Join me on my journey of life as I travel the world physically and discover the journey within... EVERY DAY is an ADVENTURE... making a choice is an adventure... taking a risk, and stretching yourself out of a comfort zone... are adventures...
My number one mentor in putting Lifestyle Design in action is Tim Ferris.
I recently commented on his latest blogpost, expressing my gratitude for his key strategies and being a living example of consciously creating a Lifestyle Design based on his terms.
To my delight, Tim Ferris commented directly back to me. Ever since I read his book,"The 4 - Hour Workweek"I've had a vision to meet Tim. Since simply reading the book for the first time in 2007 I've taken many of the strategies and applied them to my life.
Over the last few years my new reality came into fruition. I designed my lifestyle first in my mind's eye, then took action towards manifesting it 'in real life'.
Now that I have created what I set out to achieve, my foundational beliefs have also evolved and strengthened into the solid, unshakable truth that we absolutely can design life on our terms....
My beliefs were re-shaped and expanded, during that part of my journey (and still are). But they've morphed from fear and doubt, to quality questions, a clear focus and intention to set out to create who I want to become, experience what I wish to do, and have what I truly desire... (My 'have' list is lower in rank for my priorities.. I prefer who I 'become' and life experiences versus 'owning' material possessions that simply age, drain cash, or in some other form become a liability - possessions are only 'weight anchors' for the global butterfly!)
So, when I first read Tim's book... I set out a belief just to connect with him somehow.
In the recent month's, that belief and vision has shifted to, "I will become great friends with Tim Ferris, a mentor, friend and ally for educating and inspiring the world to the possibilities to consciously create a Lifestyle Design of CHOICE."
With Tim writing directly back to me on the blog, I'm one step closer.
So I pose a few questions to you, the reader...
Who is doing or creating, walking down the path of what you want to create, become, experience or have in your life?
Who has been an effective role model/mentor for the lifestyle or elements of your lifestyle that you have today? Perhaps your health or fitness, parenting, a career path, investments, relationship harmony, lifestyle design or something else...
A key strategy to being/doing/having more in your life.. is to live with the value of gratitude, and express it.
Say "Thank You!" To yourself, to 'God' (whoever that is for you), and also to the person who has guided you along on your journey, or who has nudged you with their wisdom, experience, thought, strategies, kindness or any other powerfully positive impact, into the direction you have traveled to be where you are today.
Here's the ACTION step I encourage you to take today... Think of a person who has made an impact on your life for the power of shaping you for an area of success in your world. Then gift them the honor of GRATITUDE and say "Thank You!" ...That might be an email, a phone call, a blog post, a facebook comment, a twitter comment, a hand-written letter, an e-card, a snail mail card, a surprise gift, perhaps flowers or a bottle of wine if you are feeling the spirit of a physical token to say "Thanks!"
There is immense power in this simple strategy -GRATITUDE- in Lifestyle Design.
The act of it says, "I appreciate all that I have" to the Universe, who hears you and says with glee, "Great! So I'll send you more of what you want."
An additional, and very strong, benefit of saying "Thank You!" is it creates your mind's focus on all that you have in your life... versus focusing on what you don't have.
Whatever you focus on magnifies, and you get more of what you focus on. When you focus on what you have, you feel great! When you feel great, you are more motivated to continue steps forward on your journey of your life goals.
When you choose to focus on what you don't have, you create a cycle of self-defeating internal (and external) language, your energy drops, and you may take little, if any, action towards creating the lifestyle design of YOUR dreams. And then worse still, you may lull yourself with negative hypnotic thoughts, into the false illusion of your current 'reality' being your permanent reality.
Where you are at today is the sum of all thoughts and actions you have focused on and manifested up until now.
If you want a new reality, first you must have new thoughts - and a strong focus on what you want. A first step to creating the vision of the Lifestyle Design you want to create now is, begin with Gratitude for what you currently have.
So go take that action of saying "Thank You!" now to someone who has affected your life, and if you'd like to share your experience or thoughts, I'd love to hear your comment in the box below this blog.
Today I put together a short preview of my highlights of 2009....
