spiritual

24
Apr
2023
10 Spiritual Wellness Terms That You Should Know

10 Spiritual Wellness Terms That You Should Know

Reading Time: 4 minutes

Are you spiritually well? It is difficult to achieve true happiness and fulfillment without being spiritually well. Contrary to popular belief, spirituality is different from being religious. You can be religious but not spiritual. In the same way, you can be spiritual without being religious. A spiritual life means living a purposeful life. In order to achieve spiritual wellness, you must first understand some key concepts on spirituality. For starters, here are 10 spiritual wellness terms that you should know:

1.Purpose

Your purpose is your WHY, your reason for doing something or your reason for being. It is the main motivation of your life. What is the reason why you wake up in the morning? Your purpose gives you a sense of direction in life. It helps you create goals and make decisions. It influences your behavior in life. Without a sense of purpose, you are just like a puppet like Pinocchio aimlessly going through the motions in life without a sense of direction.

2.Love

Love is a feeling of tenderness, affection and attachment towards someone. Without love. you will feel empty. No matter how wealthy or successful you will become in life; everything will be fruitless if you have no one to share it with. A study done by Harvard University on what makes a good life confirms this. That love and relationships are the most important factors in achieving true happiness.

Love here does not only pertain to love for others. It is also about loving one’s self. Self love is all about acceptance of one’s self, not just the good traits but also the negative traits. It is treating oneself with kindness and respect. It is impossible to truly love another person if you don’t love yourself first.

3. Prosperity

The common definition of prosperity is the state of being successful, especially in terms of economic well-being. But Richard Rudd, founder of the Gene Keys defines prosperity not just in economic terms but something that pertains to all aspects of life flow. It is a state where all dimensions of wellness are in harmony in one’s life including health and relationships.

4. Authenticity

Each one of us are born unique. We all have certain gifts and talents that are uniquely ours. Our role is supposed to be to share these gifts and talents in service to others. But how many of us are actually sharing our uniqueness to the world? More often than not, hide their true selves for fear of being rejected. The real self is hidden behind a social mask. As a result, we forgot who we really are.

5. Acceptance

In any situation, the only way to move forward is through acceptance. Accept what happened. Accept your role in what happened. It is about taking responsibility for the mistakes that you have committed. Get out of your victim pattern. Stop playing the blame game. It is only through acceptance will you be able to move on from your grief, pain and problems. Staying in a state of denial will hinder your growth.

The same is true with one’s self. We are all human beings. No one is perfect. As humans, we all have negative and positive traits. We need to learn to accept all our attributes including our flaws. Just remember that behind that shadow self is a gift.

6. Awareness

Sometimes, it is not that we don’t accept who we are; it is just that we are clueless on who we really are. Self-awareness is about learning to focus on oneself – your thoughts, words and actions. It also includes knowing what your feelings, values and beliefs are. If you are still not sure, ask people who are closest to you, the ones who can be really honest with you. It is only by having an accurate sense of who you are will you be able to know what areas you need to improve on.

7. Persona

Your persona is that side of you that you show to the world. It is your social mask or the image that you show to the public. Are you being authentic? Who are you in front of other people? Do you act the same way when you are alone?

8. Shadow

Your shadow self is the negative part of yourself. Since it is negative, sometimes, it is hard to accept it. Are you lazy, greedy, proud, weak, bitter, highly emotional, selfish etc? These are just some examples of shadow self. Each individual has different shadow selves. Part of achieving spiritual wellness is not just about acceptance and awareness of our shadow selves. We also need to embrace that negative trait of ours because it is part of who we are as individuals. It is only through this process will we know what to do each time our shadow selves creep in and shows itself. So, learn to embrace your shadow self.

9. Human Design

Introduced by Ra Uru Hu, human design is a tool that you use to help you find yourself – your gifts, talents, personality and even your purpose in life. It is based on a mixture of several disciplines including Astrology, I’ching, Kabbalah, Quantum Physics and the Chakra System. It is very helpful if you want to understand yourself better. Knowing your design will also help you make decisions in life.

10. Karma

Karma is a Hindu belief that every thought or action that we put out there in the world, whether intentional or not, has its consequences. It will go back to you in time. Karma does not only pertain to negative things, it can also be positive. Thus, karma is neutral. It all depends on what you put out there.

