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The teenager at the drive-thru repeated my order: one medium coffee with two creams, no sugar.

At the pick-up window, I confirmed:  “Two creams and no sugar, right?”

“Yes,” she assured me as she handed me the cup.  After pulling into the busy traffic, I took a sip and… you guessed it: no cream and at least two sugars!
 
Now, if you’re used to eating a lot of sugar you may not notice, but I’m not and I did notice. It was annoying – even more so because this was not the first time it happened.

I was on my way to an early morning appointment and could not turn back without running late, so I had a choice to make: was I going to become grumpy about the incidence and let it ruin my day, or was I going to look at it differently?

I decided to focus on what was going right instead: the rush hour traffic was flowing, the sun was shining, and there were many things in my life to be grateful for. I chose to give thanks for all the blessings in my life instead.  Soon I felt my spirits shift from irritation at missing that first cup of java, to feeling happy and at peace.

Forty minutes later, I approached my destination and noticed another fast-food outlet belonging to the same chain. I pulled up to order a drinkable cup of coffee.  When I explained the bungled order to the attendant, she smiled and said: “I’d hate for us to spoil your day – let me get you another cup on us.” 

Wow, what a concept, I thought. She is not getting defensive – she’s choosing to make amends instead! When I thanked her, she said: “I know you’ve got a right to be grumpy about the mistake, and I appreciate it that you weren’t. Have a wonderful day!”

In the span of less than an hour, my emotions had shifted from feeling annoyed to being grateful to feeling great!  And my state of mind had a positive effect on the attendant as well!

What happened here?  I’d be the first to tell you that I’m not a saint, so something else was going on here.

That something was the power of gratitude.

My sincere gratitude had activated the law of attraction to draw to me circumstances that resonated with the vibrational frequencies of what I was focused on, including this pleasant encounter.

You see, everything in the universe consists of energy with a vibrating mass of atoms and subatomic particles at its core. You and I also consist of energy, and each one of us projects into the universe energy vibrations based on our thoughts, feelings, and emotions. This frequency attracts to it resonant vibrational frequencies that determine the events, situations, and circumstances we eventually see manifest in our lives.

So what does this have to do with gratitude?  Everything!

When you are in a sincere state of gratitude, your vibrational resonance is one of acceptance and harmony. That vibrational frequency attracts to you events and circumstances that are harmonious with the high, positive state you are in.

To understand how this works, you can think of yourself as a giant magnet. Whatever emotions you are feeling - be it love, fear, anger, happiness, joy, or gratitude – the emotions you hold in mind create a magnetic force that draws to you events, conditions and circumstances in direct correlation to what you are feeling. Fear of something creates a magnetic force that ultimately attracts more of what you fear. Gratitude for any situation sets up a magnetic force that draws to you more of what you’re expressing gratitude for.  Like attracts like – just like that.

Whenever you’re not grateful for an aspect of your life, you are in essence resisting that aspect.  Your focus shifts to what you don’t want.  That focus on what you DON’T want, creates a vibrational field that draws to you more of what you don’t want or resist! That’s why whatever you resist, persists in showing up.

Gratitude, on the other hand, moves you into acceptance of whatever IS.  It is a powerful springboard that can catapult you into a positive frame of mind, because it focuses on what you appreciate instead of on what appears to be lacking. It is one of the most powerful antidotes to the narcissistic self-absorption and entitlement so prevalent in western society.

How in the world can you be in a state of gratitude when everything seems to be going wrong?

Perhaps the things that appear to be going wrong, are actually going very right… from a Higher perspective!  Here’s why:

The first step to personal freedom always starts with self-responsibility. To lose weight, for instance, you need to first accept the fact of what your current weight is; you have to accept the fact that whatever you have been doing up until now, has been your responsibility - even when it didn’t work. Acknowledging where we’re at is the first step toward change – both in twelve-step groups and in life.

The conditions and circumstances you're currently experiencing are manifestations based on thoughts and emotions you chose at some point in the past. There’s no blame or judgment here, there’s simply the need to accept responsibility for what you have manifested so far, whether consciously or unconsciously.  Remember, you are the one that thinks your thoughts - your thoughts do not think you!

In fact, you created everything you currently experience in your life. You may well consider how it has worked for you.  Not great?  Then don’t despair, because your powers of creation does not stop here…

Since you can (or perhaps did) create and attract undesirable outcomes, you can also create positive results by changing your thoughts and focus. You have tremendous creative potential and when you start consciously working with these principles instead of resisting them, your life will make a dramatic turn for the better.

Current experiences are merely guideposts showing whether you are creating the desired outcomes or whether you need to make some adjustments in your thought processes. Once you see this, you have a choice to make:  are you going to blame yourself or others for what shows up in your life, or are you going to acknowledge what doesn’t work, and choose differently than you did before? 

Before you get mad, please hold off a moment and consider what energy you are resonating through that choice: anger and negative self-talk is NOT the kind of energy that will attract the outcomes you desire!

Your perception of something going ‘wrong’ is only your perception, that is all.  Most often, it is a limited perception based on fear, false beliefs and limited understanding that lacks the Higher perspective to see how EVERYTHING unfolds in your life in perfect order for your personal growth and evolution.
 
