"We sometimes feel that what we do
is just a drop in the ocean, but the
ocean would be less because of that
missing drop." -- Mother Teresa
One of the reasons that we get intimidated by the process of living, is that we think our part is not grand enough.
After all, the movers and shakers featured in the media are usually pretty big and powerful. We hear about philanthropists such as Bill Gates who spends millions to find a cure for malaria, or larger-than-life personalities like Oprah who has touched the lives of millions more with her daily show.
When we compare our small beginnings and meager efforts to these icons, we may feel so insignificant that we give up. We cringe as the inner critic whispers, ‘Who are you to think that you can change things out there when you haven’t even mastered your own health, or finances, or relationships?’
We compare our own weaknesses to the strengths of others and when it feels too overwhelming, we give up. And so we forget that we are an integral part of a larger whole; a precious drop in the ocean of life. Yet when we give up on our dreams, the whole world misses out!
We think that we have to be big, powerful or perfect before we can make a difference. And so we disqualify ourselves before we even start.
Here’s an important truth to remember: you do not have to be big, powerful or perfect to make a difference in the world – you simply have to be willing!
When we focus on our limitations, we fail to notice that those individuals who make a difference in the world, do so despite their own weaknesses. Their lives are not perfect; yet they have made a commitment to argue for their potential and not for their liabilities!
And while critics like to point out their limitations, these brave souls make a meaningful contribution to the world because they choose to focus on what they can do despite these limitations. Andrea Bocelli became one of the finest vocalists of our time despite the fact that he is blind. Mother Teresa founded an order that ministers to the sick and dying worldwide despite the fact that she never had a university education. Nelson Mandela became the leader of a nation, guiding millions away from racist politics and toward equality, despite the fact that he had become estranged from his wife after he’d spent 26 years in prison.
These people made – and continue to make – a difference in the world. Their contributions to society are like precious drops of water that raises the level of the ocean for everyone. And they made a difference despite their personal weaknesses, limitations or liabilities!
In this field of consciousness known as the human condition, we are all interconnected. The struggles of others affect us, yet so also are we uplifted by their greatness. Life offers us the opportunity to tap into our greatness and to contribute that drop to the ocean of human consciousness so everyone can be uplifted by it.
Life does not require you to become rich, or perfect, or famous in order to make a difference. It simply requires you to start.
Start with small steps you can take day by day. What is your heart calling you to do? Which one person can you reach out to today? What small step can you take to contribute your drop to the ocean of life?
Recognize the small ways in which you can make a difference. Feel the fear and self-doubt, and then take that step to contribute anyway.
That’s how greatness is born: knowing that you can make a meaningful difference despite areas of your life that are still in process. Look past your limitations and act from your potential. The world is awaiting your gifts!
©Copyright Ada Porat. For more information, visit www.adaporat.com
This article may be freely distributed in whole or in part, provided
there is no charge for it and this notice is attached.
Articles
Inspirational & educational articles on a wide range of life & personal growth topics to challenge & encourage you.
A Drop In The Ocean
Ada Porat - Sunday, April 25, 2010
Asking For Help
Ada Porat - Monday, March 29, 2010
Asking for help is not something we do naturally. Instead, we often choose to ignore pain, hope for a better day, or wish for a miracle... while avoiding the core issue!
Reaching out for help may feel like a cop out - the way of the weak. In a society that worships power, needing help can be associated with vulnerability, weakness or shame; and so our fears of rejection and embarrassment get in the way.
In reality, the only real weakness is NOT asking for help. If you have already tried everything you know and the situation has not shifted, you may need external input.
We all have strengths in some areas and challenges in others. The smartest people I know understand that they do not know everything, and seek to fill those gaps in their knowledge or ability with people who do.
Life is about learning and growth – and in the process, we all need help from time to time along the tricky patches. Beyond each challenge awaits an opportunity for growth; and by asking for help when we need it, we discover solutions, gain new insights, and ultimately empower ourselves.
When you reach out and ask, you are acknowledging the interconnectedness of life. You also open up to the possibility that help is available and that there are answers out there, often exceeding your highest hopes! Here's how to get help when you feel stuck:
The help you need is more likely to arrive if you ask for it! Keeping your problems under wraps does nothing to resolve them, so why not do something positive about it?
Asking for help lets you manage your energy more effectively. Life balance is all about managing your energy. When you ask for help with a difficulty, it frees up more energy for other areas of your life.
It opens opportunities to connect to others in new ways. Asking for help makes others aware of how they can support you and strengthens interpersonal ties.
When you ask for help, you open the door to learning. By opening up to input from others, you expand your own growth and awareness.
By breaking through fear and facing the challenge of asking, you reclaim your power! Your greatest gifts lie just beyond the things you fear the most – so ask for help even when you fear the repercussions.
Another important aspect of finding help lies in knowing how to ask for it. Here are a few tips to keep in mind the next time you need help:
Ask for help as soon as you realize you need it. Ignored problems often escalate and become huge issues that drain vast amounts of energy and resources.
Recognize that you deserve a helping hand. We are all in the school of life together, and when you ask for help, you are offering others an opportunity to demonstrate what they have already learned. In supporting one another, we all benefit and grow.
Accept that you have nothing to lose except your fear. If the person you approach can help, you’ll learn from the experience. If they turn you down, you can approach another.
Go to someone you trust. If they don’t have the answer, they’ll likely know someone who does.
Be clear on what you need. The proven words are, “I need your help.” Simple and to the point!
Give the person as much detail as possible. Even if you don’t understand what the exact problem is, document what you know about the circumstances as well as what you need.
Get a commitment. Ask if they are able to support you and in what capacity. Getting a commitment will set your mind at ease and alleviate a lot of stress. Even if they cannot help you themselves, they may offer valuable suggestions or refer you to someone who can help. Either way, you’ll benefit!
When you find the solution to your problem, document it for future reference. You might run into that problem again someday when no-one is around to help, or you might be able to pass along the information to someone else in need.
The next time you feel overwhelmed and don't know what to do, don't suffer in silence. Remember that you may simply need a boost to get unstuck or to find the appropriate solution. Then ask despite your fears, and focus on the rewards of learning from the experience.
Having a healthy approach help opens the door to much more than just the help you needed.
©Copyright Ada Porat. For more information, visit www.adaporat.com
This article may be freely distributed in whole or in part, provided there is no charge for it and this notice is attached.
Reaching out for help may feel like a cop out - the way of the weak. In a society that worships power, needing help can be associated with vulnerability, weakness or shame; and so our fears of rejection and embarrassment get in the way.
In reality, the only real weakness is NOT asking for help. If you have already tried everything you know and the situation has not shifted, you may need external input.
We all have strengths in some areas and challenges in others. The smartest people I know understand that they do not know everything, and seek to fill those gaps in their knowledge or ability with people who do.
Life is about learning and growth – and in the process, we all need help from time to time along the tricky patches. Beyond each challenge awaits an opportunity for growth; and by asking for help when we need it, we discover solutions, gain new insights, and ultimately empower ourselves.
When you reach out and ask, you are acknowledging the interconnectedness of life. You also open up to the possibility that help is available and that there are answers out there, often exceeding your highest hopes! Here's how to get help when you feel stuck:
The help you need is more likely to arrive if you ask for it! Keeping your problems under wraps does nothing to resolve them, so why not do something positive about it?
Asking for help lets you manage your energy more effectively. Life balance is all about managing your energy. When you ask for help with a difficulty, it frees up more energy for other areas of your life.
It opens opportunities to connect to others in new ways. Asking for help makes others aware of how they can support you and strengthens interpersonal ties.
