You’re reading 3 Steps to Enlightenment: The Path of Surrender, originally posted on Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement. If you’re enjoying this, please visit our site for more inspirational articles.

Have you ever dreamed about going off to an ashram in India, hoping to get your life clearly sorted out once and for all, as Elizabeth Gilbert did in Eat, Pray, Love? Have you secretly dreamed that one day you will land in some sacred place and feel miraculously in tune and connected, such that all of your life’s troubles disappear?

The illusion that we can fix our life by abandoning it is admittedly very tempting, and many of us try to escape our lives in search of something better. We are often fooled into thinking we can find ourselves and find peace if only we meditate enough, go on retreats, and magically make ourselves over to have all new and healthier habits. This is not to dismiss the value of taking a short break to recuperate and gather yourself. Indeed, such changes can be immensely helpful in realigning and reinvigorating the soul. However, many of us unconsciously use these spiritual events, tools, and resources in the external world in order to escape pain, to escape the profound disconnection we suffer within.

What happens is this: We want to make a change, yet we remove ourselves from the place where we would like to actually manifest that change, and we go somewhere else—often a new and strange place—and reap only the short-lived benefits of isolated change. “It was a relaxing trip. Life feels different now,” we might think, not fully realizing that when we go back to the real places we live, we go back to the cluttered rooms, the broken marriage, and the daunting financial responsibilities.

The reality you live and breathe now is your spiritual path. Where you are right now, in the midst of your troubles and your suffering or your joy and your happiness, is the actual path. When you acknowledge that spirituality happens in every moment, you make a leap of faith. Any time you embody or act from love, any time you live from a selfless place because your inner self is already full, you bring yourself closer to the Divine. Any time you look at someone with a compassionate heart and do your best to honor that person, a piece of yourself is restored, and you feel aligned and connected.

Everything we see in this universe is a reflection of two qualities: love and truth. From there, we make our own contributions, further reflecting these two qualities in our life and the lives of others. Positive change in your life starts with acknowledging the truth, then moving into finding solutions and taking informed, loving action. No solution is complete unless we are in tune with ourselves and find our place in the circle of prayer and surrender to Divine.

What does it mean to surrender? In our limited capacity to control the outcomes of our lives, we forget that everything in the universe—the planets, stars, trees, and animals—is in a state of surrender. Surrender is about knowing when to “do”—when to exert our influence—and when to simply “be.” When we decide to embrace surrender, we are asked to become more and more discerning of what is within our control and what is not.

Alignment with the Divine is the delicate combined state of surrender and prayer. In alignment, you move and act the same way the rest of God’s creations do, secure in your awareness of the higher power that guides you. At the same time, you are in a constant state of prayer, of personal communication with the Divine, to ask for what you need and express your gratitude and praise.

The gift of free will is an honorable one, given to us by the Divine. Surrender is the art of operating in a governed universe by cultivating an intimate relationship with the Divine. You step into a sacred circle that rotates with input both from you and from the Divine. In that circle, prayer is your input. At the same time, you allow guidance and input from the Divine by wholeheartedly surrendering your actions and listening in. In this way, the Divine shapes your life with wisdom and grace. When you take action and then let go, you enter into a space of harmonious creation. You experience the light and support of the Divine.

Your life is your sacred ashram. It is up to you to make your life the most amazing journey. No one will live your life for you, and no one will create peace of mind except you. You will not find the answers any place other than where you are. So open your eyes. Begin to look at your everyday life differently, to allow it to have the light and the sacredness it is supposed to have.
Here are simple ways to practice surrender.

Surrender Your Day

When you wake up, without stating any desires or plans, release the day and its events to Divine guidance, and then go about your day. You will notice that when you let go, there is no need to force anything. Bring your heart on board and be open.

Surrender Your Health

When you have a chronic symptom or pain, try this prayer: “Dear God, I now let go of the need to fix myself. I allow the light of your truth to enter my body and restore me fully. My body knows how to heal itself. I now allow it to awaken to the truth of your creation. I am ready and willing to learn and heal. Thank you.”

Surrender Your Time

The notions of past, present, and future enable us to take responsibility and make things happen, but when we hold on to them too tightly, we destroy our own peace of mind. To break free of this trap, set an intention, and then allow the Divine plan – the “how” – to unfold. Try the following prayer as you wake up in the morning: “Dear God, I am willing to let go of my worries about time and allow your guidance to take over instead. I am open and receptive to your plans to bring me what is best. Thank you.”
When we shift our perspective, our outlook changes for the better. That’s the power of self that we all carry. By living fully and being mindful in every moment, we gather our strength and become more aligned. Our spiritual journey is fully realized in our intimate relationship with the Divine. It is when we surrender that magic enters our mundane life.

ABOUT OUR WRITER
Eiman Al Zaabi is a personal transformation coach, spiritual teacher, and author of The Art of Surrender: A Practical Guide to Enlightened Happiness and Well-Being. Outside of her coaching practice, Eiman works at New York University, Abu Dhabi campus, and lives in the United Arab Emirates with her husband and children. Sign up for her coaching sessions and newsletter at eimanalzaabi.com.

You’ve read 3 Steps to Enlightenment: The Path of Surrender, originally posted on Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement. If you’ve enjoyed this, please visit our site for more inspirational articles.

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You’re reading 3 Unique Things That Successful People Do Differently, originally posted on Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement. If you’re enjoying this, please visit our site for more inspirational articles.

Are you already wavering on your New Year’s resolutions? It’s okay, you’re not alone. If you want 2017 to be the year that they stick, you are going to need some proven routines to keep you going. Where better to look than at the habits of highly successful people?