From a Higher perspective, nothing EVER goes "wrong." Everything is continuously unfolding in perfect order for the purpose of your growth. Simplistic notions of right and wrong are based on a limited perspective, looking at life through the lens of duality where there are only two sides to a coin.  This is a limited Cartesian perspective that was disproved more than a century ago by the more advanced quantum physic understanding that we actually live in a holographic universe.  In this holographic universe, there are multiple points of view, all forming part of a perfectly evolving universe. 

Whatever point of view you adopt simply reflects your position in cosmic consciousness, and in no way reflects the whole. What you regard as ‘wrong,’ is actually a perfect expression of potentialities emerging from the energies you have put out there.

Everything in your life is a miracle you created, an expression of the potentialities you set in motion. When you learn to recognize that and express gratitude for everything, you will begin to see the life-changing power of gratitude at work, creating much more to be grateful for!

To see this at work, let’s return to the coffee experience. When my coffee order was botched, I was disappointed but I had a choice. 

Had my negative self-talk kicked in with something along the lines of “Oh no, they messed up again. Why do things like that always happen to me? I never get a break!" I would have acted on a negative perception that everything went wrong and my day was ruined. Based on that perception, I would have been correct, because that would have been the outcome I eventually created! Unless I’d been able to change that perception, I would have allowed myself to have a miserable day. In fact, my grumpy mood would have literally attracted events, conditions, and circumstances to ensure my day goes less than stellar.

On the other hand, I chose to not let the experience ruin my day.  Instead, I felt the initial disappointment, and then chose not to blame or indulge in self-pity. Instead, I acknowledged that I did not know all the reasons why the order got botched, and I chose to focus on more positive and productive thoughts instead. The end result was a harmonious vibrational frequency that soon attracted a positive outcome.

Do you see what I mean about perception? Same situation, same actor, different perception, different outcome.

The universe operates in holographic perfection; it doesn't perceive anything from the limited dualistic perspective of good or bad that you and I see; it simply creates outcomes based on your vibrational resonance. Your attitudinal response to everything in your life determines what shows up next. The biblical text expresses it this way, "As you sow, so shall you reap."

We cannot possibly control everything going on around us in the world; but we can and must control our responses to life if we are to bring about positive change. Developing an attitude of gratitude is one of the most important things that you can do to bring about meaningful change.

A powerful way to cultivate gratitude is to focus on what is REALLY happening in your life, rather than falling into the trap of drama and complaining. The basic practice of Naikan, the Japanese art of self-reflection, consists of asking oneself three questions every day:

“What have I received today?
What have I given?
What trouble have I caused?"

List the responses in three columns each night.  You’ll find that there are invariably much more in the receiving column than in the giving column!  We are indeed blessed despite the circumstances we find ourselves in.

Use these questions to cultivate gratitude for what is showing up in your life, forgive yourself for trouble you have caused, and make new choices from a place of gratitude.  You may just find your attitude changing from grumpy… to grateful… to great!

©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

Have you been looking for a rock to crawl under or a cave to hide in lately? If so, you’re not alone!

It has been a challenging time for many people - financially, emotionally, mentally and spiritually - and the desire to escape or withdraw is common when feeling overwhelmed by the process of life.  Perhaps you want to run away from the harsh realities of life because you don’t know how to move forward.  You may feel cornered or stuck, and so you look for a place to hide.

While it is normal to pull away from circumstances we experience as overwhelming, there is a very important distinction to keep in mind here. Is that pull a basic drive to escape the pressure, or is it a based on an inner need to regroup?

If you are seeking a cave to crawl into, you may be looking for a way to disconnect from life.  Yet, disconnecting from life will also disconnect you from the Source of life, and will restrict the flow of energy in your life.  It will ultimately leave you even more drained and disconnected!

Pulling away for a while can be very beneficial, provided that we treat it as an opportunity to go within and realign with our Source. There are some beautiful examples of this in the Christian scriptures where Christ pulled away from His disciples to spend time alone in prayer.  He emerged from these times of solitude strengthened and rejuvenated.

If you feel a need to withdraw, acknowledge that as an inner need for renewal.  Give yourself permission to step aside for a bit - not to escape the pressures of life, but to renew yourself. Choose to withdraw from outward activity so you have time for inner reflection. 

As you participate with the process of ebb and flow, there is much to gain.  Effective reflection and regeneration require your conscious participation.  Instead of zoning out, use these basic guidelines to check in with your inner life, and you will emerge renewed.

Reflect on all the areas of your life – the parts that feel smooth and rich, as well as the parts that feel rough and stuck.  Recognize that even in this moment of feeling overwhelmed, you are an eternal soul, and your soul is safe. You are being nurtured and sustained by the very Breath of Life. You have access to the Creator of the Universe, and you are loved beyond what you are able to realize.

Open your heart to the compassion and love of your Eternal Source.  Let compassion flow into you, filling and surrounding you until you are wrapped in its gentle presence like a blanket.  In this space, let the unresolved issues of your life surface one by one.  Instead of resisting them or going into fear, simply observe them from a place of compassion.  Recognize that, despite each one of these issues, you are safe.  You are surrounded by loving compassion. 

Let compassion open up the doorway to forgiveness.  Have you made poor decisions or mistakes?  Forgive yourself.  Have others hurt or wronged you?  Forgive them.

Now take it a step further.  Do you feel scared or overwhelmed? Breathe in compassion and breathe out the fear of these circumstances.  Let all anxiety go as you allow your inner self to re-align with your Source, your Truth and your Peace. Release all the emotions that make you feel disconnected, afraid and alone… and breathe in the boundless love that is available to you instead.