Karma is similar to the law of attraction. In the law of attraction, everything is energy. You attract what you focus on. You think, speak and do positive things, you will attract positive things, people and events in your life. Similarly, if you have negative thoughts and do bad things, you will attract negative things in your life. So, it is important to be aware of what you focus on.

Feature Image by Tep Ro from Pixabay

Posted by A.L. Jonas in Spiritual, 4 comments
07
Apr
2022
What is Your Current Level of Wellness?

What is Your Current Level of Wellness?

Reading Time: 2 minutes

One of the many frustrations many people have in their lives concern their physical health. We are obsessed with trying to achieve the perfect bodies similar to the models we see in magazines. But we are frustrated because most of us cannot afford the lifestyle required to achieve and maintain such a body. Similar to our goals of financial success, a perfect-looking body has also become a status symbol. However, the state of our bodies as well as our wallets and/or bank accounts do not provide a total picture or measure of our wellness. What is more important is your current level of wellness.

There are several dimensions of wellness and being able to pay attention to all of them should be our goal. Being able to achieve complete and holistic wellness is a major factor in your success.

The stress of the daily grind affects us mentally, physically, socially, psychologically and even economically. Before we fix anything, let us first try to get a clear picture of our current level of wellness so we can plan the best approach to improve ourselves.

Answer the questions for each of the dimensions to assess your overall wellness. It would be helpful if you make a pie chart or a graph of your results so you can compare your development and improvements in the future.

Are You Well?

A Balanced Life

After answering these questions, you should now have a better perspective of your current state of wellness. Take note of the items where you had a negative answer and think about how you can improve them in the following days.

This quiz is in no way, a comprehensive list of the things that you need to do or can do to balance out each dimension of wellness in your life. However, it can serve as a general guide on what areas of each dimension you should try to develop to achieve overall wellness.

The only way to achieve wellness in all dimensions is to live a balanced life. This can be a difficult process but it is not impossible. As long as you take the necessary preparation, planning, remain committed and consistent to your goals, then you can achieve a balanced life that allows you to enjoy holistic wellness.

Updated. First published on 2020.03.16.
Original Photo by Kristopher Allison on Unsplash.

Posted by H.J. Rangas in Spiritual, 0 comments
04
Feb
2022
Are You Well? The Eight Dimensions of Wellness

Are You Well? The Eight Dimensions of Wellness

Reading Time: 6 minutes

Do you feel healthy? Do you feel well enough to engage in your daily activities most of the time? Most of us gauge a healthy diet and exercising as a measure of our health, but this is only one aspect of being totally healthy. There are actually eight dimensions of wellness.

Are you fulfilling the 8 dimensions of wellness to live a balanced life?

Not being sick is also not a sign that you are healthy. Yes, you may be healthy physically but you may not be well. Actually, wellness is a holistic experience and total wellness can only be achieved if you are fulfilling the 8 dimensions of wellness in your regular activities.

Wellness is considered a necessary component to be able to achieve your full potential as a human being. It encompasses your lifestyle including your mental and spiritual well-being. Wellness is an experience where you, the individual, consciously make decisions that propel you to achieving a successful, balanced existence.

The 8 Dimensions of Wellness

To help you achieve and maximize your full human potential, you need to make daily goals that develop each of these dimensions.

PHYSICAL

Are you physically healthy? Do you look and feel healthy? Are you sick often or almost never? Physical wellness is being able to get through your daily activities without undue fatigue or physical stress. Physical health is one of the dimensions of wellness that is mostly neglected and taken for granted. It is important to take care of yourself physically because it is the foundation for our overall wellness.

Do you take care of yourself physically?

Remember that we only have one body and we are only able to interact with each other and our environment because of our body so we should make it a priority to take care of ourselves. We should ensure that we are physically healthy so we can perform to our best each time we are physically needed to do so.

FINANCIAL

Do you track your expenses? Are you following a budget? Do you have a savings account? Do you have an emergency fund? Are you investing your money? These are just some of the things that we need to have in our financial life. Without these things in place, we won’t be able to manage our finances effectively.

Are you satisfied about your current financial situation or do you wish you could improve it?

There are many ways to start learning about finances so you can improve your skills in handling your money. There is no quick-rich magic formula to become instantly rich. The best way to improve your financial situation is to learn more about your money personality, improve your financial literacy, pick one financial area that you are comfortable learning and doing and then expand from there.