When you ask for help, you open the door to learning. By opening up to input from others, you expand your own growth and awareness.
By breaking through fear and facing the challenge of asking, you reclaim your power! Your greatest gifts lie just beyond the things you fear the most – so ask for help even when you fear the repercussions.
Another important aspect of finding help lies in knowing how to ask for it. Here are a few tips to keep in mind the next time you need help:
Ask for help as soon as you realize you need it. Ignored problems often escalate and become huge issues that drain vast amounts of energy and resources.
Recognize that you deserve a helping hand. We are all in the school of life together, and when you ask for help, you are offering others an opportunity to demonstrate what they have already learned. In supporting one another, we all benefit and grow.
Accept that you have nothing to lose except your fear. If the person you approach can help, you’ll learn from the experience. If they turn you down, you can approach another.
Go to someone you trust. If they don’t have the answer, they’ll likely know someone who does.
Be clear on what you need. The proven words are, “I need your help.” Simple and to the point!
Give the person as much detail as possible. Even if you don’t understand what the exact problem is, document what you know about the circumstances as well as what you need.
Get a commitment. Ask if they are able to support you and in what capacity. Getting a commitment will set your mind at ease and alleviate a lot of stress. Even if they cannot help you themselves, they may offer valuable suggestions or refer you to someone who can help. Either way, you’ll benefit!
When you find the solution to your problem, document it for future reference. You might run into that problem again someday when no-one is around to help, or you might be able to pass along the information to someone else in need.
The next time you feel overwhelmed and don't know what to do, don't suffer in silence. Remember that you may simply need a boost to get unstuck or to find the appropriate solution. Then ask despite your fears, and focus on the rewards of learning from the experience.
Having a healthy approach help opens the door to much more than just the help you needed.
©Copyright Ada Porat. For more information, visit www.adaporat.com
This article may be freely distributed in whole or in part, provided there is no charge for it and this notice is attached.
Paddling As Fast As You Can
Ada Porat - Wednesday, February 24, 2010
I just got a new computer, which set into motion a sea change in my world. It feels as if I’ve moved into a huge new mansion with all kinds of fabulous things to explore. But first, there are lots of upgrades, compatibility issues and glitches to troubleshoot in order to get to that comfy, settled-in feeling.
And that is just one area of life! Some days it feels as if I am in a little canoe, paddling as fast as I can through a swift-running current of change that sweeps through every area of life, trying to stay focused and maintain perspective. Know what I mean?
This sea change of turbulence and movement is not confined to our electronic lives only. It is like a tsunami of information, technology, social and economic change that continues to expands as it sweeps though our lives. No area of life is exempt. For some, it has taken on the form of job loss and financial overwhelm; for others, it is showing up as a re-ordering of priorities in relationships or a crumbling of the dreams you’d had for your life.
People everywhere are looking for ways to manage the swelling tide of change: they look for better time management, financial management, relationship management, weight management, career management, and more.
The fact is, though, we cannot ‘manage’ any of those things. We don’t manage time. Time simply clicks by, second by second, whether we do anything or not. What we do manage is ourselves and our choices in every given moment.
We are the ones choosing what to do and be involved in. And so, the most important thing we can manage is ourselves! How, then, can we best manage ourselves during these dynamic times of shift and change? Here are seven tools for self-management:
1. Know Your Priorities.
Do you know what the top values and priorities in your life are? Are you clear on the purpose of your life? Are you clear on what you want to accomplish and what is needed to get there? Only after you know these things can you choose appropriate action that will carry you toward your purpose.
2. Focus On The Big Picture.
When we feel overwhelmed, our focus tends to narrow down until we have a myopic view of life in which we seem awfully small and insignificant against the intimidating demands of life. It’s the ant and the elephant syndrome. Argue for your limitations, and they will surely become insurmountable obstacles. Focus on your problems, and they are sure to expand.
Instead of focusing on all the worrisome details of your life, try moving your perspective to a higher viewpoint from where you can see the big picture. I often use a guided visualization with clients where they soar high above their problems on the wings of a giant eagle. This exercise helps them to pull out of the immediacy of their surroundings and to gain a broader perspective.
3. Look For The Message.
The painful symptoms in our lives are messengers to remind us that something is off balance, misaligned, or no longer constructive. Instead of numbing these messengers in your life with medication or denial, you may want to take a look at what is causing the frustration or pain. What choices did you make to bring you to this place? Were your choices based on limited knowing, resulting in limiting outcomes? You will become a lot more constructive when you stop looking for someone to blame and acknowledge that you have the power to bring about the very change you desire.
4. Choose Again.
When you see the process that led you to this place, you are free to choose to move into a new direction. Remember, one of the greatest gifts God gave us is the ability to choose. You can choose to manage yourself appropriately by aligning more and more with your true values, so you can be carried forward on the current of instead of fighting against it. Situations, choices and relationships that are no longer aligned with our values and priorities have served their purpose and deserve to be released with gratitude for the lessons they offered. When you cut the cords, you will also free yourself from the pain and frustration that comes from being out of alignment with your path.
5. Finish With A Flurry.
Ever watch how many people start a marathon, yet how few complete it? Anyone can start the race, yet the rewards go to the few who actually finish. Unfinished business clutters up our time, space and energy.
I've found that multi-tasking can be a trap. The more open projects there are, the fewer get finished and the less you are present to what may unfold in each moment.
When you multitask by texting while driving, you are not focused on the road. When you answer e-mail while spending time with your loved one, your behavior actually silently says, ‘You are not worthy of my full attention.’
If your top priority is worth doing, it is worth focusing on that project until it's done. There will always be smaller routine tasks to do, too, but being fully present to the task at hand makes you efficient and effective to bring it to completion. Doing that gives offers a sense of accomplishment.
6. Learn To Say No With A Smile.
Here is where most of us fail. We feel so guilty or pressured to oblige every demand for our time and resources, that we do not say no to those things that are not a matter of priority. Saying no to what is not essential, frees up your time, energy and resources for what truly matters. And no is a complete response – you do not need to justify your decision to anyone but yourself. Evaluate demands for your time and resources against your priorities. Then, say ‘yes’ when you can do so with a happy heart, and say ‘no’ without guilt. You will find yourself staying more buoyant in life’s current.
7. Keep It Simple.
In my own life, I have whittled down the process even more. Yes, I do have an overarching mission statement for my life and yes, I am clear in my intentions. However, to stay focused and effective, I also prioritize my involvement. Within the larger framework of my plan and purpose, I ask two simple questions to guide my choices:
Keep facing forward and keep paddling!
©Copyright Ada Porat. For more information, visit www.adaporat.com
This article may be freely distributed in whole or in part, provided there is no charge for it and this notice is attached.
And that is just one area of life! Some days it feels as if I am in a little canoe, paddling as fast as I can through a swift-running current of change that sweeps through every area of life, trying to stay focused and maintain perspective. Know what I mean?
This sea change of turbulence and movement is not confined to our electronic lives only. It is like a tsunami of information, technology, social and economic change that continues to expands as it sweeps though our lives. No area of life is exempt. For some, it has taken on the form of job loss and financial overwhelm; for others, it is showing up as a re-ordering of priorities in relationships or a crumbling of the dreams you’d had for your life.
People everywhere are looking for ways to manage the swelling tide of change: they look for better time management, financial management, relationship management, weight management, career management, and more.
The fact is, though, we cannot ‘manage’ any of those things. We don’t manage time. Time simply clicks by, second by second, whether we do anything or not. What we do manage is ourselves and our choices in every given moment.
