How Random Acts of Kindness Improve Your Life

Dale Carneige talked about it in How to Win Friends and Influence People. Rhonda Byrne talked about it in The Magic. So has William Penn, Harold Kushner, and the Dalia Lama.

They have all talked about kindness to others.

"If there is any kindness I can show, any good thing I can do to any fellow human being, let me do it now, and not defer or neglect it, as I shall not pass this way again."

William Penn

Random acts of kindness affects the person on the receiving end in a positive way. By performing random acts of kindness you also improve your life. 


Research shows that when you are kind to others, you are rewarded in several ways.  Researchers in Great Britain had participants take a survey (Journal of Social Psychology) measuring life satisfaction, The group that practiced kindness experienced a significant boost in happiness.

In 1991, Allan Luks (former Executive Director of The Institute for the Advancement of Health and Executive Director of the Big Brothers and Big Sisters program in New York City) documented a study about kindness in a book called "The healing power of doing good: The health and spiritual benefits of helping others".





Some of the most significant findings of his research include the following:

1.)   Helping others contributes to the maintenance of good health and can diminish the effect of minor and serious psychological and physical diseases and disorders.

2.)   The rush of euphoria often referred to as a “helper’s high” after performing a kind act involves physical sensations and the release of the body’s natural painkillers, the endorphins. The initial rush is followed by a longer period of calm and improved emotional well-being.

3.)   The health benefits and sense of well-being return for hours or even days whenever the helping act is remembered.

4.)   Stress related health problems improve after performing kind acts.                                                                              Helping others:

• Reverses feelings of depression.
• Supplies social contact.
• Reduces feelings of hostility and isolation that can cause stress, overeating, ulcers, etc.
• Decreases the constriction in the lungs that leads to asthma attacks.

5.)   Helping can enhance feelings of joyfulness, emotional resilience, and vigor, and can reduce the unhealthy sense of isolation.

6.)   The awareness and intensity of physical pain can decrease.

7.)   Attitudes such as chronic hostility that negatively arouse and damage the body are reduced.

8.)   A sense of self-worth, greater happiness, and optimism is increased, and feelings of helplessness and depression decrease.

9.)   When we establish an “ affiliated connection” with someone (a relationship of friendship, love, or some sort of positive bonding), we feel emotions that can strengthen the immune system.

10.)   Caring for strangers leads to immense immune and healing benefits.

11.)   Regular club attendance, volunteering, entertaining, or faith group attendance is the happiness equivalent of getting a college degree, or more than doubling your income.

**********************************

Just like a smile, kindness is contagious. Your act of kindness will brighten someone's day who then in turn performs a good deed. The The good feelings spread from one person to the next - rippling through your community. In the end it improves the lives of everyone.



"When you are kind to others, it not only changes you, it changes the world."

Harold Kushner 

I remind myself that it is also important to be kind to someone who has been rude or unkind to me because I don't know what is going on in their life. Maybe there was a death in the family, a serious injury or illness, a divorce. My kindness may be "the most magical thing that happens to them that day". 




"Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle."

Philo of Alexandria (Circa 20 BC - AD 50)

Philosopher

Beginning today, treat everyone you meet as if they were going to be dead by midnight. Extend them all the care, kindness and understanding you can muster. Your life will never be the same again.

