7 Ways To Get A Positive Start On The Day

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How do you start your day? Is your first act intentional? Is it a reaction to something? Or is your first act of each completely random?

As a Deliberate Creator, every conscious act matters. And one way to get every day off to a great start is to make your first act of the day intentional. So here are a few suggestions that you might want to consider for your first conscious action of the day.

Smile: You’ll be amazed at how powerful that one act can be at setting the tone for your day. Do it no matter how tired you are, no matter how little sleep you got, no matter how much you’re dreading some aspect of your day. Smile. I love this quote from Thich Nhat Hanh: “Sometimes your joy is the source of your smile, but sometimes your smile can be the source of your joy.” When you think of something that brings you joy, a smile is likely to come naturally. Remember that a smile can brighten a person’s day. And if you wake up with a smile, it just might be your day that gets brighter.

Think of something joyful: Maybe you feel strange putting a smile on your face for no reason. (If you do, stop it!) But one alternative is to think of something that brings you joy and let that thought bring a smile to your face.

Think of your primary intention: What is the single most important intention that you have right now? How would your day change if your first thought upon arising was a positive thought about that intention?

Look at your primary intention: Remember Jack Canfield’s story in The Secret? He taped a “$100,000 bill” to the ceiling above his bed so the first thing he would see every morning would remind him of his primary intention. You can do something similar. Come up with an image, object or phrase that reminds you of your intention and tape it to the ceiling or place it beside your bed. And each morning, make sure your first act is looking at it and feeling it.

Send a positive thought to someone else: Sending a prayer or other positive thought to someone is a wonderful way to start your day. In order to send positive vibes to someone else, your vibration must be positive. So starting your day this way ensures that your vibration will start out positive.

Give thanks for what you have: One of the best ways to empower your day is to begin with gratitude. Instead of allowing your mind to jump to all the stuff you have to get done that day, intentionally guide your mind to focus on and express gratitude for all the wonderful things that you already have.

Say I love you: If you share a bed with a partner (and even if you don’t) one great way to set a positive tone for your day is to say “I love you” to them (or someone else) before you even get out of bed.

These are just a few suggestions. Any one of them will help you set a positive tone for the entire day… If you do it!

Posted by Edward Mills | Filed Under Deliberate Creation, Gratitude, Joy, Law of Attraction, Personal Growth, Well-Being, life hacks 

The Holiday Anti-Stress Guide: 19 Tips For A Relaxing Holiday Season

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holiday stress - personal growthSo here we are in the season of joy, but let’s face it, for many people, it should be called the season of stress. Shopping, parties, shopping, wrapping, traveling, cooking, eating, decorating, oh and did I mention shopping? They all add up to stress. At least they can if we let them.

It’s quite possible to have a stress-free, joy-filled holiday season, at least in theory. It really just takes a little bit of awareness and a just a bit of will power.

So if you want to wake up on January 1st feeling rested, and relaxed rather than run over by a Mac truck, take a look at these 19 simple tips for having a low stress holiday season.

1. Communicate early and often:

With all the added responsibilities and time drains during this season, communication with family and friends can take a hit. Have you ever had a conversation like this?

“What are you going to wear to the party tomorrow night?”
“What party?”

Or how about this one?

“Honey, do you remember what time Mike and Shannon are coming over tonight?”
“Tonight? What?!?”

Can you say stress?

Clear communication is always important, but especially so during this busy time. What parties have you been invited to? What parties are you going to? What parties are you declining? How much will you spend on gifts for family members? (Another big stress point is when a couple’s gift spending is way out of balance. You know, he gets her an emerald necklace, she gets him a necktie!)

Set up regular times to meet and talk about these issues. Set up a board for messages and notes. Set up a special holiday calendar noting parties, when guests are coming and travel plans.