Lots of Magic Memories and I got to meet lots of my Mentors...
What's in stall for 2010? ...MORE! :o)
Are you focusing on your wins and on what is great?
When you practice the habit of what I call 'positive memory stacking' it really shapes your world with enormous gratitude and increases the positive Law of Attraction.
You get more of what you focus on. So make it what you want, and not what you don't wont.
Each and every day, take mental snap shots of 'magic moments'... then just before you go to sleep, run a mental mind movie of all the magic moments.
You can also create this as a central focus with your family or partner when you sit down for a meal together. Discussing what was 'Magical' for each of you during the day will enhance bonding, a sense of gratitude, and a sense of awareness with self and others in what expands joy in their heart.
May your 2010 be your most Blessed and Magical Yet!
Merry Christmas to my dear friends and friends I'm yet to meet!
I had a terrific day celebrating Joy & Gratitude with my family in Perth, Australia...
What a great day!
Plenty of food, wine, love, fun and abundance of gratitude abounds.... wishing the same vibration of magic and gratitude in your day with your loved ones too...
Thankgiving arrived yesterday and I had the privilege to celebrate it with my American family here in the USA. I arrived back in the States on the eve of Thanksgiving (Wednesday 25th November) with enough time to settle into the new time zone before mixing a little alcohol with plenty of conversational skills and a tonne of turkey!
I LOVE this Celebration. And the truth is, it's how I celebrate EVERY DAY OF MY LIFE...
...withGRATITUDE...
It is the number ONE key to my life success.
Being GRATEFUL for all the abundance I am, have and do in my life.
A little hint I would love to share is that one of my automated patterns I run through every day with myself is... The discipline of Gratitude.
As soon as I wake up, I'm already smiling as I run a list of a minimum of 10 things I am genuinely grateful for in my life.
My cat snuggling up into my arm as I wake up to a beautiful day
The sun shining as it lifts my soul
The rain pouring as it waters the garden and gives me the opportunity of a day to snuggle up in warm clothes.
The clean filtered water I drink
My family and friends
The breath I take as I get to wake up to another day of wonder on this earth..
...you get my drift.
And... it doesn't stop there!
Throughout the day I am CONSCIOUS of being Grateful for EVERYTHING.
I've learned throughout my life that there is no judgment of 'good' and 'bad'... it's only an illusion. Everything... JUST IS.
With this belief system it makes your world view one of wonder and awe. Whether something magical happens in the form of turning out as a 'pleasant' surprise, or in the form of something we didn't expect, there is.... ALWAYS A HIGHER REASON...
So with this in mind, it keeps you in faith, trust and gratitude for all that is...
Sometimes, the gifts are presented to us wrapped up tight with several layers. Just because it's wrapped up, and not yet visible, doesn't mean it's not a GIFT!
So.... say THANK YOU!
For every situation, person and event that evolves and passes into or out of your life...for it IS ALL FOR A HIGHER PURPOSE for our souls to grow, learn, love and break through to our higher spirit in a state of Joy.
How do you tap into this?
Simple. Be GRATEFUL.. for EVERYTHING.
The added benefit is, as you become CONSCIOUS of this process and habituate it, you also start to stack MAGIC MOMENTS of the day...
...so as you sleep at night, you can do what I do also, and again say "THANK YOU!" for EVERYTHING that happened for the day while you run a 'mini-mind-movie' of Magic Moments from the day to help you drift off to sleep with a smile on your face and the light ON within your soul.
You might already unconsciously run a mind-movie of worry, what 'didn't work', and conversations or events that you are criticizing yourself, or another, about.
If this is true for you, then well done! You have the technique of running your mind-movie down! Now, you just need to change the scenes to events, feelings and MAGIC MOMENTS to EMPOWER you....
And with this new habit.... watch and discover the MAGIC UNFOLD and how you ATTRACT even more ABUNDANCE into your life!
This blog article was inspired by a facebook interaction on my profile a few days ago.
Are you looking for some answers on how to automate, delegate and leverageyour life... so you can have one?
How am I qualified to share this information?
I am a living example of creating my life by design, by leveraging most of the common personal and business tasks out.
