Achieving Life Abundance Blog

"Do not be misled by what you see around you, or be influenced by what you see. You live in a world which is a playground of illusion, full of false paths, false values and false ideals. But you are not part of that world." - Sai Baba

"A people that values its privileges above its principles soon loses both." - Dwight David Eisenhower

"Just as your car runs more smoothly and requires less energy to go faster and farther when the wheels are in perfect alignment, you perform better when your thoughts, feelings, emotions, goals, and values are in balance." - Brian Tracy

"The individual increasingly comes to know who he is through the stand he takes when he expresses his ideas, values, beliefs, and convictions, and through the declaration and ownership of his feelings." - Clark Moustakas

"Man is lost and is wandering in a jungle where real values have no meaning. Real values can have meaning to man only when he steps on to the spiritual path, a path where negative emotions have no use." - Sai Baba

"Every man, at the bottom of his heart, wants to do right. But only he can do right who knows right; only he knows right who thinks right; only he thinks right who believes right." - Tiorio

"The values a man must cherish as his life-breath are, Truth, Righteousness, Peace, Love and Non violence." - Sai Baba

July 3, 2007 22:52 - Have a Daily Conversation With Yourself

One of the things I love about developing this website is that it affords me the opportunity to write my thoughts down.

This is a practice I feel everyone should take part in.

No, you don't have to go through all the trouble of creating your own site... just a piece of paper and pen will do.

However, in today's world, there are so many distractions in our daily lives that keep us from investing time in ourselves.

That's why writing is a great personal growth and development tool. When you take a break from your life and sit down to explore what's going on inside you, some wonderful insight can be found.

No, every writing session won't end up with some amazing revelation about yourself, but once in a while, it happens.

Every once in a while I'll be writing an article or blog post and I'm hit with a sense of discovery about myself.

I'll figure out why I've been a little down lately, or why I've felt this weird awkward feeling in my stomach all week. I'll discover that I've overcome a fear of mine or found out that there's something in my life that needs to be removed.

Or I'll find that there's something missing that I need to explore further.

I've come to a few important spiritual revelations or insights by reflecting on my thoughts and experiences.

The point here is that when writing your thoughts down, you're having a discussion with yourself. This is impossible when you're talking to others or staring at the TV.

Get yourself a journal. Invest a few minutes each day or every other day to write how you're feeling. It doesn't have to be fancy.

Just have a conversation with yourself. You'll be amazed at what you'll learn.

July 6, 2007 11:46 - Your Presence

"The Presence is silent and conveys a state of peace. It's infinitely gentle and yet like a rock.

"With it, all fear disappears, and spiritual joy occurs on a quiet level of inexplicable ecstacy.

"Because the experience of time stops, there's no apprehension, regret, pain, or anticipation; the source of joy is unending and ever-present.

"With no beginning or ending, there can be no loss, grief, or desire... and nothing needs to be done, for everything is already perfect and complete.

"When time stops, all problems disappear, for they are merely artifacts of a point of perception.

"As the Presence prevails, there is no further identification with the body or mind.

"When the mind grows silent, the thought I am also disappears, and Pure Awareness shines forth to illuminate what one is, was, and always will be, beyond all worlds and all universes...

"infinate and beyond time."

- excerpt from Power vs. Force, by David R. Hawkins, pp. 20-21

July 10, 2007 07:55 - Stay in Harmony With Your Purpose

"Keep your thoughts and feelings in harmony with your actions.

"The surest way to realize your purpose is to eliminate any conflict or dissonance that exists between what you're thinking and feeling and how you're living your days.

"If you're in disharmony, you activate ego-dominated attitudes of fear of failure, or disappointing others, which distance you from your purpose.

"Your actions need to be in harmony with your thoughts. Trust in those thoughts that harmonize, and be willing to act upon them.

"Refuse to see yourself as inauthentic or cowardly, because those thoughts will keep you from acting on what you know you were meant to be.

"Take daily steps to bring your thoughts and feeling of your grand heroic mission into harmony with both your daily activities and of course, with that ever-present field of intention.

"Being in harmony with God's will is the highest state of purpose you can attain."

- excerpt from The Power of Intention, by Wayne W. Dyer, pp. 160-161

July 13, 2007 12:30 - Do You Think Interdependently?

"Life is, by nature, highly interdependent.

"To try to achieve maximum effectiveness through independence is like trying to play tennis with a golf club - the tool is not suited to the reality.

"Interdependence is a far more mature, more advanced concept.
"If I'm physically interdependent, I'm self-reliant and capable, but I also realize that you and I working together can accomplish far more than, even at my best, I could accomplish alone.

"If I'm emotionally interdependent, I derive a great sense of worth within myself, but I also recognize the need for love, for giving, and for receiving love from others.

"If I'm intellectually interdependent, I realize that I need the best thinking of other people to join with my own.

"As an interdependent person, I have the opportunity to share myself deeply, meaningfully, with others, and I have access to the vast resources and potential of other human beings.

"Interdependence is a choice only independent people can make.

"Dependent people can't choose to become interdependent. They don't have the character to do it; they don't own enough of themselves."