2. Eat well:

At this time of year, it’s easy to fall into bad eating patterns. Temptaton is everywhere! Between the candy that started showing up in your office after Halloween and the Thanksgiving desserts to all the sweets you’ll find at your holiday parties, you’re likely to pack in a log of extra sugar, caffeine, alcohol and processed foods. All of these add to the stress on your body which, in turn, makes it more difficult for you to deal with any mental and emotional stress. So before you grab that fourth eggnog or that second piece of fruitcake, take a deep breath and ask yourself if you really need it..

3. Shop early:

Well I guess it’s too late for this one. But there’s always next year! Of course, if you were planning to do your shopping on Christmas Eve, you may still get some benefit from this tip!

4. Shop locally:

On Friday evening, my daughter and I did some of our holiday shopping. Instead of driving to a mall, sitting in traffic, jockeying for a parking space and waiting in long lines, we walked to town, wandered around the local shops, listened to some wonderful street performers playing holiday songs, and had a thoroughly enjoyable time. Even if you can’t walk to your local town, there is probably an alternative to the mall nearby which often makes for a much more pleasant shopping experience.

5. Shop online:

I love to support my local shops and do so as much as possible. But I’ll be the first to admit that online shopping is perhaps the ultimate anti-stress method for shopping. Books, electronics, CDs, games, you name it. It’s all available. Plus you don’t have to worry about bringing your packages to the post office. And many online shops will even wrap your gifts for you. Can you say, “Ahhhh?”

6. Delegate:

You can’t do it alone. If you’re attempting to do all the shopping, cooking, cleaning, wrapping, decorating and shipping all by yourself, you’re screwed. If you’re in a relationship or part of a family unit, this is where that clear communication comes in. Delegate! Get clear on what you’re going to do, what your partner will do, and what the kids will do. Make it clear that if they don’t do the tasks assigned to them, they’re not going to get done!

If you’re not in a relationship, fear not, this is where friends come in handy. Do your shopping together, have a wrapping party, share cooking duties. You can combine your tasks to increase efficiency, or you can just do your stuff together to make it more fun. Either way, it’s far less stressful than doing it alone.

7. Take time to relax:

If you think I’m nuts to suggest taking time to relax during this season, this tip is most definitely for you! It doesn’t have to be much: treat yourself to a 15-minute chair massage at the mall or market. Take a warm bath. Spend some time reading a mindless book. Close your eyes and meditate for a few minutes. Find time each day – even if it’s just 5-minutes – to unwind and bring yourself down from the fast pace of the world around you.

8. Get enough sleep:

At this time of year, burning the candle at both ends becomes the norm for many people. When you are sleep deprived, the effects of stress become much more noticeable. So during this holiday season, see if you can resist the temptation to stay up until midnight wrapping presents and checking your email.

9. Manage your time wisely:

In order to ensure a good night’s sleep you need to manage your time wisely. During the rest of the year, it’s possible to slack off a bit with time management and still get by. If we waste 20-minutes driving to an out of the way store for something we don’t really need it’s usually not a big deal.

The free online system, Simpleology 101, is a great tool for managing and tracking your tasks. It’s the system I use all year around, and it really gets a workout this time of year.

10. Set clear boundaries at work:

Whether you work for a company or for yourself, it’s important to set clear guidelines boundaries. How late are you going to work? What days are you taking off during the holiday season? Mark those times and dates in your calendar (USE BIG BOLD MARKERS!) and stick to it. If you’re taking off the week between Christmas and New Year, take it off, don’t “sort of” take it off. There’s nothing more stressful for you or your family than to feel pulled towards your computer when you’re supposed to be enjoying family time.

11. Be willing to say “no:”

How many holiday parties will you attend this year? How many events will you volunteer for? Remember it’s ok to say no. The urge to “do it all” and see everyone is strong. But it’s also stressful. At this time of year most people have multiple parties to go to on any given night. So they get it if you have to say no. Do yourself a favor: Enjoy one party fully, rather than driving around to three different events.

12. Consider going to just one family gathering:

Let’s face it, family gatherings can be fun and festive and filled with joy, or they can be boring, emotional and filled with stress. Either way, one is often quite enough. When you add in marriage, divorce, remarriage, and divorced parents, there is the potential for Christmas Eve and Day to a celebration of driving rather than a joyous time to connect with loved ones. As hard as it may be for you to believe, it is ok to tell your family that you won’t be visiting them this year.