Og Mandino

100 Random Acts of Kindness

1. Smile. It is contagious. I try to remember to do this as much as possible.  
2. Be kind to cashiers. Customers are more likely to take their frustrations out on the cashier. You would be amazed how grateful a cashier is when you are patient and kind. 
3. Say thank you, mean it and look the recipient in the eye when you say it. If you can, give the reason you are thankful. 
4. Out of the blue, give a genuine compliment to someone. I use to think things like, I like her hair, or her shoes are cool - now I don't keep it to myself - I share it. (if appropriate of course)
5. When thinning out your wardrobe, give some clothes to a friend or donate to charitable organizations like the Salvation Army.  I always do this one.
6. When you no longer want items in your home, offer them on Freecycle. Someone will respond to your ad then go to your home and pick it up. I like Freecycle for giving and receiving. It's purpose is to prevent items from filling up our landfills.
7. Offer to help someone. Sometimes your offer is all that is needed to make someone feel good.
8. Pay for the order in the car behind you in the drive through. This has happened to my husband a few times and he has now started doing it too.
9. Send out birthday cards. It's always fun to receive unexpected snail mail.
10. Put a bookmark in a library book that has an inspirational quote on it.
11. Tip generously.
12. Say hi to strangers.
13. Pick up the tab - Go up to the waiter and pay when no one is watching.
14. Avoid gossip - No need to spread any negativity.
15. Give the painter, electrician, or handyman a glass of cold water.
16. Be understanding - Assume the best in others. If someone is running late or has called in sick don’t assume they’re trying to get out of something.
17. When you are shopping, pick up a non perishable item to toss into the stores food bank bin.
18. Help someone whose car has broken down
19. Help clean up your neighborhood by picking up garbage.
20. When you neighbors are going away for a while, offer to watch over their house and collect their mail.
21. When a store has a donation drive and the cashier asks if you would like to donate a dollar to ..... say yes.
22. When drivers try to merge into your lane, let them in with a wave and a smile.
23. Visit a sick friend.
24. Offer to babysit for friends and family.
25. When parting from a loved one, always say "I love you." It may be the last thing you ever say to them. My family does this - even when we are angry with each other. No regrets.
26. Randomly grab your kids, hug and kiss them. I do this all the time with my granddaughters. I should do this more with my daughters.
27. When you pay someone back money, give more than you borrowed to show your appreciation.
28. Mow your neighbors lawn.
29. Shovel your neighbors sidewalk and drive-way.
30. Write a thank-you note to a mentor or someone who has influenced your life in a positive way.
31. Give blood.
32. Be an organ donor.
33. Surprise your parents by cleaning the house when they are out. 
34. Volunteer. There are so many volunteer opportunities out there that you can find something that interests you and fits into your schedule.
35. Hold the door open for someone.
36. Let someone know they have toilet paper stuck to their shoe or their skirt is stuck in the top of their pantyhose.
37. Spend time with your parents and tell them how much you love them and appreciate them. 
38. Lend a good book or movie to a friend.
39. If you find something that is not yours, return it to the rightful owner.
40. Offer someone to go ahead of you in the check out line.
41. Offer your seat on the bus or train to someone who might need it more than you.
42. Pay for a strangers meal at a restaurant. This actually happened to me when I was out with my three daughters and three grand daughters. It was a very pleasant surprise for sure.
43. Offer some perennials to a neighbor. I did this last summer. She was very happy and planted them right away.
44. Apologize when you accidently bump into someone. I like this one. I don't how many times I've been given a dirty look for bumping into someone. I apologize and smile.
45. Give a glowing recommendation.
46. Slip a $20 bill to a person who you know is having financial difficulty.
47. Bring some baked goods to work to share with your coworkers. My coworkers are really good for this. There is always something yummy available in the lunch room.
48. For one week, act on every single thought of generosity that arises spontaneously in your heart, and notice what happens as a consequence.
49. Give someone fresh produce from your garden. Most people grow more than they can eat.
50. Help someone move.
51. Offer a piece of gum.
52. Make a positive comment on a blog.
53. Make someone laugh who looks like they really need one.
54. Share a positive blog post.
55. Make a wish come true.
56. Donate a percentage of your company's profit.
57. Help other shoppers - reach items, or find items
58. Help change a tire.
59. Collect coats to donate.
60. Give a bottle of cold water or warm cup of coffee (cream and sugar on the side) to a bus driver.
61. Donate your hair.
62. Knit or crochet for a cause.
63. Take someone new under your wing.
64. Make a care package for someone you know is going through a rough patch.
65. If you are baking, make a second batch to give to a neighbor.
66. If you have nothing else to offer, offer your support.
67. Buy someone a treat when you are at the store.
68. If you see someone drop something, stop and help them pick it up.
69. Sponsor a child's sport team.
70. You don't always have to win. Sometimes the other person's feelings are more important than being right.
71. Sponsor a child.
72. Put change into a vending machine.
73. Leave a gift for a friend or neighbor on their porch.
74. Be a designated driver.
75. Stay after a party and help clean up.
76. Wave to your neighbors while walking or driving by.
77. Be a big brother or sister.
78. Say please and thank you.
79. Host a toy drive.
80. Set up a fundraiser for someone in need.
81. Offer a shoulder to cry on.
82. Secretly drop loose change in the grass at a park and watch the children run around happily picking it up.
83. Donate books to the local community center. Children in our community go to the center on their birthday and receive a book.
84. Send flowers to someone just because.
85. Treat a friend to a movie.
86. Like someone's facebook page.
87. Offer blogger advice when you see someone needs help.
88. Buy items from your neighborhood children when they are fundraising.
89. Pick a child from the wish tree to purchase a Christmas gift.
90. Drop off a home warming gift to someone who has just moved in next door.
91. Give away your unused tickets at the carnival.
92. Praise children when you see them doing something nice.
93. Be a good listener - pay attention when someone is speaking to you.
94. Give a gift to a friend or family member just to say I was thinking about you.
95. Let someone vent - to get it all out without interrupting or judging.
96. Ask the person next to you how their day is going.
97. Tell the cashier to have a nice day before she/he has a chance to say it to you first. Say it with a smile.
98. Share a funny joke.
99. Stick up for someone who you know will not stick up for themselves.
100. If you're angry, don't have an outburst. Keep calm. It is better to say nothing at all than to hurt someone's feelings out of anger.

