Turning empty news boxes into flower beds - Part 1

Tending the garden of the heart - Day 47

I picked up a really cool article recently from a follower on Twitter regarding a street artist named Posterchild. He's turned unused newspaper boxes in Toronto into planters for flowers. Click here to read the article.

It took someone with quite an imagination to see these empty boxes as potential for adding beauty to the Toronto community.

What about your imagination for turning those abandoned areas in your life into 'beautiful flower beds'? Perhaps there were vibrant aspects of your life; talents that you used to help others but now remain dormant. Consider using some imaginative power to put those talents to use once again and beautify your life and community. Get your creative juices flowing! It only takes the initiative, the will and one idea to get the ball of beauty rolling.

If you're daring enough, like Posterchild, you can also use some unconventional methods to create a new trend. Posterchild's trend may catch on in other parts of Canada and U.S. Who knows, this may be a start of something new.

What about your life? Start a new trend and improve and beautify your life.

Mental Exercises - Part 1

Getting my body back - Day 64

Physical exercise does well for the body but mental exercise does even better, not only for the body, but for all areas of your life.

You assess situations and people from your perspective on life and from the way you think. Mental exercise brings you to the point of being in control of what you allow to enter your mind, the way in which you receive this information and processing of these thoughts and images.

You may have never been taught in school to train your mind and perhaps you've never been taught by your parents to do the same, as well. Most people are consciously unaware of how whatever they're putting in their minds is affecting their entire life.

Not because other people are doing something mean that it is right, and furthermore, not because society's behaviour is what is termed 'normal' means that it is right for you and who you desire to be. For example, jogging may be perfectly okay with some folks as a form of exercise but it may be detrimental to your knees and therefore do more damage to you than helping you. It all comes down to what you desire to achieve in your life.

When your mind is not disciplined, the result ends in confusion. Your mind (thoughts in your mind) sends messages directly to your brain and then to your body. Where confusion exists a mixed message is sent and your life has no clear direction.

When your mind is clear on the direction you've defined in your thoughts everything else falls into place.

Fuelling words: I exercise my mind daily to achieve my goals.

As I go about my daily activities, I am consciously emphasizing each bending movement, tightening leg muscles as I go up each step and incorporate stretching in between my activities.

Enriching your life - Part 4

Tending the garden of the heart - Day 46

Every well-nurtured plant or tree gives off the appearance of love, joy, peace and satisfaction. Look at the deep green sturdy leaves of young plants and you'll have that sense of well-being. Any plant that's under-nourished and has droopy leaves is a concern for the gardener.

When you allow love, joy and peace to enrich your mental awareness, satisfaction fills your inner being and your perspective on life changes as you see the beauty in everything and everyone. You are able to look pass the ugly and see the truth of everyone. The truth that we are all one, we all are made up of the same God substance and are of God and from God. You feel less irritated and respond differently to adverse conditions if they come your way.

In the process of your coming into more awareness of love, joy and peace, if you revert to old ways for a second, you're able to remind yourself who you are, change your mindset and act and respond from a place of love, joy and peace. As this becomes your conscious daily practice, it becomes your conscious and subconscious daily way of being.

Experience the essence of life - Part 4

Getting my body back - Day 63

Breathe in life, exhale stress and tension. Feel the air as the freshness travels through your nostrils filling your lungs and relaxing your entire body.

Breathing deeply gets your bodily functions pumping and releases toxins from your body promoting fat-burning.

Shallow breathing cheats you of the benefits you get from deep breathing and is the result of bad breathing habits and busy schedules.

When you slow down or stop and focus on deep breathing, you're allowing yourself to reconnect with nature, with God.

As you breathe in, visualize inhaling new life, greater strength and positive energy. Exhale and release heaviness, depression and negative feelings.

Deep breathing helps to clear your mind and allows you to focus your attention on whatever it is you're working on.

Fuelling words: With every exercise move I make I take a deep breath allowing oxygen to flow to my muscles.

Now that the good weather is here, incorporate exercise into your daily routine even as you go outside and are working around the house.

Enriching your life - Part 3

Tending the garden of the heart - Day 45

If you've ever walked through the woods, you may recall experiencing a sense of peace among the trees. You've felt the cool gentle breeze as it brushed across your face and witnessed the swaying of the trees as the wind blew gracefully through the leaves.

Your senses were so in tuned, every sound enhanced; the chirping of the birds, the rustling of the leaves, the cracking of a branch. This peaceful atmosphere drew your awareness and allowed you to become one with it.

As you took a deep breath, the freshness of the air filled your lungs and it was as if you're breathing in the peacefulness of the woods as your body relaxed under the spell of its tranquility.

Take the time each day to mentally take you to that place and experience of total peace. Be totally aware of the peace that lies within your being and become one with it. Become so in tuned to inner wisdom as you listen deeply. Relive this experience often until it becomes a way of life. Bask in the feelings of peace and let it overflow your life enriching you through and through.