13. Set a holiday budget:

One of the most stressful aspects of the holiday season for many people is the spending. Between buying gifts, traveling to see family, getting a tree and new decorations, the holiday season can be expensive. Without a a clear budget, it’s very easy to wake up to a bunch of credit card bills in January that are far worse than your hangover! Sit down with your family before the holidays (it’s not too late to do this now) and be honest about how much you want to spend and how much you can spend and how much you WILL spend. Feel free to tell your friends and family that you’ll be giving hand-made or inexpensive gifts this year.

If you’re looking for some inexpensive alternatives to the “usual” gifts, check out this post on inexpensive gifts that improve your life.

14. Exercise:

Running from store to store, brawling with other customers over the last Wii, and those 12-ounce curls while you’re watching the parade don’t count! Dancing at your office holiday party (if you really get down and funky) might count! Exercise is one of the best ways to release the stress. This is no time to indulge that inner couch potato. When you move your body the built up stress has a way to leave your body. And that’s good! So get to the gym or the yoga studio. Hop on that stationary bike or put on your snowshoes and get outside. But whatever you do, move your body on a regular basis.

15. Listen to Christmas songs (unless they really irritate you!):

I find Christmas songs very relaxing and fun and often funny. So at this time of year, when I’m stuck in holiday traffic, I surf the radio for some good holiday songs to sing along with. My wife, on the other hand, finds them extremely annoying most of the time. So this technique wouldn’t work for her! Use your best judgment.

16. Smile:

It’s the season of joy. Show it! When you’re out shopping, smile at people you see. Give a big smile to the cashier – believe me, they will appreciate it. And the best part is that your smile will make you feel better. Try it!

17. Breathe:

Sure, you’re breathing all the time. You’re breathing right now, I hope. It’s not like you’re going to stop breathing while you’re out there doing a marathon shopping spree. Well, you might actually. Not completely of course, but when we get stressed out our breathing gets faster, and shallower and we don’t get nearly as much oxygen as we need. So, when you find yourself stuck in traffic or waiting in the slowest line (again) or looking at a maxed out credit card bill, take a moment to remember to breathe and feel that extra oxygen working its relaxing magic on your body and mind.

18. Be nice:

I can’t think of anything more stressful than watching two grown adults fighting over a toy or arguing about who is first in line. Well maybe being one of those adults fighting over the toy would be more stressful. At this time of year, niceness goes a long way. When you’re checking out, ask the cashier how she’s doing, and really be interested in her answer. Give the waiter an extra tip, even if he didn’t do such a great job. Let the other person have that parking spot, even if you saw it first. Little things like this go a long way to bringing true joy to this season. And after all isn’t that what it’s all about?

And finally…

peace-on-earth19. Remember what this season is really about:

It’s so easy to get caught up in the commercialism of the holiday season. But what is this time of year really about for you? It doesn’t matter what your religious or spiritual beliefs are, take time to think about and remember what this season means to you. Shopping and gift-giving and parties and merry-making are all great. But when that’s all there is, it’s easy for stress to find it’s way into your life. When you remember what the holiday season means for you - whether it’s joy, compassion, peace, generosity, faith, love, or anything else – there is a calmness that descends upon you and helps you move through this stressful time with a feeling of peace.

So enjoy this holiday season. And if any of these tips help you get through it with less stress, I would love to hear about it. Leave a comment below. And also leave other stress-reducing tips that you use during this season.

Image Credits:

Grumpy Holiday Girl - Rosemarie Gearhart at iStockphoto.com
Holiday Massage - The Naked Photographer.
Peace on Earth - Lisa Norwood.

Posted by Edward Mills | Filed Under Joy, Personal Growth 

When In Doubt Do Something

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When in Doubt,
Do Something.
- Harry Chapin

I’ve written before about the importance of Action in the Law of Attraction. But because we talk so much about Inspired Action many people seem to have a hard time knowing where to start when they don’t necessarily feel inspired.

