Lousy Day

The day is not going right? Probably means you got something negative on your mind, like resentments.

Of course you can go on thinking down this alley, but you're wasting your time. What you're thinking about doesn't make any difference at all, take my word on it. Nobody ever got into a better mood by repeating the bad stuff over and over again.

If you manage to change over to the positive side, however, there's a good chance the universe will follow and present you with a great day.

Here's how to get there, as usual just a superquick list:

• Turn it over. Write it on a piece of paper and send it to God, in whatever ritual you can think of.
• Pray. Ask God to take the stuff away and deal with it. He's got all the power, so He can.
• Meditate if you can, that is, just let the body dispose of the negative feelings and emotions. Given some stillness and some time, it will.
• Truly let it go. Make a decision you will let it go, and ask for help.
• Help someone else. Think about it until someone comes to mind who could do with a phone call or something else from you at the moment.
• Make a gratitude list or tell God exactly what you are grateful for. Your eyes, your ears.. people... places... things... events... talents... problems you don't have... keep at it until you got at least 25 items. If that doesn't help, go for another 25 items. And so on.
• Try humour. There's something funny in every situation.
• Do something loving. Write postcards to friends, call them, pray for them... surprise someone, cook dinner, invite friends, take a bubble bath...
• Imagine what a great day, or what's left of it, would be like. In all details, including colours, sounds, smell, touch... people you would meet. Have you ever meditated on what you really want your days to be like? Maybe you're secretly having lousy expectations, as a relict from the past, never worked on, and that's what the universe is presenting you with right now. Raise your expectations, NOW.
• Work on your self-esteem
• Insist that you deserve the best. Make a decision you will take care of yourself accordingly. Think about how to do it.
  Then do it.

10 things you can do for yourself while lying on the couch

1. Think about a problem you may have, or physical pain, and while you keep your attention there loosely, hum. Whether you're doing "hmmmmm" or "aaaaa" makes no difference. If you take it easy and continue for a while (don't forget to breathe) you may notice that the problem or the pain changes, and the tone changes without you consciously doing anything. It's an ancient technique that works.
2. If you can't bring yourself to hum, imagine you would.
3. Imagine you're moving. Do sports. Try ski jumping or surfing. Dance. Whatever might be fun. Even ball games with the stars. Be one of them.
4. Actually move: Wriggle your toes, at least. It's fun. They may make this an olympic discipline one day, and you want to be ready.
5. Pay attention to your back. Relax the vertabrae one after the other. Start top or bottom, as you like. Take it easy. Too many people try to relax using force and then wonder why it gets worse. Relax your back inch by inch, and don't be surprised if it has a positive effect on your mind.
6. Sing. Try something easy, like the "hey ja" of native Americans. Or anything else you like. Of course you could sing "Nessun dorma", but if you're down, you'll probably give up pretty soon. Try something simple and rhythmical.
7. If you don't want to or can't sing, imagine you're singing.
8. Pray. It's relieving and inspiring. In particular, express gratitude for whatever you've got, as best as you can. There is always something. And ask for someone elses wellbeing.
9. If you don't believe in God, get your own picture of God and what He or She or Them would be like if they existed. Then talk to Him/Her/Them. It'll be enlightening, even without explicit belief.
10. Imagine you're lying in the middle of colored energy. Try gold or something cool and soothing like light blue or light violet. Be careful with intense colors, they might have a stronger effect on you than you think! Then imagine that this calming energy, whatever the source may be, perhaps the universe, helps you relax and feel better. Bathe in it as long as it feels good.

Twitteremos

http://twitter.com/herthavi

Stormy sunset

I just looked up from my PC and saw THIS.

Grabbed the camera and ran outside, on socks. We don't often have stormy sunsets like this where I live. And the clouds were drifting fast, too.

One is tempted to look for messages in this kind of nature's paintings. Not like trying to see letters in the clouds, that's childish. But, what is this telling me? What is this telling ME? There's a different message for everybody, once you're out there. It's your message. Where does being in a spectacular scenery take you?

It took me to the fact that while my camera is waterproof, my socks are not :) But, to be serious, I'm having a somewhat frightened day today, maybe because I've been alone all day. I suddenly saw some of my feelings projected out there.

It'd be cool to have a pet. Maybe fish. They're calming :) Unfortunately I'm away too often. So, pick up the receiver and call a friend. Preferably someone who is afraid of thunderstorms...

God doesn't like me

If you've read "The Secret" and other related material, and if you've submitted your wish list to God, and nothing happened - maybe you're not asking for enough.

God is not giving you that relationship you're looking for? You got trouble with family members? With friends?
Go find some people you can help - no matter who, where, when - and think about what you can give to others. Participate in life this way, and life will present you with some people beyond your wildest dreams.

God is not giving you that new job and financial security?
Pay your debts. Oh yes, there are some in your past. That guy you bummed 50 bucks off during a skiing trip 15 years ago. Small things like that. Make a list. Ask God to give you the names and numbers. - You've told yourself you forgot the guy's name and where he lives. Well, God knows. Put the money aside in an envelope, write the guy's name on it or whatever else you can remember, thus making it clear to the Universe you're willing to make amends. Then give the whole problem to God. Wait a little. The person in question will show up in your life sooner than you'll believe possible.

It's a spiritual secret that things are interconnected this way. You neglect something over here, you won't get what you want over there. Do a little self-inspection, be nice to yourself, make some changes. It works.

By the way, I'm told God wants to see you happy, joyous, and free.

Goals goals goals

I'm not talking about soccer.

I got a list of bigger goals, which I review once a month, and I'm writing lists of small goals - the steps to the big ones - every day. And try to meet them as best as I can, of course.

After a while, I stopped writing the small goals list, and with that, the "big list" as well. It's called resistance. The ego, the negative self or whatever you want to call this part of a person, is slowly sneaking its way back to the controls. And then I get disappointed with myself, which is one more reason not to return to the goals list. Then I get frustrated, and here we go. Or rather, here we stop.

Not me. I'm back to the goals list. It's like quitting smoking. If it doesn't work, pause shortly, then try again. And again. And again. Until it works. Don't ever give up.

Writing the goals list, I noticed something else. My goals are not big enough. The exiting stuff that I dream about, it's not there.

Not the expensive things I cannot afford today. The things I could do today, and don't, because I don't have the guts.

The things I could do, not the things I could buy.

I've set up a website looking for people to work on a project with. I have to give my name and number... and let the neighbors know what I'm working on. Don't like the idea. But if I want to get it done, I have to go through with it. Who cares what the neighbors think, anyway? They don't pay my rent when I run out of money because I don't get that project done. They don't even buy my groceries.

That website never even showed up on the goals list, but it's online now. Live. Took me 4 hours to set it up, and 4 months of procrastination before that.

Actually, I think I have to throw the "small steps" goals list away and write a bigger one. The one with the really great, effective things that I don't think about when I write the list because the coward in me is suppressing the information. Or the shy me. Or the lazy me. Who cares. Some part of me wants to stay on the smaller scale.

It's worth doing some searching for other, greater things not done yet.

Why do them? Because it's worth it. There is more life in them. More exitement. More of me. More fun when it's done. More cash, perhaps. More success, certainly. These goals go deeper. They have meaning.

Therefore, I'll write a new list of "steps" goals. And, I'll probably have to re-write the "big list" too.

Exhausted Cat on Tiger Skin

Last night was a hard night.

I'd tell you what I OD'ed on, if I could remember it.