There is a rich social and divine history shared between tabletop fountains and feng shui. Feng shui experts strongly conceive that a thoughtfully fashioned tabletop fountain is destined to attract victory to your life. If used falsely and unsuitably, a tabeltop fountain can cause more harm than good.

Avoid the next three faults when expending a tabletop fountain for your home or office:

1. Do not coomit the error of stationing the tabletop fountain on the right-hand side of the door. When placed on the “right” side of the door, a water fountain attracts infidelity in your life. Your wife may betray on you if you don’t place the water fountain on left side of the doorway. The left side here pertains to the side that you may see when you look at the door from the interiors of your house.
2. It is important to pick a water feature that is not too big for room that it is going to be located in. Large water fountains (e.g. a shishi odoshi) are simply too energizing for a small room.
3. It is important to pay attention to the statuettes and other ornamentation that your ornament your fountain with. figurines that are expressing destructive pictures and images should not be positioned by your tabletop fountain Ideally, one should place sacred or natural statuettes to heighten the beauty of tabletop fountain and produce a advantageous & tasteful atmosphere.

You are sure to receive these gains of a tabletop fountain, regardless of your profession - whether you are an NJ Accountant or a North Carolina Attorney.

In various situations this month I found myself explaining
the important state of “being in the moment.” This means
choosing to be completely conscious of every breathing
second, being mindfully aware of what is going on right here
and now, in your experienceand this includes any thinking
you do about the past or future. Being fully aware of this
moment, right here, may remind you that your experiences
do not always have this quality of awareness or
consciousness. You may even realize you’re quite often in a
robotic state where you’re not mindfully aware of what’s
going on. You may know on some level that you’re unhappy
but you probably don’t realize most of the time that you have
an option not to be unhappy.

Sometimes while you are home your thoughts are still
absorbed with solving the challenges you face at work. And
when you are at work you find yourself worrying about
problems at home. You may even go through the day
without really listening to what others are saying to you. You
may be hearing the words, but you’re not absorbing the
message. When you’re not fully in the moment, you could
find yourself involved in yesterday and tomorrow, and never
even notice that today is slipping by. You could end up
going through the day rather than getting something from
the day.

It’s important that you take the time to observe and ponder
what is happening around you. Be alert. Be awake. Let life
and all of its subtle messages touch you. Often, the most
extraordinary opportunities are hidden among the
seemingly insignificant events of life. If we do not pay
attention to these events, we can easily miss the
opportunities. If we were to metaphorically describe our
lives as precious paintings, then wouldn’t you say each
moment in our lives is like an invaluable piece of the grand
painting? No matter how simple, complex, high or low the
moment may be, it is still nevertheless a piece that
contributes to the outcome of your grand painting. As you
paint the grand picture of your life, every moment requires
your equal respect and undivided attention.

Let’s say you want to paint a picture to include a sun, some
mountains, a stretch of green grass and a sea of water, but
you’re having a tough time drawing the sun so you decide to
scratch it out, or give it far less attention than you do the
other elements in the picture. What do you think your grand
painting will look like now? Realistically, without the sun,
can the clouds still have a sun lit glow? Can the grass still
be green as ever? Will the day be bright enough for you to
enjoy the view of the mountains? Do you see how
everything interrelates and affects each other seamlessly?
And so it is important that you’re fully present and always
aware as you paint the grand picture of your life. Hold your
brushes firmly and paint all your moments well.

Being in the moment is learning to be wherever you
arecompletely. It is developing a unique focus on the
current moment, and drawing from it all of the substance
and wealth of experience and emotions that it has to offer; it
is taking time to watch a sunset; it is listening to silence; it is
capturing each moment so that it becomes a new part of
what you are and of what you are in the process of
becoming. Being in the moment is not something you do; it
is something you experience. When you’re truly aware of
each moment, it is also no extra effort on your willing behalf
to seize the question, How can I take this moment and turn it
into something great? With this question in mind you’ll
certainly recognize every moment to be pure potentiality of
something greater than you can imagine, and it will be then
that you master the art ofnot just living, but living well!

Copyright © 2005 Penny Phang Enterprises Inc. All rights
reserved.

Penny Phang is one of Canada’s nominated Top 40
Under 40 business leaders, recognized for her
commitment to provide strategic business
communication and marketing services with inspiring
enthusiasm, creativity, and elegance. She is also well
known as the Producer for Playboy Special Editions for
Western Canada and Founder of Penny Best Jewelry.
In addition, she serves as one of the Board of Directors
for Global Reach Organization, and continues to write
for her monthly inspirational lifestyle column, Moments
of Inspiration with Penny on http://www.pennyphang.com.