SOCIAL

Are you friendly and outgoing? Are you aloof and/or prefer to be alone? Do you have one constant set of friends or do you have multiple sets of friends? Social wellness is having and maintaining positive connections with friends, family, colleagues and others. It means that you have people around you who you can feel safe with and are comfortable enough to be with in various situations.

Do you make time to go out with your friends and family?

Having many friends does not mean that you are healthy. You may be surrounded by friends and still feel alone and lonely if you don’t have good relationships with most of them. It is the quality and value of the interactions that you have with them that enables you to achieve social wellness. Constant communication is also a key factor in achieving social wellness.

SPIRITUAL

Do you feel that you are being guided to the right opportunities and decisions? Do you believe that you are being directed towards your goal or that you are fulfilling your purpose in life? How about, do you feel connected with and do you empathize with the people and events around you? Spirituality is different from religion. Two people can be from different religions but share similar spiritual practices and beliefs.

Can you calm down your worries and feel reassured that everything will work out for the best?

Finding your purpose in life and living it is the ultimate goal of each individual. Most of us believe that when we find our purpose and start living it, then we will find happiness. In fact, if we strive to find happiness in our lives, then it will become easier for us to find what truly makes us happy which is what fulfilling our life purpose should feel like. Being spiritually well involves a combination of believing in yourself as well as faith that the Universe has our back.

EMOTIONAL

Are you happy or sad? Are you angry or constantly cheerful or feeling upset? Emotional wellness refers to how you feel inside. When you feel constantly anxious, stressed and unhappy, this will eventually take a major toll in your overall health and wellness. Negative thoughts and feelings are a sign of poor health. There are many ways to alleviate poor emotional health and each person must find a way that is tailored to their specific personalities, needs and circumstances.

Are you sad or happy? How you feel greatly affects your health.

Being well emotionally means that you are able to control or regulate your emotions as necessary and that you are also able to take the necessary steps to change your emotions so you feel better about yourself and/or a negative situation. The main goal is to attain emotional happiness and fulfillment.

INTELLECTUAL

Does your job provide you with adequate intellectual challenges? Intellectual wellness means that you experience various types of intellectual stimulation through various means and different areas in your life. Constant learning not only staves off boredom; it also opens up new opportunities to develop relationships with new people, gain new knowledge, skills and new experiences.

Do you engage in activities that stimulate you intellectually?

Try enrolling in a course, develop a reading habit or listen to audiobooks, attend seminars and conferences about a topic you are interested in or find a hobby that you want to pursue. Develop a learning habit so that you constantly stimulate your intellect and mental skills and maintain your intellectual health. This also allows you to relate to much younger people than you since they are also learning new things in life.

ENVIRONMENTAL

Do you feel safe at home? How about in your community as a whole? Are you able to keep your home clutter-free? Are you disposing your trash properly? Environmental wellness is having a pleasant and stimulating environment that supports your overall well-being. You should have many safe spaces in your environment.

Does your environment allow you to feel safe enough to do the things you want and need to do?

Having the right environment is a big factor in achieving your goals in life. This can be as basic as having a dedicated work space to improve your focus and productivity. This also includes cleaning your living space as well as clearing the energy in these spaces. It also means how safe you feel in your community when you are walking alone late at night. Your environment also includes the people you interact with, your family, friends, as well as your colleagues at work and the office culture.

OCCUPATIONAL

Do you feel excited to go to work? Are you doing what you love? Your job contributes a lot to your financial state. If you are not well in this area, then it will definitely affect your performance in the other dimensions of wellness. We know that money can’t buy love or happiness but it does allow us to engage in experiences that can make us happy and acquire the things we like.

Do you love your job or are you constantly thinking of quitting?

We spend a huge amount of time at our jobs and if we are constantly stressed by it, then it will have a negative impact on our overall health. Also, having anxieties about your financial situation can cause a lot of stress. Make sure you spend some time to think about your job and your finances and what your real situation is. It helps to list down the pros and cons and then make a plan on how you can improve the situation and alleviate your issues.

Your State of Wellness

So are you well? If you are not paying attention to any of these dimensions of wellness, then you have not truly achieved overall wellness. Working on each aspect of wellness means that you plan for activities that help you fulfill each dimension. Make sure you review often so you are also able to monitor your progress towards your goal of achieving overall wellness.

If you are not sure which dimension you should work on first, then find time to look inward and talk to yourself. Spend more time with nature and learn to be comfortable with yourself. Get to know yourself better so you can have a clearer picture of what your qualities and values are and why they are important to you. This is the starting point for you to redesign your life to achieve overall wellness in all eight dimensions.

