I sat in the hot tub and gazed at the stars above me. I smiled to myself as I thought how the celestial globes DID look like diamonds in the sky, just like the lyrics in Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star.
I savored the water jets as they pummeled my aching neck and shoulders. I relished in the simple pleasure of a quiet evening sitting, soaking and star gazing. “So what is the big deal about that?” you may ask. Certainly I have thought the same thing at times. I’ve had a hot tub in the backyard for several years. The stars have twinkled before my birth and will go on sparkling long after I’m dust. However, what was unusual about this encounter is not that I enjoyed myself, but why I hadn’t regaled in this experience more often?
When my spouse, CB, is home, the hot tub is not an overlooked box of water and heavenly bodies are never taken for granted. However, when my nature-loving spouse is traveling and I’m alone, I generally find something else to do rather than partake in the pleasures that exist in my own backyard. I thought about this odd behavior and decided that I cheat myself out of this available indulgence because ...
1. CB isn’t there to enjoy it with me.
2. My muscles aren’t sore so why bother?
So why did I finally enjoy the tub and stars? Did I have some magical moment of insight? Unfortunately I slipped into the tub because my muscles were sore and I was out of IB Profen. But the bigger question is why do I feel have to wait until I have a good reason to enjoy myself in my backyard haven? Is there some Puritanical edict that declares the hot tub is off limits if my muscles are not bound up in knots, my cupboards are stocked with pain reliever and my spouse is out of town?
Of course not.
However, somewhere in my misguided psyche I felt like I had to earn this luxury out of either medicinal or marital need. However, while I have the misguided notion that I have to “deserve” to sit in the hot tub, I do feel that I am free to enjoy a happy life. This has not always been the case. Just as I rationed my smiles and laughter, in the past I put limits on my happiness as well.
Fortunately, I learned that happiness is something we can all enjoy. There are no stipulations. We may put a few self-imposed restrictions on our happiness, but these are restrictions of our own choosing. There is no law that we have to punish ourselves first in order to experience joy in our daily lives.
That is not to say that you should quit your job, refuse to clean your bathroom and simply do what you want regardless of the consequences. Happiness isn’t about a life of hedonistic pleasure and debauchery. It’s about enjoying what there is to enjoy and reducing the unnecessary attachment to negativity that eats away at our souls.
So to reiterate, the first tip in this article is to debunk the notion you have to do the emotional equivalent of 50 pushups before you can smile, laugh or be happy. You earned the right to happiness when you took your first breath. Happiness is your right.
The second roadblock to a more cheerful existence is immersing ourselves in negativity. That is why my friend and co-author Jackie and I wrote Erase Negativity and Embrace the Magic Within. Remember, you wouldn’t cuddle a cactus, why would you want to hang on to negativity for dear life? Let it go. If you must hold onto something, embrace happiness.
For more tips, please visit our website, EraseNegativity.com or buy the book through Amazon. If you can't afford to buy it, ask the library to carry it. You can also enter “erase negativity” and find us on you tube. We will be posting a video very soon on simple tips on how to erase negativity from your life.
But enough happiness tips for now. There are stars and a hot tub calling my name and I’m ready to enjoy a starry, starry night.
Showing posts with label tips for a happier life. Show all posts
Showing posts with label tips for a happier life. Show all posts
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Divine Education
It was Tuesday, the day after Labor Day. In my youth this date was significant as it signified the first day of a new school year. As I drove around running errands, I thought back to this special anniversary.
I was an honor student in college, but when I was a kid I was, at best, a mediocre pupil. I hated sitting in a chair all day, a lot of the kids (and teachers) were mean, and I never felt like I fit in. So I wasn’t always excited to start a new year, but I do remember being hopeful that each new school year would be better than the one before.
I remember feeling horribly guilty about mistakes I made and how I wish I could just start my life over with a clean slate. Now granted, these mistakes were probably relatively minor transgressions - teasing my sister, stepping on the neighbor’s lawn, forgetting to do my homework etc., but I remember how heavy they weighed in my heart.
On more than one occasion I wanted to kill myself. I thought things would be better in heaven. Of course as an elementary school kid, maybe 8 years old or so, I didn’t understand that suicide was a sin. My theological studies consisted of stories from the New Testament and singing “Jesus Loves Me” and “Jesus Loves the Little Children.”
Unlike, Cynthia Sue Larson, one of the women I interviewed for my book, “Erase Negativity and Embrace the Magic Within” I did not have divine intervention to prevent my desire to end my life. I eventually gave up on my plot. Plus my mom kept a pretty close watch on me and possible implements of destruction. However, when Cynthia told me about her experience, it made me realize how important it is to remind everyone, children and adults, how valuable their lives are. As a reminder, here is an excerpt from Erase Negativity and Embrace the Magic Within.
“At only five years of age, Cynthia wanted to die, that she might return to that blissful state of being where everyone was loving, honest, and integrated.
Fortunately, Cynthia’s connection with the spirit world was strong.
“Bright beings of luminous light appeared before me,” said Cynthia as she remembers the incident. “I had not heard of angels, and so I didn't think of them as angels at that time. These beings showed me a great deal about what it meant to be alive, and how very special and precious our lives truly are, no matter how difficult it may seem much of the time. Where I had been feeling sad because I remembered the true state of spiritual ecstasy on "the other side" from this life, I felt joy at seeing these beautiful, radiant, loving and compassionate beings with their message for me that I could choose to live either "fast" or "slow." The fast life would be one which would end very soon, and they showed me how such an early death would have devastating and lasting emotional consequences for my parents and sister. The slow life would be one in which I would be able to help many people have a better understanding of how good their lives could be.”