We are the ones choosing what to do and be involved in. And so, the most important thing we can manage is ourselves! How, then, can we best manage ourselves during these dynamic times of shift and change? Here are seven tools for self-management:
1. Know Your Priorities.
Do you know what the top values and priorities in your life are? Are you clear on the purpose of your life? Are you clear on what you want to accomplish and what is needed to get there? Only after you know these things can you choose appropriate action that will carry you toward your purpose.
2. Focus On The Big Picture.
When we feel overwhelmed, our focus tends to narrow down until we have a myopic view of life in which we seem awfully small and insignificant against the intimidating demands of life. It’s the ant and the elephant syndrome. Argue for your limitations, and they will surely become insurmountable obstacles. Focus on your problems, and they are sure to expand.
Instead of focusing on all the worrisome details of your life, try moving your perspective to a higher viewpoint from where you can see the big picture. I often use a guided visualization with clients where they soar high above their problems on the wings of a giant eagle. This exercise helps them to pull out of the immediacy of their surroundings and to gain a broader perspective.
3. Look For The Message.
The painful symptoms in our lives are messengers to remind us that something is off balance, misaligned, or no longer constructive. Instead of numbing these messengers in your life with medication or denial, you may want to take a look at what is causing the frustration or pain. What choices did you make to bring you to this place? Were your choices based on limited knowing, resulting in limiting outcomes? You will become a lot more constructive when you stop looking for someone to blame and acknowledge that you have the power to bring about the very change you desire.
4. Choose Again.
When you see the process that led you to this place, you are free to choose to move into a new direction. Remember, one of the greatest gifts God gave us is the ability to choose. You can choose to manage yourself appropriately by aligning more and more with your true values, so you can be carried forward on the current of instead of fighting against it. Situations, choices and relationships that are no longer aligned with our values and priorities have served their purpose and deserve to be released with gratitude for the lessons they offered. When you cut the cords, you will also free yourself from the pain and frustration that comes from being out of alignment with your path.
5. Finish With A Flurry.
Ever watch how many people start a marathon, yet how few complete it? Anyone can start the race, yet the rewards go to the few who actually finish. Unfinished business clutters up our time, space and energy.
I've found that multi-tasking can be a trap. The more open projects there are, the fewer get finished and the less you are present to what may unfold in each moment.
When you multitask by texting while driving, you are not focused on the road. When you answer e-mail while spending time with your loved one, your behavior actually silently says, ‘You are not worthy of my full attention.’
If your top priority is worth doing, it is worth focusing on that project until it's done. There will always be smaller routine tasks to do, too, but being fully present to the task at hand makes you efficient and effective to bring it to completion. Doing that gives offers a sense of accomplishment.
6. Learn To Say No With A Smile.
Here is where most of us fail. We feel so guilty or pressured to oblige every demand for our time and resources, that we do not say no to those things that are not a matter of priority. Saying no to what is not essential, frees up your time, energy and resources for what truly matters. And no is a complete response – you do not need to justify your decision to anyone but yourself. Evaluate demands for your time and resources against your priorities. Then, say ‘yes’ when you can do so with a happy heart, and say ‘no’ without guilt. You will find yourself staying more buoyant in life’s current.
7. Keep It Simple.
In my own life, I have whittled down the process even more. Yes, I do have an overarching mission statement for my life and yes, I am clear in my intentions. However, to stay focused and effective, I also prioritize my involvement. Within the larger framework of my plan and purpose, I ask two simple questions to guide my choices:
- Is this essential to my survival, life or health right now? Everything else, no matter how important or pressing it seems, is secondary.
- Will this lead me closer to my ultimate truth and joy, or does it leave me feeling restricted and confined? Momentary discipline that moves you closer to your ultimate goal, is acceptable; anything that minimizes your true being is not.
Keep facing forward and keep paddling!
©Copyright Ada Porat. For more information, visit www.adaporat.com
This article may be freely distributed in whole or in part, provided there is no charge for it and this notice is attached.
To Grow Love In Your Life, Apply Gratitude
Ada Porat - Monday, January 18, 2010
Would you like to see more love blossoming in your life? If you're like most people, the answer is a resounding "yes."
We all can use more love and less complaining, more joy and fewer problems, right?
Valentine's Day offers you a perfect opportunity to attract more love into your life by giving thanks for the love you already have.
You see, the simple attitude of gratitude is one of the most powerful quantum energies for manifestation. Energy flows to whatever you focus on and makes it grow.
How much time do you spend in genuine gratitude? In any given day, we tend to notice the things that don't work, that derail or rub us the wrong way. How uplifting is that?!
In our relationships, we are prone to notice what doesn't work, and we ignore the brilliant parts that DO. This Valentine's Day, why not resolve to turn that habit around?
Expressing genuine appreciation for what you have and enjoy each day will make it grow. If you want more love in your life, then, you can make it grow by expressing gratitude for the blessings you already have.
You can give the world no greater gift than to focus on gratitude and make love blossom in your relationships through your genuine appreciation.
Just think of all the things each day that you are grateful for: the smell of coffee to get you going in the morning, a warm shower, sunshine in your face, tantalizing flavors, the ability to breathe, walk and talk, unsolicited appreciation for your efforts? There is so much in life to be grateful for!
Expressing true gratitude is not schmaltzy or superficial. It involves genuinely heartfelt, eyeball-to-eyeball or heart-to-heart connection. In other words, gratitude involves appreciation that is delivered with real meaning rather than some perfunctory mumblings or syrupy platitudes.
Once you start noticing the beauty of life around you, gratitude and love grows. Right now, take a few moments and consider all the relationships you are grateful for.
Reflect on the qualities you appreciate in each of your relatives and friends: the smile on a child's face, the hug of a loved one, the spontaneous playfulness of friend.
Do you appreciate these things? Then express gratitude for the qualities you see and their presence will grow in your life!
I encourage you to go a step beyond that even: write a note of gratitude to the people who have touched your life. Express to them what you love about them and how it makes you feel.
You may have just found the spark to let love blossom in your life year round!
©Copyright Ada Porat. For more information, visit www.adaporat.com
This article may be freely distributed in whole or in part, provided there is no charge for it and this notice is attached.
We all can use more love and less complaining, more joy and fewer problems, right?
Valentine's Day offers you a perfect opportunity to attract more love into your life by giving thanks for the love you already have.
You see, the simple attitude of gratitude is one of the most powerful quantum energies for manifestation. Energy flows to whatever you focus on and makes it grow.
How much time do you spend in genuine gratitude? In any given day, we tend to notice the things that don't work, that derail or rub us the wrong way. How uplifting is that?!
In our relationships, we are prone to notice what doesn't work, and we ignore the brilliant parts that DO. This Valentine's Day, why not resolve to turn that habit around?
Expressing genuine appreciation for what you have and enjoy each day will make it grow. If you want more love in your life, then, you can make it grow by expressing gratitude for the blessings you already have.
You can give the world no greater gift than to focus on gratitude and make love blossom in your relationships through your genuine appreciation.
Just think of all the things each day that you are grateful for: the smell of coffee to get you going in the morning, a warm shower, sunshine in your face, tantalizing flavors, the ability to breathe, walk and talk, unsolicited appreciation for your efforts? There is so much in life to be grateful for!
Expressing true gratitude is not schmaltzy or superficial. It involves genuinely heartfelt, eyeball-to-eyeball or heart-to-heart connection. In other words, gratitude involves appreciation that is delivered with real meaning rather than some perfunctory mumblings or syrupy platitudes.
Once you start noticing the beauty of life around you, gratitude and love grows. Right now, take a few moments and consider all the relationships you are grateful for.
