The Power of Priorities

Do you feel life is controlling you rather than you controlling it? Are you always reacting to "urgent demands"? Tired of being pushed and pulled in fifty directions? Never enough time to exercise? Eat well? Or get enough sleep? Well, friends, then read on!

There is a better way and you have more control than you may realize, and no, you do not have to move to a secluded island or an exotic foreign country. You can stop the rat race and start living in peace and in pace with God. 

It all starts with prioritization: taking a good hard look at what really and truly matters to you down deep inside and aligning your activities to match what are called our "core values". Let's take Jesus for an example. Now there was a guy who had his priorities straight. Remember when his mother couldn't find him for days after the festival, and when she finally found him in the temple, what did he say? "Did you not know I would be about my father's business?" Or how about all the times he stopped to visit the sick, go to a friend's house, or help out a neighbor in distress? He knew how short life is and he made each day count. Can we say the same?

So let's say you want to lose 10 lbs. but can't seem to find the time to exercise. Believe me, there is always a way to carve out 30 minutes to exercise. This is what I call "an excuse". Sorry, but true. Now perhaps you may be the typical hard-working American who comes home exhausted after a long day on the job, eats dinner, and then plops into the Lazy-Boy with a beer or a glass of wine to watch the boob tube. There is a reason those chairs are named "Lazy-Boy" by the way.

Instead, you could put on your walking shoes, grab your favorite tunes and head outdoors for a brisk walk. It's a win-win. You get in your 30 minutes of exercise AND you relax. Your align your activity - going for a walk - with your core values of being healthy, losing weight, and relaxing.

When we make time for what really matters, we will feel less frustrated and more in control of our lives.  If we take the time to get clear about our core values, we won't be side-tracked by every offer that comes along. It will simply be a matter of "Does this activity fit one of my core values?"

One last note, core values do change over time, so what was important 5 or 10 years ago, may not be so important today. Reevaluate every few years to make sure you are still following your heart and your dreams! If this post resonated with you and you'd like to join our community, enter your email address in the box provided. You'll get my bi-weekly posts plus I'll send you my free e-guide entitled "7 Steps to Finding Your Spiritual Path."

Stay tuned for more positive and practical wisdom to help you ignite the power within, be the best you can be and discover YOUR DESTINY!

Until next time, keep looking up!

Ariel Paz

All rights reserved. If you'd like to use this material, contact me at arielpaz08@gmail.com.

The First Key to Moving Forward in the New Year

It's a New Year. Are you excited about the possibilities, the adventures and the good things that lie ahead? Are you ready to start afresh and anew? Or are you holding on to the pains, the disappointments, or the injustices of the past?  Is there any regret, unforgiveness, or resentment in your heart? Put in other terms, are you still carrying baggage from yesterday?

Bad things happen to all of us and negative feelings have a way of creeping into our lives, settling there, and keeping us stuck. Here's a story of what happened to one woman when she chose to look back.

Sodom was once a rich and flourishing city. People were enjoying their wealth and bounty but somewhere along the line, they strayed from God and his principles of right living. They chose to do abominable practices, worship false idols, and live a life of sin. God looked down upon this city and said "Enough". But there was one family living there who were from the lineage of Abraham and were to be spared - the family of Lot.

Two angels were sent to escort the family out of the city before the great destruction.
"Hurry," they said to Lot. "Take your wife and your two daughters who are here. Get out right now, or you will be swept away in the destruction of the city!" (Gen 19:14).

Lot hesitated so the angels grabbed his hand and the hands of his wife and two daughters and rushed them safely outside the city. They left the family with this order:
"Run for your lives and don't look back or stop anywhere in the valley!" (Gen. 19:17)

When the family reached a small village far enough away, the Lord rained down fire and burning sulfur from the sky on Sodom and Gomorrah. He utterly destroyed all the people and the vegetation. Lot's wife did not obey the angel's command and she looked back. Immediately she turned into a pillar of salt.

