May 24, 2007 Looking Deeply The Good In All Sometimes we find it difficult to see the good in people, places, or situations that aren’t to our liking. We focus on the things we don’t like in our lives as a way of fueling our efforts to create change. There is nothing inherently wrong with this, and it is one way we make progress. However, if we get too caught up in this way of looking at the world, we lose touch with our ability to sit back and simply say yes to everything on our plates, which is the true starting point for all successful activity. Sometimes what we really need is to encourage ourselves to look deeply into all things in our lives to see the inherent goodness at the heart of everything. At the core of this inquiry is the practice of unconditional acceptance, which can be scary because we feel as if we are being asked not to change the things we don’t like. But when we think this way, we are still operating on the surface of our lives. In order to feel the beauty and warmth of full acceptance, we have to be willing to sink deeper into the stratum underlying the external manifestation of our lives. This deeper place of being is the origin of all lasting change, yet its paradox is that when we are in it, we often don’t feel the need to change anything. From this place, we experience the pure beauty of the process of being alive, and we see that all things change in their own time. We don’t need to force anything. If there are things that we do need to change, from this place of serenity we create the shift easily, our hands guided by an energy that resides at the very center of our hearts. In our active, goal-oriented culture, we learn to distrust stillness and to engage in busywork on the surface of life. This tendency can blind us to the good that lies at the heart of all things. But all we have to do to see again is stop for a moment, let go of our preconceptions and our agendas, and settle into the very center of our hearts, remembering that it is only from here that we can truly see.

May 21, 2007 As Good As Your Word Promises Ever since human beings could speak to one another, they have been making promises and keeping them or not keeping them. Those who keep their promises are regarded as people of integrity, while those who don’t keep their promises are regarded as people who at best can’t be taken seriously and at worst can’t be trusted. Sometimes we forget how powerful our words are, and we use them haphazardly or unconsciously, creating expectations that are never fulfilled, leaving disappointment and distrust in our wake. On an even deeper level, there are promises we may have made to ourselves that we don’t remember because they have slipped into our unconscious. An early heartache may have been followed by a promise never to trust love again. Without realizing it, we may be fulfilling that promise and wondering why our love life looks so grim. At an even deeper level, many people who recall past lives become aware that they made a promise lifetimes ago that they are still keeping. For example, a vow of poverty taken in a lifetime as a monk may be holding someone back from fulfilling his earning potential now. Upon realizing that we have made a promise we no longer wish to be beholden to, we can perform a ritual of requesting release from that bond. In doing so, we clear ourselves of outmoded connections and patterns, returning ourselves to a clean slate. Then we can resolve to remember that our word is sacred and to be very conscious of any promises we make to ourselves or to others. We may ask to be released from any promises made to ourselves or others in our present, past, or future lives, consciously or unconsciously, that are holding us back from fulfilling our greatest good. We may ask that love, light, and healing be sent to any souls who have suffered from our inability to be true to our word, including ourselves. We can ask for the wisdom to do our best and from this point forward to be true to our word, promising only what we truly intend to deliver. The resulting clear conscience and liberated energy will illustrate this truth: We are only as good as our word.

Blessed are those who know the light. Blessed are those who feel the light. Blessed are those who see the light. Blessed are we, for we are the light.

Looking around the room was an incredible experience
   Everything was in such vivid colors that I had never seen before
   The feeling of universal love was indescribable.
   There was a oneness with every molecule that exisisted.
   The warmth from the light was as pure as the light its self.
   How was it that I never noticed this before?
   Does everyone else see and feel this way too?
   I never want this to end.
   Maybe I am the only one who can see the light.
   Maybe I am the light.
   Maybe I have created it.
   I set up in bed, only to find that I could see, but was still blind.

Today's DailyOM brought to you by: Chakra Bracelets - Click to balance your chakras November 14, 2006 Curative Attentiveness Being Aware Of Your Thoughts Few people enjoy the company of individuals whose attitudes are persistently negative. Yet many of us tolerate the critical chatter that can originate within our own minds. Since we are so used to the stream of self-limiting, critical consciousness that winds its way through our thoughts, we are often unaware of the impact these musings have on our lives. It is only when we become aware of the power of such thoughts that we can divest ourselves of them and fill the emptiness they leave with loving, peaceful affirmations. Many people, upon paying careful attention to their thinking patterns, are surprised at the negativity they find there. But when we take notice of involuntary thoughts in a nonjudgmental way, we initiate a healing process that will eventually allow us to replace intimidating and upsetting self-talk with positive, empowering thoughts. While the occasional downbeat or judgmental thought may have little impact on your contentment, the ongoing negativity that passes unnoticed can have a dampening effect on your mood and your outlook. When you are aware of the tone of your thoughts, however, you can challenge them. Try to be conscious of your feelings, opinions, and judgments for a single day. From sunup to sundown, scrutinize the messages you are feeding into your subconscious mind. Consider your thoughts from the perspective of a detached observer and try not to judge yourself based on the notions that come unbidden into your mind. Simply watch the flow of your consciousness and make a note of the number of times you find yourself focusing on gloomy notions or indulging in self-directed criticism. As you become increasingly aware of your patterns of thought, whether positive and negative, you will gradually learn to control the character of your stream of consciousness. Endeavor always to remember that the images and ideas that pass through your mind are transient and not a true representation of who you are. In training yourself to be cognizant of your thoughts, you gain the ability to actively modulate your mood. The awareness you cultivate within yourself will eventually enable you to create a foundation of positivity from which you can build a more authentic existence. Click here for your free DailyCD What do you think? Discuss this article and share your opinion Want more DailyOM? Register for your free email, or browse all articles Being Aware Of Your Thoughts Share the OM: Email this to a friend Printable version Save in My DailyOM Discuss this article Today's friend of OM: Connect with your angels with our NEW Guardian Angel Bracelets. Each of us has angels watching over us, and our beautiful Guardian Angel Bracelets symbolize this entity in our lives. Choose from four designs to provide Strength, Healing, Protection and Guidance in your life. For more information visit Madisyntaylor.com Home | My DailyOM | Marketplace | Community | Archives | Contribute | Share The OM | Jobs | Contact Us Subscribe | Change Email | User Settings | Unsubscribe | Privacy Policy | Disclaimer | Advertising Info Make DailyOM Your Homepage | Link To Us | Publish DailyOM On Your Website © 2004-06 DailyOM - All Rights Reserved No portion of this site can be reprinted without express permission Artwork by Wang Chang-Ming

Have you ever been lying in bed and heard your heartbeat?  Ever heard your lungs fill with air and then release it?  Why is it that we don't hear these sounds all the time?  Everywhere around us is sound, we surround ourselves with it.  Many of us can't be without it, not even while we sleep.  Why do we need to immerse ourselves in outside noises?  Why do we seek and find comfort is them?  Ever heard anyone say "it's to quite" ?  What's wrong with being quite?  With feeling the stillness?  If we can't hear the sounds that are inside us, that comfort us, that make us, how are we to ever hear what's outside?  Ever been so close to someone that you could hear their heartbeat? You just shared life with them, stillness with them, oneness with them.  You just became them, even if it were for only a moment.  How did that feel?  Comfortable silence is being able to hear your heartbeat in the middle of a crowded room.  When you can hear your own, now listen for everyone else's.  When you can hear your own, you ARE hearing everyone else's.

When we place expectations upon others, they are unfair at best. Most of the time, the expectation is unknown to the other person and therefore, can never be met. When we place expectations upon ourselves, it's saying that we do not except ourselves. When we are at peace with ourselves, we understand that we are all one. We are not seperate from each other or anything else. Love is the only way.