March 26th is Make Your Own Holiday Day. This is one of the most flexible holidays. You can celebrate this day for any reason you wish. It is for you. Make a day to celebrate a day you have forgotten, or invent one for your fun. There is no compulsion and no common theme for the day. This day is for each of us to enjoy a holiday. I have not been able to find out how this tradition originated.

But is a great idea. Make a holiday today, if it is 26th March. Why not to expand the idea a little further and begin celebrating many more days for no rhyme or reason but to enjoy and have fun? All right, we need not take a holiday from work on all such days, but can try to create a holiday-like atmosphere. Can this not be done? Let me elaborate. For example, I make 7th of every month a special day for myself. I work on that day, but try to bring in as much fun as possible. Throw parties, go walking, take life little less seriously and try to fill the day with as much joy as possible. I hope that I am making myself clear.

All of us have conditioned our minds. We will celebrate each holiday on a particular day and follow the particular tradition for that. Why? Why not to be little more inventive and create our own holidays along with other traditional ones? Imagine 12 more days a year full of fun and joy. Let me give another example. Say, I was born on the 10th July. Generally, I will celebrate my birthday on that day every year. Why cannot I call every 10th my birthday and have fun? No, I am not asking for presents for twelve birthdays, but at least nothing can stop me from giving a treat to my friends? Nothing can stop me from enjoying the 10th of every month as my birthday and carry that cheer in my heart? I am not asking my friends to send me cards, but won’t they be happy to get an ecard from me thanking them? Or an ecard to say a Hello? Or an greeting card to wish Good Morning?

Only our attitude stops us from making a day cheerful for our friends and ourselves. 26th March reminds us of the immense possibilities of human imagination to make our life a beautiful life. Best, let us make everyday a holiday. Let everyday be a holiday from worries and stress. Give tension a holiday everyday. Give a very long and permanent holiday to all those emotions such as jealousy, worry, stress, tension, and their friends.

CDMohatta writes for Animated Screensavers and Wallpapers on inspiration. He also writes text for inspiring greeting cards. To view the content text, you can download screensavers and wallpapers. To send eCards, you can visit Ecarduniverse.com and Cupidecards.com

Poverty can sometimes only be a state of mind, based on our perception and what we value in life. It is also a disheartening reality for many. The Webster dictionary describes poverty as having a chronic need for money and material goods. How many of us in America one of the richest countries in the world, have this chronic need to have and desire more and more?

Earlier this year I visited my native country of Belize. A relative of mine invited me to her country home. I noticed that my cousin took a lot of food supplies with her. I did not question her actions but noted that she said we were going for one night. After we got to our destination, I went exploring by myself. When I returned she invited me to accompany her as she visited with some of the local villagers. She drove about a mile along a lagoon that was partially dried up. As we neared the end of the sand path she pulled up in front of a shack. She greeted a rather plump girl who appeared very young. As they exchanged greetings, the woman’s face lit up. My cousin handed her a large portion of the food supply she had brought with her. The woman thanked her and went on to say she had some wonderful news. Without hesitating she began to narrate the events of her day. She attended church that morning. After the service commenced the pastor placed fifty dollars in her hands! She said, she rejoiced as she walked back home.

“When I left for church this morning she continued, I did not have any money. There wasn’t any food in my house to feed my children.” She ended with; “Something tells me that this is only the beginning of many good things to come.”

Later that day, after our initial encounter I talked with her a little more. I asked her about her family and children. She was indeed very young. I was almost twice her age. I did not see that we had much in common, with having a number of children as the exception. I shared that with her. I did not see the point in sharing much else. She was bubbly and cheerful the whole time we chatted. I responded to her in our native tongue. Doing so enabled me to identify a little more with her. She was blessing me in an unusually way. I began to examine myself. If I was ever poor I was not cognizance of it. This woman had a richness of spirit. Did this is mean that I now possessed a poorness of soul? Or had my priorities changed? How could that poverty-stricken woman be so satisfied with her nothingness? I have so much and I aspire to have much more.

Hunger is a daunting reality that ravishes the body and eventually deprives it of its very being. Slavery and abuse brings about poverty for many. They bind up any one who becomes a victim to any of them. Of any of these do we know which the more potent offenders are? In our quest to eradicate poverty should we try to eliminate every circumstance that brings it into being?