I retired two years ago from a job as a Paramedic (and I was also running my business 'bound to a desk.') When I created enough passive income to match my job income, I took a leap of faith from my old belief system of doing everything myself, to setting myself up to win - by automation, delegation and leverage.
My result? I more than doubled my passive income inside 18 months, whilst traveling the world and only working less than 4 hours a month (yes, really!) to 'tap the doors of automation.'
Whilst my vehicle of how I did this may be different to yours, the SAME MIND-SET strategies are required to get similar results for a life designed set to: automate, delegate and leverage.
This article is NOT about how I created my income. It IS about how I created a lifestyle of freedom to travel the world, play every day and position myself to be in an even greater creative space to add even more value to my life and the lives of others.
Facebook Status update on 17th November:
“If you could ask me any question regarding how to automate,delegate and leverage your life for financial and time freedom, what you would ask me? ...OK, if you have a few Q's go ahead.. :o)
Where do you go for inspiration?
I seek out mentors in all areas of life who have overcome great challenges and succeeded. I also master strategies of those that have accomplished what I want to do. I read a LOT. I listen to audio-books and tele-seminars/webinars. I’ll go to many seminars – free and paid ones. I also draw on my own life experiences. My time as a Paramedic was a gift in many ways. In particular to remind me that I am very blessed and to live EVERY DAY with the fullest attention and gratitude.
What drives you to be successful?
I’m very internally driven. My WHY is HUGE! Know your WHY. Have a deep enough WHY. The bigger the goal, the bigger the WHY needs to be.
To create and continue momentum for my drive: I also create emotional leverage with myself, meaning that I future-pace myself to see my goal complete and how I feel, how it effects my life and of those around me. I also write down my goals, create vision boards and practice the daily habits of gratitude/visualisation/meditation as soon as I wake up, again throughout the day and again just before I fall asleep.
I also ‘stack’ my magic moments of the day. I run a mini-movie at night as my last conscious thought so I am constantly creating and living in a world of success: with relationships (with myself, the Divine, others), my goals, the quality of my life, health, etc.
I’m also now gracious and kind with myself. (In the past, I’d verbally beat myself up if I hadn’t succeeded at a step in the goal by an (internally set) expected time-frame, even if I’d taken massive action.) I’ve learned I can only have “massive” EFFECTIVE “action” when I pay attention to my inner dialogue and ‘working’ on the same team as ALL the personalities within myself. (We all have them!). So, I’ve turned the “inner critic” into the “inner coach” (Jack Canfield) and give myself a lot of love, grace, kindness, attention, praise and internal support. This sets me up to trust my instincts and subconscious mind even more with a collective power, instead of self-sabotaging and dragging myself down with any negativity and internal conflict.
How do you turn it around when things are not quite how you want them to be?
In the last few years (when my success has escalated the most) I have been practicing the ‘Art of Allowing’. I allow and have faith and trust that everything is as it’s meant to be, even if it doesn’t match MY plan and all my actions. Often the situation is a gift unwrapped in that moment. At some point in time, it reveals itself that BECAUSE things “weren’t quite as I want them to be” that I’m on my current path NOW, which is awesome! (Please note, there are lengths of the path I journey down ‘in the dark’ simply grateful for the light about to come. This is where I 'listen' with extra sensory acuity to my inner guidance).
Two tools to use in this situation: First, practice Gratitude. Find all the gifts. Second, In your mind’s eye future-pace yourself to see what you create with the situation now. Then go back to your past to see where there have been other times in the past where this type of situation has delivered you many gifts because of similar situations earlier. Then bring yourself back to the now… and take course corrective action! (Time-line therapy model: See an NLP practitioner or Psychologist who can help you through this process).
What’s your # 1 tool for state management and avoiding those time wasting days/hours?
Gratitude (authentic gratitude. FEELING centered in all the abundance that I NOW have) and;
Visualization of all areas of my life: first thing in the morning, and last thing at night. I also set a plan for my goals and create a monthly plan, a weekly plan and a daily plan. Each night (or sometimes first thing in the morning) I set my targets for the day.
