How to Have More Peace by Learning to Let Go

You've most likely heard the phrase "Let go and let God". It's from the Recovery 12-step program. I thought everyone knew what letting go meant until one of my girlfriends asked "How do you let go?" She was serious. Her husband had died more than 10 years ago and she was still grieving. So today, I'm going to do my best to explain the concept of letting go in practical terms to help us all let go of situations, people, pets, and past experiences sooner rather than later so we can enjoy more peace and JOY in the present moment. 

The process of learning to let go is powerful and on-going and can be applied in many aspects of life. This is one spiritual lesson we keep getting to practice over and over again because it applies to so many areas of life in all seasons of life. 

What is "letting go"?
Letting go has to do with attachment. We humans tend to get attached: to the past, to people, pets, material possessions, as well as negative thought patterns and bad habits to name a few. The problem is we become too attached. We hold on too tightly and then, inevitably, we suffer: a loved one dies or moves on, a material possession is lost, broken, or damaged, or a pet runs away or dies. The passage in Isaiah 43:18-19 says this "Forget the former things, do not dwell on the past".

When we hold on to negative coping mechanisms from the past or emotions such as anger, grief, or resentment, we prevent ourselves from moving forward in life.  Faulty beliefs and patterns keep us stuck like a rat on a wheel going nowhere. It is a choice to think on things above as it says in Phil 4:8. "Think on things that are pure, true, noble, admirable, lovely, and praiseworthy." I have to admit, this is a struggle for me, too, especially when one is brought up in a critical home environment and praise was based on performance. 

When to let go
Impermanence and change are undeniable truths of our existence. Everything on earth is changing. The seasons change. The weather changes. People change. Technology changes. The body changes. Change is part of life whether we like it or not. It is all part of the circle and evolution of life. So how do we know when it is time to let go?

One way to know it is time to let go is to ask ourselves these questions "Is this bearing any fruit in my life?", "Do I have joy today?" or "Is this serving me right now?"  If the answer we get is no, it is time to put whatever it is behind us, adopt new ways of thinking and relating, and move FORWARD. 

A second sign is lingering emotional or mental pain. For example, when we hold on to a dysfunctional relationship for too long, we will eventually lose our joy and our peace and sometimes our health. Constant conflict and friction are warning  signs. I have been guilty of holding on to relationships for far too long and not setting firmer boundaries soon enough so I know what I am talking about. 

Grieving Loss 
Now it is normal and crucial to grieve the loss of a loved one or beloved pet. A counselor once told me "The price of love is grief" and that is so true. When we love much, the grief of the loss is heavy, but grieve we must if we want to move thru it to the other side and regain our joy and our peace.

It is, however, not healthy if the grieving goes on year after year and we are constantly dwelling on the loss. At some point, we must make a conscious effort to not dwell on the hurt of the loss because this steals the joy from today and prevents us from living and enjoying the present moment.

Letting go is a process we get to practice again and again in different situations.  Whenever I feel like my joy is gone, I ask myself "What do I need to let go of?" There is usually something that is stealing my peace and joy. The good news is with practice, we will recognize sooner rather than later when we need to let go of something or someone. 

For Reflection

What can you let go of today? A broken relationship? A garage or house full of stuff? The pain from a past hurt? I encourage you to give it to God and let him replace it with the fruit of the Spirit in the present moment. For more on this important topic, get your copy of my new book "Ignite the Power Within: 10 Steps to Supercharge Your spiritual growth."  where I go more into depth about this. 

If this post was helpful, leave a comment, ask a question, and share it with a friend in need. If you'd like to join our community, enter your email in the box provided. I'll also send you a copy of my free e-guide entitled "7 Steps to Finding Your Spiritual Path",

Stay tuned for my next post to encourage, educate and inspire you. 

Until next time,

Keep looking up!

Ariel Paz

How to Tame Your Unruly Mind

Have you ever said something "without thinking"? Do you often find yourself feeling down, depressed or anxious but don't know why? What about the dreams you have at night that keep you from getting a good night's rest? What's going on then? If we want to ignite our personal power so we can move forward towards our goals and dreams and have more peace and joy, we must tame and train the unruly beast known as the mind.

The Brain vs. the Mind
Before we can talk about how to discipline the mind, we need to understand what exactly do we mean by "the mind". To keep this as simple as possible, the mind is the non-physical part of us that is composed of both consciousness and unconsciousness. It is separate from the physical part of the body known as the brain. The brain is the organ that is part of our central nervous system and controls our physical and bodily functions.

The mind, on the other hand, controls our emotions, our thoughts, and our will. Some believe that the mind is the eternal part of us known as the "soul". Undeveloped and unconstrained, the mind will take off like a runaway train or a wild horse. Buddhism calls this "monkey mind" meaning unsettled, capricious, restless, uncontrollable, confused. Picture the monkeys you see in the zoo or the wild and how they flit from tree to tree hanging on and jumping around willy nilly. This is how undisciplined minds behave. Thousands of thoughts fly by in the course of everyday life, yet we are unaware of the majority of them.

Feed your mind positive input.
If we want to harness the power of our minds, we need to discipline it to think the right kind of thoughts. There are three main steps to cultivating a disciplined mind and today we will cover the first one.  

Our minds are like computers. How they are programmed is how they will perform. Many of us grew up in an environment of worry, anxiety, fear and the like so we already have a library full of negative thoughts. If we feed our minds junk, violence, and negativity which abound in the media, on television and in our world, our thoughts will be full of this stuff.  You may not even be aware of the negativity that is coming out of you. The good news is we can change the way we think by changing what we feed our minds.

If we want healthy, vibrant bodies we will feed ourselves healthy, nutritious food and drink plenty of water. In the same way, if we want healthy, peaceful and emotionally stable minds we need to feed our minds life-giving, positive and faith-filled thoughts. I prefer to use phrases from the Holy Bible and I can attest to the fact that they do work. Here are some of my favorites:

     -If we want to conquer fear and doubt, start thinking thoughts of faith.
       "God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love and a 

        sound mind".

       "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own           understanding."

     If we want to become more bold and less timid,  
      "The Lord is my rock and my fortress." 
      "No weapon formed against me shall prosper."
      "If God is for us, who can stand against us?". 

    If we want to be more loving,
       "Love your neighbor as yourself"
       "Love is patient. Love is kind. Love keeps no record of wrongs."
       "Clothe yourself with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience."

    
    If we want to be more at peace, memorize these verses:
       "The Lord will give keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on Him."
       "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything pray and give thanks to God and He will give you peace that passes all understanding".     