Reflect on the qualities you appreciate in each of your relatives and friends: the smile on a child's face, the hug of a loved one, the spontaneous playfulness of friend.
Do you appreciate these things? Then express gratitude for the qualities you see and their presence will grow in your life!
I encourage you to go a step beyond that even: write a note of gratitude to the people who have touched your life. Express to them what you love about them and how it makes you feel.
You may have just found the spark to let love blossom in your life year round!
©Copyright Ada Porat. For more information, visit www.adaporat.com
This article may be freely distributed in whole or in part, provided there is no charge for it and this notice is attached.
Your Destiny In The Coming Year
Ada Porat - Monday, December 21, 2009
The coming year will reshape the destinies of every human being on this planet. Simply stated, the forces guiding your life will make it a pivotal year of global and personal transformation.
Why? Because they are already doing that right now!
The essential question each of us should ask is, "How will the forces guiding my life affect me in the next year?"
Because whatever you are working on in your life, is already working on you. Over the course of time, these forces will shape your life both on the surface and from within.
Nobody’s life is the same at the end of a year – any year - as it is at the beginning. You are building your life from the inside out even as it is working on you. What are you planning to work on in the coming year? Getting clear on the purpose and plan for your soul is essential because it will ultimately direct where you end up over the course of the next year.
Business philosopher Jim Rohn put it this way: "If you go to work on your goals, your goals will go to work on you. If you go to work on your plan, your plan will go to work on you. Whatever good things we build, will end up building us."
These are some very profound lessons to be gleaned here.
First is that life is a process, not a destination. Every year is simply a measure of life, a slice of the big picture. Instead of falling into the trap of reductionism and reducing life to a game of basic outcomes, why not become more conscious of the process, the journey?
After all, you are building a life, not just a year! The kind of life you build is going to be determined by the kind of goals and plans you work on, because they'll work on you.
And that's the second lesson: Your choice of goals and plans mean much more than just what you accomplish. You are choosing what you're becoming, too!
Deepak Chopra has said that the activities on the surface of our lives distract us from the deeper work of soul making. You do not need to caught up in the busy-ness of life to the detriment of your soul! This year, resolve to see your life as a sacred process of soul making. Let that Higher awareness guide your vision of life’s journey. You are not meant to simply ACHIEVE something, you are here to BECOME something. And that process happens along the way, not at some magical destination.
The third lesson is this: it's not just the good things we build that matter, it’s anything we build. They all work on us.
So if you use shame, blame, guilt or fear as building blocks for your life, that's what you’ll ultimately have. If you are avoiding the effort of introspection, personal honesty and spiritual alignment, you may think you're not building anything, but you are – and you’re not going to like the result, so why even go there?
On the other hand, if you build toward your highest potential, you facilitate the unfolding of your best life ever.
Reaching your highest potential is your soul's ultimate purpose, and it is revealed to you within the context of seeking to fulfill your highest potential, service and creativity. Its beauty will radiate from your core when you seriously engage in the work of healing the wounded psyche by dispelling the stories of your past with Truth.
These are skills that need to guide your life now more than ever, for they will reveal the true blueprint of your life. They will direct your path, your purpose and your potential to bring about the highest unfolding of your life.
So if you’re going to build something in your life during the next twelve months, make it something that you like and respect. It'll make YOU someone that you like and respect!
©Copyright Ada Porat. For more information, visit www.adaporat.com
This article may be freely distributed in whole or in part, provided there is no charge for it and this notice is attached.
Why? Because they are already doing that right now!
The essential question each of us should ask is, "How will the forces guiding my life affect me in the next year?"
Because whatever you are working on in your life, is already working on you. Over the course of time, these forces will shape your life both on the surface and from within.
Nobody’s life is the same at the end of a year – any year - as it is at the beginning. You are building your life from the inside out even as it is working on you. What are you planning to work on in the coming year? Getting clear on the purpose and plan for your soul is essential because it will ultimately direct where you end up over the course of the next year.
Business philosopher Jim Rohn put it this way: "If you go to work on your goals, your goals will go to work on you. If you go to work on your plan, your plan will go to work on you. Whatever good things we build, will end up building us."
These are some very profound lessons to be gleaned here.
First is that life is a process, not a destination. Every year is simply a measure of life, a slice of the big picture. Instead of falling into the trap of reductionism and reducing life to a game of basic outcomes, why not become more conscious of the process, the journey?
After all, you are building a life, not just a year! The kind of life you build is going to be determined by the kind of goals and plans you work on, because they'll work on you.
And that's the second lesson: Your choice of goals and plans mean much more than just what you accomplish. You are choosing what you're becoming, too!
Deepak Chopra has said that the activities on the surface of our lives distract us from the deeper work of soul making. You do not need to caught up in the busy-ness of life to the detriment of your soul! This year, resolve to see your life as a sacred process of soul making. Let that Higher awareness guide your vision of life’s journey. You are not meant to simply ACHIEVE something, you are here to BECOME something. And that process happens along the way, not at some magical destination.
The third lesson is this: it's not just the good things we build that matter, it’s anything we build. They all work on us.
So if you use shame, blame, guilt or fear as building blocks for your life, that's what you’ll ultimately have. If you are avoiding the effort of introspection, personal honesty and spiritual alignment, you may think you're not building anything, but you are – and you’re not going to like the result, so why even go there?
On the other hand, if you build toward your highest potential, you facilitate the unfolding of your best life ever.
Reaching your highest potential is your soul's ultimate purpose, and it is revealed to you within the context of seeking to fulfill your highest potential, service and creativity. Its beauty will radiate from your core when you seriously engage in the work of healing the wounded psyche by dispelling the stories of your past with Truth.
These are skills that need to guide your life now more than ever, for they will reveal the true blueprint of your life. They will direct your path, your purpose and your potential to bring about the highest unfolding of your life.
So if you’re going to build something in your life during the next twelve months, make it something that you like and respect. It'll make YOU someone that you like and respect!
©Copyright Ada Porat. For more information, visit www.adaporat.com
This article may be freely distributed in whole or in part, provided there is no charge for it and this notice is attached.
Light From A Crooked Candle
Ada Porat - Friday, November 27, 2009
For the holiday table, I pulled out my favorite festive candles – long, elegant hand-dipped tapers from the mystic city of Tsfad in Israel.
When I opened the box, I gasped with surprise to find their upper ends crooked and bent. Then I remembered: the last time I moved internationally, my household belongings were shipped through the Panama Canal to meet up with me in Arizona. These candles were part of the shipment that slowly traveled through the sluices in equatorial heat.
Remembering the long journey they had come, I looked at the candles with more interest. Indeed, they appeared like two solitary figurines, remolded by the intensity of the journey they had come. Indeed, they represented a metaphor of life experienced by many of us: outwardly, we may appear a little worse for wear from the intensity of our journey; bruised, bent and changed, yet not broken.
With their crooked tips, the prospects for clean burning did not look too promising. And yet, these courageous little travelers had managed to arrive in one piece. I decided to light them anyway and see how they would do.
Imagine my delight when their flames reached gently upward, despite the damaged wax. Soft light radiated from the elegant tapers as the flames consumed the crooked wax. The setbacks of their journey were now transformed into a gentle glow that filled the room.
That’s when it hit me: the light from a crooked candle remains pure at its core. Its external appearance truly does not diminish its function or beauty.
Are you feeling like a crooked candle, bowed down under the burdens of your life?
You may even appear a little bruised and bent from your life’s journey. And yet, your potential for being a beacon of pure light remains untarnished within.
The potential to transform the world exists within you, despite the knocks that life has handed you.