So the question often comes up, “How do I show the Universe what I want when I don’t know where to start? Don’t I need the inspiration to begin.”

Short answer: No.

Along the path of manifestation there will be many moments when, in order to see your your intention through to completion that you need to act even though you’re not feeling particularly inspired.

I sometimes get the feeling that many people are waiting for the lightning bolt to come from the Universe letting them know that “THIS IS IT!”

Well I don’t think it happens that way. It certainly hasn’t happened that way for me.

In my experience true, sustainable inspiration doesn’t come from the Universe but rather from within you. And the best way I have discovered to awaken my inspiration is through action.

I’ve shared this quote from Tich Nahct Hahn with you before. He said:

Sometimes your joy is the source of your smile, but sometimes your smile can be the source of your joy.

You could very easily replace smile and joy with inspiration and action:

Sometimes your inspiration is the source of your action, but sometimes your action can be the source of your inspiration.

As Harry Chapin said, in the quote above, “When in doubt, Do something!”

If you’re not feeling inspired, take action, any action, and allow that action to kindle the flame of inspiration within you.

If you wait for the inspiration to return, you may find yourself waiting for a long time!

But if you start moving, you’ll begin to find your inspiration bubbling up and out. And when that happens, you become an inspiration for others! You begin to uplift those around you. And that is what the Law of Attraction is all about!

So what action are you going to take today?

Posted by Edward Mills | Filed Under Inspiration, Joy, Law of Attraction 

Law of Attraction Carnival #23: Joy

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Welcome to the July 24, 2007 edition of the Law of Attraction Blog Carnival, the longest running blog carnival devoted to the exploration of the Law of Attraction and its powerful applications in daily life.

Next month is the one-year anniversary of the Law of Attraction Carnival! It’s hard to believe that this has been happening for almost a year.

To celebrate, and thank those of you who have been reading, commenting and contributing to this carnvial, I’m having a party!

I’ve got some great surprises planned for next month, including some great prizes for readers and contributors!

So be sure to tune in to Evolving Times for more information on the Law of Attraction Carnival Anniversary Celebration.

If you are not already receiving ET updates automatically, you can subscribe to the RSS feed, or enter your email below to receive email updates.

Enter your email address:

And if you have a Law of Attraction related product that you would like to add to the bag of goodies that will be given away during the one-year anniversary celebration, send me a note using the contact form above and let me know!

And now, onto the Carnival!

The topic of this edition is JOY. It’s been almost a year since we focused on Joy. And with summer in full swing it felt like a good time to bring it back around.

Joy is wonderful, and we all need to be reminded, from time to time, of the importance of focusing on and fully expereincing joy.

But we also need to remember that Joy is just one step on the emotional ladder and most of us won’t be able to stay on that step all of that time. And even if we could, I’m just not convinced that it would be to our benefit. After all, if we’re hanging out in one place, we’re not going anywhere!

I’ll be writing more about Joy in the future. But for now, let’s see what great insights our carnival authors have to share with us in this edition.

Featured Entries

Let’s begin with one of the most consistent and high-quality contributors to this carnival, Raymond David Salas presents The Power of Fun and Play posted at ZenChill.com Power Tools Blog. As the father of a 3 1/2 year old Attraction Master I can totally relate to the lesson from his niece after a tough softball loss: “But, didn’t you have fun playing? The only reason to play softball is to have fun, right?”

Next up is a new contributor, Dan Stone, who shares Following Your “Joydar” posted at The Shower Channel. Here’s a bit of what Dan has to say about Joy: “Joy is how you feel when you and the You you really are, are seeing from the same point of view. Joy is the homing device that tracks all that you have asked for, all that is waiting to be received by you, all that you are becoming as you become who You really are . . .”

Then there is Aldian Prakoso with Do What You Enjoy Doing posted at The Secret of Law of Attraction Accelerator. Aldian says, “Don’t know what will bring you joy? Then do what you love doing .It is the unfailing path to joy.”

