Friday, January 26, 2018

BYOE

Have a wonderful day, I said after a brief conversation at the checkout line. We'll see what happens when I get there, she replied and left. She was on her way to work and had not yet decided if she was feeling good or not. It all depended on her coworkers, she had said. Really? Really.

We are influenced by our environment–the weather conditions, the traffic, political atmosphere, economic climate, people's attitudes, moods and actions, distractions, and disturbances. But we forget that we are part of that environment. We forget that we have the same power that we give to others to influence us and that we can exert that power ourselves to influence our environment and own emotional state. Why must we wait to see what happens when we get there to know what we're feeling?

Today is a good day to BYOE–Bring Your Own Emotions. Let's not wait for something or someone outside of ourselves to decide what we will feel. Let's bring our own contentment, joy, and enthusiasm to wherever we go and whatever we do today. Let's use positive emotions to set the tone for our day, using hope and optimism to our advantage. Not only will we feel better, we will have a positive effect in our circumstances and surroundings. What will you bring today?

Image found at pinterest.com.
© Millicent Maldonado and www.soulcerer.com. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. All rights reserved.

Friday, January 19, 2018

Little by little

Little by little the clock ticks, the day advances, and our moods swing. Little by little we choose, we act, and we make things happen – good or bad. Little by little we shape our personality, our character and the way we live our lives. Little by little we grow or we remain the same.

Today is a good day to choose what little things we focus on, for even our big goals are made up of smaller thoughts, choices and deeds, and it is in the accumulation of these choices that we can achieve what we set out to do. It is in the accumulation of little things that big things happen. We can pay attention to and focus on acts of kindness, generosity, politeness, good service, courtesy, gratitude and any other little gesture that makes us smile and lifts us up. These little things raise our vibration, energize us, and prime us for more of the same. As life inches forward, little by little we can choose what little things will make the big things, will make our life sweet, enjoyable, and fulfilling. What little things are going to make your day today?

Image found at wethetemple.com.
© Millicent Maldonado and www.soulcerer.com. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. All rights reserved.


Friday, January 12, 2018

Reconnaissance

This is the time of the year in which resolutions flutter and start to wane. We begin with strong intentions, but soon our eagerness fades. We come across obstacles, interference, doubt, lack of support, insufficient motivation, not enough energy, confusion, false starts, a clash between expectation and our reality, procrastination, and unforeseen circumstances. Enough to make us give up. We'll try again next year.

Maybe we don't have to. Maybe we add a new intention right now: self-awareness.

I have been on a reconnaissance mission. For the past few weeks I have been observing and exploring. I realized that we investigate things that are important to us. If we want to travel, for example, we take the time to know about our destination, transportation, costs, and what we'll need. Yet we don't do the same thing with our intentions, our dreams, and our goal-setting. Sometimes we don't even know why we want what we want or why we set certain goals. We're not aware of ourselves.

When it comes to our intentions, our resolutions, we need to take the time to explore. There are questions we can ask ourselves that will clear things up for us and help us achieve what we want, what we really want. We have to begin by knowing what is. What are our current circumstances? How do I feel? How do I want to feel? We also have to know what our tendencies are. Do I run at the first sight of danger? Do I quit as soon as I don't know what to do? How do I react when faced with fear? Do I lose wind (focus, motivation, stamina) on long distances? Do I take responsibility or do I blame others when things don't go as planned? How do I deal with frustration? Do I get bored easily? Other questions can help in our exploration: Am I able to recognize what is going well? What makes me joyful? What makes me feel purposeful? What are my weaknesses? What makes me strong? What are my attitudes toward life? How have my beliefs helped or hindered me in the past? What are my habits? What inspires me? Am I patient?

As you can see, these questions direct our attention within. Our focus is not external, it is on ourselves. Today is a good day to begin a new intention. Let's do reconnaissance on ourselves with absolutely no judgment. The idea is to know what is, to be aware of ourselves, to know ourselves. When we do, setting goals, dreams, resolutions, and intentions will make sense and the process will flow. When we are self-aware, external factors don't surprise us as much, don't influence us as much. Learning about ourselves leads to realization, trust, and knowing. It is the knowing that serves us.

What other questions will you ask yourself today? How will the answers change your resolutions or make them possible? What will you learn of yourself?

Image from wookmark.com.
© Millicent Maldonado and www.soulcerer.com. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. All rights reserved.