Experience the essence of life - Part 3

Getting my body back - Day 62

Enter into the realm of peace. Choose the essence of peace as it is also the essence of life. Let the peace of your soul calm your mind to experience peace. Feel this peace as it moves through every cell of your body, relaxing all tension and relieving all stress.

See peace as it moves through your veins feeding every blood vessel and nourishing your body cells.

Experience peace as it rests on every thought, enters every adverse condition that you're facing, dissipates confusion, calm every storm.

See the power of peace in its quiet strength shift and move every obstacle, resolve every issue and concern, heal every hurt or injury, mend all brokenness.

See peace as it rests with every decision, small and large and brings clarity in times of obscurity. Let peace like a river flow through your being, refreshing and rejuvenating every part of you.

Deal with everyone and every situation out of the place of peace and experience true essence of life.

Fuelling words: I envision peace in my body as I breathe deeply.

As I go about my daily activities, I am consciously emphasizing each bending movement, tightening leg muscles as I go up each step and incorporate stretching in between my activities.

Enriching your life - Part 2

Tending the garden of the heart - Day 44

Whenever your seedlings are growing well, it's almost as if they're joyful because their leaves perk up and they're nice and sturdy. You could tell by droopy leaves that something is just not right.

You enrich your life when you experience joy. You can experience joy even when your outer world is experiencing adversity. Feeling joy comes from your decision to be joyful. Choose to feel joy.

How do you experience joy when things look bleak?

Stir up the feelings of joy in your inner being. Shift your mind from whatever conditions you may be facing. If your situation feels overwhelming making it appear difficult to stop thinking about it, put on some music that makes you happy or watch a comedy or just have some fun with your children.

Your life is more than your current condition. Know that this too will pass and be joyful in that inner knowing. The more you focus on joy the more joy comes to you; you will draw more joy to you.

Joy adds an extra 'pep in your step' and gives you the energy you require to get you through your days in a healthy mode.

Experience the essence of life - Part 2

Getting my body back - Day 61

Experience the essence of life through your body. Love every inch of you. With all the media hype about the way you should look, the size you should be and if you're not there you're less than perfect, many people have a difficult time loving themselves. The message sent is that you're less than perfect if you're not dressed a certain way or weigh a certain weight.

Experiencing the essence of life does not mean that you stop enhancing and taking care of your body. It means that, in addition to improving your health and maintaining your weight, you enjoy and appreciate every cell in your body. You appreciate all the work that your body has to do to keep you alive despite the way it's treated at times.

Listen to and enjoy the beat of your heart. Perhaps you'll hear a new song in its rhythm. Feel the smoothness of your skin or feel the texture of your hair as you pass your fingers through it. Feel the movement of your body as you walk.

For all of your body was created by God and is of God and is made up of the substance of God. Appreciate God in your body and experience the true essence of life.

Fuelling words: I love every inch of me. I'm alive and full of God in every cell of my body.

Now that the good weather is here, incorporate exercise into your daily routine even as you go outside and are working around the house.

Enriching your life - Part 1

Tending the garden of the heart - Day 43

Every gardener knows that nutrient-enriched soil produces healthy crop. Similarly, an enriched life promotes a healthy life style.

How do you enrich your life?

Choose to love. Decide to experience love from your inner being, for you are surrounded by the Spirit of love. Connect with this love. Be always conscious of love. Act and live out of love. In every situation, ask, "What would love do?" Consciously feel the feelings of love; for yourself, your family and others around you.

As you connect with this love, allow the warmth of love to fill and saturate your inner being. If you sit in front of a camp fire you feel the warmth of the flames, but if you move away, you begin to feel cool. It is the same with love. If you remain consciously connected with the Source of love, you will constantly experience the warmth of love and thereby enable to express that love to others.

Enrich your life with the warmth of love.

Experience the essence of life - Part 1

Getting my body back - Day 60

Life can become so distracting that we miss the essence of living and before you know it you've not truly enjoyed the beautiful moments of life. Life has gone by and you look back and wonder what happened.

Have you ever asked the question, "What is the meaning of life?" Every aspect of life is to be enjoyed to the fullest; every moment to be lived in joy. Moment by moment, find the true essence in life even in the midst of your adverse conditions. Ask the questions, "Where is the good in this situation? Where is the diamond in the rough? How can I see beauty in the ugly and light in the darkness?"

When you begin to ask questions, be open to receive the answer and when it comes, focus on it. The answer is your 'hope nugget' to carry you through whatever it is you're facing. It is the essence of life for you at that time to return you to a place of faith and peace regardless of what you're going through. It is the peace that you'll experience, knowing that you're soon to manifest the way out.

It is the simple things in life that reminds us of the true essence of life that brings us back to the real reason for living.

Fuelling words: I appreciate the simple things of life - walking, moving my arms, seeing the beauty all around - for these are the true essences of life.

Now that the good weather is here, incorporate exercise into your daily routine even as you go outside and are working around the house.