DO FOR YOUR SOUL WHAT YOU DO FOR YOUR BODY

I have a couple of questions for you.

Can you imagine yourself taking a bath only once a month?

You’ll freak out right?  But let’s say there’s a water shortage and a presidential decree was issued that showers can only be taken every 30 days – with a maximum of two galloons of each Filipino per bath.  (Out of our ingrained hospitality, foreigners are allowed to use two-and-a-half galloons).  Entering into an air-conditioned room or bus will be a nightmare, as various toxic odors will hang so thickly in the air, it may coagulate into gel form.  Charismatic prayer meetings will prohibit the lifting of hands.  The basketball ring will be lowered to five feet.  And I presume, that lighting a cigarette in a crowded elevator would be fatal, as the fumes of sweating humanity will be flammable by that time.

Too gross for you?  Let’s change the topic.

What would it be like if you brush your teeth only once a year?

Let’s say some loony scientist discovered that the up and down motion of brushing teeth has a direct impact on the thinning of the ozone layer.  (Who know? :-)  So brushing of teeth has been banned by legislative decree number 9002 – except on New Year’s Eve.  That is the day you can only brush your teeth.

Imagine how thick your mouth will feel by November.

Think with me.  Let’s say your out on a romantic date in December.  Not much kissing will take place, believe me.  And as you look at your beautiful/handsome partner, you’ll notice a bit of green lettuce jutting out from between her teeth.

So you’d tell your partner, “I know what you had for lunch today.”

“What??”, your partner teases you.

“Lettuce!”, you grin.

Your partner chuckles, “You’re wrong!  That’s what we ate last March!”

Ah, these situations will be quite normal.

The message?

That you and I do more deranged things than bathing monthly and brushing teeth annually.

For example, when we do not forgive others every day.

Our bodies need regular washing because we get dirty everyday.  But so do our hearts!  Because each day, people hurt us, offend us, forget us, snub us, step on us, reject us.  But if we choose to forgive everyone everyday, we cleanse our hearts!  We wake up the next morning refreshed and pure and lovely.

Some people however, will not wash themselves from the hurts of each day, but rather accumulate them week after week, month after month, year after year.  Perhaps, in some annual Holy Week retreat, they decide to forgive all their enemies.  Perhaps, when someone close to them dies, they remember to cancel debts and live for something more noble – rather than collect bitterness.

But without these rare events, they just become filthier each day.

Their spirits begin to smell.

And their stench becomes flammable.

For these people, hell begins now.

Do for your soul what you do for  your body

 

 

VISUALIZE FOR SUCCESS

1. Relax. Clear your mind of all other thoughts and find a place where you are least likely to be disturbed.

2. Visualize the outcome, what does it feel, what will its surrounding sound like, what will your body be doing.

3. Imagine that you are you, rather than a third party watching you.

4. Vividly imagine each step that you need to do in the way to your goal. Imagining only the outcome will decrease chances of success.

5. Believe that your goal is attainable. Affirm that you can do it.

6. Practice visualization constantly.

“Who you think you are is not what you are.
YOU are this limitless, vast, radiant consciousness."

GANGAJI

YOU CREATE YOUR OWN DESTINY

YOU CREATE YOUR OWN DESTINY

Let me start with a story….. this is about three construction workers who are on top of their half-finished skyscraper.

“Rrrrrrring!” the lunch bell sounds, and the three men sit on a steal beam of the 56th floor with their lunch boxes in hand.

The first guy opened his and groans in exasperation, “Tuyo! (Philippine salted dried fish) There is not a day that I don’t get tuyo for lunch!” He turns to his buddies and announces, “Mark my words, If I still get tuyo tomorrow, I’m going to throw myself from this building.”

The second guy opens the lunch box and moaned, “Tinapa!” (Philippine smoked fish) Everyday I get this for lunch.” He looks at his friends and declares, “Believe me when I say this. If I get tinapa tomorrow, I’m going to jump from here and kill myself.”

The third guy opens his lunch box and it is his turn to despair, “Galunggong! (poor man’s fish in the Philippines) All I get is galunggung!” He looks at his co-workers and say, “I’m telling you, if I still get galunggong tomorrow, I’m going to jump off from this building and die”.

The next day, the lunch bell rings and all three men are again seated on the 56th floor.

The first guy opens his lunch box and starts crying, “Tuyoooooo!” And so in front of his shocked companions, he jumps off the building and crashes to the ground.

The second guy opens his lunch box and wails loudly, “Tinapaaaaaaa!” And before his remaining friend, he jumps off the building and hits the ground and dies.

The third guy opens his lunch box and screams, “Galunggonggggggg!” And so he jumps off the building and dies.