There are many ways to do this. You can start practicing meditation and engaging in gentle exercise that require focus such as tai chi and yoga. The simple act of keeping your thoughts in a diary and writing down your feelings on paper also helps. Expressing your emotions thru drawing and painting or even thru needle work or flower arrangement area also great ways to help you get to know yourself better.

The important thing is to carve out some “me time” for yourself during your day to strengthen your awareness of self. You can gain a deeper connection to your values and beliefs and get a clearer understanding of why you choose to live the way you live and how you can change it for the better.

Updated. First published on 2020.01.20.
Feature Image: Original Photo by Yayan Sopian on Unsplash.

Posted by H.J. Rangas in Spiritual, 0 comments
31
May
2021
How To Embrace Your Shadow Self

How To Embrace Your Shadow Self

Reading Time: 3 minutes

Have you heard of the dark side? Each person has a dark side. In psychology, it is called the shadow self. Every society has norms or certain regulations that people follow. These rules define what behaviors are considered good or bad. Because of this, humans learn to act in accordance with these morally accepted behaviors. In consequence, this created a world of personas wherein people project an image of their better selves. Social masks became predominant to the point that it is getting harder to know if a person is being sincere or not. Norms are good because they keep society in order. However, because of this, people hide or suppress a part of themselves that they think will not be accepted by society. If repressed for so long, sooner or later, it can create havoc or even violence. Thus, it is important to learn how to embrace your shadow self.

Your shadow self grows each time you repress it. Once it sets itself free, it may lead to broken relationships. Sometimes, it even leads to physical illnesses. Rather than hide, the dark side is meant to be acknowledged. It is important for humans to be aware of their dark side because it is part of who they are as persons.

So how to embrace your shadow? To embrace your shadow, you need to practice shadow work. Shadow work is a spiritual journey. Your shadow is a part of your wounded self. Thus, practicing shadow work will make you whole again. Here are the steps on how to embrace your shadow self:

1.Begin with Self-Love

Begin your shadow work with self-love. It will be difficult to explore your negative side without belief in yourself. Believe that you can do it and that you are worthy of receiving love and blessing in our life.

2. Get to Know Your Shadow Self

The next thing to do is learn to identify what your shadows are and how they are manifesting themselves. You see, when we deny an aspect of ourselves, it does not disappear. Instead, it stays within us. Sooner or later, our dark side is going to push its way out. So, how to spot them? Well, your shadow self is literally your dark side, the negative aspects of your personality such as:

  • anger
  • jealousy
  • fear / phobia
  • pride
  • greed
  • addiction
  • victim mentality
  • insecurity
  • people pleaser
  • imposter
  • selfishness
  • prejudice

How did you feel while reading the list above? If there is any word that makes you feel uncomfortable, then that is your shadow. Unfortunately, you cannot ignore it.

Projection Of Shadow Self

Now, let’s dig deeper. Ask yourself, what qualities of other people annoy you the most? Whatever negative qualities that we have yet hide deep within ourselves, we see in others. You will not be bothered at all unless you yourself is like that. In psychology, you call this projection.

Unless we do conscious work on it, the shadow is almost always projected: that is, it is neatly laid on someone or something else so we do not have to take responsibility for it.

– Robert Johnson

So the next time you get irritated by someone, ask yourself why are you bothered? Then know that it is your shadow talking to you.

Patterns

Do you feel that you are a stuck in an aspect in your life? It is like the same problems kept on repeating over and over again. That is what you call patterns in life. Patterns happen because you have not yet learned the lesson associated with it.

Now ask yourself, what are the patterns in your life? They give clues to your shadow.

3. Face Your Emotions

Once you have identified your shadow, the next thing to do is pay attention to your feelings. Ask yourself what are you feeling and why are you feeling that way? There are always reasons why you feel a certain way.

Facing your emotions can be tough especially if you have learned to mute them or disassociate yourselves from them but it is something that you must do in order to heal yourself. For example, if a person hurt you in the past, it is time to forgive that person. You can never be truly happy if you continue to hold grudges. Face your emotions and own them.

4. Express Your Shadow

Instead of suppressing them, you can actually use certain therapeutic ways to express them. Psychologists normally refer to them as art therapy. These activities include:

  • Composing Music
  • Journaling
  • Meditating
  • Painting
  • Writing / Blogging

Are you up to the challenge?

