Archive for 'Good Life Guide'
Mind Over Matter!
From left to right; Chris Lutz,Wanda Morris, Silva Method Instructor, Joan Maresh Hansen, Louise Dewey, Dare to Dream Queens
Attended an interesting Dare to Dream Seminar today which provided some interesting ideas about the magnificent power of the mind. Our instructor is well known in the Houston area as Wanda Morris has been a Silva instructor for over 40 years. She actually trained under the founder of the Silva Mind Control Method, Jose Silva. Today’s intentions were to have each of the participants work on themselves and their own belief systems.We did five or six guided meditations. Comparisons were made to Hawaiian Kahunas and Mexican “healers.” Morris said, “the truths have been told in countless ways since the beginning of time.”
Stories were told of miraculous healings and other stories like one man was thinking about calling his friend, both men are doctors. He then thought,” no he is probably busy at the hospital.” As he was going into the store, a piece of paper blew in front of him, he picked it up as litter and was going to dispose of it—it was his friend’s business card. He then stopped to call his doctor friend.
Another discussion lead us to the three levels of the human mind as described by the Hunas.
- Level one is the lower self also called the subconscious or inner conscious mind and this is where we were programmed since the time that we were children. The subconscious responds to image and feelings. This is what we must tap into in order to re-program.
- Level two is the middle self or what we call consciousness—where we make decisions, here language is understood and used.
- The third level is the high self—the high self resides outside of each of us and is our connection to what some call Source or God or Higher Intelligence.
When we ask for something and it does not come to fruition, Hunas say that it is because all of the three selves are not aligned.
Hunas say how it works is that the conscious mind makes a decision with a clear picture in mind of the goal. The conscious mind gives it to the low self ( sub or inner conscious mind) to give to the high self ( which resides outside of ourselves) so that high self can do what it takes to bring it into our reality.
This information is still being processed, so I am sharing my vague understanding of what I heard. I ask what books would clarify this information even further and the books below were mentioned. The course continues tomorrow and I am anxious to hear what else will be revealed. Stay tuned.
Recommended Readings:
Cool and Easy way to save money
Good Life Guide is all about living life to the fullest and so we want to include things that are helpful and today we want 
to share a website that caught our attention.
How would you like to have free grocery coupons automatically deduct from your bill just by swiping your your grocery card?
This is a FABULOUS find!!!
Click here: Shortcuts.com – FREE Grocery Coupons that link to your grocery card
Posted on 9 January '10 by Joan, under Good Life Guide. No Comments.
Ignite your motivation towards any goal!
As I sit in my brand new easy chair recuperating from my back injury, I am reminded that I have made myself promises in the past and set goals that I didn’t keep for one reason or another. If I would have kept two of the promises I made, I would not have injured my back because I would have been in shape. Shortly after having this thought I got a call from a dear friend of mine who is fresh out of the hospital from having gastric bi-pass surgery to lose weight. She described her pain and nausea to me in detail as well as her diet that she had to follow for the next two weeks and the consequences if she ate something she wasn’t allowed to eat. Oh boy…..
- Sometimes we need to just STOP and think about what we really want!
My friend had tried everything to lose weight and it really was critical that she did, not just for her general health but for her life AND SO what I decided in the moments as I was speaking with her was, if she was ready to make THAT kind of commitment to lose the weight and get into shape than I could do the same thing by making my own consequences.
Her health insurance is not going to pay for it, so now she has to pay back over $20,000, drink liquids for 2 weeks, then start eating baby food and then work her way up to solid foods all the while having incredible pain, diarrhea and nausea for a long time. She also described an exercise plan the doctor put her on and told her to never eat more than 4oz of food or liquid again or the results would not be very pleasant.
- Now if you’re thinking what I’m thinking then we are both going to be in shape and feeling healthy in no time at all!
I realized that we can apply this kind of thinking to any goal we have or can come up with in the future. What we need to do is keep in mind how lucky we are that we have choices that allow us to keep our goals and promises. There is no reason that I can come up with to get out of exercising 30 minutes a day (or more) eating a sensible diet full of fresh fruits and vegetables and saying no to sugar and processed foods.
How can we remember when it’s easy to fall back into our old patterns? Start writing out our promises and keep them in front of us all day, every day. Habits….we need to establish a habitual pattern of doing the right thing so, until we get into the habit we must do whatever it takes to remember. Experts say it takes 21 days to make or break a habit so keep that in mind when you start any program or try something new.
I will start writing my promise tomorrow and keep you posted!
~Sending this with Love~
Marian
Posted on 9 January '10 by Joan, under Good Life Guide. No Comments.
