The Trouble with TO-DO Lists

Right away when you think about a TO-DO list you may very often start feeling overwhelmed.  It may be because you have not written out a to-do list for yourself and you know all about the saying people that fail to plan, plan on failing.  That's what a to-do list really is right? It's your action plan for all the things you think you need to do.  If you have a written to-do list that can be just as overwhelming because even though you have created a clear picture of what you want to accomplish, you may have little certainty about your ability to do it.  Therefore the trouble with to-do lists is that instead of being comforting they are often a source of anxiety.

The real problem then becomes the anxiety and concern about getting everything done.  If the feeling you get is one of discomfort then it is because you are fearful about the results you are going to get and that will only make it less likely for you to succeed.  The stress will sap your energy and inspiration which are the two things most needed to successfully get what you need from your list.

This situation can be flipped in a very easy way - it just takes a little shift in your approach.  Instead of thinking of your list as a TO-DO list, think of it as a THANKS and appreciation list.  If you are willing to accept that you have a direct connection to a "higher self" or level of consciousness then this can give you insight as to why being thankful is the best approach for to-do lists.  No worry, just appreciation for the needed assistance in accomplishing the tasks at hand.  If you believe that praying for something to happen will make it more likely, this is no different. 

"I am very appreciative that I have constant support in accomplishing the tasks I have chosen.  I give thanks for and pay attention to what is going on around me so that I can take advantage of the inspiration and guidance needed to accomplish all that I want to do."

Then make two lists.  The first will be the things you know you can take direct action to accomplish during your day.  The second will be the list of things that you do not think you have direct control over and would like higher self/consciousness to orchestrate a path for you - make things happen that you cannot control directly.  Maybe it is someone else paying a bill or returning a phone call.  Maybe it is running in to someone who has some useful information for you.  You know, those apparent lucky coincidences that are really responses to requests you have launched into collective consciousness.

It can be very mystical if you like but it is really just about nurturing an appreciative belief that everything you need to get done will get done.  It's a lot better than worrying about your to-do list.  If you expect success, you are far more likely to be successful.  So, from now on approach the TO-DO list with appreciation that everything you need to get done will fall perfectly in place as long as you stay positive and stay alert for the "coincidences" that will fill in the missing pieces.

Here's an interesting insight...

A message from higher consciousness...

As you are born into these physical bodies, you experience the vibrational continuum of the generations that have come before you. Their desires as they have lived as individuals—and their Collective Mass Consciousness desire— has emanated to the boundary-less boundaries of the Universe, and Law of Attraction is answering all of those requests. So, each generation who follows the previous generation benefits by the desires that have been exuded by Mass Consciousness.

Excerpted from San Diego, CA on 2/7/04

Our Love
Esther (Abraham and Jerry)

The Devil Goes to School

Today in the schools of Broward County Florida they practiced for the day when an "active killer" comes on campus.  The kids weren't there, thank God, but the teachers and staff of the schools had a mandatory training day.  This was not like any day most any of these schools had ever experienced.  The exception was Marjorie Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland.  Today in MSD and all the schools in the county the sound of shots rang out in all the hallways.  I'm sure there were many teachers very distressed and saddened with what went on.  Did they feel safer at the end of this day or just even more fearful of danger.

Fear is the Devil's weapon.  I really don't mean this in religious terms - it's more metaphorical.  Fear drives out peace and happiness.  Fear restricts the behavior of people.  Fear is debilitating. Nothing good EVER comes out of FEAR.

Now those conducting these exercises will likely respond by saying if people are prepared, they won't need to fear.  That is true for many things.  Learning how to be a good driver will rightfully reduce one's fear about driving.  Learning how to swim will help get rid of a fear of the water.  But what about a situation where the training will really do nothing to come close to guaranteeing one's safety?  Running and hiding is the likely reaction of anyone put in an "active killer" situation - you don't need a class to teach you this.  What about MSD in Parkland - they even had some "trained" personnel with a weapon on site and it apparently had little effect on the outcome.  Do we really think more guns are the answer?  Do we really want our teachers armed and dangerous ready to go out and hunt down and kill some active shooter in their school?  And what about when one of the well-intentioned armed teachers makes a mistake?  Would a lot of extra guns in a school lead to more or less trouble?

Having more trained professionals in the schools would be fine.  They could be a reassuring element in a school.  Each community has its own Police force.  People whose profession it is to "protect and serve".  If we have reached a point where we have so little confidence in the inherent goodness of our communities that we need to be guarded then we need that to be the job of the professionals.  NOT those individuals whose profession it is to teach our children.  Teaching is their job.  Anything like today's "active killer" training that makes them afraid about doing there job is the Devil at work.  Why is that?  Because the end result of today's training will be more doubt and fear - it will not be confidence of being safe.