Feature Image by Pexels

Posted by A.L. Jonas in Emotional, 0 comments
26
Aug
2020
Angel Messages: Repeating Numbers

Angel Messages: Repeating Numbers

Reading Time: 4 minutes

Numbers are everywhere. They are part of our daily lives. You can see them in your cellphone, identification cards, money, plate numbers, reading materials, receipts and even in your clock. However, have you noticed that there is a number sequence that you keep on seeing lately? If you believe in angels and spirit guides; then these repeating numbers may actually be angel messages.

For example, you wake up in the middle of the night, you look at the clock and it says 11:11. The next day, you are in the middle of traffic and a car broke down in front you with a 111 plate number. You then went to the bank and your cue number is 111. If you keep on seeing the same number sequence over and over again, then that is not a coincidence.

The number sequence that seems to be following you around actually means that our angels are trying to send you a message. This is what Paolo Coelho, author of The Alchemist pertains to as signs that the universe is talking to you.

Each of us has a purpose in life. We are not born just to simply pay the bills. God, the universe, or whatever you may call it, wants us to fulfill our destiny. That is the duty of the angels or spirit guides; to guide us to the right path.

To realize one’s destiny is a person’s only obligation.

– Paolo Coelho, The Alchemist

So, the next time you keep on seeing number sequence, think of it as a message from your guarding angel. Those number sequences are what you call angel numbers. Each angel numbers pertain to specific meanings based on numerology, the divine belief of numbers and their relationship with events.

Angel Numbers Meaning

Here is a basic guide on the angel numbers and their meaning.

111

The number 111 is a message from your angel telling you to be aware of your persistent thoughts. Your thoughts will become your reality. That is why you need to choose your thoughts wisely. If you want abundance in life, you need to dwell on positive thoughts.

We are what we think. All that we are arises from our thoughts. With our thoughts we make the world.

– Gautama Buddha

222

The number 222 means that a new cycle is about to start on a certain aspect in your life. Your angel is telling you that you are on the right track. Whatever decision you have just made, just keep the faith and keep on going forward. Don’t worry and don’t be scared.

333

The number 333 means that it is time to move on. If there is something that is holding you back or no longer gives you happiness, eliminate whatever it is from your life. It is telling you to take courage because God will respond to your prayer and that your angels are just nearby ready to help you.

444

The number 444 serves as a reminder that your angels are there supporting, guiding and protecting you from behind the scenes towards achieving your goals. They are reminding you to listen to your intuition. Listen to what your inner voice is telling you.  Also, learn to turn your problems into life lessons.

555

The number 555 means that there will be a big positive change coming to your life that will bring you closer towards the fulfilment of your life’s purpose. They are telling you that you are ready for the change. And that, you have to prepare yourself.

666

Contrary to popular belief, the number 666 does not mean that the devil is out there to get you. So, don’t be scared when you keep on seeing the number 666. It is just your angels’ way on telling you to focus on your spirituality. It is a time to pause and reflect on your life. Realign your thoughts. Remove all fears and uncertainties that you are harbouring.

777

The number 777 is a spiritual number. It is an indication that you are ready to grow spiritually. It is now time to look for how your can be of service to others. Embrace your uniqueness. Your life is no longer just about you. Unleash the genius within you. Develop and use your talents to help others. Know that your efforts will have positive results and that many blessings will soon come your way.

888

Eight is a number of abundance, infinity and unlimited resources. Seeing the number 888 means financial and material rewards are coming your way. The universe wishes to reward you for sharing your talents with other people. Positive karma is being repaid.

999

The numbers 999 means completion. A certain aspect in your life is about to come to an end. This closure will bring you one step closer to fulfilling your life purpose. Although it is scary to think that something in your life is ending whether it is a career, a relationship or any other aspect in your life; it means that you grew as a person. You are now moving towards a higher vibration of love, happiness and spirituality.

000

The number 000 serves as a reminder of your relationship with God. It is the angels telling you that God has provided for you and it is time to thank Him for everything. He is the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. It means your oneness with God. It is encouraging you to pray, meditate and connect with God.

Launch Challenge

Starting today, be aware of your surroundings. Be observant. Learn to listen to your gut and intuition. It would be better if you start to meditate. Remember that your guardian angels are there to guide you. You just need to learn to follow the signs.