Heavy On My Mind!
As the new year arrives, so does my resolve to live healthier. My collection of weight loss books is large and yet collecting dust as the fad diets, deprivation, and all the other new fangled ideas simply do not work.
My determination to find the vein of truth in all the possible approaches leads me to reading. Prevention magazine is research based and to read of different studies always interest me. One recent article gave the secret to melt away the pounds. This particular study was completed at Georgia State University, they discovered that people who took in a lot fewer calories than they burned were fatter than people who had a balance between calories burned and consumed.
The thing that was the most interesting to me was that the most weight loss occurred when the difference between calories burned and calories consumed was in the range of 300 and 500 calories. Even more fascinating was the idea that it does not matter if a person eats fewer calories than burned or if they eat more calories than you burn. It only matters that the difference is within the 300 and 500 calorie range. In other words, they found it did not matter if excess calories were consumed, only that your calorie output and input was in balance in that range.
How can that be? The answer they said is found in how the human metabolism works. Throughout history, humans have experienced ” feast” or ” famine.”As a result, our bodies are designed to burn calories in times of plenty…and store fat in lean times.
“We are finally figuring out after all these years that diets don’t work due to the body’s incredibly complex metabolic backup systems.”
You have probably heard that when you go on a diet and eat small quantities, your body thinks”famine.” This results in your body storing all the fat it can. The more time you spend eating small quantities, the more your body thinks it is starving, therefore storing fat.
If you are anything like me you have tried diet after diet, and lost and gained the same weight over and over again. These new findings seem to simply point out how the body works. It is a relief to know that it was not so much because of mine or your lack of discipline. This is encouraging to read and it now makes sense why some of the most sensible meal plans suggest eating every three hours. Also this explains why some claims are that you can eat all the time and lose weight. This reinforces the idea of consistently eating and having that ” balance of input and output which now makes a lot more sense.
Recommended Readings:
I Can Make You Thin, Paul McKenna, This book has a fantastic Meditation Cd that you listen to each night. Good Stuff!
Thin Within, Judy Wardell, How to eat and think like a thin person.
Naturally Thin, Bethanny Frankel,Unlease the Skinny girl and free yourself from a lifetime of dieting. I like that idea!
Free To Be Thin, Chapian and Coyle.This book links how to eat with how to live.
Think Yourself Thin, Debbie Johnson.Visualization techniques lead to weight loss without diet or exercise.
Benefits of Walking
We can take many things for granted, like walking. I am reminded of this today as I can barely get out of my chair. I injured my lower back moving heavy boxes and plants this weekend. I have a renewed enthusiasm for walking around when my back heals. This is one thing I won’t take for granted again for a LONG time.
Each day we limit the steps we take by driving or sitting for long periods of time. We become unconscious of it as we get busy with work and chores. Just think of all the benefits of taking a break and walking even a few blocks a day, not only for our health but for our spirit. As we walk, we connect with mother earth. If the weather permits you can get your much needed vitamin D from the sunshine and you can also build up leg muscles that will assist you in burning calories. If your weather is frightful, then you can walk on a treadmill or walk the halls of the mall.
- We can allow ourselves the time to stop and smell the roses.
Taking time to simply notice our breath while we walk will help us become more thankful that we can breathe and if you practice breathing mindfully, you can gain a sense of calm and tranquility. The problems and troubles of the day slowly fade away because we are in the “now.” You can’t be worried about your problems at the same time you are enjoying a beautiful bird song or watching a squirrel run up a tree with an acorn in his mouth.
Taking a few moments to walk each day and become more aware of what we take for granted will open the door for the beauty of the world around us to come in. We all need to experience more beauty in our lives so do yourself a favor and make a commitment to yourself today!
A Decision to be Happy!
Deciding to be Happy
We had our first Feel Good Gathering last night and I’m pleased that it happened in the first week of the New Year. Most of us want to see some action quickly after we have made a decision on changing our life or improving a portion of our lives and that’s exactly what we did last night. For those that like to be around happy, upbeat people or those that want to be one of those happy. upbeat people it was THE place to be.
Being happier requires taking inspired action, but it’s the action we take on the inside that makes the difference. If you surround yourself with like minded people and make a commitment to take inspired action then you will be well on your way to a DELIGHTFUL journey connecting to your higher self and living the best life you were meant to live. AND it will get easier and easier the more you practice.
Inspired action starts with an inner knowing of what is true and right without anyone telling you. When intuition puts you in touch with your higher self, you feel at peace, content, even in the midst of a difficult situation. Once you feel at ease and comfortable you can make the right choices. It really does come down to feeling. FEEL it and leap toward what feels good.