I think of today's exercises much like when in Grade School many years ago we got under our desks to be safe in case of nuclear attack.  Would it have done any good?  NO, but it sure gave a bunch of little kids nightmares.  So again I say it is the work of the Devil - and you can take it from a religious point of view it you like because it is letting FEAR undermine FAITH.  Have we lost all our faith in this country?  Do we want to promote a loss of faith in living in a wonderful, opportunity filled world and instead allow fear to rule?

It really is up to us.  How we respond to a bad situation is under our control.  Will we ever eliminate all bad things?  NO and it does not really matter how many armed teachers we have - that will just create a chain reaction of feeling and beliefs that we really don't want.  Whether it is a terrorist or an active killer, their mission is to sow the seeds of fear and pain.  If we give in to them and let fear be in charge instead of faith in who we are as a society, then they will have won.

Are you worried?

That may sound like a stupid question.  I know plenty of people that think if you are not worried you are either stupid or uninformed.  Granted there are plenty of things going on in this world that you may not be pleased with.   The question is if worry does anything to help the situation.

The reality is that worry is a destructive force, not a constructive force.  Worry is a giving up on possibility.  Worry is leaving hope behind and giving fear a foothold.  Now we all know that all of this is a choice because every individual sees things from slightly to almost totally differently depending on their state of mind.  If you are worried about anything, you have "decided" to expect the worst or at least fear the worst. 

That anxiety has an effect on your entire being.  It is a weight on your shoulders.  It may even give you a feeling of helplessness.  The message to every cell in your body is one of dis-ease.  Your brain is sending out danger warnings along all the neural pathways of your body and all of your cells and organs can do nothing but respond with growing discomfort.  This is not a scenario for a good day.  The key message here is that it is a bunch of choices you have made.

This is not a judgement, it is simply one perspective.  Worry is actually the default setting for that bio-computer basic operating system controlling your body-mind system.  The prime directive is survival.  Therefore, your mind tells you that you need to be aware of all the dangers in the world so that you may protect yourself from them.  That makes sense but it is a left-over setting from a time when you needed to protect yourself from wild animals and other dangers in you natural environment on a daily basis.  Today, those fears have become more abstract.  Your worrying really does not produce any results that can protect you.  With no solution apparent, the worry can become overwhelming.  Some sink into deep depression because they have allowed it to consume them.

Now if instead you decide to resort to hope that things will work out in some magically good way for you a smile may quickly find its way to your face.  With no imminent danger apparent you have shut off the alarm bells and your system can return to normal healthy functioning.  By letting the worry go and focusing on a hope and belief in positive outcomes you will begin to take actions that support the outcomes you want.  You will find that your hope and optimism are contagious - just like fear and worry are.  The rising of hope and positive energy in you is like finding a break in the clouds and letting the sun that is always shining show through.  You will even feel a sense of energy and delight as you realize you are helping to positively transform the entire world.

Just Thinking

That is what it is all about.  What are you thinking?  What do you want?  What do you believe you will get?

Just thinking.  Who is that thinking by the way?  Of course it is you but is it really you or just an interpretation you have come up with to approximate who you are?

Are there actually two of you?  Actually there are probably dozens of you.  It all depends on what scenario you are running in your head, doesn't it?

There is confident, top of the world you.  There is nervous too much to do you.  There is you watching the news getting angry or afraid for the future of the planet.  There is relaxed you on vacation in the islands.  There is exasperated you tormented by annoying people.  They are all you of course but they are also a blurring mix of reactions to the world around you.  They are the response you come up with to deal with the reality you perceive around you in any given moment. But those you's are just the characters you have created that you believe will be best to handle the issue at hand.

So who is the REAL you?  The real you in most cases is just a spectator.  Like watching a good movie, it is easy to get very wrapped up in the roles you play.  Everyone always plays their parts the best they can.  Some people are better performers than others.  Not everyone figures out how to be a charismatic leader.  Not everyone develops the temperament to be a good parent.  Not everyone can be a great stand-up comic.  Each of us actors on this global stage on which we find ourselves has been equipped with different talents.  Some of us get really good at exploiting our innate talents. Most of us just use whatever talents come naturally to us to make the best of dealing with the scenes we find ourselves in.