We all know the typical things that successful people do differently – wake up early, set goals, network – but what does the next level of successful behavior look like? No matter whether your passion is baking or real estate, everyone has something at which they strive to be successful. While there is no one defined behaviour for successful people, anyone who has spent extensive amounts of time reading interviews of and articles by successful people can agree that there are similar attitudes and behaviors that they possess. There are universal traits and practices that are common to all successful people regardless of their background and field of influence. If you want to create a culture of success in your life, here are the most common and effective habits of successful people to get you started. 

They set daily goals.

Most successful people attest to the fact that they do not simply wake up to an agenda filled with random activities. Instead, most successful people come up with large, long-term goals. American Express CEO Kenneth Chenault, for example, states that “at the beginning of each year, I set the key priorities and key objectives”.[1] These priorities and objectives are part of a larger, long-term vision, and are easily achievable when broken down into smaller pieces. Every day, then, successful people take the initiative to set themselves small, daily goals that contribute to the priorities, objectives, and long-term vision. They then plan their day ahead of time to ensure that they have activities and appointments planned that address each of their goals.

They take care of themselves first.

The most valuable resource you have is yourself. Successful people, especially those in the service industry, understand that they need to continually work on their personal brand and physical appearance. They also understand that their social life is as important as their finances and, as such, set aside enough time for leisure activities with friends and family. They know when to stop working. They also know that their bodies need good food, hydration, rest and sleep. On top of physical maintenance, they look out for experiences and relationships that will enhance their lives. They read widely from good authors and engage in positive conversations. They understand that you cannot change the world if you have not taken care of yourself first.

The concept of remembering to attend to one’s own needs is captured by the term self-care. It was coined by and remains a pillar of the work that mental health professionals do every day. There are countless resources that uphold the importance of the practice as well as provide resources in its pursuit. If you are unsure of where to start, I recommend an interactive self-care flowchart by Jace Harr entitled, “You feel Like Shit: An Interactive Self-Care Guide”. It walks the user through his or her needs, beginning with the most basic. As the landing page asserts, it is designed “for people who struggle with self-care, executive dysfunction, and/or who have trouble reading internal signals”.[2] It is a simple, straightforward, and effective first step at attending to yourself when you are not feeling your best.

They meditate.

This may seem trivial to many people, especially given the number of things vying for our attention these days. However, successful people always make time to meditate. What they do during this quiet time varies by personal preference and time of day. If it is the end of a busy day, they might take time to reflect on their goals as well as the day that has passed: their achievements and failures, the status of their personal relationships and their spirituality. The successful people who do this understand that when so much is going on that you do not have time to reflect, it is easy to miss out on the lessons. Since they are continually seeking ways to improve themselves, they take time to reflect on their strengths and areas for growth. If they are feeling particularly drained or negative, they might use the quiet time for positive self-talk. Other times, if they are feeling particularly stressed or overworked, they might choose to focus on their breath and enjoy ten minutes of not thinking at all.

If you are interested in starting a practice but unsure of where to begin, there are many support out there for you, beginning with the mogul Oprah Winfrey. She is a huge proponent of meditation, stating that it has shifted her life in ways that she never imagined. She is such a firm believer in the practice that she has instituted period of “Quiet Time” twice a day in her network offices.[3] For those who do not work for Oprah, she has collaborated with spiritual guide Deepak Chopra to create a number of free 21-day guided meditations. There are others with free meditations available, including Tara Brach. If you prefer music or silence, there are free apps available that help you to time and keep track of your meditation sessions.

 

While there is no script that successful people follow, there are traits that are common amongst them. If you are seeking practices that will give you a boost in your productivity and overall success in life, consider the importance of goal setting, self-care, and meditation. Make each of these practices a pattern of behaviour and you will surely be on the road to success.

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Wheeler del Torro (http://ift.tt/LfD2Mm) is a nutritional anthropologist and author. His most recent book, Boss Up!, provides a step-by-step guide to creating a powerful executive presence in order to be perceived as a leader and reap the benefits that go along with it. When he is not researching, lecturing, or hosting popups, Wheeler is out setting the next culinary trend.

 

[1] Bulygo, Zach. (n.d.) “Business lessons from American Express CEO Ken Chenault”. Kissmetrics Blog. Retrieved on 23 December 2016 from http://ift.tt/2jlygow

[2] Jace Herr. http://ift.tt/1h50SQg

[3] Interview with Oprah Winfrey. Facebook Live stream. http://ift.tt/2juHnU8

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You’re reading Seven Mantras to Lift Your Love Life, originally posted on Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement. If you’re enjoying this, please visit our site for more inspirational articles.

If you are feeling disconnected, lonely, frustrated or hopeless about love then perhaps you are in need of a little love boost. Love boosts are little things you can do to activate the love which exists inside of you. Reciting mantras is one of the ways to do this. You see without this activation love can appear absent, dull, hopeless, temporary and in some cases hurtful. This gives the impression that love is a risk. Here is the thing, love never left you left love.

You see doubting love is no different than being uncertain about yourself. Love is present within you and around you every second of the day, even if you cannot feel it. This is because love is a high vibrational frequency of energy. It is energy in motion. The fear, worry or sadness you may be carrying about love is really love which has been suppressed, ignored or resisted in you. I know this may seem crazy, but the fear in you is really an unconscious desire to be connected to love.

Mantras are one way to help you rebuild those love connections. Mantras are sounds, syllables, words and phrases which are repeated over a long period of time (e.g. forty days). They elevate the energy within you and around you. When practiced over time, they literally give you a love (energy) boost, lifting your fearful vibrations by moving energy at a higher frequency closer to love.

