Patience is a teacher

(Peruvian Pop up visionary art experience by Alfredo Zagaceta )

Notice the feelings evoked by words 'loneliness' and 'solitude.' It is common to fear or resist being alone. Ideas of loneliness evoke visions of boredom. So, a bored person finds another and they both take action to get through or beyond the ideas of boredom. On some level, boredom doubles. Doing has its place and provides a path to valuable lessons. It also takes one away from deeper truth.

The genius of mind creates illusionary escapes, places, illusions of togetherness. Our whole society, families, organisations, communities, hobbies, livelihoods, travel, are all escapes from visions of loneliness. Yoga is the process of growing aware of absolute loneliness and growing aware nowhere really exists to go.

Boredom is transcended by living fully in each moment as it arises. Be open to the unknown, to anything that may happen. Accept it as it comes. The denial, non-acceptance is the obstacle. To be open, receptive, to accept, is to unconditionally welcome it all. Create the situation and the happening will come by itself. Nothing truly valuable can be predicted. We cannot predict every aspect of life, yet we can set heartfelt intention, let things unfold in their own way.

To be patient is to surrender. Sit in solitude. People who resist waiting imagine the idea of certainties. They have said do this, and this will happen. The mind tells us the happening is a guarantee. Yet, in the big picture, this cannot be. Waiting lifetimes may not allow the thing to come. As one fully accepts this uncertainty, the heart settles. That is, knowing everything is happening now, is to be aware of everything as it is, to experience glimspes of the whole.

Ultimately, no one truly knows what is next. No one knows every possible path. No one knows exactly what this moment will bring. To accept what comes and make the best of it allows the best version of Self to blossom. This waiting is as easy or as hard as each of us decide. Our energy has the power to shape a new destiny, to allow us to shift timelines, dimensions or into what resonates.

25 Ways to Turn Ordinary into Extraordinary

Everyone goes through life with choices to be ordinary and remain that way or to activate the extraordinary within themselves (and others). Consider 25 ways to Turn your version of ordinary into extraordainary:

1. Clarify Vision -

People who identify a vision are more likely to realize this as a purpose.  To know what you want allows moulding the dream. Vague desires and beliefs lead to uncertain outcomes. It is this sense of direction that gives them the staying power, and collaborate with the universe to allow magic to happen.

2. Develop Expertise -

Whatever the vision, be driven to research and know the field to the best of your ability. Be the best you can be. There is no job too small to strive for excellence. There is innate understanding self-mastery is part of evolution and money is a by-product of the value they offer.

3. Focus -

People who know how to focus realize that they cannot do everything. They focus on what enables them to feel most alive and inspired in their chosen direction. 

4. Positive Attitude and Perseverance -

Extraordinary people have a broad perspective.  They take action and have confidence being the bext they can be is inevitable. They know action is required before feedback is aquired and changes can be made. This attitude allows them to persevere and be resilient when things do not follow a linear path.

5. Be Flexible -

Success is not about being closed- or single-minded. Sometimes changing course makes sense in changing environment. Turns iut, success is a mindset not a destination. It arises as a feeling of self-acceptance from engaging in what we feel passionate about. This feeling may arise after changing plans or directions. Successful people know that if their reasons for doing what they are doing changes, then changing behaviour is natural.

6. Master Time -

Making the most of time we give ourselves is the way to make the most of life.  Extraordinary people value their time and see the direct connection between how they spend time, respect schedules and expsnd energy. 

7. Communicate well -

People who can communicate effectively excel in life. Speaking the same language does not necessarily mean people understand or truly listen to each other. What makes them effective is that they are clear about and sensitive to the outcome they want to get from their communication and are flexible in their method of communication to achieve their outcome. They know how to build rapport. 

8. Nurture Courage -

We've all heard the phrase "No pain, no gain."  Not many actually go that extra mile. Those who do make life worth living. Successful people have the courage to put their vision into practice and courage to continue. They are willing to not only take risks to fail and face fears. They are not afraid to fall if it means moving forward.