    If we want more ease and less anxiety, instead of thinking "This is too much for me"  or "I'll never be able to ....." think and say out loud:
       "I can do all things thru Christ who strengthens me".
       "God will make my crooked paths straight". 
        "Be still and know that I am God"

     If we want more abundance and provision, stop thinking thoughts of lack.
       "My God shall supply all my needs according to his riches in Christ Jesus".
       "No good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly."

These are just a few examples I personally use to reprogram my thinking and you can too! Pick out some verses that resonate with you and begin to verbalize them daily. I post them on sticky notes around the house to remind me.

Personal Story

My mom recently passed and a whole boatload of extra responsibilities and tasks got dumped into my lap. I'm sure some of you have dealt with this situation and know how difficult it is. Well, trying to do her 2023 taxes and obtain the various 1099s since her Texas accountant has disappeared. Still have not received the final one and trying not to stress about the looming tax deadline of Oct. 15. 

This is certainly a test because the situation is out of my control despite my numerous phone calls to the companies involved. I am getting to practice what I preach - paying attention to my thoughts, staying at peace, and living in the present moment. We can only do so much, and in these situations it is important to remember that God sees and is in control. He will make a way where there seems to be no way. 

Reprogram Your Mind
If we want to be more powerful, peaceful, and successful, we need to be more positive. We need to reprogram our thinking with truth and the best source of truth I know is the Holy Bible. Now you can use whatever sacred texts or affirmations you choose, but I suggest the Holy Bible and here's why.

God is obligated to fulfill His Word. He is not obligated to follow through on anyone else's word. The words of scripture have supernatural power in them and that is the missing ingredient in using anything else. Positive affirmations that are not the Word of God will only take us so far. Why?

Because God rewards Faith! He wants to know that we are depending on Him and him alone and not merely our own will and self. When we learn to depend on God more, and ourselves less, we will see strife, turmoil, and unease evaporate from our lives and we will enjoy more harmony, joy, and rest.

This covers the first step to disciplining our minds. Stay tuned for more on Step 6 of igniting the power within when next time we'll talk about the importance of meditation. 

For Reflection

What do you find yourself dwelling on? What causes you stress? How can you replace negative thoughts with thoughts of faith and power? 

If you enjoyed this post and would like to join our community, simply enter your email address in the box provided and you'll receive my weekly posts. You'll also receive a copy of my free e-guide entitled "7 Steps to Finding Your Spiritual Path".  If you would like to learn more about spiritual growth, check out my other offerings here. 

I'd love to hear your thoughts so please leave a comment and share it with your friends. 

Stay tuned for more on how you can ignite the power within and discover your Destiny!

Until next time, keep looking up!

Ariel Paz


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Regaining Lost Trust

Trust. It's a powerful word. And a foundational cornerstone to any relationship, business or personal. Trust is crucial to moving forward in life. Often, we lose trust for one reason or another, mostly from hurts from other people. Someone breaks a confidence, someone else lies to us, a partner is not there for us. There are many ways we lose trust. This week, I am sharing on how we lose trust, why it is important to learn to trust again, and how to regain this precious commodity. 

How we learn trust:
In a perfect world, we learn trust in our family of origin. The father is strong, reliable, kind, and present. The kids learn trust from a healthy father-figure. The mom is supportive, empathetic and nurturing. But we do not live in a perfect world. Divorce happens. Alcoholism happens. Somewhere along the line, we get hurt, suffer loss and begin to doubt and question. Someone betrays us, a loved one abandons us or dies, and slowly but surely trust erodes....

People can hide a multitude of problems. We compare our families to others and think "Why can't we be normal like them?" Well, guess what folks? There is no normal. We are all just doing the best we can. There is no perfect family. Based on the rate of divorce and the breakdown of the family unit, I would venture to say that every family has some sort of dysfunction.

Every family has its problems. 
Perhaps you had an alcoholic parent, like I did. As a small child, I worried about whether the rent was going to be paid that month or when my parents would have their next blowout fight. My sister and I learned fear and doubt, instead of faith and confidence. We learned lack instead of provision and anxiety instead of peace. Maybe you also experienced emotional, physical, or verbal abuse. Perhaps one parent was controlling and the other gave up trying. Did one parent abandon the home either physically or emotionally? There are many, many scenarios of dysfunction and our job is to heal our souls from this emotional pain and learn to trust again, no matter how old we are. 

Part of healing is to be able to trust again. 
It is a slow process but it is possible if we are willing to be vulnerable and have learned good boundaries. Boundaries protect us from the bad behavior of others who try to take advantage of us. We have to learn to protect ourselves because no one else is going to do it for us. And that includes our bodies, our hearts and our finances. We need to learn who to say no to. Trust involves not only trusting others, but also trusting ourselves and ultimately, learning to trust God.

Why trust again?
Why should I expose myself again, you may ask? Why should I risk being hurt? 

Good question.

The answer is because it is impossible to move forward in life without regaining trust. If we don't trust ourselves, we will always doubt our decisions and be fearful of opportunities that present themselves. As a former timid soul, I learned timidity does not serve me. Life will beat us up if we let it and people will take advantage of us so we must learn to be bold and stand up for ourselves. 

Trusting Ourselves 
It is important to realize we are not the person we were in the past. Painful situations help us to learn and to grow. We recognize what to watch out for - the red flags - as soon as they appear. We learn about manipulative tactics, lies, and masks. We learn to set healthy boundaries and say no to things that are not good for us. We learn that bad things happen to good people but there is a healing for every hurt. We learn what is good for everyone else is not necessarily good for me. 

Trusting Others
If we don't learn to trust others, we will live isolated, anxious lives and continue to attract untrustworthy people. We receive what we expect. We learn to trust others by slowly giving them opportunities to prove themselves trustworthy. When someone hurts us they need to not only apologize, but show us they have changed so they can be trusted again. When we get to the point where we can trust others, we are then ready to take the next step, and that is to trust God.

Trusting God 
God is not out to get us. He is a good Father. If you're like me and didn't have a reliable father, this may be a foreign concept, but God is trustworthy. He is always there and he keeps his word. God can be trusted. If we refuse to trust Him, we will develop a victim mentality and believe the lie that the universe is against us. We will continue to live anxious, fearful lives. This mindset will block the many blessings that have our name on them.

