Savor things as they are

Regardless of your conditions, as you reconnect with your core self, you realize you are happy as you are. You always have the choice to view things with a liberated attitude. Savor things as they are. You are always gaining something valuable. If you do not yet sense love and acceptance, you still can with faith. Consider revising your perception of life and death right now.

The following classic Zen story offers related food for thought;

Before Ch'an Master Pao-fu passed away he told his disciples, "I have been feeling weak lately. I suspect that it is almost time for me to go."

Upon hearing this, some of his disciples said, "Master, you still look very healthy."

Others implored, "Master, we still need your guidance," while some urged, "Master, please stay for the sake of all beings."

One disciple asked, "Master, when it is time for you to go, will you go or will you stay?"

Master Pao-fu asked, "which do you think would be better?"

The disciple answered without hesitation, "Whether it is life or death, let it be!"

The Master started laughing, "When did you steal the words that I was going to use?"

Upon saying this, Pao-fu passed away.

5 Ways to strengthen self-worth

Human beings are conditioned to be dishonest with the self. This nurtures a misconception of being unworthy. Suddenly, you are caught between what you feel and what is taught you 'should' do. Unaware, you suppress the true self.  Intution tells you the truth. You decide to listen or ignore inner knowing.

From a young age, the body is suddenly viewed as an enemy, something to be mistrusted and subdued. Many people learn to deny themselves intuition, natural urges, choices that feel good or right. It grows desirable to control and unthinkable to surrender. How can everyone learn to strengthen self-worth?

1) Accept that self-esteem is a choice. Reasons explain why you feel as you feel at a given moment. You either reinforce what you know in your heart or, choose to obscure that as part of a process of learning lessons. No matter what the perceived rules in a given environment, you experiment with expressing desires. You define boundaries. You take responsibility for your thoughts and feelings or, you do not.

2) Learn you are completing unfinished business. Every moment, you are learning to love and accept yourself differently. The key issue is learning to love without guilt, to give and receive selflessly. As human beings choose to explore core feelings without judgment, they enrich awareness, relationships, self-mastery and connections with everything.

3) Be aware behavior patterns are energy cycles. Every thought and action transforms existing energy.  This is a perspective of consciousness where infinite circles are interconnected in a moving kaleidoscope of life forms and formless states. You never leave an energy cycle you do not complete. Residual energy from positive or negative thoughts stays with you to manifest situations.  How you view energy determines if you know vicious circles or reasons for joy.

4) Learn to love and explore yourself in peace. To accept and affirm your own sexuality, self-valuing and caring instincts, you create a foundation for additional layers of self-acceptance.  To recognize where you repress certain instincts or, why you feel uptight, helps you move through that.

5) Recognize thought energy is multi-dimensional. When you feel good about something and you listen to that, you think moreabout that. The resulting positive energy reverberrates in other areas of your life. You begin to sense blessings wherever you are, regardless of conditions. You begin to realize how you think affects your personal life, work, spiritual or religious perspectives, and other situations. You know everything and everyone are deeply interconnected.