9. Be Generous -

Extraordinary people are generous givers. They know and are convinced of the "secret" that the more you give, the more you receive as long as you are genuine about your gifts. They operate on the principle embodied by Zig Ziglar's quote, "You will get all you want in life if you help enough other people get what they want."

10. Build Self-Esteem -

Extraordinary people believe they deserve their success and know anything is possible. They understand that a mistake is something that they do and not who they are.  They realize that self-esteem is a state of mind and choosing to uplift and encourage others uplifts and energizes themselves. 

11. Be Proactive -

We all know of people who have potential or talk a big game but accomplishes nothing. Those who spend all their time thinking about doing something will never succeed. People who ignite the extraordinary in themselves are doers and not talkers. They don't wait for conditions to be perfect before they take action. They take the plunge, observe the feedback and then modify their further actions.

12. Nourish Confidence -

Confidence guides extraordinary people take action. Like the chicken and the egg, confidence helps you achieve your goals which in turn makes you more confident. A great way to be confident is remembering your past successes and overcoming your fear of failure.

13. Read -

Regular reading inspires extraordinary people.  Sometimes they read the stories of others they admire to awaken these qualities in themselves.   Accessing more books makes a big difference in our own expansion, understanding and open-mindedness. Certain books will help you become a true expert in your field, others nourish your passion or challenge conditioned or limiting beliefs.

14. Trust Intuition -

Trusting the "gut" brings out extraordinary aspects of ourselves.  They may not be easily explained rationally. People who feel successful learn to harness the power of their subconscious mind.  They send it "orders" from the conscious mind. This involves mentally visualizing a desired outcome and then being present to take in the data and information that will become the ingredients for the subconscious to deliver "orders" that were sent. 

15. Be Curious -

Two people are running a race and they come up to an immense wall blocking their path. One person sees the wall and starts getting down on himself for wasting his time and decides to quit the race before he wastes even more time. The other person immediately thinks about what the possibilities are for getting over the wall. Will he/she climb it, break through it, dig under it, etc? No matter which option he/she chooses, he/she immediately acts on their decision and collects feedback. Extraordinary people adopt an attitude of curiosity and they truly feel that they can always learn. They adopt great qualities of others.

16. Accept yourself fully -

Polonius had it right when he said: "To thine own self be true". People who awaken to the extraordinary within don't pretend to be something they are not. This allows them to express their creativity freely and not worry about hiding who they really are. The best way to accept yourself is to genuinely appreciate and accept others. If you tend to judge others, you do not accept yourself either. Self-rejection prevents being who we are.

17. Create Big Dreams -

Bioographies and autobiogrpahies of extraordinary people reveal they are motivated by their visions. This is one of the reasons they blossom. They are not afraid to dream big. If you want to know whether someone is extraordinary, ask them about their dreams. Ask yourself. The more clarity you add, the more you can feel what it is to realize this vision now in this present moment, the easier it is for dreams to manifest.

18. Be Well-Rounded and Balanced -

Extraordinary people are well-rounded. They live healthy lives, become financially independent, nurture meaningful relationships, develop self-mastery and accomplish their professional goals. They are willing to surrender and change plans if it feels right. They know that sacrificing one key area to achieve another will not help them maximize their potential. 

19. Create a Broad Network -

Successful people understand the importance of relationships and how it is one of the most important factors in achieving your goals. They also realize helping others with no expectation of reward is part of creating a closeknit network. Those who constantly take without giving usually do very poorly on building a solid network.

20. Be Enthusiastic -

A sure sign of someone extraordinary is their enthusiasm or zest for life. They wake up in the morning excited about their day because they know it is going to bring them one step closer to achieving their dream. Extraordinary people tend to be leaders and go-getters because others are attracted to their enthusiasm and become followers hoping to experience the same excitement and energy.