Benefits of learning to trust
The more we learn to trust, the less anxiety we will experience. We will not bear the pressure of having to figure everything out all the time. We will lose the need to control situations and we will feel more secure in our daily lives. When we realize God, who lives in each of us, is guiding us, we will stop second-guessing ourselves. We will feel more confident in our decisions and we will be empowered to step out and try new things. When we learn to trust, trustworthy people will begin to show up in our lives. We will let go of emotionally unhealthy people no matter who they are. 

For Reflection
Which area do you have the most trouble trusting? Yourself? Others? God? Take some time to reflect on this question and then ask yourself what one small step can you take to trust more? 

Stay tuned for more on this important topic in my new forthcoming book on spiritual and emotional growth. 

If you found this post helpful and would like to join our community, enter your email address in the box provided. You'll receive my weekly posts plus a copy of my free e-guide entitled "7 Steps to Finding Your Spiritual Path". Do follow me on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook and check out my many Pinterest boards on a wide-variety of topics too. You're sure to find some interesting stuff. 
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Stay tuned for more on finding healing, wholeness and harmony to help you ignite the power within and discover YOUR destiny!

Until next time,

Keep looking up!

Ariel Paz

Ignite the Power Within: Step 2 Redesigning Your Life

Every year we get a chance to redesign not just our homes but our entire lives. The New Year provides a canvas we can paint anything on.  Do you want to see and be and do something different this year? I do. No matter how old we are, it is never too late to transform our lives. Growth keeps us young and vibrant. But where should we start? Today I'm sharing Step #2 to igniting the power within.

As I shared recently, we each have a superpower within us and it is up to us to nurture and develop it. We were meant to SOAR, to grow, to fly higher and to become all that we can be to fulfill our God-ordained purpose and it is never too late to find out what that purpose is. As author Marianne Williamson says, "We each began as an idea in the mind of God." Isn't that lovely? An idea in the mind of God. Yes, you do have a unique purpose in this crazy world of ours. I don't believe we are just here randomly to flounder through life until we die. 

Growth is a choice. 

Every day we have a choice - to stay the way we are or to grow. Just because you ate a ton of chocolate chip cookies yesterday, doesn't mean you have to do it again today. Just because you had a smoke yesterday, today is a new day. Do you want to learn to dance? To paint? Learn a new skill? It's a whole new world and you are the DESIGNER! It is never too late to learn something NEW!

Clean Slate time

If we want to move forward in life, we need to clear out all the old programming, beliefs, habits and thought patterns, and start with a clean slate. We might need to get rid of the negative people in our lives, too or at least minimize time spent with them. Then, we need to search within and find our unique gifts and talents and then - put them to good use. We have to start someplace. I never knew anything about writing and now look at me. Author of multiple books and this blog. Am I making a gazillion dollars at it? No. Am I enjoying it? Yes. Writing brings me joy because my intention is to help others heal, grow and find God and their destiny, because the two are closely related. Who knows, maybe someday it will become profitable. Wouldn't that be the cherry on top?

Starting with a clean slate means being open to new ways of thinking, seeing ourselves, others, and external events differently. How we perceive the world makes a huge difference in how we act and what comes into our lives.

Transformation starts within.

People often wait for their circumstances to change but real transformation starts from within. You've probably heard the saying "If you keep on doing what you're doing, you're going to keep on getting what you're getting" and that is the truth.

If we want to move forward in life, we have to make the effort to change and the most important area to change is our thinking. Our thinking determines our habits, our behaviors, and our destinies. In fact, the Bible says this "Be transformed daily by the renewing of your mind" (Romans 12:2). 

It Starts With Awareness
Now you may think you already have an open mind but I can guarantee you some thinking patterns need to change. Like all of us, you may still have some negative thought patterns lurking about. You may have some resentments that need to be dealt with. You may have a less than positive view of who you are. If we want to move forward in life and be more successful, more joyful, and more of service, we must change the way we perceive ourselves, others, and our circumstances past and present. 

Imagine putting your old thinking on a shelf for the time being, like a pair of well-worn shoes, while you try on a new pair of shoes. Like breaking in new shoes, it might feel uncomfortable for a bit.  Slowly but surely, you will enjoy the peace and freedom new ways of thinking will bring you. I can assure you, once you start on this journey, you will never want to go back to those old shoes.

Brain Science
Science used to tell us that the brain cannot be changed, but now we know better. We now know the brain can be restructured and regenerated. This is called neuroplasticity, and you can read more about in this article.  Keep in mind that the brain and the mind are two different things but are critically linked together.

Consciousness is Key 

If we want to have more peace and calm in our lives and in our world, and less drama, we have to become more consciously aware. We will keep reacting in the same old patterns until we become aware of them. Albert Einstein put it like this:

For Reflection 
Step #2 asks us to be open to seeing and processing life in a new way. As we unfold the next steps together, how we do this will become more clear but for now ask yourself this question: "Am I ready and willing to change my thinking?" 

If the answer to this question is yes, then ask yourself "What habit or thought pattern do I want to change?" Do I want to see myself as more confident? Healthy? Likeable? Attractive? Intelligent? Do I want to see each day as a new opportunity to move forward in my life? What we expect is what we shall receive. 

When we are ready to change our thinking, we will embark upon the journey of a lifetime. You will be amazed at how your life will begin to change when you change your thinking. You will see more miracles, experience more peace and joy, and see more of your dreams come true. I'm a living testimony. 

To hear this on audio, click here.

If you enjoyed this post and want to join this adventure and our growing blog community, enter your email address in the box provided. You'll also receive a copy of my free e-guide entitled "7 Steps to Finding Your Spiritual Path" . 

More For YOU to Explore

In addition to writing these blog posts, I have compiled a collection of helpful information on a variety of interesting topics such as faith, spirituality, inner peace, prayer, healthy aging, beauty, fashion, mindfulness, delicious recipes, healing, and lots more. Pop on over to my view my Pinterest boards here. 

 

Thanks for reading. Pass this on to a friend and stay tuned for more on this transformational series. As always,

Keep looking up!

Ariel Paz

6 Tips for a Healthier You

Fall is a perfect time of year to detox your body.  If we want to live long, healthy, and active lives, plus have more energy, diet and nutrition should be among our top priorities. I know it can be confusing trying to decipher what's hype and what's not these days, so today I'm sharing some simple, doable, and practical tips on how to eat well and live healthier.

Fad Diets 
Every time I turn around there is some new diet or weight-loss supplement being touted. We had the South Beach diet, the Zone diet, the Atkins Diet, the Paleo diet, and then came the Keto diet. Now we have the Pegan diet which supposed is a combination of vegan and paleo. It's always something popping up in the weightloss marketing game.