Charity begins at home. If we are unable to see the need of those around us, chances are that we will not be able to comprehend the needs of others we are not familiar with. Aren’t our own children starving for our love and attention? Do we as parents even have enough time for ourselves? Is our busyness justified because it emanates from our trying to fill our children’s and our own chronic need for money and material things? Are we in our country of abundance dying because we have this deep hunger within our souls? Are we enslaved by our possessions? Is this the reason we are less able to give? Are we trying to fill our own hunger with material wealth and entertainment? Is this the reason our deprived children are dying via their own hands? Can we truly as another sort of improvised nation make a significant contribution when we too are suffering as a result of our own wants?

I applaud Live 8 for the wonderful job they are doing in bringing about world wide awareness. After coming face to face with poverty, I had to examine my own thought process. I made no attempt to influence the young woman’s beliefs or to discourage or encourage her with my ideals. I believe that the first step is to accept that wealth and poverty come in many forms. People can be rich with material things but poor in morals and relationships. In contrast others can be poor in material things but content with the things that bring meaning to their lives. It is essential however, that all human beings have the basic necessities, like clean water, food and shelter.

For the most part, funds contributed to aid in providing these basic needs are not enough to reach all areas of our world. Individually one may not be able to contribute a large portion of money but together our help makes a difference. Who needs twelve pairs of shoes when they can only wear one pair at a time? Think about contributing the four dollars you spend a day for coffee, to help provide clean water for an entire village.

Ruth Andrews Garnes was born in Belize the second of six children. She moved to New York City at age eighteen. After studying nursing she worked in the emergency room in Bellevue Hospital. She currently resides with her husband and seven children in the Houston Texas area. Having always had a heart for hurting children she adopted four sisters. Through her writings she hopes to be able to make a difference to hurting children everywhere by giving a voice to their struggles.

visit her web-site at http://home.earthlink.net/~rgarnes

“…For in You the fatherless find mercy” (Hosea 14:3); “And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise” (Galatians 3:29).

I was adopted when I was five by a gentle man who I knew loved me. Many years later I married and had children who he loved just as much as he loved me. When he was 65 he died suddenly and months later our oldest son died. Shortly after, I joined a group to search for my biological father. At the time I thought it would comfort and support me to find my “real” father.

I went for about a year. During that year I wrote different places trying to get information and usually came up with little to nothing. Finally, at one of these meetings I listened yet again to the accounts of money and time spent searching for a rainbow that could just as easily turn into a storm. One day I decided at a meeting that I already had a Father who cared: “When my father and mother forsake me (for whatever reason), then the Lord will take care of me” (Psalm 27:10). Our Father’s mercy train had carried me through lands of both joy and sorrow this far, so why was I wasting His time and money reversing the train? The thought nourished me, and I didn’t go back to any more meetings.

I certainly don’t mean to criticize those who dig for their unknown roots. I rejoice when I read an account of relatives who have been brought together through these organizations that have done so much good work. But I felt that, if I personally kept pursuing the search, I was telling my Father that I lacked faith in Him that He would finally answer all my questions. Anyway, it wasn’t really necessary that I know. I felt enormous relief when I finally accepted this.

John 14:18 tells us: “No, I will not abandon you or leave you as orphans in the storm — I will come to you.” In this beloved chapter, Jesus promises the Presence of the Holy Spirit at all times for us. We need never feel alone! In this day of aloneness in the crowds, what a dear promise this is. In Zephaniah 3:17 NIV, we learn that “The Lord your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing.” I particularly like the promise of God quieting us with His love. We really don’t have to worry about the peripherals in life when we have the Principal.

I suppose I also felt finally that it was a dishonor to my stepfather who was the only father I knew and loved. Again, this is not to disparage those who do searches. It’s only that I so believe that my heavenly Father filled the gap nicely, and I’d best leave it alone.

Thank You, Father, for being my Father!

Opening up to a world of unlimited possibility demands that I stand in responsibility for the choices that I make. This begins with the realization that I, not the mind, am the author of my life.

My mind is a stimulus response mechanism. Therefore it does not actually think, it concludes. When I unconsciously behave out of my recurring thoughts I am no longer thinking, I am reacting.

I think, and the mind records it as a thought, a particle of information.

The minds purpose is to assure my survival and the survival of whatever I consider myself to be at any given moment.

It records my present experience and by means of association with past information, it responds with a conclusion. It can only work within the limits of the information it has.

If you look the other way when I am talking to you my mind may interpret that to mean that you are not hearing me, invalidating me, disinterested, antagonistic, or any myriad of meanings that are brought about through association due to past information, therefore reinforcing its own prior conclusions. In this sense the mind is trapped in its own beliefs.