Some people call it intuition, hunches, sixth sense, higher self, or the inner voice. Whatever you call it, we all have it. Some people seem to have developed it better than others but that’s only because they’ve practiced. Have you ever had a hunch to do something that worked out well for you? You probably couldn’t explain the source of that thought, but you knew it was the right and good thing to do.
The best way to get in touch with your intuition is quieting the inner chatter. It’s then that you can hear your inner voice or intuition. We believe that the best way to start this practice is to meditate. As we discussed in our Feel Good Gathering, everyone is different so whatever way you can achieve this is fine. Try all kinds of methods and see what works best for you.
Some people have to physically sit still to shut off those thousands of thoughts that race through our heads (we like to call it our MONKEY MIND). Some achieve this through the many forms of meditation, others through self-hypnosis, and others through listening to soothing music but there are many more ways to quiet your inner critic. Walking in nature, watching fish swim around and around, sitting in front of a fireplace and one that was shared last night that EVERYONE could relate to was while in the middle of kids screaming and other irritating sounds while in a confined area like a plane is a decision that all is ok and just relaxing into all the noise, confusion and drama.
The more you practice getting in touch with your higher self or intuition, the more you will be able to FEEL the way you want to feel (GOOD) This will help you to allow in the relationships you desire and create the inner joy and happiness you deserve.
Sending this with LOVE,
Marian
Life’s Exhilaration
What a satisfying experience when you plan and execute a gathering of people with an intended outcome that comes to pass. Tonight the Good Life Guide hosted it’s first Feel Good Gathering for 2010. New faces and familiar faces from last year came together to discuss topics of mutual interest.
Our purpose was to share what we are learning in our discoveries of what we are calling practical spirituality. Practical meaning that we can apply what we learn to improving the quality of our daily life. We discussed the significance of being dedicated to the practice of certain disciplines that will enable you to enhance your intuitive gifts. We talked about the different approaches to meditation and how each individual’s experiences will differ. One participant shared how meditation on a noisy plane allowed her to ” go within” and therefore relax into letting others be exactly the way they are, therefore eliminating the stress of the moment into a quiet calm. Another participant shared a good book that she suggested we all read. Another said why she came was to experience happiness again as it has been a long time and she no longer liked herself.
We discussed meditation and then did a guided meditation using a candle. We took time to write out our intentions that we wanted to expand and grow in the new year. We then wrote down the things in our life in the past year that we wanted to “shed ” from our life.
Discussions were lively and gratitude was expressed with comments like this was exactly what was needed and how much the evening was enjoyed. The best thing was the confirmation that Universe gave as each person walked through the door with a smile and warm greeting like, “I ‘ve missed you.”
Comraderie is good food for the soul. It is like a beacon from a lighthouse on a dark night as the ship approaches the shores providing safety. Many people can feel lost in this world and there are some of us that intend to be of assistance in offering the helping hand to those who are asking for help in finding their way back to a joy filled life. Inventors have fun in finding a better way to do something. Spirituality and the practicing of the spiritual laws will with mathematical certainty give you astounding results when applied consistently. We love sharing the lessons as we learn them and are so appreciative of those who allow us to provide the forum for such exhilarating dialogues about life.
It is not by accident that the people who attended the meeting came together. We were all drawn together for reasons. The Source was with us.
In conclusion, a seeker came to his teacher to complain, ” Master, I am unhappy with the people in my life. They are unfaithful, inconsiderate. I am not wanted or appreciated. How can I change them?’
Replied the teacher, ” Change yourself”
The walk down the spiritual path is toward self change. If we reminded ourselves of this dozens of times a day, it would not be too much.
People and Problems
Marian and I send articles back and forth to each other when we like them or if they are thought provoking. She liked this one and said that she agreed with it 100%. She went on to say that we are human and will slip up but if we try to remember these simple yet profound ideas stated by Dr. Vitale then we can live with less (concern over our) problems for sure.
We both have had the privilege of hearing Dr. Joe Vitale speak and each time were so moved by his sincere desire to impact people in a positive and life altering way. He is an awesome speaker and we both loved this article and hope you will too. Dr. Vitale wrote this article providing us with three insights that if we can understand them and apply them then we could live problem free.
First, he wanted us to realize that we are problem-making beings. He said,
“It appears to be the human condition to find problems, create them, and/or attract them.”
He goes on saying that, even when you resolve your problems—almost instantly you will fill the gap with another one. “Nobody knows this,” he says, “yet it’s the key to living a problem free life.” Understanding that as one problem disappears, another problem bubbles up to take its place. That, he says is how the human mind works. You have heard the term, ” Drama queen,” and probably know one. Dr. Vitale says,”some people like drama more than others, but all of us attract problems simply it is in our programming.