And Enoch Tan presents Giving and Receiving with Joy posted at Secrets of Mind and Reality - MindReality.com. Enoch reminds us that “All giving is an expression of joy.” This is a great reminder, especially for those moments when we feel ourselves giving from a place of obligation or responsibility.

Beverly Keaton Smith presents Acts of Random Kindness posted at Embrace Your Gifts and Soar! She gives us Eight Ways To Bring ARK Into Your Life. And if you’re wondering, ARK is Acts of Random Kindness!

And finally, Pamm presents My Friend, Abraham posted at My Secret Spiritual Dance. This entry is not specifically focused on Joy. But it explores such an important aspect of the Law of Attraction - our willingness to fully experience all of our emotions -that it feels important to include it in the featured section.

That’s it for our Featured Law of Attraction Entries.

Now on to

The Best of The Rest!

Manifestation

Warren Wong presents The Life Pursuit Of Money posted at Personal Development for INTJs, saying, “Why should making money be a life pursuit? Because making money actually helps people! Here’s why.”

Tupelo Kenyon presents Manifestation Fill-in-the-Blank Affirmation posted at Tupelo Kenyon.

Millionaire Mommy Next Door presents Create Your Treasure Map To Riches posted at Millionaire Mommy Next Door, By taking the time to establish what real wealth looks like to you, you direct your efforts in ways that will make becoming rich, in your own terms, simple.

Israel Cruz presents The Secret Summarized - Byrne: 6/17/07 - 6/24/07 posted at The Secret Summarized - Byrne.

Cade Krueger presents Law Of Attr(action) posted at Write To Right.

Art of Allowing

Tristan presents How to Replace Limiting Beliefs With Nurturing Affirmations posted at The Synergy Institute.

edithyeung presents How to Clean Out Your “Closet”, and Make Space for More Good posted at Edith Yeung.Com: Dream. Think. Act..

Deliberate Creation

Susan Velez presents Faith What Is It? posted at The Secret To Life.

John Hill presents Making Money with the Law of Attraction posted at Universe Of Success.

Scott Allen presents John Assaraf and Murray Smith Interview posted at About Entrepreneurs, saying, “John Assaraf (one of the stars of “The Secret”) and Murray Smith (of Indian Motorcycle fame) talk with About.com Entrepreneurs Guide Scott Allen about entrepreneurial passion, success mindset, learning from failure, Law of Attraction, changing the world. Audio and full transcript both included.”

edithyeung presents Edith Yeung.com Dream Think Act » Blog Archive » I Have a Dream posted at Edith Yeung.Com: Dream. Think. Act..

Uni presents Law of Attraction-The 5 secrets of Visualization posted at You Deserve More, saying, “A great how-to about visualization!”

That’s it for this edition of the Law of Attraction Blog Carnival. You can read all the past editions on the Law of Attraction Homepage.

The next edition will be published on Tuesday, August 14th and 28th will be part of the Anniversary Celebration. The theme for August is, How Far We Have Come! Submit your best articles exploring what you have learned about the Law of Attraction in the past 12-months. Take time to think back on where you were and to give thanks for how far you have come. Share your success stories of the past year. And join in the celebration! You can submit your entries at the Law of Attraction BlogCarnival page.

And don’t forget, if you have a Law of Attraction product that you would like to donate for the party, let me know!

Posted by Edward Mills | Filed Under Carnival, Joy, Law of Attraction, The Secret, blogs 

Living Life For The Sheer Joy Of It

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Life isn’t measured by the number of breaths you take, but by the moments that take your breath away.

Unknown.

I left the house early this Christmas Eve morning to get a hike in before jumping into the final preparations for this evening’s gathering at our house.

There’s one section of Highway 12 on the way out of Sebastopol that reminds me of images of the African Savannah. It’s a wide-open expanse of field dotted with Oak trees and flowing gently into rolling hills in the distance. This morning there was a thin shroud of fog sitting over this landscape and the sky was filled with streaks of puffy, orange, sun streaked clouds.

