James Smith’s Info Serv

Give yourself the gift today of a lighter way of life. All stress and pain are created in the mind. Whatever kind of day you have, it will be one of your own making. You are the producer, director, writer and star of your own day. Will it be a comedy? Will it be an intense drama? Will there be intrigue and deception? Will it be a peaceful and joyful story?

There may be certain family members who you find irritating or even outrageous. Make a decision to let it go. You will not allow the emotional and behavioral weirdness of someone else to determine your well-being. When you find yourself beginning to get irritated or angry, catch yourself. Tell yourself, “No. I’m not going there. I will stay at peace.” Breathe and let go.

Let it be the same with your colleagues at work. Refuse to give control of your mind and your emotions to others. Envision your day as peaceful, productive, and fulfilling. Whenever you find yourself in anger or upset, acknowledge your emotions, and do not blame others for them. Take this opportunity to remember your vision for the day, and do your best to return to it. Each time you successfully shift your thoughts away from debilitating negative emotion, you create a victory for yourself. Small victories add up.

You may find yourself amidst impatient people. Again, breathe and let go. You do not have to become a part of the insanity that is around you. Forgive people their weirdness and let it go. Speak directly and compassionately to people. Speak, not with the intention of fixing another person, but with the idea of helping. Everyone is, in a sense, a prisoner of his/her own mind. You help to free others by freeing yourself. Free yourself of automatic negative assumptions about others. Challenge your ideas that say people are out to get you, or that they intend to be inconsiderate. Expect to be treated well and treat others well. More often then not, you will get what you expect.

When we carry grudges against others it is ourselves who suffer the most. Today is a good time to let go of old sorrows, hatreds, disappointments, resentments, and bitterness. These old feelings may be sparked by the certain people or situations, but know that they do not serve you. As these emotions come up, welcome them and ask yourself: “Could I let this go?” The more you practice letting go of these negative thoughts, the lighter you will feel.

Some of these negative emotions seem to really have a hold on us. We hear a certain word or tone, or see a certain behavior, and our body reacts. The emotions seem to take over before we have a chance to decide differently. Be patient with yourself. Stay steady in your intention to let go and to be well. Appreciate yourself for the effort, no matter how well you think you are doing.

Letting go takes practice and perseverance. You have what it takes. Tap into your spiritual resources and ask for help in seeing others, the world, and yourself differently. In other words, don’t pray that others be changed. Instead ask that you change the way that you see them. Your new vision will have a transformational effect. Let this be a joyful day for you. Your ability to be more joyful makes it easier for others to do the same.

If it is your decision to have a peaceful and fulfilling day, you must asume the best. When people misbehave, assume there is a good motive. Be clear about behavior that is destructive or inappropriate, yet acknowledge the good intention behind it. Help them find a better way.

Find ways to have fun, to enjoy the people you are with. Make sure you have at least one activity per week that is just for you, that is not about work or family. Do this to give your mind a rest and to relax your body. Live consciously, tending to the thoughts you allow in your mind. Your lightness of being, your easy smile, your tendency to assume the best about others, will each serve to inspire the people round you.

Today is your day. You are the writer, producer, director, and the star of your own story. What kind of day will it be?

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William Frank Diedrich is a keynote speaker and the author of The Road Home: The Journey Beyond the Spiritual Quick Fix, 30 Days to Prosperity: A Workbook for Well Being, and Beyond Blaming: Unleashing Power and Passion in People and Organizations. William also offers a free online newsletter, Transformation Times. To learn more about Bill, his books, and his services, go to http://www.transformativepress.com or to http://noblaming.com

Let’s face it most of us spend our lives in our heads. When we have a decision to make we use our head. We research, analyze and think, think, think! Now, there is nothing wrong with a bit of thought but when we leave out our bodies wisdom we often head the wrong direction. This is a statement I often hear from client’s, “I don’t know what I want anymore! I feel lost.” Our body can be our greatest friend when it comes to figuring out what we want. It is very hard for our body to lie. That is why lie detectors work so well. Our body tends to tell the truth. Have you ever had a job that you didn’t like? Did your body complain by getting sick often, getting headaches, neck aches, backaches, feeling exhausted? My guess is that it did. Our wonderful body has ways of saying “no” to things we don’t want or like. The problem is that most of us are not listening. In fact we often do not listen until the messages get so loud that we are knocked flat on our backs…literally! The way to find your passion-filled work and life is to learn to listen to your body saying “Yes” or “No”.

