy which is “don’t jump to your positive feelings too quickly” — you have to acknowledge your unpleasant feelings and then let go of it before you can achieve your positive feelings.

“To receive love deeply and extend it impartially can help the mind relax into its most natural state—the wisdom of openness, simplicity, and presence beyond self-clinging. When this unity of love and wisdom is embodied in relationships, service, and action, it can become a supremely curative power for our world.” (Rama John Makransky)

 

Week 22 — Consciously Silent

Silence is golden when you can’t think of a good answer.

~ Muhammad Ali, in More Than a Hero

This week assignment is to practice SILENCE. It is perfect timing for me, because I have signed up for a weekend (Mar 5-6) retreat with Rama John Makransky. My first silent meditation retreat was in 1995. It was a weekend residential meditation retreat. Unfortunately, at that time I was in the throes of a storm, both personal and at work. The only thing that I believed could help me solve all of those problems was silent meditation. Thanks to my co-worker, Cheerawat, when I asked him for a ride he not only took me and also attended with me. Two full days of group (100 plus people) participated in silent meditation. The teacher taught Vipassana technique which includes alternating sitting and walking meditation for 45 minutes each. In the morning and evening, we chanted and listened to dharma talks. Each meal, we were encouraged to focus our attention to eating mindfully – acknowledging both flavor and texture.

It was amazing. In less than 48 hours, my life had been transformed. I walked in like a very sick person, but when I left I was full of energy, I felt vibrant, enthusiastic and confident. I returned home to my beautiful world.

“Everything in the Universe is what it is by virtue of its rate of vibration. Change the rate of vibration and you change the nature, quality and form. We can change the vibration and thus produce any condition which we desire to manifest in our bodies.” (Haanel — Week 22 -6)

Later I attended a 3-day, 5-day, 7-day, and 10-day residential silent meditation every once in awhile. I also like to attend 2-day non-residential silent meditation; I personally practice about 6 hours a day with a group. Even though it is not an entirely silent environment, I can choose to practice my conscious silence. This weekend is a guided meditation “To receive love deeply and extend it impartially can help the mind release into its most natural state: the wisdom of openness, simplicity and presence beyond self-clinging. By resting in its natural state, the mind can deeply relax, heal, and further unleash its innate capacity of loving compassion.” (Rama John Makransky)

My intention is to begin practicing consciously Silent from tonight after posting this blog, till Sunday, the 6th, at 3 pm. – no connection with my phone, email, internet, and television; no initiating conversation – I would like to focus on silence because it brings balance and silence builds healthy vibration.

“We know that a higher rate of vibration governs, modifies, controls, changes, or destroys a lower rate of vibration. We know that the rate of vibration is governed by the character of brain cells, and finally, We know how to create these brain cells;…” (Haanel — Week 22 – 20-22)

Silence is true wisdom’s best reply.

~ Euripides

Week 21 — Happy Moment Creates Miracle

“I can accomplish far more than I have, and I will, for why should the miracle which produced me end with my birth? Why can I not extend that miracle to my deeds of today?” (Mandino, Og The Greatest Salesman in the World (p. 70 – Scroll IV))

When I read this paragraph last month, I immediately recalled all great miracle moments that have happened in my life, and how happy I was. I noticed that I was very confident and responsible for what I wanted to have happen for my future.

Last year I kept complaining that why my magic didn’t work well any more. The more I complained the more I felt impatient.

I am grateful that I have taken Master Key MasterMind Alliance course. After 4 months passed, I became more patient, confident, and happy. And now I am able to connect to my miracle again.

“When you think positive, happy, loving thoughts, there’s a different chemistry that goes into your body than when you think depressing, negative, anguishing, and disparaging thoughts.” (Dr. Harlan Fisher)

I have been persistently practicing:

• Reading The Great Salesman in The World and The Master Key weekly assignment. It is helpful in teaching me creating new habits like reading, patience, love.
• Meditation helps me develop concentration and peace; and strengthens my inner core.  
• Visualization helps me have fun creating my blueprints and achieve my goals.
• Forgiveness helps my spiritual growth.
• Gratitude helps me maintain my positive vibration.
• Affirmation helps me stay focused and connected.

Since last month I have experienced that my miracle is blooming. The Universe is supported by Universal Love.

“There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.” ― Albert Einstein

Practice will change your life!

 

Week 20 — What am I pretending not to know?

What am I pretending not to know? It really is the right time for me to ask myself this question. I have experienced walking on eggshells communicating with one of my business friends for the last three months. At first I took this opportunity to practice my communication with kindness; and with my intention that I shall make our friendship  better. Several times I got trapped dancing with her emotions. Persistently practicing the law of forgiveness and Mental Diet helped me to become more serene and compassionate, but no matter what I did, it did not seem to help our communication. I felt uncomfortable that I couldn’t express my thoughts and be myself.