When you feel emptied out, allow Divine love to flow through your being. Give thanks for the healing Presence of your Source as you welcome it into all the areas of life where you need its healing presence: your work, your health, your relationships, your inner being.
 
Step by step, start giving thanks for inner peace.  Give thanks for the things in your life that DO work:  breath, health, food, a place to sleep, the freedom to choose, the ability to move, the gift of love.  Give thanks for the beauty of this earth, for the joy of being alive, for loved ones and friends, for the gifts of hope and healing.  Let gratitude flow until you find yourself carried along its sweet wave of joy. 

Gratitude is the master antidote to fear.  When you give thanks for what works in your life, you move out of fear and worry into a space of faith – a place where miracles can happen.

Once gratitude fills your being, you know that you have been renewed.  You’re ready to step back into life with renewed strength and hope.

©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

With every passing day, we are observing unsustainable practices crumbling in the socio-economic environment around us.  Systems built on misplaced values of greed and selfish advancement at any cost, are dissolving through internal collapse because the dissonance between them and their environments have become too big to gap: they are not able to re-invent themselves, or to adapt to the changes of the environments in which they operate.   

And because societies, companies and systems are made up of people, the same dissonance is reflected among individuals as well.  Look at the people around you and listen to what they have to say.  You’ll quickly learn that most people are not really enjoying life fully.  They are stressed out about one or more areas of life; feeling isolated; at a loss about what is happening in their world or what to do next; and afraid, very afraid. 

In fact, many people are trapped in no-win situations or environments that are not sustainable - in their careers, businesses, relationships, finances, health – because it holds no real purpose or meaning for them. 

And so they suffer as a result. Their spirits are dampened, their creativity blocked, their true self-expression suppressed and their lives mired in overwhelm, frustration, over-consumption, over-medication, isolation and apathy.

Are you one of them?

If this scenario strikes a chord, I want you to keep reading, because you are not alone!  It is time to realize what is really happening, so you can focus your efforts on restoring a healthy resonance between your inner life and your external environment.  By applying these principles to your life, you can move from apathy and inertia into creating a meaningful existence with life again.

If you have slipped into entropy, apathy or overwhelm, it is most likely not because you’re are a loser but because you are stuck in situations that hold no real meaning for you, environments that do not support your personal growth, or circumstances that have pulled out of alignment with your core values. 

To change it around, you need to first take a hard look at your external environment.  Even with great determination, skill and effort, your environment will win out in the long run.  I am reminded of this every spring when I observe how the desert sun in Arizona scorches the tender wildflowers as soon as they run out of moisture.  

You have an important part in designing your immediate environment because you have an on-going dialogue with it: you are continuously adapting to it (dressing for the temperature or adapting to the emotional atmosphere at work or home), while the environment is reflecting back who you are.  However, the adaptive process (over which you have most control) is fast, while the reflective process of your external environment takes more time – and this is very important to understand. 

When you start making changes in your inner world, your external environment may continue to reflect the old status quo for a while yet, creating a temporary sense of dissonance.  This is the process we are experiencing in society at large at present because the external environment is still reflecting back to us ways of operating that many of us have outgrown; it is also the cause of the dissonance you experience in your personal life when you have outgrown certain situations.

To regain harmony, you need to restore a greater sense of resonance between your external environment and your inner self.  To change your external environment, you may need to make a physical change to align with an environment that is more supportive of who you have become, who you are now. Perhaps you need to let go of friends who drag you down into old behavior, or you need to step out of an abusive relationship at work or home. 

For some people, making this change is asking too much.  They are too afraid of the unknown, afraid of the effort it may require of them. And so they stay in an unsupportive environment while complaining about it to everyone who’s willing to hear.  Remember, the environment will win out in the long run if you don’t do anything about it!

The next step is to change your internal relationship to your environment.  This is the most powerful aspect because you have complete power over your internal choices, whereas you have less influence over your external environment. This inner work is at the core of all personal growth.

Changing your internal relationship with your environment is going to take a lot of effort – there are no short cuts to glory here.  On the positive side, the payoff – increased peace, harmony, joy, energy, clarity, self-respect, personal empowerment, satisfaction and meaning in life – is its own reward!

To navigate the internal terrain, here are some aspects you need to address to restore resonance with your environment. 

Refocus

Refocus on your goals and the rules or values at your core. As you do this, an inner sense of integrity, empowerment, peace and meaning will return to your life. When there are no discrepancies in your value systems, decision-making will come easy and you will be able to align with environments that support instead of suppress your evolution.

Purpose

You are the only person who can define what your life needs to look like to feel successful and to be meaningful.  For a moment, imagine you are at the end of your life, reviewing the life you’ve just lived.  What is the single most important accomplishment in your life?  What is the core accomplishment or experience that makes or would make your life a life well lived? What is it that one thing you wish to create, experience, do or have?  When you connect with the deepest desire at the core of your being, it will bring focus and impact to everything else you do.

Clarity

Next, what are the things in your life that bring your joy?  Even if you can think of just one thing, reflect on it until you see why it brings you this sense of joy.  Is it playing with your dog because it makes you feel unconditionally loved; or spending time nurturing family members where you feel that you are making a valuable contribution?  Identify what brings you joy and why; then start looking for ways to nurture more of that in your life.  When there is clarity around what brings joy – and therefore meaning - to your life, you will enjoy the effort of working toward it, instead of feeling overcome by inertia.