First published in Pinoy Smart Living on 11.28.2018

Original Image by capri23auto from Pixabay Images.

Posted by A.L. Jonas in Spiritual, 0 comments
27
Apr
2020
What Matters Most in Life

What Matters Most in Life

Reading Time: 2 minutes

When we think about what matters to us the most, we often think of our goals for ourselves, for our loved ones, for our work, for our community. However, there are even more fundamental things to consider so that we can achieve these goals — and even when we don’t — and these are the things that truly matter.

In science, the common understanding in the past was that the atom was the basic building block of all matter. However, upon further investigation with more modern and more powerful instruments, we now know that the atom itself is composed of even smaller elements and these elements are composed of elements that are smaller still.

Who are You When Alone?

If we liken each individual to an atom, what are the smaller components that make up someone that enable them to succeed in living a full life in this world? This is where we should look for what matters most for each person.

“The starting point of discovering who you are, your gifts, your talents, your dreams, is being comfortable with yourself. Spend time alone. Write in a journal. Take long walks in the woods.”

— Robin S. Sharma

Have you spent time learning about yourself on your own? If you are not comfortable being by yourself, then you cannot expect other people to be as comfortable with you as you’d like them to be. This also means that you are only looking to be with other people because you cannot bear to be by yourself. Why is that so? A time of isolation is a great opportunity to get to know yourself even better. You may find out what your real goals in life are in the process.

“Loneliness is no excuse for compromise. Be comfortable with yourself before you choose to be with someone else just to avoid being alone.”

— Yadin Kaufmann

Who are you when you are by yourself? Whether you are living with your family or you living alone, try to set aside time to get to know yourself better. When you learn to like and love yourself as you are; you will find that your self-confidence will grow and you will find ways to address your own shortcomings as you get to know yourself better.

Who are You in Front of Others?

Our personalities are just the tip of the iceberg that we show other people. Who we are as individuals — our mindset, our attitude, our character and the values that we deem important — are what matters most for each person. These are the things that influence how we interact with other people and how we act and react to the trials we go through life.

“Be alone. Eat alone, take yourself on dates, sleep alone. In the midst of this you will learn about yourself. You will grow, you will figure out what inspires you, you will curve your own dreams, your own beliefs, your own stunning clarity, and when you do meet the person who makes your cells dance, you will be sure of it, because you are sure of yourself.”

— Bianca Sparacino

Original Photo by Jeswin Thomas from Pexels.

Posted by H.J. Rangas in Spiritual, 0 comments
09
Apr
2020
Gratitude in Tough Times: Bringing Light in the Dark

Gratitude in Tough Times: Bringing Light in the Dark

Reading Time: 4 minutes

It is easy to be grateful if everything is doing well. However, the challenge lies during difficult times. It is hard but it is something that we need to learn. To practice gratitude during tough times is the only way to bring light in the dark.

Darkness deserves gratitude. It is the alleluia point at which we learn to understand that all growth does not take place in the sunlight.

– Joan Chittister

Pessimistic. Negative thinker. Sensitive. Prone to depression.

That’s who I was.

There were moments that I will just find myself crying. I would wake up in the middle of the night and just feel the sadness, pain, and rejection and all over me. I’d feel deep sorrow permeating inside me. I would cry and cry until I fall asleep again.

And when I am down. Gee! I was really down. And it would be difficult for me to stand up again and live my life. For weeks, my emotions would control and pull me down.

I am the type of person with a melancholic temperament. For a personality like mine, seeing the positive and being grateful is back-breaking.

I had this tough experience but to this day I am thankful. I had this super difficult boss. No matter how much effort I put into everything I do, it will not be appreciated. If I do well in my work there is no need for appreciation because I was just doing my job as expected of me. Those were his words to me. But when I make any mistake no matter how tiny and insignificant, it is easily noticed. I will be reprimanded immediately even in front of many people.

It was an arduous journey. Pessimistic as I am, if I have collected the tears I shed it would have been an ocean. Even my self-esteem went down.

But later on, I learned a very important lesson.

For you to improve the quality of your life, you must see the blessings. Then you will attract more of the things that you can be grateful for.

I am dealing with this difficult boss but I love my job.

My boss is grumpy at times but I am grateful that I can still smile and influence him to smile.

Although my boss is unappreciative but I am grateful for the people around me who support and love me.