Simply said, when I look out into the world my mind interprets the information to mean something and the purpose of its conclusions is to always uphold and defend my survival.

The mind operates within a structure of survival and resistance tapes. It draws to it what it concludes I need in order to survive and resists what it concludes is a threat to my survival.

If my mind concludes that I am unacceptable yet also concludes that I need acceptance in order to survive, a problem occurs. If I agree with these conclusions I spend my time seeking acceptance and resisting it at the same time. The effect of this behavior is the essence of pain and unfulfilled desire.

To get outside of this scenario I must cultivate the ability to challenge the minds beliefs by remembering that it has no choice and therefore is bound within the information it has and the conclusions that have developed into beliefs.

It is designed to do this. It is not the minds fault.

Pure Being is Source. A Source is a point of origin. Nothing comes before it. It is Cause and Creator, also known as Spirit, and Self.

Choice is a quality of Pure Being. In order to create, the Creator must have a choice as to what will be created.

Choice is a function of Responsibility. Therefore responsibility abides with Source, the Creator.

Pure Being, Cause, Spirit, Source, Self, is all inclusive. There is nothing outside of it. It is not limited, has no boundaries and therefore is immeasurable. It is a no thing. Yet all things occur in it.

An effect is not a source. The mind is an effect and therefore is not a cause.

An effect is caused by Source for a purpose. The mind was created for the purpose of retaining information. It has boundaries and therefore is measurable, if not it could not hold thoughts. It is a thing.

The conceiver (me) is always greater than its conception (mind and its content).

A conception has no choice other than to be the thing conceived.

I Am not my mind, I Am not my thoughts, and I Am not my feelings or any of the minds content. I simply have a mind, I have thoughts, I have feelings and I have past experiences.

I am greater than these. I Am a Pure Being. I Am a Source, a Cause, and a Self.

So are you.

This realization is an awakening, a shift from an unconscious way of being to a conscious and responsible life.

The challenge is to daily, hourly, consistently remind myself that I Am not my mind and that I have freedom of choice to create beyond what the mind knows.

Permission: to give formal consent, to allow, to permit or to authorize.

Today I give myself permission to “Tell the Truth”.

I can do this by asking my Self if the information the mind is proposing, or the thoughts I am thinking, or the story the mind is concluding via interpretation is the absolute truth.

The information in my mind may not always be true. Conclusions are not necessarily the truth.

Feelings are the natural occurrence of the thoughts that foster them. I feel my thoughts, however just because I feel a thought does not mean it is true.

Most often we let our thoughts and feelings dictate our behavior without asking if it is the truth.

I, not my mind, am responsible for the behavior I demonstrate.

The thoughts, feelings, or stories, are not responsible because they do not have freedom of choice. I Am responsible. I chose to agree with them an acted accordingly.

Cultivating the ability to step back and consider whether or not I choose to agree with the minds current conclusions, at any moment, enhances my ability to communicate and behave responsibly.

The freedom to choose not to agree with the minds conclusion is disciplined denial.

Happiness is a function of accepting what is.

By stating the facts only regarding what is happening in present time, with nothing added on and no interpretation or fantasy, I allow everything to be just as it is.

Today I give myself permission to “Go for Results”

I can do this by being willing and eager to function outside of my minds need to be right.

Having to be right keeps the mind from going for a result beyond what it already knows.

Doing the same thing over and over and expecting new results is one definition of insanity.

The mind is functioning within its limited belief system and cannot be absolutely certain of what another is thinking or feeling. It also does not absolutely know what the next moment might bring.

The mind however, pretends it knows and can become painstakingly reasonable about it when its perceived authority is threatened.

Reasons, justifications and excuses are the content within the mind and therefore do not have choice.

When the mind becomes stuck in being right it cannot, on its own, experience the freedom of allowing any new possibility to occur outside of what it already knows.

I have choice and therefore I Am responsible, not my mind, for agreeing with the minds reasons, justifications and excuses for not going for a new and original result. Therefore I am responsible for staying stuck.

Ask yourself “Do I want to be right, or do I want new, fresh, and novel results?”

Having to be right also fosters anger, arrogance and hatred. Ask yourself “Do I want to be right, or do I want to be happy?”

Life becomes repetitious and stagnant when I give up my authority over the mind. By allowing my past to determine my present moment and also my future I suppress and dominate the possibility of miracles, spontaneity, discovery, and breakthroughs.