Your highest purpose is to be a beacon of light, allowing the radiance of your Source to transform darkness into light. This Divine potential within is the greatest gift you have to offer. It can transform fear into trust, despair into hope, and sadness into warmth and cheer.
Do you feel bowed down, overwhelmed by the burdens of life? Stretched to the max? Then turn to Divinity within and reconnect to the perfection of your Source. You are not broken yet! Your potential may be constrained but it is not destroyed.
Let the Light of Divinity in you burn brightly. It will light your way and point the way for others to find their way toward light and truth.
©Copyright Ada Porat. For more information, visit www.adaporat.com
This article may be freely distributed in whole or in part, provided there is no charge for it and this notice is attached.
When I opened the box, I gasped with surprise to find their upper ends crooked and bent. Then I remembered: the last time I moved internationally, my household belongings were shipped through the Panama Canal to meet up with me in Arizona. These candles were part of the shipment that slowly traveled through the sluices in equatorial heat.
Remembering the long journey they had come, I looked at the candles with more interest. Indeed, they appeared like two solitary figurines, remolded by the intensity of the journey they had come. Indeed, they represented a metaphor of life experienced by many of us: outwardly, we may appear a little worse for wear from the intensity of our journey; bruised, bent and changed, yet not broken.
With their crooked tips, the prospects for clean burning did not look too promising. And yet, these courageous little travelers had managed to arrive in one piece. I decided to light them anyway and see how they would do.
Imagine my delight when their flames reached gently upward, despite the damaged wax. Soft light radiated from the elegant tapers as the flames consumed the crooked wax. The setbacks of their journey were now transformed into a gentle glow that filled the room.
That’s when it hit me: the light from a crooked candle remains pure at its core. Its external appearance truly does not diminish its function or beauty.
Are you feeling like a crooked candle, bowed down under the burdens of your life?
You may even appear a little bruised and bent from your life’s journey. And yet, your potential for being a beacon of pure light remains untarnished within.
The potential to transform the world exists within you, despite the knocks that life has handed you.
Your highest purpose is to be a beacon of light, allowing the radiance of your Source to transform darkness into light. This Divine potential within is the greatest gift you have to offer. It can transform fear into trust, despair into hope, and sadness into warmth and cheer.
Do you feel bowed down, overwhelmed by the burdens of life? Stretched to the max? Then turn to Divinity within and reconnect to the perfection of your Source. You are not broken yet! Your potential may be constrained but it is not destroyed.
Let the Light of Divinity in you burn brightly. It will light your way and point the way for others to find their way toward light and truth.
©Copyright Ada Porat. For more information, visit www.adaporat.com
This article may be freely distributed in whole or in part, provided there is no charge for it and this notice is attached.
The Power Of Your Attention
Ada Porat - Monday, October 05, 2009
You shape your life through the power of your own attention. Whatever you pay attention to, grows stronger in your life.
How is this possible?
Where your attention goes, the energy of life flows – and this is a scientific fact. Scientists have determined that the attention of an observer affects the movement of quantum particles. Your thoughts, emotions and feelings are energetic particles as well, and your attention draws closer to you the particles that resonate with what you focus on.
Whatever you pay attention to (whether by thinking about it, talking about it, worrying about it or fearing it) will increase and multiply until it absolutely affects your life and what you become.
• If you constantly think about what frightens you, you will become more fearful.
• If you constantly think about how unfair life is, you will see more and more evidence around you to support this viewpoint.
• If you believe your life is worthless, your choices and behavior will reflect that.
On the other hand, when you play close, purposeful attention to what is positive, hopeful, supportive, uplifting and encouraging, your life will inevitably express that also.
This doesn’t mean that every factor in your life is the manifestation of an inner thought. There are always other crucial factors involved as well: social issues, genetic factors, cultural influences and economic issues, for instance, over which you have little or no control.
Nevertheless, you do have the power to control your response to life! You have the power to choose what you focus on. And whatever your circumstances, you can direct your attention to what will most positively support your attitudes and actions.
You can shift your focus – and your mood – in a number of ways:
• Think about something else entirely: Switch you attention to something that engages and stimulates you.
• Engage in demanding physical activity: Dance, walk, listen to music, exercise, play, or engage in absorbing activities that minimize negative thoughts.
• Challenge unhelpful thoughts: Ask yourself whether they represent the absolute facts or whether they are simply your own negative projections, fears and assumptions.
• List your worries: Consciously write down all your worries, fears and negative thoughts. Then crumple the paper and toss it, burn it or tear it up, visualizing yourself getting rid of the worry thought and negativity as well.
• Make a gratitude list: List all the positive things in your life that you are grateful for, give thanks for those things, and feel the positive energy shifting you into a positive mindset
Take positive action to direct your focus to things that hold positive meaning and impact for you. It will change your energy levels, your mood and, ultimately, your life.
©Copyright Ada Porat. For more information, visit www.adaporat.com
This article may be freely distributed in whole or in part, provided there is no charge for it and this notice is attached.
How is this possible?
Where your attention goes, the energy of life flows – and this is a scientific fact. Scientists have determined that the attention of an observer affects the movement of quantum particles. Your thoughts, emotions and feelings are energetic particles as well, and your attention draws closer to you the particles that resonate with what you focus on.
Whatever you pay attention to (whether by thinking about it, talking about it, worrying about it or fearing it) will increase and multiply until it absolutely affects your life and what you become.
• If you constantly think about what frightens you, you will become more fearful.
• If you constantly think about how unfair life is, you will see more and more evidence around you to support this viewpoint.
• If you believe your life is worthless, your choices and behavior will reflect that.
On the other hand, when you play close, purposeful attention to what is positive, hopeful, supportive, uplifting and encouraging, your life will inevitably express that also.
This doesn’t mean that every factor in your life is the manifestation of an inner thought. There are always other crucial factors involved as well: social issues, genetic factors, cultural influences and economic issues, for instance, over which you have little or no control.
Nevertheless, you do have the power to control your response to life! You have the power to choose what you focus on. And whatever your circumstances, you can direct your attention to what will most positively support your attitudes and actions.
You can shift your focus – and your mood – in a number of ways:
• Think about something else entirely: Switch you attention to something that engages and stimulates you.
• Engage in demanding physical activity: Dance, walk, listen to music, exercise, play, or engage in absorbing activities that minimize negative thoughts.
• Challenge unhelpful thoughts: Ask yourself whether they represent the absolute facts or whether they are simply your own negative projections, fears and assumptions.
• List your worries: Consciously write down all your worries, fears and negative thoughts. Then crumple the paper and toss it, burn it or tear it up, visualizing yourself getting rid of the worry thought and negativity as well.
• Make a gratitude list: List all the positive things in your life that you are grateful for, give thanks for those things, and feel the positive energy shifting you into a positive mindset
Take positive action to direct your focus to things that hold positive meaning and impact for you. It will change your energy levels, your mood and, ultimately, your life.
©Copyright Ada Porat. For more information, visit www.adaporat.com
This article may be freely distributed in whole or in part, provided there is no charge for it and this notice is attached.
Taking The Next Step
Ada Porat - Saturday, August 29, 2009
Everyone wants to be able to improve their lives in some way: to heal something, to start something new, to find their soul purpose. As long as we are alive, this process continues. Everyone has a next step waiting to be taken, and everyone – absolutely everyone – has trouble accomplishing it. In fact, we spend an inordinate amount of time making up reasons and excuses for not moving forward!
Being stuck can be extremely painful. The desire you have to change a habit or improve your life comes from your soul. When you do not move forward with it, you block the very expression of your soul. The frustration that accumulates over time because of dysfunctional patterns of self-sabotage merely represents the surface issue.