Yes, my boss will easily reprimand me for my mistakes but I am grateful for the many opportunities for me to grow and improve.

So, instead of sulking in negativity and self-pity, I changed my perspective and saw it as a challenge. Instead of the negative, I chose to see the blessings and learned to be grateful with the blessings that I have. I chose to work smarter. By reading a lot of books and attending seminars, I began to grow. I learned from my mistake and improved the quality of my work and my disposition.

And when I decided to change myself and the quality of my thoughts, without me knowing, my boss saw my improvement. He even commended me personally and even in front of others about how I have changed and improved through the years.

Because of that experience, I became a better person. A grateful one at that.

Today, you might not have a difficult boss that you are dealing with but instead you are in a difficult situation. You might be experiencing a grueling trial in life or you might be dealing with a loved one or an officemate who is challenging to deal with. You might have problems with your family, your finances, and your health.

I do not know where you are right now. But remember unless we experience failures and hardships in life we will not truly grow. It is essential for our success so that we may bear fruit.

I assure you: Unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains by itself. But if it dies, it produces a large crop.

– John 12:24

GOD suffered and died for us. He was crucified and was buried in a dark tomb. After three days, He resurrected.

There might be times in our life where we feel it was dark, hopeless, and it seems that the suffering that you are experiencing will not end. You feel buried in the darkness of hardships, trials and difficulties. However, let us remind ourselves that problems in life are temporary because victory is on the way. Easter is coming.

Let us be persons who will see the good in difficult people. Let us be the kind of persons who will see the opportunity in a challenging situation, and the kind who will appreciate what we have, even in the face of darkness.

It is easy to become grateful when life is easy but being grateful when things are difficult is hard. Let us choose to embrace gratitude to be able to get through the hardships. And in the end, we will come out victorious!

Think of one difficult moment or any problem or any challenge you are experiencing in your life right now. Write down 10 blessings that comes with that problem.

Hazel Atencio is author of the book The Gratitude Habit: How to Change Your Life by Saying Thank You Everyday.

She is a graduate of Bachelor of Science in Electronics and Communications Engineering. When she was still in college, she dreamed of entering the convent to dedicate herself serving to God as a nun. She finds her calling serving God in Bo Sanchez ministries.

Hazel’s personal life mission is to influence and add value to others by bringing out their uniqueness and greatness.

To learn more about Hazel, connect with her via her Facebook page or email her at hazel.atencio@gmail.com.

First published in Pinoy Smart Living in 11.14.2018
Feature Image by Sasin Tipchai from Pixabay Images

Posted by A.L. Jonas in Spiritual, 0 comments
26
Mar
2020
The Practice of Mindfulness and Its Benefits

The Practice of Mindfulness and Its Benefits

Reading Time: 3 minutes

Emotional health is not always easy to measure as people generally go through a range of different emotions from moment to moment. No one can maintain being cheerful all day or being sad all day. There will always be a break in the cycle. However, we can describe our general mood for the day. But is there a way to keep tabs on our thoughts and emotions and process them without stressing ourselves out? There is a way to do this through the practice of mindfulness and its benefits.

What is Mindfulness?

Mindfulness is an innate human ability to be fully present and aware in the moment and not be overwhelmed or be too reactive by the things happening around us. Mindfulness is a state where you can focus on what is going on in your thoughts, your physical sensations, etc. without judging what you observe. In this way, mindfulness is a meditation method and sadly, we don’t do much of it in our daily lives.

Mindfulness is awareness that arises through paying attention, on purpose, in the present moment, non-judgementaly. And then I sometimes add, in the service of self-understanding and wisdom.

— Jon Kabat-Zinn

Mindfulness is a quality that each of us possess. Thus, we should learn how to make use of it in our daily lives so we can experience the benefits. There are benefits in our mental, emotional, and physical states and even in our relationships and finances.

Benefits of Mindfulness

Mindfulness meditation provides us a time to suspend judgement. Instead, it gives us time to analyze how we think and feel, why we think in a particular way and why we feel the way we do. Mindfulness allows us to observe our experiences without judging them and instead look at them with kindness and understanding. This approach to understanding ourselves and our daily experiences has many health benefits.

Reduce Stress

Not judging yourself and extending understanding and kindness towards the self greatly reduces mental and physical stress. Too often, we punish ourselves for the things that we think we did wrong or did not accomplish. We rarely sit back and try to see why we acted in a certain way.