Awareness

Observe animals in the wild and you will notice how fully present they are in each moment.  For them, it is a matter of life or death.  For you and me, the process ultimately leads to the same outcomes and yet we are not always aware of it. Each moment of our waking lives, we make choices that either move us toward a fuller expression of life or deaden the life force in us.  To make optimal choices, it is essential for us to become fully present and aware in each moment.

Stay present

Stay present in the moment; discipline your mind and bring it back when it wanders off into a future fraught with hypothetical scenarios of fear and uncertainty (“What if I lose my job?,”  “What if I get cancer?,” etc.)  Fact is, the future is not created yet and by letting fear-filled thoughts run rampant in your mind, you are creating probabilities that do not serve you well!  Likewise, ruminating about the events of yesterday serves no purpose other than distracting your focus and draining your energy.  At the end of each day, do a thorough self-inspection of the events of that day; forgive those who have hurt or let you down; ask forgiveness for those areas where you have not lived up to your highest potential; resolve how you are going to make different choices around those issues so as not to repeat the same cycle; and then let them go. Stay in the present – this is the only time where you can bring about meaningful change.

Be resourceful

When faced with the challenges of life, don’t limit your options.  Choose to respond differently; choose to find more than one way of looking at things.  Broaden the scope of your perceptions to include possibilities you may not have entertained before.  Consider all the options you can think of before narrowing down your choices – you’d be amazed at how this simple exercise opens up the possibilities!

Banish self-judgment and negative self-talk

When you indulge in self-judgment and negative self-talk, you are really replaying the old tapes of others’ criticism and judgments that you have internalized.  These behaviors are really self-destructive forms of attack.  Stop it!  You would not think of attacking the Divine Presence in you, so why would you attack the human aspects that need healing? Healthy introspection acknowledges limitation and failure without judgment, and offers you the opportunity to change behaviors that no longer serve you.

Maintain respect

If your actions were made public, would you retain your self-respect?  Society commonly condones acts of greed and dishonesty, as long as the perpetrator does not get caught. Tolerating such lack of integrity undermines respect for self and others. Do only that which you would respect in another, and that which you would not mind being made public.  When you maintain respect, you are strengthening the foundations of your life.

Keep playing

The game of life is not over until the final breath.  Don’t give up at half-time or because you’ve just fumbled the ball.  Don’t let one bad move knock you out of commission – get back in and give it your best!  Change the things that don’t work and focus on what does work.  Give thanks for the breaks along the way and keep at it until the final moment!  Miracles and breakthroughs often come at the most unexpected times, but you have to be in the game to benefit from it.

Take time to address the aspects in your personal life and environment that need support. Working with even just a few of these aspects will help you restore a sense of resonance between your inner life and your external environment so you can be the difference our world needs now!

©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

I have been reading a biography of Mother Teresa compiled from her writings, and her unsparing introspection and self-honesty deeply touched my soul.  

Despite her deep devotion, she acknowledged the doubts and weakness of her human nature – not as an excuse, but in order to surrender all ego identification and to continuously move deeper into her true identity as Spirit.  

Her ruthless introspection served as a catalyst to identify with Spirit within her more and more. As a result, her true nature – Love – became ever more radiant.

At this time when many feel overwhelmed by world events, it is more important than ever for us to take time for honest self-reflection. Even when complexity proliferates in the world around us, we can find comfort and transformation by re-connecting to the transcendent timelessness of Spirit within.

Our connection to things of eternal value brings peace, renews hope and refreshes our souls.  And among these, the most powerful is love.  

Love is innate to our spiritual identity because it is an intrinsic part of our Divine Source.

There is only one road to peace, and that is through love.  There is only one way to know our Source, and that is through love.  Where there is love, fear cannot exist.  Fear only arises in the absence of love.

There is only one way to raise our level of consciousness and fully express our true nature as spiritual beings, and that is through love.  There is only one pathway to stabilize us amid the sweeping currents of hatred and change that sweep the planet, and that is through love.

After all is said and done, only love remains. Love is what you and I are, it is not what we do.  

As we surrender to the presence of Divine Love in us, it becomes a transformative power in our lives. With time, aligning with this Love permeates every thought and action so that everything we say, do or touch, is transformed by that Presence. When we operate from Love, we are living from our authentic nature as Infinite Consciousness expressed in human form.  

Love has a way of softening the impact of life’s blows.  When it becomes the focus of all our choices and interactions, we are able to remain at peace, no matter what happens around us.

Love is also an action verb; it is not just who we are.  Love chooses the high road by becoming less identified with ego, so that the identification with our Source can shine through us.  In order for Spirit to work through us and heal our world, we need to consciously choose to become less, so that Spirit can become more in us.  

Love is why we came here.  It is the reason for our existence.  We intuitively know that God, our Source, is Love – yet we are quick to find and obsess about the anger, hatred, lack and fear in the world around us.  The things around us really serve as a reminder to focus on Love, the true nature of our Source.  

Everything in the created world exists as a reminder of either the presence of Love or the opportunity for Love – nothing else.  So let’s focus on seeing Love everywhere and in everything.  As we focus on seeing that call and that presence of Love in everything, it will transform, heal and renew us.