Here are five practical guidelines to help you step into the greatness of your true potential:
1. Get Over The Fear Of Humiliation.
Most people are controlled by the fear of being humiliated. How do you get over the paralyzing fear of being humiliated and worrying about what others will say? By recognizing that your true locus of control is inside you. Looking outside yourself for approval, acceptance and love, is an ego trap. The fear of being humiliated by external forces is really based on pride. True commitment to the journey of your soul brings with it a deep sense of humility, along with the realization that your best is enough. When you no longer look outside yourself for approval and affirmation, you align with the true Source of your being. That relationship moves you to a place of deep inner honesty, humility and power because you identify with your true identity as a soul.
2. Recognize Which Reality You Live In.
Do you find yourself bargaining that you will get on with what you need to do as soon as the children are grown, or after you are out of debt, or once you get a new job? Are you dreaming of the life you’d love to have if only you had the money, time or resources? If so, you may be living in a fantasy world! On this planet, results come from matching vision with action, step by step. Instead of waiting for the perfect opportunity, the question to ask yourself is, “What I am I doing in the meantime?”
Appeasing the yearning of your soul with empty rationalization and promises, is not enough. You need to start taking action to bring your life into alignment with the guidance you are being given, or else you are living in a fantasy world. If not, you may end up in guidance overload – overwhelmed, stuck or frustrated – and you’ll have nobody to blame but yourself!
3. Guidance Overload.
Guidance overload comes from asking for help from too many people yet not acting on any of the information that you've stuffed into your energy field. When planning a change, it is normal to start gathering information for ways to move forward.
The trap lies in over-analyzing each piece of information or waiting for another, and another, piece to appear before taking action. This can move you into analysis paralysis or guidance overload, where there is too much information floating around in your mind, all triggering your fears, anxieties, limiting beliefs and memories of past trauma - and you don't know where to start. Guidance overload is also an indication of having given your power away to others instead of taking full responsibility for your life. It is not a happy place!
To break free from guidance overload, you need to go back to the beginning and start with the very first step that needs to be taken. When fear arises in response to that step, deal with it! Your greatest power lies in choosing your truth in the face of your fears. After you have taken the first step, you can ask for more guidance.
4. Become A Mystic In The Marketplace.
For many centuries, mystics lived on the fringe of society. They did not mix with the masses or participate in affairs of the world. This has all changed. Today, the level of consciousness on the planet has tipped the scales to offer potential for unprecedented growth and change. Spiritually awakened beings are being called to participate in this worldwide shift by becoming mystics in the marketplace - not on the mountain or in the monastery.
To answer the call, you need to learn how to commune with your soul to access the inner guidance that is stirring there. Every change that you wish to see in society, starts with you and the field of consciousness that you are holding. You are called to be the change you desire to see in the world, and you change the world around you through the power of your evolving soul as you hold the energy field of love wherein consciousness can evolve. In a world crying for healing, there is no greater service you can offer.
5. Find Appropriate Support For Each Stage of Growth.
Successful personal growth depends on being able to determine where your learning needs fine-tuning and then to support that with appropriate correction and feedback. Whether you need a new skill or a compassionate ear, listen to your needs and find appropriate support to ensure your success.
Collectively, these five guidelines can be very helpful to identify where progress may be stagnated in any area of your life, and to help you step into the greatness of your true potential.
©Copyright Ada Porat. For more information, visit www.adaporat.com
This article may be freely distributed in whole or in part, provided there is no charge for it and this notice is attached.
Being stuck can be extremely painful. The desire you have to change a habit or improve your life comes from your soul. When you do not move forward with it, you block the very expression of your soul. The frustration that accumulates over time because of dysfunctional patterns of self-sabotage merely represents the surface issue.
Here are five practical guidelines to help you step into the greatness of your true potential:
1. Get Over The Fear Of Humiliation.
Most people are controlled by the fear of being humiliated. How do you get over the paralyzing fear of being humiliated and worrying about what others will say? By recognizing that your true locus of control is inside you. Looking outside yourself for approval, acceptance and love, is an ego trap. The fear of being humiliated by external forces is really based on pride. True commitment to the journey of your soul brings with it a deep sense of humility, along with the realization that your best is enough. When you no longer look outside yourself for approval and affirmation, you align with the true Source of your being. That relationship moves you to a place of deep inner honesty, humility and power because you identify with your true identity as a soul.
2. Recognize Which Reality You Live In.
Do you find yourself bargaining that you will get on with what you need to do as soon as the children are grown, or after you are out of debt, or once you get a new job? Are you dreaming of the life you’d love to have if only you had the money, time or resources? If so, you may be living in a fantasy world! On this planet, results come from matching vision with action, step by step. Instead of waiting for the perfect opportunity, the question to ask yourself is, “What I am I doing in the meantime?”
Appeasing the yearning of your soul with empty rationalization and promises, is not enough. You need to start taking action to bring your life into alignment with the guidance you are being given, or else you are living in a fantasy world. If not, you may end up in guidance overload – overwhelmed, stuck or frustrated – and you’ll have nobody to blame but yourself!
3. Guidance Overload.
Guidance overload comes from asking for help from too many people yet not acting on any of the information that you've stuffed into your energy field. When planning a change, it is normal to start gathering information for ways to move forward.
The trap lies in over-analyzing each piece of information or waiting for another, and another, piece to appear before taking action. This can move you into analysis paralysis or guidance overload, where there is too much information floating around in your mind, all triggering your fears, anxieties, limiting beliefs and memories of past trauma - and you don't know where to start. Guidance overload is also an indication of having given your power away to others instead of taking full responsibility for your life. It is not a happy place!
To break free from guidance overload, you need to go back to the beginning and start with the very first step that needs to be taken. When fear arises in response to that step, deal with it! Your greatest power lies in choosing your truth in the face of your fears. After you have taken the first step, you can ask for more guidance.
4. Become A Mystic In The Marketplace.
For many centuries, mystics lived on the fringe of society. They did not mix with the masses or participate in affairs of the world. This has all changed. Today, the level of consciousness on the planet has tipped the scales to offer potential for unprecedented growth and change. Spiritually awakened beings are being called to participate in this worldwide shift by becoming mystics in the marketplace - not on the mountain or in the monastery.
To answer the call, you need to learn how to commune with your soul to access the inner guidance that is stirring there. Every change that you wish to see in society, starts with you and the field of consciousness that you are holding. You are called to be the change you desire to see in the world, and you change the world around you through the power of your evolving soul as you hold the energy field of love wherein consciousness can evolve. In a world crying for healing, there is no greater service you can offer.
5. Find Appropriate Support For Each Stage of Growth.
Successful personal growth depends on being able to determine where your learning needs fine-tuning and then to support that with appropriate correction and feedback. Whether you need a new skill or a compassionate ear, listen to your needs and find appropriate support to ensure your success.
Collectively, these five guidelines can be very helpful to identify where progress may be stagnated in any area of your life, and to help you step into the greatness of your true potential.
©Copyright Ada Porat. For more information, visit www.adaporat.com
This article may be freely distributed in whole or in part, provided there is no charge for it and this notice is attached.
Recession Or Abundance - Which Do You See
Ada Porat - Thursday, July 02, 2009
Is it possible to enjoy abundance during a recession or is that just some kooky form of denial?
The answer depends on your definition of the terms, since we know that definitions are influenced profoundly by our belief systems.
How do you measure abundance? In western society, we are bombarded by messages that success is measured by material goods: a better car, bigger home, and more things. Yet is this really the only measure of abundance?
The stuff of the material world is simply that – material stuff. It is nothing more than that until you attach meaning or emotion to it.