It is important to remember that each and every person you meet is a daughter or son, a brother or sister, a mother or father, an aunt or uncle, or grandparent. They are precious, loved and irreplaceable. They deserve our patience and kindness.



Wow, this post is Cathy's favorite at My Favorite Posts Show Off Weekend Blog Party. Thanks Cathy. Her blog is called, A Peek Into My Paradise. She had this to say, "Great tips! One of my favorite movies is Pay It Forward. Love this post. Thanks for sharing!" 

See more at: http://apeekintomyparadise.blogspot.ca/.

Oh my gosh, a great big thank you goes out to Natasha from Grow With Epic Mommy for choosing my post - this post as her favorite post at the My Favorite Posts Show Off Weekend Blog Party. 

She featured my post on October 24, 2013 and had this to say, "My favorite goes to Darlene Nemeth. A random act of kindness can definitely improve one's life! The power to do good for someone else. I am in charge of volunteerism at work. Usually when I tell my people to do it, I tend to get resentment. Once they're there, the whole attitude changes within them and they wonder why they complained in the first place. Give it shot! You'll feel good about yourself!!"

I hope you find this post helpful or at least amusing! Let me know what you think by leaving a comment. I can never get enough of those.  :) And if you know someone else who may enjoy this post, please share it with them.

I would love for you to subscribe and follow along! 

I also post on Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest. See you there.

Seven Paths - Lesson 4

This lesson from Seven Paths to Freedom by Curtis Rivers is called Gratitude. Not just gratitude for the life you have imagined but gratitude everyday under all circumstances.

If you have been following my blog, you would know that I read Rhonda Byrne's book The Magic which is all about gratitude and I completed the assignments from each chapter. 

If you haven't read any of those posts you can start at the beginning, The Road to Inner Peace and Happiness.

If you are familiar with the concepts of gratitude then you are ahead of the crowd and know how to implement it into your meditation/visualization.

Many people do take their lives for granted. They don't stop to feel grateful for what they have here and now. They seem to hold back their happiness for some day in the future. 

Have you ever heard someone complaining about their weight then say, I will be happy when I lose ten pounds? Or things will be better when I get that raise? I'll be happy once I get the house renovated.

Wanting more is good but at the same time you need to be grateful for what you have right now. Be grateful for your health, for having a job, for your home.

Feel grateful. Feel happy. You have so much to be happy about. Look around you. You are alive. People love you and like spending time with you. Are you grateful for the opportunity to use the internet and computer right now? 

My Family in 2012

I look around and can list so many things I am grateful for. My granddaughters playing on the other side of the room. My daughter who is doing dishes. The sparkling Christmas tree. My comfy couch. The heat in our home cause it is really cold outside. The food in the fridge. The phone ringing. The clean fresh water we have access to all the time. 

Everything, every occasion, everyone gives you an opportunity to feel gratitude - happiness. Thank you, thank you, thank you. 

Don't misunderstand me. My life is not perfect. I could grump and complain, and sometimes I do, but over all, I choose not to.

I could freak out because my granddaughters are making a big mess with their toys over there. But why would I? Messes can be cleaned up. They aren't hurting anyone. They are enjoying themselves. And am I grateful for that. Their happiness is contagious.

So what is all this discussion about gratitude and feelings? I will let Curtis Rivers explain. "Introduce gratitude into all of your daily visualisations, and watch the magic happen. It WILL happen, that's what is so exciting about this course, and about my book - this is REAL. It doesn't' just work 'some of the time' it works all of the time, 24/7 - by natural laws of the Universe. It was designed that way."


I FEEL HAPPY. I AM GRATEFUL. 