Indeed, every experience in life is simply a cry for love or a call to Love; and when we respond to it appropriately, it will bring us into a state of love and unity within ourselves and each other.

When you see someone acting out in pettiness or anger, look deeper to that heart’s cry for Love, and answer it with Love.

When feeling misunderstood and judged, let the other’s apparent myopia move you to compassion and love.

When voices of doom and gloom strike fear in you, focus on the Infinite nature of your Source and let Love dispel all thought of fear and lack.

When you feel discouraged or down, thinking that nobody could possibly understand what you are going through, return to your Source and let Love lift you.

When you’re angry or want revenge, remember that it is a call for love from your soul and return to Love to make you whole.

Wherever you are experiencing suffering and lack, find the deeper call for Love in that situation, and respond to the call for Love.  As you do so, you bring the loving light of God into the darkness to heal and transform it.

At this time of unprecedented opportunity, may we see everything through the eyes of Love and respond to the challenge.  May we remember that we came to this earth to learn how to become instruments of Divine Love!

©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

Today,  I'd like to simply wish you a most wondrous holiday season and a New Year filled with the brightest of blessings!

The year behind us has been one of extremes in every way. It has also been a reminder of the powerful impact of choices made: as individuals, as nations and as the collective family of humanity.

Our external reality is formed by the compilation of a myriad smaller choices we continuously make, and we tend to choose that which we focus on. In fact, we ultimately become whatever we focus on!

In the months ahead, may you remember that fear and faith cannot exist simultaneously. When you choose to focus on one, the other cannot be. May you always choose faith and in doing so, withdraw your focus from fear until it withers and falls away.

As you choose your reality in each moment of the coming year, may you choose:

     Happiness with no strings attached;

      Peace of mind that can't be compromised;

      Relationships without resentments or fear;

      An unshakable sense of security;

      Confidence to accept any challenge life brings; and

      A love that leaves no-one out of its embrace!

©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

Did the past year deliver what you wanted? Did you attract the outcomes you really desired?

If life did not meet your expectations, perhaps it is time to prime the pump first!  Let me explain.

Most of us are looking for similar things in life: more time, love, joy, and quality of life.  What we sometimes forget, is that we first need to prime the pump in order to get what we want.

On my grandfather’s farm was a creaky old water pump.  Before it would start drawing water from the well, it had to be primed with a cup of water.  As a child, I used to marvel at the mystery of it all – first pouring a cup of water down the pump and then pumping the squeaky lever up and down, up and down… until a small stream of water would start running from the spout.  Once the stream started flowing, one could fill up as many buckets with water as needed, and it all started with the simple act of priming the pump with water first.

That water pump would not yield water unless it was primed with water – the very same substance that I desired from it.  I had to first contribute to the process the same substance that I desired to receive from it. In life it works the same way: we prime the pump of life with that which we contribute, and we attract that which we emanate. 

If we emanate lack, we cannot attract abundance and if we emanate anger, we cannot attract love.  Because like attracts like, we therefore need to first prime the pump by giving of that which we desire.

In the process, the very quality we focus on giving out becomes an integral part of our being. Just as that old water pump on the farm yielded as much water as desired after it was primed, a life that exudes love, abundance and joy, draws to it the same qualities in abundance.  

This New Year, instead of wishing for success, how about priming the pump instead with the very qualities you would like to see more of in your life!

Here are some ideas to get you started.  By practicing even just one of these principles consistently over time, you will find that life returns to you a bountiful measure of the same.

   1. I treat everyone in my life with the love and respect that I would receive from them.
   2. I believe it is more important to be loving than to be right, and I apply this in my life daily.
   3. I look for the beauty in every person and everything that crosses my path.
   4. I practice lovingkindness toward all sentient beings.
   5. I take steps to simplify my life so I can enjoy more with less.
   6. I find time to nurture my body, mind and soul, even if it is only a few minutes each day.
   7. I focus on what is right rather than what is wrong.
   8. I forgive those who have hurt me and let go of old wrongs so there may be peace on earth.
   9. I look for solutions, not for scapegoats.
  10. I find and express gratitude in my life each day.

©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

It’s that time of year again!

The blast of commercials for holiday toys and gifts relentlessly blare from television screens, radio and the internet. Choose me! Buy me! Get me! Now!

This time of year which had originated as a time of togetherness and appreciation for what we’ve been blessed with, has become a season of stress and overwhelm. What to do?

Overwhelm occurs when the human brain struggles to adapt fast enough to the increasingly complex environment in which we live.

Historically, human life has been shaped by scarcity and limitation. Our biological brains and instincts are still geared for an environment of lack, whereas we are faced with an overload of choice in western society. This results in mental and emotional overwhelm.

Our minds are overwhelmed for many reasons. We are surrounded by expendable goods, bombarded by information, and paralyzed by the range of choices available to us.

In "The Paradox of Choice" author Barry Schwartz explains how the abundance of choices flood our exhausted brains. We are faced with aisles of cereals, department stores filled with cosmetics, ten-page restaurant menus, and hundreds of cable television stations. It really is overwhelming!

What can you do about it?

I've worked with people who felt they needed to research every possible option, solution or opportunity before making a decision. They feel obligated to explore all their possible choices.

And guess what? They become paralyzed by overwhelm and cannot make a choice, or they worry that one choice may make them miss out on a better one, so nothing gets done!