In a society where success and abundance is measured by one’s possessions, people become attached to material stuff. Without such material ‘proof’ of their success, they tend to see themselves as failures.
This attachment to material forms of security gives rise to all kinds of fear: fear of loss, fear of failure, fear of not having enough. And fear, when not addressed, can lead to untold suffering because it begets the very things you are afraid of.
Here’s an uncomfortable truth: Fear is a powerful force for manifestation. Its power lies in its magnetic grip on the mind where, left unchecked, it will grow like a weed until it dominates all thoughts. And whatever occupies your focus, tends to manifest. It’s that simple!
You and I are powerful beings who create our world as a result of the things we focus on. At any moment there are two realities waiting to manifest: the one you attract and the one you resist. Whichever one you feed consciously or unconsciously, is the one that will manifest.
If you wish to enjoy a sense of personal peace, joy and abundance, you need to eliminate fear.
To get rid of the fear habit, it is important to understand that we are all connected and not separate; each one of us forms part of everything that exists. The findings of biochemist and researching pioneer Rupert Sheldrake show how everything in the universe is ultimately connected through fields of consciousness. You and I contribute to that collective consciousness in an endless feedback loop that flows back to each of us.
On the level of planetary ecology, our pollution of earth’s water resources affects everything that takes in that water through the interconnectedness of all. What happens in one area of our planetary ecology, ripples out in ever wider circles to affect everything else, whether we are aware of it or not. If we want pure drinking water, then we cannot afford to dump toxic waste into the earth’s oceans and rivers.
The ecology of consciousness works the same way. Every time we pollute our interconnecting field of consciousness with unprocessed emotions of anger, judgment, hate or lack, we dump the equivalent of toxic waste into the quantum field. Fear is the most toxic and primal of all emotional and mental toxic waste.
Fear is lethal to our well-being at all levels. It triggers your primal fight or flight response, which will deplete your adrenals over time. It also contributes to sleep disturbances, addiction, high blood pressure, violence and a host of social evils. Fear leads to a contraction of energy – the more we fear, the more we close down the flow of Life Force, the Source of abundance. This choking down of abundance contributes to lack in every area of life – in economic terms, it is called a recession.
Are you content to continue dumping fear and other toxic emotions into the collective consciousness, or are you willing to contribute something more conducive to the stream of consciousness that we all mentally and emotionally drink from?
Fear is a dream killer. It will choke up your faith until all you can create, is more fear.
Don’t go there! No economic situation is worth your dreams: not a war, not a job loss, not a stock market crash and not a recession. These economic and political situations are merely transitory aspects of the material world.
You are much more than that: you are an eternal spiritual being with access to all the resources in the Universe through the collective field of consciousness. And you access this limitless supply of resources through the quality of your emotions and what you hold in mind.
I challenge you to live a life that is admired not for its stuff, but for its passion and its undying belief that all things are possible. I challenge you to take bold action in the face of fear and to set an example by showing others that out on the limb is where the fruit is sweetest.
Start practicing the proven antidote to fear. Think of everything you are blessed with in the material world and beyond. Make a list of all the abundance in your life, and return to gratitude.
©Copyright Ada Porat.
This article may be freely distributed in whole or in part, provided there is no charge for it and this notice is attached. To sign up for Ada's inspirational monthly newsletter, visit www.AdaPorat.com
The answer depends on your definition of the terms, since we know that definitions are influenced profoundly by our belief systems.
How do you measure abundance? In western society, we are bombarded by messages that success is measured by material goods: a better car, bigger home, and more things. Yet is this really the only measure of abundance?
The stuff of the material world is simply that – material stuff. It is nothing more than that until you attach meaning or emotion to it.
In a society where success and abundance is measured by one’s possessions, people become attached to material stuff. Without such material ‘proof’ of their success, they tend to see themselves as failures.
This attachment to material forms of security gives rise to all kinds of fear: fear of loss, fear of failure, fear of not having enough. And fear, when not addressed, can lead to untold suffering because it begets the very things you are afraid of.
Here’s an uncomfortable truth: Fear is a powerful force for manifestation. Its power lies in its magnetic grip on the mind where, left unchecked, it will grow like a weed until it dominates all thoughts. And whatever occupies your focus, tends to manifest. It’s that simple!
You and I are powerful beings who create our world as a result of the things we focus on. At any moment there are two realities waiting to manifest: the one you attract and the one you resist. Whichever one you feed consciously or unconsciously, is the one that will manifest.
If you wish to enjoy a sense of personal peace, joy and abundance, you need to eliminate fear.
To get rid of the fear habit, it is important to understand that we are all connected and not separate; each one of us forms part of everything that exists. The findings of biochemist and researching pioneer Rupert Sheldrake show how everything in the universe is ultimately connected through fields of consciousness. You and I contribute to that collective consciousness in an endless feedback loop that flows back to each of us.
On the level of planetary ecology, our pollution of earth’s water resources affects everything that takes in that water through the interconnectedness of all. What happens in one area of our planetary ecology, ripples out in ever wider circles to affect everything else, whether we are aware of it or not. If we want pure drinking water, then we cannot afford to dump toxic waste into the earth’s oceans and rivers.
The ecology of consciousness works the same way. Every time we pollute our interconnecting field of consciousness with unprocessed emotions of anger, judgment, hate or lack, we dump the equivalent of toxic waste into the quantum field. Fear is the most toxic and primal of all emotional and mental toxic waste.
Fear is lethal to our well-being at all levels. It triggers your primal fight or flight response, which will deplete your adrenals over time. It also contributes to sleep disturbances, addiction, high blood pressure, violence and a host of social evils. Fear leads to a contraction of energy – the more we fear, the more we close down the flow of Life Force, the Source of abundance. This choking down of abundance contributes to lack in every area of life – in economic terms, it is called a recession.
Are you content to continue dumping fear and other toxic emotions into the collective consciousness, or are you willing to contribute something more conducive to the stream of consciousness that we all mentally and emotionally drink from?
Fear is a dream killer. It will choke up your faith until all you can create, is more fear.
Don’t go there! No economic situation is worth your dreams: not a war, not a job loss, not a stock market crash and not a recession. These economic and political situations are merely transitory aspects of the material world.
You are much more than that: you are an eternal spiritual being with access to all the resources in the Universe through the collective field of consciousness. And you access this limitless supply of resources through the quality of your emotions and what you hold in mind.
I challenge you to live a life that is admired not for its stuff, but for its passion and its undying belief that all things are possible. I challenge you to take bold action in the face of fear and to set an example by showing others that out on the limb is where the fruit is sweetest.
Start practicing the proven antidote to fear. Think of everything you are blessed with in the material world and beyond. Make a list of all the abundance in your life, and return to gratitude.
©Copyright Ada Porat.
This article may be freely distributed in whole or in part, provided there is no charge for it and this notice is attached. To sign up for Ada's inspirational monthly newsletter, visit www.AdaPorat.com
Living In The Flow
Ada Porat - Friday, May 29, 2009
According to the Taoist book of Chuang-Tzu, some pupils of Confucius saw an old man swimming in a raging torrent when suddenly, he disappeared. The pupils rushed to save him, but the man reached the bank entirely unaided.
Asked how he had pulled off this remarkable feat of survival, the man replied that he had simply let himself go with the descending and ascending currents in the water. The true Taoist, in other words, molds his senses, body and mind until they are at one with the currents of the world without.
In the Hindu Bhagavad Gita, Krishna stressed the need to let go of resistance in order to stay in the Eternal flow. He said, “You must be free from the pairs of opposites. Poise your mind in tranquility.”