I decide on "My THREE MUST ACHIEVE" outcomes for the day. Then everything else is a bonus. I also give myself plenty of time to play, breaking up the day (and the week.) For example, I will go for a walk, sit in the sunshine and read (sometimes ‘work’ material), meditate, re-bound (on a mini-trampoline), call a friend, chat on facebook and connect with people. I’ll plan lots of social activity and events to go to, so I am focused on my time frame on what needs to be achieved in the time in-between.
Essentially I recognize what DRIVES me.
Love & Connection does.
So when I catch myself ‘time-wasting’ I’ll ask myself: “what do I need to do right now to serve my goal at the highest level?” also, “What is it that my spirit needs right now?” is a great question when I sense myself creating a road-block.
It’s important to pay attention to that ‘inner child’ that perhaps wants some attention or even something as ‘little’ as to notice the bird flitting around in the garden or watch the butterfly land on a flower. Again, it comes back to GRATITUDE and living in the NOW. This appreciation allows me to be in the flow and therefore do what is in alignment with my goals and best interest.
I'd just like to know the overall strategies you use for having a mobile life and business. I'll be on the road soon enough managing the business and I'd love your insights into the whole experience.
Leverage: Automate and delegate.
Break down all your tasks and qualify people to delegate and leverage to. I use a “McDonald’s Franchise” model, giving small tasks (even breaking down big ones into smaller chunks) to delegate to people I outsource to on my ‘team’. By spreading out the workload I minimize my risks of being too dependent on that team member. It’s therefore easy enough to re-allocate the task to someone else, or train someone to do the one thing. Think of ‘french fry station’ or ‘drink station’ etc.
You can outsource tasks to people you know locally, or online. Resources for virtual assistants, writers, webs-site designers, bookkeepers, editors, copy writers, etc can be found easily, with you deciding who is the best fit for you at a great price. You can check out resources here: www.RentACoder.com and www.elance.com
On the personal level too, I have a similar mind-set with house-sitters. I have several to mitigate my risk of my house (and animals) being unprotected. So, I have a long-term sitter and a short-term sitter. This allows for me to have a contingency back up.
I have four beautiful animals I care and love for (and who have guided me for 10+ years!) So I keep my home as my base to return to in-between all my travels. It may be a better option for you to release your home: rent/sell/sub-let etc.
I also have a gardener who has access to my property once a month to take care of all the external maintenance.
I redirect all my business and personal mail to my bookkeeper who works in closely with my Accountant. We communicate (usually) quarterly to confirm my tax statements.
I set up most of my accounts to be paid automatically online with direct debits.
Integrating my calendar with my iPhone also allows me to set reminders for bills/events/tasks that require attention on certain dates. There is software available to calendar share with a Virtual Assistant who can access information you give permission to read (and write), so many tasks can be outsourced whilst flying, sleeping or climbing a mountain!
These are some of the basic strategies. The toughest part for most people is getting into the mind-set to delegate and leverage your life…. So YOU can have one!
A Huge THOUGHT KEY here is to have an ABUNDANCE mind-set.
The more people you have on your team helping you, the more opportunities you are creating in life to allow money to FLOW, and helping a lot of people to grow and win financially.
You buy your TIME back which allows you to step into a ‘gap’ to create even more and think of new solutions and attract even more opportunities than if you choose to do most of the tasks yourself.
What extra greatness will you create in your life as you free up your time and create financial freedom? Would you travel more? Spend quality time with your family? Volunteer for a charity? Build another (different) business? Play more? Take up a new sport or hobby? All of the above? :o)
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I would love your feedback with these responses. Please let me know if I have added value. Thank you for letting me know what you think.
Serving the world, in the context of love and joy, and an abundance of gratitude!
Have you noticed as you travel on your life journey, and come to a cross-road, sometimes you're happy to cruise forward with grace and certainty of your direction? Then other times, you come to a T-junction and stand still: baffled, confused, even 'stuck' about which way to go?
These last few weeks I had been living in the illusion of "needing" to get a lot of stuff prepared and done before heading back to the USA for a three week journey. With my attention climbing it's way up into my head space, I've come to the realization today that I simply needed to pause to look for the elevator, gracefully walk over to it and take the express ride back down into my heart.