Before reciting a mantra, it is important to keep in mind, mantras are not something you do but rather an energy you connect to. As you develop this practice you will naturally strengthen your connection to love. This puts less pressure on your current and potential partners. Rather than have the relationship be the supplier of the love you yearn for, instead you show up ready to share this vibration. Some of the ways the love vibration gets shared is through listening, forgiveness and patience.

To get started, I suggest you select one of the mantras below. Pick the one you are most drawn to. Work with this mantra for forty days, reciting it 10-30 times daily. The mantras must be stated out loud (even if it is a whisper), in a row, preferably in a quiet space. At the end of your practice, pause and receive the energy you are creating (love) by taking a long inhale, and long exhale. Let go of all expectations, reminding yourself this is a tool for boosting the love you already have.

 

1. Now that I am fully and completely connected to love everything I desire is in motion.
2. Let love flow.
3. I am infinitely connected to love.
4. I am generously receiving love now, thank you.
5. Love pulsates through me now.
6. I am love.
7. I am open and ready to receive love.

Sherianna Boyle is the author of six books the most recent being Mantras Made Easy, Choosing Love, The Four Gifts of Anxiety and The Conscious Parenting Guide to Childhood Anxiety. She is an adjunct Psychology Professor, seasoned yoga instructor and Quantum Healing practioner. Her resources can be found at http://ift.tt/1ABx6Ix.

You’ve read Seven Mantras to Lift Your Love Life, originally posted on Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement. If you’ve enjoyed this, please visit our site for more inspirational articles.

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You’re reading 7 Things You Should Stop Doing If You Have Anxiety, originally posted on Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement. If you’re enjoying this, please visit our site for more inspirational articles.

Are you someone who’s easily overwhelmed about the most trivial things? Do you feel anxious so much that you lay awake most nights with thoughts that make you stressed? One of the many reasons why anxiety is hard to cure is because most people suffering from it engage in things that make it worse. Listed below are the common issues that usually aggravate anxiety.

1. Keeping Your Anxiety a Secret

It might feel shameful for you to let people know that you’re suffering from anxiety. You may fear that they’d start avoiding you or treat you unfairly because of it. But the one mistake of people suffering from anxiety is being dishonest about it.

You don’t have to tell the world right now, but the closest people you know, or the ones you spend time with every day is a good start. This will help them understand you, and help you overcome your anxiety.

2. Isolating Yourself

“I feel much better alone, I don’t need anyone else”. Anxious people often distance themselves from other people. And this is very unhealthy. Solitude is good once in a while but too much and it can lead to depression. The thing is: familiarity increases anxiety. The more you stay in the “safe zone”, the more you get anxious when new things come your way.

According to Brianna West, founder of Soul Anatomy, “anxiety is being disconnected from the present moment, other people, or yourself. It is the warning sign that we’re too much in the past or the future so much that it affects the choices we make in the present.”

So stop spending too much time alone. Start doing something different, get out of your comfort zone, and start connecting or reconnecting with the people you have in your life.

3. Validating Your Fears

Imagine if you’re the type of person who gets anxious about traveling by airplanes. You’ll worry about your life so much that you’ll look up death rates for plane accidents. Or if you’re scared of dogs, you’ll read stories about cases of people who got killed by their own pet dogs.

Validating fears is commonly done by people who are anxious about their health. They research to validate their symptoms and worry that they may have a rare disease. Unfortunately, this behavior is not helpful, as it causes more anxiety. And the more you get anxious, the more your anxiety becomes harder to cure.

What you should do is realize that fear is normal and that it’s also liberating. We are all designed to feel fear. But to conquer our fear takes time, and it should be done so with love and understanding for yourself.

4. Lying to Yourself

The worst lies are the ones we tell ourselves. People like to cover up truths because it doesn’t sound pretty. Or because it hurts. One of the causes of anxiety is contradiction with ourselves. By lying to yourself, you’re masquerading the truth with lies that hurt other people. Lies that make you create an expectation of yourself that maybe you can’t even achieve. That’s what’s going to make you more anxious. If you want to feel freer, you must accept yourself as you are.

5. Having a Poor Diet

We know how media, especially television, can have a huge influence on our preferences when it comes to the ideal body type. It has affected us so much that most of us feel anxious when we gain weight so we consume much less food than we should. Anxiety can alter digestion and water intake in our intestine which affects how food is transported through our digestive tract. This leads to poor bowel movement, blood in stools, and even diarrhea.

6. Pleasing Everyone

Many people suffering from anxiety have an inclination to people-please. These people want to be agreeable and likable to everyone they meet — and may feel hurt or worried if other people won’t like them. Sometimes they go to great lengths to sacrifice their own needs, both emotionally and physically. And become anxious and guilty if they let down someone.

7. Trying to Be Perfect

Someone who feels too scared of being rejected, or too worried to say something wrong will always feel anxious. Instead of trying so hard to do well and creating pressure on yourself, give yourself the permission to look bad. Allow yourself to be imperfect. Don’t feel too worried to violate any invisible social rules. It’s not the end of the world if nobody laughed at your joke or if you made an awkward comment.

Closing Thoughts

Fighting anxiety is a tough battle. I should know, I’ve been suffering from it for more than 22 years now. But in all these years, I’ve learned that anxiety isn’t something to be tolerated, it has to be cured. And the only way you can do is it by surrounding yourself with love and friendship from people who matter most to you. So don’t let anxiety ruin your life. Learn to form connections, find peace, and be yourself in any social situation.

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Armela Escalona is a content editor at scoopfed.com. She writes motivational articles about work, health and college life. Stay connected with her through her LinkedIn Account.