The flow of water in nature serves as powerful reminder that life exists in a constant state of ebb and flow. You and I are intimately connected to this process of flow because our bodies consist of more than 70% water. Flow is our natural state of being.
To resist the process brings pain; to move along gently with it facilitates the emergence of your true potential. When you do not trust the process of life, you’ll fear the future, the outcomes or the process. That resistance to what you fear blocks the flow of life and causes stagnation in yourself and in your life; over time it tends to create the very painful outcomes you have been afraid of!
All spiritual teachings share the principle that we do not have to live in resistance or fear. Growth in consciousness requires that we learn how to overcome our resistance to change, because it is rooted in fear. It is our very resistance to what we fear, that attracts to us what we fear – yet we can choose to focus on the perfection of the present moment and flow with that instead. How can you stay in flow, then?
To flow with the process of life, you need to surrender yourself to the perfection of each present moment. Surrender the fear of losing control, the fear of the unknown, and the fear of what might happen if things don’t go the way you think they should.
Instead, choose to remember that change is the natural state of things; it is a continuous, intrinsic part of life. No matter how overwhelming current circumstances may appear; they, too, will change! As you allow the process of change into your life without resisting it, you’ll find yourself carried toward your destiny on that gentle current.
By allowing the process of life to unfold, you remain open to all the possibilities. You choose trust instead of fear; trusting that you are living in a benevolent universe, and that each step is unfolding in perfection even when you cannot see it from your limited perspective. Instead of seeing lack everywhere, you start noticing the beauty of the process.
Life speaks to us in metaphor. The more we embrace its flow, the more we notice its subtle messages. You may have a vivid dream that clarifies a problem you have been wrestling with, or you may find guidance showing up for you in unexpected ways. Indeed, one of the secrets to spiritual growth is to regard everything that shows up in your life, as being sent for the express purpose of bringing you closer to enlightenment.
When you no longer resist the process of life, you are free to reconnect to your inner core of peace. You become quiet as you move beneath the surface chatter of the mind. As the surface noise subsides, you become aware of the vast expanse of stillness that lies within. Connecting with that inner core also connects you to Divinity, the eternal indwelling Presence.
Over time, your continued alignment with this indwelling Presence allows you to witness the perfection of everything in life as it unfolds. Instead of judging what shows up, you start recognizing that life brings you exactly what you need, not necessarily what you want. And the more you align to Truth within, the more your surface wants come into alignment with what you truly need, bringing harmony into every area of life.
The Essenes taught that life is like a mirror: whatever we don’t like in others, we also don’t like in ourselves. Pay attention to what you don’t like or resist in others: identify the emotion and the reason, release it and you will return to a state of flow. Here are some thoughts to help you stay the flow of life:
Stay open
Stay open and feel love flowing into you by connecting to the Divine or by reminding yourself of a time you felt intense love.
Recharge
Take time to observe beauty - relax and spend time in nature.
Observe
Observe what shows up in your life. Instead of defending yourself or going into attack, ask yourself what the message is, and acknowledge the insight it offers.
Detach
Remember that you don’t have to use drama to compete for energy; simply detach from the ego’s story and let go.
Stay aware
Pay full attention to everyone you meet because they all have a message for you, as you do for them.
Focus on now
Recognize that the present moment carries with it all possibilities. By staying in the present, you stay open to all the possibilities.
Trust
Trust in the process. Surrender to the power of Consciousness and let it carry you – it will be perfect!
©Copyright Ada Porat.
This article may be freely distributed in whole or in part, provided there is no charge for it and this notice is attached. To sign up for Ada's inspirational monthly newsletter, visit www.AdaPorat.com
Asked how he had pulled off this remarkable feat of survival, the man replied that he had simply let himself go with the descending and ascending currents in the water. The true Taoist, in other words, molds his senses, body and mind until they are at one with the currents of the world without.
In the Hindu Bhagavad Gita, Krishna stressed the need to let go of resistance in order to stay in the Eternal flow. He said, “You must be free from the pairs of opposites. Poise your mind in tranquility.”
The flow of water in nature serves as powerful reminder that life exists in a constant state of ebb and flow. You and I are intimately connected to this process of flow because our bodies consist of more than 70% water. Flow is our natural state of being.
To resist the process brings pain; to move along gently with it facilitates the emergence of your true potential. When you do not trust the process of life, you’ll fear the future, the outcomes or the process. That resistance to what you fear blocks the flow of life and causes stagnation in yourself and in your life; over time it tends to create the very painful outcomes you have been afraid of!
All spiritual teachings share the principle that we do not have to live in resistance or fear. Growth in consciousness requires that we learn how to overcome our resistance to change, because it is rooted in fear. It is our very resistance to what we fear, that attracts to us what we fear – yet we can choose to focus on the perfection of the present moment and flow with that instead. How can you stay in flow, then?
To flow with the process of life, you need to surrender yourself to the perfection of each present moment. Surrender the fear of losing control, the fear of the unknown, and the fear of what might happen if things don’t go the way you think they should.
Instead, choose to remember that change is the natural state of things; it is a continuous, intrinsic part of life. No matter how overwhelming current circumstances may appear; they, too, will change! As you allow the process of change into your life without resisting it, you’ll find yourself carried toward your destiny on that gentle current.
By allowing the process of life to unfold, you remain open to all the possibilities. You choose trust instead of fear; trusting that you are living in a benevolent universe, and that each step is unfolding in perfection even when you cannot see it from your limited perspective. Instead of seeing lack everywhere, you start noticing the beauty of the process.
Life speaks to us in metaphor. The more we embrace its flow, the more we notice its subtle messages. You may have a vivid dream that clarifies a problem you have been wrestling with, or you may find guidance showing up for you in unexpected ways. Indeed, one of the secrets to spiritual growth is to regard everything that shows up in your life, as being sent for the express purpose of bringing you closer to enlightenment.
When you no longer resist the process of life, you are free to reconnect to your inner core of peace. You become quiet as you move beneath the surface chatter of the mind. As the surface noise subsides, you become aware of the vast expanse of stillness that lies within. Connecting with that inner core also connects you to Divinity, the eternal indwelling Presence.
Over time, your continued alignment with this indwelling Presence allows you to witness the perfection of everything in life as it unfolds. Instead of judging what shows up, you start recognizing that life brings you exactly what you need, not necessarily what you want. And the more you align to Truth within, the more your surface wants come into alignment with what you truly need, bringing harmony into every area of life.
The Essenes taught that life is like a mirror: whatever we don’t like in others, we also don’t like in ourselves. Pay attention to what you don’t like or resist in others: identify the emotion and the reason, release it and you will return to a state of flow. Here are some thoughts to help you stay the flow of life:
Stay open
Stay open and feel love flowing into you by connecting to the Divine or by reminding yourself of a time you felt intense love.
Recharge
Take time to observe beauty - relax and spend time in nature.
Observe
Observe what shows up in your life. Instead of defending yourself or going into attack, ask yourself what the message is, and acknowledge the insight it offers.
Detach
Remember that you don’t have to use drama to compete for energy; simply detach from the ego’s story and let go.
Stay aware
Pay full attention to everyone you meet because they all have a message for you, as you do for them.
Focus on now
Recognize that the present moment carries with it all possibilities. By staying in the present, you stay open to all the possibilities.
Trust
Trust in the process. Surrender to the power of Consciousness and let it carry you – it will be perfect!
©Copyright Ada Porat.
This article may be freely distributed in whole or in part, provided there is no charge for it and this notice is attached. To sign up for Ada's inspirational monthly newsletter, visit www.AdaPorat.com
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