I kept sneaking glances over to the right, admiring this beautiful scene as I drove, sensing that the sun was getting closer and closer to the horizon and hoping that it would make its appearance before I drove into the section of road with thicker trees that would block the view.

And just as I was thinking how much I wanted to see the sun come up over the hills in the distance, I glanced over and there it was: The brilliant, deep orange half-circle of the sun seeming to sit on top of one of these hills in the distance.

I had never seen the sun rising with such clarity and intensity. The slight fog seemed to both mellow and intensify the sun simultaneously.

This sight was so visceral and so unexpected that it broke through the defenses of my mind and entered directly into my heart. This vision opened me to the joy of being alive.

Gratitude, joy and wonder filled me and tears filled my eyes.

It seems to me that these moments of uninhibited joy are more reflective of our natural state then the vast majority of our time. This joy is normal. This joy is why we have come to this life.

We spend so much of our time “getting by,” and handling the day-to-day tasks of our life, we don’t often give ourselves the time and space to experience these moments of pure joy.

That is why when moments such as this break through the clutter of our mind and our over-filled lives, they have such power.

In that moment, when I saw the sun, sitting there on the horizon, so beautiful, so inspiring, so unique, I understood – for the first time all over again – that these are the moments we are here for. These are the moments that cause us to say, “yes” to life.

And somehow this vision, this message, this experience, this saying “yes” to life ties in to this season. Because, whether you celebrate the turning of the Earth towards the light, or the birth of a great master, or the rededication of and gratitude for the miracle of light, this time of year is a time of re-birth, of re-awakening to our reason for being here in this life.

We have passed through the darkest time, the longest night, and are now heading back into the light. What better time of year than now, right now, to reconnect to the parts of us that want to say “Yes” to life. These positive parts are always saying Yes.

And in this season of joy and peace lets all take the time to practice saying “yes” more often.

Posted by Edward Mills | Filed Under Inspiration, Joy 

Law of Attraction Carnival #7: Gratitude

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Welcome to the Law of Attraction Carnival # 7. The topic of this edition is Gratitude.

Those of us here in the US, just celebrated our holiday of gratitude, Thanksgiving. Regardless of what you might think about the history and origin of the holiday, the intention of Giving Thanks is extremely powerful. Spending a day focused on gratitude is a wonderful way to experience the many benefits of gratitude.

When you acknowledge, experience and express gratitude for what you already have, you offer a powerfully attractive vibration to the Universe. The Universe hears gratitude as a request for more.

My three-year-old daughter has not yet fallen into the trap of separating gratitude and desire. During one leg of yesterday’s drive from Boise to Boulder, my mother, Joan, was in the back seat playing with Ella. When Joan started playing “this little piggy” with Ella, each time the little piggy went “wee wee wee” all the home, Ella would spontaneously and naturally express her gratitude and joy through giggles and squeals and without any hesitation or resistance, express her desire clearly and firmly with “more,” or “do it again.” Joan, in the role of the Universe, responding to, and experiencing the contagious joy Ella was expressing immediately gave Ella what she wanted.

It seems like a silly example, but this is how the Universe works. Ultimately our Joy is the best expression of gratitude that we have. And, just like a doting grandmother, the Universe loves to see and share in our joy and gratitude. So when we express joy and gratitude the Universe wants to give us more of what we are grateful for. We knew this as children, but unfortunately, as adults, we tend to make things more complicated than they really are.

Here is a very simple cause and effect equation for you (and me) to remember:

Feel more gratitude – manifest more to be grateful for!

It really is that simple.

So let’s begin this carnival with an entry from Christine Kane who affirms the attractive power of gratitude by reminding us that: “Gratitude says, “Yes, I love this!” And then more of this is attracted, because the this is what you’re focusing on.
Read more from Christine in this entry about Why Gratitude Makes You Happier and Wealthier.