It is a wonderful life.


What are you grateful for?

Seven Paths - Lesson 3

Today's lesson from Curtis Rivers' free course, Seven Paths to Freedom, is called Focusing the Image. I definitely need help with this one. 

I can create vague images in my mind and enhance them by adding emotions. I FEEL happy. 

But the images are  still vague to me. I wonder what I have been doing wrong or is there something I am missing?

Lesson two answers this question. 

More practice.  Practice makes perfect. Use or lose it. Well, in this case, you may not have used that part of your brain; that part that creates vivid images in your mind so you need to work at it and with time the images will become clear.

Using all your senses. This will sharpen the image in your mind.

• What do you hear? Are they kids laughing? Birds singing?
• What do you smell? Cookies baking? Flowers? 

Unfortunately or should I say fortunately my sniffer is broken. Intense scents, I can smell, otherwise it is a blank. A couple of weeks ago, for some reason, I could actually smell just about everything. It was so weird. I did not like it. How can people go through life smelling all these odors and fragrances? They were leaping out at me from everywhere. Invading my senses. Much of it was not pleasant. Made my stomach turn. Not good at all. Thank goodness it didn't last more than a day. What a relief it was to be back at my odor/fragrance free life.

• What do you touch/feel? The warm sunlight on your skin? Cold metal in your hand?
• What do you taste? The fresh, hot out of the oven cookies? 
• Lastly use your sense of awareness.

I will try again.

I am getting out of my red shiny Impala. I love that car. I hear the sound of my feet hit the driveway.
I take a deep breath of the fresh air and look up at my house. I hear the car door close and I walk up the sidewalk to the front door. The sound of my heels click click click follow me.

I reach out and grasp the cool metal door handle and give it a twist to the right. The colour on the front door matches my car. I don't know why that colour brightens my spirits but it does so I have it sprinkled throughout my house.

The foyer is brightly lit and I have a smile on my face as I anticipate my granddaughters rushing to see me. I call out, "Hello."

Sidney comes running and collides into me as she yells, "Grandma!" Her little arms wrap around my legs and I lean forward to try to squeeze her.

Just as Sidney loosens her grip on me, Faith, comes running up to me and gives me a great big hug. "Grandma, I missed you." "I missed you too."

www.branthaven.com

I kick off my sling back shoes and step onto the cold ceramic tiles. I love the way my bare feet feel on the smooth clean floor.

Actually my little piggies wish they could always be naked in the fresh air. Socks are so confining.

My little angels have already run back to the kitchen. 

With each step towards the kitchen, the sound of my daughters talking and laughing gets a little louder. I can smell the banana bread baking in the oven. As I enter the kitchen we exchange hellos. I look around and FEEL so blessed.

www.livingdesignhome.com

I notice some white fluffy towels on the floor because the girls were swimming again. One of our favorite past times. We have an indoor heated pool - a dream come true. I can't tell you how many wonderful hours we've had in the gorgeous pool. 

I promise to go for a dip after supper.

I walk upstairs to my bedroom and change into some casual clothes. My room is so relaxing - a true retreat for unwinding. I love, love, love my room. That colour again that brightens up my day.

After taking a few minutes for myself, I work my way downstairs to my art studio/home office/rec room/exercise area.

 I check emails and stop myself there because I know time flies once I get on the computer. It is the weekend and I promised my girls to spend time with them.

I look around and feel so grateful. I have large canvases holding paint that I put there. Someone has already bought that picture. 

www.minimalisti.com

Over in the corner is a work station that my girls and I sit at and create all kinds of fun items. 

In the opposite corner is a area dedicated to exercising. Everyone in the family takes advantage of that space.

My heart leaps as I scan the walls which are covered with pictures of my family and the trips we have been on. 



There are awards and letters of gratitude for my volunteer work and donations to various charities. My daughters insisted on framing and hanging them. 

I go back to the kitchen and they are cleaning up. I look out the window at the four nearby houses that belong to Beth, Nicole, Christina and my Mom. 

Its fantastic that my granddaughters can run over to see me whenever they want.

Some of my fondest memories are of my maternal grandfather spending time with me. He made me feel important, loved and accepted. I wish I could have seen him more.

I walk past the great room. It is a warm welcoming space which I enjoy everyday with my girls. Another wave of happiness flows through me.

I go through the patio doors that leads to the deck and garden. I give a quick wave of my hand to Gary. He is sitting there with my son-inilaws doing whatever guys do.

