Gratitude nurtures my positive and joy filled consciousness

JOURNEY TO WHOLENESS-Reflection For Today

I AM GRATEFUL

     "For each new morning with its lights, for rest and shelter of the night, For health and food, for love and friends,  For everything Thy goodness sends"- Ralph Waldo Emerson

  "He is a wise man who does not not grieve for things which he has not, but rejoices for those which he has"--Epictetus

The spirit of gratitude is uplifting and heart-opening.  It is an expression for the abundance of ife.  

                              -Celebrate your accomplishments whether large or small

                              -Keep a gratitude journal

                              -Maintain the thought of abundance and reflect on ample supply for yourself and others

TODAY: Practice gratitude in present moments.  How does this uplift your spirt and change your relationships and interactions throughout the day?  Upon awakening and retiring, reflect on at least three things you are grateful for... See where this takes you 

                                                                                 -JOURNEY TO WHOLENESS pp. 49, 77

JOURNEY TO WHOLENESS-Reflection For Today

I AM BEAUTIFUL

"Find Joy in Beauty"

Illuminate your path today with joy. Let it be the light that awakens your consciousness. The searchlight of joy reflects the beauty of life outside and within.

TODAY: Look for something beautiful today or create something beautiful. Look for the smile on the face on someone you encounter. See the love present in a couple holding hands. See the beauty in nature. Treat yourself with kindness and compassion. How does this make you feel as you look for beauty in each present moment?

                                                                      -JOURNEY TO WHOLENESS-p.45

JOURNEY TO WHOLENESS-Reflection For Today

I AM JOY

"Joy is radiating my inner beauty as I discover more about myself each day"

When I am self-aware, I am more aware of my own needs and values as oppposed to conforming to the expectations of others. The world becomes more enriched when the individual talents of people are respected and appreciated. Inherent in becoming self-aware is the process of self-discovery. This means paying attention to what inspires us and gives us passion that resonates with our soul.

TODAY: Check in with yourself and give expression to your feelings and notice your thoughts. Reflect on a positive trait or characteristic that defines who you really are. Perhaps it is something noticed freqently by others. Radiate this trait or characteristic during the day. Pay attention and write down how you feel when you exhibit this characteristic or trait and the impact that it has on anyone you encounter.

-JOURNEY TO WHOLENESS- p. 20

JOURNEY TO WHOLENESS-Reflection For Today

I AM AUTHENTIC

Being real sheds superficial actions

Being true to myself reduces stress

Being true to myself helps me maintain balance

Being true to myself, I discover my gifts and talents to share with the world

Being in harmony with myself  makes me whole

BEING TRUE TO MYSELF BRINGS ME GREAT JOY!

TODAY: Discover the ease, satisfaction and contentment being who you really are. How can I honor and respect myself more by being true to myself? How does this make me feel? How am I more in harmony with my true nature?

-JOURNEY TO WHOLENESS (excerpts)

JOURNEY TO WHOLENESS-Reflection For Today

 I AM JOY
"My joyful heart is a happy heart!"

Farish and Winterton

Buddha said, "We are what we think.  All that we are arises with our thoughts. 

With our thoughts, we make the world."  Our outward being reflects our inner 

thoughts.

TODAY: Be mindful of discarding unwholesome thoughts that arise during the day. 

Make a point to find something that brings joy to your heart even in the midst 

of the most challenging situations.

JOURNEY TO WHOLENESS-pp. 18, 58

MY JOY JOURNAL- p.1

JOURNEY TO WHOLENESS- Reflection For Today

I AM JOY

If you carry joy in your heart, you can heal any moment--Carlos Santos

Wilshire states that your whole life is controlled from within. if you live right within your heart-that is, if you think right silently-both your health and outer life will express themselves properly.

TODAY: Choose Joy. Do not waste your day reflecting on negative thoughts. Find a place inside yourself where joy lives and radiate that joy from your heart to others. Find joy in the reward of giving. Find joy in the abundance of nature. Find joy by uplifting others. Find joy in receving a helping hand. See how this will change your day. How did it impact yourself and others around you?

                                                                                                        -JOURNEY TO WHOLENESS-p.45

JOURNEY TO WHOLENESS: Reflection For Today

                                        I RADIATE SIMPLICITY

"Going fewer places in one day rather than more, seeing less so I can see more, acquiring less so I can have more"-Jon Kabat Zinn

The simplicty of life can be achieved by being connected to the spiritual aspect of ourselves and encompasses peace of mind and healthy detachment. It is a lifestye where you come to appreciate and enjoy life in a more profound way. A simplistic life can reduce, stress and enable us to put our lives in proper perspective as we discern our values and determine what warrants our energy.

TODAY: Be mindful of compassionate simplity. According to Elgin, this means to feel a strong sense of kinship with others, feeling a bond with the community of life,and being drawn toward a path of cooperation and fairness that seeks a future of mutually assured development in all areas of life for everyone. How can you achieve compassionate simplicity as you engage with yourself and others during the day?

                                                                                    -JOURNEY TO WHOLENESS-pp. 50, 78

JOURNEY TO WHOLENESS- Reflection For Today

I AM WHOLE

"He who has a why to love for can bear with almost any how"-Friedrich Nietzche

The mystical wisdom embedded in the lotus flower, as it emerges from the murky waters, is associated with mental purity, faithfulness, spiritual awakiening and rebirth. In the advent of suicide and the opiod crisis, people are suffering in quiet desperation. Perhaps it is not socially acceptable to admit and share our humanness. We must understand that pain and suffering is a part of the human condition, and no one is exempt from the universal experiences of life. We often look outside of ourselves for the definition of who we are and when the job,health, beauty friends, status, financial holdings,etc., dissipate or diminish our self-image may be severely impacted. We may become fragmented as a result of life experiences and haunted by the shadow side of ourselves filled with self-critism, pride, judgement and illusions of power. The search for wholeness is from within where we find inner fulfilment that sustains us through life changing events and hard times. One of my favorite books, "Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl detailed his day by day survival in a concentration camp and revealed how our fundmental attitude toward life can help us endure the most baffling situations.

TODAY: Find meaning in your life in each moment and be grateful

Be compassionate and kind to yourself

Be aware and STOP self-condeming thoughts

Seek help from a friend or professional if you feel out of control

JOURNEY TO WHOLENESS pp.5-11

JOURNEY TO WHOLENESS-Reflection For Today

I AM AUTHENTIC

Education is not preparation for life; education is life itself-John Dewey

Educating For Purposeful Living (EPL) Wholeness Model is a practical educational philosphy to develop the whole person which includes the following components to become authentic, nurture yourself, and build community:

Ethical Responsiblity

Well-Being and Self Care

Altruistic Community Service

More information about this model is featured in my book, Journey To Wholeness

Reflections For Transforming Your Life

TODAY: Reflect on how being authentic to your true self has enabled you to be of true service to yourself and others.