Being still. No further impact. All additional information, access denied.
Information overload and juggling many acts can lead to overwhelm, or hyper-stimulation, neither being a resourceful space to be living in.
My chiropractor assessed and re-balanced me again today. With care and compassion, and a depth of heart-felt love that radiated from his soul, he helped me quieten my body, relax, reconnect and.. breathe.
"You know," he gently says, "us humans sometimes forget that we don't need to struggle or push forward to do so many things at once. That instead, we are designed to float, gently and with ease."
My spirit and body ached for some STILLNESS, and for some nurturing.
On my way home I treated myself to a new pajama set, fluffy slippers and a bathrobe I could melt into. My purpose for the rest of the day was to sleep, rest, meditate, be still...
It became clear that my usual tool-set to deal with my life challenges was only going to be of use to me after meeting my most pressing need....
Sleep!
When I awoke, after several hours of uninterrupted slumber, a smile dawned, and a new light spread across my face and soul. It broadened as I internally witnessed my inner dialogue of automatic gratitude again. Then my visualization of each area of my life as I choose to design it.
A sigh of relief passed over my lips. I felt the presence of familiarity of being back in my usual empowered state.
A short and gentle walk with my dogs elevated my state even more. The cool air cleansing my head, airing it out like a house with the windows open to let the flow of new air breathe through and allow the stale air to dissipate.
With my body in motion, I now realized that a part of the disconnection had come as a result of adding in too much input these last few weeks, without the opportunity to let the brain cool down.
I likened my situation to a recent and parallel experience with my laptop. I had chosen to re-install my old operating system, erasing everything and starting again, only to load it up quickly with lots of new programs whilst still demanding it to work effectively. I'd been expecting the same function of myself.
Now I realize, that I made a major error in judgment with both my demands on the computer and myself.
I forgot to reboot after loading each program, causing a series of 'synaptic junctional confusion'. The system didn't know how to read the programs so instead it just went into stall mode.
Today, on rebooting my computer with the aid of a friendly assistant from Apple support, I made the connection of how I had arrived in the (head) space I had found myself in.
So I followed my innate intelligence, and went to bed in the middle of the day and just rebooted my system.
As Eckhart Tolle says, 'Stillness speaks.'
I'm now positioned back in the 'gap,' connected to both my heart and and my head with a communication line functioning effectively.
Sometimes at a cross-road or any junction in life, it's best to just park the car and turn the engine off. Allow it to cool down. In looking up from your pause you see the directional street sign in front of you, now visible because of your new position. It's no longer hidden behind the noise of an advertising billboard that looms in an attempt to distract you to the lure of it's hypnotic promises.
I'm happily singing, "I'm on the road again." This time, with an itinerary to pause regularly along the way to stop and soak in the beauty of the journey, measured by the depth of my gratitude and joy....and enjoying the stillness.
The POWER of sincere Gratitude is often very much misunderstood and underestimated.
Gratitude will create a vibrational force that magnetizes abundance into your life. Not just in the financial sense. It also magnetizes more of whatever you are focusing on and truly appreciating, seeing the gift of what you have in your life.... RIGHT NOW....
Equally, if you focus on what you don't want, or in fact not appreciating what you have now in your life, you are resisting what you have and in essence focusing on what you DON'T WANT.
This often occurs with people who resist money, yet find themselves in a financial conundrum. People often want more money, want more wealth, yet FEAR it. At some level there is a resistance and if you look deep enough into these situations they will usually show up a pattern of focusing on the illusion of their reality NOW.
~What's important is to focus on what is GREAT NOW with a sincere embodiment of GRATITUDE. ~
We created the financial situation in the now, by the constant thoughts and actions of the past. The lag time shows up the evidence, 'reality' mirroring what you had been thinking. If you choose to keep thinking the same thoughts, your 'reality' will keep showing up the same. If you're focusing on abundance, the gifts, the magnificence, the magic, you will get more of the same. Needless to say, if you're afraid and focusing on bills, debts, and creating illusions of the future of more of the same.... well, you will get more of the same.
