TWO CHOICES THAT CAN MAKE NEXT YEAR THE BEST YEAR OF YOUR LIFE by Margaret Paul, PhD
What if there were just two choices you could make to insure
that next year would be wonderful? There actually are, and
these choices are quite simple in concept, yet not easy to
do. They are not things you do on the outside, such as
exercising your body (which is always a good thing to do!)
but ways of thinking and being on the inside. These have to
do with your attitude and your intent.
GRATITUDE
I'm sure you've all heard of the "attitude of
gratitude."
Studies show that the happiest and most successful people in
the world are those who consistently live their lives with
an attitude of gratitude, who see their cup as half full
rather than half empty. Let's take an example.
Alan and Martin are both firemen. They are both married with
children, but this is where the similarities stop. Alan's
life seems to always be filled with joy and success, while
Martin's life always seems to be in turmoil. What is the
difference?
Alan is a very upbeat person who always sees the good in
everything and is always in gratitude for what he has. He is
thankful for his work, his health, his family and his
friends. When difficulties arise, he faces them head-on with
an attitude of gratitude for the opportunity to learn and to
help others. He believes he is spiritually guided and
accepts challenges as opportunities for learning and
serving. As a result of his openness and caring, people
trust him and have come to him with opportunities to invest
his money in ways that have created a passive income for his
family. He continues to work because he likes it, not
because he has to financially.
Martin, on the other hand, is a person who is constantly
complaining about everything. Nothing is ever good enough
for him. He blames others for his circumstances, takes no
responsibility for his own feelings, and has no belief that
he is being spiritually guided. He feels like a victim most
of the time. As a result of the stress he causes himself due
to his negative thinking, he is often ill, and experiences
many family problems. He plods along in his work, resentful
that he even has to work. He often feels like life is
passing him by.
INTENT TO LEARN
God has given is the free will to choose our intention, to
choose is what is most important to us in any given moment.
In our relationship with ourselves and others, we have only
two intentions to choose from:
1) The intent to learn, with our spiritual Guidance, about
what is most loving to ourselves and others; 2) The intent
to protect against the pain of rejection, abandonment,
engulfment, or failure through some form of controlling
behavior.
Our intent to learn or protect determines our experience in
any given moment.
Hilary and Alice are both married with children. Both women
work as nurses, but, as with Alan and Martin, this is where
the similarity ends. Hilary and Alice have similar life
challenges in both work and family, yet to look at Hilary
you would think she doesn't have a care in the world.
Hilary embraces all of life's challenges from a solid
knowing that she is on a spiritual journey of the soul - a
journey of learning to be the most loving person she can be,
both with herself and with others. She accepts
responsibility for her own feelings and behavior, and opens
to learning with Spirit and others when conflict occurs.
Rather than shying away from conflict, she welcomes it as an
opportunity for learning about herself and for healing any
blocks to being a pure instrument of God's work upon the
planet. Hilary feels much peace and joy in her life.
Alice, on the other hand, is locked into the earthly journey
of control. Instead of learning from conflicts, she avoids
them with giving herself up or getting angry to have control
over the outcome. Rather than taking responsibility for her
own feelings, she often numbs out with food and wine.
Control is her God. Alice is often anxious and depressed as
a result of her intent to protect, and is on medication to
deal with the resulting anxiety and depression.
It is not life's circumstances that are causing Alan and
Hilary to have so much more peace and joy than Alice and
Martin. Choosing gratitude and the intent to learn, as
opposed to complaining and the intent to protect makes all
the difference in the world.
Make this coming year the best year of your life by making
these two choices - gratitude and the intent to learn.
Margaret Paul, Ph.D. is the best-selling author and
co-author of eight books, including "Do I Have To Give Up
Me To Be Loved By You?", "Do I Have To Give Up Me To Be
Loved By My Kids?", "Healing Your Aloneness","Inner
Bonding", and "Do I Have To Give Up Me To Be Loved By
God?" Visit her web site for a FREE Inner Bonding course:
http://www.innerbonding.com or
margaret@innerbonding.com
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Two Choices That can Make Next Year The Best Year of Your Life
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