At A Better You blog, Patricia says “Grateful people not only count and take joy in their blessings, but they influence others with words and deeds by deliberately displaying their pleasure and appreciation to those who should receive it.” Read more at How To Develop An Attitude Of Gratitude.

Certainly, one day a year is a good place to start! (Better than nothing!) But Deliberate Creators know that nurturing an attitude of gratitude on a daily basis is one of the keys to manifesting intentions. In his entry, Gratitude, Good Times, and Glory Days
at Today is That Day, Aaron Potts reminds us that: “Just “going through the motions” of Gratitude won’t get you very far. However, truly, honestly feeling Gratitude on a heartfelt level at every possible opportunity could literally save your life some day!”

And if you’re wondering how to consciously bring more gratitude into your life Kristin Kopp at Nudges From the Universe, offers a simple, but powerful technique for Using gratitude in the process of Manifesting A Day At A Time.

And Christine Kane has another entry on Gratitude Journals And Why They Work.

I’ll leave you with this incredible image from Doug Alp at My Complete Life, a great reminder of how much there is to grateful for in the world around us.

And in case you have not yet heard about the Gratitude experiment, I encourage you to take a moment to watch the video and consider joining the global experiment. You can watch the Gratitude Movie here.

Thank you - truly - for your presence here and for your desire to experience and express more gratitude.

That’s it for this edition of the Law of Attraction Carnival. If you’d like to view past editions you can find them at the Law of Attraction Carnival Homepage. That’s also where you’ll find information about upcoming editions and submission guidelines.

Posted by Edward Mills | Filed Under Carnival, Deliberate Creation, Gratitude, Joy, Law of Attraction, blogs 

You’ve Seen The Free Hugs Video, Right?

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Sometimes I get so caught up in my little world of web cruising that I forget that not everyone spends as much time as I do online. Last week at my Internet Marketing for Deliberate Creators course, someone mentioned the Free Hugs video. It’s been circulating around the web for a few weeks, but less than half the class had seen it.

So just in case you have not had the chance to check it out… Here it is. Trust me, this one is definitely worth your time!

Posted by Edward Mills | Filed Under Fun, Joy 

How Will You Spend Your Dash?

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Well Steve Johnson, at the Fast Lane, has again turned me on to a great link. It’s a quick little movie that is well worth the three minutes it takes to watch. Go check out The Dash.

Posted by Edward Mills | Filed Under Death & Dying, Joy, Physical Body 

Light and Death

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With all this death swirling around lately – my uncle passed over the Labor Day weekend, and my father-in-law departed this past Thursday – I have been struggling with how to address the heaviness that surrounds death. I felt the heaviness when I returned from Boston after my uncle’s funeral and I feel it now as we prepare to leave Nashville where we’ve been saying our goodbyes to Melissa’s father.

And right in the middle of all this, Rob Brezny, the Free Will Astrology guy, came to the rescue with a bit of inspiration and assistance in my weekly horoscope. Here’s what he wrote a couple of weeks ago:

There was one main reason why America’s founding fathers gave Thomas Jefferson, not Benjamin Franklin, the job of composing the Declaration of Independence in 1776. They were afraid that Franklin, a compulsive teaser and trickster, would slip jokes into the document. In my opinion, we Americans would have been better served if Franklin had been chosen and allowed to mess around. After all, even the most profound commitments and weighty situations benefit from the leavening power of humor. Keep that in mind during the oh-so-serious games that are ahead for you, Virgo.

Hearing that gave me permission to lighten up a bit. Obviously, I’m not going to start cracking jokes when I hear of someone’s death or wear a clown costume to the next funeral I attend. But Brezny’s advice is sound, I believe, in that it reminds us of the importance of balance in all things, even death.

Is there really room for lightness and humor within the heaviness that surrounds death? I think so. Mark Twain, a master of bringing lightness to heavy subjects had this to say about age. “Age is an issue of mind over matter. If you don’t mind, it doesn’t matter.” It’s not a great leap from age to death. Certainly, age and death go hand in hand. And what is true for one must be true for the other. Therefore, death also, is an issue of mind over matter. If you don’t mind it doesn’t matter.