There are many lessons in this story but the one I want to share with you today is this: Sometimes God takes us out of places and situations for our own good.  It's hard to leave our comfort zones, but when God says it's time to go, it's time to go. We may not understand why God takes things or people away from us, but we can trust that when God moves us, He always has something better in store for us, although we may not realize it at the time. 

Like Lot's wife, we. too, can turn into a pillar of salt by looking back. When we hold on to the past, we prevent God from moving us forward into our destiny. If we want to move forward in the New Year, it is crucial to start with a clean slate and let go yesterday, last week, last year, and the last twenty years. What is done is done. Forgive anyone who hurt you. Forgive yourself and forgive God. Know that we don't always understand God's ways yet trust that His ways are higher than our ways.

We each have a destiny. It is never too late and we are never too old to find it. What it is that you may be holding on to that is keeping you from moving forward? Is it a relationship? A job? A loss? A missed opportunity? Someone once said, "Don't put a question mark where God has put a period". When one door closes, another always opens and God gives us the grace to walk through it. 

If you enjoyed this post, please share it with a friend or post a comment. If you'd like to join our community and receive my bi-weekly posts plus 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 more positive and practical wisdom so you can ignite the power within and discover YOUR DESTINY!

Until next time, don't look back. Instead, keep looking up!

Ariel Paz

All rights reserved. If you would like to use this material, contact me at arielpaz08@gmail.com

Twelve Days of Christmas poem

Twas the day after Christmas and all through the house, not a creature was stirring not even a mouse. The dishes were done and  the presents unwrapped and all settled in for a long winter's nap. When what to my wondering eyes should appear but a vision of snowflakes in the window so near.

"Isn't that lovely," I said with a smile. Snowflakes remind me of the newborn Christ child. No worries, no cares, just floating about covering the ground like a soft white cloud. Snow reminds me that each day is new, and that Jesus came for me and for you.

He covers our flaws like the fresh fallen snow. So blameless we draw near to the God we all know. He washes us clean and gives us new birth, just as the snowflakes cover the earth.

Snow flurries subside and the sun shines so bright. God's love is for all and to all a good night!

Happy Twelve Days of Christmas and may you see each new day as the precious gift it is. May the wonder and miracle of Christmas stay with you each day of the New Year.

If you are enjoying these posts and poems, and would like to join our community, enter your email address in the box provided. You'll receive my bi-weekly inspiration and encouragement. I'll also send you a copy of my free e-guide entitled "7 Steps to Finding Your Spiritual Path". We are all on one whether we realize it or not.

Stay tuned for more practical and positive wisdom and until next time, keep looking up!


Ariel Paz 

How to Deal With Drama at the Holidays

Don't you just wish, for once, holidays could be drama-free? Do you think it is ever possible? I think there have been years - occasionally- when the holidays have been peaceful, but whenever people come in and out of our lives like a merry-go-round, there's bound to be drama. It takes time and patience to learn how to get along with others and how to make holidays enjoyable for all. I guess I should just resolve myself to the fact that no matter how much I strive for peace and to get along with everyone, it just is not always possible.

Everybody has stressors. Some we know about. Some we don't.  I think it is pretty safe to say that most people are not advertising everything that is stressful in their lives. I've realized I'm not even aware of everything that is stressing me on any given day, so I keep a journal and list everything that is bothering me. It really helps to be aware of what is impacting me so I can adjust accordingly. We just never know what someone is dealing with but it does seem that holidays, for whatever reason, tends to be more stressful.

I guess that's why people go to the beach or take a vacation to avoid dealing with any of it and I can't say that I blame them. You gotta do what you gotta do. But I think the issues that arise over some holidays are issues that need to be dealt with, and not run away from. The holidays have a way of bringing stuff to the forefront, kind of like saying "Deal with me. Deal with me."