Here are a few simple (not necessarily easy!) ideas to help you avoid overwhelm:

• Accept that good enough REALLY IS good enough most of the time. Perfection is paralyzing and not a healthy way to live.
• Recognize how important a choice really is in the big scheme of things. Choosing the right cereal is not that important; choosing the right spouse is.
• Don't second-guess yourself.
• Know what criteria are important to you. It will make it easier to eliminate choices.
• Make choices based on what YOU want, not by what others think.
• Rely on knowledgeable friends and reputable consumer resources to help you narrow down choices.
• Don't go to a mega store or giant supermarket when a boutique or neighborhood grocer will do.
• Ask yourself what the consequences of a wrong choice will be: if it’s negligible, don't give the choice much thought.
• Give yourself a time limit for choices and decide that when the time's up, you'll make a decision based on the information you have.

Above all, trust your intuition... dare to take risk some of the time!

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©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 birth of a higher global consciousness is right around the corner. But first, the old, obsolete systems need to crumble to make way for that higher consciousness to emerge.

And so, the current global financial meltdown is a sign we have been waiting for. It is heralding the passing away of the old to make room for a new way of living, a new way of doing business around the globe. It is also a call to action for those who’ve already awakened to higher consciousness; a call to step up and lead the way.

This is a time to pull together, not to pull back. It is a time to look around you and see that there is no real distinction between haves and have-nots; between political ideologies and parties; we are all members of one family called humanity and we all share this journey called life.

What happens to one of us, affects everyone else – whether at the personal, community, national or global level. This is not a time to pull back but a time to step out and to bring your service to the world to heal what ails. What you heal in yourself or in another human being, affects everything else on this planet.

This is not the time to look for someone to save us. It is time to ask how we can be of service, and then to reach out and heal the fabric of our community, our society and our world – one step at a time.

It is time to demonstrate by our actions how to live by faith and not by sight; how to live free from fear. It is time to dip down deep into our spiritual resources for inspiration and courage, and then to move forward undaunted by the appearances of things because our focus is on the higher spiritual reality beyond appearances.

This is the time we have been preparing for, and now it is show time! I believe that when we rally together, we can bring about the changes needed to transform the challenges of the present into the highest outcomes ever.

During times of challenge, it becomes essential to refocus on the fundamental truths of life. Refocusing will keep you grounded and balanced.

Today, I’d like to share a few refocusing tools with you, followed by my personal commitment to help our society move out of fear. First, the refocusing tools:

Recognize How Sweet Life is

It really is. Regardless of the cycles we go through. No matter what global markets and economies are doing. Sometimes they go up; sometimes they go down. Either way, it's merely a cycle which will pass.

The true miracle of life is not whether the markets are up or down; it is the gift of being alive. The sweetness of life lies in the recognition of the deeper beauty that is there.

Take time to reconnect to the sweetness of life.

What keeps you connected with your love for life?

Meditation? Running? Reading? Making a difference for others? Playing with children?

Do it! Do it a LOT!

When you nurture your love for life every day, you will become a source of strength for yourself and for everyone around you.

Most people live in scarcity consciousness even when they HAVE money. It doesn't take much turbulence in the market for people to get scared. And those who have lost or are in danger of losing their homes might find it very challenging to recognize the perfection of their situation right now.

And yet, there is perfection in EVERY situation. You can always find it if you really look for it.

You may not see the perfection in the circumstances around you right away, yet from a higher perspective it is always there. There is a spiritual solution to every problem, as Wayne Dyer puts it.

Everything happening in your life is serving your soul and your intentions in some way. When you know this in your bones, you are able to surrender to the grace of the Divine plan unfolding in your life, and maintain your sense of calm in any situation.

Give Thanks

One you recognize that there’s still lots of sweetness in life, take it a step further – give thanks!

Give thanks for your health, your strength, your support system, your faith, the food on your plate. Give thanks for being alive at this time in history and for the opportunity to make a difference at this time. Give thanks for the opportunities to learn how to really trust, how to create positive outcomes by focusing on what you desire rather than what you fear.

Gratitude is the most powerful antidote to fear. It brightens, strengthens and expands your energy. It brings you back into the present moment, where everything is unfolding in perfect harmony.

When you find yourself worrying about the future, bring your attention back to this present moment and notice that in this very moment, you are OK.

Recognize that beliefs around money is just a part of our conditioned story, and be willing to let it go! Then give thanks for being OK in this moment and stay in gratitude, stay in the present moment.

The truth is, your future is not created yet – worrying about the future is simply not constructive. Instead, choose to stay in the NOW, and keep your focus on gratitude and trust.

As you stay focused on gratitude and trust, your energy in this present moment is creating a powerful attractor field, drawing into your reality the very outcomes that you focus on. Focus on what you have, rather than what you don’t have, and your world will expand. Focus on what is going right, and your attractor field will bring you more of that!

Be Of Service

"True wealth is what you have left when all of your money is gone."
- Roger Hamilton, Author of Wealth Dynamics

Money is one measure of wealth, but it is by no means the only measure. In coaching, I use at least nine indicators of true wealth: Knowledge, Experience, Talent, Character, Community, Spiritual Connection, Health, Financial and Relationship.

If your financial indicator is down at the moment, take a look at the other eight indicators and see how much wealth and abundance you still have. Then, get your eyes off yourself and share with others what you have in abundance!

As you focus on sharing your abundance, you are cultivating a mindset of true wealth. Over time, you will notice that you are drawing more and more of that into your life.