True Story 
A lady at church last week was telling me about the diet she's following. She only eats between 6 and 8 pm. Is that crazy or what? It is neither healthy nor maintainable. How can your mind and body function  during the day without any fuel?  I had to restrain myself from saying something.

Then we have the ads claiming you can "Lose weight without exercising", "banish the flab without dieting", "Pop this pill and your fat will magically disappear" - all hogwash if you ask me. Let me assure you a healthy body is not rocket science. All it really takes is a genuine desire to be healthy, which means giving up our bad habits and adopting some basic but sound nutrition and exercise guidelines.

Today, I'd like to share with you a few tips I've used over the years to help me stay in shape. Pick a few or better yet, implement all of them into your daily routine. You will definitely see change within a short time frame.

1. Detox your system.
So much of the American diet is processed and packaged foods that are loaded with additives, sugar, salt, and unhealthy fats. We claim we "don't have time to cook" so we pick up or order out. Hence the popularity of Uber Eats, Door Dash etc. I am proud to say I have never used either service. We make time for what is important and eating healthy should be on the top of the list. 

Then we wonder why we have cravings, are overweight or obese, and struggle with diabetes and cancer. We have to get back to eating whole, unprocessed foods, preferably organic, if you can afford them. In other words don't buy anything in a package. Shop the produce section and avoid the bakery and chip aisles as much as possible. 

Get rid of sugars, unhealthy fats, dairy, white flour, sodas, and minimize red meat and alcohol for a while and see how much lighter and cleaner you feel. Monitor your sodium intake but it will naturally go down when you cut out processed food items. 

Twice a year is recommended to detox. Spring and fall are both optimal times to clean out our system. I find that I can eat heavier warmer meals during the cooler months, and tend to eat lighter meals like salads and veggies with grilled fish in the warmer months. My vata/pitta dosha doesn't care for salads in the winter. It loves the comfort of hot soup. For more on doshas and Ayuveda, the ancient health system, check out my Pinterest board here.

2. Give fasting a try.
If you get the okay from your doctor, try fasting every so often. The latest is to practice intermittent fasting which means going without eating anywhere between 12 and 16 hours. My eating window is from 10 am until 6 pm. No more 8 pm brownie baking or 9 pm snacks. I try to eat my big meal around 3 - 4 pm. What this does is put your body in a state of ketosis, where it burns fats for fuel instead of glucose. You will go longer between meals, eliminate carb cravings, and have more energy. Give it a try. 

Seasonally, I shoot for fasting one or two meals in a day. Fridays work for me or pick a day when you can take it easy and do not need the calories. Fasting breaks the eating/craving cycle and also clears our minds and gives the body a chance to detox itself.

3. Drink more water.
Water is great for getting things moving, improving our complexion, and for hydrating the skin and the body. Drinking water also staves off false hunger pains and prevents headaches. Use a water purifier and drink 8 - 12 eight-ounce glasses per day depending on your weight. I use tall colorful glasses to make the experience more enjoyable. I also set a reminder on my phone at regular intervals during the day. Do whatever you need to get in the habit of drinking more clean water and please, skip the plastic bottled water for the sake of the environment.

4. Eat more fresh fruits and veggies
These foods are vitamin dynamos and pack a punch when it comes to fighting disease and inflammation. Vegetables that grow above ground are also lower in calories and carbs and higher in fiber so they fill you up and help move things out of your system like excess estrogen and toxins. The more colorful your plate, the better. Protein should only be about 20% of your meal or between 4 and 6 ounces of meat. If this butternut squash and kale medley looks yummy and you'd like to order a copy of my new mediterranean cookbook, simply zelle me $24.99 to pattiel1108@gmail.com and I'll get your copy right out to you.  

5. Ditch the salt and the grease
If you have high blood pressure or cholesterol problems, make this a priority. Want to get off your meds? Try using fresh herbs instead of salt which causes high blood pressure, water retention, and bloating. Replace vegetable oil with healthy oils such as extra virgin olive oil, grapeseed oil, and extra virgin coconut oil instead. Your palate will adjust, trust me.

As you can probably tell, I am a firm believer in the philosophy "You are what you eat". Our bodies are temples so let's treat them as such, shall we?

6. Nourish your spirit.
And while I'm on the subject, I'd be remiss if I didn't talk about feeding our spiritual body as well. It, too, needs a healthy diet. What are you feeding your spirit? Are you noshing on junk food like romance novels, tv reality shows, video games or violent movies? When was the last time you visited a place of worship? Took time to meditate and pray or wrote in a journal?  Do you fill your mind with positive thoughts of faith and hope or are you still digesting the negativity from yesterday, last week, or twenty years ago? It is important to detox our spirit as well as our body.

To feed my spirit, I choose to listen to uplifting words and music, worship on a regular basis, and surround myself with positive, encouraging people. I've done away with those energy vampires who suck my energy dry with all their complaining, moaning, and negative self-defeating attitudes. I've also chosen to disassociate from those who have a low sense of self-esteem or a victim mentality because they only drag me down and stress me out. It's hard enough to keep ourselves up and it is not our job to prop up someone else's ego.

Our daily diet of foods, habits, and thoughts can make a huge difference in the quality of life and the level of joy and energy we feel. If we want to increase our personal power and discover our destiny, it starts with taking care of ourselves physically and spiritually.

I hope this post has encouraged you to make some healthy choices. Do write and share your thoughts with me. If you'd like to join our community, enter your email address in the box provided. You'll receive my weekly posts plus a copy of my free e-guide entitled "7 Steps to Finding Your Spiritual Path".

In the meantime, check out my other offerings on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Apple. Pop on over to Pinterest and enjoy the collection I have curated for you. And I just recently started posting on Instagram so follow me there too!

Until next time, stay tuned for more practical and positive tips to help you ignite the power within!

Keep looking up!

Ariel Paz

5 Principles of Personal Power

Have you seen the TV show "American Greed"? It's about the dishonest things people do for financial gain and what scams some people will fall for. If we want to ignite our personal power so we can see our goals and dreams come true, we must become people of integrity.

Recent events in our country and around the globe magnify the fact that people are being led by their emotions so today I'm sharing on the topic of personal power - what it means, and how we can become men and women of integrity instead of being controlled by outside influences, our emotions, and our whims. 

Personal power means our thoughts, words, and actions are congruent with each other. Every major religion talks about wholeness. Wholeness is defined as the state of being complete, unified, not divided or disjointed. It means walking the walk, not just talking the talk. It is a state we must work towards if we want to live a life of peace, joy, and fulfillment.