So how do you do that? I’m glad you asked! Here is a simple exercise to help you notice the signs your body gives you. Take a minute to think of the worst job you ever had. Really imagine yourself working that job again. Now notice what your body is doing and feeling. Did your hand touch your throat? Do you feel tension in your shoulders? All these are signs that your body is telling you “NO!” You can play with this some more by thinking of the three people you dislike the most. Imagine all three of them moving in with you!! Help! What is your body doing and feeling now? Make notes about how your body says “no” so you will remember.
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It’s a New Year (week or month) and you want a one way ticket out of humdrum. You know that everyday is precious and that you are capable of doing far more with life. If the people around you are either content with monotony or seeking answers themselves, this article shares 5 steps to creating the fabulous lifestyle you deserve.

1. Change your look- Although it may sound so superficial, changing your look can do wonders for your outlook. Get your hair trimmed, plaited or coloured. Try some new makeup on, experimenting until you achieve the look you’re most comfortable with. You are more creative than you give yourself credit for. Hit the shops with a trendy friend or enlist the help of a personal shopper. Choose clothing that accentuates your best assets and expresses the kind of person you are inside. Throw in a couple of accessories and perfume. Remember to wear your new look with a confident poise and show off your lovely smile.

2. Change your language- Keep speaking English by all means, but ditch all negative and self-degrading talk. ‘Gosh, why have I dropped the bucket again?’ is better than ‘gosh, I’m absolutely hopeless!’ We were taught to say how we feel but oftentimes it is far more productive to say how we want to feel. For instance, if you wish to feel uplifted, take a deep breath and say emphatically ‘it’s good to be alive. I feel wonderful!’ Honestly, how did that make you feel? Happiness is a choice and words are its building blocks.
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It is very easy to place the blame of failure on someone else. People always tend to take the easy route of placing the responsibility for something going wrong on other people, situations or external factors. In fact it is human nature to point the finger. Oh yes, we are all self exalting, never accepting that we can go wrong. Whether we aware of it or not, each one of us has an ego, and it is this ego which leads us to finger pointing behavior.

However, there is no power in playing victim. Such behaviour always renders power to some external force. We lose the power inherent in us and become hostages to our ego. What is needed is higher level of consciousness and the knowledge that we are spiritual beings whose capabilities are immense.

In his book, the Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, Steven Covey draws attention to the fact that between stimulus and response there is ALWAYS a choice. Whatever circumstances we may face, what other people may do to us, we still have the choice to decide how to respond to that. During trying times we can choose whether to overcome or to crumble. It is a choice available to all of us and we all know of people who have been thrown in difficult situations and came out stronger. Nelson Mandela was in prison for 27 years and despite the tough circumstances, Mr Mandela came out to inspire all of us. Instead of crumbling, he came out a leader and the legacy of his courage and resilience will continue to be an inspiration today and for future generations to come. Clearly, Mr Mandela was aware of his power to choose his actions and responses, and as a result he was able to make conscious decisions and rise above the difficulties he faced.
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While physical attraction may draw you close to a person, and their personality may make you adore them, communication is a key aspect of relationships that cannot be ignored. Miscommunication between couples is one of the main reasons that break-ups occur. In this article, we’ll discuss some of the aspects of conversation that you need to pay close attention to in order to ensure that your relationship will be happy and successful.

First and foremost, being a good listener is a necessity in a relationship. The more that your loved one understands that you are truly listening to them and appreciating the things that they tell you, the more open that they will be with you when discussing not-so-popular topics. One good way of ensuring a solid line of communication in a relationship is to set aside a ten to twenty minute period once a day to let each other know what’s on your mind. By doing this, you can help yourselves to getting possible problems off of your chest before they grow into unsolvable issues. When you have this daily discussion, it’s important to put aside all distractions. Turn the television off, leave your cellular phone elsewhere, and be sure that the room is free of distraction, ensuring that you hold your partners attention. One good practice that is commonly used in conversation is to respond with both body language and spoken language when your partner tells you something. Affirm what they were saying by repeating back what you took from what they said, and use positive body language to show them that you truly want to know what they have to say.
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