Encourage Acceptance

When we observe ourselves without judgement, we learn to accept and appreciate our flaws and weaknesses as part of who we are and we can more easily decide on how to change them to better improve ourselves. This also means, that we will be able to easily accept and even forgive not just ourselves but also the people around us.

Enhances Deeper Understanding

Being mindful and learning about our own inner workings helps us to better understand other people and through regular practise, we also learn to let things be instead of judging them in the moment. This means that we are still able to interact with negative people or still behave normally even in a toxic environment without being overwhelmed or being overly reactive.

Increase Awareness

Practicing mindfulness also enhances our awareness and insight not just of ourselves but of other people’s mental and emotional states as well so we can help them better in the way that they need most.

Enhance Performance

When we have a better understanding of how we think and act, we are also able to easily adjust our own patterns of thinking and our actions to align with our goals in the different areas of our life.

Practice mindfulness in your daily activities and experience the benefits in all areas of your life.

Mindfulness meditation is a practice that you can easily start doing. Find a quiet place to be alone with your thoughts and focus on them without judging them. You can also do the same type of observation in daily situations like during eating. Instead of just gulping down food, by being mindful of how you eat, you are able to appreciate the whole eating experience and appreciate its benefits. Try practicing being mindful of your daily habits today.

Edited version. First published in Pinoy Smart Living 08.07.2019.
Feature Image: Original Photo by Erriko Boccia on Unsplash.

Posted by H.J. Rangas in Spiritual, 0 comments
19
Mar
2020
How Keeping a Gratitude Journal Can Change Your Life

How Keeping a Gratitude Journal Can Change Your Life

Reading Time: 3 minutes

It is no secret that an attitude of gratitude has positive effects but we seldom take the time to express gratitude in our daily lives. One way to incorporate this habit is by keeping a Gratitude Journal. Keeping a gratitude journal can change your life. Even Oprah Winfrey keeps such a journal:

…whenever there’s a grateful moment, I note it. I know for sure that appreciating whatever shows up for you in life changes your personal vibration. You radiate and generate more goodness for yourself when you’re aware of all you have and not focusing on your have-nots.

– Oprah Winfrey, Oprah

Starting a gratitude general is easy. Just get yourself a notebook and pen and write down 3-5 things that you are grateful for in your day. You may do this right before you sleep or you can out your notebook whenever you feel there’s something good to be grateful for throughout the day.

Here are some of the ways, a Gratitude Journal, can change your life.

1. Increase Positivity

Writing down the things that you are grateful for increases your positive vibes. It makes you more optimistic about your life as you focus on the good things that you are thankful for, taking time away from dwelling too much on negative thoughts and emotions. As you write down your blessings, you may even find yourself smiling more.

2. Improve Confidence

By seeing the good in things, you will also be able to easily see the good in you and be more appreciative of yourself. In doing so, you tend to lessen the impulse to compare yourself to others. Writing down your thoughts also increases your confidence in communicating with others as you are able to practice expressing your thoughts and feelings unto paper which in turn, can help you express them verbally to other people.

3. Improve Memory

At least, it helps you improve your memories of good experiences. The habit of reviewing your day to look for things you are grateful for enhances your associative memory. It is easier to recall things that you have strong feelings for than those that you don’t or just experienced in passing. This habit may even help you get rid of phobias from past traumas as you slowly start associating things that were previously negative in context with new experiences that are now more positive.

4. Reduce Stress

Developing a grateful attitude even in tough times inevitably results in feeling less stressed about life than usual. As you see more good things around you, noticing more positive things happening around you, you also tend to look for the positive in every situation. The time you spend worrying is gradually reduced and replaced with time spent observing and being grateful for what’s good in the moment.

A habit of gratitude also enhances your innate sense of faith that things will eventually turn out for the best and you go about your day with a more positive outlook of the future than you did before.

5. Better Sleep

As you review your day and ponder over the things that you are grateful for, you are less likely to dwell on your worries and enjoy a more sound, restful sleep. Writing down on your Gratitude Journal for just 15 minutes before going to sleep is a good way to wind down and put your mind into a calm state that encourages restful sleep.

You will see that as you practice being grateful, you will attract more things that you will be grateful for. Try keeping a Gratitude Journal for a at least a month and see if you experience the life-changing results.

Feature Image: Original Photo by Freshh Connection on Unsplash.

Posted by H.J. Rangas in Spiritual, 0 comments