Yesterday I experienced a big bomb – unhealthy communication, yelling again. “When the creative power of thought is manifested in a destructive or evil manner, we call the result evil.” (Week 20- intro) But I was able to apply this promise “to give the kindness and love consciously with every encounter, regardless of brevity.” I was able to help her calm down before we ended our talking and continued our work.

I have reviewed the situation and I asked myself what shall I do next? I came across KuteBlackson’s blog. He asked “Is it about the unfulfilling relationship you are currently in, that you convince yourself you don’t know what to do about it because getting clear would mean leaving?”

It is exactly that I am pretending not to know my pattern of being afraid to leave. In the past I was lack of confidence to leave and I sacrificed my own happiness to others’ needs. It is a good time to change. This is what I would like to have happen for my life: I would like to be around happy, kind and healthy people. I can help only people who are open to change.

“Highsight is always 20/20, but owning your knowing in the moment is power. Our minds are masterful at avoiding, rationalizing, and manipulating what we don’t want to know, and money, relationships, and directions are just the beginning. To know what you know, stop right now, close your eyes, get quiet, and ask, not your ego, critic, or expert self, but your authentic, honest, most vulnerable self: What am I pretending not to know?.” (http://dianesieg.com)

Week 19 — The Power of Thought

“If you realized how powerful your thoughts are, you would never think a negative thought.” ― Peace Pilgrim

“Fear is a powerful form of thought. It paralyzes the nerve centers, thus affecting the circulation of the blood. This, in turn, paralyzes the muscular system, so that fear affects the entire being,body, brain and nerve, physical, mental, and muscular.

Of course the way to overcome fear is to become conscious of power. What is this mysterious vital force which we call power?” (MKMMA — Week 19)

Mandino, Og states “fear I will dismember with confidence.” The Greatest Salesman in the World (p. 76).

I would like to share 4 tips to gain self confidence:

1. to Eliminate the underlying fear, using Emotional Freedom Techniques (or “Tapping” this healing tool is a technique that utilizes the body’s energy meridian points.) thus eliminating the negative stodgy vibration out of the body and old unhealthy patterns out of the mind.
2. if one has a need to Fill up your Love Tank, one needs only a simple affirmation “I choose to love myself a little more…” or use any affirmation that works for you. First connect to your source that makes you feel safe… then love will permeate into every cell of your body. When you feel loved, your confidence level automatically increases.
3. to Strengthen your cosmic field by SITting “concentrate, and when I use the word concentrate, I mean all that the word implies; become so absorbed in the object of your thought that you are conscious of nothing else, and do this a few minutes every day. You take the necessary time to eat in order that the body may be nourished, why not take the time to assimilate your mental food?” (MKMMA — Week 19 -27)
4. to input/focus on positive thoughts: “Any thought that is repeated over and over again will take an imprint within the subconscious, which cannot distinguish between what is real and what is imaged. This is why visualization, affirmations and repeated images can have such a powerful effect in our life.” (http://www.learnmindpower.com/using_mindpower/the_subconscious_mind/)

“Thought is quite literally the seed that determines the kind and quality of your harvest, aka the quality of your experiences in the external world.” (http://www.abundance-and-happiness.com/the-conscious-mind.html)

“As a single footstep will not make a path on the earth, so a single thought will not make a pathway in the mind. To make a deep physical path, we walk again and again. To make a deep mental path, we must think over and over the kind of thoughts we wish to dominate our lives.” ― Henry David Thoreau

 

 

Week 18 — What shall I do next?

“I will live this day as if it is my last. And what shall I do with this last precious day which remains in my keeping? (Mandino, Og. The Greatest Salesman in the World (p. 73))

I was inspired to use this question “What shall I do next?” instead of “Why did this happen to me” while I was attending a psychology for counselling course in 2001. It has been one of my favorite questions since then. The teacher explained that if we focused on “Why did this happen to …?”, many become distraught and their mind is stuck in a never-ending loop. When we ask ourself “What shall I do next?” It is open our world to new possibilities.

After listening to Shawn Achor video “The Wisdom of Play”, he talked about: The happiness advantages:

• Better source jobs
• Better keep jobs
• Superior productivity
• More resilient
• Less burnout
• Less turnover
• Greater sales

and he gave us a tool “Creating Lasting Positive Change”:

• 3 Gratitude
• Journaling
• Exercise
• Meditation
• Random Acts of Kindness

And I read James Clear’s blog (https://medium.com/the-blog-of-james-clear),he shared Barbara Fredrickson’s research “What positive thoughts do to your brain; here are 3 ideas for you to consider”:

• Meditation – people who meditated built valuable long–term skills.
• Writing – the students who wrote about positive experiences had better mood levels.
• Play – we schedule meetings… why not schedule time to play?

