Attitude today, Calm tomorrow

What makes today a good day?

We wake up every morning with unlimited possible outcomes for our experience that day. I say our "experience" because the same event one day makes us smile with inner knowing and understanding about the mysteries in life, while the day before, or after, a similar event will bring out the demons within. I feel bad for those around me sometimes for the changes of my "mood" from day to day. What makes today's up-mood different from yesterdays bad-mood? How can I change it, and do I need to?

The Fundamentals

1. What are you thinking?

There are a slew of circumstances in our lives, and many of them are out of our control. But most are within our grasp for us to make of them what we desire. I'm saying that we have already made the choices for our daily agendas and we may not know it. Our thoughts. Please read this famous quote and think about today:

"If you want to see what your thoughts were like yesterday look at your body today. If you want to see what your body will be like tomorrow look at your thoughts today"

There is an entire section in the book store devoted to this topic. Some of the books and authors that talk about the importance of our thoughts are:

• Ask and It is Given by Jerry and Ester Hicks
• Excuse Me, Your life is Waiting by Lynn Grabhorn
• The Autobiography of a Yogi by Paramahansa Yogananda
• Dr. Wayne Dyer
• Creative Visualization by Shakti Gawain

The power of self help is not in the books we buy about the topics, but in how we implement the teachings in our lives. We must evaluate our selves, our paths and our progress on a daily basis. One of my spiritual teachers Paramahansa Yogananda makes a point of impressing self reflection as one of the most important tools to personal growth, and soul growth.

2. What are you saying?

Do you always say what you think? feel? know? It is common for those living in our society to ignore the inner wisdom we have speaking to us. Most of the time we can't even hear our inner wisdom past the inner turmoil of thoughts, barraging our consciousness in every moment. Is what your are saying the truth if you can't hear your own wisdom?

The most important rule to healthy speaking is Listening. We must listen to both our selves and just as important to those we are speaking to. For instance, I have a repeat violation for forgetting names. Five seconds or multiple years, the names just leave my memory. Honestly, they may never make it in and the reason is that I have a tendency toward self centered and egotistical thought patterns that keep me thinking about what I am going to say more than what I am hearing. Fear leads me to disconnect from the moment and lost becomes any opportunity for a REAL experience with another human being.

The quality of what we say is just as important to our health as to those around us. If we are speaking without integrity, gossiping, lying or spreading negativity through our words we are inviting those same thoughts toward us. We will think more negative and be more negative. Each time we laugh at another person making comments about others that are humorous but might be mean, we are giving our permission for that behavior. If we don't stop ourselves and we participate in slander, gossip and negative speech we become those comments. The truth is those behaviors are blind to our inner wisdom. 

So listen up, have integrity in your speech and only give permission for those things you value.

3. What are you doing?

4. What's in your Past?

5. What are you eating?