You’ve read 7 Things You Should Stop Doing If You Have Anxiety, originally posted on Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement. If you’ve enjoyed this, please visit our site for more inspirational articles.

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You’re reading The 5 Best Podcasts on Balance, originally posted on Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement. If you’re enjoying this, please visit our site for more inspirational articles.

Putting one foot in front of the other and trying not to fall off a balance beam, requires a similar type of focus that is needed to achieve balance in our work, relationships, health and well being. The key is not view balance as yet another task to check off our wellness list, but to wholly incorporate it in every aspect of our life’s never-ending list of choices. These podcasts stress the importance of discovering the psychological reasons why we need balance in our lives and how this one factor can change our lives permanently, for the better.

1. This unconventional podcast interviews ex minor league baseball player turned design entrepreneur, Ben Jenkins. His ideas posit that when contemplating how to create more balance in the life-work arena, one must never start with all your thoughts and ideas at the table, but instead allow for them to present themselves in the process of achieving balance. To effectively create your life’s aesthetic at your own pace and trust your instincts is at the core of a balanced life-work relationship.

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2. “All the research shows that every decision you make depletes energy from your brain that can be put to better use.’ This quote by Kory Kogon sums up this podcast quite succinctly. We all strive to achieve productivity in our work life, but at what cost? Kory suggests that in order to achieve truly extraordinary productivity there are actions one can take, such a fueling your fire so you don’t burnout (never forget to put yourself and your mental and physical health first), and not being reactionary to urgent things, and instead handling them with focused action.

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3. In this podcast, they concentrate on finding a sustainable action plan for achieving balance in your work life. The advice here is to work by an 80/20% rule. Meaning, you really only attempt to achieve 20% of the most important tasks for that particular month, the releasing of the stress to attain the whole 100% does wonders for us to focus and free out time to be the most productive. Always ask yourself ‘what do I want my lifestyle to look like’, as opposed to ‘how profitable can I be’.

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4. “Even Eagles need a push.” This inspiring podcast interviews single mother, and former homeless, now successful entrepreneur Elayna Hernandez, as she shares her story and her ideas about how to overcome hardships and move forward out of a victim mentality and into a reality of owning your life. She is moved by her purpose of gratitude toward her most cherished gift, her children. Once she began to live in acceptance of her circumstances, she then began to discover balance was about changing her perception of herself and choosing to focus on what she could attain positively, step by step.

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5. This podcast is particularly interesting as it tackles the idea that we take on to much in our lives. In order to find true balance, we must de-clutter our minds and our lives by doing less. There is a feeling in society that if we are not overwhelmed or exhausted, we have no personal value and significance. It is a great myth to think that we can do it all, we are not meant to live with this kind of stress and something will break if you do not choose what to focus on. It’s unrealistic to accommodate all of the commitments life presents you. Be intentional in your actions.

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Gaining more control over our lives by choosing to prioritize our tasks according to what reduces stress, is the most practical way to attain equilibrium. However, this cannot be reached without first discovering what balance means to us personally in terms of our mental and emotional wellbeing. Creating balance can help us live our lives with meaning and purpose, and this is the greatest result of a well balanced life.

Do you read a great blog about balance that’s not on the list? Leave a comment on FB!

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Larissa Gomes is a breast cancer survivor and single mom to her spirited baby boy! Originally from Toronto turned Angeleno, she has worked in roles from writer, actor and producer for well over a decade. In that time, she’s developed concepts, film and television screenplays, short stories, along with freelance articles, blogging and editing work.

You’ve read The 5 Best Podcasts on Balance, originally posted on Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement. If you’ve enjoyed this, please visit our site for more inspirational articles.

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You’re reading Top 10 Healthy Foods That Fight Stress, originally posted on Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement. If you’re enjoying this, please visit our site for more inspirational articles.

Nowadays, many people suffer from stress due to busy lifestyles. In fact, too much stress may cause a lot of side effects on the mood, behavior, and body. It may even result in short-term and long-term physical issues such as impaired learning ability, impaired memory, high blood pressure, osteoporosis, a weak immune system, and coronary heart disease. Keeping a healthy lifestyle and having a proper diet will help to control stress. In addition, there are also some specific types of food that can aid in fighting stress. Continue reading this post to check them out!

1. Blueberries

The antioxidants present in blueberries are very effective in reducing stress levels. Blueberries also have vitamins E and C and essential minerals such as manganese and magnesium, which can help to relieve stress. Regular consumption of blueberries can also aid in dealing with insomnia, depression, and some other mood disorders that are considered as a result of stress. You may also eat blueberries as a snack or include them in a fruit salad or cottage cheese. Apart from blueberries, you can also eat cranberries to help to control stress.

2. Milk

People who often drink milk are less stressed. A glass of skim milk gives your body a good amount of calcium, protein, antioxidants, and vitamins A and D. These nutrients aid you in calming down and fighting free radicals released in your body whenever you are stressed. For a stress-busting breakfast, opt for a bowl of cereal made from whole grain with a glass of low-fat milk. In addition, consume a glass of lukewarm milk before going to sleep to have a sound sleep. If you are not a fan of milk, switch to consume milk products such as yogurt and cottage cheese.

3. Dark Chocolate

According to a clinical trial of Proteome Research in the Journal of American Chemical Society, eating about 1.5 ounces of dark chocolate every day can reduce the stress hormone levels in the body significantly. Dark chocolate is comprised of magnesium, a mineral that aids in fighting stress, depression, fatigue, and irritability. When you are stressed, eat dark chocolate to boost up your mood and reduce the stress level. Another option, you may also drink a glass of warm chocolate milk or other types of dessert that contains dark chocolate.