- excerpt from The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, by Stephen R. Covey, p. 51

July 16, 2007 14:34 - When the "Love Feeling" Fades

Consider for a moment those beautiful, wondrous first days of being "in love."

Everything about the experience seems practically perfect. You find yourselves meshing in ways you never thought possible.

Your hopes and dreams seem so compatible it's as if you were born to share the same heart.

You feel such ecstasy and find such completeness in that loving, passionate embrace you share that you are convinced you have finally found "the one."

But the question is, will that "in love" feeling last?

... Being "in love" is that virginal, untried first step involved in loving.

It's basically an overwhelming desire between two people to simply be together.

But love - real love - changes and grows as we ourselves do all the time.

Every day that love requires tending and nurturing and only with time does it become strong and resilient.

This is the love that develops into a steel-like bond between two people. It has the power to carry them into the future together and at times survives what may seem to be nearly insurmountable odds...

Read more...

July 19, 2007 22:57 - Sharing Art Brings Students & Prisoners Together

Fifteen students from Carpe Diem Academy exchanged poems and drawings with 12 prisoners at Arizona State Prison Yuma for several months.

... Pam Dusek, arts program supervisor at the Yuma Art Center... said some students were a bit nervous at first, but by sharing ideas and finding common ground, those students were soon able to look past "prisoner" and simply see "person" - who has done something wrong.

"Some of them thought 'Prisoners? Ewww.' But they ended up realizing there was some real value in listening to another person's thoughts.

"The prisoners said they were grateful that someone cared enough to listen to them."

She added that such dialogue mixed with artistic expression amounts to a tremendous opportunity for healing and growth, even for wrongdoers who won't be free for years or who may never again walk freely among their fellow man.

... Adult organizers say the resulting works were impressive and the personal growth felt on both sides of the walls nothing short of stunning...

"They are human beings and they're worth it," Dusek emphasized. "The arts are for everybody, not just for people who are model citizens."

Read more...

July 22, 2007 19:51 - Investing in Tax Liens - Lessons in Making Money Through Foreclosures

As foreclosures rise, investing in tax liens may be a strategy you want to pursue... While this is a time of distress for those holding on to unprofitable properties, it's an opportunity for the real estate investor willing to learn new strategies... That's where Steven Waters' Creating Wealth Without Risk program comes into play.

Read complete article...

July 25, 2007 23:24 - Listening

How're your listening skills?

As you work on your personal growth, there probably isn't a more important area you can work on than listening.

When you're conversing with others, who's doing more of the talking? Do you have a tendency to dominate the conversation with everything floating through your mind at the moment, or do you genuinely listen to the other person?

Additionally, are you practicing the discipline of quieting your mind that'll lead to your spiritual emergence?

On that note, let me quote David Hawkins, from When Pleasing Others is Hurting You...

"The human psyche may have no deeper need than to be listened to and to be understood.

"... To be listened to is healing. We all long for someone to take an active interest in our lives by asking questions so that we can share our excitement about what is stirring in our souls.

"... When people listen, we feel that what we are saying is meaningful and that we are important.

"... When Dan Rather interviewed Mother Teresa, he asked her what she said to God when she prayed.

"Nothing, she said, I just listen.

"Not content to leave it at that, Rather asked, Then what does God say to you?

"Nothing, she said. He just listens." p. 150

July 27, 2007 20:27 - Healing Power of Spiritual Enlightenment

Let's explore the idea of spiritual enlightenment... not only what it can do for you personally, but also for society as a whole... When people understand that the very violence they wish wasn't a part of our reality is really a result of each individual's own concept of separateness (which breeds a severe inner fear), then we'll begin to see real change.

Read complete article...

July 30, 2007 21:44 - Making Healthy Life Change

Today, I was reflecting on how easily we can get ourselves into "life ruts".

Have you ever noticed how easily you can allow yourself to go through each day of your life doing things you really don't enjoy?

How many people do you know who get up each day and drag themselves to a job they dread going to and can't stand being at?

How many people do you know who suffer inside relationships that are unsatisfying?

How many people do you know who often complain that they're not enjoying life the way they feel they deserve to?

Do any of these unhappy existences fit you?

I feel that too many people are simply afraid of change. Do you allow yourself to live through miserable or unhappy days because you're afraid of the alternatives?

If you have goals you dream about, you need to act on them. If you consistently make decisions based on safety and security, I suggest you begin to change this.

Instead, make life decisions based on personal growth and development. Your choices should bring you out of your comfort zone once in a while so you grow as a person.

Take responsibility for your life. Stop allowing circumstances to control you.

Be willing to change and be honest with yourself. Admitting that you're unhappy in a certain area is the only way to begin making it better.

After you set the stage to allow change to happen, you need to commit to yourself that you're unwilling to continue allowing yourself to live a life devoid of joy and many special occasions.

Begin making small changes. Feed off that success. Keep a journal to mark your progess. Soon, you'll begin to see how one small change after another begins to build an empire of happy days, months, and years.

Yes, you can be happy. Yes, you deserve to be happy.

And, yes, you need to begin taking action right now to attract the life you dream about.