Today I give myself permission to “Maintain My Freedom of Choice”

The new information, goal, objective or result I create can be experienced as an infringement by the mind and it can become annoyed and frustrated. After all it often feels more comfortable being right than it does in opening up to something new.

Including something new can sometimes feel confusing.

The tendency at this stage is to attempt to avoid responsibility and stay stuck in the mind.

Here it is essential that I maintain my freedom to choose over the minds conclusions and the corresponding feelings.

To accomplish this it is essential to include the disciplined denial that is needed in order to tell the truth, and the willingness to imagine a result beyond what the mind insists on being right about.

By incorporating these three simple principles; Telling the Truth, Going for Results, and Maintaining My Freedom Of Choice, I can manage the authority problem and remain open to my potential and a world of new possibilities.

These principles are a few of the distinctions delivered and experienced in The Liberty Experience Training.

Knowing them intellectually is the booby prize. Experiencing and demonstrating them is the gift and creates expanded consciousness.

Come join us and open up to a universe of unlimited possibilities and actualize your potential.

Have Fun!
Blissings,
Matt

Matt Garrigan is a motivational speaker, the founder of LifeForce Educational Corporation and the creator of The Liberty Experience Training, The Mastery Course and the Awakened Potential Course. Matt has been a pioneer in the human potential movement since 1980. His exceptional goal oriented coaching techniques, expanded consciousness training, awareness counseling, integrity coaching and spiritual guidance have assisted thousands of individuals in transforming the quality of their lives. As a motivational speaker Matt’s ability to uniquely integrate many different philosophies and practices, combined with his steadfast commitment to empower people, makes his work a potent, life enhancing experience that sheds light on new possibilities in communication, relationship, prosperity and enlightenment.


You may reprint this article in your newsletter as long as appears exactly as printed above including the links.


© Matt Garrigan - http://www.mattgarrigan.com

Lotus flowers grow from their roots in muddy pools, yet they retain their purity. Pine trees flourish in fierce winds and bitter snow, but this power of endurance makes them an extraordinary species. Like the lotus and the pine tree, an extraordinary person is born. There is a saying, “From a poor family comes a respectful son. From a troubled country comes a loyal official.”

This is a story of a master in China:

“During the Yuan Dynasty, there lived a man by the name of Xu Heng. He was fleeing from war with a large group of people and they were all suffering dreadfully from thirst. Then they came upon some pear trees, heavily laden with ripe and juicy fruit. Being so thirsty, they all pushed and jostled to pick the fruit except Xu Heng who sat quietly under the tree, taking a rest.

One of them ran over to him and said:

Listen. In troubled times like this, the owner of these trees would have run off a long time ago. No-one owns these pears, so why not pick them?

Xu Heng replied:

Just because these pears have no master, should my heart also be ungoverned.”

Naturally, people will not practise negative deeds if the situation never arises. Those who don’t know about smoking will not smoke. Those who don’t know how to gamble will not gamble and those who have no knowledge about alcohol will not drink. This is the natural way of people. It is those who have the chance to engage in such activities but choose not to be involved exhibit extraordinary integrity. Given the chance to accept bribery, they choose not to give in to temptation. It is rare to find this type of person whose resolution does not waver or become confused by the temptations of the world. Such people have great determination and will power and they can be the masters.

A person can have no achievement unless his unchanging heart is in control otherwise his mind is constantly changing by the environment and he can become enslaved by the physical aspects of life. He is easily moved by the environmental conditions and circumstances, swept back and forth with the tides and waves of the world. This is the advice from a Saint:

“In our cultivation we must remain uncontaminated by the black dye (the dirt of the world), undiminished by grind and polish (difficulties), unsubdued by force and undaunted by poverty. In other words, as we live in this world of temptation, it is important not to be contaminated by the dust and dirt. Be in the world, but do not be tainted by it. We must recognize our direction in life and not be manipulated or misled by our environment. Adopt the bearing of a true cultivator who is not swayed by the force of circumstances. Use our wisdom to guide us so that we will not be confused. In this way we can cultivate with determination and not give up when times are hard. We can then proceed to refine ourselves and finally become people with extraordinary qualities.”

It is natural that when we first deviate from the path of truth, we experience a guilty conscience but we tend to ignore the inner heart of this conscience and continue on our path of unrighteous thoughts and actions. If we continue in this way, the conscience slowly becomes insensitive and eventually it becomes no more than an empty and meaningless word. There is a saying:

“When the fire of anger and the water of desire reach boiling point, a person may have a clear understanding of truth, but still violate it regardless of his understanding. Who is the person who has the understanding? Who is the person who violates the truth? If you can transform your negative qualities with great determination, the devil in you can turn into a true cultivator.”