I have been resisting in any kind of writing for ages. After reading James’s blog, I was not only inspired to write my gratitude notes and acknowledge my feelings but also I enjoy writing them from my heart and look forward to writing it everyday. It was totally different mindset from being told “you have to do it.” I am very grateful for my big shift. My big Wow for my new possibility!!!

What Shall I do next?

“Give yourself permission to smile and enjoy the benefits of positive emotion. Schedule time for play and adventure so that you can experience contentment and joy, and explore and build new skills.

Fredrickson’s “broaden and build” theory proves, happiness is essential to building the skills that allow for success.

In other words, happiness is both the precursor to success and the result of it.”

Week 17a — Entertaining Evils with Affirmations

After practicing this affirmation “I am whole, perfect, strong, powerful, loving, harmonious and happy” on and off since week 9, this early morning I was able to use this powerful affirmation to make me at peace with the challenge. “The problems of my home will be left in my home. The problems of the market place be left in the market place.” (Mandino, Og – The Greatest Salesman in the World (p. 71)

I have faced a challenge with a friend who has refused to receive help and exposed the unpleasant energy regarding family’s problem at the workplace for a couple weeks ago. I almost gave up our friendship, fortunate … “Man is the sum total of his own thoughts; so the question is, how are we going to entertain only the good thoughts and reject the evil ones? At first we can’t keep the evil thoughts from coming, but we can keep from entertaining them. The only way to do this is to “get something for them.” (MKMMA, Week 9 – 27) This early morning my SIT was to concentrate on this affirmation “(I called the name) you are whole, perfect, strong, powerful, loving, harmonious and happy” over and over…

“When a thought of anger, jealousy, fear or worry creeps in, just start your affirmation going. The way to fight darkness is with light — the way to fight cold is with heat — the way to overcome evils is with good. For myself, I never could find any help in denials. Affirm the good, and the bad will vanish. – Frederick Elias Andrews” (MKMMA, week 9 – 28)

My intention is to continue concentrating on the affirmation so I would be able to remain at peace, confidence and kindness when I will be in the reality again next week. “If our predominant mental attitude is one of power, courage, kindliness and sympathy, we shall find that our environment will reflect conditions in correspondence with these thoughts.” (MKMMA – Week 9 – 30)

Week 17 — Concentration on Controlling Desire

“The subconscious mind may be aroused and brought into action in any direction and made to serve us for any purpose, by concentration. The practice of concentration requires the control of the physical, mental, and physical being; all modes of consciousness whether physical, mental, or physical, must be under control.” (MKMMA, Week 17-9)

“If you wish to eliminate fear, concentrate on courage.” (MKMMA, Week 17-34)

“If you wish to eliminate lack, concentrate on abundance.” (MKMMA, Week 17-35)

At first I wondered how I shall begin to practice concentration on abundance. I then recalled that when I was young I was taught to chant before going to bed; and also use different mantra chanting whenever I need them in different situation.  Up to date I am still practicing both types of chanting everyday because I believe that chanting is one of the power of attention for concentration. And I experience more peace of mind. Therefore, I have decided to apply my mantra chanting on this concentration exercise. With the intention to concentrate on abundance, it helps my body easily relax. I love this exercise and I promise to persist on developing my concentration until I succeed. “Remember that power comes through repose. Let the thought dwell upon your object, until it is completely identified with it, until you are conscious of nothing else.” (MKMMA, Week 17-33)

I came across the suggestion of “Concentrate on Controlling Desire” by Brett & Kate McKay (August 8, 2012): If you hear good news resist the desire to tell it to the first person you meet and you will be benefited thereby. It will require the concentration of all your powers of resistance to prohibit the desire to tell. After you feel that you have complete control over your desires you can then tell your news. But you must be able to suppress the desire to communicate the news until you are fully ready to tell it. Persons that do not possess this power of control over desires are apt to tell things that they should not, thereby often involving both themselves and others in needless trouble.

If you are in the habit of getting excited when you hear unpleasant news, just control yourself and receive it without any exclamation of surprise. Say to yourself, “Nothing is going to cause me to lose my self-control. You will find from experience that this self-control will be worth much to you in business. You will be looked upon as a cool-headed business man, and this in time becomes a valuable business asset. Of course, circumstances alter cases. At times it is necessary to become enthused. But be ever on the lookout for opportunities for the practice of self-control. “He that ruleth his spirit is greater than he that ruleth a city.”

I was very happy that I read the article last night. This morning I got a test, I received unpleasant phone call which was full of emotions. I got an opportunity to apply how to control over my desire to respond. I also immediately apply this promise “I promise to give my kindness and love consciously to that person I encounter.” Thanks for all these great tools I have!

“Your degree of success is determined by the nature of your desire. If the nature of your desire is in harmony with Natural Law or the Universal Mind, it will gradually emancipate the mind and give you invincible courage.” (MKMMA, Week 17-25)