When we go against ourselves in any way, we not only lose our peace and our joy, we lose our personal power. Basically, personal power means that our values, thoughts, and actions are of one accord; they are in agreement and in sync with each other. Scripture puts it like this: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind." (Luke 10:27).

We are not conflicted. We don't say one thing and do another. Our actions line up with our words. Now I'm not saying we will always do this perfectly, but we should strive towards getting better at it over time.

Here are some of the basic principles of personal power for us to consider:

1. You keep your word.
By and large, many people's word means little to them these days. Give a listen to pop culture and their language. Often words mean the exact opposite of what they actually mean. We hear things like "Oh, that's killer." or "You kill me", meaning the other person is funny. What gives?

One of my pet peeves is when people say "Yes" to an event or an activity and then they cancel at the last minute for no real reason. Or they say they are going to do something and then they don't follow through. These people have no sense of commitment or integrity.

Or how about when someone says they will keep your secret and then they go blab it to their entire family? Another Grrrrrr. And if you do mess up, since we all do, at least be mature enough to own up to it and apologize, instead of getting defensive and denying it. Messing up is an opportunity to own up to our behavior and to grow. Don't miss the chance or you may lose something in the process - like a good friend.

2. You are trustworthy. 
You keep confidences. You show up on time. I had a friend who was always 10 - 15 minutes late. So when a potential employer called me to ask about her timeliness, I told them. Late is late. Sure, when it happens once in a while,  we can let that go, but when it becomes a pattern, that is a sign of a person who is not reliable and has time management issues.

3. You are considerate of other people. 
Whole people think of others before themselves. They go out of their way to be kind and thoughtful. They don't take people for granted. They appreciate others. They empathize. They care. They put themselves in the other person's shoes.

4. You follow through on commitments. 
A person who has personal power will follow through on what they start, even if they lose interest or no longer "feel like it". When you agree to do some act of service, volunteer, or show up somewhere, don't bail out at the last minute or before you've finished the task. Others are counting on you. Be the one who shows up. Commitment is a sign of integrity and wholeness. It is also a sign of maturity.

5. You are a person of good moral standards. 
It's easy to steal something small from the office or pirate a video and make an excuse. Or how about when you don't get charged for something at the register? Do you keep silent? Do you tell "little white lies"? There is no such thing as a "little white lie". A lie is a lie. Period. That goes for half-truths as well. When we leave out part of the story that is the same as lying. I had an ex-boyfriend who used to tell half-truths. I always felt something was amiss but couldn't put my finger on it till one Christmas evening when I realized what was really going on and that was the end of that. 

These are some areas we can each come up higher. No one is perfect but sometimes we have to have things pointed out to us. Often, we get into bad habits and we don't realize how we affect other people. Personal power and wholeness is part of the personal growth process. If we want to move forward into our destiny, and have more peace, joy, and success, we must come up higher by becoming people of integrity.

I hope this post has inspired you. If you felt a prick of conscience, then good. You know what to do. As you know, I write on personal experience and when bad things happen to me, I turn them into blog material.

If you would like to join our community, enter your email address in the box provided. You'll receive my bi-weekly posts and a copy of my free eguide "7 Steps to Finding Your Spiritual Path".  And if you are ready to ditch fear and anxiety for good, check out my new book "Finding Faith in a World of Fear: 10 Steps to Strengthening Your Spiritual Muscle". 

Stay tuned for more on healing, wholeness, and harmony so we can all ignite the power within and discover our destiny!

Until next time, keep looking up!

Ariel Paz 

On Becoming More Successful Every Day

Success is a goal most of us strive towards; success in our businesses, in our relationships, and in our personal lives. We often focus so much on the external things we need to do to be successful, we neglect the basic daily practices that are foundational to becoming truly successful at life. 

At the end of the day, when your head hits the pillow, do you make time to reflect and evaluate how it went? Many of us mark the day as a success if we have checked off everything on our to do list.  There was a time when I was like this too. My then husband used to tell me to "Just put less on your list". Yeah right and I was a working mom with two kids, a husband, a house, and a career to take care of. Do less - right. 

Since those days, I've learned that the to-do list is not what really matters most because we will always have a to-do list no matter what stage of life we are in. We can't sleep at night because there are so many things on our minds, so we drop off to sleep listening to the television, reading a book, or playing a video game and start tomorrow without gleaning the nuggets of wisdom from today.

If we want to grow, move forward, and be the healthiest, most loving person we can be, it is imperative that we take time to reflect every day. Was I calm or anxious? Happy or depressed? Kind or rude? Patient or short-tempered? Did I take time to be a blessing to someone? Was I angry at the grocery store or on the road? How did I speak to my spouse? My kids? And even more telling how did I talk to the customer service rep on the phone?

If we want to increase our personal power and move forward into our destiny, it is important to make time to reflect on our day every day. If we don't we will stay stuck, repeating the same patterns over and over and, as I like to say "Keep repeating the class." 

Many go through life on auto-pilot rushing and reacting. It is easy to do in the fear-based fast-paced culture we live in. We are in such a hurry to get more and more done, yet this stress-ridden lifestyle can kill us. Perhaps the slowing down forced on us by Covid is not such a bad thing. Perhaps it is an opportunity to  figure out what really matters in life at this juncture. 

We were not made to live under constant stress. We put unnecessary pressure on ourselves for what? We only have one life and if we don't enjoy it on a daily basis, what is the point? On my tombstone, I don't want it to read "She got a lot done." 

Personal Story 

A new neighbor I tried to befriend a few years ago, said to me recently as a sort of apology for cancelling on our get togethers several times, "Most people are unaware".

At first, I thought, no, people know exactly what they're doing. But the more I watch the actions of others, the more I realize, yes, some people are so busy rushing they are unaware. 

Another example recently, I brought up the cancelling issue to another long-time friend of mine, and she too, claimed unawareness. I try not to take these things personally, but after repeated occurences you have to wonder how much these people value the friendship so I just let them go. You can't make people change, you can only change yourself and I am all about getting rid of stressors. 

Many people are unaware not only of themselves, their motives, but also how their decisions, words and actions impact other people.  I'm just as guilty at times. Yet, we cannot absolve ourselves by saying we were unaware. If we want to move forward in life, we must take responsibility for ourselves and this starts by slowing down and paying attention to our words and our actions.

We are all in the process of becoming. 

Some of us work at it a bit more consciously than others but we all mess up at times. The key is to notice when we mess up, make time to understand what happened, and make changes to do better next time. This is part of developing our personal power, healing, and becoming whole.