Let the principle of life and your conscience guide your actions. Recognize the fine line between the principle of truth and human desire. Learn to see the difference and not be tempted into it. You can then walk unswervingly through the hustle and bustle of the world and remain unmoved by the torrents of material world. The advice of how to be a master:

“Stand on Heavenly principles and you will be strong. Seek according to human desires and you will be weak. A person who is strong has a heart that is unaffected by wealth or poverty, nobility or humility, disasters or fortunes in the world. A person who is weak has a heart that is moved by temptations as small as a feather.”

To lead a meaningful life, we must extend our strength and wellbeing to others by spreading the knowledge of truth wherever we go. To achieve such strength we must emulate the compassionate heart of saints and sages. Do understand the essence of our conscience and don’t let the heart full of desires and ignorance becomes the basis of our thoughts and actions. Be a master.

Author: T.A Chew

T.A Chew has a great master of Tao of Heaven that he would like to emulate. It is an example of a meaningful life where the conscience rules the heart. If we have to unlock the door which keeps the conscience a prisoner, do it immediately so that we too can be the masters. Website: http://www.white-sun.com

In many ways, you probably know how to live a simple life, but do you want to? Many want the complexity and constant drama of their lives. This is something we each have to look at honestly. However, some of us really want simplicity, and some would want it if they knew what it felt like to live more simply and at peace. Here are a few ways to get there.

Just Say No … Or Say Yes

An important secret to how to live a simple life is to learn to look honestly at how life gets complicated. This may be different for each of us, but there are some common habits we share. One such habit is taking on new responsibilities without fully acknowledging the costs and complexities they add to our lives.

When a man buys a boat, for example, does he usually think about the time he will spend maintaining it and cleaning it? Does he think about the trip to the insurance office for insurance, the necessity to shop for accessories like life-jackets and fire extinguishers? Does he remind himself that boats break down, and he’ll have to deal with hauling it someplace to have it repaired? Does he consider the trailer-hitch he’ll need, the tarp to cover the boat, the tarp to replace that one when it tears, the bearings in the trailer wheels that will someday fail. Finally, Does he think about the hours he will be committed to working to pay for all this fun?

It isn’t about the boat, by the way. There’s nothing wrong with owning a boat. With nothing else was going on in his life, all of the above could easily be a part of “the simple life.” Hwever, when we don’t honestly recognize the role of our own choices in adding complexity to our lives, we take on more than we can possibly handle. As a result, a million exercise devices sit unused in basements while ten million hours are spent working to pay for them. Look honestly at all the costs, and make well-informed choices - this is the first secret of how to live a simple life.

Money Brings Simplicity - Or Complexity

Isn’t it simple for a rich man to own a boat? He can just pay someone to take care of it while he plays with his kids. Money can bring simplicity to your life, but it’s all in how you use it. This is the second important secret of how to live a simple life.

People use money in ways that overly complicate life, as when they put a down payment on a hot tub that they really don’t need. Then they have to work to pay the interest, they have to clean the tub, find a place for it, and have it repaired. Of course, if you are wealthy enough, someone will take care of these things for you. However, if you make $8 per hour, a hot tub will almost certainly overly complicate your life.

If you really want the simple life, the choice then is to make more money, or live a life that is simply supported by your current income. After I paid off the mortgage loan on my first home, and got rid of the car, life became simpler and more relaxing. As I make more money, I can easily add more “things” back into my life, while keeping it simple, as long as I maintain the balance.

Drama Adds Complexity

For a simpler life, have fewer friends. This may sound harsh, but how many friends do you need? Don’t get rid of true friends, but don’t add people to your life unless there is a real exchange of value between you. We all have acquaintances we call “friends” and yet only tolerate just to “be nice.” Do you think it is selfish to say you don’t owe anything to these people? Then how selfish is it for them to say you do?

With friends and family, don’t get involved in the drama more than you need to. Watch closely, and you’ll see that until a person is ready to change, you rarely can help them in any case, neither with words nor with money. Save your efforts for when you truly can help. You weren’t born with an obligation to anyone, and it’s incredibly selfish for anyone to make such claims on your life. Let the drama swirl around you, but don’t get involved in it. This is a crucial lesson on how to live a simple life.