From picasaweb.google.com

I have a huge garden filled with large blossom flowers. The colours are so vibrant and the fragrance mild and beautiful. I stir up the scent of mint as my fingers gently run over the plants.

I look up and admire the cyan blue sky and fluffy white clouds. I savour the moment because I feel so grateful and happy. A rush of inner peace overwhelms me.

I glance back around the garden. 

My granddaughters get so excited when they see a fruit or vegetable ripe for the picking. 

The cucumbers are doing great this year.


This time was a little easier. I included the six senses. Nope. I lied. I missed taste. Tomorrow I will taste the banana bread. Yum. Can I have mine loaded with chopped up walnuts? 

If I am going to be completely truthful, I have to admit that once I stepped into the house, I felt a pang of anxiety and I wondered how am I going to maintain all of this? I let the thought roll by as suggested in the lesson and continued with my vision. The self doubt was there haunting me. I don't know why.

Maybe someone could enlighten me. What could that barrier be?

How have you been doing with the lessons?




To read the today's lesson, you can sign up for Curtis Rivers' Seven Paths to Freedom Course at http://www.curtisrivers.com/products.html.

Seven Paths - Lesson 2

This lesson from Seven Paths to Freedom by Curtis Rivers is called Planting Seeds in the Subconscious. Lesson two is pretty long. There is a lot of reading but is boils down to a couple of concepts: how to delete the barriers/negativity in your mind that prevent you from reaching your goals; and how we must empty our minds of all the day to day activities that are distracting us from our dreams.

"The only true way to change your future" he said, "Is to learn how to use your mind correctly in the present.

In order to use your mind as it was intended, you're going to have to learn how to quieten the mind - get rid of the noise, the internal chatter, and the constant distractions fighting for your attention.

The first step - is relaxation. Through relaxation and correct breathing, you can quieten the mind, ready to transform your life."

Excerpt from Lesson 2

I have tried to meditate in the past.   

Relaxing is not my problem. I can close my eyes and block out the sounds and commotion around me. I get so relaxed that I nod off and my muscles twitch. 

I  imagine a beautiful vibrant blue sky and the clouds drifting by. This image is immediately soothing because it brings back fond memories.

I can clear my mind for a few moments then a thought pops into my head. I shoe it away and get back to the meditating only to have another thought intrude.

I become annoyed with those interruptions and frustration overcomes my serenity. 

Blurry Image in my mind of my future home.

I of course am too hard on myself. Apparently everyone has the same difficulties when they first start to meditate. I just need more practice.

My other problem is the fact that I become annoyed with the interruptions when I really should "just let those thoughts drift by the screen of your mind, like you watch the clouds drift by over your head. They are not spoiling your view of that beautiful sky, they were not invited by you, but are just there, passing by - they just 'are'."

Armed with that helpful tip, I will try - no I will successfully meditate this evening before bed. And, I will add mediation, twice, on my list of daily routines.

To be honest, I never even thought to use meditation to quiet my mind to use the law of attraction. I use it to rid myself of stress, remove negative thoughts and regain my center - my happy place. Although, I can see how it would be helpful to enhance the law of attraction- after all it's about being clear isn't it.

Curtis Rivers says in Lesson 2, "We form a thought, we give it power, we intensity it in our minds, and we do so often. These are the first stages of creating the life of your dreams. These two aspects, of quieting the mind and forming a clear picture and feeling of what you want, are like the match lighting the kindling in a dry wood.

Over the coming lessons, I'm going to teach you how to fan those flames, so the small kindling fire becomes a raging, unstoppable forest fire - eliminating all self doubt, all perceived obstacles and fears, and clearing the way to the life you're ready to live."

Are you ready? Yes I am Ready.

Have you tried meditation? When and how do you meditate?



To read the today's lesson, you can sign up for Curtis Rivers' Seven Paths to Freedom Course at http://www.curtisrivers.com/products.html.

Seven Paths: Lesson 1

Curtis Rivers

Curtis Rivers wrote a book called Seven Paths to Freedom which will be out sometime next year. He also has a free seven day course with the same title. 

I thought this course may just be the ticket to help me on my journey to inner peace and happiness.

I am blogging about this because I want to share it with you in the hope to inspire those who also want to make some positive changes in their lives - who want to enjoy living life with passion, having the courage to transform dreams into reality. Even if you don't follow me, you can check out the site, Seven Paths to Freedom.