Here are a few questions I ask myself at the end of my day and sometimes in the middle of the day when something goes awry:

- What went wrong?
- Was I fully present or was I on auto-pilot?
- Was I kind? Loving? Gentle? Patient? Joyful?
- What were my motives?
- Was I generous enough?
- Did I laugh?
- Did I serve?
- Was I a blessing?
-Did I stay connected to myself?
-Was I present?

- What frustrated me? What did I do about it? 

If we want to be better tomorrow than we are today, if we want to have more healing, wholeness and harmony in our lives, it starts with igniting the power within. And this starts by becoming more aware of ourselves every moment of the day.

We are here to grow, to love, and to shine our lights to help others do the same. At the same time, we need to work on removing the darkness in our own selves. This takes courage, effort and the grace of God. Let's not be too hard on ourselves, but let's do be more aware.

If you enjoyed this post, and would like to join our community and receive my weekly posts, enter your email address in the box provided. You'll also receive a copy of my free e-guide entitled "7 Steps to Finding Your Spiritual Path".

Stay tuned for more practical and spiritual wisdom to help you develop your personal power and live the life of your dreams!

Until next time, keep looking up!

Ariel Paz

Part 3: Happiness or Joy?

We've been talking about joy: what it is, what steals it, and how to have more of it in our lives. Today I'm sharing on the spiritual component of joy and the difference between happiness and joy. Joy is key to living the abundant life and to igniting our personal power. When we lack joy, we are unmotivated. Each day is a chore to get through and that is not how we were meant to live. So let's learn more about joy and happiness.

Happiness depends on circumstances. Happiness is the temporary feeling we get from circumstances, things, and events like attending a concert, visiting a sunny spot to vacation, buying some new trinket or toy. These bring happiness but not necessarily joy. Ask some of the Hollywood rich and famous.

Joy is different. Joy, the older sister of happiness, comes from deep inside our Spirit. Joy is an eternal fountain that waters our souls. It does not depend on our circumstances.  In fact, joy can still be had even during the worst of times.   
Here's a personal story.
My mom recently lost her husband and at 85 years of age, is now dealing with all the stuff of taking care of a huge house, paying the bills, and basically living a single life after 30 years of being married. So I sent her a letter on how to have more joy to help her cope.

"I got your letter", she says. "But I'm not feeling very joyful today."

Notice the key word "feeling".

Well, there you go. Joy is not a feeling.

Joy is a choice and a practice.
Ok, so I know it is not natural to feel joyful when we go through tough times, but we can choose how we feel, rather than let our feelings control us all the time. I'm getting a lot of practice on this myself these days due to some family issues. The fountain of joy stems from the knowledge that God loves us, cares for us, and even though He allows situations into our lives that might not make us "feel" joyful or happy, he always will.  This is where faith comes in - knowing that God is working all things for our good (Romans 8:28). God is in the business of growing us up and many of the tough things that happen in our lives, ultimately, work for our good and our growth. The choice is up to each of us whether to let the lower, negative energies sap our joy and our strength, or whether we will choose joy.

Joy is a fruit of the Spirit, which means in each of us has been deposited the seed of joy.
It is up to us to nurture and grow that seed until it becomes the refreshing fountain we so desire. And that takes a bit of work and some practice. We have a part to play in this whole thing too. See last week's posts.

The exciting news is when you combine happiness (outside circumstances) with joy (inner delight) watch your world explode! You will be jumping up and down like I do and people will think you are crazy! Let them!

Have you ever given thought to the difference between happiness and joy? Has this post clarified a few things? If you'd like to join our community and receive my bi-weekly posts,  enter your email in the box provided. You'll also a copy of my free e-guide entitled "7 Steps to Finding Your Spiritual Path". 

In the meantime, do comment and share with a friend.  I'd love to connect with you.
Stay tuned for more on igniting the power within and discovering YOUR destiny!

Until next time, keep looking up!

Ariel Paz

How to Move Forward in Life

Are you moving forward in life? Or do you feel stuck? Are you harboring negative feelings towards anyone? A grudge? Anger? Bitterness? Resentment?  Do you suffer from arthritis, cancer, or other ongoing physical pain? These can all be related so this post is dedicated to helping you be set free emotionally and physically so you can move forward in life and have more joy.

Today I'm sharing on the importance of forgiveness and how it can propel us forward in our relationships and personal lives by freeing us from emotional bondage and improving our physical and mental health.

First, let's talk about the damaging effects of unforgiveness. 
1. Destroys families and relationships
2. Steals our mental focus
3. Steals our energy, joy, and inner peace
4. Keeps us from receiving God's blessings
5. Prevents us from moving forward in life
6. Causes physical and mental disease

When we hold on to negative thoughts and feelings, we are doing ourselves much harm. Negative feelings fester until they consume us. They keep us from being the kind and loving people we were created to be. They snare us into making hurtful decisions that further alienate us from others. Why do you think so many people have a sour look on their face? They are harboring unforgiveness and this affects the people around them. This may account for much of the violence we see in the world today.

In addition, holding onto hurts, either real or imagined, is not good for our health. Studies show that unforgiveness affects our health in more ways than one. Of all cancer patients, 61 percent have forgiveness issues. Now that is sobering news. But it doesn't have to be this way.

If we want to live long, healthy, and joyful lives and move forward in our personal goals, it is critical that we learn to forgive. Some of the benefits of practicing forgiveness are:

1.  Frees us from emotional bondage
2.  Energizes and strengthens us
3.  Promotes a positive and peaceful outlook on life.
4.  Allows us to focus on our dreams, goals, and aspirations.
5. Opens the path for good things to flow into our lives.
6. Heals damaged relationships.

Like most things good for us, forgiveness is a practice, just like exercise. It is tough at first, but over time it becomes easier and easier. I've had so many people hurt me but I knew I had to forgive before I became in bondage to the pain. Forgiveness frees us to live in peace and joy, instead of pain and bitterness. Before we know it, it becomes part of who we are - a forgiver. Soon, we won't be able to tolerate discord in our relationships and we will know immediately when we need to forgive or ask forgiveness.

The difficulty we must overcome is that forgiveness goes against our ego and our pride.  This is why we need God's help. We can only truly forgive someone who has hurt us deeply by the grace of God and the Holy Spirit. We must be sensitive to the promptings of the Holy Spirit. When God says "Apologize" or "Forgive" or "Let that go", we must be quick to obey.

When I think of all Jesus has forgiven me for, who am I to hold something against anyone else? And if you think you've never done anything wrong in the eyes of God, think again. We have all sinned and we all need to be forgiven by God.