There is a solution to this financial example. As it seems to stem as the perceived problem by many.
First, define the problem. It's usually not a money income problem. It's more often than not, a money SPENDING problem.
Once defined, you can now empower yourself to make alternative choices. AND most importantly re-set your frame of point of view to focus on what you already have NOW.. and BE......... sincerely grateful.
Once you enter this space, a positive magnetic force will occur, opening up your mind to alternative thoughts and therefore actions. New insights, and opportunities will 'magically' appear.
A few days ago, I had quite a strong response both on my profile page and in my message box to a status update on facebook, which was:
"Financial Freedom is the attainment of Passive Income exceeding Needs rather than Wants." ~Phil Jones~
I also mentioned in a comment to the post (in response to a previous comment):
"...This is one of my FAVOURITE topics to discuss... I have successfully created financial freedom++ for myself and love to guide others who wish to do the same.."
It brought forth a flood of people wanting guidance.
There is no magic pill. But, the right mind-set with a core essence focused on Gratitude, it could be perceived as magic!
There is no one strategy physically to create wealth. There are thousands of ways to create financial freedom. But these are purely the vehicles. And like learning how to drive a car, you need to learn "how to drive" the vehicle. That knowledge is what helps you then recognize how to maneuver the vehicle and get you from A - B.
YOU have all that you need within you to succeed financially. You have the answers to the questions you are yet to ask. Each and every one of us is connected, within the matrix of consciousness. Some of the answers will show up directly within your mind. Some answers will lead you to others who will assist you with the answer.
Simply tap in to the abundance of what is already great in your life NOW and focus on Gratitude. Lag time aside, your 'reality' will evolve into a new one, as you shed the skin of false beliefs, that you are stuck in a financial nightmare.
The first step for guidance is... Gratitude is the key.
It is not the only tool by far. It is certainly the first and ESSENTIAL step on the path of abundance; the path of creating your life by design, on your terms so you too can SHINE... ...creating your own unique footprint on the path of life, with all the wealth you desire.
Now.. for helping you learn how to drive your vehicle of abundance, I highly recommend "Think and Grow Rich" as your foundational book on your path to financial success.
I will leave you with a beautiful quote from Melody Beattie (author of "Co-Dependent No More" 1987)
“Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow.” ~Melody Beattie~ Author's note: Wealth embraces more than just money. It equals money, assets, relationships, spirituality and health. When these are all satisfying in our life we have true abundance, true wealth.
These last few days I have been bound to my bed with a stomach bug and on a 'dunny run' for the umpteenth time. Clutching my stomach, bent over double on the loo, on my fourth day of this ordeal, in great pain I cry out... "dear God, please help me through this. Help me clear this crap."
And then I get some insight.
I see it as a cleanse physically and emotionally, as the emotional 'crap' I'd been hanging onto in recent weeks, storing it in my belly.
I'm momentarily in gratitude, then squeak as I grip my belly with another cramp rolling through. I'm feeling weak, and exhausted. I want this to stop. I shut my eyes and breathe....
I'm also transported back in time to September 2008 when I was in the Peruvian Amazon Jungle, and experienced more 'bugs' than I bargained for.
A four day adventure in the thick of the Amazon was amazing and enlightening as to how I can cope being ill in one of the most isolated parts of the world.
We flew in to Puerto Maldonado (Peru, near the Bolivian border), picked up by tour guides and led to an office to leave most of our luggage. We were each given a "ten kilo duffel bag," meaning we could only pack ten kilos of belongings to travel with us.
From there we were transported by bus to the Amazon river, all piling into a motorized canoe. An hour later, we disembark, and begin a 3 kilometer trek along a path cut through the jungle, to another canoe. This time our guides paddle them.
The squawks of the jungle and the rhythmic chirp of the cicadas are echoed around me as the sound of the paddle dipping and sliding through the water keeps me present in the canoe.
I'm in the Amazon!
Four days of nature, magnificent nature. Photographing tarantula spiders on guided night walks, spying Macaws flying through the trees at the wee hours of the morning, a forest full of life: bugs, monkeys, spiders, snakes, insects, and an abundance of beautiful trees.