Steve Gillman has been exploring new ideas for decades. Visit his site for invention ideas, business ideas, story ideas, political and economic theories, deep thoughts, and more. Get a free gift too: New Ideas (http://www.999ideas.com)

There is a tendency amongst many people to think that meditation is a somewhat aloof, elitist, mystical and complex practice that requires years of practice to become proficient. People can be put off trying meditation for any or a combination of those reasons. Meditation, though, can actually be very simple, and that is how it should be for beginners.

Simple meditation is really where to start, and you will soon realise that there is nothing mystical or elitist about meditation. Also, it only takes a short period of time to experience the benefits of even simple meditation.

Given that one of the major benefits of even the simplest meditation can be stress relief, and stress is such a big problem in the Western world, it is easy to see how widely meditation can improve the lives of people. It really is a matter of just getting started, as you may soon get into a habit (and I do not mean a monk’s habit, unless that’s what you really want) of making time to meditate on a regular basis.

Where many Westerners may feel uncomfortable about meditation is its spiritual connotation. While the West sinks further into a non-spiritual, straightjacket existence, for millions it becomes even harder to even contemplate a spiritual side to life. However, those same people can benefit from meditating simply for the stress relief and relaxation effects. Then, as time goes by, a spiritual reawakening may be more likely to follow, as naturally as day follows night.

To keep meditation simple, there is no need to learn about all the theory, nor read volumes by all the “experts”. Though such learning may enrich your life, it is not an essential of getting started. If you have any doubts or misunderstandings about meditation, then it is as well just to try it at a personal level in its simplest form.

What is meditation, though? To meditate is, put simply, to muse or contemplate, at a profound level, on a particular subject or series of subjects. Now that hardly seems mystical, spiritual or elitist, does it? But for a newcomer to meditation, it will do. It is simple, natural, and very easy, once you do it. The difficulty for many in attempting meditation is penetrating the image, and getting down to the practicality.

In meditating, a person will quieten the mind and move away from conscious thoughts that distract, establishing a connection with the subconscious. There are a number of techniques for doing this, and each person may do best with one particular technique.

An important step in starting your first, and any, meditation session, is to get into a comfortable position; a position where you can allow your mind to drift into a peaceful state with minimum distraction. If you are uncomfortable, your discomfort will be a distraction.

Do not feel that you have to get into the famous Lotus position, one that many associate with meditation. It is not essential. I cannot sit in a lotus position due to the condition of my hip joints, and can only meditate effectively in other lying or sitting positions. Remember, for simple meditation it is the comfort rather than the actual position that is important. Meditation takes place in the mind; your mind is with you whatever the position; the correct position is primarily to prevent the distraction of discomfort.

Once you are comfortable, then you can close your eyes and start relaxing your mind. It is essential to focus on your breathing and to ensure you breathe through your nose and not your mouth. Pay full attention to each breath, focusing your mind in the act of breathing into and out of your lungs.

Once you have settled into the breathing rhythm, and can maintain your awareness of it, ensure that any thoughts and distractions to do with your daily life drift away. This can be difficult, but do not pressure yourself. Like many things, practice will make you more in control of your mind and able to shut out external intrusions more easily.

Thoughts will flow in and out of your mind, but you will eventually start to recognize quiet, still periods, like a vacuum in your thoughts. These periods are what you are aiming for, and with practice they will increase in length, increasing the personal benefit of meditating.

That, really, is simple meditation. Once you start to feel its benefits, and see how easy it really is, you may well want to learn more from experts and study the different types of meditation. One thing is certain though, even simple meditation at an “entry” level, will open your mind to a new world within. A world most people want to explore once they have discovered it.

This meditation article was written by Roy Thomsitt, owner and part author of the Routes To Self Improvement website.

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There are many doubts and misconception among people about mantra. Even many knowledgeable persons says that mantra is nothing but a boring repetition of words that doesn’t affect our consciousness and the only effect it produce is to take the chanter ( the one who repeats the mantra ) into a state of sleep. There are many other wrong notions about mantra which, I think, exist because of the fact that people are not aware of the full mechanism of mantra. So before you start mantra meditation, it is essential that you clear all your doubts about mantra:

The doubt (1): Mantra will take you into sleep:

Fact: Yes but only if you use it as a lullaby.

The most important thing in mantra meditation is that you should repeat it with the full awareness of its meaning. However, many people repeat mantra without having full awareness of its meaning. If you repeat a mantra in such mechanical way then it will not produce any effect and will remain an ordinary word. The emotional feeling in which a mantra is chanted is the most important requisite of mantra meditation. In its absence a mantra is no more than a lullaby. So always keep in mind that whenever you repeat a mantra, you should know what is the meaning of that Mantra. Otherwise you’ll not be able to draw any benefit from it.