In the end, forgiveness is a choice. We can either wallow in our misery and victim-mentality, stewing on past hurts or we can choose to let go and move forward into a freer and healthier life.
Who do you have ill feelings towards? A relative? Friend? Coworker? Decide today to let go of the pain they caused you. That is why Jesus died on the cross so you can be set free.

If the post has encouraged you, consider joining our blog community by entering your email address in the box provided.  You'll receive my bi-weekly posts plus a copy of my free e-guide entitled "7 Steps to Finding Your Spiritual Path".

Until next time, stay tuned for more practical and positive wisdom to help you find healing, wholenss and harmony and ignite the power within!

Keep looking up!

Ariel Paz

How to Practice the Presence of God

Do you find yourself fretting over the future? Getting older? The stock market? No matter how well we develop our personal power, there will always be situations that are beyond our control that can cause us to be anxious. However, there is a supernatural power available to each of us to help us deal with the unknowns in life. It is the third component in our series on taming our unruly minds.

Perhaps, like me, you were raised in a family where there was a lot of drama, discord, and chaos. When children are raised in this type of environment, they become anxious, worried, and fearful. We learn to ruminate over our problems. Yet this is not the way we were meant to live and somehow, deep inside, we know it. We yearn for peace but often we search for it in the wrong places.

As a young woman attending a Jesuit college, I was required to take a course in theology. I began to read the Bible and learn about the power of prayer. Prayer is our supernatural weapon to combat anxiety, stress, and overwhelm. Prayer is more powerful than we realize.  When we take our concerns to God in prayer, we shift our focus from our circumstances to the One who controls our circumstances. The result is less anxiety and fretfulness and more peace of mind.

Today, prayer plays an integral part of my daily life. When something upsetting happens, rather than get all riled up like I used to, I say a prayer. If I am on the phone awaiting an answer in my favor, I pray. When the weather report is ominous, I pray. When a child calls and says they have bad news, I pray. I lift every issue, every concern, every decision up to God. I have learned I cannot and need not carry all these burdens on my shoulders. God's shoulders are much more capable. We were made to depend on God.

Praying is not a sign of weakness. It is a sign of Faith and Faith is pleasing to God. This is what Thomas a Kempis and Brother Lawrence refer to as "practicing the presence of God". It means maintaining an ongoing connection with God throughout the day and keeps us focused, centered, and at peace.

When we have problems without solutions - pray.

When we are afraid, worried, or discouraged - pray.
When the trials of life overwhelm us - pray.
When the joys of today please us - pray.
When we don't know what to do about a situation - pray.

Prayer activates the power of God in your life. Never think that God is too busy to listen to your prayers or that He isn't interested.  He always has time to listen and his line is never busy. You can talk to God anytime, anywhere. Just as a parent loves to hear from her child, God is delighted when we talk to him through prayer.

What is it that you need divine intervention with? A relationship? A health issue? A job concern? God has your back. God is on your side and when we bring our worries to him, he acts in supernatural ways. Try it and see.

If you enjoyed this post and would like to join our community, enter your email in the box provided. You'll  receive my bi-weekly posts and a copy of my free e-guide entitled "7 Steps to Finding Your Spiritual Path" to enjoy and pass on to a friend.

So go ahead and give prayer a try.  See what a difference it makes.

Until next time,

Keep looking up!

Ariel Paz

Ignite the Power Within Step 7: 4 Ways to Be a Better Listener

Contrary to common practice, if we want to increase our personal power, we don't need to do more talking. Everyone wants to be heard and understood but if everyone is doing all the talking, who is going to do the listening?

Listening is a skill that is critical to develop if we want to understand and connect with others. It shows we have a real interest and value for the other person. Sadly, good listening is rapidly becoming a lost art. Many people are so intent on getting their point across, proving themselves right, or thinking what they are going to say next, they totally tune out the other person and miss the message that is being communicated. They also miss the opportunity to really connect with the other party. Here are some listening tips I have learned along the way:

1. Talk less, listen more. 
It's been said that God gave us two ears and one mouth so we would listen twice as much as we speak. I think that is wise advice, yet listening is more of a skill than talking. We all know people who can talk your ear off while we sit there nodding our heads and wondering whether or not to interrupt. So why should we be better listeners?

2. Resist the urge to interrupt. 
Listening takes discipline and self-control. The urge to respond, rebut, justify, or defend ourselves is great. It takes self-control to resist interrupting and jumping in to finish the other person's thought.

3. Respect the speaker.  
Now I have struggled in this area as well, but I am getting better. In fact, I've been told I have the gift of listening by several people. Perhaps it's because I also know how frustrating it can be to try to be heard. Here's a personal story.

When I was married years ago,  I would come home from teaching my aerobics class. I'd be so excited I wanted to tell hubby about my evening.
     "I'm listening," he'd say, but the newspaper he was holding blocked my view.
     "Would you please put down the newspaper?"
After a couple of times repeating my request for his attention, I'd walk away, head and spirit down.

4. Make eye contact.
If I have to ask someone to listen or if I'm not sure they're paying much attention, I just say "Never mind" and move on. They usually get the message. These days, I'm not going to waste my energy begging someone to listen.

For 10 principles on learning to be a better listener, check out this article .

When we learn to listen well, we will communicate better with others and better communication leads to more personal power, connection, and influence. I'd like to hear what tips you have on listening well, so please leave a comment here or on Facebook.

If you'd like a copy of my free e-guide entitled "7 Steps to Finding Your Spiritual Path",  enter your email address in the box provided.

Until next time, stay tuned for step 8 in Igniting the Power Within and keep looking up!

Ariel  Paz

Keep Calm and Carry On: What We Can Learn from Our European Friends

It's fall.  School is back in session. Traffic is a mess and before long, holiday season and end of year business goals will be pressuring us to get it all done. We get short-tempered, impatient and our immune systems become depleted, but it doesn't have to be this way.

Despite the busy lives most of us lead, we don't have to let the frenetic pace of the world control us. It is possible to be more conscious and calm in our daily lives. Today's post is on staying calm despite the distractions of the day.

This week I returned from a lovely European vacation that I shall remember forever. As a writer, a European vacation provided many opportunities to observe.

Our group was composed of folks from all over the United States, Canada, and Australia. Our tour guide was Spanish and we had various other guides from the different countries we visited. It was quite an active tour but I noticed something. Despite the crowds and the schedules, our tour guides were not frenetic nor did they appear stressed or rushed. The one lady guide in Toledo was particularly at peace. Her walk and her speech were slow and deliberate. She had an air of authority and control about her despite the crowds and the lines.