Do you want more love? Give love! Do you want more experience? Get out there and immerse yourself in exploration! Do you want more support? Get involved by supporting others!

This is not a time to contract your energy and to play small. Contraction out of fear simply stops the flow of the very energy you need at this time to function! It is a time to help heal our world by doing your part, because each of us has a part to play.

In the process, your involvement offers you wonderful opportunities to develop your skills, gifts and graces, while keeping the energy of giving and receiving flowing in 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.

Making The Most Of Every Opportunity
By Ada Porat

In Greek mythology, Kairos was the God of Opportunity and the youngest son of Zeus. A bronze statue of Kairos depicted him as a youth with winged feet, a long lock of hair hanging down his forehead, and no hair at all on the back. The inscription beneath it read in part:

“ ‘What is thy name?’

‘My name is Opportunity.’

‘Why hast thou wings on thy feet?’

‘That I may fly swiftly.’

‘Why has thou a great forelock?’

‘That men may seize me when I am come.’

‘Why are thou bald in back?’

‘That when I go by, none can lay hold of me.’ ”

The message of Kairos is clear: Either we grasp hold of Opportunity when it approaches, or it passes us by swiftly and leaves us nothing by which to detain it.

And every experience in life is indeed an opportunity. Life is a precious gift that offers us the opportunity to give something back by becoming more. Over the course of life, each one of us is faced with a continuous series of great opportunities, most of them brilliantly disguised as impossible obstacles. Those obstacles that appear to be most challenging, offer us opportunities to discover deep resources within ourselves – provided we choose an appropriate response.

How are you choosing to respond to the impossible situations of your life? Will they become opportunities for growth and healing, or will they be opportunities for blaming others and becoming less?

The next time you are faced with an impossible situation, choose to see it as an opportunity for your advancement, and take a look at some of the keys that will help you grasp hold of it before the opportunity passes.

1. Commit.
Success starts with a commitment to the desired outcome. It has very little to do with luck and everything with the commitment to be prepared when opportunity shows up. The great Roman philosopher Seneca taught that “luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.

2. Prepare.
One of the best pieces of advice I received from a business mentor early in my career was to be over-prepared and shoot straight arrows. This advice served me well throughout my career, when I would often face tough business negotiations without any prior knowledge of which issues may come up. It is far better to be prepared for an opportunity and not have one than to have an opportunity and not be prepared! Thomas Edison was willing to roll up his sleeves and try out every possible scenario in his experiments to find the solutions that worked. Over the course of his career, he held a world record for 1,093 separate inventions. Edison said that most people miss life’s great opportunity because it shows up dressed in overalls and looks like work!

3. Look For What Works.
Sometimes we stare so long at a door that is closing that we notice too late the one that is open. Don't dwell on what went wrong. Instead, focus on what to do next. Spend your energies on moving forward toward finding the answer.

4. Focus.
Focus on your potential instead of your limitations. In the world of energy, whatever we focus on, expands. Keep your consciousness totally focused on the present moment so you can receive whatever gift, lesson, or delight that moment has to offer. If you've lost focus, just sit down and be still. Take the idea into your mind and rock it to and fro. Keep some of it and throw some away, until it renews itself. Once it is renewed, adjust your focus and go for it!

5. Make The Most Of Every Experience.
Learn everything you can, anytime you can, from anyone you can. Stay present in the process so that you remain aware of all the subtle aspects. Own the process by reviewing what worked and what did not; fine-tune your approach and let go of emotional attachment to the process. When you do this, you are able to distill the lessons you learn from every experience.

6. Be Grateful.
Give thanks for the very lessons you have learned during the times you have felt most constrained or overwhelmed. Gratitude will help you stay positive. Time flies by fast, people move in and out of your life, and situations continuously change. Never miss the opportunity to tell people how much they mean to you or to give thanks for what is going right in your life now. Tomorrow everything may look different and the opportunity gone.

7. Stay Open To Possibilities.
Don't wait for extraordinary opportunities to come your way. Seize common occasions and make them great! Weakness waits for the golden opportunity that may never show up; strength takes hold of the moment and turns it into a brilliant opportunity.

8. Be Willing To Take Risk.
Never fear risk. All exploration, all growth is calculated. Without challenge and risk we cannot reach our highest potential. Only if we are willing to walk over the edge can we experience the true stuff we are made of. It is by risking going ‘too far’ that we learn just how far we can go!

9. Kiss Fear Of Failure Goodbye.
Life's ups and downs provide you with opportunities to determine your true values and goals. You discover your values and goals by exploring and experiencing what they are not – that is not failure; that is learning. Instead of labeling your learning as failure, think of every experience as a stepping stone to build the life you want. The quicker you release the limiting concepts of success and failure, the sooner you will be free to grasp onto new opportunities and to produce fabulous results.

The next time Opportunity knocks, may you be ready to grasp it by the forelock and let its winged feet carry your efforts to full completion!

©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.

By Ada Porat

Turn on the media and you are bombarded with dire assessments claiming that these are the worst times of human history: war and suffering reaching crisis proportions globally, Mother Earth reeling from the impact of human greed and exploitation, and a world economy careening out of control.

I beg to differ.