We all have baggage of some sort, I don't care how young or old you are. Now I am not a psychologist, but I do notice patterns in people's behavior, especially my own. For example, I don't like to be an after-thought. Reminds me of the way my ex used to treat me. I was always last on his priority list. I didn't like it then and I don't like it now. I think it probably stems for some sort of left-over rejection from having an alcoholic for a father who was always in his own world and too bombed to pay any attention to his daughter. If you had an emotionally absent parent, you understand what I'm talking about. A parent's job is to make their children feel loved, secure, and valued. Nonetheless, this is part of what any love relationship is about - helping to heal the other person through love.

Any time I start feeling like this, I get angry. No longer do I "suck it up" or pretend it doesn't bother me. Now I say something sooner rather than later. Experts say the best way to share these feelings is by using an "I feel" sentence. I've also learned that expressing my hurt feelings will most likely cause a problem because most people, except for my youngest son bless his heart, don't know how to handle confrontation in a safe, healthy, and mature manner.

They either:

a) get defensive

b) give me an excuse

c) raise their voice

Usually all three. None of which are healthy and productive to the resolution of the problem . These behaviors cause distance and alienation rather than connection and healing. A better response would go something like this:

"Gee, I'm sorry you felt...... I didn't mean to cause you pain. I will try better in the future to...." 

This kind of response shows accountability and responsibility and more importantly, compassion, which is what we want from our close friends and loved ones. Sadly, many people are not at a level of maturity to be able to respond this way, which of course, is out of our control. So what to do in these kinds of situations?

1. Do not get riled up yourself. Exercise self-control or withdraw from the conversation. 

2. Have compassion for the other party and for yourself. We are all on our own journey. 

3. Say what you have to say, kindly and calmly, but don't count on the other person being able to receive it properly. Sometimes I do this through email to avoid a hostile reaction.

4. Pray for the relationship and for God to bring clarity and understanding to both parties.
5. Own your part of the problem and decide what YOU can do differently. As my oldest son says, it takes two to tango.

Once I have said what I have to say, I give it to God, regardless of the reaction of the other person. The key is to not hold onto the resentment, rejection, or negative feeling. We have to get it out. Holding negative emotions in causes physical and mental stress which lowers our immune system and makes us more likely to get sick. Typically, I get a migraine from ruminating about the situation but everyone reacts differently. 

I hope this post has been helpful. I write from my personal experiences and I know many of you struggle with the same sorts of issues. Your feedback is always welcome. If you'd like to join our blog community, enter your email address in the box provided. You'll receive my bi-weekly posts plus a copy of my free eguide entitled " 7 Steps to Finding Your Spiritual Path".

Stay tuned for more practical and positive wisdom to help you ignite the power within and discover YOUR DESTINY!

Until next time, keep looking up!

Ariel Paz

Are You Keeping God in a Box?

How often do you think about God? Do you only think of God on Sunday mornings? Maybe you only call on God in emergencies or crisis.  Do you go about your busy day and not include or thank him until perhaps at night right before your head hits the pillow? God wants to be a part of our daily life. He wants to talk with us, guide us, and give us direction but that can't happen if we have God in a box we only take out every once in a while.

Today's post is to encourage you to let God out of the box and allow him to become more a part of your daily life. You will experience more peace and joy as you develop a personal and intimate relationship with the Creator of the Universe who loves and cares for you more than you could ever imagine. When we live in the presence of God, we enjoy life more fully and we are less distracted by the trials of life.

Think about when you're at work focused on a project, teaching a class, solving a computer glitch. Your full attention is engaged and you are fully present. Or imagine you are a dancer flowing with the music, or a cook preparing a dish, savoring each aroma. These are all times when we are fully present and we lose track of time. God is with you and enabling to do these things.