Days later, during the funeral of the three men, their three wives embrace and begin to weep together.

The first wife cries out, “I didn’t know my husband didn’t like tuyo anymore, why didn’t he tell me? If only he had told me, I would have prepared something else!”

The second wife echoes her statement, “Yes, If only I knew, I would have cooked something else, not tinapa!”

The third wife, between sobs, says, “I don’t know why my husband killed himself.” The two wives looked at her curiously, “Why?”

She goes on, “Because….my husband prepared his own lunch everyday.”

.........

I love this crazy story because it presents a very important truth:

ALL OF US PREPARE OUR OWN LUNCH.

If we don’t like our jobs,
....if we don’t like the states of our relationships
.…with our parents,
.…with our neighbors,
….with our friends,
….with our boss….etc.
If we don’t like what’s happening in our spiritual lives
If we don’t like what’s happening in our financial lives –

We have no one to blame but ourselves.

Because….

God has given us free will. He has given us the power to PREPARE OUR OWN LUNCH.

If you want to put more joy in your job,
If you want joyful relationships
Grow in your spirituality and relationship with God
Have financial bliss and live free from debts……

Then go back to your kitchen and prepare yourself another dish.
Because you design your own future
…..You create your own destiny

….Ikaw ang may gusto kung anong meron ka
……kung ano ang estado mo ngayon, ikaw ang nagdesisyon……

Ask yourself...
what kind of future do you want to have?
What kind of life do you want to live……

You decide…..

Tranquility Meditation

Tranquility meditation is designed to calm the mind and the body through focusing single-pointed on some object. You might focus on the breath. A few preliminaries can ensure a fruitful meditation.

1. Choose a good place to meditate. Find the place where you are unlikely to be disturbed. The light should be dim, neither too bright or too dark. A pleasant fragrance or incense can calm the nerves and the mind, though this is not essential.

2. Choose the best time to meditate. Dawn and dusk are recommended best. For busy people, set a time best suitable and stick to it. Limit yourself to sessions of no more than 30 minutes.

3. Choose a relaxed posture. Some meditation schools are relaxed about rules and posture but Japanese zen tranquility meditation stressed the normal traditional posture. Sit with the legs locked in “lotus posture” which the soles are upturned and placed on top of opposite thighs. Many meditations cannot adopt this pose without pain. An alternative is to sit on a small thick cushion or stool. It is also possible to sit upright in a chair with the feet flat on the ground.

4. Settle in. When you first sit down to meditate, spend a few minutes getting comfortable so that you feel balanced and relaxed.

5. Watch the breath. Breath in and out deeply several times. When you are sufficiently relaxed, turn your attention to the breath. Focus on the point above your upper lip where the breath enters and leaves the nostrils. Count each cycles of inhalation and exhalation. It will focus the mind.

6. Focus the mind on the breath. When the mind wanders, focus on the breathing cycle. Do not be annoyed if you lose focus. Just resume counting the inward and outward cycle of your breath. With progress the breathing will gradually become slower and subtler. By now, you will be able to focus on the breathing without the need for counting.

7. Bring your meditation into the turmoil of your daily life. When you finish your session, do not rush into the world. Take stock of the positive energy generated. Affirm that this positive energy is shared with others.

The simple instructions above will help you get started on a meditation practice. It is a powerful tool for inner change when meditation leads to a more serious and regular practice.

Teach your kids to eat healthy foods

Your kids will not likely want to replace fast food with healthy food as long as they keep watching TV commercials. However, you can still do something about it.

1. Form guidelines together. Agree to order milk instead of soda, eat veggies instead of fries, replace ice cream with fruits. Discuss guidelines like these with them and stick to them.

2. Reduce food portions. Instead of laying all the food on the table, use food trays and set the portions yourself, much like what is done in school canteens.

3. De-emphasize fast food. Don’t use fast food as a reward for good grades or good behavior.

4. Set a good example. Kids will not eat sensibly if adults don’t.

5. Prepare healthy food in a delicious way. Invest in healthy cookbooks and get involved in meal planning and cooking. If you can’t eat the health food on the table, neither will your kids.

If you Lose a Client

If a long term client calls you that he is terminating his business with you, how to keep a peaceful attitude of mind?

1. Genuinely thank them for their business

2. Ask why they are terminating your services. Is there a rival offer? Were they offended in any way? Listen to and act on their feedback.

3. Make them an offer that is hard for them to refuse. Remember, it is probably easier to offer a special based on a long term relationship than to seek out a new client.

4. Be eager to improve. Listen with a positive mindset to whatever criticism they may have. Learn from it and share it with others in your workplace.