Yes, we are in momentous times; times that are demanding a response from everyone alive today. Yet I believe that the deep wounds surfacing in the collective psyche of mankind are presenting both horror and opportunity. Societies hunger for Truth to cut through illusion and bring about spiritual healing at the deepest levels of being. And you and I are called upon to participate.

I also believe that what we face in the external world today carries the potential for blessing, not a curse. Crisis unites us, for better or for worse. How much longer could we subsist as helpless victims of circumstance rather than as powerful co-creators of a Higher reality?

We’ve been indoctrinated to believe that what appears in the third-dimensional world is the only reality that exists; therefore, it appears to many as though we're all going down with collapsing infrastructures in the material world. The reality is that we are NOT going down, because Higher truth exists in dimensions far beyond the third.

That is why I would like to propose another alternative.

What is going on in our world today is not the end of life; it is the end of life as many have known it. It is not a disaster; it is a wake-up call. It is the call to choose which reality you will serve.

It is a call to emerge from the hypnotic trance of denial that has imprisoned humanity’s thinking for eons of time. This wake-up call is asking you to recognize that nobody outside yourself is in charge of your ultimate reality; nobody outside yourself has the power to create your reality – neither a president nor a collapsing world system!

This Higher call is challenging you to decide at which altar you choose to kneel: is it the altar of the almighty dollar or is it the altar of Almighty God? Are you going to grope for fear-based solutions that promise momentary reprieve, or are you going to surrender to the perfect, Divine Plan and purpose for your life?

Yes, it is time to get off the fence and choose. This is not a time for wishy-washy pandering around issues; it is time to decide whom you will serve. That commitment is the crank that sets in motion everything needed for resolution at every level of your life, and the outcomes will reflect the choice you made.

It is indeed necessary for old, false illusions of power and security to fall away in order to create a higher reality from a place of truth. And now, each one of us is being called to step into our own Higher power, so that collectively we can create a new, higher reality for life on this planet.

The external world offers a grand mirror in which all our hidden illusions and fears are reflected. This Higher wake-up call is asking you to become fully conscious of every fear and illusion hidden in yourself. The fears and illusions you see in the external world are visible to you for the simple reason that the same energy also exists within you. The external world is simply reflecting back that which is in you so that you can acknowledge, heal and release it within yourself.

As you heal every aspect of external life that you do not like by taking responsibility within yourself for the same energy, you start living from your inner Source as a co-creator.

Yes, it is time to take full responsibility for our lives; for what we are and for what we are not. This acceptance becomes the essential first step toward change, healing and co-creating.

Nobody out there – no government, no leader and no establishment – has the power to create or to change the blueprint for your life. You are the only person who has been given that authority – and it is a mandate for your soul’s evolution. When you align with your Divine Source, you also align to the blueprint for your life. And you are the only person with sufficient authority to create your life from that blueprint, which is Divinely perfect.

Your Divine connection will hold you steady throughout this time of upheaval while you learn to operate this new kind of energy… the energy of oneness with your Divine purpose. Long ago, before you ever came into this life, you chose to embody this energy at this time. It is your contribution to the shift of the ages, and now is your time to fulfill that agreement.

Throughout history, we have been reminded of the ultimate benevolence of the Divine blueprint – God’s plan – for us. In the Judeo-Christian scriptures, the prophet Jeremiah recorded God as saying, “I know the plans I have for you; plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Your alignment to Divinity activates that blueprint for blessing in your life.

Could you, just for a moment, imagine the powerful example we can collectively set for our children and generations to come by choosing to align with Truth? Could you imagine the wave of healing that would sweep across our planet when we unite in doing what is right, rather than what is the most profitable? Just imagine the hope we could create for a global future of peace when at last we start living from the heart!

No government superpower or human messiah can do that for us. If it is going to be, it will be because you and I are creating it. We are the ones that we have been waiting for, and the clay feet of crumbling leadership merely serve to remind us that true power resides within.

Mahatma Gandhi said, "Humans’ greatness lies in being able to remake themselves… and then they will be the change they wish to see in the world." It all starts with you and me, and it starts now! It is time to clean up our personal, internal worlds first. We need to heal the old fears and illusions that have kept us feeling like helpless children for too long.

Doing the inner work of healing old, false perceptions will prepare the way for you to create a new reality, based on higher Truth. The very act of starting this work will set in motion the Divine plan, drawing to you Divine help and guidance for the task. After all, that is the reason you are on this planet – to become the highest expression of your Higher nature.

Just as humans created a grand illusion of power and success on this planet through their choices and actions, now it is time to create a new, Higher reality. The same energy and passion that was used to create the grand illusion, is available to us to create anew. What will it be: more illusions of the same kind, or a Higher reality based on Divine truth? It’s our call!

At this time in history, I can think of no message more powerful than simply reminding you who you really are: a limitless spiritual being who chose to be on the planet at this time. Why? Because you have something to offer to help usher in the new era of Higher living.

What are your gifts and talents? It is time to use them to participate in the process. What do you love doing? What makes your heart sing? Know that the very things that quicken your soul, also have the power to bring hope, comfort and healing to the world around you.

It is time to move deeper into the stream of consciousness that carries us forward. Look around you and you will notice that you are not alone. We are all in this together as one family of mankind, and each one of us has something to contribute to move the collective forward.

This is a time to banish all thoughts of fear, and to respond to the call for service by saying, “Here I am; send me - use my talents, and let me be an instrument of hope and healing.” The power of heaven is ready to support your every effort!

©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.