4. Salmon

Being a cold water fish, salmon is high in omega-3 fatty acids and contains strong anti-inflammatory properties. Omega-3 fatty acids aid in boosting up brain chemicals such as serotonin that is very effective in maintaining a happy mood and regulating stress hormones such as adrenaline and cortisol. In addition, omega-3 fatty acids also help your brain to function more efficiently. It is recommended eating just 2 or 3 servings of salmon a week. Apart from salmon, you may also eat tuna, mackerel, and sardines. Or, you may take supplements of omega-3 fatty acids daily after consulting your doctor.

5. Avocados

Avocados are rich in protein, minerals, and vitamin E and C. They also contain potassium, fiber, and healthy fat. These nutrients are helpful in regulating stress hormones by keeping the nerves & brain cells healthy. Consuming an avocado per day can significantly reduce the blood pressure levels and the stress hormone levels. You may also add avocado to your favorite smoothie or fruit salad. To get the best results, consume fresh avocado instead of eating the packaged ones.

6. Green Tea

Green tea is loaded with powerful antioxidants, including polyphenols, catechins, and flavonoids. These antioxidants contain a calming effect on your body & mind, which can help to give you a positive mood. In addition, it also has an amino acid named theanine that helps to promote relaxation and improve the attention and focus.

A study in an American journal indicated that people who consumed at least 5 cups of this tea a day have better mood and health compared to people who consumed less than 1 cup a day.

When you feel stress, enjoy one cup of green tea immediately. However, 5 cups a day cannot be suitable for some people. So, you can drink 2 to 3 cups of green tea per day.

If you are not a fan of green tea, choose black tea. The positive effect of green tea will be best in people who don’t drink alcohol and smoke.

7. Oranges

The high content of vitamin C in oranges helps to boost up your immune system. In addition, it is also a natural antioxidant that can fight free radicals. Oranges also contain significant amounts of vitamin A and a lot of healthy minerals.

To reap the benefits of these nutrients in oranges, simply consume one glass of orange juice per day. You may also add oranges to your desserts and other baked goods. Apart from oranges, you may also consume other citrus fruits.

8. Almonds

Almonds are high in magnesium, selenium, zinc, healthy oils, and vitamins B and E that offer stress-busting benefits. In addition, they are crunchy and thus help to diffuse tension.

You may eat raw or roasted almonds as a healthy snack. Or, you may also add almonds to desserts & baked goods. Apart from almonds, you may eat pistachios and walnuts to reduce the stress hormones, lower blood pressure, and boost up your energy level.

9. Spinach

Spinach that belongs to the dark green vegetables is rich in vitamins A, B, and C. Spinach also has a good amount of essential minerals such as calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, and potassium that help to reduce stress hormones in your body and stabilize your mood.

A cup of spinach per day can give your body the relaxing, calming effects. Or, you may also add spinach to your omelet, sandwich, salad, or wrap.

10. Brown Rice

Brown rice is comprised of B vitamins, which are very important for maintaining tissues, cells, and organs. They act as a natural mood stabilizer and also aid in biochemical reactions linked to brain functioning, immunity, healthy red blood cells, and cardiac functioning. When your body gets enough amounts of B vitamins, it is better for you to fight stress and other mood disorders. If you feel moody or irritable in the next time, consume brown rice products to help you feel better.

To sum up, the stress-busting foods are loaded with nutrients that may regulate stress hormones and aid you in having a life free of stress.

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This guest post is by Nga Do, a beauty and health blogger with many years of experience on searching the effective remedies for skin & hair care and health problems.

You’ve read Top 10 Healthy Foods That Fight Stress, originally posted on Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement. If you’ve enjoyed this, please visit our site for more inspirational articles.

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You’re reading How to Use Fear to Destroy Laziness, originally posted on Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement. If you’re enjoying this, please visit our site for more inspirational articles.

It’s the start of the New Year, and we want to reach our full potential. Yet, its so easy to be lazy. We live in an age with the highest amount of distractions – with so many options for entertainment e.g. Seasons of Game of Thrones. We have so much information flowing into our minds on a daily basis through advertising, work, and what we hear through our social circle.

With all that going on, it’s easy to lose touch with what we should be doing with our time. Unless we really know what’s important to us, we can fall into excessive patterns of: watching T.V, surfing the web, socializing to an extreme – all to fill in the hole of emptiness we feel when we don’t keep ourselves distracted.

That feeling of discomfort when you go to bed, that extra sleep in the morning – it’s often all partly related to not doing the things you know you should be doing. Whether that’s: studying that subject you used to be excited about, writing that book, consistently working out, building a business, creating videos, learning from other people, playing your favorite sport, teaching something you’re passionate about, reading books, gaining new experiences, travelling, or else.

Without a strategy on how you’re going to spend your time, you can live many years without reaching your full potential – not doing the things you truly want to do. Unless you bring what you want to the forefront of your mind, and then do those things, you will fail in achieving a consistent baseline of positive emotions. Yet, you might not even realize it until a year or two has passed by.

For many of us, so little time is invested in improving ourselves, expressing ourselves, and creating. Too much time is spent absorbing content, replaying our past, worrying about the future, all while we lament our lifestyles, and take little action to change our realities.

Let’s describe the story of someone called ‘Jimmy’. The way to become the best version of you, is to firstly understand how to be the worst version of yourself.

The Story of ‘Jimmy’

If you looked at his life beginning from the 1st January to the 31st December, you would see little variety in Jimmy’s days. He never travels. Never skips town. He hangs around with the same people, who are also in the same life situation as him. Stuck. Unwilling to push himself out of his comfort zone, he subconsciously reasons that it’s okay since others are the same.