The title for Lesson One From Curtis Rivers FREE online course, Seven Paths to Freedom, is "What do you really want?"

At the end of the lesson, Curtis asks us to "Write down a list of just seven things that you REALLY want."

He then adds, "Avoid writing 'win the lottery' or 'marry a millionaire' - ask yourself, if money were no object, if you never had to work another day in your life, what would you do." Well, I'm sure that is what most people wish for and it doesn't go much further than that. I know the law of attraction doesn't work like that. We need to know exactly what we want and make the message clear.

I have pictured what I would do with a lot of  money but I have not imagined what I am actually doing. 

www.branthaven.com

Let's try again.

I see myself walking up to my house and into the front door. There is a large brightly lite entry way. I have a huge smile on my face. 

Faith, comes running up to me and gives me a great big hug. She is excited and tells me about what she did while I was out. 

www.branthaven.com

To my right is expansive sitting area and to my right is a staircase to the second level.

I continue walking to the back of the house and look around the kitchen. Nicole, Christina and Beth are there with their daughters baking cookies. They all look at me, smiling. My granddaughters are chattering away for me to look at what they are doing. I feel so blessed.

www.livingdesignhome.com

There are some white fluffy towels on the floor because the girls were swimming again. We have an indoor heated pool. I promise to go for a dip in the pool with them after supper.

I walk upstairs to my bedroom and change into some casual clothes. My room is so relaxing - a true retreat to unwind.

After taking a few minutes for myself, I work my way downstairs to my art studio/home office/rec room/exercise area.

 I check emails and stop myself there because it is the weekend and I promised my girls to spend time with them.

I look around and feel so grateful. I have large canvases holding paint that I put there. Someone has already bought that picture. 

www.minimalisti.com

Over in the corner is a work station that my girls and I sit at and create all kinds of fun items. 

In the opposite corner is a area dedicated to exercising. Everyone in the family takes advantage of that space.

The walls are covered with pictures of my family and the trips we have been on. 




There are awards and letters of gratitude for my volunteer work at various charities. My daughters insisted on framing and hanging them. 

I go back to the kitchen and they are cleaning up. I look out the window at the four nearby houses that belong to Beth, Nicole, Christina and my Mom. 

I walk past the great room on my way out the patio door to the garden. Gary is sitting there with my son in laws doing whatever guys do.

From picasaweb.google.com

My garden is huge and well groomed. We have all kinds of vegetables and flowers. My granddaughters love watching the plants grow. They love picking and eating the fresh veggies. The cucumbers are doing great this year.

Is that seven? Is that what I am suppose to do?

Let's recap:
1. Spend time with my family.
2. Volunteer my time for different causes.
3. Blog. Write.
4. Garden.
5. Paint.
6. Travel with my family.
7. Swim and exercise.

What was your interpretation of this assignment?

You can sign up for Curtis Rivers' Seven Paths to Freedom Course at http://www.curtisrivers.com/products.html.

Maya Angelou

I like surfing the net, reading blogs, articles, looking at pictures. I wander from one link to the next and before I know it I am miles away in unknown territory. 

This is how I came across Maya Angelou. Holy Cow! She has accomplished so much. 

"Dr. Maya Angelou is one of the most renowned and influential voices of our time. Hailed as a global renaissance woman, Dr. Angelou is a celebrated poet, memoirist, novelist, educator, dramatist, producer, actress, historian, filmmaker, and civil rights activist."

"Dr. Angelou’s words and actions continue to stir our souls, energize our bodies, liberate our minds, and heal our hearts." 

http://mayaangelou.com

It was the many quotations that drew my attention. Her words inspire. Because I blog about gratitude I thought this quote would be fitting and so I am sharing it with you. 

I have been practicing gratitude and I wake up in the morning saying thank you. When I am grateful I cannot feel sad. I can't feel anxious or frustrated or angry. I feel happy and blessed.

When I practice consistently for a few days, I have a warm fuzzy feeling of inner peace and happiness which up to now was a very rare event.

Unfortunately, change is difficult. Sometimes negative thoughts creep into my mind or escape my lips. That's when I stop and say, "but I am grateful for . . . " and turn it back around to gratitude.

If you haven't tried any of the gratitude practices, a magic morning is a good place to start or you can start at the beginning. That post is titled, The Road To Inner Peace and Happiness.


You may want to read more about Maya Angelou so  I have copied a few links for you.