What about the painful times of life? When you have a hard decision to make? When a loved one is hurting? When you feel down and out? Do you call on God then? Or do you try to tough it out on your own? As spiritual beings, we were not made to tough it out on our own. This is why we need God. Life can be overwhelming. Challenges unsolvable. Situations unmanageable. God is with us in every situation and circumstance of life.

God is all around us if we have eyes to see. Delight in the spectacular colors of the autumn trees as they change their wardrobe. Enjoy a sunrise or a sunset as it heralds the beginning or end of a new day. Listen to the wind, the ocean waves and the trickle of raindrops and the thundering of the storms. God created all of these to delight us and to remind us of his great love and the power of his majesty.

This week make take time to notice the beauty and the wonder of creation. It will take you out of whatever problem is absorbing your thoughts. It will bring you into the presence of God. Allow him to speak to your heart, to comfort you, and to assure you that everything will turn out okay. Well, better than okay. God works everything for our good and for his glory. He wants to make a masterpiece out of you so you can reflect his awesomeness.

If this post has encouraged you, join our community by entering your email address in the box provided. You'll receive my bi-weekly posts and a free gift entitled "7 Steps to Finding Your Spiritual Path". Leave a comment or click the +1 icon. Also, check out my newest book on Amazon, entitled "How to Enjoy a Full and Balanced Life: 5 Fundamentals to Streamline Your Life". 

Stay tuned for next time when we'll explore the ways we can take God out of the box and enjoy his presence more each day. It is truly an adventure!

Blessings and joy to you,

Ariel 

The Perils of Listening to the Wrong Voices

Ever eat that donut or piece of cake when you know you are trying to lose weight? Plop yourself in front of the boob tube when you know you should be exercising? Tell yourself you're too fat, too old, too lazy? It's easy to be tempted to buy something we don't really need or can't afford, eat something unhealthy, or give up on our dreams and goals. It all depends on which voices we listen to.

There are many voices both in the world and inside our heads that clamor for our attention; many of them are negative and self-defeating. If we're not careful, our thoughts will lead us down Alice's rabbit hole and off the path to our goals, dreams and destinies. How does this happen and what to do about it?

First, realize that negative thoughts are normal. In fact, our brains tend to focus on the negative. Scientists call this the "negative bias". This means the human brain reacts more intensely to negative stimuli. This may account for the widespread fascination with bad news and events and why we tend to place more emphasis on the negative things that happen in our lives and in our relationships. Ever pay attention to people's conversations? Listen to what is being talked about and chances are it is about something bad that happened.

Second, realize that our thinking is highly influenced by the people we are around most. Our parents have the most impact on us because we have closer ties to them, communicate more with them, and we are subtly programmed to think the way they think. If our parents were negative, anxious, or fearful, chances are so will we be. The problem is we don't realize our thinking is faulty because that is all we have ever known. If we don't take action to correct erroneous thought patterns, we will pass them on to our kids and the negative fear cycle will continue.

When we focus on the negative voices, we will get depressed, which will cause us to lose our energy and then we will give up on our goals and dreams. It is a slippery slope which often goes unnoticed and that is why it is so important to be aware of which voices we are listening to.

Recently, I realized I was comparing my current situation to a period of time in the past when I was going through a divorce. The same of feelings hovered over me like a dark cloud.
It was beginning to get me down. But then I had a revelation. Instead of saying to myself, "Gee, here we go again....why is this happening to me?" it occurred to me that there was another way to look at my current circumstances and my past. I said to myself "Look at what all God has brought you through. He is going to get you through this situation as well, so relax and take a chill pill." I felt like the dark cloud was replaced by a ray of bright sunshine.

Reframing our negative experiences in a positive light may well be one of the most important mental activities we can learn. There is always another way to view our situation. Difficult circumstances happen to all of us, but I have found that something good always comes out of my painful experiences. In my book,"The Power of Faith", I share many personal stories of trials and challenges, and how they all eventually worked out for my good. When something bad happens, I ask myself "How else can I view this situation?" and "What can I learn from this?" I want to glean whatever buried treasures may be hidden in the difficult circumstances that present themselves.