Secondly, Dr. Vitale addresses the idea of being able to transcend all problems with detachment. Buddha says, “life is suffering, but once you realize that life is suffering, you no longer have to suffer.” You’re free. You can look at your life as if you are just playing your part in a play in the script of life. As you become detached—you also become awakened. You begin to witness these so called “problems” as an observer or as though you are watching them as if in a soap opera on television.
Third, problems are a result of our perspective. Vitale says,”A problem to one person may be a blessing to another.” He says, this depends on one’s intention—which directs your perspective. Dr. Hew Len, coauthored the book Zero Limits with Dr. Vitale and asks, “Have you ever noticed that when you have a problem, you are there?” The problem is yours — yours in both perception and responsibility. Clear those beliefs in you that see it as a problem and suddenly the problem dissapears.
Vitale urges us to consider that these three insights work for any problem. Have money problems? “It’s only a problem because you aren’t accepting what you have and are focused on what you want with a feeling of lack and possibly desperation.” He encourages us to be grateful for what you have now and want more. Doing this with both awareness and detachment, then suddenly the issue isn’t a problem anymore. Trouble with relationships ? Look at it the same way. Problems are only that because of your perspective that it ‘s a problem. From this other vantage point, it’s the next act in the play of your life.
To recap, the larger realization here is to realize that as a human you will always have problems. Always. Understanding and accepting that fact, frees you to see these as something that happened. From this point of view, you can lead an authentic problem free life. Dr. Vitale concludes,” Now you can live problem free by looking at your problems in a whole new way.”
Posted on 2 January '10 by Joan, under Good Life Guide. No Comments.
New Year New Me!
Here we are at the end of another year—with a new one— 2010 about to begin. Isn’t it the usual time to arrive at some new resolutions? Changes in oneself can be invigorating. It can also be daunting to attempt too many changes at the same time. What if instead of attempting to change any thing about yourself— you change instead the way you see yourself and your life. Instead, begin to more fully appreciate who you are and how you have spent this life becoming the amazing person that you are. Ask yourself what do you love about yourself. Mentally, list those things that people tend to love about you. Reflect on how your life works. Sit and ponder the things you absolutely adore about your life. Make a list of things you still love to do and will do more of in the new year. This will give you a surge of energy that will have you feeling really good about your life and the choices you have made.
It is possible that many of you may be facing challenges in relationships, careers, finances, or health. The difficult times come about as part of the package of life. Too many people to mention have overcome odds that were unbelievable and they came through the ordeal with new found strength. I know that personally, the violent loss of both of my parents at an early age was the most difficult ordeal of my life. The people surrounding me and holding me up helped me to see the blessings even in such a horrid event. So look beyond the challenges to the blessings that abound in your life. We all have them if we look with fresh eyes.
” It is in the knowledge of the genuine conditions of our lives that we must draw our strength to live and our reasons for living.” Simone De Beauvoir
Dr. Joe Vitale talks briefly about this concept in his book The Attractor Factor, when he says that if there is any one thing you can do in your life that will make the biggest difference, it is to be happy now. BE HAPPY NOW! Look around you at the comfortable home you have created, take a deep breath and feel vibrant health surging through your body. Hug your significant other and express appreciation to them. Give thanks that you live in an amazing world with so many opportunities and possibilities for creating a good life.
Wishing you the best that life can offer, 2010—the year to begin…
Positive Reactions to Life’s Challenges
Want to react better when life throws you a curve ball?
Each day we are faced with choices and if you stay aware when your life gives you a challenge or an opportunity to react, you can choose the experience that you really want. Watch your responses to events and people who scare you or make you angry.
- Remember that all of our experiences happen first in the mind. Everything we see and imagine, all we hear, feel, touch and taste are perceptions of our mind.
If you decide ahead of time you’re not going to react the way you have been noticing you’ve been doing in the past, but instead you react with a smile and an attitude of its ok, you will notice a HUGE difference. Ask yourself-How will I feel about this in 6 months, a year or 10 years from today?
Every moment of every day we make choices about what we want to experience. We really can select our response but it takes time and effort to reprogram your reaction if you’ve practiced a negative response for a long time. It’s worth it, so give it a try.
One of our greatest challenges is to become aware and awake as to what is happening in our thoughts. You need to get your conscious mind and your unconscious mind in the same vibration. Stay aware and choose better reactions and see how your life changes…for the better!
Try writing the experiences down in a journal and see for yourself how much better your life can be and the people around you too!
Enjoy your day!
Marian