• http://mayaangelou.com/
• http://www.poemhunter.com/maya-angelou/
• http://www.poemhunter.com/i/ebooks/pdf/maya_angelou_2012_6.pdf
• http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/m/maya_angelou.html

Do you have an attitude of gratitude? I am not there yet but I am working on it. How about you?

Seth Speaks . . .

Who is Seth?

Lately, I've been thinking about this book, SETH SPEAKS by Jane Roberts. I first read it about twenty years ago. A friend had read the book and highly recommended it. 

The book begins, "I do not have a physical body, yet I am writing this book." When I read this line, I couldn't help asking myself, if my friend found this book in the fiction section. How could a ghost, spirit write a book? Obviously I had to keep reading.

In case you have not heard of Seth or Jane Roberts, allow me to reference some information from Wikipedia. Please keep an open mind.

In late 1963, Roberts and Butts, living in the Elmira, New York area, experimented with a Ouija board as part of Roberts' research for a book on extra-sensory perception. According to Roberts and Butts, on December 2, 1963 they began to receive coherent messages from a male personality who eventually identified himself as Seth. Soon after, Roberts reported that she was hearing the messages in her head. She began to dictate the messages instead of using the Ouija board, and she eventually abandoned the board.

Roberts described the process of writing the Seth books as entering a trance state. She said Seth would assume control of her body and speak through her, while her husband wrote down the words she spoke. They referred to such episodes as "readings" or "sessions".

"For 21 years until Roberts' death in 1984 (with a one-year hiatus due to her final illness), Roberts held regular trance sessions in which she spoke on behalf of Seth. Butts served as stenographer, taking the messages down in home-made shorthand, and recording some sessions. The messages from Seth channeled through Roberts consisted mostly of monologues on a wide variety of topics. They were published by Prentice-Hall under the collective title Seth Material."

Explaining Physical Manifestation 

There was something that Seth said that I have always remembered. "You create your own reality." I know this is not a new concept but he explained it in a way that I had never heard before.

These are his words, "Each thought or emotion therefore exists as electromagnetic energy units or as a combination of these under certain conditions and often with the help of coordinate points, they emerge into the building blocks of physical matter. This emergence of matter occurs as a neutral result regardless of the nature of any given thought  or emotion. Mental images accompanied with strong emotion, are blueprints therefore upon which a corresponding physical object, or condition, or event, will in your terms appear."

"The intensity of the feeling or thought or mental image is therefore, the important element in determining its subsequent physical manifestation.

The intensity is the core about which the electromagnetic energy units are formed. In your terms, the more intense the core, the sooner the physical materialization. This would apply whether the mental image was a fearful one or a joyful one. Now there is a very important problem here: if your turn of mind is very intense and you think in vivid mental emotional images, these will be swiftly formed into physical events. If you are also of highly pessimistic , given to thoughts and feelings of potential disaster, then these thoughts will quite faithfully reproduced in experience."

Seth Speaks by Jane Roberts

“Your beliefs form reality. Your individual beliefs and your joint beliefs. Now the intensity of a belief is extremely important...

And, if you believe, in very simple terms, that people mean you well, and will treat you kindly, they will. And, if you believe that the world is against you, then so it will be in your experience. And, if you believe...IF YOU BELIEVE THAT YOU WILL BEGIN TO DETERIORATE AT 22, then so you shall.

And, if you believe that you are poor, and always will be, then so your experience will so prove to you. Your beliefs meet you in the face when you look in the mirror. They form your image. You cannot escape your beliefs. They are, however, the method by which you create your experience.

It is important that you here realize that you are not at the mercy of the unexplainable, that you are not at the mercy of events over which you have no control whether those events are psychological events or physical ones, in your terms.

Let's see if understand this. When your emotions are strong, your thoughts can can make physical objects, or conditions, or events.

Changing Your Reality

As I have told you, there is little difference if you believe that your present life is caused by incidents in your early infancy or by past lives over which equally you feel you have no control. Your events, your lives, your experiences, are caused by your present beliefs. Change the beliefs and your life changes.” –Seth

Is Seth a motivational speaker? It sounds to me like he is an expert on the Law of Attraction and physical manifestation of our thoughts. 

What do you think?


You can read Seth Speaks on line. Follow the link.
http://books.google.ca/books?id=6h-YL3Ths70C&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false

Thank you for the money I have received, am receiving and will receive. Thank you because money comes easily and frequently. That is an affirmation for today.