5. Re-evaluate and retool. Can you do things better? Is your product or service wanting? Are you in tune with changing demands?

6. Accept that there is only so much that you can do. Sometimes, you lose a client because the competitor is cheating. He might be using child labor to get lower costs. He might be engaged in piracy or smuggling . Just keep to your values. Continue doing your best and in the long run, the results will be for the best. Many businessmen have found out that in the end, peace of mind and a clear conscience is better than a fast dishonest buck.

Source: Peace Center of the Theosophical
Society in the Philippines

Many spiritual teachings,
East and West
Tell us that we shape ourselves
And our world with our thoughts.
FRANCES VAUGHAN

12 "S" Sa Sobrang Stress

12 “S” sa sobrang stress

Nakaka-challenge ang Buhay pero kaya mo yan…
Right attitude lang,
Tamang pag-iisip yan

Kapag sobra na ang stress mo, pagod na ang isipan, nanghihina pa ang katawan, gumawa ng paraan na bagay sa iyo upang makayanan ang stress sa Buhay mo…..

PILI NA……

12 “S” Panlaban sa SOBRANG STRESS

1. SPIRITUALITY
Ang paniniwala at pagtitiwala sa Lumikha o Diyos ay nagbibigay ng katuturan at halaga sa Buhay. Magdasal at mag-meditate.

2. SELF-AWARENESS
Tuklasin ang sariling kakayahan at katangian. Tanggapin na may mga bagay na kahit gustuhin mang baguhin ay di talaga kayang gawin.

3. SCHEDULING: TIME MANAGEMENT
Ang panahon ay mabilis na lumilipas kaya hindi dapat ito aksayahin. Mas magaan ang mga Gawain kung ito ay nakaplano at pinatutuunan ng sapat na oras.

4. SIESTA
Ang sapat ng oras ng tulog sa gabi, konting idlip sa tanghali, at pahinga kung napapagod na ay nakakatulong upang mare-charge ang katawan at isipan.

5. SENSIBLE DIET AND EXERCISE
Igalaw ang katawan. Iunat ang mga muscles at buto. Huminga ng malalim at gawing kalmado ang isipan. Regular na mag-ehersisyo at huwag kalimutang kumain ng tama.

6. SENSATION TECHNIQUES
Mag-relax at mag-pamasahe upang maalis ang mga tension at pananakit ng katawan at makaipon ng panibagong lakas.

7. SPORTS
Maglaro ng sports, pero bago sumabak sa anumang laro, alamin muna sa doktor kung ito ay kaya ng katawan o kalusugan mo. Makakatulong din ang pagsisimula ng hobby or gawain na paglilibangan mo.

8. SOCIALS
Makihalubilo sa ibang tao. Sumali sa grupo o organisasyon sa iyong komunidad. Nakakapagbigay din ng tuwa ang pagtulong sa kapus-palad.

9. SOUNDS AND MUSIC
Makinig sa nakakahalinang tunog ng instrument, huni ng kapaligiran, musika at awit. Mas makakabuti din kung ikaw mismo ng tunog at musikang ito.

10. SPEAK TO ME
Ang pakikipag-usap sa ibang taong mapagkakatiwalaan o kaya’y paglalahad ng problema at damdamin sa iba ay nakakatulong maibsan ang bigat na dinadala.

11. STRESS DEBRIEFING
Kung hindi na makayanan ang nararamdamang problema o bigat ng pakiramdam, sumangguni na sa propesyonal – pari, counselor, health o social worker o kaya’y sa duktor.

12. SMILE
Ngumiti, tumawa, magsaya at maging positibo ang pananaw sa Buhay. Nakakagaan ito ng pakiramdam.









Epekto ng Sobrang Stress



PHYSICAL
- iba’t ibang kirot at pananakit ng katawan
- problema sa panunaw at iba pang sakit ng tiyan
- paglala ng mga dati nang sakit at kundisyon





EMOTIONAL
- sobrang tension o nerbiyos
- pag-iyak
- problema sa pagtulog
- problema sa sex




BEHAVIORAL
- pagbabago ng moods.
- pagbabago sa personalidad.

At kung hindi nabibigyang lunas ang sobrang stress,

maaring mauwi ito sa depression at iba pang sakit sa pag-iisip

Krisis sa Buhay? Problema sa trabaho? Walang minamahal o nagmamahal?

NAKAKASTRESS ANG MGA YAN!

Panatilihing balance ang kalusugan ng isipan at katawan:

- maging alerto sa senyales ng sobrang stress
- alamin ang sariling kakayahan; at
- gumawa ng mga paraan na bagay sa iyo upang makayanan ang mga stress ng buhay mo

KAYA MO YAN!