We need to step back from the immediate situation and take a look at the bigger picture. I believe we need to have God's perspective on things. Romans 8:28 says "God works all things for the good of those who love him and who have been called according to his purpose." We are all children of God and God's purpose is the same for all of us: to make us more like Him. In other words, God allows the circumstances of life to make us more loving, kind, gentle, fearless, forgiving, wise, patient, peaceful, etc.

If we want to move forward in life and see our goals and dreams become realities, it is crucial to let go of erroneous thought patterns and reframe difficult circumstances. Like anything else, practice makes perfect. The more we catch our thoughts and replace them with positive affirming ones, the more energy and joy we will feel and it will be easier to maintain our focus on achieving our goals.

If you'd like to join our community, enter your email address in the box provided. You'll receive my bi-weekly posts plus a copy of my free guide entitled "7 Steps to Finding Your Spiritual Path".

Stay tuned for more practical and positive insight so you can ignite the power within and discover YOUR DESTINY!

Until next time, keep looking up!

Ariel

How to Conquer Negativity and Have More Joy

Negative thoughts and feelings come to us all. This is normal. Negativity steals our joy and our energy. If we allow them, they will lead us down the proverbial rabbit hole into despair, depression, and lethargy. This is because negative thoughts take up more space in our brains, but there is something we can do to stop them. Today, I am going to encourage you to become more aware of your negative thoughts and feelings and give you practical tips on how to counter-act them so you can have more joy and energy and spend less time down in the dumps.

1. Be aware of how we are feeling.
I can testify, this takes practice. I'm still working on it as I was raised to ignore my feelings and it's only in the past few years that I have learned this is an unhealthy way to live.

We need to slow down and get quiet so we can identify what we are feeling. When we are on the run all the time or absorbed in tv, the internet, or our phones, we can't connect to our inner selves. We need to disconnect from all the electronics and the activities and just be still. I actually have some of those yellow sticky notes on my computer monitor to remind me to check in with my feelings. It has to become a regular practice.

2. Be aware of what we are thinking.
Our feelings come from our thoughts. If we allow negative thoughts to run wild, we will constantly feel down, depressed, and lacking energy. We won't be able to fulfill the destiny and purpose we each have. Joy promotes energy and when we are low on joy, we are low on energy.

This is where mindfulness and meditation practices can help. Check out my posts on these two practices that train us to be more aware of the thousands of thoughts that flit through our minds on any given day.

3. Counter-act negative thoughts with the truth.
Once we recognize the negative tapes playing in our minds, we need to take the next step. What we may not realize is that we don't have to dwell on these negative thoughts and feelings nor accept them as truth. Some things we have believed for years. Today is the day to put them in the dumpster.

Negative thoughts come from a place of low self-worth. Thoughts such as:
"I'm too fat." "I'm too old." "I too dumb". "I'm too unattractive" "I'm too clumsy" "I'm too lazy". "Nobody cares about me" bombard us regularly. If we want to live happy, healthy, and fruitful lives we have to reprogram our thinking.

Old thought patterns need to be replaced with newer, healthier thought patterns. This is where I use the word of God because God is truth. Whatever God says about me is true. God says this about you and me:
"I am loved" (John 3:16).
"I am a child of God" (John 1:12)
"I am fearfully and wonderfully made" (Ps. 139:14)
"God has a plan and a purpose for my life" (Jer 29:11)
"I am never alone" (Deut. 31:6)
"God cares for me" (Math. 6:26)
"God sees every tear I have shed" (Ps. 56:8)

So there you have a practical step-by-step process to help you conquer your joy stealers. Implement this process and see how you begin to feel. Write and let me know how it goes for you.

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

Until next time, stay tuned for more positive and practical wisdom to help you ignite the power within and discover YOUR destiny!

Ariel Paz