Julius

Autumn Rain

Live Each Day Like It's Your Last

It's funny you know, it doesn't matter what I read the theme is always the same. Complete happiness come from living in the now... staying in the present.

Most of us spend our whole lives living in the future or the past. We're either so focused on future goals and events, that we wait for life to be over... waiting for the weekend, or the next holiday, the next job.

Conversely if we spend our lives dwelling on the past, on missed opportunities, regretting life situations or our "cruel fate" that led us to our current situation, we have no hope of enjoying what we have.

Life is about the journey, not arriving at the destination.

When I was at the gym on Sunday I looked around at the other people working out. Mostly on a Sunday evening, it's the dedicated gym-goers, the very regulars. I had seen most of them many times before, and judging by the outstanding physiques (which I wish I had) they spend a lot of their time at the gym.

Now I'm not going to say that exercise is a bad thing, because it isn't, but it's obvious that the people I observed took exercise way past what is required for good health. Ignoring the fact that many of the guys were injecting or consuming something to make their muscles disproportionately large, these people were obsessed with their fitness and physique.

And I wondered... how many of those people with awesome bodies are happy with the way they look? How many of them want to shed a few more pounds of fat and gain a few more pounds of muscle? Looking at the amount of sweat being produced, I'd say most of them.

Which brings me to an interesting question. If any of them suddenly had a nasty accident and had a major disfigurement to one of their prominent and well-shaped body parts, how devasted would they be? Would they suddenly look back on what they used to have and appreciate it more? Would they wish for the disfigurement to be returned to what it was, and happily live in their 'old' body? Yes?

So why can't they live happily with what they already have?

Make the commitment to live each day like it's your last. Laugh, be happy and be in the present.

Worthy of Receiving

Christmas is only just around the corner and we've been conditioned since childhood to expect stuff. We get ourselves into a panic to buy presents for our friends and loved ones, and put in our requests for what we want.

Sometimes we get what we want, sometimes we don't.

But whether or not we get the newest toy we're looking for, that pales into comparison for what we really want.

"What do we really want?" You ask.

Isn't that obvious? We all want happiness in whatever package that comes. Whether it's a husband or wife, or a successful pregnancy, or fulfillment at work it doesn't really matter. We're looking for that elusive something that will make us happy.

Have you noticed that somehow it seems we usually don't get what will make us happy?

For all the gifts we receive, they feel like a band-aid over the cancer in our soul that keeps us unsatisfied. We can search outside of ourselves for ever to find something that will make us happy, but it never will.

The first step to receiving what it is we really want is to allow ourselves to accept it. That sounds simple but people will toil their whole lives searching for something... searching for meaning, all the while not realizing that all they had to was stop looking in places it will never be and just start accepting it in their lives.

What do I mean by this?

Allow yourself to be happy with what you have and who you are, and you're well on your way. Certainly, there may be circumstances in life that are less than pleasing, and there's no reason to be content with them. Take action to change a situation that doesn't work for you, but allow yourself to be emotionally detached from outcomes.

Know that true happiness, true strength and true love all exist within us everyday, and only we can take it away from ourselves by choosing to ignore it.

The more you see greatness in yourself, the more you'll receive.

So don't be concerned about whether you receive what you want for Christmas, you already have everything you could ever need.

We affect others

Today I received an email from a friend of mine in Australia, someone I did catch up with on my recent trip. It was flattering because she commented how she thinks of me often and doesn't miss me as much because she is reminded of me often as she sees my personality or traits in other people.

I only tend to think of people in my immediate vicinity as the ones I affect, but with these words, an occasional phone conversation, a Christmas card or whatever it is, there are positive messages that get passed on and stick with people.

The email showed me that we affect other people's lives even when we don't think about it. In this instance I was positively affecting my friend's life, but it's possible that we affect others in a negative way, without even knowing it, sometimes for many many years.

We all have a responsibility to our friends, family and neighbours to be kind and loving towards them. I read somewhere that we should treat everyone as though they are hurting, because the reality is that 95% of them are in some way.

