To Be Happy
Author Unknown
To Be Happy
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The Unintended Side Effect
Viktor E. Frankl
Don't aim at success—the more you aim at it and make it a target, the more you are going to miss it. For success, like happiness, cannot be pursued; it must ensue, and it only does so as the unintended side effect of one's personal dedication to a cause greater than oneself or as the by-product of one's surrender to a person other than oneself.
Each
Chief Seattle
My brother, I tell you true. If all who see the Earth as being poisoned would, instead, give more attention to seeing the Earth clean and vibrant, then, very soon, your Earth would be cleansed.
If all who see their nation's leaders as misguided or uncaring would, instead, give more time to seeing themselves being represented by responsible, caring leaders who stand firm for the highest good of all, then, very soon, you would have good leadership.
If all who see their spouses or family members as troublesome or unloving would, instead, give more thought to seeing their loved ones as the shining children of God that they are, then, very soon, all challenged relationships would be renewed and love rekindled.
If all who see themselves as sick or poor or weak of heart or undeserving would, instead, give more energy to seeing themselves as healthy, abundant, empowered, worthy, and lifted up, then, very soon, they would experience all of the good things that life has to offer.
If all who see themselves as a physical body and no more would, instead, give more thought to seeing themselves as an ever-brightening star that resides inside the body, then, very soon, everyone in your world would be shining their lights—just as all of the Elders who have walked your Earth have done. You would be living in peace, harmony, and comfort in a culture that you have created consciously, a culture which, by your divine right of birth, you deserve to enjoy.
Each challenge is there to guide you toward the desire of your heart;
Each problem, seen from the positive side, always turns into a blessing;
Each sorrow leads you to your joy;
Each doubt—to your knowing;
Each lack—to your abundance;
Each debt—to your freedom;
Each feeling of hopelessness—to your power;
Each cry of pain—to your comfort;
Each act of war—to your peace;
Each act of anger—to your love;
And each journey through darkness—into the light.
Sentenced to Success
Chris Widener
I once heard a speaker use the statement, “I have been sentenced to success!” I heard that almost twenty years ago, yet it still sticks in my head.
Imagine that. What if we had been given a life sentence to serve, say 75 years, and the sentence was to do time in a place called “Success?” The truth is that we have.
Let me back up. We have been given a life sentence. But, unlike a sentencing in a real life courtroom, we get to actually choose where we will “do our time.”
Here are some of the choices people make:
The prison of poverty.
Poor people are no better or kinder or anything else than people with money. People are people regardless of how much money they have. Frankly, I have had little and I have had a lot, and yes, I will choose having a lot! When you choose to live in poverty you are in a prison that does not allow you the freedoms we were intended to experience. We are unable to help others as we desire. My advice? Don’t choose a sentence to the prison of poverty.
The prison of depression.
Depression is like a blanket that overwhelms you and eventually smothers you. Now before you go accusing me with, “Chris. You just don’t understand.” Yes I do. I have had a history of depression. Depression is rampant in my family of origin. I know firsthand what a prison depression is. When you are locked up in depression you cannot live life as it was intended. But you can get out! My advice? Don’t choose a sentence to the prison of depression.
The prison of the lack of health.
Lacking health is a real pain! The freedom we lose when we choose to live in a state of a lack of health is terrible—and unnecessary! We don’t have to live in that prison. We can choose a different sentence! We can choose health! My advice? Don’t choose a sentence to the prison of the lack of health.
The prison of doubt, worry, and fear.
This is a dark, dark prison. It is one that haunts you the whole time you reside there. It makes you believe that the surroundings are worse than the really are. It keeps you from enjoying life and becoming the kind of person you were intended to become! My advice? Don’t choose a sentence to the prison of poverty. My advice? Don’t choose a sentence to the prison of doubt, worry, and fear.
There is another option. You can choose to be sentenced to success! You can choose to actually be set free! You can choose to walk out of that courtroom and live the life that you choose!
What can you experience when you are sentenced to success? How about these:
Good health
Financial abundance
Emotional freedom
Positive relationships
A career you love
Spiritual liberty
And how will you experience these? By choice. Your choice. You choose exactly what kind of life you will live. You choose the sentence you will serve here on earth and the experience that you have. Will you languish in a dark prison or in the open freedom that comes from the sentence of success? That depends on the choices you make.
I challenge you to choose this day to:
Pursue financial independence
Develop yourself spiritually
Make a change so you are in a career you love
Re-commit yourself to loving relationships
Achieve emotional health
Make a choice TODAY. Do not spend another day in a prison where you do not belong! Where will you serve your sentence? You get to decide.
As for me?
I have been sentenced to success!
Earth Chakras
Caretaking the Soul of Gaia
As we walk upon the earth, we walk upon a living being more similar to ourselves than we imagine. Just like us, the earth has both a physical body and an energetic body, complete with a chakra system identified by ancient mystics and modern scientists alike. Gaia, as the earth is called when acknowledged as a living entity in her own right, has her own life force and her own path of unfolding, separate from us, but including us. Human beings and Gaia are intertwined on every level, not just the physical, and an awareness of her chakras can help us to acknowledge, heal, and enable her on her path, just as she selflessly returns the favor to us.
It is generally agreed that Gaia has seven major chakras distributed evenly across her body and connected to one another via two lines of energy that intersect at various points on the earth. The first chakra is located at Mount Shasta in Northern California; the second is in Lake Titicaca in South America; the third chakra is in Uluru-Kata Tjuta in Australia; the fourth chakra resides in Glastonbury in England; the fifth chakra is at the Great Pyramid in Mount of Olives; the sixth chakra is in Kuh-e Malek Siah in Iran, and the seventh chakra is in Mount Kailas in Tibet. In addition to her seven major chakras, she has minor chakras and other vortexes of energy that are significant to her life-energy system, and all these energy centers need caretaking. Just as we can heal ourselves through our own chakras, we can heal and support Gaia through hers.
While it would be a wonderful experience to visit one of the earth’s chakras, you can always participate in loving and healing Gaia wherever you are. Maintaining an awareness of the regions in which her chakras reside can be very powerful. You may place photos of the locales on your altar, sending healing energy to each of her chakras during your meditations. As you consciously connect your energy system to her energy system, the true meaning of groundedness reveals itself—it is a relationship with Gaia in which we acknowledge our calling as the caretakers of her soul.
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