21. Admit Mistakes -

Taking personal responsibility and reclaiming inner power only happens as we admit our mistakes. When something goes wrong and you blame other people or make excuses, you give your power away unnecessarily. Great people admit when they are wrong so they can focus on the solution.

22. Feel Abundant -

Extraordinary people do not view finite resources where achieving happiness and success for yourself means denying someone else happiness and success. They believe that there is enough to go around and it is more about creating value. This is the quality that allows them to be happy for other people's successes. This mindset also encourages the empowerment of others.

23. Live in Integrity -

Heroes are people who triumph. Think of all the heroes you know (in movies, books, and real-life). Don't they all act with honesty and integrity? Aren't they usually generous with others and frugal with themselves? Doesn't everyone look up to them? Being a hero that triumphs in life is no different. People who feel successful are in control. They know they ALWAYS have a choice. They don't feel victimized by their genetics, history and/or circumstances and are aware how they feel now determines where to next. They write the script to their lives.

24. Surround yourself with people who stretch you-

We learn much about others by their company (entourage).  Watching people you know and note who they spend the most time with. Some say a person's salary is usually the average of the five people they hang out with the most.  Some say we are becoming the qualities of the 5 people we spend the most time with. Surround yourself with people who inspire you.  Tune in. Adopt their beliefs and habits. Extraordinary people are self-reliant. They don't need permission to do what they want and they don't give other people permission to slow them down.

25. Be an attentive Listener -

People who listen effectively are able to hear and understand the needs of others and focus energy on meeting those needs. The fastest way to be a good conversationalist is to listen well and ask relevant questions.  Extraordinary people are patient and attentive. They get a handle on their emoations, take interest in making the unconscious conscious so they can heal.  They have learned to control their emotions and consciously put themselves in a resourceful state. They understand that they can't change other people or what's happening to them but they can change how they respond to the external.  This is about emotional intelligence.

Be a conscious co-creator

Notice we attract into our lives what we focus on. To be ready to shift gears, rise above what no longer resonates, requires we create experiences that evoke what we imagine the new reality feels like. Rather than focus on whats missing, on the present reality, on what we always have been or on what others want for us, we engage in what uplifts us, evokes light-heartedness, playfulness, spontaneous joy. As we focus thoughts on what we intend to manifest, wisdom is avoiding all thoughts that weaken us or our vision of a new reality. Vibrations we emit right now already change the course of our life.

5 Tips to Prioritize Inner Peace

NOtice it can be easier said than done to feel peaceful. WHen things seem to be going well, that is one thing yet, when things are not going so well and emotions arise, inner peace may seem far away or out of reach.  Consider 5 Tips to make inner peace a priority...

1) Explore Yoga, mindfulness practices

2) Observe and challenge negative thoughts

3) Develop healthy relationships

4) Practice non-attachment

5) Prioritize self-care

8 Ways to experience more joy now

One of the most popular questions asked is what can a person do to experience more joy or happiness sooner? This query arises in the mind to suggest obstacles exist to happiness.  Consider the following ways to experience more joy now;

1) Be aware no word or anything you think you see has meaning except that which you give it

2) Recognize problems do not exist (The only problem is how you are using the mind or how it has been programmed) 

3)  Notice scarcity is just a thought (as are mental patterns that prevent you from seeing things as they are)

4) Realize perceived time is an illusion (everything you want is already here when you see through a pure heart rather than the conditioned mind)

5) Observe all that exists is the eternal now moment — and your experience of this moment is created by the programming in your head. (i.e. what you can have; who you can be, etc.)

6) Be aware feelings of security or insecurity arise due to emotional programming. (it can also be deprogrammed)

7) See happiness and joy are not obtainable from the external world. (This is your core state.)

8) Watch everything from a deep, calm place inside. (Here, thoughts and emotions no longer control you or hijack your attention. Insights are revealed so you flow with the river of life.)