Immaculee Ilibagiza - An Inspirational Person

The other day I was watching the television, and Wayne Dyer was on talking to a live audience on the theme of Inspiration. He was talking about some of the people who inspire him, and one of them was Immaculee Ilibigiza.

Immaculee Ilibagiza grew up in a country she loved, surrounded by a family she cherished. But in 1994 her idyllic world was ripped apart as Rwanda descended into a bloody genocide. Immaculee's family was brutally murdered during a killing spree that lasted three months and claimed the lives of nearly a million Rwandans. Incredibly, Immaculee survived the slaughter. For 91 days, she and seven other women huddled silently together in the local pastor's cramped bathroom, measuring three feet by four feet, while hundreds of machete-wielding killers hunted for them. The triumphant story of this remarkable young woman's journey through the darkness of genocide will inspire anyone whose life has been touched by fear, suffering, and loss. 'Left To Tell' is Immaculee's first book.

Wayne Dyer brought Immaculee up on stage and she spoke for a few minutes about her ordeal, and how she learned that it's important to forgive in spite of horrific actions like those in the Rwandan Holocaust. This isn't a book I have read, but after I'm finished with my current book it will be next.

What I also thought about was the fact that this lady inspired an inspirational man in Wayne Dyer, and it made me re-think about how I should begin living my life to be an inspiration to others. If I could inspire those who inspire others, then I'm really beginning to spread some good in the world.

It's always about taking small steps, and I'm taking those. Somewhere along the line I will take a big step, maybe that will be today... maybe tomorrow.

A Great Book - Divine Guidance

I'm always reading books these days, which is very funny if you could listen to me talk up to the age of about 25. I used to hate reading. In fact I chose my university degree and my subjects in high school based on the amount of reading required - less was better. As a result I studied a lot of subject that had numbers - Maths, Chemistry, Physics, Economics etc.

It's only been in the last few years that I've learned to appreciate the value of reading. I don't often get to story books, and mostly I read something non-fiction. Occasionally I'll pick up a story book... for myself of course, I don't just read Dr Seuss to my daughter!

I'm currently reading 'Divine Guidance', by Doreen Virtue, the second book of hers that I've read.

This book is a very helpful book for those looking to learn more about tapping into intuition and psychic information. It's actually the best book I've read on the topic and I would highly recommend it.

From the publisher:
In this text Dr Virtue explains how people are equally gifted in the ability and potential to communicate with God and angels. Through meditation, simple lifestyle changes, and understanding how to phrase questions, people can learn to break down the communication barriers, and learn how to listen.

Divine Guidance tells you how to have a dialogue with God and your guardian angels. Her central tenet is that everyone has the ability to talk with God and the angels; everyone has the ability to solve their problems with the help of these Divine powers. If you have financial problems, this book will tell you how to get out of jeopardy. If you're in a bad relationship, this book will guide you to something better. If a loved one has just passed away, this book will help you through those trying times. All of your most intimate questions can be answered by knowing who to ask and how to phrase the questions. Find the simplest, most effective, and life-affirming advice around-read Divine Guidance

A New Way of Thinking.

I'm tracking well with my three new habits. I've slept 23 hours in three nights, but that's over the weekend. I'm drinking the water, and my desk is tidy.

What I've noticed is how my thoughts have changed. Things that were "I ought to's" have now become conscious thoughts. I've never planned my sleep before, but I was thinking that with some Christmas parties coming up, I need to get some extra hours in to make sure I reach my quota. It's a totally new way of thinking.

And I feel a lot better now that I'm drinking more water, and come in to start the work day with a clean desk. You'll certainly hear more about this.

I just read a quote from Wayne Dyer that sums up my observations of what happens when you begin to change:

"When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change."

The Kiss

So far so good!

It's noon on December 1st. I got 7.5 hours sleep last night, (but that doesn't count towards the habit, although my body notices), I'm half way through my 1.5L of water and my desk is a mess.

So far so good!