The doubt (2): Language of most mantra is strange and difficult to understand.

Fact: To some extent it is true but there is a reason for it.

The entire concept of Mantra meditation began in India. That is why most of the mantras are in Sanskrit Language which is the language of the Vedas (the oldest written texts of the world). Though the language Sanskrit may be ancient & alien to you, what is still intact in various mantras written in this language is their phonetic significance and their ability to create powerful vibration of sound . All mantras were developed after painstaking research and efforts. Therefore, they are very well written tools for achieving a meditative state. You should only think about meditating- the process of achieving a state of choiceless awareness- without thinking about the language of the mantra that you will be repeating.

[ Note: Sanskrit is not the sole language of mantra. In almost every religion there are some specific words related to Sound. The word ‘Amen’ in Christianity, ‘Allah Hoo’ in Islam and ‘Om mani Padme Hum’ in Buddhist traditions are some examples. Please keep in mind that of whichever language’s mantra you repeat, you must repeat it with full awareness of its meaning.]

The doubt (3): If Mantra can create a powerful sound vibration then what is the need to repeat it. We can record a mantra on tape and can listen to it as and when we want for achieving a meditative state. easy ! Isn’t it ?

Fact: It seems logical but actually is not that logical.

It appears logical that If mantra can produce powerful sound vibration then why not use a tape recorder and listen to it repeatedly. However, in reality it is not that easy as it appears. If you record a mantra and listen to it passively, you will fall asleep as the mantra will act as a lullaby. All those- who are really interested in mantra meditation- should keep in mind that there are two basic requirement for getting any benefit from mantra meditation-

(1) the sound of the mantra; and
(2) the repetition of mantra with faith and full awareness of its meaning

When you play a mantra on tape, you are just a passive listener. The requirement of sound is there, but the awareness part is absent. Even if the recorded sound is of someone who has recorded the mantra with faith and full awareness of its meaning, the fact remains that you, who is just a passive listener, will not be able to draw any benefits form this sound as it is not your faith but that of someone else which is included in the recorded mantra. So unless you yourself chant the mantra with faith and full awareness of this meaning, the only thing you will get is a sound sleep.

Please keep in mind that In order to obtain full fruit of mantra, we have to repeat it with full awareness of its meaning. Most of the time, we repeat the mantra with the wrong understanding, thinking that the syllables of the mantra and the object of the mantra are different from each other and from ourselves. That is why the mantra does not bear immediate fruit for us. If you think about this you will understand that the same thing is true on a mundane level. Suppose that someone calls you an idiot. If you do not accept the word “idiot” as referring to you, you will not react to it. But if you identify with it, you may become so angry that your blood heat up. If you were to identify yourself with the name of God as easily as you identify yourself with an abusive term, you would experience its effects at once.

Doubt (4): Is there a difference between repeating a mantra silently and repeating it loudly?

Fact: There is a little difference but not much.

As I have already explained, the main thing is that you should repeat a mantra with faith, respect and with full awareness of its meaning. This can be done in both way i.e. by silently repeating the mantra or by pronouncing it loudly. The basic difference in repeating a mantra silently and repeating it loudly lies in the intensity of sound that comes out in both the method. But these vibrations may differ in their quantity but not in their quality and both have the same effect on our inner consciousness.

Doubt (5): But no sound is produced when we repeat a mantra silently?

Fact: If you can’t listen a sound, don’t think it does not exist.

Well it appears to us that no sound is produced, the reality is that every action and every thought produces a sound. That’s a different thing that our senses can not detect it. Human being are capable of detecting only sound between 20 to 20,000 Hertz. We can’t listen sound below or above that level. However, this does not mean that such sounds do not exist. They do exists and leave their effect on us. When you chant a mantra silently, it produces a sound. Though we can’t hear the sound, it does exist and produces the vibrations which affects our inner consciousness.

I hope the above clarifications have removed all your doubts about mantra meditation.

Eklavya is a simple student of meditation based in India. He provides knowledge of meditation through his website Meditation is Easy (http://www.meditationiseasy.com). This website provides knowledge of meditation (& various meditation techniques) to general public in a simple and idiot-friendly language! Along with a collection of 112 Meditation techniques of all times (for all people of all age), you will also find a useful collection of various tips for stress-free life http://www.meditationiseasy.com/tips/index.htm) including workplace tips, health tips and Soul tips! Have a look today!