He sleeps and wakes up at different times everyday. The result is a messed up sleeping cycle that acts as the foundation for his life. To add to that, he works in a dead-end job that sucks most of his precious energy.

The cycle repeats itself weekly.

He never reads any books, he simply has no interest in expanding his knowledge or delving into stories. He is completely self-absorbed in the mental masturbation of his mind. He worries, frets and is always pondering. But perhaps he shares a joke or two with one or two friends every now and then.

Yet he rarely pauses to simply breathe.

There’s a lack of inspiration for betterment in his life and the cause of this is deeply rooted in taking life for granted. He fails to see the brilliance and wonder of the world. He never fully seizes the day. His life is marred by the attainment for short term pleasure. He saves very little of his money and instead splurges it on fast food, ice cream, desserts, cigarettes, and alcohol.

He has no long term direction, it’s simply not in his paradigm of thought. He fails to see how his present is influencing his future.

He doesn’t really know what he wants from life.

His past is a daze and he never tries to learn or embody any lessons from his experiences. He spends lavishly on the things that don’t matter, little on the things that do. His home is cluttered, and messy – just like his mind.

He doesn’t exercise, and his body is tight and tense. As a result, all his family, friends, and the world don’t benefit from the extraordinary person he could become. In short, he is selfish and he doesn’t even realize it.

Maybe you partly relate with the story of ‘Jimmy’. I know I do and I only tell this story because we’re often motivated by the extreme bell-end curve of being positive. We rarely think about the ramifications of not living meaningfully. This may be an extreme example, but it’s a useful one.

Fear, just like any emotion, isn’t inherently bad or good. It can be used to our advantage, and by remembering the sentiment behind this story, we can use it to fuel us to lead better lives on the occasions where we’re not being perhaps inspired by love.

Your Challenge

The biggest challenge we face is having the courage to make changes.

Let’s learn we find meaningful, and which days we’ll dedicate to those activities. Let’s develop daily habits that help us feel terrific each day. Let’s experiment with different things we find fascinating.

An inability to identify the unique factors that lead to a meaningful and fulfilling life, is responsible for creating unhappy men and women all around the world. But by having an allegiance to making positive changes and using your time wisely, you will be well on your way to lead a meaningful, fulfilling life – no matter what difficulties life throws at you.

If you’re interested in mastering your habits in the New Year, read my free guide. Here’s what you’ll learn:

• First, You’ll find out how to split up your day into four chunks, so you’ll worry less about external influences.
• Second, You’ll discover how to consistently celebrate your small wins, so that you feel more creative and enthusiastic each day.
• Third, I’ll show you the small productivity hacks that will take your output to the next level.

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 Samy Felice is a writer who is passionate about unique ideas related to living a meaningful life. His Free Guide explores ways people can make success easier.

You’ve read How to Use Fear to Destroy Laziness, originally posted on Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement. If you’ve enjoyed this, please visit our site for more inspirational articles.

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You’re reading How You Can Save Your Own Life Through Therapy, originally posted on Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement. If you’re enjoying this, please visit our site for more inspirational articles.

“All of humanity’s problems stem from man’s inability to sit quietly in a room alone.”

-Blaise Pascal

A Difficult Road, Often Traveled

Feel cut off from your instincts, disconnected from yourself, suffering great pain?
Wish you could have productive conversations with yourself?

SEEK help…see a therapist!

The first time I saw a therapist, I went because I had problems that I just couldn’t solve myself.

I burst into tears in that first session, and that wonderful therapist said, “Lars, that’s a vote for you.”

Going was the easy part.

The harder part? Continuing. But, I persevered because I was at war with myself, and that internal violence was killing me.

The State of the Patient

Patients have one thing in common. They are fragmented.

An effective therapist doesn’t put the patient back together but provides a presence that facilitates the patient putting himself or herself back together. You GO to therapy as human doing, but you experience therapy as human being.

A Unique Conversation

After I described my feelings, that same wonderful therapist also said:
“That sounds like a conversation between you and you.”

Her active presence, our relationship, and our unique work together helped me put myself back together.

The Therapist’s Function? The Role of a Lifetime

A therapist stands in for the strong part of you until you’re ready to reclaim that role or take it for the first time.
If your parents weren’t THERE for you emotionally, you didn’t develop your own self-advocate providing internal kindness and compassion, the nourishing you’d provide to a loved one or a best friend.
Without the right parenting, you will bend over backward NOT to provide compassion to yourself. Even with the best parenting, sometimes a traumatic disrupts your normally internal advocacy.
Your lack of internal security at some point can break you apart if you aren’t THERE for yourself.

Crisis: Danger and Opportunity

The Chinese character for crisis means both “danger” and “opportunity”. In a crisis, when old habits no longer no longer “defend” you (and not in a good way), and you’re at a loss, that crisis provides something remarkable: Opportunity.

The best part of what drove me to therapy, as for most people, was a readiness to grow. My resistance made the entire process more difficult, yet that very resistance provided an opportunity. A good therapeutic relationship exploits that opportunity for your best benefit.

Mediation Like No Other

No mediation is as important as that needed to bridge the gap between different parts of yourself. After all, who’s with you 24 hours a day? Can you afford NOT to have the best relationship possible with YOURSELF?

If the parts of you not only disagree, but, in the process, insult, frustrate, anger, and criticize each other, your inner life is on quick route to train wreck. A therapeutic relationship that works provides a kind of inner mediation that puts you on the road, however long, for a lifetime’s growth and healing.

The Possibility of Peace

Here’s the best part. Learning to trust your therapist brings you “shalom”, the peace of “wholeness”. Why? Because once you trust the person who is simply an emotional surrogate for your healthiest self, you can begin to trust yourself.