Day two my stomach started to rumble. I had a close encounter with the stomach bug. Fatigue. Lethargy. And a closer relationship with my en suite bathroom.
Not to waste my precious time and opportunity to experience Mother Nature in this beautiful land, I chewed on Imodium and Buscopan like candy.
I roomed with my partner on the tour, Kristina, from Los Angles. We had only met for the first time in Cusco for the first part of the tour to Machu Pichu. She had a few days of ill health there, with a reaction to malaria pills.
I had taken no medication or vaccinations to come to the jungle. When advised of it in Peru by the girls on the tour (I hadn't been given any instructions from my US tour company), I had Videl, my tour guide, scout Cusco with me to find a medical center to get the 'Yellow Fever' shot. When we found one, they said they had none, and that it wasn't necessary given the time of the year.
They tell me it's dry season and there are not many mosquitoes about. I'm only concerned about one biting me with the disease! I make a mental note to be extra vigilant with the mosquito repellent and long clothing. I'm a little anxious, about not carrying the medical documentation and also for the possibility of getting sick with Yellow Fever. But that was the least of my concern.
Most of the jungle activity is bustling at dawn and dusk, and during the night. So by day, I slept, oblivious to the steamy heat. My body just grateful to be horizontal. I willed myself forward for the early morning trail walks and laid myself out to sleep on the bench in the canoe, opening an eye every now and then when 'Tarzan,' our tour guide pointed out a caimen (crocodile) in the amazonian river water.
Transported back to my current moment, I grab some water from the kitchen to dissolve some more hydralyte. As I mix the orange powder into the liquid and stir, I'm ever grateful to be in my home, with a comfortable bed and privacy to allow my body to heal.
The only animals present are my cute, cuddly cats and dogs snuggling up to comfort me and give me love. And the occasional fly buzzing by my head, which I swat to keep it clear of me.
I nestle into my bed pillows as I smile with gratitude with reliving the magic memories of my Amazonian experience.
Random acts of kindness are essentially an act of expression towards ourselves. We see someone in need and we recognize, like looking in a mirror, that "it could possibly be me in need."
With each and every simple act of reaching out and giving a helping hand, we plant seeds of greatness into our own heart as well as the ones of those you directly (and indirectly) affect.
There is also the compounding effect you may never see or witness directly.. but know that it occurs.
Like any great tree which has grown from a seed, when given love, care and nurturing, it will grow into a healthy tower of strength, abundant with leaves and plenty of shade to then protect and nurture other beings...
So too occurs with your random acts of kindness. The energy you give manifests into the lives of so many others.
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Today, on my way to the supermarket to gather some basic ingredients for lunch, I passed a lonely man sitting huddled on the street corner near the store. As I entered into the shopping centre and made my way through the turn-style of the grocery market, I spied another man (this time with his small dog) also sitting outside the second entrance, quietly alone and ruffled in his difficult moment in time.
Both had caps gently laid out on the pavement to quietly ask for some pennies as you walk past.
I thought about what I could really offer them of VALUE. I had only taken enough Euro to the store to buy what I needed. And yet, in my heart, I knew I could make a difference to both these gentleman's lives....
"How can I serve them in a way to nourish their souls?" I thought.
With the small change I had left in my pocket, I bought several large bottles of water. I turned 54 cents into two valuable gifts.
Quietly I walked up to each man, now sitting in the warm heat of the Spanish mid-day sun.
With a smile I offered a bottle of water to each man. Each man in turn lit up with a SMILE of Gratitude.
One said "Gracias".. the other said "Thank You!" Both sent their love and kindness back to me through the energy of the heart connection.
I walked away, heading back to my apartment, pondering to myself... how will I generate even more love and kindness in this world tomorrow? Who's heart will I touch next?
And the truth is.. for each random act of kindness I make, the bigger MY heart grows..
What random act of kindness will you do today? Perhaps even a smile at a stranger, or a kind word or compliment, a bottle of water or a sandwich to a homeless person? Perhaps a friendly act for a neighbor in need?
...Remember too... to give yourself and loved ones random acts of kindness regularly also! :o)