Like any good actor we go through the pages of the script as the story unfolds before us.  Many just go with it and do their best to make things work out in their favor and hope others will think they are playing their part well.  Some of us realize with a little conscious effort we can make changes in the script to benefit our character.  Then there are the few who recognize that they have total creative control over the story-line.  That's a tough one though - you are running up against all of the other actors in your scenes who are accepting that the story-line is going one direction and there you are not following the script.  Some people may even think you are crazy - out of touch with reality.

You know that is not the case.  You have simply created a new reality.  You have come to realize that whatever you decide to believe is true will be - for you at least.  You know that you are actually the one making up the story and you do not have to do something just because it follows naturally based on what others are doing or even what you have done in the past.  It's your story and you are always creating it in the moment.  If you become great at directing and writing (and believing in) your own story, other players will begin to adopt your story-line as their own.

That is why you have been chosen to play the part you have taken on.  Your creativity and imagination driven by inspiration will remake the world in your image.  Try and make it a good one.  Life will never play you, you will always be the one playing life.

It's all about how good a connection you can maintain with your higher self.  That's why meditation is so useful - it pushes the nearly non-stop commentary to the background and gives a chance for some inspiration to flow through.  "Aroot Perum Jothi" is a great mantra for encouraging a little "light" to flow into your consciousness.

If you do not know how to meditate, it is easy and a very productive way to advance your success and overall well-being.  Just find yourself some time - 15-20 minutes when you can be away from disturbance.  Find a comfortable place to sit.  It is not needed but a timer can be useful. 

So, take a seat.  Take a few slow deep breaths to center yourself.  Close your eyes and in your mind begin repeating the phrase "Aroot Perum Jothi" to yourself - in your mind.  Just continue to repeat it easily.  When your notice that your mind has wandered - you are thinking about something you need to do or just daydreaming - simply return to saying the mantra, "Aroot Perum Jothi" over and over again.  You really can't do it wrong and you don't need to "try hard".  Let it be a gentle process.

"Aroot Perum Jothi" - it can be translated as "I am the light of divine grace" and it works a little like an affirmation to put the mind on a positive track.  Like so many things, the key is to do it.  You don't need to "believe" in it - regardless it will change the functioning of your brain in positive ways, little by little each day.  Just do it - the best time is 15-20 minutes before you have breakfast.

Make it a Happy New Year!

Pack up your fears and worries and leave them behind in 2018. Be ready to embark on the adventures of 2019 with hope, optimism and a conviction that you can help make this planet a better place to live! It is up to you/us to make it a Happy New Year and bring more Joy to the World!

It really is totally up to you because right now in this moment and the next and the next NOW it is totally up to YOU what you decide to believe to be the path of your unfolding future. 

Are you lost in regret about a past you can never change or fearful about a future that has not happened?

The BEST resolution you can make for the New Year is to decide to replace worry with positive anticipation and realize that any stupid things you did in the past should not be regretted because they were reality feedback to help you refine your course.  A life without mistakes would be very unsatisfying because it is the recognition of mistakes that will lead you to your true power. 

You can learn to avoid many mistakes though if you are willing to pay attention to that little voice in your head that some may call conscience or maybe it is you guardian angel whispering in you mind.  You know those times you have had a "feeling" about something?  It does not even matter if you give it a name or not but you need to learn to notice the advice and let it guide you.  You will find that if you learn to do that you will make far fewer mistakes and lot's of seemingly magical things will start to happen instead.  How do you do it?  Stop worrying about anything and seek the silver lining in lessons of the past.

The best way to do it is to develop and attitude of gratitude.  Instead of wasting any energy on worry, work to keep pulling your thinking back into the moment by looking for things to appreciate.  If you find this challenging make a list of things you can appreciate about your life right now.  Saying THANKS is the best prayer you can offer the world.  The physical world responds to your thoughts.  All things respond positively to PRAISE.  This is a classic example of Karma - the more love and appreciation you send out, the more will flow back at you.

You are the designer of your reality.  Everything is determined by the energy you are sending out into the cosmos.  The positive energy of hope, appreciation and love will shape your reality to bring you ever more pleasing results in your life.  So make that PositiVibes resolution but know that like any other New Year's Resolution, it is up to you to stay on track.  It really is always up to you.  Keep that attitude of gratitude.

So, please be filled with anticipation and hope for the year ahead.  Many more of your dreams will come true.  As you make it a Happy New Year you are just going to find more and more to be thankful for and you will be an uplifting force affecting all of us!

Visit us at www.DesignerOfReality.com