That self-trust allows you to be in charge of your own life, but in a new place, a place that the stuck and stultified person you were couldn’t have found without this painful, yet fertile evolution. The therapist is a selectively vocal, yet predominantly silent partner whose support for you seeps into your soul so that support for yourself from yourself becomes more pervasive, more habitual.

Don’t get scared off by the mistaken notion that we all rise or fall separately. Your family may have nothing but contempt for therapists, deeming patients “weak”, but, the healthiest member of a family is often the one who seeks and continues therapy as long as necessary.

Take courage, seek a guide in the rough waters of your fragmented self, and know that, if you can unflinchingly and fully feel the pain and complete recognition of yourself, you will then be able to feel the joy and self-trust that otherwise would be unavailable.

Best of all, you will be able to kill that Buddha at the side of the road, accountable for your own life in the ultimate sense. And, despite the title of this post, with your work with a therapist, YOU will have saved YOUR OWN life.

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Lars Nielsen is a free-lance copywriter whose unique and image-rich selling voice combines the narrative power of his poetry, playwriting, fiction, radio, liturgy, and comedy. Go to http://ift.tt/2aI2xgg and see how storytelling and scenarios can successfully reframe the narrative of your business, speeches, ideas, and your life.

You’ve read How You Can Save Your Own Life Through Therapy, originally posted on Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement. If you’ve enjoyed this, please visit our site for more inspirational articles.

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You’re reading Five Meditation Practices For People Who Don’t Want to Meditate, originally posted on Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement. If you’re enjoying this, please visit our site for more inspirational articles.

If you’ve ever thought that meditation wasn’t for you for whatever reason, you may be surprised to find out that you’ve been practicing it all along. While traditional meditation in a monastery does entail sitting in the lotus position for long periods of time, it’s not the only method. Even monks practice meditation in different ways like when they’re eating or doing medial chores.

The rule of thumb is that you focus on something, breathe with intention and quiet your busy mind. Many of us do this from time to time and tend to label it “zoning out” when in reality, we were in meditation. Your favorite past times are an opportunity for you to meditate and because you’re doing what you like to do, you’re in a good headspace to let your busy mind go.

With so many articles online and health reports telling you the benefits of meditation, you are probably convinced it’s a good practice for you. The mental and physical benefits are many. You want to benefit from the elevated mood boost it can give you, an increase in productivity, get a better sleep and nurture your heart health. The perks of meditation can be yours while doing what you love to do. In keeping your meditation practice simple and personal for you, it will be easier and more identifiable for you.

Here are some practices to try if you don’t want to try if you’re not into the traditional methods.

Drumming

Multiple studies have shown that playing a hand drum, especially in group settings, gives us many of the same benefits as mindfulness meditation.

Drumming increases problem solving ability and empathy. It boosts the immune system and reduces stress. It also helps improve school grades and good behavior in children. In some settings, drumming is used to treat ADHD. Studies suggest that it may work better than Prozac or Ritalin when used for ADHD and depression.

Drumming is itself a meditation technique. The key is to become deeply absorbed in the rhythm and the sensations you feel in your hands and elsewhere. You might find it hard to sit in half-lotus and concentrate during a breathing meditation. Drumming, on the other hand, has a powerful  way of holding your attention so it doesn’t feel like a chore.

Watching a sunset

You’ve probably watched sunsets before, right? Have you ever just melted in awe? You likely had no problem concentrating then. One of the feelings I’ve experienced while watching sunsets and sunrises is love. It seemed to be the magic glue that connected me with the sun. It was like a prolonged hug.

In many ways, meditation mirrors falling in love. You’re paying full attention to each other. It’s hard not to concentrate on your experience with that person. During meditation, you are merging with your chosen object and experiencing that same type of merging. Plus, research shows that awe reduces our inflammatory markers, which are associated with cardiac and autoimmune disorders.

Gazing at a campfire

If you’re in the position to have a fire pit in your yard, do it. If you’re not allowed to dig holes, you can use a feeding trough from a farming supplies store. Or if you live near the outdoors, go camping.

Like sunsets, camp fires have a powerful meditative effect. The wood crackles as the fire roars and consumes the wood. You can feel the heat on your body. All of these aspects hit your senses and has a way of pulling you in. I find fire gazing to have a very purifying effect on my mind.

Gardening

Many people find relaxation while pulling weeds and nurturing their spinach, broccoli, basil and tomatoes in their gardens. If you make the intent to really pay attention to what you’re doing, then gardening becomes a form of meditation.

You can concentrate on the feeling of your knees on the ground, the sensations in your hands and the feeling of your breath. You can also thank every single plant that you work with for providing you with healthy food. Now you’re mixing meditation with gratitude work.

Going for a Walk

If you hang out in a cubicle all day or sit in front of a computer a lot, going out for short a walk can become a meditation. The same goes for jogging, dancing and other forms of exercise.

When walking, pay attention to your breath and the sensations of your body. Be mindful of your feet hitting the ground in a rhythmic pattern.

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Meera Watts is a yoga teacher, entrepreneur and mom. Her writing on yoga and holistic health has appeared in Elephant Journal, Yoganonymous, OMtimes and others. She’s also the founder and owner of Siddhi Yoga International, a yoga teacher training school based in Singapore. Siddhi Yoga runs intensive, residential trainings in India (Rishikesh, Goa and Dharamshala), Indonesia (Bali) and Malaysia (Kuala Lumpur).

You’ve read Five Meditation Practices For People Who Don’t Want to Meditate, originally posted on Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement. If you’ve enjoyed this, please visit our site for more inspirational articles.

