Tag Archives: Dalai Lama

Daily Sign Post: The Mind Is A Powerful Thing

Someone asked me today the key to being positive and happy in life. This is the foundation:

 

“The mind is a powerful thing and its power can be used to make us happy or miserable. We can concentrate on how the world has done us wrong or the ways it does us right. We can focus on where we're stuck or how we're free. We can take the opportunity to notice the ordinary miracles around us. We can find ways to truly enjoy, even to relish, the moments of our lives.” -M.J. Ryan, “The Happy Makeover”

 

This isn't necessarily easy to accomplish, with the laundry list of things you may need to shift your mindset about, so it's also very important to have patience with yourself. Patience that allows you to realize that, even if you stray from the path of positivity, all you have to do is start again. With time you'll see the difference in your overall outlook on life, you'll understand the power of your thoughts, and you'll find it easier to maintain control of your thoughts, your feelings, and your happiness.

 

Love.Trust.Hope.Peace.

Daily Sign Post: Practicing with Loss

“We are all going to suffer our losses. How we deal with these losses is what makes all the difference. For it is not what happens to us that determines our character, our experience, our karma, and our destiny, but how we relate to what happens.”

- Lama Surya Das, “Practicing with Loss” from Tricycle Daily Dharma

 

Love.Trust.Hope.Peace.

Daily Sign Post

“The trick to not thinking is not adding energy to the equation in an effort to forcibly stop thinking from happening. It’s more a matter of subtracting energy from the equation in order not to barf the thoughts up and start chewing them over again.”

- Brad Warner

 

Love.Trust.Hope.Peace.

Daily Sign Post: You don’t have to be afraid of pain…

“You don’t have to be afraid of pain. If it’s going to be there, you can let it be there – but don’t let the mind be in pain with it.”

- Upasika Kee Nanayon, “Tough Teachings to Ease the Mind”, www.tricycle.com

Love.Trust.Hope.Peace.

 

Daily Sign Post: Creating Karma

“Your thoughts, your words, and your deeds all create karma. And so through practice, you learn how to create better karma, and then everything about your life changes.”

- Myokei Caine-Barrett, Shonin, “A Right to the Dharma” http://www.tricycle.com/

Daily Sign Post: A positively memorable oil change at Toyota

I’ve had a great morning…and it’s only 7:49am. How? Because I started it all with positive thoughts and good intentions. Although I thought I was running late after I snoozed my alarm for the 3rd time (it might be a little problem of mine), I ended up having just enough time to get myself out the door in time for my oil change appointment. I showered, took care of my cats (which is actually a big chore these days), made lunch (nom nom), made breakfast (extra nom nom), and got myself out the door.

I pulled into the Toyota dealership right on time for my 7:30am appointment, score. I walked inside with my slip to sign in, chocolate almond milk in hand, and was questioned by the guy checking me in, “Protein shake?” Ha. I must look silly when I prance around in the morning with my chocolate (almond) milk, but oh well! The guy (we’ll call him G) started telling me about his family and how he also drinks almond milk, coconut milk and limits his and his family’s dairy intake. Turns out that G and I are on similar paths! We got to talking about all the documentaries that we’ve both seen that have inspired us to change our ways. He told me how he too is trying to inspire his family to be healthier as he’s noticed the effects his diet and eating habits have had on his overall energy and happiness. This was a GREAT start to my day! I never would’ve thought I’d run into someone this morning who’s on such a similar journey as myself.

It was a great motivator for me. I’m not alone. Not alone in my journey and not alone in my desire to share the positive impacts my new lifestyle. G and I are not only trying to make a difference, we’re living the difference.

And to think I was rushing around today thinking it was going to be just another Tuesday. Boy was I wrong! You never know what each day has in store for you. Use the morning to prepare your positive intention for the day, but even if you rush through the morning without consciously doing so, be receptive to the positive things that happen that should make you realize each day is great as long as you think it so.

“When you wash, imagine that you are washing your divine body with blissful energy instead of washing your mundane, suffering body with water. Then dress your divine body with blissful, divine robes instead of ordinary clothes. If you start your morning like that, the rest of your day will be much easier.”

- Lama Yeshe, “Visualizations”

Daily Sign Post: Don’t let life’s hardships get you down

I’m on my June book (yes I know it’s still May). It’s a longer book than I’ve be been reading, so I’m happy to have the head start. My 2012 goal to read a book each month is still going strong, and I’ve grown so much by reading the past 5 books. Right now, I’m reading Emotional Freedom by Judith Orloff, M.D. I’m really enjoying it because the author is a psychiatrist, but understands and values the importance of knowing your thoughts and how they affect your emotions. Although she prescribes medication, she is adamant on not relying solely on pills as a patient’s only path to recovery. She teaches her patients the practice of meditation among other things (I’ll fill you in as I go along). Regardless, I’m not even 100 pages in, but I’m enjoying it very much and highly recommend this read to anyone, especially if you’re skeptical about meditation and the power of spirituality.

“Spirituality isn’t static. It’s an evolving optimism that won’t let hardship get the best of you.” – Judith Orloff, M.D., Emotional Freedom

Love.Trust.Hope.Peace.

Daily Sign Post: SMiLE

SMILE!
Try it. Try smiling for no reason. Smile at a stranger, smile at a friend, smile at a coworker. Yes, this may feel a bit uncomfortable at first, but once you see the positive impact it will have on your mood and the moods of those you’re smiling at, it’ll all be worth it!
Love.Trust.Hope.Peace.

Daily Sign Post: Thoughts & Emotions

“The past has no power to stop you from being present now. Only your grievance about the past can do that. And what is a grievance? The baggage of old thought and emotion.”

- Eckhart Tolle, A New Earth

Daily Sign Post: The Practice of Patience #DalaiLama #lifequote #yoga #meditation #happyfriday #nomnom #vegan

3.2.2012

“The practice of patience protects us from losing our composure. In doing that it enables us to exercise discernment, even in the heat of difficult situations. It gives us inner space. And within that space we gain a degree of self-control, which allows us to respond to situations in an appropriate and compassionate manner rather than being driven by our anger and irritation.”

-Dalai Lama FB page