Thursday morning as I was preparing to fly down here to Nashville for the funeral, I spoke with my friend Duane Vos of Creative Window Fashions. He reminded me to have fun. “Have fun?” Are you crazy? “Remember, it’s all about fun,” he teased.

Thanks for the reminder Duane. It truly is all about fun. We’re here for joy, to enjoy this journey, all of it! Even, and maybe especially, our transition back to our Source.

 

Posted by Edward Mills | Filed Under Death & Dying, Joy 

Law of Attraction Carnival - Joy

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Welcome to the September 26th edition of the Law of Attraction Carnival. The topic of this edition is Joy. If you have spent any time at all studying the Law of Attraction you know that much of the information focuses on joy. Joy, it is said, is one of the most positively attractive vibrations that you can offer to the Universe. When you are feeling joy you are aligned with your desires, you are connected to Source, and you are drawing to you, things, people and events that are aligned with your desires.

Seems pretty straightforward, except for one thing. There is joy and then there is JOY. We have all experienced those fleeting moments of joy that bounce us up the emotional scale for a moment or a day or a week, only to find ourselves back down near our emotional set point when the moment has passed. This is joy. This is a feeling driven by external events. It is not powered from within but fueled from something outside. Because of that, its very nature is transient, temporary.

The other joy, the big JOY, the JOY that is powered from within, is not transient. It is, I believe, an expression of our true nature, an expression of our connection to Source moving through us. This JOY is not fueled by external circumstances. This JOY is independent of circumstances, events and things. When we are aligned with this JOY, what we have, who we are with and what is happening in the world around us are irrelevant.

Does this mean that the small joy is bad or that, as Deliberate Creators, we should seek to avoid the small joys and strive only for the big one? Absolutely not. For those small joys – the moments when we look into a lover’s eyes, or hear the innocent giggles of a baby, or step back and look with joy at a work of art we are creating – are moments that give us a taste of the big JOY. And each of those moments offers a potential doorway into the big JOY.

Yes, seek joy, step into the world following your guidance into relationships, places and situations that hold the promise of joy, but know that ultimately what you are seeking is the big JOY, the JOY that flows out from you into the world independent of anything around you.

So here then, are some entries from the blogosphere that focus on the topic of joy. Enjoy them. Pun intended. And see if you can begin noticing when you are experiencing joy and when you are experiencing JOY!

Dave Trager is right on in this entry: We came for the joy of expansion. That’s big JOY there, by the way!

At The Path of Power, Hieu Doan provides some good tips for integrating Visualization  into our lives. A very powerful process, as you become more proficient at visualizing, is to visualize JOY on a daily basis.

Raymond David Salas, at Zen Chill, has this entry on How to Be Irresistible. One of his tips is to Focus on what you love and enjoy. Yeah to that!

Over at the Glittering Muse, David Thomas has a wonderful entry about Wine as Life Shared. You can just feel the Joy swirling around in those glasses as he breathes in the aromas and lets those flavors awaken his taste buds. Ah, joy!

I’m going to pop one of my own entries into this Carnival as well. The article, Caution, Singing Driver or Tears of Joy Ahead, offers a personal look at the power of joy.

Bryan Flemming has this day-20 update on his Million Dollar Savings Club. Can’t you feel the joy as you count those dollars?

Kevin Chu at Smart Living for Smart people reminds us that setting goals will bring us great joy if we Don’t Wait Until it Hurts.

And finally, Alexander Becker, at WOW, inspires us to Leap Forward and Benefit from Nonlinear Growth. Leap on over to WOW right now and begin Leaping into JOY.

That’s it for this edition of the Law of Attraction Carnival. Our next edition will be out on October 10th. If you would like to submit an entry for an upcoming edition, please view the submission guidelines on the Law of Attraction Carnival homepage and then head on over to the blogcarnival site to submit your entry.

Until next time, enJOY!

Posted by Edward Mills | Filed Under Carnival, Joy, Law of Attraction, blogs 

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