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You’re reading Is There A Higher Power That Participates In Our Lives? 27 Physicians Collaborate On A New Book Detailing Unexplained Medical Miracles, originally posted on Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement. If you’re enjoying this, please visit our site for more inspirational articles.

My name is Dr. Scott Kolbaba and I have been a physician in the Chicagoland area for over 35 years. The answer to whether there is a higher power that participates in our lives was not one I learned in medical school. Quite the opposite actually. In medical school we are taught to base our findings on science. X=Y and so forth. However, as humans, our natural instincts are to seek answers to questions about who we are, where we come from, and where are we going. It was possibly those very instincts that made me realize some of my personal experiences as a doctor, as well as those of some of my colleagues, couldn’t be explained by science and fact alone. These experiences were truly divine intervention, the work of something we could only see through the eyes of our faith.

Dr. Kevin Russeau is a chiropractic physician in Wheaton, Illinois. I recall his captivating story like it was yesterday. He was a new practitioner in town and was working to build up his clientele. After receiving an invitation to a meeting of local professionals, he thought for sure this would have the networking potential to launch his practice to the next level. He attended the meeting and was excited about the opportunity to be in a room filled with the local movers and shakers. John Robertson, a crisis intervention specialist, was seated next to him. After the leadership introductions, Dr. Russeau and Mr. Robertson had a polite conversation over lunch. Once lunch was finished, Dr. Russeau excused himself to network with the other guests. It was then that Mr. Robertson invited him to sit for a minute longer to listen to a story he felt he needed to hear. His sincerity and gentle smile is what made Dr. Russeau pause and decide not to refuse. Settling back into his chair he listened intently.

Mr. Robertson told him a story about a young lady who had called into the crisis line. He spoke to the woman who denied she was depressed, but as they spoke, he kept getting the distinct impression she needed to be hospitalized. The feeling grew stronger and stronger until finally he revealed his impressions to her. She had broken down in tears and admitted she was planning to take her own life. Because of the bond that developed during their conversation, she agreed to go to the closest hospital for help. He checked later that same day and found she had been admitted to the community hospital psychiatric unit. After a short stay, she ultimately recovered and was discharged. As Mr. Robertson relayed his story, it was evident he had a passion for his work. He told about acting on feelings and instincts, not facts alone. When he finished, Dr. Russeau looked up and realized people were leaving and the meeting was over. While he enjoyed his conversation, he was disappointed about missing an opportunity to accomplish any networking. He headed back to the office and saw patients the remainder of the day.

At 7:00 PM, he saw his final patient, a laborer who had injured his back on the job. Dr. Russeau sensed there was something unusual in their interactions but completed his intake and started the treatment for his significant back injury. By the time he finished and was ready to leave the office, it was after 8:00 PM. He headed toward the door but suddenly and inexplicably had an urge to call his last patient. He turned around, heading back to his desk and dialed the number. His patient answered and Dr. Russeau told him he felt the need to follow up after his appointment. After an uncomfortable pause, his patient began to open up. He said he had been struggling with depression and was unhappy with his life. Since Dr. Russeau had spent some time earlier in the day with a social worker who specialized in depression, he asked if he could introduce them. His patient agreed. Finding John Robertson’s card on his desk, he called the number expecting to leave a message as it was after hours. He was surprised when Mr. Robertson personally answered saying he been working late as well and was just leaving the office when his phone rang. Dr. Russeau briefed him on his patient, hung up and called his patient back to provide him with John’s contact information. After this, he left the office and went about his evening, satisfied he had done what the little voice in the back of his head was telling him to do.

It was six months later, during a typical office day when Dr. Russeau discovered that same patient in an exam room waiting for him. He walked in with a smile and went to shake his hand but his patient suddenly broke down and cried uncontrollably. Attempting to comfort him, it took some time before he was composed enough to tell him his emotional story. He said that when he had come in to see Dr. Russeau six months before, he was in the depths of a depression and planned to take his own life. He admitted to having everything ready but the call that evening literally stopped him. He spoke to Mr. Robertson who recognized his desperation and was convinced to go to the emergency room for help. He was admitted to the psychiatric center where counseling and medication turned his life around. He said he felt great and thanked Dr. Russeau for saving his life.
Dr. Russeau was overcome by this revelation. What he thought had been an unproductive day six months earlier turned out to be a day he would remember forever. He realized the real purpose of that “networking” meeting was not about networking at all, but about saving a life.

I was so emotionally moved by this and other stories that I felt the urge to start writing them down. Physicians’ Untold Stories was born. It features ordinary doctors in private practice who experienced or witnessed events that could not be explained by anything we learned in medical school. The narrators of these stories are men and women of science. The one thing they all have in common is they are physicians touched by a divine moment so miraculous, they needed to share it with you. I’ve realized there is a higher power that often intervenes, guiding us down the right path if we just listen.

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Scott J. Kolbaba, MD, is a doctor of internal medicine in Wheaton, Illinois. After being awarded a degree in economics from Cornell College and serving with the Marine Corps Reserves, he completed his medical degree at the University of Illinois and graduated with honors. Kolbaba interned with Rush-Presbyterian St. Luke’s Medical Center and completed his residency at the Mayo Clinic. He is a member of the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society. Visit http://ift.tt/2e1l7ma or order his new book at Physicians Untold Stories: Miraculous experiences Doctors are hesitant to share with their patients, or ANYONE on Amazon now.

You’ve read Is There A Higher Power That Participates In Our Lives? 27 Physicians Collaborate On A New Book Detailing Unexplained Medical Miracles, originally posted on Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement. If you’ve enjoyed this, please visit our site for more inspirational articles.

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