In Spain, the lifestyle is quite different from that of the United States. The stores close in the after-noon for folks to go home, have a good meal, and maybe a nap. They enjoy their dinner later in the evening with friends and a good bottle of wine.

On the contrary, the American lifestyle is quite different. We run ourselves ragged all day, grab a quick lunch if we pause to have lunch at all. Dinner with family is usually reserved for sundays. We are constantly on the phone or the computer and how many of us make time to nap? I know I do.

Maintaining a calm and staying present  is a practice. Life throws us many different situations particularly when we step outside our comfort zone or we're moving too quickly. I have sticky notes to remind me to take breaks and slow down. Each day is an opportunity to learn and to practice.

When we stay calm and connected, we are less likely to react emotionally. We can make better decisions and we expend less energy. We are able to stay in the present moment and be more aware of our circumstances and surroundings. We won't be as exhausted by the end of the day.

We're all on this journey together so be kind to yourself and to others along the way. If you enjoyed this post, please share it with your friends, leave a comment or click the +1 icon. If you'd like a copy of my free e-guide entitled "7 Steps to Finding Your Spiritual Path", enter your email address in the box provided to the right.

In the meantime, stay calm and keep looking up!

Ariel

Ignite the Power Within Step 10: Learn the Lesson

Are you moving forward in life? Seeing your goals and dreams become realities? Or are you feeling stuck, joyless and  don't know why? I've felt this way myself at times and have discovered a key factor in moving forward in life. In today's post, I am going to share with you the tenth and last step in the process of igniting your personal power and discovering your destiny. 

Life is a school. We are each here on earth for a purpose and we each have a destiny to fulfill. It is up to us to figure out what that destiny is. Yet sometimes we get sidetracked by mistakes and failures. It happens to all of us but we don't have to allow our mistakes to hold us back.

Look at Donald Trump, who declared bankruptcy several times and is now a presidential candidate. Or Mohammed Ali who was banned from boxing for three years in the prime of his career. Martha Stewart served jail time for lying to federal investigators about a stock sale. All of these people made huge mistakes but then went on to be successful.

In a similar way, we each make mistakes. I married an emotionally abusive and controlling man and went through a devastating divorce. I wound up living my worst nightmare as a single mom in a culture that frowned on divorce and single parents. I learned some hard lessons during this time, but in the end overcame not only the guilt and shame of the breakup and financial ruin, but regained my self-esteem, finances, career and family.

Every mistake or failure carries a lesson with it. After a major ore even a minor failure, it is important to take the time to reflect on:
1. What our part was
2. Why we chose what we did and
3. What we need to change in order to move forward in a better way.

Perhaps you've suffered a heart attack. Now you know to eat better and exercise. Or you've felt the pain of a relationship ending. Now you know to choose more carefully who you get emotionally entangled with. Or you've felt the burden of financial debt, so you readjust your spending habits.

Instead of wallowing in self-pity about our failures, view them as learning opportunities. There is always at least one golden nugget of truth in the trials and tribulations of life.

This completes my 10 step process to igniting your personal power. If you've missed any of the steps, enter  'personal power' in the search box and they will all come up. If you'd like a copy of my free e-guide entitled "7 Steps to Developing Your Spiritual Muscle" enter your email in the box provided. 

Stay tuned and until next time, keep looking up!

Ariel 

Ignite the Power Within: 3 Steps to Getting What You Want

Are you getting what you want from life? Your relationships? Your job? Are you seeing your dreams and goals come true? Or are you stuck? Bored? Tired of the same old same old? Each day is full of opportunities and possibilities. The question is: Are we willing to do our part to take advantage of these opportunities? Today I am going to share with you the fourth step to transforming your life so you can ignite the power within and move forward into your destiny.

We have to put forth effort to make our lives a success; to fashion a life we will be happy with, and to change what needs to be changed in order to have peace and happiness. This may seem obvious to some, but sadly, many people think life owes them and they don't have to put forth any effort whatsoever. They sit idly by and wait for things to fall in their lap or for things to change on their own. Sorry, but this is not how life works, for the most part. This  entitlement attitude is not based on reality. The reality is we are not entitled to anything. You've heard the old adage "You reap what you sow," and this is a principle of life.

Every day is a chance to move forward. It is up to us to glean from each day. If we want to see progress, we need to work dutifully and diligently towards our goals. If we don't, five years from now we will still be where we are today.

The fourth step is learning to persist and persevere.

There are 3 things we need to do in order to persist and persevere. 

1. Overcome the Fear of Asking.
For many years, it was hard for me to ask for what I wanted. I was afraid to speak up. Then I realized this timidity was not working for me. I needed to be more assertive and ask for what I wanted and needed.

Some of us are afraid to ask for what we want. Singles, in particular, struggle with this. How many times does a guy pass up an opportunity to go out on a date with a cute girl simply because he's afraid to ask her out? If we are unhappy in a relationship, we expect the other person to be a mind-reader. If we are unfulfilled in our job, we expect our boss to do something. If we are unhappy with our lives, we resign ourselves to our current situation by making excuses.  This approach gets us nowhere. Our spouse is not a mind-reader nor is our boss. The cute girl is not a mind-reader either. If we are unhappy with our lives, it us up to us to take the first step and ask ourselves why. This means taking personal responsibility.

2. Make the effort to seek.
Problems are often difficult to solve and if we want to find the answer, we need to be diligent in seeking solutions. Answers don't always come as quickly as we would like but we are promised "If we seek, we will find". We must be persistent and not give up.  

3. Be willing to knock. 
This means exploring different options till we find the right one and the door opens. This applies to relationships, jobs, and our health. People in sales know this. Job-seekers know this. Successful people know this.  If one approach does not work, try something new.

This 3-pronged approach is a fundamental principle to igniting the power we each have within us.  When we master this step, we will move past obstacles. We learn that each closed door brings us one step closer to our goal and our destiny.

I cannot emphasize enough the importance of implementing this principle on a daily basis. Too many people try for while and then give up. No! We have to keep at it. This practice  develops perseverance and determination. It strengthens our character as well as well as our backbone. If we want to see changes in our lives, we must be willing to persevere.

If you enjoyed this post, please click the +1 icon. If you'd like a copy of my free e-guide entitled "7 Steps to Finding Your Spiritual Path",  enter your email address in the box provided.

Stay tuned for the next step in this exciting process and until next time,

Keep looking up!

Ariel