Cynthia is a deeply compassionate, spiritually enlightened woman. When I had the honor to interview her (in person in San Francisco) she seemed to vibrate at a higher level than other human beings I have met. I experienced the same sensation when I talked to her on the phone a few months later.
In my book (as well as her own book, Aura Advantage) she describes some excellent methods to erase negativity and raise your life vibration. I hope you will do as I did and check out more on what she has to say.
There are times when our lives are painful. But there are many joyous moments as well. I can’t imagine how catastrophic it would have been had I ended my life as a child. There are so many wondrous things I would have missed, not to mention the horrific pain others who knew me would have felt at my untimely demise.
Cynthia and I have lived different lives, but we both share this childhood experience of wanting to return to a different dimension. Cynthia has gone on and helped hundreds of people with her work. I hope to do the same with my book.
Now I’d like to come full circle with this story.
We may not be formally attending school, but our lives are an ongoing series of lessons. At times things may seem happy and easy, other times painful and difficult. However, there is always something important to learn. If you are unhappy I hope you will take some steps to erase the negativity from your life. It may not be easy, but all of us have the power to change.
Looking back at myself as a kid, I remember a mischievous, occasionally depressed, goofy-looking, cross-eyed, buck-toothed kid. But I knew I would eventually change. My teeth straightened on their own without braces, my eyes were fixed with surgery, and with time I have morphed into a normal-looking, middle-aged woman. However, it took time and effort for the attitude adjustment. And that is a work in progress, even for me.
But it happened. I am not unique. We all have the power to change our lives for the better. We can help ourselves and we can help others too. And the good news is you don’t need to wait for the beginning of a new school year. You can do it right now. Consider this your formal invitation. Why not get started today?
I was an honor student in college, but when I was a kid I was, at best, a mediocre pupil. I hated sitting in a chair all day, a lot of the kids (and teachers) were mean, and I never felt like I fit in. So I wasn’t always excited to start a new year, but I do remember being hopeful that each new school year would be better than the one before.
I remember feeling horribly guilty about mistakes I made and how I wish I could just start my life over with a clean slate. Now granted, these mistakes were probably relatively minor transgressions - teasing my sister, stepping on the neighbor’s lawn, forgetting to do my homework etc., but I remember how heavy they weighed in my heart.
On more than one occasion I wanted to kill myself. I thought things would be better in heaven. Of course as an elementary school kid, maybe 8 years old or so, I didn’t understand that suicide was a sin. My theological studies consisted of stories from the New Testament and singing “Jesus Loves Me” and “Jesus Loves the Little Children.”
Unlike, Cynthia Sue Larson, one of the women I interviewed for my book, “Erase Negativity and Embrace the Magic Within” I did not have divine intervention to prevent my desire to end my life. I eventually gave up on my plot. Plus my mom kept a pretty close watch on me and possible implements of destruction. However, when Cynthia told me about her experience, it made me realize how important it is to remind everyone, children and adults, how valuable their lives are. As a reminder, here is an excerpt from Erase Negativity and Embrace the Magic Within.
“At only five years of age, Cynthia wanted to die, that she might return to that blissful state of being where everyone was loving, honest, and integrated.
Fortunately, Cynthia’s connection with the spirit world was strong.
“Bright beings of luminous light appeared before me,” said Cynthia as she remembers the incident. “I had not heard of angels, and so I didn't think of them as angels at that time. These beings showed me a great deal about what it meant to be alive, and how very special and precious our lives truly are, no matter how difficult it may seem much of the time. Where I had been feeling sad because I remembered the true state of spiritual ecstasy on "the other side" from this life, I felt joy at seeing these beautiful, radiant, loving and compassionate beings with their message for me that I could choose to live either "fast" or "slow." The fast life would be one which would end very soon, and they showed me how such an early death would have devastating and lasting emotional consequences for my parents and sister. The slow life would be one in which I would be able to help many people have a better understanding of how good their lives could be.”
Cynthia is a deeply compassionate, spiritually enlightened woman. When I had the honor to interview her (in person in San Francisco) she seemed to vibrate at a higher level than other human beings I have met. I experienced the same sensation when I talked to her on the phone a few months later.
In my book (as well as her own book, Aura Advantage) she describes some excellent methods to erase negativity and raise your life vibration. I hope you will do as I did and check out more on what she has to say.
There are times when our lives are painful. But there are many joyous moments as well. I can’t imagine how catastrophic it would have been had I ended my life as a child. There are so many wondrous things I would have missed, not to mention the horrific pain others who knew me would have felt at my untimely demise.
Cynthia and I have lived different lives, but we both share this childhood experience of wanting to return to a different dimension. Cynthia has gone on and helped hundreds of people with her work. I hope to do the same with my book.
Now I’d like to come full circle with this story.
We may not be formally attending school, but our lives are an ongoing series of lessons. At times things may seem happy and easy, other times painful and difficult. However, there is always something important to learn. If you are unhappy I hope you will take some steps to erase the negativity from your life. It may not be easy, but all of us have the power to change.
Looking back at myself as a kid, I remember a mischievous, occasionally depressed, goofy-looking, cross-eyed, buck-toothed kid. But I knew I would eventually change. My teeth straightened on their own without braces, my eyes were fixed with surgery, and with time I have morphed into a normal-looking, middle-aged woman. However, it took time and effort for the attitude adjustment. And that is a work in progress, even for me.
But it happened. I am not unique. We all have the power to change our lives for the better. We can help ourselves and we can help others too. And the good news is you don’t need to wait for the beginning of a new school year. You can do it right now. Consider this your formal invitation. Why not get started today?
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